Cactus Game Design Message Boards

I am building this deck to play this month. After the new year I will modify the deck to be more powerful, but for the time being I am wanting to keep cards in the deck that are specific to the story of Jesus' birth. I would like to get the main deck down to 50-56 cards and then put 10 cards in the reserve. Any and all suggestions would be very welcome.

Lost Souls: 7
Humble (RoJ)
Awake (TPC)
Wicked (FoM)
Hunter (FoM)
Exiles (PoC)
Covenant Breakers (PoC)
Gain (RoJ)

Dominants: 7
Son of God (J)
The Second Coming (CoW)
Angel of the Lord (J)
Destruction of Nehushtan (PoC)
Three Woes (RoJ)
Mayhem (LR)
Christian Martyr (J)

Artifacts: 4
Golden Cherubim (XXVI)
Hezekiah's Signet Ring (Kings) R
Darius' Decree (TxP) R
Hidden Treasures (III)

Covenant: 1
New Covenant (PoC)

Curse: 0
Incurable

Cities: 2
Bethlehem (Promo)
Nineveh (PoC) R

Heroes:13
Mary (Promo)
Fearless Traveler (Promo)
Imprisoned Prophet (RoJ)
Elisha (PoC)
Nahum (PoC) R
Micah (XIII)
The Watchman (Promo)
The Prophetess (PoC)
The Shunammite Woman (PoC)
Jonah (PoC)
Ezekiel (XX)
Isaiah (PoC)
+The Woman with Child (RoJ)
+Melchizedek (CoW)
+Moses (CoW)
+David, the Psalmist (CoW)

Good Enhancements: 13
A Child is Born (Promo) R
Word of Their Testimony (CoW)
Visions (III)
The Coming Prophet (PoC)
Sword into Plowshares (XIII)
Two Bears (XIII)
Search (III)
The Coming Prince (PoC) R
Out of Bethlehem (PoC)
The Suffering Servant (PoC)
Virgin Birth (PoC)
His Name (PoC) R
Ninevites Repent (PoC)

Dual Alignment: 7
Ninevites (PoC)
The King of Nineveh (PoC)
Fire Foxes (PoC) R
Razor (XXI)
Capture and Seize (PoC)
Siegeworks (XXI)
The Great Fish (PoC) R
God's Mercy / Jonah's Anger (PoC) R

Evil Characters: 5
Nimrod, the Mighty (CoW)
The Assyrian Spoilers (XI)
The Rabsaris (XI)
Assyrian Survivors (XXI)
Assyrian Siege Army (XXI)
Assyrian Archer (VII)
Archers of Kedar (Kings)
Women as Snares (Women)
Mounted Forces (PoC)
King Shalmaneser III (PoC)

Evil Enhancements: 6
Withered Plant / The Worm (PoC)
Disturbing Samuel's Spirit (Disciples)
Distortion (PoC)
Misuse of Talents (F)
Did God Really Say? (FoM)
Dissension in Antioch (TEC)
Dream (Patriarchs)
Corrupt Earth (FoM)
East of Eden (FoM)
Heart of Depravity (FoM)
The Tartan Attacks (Kings)
Forgotten History (Priests)
Great Image (Prophets)
Balaam's Teaching (RoJ)
Two Thousand Horses (Kings)
Achan's Sin (Patriarchs)
Disobedience (Patriarchs)
The Rabshakeh's Threats (Disciples)
Confusion (Prophets)
Nebuchadnezzar's Pride (XII)
Scattered (XXVI)
Death of Unrighteous (LR)
Belshazzar's Banquet (V)

Total Cards: 56 / 10 R

*Obviously I have had a hard time cutting evil enhancements an some other cards to a lesser degree. I will need to cut between 22 and 28 cards. I will need to cut between 23 and 29 cards. I will need to decide what goes in the Reserve now.

Thoughts on what to cut? Thoughts on what cards show be in the Reserve instead of the Main Deck. I have Reserved ten cards but am still open to suggestions. Anything that would help this deck be better while staying in theme that I have not included? Any and all input welcome!

Based on the coming posts I will reflect any changes in my deck list with either strikethroughs on cards I have removed or a "+" before cards I have added. Cards that will be in the Reserve have been noted with a R.

I really want to add The Angel of the Winds (CoW) and You Will Remain (CoW) but am not sure what to cut for them.

I like your suggestions for sure. The Woman with Child would be a cool idea but I really wanted to use the promo that gets an extra 3/3 boost when played in December. I suppose I could play them both...since the Mary (Promo) is also a prophet. I have removed the three characters I think are least thematic and have added the four characters you suggested sans Hosea. That is one card in the wrong direction.

As a side note, how is Hosea thematic to the Christmas story? I must be missing something. I understand that Hosea's relationship is a picture of the relationship between Israel and God. Is there another tie in as well?

And now after reading this article I am solidified that I want this deck to be almost all good cards with value in defense that can work for my offense: http://landofredemption.com/?p=5259

I was actually working on a Contender Deck that incorporates the birth theme but also encompasses
latter events (ie John the Baptist being imprisoned/killed). This is what I came up with thus far but haven’t playtested it yet.

NT Prophets / Herodians

Dominants
Son of God (I/J)
New Jerusalem
Angel of the Lord
Christian Martyr
Guardian of Your Souls (Ap)
Burial
Blinding Light

Lost Souls
Site Remover
NT Only
Retribution
Destruction
Rejoice
Beggar
Shut Door

Artifacts
Gifts of the Magi

Covenants/Curses
New Covenant
Unknown Nation (PoC)

Fortresses/Sites/Cities
Herod’s Temple (Di)
Herod’s Praetorium
Herod’s Dungeon (TxP)

Dual-Alignment Cards
Paul’s Belt

Heroes
John the Baptist (TxP)
Anna (Di)
Simeon (Di)
Barnabas
John the Revelator
Barsabbas
Silas
The Woman with Child

Good Enhancements
Out of Bethlehem
The Suffering Servant
His Name
Baptism of Jesus (Di)
The Coming Prince
Virgin Birth

Evil Characters
Archelaus
Herod Agrippa I
Herod Agrippa II
Herod the Great (Di)
Herodias
Salome (TxP)
Bernice
Drusilla
Herod’s Sentries

Evil Enhancements
Revolt
Mask of Fear
Herod’s Sword
Imprisoned
Abandonment (EC)
Wonders Forgotten

If you notice the deck’s title it’s a NT Prophets themed offense, hence the reason for the green prophets you mentioned. I like your idea of a true life of Christ heroes theme, but I have a different Contender that I’m working on that uses those female white brigade heroes and TGT. Again, this deck is in the design stage so maybe I could tweak it up more with the suggestions you mentioned.