The best unpowered deck...

[ZaPP-Zhero-]

Im quite bored of my r00k decks like goblin bidding, elves and so on... I want to make a change on a tournament so I want to start a real t1 deck.

So my question is, what do u think is the best deck in t1 without power
(I simply cant play power because I dont have the money for it...)
I thought TPS is on of the best decks but is it strong without power too?

I hope some1 can help me out

[Relient_dashboard]

In the current meta, which is filled with combo, it's nearly impossible to get a semi-decent Type one deck that doesn't have power. Though you might want to look into the Kobolds/Glimpse of Nature decks.. There's a thread already up about it.

[Kulgan]

2 Competitive "Budget" Deck are I think fish (u/r) and Oath .

Fish have just a problem is that is strenght is very placed on Null Rod, and now metagame can do with him on table (or do for he leave quick the table).
Oath is the better choice for a Budget Deck I find.

[Zherbus]

This thread broke the following rules:

3. Unjustified Thread Redundancy
4. Lack of Content
7. Moved Threads

I'm moving this to newbie, but leaving it open so you can get some help. I recommend you read the rules (http://www.themanadrain.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18027) before making another post.


I would say the best deck without power is Goblins or Fish still. I would be willing to bet that a half-way decent budget Oath deck is out there, but I haven't seen it yet. Many areas allow 5 proxies, which makes it a lot easier for budget people to compete as they have many more options.

[ZaPP-Zhero-]

Ok thanks, I think im going to play oath then, but decks like cobolt clam and perfect storm are not strong enough without power cards?

[ZaPP-Zhero-]

sorry, i know im a newbie, this is just my 3th post, ill try to obey the rules next time

[Kulgan]

Zherbus = ?  it's a message that target me ? (red text that speak about newbie ect...)

ZaPP-Zhero- = Yep Kobolt can usually be good without P9 ! A thread is consacred to him , go see !

[Mark_Story]

Food chain goblins are also a viable budget deck..  I've had some decent results with it in toronto.  If you are in an underpowered meta with a decent amount of random aggro, FCG are a perfect choice.  It is faster than any almost other aggro deck, and has a little bit of the "dirty combo deck" feel to it.  

One problem with FCG is that it's cardbase doesn't share much with the rest of T1.  So if you plan on playing anything else later you will still have to get blue duals, FOW, Cunning wish and all the other blue goodies.  So if you are looking for a deck containing cards that will be of more use in non-goblin decks, I would look at fish varients or some sort of budget oath.  With a budget oath you will obviously loose a lot of your speed, and the power of mana drains.  But I think that budget oath is a better option than fish right now.  

You mentioned that you were interested in TPS.  I don't think you will be able to find a TPS list that will be as stable without power.  The moxen and other restricted goodies help up the storm count and make for ridiculous Yawgmoth's wills, without them the deck is a shade of itself.  If you are really interested give it a shot and see if you can make it work.  However, if you are in an area that allows proxy tourneys than doomsday is a possibility as a combo deck.

[miki]

Play with Food Chain Goblins because you have the goblins from t2 or extended play , because FCG is a strong deck that got Recruiter and Lackey banned in extended! If you really want to play combo , play with Doomsday or some kind of Combo Oath version (but need 5 proxies to be really good).I have a pretty good Oath combo that works without proxies , but its a secret , because my team is going to win a piece of power with it, but after that , I will post it .  

[Revvik]

Food Chain Goblins: Very effective and pretty inexpensive - what little power it runs can be proxied in five-proxy tournaments.  The most expensive card in the deck is Taiga, now that all of the goblins have rotated out of Standard.  Lackeys may be tough to find, but there is always the internet.

Doomsday: This deck is incredibly fun, and very easy to build - the Doomsday itself is worth about a nickel.  Get the whole scoop, search for the original primer/article Menendian wrote on the subject, it's available both here and at Star City.  A word of caution, however: playtest this thing every free second you have, as this deck is loaded with crucial decisions that can strain the mental energies of even the most talented combo players.

R/G Beatz: Check out the thread in the Vintage Open Forum.  Not only is this deck as cheap as a Battle Creek prostitute, but it's just as deadly.

[BigMac]

You could try a black and white build i played in Mol (Belgium) to win a timetwister in a very heavy powered 60+ people tourny.

