Bombs Away (Second at Siege at Casterly Rock and King of Swi

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euphius 249

First, I'm just going to start by saying thank you to Tom Melucci and the rest of the community for being part of an amazing tournament and an amazing day. Except Platt...you and your combo deck are degenerate pieces of shit ;) #MadNotMad

So in play testing the MD Meta...or "New DC" as we are getting call now I guess, originally expected The Faith Militant to be not legal and had a deck or two planned for the Sands of Dorne meta, but they were decks that we felt if one or two archetypes the new pack pushed showed up at the event might get knocked out by a T2 or T3 build due to conflicting win conditions. Once we found out the newest pack would be legal for certain for the event, we had to revise our plans in a hurry. We felt there was a 3 way rock/paper/scissors match in the meta between GJ, Targ (new Dany), and Tyrell. We felt Martell could be defeated by all of them, so we discarded it from our testing other than making sure we had some tech to prevent a complete lock down. We really wanted to find one deck that just beat the others, but could not narrow it down over multiple rounds of testing. Targ beat GJ, GJ beat Tyrell, Mace...I mean Tyrell, beat Targ in our versions in our testing. In the end, of the 3 of us who travelled the 7 hours up I-95 to attend this event, we brought one deck of each faction. I ended up picking the GJ...and against the recommendation of one of my meta mates who did not come, I took Banner Rose over "more consistent" agendas.

The deck concept came about that all of us were seeing a shift away from pure Valar D minicurve decks. We loved the concept of Dagmer robbing HwtRD decks of their starting location and having enough bomb strength out at any given time to just win any challenge that came our way. Our concerns were Bitterbridge/Mace being able to out draw our own deck and Targ being able to get past our saves. The solution to Mace was easy. 2x Barring the Gates were in all 3 of our decks. I was the only non Wars to Come deck to do this, but I was also the one pushing as hard as anyone for us to do this. Martell with none of its bounce in effects for 2 turns? Mace slowed to 1-2 triggers a turn for 2 turns and no Bitterbridge triggers unless I have a bomb in hand I want to drop and I think outclasses their top play? Targ stopped from Second Sons, Missandei, Quotho, FB, Fire and Blood shenanigans? Seems pretty damn good to me. In a straight up honest head to head slug fest the GJ top end...especially with some str buff tech, was not going to lose in concept. Turns out, the concept was pretty damn spot on. The plot also had enough gold with 1-2 econ events or reducer characters I could still play a 7 drop. That was enough. Earlier versions of the deck did not have the 3x milk (specifically needed for Dany and Mace/Tinder Marge), the Seal of the Hand, Oath Keeper, or the HJ's. Tris, Vic, and Aeron were all higher numbers in those early versions, but the positive attachments protected against ADiNS and Plaza of Punishment in addition to creating powerful game effects and the Milks were game changers all day.

The draw seems light looking at the deck...then you realize as long as you get Asha you are drawing 2-3 cards a turn with her the way this deck plays if you need to dig for something in particular. Also, Oathkeeper can be popped (you will win by 5 or more with this deck, spoiler alert) to dig for Asha or the other bomb that you want/dupe you need at the time.

Enough about the concept...lets talk about the day of results...and they were beautiful outside of the final.

