Post by kaiser on Jan 24, 2007 23:50:11 GMT -5
Grayson Persona Profile
By Kaiser
6 4 5 6 3 7
Persona Power
When you exhaust you only lose 3 ability. If your opponent took damage during their last turn, during your may do/must do phase you may remove a card from your opponent's discard from the game
Overview
Grayson is the first truly old immortal that Duncan kills. He is, by his own words, a warrior, who thinks as well as fights.
His gem distribution makes Grayson capable of many things making him a formidable fighter. He can trade power blows, drop event damage and he can cause his opponent into a vicious cycle of exhaustions.
Persona Specific Cards
Gothic Warlord: In some ways this along with the Risk Managements are what epitomize Grayson. The card in and of itself does one damage and also forces your opponent to discard all allies from their hand. The damage becomes even more important when you realize that this is a nearly guaranteed way to activate your persona power and then remove a card from their discard next turn. The discard allies power is useful when you realize that several events are allies as well, such as Darius and James Horton.
Master's Attack: This attack can be placed anywhere on the grid ala master swordsmen, but unlike other attacks, it is made a power blow by removing 3 cards from your opponents deck. Admittedly not for everyone, but the ability to strip cards from you opponents deck and get in a power blow seems worthwhile to many (me included).
Trip This is your standard trip, but it grants you the ability to make a 0-card exertion power blow. Nice, but it competes with other cards for the strength slots and thus makes it unlikely most people will play it, especially if they play the Kris.
Extra Shot: Allows you an extra attack and forces your opponent to grind away cards for every attack you play. Again nice, but competing for those strength slots.
Risk Management (et al) There are a total of 3 different Risk managements, one for attacks, defenses and specials. When your opponent plays a card type listed on a Risk Management FROM THEIR HAND they grind a number of cards equal to the number of Risk Managements in play. You can only have one of each type in play, but if you do then your opponent must grind three cards from the top of their deck anytime they play one of those cards from their hand. This is perhaps the aspect most people focus on when they think of Grayson. His ability to force exhaustion so quickly many decks makes them fear these cards. They work, but Grayson does not currently have the stand up stall capability of some of the other Immortals to allow exhaustion to destroy his opponent. So combined with some kind of attack they make a vicious combination.
Unlimited Resources This edge allows you to play multiple Risk Managements in one turn. It is concievable to have all three in play on the first turn, but with these being restricted to two then it is improbable. Basically they just speed up the grind and make it harder for your opponent to keep your Risk Managements in your discard.
Business as Usual: This card is an event that allows you to get a Risk Management from your endurance and place it in your hand. Not as rock star as some of his other cards, but one in your deck may not hurt if you are absolutely reliant upon them.
Band of Brothers: This card prevents your opponent from retrieving cards from their discard, or shuffling their discard back into their endurance unless they exhaust. It is situationly useful, but currently is more of a personal preference, unless you plan on facing Hugh or a single handed broadsword wielder regularly.
Sinous Blade: This makes your opponent discard any soft exertions they make. Its useful in a variety of situations, but combined with cards such as James Horton they help the grind go faster. Also, it hurts immortals who are prone, have Tess Noel in play, or use the Circus.
Masters Block, with a restriction of 3 and the ability to become a power block by removing cards from your opponents deck this is a great card for Grayson.
Evade: A standard Back Away, you can't avoid ranged attacks, but you can use ranged attacks to attack back.
Counter: Duck: A standard Duck that allows you to play 0-card exertion powerblow. This is an excellent card as it can avoid ranged and gives you powerblows. It is however a bad card to use its ability in the sulphur plant.
Thrown Dagger: A ranged attack whose 1 damage can be avoided with a hard exertion. It has its uses as your opponent must decide how they want to defend against it. They can grind, activate your ability with damage or dodge and sacrifice a defense that they may regret using later.
Stalk An upper center special attack that can be a head shot and is undodgeable base. If your opponent has an Immortal ally in play, it becomes unblockable as well. This is an excellent card to take heads with when your opponent is low on health or you have removed many of their upper d's. One tournament saw 3 or 4 heads taken by stalks by the two Graysons playing.
Hired Thugs: at first at thought this was just a really silly police. Then after rereading card text it states that opponent must make soft exertion for or the ally that Hired Thugs targets is REMOVED FROM THE GAME. Currently the decks that play allies tend to have heavy agility, it is not really a premier Grayson card, but if you can get it off you can rally put a crimp in someone's day.
Generics
James Horton gives you good event damage if you are good at knowing what to call against your opponents deck. Although it can be ignored or killed by some immortals it will regularly do one damage, which is all you need.
