Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Oracle Think Tank used to be a clan dominating tournaments left and right in Japan with Tsukuyomi standing and the forefront, until BT10 was introduced and OTT getting overshadowed by a new clan, Genesis. I have been using OTT for quite sometime, but not too long. I only started using them after EB05, Celestial Valkyries, introduced the Battle Sisters archetype. I couldn't be bothered with the Tsukuyomi build since it's just too common, and during that time, not many was interested in Battle Sisters so I got the cards I needed for rather cheap too. Amaterasu wasn't fun either and I don't really like playing crossrides anyways.
Now where was I, ah yes, Magus. There was an initial hype for the archetype but again, players are more inclined towards powerful clans like Link Joker and Narukami, and therefore, died down a week or two after their release. I do find Magus a strong clan, though in my opinion, needs a bit more of a support. They are powerful as it is, don't get me wrong, but I do love having some options to add on.
The purpose of a Magus deck is to increase both hand size and power, and at the same time, plan ahead. It does requires some luck and skill you will need to know the right timing of using each unit's effects. Still, each player's play style is different so different strategies may work as well. There are good and bad. Good thing about the deck is that you know what cards are coming up next, bad thing is, your opponent knows what card or triggers you'll get too so you have to keep this in mind. Now on to the deck list!
Grade 0: 17 units
- 1 x Battle Sister Eclair (Starting Vanguard)
- 4 x Lozenge Magus (Heal Trigger)
- 3 x Battle Sister Tiramisu (Draw Trigger)
- 4 x Battle Sister Ginger (Critical Trigger)
- 4 x Psychic Bird (Critical Trigger)
- 1 x Oracle Guardian Nike (Critical Trigger)
Grade 1: 14 units
- 3 x Circle Magus
- 3 x Crescent Magus
- 4 x Lipis Magus
- 4 x Tetra Magus (Perfect Guard)
Grade 2: 11 units
- 4 x Cuore Magus
- 4 x Stellar Magus
- 3 x Briolette Magus
Grade 3: 8 units
- 4 x Hexagonal Magus
- 4 x Pentagonal Magus
You will notice that I have only 3 draw triggers for my Grade 0 line up. This is because after weeks of testing with trial and errors, I tend to deck out quite easily. After I take a good look at my units, I noticed that I have plenty of units that allows me to draw quite frequently, be it Stellar+Crescent Magus or Hexagonal Magus combos. After reducing the draw trigger by 1 and increasing the number of critical triggers, things got better and I'm able to control both my hand and deck without fear of decking out. I play 9 critical triggers and boy, it pressures way too much most of the time. I get complaints I hit the criticals too much it hurts. I say this is a good sign!
All of my Grade 1 units are magus. The key Grade 1 for this deck is Crescent Magus. She may only be 6k, but she can be powerful when used at the right timing. Combo her with Stellar and Briolette Magus to net your +3k boost and a free draw. Boost her with Pentagonal Magus to guarantee that you can get that +5k and 1 crit. She's indeed a key card for the deck. The rest of the cards are self explanatory. Circle Magus allows you to look at the top card, Tetra Magus is your perfect guard while Lipis Magus is you 10k attacker.
Grade 2 was a bit of a toughie; I initially wanted to put in 2 Silent Toms, but I've decided not to. Briolette Magus is a card that will almost guarantee you a +1 if you combo her right with Stellar Magus. Stellar Magus allows you to add the card you predicted correctly to your hand. Cuore Magus is you 12k attacker, hitting 21 with Crescent Magus if you guess the top card correctly.
There isn't much choice to choose from for Grade 3. There's only 3 units, Hexagonal Magus, Pentagonal Magus and Sailand Magus. Truth be told, I like Sailand Magus' artwork. Sadly her ability is quite common and won't really combo much with the other two magus. Hexagonal Magus is your break ride unit that lets you look at the top 3 cards of your deck, add one to hand and put the rest on top at any order. This means that you literally know what triggers you are getting or what potential cards you can get with Stellar Magus. She's a good combo with Pentagonal Magus since you are guaranteed that +5k and 1 crit, forcing your opponent to either block for no pass, or a perfect guard.
That's all I have for today. I may be updating as frequently as I did for the past 2 days but it still depends on my schedule. Until next time!
