Hey everyone this is my first article ever. My name is Caleb VanVacter a little about me. I have been playing Magic for 15ish years most of them have been in the casual side. After moving to Cedar Falls I became more competitive and have a single PTQ top 8 as the highlight of my magic career.
Now I’m here for an experiment of sorts for people looking to become competitive but don’t have the initial funds to immediately buy in as it can be expensive. This series will be similar to the John Medina style FNM hero, but with slightly different rules in order to make it, what I feel is, more realistic. I am going to be the Event Deck Hero. The rules are as follows and if you have comments, complaints, or suggestions leave them in the comment section.
The Rules
1. Starting funds $100 (this is for initial buy-in costs deck, sleeve and tournament entry)
2. Add $5 a week to spend
3. Can only trade cards I open as the Event Deck Hero.
4. No freebies besides non-foil basic lands
5. End Game is a current Tier 1 deck and getting consistent 1st or 2nd at local tournament.
So those are the rules pretty straight forward. The initial $100 is a standard for what others have done with this type of challenge. The $5 a week is to ensure I can enter a tournament or try to make my deck better my LGS does not sell singles and doesn’t do store credit we get prize packs for $5 entry fee and luckily since singles aren’t available the packs in the store are $2.49 each plus 20% off things like event decks and sleeves. The cards can only come from what I open in prize packs or packs I buy to help my deck. I don’t want this challenge to just be someone handing me a tier 1 deck at every local standard tournament to win packs until I have a good deck, but if I open the cards for a good black/blue deck at most LGS’s including my own someone would give you the basics. The end game seems reasonable as that means I am in the prizes at every tournament.
Now to begin I decided to go with the newest event deck the Theros deck, I don’t know how long this will take but this gives me the most mileage on my cards. My first purchase was the event deck, sleeves, 5 booster packs and the tournament entry for a total of $41.52 leaving my with $58.48. The deck list I am starting with:
2 Ascended Lawmage
2 Banisher Priest
3 Battlewise Hoplite
3 Dryad Militant
1 Fabled Hero
1 Frontline Medic
3 Hopeful Eidolon
2 Imposing Sovereign
1 Lavinia of the Tenth
3 Lyev Skyknight
1 New Prahv Guildmage
1 Precinct Captain
1 Skymark Roc
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
2 Dauntless Onslaught
2 Detention Sphere
2 Gods Willing
1 Ordeal of Heliod
2 Ordeal of Thassa
2 Pacifism
Sideboard
2 Arrest
2 Gainsay
2 Gift of Orzhova
2 Glare of Heresy
2 Negate
3 Solemn Offering
2 Triton Tactics
In my booster packs I opened Desecration Demon, Gyre Sage, Steam Augury, Renegade Krasis, Ring of Three Wishes, and a foil Treasury Thrull. I also opened a few other cards to adjust the deck but it wasn’t much and I forgot to write it down (try not to let it happen after this article). The tournament had 8 people for three rounds.
Round 1: Esper Midrange/Humans
Once again notes were not great for this first article but I lost this round. My deck is trying its hardest to make one guy hard to kill and my opponent had removal for all of my creatures.
Loss
Round 2: G/R Monsters
In game one of this round I was able to get up to 60 life and my opponent was down as low as 6, but in the end this game lack a reach and ways to get through a stabilized board and after many more turns my opponent finished me off.
Loss
Round 3: Mono Red
This round I was able to get a guy life link or pump up a life linker and my opponent could not keep up and I was able to take the round down.
Win
This tournament was able to give me an idea what the deck can do. The all in strategy was not what you want most of the time and I learned that in round one as he killed all of the creatures. I was also able to learn from round 2 that I need a way to push through a little more damage with evasion. After the tournament I was able to make a trade to improve my deck the trade was my Desecration Demon and Gyre Sage for their 2x Spear of Heliod, Hallowed Fountain, and Daxos of Meletis.
I went to another tournament 2 weeks later so I was +$10 for a total of $68.58 with the packs I bought 2 Theros and 1 Dragon’s Maze plus the entry fee I went - $13 now at $55.58 I was able to open a 3rd Spear of Heliod and another God’s Willing to add to the deck. After the tournament I was able to trade off a newly opened Sire of Insanity for a Seacoast Drake, Bone Scythe Sliver, Gruul Ragebeast, and Trait Doctoring.
