More or less complete info about the mechanics of the 'Face the Hydra' challenge at Theros Game Day.
The hydra challenge deck is a 60-cards. There are 19 head cards and 41 Sorcery cards. Up to four of the 19 heads start on the battlefield based on difficulty. The deck contains only 15 unique cards.
11x Hydra Head
4x Ravenous Brute Head
1x Snapping Fang Head
1x Shrieking Titan Head
1x Savage Vigor Head
(I am missing 1 in this count, but I'm fairly certain that there are exactly 19 head cards and that the count discrepancy is a missing Hydra Head or Ravenous Brute Head.)
Hydra Head
When it dies, each player gains 2 life.
0/3
*Two, three, or four of these start on the battlefield at the beginning of the game.
Ravenous Brute Head
(Probably Elite)
When it dies, each player gains 2 life and draws a card.
0/6
Snapping Fang Head Elite
Deals 1 (additional) damage to each player during the hydra's end step.
(Has some sort of beneficial effect when it dies.)
0/8
Shrieking Titan Head
Elite
Each player discards a card during the hydra's end step.
(Has some sort of beneficial effect when it dies.)
0/8
Savage Vigor Head
Elite
The hydra draws/casts an additional card during its end steps.
0/8
The 41 unique spells are as follows
2x Strike the Weak Spot
Destroy target head. (You make all choices for the hydra.) If the head is Elite, the hydra takes another turn after this one.
4x Hydra's Impenetrable Hide Heads are indestructible until the hydra's next turn.
3x Neck Tangle Something about tapping two heads and then something else. (Tapped heads won't damage players during the hydra's end step.)
4x Torn Between Heads
I don't remember this one's text.
4x Grown from the Stump
Return up to 2 of the 0/3 heads from the hydra's graveyard to play. If there aren't any, reveal the library until you hit a head and put that into play and the rest into the graveyard.
5x Swallow the Hero Whole
I think this one was already spoiled, but it's like Journey to Nowhere. Each player chooses a creature they control to exile but those creatures come back when a head dies.
4 Hydra's Noxious Breath Choose one -- 5 damage to each player or destroy each tapped non-head creature. (You make decisions for the hydra. We assume this means you can choose the latter option on turn 1 when you have no creatures.)
6x Unified Lunge
The hydra deals X damage to each player where X is the number of heads it controls.
5x Disorienting Glower
Each player can't cast spells until the Hydra's next turn.
5x Distract the Hydra I don't remember the text of this one.There was a Sorcery to the effect of:
"Each player may sacrifice a creature. Each player that does so may tap a head. Each player that doesn't sacrifice a creature loses 3 life." (Tapped heads don't do damage to players during the hydra's end step.)
There was a Sorcery to the effect of:
"If the hydra has 5 or more heads, do something. Otherwise the hydra casts the top card of its deck." (The hydra never had five heads when we drew it so I don't remember what the first clause did.
The player(s) always take the first turn (and don't draw on their first turn.
The hydra "casts" the top card of its library each turn (again a ~15:41 head:spell ratio). During its end step, each untapped head deals 1 damage to each player. Each Elite head deals an additional 1 damage to each player. (Snapping Fang Head's ability thus causes it to deal 3 total damage to each player by itself since it's also elite.)
Players attack the heads directly with creatures.
When a head dies, the hydra reveals the top two cards of his or her library. Any heads come into play; any sorceries go to the graveyard. (Hitting double spells is not unlikely.)
If a head would leave play, it dies instead. (Disperse / Cyclonic Rift do good things.)
The player(s) win when no heads remain on the battlefield.
As far as I can remember, the graveyard never reshuffles, so the 19 head cards (and 4 copies of Grown from the Stump) are the actual kill limit. (Though this will vary randomly based on the exact order of spells in the deck.)
I suppose you can go with any deck, but your supposed to restrict it to standard which those are not. Also, neither does any more than a normal wrath would. You make a whole lot of stumps for heads to grow back on.
Private Mod Note
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Check out the thread for my cube if you have the time, and tell me how terrible it is.
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
I suppose you can go with any deck, but your supposed to restrict it to standard which those are not. Also, neither does any more than a normal wrath would. You make a whole lot of stumps for heads to grow back on.
Actually, the deck is apparently able to be scaled to play against any deck at all, even competitive legacy decks.
So... what happens with the 'mill until you find a land' cards such as Balustrade Spy?
Since there are no lands in the hydra deck, does the whole thing go in the graveyard, or does it not work because the challenge deck technically doesn't have a 'player' ?
The game day event was standard only. But once you buy a 'meet the hydra' deck, what is stopping you from doing whatever you like? (And wizards designers surely considered this when designing it)
So... what happens with the 'mill until you find a land' cards such as Balustrade Spy?
Since there are no lands in the hydra deck, does the whole thing go in the graveyard, or does it not work because the challenge deck technically doesn't have a 'player' ?
