We had to split this match into two sessions.
Here's a link to the first four games on Twitch.
Video playlist on YouTubeWe played part of another game but lio lost connection part of the way through so it didn't count. We ended up not counting it and just moving on, but here's the
Twitch and
YouTube videos of it if you're interested.
Game 1: liopoil 43, AdamH 31
Game log Twitch highlight YouTube VideoKingdom Cards: Hamlet, Great Hall, Steward, Workshop, Armory, Coppersmith, Plaza, Worker's Village, Embassy, Minion
Super-interesting kingdom here, I'm thinking about holding onto this one for the next Kingdom Design Challenge. There's Minion with lots of support but there's also a Coppersmith engine to be built here too with a potentially huge payload. It's such a struggle which one I want to go for, but after lio gets off to a lead on the Minions, I decide I can't win by following him that way so I go for the Coppersmiths. After 5 Minions, he goes for green, though, giving me the clear to stop contesting Minions and focus on building more -- the chat and me think he should have emptied Minions before greening but we talked after the game about it and lio thought that 5 Minions was enough.
I'm able to catch up a little bit by emptying the Duchies and staying viable through Embassy (and its on-gain "attack") but I'm one turn too late as lio snatches Province #7 to end the game right before I can get one more big turn. Maybe if I was first player I would have won? But who knows.
I'm still not sure what is the "right" strategy here -- it could be a tactical choice.
Game 2: liopoil 32, AdamH 27
Game log Twitch highlight YouTube VideoKingdom Cards: Beggar, Chapel, Hamlet, Apothecary, Oasis, Nomad Camp, Wandering Minstrel, Horn of Plenty, Inn, Harem, with Shelters
Apothecary deck here with decent support. The differences in our play is that I probably overbuilt and but a questionable T12 Chapel (that turned out to not really help or hurt me) and he invested in some higher-value treasures. In the end I'm punished for my insolence because I can't catch up, though I had some cool dreams of using my 7-3 Apothecary split to do some awesome things.
Game 3: AdamH 41, liopoil 27
Game log Twitch highlight YouTube VideoKingdom Cards: Tunnel, Watchtower, Alchemist, Philosopher's Stone, Feast, Horse Traders, Plaza, Baker, Soothsayer, Farmland
Another really interesting board: Soothsayer is around with no trashing except Watchtower to defend -- but wait, Plaza/Watchtower with HT and Tunnel support give lots of different directions you can go! How do you decide what to go for? Does it depend on your opponent's choice? Your draws? Such a tough call to make. However, the Plaza/Watchtower deck is sort of weak without auxiliary draw (Alchemist) or lots of Plazas (I think).
I get a Soothsayer and only get one Curse through, but after he signals full-on Plaza/Watchtower, I use Farmland and a couple of awkward $6 buys to turn Estates into Plazas, mostly for denial, which really hurts his growth. Another convenient consequence is that they functioned like Silvers for buying Provinces and I could save coin tokens by Farmlanding Farmland into Province! This interaction between Farmland and Plaza turned out to be really strong given that I wanted to deny Plazas (otherwise Gold might have been better -- or maybe not because of Soothsayer?) and I end up with 6 Provinces on turn 16. Tough to compete with.
Game 4: AdamH 36, liopoil 5
Game log Twitch highlight YouTube VideoKingdom Cards: Alchemist, Ironmonger, Noble Brigand, Treasure Map, Ghost Ship, Jester, Merchant Guild, Royal Seal, Grand Market, Forge
Once again a really interesting and interactive board. There's draw here but it's weak unless you want to go for Potions, and the payload with Forge and Grand Market is really awesome. With a 3/4 opening I'd struggle between opening Potion or Ironmonger, but after my T1 Ghost Ship, lio still opts to open Potion (which I wouldn't have done). I get some weird draws and end up with not much economy but a lot of Ironmongers and Ghost Ships, so I end up not going for Alchemists and just aim to stay thin with Forge, which works out tremendously when my Jester starts hitting his Alchemists anyways. It's not long before I have a just lead and can mow through the Provinces.
I wonder if I would have been as successful had he adapted to my play a little more, like not top-decking all of your Alchemists so you have a Copper or something to put back to my Ghost Ship so my Jester can hit it? In any case there's a lot of cool interaction here.
The continuation of the match...
Second Twitch streamGame 5: AdamH 23, liopoil 0
Game log Twitch highlight YouTube VideoKingdom Cards: Cellar, Native Village, Forager, Silk Road, Spy, Taxman, Highway, Laboratory, Treasury, Hunting Grounds
Very interesting board, with Highway looming and Forager as the only +Buy you have to play with some finesse here. The on-trash benefit of Hunting Grounds looks enormous because it's the only way to increase deck size, plus it offers massive pile control in the ability to empty Estates in one swell foop [sic].
In any case, it's a pretty close mirror but using my first player and the fact that I bought a third Forager I'm able to put piles in a place where I can empty them on a win the following turn and he can't pile out in the meantime. He doesn't draw his entire deck so he can't make a big enough dent in the green to reasonably protect himself and I trash three HG for Estates on my next turn to end the game on piles.
EDIT: Actually after listening to lio's commentary on the game, he does a much better job of making the differences in our play clear. His commentary is actually really great and I highly recommend listening to it.Game 6: liopoil 11, AdamH 9
Game log Twitch highlight YouTube VideoKingdom Cards: Courtyard, Oracle, Alchemist, Marauder, Plaza, Spice Merchant, Golem, City, Counting House, Harem
Once again a mirror with only small variations in play here. Marauder is a priority since Ruins can't be trashed. We split Cities 5 each and I give him 6 of the Ruins.
On my last turn I underestimate his deck's potential because I didn't think he had two Ruined Markets, leaving it possible for him to pile Estates on his last turn which I didn't see coming. He plays five of his Ruins on that turn, all of them to great effect, and stretches just far enough to get 16 and 8 buys and win the game. If I had realized his deck could do this I could have made a slight change in my play to possibly protect myself (I think?) but the game just came down to me underestimating the effect of Ruins on his deck. Another game won by piling Estates.
I usually hate these kind of jokes, but this one made me laugh.
<florrat> and we're all wandering winder, so we're all better?
<titandrake> but then nobody's better
<mic_qsenoch> of all the weak f.ds jokes, that's one of them
<titandrake> how did htat joke even start?
<titandrake> i can't remember
<eeeveeee> second weakest, i thiknk
<titandrake> wait, what's the weakest?
<eeeveeee> its not mint place to say
And on the video:
Megan (IRL): "At least you have Spoilers for economy"
I think I'm calling Spoils "Spoilers" from now on. Megan seems to be popular in the chat:
<theblankman> best commentator ever, you need her on all your matches
Is it because she's a girl? THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW!
Overall this is one of my favorite matches. These six games were all interesting and high-skill, and lio is a good opponent. I'm happy to play him on these boards. With this result he is safe from demotion and I have a halfway decent chance of not getting demoted. Next season I'm coming for division B!