Stark Fealty (End of first cycle) (Detailled Explananations) 1.0

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I worked a lot on Stark Fealty, and at the end of first cycle that's how i play it.

It's a "Defense Powerrush" strategy, relying on board construction. Thus for THE PLOTLINE, I consider in Stark it must be 3 economic plot, 3 card advantage ones + Confiscation.

2 pure economic plots : A Noble Cause and Calling the Banners, plus a semi-economic plot that also protect the board or the hand : Calm Over Westeros. On board construction : i rely on Counting Coppers to do the necessary draw once the hand has been empty after T2/3, and complement it by a Tutor of solutions with Building Orders and a finisher, Summons, allowing me to complete the puzzle or recover from a wildfire. Confiscation is mandatory because it's good eco, good iniative (very desirable in this deck), and mainly the only attachment control that is statistically reliable, while you are vulnerable to Poppy.

About Wardens of the North, few peoples understood it's a "win more" card. You play it when you built a board, thus when you are winning. You don't play Warden to come back from a bad situation, it's not helping you. Perfect example of a trap card.

CHARACTERS SLOT, The only Stark leader worthing it by themselves are Eddard Stark WoTN and Robb Stark CS. On cheap characters, i make the choice of Sansa StarkWoTN in x2 since she if curing the intrigue weakness of house stark, and her drawback is of few importance since it makes it at worse equilibrated. As a consequence of Hodor, Sansa, Shaggydog but also Eddard, Winterfell Crypt enter the deck. it's not a decisive card, but she add something at the deck for her cost (like a gestion of Tywin).

Characters at cost 3 aren't great, especially because they are a burden for setup. Mathematical analysis make me limit them at four by decks. Arya Stark enters in x2 because she is the only natural stealth in Stark, metagaming Greyjoy. Moreover, she well does the job of taking military claim, something the deck is vulnerable to. Since you don't want her to setup, the drawback of her cost is limited. Also, getting the second exemplary is not a problem since she rely on her dupe. Luwin provides intrigue, and a good support for two pivots of the deck, thus enters. I played him in *3 with here to Serve, but the option disappoints me in the end. Since Arya and Sansa are in x2, Modane takes the last slot. By herself, she provides great intrigue. In addition, her bonuses are excellent. Summer does not pass the cut since he provides the less desirable icon (military), is slow of use, and since you play 3x HJ Bran is less important. Insight on Bran is a detail, really... His best argument are Loyalty and bringing back Arya, but that's not enough.

Catelyn Stark CS is the benchmark of the 10/10 character, and since the big one is instable of use, the trade-off is soon done (I will not detail there my critics on the big one).

Jon Snow and Grey Wind are the necessary Baratheon metagame, since their combo with Robb is your way out in this matchup. I choosed this proportion because Baratheon are not enough present in the metagame to justify more, because of the characters drawback : Jon is a poor military monoicon (no intrigue, no pow...) by himself, with an useful ability when you are on your path toward victory. You want to see him at finish, normally. GW is not a character that convince me. He is an agressive military character while your goal is defending and focusing on power. Still, he is at worse interessant. And at best, good since he has nice synergies with the two leaders. i don't put him in x2 since it will be repeated monoicon military of cost 5, despite i consider him as an almost 4 gold character.

Jory Cassel has nice statistics, despite lacking of impact by himself on table, and being a bit expensive. But it's a bodyguard on a building deck, and that's locking the table. He will be in x2 when Valar will come.

Littlefinger is crucial. He provides a healing at all the Stark diseases : Intrigue, Draw, lack of 1 gold in marshall phase to play this Poppy or that Frozen.

ATTACHMENTS

I heavily rely of them instead of events, that are not great in Stark except Winter is coming, but it's for an aggro deck. Ice is expensive, thus i only play her in x2 despite her huge impact on the game. It could be countered so badly by a dupe or a save, also. Milk of the Poppy is of vital importance. Playing so much attachments is also to force the opponent Confiscation on something before playing the important one. Frozen Solid, always two location control, and that's the best because non-conditionnal. So efficient in practice. Ward is there because taking control of a character is so impactant. I try avoid playing it at the start of a game, waiting Confiscation to be played. But i could also play it to force that. I did not consider the combo with Marched to the Wall, it's not fitting the deck overall strategy.

LOCATION

Gates of Winterfell is in x1 because it's not a great card for drawing. You have 14/59 chances to fail (15 if you consider the second gates as a fail). It's roughly 1/4, thus when you play the card, you roughly have (3/4)x(3/4) to be immediately succesul, which is barely over ... 50%.

Oh Yeah. Statistics hurt.

Since fate of games is rapidly decided, i take it as an additional opportunity for drawing.

Winterfell in x2 is surprising, isn't it ? But you don't want the card at setup (otw, you are vulnerable to FSoW), neither in T1/T2, when you install a board. It's a finish card, just as The Wall, that you install to lock your opponent. Moreover, a dupe of the card is useless. If you take a We Do Not Sow on it, you were probably already badly engaged in that game. I put a card in x3 if i want to see it as fast as possible. In x2 if i want to see once per game. Thus why i play it in x2.

EVENTS

The Hand's Judgment since Bran is fragile, Winterfell a finisher, and Catelyn not necessary in the challenge. It's more negation for the deck.

Arya's Gift seems a good idea, but in practice it's heavily instable and I rapidly deconsider it.

FUTURE

When Valar will come, Jory x2 and Bodyguard x3