New Competition!

Here's a new competition for January 2006. Since we're on the run up to MLE6, this month's competition is for you to guess the persona line-up for the new set. Two personas have already been announced - Felicia Martins & Timothy Of Gilliam - but there are a further 7 due in the set. Your task is to guess these 7 personas.

The prize? A set of MLE6 Ultra Premiums, and 5,000 DE credits, just in time for the MLE6 release!

If you wish to enter the competition, please send your 7 personas to me at MLE@mleccg.com. Accepted format is clear text only. Closing date is 28th January. Good luck!

Octoberber (05) competition winner

Congratulations to Ken Shafer (Ahrimus) for the following combination:

Fake left (combat trick) + Focused Strike (dodge) + Upper Right Attack + Lunge + Headshot.

September (05) competition winner

Congratulations to Brad Hay for his Ramirez deck submission, detailed below:

Ramirez Slash Persona
Masamune Pregame
A&T Remove 5
Dark Duncan Q
Darius +1 (Impressive Move)
A&T Break Glass
6 crystals, 1 Methuselah Stone

Attacks & Blocks
Basic Blocks x 6
Ramirez Slash ULeft LRight x 2
Ramirez Slash LLeft URight x 2
Ramirez Master's Slash Right x 1
Ramirez Master's Slash Left x 1
Generic Upper Slash x 2
Generic Slash Left Column x 1
Generic Slash Right Column x 1
Generic Slash Lower Row x 1
Expert Thrust x 1
Stomp Left x 2
Stomp Right x 1
Sideswipe left x 1
Sideswipe right x 1


He Who Lives by the Sword (extra attacks) x 2
Master's Advance x 1
Impressive Move x 3 (4H)
Nexus x 1
Watcher Fairfight x 1

Holy Ground (unexpected event) x 6
Unplanned Situation x 3

Crude and Slow x 3
Preparation x 2
Controlled Fury x 3
Flashing Blade x 3
Master's Block x 2
Master's Dodge x 2
Duck x 2

Edges:
Fleche x 3 (Generic; use to cycle hand)
Patience x 6
Force of Will x 6
Focus (ME) x 2
Focus (WWE Opp Ability My Turn) x 3
Focus (WWE Opp Ability Opp Turn) x 1
Discipline x 2 (Attack prevention prevention)
Alertness (block) ME x 1

Combat Tricks:
Collateral Damage x 1

There are so many ways to revamp this deck but the crux of it is, get out the situations (via unplanned situation), and multi attack with Impressive move until they've got no hand (you should be able to start on turn 1, and keep it up until turn 10). The deck is an overhauled version of what I've played in the latest MLE tournament, and it's done well.

With the Fleche and the remove 5 A&T, along with the fact that 6 cards will remove themseves, and 3 cards get 3 other cards into play, this deck diminishes into a machine in about 3 turns. Add to that, the ability to make your opponent prone with the Sideswipes, and the Master's Advance due to the unplanned situation. You'll just have to cycle the deck via attacking, defending, and crude and slow etc to whittle the deck down to size. As for your opponent, he won't attack much after turn 3, so you can remove any amount of defenses with the remove 5, so long as you're sure that he won't be drawing.

Combat tricks are cute, but not totally necessary, depending on the Meta Game. The Focus can be played almost at any time (the MLE ones are vapor, used for Kronos if he's out there, as he'd shut this deck down quick), and the ME ones can focus your situations or the opponents.

The Dark Duncan Q is for mid-game, and for getting the cards you need back in the deck, just use the patience edge to draw back up. If this was purely a Ramirez & Connor tournament, I'd probably put a Kim Attacks as blocks Q in just to mess with some people!!

Previous Competition Winners

The winner of the first competition is:

Sam Herbert

His submission is detailed below...

THE DARK HUGH FITZCAIRN

Pregames:-
Hugh Fitzcairn Persona
The Dark Quickening
Nef Quickening
Rapier
Parrying Blade
Ahriman (Kronos, William Cullbraith, any others you fancy)
6 Crystal
1 Methulusth Stone

Attacks
6 Flurry Strikes
6 Surprise Strike

Defence
6 Basic Blocks

Edges
5 Flashing Blade
3 Patience
6 Force of Will
6 Lean & Mean
1 Focus
1 Concentration Attack

Events
1 Police Remove Situation
2 Fast Talks

Locations
None

Situations
Illusionary Terrain

The idea here is to abuse the power of the Dark Q and the Nef Q to recycle cards out of your graveyard very fast. Basically, the first couple of turns will be a race to get the 2 Fast Talks played and to get the smallest endurance that you can. Instead of picking up during your draw/discard phase, you should bring cards out of your endurance. The idea is to bring back the non-vapour cards that will win you the game, basically the attacks, Fast Talk and Flashing Blade. Then you can use the Nef Q to draw until you get the cards that you need. With a bit of luck, you will be able to play a Fast Talk, 2 Flurry Strikes, 3 Surprise Strikes and a Flashing Blade every turn, and this will sooner or later take your opponent out. The only immortal who leaps to mind as causing you big problems is Kronos, so Ahriman
is essential to carry his Nemesis. His Anti-Draw ability is quite bad for you, as it has the potential to make you miss a turn of Fast Talking. You need to be careful when you draw up if you are playing Kronos. I believe that you could potentially draw using the Nef Q, and then use your Standard draw with the DD Q, both in the Draw/Discard phase (correct me if I'm wrong guys). This would avoid Kronos's power. The anti-multi-attack bit isn't a problem. He will be able to stop you from making multi-attacks for one turn, but once you have played a Fast Talk, he won't be able to attack, so you can then tear him to pieces. As you are not using any Master Cards, you can use the Ahriman slots to stock up on the Nemesis's of the more popular immortals among your group.

Expanded:- There are a couple of Nasty cards that could cause problems for this deck that I originally overlooked. First up is the location "Submarine Base". This is a real pain, as it completely stops you from playing Fast Talk, even if you can remove it. I orginally did not put any locations in this deck, as nothing leapt forward as being a real problem, but Submarine Base has to be countered. The options are really either another location, illusionary Terrain, or the Combat Trick Unknown Place. I think Illusionary Terrain is the best option. If you play Unknown Place, then your opponent can either play the appropriate defense, or just play other sub base next turn. The same problem occurs if you use another location. However, Illusionary Terrain requires a police to remove it, and then another location to be played, so they may be able to remove the Illusionary Terrain, but you should get a Fast Talk down before they play another sub
base. The next problem card is the unexpected Event, Forced Back. This card is supposed to deal with edges, but it has a clause which states you nullify any card which prevents you from playing a special card, so it nullfies the whole effect of Fast Talk. The problem is that as an unexpected card, it is not played, so Fast Talk cannot prevent it. There is not a lot you can do about this. Once it is in play you can remove it, of course, but the chance is that your opponent will have another one in the deck, and that it will come out sooner or later. Can't think of a way to deal with this, but any suggestions would be welcome! Divine intervention is a real problem for the deck. If you get either the Dark Q or the Nef Q removed, then you are in big trouble. You're only option is to turn to the old 1-shot multi-attack Fast Talk, which still stands a fair chance of talking someone out. The final big problem you are going to run into is William Culbraith. His ability will knock you for six if you give it the chance, so I would include his Nemesis...if I could remember what it did?! I can't find a copy or a spoiler, so I can't really quote this as a hundred 100% fix for the problem, but you will need it under Ahriman, as without it, he will stop you playing fast talk, and you will be in big trouble.