Messages

Pyyhtia / Tuomas / Fin / 274408242

1st of all : Greetings! Just registered here.

Greetings and welcome. Say, you don't happen to be _the_ same coldcrow from #octgn at irc.ircstorm.net? In that case we've met in form of UB Staxx vs. GW Enchantress.

As it is right now it has zero protection, which obviously wont work vs serious decks.

I have some trouble outlining your deck from the mere decklist. Could you add some notes about it? How does it work? Right now it somehow reminds me of Stronghold era CounterPhoenix, without the counters, nor Phoenix.

I can see it has win conditions such as Panoptic Mirror/various time walks and Empty the Warrens. Mindblaze looks interesting and inventive addition, seems to suit on paper well into highlander but has it worked for you in this deck?

Giving the high mana curve of your deck, I'd run at least Force of Will & Misdirection to keep up with the tempo and Mana Drain to catch up with the tempo. Also, playing blue in this context without the other good counterspells isn't the way to go, if you ever plan to run this in competetive environment. Ditch at least the bad symmetric spells like Flux, and too narrow cards (Zap).

If I were building this, I'd also add some more mana artifacts (Medallions, Mox Diamond > Lotus Petal), tweak the build towards slow tempo (make it more controllish) and fit in cards that gain advantage from slower tempo (e.g. Thawing Glaciers, you've got a good basic land base for that as well).

P.S what's with the Grinning Ignus? Another combo?

Yeah, I also enjoyed this league as it served as an excellent platform to test various decks, looking forward to another one. And congratulations to MErcator!

pyyhttu (UWrebels) vs. Payron (5CStaxx): 2-0 to pyyhttu.

Here in Finland we've started to adopt on small scale this "German Highlander" as we tend to call it. We've had these several in the past inside 12 month period and the current trend seems to indicate that we'll have these more. I gave some thought it might be interesting to let other people to know on what kind of decks get played in here.

I encourage other people to do the same: post deck listings, describe metagames, or just give out a personal tournament report.

Source: vaihdetaan.kapsi.fi

8 people played 5 rounds on 60 minute round time 12.4.2007. The final standings were:

Hyvärinen  4-1-0 (UB Control)
Ihonen 3-2-0 (UWG Control)
Niemi 3-2-0 (RG Beats)
Pyyhtiä 3-2-0 (UW Rebels)
Myllynen 2-3 (BR Aggro)
Virri 2-3 (GoblinPonza)
Hänninen 1-3-1 (MonoB Aggro)
Malin 1-3-1(5C Stax)

Deck lists:

Hyvärinen  4-1-0 (UB Control)

Main Deck: 100 cards total, 88 unique cards
1 x Academy Ruins
1 x Ancient Spring
1 x Brainstorm
1 x Chainer's Edict
1 x Chrome Mox
1 x Circular Logic
1 x Compulsion
1 x Condescend
1 x Control Magic
1 x Counterbalance
1 x Counterspell
1 x Crucible of Worlds
1 x Damnation
1 x Darkwater Catacombs
1 x Deep Analysis
1 x Demonic Tutor
1 x Desertion
1 x Diabolic Edict
1 x Dimir Aqueduct
1 x Dimir Signet
1 x Dismiss
1 x Dominate
1 x Exclude
1 x Fact or Fiction
1 x Faerie Conclave
1 x Fellwar Stone
1 x Flash of Insight
1 x Flooded Strand
1 x Foil
1 x Forbid
1 x Force of Will
1 x Force Spike
1 x Future Sight
1 x Ghastly Demise
1 x Gifts Ungiven
1 x Hinder
1 x Impulse
1 x Innocent Blood
11 x Island
1 x Legacy's Allure
1 x Lonely Sandbar
1 x Mana Drain
1 x Mana Leak
1 x Masticore
1 x Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 x Memory Lapse
1 x Merchant Scroll
1 x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 x Miscalculation
1 x Misdirection
1 x Mishra's Factory
1 x Morphling
1 x Mox Diamond
1 x Mystical Teachings
1 x Nevinyrral's Disk
1 x Nightscape Familiar
1 x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1 x Persecute
1 x Polluted Delta
1 x Powder Keg
1 x Power Sink
1 x Psychatog
1 x Recoil
1 x Remand
1 x Repulse
1 x Rewind
1 x Salt Marsh
1 x Sensei's Divining Top
1 x Shadow of Doubt
1 x Spite/Malice (Malice)
1 x Stalking Stones
3 x Swamp
1 x Syncopate
1 x Telling Time
1 x Thawing Glaciers
1 x The Abyss
1 x Thieving Magpie
1 x Thirst for Knowledge
1 x Thwart
1 x Trade Routes
1 x Treachery
1 x Underground River
1 x Underground Sea
1 x Upheaval
1 x Vedalken Shackles
1 x Wasteland
1 x Watery Grave
1 x Wayfarer's Bauble

