[XCAFS24] Round7: P1 thehug0naut vs P2 Steve44

Steve44 · February 11, 2025, 7:31pm

Let’s start Round 7! I choose Green Starter and Anarchy.

GLHF!

thehug0naut · February 11, 2025, 10:30pm

I’ll choose Black Starter with Demonology and Necromancy

thoughts for bystanders

I think Black starter is very good vs Green, but his deck is looking a bit miracle grow-y which is usually pretty strong vs Nightmare if I recall correctly. I don’t think that puts me off my leaning towards Black however.

I want Vandy for early game and Garth for anti-hero. Then next I have the obvious choices of Disease, Finesse or even Bashing to avoid multicolour tax or I could splash Blood if I fancy something a bit different.

Steve44 · February 12, 2025, 12:13pm

Balance and Feral! [Balance/Feral]Anarchy

thehug0naut · February 12, 2025, 10:02pm

Then I will finish with Blood for [Demonology/Necromancy]/Blood

Thoughts for bystanders

I was expecting a build with Growth but those are three good specs and a strong combat hero to boot. Balance is very good vs Finesse given the prevalence of haste. Anarchy also gives him an easy way to access hasted Mimics with Zane.

While it might have been more optimal to play Finesse and avoid the multicolour penalty, I’m just really partial to Blood. Vandy/Garth card draw and summons and black unit removal more generally, all synergise well with Blood Tech II. About the only thing I don’t have is upgrade removal but it’s really Growth that’s the major problem on that front so I’m not particularly worried. Early aggro should keep him off Rich Earth.

thehug0naut · February 12, 2025, 10:17pm

GL and HF and all that good stuff!

Active Changes

Nerfs
Vandy	Remove resist 1 at midband
	Midband changes to “①, , Discard a card → Fetch any non-ultimate Demonology spell from your codex, reveal it, then put it in your hand.”
Garth	Reduce midband stats to 2/3
Deteriorate	Increase cost to 1; cannot target illusions
Dark Pact	Increase cost to 1
Lich’s Bargain	Base damage increased from 4 to 5
Pirate Gunship 1	Remove obliterate 2

P1T1

StartingHand Workers

STARTING HAND

Deteriorate
Poisonblade Rogue → Worker
Skeleton Javelineer
Skeletal Archery
Jandra, the Negator

WORKERS

Poisonblade Rogue

NextHand

Graveyard
Pestering Haunt
Summon Skeletons
Thieving Imp
Sacrifice the Weak

Discard

Jandra, the Negator
Deteriorate
Skeletal Archery

Tech 0 card(s)
Get Paid - ($4)
Worker - ($3)
Vandy - ($1)
Jav - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 3, draw 5

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: L1 Vandy Anadrose 2/3A [Sparkshot]
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:

In Play:

Skeleton Javelineer 1/1 [Javelin]

Buildings:

Base HP: 20

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 5
Deck: 0
Disc: 3

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 5

Thoughts

Not quite the god hand but still decent

Steve44 · February 14, 2025, 7:51am

GLHF!!

"P2T1

StartingHand Workers

STARTING HAND
Young Treant
Spore Shambler
Ironbark Treant
Rampant Growth
Verdant Tree

WORKERS
Verdant Tree

NextHand

Rich Earth
Tiger Cub
Merfolk Prospector
Forest’s Favor
Playful Panda

Discard

Young Treant
Rampant Growth
Spore Shambler

Tech 0 card(s)
Get Paid - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Ironbark Treant - ($1)

Float ($1)
Discard 3, draw 5

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: Ironbark Treant (1/2+3A)
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:

In Play:
*

Buildings:

Base HP: 20

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 5
Deck: 0
Disc: 3

Gold:

Gold: 1
Workers: 6
"

thehug0naut · February 14, 2025, 8:16am

P1T2

Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH

Dark Pact
Hooded Executioner

STARTING HAND

Pestering Haunt
Thieving Imp
Graveyard
Sacrifice the Weak
Summon Skeletons → Worker

WORKERS

Poisonblade Rogue
Summon Skeletons

NextHand

Thieving Imp
Graveyard
Deteriorate
Dark Pact

Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Expensive Tech I - ($2)
Sac the Weak, Jav and Treant die - ($0)
Vandy hits base to 18
Haunt

Float ($0)
Discard 2, reshuffle, draw 4

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader:
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:

In Play:

L1 Vandy Anadrose 2/3 [Sparkshot]
Pestering Haunt 1/1 [Unstoppable]

Buildings:

Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 4
Deck: 5
Disc: 0

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 6

Thoughts

Annoying that I can’t do anything useful with Jav but no way I’m letting that Treant hang around when I have StW in hand.

