I feel ya Flaky. Barney is a turd.



elk

Just got around to catching up and read this play through of my deck. That esper game sounds so epic, glad you pulled it off. I like making decks that screw over control.

I had hoped the hounds would live long enough to get big and deal finishing damage and possibly be able to deal with taller creatures but maybe 4 of was a mistake. Probably should have cut a hound and added 4th dispel, thought about murderous compulsion but I wanted to focus on face hitting cards that may also do removal. I didn't expect this deck to do well but I felt it was more fun than my other ideas.

I am glad someone had some fun with it. I think these decks prove the luck aspect of this game more than anything. Any deck can win if the opponent isn't drawing well but you are.

So then, my scores:

INSOLVENT NEONATE - SJOKWAAVE
3.5/5

I MUST BE MAD TO PLAY THIS ON THE LADDER! - THEFLAKYMAGE
3/5

THAT COMMON TYPE OF MADNESS - SL33PHUMPER
3.5/5

SAFE AND SCION - MODULO
3.5/5

EL LOCO POBRE - HAVEN_PT
4/5

ARTIFICERS - CALLMEMAGGIT
4.5/5

Its interesting that for me all of the decks managed to pull off wins on the ladder, which shows that the power level is probably pretty close. I didn't nearly as many copters and harvesters as I was expecting, maybe people are just sick of vehicles already. I'm guessing that zombies will probably be really popular when the new sets drops and I wondering if it will get a consistent T1 build, since WotC certainly are pushing the concept hard. There was actually a lot of variety on the ladder, which was nice. Games were also pretty fast, except for maggit's deck, most went for a quick win rather than a long game. I guess that's understandable, given that in a long game power cards will out-value a pauper deck most of the time. Still, we do have plenty of strong commons. One card that really shined for me was Welding Sparks in an Artifact deck, pretty damn good. I guess it only doesn't see more play because Unlicensed Disintegration occupies the same slot in those decks and is undeniably better. Dispel also seems like cool tech against removal in a beatdown strategy. We'll see if the meta shifts back to Sorcery speed with the new set (I'm not convinced it will yet). Token strategies look like a thing too, so I'm guessing Borrowed Grace will be showing up in a couple of builds. Madness cards have gains some value with all the Discard/hellbent effects in the new set, it's a shame they don't revisit that mechanic because it's one of my favourites.

Finished El Loco

What a weird one...I played a game against the AI, to get the gist of it, and after making it drop to 2 life, I got completely blocked and then stomped over by Expresses, so loss against the AI, what a dire start...if I just had a Shock...

But in this contest, I'm taking in account just the ladder, and there, funnily enough, pulled a 2-0 WIN haha...against something R29 Simic ramp...never meet the finishers, I just saw Nissa. And one IotM, lol. Lotsa EVs tho Not much to say, fast and boring game.

And then R30 Gruul...which was somehow manascrewed at 3 lands for most of the game. Still, OP at least droped a couple of Recruiters and a couple of Advocates, and HLed my creatures also twice...in a comendable display of consistency, lol...and for this particular deck, that's too little to stop it...I just exchanged creatures until I droped a Vildin...which I'd swear OP didn't know/remember can be pumped to 7 From that 7 damage attack to the win it was easy pie, ragequit included, satisfactory game.

El Loco pulled 2 wins, but I must say it was lucky with the competition...I think that pre-Amonkhet, errybody is trying their janky builds haha that must be helping us a lot with the contest, for sure

So it's gonna be this one and Scions the winners, I'm not gonna play mine to screw the classification

My thoughs on the winners.

El Loco has a serious problem, imho...it has like half the removal it needs. I get it gambles that for full speed rush, but still...I'd clearly swap 3-4 creatures/freighters for 3-4 more removal, like Shocks, Fieries or GB, that go really well with Chasers too

For the rest, I like it...both Makindi and Grubs have their strenghts, often overlooked with our already big pool.
And Vildin's are hilarious, if just for the surprise factor, more so with Tamperings.

Also, many Freighters is a good idea, and Spires played better than I remembered them. Overall, I found the build risky and vulnerable to big blockers/sweepers/ballista etc, but fun and ballsy at it

Scions was better than I though, mainly because I tried that very same archetype in the initial brewings out of the contest...now I see I was a bit too eager to discard it, but if I remember right, I was Radiant Flamed or something like that in the first game on the ladder, and that sealed its fate, lol

Certainly, this deck manages to get games out of nowhere...mainly for the Op, I mean. Still, I see this deck gets good result by the surprise factor, in a huge part.

Same as the Insolvent Neonates one, with the full suite of Acts...it was telling that with that one, I played twice against the same guy, and while the first game was easy, once the dude knew the drill, it was easy for him to null my game with big passive blockers.

But one thing that must be conceded is that with the mix of team and lone pump, it's quite difficult to play against it, unless you have a sweeper, which is its obvious bane.

