Despair

[Unholy Spirit]

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This is an extensive guide for my modification of the popular "RoL/Hope" deck, the Despair deck. I find that it is more effective than most "RoL/Hope" decks.

Index

Chapter One: Common Changes
Variations of cards that can be used with this deck

Chapter Two: How Appropriate
Reasons for adding Steal to this deck

Chapter Three: Additional Modifications
Reasons for everything else about the deck

Chapter Four: Upgrade Order
Recommended order of upgrading the cards in this deck

Chapter Five: Deck Strategy
Tips when using Steal

Notes

Chapter One
Common Changes
Card Variations

Following is a list of recommended changes, in order of common preferences, that could be made to this deck because of personal preference, or if you are lacking in specific cards.

Cards that can be dropped (in order of common preference):
Quantum Tower
Light Nymph†‡
Shard of Gratitude
Aether Tower

Cards that should be added in their place (in order of common preference):
Aether Tower
Light Nymph
Shard of Gratitude
Steal
Light Dragon†

† It's recommended to use a Light Nymph if you have one, and only to use two Light Dragons if you don't have a Light Nymph

‡ For those who do not have a Light Nymph, it wouldn't be recommended to use Luciferase in its place. It can be useful, but the versatility provided by Steal can counteract some situations in which Liciferase might be used (which there aren't all that many of); for instance, when facing an enemy Electrocutor (which could very well happen if an enemy steals yours). The deck is low on room, and there are better things to use.

Chapter Two
How Appropriate
Explanation: Steal

Following are my reasons for using a Mark of Darkness and adding in Steal.

Firstly, the "RoL/Hope" deck has absolutely no permanent control. Although it manages to do relatively well sans any kind of permanent control, it is certainly a weakness that should be avoided if possible. For instance, most people would have auto-quit against any False God with Fire Buckler, as the shield completely devastates the "RoL/Hope" deck. With the Despair deck, this isn't at all necessary (though you should probably still auto-quit against Octane unless your hand is excellent and his is terrible), especially if you get Steal in your opening hand. Steal is the best spell in the game for permanent control, and it goes very well with this deck overall.

Secondly, while a Mark of either Aether or Light may certainly add a little bit to the speed of the deck, both of those marks are ultimately unnecessary.  Fractal consumes any extra Aether quanta left, and an extra quantum of Light each turn isn't ultimately useful alongside all of the Light that your creatures will be generating. A bit of extra speed is great. Steal is better. Additionally, with many recent changes to the usual play-style, specific quanta is becoming more and more unnecessary. When you're using Shards or getting chewed out by Pests or a Discord, Dark quanta is just as good as Aether or Light quanta. In this way, its uses go beyond fueling the two copies of Steal in the deck.

And finally, Steal, while also providing permanent control, also can combine quite nicely with the Quantum Tower (which is there partly to protect your quanta from Pests) and Fractal.  It is especially effective since there are two copies of Steal in a small and stall-based deck; stolen permanents can often be used in tandem with one another.

Keep in mind too, that various commonly used permanents can work well with this deck, and thus would be great targets to steal. Feral Bond, for example, would be one of the best permanents to target, and can help you to claim more Elemental Mastery bonuses. Taking enemy equipment can be a very useful tactic to prevent them from using their weapons or shields (in fact, the extra copies of Hope in your hand can be useful here, if you want to destroy the enemy's shield while retaining your Hope), but the enemy's equipment can also be used against them fairly easily.

Chapter Three
Additional Modifications
Reason: Other Changes

While the strategy is quite a bit different from that of the most commonly used "RoL/Hope" deck, many of the cards are the same, especially as the ones used in the "Twin Light Nymphs" variation. Following are my reasons for any of these additional changes, in order of most disputed cards.

Quantum Tower – Some decks, such as "unionruler's RoL/Hope" have this addition for Pest or Discord control.  It's doubly effective for this deck, because of Steal, and because it's a "trio-deck".

Hope – Some decks use non-upgraded copies; some decks use upgraded copies. Some decks, like mine, use mixed ratios.  While both the non-upgraded and the upgraded copies have their benefits, I find that it is generally best to include a mixed ratio.  That way, if you draw both types (which isn't at all unlikely in such a small, stall-based deck), you can gain the best of both worlds, so to speak. You can also do this if you draw the non-upgaded version first, allowing you to potentially put up your defenses sooner, and then in later game, draw the upgraded version and, well, "upgrade" your shield if necessary.

