February Tournament: Limited Shop

[juzamjedi]

Aww, I tried the U/W deck too and also found that the AI had major problems with it.

I built Zoo and it was pretty good and could run over decks that didn't have any early game at all. Most of the creature base was solid. If we had some hasty creatures, or Tarmogoyf, or if the AI would actually use Sword of Vengeance then I would have played Zoo. The games where you play 1 drop, then 2x 1 drops on turn 2 are pretty easy to win, but that didn't happen often enough for my liking. I ended up being unhappy with 2-3 cards and would have really liked Goblin Guide or maybe Boggart Ram-Gang.

I tested all of the deck ideas I had except mono-red. The red spells are obviously strong and the red creatures look strong on paper. Just ran out of time.

Predictions:
1. The winner of the tournament will have 3x Solemn Simulacrum, or 3x Wild Nacatl, but not both.
2. The best titan will be Grave Titan. Even if they have Path to Exile you get 2 zombies out of the deal.
3. We will have at least one player with a strong land destruction component, and that deck will perform well against everything except aggressive decks like Zoo.
4. Over half of the decks submitted will have 20+ life, but it won't matter too much because there won't be many aggressive decks in the tournament.
5. Most of the decks are going to be midrange (lots of 3-4 drops) or control.

[jatill]

My deck is all 6-drops, and no life, so I hope there's no zoo

[Salbei]

Alright Juzamjedi submitted his deck. Just Aswan Jaguar missing now. Sorry for creating stress

I cheated a little and already played Group A+B during the last couple days to have enough time for the sideevent.
Jatills starting life is just ridiculous - but once you got to a certain point it is very hard to stop.
Awws deck has been the strongest by far against my decks but got into the worst possible group for his deck.Didn´t have any influence on that - the groups where clear before i got any decklists.
Especially Shantaks deck is very nasty against him.
The reward for the most boring deck goes to Cognis.

Juzams Predictions:
1. The winner of the tournament will have 3x Solemn Simulacrum, or 3x Wild Nacatl, but not both.
Only saw 3 Simulacrums so far *hint hint* and 0 Nacatl

2. The best titan will be Grave Titan. Even if they have Path to Exile you get 2 zombies out of the deal.
Well Sun Titan and Inferno Titan are awefully strong aswell. But i agree - the AI is best with the black one.

3. We will have at least one player with a strong land destruction component, and that deck will perform well against everything except aggressive decks like Zoo.
Maybe Aswan jaguar is going to surprise us one of my AI decks is playing a set of Strip Mines though, but that doesn´t count

4. Over half of the decks submitted will have 20+ life, but it won't matter too much because there won't be many aggressive decks in the tournament.
If that is your meta prediction you will be pleasantly surprised.

5. Most of the decks are going to be midrange (lots of 3-4 drops) or control.
it is well balanced so far.

[juzamjedi]

For the record I submitted a mid-range deck. I wanted to go with an LD plan, but every LD deck I tried was horrible against Zoo. I really think someone will play Zoo because AI will win some games with it.

Edit: I just saw Salbei's note above with answers to my predictions. Wow! From my testing I thought Solemn Simulacrum, Wild Nacatl, and Path to Exile were the best commons. No matter what color(s) you play Solemn Simulacrum gives you good value and helps ramp to Titans. I actually tested a G/B deck just so I could ramp out Titans faster. It was really good at doing that, but it got run over by Zoo. It was also really good at slowly blowing up every land that the opponent played

I count Strip Mine for LD. The GB deck I built would ramp into Grave Titan or Primeval Titan. If I landed Primeval Titan it was going to get Strip Mines, and recur them with Elixir of Immortality.

Eventually I just decided most games were going to be won by Titans, Grave Titan in particular. I built my deck to win titan wars. Or at least I hope it does

[Salbei]

Pff use Sun Titan to recur Strip Mine !

If you want to win the Titan war the blue one is just amazing. Unfortunatly the AI just blows with it.

