Thoughts on my latest standard deck idea? Good or garbage?
Deck Help forum
Posted on Feb. 5, 2014, 12:11 a.m. by deathtouch_roadrunner
Helphara: Synergy of the Sun Playtest
Standard
SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWSIdea is a persistent lower-curve deck that ramps its creature count and power quickly, plus has some late game finishing grind courtesy its pair of gods, who combined can enable an extra card draw each turn if the initial rush fails.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #3
I agree that going to 4 on Brimaz, King of Oreskos is a good idea. You want this card on the field every game.
I also agree with omnipotato that you need to go to three on the spear.
I'm okay with the heroic idea. Bioshift stinks though it isn't worth running. I'd replace it with an enchantment like Aqueous Form unblockable and scry 1 every time you attack. I'd lose the Triton Fortune Hunter because he isn't white and your Brave the Elements wont protect him. I'd replace with a Fabled Hero or a Banisher Priest .
February 5, 2014 12:45 a.m.
deathtouch_roadrunner says... #4
omnipotato, I was thinking more like "Triton Tactics on Vanguard of Brimaz and Phalanx Leader , stack the triggers so the token comes in before the +1/+1's, go ahead and Bile Blight, I'll still be ahead - you have at least one guy who can't attack or block or a turn, I still have two dudes, they're all at least 2/2s, and you've wasted a card to keep board state the same."
I agree that heroic can be 2-for 1'd, but the choice of heroic creatures in this deck is intended to make it so that the heroic trigger is always at least a 1-for-1.
Kill my guy? All my other guys still grow. Kill my guy? He replaces himself with a 1/1. Kill my guy? I draw a card. Kill my guy? I get a 1/1 and get to put all my +1/+1 counters on him, etc.
And in many situations I can have the reactive card on hand to waste their removal. Bile Blight ? Gods Willing . I get something and your spell fizzles. Bile Blight ? Triton Tactics , I get 2 things, my guy's too big to die. Bile Blight ? Bioshift . My guy's too big to die now and I get 2 things, etc.
Or at least that was my theory with this build. Obviously if I have to take initiative it's worse than if I respond, and trying to lure the cast can backfire badly.
As far as Spear of Heliod and Detention Sphere , I worry that adding 5 more 3-drops would mess with my curve. That said, the 1 of Triton Fortune Hunter could easily be a 3rd spear. I've been a bit unsure since it is legendary. I've actually been thinking about the lower curve sad sibblings of D-sphere, like Pacifism and Sensory Deprivation , but they probably end up having to replace instants.
Brave the Elements is quite good. However, it messes with my token plans a bit. I've been back and forth about Gods Willing vs Brave the Elements . It also overlaps with Glimpse the Sun God . It could be that Glimpse the Sun God should go, or that I should cut Gods Willing and up numbers of Glimpse the Sun God and Brave the Elements but I haven't played with it much.
Duct_tape_maniac, I agree Bioshift is normally a bad card, but it works very well with heroic, particularly with -x/-x effects, or with 2 or 3 damage burn spells. There are also very few 1 CMC spells that can hit heroic on 2+ creatures. My thought was that it was that with Bile Blight and Drown in Sorrow is would be a much improved option for heroic.
If were to go to four Brimaz, King of Oreskos , Triton Fortune Hunter would be the obvious replacement. It's basically an "always sideboard this out" card right now. I'd figured it'd be much less crippling to have Brimaz in multiples than the Gods or the Gods' weapons, but haven't been sure how much less. (Because nothing is lousy quite the way having 2 Heliods in your opening draw is.)
Anyway, you guys are giving me some good things to think about for play testing.
...of course all this is assuming I can get ahold of some actual Brimaz. I don't think I can bring myself to spend $100+ for a playset, but I'm figuring I can trade for at least two, hopefully.
One thing I'd been particularly wondering about is if 3 shrines is alright. Late game you can definitely waste as much mana as you feel like making heliod tokens, but I'm not sure if that makes it justifiable.
February 5, 2014 1:17 a.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #5
well I feel stupid. I didn't even consider Bioshift as a duel target for heroic cards. With this new info in mind I agree that Bioshift is a good card in this deck.
February 5, 2014 1:23 a.m.
Not a ton of card draw, no way to interact with the opponent (no removal), using vulnerable weenies to support gods. These all send alarm bills ringing when I view a deck.
There's absolutely no way you can support this mixture of creatures and combat tricks over an extended period of time. I would guess that by the time it reaches T5 the opposing deck that has all the board clear and control elements will be starting ti whittle you down. Furthermore the amount of mana you have to keep open to protect your creatures means you cannot over commit to the board - making an aggro strategy ineffective.
This is kind of a deck that has no idea what it wants to be.
February 5, 2014 6:31 a.m.
My point in examples
Against control they're going to wipe your board still with Supreme Verdict and win with AEtherling . You can't out-aggro T2 counter, T3 counter, T4 board wipe.
Against MBD they're going to keep casting Doom Blade and Hero's Downfall , because you can't stop all of the hatred. They can draw cards with Underworld Connections and Read the Bones , you can't.
omnipotato says... #2
Here's what I would do:
Brimaz, King of Oreskos + Spear of Heliod is stupid. 4 of Brimaz, 3 of Spear.
Detention Sphere is the best removal in the format. 4 mainboard.
Brave the Elements makes for crazy shifting of combat in your favor, and protects against removal. 4 mainboard.
In general, I would stay away from the Heroic mechanic, because it is very easy to get 2-for-1'd with it, ex. "I Triton Tactics my two Phalanx Leader s." "In response, Bile Blight "
February 5, 2014 12:24 a.m.