Was slightly tempted to delay Tech I and get Graveyard up but I want to keep my deck on track for Tech II and since I want Treant dead and Haunt in play for pressure that would mean dropping to 3 cards, something I definitely do not want to do right now.

Steve44 · February 15, 2025, 7:25am

I forgot sacrifice the weak…

P2T2

Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Huntress
Huntress

STARTING HAND
Rich Earth
Forest’s Favor
Merfolk Prospector
Tiger Cub
Playful Panda

WORKERS
Verdant Tree
Rich Earth

NextHand

Young Treant
Rampant Growth
Ironbark Treant
Huntress
Merfolk Prospector

Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
Build Tech1 - ($4)
Tiger Cub - ($2)
Calamandra - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 3, reshuffle, draw 5

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: Tiger Cub (2/2+1A)
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician: Calamandra (2/3)
Lookout:

In Play:
*

Buildings:

Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 5
Deck: 4
Disc: 0

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 7

thehug0naut · February 15, 2025, 10:54pm

Yeah, it’s not a fun card for green that’s for sure

P1T3

Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH

Shoddy Glider
Crashbarrow

STARTING HAND

Thieving Imp
Graveyard
Dark Pact
Deteriorate
DP Draw 1 → Skeletal Archery → Worker
DP Draw 2 → Skeleton Javelineer

WORKERS

Poisonblade Rogue
Summon Skeletons
Skeletal Archery

NextHand

Jandra, the Negator
Hooded Executioner
Sacrifice the Weak
Pestering Haunt

Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Dark Pact, my base takes 2, draw 2 cards - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Deteriorate Cub, Vandy kills, takes 1 - ($3)
Haunt hits Cala to 2HP
Imp, randomise and discard #4 of 5 - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 2, draw 3, reshuffle, draw 1

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader:
Elite:
Scavenger: Thieving Imp 2/2
Technician:
Lookout:

In Play:

L1 Vandy Anadrose 2/2 [Sparkshot]

Buildings:

Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 4
Deck: 6
Disc: 0

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 7

Thoughts

Here the goal is to make Cala usage as painful as possible. Now he’s on 4 cards so Stealth + Worker takes his hand size down really low, and even then she can’t safely kill Vandy without at least a 2g investment. Essentially using Cala means his board is much worse than it would have been which definitely suits me. Meanwhile I’m setting up to hit Tech II on time and bring some hasty hurt in.

Edit: Fixed base HP

Steve44 · February 16, 2025, 6:04pm

P2T3

Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Steam Tank
Steam Tank

STARTING HAND
Ironbark Treant
Rampant Growth
Merfolk Prospector
Huntress
Young Treant

WORKERS
Verdant Tree
Rich Earth
Young Treant

NextHand

Forest’s Favor
Huntress
Spore Shambler
Playful Panda

Discard

Tiger Cub
Huntress
Ironbark Treant
Rampant Growth
Steam Tank
Steam Tank

Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
Tech2 - ($2)
Merfolk Prospector - ($1)

Float ($1)
Discard 2, draw 4

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: Calamandra (2/2+1A)
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician: Merfolk Prospector (1/1)
Lookout:

In Play:
*

Buildings:

Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Anarchy)

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 4
Deck: 0
Disc: 6

Gold:

Gold: 1
Workers: 8

Thoughts

That doesn’t look good…Imp discarded my huntress, it couldn’t be worse…

zango · February 18, 2025, 6:29am

Friendly poke, the ideal game speed would be “at least one turn per player per day”, especially after the other games of this round are over for some days

thehug0naut · February 18, 2025, 7:20am

Thanks @zango, this would have been up ~8h ago about I fell asleep with it drafted

