Hand of Fate - A Magic the Gathering Online Dynasty

[BYU 14]

I played the card version of Magic when it first came out 10-11 years ago and recently started messing around with the online version. With as much as the game has grown since it's inception and amount of strategy now involved it has caught my interest enough for me to purchase some digital cards and start playing a bit more seriously. For those unfamliar with Magic, rather than me going into a long, drawn out explanation here is a link to the rules. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules

I mostly play Blue decks, usually with a splash of white and currently have two that I am using most of the time. My main deck is a blue/white beatdown deck, with control abilities (Which blue decks are known for) I primarily use Merfolk as my creatures as they have some very nice combos for damage, health regeneration and mana recycling in this format. I also use a Merfolk Milling deck (designed to reduce your opponents card Library to nothing) which can be deadly or fall flat.

I will start the Dynasty with my first Deck (Tide of Terror) and will start with 1 on 1 duels and eventually progress to tournaments (which include prizes) then hopefully Premier events (better prizes) at some point.

Next post will breakdown my main deck

[Izulde]

Mmm, Serra Angel.

Yeah, I'm old school.

[BYU 14]

Deck Name: Tide of Terror

Colors: blue/white splash - Style: beatdown/control

Main Deck 60 cards

Lands: 22

10 Island - adds 1 blue mana when tapped

8 plains - adds 1 white mana when tapped

2 Boreal Shelf - adds either 1 blue or 1 white mana when tapped

1 Adarker Wastes - adds either 1 colorless, 1 blue or 1 white mana when tapped

1 Vivid Creek - adds 1 blue mana when tapped. Also holds 2 counters that can be used as any color mana

Creatures: 22 (Abilities available when they are in play)

4 Judge of Currents - Adds 1 life whenever a Merfolk is tapped

4 Lords of Atlantis - Other Merfolk gain +1/+1 plus Island walk (Can't be blocked if opponent has an Island)

4 Merrow Reejery - Merfolk you control gain +1/+1, whenever you play a Merfolk spell tap or untap target

2 Sage of Fables - Other Wizards you control enter play with a +1/+1 counter

2 Stoneybrook Banneret - Islandwalk\Merfolk and Wizard spells cost 1 less to play

4 Stoneybrook Schoolmasters - When these become tapped put a +1/+1 blue Merfolk Wizard into play

2 Tideshaper Mystics - Tap Mystic, target land becomes Island until end of turn.

Spells: 16

4 Rune Snag - Counter spell unless opponent pays 2 mana, plus 2 mana for each Rune Snag in all graveyards

3 Ancestral Vision - Suspend 4 turns, target player draws 3 cards

2 Ponder - Look at top 3 cards of library, put them back in any order, then draw a card

4 Oblivion Ring - Remove a non-land permanent (Creature, Artifact or Enchantment) from the game

3 Merrow Commerce - At the end of your turn untap all Merfolk you control (Very important spell)

Side Board

1-Arcanis the Omnipotent, 4 Latchkey Faeries, 2 Spellstutter Sprites, 4 Momentary Blink, 4 Sages Dousing

The ideal way to play this deck is to get a Ancestral vision into play in the first turn or two, to insure you have a nice draw to restock your hand within 4-5 turns in. In the meantime I look to control the opponent with Rune Snag and Oblivion Ring will I build enough land to get a Merrow Reejery, Lord of Atlantis and either Judge of Currents or Merrow Commerce into play.

The Reejery are key as they allow me to untap a land every time I play a spell, which of course gives me back mana to play an extra spell or two each turn, plus they have a +1/+1 bonus. The Lords give a +1/+1 as well and grant Island walk, which I can use in conjuction with a Tideshaper Mystic (Turn an opponent land to an Island) and become unblockable. The Commerce and Judge of Currents help me pack on life points and keep my Creatures untapped at all times. Seperate they are good, if I can get both in play they are lethal.

This is a very flexible deck and allows me several ways to win as long as I get land down every turn and can replenish my hand at some point.

I will track the Decks record as I go and make tweaks as needed along the way.

