Adrenalized Rays (featuring Leaf and Jade Dragons)

[Shadow4jx]

Edit: I swapped a single Jade Staff for Improved Miracle, just for a little extra umph.

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I was poking around the Elements forum in search of a deck that utilizes Leaf Dragons. I found a few that seemed interesting, but none of them really utilized the Adrenaline-Ray combo (to my knowledge: point me in that direction if you know of one). I am not exactly sure if this version is faster, but it generates a huge amount of quanta. I realize that this deck is out sped by many respectable rushes, but I really like Leaf Dragons... don't you? I don't have actual statistics on this deck, but it seems to work against AI4 more often than not. I honestly want to bring this to PVP, and try this in the arena. If others are willing to post actual statistics on this deck, go right ahead.

Breaking down how it actually works, it seems obvious. There is another choice, which is why I decided to use Feral Bonds, rather than SoG or Heal. Leaf Dragons and Rays are vulnerable, so I thought... why not use Mitosis on more than just Jade Dragons? Using them on Leaf Dragons or even Rays can increase livability more than I had expected. Not only can you boost your Feral Bonds for little to no quanta (not really an issue though at a certain point), you can also increase your quanta production or produce more Leaf Dragons.

I also found that using Adrenaline when facing a Turtle Shield, or other creature stalling cards, can be very handy. There may be even more synergies that I haven't found yet, or certain cards that will give you more options in this deck (I thought about adding a Miracle, or different healing cards, but I am not sure if they, or any others, are better healing cards for this specific scenario).

There is one more thing that is beautiful about this deck that I noticed after a few rounds (which is probably obvious to those who know the mechanics of the cards better). You will always start out with at least one Ray, because there are no towers or pendulums. You can run this deck fine with just one starting Ray, as long as you can Adrenaline it quick.

I hope others enjoy this as much as I do! I am sure I am not the first to come up with the idea, but I wonder if the 4x quanta production trick can be used effectively in any other type of deck...

The original deck that inspired the idea:

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[dawn to dusk]

Since you only need one to be effective, I tend to prefer using less Leaf Dragons in my decks of that nature. It would be better to replace it with sustain like Miracle, or more damage like Morning Glory. Neither of which would pose too much of a hindrance due to how much light quanta you will be producing

[Shadow4jx]

I just wanted to make sure that I would have at least one in my starting hand. Good point though. I will mess around with that.

[Sera]

Or you can still keep 6 because the deck just dies if the rustlers get cced.

[Shadow4jx]

This is also very true. It could be modified based on how lucky you feel on that day, I guess.

[andretimpa]

If you have any I think Green Nymph would work great here.

[Shadow4jx]

Good point, except getting the adrenaline out at the very beginning is kind of crucial. Would I just replace one adrenaline with a nymph? What would you suggest?

[omegareaper7]

Good point, except getting the adrenaline out at the very beginning is kind of crucial. Would I just replace one adrenaline with a nymph? What would you suggest?

Ditching bonds probably. You are going to be pumping out a lot of damage, the healing probably won't be doing to much.

[Ginyu]

As someone who tried this archetype before:

1) Keep Rustlers at 6 copies. I would probably run even more if I could. Having one early is key, and having it killed without an instant replacement is game over.
2) Your Feral Bonds won't do enough healing as Mitosis is a low speed creature generator. Shard of Gratitude simply outclasses Bonds in lots of decks, and this one likes having 5 instant healing for lower cost. You should not take them out for other cards, though - you need additional healing to pull off your combo vs. faster decks.
3) You want Epi to hit early, using Nymphs instead will slow the deck down too much. Your high piles of are reserved for Dragons; and those high piles only come with an early Epi-RoL.
4) A lone Miracle can work wonders, I would replace a Jade Staff for it.
5) Morning Glory has no use here. It effectively kills 10 , does not pack healing, and your dragons have more than enough damage to burst.

Overall, good deck you built there. Nice to see other players brewing around with Rustlers.

[Monox D. I-Fly]

Is it better if the Leaf Dragon is played only if there is no other Leaf Dragon on your field already? Just in case they got CC'ed.

[Shadow4jx]

It depends on the deck you are facing. Usually, you want as many creatures on the field as possible (with empathic bond), but if you think the deck you are up against had a good amount of cc, leave at least one in your hand. The issue is... You still have to wait a turn before you can use the photosynthesis ability. I found that this deck just gets destroyed by any good cc deck. It is inevitable, with a creature dependent combo. Maybe there is a way you can make this deck a little safer. I am not sure. Play around with that if you want.

[Monox D. I-Fly]

It depends on the deck you are facing. Usually, you want as many creatures on the field as possible (with empathic bond), but if you think the deck you are up against had a good amount of cc, leave at least one in your hand. The issue is... You still have to wait a turn before you can use the photosynthesis ability. I found that this deck just gets destroyed by any good cc deck. It is inevitable, with a creature dependent combo. Maybe there is a way you can make this deck a little safer. I am not sure. Play around with that if you want.