@UtterPandemonium and Ivg; Memory's Journey can be used as either graveyard hate or anti-targeted graveyard hate. It is quite versatile, but be warned it targets both the player and the cards in the grave, so if they have a Leyline of Sanctity out, it becomes pretty dead.
@imaginarypuppets and spawnofhastur; This is what I'd use as the manabase If I didn't have Zendikar fetches:
You mention Foothills twice. You are probably looking for Windswept Heath. I also don't really like Shrine + Foundry setup. 1st White shock you want is GW, and 2nd should probably be RW so you can access W out of Bloodstained Mire. Deck is not really hungry for B.
Basically we want t1 R, t2 G and/orB and RR somewhere near. Also an ability to fetchW fast in case of emergency Ray, Rites or Souls from-the-hand. That's about it.
Yeah, and IMO you are overkilling on basics and shocks. 1 Tomb and 1 Swamp are pretty much enough for business. Some utility lands should be in instead.
6th colorless land is Sacred Foundry. I run Unburial Rites and 3 Ray of Revelation
10 Fetches give me slightly more consistency, and regarding my experience with Heath : card that basically says "Fetch a Forest" is pretty good. I'm not really fond of fetching basics early - because of our mana requirements - and later in the game you have choices anyway thanks to Loam.
Fixed it, the errant Foothills should have been a delta, though Heath works just as well. And yeah, you can probably drop the swamp for a GW or vault if you want, but you have to be very careful about overloading the non-colored sources without colorscrewing yourself. I stick to 20 to stop that, but some have advocated for as little as 18.
I really want to respond to a Reality Smasher attack with an instant speed 2/2 zombie, discard Pharaoh. Hnnngh
Wasn't quite this, but I did discard 6 cards, making 3 zombies, to triple block one last FNM. Next turn, I dredged back the Loam, got back a few lands with it, and hit a landfall trigger on 2x Bloodghast that had all been part of that block. Felt dirty.
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I can't say I'm pleased to see you and must warn you I may have to do something about it.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: URDelver
Modern: UGRDelver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
You nailed the situation where Deadly Allure works as intended. I agree that is a very unlikely situation and it is a narrow card.
Yeah, to narrow for me.
I'm liking your list, looks like a decent approach. 3rd big Dredger feels nessecary in a deck that wants to utilize Unburial Rites. I'm not entierly sure in 1 copy of Golgari Brownscale MD and no SB copies, and I don't really think Vault of Archangel absolutely solves lifegain problems in MU where life is important.
Jason Chung said on twitter that the cards is the nutter butters as a late loam target. I can see that being true and not only the lifelink but also the deathtouch being relevant.
Necroplasm either belongs to MD or to nowhere(IMO). It's that kind of card which catches a lot of decks off guard and is generally effective and you aren't afraid to board it out, but post-board it may find issues both in GY hate, Path to Exile and the likes. Not sure in 4 Pharaoh either -I tend to play 2 and they are quite good in those numbers. 2 copies MD and 1 Sb may free up space for Darkblast you've mentioned, for example.
Necroplasm seems awkward with the tokens and also quite slow. I have had good experience with it in legacy pox though. Not sure where I can fit it in the main deck. Don't want to cut a pharaoh for it as I want to have access to that card basically always.
Elesh Norn as a reanimation target suffers from 1 major problem, much like Iona : Path to Exile. And that card is very popular right now. Behemoth's effect is instant and usually game-breaking, while locking powers of two white beaters can meet opponent's answers and left you as a very sad person.
Agreed, going to test this setup and see if I need to add more copies of the rites and hoof to make it more consistent.
Just my 0.05$
Appreciated.
The necroplasm is there for Kiki combo and all the creature toolbox decks. They are tough to beat in a straight up fight and they play a lot of cards like ghostly prison, RiP and scooze. Having a way to close them out is important with their increased popularity. It kills almost all of the things that give me problems. I'm playing one in the main and one in the board. I cut one darkblast in my board for one of them. I feel like my board is changing everyday.
I really want to respond to a Reality Smasher attack with an instant speed 2/2 zombie, discard Pharaoh. Hnnngh
Wasn't quite this, but I did discard 6 cards, making 3 zombies, to triple block one last FNM. Next turn, I dredged back the Loam, got back a few lands with it, and hit a landfall trigger on 2x Bloodghast that had all been part of that block. Felt dirty.
This situation is another reason to run a one of Valor. It has been working well for me in Eldrazi matchups to stabilize.