Ihonen 3-2-0 ("Demokratian kriisi")

// Lands
    1 Tropical Island
    1 Tundra
    1 Horizon Canopy
    1 Hallowed Fountain
    1 Azorius Chancery FOIL
    1 Thawing Glaciers
    1 Mishra's Factory FOIL
    1 Brushland
    1 Simic Growth Chamber FOIL
    1 Yavimaya Coast
    6 Island FOIL
    2 Forest EURO
    1 Flooded Strand
    1 Selesnya Sanctuary FOIL
    1 Secluded Steppe FOIL
    1 Lonely Sandbar FOIL
    1 Wasteland
    1 Polluted Delta
    1 Krosan Verge FOIL
    1 Tranquil Thicket FOIL
    1 Windswept Heath
    1 Plains APAC
    1 Temple Garden
    1 Maze of Ith
    1 Reflecting Pool
    1 Skycloud Expanse FOIL
    1 Wooded Foothills
    1 Breeding Pool
    1 Nimbus Maze
    1 Temple of the False God FOIL
    1 Savannah
    1 Adarkar Wastes
    1 Academy Ruins

// Creatures
    1 Eternal Dragon
    1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
    1 Aeon Chronicler
    1 Loxodon Hierarch
    1 Mystic Enforcer
    1 Wall of Roots JUHAN SEINÃ,,T
    1 Exalted Angel
    1 Solemn Simulacrum  FOIL
    1 Tarmogoyf
    1 Trinket Mage FOIL
    1 Eternal Witness FOIL
    1 Sakura-Tribe Elder FOIL

// Spells
    1 Gifts Ungiven
    1 Brainstorm
    1 Decree of Justice
    1 Tithe
    1 Azorius Signet FOIL
    1 Pact of Negation
    1 Treachery
    1 Future Sight FOIL
    1 Exploration
    1 Deep Analysis FOIL
    1 Life from the Loam
    1 Faith's Fetters FOIL
    1 Stroke of Genius
    1 Misdirection
    1 Repeal
    1 Cryptic Command FOIL
    1 Force of Will
    1 Ponder FOIL
    1 Oblivion Ring FOIL
    1 Intuition
    1 Talisman of Unity FOIL
    1 Talisman of Progress FOIL
    1 Fact or Fiction FOIL
    1 Farseek FOIL
    1 Engineered Explosives FOIL
    1 Enlightened Tutor
    1 Wrath of God FOIL
    1 Mana Leak FOIL
    1 Gilded Lotus
    1 Mirari's Wake FOIL
    1 Phyrexian Furnace
    1 Swords to Plowshares ALTERED
    1 Vedalken Shackles FOIL
    1 Counterspell FOIL
    1 Remand FOIL
    1 Coalition Relic
    1 Sensei's Divining Top FOIL
    1 Simic Signet FOIL
    1 Regrowth
    1 Rout FOIL
    1 Condescend FOIL
    1 Take Possession
    1 Compulsive Research FOIL
    1 Control Magic
    1 Mind Spring
    1 Garruk Wildspeaker
    1 Mindslaver
    1 Primal Command
    1 Tidings

Niemi 3-2-0 (RG Beats)