Round 1 vs Brian Putnam: Targ WTC. Win Brian sits down across from me and immediately I think to myself...fuck. The deck that is the rock to my scissors. At least Martin Naze had played this matchup with our ridiculously tuned version of this deck several times leading up to the event and I finally managed to win ONCE against it the night before with the latest version...maybe I can pull this off. Then he starts flopping higher cost cards like Unsullied. Wait...he probably isn't running Valar D (spoiler alert...their play group brought the same deck and they did not run it).
My opening hand had 2x milk...keeping this hand for Dany for sure. Starting with Vic, Reducer, Iron Mine, and Roseroad didn't hurt either. Redrew into almost all events, but had Dagmer and a Courtier. Opened Trading to his Time of Plenty, Drew an Iron Fleet Scout. Realized he had enough str on the table to block Dagmer on his own so swung with both guys challenge one on Mil to kneel the board, stood Dagmer with the scout, Attacked again with Dagmer to steal his Plaza of Pride. Turn 2, Barring. Didn't need to flood more bombs at this time, still was not sure he was not running Valar D, and was able to slow the tricks a little. He went Coppers to dig for burn. Spent all his gold on new Dany. I was second player and Milked her immediately. Also dropped a Seal of the Hand on Vic. Stock up more renown. Since I am pulling away on the board he drops Blood of the Dragon. Kills my chuds but I still have Dagmer and Vic running strong. Slow play the turn using Vic's stored power as a save to mil claim to avoid challenges this turn and dropped Tris to remove ADiNS from the game in Marshalling to prevent the out of challenge kills. He valars next turn, but with Risens and Mines I still have a board and his own is wiped clean. I had flipped Rise and with limited drops I was able to add Euron to the board this turn as well Closed it out on the first challenge.

Round 2 vs Jimmy Stewart Targ WTC Win Great. Second "bad matchup" in a row. He opens FB, Plaza, Slavers Bay, and a few chuds. I open with Euron, reducer, roseroad, scout. I open Barring against his Time of Plenty to slow him down a little since I can reach 7 anyways and drew into a great hall as well on the redraw. Top decked Dagmer in the draw phase. Played him out along with a mine. He drops Mirri. Well...that is surprising. At least Euron can stuff her pretty easily, right? I make the mistake of using the mine on his mil challenge to save thinking I can stuff the Int from Mirri with Euron. Consuming flames moved the math by 1 point too much for my buffs to counter and he Kills Euron. He also manages to burn/stuff Dagmer without killing him, IIRC. Next turn I go Trading and he does Riddle. Thanks! I play Vic, a Seal of the Hand, an Iron Mine, and a Courtier. He plays a fully loaded Astapor and I think to myself...ballsy with Dagmer sitting there. He also plays New Dany, but I again had a milk and was second so I shut that shit down immediately. He gets aggressive and attacks with mil from his dragon. UO, kill the reducer this time since the courtier can screen me from marched...but before it hits claim I use Renly's ride on BOTH Dagmer and Vic while Euron is face up to make them 11's. Final two cards in hand are a Sow and a HJ. Mirri does a kill on the int and use a mine on that. He holds Dany back to block. and passes challenges. Begin the best turn of my tournament. Mil with Vic. He lets it go UO as he plans to stand Mirri and use Astapor to stuff Dagmer. Smash the plaza with Sow and he had not even used it stand Mirri yet. Peel the dupe off Danny with the Claim. Kneel Dany. UO with Dagmer on Power. Take Astapor. I'm able to go first the next round and kneel out Mirri. Its downhill from here, but I end up making him Valar M a turn later but had drawn a Risen in the intervening turn so I could save both Vic and Dagmer. Did not even need Rise to close the game from there.

Round 3 vs Dave Goss GJ/Rains

We looked at the field and realized this game was pretty much being played for best of house. Nice. I open Euron, Reducer, Scout. No Econ scares me a little, but the Int bomb to stuff rains is too big. Opening hand has two Oathbringers, a courtier, Asha, and a Rose Road. Open Trading against Plenty for the third game in a row. Draw into King Balon a great hall, and a Mine. Put Oathbringer on Euron, Play Balon and the Courtier. I now have a stand, a non kneeling attacker, an 8 str before buffs int blocker, and multiple buff mechanics with Balon out. He has Dagmer and Vic. He tries to swing them both together but I am able to stuff it with both guys blocking and stand up King Balon with the courtier to swing back twice. Not only that, but I top decked a mine from his deck with Euron...thanks! The rest of the game I was able to play defensively taking power and keeping the math where I could stuff every challenge he could do. When he dropped Asha, and not before, I played my own, in between using my gold to advance my stand, saves, and play a duped Marge. The valar would always hurt him more than me, but I had such control of the board I did not need to use it. Even when he did use it I had 3 mines and a risen, so I could save all 3 bigs plus a courtier and Marge had a dupe. It was also on my Rise turn. That was game.

