Foodchain, your deck looks good. I very much like the inclusion of the magus as a surprise to gimp some people.
Only thing I don't understand is Surrak. Besides being another beater, what is the main purpose of surrak in this deck.. to make hasty champions?
Surrak, the Hunt Caller could easily be a card that gets cut in the finality of this deck. But it leaves the option of an explosive play in doing Eldritch Evolution on a Strangleroot Geist to do 8 damage out of nowhere against decks that don't block or don't block much. Part of casting Eldritch Evolution is putting the Strangleroot Geist in the yard, Undying to a 3/2, now you got a 3/2 and a 5/4, smashy smashy time. This pretty much puts a 2 turn clock of "16 damage" and the threat to die to Bolt if you don't block once is a real threat (or another creature the following turn if you are playing against decks that start at 20 life).
This also brings up something else I've noticed. This deck does seem to have a rough matchup against decks that don't put themselves below 20 life.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Played recently at FNM. Did ok, 1 - 2. Played a list pretty close to Archgaze's old stock list.
Had lots of bad draws, mulls to 5 etc. Didn't get to land any nice Cragganwurms either.
Anyway, one of my biggest problems was just fixing the right mana! Getting triple green and also double red out of a few lands proved very difficult. Dorks were removed a great majority of the time. Drawing colourless land and having a dork removed really held up a lot of lines of play. Thinking about this I realised the big problem was Steel-leaf champion and it's GGG cost. This card was getting stuck in my hand far too often. This led me back to thinking about Archgaze's newer list. If we remove Steel-leaf what do we have space for?
So I was thinking something like this, which plays closer to a mid-range deck with the Cragganwick combo. I don't own any goyfs and I don't think they would be that great anyway. I'll have to change the sideboard around to reduce white mana dependence. I'm also not sure blood moon is where this deck wants to be, but I'm gonna try it out over the next week and see how it does.
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Decks - Modern Currently active
- Humans
- Evolve Zoo
I would love to see others test out this deck, switching things up. As for me, I'm kind of prized into not messing with too much because I've been drawing well. If it's not broke, don't fix it.
But at the same time, I know the deck can absolutely be optimized and I would love to see what a list like that would be like. Maybe someone can get LSV or the like to try the deck?
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Round 1 vs. GW Company. I've seen this guy at various FNMs. I don't think he lives nearby. He's nearly like me in that he's always on a different deck. In the first game, we both mull to 5. I keep a 2 land hand with a mana dork. I fail to find a land or mana dork and die on turn 7 or 8 after he finally assembles the combo with Walking Ballista. I die with Cragganwick Cremator in hand with double Impervious Greatwurm. In the next game, we both keep on 7. I keep a hand with land, Noble Hierarch, Eldritch Evolution, Strangleroot Geist, and some 3-4 drops. I don't find a land in 2 draws, so I can't Eldritch Evolution the Geist for Linvala, Keeper of Silence and I lose on turn 3 to the Devoted Druid/Vizier of Remedies combo when he plays Eternal Witness, getting his Duskwatch Recruiter back (that I had blocked with Fauna Shaman earlier). I ask him if he had Path to Exile for Linvala. He said that he didn't side them in. One land in each game away from winning 2-0. That's Magic. 0-2.
Round 2 vs. RG Breach. In the first game, I plan to mana dork into Geist into Evolution into Surrak to pressure him, but I draw Surrak the turn that I was going to Evolution for him. It slows me down and on the final turn for me, I swing him down to 1 life, having only 1 mana up with a Clue token in play due to Copperline Gorge with 3 lands in play. He plays land and Scapeshift. I take 36 damage while at 19. I literally survive Scapeshift for 18 or Prime Time to win next turn. That Copperline Gorge gorged on my win/loss record! In the next game, I have a choice to Eldritch Evolution a Geist for Cragganwick Cremator with 2 other cards in hand or Magus of the Moon. Since he didn't Bolt the Bird for a while, I assume he doesn't have Bolt. Anger of the Gods blows me out, but there's not much I can do about that. I go for the Magus of the Moon and he plays, Chandra, Torch of Defiance the next turn. I do Geist/Surrak to kill Chandra and 5 to him, but he casts Prime Time to get over the hump. On the final turn or any time this game, I hoped to draw Cragganwick Cremator or Eldritch Evolution because I had Impervious Greatwurm in hand. Nope. Drew another land. 0-2.
Round 3 vs. Zoo. He mulls to 5. I get out an early Magus of the Moon into double Tireless Tracker and it gets to the point where I Evolution for Cragganwick for the final 5 damage with SLC in hand. In the next game, I have a Scavenging Ooze and double Relic of Progenitus holding back double Goyf, Wild Nacatl, double Noble Hierarch, double Knight of the Reliquary, but Bloodbraid Elves with exalted triggers put the pressure. I can't find anything but lands late in the game. No Trackers this game. No Cragganwick either, but I Evolution for Linvala, thinking this is damn strong. But I can't attack because he has too many attackers. The next turn, he draws Path to Exile and blows me out. My only creatures were Scavenging Ooze, Linvala, and Noble Hierarch. I needed the Linvala to stay in play! He has all of his creatures tapped due to attacking and Kessig Wolf Run (so double Noble Hierarchs are also tapped). I make a bit PUNT. I can cast Strangleroot Geist, attack him for 3 and then Eldritch Evolution for Cragganwick for 1 less than lethal damage. What's the problem? He was actually at 1 less than I thought, so it was exactly lethal. Yes, I could have won a game with all of those creatures on the other side after double Bloodbraid Elves had been killed. That's why you always ask what life total the opponent is at. I didn't ask because the last 10 times or so, my life pad has had the exact score, but then I really don't usually play against Knight of the Reliquary either. Should have won 2-0. Should have verified life total. Most opponents are not going out of their way to tell you that they pay 1 life for a fetch. It's on me to notice it, as I do and point it out to many other players. In the final game, there's not much to see. I drew 6 land and 1 Cragganwick Cremator. On turn 4, he plays Shalai, Voice of Plenty. The turn after, I draw Cragganwick Cremator. Nice timing! I have 2 cards, land and Wurm. Of course he reveals Wurm, I can't target him, it's the first Wurm reveal today with Cremator and I lose to some creatures. 1-2.
Round 4 vs. Eldrazi Taxes. He is stuck on Eldrazi Temple and Ghost Quarter for a while, despite having Aether Vial. I Bolt a Displacer and I have Steel-Leaf Champion and more pressure after that. In the next game, I manage to land Eldritch Evolution for Magus of the Moon after he played Thought-Knot Seer. Then I play Steel-Leaf Champion and Surrak, then another Steel-Leaf. He finds Plains, but the damage is done. He's already low because the SLC attacked for 6, due to Noble Hierarch. I end up running out Caldera Hellion to devour my Knight of Autumn (4/3) and a BoP to kill Mirran Crusader, Wasteland Strangler, and Flickerwisp. I run away with it after that. My SLC trades with TKS and then I draw another SLC. Then I draw Surrak, Caller of the Hunt. When it rains, it pours. 2-0.
I finish 1-3. I'm not sure if I've ever been 1-3 at this store. Sad times... (23-8-1 now)
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Reading your report. Scapeshift decks can win out of nowehere, it's just the nature of their deck. The other two losses were mana screw and the other due to mistake in not checking life totals, just an unlucky night that's all.
Is there no space in the deck for 2 Faithless looting. You already have evolution to call for magus if a moon effect is needed. Maybe give the two blood moon slots to two looting? That could help in consistency.
Reading your report. Scapeshift decks can win out of nowehere, it's just the nature of their deck. The other two losses were mana screw and the other due to mistake in not checking life totals, just an unlucky night that's all.
Is there no space in the deck for 2 Faithless looting. You already have evolution to call for magus if a moon effect is needed. Maybe give the two blood moon slots to two looting? That could help in consistency.
I know Valakut decks very well. I've played a bunch of them. Titanshift plays 4 Scapeshift. Breach plays 1 or 2. My opponent was playing 1. It + land was his only out, other than Prime Time, land, and ramp spell if I don't draw a creature next turn (just what I had on board). He didn't slam it right away, so I thought, "nope, doesn't have his 1 Scapeshift with one of the 3 cards in his hand after the draw step. But...alas...he had it.
My friend actually got tilted when he told this guy that "if you have Scapeshift, I lose." But he didn't acknowledge it. He cast it, which I told my friend that he wasn't trying to tilt him. I know him pretty well. He's a cool guy that just loves playing and doesn't really know all of the "etiquette" of Magic yet, lol.
I'm pretty upset about the PUNT. There's no decision I've made that I've regretted more playing Cragganwick. Should have just asked life totals, right?
I don't know where to put Looting in the deck, but I'm sure the raw power of the card means that it may need to be in.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
My friend actually got tilted when he told this guy that "if you have Scapeshift, I lose." But he didn't acknowledge it. He cast it, which I told my friend that he wasn't trying to tilt him. I know him pretty well. He's a cool guy that just loves playing and doesn't really know all of the "etiquette" of Magic yet, lol.
Each person reacts differently or so I guess. Something that means nothing to someone, tilts another right away.
I'm pretty upset about the PUNT. There's no decision I've made that I've regretted more playing Cragganwick. Should have just asked life totals, right?
Lesson learned then. Or maybe because you are just tired. My playgroup are all spikes, it's because of them that I developed the habit of checking life totals and opponent cards in hand whenever I'm going to do something important. Worst punt I did was casting what I thought was a lightning bolt, but truth is I put down a grim lavaman by mistake thinking it is a lightning bolt due to fatigue, and it got killed - no takebacks.
I don't know where to put Looting in the deck, but I'm sure the raw power of the card means that it may need to be in.
Every now and then a person looks at my deck, sees looting and tells me it is card disadvantage. However, after being saved by the card many times no amount of arguing will convince me to take them out. One time I looted got a land and a dork, then later a flashback got two lands - that would have been four dead draws if looting was something else. There are several more times similar things happened like having a good hand with only one land, looted turn one and found land. And lastly, Tireless Tracker actually has a nice synergy with looting.. tracker encourages sandbagging of one or two lands in hand to get clues when a tracker is drawn, sometimes I draw looting instead of the tracker, those sandbagged lands can then be exchanged for other cards by looting. Two is the right number of loot for my ponza deck though... tried 3 loot and the results became not so good as it felt the deck just looted and not doing anything else.
