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1
2012 / Re: Gardens Division: Bracket and Results
« on: January 02, 2013, 02:49:17 pm »
Round 4 Results: scryordie (50) vs. gamesou

50 4 - 3 gamesou

A tight and intense series all the way through. I was glad because all the sets were interesting and there was relatively little luck involved.

Game 1: scryordie 122 - gamesou - 55
An engine was clearly the optimal strategy here. We both got the 5/2 split and opened Haggler/Nothing. In the second cycle, I opted for Tactician/Bishop over Gold/Haggler. This helped accelerate my engine, and soon, with the aid of many bishops, I got my deck down into a very consistent Colony engine with a Haggler for Bishop fodder. Gamesou suffered from too many terminal early game, and was not able to pull himself back into it with Double Tactician + Mass Bishop.

Game 2: scryordie 9 - gamesou -7

An interesting set with a ton of engine cards. We both open Steward/Quarry and snatch up 5 cost engine components. (Although gamesou favors trashing some more cards, while I pick up both a Mountebank and a Wharf). As the game develops, with both pick up Farming Villages and Throne Rooms. Gamesou upgrades his first Mountebank into a Gold, which I feel was a mistake. With Quarry, Throne Room, and Mountebank, money is simply not that important, and this allows me to get a decisive Curse split. I am able to get an insurance Province and end it on piles.

I feel the midgame Scrying Pool was a trap, as it was simply too slow in this volatile set.

Game 3: scryordie  36 - gamesou 42

The board lacks a large engine and we both favor a Stables Big Money. I feel pretty confident with Smugglers as second seat, especially when I am able to get an early Stables. I have an edge going into the mid game, and gamesou goes for develop, which was a little slow in my opinion, but I fail to get enough money before diving into the Provinces. Some bad shuffle luck (Turns 10 and 15) where I have two Stables and no treasure to be found and 4 of my Stables clump together at the bottom of my deck.

Gamesou takes the lead, and through some nice use of develop is able to grab the estates necessary to guarantee a tie and able to close out the game on piles.

Game 4: scryordie 42 - gamesou 37

Going in, I am quite worried because this sizes up to be a Big Money game, and Militia can heavily favor the first seat. Gamesou opts to go Militia/Silver while I go Militia/Courtyard. I make some tough decisions about when to play the Militia vs. the Courtyard to deny gamesou $6 and $5, and it pays off, because I am able to get a massive Gold lead, while gamesou builds up with more Militia and Throne Rooms. I feel that Throne Room might not have been as great here as it may seem. Throne Rooming a Militia is not substantively different from playing a Militia and a Silver.

I buy the Penultimate Province (happily, because if we tie, I think I can take a different game that does not favor first seat quite as heavily). Fortunately for me, gamesou can only grab an Estate, and I take the last Province for the win.


Game 5: gamesou wins

I thought I grabbed the log for this game, but apparently not. Unfortunately, I totally forget what the set was and how the game ended. If gamesou still has the log, I will type up my thoughts and edit this post.

Game 6: scryordie 12 - gamesou 26

An interesting game. Chapel/Possession calls out to both of us. I can think of no way to rush Greens quick enough to beat someone taking 2-3 times as many turns. I opt for Spice Merchant/Chapel while gamesou goes for Silver/Chapel. With some bad luck on turn 5, I don't get the second play of the Chapel (despite a two thirds chance) which slows me down and costs me first seat advantage. Gamesou keeps his deck more focused and doesn't make my mistake of undervaluing the starting Copper. He is able to get the first Possession and the third Possession. Suddenly, I am in a deep hole. We both trash most of our decks with Chapels, and the long drawn out bleeding begins.

Menageries are the first to empty as we both alternate taking 2 or 3 turns in a very poor economic situation. I know I have to make my move as the pawns begin to go. I get a Province with gamesou's deck, but he follows suit and starts picking up Duchies with mine. I then transition into trying to get a second Possession, but by the time I due, gamesou has filled his deck with a glut of green and is able to close out piles for the win.

Very nicely and patiently played by gamesou. If someone can think of a way out of my bind, please post, I'd be interested to know!

