As I said earlier today on another thread, I provide all the cards for my gaming group- I generally have about 8 decks in existence at any time (1 per house, plus watch/brotherhood etc.)

that's generally fine, but some cards there aren't enough of. Valar for example i want in almost every deck. I have 2 core sets, maybe one day i'll get a third, but i'm never going to buy 8. Who would?

this gave me the idea for a top-up pack. 3x each of teh 20 most popular cards. The ones you're always swapping in and out of the decks. The sort of cards you'd pay for a top-up pack to save on time, but would never buy the dozens of extra chapter packs/core sets for such limited use.

Some thoughts on the cards which might be included (I may be WAY off here)

Valar Morghulis

Take them by Surprise

Loyalty Money can Buy

Retaliation

Ravens- Black, White and Carrion Bird?

Shadowblack lane

Street of Steel

Street of sister

Twilight Market

Distinct Mastery

Distraction

Paper Shield

As I say, these are guesses in terms of which cards. What do people think of the idea generally- would it work? what cards would you like to see included?

Wouldn't that be against the main reason why for example Paper Shield is hidden in QoD deluxe expansion ?

Paper Shield isn't hidden, the Core Set and expansions are the only place (except for the champion cards in this cycle) where reprints are done.

I would definitely buy it.

I'm also in a similair situation (aka sole buyer for my main playgroup) and I bought the core set 3 times.

Main problem is that most people will have diffrent opions about what should be included.

For example I mainly play multiplayer and i've got alot of decks (around 18, 4 of those use proxies heavily) my "wants" will differ from someone who only plays competitive joust.

Although your list has most of the things I would like to have another, and of some even a third playset.

I would also like Power of Arms, Power of Blood and Bodyguard.

I think it's best to limit it only to neutral and plot cards I could use another playset of Forever Burning but if we start including house specific cards it's an endless road.

I'm sure our group would be interested.

The difficulty isn't finding enough cards to put it, it's what you won't include. Better, I think, to keep it to mostly to things which are essential for certain mechanics to be properly useful, rather then simply the best neutral cards. eg:

Power of the Faith/Arms for religious/war crest decks;

valar/wildfire for everyone (some might disregard wildfire.. but you want some variety right?);

Twilight Market/Kingdom of Shadows for Shadow decks;

Kingsroad Fiefdoms/The Red Keep for the influence needy;

Highground and Training Ground for army decks

Ravens, Carrion birds, plot that let you search for them, for Summer/Winter

various neutral income cards for true neutral decks eg.. Roseroad; Searoad;

That or you'll end up with multiple neutral packs (though really all neutrals should be available this way, and only this way.. but a bit late for that).

I should point out FFG's CEO has said explicitly that they will not print Core Sets x3 and they will not print Core Set Expansions. I'm pretty confident the reasoning behind all of that would apply to a "top up" pack, creating a product that is the number one competitor for your own product, and dividing the market and confusing the newer customers.

loofnick said:

why should all neutrals be available this way?

the seasons plot cards are available in the seasons chapter packs. . . .. makes sense to me

jack merridew said:

So several can run the same theme without buying most of a chapter pack cycle a 2nd time. Neutrals in core and faction expansions cause similar problems.

At the moment you can get most of the important neutral winter cards in the 1 chapter pack, but you will miss some. A Brotherhood Wildling or Night's Watch deck on the other hand requires most of the cycle to let a 2nd player use them, and who's going to want the excess faction cards from that 2nd purchase? it might work for your group or it might not.

Present system is very inefficient for the buyers if you don't want all 6 factions once only and no more. The cycles packs could have been worked out to have 1 pack per faction + 1 or 2 packs of neutrals.. that would of course be a very different setup- simply redistributing present cards would be messy and uneven.. so too late for it in this version of the game.. and in any case slightly off-topic.

The contents of the original posters pack would bridge the gap a bit at least for some of the neutrals. It would have to be carefully chosen so as not to just cause very much more excess repitition, and yes I expect it's inefficient from FFG's point of view and would confuse the marketing slightly. But, it would save many of us money, and would encourage many not to print-off copies of plot cards (casual play obviously).

Personally I'm not going to get another core set just to get valar and a power of arms, or even Wind of Winter- for the 11 cards I don't already have from the person who bought the whole cycle already but is keeping the winter neutrals for his own use. Nor do I want to get Baratheon expansion to allow me to run a Greyjoy religious deck, which wants 2 of their plot cards (just 2, but very important to make a good deck). It may be LCG but it still has a bit of that CCG too-expensive feel.

too expensive to split between 4 people and have all the cards to make all the decks you want. . . .. . probably