Shandalar Speed Run - What's your best?

by **jatill** » 11 Mar 2011, 17:40

My best: 8 hrs, 99 duels.

I just played Shandalar on Wizard level, and beat it in about 8 hours. I'm curious what your best times are? Or instead of time, perhaps it's easier to measure total duels. I just finished with under 100 duels (record: 90/9). As you can see, I don't reload when I lose a battle. In this game, I only went into 1 dungeon to find both Black Lotus and Mox Jet for my Black deck. I probably would have skipped this step, too, except that I won an Ivory Tower randomly along the way.

I should also mention that I did not go into the game trying to optimize anything. I was just curious what a normal run would take.

by **HornofAmmon** » 11 Mar 2011, 21:15

Well, I've beaten the game about 6 or 7 times, and I don't think in any of them I had fewer than 150 duels or so. But I'm a perfectionist so I always clean out the dungeons and try to get the random creatures to prostrate themselves in fear. I bet one could get the whole thing done in less than 50 duels, though, if one buys everything they need in a bazaar for gold.

I also never reload, and my records are generally a worse at maybe 5 to 1 ratio or so. Though currently my mage playing an improbably good blue deck, basically all of my control magics/counterspells/lifetap + magical hacks crammed together, is at 52/3 somehow. Most epic duel so far: got down quickly to 4 HP against a beastmaster with five 1/1 and 2/2 creatures vs. a Wall of Air and Flying Men, then got a lifetap and ghost ship up, but just when I started damaging him he casts Tsunami, I end up having to play 30 turns of waiting around for a Mahamoti Djinn while he procrastinates finishing me off. Too bad the AI's aren't better, that would've been a sure loss if the AI could just think 2 turns ahead and attack twice

by **jatill** » 04 Dec 2013, 02:43

I decided to try this in Apprentice mode. Turns out you can do it in about 20 minutes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2KeEi3B ... e=youtu.be

by **Aswan jaguar** » 04 Dec 2013, 16:58

My friend Usein Bolt would have envied this speed run!
I am a total noob in Shandalar and it was fun and interesting to see a master of it who knows extremely well his playground.
By the way I hope you keep an eye on our beloved Manalink and the progress it makes.We miss you,your developing skills and your playing skills in the tournaments,too. :wink:

greetings from Aswan Jaguar .

by **HarlequinCasts** » 05 Dec 2013, 04:13

Yeah Derek Boyko (mtg player/author) who introduced me to Shandalar often does Shandalar speed runs on his stream. The best up there now is ~27 minutes.

Its all about the red deck that abuses dice to get a first turn Shivan Dragon each fight in the castles. Basically the same as the youtube video above, but less luck with the last boss fight and he preps a lot more for it.

Here's his channel on twitch if you ever want to catch it live.

by **jatill** » 12 Dec 2013, 13:11

HarlequinCasts wrote:Yeah Derek Boyko (mtg player/author) who introduced me to Shandalar often does Shandalar speed runs on his stream. The best up there now is ~27 minutes.

Its all about the red deck that abuses dice to get a first turn Shivan Dragon each fight in the castles. Basically the same as the youtube video above, but less luck with the last boss fight and he preps a lot more for it.

Here's his channel on twitch if you ever want to catch it live.

Yup, it's his run that I emulated when I did mine. It's fun stuff.