Learning New Programming

Nick Wiedeman July 20, 2020

Freedom Cup Recap

I hope everyone has had the chance to try out all of the exciting new cards we received in Titan Masters Attack over the last month and are enjoying them as much as I am. This set has really changed the game, and it has been interesting to see all the new builds pop up. Last month I covered some of the ways blue decks need to adapt, and I wanted to go over some of the succes I had with a very similar list to the Skyceptor Blue from the previous article. I was fortunate enough to win the Freedom Cup organized by Jason Crutchfield over in the Transformers OCTGN Facebook Group. I played this Perceptor Sky Shadow list:

[[deck]]
NAME Freedom Cup SkyCeptor
1 Perceptor Precise Sniper
1 Brisko
1 Sky Shadow (Plane) 
1 Sky Shadow (Tank)
2 Armed Hovercraft
2 Energon Axe
2 Grenade Launcher
3 Handheld Blaster
2 Scoundrel's Blaster
3 Sturdy Javelin
1 Holomatter Projector
1 Reflex Circuits
1 Sturdy Armor
1 Enhanced Power Cell
1 Brainstorm
1 Camien Crash
2 End Hostilities
1 One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall
3 Peace through Tyranny
2 Reflect Damage
1 Reprocess
2 Sabotaged Armaments
3 Security Checkpoint
3 Showing Off
1 Spymaster's Ruse
2 Stable Cover
1 Sky Shadow Sync
[sideboard]
2 Belligerence
1 Counterespionage
1 End Hostilities
2 Fusion Borer
1 Holomatter Projector
1 Stable Cover
2 Tripwire
1 Windsweeper Air Defense
[[/deck]]

https://fortressmaximus.io/user/deck/freedom-cup-skyceptor-24oJvdp3-bv

The list was a blast to pilot and really tested my ability to plan multiple turns ahead. It’s able to incorporate many tech cards to provide the best defensive options and is able to see them thanks to the insane draw power of [[Perceptor Precise Sniper || Perceptor]]. The Tough 2 and Bold 2 of the Sky Shadow pieces also help reveal green pip cards at high rate to provide even more options. I played against orange/aggro decks in 7 of 8 rounds and only lost 1 match going into top 8. I wrote last month how this deck benefited from being able to effectively splash a playset of [[Peace Through Tyranny]] and I can say that card proved to be the MVP of the deck. It opens up so many plays and can turn the tide of the game. I was able to take multiple KO’s in a turn by playing [[Peace through Tyranny]] to combine and use [[Sky Shadow Elite Warrior || Sky Shadow]]’s lightning bolt to KO a bot and then swing into another. This, combined with timely direct damage battle cards, allowed me to control the tempo of the matches. Speaking of direct damage cards, the single copy of [[One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall]] was worth its weight in energon. It single handedly won me multiple games by being able to do the one extra damage more than [[Camien Crash]]. I wrote in my last article about many of the card choices made, but I did want to provide my updated list for the deck:

[[deck]]
NAME SkyCeptor Blue
1 Perceptor Precise Sniper
1 Brisko
1 Sky Shadow (Plane)
1 Sky Shadow (Tank)
2 Armed Hovercraft
2 Energon Axe
2 Grenade Launcher
3 Handheld Blaster
2 Scoundrel's Blaster
3 Sturdy Javelin
1 Holomatter Projector
1 Reflex Circuits
1 Sturdy Armor
1 Enhanced Power Cell
1 Brainstorm
1 Camien Crash
2 End Hostilities
1 Hold the Line
1 Infiltrate
1 One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall
3 Peace through Tyranny
1 Reflect Damage
1 Reprocess
1 Sabotaged Armaments
3 Security Checkpoint
3 Showing Off
1 Spymaster's Ruse
1 Stable Cover
1 Take Cover
1 Sky Shadow Sync
[sideboard]
1 Counterespionage
1 End Hostilities
2 Fusion Borer
1 Holomatter Projector
1 Infiltrate
1 Stable Cover
1 Take Cover
2 Tripwire
1 Windsweeper Air Defense
[[/deck]]

https://fortressmaximus.io/user/deck/skyceptor-blue-1CQd7vbI7iH

I also wanted to briefly cover the deck I found most interesting to play against in the tournament: Andrew Nixt’s Fangry Bull deck: 

