The main thing I’m seeing here is that we both have specs good at spamming weenies, but only mine has ways, albeit expensive ones, to deal with it. Well, except for Mass Anarchy. Otherwise, I see no reason to not go for Necromancy. Hanging onto the Flagbearer in case Dreamfire tries to use Polymorph on my Skeleton Lords, or something.
Growth+Necro is a strong combo, and Anarchy is always nice to have. So even though all 3 of my specs have been nerfed, I feel pretty good about this codex.
Heh, well, I’ve had fun with it before. Not sure it’s one to rely on.
P1T2
Starting hand: 5
Timely Messenger
Helpful Turtle
Fruit Ninja
Spark
Wither
Thoughts
Hmm, is it worth taking a Stewardess? I’m not at immediate risk of facing a Lich’s Bargain, so I don’t think so.
I could kill the Cub here if I trade my Tenderfoot, and take near-lethal damage on Garth. Do I want to do that? I think just having a Skeleton for cover is safe for this turn.
For late-game, I need to watch out for Stampede, but I have Death Rites in return.
Teched cards: 2
T2: 2 x Bone Collector
Get paid - (5)
Worker - (4)
Expensive Tech I - (2)
Garth summons a Skeleton - (1)
Spark, Tiger Cub takes 1A damage - (0)
Garth hits Tiger Cub for 1, takes 2 damage
Tenderfoot trades with Tiger Cub
Discard 3, reshuffle 10, draw 5
Skeleton 1/1+1A
Garth L1 1/1 (1g, once per turn: summon a Skeleton; 2 damage)
Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5
Hand: 5
Bloom
Bone Collector
Tenderfoot
Timely Messenger
Wither
Deck: 5
Brick Thief
Granfalloon Flagbearer
Bone Collector
Spark
Helpful Turtle
Discard: 0
Card-count check (opponent-viewable)
Expected: 10 + 2 teched = 12
0 on board
5 in hand
5 in deck
0 in discard
2 in workers
Bloom
Bone Collector
Tenderfoot
Timely Messenger
Wither
Thoughts
I’m not sure how much effort I want to put into killing the Prospector here. Without it, Dreamfire has two gold left over after teching up. With it, he has three. Outside of Stewardess, I don’t think there’s too much he can do immediately with that extra gold, so I might be better off letting him keep his hand size low instead, and needing another turn before he can reshuffle into Tech II cards. On the other hand, he’d have a weak reshuffle anyway, so he needn’t tech up regardless. That makes for six gold versus seven.
Bloom, midband, or Timely Messenger let me take out the Wisp. That leaves me 1-2 gold if I summon a Skeleton, too. Bone Collector is a given.
With 6 or 7 gold to work with, Dreamfire could do some fancy things:
SQL Skeleton and Scavenger/Technician Bone Collector can be dealt with using Rampant Growth. If Dreamfire trades Argagarg into the Collector, he could bring out Zane, but I don’t think he’d have a way to finish off the Collector so Zane could kill Garth. If I give Garth a single level, Argagarg trading would midband him anyway, preventing that. Alternatively, Forest’s Favour on the Prospector and Rampant Growth on Argagarg clears the patrol, too, but puts Dreamfire further down on cards, especially if he has a Tech I unit to play too.
SQL Bone Collector and Scavenger/Technician Skeleton sees the Bone Collector die to Rampant Growth on Argagarg, stopping my build-up, and I think this game is a build-up race.
Saving my gold for hero levels, or a Tower, or something.
Teched cards: 2
T2: 2 x Bone Collector
T3: Skeleton Lord, Undo
Get paid - (6)
Bone Collector - (4)
Garth summons a Skeleton - (3)
Timely Messenger - (2)
Garth and Timely Messenger kill Wisp
Worker - (1)
Discard 2, draw 4
Skeleton 1/1+1A Bone Collector 3/3 (attacks: summon a Skeleton)
Garth L1 1/1 (1g, once per turn: summon a Skeleton; 2 damage)
Timely Messenger 1/1 (haste)
Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5
Hand: 4
Brick Thief
Granfalloon Flagbearer
Bone Collector
Helpful Turtle
Deck: 1
Spark
Discard: 5
Skeleton Lord
Undo
Bloom
Wither
Card-count check (opponent-viewable)
Expected: 10 + 4 teched = 14
2 on board
4 in hand
1 in deck
4 in discard
3 in workers
Gold: 1
Workers: 7
4 x start
T1: Older Brother
T2: Fruit Ninja
T3: Tenderfoot
Brick Thief
Granfalloon Flagbearer
Bone Collector
Helpful Turtle
Thoughts
I think I like the idea of trading Bone Collectors + Timely Messenger here: we both lose some Collector momentum, but I at least get one Skeleton out of it.
