[dragon] STRATFAQ1

[Shosuro_Omotaro]

Here is Part 1.  Enjoy.

Welcome to the Beginners course in Sealed deck play.  Thank you for
choosing this course.  We, the remaining members of the Agasha family
would (SOUNDS OF FAST-FORWARDING)

And now, the basic tips


1. DON’T THROW ANYTHING AWAY! This is the most commonly made mistake by
Sealed players.  Only one card I know of in the set is completely
useless (Occupied Terrain).  EVERYTHING is your friend.  From what I’ve
heard, these decks are specifically designed to be usable in Sealed
play, so there are bound to be a lot of useful cards in there.  Nearly
any card can bend the game over backwards.

2. KNOW THY CLAN. Since there is NO way of telling which clan you get,
know all the clans.  Most of the decks in this tournament will be of one
or two particularly.  Nothing is more humiliating than losing an honor
loss to a guy with ONE Hawks and Falcons.  If you get the Horde, you
WILL be attacking.  A lot.  If you get the Scorpion, you’re going to
have to be REAL crafty.

3. DUELS ARE POWER. Duels are a relatively reliable way to eliminate
personalities.  Hitomi may be a rocking 5F personality, but Kitsu Motso
has a more than decent chance of beating her.  Since any military decks
will be relying on Followers, a single Iaijutsu Duel can turn the tide.
Thank the Fortunes if you get Isawa Hochiu, Hitomi Kokujin, Togashi
Yoshi, or Yoshi in your cards.

4. EVENTS WILL MURDER YOU. Unlike in Constructed play, Events are quite
terrifying.  Most smart players will take Hurricane and Occult Murderers
out of their decks, but there’s always that guy who’s gonna leave Evil
Feeds Upon Itself in his deck.  Always be ready to lose a Province, your
biggest Personality, or a holding.  Chrysanthemum Festival will probably
be prevalent.

5. KNOW THY FOE. There are many clans you might get, and it pays to know
who’s the most powerful out of the box.  This is my rough estimation,
barring whatever booster packs you get:

NAGA
MANTIS
CRANE
CRAB
THE SHADOWLANDS HORDE
TOTURI’S ARMY
DRAGON
UNICORN
LION
MONKS
SCORPION
PHOENIX

I ranked them in this order without knowledge of what versions of
Personalities will be in Pearl.  This is not final, but this would be
iron clad if it were Jade Ed.    Naga are ranked the highest because
they will be completely unopposed if they get at least one River Delta
(they will) and Shahadet (fairly decent chance).  Mantis is ranked
second because they simply have almost no weak Personalities and no
money problems.  Crane is ranked third because of their strength with an
Honor Victory and their ability to crank out Ujis.  Unicorn WOULD be
better if they had any decent Personalities in Pearl (I’m going to go
postal if the reprint basic Kamoko).  Phoenix takes up last for their
lack of good Personalities as well.

6. REMOVAL IS KING. ANY effect which removes something from play is
incredibly powerful.  Hug those Kolat Assassins like they were your own
children once you open that deck.  Back in Sealed Obsidian, a Kolat
Assassin means NO Kisadas from the Crab players.  Much the same way as
duels, anything that can terminate something is invaluable.  Ranged
Attacks are similar in this vein.  Archers can, quite conceivably, take
ALL the oomph out of an opposing army.  Also, Bayushi Aramoro and Kuni
Yori are rightly feared in Sealed, because of their awesome abilities.
Aramoro is fairly common, and Scorpion will probably get at least two of
him.  He can nix at least half the Personalities in a deck if he gets
out on turn two (Easy for Scorpion, Yoritomo, and Unicorn), and some
holdings, too.  He is P.E. #1.  If you get him, protect him, and if your
opponent gets him, wax him as soon as possible.  Remember those Kolat
Assassins I mentioned?  Right here.

7. FEAR THE EMPEROR. The Imperial Favor is a fearsome thing in Sealed.
It can cycle Fate cards, end whole battles, and let the Unicorns and
Lions pop out an oni without fear of honor retribution.  Whoever holds
the favor has the odds significantly swung in their favor.  Get the
Favor as you can, and clutch to you, even if it’s just so your opponent
can’t use it.  Don’t give it up without a fight.

8. CANCELLATION IS USEFUL. Same as removal.  Anything which can nullify
or cancel buys you time, and time is what you need to get more
Personalities, lay out more weapons, gain more honor for the Favor,
etc.  Block Supply Lines is a prime example.

9. KNOW WHEN TO DITCH. Shinjo Yokatsu maybe a great guy with a vicious
ability, but an honor req of 10 when you’ve turned up no honor gaining
holdings and have had to buy everyone on the cheap to hold off the
Horde, he’s not a good choice.  If ANY card you get looks like you can’t
get it out in the next two turns at most, DITCH IT.  Sure, you may not
get the card, but that’s better than getting trounced.  You can buffer
this somewhat if your opponent is sitting back or shooting for honor,
but against any fast-moving deck, you must MOVE.  Remember, however, not
to run out of cards, especially if someone turns over Abandoning the
Fortunes.

10. CUT YOUR LOSSES. Yeah, you may get nailed really hard and might even
lose two Provinces, but remember, you only need one Province to stay
alive.  Don’t cry, don’t whine, don’t complain.  Look up, buck up, and
defend your last Province.  Don’t sit there and be stupefied if Aramoro
kills your Tsanuri before she can get out.  Spend all your time on
contingencies.  Try not to rely on one particular card, because it could
get stopped like that (sound of fingers snapping).  Don’t be afraid to
throw someone to the lions (or Lions) if it will provide the last 2F to
save a Province.  Know your resources.  Use them to their fullest
extent.


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