It's been a good, LONG time since i've posted any kind of prep related to taking part in an event.
For the most part it is the "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" approach.
 |
| No prizes and the points don't matter |
But it's VS! So of course I'm in! So let's assess our event rules.
The Restrictions:
Cards must be limited entirely to any 2 sets you select.
-this means things like unique set tags, so MEX and MCG are 2 distinct sets even though you get them both in the MCG box.
-MEV is banned.
-Bizarro World adheres to its updated effect options depending on the sets you run. You do not get to choose the effect you prefer.
FORMAT
best of 3 round robin before single elim top bracket
Not a bad set-up. at first glance I expected TNNB to be everyone's cop-out until it occurred to me that they can only access 2/3rd of what makes them great. AND they lose most of their pumps, making them viable but by no means some mythical titan in need of slaying. Next we need to take a brief look at the meta. What teams are going to do well?
The Hit-List: (Perceived Threats and deck options)
TNB reservist (MXM + MOR)
-loses all MVL support. STILL CRAZY.
TNNB Non-reservist (MOR + MVL)
-keeps all pump access, loses reservist consistency in favor of heavy swings. Loses senyaka engine.
AntiGL (DGL + DJL)
-loses most of its favored for the turn pumps Any version will still do well.
QuickFate (MHG + ?)
-either gets fate artifacts in DCR and lose pumps or ignores artifacts and goes wide with MOR Pumps.
Big Brotherhood (MOR + MVL or MOR + JLA)
-Still a big nasty monster
-MOR+MVL variant has ridiculous curve options. New and improved for further supertanking.
-JLA variant gets access to IVY but both lose their tech optional drops entirely.
-Did I already say it's still a big nasty monster?
MKKO (MVL + DCR or MVL + MUN)
-Fate artifacted Punisher still shines best.
-MUN variant could be viable with more access to field control.
Wolverine Direct (MUN + ?)
-wants MOR or similar set with solid pumps. Wolvie 3 gets no protection
-MVL is sloppy as it needs wolverine to get stunned swinging on characters to trigger.
-MTU gives access to the defenders suite. probably the best way to go.
Hulk smash (MUN + ?)
-loses almost nothing sticking to 1 set
-still makes baby jesus cry.
-people will DEFINITELY play this.
Chess Press (MHG + DCR)
-loses NOTHING could be a problem. auto-loses to MOR sets running Political Pressure.
War Paint (DJL + DCR)
- Completely viable, still awesome. wins on 5. not bad!
Secret Society (DCL + MUN)
-keeps path of destruction, MUN gives death/beyonder and messiah complex for sustain variant made popular during exiles craziness. HYPER consistent. probably best in class.
Doomed earth (MHG + ?)
-wants pumps. Give pumps. where are the pumps?
-Add any set with good low cost pumps and hope it is enough.
Manhunter tempo (DGL + ?)
-Loses too much. purist variant only viable one. pass.
Hellfire Club (MXM + ?)
-MTU Underworld and Defenders teams pair with this nicely. No real answer to any sucessful swarm until 4 will hurt though.
-MUN grants great lifegain option, zero search to set up though.
Superman Robots and other 1 set wonders
Wow, so alot to chew on! Of the builds I considered, I knew I also wanted to do something different!
I did some digging, and noticed Brian's Funeral list could be tuned to function within a 2-set restriction. So off i went:
The Funeral (MHG + DCL)
4x Klaw, Sonic Construct
4x Chemo, Toxic Waste
8x Moloids, Army
2x Mole Man, Moloid Master
1x Charaxes, Moth Monster
4x Dr. Doom, Richards's Rival
2x Poison Ivy, Intoxicating
4x Technarx, Cyborg General
1x Titania, Temper Tantrum
1x Divinity, Vampiric General
3x Solomon Grundy, Died on a Saturday
4x For the Glory of Doom!, Team-Up
4x The Enemy Within
4x Unthinkable
3x Mask of Doom
4x Straight to the Grave
3x Doom Needs Only Doom
1x Master Plan
2x Remote Facility, Non-Unique
1x Soul World
Still able to set up the ridiculous Solomon Grundy chain Heal+Burn fiesta to the tune of Gaining 20 and burning 20 at the start of recovery. Losing our draw options hurt us BADLY. An earlier variant using the updated DCL Birthing chambers seemed to fix this, but at the expense of consistently seeing our other pieces. So consistency was elected over draw utility. Right? Wrong? Doesn't matter because...
I wasn't quite satisfied though.
I Moved on.
Warpaint tickled my nostalgia. so I tossed it together.
