"Hands of Flame" Deck Guide
for: Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers (XBLA)
by WiNGSPANTT
-=TABLE OF CONTENTS=-
---------------------
(Use your browser's search function to quickly find each section)
[#ABOUT] About this Guide
[#INFOS] About the Author
[#HSTRY] Version changes history
[#PLAYS] Playing the Deck
[#MS] The Right Mindset
[#BB] Burn Baby Burn
[#TC] The Clock and the Danger Zone
[#GB] Going for Broke
[#SCENE] Gameplay Scenarios
[#CARDS] Card Analysis
[#CR] Creature Spells
[#NC] Non-Creature Spells
[#UN] Unlockable Cards
[#MATCH] Deck Match-ups
[#TP] Teeth of the Predator
[#WL] Wings of Light
[#ES] Eyes of Shadow
[#TW] Thoughts of the Wind
[#CV] Claws of Vengeance
[#EE] Ears of the Elves
[#SF] Scales of Fury
[#HF] Hands of Flame
[#AD] Artifacts of Destruction
[#TERMS] Glossary
[#ABOUT]
-=About this Guide=-
--------------------
This guide is intended to explore some of the nuances of the mono-Red deck
"Hands of Flame," one of the unlockable decks for Duels of the Planeswalkers.
This guide is not intended to teach you how to play Magic (Duels has an
excellent tutorial, as well as a Mentor Mode for this) or what to do every
turn with every creature. Instead, the guide focuses on this deck's specific
mind-set, single card analysis, and deck-by-deck match-ups against the core
Duels decks. Hands of Flame is an aggressive, but calculating, deck; it can
therefore be surprisingly nuanced at times. By the end of the guide, you should
have a better idea of when to play the majority of cards in Hands of Flame,
clearing a path through your opponent's creatures and life total.
[#INFOS]
-=About the Author=-
--------------------
WiNGSPANTT is a long-time PC and console gamer, as well as a Magic: the
Gathering veteran since 1997. When he's not making Spy Lesson video tutorials
for Team Fortress 2 (YouTube channel: WiNGSPANTT), he is usually writing,
acting, or promoting Life in a Game, a videogame parody show he co-created and
co-wrote.
You can learn more about WiNG (who plays the villain) and watch all episodes of
Life in a Game at www.lifeinagame.com. You can also contact WiNG with feedback/
questions about this guide or Life in a Game at wingspantt {at} gmail [dot] com
Any donations via PayPal may be made to the same address and are greatly
appreciated.
This guide is for personal, non-commercial use only and is the sole copyright
of its author. You may not sell this work, and you may not edit, modify, or
claim ownership without the written consent of its author. You may distribute
hard copies of this guide if printed and bound in its entirety and if
distributed non-commercially with no claims of authorship.
[#HSTRY]
-=Version Changes History=-
---------------------------
07.16.09 v1.00 First full version uploaded to GameFAQs
[#PLAYS]
-=Playing Hands of Flame=-
--------------------------
[#RM]
-=The Right Mindset: Crash and Burn=-
(Please note that this and all strategy sections primarily address multiplayer
strategy. A computer opponent is far too dumb for some of these tactics to be
relevant.)
If you asked someone who's been playing Magic for about one year to build a red
deck, odds are they'd build something like Hands of Flame. A bunch of goblins,
a handful of burn, and a sprinkling of overcosted creatures. I'm not saying
that Hands of Flame is a bad deck, just saying that if you've had trouble
trying to figure out what kind of deck it is, you should take comfort knowing
Wizards of the Coast is still wondering the exact same thing.
Much like Thoughts of the Wind, Hands of Flame centers on a handful of strong,
efficient spells, and then totally craps on them with random creature choices.
Hill Giant? Only one Goblin King? Fliers??? But, as with all the decks in Duels
of the Planeswalkers, you must make due with what you have and play to the deck
s strengths and weaknesses. By doing so, you'll realize that smart plays, card
advantage, and a weak form a clairvoyance will all allow you to beat the odds
and, more importantly, your opponent.
One might ask, "How do I play to the fact that my creatures are, for the most
part, grossly inefficient?" Well, it's simple, really. When life hands you
lemons, you throw them at your opponent for damage. Playing Hands of Flame, you
must first take the mindset that your creatures, for better or worse, are
highly disposable. They're random, unblocked damage. They're pitiful chump-
blockers. They're deviously underwhelming ways to trick and Enrage into play.
Unlike Wings of Light's weenies, you won't be enchanting Goblin Pikers with
some godly pump spell, nor can you rely on double or triple blocks to solve
your problems. You'll be throwing everything you have at your opponent nearly
every turn and seeing what sticks.
Part of this is because your early creatures have nearly zero utility late
game. Keeping them back to block will, in many cases only result in chumping
minor damage. On the other hand, suicide attacks get damage in fast, and allows
(real or bluffed) post-combat burn plays. An opponent with a 4/4 Serra Angel is
unlikely to block your 2/1 Goblin Piker if he/she really believes you have a
Shock in hand. Well, a reasonable opponent, anyway. By the time your foe has
realized you don't have a Shock, you may have gotten in 4 or 6 "free" damage.
And by the time that Serra is finally announced to block, you may have indeed
drawn the Shock you were bluffing all this time. Huzzah!
Another reason you must treat your early creatures with a sense of urgent
aggression is damage by attrition. If you attack with three creatures, and
your opponent can block and kill one, in many cases this is your best play.
Yes, you will lose card advantage every turn, but you're also getting in
important early game damage. You're putting your opponent on a (albeit
temporary) Clock they'd probably assumed they were off. And those little
freebies add up; indeed, they can spell the difference between a last turn Lava
Axe win and a loss by a single life point margin.
By applying early, nearly suicidal pressure, you are pushing your opponent
closer and closer to a cliff-face, the Danger Zone. While burn spells are
generally best used on creatures (which will be explain in greater detail in
the following sections), suffice it to say that being at 5 or less life is a
VERY bad position for anyone up against Hands of Flame. No matter how many
goblins your opponent has stomped, it won't matter when he/she's at 2 life and
you just drew Incinerate. Well, unless they're playing Blue.
[#BB]
-=Burn, Baby, Burn=-
Despite any illusions you may have of packing a type-1 style deck full of
Lightning Bolts and other win-tastic burn options, Hands of Flame doesn't
actually have that much in the way of direct damage. A few Incinerates and
Shocks, two Lava Axes, and an unlockable Blaze. Enough for an old-fashion witch
burning, sure, but certainly not sufficient for a true pyromaniac.
Just as with Thoughts of the Wind's limited countermagic, Hands of Flame's burn
spells must be weighed incredibly carefully with each use. Each card (except
Lava Axe) stands as a solution to any number of annoying enemy creatures, but
it's not efficient to simply zap each one as they enter the battlefield. You
must constantly ask yourself, "Will leaving this creature in play cost me the
game?" Luckily, unlike Blue, you don't have to decide the answer to that
question right away. But without at least making this consideration, you will
find yourself out of steam or out of options by mid game, just when most of the
other decks are gearing up to crush what's left of you.
Consider the card Shock. For only one mana, it does 2 damage as an Instant. In
terms of utility, Shock is both a "Problem" and an "Answer." It can be used to
create a problem for your opponent (losing 2 life) or as an answer for your
opponent's problems posed to you (removing an attacking creature). With the
utility of an instant, Shock is an incredibly powerful card, acting as a weaker
version of Giant Growth, Terror, or Cancel whenever the need arises. And it is
this value that necessitates you use Shock and all your other multi-option burn
as carefully as you can.
If you Shock a Grizzly Bear the first turn it attacks you, you could
potentially prevent 20 damage to yourself over 10 or fewer turns of attack.
But don't rush to do so, as your deck has MANY cards, including the common
Goblin Piker, that can accomplish the same task. Taking a small amount of
damage in the short run will allow you to trade a much less valuable resource
(the Piker) for Grizzly Bears, saving your Shock for a more valuable target,
for a game-winning burn. Using the Shock too early can also cost you the game.
