Jack Drake's Motley Crew

Klaital wrote:

I can't help but think that this deck would be better if you would replace Jack Drake with Anarch Converts.

let's see.... 5 pool for 5 anarch converts is cheaper than paying 8 pool for Jack plus 1 blood off every other vampire. you might be correct.

Jack Drake is built for combat, so he's only worth the 8 pool if you use him for that. I made a kinda-decent Diversion deck based around him once.

Haze wrote:

I made a kinda-decent Diversion deck based around him once.

I'd like to see that if possible . Jack Drake in a bleed deck seems, erm, unfitting?

Joscha wrote:

Haze wrote:

I made a kinda-decent Diversion deck based around him once.

I'd like to see that if possible . Jack Drake in a bleed deck seems, erm, unfitting?

Jack has big celerity and no fortitude, and with his big potence, can do more damage and bloodgain without diversion. Diversion makes more sense when the crypt has less superiors. Superior celerity has better additional sources, superior fortitdue does too, and the closest combat effects for inferiors cost 1 blood and are on seperate cards, thus the appeal of diversion. Tha has both steal blood and manuevers, but seperate, and frankly, only an odd deck would need weenie tha stealing one at long with a manuever.

Jack is at a disadvantage without fortitdue for multiact, or properly support a diversion deck, but thats the huge problem: Jack himself.

Diversion works better with converts. Most anarch anything does. If jack had fortitude, and could thus multiact all turn long, hed be 100% viable. As printed, hes just a supoptimal choice, when germaine plus converts makes a better basis for anarch combat.

IF one were to build Jack combat without converts, the big problem is going to be based on meta. Your deck relies on the ability of a star vamp, who will be fighting, and only has sideslip and inf refo motus as prevent options, and only the former will likely see play.
Hes squishy.
So, at the end of the day, its hard to see a deck better for running jack drake than converts, which is a shame, since he SHOULD suck less.

Joscha wrote:

Haze wrote:

I made a kinda-decent Diversion deck based around him once.

I'd like to see that if possible . Jack Drake in a bleed deck seems, erm, unfitting?

I don't have the full decklist, and I'll end up rebuilding it sometime, but I can explain the concept. Pug Jackson and Lorrie Dunsirn are the real fighting stars of the crypt. Jack enables both of them, since Pug has a difficult time going anarch (useless Primogen title!), and Lorrie doesn't have to spend a 1pool action (since I didn't have enough convert cards at the time!). plus some weenies.
the library is mostly simple potence rush combat, with a light amount of anarch tech for flexibility. maybe Jack, Pug, and Lorrie could kill anyone with potence alone, but the anarch cards like Lam Into / Diversion / Groundfighting lets the extra weenies be a threat too. masters like Anarch Free Press and Flames of Insurrection help with defense, and Anarch Revolts and Monkey Wrench give extra ousting power. I think Jack usually tooled up with mr winthrop and sport bike and stayed home to defend.

it doesn't necessarily NEED to be an anarch deck, but I liked having a few toolbox options so I don't have to be 100% combat monster and get all the table hate. I guess the only reason the deck won a few casual games was because Lorrie is so overpowered, heh.

I made a good Jack Drake deck once.

12x Jack Drake

12x Anarch Revolt
12x Bum's Rush
18x Blur
18x Immortal Grapple

Interesting feedback about Jack Drake. When I first saw him I thought it was too bad that he lacked PRE for better presence combat, actions, or cards in general. Big dude+ combat usually means you just lose faster than small dude combat. It would have been interesting to, in theory, be able to play Majesty + Power of All with him and untap out of the box. He can multiact with Crimethinc. at tha, but it is expensive and requires him to take some action that requires anarch. Those cards usually suck, but Undue Influence does not. If Crimethinc was "play when you play a card that requires anarch," then it would have been better, too. Designers seem to be overcareful in giving anarchs more to do. For example, see Open War:

Open War
+1 stealth action. Requires a baron.
Put this card in play. Anarch vampires can enter combat with any minion as a action. They can burn a location as a action that costs 2 pool. Any Methuselah may use a master phase action to move 1 counter from his or her pool to this card. When this card has 4 pool, burn it and gain 4 pool. Only one Open War may be played in a game.