first GCCG Virtual champ!

[Bandobras Took]

As I predicted, Frodo slaughtered me.

It didn't come about in the way I imagined, though.

A disastrous CvCC sent 9 of my MPs on their way and gave him a kill point.

Then when Saruman was heading back to Isengard to heal, he got killed. This was obviously a loss, but if it had not been for that CvCC turn, I would have won, I believe (I was close in score and had the necessary resources to shoot ahead). As it was, a resounding loss with some astonishing rolls on his last turn and mine.

That's the spoiler-free version, in case people want to be surprised be either Frodo or my deck (it's not surprise which Avatar I'm doing).

[Balin]

I played Bert yesterday and our game ended 32-22 for me.

We both played hero and it was a cool funny game. My deck tries to play virtual Horns, horns, horns and I managed to do it for 5 MPs during my last turn. Gandalf played Shadowfax as well, my own card!

The funniest thing was this: when my company faced Horns' nazgul attack, I chose Theoden to face it just for fun (I could cancel it using a Noble Mount special ability), and of course Theoden keeps being doomed: he rolled snake eyes (needed a 6 to tie) and Bert killed him with no mercy.

Arise, arise, Riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered...

One question: is it possible to play different decks between rounds? I think doing some minor changes it's ok, but we must keep same decks IMHO.

[Ringbearer]

I played a boating dwarf deck. I kinda lost the game on my character draft where I didnt draft Balin, and bringing Pallando to Minas Tirith lasted one turn too long.

Further we enacted the series indeed so I could kill Theoden. My virtuals came in little effect this game, mainly since they were a bit on the slow side.

[marcos]

1º round has ended and these are the standings so far:

Frodo 6
Marcos 6
Beornd 6
AgusBalin 4
Ringbearer 2
Vastor 0
Jambo 0
B_took 0

2º Round pairings: (to be played between now and april 6th)

marcos 5 - frodo 1
Beornd 4 - AgusBalin 2
Ringbearer 3 - Jambo 3
b_took 0 - Vastor 6

we are waiting for some comments on the game Bernd - Jambo
Good luck!

[Beornd]

We are both faced 8 Nazgul attacks !!! In the first two rounds ------> each 2 dead guys. In the whole game my hazards worked better against his men in Laketown. My company only came to Easterlingcamp with fewer losses - the highlight of the game - i could play Mount Slain After countless effective strikes Jambo capitulated. Virtual Cards on both players had only a secondary part.

[Jambo]

We are both faced 8 Nazgul attacks !!! In the first two rounds ------> each 2 dead guys. In the whole game my hazards worked better against his men in Laketown. My company only came to Easterlingcamp with fewer losses - the highlight of the game - i could play Mount Slain After countless effective strikes Jambo capitulated. Virtual Cards on both players had only a secondary part.

Hehe. Pretty much sums it up. I got hit with 3 Nazgul and an Ice Drake first turn. After what was left of my company healed in Lorien, they got smashed by sellswords at Lake-town, and even if they hadn't Woffung was waiting in anticipation. Radagast was doing ok, but getting hit by Rain-drakes and Unabateds which essentially prevented him from playing any resources each turn.
I did make two mistakes: 1) going to Gundabad first turn instead of Moria and 2) not playing Beorn first in the draw. Those, and Bernd's timing of hazards, were critical. Alas no real testing of virtuals was possible, other than perhaps one Great Goblin tapped orc attack.
Turning point - probably Bernd's Beorn rolling a 9 to tie with a Nazgul strike. Had he failed it might have been game on. Highlight was indeed the Mount Slain.

[Bandobras Took]

Saruman corrupted out with Tormented Earth (I rolled poorly). Vastor wins 6-0.

[Ringbearer]

And still you keep trying ti with Saruman.... you got balls, took

[Bandobras Took]

The question is whether I have brains.

[Beornd]

My deck works very well except wizard reveals himself in the last third. Because seek without success my turns extended about the normal course - so i could not get the full Tower Raided MP´s - No other relevant problems - no Mount Slain

My really good hazard start hand crashed Agus starting company effectfull. Finally Grima did his work - he cleaned rohan extensive. I think without Saruman he would be a great commander

[Balin]

You forgot to mention your final Khamul double-combo

Anyway, I didn't expect Grima, it was my fault... good game!

@Marcos: could you post our alignments? thanks.

[Beornd]

You forgot to mention your final Khamul double-combo

I didn´t want to salt in the wounds of rohan - one nazgul more and that would have been that ----> 6:0

[marcos]

You forgot to mention your final Khamul double-combo

Anyway, I didn't expect Grima, it was my fault... good game!

@Marcos: could you post our alignments? thanks.

Marcos -> Minion
Vastor -> Minion
AgusBalin -> Hero
Ringbearer -> Hero
Jambo -> Hero
b_rook -> FW
Frodo -> Minion ?
Beornd -> Hero

if i'm wrong about any of your allignements, let me know

[Bandobras Took]

Wow, I'm the only FW player . . . interesting.

Since it seems like I'll be the only person qualified to talk about the Virtual Stage Cards from personal experience, here goes:

It's a Godsend for active FW strategies. This is especially true for Fallen Saruman who had more to fear from Skin-Changers than anybody. The ability to bring a spell in from the sideboard helps card flow immensely -- the big problem with a non-virtual FW Sorcery deck is always the hand clog. The one CP is a very good balancing factor (indeed, it was the one CP from Never Refuse that cost me the game against Vastor).

The Virtual Plotting Ruin seems a bit tougher to use effectively -- you don't have the really big Orcs/Trolls to work with, and so getting through the automatic attacks of a Minas Tirith or even Edoras require a little more work. The ideal Fallen Saruman combo is, of course, Keys of Minas Tirith/Smoke/Sieze, but getting the requisite cards in your hand seems to be a sufficient limiter.

I'm also betting most of those minion decks are non-Balrog/Hoarmurath.

[marcos]

you could burn a tapped hero site. So you don't have to worry about the AA. But still, covert companies aren't that strong as the really big Orcs/Trolls