If you cast it now, then your opponent plays a 5/5 creature, THEN you draw
Incinerate, you will have no means of removing this threat. Always take into
consideration your opponent's upcoming drops before using burn as ad hoc
creature removal.
There are two exceptions to the "wait and see" rule. Against mono-Blue,
holding burn cards indefinitely is an act of futility, because at any given
time, they can be countered. Instead, look for good targets and use them at the
time your opponent will be least likely to counter, such as when they're tapped
out or they are clearly saving a counter for a larger threat you have in hand.
In this way, you lose some utility and flexibility, but it's better to kill a
1/1 sprite with Shock than to kill nothing with it after it's countered.
The second scenario in which you should consider burning off your burn is
against discard, which is prevalent in mono-Black, but also in Scales of Fury.
Saving burn as the last few cards in one's hand when it could be emptied at a
moment's notice will certainly not pay off. Leave enough mana open so you can
cast 1 or 2 instant burn spells in response to a hand-emptying effect if need
be. It's better to toss an Incinerate at an opponent's head than lose the card
and take 2 damage from Megrium. Alternatively, stock up on spare lands so you
have additional options for discard when the time comes.
It's possible to use burn offensively to remove blockers but doing so is a
large gamble, and should only be made when you have room for error (more burn
in hand, a large lead in Clock time, considerably more creatures in play). It
requires your absolute knowledge of your opponent's deck, and a calculation of
the odds of the futility of your maneuver against the gain in damage. For
instance, casting Shock on a Venerable Monk in order to safely attack with four
1/1 goblins isn't a bad deal, since you net at LEAST 4 damage for one mana,
plus whatever damage goes unblocked on successive turns. But if your opponent
plays Angel of Mercy the following turn, 3/4 of your damage will be undone,
and you'll now have no option for its removal. Thus ever the advice resounds:
use caution when playing with fire.
[#TC]
-=The Clock and the Danger Zone=-
(For further information about The Clock, see the Glossary section)
The Clock is a term I've coined for what is, in most situations in creature-
oriented duels, a more important measure of the game's momentum than one's life
total. Simply put, the Clock is the number of turns a player has to live, given
the current (or assumed) rate of damage being taken. For instance, a player
with 9 life being attacked for 3 damage a turn is on a 3 turn Clock. A player
with 9 life being hit for 4 a turn is also on a 3 turn Clock. A player with 4
life with enough blockers to prevent all damage is on an infinite Clock (or is
"off the Clock"). So why is the Clock important?
As you've probably seen, there are many games in which one player has made a
comeback and won with under 5 life. Certainly that's a precarious situation,
but just knowing your life totals doesn't always make the best decisions clear.
What really matters is card advantage, pressure, and of course, killing your
opponent. Before you commit to an attack or block, ask yourself what Clock you
and your opponent are on/will be on. If blocking one attacker won't actually
increase your Clock turns (either because your life total is so low or the
damage is so high), in most cases it won't be worth blocking, at least as long
as you have a plan for cutting into your opponent next turn.
There is, however, one important consideration for Hands of Flame (and several
other decks, but more so for mono-Red) regarding the Clock. Simply put, while
the Clock still applies to you, the Red player, your direct damage spells
nullify all Clock calculations of your opponent (to a certain extent). Being at
6 life with eight blockers does not put your opponent on an infinite Clock if
your next draw is Blaze. That is to say that while you and your opponent are
certainly on your respective Clocks, your opponent must also live outside a
Danger Zone, the life total range in which a single-turn burn play will result
in a loss. That zone may be 2 or 3 life, or it could be 8 life if you have
enough creatures that a suicidal attack with all of them would leave your foe
at 2 or 3 life. This is very good for you, and very bad for your opponent.
It is for this reason that early to mid game suicidal attacks and attrition
damage are valuable for you. For most decks, being at 3 life is scary, but it
really isn't a worse position than being at 6 or 7 life. Against Hands of
Flame, being under 6 life is at all times a fatal proposition. Throwing
everything you have at someone, sacrificing your creatures and the vast
majority of your own life is not a ridiculous tactic if you have the means to
finish them immediately or imminently. Your burn spells, while temporary
threats, are CERTAIN threats against all but a few cards. More certain than
attacking creatures, more certain than conditional enchantments, more certain
even than Trample damage. Because of this, you must always calculate not only
your opponent's Clock, but also the likelihood of your options throwing them
into this Danger Zone.
[#GB]
-=Going for Broke: Winning the Long Game=-
In an ideal world, you'll always be killing your opponent before they can get
their end-game dragons and angels and Magpie-countermagic locks. But hey, in an
ideal world people send me FAQ Paypal donations. Life goes on.
Many claim that Hands of Flame can't win in the late game. While that's not
technically true, it is probably the deck least-equipped to do so. The weaker
creatures, limited burn, and dearth of powerful non-creature permanents don't
help. However, there are a handful of remedies that, while not absolving the
issue, certainly ameliorate it to an extent that makes victory an option.
The simplest is to carefully incorporate Hands of Flame's unlockable cards, as
almost all of them are late-game bombs that can spell victory. Although an
extra Incinerate is certainly a simple example, fat dragons and Kamahl, Pit
Fighter are also guaranteed ways to accelerate your opponent's Clock. Likewise,
Furnace of Rath and Rage Reflection can turn once-useless goblins into powerful
dive-bombers. For more details on my thoughts on each unlockable, please see
the card-by-card analysis section.
Aside from simply making the deck more powerful, your best bet in a no-momentum
game is to switch play styles. While certainly not abundant, Hands of Flame's
recursive damage-dealing permanents can certainly whittle your opponent's life
down to at least the Danger Zone if played correctly. Prodigal Pyromancer,
Cinder Pyromancer, Flamewave Invoker, Seismic Assault, Kamahl, and Shivan
Hellkite all allow instant, nigh-unstoppable damage straight to your opponent's
head. If need be, you can bunker down and ping away with these options while
using your other creatures as a living wall to stall attackers with a stream of
chump blockers, hopefully long enough to secure victory. By using defensive
burn to take out threats, you are effectively playing the deck as a pseudo-
control not unlike Thoughts of the Wind. Using burn like counters to remove
threats, while slowly pecking away at unblockable damage (ping damage in lieu
of fliers). This strategy can be particularly effective because only decks with
large amounts of creature removal can stop it. Even then, most players will be
hesitant to Terror a 1/1 Pyromancer instead of a 4/5 Elemental before they've
already taken 10 damage from it. And by then, it's already done its job.
Of course, your ultimate goal is to throw your opponent into the Danger Zone,
where you can, if need be, topdeck any one of half a dozen game-winning cards.
As both a detriment and a bonus to you, your opponent is well aware of this
threat, and may play aggressively to attempt to beat you to the punch. You
should, however, generally welcome this effect, since the majority of the other
decks excel when played much more cautiously. Even if they don't outright make
a mistake while attacking you, it's very possible they will leave themselves
open to the kind of attrition damage you need to finish them off. And thus, the
Spirit of the Universe grants even the lowly Red planeswalker one concession.
With the philosophy out of the way, there's not much to say other than this:
"Go light up some XBLA ass."
[#SCENE]
-=Gameplay Scenarios=-
----------------------
In this section of the guide, I present several hypothetical game scenarios and
consider the best possible play for Hands of Flame. Keep in mind that these
examples are designed to provoke your analysis of the deck, and not meant to be
carpet strategy for all similar situations. All scenarios assume it's your
first main phase unless otherwise stated. Note that, in keeping with the rest
of the guide, I have omitted your life total in favor of the Clock, but
retained it for your opponent. Keep this in mind for your own experiences in
difficult situations.
Scenario # 1
Your notable cards in play: 2 Raging Goblin, 3 Mountain
Your notable cards in hand: 1 Shock, 1 Mountain, 1 Lightning Elemental
Your life clock: 4 to 6 turns
Opponent's notable cards in play: 1 Snapping Drake, 1 Cloud Sprite, 4 Island
Opponent's number of cards in hand: 5
Opponent's life: 17
Best play:
If your opponent's lands are untapped, the fact is whether you play Shock or
Lightning Elemental, it will most likely be countered. At the same time,
attacking for attrition damage into Snapping Drake is a waste of time, since
you will, at most, only get 1 damage in before it's able to block and kill
both your attackers. Meanwhile, he/she's smacking you for 1 damage a turn with
the fairy queen as you're unable to retaliate.
