Challenge: Stepping Into the Arena

Challenges and Articles forum

Posted on Jan. 8, 2015, 3:03 p.m. by fluffybunnypants

I miss doinitwrong's events, so let's trying something new!

Challenge: Stepping Into the Arena

Format: Build Your Own Standard

Stepping Into the Arena will be a Build Your Own Standard event. Fluffy, whats that even mean? Build your own Standard means that you get to choose two expansion blocks and one core set to construct your deck from.

Each match will be a best of three. There will be a set number of swiss rounds that is dependent on participation and we will cut to either top eight or top four (also based on participation).

Please submit decklists by creating a deck on site with the words "Fluffy BYOS" in the title and tagging me (fluffybunnypants) in the comments as well as posting a link to it in this thread. Why so much visibility? Im really highly likely to miss it otherwise, I promise you. Submissions close Sunday 1/18 at midnight EST.

I will play out the matches with a friend of mine and post a brief summary of each match, hopefully with some form of enlightening (more likely amusing) commentary.

Banned sets: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Revised, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, the Dark, Fallen Empires, Homelands, Legends, Chronicles and all extraneous sets (Commander series, etc.).

If you build a successful ProsBloom deck, you will get extra props from me. I will play my own BYOS deck if we wind up with an odd number of people.

The winner currently gets bragging rights. If this turns into a real thing (meaning we get a lot of people who make decks), I will attempt to figure something out as a prize to the winner.

Pinging Femme_Fatale, Ohthenoises, Dritz, nighthawk101, GoldGhost012, Absinthman. Feel free to ping anyone who liked the Ye Olde.. challenges.

January 8, 2015 3:19 p.m.

VampireArmy says... #3

January 8, 2015 3:53 p.m.

itisme282 says... #4

are any cards banned?

January 8, 2015 4:03 p.m.

The_Raven says... #5

Is there a ban list?

January 8, 2015 4:04 p.m.

Rocknj06 says... #6

Ohohohhhh. I may be in. This seems interesting

January 8, 2015 4:12 p.m.

nighthawk101 says... #7

Shame doinitwrong never finished up his challenges, I enjoyed the ones I participated in...

But this looks just as fun! I'll go ahead and start soon.

Thanks for doing this fluffybunnypants!

January 8, 2015 4:28 p.m.

Yeah, no bans except the previously mentioned sets. I'm expecting some really stupid interactions to happen. Decks will get style points.

January 8, 2015 4:38 p.m.

Absinthman says... #9

Nice! I hope I'll find time to actually come up with something decent.

January 8, 2015 5:23 p.m.

itisme282 says... #10


Fluffy BYOS Affinity :) (I'm a jerk) Playtest

Standard* itisme282

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 2 VIEWS

IM SO SORRY! :)

January 8, 2015 5:40 p.m.

@ itisme282

I've got something for ya if I have to bring my deck in.

January 8, 2015 6:01 p.m.

DrLitebur says... #12

Ok, so I built my own deck for this. Yes, it will be mean as hell, but it just might work. No, I don't do infinite combos, simply because that is...well, yeah. So, here it is.


Fluffy BYOS Delver Burn Playtest

Casual DrLitebur

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWS

I hope you enjoy, or rather dread, seeing it come your way.

January 8, 2015 6:01 p.m.

GoldGhost012 says... #13

This is just gonna be a straight 60, no sideboard right?

January 8, 2015 6:12 p.m.

@ GoldGhost012 I'm going to try with sideboard this time. But if people complain about how we sideboard, the next challenge will be straight 60.

January 8, 2015 6:17 p.m.

Obake says... #15


Fluffy BYOS - Mirrodin Academy Playtest

Casual Obake

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWS

Ban this please

January 8, 2015 6:53 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #16

O.O

This is going to be AWESOME!

Time to rig it >:D

January 8, 2015 7:25 p.m.

Boza says... #17


Fluffy BYOB - Heartbeat Desire Playtest

Standard* Boza

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 4 VIEWS

- That deck has a very special place in my heart... beat ... of spring.

January 8, 2015 7:26 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #18

I got 5 deck ideas ... I don't know which ones to choose ;-;

I'll give people some hints.

Deck 1 and Deck 2: Zendikar + Mirrodin + ?
Deck 3: Zendikar + RTR + ?
Deck 4: Alara + Ravnica + M13
Deck 5: Morningtide + Theros + ?

January 8, 2015 11:29 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #19

Question for you fluffybunnypants, are you going to make more than one?

January 9, 2015 1:32 a.m.

ahouse says... #20

Taking it back... Fluffy BYOS Quiet Speculation

January 9, 2015 1:46 a.m.

@ Femme_Fatale: I will be doing multiple of these if the player base is there. I don't know if the next one will be BYOS, but I have a few formats in mind that should prove to be entertaining.

January 9, 2015 10:42 a.m.

My deck:


Fluffy BYOS Playtest

Casual* laughingman123

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWS

January 9, 2015 5:20 p.m.

Dritz says... #23

I'll try to get in on this tomorrow.

