Permafrost
x2
1
Savagery
x2
2
Equivocate
x4
2
Ice Bolt
x4
2
Teacher of Humility
x4
2
Varret, Hero-in-Training
x3
3
Auralian Merchant
x4
3
False Prince
x4
3
Scorpion Wasp
x2
3
Sodi's Spellshaper
x4
3
Tocas, Waystone Harvester
x4
4
Sandstorm Titan
x4
5
Cirso, the Great Glutton
x4
5
Ila & Mizo
x3
5
Sodi, Wingbreaker
x2
Primal Sigil
x1
Time Sigil
x1
Amber Waystone
x4
Cobalt Waystone
x4
Crest of Wisdom
x4
Elysian Banner
x3
Elysian Insignia
x4
Emblem of Grodov
x4
View Deck on Shiftstoned
I'm still not sold re: borderlands lookout VS varret. Borderlands is cheaper, and is great in the 5 faction decks, but varret actually DOES transform in a bunch of my games, so hes got that going for him.
Still can't say im liking hourglass. I'll keep him in the experimental version and keep trying it, but i still say that I win a lot of games based on a 8 power obelisk.
I also made a new big combrei/chains deck that i'm having a lot of success with. Probably not as reliable as this one, but even this deck gets boring after enough runs.
https://eternalwarcry.com/decks/d/RU7GJv77YWc/big-combrei-little-chains-gauntlet-throne
https://eternalwarcry.com/decks/d/oeG7Xb2dEYM/ramba-kairos-gauntlet-obliterator
https://eternalwarcry.com/decks/d/mEQJXUeJILE/mono-shadow-gauntlet-large-number-small-number
My other gauntlet decks.
I'm not dropping any Teachers they are too strong.
So right now i'm running 2 varrets 4 princes. Do we go 3/3? Have you found any other important changes you like?
I put 3 princes into the original deck, i'm hesitant to take the 3'rd savagery out for the 4th prince. Thoughts?
I'm experimenting with a couple Ila+Mizo in place of Sodi, Wingbreaker. Results unclear sofar, im running 2 of each till i figure it out.
What are you preferring to them?
Well take a look at the new experimental version (this page).
I've had LOTS of success with ila+mizo, especially with savagery. You can get one or more chains of a 6/6+ endurance overwhelm killer copies. Took the Gnashes out to help make space. Try it out, see what you think.
Right off the bat, here are the things that I notice:
-I hate the removal of the Varret. So many games are solidified by establishing a turn 2 board presence. I know that the Teacher is preferred, but having eight chances for a turn two drop is much better, and the Varret is very welcome when no Teacher avails herself of her services.
-Borderlands Lookout should be removed immediately. I know it, too, is early board presence, but since he sucks vs. Gauntlet (most of the time), I don't care. With the Varret, it's not about the damage but the mastery. The computer has to answer him (eventually) or suffer drastic consequences. Borderlands Lookout simply doesn't provide the same pressure.
-The reduction in Sodi Wingbreaker is a mistake. It's part of the card draw engine & anti-flyer removal I've come to completely appreciate vs. Gauntlet. So, easy move: -2 Borderlands/+2 Sodi's. Now, we are a bit top-heavy, though, so if only we could get those Varrets back.
-Ice Bolts should be a 4 of, no question. It's part of the attack -> high speed removal, 2 & 3 for ones we were talking about earlier (since the computer's a chump). This is supposed to be anti-Gauntlet and this is one of the few situations where the human beats the computer every time, and it should be leveraged. Easy solution, I think, here, as well. -2 Permafrost, since they're not fast, and +2 Ice Bolts.
