Last week I worked on improving the Solitary Fiends Intro Pack. We got a little bit underway, but no big decisions were made yet. This week, we will definitely get to them. This is what we left of with last week.
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Solitary Fiends 1.2 |
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| 12 Island 12 Swamp 24 lands 4 Alchemist’s Apprentice 3 Fettergeist 1 Lone Revenant 19 creatures |
2 Crippling Chill 1 Demonic Rising 2 Doom Blade 2 Essence Harvest 2 Frost Breath 2 Homicidal Seclusion 2 Into the Void 1 Predator’s Gambit 1 Swiftfoot Boots 2 Tribute to Hunger 17 other spells |
Lets play some games and see what’s still wrong with this deck.
Game 11 G/U Graveyard Filling
I keep a slow hand but eventually manage to drop Fume Spitter and Demonic Rising next turn. I then sacrifice my Fume Spitter to drop another Demon. Sadly, this isn’t happening in a vacuum. My opponent is self-milling like crazy with cards like Trackers Instinct, Mulch and Armored Skaab. Splinterfright I manage to kill with Doom Blade, but a Kessig Cagebreaker does get through and kills me the turn before I win with my Demon tag-team. The Rising did surprise me as a very good card in this game.
W:L 2:9
Game 12 R Control Change
She played an incredibly interesting deck. It revolved around taking control of my creatures with cards like Act of Treason, Treacherous Blood and Metallic Masterity (with some help from Liquimetal Coating) and then sacrificing them with effects like Fling or Infernal Pact. She also played Crush and Manic Vandal to take out any (non-)creature threat with the Coating. She never used it on my lands though, which I found really classy. I started the game out really bad, having mulliganed to 4. I though I was a goner from the start, but played anyway. She was taking a lot of time to get started and in that time I managed to get back into the game. Problem was that whenever I dropped a creature, she just got rid of it by stealing and sacrificing or turning it into a artifact en then killing it. Meanwhile, any Red Sun’s Zenith brought me closer to death. This went on for quite a while, until I drew Lone Revenant. It’s hexproof meant my opponent couldn’t mess with it and seeing as I had been stockpiling removal, blocking wasn’t going to happen. I eventually rode the Revenant to a victory in turn 23.
W:L 3:9
Game 13 G/W Tokens
My opponent gets of to a quick start with 2 Doomed Travellers and a Gavony of Township. I get of to a faster start. I drop Demonic Taskmaster on turn three, follow up with a Predator’s Gambit plus Essence Harvest on turn 4 and swing in. This puts my opponent at 8 life immediately. He plays a Parallel Lives and passes. I beat one turn more and my opponent drops Geist-Honored Monk dropping a lot of flying power. This doesn’t change anything however, as the Taskmaster has Intimidate thanks to the Gambit and finishes my opponent off in the next turn.
W:L 4:9
Game 14 B Trading Post
This was a really long game of back and forth. I was drawing almost all my Islands this game and was really strung for creatures. I did quite a lot of damage, but she just kept regaining life over and over again with Trading Post. At some point I got down Demonic Taskmaster with Homicidal Seclusion just as I am about to die. But then a Go for the Throat swoops in and that was it for me.
W:L 4:10
Game 15 R/G Big Value
I didn’t really see a theme in this deck, aside from the slight soulbond theme. Most of the cards had some great power though. I got off to a great start with Fume Spitter, Alchemist’s Apprentice and Demonic Taskmaster. This got me going very fast, especially when I managed to kill a Lightning Mauler before I had to sacrifice the Spitter. I just kept hitting with the Taskmaster and stalling him with Frost Breath and the likes. When I drew Predator’s Gambit, I knew I had him on the ropes and finished the game the next turn.
W:L 5:10
Those games were really interesting and important for the deck moving on. In game 11 and 12 we got a look at how the deck would play if it was more of a control approach. Game 13 and 15 were the opposite. I won those because the deck got out of the gate really fast and won before my opponent knew what hit them.
Right now, the deck can do both a little bit, but what we want is a deck that can do either aggro or control well. Both decks are possible from here on out, but it’s important we choose now, because we can then refine the deck’s plan from here on out.
If we were to go for a aggro build, cards like Demonic Taskmaster, Fettergeist and Predator’s Gambit, trying to get a cheap loner creature out and smacking heads before the opponent catches up.
The control build would probably use Lone Revenant and Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis as its loners and cards like Homicidal Seclusion and tons of control spells to protect them. This deck would play the slower game and try to win with a overpowering loner.
