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Or, how to play a really, really boring deck :-)
First, some preamble. For the last couple of weeks I've been playing several decks, but most of the time I'd been playing a really fun KDA/Gozoku deck. It's a good deck, too - and until Wednesday I was intending to play it in Liverpool. My two Phoenix decks were both still rough, since I hadn't had enough games to tune them.
On Thursday, I decided that playing Crane wasn't acceptable, and that I simply had to play a Phoenix deck. So I put together a decklist for a really simple deck. Simplicity has two virtues - one, it was something I could pick up and play without needing a lot of practise, and two, with disruption strategies like discard, pkill and Gozoku Sensei being so dominant in the environment a simple deck provides some protetion - it's hard to disrupt something that has no "key" parts.
Finally, I'd made a prediction to my friends that Phoenix honour would win a story tourney shortly after Wrath, so I had to try and prove myself right :-)
So, I built the deck on Thursday and got an evening of testing in. On Friday three of us headed up together on the train: Aaron, with a battle maiden honour deck, and Des, with KB/G. We get several games in during the ~3 hr train journey, and a couple more at the hotel that's hosting the Con when we meet up with Ian (the TO) and a bunch of other 5 Rings players.
Friday morning, I have a big breakfast before heading into the CCG hall. Spend an hour or so chatting before the event starts: I'm a little surprised to only see 34 people there, I'd definitely expected a bigger turnout.
Round 1: Ian Hensey, T9K/Black Heart/Jigoku Sensei
My deck is just way too fast for him. I hit 40 honour in 6 turns with 5 provinces; he manages one attack that I easily demolish (my last guy TDWWM's his Ashura for added fun). 1-0
Round 2: Simon Sl'a'trr, Meeting Place/Right Hand/Tomorrow Sensei
First turn Chrys Fest makes this an entertaining game. This is bad, since they're some of my best cards against rats. I don't comment on it however, and refuse to get worried by it! I hit 19 honour on turn 3, when he resolves In Time of War. I immediately regret removing Shrine of the Sun immediately before the start of the tourney, since he's producing 4 rats a turn and I can't win any battles unless he bows his box (which also means the Right Hand's negation ability is effectively useless for him). Also of note is his third turn New Year's Celebration, discarding 2 Outer Walls and 2 Encircled Terrain from my hand.
He attacks throughout the game, often going for 2 provinces and usually taking one. In one turn I manage to save both provinces, and this is key - I hit 40 with 2 provinces and Naga Storm in play, while he has almost his entire Dynasty deck. Without Naga Storm I had no hope, but he couldn't do anything about it. Phew. 2-0.
Round 3: Ben Moss, HoT/Voice/Someisa/Fire
He's playing a battle duelling deck, which becomes obvious when he resolves Honour and Glory turn 4 or so. By that point, I'm well ahead in honour and not worried: if he's playing a military deck, I have this won. However, with his solid gold start he gets out lots of 3ph guys for full and a Sacred Grove, and starts closing the gap. He also takes a province, thanks to an Otomo Spokesman rendering the Left Hand useless after I've bowed out on about turn 4 or 5. I hit 38 on turn 6, with 4 guys in play (Toshiji, Toshi, Toshiki and Tsukimi, because people whose names begin with T rock or something). In his Limited phase he uses a House of the Jade Princess for 1 point, and I Noh for 2 (39). He attacks two provinces, and I use the Left Hand reaction to a battle duel on Tsukimi to win. He also hits 40 that turn, thanks to H&G. 3-0.
Round 4: Des Brennan, KB/G
Des gets out lots of Marus, rendering me unable to defend while his Mikados slow my honour gains. He kills me at 37 honour despite me flipping Hiruma Dojo/Silver Mine/Shinsei's Shrine/Tsukimi turn 1. 3-1
Round 5: Will Masters, Razor's Edge/Black Heart/Tenshu
Will is always a blast to play against, and I wish he'd turn up to our weekly London meetings more often :-) He flips a turn 2 In Time of War. Gah. Still, I'm not too worried, as I have 2x Stay your Blade in my opening hand and get a decent enough start. I gain 5 honour a turn religiously, sneaking the odd extra couple in battle resolution. I get a Fukurokujin which makes me happy, since he has Tansho XP out, but an Explosives denies me any further card draw and I start to get low. I hit 40 honour and start his turn with 4 provinces, the favour, 2 Blocks and an Encircled. He has enough force to threaten three provinces, but my Regions the previous turn has given him a Refuge, and he uses it to fetch a Wager. He then attacks on 3 provinces. Stupidly I mess up my defending a bit, causing me to lose a province to Hida Ishi + a Refugees token vs my bowed Tsukimi (thanks to a boost from the stronghold), leaving him a chance of taking all 3 on the Wager. Thankfully, my entire army has just enough force to overcome his Battlefield of Shallow Graves - the last card in his hand - and save the province by about 3 force. 4-1
Round 6: David Slater, KB/G.
