Season of Love Seasonal Mode

[DRK3]

Again, i didnt see a thread for this specific mode and the 'Season of Love' thread is focusing on the balances to standard mode, so i decided to make a new one.

I already made a guide for this mode, and most of it still stands, so i wont update it like i did on last seasonal.
Its on my guides thread if anyone wants to check it, first and third post on page 2:

Misc. Gwent Guides to... [THINNING]

Today started the Season of Love, and with it, the 12th and last seasonal mode in Gwent. The devs havent confirmed what will happen from now, if the same modes will rotate, maybe with few alterations, or maybe new ones will be released (still waiting for that Blitz mode...) But for now... GUIDE...

forums.cdprojektred.com

MINI GUIDE AND HINTS:

1. In general, units are better, artefacts and specials are bad (unless they let you play units of course)

2. Played units that play other units (like Gascon Iron Falcon) are the best.
Played units that spawn or summon other units are good (spreading your points is a good idea)
Playing individual units is not as good as the two options above.

3. Dont bother with valuable order units as anything can be selzed in this mode, so its better to not rely on any single unit staying on our side.
Also, try to seize an enemy unit (or more) every single turn, usually the one that seizes the most is the winner.

4. Nilfgaard is obviously the favourite in this faction, and its not even close, for multiple reasons:
-the assimilate package and how duchess informants makes seizing most bronzes very easy
-the spy synergy, since everytime a unit is seized it gets the spying tag. This makes cards like Thirsty dame and coup de grace even better in this mode
-the best scenario in this mode (its the freakin card on the mode selection screen!), since it lets you play 2 units. The only other scenario that does this is the MO one, with a barghest and the wraith, which arent as good as the 2 poison fangs (being 4 pts is very good, as its a very common value, making seizes easier). The other scenarios arent worth it IMO.

Im enjoying the challenge of trying to beat NG in this mode with other factions. I found a couple of decent strategies as MO so far:
-dont use great bronzes like endrega larvae, or they will copy, seize and revive them and beat you with them
-im using a portal to summon those WH guys that need devotion... of course my NG opponents never have devotion and im laughing my ass off when they try to copy it and it instakills himself (of course you cant play any other bronzes on that round, which is tricky). Im also using immune units, they can be seized but they can not be copied since they cant be selected.

Good luck! Please share your own strategies if you can. I will alsotry to post more when i try other factions.

 

[Lokiat0r]

In addition to artifacts that spawn units, there are several others that can be quite useful, namely those with charges that boost or damage a unit (Thunderbolt, Ale of the Ancestors, Tainted Ale, etc).

They've got a few advantages:
1. They can't be stolen, so they're points on the board that you get to keep.
2. When you have to start, leading a round with one denies your opponent the chance to steal your first card, effectively allowing you to swap from leading play to countering play if that's your preferred style.
3. Damage artifacts can be used to help you steal a card when you might not otherwise be able to.
4. Boost artifacts can raise the point value of a unit above the range where it can be easily stolen. Most units being played are in the 3-7 point range. Boosting a 5/6/7 point unit into 8/9/10 points with Thunderbolt can make the difference when it comes to keeping a card in play on your side. This is, obviously, less useful against monsters who likely have "pointslam" units.

 

[nehu]

Im enjoying the challenge of trying to beat NG in this mode with other factions. I found a couple of decent strategies as MO so far:

this is my favourite seasonal, ng is like over any other faction by far with only one exception

ST utilizing 3 points units doing damage + precision strike is quite tough enemy, common ng strategy fails vs that deck, it needs to save all duchess informants for the last turn to have any chance or maybe ng with 3 points units can overmatch it, but i guess it would not be as great vs anything else, which is usually piece of cake)

i remember last year was ng+3p units quite good, but this time there are more cards to copy units, which is usually better option (and can fulfill both rows of enemy ng board, which can save the day sometimes)

and yes, MO with tall units is maybe only one another way to win easily games, its like opposite of ST with small units, hard to follow in long run (but last year i were playing NG with 7p soldiers + rot tossers + ball + poison, which was like thors hammer on MO)

tbh MO scenario vs NGs copies of consuming units... it can breaks MOs neck easily i guess, if used wisely

 

[DRK3]

In addition to artifacts that spawn units, there are several others that can be quite useful, namely those with charges that boost or damage a unit (Thunderbolt, Ale of the Ancestors, Tainted Ale, etc).

