Deck Challenge - OHSHI...

[MajinKirby]

I've got another deck challenge for you guys. This one might be a doozy.

The situation: You and your buddy head up to your nearest FNM card shop, and decide to play in the Standard tournament that evening. It's a lock-in night, so you'll be there all night with your friends playing magic without leaving until 5 the next morning. 5 minutes before the tournament starts, the doors lock, and your friend realises something...he forgot his deck!

Naturally, the poor sap looks at you. "Dude, I don't got a deck, and we're gonna be here all night!" You know that you could just BUY him a deck, but we all know that those preconstructed decks kinda suck. Thankfully, your store has almost every standard card known to man, but you've only got 20 bucks in your pocket!

The Challenge: Build your friend a standard-ready deck that costs less or equal to 20 bucks. It's also got to be able to at least put up a fight against the decks you'd normally see at FNM. It can consist of any combo, theme, anything.

You also have to list the prices of the cards you use in your deck in this thread, and you must use the website Coolstuffinc for the card prices.

Now go! Save your friend from being victoryless!

[Exiled-caidoZ]

You sound alot like my friend Adam. and you must use the website Coolstuffinc for the card prices.

Fuck coolstuffinc that place over prices cards like a motherfucker.

[crackerjack963]

this sounds fun. il get on it when i have a little more time

[MajinKirby]

Ugh, don't I know it, Exiled. But since my friend gets discounts for using that site, I don't complain. Besides, if something's too pricey, just find someone to trade! =D

Because who REALLY wants an Abyssal Persecutor? (The correct answer is: me)

[crackerjack963]

Well, here it is...not the greatest deck ever built, but under $20 is really, really hard. Also, I like blue, which makes building a good deck harder :P

http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=41109

4x Spell Pierce ($0.25)
4x Kraken Hatchling ($0.29)
4x Ponder ($0.45)
4x Convincing Mirage ($0.29)
4x Spreading Seas ($0.49)
4x Essence Scatter ($0.35)
4x Resounding Wave ($0.29)
4x Cancel ($0.49)
3x Djinn of Wishes ($0.49)
3x Fatestitcher ($0.25)
2x Serpent of the Endless Sea ($0.29)
20x Island ($0.25)

Total - $19.40, if I can add.

Deck link has somewhat more in depth description..

[luken355]

I already have one of these!
It's actually my only deck on here so far.
I don't want to take the time to

http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=41007

gorgon flail x 4 x $0.49 = 1.96
sage owl x 4 x $0.29 (buy one get 3) = 0.29
prodigal pyromancer x 4 x $0.79 (b1g3) = 0.79
phantom warrior x 4 x $0.79 (b1g3) = 0.79
merfolk looter x 3 x $0.99 (b1g3) = 0.99
wall of frost x 4 x $0.25 = 1
levitation x 2 x $0.25 = 0.50
lightning bolt x 4 x $1.99 = 7.96
negate x 3 x $0.35 = 1.05
shatter x 2 x $0.29 (b1g3) = 0.29

Total: 15.62

And half of that cost is lightning bolts. The other possible addition to the deck would be an earthquake or two which cost $3 each. I could sub out two of the lightning bolts for two earthquakes to kill all the groundlings once levitation is out. That would make earthquake the one rare in the deck...

My goal for this deck was no rares and all M10, so earthquake kinda kills that, but it sure would help the deck.

The deck works like this:
Have a firebreathing unblockable phantom warrior ping every turn, while the pyromancer with gorgon flail takes out problem creatures.

Shatter takes out any troublesome artifacts.

The negate is just about your only defense against doom blade or pesky enchantments.

The sage owl is your flying chump blocker until you get a flying wall of frost, but what can I say? It's CHEAP

[luken355]

Oh I forgot,
Add $2.50 to my total for basic land. Still under $20.

[MajinKirby]

crackerjack963: Alright, I have to give you props for attempting an all-blue deck in standard. It was pretty ballsy. You've got an interesting little combo with Spreading Seas and Serpent, but other than that and the Djinn (who dosn't seem to do very much in this deck), you've got a pretty flimsy attack plan. Sure, you can counter them and block until the cows DIE, let alone come home, but what happens when their life total dosn't move along with yours?
Rating: 4/10. Pros: Fun little combo with the Serpent makes it irritating when you have lots of Islands, good counterspells. Cons: Kind-of nonexistant attack plan, Djinn does nothing to help out.

luken355: Yaaaay, red/blue! Izzet is always fun, and this deck seems to back that statement up just fine. That Progidal Pyromancer with the Gorgon flail...wow. Just nasty. And a firebreathing unblockable who RAPES when you have lots of mountians? Yes, please. However, why use Negate when you could use Spell Pierce, which is an altogether better counter card? Plus, why a Merfolk looter other than fishing for cards? If you're going for the aggro-control, why not make your opponent eat a couple of Swerves when they try to terminate your unblockable, or Lightning Bolt you? I'm pretty sure that even at .75 cents a pop, you'd still be under 20 bucks. Just my opinion, I guess.
Rating: 8/10. Pros: Bitch-smack worthy combos for under 20 bucks, and keeps the defence and offence running smoothly for what it's worth. Cons: A few cards that could be replaced here and there, like Negate.

Keep going! I'm not declaring a winner until I have at least 5 decks entered. =)

[Shadowex3]

Originally Posted by Exiled-caidoZ

You sound alot like my friend Adam. and you must use the website Coolstuffinc for the card prices.

Fuck coolstuffinc that place over prices cards like a motherfucker.

Tell me about it. On the one hand they'll be FOUR TIMES the price of Trollandtoad... and then on the next card they'll be 1/4th the price of trollandtoad AND buy 1 get 3 free.

I've basically settled on comparing the two of them and then making split orders everytime I want to get cards.

[luken355]

I originally made the deck using all M10 cards

You could change the negate for spell pierce and try it out, but I imagine they're about equally useful.

As for merfolk looters? I always think they're useless until I try them out again. Pair them with the sage owls (or ponders or anything else of the sort) and you don't have to deal with cards you don't need. They're simple cheap and very useful.