And so, it has come down to this, the fire and lightning of Kerick van Filo pitched against the artificer powers of the rhox planeswalker Venge. Now they call on your aid to win their battles!
For reference, the challenge was to create a deck for a duel deck product, using many of the cards created this month and a few more new ones, and combining those with selected reprints of existing cards. Both creators have provided some tips on the deck strategies and card highlights. Which one will you side with in their epic battle?
You may need to check previous rounds for some of the entries:
Kerick van Filo is nothing if not efficient. With the Spelltwiner's deck filled with instants and sorceries, never fear about card disadvantage every again! Every card in the deck, from Call to Mind to Wee Dragonauts lets you get more out of your instants and sorceries.
Start off small with your Delver of Secrets or Blistercoil Weird, which get extra large in a deck filled with instants and sorceries. Then, unleash your instants and sorceries upon the opponent! Lunar Mystic lets you replace all of them with more cards, while Snapcaster Mage and Increasing Vengeance let you use the same card multiple times! Don't worry: even if you do start to run out of cards, Isochron Scepter can keep you running off a single card.
When you play, don't be afraid to discard instants or sorceries when using Careful Consideration or Desolate Lighthouse. While it may seem like a bad idea, many of the spells in the deck have flashback, meaning you can reuse them even when they're in the graveyard. Even if they don't, you can target them with Recoup and cast them again anyway, or use them to fuel a massive Reignite.
Once you've grabbed the early advantage, refill with Erratic Research and Kerick's Exprimentation, or use Kerick's Order to star the assault all over again! If you have a large grip of cards, you can finish them off with Kerick himself and his huge final ability, a perfect Storm of Brilliance, or just point all your burn spells at your opponents face and watch them melt away.
Erratic Research2U
Sorcery (U)
Draw three cards. Then discard two cards unless you discard an instant or sorcery card.
Reignite3R
Sorcery (U)
Reignite deals damage equal to the number of instant or sorcery cards in your graveyard to target creature or player. "It's important to learn from one's mistakes. I've learnt from yours, at the very least."
Manastatic Engine4
Artifact (U)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Manastatic Engine deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Storm of Brilliance4UR
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, return target instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost less than that spell's from your graveyard to your hand.
Venge is a Rhox of action, but don't let his aggressive nature fool you. This planeswalker is smarter than he acts, with plenty of deadly tricks for when speed and brute force don't work.
The Venge deck offers versatility. Pound in with your small artifacts while your opponent struggles to mount a defense, then finish them off with one of your power hitters like Hellkite Igniter. Cards like Steel Overseer and Spine of Ish Sah will give your deck so much fuel, you'll never have to stop burning your opponent to the ground. There are powerful card combinations everywhere in this deck, take a look at Furnace Golem and Lightning Coils and put them together with all the different ways you can sacrifice your artifacts. How can your opponent stand against Venge's Shockrollers when he makes them indestructible? Or the Volt Ticks that have been given Forge Armor to wear?
Harness this deck, and harness the true power of artifice.
Venge, Burning Tinkerer1RR
Planeswalker - Venge (M)
[+2] Up to one target artifact is indestructible this turn.
[-1] Artifacts you control gain ":symtap:, Discard a card: Draw a card." until end of turn.
[-7] Sacrifice any number of artifacts. For each artifact sacrificed in this way, Venge, Burning Tinkerer deals damage equal to twice that artifact's converted mana cost to target creature or player.
{2}
Venge's Shockroller4
Artifact Creature - Construct (C)
Whenever Venge's Shockroller becomes blocked, it deals damage equal to its power to defending player. "My machine's are fragile, you say? That reminds me of the Loxodon that called me fat... I killed him too."
—Venge, Burning Tinkerer
3/1
Venge's CharmR
Sorcery (U)
As an additional cost to cast Venge's Charm, sacrifice an artifact.
Choose one — Deal damage to target creature equal to the sacrificed artifact's converted mana cost; or return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand; or draw two cards, then discard a card at random.
Venge's Hydraskelion7
Artifact Creature - Hydra Construct (R)
Venge's Hydraskelion enters the battlefield with four +1/+1 counters.
Sacrifice an artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on Venge's Hydraskelion.
Remove two +1/+1 counters from Venge's Hydraskelion: Return another target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
0/0
Volt Tick2
Artifact Creature - Insect Construct (C)
When Volt Tick dies, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player. Its spark is worse than its bite.
1/1
Furnace Golem5
Artifact Creature - Golem (U)
Whenever you sacrifice an artifact, put two +1/+1 counters on Furnace Golem. "Every artificer should have one. It's a waste disposal system that can also cook food or intruders."
—Venge, Burning Tinkerer
3/3
Molten Reforger3
Artifact (U)
Sacrifice an artifact creature, :symtap:: Return target artifact card with converted mana cost less than or equal to the sacrificed creature's power from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Mercury Valkyrie8
Artifact Creature - Angel Construct (R)
Flying 4: When target artifact other than Mercury Valkyrie is put into a graveyard this turn, return it to the battlefield under your control.
6/6
Arcbound Reclaimer - The Reclaimer's energy limbs glow a bright red to contrast the dark storm in the picture. Its hands have been plunged below the earth, and in the background two shockrollers are floating in the air, wrapped in energy that matches the Reclaimer's limbs.
