After having one of the best breakfasts I have ever eaten at the Loveless Café, I made the nice 45 minute drive through the hills of Middle Tennessee to Murfreesboro, TN and Grand Adventures Comics and Games. This was predominately a comic book store with thousands of issues all over the place, and they run the weekly WoW league here

 

As we sat down to open our packs, I was really hoping that I would see a stronger ally pool than what I saw yesterday and at least one class with strong abilities. Once I cracked everything, I saw that once again I was going to be light on equipment removal (and by light, I mean exactly zero), but I had some strong equipment myself and a very solid Alliance ally curve. Here’s what my deck ended up looking like.

 

Seadog Nally

 

Allies – 17

Zandar Shadesprocket

Bogspike

Antikron the Unyielding

Tarwila Gladespring

Llyras Keeneye

Rahn Grimstaff

Jezbella of Karabor

Vindicator Agran

Anchorite Viluaa

Waldo the Decoy

2 Caretaker Devonar

Marnie Moonlight

Orderkeeper Calister

Justicar Brace

Gareth Ironshot

Narthadus

 

Abilities – 4

Hunter Training

Bloody Welcome

Run to Ground

Snake Trap

 

Equipment – 2

Axe of the Legion

Quantum Blade

 

Quests – 7

Wanted: Durn the Hungerer

The Sigil of Krasus

Preparing for War

Survey the Land

Information Gathering

Orders from Lady Vashj

Forge Camp: Annihilated

 

I was very happy with my early game allies, and I was particularly pleased with my quest lineup. I was lacking a little bit in the late game department, but I was hoping that Run to Ground would be able to pump my team and push them over the top. I also had the potentially deadly Run to Ground/Snake Trap combo, which I hoped very few people would be expecting. What I lacked in direct ally removal I made up for in control with Antikron, Grim, Waldo, and Devonar being able to control the tempo while I setup my equipment or Run to Ground.

 

Round 1 – Mark - Fallenstar

 

 

Mark is a weekly player at Grand Adventures and is still working on securing his Continental invite for Gen Con. In what would become a trend for the day, I lost the die roll and mulliganed. Both of us did not make a play until turn 2 when Mark dropped Durae Crystalshield and I put Zandar Shadesprocket into play. Mark then attached Intensify Rage to Durae and turned her sideways to smash into Nally. I had no play on turn 3 and I took some more beats from Durae. Mark off’d Zandar with Fallenstar’s flip power while I played Marnie Moonlight on turn 4, hoping to clean up some of damage. However, Mark had other ideas and targeted Marnie with Sudden Death. Bad beats for me.

 

Mark continued to apply pressure by playing Whispering Blade of Slaying and Anchorite Fareena, and I added the very large Justicar Brace to my side. This gave Mark reason for pause, and he simply played Vindicator Melina and said go. His board was getting a little too large for my taste and I attacked Fareena with Brace, and then I used Nally’s flip power to destroy Brace, throwing his ATK at Melina. I added Orderkeeper Calister to my side to have a protector and said go. Mark played Rames the Purifier on his turn and after carefully reading his text, I dropped Run to Ground on my side. Mark attacked my Hero with Rames and I let it go through without protecting, as I had Snake Trap in hand. This made 4 1/1 tokens who were about to become 4/1 during my next turn. I targeted Fallenstar with Run to Ground’s effect and turned everyone sideways for truckload of damage to the Traitor. I then played Vindicator Agran and Mark scooped it up.

 

The game went from me being very behind on Health to over in two turns, and this would also be a recurring theme for the day.

 

1-0, 17 damage on my Hero.

7-2 overall.

 

Round 2 – Ben - Hekto Starspire

 

 

Ben is already qualified for Continentals and had his ridiculously cute son with him at the shop today. We just told him to play in the comics and try not to destroy any really valuable ones. J Again, I lost the die roll and mulliganed into a very good hand. Ben loped his board with David Smythe, Xanax the Resourceful and a Seamus Somerset while I followed with Antikron the Unyielding, Tarwila Gladespring and Rahn Grimstaff. We weren’t doing much attacking. Ben showed no play on his turn 4 other than to complete Information Gathering, whereas I was able to use Tarwila and drop Gareth Ironshot into play. Gareth looked to cause real problems for Ben’s board as they all had 2 Health, but he played Neophyte Morandi hoping to soak up some damage. I had the answer in Bloody Welcome on my turn and Gareth started working on the protectors.

