AGOT draft at CHG

The World Cup is great. That said, I missed some good stuff to go play Shogun yesterday. Today, I had to leave off the Mexico/Iran game, which was shaping up pretty well, to go to the belated banquet for the soccer team I coach. That ran long, and missed me the whole first half of Portugal/Angola, too. So, I decided to miss the rest and go draft at Critical Hit.

There were a lot of people there when I got there. It looked like ten, with a table of six and one of four. Then, Chad got there, so Jerod drafted and made it two six person tables. We split up, and did one draft with a song of twilight pack, and one with double song of night. I was in the double night draft, as I need more cards from the set, not having purchased any packs.

I first picked a Wildling Scout, shipping a Shadow Play, among other things. I noticed some Baratheon getting passed my way, and picked most of it up. The SP got back to me, and things were decided. As the draft went on, it became clear that I was the only one in Bara, and I got a lot of decent in-house stuff, but nothing really exciting. In the end, I had my first single-house draft deck, with a good curve and plenty of dudes. Unfortunately, I didn't pick up anything that could be called a bomb. I did get four of the location that gives -1/+1, as well as the Martell army that lets you draw a card every time it's strength is increased or decreased. I also played the giant targ army that gives -4, and the little Targ guy that gives +1/destroy an attachment. I had two Shadow Plays, two of the event that kills a doomed guy, and the event that switches power from one character to a character with higher str.

Round 1 - Jeremiah

This wasn't the best 1st round pairing, as, honestly, Jeremiah and I would probably have expected to face each other in the final of this draft. Jeremiah had complained about his deck a little, and he was in Martell/Lannister. Right off the bat, he played an Others plot, and I knew he had picked up the Winter Has Come that went around. He also played the event that kneels a two strength guy, and you can return when you play an Others plot. Thankfully, he forgot to return it a couple times. He had a pretty slow start, and I did too. He blew his Winter pretty early, we both built up a little, he blew his Wildfire Assault, then I blew mine (on the fifth plot), and then things started getting crappy. He laid down harrenhall, with not quite enough influence. He killed one of my wildlings with the seven cost army that does that. He drew more influence, and started killing stuff with Harrenhall. He drew a Student of Subtlety, Lancer, Small paul, and several good attachments. However, we'd used up a lot of time with the slow buildup/multiple resets in the early game. As time ran out, and we entered the last turn, it looked like we were headed for a draw. However, I actually still had a chance. I had Shadow play, four influence, the event that steals power, and a veteran builder, which I'd been sitting on. That really probably translated to six power, plus the four I could have gained from challenges, and the five I already had, and that could have been game. However, I was thinking I was going to take another route to try for the stall, and didn't take the student quickly enough (and, actually, I also had one of those Magic flashback moments, when you think that your opponent can use all his effects in response to yours, when, in fact, he can't). So, I ended up getting only seven power and ending at twelve. Jeremiah was a little freaked out when we went through that last turn as, until I started playing out my cards, he thought it was just over.

Well, the next round, we paired the winners (Tom and Nick) together, and Jeremiah and I against the losers (Angie and Dave). I ended up drawing Angie. She was running Martell and Stark. Between early claim, Wildling Scout, and Fallen Brother, I kept her board pretty clear, and climbed steadily to victory. Angie played fine, but didn't really have any tricks that would get her back in the game after I got the advantage. I ended the game in marshalling, getting two power from veteran builder and another two stealing renown from her Shackled Defender (it had an attachment on it) with the merchant captain or whatever his name is.

Third round, we had to roll off for Jeremiah and I again, and he ended up getting Nick, who was 2-0, while I got Tom, who was 1-1. This pretty much guaranteed I couldn't do better than second, as I'd be out on tie breakers if Jeremiah won. Tom had Stark Greyjoy. This game was similar to the last, with me getting a military advantage on Tom early. He started to come back with a deadly Stark army and a decent size Greyjoy unique, but my strength alterers came into play to help me out. It's a little strange - I'm not used to going to only fifteen power and it kind of sneaks up on you!

In the end, Jeremiah won and I did end up in second. Unfortunately, the only card in the draft I really wanted, and SoN Others plot, Jeremiah took (once again taking the card I wanted, you dog!). I ended up with a Coldhands, Winter has Come, and a couple other cards that aren't, obviously, memorable. Overall, it was a decent time, and a pretty relaxing afternoon. The game with Jeremiah really taught me a little something about planning ahead in the turn, and going over all the options, before letting anything go.

GG, GL