If you use Kris as weapon of choice, the expert thrusts are some of the best attacks you can get. The unblockable/undodgeable by nature attacks are good ways to ferret out alertnesses and do damage to remove cards from the game.
The Greatsword also makes an excellent weapon of choice as with the Counters and Trips you can make Powerblows regularly and force you opponent to discard even more cards.
The Rapier works if you use Extra Shots and the Dirty Trick:Shove. These in combination with the Master of the Rapier, your regular Master's Attack, and Counter make you able to burn through their deck at lightning speed.
Pistol is a nice ranged attack that you can play from back away and is hard to defend against.
As for Darius, until migration, there are few cards worth bringing into your deck. Xavier's gas canister is good, but as a strength card it could make you have to make tough choices over what to place in your deck.
Locations
Sea Witch, it allows you to prevent their location from being in play and gets rid of their standing defenses, both of which are plusses. The other locations are more likely to help another immortal more then you, but that may change in the new set.
How to Win
Exhaustion and event damage are probably going to be your big killers with Grayson. His powerblows will hurt if they hit, but most likely your opponent will do something to avoid them. However, the powerblows are likely to force an exertion which serves your exhaustion theme. Once you have done damage, you can hit your opponent with attacks to areas where you have removed defenses, head shots, or whatever you have up your sleeve.
Hugh from what I have seen may very well be your biggest foe, as he has many cards that can allow him to ignore your attacks and cards, plus his ability to launch hard to avoid attacks makes him very lethal. The key here is to not let him get set up and remove Who? from the game as it allows him to choose a plot/situation to ignore.
How to beat
Keeping the Risk Management that hurts your deck the most out of play will bring great benefits. Avoid discarding anything that you will not miss being removed from the game. If you have a card your deck revolves around do what you can to avoid taking damage while it sits in discard. Watch your deck size as the second you and Grayson start exchanging exhausts you lose 5 ability to his 3. An early and relentless assault can make all the difference in the world as forcing Grayson to react puts him at a disadvantage.
Overall
Grayson's tough, but beatable. He has some management issues with strength and agility, but can become a vicious swordfighter. His persona ability and the synergy with which many of his cards work make him an Immortal that while not at the peak definitely is a perennial contender. I give him an 8
Decks
Proner
Gas Cheese
Gas Lean and Mean
By Kaiser
6 4 5 6 3 7
Persona Power
When you exhaust you only lose 3 ability. If your opponent took damage during their last turn, during your may do/must do phase you may remove a card from your opponent's discard from the game
Overview
Grayson is the first truly old immortal that Duncan kills. He is, by his own words, a warrior, who thinks as well as fights.
His gem distribution makes Grayson capable of many things making him a formidable fighter. He can trade power blows, drop event damage and he can cause his opponent into a vicious cycle of exhaustions.
Persona Specific Cards
Gothic Warlord: In some ways this along with the Risk Managements are what epitomize Grayson. The card in and of itself does one damage and also forces your opponent to discard all allies from their hand. The damage becomes even more important when you realize that this is a nearly guaranteed way to activate your persona power and then remove a card from their discard next turn. The discard allies power is useful when you realize that several events are allies as well, such as Darius and James Horton.
Master's Attack: This attack can be placed anywhere on the grid ala master swordsmen, but unlike other attacks, it is made a power blow by removing 3 cards from your opponents deck. Admittedly not for everyone, but the ability to strip cards from you opponents deck and get in a power blow seems worthwhile to many (me included).
Trip This is your standard trip, but it grants you the ability to make a 0-card exertion power blow. Nice, but it competes with other cards for the strength slots and thus makes it unlikely most people will play it, especially if they play the Kris.
Extra Shot: Allows you an extra attack and forces your opponent to grind away cards for every attack you play. Again nice, but competing for those strength slots.
Risk Management (et al) There are a total of 3 different Risk managements, one for attacks, defenses and specials. When your opponent plays a card type listed on a Risk Management FROM THEIR HAND they grind a number of cards equal to the number of Risk Managements in play. You can only have one of each type in play, but if you do then your opponent must grind three cards from the top of their deck anytime they play one of those cards from their hand. This is perhaps the aspect most people focus on when they think of Grayson. His ability to force exhaustion so quickly many decks makes them fear these cards. They work, but Grayson does not currently have the stand up stall capability of some of the other Immortals to allow exhaustion to destroy his opponent. So combined with some kind of attack they make a vicious combination.