In any case, the series goes on to the decisive seventh game.

Game 7: scryordie 18 - gamesou 13

Once again, Possession shows itself in a game with powerful trashing (Steward) and mediocre card draw. I opt for the risky Steward/Steward opening while gamesou goes Steward/Potion. I hope to go for the Possessions with a thin deck once again. gamesou also favors Alchemy, but throws in some Universities to pick up Caravans and Festivals.

I am able to successfully thin my deck and grab a Possession on Turn 10. I steal a Possession turn from gamesou, and things look good. My deck gets into gear as I grab a second Possession. Gamesou begins to ruin his deck by grabbing Estates to fend off my Possession. Three piles are becoming dangerously close to running.

I see that gamesou is no longer planning to go into the Possession war with me, and I make a mad grab at all the power cards I can. I grab Universities, the remaining Caravans, some Festivals, and several of Stewards.

I now follow gamesou into the greens and we are both grabbing Duchies and Estates at every opportunity. The game comes to a heart pounding culmination as gamesou grabs a Duchy and an Estate leaving only one Duchy left and 4 Estates. Either running means the game ends.

If I buy the Duchy I win, but I am forced to double Estate with $4. I play a Possession, look at gamesou's hand to find a Duchy buy waiting for me. I take it for the game and the match.


GGs and a nice series gamesou. I hope to see you around!

2
2012 / Re: Gardens Division: Bracket and Results
« on: December 14, 2012, 03:12:00 pm »
Round 2 Results: scryordie (50) vs. bjmartin

50 4 - 1 bjmartin

To be honest, these games were not the most interesting. Luck played a pretty substantial factor, and many of the games were slogs with cursers in play.

Game 1: scryordie 32 - bjmartin 21

We both open into a Big Money supported by Jack of All Trades and Courtyard. I am able to get a Gold on Turn 3, which gives me a lead bjmartin can't overcome. By circumstance, I go Double Courtyard Jack, while my opponent went for Double Jack Courtyard. This game reminded how much I usually underrate Courtyard.

Game 2: scryordie 5 - bjmartin -3

We both go for a Universtiy supported Torturer rush. I don't know where this game went wrong for bjmartin. I imagine I just got the first big Torturer turn first, and from there I built up my deck more and more while bjmartin's was flooded with Curses. I end it in a pretty cute fashion by gaining the last couple Curses from my opponent's Torturer.

Game 3: scryordie 17 - bjmartin 36

To be honest, this game made me pretty frustrated. I open Potion/Warehouse and aim to run a University/Margrave/Throne Room/Trade Route in a game featuring many different Victory cards. My opponent opens Silver/Island and goes for a Big Money Margrave style game. The first time where I get a University and a Margrave in the same hand is Turn 16. I feel that was pretty unlucky.


Game 4: scryordie 41 - bjmartin 36

I am pretty frustrated because of the last game, and I make several play mistakes. Unfortunately for my opponent, luck is back on my side. I manage to get a Witch in my second shuffle, while my opponent stalls at $4. From here, I have a clear edge, and despite some Witch collisions I am able to get enough Provinces and Duchies to overcome bjmartin's aggressive Duchy/Duke.


Game 5: scryordie 58 - bjmartin 36

We both get the 5/2 and open with the Mountebank. The curse war starts and we both get a second Mountebank and a Gold. Our strategies diverge in the midgame. My opponent goes for Island for the deck thinning, whereas I opt for Farming Villages to counter his Ghost Ship and go through the Curses filling my deck. Aided by Golds and Farming Villages, my deck is able to survive the end game greening.


Thanks for the games bjmartin. Too bad that most of the games were pretty uninteresting, but you were certainly a fun opponent!

mod edit: changed name of opponent to correct name

3
2012 / Re: Gardens Division: Bracket and Results
« on: December 10, 2012, 02:06:30 pm »
Round 1 Results: scryordie (50) vs. Krachan

50 4 - 2 Krachan

Some interesting games in this round. Both Krachan and I acknowledged that we played sub optimally in many games, and thought it would be interesting to see some great engine builders play these sets.

