Saturday, April 21, 2012

MIXED BAG. TABLE TOP TALES: KING OF THE HILL DECK

TABLE TOP TALES PRESENTS:
THE KING OF THE HILL DECK

To check out my other decks, hit the links below:


HAKUNA MATATA DECK

WURMWOOD DECK V. 1 

 WURMWOOD DECK V. 2 

WURMWOOD DECK V. 3

BLOOD & PORCELAIN DECK

This article serves two purposes: To share the nerd entertainment around with anyone who might find it interesting and, in this case, to prove how taking the theme of an intro pack, especially a more recent intro pack, can not only make a passable deck, but also a powerful and fun deck.

Today's deck is the satisfying result of combining cards from my collection with a new duel deck. It consists of one component of a duel deck (I split the contents with a friend) and about twenty cards, or so, I've picked up from my local shop, from trading, and from older purchases. As an early draft of a concept, you can expect to see a better achieved form of my themes in the future.

Here is the main component:
Duel Deck: Koth Cost: $10

Note: You can see the original deck list HERE.



I have probably spent about $5 dollars on singles for this deck (some of which don't even appear in the deck). MISCELLANEOUS COST: $5

TOTAL COST: $15

You can find Magic Cards in super stores (Ex. Walmart, Target) but the best place you can buy your cards, meet other players, and play in events is at your local comic book store or hobby shop. I buy most of my cards at The Comic Cellar. Here is a link to its Google Maps location at 3620 Austin Peay Highway #2 Memphis, TN 38128.

Without further ado, with these purchases, I built...

THE KING OF THE HILL DECK:
I SELL PRO-PAIN & PRO-PAIN ACCESSORIES
This deck follows theme including, but not limited to, : mono-red land advantage, lots of burning, and a little bitty Koth of the Hammer. This deck is ultimately a mono-red deck and is the result of sewing my healthy collection of red cards into the funnest deck I've ever played.

Also, I only try to build and present decks that I can afford, this deck is still in a prototype phase, and I hope you will be able to enjoy it. EX. I would love to get a Comet Storm for this deck.All in all, my experiences with this deck have been quite positive and have even won me some games I hadn't dreamed of winning. All in all, it is a casual deck, and I am a casual player. This deck is good ol' casual fun.

Please leave comments and suggestions.

Please leave comments.

To check out the contents of the deck, click "READ MORE" below.

 Contains 60 Cards
PLANESWALKER
(1 Monored Planeswalker)
Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? His name is an acronym for "King of the Hill". Despite this whimsical bit of fun, Koth is no joke. His first ability will have a 4/4 creature swinging at your opponent right off the back, his second ability gets you mana in a pinch, and his ultimate ability makes every mountain you have a devastating cannon to be use to blow your opponent or his creatures away. It is easy to see the usefulness of such a great card and the only thing I would like is...another copy.

CREATURES
(17 Creatures: 2 Artifact Creatures, 16 Red Creatures)

Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? A lot of people would look at a card like this and snub it. For one, it is not an Inferno Titan, and for another, people prefer other various dragons. Why do I like Ancient Hellkite? There is the sentimental reason, of course. It was one of the first rares I ever got when I started collected last year. The other reason? Its ability makes it a superior fireball for removing weenies and tokens. That and a flying dragon 6/6 for 7 is not too shabby to have either as your beat-stick.

Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? This guy is so much fun to have in my graveyard that I find myself swinging with him right out the gate. He speeds up this already speedy deck by a few rounds and makes every creature you summon a raging beast that cannot be contained by summoning sickness.
Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? I really wish I had four of these. This is easily one of the most frustrating red cards in 2012 Core (if not of all time). Not only is it an effective beat stick, it keeps coming back!
Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? And here is our defensive red flyer that, in a pinch, can swinging for a healthy for damage. I'd prefer to have another Chandra's Phoenix, but this is a sufficient substitute for a superior card.
Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? I was on the fence about this beasty. Yet, it didn't take long for this nifty manticore to win my respect. I was playing a 6 way game and my opponent cleared the battlefield with a Phyrexian Rebirth. I had no hand until I drew and played the manticore. I took control of his 8/8 abomination, swung at him for 8, and had him pinned down for the win. Its only a little more expensive than similar red sorceries and, at worst, puts a 5/5 flyer on the field.

Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? Big, dumb, and stupid. Just what I need to block my opponents and swing with an indomitable abandon when necessary. Speaking of big dumb rock monsters, anyone remember Galaxy Quest?
Deck contains. 2.
Reasons? I really like fire-pump or, as I call it, "fire-breathing". "Fire-breath" is effective because it can be pumped multiple times. This creature is a simple and effective early cast. I've used one of these to kill plenty of opponents
Deck contains. 2.
Reasons? I loved this card from the moment I saw it for the first time. In a deck where I can, consistently deal damage with instants and sorceries, Fire Servant doubles my fire power. Combine it with a card like Spire Barrage and there is almost nothing I can't burn out of existence, including my opponents.
Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? And I've just put this nifty in here for an experimental run. I think it will be devastating, especially paired with cards like Spire Barrage. It saves me  mana and lets me look at the next draw. Even better, I can look at the top and, if its an instant or sorcery, play it and then draw. In a deck all about speed, Galvanoth accelerates its arsenal.

Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? And here have a particularly nasty card, especially against blue/white flyer decks. Combine it with a secondary nifty ability that can give another creature fire-breath and +2 toughness for 3 mana is certainly a useful way to add some aggression. He can combo himself with the ability and do devestating damage, in a pinch.
Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? And this was a card I found in my Christmas stocking. A big ol' fiery Santa Claus that everyone loves to love or loves to hate; and for good reason. He does lots of damage, can be fire-pumped, and, even with out those abilities, would only, just barely, be mediocre.
Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? I found this gem a couple weeks ago at my shop, alongside the manticore, and I knew I had found something special. A 5/4 for 5 with a fantastic defensive ability? He is the true King of the Hill, "Warning to those who scale the cliffs without paying tribute: It's a long way down."
 
Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? And another gem I picked up at the shop. Combined with the mono red of this deck and he quickly becomes an equal with Inferno Titan.

Deck contains. 2.
Reasons? It gets me land. It can chump block w/ flying. It can combo well with Claw of Valakut. Simple, efficient, and one of my favorite commons.

Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? This card exists to burn weenies and human wizards. At worst? It can burn your opponents or chump block too.
 

Artifacts, Enchantments, Instants and Sorcery
(17 Cards: 2 Artifacts, 6 Red Instants, 2 Red Enchantments, 7 Red Sorceries)

Deck contains. 2.
Reasons? First off, this card has the best art. This is a great anti-weenie card and has won me a couple of matches. Some might like me to have 2 more Lightning Bolts instead of this nifty card, but this card is great in multi-player.
Deck contains. 2.
Reasons? I love enchantments and I would argue this a must have for any mono-red deck with a healthy dose of creatures. This combos excellent with almost any creature. For 3 mana one of my creatures gets first strike and, at minimum, +3/+0. If an opponent has protection from red, attach this to a Pilgrim's Eye to make a brutal glass cannon.

Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? The potential to burn away an opponent's creature and keep it from returning from the gave is an added bonus. Its second effect? Patience is not the usual way to play red, but it can come in handy against the right deck.


Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? Double your burn, double your fun, flashback this one! This card makes an excellent combo in a pinch, especially with cards like Jaws of Stone and Spire Barrage. If I owned two, I would probably have two in the deck.

Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? Some people would snub this card. Those people are idiots. Combo this with a Fire Servant and you can do, AT MINIMUM, 12 damage to your opponent. Its a superior Fireball because it does more damage and has even better multiple target coverage, in this deck, due to all my mountains.


Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? I am really on the fence about this one. I'd almost prefer another Pilgrim's Eye but the potential to get more and more land, which both makes it easier to draw the right cards, and makes my cards beefier, is a great tool.


Deck contains. 2.
Reasons? The single most efficient card in red. Nuff said.

Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? A Demonfire that shuffles back into the deck. Wingo!

Deck contains. 2.
Reasons? This is another card that a lot of people would turn their nose up at. But, I feel, in this deck it does 3 damage, at minimum, and quickly scales to a Lava Axe that you can target creatures, for cheap, in a mono red deck. Combo it with some other nifty cards to clear the battlefield of pesky foes.


Deck contains. 2.
Reasons? And here we have the card that when combod with a single Fire Servant and Increasing Vengeance can do, at minimum, 20 damage directly to your opponent. Add in the fact that it has the coverage to hit creatures and it is well worth its weight in mana  to hurt boulders across the battlefield.


Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? Combo with a big beasty to hurl some devastating damage, right out the gate, and protect your beat-stick from nasty spells/abilities.


Deck contains. 1.
Reasons? An unstoppable Lava Axe combo card.

LANDS
( 24 Cards: 24 Mountains)

 CONTAINS 24