While I haven't tried out the Chronicler build, I just can't see cutting Advent of the Wurm; it's consistently one of the best cards in the deck for me.
Yikes. I think I'd want this to be at least 2UU. This is pretty darn powerful. If your opponent can't cast more than one creature in a turn, they'll get the creatures they do cast turned into boars before they can even attack, which delays them attacking by another turn.
That's a good point, I overlooked the tempo the opponent would lose from having to deal with summoning sickness twice. How about if it was an end of turn trigger?
Curse of the Other Swine - 2U
Enchantment - Aura Curse
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, that player exiles a non-token creature he or she controls. If a creature is exiled this way, it's controller puts a 2/2 green Boar creature token onto the battlefield.
Definitely felt the game was too hard, but an interesting challenge is to turn off the switch between knock-outs during boss battles (doing it general just means you have to run to the pokecenter more.) Made the elite four a lot more interesting, but they were still weak overall....
Bearrider 1GG
Creature - Human
When ~ ETBs, put a 2/2 green Bear token onto the battlefield.
As long as you control an untapped Bear, ~ gets +1/+1 and trample.
2/2
What's the verdict? I wanted a simple and flavorful representation of a warrior who rides a bear.
I'm sure this has been suggested already, but how about an underplayed cube? Most of the cards can be stuff that generally sees play in very large cubes, but are not used in smaller ones. We can also throw in some "bread and butter" cards like Llanowar Elves or Oblivion Ring.
Yeah, there's still a problem in that. The mono black player would limit his rats to consistently stay out of charm range.
Again, I disagree. If my opponent has 5 5/5 rats out, one Selesnya Charm helps, but it's often just delaying the inevitable. I feel like our gameplan against the rest of the mono-B is fine, but we need a surefire way of beating the Rats.
We do have Pithing Needle in the board, but I feel like it's not enough.
I suppose you could always tech a Polukranos and pyramid destroy the rats and their ilk with Monsterous: that is, ex: deal 3 damage to one, 2 damage to the other, and 1 to the last one. Pack Rat, much like Voice of Resurgence tokens have a state-based effect when determining its stats. That may explain why Craig went for it in the sideboard in his last article.
That example would require 13 mana to pull off, I don't think it's a viable answer to the rats.
Right now, I am considering a very small Black-Splash.
This would allow us to cut smaller Tokens (Call of the Conclave) and run better cards (more Smiter/Boon, whatever) and replace Rootborn Defenses with
Ready/Willing Mainboard and Profit/Loss Sideboard. Now you may think Profit/Loss is a janky bad card, but think about it.
only Loss:Elvish Mystics are 1/1, Lots of RDW creatures are X/1, MASTER OF WAVES DIES ERMAHGERD!
only Profit: Sylvan Caryatid finally dies to our 2/2 Voice. Desecration Demon and Arbor Colossus finally trades with our Wurm Tokens
both: very expensive, but this spells annihilation in creature matchups.
I'm no sold on Profit/Loss, but Ready/Willing seems worth a try.
The cause for this is actually not them being so good, but Tokens in general being hated on. I run into a growing number of decks sporting Aetherize (Mono U, Esper, UWR) and Cyclonic Rift (all decks with U), so I wanna cut my 4x Call of the Conclave and still steal free wins from RDW. Ready is just better than Defenses with fewer Tokens (4x Voice 4x Advent)
I tried something like this with Ready//Willing early in the format, and it was alright, but the argument about Profit//Loss is intriguing, and seems like it could nicely shore up the mono blue MU (pun intended).
Now, the question is what's the best way to beat Pack Rat?
How are you guys doing with this deck? Although I wanted to make it work, after seeing Mono Blue Devotion dominate the Pro Tour, then Esper Control get a solid footing, and now Mono Black, I feel like this is NOT the deck to play.
The matchup vs. Esper Control is pretty poor, as is against Mono Blue. I'm not so sure that Mono Black or GR Monsters is too much better and Mono Red Devotion (which is a wonderful matchup) decks are dying out. I feel like as good as Unflinching Courage is vs. some decks, it's not really where you want to be vs. BW, Mono Black and variants, and basically any other DoomBladeHero'sDownfall.dec.
Sorry, I don't want to be a downer. I am also playing in the SCG Los Angeles this Nov 2 and then 3. My plan as of now is probably running Ub Devotion.
I don't think the Esper MU is bad, I actually feel it's slightly in GW's favor.
Voice, Boon Satyr, Fleecemane, and Rootborn all provide some wipe protection while advancing your board state.
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
That's a good point, I overlooked the tempo the opponent would lose from having to deal with summoning sickness twice. How about if it was an end of turn trigger?
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
Enchantment - Aura Curse
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, that player exiles a non-token creature he or she controls. If a creature is exiled this way, it's controller puts a 2/2 green Boar creature token onto the battlefield.
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
You meant to say too easy, right?
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
I'm pretty sure every cube that isn't running Aetherling isn't not including it for being too weak.
Also, doge is the stupidest of memes.
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
Creature - Human
When ~ ETBs, put a 2/2 green Bear token onto the battlefield.
As long as you control an untapped Bear, ~ gets +1/+1 and trample.
2/2
What's the verdict? I wanted a simple and flavorful representation of a warrior who rides a bear.
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
Again, I disagree. If my opponent has 5 5/5 rats out, one Selesnya Charm helps, but it's often just delaying the inevitable. I feel like our gameplan against the rest of the mono-B is fine, but we need a surefire way of beating the Rats.
We do have Pithing Needle in the board, but I feel like it's not enough.
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
That example would require 13 mana to pull off, I don't think it's a viable answer to the rats.
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
I tried something like this with Ready//Willing early in the format, and it was alright, but the argument about Profit//Loss is intriguing, and seems like it could nicely shore up the mono blue MU (pun intended).
Now, the question is what's the best way to beat Pack Rat?
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity
I don't think the Esper MU is bad, I actually feel it's slightly in GW's favor.
Voice, Boon Satyr, Fleecemane, and Rootborn all provide some wipe protection while advancing your board state.
Updated 11/01/13
-->Standard:
:symwg::symwg::symwg: Aggressive Midrange
:symu::symu::symu: Devotion
-->Modern:
:symwg::symrg::symug: Kiki-Jiki Pod
:0mana::symur::0mana: Affinity