Feedback Bolt - The Rhox artificer, Venge, stands in the background, his arm thrust forward sending a bolt of lighting that zips straight into a small mechanical ball, darts at a 90 degree angle to a small shockroller, bends up into the air to hit some sort of mechanical bird, and down off-frame again. The bolt of lightning seems to get brighter and wider as it passes through each artifact.
Lightning Coils - The focus is on Venge's backside, taking in his shoulders and the back of his head. On each shoulder sits a metal pole with thin coils around it, a bolt of lightning is passing from one to the other over Venge's head. Far in the background, there are five small creatures made of electricity that are surrounding a mage, presumably Kerick. Venge is clearly watching them attack his enemy.
Pyrite Spellbomb - A mechanical ball with four holes that shoot golden sparks wrapped around it equidistantly around the circumference takes up the majority of the frame. There are a few thin cracks in the ball that glow a dangerously bright yellow. In the bottom right corner, Venge stands in a pose that shows he has just thrown this item.
Savage Beating - Venge is holding Kerick above his head, his mouth open in a roar and his face giving away the endless rage that boils within him. Sparks of lightning fly around the rest of Venge's body in an uncontrolled and uncaring way.
Venge, Burning Tinkerer - A massive Rhox in red robes stands in a dully lit workshop colored of dull metal. Contraptions litter the tables, though only one is mostly in view, the other tables barely have a corner in the frame. Venge's clothes are also covered in small devices, such as the strange coils on his shoulders and the monocle on a rod that starts from somewhere on his chest, beneath a cloak, to stretch up to sit in front of his eye. The monocle is telescoping to give him a better view of his current project, which he holds in one hand. It is a small ball, which he is pointing his free hand at from above, sending a single spark of electricity into its top. The ball is responding by releasing a constant gout of flame to each side. Venge is smiling maniacally at the device.
Venge's Shockroller - A cylinder of spikes and electricity that seems to be rolling blazingly fast along the ground.
Volt Tick's power clause seems a bit tacky and forced, tbh, although it does fit nicely with the power pump in your deck. I was hoping (not really) that there wouldn't be some terrible pun in like Rust Tick but lo and behold, it's right there in the flavour text. Thanks. Furnace Golem seems really limited; probably could be cheaper on the body or something. It doesn't do a lot except in your deck. Molten Reforger is nice, but it seems dangerous as a kinda manaless recursion engine that's good at sacrificing things without spending mana. Once again, great synergy with the rest of your deck. Mercury Valkyrie is very nice and kinda a callback to Adarkar Valkyrie, yeah? At any rate, it's cool and flavourful.
Your deck is cool but... I don't really know if it's aggressive enough with all its sacrifice. Most of it is for temporary pump like with Megatog (forgot what that did for a moment, and before clicking I thought it ate Megiddos; also why no original Atog?) effects or just dies (Crumbling Colossus). The deck seems too fragile, what with only a few pieces of stuff that doesn't get you card disadvantage - the singleIchor Wellspring, Spine of Ish Sah and a few other things. I think, also, you could've done with more 'dies' effects (like Modular!) and less clashing like the old spellbomb or Vulshok Replica where you don't know whether to sacrifice it to itself or one of your Atogs. I think I made my deck too good with all its card advantage
Oops I think I forgot that assigning too many cards makes people tl;dr and not vote. Well good job guys and congrats KK, I'll send things and unsticky and whatnot tomorrow
For reference, the challenge was to create a deck for a duel deck product, using many of the cards created this month and a few more new ones, and combining those with selected reprints of existing cards. Both creators have provided some tips on the deck strategies and card highlights. Which one will you side with in their epic battle?
You may need to check previous rounds for some of the entries:
Previous Rounds:
Signup Thread
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Top 8
Top 4
Finals Submissions
(that means yes)
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
And even short comments would be much appreciated.
So I guess I'll do some instead.
Volt Tick's power clause seems a bit tacky and forced, tbh, although it does fit nicely with the power pump in your deck. I was hoping (not really) that there wouldn't be some terrible pun in like Rust Tick but lo and behold, it's right there in the flavour text. Thanks. Furnace Golem seems really limited; probably could be cheaper on the body or something. It doesn't do a lot except in your deck. Molten Reforger is nice, but it seems dangerous as a kinda manaless recursion engine that's good at sacrificing things without spending mana. Once again, great synergy with the rest of your deck. Mercury Valkyrie is very nice and kinda a callback to Adarkar Valkyrie, yeah? At any rate, it's cool and flavourful.
Your deck is cool but... I don't really know if it's aggressive enough with all its sacrifice. Most of it is for temporary pump like with Megatog (forgot what that did for a moment, and before clicking I thought it ate Megiddos; also why no original Atog?) effects or just dies (Crumbling Colossus). The deck seems too fragile, what with only a few pieces of stuff that doesn't get you card disadvantage - the single Ichor Wellspring, Spine of Ish Sah and a few other things. I think, also, you could've done with more 'dies' effects (like Modular!) and less clashing like the old spellbomb or Vulshok Replica where you don't know whether to sacrifice it to itself or one of your Atogs. I think I made my deck too good with all its card advantage
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
I'll try to pm you my thoughts on your entry when I have some time caterpie.
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Curse Premiumgood stuff btw.