 

Ben followed up with a Light’s Largess and ‘Acid Hands” McGillicutty, who promptly met her demise by a Gareth attack and Grim activation. I then dropped Quantum Blade into play. Ben could only make a Jessup Smythe and Shadala on his turn 7 and looked to be running out of gas against my growing board, which continued to expand with the addition of Caretaker Devonar. He did throw a Plasma Rat’s Hyper-Scythe down, but when I played Run to Ground with my board of Antikron, Caretaker, Tarwila, Rahn and Gareth, Ben packed it in as he had no answers to the ability and no way to stop the massive onslaught on its way.

 

2-0, 12 damage on my Hero.

8-2 overall.

 

Round 3 – Christian - Forang Deathrattle

 

 

Christian was a very good player who was a mad genius of deckbuilding for the store. We were gunslinging before the match and I definitely was getting clobbered by a Traitor Mage that was punishing me for drawing cards. I knew Christian was a running a very, very fast rush deck and I needed a really good opening hand to keep up with him.

 

I looked at my opening 7 and had about the best hand I could have for competing against a rush deck, Bogspike, Antikron and Waldo, I was definitely keeping. Christian went first and led with Arcanist Lyronia who was promptly dispatched by Bogspike. Jurpak made an appearance for Christian while I played the bane of rush: Antikron the Unyielding. Christian continued to make more allies with Gobloz and Hulok Trailblazer. I attacked Waldo into Hulok and then used Nally’s power to throw Waldo at Gobloz with Gobbie’s effect on the chain.

 

Things started to bog down now though as I played Marnie Moonlight and Christian threw down Devil-Stitched Leggings. That was going to be a problem for me as I had no way to get rid of it, and a large portion of my deck had 3 Health or less. Neither of us had done much damage to the opposing heroes, and we appeared to be settling in for a war of attrition. Christian kept adding Protectors like Roena Trailmaker and Cerrik Blooddawn while I was improving my board with Orderkeeper Calister and Vindicator Agran. I played Run to Ground on turn 9 with a Quantum Blade in my hand for turn 10. Christian didn’t find his Tatulla the Reclaimer for the ability, but I couldn’t attack with my allies as they would then die after damage was dealt to them at the hands (or lets) of Devil-Stitched Leggings. I found the answer I was looking for in Bloody Welcome and was able to finish off his Cerrik with the ability, binned Roena with a Quantum Blade swing, and then sent my team at Forang with everyone having +3 ATK from Run to Ground. Christian drew his next card and conceded.

 

3-0, 5 damage on my Hero.

9-2 overall.

 

Round 4 – Dennis - Zag’zil

 

 

Dennis was another super friendly guy (a trend at this store which I liked very much) who was rocking a wicked case of painful looking sunburn. I lost the die roll again (4-for-4) and kept a greedy hand with no quests, but an insane curve of Antikron the Unyielding, Rahn Grimstaff, Waldo the Decoy and Caretaker Devonar which were my turns 1-4 plays respectively. Dennis had a not unreasonable set of plays himself with Bloodsoul, Tarn Darkwalker, Bolan Earthmend and Cerrik Blooddawn for his first four turns. Waldo was keeping Bolan exhausted and Caretaker was able to take down Cerrik while Marnie Moonlight joined my team. Dennis unfortunately whiffed on his turn 5, and I played Run to Ground on my next turn. I still hadn’t drawn a quest yet, but with Bolan continually being exhausted by Waldo, Dennis had no protectors available and no answers for the ability. Zag’zil was taken to 0 Health two turns later.

 

4-0, 3 damage on my Hero.

10-2 overall.

 

My MVP today was far and away Run to Ground as it absolutely won me every single game, and I don’t know if I would have won those without it. The guys at this store were an absolute blast to sit down and play with, and I stayed for an extra couple hours gunslinging and chit-chatting. I liked them so much that I sort of felt bad about not giving out a Varimathras, but I’m competitive too and like a nice record. J My extra thanks go out to our volunteer Al, who came down to run the show, on his birthday no less, and made it incredibly fun for everyone.

 

This was definitely one of the best trips I have been on in my five years at Upper Deck. It’s not often that I get to play cards with folks outside of work, and this tour reminds me of why so many people love playing TCGs. I had a genuinely positive connection with everybody I met, and I hope that if we do this tour again that I get to head back to The Volunteer State.

Thanks for reading.

 

-Ian