Round 4 vs Sandy Barnabas Tyrell/HRD Bitterbridge (Mace)

The first match of the day on the deck archetype I was built to destroy and its for King of Swiss. I love Sandy like a brother...because who doesn't in this community, but this is the first time we actually have played. I get a duped King Balon and a Sea Tower and a Reducer. He gets a Hightower to go with Bitterbridge. I redraw into Marge, a Courtier, and a ton of events. Since I would not have a bomb to play from Bitterbridge, lets go Barring. He goes plenty and I make him first. He has to marshall his board with gold. He tries to hit me on int since I only had Marge for int blocking. I pop Off to Gulltown to stuff it with Balon, stand him with the Courtier using the Sea Tower to buff him and save Marge. He has no mil Icons, so its Mil non kneeling, Renly's Ride to kneel his remaining blocker, Int with Marge, Power with Balon. 3 UO, 3 Renown turn 1. Turn 2 I barring again as I still have not drawn another bomb. I did draw a sow, though. He is able to marshall Mace, but has little he can do with him since the board "Barred". 2 More UO and another 2 renown this turn, as well as a power claim as he had won dom on gold the turn before. I also was able to use Sow on Hightower so I felt pretty good about him not coming back. Turn 3 he is finally able to use Bitter Bridge, but I had done the math and could close being only 4 power away. I go Rise of the Kraken. He's able to drop in a character, but I am able to go first and close with literally no chance of failure with all the buffs and events I had accumulated. 4-0 finish in the Swiss Rounds. My meta mate, Martin, also finished 4-0 but my SoS was stronger on the day (I sat at table one rounds 2-4) so luck of the draw crowned me king. Picked up my sweet best of house prizes and went off to the bar with Sandy to console him a bit before he has to do a "play in game" against Michael Lamezec who would be tied with him for 4th for the right to play me again.

Sandy would go on to win that game so...cue the rematch

Top 4 cut: Sandy Barnabas Tyrell/HRD Highgarden.

Did you actually read the location he chose this time in the line above? Yeah, thinking Bitterbridge was pointless against my double barring he chose Highgarden instead this time. Okay. Sure. I again get King Balon out on setup but actually have bombs in hand to go with him in Euron this time. I got a mine and courtier as well. I open Trading since there is 0 chance of a Bitterbridge trigger and flood out my engine. I hit Renly's Pavillion with Int claim and steal it with Euron. I actually forgot to take his renown like an idiot, but it really doesn't hurt me. Turns 2 and 3 were barring since he got Bitterbridge in his draw on T1. Close on Turn 4 as Highgarden slows me down just a little bit. Valar M and D were both played, but I always had the ability to drop another bomb this game as my draw was more character than event heavy this time.

Final vs Jake Platt Tyrell/HRD Honeywine Went Splat v Platt

Degenerate Fucking Combo. I was able to rush to 6 power turn 1, I did the math and could get to 14 turn 2. He went from 0-15 in two attacks. Melee at Bitterbridge made both UO and All Men Are Fools were worth 6 power each. All his gals were duped immediately. What you gonna do? Only hope I had was drawing my 1x Tris. I didn't. He drew about 40 cards turn 2 and had 17 gold from events. About all that could have stopped it was High Sparrow...which is not the meta call we made. GG.

Well, our 3 man group we came with went 10-2 in the Swiss, top 2 into a 4 man cut and 2/3 finishes over all. Our only losses on the day from our top 2 decks were to Platt. I think that's pretty damn good.

17 comments

Jools 46

13x 7-gold costers? Liks like its only anti-bitterbridge deck. Valar Dohearis wreck this deck badly right?

euphius 249

@Jools did you read the report boy? Yes, it fucks Bitterbridge hard but Barring does serious work vs Martell and Targ too stopping FB and ambush shenanigans. Even if it stopped nothing it still was enough econ for me.
Valar D never hit more than 1 7 drop in a turn as I only ever needed 1-2 out to control a board. The third bomb would only get flopped in a closing turn. Otherwise, keep some bombs in reserve in the hand. I would even hold back dupes if I expected Valar D. Drop it back into play immediately afterwards. It worked just fine no matter what reset you tried on me.

