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Enter the Dungeon #7 – Apocalyptic Vision

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Welcome back to the dungeon, comrades. Today, we'll be exploring the end of the world as we know it. Your opponents will tremble in fear as they see the apocalypse creeping closer, unable to do anything to stop it. And what apocalypse would be complete without some fiery destruction? With the help of a unique set of tools, you'll be able to sling fire and lightning that's twice—or even four times—as destructive as the normal variety. If you have no fear of death—or undeath—join me in this cataclysmic journey.

The Zombie Apocalypse is here, and this card looks to be a casual favorite for years to come. Although the most obvious use of the card is in a Zombie tribal deck, I'll be trying something a bit different. Why wait for Zombies to die when you can just fill your graveyard with them in one shot?

Tunnel Vision is the card that makes this deck work. Not only does it put Zombie Apocalypse right on top of your deck, it dumps a bunch of Zombies in the graveyard on the way, ready to rise up and take over the game.

Of course, you'll need some Zombies to make that happen . . . preferably big ones. Skaab Goliath's extra cost doesn't matter when you're not planning on casting it, and it's about as big as they come. Helldozer is another massive monster that can destroy a land or two if need be. Vengeful Pharaoh will kill any creature that dares attack you—even after death. Tresserhorn Skyknight isn't the most powerful of cards, but when the mana cost doesn't matter, the flying 5/3 is a very effective finisher.

Diabolic Tutor helps find Tunnel Vision and can be replaced with Mystical Tutor if you manage to get your hands on some. Worn Powerstone and Coalition Relic help accelerate you to 6 mana, and Black Sun's Zenith and Life's Finale help keep you alive until your Zombie army joins the fray.

Here's what the deck looks like all put together:

 


 

Curse of Bloodletting is the latest addition to the Furnace of Rath line. With this enchantment on the board, your opponent will die twice as quickly, and unlike Furnace of Rath, you won't be affected at all. Although it works with creatures just fine, being able to deal 6 damage to your opponent with a single Lightning Bolt is devastating. In addition, you can combine this card with some of its predecessors to get four—or even eight—times the damage out of your spells.

Furnace of Rath is the most basic form of the damage-doubling enchantments. All damage is doubled on both sides of the field. Although this makes your opponent's creatures more dangerous, it won't matter much when you can easily take him out with your doubled burn spells.

Quest for Pure Flame only gives the doubling effect for a single turn, but you can do a lot of damage in a single turn. Although it takes a bit of work to make it active, it can be cast on the first turn, making it potentially much faster than the other options.

Fire Servant is a bit more fragile than the enchantments, but it doubles all the damage your burn deals—whether to your opponent or his creatures. It's also completely one-sided.

Slagstorm can protect you from any early creatures your opponent might have, wiping the board just before you cast Furnace of Rath to ensure your safety. With the Furnace or Fire Servant on the board, it can kill almost any creature, and if you have Curse of Bloodletting, you can use the second option to deal twice as much damage to your opponent as you deal to yourself.

Lash Out and Chandra's Outrage can kill off opposing creatures with ease while damaging your opponent as well. With Curse of Bloodletting on the board, that incidental damage becomes a significant threat.

Arc Lightning and Forked Bolt can split damage up however you want, killing off multiple creatures or hitting your opponent. When each target is taking double the damage, being able to fine-tune your burn is very valuable.

Lightning Bolt is the most efficient burn spell ever printed, and when it deals 6 damage instead of 3, it can deal with most large creatures or take away more than a quarter or your opponent's life total in one blow.

Keldon Megaliths ensures that even if you run out of burn, you don't run out of burn. With a few doubling effects on the board, you can be dealing 2, 4, or even 8 damage with one little land.

After adding in a healthy dose of Mountains, the deck should look something like this:

If you survived this delectably catastrophic foray into the apocalypse, come back in two weeks for more earth-shaking forces and dangerous ideas.

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