Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Tournament potential? You're using RED!

I do like Counsel of Abigail, but I ran out of space.  What would you suggest be removed for that one?

In regards to the offense/defense choice, I'm trying to be different/unconventional.  I enjoy red and I enjoy self capture, probably because I don't see them very much.  Whether or not it can beat Garden Tomb, Speed, etc remains to be seen.

I'm sure you don't mean "wrong", but rather "a different way".  In my case, I block with a low number EC, capture one of my own heroes, place them in Raider's Camp, let my EC die, and then release my hero to myself.  Opponent never gets initiative to do anything to stop it. 

Can you explain further what I'm doing "wrong", and why Assyrians work better than this?

Thanks.

Thanks.  I really do appreciate that expanded information, and I was unaware of the Philistine heroes you mentioned.  I do see the strengths of both, and I'm not sure its a "wrong" versus "right" thing.  What you are suggesting depends entirely on having 3 cards in play all at the same time - The EC, Raider's camp, and one of two heroes (although it does work even better with Assyria's Tribute of course).  Assyrians are easier to protect from AOC promo too, which is good.

But without Raider's Camp these ECs have to rely on somehow getting initiative and playing a battle winner.  As far as pale green capture enhancements, I know of three (searching spreadsheet for the words "capture" and "prisoner").  Are there more?  Furthermore, the strategy seems to surround just two ECs.  Isn't self capture only going to work for two or 3 blocks in this case, once those ECs die (since the battle continues)?  Then I also have potentially 4 more heroes I have to put in my deck, of various different colors, for this to work.

With gray low numbers ECs, I get initiative almost every time, and have 2 ECs with CBN special abilities.  Entrapping Pharisee is great against those annoying COTH banding chains.  Playing Red, if opponent AOLs or Grapes Naaman (which they will do), he gets added to my heroes.  There are SIX gray capture enhancements that I know of (only 5 of which are in this deck).  Often I can band two Pharisees together and STILL have initiative, so AOTL is not an instant win for opponent.  False Peace is a great way to search for Raider's Camp if it is at the bottom of my deck.  Sabbath Breaker lets me draw 3 cards (and is low numbers too), and Just a Hireling is just plain awesome.  Stalks of Flax was my most treasured addition to this deck. I can use it to to steal annoying FBTN heroes from opponent, or a "cannot be captured" hero, or a Garden Tomb hero, or an annoying 1/* hero that keeps getting inititiative.

Like I said, it's unconventional, but its fun when it works  Hope this helps explain it more.

Battle prayer is in there to get another negate if needed, but especially The Might of Faith, from discard especially, if stopped by immunity (Red Dragon), KOT, etc.  It could also be used as a way to get Warrior's Spear early (or from discard).  But it is not an "essential" card.

Battle prayer is in there to get another negate if needed, but especially The Might of Faith, from discard especially, is stopped by immunity (Red Dragon), KOT, etc.  It could also be used as a way to get Warrior's Spear early (or from discard).  But it is not an "essential" card.

OH you mean a SOLDIER'S prayer.

Battle prayer is a 4/3 gold enh. I was wondering.

I like the idea but idk how viable it is with lacking protection against CBN capture.

dude, itd work better with syrians... they have plenty of banding and auto inish. plus then u get naaman proteced...

Pale has Stocks, Slave Trade, and Captured by Assyria. It has one character where captures can never be negated (Esau the Hunter), one where it can't be negated if Assyria is in play (King Sargon II) and one where one of the captures (Stocks) can't be negated (Pashur the priest). Currently, any deck with TSA has exactly two obstacles: Namaan, and Holy of Holies. If you have neither of those, or they are taken care of, you're toast. In addition to the two EC's I mentioned, King Tiglath Pileser III can also capture after a successful block.

What Assyrians don't have, as you've mentioned, is anything close to good initiative. Their smallest character is 3/5. But they have the best weapon in the game, 2kH, which can help out a lot. And pale does have King Jehoiakin, Hophni and Phinehas, and Astrologers, who are all 3/3 or less. So strictly Assyrian may not be the way to go, but Pale does have some nice advantages.

Red makes sense with Namaan, but a more effective RC self-capture strategy is Prophets+HT+Side Battles. And along with side battles and pale green comes other fun benefits, like Confusion.

All that said, I think this is definitely a solid deck, and it obviously can do well. What I've said here are merely things to consider, and I hope you don't take them as reflecting poorly on your deck. Nice job on your tournament win!

Pale has Stocks, Slave Trade, and Captured by Assyria. It has one character where captures can never be negated (Esau the Hunter), one where it can't be negated if Assyria is in play (King Sargon II) and one where one of the captures (Stocks) can't be negated (Pashur the priest). Currently, any deck with TSA has exactly two obstacles: Namaan, and Holy of Holies. If you have neither of those, or they are taken care of, you're toast. In addition to the two EC's I mentioned, King Tiglath Pileser III can also capture after a successful block.

What Assyrians don't have, as you've mentioned, is anything close to good initiative. Their smallest character is 3/5. But they have the best weapon in the game, 2kH, which can help out a lot. And pale does have King Jehoiakin, Hophni and Phinehas, and Astrologers, who are all 3/3 or less. So strictly Assyrian may not be the way to go, but Pale does have some nice advantages.

Red makes sense with Namaan, but a more effective RC self-capture strategy is Prophets+HT+Side Battles. And along with side battles and pale green comes other fun benefits, like Confusion.

All that said, I think this is definitely a solid deck, and it obviously can do well. What I've said here are merely things to consider, and I hope you don't take them as reflecting poorly on your deck. Nice job on your tournament win!

No offense taken at all.  Regarding facing FBTN characters, that is what the Cannot be Prevented LS, Confusion of Mind, and Stalks of Flax are in there for too.  I originally also had Trap of the Devil, but had to cut it.  Thanks again for the very good advice and warnings.

i absoloutly love playing red and grey... one slight change i would make is to put in either ira(kings) or adino with his spear from kings so that you can have some fun with negatin all abilities... that way even if they do have enhancements that can kill off ur guys they cant use em cause all abilities are negated... but thats just my take... my usual line up consists of texp asahel, abishi kings, kings ira, kings adino, helez and heldai... that way all my heroes can band and i have two negaters... just a suggestion

Ahh, I see it now!  Thanks again.