Kuroiban

So, Yojimobo Alternate Storyline event. Its on Saturday, its Samurai Constructed, its worth points, and starts at 10 am.

I show up at 9:55 in full armor due to someone telling me that the costume contest was at 10, and sit down across from a unicorn player in full gear unable to really really move. Decklist is at the end. Anywhoo.. reporting!!

Round 1: SSK vs Unicorn TOD

He flips Xushin turn one and holds onto him. I'm praying he just pitches that guy, he'll be a thorn in my side later. I flip Toshi Ranbo and 2x Secluded Waystations... happily I go to turn 2. He flips his second gold, temples of gishi toshi, thus blocking any chance I have of getting it. However, his has no 3 gold producing holdings. This will be important later. I buy my second secluded and a giesha house, leaving Arashii and Muhito in my provinces. His turn 3, he flips nothing but people. Expensive people. No matter which way he slices this, he can only buy one of them. He chooses the 9 golder Jin-Sahn. On my turn I buy in Arashii and the Kahn!!!.

So, his turn he flips one holding and has 3 people, including that Xushin since turn one. He doesn't attack, and he drops down to dynasty buying another 9 golder, and not able to get the holding. I think this person was a 5/2 Chui yei or something. On my turn I attach Taoist archer, and declare an attack, assigning my guy to the province with Xushin. He defends, I start the other battle first, and use the Kahn to sleeze in. He can't stop me, I take my first province.  I purchase evil things that don't really matter on my turn.

His turn he attacks me. I doomed intentions in and ranged 5 his tactition. He bows me w/ stronghold. I pass. 5 force to 4. He doesn't have anything to target the follower in specific so he stays and gets some cards. Still not having ANY gold other than the 3 holdings... he buys the unique battlemaiden and finnally pitches xushen. At this point of the game I drop him below his honor requirment, and I do evil evil evil things on my turn that involve 2x Taoist Archers and Muhitos w/ the Kahn and two front war.

MVP: Taoist Archer

Round 2: Battle Maiden Honor

He buys in some people, but doesn't attack on turn 4. I get some ground and have a really good start again. He attaches Cerimonial Armor, and thinking he's immune to Yumita. Also puts on Heavenly Kobune. He comes over to attack and is met with a Ninja flying out of the woods.... you might say.. 2x Arrows from the Woods waxing his super personality and vanishing into the woodwork. He drops to dynasty and picks up Chags 4. I attach some followers and attack. He is able to hold me off with reinforce, refugees, and other such stuff... not without losing some scrubs however. Chags stays at home thanks to Saya.

On his turn he flips Yobojin alliance... I'm looking at 2x Wandering Budoka in hand, and no way to handle chags... so I let chags come over and take a province, but I am able to kill some of his scrubs and jettison from battle. He gains 8 and ends the turn in the 20s. I attach the wanderings and draw into furious assault. Perfect. I attack, and thanks to Saya I outnumber him. He... for some odd reason defends... and.. I win. Misdirection, Assigning Blames.. I still dont' manage to take a province, but I kill peoples.

He comes over with chags and 1 more big utaku... I two front war in 2x Muhito and use flanking action first, then furious assault. After that, I start sinking provinces like a fisherman. He never stood a shot at the last province. He was at 20 honor when it started, and ended at 26, an army destroyed and a province gone. This is the first match where I can say Seven Stings won me the game over DVD. He seppukued / rehonored / reduced everything I did to him.

MVP: Seven Stings.

Round 3: Spider Dueling from Brazil.

Great guy, fun opponent, hilariously short game. My first personality is Aroru. His is some 9 gold spider that kills people by discarding dark virtue cards. I attach a Taoist Archer to Aroru, play swift counter attack to increase his force and attack at Utagawa.. he can't stop me so I bust my first province on turn 4. On his turn he attacks with his guy and a boxable he had... doomed intentions on aroru shoots his main guy. He uses weigh the cost to run home. Then it hits me. He's a dueling deck. I've never played against a spider dueler before, but it dawned on me... the reason he could not stop me was because Aroru was there. Now in dynasty he buys Hotakau and another 5/3 spider who uses his force in a duel. The guy was having a great start and was spiders lair as well so didn't care about province D. I cause some honor loss on mine, and attach a wandering budoka to Saya. I saya his Hotaku, and attack with aroru and Saya. He defends. He determination duels aroru, I strike killing us both. Use the Fortified camp to re-attach taoist archer, and then I play unexpected betrayal. Not being able to duel or take any action, I take my second province. I also buy in Kaukatsu.