Probably taking a Zane-induced hiding here.
Teched cards: 2
T2: 2 x Bone Collector
T3: Skeleton Lord, Undo
T4: Necromancer, Rewind
Get paid + float - (8)
Timely Messenger suicides into Squad Leader Bone Collector for 1A damage
Bone Collector trades with Squad Leader Bone Collector, Skeleton arrives
Bone Collector - (6)
Garth summons Skeleton #2 - (5)
Tech II: Necromancy - (1)
Worker - (0)
Discard 2, draw 1, reshuffle 10, draw 3
Skeleton #1 1/1+1A Skeleton #2 1+1/1 Bone Collector 3/3 (attacks: gain a Skeleton)
Garth L1 1/1 (1g, once per turn: summon a Skeleton; 2 damage)
Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5 Tech II HP: 5 (Necromancy)
Hand: 4
Spark
Skeleton Lord
Necromancy
Brick Thief
Deck: 7
Undo
Bloom
Wither
Rewind
Timely Messenger
Bone Collector
Granfalloon Flagbearer
Discard: 0
Card-count check (opponent-viewable)
Expected: 10 + 6 teched = 16
1 on board
4 in hand
7 in deck
0 in discard
4 in workers
Gold: 0
Workers: 8
4 x start
T1: Older Brother
T2: Fruit Ninja
T3: Tenderfoot
T4: Helpful Turtle
STARTING HAND
Forest’s Favor
Verdant Tree
Tiger Cub
WORKERS
Spore Shambler
Rich Earth
Playful Panda
Verdant Tree
NextHand
Tiger Cub
Ironbark Treant
Blooming Ancient
Young Treant
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($9)
Worker - ($8)
Tech 2 (Growth) - ($4)
Zane, kills SQL Skeleton - ($2)
Prospector trades with elite Skeleton.
My Bone Collector trades with yours, you draw, I get a Skeleton.
Arg kills Garth and midbands.
Float ($2)
Discard 2, draw 2, reshuffle, draw 2
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader:
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout: Skeleton (1/1)
In Play:
Arg lvl 3 (2/5), +
Zane lvl 1 (2/1)
Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Growth)
Heroes’ Hall HP: 4
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 4
Deck: 8
Disc: 0
Gold:
Gold: 2
Workers: 9
Thoughts
The big question this turn is whether to sacrifice BC and MP (which also means diluting my deck before the reshuffle) to get the kill on Garth.
I’m not sure what charnel is going for with Necro, but killing Garth seems like the safer choice (basically always). Whatever else happens, I can always instamax my own Garth and fetch a Rhino.
STARTING HAND
Young Treant
Ironbark Treant
Blooming Ancient
Tiger Cub
Rampant Growth
WORKERS
Spore Shambler
Rich Earth
Playful Panda
Verdant Tree
Ironbark Treant
NextHand
Bone Collector
Merfolk Prospector
Bone Collector
Surprise Attack
Discard
Blooming Elm
Stampede
Tiger Cub
Rampant Growth
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($11)
Blooming Ancient - ($7)
Young Treant, I draw, generate a rune - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Garth, generate a rune (2 total) - ($2)
Make Skeleton #2, generate a rune (3 total) - ($1)
Move all runes to Skeleton #1.
Skeleton #1 kills Troq, Arg to maxband, Water Elemental arrives, generate a rune.
Arg kills Brick Thief, you get a Skeleton.
Zane hits your base to 18.
Float ($1)
Discard 2, draw 4
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader: Young Treant (0/2A)
Elite:
Scavenger: Skeleton (1/1)
Technician:
Lookout: Water Elemental (3/3)
In Play:
Arg lvl 5 (2/4), +
Zane lvl 1 (2/1)
Garth lvl 1 (1/3)
Blooming Ancient (3/5), +
Skeleton (4/2), ++
Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 4 (Growth)
Heroes’ Hall HP: 4
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 4
Deck: 3
Disc: 4
Gold:
Gold: 1
Workers: 10
Thoughts
If I draw Surprise Attack or Lich’s Bargain this is basically over.
…
No such luck, but I’m feeling pretty confident anyway.
