Apparently the guys at the LGS couldn't leave well enough alone and insist on deck building. Well...ok....if I am going to do it I am going to need help.

THAT'S WHERE YOU COME IN!!

I prefer the f*ck, f*ck style of Lannister and would like thoughts on what the prevailing effective builds are and what sets the cards come from.

We do plan on playing LCG only and I would prefer to buy as few packs as possible to make the most fun and effective deck.

Thoughts?

well aside from the Core Set a lot of lanni's strength comes from the Clash of Arsm Chapter packs.

definitly pick up The battle of Ruby Ford, The War of the five kings (note, Pyromancer's cache is currently banned in LCG), and Sacred bonds.

You might want to look into Calling the banners and Ancient enemies too.

Look at three specific things, kneel, gold, and draw. Get a few beefy characters (strength 4 and higher or 3 with deadly or stealth) to use as your hammers, use the gold producing characters as ways of creating resource advantage, use the kneel cards (distraction, wrong dwarf, Lannisport Brothel, and Castellan of the Rock) to create character advantage without having to flood the board. Attack your opponents hand with intrigue challenges and keep yours full of options with draw.

Head to head, this simple plan does wonders. In melee you need to figure out your meta and whether they tend to be more passive (preferring to keep characters for defense and initiating challneges only when assured of victory) probing(willing to kneel characters to test their opponents resolve or create openings for other challenges) or very aggressive making as many challenges a turn as they can and committing enough forces to win most of them. Once you have a read on your meta you can use your kneel to greater effect. If your Meta is passive trying to spread your kneel around will make little impact and likely tick everyone off enough to eventually try to exact vengence. If your Meta is is more probing, use your kneel sparingly to open one person up for attacks of opportunity by other players, generally the person who is in the lead, or you believe is the biggest threat to your ability to push your agenda forward. If your Meta is aggressive, you want to take out the biggest character(s) that would prevent you from being able to push through your own challenges, or the ones most likely to be directed your way.

Table talk is important... especially if you are playing Lannister. Covince others to do your dirty work for them, threaten, cajole, make alliances, but try not to have to commit your own forces to a plan of action if you can get someone else to do it for you. If you've read the books think of Tywin and the Tyrells and Tyrion and the Clansmen.