Main Deck: 100 cards total, 81 unique cards
1 x Arc Lightning
1 x Arc-Slogger
1 x Barbarian Ring
1 x Basking Rootwalla
1 x Birds of Paradise
1 x Blistering Firecat
1 x Blood Moon
1 x Bloodstained Mire
1 x Burning-Tree Shaman
1 x Call of the Herd
1 x Carbonize
1 x Chain Lightning
1 x Char
1 x City of Brass
1 x Dryad Sophisticate
1 x Fireblast
1 x Firebolt
1 x Flametongue Kavu
11 x Forest
1 x Frenzied Goblin
1 x Fyndhorn Elves
1 x Garruk Wildspeaker
1 x Giant Solifuge
1 x Grim Lavamancer
1 x Hearth Kami
1 x Horizon Canopy
1 x Incinerate
1 x Jackal Pup
1 x Jungle Lion
1 x Karplusan Forest
1 x Keldon Megaliths
1 x Kird Ape
1 x Lava Dart
1 x Lightning Bolt
1 x Llanowar Elves
1 x Loaming Shaman
1 x Magma Jet
1 x MaGus of the Moon
1 x Mire Boa
1 x Mishra's Factory
1 x Mogg Fanatic
1 x Molten Rain
10 x Mountain
1 x Mtenda Lion
1 x Nantuko Vigilante
1 x Pendelhaven
1 x Phantom Centaur
1 x Price of Progress
1 x Radha, Heir to Keld
1 x Rancor
1 x Reckless Charge
1 x Rhystic Lightning
1 x Rift Bolt
1 x River Boa
1 x Ruination
1 x Scab-Clan Mauler
1 x Scorched Rusalka
1 x Seal of Fire
1 x Shard Volley
1 x Shock
1 x Skizzik
1 x Skyshroud Elite
1 x Stomping Ground
1 x Sulfur Elemental
1 x Sulfuric Vortex
1 x Sword of Fire and Ice
1 x Taiga
1 x Tarfire
1 x Tarmogoyf
1 x Thornscape Familiar
1 x Tin Street Hooligan
1 x Treetop Village
1 x Troll Ascetic
1 x Viridian Zealot
1 x Volcanic Hammer
1 x Wasteland
1 x Wild Mongrel
1 x Windswept Heath
1 x Winter Orb
1 x Wooded Foothills
1 x Zo-Zu the Punisher

Pyyhtiä 3-2-0 (UW Rebels)

Main Deck: 100 cards total, 81 unique cards
1 x Adarkar Wastes
1 x AEther Vial
1 x Amrou Scout
1 x Amrou Seekers
1 x Annul
1 x Aven Mindcensor
1 x Aven Riftwatcher
1 x Back to Basics
1 x Blade of the Sixth Pride
1 x Boomerang
1 x Bound in Silence
1 x Brainstorm
1 x Cephalid Coliseum
1 x Chain of Vapor
1 x Confound
1 x Counterspell
1 x Curiosity
1 x Defiant Falcon
1 x Defiant Vanguard
1 x Disenchant
1 x Echoing Truth
1 x Empyrial Plate
1 x Faerie Conclave
1 x Flagstones of Trokair
1 x Flooded Strand
1 x Force of Will
1 x Gilded Drake
1 x Hallowed Fountain
1 x Isamaru, Hound of Konda
9 x Island
1 x Jotun Grunt
1 x Karakas
1 x Knight of the Holy Nimbus
1 x Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero
1 x Mana Drain
1 x Mana Leak
1 x Mana Tithe
1 x Mirror Entity
1 x Miscalculation
1 x Misdirection
1 x Mishra's Factory
1 x Mother of Runes
1 x Mox Diamond
1 x Mutavault
1 x Nightwind Glider
1 x Nimbus Maze
1 x Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 x Outrider en-Kor
12 x Plains
1 x Polluted Delta
1 x Ponder
1 x Psionic Blast
1 x Raise the Alarm
1 x Ramosian Sergeant
1 x Remand
1 x Repeal
1 x Reverent Mantra
1 x Rushing River
1 x Samurai of the Pale Curtain
1 x Savannah Lions
1 x Sensei's Divining Top
1 x Serum Visions
1 x Soltari Champion
1 x Soltari Monk
1 x Soltari Priest
1 x Soltari Visionary
1 x Spiketail Hatchling
1 x Standstill
1 x Steelshaper's Gift
1 x Stifle
1 x Stonecloaker
1 x Sword of Fire and Ice
1 x Swords to Plowshares
1 x Thermal Glider
1 x Tithe
1 x True Believer
1 x Tundra
1 x Wasteland
1 x Waterfront Bouncer
1 x Whipcorder
1 x Windswept Heath

