[faith/scholar] Big Land Fill

[lurifaxb]

I wanted to build something original and a deck that used some of the big somewhat overlooked sites in the game. I also wanted to show that Byzantine Ruins is not nerfed into oblivion, but now has some really good uses.

There are no agents in here, so opponent is likely holding cards in hand that they can't use.

This deck does well in general, but it also has some "abusive" moves in it. I decided to post it as it is with the evil combos such as impedic pandemic/doomsday and militia intimidation and a following surprise doomsday.

Play style:
Get your income boosters down fast. Use defensive cards such as papal bull against deceptive cards. History glitch and sharing secrets also help slowing oppoent rushers down.
Set up for a combo if possible (but not a must, this is not an exclusive combo deck). When you have the income (about 7) play militia intimidation and quick study if you don't have the needed card. Against heavy agent rush, get a wrath of the righteous. Against someone you think deserves it, get a doomsday. Fire it off at the right time, e.g. right after oppoent draws a card or when last agent hits the field. Then you have peace to set up the win.

Set up the winning site presence:
Deploy as many Forum of the Ox as you have in hand and follow up with other cards such as a Grand Bazar. If you need it, deploy Byzantine Ruins as a surprise before scoring.

The deck has great draw power in general. Many of the cards give you a card back. This makes you get a high income late game to fuel the sites. A good combo is the Forum of the Ox followed by a Daring Experiment for masive draw (drawing 10 cards like this is not uncommon).
Even with anti site cards the opponent will have a hard time keeping up. You will mostlikely outdraw him and give him a bad time with harassing cards. Even if he gets your sites, you should have spares in your hand or able to draw new ones. Against other site decks this deck win most by far. The influence 5 sites and the draw are just too hard for them to keep up with.

Pure Income boosters (14):
5x Knowledge is Power (draw)
5x funeral Pyre (draw)
4x Slave Trade (+4 income is really good in this meta!)

Scoring sites (14):
5x Forum of the Ox (much love in this deck when it gives you all income back)
4x Byzantine Ruins (suprise scoring. Won my many games)
4x Grand Bazaar (getting that extra draw each turn is really good)
1x Hagia Sofia (just because it is really nice on top of an influence 5 site)

(Bastard) Combos (9):
5x Milia Intimidation
2x Doomsday
2x Impending Pandemic

Tools box (13):
4x Papal Bull
2x Daring Experiment (great draw with Ox combo)
1x Sharing Secrets
2x quick Study (get you that card you need for a combo)
1x History Glitch (GG deceptive rush)
1x Ancestral Discovery
2x Wrath of the Righteous


Enjoy

My problem with this deck is the combos. I think it is a pain to play against a surprise doomsday. I've had it used against me before and it feels cheap... You can take that part out for respect points.


EDIT: Corrected mistake. It was suppose to be QUICK STUDY not field study. So valid point Tu.

[Tuism]

Your toolbox... What do you fetch them with? Just the potential of drawing a lot of cards?

Do you find that you get the cards you need when you need them? Why not concentrate them into strategies that can be more focused? For example having a single History Glitch against a deck that wants to win in the first 4 turns is to me not quite viable.

Otherwise yeah, big income rush is actually pretty scary now. Had a Forum of the Ox stolen from me today, completely ruined my game

[lurifaxb]

There are 2 quick study in there, but the draw is pretty good so you should get something you need (or a quick study). You very rarely get stuck with no draw power or cards you can't use.

If you meet deceptive rush you should get one card that will help you (papal bull, scoring reduction, wrath etc.). If not in hand then by income drawing cards.

But, no. This isn't an anti deceptive or what not deck. I dislike very specific counter decks as you often meet something it wasn't intended for.


The focus here is big sites. The combos secondary to slow down opponent. I don't want to use 5x of say history glitch as it only works in some cases. I don't want to make a surprise doomsday deck. I wanted to take the best of scholar/faith that helps me set up the big sites.

Edit:
Tu, I wrote field study above when it should have been Quick study. So valid point. My mistake.

[ironcladtrash]

Nice deck. I have been looking for a way to use Byzantine Ruins effectively. Have you thought about using Great Vault as a replacement for History Glitch?

P.S. I modified the title

[lurifaxb]

Thanks Iron. No I didn't think about using this card. In general I haven't really used it. Not a big fan. I do see a use here however, I'm just not sure it is better here than history glitch.

Against deceptive I would argue history glitch is better. If opponent has, say 5 at each location and is going to campaign with an 2/2 deceptive agent then using vault will make on of the sites a 5 (again) and only after the day has gone will the influence 5 defender reduce the score. If the player campaigns with the agent and uses a magnetic personality then you lose if the day doesn't end. With history glitch you will survive another round. BUT it is nice to have a influence 5 down in other situation and also if they have influence 10 in just one site. For sure. Then great vault will be better.

[ironcladtrash]

You’re right. I can see now it wouldn't fit even as a toolbox, especially because having no agents and no other way besides Papal Bull to slow down an initial onslaught. Great Vault has just peaked my curiosity so much recently to try and find a deck for it. I do really like what you have here, it looks solid. Although it’s a little mean Impending Pandemic and Doomsday is my favorite combo, even though it isn’t the focus of this deck.

[lurifaxb]

It is mean. Early Surprise doomsday even more so.

I do really like the land cards that reduce opponents influence. Just in this case vs deceptive it is a bit too expensive and not as effective.

Lighthouse is one of my favorite cards too. I use it in other decks to keep opponent from winning by deploying it in the location he won (and then recycle it with Gaspar). This way opponent has a hard time winning. It's like a Paola. The bigger sites, like great vault, do this as well. Works very well in certain situations. The other golden site that reduces opponents influence to 0 and has defender is also really good. Just too expensive against an early rush.