[EDITOR'S NOTE: I apologize for the late posting of Beeble's article as I would have liked to post this Tuesday night.  ~Streetz~]

This contest was marked by point scores that were markedly higher than last contest. I’m going to work out a better modifier system for next time around.

I’m really surprised at some of the entries. There were a lot of decks that went at tokens in a way I had not expected at all. I’m surprised and encouraged by the diversity of all the decks. I’m also surprised no-one used Beacon of Creation!

Tokens have always had a place in my heart ever since I was a little newbie playing Righteousness on attacking creatures. Centaur Glade easily became one of my first favorite cards. I figured I would make this competition a little more challenging by limiting the scope of it more than the last competition, and things went quite well.

Thanks always to John Streetz, the webmaster at MagicDeckVortex, for letting me be a part of this awesome community, for letting me write and do these contests. Without him, none of this was possible.

The decks are introduced in random order. There were 11 contestants this time around, and I hope to see even more next time. Again, congrats to all the winners, and thank you to all for sending in your entries! I really enjoyed working with them, and I enjoyed playing with them! Please make sure to send in your entries for my next competition... not sure what it’s going to be about yet, but I’ll be sure to cook something up!


Let's review the criteria for the contest, as posted in my July 22nd article - Wakey Wakey:

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Deck #1

Combos:
1) INFINITE (myrs): Myr Matrix + Mana Echoes + 5 other myr
2) INFINITE (mana): Mana Echoes+ Myr Matrix
3) Myr Matrix + Lodestone Myr
4) Myr Landshaper + Splinter

Comments:
Two infinite combos in the first deck? Not a bad start.

I think you need to work on your consistency. Is there any real reason other than Enforcer to play your artifact lands? I’d use normal lands, as they’re less susceptible to destruction.

As a whole, you need to work on focusing the deck more. If you want to use Hidetsugu’s Second Rite as a kill condition, then you need to put in two more and take something out. (No Second Rite mod, sorry)

Focus: 3/6
Cohesivity: 5/6
Balance: 4.5/6
Creativity: 5.5/6
Overall-Playability: 4/6

Total Score:22
Modifiers: +3+3+1= +7
Final Score: 29

Deck #2

Combos:
No combos listed.

Comments:
This deck gets off to a quick start with Zuberas, but the problem is, you don’t really want them to die. The best scenario is you getting enough land to play Shirei on turn 4 so that you can begin sacrificing things to Spawning Pit.

I like the idea of Wizard Replica and Spiketail Hatchling the beginning game to keep back your opponent’s better spells.

This needs a lot more focus, and you need to have at least 1 more of Shirei and Spawning Pit, or more tutors to find them.

My favorite part of this deck is that you’re using Hair Strung Koto to mill your opponent to death with all of your tokens from Dripping Tongue Zubera. Nice!

Focus: 3/6
Cohesivity: 5.5/6
Balance: 5/6
Creativity: 6/6
Overall-Playability: 5/6

Total Score:24.5
Modifiers: +1+1= +2
Final Score: 26.5

Deck #3

Combos:
1) INFINITE (Mana) Gilded Lotus + Voltaic Construct + March of the Machines
2) INFINITE (Myrs) Gilded Lotus + Voltaic Construct + March of the Machines + Myr Matrix
3) INFINITE (Myrs) Mana Echoes + Myr Matrix + 5 other Myr
4) INFINITE (Turns) Arcbound Reclaimer + Mindslaver + Energy Chamber
5) March of the Machine + Mycosynth Lattice
6) March of the Machines + Myr Matrix
7) Lodestone Myr + Infinite Myr tokens
8) Voltaic Construct + Lodestone Myr

Comments:
Bwaha! Now the fun begins! Four, count ‘em, FOUR infinite combos in one deck. If you want to go crazy, here’s the deck for you!

