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The thread has now been updated with complete info regarding the extra rewards that the enemies can give you. I used an old save I had and fought a lot of enemies for whom I didn´t know the reward. Some small enemies (Witch, Sorceress) didn´t want to show up that late in the game, so I actually started a new game to find out about their rewards, too.

There are some patterns I wasn´t aware of before. For example, all four Djinni give something djinn/efreet related, and all five tricoloured Dragons give Astral cards.

I have now updated five of the decks (yes, there are updated download links in the first post in the thread). Major changes to the Saltrem Tor deck, and minor changes to Crusader, Alt-A-Kesh, Queltosh and Whim decks.

I also made some changes to the files in the playdeck folder, swapping out cards that for some reason do not work in the dueling section of the game.



And I made a discovery in Shandalar: I played a black/white deck, where the Black part was slightly bigger than the White part.

The Shandalar enemies used both sideboards against me! For example, I played against a Priestess, and she had both a CoP: White and a CoP: Black out at one time. Her deck had 63 cards in this duel...

Just a little comment about those djinns.
They are represented by 3 color wedges as in WBR, where the 'tip' of the wedge is W, opposing the 'allied' BR.
So, each djinns color is the color of the 'tip', therefore Aga Galneer (BGW) is black, and Queltosh (RWU) is red.
As for the other two, I agree, they have been wrongly named. The reason is simple - while Saltem Tor is URG and has blue avatar, he is named green because the original deck has more green spells than blue and red. Alt-A-Kesh went through the same thing.
I wonder if it would be possible to add a white djinn (WBR)? Maybe even just to dueling, since shandalar is a cryptic maze of machine code.
Btw, excellent new decks! Now even more challenge... Not that I already have enough( yes, I am a magic noob, despite knowing and following the game since early 2000s).

Interesting observation about the djinns. I hadn´t thought of this, but I take it as more proof that I was right.

I now see that the tricoloured Dragons are made the other way around - they have the named colour and both of that colour´s "friends" (which are enemies among themselves). For example, Whim - the blue dragon, plays Blue along with White and Black.

Yeah, a white djinn would be cool. Too bad there is no white djinn spell.

Wow, awesome overhaul of the Shandalar decks. Each deck gets a descriptive breakdown... how fun is that!?

I snagged your downloads and played through a Gauntlet using each of the decks as I read their decriptions. For giggles, I kept a list of my results which you can snag as a text file below. Only 5 of the decks won into the double digits:

Crusader had 24 wins, loosing to Aga Galneer.
Azaar - Lichlord had 19 wins, loosing to Merfolk Shaman. (!?)
Beast Master had 12 wins, loosing to Necromancer.
Astral Visionary had 10 wins, loosing to Shapeshifter.
Hydra had 10 wins, loosing to Kiska-Ra.

The last Gauntlet listed in the text file was with an old-skool Blue/Artifact deck I made back when the game was still new(ish). I used it to see how well a nicely-tuned deck would fare against the overhauled decks, and it ran for 47 wins... only to get stomped by Sainted One. Man, I was so disappointed to get crushed right before the goal. *sigh*

Over all, I'd say the decks are a definite improvement over the originals. It's gonna make playing Wizard in Shandalar much more difficult... I'll try that next.
Thanks for helping me waste most of last weekend, it was fun!

CirothUngol wrote:Wow, awesome overhaul of the Shandalar decks. Each deck gets a descriptive breakdown... how fun is that!?

Thanks!
I hope it was a good read.

CirothUngol wrote:I snagged your downloads and played through a Gauntlet using each of the decks as I read their decriptions. For giggles, I kept a list of my results which you can snag as a text file below.

Another complete Gauntlet gauntlet. Cool!

CirothUngol wrote:Only 5 of the decks won into the double digits:

Crusader had 24 wins, loosing to Aga Galneer.
Azaar - Lichlord had 19 wins, loosing to Merfolk Shaman. (!?)
Beast Master had 12 wins, loosing to Necromancer.
Astral Visionary had 10 wins, loosing to Shapeshifter.
Hydra had 10 wins, loosing to Kiska-Ra.

Ah, good to see that good old Lichlord works, even with my 'middle-ground changes' approach. I have only played two Gauntlets with it, those netted 2 and 14 wins.
Mok´s version actually features the card Lich. Love the flavour, but I couldn´t work it in.
Btw, no shame in losing to Merfolk Shaman. That deck is brutal with a good draw. Main weakness in Shandalar is not the deck, but the low life of the creature playing it.

Nice you could get 12 wins with Beast Master. I´ve had 5, 3, 7 and 1 win in the four Gauntlets I´ve played. It´s a simplistic deck, and hard to be 'creative' with it on a sub-par draw.

