[Revolution] Randy Orton
Revolution format
by Pat Eshghy

Yup, that’s right. You read it correctly. “Revolution Format” I have to admit to the Raw Deal nation that I am a secret addict of Revolution format. Some people in the game have yet to experience the excellence that is Revolution format, but I suggest that you do it soon. Anyways, onto the deck…

On his way to the ring, from Knoxville, Tennessee, standing at 6’ 4’’, and weighing in at 245 lbs., the Legend Killer…

Backstage Area
[Revolution] Randy Orton

Lets start off looking at Orton’s amazing 9 hand size. This alone should guarantee you at least an average hand every game. Now onto the Superstar Ability. Discard a Assault or Throw: Pick up a non-unique Antic. As we take more damage, we have more access to our more powerful antics. Onto the Pre-match…

Pre-match
1x A New Plan [R]
2x Hardcore Hell [R]
1x WWE Heavyweight [R]
2x Your Chance in the Limelight [R]

You have a pretty standard discard themed Pre-match here as most Revolution decks do. You need to get at least Hardcore Hell out. You also need to try to make it so you are not starting the game, this is where the Your Chance in the Limelight’s come in handy. To the Mid-match…

Mid-match
2x Before This Gets Out [R]
1x My Destiny
2x Take It and Like It (R)
1x Talk Is Cheap [R]

For starters, let us look at Randy Orton’s superstar specific mid-match My Destiny

128/130 (ULTRA RARE – FOIL – Randy Orton)
My Destiny
Mid-match Antic
Requirement: Less Fortitude
Unique
F:0 D:3

Wow, so what we have here is a way to dodge all the pesky core reversals and get on the board with ease. As you can probably tell we will be coming from behind in this deck and the Take it and Like It’s help get Fortitude if we need a maneuver to go through after Hardcore Hell. Also, Talk is Cheap should only be played if your opponent has plenty of fortitude because clearly we will be playing a lot of antics in this deck…

Antics
1x Burn in My Light (R)
2x Double Your Value, Double Your Fun (R)
3x Look Under the Ring [R]
3x Never Give In, Never Give Up (R)
1x Nothing Left to Lose (R)
3x Out Here All Night [R]
1x Spirited Turn / Events [R]
2x Where There's a Will, There‘s a Way(R)

Here we are, the bulk and power of the deck. There is plenty of recursion in the deck with to keep you alive long to enough to play the power antics. Our power antics include Never Give In, Never Give Up, Look Under the Ring, and the main win condition…

72/130
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way
Antic
Requirement: Discard 3 non-Hybrid Maneuvers, Less Fortitude, and Your Opponent’s Fortitude is 30 or Greater
You win the game via Pinfall Victory.
F:15 D:0

At mere 15f (easily obtainable especially with Double Your Value, Double Your Fun) we can win the game even when the odds are stacked up against us. The hardest of the 3 requirements is having 3 non hybrid maneuvers to discard. But we have plenty of those…

Maneuvers
3x Arm Bar Takedown [R]
1x Atomic Drop [R]
1x Ego Cutter [R]
3x Full Nelson Slam (R)
3x Roundhouse Punch [R]
3x Russian Leg Sweep [R]
1x Spinning Drop Kick (R)
3x Windmill Punch (R)

The best card for Randy Orton’s ability is Full Nelson Slam. At the mere cost of overturning 4 cards we can pick up any non-unique antic. We have 3 Windmill Punch to recover My Destiny if got reversed and a plethora of non 0f cores to throw under Hardcore Hell. As long as you hit My Destiny getting fortitude shouldn’t be a problem and as long as you have fortitude you should be able to stay alive long enough to find a Way to win…

Reversals
2x Clean Break (R)
2x Collar & Elbow Lockup [R]
2x Headlock Takedown [R]
2x Instinctive Reflexes (R)
3x Masochist at Heart [R]
3x Only One Solution:Revolution [R]
2x Roll Through (R)
2x Slap [R]
1x Settle the Score [R]
3x Try To Get Away [R]
2x Why Don't You Kiss My A$%[R]
1x You Telegraphed It [R]
1x You’ll Never Take What‘s Mine(R)

The reversals in this deck our pretty standard, but with the addition of 2 of each of the new 3f reversals from Revo 2. This deck doesn’t plan to play most of these reversals from hand in the early game, (at least until they get to 30f) but if you have to stop an antic or 2 don’t think twice. You should be able to overturn reversals to jut about every move out there once you get to 4f, and most of the time you don’t mind the beating that your opponent throws at you since it helps fuel your ability.

Summary:
Now the hard part about winning with Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way is that your opponent has to cooperate a little and ramp up the fortitude, but the aggression rule should help your opponent get there in good time (Just make sure to stay behind in fortitude). Some bad match ups for this deck would be the Storyline version of Kane, simply because he will have be able stop most of our antics, although the match is not unsinkable because of Never Give In, Never Give Up.

Overall, the deck works quite well and should be able to win you some games. As a player who likes to play “combo” decks I find it great that even in the 2nd set there is something for everyone. Hopefully this deck will spark some intrigue into the players who have overlooked Revolution format calling it a “Rock, Paper, Scissors” game with little strategy.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions or comments you can talk to me on AIM at PEsh021.