January 9, 2015 9:42 p.m.

lockiew says... #24

My deck:


Fluffy BYOS - Artifact Storm Playtest

Standard* lockiew

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 3 VIEWS

Urza's block should probably be banned

January 9, 2015 10:55 p.m.

Boza says... #25

Probably just tolarian academy. I am really surprized no one is picking Alliances' block - Force of Will is there!

January 10, 2015 5:09 a.m.

gnarlicide says... #26

Here you go, man.


Gnarlicide BYOS Playtest

Unformat gnarlicide

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 3 VIEWS

I hope you like it.

January 10, 2015 5:39 a.m.

@ Boza Alliances is actually the Ice Age block. Do what you will with this information.

January 10, 2015 8:29 a.m.

dragon_slayer says... #28

Here's my deck:


Fluffy BYOS--Stoneblade Playtest

Casual dragon_slayer

SCORE: 1 | 0 COMMENTS | 4 VIEWS

January 12, 2015 10:03 a.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #29

That's the deck I was going to make ;-;

January 12, 2015 10:07 a.m.

dragon_slayer says... #30

Oh...

Great minds think alike!

January 12, 2015 10:10 a.m.

xzzane says... #31

I usually don't touch anything standard related with a 12-foot pole, but this looks interesting. Anyone know some common token related blocks?

January 12, 2015 5:39 p.m.

VampireArmy says... #32

Innistrad plus lorwin plus m-something stupid up your alley

January 12, 2015 5:42 p.m.

xzzane says... #33

Sounds like that might work. I'll see what I can cook up.

January 12, 2015 6:06 p.m.

Here is mine:


Allies with Fluffy BYOS Fluffy BYOS Playtest

Standard* HostOfSmallPox

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWS

it has a great uniqueness to it.

January 12, 2015 7:15 p.m.

xzzane says... #35


BYOS TOKENS Playtest

Standard* xzzane

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 14 VIEWS

If I did anything wrong, please tell me. I'm not too familiar with standard. Thoughts?

January 12, 2015 7:58 p.m.

nighthawk101 says... #36

Is there any sort of ban list? Can I run a card on the Legacy ban list, like Necropotence?

What about ante cards? If Amulet of Quoz is in my 60, would you take it out to become 56?

January 13, 2015 6:55 a.m.

@ nighthawk101 There is no ban list. The only banned cards are ante cards and cards that only appear in the sets that I mentioned previously [Banned sets: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Revised, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, the Dark, Fallen Empires, Homelands, Legends, Chronicles and all extraneous sets (Commander series, etc.)]. By all means, run Necropotence.

I should've said ante cards are banned, but I just sort of assumed that was taken for granted.

January 13, 2015 7:14 a.m.

nighthawk101 says... #38

Alright, thanks.

January 13, 2015 7:16 a.m.

KingSorin says... #39

(Deck 1 and Deck 2: Zendikar + Mirrodin + ?) One of these is stoneblade. Is the other just Kor Legions minus a bit of stuff?

(Deck 3: Zendikar + RTR + ?) Defenders?

(Deck 4: Alara + Ravnica + M13) Is this one Mill?

(Deck 5: Morningtide + Theros + ?) I think it's either rogues or enchantment control.

Were any of my guesses right Femme_Fatale

January 13, 2015 7:24 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #40

Deck one and two were right KingSorin, however all the others were wrong. Check my own decks for references~ (Deck two I forgot to mention should have been SOM)

But to be honest, I don't think anything I can create can beat stoneblade but stoneblade. So I'll just be making another stoneblade deck. Which kinda makes me not want to even bother >.>

January 13, 2015 7:42 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #41

There is also a LOT of artifact and storm based decks. Looks like Mindbreak Trap is a good sideboard include.

January 13, 2015 7:43 p.m.

VampireArmy says... #42

Looking forward to last place

January 13, 2015 7:48 p.m.

nighthawk101 says... #43

Let's try this.


Fluffy BYOS: Obey in Peace Playtest

Legacy* nighthawk101

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 0 VIEWS

January 13, 2015 8:15 p.m.

There are some really sick decks in this challenge.

I can't friggin' wait to get this rolling.

January 13, 2015 8:32 p.m.

@ Femme_Fatale

Tolarian Academy is entirely legal.... Just this once, someone can get excessive amounts of blue mana! JUST THIS ONCE!

Ahem... er....Paging The Doctor?

January 13, 2015 8:36 p.m.

The Doctor says... #46

Fantastic!

January 13, 2015 9:42 p.m.

Thanks femme, I will run it.

January 13, 2015 10:27 p.m.

Dalektable says... #48

I wanted my submission to be stoneblade. That being said, I am not confident I can build a deck that can beat a well piloted stoneblade, and since the deck has already been submitted I won't for the sake of keeping the challenge fresh.

January 13, 2015 10:51 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #49

I'm in the same boat as Dalektable. The deck has already been made, so I don't really want to put it in again.

January 14, 2015 12:32 a.m.

xzzane says... #50

I'm thankful that I'm the only token nut on this site, so no one took b/w tokens before me.

January 14, 2015 12:36 a.m.

This discussion has been closed