Challenge 1-3 : Chipping Away

[Salbei]

Chipping Away
Challenge: 1-3
Unlocks: (Mystic Remora)
Description: at the beginning of each game, opponent drains your life
NavigationChallenge Index - Archive for Set 1


Please discuss this Challenge here!

[HornofAmmon]

Argh. I've gotten to round 9 at least 3 times already, and to the later rounds several more times, but my "Tinker-bell" deck just doesn't seem to be reliable enough. It did get me through challenges 1 and 2 already, but it just seems to get "unlucky" too often. Looking at aww1979's posts, it seems that independently my deck has gotten more similar to his Boring Angel deck. What other changes can I make to optimize it?


.126 15 Island
.466 4 Memnite
.1706 2 Master of Etherium
.1879 2 Etherium Sculptor
.1216 4 Seat of the Synod
.1351 1 Tinker
.537 2 Transmute Artifact
.1208 2 Cathodion
.317 1 Tolarian Academy
.782 1 Blightsteel Colossus
.1308 2 Platinum Angel
.169 1 Mox Sapphire
.230 1 Sol Ring
.352 1 Mystical Tutor
.334 4 Personal Tutor
.17 1 Black Lotus
.312 1 Ponder
.955 1 Wurmcoil Engine
.249 1 Time Walk
.1 1 Ancestral Recall
.510 1 Mishra's Workshop
.1758 1 Show and Tell
.1317 4 Phyrexian Walker
.725 1 Mirror Universe
.528 1 Strip Mine
.173 1 Nevinyrral's Disk
.1891 2 Echoing Truth
.1805 1 Mox Opal

[discoransom]

I'd guess it might be because you're hedging your bets between being a Tinker deck, and a deck that drops 0 cost creatures to protect itself early. I'd think about committing heavier to the Tinker strategy, maybe by cutting the Memnites for the rest of the Moxes and finding room for 2 more echoing truth, a brainstorm, and a preordain or timetwister. Memory Jar may also be strong, probably stronger than Mirror Universe (not to say there's no room for both)

[aww1979]

Phyrexian Walker should be removed; it's crap. Also, you may or may not be aware, but Mishra's Workshop hasn't been on the restricted list since the late 90s or so :p

[HornofAmmon]

Thanks for the advice. I did know about Mishra's Workshop, haha, but I didn't feel more than 1 was necessary. I was thinking of dropping some of the Phyrexian Walkers for the rest of the Moxes also, but the walkers and Memnites are good for blocking the Kithkin on the last round. The main problem is that I'm finding it hard to Tinker out a Platinum Angel / Blightsteel Colossus before I die in the later rounds. I suppose Brainstorm / Timetwister would help me with that.

The most frustrating part was one time when I got a Mirror Universe out and activated on the last round, only to lose due to bad luck and play without being able to deal the 2 damage to kill him. That plus all the times the last round goes, comp starts and casts Isamaru, I can't get anything out the first turn, gg.


What about possibly Voltaic Key/Time Vault? Both parts would be easy to Transmute Artifact into, compared to the big creatures.

[Wronskian]

For Boring Angel I have tried this list. In the last rounds, play carefully Force of Will, Mana Crypt and Mana Vault, but they will help you to win.

In the last game, you may have to mulligan until you get a hand that puts the big beasts into play turn 1 or 2. Casting them with less than 5 cards in hand is very difficult, however.

.126 9 Island (not a lot because I have moxes but enough for Daze)
.1216 4 Seat of the Synod
.317 1 Tolarian Academy
.1351 1 Tinker
.1758 1 Show and Tell
.782 1 Blightsteel Colossus
.1308 3 Platinum Angel (you want to use Show and Tell when possible and with Black Lotus, you usually can cast it)
.169 1 Mox Sapphire
.230 1 Sol Ring
.17 1 Black Lotus
.334 4 Personal Tutor
.352 1 Mystical Tutor
.312 1 Ponder
.249 1 Time Walk
.1 1 Ancestral Recall
.1805 3 Mox Opal (only 3 because it's legendary, but you want it each game)

.499 1 Brainstorm
.1084 1 Merchant Scroll (to search for Mystical tutor when it is really needed and you have enough mana, for Fow otherwise)
.309 1 Windfall
.250 1 Timetwister
.497 4 Preordain
those to search and shuffle the library until you get Tinker

.168 1 Mox Ruby
.167 1 Mox Pearl
.166 1 Mox Jet
.165 1 Mox Emerald
.1718 3 Chrome Mox
.1424 1 Lotus Petal
.894 1 Mana Crypt (a lot of damages, but play it only if you can sacrifice it to Tinker or if you need it to put Platinum Angel into play)
.157 1 Mana Vault (idem, you can cast but pay attention when you tap it)
enough mana to cast Tinker Turn 1 or Platinum Angel

.1717 4 Force of Will
.1750 4 Daze
To avoid bad luck in the last games

Something I remarked : Tinker can not be countered by Force of Will. In my first game, AI tried to counter it with FoW, but, despite of this, I was asked to sacrifice and put a card into play. Strange but useful.

Ps : sorry for the comments inside the list....

[HornofAmmon]

Very good advice, I am taking it w/ regards to putting in some Force of Will's.

