1
2012 / Re: Chapel Division: Bracket and Results
« on: December 12, 2012, 07:51:54 pm »
Played a match against nsnyder on Tuesday with following results:
Game 1 AD wins 40-39
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-080104-a019e4c9.html
Key cards: Haggler, Stables, Peddler, Talisman, Lighthouse
Here I took a very simple BM+haggler approach supported by stables, whereas nsnyder took a more elaborate route with peddlers. By turn 16 only two provinces were left and we both moved into duchies. Few turns later nsnyder took the penultimate province and I was lucky enough to take the last one right after that.
Game 2 A-D wins 29-27
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-081141-c9c2eb89.html
Key cards: Jester, Spice Merchant, Watchtower, Menagerie, Island
A mirror match with Jesters played early and often, other cards acting as support. nsnyder took more menageries with the midgame 3s, whereas I went for silvers as I had failed to trash my coppers and more of them kept coming from jesters. At turn 16 I took a lead with an Island buy, and soon afterwards we took the last four provinces, the last one going to me again. As an amusing side note, all three curses handed by jesters where blocked by our single watchtowers bought or gained in the midgame
Game 3 A-D wins 42-7
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-083655-b44bc481.html
Key cards: University, Hunting Party, Ghost Ship, Steward, Laboratory, Tribute
Much closer game than the score suggests, and the first engine game of this match with university, trashing and good drawing cards available, and even a ghost ship to slow down the possible bm strategy. Nsnyder got a better start here, hitting more 5s and 6s in the beginning, and began to buy golds, ghost ships and tributes and soon the first province of the game. However the tributes didn't pay off, including a play where he didn't get any actions and could not play his ghost ship. I kept grabbing mostly HoPs until they were steadily running through the deck, and then moved to ghost ships and labs. As the three universities kept pumping more nonterminal draw and cantrips to the deck already drawing itself, I was able to buy all the remaining provinces very soon, finishing the game.
Game 4 nsnyder wins 27-25
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-084346-4018ae1d.html
Key cards: Masquerade, Farmland, Festival, Throne room
Despite having components for a torturer engine, both of us went for a Masquerade-BM approach. As in game 1, I took the more straightforward approach, buying just a single masquerade and a single festival, wheras nsnyder took two of each and a throne room as well. I made a plunder in the end, thinking that I could buy the penultimate province resulting in a 6 point lead for me (with nsnyder starting), but he got past me buy taking farmland+province, finishing the game just ahead of me. A duchy would have left me in a good position even after his farmland+province (or province+estate), but the possibility of winning the match blinded me totally.
Game 5 A-D wins 48-40
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-085818-f7a2146d.html
Key cards: Embassy, Minion, Caravan, Wishing Well, Gardens
With 5/2 opening and two nice minion support cards (caravan and wishing well, and I strongly believe that later's synergy with minion is horribly underrated), the board screamed minion to me. And then nsynder opened with embassy, handing me the silver and making me realise that this one is going to be a tough one for me, and our first proper non-mirror. Nsnyder took a big lead with province split 4-2, forcing me to switch into duchies. However, I managed to minion few of his embassies away, and caught up by the time we moved into gardens. At one point I got a lucky 8$ and thought that ppr should be broken here, given the increased probability of the game ending on piles. For the first time in our match taking the penultimate province in a close case didn't cost the game for the taker, Nsnyder made a horrible embassy draw and I managed to snatch the last province as well.
Overall, A-D wins 4-1 (1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 3-1, 4-1)
I really enjoyed the match and each individual game! Some common themes I found were that I had the tendency to be a more straightforward and boring BM player, whereas, nsnyder often took more variety into his deck, and usually more action cards. The only exception was game 5, where I had the minion deck and nsynyder played about as straight embassy-bm as one can possibly play. Also I found out that we both should think more about buying the penultimate province: even though neither of us made a mistake in the simplest cases (provinces 3-3, no duchies and no +buy), I retrospectively think both of us were a bit too trigger happy buyers when the conditions were more complicated.
