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Welcome back to another Budgeted Resources. I’ve had a break for a while as sometimes I over do this game and try to do too many things at the same time. I was trying to run a competitive Zendikar block landfall deck, an Ext Vampire deck, a 100 singleton deck as per my last article and also a cross breed red deck wins / vampire std deck. While also writing my budget articles and building semi competitive tribal decks each week for the Tribal Apocalypse events on Saturdays.  As you can imagine it all got a bit much so the best thing I find is too leave it for a week or two and then come back with a fresh start.

I’ve now had my break as you may have gathered and am now back writing my articles, which is the only thing I’m concentrating on at present on the MTGO side of Magic.

Carrying on from my last Budgeted Resources article which was based on the Coalition Victory card win condition, I’m going to be looking at the next card on my list which is Epic Struggle. 

You win the game part 1 Coalition Victory 

The win condition of this card is to have twenty creatures in play at the beginning of your upkeep. This sounds like fun so the first thing to look at is cards that generate creatures.

As we need lots of creatures I’m going to look at creatures that generate further creatures. I’m running green for Epic Struggle the other colour I can think of that’s good at generating creatures is White. Let’s have a look and see what we have.

On the white side we can use Emeria Angel which is quite low in price at the moment, if we include some sacrifice lands she could be very useful. On the green side I found a card I’ve not yet used Spawnwrithe, it’s a very interesting card if you can keep it alive long enough. When it inflicts damage to an opponent it creates a token copy of itself, after a few turns you could easily over power a player with them. Next up is a token eater which in turn generates further tokens the card in question if you haven’t guessed it is Mycoloth. I also wanted a few early blockers that could take a fair bit of damage and choose to use a few Thallid Shell-Dweller’s.

As a backup measure if the opponent is very anti token I decided to include some Twilight Drovers as well which grow when tokens are put into the graveyard and can use the counters gained to generate further tokens. I also included a very fitting legend into the deck Rhys the Redeemed for his special ability to duplicate the number of tokens in play. This could result in a very quick game if I have the mana available.

There was lots of removal I wanted to include but it wasn’t very budget friendly so I went with the budget version of Swords to Plowshares Condemn and also included Faith's Fetters as it’s a very universal card.

Ok that’s the creatures now to help out the Emeria Angel’s and to speed up the deck I included Harrow and a few sacrifice lands Terramorphic Expanse and Naya Panorama.

The final deck turned out as below, current cost from MTGOTraders as of 20/01/10 $13.55

 

Games

Game 1 vs leroiviking

I have a bad start due to lack of land and end up mulling down to 5 cards a forest, Terramorphic Expanse, Harrow Emeria Angel and Epic Struggle.

I start out with the expanse and leroiviking plays Akoum Refuge, I sacrifice the expanse at the end of leroiviking’s turn for a plains.

Turn two and I play a forest and the card which I picked up that turn Rhys the Redeemed. Leroiviking plays a mountain and Sparkmage Apprentice frying poor Rhys.

I was lucky to draw a third land this turn so I could cast Harrow sacrificing the forest I had just played for another forest and a plains giving me two of each. Leroiviking plays a second Sparkmage Apprentice hitting me in his turn and then attacks with the other dropping me down to 18 life. Leroiviking then plays Spidersilk Net and passes.

In my turn I have the chance to cast Emeria Angel leroiviking still has Akoum Refuge untapped so it’s very possible that leroiviking has a Lightning Bolt waiting in hand. As this is the only creature I have I take the risk and send her into the battlefield and she survives my turn.  In leroiviking’s turn he plays a Plated Geopede and passes.

I draw and play Naya Panorama in my turn and sacrifice it for a third plains and then cast Harrow sacrificing a forest for two more. All of these lands coming into play are triggering the landfall ability of Emeria Angel which generates four Bird tokens. I send in my Emeria Angel to show leroiviking she means business. In leroiviking’s turn he drops a mountain boosting the Geopede and equips one of the Sparkmage’s with the Spidersilk Net, leroiviking sends in all three and I take the damage.

