[LawDogs][Duel][DMH] Starting Dave Montreal

You cannot have out-of-faction dudes in your starting posse.

You're sure about that? I've read about the upkeep but nothing about starting.. If it's true just remove Allie from starting for 2 more gold, or switch for Clementine. It's 1 more GR, but I allready managed to play an earlier version of the deck with Tommy,Philip, Dave.

Page 14 of the Rulebook: Once players have revealed their outfits, they search their decks for up to five dudes—either from their outfit or drifters—with a combined cost less than or equal to their starting stash. You cannot have a dude from another outfit in play at the start of the game. A player is allowed to choose only one dude with the Grifter keyword for their starting gang. All players simultaneously place those dudes in play, paying all costs.

Ok, I missed that point, thank you ! I modify my starting then

As for the overall deck, I'm not really sure about it. I wouldn't really consider it a DMH deck that much. Sure it can draw into it, but you don't have any cards to increase those odds (Pair of Six-Shooters, Ghostly Gun, etc.). It's more of a A/2/8 deck that can happen to stumble into DMH.

I guess the draw structure isn't too bad and I like the values you chose, but I just don't see what Dave really does for you to build a deck around him. He doesn't have the versatility (and lower cost) of Wendy and he doesn't have the aggro/mobility of Clyde as a big hitter.

Well I just switched the Pair of Six-Shooters for the Quickdraw today so that I can test the +1 bullet. In fact, you don't use neither of those goods cause opponent never want an illegal Hand against Dave (doing no kills doesn't make him any progress to achieve anything). But I added that much goods to "tin" the deck nonetheless and add value to the drawhands. I could have added deeds, but can't defend them all so I guess low cost goods is a better deal.

Dave is here cause he is the sheriff! More seriously I wanted to try a sheriff's deck to force my opponent into a playstyle that he doesn't choose/anticipated/wanted. All the games I mafe with this set up, my opponents try their best to avoid illegal stuff. And it's really difficult for some constructed deck to have a decent drawhand that is legal.

Of course that is less powerful than a wendy perhaps, but there is allready plenty of deck with Wendy that people can pick, and only a few Dave decks and none seemed me really finished yet ;)

If you really plan on focusing on the Sheriff doing the heavy lifting, I'd try to finaggle the draw structure to allow you to grab some more mobility cards like the Roan or Pinto. He'd also really like a shiny Tin Star pinned to his chest to keep the unsavory townsfolk honest when he's about.

My only real complaint is that the deck seems to start with Dave for the sake of starting with Dave. That's fine and good if that's all you're looking for, but it doesn't really try to actively take advantage of who he is or what he does in any particular way.

Honestly, I think Dave is the hardest to play of the various faction leaders from the base set because he doesn't really help advance you to a win condition at all. He just helps you not lose, which is fine and dandy but it's hard to build a deck around that concept. I might almost recommend going with more of a Dudes & Deeds approach if you want to start him.

Why? Because all he does is help your dudes not get killed as easily. So if you're playing lots of dudes protecting lots of deeds there's more potential for him to help do that job well. Just a thought, good luck with it! I'd love to find a viable way to start with him, but haven't really seen anything that makes me want to take the plunge yet.

Thank you for your shares I will study this approach too ! The Rose Stakes were in the deck and maybe they should just come back. I don't think I'll look for Horses, til I remove the dogs. I can use the outfit + dogs to get were a wanted dude is and that could be a way to spare movement cards in the deck.