I brought a mostly unchanged version of my Fen spells list to the A.W.O.L. Season 1 Invitational. It’s my favorite deck to play and the one I’m most comfortable with, but I also think it’s well-suited against most of the decks I expected to see:
- Treyst & Rossum: An early A Cappella Training (C) can grind scrap counter progress to a halt, and Cloth Cocoon (C) can shut down the late-game Haven plan.
- Afanas & Senka: Fen’s spells can pass priority as well as Afanas, and sabotage and removal can prevent him from chaining spells with boost targets. Off You Go! (F) is especially helpful here.
- Teija & Nauraa: Fen’s best matchup. Cloth Cocoon (C) and Off You Go! (F) make it very hard for them to anchor characters.
- Waru & Mack: Your removal can make it a difficult for them to safely sleep characters as long they can’t stick a Quetzalcóatl before you draw into an answer for it.
Unfortunately, the deck’s worst matchup is against Sigismar & Wingspan, who were unsurprisingly the most represented hero:
- They can often pull ahead in the early-game while you’re setting up.
- Draw from Baba Yaga (F) and Ozma (C) counters your A Cappella Training (C)s and sabotage.
- Their cheap characters and token generation make your removal spells much worse.
The deck does fare better against builds running The Monolith, Ordis Bastion (C) and/or Grand Endeavor (R), which I’ve been seeing more often due to how they help close out games against e.g. Treyst.
The deck ended up going 5-2 on the day for 15th of 100, which I was very happy with, especially since the only losses were to Sigismar & Wingspan.
Changes
The last time I played this deck.
I made one tweak to the list after deciding I was a little heavy on spells and a light on 3-drops I’d be happy playing on D1 failing a 1+2 start.
I cut Hooked (F). The ceiling on the card is very high, but it’s not an ideal D1 keep, and it’s fighting for slots with Off You Go! (F). In its place, I wanted to swap in either an Alice (F) (suggested by ElWiwi) or a Cernunnos (F).
Alice (F) is strong in water, filling a void for a build with fewer Aloe Vera (F)s. The after-you support ability seems valuable especially against Afanas or another Fen, where you’re jockeying to be the last to act.
Cernunnos (F), on the other hand, contributes more raw stats, making it a more valuable early-game play to keep pace with Sigismar.
Minutes before the event, I went with Alice (F) and decided to monitor whether it ended up being better or worse than Cernunnos (F).
Uniques
Paper Herald: 6/7
Studious Disciple: 6/7
Cernunnos: 7/7
Takeaways
Cernunnos (F) would have been stronger than Alice (F) in two of the three instances it came up.
The two times Cernunnos would have been stronger, it would have threatened a 2-expedition swing. The one time Alice (F) was stronger, I was in a winning position regardless.
Cernunnos looked stronger in the Sigismar matchup while Alice looked stronger in the Afanas matchup. I think I’d prefer to spend a rare slot shoring up the deck’s weakest matchup rather than improving a matchup where the deck is already competitive.
The games
Link to the tournament on BGA.
Round 1 (W): Kojo & Booda Foundry
I had a tense first round where my opponent had a phenomenal opener of a D1 The Foundry, Axiom Bastion (F) into a D2 Haven, Bravos Bastion (R). Their Haven resupplied into a Tiny Jinn (R) which let them ramp.
Their Haven Bouncer (U) resupplied and drew them a card thanks to The Foundry. I was able to give it fleeting with A Cappella Training (C), but it had already made it harder for me to wear down their resources.
Is it better to fight for expeditions or to attack their resources?
I had the option to double A Cappella Training (C) on their Ratatoskr (C)s but go 0-2 or leave them both and go 1-1. I decided to play for tempo here, noticing that if I could get my Tinker Bell (F) into reserve, I would be guaranteed to sabotage one of the Ratatoskr (C)s and keep my opponent on a water-only and mountain-only region. It would also let me save the A Cappella Training (C)s to pass priority and potentially hit better targets.
Holding off on the A Cappella Training (C) earlier let me wait to find better targets.