BTW here are the Side Event decks to toy around with.

I especially like the idea behind nr6.

[juzamjedi]

This is true, but then I would be playing Sun Titan instead of Grave Titan. I wasn't greedy enough to play all 3 colors plus 3x Strip Mines

[Salbei]

Let me know what you think. I build these when i setup the C/U/R list to get a "feeling" for the list.

Nr 6 is the weakest one, but the most fun to play. The idea behind it is pretty wicked
The AI plays it surprisingly well.Especially the AIs way to use the coffin suits the deck xD

If i had to submit a list i would have gone for deck2 with a few tweaks.

One hour left for Aswan Jaguar Don´t think he is going to make it in time.PMd him , made a couple announcements in this topic but no sign from him.

[Cognis]

Yeah, my deck is pretty boring, I wanted to play mono blue but decided against it, didn't feel inspired to make a deck so I hastily built it yesterday evening. Really boring but it can have a decent fast start.

[Salbei]

Don´t want to spoil it but you won at least 2 matches you definatly should have lost.
Well it was my fault to include that card to the list. I´m voting to get that card banned for any kind of tournament in the future. It is just a fun killer.

That one match took almost an hour - i had just 3 kinds of cards left in my library that just cycled through over and over again via Elixir.

I´m bored so here are the Event decks in code tags

Side Event Decks | Open

Deck1

Code: Select all

;no Planeswalker -> 106 points available


.1260   3   Nantuko Shade // 18 // 18
.1846   3   Duress // 3 // 21
.1457   3   Hymn to Tourach // 9 // 30
.1129   3   Vampire Hexmage // 3 // 33
.617   3   Vampire Nighthawk // 18 // 51
.528   3   Strip Mine // 18 // 69
.239   14   Swamp // 0 // 69
.1622   2   Grim Discovery // 2 // 71
.1103   3   Gatekeeper of Malakir // 9 // 80
.1460   17   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 21 // 101
.1098   3   Nekrataal // 3 // 104


Deck2

Code: Select all

;no planeswalker -> 106 points available

 
.1220   3   Shadowmage Infiltrator // 9 // 9
.1866   2   Inferno Titan // 12 // 21
.48   3   Counterspell // 9 // 30
.1202   3   Crumbling Necropolis // 3 // 33
.1469   3   Terramorphic Expanse // 3 // 36
.126   3   Island // 0 // 36
.164   3   Mountain // 0 // 36
.239   2   Swamp // 0 // 36
.1275   2   Damnation // 12 // 48
.1908   2   Chandra's Outrage // 2 // 50
.1460   20   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 30 // 80
.1362   3   Tidehollow Strix // 3 // 83
.1822   2   Scroll Thief // 2 // 85
.1893   2   Doom Blade // 2 // 87
.1889   1   Elixir of Immortality // 1 // 88
.266   3   Volcanic Island // 9 // 97
.258   3   Underground Sea // 9 // 106


Deck3

Code: Select all

;no Planeswalker -> 106 points available


.1423   3   Seething Song // 18 // 18
.725   1   Mirror Universe // 6 // 24
.1320   3   Vulshok Sorcerer // 9 // 33
.1900   3   Cyclops Gladiator // 9 // 42
.1372   3   Rockslide Elemental // 3 // 45
.1866   3   Inferno Titan // 18 // 63
.164   18   Mountain // 0 // 63
.1460   17   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 21 // 84
.1230   3   Masticore // 18 // 102
.1908   3   Chandra's Outrage // 3 // 105



Deck4

Code: Select all

;Ajani Goldmane(free) -> 100 points available


.807   1   Ajani Goldmane // free // 0
.966   3   Glorious Anthem // 18 // 18
.1441   3   Bitterblossom // 18 // 36
.1451   3   Raise the Alarm // 9 // 45
.1206   3   Arcane Sanctum // 3 // 48
.1469   3   Terramorphic Expanse // 3 // 51
.1506   3   Trusty Machete // 3 // 54
.1874   3   Grave Titan // 18 // 72
.1889   3   Elixir of Immortality // 3 // 75
.239   8   Swamp // 0 // 75
.188   4   Plains // 0 // 75
.1460   12   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 6 // 81
.1302   3   Vindicate // 18 // 99



