What would you pick first?

Heartrage · July 2022

You are playing first with 5 gold coins.

The decks are:
Red eagle
Hlaalu
Saint pelin
Duke of crow

In the tavern you have:
-midnight raid
-luxury export
-toll of silver
-armory
-ragpicker

What do you pick on your first turn and why?

DinoZavr · July 2022

that is a no-brainer. Armory is the best S-tier card in this game. Solid non-combo power for cheap.

Casdha · July 2022

With my luck, if I have any of those cards turn up and I'm going first I have two power and three coin cards in hand.

Personofsecrets · July 2022

I would take Luxury Exports and make a writ of coin. On my next turn, I would have to use Red Eagle to find a gold to buy a 4 drop, but my economy would still be set up well with that Luxury Exports.

The opponent can take anything and I would still have an option to take a great card on the second turn.

If they take armory or Toll, then I'll take Midnight Raid. It would be a rare case that the opponent get's both Raid and Armory because there are two cards in the starting deck that give power. And if they do get both, they will probably be advantaged, but at least their economy will be hurt and I'll be started on Crow synergies.

Vaoh · July 2022

I would take The Armory, no doubts.

After that, your opponent will only have a few possible moves:
• If 6 gold, they’ll take Toll of Silver (or Midnight Raid) + Luxury Exports (or Writ of Gold)
• If 5 gold, they’ll take Toll of Silver (or Midnight Raid), or Luxury Exports + Writ of Gold

Your turn will then come up, and you can take whatever is left. Maybe another powerful card will show up too, and the game will progress.

Getting The Armory early is a near guaranteed win imo.

Personofsecrets · July 2022

@TalesOfTribute @Tuonra2

PinkApple · July 2022

Personofsecrets wrote: »

I would take Luxury Exports and make a writ of coin. On my next turn, I would have to use Red Eagle to find a gold to buy a 4 drop, but my economy would still be set up well with that Luxury Exports.

The opponent can take anything and I would still have an option to take a great card on the second turn.

If they take armory or Toll, then I'll take Midnight Raid. It would be a rare case that the opponent get's both Raid and Armory because there are two cards in the starting deck that give power. And if they do get both, they will probably be advantaged, but at least their economy will be hurt and I'll be started on Crow synergies.

If I know I am facing a very skilled opponent, I think this is the way to go. Most opponents likely take armory afterwards, leaving you with midnight raid.

Its pretty likely luxury exports can get you some big agent value, soaking up power from the enemy's turn 1 armory and slowing down the game enough for you to press your economy advantage. Cards like Elderwitch need to be dealt with immediately by the enemy, but even when they get killed with the armory thats 4 power you took away from them, and still got the card removal value.

I think armory is also a strong start, but I lean towards the economy focused starts like the one @Personofsecrets provided.

Personofsecrets · July 2022

TalesOfTribute wrote: »

Personofsecrets wrote: »

I would take Luxury Exports and make a writ of coin. On my next turn, I would have to use Red Eagle to find a gold to buy a 4 drop, but my economy would still be set up well with that Luxury Exports.

The opponent can take anything and I would still have an option to take a great card on the second turn.

If they take armory or Toll, then I'll take Midnight Raid. It would be a rare case that the opponent get's both Raid and Armory because there are two cards in the starting deck that give power. And if they do get both, they will probably be advantaged, but at least their economy will be hurt and I'll be started on Crow synergies.

If I know I am facing a very skilled opponent, I think this is the way to go. Most opponents likely take armory afterwards, leaving you with midnight raid.

Its pretty likely luxury exports can get you some big agent value, soaking up power from the enemy's turn 1 armory and slowing down the game enough for you to press your economy advantage. Cards like Elderwitch need to be dealt with immediately by the enemy, but even when they get killed with the armory thats 4 power you took away from them, and still got the card removal value.

I think armory is also a strong start, but I lean towards the economy focused starts like the one @Personofsecrets provided.

I think what also makes the economy choice work is that our side is also almost guaranteed to get a power card to help compete on that front. It's not like the opponent will be able to get super far ahead prestige wise IMO.

Tuonra2 · July 2022

My plan would be to take raid, next turn you have 3 gold and 2 power so ragpicker away the pelin starter and you are well on your way to a 7 power raid aggro build. Opponent will take have either 4 5 or 6 gold. Leaving armoury gives a small chance that they whiff, and if you leave raid there is a small chance they take raid + luxury or raid + treasury.

In any case this is going to be an aggro match and you will need to race.

I personally prefer raid + deck thinning to armoury + coins + buying to hlaalu

Tuonra2 · July 2022

Personofsecrets wrote: »

I would take Luxury Exports and make a writ of coin. On my next turn, I would have to use Red Eagle to find a gold to buy a 4 drop, but my economy would still be set up well with that Luxury Exports.

The opponent can take anything and I would still have an option to take a great card on the second turn.

If they take armory or Toll, then I'll take Midnight Raid. It would be a rare case that the opponent get's both Raid and Armory because there are two cards in the starting deck that give power. And if they do get both, they will probably be advantaged, but at least their economy will be hurt and I'll be started on Crow synergies.

Interesting plan, could work, but it depends on what cards come up. You do have a good draw guaranteed with the use of red eagle patron to cycle your deck before shuffling your power cards back in. Which makes me more inclined to ragpicker away a coin turn 1 over treasury, to reveal an extra card and thin your deck in advance of raid.

The real thing to examine imo tho is why do we have a game with red eagle AND pelin? Was the opponent an absolute madman and did they pick both going second after you picked crow first? Or did you pick one first? Either case imo player 2 should never pick a power starter so they maximize turn one 6 gold chance. And player one should always want 1 power to deny that but never two to not get gold-starved. And neither player should want to pick crow after pelin is already picked.

I would recommend starting with either hlaalu or crow pick as player 1, then if they didn't pick power, choose pelin if they crow'ed or eagle if you crow'ed. Otherwise if they picked power, pick ansei or psijic or even rahjin. But be careful w/ rahjin vs pelin.