Still smuggling at Stahleck. Semifinalist and Best Baratheon 1.0

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• 1.0

Hello!

Another year and another great experience at Stahleck!

I want to share the deck that allowed me to reach Semifinals and claiming the Best Baratheon for second time in a row. Basically, it's the updated version of the deck that I played last year, so it will not be a long explanation.

I had clear that i will play Baratheon again, but i was tempted to change it the previous weeks, as i was fearing a full Attrition/jumper meta which are not the best pairings for Smugglers, after a preparation tournament that we did which result in a 2-2. Luckily my friends convinced me to not be an idiot and play what I tested properly as it continued to be a good deck.

The deck: Overview

Basically, there was two plots, FSoW and MKC, that the deck was vulnerable too, so some changes were made to improve that. Apart from that, from a new card perspective, only the new warship was something to consider.

The deck: Cards

Plots, Events and Attachments:

No changes.

Characters

Shadow Priestess: After a few games against Dothrakis it was clear that they need to be included into the deck. They're to be played in the MKC round, to allow you to have an additional body, and even superiority in the table. They replaced the podded Ser Imry Florent and the copy of Devan Seaworth. Again here i need to give credit to the excellent feedback that I always have from my meta mates, as I had no clear what to replace and until Friday midday it was Mord the one cut out.

Begging Brother: From 2 to 3. In the actual meta they were most usefull than the Fickle Bannerman (from 3 to 2), allowing to cancel Aegons, Victarions or GHE to name a few.

Locations

Flea Bottom: Until the previous week I was playing with two The Moon Door, but I decided to put Flea Bottom here, again for the MKC/FSoW meta. Also, the chance of putting a Sellsails or Begging Brother from discard bestowing is too good. For the additional location, Beric Dondarrionwas cut for cost reason.

Narrow Sea Dromond: What do you want me to say, they're amazing. Additional kneel, surprise warship and improves the round of MKC. I started with two too keep Laughing Lord, but at the end, i put the third copy. Bye Fury and Black Betha.

Economy: I replaced one Great Hall and one The Roseroad for two more King's Gate to improve the draw.

Report

Warning: My memory is terrible and i didn't take notes, so I may be mistaken and mixing some of the games.

Round 1: BYE

Round 2: DrBoeserich (Night Watch banner of the Kraken):

I feared attrition, but was a deck to maximize Dywen and Saltcliffe Sailor psynergy. Khorane showed earlier with a lot of support and controlled the whole table. I think it was the game were Khorane had more impact.

Round 3: WQB (Night Watch banner of the Wolf)

The pairing I was most scared of. I was able to keep a table big enough to avoid Yoren or Ramsay to hit one of the big guys, and as it's a deck without a lot of power icons I was able to push in power and get the win.

Round 4: Rowandra (Greyjoy Fealty):

I setuped Mord, which was able to blank the Euron he marshalled in the first Plot, with Salladhor taking four gold every plot for Silence allowing to have a bigger table and control the game.

Round 5: Dimi (Martell Free Companies):

Didn't now what to expect and was a Sandsnake deck. I had a terrible setup, of 1 Begging Brother and two Dromond in shadows, against two begging and a Ironbank, which he bestowed with Unbridled as first action. Furthermore, I get 000 - navaled. I was forced to an early Valar to get rid of Tyene, Dorea and those Begging. I played full survival mode trying to delay him as much as possible and hopping that he played VM, which he did. At this point i was 14-0 down, after the VM plot, he was at 13 and played Heads against my hand just refilled from Siege preparation, 4 characters of 6, but he pick a Location. From there i was able to comeback as i had hand and he start drawing all the dupes.

Round 6: Miha Vrbanec (Baratheon Summer):

Kind of a mirror. He played tons of locations that allowed him to draw a lot and take advantage with Throne-Table and power challenge control. However, I was able to build a stronger table and with Salladhor came the location control so I prevented the table or the Red Keep, i was in control of Militar and Intrigue challenges, and when Khorane came also in power, so eventually reach 15, which granted my place in the top.