Don't own a Craggenwick deck, have no idea on the ins and outs of this deck. The only reason I suggested taking out the two moons is because the moon effect can already be achieved by the magus via evolution. How many times have you locked out someone with the 2 mainboard blood moon, if the answer is not so many times.. then they are really the ones to take out if two looting will be tested.
this deck is similar to Red Stompy, but modern has no Sol-lands like Ancient Tombs. so I used Chancellor of the Tangle and rituals.
He throw chancellor and deal 6damage to target player,this is like Fiery Confluence.
And I realize Cragganwick can defeat oponent by one's own efforts
this deck can deal 20damage by cragganwick, but if I failed it, can't win.
this deck can't win MO friendly league,lots of BLoodbraid Jund and BW Control With JoMS.(2win-3lose,1win-4lose)
So I tried to blend beatdown with Cragganwick Combo using fauna and Eldrich Evolution.
this low quality paper-tower's first friendlyleague is 3 win-2 lose.
BW Control of those days used Supreme Verdict. so Cragganwick can be Solution to defeat BW Control.
but prototype Cragganwick cannot defeat Jund.
I tried using advantagecard like a tireless tracker, Scooze make something weak Tarmogoyf.
Thank you so much! I have fallen in love with this deck. It actually scares me a bit because I would rather jam this than run something super proven like KCI, Spirits, Scales, Dredge, or Phoenix right now. This may be bad because I am also a Spike - I love to win as many matches as I can.
The videos were really cool and it's awesome to see the guy who inspired me to jump to this ship! Videos were pretty cool and enlightening too. I wish I knew the language! What is your current list and strategy right now? How do you plan to have game vs. Combo decks like KCI?
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Round 1 vs. Burn. My homie, who usually runs Tron, but lets a newbie borrow Tron. He gets incredibly unlucky in Game 1 when I Magus of the Moon him with 2 cards in hand. He loses when he doesn't draw anymore burn as my fat creatures stabilize. He loses with double Boros Charm and Lightning Helix in hand. In game 2, I am more on the offensive, with Knight of Autumn, but he ends up burning me out. I lose with Wurm in hand. In game 3, it is nearly the same, but being on the play causes Knight of Autumn, which is Searing Blazed again, to not matter as much and I am swinging with a bunch of creatures on the final turn after Surrak got out. I probably could have gotten aggressive, but since I drew Wall of Reverence and he was tapped out, I went for that and 5 life from a Steel-Leaf Champion. Cremator next turn with haste Yo! 2-0.
Round 2 vs. Humans. In the first game, I set up Fauna Shaman on turn 2. He gets a million creatures, but takes a hit from Fauna Shaman with exalted on the final turn to fall to 15. Cragganwick Cremator after land drop (draw for the turn), Impervious Wurm to the face. In the next game, he gets too many Champion of the Parish again and I can't contend with them. In the final game, I tanked quite a bit! I thought that I would Bolt a Kitesail Freebooter EoT to get Eldritch Evolution back, on my Strangleroot Geist for Caldera Hellion. Do you see what my mistake was? It doesn't go up by 3. I am forced to waste a turn doing Knight of Autumn and by then a million creatures end up doing exactly lethal when he draws a land to do Mantis Rider and attack with the Noble Hierarch for exactly 8 damage no matter how I block. He would have been dead on the swingback, so it was a big draw and play. I think I could have won this game had I played better, but it was SO hard to figure out what to do. This is where my weakness for creature combat in the past came back to haunt me. I didn't draw a mana dork, so I was stuck doing slow plays while he Noble Hierarch into Champ and Freebooter, taking 1 of 2 Eldritch Evolution. Tough loss. I wish someone could have told me what to do better. Maybe I should have Bolted the first Champ before it became a 6/6, but the other Champ got to a 3/3 right away due to Lieutenant and I don't see a way around that. Humans is a quick Aggro deck! 1-2.
Round 3 vs. Tron. My homie's Tron deck! In the first game, he stabilizes at 5 life with Ugin to wipe my board, including mana dorks. I have Cragganwick Cremator and Impervious Greatwurm in hand. I draw land and get there. I couldn't have played it last turn because I literally played the mana dork that turn to do it. In the next game, Magus of the Moon comes in time. Whew! Turn 4 Tron is not as strong as turn 3. He gets a natural Oblivion Stone, but I top deck Damping Sphere to end it. 2-0.
Round 3 vs. Bant Spirits. The reason I say "Bant Spirits" is that there also was a UW player. He puts me on a slight beatdown, but Surrak and then Scavenging Ooze gets me back in it. I have Cragganwick Cremator in hand, so if I draw a 4 power creature (he's empty handed), it's over. I draw Cavern of Souls and he triple chump blocks. I eat 2 of the creatures in response to Moorland Haunt to go to 5. He has Mausoleum Wanderer and Spell Queller. He draws his card for the turn and gets Collected Company. He does it and gets double Drogskol Captain. That's 9 and I can only gain 2 more life to go to 7. A single Lord and another Spirit was game anyway, but it was dramatic though. In the next game, I get enough pressure to slam a Cragganwick Cremator with Impervious Greatwurm in hand while he's at 8 life. It was my only out and a 3rd Spell Queller or Disdainful STroke would have gotten me. But I get there! In the next game it is similar, but he taps out to contend with my larger creatures. I slam Cragganwick Cremator with Knight of Autumn and Impervious Greatwurm in hand. It reveals the Wurm and it's over. Got there. 2-1.
I finish 3-1. Not sure what the prizing was, but my tiebreakers were bad. Oh well; probably got my $5 back. 26-9-1 with the deck now.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Round 1 vs. Mono Black Control. We drove with 4 in our carpool. We are all matched up against each other. In the first game after we both mull, he does his thing. Discard, Liliana of the Veil, terrible draws for me. He leaves me with Impervious Greatwurm, which gives me a chance to draw Cragganwick Cremator (1 has been discarded) or Eldritch Evolution (2 are gone). I don't and I lose to Phyrexian Obliterator and 2 Gifted Aetherborn. In the next game, he has 2 lands and some discard and removal, but he literally is stuck on 2 lands until turn 15. I play 13 lands and finally draw and play 2 threats that don't get killed. He finally gets land #3 and Fulminator Mage, but it's over after that. In the final game, he mulls to 6. I mull to 6. I get out Tireless Tracker and get there pretty easily, not even needing to crack clues as I play threat after threat. Not scared of Damnation. Dodge it and it's over. 2-1.
Round 2 vs. Scales. The other friend from our car that won Round 1 against our other friend. He does Scales, then Scales and a bunch of Stirrings. He is about to stabilize with a 6/6 Hangarback Walker, but I draw land and play a Cragganwick Cremator for 16 damage. In game 2, he does triple Hardened Scales. He only gets a few creatures, but double Arcbound Ravager and no sight of Cragganwick or Evolution means that I have no way to get through. Spellskite causes me problems this game. No Knight of Autumn. In the final game, I have Noble Hierarch, 2 lands, Knight of Autumn, and some other cards. I eventually play a Birds of Paradise so I can Knight of Autumn next turn. Double Hardened Scales gets him to kill me with Infect AND regular damage on the turn after I cast BoP. Sad times. 7, yes, 7 Hardened Scales in 3 games. 2-3-2. 1-2.
Round 3 vs. Bant Spirits. In game 1, he comes off slowly. I explode with BoP into Steel-Leaf. I get him to 3 life and I have Cragganwick Cremator, but I draw Bolt and I can play that and conceal the Cragganwick kill. The next game is similar, but I end up having to do Cremator after he answers my on board threats with him at 10 life and me at 8 life to kill him. He probably had me in 2 turns. 2-0.
Round 4 vs. UR Phoenix. In the first game, the Thing in the Ice on the play. He plays a million Bolts and then flips Thing. I have only 1 out, so I go for it. Cragganwick Cremator with 5 cards in hand - 2 of which are Impervious Greatwurm. He takes 16, down to 2. I untap after he swings me for 7 with Thing, blocked by Cremator. I untap and Bolt to win. In the next game, I play Damping Sphere on turn 2. It slows double Thing in the Ice, but I literally only have Strangleroot Geists and don't have time to Eldritch Evolution to go for the win. In the final game, I keep on 4 land, BoP, Strangleroot Geist, and Bolt. I hoped to take down a Thing in the Ice with Bolt and Geist. Nope. I peel 6 lands and then Impervious Greatwurm and lose to turn 4, Bedlam Reveler with 3 cards in hand and 2 mana up. It was his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Fiery Tempers, the first of which he shipped to Looting. He gets me for 6 since he only has 2 mana up. Then I literally need him to have nothing to have a chance. Nope, another Reveler and some chumps by Geist and I scoop. He said he had 4 Fiery Temper at one point, but no discard outlet. Sure got it there to CRUUUSH me. First encounter with Phoenix. Almost played it tonight, but I assumed my draws would not be like this. 1-2.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Round 1 vs. Mono Black Control. We drove with 4 in our carpool. We are all matched up against each other. In the first game after we both mull, he does his thing. Discard, Liliana of the Veil, terrible draws for me. He leaves me with Impervious Greatwurm, which gives me a chance to draw Cragganwick Cremator (1 has been discarded) or Eldritch Evolution (2 are gone). I don't and I lose to Phyrexian Obliterator and 2 Gifted Aetherborn. In the next game, he has 2 lands and some discard and removal, but he literally is stuck on 2 lands until turn 15. I play 13 lands and finally draw and play 2 threats that don't get killed. He finally gets land #3 and Fulminator Mage, but it's over after that. In the final game, he mulls to 6. I mull to 6. I get out Tireless Tracker and get there pretty easily, not even needing to crack clues as I play threat after threat. Not scared of Damnation. Dodge it and it's over. 2-1.
A friend of mine has a deck similar that, his main win con is putting lashwrithe on obliterator. Although partially budget because the deck of my friend only has one Lily. It's a rogue deck that's surprisingly tough to grind against. Good that you beat manage to beat it.
UR Phoenix looks like a tough match. Their deck seems too fast.
