You (probably) asked for it! So here it is, the triumphant return of Jonesin’ for Thrones, in which I will expound on the state of the meta, make some remarks on the most recent FAQ update (5.2), and then provide you with more of my world-famous one-word card reviews for two (yes, two!) new Chapter Packs. I will then close with my semi-regular feature Jank & Circumstance, which I could not have conceived this time without the help of my fellow meta-mate Ben Comstock, aka slothgodfather, so a big props to him before we begin!
Does anyone get the reference? Here's a hint...
I: MEERA BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS
Wow, it sure has been awhile, folks! Where do I begin? We recently saw a final mirror match in a tournament of over 80 entrants at The Battle of Blackwater Bay in London between (what else?) two Stark No-Agenda decks. FFG gave us a BIG surprise (to me at least) with their latest FAQ update. And, oh yeah, there have been 2 new Chapter Packs released since you last heard from me! That’s a whole lot of Thrones to comment on, so bare with me as I’m sure this article will end up being way too long…
Oh, House Stark, how the mighty have become even mightier! This build has been good for awhile, and it’s just gotten better in AGoT 5.2. The efficiency is there, the strength is there, the tricks are there, and the choice of restricted is never hard to guess. I think the result of Blackwater Bay is enough to back me up here: Meera > Rivers. I’m not saying card advantage doesn’t win games. However, you can have all the cards in the world, but if Meera is blanking two of them every Challenges phase, did it really help you to have them?
So Stark No-Agenda is the deck to beat now, but really, it’s any No-Agenda deck. The tournament stats should back me up here–No-Agenda has a knack for winning games. Is this good for the meta? I’m beginning to think that maybe it’s not. Call me crazy, but No-Agenda decks are nothing but “goodstuff” builds. Now, there’s nothing wrong with this on the surface, but to me it saps the creativity out of the game. Is there an answer to this? Probably not, unless they start releasing cards that encourage running an Agenda (or at least better ones). OK, enough on that, before Steven comes down on me like a whirlwind!
All right, onto the recent FAQ update, which was quite the game changer if I do say so myself. FFG’s answer to all the craziness of the past few months? RESTRICT EVERYTHING! Now, to be fair, the game does feel a lot more balanced now that The Old Way and Bloodthirst aren’t running rampant. There were, however, a few surprising additions to me. First, The Art of Seduction. I get it, though, I just hadn’t thought of it as a “problem” card… yet. And that’s the key. Remember when Threat from the East got put on the RL over a year ago? Sure, it’s a powerful card, but it’s arguably unplayable as a restricted choice… until Podrick Payne! So it makes me wonder if there’s something coming out that could abuse the hell out of it… like Wheels Within Wheels, maybe? So a preemptive strike is what it was, and I’m OK with that.
As for Desperate Measures and Blessed by the Maiden, it is honestly about time. Every “infinite loop” deck utilized both of these cards, and it’s not hard to see why. However, I don’t know if this truly addressed the real problem, which is infinite stand. I mean, that is where the real issue lies. How are they getting infinite influence to pay for these loops? Stand effects. How are they triggering Bran over and over in Plot phase? Stand effects. The list goes on. So I’ve had an idea for awhile now, one that takes a page from the “rule of 3″ concept that’s been floating around the community. The difference being, I feel it should only apply to effects that stand a card. So yeah, you can be a clever player and flip 3 plots in one turn, or Jojen yourself for 3 power, but then you’re cut off. However, knowing FFG, they will just release 5 cards that can be run in the same deck and can be triggered 3 times each to get you there… Sometimes I just don’t get how they come up with this stuff, but that’s a digression for another time!