Light Nymph – It is sometimes recommended by others to take two of these, to help counteract the effects of lobotomizing enemies and because they're quite handy. I used one here for versatility's sake, as it can be used as a cheaper means for a fairly powerful swarm, or it can provide more defense through use in tandem with Light Dragons and Hope. I have more ways of dealing with lobotomizing enemies in this deck, so two copies was quite unnecessary. But I was mostly just low on space.

Chapter Four
Upgrade Order
Tips: Upgrading

Following is the order that one should upgrade their cards in, if they have a non-upgraded version of the deck.

1. Ray of Light
2. Ray of Light
3. Ray of Light
4. Ray of Light
5. Ray of Light
6. Ray of Light†
7. Shard of Gratitude
8. Shard of Gratitude
9. Shard of Gratitude
10. Light Dragon
11. Aether Tower
12. Electrocutor
13. Aether Tower
14. Light Nymph
15. Aether Tower
16. Aether Tower
17. Electrocutor
18. Aether Tower
19. Improved Steal
20. Aether Tower
21. Quantum Tower
22. Aether Tower
23. Fractal
24. Fractal
25. Improved Steal
26. Fractal
27. Fractal
28. Hope‡
29. Hope
30. Hope

† The deck is now officially usable (albeit quite bad). It still remains high priority to upgrade at least a couple Shards (green) into Shards of Gratitude. Do not add non-upgraded Shards. That would be quite stupid.

‡ Hope is a fairly optional matter.  You could leave it at three copies, non-upgraded, or upgrade all three copies. I would recommend a mix. 2:1, upgraded to non-upgraded, in this case, but 1:2 also works.

Chapter Five
Deck Strategy
Tips: Stealing

Strategy here should really be self-explanatory. It isn't that different from that of the normal "RoL/Hope" deck, with the exception of Steal, of course, which is a relatively simple card. When it comes to stealing, I would recommend that you know your enemy. If you're up against an enemy that uses a specifically irritating or devastating card (especially if you can use this card against them once you steal it), I would normally save at least one copy of Steal to use when they play their card. Examples of generally good cards to steal include Feral Bond, Inundation (to destroy it), Shard of Gratitude (in PvP or Top 50), and even Boneyard (usually only if you have a Light Nymph) or Electrum Hourglass. Enemy shields are also usually very annoying, especially in the case of Fire Buckler, Turtle Shield, and Permafrost Shield. From a purely offensive standpoint, any shield that protects against damage might be good to get rid of if you know or suspect that your opponent doesn't have another one, as Rays of Light will usually deal quite a bit of damage if unhampered.

Notes

- This deck was designed to fight against False Gods.

- It would be pointless to ask me for statistics, because I don't really do those. Try it out for yourself. Or just believe me when I say that it's effective.

- This deck's name is obviously in reference to the opposite or "dark side" of hope, or what is left when one's hope is stolen away.

- This deck is also known as the Desire deck.  Obviously in reference to the corrupted side of hope, compelling one to steal.

- Yes, the name of chapter two is totally a pun. A double pun, actually. I'd like to see you pull off one of them.

- A Fire version of this deck can be created, using a Mark of Fire, Explosions and perhaps a Rain of Fire (or some other decent Fire card, because Explosions are cheap and you'll have Fire quanta left over).  It'll never be as cool as this one, but here it is.

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- Decks like these can be made using various other elements. While they would still lack permanent control, they would make use of the fact that a Mark of Aether isn't ultimately necessary to the deck. These sorts of decks can be useful if you wanted or needed to make a deck using a specific Mark. Seriously, though. They're not very good. The Trust deck, made with a Mark of Time, follows.

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- The creator's name is Freyr. Not Unholy Spirit.

- Links to my other decks can be found at my profile. They're all masterfully built decks.

- I use daggers (obelisks) instead of asterisks. The dagger is clearly superior.

- I realize that there are several reasons why I should have posted this in an already existing RoL/Hope deck thread. Anybody that comments about how I should have done that obviously doesn't realize the several reasons that compelled me to start my own thread. They also probably don't know how to read. And although I realize that having idiots comment about how I should have done this or that would raise the "popularity" of this thread, I think I would prefer to keep the idiocy here to a minimum. If at all possible.

[saguaro]

Very intresting.
I'll try it now...  with some difference, at the moment.

