Magic: The Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 Walkthrough/Strategy Guide by CanadaGuy6 (Corbin Hartwick) =========================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS [TBFC] =========================================================================== *NOTE: I've made little codes here so that you can quickly skip to the section you want by using the "Find" function (Ctrl + F) in your browser. Version History.................................................[VRHS] Author's Greeting...............................................[ITDT] Welcome to Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013!.....................[WLCM] General Tips and Tricks.........................................[TPTR] Decks, Decklists, and Strategies................................[DKSG] Born of Flame...........................................[BRNF] Pack Instinct...........................................[PCKN] Dream Puppets...........................................[DRMP] Goblin Gangland.........................................[GBGL] Obedient Dead...........................................[BNDD] Peacekeepers............................................[PCKP] Exalted Darkness........................................[XLDK] Ancient Wilds...........................................[NCWL] Crosswinds..............................................[CRSW] Celestial Light.........................................[CLLG] Promotional Cards & Codes.......................................[PMCC] Walkthrough.....................................................[WKTG] Main Campaign...........................................[MCPG] Stage 1 - Shandalar.............................[SHDL] Duel 1 - Talrand........................[TLRD] Encounter 1 - Disturbing the Nest.......[DSTN] Encounter 2 - Cult of Flame.............[CLTF] Duel 2 - Garruk.........................[GRRK] Stage 2 - Innistrad.............................[NSTD] Encounter 3 - Face of the Ghoulcaller...[FCTG] Encounter 4 - Stampede!.................[STMP] Duel 3 - Odric..........................[DRCM] Duel 4 - Liliana........................[LLNV] Stage 3 - Ravnica...............................[RVNC] Encounter 5 - Spiraling Mana............[SPMN] Duel 5 - Krenko.........................[KRNK] Encounter 6 - Into the Mine.............[NTTM] Encounter 7 - Righteous Anger...........[RTNG] Duel 6 - Jace...........................[JCBL] Stage 4 - Alara.................................[ALRA] Encounter 8 - Dragons' Aerie............[DGSR] Duel 7 - Nefarox........................[NFRX] Encounter 9 - Double Trouble............[DBTB] Duel 8 - Ajani..........................[JNGM] Stage 5 - Return to Ravnica.....................[RTRV] Duel 9 - Yeva...........................[YVNH] Encounter 10 - Snap Judgments...........[SPJM] Duel 10 - Chandra.......................[CHDR] Duel 11 - Jace Rematch..................[JCRM] Stage 6 - Bolas's Realm.........................[BSRM] Duel 12 - Nicol Bolas...................[NCBL] Revenge Campaign........................................[RVCP] Stage 1 - Shandalar.............................[RVSD] Duel 1 - Talrand........................[RVTR] Duel 2 - Garruk.........................[RVGK] Stage 2 - Innistrad.............................[RVNS] Duel 3 - Odric..........................[RVDR] Duel 4 - Liliana........................[RVLL] Stage 3 - Ravnica...............................[RVRN] Duel 5 - Krenko.........................[RVKK] Duel 6 - Jace...........................[RVJC] Stage 4 - Alara.................................[RVLR] Duel 7 - Nefarox........................[RVNF] Duel 8 - Ajani..........................[RVJN] Stage 5 - Return to Ravnica.....................[RVRR] Duel 9 - Yeva...........................[RVYV] Duel 10 - Chandra.......................[RVCD] Stage 6 - Bolas's Realm.........................[RVBR] Duel 11 - Nicol Bolas...................[RVNB] Planechase Campaign.....................................[PCCP] Stage 1 - Shandalar.............................[PCSL] Duel 1 - Ajani, Talrand, and Garruk.....[JTGR] Stage 2 - Innistrad.............................[PCNS] Duel 2 - Odric, Liliana, and Chandra....[DRLC] Stage 3 - Ravnica...............................[PCRV] Duel 3 - Jace, Krenko, and Nefarox......[JCNR] Stage 4 - Alara.................................[PCLR] Duel 4 - Yeva, Ajani, and Nicol Bolas...[YJNB] Challenge Campaign......................................[CHCP] Challenge 1 - Reverse the Assault...............[RVTS] Challenge 2 - Exalted Army......................[XLRM] Challenge 3 - Drake Expectations................[DKXP] Challenge 4 - Stolen Goods......................[SLGD] Challenge 5 - Obliterate This!..................[BLTS] Challenge 6 - Say Your Praetors.................[SYPT] Elesh Norn Solution.....................[SYPN] Jin-Gitaxias Solution...................[SYPJ] Sheoldred Solution......................[SYPS] Urabrask Solution.......................[SYPR] Vorinclex Solution......................[SYPV] Challenge 7 - Desperate Measures................[DPMS] Challenge 8 - Sculpting the Perfect Warrior.....[STPW] Challenge 9 - Replica's Revolt..................[RCRV] Challenge 10 - Goblin Raiding...................[GBRD] Credits and Thanks..............................................[CDTS] Contact Me......................................................[CTCT] Legal Disclaimer................................................[LGDC] =========================================================================== VERSION HISTORY [VRHS] =========================================================================== 6/28/2012 - Version 1.0; the initial form of this guide. 6/29/2012 - Version 1.1; a little housekeeping. Guide now available on Neoseeker. 6/30/2012 - Version 1.2; begain adding "Recommended Decklists" as per a user's suggestion; finished ones for "Exalted Darkness", "Pack Instinct", and "Crosswinds". Also did a little more housekeeping. 7/1/2012 - Version 2.0; with help from some kindly users, added preliminary strategies for the Planechase Campaign. Also did yet more housekeeping, and added a "non-commercial" clause to the "Legal Disclaimer" section. 7/14/2012 - Version 3.0; FINALLY finished "Recommended Decklists". Also, the guide is now available on Cheat Code Central, Supercheats, and Cheat Happens. 7/21/2012 - Version 4.0; finished walkthrough for the Revenge Campaign, added a couple of alternate "Recommended Decklists", and did a little more housekeeping. 7/22/2012 - Version 4.5; added section on "Promotional Cards and Codes", and fine-tuned "Recommended Decklists" accordingly. =========================================================================== AUTHOR'S GREETING [ITDT] =========================================================================== Greetings to all! My name is Corbin Hartwick (a.k.a. CanadaGuy6 or other variations of it), and this is my first video game guide. I've been a frequent user of sites such as "GameFAQs" for a number of years, and decided that it was high time to give something back to the community. So I decided to make a walkthrough and strategy guide for one of my favourite games of late - Magic: The Gathering's Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013. I've been playing Magic: The Gathering on and off for about 12 years now, and while I'm not the most competitive player in the world, I know most of the ins and outs of the game, as well as a variety of basic and advanced strategies. If you have any praise, constructive feedback, constructive criticism, or you want to feature my guide on your site, feel free to drop me a line; my e-mail is in the "Contacts" section. Also, if you are or you know a person who can make cool A.S.C.I.I. art to maybe spruce up my boring header a bit, let me know. Otherwise, I hope this guide helps you play and enjoy the game, and maybe become a better Magic: The Gathering player yourself. =========================================================================== WELCOME TO DUELS OF THE PLANESWALKERS 2013! [WLCM] =========================================================================== Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 is the third installment (or fourth, if you count that game made by Microprose/Atari back in 1997-1998) in a series of arcade simulations of the world's first and most enduring collectible trading card game, Magic: The Gathering. You play the role of a "planeswalker", a powerful magic-user with the rare ability to teleport between different dimensions, called "planes" of existence. However, there are monsters, heroes, villains, and even other planeswalkers who are jealous of your gifts, and who would challenge your supremacy. Using tricks, tactics, and sometimes just good old brute force, you must find ways to overcome those who would oppose you. As you conquer your enemies, you will unlock knowledge of new and deadly spells to add to your arsenal. All of this will lead up to a final showdown with the devious dragon planeswalker, Nicol Bolas. Do you have the strength, wisdom, and courage to face one of the most ancient, powerful, and evil beings in the Multiverse? =========================================================================== GENERAL TIPS AND TRICKS [TPTR] =========================================================================== - If you're new to Magic: The Gathering, read the "How to Play" section and play the "Tutorial", both in the "Help and Options" menu. You can also access the "Tutorial" while in the "Shandalar" stage of the Main Campaign (press the "X" button on the XBOX 360). - If you're and advanced player, try playing around with some of the settings in the "Help and Options" menu. There are certain situations when being able to take extra time to think or targeting players or creatures that the game normally wouldn't let you target can actually be beneficial. - If you find yourself struggling, whether with a certain deck or in general, try decreasing the difficulty level. That way, you can more easily unlock the cards you need to improve your deck (and, on "Mage" [Easy] difficulty, get hints about how to play more strategically). Once you feel that you've got your deck figured out and configured the way you want it, turn the difficulty level back up and see how you fare against more challenging opponents. - When building your deck, try to keep your card count close to the minimum of 60 cards. The more cards you have in your deck, the less chance that you will draw the ones you need in a timely manner. - Try to keep a good balance in your deck between creatures and other types of spells. While creatures are usually very important in that they help you damage your opponent as well as defend yourself, they won't always be enough to help you deal with the threats that your opponents throw at you. The right non-creature spells can help you get your best creatures out faster, help out your own creatures, or take out your opponent's creatures so that your own creatures don't have to do all of the heavy lifting. - When possible, play cards in your deck that can generate "card advantage"; that is, they can give you more assets on the battlefield or limit your opponent's assets while using up fewer of your resources. One example is cards that generate creature tokens, since they usually allow you to summon multiple creatures while using up only a single card. Another example is cards that can damage, destroy, or otherwise debilitate multiple (or all) creatures, such as "Flamebreak", "Mutilate", and "Sleep". While some of these cards may put your own creatures in danger, they may also turn a game around if your opponent has you badly outnumbered. - Conversely, try to avoid playing cards in your deck that can easily let your opponent get "card advantage". A good example of this is "Aura" enchantments that provide a benefit to your own creatures (such as "Divine Favor"); while some have powerful effects, they are destroyed when the creature they are attached to leaves the battlefield. This often means that all your opponent has to do is block your enchanted creature with a big enough creature of their own (or one with the "deathtouch" ability) - or cast a spell that destroys or exiles your enchanted creature - for them to take care of two of your cards with only one of their own. - Partial exceptions to the above point include "Equipment" cards, as well as "Aura" enchantments that negatively affect your opponent's creatures. While "Equipment" cards behave similarly to "Aura" enchantments, they usually stay on the battlefield if the creature they are attached to is destroyed, allowing you to re-use them. Meanwhile, playing "Aura" enchantments that negatively affect your opponent's creatures (like "Pacifism") will often neutralize your opponent's threats, and maybe also make your opponent waste time and resources trying to deal with them. - On a related note to the "card advantage" discussion, when possible, play cards in your deck that will immediately affect the battlefield when cast. This usually means a creature to attack or block with, or a spell or enchantment that will hamper or destroy an opponent's card(s). There's almost nothing worse than facing a horde of opposing creatures and drawing a card like "Underworld Dreams" which, while it damages your opponent, does nothing to help you defend yourself. - Take advantage of your creatures' special abilities when you can. Creatures with abilities like "flying", "deathtouch", "reach", and "first strike" can make it difficult for your opponent to attack or block effectively, letting you more easily implement your plans. =========================================================================== DECKS, DECKLISTS, AND STRATEGIES [DKSG] =========================================================================== There are ten different playable decks in Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013, two for each different colour of magic (including one two-colour deck). To help you figure out how one deck stacks up against another, the nice folks at Wizards of the Coast added a new feature in this edition of Duels of the Planeswalkers: each deck is rated on a scale of one to five - with one being weak and five being strong - on four key deck characteristics. They are as follows: CREATURE (SIZE) - This is an average measure of how strong the creatures in the deck are, in terms of their power (attack) and toughness (defense) ratings. (DECK) SPEED - This is an indicator of how fast the deck can assemble the assets that it needs to win. Decks with high ratings here can usually cast (and attack with) several low-mana-cost creatures very quickly, while decks with lower ratings may need to try to stall the opponent a little until they can start casting their best spells. (DECK) FLEXIBILITY - This is an indicator of how good the deck is at dealing with a variety of opposing strategies. Decks with high ratings here usually contain many cards that can destroy or otherwise neutralize an opponent's threats, while decks with low ratings may need to stick tightly to their core strategy and simply push on through. (CARD) SYNERGY - This is an indicator of how well the spells in the deck work together and help each other out. Decks with high ratings here usually contain lots of spells or creatures that give bonuses to each other or form beneficial combinations, while decks with low ratings usually contain spells that are good on their own but do not necessarily support each other well. I will list the decks in the order that they appear in the "Deck Manager" menu (not necessarily the order in which you unlock them), along with their ratings, an analysis of how to play the deck effectively, and a list of cards in the deck. I have also included, for each deck, a list of the 30 cards that you can unlock for that deck, in the order in which you can unlock them. I have also included a list of the 10 cards that you can unlock with promotional codes (more on that later). Finally, I have included recommended decklists for playing the deck strategically (at least for normal, one-on-one games; you may need a few tweaks here and there when playing a multiplayer game). Most of them are my own personal decklists, but some are from other readers. They are only recommendations; your choices and play experiences may vary, so use what works for you. Also note that it is what I think the deck should look like after all of the extra cards have been unlocked, so some of the cards that you unlock along the way might still be useful in fully unlocking the deck, but not as much so once the deck is done. *NOTE: only the first two decks - "Born of Flame" and "Pack Instinct" - are available from the beginning of the game. The other eight are unlocked by defeating the character that corresponds with that deck in the Main Campaign. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- BORN OF FLAME (CHANDRA'S DECK) [BRNF] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * * * * SPEED: * * FLEXIBILITY: * * * * SYNERGY: * STRATEGY Basically, the point of this deck is to use your damage spells to eliminate your opponent's creatures before they can cause much damage to you. Then, you summon your own creatures to attack a defenseless opponent. You can also often use your damage spells to directly harm your opponent if you get locked in a stalemate. Besides the aforementioned damage spells, the key cards in the deck are the "phoenix" creatures. Not only do these creatures all have the "flying" ability - which is extremely useful in terms of both offence and defence - but they also all have some way to return to your hand from the graveyard. This means that you don't need to worry so much about them dying, whether that happens by fighting with your opponent's creatures in combat or getting hit by a damage spell or ability (even if it's your own). While your opponent begins to permanently run out of options, your "phoenix" creatures will continue to rise from the ashes and become threats once again! DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (24) 24 Mountain CREATURES (18) 1 Dragon Hatchling 2 Pyre Charger 2 Torch Fiend 1 Chandra's Phoenix 2 Fiery Hellhound 1 Prodigal Pyromancer 2 Firewing Phoenix 2 Furnace Whelp 2 Fire Elemental 1 Magma Phoenix 1 Hostility 1 Skarrgan Firebird OTHER (18) 2 Flame Slash 1 Rain of Embers 2 Ruby Medallion 4 Searing Spear 1 Flamebreak 2 Flames of the Firebrand 3 Chandra's Outrage 2 Chandra's Fury 1 Flame Wave UNLOCKABLE CARDS Magma Phoenix Fire Servant Swiftfoot Boots Dragon Hatchling Searing Blaze Chandra's Phoenix Obsidian Fireheart Inferno Titan Cone of Flame Blaze Disaster Radius Earthquake Flames of the Blood Hand Chandra's Spitfire Flamebreak Fireblast Red Sun's Zenith Chandra's Fury Swiftfoot Boots Searing Blaze Fire Servant Flames of the Blood Hand Chandra's Outrage Obsidian Fireheart Searing Blaze Cone of Flame Red Sun's Zenith Flames of the Blood Hand Firewing Phoenix Beacon of Destruction UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Lightning Bolt Chandra's Phoenix Sulfuric Vortex Chain Reaction Furnace of Rath Hostility Inferno Titan Dragon Mage Flame Wave Worldfire RECOMMENDED DECKLIST LANDS (24) 24 Mountain CREATURES (17) 2 Torch Fiend 3 Chandra's Phoenix 1 Chandra's Spitfire 3 Firewing Phoenix 2 Obsidian Fireheart 2 Fire Elemental 2 Magma Phoenix 2 Inferno Titan OTHER (19) 1 Earthquake 2 Flame Slash 1 Lightning Bolt 3 Searing Blaze 4 Searing Spear 2 Flamebreak 2 Flames of the Firebrand 1 Chain Reaction 3 Chandra's Outrage --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PACK INSTINCT (GARRUK'S DECK) [PCKN] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * * * * * SPEED: * * FLEXIBILITY: * * SYNERGY: * * * STRATEGY This deck is all about doing what green magic does best: beating opponents down with brute force. Early in the game, you'll want to cast spells that get more lands onto the battlefield and make your spells cheaper to cast. Once you do that, you can start casting your big creatures - or making swarms of smaller creatures - and quickly put your opponent on the defensive. Creatures with the "trample" ability are key, as they can run right over your opponent's smaller creatures and deal their leftover damage to your opponent when they attack. Cards that generate creature tokens can also be game-breaking. Besides these, there are a couple of other key cards to pay attention to. "Prey Upon" is a great spell that can let one of your big creatures beat up an opponent's smaller creature that may have an annoying special ability. "Garruk's Packleader", besides being a big creature itself, lets you draw a card every time a creature with 3 or more power enters the battlefield under your control; this can be a great source of "card advantage". "Indrik Stomphowler" can be a great source of "card advantage", too; not only do you get a big creature, but you also get to destroy an artifact or enchantment... just make sure your opponent has one for you to pick so you don't accidentally destroy your own! Finally, "Sentinel Spider" has the "reach" ability, which allows it to block creatures with the "flying" ability, a common weakness of decks based around green magic. It also has the "vigilance" ability, which allows it to attack without becoming tapped. This means that it can attack on your turn and then - assuming that nothing terrible happens to it - be ready to defend you on your opponent's turn. DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (24) 24 Forest CREATURES (21) 2 Garruk's Companion 3 Brindle Boar 1 Leatherback Baloth 2 Primal Huntbeast 2 Timbermaw Larva 1 Wildheart Invoker 2 Garruk's Packleader 3 Indrik Stomphowler 3 Sentinel Spider 1 Primalcrux 1 Terra Stomper OTHER (15) 1 Fog 3 Prey Upon 1 Primal Bellow 2 Emerald Medallion 1 Lightning Greaves 4 Nature's Lore 1 Blanchwood Armor 1 Bountiful Harvest 1 Howl of the Night Pack UNLOCKABLE CARDS Khalni Hydra Timbermaw Larva Garruk's Companion Garruk's Packleader Jayemdae Tome Master of the Wild Hunt Rampaging Baloths Ant Queen Wildheart Invoker Fangren Firstborn Leatherback Baloth Ulvenwald Tracker Boundless Realms Garruk's Companion Predatory Rampage Primordial Hydra Leatherback Baloth Cultivate Primal Bellow Fangren Firstborn Ant Queen Incremental Growth Chameleon Colossus Jayemdae Tome Cultivate Primeval Titan Epic Proportions Howl of the Night Pack Blanchwood Armor Primalcrux UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Primordial Hydra Vinelasher Kudzu Dungrove Elder Genesis Wave Obstinate Baloth Incremental Growth Vorapede Avenger of Zendikar Biorhythm Verdant Force RECOMMENDED DECKLIST (BIG STATS) LANDS (24) 24 Forest CREATURES (27) 1 Ulvenwald Tracker 4 Garruk's Companion 1 Dungrove Elder 3 Leatherback Baloth 1 Chameleon Colossus 1 Master of the Wild Hunt 1 Obstinate Baloth 3 Garruk's Packleader 3 Indrik Stomphowler 3 Sentinel Spider 1 Vorapede 2 Primalcrux 1 Primeval Titan 1 Rampaging Baloths 1 Terra Stomper OTHER (9) 3 Prey Upon 1 Lightning Greaves 3 Nature's Lore 2 Cultivate RECOMMENDED DECKLIST (TOKEN SWARM) LANDS (24) 24 Forest CREATURES (24) 4 Garruk's Companion 2 Primordial Hydra 1 Vinelasher Kudzu 3 Brindle Boar 1 Dungrove Elder 3 Leatherback Baloth 2 Fangren Firstborn 1 Master of the Wild Hunt 2 Ant Queen 3 Sentinel Spider 1 Rampaging Baloths 1 Avenger of Zendikar OTHER (12) 3 Prey Upon 4 Nature's Lore 2 Cultivate 1 Predatory Rampage 2 Howl of the Night Pack --------------------------------------------------------------------------- DREAM PUPPETS (JACE'S DECK) [DRMP] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * SPEED: * FLEXIBILITY: * * * * SYNERGY: * * * * STRATEGY This is a bit of a different deck in that instead of attacking your opponent's life, the goal is to attack their deck (i.e. if your opponent has no cards left in their deck when they are required to draw one, they lose the game). To that end, this deck's main priority is defense, whether that is blocking attacks, negating your opponent's spells, tapping your opponent's creatures, stealing your opponent's creatures, or returning your opponent's cards to their hand. When you catch a breather, use the opportunity to cast spells that let you draw extra cards or send cards from your opponent's deck to the graveyard. A few key cards stand out in this deck. "Jace's Phantasm" may be a small creature to begin with, but it has the useful "flying" ability, and once you start filling your opponent's graveyard with cards, it will quickly grow into a powerful offensive and defensive threat. "Sleep" is a wonderful defensive spell that taps all of your opponent's creatures and keeps them tapped for their next turn, thereby effectively stopping them from attacking and/or clearing the way for your own creatures. Finally, "Mind Control" is a nasty enchantment that steals one of your opponent's creatures and lets you use it against them! As you unlock cards for this deck, try to add more creatures to defend yourself with, and replace cards that help both you and your opponent (like "Howling Mine" and "Font of Mythos") or that don't affect the battlefield much (such as "Jace's Erasure" and "Mind Sculpt") with cards that are only beneficial to you, can affect the battlefield, and/or that can generate "card advantage" (such as "Unsummon", "Mind Control", and "Visions of Beyond"). You can also try a combination-style deck that runs fewer creatures and lets your opponent draw cards, but can also quickly fill your own hand with deck-depleting spells. It's riskier, but if you do it right, the increased speed can be well worth it. DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Island CREATURES (12) 3 Jace's Phantasm 2 Aether Adept 2 Cephalid Broker 1 Clone 1 Dreamborn Muse 3 Vedalken Entrancer OTHER (23) 3 Thought Scour 1 Visions of Beyond 2 Counterspell 2 Howling Mine 2 Into the Roil 2 Jace's Erasure 2 Mind Sculpt 2 Sapphire Medallion 1 Crippling Chill 2 Font of Mythos 1 Sleep 1 Wheel and Deal 1 Mind Control 1 Telemin Performance UNLOCKABLE CARDS Mind Control Prosperity Unsummon Jace's Phantasm Dreamborn Muse Icy Manipulator Clone Sturmgeist Mind Sculpt Hedron Crab Crippling Chill Sword of Body and Mind Chancellor of the Spires Scalpelexis Traumatize Tome Scour Hedron Crab Crippling Chill Icy Manipulator Tome Scour Unsummon Grindclock Visions of Beyond Body Double Isleback Spawn Sands of Delirium Archive Trap Chancellor of the Spires Isleback Spawn UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Grindstone Dream Fracture Sands of Delirium Stroke of Genius Sword of Body and Mind Dreamborn Muse Body Double Telemin Performance Traumatize Forced Fruition RECOMMENDED DECKLIST (DEFENCE/CONTROL) LANDS (25) 25 Island CREATURES (29) 2 Hedron Crab 4 Jace's Phantasm 2 Aether Adept 2 Clone 3 Dreamborn Muse 3 Vedalken Entrancer 2 Body Double 1 Scalpelexis OTHER (16) 3 Thought Scour 2 Unsummon 2 Visions of Beyond 2 Counterspell 2 Into the Roil 2 Sword of Body and Mind 1 Sleep 2 Mind Control RECOMMENDED DECKLIST (SPEED SHREDDER) LANDS (25) 25 Island CREATURES (11) 2 Hedron Crab 4 Jace's Phantasm 2 Aether Adept 2 Clone 1 Sturmgeist OTHER (24) 2 Prosperity 2 Unsummon 2 Counterspell 2 Howling Mine 2 Into the Roil 2 Jace's Erasure 3 Mind Sculpt 1 Dream Fracture 2 Font of Mythos 1 Sleep 1 Archive Trap 2 Mind Control --------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOBLIN GANGLAND (KRENKO'S DECK) [GBGL] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * SPEED: * * * * * FLEXIBILITY: * * SYNERGY: * * * * STRATEGY The theme of this deck is pretty simple: cast creatures quickly, attack whenever you aren't going to get blown out in combat, and win before your opponent has a chance to set up. With lots of inexpensive creatures, along with spells that can generate creature tokens, you should be able to quickly muster a small army. If you run into problems, use damage spells or the damage abilities of your creatures to clear the way. While most of the cards in this deck are small statwise, there are a few all-stars. "Goblin Chieftain" gives all of your other "goblin" creatures a small stat boost, while "Goblin Warchief" makes your "goblin" creatures cheaper to cast. What's more, both of these creatures give your "goblin" creatures the "haste" ability, allowing them to attack immediately without waiting a turn! "Rummaging Goblin" may be small statwise, but its ability allows you to throw out cards that you don't need and replace them with ones that you do. Finally, "Siege-Gang Commander" creates 3 "goblin" creature tokens when it's summoned, and its other ability allows you to sacrifice "goblin" creatures to damage almost anything you want! This is great for clearing out bigger opposing creatures, or damaging your opponent in a stalemate. As you unlock cards for this deck, try to take out the more expensive cards in your deck, or those with limited or no special abilities (like "Raging Goblin" and "Goblin Piker") and replace them with cards that help you get more creatures onto the battlefield or boost the ones that you already have (like "Goblin Bushwhacker", "Goblin Chieftain", and "Goblin Ringleader"). DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (24) 24 Mountain CREATURES (27) 2 Goblin Arsonist 1 Goblin Bushwhacker 2 Raging Goblin 2 Ember Hauler 3 Goblin Piker 1 Goblin Piledriver 1 Goblin Wardriver 1 Blisterstick Shaman 2 Gempalm Incinerator 1 Goblin Chieftain 1 Goblin Roughrider 1 Goblin Warchief 2 Rummaging Goblin 1 Battle-Rattle Shaman 1 Clickslither 1 Goblin Fire Fiend 1 Lowland Oaf 2 Reckless One 1 Siege-Gang Commander OTHER (9) 1 Goblin Grenade 2 Shock 2 Krenko's Command 2 Ring of Valkas 1 Mindmoil 1 Rage Reflection UNLOCKABLE CARDS Krenko, Mob Boss Relentless Assault Rummaging Goblin Goblin Guide Thunder-Thrash Elder Goblin Balloon Brigade Goblin Bushwhacker Goblin Goon Lowland Oaf Chancellor of the Forge Goblin Ringleader Goblin Dynamo Goblin Chieftain Smelt Squee, Goblin Nabob Thunder-Thrash Elder Relentless Assault Lavafume Invoker Voracious Dragon Goblin Balloon Brigade Goblin Offensive Krenko's Command Goblin Piledriver Goblin Fireslinger Lowland Oaf Smelt Arms Dealer Gempalm Incinerator Goblin Grenade Warren Instigator UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Goblin Guide Goblin War Strike Warren Instigator Arms Dealer Goblin Artillery Goblin Assault Goblin Chieftain Goblin Ringleader Reckless One Siege-Gang Commander RECOMMENDED DECKLIST LANDS (24) 24 Mountain CREATURES (31) 2 Goblin Arsonist 2 Goblin Bushwhacker 2 Goblin Guide 2 Ember Hauler 2 Goblin Piledriver 1 Goblin Wardriver 2 Warren Instigator 2 Ams Dealer 3 Gempalm Incinerator 3 Goblin Chieftain 1 Goblin Warchief 2 Rummaging Goblin 1 Clickslither 2 Goblin