Kiora deck help

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Merrci
Merrci Posts: 13 Just Dropped In
in MtGPQ Deck Strategy & Planeswalker Discussion
Finally almost have her maxed but now it's time to build a deck so I can use her any suggestions here?
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  • julianus
    julianus Posts: 188 Tile Toppler
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    This is a bit hard to answer, as there are so many possibilities. It would depend on the cards you have available, whether the deck would be for legacy or standard format events, and what objectives you're trying to reach (if applicable).

    I tend to use her most for events that have a Summon X or less creatures, or Take X or less damage. She has several ways to add creatures that don't count as being "summoned" (i.e. cast from hand), and lots of options for keeping the enemy board clear. I'll try to provide some general ideas later today, after giving it some thought.

  • Merrci
    Merrci Posts: 13 Just Dropped In
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    I'll have to look and see what I have for her
  • Mainloop25
    Mainloop25 Posts: 1,936 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Basically what Julianus said. It's way easier to try to troubleshoot a deck you're having trouble with. 
  • julianus
    julianus Posts: 188 Tile Toppler
    edited December 2017
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    So, I found a few general purpose deck layouts I've used, all Standard format cards:

    The first is relatively budget, a few rares and the rest common and uncommon. I typically used this in Training Grounds shortly after HOU cards were released and when she was lower level:

    Creatures: Ringwarden Owl, Cultivator of Blades, Cowl Prowler, Vedalken Blademaster
    Spells: Imaginary Threats, Hashep Oasis, Unsummon, Galestrike, Beneath the Sands
    Supports: Nissa's Pilgrimage

    The idea was to have cards that are easy to cast, with ways to counter opponent creatures and cheap but powerful buffs. It was quite effective and I rarely lost with it. There would be some variation depending on the opponent, and I would sometimes swap in cards, support destruction, for example.

    The second deck was something I used for a node in an event where one of the objectives was to cast 3 or less creatures (I think). It worked pretty well, from what I recall I only lost one match:

    Creatures: Cultivator of Blades, Smugglers Copter, Honoured Hydra, Scrapheap Scrounger
    Spells: Reason, Overcome, Gather the Pack Turn to Frog, Honed Khopesh
    Supports: Yavimaya Coast

    Those are just two approaches I've used, where I happened to have taken screenshots of the decks, but Kiora is highly versatile and can work with a range of viable strategies. You have access to cheap bounce cards, powerful gem converters, disable, creature steal, card draw, support destruction, cycling, and big creatures, even without using any mythics.
  • Foznertep
    Foznertep Posts: 121 Tile Toppler
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    I am also having a hard time building anything decent for Kiora. I really regret having bought her in the first place since nothing seems to own up to the tremendous hype around her. I have the feeling that I would need some key cards for her to unlock her potential. 
    Playing her as green with ramp cards and beefy creatures is unsatisfying because other options like Nissa2 or Ajani2 have better Mana gain or Hitpoints. The same with a focus on blue where I really prefer Saheeli even though I have not maxed her yet. I had an Ulvenwald Mysteries deck once that was fun but not powerful and is now unusable in most events. 
    So why do people praise her so much? 
  • Furordraco
    Furordraco Posts: 142 Tile Toppler
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    If you have the necessary desert cards I would go with a desert deck. It's just a lot of fun and a unique theme. Especially if you have ranumap hydra
  • Foznertep
    Foznertep Posts: 121 Tile Toppler
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    Already tried that but it didn't work out. Which desert cards would you recommend? 
  • Furordraco
    Furordraco Posts: 142 Tile Toppler
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    So:

    My only creature is shefet monitor, only because im missing ranumap Hydra

    Spells:

    Hour of Promise (one of the essentials)
    Hostile desert (also essential as it can give +30/+30 at some point not too far in the game)
    Dunes of the dead
    Desert of the indomitable
    Desert of the mindful
    Hashep Oasis
    Ambuscade
    Nissas defeat.

    Supports:
    Alhammarets archive

    This version has been working well for me. Only some troubles when I draw only +x+x cards

  • Foznertep
    Foznertep Posts: 121 Tile Toppler
    edited December 2017
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    Don't have all of these but I can come close.

    I do have the Hydra, Hostile Desert and Hour of Promise so I might be able to get something decent, thanks.

