Challenge 3-5 : Instant Gratification

[Salbei]

Instant Gratification
Challenge: 3-5
Unlocks: (Might of Alara)
Description: You may only use instants
NavigationChallenge Index - Archive for Set 3


Please discuss this Challenge here!

[Salbei]

aww1979 used this to beat the challenge.Found at the Archive and might be outdated.

;instantgratification
;
;#oldgames
;
;06/11/2009
;1
;4th Edition
;

.1 1 Ancestral Recall
.1136 4 Burst Lightning
.1889 4 Cunning Wish
.566 4 Electrolyze
.1782 4 Fire // Ice
.1923 1 Fact or Fiction
.1762 4 Fireblast
.145 4 Lightning Bolt
.1254 4 Incinerate
.1948 4 Volcanic Fallout
.1147 4 Shock
.266 4 Volcanic Island
.164 13 Mountain
.126 5 Island

Won the first attempt with this deck. The only other try I made was last night with a really goofy Archive Trap deck, and it, uh... didn't win I was lucky though in that I got Ancestral Recall in most of my opening hands. Cunning Wish was used on extra copies of Ancestral Recall, direct damage finishers, or volcanic fallout if in serious trouble. (I think I only had to do that once) It's pretty hard to lose if you've cast three ancestral recalls in one game!

Instant Gratification was one of the easiest ones imo, as others have stated UR burn is the way to go. This list isn't optimized but still made it on the 2nd try:

.1136 4 Burst Lightning
.1253 4 Char
.1417 4 Flame Javelin
.1254 4 Incinerate
.145 4 Lightning Bolt
.1948 4 Volcanic Fallout
.1 1 Ancestral Recall
.194 2 Psionic Blast
.566 4 Electrolyze
.1782 4 Fire // Ice
.1923 1 Fact or Fiction
.126 9 Island
.164 11 Mountain
.266 4 Volcanic Island

Here's what I used to beat each challenge in round #3, post if you want a decklist for any of them.

*Gather No Moss - All the good green and white walls + 4 Living Wish.
*Enchanted Evening - UBW Creature hate with Luminarch Ascension as finisher.
*Master Warlock - aww1979's token deck above.
*Urza Wannabe - 28 planeswalkers + 4 Oath of druids, 1 Iona, 1 Platinum angel. Lame I know
*Instant Gratification - UR burn deck above.
*Gimme! - Mono blue with Time Walk, Ancestral Recall, Sol Ring and Cunning Wish as wild cards.
*March of the Machines 2 - Bridge/Skullcap deck with belcher as finisher, posted earlier in the thread.
*Easy as 1, 2, 3... - Control Version of Oath with Idyllic Tutor to find it.
*The Perfect Storm - Dredge deck with Bloodghasts.
*Sliver Nation - Dredge deck with 4 x Crop Rotation to find bazaar faster.

Finished a three more challenges. First, Instant Gratification:

.1 1 Ancestral Recall
.1889 4 Cunning Wish
.1762 4 Fireblast
.1254 4 Incinerate
.145 4 Lightning Bolt
.1948 4 Volcanic Fallout
.1136 4 Burst Lightning
.266 4 Volcanic Island
.1782 4 Fire // Ice
.566 4 Electrolyze
.1771 4 Hidetsugu's Second Rite
.1923 1 Fact or Fiction
.352 1 Mystical Tutor
.164 12 Mountain
.126 5 Island
.266 4 Volcanic Island

Got it on the 2nd try. The key card here was Hidetsugu's. I tried the challenge with a Hidetsugu-less build (with Echoing Truth instead) and in about a dozen attempts, the best that I got to was round 5. The main problem with that build was running out of steam or being overwhelmed by pumped-up guys. Hidestsugu effectively halves the opponent's life so it becomes much easier. it was my main Wish target as well. There were only a couple of matches where I didn't use it. Just be careful with the comp cracking Fetchlands and putting himself on less than 10 life. The Gold cards were helpful with dealing a single point of damage if necessary.

[HornofAmmon]

Burned through this challenge with a pretty similar deck to those above. I used Searing Blaze and Starstorm to keep the creatures in check. Also, in my winning run I was lucky enough not to meet the kithkin or soldier decks, which I find make my deck nearly unwinnable. Here's what I used:


.1 1 Ancestral Recall
.1889 4 Cunning Wish
.566 4 Electrolyze
.1328 4 Lightning Helix
.1253 3 Char
.1762 4 Fireblast
.145 4 Lightning Bolt
.138 4 Searing Blaze
.400 2 Starstorm
.1417 4 Flame Javelin
.1254 4 Incinerate
.254 4 Tundra
.266 4 Volcanic Island
.189 4 Plateau
.164 8 Mountain
.126 2 Island

[HarlequinCasts]

I chose the long and painful High Tide approach with decking as the only win condition. Kill was usually a huge Brain Freeze followed by an Ancestral Recall, or just a gigantic Blue Sun's Zenith.

Since nothing else matters, stall and play out islands until the last possible moment. Since every card is instant, you can go off and win at any phase. Try to wait until you have 8 cards in hand and 4 island if you go off on your own turn.

Island x20
High Tide x4
Turnabout x4 (Mana combo)
Frantic Search x4
Snap x1

Ancestral Recall x1
Accumulated Knowledge x4
Meditate x4
Peer Through Depths x4 (Card draw / Tutor)
Thought Scour x3
Mystical Teachings x4
Cunning Wish x4

Blue Sun's Zenith x1
Brain Freeze x1 (Win conditions)
Pact of Negation x1

I need to do some bug hunting here. I frequently would find multiple copies of Brain Freeze or Blue Sun's Zenith in my deck while tutoring and there should only be one of each. Something was duping cards for me. Oh well, the deck works like a charm if you don't mind spending a huge amount of time on the combo each game xD