Why do I play with your Balon? (NW/Wolf Top8) 1.0

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• 1.0

First of all, I'd like to thank everybody who attended the Czech Grand Championships this weekend!

With this deck, I managed to go to TOP8 and be the second best Night's Watch player (and competition was huge: 21 NWs out of 69 players, almost 1/3!). You all probably know good old Night's Watch with Banner of the Wolf, so I don't have to say much about the deck itself. Let's say just few words: Rationing and Forest Patrol were added here just to protect myself from Drogon (IDP) and Sea of blood decks, Last Hearth Scouts was here to soft control shadows, but actually shadow decks are a blind spot for any attrition and I didn't really need to play them and maybe some more impactful characters could be better here. Also, Blackbird works great with Forest Patrol and helps to play Night Gathers... with so many five-reserves plots. I only played 2 copies of Yoren (TB) (even though he's really broken card), but any control deck cannot deal with dead characters in hand, so I wanted to play less unique characters. Two copies of Bound for the Wall (and not three) just because I was expecting people to play Barring the Gates and Rationing, and this card doesn't do much for this deck. It's nice to have it early when can easily push through, but of you're behind it's just another dead card in your hand. I'd probably switch it for The Iron Bank Will Have Its Due in the future. another remark: this tournament was post-RL and pre-Long May He Reign, so no Expose Duplicity. Otherwise, I'd probably add it instead of Varys's Riddle.

Let's take a look at games:

1:0 Night's Watch/Fealty With so many Night's watchs there I was expecting to play one or two of them. The first game was against The Wall (Core) deck, but I was lucky enough to have Queenscrown early and control his draw each turn. One turn I made a bad decision with Bound for the Wall taking his Qhorin Halfhand instead of Yoren (TB). I wasn't expecting him to play 3 copies of him and one was already in the discard pile, and he Yorened me the next round. We both couldn't win any challenges in attack, but he always had tons of gold to win dom, so he was ahead the whole game. Until I valarred him and found my own Wall. I also had to rush through few rounds to win (probably 3 rounds in 5 min :D)

2:0 Martell/The House With the Red Door (The Shadow City) This one was my first non-kingdom-of-shadows shadow deck I played against. Again, I was lucky to have Wall early in the game, because my opponent had to discard cards from shadow to draw. Last Hearth Scouts made him to valar me on turn 2, and then I was able to build strong board position (with his own characters).

3:0 Greyjoy/The Lord of the Crossing

First turn Bound for the Wall to get Balon Greyjoy (Core) probably decided the game. On turn 2, I yorened his Theon Greyjoy (TFoA), killed him, mutinied duplicated Victarion Greyjoy (MoD) (thanks to Arya Stark (TFM)) and with no characters on board my opponent just conceded.

4:0 Targaryen/The Wars To Come

Reinhard struggled with his draw. He had excellent setup, but then he drew mostly events and attachment he didn't want to play. The whole game he only had small characters, I had to Ward his Viserys Targaryen (Core) with Tokar, Seal of the Hand and Warrior's Braid just to have some strong power ikon (thanks to Tokar he had 5STR!!!). After I valarred him, he still didn't see any character. On You Win Or You Die, he played Drogon (IDP) who was Marched to the Wall next round. When he finally found Daenerys Targaryen (Core), I played Mutiny At Craster's Keep. After few round of bullying, he conceded.

4:1 Lannister/Kingdom of Shadows

This deck won the tournament. I was just an observer the whole game: when I froze solid his Bowels of Casterly Rock, he played Tyrion Lannister (VDS), when I was ready to valar him, he had Clever Feint. There was nothing I could do here. #fucktheshadows.

4:2 Night's Watch/The Wars To Come Last time I played with Lennart, it was the finale of Czech Nationals last year and I won. He took the revenge in this game. I hadn't such terrible headache I couldn't think straight and I was doing terrible mistakes (like playing Night Gathers... when I could marshall only 1 character..). Also, he discarded my Wall for intrigue claim and it destroyed my plans.

TOP 16 Lannister/"The Rains of Castamere"

I wasn't expecting to see myself in the TOP. I also wasn't expecting to see non-shadow Lannister there :D That game was fun (for me at least). I milked his Cersei Lannister (LoCR) turn 1 and was just doing my attrition stuff. At some point, I had mostly his characters on my side thanks to Night Gathers..., but he valarred me :( and I had to start building my board position again. Thankfully, he didn't have anything in his discard, but Cersei Lannister (LoCR). Non-kneeling 6STR is probably what any Night's Watch is missing in their decks :D

TOP 8 Targaryen/Fealty

I didn't muligun my 6g 4 cards setup, but I think I had to. I valarred Drogon (IDP) next turn, but he found Daenerys Targaryen (Core) and Rhaegal (Core) and had tons of unopposed because of my terrible hand. When I finally found something I could play, it was too late... And yes, burn is another problem for this deck, but I guess if I was able to find any good card during 4 or 5 rounds, I wouldn't be just the observer. But I was happy with my result anyway. I didn't expect to be the second best NW with such competition :D

And congratulations to Rakovszky Marton on winning The Czech Grand! :)