Challenge 4-3 : Life's a Lich

[stassy]

Nice counter deck but what is the win conditions, the fairies and mage?

[Zloy]

fairies and mage don't kill fast but stable.

[Korath]

I had problems with Lich getting naturalized or vindicated like some earlier posters, and the kneejerk reaction is of course countermagic. I thought it would be boring to go blue, though, so I experimented with white for Mana Tithe and Rebuff the Wicked. With white comes a great deal of flexibility in lifegain, and one thing led to another, and I eventually ended up with this:

4 Soul Warden
4 Essence Warden
4 Leonin Elder
4 Cathedral Sanctifier
4 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
4 Phyrexian Walker
2 Beastmaster Ascension
2 Concordant Crossroads
4 Savannah
4 Razorverge Thicket
4 Forbidden Orchard
3 Ancient Den
2 Tree of Tales
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
4 Mox Diamond
4 Chrome Mox

It turns out you don't need countermagic if you usually win on turn one, and almost always by turn two. The Back-to-95 prize is a big help, in both its forms; usually I make a wall to draw extra cards from my wardens, but occasionally I need a plowshare to pitch to a Chrome Mox more.

[HarlequinCasts]

Awesome deck suggestion Korath! I made two changes to it that streamlined it more for my own play style and your deck just destroyed that challenge. Turn 1 kills right to the end and I never dealt a single point of damage. Super fun deck idea.

Basically I changed the win condition to be exactly 1 Laboratory Maniac (just go nuts and deck yourself) and freed up some more cards by getting rid of Beastmaster Ascension and Concordant Crossroads. And second don't forget that with the new legendary rules, Mox Opal is a total boss in these kinds of cheerios decks. It also let me remove some more land (down to 13). I wish we had a Soul's Attendant because I could just make it mono white.

Here's my modified list:

Soul Warden x4
Leonin Elder x4
Cathedral Sanctifier x4
Essence Warden x4
Laboratory Maniac x1
Memnite x4
Phyrexian Walker x4
Ornithopter x4
Shield Sphere x2
Black Lotus x1
Lotus Petal x1
Mox Pearl x1
Mox Emerald x1
Mox Diamond x4
Chrome Mox x4
Mox Opal x4
Savannah x4
Forbidden Orchard x4
Gemstone Mine x3
Ancient Den x2

[stassy]

Doesn't Lich get indestructible with the Enchanted Evening challenge bonus?

[kubiac470]

Awesome deck suggestion Korath! I made two changes to it that streamlined it more for my own play style and your deck just destroyed that challenge. Turn 1 kills right to the end and I never dealt a single point of damage. Super fun deck idea.

Basically I changed the win condition to be exactly 1 Laboratory Maniac (just go nuts and deck yourself) and freed up some more cards by getting rid of Beastmaster Ascension and Concordant Crossroads. And second don't forget that with the new legendary rules, Mox Opal is a total boss in these kinds of cheerios decks. It also let me remove some more land (down to 13). I wish we had a Soul's Attendant because I could just make it mono white.

Here's my modified list:

Soul Warden x4
Leonin Elder x4
Cathedral Sanctifier x4
Essence Warden x4
Laboratory Maniac x1
Memnite x4
Phyrexian Walker x4
Ornithopter x4
Shield Sphere x2
Black Lotus x1
Lotus Petal x1
Mox Pearl x1
Mox Emerald x1
Mox Diamond x4
Chrome Mox x4
Mox Opal x4
Savannah x4
Forbidden Orchard x4
Gemstone Mine x3
Ancient Den x2

Thanks, all round in one turn.......beat it

[Korath]

I increased to two each of Beastmaster Ascension and Concordant Crossroads after a couple games where one or the other ended up in the last few cards in my library, with no way to draw it without decking myself. Just as much a concern with Laboratory Maniac, I'd think.

Might as well replace the Savannahs with either Glimmervoid or Thran Quarry, too, for the third color (even though there's just one card, and opals and diamonds to cast it with).

[HarlequinCasts]

I increased to two each of Beastmaster Ascension and Concordant Crossroads after a couple games where one or the other ended up in the last few cards in my library, with no way to draw it without decking myself. Just as much a concern with Laboratory Maniac, I'd think.

Might as well replace the Savannahs with either Glimmervoid or Thran Quarry, too, for the third color (even though there's just one card, and opals and diamonds to cast it with).

Yeah I forgot about those lands. I really wanted some Ancient Ziggurat s but I can imagine no one wants to mess with creature only mana in Manalink just yet...