How many of the Astral Visionary wins were scored with Leviathan as main damage source?

CirothUngol wrote:The last Gauntlet listed in the text file was with an old-skool Blue/Artifact deck I made back when the game was still new(ish). I used it to see how well a nicely-tuned deck would fare against the overhauled decks, and it ran for 47 wins... only to get stomped by Sainted One. Man, I was so disappointed to get crushed right before the goal. *sigh*

Pfft, that goofy Sainted One deck...what a way to go!

I like your deck. It´s like a turbo Shapeshifter deck on overdrive.

CirothUngol wrote:Over all, I'd say the decks are a definite improvement over the originals. It's gonna make playing Wizard in Shandalar much more difficult... I'll try that next.
Thanks for helping me waste most of last weekend, it was fun!

Glad I could provide some fun. Go and conquer Shandalar!

jiansonz,

I intended to do something like this for years, but completing my other decks project, (viewtopic.php?f=36&t=2088), took up so much of the time I could spend on things like this.

I've just started playing a new campaign using these new decks & I am thrilled with what you did. This whole project is great, injecting new life into Shandalar, which I have played steadily, literally thousands of campaigns, since it first came out oh those many years ago!

Maybe, as has been discussed many times before, we will one day be able to add many of the new cards that have been added to ManaLink into this wonderful realm, but for now, you have added so much more fun & challenge by retooling these Shandalar creature decks, it's given the game a tremendous boost for now & future playability.

In fact, you did such a good job at balancing & strengthening these creature decks, I'm a bit suspicious that you were sent by Arzakon himself, so as to make any mage's task, who comes to Shandalar's defense, that much harder!

Thank you for doing the work & posting all the info as well.

Well done my boy!

Bog Wraith wrote:In fact, you did such a good job at balancing & strengthening these creature decks, I'm a bit suspicious that you were sent by Arzakon himself, so as to make any mage's task, who comes to Shandalar's defense, that much harder!

Wow, what a compliment! Big thanks for that.
We need to credit Abe Sargent for a large part of the work, though.



I've been playing lots of Gauntlets with random Shandalar decks for a while now and noted a few more things:

* In the current game version, the inherent 'Destroy target creature with Islandwalk' ability on Merfolk Assassin does not work in the dueling section. Very annoying. The Merfolk Shaman deck is still not too bad there but loses much of its edge. It does work within Shandalar.
I moved the Playdeck folder to a modern MtG Limited setup to try to get a better dueling experience. However, that version has different rules, including a 'no mana burn' rule (rendering things like the Hydra's Power Surge tactics useless).

* In the dueling section, Magical Hacking a Lifetap card in play does not change the text when you look at the card, but it still gives life according to how it was Hacked. So it works - you just can't see the change.

* When playing as a Vampire Lord, I found that I very rarely cast my Howling Mine spells because I felt it would usually help the opponent more than it would help me. I guess they were meant as a way to draw some extra cards early on so you could drop a Sengir into the graveyard on the discard phase, then Animate it the next turn. But that's really clanky. So in a future update, I will replace them with Nettling Imp, a perfect creature for this Sengir + Sorceress Queen deck.

Anyone know if there is a list of all cards with ID numbers? You gave a couple options for finding these in the first post. One of them was using the deck reference list for the decks you've made. However, there are some cards that aren't in any of your decks (Singing Tree, Repentant Blacksmith, and others). Also, you suggested saving a deck in Deck Builder and getting the numbers that way. However, I installed the Shandalar 2012 game by itself, so I don't have Deck Builder.

Technetium wrote:Anyone know if there is a list of all cards with ID numbers? You gave a couple options for finding these in the first post. One of them was using the deck reference list for the decks you've made. However, there are some cards that aren't in any of your decks (Singing Tree, Repentant Blacksmith, and others). Also, you suggested saving a deck in Deck Builder and getting the numbers that way. However, I installed the Shandalar 2012 game by itself, so I don't have Deck Builder.

I searched and could not find such a list. I did find a Shandalar cards reference list but it did not have the ID numbers. Then I thought: "what the heck!" and put together such a deck with all the cards I do not have in any deck (actually, I had to make two because only 200 unique cards are allowed in a deck.) Whenever I was in doubt about a card, I included it.

So between my refence file and the list below, you should be able to find all the cards if you use word search. If I have missed a card you seek, reply to this thread.