Thorik 108

Nice deck and congrats! Do you really think Dagmer Cleftjaw is essential for this deck? Maybe change him with something cheaper, maybe a Newly-Made Lord? The 2 Garden Caretaker are here just to improve setup with 7-coster? I really like 2x Barring the Gates. Did you considered Late Summer Feast vs. Trading with the Pentoshi?

SpiriT 179

Is Aeron Damphair (Core) to be used after offensive Valar? Does draw ever feel lacking if you don't get Asha Greyjoy (Km)?

Also as I understand Jake was playing a new version of the combo with no annals or no hj? Impressive that it recovered so quickly after the restricted list.

IonGrey 1

Great deck! Looks like Barring the Gates put in lots of work, that's a call that I wouldn't have dared to make. kudos :)

One quick question - it looks like you never saw it during the tournament, but doesn't Duel slow down this deck significantly? It's very likely in say a Martell WTC deck, and it can appear even in a Targ burn deck with new Dany (which seems already like a bad matchup).

euphius 249

Before I respond individually let me just say something about the way I played with the deck. All day I employed a strategy I developed with it that I refer to as 'Mirroring' my opponent. I allowed my opponent's play style to dictate to me what reset they were running and how big I needed to make my board. If they went wide and with lots of bigs, it was unlikely they were running Valar D and I could also go wide and hit them with Valar M harder than they could hit me (though all day they would reset themselves when I have better bigs with str buffs and stand effects for repeated uses). If they were hanging around 10 cost I would play with only 1-2 bigs out and hold the rest in hand. Frequently I would hope to have Either Balon/Euron as the one I would keep and Asha/Dagmer as the one that would rotate away. Vic was the wild card who was expendable at 1x but also could be a game breaker if let go off for long enough. Ultimately, with so many bigs in the deck I always had one of my high impact characters waiting to come out when another went away and the stand I could generate would make 1 bomb work with the effectiveness of 3-4 characters of the same cost so I could often survive competitively for a few turns with even just one bomb in play (or in the case of round 4 I won the whole game drawing all 3 of Balon and no other bombs). The str buffs and stand made it so I could win nearly any challenge if I wanted to, when I wanted to. I could stockpile power on the best protected or highest impact big to force the reset when it still did not hurt me. I could flood out my "reserve bigs" to close when the math was there to do so. I never, and would never, have all 5 Bombs in play at once, let alone before the resets were used, as I'm not a scrub.

euphius 249

@Thorik Dagmer was actually the Meta call that was the inspiration for the deck. Him vs HRD felt really good. In reality, he was mostly a decoy to draw an over committed block or part of a multi unit attack for more renown more often on the day. He was usually the "Bomb" I let die or go away with Valar D both on the day and in testing...especially if he already hit 1-2 locations for me.

euphius 249

@Thorik Oops...it was 3 caretaker and 1 Vic on the day of. Yes, improving setups and keeping a chud out to eat claim/screen against Marched at all times is not to be discounted. I don't want to use the Courtiers for that, so the reducers acted as screening. In two games the reducer characters were the only reason I could afford my bigs on the barring turns. They are my "missing" econ locations since I am only running 8.
NML is took much of a tempo hit IMO for his board state effect. Rather just steal/sow it. I never had a problem doing either when really wanted. Late Summer is a hard no. Running Valar M I like my opponent flooding out their hand and being set back by the kill so giving them extra econ and seeing what they do with it (also I won init vs Plenty all day so I could go second and watch their plays to dictate my own marshalling). What I don't like is giving them cards to help rebuild post reset or to find duplicates/answers to my deck. I like the plot, but not in this build.

