First off, I'd just like to make it clear im talking about the melee environment. Also in particular, my Stark City of shadows deck.

OK, so i am working on a stark city of shadows deck using Hidden Chambers; By itself that already has enough moving parts to have your hands full getting set up. With my first version of the deck i had found that it consistently took up to turn 3 before it had its tricks up and running. There are a fair few decks in our play group which can win by that point (or be close to it).
So, are slow decks just out of the question, or are there ways around it?

Here's my new game plan...
Naturally I'll need a hidden chambers (ideally 2), assume the worst and that its not in the opening hand and you will have to building season(or good for the gander as seasons are common in our turn 1 meta) for it; and if it is in your opening hand, its probably worth your time to build for a second.
On top of that you will need it to be winter, i am already running 2 crowns and 3 ravens, cause if you dont draw them, its another plot phase spent "setting up"

I am considering running Vale Rookeries, and just not marshalling any characters on turn 1. I should easily have enough shadows/location to spend my gold on. Valar Morghulis during turn 1 dominance and be ready to enter the game on 'equal' ground for round 2. Thats assuming i don't win/draw dominance with 1 gold, but the other choice is winterfell rookery which is just as flakey.

The next plot being either...

• A time for ravens (if you never drew into the crowns/ravens)
• Building season(if you managed to good for the gander another building season on turn 1, and still only have 1 hidden chambers)
• city of lies/plot of choice (if you managed to get all your parts in play by this point)

I've tried "To be a wolf" but that is also not playable until turn 2, then you cant marshal the things until turn 3. Bran the builders legacy i feel is a bit pricey, and i somehow convinced myself that the Vale rookeries were the better choice of the 2.

So! any general tips on slow decks, or specifically on my deck strategy would be appreciated.

Here in France, most of melee game end turn 2 nowadays... There are no "slow decks". All what I can say to you is that if you want to play a "slow" deck, you've got to be able to counter three other guy to win turn 2. Some general effects like "Questionned Claim" could help, but I'm not sure it would be enough.

Ser Arthur, could You give few tips to build fast targ deck ?

and is there any restriction about card limit in deck ?

in my games the game doesnt end before turn 4 , whoever gets out ahead first gets his board wiped by the others and then its a game of building up with the pack and taking care not to get too far out in front before you make your final push

Ser Arthur said:

Really? I play a lot of melee and I can't imagine how this would be the case. Can you explain further how this happens "most" of the time that allows someone to win on the 2nd turn?

I could see it happening if everyone plays Bara rush...

Intimidate Greyjoy and Siege of Winterfell are too faster than a Barath rush.

No, European players are not noob, who play only Barath in Multi lol.

But with the French national Championnship, who regroup more 60 players for the Mêlée, you will have a good idea of the meta with next reports

i may be wrong but you seem like your being a little defensive, Bara rush might be annoying but its not noob, to win with it takes skill just like winning with any deck. He wasn't taking a shot at europeans he was wondering how a melee game can go so quickly

Turn 2 seems very quick for a melee game to end on average, i mean there has to be one player who gets a bad setup and decides to play to stop the other as oppossed to playing for as much power as possible before he loses.

Bran the Builder does seem a little pricey, but it's a search where you get a 2 point location you need and your opponent doesn't get to draw one with you you like with Building Season. It's a good card to have.

At least for the deck i mentioned...

I now play 3 brans and 3 ravens+3 crowns, and the odd rookery or two. I found it wasnt so much that the deck was slow (though it relative terms it still is), it just requires all the moving parts where i was typically waiting for plots to get.

Also sometimes I just have to accept that i need to pay gold to bring cards out of shadow, lol.

I do however run Questioned Claim, and it works well.

What you also have to consider is that roughly one game out of three is won during marshalling phase in french melee... using some orphaned recruits, a formal petition, Ned Stark or setting some attachments to visceris...

Khren said:

So lets say you get lucky, play one Formal Petition, 2 Orphaned Recruits, play Ned Stark and already have Viserys out with 2 attachments on him, you would still need 8 power before you played 11 gold worth of cards to get the win, and while 11 gold isnt exactly unheard of (kinda is) in melee it would still take quite a lot of luck to be able to not be a huge target when formal petition or Viserys KOTS come out. I dunno i still dont see how the other players at the table dont step up and cut you down

Oshi, have you tried a Stark Shadows build in joust at all? Obviously a deck with as slow a setup as you describe wouldn't work, but I've been wondering if I could build anything even slightly competitive with Stark Shadows. Also, how much does Summer hurt you if it returns the Hidden Chambers to your hand? I'm assuming not too much unless you had all 3 in play, since you are getting 2 extra gold each Round...

The joust scene here in Singapore is actually... non-existant. So, I really have no experience to speak from...

but if i were to guess... Having access to both the black cells and alchemists guild hall would be a bigger deal in joust than it is in melee... I do however rely on building season, and bargaining to receive a second (For the chambers)... which, doesn't really work in joust i imagine.

With the Hidden Chambers, I only need 2 of them to make most of my shadow cards 'free'... with only tyrion, selmy and the gold cloaks to pay for, and even then its only a gold.

Vs. Summer, It comes down to who is more persistent for their season. Having to recast the chambers is negligible to having to actually pay to bring cards out of shadows; as bringing out a single S1-OOH will earn back the cost of recasting chambers. especially if its the sisters of truth flashing in and out for the queen of thorns... every phase.

snaggrriss said:

And assuming you didn't lose BtBL to an intrigue challenge, you also counted an extra 3 gold toward dominance. Also (and it doesn't really matter in your current setting) but it doesn't reference the house affiliation... you could go fetch _and put into play_ a Golden Tooth Mines, if you need the draw.

Especially with rickon on the horizon, i am definitely giving it another look.