[Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
I've played around with mostly quick aggro decks, with Affinity and also Neo-Affinity (control varient with quality creatures), and my all time favorite: Armageddon Stax. However, I've never touched a combo deck before, and being a little 'bi-curious', I began with looking at many combo decks: Storms and Sneak Attack, etc. But I've noticed that many rely on cards that give huge red flags to your opponents that are asking to be countered. I then learned about a deck called Ascension, which on paper, looks like a stable deck against Zoo and Control decks, because it abused life and creature combos that those decks were not built to dealt with.
With that in mind, I decided to bring back a deck which was seen multiple times in 2010, and did not really have a name, using a 3 card combo creating infinite life. Before, I use to think combo decks are stupid, one counter throws the whole deck off, right? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, its all about plays and making an all-around deck.
With that being said here is Scepter Life:
This deck's Strengths:
- Resilience - Being able to be disrupted and not take a fall
- Redundancy - Synergy
Sample deck list from Keith McLaughlin, the creator of the concept:
"Dark Life"
3 Nomads en-Kor
1 Shaman en-Kor
3 Daru Spiritualist
3 Task Force
1 Doran, the Siege Tower
4 Shuko
2 Condemn
4 Living Wish
4 Eladamri's Call
4 Duress
1 Thoughtseize
4 Aether Vial
3 Diamond Valley
3 Starlit Sanctum
2 Scrubland
2 Savannah
2 Bayou
3 Horizon Canopy
4 Marsh Flats
4 Windswept Heath
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Mistveil Plains
// Sideboard
1 Diamond Valley
1 Nomads en-Kor
1 Daru Spiritualist
1 Doran the Siege Tower
1 Felidar Sovereign
1 Progenitus
1 Bojuka Bog [1]
2 Thoughtseize
2 Krosan Grip
4 Leyline of the Void
Notice how he splashes green for tutors, I have not yet splashed any colors due to Duel-lands being expensive.
His results:
Quote:
Goblins. A complete auto-win. At GP Philadelphia I played against Goblins on the order of seven or eight times. I don't believe I dropped a single game.
Dredge. Very favorable. I haven't lost a match to Dredge in about eight tries. They'll try to attack your hand with Cabal Therapy, but the deck is so redundant that it usually doesn't matter. The only way you can possibly lose is if you get Iona'd, and that's only if you don't have Living Wish to get Karakas. Leyline after board is extremely strong, since the turns Dredge spends trying to deal with it gives you more than adequate time to combo off.
Zoo. Very favorable. They can definitely take a game from Life in some matches, but they have to be on the play with a very strong hand, likely with multiple copies of Path to Exile.
Merfolk. Favorable. This matchup really depends on their build. Jace, the Mind Sculptor and lists with Swords to Plowshares can be problematic, but both are fairly uncommon.
Enchantress. Favorable. They have no way to stop you from going off and getting Felidar Sovereign.
CounterTop Progenitus. Even. Life definitely wins over half of the games in this matchup, however, it's typically very hard to end the game aside from decking. This means that you almost absolutely have to win game one, otherwise the best you can do is get a draw; there simply isn't enough time to win both games two and three.
ANT. Slightly unfavorable. Although Life is about a turn slower than ANT, they are slightly more vulnerable to hand disruption. A Duress hitting a key element in the ANT player's hand can sometimes be GG. Additionally, it's not too uncommon for ANT to simply kill itself.
43 Land. Unfavorable. This used to be unwinnable for the Land deck, but then they started running Mindslaver. Probably the only way to win game one is to draw both Pithing Needles, stopping Explosives and Mindslaver/Academy Ruins, or to Needle Ruins while Explosives is in the graveyard. In games two and three, an unanswered Leyline is GG.
Reanimator. Untested. I can't imagine this matchup being very difficult. Iona is the only threat that isn't laughable, and a Living Wish even solves that problem.
This deck uses 3 combos that can be utilized with these cards:
[1] Nomads en-Kor, Shaman en-Kor, Shuko, etc.
[2] Daru Spiritualist, Task Force, Angelic Protector, etc.
[3] Diamond Valley, Starlit Sanctum, Worthy Cause, Condemn, Miren, the Moaning Well etc.
[1] targets [2], and [3] is cast to gain life. It's a simple combo, but building the deck can differ from play style.
Here is a primer deck list that I have thought to be reliable:
// Deck file for Magic Workstation
// Lands
4 Starlit Sanctum
11 Plains
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
4 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
// Creatures
4 Daru Spiritualist
4 Nomads en-Kor
1 Shaman en-Kor
4 Mother of Runes
3 Task Force
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
// Spells
3 Shuko
4 Isochron Scepter
4 Condemn
4 Silence
1 Test of Endurance
4 Orim's Chant
3 AEther Vial
Now you see the list, you maybe thinking: Isn't this deck slower than Dark Life? Well yes, in some cases, and in other cases no. What this deck offers is a lock using Silences and Orim's Chants. Both has it's pros and cons.
I don't feel like explaining card choice.
If you would like to add suggestions and perhaps some actual play tests, please leave your insight.
Re: [Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
Cool job...
Oh, and how does the deck win?
Re: [Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Qweerios
Cool job...
Oh, and how does the deck win?
A slow beat down with your mini creatures, or if the game last long, you get Emrakul or Test of Endurance. Mother of runes gives Evasion. But most of the time, players just fold.
Re: [Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Blynx
A slow beat down with your mini creatures, or if the game last long, you get Emrakul or Test of Endurance. Mother of runes gives Evasion. But most of the time, players just fold.
I'd Try a coulpe of Academy Rector to bring Test of endurance and some Rainbow lands to get an Unspeakable Symbol
And why miren over Diamond Valley?
Re: [Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
Re: [Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
Why all the horseshit with scepters? Either win with dudes or play the instant/scepter game and win with fire//ice or something abusive. You'll end up with hands of dudes and scepters and you have no Brainstorm to fix your hand. Also, Cavern of Souls. Aren't they almost all clerics? Rector is a cleric as well. I also think the deck could use Grand Abolisher it basically says, if you don't kill me you might die during my next turn and have no say in it. Barring budget concerns Living Wish, and an actual legacy manabase seems like a winner here also.
I think after gaining infinite life your only real concern is Jace. I don't think you'll win BoM with something like this, but it might be fun to play.
4 Mother of Runes
4 Daru Spiritualist
4 Shaman en-Kor
3 Cavern of Souls
3 Starlit Sanctum
3 Savannah
4 Windswept Heath
3 Plains
3 Marsh Flats
1 Nomad En-Kor
2 Academy Rector
1 Horizon Canopy
3 AEther Vial
4 Grand Abolisher
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sylvan Library
2 Eladamri's Call
1 Forest
1 Test of Endurance
1 Oblivion Ring
3 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Scrubland
4 Living Wish
SB: 1 Cavern of Souls
SB: 1 Diamond Valley
SB: 1 Bojuka Bog
SB: 1 True Believer
SB: 1 Ass Force
SB: 1 Gaddock Teeg
SB: 1 Ethersworn Canonist
SB: 1 Nomad En-Kor
SB: 1 Qasali Pridemage
SB: 1 Doran, the Siege Tower
SB: 4 Leyline of Sanctity
SB: 1 Yixlid Jailer
Re: [Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
Yes, living wish is good here. Even you could run "cepahlid life" which gives you 2 combos for winning.
There's Rainnbow lands mana bases i guess....
Re: [Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nedleeds
SB: 1 Ass Force
?
Re: [Deck] Scepter Life - Infinite life anyone?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Race War
?
I guess Task Force...