1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
4 Dark Ritual
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Duress
4 Nantuko Shade
1 Necropotence
2 Nether Void
4 Sinkhole
1 Skeletal Scrying
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Withered Wretch
1 Yawgmoth's Will
2 Vindicate
1 Balance
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Seal of Cleansing


Lands (26):
2 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Plains
4 Scrubland
1 Strip Mine
8 Swamp
4 Wasteland
1 Windswept Heath

Sideboard
3 Abeyance
3 Chalice of the Void
3 Nevinyrral's Disk
3 Null Rod
3 Phyrexian Negator

The basis of this deck is establish control and kill. The weakest matchup i think are combo and beatdown.
As this deck is some 8 months old i think some changes are or can be good. Actually play some crucibles maindeck and Trinisphere sideboard could be good changes. Also try to find something against oath. (although the seal of cleansing could help with this)
The best way to deal with critterheavy decks could very well be the new white propagande card (cant remember the name sorry)

In the sideboard the nev disc is weak and should be replaced. Null rod could very well be to much but as you play little power (no power) it could still slow others down giving you the time to gain control and actually kill the other.

Main deck the nethervoids can be taken out replaced by trinisphere or crucible. And several other changes could be made here to accomodate some STP.

All in all i think in the right hands and with a little luck with your opponents (hoping not to draw to many heavy critter decks early on as those will not play higher up the tables).

I actually played this deck in 3 tournys. Placing 2nd, 1rst and 29th (dropping after 4 rounds of which 3 were heavy critterdecks) It won every game against drainslaver (the maindeck at the time, was why i made this deck) and also had not to much trouble with stax. I didnt play against combo which was fortunate as i dont think that is a very favourable matchup unless you could play an early Void (trini in your case probably) Tog i beat 2 times. In the end it only lost to fish (dead anyways), Monoblack (just had to many critters i couldnt kill) and 2 times to FCG (just to much critters anyways)

The loss of the 2 moxes and blacklotus is heavy but could be somewhat stopped with a mox diamond (you allready play 26 lands so you can lose a land and perhaps play it with crucible anyways), lotus petal and chrome mox.

Without the moxes and lotus it is a reasonably cheap deck that can compete well especially as people dont expect to die because of a shade or mishra's workshop.

One last remark. Claws of gix as a sideboardcard could be pretty good against oath. Or play with orchard yourself.

Hope this all helps and good luck.

[Kulgan]

If you really want to play combo , play with Doomsday
Doomsday doesn't need Black Lotus + Ancestrall recall sure to make the combo ?      
 
And so it's sure that budget deck you'll make is depending about meta of tourney...[/i]

[pox_reborn]

You should choose a deck in an archetype that you plan to use the most. Each budgt deck in each archetype has a variety of staple cards that will help you further build your collection and play other decks pertaining to that archetype. Time and patience is key in building a vintage deck and over time the persistence will pay off.

[Revvik]

Doomsday doesn't need Black Lotus + Ancestrall recall sure to make the combo ?  

How many proxy cards are you allowed in your area?  Doomsday is actually pretty good for a five-proxy metagame, as few people will run Workshop decks (with Trinisphere) and it's cheap on the pilot.

However, if you think you can play this game on less than a hundred bucks and you live in a zero proxy environment, then play Sligh.  Or proxy up a GOOD deck, practice with it, and save up a little bit of cash each week ($75 a week gets you a mox a month), and complete the deck.

[doomhed]

Play U/G madness. it is a very Viable Tourney deck and alot of its more expensive cards translate into other decks, like FoW, TRopical Island, U Fetches, and null rods.

[Kulgan]

Revvik ==> Yes I'm in an environnement without proxies or full-proxies but no big price. But Sligh is not enought a solution because players that get P9 are 50% of participants :/ ; I think that Budget Oath or Unpowered Dragon are solutions on this way...

[yodoblec]

If you're looking to play a good 5-proxy deck I would go with Doomsday which easily playable with 5 proxies. Go to http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=8397  it's the 3rd place decklist, enjoy.  

[Revvik]

Revvik ==> Yes I'm in an environnement without proxies or full-proxies but no big price. But Sligh is not enought a solution because players that get P9 are 50% of participants :/ ; I think that Budget Oath or Unpowered Dragon are solutions on this way...

I'm guessing somewhere in Europe?  If so, then I'm also guessing you face a lot of Stax.  Vintage Open Forum: "Building A Better Hate Deck, or R/G Tempo."  This thread has a bunch of great ideas on building a very cheap, efficient deck designed to compete with some of the heavy hitters of the format, such as ANYTHING Mishra's Workshop, and even storm-based combo.  Very fun and very cheap.

[doomhed]

here is a Very good non-Proxy Build that I use on a week to week basis.

For the record, with U/G madness I have 3 T8's and a T16 (at waterbury).


3x Tropical island
2x Green Fetch
4x Blue Fetch
5x Island
4x Forest
4x Wasteland
1x Strip Mine
1x Lotus Petal/LED

4x Wild Mongrel
4x Arrogant Wurm
4x Basking Rootwalla

4x Force of will
4x Circular Logic
4x Aquamoeba
4x Brainstorm
8x Open Slots

the 8 open slots are used to adapt to your metagame. usually 3 null rods and some other assorted tools are added. many people like additional draw spells, like I said, it is all relative.

Sideboards-
again, for your metagame.