Hello all 😊
here is the presentation of the alphastriker !! It is a deck that combine midrange deck strenghts with the archimago's twist !
Deck goal : Delivering a 20dmg strike in one shot the most reliable way possible, around turn 6
Main cards : Critical strike, teleport, 5 power mignons (the 3 pieces of the combo)
Deck concept : With Archimago beeing able to recast a magic, we are going to cast 2 critical strikes in a turn (4 mana) to multiply by 4 the power of a 5 power mignon (pudge, phalanx, amazon), so he can do 20 dmg to the enemy avatar's face.
Strenghts of the deck : massive dmg in on strike prevents the possibility to heal from our opponent (so vampire lifegain, eggs, divine healing are almost useless against this deck). The teleport spell makes it hard to hide from us, and as we teleport, we can summon our important minions far from dangerous positions, keeping them safe for the alpha strike on the following turn. With Vanishment, Fade (with common sense to get one) and treetop hideout to stealth our minion we'll have ways to make it impossible to defend against our strike.
Weaknesses of the deck : heavy minions aggro decks can be a bit tough as we dont carry a lot of mass removal like poison nova and we are not a fortress deck so they have way to deal damage to us, but we have low cost blockers to slow them until the alpha strike. Of course, Gnome hollows, free city and this kind of sites require us to be even more prepared to deal the alpha strike so we'll have to use stealth, pudge to get them out of their site. As the deck relies on 5 power minions, it is also important to summon them at the right place (far from the enemy) to limit chain removal of our minions.
Ideal opening hand : Depends of the match up of course. Ideally, one land surveyor, one apprentice and one piece of the combo (5 power minion/teleport/critical strike) would be cool to keep the draw engine while assembling the rest of the combo.
Ideal set up by turn 6 : in the prior turns, you would have at least one magic spell in your graveyard, a power 5 minion in your back row, and critical strike/teleport in your hand (of course if tons of defender on the enemy's avatar's site, your minion would need stealth, which is not a problem but requires more preparation) so you can play the combo which plays as follow :
Single card discussion :
Philo stone : we often play an air + an earth card per turn, and can help during the combo turn 6 ish to cast common sense/fade + teleport +critical s x2 for only 5/6 mana
Land surveyor : Draw site always good, especially cause it helps us getting a treetop hideout to stealth our minion if needed
Pudge Butcher : 5 power, and shoot to pull the enemy, awesome to get them out of their gnome hollows and other fortress sites
Autumn unicorn : good value, attract removal so less removal on your 5 power minions, and still 16 dmg with the combo as a backup
Amazon Warrior : we play 1 so we can common sense it (as it is ordinary) to make sure we have a 5 power minion aviable to cast.
Dalcean Phalanx : 5 power minion, part of the combo, and cost 4 so can be cast on turn 4, made stealthy on turn 5 prior to combo
Daperyll vampire : the combo with Vampire still deals 16 dmg (4 power x2x2 with critical strike doubled) and as it heals it can also offers us time to set up the combo
Browse : tutor the right answers or part of the combo (re castable with archi if needed)
dispel/fade/firebolt/minor explosion/lightning bolt/bury/grapple shot /heat ray: 1 of each (2 grapple) to get with common sense to answer situations and get finisher after the combo
Critical strike / teleport : the core of the deck, the combo magics
Gigantism : can be used by a wizard to attack and remove almost any enemy minion, or deal damage anywhere the usual way if situation makes it tough to pull up the combo (and replayable with Archi the next turn)
Pendragon Legacy : pay 1 draw 1 and get you one magic in your graveyard to replay more magic spells
(currently trying duel instead of Vanishment) : (give minions stealth before alpha strike if needed (if lot of defenders) and replace itself)
Duel : bypasses gnome hollow, root spider, site that prevent projectile from entering, kind of a dmg doubler too, and a finisher (gonna try it will update after a few games)
Lone/gothic/dark towers : usual mana acceleration
Glastonbury / colour out of space / dual lands /valley of delight : treshold fixing, (triland and colour out of space vulnerable to earthquake of course)
Pebbled path : slow aggro decks
Perilous bridge : slow aggro decks and fortress, giving us time to assemble the combo
Wormelow tump : earth treshold and protect our graveyard from banish graveyard effects
Merlin's wower : air treshold and if played on right turn can allow to cast an extra spell to prepare the combo.
I hope you'll have as much fun as I have playing this and trying to assemble the combo to deal the Alpha strike !!
Huge thanks to @Childe Roland for his help to readjust some cards ;) Go see his decks !
Marco