I hit 18 honour on turn 3 with 2 guys in play thanks to a strong start. I hit 40 with 3 provinces left, and I still only save the last province because he hasn't got another Ninja Mentor to stop me Left Handing one of his four province-taking units... very close. He'd have won if he's bought Kaukatsu that turn, rather than thinking he had another one. 5-1.
So I qualify for the top 8 easily. Aaron went undefeated on 6-0, and Des and I were second and third on 5-1, making for a strong North London result. Pity Ben P managed to miss the train to make it 4 :-)
Top 8: Ben Moss again.
It's a bad matchup for him, and he abandons any hope of winning by honour in either game. I win both easily, since his 2-3F guys can't muster the threat value of a real military deck, he has no honour meta, and when I have presence I don't fear any attacker :-)
Top 4: Des Brennan
Des, Aaron and I all make the top 4. I told Aaron I'd meet him in the final during the journey up on Friday, and it's looking like that might happen. He's playing David Slater, meaning there are 2 KBG decks in the top 4 (out of the 4 at the event).
Game 1: I hit 20 quickly. Then I run into his Red Lotus gold scheme and Gozoku Sensei, combined with a lack of personalities. I gain 4 honour in 3 turns, and he kills me at 31. Lowest honour score this tourney :-)
Game 2: 3x Outmaneuvered by Force sees me through, negating his Gozoku honour reduction. I hit 40 exactly, and he can't take all my provinces.
Game 3: He finally, finally doesn't get a great gold start (first time out of all the games we've played!). I get a perfectly decent start, and motor to 40 before he has time to get set up.
Final: Aaron lets me down, and David overcomes him 2-0. So I'm playing David.
Both games are very similar. I gain honour quickly (first turn Sacred Grove both games, I think). In both games he gets ITOW and Kaukatsu out, and Kaukatsu gives him the time he needs to win. Taking out Shrine of the Sun was definitely a mistake!
So, there we have it. So close :-)
Decklist:
"All 3ph, all the time." WARNING: Do not play this game if you want an interesting game, or if you want to actually do anything to your opponent other than contemptuously demolish any army he sends into battle against you.
MGC/Left Hand
Dynasty (40)
3 Tsukimi
3 Toshiji
3 Yobei
3 Toshiki
Ningen XP
Tsukimi XP
Toshi
Mirabu XP
Aikune XP2
A New Wall
Regions of Rokugan
Chrys Fest
Naga Storm (MVP now that people aren't playing Wager so much)
3 Shinsei's Shrine
Sacred Grove
Shrine of Humility
3 Hiruma Dojo
3 Silver Mine
2 Chuda Agent
1 Gifts
1 Daikoku
1 A Favor Returned
1 Fukurokujin
1 Noh
1 Duty
Fate (40)
3 Outer Walls
3 Block
3 Refugees
3 Fall
3 ObForce
3 TDWWM
3 Overwhelmed
3 Stay your Blade
3 Kharmic Strike
3 Volcanic Fields
3 Encircled Terrain
3 Well Prepared
2 Divide and Conquer
2 Victory of the Wolf
There you have it. Really dull, really efficient. Changes I would make:
+1 Fukurokujin, +1 Shrine of the Sun
Not sure what to take out. Tempted to go ditch the Favor Returned, because there's so few other Phoenix players or Lion players around at the moment (and I don't think Lion really bothers this deck). SotSun is definitely more useful generally. Can't see what to ditch for the second StF... both Chuda Agents are useful just for the 3GP, but I might be able to let go of 1.
+3 Call to Arms
The deck relies on presence so much that decks that completely deny presence (i.e. KBG) are really tough. I can manage for several battles with non-presence actions only, but not an entire game. Probably -2 Victory of the Wolf (didn't use it once, only had one opportunity to, and it wouldn't have helped) and -1 Divide and Conquer (played once, I think, not even sure of that).
Shiba Samoshii
Phoenix Clan Acolyte of Water*Ricepaper Shugenja*Team Jade Cat Inquisitor*Gozoku Courtier*Underhand of the Phoenix Reborn
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