Play the Mountain and pass your turn. Yes, pass. Why? Consider this: what's the
worst thing your opponent can play next turn? While a Wall of Spears would be
painful, it's not like you're getting damage in anyway. More scary would be a
Thieving Magpie, Air Elemental, or another Snapping Drake. Of course, more
likely is your opponent will play nothing, as the prerogative is his/hers with
the current situation to attack or block.
If Blue attacks with both creatures, Shock the drake. Will it get countered?
Maybe, probably. Maybe not. If so, you've now either removed their post-combat
play options, or you've removed a counter that could stop your Lightning
Elemental. If not, you remove a creature that had you on a pretty short clock.
If the drake doesn't attack, burn it at the end of turn for the same reason.
Blue must now decide if it's worth nearly tapping out to save a single
creature.
Whether or not the drake stays in play, you need to get Lightning Elemental
into play next turn, as doing so will force your opponent to provide an answer
quickly. If they trade with the drake (assuming it was spared a Shock), all the
better for you, as the drake has more mid-game utility than does Lightning
Elemental. If not, the damage is going to pile up quickly.
Scenario # 2
Your notable cards in play: 1 Goblin Piker, 1 Earth Elemental,
6 Mountain
Your notable cards in hand: 1 Furnace of Rath, 1 Blaze, 1 Hill Giant
Your life clock: Infinite
Opponent's notable cards in play: 1 Troll Ascetic, 1 Grizzly Bears,
1 Wurm's Tooth, 5 Forest
Opponent's number of cards in hand: 2
Opponent's life: 14
Best play:
Well, what you should definitely NOT do is play Furnace of Rath, or you're
going to have 6 regenerating attacking or blocking damage on the table every
turn in the form of a souped-up Troll Ascetic. That would be bad.
The reality of the situation is that the only thing keeping Troll-y at bay if
your Earth Elemental, and you can be certain the first Giant Growth or
Blanchwood Armor that comes around will be aimed at our lovely 3/2 nemesis.
What two cards could your opponent be holding even now? Either something
situational (Overrun, Natural Spring) or something even bigger than the Troll,
like Craw Wurm. Fun, right?
Play the Giant and pass your turn. In some ways, the best thing that could
happen is that your opponent draws/plays Blanchwood Armor or Overrun. Why?
Because this will most likely embolden them to attack you, leaving themselves
relatively open. Let's say they Overrun and attack with both creatures, dealing
11 damage. Assuming you can survive that, take it, then play Furnace next turn
and counterattack for 18!
Of course, the odds that will happen are low, but the point is to save Furnace
of Rath for a turn when using it will put you in a game-winning position, or
will at least keep your opponent OUT of a game-winning position for one more
turn, since following Furnace of Rath with a 7+ point Blaze will easily finish
him/her off.
Scenario # 3
Your notable cards in play: 2 Goblin Piker, 2 Raging Goblin,
4 Mountain
Your notable cards in hand: None
Your life clock: 1 to 2 turns
Opponent's notable cards in play: 1 Thrinax, 3 Mountain, 2 Forest, 2 Swamp
Opponent's number of cards in hand: 1
Opponent's life: 11
Best play:
Attacking into the Thrinax is suicidal, as it can easily eat your creatures
every turn, but that is precisely what you have to do. Chumping the Thrinax
isn't an option because you don't have any draws that can actually neutralize
it (as killing it may compound your problem). Obviously double-blocking to kill
it is even worse, as that will require you to trade 5 creatures for the 1
Thrinax, and you don't even have 5 creatures. Attacking with everything will
leave you open, but odds are Scales will block for card advantage and short-
term damage reduction instead of attacking for the 2-turn kill, for now.
So, why attack? If your opponent starts pressing the attack first, you will
have, frankly, no options but to chump and lose the game when you run out of
blockers (barring a godly draw like Kamahl, Pit Fighter) in 3 or 4 turns. If
your opponent draws Blightning or Incinerate, you are as good as dead in half
the time or less, and odds are such a card is waiting to be drawn (if not
already in hand). Likewise, your opponent has enough land to play almost every
card in his/her deck, including the dreaded Violent Ultimatum.
If nothing changes whatsoever, you're both NEARLY topdecking, and assuming
smart blocks, Thrinax will eliminate your 2/1 Pikers first, then the Raging
Goblins, allowing you to get through 4 damage, then 2, then 1 damage. That's 7
damage over 3 turns, leaving your opponent at 4 (assuming no other significant
draws). At that point, you are left with a single goblin with which to chump on
your final blocking turn, which may or may not be enough of a stall to draw
game-winning burn or a Lightning Elemental. But, all things even, it's pretty
much your only shot. In this scenario, you live just as long as if you had
chumped, but you get in enough damage to even the odds by putting your opponent
in the Danger Zone with you. It's not a guaranteed win, but it's certainly not
a guaranteed loss.
Scenario # 4
Your notable cards in play: 1 Cinder Pyromancer, 1 Goblin Piker,
7 Mountain
Your notable cards in hand: 1 Shock, 1 Enrage, 2 Mountain
Your life clock: 1 turn
Opponent's notable cards in play: 1 Sengir Vampire, 2 Megrim, 6 Swamp
Opponent's number of cards in hand: 2
Opponent's life: 10
Best play:
Normally, you could wait out a situation like this. Ping your opponent for 1
damage each turn, eat the damage you're taking, etc. But with only 1 turn on
the Clock, that's not an option. You have to win this turn, or trick your
opponent into not attacking or making you discard. Good luck with the latter
route!
This scenario isn't meant to be a real stumper, but instead to show
that as gimped as Hands of Flame is, it can pull off some neat tricks if you
save your cards for just the right moment.
First of all, since Cinder Pyromancer can really only ever have one target,
don't hesitate to use its ability right away, putting your opponent at 9.
Follow up with a Shock to your opponent, which leaves him/her at 7 and untaps
Cinder Pyromancer. Now what? Why, attack, of course. If you attacked with just
Goblin Piker, it would be easily killed, so attack with both creatures. Sure,
attacking with a 0/1 is suspicious, but even the most superstitious Magic
player in the world would rather block a creature that's a known, definite
threat, than one that is completely innocuous.
If/When your foe blocks Goblin Piker, It's time to cast Enrage, for +6/+0, on
Cinder Pyromancer. This will put Eyes of Shadow at 1 life, which is just in
range of your newly-untapped Cinder Pyromancer. While scenarios like this are
uncommon, they represent a good opportunity to illustrate how important timing
and conserving burn can be, especially with X-mana spells.
[#CARDS]
-=Card-by-Card Analysis=-
-------------------------
Here I've broken out every card in Hands of Flame, both default and
unlockable, with thoughts on best uses and overall value to winning with
the deck.
[#CR]
-=Creature Spells=-
Raging Goblin (4 in deck; 1/1 Haste)
The ideal 1st turn drop, Raging Goblin puts your opponent on a Clock right from
the first turn. Yes, Raging Goblin is weak, but it can often be two, three, or
even four turns before your foe can stop it, and by then you've gotten in much
more damage than Shock or even Incinerate could accomplish. Mid-game you can
combine Raging Goblin (or any weak creature) with burn spells to finish off
larger blockers, or simply to bluff burn options. Late game, Raging Goblin
makes a great chump blocker. He also makes a great avenue for casting an
unexpected Enrage for game-winning damage.
Goblin Piker (4 in deck; 2/1)
All right, so Goblin Piker isn't a particularly good card by Magic the
Gathering Pro Tour standards; he's pretty much worse than every other two-drop
creature in Duels. That said, you've got the make the best of what you've got.