Myllynen 2-3 (BR Aggro)

Main Deck: 100 cards total, 84 unique cards
1 x Auntie's Hovel
1 x Avalanche Riders
1 x Badlands
1 x Barbarian Ring
1 x Barren Moor
1 x Blazing Specter
1 x Blinkmoth Nexus
1 x Blood Crypt
1 x Blood Moon
1 x Bloodstained Mire
1 x Braids, Cabal Minion
1 x Chain Lightning
1 x Chainer's Edict
1 x Chittering Rats
1 x Countryside Crusher
1 x Cryoclasm
1 x Crypt Champion
1 x Dark Confidant
1 x Dauthi Slayer
1 x Demonic Tutor
1 x Diabolic Edict
1 x Duress
1 x Dwarven Blastminer
1 x Earwig Squad
1 x Firebolt
1 x Flametongue Kavu
1 x Frenzied Goblin
1 x Ghitu Encampment
1 x Graveborn Muse
1 x Graven Cairns
1 x Greater Gargadon
1 x Hand of Cruelty
1 x Hearth Kami
1 x Hit // Run
1 x Hymn to Tourach
1 x Hypnotic Specter
1 x Incinerate
1 x Jagged Poppet
1 x Lightning Bolt
1 x Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
1 x Magma Jet
1 x MaGus of the Moon
1 x Mindslicer
1 x Mishra's Factory
1 x Mogg Fanatic
1 x Molten Rain
4 x Mountain
1 x Mutavault
1 x Nantuko Shade
1 x Nezumi Graverobber
1 x Oona's Prowler
1 x Oversold Cemetery
1 x Phyrexian Rager
1 x Pillage
1 x Pyre Zombie
1 x Rakdos Augermage
1 x Rakdos Guildmage
1 x Rancid Earth
1 x Ravenous Rats
1 x Rishadan Port
1 x Scorched Rusalka
1 x Sedge Sliver
1 x Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 x Sinkhole
1 x Squealing Devil
1 x Stone Rain
1 x Stromgald Crusader
1 x Sudden Shock
1 x Sulfurous Springs
14 x Swamp
1 x Sword of Fire and Ice
1 x Tainted Peak
1 x Taurean Mauler
1 x Terminate
1 x Thoughtseize
1 x Threaten
1 x Unearth
1 x Urborg Volcano
1 x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 x Wasteland
1 x Withered Wretch
1 x Wrecking Ball
1 x Yixlid Jailer

Virri 2-3 (GoblinPonza)

Main Deck: 100 cards total, 78 unique cards
1 x Ankh of Mishra
1 x Avalanche Riders
1 x Ball Lightning
1 x Barbarian Ring
1 x Bend or Break
1 x Blistering Firecat
1 x Blood Moon
1 x Bloodstained Mire
1 x Browbeat
1 x Chain Lightning
1 x Chain of Plasma
1 x Char
1 x Chrome Mox
1 x Cryoclasm
1 x Cursed Scroll
1 x Dwarven Blastminer
1 x Dwarven Miner
1 x Final Fortune
1 x Fireblast
1 x Firebolt
1 x Flame Rift
1 x Flames of the Blood Hand
1 x Fork
1 x Frenzied Goblin
1 x Gempalm Incinerator
1 x Genju of the Spires
1 x Ghitu Encampment
1 x Goblin Cadets
1 x Goblin Goon
1 x Goblin Grenade
1 x Goblin King
1 x Goblin Lackey
1 x Goblin Matron
1 x Goblin Patrol
1 x Goblin Piledriver
1 x Goblin Recruiter
1 x Goblin Ringleader
1 x Goblin Settler
1 x Goblin Sharpshooter
1 x Goblin Vandal
1 x Goblin Warchief
1 x Grafted Wargear
1 x Grim Lavamancer
1 x Imperial Recruiter
1 x Incinerate
1 x Jackal Pup
1 x Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 x Lava Dart
1 x Lightning Bolt
1 x Magma Jet
1 x MaGus of the Moon
1 x Mishra's Factory
1 x Mogg Fanatic
1 x Mogg Flunkies
1 x Mogg Raider
1 x Moggcatcher
1 x Molten Rain
23 x Mountain
1 x Pillage
1 x Price of Progress
1 x Pyroblast
1 x Ravenous Baboons
1 x Reckless Charge
1 x Red Elemental Blast
1 x Rift Bolt
1 x Rishadan Port
1 x Ruination
1 x Sandstone Needle
1 x Shard Volley
1 x Siege-Gang Commander
1 x Sonic Burst
1 x Sparksmith
1 x Stingscourger
1 x Sudden Shock
1 x Sulfuric Vortex
1 x Wasteland
1 x Wooded Foothills
1 x Zo-Zu the Punisher

