So, Lunging Brush Fire is probably my favorite card in the block being Kunai 2.0 as I refer to it (2 of 3 symbols, similar effects). It generates momentum, clears the card pool, inflicts damage, (potentially) puts a block into the opponent's card pool, and combos MAD well with Researching the Past (shares 2 symbols) and draw (Hunt for Jin, Searching for Family, Financial Troubles, etc). So, much like Kunai days of yore, Lunging can lead to a lot of loopage.

Now then, as soon as I noticed that Lunging simply adds ATTACKS to the momentum, and not kicks as first thought, I realized the card's potential. So I started to think of how I could abuse Lunging with Body of Souls (All-only combo) and use Researching the Past and draw power to retrieve it. Along the way I somehow thought of Algol, and how his two assets would totally love Lunging Brush Fire for the same reasons Christie loves it.

So I went to work tinkering with Algol, looking at things here and there, and well, this is the result:

Algol*

Actions: 3

3x Frantic Search 3/4 +2-HIGH

Assets: 8

3x Pseudo-Soul Calibur 3/5 +3-HIGH [unique]
3x Pseudo-Soul Edge 3/5 +3-LOW [unique]
2x Ice Coffin of the Sleeping Ancient 3/5 [Terrain]

Attacks: 17

3x Alshain Najm 5/3 +3-HIGH
3x Hammer of the Gods 5/3 +2-HIGH [stun: 2]
4x Lunging Brush Fire 5/3 +2-MID
4x Tandoya 5/3 [stun: 1]
3x Aphard Maliki 4/2 [Throw]

Foundations: 36

4x The Ultimate Team 3/5 +2-LOW
3x Killer Android 2/5 +2-LOW
4x For the Money 2/5 +3-MID
3x Rivalry with a Bear 2/5 +3-MID
4x Financial Troubles 2/5
4x Body of Souls 2/5
3x Controller of Souls 2/5
4x Researching the Past 2/4
4x Hunt for Jin 1/5 +2-LOW
3x Ancient Fighting Style 1/4 +4-MID

Number of cards capable of discarding: 24 (slightly more than a third of the deck)

Strategies:

Hammer of the Gods + Pseudo Rs > Lunging Brush + Pseudo Rs > Body of Souls (retrieve Hammer), Researching the Past + Hammer + Pseudo R (draw into Lunging Brush) > Lunging Brush + Pseudo R > Alphard Maliki + Pseudo Rs > Hammer of the Gods + Pseudo Rs > Alshain Najm + Pseudo Rs

Basic gist of the deck right there. Abuse the Hell out of Pseudo Rs by either mad tutoring stuff (Researching the Past), drawing into what you need, or fueling a future Alshain Najm. If your Lunging Brush is blocked, if it is preceded by Alphard or Tandoya, maybe you can swing in with Alshain anyways?

Fun Combo:

Tandoya > Hammer of the Gods > Alshain Najm > Lunging Brush Fire > Body of Souls F > Alshain Najm ;D

Breakdown:

Frantic Search - Amazing, underrated action. Discards 2 (for Alshain), draws 3 (card advantage, works with Algol's F, combos with Researching the Past)
Ice Coffin - Any Combo-user's dream. Helps push early Lunging Brush Fires in, is near-broken with Stun
Ultimate Team - Amazing everywhere, exemplary in Algol.
Killer Android - Protects my 8 assets from Scrolls, Kazuya, Intimidating Presence, etc. Blocks low
Rivalry with a Bear - Good with early game Stun
Body of Souls - Most amazing card in the deck for shizzle
Controller - Staple IMO, too many good assets need to be controlled. E Commit is good with Researching if I don't have Pseudos out
Ancient Fighting Style - generic spam. 1 diff, ditch for Ultimate Team

Rate plox

Always good to see an Algol deck. I have played around with this idea before, and there are a few things I would say:

Frantic Search: This action, while nice, does not actually build towards the Algol Combo. The Combo says 'discarded by card effects,' and the discard on Frantic Search is a cost.

Tandoya: I have never really been a fan of this card. No block and a commit to commit, and a sub par role in the deck, IMO. I have replaced it with things like Razor's Bite, just to have that extra bit of knowledge for the combo-ing. There is also the combo with Hunt for Jin for instant draw power.

Discarded by card effects? Wow...definitely limits its use, huh? *brokenheart*

Just when i thought that every deck idea had been exhausted and there wasnt anything left to do someone proves me wrong.....

Have you tested the deck at all do you know if it works as well as it looks like it would?

Not gonna lie, I definitely feel stupid about the effect of Alshain Najm. Discarding cards as part of EFFECTS definitely hampers its abusability, which much like Christie is one of the sole reasons to run Algol *sigh*.

Haven't tested it yet, but abusing Lunging Brush Fire? Oh yeah, I do that on a reg . Although it isn't going to be as easy to abuse discarding in relation to Alshain, the deck still functions in the way I'd like it to. General rule: if I get out both Pseudos, you lose. Also, there's no such thing as a bad hand in Algol: the guy is a balanced ***Zasalamel*** that fishes through his deck until he draws into what he needs, or just Researches them easy peasy Japanesey.

Algol is just so much fun to play with.. he is a very flexible charachter, can flush his hand to get what he needs.

Open road and Researching the past is 2 very good cards with him imo.. put alshain on top, F with algol and boost the alshain a little more^^

Thanks for posting a new idea for algol marco =)

Don't cut Frantic Search! Sure, it doesn't add to Alshaim, but it might just make the needed cards for it get to your hands.

With a 6 hand size, after using Frantic Search you will have gone through 9 cards in your hand. Use his F and you will have gone through 18 cards. **** if at this point you don't have what you need, I'm worried.

Besides, to make Alshaim disgusting, all you really need is one of each Pseudo out.

Play Razor's Bite, Pseudo 1, Pseudo 2. Lunging/Hammer, Pseudo 1, Pseudo 2 (ditching Alshaim if you have it either here or as Hammer's E), Researching the Past, Algol F, Alshaim Najm, Pseudo 1, Pseudo 2, Combo with +10 damage.

You have shown me a way to make a Life Yi Shan work.

What is wrong with you?

Deck looks good.

Homme Chapeau said:

Yeah dude, Lunging Brush Fire is mad good in Yi Shan. It's much like Atoning for the Past in attack form, and is easily tutorable by the aforementioned means. Yi Shan, frankly, still isn't very good, but with LBF it makes Striking Thunder and especially Rage of the Dragon that much better.

Also, thanks for all the comments guys. I definitely intend to keep Frantic Search in, and yes, once I get both Pseudos out (so easy with his abilities) it's pretty game.

MarcoPulleaux said:

FS doesn't count, but it doesn't matter when it's really just there to go through your deck at a... frantic pace.