Mill Strategy?

[ManectricMan]

No matter what game I play Mill has always ended up as the strategy I've most liked to use. However, in this game, with the lack of a graveyard, milling even one card would require a massive cost for an effect that would be too weak to use as the backbone of a deck. So besides 60-card Stall decks and endless bounce loops, how can Deckout find it's way into Elements without becoming something that ruins the game? I have a few ideas.

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Forced Drawing
Strengths: Can win on your own turn, under your control.
Weaknesses: Will only apply when your opponent has a fair number of empty spaces in their hand. Computer opponents may not realize the strategy and regularly empty their hand, but odds are PVP players will realize it and simply keep their hand at 7 cards to minimize effectiveness.
Thought of?: Yes. There's a couple cards in the Crucible and Forge that fit the criteria.
Example:
Age Elemental
6 (5 )
Creature
0/2
Your opponent draws a card at the end of your turn. If they have a playable card in their hand, they play it.

Strangely, that one might belong in Entropy, given the last effect (which was implemented to offer some sort of reliability). I believe that a card like that would have some kind of balance, shift into some CC that would end up wiping it out, or simply bring out their trump for them. But with a few on the field, it should offer some reliable mill without breaking the game. The one thing that worries me is the havoc it could wreak with Fractal (OOOH, I hate that phrase...><)


Transferring Cards into Counters
Strengths: If cards were transferred into counters that are put on cards, then Deckout could be a relatively fast-average speed strategy, while providing a clear counter.
Weaknesses: The counters would have to represent individual cards, which would be programming hell. When the permanent is destroyed, of course, the cards would have to return to the opponent's deck.
Thought of?: Unless someone takes the idea I had in the "Steal My Idea" section, no. XD
Example:
Old Memories
8
Permanent
Add a random card from your opponent's deck to this one (max. 15). If this card is destroyed, will they remember what they lost...?

This one would offer reliable deck-thinning, while offering a clear, concise way to counter the strategy. With Deflags in most, if not all Rainbow decks, this card might end up being under-powered, but that's not exactly bad for a young strategy in a game, no? Anyway, the cards would be kept track of through use of counters that appear on the card, and I think that the cards transferred would be visible by hovering the mouse over it.


Raw Destruction
Strengths: Would be hands-down the most powerful strategy.
Weaknesses: Besides having to have stupidly high costs for cards, a probable reaction from the community similar to the first Dune Scorpion, and the fact that this would synergize with stall cards flawlessly? Not much. X3
Thought of?: Of course. Although not usually Earth Element, and all have been turned down (except for Hieroglyph).
Example:
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18678.0.html (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18678.0.html)



Obviously, these are only ideas. I'd love to hear comments, criticism, and possible ideas.

[OldTrees]

Good Opening Post
+44rep

I like your examination of Forced Draw and Standard Mill (counter mill is temporary and not likely to be viable).

Standard Mill is more likely to be  than  in my mind. Earth deals the physical but the Deck seems to represent the mind of the Elemental to me.

[DevilLoss]

ive been really getting into stalls lately and i would love too see deckout be more viable it be awsome . also i like the time thing being reversed where its forced draws that would help so much becuase there times where im just a turn or to from decking my opposistion out and then bam he wins by one turn forcing him to draw those last couple cards would be great. also what about light or life elements for stalling i like water potential to stall earth already has great stalling but besides time and water what are your thoughts on gravity aether and life/light?

[LongDono]

I was jsut thinking that elements needed something like this.
I for one think Time is the element that could make this the most fun. Reverse time a card that is annoying and then mill your opponets deck. It could make Reverse time a perma CC, however it would slow the milling.

[ManectricMan]

Good Opening Post
+44rep

I like your examination of Forced Draw and Standard Mill (counter mill is temporary and not likely to be viable).

Standard Mill is more likely to be  than  in my mind. Earth deals the physical but the Deck seems to represent the mind of the Elemental to me.

Thank you! ^^ And I do agree. In retrospect, Earth has far better potential in stalling and defense than mill. Good combo with Time-Mill, at least, should it be made. And about Counter-Mill, you're probably right. The only advantage I can see is that it would allow for faster cards. However, with the amount of usable PC in the game, and the fact Sanctuary is slowly seeing more play, it wouldn't really make that big of a "splash".

ive been really getting into stalls lately and i would love too see deckout be more viable it be awsome . also i like the time thing being reversed where its forced draws that would help so much becuase there times where im just a turn or to from decking my opposistion out and then bam he wins by one turn forcing him to draw those last couple cards would be great. also what about light or life elements for stalling i like water potential to stall earth already has great stalling but besides time and water what are your thoughts on gravity aether and life/light?

It's always nice to meet another player who watches the deck instead of the life bar. ^^

As for the elements, Light is similar to Earth, being very good with Stall, but not really making much sense mill-wise unless it's as a secondary color for some added protection. Gravity is a possibility, but only if the deck is considered a physical thing and not part of the mind, as Oldtrees said. Aether, again, is where some of the best stall decks originate, yet Mill seems unlikely. As for Life...well...while I do believe it should have a buff of some kind (not an obscene one, just to make mono-Life a bit more viable), I doubt that it fits deck destruction, at least flavor-wise. So while most of those elements do seem to be very good secondary elements in a mill deck, I personally can't see them ending up as the originators of Mill.

I was jsut thinking that elements needed something like this.
I for one think Time is the element that could make this the most fun. Reverse time a card that is annoying and then mill your opponets deck. It could make Reverse time a perma CC, however it would slow the milling.

That's actually quite a good point. And at the same time, I've seen that it's one of the main reasons the community shuns the idea. Instant death is BARELY tolerated even with combos and outright shunned with single cards. I think that's why it would be hard to get people who WON'T use a mill deck to agree that it should have at least a small part of the game (not to mention, it would be a new challenge to fight a False God that tries to deck you out).


PS: I posted a couple cards that act as models for each one in the first post. They only represent concepts, so they aren't true cards I'm hoping to see; merely an example of what I think would be a good thing to start this strategy off with.