[MTGO] 'Paradoxical Storm' Deck in Action, Part 1.

/ article in construction. /


Duel 1/3.



Lost this duel, because i've underestimated the combination of Painter's Servant with Grindstone.

Should destroy these when i could, by counterspelling the Pyroblast's response to my By Force spell. Could do it with Force of Will.


Duel 2/3.



Some interaction, artifact mass destruction, and when things started to look grim, won by a combination of Time Vault with Future Sight-ed Voltaic Key.


Duel 3/3.



Opened with Duress that removed Time Walk from opponent's hand.

Soon after played some mana artifacts, then won by casting Tezzeret the Seeker, bringing & untapping the Time Vault.

Defended him twice against Pyroblast, each time with the Force of Will.

[MTGO] 'Paradoxical Storm' Deck Solitaire, Part 1.

/ article in construction. /




... a victory by using a Braingeyser spell to exhaust opponent's library.

[MTGO] 'Paradoxical Storm', a Deck.

/ article under construction. /

 

This is a very fast vintage combo deck.

Can win in 1-3 turns, or occasionally a little later, depending on a starting hand.

When played with skill, it can compete in leagues & tournaments in the vintage constructed format.

... i am far from playing it skillfully, however - and league or tournament entrance costs money - so i'll skip for now.


Noteworthy Combinations:

Paradox Engine + Artifacts + Paradoxical Outcome: a Lot of mana, a Lot of Cards Draw,

Mana Artifacts + Paradoxical Outcome + Tendrils of Agony + other cards to build-up Storm: a victory by a Storm Life Drain,

Time Vault + Voltaic Key / Paradox Engine and Tezzeret also work /: Local Timestream Domination - Infinite Extra Turns,

Tezzeret the Seeker + Artifacts: a Victory by a Numerous 5/5 Artifact Creature Attack.


Other notable mentions:

Future Sight + Sensei's Divining Top - good card draw. Even better with fetch lands as Scalding Tarn.

Force of Will is a good interaction - counterspell protecting against fast combo wins, evwn in 1st turn before playing a mana source. It can protects from artifact removal or other permanent removal as well.

 

[MTGO, STORY] Weatherlight.

/ article in construction. /


... a part of 'Vault Guardians' Deck,

... a tribute to Hannah Nydahl, Lama Ole Nydahl's wife - who guided Buddhism to Greatness in the Modern West, when she lived.

... Buddhism and Church are - by Lama Ole Nydahl's words - two boats that travel by each other for a while, then depart to different destinations.


... 'Vault Guardians' Deck contains most holy ideas from a Buddhist perspective - there's Enligtenment, Meditation, Pondering, Pacifism, Tutoring, Monks and more. White Magick of Light, Blue Magick of Mind, a little of Red Flames of Love, a little of Green Holistic Wisdom and Nature. No Black Magick in this deck. But what makes magick black? It's most importantly intentions.


... in this tale monks and soldiers should travel on board of the sky ship 'Weatherlight', find ancient artifacts, spells and clues that will grant Attentus and Liliana the power of 'Paradoxical Storm'.


   

[MTGO] 'Go Wild & Rural', a Deck.

/ article in construction. /




This is a tribute to the Art-cliche of a Villager - Werewolf idea.

Wolves used to endanger livestock so villagers used to hunt wolves.

Forests were scary, full of wolves and other wild beasts, so young male villagers often styled themselves as wolf-men, to be more mean, manly, intimidating and handsome in women's eyes.

... i think this led to tales of werewolves living at villages' outskirts.

Perhaps a worst source of mana in this deck is a swampy forest wilds of a Bayou, still useful in summoning a Creakwood Liege.

In this deck ideas of villages and wilds are intertwined, with a little hint of a town-gossip-and-rabble as well.

This complements and opposes a cliche of an aristocrat-vampire, that feasts upon villager's work and lifeblood.

Villagers and Peasants used to toil at fields, living according to whims of weather and seasonal changes, their lives was endangered not only by a bad weather ruining their crops, but also by bandits, cruel aristocrats with their laws & taxes, as well as by wild beasts and other horrors of the woods.

Occasionally a warrior settled in a village, and turned his life by sword to plowing the fields.

 

[MTGO] 'Vault Guardians' Deck in Action, Part 2.

Duel 1/1.




Story.

As roads did unravel, Liliana, Attentus & Nasturtium travelled ... and looked for local myths & tales.

In one village they heard about the Weatherlight - flying ship hidden in one of the sea-caves along the shoreline.

Deciding to check the tale, they were noticed by Vlad, a Planeswalker & Psychic Vampyr who chose to challenge them.

Attentus' Mind was attacked by Vlad, who sent torments and denied Attentus his spells.

A few weeks of nausea & travel, of pains and emptiness in mind ensued.

Considering other planeswalkers, Attentus had quite Iron Will, as his Mind was considered. He patiently endured mind torture looking for opportunity to dominate local time-streams.

