Adventure Time

Concept

Adventure Time is a midrange deck that tries to overwhelm the opponent by generating incremental card advantage by drawing extra cards and copying spells with the adventure mechanic.

Game Plan

The deck aims to put on the battlefield, as rapidly as possible, either an Edgewall Innkeeper or a Lucky Clover. In an ideal scenario, both are on the battlefield by turn 2. When this happens, the deck generates incredible value by duplicating adventure spells with the Clover and by refilling the hand thanks to the Innkeeper.

Both components of the "adventure engine" work well even alone, and are excellent in multiples, which makes the deck very strong and sometimes explosive (The Clover is banned in multiple formats for a reason).

The deck plays well even when the engine is not assembled thanks to the value generated by the adventure mechanic. However, when this happens, the deck is a bit exposed in the early game, especially against aggressive decks that can field more cost efficient creatures in the first few turns.

Deck Composition

All versions of this deck share the same core and composition. 

I like to group the cards in four packages:

• engine

• adventures

• utility

• removal

It is important to note that some cards fit more than one package, which gives the deck extra flexibility and strength.

The engine package

is the key enabler for the deck's "over the top" game plan. The most powerful piece is the Lucky Clover, which is a multiplier of adventures and works amazingly well in multiples (provided you also get some adventures to cast...). 

The Edgewall Innkeeper is the other piece of the engine, the one that allows the deck to continue applying pressure over time. The Innkeeper can also help digging for the Clover in the early game, when necessary.

The engine package takes 8 card slots, as all known versions play full sets of the Clover and of the Innkeeper.

Even though I don't consider it part of the engine package per se, the Usher to Safety adventure deserves a special mention here as it can restart the engine, when the hand dries out, or can recycle specific adventures in case of need. Generating excellent value in both cases. 

The adventures package

is the core of the deck. This is where you'll be extracting value from in your games.

In your typical game with this deck, you'll try to first get a Clover on the battlefield, then you'll start duplicating (or triplicating or quad... you get the point) adventures for crazy value.

The adventures package typically includes 18-20 cards, all of which are adventures/creatures selected among the following: 

• Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps (land fetching adventure)

• Faerie Guidemother // gift of the Fae (creature pumping adventure)

• Flaxen Intruder // Welcome Home (2/2 tokens generating adventure)

• Oakhame Ranger // Bring Back (1/1 tokens generating adventure)

• Shepherd of the Flock // Usher to Safety (own permanents bouncing adventure)

• Giant Killer // Chop Down (creature kill adventure)

• Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop (tapper adventure)

• Lovestruck Beast // Heart's Desire (1/1 token generating adventure)

Your victories will typically come from going wide with token creatures, thanks to lucky-clovered adventures, or by attacking with a single huge (and sometimes flying) giant.

The utility package

is a sort of hybrid section as most adventures/creatures naturally duplicate as utility. The main sub-themes are:

• Rampers, with the Beanstalk Giant superstar which helps ramping into itself

• Tappers, with the Giant Killer and the Dizzying Swoop adventure clearing the way for your smaller creatures to attack

• Pumpers, with the Gift of the Fae adventure, Travel Preparations and Collective Blessing, which grow your tokens to a size suitable for the mid-late game

The utility package normally includes an additional 2-4 pure utility cards on top of all the adventures/creatures.

The removal package

is very important, especially in the early game, as your creatures are normally smaller than your opponent's. 

The package features 6 to 9 cards that are capable of removing creatures and other permanents from the battlefield. Together with the "tappers" from the utility package, the deck has a significant arsenal to control who stays or can engage with your creatures on the battlefield.

The package includes cards such as the super flexible Conclave Tribunal, which can get rid of any permanent on the battlefield; Glass Casket, for cheaper creatures; Giant Killer, for larger creatures. 

Special mention (once again) to Shepherd of the Floc's adventure Usher to Safety, which can recycle any of the above cards should a more significant threat appear on the battlefield.  

Conclusion

Adventure Time, is a powerful and fun deck with lots of synergies, that can sometimes go over the top when it assembles the adventures engine. The deck can sometime suffer in the early game, especially against extremely aggressive decks. However, it is capable of resisting the initial onslaught while putting in motion the "engine".

Signature Cards