Hänninen 1-3-1 (MonoB Aggro)

Main Deck: 100 cards total, 69 unique cards
1 x Bad Moon
1 x Bane of the Living
1 x Black Knight
1 x Blackmail
1 x Chainer's Edict
1 x Charcoal Diamond
1 x Chimeric Idol
1 x Coldsteel Heart
1 x Corpse Dance
1 x Cremate
1 x Cruel Edict
1 x Damnation
1 x Dark Ritual
1 x Dauthi Marauder
1 x Dauthi Slayer
1 x Demonic Tutor
1 x Diabolic Edict
1 x Drekavac
1 x Duress
1 x Fellwar Stone
1 x Graveborn Muse
1 x Grinning Demon
1 x Hand of Cruelty
1 x Helldozer
1 x Hymn to Tourach
1 x Hypnotic Specter
1 x Kiku's Shadow
1 x Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
1 x Laquatus's Champion
1 x Last Gasp
1 x Lightning Greaves
1 x Masticore
1 x Mind Stone
1 x Mutilate
1 x Nantuko Shade
1 x Nekrataal
1 x Nezumi Graverobber
1 x Night's Whisper
1 x Nim Abomination
1 x Ogre Marauder
1 x Order of the Ebon Hand
1 x Paralyze
1 x Persecute
1 x Phyrexian Arena
1 x Phyrexian Rager
1 x Phyrexian Scuta
1 x Plague Sliver
1 x Priest of Gix
1 x Razormane Masticore
1 x Sarcomancy
1 x Sengir Nosferatu
1 x Sengir Vampire
1 x Skeletal Scrying
1 x Smother
1 x Stromgald Crusader
1 x Stupor
1 x Sudden Death
1 x Sudden Spoiling
34 x Swamp
32 x Swamp
1 x Sword of Fire and Ice
1 x Sword of Light and Shadow
1 x Takenuma Bleeder
1 x Twisted Abomination
1 x Visara the Dreadful
1 x Wasteland
1 x Withered Wretch
1 x Wrench Mind
+1 x Prismatic Lens
+1 x Cabal Coffers

Malin 1-3-1(5C Stax)

