New quest decks

[Chris H.]

Actually i'm not a big Marvel (or DC) fan and i don't even know half of the Marvel characters i've used. They just provide a nice pool of characters to grab from.

Concerning Diablo, i didn't know about the Marvel character. Just as timmermac, i had the Blizzard character in mind.

 
Ah, sounds good to me. Thank you Sloth and Timmermac.

I often just try to find a goggle pic in the list of pics that looks like it may make a good looking pic.
 

[Hellfish]

Not big marvel or dc fans.

Bah, philistines.

[Chris H.]

As a kid my mother introduced me to the DC comics. Batman was her favorite when she was young. By the time I grew up I had a large cardboard box full of well worn and well read DC comic books.

Marvel comics was generally too wordy for me as a kid and they tended to bore me at times. I liked the artwork but I failed to buy them at the local store.

As a kid I only bought one Marvel comic at the store - a number 1 first issue of the Silver Streak.


Oh, my wife recently bought me a few Marvel comics after we watched the recent series of Marvel comic based movies on cable TV. I really should read them.

[Sloth]

Did you test it for yourself, Sloth? I would change the deck a bit into

golgari med | Open

4 Birds of Paradise
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Boneyard Wurm
4 Deadbridge Chant
4 Deadbridge Goliath
4 Dreg Mangler
4 Drown in Filth
28 Forest
4 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Ghoultree
2 Gleancrawler
3 Glissa, the Traitor
4 Grisly Salvage
2 Gyre Sage
4 Jarad's Orders
3 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
4 Jund Panorama
4 Llanowar Dead
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Lord of Extinction
4 Marsh Flats
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Overgrown Battlement
4 Polluted Delta
4 Shambling Shell
2 Sheoldred, Whispering One
4 Slitherhead
4 Splinterfright
4 Stinkweed Imp
24 Swamp
4 Urborg Elf
4 Utopia Tree
4 Varolz, the Scar-Striped
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Vine Trellis
4 Vulturous Zombie
4 Wall of Roots
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Worm Harvest (due to fetchlands, it should still quite useable even w/o cards to put lands into the yard)

The more i play this deck the more flaws unveil: The Scavenge creatues and Varolz, the Scar-Striped in particular often lessen the count of creatures in the graveyard which leads to Boneyard Wurm dying and Deadbridge Chant always returning lands.

well, it is true that these are, somehow, anti synergic. (or, let me phrase it different: Chant does help the troll, yet the troll does not help the chant.)
What I thought about it is, that since it is such a huge body, there are simply not enough cards which profit in either way from cards being in the yard. Both of them do profit from having cards in the yard, yet the probability of drawing cards which do are less when you have only scavenge / boneyard.
So, either reducing the body in total (while I really wanted to see another >=200 card deck) or keeping it this way. IMO it is a solid medium opponent, so the reduced version could become, with some addition, maybe a hard opponent. How does that sound? I will try to cut one of these (prefereable scavenge) and see if it would be strong enough for hard (even though I doubt it)

I tried my best to build around Splinterfright, Boneyard Wurm and Deadbridge Chant which was really not easy, but i think i've got it working now:

LeChuck 3 | Open

3 Bayou
3 Tropical Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Dryad Arbor
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Deadbridge Chant
4 Grisly Salvage
2 Tracker's Instincts
2 Mulch
4 Splinterfright
3 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Jarad's Orders
3 Armored Skaab
2 Hermit Druid
4 Boneyard Wurm
2 Ghoultree
1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
1 Brawn
1 Wonder
1 Lord of Extinction
1 Worm Harvest

It's stepping on the toes of Hobbes 3 and Mortivore 3, but i think they are significantly different.

[moomarc]

I've uploaded all the new quest avatars and updated the URL list, but if someone notices something missing, please let me know. I've tried to keep an eye on what's going on, but work has been a bit hectic and will still be for at least two more weeks (I guess I can't complain - its rather good to be busy when freelancing )

[Chris H.]