[BYU 14]

Date: 05/28/08 Deck Name: Tide of Terror Opponent: Jypsum1 Match Type: Duel Deck Record: 0-0 Deck Type: Green/Red splash Initial Hand 3 Islands, 2 Oblivion Ring, 1 Rune Snag, 1 Merrow Commerce Turn Mana cost of play in parenthesis (#) My Play Opponents Play 1 Draw Island Forest N/A 2 Draw Island Mountain - Bosk Banneret (2), I counter with Rune Snag (2) to destroy creature Adarker Wastes 3 Draw Adarker Wastes - Merrow Reejery (3) Fertile Grove (2) Merrow Reejery 4 Draw Island - Merrow Commerce (2) Attack with Reejery for 2 damage - Lead 20-18 Mountain - Troll Ascetic (3) Note: This is bad as I can't hit it with spells once it is on play Oblivion Ring 5 Draw Island, Attack with Reejery for 2 damage - Lead 20-16 Forest, attacks with Ascetic, I don't block take 3 damage, then plays Leaf Crowned Elder (4) - Lead 17-16 Island 6 Draw Plains - Oblivion Ring (3) take out Leaf Crowned Elder, attack with Reejery for 2 damage - Lead 17-14 Llanowar reborn - attacks with Ascetic for 3 damage (I don't block again) plays another Ascetic (3) - Tied 14-14 Plains 7 Draw Ancestral Vision (S-4) Oblivion Ring (3) takes out Fertile Grove. Attack with Reejery, Ascetic blocks, lose Reejery and Ascetic regens for (2) - Bad!!! - Tied 14-14 Highland Weald - Rage Forger (3) attacks with Ascetic's for 4 damage each, plus 2 damage bonus from Rage Forger ability - Trail 4-14 and that is pretty much the game! Ancestral Vision 8 Draw Oblivion Ring (3) takes out Rage Forger - Trail 4-14 Highland Weald - attacks with 1 Ascetic for 4 Game over! Merrow Commerce 9 Draw 10 Draw 11 Draw 12 Draw 13 Draw 14 Draw 15 Draw Result: Loss by life depletion 14-0 turn 8 - Deck Record 0-1 22 creatures in my deck and I only draw 1, WTF??? That is not how to win with a Beatdown deck. That is the poorest this deck has done with creature draw and if I had gotten at least 2 more down it would have been a different story. Being able to regen when he blocked the Reejery turned the game around and left me defenseless. Deck is 0-1 after winning 80% of it's test duels.

[BYU 14]

Date: 05/29/08			Deck Name: Tide of Terror				Opponent: PGqsilver
Match Type: Duel			Deck Record: 0-1				Deck Type: Green / Black
Initial Hand		1 Boreal Shelf, 1 Plains, 2 Judge of Currents, 1 Stoneybrook Banneret, 1 Stoneybrook Schoolmaster, 1 Oblivion Ring

Turn	Mana cost of play in parenthesis (#)		My Play				Opponents Play (Plays first)
1	Draw		Boreal Shelf				Forest -
	Plains
2	Draw		Plains - Ancestral Vision (1 + suspend 4)				Swamp
	Ancestral Vision
3	Draw		Plains - Stoneybrook Banneret (2) Opponent counters with Terror (2) destroying Banneret				None (This is good as he has no land)
	S-brook Schoolmaster
4	Draw		Plains - Judge of Currents (2) Judge of Currents (2) This gets two life generators in play, though I suspect he has spells to address these in his hand				Forest - Civic Wayfarer (3) This lests him search his hand for another land card.
	Plains
5	Draw		Stoneybrook Schoolmaster (3)				Swamp - Sure enough he plays Cruel Edict (2) and Terror (2) to destroys both Judges - attacks with Civic Wayfarer for 2 damage - Trail 18-20
	S-brook Schoolmaster
6	Draw		Acestral Vision (draw Boreal Shelf, Ponder, Merrow Reejery) Plains - Ponder (1) Oblivion Ring (3) Bye Bye to his Huntmaster - attack with Schoolmaster 1 damage trail 16-19				Swamp - Lys Alana Huntmaster (4) This card is a bitch but I have something for it - attacks with Civic Wayfarer for 2 damage - trail 16-20
	Plains
7	Draw		Island - Merrow Reejery (3) Tideshaper Mystic (1) Schoolmaster (3) I tap his Archer thanks to Reejery and attack with Wizard for 2 damage - trail 14-17				Swamp - Jagged Scar Archer (3) Eyesblight ending (3) which takes out my Schoolmaster - attacks with Civic Wayfarer for 2 damage - trail 14-19
	Tideshaper Mystic
8	Draw		Merrow Reejery (3) Schoolmaster (3) this allows me to tap his two active creatures - attack with Wizard, Reejery, Tideshaper and Schoolmaster 12 damage - lead 11-5				Jagged Scar Archer (3) - attacks with first Archer for 3 damage - trail 11-17
	Merrow Reejery
9	Draw		After he attacks he realizes I will finish him this turn and concedes - one for the the good guys!!!				Wrens Run packmaster (2) lanowar Elves (1) - attacks with both Jagged Scar Archers (both now 5/5) I sacrifice a Wizard to block on and take 5 damage - lead 6-5
	N/A
10	Draw
11	Draw
12	Draw
13	Draw
14	Draw
15	Draw
Result: Win by Concession 6-5 turn 9 - Deck Record 1-1