I really want to respond to a Reality Smasher attack with an instant speed 2/2 zombie, discard Pharaoh. Hnnngh
Wasn't quite this, but I did discard 6 cards, making 3 zombies, to triple block one last FNM. Next turn, I dredged back the Loam, got back a few lands with it, and hit a landfall trigger on 2x Bloodghast that had all been part of that block. Felt dirty.
This situation is another reason to run a one of Valor. It has been working well for me in Eldrazi matchups to stabilize.
But this requires that I not only run white, which might be fine, but that I also have a Godless Shrine or Temple Garden or Sacred Foundry in play? Lots of setup that my build, which runs Smallpox, isn't all that interested in. I mean, yes, that's a blowout of a combat step, but it seems like overkill, at least for my build.
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I can't say I'm pleased to see you and must warn you I may have to do something about it.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: URDelver
Modern: UGRDelver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
In the smallpox build running Valor is ridiculous. That would definitely strain your manabase too much. I run it because I run two main deck Vault of the Archangel so by turn three I am usually searching up or playing white. I run sacred foundry and Godless shrine because I run a three of each of the Onslaught fetches.
I really want to respond to a Reality Smasher attack with an instant speed 2/2 zombie, discard Pharaoh. Hnnngh
Wasn't quite this, but I did discard 6 cards, making 3 zombies, to triple block one last FNM. Next turn, I dredged back the Loam, got back a few lands with it, and hit a landfall trigger on 2x Bloodghast that had all been part of that block. Felt dirty.
That is amazing. Is it fair to say that Infestation+Loam is the key deck engine?
Valor was suggested above, and I'm curious how good it could be as a 1-off in a build using Lingering Souls (backed by Vault of course).
While I'm here, is there an optimal time to GQ someone? Particularly while setting up a GQ lock? The only obvious situation to me is after a scry or the like.
Is it fair to say that Infestation+Loam is the key deck engine?
One of them. 2nd pitcher is usually Conflagrate. Deck is not really limited to only 1 "engine". I can say that dredging into Bloodghast or finding Unburial Rites is also describable as an engine.
While I'm here, is there an optimal time to GQ someone? Particularly while setting up a GQ lock? The only obvious situation to me is after a scry or the like.
Ghost Quarter takes quite some skill outside of regular "blowing special lands stuff". You got to realise what's coming in from your opponent's side and try to colorscrew him or at least try to limit his options. It also takes a bunch of metagame knowledge of how much basics decks typically run. Sometimes Double GQ can just completely shut down R or even G against a deck like Jund. Very important mechanic and it's not really an easy one, but results are quite rewarding.
Just be careful : enemy is smart and numbers are everchanging. 4 basics in a 2/1/1 split is what is usual, and some players advocate as much as 5 or 6 basics, especially in a Path to Exile, Blood Moon and Fulminator Mage heavy meta (like we should have now).
@wm0; Valor was something that I trawled up while making a Karador, Ghost Chieftain EDH, and discovered that it was modern legal. I then proposed it a few pages back and built a loam deck that included a copy. Here's what I'll be running (and recording) tomorrow:
We will see how it works out.
I hope Necroplasma will help me against the Token Matchup. I will try Leyline because there are a lot Kiki Chord and Melira Combo Decks around.
My Flex slots are the Raven's Crime and Horizon Canopy for now.
I Switched one Imp vs the Troll. I noticed while first playtesting vs my roomy that I can cast him for 5-6 counter most of the time. So he might be a sold beater in the midgame.
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Currently Playing Modern and Pauper and Pauper cmdr
Modern:
Heartless Gitrog
I personally like the Burn matchup. If you can get 6-8 life with the bronsclale you are in good shape.
Agressive mull + Dredge Bscale is the key.
Shambling Vent in my opinion might be a bit too slow since you need 3 untapped mana to activate it and the Land itself comes into play tapped. The investment for two life is not worth it i guess.
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Currently Playing Modern and Pauper and Pauper cmdr
Modern:
Heartless Gitrog
One issue that I always have when tweaking this deck is working out the number of 1-ofs I should have. I feel like if I have too many I am risking some of the deck's consistency. How many one-ofs do you guys play?
Another thought: Burn seems like a tough matchup, could be worthwhile to include a Shambling Vents in the 75
It's so bad the reason why this deck seems to have a resurge is because with the eldrazi-mania burn is less popular.
The only keys to improve your MU are:
- Bscale: very bad in most MUs, doesn't actually worth playing more than 1 MD
- Gnaw to the bone: the best card in Jund color for the MU
If you are willing to play more white cards like Timely Reinforcements are very good against burn.
- L
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"The problem isn't when Scissors says Rock is overpowered, it's when Paper says it is."
