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Mostly because of how time consuming they are. I want to use some of the cards that need unlocking, but unfortunately, I haven't even been able to beat the first challenge, despite putting a few hours into it. I remember beating it before taking like, a year off from the application and messing up with updating (made a new folder and got things working), but unfortunately there's a lot of luck involved when the opponent starts with 9 power total or a 7/7 on the field.

And even if the earlier rounds aren't overly difficult, it takes a long time to get through the first 8 duels, especially since you can't just bust out a fast red deck and try to make a quick kill every time. Mostly I look for a lockdown first, THEN a win condition. Or if I'm using a turn 2-3 kill deck with Tendrils of Agony, there are tons of cards to go through before tapping 2BB with 10 spells already played.

So...yeah. I do enjoy the challenging part of it, but for simply unlocking cards, it's not overly fun to get 8 rounds through then see a bad hand and an even worse when after taking a mulligan. I wish we could earn continues with consecutive wins so that when we do make it to the harder matches, we have a few tries at oathing Platinum Angel on turn 2 or setting up a Winter Orb/Propaganda lock or simply being able to Swords or Unsummon that Sliver Queen before it gains flying.

Sorry couldn't resist

Well it's all up to jatill since he is the creator of the Challenge mode and most of the new cards including the locked one, it has been discussed many times and all lie in this very definition of Challenge : just challenge.

Unfortunately many suggestions like savegame or one time reset seemed to be not codable with the current engine, we are mostly stuck to brute force with winning decks and a bit of luck.

It would be nice to skip the first 8 rounds of Shandalar after losing on round 9 or 10 a dozen times . . but if it can't be done it can't be done.

Save game would be a great option but you can always enter the monthly tournament and win a card that you need to build a deck, it won't unlock cards but you could ask for some that are missing.

I will agree with Cognis here. Oath + Emrakul + Propaganda + broken cards can beat most of the challenges.

I wonder what you will feel in the last round of landHO, Dude or 5:1 when your hand suck

I think the challenges need a hardcore mode :p

I wonder what you will feel in the last round of landHO, Dude or 10:1 when your hand suck

Fixed.
There were a time when there was a few coded cards and you had to beat the Challenge mode only with Mok cards...the good ol' time where you climb to the peak of the mountain in the storm with your gran'pa on your back with naked feet, ah teh young lass didn't know that time heh

Argh, I was doing so great with my affinity deck until I get to the slivers and my first hand has only City of Brass for mana source. I take a mulligan and see Mox Jet, Mana Vault, and Tinker, so I kept the hand and prayed for a blue mana source so I could dump Platinum Angel into play. Didn't get it.

aww1979 wrote:I think the challenges need a hardcore mode :p

Hmm... you have given me an idea for a new challenge

OK, back in old days 10:1 takes more time and crashes more than 5:1 but what really makes this challenge easier was Donate and not the quantity(like in last round when you can donate tapped strip mines while computer is turn locked).

And some challenges are harder now, like Gimme!, that after the implementation of Harmonic Sliver, gives you an auto loss even with Sarkhan (that can be disenchanted as well).

I wanted to try and unlock Goblin Welder, so I fired up Shandalar 2.0 to see what it looked like.

...why is the opponent given 50 life points? If you start with 10 life points and creatures on the other side of the board, your deck is pretty much required to be so full of stall tactics that you're guaranteed to see something that will keep you alive by turn 2. Which leaves little room for good kill conditions. I start winning the second round of the gauntlet, get the opponent down 30-40 HP, and the game freezes on another Platinum Angel attack.

And while I'm sure this changes with later challenges, I hate how so many decktypes get trashed in these challenges. I wouldn't mind changing it up to an aggro deck of my own, but even a Goblin deck isn't going to outdamage opponents that start with such huge advantages on turn 1. Likewise, what good is a discard or land destruction type deck if the opponent starts with Sliver Queen on the board?

I use a deck that can assemble Time Vault combo to take infinite turns. 2x Propaganda slow down the enemy just enough for the matches where it matters; and I use Oath with 2-3 targets for win condition. Every other card in the deck is either mana, card drawing, or tutors to get the piece(s) I am missing. For the 5:1 challenge I use Burning Wish and Cunning Wish to tutor for whatever card I need to meet that round's condition.

Which reminds me - I didn't beat 5:1 yet, but don't tell me how to beat the turns challenge, I want to figure it out still

The challenges aren't easy, but they're beatable. Turn 2 Emrakul (with the right hand) is pretty insane no matter how many creatures they started with.

Well, I still hadn't beated gimme!
It is impossible to win against creatureless Mono Red with a deck that only controls other players creatures...

But Manalink is a great game and Jatill is doing a excellent work, so I have to be ok with the fact that my Faeries won't have Sower of Temptation in the near future!

So what is supposed to happen when you beat a challenge? I wanted Goblin Welder, so toiled away and finally beat Shandalar 2.0. But I got no message that the card was unlocked, just the window you always see, and it said Match won. Tried to play a deck with the Welder in it, still locked. So I thought maybe I had to beat them in order. Started with Tribes, set the # of opponents at 11. After I beat the elves, I again get the match won message, no card unlocked, and then it tries to go on to another duel and crashes. Supremely frustrating. Anyone know what I need to do to get this working?

-Rob