Holster Clyde v3.3 (Name-A-Card event)

published Aug 10, 2020 | | |
Card draw simulator
Odds: 0% – 0% – 0% – 0% more
Derived from
None. Self-made deck here.
Inspiration for
None yet

Redgar 160

So, for a deck boldly titled "Holster Clyde", this deck ends up starting / using neither (most of the time).

The plan was to return to the halcyon days of yesteryear, when I'd bully my friends' hucksters and horse-wranglers with a belligerent souse who just wanted to batter down their front door to punch clowns.

The execution was rushed, owing to some unfortunate "IRL" pressures on my time and concentration around the start of the tournament, and my pronounced tendency to procrastinate on actually finalizing deck designs (as opposed to finding interesting combos and spinning off another three partially-completed deck ideas into new dtdb lists).

It's a bit of a hot mess of ideas that didn't end up working as well as I'd hoped... but in the interests of publishing my failures for the public record (alongside the occasional modest success), here it is.

[u]What didn't work[/u]

Econ (surprisingly, given the number of deeds I ran).

I need money. Specifically, I want to see a big deed (or two small deeds) early that I can defend. This will then enable me to power through the rest of my deck.

The starting position is actually pretty solid. What usually happened, though, is that I'd blow my starting cash on hirin' help, buyin' a cute puppy, or accessorizin' my weaponry, and be stuck with a painfully slow drip of GR.

Pettigrews was a good investment at x2, though it only helped if I had a modest amount (3-5) rock already at the start of the turn, enabling me to play a dude or deed + a good when I got my HST rebate from Pettigrew.

Legendary Holster / Shotgun.

This deck doesn't include ways to tutor for it or cheat into play. It does include a single copy of General Store, which is a godsend when I see it in my play hand and not my shootout hand, but for a deck built around killin' dudes with no remorse... it's not efficient at that goal.

In a similar vein, not starting Clyde Owens meant that my options were a tad limited when it came to good dudes to actually play the holster onto if I drew it early.

The takeaway from play was that I'd have preferred -1 Magnum Rounds, +1 Shotgun, and a Doomsday Supply or two to help spread the cost over multiple turns, double-dip on Pettigrew bucks, and threaten an LH in every fight.

Draw Structure.

Not including a SF option (or tightening up on Aces as a third value) was a mistake. I should have cut Faster and Unprepared, in exchange for three 5c's. Then, as I degenerated out my 2's (especially) and my 3's, I'd have an alternate "value" to strengthen.

[u]What did work[/u]

Econ griping aside, I really liked the starting posse. Most games, I was able to put good pressure on my opponent's deeds, and I was able to defend my own comfortably (when I played them). I have some thoughts on tweaking the start, in a couple of different ways for a couple of different deck ideas... we'll see if I manage to bring any of these ideas to deck completion, though. :)

I liked Magnum Rounds. In a deck that didn't need Bowie Knife, it is a cheaper boost that stacks with an existing weapon and can be timed to cycle right before your deck reshuffles.

I liked the solid suite of shootout action cards. It's no secret that I like shootouts; solid dudes backed with a strong hand of actions helped me put a hurt on my opponent when we fought... except when my deck design choices came back to haunt me. (cheatin' FH, or worse "three pair", just doesn't cut it most days...)

4 comments
Aug 10, 2020 ironcache

This deck is not capable of punching clowns. I give it my seal of approval.

Aug 11, 2020 jordan caldwell

Have you considered starting Stewart Davidson over "The Man The Myth The Legend"?

Keep you at a solid 5 Influence, same starting cash, but better upkeep, as well as card cycle to set up your end game of antagonizing your foe with Clyde Owens with or without his Legendary Holster.

Also, I know you love Unprepared but it really has no business being in here because it is both off-structure and off-pull. Yes, it's a good card. But it's inclusion distracts from your primary goal. Similar critique of Faster on the Draw.

I can suggest including The Highbinder Hotel and either another A-value deed here, or something like Make 'em Sweat which would help develop your Ace Tertiary Structure as well as satisfy some of the lost utility that taking my up-paragraph suggestions would entail. Plus it synergizes well with Magnum Rounds on demand.

Being rough on you because we're friends. Cheers!

Aug 12, 2020 Redgar

I honestly hadn't considered Stewart. I think it could be an inspired call, though: double the bounty, double the fun. The cycle could be quite helpful, too.

Mayor's Office doesn't pull its weight. x1 2 cp deed is enough to get value out of Orphanage, and my favourite bank takes care of that handily. Axing that in favour of Highbender is the right call, IMO. Same econ, less of a liability, helps with "hit 'n run".

I think there's enough influence floating about in this start to drop down off of Town Council (and maybe, heretically, B & B Attorneys too) into more A's. The Pair o' Sixes is a nice cheap good to throw a couple copies on A. If anyone can do low values reliably, it is LD... might as well seriously threaten Holster with a base 2 bullet dude! (Though the Magnum Rounds help pump up both).

Make 'Em Sweat seems like a classic choice, too. Though I'm thinking of moving off Coachwhip and onto Inner Struggle. (Discussion on the Discord with @Ironcache has me considering a little more carefully what I want from CR, which is protection of my big expensive dude and big expensive holster vs. acing Yet Another Anarchist Chump.) Degenerates slowly off the weaker value, while still reflecting a great pull.

Definitely changing x2 Pettigrews to x2 Second Bank. Even if used 'inefficiently', that extra 2 rock from a "load - spend" over 2 turns is real helpful in buyin' dudes and deeds (and having the upfront cash to actually play Blueticks and Shotguns).

Would like to try and squeeze in a single 5 again for Doomsday Supply. Might heretically go down to x3 clubs on one of my values! :)

Aug 12, 2020 DoomDog

Inner Struggle was a massive help in my name-a-card deck. I'd definitely add at least a couple of them. Might be worth keeping a Coachwhip or similar too, Inner Struggle is great as a lowball Cheatin' Punishment or when hand ranks are tied/there's a difference of one but doesn't do much when someone throws down a five of a kind.

Peacemaker may soften the blow of cutting Faster on the Draw.

I've never been happy with The Town Hall, and there are lots of good alternatives available now with Taff's Distillery, Campbell & Hatch and the Tonsorium.