Main Deck: 100 cards total, 100 unique cards
1 x Academy Ruins
1 x Ancient Tomb
1 x Badlands
1 x Barren Moor
1 x Bayou
1 x Bloodstained Mire
1 x Brainstorm
1 x Burning of Xinye
1 x Chain of Vapor
1 x Chrome Mox
1 x City of Brass
1 x City of Traitors
1 x Coalition Relic
1 x Coldsteel Heart
1 x Crop Rotation
1 x Crucible of Worlds
1 x Crumbling Sanctuary
1 x Defense Grid
1 x Demonic Tutor
1 x Devastating Dreams
1 x Duplicant
1 x Duress
1 x Enlightened Tutor
1 x Fact or Fiction
1 x Fellwar Stone
1 x Fire/Ice (Fire)
1 x Flagstones of Trokair
1 x Flooded Strand
1 x Forest
1 x Forgotten Cave
1 x Garruk Wildspeaker
1 x Gifts Ungiven
1 x Goblin Welder
1 x Guilty Conscience
1 x Icy Manipulator
1 x Island
1 x Life from the Loam
1 x Lightning Bolt
1 x Lonely Sandbar
1 x Magus of the Tabernacle
1 x Mana Drain
1 x Maze of Ith
1 x Mind Stone
1 x Mindslaver
1 x Mishra's Factory
1 x Mishra's Workshop
1 x Mizzium Transreliquat
1 x Mountain
1 x Mox Diamond
1 x Nether Void
1 x Phyrexian Furnace
1 x Plains
1 x Plateau
1 x Polluted Delta
1 x Prismatic Lens
1 x Propaganda
1 x Pyrite Spellbomb
1 x Reflecting Pool
1 x Regrowth
1 x Rishadan Port
1 x Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 x Savannah
1 x Scrubland
1 x Sensei's Divining Top
1 x Smokestack
1 x Solemn Simulacrum
1 x Stuffy Doll
1 x Sun Droplet
1 x Swamp
1 x Swords to Plowshares
1 x Sylvan Scrying
1 x Taiga
1 x Tainted Pact
1 x Talisman of Dominance
1 x Talisman of Indulgence
1 x Tarmogoyf
1 x Tarnished Citadel
1 x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 x Thirst for Knowledge
1 x Thoughtseize
1 x Time Vault
1 x Transmute Artifact
1 x Trash for Treasure
1 x Trinket Mage
1 x Triskelion
1 x Tropical Island
1 x Tundra
1 x Underground Sea
1 x Unearth
1 x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 x Volcanic Island
1 x Wall of Blossoms
1 x Wall of Roots
1 x Wasteland
1 x Wildfire
1 x Windswept Heath
1 x Winter Orb
1 x Wooded Foothills
1 x Worn Powerstone
1 x Zuran Orb

About a week ago I had a league match against Sturmgott and in the post game chit chat he mentioned Dream Halls:

0:24:11 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> I got to give you that:
0:24:18 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> Hulk and TPS were harldly fun.
0:24:43 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> i think the currently best combo deck is dreamhalls
0:24:46 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> First round degenerate combos are something for Vintage only, but "accident" kills should be in HL also
0:24:50 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> hmm..
0:25:01 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> I have to tell you that haven't seen any builds of it.
0:25:05 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> U/B/w build
0:25:08 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> Able to link me into one?
0:25:16 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> no, only got one offline
0:25:20 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> alright.
0:25:48 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> LOADS of draw spells, all the tutors, all timewalks
0:25:54 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> all 3?
0:26:03 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> those 2 from portal as well ?
0:26:04 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> all 4
0:26:18 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> especially the one that gives you two turns
0:26:26 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> blue myojin
0:26:27 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> I have em, should put them together and see what comes.
0:26:29 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> yeah
0:26:35 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> and tendrils of agony
0:26:35 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> what's the kill comdition?
0:26:39 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> right.
0:26:45 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> some protection
0:26:54 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> duress, thoughtseize, chant, abeyance
0:27:07 [pyyhttu] <pyyhttu> Well, I'll post the forums and ask if they have some insight into it.
0:27:21 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> second kill condition is zombie infestation
0:27:29 [Sturmgott] <Sturmgott> + time walks

In Highlander circles I've seen Dream Halls deck mentioned frequently in different sources (The deck is dismissed in that last thread quite heavily) and so far haven't witnessed (excluding old t2) that anyone in his sane mind has _seriously_ taken part in a tournament with Dream Halls-combo.

Soo... Heeding Sturmgott's advice ("LOADS of draw spells, all the tutors, all timewalks") and exploiting an old "reference-build" I actually went and quickly put together a "pile" of good cards from the sector of draw, tutor and timewalks (and disruption) and wrapped them around Dream Halls, Myojin, Show and Tell etc. but fail to see how this would make the best combo deck.

So my question is: Other than having Dream Halls deck being a good inside joke in Germany (is it?), have you seen a Dream Halls-deck played in your local tournament or do you even have your own build you run? What is it like and how does it work against others? Go to, folks!

Match 1:
Reveillark combo along Aluren isn't exactly the most forgiving deck for mistakes but the test games with this deck against Sturmgott were very valuable.

