MTG Salvation

Limited Bomb for sure!

Just dropping by here as I find the BUG deck extremely interesting and attractive but I'm not running it (I run Junk Midrange, Esper Control, and GW aggro) I have most of the cards to run BUG but don't feel comfortable enough with it to run it. WMCQs are happening this week in my neck of the woods and bringing something tested is more practical.

Anyway, Reid Duke wrote an artcile on CFB yesterday that includes a BUG list.


Here's the link:
http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/sylvan-caryatid-and-courser-of-kruphix/

Main difference is that he runs some creatures in the main (Courser, Scooze, Poly-K).

Really would love to see this deck perform well in the remaining months before KTK - especially since the core of the deck holds well post RTR.

I have one Reclamation Sage in my SB - really iffy about it in the MD. Took out a Golgari Charm in the Side for it. Here's my list for reference:

In the 3 color deck, a turn 2 Sylvan Caryatid is needed more than a T1 Elf into a T2 Courser like you said. Also, VoR while a great card (one of my fave cards of all time) serves no role here and clogs up the 2 drop slot. Late game, he doesn't do as much since by the late game the deck aims to overwhelm the opponent via planeswalkers.

Liliana Vess doesn't warrant 2 slots in the main deck. She shines vs control and some midrange matchups - yes, I see the tutoring is nifty but you only need it versus slow decks.

All in all, I really can't get behind the Mystics and the VoRs. With them in, the deck looks split between a controlling midrange deck and a deck that tries to have an early game.

I run a similar list. I suggest moving the Lilianas to the Side, shaving 1 of Elspeth, Ajani, and Vraska and fitting in some more haymakers like Advent, Bloodbaron, and/or Obzedat.

Elvish Mystics are out of place in the deck since you're not an explosive deck. Running a lot of walkers promote a grindy/attrition based matchup and Thoughtseize is better as the T1 play.

Also, I don't suggest Read the Bones in this. Why not run the 2 Connections from the side in its place? 2 upsides to running Connections is its 1) interaction with Courser and 2) it's an Aura that can be fetched by Ajani, MoH.

I used to run GW aggro when Theros came out. I then switched to Orzhov Midrange late December, Naya Hexproof, quit for a month and a half. Came back to the competitive scene a few weeks back with Junk Midrange. WMCQ is happening in two weeks here and I have the GW Aggro deck with me. I just need to know its place in the metagame right now.

It's intriguing how GW took down SCG KC and took 2nd in Baltimore. GW seemed to vanish and I want to know its matchups vs the top tier decks. Any one care to brief me?

3 Urborgs are too much. You'll even be fine with just 1. I think you can up the Thoughtseize count and Life's Legacy doesn't really do much here. 23 lands is also low for a deck that has a high top end.

Some changes I suggest:



-2 Urborg -> +1 Darksteel Citadel +1 Swamp
-1 Garruk, Apex -> +1 Land

-2 Herald of Torment -> +2 Underworld Connections

-1 Liliana Vess -> +1 Scavenging Ooze
-1 In Garruk's Wake -> +1 Hero's Downfall

-2 Life's Legacy -> +2 Thoughtseize

SB

-1 Stain the Mind
-1 Whip of Erebos

+2 Doom Blade/Ultimate Price
-1 Unravel the Aether -> Vraska the Unseen

I also think you should go up to 23 Lands. You

I think some cards to consider for your deck are Aetherling, Jace's Ingenuity, Jace AoT, Gainsay in the SB, and Mutavault.

Here is the list I ran during the tournament:






I didn't take enough good notes but I was able to fight against Esper, Mono-Black, Bant Control, BW Midrange, and a Grixis Brew.

vs. Esper 3 games (Draw)
I sideboarded pretty heavily against Esper by putting in Mistcutters, Sin Collectors,Obzedat, Liliana, and Golgari Charm. Took out all the Sylvan Caryatids, Devour Fleshes (which punished me since he ran BBoVs)

The game where I got Garruk out was the one I won. He ate up an Elspeth and a Jace before being Downfall'd. Liliana performed well, getting me from 1 life (and a sure loss) to a draw by tutoring out green blockers for BBoV.