LeChuck 3 | Open

3 Bayou
3 Tropical Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Dryad Arbor
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Deadbridge Chant
4 Grisly Salvage
2 Tracker's Instincts
2 Mulch
4 Splinterfright
3 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Jarad's Orders
3 Armored Skaab
2 Hermit Druid
4 Boneyard Wurm
2 Ghoultree
1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
1 Brawn
1 Wonder
1 Lord of Extinction
1 Worm Harvest

 

[Sloth]

On another note: Do you can think of any improvements for this deck:

golgari/simic | Open

4 Bayou
2 Bred for the Hunt
2 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Corpsejack Menace
2 Crowned Ceratok
2 Cytoplast Root-Kin
4 Dimir Guildgate
2 Elusive Krasis
2 Experiment One
2 Fathom Mage
4 Golgari Guildgate
4 Master Biomancer
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
4 Renegade Krasis
2 Sapphire Drake
2 Shambleshark
4 Simic Guildgate
2 Slitherhead
1 Tree of Redemption
4 Tropical Island
4 Underground Sea
2 Zameck Guildmage

In testing this deck worked fairly well. The distribution of copies is well done. Corpsejack Menace with Master Biomancer or Renegade Krasis can become really crazy.

Underwhelming performance: Zameck Guildmage (the AI doesn't know how to use the abilities correctly), Slitherhead (will just sit around on the battlefield).

Possible Additions: Oona's Blackguard (devastating when cast turn 2 after Cloudfin Raptor), Varolz, the Scar-Striped, Vigean Hydropon, Bramblewood Paragon (for one copy of Crowned Ceratok).

[Nordos]

I really didn't think about the blackguard and the Bramblewood Paragon - these are very nice additions!
Varolz. Hm, how many copies? I tend to either 1 or 2, yet I'm not completely sure. The main problem is, that evolve creatures tend to have higher CMC then their power, thus I would tend to 1.
Vigean Hydropon. I have a quick question about graft: When you move a counter, the creature has already entered, which mean it doesn't trigger evolve, right?
Depending on the mana curve (the ones which are falling out are one's with CMC 1 and CMC 2, which leads to an increased mana curve by default), I would add 1-3 (supposing that Varolz has only one copy)

[Sloth]

I really didn't think about the blackguard and the Bramblewood Paragon - these are very nice additions!
Varolz. Hm, how many copies? I tend to either 1 or 2, yet I'm not completely sure. The main problem is, that evolve creatures tend to have higher CMC then their power, thus I would tend to 1.
Vigean Hydropon. I have a quick question about graft: When you move a counter, the creature has already entered, which mean it doesn't trigger evolve, right?
Depending on the mana curve (the ones which are falling out are one's with CMC 1 and CMC 2, which leads to an increased mana curve by default), I would add 1-3 (supposing that Varolz has only one copy)

Sounds good. So +1 copy of Bramblewood Paragon, Varolz and Vigean Hydropon each, +2 copies of Oona's Blackguard and cut Zameck Guildmage, Slitherhead and one copy of Crowned Ceratok?

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 3 | Open

4 Bayou
1 Bramblewood Paragon
2 Bred for the Hunt
2 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Corpsejack Menace
1 Crowned Ceratok
2 Cytoplast Root-Kin
4 Dimir Guildgate
2 Elusive Krasis
2 Experiment One
2 Fathom Mage
4 Golgari Guildgate
4 Master Biomancer
2 Oona's Blackguard
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
4 Renegade Krasis
2 Sapphire Drake
2 Shambleshark
4 Simic Guildgate
1 Tree of Redemption
4 Tropical Island
4 Underground Sea
1 Varolz, the Scar-Striped
1 Vigean Hydropon

[Nordos]

How's the mana curve now?
Let us see how many CMC 2 cards and how many CMC 4 we have.
It says that we have 5 CMC 2 cards and 14 CMC 4 cards. Based on that, I would replace the remaining Crowned Ceratok with a Bramblewood Paragon, too.
Otherwise it really does look good

[Sloth]

How's the mana curve now?
Let us see how many CMC 2 cards and how many CMC 4 we have.
It says that we have 5 CMC 2 cards and 14 CMC 4 cards. Based on that, I would replace the remaining Crowned Ceratok with a Bramblewood Paragon, too.
Otherwise it really does look good

Ok, changed that (and upgraded the mana base a little) and commited as a hard opponent:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 3 | Open

4 Bayou
2 Bramblewood Paragon
2 Bred for the Hunt
2 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Corpsejack Menace
2 Cytoplast Root-Kin
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Elusive Krasis
2 Experiment One
2 Fathom Mage
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Master Biomancer
2 Oona's Blackguard
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
4 Renegade Krasis
2 Sapphire Drake
2 Shambleshark
1 Tree of Redemption
4 Tropical Island
4 Underground Sea
1 Varolz, the Scar-Striped
1 Vigean Hydropon
4 Woodland Cemetery

[Chris H.]