Master list of cards not used in my Overhaul:
.393 1 Aladdin's Lamp
.479 1 Bronze Tablet
.412 1 Ebony Horse
.109 1 Helm of Chatzuk
.430 1 Jandor's Saddlebags
.507 1 Millstone
.509 1 Mishra's War Machine
.287 1 Winter Orb
.475 1 Ashnod's Battle Gear
.29 1 Celestial Prism
.488 1 Cursed Rack
.99 1 Glasses of Urza
.535 1 The Rack
.600 1 Cosmic Horror
.59 1 Deathlace
.547 1 Xenic Poltergeist
.551 1 Abomination
.225 1 Simulacrum
.365 1 Marsh Gas
.187 1 Plague Rats
.280 1 Weakness
.749 1 Psionic Entity
.768 1 Relic Bind
.245 1 Thoughtlace
.2 1 Animate Artifact
.575 1 Backfire
.346 1 Mind Bomb
.50 1 Creature Bond
.626 1 Energy Tap
.314 1 Erosion
.87 1 Flight
.935 1 Flood
.645 1 Gaseous Form
.133 1 Jump
.763 1 Rebirth
.536 1 Titania's Song
.339 1 Land Leeches
.939 1 Marsh Viper
.745 1 Pradesh Gypsies
.383 1 Venom
.32 1 Chaoslace
.343 1 Mana Clash
.810 1 Tempest Efreet
.177 1 Orcish Artillery
.255 1 Tunnel
.304 1 Brothers of Fire
.937 1 Goblin Rock Sled
.104 1 Gray Ogre
.813 1 The Brute
.196 1 Purelace
.205 1 Righteousness
.19 1 Black Ward
.23 1 Blue Ward
.200 1 Red Ward
.837 1 Visions
.303 1 Brainwash
.57 1 Death Ward
.347 1 Morale
.448 1 Piety
.781 1 Seeker
.863 1 Pandora's Box
.867 1 Power Struggle
.395 1 Ali from Cairo
.480 1 Candelabra of Tawnos
.90 1 Forcefield
.92 1 Fork
.248 1 Time Vault
.398 1 Bazaar of Baghdad
.541 1 Urza's Mine
.543 1 Urza's Power Plant
.544 1 Urza's Tower
.561 1 Alchor's Tomb
.474 1 Ashnod's Altar
.476 1 Ashnod's Transmogrant
.297 1 Barl's Cage
.302 1 Bone Flute
.353 1 Book of Rass
.324 1 Fountain of Youth
.96 1 Gauntlet of Might
.130 1 Jade Statue
.504 1 Jalum Tome
.429 1 Jandor's Ring
.431 1 Jeweled Bird
.713 1 Life Chisel
.894 1 Mana Crypt
.506 1 Mightstone
.511 1 Obelisk of Undoing
.449 1 Pyramids
.520 1 Rakalite
.767 1 Relic Barrier
.451 1 Ring of Ma'rûf
.453 1 Sandals of Abdallah
.784 1 Serpent Generator
.527 1 Staff of Zegon
.530 1 Tablet of Epityr
.540 1 Urza's Chalice
.542 1 Urza's Miter
.308 1 Coal Golem
.132 1 Juggernaut
.148 1 Living Wall
.529 1 Su-Chi
.296 1 Banshee
.350 1 Bog Rats
.404 1 Cuombajj Witches
.61 1 Demonic Hordes
.631 1 Fallen Angel
.647 1 Ghosts of the Damned
.423 1 Guardian Beast
.424 1 Hasran Ogress
.667 1 Headless Horseman
.683 1 Infernal Medusa
.727 1 Mold Demon
.172 1 Nettling Imp
.515 1 Phyrexian Gremlins
.549 1 Priest of Yawgmoth
.848 1 Wall of Tombstones
.548 1 Yawgmoth Demon
.516 1 Artifact Possession
.497 1 Gate to Phyrexia
.501 1 Haunting Wind
.141 1 Lich
.43 1 Contract from Below
.56 1 Darkpact
.60 1 Demonic Attorney
.374 1 Inquisition
.692 1 Jovial Evil
.805 1 Syphon Soul
.609 1 Darkness
.669 1 Hell Swarm
.210 1 Sacrifice
.896 1 Sewers of Estark
.406 1 Dandân
.612 1 Devouring Deep
.370 1 Drowned
.621 1 Elder Spawn
.420 1 Flying Men
.440 1 Merchant Ship
.524 1 Sage of Lat-Nam
.456 1 Serendib Efreet
.850 1 Wall of Wonder
.951 1 Water Wurm
.418 1 Fishliver Oil
.122 1 Invisibility
.521 1 Reconstruction
.771 1 Reset
.355 1 Riptide
.640 1 Force Spike
.770 1 Remove Soul
.469 1 Argothian Pixies
.470 1 Argothian Treefolk
.590 1 Cat Warriors
.313 1 Elves of Deep Shadow
.623 1 Emerald Dragonfly
.635 1 Fire Sprites
.496 1 Gaea's Avenger
.421 1 Ghazbán Ogre
.728 1 Moss Monster
.743 1 Pixie Queen
.947 1 Scavenger Folk
.459 1 Singing Tree
.380 1 Tracker
.389 1 Wormwood Treefolk
.411 1 Drop of Honey
.80 1 Fastbond
.335 1 Hidden Path
.137 1 Kudzu
.518 1 Powerleech
.827 1 Typhoon
.170 1 Natural Selection
.798 1 Storm Seeker
.392 1 Aladdin
.477 1 Atog
.579 1 Beasts of Bogardan
.603 1 Crimson Kobolds
.605 1 Crookshank Kobolds
.704 1 Kobolds of Kher Keep
.408 1 Desert Nomads
.71 1 Dwarven Demolition Team
.493 1 Dwarven Weaponsmith
.320 1 Fire Drake
.498 1 Goblin Artisans
.103 1 Granite Gargoyle
.677 1 Hyperion Blacksmith
.701 1 Kobold Drill Sergeant
.702 1 Kobold Overlord
.703 1 Kobold Taskmaster
.513 1 Orcish Mechanics
.757 1 Raging Bull
.206 1 Roc of Kher Ridges
.452 1 Rukh Egg
.793 1 Spinal Villain
.257 1 Two-Headed Giant of Foriys
.842 1 Wall of Earth
.843 1 Wall of Heat
.845 1 Wall of Opposition
.299 1 Blood Moon
.74 1 Earthbind
.197 1 Raging River
.315 1 Eternal Flame
.526 1 Shatterstorm
.472 1 Artifact Blast
.391 1 Abu Ja'far
.467 1 Argivian Archaeologist
.468 1 Argivian Blacksmith
.401 1 Camel
.607 1 D'Avenant Archer
.316 1 Exorcist
.686 1 Ivory Guardians
.941 1 Miracle Worker
.443 1 Moorish Cavalry
.450 1 Repentant Blacksmith
.948 1 Squire
.816 1 Thunder Spirit
.264 1 Veteran Bodyguard
.387 1 Witch Hunter
.473 1 Artifact Ward
.41 1 Consecrate Land
.489 1 Damping Field
.79 1 Farmstead
.660 1 Greater Realm of Preservation
.138 1 Lance
.715 1 Lifeblood
.726 1 Moat
.796 1 Spiritual Sanctuary
.596 1 Cleanse
.345 1 Martyr's Cry
.203 1 Resurrection
.20 1 Blaze of Glory
.615 1 Divine Offering
.658 1 Great Defender
.107 1 Guardian Angel
.375 1 Holy Light
.672 1 Holy Day
.522 1 Reverse Polarity
.786 1 Shield Wall