Yeah, my friend is the guy who usually plays Tron and has done so for the past 5 years at least, if not more. I guess he occasionally gets a bit bored of it, even if it is rare. He actually borrowed many of the cards last FNM for it and got 2-2 I believe. Lashwrithe is a crazy equipment. I still own 5 copies of it from back in the days, lol. I was glad that I moved to the next round 1-0, but I hardly felt like I beat it. In the first game, I had many possible good draws, but didn't hit any of them. In the second game, I had a million turns to draw something of consequence since he got his 3rd land on turn 13 or 15. And the 3rd game saw no early discard from him and me just nutting out my hand, leaving a few Clues and a single creature in hand in case of Damnation. But yes, definitely I was happy to not lose to a deck that is basically a weaker version of GB Midrange. (sorry to be blunt, but I feel it's true, even if I'm playing a weaker version of RG Breach)
I don't know how Phoenix is, but in theory, I thought it would be okay. I got a lot of life gain, which makes Lightning Bolt and Lava Spike (I think he put it in for the Gut Shots) kind of bad. He simply can't deal with a Steel-Leaf Champion, outside of double Bolt, which pretty much means if I have a solid follow up, it's going to stick. Thing in the Ice is very bad for me. I think if I dodge that and 4 Fiery Temper by turn 4 (while not drawing only lands and a 16/16), I have a chance. I think I over sideboarded though, even if the cards I sided for them don't do much either.
I sided Damping Sphere, Eidolon of Rhetoric, 2 Relic of Progenitus, 4 Knight of Autumn, Scavenging Ooze, and Wall of Reverence. I took out 2 Tireless Tracker, 1 Nullhide Ferox, 1 Surrak, Caller of the Hunt, 2 Fauna Shaman, and something else.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
This is gonna seem like me spamming the thread, but I played ThNM. It was damn far! 26 players, cut to 4 rounds.
Round 1 vs. KCI. I win the die roll. I have a slow hand. I play a Steel-Leaf Champion on turn 3. He kills me on his turn 3. In the next game, I go mana dork into Knight of Autumn on a Chromatic Star into Strangleroot Geist into Knight of Autumn on Mind Stone. I get a Cragganwick Cremator for 16 damage after drawing the Wurm, even though he's only at 4 life now. In the last game, I keep my first play being Eidolon of Rhetoric on turn 3. He kills me on his turn 3 before I play a single thing. Had a Stomping Ground and a Misty Rainforest in play. 1-2.
Round 2 vs. Bant Spirits/Humans. He has a slow hand and I have pressure. He's forced to Spell Queller a Strangleroot Geist and an Eldritch Evolution, but I get Cragganwick Cremator for lethal. In the last game, he has 1 creature left, but stabilizes with Worship. Whoops, didn't put anything in for that. But I have Eldritch Evolution for Caldera Hellion to wipe his singleton Tireless Tracker and the attack by Linvala, Keeper of Silence gets it done! GGs. 2-0.
Round 3 vs. Dredge. In game 1, I have Noble Hierarch into Scavenging Ooze, but Kessig Wolf Run. He has too many good targets and then Cathartic Reunion and I can't draw any other mana. He eventually gets there with Creeping Chills and a bunch of creatures. I kind of wish I went for it the turn before with 4 or 5 cards in hand, 1 being a Wurm. Oh well. In the next game, I get Scavenging Ooze and I have enough Green mana, while his hand is slow enough for me to get there. I cast a Cragganwick Cremator with no cards in hand and swing for lethal next turn. In the final game, he gets some pressure with Bloodghast, Prized Amalgam, and Narcomoeba. I have Noble Hierarch into Relic of Progenitus, Noble Hierarch, and mana to activate Relic. I have another Relic and between that, Steel-Leaf Champion, Noble Hierarch exalted, and double Bolt, I get there right before dying. I actually drew Eldritch Evolution and held priority, Bolting him to 7. I'm pretty sure the Steel-Leaf Champion was lethal, but double Wurm in hand is more than lethal. I make him roll the die. He gets the Wurm and immediately looks to see I trolled him by having 2 Wurm. Lol. He was a good sport about it! 2-1.
Round 4 vs. Eldrazi Tron. In the first game, he plays Expedition Map, then gets another Eldrazi Temple and plays double Reality Smashers and double Dismember to make it an easy win over a Tireless Tracker and a Cragganwick Cremator. Funny thing is that I could have barely stabilized because I had 2 Lightning Bolt and 2 land in hand to discard to kill a Reality Smasher. I was just too low. In the next game, I get mana dork into Steel-Leaf Champion into Wall of Reverence. I only play a Noble Hierarch after this, so as to not overextend, but make the SLC go past Thought-Knot Seer. He gets a Matter Reshaper, which shows All is Dust. He does it and I rebuild with Scavenging Ooze and SLC. But he trades the SLC for Reality Smasher, since I'm so high from the Wall of Reverence, but he has a Endbringer and he stops Scooze from attacking. He then plays a Chalice of the Void on 3 and on 4. I have Cragganwick Cremator and the Impervious Greatwurm that I've had for a bit the turn after he did Chalice on 4. I hope to draw Cavern of Souls now. I play anything I can since I need to get cards out of my hand. On the final turn, I go for Eldritch Evolution on Scavenging Ooze, the only thing keeping him from smashing my face in with Endbringer. He counters with Chalice of the Void. I then play Cavern of Souls on "Shaman" and dome him for 16 with Cragganwick + his buddy, Mr. Wurm. In the final game, I explode with Strangleroot Geist into Strangleroot Geist into Surrak, Caller of the Hunt. He only played Chalice of the Void on 1. He's at 5 life now. He gets the All is Dust, but the Undying from Geists is 6 damage and he's at 5. Scooooop. He was hoping to get Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, which he had in hand. But he didn't have Tron, instead drawing 2 of the same Tron land. Better lucky than good (for me!) 2-1.
I finish 3-1, so 31-12-1. I'm getting close to 75% again...
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
[quote from="FoodChainGoblins »
Videos were pretty cool and enlightening too. I wish I knew the language! What is your current list and strategy right now? How do you plan to have game vs. Combo decks like KCI? [/quote]
Language is Japanese.
plan VS combo is 4-kill hand like beatdown ofen using RootGeist Erdrich Surruk or 16-points combo, hatecard with 5~6-kill hands. not afraid mulligans. you can win only nice 5 opening hands.
galta's power is only 12,so I like sideout it VS Combo.
4-cost cards cannnot attack turn4. (Surruk and Cragganwick is exception)
VS Combo, needs no more resourse defeat opponents. But often we fall mana flood with many hatecards. So I like using 1 tracker after sideboards.
I sided Damping Sphere, Eidolon of Rhetoric, 2 Relic of Progenitus, 4 Knight of Autumn, Scavenging Ooze, and Wall of Reverence. I took out 2 Tireless Tracker, 1 Nullhide Ferox, 1 Surrak, Caller of the Hunt, 2 Fauna Shaman, and something else.
Oh my.. that is definitely overboarding. If I had to choose.. -2 trackers -2 Shaman -1 something else to bring in to 2 knight, 2 ooze, and 1 Wall. the ferox and surrak shoudl stay in because they help to race + strong synergy with the wall.
Against Eldrazi Tron, the game 1 start of your opponent is eldrazi winter, it's not possible to race that hand. I was wondering why he put chalice on 1, to stop the mana dorks?
plan VS combo is 4-kill hand like beatdown ofen using RootGeist Erdrich Surruk or 16-points combo, hatecard with 5~6-kill hands. not afraid mulligans. you can win only nice 5 opening hands.
galta's power is only 12,so I like sideout it VS Combo.
4-cost cards cannnot attack turn4. (Surruk and Cragganwick is exception)
VS Combo, needs no more resourse defeat opponents. But often we fall mana flood with many hatecards. So I like using 1 tracker after sideboards.
I actually felt like KCI wouldn't be too bad, although I personally (theoretically) think that it would be slightly less than 50%. They have too many Eggs, so it's like playing against a 48 card deck with super powerful cards. The plan you acknowledged seems really good and the exact plan that I was on.
It's interesting that you keep in a Tracker after board against quick Combo to mitigate mana flood. I didn't really think we'd have time for that, but honestly 1 Tracker probably couldn't hurt!
Have you seen the recent changes that people have made? What do you think of them? Specifically I'm talking about...
1. 4 Knight of Autumn in the SB, taking out Shattering Spree, Kitchen Finks, Reclamation Sage, and
2. 4th Impervious Greatwurm. The Ghalta, as much as I theoretically love it is just straight up worse. If you're casting Ghalta, you've already won for the most part. Sometimes you are 16 damage away (fetch shock and fetch from opponent) and you have Cragganwick or Evolution and Ghalta in hand.
3. 4 Bloodbraid Elves, taking out Nullhide Ferox, Scavenging Ooze, and 2 Tireless Tracker. I personally don't like it and am not ready to give up on Tireless Tracker or Scooze, but it may be the better direction currently.
I sided Damping Sphere, Eidolon of Rhetoric, 2 Relic of Progenitus, 4 Knight of Autumn, Scavenging Ooze, and Wall of Reverence. I took out 2 Tireless Tracker, 1 Nullhide Ferox, 1 Surrak, Caller of the Hunt, 2 Fauna Shaman, and something else.
Oh my.. that is definitely overboarding. If I had to choose.. -2 trackers -2 Shaman -1 something else to bring in to 2 knight, 2 ooze, and 1 Wall. the ferox and surrak shoudl stay in because they help to race + strong synergy with the wall.
Against Eldrazi Tron, the game 1 start of your opponent is eldrazi winter, it's not possible to race that hand. I was wondering why he put chalice on 1, to stop the mana dorks?
Yeah, I really messed up that match, but in the end it was me not siding out lands for spells that ended my life.
I assume he kept in Chalice of the Void because there were not better cards against me? He probably put Chalice of the Void on 1 because it shuts down Lightning Bolt, which I sided out, and also hits mana dorks (he saw mana dorks in another match that I played and saw Lightning Bolt when I Bolted myself as 2 Smashers were attempting to Smash me). It seems decent, but I sided out all 4 Lightning Bolts. I felt my other cards were better, even if it did increase the mana cost of my deck. It was a tough choice, as I HAAAATE increasing the mana cost of my deck unless I know for sure that SB games will slow down. That's how you get six 3 drops in your hand after board with 2 lands in play.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Round 1 vs. Junk Druid Combo, Postmortem Lunge. In game 1, we both mulled to 5. He got BoP and then Vizier of Remedies. I got Strangleroot Geist. I had Cragganwick Cremator in hand and got to a stage where I could 1 out of 4 it, but I passed. He had no cards in hand and Druid/Vizier in play. I have a 1 in 2 chance, but if I save it, I kill him next turn. I decide to not take a chance and he draws Chord of Calling for Shalai, Voice of Plenty and kills me with a BoP. In the next game, I mana dork into Strangleroot Geist and Bolt on Devoted Druid EoT. He BoP into Druid into Postmortem Lunge, plays Vizier of Remedies from hand and does Chord of Calling for Shalai, Voice of Plenty again to swing with the Druid and BoP. GGs. I hadn't lost to this guy in a while. 0-2.