... Liliana did what she could to ease her consort's pains - and one day Tezzeret the Seeker, a Planeswalker Ally of Attentus and Liliana - answered Attentus' call. He brought with himself trinket that gave Attentus, Liliana and Nasturtium access to the Time Vault.

Vlad tried to avert the inevitable by constructing Nevinyrral's Disk, powerful artifact of destruction - but this came too late to save him, as Tezzeret sent consciousness-fragment with an override-sequence to the Time Vault, securing the Local Timestream Domination before Nevinyrral's Disk could turn the battlefield to a land of dust.

[MTGO] 'Vault Guardians' Deck in Action, Part 1.

Duel 1/1.




Story.

As they went along shores, Attentus, Liliana & Nasturtium transgressed a forest that another plainswalker claimed as his own mana source.

A short duel ensued, Attentus gathered power quickly and summoned Transcendent Master, Silver Stream and two soldiers as an escort.

A shaman opposed Silver Stream, and was quickly defeated.

Enemy Plainswalker retreated from the duel as he wasn't prepared for this encounter.

Attentus, Lily & Nasturtium let him escape alive - and left his land as well, preferring to go around contested territory.

A little of delay was better than creating enemies wherever they walked, afterall.

[MTGO] 'Vault Guardians' Deck Solitaire, Part 2.

Solitaire.




Story.

Travelling across shores, Attentus, Lilly & Nasturtium continued their training maneuvers.

They quickly found advantageous conditions for the time vault access, and voltaic key's construction.

They focused on dominating the local time streams, and maitaining the control.

... it was tricky & elusive endeavour, they were not sure if they succeeded - when they walked with their presence manifesting across multiple realities, everything seemed hazy, sleepy dream. Silvery energies of time streams they travelled superimposed with a plains & isles landscapes in slow motion.

Summoning escort in these conditions increased the challenge - focusing on a spellcasting is one thing, but casting while maitaining other challenging spells, while tapping on time vault's qualities was even more difficult.

As in a dream, they called upon services of the Mark's Monks - of Cornelia and her Spiritual Teacher, Silent Stream, Transcendent Master.

Silent Stream was impressed with a dream-walking experience of the maneuvers, he participated in, and signed agreement with Attentus & Lilly to come when needed for a price.

After a little more than a week of challenging realities, of adjustment to a new ways, of tactical maneuvers within the silvery time stream advantage, they concluded that part of the training.

They gifted monks with a modest payment and let them go their ways.

Their quiet and nice company will be missed for a while.

[MTGO] 'Vault Guardians' Deck Solitaire, Part 1.

Solitaire.





Story.

After a few weeks of travel, when winter was still young, Attentus, Lilly & Nasturtium arrived at Sejiri Refuge.

Mark, the Serene Master welcomed them stoically, and soon they embarked to visit the soldiers he recruited so far.

Human monks & soldiers of a nearby Castle-Town of 'White Haze' were waiting for them in nearby inns.

Attentus, Lilliana & Nasturtium collected their hairlocks, arcane connection used in summoning rituals - and promised a good payment for their services.

Contracts were signed, initial payment was issued.

Then a couple of Plainswalkers with their young female friend went to nearby plains, to practice new strategy with no enemy.

Together they walked Attentus & Lilliana's lands, awakening the sites of Magickal Power, drawing mana from Ley-Lines.

Liliana conjured a Voltaic Key when opportunity appeared, Attentus summoned four guards - Serene Master Mark, a Tactician-Lieutenant Ulyas, a Champion-Monk Cornelia, and a Vanguard Elite Soldier of a Mercenary Army by a name of 'Red'.

They practiced some tactical combat maneuvers, visited Destinies Doors with the escort, and consulted telepathically their Enlightened Tutor, a Sage they could contact occasionally with a spell - on a Way to gain access to the Time Vault in their present conditions.

More of offensive & defensive tactical exercises commenced, then Time Vault's access was obtained, and privileges were succesfully overridden with a Voltaic Key.

Training Maneuvers commenced, soldiers were paid and left.

After a few of nights by a campfire tents, Attentus, Lilly & Nasturtium decided to keep training still.

[MTGO] 'Vault Guardians', a Deck.

'Vault Guardians' Vintage Casual Deck, themed for Monks & other Humans guarding the Time Vault.

Still in construction.

Transcendent Master for the Vault Guardians deck. it's written cleric but i believe it's buddhist martial arts monk with godly powers.

Serene Master can still outtrick him, especially with the Bident of Thassa legendary enchantment artifact.

Swords to Plowshares is hilarious, and pacifist. People should not kill.

They should work in field, instead. Even if it's Buddha's Powerfield.

... with a lot of card draw & tutors to enable faster cards combinations.

i like to Meditate & Ponder, as well as Kalachakra (Buddhist Wheel of Time) - related Time powers.

 

Story.

