Greyjoy SOB - Top 4 Trial by Combat 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

This is the deck I ran for the online NECT event Trial by Combat (https://thejoustingpavilion.com/tournaments/7509/scores). I loved the RL for this event, hitting shadows and Targ SoB real hard. So I was expecting a lot of constructive boards and not a lot of shadows, and not a lot of SoB tech.

The name of the game is pressure, and Sneak attack, vanquish, and nothing burns can get initiative reliably. Coppers, barring, and loan are your toolbox plots as this deck can lack draw and econ at times. With sometimes tight econ it's a smaller cost curve (greyjoy with only 1x of one 7 coster!!). It also has double the trigger options with WDNS and Bloody Cup; so if you have one (or more) in your hand you can get a lot of events off at once.

This is a different GJ SoB than the previous versions as those ran box euron, great halls, you win or you die, forced march, we take westeros, etc. It focuses on stealth and the boats to help get your triggers. So hope that this caught some by surprise.

Rd 1 Julio Fuentes (W - Greyjoy Crossing)

T1 Andrick, Theon, and core Balon with an iron fleet scout and isle of ravens. Got off a WDNS, PTTS, PTTT, but he had a risen, bodyguard and Hagen's daughter to weather the storm and get back 3 UO at me. T2 he had a 2nd risen. But I kept the pressure on: getting off SoB each round, and he didn't have enough economy to keep up. I won T4 with an unopposed power challenge, core Theon trigger, Balon renown.

Rd 2 Harrison Anderson (W - Stark Prince Fat Cat)

Mulligan'd into a good setup with Asha, Hagen's daughter, and roseroad. T1 he has Rickon and Bran out so, Rickon cancels the SoB trigger (only turn I don't get it off for the first 3 games). T2 is the swing I need and got off a PTTS on Bran (he sacs to cancel), but lets me bloody cup Fat Cat with a bodyguard, and WDNS on starry sept. Intimidate with Vic also doing work, and I'm up 8-0 after 2. T4 nothing burnsed away a duped skagos, put out balon for an UO power before the big mil to seal it.

Rd 3 George Ankers (W - Greyjoy Fealty)

I draw an amazing 5 card setup with my choice of Vic or Balon to put out T1. He has 2 iron fleet scouts out, but i WDNS one and Andrick trigger the other. I get the SoB trigger every turn, Bloody cup on big asha avoids any potential risens. T3 vic comes out on his side. But I have Balon, Vic, Asha out with dupes and saves galore. T4 salty navigator got me initiative (nothing burns vs wildfire assault). And I pour it on for the win.

Rd 4 Aaron Groth (L - Tyrell Wolf)

Aaron is a great player, and he got the best of me again (he beat me in the cut of the Long Night 2 week prior). I set up Vic with a dupe. But he's able to HFK on a T1 palace of sorrows then last of the giants in Jaquen to kill Vic, which turns out to be the play of the game. I drew the 3rd Vic copy next rd and didn't get enough big guys to stick around. I did get 3 SoB triggers off (bloody cup on my warded Theon to get him back next round, and I took care of most of his econ). This went 8 or 9 plots but wasn't super close as Aaron was in control. I made the mistake of T6 valar to avoid pinning it, but pinned by own nothing burns and couldn't play it rd 9 to get a warded Andrick back.

Rd 5 Adamo Derosa (W - Martell Kraken)

Win and in game. It was tough for either of us to get much going. He didn't put out much on the board first few rounds to avoid my 2 claims, but I was up 3-2 after T3. I won on plot 8, after his crazyness combo marshalling getting 12 gold on ricasso, and he was down to 8 cards in deck. But I had initiative and closed before he could swing back.

Top 8 Yotam Hechtlinger (W - Martell Kraken)

Same combo deck as my rd 5 match, but I got off to a bigger start here. Got Balon out T1, and quickly took care of an iron bank, Dorne, and gates of the moon, and he just didn't have the econ to do what he wanted. I won t4 with a rise of the kraken to get unopposed, with renown on Balon and Euron.

Top 4 Alex Tonak (L - Bara Assault)

I knew my deck matchedup poorly to kneel and shadows, so... ya. This was on stream and a complete beatdown by Alex who played perfectly. Made worse by me not seeing econ or my shipwrights. He had black cells out on setup, and I considered opening nothing burns, but I didn't have the hand/econ to only get 4 gold. My core Balon gets knelt by the shadows kneeler T1. T2 Selyse kneels my whole board (out comes hunting accident on Balon). I do manage to push through one SoB trigger with just a salty navigator, 2 iron fleet scouts, and grey ghost to prevent Davos from defending (one of the cool things about this deck is anyone can push through a trigger with your boats) -- I try to WDNS to get rid of the hunting accident, but the HJ cancels that idea. By this time he has spammed out a lot of non limiteds (table/chair), milks etc so my nothing burns wouldn't do anything.

Props to Vac for running a great event, and Roy and Aaron for putting together a fun RL. Props to the community for donating proceeds to charity!