Your deck is very focused, although I’d like to see another Energy Chamber. You do have Fabricates for the combo pieces, so you’ll normally get all the pieces for at least one infinite combo.

I should give you a modifier for using so many modifiers! 21 points in modifier points is going to be hard to beat!

Focus: 5.5/6
Cohesivity: 5.5/6
Balance: 5/6
Creativity: 6/6
Overall-Playability: 6/6

Total Score:27.5
Modifiers: +1+1+1+12+6=
Final Score: 49

Deck #4

Combos:
1) Wild Mongrel + Flashback Cards
2) Parallel Evolution + Tokens
3) Fervor + Crush of the Wurm

Comments:
This deck turned out quite well, I think. It’s basing on quick squirrels and lands followed with Crush of Wurms and Parallel Evolution make this deck good in late game and early game. You’ve always got something to do.

While creative enough, this deck seems to be standard fare for tokens. You did get the spirit of Squirrels right on, and for that, I congratulate you!

I wish your deck had a little more umph to the ending. It seems that you can get caught up with so many squirrels and never see any Wurms! With all the mana accel, I think you could probably increase your Crush of Wurms count to at least 3 and possibly 4 and cut something.

Focus: 5/6
Cohesivity: 6/6
Balance: 6/6
Creativity: 4.5/6
Overall-Playability:5/6

Total Score:26.5
Modifiers: +1+1+1= +3
Final Score: 29.5

Deck #5

Combos:
1) INFINITE (Tokens) Kiki Jiki + Intruder Alarm
2) Kiki Jiki + Intruder Alarm + Solemn Simulacrum
3) Kiki Jiki + Intruder Alarm + Sakura Tribe Elder
4) Kiki Jiki + Intruder Alarm + Birds of Paradise + Crack the Earth
5) Kiki Jiki + Intruder Alarm + Vulshok Sorcerer + Hidetsugu’s Second Rite
6) Kiki Jiki + Intruder Alarm + Flametongue Kavu

Comments:
At last, a formal Hidetsugu’s Second Rite combo! In this case, your two copies doesn’t matter as much because with Solemn Simulacrum tokens, you can draw through your whole deck

I wish you had a better way of securing your combo, but your creatures can keep back your opponent until you get all the pieces.

My favorite part of this deck is the Crack the Earth combo. Using the Mirror Breaker + Alarm core combo, this deck will Crack the Earth, sacrificing a land, then copy the Witness targeting Crack the Earth, then use Birds to pay for the cost of Crack the Earth, and sacrifice your Witness token. Wash, rinse, repeat, and you clear your opponent’s entire board! And although Kiki Jiki + Alarm isn’t very original, this combo really makes your creativity level soar.

Focus: 5.5/6
Cohesivity: 5/6
Balance: 5/6
Creativity: 6/6
Overall-Playability:5/6

Total Score:26.5
Modifiers: +1+1+4+5+3= +14
Final Score: 40.5

Deck #6

Combos:
1) INFINITE (power) Fallen Angel + Rotlung Reanimator + Artificial Evolution + another cleric
2) Wirefly Hive + Artificial Evolution
3) Wirefly Hive + Unnatural Selection
4) Zombie Infestation + Fallen Angel
5) Zombie Infestation + Keeper of the Nine Gales + Unnatural Selection
6) Zombie Infestation + Shepard of Rot
7) Upheaval + Zombie Infestation

Comments:
This deck is an interesting one. Using your Artificial Evolutions and Unnatural Selections, you change creature types to destroy creatures via Wirefly Hive, or create your infinite power combo for Fallen Angel with Rotlung Reanimator.

Upheaval makes a great combination with Zombie Infestation because you can drop all those cards to the grave to blow away your opponent after you’ve scooped them all up.

I think 23 lands may be a little slim in this case, simply because you’re playing with expensive cards, and your mana needs are greater here than in other decks. I would be happier to see another swamp in this deck.

While hard to play, this deck is pretty rewarding if you can survive the first couple of turns.