My opponent cleverly triggered their Issun-bōshi (U)’s ability to have a character lose fleeting after my A Cappella Training (C), but Flamel (F) let me return it to hand. When my opponent played their Mana Eruption (C), I went for the double A Cappella Training with much juicier targets on a turn where I was already going 0-2.
On D6, I finally found my Cloth Cocoon (C) for The Foundry (F) while my opponent had to keep both of their cards again, staying on 6 mana. Now that they were low on resources and mana, I could wait until they passed to play Off You Go! (F) to 2-0 and tie the game at 2/2.
My opponent made a push with their boosted characters from reserve, but passing priority with Magical Training (F) let me build resources while commiting just enough to win one side. On the following turn, I was able to win by removing their only two characters with both sides of an Off You Go! (F).
Round 2 (L): Sigismar & Wingspan
I started with a hand of Ouroboros Inkcaster (R) and Paper Herald (U) but no target to return with either, so I just ran out the Paper Herald (U) to trade while my opponent drew with Baba Yaga (F).
Cernunnos (F) would have threatened a companion-side win where Alice (F) didn't.
I resupplied into Alice (F) on D2 and played it out as my best-statted character. I found myself behind by one in forest in both expeditions, so I used the Paper Herald (U)’s support ability to pull ahead on one side. With 1 mana left, my opponent had the Ordis Trooper (R) to take both sides.
Notably, if Alice (F) had been Cernunnos (F), my opponent’s Baba Yaga (F) play would be losing that expedition. They would have had to play differently, or else I would have gone 1-1 instead of 0-2. One point in favor of Cernunnos (F).
I was able to trade with Anansi (C) on the following turn, but their The Sandman (F) completely flipped an expedition on the following turn, putting me very far behind at 5/1.
Cost-reduction support abilities let me pass priority long enough to recover from a Teamwork Training (C) and 2-0 at the cost of most of my resources. Being the starting player with limited plays meant I wasn’t able to hold my opponent off on both sides a second time, and they were able to close out the game.
Round 3 (W): Treyst & Rossum
What's the keep against Treyst as the second player?
I started with a strong but risky opening against Treyst: Magical Training (F) for draw, Tanuki (C) to prevent them from cycling more cards into reserve, and Cloth Cocoon (C) for Haven.
If my opponent played an Axiom Salvager (R) or Ada Lovelace (R), I would block with Tanuki (C) to prevent the double progression. Otherwise, it would be worth trying to draw into a playable character with Magical Training (F). I judged having the Magical Training (F) to bounce and holding onto the Tanuki worth the risk of forfeiting a progression.
My opponent led with Tinker Bell (C), and I was very lucky to draw into my Studious Disciple (U) to draw a card and trade expeditions.
On D2, I took one side with a resupplied Anansi (C). My opponent played their Haven and resupplied into a Dr. Frankenstein (R), but the Studious Disciple (U) support ability let me play my Cloth Cocoon (C) to get rid of the Haven immediately.
Drawing into an A Cappella Training (C) let me prevent their Ada Lovelace (R) from going to reserve to keep them at two scrap counters. I played a Tinker Bell (F) to let it and a Magical Training (F) overflow from reserve in order to win an expedition.
Sleep is often as good at preventing scrap counters as giving fleeting. Here, it ended up being better.
When my opponent ran out an Ada Lovelace (R) with an A Cappella Training (C) face-up reserve, I felt something was off. Ada Lovelace is the common/rare Treyst most wants in reserve, so either they had an even better unique or an answer to A Cappella Training.
I slept Ada Lovelace with The Sandman (C) from hand, which felt great when my opponent played out their Bravos Vanguard (U) that could (1) have a character gain a boost and lose fleeting and (2) put a card into reserve to reduce the cost of their next card by 1. They put an Axiom Salvager (R) into reserve, but I was able to use A Cappella Training on their Bravos Vanguard to ensure my opponent couldn’t easily get their fifth counter on the following turn even after the Axiom Salvager resupply.
I was able to trade easily next turn to stay ahead at 2/3.