I just died on round 8 by POISON from slivers, when I had my Platinum Angel out! Sigh - I believe it's a known bug - but still frustrating as hell

[baka]

i have played this part with "platinum angel" and "lifegain" decks and the success rate is not that high.
you need luck to win all games, because if ai get the "wrong" deck on you, no matter what you will die.
i came up with another solution using Ali from Cairo. this deck give you defense as in Death's Shadow when
your life is low, the Ensnaring Bridge is good to have if ai have a brutal multi-creature deck, while you wait your time and backstabbing him using red-spells. also Magus of the Mirror thats both a creature and life-exchanging spell. theres multiple ways to use this deck. depending on ai and how fast you can get your cards out. avoid Ensnaring Bridge if possible. also use Lightning Greaves to protect Ali if available.

.145 4 Lightning Bolt
.1591 2 Red Sun's Zenith
.965 2 Ensnaring Bridge
.62 1 Demonic Tutor
.9 4 Badlands
.1898 1 Lion's Eye Diamond
.52 4 Death's Shadow
.1783 4 Blackcleave Cliffs
.168 1 Mox Ruby
.166 1 Mox Jet
.1805 1 Mox Opal
.230 1 Sol Ring
.165 1 Mox Emerald
.167 1 Mox Pearl
.169 1 Mox Sapphire
.1779 1 Lightning Greaves
.317 1 Tolarian Academy
.282 1 Wheel of Fortune
.17 1 Black Lotus
.1218 4 Great Furnace
.1215 4 Vault of Whispers
.395 4 Ali from Cairo
.609 2 Darkness
.1932 2 Demigod of Revenge
.955 1 Wurmcoil Engine
.864 1 Basilisk Collar
.617 2 Vampire Nighthawk
.1127 1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
.1286 1 Magus of the Mirror
.164 1 Mountain
.665 1 Hammerheim
.1827 1 Trespasser il-Vec
.1320 1 Vulshok Sorcerer
.87 1 Dragonmaster Outcast

[mox]

Oooh won Chipping Away finally. With this deck:

TANC.zip

(603 Bytes) Downloaded 589 times

TANC: Tendrils + Ad Nauseam + Counter

.258 4 Underground Sea
.923 3 Drowned Catacomb
.403 3 City of Brass
.1487 4 Polluted Delta
.941 1 Ad Nauseam
.1910 1 Yawgmoth's Will*
.1848 1 Tendrils of Agony
.331 1 Imperial Seal
.62 1 Demonic Tutor
.327 1 Grim Tutor
.55 4 Dark Ritual
.1734 1 Cabal Ritual
.640 4 Force Spike
.185 4 Flusterstorm*
.720 4 Mana Drain
.48 4 Counterspell
.352 1 Mystical Tutor
.1084 1 Merchant Scroll
.1889 4 Cunning Wish
.1892 2 Elvish Spirit Guide
.80 1 Fastbond
.165 1 Mox Emerald
.166 1 Mox Jet
.169 1 Mox Sapphire
.1718 1 Chrome Mox
.17 1 Black Lotus
.1424 1 Lotus Petal
.230 1 Sol Ring
.157 1 Mana Vault
.894 1 Mana Crypt
.1501 1 Zuran Orb
.30 1 Channel
.744 1 Lotus Bloom*

Yes, it is a 62 cards deck. If you want to bring it down to 60, I would suggest you leave out Lotus Bloom and Channel.

BTW, this site and game brought me back to enjoy one of my most loved games. KUDOS AND THANK YOU ALL, YOU ARE GREAT!!!

[quox]

I made a deck for this challenge, and as a general fun deck to play with but it keeps giving me instant loses. Its legal for vintage, and all thats different for this version compared to the other list i use is the power.

4 Goblin Charbelcher
.2529 4 Lion's Eye Diamond
.1423 4 Lotus Petal
.2275 4 Elvish Spirit Guide
.8851 4 Simian Spirit Guide
.2134 4 Tinder Wall
.7193 4 Desperate Ritual
.9595 4 Manamorphose
.1422 4 Seething Song
.241 1 Taiga
.5918 4 Burning Wish
.8532 3 Empty the Warrens
.11606 4 Gitaxian Probe
.4517 3 Land Grant
.8434 4 Rite of Flame
.1 1 Ancestral Recall
.17 1 Black Lotus
.168 1 Mox Ruby
.165 1 Mox Emerald
.169 1 Mox Sapphire

am I doing something wrong? I already unlocked belcher from the other challenge. Any ideas why this list is illegal?

[Aswan jaguar]

Both Lion's Eye Diamond and Lotus Petal are restricted in vintage so you can have only 1 copy of them.
Also it seems in challenge that wishes are restricted so you can have only 1 Burning Wish.

[discoransom]

.1557 4 Soul Warden
.8776 4 Essence Warden
.9579 4 Kitchen Finks
.1413 4 Knight of Meadowgrain
.11172 4 Serra Ascendant
.11087 4 Ajani's Pridemate
.10430 4 Honor of the Pure
.51 4 Crusade
.13723 2 Glimpse the Sun God
.17 1 Black Lotus
.167 1 Mox Pearl
.694 1 Karakas
.188 9 Plains
.212 4 Savannah
.11345 4 Razorverge Thicket
.10476 2 Sunpetal Grove
.11934 4 Doomed Traveler