Blind Raise (Agency Top Four)

published Mar 17, 2019 | | |
Card draw simulator
Draw: 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 all Reset
Odds: 0% – 0% – 0% – 0% more
Derived from
Pub Wars - PAX Unplugged 1st Place 9 3 15
Inspiration for
None yet

jordan caldwell 374

I made the mistake of keeping this deck in my glovebox during a series of rash car window burglaries where I live, and some bandit made out with this deck and tin! Thus, it is only until now that I can reconstruct it from memory to share.

Like it's predecessors, the idea is to make lots of money and play lots of dudes - if it wasn't for the tight 16-16 structure, your opponent might think it was a slide deck. And speaking of shooting, the use of guns transforms your dudes into formidable studs or poker cheaters, making them think twice about a lowly Travis Moone amply armed.

Unlike it's predecessors, this deck has a few new tricks. Primarily to block your opponent's economy without putting any skin in the game: Ike Clanton turns a deed rowdy, and either Travis or Jacky can cut them off from their ghost rock supply without you having to deploy any of your hard influence. This tactic proved frustrating to many of my opponents at the round up.

The later phase of this deck is about damage control. Henry Moran, J.W. Byrne, P. I., The Extra Bet, as well as to the Joker recursion of The Joker's Smile and The Whateley Estate, all serve to minimize losing your dudes during Lowball to your risky gambler guns. As does Harry Highbinder by adding a strategic location (Town Square) to trade away the guns so that lesser men take the brunt of the risk.

And spoiler alert: Incidentally, this deck pairs pitch-perfect with a new Legend coming down the pipe. Even as my copy disappeared with the thief what stole my deck. Alas, not everyone can keep their Lowball clean at all times if you wanna shoot in this world.

Cheers!

7 comments
Mar 17, 2019 Lapp

I'll bring the shinies that need replacing to Chupa, we'll get this rebuilt :)
Mar 18, 2019 Harlath

Thanks for sharing the decklist and sorry the deck and tin fell victim to a thief! It is good for the game's collective memory and history to have things like this shared and preserved, so I appreciate you dredging it up from your memory.

I like the use of Ike Clanton to throw cheap dudes without risking influence at your opponent - both effective and thematic. :)

Angela Payne is pretty expensive but I wondered if she'd fit in on 10? Admittedly some of your other 10 dudes have higher bullets to benefit from the Winchester Model 1873. Or maybe some of the new cheatin' punishment from 2T2D like Ricochet or I'm Your Huckleberry? Admittedly both trade of the flexibility of lowball use for greater shootout power.
Mar 18, 2019 jordan caldwell

The three off-value Cheatin' Resolutions are really spice to taste - you could easily double-down on one or use three different ones (like Ricochet and/or I'm Your Huckleberry) without changing the basic premise of the deck.

I went with It's Not What You Know... because it is also really handy as a Resolution (-1 rank) but only one because there are many cards that counter hand rank modification (think Shan Fan Showdown!); with Coachwhip! because the flexibility to choose the single dude (their best shooter or even their highest / unbooted influence dude) can be key to closing a shootout or a chess match but only one because there are cards that prevent "external" acing of dudes (think Shield of Faith); with Bottom Dealin' because this deck diverts from the standard 3-value structure (6-10-spade) making the top-five gambit even riskier but only one because it still retains a reasonable element of uncertainty. And three different ones to maximize "surprise" potential.

Lastly I'll say this: I think that an important question a deck can ask itself is "how do I punish my opponent's cheatin' lowball?" and decks that don't do so are missing an opportunity to get a leg up on decks with high structure. This deck's solution in One Good Turn… is often the difference between playing another dude or deed a turn earlier, advancing the primary objective to win by development.

See you at Texas Rangers!
Mar 18, 2019 Harlath

Thanks for the helpful thoughts on cheatin' punishment, both on using off value cards to express some personality and also the sensible commentary on lowball. :)
Mar 21, 2019 dwinner

@jordan caldwell I know this is off-topic, but could you post that LawDogs, Nuns with Weapons deck? Pretty please?
Mar 26, 2019 jordan caldwell

@dwinner Done. It is called Dog Smite.
Apr 01, 2019 jordan caldwell

Better than Raven