How's the mana curve now?
Let us see how many CMC 2 cards and how many CMC 4 we have.
It says that we have 5 CMC 2 cards and 14 CMC 4 cards. Based on that, I would replace the remaining Crowned Ceratok with a Bramblewood Paragon, too.
Otherwise it really does look good

Ok, changed that (and upgraded the mana base a little) and commited as a hard opponent:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 3 | Open

4 Bayou
2 Bramblewood Paragon
2 Bred for the Hunt
2 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Corpsejack Menace
2 Cytoplast Root-Kin
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Elusive Krasis
2 Experiment One
2 Fathom Mage
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Master Biomancer
2 Oona's Blackguard
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
4 Renegade Krasis
2 Sapphire Drake
2 Shambleshark
1 Tree of Redemption
4 Tropical Island
4 Underground Sea
1 Varolz, the Scar-Striped
1 Vigean Hydropon
4 Woodland Cemetery

 
Thank you Nordos and Sloth.
 

[Nordos]

W G B Anti black deck | Open

4 Bayou
1 Chameleon Colossus
4 Compost
4 Darkest Hour
3 Duskrider Falcon
4 Enlightened Tutor
5 Forest
2 Great Sable Stag
2 Lifeforce
3 Mold Adder
4 Northern Paladin
2 Oversoul of Dusk
4 Painter's Servant
5 Plains
4 Savannah
4 Scrubland
2 Smolder Initiate
1 Sphere of Grace
1 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Too bad that the AI wouldn't know how to use neither the Chameleon Colossus (as far as I can tell) nor the Circle of Protection from Black.
Well... Dunno. I tested it a bit and the AI doesn't make that many mistakes. I don't know, yet the Servant and Lifeforce in combination with Compost is quite powerful ...

[Sloth]

W G B Anti black deck | Open

4 Bayou
1 Chameleon Colossus
4 Compost
4 Darkest Hour
3 Duskrider Falcon
4 Enlightened Tutor
5 Forest
2 Great Sable Stag
2 Lifeforce
3 Mold Adder
4 Northern Paladin
2 Oversoul of Dusk
4 Painter's Servant
5 Plains
4 Savannah
4 Scrubland
2 Smolder Initiate
1 Sphere of Grace
1 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Too bad that the AI wouldn't know how to use neither the Chameleon Colossus (as far as I can tell) nor the Circle of Protection from Black.
Well... Dunno. I tested it a bit and the AI doesn't make that many mistakes. I don't know, yet the Servant and Lifeforce in combination with Compost is quite powerful ...

I fixed the AI using Circle of Protection: Black. I want to make this a medium opponent, so i propose a few little changes:

I wasn't really happy with Smolder Initiate (it did too little) and Oversoul of Dusk (it sometimes wins the game alone). Other than cutting these, i've diversified the deck a bit, because there are so many options that play the same role in this deck:

Hermes Conrad 2 | Open

4 Bayou
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Circle of Protection: Black
3 Compost
4 Darkest Hour
2 Duskrider Falcon
1 Duskrider Peregrine
3 Enlightened Tutor
1 Exorcist
3 Forest
2 Great Sable Stag
1 Haunted Angel
1 Hunted Lammasu
1 Llanowar Knight
2 Lifeforce
1 Lightwielder Paladin
2 Mold Adder
3 Northern Paladin
4 Painter's Servant
3 Plains
4 Savannah
4 Scrubland
1 Spectral Bears
1 Sphere of Grace
1 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Valeron Outlander
4 Windswept Heath

If you don't like any of the additions or cuttings, just say so Nordos. Most of these changes are a bit random.

[Nordos]

I was pretty sure, that I already commented it... Oh well
First of all, we have a lot of 2er drops in this deck. I would shaft the power a bit, too.
Valeron Outlander becomes another copy of Compost, Spectral Bears becomes Spectral Force (strong body and finisher).
Additional, I would shift the lands a bit in favor of the plains. The decks needs more white mana in the low lvl then any other color IMO.

Well, just some things which came into my mind when seeing the deck. Otherwise it's quite good