Drop Piker as early as possible and burn off blockers to get fast pressure on
your opponent. Mid game, use "suicide" attacks to lure large blockers, then
apply fatal burn. Late game, Goblin Pikers are largely useless, but can be a
threat as part of a group block or just as game-saving chumps. If given the
chance between Goblin Piker and Raging Goblin (say, on turn 2 or 3), play Piker
first. This allows Piker's summoning sickness to wear off at the same time you
supply your opponent with a surprise damage source (the Raging Golbin).
Goblin Sky Raider (4 in deck; 1/2 Flying)
Three mana for one damage a turn. Whoop-dee-doo. Goblin Sky Raider is NOT a
good card by any standard, and I only recommend playing it after all your
other, better permanents are on the board (or, obviously, if you're desperate
to get something in the air). Feel free to swing when there aren't any opposing
fliers, and save chumping against angels, dragons, and Air Elementals until you
have the burn to finish those larger fliers off. Goblin Sky Raider gets better
with Goblin King out, but the odds of drawing your only copy when you need it
most are low. Goblin Sky Raider can make a good candidate for Enrage, but only
when there are absolutely no fliers on defense.
Goblin King (1 in deck; 2/2 Grants other Goblins +1/+1 and Mountainwalk)
An amazing card, dropping Goblin King into play can often spell your opponent's
doom. Unfortunately, there's only one in Hands of Flame for an inexplicable
reason. Worse yet, the decks Goblin King most readily destroys are the decks
that can most easily remove it from play. Try to lure creature removal out
first, then play Goblin King right before a major attack. Keep in mind our lil
magistrate grants ALL goblins Mountainwalk, including your opponent's. So don't
play him if doing so will put you on a very short clock against an army of
pumped, unblockable creatures.
Hill Giant (4 in deck; 3/3)
It's everyone's favorite badly-overcosted creature, Hill Giant. For the bargain
price of 4 mana, you get a 3/3 creature with no abilities! And to top it off,
he's not even a goblin, so he doesn't benefit from Goblin King or Coat of Arms!
All sarcasm aside, Hill Giant is a slow, overly expensive card. You'll be glad
to have a 3/3 on the table once he's out, but don't prioritize playing him over
other spells unless you need him on the table right away.
Lightning Elemental (4 in deck; 4/1 Haste)
It's no Ball Lightning, but it'll do, pig. It'll do. Dropping Lightning
Elemental when the opponent has no blockers makes for a nasty surprise, as does
dropping it when they have a big blocker (like a Serra Angel). Now they can
choose between losing 1/5 of their life, or losing their fatty. When you're
playing Lightning Elemental, remember two things. First, it's usually not worth
sending it into attack with any small blockers around, since you'll lose your
fairly expensive 4-power creature to their puny 1/1 guys every time. That said,
don't keep Lightning Elemental around too long. If you can foresee a creature
stall becoming a major problem, attack with Lightning Elemental as part of a
larger force. Worst case scenario, he takes out a chump blocker early on,
allowing you to get in more damage later in the game.
Earth Elemental (2 in deck; 4/5)
Though not really in the spirit of the deck, Earth Elemental is a big body who
can be a safe blocker. But where double-E really shines is on offense. Sure, 4
power isn't amazing, but coupled with 5 toughness, your opponent will often be
forced to consider double and triple blocks just to kill it. Use Earth
Elemental to force chumps, or even to act as a lumbering distraction. Attack
with Earth Elemental and two goblins, even when your opponent has 3 blockers.
Do they trade with your smaller guys, chump the Elemental, or triple up to
destroy it? Either way, you put them in a tough spot. Don't push suicidal
attacks that trade for chumps, though. Earth Elemental can also make an
incredibly strong blocker.
Flamewave Invoker (1 in deck; 2/2 Deals 5 damage to target player for 8 mana)
Flamewave Invoker's ability is incredibly powerful, but it's also extremely
expensive, and tied to a fairly weak creature. For those reasons, don't play
Flamewave Invoker unless you already have 7 or more mana available, or unless
you're really that desperate for a 2/2 creature on the field. You can be
assured that, unless you have a Shivan Dragon out, Flamewave Invoker will be
your opponent's #1 target as your Mountain count approaches 8. Once you have
the mana, keep it open and save it for use at the end of your opponent's turn,
much like any other burn. Although it's unlikely your foe will play something
more deserving of fire than him or herself, you never know.
Prodigal Pyromancer (2 in deck; 1/1 Pings 1 damage to any target)
Flavorshifted from blue to red, this Prodigal wizard is incredibly useful,
granting you the ability to instantly kill 1-toughness creatures, ping your
opponent every turn, or finish off creatures damaged in combat (or threaten
would-be blockers). Again, save Prodigal Pyromancer's ability either for mid-
combat or for the end of your opponent's turn to ensure you don't miss a "free"
opportunity to burn whatever's begging for it most. Getting this card into play
against decks with no real answers to creature abilities (Blue, Green, and
White for instance) will be a particularly unwelcome surprise for your
opponent.
[#NC]
-=Non-Creature Spells=-
Enrage (2 in deck; Instant)
Like an X-costed spell, Enrage is more threatening the more land you have to
play with, so don't rush it out. However, holding onto it all game isn't always
the best option either. An extra 5 or 6 damage on a turn when it's guaranteed
(your opponent is tapped out and has no blockers) is much better than waiting
for a 13 damage pump that may never happen. Always use Enrage right before
Combat Damage resolves, and avoid the smallest targets if your opponent has
damage-based removal that could interfere with your plans. Although it's best
used for game-winning attacks and surprise face slaps, don't hesitate to use
Enrage to take out a nasty enemy creature if need be.
Shock (3 in deck; Instant)
A simple enough card, Shock does 2 damage for 1 mana at instant speed. So,
what's the catch? Nothing. Your goal with Shock will be to use it as
judiciously as possible, eliminating early blockers, taking out utility
creatures, or ruining enchants/buffs by killing their targets before the
bonuses can resolve. In the long run, 2 damage is not much when used against a
player, so avoid burning your opponent's face with Shock, unless it's late game
and doing so will give you the win in 1 turn or less.
Incinerate (3 in deck; Instant)
At double the cost of Shock, Incinerate may initially disappoint when it
delivers "only" 3 damage. But the fact is 3 damage is more than enough to wipe
the floor with many of Duels' most annoying smaller creatures. As a bonus,
creatures damaged by Incinerate can't regenerate, allowing you to permanently
destroy many incredibly annoying creatures. Keep in mind that Incinerate need
not cause the final, fatal damage to a creature in order for its ability to
take effect. In all other respects, use Incinerate like a nastier, more
expensive Shock: to eliminate blockers, utility creatures, and MAYBE as game-
winning burn.
Lava Axe (2 in deck; Sorcery)
For 5 mana, Lava Axe slices your opponent's head open for 5 damage. Unlike
Shock and Incinerate, though, it can only be used on players, and only as a
Sorcery. For that reason, there is neither a reason to rush to use it, or to
hold it back. The first turn you're able to play it without leaving yourself
tapped out or neglecting a helpful permanent, play it. After all, in the long
run, it doesn't matter which turn you cast it. And trust me, there is no turn
that your opponent will find it "convenient" to get axe'd for 5 damage. I'd
only recommend keeping this card in hand in 3 or 4 player games, when saving it
to finish off someone may prove more useful than making enemies earlier on.
[#UN]
-=Unlockable Cards=-
--------------------
As with Wings of Light, there are many good unlockable cards for Hands of
Flame, but many are quite expensive. I highly recommend many of the larger,
scarier creatures available, but adding more than 2 of the 6+ casting cost
cards to your deck may be a mistake as your mana curve steadily inflates. Most
of the low-cost instants and sorceries, however, are well worth inclusion
without hesitation.
-=Creature Spells=-
Shivan Dragon (1 unlockable; 5/5 Flying, Firebreathing)
Was there ever a red flier as iconic as the Shivan Dragon? I think not.