18x Infernal Minions, Army
4x Zazzala - Queen Bee, Mistress of the Hive
4x Shadow-Thief, Carl Sands
4x Mantis, Power Parasite
4x Tattooed Man, Living Ink
4x Infestation
4x Secret Files
4x World War III
4x Hard-Light Storage Tank
4x Air Strike
4x Criminal Mastermind
2x Cloak of Nabu, Fate Artifact.
This deck can SHRED. But it can wiff a key drop. not that it matters. Infestation can still steal a game against the wrong list. and your world war three burn-ender is still just ungodly amounts of damage.
But I still wasn't satisfied.
I moved on.
4x The Riddler, Riddle Me This
4x Chemo, Toxic Waste
4x Dr. Sivana, Mad Scientist
3x Deadshot, Floyd Lawton
1x Charaxes, Moth Monster
4x Poison Ivy, Intoxicating
4x Gorilla Grodd, Grodd Awful
1x Fatality, Okaaran Warrior
1x Sinestro, Yellow Lantern
3x Black Manta, Underwater Marauder
1x Lex Luthor, Metropolis Mogul
2x Mr. Freeze, Cold Blooded
1x Deathstroke the Terminator, Killing Machine
1x Doomsday, Engine of Destruction
1x Koriand'r - Starfire, X'Hal's Fury
1x Darkseid, Dark God
1x The Beyonder, Inhuman
3x Gorilla City
4x Remote Facility, Non-Unique
4x Straight to the Grave
4x Path of Destruction
4x Unnatural Selection
4x Messiah Complex
WHAT. A. BEAST.
This deck does it all and it gives ZERO F*CKS while doing it. In testing, multiple Messiah Complex Boosted hits on Beyonder (or Darkseid) in testing allowed for one game to gain 30 endurance by turn 5. completely negating a potent rush. The Koriandr into Dark God autowin is kind-of cheeky but completely unnecessary to achieving your win since the path of destruction + Chemo + Poison Ivy is also there as a reusable pump machine, allowing your free charaxes to get in some serious work.
This is it. This is an all-comers list. I don't see this list losing to anything in this format.
And yet...
I kept looking.
I moved on.
And I found something... EPIC while perusing some old winners.
Cold School: Dark God Edition (DCL + MUN)
4x Blizzard, Frosty Friend
1x Speedball - Penance, Pain Monger
3x Joystick, Fun and Games
4x Hal Jordan, Founding Member
3x Radioactive Man, Containment Suit
4x Bullseye, Closer to God
4x Aquaman, Founding Member
2x Darkseid, Destroyer of Life
4x Aquaman, Lord of Atlantis
1x Darkseid, Dark God
3x Empire's End
4x Dirty Tricks
2x Death of the Dream
3x Security Clearance
4x New Era
1x Collect Them All!
3x Endgame
1x Have a Blast!
4x Thunderbolts Mountain
4x Metropolis Reborn, Non-Unique * Team-Up
1x Poseidonis
The original list was almost ENTIRELY within the constraints of 2 sets. It shredded up the modern block of its time focusing on spamming tbolts mountains in one turn to ramp to early gamma bombs before terminating the assignment with an angry Imperiex on 9 ultimately securing the win.
I couldn't keep the Gamma Bombs and a few other flavor pieces though. But I had endgame! So not only did a few extremely minor adjustments allow me to play this as designed, but it allowed me to apply an alternate win condition potentially 1 turn sooner than the originals imperiex!
This deck is SO OPPRESSIVE. So non-interactive, I actually immediately felt bad.
I mean, I don't wan't to be the bad guy! And this list was just DUMB good. Too good. But I had already opened Pandora's Box, and the sweet song of victory this deck sang was an allure difficult to ignore.
I tested into a rush and saw that with some bad draws it could falter to an early aggro, But it really needed to miss more than the opposing deck needed to hit for that to happen. No other deck i tested could beat it with any regularity.
At this point I needed council. I was getting in too deep and didn't want to be the reason another player felt the sting of a non-interactive game, or worse, quit.
So I Asked a Good Pal, Seb, for some advice, His sage advice tends to err on the side of neutrality but he also did not lose sight on the frustrating design of the matchups this would incur.
"aren't these games best of 3?"
My countenance faded.
"Oh my God man. This deck in a best of 3 format will take FOREVER"
"Yeah they'll all probably just scoop."
"Super frustrating gameplay experiences on potentially new players. it's Both guns all over again."
"I should move on."
"You should move on"
I moved on.
So what to do? I had already tested and studied my way through expected matchups. Best guess, Hulk or a purist rush will be a top contender, it was Crusader, that reminded me I had one last option, And it is what I ULTIMATELY decided on playing in the event!
List and match breakdowns to come!
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