Artifact

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Jonathan
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Re: Artifact

Post by Jonathan »

Saw someone on ladder running BU Aggro with Zeus instead of Kanna and Bounty Hunter instead of Sorla. Didn't seem good.

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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

Yeah the more I’ve played around with the archetype the more I think Sorla and Kanna are probably both required for BU aggro to work. BH is really for Econ (unless you’re going mono B) and Zeus doesn’t make sense for Aggro.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

WTF is this deck I just played against? Seems like they just added every red card and item they own.

Needless to say I won.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Jonathan »

Ha! Shortly after launch I beat a guy who had a tri-color deck with three of every expensive card in the game, and all the expensive heroes. Synergy!

I think maybe I'm sleeping on Murder Plot. The Mana curve is a little problematic, but the reach could really help me out...

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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

Here are the decklists for the upcoming WePlay tourney.

Petrify is running a BU aggro deck that looks like a hybrid of my earlier attempts and what I have been playing recently. I'm curious to see how he does with it.

Otherwise, there is a ton of RG ramp and RB aggro decks, also a lot of mono U and mono R, some BU econ. A few people are running UG storm, and a few running UR control.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Jonathan »

Man, no Oath, 1x Disciple, 3x Lightning Strike, and topping out at six drops? I would not have thought of that.

Do you like the ramp lists with 6 eight drops?

I haven't played RG ramp, but when I queue against it I feel like the game is won or lost before the second eight drop comes out.

If you're not rooting for VinKelsier's dino Rix list you must hate fun. I don't think he's gonna win but I really hope he takes games off the meta decks.

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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

I've never played RG ramp either. I sold back Axe and Drow with the nerfs and have never tried to build anything other than BU decks. I've had the same experience against RG ramp. Either they draw their ramp and ToT and steamroll me or they don't.

I've seen VinKelsier play that deck a few times on stream and hope he does well with it too.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

I would never have thought to try Lightning Strike or to run fewer than 3 out of Disciples or Oaths. I'm really curious to see how his list performs, because at first glance it doesn't seem optimal. It seems like he is prioritizing keeping his board a little more resilient and relying on damage from improvements and direct damage from Vandal and Lightning Strike as opposed to generating an massive creep push in one lane. I can kind of understand the rationale for that; in a lot of situations you can't play Oath or Disciple because they hurt more than help.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Jonathan »

Alan wrote:Six 1 cost cards is a lot. Have you tried cutting down on the Relentless Pursuits? It seems like you should still have plenty of mobility.
Well, gave it a go tonight.

https://www.playartifact.com/d/ADCJWMRJ ... XJtb3IgR28_

I went 4-0 with this version last night. I miss having more Oaths. Felt like I misplayed more games than not, though one was a gimme with Oath ancient kill. Last one I just won because he either didn't draw the Chain Frost or just believed he could chump his way to victory, but I had lethal a few ways through chumps. I was probably 50/50 on the Chain Frost, at best. I had the pings to take out his PA the previous turn, even though I guessed he was probably going to Coup my Ristul target, which he did wind up doing. I committed a Pick Off anyway. Maybe I should have held my card in that case...
Edit: that Spot Weakness sure does cycle. I didn't have any Sanctums to Smash, so I guess the Spot was fine?

http://artifactcube.com/stats/user/76561197975853938/

I went 1-2 in draft. The one I won was super close and I ran my clock down to 20 seconds trying to find lethal over two turns, but I found it. Definitely got outplayed the next two, though the last one I'm not really sure where I went wrong. I needed a different plan of attack altogether, I guess.

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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

Alan wrote:WTF is this deck I just played against? Seems like they just added every red card and item they own.

Needless to say I won.
I ended my first run with my deck 4-2. I had gone 4-0 then queued twice in a row against the same player playing BU Econ. The first game I had a ton of misplays, the second game was very close and I wish I had a replay because I'm sure it was winnable for me.