-As for those Varrets: I still like the Scorpion Wasps, and I really don't want to give them up either, so how can we get our Varrets back? Well, I'm not sure. The False Prince goes so well with the spellshaper, I hate to reduce them. I think -1 Ila & Mizo is probably in order since we're slightly top-heavy anyway, so there's 1 Varret. We could lose the permafrost's altogether, since we're not ever really relying on muster (which I like), so there's 2 more. With the reduction in removal, having that equivocate back in the sideboard (reducing 1 main-board) is probably a good idea, so there's our 4th Varret back. Only question now is what to remove from the market to make room for that equivocate. Either the Infinite hourglass or the disenchant, take your pick (disjunction, sorry, that was a Magic reference). Both seem equally rarely useful, but nice when they're there. I would recommend removing the disjunction for three reasons. 1) I never seemed to ever really need it before. 2) When you could use it, it can be helpful or perhaps even save you, but when you're in a position to get use out of the Infinite Hourglass, it's game, the f***, over for your opponent, and 3) Sometimes when there's no obvious market choice, the Infinite Hourglass almost always costs nothing in tempo, but can be a very solid choice versus a an aggro deck trying to smash your face and keep you from attacking by forcing you to remain defensive (not the least of which being all-haste or double-damage bosses).
These are just my initial thoughts, and they may not be correct. But, I like those changes. The only thing sticking in my craw now is losing 4 main-board removal cards (permafrosts). If the Ila & Mizo's don't prove useful, I would immediately remove them and at least get 2 permafrosts back (or, perhaps something else that's fast? Hell, even a teleport would still provide a 2 for 1 with Cirso, but, alas, this is probably not the right choice). Also, we could take out 1 savagery and put 1 permafrost back in. With 3U faction, it is, at least nearly, the weakest link, though, I've not tried it with Ila & Mizo.
What are your thoughts on this?
Also, side-question, how has that land setup been working vs. the old one? I haven't had a chance to really play much, at all, lately, so I haven't bothered to change the old one yet (planning to soon, though).
Sorry for such a long read, but I really wanted to hash-out my thoughts on these changes and see what you thought.
(Edit: I am trying it with the -1 Savagery/+1 Permafrost alteration I mentioned there at the end).
First of all, my mistake, I hadn't actually updated this version of the deck. I tried the borderlands for like a few runs before deciding it was shit compared to varret.
I took them out, and one savagery, to make 3 varrets.
As far as the lands/power, i THINK its the right play. I don't really see any benefit in playing seats+sigils fully, but maybe half and half would work? I like having the blue waystones at least that Aegis is SUPER useful.
Reducing Sodi Wingbreaker is definitely difficult. Im still not sure. What i do know is that Ila+Mizo is VERY powerful in gauntlet, as its super easy to get a copy, especially if you have savagery to give it killer for. I keep getting copies of copies of ila+mizo with killers, and it feels so good.
As far as the removal package, i like savagery a lot for cirso and ila+mizo, but you're right it is a 3 influence. I took one out for a varret.
Take a look at the newly changed deck above and see what you think, especially regarding removal, power (should we add seats and sigils for the orange, but keep the blue waystones?), and give ila+mizo a try I think you will really like it.
Only differences:
-1 Ila & Mizo/+1 Sodi
-1 disjunction in market/+1 equivocate in market (moved from mainboard)/+1 Sodi in mainboard
-1 Permafrost/+1 Varret
As for the lands, the only benefit from seats is that your lands tend to come into play undepleted a little more, but so far this hasn't been so bad and the crest's are good (no problem with the waystones, of course). I'm going to keep trying it as is for the time being.
I do think that ila+mizo is good to have in the deck but its true that Sodi is a great card here too (and cirso is a 4 of no negotiation)
Its best with savagery (which I wish we could run 4 of but its a bit greedy to do so) because copies of copies with overwhelm and endurance and killer end games, but even without I find it pretty easy to get copies without savagery since we have so many opportunities to swing
Anyway, all said I think we can safely say we've improved on the original original by a lot (false prince being a great example of a VIP) which was the target all along.
I'm going to go back to another fantastic gauntlet deck and do the same thing (iimprove it with feedback from players like you) so i'll try to reply with the address/name of the new deck when i do so.
This is just the template. Theres a lot of changes to be made though. I've made a comment on this page. Its private for now (just me and u) until its good enough to release..
This page is for testing of new ideas within the deck.