Examining my best deck, part 1: Champions

My best Spellfire: TAV deck. Click for larger size.

I thought I'd do a few posts on my best Spellfire deck, which you can see in the photo above. I have a bunch of decks, but only two - this one and the Gib deck - that I'd consider really "good" decks. The one above I call my Tournament Deck because it won a Spellfire: TAV tournament in spring 2000 against 7 other really good players. Of course, a few cards have been substituted since then, as sticker sets became available, etc.

I'm going to go through the deck line-by-line from the picture above. This time it will be champions, and I'll move down a line each post. Hopefully I can cover the whole deck over the next little while. I'm also going to explain my rationale for each card in the deck. Please share your ideas on my choices and whether you think there might be a better card to substitute.

Let's get going!

Champions (15)

I have 69 levels of champions in this deck, well short of the standard deck limit of 90.

Ethereal Champion

This guy is so versatile. He can cast wizard and cleric spells, and is immune to champion powers (he can fight the Living Wall, for instance, without being absorbed). The Ethereal Champion also allows me to flip my entire pool face-down to prevent targeted spells and champion-destroying events. An awesome champion that costs an arm and a leg these days.

Living Wall

The Living Wall has to be in my best deck - it's just that good. Its ability to absorb and instantly defeat champions, allies, and psionics of 6 or higher means it will never be troubled by Dreaded Ghosts or Cyrics. It's immune to magic items, artifacts, and offensive spells, which means it can't be Mindkillered or gotten rid of with the Psychometron of Nerad. It's level 10, which gives it a good chance in any level-up war. A primo champion all around. 

                                                       Erellika

Her powers to negate psionics and cancel the abilities of enemy holdings are okay, but the real value of this versatile champion is her low level and ability to cast both wizard and cleric spells. Her level of 2 ensures I get to play first, which makes her a prime candidate for delivering Loup-Garous and Dreaded Ghosts straight to my opponent's face.

Earth Elemental

The earthwalking ability is nice, and there are a lot of great champions with last digits 3,2,1, and 0. This is an amazing surprise defender to get me a quick win and a quick spoils. I just keep him in my hand (and off the table) until the time is right. Once I slap him down he's a big target and doesn't have any immunities to protect him, so keeping him in my hand until ready to use him is the best plan.

Th Elf Prince Fhileraene

This guy can cast wizard spells (useful in this deck) and use blood abilities (not so much - there aren't any blood abilities in the deck). But the real reason he's in here is his other power. When attacking (before combat starts) he can kill one monster in any pool. It might be a monster owned by the person I'm attacking, or it might be one owned by a third player somewhere else around the table. And they can't protect the monster by defending with it: the Elf Prince kills it before a defender is even chosen. Goodbye Headless Horseman, Living Wall, or Gib Lhadsemlo.

Headless Horseman

Do I really have to go into why this champion is in my best deck? I attack, and my opponent either just flips the land to avoid losing a champion (and I get a spoils), or they block and I say "I choose to win". Their champion is discarded along with the Horseman, the land flips, and I get a spoils. Third option: they block, I win the battle without activating the Horseman's special power. If I'm successful, I keep the Horseman and repeat the process next turn. Those are all very bad outcomes for my opponent.

Korgunard the Avangion

Korgunard is a champion that should be in almost every deck. He sits in my pool, avoiding combat, and at any time I can discard him to rebuild a razed realm, potentially winning me the game. If not, I can bring him back from the discard pile using a spell, event, or champion ability and use him again. What an amazing card.

Arch-Druid

This guy is phenomenal. He doesn't take part in combat. He sits in my pool, shutting down every other cleric on the board. He also stops avatars from being played (I don't run an avatar in this deck). Stopping creeps like Istus, Lady of Fate and Kiri-Jolith from hitting the board is a great power.

Helm

This guy can cast both wizard and cleric spells, but his real purpose is to sit in my pool until my opponent tries to play a Caravan, a Good Fortune, a Calm, or a Cataclysm. I can discard Helm to cancel any event. There's no way to counter this effect - the event is toast. Afterward, if I can bring Helm back from the discard pile, he's mine to use again. 

Manshoon of the Zhentarim

One of the best attacking champions in the game. I take my shot in combat, and if I lose, I discard another card and put him back into my pool (with all his attachments!) and try again next turn. Low risk, high reward.

Living Scroll

This guy is level zero, so he adds no champion levels to my deck. He's basically a free champ, so no reason not to have him at the ready. I keep him in my hand, waiting for the chance to use him against an unsuspecting hero or cleric who blunders over to attack my formation. If I have this thing in my hand, and Ruins of Zhentil Keep as my front land, I can barely control my giggling.

Julio, Master Thief of Haslic

He's low level, which means I get to play my instant-kill cards first. If he wins, he allows me to bring my Dreaded Ghost, Helm, or Korgunard back from the discard pile to my hand. Julio is just what the doctor ordered, especially late in a game when some of my best cards have already been used.

Prismal the Outrageous

Prismal can cast both wizard and cleric spells, which makes him a very useful champion. He can also attack any Forgotten Realms realm, no matter its position or restrictions (bringing his allies with him), and gets an extra spoils if he razes it. I love having champs able to cast both types of spells in my deck, and his extra powers are just icing on the cake.

Delsenora

Delsenora belongs in any deck. Having her in my hand is like having another Calm, since she can be discarded from my pool to cancel the effects of any one event for me. I never use her in combat, instead she chills in my pool, casting the odd Intercession or Dispel until I want to discard her to "calm" an event.

Zakhata, the False God

 

Zakhata is from the Conquest sticker set. She robs my opponents of the ability to use their avatars's power, while simultaneously taking their avatars's levels for her own. If it's a multiplayer game, and more than one opponent has an avatar in play, this champion can easily get to level 30. Even though Zakhata has no spellcasting abilites or immunities, she's worthwhile to have in my deck for the wreck she makes of the avatar-based plans of my opponents. Plus she adds zero levels toward my deck's champion limit, so she's basically a free throw-in like the Living Scroll.

Well, there you have it, the champion lineup of my best deck. Next time, I'll focus on the 10 events in the deck.