Shared Fate deck idea

[apocalyp]

I know this can't be Tier 1 or anything ohter than just a fun annoying deck to run. I've seen someone a few years ago try this at a tournament and actually win a fair amount of rounds.

I haven't really made a list and tried it I figure we can brainstorm a bit on it and I'll test as we go. Here's the starting list I threw together and of course there is no win condition in the deck because once they start drawing off your deck you don't want them to do anything useful

Shared FateV1.0

4x Shared fate
4x brainstorm
4x force of will
4x mana drain
4x duress
1x mystical tutor
1x vampiric tutor
1x ancestral recall
1x time walk
1x timetwister
4x night's whisper
1x imperial seal
4x thirst for knowledge
2x dark ritual
1x black lotus
5x moxen
1x sol ring
1x mana vault
1x mana crypt
1x tolarian academy
4x underground sea
3x polluted delta
2x flooded strand
1x swamp
4x island


I think most of the cards are self explanatory there are no answers main deck and the tutors are all top deck tutors.

Thirst for knowledge is an iffy one but there are a fair amount of artifacts there and it digs. I'd gladly replace that with some better I just can't think of it right now.

Anyone have any ideas for this? There's also the SB question and although the deck technically doesn't need a sideboard since it doesn't try to win with it's own cards but if it works game one an opponent might just remove it's win conditions and go from there. Maybe a transformational sideboard?

The sideboard could also have wish targets for any wishes that you might draw off your opponents deck but that's pretty much only good against GAT.

[SpencerForHire]

Wouldn't them playing one of your Shared Fates really suck?

[LordHomerCat]

They don't stack, as the text just says you get to set aside the top card of an opponent's library instead of drawing.  So, if say I cast it, then you 'draw' from my deck and cast another, we are still both just setting aside the top card of each other's library.

[Aardshark]

Fun.  I understand why there's no kill, but don't you want some way to deal with resolves permanents in addition to counters and hand control?  With fate resolved you've got infi time to sculp the perfect hand for the win, so I don't see giving your opponent potential board answers as a problem. Seems like you basically lose to confidant, and any other resolved creature could be big trouble.

Maybe white for swords, or even moat? Post Lorwyn Thoughtsieze seems strong.  Anyplace for mindtwist here (competes with Fate for mana)? Speed of Night's whisper seems less than idea unless cast turn 1 with jewlry -- maybe replace with a couple of skeletal scrying and some board control?

Mana crypt seems dangerous for the anticipated uber-long game, isn't another ritual, or ancient tomb better?  Speaking of rituals, how about bargain with more rituals?

I see this deck drawing *alot*.

Also, it looks like nobody can get decked with shared fate in play since the draw is replaced.  Is that right? (I know this is technically a rules question, but I don't want to clog up the rules forum with a question about this silly deck.)

[senpai]

why not try a leveler as a win condition? it removes any response your opponent has while giving you a giant guy as a win condition. and i think that some removal effects would definitely be of value to you.

[LordHomerCat]

But then there is the problem: what if you have to play fate without your leveler in hand?  Then it is up to your opponent to draw it and remove his deck, leaving you with nothing to do but get beat down by a 10/10.

[BC]

Fun.  I understand why there's no kill, but don't you want some way to deal with resolves permanents in addition to counters and hand control?  With fate resolved you've got infi time to sculp the perfect hand for the win, so I don't see giving your opponent potential board answers as a problem. Seems like you basically lose to confidant, and any other resolved creature could be big trouble.

I agree with this.  I actually played Shared Fate in Type II (for fun, not for serious).  I could usually get Fate down by turn 3, but the problem was that they could kill me with the 9-10 cards they had seen by that point before I could get a hand going.

Also, you should be playing Serum Powder.

[Aardshark]

So, I was messing around with this deck (which I can't believe).

I've been playing the Mindtwist deck from the Catalan series (see Wette's posts in the tourney results forum) for the last few months, and it occurred to me shared fate had potential with that strategy as a "lock".

Here's what I threw together to test on MWS last night:

3 Shared Fate

3 Mindtwist
4 Mana Drain
4 Duress
4 Force of Will

4 Thirst for Knowledge
4 Brainstorm

1 Chain of Vapor
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Rebuild

1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal

1 Tolarian Academy
3 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
1 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Island
1 seat of synod

2 Dark Ritual

5 Moxen
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault

SB:
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Pyroclasm
3 Pithing Needle
3 smother
1 Hurkyl's recall
1 Echoing Truth

The above was thrown together and is very rough (albiet any list with Shared Fate is by definition "rough"). 

The idea isn't actually to slam down shared fate asap, but rather to control the early game, and play Shared Fate on turn 3-5 after both decks have reached "topdeck" mode. 

I selected Engineered Explosives as the board control piece because it (1) can answer almost anything that slips through early on (including ETW for cheap), (2) can provide card advantage, (3) discards to TFK.  The risk is that opponents will draw it and eventually cast it for 5, killing your fate (if only it cost 6...).  This is a very real concern given how long the games go.  Although it didn't come up directly in my small sample of MWS games, at one point I actually tutored for my 2nd explosives (I'd drawn 1) prior to casting shared fate just so my opponent couldn't draw it as an out!

In light of this, I think I'll switch to Powder Keg, which can't hit enchantments, and hits warrans tokens almost as quickly. The tradeoff are obvious.

The diversity of mana is to expedite the casting of whatever color spells opponent happens to be playing, as well as support EE, but I think this stretches you to thin, and without EE isn't necessary. You'll draw opps lands eventually anyway.  I think trop should be dropped and you should chose between red or white.  Pyroclasm is awesome, but with Tundra you could support balance maindeck and play swords in the side. 

A Moat effect would be awesome.  Moat itself is too difficult to cast, but maybe ensnaring bridge (bonus with TFK), since you are almost always empty-handed post fate? (Except then you might not be able to win if they're a creature deck w/o artifact removal.)   

The SB is even rougher than the main. Its mostly about board control.  Needles were hot (won match versus belcher), as was pyroclasm. 

I "tested" two matches on MWS against Tier 2+ archetypes (RG Belcher and RW TMWA), and actually won both.  I woulda played more but the two matches I played took 3 hours!

One more note -- this deck is a b*tch to play on mws (probably only slightly more than it would be to play in RL)...you have to shift-drag a card from your library and give it to the opponents every turn -- then you each have to keep track of bunches of face down cards.  And if you take it to a tourney, you'd better win game 1, because even if the game you lose takes no time you're note winning 2 games in 50 minutes.  The sideboard should probably transform into a yawg-will tendrils deck, just so you have a prayer of winning if you do lose game 1. 

[bomholmm]

Crumbling Sanctuary is really great in conjunction with shared fate.  neither player dies to decking or damage.  So you just have a way to remove your own shared fate ( I like tel-jilad stylus for this) and you win.

[Aardshark]

Crumbling Sanctuary is really great in conjunction with shared fate.  neither player dies to decking or damage.  So you just have a way to remove your own shared fate ( I like tel-jilad stylus for this) and you win.

Crumbling sanctuary is interesting, though expensive.

However, while Tel Jilad stylus (or any other way to remove shared fate) seems good in theory, in actuality you are handing the game to your opponent if you cast shared fate without the removal in play (or in your hand).

A better plan would probably be to hope you're opponent has some way to remove shared fate (or sanctuary).  Better yet, plan to clear the board of your opponents creatures before you cast shared fate.  (Of course, the best plan is to play better cards than shared fate...)

[Bob The Builder]

I know I'm kinda late to reply to this but if you are interested in this topic also read:

http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=20546.0