Competitively priced at 6 mana, with the ability to land 13 damage the turn
after he's played, it's certainly a beast. My only concern with our scaly
friend is that, despite his formidable damage-dealing abilities, he's a slow,
hungry card in an otherwise speedster deck. Much as with the Wings of Light
deck guide suggestion, I would only recommend using Shivan Dragon in place of
(not in conjunction with) the other expensive creature unlocks like Hostility
and Kamahl, Pit Fighter. Throwing in 3 or 4 expensive cards is going to affect
your mana curve in an unpleasant manner.
Cinder Pyromancer (1 unlockable; 0/1 Pings 1 damage to players, Can untap)
Although similar to Prodigal Pyromancer, Cinder Pyromancer has a completely
different mechanic. Since it can only damage players and has 0 power, it has no
use in combat. Instead, its second ability makes this creature a veritable
machine gun. Whenever you cast a red spell, Cinder Pyromancer untaps,
essentially turning it into a nasty pea-shooter. Obviously, ALWAYS use its
ability right before you cast a red spell. Since there is never a drawback to
pinging a player now (as opposed to later) don't be afraid to leave Cinder
Pyromancer tapped out on your turn, unless you absolutely need him to chump
soon. That said, keep him on the board and you'll end games much sooner than
would have been possible otherwise.
Bloodmark Mentor (1 unlockable; 1/1 Your red creatures have First Strike)
Bloodmark Mentor isn't an incredible powerful card on its own, but casting it
allows you to turn what was formerly an army of bland, mediocre creatures into
an army of bland, somewhat powerful creatures. Your Lightning Elementals just
became a force to be reckoned with, and your 1/1 Raging Goblins can now
effectively and safely gang-block a wide variety of aggressors. Due to its low
cost and its useful effect, I recommend adding Bloodmark Mentor to the deck.
Kamahl, Pit Fighter (1 unlockable; 6/1 Haste, Pings any target for 3 damage)
This Brutal Legend is a nasty card to have on the table, and one that your
opponents will need to destroy quickly. Yes, having 6 power and Haste is well
and good, but Kamahl's true power lies in his ability to demolish creatures or
player life totals every turn. This ability, coupled with Haste, also means
that playing Kamahl is a guaranteed 3 damage (unlike casting Shivan Dragon,
which could be easily Terror'ed before it gets to attack). Yes, Kamahl is
frail, but his ability allows you to remove potential blockers from combat at
the end of your opponent's turn, then sending in Kamahl and the rest of your
forces for a huge hit on your successive attack. Add Kamahl to your deck
without reservation.
Shivan Hellkite (1 unlockable; 5/5 Flying, Pings 1 damage for 2 mana)
A nasty beast to have on the field, Shivan Hellkite is just a bit bloated for
Hands of Flame. Compared to Kamahl, Pit Fighter and Hostility, Shivan Hellkite
is simple too slow and costly to get the job done in many games. Yes, its
ability is useful, but even if you land an extra Mountain the turn after
playing him, Hellkite can only do 3 or 4 extra damage that turn. Khamal could
elicit the same effect, but for free and on the same turn he's played. I know
there are more nuanced considerations (Shivan Hellkite can spread damage
around), but I don't think they're worth skewing your mana curve over.
Hostility (1 unlockable; 6/6 Haste, Converts burn to tokens, Can't be buried)
Ouch. Not only does Hostility have the ability to swing for 6 the turn it's
played, but it converts all of your burn targeted at players into 3/1 tokens
with Haste. While that may not seem amazing at first glance, consider that
using Lava Axe will generate five tokens capable of attacking for 15 damage
nstead of the 5 originally available. Or, save burn in your hand knowing you
can summon two or three nasty surprise blockers at any time! The fact that
Hostility can't truly "die" is a bonus that makes "suicide" attacks with it
even better. Hostility, like Kamahl, is a game-winning card, and should be
added to your deck immediately upon being unlocked.
-=Non-Creature Spells=-
Dragon's Claw (4 unlockable; Artifact)
No. Just, no. Don't add these to your deck except PERHAPS in the mirror match,
where they will make almost all burn against you futile. Otherwise, these life
gain artifacts just bloat your deck and reduce the odds you'll draw game-
winning cards when you really need them. Just... no.
Incinerate (1 unlockable; Instant)
An extra copy of a powerful burn spell is always welcome. Make sure this one's
in your deck the moment it becomes available. For more information, see the
entry on Incinerate in the main deck card analysis.
Cryoclasm (2 unlockable; Sorcery)
A powerful effect for only 3 mana, Cryoclasm is only really useful against
Thoughts of the Wind and Wings of Light. Add Cryoclasm in against these decks,
and use it as soon as possible for maximum effect. In all other matchups, don't
bother.
Blaze (1 unlockable; Sorcery)
What if someone offered you unlimited burn? Well, you'd probably take it. So
here's my offer: you pay 1 mana plus any amount on top of that, and Blaze will
roast the crap out of whatever you point it towards. Deal? Blaze isn't an
amazing card in general Magic, but in Duels it's outstanding. The ability to
save up one huge blast is powerful both for game-ending damage and for large
creature removal. Don't be afraid to bust out Blaze earlier on if you're really
on a short Clock. Blaze combos amazingly with Furnace of Rath and/or Hostility,
producing a ridiculous amount of damage and/or tokens. This card's a keeper.
Seismic Assault (1 unlockable; Enchantment)
An interesting option, Seismic Assault allows you, at any time, to discard a
land for 2 damage to any target. In effect, having it in play transforms 40% of
your deck into "free" copies of Shock. This effect is incredibly powerful, and
allows you to hold extra Mountains in hand as deterrent... or insurance. I'd
recommend holding onto all lands after 6 or 7, as there is really no point to
keeping more on the board. And because the ability is instant, you can empty an
entire mountain range in response to an opponent's Naturalize, easily dealing
6, 10, or more damage to any number of creatures or opponents you deem worthy.
The only downside to Seismic Assault is that it limits your upper damage with
Blaze and Shivan Dragon. However, I believe the trade-off is well worth it,
since each 1 mana spent on those cards yields only 1 damage, whereas Seismic
Assault gives you a 2-for-1, instant-speed deal. Keep it in deck.
Rage Reflection (1 unlockable; Enchantment)
I have mixed feelings about this card. On one hand, granting all your creatures
Double Strike is incredibly powerful. On the other hand, a 6-mana enchantment
that may not even keep your goblins alive against a Wall of Spears may not be
worth it. Personally, I don't use Rage Reflection, but it may be worthwhile if
you use more of the creature unlocks and less of the burn spells. That said,
Furnace of Rath accomplishes a similar task while costing less and also
affecting your Instants and Sorceries.
Furnace of Rath (1 unlockable; Enchantment)
Double all damage. Double it. No, this card doesn't suck. Why? Because unlike
almost all other decks, Hands of Flame has the capacity to dole out damage
wherever it damn well pleases. Your Shocks become 4-damage death bullets, and
your Lava Axes become Game Over buttons. In addition, Furnace of Rath benefits
creatures with lower toughness in most combat, since doubling damage makes
toughness moot in many cases. Obviously, don't play Furnace of Rath if your
opponent has the momentum advantage, as it will cut your Clock in half. I
highly recommend this card in general and especially over Rage Reflection.
Note that combining both enchantments will basically end the game quite
quickly.
[#MATCH]
-=Deck match-up Strategies=-
----------------------------
[#TP]
-=Vs. Teeth of the Predator=-
Biggest threats: Troll Ascetic, Blanchwood Armor, Loxodon Warhammer
Biggest weakness: Only win condition is ground-based combat damage
Teeth of the Predator is a scary deck to fight for several reasons. Many of its
creatures are too big to burn. Giant Growth can cancel out your most well-
targeted removal, and Troll Ascetic will (with or without enchantments) wreck
your entire strategy.
The most important thing you can do is get out of the gate fast and not lay off
the attack. A common scenario will entail you getting some early damage, your
opponent playing Grizzly Bears, and things cooling down. Though this is
natural, resist the urge to chump the Bears and instead trade off early damage.