Timely Messenger 1/1+1A (haste) Skeleton #1 1+1/1 Garth L3 1/3 (1g, once per turn: summon a Skeleton) Bone Collector 3/3 (attacks: gain a Skeleton) Skeleton #2 1/1 (resist 0+1)
Necromancer 3/3 (long range; another of my non-token unit dies: gain a Skeleton)
Base HP: 18 Tech I HP: 5 Tech II HP: 5 (Necromancy)
Hand: 4
Undo
Skeleton Lord
Stewardess of the Undone
Wither
Deck: 9
Bone Collector
Skeleton Lord
Undo
Spark
Granfalloon Flagbearer
Brick Thief
Stewardess of the Undone
Bloom
Rewind
Discard: 0
Card-count check (opponent-viewable)
Expected: 10 + 10 teched = 20
3 on board
4 in hand
9 in deck
0 in discard
4 in workers
Gold: 0
Workers: 8
4 x start
T1: Older Brother
T2: Fruit Ninja
T3: Tenderfoot
T4: Helpful Turtle
STARTING HAND
Surprise Attack
Merfolk Prospector
Bone Collector
Bone Collector
WORKERS
Spore Shambler
Rich Earth
Playful Panda
Verdant Tree
Ironbark Treant
NextHand
Lich’s Bargain
Merfolk Prospector
Young Treant
Blooming Ancient
Forest’s Favor
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($11)
Arg kills Messenger, you get a Skeleton.
Garth kills elite Skeleton.
Blooming Ancient kills your Garth, mine to lvl 3, you get 1 gold.
Water Elemental trades with Bone Collector, you draw and get a Skeleton.
My small Skeleton trades with lookout Skeleton.
My big Skeleton trades with Necromancer.
Tech 3 - ($6)
Garth to maxband, fetch Oversized Rhino from discard, generate a rune (2 total) - ($2)
Bone Collector, generate a rune (3 total) - ($0)
Undo
Skeleton Lord
Stewardess of the Undone
Wither
Technician draw: 1
Undo
Thoughts
Heh, well, at least I can get some use out of Undo. I’m still not sure how exactly I’m going to stabilise here, though.
I have 3 gold after the Undos; if I skip another worker, I could bring a Skeleton Lord out. If I just patrol with everything, then Bone Collector + heroes can still kill the Lord, maybe sacrificing Zane on the way if I put all my Skeletons in front. That’s 3 (Prynn) + 4 (Skeletons) + 1 (SQL) + 3 (Lord) = 11 damage required, with 8 on the board. Zane just needs to be midbanded. Well, unless I have Prynn in SQL, but then he just needs maxbanding.
If I undo the Bone Collector instead of the Blooming Ancient, however, I could take out the Tech II for a turn. Is that worth it? I probably lose everything but a Skeleton in return… but I don’t have that Rhinoceros coming back, or another Blooming Ancient. I won’t see Zane this turn, either. I’m not entirely convinced that this is better, but maybe it’ll throw Dreamfire off. Taking a Seer and the other Neromancer, to try to get more Skeleton fuel.
Teched cards: 2
T2: 2 x Bone Collector
T3: Skeleton Lord, Undo
T4: Necromancer, Rewind
T5: Skeleton Lord, Undo
T6: 2 x Stewardess of the Undone
T7: Necromancer, Seer
Get paid + Scavenger - (9)
Prynn Pasternakk - (7)
Undo, Bone Collector returns to your hand - (5)
Undo, Oversized Rhinoceros returns to your hand - (3)
Skeleton Lord - (0)
Skeletons destroy Tech II, your base to 18 Skip worker!
Discard 2, draw 4
Prynn L1 1/3+1A (fading 4) Skeleton Lord 3/3 (my Skeletons get +1/+1)
Nerfs or no nerfs, my specs here remain strong. Prynn and Undo’s are in theory a good answer to Growth tech 2, but in practice I think they’re just too gold-hungry (unless your own win-con is super cheap, like Past tech 2).
Yeah, I was thinking that I had better removal options than you if it came down to competing weenie engines, but I’d forgotten how slow Skeleton spam can be without the Black starter.
ngl, i like undo and OS but imo they cost too much for their effects. heroes can be insta resummoned and troops go back to hand, worst case scenario increasing the hand size. I think that 3 gold for a temporary respite are too much and too situational.
Garth L1 1/3+1A (1g, once per turn: summon a Skeleton)
Base HP: 20
Bone Collector 3/3 (attacks: summon a Skeleton)