Round 2 vs. Humans. In the first game, he did 2 Reflector Mage to my mana dorks. I made an early mistake in not leaving up Bolt on turn 2 after swinging with a Noble Hierarch and playing a tapped land. He got me with Kitesail Freebooter and another got a key Eldritch Evolution. The bouncing of mana dorks made me not even able to CAST Cragganwick Cremator from my hand. My hand got stuck with mana dudes, Cremator, some 3 drop creatures, and Impervious Greatwurm. If I had mana to go for it, I would have. In the next game, I am on the beatdown plan. He stabilizes with a 6/6 Champion, but I am lucky enough to find a creature on the final turn to filter through Fauna Shaman for another Wurm and have double Wurm in hand. I also Bolted a Kitesail Freebooter that had a Bolt under it to Bolt a Meddling Mage after he put counters on it with Thalia's Lieutenant. That play left me ahead on board. Turn 1 mana dude into Knight of Autumn on Aether Vial was gas too! I drew 1 land that whole game! In the last game after a mull, I just draw too many lands. In this game, I had Cragganwick, but no Wurm, so no chance to go for it. He bounced Cragganwick Cremator with Reflector Mage. That's how you know someone's going to win. They are not afraid of "comes into play abilities" that can potentially kill. My draw steps were all lands this game except on the final turn I drew Birds of Paradise. Hmm. Faithless Looting anyone? 1-2.
Round 3 vs. Affinity. Yes, Affinity. Hadn't seen that deck in ages. It's all Scales now. He said he came for the Draft, but was late, so he stayed to play Modern. He gets me with lethal poison in game 1. In the next game, he makes some mistakes that let a Steel-Leaf Champion and Surrak, Caller of the Hunt to smash for 10 twice. Ended up 2 poison short with a miscalculation. In the last game, I do Knight of Autumn on Cranial Plating, but he is about to beat me with double Arcbound Ravager and Inkmoth Nexus for the 3rd time in 3 games, but I draw a Strangleroot Geist, filter it through Fauna Shaman for Cragganwick Cremator and the last card in my hand is Impervious Greatwurm for 16 damage while he's at 10. GGs. 2-1.
Round 4 vs. BW Tokens. Surprised to see this deck, but there were a lot of newer players tonight playing odd stuff and I'm in the 1-2 bracket, right? I get a Steel-Leaf Champion after a mull, dodge Path to Exile for 1 swing and then get a Cragganwick Cremator after draw 2 lands in a row to dump my hand. Whew! I thought he would have turn 4 double Intangible Virtue, but he slowed down after turn 3, only getting 1 Virtue on turn 4. In the next game, I do a Slagstorm in time to slow him down and grow 2 Strangleroot Geist. I get him low and then Cragganwick Cremator a Knight of Autumn from hand to put him to 1. He scoops, as he has no outs to this. 2-0.
I finish 2-2 again, so 33-14-1 now. I'm starting to have doubts after some mana flood recently. I actually am starting to believe that we need Faithless Looting in this deck to help mitigate flood and increase card quality. I just pray that someone can do some work with this deck to try to make it optimal for the current meta. Maybe too many cards are needed to toolbox hate for many decks?
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
My draw steps were all lands this game except on the final turn I drew Birds of Paradise. Hmm. Faithless Looting anyone? 1-2.
Your deck decided to copy the bad habit of my Ponza deck in there. Adding looting or tracker can help mitigate land floods, the only problem is what cards to take out.
The Junk Druid match-up looks really hard. Because of the lunge giving resiliency to their combo.
Action packed match with Affinity. The win in the third game is like "heart of the cards" scenario in Yugi-oh, hitting for 16 when he's at a comfortable 10. Good thing no vault skirge to boost his life totals to a safe distance.
Yep. Ponza has more Tireless Trackers, as I only run 2. I guess I can Eldritch Evolution for them as well.
The Junk Druid match possibly is tough, as he had Druid and Lunge in game 2. How can my deck be expected to have 2 Lightning Bolts that early? But Eldritch Evolution into Linvala, Keeper of Silence shuts his whole deck down and he had no answer. Not to mention, his deck is more all in, so he literally has to beat down with 2/1s and 2/2s if this happens...all vs. a 3/4 Flier. My deck can also draw the nuts, which is few cards and the Splinter Twin, scratch that, Cragganwick Combo. I guess I should have assumed that the next card he draws is game after I shuffled his deck. Hmph. Should have done the 50/50 instead of waiting for the 100% NEXT turn. That's why I'm a bit upset, mostly because I counted the chances of him winning next turn was 11 outs in 45 cards, or less than 25%.
Yeah, against Affinity, I needed to draw a creature on the final turn. If I drew land, I lose. I had already resigned myself to not drawing a creature because of the way the tournament went, but sometimes you're lucky and draw a creature in a 30 creature deck.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Ah, I didn't realize you had linvala in your deck. In Ponza I do not have linvala, so I use two red sun's zenith against creature combos that can recur their creatures from the yard.
Is Krosan Cloudscraper worth considering in this deck? It has one more power than Ghalta.
Linvala, Keeper of Silence is in the SB. It can be a very key card, albeit super hard to hard cast. You pretty much have to hope that you Eldritch Evolution for it or have 2 mana dorks in the same game.
I don't think Krosan Cloudscraper is worth it. It can never be cast. Even Ghalta is outclassed by Impervious Greatwurm, which is the HERO Modern deserves.
I played in a CAPPED at 64 person Modern Staples event today for 6 rounds. We almost didn't get in because we didn't preregister. We were on the waiting list, but luckily some people didn't show up. Whew! I thought we drove 65 mi. for nothing.
Round 1 vs. UW Control. I kind of thought I'd play the 3 other guys from our carpool today instead of the other 60 players. I'm against my homie in round 1. In the first game, I explode on the scene. He has some Path to Exiles, but he took too much already and I Eldritch Evolution for Magus of the Moon to lock him down. In the next game, I PUNTED badly. I played terribly. I did a Magus of the Moon again, but I attack just to have him flash in Snapcaster Mage. I wasn't sure how many Snapcaster Mage they ran with 3 main board Rest in Peace since I didn't look at list in a while. He draws the nuts this game and gets Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Teferi, Hero of Dominaria after I am forced to dome Gideon Jura for 16 with Cragganwick Cremator since he had Runed Halo on Cragganwick Cremator. I put so much pressure on him in game 3 and he doesn't have many Path to Exile, so I make him tap out to live, then Cragganwick Cremator him for 16 when he's at 8. 2-1.
Round 2 vs. UR Phoenix. I beat this guy last time when I got 2nd place at a Staples event when he was on Infect. I keep on 2 Forest, mana dork, Cavern of Souls, and some other cards. Eventually I am about to die to a Thing in the Ice, but I have 2 Strangleroot Geist, one at a time, to stay alive. My out is Fire-Lit Thicket, yes, FIRE-LIT THICKET because I have double Lightning Bolt in hand and he's at 6 life. I don't draw a single land this game, my mana dude died early, and I got killed with Cragganwick Cremator, 4 drops, a Wurm, and double Bolt in hand. Fire-Lit Thicket. In the next game, I get Strangleroot Geist and Surrak, Caller of the Hunt after an Eldritch Evolution. This game is close, but I barely, barely get there with some creatures a key Bolt. In the final game, it is super close again, but I once again can't get past 3 lands from my opener and die with things in hand. I had a chance to go for it if I draw a land with 2 Cragganwick Cremator, 2 Impervious Greatwurm, and a Surrak, Caller of the Hunt. But I cannot CAST any of those cards. This guy ended up winning the Staples tournament! 1-2.
Round 3 vs. Hardened Scales. He wins the die roll. He beats me on his turn 4 before I can turn 4 him. In the next game, I Eldritch Evolution a Strangleroot Geist for Linvala, Keeper of Silence. He tells me that he made a mistake and can't deal with Linvala, but he's "siding in 4 Dismember.' I assume he's putting in 2. In the final game, I do some Knight of Autumn. He has a good draw and Evolutionary Leap. I put a lot of pressure on him until he's at 4 life, then I feel safe to Evolution for Linvala, Keeper of Silence since he can't Dismember it. This is a long game because he keeps drawing Hangarback Walkers to sacrifice with Throne of Geth to get chump blockers for Linvala. I am holding a Cragganwick Cremator. I finally draw Knight of Autumn and do it on the Thopter so I can swing for 4 exalted with the Linvala. Didn't need the Cremator in hand, which would have gotten chump blocked every turn. Super long match, but I just condensed it here. Evolutionary Leap is the real deal in this deck! 2-1.
Round 4 vs. Junk Midrange. In the first game, it came down to this. I cast Tireless Tracker after some discard and removal, playing a fetch to get 2 Clues. He played Tireless Tracker, crack a fetch, and Fatal Push mine. I go for Eldritch Evolution on my Birds of Paradise for Magus of the Moon. I have 3 lands and don't draw any more lands to cast a million 4 drops from hand. Meanwhile, he peels land after land, building the Tracker up to enormous proportions. He kills me with it, as the only play I make after Magus of the Moon is Fauna Shaman. In the final game, he has all of the removal, Liliana of the Last Hope, and a turn 5 Blood Baron of Vizkopa. Yes, I lost to that card. I am probably teh worst player you've ever known in your life. I plan to do Lightning Bolt on a Birds of Paradise to prevent life gain and hope to peel Cragganwick Cremator to win since my last card in hand is Impervious Greatwurm. He draws Inquisition of Kozilek, so I Bolt him. Got me. He's at 20 and there's really no way to kill him now. Blood Baron of Vizkopa on turn 5. I'll say it again. Blood Baron of Vizkopa. 0-2.
