Trial Of Zeal - strategies

Fedaykin

Please post your battle strategies here for the various nodes, especially the tougher nodes. Planeswalkers used, but especially what decks work best, and please leave some deck suggestions that don't have a bunch of mythic cards, as a lot of players don't have many of them.

mournfen

For 3.3
Dovan:

Hixus or Cast Out (not both due to a bug)
Baral - can be replaced with something to help with mana or more lifelink
War Oracle
Turn to Frog
Talent of the Telepath
Glint-Nest Crane
Whir of Invention
Confiscation Coup
Glimmer of Genius
Censor/Fragmintize/Fumigate/Flex spot really for situational purpose

I got max points on this node

Fedaykin

I have tried 3 times now unsuccessfully to win node 3.1 (Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun). His mana gains plus his ability to reinforce his creatures so often makes it very hard to defend against him. I was using Koth, and with 3rd ability (strength of the mountain), and Platinum Angel on the battlefield, and I was almost able to win, but as soon as he cast a spell and destroyed my platinum Angel, there was no way to defend, and I couldn't cast destroy creature spells fast enough to keep up with him replacing and reinforcing them......  Any suggestions for a better PW to use and/or deck?

here's what I was using:   Koth, level 60...   deck used:  
CR:    Platinum Angel
          Ioras's Champion
          Scab-Clan Beserker

SUP:  Deathlock Trap

SP:    Unlicensed Disintegration
          Exquisite Firecraft
          Honed Khopesh
          Demolish
          Act Of Treason
          Fiery Conclusion


Any suggestions/improvements will be appreciated.

mournfen

i would switch to someone with lock-down ability. I am avoiding Koth due to lack of life gain this event and i heard the 3. nodes have chain lightning. Kiora is also a reliable choice.

3.1 Dovan
Cast Out
Hixus (risky but this guy is fast)
Bounty of Luxa
iWill
Talent of the Telepath
Turn to Frog
Whir of Invention
Anchor to Eather
War Oracle
Glint-Nest Crane

Start racing for Hixus and Cast Out with Whir, Talent, and Glint it is very consistant

Monkeynutts85

yeah most nodes are easy if u have hixis. if u dont u cant win 3.1. so many mythics and crearures that cant be killed.
no strategy works. whether u use burn or bounce. most players dont have the cards for this yet with the restrictions to BFZ.SOI etc

hawkyh1

Fedaykin said:

I have tried 3 times now unsuccessfully to win node 3.1 (Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun). His mana gains plus his ability to reinforce his creatures so often makes it very hard to defend against him. I was using Koth, and with 3rd ability (strength of the mountain), and Platinum Angel on the battlefield, and I was almost able to win, but as soon as he cast a spell and destroyed my platinum Angel, there was no way to defend, and I couldn't cast destroy creature spells fast enough to keep up with him replacing and reinforcing them......  Any suggestions for a better PW to use and/or deck?

here's what I was using:   Koth, level 60...   deck used:  
CR:    Platinum Angel
          Ioras's Champion
          Scab-Clan Beserker

SUP:  Deathlock Trap

SP:    Unlicensed Disintegration
          Exquisite Firecraft
          Honed Khopesh
          Demolish
          Act Of Treason
          Fiery Conclusion


Any suggestions/improvements will be appreciated.

how do you plan to trigger deathlock trap?

HH

Monkeynutts85

3.1 is the most over powered piece of ****. im sick of it. everything is rare or mythic and overpowered.  so if u dont spend money on the game u cant compete.
u cant remove indestructible things.... whats the point seriously what is it with u and ur garbage making of events. do u even know how ur own game works.......if u want to showcase ur cards let people friggin buy them on the vault so they can use them and compete....

Monkeynutts85

another thing that annoys me is why is ORIGINS still available if anything that set isnt even standard legal anymore......

Laeuftbeidir

hawkyh1 said:

Fedaykin said:

I have tried 3 times now unsuccessfully to win node 3.1 (Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun). His mana gains plus his ability to reinforce his creatures so often makes it very hard to defend against him. I was using Koth, and with 3rd ability (strength of the mountain), and Platinum Angel on the battlefield, and I was almost able to win, but as soon as he cast a spell and destroyed my platinum Angel, there was no way to defend, and I couldn't cast destroy creature spells fast enough to keep up with him replacing and reinforcing them......  Any suggestions for a better PW to use and/or deck?

here's what I was using:   Koth, level 60...   deck used:  
CR:    Platinum Angel
          Ioras's Champion
          Scab-Clan Beserker

SUP:  Deathlock Trap

SP:    Unlicensed Disintegration
          Exquisite Firecraft
          Honed Khopesh
          Demolish
          Act Of Treason
          Fiery Conclusion


Any suggestions/improvements will be appreciated.

how do you plan to trigger deathlock trap?

HH

My first thought as well!

I see you use act of treason - if you do, why don't combine it with something to give creatures berserker? That could take out two of his creatures at once. And it eould be doubly useful - it's bugged right now- switch your berserker for a first striker and give it berserker. With a lot of luck that might work.. I see more potential in blue / white solutions, maybe green and black.. But you can't outrun temmet with red (prove me otherwise!)