Another surprising addition was Naval Escort. Well, I guess it’s not surprising since the card is extremely powerful, but it’s been around for years and FFG already restricted Maiden’s Bane (or as I like to call it, the “Bitch Ship”). Not to mention, FAQ 5.2 added Mummer’s Ford to the RL as well. I just think it’s overkill. There isn’t really a reason to run The Old Way anymore. I don’t know, it can still work, but to bring this full circle, No-Agenda is just a better option since all 3 of the main pieces to the deck are now restricted. I get the Gran Goodbrother argument–he makes the Escorts very hard to get rid of, but not really if you think about it–First Snow, Nightmares, Meera, etc. There are also cards that discard locations, and since the Escort is non-unique, the chances of axing it with an Event are much, much higher than the Bitch Ship. Again, it’s not surprising on one hand, but the fact it’s gone so long without restriction makes me wonder if it will only be on the list for a short time.
OK, so now we have FAQ 5.2, and what are we doing? Already complaining, of course! I think there’s no doubt the biggest perceived “problem” card is Harrenhal. Am I the only one who thinks this card is balanced? Am I the only one who doesn’t care if my opponent drops it and I don’t have my own copy in play? Isn’t the game still about winning Challenges with characters? Don’t they have to kill a character to stop my effects? Is no one running passive effects anymore? Why aren’t we just building decks differently now? I’m just saying: there are answers in this game to anything, and although it seems “OP” when you’re behind in a match and have to rely on your effects to push through Challenges, remember, they have to kill something to stop you. Use that to your advantage. Play your triggers right (if not excessively) and this card won’t give you any problems. Or, at least no more than any other really good card in this game, which there are plenty of. I will end this thought by saying that I do support the idea of an errata for this card–one that makes the gold token part of the cost instead of a “Then,” effect. I think this will help prevent some of the “cancel loops” that people are so up-in-arms over. Other than that, the card is perfectly balanced!
Well, I know it’s a little retro-active, but now it’s time for my world-famous one-word card reviews for the next two packs in the Conquest and Defiance cycle!
II: ANCESTRAL HOME
Overall, this pack has been great. My review might be skewed, though, since I’ve been able to play with these cards already. But who knows? You might get some new ideas out of it, and if you do, please share them in the Comments. Always love to hear when people think I’m wrong!
Renly Baratheon – Undervalued
Lyseni Captain – Well-designed
Warden of the South – Meh
Great Wyk – Maesters
King of the Isles – Redundant
Set Sail – Dark Wings, Dark Words?
Tyrion Lannister – Solid
The Westerlands – Auto-include
Warden of the West – Finally!
Dorne Loyalist – Non-unique
Prince of Dorne – Useless
Hoster Tully – House Tully!!!
The Blackfish – Deceiving
Warden of the North – Uber-defense
Horselord – Annoying
Daenerys Targaryen – ..:drool:..
Khal – Heir to the Iron Throne
Harrenhal – Balanced
The Brave Companions – Interesting
Dark Wings, Dark Words – Bonkers
III: THE PRIZE OF THE NORTH
Wow, that last one was a doozy, wasn’t it? One more pack, dear readers, full of more great cards. It is unbelievable how great this cycle has been, and judging by the spoilers for the next, I’m just super excited to still be playing this game after two years!
Defenders of the Wall – A Noble Cause
Deserted Castle – Any Phase
The Wall – Maesters
Lonely Light Envoy – “Immune to plot effects”
Farwynd Explorer – Niche
Longship Iron Wind – Out-of-House
Ashemark Councilor – House Marbrand?
Marbrand Outrider – ZOMG!
House Dayne Escort – “Immune to plot effects”
Seneschal Ricasso – Nifty
Elia Sand – The Power Behind the Throne
Riverlands Hunter – House Tully
Hand of the King – Conquest
Black Dragon Egg – Deadly (on Dany)
Green Dragon Egg – Melee (on Dany)
White Dragon Egg – Stealth (on Dany)
In the Hands of the Qohorik – Fun
Royal Decree – Needed
Heads on Pikes – Neutral?!
