First Turn Crones

[frbfree]

First Turn Crones

Just curious where the community stands on this. I have mixed feelings about how to play successfully against a Monster player who uses Crones first turn and then passes. I know it's a bait and switch, and that I am giving him a quick round to prevent against losing card advantage, but is CA worth allowing him to have a whole round on one turn?

 

[UnknownEternity]

Doesn't that depend heavily on your deck and your starting hand?

 

[frbfree]

Doesn't that depend heavily on your deck and your starting hand?

Naturally. But I'm more or less trying to understand everyone's mindset when they see it. If you have a deck that negates this play without surrendering card advantage, I'm interested in that too. Is there a play, other than Water Hag, that flips the board on Crones?

 

[Guest 3973540]

I tend to play. Even better if I can weaken the crone that stays (e.g. Alzur on the 8str one). Losing CA is alleviated somewhat by the fact that you know that the opponent has wasted 3 silver slots.

 

[ElectroBlade]

I don't think first turn Crone into pass is that big a deal after the nerf. Yes, the move can be impossible to get over with some hands (without losing insane CA) but at 9-10 cards, your opponent has no clue what you're holding and would be taking a risk to Crone into pass.

Nowadays the only time I Crone into pass is if I don't draw a Nekker / Nekker Warrior.

 

[ImperatorSK]

Depends on things like Deck/Cards, Move Advantage. Most of the time if you can catch up with 1 Card its ok. Otherwise its not worth to give CA to your opponent, especially against Monster with access to weather, buffs, debuffs.

 

[4RM3D]

One of the decks I play is Monster Consume with Crones. I usually try to play Crones first, but there are exceptions:
1) Opponent goes first
2) I suspect the opponent has weather (or Crones/Witchers)

You could potentially give the opponent an easy win. So you still have to be careful.

If I would get Crones against me (when I am not playing them myself), I just look at my hand and see if I can overthrow the board with 2 cards or less. To put it differently, I am willing to give up 1 extra round to deal with the Crones.

 

[Ugralitan]

There is nothing else besides Water Hag which can flip the board without some kind of CA loss. Knowing the type of enemy deck really helps though. Weather deck would benefit more from an easy Crone victory then a consume deck which can put up high numbers with other devices.

 

[UnknownEternity]

Flipping the board is not easy with 1 card (still you could also play "Coral"), but you can answer with 2. For example Witchers as answer and 1 other card, YenCon and "Scorch", "Rot Tosser" (which is a quite imba in my opinion) and 1 other card, or "War Longship" (/ other card) with "King Bran".

Edit: The other card in each example has to provide enough value, but is often available in the respective decks.

 

[Ugralitan]

Flipping the board is not easy with 1 card (still you could also play "Coral"), but you can answer with 2. For example Witchers as answer and 1 other card, YenCon and "Scorch", "Rot Tosser" (which is a quite imba in my opinion) and 1 other card, or "War Longship" (/ any card) with "King Bran".

I totally forgot about Coral.

Also I believe cards like Regis or Xarthisius could be good options. Or King Bran zerg-rush with Morkvarg + Craite Raiders/Olgierd.

 

[Chaob_N7]

In a word... epidemic.

 

[frbfree]

In a word... epidemic.

Epidemic still leaves you at -7. If you can get ahead on one more play (which not every faction can) then you are down one card, and down two because you have to open the next round. With the Monster passive working against you.

 

[Chaob_N7]

Ok man, let's be real. Crones are worth 3 more than witchers which all factions can use, that's it, 3 measly points. and if you use epidemic they are left with one card worth 1 more point than the witchers.

Both are power plays but at the expense of 3 silver slots and no special function like other silvers and therefore lower overall value. The reason that 10 out of 10 voters in your poll said they play is because this isn't a big deal... again, think witchers that everyone plays. You just take it in stride because the tradoffs they are making by running these is real.

 

[LadyAly]

Play - seek and destroy

 

[Ingsoc85]

Ideally I try to buff a card(s) that I can carry with me to the next round or replaced with card(s) of equal value at the start of the second round (Nekkers).

Yes your opponent still have CA but arriving to the next round with highly buffed card(s) greatly negate it.

 

[Lexandre]

you should be able to beat crones just by playing 2 cards, in the worst case 3 cards

that moves you into round 2 with a victory and being 1-2 cards behind, thats a fine trade-off for a victory without spending a lot of good cards

 

[Knightlon]

Playing 2 cards is a maybe. If your deck is about winning the first round and playing some crazy strategy like spies etc. then go for it. 3 is too much, the worse it gets the fewer means of gaining CA back you have.

 

[metalmaniac21]

...Play witchers?
I know, crones sounds too unbalanced, but remember that they're sitting in silver slot, monsters trade efficiency for blasting opening with crones set.

 

[LuckAffe7777]

When i played that deck 95% of my enemys continued playing,which is the right thing.But when you want to have CA, you shouldn´t play.
If you play against alot o Monster decks, use Yen C. and scorch them (or just let Yen buff them dowm), same with witchers. You basicly destroy 3x silver cards with 1, witch gives you alot of advantage.

 

[Ninschi]

The answer definetly depends on your Faction, but I believe that for most decks (Radovid, all SK, all NG) the correct approach is to keep playing and beat the crones, even if that means card disadvantage for you (not necessarily: Water Hag & Coral). Thing is, monster itself has only avalach (most likely part of their deck) and ciri (unlikely in their deck) for aditional advantage and most of the time heavily relies on winning the first round and bleeding you out in R2, because it synergizes so well with their factions ability and their neckars.