The problem with Fairie Macabre is you have to be willing to run 4 and use up a lot of sideboard space to use it reliably. This won't be an issue if you are running Fauna Shaman I guess but that seems slow.
I've been piloting this deck recently, a friend borrowed it last week and we recorded a tournament match with Maverick vs RUG Control, you can check it out at http://youtu.be/ZdYSHpuy48w
The maverick player is new to the deck / legacy scene, but I still don't think there is much he could have done game 3.
I just can't get behind the Grove of the Burnwillows/Punishing Fire synergy. It's just SO unnecessary. It's win more. We just absolutely destroy decks with creature strategies already, so what the hell is Punishing Fire for, exactly?
I just can't get behind the Grove of the Burnwillows/Punishing Fire synergy. It's just SO unnecessary. It's win more. We just absolutely destroy decks with creature strategies already, so what the hell is Punishing Fire for, exactly?
I've won so many games on the back of Grove / Fires alone it is unbelievable. In the first match of the replay I posted above the player was trying the deck for the first time and just kept throwing fire to the face which is obviously the wrong move... but in the second game it helped him secure the win easily. Have you at least TRIED the grove / punishing fire package?
I've won so many games on the back of Grove / Fires alone it is unbelievable. In the first match of the replay I posted above the player was trying the deck for the first time and just kept throwing fire to the face which is obviously the wrong move... but in the second game it helped him secure the win easily. Have you at least TRIED the grove / punishing fire package?
Of course I have. I hated it, and thought it diluted the deck.
Of course I have. I hated it, and thought it diluted the deck.
Care to explain anymore? I'm new to Maverick after having played Death and Taxes and I think the punishing fire is amazing on top of the awesome toolbox like ability the deck already has. It seems I have so many more answers for all of the stoneforges / bobs / delvers / snapcasters / agro decks etc? I genuinely want to know what is better in the deck against those types of match ups? Punishing fire is sooo resilient, escpecially against counters! It just removes so much!
My thing is other than the occasional flier I can care less about opposing dorks since mine are better. Pfire is for the mirror and maybe bobs and delivers. Our creatures are better plus we have mom and jitte for creature battles.
Having played both versions, I can tell you that I would much rather have superior creature density over additional removal. Delver is the only problem child, really, and I just use 2x Scryb Ranger for that. So I'm trying to see what the real justification is for PFire. Sure, reusable burn is great, and killing small dorks gets you incremental advantage, but I feel that there are better things you could be doing. Grove itself removes things like the fourth Wasteland and Gaea's Cradle. My favorite thing to do is to use Knight to get all of our Wastelands, then just fetch Cradle to give you unsurpassable mana advantage. I also see a severe lack of Elspeth, which stomps control into the dust.
Basically, razefire hit it on the head. Our creatures are already BETTER. We generally don't need to deal with anything other than Sword of Feast and Famine, and having a second Pridemage for a total of six maindeck artifact destruction spells just wins the control matchup.
Overall, I just think it's win-more, and therefore there is not enough value to justify tweaking a very solid manabase.
Having played both versions, I can tell you that I would much rather have superior creature density over additional removal. Delver is the only problem child, really, and I just use 2x Scryb Ranger for that. So I'm trying to see what the real justification is for PFire. Sure, reusable burn is great, and killing small dorks gets you incremental advantage, but I feel that there are better things you could be doing. Grove itself removes things like the fourth Wasteland and Gaea's Cradle. My favorite thing to do is to use Knight to get all of our Wastelands, then just fetch Cradle to give you unsurpassable mana advantage. I also see a severe lack of Elspeth, which stomps control into the dust.
Basically, razefire hit it on the head. Our creatures are already BETTER. We generally don't need to deal with anything other than Sword of Feast and Famine, and having a second Pridemage for a total of six maindeck artifact destruction spells just wins the control matchup.
Overall, I just think it's win-more, and therefore there is not enough value to justify tweaking a very solid manabase.
Thanks for the great post, I wouldn't mind trying the version with Elspeth / cradle / 4 wastelands.
Scavenging ooze should be in there somewhere. Its pretty amazing against a fair share of decks. Enlightened tutor is good to fetch bullets like choke etcetera. Its worth the card disadvantage to get the perfect card for the situation.