Round 1: Mono Red
This was against the same opponent as last time with the same result I was able to race by getting lifelink on one of my creatures and I was off to a good start.
Win
Round 2: Esper Midrange
Once again the same opponent as last time and same results, he was able to remove the creatures that I was able to put out.
Loss
Round 3: BW Midrange
These games were very close and fun, but in the end I feel as though I lost to variance which will happen in Magic. Game one I was able to land a creature on the play early he promptly doom bladed it. I laid another creature he attempted a doom blade, I God’s Willing pro Black, he doom blades again I God’s Willing again, and then he doom blades again to kill it all 4 doom blades in the top 11-12 cards of his deck. After that we are off to the races but Blood Baron in the end wins it for him. Game 2 I was able to suit up a creature and beat him in a race as he was unable to land a Blood Baron. On to Game 3 again variance strikes we are racing and its close then he hits gray merchant, and swing it’s a little but I’m still winning the race. Then another gray merchant now I’m behind in life but might still be able to race. Then incomes a third gray merchant and I’m dead.
Overall this tournament wasn’t as bad as the first I was able to hang with the other decks. The spears where good for me all day, but still no packs. So far I am 2-4 with the deck but could easily be 3-3 which I’m happy with all things considered.
I was unable to make it to a tournament the next week but with the release of Born of the Gods I have more cards to try to find. I was able to make it to the shop though after a couple weeks so I was +$10 to $65.58 then I purchased 12 packs 3 Return to Ravnica, 3 Theros, and 6 Born of the Gods for a total of $31.97 and down to $33.61. While I didn’t open any rares for my deck I was able to open a few commons and uncommons that should help. Also my rares weren’t bad and could make nice trade stock:
My thoughts on where to go with the deck is a white weenie splashing blue for a few cards like detention sphere and skyknight. My current deck list is:
Creatures:
3 Hopeful Eidolon
3 Dryad Militant
1 Soldier of Pantheon
1 Judge’s Familiar
1 Vanguard of Brimaz
1 Battlewise Hoplite
1 Akroan Skyguard
1 Precinct Captain
2 Imposing Sovereign
1 Daxos of Meletis
1 Archetype of Courage
1 Fabled Hero
1 Wingsteed Rider
2 Banisher Priest
3 Lyev Skyknight
Spells:
3 Gods Willing
2 Ethereal Armor
2 Ordeal of Thassa
1 Ordeal of Heliod
1 Dauntless Onslaught
2 Detention Sphere
3 Spear of Heliod
Lands:
12 Plains
5 Island
4 AzoriusGuildgate
2 Hallowed Fountain
Sideboard:
1 Frontline Medic
1 Triton Tactics
1 Last Breath
2 Dauntless Onslaught
2 Revoke Existence
2 Arrest
2 Pacifism
2 Glare of Heresy
2 Gift of Orzhova
Hope you enjoyed the article I am excited to see how this will turn out and how fast it will go. If you have any comments or questions remember to post in the comment section. Thanks for reading and hope you continue.
-Caleb VanVacter
Twitter- @calebvanvacter
E-mail- Cvanvacter77@gmail.com
2 Detention Sphere
2 Gods Willing
1 Ordeal of Heliod
2 Ordeal of Thassa
2 Pacifism
Sideboard
2 Arrest
2 Gainsay
2 Gift of Orzhova
2 Glare of Heresy
2 Negate
3 Solemn Offering
2 Triton Tactics
In my booster packs I opened Desecration Demon, Gyre Sage, Steam Augury, Renegade Krasis, Ring of Three Wishes, and a foil Treasury Thrull. I also opened a few other cards to adjust the deck but it wasn’t much and I forgot to write it down (try not to let it happen after this article). The tournament had 8 people for three rounds.
Round 1: Esper Midrange/Humans
Once again notes were not great for this first article but I lost this round. My deck is trying its hardest to make one guy hard to kill and my opponent had removal for all of my creatures.
Loss
Round 2: G/R Monsters
In game one of this round I was able to get up to 60 life and my opponent was down as low as 6, but in the end this game lack a reach and ways to get through a stabilized board and after many more turns my opponent finished me off.
