@holytispon I like @Shadow_Night_Black’s format having a post clean for notes:
Blue Starter (vs Purple) Analysis
Match-up note: I think (especially as P1) Purple should be teching at least 1 Stewardess of the Undone in this matchup. So a lot of my comments about units are made in the light of this belief. Holytispon doesn’t seem to be teching Stewardess much, so maybe this is wrong, but I still think it’s an extremely strong choice against Blue. On the other hand, if blue is playing around Stewardess, Purple potentially gains by not teching it…
In general the starter as a whole is not great in this matchup. Most of the units are bad, and you struggle to find cards worth playing for the first 2 turns. After T2, you’ll typically not play any more starter units at all, although all three spells are strong throughout the mid game (and except MT into the late game)
Building Inspector
If you can catch them the turn before they build Tech I, and they can’t deal with BI easily, it’s effectively a 1/1 for 0 and is very strong. After that T1/T2 play though, it’s usually a worker, unless you really need a Manufactured Truth target because they played Plasmodium, or something.
Spectral Aven
This card is awesome, except that it loses horribly to Stewardess. If you get it in your P1T1 hand it’s pretty good (although playing it means you forgo a hero). P1T2 it can still be worth playing if you can MT for value. As P2, it’s even more likely you’ll be seeing Stewardess, and unless you’re pretty sure your opponent won’t tech Stewardess, it’s probably not a great play
Bluecoat Musketeer
Another 2 cost unit with ‘BOUNCE ME’ written in big letters all over it
Traffic Director
This guy is untargetable, meaning he can’t be bounced! Pretty solid as a 1/1 for 1 in this matchup
Porkhand Magistrate
So if bouncing a 2 cost unit is awesome value, bouncing a 3 cost one is just crazy. I really don’t understand why you would ever play this guy in this matchup - just summon a hero if you need a 2/3 body
Reputable Newsman
I really like this card. Unfortunately, it can’t stop units being played which means that Stewardess once again makes this guy into a worker…
Jail
I think this is probably playable P1T1 if you don’t have a 1 drop or Aven in hand. Outside of that though, I think it’s probably a worker. I could maybe see playing it in response to a Present or Future Tech II building, especially if their Tech I units are expensive (Argo, Glaxx, Stewardess), as you might catch a Hyperion, Tricyloid, Hive or Void Star with it, but it seems a bit risky to me.
I’ve tried playing this a couple more times, but I really think it’s a worker in this matchup. I played under pretty ideal circumstances, and Purple just responds by teching Assimilate. As Blue you just can’t put enough pressure on to stop Purple just building HH and playing heroes until they draw Assimilate.
Lawful Search
I undervalued this card. Knowing what your opponent has in hand is often worth 1g, as you can make much better decisions (how to patrol, sometimes which hero or tech building to kill). It helps control your cycling as well, and can give you a lot of control over when you draw the cards you need
Arrest
I undervalued this card also. I’ve got a lot out of it so far, and it’s particularly powerful against cards with Fading. It might as well read ‘Destroy Yesterday’s Golgort’ across the top (except for those pesky Seers), and it can deal effectively with Fargo also. It can also be a strong tempo play to take Mox out for 2 turns, which really reduces the value Purple can get out of it, especially if you cast it on T2/3.
Manufactured Truth
This card looks like it might be amazing, but in practice I think it just shuts down Purple’s options. It says ‘Don’t play Plasmodium or try a max Vir gambit against me!’. Occasionally things come together to give you a value play (MTing Cadet into Brave Knight can be very strong), but it will generally only get played once in any given game. Not usually workered, but that’s mainly because you have lots of candidates for workers!
Tech Options
At Tech I, Brave Knight is very strong, and is typically always one of my T2 techs. Blue lacks card draw outside of Garrison, and Purple is very short on non-unit damage, which makes Brave Knight a very strong unit in the mid game. Cadets, Hounds and Tax Collectors all have their niche (although TC is clearly weaker if your opponent can play around it). One thing I’d like to try is Scribe and BK as an early tech, as playing Scribe, and then MT it into BK seems like a good way to increase card draw. It’s also pretty expensive though, so maybe it would only work as P2.
A big choice in this matchup is whether or not to go Illusions. If you’re going to go T2 Truth, you really want at least 1 Hound already teched, and ideally 2. The nature of the matchup is that things are likely to go to Tech II in most games, as neither Blue nor Purple really have the spells/units to support enough pressure to close the game at Tech I
[I]Squad Leader[/I]:
[I]Elite[/I]:
[I]Scavenger[/I]:
[I]Technician[/I]:
[I]Lookout[/I]: Spectral Aven (2/2, Flying Illusion)
Base HP: 20