Looking for well constructed balanced contests

[Mrmt]

I have finally gone 'all in' by getting all the expansions for this game, though I don't think I'll get the extra spell tomes, as they seem to be a bit of a waste.

To help me in my familiarization and to offer fellow beginners a choice of balanced battles, I would love to hear any suggestions of good x vs y matches, including decks, which offer an even chance of either side winning.

Happy to be linked to any other suggestions here, but what I'd really like to hear about are any great even matches, which didn't rely on excess gaminess (exploiting some broken combo, obsessive min maxing etc), that can offer a good time for both players.

(Edit: by preconstructed, I don't necessarily mean those constructed by arcane wonders, but any spell books that people have made. Have edited the title).

[DeckBuilder]

Good move with the Spell Tomes, I didn't either (I did get a 2nd Core in the end though)

I've never played any of the pre-constructed books but to fit your criteria of having fun with fellow beginners...

Malakai Priest vs. Jokhtari Beastmaster

Not only is the theme really strong (crusading priest vs. native shaman) but both have board control abilities
Holy Avenger punishes attacks on your creatures by enemy creatures (try Guardian Angel + Knight Avenger)
Wounded Prey is the epitome of targeted removal (teaching you the best way to play board control anyway)
This means there will be far more creature-on-creature action than in "assassin" builds like the Forcemaster
And spawnpoint-powered creature carnage may not be dull competitive but it sure is fun!

Looking at the pre-constructed list, they also have a really interesting selection of spells, ideal for learners
(Although you will need to use a card like Mage Staff as a proxy for the 2nd Staff of Asrya not in 1 Core set)
Both lists are deliberately far from good (pre-constructed are designed to encourage players to improve it)
Subsequent improving the list via trial and error is part of the learning process and fulfilling for both players

(Warning: don't bring out the Jokhtari if your opponent is very politically correct as it may offend him or her)

[Mrmt]

Thanks deck builder.

I guess I wasn't clear, in that I didn't necessarily mean the preconstructed decks that come in the box - but any decks constructed by players that I can steal from, rather than each of us beginners having to work out what might make for a good match.

So I am happy to try all the suggested spell books, but was wondering what other great match ups had emerged. Zombie necro vs earth wizard; demon warlock vs forcemaster. (I am making it up at random, but you get the idea).

Perhaps leave room for a few optional cards, but the idea is to limit the chance of beginners creating a grossly uneven match up by accident.

[DeckBuilder]

There are loads to trawl from in the Spellbook section! I'd advise an Aggro vs. Control match-up

Below are 2 contrasting classic strategy builds you should be able to build with 1 Core Set
(You may need to proxy a few Teleports and other Utility spells used in both books)


Straywood Beastmaster Aggro (very aggressive but little mana boost)
http://forum.arcanewonders.com/index.php?topic=13107.msg23953#msg23953


Air Wizard Mana Denial Control (cerebral control build with an Enchantment Transfusion Win Condition)
http://forum.arcanewonders.com/index.php?topic=13111.msg24123#msg24123


Matches should go something like this:
Beastmaster aggressively attacks from the start
Wizard looks doomed unless played well (Armour + Voltaric Shield, Hydra guard etc)
If the Wizard survives, his mana advantage will start to pay off as the Beastmaster runs out of steam
The Wizard then takes Control and pushes for the win, though a careless mistake could snatch defeat

Sometimes the games will be short as the Beastmaster's all-out aggression wins
Sometimes the games will be long as the Wizard "slowly turns the screw" and wins
Playing Wizard is definitely more challenging but also more rewarding when he wins

Other than that, for a lesson in how to build a book, read piousflea's Bashcon Beatdown thread (Warlock)
The decision tree early game planning is crucial when strategising your own book and it's a very solid build