...just something I was playing around with back during Shadowmoore; I decided to come back and revisit. It was in the unfinished / concept stages then, now, more of a multi-player take on the Bruise.
Formerly, the deck focused on unblock-ability while attempting to employ the Quietus Spike in the hands of your attackers. A fun concept, but difficult to employ. The Spike has potential, but the fact of the matter is that the card suffers from dramatic diminishing returns. If you halve 20 life, that is substantial... halve it again and its so as other options become more appealing. By the third time, there is generally something much better available, or should be anyway.
So now were running this towards a multi-play arena, we're taking a look at a few basic factors that occur in your average meta-game.
STASIS The commonality of at least one or more players becoming comfortable for one reason or another within the confines of a multi-player arena. They sit back, take their turns, and wait. They dont attack. They rarely provoke a threat that is until they see only ROI with no risk to their own investments. These are not risk takers. These are cowards!
ADVANTAGE - Given the above, coupled with enough time yields board advantage. While you and your buddy were brawling it out, you turn around to see that your girl has a near unstoppable hoard; your name chanted from their lips! Regardless of how it occurs, there is always one who manages to establish an advantage. Behold, the Alluring Bruise!
ROI This was mentioned above and every spell in a multi-play environment has a diminished Return On Investment, or less spell potency if the term is to business class for you. Consider that deck you built the other day you know, the turn go you constructed that is filled with counter magic to cripple your opponent and secure you the advantage in many games! Tried that one in multi-play lately? No? Why? Well, we both know why but perhaps you havent taken the time to study it. Lets discuss that briefly; the moment you add another player to the table (i.e. 3 or more) you have substantially altered the game by adding an exponential amount of variables (i.e. spells that will be cast) which change the outcome of any game. You also increase the turn count; slow the game tempo; and untimely change the required mana curve (see also ?standards and curves) any deck will require. So when you attempt to use a deck full of counter magics against three or more opponents, you fail more then you succeed. Likewise, when I try to employ one of the top decks in standard right now (i.e. Boros Bushwacker) against multiple opponents, it fails more then it succeeds. Those decks are design to kill quickly, but lack the staying power that is required for the longer multi-player games. You can counter the magics of one player, sure but locking out one player is no good against 3 or more. So, you must find spells that net mass affects or dramatically alter the game. Even in subtle ways, the game can be altered. Enter, the
Alluring Siren
. Forcing an attack on you that you can easily defend with one of your regenerating blockers leaves that players creature tapped for more than just your turn! That opens them up and allows me a good segue
PENETRATION Keep your adolescence in check kids, that word has far more uses to it than the one youve established. In fact, among the top definitions and to whence the word is derived an attack that penetrates into enemy territory. Since were focusing on the multiplayer arena, it would be wise to host a bevy of responses. In other words, to penetrate into each enemy territory, more often than not, is going to require a unique approach that harbors its own tactics. A single concept (e.g. agro, counter magics, beatdown, etc) may not be enough. Try two or more!So taking into consideration each these points above, the STASIS affect of players sitting idle; the ADVANTAGE of players who have afforded the time to establish board advantage; the ROI of each spell you consider and cast; and the PENETRATION ability you must maintain for each unique opponent, lets take a look at these in action as it relates to this deck.
For STATIS we boast the
Alluring Siren
. This creature is meant to address the issue by rendering your opponent vulnerable to the next player. Once Gorgon Flail is equipped to one of your regenerating creatures, it poses an even larger threat as you can simply pick of creatures by forcing them into a regenerating deathtouch! Id state
Sleep
here as well, but I feel it better suited for the ROI discussion bellow.
For ROI we have a lot to discuss. Lets start with the obvious,
Sleep
. Arguably among the top 5 four mana spells for multi-play environments. This can lend itself to the full PENETRATION point and certainly yields a larger return on the investment for its casting cost than most spells, save perhaps Day of Judgment, even so that yields no attack advantage for anyone! Sleep is going to keep your opposition tapped through your attack phase, and for each player that comes after you!!
Kathari Remnant
and
Wall of Bone
should be pretty obvious; just in case, they regenerate and the Remnant puts something casts something else for free! Also, they both supply an excellent equip target for the Gorgon Flail and have the synergy required for the Siren. Now, Im typically NOT a fan of counter magics at all in multi-play for the same reason I dont appreciate spot-removal for creatures. I figure, if youre going to do something, it should affect all your opposition. Remember Plague Wind??!! However, counter magics in multi-play serves one purpose in my professional opinion as a magic player; defense. Never to slow your opposition, there are simply too many to be slowed! Better to counter that one game changing ability that could ruin your day. Thus Countersquall. Might as well make them suffer for attempting Pyroclasm or similar board cleansing affects. In fact, cleansing affects is the only reason I went with
Soul Manipulation
at all. Its typically a spell not greatly sought after, but in multi-play, its versatility for a single card makes it more appealing as it can get you back a Siren, as well as prevent that creature with shroud from entering play. Speaking of shroud, there were only two options for beaters in my estimation one was the Sphinx of Jwar Isle. The other
Nemesis of Reason
. I went with the later, but encourage both. The Nemesis is an odd creature with a wicked defense for five mana. I like that. More so however is its ability to place 10 cards into your opponents graveyard by simply initiation an attack! This has excellent synergy with Haunting Echoes which I find it to be a great choice in multi-play with or without Reason, as someone is always loosing creatures and/or spells that are valuable for you to remove, permanently. Your three Haunting Echoes also serve as alternative win conditions since they easily couple with Reason, as well the single Traumatize that lays in wait.
Telepathy
drops the veil of uncertainty for you and you alone. This allows you to gage the appropriate use of the few counter magics you employ. Ill echo a previous statement about the reduction of spell potency when it comes spot-removal. My choice for Agony Warp is much the same as Countersquall. It is a defensive combat tactic, and defensive alone. When your opposition chooses to attack you, you can Agony Warp to reduce the attack power, allowing for more block options that would possibly not have been available otherwise; as well as the probability of removing another creature from combat entirely. I find Agony Warp to be a very viable multi-player spell with good ROI. I didn't make mention of Gorgon Flail too much as its uses are obvious, but I will say that the deathtouch mechanic in multi-play is huge! Much like a Royal Assassin, it works like a stall mechanic and plays into your own STASIS mode. Great for buying one time to establish their own ADVANTAGE.
Outside of all this, there are 3 cards missing for a complete 60 spell compendium. I dont believe youll need more mana so long as there are three or more players; so Ive included a maybeboard" (courtesy of the owner/operator yeaGO) as few multiplayers use sideboards. It has a few other options you might consider for this style of deck, given the discussions above. So, thats the deck The Alluring Bruise; and that bruise looks good on you!
As always, enjoy