Game 1: scryordie 33 - Krachan 31

The board seemed to have some engine potential, especially aided by the black market. We both try to go for the grandmarkets, which I feel was a trap in this game. Our decks end up fairly terminal heavy and the game lasts fairly long I manage to get the win aided by first seat advantage and a Horn of Plenty from the black market deck.

Game 2: scryordie 50 - Krachan 49

This being a Colony game, big money seems to be a pretty poor choice. Minion stands out as the natural engine component, but a Minion deck is hurt by the lack of villages and non terminal money. Still, we both go for Minions, but I use some early buys on Islands, which turns out to be a huge blunder. My opponent's Minion attacks and my terminal Islands clog up my deck and make it nearly impossible to pick up Minions. Krachan gets the split, I think for sure I am done for.

I pick up some Platinum and I am forced to break the PCR. Fortunately, the best my opponent can do the next turn is to Expand an Estate into a Duchy. I get a Colony the next turn and get a very lucky win.

Game 3: scryordie 31 - Krachan 50

Engine potential is lacking in this board, and we both try to go for some sort of big money. I am attracted to Tunnel, as I know that the 2VP that each ones gives can be hard to beat in a Province game. I use Courtyard and Harvest as my activators. Krachan goes for some standard Courtyard BM. My deck takes too long before it gets going and Krachan is able to grab a huge lead in Provinces, and he pretty cleanly closes this game out.

Game 4: scryordie 52 - Krachan 11

There are no villages on this board, but that doesn't stop it from being a big engine game (in retrospect Double Jack wouldn't have been back as well). Grand Markets, Conspirators, Horn of Plenty, and Minions!

Krachan goes for the Grand Market Conspirator deck (I feel he buys too few Minions, however). I am attracted to the Horn of Plenty megaturn (my favorite strategy in the game!) Spice Merchant is an amazing activator for HoP, and my deck gets rolling quickly.

I am able to get 5 Provinces on turn 16, which puts me in a command position. Krachan starts to green the next turn, but it is too late. I triple Province the turn after to seal the deal. This is one of the games I am most proud of


Game 5: scryordie 32 - Krachan 35

We both go for a Swindler opening and look to transition to some kind of money strategy. I aim to aide mine with Menagerie, Nobles, and Festivals, as does my opponent.

The midgame goes in my favor, as I am able to get some good swindles. I turn his Nobles into Harems, and I have a much bigger engine as I begin to green. Unfortunately, the piles begin to run very fast. I get some bad draws my last turns and am unable to grab the Provinces which would have put me soundly ahead.

Game 6: scryordie 34 - Krachan 13

We both open Silver/Black Market and aim to grab early Witches while picking up some power houses from the Black Market (Villages and Ambassador). Krachan gets unlucky and can't get a Witch on his first reshuffle. I squander this advantage by going for a somewhat schizophrenic Scrying Pool strategy. I think the Pool was a sound plan, but I got too many terminals too soon. The midgame turns into a slog of poorly optimized and heavily cursed decks. Three piles are obviously running, and I am able to pick up the essential Vineyards before closing out the game by buying the last Nobles.


Thanks for the good games, Krachan, I hope to see you around in the future.

4
2012 / Re: Gardens Division: Bracket and Results
« on: December 09, 2012, 10:36:15 pm »
Round 1 missing games:
scryordie (50) vs Krachan - ?
Buggy vs Orange - being played tonight
Jimmmmm vs 1wheel - ?
zaubererer vs SirSlugma - ?
We have played five of the games, I am currently up 3-2. Krachan had to go to work, we should finish the games off tomorrow.

5
Dominion General Discussion / Re: How Can I Improve
« on: May 05, 2012, 10:49:32 pm »
My 5 worst are Ill-Gotten-Gains, Island, Margrave, Pawn, Hunting Party in order from worst to best.

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Dominion General Discussion / How Can I Improve
« on: May 05, 2012, 10:24:31 pm »
I am currently a level 25 on Isotropic, and I have been for some time. I feel like I have reached a point I can't get passed. I am getting increasingly frustrated with dominion. What should I do to get past this high level 20/30 barrier? All advice is welcome.

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