I attack back in my turn with my angel and all but one of the bird tokens taking leroiviking down to twelve life. I then cast Spawnwrithe and pass the turn.  Leroiviking plays Obsidian Fireheart and attacks with his three guys I block and kill the 1/1 Geopede with the Spawnwrithe and loose a bird token killing one of the Sparkmages.

In my turn I play a forest generating another bird and then send in my angel again with her three birds taking leroiviking down to six life. I cast Epic Struggle this turn but I’m sure I won’t be wining by its win condition. Leroiviking attacks back with the Obsidian Fireheart and the Sparkmage, I block the Fireheart with a bird token, leroiviking plays Slaughter Cry boosting the Sparkmage taking me down to eight life.

A full out attack from me this turn and I win the game.

Win 1

Lost 0

Game 2 vs sokbeest

I start out with a nice hand this time round Plains, Naya Panorama, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Spawnwrithe, Emeria Angel, Sigil Blessing and Raise the Alarm.

I start out with the Naya Panorama and a plains and sacrifice it for a forest for the Thallid Shell-Dweller while sokbeest has in play a swamp and an island and at the end of my second turn cycles a Igneous Pouncer for a mountain . In his third turn he plays the mountain and Smokebraider.

Turn four and I play Spawnwrithe and pass. sokbeest plays Shriekmaw killing the Spawnwrithe.

I play a second Naya Panorama and pass the turn. Sokbeest plays Primal Beyond revealing Horde of Notions and plays it. The Shriekmaw and the Horde attack and I Condemn the Horde and take three damage from the Shriekmaw dropping me down to seventeen life. Sokbeest then plays Ashling the Pilgrim and at the end of sokbeest’s turn I play Raise the Alarm generating two tokens. Ashling is a threat but I need creatures to win so will hope for some removal.

I summon a Emeria Angel to assist me on my turn and drop a forest to generate a bird token. The soldiers go into battle taking sokbeest down to twenty three life.  Sokbeest wipes out my Angel with Nameless Inversion in his turn and plays a Mulldrifter to give him the card advantage. The Shriekmaw holds off from attacking me this turn. At the end of the turn I generate a token from the Thalid sitting quietly in the corner.

The soldiers and the saporling token take the battle to sokbeest again this turn, sokbeest dosent expect anything by the looks of it and blocks with the Shriekmaw and Mulldrifter to take out a few tokens. I play Sigil Blessing to even the odds on my side and sokbeest loses both of his creatures and I lose a soldier token.  In sokbeest’s turn he plays Flamekin Harbinger for Horde of Notions but dosent play it and passes. At the end of sokbeest’s turn I play Raise the Alarm for a few more soldier tokens.

In my turn I play Faith's Fetters targeting Ashling the Pilgrim and sokbeest pumps here to exploding point taking out the entire board apart from my Thallid Shell-Dweller.  In sokbeest’s turn he plays the Horde of Notions and hits me for five taking me down to eight life.

Lucky for me I have a second Faith's Fetters in hand and play it on the Horde in my turn.

After this things really grind to a halt I keep generating tokens from my thalid but I’m unable to attack as sokbeest casts a Briarhorn as a defender so I go to plan two and play to win via Epic Struggle. I manage to get a Twilight Drover into play which is has a potential to become a big threat if my tokens start dying so sokbeest holds off from attacking. Shortly after Rhys the Redeemed enters play and starts multiplying my tokens from 5 > 10 > 20 for the win.

The final board position looks like this.

Win 2

Lost 0

Game 3 vs Karston

 

I start off with 2 forests, 1 plains, Terramorphic Expanse, Harrow, Krosan Grip and Rhys the Redeemed.

I play the Expanse first and crack it in Karston’s end phase for a plains. Karston plays a swamp into Bloodchief Ascension.

On my next turn I play a forest and Rhys the Redeemed while Karston plays a swamp into Sign in Blood.

Next turn I attack with Rhys and pass. Karston plays a Vampire Nighthawk and at the end of his turn I play Harrow sacrificing a forest for a plains and a forest which I then use to cast Raise the Alarm.

In my turn I play a Naya Panorama and cast Mycoloth sacrificing both of my soldier tokens making him an 8/8. Karston plays a kickered Goblin Ruinblaster taking out my Panorama and the sends his Vampire Nighthawk in for blood.

