Building a Gauntlet for Type 1(Step one, picking deck typ...

[walking dude]

Building a Gauntlet for Type 1
(Step one, picking deck types)

There are a lot of major events coming up over the summer, conventions, mana drain invitational 2, the New Hampshire thing, the proxy tournament in NY, and several others as well. That means its time for some serious testing to perfect our decks and play skills and side boarding strategies. In an ideal world you know what everyone is going to play so you can test against that, but outside of small local meta games that never happens. Next best is to be able to test your decks against every deck type. Unfortunately, most of us do not have time to test every single match up.  Hence, you build a gauntlet of decks you expect to see. I figure since the reason you build the gauntlet is to save time you have to limit to maybe 8-10 decks otherwise you have so much stuff to do that its unworkable.

The decks I could think of that are also worth considering are:

Sligh
Suicide Black (legend, unearth)
Tnt (R/G bloodmoon, tangle, legion)

Fish
GAT
Mask (mono b, UB)

Void
UR ophidian
Keeper (combo, paragon)
Hulk
Oath (many types)
Parfait
Enchantress
Trix (mono u, rector)
Academy
Turbo Nevyn

Artifact Prison (MUD, dulmen 4 color, lock stock, duck tape)

(I may have failed to recall something obvious, but I think I hit most things)

Not counting variants (and some of the variants are different enough that they deserve to be counted) that is 17 different deck types. And again that is only counting deck types that are pretty common; things like ABM and TurboLich exist but are rare enough that I left them off.

So lets start narrowing it down.

Any list must include sligh and suicide. Regardless of what you think of these decks they are solid decks that are cheap to build and always show up to events in large numbers. Additionally, testing against these decks not only tells you how you do in these matches but tells you how your deck copes with heavy disruption or fast assault.

As the classic deck and still the deck of choice for many old school players with access to full power keeper must be in.

As the new deck of choice for a lot of people and a common deck in the upper brackets it would be insane to leave GAT out.

The gauntlet needs to include some combo to keep aggro decks honest in testing and to prevent testing from skewing control decks to be too anti aggro.  Academy is fast, but no one really plays it. I think the combo that should be in the gauntlet is trix. The question is mono U or UBW. I am inclined to UBW at the moment but I wobble back and forth on this. I have done better against GAT with UBW so I will say UBW trix for now but would be willing to change that.
The last two things that should be in the gauntlet are artifact prison decks and TnT. Here I need some input from people. What builds are the best and what builds are most common. I personally play legion and MUD, but both of these are not the most common builds.

That leaves the gauntlet at currently
Sligh
Suicide
Keeper
GAT
Trix
Some Tnt build
Some Artifact prison build

That is 7 decks, its probably reasonable for people doing serious testing to work with 8-10 decks so are there any suggestions as to which decks should get the last few spots?\n\n

[Vegeta2711]

I would suggest Parfait and U/R Phid for 2 slots.

Parfait despite inherent problems can be a very powerful deck when a skilled player is using it, it's also popular and can smash aggro very well. The newer designs with Duress, Blood Moon and such are also helping to increase it's chances against Control and Combo.

U/R Phid is still posting good finishes and there always seems to be plenty blue based control and of course not all of that is Keeper. I also partially suggest this due to the fact that it's more likely to be seen than say Oath or something. (At least that's how it seems to me)

[Grand Inquisitor]

Since you want each deck in your gauntlet to capture as many aspects of the metagame as possible, i would consider the following if you still have room:

1) Vengeur Masque: This has some of the feel of tnt, but much more utility.  it can be played as a combo deck, an aggro deck, or an aggro control deck, and it will also allow you to practice with/against mask tricks.

2) Switch out suicide for Void.  Void is more of a metagame deck.  It will also be sure to severely test the mana-base of whatever decks your using, without losing much of the explosiveness of suicide.

btw, i agree completely with Urphid as an addition, but i think parfait is not worth the time.  each test game is a marathon, and i have never played parfait in the last 7 months of vintage tournaments.  even if its at a tournament, you shouldn't see it unless you expect to be in the loser's bracket.

[Saucemaster]

I realize that we all have only so much time to test, but I think that this list:

Quote That leaves the gauntlet at currently
Sligh
Suicide
Keeper
GAT
Trix
Some Tnt build
Some Artifact prison build

is conspicuously lacking Mask.  Vengeur Masque is a good deck, and if you have the time it'd definitely be worth testing, but the B/u Mask match feels much different than the Vengeur Masque matchup with most decks.  Sort of like Suicide on steroids.  It's also a matchup that is very frightening if you don't have any practice against it, so I think it'd be worth running a few games to get a feel for the matchup, if nothing else.

[Jamino]

Hello,
I think that their is a number of decks that need to be included because of the fact that they show up alot orare very good and have a big impact on the decks played.
An example to this is that I bet if FoW hadn't been printed you would see quite alot more Combo decks i.e TurboNevyn then you would know because after you go off first/second turn and use all your resources in one really long 15 minute turn to end up with the oponent keeping his mana untaped and stoping you in your tracks with a silly little counter spell gets really anoying, and if you can recuperate in the next few turns its over.

SO now for the list:
TurboNevyn
Urphid
Mask
Parfait

Well first of all TurboNevyn.
I think this is a deck not seen very often, but when it is everyone notices it and is always like wow thats insane and it impresses all the scrubs as well as keeps just abotu all the aggro in hand.Practically autowin vs aggro decks.

UrPhid:
Simply amazing. Counters, insane card drawing with a few phids, anythign gets past counters you got Fire/Ice and Keg to deal with it. The sideboard has a nice little hoser to deal with just about every deck out their. From Aggro to Keeper. ANy other blue based control decks should bow down to you after side, and even befor side its about 60% win chance for you. BloodMoon...need I say more?

Mask:
Whether Mono B or UB Mask is always a deck that people have somethign in sideboard for. You dont lagh at a 12/12 first turn. Nice amounts of disruption against control, not much Aggro can do about a big 12/12 mask is a deck that will nto be seen in numbers, but when seen should leave a scar.

Parfait:
Although lately I have hard alot of negative stuff on it, I still think it deserves a nice spot in the gauntlet. Sure may not have the speed of Aggro nor the Card drawing of Control, but when it gets started be careful. You will quikly get overwhelmed. Just about every card in it is a MUST counter.

Well, thats all for now folks,
           Jamino

[walking dude]

Hmm, I think I'll add URphid and BU mask to the list. Vengeur Masque is a great deck, but its more rogue and less common than BU mask.

Any suggestions on which builds of TNT and Artifact prison should be in the gauntlet?

[Lord of the Goats]

for your tnt build i'd say either g/r or g/r/u w/ wires. they play similarly enough that it doesn't matter much, although g/r/u is more flexible. i think g/r tnt might be a little more played though... not quite sure

[Montana_Gamer]

TnT and void should both definantly be on the list.

[MolotDET]

Not that there is anything wrong with this topic but I don't see it as being XVF caliber right now...

Mo