Ringleader 1 Krenko, Mob Boss 2 Siege-Gang Commander 1 Voracious Dragon OTHER (5) 2 Shock 3 Krenko's Command --------------------------------------------------------------------------- OBEDIENT DEAD (LILIANA'S DECK) [BNDD] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * * * SPEED: * * FLEXIBILITY: * * * * * SYNERGY: * * * STRATEGY Two things stick out about this deck. First of all, it has a ton of ways to eliminate your opponent's creatures, either by discarding them from your opponent's hand, damaging them, lowering their stats, forcing them to be sacrificed, or just destroying them outright. Second, a lot of cards in this deck seem to care about how many "Swamp" cards you can put onto the battlefield. "Liliana's Shade" puts an extra "Swamp" into your hand from your deck when it hits the battlefield, and can temporarily grow stronger if you have spare black mana lying around to feed it. "Veilborn Ghoul" returns to your hand from the graveyard every time you play a "Swamp", ready to drive at your opponent once more. And both "Tendrils of Corruption" and "Corrupt" can inflict damage on an opponent's creature (or, in the case of "Corrupt", your opponent) equal to the number of "Swamp" cards you control, and increase your life by the same amount! When you unlock cards for this deck, try taking out cards that do not affect the battlefield or that you feel are underpowered and/or overcosted for their stats or effects (such as "Mire's Toll", "Underworld Dreams", or "Public Execution"). Then, add in cheaper creatures that have better effects, such as "Dread Warlock" and "Halo Hunter". You may also want to add in cheaper cards that can destroy your opponent's cards, such as "Befoul", "Mutilate", "Infest", and "Nekrataal". Finally, although this deck could use some balancing in terms of mana costs, don't be shy about throwing one or two extra heavy hitters in the deck. Between drawing cards with "Sign in Blood" and fetching "Swamp" cards with "Liliana's Shade", you should usually have enough mana available to make some game-changing plays. DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Swamp CREATURES (17) 2 Fume Spitter 2 Blister Beetle 2 Liliana's Specter 1 Vampire Nighthawk 2 Warpath Ghoul 2 Bloodhunter Bat 2 Liliana's Shade 2 Veilborn Ghoul 1 Xathrid Gorgon 1 Rune-Scarred Demon OTHER (18) 2 Crippling Blight 1 Innocent Blood 1 Mire's Toll 2 Jet Medallion 2 Sign in Blood 1 Last Kiss 3 Murder 1 Underworld Dreams 1 Tendrils of Corruption 1 Rise from the Grave 1 Corrupt 2 Public Execution UNLOCKABLE CARDS Nekrataal Liliana's Shade Incremental Blight Nightwing Shade Nantuko Shade Befoul Nested Ghoul Avatar of Woe Liliana's Shade Infest Mutilate Nightmare Plague Wind Icy Manipulator Reiver Demon Rise from the Grave Dread Warlock Befoul Murder Exsanguinate Underworld Dreams Nested Ghoul Icy Manipulator Griselbrand Halo Hunter Dread Warlock Nightmare Incursion Pestilence Demon Exsanguinate UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Nantuko Shade Diabolic Tutor Phyrexian Obliterator Dread Grave Titan Hellcarver Demon Massacre Wurm Nightmare Phage the Untouchable Reiver Demon RECOMMENDED DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Swamp CREATURES (24) 2 Blister Beetle 2 Nantuko Shade 2 Dread Warlock 2 Liliana's Specter 1 Vampire Nighthawk 2 Warpath Ghoul 2 Bloodhunter Bat 4 Liliana's Shade 1 Nekrataal 1 Halo Hunter 1 Dread 1 Grave Titan 1 Massacre Wurm 1 Rune-Scarred Demon OTHER (11) 2 Sign in Blood 1 Infest 4 Murder 1 Diabolic Tutor 1 Mutilate 1 Tendrils of Corruption 1 Corrupt --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PEACEKEEPERS (ODRIC'S DECK) [PCKP] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * * SPEED: * * * * FLEXIBILITY: * * * SYNERGY: * * * STRATEGY This is a fairly aggressive deck, but it scraps the all-out offensive approach in favour of more defensive tricks in case you hit a snag or two. Cards like "Pacifism", "Master Decoy", "Oblivion Ring", and "Fiend Hunter" can lock down or eliminate your opponent's biggest threats, creating openings for your other creatures. Other than that, this deck has tons of ways to create creature tokens. Even some of your creatures generate creature tokens, either when they enter the battlefield or when they die. "Captain of the Watch" is your trump card in this regard, as it not only creates 3 creature tokens when it enters the battlefield, but also gives all other "soldier" creatures you control (which most of your creature tokens will be) a stat boost as well as the "vigilance" ability! Another key card in this deck is "Crusader of Odric", a creature whose original stats are equal to the number of creatures you control, including itself. With a bunch of creature tokens on the battlefield, it can become a big threat in a big hurry! When you unlock cards for this deck, try adding more ways to deal with your opponent's creatures, as well as some creatures with the "flying" ability ("Archon of Justice" is both!). That way, you can have your creatures with "flying" attack your opponent with less resistance while your creature tokens on the ground provide a steady line of defence. DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Plains CREATURES (21) 2 Doomed Traveler 2 Elite Vanguard 2 Accorder Paladin 2 Master Decoy 2 Squadron Hawk 2 Attended Knight 2 Crusader of Odric 2 Fiend Hunter 2 Nightguard Patrol 1 Elgaud Inquisitor 1 Geist-Honored Monk 1 Captain of the Watch OTHER (14) 3 Pacifism 2 Raise the Alarm 2 Ring of Thune 1 Glorious Anthem 2 Oblivion Ring 1 Safe Passage 3 Captain's Call UNLOCKABLE CARDS Odric, Master Tactician Spectral Rider Elgaud Inquisitor Journey to Nowhere Windborne Charge Pennon Blade Intrepid Hero Glorious Anthem Mass Calcify Captain's Call Mausoleum Guard Dawn Elemental Loyal Sentry Archon of Justice Crusader of Odric Captain of the Watch Elite Vanguard Journey to Nowhere Windborne Charge Geist-Honored Monk Flickerwisp Archon of Justice Turn the Tables Master Decoy Pennon Blade Spirit of the Hearth Midnight Guard Honor of the Pure Guardians' Pledge Archangel UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Accorder Paladin Honor of the Pure Squadron Hawk Guardians' Pledge Intrepid Hero Dawn Elemental Sigil of the New Dawn Captain of the Watch Sun Titan Mass Calcify RECOMMENDED DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Plains CREATURES (23) 3 Elite Vanguard 3 Accorder Paladin 3 Squadron Hawk 2 Attended Knight 3 Crusader of Odric 2 Fiend Hunter 1 Odric, Master Tactician 2 Archon of Justice 3 Captain of the Watch 1 Sun Titan OTHER (12) 2 Honor of the Pure 2 Journey to Nowhere 2 Raise the Alarm 2 Oblivion Ring 4 Captain's Call --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXALTED DARKNESS (NEFAROX'S DECK) [XLDK] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * SPEED: * * * FLEXIBILITY: * * SYNERGY: * * * * * STRATEGY The game's only playable two-colour deck is based around the "exalted" ability. When you declare an attack with only one creature during a turn, it gets a stat boost equal to the number of cards you control with "exalted" (including itself, if it has "exalted"). Since you can only attack with one creature per turn in order for "exalted" to work, try to make it a creature that is difficult to block, like one that has the "flying" or "unblockable" abilities. Meanwhile, use the rest of your creatures and other spells to defend yourself. A few key cards in this deck will help you better implement this strategy. "Duty-Bound Dead" may be one of the smallest creatures in your deck, but it has the "exalted" ability, as well as a "regeneration" ability that can keep it from being destroyed. Use it to block a big opposing creature, then use the "regeneration" ability to keep it alive to fight again! "Silent Arbiter" forces each player to attack and block with only one creature each turn, creating a combat situation that is likely frustrating for your opponent, but perfect for you! Finally, "Battlegrace Angel" not only has the "exalted" ability, but also gives the "lifelink" ability to any of your creatures that attacks alone during a turn. Creatures with "lifelink" add the damage that they deal to their controller's life, which is a great way to recover if you took damage while setting up. When you unlock cards for this deck, try adding creatures with the "flying" or "protection" abilities, as well as cards that eliminate your opponent's threats (such as "Unmake" and "Vindicate") or help your creatures push damage through (such as "Whispersilk Cloak" and "Sword of Vengeance"). DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (25) 11 Plains 9 Swamp 4 Evolving Wilds 1 Cathedral of War CREATURES (24) 4 Duty-Bound Dead 2 Tormented Soul 4 Aven Squire 2 Child of Night 2 Daggerclaw Imp 3 Guardians of Akrasa 2 Servant of Nefarox 2 Duskmantle Prowler 1 Silent Arbiter 1 Battlegrace Angel 1 Deathbringer Liege OTHER (11) 1 Seize the Initiative 3 Doom Blade 2 Pacifism 2 Ring of Xathrid 1 Whispersilk Cloak 2 Angelic Benediction UNLOCKABLE CARDS Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis Knight of Infamy Akrasan Squire Guardians of Akrasa Darklit Gargoyle Knight of Glory Unmake Sublime Archangel Spirit Mantle Silent Arbiter Cathedral of War Whispersilk Cloak Spirit Mantle No Mercy Debtor's Knell Sigil of Distinction Angelic Benediction Knight of Glory Mark of Asylum Darklit Gargoyle Unmake Knight of Infamy Akrasan Squire Angelic Benediction Mighty Leap Knight of Glory Divinity of Pride Deathbringer Liege Sword of Vengeance Vindicate UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Demonic Tutor Spirit Mantle Mortify Pillory of the Sleepless Royal Assassin Unmake Vindicate Worship Divinity of Pride Angel of Despair RECOMMENDED DECKLIST LANDS (22) 12 Swamp 8 Plains 2 Cathedral of War CREATURES (27) 2 Akrasan Squire 4 Duty-Bound Dead 4 Aven Squire 2 Darklit Gargoyle 3 Knight of Glory 2 Knight of Infamy 1 Royal Assassin 2 Servant of Nefarox 2 Silent Arbiter 1 Sublime Archangel 1 Battlegrace Angel 2 Divinity of Pride 1 Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis OTHER (11) 1 Demonic Tutor 2 Pacifism 1 Mortify 1 Pillory of the Sleepless 1 Sword of Vengeance 3 Unmake 2 Vindicate --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANCIENT WILDS (YEVA'S DECK) [NCWL] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * * * SPEED: * * FLEXIBILITY: * * * * SYNERGY: * * * STRATEGY This is a bit of an unusual green deck, in that it contains elements of combination and control decks. This stems from the fact that most creatures in the deck have abilities that trigger when they (or another creature) enter and/or leave the battlefield. As such, the key card in this deck is "Roaring Primadox"; it's a big creature, but forces you to send one of your own creatures back to your hand every turn. Normally, this would be a bad thing, but think about what was just discussed: most creatures in the deck have abilities that activate upon entering or leaving the battlefield. Therefore, if you have a creature on the battlefield with an ability you want or need to use again, just use the ability of "Roaring Primadox" to return it to your hand, and then just re-cast it! Once you unlock cards for this deck, you can start adding cards that allow you to put creatures onto the battlefield during your opponent's turn! Your opponent may think that they are making a safe attack or block... but they may also be in for a nasty surprise! DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Forest CREATURES (26) 2 Bond Beetle 2 Taunting Elf 2 Elvish Visionary 2 Thornweald Archer 1 Awakener Druid 2 Wood Elves 2 Yeva's Forcemage 2 Ambassador Oak 4 Roaring Primadox 1 Wolfbriar Elemental 2 Acidic Slime 1 Stingerfling Spider 1 Thragtusk 1 Primordial Sage 1 Terastodon OTHER (9) 2 Giant Growth 2 Ring of Kalonia 2 Beast Within 1 Overrun 1 Wild Pair 1 Wurmweaver Coil UNLOCKABLE CARDS Yeva, Nature's Herald Carven Caryatid Erratic Portal Acidic Slime Natural Order Momentous Fall Wild Pair Fauna Shaman Vengevine Pelakka Wurm Lurking Predators Briarpack Alpha Caller of the Claw Wood Elves Primal Surge Eternal Witness Elderscale Wurm Pelakka Wurm Elvish Visionary Wild Pair Stingerfling Spider Caller of the Claw Briarpack Alpha Momentous Fall Thragtusk Manaplasm Erratic Portal Herd Gnarr Primordial Sage Gaea's Revenge UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Joraga Warcaller Beast Within Manaplasm Spawnwrithe Natural Order Vengevine Thragtusk Soul of the Harvest Gigantomancer Decree of Savagery RECOMMENDED DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Forest CREATURES (27) 3 Elvish Visionary 1 Fauna Shaman 2 Thornweald Archer 2 Caller of the Claw 1 Carven Caryatid 1 Eternal Witness 3 Wood Elves 2 Briarpack Alpha 1 Roaring Primadox 2 Vengevine 1 Wolfbriar Elemental 1 Yeva, Nature's Herald 2 Acidic Slime 2 Stingerfling Spider 2 Thragtusk 1 Soul of the Harvest OTHER (8) 2 Giant Growth 3 Beast Within 2 Erratic Portal 1 Overrun --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CROSSWINDS (TALRAND'S DECK) [CRSW] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * * SPEED: * * * FLEXIBILITY: * * * * SYNERGY: * * STRATEGY This deck revolves around two things. The first thing is creatures with the "flying" ability, which are difficult to block and can help defend you against other creatures with "flying". The second thing is repeatedly casting instant and sorcery spells with the help of the "rebound" ability and cards like "Archaeomancer". Early in the game, prioritize defense by casting spells like "Kraken Hatchling", "Fog Bank", "Disperse", and "Cancel". Once you have a good defense set up, it's time to rule the skies! "Talrand's Evocation" is a great card that can give you two creatures with the "flying" ability for only a single spell. "Rite of Replication" can copy any creature on the battlefield (even one of your opponent's creatures), and if you cast it late enough in the game, it can give you five creatures at once! Finally, your "sphinx" creatures are there for some added muscle in case you need some late-game defense, or just a way to make a final push. As you unlock cards for this deck, take out cards that give minimal benefits (for their cost) such as "Curiosity", "Hydrosurge", "Recurring Insight", and "Sphinx-Bone Wand". Then, prioritize three things: creatures (preferably with the "flying" ability), ways to draw extra cards, and ways to deal with your opponent's cards (like spells that counter your opponent's moves or return their cards to their hand). DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Island CREATURES (13) 3 Kraken Hatchling 3 Fog Bank 3 Skywinder Drake 2 Archaeomancer 2 Goliath Sphinx OTHER (22) 2 Curiosity 2 Hydrosurge 3 Sleight of Hand 2 Disperse 2 Favorable Winds 2 Ring of Evos Isle 2 Cancel 1 Rite of Replication 4 Talrand's Evocation 1 Recurring Insight 1 Sphinx-Bone Wand UNLOCKABLE CARDS Talrand, Sky Summoner Repulse Dehydration Azure Mage Mana Leak Distortion Strike Time Warp Cast Through Time Dehydration Spiketail Hatchling Arm with Aether Rite of Replication Keep Watch Time Reversal Panoptic Mirror Repulse Future Sight Cerulean Sphinx Azure Mage Sphinx of Lost Truths Spiketail Drake Call to Mind Goliath Sphinx Azure Mage Gravitational Shift Blatant Thievery Distortion Strike Twincast Mana Leak Day of the Dragons UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Rite of Replication Bribery Followed Footsteps Future Sight Tidings Time Warp Flow of Ideas Blatant Thievery Day of the Dragons Time Stretch RECOMMENDED DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Island CREATURES (16) 3 Azure Mage 3 Fog Bank 1 Spiketail Hatchling 3 Skywinder Drake 2 Archaeomancer 1 Talrand, Sky Summoner 1 Sphinx of Lost Truths 1 Spiketail Drake 1 Cerulean Sphinx OTHER (19) 3 Sleight of Hand 2 Disperse 2 Favorable Winds 2 Cancel 2 Repulse 3 Rite of Replication 4 Talrand's Evocation 1 Time Warp --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CELESTIAL LIGHT (AJANI'S DECK) [CLLG] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATS CREATURES: * * SPEED: * * * FLEXIBILITY: * SYNERGY: * * * * STRATEGY This deck is about one thing: gaining life. As most decks in this game revolve around reducing the opponent's life to zero in order to win, this deck is bound to keep you in games for a long time. However, you can't actually win the game by just gaining life (at least until you unlock "Felidar Sovereign"), so make sure you have ways to generate offence as well. A few cards stand out in helping you do just that. "Serra Ascendant" may be a small creature to start out, but it has the "lifelink" ability (so the damage it does is added to your life), and once you have over 30 life, it gains the "flying" ability and grows to a massive size! Another key creature is "Ajani's Pridemate"; while it starts out small, it gets a permanent stat boost every time your amount of life goes up. With all of the ways this deck has to (repeatedly) increase your life, this creature can become gigantic very fast! "Loxodon Warhammer" is a great "Equipment" card that not only gives the equipped creature a substantial power boost, but also the "trample" and "lifelink" abilities! Mowing down an opponent's creature(s), damaging your opponent, and gaining life, all at the same time... you have to like that! Finally, if you need to break a stalemate late in the game, "White Sun's Zenith" can create a small army for you out of seemingly nowhere, allowing you to make a final push. When you unlock cards for this deck, try taking out cards that do little or nothing else on the battlefield except gaining you life, such as "Ajani's Mantra", "Angel's Feather", "Landbind Ritual", and "Celestial Mantle". Then, replace them with stronger creatures - preferably those with the "flying" ability - and cards that help you deal with your opponent's creatures, such as "Day of Judgment", "Basilisk Collar", and "Swords to Plowshares". DEFAULT DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Plains CREATURES (21) 1 Cathedral Sanctifier 1 Goldenglow Moth 1 Serra Ascendant 2 Soul Warden 2 Ajani's Pridemate 1 Ajani's Sunstriker 2 Lone Missionary 3 Kemba's Skyguard 1 Slith Ascendant 2 Kor Cartographer 1 Peace Strider 2 Seraph of Dawn 1 Archon of Redemption 1 Celestial Force OTHER (14) 1 Ajani's Mantra 1 Angel's Feather 2 Divine Favor 1 Moment of Heroism 2 Pearl Medallion 1 Loxodon Warhammer 2 Solemn Offering 1 White Sun's Zenith 1 Chastise 1 Landbind Ritual 1 Celestial Mantle UNLOCKABLE CARDS Felidar Sovereign Ajani's Sunstriker Ajani's Pridemate Chastise Purity Day of Judgment Soul Warden Baneslayer Angel Serra Ascendant Knight of Meadowgrain Beacon of Immortality Ajani's Pridemate Seraph of Dawn Swords to Plowshares Recumbent Bliss Celestial Mantle Solemn Offering Knight of Meadowgrain Slith Ascendant Swell of Courage Swords to Plowshares Elixir of Immortality Serra Ascendant Chastise Elixir of Immortality Moment of Heroism Basilisk Collar Well of Lost Dreams Day of Judgment Rhox Faithmender UNLOCKABLE PROMOTIONAL CARDS Serra Ascendant Soul Warden Recumbent Bliss White Sun's Zenith Chastise Marshal's Anthem Archon of Redemption Baneslayer Angel Beacon of Immortality Serra Avatar RECOMMENDED DECKLIST LANDS (25) 25 Plains CREATURES (26) 3 Serra Ascendant 2 Soul Warden 4 Ajani's Pridemate 2 Ajani's Sunstriker 2 Knight of Meadowgrain 3 Kemba's Skyguard 2 Kor Cartographer 3 Seraph of Dawn 2 Archon of Redemption 2 Baneslayer Angel 1 Felidar Sovereign OTHER (9) 1 Basilisk Collar 2 Swords to Plowshares 1 Loxodon Warhammer 2 White Sun's Zenith 2 Day of Judgment 1 Well of Lost Dreams =========================================================================== PROMOTIONAL CARDS AND CODES [PMCC] =========================================================================== If you go to the "Player Status" menu from the main menu, there should be an option called "View Promotional Unlocks". If you select it, and then press the "Enter Code" button (the "X" button on the XBOX 360), you can input special codes that will unlock a special foil promotional card for each of the ten decks. The codes, and the cards that they unlock, are as follows: WMKFGC ------ BORN OF FLAME: Chandra's Phoenix PACK INSTINCT: Genesis Wave DREAM PUPPETS: Telemin Performance GOBLIN GANGLAND: Goblin Guide OBEDIENT DEAD: Phage the Untouchable PEACEKEEPERS: Sigil of the New Dawn EXALTED DARKNESS: Pillory of the Sleepless ANCIENT WILDS: Spawnwrithe CROSSWINDS: Flow of Ideas CELESTIAL LIGHT: Recumbent Bliss KWPMZW ------ BORN OF FLAME: Lightning Bolt PACK INSTINCT: Verdant Force DREAM PUPPETS: Dreamborn Muse GOBLIN GANGLAND: Goblin Assault OBEDIENT DEAD: Dread PEACEKEEPERS: Squadron Hawk EXALTED DARKNESS: Vindicate ANCIENT WILDS: Gigantomancer CROSSWINDS: Bribery CELESTIAL LIGHT: Soul Warden FNMDGP ------ BORN OF FLAME: Furnace of Rath PACK INSTINCT: Vorapede DREAM PUPPETS: Grindstone GOBLIN GANGLAND: Goblin War Strike OBEDIENT DEAD: Grave Titan PEACEKEEPERS: Honor of the Pure EXALTED DARKNESS: Royal Assassin ANCIENT WILDS: Soul of the Harvest CROSSWINDS: Tidings CELESTIAL LIGHT: Serra Avatar MWTMJP ------ BORN OF FLAME: Worldfire PACK INSTINCT: Incremental Growth DREAM PUPPETS: Sands of Delirium GOBLIN GANGLAND: Goblin Chieftain OBEDIENT DEAD: Nantuko Shade PEACEKEEPERS: Dawn Elemental EXALTED DARKNESS: Spirit Mantle ANCIENT WILDS: Decree of Savagery CROSSWINDS: Time Stretch CELESTIAL LIGHT: Serra Ascendant FXGJDW ------ BORN OF FLAME: Chain Reaction PACK INSTINCT: Biorhythm DREAM PUPPETS: Forced Fruition GOBLIN GANGLAND: Goblin Artillery OBEDIENT DEAD: Reiver Demon PEACEKEEPERS: Intrepid Hero EXALTED DARKNESS: Worship ANCIENT WILDS: Joraga Warcaller CROSSWINDS: Time Warp CELESTIAL LIGHT: Baneslayer Angel GDZDJC ------ BORN OF FLAME: Flame Wave PACK INSTINCT: Dungrove Elder DREAM PUPPETS: Body Double GOBLIN GANGLAND: Siege-Gang Commander OBEDIENT DEAD: Massacre Wurm PEACEKEEPERS: Guardians' Pledge EXALTED DARKNESS: Angel of Despair ANCIENT WILDS: Thragtusk CROSSWINDS: Followed Footsteps CELESTIAL LIGHT: Chastise HTRNPW ------ BORN OF FLAME: Inferno Titan PACK INSTINCT: Vinelasher Kudzu DREAM PUPPETS: Dream Fracture GOBLIN GANGLAND: Reckless One OBEDIENT DEAD: Diabolic Tutor PEACEKEEPERS: Mass Calcify EXALTED DARKNESS: Demonic Tutor ANCIENT WILDS: Beast Within CROSSWINDS: Rite of Replication CELESTIAL LIGHT: Archon of Redemption NCTFJN ------ BORN OF FLAME: Hostility PACK INSTINCT: Obstinate Baloth DREAM PUPPETS: Sword of Body and Mind GOBLIN GANGLAND: Warren Instigator OBEDIENT DEAD: Hellcarver Demon PEACEKEEPERS: Captain of the Watch EXALTED DARKNESS: Unmake ANCIENT WILDS: Vengevine CROSSWINDS: Blatant Thievery CELESTIAL LIGHT: Beacon of Immortality PCNKGR ------ BORN OF FLAME: Sulfuric Vortex PACK INSTINCT: Avenger of Zendikar DREAM PUPPETS: Traumatize GOBLIN GANGLAND: Goblin Ringleader OBEDIENT DEAD: Nightmare PEACEKEEPERS: Accorder Paladin EXALTED DARKNESS: Divinity of Pride ANCIENT WILDS: Manaplasm CROSSWINDS: Day of the Dragons CELESTIAL LIGHT: White Sun's Zenith GPCRSX ------ BORN OF FLAME: Dragon Mage PACK INSTINCT: Primordial Hydra DREAM PUPPETS: Stroke of Genius GOBLIN GANGLAND: Arms Dealer OBEDIENT DEAD: Phyrexian Obliterator PEACEKEEPERS: Sun Titan EXALTED DARKNESS: Mortify ANCIENT WILDS: Natural Order CROSSWINDS: Future Site CELESTIAL LIGHT: Marshall's Anthem =========================================================================== WALKTHROUGH [WKTG] =========================================================================== Phew! Now that we're done with the deck rundowns, let's start playing the actual game! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAIN CAMPAIGN [MNCP] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Main Campaign is divided into six stages, which represent planes of existence from the Magic: The Gathering universe. There are two kinds of levels in each stage: "Duel" and "Encounter". "Duel" levels are games against legendary creatures or other planeswalkers and their corresponding decks. They are mandatory and must be cleared before moving on to the next "Duel" or stage. "Encounter" levels are kind of a cross between "Duel" levels and "Challenge" levels (from the Challenge Campaign, to be discussed later), in that the rules are the same as a normal game, except that your opponent will play the same cards in (roughly) the same order every time. You do not have to clear "Encounter" levels to progress, but they are fun tests that help you gauge how your deck will hold up against certain strategies. Each time you win a "Duel" or "Encounter", you will unlock a new card to use in the deck that you are currently using. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 1 - SHANDALAR :: [SHDL] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 1 - TALRAND [TLRD] ---------------- Talrand's deck focuses on creatures with the "flying" ability, as well as instants or sorceries that debilitate your creatures, send them back to your hand, or stop you from casting them altogether. Out of the two starting decks, "Born of Flame" is the better choice here, as "Pack Instinct" is poor at defending against creatures with "flying". Most of Talrand's creatures are pretty weak defensively, so they are easily taken care of by the damage spells in "Born of Flame". Once you have cleared the air, retaliate with your own creatures. Defeating Talrand unlocks the "Crosswinds" deck. ENCOUNTER 1 - DISTURBING THE NEST [DSTN] --------------------------------- This deck's strategy is to continually play "Plains" cards and continually cast "Suntail Hawk" spells. They have the "flying" ability, but are weak statwise. You can use "Born of Flame" here with the same strategy as you used against Talrand: use damage spells to shoot down the little birdies, and then once you get a breather, summon some big creatures and go on the counterattack. You can also use "Crosswinds" here, and try to outmuscle your opponent with your slightly more durable creatures with "flying". ENCOUNTER 2 - CULT OF FLAME [CLTF] --------------------------- This deck's strategy is to continually play "Mountain" cards and continually cast "Prodigal Pyromancer" spells. Though weak statistically, this creature can tap to deal damage to any creature or player, allowing it to assault you or your creatures without engaging in direct combat. "Born of Flame" gets the job done nicely here, clearing out your opponent's creatures with damage spells and then throwing down some big creatures when there's a break in the action. You can also use "Pack Instinct" and try to summon big creatures quickly, thereby putting your opponent on the defensive and forcing them to use their creatures to block your attacks instead of using their abilities. DUEL 2 - GARRUK [GRRK] --------------- Garruk's deck is the definition of the phrase "size matters". Expect him to cast spells that increase the number of lands he has on the battlefield or make his spells cheaper to cast, and then throw down creatures with high power and toughness ratings. "Crosswinds" is probably your best choice here, as it has more effective ways to deal with Garruk's brawny creatures, and Garruk has few ways to defend against creatures with the "flying" ability. You can also use Garruk's own deck, "Pack Instinct"; in that case, the playing field will be pretty much level in terms of creature strength, meaning that the game will likely come down to a contest of tactics and technique. Defeating Garruk unlocks the Planechase Campaign, as well as the next Main Campaign stage. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 2 - INNISTRAD :: [NSTD] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: ENCOUNTER 3 - FACE OF THE GHOULCALLER [FTGC] ------------------------------------- This deck's strategy is to continually play "Swamp" cards and alternate casts of two different spells. The main spell your opponent will cast is "Horrifying Revelation", which not only forces you to discard a card from your hand, but also sends the top card of your deck to the graveyard. Eventually, your opponent will also cast "Rise from the Grave", taking a creature out of your graveyard and putting it onto the battlefield under their control. Therefore, you should try to play out the cards in your hand carefully, maybe even holding on to a land card or two as a throwaway. When your opponent revives your creature, try to deal with it as soon as possible, and then quickly finish the game before your opponent can cast another "Rise from the Grave". "Crosswinds" and "Born of Flame" work well against this deck, as most of their creatures are weak defensively and can easily be destroyed by damage or sent back to their owner's (i.e. your) hand. ENCOUNTER 4 - STAMPEDE! [STMP] ----------------------- This deck's strategy is to continually play "Forest" cards, cast progressively bigger creature spells ("Willow Elf", "Runeclaw Bear", "Centaur Courser", and "Order of the Sacred Bell"), and then cast "Overrun". This gives all of its caster's creatures a 3-point stat boost and the "trample" ability (which allows them to assign their leftover damage directly to an opponent even if they are blocked), and will most likely allow your opponent to attack you for lethal damage over the next couple of turns (if not that turn). There are two basic strategies that you can use here. The first (and, in my opinion, the better one) is to use the damage spells in "Born of Flame" to eliminate your opponent's creatures as soon as possible. Without creatures on the battlefield, "Overrun" becomes all but useless. The other strategy is to counter with the already-large creatures in "Pack Instinct" and hold on until you can outmuscle your opponent for the rest of the game. DUEL 3 - ODRIC [DRCM] -------------- Odric's deck has a few spells that can deal with some of the bigger threats that you throw at him, but the biggest danger when playing against him is that he can quickly create an almost endless army of creature tokens, leaving you hopelessly outnumbered. "Born of Flame" is probably your best (if not your only) option here, as it is likely the only deck you have right now that can deal with multiple small creatures at once. "Pack Instinct" is likely too slow to react to the onslaught, and "Crosswinds" has trouble permanently dealing with swarms of small creatures. Defeating Odric unlocks the "Peacekeepers" deck. DUEL 4 - LILIANA [LLNV] ----------------- Liliana's deck is chock full of ways to get rid of your cards - destroying them, discarding them, powering them down, damaging them, or forcing you to sacrifice them. Once she has stalled out your attack, she can counterattack with creatures and spells straight out of your worst nightmares. Some have the "flying" ability, some