Round 5 vs. Burn. In the first game, I put early pressure, get a million lands from Goblin Guide, and Bolt it. I play some big creatures and he Eidolon of the Great Revel locks himself out of the game. He tries to kill me with Lightning Helix after I don't block and kill 1 of his Eidolons. But he dies before it resolves. In the next game, he gets stuck on 1 land. He probably could have won if he had drawn it on turn 3, but he doesn't and I pile him in card advantage. Knight of Autumn and more. 2-0.
Round 6 vs. UW Spirits. In the first game, I put way too much early pressure on him. He lacks Path to Exile and is on the DRAW, so he has to do a lot of chump blocks on 5/4 creatures. I eventually just Cragganwick Cremator him out after he has to flash out a Spell Queller to chump block. Chumping is rarely good. In the next game, I have the nuts on him. I assemble turn 2 Steel-Leaf Champion into turn 3 Wall of Reverence. Two turns later, I convoke out a Impervious Greatwurm. Why you ask? I had Kessig Wolf Run in play. I swing for 20 next turn because of double exalted and Kessig Wolf Run. He loses most of his board. I gain 20 life at end of turn - Wall of Reverence. Now the only thing I can play around is Settle the Wreckage or Blessed Alliance, so I play around both. Turns out he had a Settle the Wreckage MAINBOARD, but didn't draw it. He was a really good sport about this wonderfully horrible match for him. We talked on and on about how much we loved Lorwyn Standard. 2-0.
I finish 4-2 at 19th place. My tiebreakers were crap! The guy I lost to in Round 2 won the tournament. He beat my 2nd loss from Round 4 in the final round, Round 6, in the win-and-in. There were so many 4-1s that many had to play it out. It sucks to feel that I barely lost to the guy who won, especially with 2 Lightning Bolt in hand of an opponent at 6.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
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Only thing I don't understand is Surrak. Besides being another beater, what is the main purpose of surrak in this deck.. to make hasty champions?
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Want to play a UW control deck in modern, but don't have jace or snaps?
Please come visit us at the Emeria Titan control thread
Surrak, the Hunt Caller could easily be a card that gets cut in the finality of this deck. But it leaves the option of an explosive play in doing Eldritch Evolution on a Strangleroot Geist to do 8 damage out of nowhere against decks that don't block or don't block much. Part of casting Eldritch Evolution is putting the Strangleroot Geist in the yard, Undying to a 3/2, now you got a 3/2 and a 5/4, smashy smashy time. This pretty much puts a 2 turn clock of "16 damage" and the threat to die to Bolt if you don't block once is a real threat (or another creature the following turn if you are playing against decks that start at 20 life).
This also brings up something else I've noticed. This deck does seem to have a rough matchup against decks that don't put themselves below 20 life.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Nexus MTG News // Nexus - Magic Art Gallery // MTG Dual Land Color Ratios Analyzer // MTG Card Drawing Odds Calculator
Want to play a UW control deck in modern, but don't have jace or snaps?
Please come visit us at the Emeria Titan control thread
Had lots of bad draws, mulls to 5 etc. Didn't get to land any nice Cragganwurms either.
Anyway, one of my biggest problems was just fixing the right mana! Getting triple green and also double red out of a few lands proved very difficult. Dorks were removed a great majority of the time. Drawing colourless land and having a dork removed really held up a lot of lines of play. Thinking about this I realised the big problem was Steel-leaf champion and it's GGG cost. This card was getting stuck in my hand far too often. This led me back to thinking about Archgaze's newer list. If we remove Steel-leaf what do we have space for?
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 Mountain
5 Forest
2 Copperline Gorge
2 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Birds of Paradise
4 Strangleroot Geist
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Fauna Shaman
2 Tireless Tracker
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Surrak, Caller of the Hunt
4 Cragganwick Cremator
4 Impervious Greatwurm
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Kitchen Finks
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Eldritch Evolution
2 Blood Moon
So I was thinking something like this, which plays closer to a mid-range deck with the Cragganwick combo. I don't own any goyfs and I don't think they would be that great anyway. I'll have to change the sideboard around to reduce white mana dependence. I'm also not sure blood moon is where this deck wants to be, but I'm gonna try it out over the next week and see how it does.
Currently active
- Humans
- Evolve Zoo
But at the same time, I know the deck can absolutely be optimized and I would love to see what a list like that would be like. Maybe someone can get LSV or the like to try the deck?
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Round 1 vs. GW Company. I've seen this guy at various FNMs. I don't think he lives nearby. He's nearly like me in that he's always on a different deck. In the first game, we both mull to 5. I keep a 2 land hand with a mana dork. I fail to find a land or mana dork and die on turn 7 or 8 after he finally assembles the combo with Walking Ballista. I die with Cragganwick Cremator in hand with double Impervious Greatwurm. In the next game, we both keep on 7. I keep a hand with land, Noble Hierarch, Eldritch Evolution, Strangleroot Geist, and some 3-4 drops. I don't find a land in 2 draws, so I can't Eldritch Evolution the Geist for Linvala, Keeper of Silence and I lose on turn 3 to the Devoted Druid/Vizier of Remedies combo when he plays Eternal Witness, getting his Duskwatch Recruiter back (that I had blocked with Fauna Shaman earlier). I ask him if he had Path to Exile for Linvala. He said that he didn't side them in. One land in each game away from winning 2-0. That's Magic. 0-2.
Round 2 vs. RG Breach. In the first game, I plan to mana dork into Geist into Evolution into Surrak to pressure him, but I draw Surrak the turn that I was going to Evolution for him. It slows me down and on the final turn for me, I swing him down to 1 life, having only 1 mana up with a Clue token in play due to Copperline Gorge with 3 lands in play. He plays land and Scapeshift. I take 36 damage while at 19. I literally survive Scapeshift for 18 or Prime Time to win next turn. That Copperline Gorge gorged on my win/loss record! In the next game, I have a choice to Eldritch Evolution a Geist for Cragganwick Cremator with 2 other cards in hand or Magus of the Moon. Since he didn't Bolt the Bird for a while, I assume he doesn't have Bolt. Anger of the Gods blows me out, but there's not much I can do about that. I go for the Magus of the Moon and he plays, Chandra, Torch of Defiance the next turn. I do Geist/Surrak to kill Chandra and 5 to him, but he casts Prime Time to get over the hump. On the final turn or any time this game, I hoped to draw Cragganwick Cremator or Eldritch Evolution because I had Impervious Greatwurm in hand. Nope. Drew another land. 0-2.
Round 3 vs. Zoo. He mulls to 5. I get out an early Magus of the Moon into double Tireless Tracker and it gets to the point where I Evolution for Cragganwick for the final 5 damage with SLC in hand. In the next game, I have a Scavenging Ooze and double Relic of Progenitus holding back double Goyf, Wild Nacatl, double Noble Hierarch, double Knight of the Reliquary, but Bloodbraid Elves with exalted triggers put the pressure. I can't find anything but lands late in the game. No Trackers this game. No Cragganwick either, but I Evolution for Linvala, thinking this is damn strong. But I can't attack because he has too many attackers. The next turn, he draws Path to Exile and blows me out. My only creatures were Scavenging Ooze, Linvala, and Noble Hierarch. I needed the Linvala to stay in play! He has all of his creatures tapped due to attacking and Kessig Wolf Run (so double Noble Hierarchs are also tapped). I make a bit PUNT. I can cast Strangleroot Geist, attack him for 3 and then Eldritch Evolution for Cragganwick for 1 less than lethal damage. What's the problem? He was actually at 1 less than I thought, so it was exactly lethal. Yes, I could have won a game with all of those creatures on the other side after double Bloodbraid Elves had been killed. That's why you always ask what life total the opponent is at. I didn't ask because the last 10 times or so, my life pad has had the exact score, but then I really don't usually play against Knight of the Reliquary either. Should have won 2-0. Should have verified life total. Most opponents are not going out of their way to tell you that they pay 1 life for a fetch. It's on me to notice it, as I do and point it out to many other players. In the final game, there's not much to see. I drew 6 land and 1 Cragganwick Cremator. On turn 4, he plays Shalai, Voice of Plenty. The turn after, I draw Cragganwick Cremator. Nice timing! I have 2 cards, land and Wurm. Of course he reveals Wurm, I can't target him, it's the first Wurm reveal today with Cremator and I lose to some creatures. 1-2.
Round 4 vs. Eldrazi Taxes. He is stuck on Eldrazi Temple and Ghost Quarter for a while, despite having Aether Vial. I Bolt a Displacer and I have Steel-Leaf Champion and more pressure after that. In the next game, I manage to land Eldritch Evolution for Magus of the Moon after he played Thought-Knot Seer. Then I play Steel-Leaf Champion and Surrak, then another Steel-Leaf. He finds Plains, but the damage is done. He's already low because the SLC attacked for 6, due to Noble Hierarch. I end up running out Caldera Hellion to devour my Knight of Autumn (4/3) and a BoP to kill Mirran Crusader, Wasteland Strangler, and Flickerwisp. I run away with it after that. My SLC trades with TKS and then I draw another SLC. Then I draw Surrak, Caller of the Hunt. When it rains, it pours. 2-0.
I finish 1-3. I'm not sure if I've ever been 1-3 at this store. Sad times... (23-8-1 now)
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Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Reading your report. Scapeshift decks can win out of nowehere, it's just the nature of their deck. The other two losses were mana screw and the other due to mistake in not checking life totals, just an unlucky night that's all.
Is there no space in the deck for 2 Faithless looting. You already have evolution to call for magus if a moon effect is needed. Maybe give the two blood moon slots to two looting? That could help in consistency.
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I know Valakut decks very well. I've played a bunch of them. Titanshift plays 4 Scapeshift. Breach plays 1 or 2. My opponent was playing 1. It + land was his only out, other than Prime Time, land, and ramp spell if I don't draw a creature next turn (just what I had on board). He didn't slam it right away, so I thought, "nope, doesn't have his 1 Scapeshift with one of the 3 cards in his hand after the draw step. But...alas...he had it.
My friend actually got tilted when he told this guy that "if you have Scapeshift, I lose." But he didn't acknowledge it. He cast it, which I told my friend that he wasn't trying to tilt him. I know him pretty well. He's a cool guy that just loves playing and doesn't really know all of the "etiquette" of Magic yet, lol.