P1T4

Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH

Shadow Blade
Metamorphosis

STARTING HAND

Jandra, the Negator → Worker
Sacrifice the Weak
Hooded Executioner
Pestering Haunt

WORKERS

Poisonblade Rogue
Summon Skeletons
Skeletal Archery
Jandra, the Negator

NextHand

Skeleton Javelineer
Deteriorate
Shoddy Glider
Dark Pact
Crashbarrow

Discard

Shadow Blade
Metamorphosis
Hooded Executioner
Pestering Haunt
Sacrifice the Weak

Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
Tech II Blood - ($2)
Midband Vandy, kills Cala, Vandy maxbands, doom Imp and Prospector - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 3, draw 5

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: Thieving Imp 4/4A [Doomed]
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:

In Play:

L5 Vandy Anadrose 4/5 [Sparkshot]

Buildings:

Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Blood)

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 5
Deck: 1
Disc: 5

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 8

Thoughts

That’s a really good response by him actually. Without a naturally drawn Shadow Blade I can’t break his Tech II here, which kind of forces my hand into also teching up so I don’t fall behind.

That leaves me 2g so let’s midband, kill Cala and doom Imp and Prospector. Yes I can lose my Tech II to sharks but that’s a pretty all in turn from him and I’ll have a Maxband Vandy with all the threat that entails. I suppose there’s a chance he very aggressively tech rushed here but it seems unlikely vs Vandy and when he forgot about StW.

Hand wise, I want to be in a position to Dark Pact into a reshuffle, so no Haunt this turn.

Edit: Fix base HP

Steve44 · February 18, 2025, 9:20am

P2T4

TechStartingHand Workers

TECH
Surprise Attack
Surprise Attack

STARTING HAND
Spore Shambler
Huntress
Forest’s Favor
Playful Panda

WORKERS
Verdant Tree
Rich Earth
Young Treant
Forest’s Favor

NextHand

Ironbark Treant
Huntress
Tiger Cub

Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($9)
Worker - ($8)
Huntress - ($6)
Playful Panda - ($3)
Merfolk Prospector for 1 gold - ($4)
Tower - ($1)

Float ($1)
Discard 1, reshuffle, draw 3

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: Huntress (3/3+1A) Anti Air
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician: Wisp (0/1)
Lookout:

In Play:

Merfolk Prospector (3/3) doomed
Playful Panda (2/2)

Buildings:

Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Anarchy)
Tower HP: 4

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 3
Deck: 6
Disc: 0

Gold:

Gold: 1
Workers: 9

Thoughts

thehug0naut · February 18, 2025, 11:23pm

P1T5

Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH

Shoddy Glider
Metamorphosis

STARTING HAND

Dark Pact
Shoddy Glider
Crashbarrow
Skeleton Javelineer
Deteriorate
DP Draw 1 → Graveyard → Worker
DP Draw 2 → Sacrifice the Weak

WORKERS

Poisonblade Rogue
Summon Skeletons
Skeletal Archery
Jandra, the Negator
Graveyard

NextHand

Crashbarrow
Thieving Imp
Shoddy Glider
Shadow Blade
Deteriorate

Discard

Dark Pact
Sacrifice the Weak
Shoddy Glider
Skeleton Javelineer

Tech 2 card(s)
Doom comes for Imp and Prospector
Get Paid - ($8)
Deteriorate Wisp, you draw - ($7)
Crashbarrow, trades Huntress, Overpower 2 to Tech II - ($4)
Vandy breaks Tech II, takes 1, your base to 16
Dark Pact, my base to 16, draw 1, reshuffle, draw 1 - ($3)
Worker - ($2)
Drakk - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 3, draw 5

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: L1 Drakk Ramhorn 1/3A
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:

In Play:

L5 Vandy Anadrose 4/4 [Sparkshot]

Buildings:

Base HP: 16
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Blood)

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 5
Deck: 4
Disc: 4

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 9

Thoughts

Initially I thought I would be playing Graveyard here but it struck me that instead I could play Deteriorate and Crashbarrow and reshuffle them back in. If I also tech in a second Glider and a second Meta I maximise my ability to draw into threat and prevent a meta dead draw. I don’t really want Drakk in play over Garrh but I need decent health to maximise my patrol resilience to Zane and if/when he kills Drakk I can pivot.

