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Smashmouth Merges!!!
by Nagatsu
02.26.2006
Basically when you play a Smashmouth Merge deck you are
either using Nexans or in the future Plasmoids to use large Merges to crush
opposition. Right now this deck type happens to be the most popular strategy of
most people.
Strengths:
Unrivaled raw stat power. This deck
is able to outmuscle almost every deck that is currently out. By using Nexan
which are naturally inexpensive, it allows you to able to get out larger
creature/guard cards than you opponent.
Weaknesses:
Sadly Smashmouth Merge decks are very weak against crowd
control cards like Demon Familiar and Ice Fiend. Also mass removal cards like Shockwave
can wipe out merges very easily since they are Advanced.
Also since this deck is very popular a lot of people know how to counter them.
Also this deck is very weak against Mark of the Beast.
Building a Smashmouth Merge deck:
When building a basic Nexan Smashmouth deck you want to
consider using cards that allow you to have a great deal of Flesh so you can
create a great deal of cards to ramp up to massive Creature/guards. Cards like
Meditate and No Creature Left Behind Act are nice
cards that allow you to ramp up enough Flesh so you are able to get around this
deck’s already obvious weakness against Mark of the Beast. Also when playing Smashmouth
you want to attack as much as possible so you can receive a great deal of Flesh
Assemblies plus force your opponent to waste Shockwaves or crowd control cards
when attacking so they don't take out your key cards.
Now onto cards that I would suggest when building
a deck like this. Basics that I would suggest for this deck are mostly Nexan
cards. Things like Nexan Drone and Nexan Shocker are some of the best choices.
Also cards like Apple Yabisi and Crocotta are great cards as well. Crocotta is
a popular choice for this style with its already beefy stats and its ability to
destroy Devices. Crocotta will allow you
to take out devices that threaten your early game like Battle Suit and Samurai Tanegashima.
Apple Yabisi is a great choice for an early game defense and healing your Merges
when they clash with the enemy. Nexan Shocker is an awesome card that locks
down Devices and Shields for the price of 5 Flesh. It is also another great
card to put in Merges since you will have a Medium Range attack to use.
Now onto your Advanced Creature/Guard cards! Nexan Fighter
is your best bet and one of the most common cards you will use in a majority of
your Merges. Make sure you have plenty of Flesh every time you attack and
defend so you can give any Merge that it is in Flying or Stealth. I suggest Stealth
on your smaller merges so they can destroy enemy forces and Flying on either
defense or offense to hit the Mage for damage. Flyer is probably the most
common choice for most players but not always the best choice. However when
look at Zyx Mothership or other Zyx cards I would suggest Flying and Stealth
when on the defense so make use you have a great deal of Flesh in your pool so
don't keep playing cards or abilities unless it is absolutely necessary. This
could be considered the lax approach to the game. This is basically
pyscho-warfare that will have your opponent second guessing attacking or using
cards what you will do next. Other cards I would suggest for your deck would be
Joshua Yabisi and Ice Fiend help you get cards you need for your Merge out quicker
and to hit the opposing Mage more. You could splash a Nexan Instructor if want
to incorporate swarm since this deck idea also supports this strategy.
Über cards that are really nice for Smashmouth are Nexan Destroyer
and Creator. Nexan Destroyer is probably the coup de grace in your bag of
tricks! When combined with Merges you will be able to nuke almost every single
card in Mage Warfare (with the right stats). This is probably the most
terrifying part of Smashmouth that will have your opponent letting through lone
Drones to their Mage to get around having every card destroyed. Another great
combo that I would suggest is Acolyte. Using the Acolyte to beef up your m=Merges
or single Nexan's Defense you now have a way around Shockwave and do the open
combo with more malice!
All in all when it comes to Smashmouth merges it boils down
to personal playing style. Try what you feel the most comfortable with and
build off that. Also consider that gathering the cards for this deck will take
time or half decks to build it is lots of fun and you have probably the coolest
deck in your play group so have fun!!
Nagatsu's deck building articles:
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