I'm pretty upset about the PUNT. There's no decision I've made that I've regretted more playing Cragganwick. Should have just asked life totals, right?
I don't know where to put Looting in the deck, but I'm sure the raw power of the card means that it may need to be in.
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Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Each person reacts differently or so I guess. Something that means nothing to someone, tilts another right away.
Lesson learned then. Or maybe because you are just tired. My playgroup are all spikes, it's because of them that I developed the habit of checking life totals and opponent cards in hand whenever I'm going to do something important. Worst punt I did was casting what I thought was a lightning bolt, but truth is I put down a grim lavaman by mistake thinking it is a lightning bolt due to fatigue, and it got killed - no takebacks.
Every now and then a person looks at my deck, sees looting and tells me it is card disadvantage. However, after being saved by the card many times no amount of arguing will convince me to take them out. One time I looted got a land and a dork, then later a flashback got two lands - that would have been four dead draws if looting was something else. There are several more times similar things happened like having a good hand with only one land, looted turn one and found land. And lastly, Tireless Tracker actually has a nice synergy with looting.. tracker encourages sandbagging of one or two lands in hand to get clues when a tracker is drawn, sometimes I draw looting instead of the tracker, those sandbagged lands can then be exchanged for other cards by looting. Two is the right number of loot for my ponza deck though... tried 3 loot and the results became not so good as it felt the deck just looted and not doing anything else.
Don't own a Craggenwick deck, have no idea on the ins and outs of this deck. The only reason I suggested taking out the two moons is because the moon effect can already be achieved by the magus via evolution. How many times have you locked out someone with the 2 mainboard blood moon, if the answer is not so many times.. then they are really the ones to take out if two looting will be tested.
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But I want to talk my Craganwick history in it.
first, this is my primal deck cragganwick using.
(sorry, this is not English movie.)
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm32374090
this deck is similar to Red Stompy, but modern has no Sol-lands like Ancient Tombs. so I used Chancellor of the Tangle and rituals.
He throw chancellor and deal 6damage to target player,this is like Fiery Confluence.
And I realize Cragganwick can defeat oponent by one's own efforts
this is the firsttime featured Cragganwick.
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm32729013
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm32749738
this deck can deal 20damage by cragganwick, but if I failed it, can't win.
this deck can't win MO friendly league,lots of BLoodbraid Jund and BW Control With JoMS.(2win-3lose,1win-4lose)
So I tried to blend beatdown with Cragganwick Combo using fauna and Eldrich Evolution.
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm32817211
this low quality paper-tower's first friendlyleague is 3 win-2 lose.
BW Control of those days used Supreme Verdict. so Cragganwick can be Solution to defeat BW Control.
but prototype Cragganwick cannot defeat Jund.
I tried using advantagecard like a tireless tracker, Scooze make something weak Tarmogoyf.
(movie immediately after goldfish's first article)
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm33114276
After this one, I realize Steelleaf Champion and Surrak, splash white nice side creatures.
(modern challenge's movie)
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm34090866
this is my Cragganwick history ,I like this card,so I tried to use my clumsy English to tell how to build now Cremator Toolbox.
thanks to read.
The videos were really cool and it's awesome to see the guy who inspired me to jump to this ship! Videos were pretty cool and enlightening too. I wish I knew the language! What is your current list and strategy right now? How do you plan to have game vs. Combo decks like KCI?
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Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Thank you, those videos are amazing.
Your clumsy english is ok.
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Round 1 vs. Burn. My homie, who usually runs Tron, but lets a newbie borrow Tron. He gets incredibly unlucky in Game 1 when I Magus of the Moon him with 2 cards in hand. He loses when he doesn't draw anymore burn as my fat creatures stabilize. He loses with double Boros Charm and Lightning Helix in hand. In game 2, I am more on the offensive, with Knight of Autumn, but he ends up burning me out. I lose with Wurm in hand. In game 3, it is nearly the same, but being on the play causes Knight of Autumn, which is Searing Blazed again, to not matter as much and I am swinging with a bunch of creatures on the final turn after Surrak got out. I probably could have gotten aggressive, but since I drew Wall of Reverence and he was tapped out, I went for that and 5 life from a Steel-Leaf Champion. Cremator next turn with haste Yo! 2-0.
Round 2 vs. Humans. In the first game, I set up Fauna Shaman on turn 2. He gets a million creatures, but takes a hit from Fauna Shaman with exalted on the final turn to fall to 15. Cragganwick Cremator after land drop (draw for the turn), Impervious Wurm to the face. In the next game, he gets too many Champion of the Parish again and I can't contend with them. In the final game, I tanked quite a bit! I thought that I would Bolt a Kitesail Freebooter EoT to get Eldritch Evolution back, on my Strangleroot Geist for Caldera Hellion. Do you see what my mistake was? It doesn't go up by 3. I am forced to waste a turn doing Knight of Autumn and by then a million creatures end up doing exactly lethal when he draws a land to do Mantis Rider and attack with the Noble Hierarch for exactly 8 damage no matter how I block. He would have been dead on the swingback, so it was a big draw and play. I think I could have won this game had I played better, but it was SO hard to figure out what to do. This is where my weakness for creature combat in the past came back to haunt me. I didn't draw a mana dork, so I was stuck doing slow plays while he Noble Hierarch into Champ and Freebooter, taking 1 of 2 Eldritch Evolution. Tough loss. I wish someone could have told me what to do better. Maybe I should have Bolted the first Champ before it became a 6/6, but the other Champ got to a 3/3 right away due to Lieutenant and I don't see a way around that. Humans is a quick Aggro deck! 1-2.
Round 3 vs. Tron. My homie's Tron deck! In the first game, he stabilizes at 5 life with Ugin to wipe my board, including mana dorks. I have Cragganwick Cremator and Impervious Greatwurm in hand. I draw land and get there. I couldn't have played it last turn because I literally played the mana dork that turn to do it. In the next game, Magus of the Moon comes in time. Whew! Turn 4 Tron is not as strong as turn 3. He gets a natural Oblivion Stone, but I top deck Damping Sphere to end it. 2-0.
Round 3 vs. Bant Spirits. The reason I say "Bant Spirits" is that there also was a UW player. He puts me on a slight beatdown, but Surrak and then Scavenging Ooze gets me back in it. I have Cragganwick Cremator in hand, so if I draw a 4 power creature (he's empty handed), it's over. I draw Cavern of Souls and he triple chump blocks. I eat 2 of the creatures in response to Moorland Haunt to go to 5. He has Mausoleum Wanderer and Spell Queller. He draws his card for the turn and gets Collected Company. He does it and gets double Drogskol Captain. That's 9 and I can only gain 2 more life to go to 7. A single Lord and another Spirit was game anyway, but it was dramatic though. In the next game, I get enough pressure to slam a Cragganwick Cremator with Impervious Greatwurm in hand while he's at 8 life. It was my only out and a 3rd Spell Queller or Disdainful STroke would have gotten me. But I get there! In the next game it is similar, but he taps out to contend with my larger creatures. I slam Cragganwick Cremator with Knight of Autumn and Impervious Greatwurm in hand. It reveals the Wurm and it's over. Got there. 2-1.
I finish 3-1. Not sure what the prizing was, but my tiebreakers were bad. Oh well; probably got my $5 back. 26-9-1 with the deck now.
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Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
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Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Round 1 vs. Mono Black Control. We drove with 4 in our carpool. We are all matched up against each other. In the first game after we both mull, he does his thing. Discard, Liliana of the Veil, terrible draws for me. He leaves me with Impervious Greatwurm, which gives me a chance to draw Cragganwick Cremator (1 has been discarded) or Eldritch Evolution (2 are gone). I don't and I lose to Phyrexian Obliterator and 2 Gifted Aetherborn. In the next game, he has 2 lands and some discard and removal, but he literally is stuck on 2 lands until turn 15. I play 13 lands and finally draw and play 2 threats that don't get killed. He finally gets land #3 and Fulminator Mage, but it's over after that. In the final game, he mulls to 6. I mull to 6. I get out Tireless Tracker and get there pretty easily, not even needing to crack clues as I play threat after threat. Not scared of Damnation. Dodge it and it's over. 2-1.
Round 2 vs. Scales. The other friend from our car that won Round 1 against our other friend. He does Scales, then Scales and a bunch of Stirrings. He is about to stabilize with a 6/6 Hangarback Walker, but I draw land and play a Cragganwick Cremator for 16 damage. In game 2, he does triple Hardened Scales. He only gets a few creatures, but double Arcbound Ravager and no sight of Cragganwick or Evolution means that I have no way to get through. Spellskite causes me problems this game. No Knight of Autumn. In the final game, I have Noble Hierarch, 2 lands, Knight of Autumn, and some other cards. I eventually play a Birds of Paradise so I can Knight of Autumn next turn. Double Hardened Scales gets him to kill me with Infect AND regular damage on the turn after I cast BoP. Sad times. 7, yes, 7 Hardened Scales in 3 games. 2-3-2. 1-2.
Round 3 vs. Bant Spirits. In game 1, he comes off slowly. I explode with BoP into Steel-Leaf. I get him to 3 life and I have Cragganwick Cremator, but I draw Bolt and I can play that and conceal the Cragganwick kill. The next game is similar, but I end up having to do Cremator after he answers my on board threats with him at 10 life and me at 8 life to kill him. He probably had me in 2 turns. 2-0.
Round 4 vs. UR Phoenix. In the first game, the Thing in the Ice on the play. He plays a million Bolts and then flips Thing. I have only 1 out, so I go for it. Cragganwick Cremator with 5 cards in hand - 2 of which are Impervious Greatwurm. He takes 16, down to 2. I untap after he swings me for 7 with Thing, blocked by Cremator. I untap and Bolt to win. In the next game, I play Damping Sphere on turn 2. It slows double Thing in the Ice, but I literally only have Strangleroot Geists and don't have time to Eldritch Evolution to go for the win. In the final game, I keep on 4 land, BoP, Strangleroot Geist, and Bolt. I hoped to take down a Thing in the Ice with Bolt and Geist. Nope. I peel 6 lands and then Impervious Greatwurm and lose to turn 4, Bedlam Reveler with 3 cards in hand and 2 mana up. It was his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Fiery Tempers, the first of which he shipped to Looting. He gets me for 6 since he only has 2 mana up. Then I literally need him to have nothing to have a chance. Nope, another Reveler and some chumps by Geist and I scoop. He said he had 4 Fiery Temper at one point, but no discard outlet. Sure got it there to CRUUUSH me. First encounter with Phoenix. Almost played it tonight, but I assumed my draws would not be like this. 1-2.