Throughout the match, nsynder was a very polite and respectful opponent, thanks for that!
Game 1 AD wins 40-39
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-080104-a019e4c9.html
Key cards: Haggler, Stables, Peddler, Talisman, Lighthouse
Here I took a very simple BM+haggler approach supported by stables, whereas nsnyder took a more elaborate route with peddlers. By turn 16 only two provinces were left and we both moved into duchies. Few turns later nsnyder took the penultimate province and I was lucky enough to take the last one right after that.
Game 2 A-D wins 29-27
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-081141-c9c2eb89.html
Key cards: Jester, Spice Merchant, Watchtower, Menagerie, Island
A mirror match with Jesters played early and often, other cards acting as support. nsnyder took more menageries with the midgame 3s, whereas I went for silvers as I had failed to trash my coppers and more of them kept coming from jesters. At turn 16 I took a lead with an Island buy, and soon afterwards we took the last four provinces, the last one going to me again. As an amusing side note, all three curses handed by jesters where blocked by our single watchtowers bought or gained in the midgame
Game 3 A-D wins 42-7
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-083655-b44bc481.html
Key cards: University, Hunting Party, Ghost Ship, Steward, Laboratory, Tribute
Much closer game than the score suggests, and the first engine game of this match with university, trashing and good drawing cards available, and even a ghost ship to slow down the possible bm strategy. Nsnyder got a better start here, hitting more 5s and 6s in the beginning, and began to buy golds, ghost ships and tributes and soon the first province of the game. However the tributes didn't pay off, including a play where he didn't get any actions and could not play his ghost ship. I kept grabbing mostly HoPs until they were steadily running through the deck, and then moved to ghost ships and labs. As the three universities kept pumping more nonterminal draw and cantrips to the deck already drawing itself, I was able to buy all the remaining provinces very soon, finishing the game.
Game 4 nsnyder wins 27-25
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-084346-4018ae1d.html
Key cards: Masquerade, Farmland, Festival, Throne room
Despite having components for a torturer engine, both of us went for a Masquerade-BM approach. As in game 1, I took the more straightforward approach, buying just a single masquerade and a single festival, wheras nsnyder took two of each and a throne room as well. I made a plunder in the end, thinking that I could buy the penultimate province resulting in a 6 point lead for me (with nsnyder starting), but he got past me buy taking farmland+province, finishing the game just ahead of me. A duchy would have left me in a good position even after his farmland+province (or province+estate), but the possibility of winning the match blinded me totally.
Game 5 A-D wins 48-40
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201212/11/game-20121211-085818-f7a2146d.html
Key cards: Embassy, Minion, Caravan, Wishing Well, Gardens
With 5/2 opening and two nice minion support cards (caravan and wishing well, and I strongly believe that later's synergy with minion is horribly underrated), the board screamed minion to me. And then nsynder opened with embassy, handing me the silver and making me realise that this one is going to be a tough one for me, and our first proper non-mirror. Nsnyder took a big lead with province split 4-2, forcing me to switch into duchies. However, I managed to minion few of his embassies away, and caught up by the time we moved into gardens. At one point I got a lucky 8$ and thought that ppr should be broken here, given the increased probability of the game ending on piles. For the first time in our match taking the penultimate province in a close case didn't cost the game for the taker, Nsnyder made a horrible embassy draw and I managed to snatch the last province as well.
Overall, A-D wins 4-1 (1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 3-1, 4-1)
I really enjoyed the match and each individual game! Some common themes I found were that I had the tendency to be a more straightforward and boring BM player, whereas, nsnyder often took more variety into his deck, and usually more action cards. The only exception was game 5, where I had the minion deck and nsynyder played about as straight embassy-bm as one can possibly play. Also I found out that we both should think more about buying the penultimate province: even though neither of us made a mistake in the simplest cases (provinces 3-3, no duchies and no +buy), I retrospectively think both of us were a bit too trigger happy buyers when the conditions were more complicated.
Throughout the match, nsynder was a very polite and respectful opponent, thanks for that!