    Can't embed the screenshot for some reason but this is it:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/fmwixst32dbdtpr/Screenshot_2017-12-26-20-31-33.png?dl=0

  • Furordraco
    Furordraco Posts: 142 Tile Toppler
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    ooooooo i so envy your Hydra :cry: I see you have the core cards though. I just don't like god pharaoh's gift. New perspective also seems a bit forced with only 2 cycle cards. If I may, I suggest a bit more ramp if you don't have other deserts and something to keep you alive like a bounce. I used lay claim for a lot also.
  • Foznertep
    Foznertep Posts: 121 Tile Toppler
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    OK, I replaced the Serpent, New Perspectives and the Gift with Beneath the Sands, Nissa's Defeat and Prism Array. Let's see how it goes  ;)
  • Furordraco
    Furordraco Posts: 142 Tile Toppler
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    good luck then all the best! its fun as hell desert decks much more enjoyable then a cycle deck!
  • Foznertep
    Foznertep Posts: 121 Tile Toppler
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    First experiences were encouraging, I think I will play this deck for some time. 
  • PrEP82
    PrEP82 Posts: 5 Just Dropped In
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    I haven't worked with Desert-theme yet - This thread makes me want to try it.
    So far my best Kiora Deck (and also Nissas G/B deck) go for cascades of green gems.
    My build contains quite a few myths and rares, so might not be easy to pull the act.
    Some cards can be replaced with other common/uncommon.
    My build is:

    Creatures:

    Rashmi, Eternities Crafter (to keep the cards rolling in before triggering mana)
    Ulvenwald Hydra (for gemconvertion and a big mean monster with reach)

    Spells:

    Ambuscade (removal)
    Animists Awakening (gemconvertion)
    Beneath The Sands (gemconvertion)
    Harvest Season (gemconvertion)

    Supports:

    Part The Waterveil (for elemental en masse and bunch of mana every time)
    Fertile Thicket (gemconvertion)
    Retreat To Coralhelm (for disabling creatures like Elsbeths tokens AND for an ekstra card)
    Retreat To Kazandu (for LIFE and +1/+1 is just a nice bonus)

    My alternatives:

    Desert Of The Indomitable instead of Fertile Thicket - 4 gems converted might bring forth greater cascades. Fertile is cheaper though.

    Haunted Cloak instead of Ambuscade - Haste, Virgilance and Trample for a bunch of bad **** elementals and a big Ulvenwald Hydra makes you get the most out of them. But Ambuscade makes you able to kill off any creatures before entering combat risking you'll lose your creatures to for instanse deathtouch, defend, reach and virgilance.

    BE AWARE:

    That if you create a deck based on cascades and loads of 'em, be sure to have at least one card that makes you choose to use it or not like Haunted Cloak or a card that only works as long as your opponent owns a creature or a support like Ambuscade. If you don't do this, you risk cascading the power off your phone, as you'll have a never ending rush of cascades.

    If you get some of it pulled together, let me know what you think ^^



  • PrEP82
    PrEP82 Posts: 5 Just Dropped In
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    Here's a screenshot of a battle. I'm at the moment on turn 9, and this is the end of my cascades. I have an extra turn as I was able to match 5 green gems just before:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_DrM4bTz1TDoi9c4--oQD_i8_sPyDe-D/view?usp=sharing


  • Furordraco
    Furordraco Posts: 142 Tile Toppler
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    i like your cascade but its quite an expensive deck (especially rashmy and unvenwald) that i cant make XD
  • Foznertep
    Foznertep Posts: 121 Tile Toppler
    edited December 2017
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    I could not put anything like it together, either. Roil of Zendikar is a poor man's version but doesn't work as well, I tried when I got Hour of Promise  ;)
  • Drawxne
    Drawxne Posts: 11 Just Dropped In
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    I stumbled across a horrifying Kiora deck on the Holiday node that completely crushed my Arlinn aggro deck. I'm not sure if I got all the cards correct, but it's all about turning the entire field to green gems and refilling your hand back to max and repeating the cycle.


    Creatures:

    • Baral, Chief of Compliance
    • Gaia's Revenge
    • Ulvenwald Hydra


    Spells:

    • Animist's Awakening
    • Rishkar's Expertise
    • Nissa's Revelation
    • Imprison in the Moon
    • Harvest Season
    • Reason // Believe


    Supports:

    • Fertile Thicket
  • BUgsySA
    BUgsySA Posts: 51 Match Maker
    edited December 2017
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    Kind of a coincidence, but I just ran into a very similar deck in the holiday showdown.

    Baral

    Niblis of Frost

    Harvest Season

    Hope Tender

    New Perspectives

    Fertile Thicket

    Ambuscade

    Desert of the Mindful

    Prism Array

    Animist Awakening


    Ive got all of the cards for it except for the last two.  I can substitute one of the other gem changers for the Animist Awakening (probably Desert of the Indomitable over Beneath the Sands), but is there a good substitute for Prism Array?  I'm thinking just a cheap draw spell like Hieroglyphic Illumination which will get filled by Baral, and almost filled by New Perspectives. 


  • Mainloop25
    Mainloop25 Posts: 1,936 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Yes, the blue Retreat support. It triggers on your landfall only, and doesn't draw cards, so it's not nearly as powerful, but it helped me a lot until I finally got Prism Array. 

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