Nights watch gathers - TOP4 Czech Nationals - 89 players 1.0

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• 1.0

Hello, I would like to introduce you the deck i played at Czech and Slovak Nats. I played this combination about 9 months. Original idea comes from Joshua Chambers i believe who played this last year at the Dutch nats. I liked the deck and the idea for some time. There was just one problem. It was too fragile. Too depended on Varys and therefore not T1 deck IMO. But it was so fun, that i couldn’t help myself and played it over and over again, when finally meta was optimal and I could find the best version of the deck so far.

Also i found it really chellenging at deckbuilding point, as there is bunch of the cards many players think are good for this kind of the deck, but they are simply NOT.

So lets check some cards in the deck.

Why is this deck so good these days? Flea Bottom is the answer. 80% of players play this card. Why is this good? You can play all this cheap stuff out of your opponent discard pile and not even need Queenscrown or strong intigue. All you need is Yoren - who is absolutelly amazing, his 3 cost helps a lot will talk about this later. Guarding the Realm is very helpful. I don't think it is good card, but for this meta is awesome in exactly 1 copy. And the last one is Night Gathers... - for obvious reasons - you can play all the cheap cards - sometimes even with the enters play / after you marshall effects or play the opponents big guy discarded by Mutiny At Craster's Keep or Varys. The thing i hate about second edition and deckbulding is, how all the ppl play big guys 3 times, bcs of the Close Call, so this deckbulding "mistake" is no longer that much mistake as they can once in a game, sometimes twice revive one guy. This is the best time to become 1st player and take it from his discard under your controll again. You can also play more big guys and just kill them, so opponent have to choose just one char to be close called.

Mutiny At Craster's Keep is awesome card here. If you are loosing and have no impactful chars on the board, you can always get rid of those 3 costs. Who is the best? Arya Stark (Core) who was previously pulled out by Flea bottom and saved at the end of the phase, so she can't die in the next plot. #Yoren, for the same reason and then it doesn't really matters. At this point this card can really mess up your game state as the cost 0 is not an advantage as it is disadvantage. The Hand's Judgment can cancel it for 0 cost and you - only you can lose your character. Therefore i was looking for the slot for 3rd copy of The Hand's Judgment, but at the end i've decided to not to do that, as i felt like i need 2 Nightmares. But the best play of the mutiny in most cases is just to get rid of the dupe and then valar next turn, which basicaly kills the best chars in play and also destroys you dependence on Varys.

Banner of the Wolf is these days simply best banner in the meta. 3Frozen Solid and 3Ward is quite good in the meta too. I've played only 2 Wards before, but when meta shifted i've instantly moved to 3 copies again. Also Frozen Solid isn't that bad, but I need this to be sure i will see the card ever, but in some matches is the death card to be honest. If you are brave enough, you can play it on limited location as Nightmare / Solid in that game, but rarely it is good play. Arya Stark (Core) helps a lot and Bran Stark (Core) is nice to see. Also Osha makes a lot of work here and Tumblestone Knight is good chud with right icons.

Qhorin Halfhand is the only really expensive character in the game. You just don't want to use him for Mutiny At Craster's Keep, but he is so good sometimes, that you have to have this in the deck.

Rattleshirt's Raiders are in 2 copies as sometimes you need to get rid of the Venomous Blade or Frozen Solid maybe even Ward or Bodyguard. Thare are plenty of good Attachments in the meta.

Locations are quite obvious i believe. You need high reserve value and of course, ruin your opponents dominance tech, especialy against Bara or banner of the Stag is really nice. Draw with Eastwatch-by-the-Sea is one of the most reliable in the game.

Plots are quite normal, but The Annals of Castle Black. I had some huge inner fight but at the end decided to play it. It is awesome in the deck, even if you play only 10 events. You can rarely take back the Guarding, so you have second use. Gathers for second time, third time. Thank you. Yes. And also mutiny and Nightmares are so good here. But you have to play it carefully. Greyjoy can use Risen out of it. Also Martell can draw additional cards (in this case you always play it as last plot, so he can't use it at all). It is also good that in early game you need to discard on reserves due to Messenger Raven. So you can discard events and focus on better stuff you actualy need at this point of game. So yes, it is good, but in my case you should add 3rd The Hand's Judgment.

Here is the brief report of the tournament.

1st round vs Biggles - Lanni Rains

Biggles is always playing Lanni, but he was out of the game long time, so he forget about sneaky Varys and didn't left the gold for Treachery. I have discarded the table and in second turn played valar to kill Tywin, Tyrion and Cersei and game was basicaly over.

2nd round vs MIl - Greyjoy Rains

Milan is one of my best friends and really good player. I knew Lanni and GJ are one of the worst matchups. I played Varys 1st round as a first player and Milan answered with Begging Brother. There were some big guys on the table, so he didnt Valar in second plot with no saves in hand or Iron Mines on the table. The other turn i had some eco on table so decided to play Counting Coppers to search for the Ward. It was 1st card in the deck, so i let Milan to go first, Took Brother and was able to destroy the board. The game was not over yet. It was 9 plot battle. I won at the time when i discarded Euron Crow's Eye, sacrifice a turn to take him with Gathers and took Iron mines from discard pile. Since the time i was safe to Valar and game was decided.