I assume that the hydra doesn't count as a "player" for targeting purposes...
It's a 3 mana wrath effect, but remember that you might just get more heads back than you 'destroyed'.
Also: to up the difficulty, simply proxy in more elite heads, maybe create your own heads (shroud heads, heads with pro: colour, heads which damage creatures that damage them, etc.)
So it doesn't seem like some sort of token swarm deck would work against this. And here I was hoping to bring some sort of Akroan Crusader.dec to simulate a bunch of dudes slaying the Hydra. Oh well.
But hey, Sedge Scorpion works! Hell, so does Baleful Eidolon, even. I'll have fun trying to break that deck using draft fodder. Bounce spells also work fine, too.
So it doesn't seem like some sort of token swarm deck would work against this. And here I was hoping to bring some sort of Akroan Crusader.dec to simulate a bunch of dudes slaying the Hydra. Oh well.
Why won't tokens work? The heads don't appear to attack your creatures, so a bunch of 1/1s will be safe, and it only takes 3 to kill a normal head.
So it doesn't seem like some sort of token swarm deck would work against this. And here I was hoping to bring some sort of Akroan Crusader.dec to simulate a bunch of dudes slaying the Hydra. Oh well.
But hey, Sedge Scorpion works! Hell, so does Baleful Eidolon, even. I'll have fun trying to break that deck using draft fodder. Bounce spells also work fine, too.
I mean, according to those rules posted above a wrath effect wins instantly. You win when there are no head creatures in play. When a head dies, the effect that flips two cards is certainly triggered, right? So you win which a bunch of "regrow" triggers on the stack...?
Oh, I thought he was talking about playing a spell that is countering a spell with counters on it as it comes into play, but I see you guys were just discussing whether he was flashing a creature with flash in order to flash a flashback or just flashing a creature with flash but not needing flash in order to flashback a spell without flash.
I mean, according to those rules posted above a wrath effect wins instantly. You win when there are no head creatures in play. When a head dies, the effect that flips two cards is certainly triggered, right? So you win which a bunch of "regrow" triggers on the stack...?
I assume the rules are worded such that there have to be no heads after all the "regrowths" are complete, otherwise it would be far too easy.
Older Magic as a Board Game: Panglacial Wurm , Mill
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
If this weren't Standard, it would be fun to just play Doran to annoy your team mates.
Older Magic as a Board Game: Panglacial Wurm , Mill
I suppose you can go with any deck, but your supposed to restrict it to standard which those are not. Also, neither does any more than a normal wrath would. You make a whole lot of stumps for heads to grow back on.
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
Actually, the deck is apparently able to be scaled to play against any deck at all, even competitive legacy decks.
Since there are no lands in the hydra deck, does the whole thing go in the graveyard, or does it not work because the challenge deck technically doesn't have a 'player' ?
I was informed by my LGS that it's a Standard-only affair.
- Main Cube
- No Brains, All Feelings Cube
EDH Deck
URGThe Group HugsWUG
I assume that the hydra doesn't count as a "player" for targeting purposes...
It's a 3 mana wrath effect, but remember that you might just get more heads back than you 'destroyed'.
Also: to up the difficulty, simply proxy in more elite heads, maybe create your own heads (shroud heads, heads with pro: colour, heads which damage creatures that damage them, etc.)
But hey, Sedge Scorpion works! Hell, so does Baleful Eidolon, even. I'll have fun trying to break that deck using draft fodder. Bounce spells also work fine, too.
Why won't tokens work? The heads don't appear to attack your creatures, so a bunch of 1/1s will be safe, and it only takes 3 to kill a normal head.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
use the hero card that gives deathtouch...
-regarding Snapcaster Mage.
1x The Warrior
4x Sedge Scorpion
4x Wasteland Viper
4x Baleful Eidolon
4x Deadly Recluse
4x Thrill-Kill Assassin
4x Wight of Precinct Six
1x Undercity Informer
4x Doom Blade
3x Mark of the Vampire
15x Forest
9x Swamp
This seems more consistent and faster than Izzet Staticaster + The Avenger and Angelic Accord.
Bear in mind that if your first play is on turn 4, you've already taken 12+ damage. Better hope it doesn't Silence you or become indestructible.
Older Magic as a Board Game: Panglacial Wurm , Mill
I assume the rules are worded such that there have to be no heads after all the "regrowths" are complete, otherwise it would be far too easy.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
4 Ash Zealot
4 Riot Piker
4 Akroan Crusader
4 Deathbellow Raider
1 Arena Athlete
3 Minotaur Skullcleaver
2 Rubblebelt Maaka
1 Ill-Tempered Cyclops
4 Titan's Strength
4 Coordinated Assault
1 Pyrewild Shaman
1 Pursuit of Flight
1 Street Spasm
post they here
I love some new art
My WTB - EDH stuff