Community

Feb 1, 2011 -- 6:49PM, Minus_Prime wrote:

My point wasn't that drakes are overpowered either. Drakes suck(at least the pauper ones), but here we have a drake deck that's awesome.

Oh. Thanks.

Chimera Voltron
4x Brass-Talon Chimera
4x Tin-Wing Chimera
4x Lead-Belly Chimera
4x Iron-Heart Chimera
1x Moonglove Changeling
1x Cairn Wanderer
1x Mirror Entity
1x Changeling Hero
Tutors
1x Dimir House Guard / Brainspoil
1x Diabolic Tutor  
1x Grim Tutor  
1x Liliana Vess  
1x Buried Alive
1x Pack Hunt
Utility
1x Withered Wretch /  Nezumi Graverobber
1x Abyssal Gatekeeper  
1x Fleshbag Marauder  
1x Urborg Syphon-Mage
1x Haunted Crossroads
1x Eye of Singularity / Spreading Plague
1x Bloodbond March
1x Black Market
1x Kagemaro, First to Suffer
1x Lifeline

1x Thawing Glaciers
1x Volrath's Stronghold  
23xOther Land, mostly basic

This deck attempts to abuse the interaction between Lifeline and Kagemaro, First to Suffer (or any creature with a sacrifice activated ability). The only problem I am having right now is how to fill my hand so that I am fairly likely to be able to wipe the board (-4 to -6 should do it). I haven't worked out the exact details, like should I use Spore Frog (infinite fog), Guardian Beast / Fountain Watch (to protect Lifeline?), should I cut the mana accelaration, add life gain, add dancing Gnomes combo? Too many choices, and not enough space in the deck. Even without the ability, the Chimeras can get pretty large.

Feb 2, 2011 -- 12:31AM, Cathaldus wrote:

Capitan_Estaban, it must be a typo.  I'll correct that lickety split.

Hmmm... you have an excellent point about Door of Destinies .  Do you think that it's powerful enough in this format to warrant being banned, or just restricted (but even then that runs into the problem of being an auto one-of in all decks and making games swingier when it appears).  Any opinions on the matter? 

I still think the card will most likely be an auto include in every deck. Unlike Coat of Arms which helps out whomever has the best board position, DoD only helps out you by pumping creatures you control. Since I would hate for everyone to have to include it as a singleton, and possibly devise ways to keep it in play (make in indestructible, bring it back from the grave, give it shroud), my personal opinion would be to just ban the card. This will make games less swingy as you said, and make judging not based upon how easy it is for someones deck to tutor up the DoD and protect it (not that that is a particularly bad thing, if your deck can tutor it up and protect it that would make it a much stronger deck in the format. I would just prefer not to have to consider that whilst judging the decks strength). Since Minus_Prime brought it up, here are the cards with "choose a creature type" and my thoughts on the ban worthiness of each.Choose your own Adventure Show

Imagecrafter - (1x) Can be used as a singleton with Spirit Mirror + Thornbite Staff to destroy all creatures. A difficult combo to pull off since all cards must be singletons (Transmute/Tutors can help). Not ban worthy.
Coordinated Barrage - Just an Exile type card. Not ban worthy.
Pack's Disdain - Probably worse than Doom Blade or other removal, anti-token/over extending. Not ban worthy.
Bloodline Shaman - (1x) Elf/Wizard/Shaman are all banned Tribes. As a singleton and a 1/1 I can only see this card being a great CA engine in a mostly creature/flashback filled deck. Not ban worthy.
Unnatural Selection - Already banned. Presumably because of its one sided WoG effect with Endemic Plague in a duel. Currently banned.
Ashes of the Fallen - Since Zombies ( Soulless One ) and Knights ( Haakon, Stromgald Scourge are banned tribes, this card is probably only useful with lots of tutors (to find Haakon) and Changelings (Shapeshifter Tribe). Not ban worthy.
Standardize - Only useful with Peer Pressure (banned) or maybe Jwari Shapeshifter in an Ally deck. Not ban worthy.
Engineered Plague - Already banned. Since it is strong in the format, and most likely an auto include. Currently banned.
Luminescent Rain - Worse than Congregate / Blunt the Assault . Not ban worthy.
Outbreak - Probably worse than Holy Light , definitely worse than Zealous Persecution / Festering March , and not a constant effect like Engineered Plague. Not ban worthy.
Roar of the Crowd - No worse than Mob Justice even though you can't hit creatures, and Dogpile even though you have to attack. Not ban worthy.
Distant Melody - Blue has lots of great card draw, Rush of Knowledge , Tidings , Concentrate , etc. I don't see people playing this card over other options. Not ban worthy.
Peer Pressure - Already banned. Strong for the format with tokens + Standardize . Currently banned.
Circle of Solace - Already banned. Strong for the format since it stops most likely 1/3 of a persons cards. Currently banned.
Elvish Soultiller - Elves are already banned, so it could only go in a Mutant Tribal deck (There's an idea, maybe I will call the deck The X-Men). Barishi (1x) / Rooting Kavu (4x) have nearly the same effect. Not ban worthy.
Riptide Shapeshifter - A Polymorph type effect at twice the cost. I personally don't want this one banned, because I have an upcoming Shapeshifter deck in the works that is going to abuse him. The deck was originally intended for Beastmaster format, but I ran out of time trying to perfect it. I think the effect is strong (but not broken) and it is restricted to a single tribe. Not ban worthy.
Mistform Wakecaster - This card seems better to me in a deck where your creatures are unlikely to be the same type (not 1/3 of a deck), and you want them to be for some reason ( Sea Gate Loremaster , but then why aren't you playing 20 Allies?). Not ban worthy.
Belbe's Portal - A possible consideration as a four of in a Dragon deck. With the card being restricted to a singleton, a dragon deck will have to focus on mana ramp, or split its cards between Dragon Arch (with Invasion/Planar Chaos Dragons), Cryptic Gateway , Urza's Filter (with Invasion/Planar Chaos Dragons). I am surprised no one has submitted a Dragon Tribal deck. Perhaps dragons are too iconic. Not ban worthy.
Mistform Mutant - Might be (marginally) useful with Coastal Drake  (can't remember an cards that destroy specific creature types). Not ban worthy.
Tsabo's Decree - Already banned because it is a Mind Twist one sided WoG in a duel. Too strong for the format. Currently banned.

Door of Destinies

Feb 2, 2011 -- 7:17PM, CadaverousBl00m wrote:

@Capitan: Your comment on Mistform Mutant got me thinking. And then I realised that with enough mana, you could cast a one-sided Wrath using Tivadar's Crusade . Now I want to build that deck. And it's all your fault.

I already listed the Spirit Mirror combo with Imagecrafter so I felt there wasn't any point in mentioning it again. You could use Spirit Mirror + Tivadar's Crusade to have at least 2 cards that can wipe your opponents creatures.