The Aftermath – Shadows
IV: JANK & CIRCUMSTANCE
Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for, right? This time we’ve got another Lannister deck, but one that utilizes a particular Out-of-House location to inflict maximum pain on your opponent. The Agenda is nothing new to the House of Intrigue–The Power Behind the Throne. However, this time the Westerners are conniving with their Southern allies to prevent anyone from challenging their claim to the Iron Throne!
The main focus of the deck is to discard your opponent’s hand while simultaneously removing their characters’ icons with The Brimstone. Since the location is Out-of-House, naturally the Alliance plot is necessary. Since we are including the plot, why not throw in The Red Viper, Doran Martell, and Elia Sand? The restricted choice is questionable, until you see that adding Asha Greyjoy might just give you enough Nobles to run The Power of Blood. Combined with the fact that Sunset Sea can also reduce her, we’ve got all we need to rush to 15 power.
All of the other Plots are going to have high initiative and gold, to make sure we can pay for all the OOH stuff, and to give us an edge in Challenges. It is usually better to go first with Cersei, Viper, Littlefinger, or Asha in play, but there is a peppering of kneel effects to make being second player just as valid of an option. Either way, with high initiative the choice is yours!
Total Cards: (63)House: House Lannister Agenda: (1) 1x The Power Behind the Throne (Lions of the Rock) Plot: (8) 1x Alliance (Princes of the Sun) 1x Breaking and Entering (Lions of the Rock) 1x Seizing the Prize (Spoils of War) 1x Take Them by Surprise (Lords of Winter) 1x Betrayal at the Wall (The Horn That Wakes) 1x The Power of Blood (Core Set) 1x Retaliation! (A Song of Silence) 1x Schemes of the Scholar (Here to Serve) Character: (35) 3x Cersei Lannister (Lions of the Rock)
1x Littlefinger (Secrets and Spies) 2x The Red Viper (Princes of the Sun) 1x Tywin Lannister (The Kingsguard) 1x Lannisport Steward (Core Set) 3x Lannisport Weaponsmith (Core Set) 1x Ghost of High Heart (Where Loyalty Lies) 1x Podrick Payne (Fire Made Flesh) 1x Tyrion Lannister (Ancestral Home) 3x Ser Gregor's Dog (Forgotten Fellowship) 3x Mountain Refugee (Refugees of War) 2x Tommen Baratheon (Scattered Armies) 1x Zollo (Fire Made Flesh) 2x Asha Greyjoy (Where Loyalty Lies) 3x Enemy Informer (Core Set) 1x Brothel Guard (Lions of the Rock) 1x Penny (Valar Dohaeris) 1x Janos Slynt (The Horn That Wakes) 1x King's Landing Guard (Fire and Ice) 1x Doran Martell (Spoils of War) 1x Grand Maester Pycelle (A Hidden Agenda) 1x Elia Sand (The Prize of the North)
Attachment: (2)
1x Warden of the West (Ancestral Home)
1x Widow's Wail (Lions of the Rock)
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Event: (7)
2x The Bear and the Maiden Fair (The Pirates of Lys)
1x There Are No Men Like Me (Fire Made Flesh)
3x Harry the Riverlands (Forgotten Fellowship)
1x Nightmares (Lords of Winter)
Location: (19)
3x The Brimstone (Trial by Combat)
3x The Goldroad (Lions of the Rock)
1x The Searoad (Kings of the Storm)
1x The Westerlands (Ancestral Home)
2x The Iron Throne (Lions of the Rock)
1x Norvos (Valar Dohaeris)
3x Sunset Sea (Lions of the Rock)
1x Street of Silk (Lions of the Rock)
1x The Kingsroad 23 (Fire and Ice)
1x Shadowblack Lane (Core Set)
1x Bay of Ice (Kings of the Sea)
1x The Mander (Fire Made Flesh)
Whew, that was a whole lot of Thrones to talk about, so now it’s your turn. Please leave comments, suggestions, disagreements, slander and lies in the Comments section below. Let’s bring back the days of the 40+ comments for Thrones articles here on Team Covenant!
