The only tournaments that I have participated in before this were the past Black Friday in NY, and the OCTGN online tournament. I learned a good deal from both, knowing that the 50 minute time limit comes much faster than you think, and that maesters are everywhere. I have always played stark, and decided that I would give Siege of Winterfell another chance, even though there is so much control in plots and Martell that can prevent military challenges. The deck concept was simple, 40+ characters, cheap locations hoping for 5-7 card set up and then a turn 1 Fear of Winter. Also having 2x nightmare, 2x frozen moat, 2x Meera, 1x Old nan all in the deck to toolbox against Maesters. I also assumed that since the Lannister box was so new we would see a fair amount of the new agenda, so my deck contained 15 characters with intrigue icons, much more than the typical stark siege deck. I also included forgotten plans, because I knew if I had a bad set up against stark or greyjoy, a turn 1 fear of winter would hurt me, or against lannister a turn 1 shadows and spiders +misinformation followed by a turn 2 loyalty money can buy, effectively took 4 claim worth of plots and turned it into 1... In play-testing I often loved being able to get the 2 claim military challenge and 2 claim intrigue challenge with 4 of my plots being 2 claim and the forgotten plans often was able to hurt a plot, though looking back I would probably switch it out for Search and Detain.
Round 1 Vs. DCDennis playing Greyjoy/Maesters
This was an ironic match-up because we had just recently played a couple games on OCTGN and informed each other that we were using the deck we played in the DC tournament. In our online matches we split 2 games, winning 1 each. His 5 card setup to my 4 card setup spelled disaster for me. I was able to frozen solid 1 of his iron mines and iron cliffs, but he was able to play wendamyr and another iron mines. I believe it was the 4th round I tried to get valar in because he had a tin link on his agenda and would be able to get rid of my frozen solid the following turn. Unfortunatly he hit my valar with a search and detain pulling 1 of his characters back to hand. His 4 gold plot vs my 2 gold plot was pretty much the end of the game. It was a good game but not the way I wanted to start out the day.
0-1
Round 2 Vs Rich playing Targ/Summer
Rich had a rough start, only being able to setup 3 cards, to my 5. A first turn fear of winter gave me the edge since he was only able to play the raven to make it summer. Second round he was able to marshal much more, but a dissension on his shadow parisite did not help either. I think I only saw 1 flame kissed, he did get it back with regroup to play it a second time. I had a guard at riverrun out early so had card advantage. After the game he admitted that the first turn fear of winter did him in. Was a great guy and I know he was cheering for both me and my wife, Rachel to do well.
1-1
Round 3 Vs Pavel playing Martell/Maesters
Going into the tournament if there was 1 thing I did not want to face it was martell maesters, my deck has a multitude of targets for Ven. Blade, burning on the sand can slow down my deck by making me unable to win military challenges, and tin link easily discards my frozen solid off of Ghaston Grey. The one advantage I have is that my wife plays martell(not maesters) all of the time against me, so I am aware of most of their tricks, I assume at all times that he calls it thinking will be around(one reason I run only 1 copy of each of my uniques). At any rate, this game started out terrible for Pavel, he had to mulligan and then only set up scourge, summer sea and 1 refugee. I had a 5 or 6 card set up with gold, card draw and solid characters. The game lasted about 4 rounds, but it was hard for him to recover from the poor setup and a turn 1 fear of winter. The irony I found out in the last round is he too ran fear of winter as his restricted.
2-1
Round 4 Vs Jerrin playing Lannister/PBtT
This is a sad match-up considering I play against Jerrin in about 40% of my games since he is one of only 3 of us in our area that play. His only loss to this point was the previous game against my wife who also knows his deck extremely well. I don't remember much of this game, I was happy to know that whichever of us won should make it into the final 4. I dropped a forgotten plans turn 1 to counter his loyalty money can buy and after that started hitting him with 2 claim plots and he was unable to draw any characters with an intrigue icon that were higher than 1 strength. I had 2 or 3 of my refugees and the jumping Cat so winning intrigue challenges against me was also difficult. I think he was only able to draw 1 misinformation which also helped me to at least use his agenda once a round to draw a card even the rounds he did beat me with a couple intrigue challenges on offense. I was sorry that only 1 of us could win.
3-1
Final 4 Vs. Rachel playing Martell/Summer
Rachel finished second, and I finished third so we were matched up in the first round of the finals. It was bittersweet knowing that 1 of the 3 players from Central Pa would make the finals, but knowing one of us would lose. She was not happy because in our matches at home I normally win about 70% of the time. She did manage to setup 6 cards including ghaston grey, but I was able to setup 5 cards and have a frozen solid in hand. The game went back and forth a little, but she never drew any of her good cards, she did have a blade jumping in and out of shadows picking off some of my characters, but my 2 claim plots were too much for her since she was not drawing any characters.
4-1
Final Table vs Robert playing Lannister/PBtT
Robert had a 6 card setup and board control the entire game. He hit me with 2 claim 2 intrigue challenges round 1 emptying my hand completely so I was basically top decking after round 1. Very demoralizing and one of the reasons I thought the Lannister agenda was stronger than most people were giving it credit for. I believe round 2 I played fear of winter since I had a few cards in shadows, but he also had a card in shadows which turned out to be tyrion lannister. He played the plot card that made his characters not kneel to attack and with myrcella out he got 3 unopposed renown intrigue challenges with Tyrion and would have won with an unopposed power challenge but I brought Meera out of shadows to blank his stealth so I could defend. Unfortunatly if I had been counting power I would have blanked his text earlier, but I was not and he had a huge lead. I was able to get Meera back into shadows that round by loosing dominance and discarding a refugee, but it was too little too late. I played valar the following round, with no gold locations and he was able to play Cersi with a dupe. That round I was able to play nightmares on her to keep him from winning, but the following round I drew 2 zero cost locations and the game was over. I believe that if I had a better setup or he didn't quite have the 6 card setup that is very rare from Lannister I would have had a chance. It was a fun day, and I was very happy with my second place, and my wife winning her 3rd place game to finish 3rd.
4-2
The deck itself was based off of what Gualdo had talked to me about at the Black Friday Tournament. Basically having a ton of characters, 4+ 2 claim plots and then limited control in attachments and events. I really like how it plays, but it is not perfect. No Quarter(new event from trial by combat) plus Brienne promises to be fun though!
House Stark
Siege of Winterfell
Characters(42)
Bolton Refugee x3
Hungry Mobx3
Syrio Forelx1
Shaggydogx1
Hodorx1
Jeyne Westerlingx1
Carrion Birdx3
Samwell Tarlyx1
Houndx1
Lucas Blackwoodx1
Meera Reedx2
Old Nanx1
Sansa Starkx1
Ser Jorah Mormontx1
Oshax1
Guard at Riverrunx3
Bastard's Elitex3
Reekx1
Catelyn Stark(LoW)x1
Brienne of Tarthx1
Theon Greyjoy(PotS)x1
Robb Stark(LoW)x1
Blackfishx1
Northern Cavalry Flankx3
Roose Boltonx1
Maester Vymanx1
Location(13)
Narrow Seax3
Great Keepx3
Street of Sistersx1
Street of Steelx1
Frozen Moatx2
Flea bottomx1
River Road x1
Ocean Roadx1
Event(4)
Nightmarex2
Dissensionx2
Attachment(4)
Grey Windx1
Frozen Solidx3
Plots(7)
Retaliation
Fear of Winter
Rule by Decree
Valar Morghulis
Respect of the Old gods
Winds of Winter
Frogotten plans