I was not crazy about drawing a green deck as they give this deck I am using the most trouble on a consistent basis. Add his black elimination spells and I was prepared for a tough match, which it was. Key plays were getting his huntmaster out with the Oblivion Ring, which bought me some time to build an attack force. Then once I got the extra draws from Ancestral Vision and got a couple of Reejery's into play which let me either untap my tapped lands for more mana or tap his defenders to prevent blocks I was in good shape. The score when he conceded was close, but since he attacked with his big guns that last turn he was done, as he could not have blocked me. The fact that Schoolmaster generate a 1/1 Wizard Creature whenever they are tapped is huge two as it gives me creatures I can sacrifice on blocks.

[sabotai]

Nice idea for a dynasty. I'll be following.

[BYU 14]

Welcome aboard Sabotai, I cleaned up the format a bit to hopefully make the matches easier to follow.

Date: 05/30/08			Deck Name: Tide of Terror				Opponent: Costume
Match Type: Duel			Deck Record: 1-1				Deck Type: Blue
Initial Hand		2 Islands, 1 Vivid Creek, 2 Oblivion Rings, 1 Rune Snag (Bad 1st draw so I mulliganed and drew 6)

Turn 1	Costume	Life: 20	Play	Quicksand
Actions: None
Turn 1	Me	Life: 20	Draw	Plains
			Play	Island
Actions: None
Turn 2	Costume	Life: 20	Play	Island - Shape Sharer (2)
Actions: None
Turn 2	Me	Life: 20	Draw	Stoneybrook Schoolmaster
			Play	Island
Actions: None
Turn 3	Costume	Life: 20	Play	Puppeteer (3)
Actions: I counter Puppeteer with Rune Snag (2) removing it from the game.
Turn 3	Me	Life: 20	Draw	Plains
			Play	Plains
Actions: None - (He has a deck configuration I have not seen before and I have 2 Oblivion Rings, so I am being patient)
Turn 4	Costume	Life: 20	Play	Island
Actions: Attacks with Shape Sharer for 1 damage
Turn 4	Me	Life: 19	Draw	Boreal Shelf
			Play	Vivid Creek
Actions: None
Turn 5	Costume	Life: 20	Play	Island - Mulldrifter (5)
Actions: Mulldrifter allows him to draw 2 cards.
Turn 5	Me	Life: 19	Draw	Boreal Shelf
			Play	Boreal Shelf - Oblivion Ring (3)
Actions: I remove his Mulldrifter from the game
Turn 6	Costume	Life: 20	Play	Island - Chronozoa (4)
Actions: Attacks with Shape Sharer for 1 damage
Turn 6	Me	Life: 18	Draw	Rune Snag
			Play	Plains - Oblivion Ring (3)
Actions: I remove Chronozoa, I imagine he is cursing me right now
Turn 7	Costume	Life: 20	Play	Island - Mulldrifter (5)
Actions: I counter his Mulldrifter with Rune Snag (2) and he immediately concedes, most likely out of frustration.
Result: Win by Concession 18-20 turn 7 - Deck Record 2-1

Very strange duel as I did not play a single creature. This was by design as I was curious about his strategy and didn't want to be caught out of position to counter. An added benefit of this is that some players get very impatient and frustrated when you are not aggressive, which probably led to him conceding so early. Oh well, a W is a W.

[Ironhead]

Ahh, Magic. So much fun if you have money to burn. I will be following along. I think I still have a soldier deck on MtGO.