I don't have the nymph so i'll use luciferine;
My steals aren't improved;
I use unupgradet hope;
I'll try 1 SoG less to put in 1 more eather tower;

I'll give back my impression after some match

[Unholy Spirit]

This deck should be better than most "RoL/Hope" decks. I talked with unionruler, and even he admitted that my deck would probably have a higher win rate than his. He'll try it out when he's back from his holiday. The deck is at least on par with his, and it does add an interesting element. So to speak. I personally wouldn't use Luciferin or Luciferase; the defense against Lobotomizing is slightly less useful here because of the versatility added because of Steal. It can be a handy card, for sure, but there's just not enough room. If you don't have a Light Nymph, I would use two copies of Light Dragon. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get a second copy of Electrocutor in there, either.

[lava golem]

while there might be a bit more permanent control, there is only one electrocutor, which greatly reduces the chances of winning, FG's like Osiris, FFQ, Elidnis. I use this FG farming deck but with 3 electrocutors, even if I don't get any it still increases the chance of drawing one. Maybe if you wanted speed you would take out the quantum tower since it only is useful against Decay and maybe mutations but if you get ROLs out and they manage to survive, then decay fractals those instead of pests. I like the concept of more permanent control, but if you have to take out electrocutors to do that, I wouldn't go for it. Basically, this deck is kinda autoquit to Osiris, FFQ, Destiny, Elidnis, Gemini, Morte and others because of drawing the electrocutor on the first few turns is rare, and if it gets stolen (Decay) then you have no backup. While you have to almost
autoquit to a lot of FGs, this only increases the chances of winning other ones by a bit, 2 steals, Ferox has around 10 Feral bonds Octane has like 8 unstable gases...

I'm sure someone has made this deck but I use this:

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I'm not saying your despair deck is bad, (I like the name, Stealing hopes=despair  ) Just saying different decks have different weaknesses and strong points.

[Unholy Spirit]

And I agree. I didn't take out the extra copies of Electrocutor for Steal. I took them out because I deemed them unnecessary. I think that auto-quitting so many battles really hurts one's score, and that it should be avoided, at least at that degree. Adding a second copy of Electrocutor is probably the best change you could make to the deck. I've added a "Common Changes" section, in which I listed Electrocutor as the most commonly preferred change.  You could take out the Quantum Tower, the Light Nymph (or for those who don't have it, simply use a second copy of Electrocutor instead of the Nymph), a Shard of Gratitude, or an Aether Tower for the second Electrocutor. I have the Quantum Tower there for various reasons. Partly because unionruler suggested it to me, as the only change he would make to my deck sans trial.

[bigbadbanana]

I like this deck a lot, but this needs to be moved to FG killer decks.

[Unholy Spirit]

You know, I could not agree more.  Still trying to get that to happen.

[finkel]

Hmmm...Definitely need at least 2 electrocuters. I'll try it without the quantum tower and light nymph and instead with a couple more electrocuters.

[Unholy Spirit]

I agree, but there is an issue with space. I do like the Quantum Tower for a few reasons, but it would be one of the first to go. I might try the deck with only two Shards of Gratitude. It is already a very defensive deck, and the original "RoL/Hope" didn't even have any. I did list the second Electrocutor as the most commonly preferred change to the deck, though. 

I think I'll take out a Shard of Gratitude from the deck recipe for now, at least.

[sSethia]

I think Deflagration is a better alternative to steal.

First of all, it's definitely cheaper.

Secondly, let's say you're fighting Hermes. You get your setup out, you're doing pretty well. Suddenly he throws out a Fire Buckler. If you had steals, you would have to steal the Fire Buckler, and it would take the place of your Hope. If you didn't have another Hope and 7 , you would've taken a LOT of damage since this deck doesn't have much creature contorl.

[Unholy Spirit]

I don't know about it being better. I understand your reasoning.

For one, cost isn't too much of an issue.  One Fire Quanta every turn for 2-3 copies of Explosion in your entire deck is overkill.  Cost only really matters in the first couple of turns, and even if they get a good permanent out in that time (which is unlikely to happen in the first two turns), it usually won't have much of an effect until later.  For example, Feral Bond, or most weapons and shields.

And yes, sometimes taking their permanent from them can be more of a hindrance than a help. In the case of shields, mostly.  I find most situations to be quite the opposite of what you're saying.  Stealing their shields gives use to the extra copies of Hope that is probably in your hand, since you have three in your deck and only really need one.  And that isn't an optimistic view or anything.

From a theoretical standpoint, what you're saying does make sense, under the right conditions. But I find that in practice, using Steal over Explosion has benefits that outweigh its downsides.

Either way, I've added a Fire version of the deck to the part of my notes that already said that a Fire version could be made.

[philipsballs]

i agree with finkle it does definetly need more electrocutors