Today marks an abrupt end to the Commoner Club series, which I thoroughly enjoyed writing throughout the past year. We at FABREC would like to diversify our content more, and so begins my new column called Precon Progression, which takes the Blitz precon deck lists and discusses upgrades that may be acquired to further bolster the deck. This remains in line with my continued mission to make Flesh and Blood accessible to newer players, as a lower barrier to entry has been my main thrust since I started playing this wonderful card game.

Last week, we discussed the Olympia Blitz precon deck with a Commoner format approach. So to capitalize off of the Heavy Hitters momentum, we’ll continue with Victor Goldmane precon, but this time, upgrading it in the Blitz format. And so, let us take to the battlefield and engage in a clash of swords!

What’s In the Victor Goldmane Deck?

Victor Goldmane is a crafty Guardian who believes money talks. The knight likes to bide his time, setting up impenetrable defenses before going in for an alpha strike. This is encapsulated in his ability, which awards Gold generation, while keeping up with continuous clashes with the opponent that could award a sink effect.

Let’s look at the deck list first:

Truth be told, the Victor Goldmane Blitz precon seems one of the weakest of the bunch, as it contains very few (pardon the pun) heavy-hitting cards, with Thunk topping the attack charts at eight power. The rest of the deck is filled with rather anemic attacks, though a great selection of blues and blocks that will make it to the final cut.

As it stands, there are a lot of cards to be cut, such as Mighty Windup yellow and blue, as it’s too slow and blocks for two, Performance Bonus yellow and blue, which is just too clunky, Command Respect red and blue, Concuss red and blue, and Rally the Rearguard red, which are just subpar attacks. Test of Might red is probably the weakest of the Test block cycle, so we can just drop it, too.

There’s still a solid foundation left here, with great effects such as Clash of Vigor blue and Clash of Might blue, plus Test of Strength red and Test of Vigor red, which all incentivizes a slow and methodical game plan. Thunk red and blue, plus Wallop yellow and blue, can be retained for now, as they synergize with the deck, all while keeping a our cuts on the leaner side.

Miller’s Grindstone is an amazing one-handed hammer, as it swings for four just for a single blue pitch. Golden Glare is honestly just kept as a headpiece that blocks for two – I don’t think it’s worth powering down the deck with extra yellows just for this incremental upside. But I have to give props to LSS for creating a precon with mostly red and yellow cards to keep up with the Goldmane family’s crimson and gold sigil.

Initial Upgrades for Victor Goldmane

Now that we have our deck’s base, the Guardian class thankfully has a stellar selection of attack actions from older sets, so some of you may already have these lying around from a Bravo deck, or they can be easily sourced from more experienced players and your LGS.

Chokeslam, Debilitate, Disable, and Thunder Quake are all huge attacks that can cripple the opponent’s hand and board state any time they connect, and are prime clash targets as well. We likewise run their blue versions for pitch, although they aren’t too shabby as attacks or clash flips, either.

We can round out the list by including Zealous Belting for more offense, plus Macho Grande as an unexpected reach card. Cranial Crush is just too good not to run – eight power and three pitch, what’s not to love? It must be noted all these cards, sans Belting, block for three as well, so we’re never at the mercy of drawing horribly in terms of blocking numbers. We can round this off with Unmovable red, although the blue version can also be slotted in instead – this could just be a meta call.

Pick up a copy of Anothos, since it’s a great sideboard card when you want to be the aggressor. Steelbraid Buckler and Arcane Lantern are amazing off-hands and should be considered whenever we play Guardian decks. The Arcane Barrier package can then be completed by Nullrune Boots and Nullrune Gloves, although it always pays to have a copy of each to swap out, depending on which of the more expensive equipments you may already own.

Civic Guide is a budget Crater Fist, while Earthlore Bounty is a pretty decent defensive card – you can run this if you kept one from way back.

In terms of Gold generation, the deck feels lacking, but remember that this is Blitz – games are far shorter than Classic Constructed, so even just one or two draws from Victor’s ability could swing the game. Should you wish to add more, the only other candidates to consider are Starting Stake yellow and Wage Gold red.

The resulting deck list gives us 20 blue cards, which is the minimum to fund our big attacks, all while keeping a defensive stance. Turns usually just consist of blocking for three to four cards and passing back, waiting for the opponent to buckle. Should you begin the turn with a blue card, you can consider a weapon swing, or just arsenal it for a later turn.

Here’s what the deck should look like after the initial upgrade:

Mid-Term Upgrades

The budget upgraded decklist is severely lacking in ways to generate Gold, as these effects are reserved for higher-rarity cards. I would first pick up copies of his specialty card, The Golden Son, plus Trounce, as these two form the core of Victor’s hero identity and fleshes out his play style.

This can then be further supplemented by Guardian staples such as Pulverize, Spinal Crush, and Rouse the Ancients, which can be dropped over Thunk and Wallop.

Long-Term Upgrades

The finishing touches come in the form of pricier equipment cards, as is always the case in Flesh and Blood. Aurum Aegis is a $20 Victor-exclusive upgrade and should be considered first, as it helps alleviate the Gold problem. Civic Steps, despite being a rare, fetches $20 on the secondary market, as it’s finally a leg piece for Guardians that’s not Ironrot Legs! This can be acquired through the supplemental Round the Table: LSS x TCC product.

Gauntlets of Iron Will and Tectonic Plating are currently $40 apiece, and they’re primarily just used to block for three in total each. It must be noted that Tec Plate is a great investment if you personally wish to play Guardians for a long time, as this class is one of the few that can get away with not running Fyendal’s Spring Tunic in Classic Constructed.

Finally, Balance of Justice is one of the pricier top-end upgrades. But you may consider Arcanite Skullcap, Crown of Providence, or Crown of Dominion, should you own any of these.

Although I am (or was) a Dash main in Blitz and Classic Constructed, Guardian remains my favorite class. Victor Goldmane also reminds me of my favorite A Song of Ice and Fire family, House Lannister, who also just happens to utilize gold to their advantage. With that said, I hope you enjoyed the first of many articles on Precon Progression. Next week, we’ll look into one of the new Brute precons, before cycling back to Warriors.

The Precon Progression column is a work in progress, so any feedback on how to better improve the series to further cater to newer players is always appreciated. Till then, happy shuffling!

Further Reading:

Heavy Hitters Blitz Deck Review – Betsy and Victor

Was Heavy Hitters Supposed to Be a Talented Set?

What to Expect at a Flesh and Blood Skirmish