Your burn is best used either immediately (to remove blockers) or for turn
5-to-6 scary creatures. And, in the interest of card advantage, for responding
to mid-combat Giant Growths. Overall, It's probably in your best interest to
take some damage if it means you can deal a little back and put your opponent
into burn-death range.
If he plays a Troll Ascetic, you may be in trouble. If he plays Blanchwood
Armor on that troll, you're definitely in trouble. Your only real option will
be chump blocks at that point, because burning the Troll is not an option, and
gang-blocking it will only result in huge losses on your side while Green just
laughs and regenerates the little bastard. You can only hope to land a larger
creature, like Earth Elemental or Hostility, that will make your attack scary
enough that he may keep his troll back as a blocker.
Fighting Teeth of the Predator can be an uphill battle. Focus on nailing early
damage, stalling the larger creatures (or baiting their attack so you can
counterattack), and getting annoying permanents into play that will allow you
to put your opponent into fatal range of a Lava Axe or Blaze. This is a tough
matchup for Hands of Flame.
[#WL]
-=Vs. Wings of Light=-
Biggest threats: Glorious Anthem, Angel of Mercy, All unlockable creatures
Biggest weakness: No dangerous combat tricks to worry about
Wings of Light can be particularly irritating due to its persistent life gain
and annoyingly useful creatures. With the ability to gain more than 28 life
even without unlocks, Wings of Light can make your attempts to gain momentum
and cut the Clock difficult. Coupled with a large number of effects that
outright negate your spells, and you might find yourself pulling your frazzled
hair out.
First off, Purity and Spirit of the Hearth, two of White's unlocks, outright
CANCEL your player-targeted burn. These creatures are also flying fatties who
will be impossible to defend against in a traditional manner, and have huge
toughness numbers that resist burn. Lovely. Additionally, Wings of Light has
two creatures (Voice of All and Paladin en-Vec) that can use Protection from
ed to basically cause unlimited damage, prevent massive attacks, or just
infuriate you. If this wasn't bad enough, Glorious Anthems can slowly and
cumulatively push all of White's creatures outside of burn range, and WAY
outside of combat competition range.
A more annoying problem will be the common Angel of Mercy. Though it's not an
amazing card by its own right, it's still much larger than your ridiculous
default fliers, and its CIP life gain property grants its caster an even larger
divide for you to bridge. You can routinely expect to have to remove these from
play... right after they donate 12 life to your opponent.
Because of the inherent mid-game threats Wings of Light wields, it is
paramount to your victory that you do everything possible to establish early
game pressure. Use burn on any potential blockers to get your goblins through.
Attack into bad trades if it means putting your opponent on a 3 or 4 turn
Clock. Beware tell-tale signs of upcoming Holy Day and/or Wrath of God
shenanigans such as unwarranted, full-out attacks. If you allow the game to run
too long, your foe WILL establish air superiority and life total superiority,
at which point you've basically lost. This is a slow, tough match-up for Hands
of Flame.
[#ES]
-=Vs. Eyes of Shadow=-
Biggest threats: The Rack, Mind Rot, Drudge Skeleton
Biggest weakness: Weak fliers with no dangerous abilities
Eyes of Shadow has a strategy that isn't particularly dangerous to Hands of
Flame, since at peak performance, your deck can and will empty its hand
voluntarily. Its creatures, like yours, are weak, and most of its damage
sources are easily killed or ignored for the time being. Apply constant
pressure, even if you're in topdeck mode, and you should generally be fine.
There will be some speed bumps. Drudge Skeleton can regenerate, making him an
annoying blocker that will necessitate a tricky post-combat burn or "wasting"
an Incinerate on him. Mind Rot is annoying to any deck, but losing the last two
cards in your hand can be particularly demoralizing. Try to empty permanents
first, so you can cast instants in response to Mind Rot if need be. Much more
dangerous is The Rack, which damages you every turn based on how few cards you
have. Since Hands of Flame naturally empties your hand, and Eyes of Shadow will
be doing everything in its power to assist you in that endeavor, your best bet
is to ignore the Rack and attempt to push through damage as fast as possible.
Overall, this isn't too hard of a fight. Keep on pressure, apply throwaway
trades (except against Drudge Skelton), and remove blockers at every stage to
drop your opponent's clock. This is a strong match-up for Hands of Flame.
[#TW]
-=Vs. Thoughts of the Wind=-
Biggest threats: Thieving Magpie, Wall of Spears, all countermagic
Biggest weakness: Slow and mana-intensive
Thoughts of the Wind's goal is to do everything possible to slow you down,
control the game, and tick you to death while your cards in hand go to waste.
Your goal should be to get in early damage, get painful permanents in play,
then sneak in a winning play.
The first annoyance you'll face from Blue is Wall of Spears. This first-
striking artifact is plentiful and powerful enough to shut down the majority of
your deck's creatures. If you draw an Incinerate, you NEED to remove this thing
from play the first turn it's safe to do so (Blue taps out, or you "fake out"</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
his countermagic with a worthless play first). Eliminating the wall will allow
your ground forces to swarm in sans opposition. Similarly, a Thieving Magpie,
though not fatal on its own, will prove an increasingly difficult threat to
neutralize as your opponent draws an ever-increasing number of answers with
each attack. Destroy it immediately.
In general, however, "destroy it immediately" isn't helpful advice when your
opponent can shut down your plays with well-timed Cancels and Negates. It's
essential that you establish both early-game pressure and mid-game mind games
if you expect to win against Thoughts of the Wind. You will need to cast
"disposable" spells before your real threats in an attempt to draw out
countermagic, allowing you to follow up with your aces. A less card-intensive
way to "test" for counters is to simply make important burn decisions at the
end of your opponent's turns. Incinerating that Magpie during Blue's turn will
force him/her to choose between saving the bird and being free to counter
during your upcoming phase. Or it may just prove that last card in hand is just
an Island. Either way, this is a close match-up for Hands of Flame.
[#CV]
-=Vs. Claws of Vengeance=-
Biggest threats: Woolly Thoctar, Bull Cerodon, Godsire
Biggest weakness: Three-color mana requirements can slow deck down... maybe
Claws of Vengeance is like a cross between Wings of Light and Teeth of the
Predator: small stalling creatures mixed with mid-game monsters. Effectively
playing against this three-color deck will require tactics similar to those
you've used before: rushing down early-game defense, finding smart ways to
trade creatures by utilizing burn, and launching a final assault for the
winning handful of damage.
Your biggest concern will be, without a doubt, the large number of huge
creatures Claws of Vengeance can summon. A turn 3 Wooly Thoctar is a 5/4
creature that will, in most cases, necessitate a Blaze or a 2:1 trade to kill.
Bull Cerodon is a nasty 5/5 with Haste and Vigilence, and Godsire is basically
game over for you, creating new 8/8 best tokens every turn. Your best bet
against all of these threats is to try to rush down your opponent before they
hit the table, but barring that, you'll need to combine combat damage with burn
to take out the fatties. This will obviously leave you at a large card
disadvantage, but if you can handle these monsters, the other creatures in
Claws of Vengeance are not much of a threat.
If you find yourself on the defense, avoid chump blocks as long as possible,
stalling out for enough blockers or burn to take down the larger threats on the
table. Furnace of Rath and Rage Reflection may give you the damage you need to
disable his attackers, but be very wary of using Furnace of Rath if you suspect
your opponent has tricks up his/her sleeve. If your foe's next play is Pacifism
or Incinerate on your blocker(s), you could easily be eating 20 damage in a
single turn. The difficulty facing Claws of Vengeance is heavily reliant on
your opponent's opening hand. The sooner he/she can drop a nasty fatty into
play, the tougher your life is going to be. This is a close match-up for Hands
of Flame.
[#EE]
-=Vs. Ears of the Elves=-
Biggest threats: Giant Growth, Elvish Champion, Coat of Arms
Biggest weakness: Reliant on key cards and little overall removal
Don't get me wrong, Ears of the Elves is a nasty, possible overpowered deck in
Duels. But if any other deck's equipped to handle it, Hands of Flame is. The
reason is simple: burn, baby burn.
