For the first time, I reached Pro Rank yesterday. I still couldn't believe that I have done that. It was a great feeling. Pre HC, I never managed to reach Rank 21 (Grand Master) even though I get close, but never achieved it. Being an ST main player who never managed to get past Rank 5 in last two seasons due to SvalGod and his priests, and barely touched Rand 3 once before SvalBlod buffs, using an equally strong faction (SY) to break the invisible chain and go further was very exciting. The moment I mentioned SY, it might have created a bad taste in many people's mind, but I used my own deck with Madame+Tinboy combination mainly (not even having Caleb in the deck). But the best thing about the pro rank was, I reached Pro Rank with Demavand. After reaching Rank 1 (with 1 tile) I thought why not play some NR and I shamelessly took my first ever netdeck for NR using Demavand (which had Scorch). I had no hope to win even a single game as I have rarely played Demavand, so, took a netdeck and tried. And this happened:
Every single NR game was so close and so nail-biting thriller for me.
The first game with Demavand was against AQ on Blue Coin! I thought it was a sure defeat, but luckily AQ has so little control that I didn't give any drones to feed Glusty and it was a comfortable win. Then the second game was with Whoreson Junior on Blue coin with bad hands and I forfeitted in R2 since I lost on even in R1 and all my cards were getting bountied. Then the next opponent was an Usurper which was kind of an easy game. Then, again with AQ, on red coin. It was a very close game and I won due to Roache pulling Scorch on last turn (blessed by RNGsus!). Then it was against Gudrun. The closest game ever. The opponent had 25 point Bincy and I scorch as my last card, being exactly 25 points behind! But then, I had Botchling and I won due to Botchling by 1 point!
I was now with 4 tiles up and one more win would get me Geralt's Mosaic Avatar, something which I didn't even dream about getting a few weeks back. Suddenly a possibility. I was matched against Francesca and luckily got Blue Coin. Francesca wanted a long round and hence pushed hard in R1 and dry passed in R2 and we settled for a 10 card R3. But the opponent kind of guessed my deck (the only downside of netdecking) and didn't start with double Novigradian Justice. I was hoping I could just kill all 4 dwarf engines. But she opened up with Doppler and then Cleaver's muscle and then the 4 engines in one turn. I already built up Arbalist with 4 charges and got rid of one dwarf immediately, but was still bullied by engines after engine by ST, against engines after engines by NR. Finally, I managed to allign a 24 point scorch and won in the last turn.
The last stepping stone to Pro Rank game was again against AQ on Red Coin! When I had 4 cards left, all my cards were gold which I needed in R3, luckily the opponent passed at 5 cards and a dry pass and we got 10 turns R3. The opponent opened with Summoning Circle and the put a lot of points on board and I had Arbalist who could manage to kill the drones. This opponent also kind of guessed I might have Scorch and didn't let me align the Kayrans. In the end I won with Scorch and Foltest's Pride with 1 or 2 points ahead. It was so surreal and unbelievable! Me, in pro rank! That too using exclusively NR in Rank 1.
Though I am not proud of using a netdeck in Rank 1, it was not like 'I use a netdeck so I win'. Every game needed meticulous planning and carefully executing the game plan of how many engines to commit and how many charge-giving-units to commit (and little bit of RNG with Roache). The fact that I reached Rank 1 with SY is also not a good point, but there, I reached Rank 1 purely with my own deck, a deck which didn't have Caleb, the BoostingBrother, and which had Drill and Kalkstein.
Why did I create this post? I don't know. I was just happy that I reached Pro rank and none of my friends play Gwent so that I can share it with them. Also, it is funny that the next time I create a thread whining about ST and suggesting some changes and someone asks "in which rank you play", I can answer "I used to play in Pro Rank"
even though it most probably is an one time miracle and an accidental Pro Rank.
Every single NR game was so close and so nail-biting thriller for me.
The first game with Demavand was against AQ on Blue Coin! I thought it was a sure defeat, but luckily AQ has so little control that I didn't give any drones to feed Glusty and it was a comfortable win. Then the second game was with Whoreson Junior on Blue coin with bad hands and I forfeitted in R2 since I lost on even in R1 and all my cards were getting bountied. Then the next opponent was an Usurper which was kind of an easy game. Then, again with AQ, on red coin. It was a very close game and I won due to Roache pulling Scorch on last turn (blessed by RNGsus!). Then it was against Gudrun. The closest game ever. The opponent had 25 point Bincy and I scorch as my last card, being exactly 25 points behind! But then, I had Botchling and I won due to Botchling by 1 point!
I was now with 4 tiles up and one more win would get me Geralt's Mosaic Avatar, something which I didn't even dream about getting a few weeks back. Suddenly a possibility. I was matched against Francesca and luckily got Blue Coin. Francesca wanted a long round and hence pushed hard in R1 and dry passed in R2 and we settled for a 10 card R3. But the opponent kind of guessed my deck (the only downside of netdecking) and didn't start with double Novigradian Justice. I was hoping I could just kill all 4 dwarf engines. But she opened up with Doppler and then Cleaver's muscle and then the 4 engines in one turn. I already built up Arbalist with 4 charges and got rid of one dwarf immediately, but was still bullied by engines after engine by ST, against engines after engines by NR. Finally, I managed to allign a 24 point scorch and won in the last turn.
The last stepping stone to Pro Rank game was again against AQ on Red Coin! When I had 4 cards left, all my cards were gold which I needed in R3, luckily the opponent passed at 5 cards and a dry pass and we got 10 turns R3. The opponent opened with Summoning Circle and the put a lot of points on board and I had Arbalist who could manage to kill the drones. This opponent also kind of guessed I might have Scorch and didn't let me align the Kayrans. In the end I won with Scorch and Foltest's Pride with 1 or 2 points ahead. It was so surreal and unbelievable! Me, in pro rank! That too using exclusively NR in Rank 1.
Though I am not proud of using a netdeck in Rank 1, it was not like 'I use a netdeck so I win'. Every game needed meticulous planning and carefully executing the game plan of how many engines to commit and how many charge-giving-units to commit (and little bit of RNG with Roache). The fact that I reached Rank 1 with SY is also not a good point, but there, I reached Rank 1 purely with my own deck, a deck which didn't have Caleb, the BoostingBrother, and which had Drill and Kalkstein.
Why did I create this post? I don't know. I was just happy that I reached Pro rank and none of my friends play Gwent so that I can share it with them. Also, it is funny that the next time I create a thread whining about ST and suggesting some changes and someone asks "in which rank you play", I can answer "I used to play in Pro Rank"
even though it most probably is an one time miracle and an accidental Pro Rank.
