So this is my first attempt a horde deck and with the release of the Face the Hydra Challenge deck I thought a Hydra themed deck for horde would be a challenge for opponents. With that in mind I was hoping to get input from the community to help make a fun challenging deck for opponents to squirm against one of the herculean challenges.
Preface:
The most important thing to keep in mind with these rules is that they are not concrete rules. Please adjust based on playgroup or strength of decks used against the horde deck.
Rules
Setup:
1. Each Survivor contributes 20 life(To be determined based on more testing, but with ~5 damage a turn from just hydra heads seems like it will be painful enough).
2. Hydra horde begins with 5 Hydra heads in play chosen at random.
Gameplay:
1. The Survivors always go first, and take the first three turns before the Horde gets a turn. The Survivors do not get to draw on their first turn.
2. Due to the nature of the hydra heads dealing damage for being untapped, they will be the only creatures to not to attack each turn, but instead will always block. If hydra heads are tapped due to an effect and no creatures are available to block all incoming damage is directed to a hydra based on a players choice.
3. All creatures have haste. The Horde has infinite mana, and will pay all costs for cards such as Propaganda or Rhystic Study. Also hyrdras with an activated ability will use it once a turn per hydra(to be adjusted based on testing/difficulty)
4. Whenever a hydra head is destroyed the hydra horde deck reveals the top 5 cards of its library and any heads/hydras(x=to number of hydra turns) that are revealed will be put into play all other cards will placed into the graveyard.
6. Each hydra head deals 1 damage to each opponent and each elite hydra head deals 2 to damage to each opponent.
Winning the Game (all conditions must be met):
1. The Horde must have no cards in its library.
2. The Horde must have no cards in hand.
3. The Horde must have no creatures in play.
Additional Rules Notes:
1. If a card is returned to the Horde's hand, it is cast during their next main phase.
2. The Horde is supposed to be mindless, so whenever possible, make choices
randomly.
3. If a Hydra Head is exiled instead it is placed in the graveyard instead.(Heads need to regrow :)).
Deck-Specific Rules
1. The horde's turn proceeds in this manner:
a) Upkeep -The hydra deck reveals the top 5(tbd) card of its library and plays all spells revealed this way in a random order. Also every upkeep the hydra horde gains X+1 for its hydra creature spells(due to limiting the use of infinite mana to cast the hydra creatures)
b) First main phase - The hydra player will cast any card that has been returned to its hand, cast in a random order. Cards with flashback may also be played at this point.
c) Combat phase - All non hydra head creatures will attack(creatures have haste).
d) Second main phase - Any cards drawn or returned to hand during the first main phase are now cast.
2. If the Horde would gain life, it puts one card per life gained from the bottom of its graveyard on the bottom of its library in a random order.
3. If the Horde would ever discard a card, it is done at random.
Currently I wished I owned more hydra heads to make the 5 card ratio better with every head generating ~1 head per flip. This deck needs alot of testing and will be done so in the next coming weeks. As of right now I fear that the hydra will run into issues not hitting a head with every flip. Also the activated abilities of hydras needs to be tuned in testing. All in all I hope to get some feedback.
I also play Weiss Schwarz, Chaos, Vanguard and Wixoss.
Weiss Schwarz Sets
Accel World, Angel Beats, Familiar of Zero, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Guilty Crown, Kill La Kill, Robotics;Notes, Sword Art Online.
Chaos Partners
Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Iona, Kirishima, Kongou.
Dangan Ronpa: Asahina, Togami.
Freezing: Vibration: Chiffon, Satelizer.
Vanguard Clans Favoured
Angel Feather, Dark Irregulars, Genesis, Neonecter, Pale Moon, Shadow Paladins, Tachikaze.
I have no idea how strong this will be, but it looks like fun. My plan was to just use the cards from the hydra deck, but adding in some stuff could be quite awesome. You could always proxy up some heads until you can get more. That's why I did for the longest time with my 200-card zombie horde (finally got enough tokens about 2 months ago).
I have no idea how strong this will be, but it looks like fun. My plan was to just use the cards from the hydra deck, but adding in some stuff could be quite awesome. You could always proxy up some heads until you can get more. That's why I did for the longest time with my 200-card zombie horde (finally got enough tokens about 2 months ago).
I have never really proxied anything before and dont intend to do so will explain further down.
I like the idea of Lead the Stampede and Genesis Wave, would treat Genesis Wave like hydra count or on say turn 7 cast for a heavy wave.