My sideboard isn't together yet. I am unsure whether the e. tutor package is a good idea or not. This is not a deck that wants card disadvantage.
You need more creatures to increase the creature threat density Maverick prides itself on + better capitalize on the GSZ tutor package. You can afford to cut a few lands + the Path to Exiles (move to SB) for more creatures (Scavenging Ooze, Gaddock Teeg, Aven Mindcensor, etc). I would want 1 Elspeth MD at most since you never want multiples in your opening hand and Maverick does extremely well once it hits 3-4 lands, but the mana is often used to put more creatures into play (GSZ) and/or used by its utility creatures (SFM, Ooze, Scryb, Pridemage, etc).
Scavenging ooze should be in there somewhere. Its pretty amazing against a fair share of decks. Enlightened tutor is good to fetch bullets like choke etcetera. Its worth the card disadvantage to get the perfect card for the situation.
My list is on page 17 here, except that my updates have been:
-1 Stoneforge Mystic
+1 Qasali Pridemage
-1 Forest
+1 Savannah
-1 Maze of Ith
+1 Sylvan Library
in the maindeck, and in the sideboard:
-1 Kitchen Finks
+1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
I may go back to four Mystic, however. We'll see. I may also cut the seventh fetch for a Maze of Ith.
EDIT: @ the above list
I don't like your choice of sword, and I don't think that Batterskull belongs in the deck. I much prefer Feast and Famine + Fire and Ice, especially in this meta. I'd also cut a Qasali Pridemage for a Sylvan Library. Then you can potentially cut Thrun and perhaps a Mystic for 2x Elspeth. If you don't want to cut the Mystic, cut your Pridemages down to just the singleton Zenith target.
I'm not sold on Thrun. Also, why the hell are people packing two basic Plains? I can see two Forest, but having two of each seems god-awful. Put the fourth Wasteland in its place.
My list is on page 17 here, except that my updates have been:
-1 Stoneforge Mystic
+1 Qasali Pridemage
I may go back to four Mystic, however. We'll see. I may also cut the seventh fetch for a Maze of Ith.
Is there an actual good reason to play with less than 4 Stoneforge Mystic? Because to me, I don't see it. SFM is a card that provides immense threat density to the deck all while providing card advantage at the same time. I don't like the idea of playing less than 4 of one of the best cards in the deck.
EDIT: @ the above list
I don't like your choice of sword, and I don't think that Batterskull belongs in the deck. I much prefer Feast and Famine + Fire and Ice, especially in this meta. I'd also cut a Qasali Pridemage for a Sylvan Library. Then you can potentially cut Thrun and perhaps a Mystic for 2x Elspeth. If you don't want to cut the Mystic, cut your Pridemages down to just the singleton Zenith target.
I'm not sold on Thrun. Also, why the hell are people packing two basic Plains? I can see two Forest, but having two of each seems god-awful. Put the fourth Wasteland in its place.
Yes, I thought about cutting the third Pridemage, but I do like his usefulness vs. Affinity (it is present in my meta). Also, Thrun has won games for me, so I'm reluctant towards cutting him as well.
What if I cut one Pridemage for an Elspeth? Is it really necessary to run 2x Elspeth? I'm really not sure about that.
2 Plains, 2 Forest has come in handy against decks that run Price of Progress. But I guess cutting one plains won't hurt that TOO badly.
Also, I think Stoneforge Mystic is a definite 4-of. It really is one of the best cards in the deck.
Nic Fit is that idea. GSZ and black. There's a thread on it in competitive.
Black splash Maverick is literally Junk. Get it? It's a pun!
The maverick player is new to the deck / legacy scene, but I still don't think there is much he could have done game 3.
I've won so many games on the back of Grove / Fires alone it is unbelievable. In the first match of the replay I posted above the player was trying the deck for the first time and just kept throwing fire to the face which is obviously the wrong move... but in the second game it helped him secure the win easily. Have you at least TRIED the grove / punishing fire package?
Of course I have. I hated it, and thought it diluted the deck.
Care to explain anymore? I'm new to Maverick after having played Death and Taxes and I think the punishing fire is amazing on top of the awesome toolbox like ability the deck already has. It seems I have so many more answers for all of the stoneforges / bobs / delvers / snapcasters / agro decks etc? I genuinely want to know what is better in the deck against those types of match ups? Punishing fire is sooo resilient, escpecially against counters! It just removes so much!