The game goes on one or two more turns... I don't need to attack him so I cause him 4-7 a turn and make him come to me. An inmovable wall of ninja blocks his path and he doesn't take one before he looks down as is at -17... he concedes.

MvP: Aroru

Round 4: Ruined City Super Blitz.

This guy came out swinging away like a bat out of hell. Only problem he had was I got to Saya quickly, and drew 3x Insolence punished. The game goes on for a while I fend of early attacks of his killing people. At one point I doomed intentions Paneki in to kill Hotaku. I get him down to -7 before the game really starts. All we have been doing is me Killing a guy, and Insolence punishing his army home, and him rebuilding. He has loads of attachments, cheap, and lots of guys. cheap guys. Its annoying. Then... in a moment of brilliance... I remember I put back up in my deck for this.

Pokku xp.

I use family library to bring in pokku just in time for his next attack. He gets his first Clan Standard, I kill more of his army he goes home. On my turn I attack him, and Steal More attachments, but get bounced and retreat, buying Utemaru. Utemaru steals followers, he attacks, Pokku gets his third clan standard. Bear in mind.. he's not attacking into pokku... or defending against him. I'm using the Kahn, Doomed Intentions, and Two Front Wars to get Pokku where needed. Eventually I sink my first province, and with Kaukatsu and one province down. It only takes me 1 single turn to bring him to -20.

MvP: Pokku Xp

Round 5: Crab, Bayush Akai's Friend.

I thought for sure I was done. He buys a Tsimaru on turn 3, Attaches Tsi Blade, and attacks. Nothing I can do against it. I lose one province He then gets Otoya... Urg!!. On my turn, I have nothing in my hand to handle Tsimaru w/ a Tsi Blade. I attach wandering budoka... and I draw into flanking action. I still don't think thats enough as I can only buy in one person, so I attach the other budoka and get arrows from the woods... oh phew thank god. now I can do something. I drop down to dynasy and buy in Muhito and draw into a reinforce the gates.

He flips, Sozen Xp, Hiruma Aki, Castle Barracks... I mean, this guy just has the PERFECT start. I'm pretty sure I'm wrecked for sure after seeing that. Anyway he attaches a Tsi Blade onto Otoya and attacks. I defend with both. He sneaks plays a card. I cancel with gates. I use Yumita and destroy Tsimaru. Taking a huge weight off my shoulders. He uses Draw your blade on Yumita, I bow Muhito for Flanking Action. Two free kill actions... pulled em both off, phew, game just turned back to equal ground. He buys in Aki.

On my attack he doesn't defend. Even if he could kill both budokas, Yumita would destroy him and he would have nothing. I sink my first province. Here is something about good crab players. As Akai said.. "Europe guys play to not lose, Americans play to win". He just goes to dynasty and buys in 3 people for full honor. Making my next attack near impossible. Since its suicide for me to go into attack, I move down to dynasty as well. He does it again next turn buying in 2 more people. On my turn, I look at my options. If I dont' sink 1 more, I won't be able to use SSK. He's not dishonoring his guys out...soo.... crap...

I decide to risk it. I saya his Aki, attach a taoist, and declare an attack, no infantry. Fearing the province sleeze he defends all at 1 province. I start the battle there, and use Two Front War to move in Muhito, Yumita, and Arashii. Killing his Kaiu Tarao on the way into battle. In my head... this stuns him of the raw power of two front war he is unsure what to do. He takes an action which does something but gets misdirected around. I kill another defender. He kills my Wandering Budokas, I unexpected Betrayel Aki. He retreats his last guy with a stay your blade and I get my second province and a solid crack at his forces.

The game ended when I attacked all in one, he defended one guy at the other province. I doomed intentions in muhito with a taoist archer clearing a path and taking the last 2 provinces.

MVP: Muhito

Round 6. Dragon. Shosuro Rat's Friend.

We Die Roll since we are both in. I win.

MVP: The number 10.

Top 8. House of False Hope Scorpion

Costume contest is starting up, I need to go get dressed. I concede. He goes on to lose against my round 2 opponent in a game he could of one if he stuck tsimaru at the last province. Lost by 1 force. Oh well, a military point is a military point.

