3-1 Store Champs (4th) - Winning by a Mountain 1.0

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• 1.0

This deck started when I wanted to play a pile of knights, and Mare in Heats. Then I ended up cutting all of that and playing this instead. This list is fairly unrefined right now, I do hope to iron out the kinks over time.

For accuracy, I've posted the list that I played in the tournament, and I'll outline the strategy. I do think the numbers need work.

That being said, here we are. I ended up going 3-1 with this deck at my store champs, and I feel like I only lost to myself. I like that in a deck. There are a lot of things going on here, but I feel that the greatest draw towards this deck is the draw package. Between the Mander and Shadowblack Lane, you can be seeing 5 cards a turn with surprising ease. The Mander gains a huge boost, named Ser Gregor Clegane, who will very rarely win by less than 5.

One of the most powerful synergies is "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" alongside Ser Gregor Clegane, which gives you a pseudo second military claim a lot of the time, but when whiffing on that, allowing you to kill a yet marshalled character and/or giving your opponent bad draws for the next turn.

Round 1 vs Baratheon / Fealty (Win) 1-0

Admittedly this list was a night-before special (with the chapter pack coming out here the day before the event), and I hadn't had time to test. So seeing Baratheon kneel on the other side of the table was a bit frightening. That being said, I end up setting up with a Paxter and a few characters, and a turn 1 Ser Gregor comes out. My opponent tries to answer with a Melesandre tap which meets a free Treachery. I go in for a Ser Gregor attack with a Bear and Maiden Fair, missing on killing any characters but allowing me to burden my opponent with expensive characters and no economy. This forces my opponent to start playing their Filthy Accusations earlier than they wanted to, stifling their development. On the other side, I get to lay down a Mander and another heavy hitter, which lets me set up a fairly oppressive board state. My opponent drags it out and eventually plays a Varys, but unfortunately for them I'm holding a Treachery and they concede.

Round 2 vs Targaryen / Lion (Loss) 1-1

This round I really showed my unfamiliarity with my deck, and particularly Lannister (having played little of the faction previously). I give up a free power early by not opposing my opponent's Hound with my own (incorrectly fearing the forced reaction), which comes back to haunt me later. Later on I poorly sequence my challenges, sending in Ser Gregor before my Tyrion, leaving me short on gold for a crucial Put to the Sword. Then yet again, I play a plot expecting to draw some economy (with some setup from a Bear and Maiden Fair), rather than simply playing Rebuilding early for its high stats rather than the ability. This leaves me short a gold of marshalling a big character, and I end up wasting a marshalling phase. This game ends with me feeling a bit frustrated, but certainly learning a lot about my deck.

Round 3 vs Lannister / Rose (Win) 2-1

A slower, more controlling matchup, and honestly one I felt very confident coming into. I also get to show that the confidence isn't baseless. By the end of turn 1 marshalling I have Ser Jaime, and the Knight of Flowers in play, and more importantly I've found a way to play Shadowblack Lane as well as the Mander. This mostly due to the power of setting up a Paxter Redwyne. My opponent wins an Intrigue challenge with Cersei, playing a Tears of Lys on my Knight, which opens up my opponent to lose all 3 challenges to Jaime and the Knight. I draw 3 cards during challenges, and end up with 6 cards in my hand despite losing 2 earlier. Over the next two turns, Ser Gregor, Tyrion Lannister, Randyll Tarly, and Margaery hit the table, which allows me to quickly take over the board. I manage to set up my opponent with Bear and Maiden Fair, as well as a Put to the Sword, and Ser Gregor quickly reduces my opponent to nothing. Drawing from the Mander and triggering Shadowblack Lane every turn allows me to ensure my hand is fully stocked the whole time as well.

Round 4 vs Stark / Tyrell (Win) 3-1

My opponent also was playing a freshly made deck, trying out the knight synergies from the latest pack. I setup Ser Gregor and a reducer. The first few turns are scary they play "A Tourney for the King" and alongside a Sansa's Rose, they have 8 power by the end of turn 2 challenges. I am able to trigger an Olenna's Cunning, and my opponent allows me to get Ser Jaime Lannister, which gives me 5 strength of Intrigue for the 6 gold I had next turn. When my opponent flips the second "A Tourney for the King", I'm only able to marshall Jaime, which gives me just enough intrigue defense to prevent a second large renown boost from 2 Arbor Knights and a Knighted Sansa Stark. Over the next 2 turns, Ser Gregor, Ser Jaime, and a newly marshalled Randyll Tarly start to win all the challenges, and a "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" gives a pseudo second military claim, which starts to eat away the knights with power. At that point my opponent needed to start hitting their Mare in Heat's, but they do not and I run away with the game.

I absolutely recommend anyone to toy with this archetype, the deck feels incredibly powerful. The first change I would make is adding the 3rd Ser Gregor over 1 Queen of Thorns. I also hope I can find a slot to fit in 1-2 Little Birds/Noble Lineage's which play so well with Ser Gregor and my other high strength characters.