A Tanuki (C) to sabotage Ada Lovelace (R) before they could play it gave them their fifth counter on D6 but left them starved of cards to play. I was able to trade again while looping spells, then shut down one side with a 6/6/6 Anansi (C) after passing priority until the coast was clear.
Round 4 (L): Sigismar & Wingspan
A starting hand of A Cappella Training (C) and Ouroboros Inkcaster (R) had me planning to try to starve my opponent of resources.
As the first player, I led with the Inkcaster, but this went 0-1 against a Baba Yaga (R), and giving it fleeting while they drew didn’t feel great. I wonder if I was supposed to use A Cappella Training (C) to pass priority and hope they didn’t have a 1+2 start.
Cernunnos (F) would have prevented them from contesting companion-side with their Ordis Trooper (R).
On D2, my opponent went for a low-tempo Ordis Spy (C) to sabotage the Paper Herald (U) I had resupplied into. I played Alice (F) to contest; I probably should have played her to the hero expedition where my opponent was weaker, but this would have “only” threatened to 2-1 if they passed. As it was, my opponent had the Ordis Trooper (R) to beat Alice by 1 in mountain. I used an Ouroboros Inkcaster support ability to go 1-1 with Tinker Bell (F).
Had Alice (F) been Cernunnos (F), however, they’d have either had to pass and go 0-2 or play the Ordis Trooper to the other side. This would have let me go 1-1 while casting both sides of an A Cappella Training (C), leaving them with just two cards in hand. Another point for Cernunnos (F).
In retrospect, I’m thinking I should have gone 0-2 to A Cappella Training regardless. The Tinker Bell (F) was able to sabotage one but not both of their plays, and their Ordis Spy (C) from reserve and Ordis Trooper (R) from hand gave them just enough characters to Ozma (C) and draw back up.
Meanwhile, I ended up getting 0-2’d due to paying 3 mana for Tinker Bell and casting A Cappella Training (C). Alice (F)’s support ability let me find targets for A Cappella Training, but I would have had those targets if I had just used it on the previous turn. Besides, what I ended up needing here was tempo.
Studious Disciple (U) backed by Twinkle Twinkle (C) let me win one expedition while recovering some resources, but I was still behind at 2/5.
Maximizing Anansi (C) stats failed to play around the biggest threat, The Sandman (F).
On the final turn, I played a greedy Anansi (C) one action earlier than I needed to in order to get an extra boost. This would play around uniques or specific stat combinations of Ordis Trooper (R) #3 + Haven Warrior (F)/Kadigiran Alchemist (F) while not being any worse to Teamwork Training (C). What I failed to account for was the more likely The Sandman (F), which left me with extra mana but nothing meaningful to contest with.
Round 5 (W): Treyst & Rossum
I kept the 1-of Aloe Vera (F) in the opening hand. I’d be going second on D2, and my opponent would have to have Kelon Burst (C) and set themselves back 3 mana in order to remove it.
I was lucky that I could play it blocking a water-only region. My opponent attempted to block with their Haven-boosted Kelon Elemental (C), but I was happy to use my Paper Herald (U) to turn a push into a win.
My opponent's uniques helped them set up quickly, but they had to burn a ton of resources just to go 1-2.
On D3, my Tanuki (C) sabotaged their Ada Lovelace (R) to try to slow their scrap counter progess. Their 2-mana Axiom Salvager (U) let them put a card into reserve to resupply and get them their fifth counter anyway, but the Anansi (C) I had invested in on D1 let me 2-1 while they spent way a ton more resources.
On D4, I played Cernunnos (U) for tempo to discard an already-fleeting but boosted Tinker Bell (C) to flip an expedition and maintain my 2-expedition lead.
The Tinker Bell (F) I had set up let me sabotage their lone Ada Lovelace (R) in reserve. They put an Axiom Salvager (R) into reserve to play it for its trigger, but I had luckily drawn into the second Tanuki (C) for the Dr. Frankenstein (R) it had resupplied into. The double sabotage to clear their reserve, then neutralize their hero ability set them back. They were able to 1-0 but only by Kelon Burst (C)-ing and going down to one card in hand and none in reserve.