Monkeynutts85 said:

yeah most nodes are easy if u have hixis. if u dont u cant win 3.1. so many mythics and crearures that cant be killed.
no strategy works. whether u use burn or bounce. most players dont have the cards for this yet with the restrictions to BFZ.SOI etc

I
I don't have hixus. Failed four times, but finally managed it, paying only one mythic.. Which was useless on one of the two wins.


@Monkeynutts85
I did it without paying. You need some lucky draws, tbh.

mournfen

I have seen a few red decks floating around that have been able to win, though they are super mythic intense and I still question the consistency. It is very doable without Hixus as long as you have cast out (I still believe Kiora has some pretty successful decks floating around as does Saheeli).

 I believe Origins is the permanent set and will not rotate, so I would suggest investing in it, if possible.

 A few other things I have seen node 2.1 has a card called beat down (or something like that) it destroys 3 supports. 2.1 finish with 10 life or less....do not sleep on this guy I was working on going down to 10 or less he dealt me 67 out of nowhere and killed me. 10 or less life in an event like this is a bit much.

 Berserk is not a functional mechanic against the 3rd set of nodes, IMO. Once a god comes out your creatures beat their heads into the wall(gods) and eventually die without exile or bounce.

 Discard is also not that great since every creature seems to have embalm and it just puts the embalmed gem on board.

 Red walkers are also risky on the 3rd set of nodes once chain lightning is cast they lose effectiveness, particularly Koth he because all but useless.

 3.1 is the most difficult node; great mana gains combined with cheap bomb mythics.....I got lucky and fought back from 3 HP yesterday

 Cast Out is the key card of the set, absolutely amazing

 These are just a few things I have noticed that may affect players.

Fedaykin

I only have 4 of those 10 cards: talent of the telepath, whir of invention, war oracle, & glint-nest crane

I tried using Kiora, but got beaten quickly. I don't have Turn to Frog, and I'm not allowed to use Imprisoned in the Moon. It kinda sucks that all my usual decks have 6 or 7 cards not allowed in the new restricted card events.

Rogan_Josh

Monkeynutts85 said:

another thing that annoys me is why is ORIGINS still available if anything that set isnt even standard legal anymore......

Origins is standard legal.

3.1 and 3.2 went down first time with Saheeli and some rare/mythics from Origins. 3.3 is still giving my trouble. i haven't leveled Doven so he's useless at the moment. 

G_pretender

I just beat Temmet. My strategy since the AI doesn't apear to replace creatures, is to lock all his creatures with Cast Away before playing anything else. The best way is to play Panharmonicon first, so when you cast Cast Away you immediately get another copy. You also need at least one creature with lifelink so you wont loose to Aproach of the Second Sun. Takes a little luck with the draws and a while to finish him off but it is doable. In my game, by the end his creatures were 100+ power. Insane. 

Eglyntine

I am using Aethersphere Harvester for the lifelink. It works out well for life and if you can energize. Just make sure you have a remove support ready cause the last two times I played they had a support that disabled flying creatures. The good thing is it is colourless so it can go in any deck.

Fedaykin

I just got Cast Out, so maybe I'll give node 3.1 another try. Can you disable multiple creatures by casting it multiple times? And if so, does each casting get it's own gem/shield?

Eglyntine

You hold it in your hand until the AI casts a creature. Then on your turn you activate it in your hand then when it casts you select which ever creature you want to perma-disable and it creates a 3 shield support. Then cycle until you get another. When it comes out a second time, you select a different creature and it will reinforce the existing shield 3 more times for a total of six shields. Keep going until all three creatures are locked down. Then just keep casting it as you need to reinforce from cascades beating down the shields.

Monkeynutts85

The third tier is too hard. You have to be lucky or have super decks.
The deck u face is full of mythics and rare. some u cant even hurt. and if u bounce them they just come back.
3.1 - +4/+4 is ridiculous given the firepower in that deck already.
ill try n get where i can with tier 1 and 3.  what a joke

G_pretender

Any ideas to beat 3.2, sammut is wicked fast. 

G_pretender

Fedaykin said:

I just got Cast Out, so maybe I'll give node 3.1 another try. Can you disable multiple creatures by casting it multiple times? And if so, does each casting get it's own gem/shield?

Don't forget to have at least one creature with lifelink or you will loose to aproach of the second sun. 

hawkyh1

I think some of the more successful strategies to
date to deal with 3.x include lockdown, enabled
reach god card, mass energize and cycle.

HH

Fedaykin

G_pretender said:

I just beat Temmet. My strategy since the AI doesn't apear to replace creatures, is to lock all his creatures with Cast Away before playing anything else. The best way is to play Panharmonicon first, so when you cast Cast Away you immediately get another copy. You also need at least one creature with lifelink so you wont loose to Aproach of the Second Sun. Takes a little luck with the draws and a while to finish him off but it is doable. In my game, by the end his creatures were 100+ power. Insane. 

Haha, you are right. But instead i ALMOST lost to Approach Of The Second Sun. I had ONE HP left when i won the battle. And that was with all 3 of his creatures disabled by Cast Out. And yes, his creatures were 100+ power at the end. Insane, indeed.  ;-)