MTG Salvation

Deck

Two pretty straightforward builds, plus a greedier 3rd.

G/U

1: C
2: CCCCSSS
3: CCCSSS
4: CCCCCS
5: CC
6: C

G/W

1: C
2: CCCCSS
3: CCCCSSSS
4: CCCCS
5: CC
6: C

Basically subbing Chronicler, Rider and Onslaught for Naiad, Chimera and Presence. Play more plains because of double White in Rider. It's possible you'd still want to play Presence for that reason (as well as the random activation on Agent) and take out either a weak creature like the Hedonist or a sideboard spell like Shredding Winds.

EDIT: And maybe the Griffin is just straight up better than the Hedonist or the Centaur and should be in there.

We could also get greedier and do the double-splash thing since it's really so few cards.

1: C
2: CCCSSS
3: CCCCCSSS
4: CCCCCS
5: C
6: C

This is just trying to play all our best spells, taking out the Hedonist, Pheres Centaurs and a Shredding Winds to make room. Mana is a little awkward, but actually not too bad.

I think the deck is decent if not amazing whatever way.

I like Axelrod's G/W build, but I'd run Battle Priest over Hedonist. It has more potential to just grab our ordeal and become way too big.

I also like the GW shell here. Battle priest for centaurs is an easy swap, though I agree that I think we want the presence as well, but I'm not yet 100% sure what to cut for it.


Who's playing the matches?

I can see switching the Battle-Priest in for the Satyr. And in G/W I'd probably put the Griffin in over the Centaurs. Making it:

G/W


Question if we would want to up this to 7 Plains now that we're running 5 White spells.

Question on adding in Nylea's Presence for something else. The only cards I think I'd even consider taking out for it would be Shredding Winds (which I kind of like Main due to our general lack of removal) or maybe the worst creature (which might just be the Battle-Priest).

As far as who plays. I have all these cards on MODO so I at least could play it this time. I also have a pretty good Theros record to date as far as that matters

Quote from Axelrod

As far as who plays. I have all these cards on MODO so I at least could play it this time. I also have a pretty good Theros record to date as far as that matters

I think 10/7 is a reasonable split, most of the green is single green.

I'm willing to play it but I don't have 100% of the cards, since I usually junk my commons and uncommons every few drafts. If you have a good record, go for it.

I prefer the G/W build to the G/U one.

If you could take the play role, Axelrod, it'd be greatly appreciated. My laptop is not cooperating at this time, so I'm having a pretty sketchy time trying to connect to MTGO.

I was confusing battle priest for battlemaster for some reason. How do people like this this?

So you're suggesting playing Nylea's Presence over the Battle-Priest, is that it?

I'm kind of indifferent. The Battle-Priest isn't amazing, but he's a 2-drop and we also don't especially need mana fixing. Presense is card drawing. Maybe the random activation on the Agent of Horizons tips it?

Quote from klein

I'm willing to play it but I don't have 100% of the cards, since I usually junk my commons and uncommons every few drafts. If you have a good record, go for it.

How much do you get for your commons and uncommons anyway? I tried to bulk sell some old stuff recently, at bots that advertised they buy "anything," and *surprise* they actually didn't. They were just trying to cherry pick the commons that people actually sometimes play.

Hey, we won a match! Go team!

Axelrod, what final deck did we end up running? How did the games go?

We ran the G/W deck above, pretty much as posted, with the Battle-Priest main and 7 plains.

Opp. looked like he was U/B/g. Games went:

G1: He went t2 Vaporkin, t3 Ordeal of Erebos. I had the Shredding Winds, but he destroyed me with a maindeck Dissolve. I still got the Ordeal with Artisan's Sorrow, but the Vaporkin was still a 4/3 flyer and we've basically got no answers except praying for an Asp. I played Nemesis of Mortals with an eye to racing (its mathematically possible if he has stone nothing left), but he then bestowed an Erebos's Emissary and just insta-killed me. Dead t6. I sided in an extra Shredding Winds for the Battle-Priest.