Round 7: Lennart Paga (Martell Braavos):

My setup was Khorane and a shadow. I had the other 2 Khorane in hand but didn't dare to play the three of them in setup as i was afraid of marched. No much history on this game, he basically removed all my icons with attachments and Arianne, and GHE me 3 times, furthermore 2 claims 2. I tried to wait for a good VM situation, but he reach 15 before that happened.

Round 8: Lukas Abels-Vehns (Stark Hollow Hill):

I was able to put a good table since the beginning. He decided to not kill Salladhor with Harrenhall (he killed the Vargo that came later) and him with crown doing multiple challenges do a lot of job before he get Ramsay, but after that I repopulated my table and I far ahead on power, so he conceded as he was with few characters and no hand.

TOP 32: BYE

TOP 16: Lukas Abels-Vehns (Stark Hollow Hill):

Yes, again. I had a great setup of 6 cards and a lot of tools to control him (Begging Brother, Dromonds....) He wasn't able to push a single military challenge until plot 4 or 5, but I had enough characters to endure the claim 2 and reach 15 in the counter attack with Salladhor and Vargo renowning. Again Salladhor with the crown multichallenging was key.

TOP 8: Albert Lorenzo (Targaryen Sea of Blood)

Another year facing my friend in Stahleck, but this time for a place in the Semifinals. We played this pairing close than a hundred times, and was slightly in my favor, but any mistake could be key. Note that before the tournament he decided to include one cat in the deck, even with all of us saying that was not a good decision. Okay, he setup the bloody cat, that cleaned all my agenda triggers sometimes even using plaza on him. I marshalled Khorane in first plot to kneel a Raiding Khalassar, he marshalled and honor guard with 0 strength, but after a Lyseni Pirate was Consumed in Flames, with a Missandei appearing in the table, he was able to push military and trigger SoB (which failed). My table was reduced but Salladhor came, controlling the Plaza and preventing him to play the womb, but his table was stronger, but he didn't have a lot of economy so I was able to be close in power, even if Khorane was marched. Both preferred to attack military and intrigue instead of power, and I was able to prevent him to trigger SOB again, with Mord blanking Cohollo or Jhogo. Sadly, time was over when we were starting plot 7, tied at 9 of power, but my last plot was Valar so I get 0 claim. Table was empty as i had father Salladhor and the cat. He marshalled first a shadow and the cat, who use with plaza to empty my bank and FB. I had 5 gold with a priestess on shadows, so I marshalled wraith and moon door assuming that shadow was Aegon, so i could kill him and kneel whatever he summons with priestess. However the shadow was a shadow from the east, so he passed, i passed, and claim Dom thanks to a Dromond. It was not a good way to end this game against a friend.

TOP 4: Raius (Lannister Kingdom of Shadows)

My chances here were to rush before he build a table with all the locations, that with even my location control will be difficult to manage. I did an OK setup but my hand were all characters affected by FSNOW. I think that game was decided in plot 2, I played summons against his VM, and he made me first player, i was hoping to find Salladhor to kneel the Red Keep and get the gold, but he wasn't there, I pick Robert. I don't remember if I marshalled him that plot or the next one, but i took the risk to attack and get Roose, which happened. He already had bowels and Red Keep from the beginning, and the other locations started to show up, with Cersei emptying my hand (Alchemist, Tunnels). He was in full control of the game and i was just surviving. Eventually Salladhor and Khorane came after the Siege, but it was to late and they were cancelled. Game ended by time, something like 12-5, but there was a 0% possibility of a comeback from my side. Congrats Raius! You deserve the Stahleck title.

Thanks!

Thanks to Schwaig and Philine, you gave us another great year in Stahleck, delivering us an incredible experience year after year. We cannot thank you enough for the job you do. THANKS!

Thanks to GOT team for keeping the game alive in a good shape.

To all the players of the world, to make a great community that makes us keeping playing.

And thanks to all the Catalan meta, for the hours of deck building, testing, chatting about everything, playing boardgames or having fun. We make each other better players.

If someone have any doubt, comment, or question, I will be happy to read it and answer.

Thanks!

Víctor