drain your life and give it to Liliana, and some can even bring themselves back from the graveyard. Your best bet is to use a fast deck that relies on a large number of small creatures, rather than a few large creatures that are easy prey for a damage or destruction spell. To that end, your new "Peacekeepers" deck is probably your best bet, although "Crosswinds" can work as well. Defeating Liliana unlocks the "Obedient Dead" deck, as well as the next stage of the Main Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 3 - RAVNICA :: [RVNC] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: ENCOUNTER 5 - SPIRALING MANA [SPMN] ---------------------------- This deck's strategy is a little more complex. On their first turn, your opponent will play a "Forest" card, and then cast "Helix Pinnacle". Not only does this enchantment have the "shroud" ability - meaning that it can't be targeted by spells or abilities - but at any time, your opponent can pay any amount of mana to put that many counters on it. If it has 100 or more counters on it by the start of any of your opponent's turns, your opponent automatically wins the game. On subsequent turns, your opponent will play "Cloudpost" lands, which enter the battlefield tapped, but can tap for an amount of colourless mana equal to the number of "locus" lands on the battlefield (of which "Cloudpost" is one). They will also cast "Wall of Vines" each turn (or couple of turns), a creature with considerable toughness and the "reach" ability, which lets it block creatures with the "flying" ability (though it can't attack). At the end of each of your turns, your opponent will use any of their untapped "Cloudpost" lands to add counters to "Helix Pinnacle". Speed and strength are key in this game, so I would recommend one of two approaches. The first is to use "Pack Instinct" to quickly summon big creatures - especially ones with the "trample" ability - and just barge on through your opponent's defenses. The other is to use "Peacekeepers" to quickly swarm the battlefield with creature tokens and attack as often as possible; since "Wall of Vines" has 0 power, your creatures will never be destroyed in combat. If you're lucky, you may even be able to summon a big enough creature to start destroying your opponent's "Wall of Vines" creatures, making it easier for your weaker creatures to actually break through and score some damage. DUEL 5 - KRENKO [KRNK] --------------- Krenko has one of the fastest-playing decks in the game, and his mix of aggressive creatures and damage-dealing spells and abilities can be a handful. It doesn't help that many of the cards in his deck have - or grant - the "haste" ability, allowing his creatures to attack on the turn that they enter the battlefield, leaving you feeling like you're always just one step behind him. Two effective strategies come to mind. The first is to use "Born of Flame" and its damage-dealing spells to keep Krenko from having too many creatures on the battlefield at once, where they can start helping each other out. Then, your own big creatures should be able to easily outmatch his relatively small ones. The other strategy is to use "Peacekeepers"; its creature-token-generating cards will usually allow you to outnumber even Krenko's army, and his damage spells and abilities probably won't be able to destroy your creatures as fast as you can cast them (at least without losing a few of his own creatures in the process). Add to this the fact that the creatures in "Peacekeepers" are a little stronger on the defensive side of things, which is just what you need against an aggressive deck like this. Defeating Krenko unlocks the "Goblin Gangland" deck. ENCOUNTER 6 - INTO THE MINE [NTTM] --------------------------- This deck's strategy is to continuously play "Island" cards and alternate casts of three different spells. One of the two main spells that your opponent will cast is "Howling Mine", an artifact that forces both players to draw one extra card at the beginning of each of their turns. Your opponent's other main spell is "Fog Bank", a creature with the "flying" ability that cannot attack, but that negates all damage that it deals or receives in combat. Occasionally, your opponent will also cast "Mana Leak", a spell that negates one of your spells as you cast it, unless you choose to pay 3 additional mana (assuming you are able to). This encounter is similar to the last one, in that its goal is not to attack you, but rather to stall you until it achieves an alternate win condition. That win condition is forcing you to draw a card when you have no cards left in your deck. Though the effect of "Howling Mine" affects your opponent too, your opponent begins with 113 cards in their deck, so you will inevitably run out of cards faster than they will. As with the last encounter, speed and strength are a must. You can Use creatures with the "trample" ability in "Pack Instinct" to bash through your opponent's defenses; although the ability of "Fog Bank" negates the combat damage that it takes, it does NOT negate the leftover damage from the "trample" ability. "Peacekeepers" and your new "Goblin Gangland" deck can work too, as chances are good that you can outnumber your opponent and eventually punch through enough damage. If you use "Goblin Gangland" and get lucky, you can use "Goblin Piledriver" - which has the "protection from blue" ability, meaning that (among other things) it can't be blocked by blue creatures - to sneak right past your opponent's defenses for the win! Just be sure to increase its power by attacking with other "goblin" creatures, too. "Fog Bank" has 0 power, and its ability stops it from dealing damage in combat anyway, so you have nothing to lose by attacking. ENCOUNTER 7 - RIGHTEOUS ANGER [RTNG] ----------------------------- This deck's strategy is to continually play a combination of "Mountain" and "Plains" cards, and to alternate casts of two different spells. The main spell that your opponent will cast is "Lightning Helix", which deals 3 damage to any target while giving its caster 3 life. Occasionally, your opponent will also cast "Fire Servant", a relatively strong creature that doubles the damage of red spells cast by its controller ("Lightning Helix" counts as both a white spell and a red spell, so it is affected by this). Three things will help you in this encounter: spells that help you gain life back (while doing something else relevant, like damaging your opponent or being a creature that can attack or block, of course), creatures that don't mind dying (e.g. because they can be brought back from the graveyard), and/or creatures that are big enough to render damage spells ineffective. To this end, "Born of Flame", "Pack Instinct", or "Obedient Dead" should fit your needs. Throw a creature or two out occasionally to keep your opponent from always targeting you directly with "Lightning Helix", wait for them to run out of momentum, and then go on the counterattack. DUEL 6 - JACE [JCBL] ------------- Jace's deck runs on a similar principle to the one in "Into the Mine". Part of his deck is devoted to defending himself, either by blocking attacks, tapping your creatures, stealing your creatures, sending your cards back to your hand, or negating your spells as you cast them. The rest of his deck is devoted to depleting your deck, either by forcing you to draw extra cards or by sending cards straight from the top of your deck to the graveyard. This is another game in which time is of the essence, so use a fast deck like "Peacekeepers" or "Goblin Gangland" for best results. Jace's deck doesn't include that many creatures, and those that are in his deck are rather weak statwise, so you should have little trouble outnumbering and overwhelming him with all of those extra cards that he likely will force you to draw. Defeating Jace unlocks the "Dream Puppets" deck, as well as the next stage of the Main Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 4 - ALARA :: [ALRA] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: ENCOUNTER 8 - DRAGONS' AERIE [DGSR] ---------------------------- This deck's strategy is to continually play "Mountain" cards and alternate casts of three different "dragon" creature spells. This is usually done in a progressively larger order, starting with "Dragon Hatchling", then "Furnace Whelp", and finally "Shivan Dragon". All of them have the "flying" ability, as well as an ability that allows your opponent to spend red mana to increase their power rating for the turn, both of which make them very dangerous opponents in combat. The strategy for this challenge isn't all that different from the "Disturbing the Nest" encounter, so use "Born of Flame" or "Crosswinds" to defend with your own creatures with "flying" and either damage or return-to-hand spells. You may also be able to use "Obedient Dead"; since "dragon" creatures usually cost a lot of mana to cast or activate their abilities, you can probably pick them off as they come with a steady stream of destruction spells or abilities. DUEL 7 - NEFAROX [NFRX] ---------------- Nefarox is one of only two opponents in this game that uses a multi-coloured deck; his deck uses both white and black magic. It is based around the "exalted" ability, so expect him to only attack with one creature per turn (usually one with an ability that makes it hard to block, such as "flying" or "unblockable") to boost its stats with the "exalted" ability, while leaving the rest of his creatures and other spells back to defend himself with. Usually, this means blocking with creatures that have the "regeneration" ability (which, each time it is activated, prevents the creature from being destroyed by damage or a destruction effect, though it wears off at the end of each turn) or casting spells that destroy or lock down your creatures, such as "Doom Blade" and "Pacifism". When they're not using the "exalted" ability, though, most of the creatures in his deck are pretty weak statwise. Therefore, a good strategy is to use "Born of Flame" and its damage spells to eliminate his creatures as they come, preventing them from setting up huge "exalted" bonuses for each other. "Pack Instinct" can work too, as its creatures are usually strong enough to survive (or at least match in) combat against a creature with a few "exalted" boosts. They can then counterattack, often forcing your opponent to block and lose creatures in combat. The more cards with "exalted" that Nefarox loses, the less you have to worry about getting blown out by a big attacker turn after turn. Defeating Nefarox unlocks the "Exalted Darkness" deck. ENCOUNTER 9 - DOUBLE TROUBLE [DBTB] ---------------------------- This deck's strategy is to continually play "Forest" cards and continually cast "Primordial Hydra" spells. This creature enters the battlefield with original stats equal to the amount of mana used to cast it minus two (so your opponent has to spend at least 3 mana on it to have it enter the battlefield with its stats at 1, enough to keep it alive). However, at the start of each of your opponent's turns, its original stats DOUBLE, and when its original stats are 10 or more, it gains the deadly "trample" ability. If you want to have any hope of completing this encounter, you are going to need a deck that can permanently destroy, exile, or lock down these creatures, and not just stall them for a while. To that end, there are five decks which should be able to do the job: "Born of Flame", "Peacekeepers", "Obedient Dead", "Goblin Gangland", and your new "Exalted Darkness" deck. Note that if you plan to destroy your opponent's "Primordial Hydra" creatures with damage spells or abilities, do so as quickly as you can, or their stat-doubling ability will likely quickly put their toughness ratings high enough to be avoid being destroyed by a single spell (and you really shouldn't use two spells to deal with a single creature). DUEL 8 - AJANI [JNGM] -------------- Ajani's deck is all about increasing the amount of life that he has. This usually will serve as a cushion while he sets up his army of creatures to pound on you with. Decks that rely on speed or damage abilities are probably not a good idea here, as Ajani will probably be able to stall out your attack and then overpower you with his larger creatures. Instead, use a mid-range deck such as "Obedient Dead", "Pack Instinct", or "Exalted Darkness" that can deal with his creatures as they come, while slowly gaining the upper hand in terms of creature size. You can often force Ajani to lose "card advantage" by waiting for him to cast "Aura" enchantments on his own creatures and then destroying those creatures, or by waiting for him to cast spells that increase his life, but nothing (or not much) else. "Dream Puppets" is another good option here; since your opponent will likely make it difficult for you to win by depleting his life, it might just be easier to stay on the defensive and try to win by forcing your opponent to draw a card from an empty deck. Defeating Ajani unlocks the "Celestial Light" deck, as well as the next stage of the Main Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 5 - RETURN TO RAVNICA :: [RTRV] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 9 - YEVA [YVNH] -------------- Yeva's deck is a bit of a curveball, in that it employs combinations that force her creatures to enter and leave the battlefield repeatedly in order to re-use their abilities. Other than that, though, it's what you should expect from a deck based around green magic: spells that get lands onto the battlefield quickly, followed by sizeable creatures. The nature of her deck usually doesn't let her get too many large creatures onto the battlefield at once, though, so a mid-range deck that can permanently deal with said creatures - such as "Pack Instinct", "Obedient Dead", or "Exalted Darkness" - will probably carry the day. You can also use "Crosswinds" to exploit green magic's seemingly perennial weakness against creatures with the "flying" ability, but be careful; what defenses Yeva does have against creatures with "flying" are a little more immediately available - and troublesome - than those in Garruk's deck. Defeating Yeva unlocks the "Ancient Wilds" deck. ENCOUNTER 10 - SNAP JUDGMENTS [SPJM] ----------------------------- This deck's strategy is to continuously play a combination of "Plains" and "Swamp" cards, and then alternate casts of two different spells. The main spell that your opponent will cast is "Bloodghast"; while this creature cannot block, it gains the "haste" ability (allowing it to attack on the same turn that it enters the battlefield) if you have 10 or less life, and returns to the battlefield from the graveyard every time its owner plays a land card. Your opponent will also occasionally cast "Day of Judgment", which destroys all creatures currently on the battlefield. While you may be tempted to play a fast deck that can deal with your opponent's onslaught of "Bloodghast" creatures, this is not advisable, as you will likely lose "card advantage" by having several of your cards destroyed at once with a single "Day of Judgment" spell. Instead, it is better to use a deck that focuses on a few strong creatures, especially if there are ways to revive them from the graveyard. To that end, "Pack Instinct", "Ancient Wilds", "Born of