G2: He did not get the same quick start. I beat him up with a Staunch-Hearted Warrior enchanted with Feral Invocation first, and then Nylea's Emissary (so its 11/11 trample). His defense was a Returned Centaur bestowed up with his own Nylea's Emissary, but it obviously can't compete. He tells me afterwards he made a big mistake this game because he was scrying a lot (Read the Bones, Omenspeaker) and he milled himself with the Centaur, but he forgot he had put an Island on top and he needed it to cast the Sealock Monster in his hand. He also claimed he had both a Pharika's Mender and Return from the Underworld. I sided in a Fade after this game having now seen double Emissary.

G3: I keep a nice hand with Dryad, Warrior, Asp. and Nemesis + 3 lands. He did get the t2 Vaporkin again, but I had the Dryad and he didn't have an Ordeal. So we stalemate for a little, but I am dropping more threatening things - he plays an Omenspeaker, Burnished Hart and Erebos's Emissary. He also rips the Dauntless Onslaught out of our hand with the Disciple of Phenax. He gets down to 1 card in hand though and I've got Time to Feed (+6 lands so I can't monstrous anything yet.) I elect to fight the Nemesis and his Emissary, figuring if he's got the creature then they trade, and the Asp dominates his remaining board. He didn't even have the creature though and just lost.

Quote from Axelrod

How much do you get for your commons and uncommons anyway? I tried to bulk sell some old stuff recently, at bots that advertised they buy "anything," and *surprise* they actually didn't. They were just trying to cherry pick the commons that people actually sometimes play.

I had a bot or two that would buy them at something small like .01-.005, but when you're selling pheres band centaurs it's nice to get any money.

This was months ago though so perhaps things are different now.

Alright guys, I'm playing against you since no one else on my team is..! Since I can obviously see your decklist, I'm also sharing mine.



Let me know when you can play, cheers.

Seeing that list makes me feel a gut-wrenching fear.

Good luck Axelrod

Yeah, well, as you might expect, I was crushed.

Technically, he won 2-1. But I didn't ever feel in it.

G1: I missed my 3rd land drop while he hit t2 Hoplite, so I figure I'm doomed. I do rip some lands, however, and he misses his 4th a couple times so it seems like I actually might have a chance. I've got a Wingsteed Rider and I put a Feral Invocation on it which will kill him in 2 swings. But then he puts an Ordeal on the Hoplite, draws cards and drops double Vaporkin. Followed in succession by double Celestial Archon (one bestowed, one not), used a Snarecaster somewhere in there to tap by blocker, and countered something else. I'm living in fear of all his answers and just chumping. I've got Nylea's Emissary in hand though, which will make the Rider 11 trample and he's at 6 life. He just needs to not leave back quite enough, but of course he drops the Coastline Chimera last and I can't win. A Shredding Winds would have won it for me if I had it at just the right time, but that didn't happen.

G2: I've got a decent sideboard against all his White/Flying stuff, but we're chatting a bit and I forget to submit. Derf. This is the game I actually win, though, as he goes t2 Hoplite, t2 put Aqueous form on it and starts beating down. But I have a curve of t3 Courser, t4 Disciple, t5 Agent, t6 Shredding Winds an Archon and Savage Surge to kill his blocking Elder, t7 bestow Nylea's Disciple - win.

G3: anti-climactic. I keep a 3-land hand with 2 Shredding Winds, Artisan's Form and a Courser. Doesn't seem the worst against his flying deck. Proceed to get flooded, while he again goes Hoplite/Aqueous Form. Then Daxos. I've got nothing for Daxos and he proceeds to steal Nylea's Disciple and cast it. I am finally able to drop a potential blocker in Wingsteed Rider, provided he has stone nothing, and, not surprisingly, he does not have nothing. He Sea God's Revenges my 2 guys and it's just over.