After some consideration, I decided to take the Aggro route. B/U Control is a staple these days and aside from not wanting to do what everyone else is doing, this also means that many of the cards I would want for my deck are popular and thus more expensive. Furthermore, the loners for the aggro build are all uncommon, where as the loners for the control build are rares, another budget reason. Finally, I think the deck is most interesting when it plays the fast game instead of the long game. If I have time left this month, I might show you what a control build would look like, but for now, Aggro we go.
Out:
2 Renegade Demon: Though it has saved my hide a few times, I think this card doesn’t play well with a high speed deck. At 5 mana, I want to be well on my way of winning, not just getting started. And seeing as it is just a vanilla creature, it doesn’t have any synergy with the rest of the deck.
1 Demonic Rising: Again a card that comes down to late for my taste. Plus, what I don’t like about it, is that it turns of any loner cards like Homicidal Seclusion and Predator’s Gambit when the demon comes down and it doesn’t play well with both the Taskmaster and Fettergeist
1 Lone Revenant: Despite being a really cool card, it needs support connecting, as it has now form of evasion built in. And again, at 5 mana this card will be hitting the board at the time that I should already be winning, so out it goes.
1 Corpse Trader: I have no idea how this card plays, as I have draw it only once and then it was nothing more then a 3/3 vanilla creature before being destroyed. Still it’s effect is far more control then aggro, so out it goes.
That clears up our upper curve, let’s see if we can focus a bit more on the lower part of our curve.
In
1 Demonic Taskmaster and 1 Fettergeist: These guys are going to be our main loners, so it feels right to bump these up to 4 each. This means I have 8 cards in my deck that I can ride to victory. This may be to much, but I’m going to try it for now. I can always take them out later.
1 Swiftfoot Boots: The boots are great. They protect our loner, because removal can really but a dent in our 1 creature plan. I am considering switching to either the blue or black ring from M13, but right now I don’t have a favored color. The fact that I don’t have to pay for the hexproof after equipping also helps.
1 Predator’s Gambit: This card can really increase the speed of winning by a lot. And with the boots this hopefully won’t be a card disadvantage nightmare.
1 Essence Harvest: I really love this card. With one of our big creatures out, this is like getting in an extra attack and also staling our opponent for an extra turn. Yes, it requires a big creature on the board, but the pay-off is really great.
Seems like some solid changes. Let’s see how they turn out.
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Solitary Fiends 1.3 |
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| 12 Island 12 Swamp 24 lands 4 Alchemist’s Apprentice 4 Fettergeist 2 Mist Raven 17 creatures |
2 Crippling Chill 2 Doom Blade 3 Essence Harvest 2 Frost Breath 2 Homicidal Seclusion 2 Into the Void 2 Predator’s Gambit 2 Swiftfoot Boots 2 Tribute to Hunger 19 other spells |
Game 16 U/W Control
I get out a very quick Demonic Taskmaster with a Predator’s Gambit on it and get on my way to beating my opponent to a pulp. Then she drops a Tamiyo, the Moon Sage and I am pretty much screwed. Because of the Taskmasters drawback, I can’t get any other creature down for long. When I draw a Swiftfoot Boot, I think I’m saved, but Dissipate bursts that bubble. I concede once she gets down the emblem and uses Disperse. No way I can keep a creature down in those conditions. Mental Note: Get an answer versus planeswalkers.
W:L 5:11
Game 17 U/B Infect
I have a great opening hand with only a third land missing. Of course I then proceed to draw no land at all for 5 turns straight and get beaten to a pulp by 2 Blighted Agents and a Phyrexian Vatmother.
W:L 5:12
Game 18 U/G Control
He gets down two quick elvish visionaries, but I get out a killer curve with Fume Spitter, Swiftfoot Boots, Fettergeist, then on turn 4 equip the boots and enchant the geist with Predator’s Gambit. This uber geist then proceeds to kick ass, aided even more by the Homicidal Seclusion I draw and play on turn 5. A Silklash Spider comes down, but my opponent knows it will only stall him one turn, so concedes.
W:L 6:12
Game 19 B/W/U Tokens
When my opponent drops a Intangible Virtue on turn 2, I know what I’m up against. Still, I have Demonic Taskmaster with a Predator’s Gambit in hand and manage to get that down quickly. I then proceed to pound as my opponent drops tokens. I count that I can win it with 3 life left on turn seven. But when I draw a Homicidal Seclusion on turn six, I seal the deal right there and then.
W:L 7:12
Game 20 G Elves
I get down an Crypt Creeper which trades with a Viridian Emissary . I then drop Fettergeist and ride it all the way to victory. I didn’t draw a single card to boost its power, but thanks to it’s flying and some blocking and removal, I manage to win the race in the end. I might have won a turn early had I swapped out the Geist for a Taskmaster sooner.
W:L 8:12
That went great, except for some bad luck with lands and a nasty planeswalker. I think I can focus the theme some more and get some useful answers in my deck.
