Cactus Game Design Message Boards

I built this fun speed deck. The goal is to keep Son of God out of their hand (Tiberius/Vain Philosophy/Sorrow of Mary) and ultimately to get rid of it (Confusion). It's really fast and a ton of fun, but it definitely could use another block or five.

Total 52

Lost Souls:
Hopper
Wanderer
Revealer
Female Only
NT Only
FBN
2-Liner
CBP

Fortress
Throne of David

Dominants
Angel of the Lord
Son of God
New Jerusalem
DON
Shipwreck
CM
Vain Philosophy

Curses/Artifacts
Rain Becomes Dust
Gifts
Urim Thummim
Unholy Writ

Dual-Colored good
Joushua Son of Nun
David the Shepherd
Eli the Priest
Aaron
Samuel
Pentecost
First Fruits
Eli's Sound Advice

Gold
Moses
Ehud
Gideon
Jephthah

Sam's Edict
Ehud's Dager
Sword against Sword

Purple
King Amaziah

Reach
Valley of Salt
Authority of Christ Pr

Silver
Captain
AUTO

Multicolored/Dual Colored Evil
Foreign Wives
Amalekites' Slave
Scattered
Confusion

Grey
Emperor Tiberius
Emperor Vitellius
Sabbath Breaker
Sorrow of Mary

Pale Green
Assyrian Survivor
Death of Unrighteousness

Black
King Jehoahaz

I know the point is to get rid of your opponent's SoG, but at what expense? I feel like you are trying to d/c their SoG while giving away free lost souls. JM was pretty spot on. I'm only seeing two true draw cards and an AUtO. Do you find yourself having your 1-1 ratios in your hand at the right time? Do you find Sword Against Sword working as a battle winner? I feel like Deb's Directive or something else could work, or look into new Faith enhs. Your Throne of David lets you play Valley of Salt only, is that worth it? I also feel Grapes over Shipwreck or DoN would be more beneficial.

Jmhartz you’ve given me lots of great ideas to think about! I took almost all of your suggestions, except I can’t think of something that I would want to take out for messenger of satan, and I don’t mind it being at 51.

Mr.Hiatus I understand where you’re coming from, but the original speed decks didn’t have any defense at all, I’m still going to get 3-5 blocks and with my opponent not having Son of God that is really all I need.

You mentioned that it only has 2 true draw cards, but I don't need "true" draw cards. The offense and the defense both draw. I have no trouble with speed.

I don’t know what 1 to ratios you are mentioning…If you were referencing the Nebby / Desecrate the temple I didn’t have any trouble because nebby searches for desecrate the temple and lets you play it.

Sword Against Sword gave me the opportunity to play desecrate the temple or confusion against an evil character of my choosing so they couldn’t negate it.

In regard to Throne of David True I can only play 1 enhancement with it, but I can draw with it about 2-3 times a game. It's really useful.

Grapes would be great but I keep DON because I am worried about Darius decree / cov of death / Hezekiah’s signet ring / rain becomes dust. I keep Shipwreck because of things like Nazareth / Coliseum /

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I’m having a lot of fun with this one.

In my experience, if you're having a hard time choosing between Ehud and Jephthah in a Judges offense, cut an Enhancement. Doesn't help this deck any because there are like 2, but yeah.

As to this deck, first, have you considered Faith of Gideon instead of Sword against Sword? The only difference is one will work through Colosseum while the other will work through KoT.

Second, I strongly believe that a 57 card deck is vastly superior to a 52 (certainly a 52H like this one) and slightly better than a 50H. Lost Souls are so good now I often wish I could have more Lost Souls than I need. Not to mention the extra dom slot, which I think is required if you want to play Shipwreck as Grapes is such an overwhelmingly better card. I have a version of this deck that draws faster than every 50H-52 carder I've played so far, often even after suffering a FTM. Food for thought.

Did you mean a STM? 

FTMs are so 2011...

Honestly, the STM is more brutal than the FTM as of late. Getting a free D3 + a bit of a Mayhem+ is fantastic.

I'd add Damascus, Proud Pharisee and The Entrapping Pharisee, and try to take a couple things out for Sanhedren and Pretension. Probably TAS (use Gideon's Call for soul gen) and Valey of Salt, then take out King Amazing (you have no blockers for him) and AoCP (you'll never have initiative unless you're worried about huge CBN bands) for Messenger of Satan and Hur (since you already have gifts, enormous soul gen and draw is worth a weak rescue). Then, the final swap to up speed and power simultaneously is remove Pentecost and First Fruits (Moses shuts them down and you've added other speed) for Faith of Samuel (the best GE in the game) and Melchizedek (Soul Gen and Speed) or Moses's Parents (for stronger Moses attacks) depending on what you attack with more often.