3rd round vs Purchy - Greyjoy Rains

To be honest i don't remember much of this game. I've complicated the situation after Valar, when purchy anticipate it and played Counting to search for Risen from the Sea - and saw 2 of those. I had Bran on the table so could cancel one, but there was still some big guy on the table. I think i get rid of it by Mutiny At Craster's Keep at the dominance and took the game.

4th round vs Olo - Stark Fealty

I knew Olo is one of the best player in the Polish meta so i was a bit afraid and ecited about the game at the same time. Olo setup Summer and some other stuff. Olo killed Summer in first Military and second turn played Close call, so i was able to take it with Yoren, which was obviously good hit, as this deck is too depended on the tricks with him. This kind of play denied him from playing Military challenge. But after second plot there was already Sansa Stark (Core), Arya Stark (Core) with support of some other support stuff like Septa Mordane and at some point i've seen also Maester Luwin. Olo had good draw and was in advantage at Intrigue and power. After few rounds i decided to play Varys, who was in my hand since the setup. So i got rid of the most of the dupes, probably all of them and Valare'd next turn. Killed all of these little guys and game was over. He could never establish since all of these 3 of chars were dead and after i've discarded Summer (Core), i played Guarding the Realm again and even used his ability tu return some chud from my discard pile.

5th round vs Jamek - Lannister – "The Rains of Castamere"

Jamek is Olo's brother and he took his revenge. This time i felt like everything went wrong. Bad setup - no econ. Jamek had some big guys on the table. Killed it with Valar. I tried to hold him back by plaing nightmares on his only eco location - Kingsroad? And he had some little chud and lately played big Cersei. He took the game before i was able to establish properly. Couldn't even play Gathers, bcs i didn't have so much gold to put her into play before he did.

6th round vs Tytko - Martell – Fealty

Tytko mentioned that he has hangover from the night before and startedwith Setup with Viper only. March and he followed up with his tricks with Venomous Blade and Icon removal attachments on my chud. Rattleshirt's Raiders did some serious job at this game. After some time i took controll and won the game. Do not remember more details.

4th place after swiss.

TOP16 - David Röhrich - Lannister – Banner of the Wolf

Lannisters 3rd time in the tournament. David started with Tyrion and Tywin with a Bodyguard. Had plenty of gold due to Tyrion. I had my Varys and was able to play him. David haven't seen his Nightmare or Treachery. I had also The Hand's Judgment in hand just for to be sure. Since the time i was able to hold the game with Qhorin Halfhand and Aemon who saved him from Valar at some point. I believe i took only Tyrion Lannister (Core) at this game and was able to win the turn before i had to play Valar with Qhorin on 4 or 5 powers.

TOP 8 - Saman Nowrouzi - Greyjoy – Banner of the Dragon

Sam is a awesome guy - it is always nice to play against him. I had Flea Bottom at the begining with throne and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, but Sam destroyed all my non limited location in 1st roun! He started with Victarion Greyjoy, Irri and some reducers with 2 Newly-Made Lord. I played Varys turn 1 and he tried to Nightmares him, but i had The Hand's Judgment. Started the game with no eco again i believe, but i've seen some Underground Vault later one so at one turn i was able to play Victarion with Irri, some reducers and Newly-Made Lord to discard his Flea Bottom as there were some Second Sons. Vic Intimidate twice and at the end had two powers on Victarion to save him from Valar. Last turn i had to kill Vic to my Valar, but he was useful enough. At the and i won the game - one of the most interesting in the tournament.

Top 4 - Gabriel Ranner - Baratheon – Alliance (Stag/Dragon)

I know, i know. Alliance is shit, right? But Gabriel somehow managed to make it work. And his deck is really good. This is 1st time my deck totaly screwed me up. Setup with Ocean Road, Flea Bottom and Messenger Raven is not you want to see in TOP4. But in my hand was also 2 times Mutiny At Craster's Keep. So i was able to get rid of the Robert Baratheon, Ser Davos Seaworth (Core) and marshed some other char in turn 1. Somehow the situation on the table was tied, but i had less cards in hand, just two limited locations and Flea Bottom was discarded turn two. At some point i had enough gold but couldn't see my Night Gathers... who would probably turned the situation around, but Gabriel pleayed the The Iron Throne earlier than me and it was almost the end. At the time i finally had board controll he played Robert Baratheon in turn i found my The Iron Throne and managed to do 15th power. If my setup was better i could have some oportunity to be agressive not only in military and intrigue challenges, but also in power. Gabriel made it to the finals - congratz.

Well, tourney was over. I was only sorry i coudn't play the finals against Andre, who is one of the best Czech players and also my good friend. Andre took the tournament with his Martell - botw. I am really happy he finaly made it :)

I've decided to share the deck just because i think it is good time to move on and i would never do this while i am the only one who plays it.

So, if there are some questions regarding the deck, i am listening and will try to answer it.