Loss
Round 3: Mono Red
This round I was able to get a guy life link or pump up a life linker and my opponent could not keep up and I was able to take the round down.
Win
This tournament was able to give me an idea what the deck can do. The all in strategy was not what you want most of the time and I learned that in round one as he killed all of the creatures. I was also able to learn from round 2 that I need a way to push through a little more damage with evasion. After the tournament I was able to make a trade to improve my deck the trade was my Desecration Demon and Gyre Sage for their 2x Spear of Heliod, Hallowed Fountain, and Daxos of Meletis.
I went to another tournament 2 weeks later so I was +$10 for a total of $68.58 with the packs I bought 2 Theros and 1 Dragon’s Maze plus the entry fee I went - $13 now at $55.58 I was able to open a 3rd Spear of Heliod and another God’s Willing to add to the deck. After the tournament I was able to trade off a newly opened Sire of Insanity for a Seacoast Drake, Bone Scythe Sliver, Gruul Ragebeast, and Trait Doctoring.
Round 1: Mono Red
This was against the same opponent as last time with the same result I was able to race by getting lifelink on one of my creatures and I was off to a good start.
Win
Round 2: Esper Midrange
Once again the same opponent as last time and same results, he was able to remove the creatures that I was able to put out.
Loss
Round 3: BW Midrange
These games were very close and fun, but in the end I feel as though I lost to variance which will happen in Magic. Game one I was able to land a creature on the play early he promptly doom bladed it. I laid another creature he attempted a doom blade, I God’s Willing pro Black, he doom blades again I God’s Willing again, and then he doom blades again to kill it all 4 doom blades in the top 11-12 cards of his deck. After that we are off to the races but Blood Baron in the end wins it for him. Game 2 I was able to suit up a creature and beat him in a race as he was unable to land a Blood Baron. On to Game 3 again variance strikes we are racing and its close then he hits gray merchant, and swing it’s a little but I’m still winning the race. Then another gray merchant now I’m behind in life but might still be able to race. Then incomes a third gray merchant and I’m dead.
Overall this tournament wasn’t as bad as the first I was able to hang with the other decks. The spears where good for me all day, but still no packs. So far I am 2-4 with the deck but could easily be 3-3 which I’m happy with all things considered.
I was unable to make it to a tournament the next week but with the release of Born of the Gods I have more cards to try to find. I was able to make it to the shop though after a couple weeks so I was +$10 to $65.58 then I purchased 12 packs 3 Return to Ravnica, 3 Theros, and 6 Born of the Gods for a total of $31.97 and down to $33.61. While I didn’t open any rares for my deck I was able to open a few commons and uncommons that should help. Also my rares weren’t bad and could make nice trade stock:
My thoughts on where to go with the deck is a white weenie splashing blue for a few cards like detention sphere and skyknight. My current deck list is:
Creatures:
3 Hopeful Eidolon
3 Dryad Militant
1 Soldier of Pantheon
1 Judge’s Familiar
1 Vanguard of Brimaz
1 Battlewise Hoplite
1 Akroan Skyguard
1 Precinct Captain
2 Imposing Sovereign
1 Daxos of Meletis
1 Archetype of Courage
1 Fabled Hero
1 Wingsteed Rider
2 Banisher Priest
3 Lyev Skyknight
Spells:
3 Gods Willing
2 Ethereal Armor
2 Ordeal of Thassa
1 Ordeal of Heliod
1 Dauntless Onslaught
2 Detention Sphere
3 Spear of Heliod
Lands:
12 Plains
5 Island
4 AzoriusGuildgate
2 Hallowed Fountain
Sideboard:
1 Frontline Medic
1 Triton Tactics
1 Last Breath
2 Dauntless Onslaught
2 Revoke Existence
2 Arrest
2 Pacifism
2 Glare of Heresy
2 Gift of Orzhova
Hope you enjoyed the article I am excited to see how this will turn out and how fast it will go. If you have any comments or questions remember to post in the comment section. Thanks for reading and hope you continue.
-Caleb VanVacter
Twitter- @calebvanvacter
E-mail- Cvanvacter77@gmail.com
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