Once Treyst has his second Haven, Cloth Cocoon (C) is often better spent removing characters.
My opponent was able to get their third Haven out. At this point, they were limited not by how big they could make their characters, but how many characters they could play. I was able to play a small character on each side, then remove their one isolated character.
Setting up Ouroboros Inkcaster (R) returning a Twinkle Twinkle into hand let me double cast it next turn to close out the game.
Round 6 (W): Sigismar & Wingspan
As the second player, I had the luxury of hitting their Monolith Legate (C) with an A Cappella Training (C) while going 1-1 with my Ouroboros Inkcaster (R). Even better, I got the A Cappella Training back before the Legate trigger. A lucky resupply into a Tinker Bell (F) let me sabotage their Ordis Trooper (R). Emptying their reserve meant I could A Cappella Training their next character as well.
This deck's ideal start is Magical Training (F) along with ways to recur it.
Magical Training (F) drew into my Paper Herald (U), which I could play to return the Magical Training to hand. Hathor (C) was excellent here, letting me win on mountain and queuing up the support ability to return the Paper Herald (U) to hand so that it could continue to loop spells.
It took me a second to spot how to go 1-1 here.
I spent my first two actions drawing up while passing priority. This meant I had to work a little harder to trade expeditions against Sigismar: I cast Twinkle Twinkle (C) on their Ordis Spy (C) so that whichever expedition they played their Ordis Attorney (R) to, I could spend the Twinkle Twinkle support ability to take the other expedition with a 3/3/3 Anansi (C).
Fortunately, my hand was full of options after the previous build-up turn, and I was still even on expeditions. I was able to trade again by passing priority past a Charge! 2-mana Ordis Trooper (U), then dropping the Anansi.
Winning the early-game resource war gives Fen the luxury of passing priority in the late-game.
I was able to use my massive card advantage to pass priority so that my opponent had to play The Sandman (F) while I still had 6 mana, then pass while I had 5 mana. With free reign for the rest of the afternoon, my characters were able to 2-1 for the win.
Round 7 (W): Afanas & Senka
A perfect start of Paper Herald (U), Magical Training (F), and Off You Go! (F) had me feeling great about this game. I was able to 1-1 on D1 while drawing and returning the Magical Training to hand.
I deliberated for a moment, then ran out an anchored Aloe Vera (F) on D2 blocking a water-only region. This was the safest window I’d be able to find for it, since my opponent would only be more likely to draw into Off You Go! (C) as the game progressed.
As it turned out, my opponent didn’t have it, and the Aloe Vera survived, putting me massively ahead.
My draw-heavy start gave me the luxury of not caring about sabotage, even welcoming it.
Resupplying into Anansi (C) overloaded my opponent with targets they needed to sabotage. They hit the Paper Herald (U) with the first Tooth Fairy (C), then the Anansi with their second. I was okay passing priority with Magical Training (F) and letting them get rid of whatever they wanted. They spent 2 mana for 1/1/1s while I drew up and scored a 2-0 with Alice (F).
My opponent was behind on cards and had to commit first, so I took the the opportunity to Cloth Cocoon (C) a Sneezer Shroom (F) and let a Studious Disciple (F) win uncontested. I could have Off You Go! (F)-ed a Tooth Fairy (C) to go 1-0, but I already had a 2-expedition lead and wasn’t interested in spending resources that wouldn’t get myself closer to victory.
Alice provided the critical after-you that let me Twinkle Twinkle (C) their next play, then Cernunnos (U) their Kadigiran Mage-Dancer (C).
On the following day, Alice’s after-you support ability provided the critical priority pass to let me play a cost-reduced Twinkle Twinkle (C) on my opponent’s Flamel (C), then discard the Twinkle Twinkle from reserve so that Cernunnos (U) could eat a 4/4/4 Kadigiran Mage-Dancer (C) and flip both expeditions.
This is definitely a point in Alice’s favor, though I was ahead by enough that I almost certainly could have won this one without her.