Stronghold: Seven Stings Keep

DYNASTY (40)
events (1):
  1x A New Wall
holdings (17):
  1x Family Library
  2x Fortified Camp
  3x Geisha House
  1x Hidden Dragon Temple
  1x Private Trader
  2x Rich Coffers
  1x Seat of Power
  3x Secluded Waystation
  1x Shrine to Fukurokujin
  1x Temples of Gisei Toshi
  1x The Khan
personalities (21):
  3x Bayushi Arashii
  3x Bayushi Maemi
  3x Bayushi Muhito
  1x Bayushi Paneki - exp 4
  3x Bayushi Saya
  1x Bayushi Tsimaru - exp
  3x Bayushi Yumita
  1x Pokku - exp
  1x Shosuro Aroru - exp
  1x Bayushi Kaukatsu
  1x Yoritomo Utemaro - exp
regions (1):
  1x Toshi Ranbo

FATE (41)
actions (35):
  3x Arrows from the Woods
  2x Assigning Blame
  3x Doomed Intentions
  3x Flanking Action
  2x Furious Assault
  3x Insolence Punished
  3x Knowledge
  2x Misdirection
  2x Reinforce the Gates
  3x Rout
  2x Standing Fast
  2x Swift Counterattack
  3x Two-Front War
  2x Unexpected Betrayal
followers (6):
  3x Taoist Archer
  3x Wandering Budoka

Thats the deck. right now I am not interested in changing any cards. 

OMG you run 41 cards on teh fate side. That is toooo many!

Nice Job, Buddy.

...

Also- Maru was actually replaced by Uncle Kaukatsu in teh final tourney build.

Did you run into any Unwanted Mediation?  Just curious to see whether people dropped them in the end or not.  

No mention of Maemi in your game reports.  What did you think of her for filling that spot?  Obviously she is good for being a courtier, and has a nice action and trait.  How useful was she, though?

 Now for my main doubts:

1) If you run into any dedicated Honor Runner, did the SSK action was enough to meta his honor gains?

2) Was you able to make the Dishonor win a credible threat?

3) Did you miss KW action or HoFH force-pump and peeking in any games?

Giso: No Maemi because she never really came up.

Fati:

1) SSK is not enough alone. Saya + SSK is.

2) .... I won 3 games by dishonor...so... 50% of the matches? I would count that as credible.

3) KW action yes. HoFH no. 

::Sound of Dan's mind breaking::

So, how does this deck threaten provinces?  There's like a million ways you can end up with only 6-7F on turn 4.  No Sneaks, no Rapid, no Force bonuses of any sort apart from the Followers.  Is the mission of this deck to feign weakness, by letting them take a province or two, taking a province or two back, and then win the deadlock via tricks?  Either way, wouldn't any Personality in existence be better than Saya?

Well if it makes you feel anybetter... I rarely attack on turn 4 :).

Military decks will come at me first, after I beat them I'll attach a follower and attack them sure. If not, no biggy. Attacking turn 4 is suicide usually... attacking with 4 people turn 5 usually means they don't defend :) 

Bayushi Kitano:

Did you run into any Unwanted Mediation? 

I got hit by a couple during the main event on Saturday- let's just say killing Etsui and bowing a Courtier loses my opponent a lot of honour

Nice job bud.  After 3 months of practicing with Mike (the dragon you rolled against) he was waiting to play a good scorpion matchup, and when he gets one, you roll.  I knew I forgot to practice something with him.  Next year we will skip playtesting in order to roll dice all night.

My question is:  Why no Few against many?  This card has really helped mobilize my SSK deck with Archer, and nothing from Paneki? 

Also:  Toshi ranbo over Seiketsu Mountains?  I was under the impression that was the greatest card in the game, (grumble Grumble).  

Lol, you know what... I got hit by the swiss curse. If he had won that die roll, I would not have had to face my buddy and we would of had 2 scorpions in top 8. If that was the case, and I was playing agaisnt anyone else, I would of played out, THEN made it to top 4 and conceded.

As for Toshi Ranbo over Seiketsu Mountains:

Insolence Punished x3

Knowledge x3

Rout x3

 Two Front War x3

Is more than enough to get my own guys out of battle... and well, I couldn't find anything else better for possible swinging a final battle other than Toshi Ranbo.