They've got a few advantages:
1. They can't be stolen, so they're points on the board that you get to keep.
2. When you have to start, leading a round with one denies your opponent the chance to steal your first card, effectively allowing you to swap from leading play to countering play if that's your preferred style.
3. Damage artifacts can be used to help you steal a card when you might not otherwise be able to.
4. Boost artifacts can raise the point value of a unit above the range where it can be easily stolen. Most units being played are in the 3-7 point range. Boosting a 5/6/7 point unit into 8/9/10 points with Thunderbolt can make the difference when it comes to keeping a card in play on your side. This is, obviously, less useful against monsters who likely have "pointslam" units.

That is true, i did see some opponents using spear artefact for pings to make seizing easier, and yes, using boost artefacts to get them out of range is also a great option.

Another advantage that MO has is - at the end of a round, where there are many different point units on the board on each side, and that's when big units come to play - i use a consume unit, like a barghest, to get the seize i want: for example if i want to consume to seize a 8pt unit, i consume a 3 (5+3), if i need to seize a 11, i consume a 6pt (5+6), its MO way to adapt to this mode.

 

[nehu]

and that's when big units come to play - i use a consume unit, like a barghest, to get the seize i want: for example if i want to consume to seize a 8pt unit, i consume a 3 (5+3), if i need to seize a 11, i consume a 6pt (5+6), its MO way to adapt to this mode.

but ng can copy barghest and can do the same...

ng can do like (in one round) each turn one copy of barghest in worst case scenario for MO

braathens + 2x duchess informant + coup the grace + han gaith sword + 2x experimental remedy + triss telekinesis (+ some randomness from dazhbog runestone and/or imperial diplomacy)

this is the way of (mandalore) ng

 

[DRK3]

but ng can copy barghest and can do the same...

ng can do like (in one round) each turn one copy of barghest in worst case scenario for MO

braathens + 2x duchess informant + coup the grace + han gaith sword + 2x experimental remedy + triss telekinesis

thats the way of (mandalore) ng

True, but notice how i said i usually leave that play for one of the last - because its on the last plays that big units and pointswings usually come. By that time the opponent has usually already used all the duchess informants and has like a Rico or Dudu that cant copy a barghest and use its deploy ability.

Here's a screenshot of the best seasonal match ive had (ive started seasonal today though, and only tried MO so far)

It was a long R3, my opponent had last say and a very clever deck built to adjust to different values. There were seizes on every single turn but 1 where my opponent missed, and i was able to seize his Anseis, he tried to seize it back but seized a different unit and i was able to use ability.
Also, notice how we're both using multiple play units (both using Gascon IF, im using Auberon, he Dandelion). And he left Dudu for last to seize my woodland spirit, but fortunately i was quite ahead and it wasnt enough.

 

[nehu]

1. True, but notice how i said i usually leave that play for one of the last - because its on the last plays that big units and pointswings usually come.

2. It was a long R3, my opponent had last say and a very clever deck built to adjust to different values.

1. ok, its wise for sure, but ng can save coup the grace for the last turns and copy like any unit with spying status
(for example double dandelion can make real difference)

i just wanted to point out, that playing with bronze consuming units vs ng is like playing with fire, it can be fine or devastating

2. long R3 vs not ng faction, thats not the real challenge

adjust to difference values, thats discipline, where ng cant be matched

thats the reason i believe only strictly small or tall units are another reasonable ways, anything average is just smashed by ng
(i guess small units are more annoying, hard to follow and even poisoning them dont help much, im talking about facing ng, small units vs MO could be useless, i have no experience with that)

now i remember one more annoying match up, ng vs nr witchers is quite unpredictable with all that boosts, i guess i mostly won, but some losses where like a bitter pill to swallow

late update: i forgot one way, unitless decks... i met them twice, both lost, question is how tough its to pilot it, both were decided in last turn, but whole game i couldnt do like anything about it