Overall, the creatures in Ears of the Elves aren't that scary. Other than
Elvish Warrior, your creatures cast on similar turns should be able to easily
trade with their green counterparts. Taking out early blockers will be useful,
both for getting in damage and for reducing the effect of later elves that gain
or grant bonuses based on the number of elves in play. Keep an eye out for
Elvish Champion and Coat of Arms in particular, as once they hit play it will
be significantly harder to trade with or burn every elf in play.
At all stages of the game, watch for a single untapped Forest in play. Your
opponent will almost certainly use 2 or more Giant Growths in the game,
thwarting your attempts to remove key creatures via combat and burn. If you
can, trick your opponent into using Giant Growth first (by offering a bad
combat trade, perhaps), then respond with Shock or Incinerate, destroying the
intended pump target before it's buffed. Getting one or two Prodigal
Pyromancers into play can be a big help in any scenario, since they can
instantly kill half the creatures in Ears of the Elves. If you can establish
early card advantage and take out key creatures, this should be a good matchup
for Hands of Flame.
[#SF]
-=Vs. Scales of Fury=-
Biggest threats: Sprouting Thrinax, Civic Wayfinder, all Dragons
Biggest weakness: Slow and heavily reliant on mana acceleration
I'll get it right out of the way: Sprouting Thrinax is going to ruin all of
your fun. This turn 3 drop is going to repeatedly cause you to lose all
momentum as it destroys your creatures until it dies. But it's not over yet; it
will then split from one 3/3 into three 1/1 creatures. And just when you kill
those off... Gravedigger brings it back. YAY!
As usual, get in early and hit hard, but once Thrinax hits play, you're going
to have to back off. On the defense, lure an attack with Thrinax, then IGNORE
IT. Take the 3 damage, then retaliate with your own forces (if you have any)
because blocking the Thrinax will only make matters worse. Letting those tokens
hit play will slow you down so much and cause so much card disadvantage with
your wimpy goblins that you will have basically lost the game.
Save burn to remove any other blockers and, of course, take out the dragons
when they inevitably hit play. Even if your opponent hasn't unlocked anything,
the Firebreathing 2/2 Whelps can do a lot of damage if they aren't Shocked or
double-blocked early on. Getting your larger creatures into play, like Hill
Giant and Lightning Elemental, can force blocks that eliminate the more
annoying mid-game threats.
Once dragons hit play, you will usually have no option but to eliminate them
immediately or aim everything you've got at your opponent's face. Keep your
hand empty to avoid Blightning tragedies, and go for broke. If you can't take
the dragon(s) down quickly, you're basically and literally toast. This is a
close match-up for Hands of Flame.
[#HF]
-=Vs. Hands of Flame (mirror)=-
Biggest threats: Earth Elemental, Raging Goblin, all burn spells
Biggest weakness: Weak creatures that can be mowed over
This mirror match, much like the one for Thoughts of the Wind, will depend on
who makes the best trades and maintains card advantage throughout the match. As
you well know, the creatures in Hands of Flame are generally weak, so none
truly pose a threat as they can all be easily burned or ping. That is, none but
the Raging Goblin.
Why is Raging Goblin so scary? It's simple, really. First, whoever gets one on
the table first will immediately put the other player at a disadvantage. If
your opponent plays this weenie first turn, and you can't block it for three
rounds, you've just put yourself one Incinerate closer to death than your
mirror nemesis. Worse, since half the early creatures in your deck trade 1:1
for Raging Goblin, it makes attacking with Goblin Piker, Lightning Elemental,
and even Kamahl a JOKE. Third, because Raging Goblin is the cheapest, weakest
creature in the whole deck, burning it to death always feels like a waste.
For these reasons, do NOT hesitate to trade 1:1 with Raging Goblin early on if
you're on a shorter Clock than your opponent. Getting him or any other small
creature off the table with your own will even things out, and leave room for
your meatier creatures and fliers. Although using burn at the end of your
opponent's turn is always a good idea, mid-combat burn can also effectively
ruin your opponent's plans and cause him/her to make bad combat decisions.
Outside of these considerations and generally good play, this is obviously an
even match-up for Hands of Flame.
[#AD]
Vs. Artifacts of Destruction (NPC deck only)
Biggest threats: Master of Etherium, Platinum Angel, Shard Sphinx
Biggest weakness: Terrible, shamefully bad AI
Tezzerret's deck is fast. Faster than your deck, and once it gets going, you're
going to have either a lot of small threats, or a couple huge ones. Or both.
Due to ever-present Howling Mines and artifact-hungry cards, Tez can really
give you headaches while putting you on a very short clock. What's a
Planeswalker to do?
The first thing to realize is that you're going to have to make your burn count
against the nastiest creatures, including Master of Etherium, who will become
dauntingly large if not taken out quickly. Shard Sphinx, though not as fat,
will also become a pain in the ass if not handled right away. And although
Platinum Angel isn't a huge threat by itself, if you haven't saved any burn for
our most hated metallic demigod, you're not winning, period.
It's most likely that Tez will play one or more Howling Mines, doubling,
tripling, or insanifying your draw rate, as well as his. This means you'll have
access to a lot of land and a lot of burn, so make sure you're packing Seismic
Assault, Shivan Dragon, and Blaze in your deck. Your creatures will generally
be vastly inferior to Tez's horde, so get in as much damage as you can and
perform suicide swings if you must. It may pay off if you're able to draw into
some well-timed Lava Axes or Enrages. Once Master of Etherium hits play, if
you can't burn him, you'll have to start chumping when you're under a turn 3
clock. Same goes for those nasty self-pumping fliers, though they're easily to
kill. This match-up is fast and rough, and mainly depends on the luck of the
draw and how much damage you can get in before the artifacts get into full
swing.
[#TERMS]
-=Glossary=-
------------
This Glossary is intended to define some terms used in this guide for those who
are newer to Magic: the Gathering. This Glossary is not intended as a
substitute for the Duels of the Planeswalkers Tutorial or for the official
rules of Magic: The Gathering. Words in quotes are words that are defined in
other places in this Glossary.
-Bluff: Just like in poker, Magic is a game of calculated risks. Bluffs make up
a large part of the experience against an opponent. If he/she believes you have
a Cancel, will he/she cast an important card? If you attack in a manner that
appears suicidal, your may intimidate the opponent into letting the damage
through. It is said in Texas Hold'em "The best play is the play you would make
if you knew what cards your opponent has." Try to make such plays, and try to
prevent your opponent from making them by keeping extra lands and cards
available at all time. Keep in mind that bluffing is harder when you have fewer
cards in hand or against the Duels computer AI, which does not respond to
bluffs at all.
-Bounce: To return a permanent to it's owner's hand. Bouncing can be either
defensive (protect a creature from death) or offensive (remove a defender
before it blocks). There are so many applications for bouncing, it would be
impossible to list them all.
-Broken: Any card or card combination that is deemed too powerful to be fair.
Many broken cards are banned or restricted by Wizards of the Coast after their
release proves catastrophic. Some broken cards allow easy "infinite" combos, or
are simply so powerful they force every deck in the "metagame" to use that card
or directly counter it to win.
-Burn: Any instant or sorcery spell used solely to inflict damage. The vast
majority of burn cards are Red, even spells that have nothing to do with
"burning" something with fire. Burn is most efficient when used as creature
removal, but never discount its ability to end a low-Clock game quickly.
-Card Advantage: Ultimately, Magic is a card game and as such, the player with
more cards is generally in a better situation. More cards means more options,
but it also means less uncertainty. It means you can formulate plans more that
one turn in advance, as well as intimidate your opponent with hidden tricks.
Card advantage specifically refers to making choices and plays that leave you
with more cards than your opponent. For instance, your opponent casts Giant
Growth on his Grizzly Bears. In response (before it resolves), you cast Shock
on the Bears, killing it before Giant Growth can take effect. By using one
card, Shock, you've wasted two of your opponent's cards. Card advantage is also
why something like Prodigal Pyromancer is such a good card. If Prodigal kills
even one creature, it has already cost your opponent a card, just for existing.
