What!!!!! There is still an active league? Darn right! There are still a bunch of folks who like the game and want to continue playing it. I used to support three different leagues when Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), the games maker, still supported the game. WOTC will no longer make any new sets and will not re-print any of the old sets. This means that my question in an article on this site (http://www.pojo.com/harrypotter/ccg/Features/010603hpvault.htm) was answered. The Harry Potter TCG will be sent to the WOTC “Vault” for retired games. WOTC will still answer questions about the game and rules will still be posted; but that is it.
Over the past month or so, the Eldersburg league has had between 6 and 12 participants each and every week! This is great considering that there are, a few folks that have yet to show up that have said they will soon. Let’s keep it going gang!
Harry Potter league @ Arena Cards on 02/22/2003.
There were only 8 leaguers on this day. Four from the former WOTC Columbia MD store Harry Potter League and four people “locals”. I only used two decks this week. I was told someone wanted to see a “basic” Quidditch deck in action, so I made a deck built around “Pulling Up”, “Fouled”, “Cobbing”, “Ouch”, & “Nimbus2000 broom with “Prof. Hooch” as the starter. This deck did a lot of damage to the opponents. This old style “standard” deck is still pretty good. I played several games with this deck and did not lose a game. I rather play with my “juice” deck. This is sooooo much moooore fuuuun to play!!!!
This deck does have problems if the card distribution is screwed up, but even this not a bad thing because as long as you can stay in the game, you still have a chance. Here is the Deck:
Starting Character: Snape
Griphook 1
Neville Longbottom 1
Prof. Flitwick 1
Hannah Abbott 2
Lockhart’s Hair-Care Potions 4
Jawbind Potion 3
Chocolate Frogs 3
Gingotts Vault Key 3
Bruisewort Balm 3
Fire Protection Potion 2
Fumos 2
Wand Shop 2
Magical Mess Remover 1
Sickle 4
Potions Homework 2
Potions Project 1
Phoenix Feather Wand 1
Obliviate 2
Dobby’s Help 1
Venomous Tentacular Juice 3
Charm Lessons 18
Ok, so it is not great, yet! This deck is as good as I can muster. I plan on replacing Neville with Professor Quirell and getting at least another Dobby’s Help.
This deck did lose one game; and that was to a deck that had Hannah Abbott as a starter. Yuk. Hannah is the key to this deck. There were two other close calls where I won just before I was to have been defeated.
Here was a typical way that this deck won. I was playing Shawn, a College student. Shawn and I had played several games before this one, so he knew what to expect. I liked to get on his nerves, so on the 3rd turn I asked him how many cards he had in his hand. He said too many with a smile on his face. I was a long way from doing anything, so this was just being funny (or mean depending on your point of view).
Half way through the game and I was getting ready to spring my trap. Hannah, Neville, and Flitwick were on the board. I had 5 lessons down and the Wand Shop was open for business. I had a Sickle, two lessons, two Potions Homework, and a Vault key. Almost ready to go. I draw a Dobby’s Help. 1st action is I vault key for a “Juice” card and the second action is to put the sickle down.
Shawn plays his turn and hits me for 8 damage. My turn!
Draw a card. Another lesson. Pick up sickle and discard it. I have 4 actions.
Shawn, how many cards do you have in your hand? Shawn smiles, “only two!”
“Too bad”, I say.
My first action is to play Dobby’s Help. Then I use Flitwicks power to get it back.
Second action is to play the Dobby’s Help card.
Shawn now has 22 cards. Third action is to play the Juice card. He has to draw 44 cards. If I had needed a fourth action, this is how I would have proceeded. First I would use Hannah’s ability to get another Juice card and play it. He would have had to get an additional 132 cards!!!!
Thus the total damage inflicted was 196.
How would this have worked if I only had the Juice card? Easy. I would have played that card three times. Here is how. 1st action, play the juice. Shawn draws 4 cards. He now has 6 cards. I use Hannah’s ability to get the juice card and another vault key. Use the juice card for my second action. Shawn draws 12 cards. He now has 18 cards. I use Snape’s ability and heal the juice. 3rd action is to use the Vault key to get the juice back. 4th action is used to play the juice. Shawn draws 36 cards. I just made him draw 52 cards.
How can I make it better? If I had Prof Quirrell in the mix. Just bounce their items and creatures to their hand and then juice them.
This deck is very potent, even when only half the stuff works.
Enjoy!