I finish 2-2. 28-11-1
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Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)A friend of mine has a deck similar that, his main win con is putting lashwrithe on obliterator. Although partially budget because the deck of my friend only has one Lily. It's a rogue deck that's surprisingly tough to grind against. Good that you beat manage to beat it.
UR Phoenix looks like a tough match. Their deck seems too fast.
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I don't know how Phoenix is, but in theory, I thought it would be okay. I got a lot of life gain, which makes Lightning Bolt and Lava Spike (I think he put it in for the Gut Shots) kind of bad. He simply can't deal with a Steel-Leaf Champion, outside of double Bolt, which pretty much means if I have a solid follow up, it's going to stick. Thing in the Ice is very bad for me. I think if I dodge that and 4 Fiery Temper by turn 4 (while not drawing only lands and a 16/16), I have a chance. I think I over sideboarded though, even if the cards I sided for them don't do much either.
I sided Damping Sphere, Eidolon of Rhetoric, 2 Relic of Progenitus, 4 Knight of Autumn, Scavenging Ooze, and Wall of Reverence. I took out 2 Tireless Tracker, 1 Nullhide Ferox, 1 Surrak, Caller of the Hunt, 2 Fauna Shaman, and something else.
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Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Round 1 vs. KCI. I win the die roll. I have a slow hand. I play a Steel-Leaf Champion on turn 3. He kills me on his turn 3. In the next game, I go mana dork into Knight of Autumn on a Chromatic Star into Strangleroot Geist into Knight of Autumn on Mind Stone. I get a Cragganwick Cremator for 16 damage after drawing the Wurm, even though he's only at 4 life now. In the last game, I keep my first play being Eidolon of Rhetoric on turn 3. He kills me on his turn 3 before I play a single thing. Had a Stomping Ground and a Misty Rainforest in play. 1-2.
Round 2 vs. Bant Spirits/Humans. He has a slow hand and I have pressure. He's forced to Spell Queller a Strangleroot Geist and an Eldritch Evolution, but I get Cragganwick Cremator for lethal. In the last game, he has 1 creature left, but stabilizes with Worship. Whoops, didn't put anything in for that. But I have Eldritch Evolution for Caldera Hellion to wipe his singleton Tireless Tracker and the attack by Linvala, Keeper of Silence gets it done! GGs. 2-0.
Round 3 vs. Dredge. In game 1, I have Noble Hierarch into Scavenging Ooze, but Kessig Wolf Run. He has too many good targets and then Cathartic Reunion and I can't draw any other mana. He eventually gets there with Creeping Chills and a bunch of creatures. I kind of wish I went for it the turn before with 4 or 5 cards in hand, 1 being a Wurm. Oh well. In the next game, I get Scavenging Ooze and I have enough Green mana, while his hand is slow enough for me to get there. I cast a Cragganwick Cremator with no cards in hand and swing for lethal next turn. In the final game, he gets some pressure with Bloodghast, Prized Amalgam, and Narcomoeba. I have Noble Hierarch into Relic of Progenitus, Noble Hierarch, and mana to activate Relic. I have another Relic and between that, Steel-Leaf Champion, Noble Hierarch exalted, and double Bolt, I get there right before dying. I actually drew Eldritch Evolution and held priority, Bolting him to 7. I'm pretty sure the Steel-Leaf Champion was lethal, but double Wurm in hand is more than lethal. I make him roll the die. He gets the Wurm and immediately looks to see I trolled him by having 2 Wurm. Lol. He was a good sport about it! 2-1.
Round 4 vs. Eldrazi Tron. In the first game, he plays Expedition Map, then gets another Eldrazi Temple and plays double Reality Smashers and double Dismember to make it an easy win over a Tireless Tracker and a Cragganwick Cremator. Funny thing is that I could have barely stabilized because I had 2 Lightning Bolt and 2 land in hand to discard to kill a Reality Smasher. I was just too low. In the next game, I get mana dork into Steel-Leaf Champion into Wall of Reverence. I only play a Noble Hierarch after this, so as to not overextend, but make the SLC go past Thought-Knot Seer. He gets a Matter Reshaper, which shows All is Dust. He does it and I rebuild with Scavenging Ooze and SLC. But he trades the SLC for Reality Smasher, since I'm so high from the Wall of Reverence, but he has a Endbringer and he stops Scooze from attacking. He then plays a Chalice of the Void on 3 and on 4. I have Cragganwick Cremator and the Impervious Greatwurm that I've had for a bit the turn after he did Chalice on 4. I hope to draw Cavern of Souls now. I play anything I can since I need to get cards out of my hand. On the final turn, I go for Eldritch Evolution on Scavenging Ooze, the only thing keeping him from smashing my face in with Endbringer. He counters with Chalice of the Void. I then play Cavern of Souls on "Shaman" and dome him for 16 with Cragganwick + his buddy, Mr. Wurm. In the final game, I explode with Strangleroot Geist into Strangleroot Geist into Surrak, Caller of the Hunt. He only played Chalice of the Void on 1. He's at 5 life now. He gets the All is Dust, but the Undying from Geists is 6 damage and he's at 5. Scooooop. He was hoping to get Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, which he had in hand. But he didn't have Tron, instead drawing 2 of the same Tron land. Better lucky than good (for me!) 2-1.
I finish 3-1, so 31-12-1. I'm getting close to 75% again...
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Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Videos were pretty cool and enlightening too. I wish I knew the language! What is your current list and strategy right now? How do you plan to have game vs. Combo decks like KCI? [/quote]
Language is Japanese.
plan VS combo is 4-kill hand like beatdown ofen using RootGeist Erdrich Surruk or 16-points combo, hatecard with 5~6-kill hands. not afraid mulligans. you can win only nice 5 opening hands.
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1430861#paper
I use this decklist.
for example, VS KCl. This matchup 50-50 or little advantage.
sideout 1 Fellox,(huntmuster),1 Magus, 1 tracker, 1 galta, 1 Steelleaf.(Second tracker)(1 mana dork ,play first)
sidein 1 damping sphere, 1 Eidolon of Rhetoric,1 shattering spree,and 1 Scooze(Reclamation Sage, Autumn Knight)(Cavern of Souls, playfirst)
galta's power is only 12,so I like sideout it VS Combo.
4-cost cards cannnot attack turn4. (Surruk and Cragganwick is exception)
VS Combo, needs no more resourse defeat opponents. But often we fall mana flood with many hatecards. So I like using 1 tracker after sideboards.
Oh my.. that is definitely overboarding. If I had to choose.. -2 trackers -2 Shaman -1 something else to bring in to 2 knight, 2 ooze, and 1 Wall. the ferox and surrak shoudl stay in because they help to race + strong synergy with the wall.
Against Eldrazi Tron, the game 1 start of your opponent is eldrazi winter, it's not possible to race that hand. I was wondering why he put chalice on 1, to stop the mana dorks?
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I actually felt like KCI wouldn't be too bad, although I personally (theoretically) think that it would be slightly less than 50%. They have too many Eggs, so it's like playing against a 48 card deck with super powerful cards. The plan you acknowledged seems really good and the exact plan that I was on.
It's interesting that you keep in a Tracker after board against quick Combo to mitigate mana flood. I didn't really think we'd have time for that, but honestly 1 Tracker probably couldn't hurt!
Have you seen the recent changes that people have made? What do you think of them? Specifically I'm talking about...
1. 4 Knight of Autumn in the SB, taking out Shattering Spree, Kitchen Finks, Reclamation Sage, and
2. 4th Impervious Greatwurm. The Ghalta, as much as I theoretically love it is just straight up worse. If you're casting Ghalta, you've already won for the most part. Sometimes you are 16 damage away (fetch shock and fetch from opponent) and you have Cragganwick or Evolution and Ghalta in hand.
3. 4 Bloodbraid Elves, taking out Nullhide Ferox, Scavenging Ooze, and 2 Tireless Tracker. I personally don't like it and am not ready to give up on Tireless Tracker or Scooze, but it may be the better direction currently.
What do you think?
Yeah, I really messed up that match, but in the end it was me not siding out lands for spells that ended my life.
I assume he kept in Chalice of the Void because there were not better cards against me? He probably put Chalice of the Void on 1 because it shuts down Lightning Bolt, which I sided out, and also hits mana dorks (he saw mana dorks in another match that I played and saw Lightning Bolt when I Bolted myself as 2 Smashers were attempting to Smash me). It seems decent, but I sided out all 4 Lightning Bolts. I felt my other cards were better, even if it did increase the mana cost of my deck. It was a tough choice, as I HAAAATE increasing the mana cost of my deck unless I know for sure that SB games will slow down. That's how you get six 3 drops in your hand after board with 2 lands in play.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Round 1 vs. Junk Druid Combo, Postmortem Lunge. In game 1, we both mulled to 5. He got BoP and then Vizier of Remedies. I got Strangleroot Geist. I had Cragganwick Cremator in hand and got to a stage where I could 1 out of 4 it, but I passed. He had no cards in hand and Druid/Vizier in play. I have a 1 in 2 chance, but if I save it, I kill him next turn. I decide to not take a chance and he draws Chord of Calling for Shalai, Voice of Plenty and kills me with a BoP. In the next game, I mana dork into Strangleroot Geist and Bolt on Devoted Druid EoT. He BoP into Druid into Postmortem Lunge, plays Vizier of Remedies from hand and does Chord of Calling for Shalai, Voice of Plenty again to swing with the Druid and BoP. GGs. I hadn't lost to this guy in a while. 0-2.