Game 1:
I start with a first turn mana elf as Sturmgott amasses some land. Second turn Yavimaya Elder then meets Force Spike and from this point on some second turn random flier hits play on Frank's side. I try to pressure with Rock style beatdown by playing a third turn Ravenous Baloth but opponent has an answer in form of Sigil of Sleep which I let to bounce the Baloth until I get something else I can cast. A topdecked Karmic Guide comes to play which I use to alternate combo strategy: A chump block to buy some time and get it to grave for combo. Later a Gifts of Ungiven fetches me Reveillark and I start the loop for very large Carrion Feeder but it's too late as Sturmgott has a flying and equipped army on the other side which delivers fatal blow.

Game 2:
Starting hand looks like a good possible combo strategy containing Essence Warden and Saffi Eriksdotter which I get to play on turns 1 and 3. On sturmgott's side Saphire Medallion hastens the play by following Vendilion Clique which I remember severely disrupting my defenses by putting Spike Weaver on the bottom of the deck. From this point on, Sturmgott gets some serious card advantage with Curiosity + Standstill and later with gush, where as I remember drawing nothing useful (Blue mana!) and die Gifts + Coiling Oracle in my hands; pesky flying men killed me again.

I don't have logs from match 2 but remember first match was again very close for combokill, but I made a play mistake by tutoring Genesis and not e.g. Saffi to establish loop for reveillark victory. Sturmgott had again steady flow of cheap and efficient equipped flying men. Nonetheless, GGs.

Sounds great - is it possible to get emails when a new one is coming together?

Your best bet is to subscribe to rss-feed of this forum (it's quite low traffic one).

Also... just as a postscript... this past weekend I came into possession of a new Commander Eesha, and it went in in place of the Trap Runner.

Commander Eesha is an excellent blocker in multiplayer games but I wouldn't put it in your which tries to define the tempo and kill fast, right? Eesha doesn't help much with that.

Also, whatever modifications you do to your deck, I recommend using the 'edit-button' and reflect the corresponding changes to your original post with the deck list. (easier for other users to track progress and give suggestions).

That deck of yours reminds me a lot of "Domain Zoo" which is being played in the current extended at moment (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mf187 check Tim Furrow's and Mitchell Tamblyn's versions at the given url).

So exploiting shamelessly their ideas, I would also try in your version:
-Kird Ape
-Grim Lavamancer
-Gaea's Might
-Tribal Flames
-Vindicate

Regarding to that Grim Lavamancer: I wouldn't say it's actually slow there, as it can pave the way for more powerful creatures and in (your late game ) shoot the last damages to head when opponent has laid down that Moat or Exalted Angel. Also, I am wondering what Price of Progress when playing against RDW or Burn would do against that deck? Have you tested those match-ups? Also, I see you have A LOT of 1 cc critters there, so you may also want to give Aether Vial a try.

As always, these are only suggestions: you should know your deck best.

Good report, was nice to read it. For the record: One of the hardest HL games I've encountered for a while, losing to Vazdru didn't actually matter after +2 hours anymore as clearly lost to a good deck and draws (without making noticable play mistakes). These games are excellent for the deck testing and already noticed some areas where the pesky rebels could improve themselves>

+meta requires the deck needs that Back to Basics as a silver bullet. People have unlimited access to duals  and they seem to use them BtB's effect is just as devastating as PoP would have. Should've added that.
+As the deck is quite permissive, and creature count is clearly a little bit low, adding Raise the Alarm should fix that a little. Still would like to add creature count.
+Mana acceleration of some form could be good. Some rebel builds have run green just to splash Gaea's Cradle but need to find something else on the side of Mox Diamond.

GGs!

I toyed with this idea more and sufficient to say, Aluren is at the moment way too inconsistent. At least I didn't manage to break it, maybe some will. Anyway, it's clear the deck can't solely rely on combo as with even if one could find Aluren, managed to play it he then would *stil* need to find some utility creatures to keep the combo going, and after that continue feeding it. I noticed this was too many factors against both the MUC and RG.

So what about that control approach? Where as the combo itself is easily disrupted on the long run or hard to pull together before you're dead, the toolbox approach improved the deck a little bit but not much: The best colors for the RecurringSurvival type Aluren (that I chose to represent the "control" type here) would be those U, G and B colors I mentioned.
But after testing I found out against well established RG and MonoU builds that if the shaky manabase wasn't the problem against aggro, then the overload of inefficient plain utility creatures against both control and aggro you kept drawing would be spell your doom as they do very little on their own. That is, they would require either that Aluren, Recurring Nightmare or Survival of the fittest is on the table and most of the time the deck would die before seeing any one of those.

