Research or Bazaar (or neither)? Eladwen Deck

[jayze302]

Here is the deck I am trying to make competitive:

1x Eladwen
4x Kris
4x Puwen
2x Aldon

4x Fireball
4x Lightning Strike
4x Supernova

2x Retreat
2x Misplaced
2x Poor Quality
2x Rain Delay
4x Bazaar --------or--------- Research
2x Santa
2x Snow Sapphire
2x Voice of Winter

Total of 41 cards

I am open to comments in general, but my real question is what to run, research or Bazaar. Also, I am interested to see what card should be cut to get down to 40. Any other obvious additions subtractions?

This deck ranks about 180-190 right now, but I would like to be above 200 consistently with it.

Thanks in advance.

[Vocus]

Very good question! My Eladwen deck runs 4 x bazaar and I think that suits the synergy of the deck better. As a race to kill deck, mages are able to dish out more damage quicker, so I believe in many circumstances, the mage will likely benefit more from having an extra card than the opponent. My vote goes to Bazaar! As a rough indication of how my deck is doing, currently sitting consistently around the 208-210 mark.

[ArkaX]

I prefer Bazaar too. But you can even think of both ! I played research + bazaar once & it was going great, espiecially when you fight another Eladwen.

..But i changed my research for Oracles cause you need them, especially against Ter Adun.

But honestly in an Elad's deck you never have too much draw cards. In my opinion, 8 are not enough.

[Bluejet24]

I prefer bazaar....

-2 VoW
+1 Snow

VoW gets in the way of your Kris + Aldon + retreat (Kris again) = 4 damage combo... might want to add more retreat and aldon

[jayze302]

Thanks for the suggestions. It seems from the poll that most people are agreeing going the Bazaar route. Are Oracles really that valuable in a Elad deck? They seem like a huge pace slowdown with a 4cc...

[Hatts]

You really have two different approaches for card draw with eladwen, either lateral or unilateral card draw. Most people recently have been going with lateral card draw - bazaar and bad santa. These cards are cheap at 2CC, and provide enough cards quick enough to fuel a death race. When playing bazaar and bad santa, you are expecting for your opponent to have more cards then you. Even if they don't play any unilateral card draw (warriors may not play BF for example) playing bazaar and bad santa give your opponent a card advantage. Occasionally you can mitigate that card advantage with clever timing of bad santas, but that is the exception, not the rule.

The other option is to go unilateral, with research and tainted oracle. They are much slower, with a 4cc to cost to get your first card. This means you need to design your deck with that in mind. I think unilateral card draw for mages is much more useful in decks that stall, so you can get to the point where 2 resources a turn for research isn't a big deal. Sometimes you can get away without playing any of your card draw in this situation if your opponent is playing bazaars and bad santa's for you.

Your deck is stuck between these two concepts, you have some cards to stall the game, but you have some cards for death racing. I think you need to pick one way or the other. I've chosen the bazaar & bad santa death race approach in the crown tournament, but soothslyr has moved up the other side of the bracket with research and tainted oracle. Both approaches work, but you are better off picking one or the other.

[bicin]

I prefer bazaar for eladwen.

research is slower.

you need those resources for your burns.

[ArkaX]

Thanks for the suggestions. It seems from the poll that most people are agreeing going the Bazaar route. Are Oracles really that valuable in a Elad deck? They seem like a huge pace slowdown with a 4cc...

Let's see this from another angle.
First of all, you need to realize that in the fact you're not getting more draw, you're sure to loose the game.
That's why you need to be sure to have your free cards :
1- you need to not count too much on luck (if you dont get you're research/bazaar/BS you're screwed)
2- You need to understand that smart players will always try to destroy your bazaar & research. Ter Adun for exemple will always got you.

I've lost plenty of games cause players knew that. They shriek my bazaar, then i get unlucky & dont get another one, neither enough Bad Santas => I lost.

That's why Oracles and Bad Santas are the best ones. They assure you to get your cards. Even if the opponent disable your Oracle, you'll just nova it yourself.
That's also why it's better to have more than 8 cards for draw. 4 Bazaar/ 4 Bad Santa are only 8 cards on 40. You want to have more, cause if you get unlucky, you have no chance to win the game.

Note that if you get you bazaar earlier & safe & some BS, you can just sacrifice the Oracles. Either way, you'll be thanksful for them to be there in your hand.

On the reasearch or Bazaar thing, you still have the "play both" option. The preference in my opinion should always get to Bazaar cause as said Bicin it will cost you 2 ressources each turn to equal a bazaar and you never have to much cards as a mage.
But 2 ressources each turn it a lot. Especially when you're in a death race the faster you deal damages, the more chance you have to win the game.

NB:
Personnaly, i dont play neither Snow Saphire, neither Voice of winter.
First, cause there is more items to destroy armors/weapon & cause Ter Adun is the best warrior actually and dont care about you having items.
Second, cause they cost a lot of ressources, wich means one less turn doing damages in the death race, wich is not good at all.
That's why i prefer to count on a nova to finish with the danger. Or simply rain delay/retreat/Lightning the danger.

I'd truly recommend you to forget these cards for adding Oracles (you dont necessary need 4 of them, i use 3)
Having 4 retreat is in my opinion a must have (add more !)

[BlanketEffect]

Even if they don't play any unilateral card draw (warriors may not play BF for example) playing bazaar and bad santa give your opponent a card advantage. Occasionally you can mitigate that card advantage with clever timing of bad santas, but that is the exception, not the rule.

I disagree with this particular statement. Bbbbbbbbbbbomb!

Seriously though, if I can't Santa Bomb© you, or use the Santa to draw my kill card, I don't play it. Unless I'm desperate, and about to lose, Santa won't leave my hand unless it nets me at LEAST a +1 card advantage. I find it incredibly easy to time it and drawscrew my opponent with a Santa Bomb©.

[Hatts]

I disagree with this particular statement. Bbbbbbbbbbbomb!

Seriously though, if I can't Santa Bomb© you, or use the Santa to draw my kill card, I don't play it. Unless I'm desperate, and about to lose, Santa won't leave my hand unless it nets me at LEAST a +1 card advantage. I find it incredibly easy to time it and drawscrew my opponent with a Santa Bomb©.

I was expecting at least 1 santa bomb response, you did not disappoint Blanket. I probably should have limited the discussion to bazaar when I was talking about card advantage there. For the sake of the eladwen deck in question, a santa bomb is tough to arrange. Playing kris / puwen / aldon then using a santa on turn 4 or 5 is much more beneficial than playing one on turn 2, despite the card advantage it gives you. Plus, he is only using 2 santa's.