Dune Trio: Cheap FG Farmier

[shiro13]

by shiro13

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There are a lot of dune scorpion decks, but I haven't seen one quite like this.  This is meant to exploit the FGs' disgusting number of cards.  6 dune scorpions, 6 momentums, 6 dimensional shields.  Momentums are fully supported by the gravity mark.  There are a lot of pieces that need to come together, but the hourglasses help, and I've found that it usually works out.  This deck is weak against momentum, poison (because it takes a long time to play and can't really heal) and permanent control, but the hourglasses also work as nice distractions to the AI, while your shields are spared until the end.  Empathy bonds are killers as well.

Plant the neurotoxin seed and then throw up those shields and wait.  Eternity slows down FG's draws while at the same time forcing it to replay the same cards, thus adding to the poison counter.  Lobotomizer would be nice as well, I just haven't won one yet.

Stats: with 100 FG games, I won just under 20%.  It will usually crush Destiny, Incarnate, Lionheart, and Neptune.  I managed an odd win against Morte, Gemini, Ellidnis, and Serket, but they're very tough.  Note that I ended up with more than shown above upped, but the benefits beyond the hourglasses are modest.  I haven't tried, but I bet you could pull off at least a 10% win rate completely unupped, provided you have the cash to burn through to wait out that first spin win.

Some specific strategies:

Incarnate: No rush to shield here.  Despite being darkness, he's got no steals and no siphons, so you're safe as long as those shields are up.  Land that neurotoxin, keep the DS chain going, and you're golden.
Neptune: Same as Incarnate, he's all creature control, but all you need is that first hit.  Delay the shields (but don't cut it so close that he can shockwave you to death).
Lionheart: Also no permanent control.  Watch him pile up the hourglasses and rack up the damage.
Paradox: Miracles will prolong the game, but by that time the poison counter is going to be so high you'll burn through 200 hit points in a few turns.  Nothing more satisfying that 60+ points of neurotoxin damage.
Harder FGs Strategies:

Gemini: If you manage to get past his momentums (he won't always draw them, and an early Eternity can negate them), don't keep playing scorpions.  Your first scorpion(s) will get lobotomized.  Later ones might get Alternate Reality, which would be a killer for you (I found out the hard way).
Serket: Definitely beatable, but you need an early shield.  Otherwise you'll get slammed with poison and no way to heal except a couple of black holes.
Comments?  If anyone wants to try this completely unupped, I'd be very curious how it works out!

[ralouf]

As you mentionned in title this deck is a trio. SO WHY did you posted it in duo deck ?
Then a 40+ cards deck need 6 hourglass ! not less. also black hole and PU are useless and I feel like you will lack of time quanta.

[JonathanCrazyJ]

ok... aside from the fact it's in the wrong section, it seems like a decent-ish idea for a cheap unupped FG deck. what i would suggest is:

locate the main cards of your combo:

dune scorpion- your win condition
momentum- needed for dunes, more effective than blessing.
phase shield- stall.
1 eternity- guard against deckout.

once you have identified your strategy cards, you want a QI that is as close as possible to 5 (generally) You also, especially as it is a combo deck, want to make it as streamlined as possible. Once it is as streamlined as possible, then consider whether hourglasses will give you a better deal.

So, you can instantly take out the BH and PU. They are just cluttering your hand.

ok. To run 6 dim shields you want 7-8 aether pillars at most.
to run 6 scorps and an eternity, you need 6-7 pillars.
now... running the momentms off the mark will be slow. and you want that 1st poison hit ASAP. You could consider Nova. its a great set-up card, but i think as you are only targeting FGs which will be stopped completely by dim shield it doesnt matter as much if you dont get a poison till turn 3.
So... what i would suggest is something like:

by jonathancrazyj

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EDIT: lol i seem to have changed my mind mid sentence about momentum of the mark. I did decide in the end that it was the most reliable way of doing things, as 3 0 quanta cost card types would screw a bit with the auto mulligan

[shiro13]

Ah, apologies, newb error...I don't know why I thought I remembered seeing Duo and Trio grouped together, and I didn't think about it. 

Interesting suggestion, streamlining out the HG's, though.   BH and PU have saved me on an occasion or two, but arguably that could be because I was too slow to draw a good hand.  Also a little nervous about losing the HG's as pure decoys.  But mostly, HG's have been essential to fast-forward through my deck and get my next shield in hand.  If those shields get stuck at the end, I'm screwed.  But I'll try it and report back.

[JonathanCrazyJ]

the reason you probably needed the HGs to get to your shields is because the deck was so big they were much more spread out. Generally 6 dims in a 30 card deck will be fine without HGs, hence mono aether.
I dont argue that BH and PU are good cards, but they are effectively good cards, from a different deck, in this one they are just strange and unneccessary, and drawing them means you arn't drawing something that IS part of the combo.

[shiro13]

I agree with taking out PU and BH and streamlining a bit, but I've settled on a compromise.  I tried out your version and I just wasn't drawing those dims consistently enough.  Against FG's, just one turn unprotected is a death sentence.  Adding two HGs made a big difference.  Also added some quantum.  I rarely draw too much quantum in the beginning and still find myself without either time or aether occasionally.  (Yes, you'll end up with a surplus of aether later in the game, but the opening is key.)  Here's my new deck.  Some extra upped cards in there, not strictly necessary.

by shiro13

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Add Miracle to the list of easily beatable FGs.  And with an early Eternity, I found I can often take out Gemini as well.

[JonathanCrazyJ]

you want to up the pillars before upping much else, things go quicker when you get that extra quanta in early game.
This version does look better than your original though, gj.

[furballdn]

I don't see the point of the black hole or parallel universe. I also do believe that you have way more pillars than you need.

[SilverHearts]

You should pull out the PU, and put another Hourglass in.