-Mark Rosewater
One issue that I always have when tweaking this deck is working out the number of 1-ofs I should have. I feel like if I have too many I am risking some of the deck's consistency. How many one-ofs do you guys play?
I'm assuming that non-utility lands don't count? Just Valor, Stinkweed Imp and Vault of the Archangel for me. Valor is kind of obvious as multiple ones in the grave are redundant, Stinkweed because I don't want to deck myself out, and I can only realistically get one out as I'd rather cast a Souls and VotA as a test card to stabilize long games. I'd like to try out a Horizon Canopy myself, but as that card isn't cheap, I'm going to see what feedback you guys give before plunging in head first.
One issue that I always have when tweaking this deck is working out the number of 1-ofs I should have. I feel like if I have too many I am risking some of the deck's consistency. How many one-ofs do you guys play?
My 1-ofs are Rites+target obviously, also 1 GGT and 1 Stinkweed Imp. After some time I wanted a 2nd big dredger to go with as problems with actually seeing Rites became really annoying. Reasoning for that balance between GGT and Imp are those : Imp is actually castable. And for some extent good - recurrable flying deathtouch blocker is pretty neat. GGT is not as impressive if you cast him in a deck full of Squees and Bloodghasts that don't like staying in GY, but 6 after the magic word "Dredge" is generally better than 5.
Shocklands are obviously 1-ofs and all utility lands like Mutavault or Vault of Archangel are usually 1-ofs too.
Deck can accept 1-ofs pretty well thanks to the mechanic of Dredge itself. It allows you to reuse cards but they are not really good in multiples, as you are dredging once-per-turn anyway.
MU-specific cards like Gnaw to the Bone that belong to sideboard are easily dredgeable, meaning you can see them more often. Frees SB slots and it feels pretty good.
@Burn matchup
I have severe problems with this MU and my personal opinion is that Burn is a very powerful deck in general, not just against Loam. Very fast, very consistent and has good options both maindeck and sideboard. Perhaps way too good.
You try to mount an offense and they ignore you, going face. We are not this fast.
You try to play some control game and find yourself way too slow once again.
It's just not working. At least for me. Sideboard options are hardly solving it because Burn can beat lifegain pretty easily.
One issue that I always have when tweaking this deck is working out the number of 1-ofs I should have. I feel like if I have too many I am risking some of the deck's consistency. How many one-ofs do you guys play?
My 1-ofs are Rites+target obviously, also 1 GGT and 1 Stinkweed Imp. After some time I wanted a 2nd big dredger to go with as problems with actually seeing Rites became really annoying. Reasoning for that balance between GGT and Imp are those : Imp is actually castable. And for some extent good - recurrable flying deathtouch blocker is pretty neat. GGT is not as impressive if you cast him in a deck full of Squees and Bloodghasts that don't like staying in GY, but 6 after the magic word "Dredge" is generally better than 5.
Shocklands are obviously 1-ofs and all utility lands like Mutavault or Vault of Archangel are usually 1-ofs too.
Deck can accept 1-ofs pretty well thanks to the mechanic of Dredge itself. It allows you to reuse cards but they are not really good in multiples, as you are dredging once-per-turn anyway.
MU-specific cards like Gnaw to the Bone that belong to sideboard are easily dredgeable, meaning you can see them more often. Frees SB slots and it feels pretty good.
@Burn matchup
I have severe problems with this MU and my personal opinion is that Burn is a very powerful deck in general, not just against Loam. Very fast, very consistent and has good options both maindeck and sideboard. Perhaps way too good.
You try to mount an offense and they ignore you, going face. We are not this fast.
You try to play some control game and find yourself way too slow once again.
It's just not working. At least for me. Sideboard options are hardly solving it because Burn can beat lifegain pretty easily.
I feel like burn is just going to be a crap matchup no matter what. leyline of sanctity is probably the only thing that would make it decent, but probably still not worth the slots since it's uncastable.
Levy didn't have too much trouble with Burn with the old Loam Pox version. Why is Brownscale bad? You don't need to gain 12 life. Gain 2 a few times, get them topdecking with Raven's Crime, block all their creatures, etc. Maybe not great, but not awful.
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I can't say I'm pleased to see you and must warn you I may have to do something about it.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: URDelver
Modern: UGRDelver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
My list is currently Chung's list. I generally don't tinker with lists too much. I prefer to trust a pro and learn how to play that list, even if the meta might shift a little beyond me. I'd rather focus on tightening my play than on constantly tinkering.
As for the Burn Matchup...
Am I the only guy who smiles when I find I've been paired up against burn? I feel as though we're competitive verging on favoured, especially with the pre-eldrazi sideboard of 4 Brownscales total + Gnaw to the Bone.