Basically, razefire hit it on the head. Our creatures are already BETTER. We generally don't need to deal with anything other than Sword of Feast and Famine, and having a second Pridemage for a total of six maindeck artifact destruction spells just wins the control matchup.
Overall, I just think it's win-more, and therefore there is not enough value to justify tweaking a very solid manabase.
Thanks for the great post, I wouldn't mind trying the version with Elspeth / cradle / 4 wastelands.
2 forest
4 misty rainforest
4 windswept heath
4 savannah
1 Karakas
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Gaea's Cradle
4 Wasteland
4 Noble Heirarch
2 Scryb Ranger
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Mother of Runes
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Path to Exile
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Batterksull
1 Sword (unsure which, FaI or FaF)
1 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Elspeth, knight-errant
You need more creatures to increase the creature threat density Maverick prides itself on + better capitalize on the GSZ tutor package. You can afford to cut a few lands + the Path to Exiles (move to SB) for more creatures (Scavenging Ooze, Gaddock Teeg, Aven Mindcensor, etc). I would want 1 Elspeth MD at most since you never want multiples in your opening hand and Maverick does extremely well once it hits 3-4 lands, but the mana is often used to put more creatures into play (GSZ) and/or used by its utility creatures (SFM, Ooze, Scryb, Pridemage, etc).
My Trade Thread
Currently Playing
Pauper
:symu:Aggro
Oops. Ooze is in there, i just didn't type it.
4 Mother of Runes
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Noble Hierarch
3 Qasali Pridemage
2 Scryb Ranger
2 Aven Mindcensor
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Dryad Arbor
Spells
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull
Enchantments
1 Sylvan Library
Lands
4 Windswept Heath
4 Savannah
3 Wasteland
2 Horizon Canopy
2 Plains
2 Forest
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Maze of Ith
1 Karakas
1 Gaea's Cradle
2 Enlightened Tutor
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Krosan Grip
1 Warmth
1 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Stony Silence
1 Tower of the Magistrate
1 Bojuka Bog
WBGJunk TokensGBW
Multiplayer:
WWWLuminarch StonebladeWWW
BBBMono-Black ControlBBB
GRGKessig PredatorsGRG
-1 Stoneforge Mystic
+1 Qasali Pridemage
-1 Forest
+1 Savannah
-1 Maze of Ith
+1 Sylvan Library
in the maindeck, and in the sideboard:
-1 Kitchen Finks
+1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
I may go back to four Mystic, however. We'll see. I may also cut the seventh fetch for a Maze of Ith.
EDIT: @ the above list
I don't like your choice of sword, and I don't think that Batterskull belongs in the deck. I much prefer Feast and Famine + Fire and Ice, especially in this meta. I'd also cut a Qasali Pridemage for a Sylvan Library. Then you can potentially cut Thrun and perhaps a Mystic for 2x Elspeth. If you don't want to cut the Mystic, cut your Pridemages down to just the singleton Zenith target.
I'm not sold on Thrun. Also, why the hell are people packing two basic Plains? I can see two Forest, but having two of each seems god-awful. Put the fourth Wasteland in its place.
Is there an actual good reason to play with less than 4 Stoneforge Mystic? Because to me, I don't see it. SFM is a card that provides immense threat density to the deck all while providing card advantage at the same time. I don't like the idea of playing less than 4 of one of the best cards in the deck.
Yes, I thought about cutting the third Pridemage, but I do like his usefulness vs. Affinity (it is present in my meta). Also, Thrun has won games for me, so I'm reluctant towards cutting him as well.
What if I cut one Pridemage for an Elspeth? Is it really necessary to run 2x Elspeth? I'm really not sure about that.
2 Plains, 2 Forest has come in handy against decks that run Price of Progress. But I guess cutting one plains won't hurt that TOO badly.
Also, I think Stoneforge Mystic is a definite 4-of. It really is one of the best cards in the deck.
WBGJunk TokensGBW
Multiplayer:
WWWLuminarch StonebladeWWW
BBBMono-Black ControlBBB
GRGKessig PredatorsGRG