I've been underwhelmed with Jasper Daggers but I did have one game where playing it after my opponent equipped Vesture resulted in a win. I don't know if a different item would be better overall.
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Re: Artifact

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Alan wrote:I wish I had a replay
Definitely my #1 needed feature. Decision-making is way too board-dependent to be grokked without staring at the board state.

I'm not running Jasper. I think you'll want it for a control deck, but not aggro. I mean, enumerate the meta enemy conditions:
Goo
Primal Roar
Glyph
Routed

All of these make some substantial difference to a long match but in a game that's over quickly I don't think the Jasper changes the terms.

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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

I actually included it more for pierce, with the purge being a bonus effect. Pierce is nice both for tower damage against Vesture and for Gank. Like I said I'm strongly considering replacing it, but I'm just not sure what would be significantly better. I like that it's 5 gold. The deck doesn't really generate much gold so I'd rather not include Red Mist Maul. I guess I could do Demagicking Maul but I can't really think of a situation in any of the games I've played where I was really wishing for one.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

My latest edit was to take out the 2 Oaths and 1 Relentless Pursuit in favor of putting 3 Unsupervised Artilleries back in. I like how the Artilleries represent a counterplay against Annihilation. I think that more often than not, when I have an Oath in hand I don't have a board state conducive to playing it. When I do, there's probably a good chance I would win even without Oath. And if I am not playing Oath I don't think the 1 of Pursuit makes sense.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

Jonathan wrote:If you're not rooting for VinKelsier's dino Rix list you must hate fun. I don't think he's gonna win but I really hope he takes games off the meta decks.
I watched his game against StanCifka's mono-blue, which he won on the back of two Thunderchads. That deck is actually genius.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Jonathan »

Here's the update to the update.
https://www.playartifact.com/d/ADCJcQRJ ... FybW9yIEdv
I dropped a few close games and really started thinking harder about the value of my cards.

I switched the Pick Off for Gank. Originally, I thought I wasn't getting good Gank value because against red I mostly gank creeps, but the hit to health against red is worth the tech against blue. I absolutely missed killing crucial blue heroes on Eclipse/Annihilation/Thundergod's turns because I had Pick Off in hand instead of Gank. I need the reach, and I need to use it when I've got it (lost a game because I had the Keenfolk Turret kill without initiative and he salved + Stonehall cloaked).

I dropped Bronze Legion. I put them in so I could make my board wider, which is nice, but I can find ways in without them.

I went to 3x Spot Weakness so I can get the nuts early.

I went back to 3x Oath. I should win turn 4 or 5, or else I'm pretty screwed.

I thinned the top of my mana curve. That may still need some adjusting.

I also adjust the ratio of my cards further, with a 3rd Keenfolk Turret. Which cards are 3x vs. 2x is still something I'm experimenting with. Pillager might be a 2x. It usually feels pretty good.

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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

Took out the Stormhall cloaks, swapped them for Traveller's Cloaks and swapped the Daggers for a Demagicking Maul. The 2 gold difference between Stonehall Cloak and Traveler's Cloaks is pretty meaningful I think.

One of my level 10 reward packs had an Axe in it :D.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Jonathan »

Beat this guy: https://www.playartifact.com/d/ADCJX8AK ... VtA4R3AXIB
Lost to this econ into Nyctasha's: https://www.playartifact.com/d/ADCJVAAJ ... sQEGRJa4AQ__

First time I've seen that item in item deck. I don't hate it!

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Re: Artifact

Post by Alan »

Flopping Tinker in that deck seems wrong 100% of the time.

And there’s too much anti-synergy in his deck to seem feasible.
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Re: Artifact

Post by Jonathan »

I netdecked MaggoGx's woke monoR.
https://www.playartifact.com/d/ADCJYwAJ ... ZgKCWn8BiA__

It's disgusting how much easier games are with a good deck.

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Re: Artifact

Post by Jonathan »

Alan wrote: And there’s too much anti-synergy in his deck to seem feasible.
Yeah, I'm more musing out loud about whether Nyctasha's Guard can be a win condition in some black/? list...

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