I think you need to mulligan aggressively with burn in mind. Brownscales are essential in this matchup.
Think of it this way, burn wins because each card is effectively worth 3 damage. All their burn is 1 card = 3 damage. The creatures are higher risk / higher reward and the lands are essential but rubbish after 2. That's why a nuts burn hand is so scary, 2 lands +5 burn cards means you're facing 15 damage by the end of T3. Generally when people aggressively fetch you start modern at 17, maybe 16...
Where the maths gets changed is Brownscale. If you can get him into your yard and survive past T4, you're "drawing a card" each turn as well as gaining 2 life. In comparison to burn drawing 1 card a turn which they hope will deal 3, you're in effect drawing 1 2/3 cards each turn. Each life gain trigger is invalidating 2/3s of the card they'll draw.
With this in mind, its a case of mulliganing for chumpers and the brownscale. For this we have the best chump engine in the business. Once Zombie Infestation lands we don't care about Eidolon, we'll only be dredging brownscale and discarding for zombies before Conflagrating as a wrath for a lot more than CMC 3. You know who else zombies block amazingly, Goblin Guide.
Yes, if something goes wrong Burn punishes you. Stumbling is terrifying against these guys. But we have a good game plan, especially when the board is tailored with them in mind.
On the bright side, whilst Eldrazi are our overlords the burn decks are almost nowhere to be seen.
One Card we have to fear out of the Burn sideboard is Destructive Revelry. But If we don´t get access to Zombie infestation sometimes a hardcast Stinkweed Imp or lingering can be on blocking duty. Plus the Burn player is stranded with a dead card in Hand. ( Most of the time they board in all 4 copies)
Luckily I have some Burn players in my Meta where i can playtest a lot with them. Most of the time it feels like a
65:35 in my favour.
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Currently Playing Modern and Pauper and Pauper cmdr
Modern:
Heartless Gitrog
I'm considering taking this to FNM tonight, and I'm wondering about post-SB games where the opponent has successfully brought in wholesale GY hate. Say opp has a RIP in play, and you need a Ray of Revelation before you can make anything worthwhile happen. Is there any point to using discard effects knowing that you'll never be able to access them again? E.g. do you cast Faithless with an active RIP in play to dig for Ray (or Grudge for that matter)? Or do you play draw go until something pops up?
One issue that I always have when tweaking this deck is working out the number of 1-ofs I should have. I feel like if I have too many I am risking some of the deck's consistency. How many one-ofs do you guys play?
I'm running one grave troll, one valor and one necroplasm consistently. I am also testing a one of worm harvest as I am finding that I am grinding most of the time to late game. I think it is better than rites and the fatty as one ofs. Especially since I am running valor and two vault of the archangel main deck. It isn't reliant on anything it's recurrable multiple times and I'd you do have the aforementioned cards out it's not a one turn oops I win but it's more consistent and once you get 7 first strike death touch life link worms out you are a favorite to win.
I have given up on Hooting Mandrills. It's not the right meta call right now, but it has been good against what we should see when eldrazi gets nuked.
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You mention Foothills twice. You are probably looking for Windswept Heath. I also don't really like Shrine + Foundry setup. 1st White shock you want is GW, and 2nd should probably be RW so you can access W out of Bloodstained Mire. Deck is not really hungry for B.
Basically we want t1 R, t2 G and/orB and RR somewhere near. Also an ability to fetchW fast in case of emergency Ray, Rites or Souls from-the-hand. That's about it.
Yeah, and IMO you are overkilling on basics and shocks. 1 Tomb and 1 Swamp are pretty much enough for business. Some utility lands should be in instead.
That's how my current mana looks like:
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Forest
3 Ghost Quarter
1 Mutavault
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Swamp
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Mountain
2 Windswept Heath
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Sacred Foundry
6th colorless land is Sacred Foundry. I run Unburial Rites and 3 Ray of Revelation
10 Fetches give me slightly more consistency, and regarding my experience with Heath : card that basically says "Fetch a Forest" is pretty good. I'm not really fond of fetching basics early - because of our mana requirements - and later in the game you have choices anyway thanks to Loam.
Wasn't quite this, but I did discard 6 cards, making 3 zombies, to triple block one last FNM. Next turn, I dredged back the Loam, got back a few lands with it, and hit a landfall trigger on 2x Bloodghast that had all been part of that block. Felt dirty.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: UR Delver
Modern: UGR Delver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
The necroplasm is there for Kiki combo and all the creature toolbox decks. They are tough to beat in a straight up fight and they play a lot of cards like ghostly prison, RiP and scooze. Having a way to close them out is important with their increased popularity. It kills almost all of the things that give me problems. I'm playing one in the main and one in the board. I cut one darkblast in my board for one of them. I feel like my board is changing everyday.
