The Return of the Man

by Tom Kassel September 1, 1997

2 x Sacred Heart Hospital
3 x Whirlpool of Blood
3 x Fortress of Shadow
3 x Ring of Gates
2 x Festival Circle
1 x Proving Ground
1 x City Park
5 x Friends of the Dragon
3 x Redeemed Gunman
2 x Hacker
1 x Everyday Hero--He ought to be a Redeemed Gunman or Hacker - his guts is rather pointless
5 x DNA Mage
2 x Test Subjects
1 x Plasma Trooper
2 x Ting Ting
1 x Iala Mane
2 x Golden Gunman
1 x Jack Donovan
1 x The Prof
2 x Chinese Doctor
2 x Vivisector
2 x Arcanotechnician
1 x Colonel Griffith
1 x Art of War
1 x Thunder on Thunder
3 x Back for Seconds
4 x Golden Comeback
1 x The Crucible--A little specific but we see lots of Things with a 1000 Tongues in London
1 x Victory for the Underdog
5 x Pocket Demon--Recently increased from just 3. I probably need an Alchemist's Lair or two to support this Magic events.
1 x Scroll of Incantation
1 x Discerning Fire
2 x Nerve Gas
1 x Expendable Unit
2 x Cellular Reinvigoration
1 x Imprison
2 x Neutron Bomb
1 x Police State

Stats:

Feng Shui Sites 15
Dragon Foundation chars 11
Architect Foundation chars 8
Total Foundation chars 19
Other Dragon chars 9
Other Architect chars 5
Total Non-foundation chars 14
Edges 1
Dragon Events 10
Magic Events 7
Architect Events 9
Total Events 26
Total cards 75

Notes:

After a successful run in 1996 tournaments in which I never missed playing in the final in 10 tournaments, I've had a dreadful 1997 season in which (until this afternoon) I never reached a final, I have finally broken my losing streak by winning the constructed deck tournament at EuroGencon. So, according to long-standing London traditions, I am posting my winning deck for your edification and
amazement. Andrew Davidson recently suggested that Alex Wargacki may have replaced my previous role as The Man in London, so I have finally given this deck a name: The Return of the Man.

I've been playing this deck in various forms for a year or so. The original concept was to defeat turtling opponents by simply powering through a large number of interceptors with a big character backed by healing or reinvigoration process. It's been pretty devastating in friendly club games, but never before managed to win a tournament. It quite easily makes two or three winning attempts a turn when it clicks. The problem I've had in the recent past is that these attempts merely drain the table's defensive resources which turn out to just stop my last attempt, leaving the next man an easy ride. I've been trying to adopt a more circumspect style in which I don't make winning attempts without some means of my own to stop the next player's attempt. This is pretty basic common sense really but when you can attack three or four times in a turn it's so easy to convince yourself that they must be out of counter-measures by the last attack.

Last modified: January 16, 1998.
Please send comments to nickolof@scf.usc.edu.
Send server comments to durrell@innocence.com.