I am just at the stage to integrate additional cards other than the core decks into my game playing ?

Is there a 'rule of thumb' where i can use the core and buy x number of chapter packs to make 1 fighting deck OR should i assume a core deck would be integrated with a full chapter ( i believe 6 starters makwe a chapter , please correct if wrong ), Basically is it a free for all and there fore the more things you buy the greater your potential power in your house or should you stick to core + chapter ?

I hope the above makes sense or can be deciphered if it doesent !!

Thanks

Daenarys said:

The chapter packs are definitely not enough to build a deck from. If you are just starting out I would suggest buying one of the deluxe expansions of your favorite house and start there. The chapter packs usually just add a few cards to each house.

Also, the more cards you have, the more possibilities you have for deckbuilding. There is no limit to how many different chapters you can use in a deck.

thanks guys

Fundementally the more the spend the greater the options and therefore chance to build better decks ?

The positive being that there are no 'rare' cards and as such you know the expenditure and you know its a level playing field ( assuming you have made the same purchases )

many thanks

Darren

Daenarys said:

In short, someone with fewer, better, options is usually able to build a better deck than someone with more options, particularly if they can synergize what they have. That's the real benefit of the "fixed" format levelling the playing field - you really cannot buy yourself into a better deck.

ktom said:

Excellent answer that also makes perfect sense. One way we currently ensure there is a balance is by making sure that every person i play knows exactly what chapters/ expansions can be used to ensure we have identical options available.

The fact that it is easy to create a balance was/is one of the key selling points for me when looking at different types of LCG's

Thanks

also head over to agotcards.org. great community of folks over there and you can peek at all the cards before you decide which packs to buy.

dh098017 said:

A word on "balance." You need to take it from a big-picture place in this game. I hear so many people talk about balance, meaning that they want every House to have the same options available to them, essentially thinking perfect game design is 6 different cards that do more or less the same thing. Personally, I disagree. I think the game would be considerably less interesting if every House "balanced" such that they could all do the same stuff. If every House was as good at Military challanges as Stark, or every House was as good at revenge tactics as Martell, or every House was as good at kneeling and buying stuff as Lannister, it wouldn't be an LCG. It'd be a board game where the choice is between being the top hat or the race car, not between being Targaryen and Baratheon.

The real balance in this game is that in the right hands, each House has a pretty equal chance of winning. Each House has its strategies, tactics, and personality, which a player can choose to match the way they like to play, but at the end of the day, there isn't really an "underdog" House such that no matter how good the player is, they are at a distinct disadvantage if they want to win.

What I'm trying to say is, look for the environment in this game to be balanced. Do not necessarily expect individual cards to be balanced, or for each House to have an easy answer to absolutely everything that comes up.

ktom said:

Excellent comments that i shall follow. Likewise i am less interested in all things equal and more interested in a balancve based on houses each having their speciality or area of expertise. At the moment i just enjoy playing the game regardless of victor and seeing the different dynamics that exist.

I am a new player and the different fields of specialty the houses have is quite apparent to me. It is difficult to stand against Stark in military, Baratheon are masters of Power challenges (with lots of Renown to take advantage of that), Lannister hoard money like crazy and so on. It really makes the game so much more interesting.