As Aluren can't win the turn it comes into play in Highlander (this is even less probable in control builds) I noticed against aggro that Aluren's "mirror effect" caused opponent to dump his creatures into play at the end of the turn and that kills as well.

So my conclusion would be that Aluren decks for highlander are way too inconsistent and incoherent for now. I finally managed to find one thread tackling this very same issue and believe the last comment here came to the same conclusion (I know little deutsch).

If I didn't know more, I'd suggest Aluren to be removed from the watchlist at highlandermagic.de; now it just eludes players there to build plain bad decks and keep them wondering why the card is even listed there Does anyone know why?

But there's some good in bad: I got this neat idea for a deck (without Aluren ) while testing so we'll see if I can make something out of it.

Here are the match results I tested it against:

Aluren vs. RG: 1-3
Aluren vs. MUC: 0-3
...Drop

Here's the final deck I piloted:

Maindeck
1 Aether Vial
1 Aluren
1 Animate Dead
1 Bayou
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Bone Shredder
1 Breeding Pool
1 Cavern Harpy
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Chord of Calling
1 City of Brass
1 Cloud of Faeries
1 Corrupt Court Official
1 Court Hussar
1 Crop Rotation
1 Crypt Champion
1 Dance of the Dead
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Duplicant
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Essence Warden
1 Eternal Witness
1 Fecundity
1 Flooded Strand
10 Forest
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Gilded Drake
1 Harmonic Sliver
1 Hibernation's End
1 Impulse
1 Intuition
4 Island
1 Liliana Vess
1 Living Death
1 Loaming Shaman
1 Mana Leak
1 Man-o'-War
1 Mesmeric Fiend
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mulldrifter
1 Mystic Snake
1 Necromancy
1 Nekrataal
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Plains
1 Polluted Delta
1 Putrefy
1 Raven Familiar
1 Ravenous Rats
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Regrowth
1 Saffi Ericsdotter
1 Sage of Epityr
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Shriekmaw
1 Soul Warden
1 Spike Feeder
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Survival of the Fittest
7 Swamp
1 Tainted Pact
1 Tendo Ice Bridge
1 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Unearth
1 Viridian Shaman
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Wall of Blossoms
1 Wall of Roots
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wood Elves
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Worldly Tutor

Final word: It's a complicated deck with play mistakes being common and unfortunately mistakes in this deck is not very forgiving. That should also apply when choosing if it's a "good" deck or not.

Not to sound rude but this is something you could have easily google. But to your question: Morningtide is legal in sanctioned formats from February 1, 2008. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=judge/resources/banned)

I've been recently trying to build a solid build around Aluren card, having seen various builds of it in Legacy over the years. I also saw it was on the watch list at Highlandermagic.info (wondering what the hell it's doing there) but thought the deck might have potential. I've never seen _any_ actual HL builds of it anywhere and I'm trying to outline here what a good build should be like.

I share the belief with the Legacy players the deck should be turned into a control-combo deck (not the other way around), utilizing it's combo win condition as a secondary plan in slow paced format like HL. Abusing the synergy of various utility creatures like Crypt Champion/Saffi Eriksdotter and Cavern Harpy/Man-o'-War with any creatures from Essence Warden to Maggot Carrier, the deck gets also it's toolbox approach. The pieces would be fetched using Survival of the Fittest (abusing Recurring Survival in the long run) among other black tutors and green creture tutors. I've toyed with controlling 5C-build containing Imperial Recruiter and FTK (didn't work), ending to bare-bone UGB builds (best results against Sligh).

Tests against with these various Aluren builds against lil' brother's GoblinSligh have shown again, that a simple approach (UGB build) with solid mana base seems to be the right way to go but I need more testing and tweaking of the deck. I'll post my deck at some point if this topic gets going.

I'd like to hear if there are any other takes on this from more experienced players. What kind of builds you've seen if any? Is this deck type even playable in HL?

Pyyhtia / Tuomas / Finland / 274408242