Unlimited Resources This edge allows you to play multiple Risk Managements in one turn. It is concievable to have all three in play on the first turn, but with these being restricted to two then it is improbable. Basically they just speed up the grind and make it harder for your opponent to keep your Risk Managements in your discard.
Business as Usual: This card is an event that allows you to get a Risk Management from your endurance and place it in your hand. Not as rock star as some of his other cards, but one in your deck may not hurt if you are absolutely reliant upon them.
Band of Brothers: This card prevents your opponent from retrieving cards from their discard, or shuffling their discard back into their endurance unless they exhaust. It is situationly useful, but currently is more of a personal preference, unless you plan on facing Hugh or a single handed broadsword wielder regularly.
Sinous Blade: This makes your opponent discard any soft exertions they make. Its useful in a variety of situations, but combined with cards such as James Horton they help the grind go faster. Also, it hurts immortals who are prone, have Tess Noel in play, or use the Circus.
Masters Block, with a restriction of 3 and the ability to become a power block by removing cards from your opponents deck this is a great card for Grayson.
Evade: A standard Back Away, you can't avoid ranged attacks, but you can use ranged attacks to attack back.
Counter: Duck: A standard Duck that allows you to play 0-card exertion powerblow. This is an excellent card as it can avoid ranged and gives you powerblows. It is however a bad card to use its ability in the sulphur plant.
Thrown Dagger: A ranged attack whose 1 damage can be avoided with a hard exertion. It has its uses as your opponent must decide how they want to defend against it. They can grind, activate your ability with damage or dodge and sacrifice a defense that they may regret using later.
Stalk An upper center special attack that can be a head shot and is undodgeable base. If your opponent has an Immortal ally in play, it becomes unblockable as well. This is an excellent card to take heads with when your opponent is low on health or you have removed many of their upper d's. One tournament saw 3 or 4 heads taken by stalks by the two Graysons playing.
Hired Thugs: at first at thought this was just a really silly police. Then after rereading card text it states that opponent must make soft exertion for or the ally that Hired Thugs targets is REMOVED FROM THE GAME. Currently the decks that play allies tend to have heavy agility, it is not really a premier Grayson card, but if you can get it off you can rally put a crimp in someone's day.
Generics
James Horton gives you good event damage if you are good at knowing what to call against your opponents deck. Although it can be ignored or killed by some immortals it will regularly do one damage, which is all you need.
If you use Kris as weapon of choice, the expert thrusts are some of the best attacks you can get. The unblockable/undodgeable by nature attacks are good ways to ferret out alertnesses and do damage to remove cards from the game.
The Greatsword also makes an excellent weapon of choice as with the Counters and Trips you can make Powerblows regularly and force you opponent to discard even more cards.
The Rapier works if you use Extra Shots and the Dirty Trick:Shove. These in combination with the Master of the Rapier, your regular Master's Attack, and Counter make you able to burn through their deck at lightning speed.
Pistol is a nice ranged attack that you can play from back away and is hard to defend against.
As for Darius, until migration, there are few cards worth bringing into your deck. Xavier's gas canister is good, but as a strength card it could make you have to make tough choices over what to place in your deck.
Locations
Sea Witch, it allows you to prevent their location from being in play and gets rid of their standing defenses, both of which are plusses. The other locations are more likely to help another immortal more then you, but that may change in the new set.
How to Win
Exhaustion and event damage are probably going to be your big killers with Grayson. His powerblows will hurt if they hit, but most likely your opponent will do something to avoid them. However, the powerblows are likely to force an exertion which serves your exhaustion theme. Once you have done damage, you can hit your opponent with attacks to areas where you have removed defenses, head shots, or whatever you have up your sleeve.
Hugh from what I have seen may very well be your biggest foe, as he has many cards that can allow him to ignore your attacks and cards, plus his ability to launch hard to avoid attacks makes him very lethal. The key here is to not let him get set up and remove Who? from the game as it allows him to choose a plot/situation to ignore.
How to beat
Keeping the Risk Management that hurts your deck the most out of play will bring great benefits. Avoid discarding anything that you will not miss being removed from the game. If you have a card your deck revolves around do what you can to avoid taking damage while it sits in discard. Watch your deck size as the second you and Grayson start exchanging exhausts you lose 5 ability to his 3. An early and relentless assault can make all the difference in the world as forcing Grayson to react puts him at a disadvantage.
Overall
Grayson's tough, but beatable. He has some management issues with strength and agility, but can become a vicious swordfighter. His persona ability and the synergy with which many of his cards work make him an Immortal that while not at the peak definitely is a perennial contender. I give him an 8
Decks
Proner
Gas Cheese
Gas Lean and Mean