I mentioned I fuse and sell all non-Deception Core cards to collect crypto. For that reason, I am short of flux all the time. Playing different domains in Casual mode can help but what to play if you have no Jaguars, no Tracking Bolts, no Tavern Brawlers - nothing. This is how I started creating a Magic deck of mostly cheap, unpopular cards which I am going to present in this post.
The Deck
Deck code: GU_1_4_IBtIBtICPICPKCwKCwCGECGEBAjBAjCCyCCyIBCIBCKAdCAmCAmCBiCBiIBrIBrKAgKAgKDcKDcCFrCEmCEmHBSHBS
The win rate is around 40-50%. Not much but this is enough for getting level-up packs and flux. When I see things go wrong, I concede immediately - this is Casual, no problem. (But worth mentioning, this Aggro Magic gang sometimes beats quite expensive decks.) The upside is that the deck is much fun. Nobody understands what exactly you are planning 😁 Nobody understands what to await from insidious Volcanic Watcher. A ton of ward frightens people and they sometimes concede early 😁 Fun!
The Idea
1/ Drop as many 1, 2, 3 mana creatures as possible, better starting with Volcanic Watcher.
Its health grows with every dropped creature. After the health is equal to 5, Volcanic Watcher starts getting +1 boost each turn
2/ Give your creatures ward (Phase Touched Golem, Oni) and protected (Undertow Rover), give the gang as much boost as possible (Volcanic Watcher, Stormfield).
Clear the board with Crystal Rain and Defend the Ramparts + Theoretical Thaumaturge, Time-Bomb, Scuttler Sentry.
When you have much boost, hit the face with Epiphany or Flame of the Second Shattering.
Considering many of creatures get ward, Aggro Magic minions can be quit safe and make good damage if the board is controlled.
An unpleasant surprise for Nature - ward, ward, ward...
Beam Sentry breaks ward of the opponent's god - it helps against Mages. It's not weak at all when it gets protected or ward. Rolling Watcher with protected or ward is amazing.
Weakness
To get the most power, you need to drop on the board as many creatures as possible. Then, they buff each other and create critical damage for the opponent's creatures. But this isn't always easy.
Volcanic Watcher in All Its Glory. Vs Relic War
I started recording when I saw Volcanic Watcher was going to make some fun 😀 12 damage with Epiphany!
An Example How Atlanteans Can Control the Board. Vs Zombies
In this vid, you can see the potential - zombies were lucky to get Necroscepter and Rhino at the proper time but could do nothing against Atlanteans.
Surprise Delivery Buffs Volcanic Watcher! :D
An example showing Atlantean Magic can beat aggro decks:
Conclusion
Atlantean Magic isn't far from being competitive. New sets can make this archetype stronger so it might be worth considering a small investment in this archetype.
My collection of meteorite Undertow Rovers. An epic card for which demand might rise one day
The win rate of my budget deck isn't that great but I am sure there are ways to slightly enhance it. Maybe, some cheap Genesis Atlanteans can improve the performance? Or I should choose other Core spells? If you have ideas how to do that, please share in comments.
I like the idea with "Volcanic Watcher" and how it enhances "Epiphany".👍👍👍
Thanks! :) I've uploaded a 1-minute video on Youtube, Volcanic Watcher with boost 9! Health only 6 because the opponent, Mage, hit it with spells but ...hard to kill this guy :)
Is Stormfield good here? Spell boost is usually better with multiple cheap spells like Form of Power and Ancient Texts.
Multiple spells mean I can't have many creatures on the board. If so, less chances to control the board and less chances to get ward and protected boosters. So the whole idea get racked.
The idea is that you drop many Atlantean minions, they give each other ward/protected, they control the board and hit the face (more likely), you give them boost after that and, then, the time for face damage with Epiphany or Flame of the Second Shattering comes.
Sometimes, you even don't need to use Epiphany. My last game in Casual:
Volcanic Watcher had boost 3 (without Stormfield), ward, and protected at this moment and health 8. But I finished the opponent with just minions.
Having fun is one of the reasons why I am playing GU, with that being said, I am going to try this deck of yours.
In Casual better, don't think the deck's performance is enough high for ranked matches.
It might be Magic Atlanteans are Anubians of the next set - already quite diverse and have their own flavor but lack the finishing touch. So, good to learn them in advance.
I will keep that in mind, thanks :)