(Order/Media) Masyaf Control

[thewart]

Hello,

Been playing alot with this deck and it is awesome. Some of you may say it is a lame deck but I don't agree with that.

A competitive deck based around two such cool cards as Masyaf and Templar Sanctum is cool, period.

5 Dama Rossa
5 Templar Captain
4 Ottoman Janissary
4 Byzantine Brute

5 Tactless Theatrics
5 Untimely End
5 Court Order
5 Guard Duty
4 Preemptive Strike

5 Masyaf
3 Templar Sanctum

To play the deck is pretty simple, you get the idea. With Masyaf on the board, you want your agents to campain in that region. This is why Templar Sanctum works so good in here, it workes anyway. You got plenty of templar agents (18) and plenty of removal/counter. Do I have to mention the card drawing?

Normally you win the game with 6 agents, 2 Masyaf, 1 Templar Sanctum and about 10 cards on hand with your opponent empty.

Please comment!

[lurifaxb]

Hi. I build and posted a similar deck a while ago. The post was crime order however but the best combo is by far with media like yours. Works very well. Consider using the agent counter guy (forgot his name). He is awesome in this deck. He is an official, can't be blocked and can campaign at masyaf. Also having a counter ready (once deployed) at no cost is really nice.

I "only" used 5x of him, and 5x of preemptive strike, but it was enough. I supplemented with militia intimidation to make Byzantine Brute and janissary emissary a counter too. Great combo.

Also, I used Borgia towers to make your poor power guys useful. Really good card actually. Makes them strong for the battles ahead. And the +3/3 fierce card for speed and winning the duels at masyaf.

This was the deck I used to punish doomsday lamers... But don't play it vs others mostly as it is... In fact... Lame to play vs. as opponent sits idle and waits while you counter everything and draw everything.

[thewart]

Thank you for your comment, I know you now the game and I know you got some great decks. Like the one with Leonardo and all these Media copy cards, creative.

I have actually tried some of what you are suggesting but I have found my current deck to be more competitive.

The counter guy, Marco Barbarigo, he is too slow, and you can´t risk to use him if you rely on him to be your counter, then it´s better to have counters on hand.

I also think that Templar Sanctum is a better choise than Borgia Tower in this deck. The way I have constructed the deck, there is normally no agents to fight, I have contered them or killed them with Tactless or the Brute. This is also the reason that I don´t use Magnetic Personality, there is no need. I use Tactless Teatrics to get rid of agents before they are able to campain on any of my Masyaf instead of killing them in battle. If there are to many agents on the board, then Templar Sanctum normally makes the battlefield into a bloodbath and after that I can normally build up again while keeping countering my opponents plays.

You could say that your choises makes a little more agressive deck, and my choises makes a more control focused deck. And control is, as I believe, the best way of making use of Masyaf.

[lurifaxb]

It's a matter of play style, ofc. Suggestions are just that. What is most competitive depends on the player. I prefer flexibility. Counters that only work vs. agents, is weak vs. site rush, etc. Just a play style.

My point is, that you may have too few agents. 10x that can be deployed immediately. 8x that depends on killing an agent or a site. Marco serves as both a counter and an agent. I would not campaign with him if I didn't have 2 of him on board or another counter ready. Or if I just played militia intimidation, then deploying him works as a counter too. It gives some flexibility.

I think the deck is good - don't get me wrong. I do see a weakness vs. agent intensive decks - because I had most trouble vs. early agents. Courtesans, heavy use of Templar captains, income agents, surprise agents etc.. Some will get deployed early where you can't stop them. That is what magnetic is useful. Worst is a Ordai deployed by discard. You'll have a hard time killing a stronger agent early in the game, where they may use your masyaf.

[lurifaxb]

Btw, tactless is a good call in this deck. Better than untimely.

[ironcladtrash]

I am curious what happens if you don't get a Dama Rossa in your hand? Seems like you could be in trouble with early income I found Templar Captain to be too slow for early income. Just another suggestion but have you thought about Mentors Wake instead of Untimely End? Even though it gives opponent a card I like the versatility and I always imagine the opponent drawing something useless.

I also have found the media/order decks are the only ones I can win with any form of consistency against the discard and wipe decks.

[thewart]

Thanks for comments,

You´re right about Dama Rossa, she is really good in starting hand, but not needed to be able to put the deck off.

Since there is 10 low cost agent removals in the deck you are able to manage keeping the board clean on agents (which is key) even with a slower start.

The way I play this deck is to focus on keeping opponents agents away, that' s why Untimely End is a prefered choise for me.

Early sites are often low influence so they can score a couple of times without beeing a threat, and they can´t make us of Masyaf so really not a big problem on the board. It´s usualy ends up with me "using" one early deployed site to play Ottoman later in game.

[thewart]

Looks like this post has been an inspiration for many players out there. I play against this deck alot now.