Deck5

Code: Select all

;no planeswalker -> 106 points available


.1255   3   River Boa // 3 // 3
.1470   3   Sakura-Tribe Elder // 3 // 6
.1833   3   Primeval Titan // 18 // 24
.91   18   Forest // 0 // 24
.1902   3   Cudgel Troll // 9 // 33
.173   3   Nevinyrral's Disk // 18 // 51
.1901   3   Cultivate // 3 // 54
.1460   22   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 36 // 90
.1085   3   Might of Oaks // 9 // 99
.1832   2   Prized Unicorn // 6 // 105



Deck6

Code: Select all

;Ajani Goldmane -> 100 points available

.1224   3   Stoic Angel // 18 // 18
.159   2   Meekstone // 6 // 24
.1918   3   Blinding Mage // 3 // 27
.15   3   Birds of Paradise // 9 // 36
.1421   3   Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers // 9 // 45
.1205   3   Seaside Citadel // 3 // 48
.212   3   Savannah // 9 // 57
.807   1   Ajani Goldmane // free // 57
.126   2   Island // 0 // 57
.1469   3   Terramorphic Expanse // 3 // 60
.188   4   Plains // 0 // 60
.91   4   Forest // 0 // 60
.1935   2   Sun Titan // 12 // 72
.1460   14   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 12 // 84
.531   2   Tawnos's Coffin // 12 // 96
.1470   1   Sakura-Tribe Elder // 1 // 97
.1223   1   Eternal Witness // 3 // 100


Deck7

Code: Select all

;no Planeswalker -> 106 points available


.1817   3   Steel Overseer // 9 // 9
.132   3   Juggernaut // 9 // 18
.126   17   Island // 0 // 18
.1207   3   Solemn Simulacrum // 3 // 21
.1460   17   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 21 // 42
.1880   1   Frost Titan* // 6 // 48
.985   2   Bribery // 12 // 60
.1308   1   Platinum Angel // 6 // 66
.1469   3   Terramorphic Expanse // 3 // 69
.1230   3   Masticore // 18 // 87
.1393   3   Tidings // 18 // 105


Deck8

Code: Select all

;no Planeswalker -> 106 points


.1470   3   Sakura-Tribe Elder // 3 // 3
.1592   3   Steppe Lynx // 9 // 12
.1833   3   Primeval Titan // 18 // 30
.1935   1   Sun Titan // 6 // 36
.1582   3   Emeria Angel // 9 // 45
.1192   2   Worship // 12 // 57
.581   3   Soul Warden // 3 // 60
.1901   2   Cultivate // 2 // 62
.1570   2   Rampaging Baloths // 12 // 74
.1469   3   Terramorphic Expanse // 3 // 77
.188   7   Plains // 0 // 77
.91   7   Forest // 0 // 77
.1171   1   Beastmaster Ascension // 6 // 83
.1460   17   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 21 // 104


deck 9

Code: Select all

;Ajani
 Goldmane -> 100 points available


.807   3   Ajani Goldmane // 0+20 // 20
.1203   3   Jungle Shrine // 3 // 23
.1205   3   Seaside Citadel // 3 // 26
.1357   3   Rhox War Monk // 3 // 29
.1369   3   Woolly Thoctar // 3 // 32
.1368   3   Loxodon Hierarch // 9 // 41
.1328   3   Lightning Helix // 9 //50
.91   4   Forest // 0 // 50
.164   4   Mountain // 0 // 50
.188   3   Plains // 0 // 50
.1866   2   Inferno Titan // 12 // 62
.15   3   Birds of Paradise // 9 // 71
.1935   3   Sun Titan // 18 // 89
.1460   13   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 9 // 98


