BYOS Modern: Make Mine Marvel, also more brainstorming ideas
The more I’ve thought about this MWS tournament, the more I’ve realized that Marvel is where its at for me.
All the DC sets just don’t appeal to me outside of the fact that they have some nice utility. World’s Finest, IG-Hidden, and JLA are all good, well-known decks which means I don’t want to get anywhere near them simply because that’s the way I work. Outside of those decks, however, there isn’t anything particularly powerful in BYOS Modern. Revenge Squad Front Row needs Mobilize or else you’re entire deck falls to luck. Outsiders Team Attack need access to at least Reset but preferably a team-up with X-Men or the Titans while Outsiders Up-Curve has no search in this format. About the only deck that I like the idea of running in this format would be Injustice Gang handfill which just feels so standard. Sure, Marvel doesn’t have much it can respond with but I still don’t like the idea of using handfill.
That leaves me with just Marvel which has way more access to good stuff IMO. Anything from MTU is cool (outside of mono-Spider-Friends, blech), and MVL has access to the almighty Mobilize. Just lots of goodness in those two sets with cards that aren’t often used. Sure, I’m likely to get smacked by DC’s negation tricks but I’d prefer to run a fun deck that I’ve personally built than just try and win by avoiding the tough choices caused by the metagame.
Also, I promised some brainstorm ideas for decks so…
Spider-Friends/Underworld (10/10 healing Morbius is nice. Also, lots of search, draw, and answers. Oh, and Pathetic Attempt in Trial By Jury)
Marvel Defenders (Hulk Smash!, Deck merely loses Flying Kick in transfer to BYOS)
SinSyn Chameleon Hax (Drop Chameleon on 2, Use Chameleon’s effect on Kravinoff/Deadpool/Demogoblin, flip team-up, recruit dual loyalty character on 5.)
MA Common Enemy (abuse Force Field Projection + Mystical Paralysis to make opponent’s swear)
Brotherhood Juggs/Magneto (Sheer beatiness that doesn’t rely on plot twists or too heavily on targeting)
Phoenix and Her Clone’s Alternate Future Son (Use Bodyslide to abuse Jean Grey’s 5-drop and 8-drop.)
Those are what I can list off the top of my head at the moment. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. At the moment, I think I’m going to play my Ghost Rider deck but I haven’t fully decided on that yet. Any comments or other ideas are always taken into consideration so feel free to leave your thoughts.
Planet Kalee 
April 29, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Yeah, fun decks are where it’s at! I’m probably going with my dumb mono-UW deck (shhhhh…don’t tell anyone).
I remember playing against your Hulk Smash! deck…I got absolutely killed. Flying Kick can be swapped with Rabbit Fire, if that’s not already in there. The only thing that worries me about a Defenders-based deck is any Team Superman antics — 7-drop “no attacking for you” Supes and Pyrogen are troubling…there is that Spider-Mobile equip in MTU, though…
Common Enemy’s not a bad idea (lots of tutors and defensive tricks), but might get hurt by DC’s tricky negation.
The more I think about it, Ghost Rider’s probably the best idea. Take ’em down hard and fast before World’s Finest, JLA, or Secret Society can get set up!
Regardless of what ya pick, this tourney’s gonna be great! 😀
April 29, 2008 at 7:16 pm
To play DC (devil’s) advocate for just a moment…you mentioned a lot of DC decks you wouldn’t be interested in playing, but what about a Secret Society deck…I don’t know if it’s got a name, but I’d dub it “What Opposition?” and could be pretty fun (though perhaps frustrating to play against).
You’ve got Grodd on 4 and 7 (with support) to steal your opponent’s characters and beat him over the head with them (and Society pumps like Maleficent Meeting don’t care about the affiliation of your guys in play). Clayface on 5 can duplicate whatever legend stuff you might want, though Darkseid on 5 gives them a painful choice–burn or KO, while Deathstroke on 6 just sits there and knocks away anyone you didn’t stun/KO during the turn. With initiative on 4 (Grodd’s Monkey See Monkey Do) and 6 (attacks planned around keeping Deathstroke unstunned), off-inits on 5 (Darkseid’s evil choice) and 7 (Grodd’s steal effect), you could remove all your opponent’s field so that (if it goes that long) Darkseid-8’s effect easily fires off and you don’t even need his cost-9 plot twist. Pepper in some DCL removal effects (Death Trap, Unnatural Selection), some hidden cost-1’s with utility and Poison Ivy on 3, and you could shut down an opponent pretty effectively from start to finish, I would think. The Society also has plenty of draw/search/KO Pile manip to help the ideal curve hit the field each time. Of course, I’m not really thinking about metagame issues, but A) I almost never do, I’d go nuts with all the possible things to worry over and B) this deck just steals or clears away the opponent’s field, so I think that presumably it’d work well no matter what specific strategy they’re using.
Anyway, the Ghost Rider deck you posted up looks pretty sweet, and definitely has the potential to burn down and destroy an opponent before things get too out-of-hand, so if you’re sticking with Marvel that looks like a solid way to play it. It might be fun/cutesy to play Concealed Underworld and see how it fares against Concealed Injustice Gang, but I think you’ve probably covered the best Modern Marvel BYOS options already. Whatever you choose, good luck!
April 30, 2008 at 1:36 am
Play either the Defenders build, Ghost Rider build or Magneto build. If you play the Ghost Rider, then throw in a few backup drops on 4 and 5 then add in some pumps. Try out Mental Blast if you need a good one too.
April 30, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Two decks I recommend:
MKKO – without Punisher Guns Blazing. Check out the tournament report from the UK Nationals on my website for a decklist. It won the whole thing.
Secret Society: No Monkeys
No Grodd on four. You have Wonder Woman on four instead. Splash a copy of Flash on five for hidden hate. I was going to run it at the UK Nationals, but chickened out at the last minute. I wish I’d stuck with it. The deck is nuts with WW in it.