Technetium wrote:Anyone know if there is a list of all cards with ID numbers?

Look for Shandalar_20111207.csv in the Shandalar 2012 \Program\ folder and open it with Excel or NotePad.

...I installed the Shandalar 2012 game by itself, so I don't have Deck Builder.

To open DeckBuilder, click on Deck.exe in the Shandalar 2012 \Program\ folder.

@jiansonz
Thanx again for this wonderful Shandalar resource. I never play without using your new Enemy Decks and I still come back to this thread anytime I need info about a specific monster. Excellent Work!

hey whats up,

I've done similar work as you did a bit earlier, if someone is interested here is the discussion thread
viewtopic.php?f=57&t=4546

I'm also going to try out your decks once I'll have time for MTG

podbelski wrote:I've done similar work as you did a bit earlier, if someone is interested here is the discussion thread
viewtopic.php?f=57&t=4546

Cool. I'll make sure to check out your take on the decks.

Request:

How about a master wizard version of decks? Things without some of the chaff filler seen in decks, and without cards that the computer plays badly? It's humorous watching the CPU kill itself instead of untapping Mana Vaults, but......

Things like putting Moat in Winged Stallion deck, replacing Erg Raiders with Juggernauts, the above mentioned Mana Vaults with a Sol Ring and Fellwar Stones, etc.

I'd be happy to help collaborate, but I don't have the ability to do the actual changes.

BitNinja wrote:Request:

How about a master wizard version of decks? Things without some of the chaff filler seen in decks, and without cards that the computer plays badly? It's humorous watching the CPU kill itself instead of untapping Mana Vaults, but......

Things like putting Moat in Winged Stallion deck, replacing Erg Raiders with Juggernauts, the above mentioned Mana Vaults with a Sol Ring and Fellwar Stones, etc.

I'd be happy to help collaborate, but I don't have the ability to do the actual changes.

fwiw these problems are fully addressed in mine overhaul attempt, see link above...