deck10

Code: Select all

;no Planeswalker -> 106


.1982   1   Negate // 1 // 1
.770   1   Remove Soul // 1 // 2
.48   3   Counterspell // 9 // 11
.266   3   Volcanic Island // 9 // 20
.126   6   Island // 0 // 20
.164   8   Mountain // 0 // 20
.985   2   Bribery // 12 // 32
.1981   3   Scalding Tarn // 9 // 41
.173   2   Nevinyrral's Disk // 12 // 53
.1460   16   ** Handicap: 7 cards // 18 // 71
.566   3   Electrolyze // 3 // 74
.1301   3   Razorfin Hunter // 9 // 83
.1320   3   Vulshok Sorcerer // 9 // 92
.1866   2   Inferno Titan // 12 // 104


[juzamjedi]

Deck01: I tried something similar; main differences I played Doom Blade instead of Duress and Trusty Machetes instead of Grim Discovery. Most of the AI win's came on the back of Hymn to Tourach + Vampire Nighthawk (Trusty Machete helps the Nighthawk survive a lot of removal).
Deck02: I did not build this with Red; my control deck was U/W/b. The good thing is this deck has enough ways to kill creatures early from aggressive decks so it would work fine. Still, no Solemn Simulacrum in a 3 color deck with Titans?
Deck03: I never got around to trying mono-red so I don't really know how it will play out. Wait, no Lightning Bolt?
Deck04: My submission is similar to this deck. I think mine will play a little differently though because I have Path to Exile to fight titans from opposing decks and I have Vampire Nighthawk to beat down / offset the life loss from Bitterblossom.
Deck05: I built Primeval Titan decks too. But mine either used Valakut or Strip Mine as "spells" I could tutor up. This deck looks like it loses as soon as Primeval Titan dies :/
Deck06: I didn't try anything like this. This deck does look pretty cool. Maybe add Rhox War Monk?
Deck07: Bribery will be excellent against the other Titan decks. I think Zoo would run over this easily. I briefly considered something like this and gave up on it when Zoo kept running me over.
Deck08: This one looks pretty good. I also tried the Emeria Angel + Rampaging Baloth token engines and they're powerful. I didn't even play with Worship (oops!) so I bet this one would be pretty good.
Deck09: WHOA... this is kinda crazy. I refused to build any decks with tri-lands because the AI tends to miss land drops with them. That said... this deck will gain a LOT of life and stall the ground. Sun Titan + Woolly Thoctar (or Rhox War Monk) is also really good. My gut says this deck wants some kind of evasion, but grinding out games with Woolly Thoctar + Sun Titan might work.
Deck10: I tried these colors with more burn / card drawing, but no Bribery or Nevinnyral's Disk. I like your version much better. There are so many Tim's in this deck that Electrolyze will often be a one-sided Wrath. The only way my deck can reasonably win against this deck is Grave Titan, but you can possibly take him before I even draw it.

[jatill]

Don´t want to spoil it but you won at least 2 matches you definatly should have lost.
Well it was my fault to include that card to the list. I´m voting to get that card banned for any kind of tournament in the future. It is just a fun killer.

What are you talking about, the side event thing? There is no link to download the player decks yet, right?

Which card did you want banned?

[Salbei]

Side Event Decks | Open

1
Was one of the first decks i´ve tried to build. Mono black "sui" always works - in every format ...

2
This one is surprisingly strong. The AI plays it really well.I´m really surprised by the lack of blue in the tournament decks.Also quite fun to play this.I always love to draw cards.

3
The design is pretty bad. But this is giving any token based decks hell on earth.I figured out that White/Black tokens was the "deck to beat" with the c/u/r list. And this would have been the meta choice against it.