Focus: 4.5/6
Cohesivity: 5.5/6
Balance: 4/6
Creativity: 5.5/6
Overall-Playability:5.5/6

Total Score:25
Modifiers: +1+5+3= +9
Final Score: 34

Deck #7

Combos:
1) INFINITE (mana) Forbidden Orchard + Lifespark Spellbomb + Intruder Alarm
2) INFINITE (tokens) Intruder Alarm + Budoka Gardener + Meloku the Clouded Mirror
3) INFINITE (tokens) Intruder Alarm + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

Comments:
Based on the Forbidden Orchard + Intruder Alarm + Lifespark Spellbomb base combo, this deck works uses its three infinite combos to take the game.

Using the combo for infinite mana is great, but pretty ordinary. However, when coupled with Twist Allegiance, you get all those tokens from your opponent!

The combos in this deck are pretty fragile, especially when one of them has only one copy of the card you need to go infinite. Tutors like Fabricate are great in this situation to get Goblin Cannon or Lifespark Spellbomb for the win, but you loose a lot of ground if your opponent dumps your key cards in the grave with Gifts Ungiven. Witnesses are good for shoring up these problems, but aren’t as powerful without All Suns Dawn.

Focus: 3/6
Cohesivity: 5.5/6
Balance: 4.5/6
Creativity: 6/6
Overall-Playability:4.5/6

Total Score:23.5
Modifiers: +1+1+3+3+3= +11
Final Score: 34.5

Deck #8

Combos:
1) INFINITE (squirrel tokens) Druid’s Call + 2 Rite of Passage + Triskelion
2) INFINITE (mana) Pentavus + Mana Echoes
3) INFINITE (damage) Druid’s Call + 2 Rite of Passage + Triskelion + Blasting Station
4) INFINITE (mana and tokens) Mana Echoes + 2 Rite of Passage + Triskelion + Druid’s Call
5) Rite of Passage + Spikeshot Goblin
6) Druid’s Call + Spikeshot Goblin
7) Pentavus + Rite of Passage + Spikeshot Goblin
8) Fecundity + Pentavus
9) Fecundity + Blasting Station
10) Staff of Domination + Spikeshot Goblin

Comments:
When I judged Einsteinmonkey’s entry, I thought it would be the first and the last deck with 4 infinite combos. Guess not!

This deck, while fun to play, isn’t very focused. It uses Fierce Empath, of all things, to tutor up cards like Triskelion and Pentavus, which is a good choice overall. Krosan Tusker and Vine Trellis help early game to put more mana on the table, and Trellis also keeps opposing creatures at bay.

There are multiple ways to get infinite mana and squirrel tokens, so getting one of these combos amongst everything else that’s going on isn’t that hard.

Focus: 3/6
Cohesivity: 4/6
Balance: 4.5/6
Creativity: 6/6
Overall-Playability:4.5/6

Total Score:22
Modifiers: +1+1+3+3+3+3+8= +22
Final Score: 44

Deck #9

Combos:
No combos listed.

Comments:
Like Erik Nordstrom’s deck before this, Gomaff didn’t list any combos for his deck. I’m sure there are plenty in there, but the problem is, you have to state them to get the points.

While I like the concept of this deck, until you get Infestation out, any creatures that hit the ground are clocks against the deck.

There is a ton of drawing power in this deck, so you should be able to use Zombie Infestation to dump all those cards you just drew to make tons of Zombie tokens. Trade Secrets lets you trade land for Zombies, so it’s a nice finishing card.