[[deck]]
NAME Fangry Bull
1 Clobber
1 Horri-Bull Ground Trooper
1 Grax
1 Fangry Sky Tracker
1 Nightracer Gunner
3 Erratic Lightning
3 Grenade Launcher
3 Power Punch
1 Bashing Shield
1 Force Field
3 Improvised Shield
2 Increased Durability
3 Escape Capsule
1 Turbo Boosters
1 Camien Crash
3 Fight For Position
1 Hold the Line
2 Magnetic Dysfunction Ray
3 Peace through Tyranny
1 Precision Fire
3 Rock Toss
3 Supercharge
3 Wedge Formation
1 Swap Heads
[sideboard]
2 Camien Crash
2 Counterespionage
1 Decipher
1 Disassemble
3 Fusion Borer
1 Magnetic Dysfunction Ray
1 Megatron Fallen Hero
[[/deck]]

https://fortressmaximus.io/deck/fangry-bull-PThMDsJ5K8Y

Andrew was my only loss of the tournament and we actually matched up again in Top 4 where I was able to come out on top. His deck was the first I had played against that made amazing use of the [[Swap Heads]] stratagem. On his first turn, he would flip [[Horri-Bull Ground Trooper || Horri-Bull]] and attack with [[Fangry Sky Tracker || Fangry]] who had [[Clobber]] as his head. Then the next turn he would flip [[Horri-Bull Ground Trooper || Horri-Bull]] back, swap the [[Clobber]] over, and have another Bold 3 attack before any card plays. The deck hits like a runaway freight train. You can see it runs 41 orange pips, which combined with the built in bold of the characters and [[Horri-Bull Ground Trooper || Horri-Bull]]’s damage dealing abilities, means a lot of damage very quickly. He routinely left one of my [[Sky Shadow Elite Warrior || Sky Shadow]] pieces with only 1 health left after his first attack.  It forced me to completely change how I usually approached a matchup with my deck. Our Top 4 matchup was the only time in the tournament I chose to go first when able. The idea was that I needed to KO [[Fangry Sky Tracker || Fangry]] before the [[Swap Heads]] could trigger as it would nullify the stratagem play. It worked out to my favor as I was able to pull off a [[Peace through Tyranny]] play to combine my [[Sky Shadow Elite Warrior || Sky Shadow]] and get [[Fangry Sky Tracker || Fangry]] off the board. Siding in [[Tripwire]] also allowed me to get a timely tap of [[Clobber]] during the matchup and the aforementioned [[One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall]] helped close out game 3 with a KO of his [[Nightracer Gunner || Nightracer]]. We played 6 intense games over the course of the tournament and have been inspired to start working on some [[Swap Heads]] ideas of my own.

Learning from Sealed

I was also able to participate in the Titan Masters Attack sealed event hosted by the gentlemen over at VectorSigma.info. Unfortunately, I could not keep the hot streak rolling and ended with a 1-3 record. While I didn’t end up with any hardware, I did come away with a new appreciation for [[Chromedome Computer Programmer || Chromedome]] and [[Mindwipe Hypnotist || Mindwipe]]. I played against these characters multiple rounds and they foiled my plans at every turn by stripping card after card from my hand or forcing me to play cards to get any value out of them before they could be plucked away. Then, while having no card plays of my own, my opponent would equip a [[Fusion Borer]] or play a [[Magnetic Dysfunction Ray]] and proceed to lay waste to my team. Inspired by the curb stomping I received, I present a fun deck I have been playing with: Wipe the Dome!

