Articles

Jaron Tomsky

Howdy, my fun-seeking amigos. My “10-sided die of destiny” is taking the week off due to one simple fact: I ran through all of the other nine classes! So in order to make this a very special edition of Tier Fun, right before the oh-so-sweet Crown of the Heavens preview articles commence, mind you, I thought it’d be interesting to attempt to invent my very own fun format for any local playgroup that might be seeking a tiny break of solace from the competitive scene for just a moment or two.

The rules of “Vylokx’s Deuces Wild” format are very easy: instead of the typical restriction of four copies of any particular card in one deck, players must cut that number in half in order to have a legal deck. If my simple math is correct, the main rule is that decks can contain no more than two copies of any card. Sorry Murloc maniacs, but that does include Unlimited cards by my rules in order to keep things interesting. Think of it as a sequel to “Highlander”, if that makes any sense whatsoever, but let’s not get into film critique here.

Anyway, other than that basic deck-building restriction, all of the usual Core Constructed rules are in effect, so technically the decks that are legal for “Deuces Wild” would still be legal for normal tournaments. Disclaimer: The following deck would obviously be far from optimal for highest-level Core events. I’m jus’ sayin’!

The other cool thing about this format, in my not-so-humble opinion, is it basically forces deck-builders to dig just that much deeper than usual into our vast card pool and possibly discover out of the ordinary synergies that one normally wouldn’t have enough room to include. In true Vylokx-approved style, just let those imaginations of yours run, dare I say, wild! Are you still with me? Great! Then without further ado, here’s the first ever deck that I’ve created for my as-of-yet imaginary format:

“Simon McKey Totally Rules!”

Hero: Master Sniper Simon McKey

Allies: 36
2 Magni, the Mountain King
2 Bronze Warden
2 Emerald Captain
2 Burly Berta
2 Ruby Flameblade
2 Boomer
2 Bronze Guardian
2 Emerald Tree Warder
2 Grumdak, Herald of the Hunt
2 Obsidian Drudge
2 Obsidian Drakonid
1 Leeroy Jenkins
2 Tesla
2 Korialstrasz
2 Sinestra
2 Nag the Twisted
1 Al'Akir the Windlord
2 Loque
2 Violet Proto-Drake

Abilities: 4
2 Avatar of the Wild
2 Noxious Trap

Equipment: 10
2 Proto-Handler's Gauntlets
2 Wyrmwing Treads
2 Breathstone-Infused Longbow
2 Dragonheart Piercer
2 Prized Beastmaster's Mantle

Locations: 2
2 Twilight Citadel

Quests: 8
2 Challenge to the Black Flight
2 Dragon, Unchained
2 Enter the Dragon Queen
2 Seeds of Their Demise

I just realized that at least one audience member out there is going to have skipped over the introductory paragraphs entirely and think that I’ve completely lost my marbles. Glossing over the validity of that person’s particular thought, let’s go ahead and explore a few of the more unusual additions to this abnormal deck, shall we?

I honestly can’t think of a better hero to start things off for my wacky rule of a format than the vanity card of official ruling mega-guru Simon Key, who is yet another really great guy in the awesome WoW TCG community that I’ve been fortunate enough to hang out with on more than one occasion. I’ve also got much love for the Master Sniper’s incredibly strong Pet-based flip that may either help me gain board position or just straight up dispose of the opposing hero. This is especially true in a format where consistency is much harder to achieve than normal, so I’d strongly encourage all “Deuces Wild” participants to be sure to find an adaptable hero that’s worth building around first and foremost. Access to a fully-charged Grumdak, Herald of the Hunt also didn’t hurt Simon’s chances either. Empower rules, dude! Better yet, Empower Rules Dude!

Upon first glance, I’m sure it was obvious that the main theme of this deck is none other than Leeroooooo…my mistake, it’s Dragonkin. Thanks to the extra deck slots that I’ve both forced upon and allowed myself, I’ve managed to squeeze in a few unpopular gems that have been trying to find a regular Core deck home for the better part of a year now, such as Prized Beastmaster’s Mantle, Wyrmwing Treads, Dragonheart Piercer, and my personal favorite crafted card Violet Proto-Drake. I’ll typically name “Twilight” for the Proto-Handler's Gauntlets to attempt to make the most of the removal text on the Obsidian crew if and when they show up, but if you really want to go for the gusto and the largest possible discount on VPD (or draw in the case of Enter the Dragon Queen) then “Blue” is the color for you.

I have also really been itching to use Loque lately, for no other reason than he’s a freakin’ sweet Spirit Beast, and since Concussive Barrage doesn’t quite jump out as a killer choice for this particular format I’m feeling pretty good about the Beast Mastery decision. I do have to admit that the newly reprinted Explosive Shot makes a strong case for Survival as well, which also just now reminded me that I’d really love to toss in a couple copies of Spoils of the Hunt. Even with double the available deck space, I still somehow find a way to crave even more room. Typical Vylokx!

Whether you and your playgroup of choice end up giving my “Deuces Wild” a shot, or are just curious enough to construct a “two-of” deck for the fun of it, I hope you’ve enjoyed this very special episode. Sincerest apologies if this exact format has already been established unbeknownst to me, but feel free to let me know in the forum link below if I’ve stepped on any proverbial toes. Also, I’d really love to hear about any tournament results to find out if my crazy brainchild has any legs. Well, I’ve just covered legs and toes so hopefully this idea is head and shoulders above the rest. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

Seems like a good time to wrap things up, but I want to quickly mention that my article will once again be going on a brief two-week hiatus for a fantastic reason: I’ve once again been invited to write my very own official preview articles for the upcoming new release: Crown of the Heavens (which begin on January 14th)!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: It looks like everything’s coming up Vylokx!

Viva Los Demonios!

~Vylokx / Jaron Tomsky

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