This is a fun thought experiment that started from the idea of using Raze champions (which is why I take Raze instead of Immortality on Redcaps; I know, blasphemy) and aiming to win by killing the opponent's Shrine, not always by rushing as hard as possible, but by aiming to have the Shrine HP advantage. Here's the BG: http://poxbase.com/deck/cuYcfVC8ocj0CtBci=chC7DC5=CqC3QS5Qs10s2ls7dS52S5nsAs59r2ken It does have similarities with the old FW/SP insta-gib deck, but that's because I figure those are the best SP tools for the job. I had hoped this would be the deck where I'd finally use Altar of Votaev, but it turned out pretty early when deckbuilding that this wasn't the case. I really wish Cyclops Haulers could have Raze and Shrine Linked at the same time.
full blown shrine rush battlegroups use 8 speeders, SP control spells like false orders to avoid problems and summon trap spider and implant, if you can add to that retri just in case, better.
Aha. What's your opinion on Ethereal Pool and potentially adding a second one? Also, Retri over Sacrifice, or both?
You'll always want to have sacrifice, because it fits the spirit of the bg, I would run 2x sacrifice 1 retri. Also I think I would run 2 ember wasps. I used to play tortuns/SP with shrine lock kill, but it played differently, in these kind of gimmicky bgs you have to find what works for you. You have to realize that things that sacrifice things of your own to get others will be better in this bg, as it's all or nothing in his conception. I would start with 2x sacrifice, 1 retri, 2 ritual of binding, 2 onus of kiergana, cleanse, damaging spells, blade of the snake, 2 price of victory, the fastest and cheapest champions you can get, if they stealth, better, control, anti spells, 2x summon trap spider, 2x implant....
Here's what it would look like after taking it in that direction: http://poxbase.com/deck/C8oChIc8dctBci=Ca8C7DC3QC1vs5Qs67s2lS52s3osOS5nSAS4Tr2Ye2 I feel really uncomfortable with using Implant. Part of it is because I'd want to maximize its effect and I don't run many Feshes and part of it is that I don't know which one is Crested Fesh. 1x Price of Victory ended up replaced by 1x Alacrity when making room for Caverunners. I don't really have many Demon Elves though, because Warogg seems more important.
Implant it to get some additional damage on the shrine at expenses of a champion, if you use both, on champions adjacent to the shrine, you get 3 additional attacks on the shrine for 70 nora. Also, 2 ember wasps are better than 2 caverunners on terms of potential shrine damage, remember to se price of victory to get some more hp on his tiny imflamable bodies.
Shrines are really well protected. Just running up to shrine and punching it in the mouth ftw is harder then you think. Most of the quick shrine rushing champs are week, and if people catch on early the will just sick Menelaus or Juya 7 spaces away from your shrine and out rush rush you on many maps. Treacherous helms are awesome, and like GQ was saying 2x embers wasps will burn a shrine quick if they can make it there together. currently Raze is way more powerful to avatars then shrines, Binding then saving up nora to champ drop after you "forget to bind" for a second time can be a game winning deception. Bag of boulders is interest, but how successful has this bg been? (cont wins from only exo league and up)
I haven't played the BG yet, because I've been busy playtesting various other things. This is moreso something on the side to test later. I posted it to get feedback because I have absolutely no experience with this and I have no natural "affinity" toward these kinds of things.
i have made and sp/ud base rush, i used cyclops lurkers and a strong stealth base of champs. Stealth is squishy and so easily foiled but i would really recommend letting ethereal pool and/or treacherous helms do the some of the work for you. Being able to kill a shrine or avatar with out having to be close to it is cool. IS/UD is my favorite type right now, but i have an st/fw, and a fs/sp in the works. Fw/ud makes a solid bash smash bg, but it is really just a whole lot of rune reveal. Solitary garu can even get the job done.
I used to play that for a while, but its so long to reap profit, and the opponent usually knows what you're after. Pretty hard to do without Armory in IS/UD setup. I have a hard time making the opponent turning their shrine into avatar. Which I believe, is the main issue with IS/UD Shrine Raze. This is what I ran: http://poxbase.com/deck/cuYcfVC8ocj0Ca4CtBC7DCqc3QCdxs5Qs10s3tS52s5nsAs59r2YR2kenEz with IS/UD you get access to 2 Armory + 2 Traitorous Helm for fast profit. In SP/UD, once the opponent transfigures, he's basically dead, but in most cases, they know what we're after so they literally will never transfigure. Even with Ritual of Binding I find myself having a hard time against simple Res: Physical opponents. Lightning Storm > Fire Blast imo, because of the widespread Res: Fire/Imm: Fire. Same, I use 2 GFesh, but only 1VT and 1DEInfil, too much of them makes my offense and draw lackluster. 2 Onus is crazy good in an all or nothing BG like this. I tried Zeventrech, but Ash is clearly the winner in terms of how fast u can get him out in the field. I also tried a Cyclops module, but still hard because I lack a lot of slots and lost Tribal + Klub. 2 Ethereal Pool and 2 Tribal Hut is already too much for a splish splash of a theme.