Flame", or "Obedient Dead" should all be able to get the job done here. Play out the cards in your hand conservatively, casting only a few creatures at a time. Force your opponent to really think about when they should cast "Day of Judgment", and then drop a few more big creatures on them after they cast it. DUEL 10 - CHANDRA [CHDR] ----------------- If you've been playing the "Born of Flame" deck a lot, you should know exactly what to expect from Chandra. She will stall you out in the early game by casting damage spells to eliminate your creatures, and then drop big creatures on you in the later game (often ones with "flying" or other nasty abilities) to finish you off. To counter this, play a deck that has creatures with higher toughness ratings, or at least ones that don't mind being destroyed (e.g. because they can be brought back from the graveyard). In that regard, "Pack Instinct", "Ancient Wilds", "Obedient Dead", or even "Born of Flame" itself will probably work. "Celestial Light" might also be feasible, in that its life-gaining abilities can help you survive Chandra's initial onslaught until she runs out of momentum, leaving her vulnerable to counterattack. DUEL 11 - JACE REMATCH [JCRM] ---------------------- You've faced Jace at least once before, so you should know what to expect from him. While he casts creatures and spells that hamper your ability to cast your own spells and/or get any offense going, he will use other spells and abilities to slowly chip away at the number of cards in your deck. He still has trouble dealing with fast swarms of multiple creatures, so use "Peacekeepers" or "Goblin Gangland" and run right over him. Defeating Jace here unlocks the final stage of the Main Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 6 - BOLAS'S REALM :: [BSRM] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 12 - NICOL BOLAS [NCBL] --------------------- Well, here he is, the big man - er, dragon - himself. Nicol Bolas uses a deck that employs blue magic, black magic, and red magic, which (respectively) represent the three things that he loves to do most: manipulate, kill, and destroy. If there is any strategy in Magic: The Gathering that you think is unfair, dishonourable, or mean-spirited, chances are good that Nicol Bolas uses it: damaging or destroying (multiple) creatures, stealing your creatures, forcing you to sacrifice your creatures, draining your life, discarding cards from your hand, and using creatures with the "haste" ability to attack without warning, just to name a few. If you want to defeat this opponent, it is IMPERATIVE that you use a deck that is highly flexible and does not run out of options quickly. On one hand, this can mean playing a deck like "Born of Flame" or "Obedient Dead" that can permanently deal with your opponent's threats as well as get creatures back from the graveyard. On the other hand, it can mean playing a deck like "Crosswinds" or "Dream Puppets" that can force your opponent to think hard about when to make their big plays, and then manipulate your own hand and deck so that you usually have a way to shut down your opponent's key cards. Nicol Bolas is the toughest opponent in the game (as he should be), and it may take a few tries to defeat him, but you can do it! If and when you manage to defeat Nicol Bolas, congratulations! You have completed the Main Campaign and have now unlocked the Revenge Campaign! Now you get to do this whole thing over again, except it's harder this time! Aren't you lucky? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- REVENGE CAMPAIGN [RVCP] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basically, the Revenge Campaign is a redux of the Main Campaign, with two major differences. First of all, there are no "Encounter" levels (as far as I know); there are only "Duel" levels, where you will face the opponents from the Main Campaign in the same order. The other difference is that your opponents will have better cards in their decks and employ better strategies. As a kind reviewer pointed out (and as I found out through experience), these strategies are actually quite a bit different from the ones used in the Normal Campaign, so you might have to try some alternate strategies to make it through. As with the Normal Campaign, clear all "Duel" levels in a stage to advance to the next one. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 1 - SHANDALAR :: [RVSD] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 1 - TALRAND [RVTR] ---------------- Talrand's deck this time around is quite a bit more streamlined, with more efficient creatures on the lower end of the mana cost scale. While he doesn't have too many high-cost threats anymore (not one card in his deck costs over 5 mana), he does have many more ways to draw cards, send cards back to your hand, lock down your creatures, or negate your spells as you cast them. His two biggest threats are "Time Warp", which lets him take an extra turn; and "Rite of Replication", which can copy any creature on the battlefield (up to five times if he pays its additional "kicker" cost)! Your best strategy here is to use a deck that can deal with creatures with the "flying" ability, and/or several (small) creatures at once. To that end, "Born of Flame", "Obedient Dead", and "Celestial Light" should all give you a fighting chance. "Dream Puppets" or "Crosswinds" itself may also work. DUEL 2 - GARRUK [RVGR] --------------- Garruk has reinforced his deck with stronger creatures on the low end of the mana cost scale, such as "Leatherback Baloth" and "Timbermaw Larva". The real danger with his new deck, however, is that he has taken a page out of Odric's book and packed his deck with cards that generate creature tokens (such as "Ant Queen", "Rampaging Baloths", and "Howl of the Night Pack"). Coupled with "Fangren Firstborn", which gives a permanent stat boost to attacking creatures when it attacks, this can be a nightmare. Your best bet is to use a deck that is good at defense and can deal with creatures of any size, like "Obedient Dead" or "Celestial Light". "Crosswinds" is another option, as Garruk's deck still has trouble with dealing with creatures with the "flying" ability; just do what you can to keep your own creatures on the battlefield and stall or stop Garruk's big threats as they come. Finally, "Ancient Wilds" or "Pack Instinct" itself might work if you don't mind a head-on collision of strength and think you can out-strategize your opponent. Defeating Garruk here unlocks the next stage of the Revenge Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 2 - INNISTRAD :: [RVNS] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 3 - ODRIC [RVDR] -------------- Odric's deck remains relatively similar to the one you faced in the Normal Campaign, but it is much more streamlined and aggressive. It specializes in generating multiple creature tokens at once, exiling your cards, and increase the stats of all of his creatures at once. Try to use a deck that can deal with multiple small creatures at once, and try to get Odric's creatures off the battlefield as quickly as possible before he can increase their stats, or cast a big creature such as "Crusader of Odric" or "Geist-Honored Monk". "Born of Flame", "Obedient Dead", or "Celestial Light" should serve your needs. "Pack Instinct" might work too, if you use lots of cards that generate creature tokens (try to model it after what you saw when you faced Garruk in the Revenge Campaign earlier). DUEL 4 - LILIANA [RVLL] ----------------- Liliana knows that both life and mana are finite resources, and her new deck reflects that philosophy. Many of her spells and abilities cost a lot of mana to cast or activate, so she has cards like "Jet Medallion" and "Liliana's Shade" to ease her burden on that end. She also has a lot of spells that damage you or your creatures while reinforcing her own life, which she uses to draw extra cards with "Sign in Blood" or the legendary "Griselbrand". Her deck is still rather slow (maybe even slower than in the Normal Campaign), and she has few ways to deal with swarms of small creatures, so use a fast deck like "Peacekeepers", "Goblin Gangland", or "Exalted Darkness" to quickly deplete her life before she has a chance to take over the game. Defeating Liliana here unlocks the next stage of the Revenge Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 3 - RAVNICA :: [RVRN] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 5 - KRENKO [RVKK] --------------- Krenko is back, and his new deck of "goblin" creatures is as fast and furious as ever. Among the tune-ups to his deck include more cards with abilities that damage you or your creatures (such as "Arms Dealer", "Gempalm Incinerator", and "Goblin Grenade"), as well as cards that let him get more creatures into his hand and onto the battlefield quicker (such as "Goblin Ringleader" and "Chancellor of the Forge"). Be prepared to deal with swarms of small creatures, and also be prepared to lose some of your own creatures in the process. Decks that can take out multiple creatures at once (such as "Born of Flame", "Obedient Dead", or "Celestial Light"), or that can outswarm and/or outmuscle your opponent (such as "Peacekeepers", "Exalted Darkness", or the creature token build of "Pack Instinct") should probably do the trick here. DUEL 6 - JACE [RVJC] ------------- Jace's new deck is full of low-cost cards and combinations that can tear large chunks out of your deck quickly. Between "Jace's Erasure", "Howling Mine", "Mind Sculpt", and "Prosperity", you may find yourself scrambling to push the offensive before you lose all of the cards in your deck. Jace also has a few big cards such as "Sturmgeist" and "Chancellor of the Spires" if he needs to pull out a game-changing play. Fortunately, Jace still usually has trouble dealing with quick-strike offence, so a deck like "Peacekeepers" or "Goblin Gangland" should be able to outrace him. Defeat Jace here to unlock the next stage of the Revenge Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 4 - ALARA :: [RVLR] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 7 - NEFAROX [RVNF] ---------------- Nefarox has really trimmed the fat from his deck and packed it full of small, efficient creatures with the "exalted" ability. Expect to see the likes of "Akrasan Squire", "Knight of Glory", "Knight of Infamy", and "Sublime Archangel". In addition, he has added some nasty ways to deal with your own creatures, such as "Unmake" and "Mortify". Finally, he has added a few big finishers with the "flying" ability, such as "Divinity of Pride" and "Angel of Despair". As in the Normal Campaign, it is key to keep Nefarox from having too many creatures on the battlefield at once, where they can combine their "exalted" abilities to attack you for grievous damage. Therefore, use a deck that can either quickly clear out creatures or quickly put your opponent on the defensive. "Born of Flame", "Pack Instinct", and "Goblin Gangland" are all good choices (I would also suggest "Peacekeepers" or "Obedient Dead", but "protection" abilities might trip you up). DUEL 8 - AJANI [RVJN] -------------- Ajani has scrapped his beneficial "Aura" enchantments for your rematch, making it more difficult to gain "card advantage" against him this time around (though he still uses "Pearl Medallion" and "Solemn Offering", which won't always be too useful for him). Expect to face a lot of creatures that can increase his life - either with the "lifelink" ability or some other ability - as well as a lot of creatures with the "flying" ability. The sheer number of threats in his deck means that you can't just hang back on defence like last time; you need a deck that can reliably deal with creatures both large and small. "Obedient Dead" or "Celestial Light" itself are good choices, but so are "Pack Instinct" and "Ancient Wilds"; Ajani doesn't have many ways to deal with your own threats besides fighting them in combat, so you can use big creatures to steadily keep pressure on him. Defeating Ajani here unlocks the next stage of the Revenge Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 5 - RETURN TO RAVNICA :: [RTRV] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 9 - YEVA [YVNH] -------------- Yeva's deck is still kind of a mixed bag, though it now seems to specialize in four things: drawing cards, increasing her life, getting more resources onto the battlefield, and destroying your cards. Watch out for "Erratic Portal", since it not only lets her send her own creatures back to her hand (allowing them to re-use their abilities), but it can also send YOUR creatures back to your hand if you don't leave mana available to negate its ability. Also beware of high-stat creatures with the "trample" ability that she has added to her deck, such as "Pelakka Wurm", "Elderscale Wurm", and "Soul of the Harvest". A mid-range deck that can match your opponent in creature size while taking out your opponent's biggest threats - such as "Obedient Dead", "Pack Instinct", or "Exalted Darkness" - should be able to win here. DUEL 10 - CHANDRA [RVCD] ----------------- Chandra's new deck is loaded with firepower... literally. It has a ton of spells that can damage your creatures all the way to the graveyard (or even to exile), or damage you all the way to zero life! The good news is that she doesn't have too many creatures in the deck that are overly strong (at least for their mana cost), and most of her damage spells cannot destroy more than one creature at a time. A deck that can strike a balance between quality and quantity of creatures - such as "Peacekeepers" or "Pack Instinct" - should be able to come out on top. "Crosswinds" or "Dream Puppets" might also work, as they are good at dealing with creatures with the "flying" ability (which Chandra has quite a few of) and don't have too many creatures themselves, meaning that Chandra will often have to leave her damage spells sitting in her hand with nothing to target. Defeating Chandra here unlocks the final stage of the Revenge Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 6 - BOLAS'S REALM :: [RVBR] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 11 - NICOL BOLAS [RVNB] --------------------- As if Nicol Bolas wasn't hard enough in the Normal Campaign, his deck in the Revenge Campaign is just downright nasty. First of all, he has four each of "Mox Sapphire", "Mox Jet", and "Mox Ruby", which are artifacts that cost no mana to cast and can tap for mana, just like lands! This not only allows him to get several mana sources onto the battlefield in one turn, but it allows him to discard land cards to "Compulsive Research" like they were nothing! If that wasn't enough, he also has several cards that allow him to get any card that he wants out of his deck, such as "Demonic Tutor", "Diabolic Tutor", and "Diabolic Revelation". Furthermore, he still has tons of ways to eliminate your resources (often several at once), such as "Barter in Blood", "Pyroclasm", "Mind Shatter", and his trump card, "Cruel Ultimatum". Finally, he may not have many creatures, but they have nasty abilities, and if you don't deal with them quickly - especially "Inferno Titan" and "Grave Titan" - a comeback will be a definite long shot. If there is one bright spot to all this, it's that his deck has lost some of its ability to deal with one or two strong creatures on the battlefield (as opposed to a swarm of small ones). Therefore, you should be able to use a deck like "Born of Flame", "Pack Instinct", "Ancient Wilds", or "Obedient Dead" to keep his threats in check while you pound away at his life with one or two large creatures. If he eliminates them, cast one or two more, and save the rest of your hand for backup. "Dream Puppets" might also work; since Nicol Bolas has few actual threatening creatures and likes to draw cards, you might as well help him along and have him draw himself right into oblivion! The odds may seem stacked against you, but you've made it this far. Show this chump why you have a planeswalker spark, and send him packing once and for all! If you manage to defeat Nicol Bolas here, congratulations! You have completed the Revenge Campaign! If you haven't already, try to complete the Planechase Campaign or the Challenge Campaign. You can also try to unlock all of the cards for each deck, or try playing one of the many multiplayer variations. If that's not enough for you, try playing against the world in an online match! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLANECHASE CAMPAIGN [PCCP] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Planechase" is a variant form of Magic: The Gathering that was originally unveiled back in 2009. It plays like a multiplayer free-for-all, with one major exception: each player gets their own separate deck of "plane" cards, which represent different places in the Magic: The Gathering universe. Each "plane" card usually has one or more "static" abilities that either happen as soon as it becomes active, or else have a continuing effect on the game; these abilities usually affect multiple players. Each "plane" card also has a "chaos" ability, which usually only affects the player who activates it. "Planechase 2012" has added new cards to the "planar deck" called "phenomenon" cards, which do something once when they become the active "plane", and then (usually) the next card in their owner's "planar deck" becomes the active "plane" (unless it is also a "phenomenon" card, in which case, this process repeats itself). The player who plays first flips the top card of their "planar deck" face-up, and that becomes the active "plane". During each player's turn, any time that they could cast a sorcery spell, they can roll a special "planar die" by paying mana equal to the number of times that they have already rolled it during that turn (meaning that each player can roll it at least once per turn for free). If they roll the "planeswalker" symbol (the one that looks like a little hand), the currently active "plane" gets put at the bottom of its owner's "planar deck", and the top card of the roller's "planar deck" flips over and becomes the new active "plane". If they roll the "chaos" symbol (the one that looks kind of like an "S"), they do what the "chaos" ability of the current "plane" says. If they roll a blank face, nothing else happens. Since there are more players than just you and a single opponent in a multiplayer free-for-all, you're going to want to use decks that prioritize defence and flexibility more than all-out offence, such as "Ancient Wilds", "Obedient Dead", and "Celestial Light" (I would also suggest "Dream Puppets", but the AI likes to gang up on you for some reason if you play it). Remember, with all things being equal, you have to deplete 60 life (or 180 cards in a deck) in order to win a multiplayer free-for-all, as opposed to the usual 20 life (or 60 cards ina deck) in a normal game. Therefore, unless your opponents decide to be massive trolls and gang up on you all at once (which is rare, but it happens), your best bet will usually be to hang back and defend yourself, build up your presence on the battlefield, let your opponents wear each other down for a while, and then go in for a winning strike when you see an opening. The bottom line when playing a multiplayer free-for-all is: expect the game to last a while. As for using the "plane" cards: each time you roll the "planar die", you only have a one-in-three chance of having something happen (as there are six faces on the "planar die", with one containing the "planeswalker" symbol, one containing the "chaos" symbol, and the other four faces being blank). In addition, the "planar die" costs more mana to roll each time you roll it during the same turn. Therefore, it is usually only a good idea to roll the "planar die" when having something happen will directly benefit you. This can mean rolling to try and activate a very useful "chaos" ability (such as destroying an opposing creature or bringing back a creature from the graveyard), or to try to get away from a "plane" with a "static" ability that puts you at a severe disadvantage (such as tapping or damaging your creatures). Otherwise, it is best to save your mana for building up your battlefield presence or having a counter-strategy ready in case one of your opponents casts a dangerous spell or summons (or attacks with) a dangerous creature. As for the Planechase Campaign itself, it consists of four stages that each contain only one "Duel" level each; due to the length of multiplayer free-for-all games, if there were any more levels, you would probably get bored and frustrated just trying to get to the end. Anyway, clear each level to proceed to the next stage. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 1 - SHANDALAR :: [PCSL] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 1 - AJANI, TALRAND, AND GARRUK [JTGR] ----------------------------------- Your first three opponents play decks based (respectively) on gaining life, casting creatures with "flying" and repeatedly casting instant and sorcery spells, and casting creatures with high power and toughness ratings. Talrand is probably the most vulnerable opponent in this game, as his creatures are difficult to block but are weak statwise. This means that he probably won't be able to do much damage without everyone else deciding that it would be a good idea to gang up on him and take him out before his creatures with "flying" peck you all to death. Garruk is more of a problem; since multiplayer free-for-all games tend to last a while, if he is left to himself, he will be able to muster a small army of very strong creatures and outmuscle everyone else. Therefore, you should probably make Garruk your first target, harassing him and trying to keep him from getting too many creatures on the battlefield at once. Ajani is probably the most dangerous opponent in this game, as the amount of life that he can gain with his deck will almost always give him the upper hand in a battle of attrition. If you are able to safely attack Ajani from the start, do so; otherwise, hang back and let him waste resources trying to deal with your other two opponents. Once Talrand and Garruk are out of the game, you can focus your efforts on laying siege to Ajani and his likely-depleted forces. Once all three opponents are down, you can move on to the next stage. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 2 - INNISTRAD :: [PCNS] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 2 - ODRIC, LILIANA, AND CHANDRA [DRLC] ------------------------------------ Your next three opponents are all slightly more challenging than those in the last level. Respectively, one plays a deck that creates massive armies of creature tokens, and the other two play decks that damage and destroy everything in sight while continuing to revive their own creatures from the graveyard. Defeating Odric is probably your first priority in this game. His ability to quickly cast spells that put a ton of creature tokens onto the battlefield is dangerous, but it also makes it more likely that your other two opponents will focus their attention on him first to keep from being completely overrun. Use this to your advantage, and try and eliminate him from the game early. Next, you'll have to deal with Chandra and Liliana, who are both flexible and dangerous opponents. As noted, a lot of cards in their decks have nasty abilities that either damage or destroy your creatures, as well as bring their own creatures back from the graveyard. To counter this, try to deal with their threats by exiling them or locking them down (i.e. tapping them or making it so they cannot attack or block),instead of just putting them right back in the graveyard by damaging, destroying, sacrificing, or negating them. If you manage to pull off the win, you're on to the next stage, and halfway done the Planechase Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 3 - RAVNICA :: [PCRV] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 3 - JACE, KRENKO, AND NEFAROX [JKNR] ---------------------------------- Like the last level, your three opponents in this level use decks that are a study in contrasts. Respectively, while one attempts to defend himself and deplete his opponent's decks instead of their life, the other two use small creatures with high synergy to implement aggressive strategies. Jace's deck-depleting strategy usually isn't that dangerous early on in the game, but as the turns go by and everyone starts to exhaust their resources, it becomes more threatening. While it might be a good idea to take out Jace early to prevent this scenario, you often won't have the luxury of doing this, as you'll be scrambling to defend yourself against Krenko and Nefarox, who can both pull off quick starts with their decks. If you're lucky, they might both ignore you and attack Jace first (since his deck is pretty slow), solving your problem for you. That said, be sure to keep their key cards in check so that you'll have an easier time defeating them when they turn your attention to you. After you take out all three of these opponents, you just have one more stage and level to clear in the Planechase Campaign. :::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: STAGE 4 - ALARA :: [PCLR] :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::: DUEL 4 - YEVA, AJANI, AND NICOL BOLAS [YJNB] ------------------------------------- Your last three opponents in the Planechase Campaign have decks that (respectively) cast big creatures that can form powerful combinations, gain life, and... well, Nicol Bolas's deck can do just about anything and everything. While it has already been established that Ajani is a massive threat in multiplayer free-for-all games, Nicol Bolas is a much bigger threat. The spells in his deck can put him in such great strategic positions - with respect to his amount of life, battlefield presence, and number of cards in hand - that, if he is left to himself, he becomes very difficult to take down. Fortunately, your other two opponents will often realize this and gang up on him from the get-go, and as good as his deck is, it will often have trouble dealing with an early combined offensive from all three of you at once. After you eliminate Nicol Bolas, focus your attention on Yeva. Her creature combinations can be a pain, so eliminate her before she can cause too much trouble. That leaves Ajani to deal with. Attack when it is safe to do so, save some counter-strategies for his big threats, and hope that he has too few resources left to put up much of a fight. When you have defeated all three of these opponents, congratulations! You've cleared the Planechase Campaign! Now, if you haven't already, complete the rest of the Main Campaign, complete the Revenge Campaign, complete the Challenge Campaign, and/or unlock the rest of the cards for the decks. If you're done all of that, try playing online and showing the rest of the world your skills! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHALLENGE CAMPAIGN [CHCP] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Challenge" levels, sometimes called "duel puzzles" after their Yu-Gi-Oh! counterparts, are a new twist on playing Magic: The Gathering strategically. They thrust you into (what is assumed to be) a game already in progress, and tell you that you must win the game in a set number of turns (usually only one or two). Therefore, you must think very carefully about which spells to cast, which abilities to activate, which creatures to attack with, and when all of these things should be done. I suggest that you first try to complete these puzzles by yourself, but if you get stuck, here are the solutions. Note that clearing a "Challenge" does not unlock a new card for the deck you are currently using. It sucks, I know, but that's the way it goes. We wouldn't want to make this game too easy, now, would we? CHALLENGE 1 - REVERSE THE ASSAULT [RVTS] --------------------------------- 1) The challenge begins with your opponent attacking you with three creatures. 2) Use "Dragon Hatchling" and "Goblin Piker" to block two of your opponent's creatures, making sure that one blocks "Sentinel Spider". 3) When it becomes your turn, cast "Act of Treason" targeting "Sentinel Spider". 4) Enter your Combat Phase. 5) Attack with both of your creatures. 6) During your Main Phase 2, cast "Fling" targeting your opponent directly, and sacrifice "Sentinel Spider". CHALLENGE 2 - EXALTED ARMY [XLRM] -------------------------- 1) Cast "Pacifism" targeting one of your opponent's creatures. 2) Cast another "Pacifism" targeting a different opposing creature. 3) Cast "Seize the Initiative" targeting "Skyhunter Skirmisher". 4) Enter your Combat Phase. 5) Attack with all of your creatures. CHALLENGE 3 - DRAKE EXPECTATIONS [DKXP] -------------------------------- 1) Cast "Sage Owl". 2) When the ability of "Sage Owl" activates, select this order in which to send cards back to the top of your deck (from last drawn to first drawn): "Blaze", "Furnace of Rath", "Mountain", and "Time Warp". 3) Cast "Time Warp" targeting yourself. 4) Skip to your End Phase. 5) When your next turn starts, cast "Time Warp" targeting yourself, stop the timer, and cast "Reverberate" targeting "Time Warp". 6) When "Reverberate" copies "Time Warp", choose yourself as the target. 7) Skip to your End Phase. 8) When your next turn starts, play a "Mountain". 9) Cast "Talrand's Evocation". 10) Cast your other "Talrand's Evocation". 11) Skip to your End Phase. 12) When your next turn starts, cast "Furnace of Rath". 13) Cast "Rupture", sacrificing "Talrand, Sky Summoner". 14) Enter your Combat Phase. 15) Attack with all of your creatures. CHALLENGE 4 - STOLEN GOODS [SLGD] -------------------------- 1) When it becomes your turn, play a "Plains". 2) Equip "Lightning Greaves" (currently equipped to "Garruk's Packleader") to "Leatherback Baloth". 3) Equip "Ring of Kalonia" (currently equipped to "Cudgel Troll") to "Garruk's Packleader". 4) Equip "Lightning Greaves" (currently equipped to "Leatherback Baloth") to "Garruk's Packleader". 5) Enter your Combat Phase. 6) Attack with "Garruk's Packleader". 7) When your opponent blocks "Garruk's Packleader" with "Cudgel Troll", cast "Divine Verdict" targeting "Cudgel Troll". CHALLENGE 5 - OBLITERATE THIS! [BLTS] ------------------------------ 1) Cast "Cloudshift" targeting "War Priest of Thune". 2) When "War Priest of Thune" returns to the battlefield, use its ability to target and destroy the "Arrest" attached to "Rage Nimbus". 3) Skip to your End Phase. 4) During your opponent's Main Phase 1, stop the timer and activate the ability of "Rage Nimbus" (MAKE SURE TO TAP BOTH "MOUNTAIN" CARDS TO DO THIS!) targeting "Phyrexian Obliterator". 