Jaybeez defeats TheMirrorMan 3 - 1.
Game 1 : "Don't go for the dark forces" - Jaybeez begins, Jaybeez wins.http://www.gokosalvager.com/static/logprettifier.html?/20140315/log.50785f090cf28ed55d9d72bf.1394903273047.txtHamlet, Market Square, Storeroom, Trade Route, Cultist, Horn of Plenty, Market, Rebuild, Soothsayer, Adventurer
Well this already starts out nicely with a heavy board. Key cards : Trade route - Cultist - Rebuild - Soothsayer.
No real engine present - so I have a think. Of course I want rebuild and Trade route, but what to support it ? Going Market Square/Trade route immediately is an option, but it is so dependant on luck I believe.
So for both of us it's the cautious Silver/Silver. Then, as Jaybeez himself points out - the shuffle screws me. He gets 2 x $5 (2 Rebuilds), I get 2 x $4. Aargh. So it's time for alternatives, I'll need to shove his deck full of Ruins, go Cultist/BM and hope for the best. Which works - he gets all 10. To no avail. In the meantime he has 3 Rebuilds and does a walk over.
Game 2 : "Hunt down the deck!" - TheMirrorMan begins, TheMirrorMan wins.http://www.gokosalvager.com/static/logprettifier.html?/20140315/log.50785f090cf28ed55d9d72bf.1394904300162.txtQuarry, Trader, Treasure Map, Baker, Ghost Ship, Hunting Party, Mine, Outpost, Rogue, King's Court
Baker so coin token already there. The plan is clear (for both of us) : Ghost Ship, Silver, then transition into Hunting Parties/KC and pick up some random stuff on the way.
Well it's a back and forth of hitting each others hands, and choosing KC or HP at the appropriate time. My shuffle this time rewards me - I hit Ghost Ship turn 3 and turn 4 I've got 5 coppers. And Jaybeez doesn't have a GS. So HP already. The rest is a bit shenanigans with what to do next - We both get Quarry, he gets Mine, I get Trader (not sure if that really is the right call here). Given lack of double buy, I pick up an outpost on the way - but it really doesn't make much difference. I can win the HP split 8/2 (even taking them with $7+) and that probably is it. I got lucky in return for game 1.
Game 3 : "Banes and lighthouses won't hurt my deck, but your Young witch will always hurt me" - TheMirrorMan begins, Jaybeez wins.http://dominionlogs.goko.com/20140315/log.50785f090cf28ed55d9d72bf.1394904798621.txtCourtyard, Haven, Lighthouse, Woodcutter, Cutpurse, Island, Young Witch, Count, Royal Seal, Trading Post, Farmland
Courtyard is bane here and that's okay - not much other than going for BM. So doubtful. I decided to skip the Young Witch with Trading post/Count on the board.
I open Cutpurse/Courtyard, Jaybeez goes YW/Courtyard. So hey, I'm thinking - a few lighthouse along the way - that should do it no ?
Well, it doesn't. He plays YW on turn 3 and 5, hitting me twice. And strangely enough, I'm never able to effectively cut his purse. On $5 I think it's a good idea to go for Count and honestly, that doesn't work out at all. I think either Royal Seal or Trading post could have been better.
Sad to see how he has 5 gold in his deck in the end while I have 1. But I can't pinpoint where exactly this went wrong. Ideas, anyone ?
Game 4 : "The Minion split works. No it doesn't! Yes it does!" - Jaybeez begins, Jaybeez wins.http://www.gokosalvager.com/static/logprettifier.html?/20140315/log.50785f090cf28ed55d9d72bf.1394905865501.txtCrossroads, Warehouse, JackOfAllTrades, Smithy, Spice Merchant, Throne Room, Baker, Minion, Venture, Nobles
Now this is not the board I want to see if I want to win. Baker coin available and Minion on the board.
Plan is clear for the both of us : win the Minion split. We both open Warehouse/Minion. On turn 4 we're both faced with choices : I get $4, he gets $3. He takes another warehouse, I take the Spice Merchant. The double buy may come in handy at one point. I lose the split 6/4, but see nobles on the board, so decide to pick up a Crossroads inbetween to get the (thinned out) deck running. I win that split 6/2 and am in front for a few turns. In the meantime, he has now picked up a Spice Merchant.
Jaybeez and myself have the same observation : "Apparently the Minion split isn't THAT important" ?
And then, what I already saw coming ... My Spice Merchant starts running out of fuel. You can only refuel (extra copper) once each turn because there is no other +buy on the board. I think at one point, with $12, I needed some sort of 2 x Gold, but I'm not sure. His extra 2 Minions start giving him enough to buy Province + Duchy, while I only have 1 Province each turn. It gives him the upperhand. So yes, the Minion split IS important.
I think after getting the 4th Noble, I should have stopped and repositioned again. Lessons learnt.
Thanks for the games Jaybeez and good luck in the next round!