Focus: 6/6
Cohesivity: 5.5/6
Balance: 6/6
Creativity: 5/6
Overall-Playability:5.5/6

Total Score:28
Modifiers: +1+1+1= +3
Final Score: 31

Deck #10

Combos:
1) INFINITE (mana) Sachi + Leafcaller + Freed From Real =Sachi Engine (SE)
2) INFINITE (damage) SE + Goblin Cannon
3) INFINITE (tokens) SE + Centaur Glade
4) INFINITE (life) SE+ Stream of Life
5) INFINITE (tokens) SE + Orochi Hatchery
6) INFINITE (tokens) SE + Decree of Justice
7) INFINITE (tokens) SE + Warbreak Trumpeter
8) INFINITE (life) Biorhythm + Combos #3 #5 #6 #7
9) Questing Phelddagrif + Hidetsugu’s Second Rite + Biorhythm
10) SE + Door to Nothingness

Comments:
Ok, this is just ridiculous.

8 infinite combos. 3 alternate wins. This is nuts. I quit. Screw you guys, I’m going home! Well, not really.

Jack was the winner of our last deck competition. He’s a competitor that knows how to abuse the system. Perhaps I should have put a cap on the amount of infinite combos you can use? I guess this deck is a learning experience for me. Meanwhile, congrats Jack, I’m officially disenfranchised with modifiers! (Just kidding :D)

Instead of keeping a compact deck, Jack went for the fully loaded 100 cards, plus a 15 card sideboard.

The deck isn’t really focused, and some of the combo pieces don’t mesh well. Without the Sachi mana engine, you’re hurting, but there are tons of ways to tutor your creatures up. I’d like to see more redundant copies of Sachi by putting in Fyndhorn Elder and see more copies of either Pemmin’s Aura of Freed From Real.

After the engine is out, it’s basically an automatic win one way or another.

Wow. Effectively, Jack has almost gained more points in modifiers than he could get if he scored a natural perfect in each area.

Focus: 3/6
Cohesivity: 4/6
Balance: 4/6
Creativity: 5.5/6
Overall-Playability:4/6

Total Score:20.5
Modifiers: +1+8+24= +33
Final Score: 53.5

Deck #11

Combos:
No combos listed.

Comments:
Here is an interesting entry. Vatiidall sent me his entry 5 days late. This got my attention. He said he had just found MDV and wanted to enter the contest, so I THIS ONCE, and ONLY ONCE, I’m bending the rules for him. He gets a -5 modifier, -1 for each day late.

This is an interesting deck. It’s squirrel at the core, and I like it’s simple play style. Using your squirrel makers, you pump out tons of squirrels, using Death Match to take out opposing creatures, and finally end the game with a big Overrun.

Focus: 6/6
Cohesivity: 5.5/6
Balance: 5.5/6
Creativity: 5.5/6
Overall-Playability:5/6

Total Score:27.5
Modifiers: +1+1-5= -3
Final Score: 24.5

Rankings and Winners by Points

1) Winner! Jack S. - 53.5 pts.
2) First Runner-up! Einsteinmonkey - 49 pts.
3) Second Runner-up! Nucatro - 44 pts.
4) Richard Dressler - 40.5 pts.
5) J. Smeulders - 34.5 pts.
6) Joachim Gross - 34 pts.
7) Gomaff - 31 pts.
8) Timster8 - 29.5 pts.
9) Keith Joeger - 29 pts.
10) Erik Nordstrom - 26.5 pts.
11) Vatiidall - 24.5

Favorite Decks

(This is subjective as I pick my favorite 5 decks from the list, no matter how they scored by points, I’m going to pick the ones that I thought were the coolest or most fun)

1) Einsteinmonkey’s “March of the Myr”
2) Joachim Gross’s “Mistform Undead”
3) Vatiildall’s “Psycho Squirrel Shotgun”
4) Gomaff’s “Infested Draws”
5) Nucatro’s “Tons of Pocket Change”

Congratulations to all those who placed, and thank you to all other participants for submitting your decks, and for being a part of In the Spirit of Squirrels and Saprolings RtDB Deck Building Contest. Maybe next time I’ll be wary of the modifiers, and put more caps on the points you can earn.

Until then this is Death_By_Beebles, signing out!

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