5) When your opponent attacks (usually with both creatures), block "Phyrexian Obliterator" with "Rage Nimbus", stop the timer, cast "Undying Evil" targeting "Oxxida Scrapmelter", stop the timer again, and cast "Seize the Initiative" targeting "Rage Nimbus". 6) When "Phyrexian Obliterator" activates its ability, sacrifice "Oxidda Scrapmelter", "Flayer of the Hatebound", and four of your lands (or three of your lands and "Rage Nimbus"). 7) When "Flayer of the Hatebound" returns to the battlefield, target your opponent directly with its ability. 8) When "Oxxida Scrapmelter" returns to the battlefield, use its ability to target and destroy "Lumengrid Gargoyle", and then target your opponent directly with the ability of "Flayer of the Hatebound". 9) Once it is your turn again, skip to your Combat Phase. 10) Attack with all of your creatures. CHALLENGE 6 - SAY YOUR PRAETORS [SYPT] ------------------------------- Elesh Norn Solution [SYPN] ------------------- 1) This challenge begins with your opponent attacking you with five creatures. 2) Block "Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite" with "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer, cast "Brute Force" targeting "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer again, and cast "Giant Growth" targeting "Baneslayer Angel". 3) At the beginning of your turn, you must sacrifice "Baneslayer Angel" as per the effect of "Sheoldred, Whispering One". 4) Cast "Spark Elemental". 5) Cast "Veteran's Reflexes" targeting "Spark Elemental". 6) Enter your Combat Phase. 7) Attack with "Spark Elemental". Jin-Gitaxias Solution [SYPJ] --------------------- 1) This challenge begins with your opponent attacking you with five creatures. 2) Block "Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur" with "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer, and cast "Brute Force" targeting "Baneslayer Angel". 3) At the beginning of your turn, you must sacrifice "Baneslayer Angel" as per the effect of "Sheoldred, Whispering One". 4) Cast "Avatar of Might". 5) Cast "Veteran's Reflexes" targeting "Avatar of Might". 6) Cast "Burst of Speed". 7) Cast "Niveous Wisps" targeting "Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite". 8) Enter your Combat Phase. 9) Attack with "Avatar of Might". Sheoldred Solution [SYPS] ------------------ 1) This challenge begins with your opponent attacking you with five creatures. 2) Block "Sheoldred, Whispering One" with "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer, cast "Brute Force" targeting "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer again, and cast "Giant Growth" targeting "Baneslayer Angel". 3) When it is your turn again, skip to your Combat Phase. 4) Attack with "Baneslayer Angel". 5) When your opponent casts "Leaf Arrow" targeting "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer, and cast "Veteran's Reflexes" targeting "Baneslayer Angel". Urabrask Solution [SYPR] ------------------- 1) This challenge begins with your opponent attacking you with five creatures. 2) Block "Urabrask, the Hidden" with "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer, and cast either "Giant Growth" or "Brute Force" (but not both) targeting "Baneslayer Angel". 3) At the beginning of your turn, you must sacrifice "Baneslayer Angel" as per the effect of "Sheoldred, Whispering One". 4) Cast "Avatar of Hope". 5) Cast either "Giant Growth" or "Brute Force" (whichever one you didn't cast earlier) targeting "Avatar of Hope". 6) Cast "Burst of Speed". 7) Enter your Combat Phase. 8) Attack with "Avatar of Hope". Vorinclex Solution [SYPV] ------------------ 1) This challenge begins with your opponent attacking you with five creatures. 2) Block "Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger" with "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer, cast "Brute Force" targeting "Baneslayer Angel", stop the timer again, and cast "Giant Growth" targeting "Baneslayer Angel". 3) At the end of their turn, your opponent will draw seven cards, and then cast "Thought Scour" targeting you. When this happens, stop the timer, and cast "Parallectric Feedback" targeting "Thought Scour". 4) At the beginning of your turn, you must sacrifice "Baneslayer Angel" as per the effect of "Sheoldred, Whispering One". 5) Cast "Sizzle". CHALLENGE 7 - DESPERATE MEASURES [DPMS] -------------------------------- 1) Cast "Phyrexian Processor". 2) When "Phyrexian Processor" activates its ability, choose to pay 7 life. 3) Cast "Earthquake", choosing to tap 4 additional lands (MAKE SURE THAT THE ONE LEFT UNTAPPED IS A "PLAINS"!). 4) Cast "Faith's Shield" targeting any card you control. 5) When "Faith's Shield" activates its ability, choose "blue" as the colour. 6) Enter your Combat Phase. 7) Attack with both of your creatures. CHALLENGE 8 - SCULPTING THE PERFECT WARRIOR [STPW] ------------------------------------------- 1) Cast "Sculpting Steel". 2) When "Sculpting Steel" activates its ability, choose to copy "Batterskull". 3) When "Puresteel Paladin" activates its ability, choose "yes" to draw a card. 4) Use the "equip 0" ability of the unequipped "Batterskull" to equip it to the "Germ Token" that is equipped with "Mortarpod". 5) Use the ability of the "Germ Token" equipped with "Mortarpod" and "Batterskull" to sacrifice it and deal 1 damage, targeting "Porcelain Legionnaire". 6) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Mortarpod" to equip it to your remaining "Germ Token". 7) Use the ability of the "Germ Token" equipped with "Mortarpod" and "Sculpting Steel" (copying "Batterskull") to sacrifice it and deal 1 damage, targeting "Porcelain Legionnaire". 8) Cast "Phyrexian Metalmorph". 9) When "Phyrexian Metalmorph" activates its ability, choose to copy "Puresteel Paladin". 10) Cast "Sword of Feast and Famine". 11) When "Puresteel Paladin" activates its ability, choose "yes" to draw a card. 12) When "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin") activates its ability, choose "yes" to draw a card. 13) Cast "Darksteel Axe". 14) When "Puresteel Paladin" activates its ability, choose "yes" to draw a card. 15) When "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin") activates its ability, choose "yes" to draw a card. 16) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Necropouncer" to equip it to "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin"). 17) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Batterskull" to equip it to "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin"). 18) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Darksteel Axe" to equip it to "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin"). 19) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Sword of Feast and Famine" to equip it to "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin"). 20) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Sculpting Steel" (copying "Batterskull") to equip it to "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin"). 21) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Mortarpod" to equip it to "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin"). 22) Enter your Combat Phase. 23) Attack with "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin"). 24) When your Main Phase 2 starts, play an "Island". 25) Cast "Repulse" targeting "Puresteel Paladin" (the one with "Arrest" attached to it). 26) Cast "Puresteel Paladin". 27) Use the ability of "Sculpting Steel" (copying "Batterskull") to return it to your hand. 28) Cast "Sculpting Steel". 29) When "Sculpting Steel" activates its ability, choose to copy "Batterskull". 30) When "Puresteel Paladin" activates its ability, choose "yes" to draw a card. 31) When "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin") activates its ability, choose "yes" to draw a card. 32) Use the ability of "Phyrexian Metalmorph" (copying "Puresteel Paladin"), equipped with "Mortarpod", to sacrifice it and deal 1 damage, targeting your opponent directly. 33) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Mortarpod" to equip it to your "Germ Token". 34) Use the ability of the "Germ Token" equipped with "Mortarpod" to sacrifice it and deal 1 damage, targeting your opponent directly. 35) Use the "equip 0" ability of "Mortarpod" to equip it to "Puresteel Paladin". 36) Use the ability of "Puresteel Paladin", equipped with "Mortarpod", to sacrifice it and deal 1 damage, targeting your opponent directly. CHALLENGE 9 - REPLICA'S REVOLT [RPRV] ------------------------------ 1) Cast "Rite of Replication", choosing to activate its "kicker" effect (to put five copies of the target creature onto the battlefield), and targeting "Archaeomancer". 2) When the abilities of your "Archaeomancer" copies activate, target the three different "Rite of Replication" cards in your graveyard, and then any other two cards that you wish. 3) Cast "Rite of Replication", choosing to activate its "kicker" effect (to put five copies of the target creature onto the battlefield), and targeting a "Forest". 4) Cast "Rite of Replication", choosing to activate its normal effect (to put one copy of target creature onto the battlefield), and targeting "Ursapine". 5) Cast "Rite of Replication", choosing to activate its normal effect (to put one copy of target creature onto the battlefield), and targeting "Acidic Slime". 6) When the "Acidic Slime" copy enters the battlefield, use its ability to target and destroy "Nature's Revolt". 7) Activate the ability of the "Ursapine" copy five times, each time targeting your original "Archaeomancer" (the one on the far right, without the swirl over it). 8) Enter your Combat Phase. 9) Attack with your original "Archaeomancer" (it's the only creature that you can attack with anyway). CHALLENGE 10 - GOBLIN RAIDING [GBRD] ----------------------------- 1) Cast "Goblin Ringleader". 2) Activate the ability of "Temple Bell". 3) Enter your Combat Phase. 4) Attack with all of your creatures. 5) When your opponent uses their three "Baneslayer Angel" creatures to block "Goblin Deathraiders", "Goblin Raider", and "Goblin Raider", stop the timer and cast "Chandra's Fury" targeting yourself. 6) When the ability of "Goblin Arsonist" activates, target a "Goblin Raider" that is being blocked by a "Baneslayer Angel". As soon as you do so, stop the timer and cast "Gut Shot" targeting the other "Goblin Raider" that is being blocked by a "Baneslayer Angel". =========================================================================== CREDITS AND THANKS [CDTS] =========================================================================== I would like to thank the following people and groups for helping to make this guide possible: - Richard Garfield, for creating Magic: The Gathering. - Wizards of the Coast, for keeping Magic: The Gathering going strong for 19 years and counting. - Stainless Games and Microsoft Studios, for helping Wizards of the Coast create Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013. - People who were nice enough to post videos of solutions to the "Challenge" levels on YouTube (and perhaps other video sites). - "afix7" for suggesting that I add the "Recommended Decklist" sections. - "shmols101b" and "zaydee123" for helping me with strategies for the Planechase Campaign. - "ultramenacer" for convincing me to write a separate section for the Revenge Campaign, as well as giving me a few tips for it. - "rexi" for alerting me to the existence of promotional card codes and extra cards (and forcing me to add an extra section and revamp the "Recommended Decklist" sections while I was at it... nah, jk, thx bro) - My grade 8 friends, for getting me hooked on Magic: The Gathering to begin with. - My good friend and Magic: The Gathering mentor, "magicmagic38", for helping me to not suck so much at this arguably difficult and complex game. :-p - GameFAQs (and other sites like it), for being the nice folks that they are and allowing people to freely store and share information about their favourite video games. - You, dear reader, for reading this guide and making sure that all of my hard work was not in vain. =========================================================================== CONTACT ME [CTCT] =========================================================================== If you would like to suggest changes or additions to this guide, ask for my permission to do something special with this guide (as outlined in the "Legal Disclaimer" section below), or even just drop a few lines of praise for all of my hard work, I can be reached at the e-mail address below: [email protected] ^ | (that's an underscore there, Shift + hyphen [ - ]) Please help me out by putting a relevant description in the subject line of your message (something like "RE: Your DOTP 2013 Guide") so I don't mistake it as junk mail or a virus carrier and have it deleted. Also on that note, please be aware that spammers, flamers, trolls, etc. will have their messages deleted and their addresses blocked. You have been given fair warning. =========================================================================== LEGAL DISCLAIMER [LGDC] =========================================================================== Yeah... I gotta do it... *ahem*... This document was created in 2012 and was authored by (and is the property of) CanadaGuy6 (Corbin Hartwick). It is not to be modified in any way by anyone other than the author, except those with the express written permission of the author to do so. If it is reproduced under any circumstances other than for personal, private use, full attribution must be given to the author. Also, any use of this guide for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. It may only be placed on web sites that have the author's explicit permission, which currently include: - www.gamefaqs.com - www.neoseeker.com - www.supercheats.com - www.cheatcc.com - www.cheathappens.com It may not otherwise distributed publicly, without express written permission from - and full attribution to - the author. Violation of any of these terms is a violation of copyright protections on this guide, and can result in criminal charges being filed against you. So yeah, to translate that from "legalese": feel free to read this guide, print it out, and share it with your friends. Just please don't change it unless I specifically give you permission to do so. Also, please don't change or outright copy it and then claim that it is your work and not mine, and DEFINITELY don't try to sell this guide to anyone (although hopefully they won't be stupid enough to buy it and will realize that I have put it up on the Internet for free). I have spent a lot of time and energy making this guide, and expected no reward other than the personal satisfaction of giving back to a gaming community that has given me so much over the years. So please, don't rip me off. If you think that this guide should be changed in any way, please e-mail me your suggestions, or else write your own guide. Also, if you want to put this on another web site, or display this in any sort of public place, please ask for my permission first, and make sure that it is clear that this guide is my work and nobody else's (except, of course, for the people credited in the "Credits and Thanks" section). Thank you.