So as for its testing, I had a bunch of friends over during the weekend of Commander 2013 and we used the precons against the horde and went really bad for us..... I think we won 1 out of the 7 times we went up against the horde. From the experience the hydra head damage can really hurt a slower meta being that if you can't kill the heads you will lose in 3-4 hydra turns. I think I am not gonna allow the hydra to deal damage based on opponents if we share life totals or give each player their own total. There have been times where the hydra did 30+damage in heads..... So more tuning is coming stay tuned any ideas will help.
22 Hydra Head
8 Ravenous Brute Head
3 Savage Vigor Head
2 Shrieking Titan Head
2 Snapping Fang Head
Hydras: x 35
3 Apocalypse Hydra
3 Hydra Omnivore
2 Kalonian Hydra
9 Phytohydra
4 Molten Hydra
2 Polukranos, World Eater
3 Primordial Hydra
4 Protean Hydra
3 Savageborn Hydra
2 Vastwood Hydra
5 Disorenting Glower
6 Distract the Hydra
6 Grown from the Stump
5 Hydra's Impenetrable Hide
4 Noxious Hydra Breath
8 Unified Lunge
2 Gruul War Chant
2 Creeping Renaissance
2 Creeping Corrosion
4 Obliterate
2 Overrun
2 Predatory Rampage
Currently I wished I owned more hydra heads to make the 5 card ratio better with every head generating ~1 head per flip. This deck needs alot of testing and will be done so in the next coming weeks. As of right now I fear that the hydra will run into issues not hitting a head with every flip. Also the activated abilities of hydras needs to be tuned in testing. All in all I hope to get some feedback.
Thanks to Rivenor at Miraculous Recovery Signatures for this sick sig.
UGMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryUG
URBNicol BolasURB
BGWGhave, Fungus TribalBGW
WUBSydri, Galvanic GeniusWUB
Horde
Hydra Horde
Main Decks
Diaochan, Iroas, God of Victory, Kaalia, Marton, Ulasht, Volrath,
Kaervek, Prossh, Titania
Amusing or Themed
Progenitus
Pauper Guildmages
Azorius Boros Dimir Golgari Gruul Izzet Korozda
Orzhov Rakdos Rix Maadi Selesyna Simic Skarrg Zameck
I also play Weiss Schwarz, Chaos, Vanguard and Wixoss.
Accel World, Angel Beats, Familiar of Zero, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Guilty Crown, Kill La Kill, Robotics;Notes, Sword Art Online.
Chaos Partners
Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Iona, Kirishima, Kongou.
Dangan Ronpa: Asahina, Togami.
Freezing: Vibration: Chiffon, Satelizer.
Vanguard Clans Favoured
Angel Feather, Dark Irregulars, Genesis, Neonecter, Pale Moon, Shadow Paladins, Tachikaze.
Wixoss - Just trial decks for now!
Signature done by DNC from the Heroes of the Plane Studios
--------------------
Official Ink Bearer of [The Crafters]
--------------------
Old Custom Set: Imminence over Marycion
Mentioned the in rules that each turn x+1 for each of the horde's turns.
Thanks to Rivenor at Miraculous Recovery Signatures for this sick sig.
UGMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryUG
URBNicol BolasURB
BGWGhave, Fungus TribalBGW
WUBSydri, Galvanic GeniusWUB
Horde
Hydra Horde
BBB Two Hundred Zombies BBB
Duel Commander
WR Tajic, Wrath of the Manlands RW
BGW Doran Destruction WGB
Commander
GUB Mimeoplasm, Screw Politics BUG
BR Mogis, God of Slaughter RB
RGW Marath, Ramp and Removal WGR
WUBRG Karona, Jank God GRBUW
Stuff like Genesis Wave or Lead the Stampede could get scary if you put the heads directly into play.
Love the idea, let us know how it works out.
I have never really proxied anything before and dont intend to do so will explain further down.
I like the idea of Lead the Stampede and Genesis Wave, would treat Genesis Wave like hydra count or on say turn 7 cast for a heavy wave.
So as for its testing, I had a bunch of friends over during the weekend of Commander 2013 and we used the precons against the horde and went really bad for us..... I think we won 1 out of the 7 times we went up against the horde. From the experience the hydra head damage can really hurt a slower meta being that if you can't kill the heads you will lose in 3-4 hydra turns. I think I am not gonna allow the hydra to deal damage based on opponents if we share life totals or give each player their own total. There have been times where the hydra did 30+damage in heads..... So more tuning is coming stay tuned any ideas will help.
Thanks to Rivenor at Miraculous Recovery Signatures for this sick sig.
UGMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryUG
URBNicol BolasURB
BGWGhave, Fungus TribalBGW
WUBSydri, Galvanic GeniusWUB
Horde
Hydra Horde