[[deck]]
NAME Wipe the Dome
1 Mindwipe Hypnotist
1 Brisko
1 Chromedome Computer Programmer
1 Kreb
1 Nightracer Gunner
3 Fusion Borer
3 Grenade Launcher
3 Power Punch
3 RR Disruptor Blade
1 Bashing Shield
1 Enhanced Power Cell
2 Escape Capsule
3 Turbo Boosters
2 Camien Crash
1 Counterespionage
1 Espionage
3 Fight For Position
2 Heat of Battle
1 Hold the Line
3 Magnetic Dysfunction Ray
3 Peace through Tyranny
2 Supercharge
3 Wedge Formation
[sideboard]
1 Counterespionage
1 Decipher
1 Disassemble
2 Fog of War
2 Holomatter Projector
1 Parsec
1 Pocket Processor
2 Reckless Charge
[[/deck]]

https://fortressmaximus.io/user/deck/wipe-the-dome-YyTmCNqFh8Q

The goal of the deck is to strip resources from the opponent’s hand while also being able to deal good chunks of damage. I originally started this as a blue/black pip build, but quickly found out I could not do enough damage to make the hand disruption matter. This version allows me to keep the pressure on through attack power and hand disruption. 

My usual pattern for this deck is to try and go first, flip [[Chromedome Computer Programmer || Chromedome]] KO an action and see what else my opponent is holding, and attack with [[Nightracer Gunner || Nightracer]]. On my second turn I usually flip [[Mindwipe Hypnotist || Mindwipe]] and attack with him, hopefully equipped with a [[Power Punch]] or having played one of the Bold actions to try and guarantee his ability triggers. On my third turn, I flip him back to alt mode (if he’s still alive) to attempt to get rid of another card and then attack with [[Chromedome Computer Programmer || Chromedome]]. This is the general attack pattern. It usually only changes if I have a [[Turbo Boosters]] in hand because then I can play it on [[Nightracer Gunner || Nightracer]] to untap her and attack again. The boosters also set up plays where I will attack with [[Chromedome Computer Programmer || Chromedome]] second to untap him on my third turn if I saw my opponent’s hand was not very good. I also try to combine the boosters turn with an [[Espionage]] or [[Counterespionage]] to keep up the hand disruption. 

The targeted hand disruption that the two main bots provide is what really stood out to me when playing the deck. Being able to rip a [[Peace through Tyranny]] or [[grenade launcher]] away when I wanted really helped feel like I could control what was happening in the game. It’s also important to remember what else is in your opponent’s hand. Knowing exactly what their options are allows you to make the best decision every turn. Even if [[Chromedome Computer Programmer || Chromedome]] isn’t able to KO an action, seeing the hand sets up future [[Espionage]] and [[Counterespionage]] plays. 

On a more macro level, I think hand disruption is something I want to try and put in more of my builds going forward.Iit might be the best counter to the juggernaut that [[Peace through Tyranny]] has become with this new set. Verbal Meme: Guy pointing at head, Can’t play [[Peace through Tyranny]] if it’s not in your hand. 

Looking to Grow

Sometimes the best inspiration for our own decks come from what we face on the other side of the table. It allows us to see other strategies that we may not have thought of before. Whether it’s a character you see in a different light, or a card that plays better than you thought it would, or maybe it’s a conversation with another player that sparks a new creative design. Playing against a wide variety of decks leads to having to think about the game on a different level. Being exposed to different ideas than your own allows for growth as a deck builder and player. In these difficult times, I encourage everyone to check out the Webcam and OCTGN groups for games and the tournaments being run by the fine folks over at VectorSigma.info. These avenues are great for testing out new builds and playing against a variety of opponent’s. There are also all the wonderful content creators on YouTube that put out amazing videos like Wreck N Rule, Powered By Primus, and Arbitrary Hero that showcase great builds. You can also view an interview I just did with the amazing Steffon Pinckney for his DefTF channel. And don’t forget to take a look at all the decks published right here on fortressmaximus.io.

Stay safe, and I hope everyone gets a chance to smash some bots.

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