Trying out a new combination. Ideally I'd like to use Sparring Partners to boost my Nullcraft, and eventually to feed tokens into the Drill Sergeant machine. Don't love that this deck doesn't have as many options to deal with runaway heroes & units as Past would as starter, but I'd like to try out Temporal Distortion later as a way to crank out more characters for Drill Sergeant
STARTING HAND
Skeleton Javelineer
Thieving Imp
Poisonblade Rogue
Sacrifice the Weak
Skeletal Archery
WORKERS
Jandra, the Negator
Skeletal Archery
NextHand
Poisonblade Rogue
Graveyard
Pestering Haunt
Sacrifice the Weak
Shadow Blade
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($6)
Worker - ($5)
Sacrifice the weak, Nullcraft dies - ($3)
Skeleton Javelineer - ($2)
Tech 1 - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 3, reshuffle, draw 5
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader: Vandy lvl 1 (2/3 + 1)
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout: Skeleton Javelineer (1/1) In Play:
Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 5
Deck: 4
Disc: 0 Gold:
Gold: 0
Workers: 6
Thoughts
His specs are pretty strong, particularly at Tech2 in which either Present or Peace wins the long game against mine. So I need to be aggressive early, try to preempt an straight Tech2 battle. Vandy vs Grave is an stable setup, so Teching Shadow Blade to try to get a hero kill, and IPN for presence.
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Worker - ($5)
Shadow Blade Fargo, discard #1 of 5, then draw 1 - ($2)
Vandy and Javelineer’s Javelin kill Grave, Vandy to lvl 3
Float ($2)
Discard 3, draw 4, reshuffle, draw 1
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader:
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout: In Play:
Vandy lvl 3 (3/4)
Skeleton Javelineer (1/1) Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 5
Deck: 5
Disc: 0 Gold:
Gold: 2
Workers: 7
Thoughts
Shadow Blade sets up OK value trade, stops him going up a card, and gets rid of Grave.
Floating 2 gold to give enough next turn to play IPN (or Imp if he goes down on cards), Tech 2 Demonz + Tech lab Blood. That set up gives decent blockers (Voidblocker, IPN), cheap attack (Crashbarrows, Gliders), and can aim for Tech3 Zarramonde.
STARTING HAND
Battle Suits
Sparring Partner
Forgotten Fighter
Nullcraft
Brave Knight
Hardened Mox
WORKERS
Temporal Research
Time Spiral
Hardened Mox
NextHand
Tinkerer
Neo Plexus
Plasmodium
Reversal
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($8)
Discard #1 of 5
Draw for Technician
Worker - ($7)
Tech 2 Peace - ($3)
Sparring Partner - ($2)
Nullcraft; kills Skele Jav - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 2, draw 3, reshuffle, draw 1
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader:
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician: Sparring Partner (2/2)
Lookout:
In Play:
Nullcraft (1/1 flying haste)
Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Peace)
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 4
Deck: 5
Disc: 0
Gold:
Gold: 0
Workers: 8
Thoughts
Unfortunate discard, as Brave Knight was the card I wanted. Another route here would be to play a hero to preserve a card, but there are plenty of ways to remove the sparring partner and kill the hero + max level Vandy, so let’s not do that. Instead, will throw Sparring Partner out there as fodder, and shoot for replacing the card
Awkward, don’t want to leave SP to add runes to a hero or a strong Present unit. But also don’t want to give him the draw to accelerate Present, nor leave Vandy on 2HP by killing. I’ve Crashbarrow and Voidblocker in next hand, so prefer to leave alone. Feels like I’m behind here, may struggle to get a tech 3 build in.
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($8)
Worker - ($7)
Drakk - ($5)
Crashbarrow kills Oni, overpower kills SP, Vandy to max, +2/2 and doom Nullcraft and IPN - ($2)
Vandy kills Grave, Drakk to lvl 3
Sacrifice the weak, IPN and Nullcraft die - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 2, reshuffle, draw 4
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader: Drakk lvl 3 (1/3 + 1)
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout: In Play:
Vandy lvl 5 (4/3) Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Demonology)
Tech Lab HP: 4 (Blood)
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 4
Deck: 8
Disc: 0 Gold:
Gold: 0
Workers: 9
Thoughts
Well for one thing, realize he built Tech2 Peace not Present, so forget previous thoughts. I’d also forgotten SP can add a runes to Nullcraft, as the ability isn’t a “buff”.
Though I’ve good cards in hand (Voidblocker, Crashbarrow), don’t see a good line here. Crashbarrow + Vandy can kill Oni and break his Tech2, but he maxes Grave to sword Voidblocker, then kills Vandy with SP + Nullcraft, leaving him 4/5 Grave + $2 unit vs my empty board, pretty bad. Instead I’m clearing his board and getting hero levels, but expect his Peace engine will swamp me quickly. Teching Metamorphosis and Zarramone as best chances.
Crashbarrow came through as I thought it might, but was hoping Sac the Weak wasn’t there for Nullcraft. The real problem is an impending Zarramonde. I have no idea how to deal with that situation
Good draw with Metamorphosis, and full effect with no Tower to block a Demon. With his tech buildings down, I’ll block with the Demons and look to build Tech 3 next turn.
Squad Leader: Vandy lvl 1 (2/3 + 1)
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:
Base HP: 20
Base HP: 20