Mycoloth generates four saporling tokens in my turn and I send the Mycoloth in which is blocked by the Goblin Ruinblaster….splat. I then play Epic Struggle and pass. Karston plays a second Vampire Nighthawk and Lightning Bolt’s Rhys. The Nighthawk then goes in again taking me down to sixteen life.

I attack in my turn with Mycoloth and four saporling tokens, Karston doesn’t block and I cast Sigil Blessing boosting a saporling to 4/4 and the other attackers by +1/+1 taking Karston down to two life. In Karston’s turn he attacks with one of the Vampire Nighthawks and I use Krosan Grip to destroy his Bloodchief Ascension enchantment before it can trigger for the third counter. 

In my next turn it looks like it’s going to be any easy win I send in Mycoloth again and eight saporling tokens and Karston responds with Volcanic Fallout destroying all my tokens and then  blocks the Mycoloth with the untapped Nighthawk and they both die as the Nighthawk has Deathtouch.
 

The tide can turn so quickly in this game.

I can’t muster any form of defence and die to the Vampire Nighthawk and the Gargoyle Castle's gargoyle token in a few turns.

Win 2

Lost 1

Game 4 vs keepemlocked

I start off with a decent hand this game 2 plains, Naya Panorama, Condemn, Epic Struggle, Sigil Blessing and Twilight Drover.

I play the Naya Panorama first and then follow it up with a plains. Keepemlocked plays a Salt Marsh followed on turn two with a Hedron Crab followed by Darkwater Catacombs. At the end of keepemlocked’s turn I sacrifice the Naya Panorama for a forest.

Turn three and I decide to play Rhys the Redeemed and pass. keepemlocked plays Demonic Tutor and passes with no land drop.

I attack with Rhys in my turn to see if keepemlocked will block with the Hedron Crab as I have Sigil Blessing in hand ready. He doesn’t block and takes one damage, I then cast Spawnwrithe. In keepemlocked’s turn he plays Crumbling Necropolis which comes into play tapped and then a Scroll Rack.

I attack again this turn and the Hedron Crab blocks my Spawnwrithe.  I cast Sigil Blessing on the Spawnwrithe boosting it to deal damage to keepemlocked with its trample ability, this creates another Spawnwrithe. In keepemlocked’s turn he uses his Scroll Rack and passes.

Next turn I go full out in the attack phase again taking keepemlocked down to nine life and gaining two more Spawnwrithe’s. keepemlocked plays Mind Funeral and passes.

Next turn I attack for the win.

Win 3

Lost 1

Game 5 vs kalima5000

My starting hand is 2 forests, Naya Panorama, Terramorphic Expanse, Twilight Drover, Rhys the Redeemed and Sigil Blessing.

kalima5000 starts first this game with a plains followed by a swamp while I play Naya Panorama and then a forest.

Nothing on turn three from kalima5000 and at the end of his turn I sacrifice the Panorama for a plains. On my turn I play Terramorphic Expanse and pass.

Nothing again from kalima5000 on his turn, I sacrifice the Expanse for another plain at the end of his turn and play Raise the Alarm. kalima5000 then discards Ancestral Vision as he has eight cards in hand.  In my turn I send in my soldier tokens for two damage and then play Emeria Angel and pass.

kalima5000 draws a swamp this turn and casts Grim Tutor. I draw and play a second Terramorphic Expanse generating a bird token from my Emeria Angel. I attack with the angel and both soldier tokens and play Sigil Blessing on my angel also boosting the soldiers. This drops kalima5000 from fifteen life to five.

In kalima5000’s turn he plays Oblivion Ring on my Emeria Angel and I take the opportunity to sacrifice my Terramorphic Expanse for a plains to generate another bird token before my angel vanishes to another world to cause havoc.

kalima5000 concedes at this point in the game.

Win 4

Lost 1

Thoughts

The deck is really fun to play, I may have only won one game via Epic Struggle but the combination of cards really flowed well giving me a good fight via the beat down as well. If you’re looking to improve the deck I would swap the Condemn’s for Swords to Plowshares and the Expanse’s and Panorama’s for fetch lands. You could also drop in a few Savannah’s or Temple Garden’s if you have them.

Until next time have fun generating tokens