[BYU 14]

Date: 05/31/08			Deck Name: Tide of Terror				Opponent: Joe718
Match Type: Duel			Deck Record: 2-1				Deck Type: Blue/Black
Initial Hand		1 Vivid Creek, 1 Island, 1 Oblivion Ring, 1 Lord of Atlantis, 1 Sage of Fables, 1 Judge of Currents, 1 Stoneybrook Schoolmaster

Turn 1	Me	Life: 20	Draw	None
			Play	Vivid Creek
Actions: None
Turn 1	Joe718	Life: 20	Play	Swamp - Thoughtsieze (1)
Actions: Eliminates Lord of Atlantis from my hand with Thoughtsieze costing him 2 life.
Turn 2	Me	Life: 20	Draw	Boreal Shelf
			Play	Island - Judge of Currents (2)
Actions: None
Turn 2	Joe718	Life: 18	Play	Island
Actions: None
Turn 3	Me	Life: 20	Draw	Merrow Reejery (perfect)
			Play	Boreal Shelf
Actions: Attack with Judge of Currents for 1 damage, plus I gain 1 life.
Turn 3	Joe718	Life: 17	Play	Island
Actions: None (Good in that he has high mana cards in his hand and when he does play them I have a Ring I can now use)
Turn 4	Me	Life: 21	Draw	Plains
			Play	Plains - Merrow Reejery (3)
Actions: Attack with Judge of Currents for 2 damage, plus I gain 1 life. (With the Reejery on the board I can now recycle mana and get more aggressive)
Turn 4	Joe718	Life: 15	Play	Swamp - Stinkdrinker Bandit (4)
Actions: None
Turn 5	Me	Life: 22	Draw	Oblivion Ring (having 2 in hand pretty much seals it for me now)
			Play	Sage of Fables (3)
Actions: I use Reejery's triggered ability to tap his Stinkdrinker Bandit, then attack with Reejery and Judge of Currents for 4 damage, plus I gain 2 more life.
Turn 5	Joe718	Life: 11	Play	Island - Sower of Temptation (4)
Actions: Sower of Tempation ability allows him to take control of my Sage of Fables as it enters play. Attacks with Stinkdrinker Bandit for 4 damage as I can not block it.
Turn 6	Me	Life: 20	Draw	Plains
			Play	Plains - Stoneybrook Schoolmaster (3) - Oblivion Ring (3)
Actions: I only have 5 land in play, but Reejery ability allows me to untap Boreal Shelf after I play the Schoolmaster and Bring the Ring into play as well. I remove his Sower of Temptation with the Ring, which returns my Sage of Fables to me. I attack with Reejery and Judge for 4 damage and gain 2 life.
Turn 6	Joe718	Life: 7	Play	Island - Sower of Temptation (4)
Actions: He uses Sower to take my Sage of Fables again, no big deal as I have another O-Ring in waiting. The game is pretty much over now.
Turn 7	Me	Life: 22	Draw	Merrow Commerce
			Play	Merrow Commerce( 2) - Oblivion Ring (3)
Actions: Merrow Commerce allow me to untap all my Merfolk after I attack, I use Reejery ability for playing this spell to tap his Bandit. I then remove his Sower with my second Oblivion Ring, gaining control of Sage of Fables back. Attack with Reejery, Judge of Currents and Stoneybrook Schoolmaster (Which summons a Merfolk Wizard) for 6 damage gaining 3 life as well.
Turn 7	Joe718	Life: 1	Play	Island
Actions: He concedes the game.
Result: Win by Concession 25-1 turn 7 - Deck Record 3-1

A fairly easy time this game thanks to the Oblivion Rings. If I did not have those and he was able to retain control of my Creatures the outcome would have been much different. Third win in a row after an opening loss has me feeling good about the deck makeup, so I probably won't change it. If anything I think I may add some Fairy Conclaves for land. They are a bit pricey, but in addition to blue mana they can be converted into a creature with flying if needed. I have no real defense against flying creatures at the moment, outside of stopping them ffrom being summoned or using Oblivion Ring to remove them. I have been getting real lucky getting Oblivion Rings early in the game, but I need a plan B as this will not always be the case.

Thanks for following Ironhead.....Is your Soldier Deck a Kithkin Deck?

[Abe Sargent]

I'm a followin'

[law90026]

I am intrigued by the concept of playing Magic online (I haven't played for close to 10 years) and in particular those draft games. Will be following.

[BYU 14]

[BYU 14]

WTH?? The board no longer accepts a cut and paste from excel.....Unless anyone might know why, this kind of ruins the dynasty

Any ideas?