euphius 249

@IonGreyAeron was backup "saves" if I somehow got my board cratered in a game. He was never needed on tournament day but was frequently in testing. Especially vs Targ (though he would only come out if I could drop a Oathkeeper on him to protect vs Punishment and No Slave). Close Call was the same thing. I literally played the plot 0 times on the day but again, it was useful in testing as quasi draw, quasi econ. Platt had HJ. That was his restricted card. Its not my list to share and I am respecting the request. I've said a lot about what cards were used already in comments online and in the report. I'll just say I did everything I could and turn 2, when he had the pieces to start the engine, I could only watch. Unless I had Tris, all 3 milks, and both HJ's I doubt there was a chance in hell of surviving the turn. His only struggles on the day were when he mulliganed into all characters and had to slow play until he could find his draw events...then it was off to the races.

euphius 249

@SpiriT The above comment was actually for you. @IonGrey Yup. Duel would have hurt pretty badly. If I had Balon out I would be okay on that turn as I would kill the other big and kneel Balon, using his effect outside of challenges since its just an "action" and does not require that unit to be participating to get the buff so I could stand him. Far from ideal, but it might let me escape without as much of a dead turn. Its such a low percentage of the meta to see duel I was worried about it about as much as Bitterbridge decks were worried about 2x Barring...which was to say it would have been a great hard counter to my deck and a fantastic meta call to use if you start seeing this deck everywhere...which I somehow doubt.

euphius 249

In an "All Honesty" moment, I did not think I had the best deck of our team there. Martin's Targ WTC deck was better than my deck and he is piloting it like a champ. He was the only person to beat Platt on the day and deserved KoS over me for that reason. He was seated down twice on the day and SoS is BS for the random luck of it. His deck beat mine frequently in testing. My deck existed as much to take Bitterbridge out of the cut before he faced it as because I thought I had the best shot of winning. It was never discussed among the 3 of us as such, I never told him I made that call rather than going Targ myself, and I was never going to scoop or just lay down for him if we went head to head, but if I could take out 1-2 Mace decks for him, which were his worst match, I would have felt really good about our "team's" performance. I knew he would be making the cut as good as his build was (do not expect to see it published. Its lasting in its current form for a few packs yet and as much as he is comfortable with the deck it may be what he plays most of the regional season). I had a lot of doubt if this deck was as good as it felt in testing or as I thought it was with over 40% of the field being Targ Burn which was my hard counter.

TrueSokles 47

How it is finally with Barring and Mace?? Here in FAQ it stays Barring doesnt prevent Mace bouncing and You play it does??

euphius 249

@TrueSokles It does not stop Mace's ability, but it does stop Bitterbridge (no power or extra characters in marshalling), and ambush (no power or characters in challenges). Now Mace has to be paid for and can only gain 2 power a turn for the first two turns. My deck was ready to close or had drawn another bomb to drop on them by the time they could actually use Bitterbridge again on turn 3. By that time it was a 12 or 13 to 4 or 5 lead. One barring is not enough to stop Mace. Two...well ask Sandy if he thought he had a chance in the second game knowing my deck. He was asking the whole room how he could possibly beat me and the only answer he got was his normal line of "be less terrible".

TrueSokles 47

@euphiusok now it's clear :) nice deck, although bitterbridge Tyrell is not popular in our meta while Targ is. So rather hard time for this construction.

euphius 249

Hence why it was a meta call against what we thought were the top 3 decks. We took all 3 sides of the Rock/Paper/Scissors match and only Tyrell did not go 4-0 on the day or make the cut. We figured, depending on the field all 3 might have a shot of making it through. When we saw the field was 40% Targ we thought my day was done prior to game one. Practice and teching for the match paid off, though. Trust me...after turn 1 none of my opponents except Platt felt good about the direction the game was going. Jimmy with Mirri out may have thought the game was going his way for a moment...then the Sow/Steal turn ended that right quick.

TrueSokles 47

@euphiuswell I must say I have to try Your list with some minor changes because of my preferences. As a dedicated Martell player I feel very uncomfortable in this meta and looking for something else ;)

euphius 249

Never got to face it in tournament...but this owns Martell as well as mace in testing. That moment you use Gulltown to give Dagmer back icons so you can steal starfall...gg. If Targ is big in your area I may shy away though. It is really a bad match if your opponent plays it well and isn't just moving to it as the new hot thing.