The longer it is in play and "pinging", the more advantage its controller
gains.
-Chump/Chump Block: A blocking assignment that is intentionally suicidal. Chump
blocks are usually desperate decisions meant to forestall large amounts of
damage. Any creature without Trample can effectively be chump blocked by a
single 0/1 creature. Because chumps have no chance to kill the attacker, it's
best to wait as long as possible before chump blocking.
-CIP: Short for "coming into play." Many permanents have abilities that are
activated when they come into play. Most abilities do not care where the
permanent comes into play from (hand, graveyard, etc) unless specified. Under
M10 rules, this terminology will be replaced with "enters the Battlefield."
-The Clock: This is not a common term in Magic, but one used by me to describe
a way to think about combat damage. If one player has one or more creatures
that can't be blocked or are not prudent to block, his/her opponent is
essentially on a clock. At 20 life, a 1/1 puts you on a 20 turn clock. A 4/4
puts you on a 5 turn clock. An 11/11 puts you on a 2 turn clock, etc. The
concept of the clock is important because it forces you to consider how quickly
you must neutralize a threat in order to win. It also allows you to judge your
relative odds of winning in combat damage "trades." If your opponent has an 8/8
creature and you're at 17 life, you're on a 3 turn clock. But if you have a 3/2
flier and he/she's at 5, you have the advantage. Don't let specific numbers
scare you. Always ask yourself who has more turns on the clock, and make
decisions that ADD time to your clock or SUBTRACT time from the opponent's
clock. For instance, if your opponent is at 2 life, and is on a 2 turn clock,
playing another creature is not likely to decrease that player's clock unless
you expect he/she may remove one of your creatures from play.
-Concede: To give up the game to your opponent. At the time of this guide's
writing, there is no way to concede in Duels, which probably contributes to
the high rate of rage-quitting. Conceding in traditional Magic is common when
an opponent establishes a "lock" or when one knows there is no way any topdeck
can save him/her.
-Control: Thoughts of the Wind and Eyes of Shadow are good examples of a light
control deck. A control deck's aim is to put its opponent's deck in a position
where all of its plays are irrelevant. This can be accomplished via defense and
countermagic, as in Thoughts of the Wind, or with a variety of other
strategies, such as perpetual discard effects that force a player to topdeck
all plays.
-Countermagic/counterspell: Any instant or ability that negates another instant
or ability directly. The archetypal card Counterspell is the mold for all such
effects.
-Deck/Decked: To be "decked" is to lose the game by failure to draw from the
Library. This is usually the result of "milling" but can also occur in
exceedingly long, defensive games.
-Drop/Drops: A "drop" is a planned play on a given turn. For instance, you
might say "Hands of Flame has a strong turn 1 drop" to indicate Raging Goblin
and Shock are good cards to have in hand on your first turn. Though usually
drops refer to permanents.
-Infinite: There exist certain card combinations which can result in infinite
mana, damage, life, turns, or tokens/counters in Magic. So far, no such
combinations exist in Duels, and they are unlikely to be implemented for
obvious balance reasons. When a deck "goes infinite" it usually signifies the
opponent's immediate or inevitable loss unless he/she is able to counter or
negate the infinite combo immediately. Rules state that for all "infinite"
variables, the "infinite" player must actually choose a number, and cannot
simply say "I have infinite life" or "I deal infinite damage to you." In this
manner, it is possible that a player with 8 trillion life might be dealt 8
trillion and 1 damage by a player who later goes infinite. Some infinite
interactions will break the game rules and immediately end the match in a
stalemate.
-Lock: A lock is established when one player has gained "control." A soft lock
is one which makes the majority of the opponent's draws and plays irrelevant
(i.e. all combat damage is negated). A hard lock is established when it is
physically impossible for the opponent to win the game with any draw or play.
Many control and combo decks are focused on establishing one of these types
of locks.
-Mana Curve: A deck's mana curve is a representation of how many cards it has
at each "drop," illustrating how easy it will be to meet the needs of the deck
in order for it to consistently play strong hands. Much like a bell curve, most
decks should have a couple 1 or 2 casting cost cards, a larger amount of 3 and
4 casting cost cards, and a small number of cards costing 5 or more.
Obviously, the mana curve of each deck can differ, and a deck with strong mana
acceleration can get away with a more expensive-to-cast card base.
-Manascrew: Manascrew refers to being placed in a bad board position due to
drawing too few land. It's imperative that you only take a starting hand with
three or more land to help avoid getting manascrewed. Keep in mind that the
more land you begin with, the less likely you are to draw land later on. The
opposite of manascrew is mana flood.
-Metagame: The metagame is the current climate in Magic that refers to the most
commonly used decks and strategies in competitive play. For all intents and
purposes, there is no metagame in Duels, but one may evolve as hidden card
combos, deck strategies, and DLC decks/features emerge.
-Mill: Milling refers to forcing a player to put any number of cards from the
top of his/her library into the graveyard. The term gets its name from
Millstone, an artifact from early Magic which performed this task. Although
Milling does not directly hinder your opponent's gameplay (as he/she's still
drawing random cards), it decreases the options that player has over the course
of a long game, and may even lead to "decking." A player who cannot draw a card
(because his/her library is empty) loses the game.
-Ping: Any ability of a permanent (usually a creature) that deals 1 damage to a
creature or player. Prodigal Pyromancer is a good example of a creature with a
pinging ability.
-Pump: Any ability that allows a creature to increase its own power, toughness,
or both. Pump can also refer to Giant Growth effects used on creatures in a
similar manner.
-Sac: Short for sacrifice, it is common to sac a permanent to fuel a sac
ability if that permanent would otherwise be destroyed. "I'll block, then sac
him to regenerate this Legend."
-Stompy: A deck designed to win by aggressive use of large creatures in combat.
Stompy usually refers to Green decks.
-Strictly Better: A card is strictly better than another when it is identical
except for one notable attribute. For instance, Flying Men is strictly better
than Cloud Sprites because it's identical, but has no restriction on blocking
creatures without flying. Cinder Pyromancer is not strictly better than
Prodigal Pyromancer because each card's utility depends on the circumstance.
-Tapped out: Having all lands tapped, with none available for use. Being tapped
out is generally a vulnerable state, not only because you're unable to react to
your opponent's plays, but also because your opponent knows there is little you
can do to stop his/her tricks. For this reason, it's best to play instants and
instant abilities during your opponent's turn, and not your own. It will force
any reaction from your opponent to potentially leave them tapped out, right
before you take your turn and untap.
-Timmy/Johnny/Spike: These terms refer to three common types of Magic player.
Timmy is the player who is obsessed with the grander Magic cards like huge
creatures and spells with enormous effects. He likes winning with huge damage,
drastic attacks, and big surprises. Johnny is the player who is obsessed with
card interaction and prefers carefully planned and executed combos to win
duels. He likes winning with special combos he carefully planned, or by pulling
off particularly obscure card tricks. Spike is the player obsessed with
efficiency and winning at any cost, and will play any deck or strategy proven
to win. He enjoys winning knowing he played his best.
-Topdeck/Topdecking: Topdecking means you're either out of cards in hand, or
out of useful cards in hand, and are effectively improvising strategy based on
what you draw off the top of the deck. Obviously, this is a highly vulnerable
state and should be avoided when possible. Even if you are topdecking, it's
wise to keep one card in hand (even a useless extra land) so your opponent
doesn't know how desperate your situation is. "Topdeck" can also mean "a lucky
draw from the top" such as drawing the winning Lava Axe the turn before you
would have died.
-Trade hits: Trading hits can either refer to back-and-forth all-out attacks,
or 1:1 blocking that destroys both blocker and attacker.
-Win Condition: A deck's win condition is its intended way to beat the opposing
deck. For many decks, the win condition is creature-based combat damage. For
Hands of Flame, there exists "ping" and "burn" win conditions in addition to
creature combat. Thoughts of the Wind relies on evasion creatures to deal
lethal damage. Having more than one win condition makes your deck more
versatile and less likely to get shut down by one defensive strategy.
(this line is a character reference tool)
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