4 Urza's Rage
4 Seal of Fire
4 Vampiric Tutor
4 Dark Ritual
4 Chimeric Idol
4 Blazing Specter
3 Void
3 Thrashing Wumpus
2 Pyre Zombie
2 Skizzik
1 Hammer of Bogardan
1 Earthquake
6 Swamp
5 Mountain
4 Urborg Volcano
4 Sulfurous Springs
4 Rishadan Port
1 Dust Bowl
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 Balanced
Machinehead.
Description of deck by it's author
(quoted):
In the 'three of' slots, we find a pair of world-altering cards:
Void and Thrashing Wumpus. While the Wumpus showed up in only
fifty-percent of the decks examined, Void showed itself in no less than
five, indicating a very strong card. The only disagreement was over the
Wumpus amount, which averaged out to three copies, as three decks ran
three copies with the remaining two each running four.
The Wumpus was a closer race, relatively, with two decks running three
copies and one decking running a single Wumpus. It must be further
mentioned that the deck running a single Wumpus ran only a single copy
of nearly every 'business' card, indicating a strong belief in the
'silver bullet' theory. This theory, while perhaps valid, held for only
a single deck among the six. Something to consider, at least.
Down in the 'two-ofs' we find Pyre Zombie and the fearful elemental
Skizzik. Both have I tested extensively and found to be incredible
cards, well balanced and powerful. However, I tend to agree that they
are fairly mid- to late-game answers, and would perhaps do well being
'tutored' for. Testing will tell.
Statistically the Zombie was a clear split, having been run in three
decks, with each deck running a separate amount: One, two and three
copies, respectively. To shore up any random slots, we will be going
with two copies. This may change with testing.
Skizzik was a bit clearer, although barely. The elemental showed
its...um, face...in no less than four decks, two of which ran two
copies, one three and one four. Personal experience favors three to
four; however, we will court the conservative here for now, and go with
the statistics.
Finally, there are a pair of cards in the completely random,
only-tutored-for-never-drawn 'one of' slots; Hammer of Bogardan and
Earthquake. Both of which can be amazing in the right situation, or dead
weight in the wrong one. Thusly, 'one-of' doesn't seem such a terrible
option given the nature of the cards and the presence of Tutors.
Statistically, opinions were two-to-three in favor of a single
Earthquake, with a single player running two copies. The Hammer, in the
oppositions' corner, carried two players with a single copy and a third
player running no less than four copies. Obviously a proponent of long,
slow beatdown. We'll favor the statistics without much argument here, as
I prefer to cave in my opponents' life total as fast as possible, with
no preamble or pomp.
The mana-curve, as you'll likely notice, places six at the five
casting-cost slots, four at the four casting-cost slots, eleven at the
three casting-cost slots, twelve at the one-casting cost slots and one
at the open-ended casting cost slot, indicating a strong pyramid of
development. The eight red-and-black mana lands should help eliminate
the majority of Mulligans waiting in line to disrupt game play, with the
Rishadan Ports hopping about, willing to introduce Mulligan to your
opponent.
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