Gonna copy your way of scoring, guize ;P

INSOLVENT NEONATE - SJOKWAAVE
3.7/5

Liked the build, so to the point. 4 Acts is risky...awesome upon 70% of the field, but oh boy how silly you feel upon PWs or Control drawing those in chain... 0.2 points less (wut?) for the Hijack thing haha but 0.2 more for playing with Fists, nice
Srly, it's good...it doesn't score higher mainly because it's as stock as it gets, I'm afraid

I MUST BE MAD TO PLAY THIS ON THE LADDER! - THEFLAKYMAGE
3.5/5

I like the concept...and the execution. But one of the main themes, the cathartic sessions of introspection with mom, didn't worked for me as expected, mainly due to the low land count, which is bad in itself, and even worse for CRs to work. I think this build with 2-3 more lands and better lands (Fedora tip for the Barrens, but -0.2 points too haha damn hipsters with their college grads on the walls *homeresque mumblings )

Faced harsh competion, so the lack of win is understandable

THAT COMMON TYPE OF MADNESS - SL33PHUMPER
3.2/5

I'm not sure at all that going 3 color deserves the pay, and even if you get the correct mana, the loss of speed with so many duals makes it worse. Never managed it to work...and facing spiked builds didn't help either haha

Very similar to Flacky's (have u noticed??!!) just that slower with no real compensation for it. Except way better land count.

SAFE AND SCION - MODULO
4.5/5

The build best adapted to the meta, and the one that always felt like it was playing its game and still having opportunities...if always at the last moment, lol.
Of course, it's still a bad version of elves, and in a meta with just some sweepers widely played, it will roll up and die...but that's besides the point, and doesn't lower the score

The only very minor change I'd make it's the EWs...without Trackers or something like that, I don't really think that the thinning effect compensates the loss of versatility of the Duals. Nice, clean build.

EL LOCO POBRE - HAVEN_PT
4/5

Well, as said, I like all besides the little removal...I'd swap maybe 1 Vildin, 1 Freighter and 2 Bullies for 4 GB or Shocks...or probably the 4 bullies, the worst creature of the bunch with the low instant count. The rest is ok, imo.

And that's it.

Ey! Why's the poll closed??!! And with people publicly still testing and comenting???



Are we in a hurry to make another contest pre-Amon? Lol, no way

I thought that 8 days for 5 decklists that would lose quickly were enough, but it seems i'm wrong. Since we are not in a hurry for the next one (probably after 3 weeks) and someone is still testing them, i added other 3 days for the poll.

Yay!

Voted

I had similar results with my deck, it was the only deck to actually lose vs AI, but performed best on the ladder. I felt shock was kind of bad on the ladder, too much stuff it just can't hit, I'd be Temper to add Welding Sparks as a higher Reach Temper, even if the only artifacts are the Chaser servos and freighter, I definitely gained some respect for the card. Anyway, I would try not to reduce the Creature count and cut a freighter and Maybe a Land, but the idea is to swarm the opponent. Those last points of damage can be tricky, but Destructive Tampering actually turned out to be pretty good for that.

Yeah, its fun, I was comparing my review and yours, lol...pretty similar. Pity that Ormendahl, I hate those kind of things...another one is when AI plays a Gideon Reproach, for example, and the animation doens't so who is targeting, which can be key if you have i.e. a Defense etc etc

Uh oh I should have put an etc in there

You're right tho Elk, u should have been in there, I'm still playing your Durdling Mess

LOL the whole time I'm writing that I'm thinking, "oh man this is going to be so mean and intentional if I don't mention Flaky AGAIN in this one"

No but seriously, I don't think I'm playing any if your decks. Maybe the flicker challenge one still? Which was yours?

Please don't vote for me. My ideas are bad, I'm bad, you're bad. Just stop, please.

With the pauper decks, I went 5-5 overall on Steam in the low-mid 30's

Which is more or less as I do usually, and like 4x times better than initially expected...I mean, to dexintoxicate a bit and regain some levels, I tried to play some games with a couple of my most powerful builds (Naya and Mardu PWs, to change the pace) starting at rank 33

An hour later, I'm at rank 32...and that after changing to the tuned Dimir Artifacts (!) build of the last contest and winning 3-4 games in a row with it, cause I droped to R28 or so...

That can imply 3 things:

1º I'm so bad that in fact my chances of winning are higher with crappy but simple brews than with Mythics.deck

2º God, or the FSM, is punishing me for my sins, through an endless row of uber-spiked ops

3º The pairing sub-routine detects the overall power level/rarity of your build and adjust your foes accordingly

@Barney: lol, I figured. All in fun.

@Maggit: 1 and 3 are unlikely. Must be 2. Repent and you'll be fine.

Let me check the agenda...Monday I have the new Serbian girls flogging (tends to derive in sexy afterparty till late) ...Tuesday is genocide all day...Wednesday I can make some space for repenting, after dinner, sure.

Genocide Tuesdays are the worst promotion at Chick-Fil-A

Idk if other people still have to vote for this round, but if we will have 2 decklists at 3 votes after the deadline i think a match between them could claim the winner. Something like a best of 3 match between the deckbuilders or someone else that joined this poll and could play their decks.

i'd love to pilot one of them (slight preference for Sjok's build). I think Safe and Scion would win that match up but I'm not sure. Too many early blockers to slow down Red.

Looks like modulo's gonna take this one, unless there are some Last minute votes (even then, it's likely they'd include his deck because its a good build).