Steve44 · February 19, 2025, 7:22am

P2T5

Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Behind the Ferns
Pirate Gunship

STARTING HAND
Tiger Cub
Huntress
Ironbark Treant
Steam Tank

WORKERS
Verdant Tree
Rich Earth
Young Treant
Forest’s Favor
Tiger Cub

NextHand

Surprise Attack
Spore Shambler
Rampant Growth
Surprise Attack

Discard

Merfolk Prospector
Huntress
Steam Tank
Ironbark Treant
Behind the Ferns
Pirate Gunship

Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($10)
Worker - ($9)
Zane + max, shove Drakk to Lookout and deal 1 damage to him - ($2)
Panda kills Drakk, takes 1
Zane trades Vandy
Huntress - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 2, draw 4

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: Huntress (3/3+1A) Anti Air, Sparkshot
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:

In Play:

Playful Panda (2/1)

Buildings:

Base HP: 15
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Anarchy)
Tower HP: 4

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 4
Deck: 1
Disc: 6

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 10

thehug0naut · February 19, 2025, 8:11am

Base HP all sorted now, thanks @zango

P1T6

Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH

Crashbarrow
Dark Pact

STARTING HAND

Shadow Blade
Thieving Imp
Crashbarrow
Shoddy Glider
Deteriorate

WORKERS

Poisonblade Rogue
Summon Skeletons
Skeletal Archery
Jandra, the Negator
Graveyard
Thieving Imp

NextHand

Metamorphosis
Hooded Executioner
Metamorphosis

Discard

Dark Pact
Sacrifice the Weak
Shoddy Glider
Skeleton Javelineer
Crashbarrow
Shoddy Glider
Deteriorate
Crashbarrow
Dark Pact
Shadow Blade

Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($9)
Worker - ($8)
Crashbarrow, trades Huntress, Overpower 2 to Tech II - ($5)
Shoddy Glider, breaks Tech II, your base to 13 - ($4)
Garth - ($2)
Skele - ($1)
Deteriorate Panda - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 1, draw 3

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: L1 Garth Torken 1/3A
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:

In Play:

Skeleton 1/1

Buildings:

Base HP: 16
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Blood)

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 3
Deck: 1
Disc: 10

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 10

Thoughts

Figured that was coming. No matter, I can still rebreak and regroup with Garth. He has a chance to maybe keep me out here given my draws will suck but Garth Maxband will fetch me a Crashbarrow so I still have some oomph.

Steve44 · February 19, 2025, 8:26am

You hit my Base in your second turn with Vandy for 2 damage, and I forgot Drakks death…so I think my Base HP ist at 15…

zango · February 19, 2025, 8:53am

Tech Break twice 4 + Vandy 2 + drakk death 1
→ base should be at 13

thehug0naut · February 19, 2025, 2:16pm

You are both right (@Steve44 referencing the end of his turn at 15HP) I forgot the Vandy damage!

Steve44 · February 20, 2025, 5:56am

"P2T6

StartingHand Workers

STARTING HAND

WORKERS
Verdant Tree
Rich Earth
Young Treant
Forest’s Favor
Tiger Cub
Rampant Growth

NextHand

Playful Panda
Huntress
Steam Tank
Ironbark Treant

Tech 0 card(s)
Get Paid - ($10)
Worker - ($9)
Spore Shambler - ($6)
Calamandra + max - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 2, draw 1, reshuffle, draw 3

Board Info:
In Patrol:

Squad Leader: Spore Shambler (2/3+1A) ++
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician: Calamandra (4/5)
Lookout:

In Play:
*

Buildings:

Base HP: 13
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Anarchy)
Tower HP: 4

Economy Info:
Cards:

Hand: 4
Deck: 7
Disc: 0

Gold:

Gold: 0
Workers: 11
"