After facing their Destinies, Attentus & Liliana sent his Raven Familiar - Visage - with a letter to kobolds - notified them of the success and - without promising - said that they should contact them later, after payment is ready.

Meanwhile they decided to seek escort to the Time Vault & it's Keys.

Their initial skrying revealed that these keys allow to override usual privileges, and to dominate the local time streams.

But until whole process is complete, they have to survive the duel.

Lilly contacted Mark, the Serene Master and gave him a task - to seek other monks & soldiers, and be ready for a call - promising him deeper insight into the Kalachakra powers, access to the power over the time-streams.

Mark initially agreed and said he should be free for that quest soon enough.

Meanwhile they visited their fief-lands and collected seasonal coin - this automn's harvest was rich this time.

Then they visited the nearby Mage Academy and bought most of their lost spells from the other Planeswalkers, including: 'Ancestral Recall', 'Timetwister' & five Moxen.

They did reacquire the 'Power Nine' for future, as well as did invest into some lands.

Attentus also got fairly cheap legendary artifact that required significiant amount of power to activate, the Bident of Thassa, but could hasten the time stream domination and taunt enemies to attack Mark, whose strength was mostly in defense. 'Too hasty attack is often defeat', as Attentus explained for Lilliana - 'On defense we have advantage. They won't muster crushing forces that way, not to mention we can get rid of their support forces'. She accepted that legendary artifact for it's price - and mentioned that Bident is almost a Trident, symbol of Awakened Energies, as well. It was blue magick, associated with Mind, Oceans, Seas, with Air, Illusions, Time and Water.

After Academy visit, they praised the moon godess in an annual rite and embarked to see Mark in his Sejiri Refuge - hoping to arrive just after winter's beginning.

They also met their new apprentice, a woman named after a flower, Silver Nasturtium, who wished to learn from them and travel together.

She was not so rich, but was eager and willing to commit herself seriously, at least.

They accepted her charms & company gladly.

[MTGO, STORY] Attuning Destinies.

As Attentus & Liliana arrived at a Destinies Door, it turned out to be grass-overgrown glade, with trees, gently warmed by sun, shadows dancing a little.

Time-flow was different from the moonlit place they left, obviously.

Stone Doorway in midst of the forest-opening was dormant and closed. They had to find a way to activate it.

Attentus went closer and touched the Doorway, tracing finger along it's lines, trying to find some writings or runes that would hint them at Doorway's functioning.

Then sudden light emerged from the cracks and from around the Doors ... and a booming, ethereal voice could be heard from around.

'State nature of beings to attune with'.

Attentus looked at Liliana, suprised.

'Human Planeswalkers, for now' - she mindfully seized the opportunity with a wicked smile, and came to Attentus' side - but letting him stand in front of the door first.

'Let the Human Planeswalkers face their destiny, keys of Reality that will lead them to Power' - booming voice announced.

Door's surface became a vortex of energy, then turned out to be mirror-like. In this mirror Attentus could see Liliana Vess, black-and-silver-robed woman with black hair to her neck, with a spellbook under her right arm, with the Black Lotus flower in her hair.

'Women to be blamed for all ... It's You!' - he looked at her with a smile, she was laughing as well - 'That Black Lotus suits You as well, i mean Water Lilly is a flower that resemble Lotus ...',

She became more serious but still smiling, yet she nodded to the doors - 'Look at the Mirror, perhaps there's more'.

After a while this image waned, and more women appeared - their necromancer friends of black, red and blue magic - Dominika, Marlene, Nienna, Alice, Hannah, Isabelle, ... and many other. Then Time Vault appeared in Mirror, and four small keys materialized at Door's foundation.

'Take the Voltaic Keys, these will come useful with Time Vault' - booming voice told them - 'For i, Nyth, have plans for you both'.

Attentus suprised pocketed the keys.

'Now it's her turn' - booming voice was slightly impatient.

Attentus stepped aside, and Liliana took her place in front of the Doors.

Images that did appear in front of Liliana wre: Attentus, Pyotr - Dominika's Assassin friend, Mark the Serene Master, Rafal the Painter and Amaranth, the Vampyr. She also saw magickal tools & spell-symbols, mostly of black, red & blue colours.





'Now begone' - booming voice said - 'My plans will be revealed to you later, when You reach the power of Paradoxical Storm, which will take you some time'.

Liliana hooked her arm under Attentus arm and pulled him to the portal, smiling, obviously in the good mood.

'Our friends are keys to our Power' - she said as the portal closed behind them.

'Yes, we have to care or we'll wither and die' - Attentus added.

They hugged each other for a while, then sat by a still-burning fire of the plateau they used to open the portal.

...

Later they contacted Nienna in their minds, and offered her to protect their keys - both voltaic keys as well as secrets that lead them there. Nienna was the Elven Guardian of the Keys, anyway. Keys to Reality were her favourite. She took the offer, and extended proper spells - and they exchanged gossip for a while.

For the months to come, they could feel strength from their each other's presence, as well.