TWD: Origins 2018 WoN #3 (11 June 2018)

Week of Nightmares 2018 Event 3
Columbus, Ohio
June 11th 2018
2R+F
19 players
Darby Keeney
www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/8862

3 VP in final.

Deck Name : Pictures at an Exhibition
Author : Darby Keeney
Description : Based entirely around abusing Baba Yaga's untap special. Suffers from the star-syndrome, and is completely Pentex-sensitive.

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 4 max: 11 average: 7.83333

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5x Baba Yaga, the Iron Hag 11 ANI AUS FOR OBF POT THA Nosferatu:5
3x Doyle Fincher 7 ANI PRO aus for obf !Gangrel:4
2x Jeremy "Wix" Wyzchovsky 5 ani obf pot Nosferatu:4
1x Beetleman 4 ANI obf Nosferatu:4
1x Slag 4 ani obf pot Nosferatu:5

Library [89 cards]

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Action [5]
1x Biothaumaturgic Experiment
3x Deep Song
1x Heroic Might

Action Modifier [7]
2x Cloak the Gathering
1x Enkil Cog
2x Faceless Night
2x Lost in Crowds

Action Modifier/Combat [5]
5x Swallowed by the Night

Ally [6]
1x Carlton Van Wyk
1x Mylan Horseed (Goblin)
1x Procurer
3x Underbridge Stray

Combat [9]
3x Immortal Grapple
4x Resilience
2x Rolling with the Punches

*/ I've moved more towards Resilience these days, since [ANI] is more common than [CEL] in my playgroup. The Grapples have to be well-timed to mean anything, but I've found having them in the deck is crucial.

Equipment [2]
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Kevlar Vest

*// I thought there was a Flak Jacket in here, but it must have gotten culled for additional transient prevention and untaps.

Master [27]
2x Blood Doll
1x Charisma
1x Giant's Blood
1x Guardian Angel
1x Heidelberg Castle, Germany
3x Information Highway
1x Jake Washington (Hunter)
1x Labyrinth, The
2x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Perfectionist
1x Vessel
3x Villein
2x Warsaw Station *// so good, I could stuff a 3rd in.
1x Wash
2x Wider View
4x Zillah's Valley

*// This is way, way thicker a mater package than I like to run, but at least 7 are trifles and I expect 5-6 to be clear discards or Heart fodder. But the acceleration is pretty important in getting the deck to function quickly enough to be a factor in the mid-game.

*// I've gone back and forth on Monastery of Shadows in this deck. I've omitted it for now, simply because of the 3-pool cost. The deck could also run a Smiling Jack, but I loathe the way that card makes me play when it's in front of me (or for that matter, anywhere else.)

*// I pulled a Bleeding the Vine for Wash just before heading to Origins. It usually sat in my hand because Pentex exists. Jake Washington was also a late addition, not useful in these 3 games, but low blood totals tend to hamstring this deck.

Reaction [19]
2x Cats' Guidance
4x Eyes of Argus
2x Forced Awakening
1x My Enemy's Enemy
2x On the Qui Vive
2x Read the Winds
4x Sense the Savage Way
2x Telepathic Misdirection

*// Yes, I know the bounce package is pathetically weak. But Baba Yaga seems to prefer blocking. So I've focused instead on reactions that give both intercept and true untap. Baba Yaga standing tall with 1-3 intercept and 4-5 strength seems to be a significant deterrent to continuing actions.

Retainer [9]
1x J. S. Simmons, Esq.
1x Mr. Winthrop
1x Owl Companion
4x Raven Spy
1x Robert Carter
1x Tasha Morgan

*// The bleed retainers are the source of the real offense in the deck, adding to the 3 minions with +1 bleed. At least once per game, Baba Yaga will fire off an Archon-able bleed without any coverage from the Owl Companion. I just press the big red button and hope for the best.

I really appreciate you taking the time to explain your choices. I wish more TWD did this.

I'm surprised to only see one copy of Enkil Cog in here - I'd have guessed two or even three in a 90-card deck would be the way to go (since it works so well with built-in vampire untap specials and Warsaw Station). I know you usually expend a lot of thought on your card choices and ratios, Darby - can you explain why you only put in the one copy?

Kushiel wrote:

I'm surprised to only see one copy of Enkil Cog in here...can you explain why you only put in the one copy?

I'll try to be concise instead of writing a thesis:

The Cog is neither crucial nor synergistic with this library.

- Bleed is surprisingly decentralized in this deck, Three minions have text-based +1 bleed. There are plenty of turns where Baba Yaga doesn't even bleed. I think it's better to run 1 Cog and 1 Heidleburg here rather than doubling down on either.

- There aren't that many untaps following directed actions in this library. It would need Freak Drives, Monster, Rutor's Hand and more blood gain if bleeding out of turn were the plan.

- Nor is there enough stealth to be comfortable with pushing the Enkil bleed plan. Monastery would go back in, the modifier package would change and I suspect the crypt would need overhaul (no Doyle).

- Baba Yaga actually expects to block when this deck works to bleed at all, usually ending up locked afterwards. A locked 11-cap with 3+ bleed and an unlocked Cog staring up at you is patently uninspiring.

- After Baba Yaga gets really tooled up, shes one of the largest Pentex magnets I've ever seen. Happens almost every game and is completely merited. A minion with a unlocked Cog, 4-8 bleed, 2-3 intercept, 3-5 agg damage, 2 standing damage prevention, an optional maneuver and access to Stray Dog untaps isn't particularly special while on Pentex lockdown.

In favor of more Enkilation, I will admit to cackling madly while Baba Yaga takes out-of-turn recruit or employ actions. I use it almost more that way than to bleed. But it's not worth trying to force into play.

TryDeflectingThisGrapple wrote:

In favor of more Enkilation, I will admit to cackling madly while Baba Yaga takes out-of-turn recruit or employ actions.

Sorry if I was unclear - this is exactly the usage I envisioned for the Enkil'd-up Baba Yaga, with bleeding out of turn only being done during lunge windows. Being able to use Enkil + her special to take two toolup actions per table round and still be untapped to block seems like a really good way to offset the slowness that most toolup decks suffer from.

Kushiel wrote:

Being able to use Enkil + her special to take two toolup actions per table round and still be untapped to block seems like a really good way to offset the slowness that most toolup decks suffer from.

I didn't want to rely on bleeding (requiring stealth and not being bounced) to Cog up, just for an action. Miss or get bounced once, feel like you have to try again. Next thing you know, all that tapping out gets you in trouble (despite bleeding being inherently desirable).

I went after speed with influence acceleration (one turn faster Baba = play more in every aspect of the game and fewer cheap early bleeds) and tried to rely more on the duplicated Warsaw Station for the extra tool-up actions, since it's more versatile than the Cog.