How to test a new deck

[rasmus_agren@hotmail.com]

Hi!

I wonder if anyone has a good way of testing whether a combo deck might be viable. What I'm looking at is a set of tests against commonly played archetypes. This is for a deck that wins on one given turn and that is immune to creature and graveyard hate. Right now I'm thinking about something like this:

1) He plays a first turn Duress, second turn Hymn. You should win on turn 5

2) He has Stifle and FoW and plays them when it hurts the most. You should win on turn 4

3) He starts with Trinisphere. You should win on turn 5

4) He starts with Chalice@ 1 and/or 2. You should win on turn 5

These are just examples, and I understand that this will never match the real thing. It might, however, be better than goldfishing. Am I too optimistic about when I need to win? Any suggestions?

[mercenarybdu]

Throw it against everything known with a SB particially developed with a few cards off the top of your head.

Play tons of games with it, tally up the w-l-d and then make a few changes here and there to make it a bit better. Then repeat the process until you win more often with it.

[frogboy]

*scratches head* why are you not just playing games?

[Bryant Cook]

I just threw shit at the wall and it stuck.

[Nightmare]

I just threw shit at the wall and it stuck.

Pretty much.

[Jaiminho]

Usually when testing new cards for a deck, I take them to bed, sleep on them and those that stick when I wake up take the slots. Always works.

[Tacosnape]

I just tell good combo players about it and let them do the testing for me, since I suck ass at combo decks not named Solidarity and Counterdoom. Then I go test Aggro and Control decks with the spare time.