4
My favorite in terms of powerlevel.

5
Not sure if you realized it but there are a ton of creatures that regenerate + Nev Disk.
That alone can be pretty nasty. I have lost countless times to a Primeval Titan with 2x Might of Oaks on it xD

6
My "homebrew". Just dies when Stoic Angel does unfortunately.

7
Those Overseers are pretty damn good if you get them early.I also can´t understand the lack of Masticore in the tournament decks. The AI uses it quite good.

8
Landfall was in my oppinion the 2nd strongest deck in this format. Just suffering from the fact that the AI is horrible with the Landfall triggers hurt the deck too much.

9
The design is pretty bad. A "normal" zoo would be more burn heavy, but i really wanted to play War Monks and Thoctar in the same deck

10
Pretty much a variation of 2. Stronger against some decks but overall feels weaker compared to #2.
The "random" counters in there are pretty good. Hit you when you least expect them.

Don´t want to spoil it but you won at least 2 matches you definatly should have lost.
Well it was my fault to include that card to the list. I´m voting to get that card banned for any kind of tournament in the future. It is just a fun killer.

What are you talking about, the side event thing? There is no link to download the player decks yet, right?

Which card did you want banned?

I am talking about Worship. The AI doesn´t play it that often (i consider that a good thing) - but as soon as a player uses it you just can´t loose against the AI anymore.

And yes, just the side event decks got posted by now. Aswan jaguar still got 10 minutes lol.

[Salbei]

So here is the "mysterious" side event Score system. Hope you enjoy it.

Side event Score System

loss -> you gain 15 points / the deck you play looses 15 points
win -> you gain 1point per remaining hp / the deck you play looses 1point per remaining hp
The player with the least points wins the side event!

example:
Shantak plays Jatills deck and wins with 4 life remaining.
Shantak gains 4 points.Jatill looses 4 points.

Jatill plays Shantaks deck and wins with 9 life remaining.
Jatill gains 9 points.Shantak looses 9 points

Aww1979 plays Cognis deck and looses.
Aww1979 gains 10 points. Cognis looses 10 points.

Cognis plays Aww1979s deck and wins wins with 16 life remaining.
Cognis gains 16 points.Aww1979 looses 16 points.

score:
Shantak +4 -9 = -5
Jatill -4 +9 = +5
Aww +15 - 16 = -1
Cognis -15 +16 = +1

The goal is to achieve the least points to win this.
Each remaining lifepoint adds up to your score, so it is in your own interest to go down as low as you can without loosing.
A lost game will add up a lot of points to you and also set the persons deck you´ve lost with even further ahead.
In this example Aww lost a game but still "won" the event because Cognis submitted a (very unlikly) 16 hp win.
It is in Cognis best interest to go down as low as possible with his hp to gain the least possible points.
Everything below a win with 15 hp (which is equal to a loss) would have let him win instead.
So you want to intentionally misplay a few situations to lower your own life total to increase your own chance of winning.

I´ve updated the Report topic. It includes the Tournament decks now.

[juzamjedi]

I did not play Masticore for the same reason I did not play Electrolyze: it does not kill enough creatures on its own to justify its drawback. With the pinger plan Masticore looks pretty sick (and he survives Nevinyrral's Disk too!)

I thought about Worship, Bitterblossom, etc. and I have Vindicate 's + Elixir of Immortality 's to recur them. Hopefully the AI knows what to do there.

I'm still quite surprised that no one else played Solemn Simulacrum. My particular deck can go Turn 2 Bitterblossom, Turn 3 Vampire Nighthawk, Turn 4 Solemn Simulacrum, Turn 5 Grave Titan. Or if the AI has a good start I have Vindicate, Path to Exile, and Nekrataal to kill problematic permanents and Elixir of Immortality to recur them for later threats.

I guess I better back up my words and win this whole thing!

[jatill]

Salbei-
So based on your side-event rules, and the way the AI doesn't bother to kill Platinum Angel, that card is the stone-cold nuts, right?