Round 2 vs. Humans. In the first game, he did 2 Reflector Mage to my mana dorks. I made an early mistake in not leaving up Bolt on turn 2 after swinging with a Noble Hierarch and playing a tapped land. He got me with Kitesail Freebooter and another got a key Eldritch Evolution. The bouncing of mana dorks made me not even able to CAST Cragganwick Cremator from my hand. My hand got stuck with mana dudes, Cremator, some 3 drop creatures, and Impervious Greatwurm. If I had mana to go for it, I would have. In the next game, I am on the beatdown plan. He stabilizes with a 6/6 Champion, but I am lucky enough to find a creature on the final turn to filter through Fauna Shaman for another Wurm and have double Wurm in hand. I also Bolted a Kitesail Freebooter that had a Bolt under it to Bolt a Meddling Mage after he put counters on it with Thalia's Lieutenant. That play left me ahead on board. Turn 1 mana dude into Knight of Autumn on Aether Vial was gas too! I drew 1 land that whole game! In the last game after a mull, I just draw too many lands. In this game, I had Cragganwick, but no Wurm, so no chance to go for it. He bounced Cragganwick Cremator with Reflector Mage. That's how you know someone's going to win. They are not afraid of "comes into play abilities" that can potentially kill. My draw steps were all lands this game except on the final turn I drew Birds of Paradise. Hmm. Faithless Looting anyone? 1-2.
Round 3 vs. Affinity. Yes, Affinity. Hadn't seen that deck in ages. It's all Scales now. He said he came for the Draft, but was late, so he stayed to play Modern. He gets me with lethal poison in game 1. In the next game, he makes some mistakes that let a Steel-Leaf Champion and Surrak, Caller of the Hunt to smash for 10 twice. Ended up 2 poison short with a miscalculation. In the last game, I do Knight of Autumn on Cranial Plating, but he is about to beat me with double Arcbound Ravager and Inkmoth Nexus for the 3rd time in 3 games, but I draw a Strangleroot Geist, filter it through Fauna Shaman for Cragganwick Cremator and the last card in my hand is Impervious Greatwurm for 16 damage while he's at 10. GGs. 2-1.
Round 4 vs. BW Tokens. Surprised to see this deck, but there were a lot of newer players tonight playing odd stuff and I'm in the 1-2 bracket, right? I get a Steel-Leaf Champion after a mull, dodge Path to Exile for 1 swing and then get a Cragganwick Cremator after draw 2 lands in a row to dump my hand. Whew! I thought he would have turn 4 double Intangible Virtue, but he slowed down after turn 3, only getting 1 Virtue on turn 4. In the next game, I do a Slagstorm in time to slow him down and grow 2 Strangleroot Geist. I get him low and then Cragganwick Cremator a Knight of Autumn from hand to put him to 1. He scoops, as he has no outs to this. 2-0.
I finish 2-2 again, so 33-14-1 now. I'm starting to have doubts after some mana flood recently. I actually am starting to believe that we need Faithless Looting in this deck to help mitigate flood and increase card quality. I just pray that someone can do some work with this deck to try to make it optimal for the current meta. Maybe too many cards are needed to toolbox hate for many decks?
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Your deck decided to copy the bad habit of my Ponza deck in there. Adding looting or tracker can help mitigate land floods, the only problem is what cards to take out.
The Junk Druid match-up looks really hard. Because of the lunge giving resiliency to their combo.
Action packed match with Affinity. The win in the third game is like "heart of the cards" scenario in Yugi-oh, hitting for 16 when he's at a comfortable 10. Good thing no vault skirge to boost his life totals to a safe distance.
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Please come visit us at the Emeria Titan control thread
The Junk Druid match possibly is tough, as he had Druid and Lunge in game 2. How can my deck be expected to have 2 Lightning Bolts that early? But Eldritch Evolution into Linvala, Keeper of Silence shuts his whole deck down and he had no answer. Not to mention, his deck is more all in, so he literally has to beat down with 2/1s and 2/2s if this happens...all vs. a 3/4 Flier. My deck can also draw the nuts, which is few cards and the Splinter Twin, scratch that, Cragganwick Combo. I guess I should have assumed that the next card he draws is game after I shuffled his deck. Hmph. Should have done the 50/50 instead of waiting for the 100% NEXT turn. That's why I'm a bit upset, mostly because I counted the chances of him winning next turn was 11 outs in 45 cards, or less than 25%.
Yeah, against Affinity, I needed to draw a creature on the final turn. If I drew land, I lose. I had already resigned myself to not drawing a creature because of the way the tournament went, but sometimes you're lucky and draw a creature in a 30 creature deck.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Is Krosan Cloudscraper worth considering in this deck? It has one more power than Ghalta.
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I don't think Krosan Cloudscraper is worth it. It can never be cast. Even Ghalta is outclassed by Impervious Greatwurm, which is the HERO Modern deserves.
I played in a CAPPED at 64 person Modern Staples event today for 6 rounds. We almost didn't get in because we didn't preregister. We were on the waiting list, but luckily some people didn't show up. Whew! I thought we drove 65 mi. for nothing.
Round 1 vs. UW Control. I kind of thought I'd play the 3 other guys from our carpool today instead of the other 60 players. I'm against my homie in round 1. In the first game, I explode on the scene. He has some Path to Exiles, but he took too much already and I Eldritch Evolution for Magus of the Moon to lock him down. In the next game, I PUNTED badly. I played terribly. I did a Magus of the Moon again, but I attack just to have him flash in Snapcaster Mage. I wasn't sure how many Snapcaster Mage they ran with 3 main board Rest in Peace since I didn't look at list in a while. He draws the nuts this game and gets Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Teferi, Hero of Dominaria after I am forced to dome Gideon Jura for 16 with Cragganwick Cremator since he had Runed Halo on Cragganwick Cremator. I put so much pressure on him in game 3 and he doesn't have many Path to Exile, so I make him tap out to live, then Cragganwick Cremator him for 16 when he's at 8. 2-1.
Round 2 vs. UR Phoenix. I beat this guy last time when I got 2nd place at a Staples event when he was on Infect. I keep on 2 Forest, mana dork, Cavern of Souls, and some other cards. Eventually I am about to die to a Thing in the Ice, but I have 2 Strangleroot Geist, one at a time, to stay alive. My out is Fire-Lit Thicket, yes, FIRE-LIT THICKET because I have double Lightning Bolt in hand and he's at 6 life. I don't draw a single land this game, my mana dude died early, and I got killed with Cragganwick Cremator, 4 drops, a Wurm, and double Bolt in hand. Fire-Lit Thicket. In the next game, I get Strangleroot Geist and Surrak, Caller of the Hunt after an Eldritch Evolution. This game is close, but I barely, barely get there with some creatures a key Bolt. In the final game, it is super close again, but I once again can't get past 3 lands from my opener and die with things in hand. I had a chance to go for it if I draw a land with 2 Cragganwick Cremator, 2 Impervious Greatwurm, and a Surrak, Caller of the Hunt. But I cannot CAST any of those cards. This guy ended up winning the Staples tournament! 1-2.
Round 3 vs. Hardened Scales. He wins the die roll. He beats me on his turn 4 before I can turn 4 him. In the next game, I Eldritch Evolution a Strangleroot Geist for Linvala, Keeper of Silence. He tells me that he made a mistake and can't deal with Linvala, but he's "siding in 4 Dismember.' I assume he's putting in 2. In the final game, I do some Knight of Autumn. He has a good draw and Evolutionary Leap. I put a lot of pressure on him until he's at 4 life, then I feel safe to Evolution for Linvala, Keeper of Silence since he can't Dismember it. This is a long game because he keeps drawing Hangarback Walkers to sacrifice with Throne of Geth to get chump blockers for Linvala. I am holding a Cragganwick Cremator. I finally draw Knight of Autumn and do it on the Thopter so I can swing for 4 exalted with the Linvala. Didn't need the Cremator in hand, which would have gotten chump blocked every turn. Super long match, but I just condensed it here. Evolutionary Leap is the real deal in this deck! 2-1.
Round 4 vs. Junk Midrange. In the first game, it came down to this. I cast Tireless Tracker after some discard and removal, playing a fetch to get 2 Clues. He played Tireless Tracker, crack a fetch, and Fatal Push mine. I go for Eldritch Evolution on my Birds of Paradise for Magus of the Moon. I have 3 lands and don't draw any more lands to cast a million 4 drops from hand. Meanwhile, he peels land after land, building the Tracker up to enormous proportions. He kills me with it, as the only play I make after Magus of the Moon is Fauna Shaman. In the final game, he has all of the removal, Liliana of the Last Hope, and a turn 5 Blood Baron of Vizkopa. Yes, I lost to that card. I am probably teh worst player you've ever known in your life. I plan to do Lightning Bolt on a Birds of Paradise to prevent life gain and hope to peel Cragganwick Cremator to win since my last card in hand is Impervious Greatwurm. He draws Inquisition of Kozilek, so I Bolt him. Got me. He's at 20 and there's really no way to kill him now. Blood Baron of Vizkopa on turn 5. I'll say it again. Blood Baron of Vizkopa. 0-2.
Round 5 vs. Burn. In the first game, I put early pressure, get a million lands from Goblin Guide, and Bolt it. I play some big creatures and he Eidolon of the Great Revel locks himself out of the game. He tries to kill me with Lightning Helix after I don't block and kill 1 of his Eidolons. But he dies before it resolves. In the next game, he gets stuck on 1 land. He probably could have won if he had drawn it on turn 3, but he doesn't and I pile him in card advantage. Knight of Autumn and more. 2-0.
Round 6 vs. UW Spirits. In the first game, I put way too much early pressure on him. He lacks Path to Exile and is on the DRAW, so he has to do a lot of chump blocks on 5/4 creatures. I eventually just Cragganwick Cremator him out after he has to flash out a Spell Queller to chump block. Chumping is rarely good. In the next game, I have the nuts on him. I assemble turn 2 Steel-Leaf Champion into turn 3 Wall of Reverence. Two turns later, I convoke out a Impervious Greatwurm. Why you ask? I had Kessig Wolf Run in play. I swing for 20 next turn because of double exalted and Kessig Wolf Run. He loses most of his board. I gain 20 life at end of turn - Wall of Reverence. Now the only thing I can play around is Settle the Wreckage or Blessed Alliance, so I play around both. Turns out he had a Settle the Wreckage MAINBOARD, but didn't draw it. He was a really good sport about this wonderfully horrible match for him. We talked on and on about how much we loved Lorwyn Standard. 2-0.
I finish 4-2 at 19th place. My tiebreakers were crap! The guy I lost to in Round 2 won the tournament. He beat my 2nd loss from Round 4 in the final round, Round 6, in the win-and-in. There were so many 4-1s that many had to play it out. It sucks to feel that I barely lost to the guy who won, especially with 2 Lightning Bolt in hand of an opponent at 6.
37-16-1 now.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)