Out:
2 Crippling Chill: Yes it replaces itself and gets me some valuable time. But I really like Frost Breath more and I don’t even know if I want to keep that. There is a slight chance that this will return, but don’t hold your breath.
1 Fettergeist: I personally think that 7 Loners is enough for this deck. Choosing between taking out a geist or a taskmaster is easy. The extra power of the taskmaster means it can close games a turn sooner and that is the most important part in my eyes.
2 Mist Raven: This was a tough call.Yes, this card is amazing in some decks, but I’m afraid it’s not working out right now. It has little synergy with the rest of the deck and I already have some big flyers. Of all the cards I’ve taken out, this is the one I could see returning if I end up missing them. But for now, I want to try it without them.
In:
3 Duress: I love this card and was so glad they reprinted it. It allows me to take out Planeswalkers, enchantments and artifacts before they even become a problem and also allow me to snoop in my opponents hand, all for the small price of 1 mana.
1 Fume Spitter: Thus far, these little guys have been great. With Duress added, I don’t think I’ll need 4, but 3 seems quite like a good number.
1 Ring of Xathrid: With black slowly becoming the dominant color again, I want to see if this Ring doesn’t do a better job then Swiftfoot Boots. Yes, the hexproof doesn’t require mana and protects against everything targeting it, but this has the added benefit of keeping it alive through combat and mass removal, plus it makes my attacks even more deadly
I also swap out 4 Islands for 4 Swamps, as my deck now leans heavily towards black.
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Solitary Fiends 1.4 |
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| 8 Island 16 Swamp 24 lands 4 Alchemist’s Apprentice 3 Fettergeist 15 creatures |
2 Doom Blade3 Duress 3 Essence Harvest 2 Frost Breath 2 Homicidal Seclusion 2 Into the Void 2 Predator’s Gambit1 Ring of Xathrid 2 Swiftfoot Boots 2 Tribute to Hunger 21 other spells |
Five more games and then we’ll call it a week.
Game 21 G/W Something
She had a really bad draw. I only saw a Arbor Elf, a Naturalize and a Evolving Wilds, aside from basic lands. I dropped a Demonic Taskmaster on turn 3, following it up on turn 5 with Homicidal Seclusion. After that got Naturalize, a few more attacks and a Essence Harvest ended the game before my opponent could recover. These games can be important too as a deck builder. It answers the question if your deck can capitalize on a bad draw from your opponent. I know my deck can, but that still felt dirty.
W:L 9:12
Game 22 R/U/B Control
I get off to a shaky start as I mulligan to 5 and have to use a Alchemist’s Apprentice as my one creature, but Homicidal Seclusion gets me going. Once a Demonic Taskmaster appears, things speed up. They don’t speed up fast enough however. I almost manage to win the game, but the lifelink of a Vampire Nighthawk saves my opponent. He then proceeds to lock me down, especially when he drops a Nical Bolas, Planeswalker on the board.
W:L 9:13
Game 23 R/U Talrand
My opponent was completely set to get a Talrand, Sky Summoner into play and use it. I though I was smart by keeping my Doom Blade ready, but a Vapor Snag aimed at Talrand ruined that plan. I try to beat through with a Taskmaster, but it just gets double blocked. I should have waited a turn with that, because that’s when I drew Predator’s Gambit. That could have allowed me to race my opponent as I still had a Essence Harvest in hand a Homicidal Seclusion for when I was doing to draw a fifth land. I’m just going to have to chalk that up as a learning experience: you can always draw the right card.
W:L 9:14
Game 24 B Big Stuff
My opponent had a plethora of removal and mass removal spells that prevented me from getting down a proper foothold. And that is without counting the 3 Liliana of the Dark Realm’s. Plus there were the Surgical Extractions that removed both of my Loners from my entire deck, getting me well and truly out of the game before I could take her out.
W:L 9:15
Game 25 R Aggro
I kept a pretty good had as my opponent mulliganed to 6. Opened with Duress and saw I was up against goblins. I removed a Shock and started to played out a Demonic Taskmaster. This got taken out by Incinerate. I the Ring in hand at this point, but Regenerate wouldn’t have saved him here. Good to remember. Anyway, I get beaten up pretty bad, but manage to get down a Demonic Taskmaster 2 turns before I die and a Homicidal Seclusion 1 turn before I die. This allows me to race back, especially as I use the ring to keep growing the Taskmaster and also a Predator’s Gambit to prevent her Chandra’s Phoenix from blocking. I manage to race all the way back to victory on this giant Taskmaster.
W:L 10:15
The deck is working better and I’m definitely winning more, but I still feel there are some refinements to be made. Join me next week when I fine tune this deck to perfection.
Vedalken Treehouse 