Overall, a grindy grindy matchup. I think going down to 1 Ooze in the MD to find a place for Golgari Charm is a good move. (To regen BBoVs vs Verdict)


vs. Bant Control 2 Games (Won)
In game 1, Thoughtseize and an early Elspeth won me games. Abrupt Decay was an overperformer as my opponent's D.Spheres were rendered useless. In game 2, remembered an instance when I cast Garruk and destroyed his Kiora. He D.SPhered my Garruk on his turn and cast another Kiora. EoT, I abrupt decay the sphere and destroyed his Kiora on my turn. (This was waaaay late in the game.) Thoughtseize and the Sin Collectors were great in the early game, taking out a Sphinx Rev and an Aetherling.


vs. MonoBlack 2 Games (Lost)
In game 1, Pack Rats and LBZ tore me up fast.
In game 2, I mulled down to 5. (3 lands and a Thoughtseize) I turn one Thougtseized him and saw Devour Flesh, Pack Rat, Downfall, Thoughtseize, Mutavault, Swamp, Swamp (this is one of the matches I took notes well). I was slaughtered this game (even after I resolved a Blood Baron) and promptly lost the round.

vs. BW Midrange 2 Games (Lost)
Game 1, a BBoV proceeded to carve me out. I resolved two Advents of the Wurm which were killed on the spot.
Game 2 was a swingy affair. I think both of us cast a total of 3 Obzedats and 3 Blood Barons. He attritioned me out with kill spells, discard, and connections.

vs. Grixis Discard Brw 3 Games (Won)
I won games 1 and 2 on the back of Blood Baron of Vizkopa.
That deck was a total rogue brew. Let me paint the scenario of game 2:
He went turn 1 shrieking affliction, turn 2 waste not, turn 3 shrieking affliction, turn 4 fate unraveller (by this time my eyebrows were raised in curiosity as I didn't see the waste nots and unraveller in game 1). A few turns after he rakdos returns me wiping out my hand. Then he casts ANOTHER fate unraveller and shrieking affliction on his next turn.
A total brew that took me by surprise - good that I won.

Moving forward: I think the deck needs a LOT of tuning. Honestly, what I ran was more like the current Junk Midrange builds (just without the Archangels) and I'm not sure how to proceed yet. Scooze didn't perform as well as I hoped and I think the Walker Suite could use some work.

You can cut the elvish mystics since you arent an explosive deck. The chain is super slow (and thats saying a lot since this is a sloow deck) and doesnt impact an empty board. You only have 10 forests for Nissa...that is too few. You can also shave them from the deck. I think some thoughtseizes are better fit for the deck.

Placed 9th in a GPT today. Ill post some details tomorrow coz,I dont have time right now. Will also post my updated decklist.

Maybe removing Banishing Lights are in order. Another card I failed to consider is Reclamation Sage. The removal suite is fine without Banishing Light and removing them plus 1 Thougtseize (3 Tseize is still a safe count) for 3 creatures is a good move.

@Draconek

That's true. I goldfished it just now and it does pitch a lot of the non-creature/non-PWs down. It actually only has 16 targets (15 if you dont count the other Ajani). This presents a dilemma: do we add in more creatures/PWs or remove Ajani altogether? The first option would mean removing some spells from the MD. I think we can remove 1 Thoughtseize, 1 Advent, 1 Abrupt Decay. We could then effectively have 19 targets for Ajani. Although, the 3 +1/+1 counters is not a bad ability to activate on Coursers or Wurms.

Updated list:

@jundimastah

If UWx decks are posing problems then a combination of Sin Collectors, Duress, and Mistcutters should be in the SB. With the density of planeswalkers, control shouldn't be as much of a problem if this were the other version of Junk Midrange (BBoVs, Advent, etc)