Mother of Puppies

So, we were supposed to be having a tournament today, but due to insufficient attendance (only 8 people), we just played a couple of games instead. This is the deck I brought along:

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 2 max: 9 average: 5.91667
4x Szechenyi Jolan, Mother of Horrors (9) bishop Tzimisce (group 3)
2x Caliban (6) Tzimisce (group 2)
2x Devin Bisley (5) Tzimisce (group 2)
2x Horatio (2) Tzimisce (group 2)
1x Elizabeth Westcott (5) Tzimisce (group 3)
1x Lolita Houston (4) Tzimisce (group 2)


Library [78 cards]

Action Modifier [12]
6x Changeling
2x Forced March
4x Mind of the Wilds

Action Modifier/Combat [6]
6x Plasmic Form

Ally [16]
6x Underbridge Stray
2x Vagabond Mystic
8x War Ghoul

Combat [4]
4x Meld with the Land

Event [3]
1x Dragonbound
2x Unmasking, The

Master [19]
2x Charisma
2x Direct Intervention
6x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Fame
2x Jake Washington (Hunter)
1x Perfectionist
5x Vessel

Reaction [14]
2x My Enemy's Enemy
6x On the Qui Vive
6x Telepathic Misdirection

Retainer [4]
2x Corpse Balloon
1x J. S. Simmons, Esq.
1x Tasha Morgan

So basically a bit slower version of usual Warghoul deck, with Jolan as a star vampire (I've always quite liked her, but she isn't suited for more conventional Tzimisce deck).

The deck played quite nicely, the synergy between Ghouls and Strays is awesome, and those puppies are actually a reason I ditched Traps, as i find Strays way more useful (they can block quite nicely, too).

What I missed from deck are two more Jake Washingtons, which I didn't have available for a tournament and which would have rounded deck on 80 cards.

The only uncertainty at this moment is actually Dragonbound, which tends to kill people around the table I don't want to be dead. That loss of control and reduced hand size makes me want to drop it altogether...

And yeah, i know this deck follows another Warghoul (kinda ) deck on this forum, I hope you won't hold it against me...

So guys, comments, suggestions?

I know it's bit shaky, but I like to add Shargon Fragment to my combat deck's to recycle Fame, Dragonbound and their like. That way I can discard DB early and get it back when it's actually doing what I want it to do.

Whisker wrote:

I know it's bit shaky, but I like to add Shargon Fragment to my combat deck's to recycle Fame, Dragonbound and their like. That way I can discard DB early and get it back when it's actually doing what I want it to do.

Oh, I used to put Sargon Fragment in just about any deck I made, but this is one action everyone tries to block (equipping with it, that is) since, yes, indeed, Fragment is a very strong card, especially in the endgame. Nowdays, I only put SF in decks that either have spare actions (as if those exist), sufficient stealth and/or access to THA. So basically, in my Muaziz-based deck .

Nice suggestion, though. I'd have tried to squeeze in Tablets, were I not of the opinion that those need to be banned (the ammount of Master might also have some slight influence on the decision not to put them in).

Isn't Forced march a bit difficult to play ? Also, I would change the corpse ballon for Raven Spy, because the blood cost is worth being able to block political action. I agree the maneuver is useful.

Kiddo wrote:

The only uncertainty at this moment is actually Dragonbound, which tends to kill people around the table I don't want to be dead. That loss of control and reduced hand size makes me want to drop it altogether...

I agree. I would better put some Living mansion or bleed retainer, it's more controllable and you can open the way for a bleeder.

Ohlmann wrote:

Isn't Forced march a bit difficult to play ?

Well, it's a free untap for a star vampire after a successful action, and there is quite a bit of stealth in a deck. After half a dozen games, those two Forced Marches have proven golden to me.

Ohlmann wrote:

Also, I would change the corpse ballon for Raven Spy, because the blood cost is worth being able to block political action. I agree the maneuver is useful.

Yes, I'm not sure. I actually dropped Winthorp for another Corpse Baloon, due to fear of contesting. Perhaps the most sensible thing would be to make the swap back, since every vampire can play winthorp and he's free.

Ohlmann wrote:

I agree. I would better put some Living mansion or bleed retainer, it's more controllable and you can open the way for a bleeder.

Yup, perhaps in addition to those two bleed retainers I already have (but they are usually ghoul fodder), I should put in two Manses instead of Dragonbound. That sounds like a nice idea.

Ohlmann wrote:

Also, I would change the corpse ballon for Raven Spy, because the blood cost is worth being able to block political action. I agree the maneuver is useful.

Yes, I'm not sure. I actually dropped Winthorp for another Corpse Baloon, due to fear of contesting. Perhaps the most sensible thing would be to make the swap back, since every vampire can play winthorp and he's free.

+1 winthrop +1 jackie therman +1 ghoul escort. Those 3 cards can become war ghouls... living manse no.