As a new competative player (I've been playing AGOT for a long time, but rarely build decks) I have two ideas I need to figure out how to build.

The first is a Shadow deck (which I've been able to get started on with the help of several of the existing threads)

But the second is a deck focused on utilizing all of the Cities plots. So my question to the masses is, what is my starting point for building a deck around these 6 plots? Does one of the familys benefit this strategy more than others? I'll hang up and listen . . ..

HomerJ said:

Essentially, you'd probably benefit from putting these two ideas together.

See, all of the City plots need other City plots in the used pile to work - except 1 (City of Lies). And that 1 puts Shadow-crested cards into Shadows from your hand. So that's the starting point for a deck built around these 6 plots - Shadows. If you don't start the City-plot progression with City of Lies, at least one of your City plots will do nothing.

No one House has really been found to benefit from the City plots themselves more than any other. What has been found, in general, is that Shadows is easiest to run out of Lannister, with Baratheon and Targaryen filling in the 2/3 slots (choose your own ranking). So you see the City plots associated with Lannister most often because of Shadows, not any sort of thematic synergy.

I guess my assumption was to focus on effects that let you reveal additional Plot cards, in essence cycling you through the cards for stronger effects, sooner. But I see what you're saying about the Lanni/Shadow thing. Anyone else?

Only real problem with that idea is that you are likely to spend so much time and resources cycling through the plots - essentially for the sake of cycling through the plots - that you don't leave yourself as much room to win the game. Remember that none of the City plots actually get you any power.

Regardless of the actual plots, plot cycling tends to do that; your opponent wins while you spend all your time getting the plot-cycling thing going or you win through your "support" efforts without needing to cycle the plots.

Now, THAT, is a completely brilliant statement. And one of the things I think I tend to forget when trying to build decks. I'm so focused on card interaction and combos, that I forget that you still need to win the game too.

HomerJ said:

That tends to be very true for me as well HomerJ. My decks tend to go through a long process of adaptation from their original "design" which tends to be very repetitive in trying to push a mechanic or trait to it's Nth, without regard to actual effecitiveness. And then I slow smooth it down to actually being playable. I won't go so far as too say they are all competitive.

Decks that tend to concentrate too much on doing interesting combos, and not really trying to win, sound awfully familiar for me as well... =)

Here's my 5 cents:

Basically for cycling through the City plots you would need some kind of low-cost card that is re-usable, and which you can easily bring into play round 1 or 2... Possibly the best card for plot cycling in the environment, right now, is Bran Stark. With him you can trigger two city plots per turn, helping you get off really powerful effects around turn 3 or 4. You COULD try building a deck with the Shadows Agenda, several copies of Bran, the Stark shadow reducers and all the good shadow tech from all the other houses (and neutrals)... Heralds will help you get him into play faster, and your cycling engine won't dominate all of your deck. Bodyguards and Nymeria will help you keep him onboard (except against burn, then you're just screwed...)

Shadow cards I would try: Venomous Blade, the Lannister draw army, King's Landing/Black Cells, Shadow Tyrion... etc. =)