Power Behind the Small Council 2.0 (Detailled Explanation) 3.0

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A big evolution on the Lannister Intrigue Rush that i presented last week. I warn that i don't consider the deck overly competitive. I love the mechanic and make everything i can to find the most efficient way of playing it. Playing it is like being Alonso/ Vettel at the Scuderia Ferrari : Make the best of a good but not dominant vehicle. Before it was mainly an evolution on the classic Lannister deck. Several games after, i decided to radically modified it because of several facts of the metagame :

1°) The combo behind the deck, Small Council Chamber (SCC) + Castral Roc (CR) is an handicap rather than an advantage if you "normally" play it : 3 gold is the worst cost in the game and very heavy for a location, 2 gold is also consequent for that card type, and currently locations are probably not worthing it in decks if they don't have an auto-sufficient spectacular effect. In addition, playing this kind of combo requires you to play a module that will create you "dead" card at almost each games, but will also make you pay the opportunity cost of playing another module. Finally, It's a "Slow Powerrush" deck. You are not able to grab powers fast, and any pure rush will be faster than you. Even LoTC competitive decks with a decent powergrab module could go head-to-head with you.

I arrived at the conclusion that i have to heavily exploit the combo to make it worthing, and not seeing it as an additional module of the classic Lannister deck. Thus, I add Fortified Position, an excellent card in economic terms, that will favor me if i have installed my location mechanic, or otherwise will allow me to gain one turn. A Game of Thrones is not exceptionnal, but he helps countering pure rush mechanics, or force opponents to behave. I will not go in the details, simply state that's the second defensive plot i have found.

2°) All decks are deckbuilded to cope with First Snow of Winter (FSoW). Thus I decided to remove First Snow of Winter, and as a consequence Marched to the Wall. Instead, i play Wildfire Assault. It makes sense since you put the emphasis on location, thus you can cope with loosing the numerical presence at the board.

The rest of the plotline is more classic : Opening on A Noble Cause, Playing of Counting Coppers in Lannister.

Confiscation is runned instead of Rattleshirt Raider's since they are not particularly strong, and their icon is not the matter of the deck. Moreover, slots are harsh and attachment less problematic for this type of deck (you cope better with Poppy than other Lannister decks, only Frozen is a problem). The plot also grant you significative economy and initiative.

Calling the Banners as a second economic plot rather than Trading with the Pentoshi which is a false good card. Calling allow you to win initiative, and it's better to play second to pass in the hole created by the opponent. He will provide you a sufficient amount of gold, you are not needy in lannister.

All in all, very good balance between economy, initiative and defensive plots.

/ Explanation of most subtile choice /

3-gold cost is the worst in the game, and you run in x3 the Small Council. So, other cards at that cost must have an excellent reason to be played. Grand Maester Pycelle x2 provides you what you're looking for : int, pow and draw. The Hound x2 could also be seen as a 4 gold cost cards, giving resilience to FSoW and helping winning pow challenges, or pass a SotP. But also provides Military in important STR. He cures the diseases of the deck very efficiently.

Street of the Sisters could be consistently triggered by LoTC and provides additional, and diverse in challenges, powergrab. It provides a third location to tutor on SotP if the other two ones are already played. No card of the deck requires to kneel the faction card, so it has no drawback.

Tears of Lys *3 since it's natural for the deck mechanics, and it needs additional cards to put pressure on the opponent. Whatever the matchup, you can always find an interesting target. I see the possibility to remove an important character as a bonus that could be reliably triggered. Moreover, military is your less important challenge, so the drawback of the card is less important here.

Syrio Forel is not spectacular, but when you run Cersei, Tyrion, Littlefinger, you lack of military in some games. It's an additional expensive character for FSoW, And the gold bonuses of Tywin and Littlefinger help paying him. He is a mechanic support, added at the end, when things were clear in my head. Providing stealth counter the malus of LoTC, can help you win unoposed to powergrab or bypass a problem.

Red Cloaks *3. 2 gold, mil, int + bonus ability that synerge with AGoT. They provide you what you want.

Rest of the deck is classic now.

Possible additions to the deck : +2 Seal of the Hand +1 Cersei's Wheelhouse +1 Lannisport

Possible deletions (to gain slots) : -1 Syrio -1 Tears of lys -1/2 Pycelle -1 The Hound