This situation is another reason to run a one of Valor. It has been working well for me in Eldrazi matchups to stabilize.
But this requires that I not only run white, which might be fine, but that I also have a Godless Shrine or Temple Garden or Sacred Foundry in play? Lots of setup that my build, which runs Smallpox, isn't all that interested in. I mean, yes, that's a blowout of a combat step, but it seems like overkill, at least for my build.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: UR Delver
Modern: UGR Delver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
Yeah, thanks for clearing that up. I'm sold
Feels like a truly busted card against elves. Can you post your decklist?
That is amazing. Is it fair to say that Infestation+Loam is the key deck engine?
Valor was suggested above, and I'm curious how good it could be as a 1-off in a build using Lingering Souls (backed by Vault of course).
While I'm here, is there an optimal time to GQ someone? Particularly while setting up a GQ lock? The only obvious situation to me is after a scry or the like.
One of them. 2nd pitcher is usually Conflagrate. Deck is not really limited to only 1 "engine". I can say that dredging into Bloodghast or finding Unburial Rites is also describable as an engine.
Ghost Quarter takes quite some skill outside of regular "blowing special lands stuff". You got to realise what's coming in from your opponent's side and try to colorscrew him or at least try to limit his options. It also takes a bunch of metagame knowledge of how much basics decks typically run. Sometimes Double GQ can just completely shut down R or even G against a deck like Jund. Very important mechanic and it's not really an easy one, but results are quite rewarding.
Just be careful : enemy is smart and numbers are everchanging. 4 basics in a 2/1/1 split is what is usual, and some players advocate as much as 5 or 6 basics, especially in a Path to Exile, Blood Moon and Fulminator Mage heavy meta (like we should have now).
4 Bloodghast
4 Squee, Goblin Nabob
2 Vengeful Pharaoh
1 Stinkweed Imp
1 Valor
Instants (6)
2 Darkblast
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Grisly Salvage
Sorceries (15)
4 Life from the Loam
4 Faithless Looting
4 Lingering Souls
3 Conflagrate
Enchantments (4)
4 Zombie Infestation
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Wooded Foothills
2 Blood Crypt
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
1 Godless Shrine
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Mountain
3 Ghost Quarter
1 Vault of the Archangel
4 Ancient Grudge
3 Ray of Revelation
2 Gnaw to the Bone
2 Memory's Journey
2 Darkblast
2 Golgari Brownscale
2 Blood Crypt
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Forest
3 Ghost Quarter
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Mountain
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
1 Swamp
1 Temple Garden
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodghast
1 Golgari Brownscale
1 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Necroplasm
4 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Stinkweed Imp
2 Vengeful Pharaoh
Instants:3
3 Darkblast
Sorceries:16
3 Conflagrate
4 Faithless Looting
4 Life from the Loam
4 Lingering Souls
1 Raven's Crime
4 Zombie Infestation
4 Ancient Grudge
2 Golgari Brownscale
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Raven's Crime
3 Ray of Revelation
We will see how it works out.
I hope Necroplasma will help me against the Token Matchup. I will try Leyline because there are a lot Kiki Chord and Melira Combo Decks around.
My Flex slots are the Raven's Crime and Horizon Canopy for now.
I Switched one Imp vs the Troll. I noticed while first playtesting vs my roomy that I can cast him for 5-6 counter most of the time. So he might be a sold beater in the midgame.
Modern:
Heartless Gitrog
Pauper:
Zombies
Delve
Canadian Thresh
Agressive mull + Dredge Bscale is the key.
Shambling Vent in my opinion might be a bit too slow since you need 3 untapped mana to activate it and the Land itself comes into play tapped. The investment for two life is not worth it i guess.
Modern:
Heartless Gitrog
Pauper:
Zombies
Delve
Canadian Thresh
One other thing about shambling vents is that ghost quarter is now the most played card in Modern according to Top 8.
Current Decklist- https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/732750#online
Sideboard Guide- https://www.scribd.com/document/384901650/Sideboard-Guide-to-Squeeflagrate
Forum- https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/582542-raphael-levys-loam-pox?page=37
It's so bad the reason why this deck seems to have a resurge is because with the eldrazi-mania burn is less popular.
The only keys to improve your MU are:
- Bscale: very bad in most MUs, doesn't actually worth playing more than 1 MD
- Gnaw to the bone: the best card in Jund color for the MU
If you are willing to play more white cards like Timely Reinforcements are very good against burn.
- L
"The problem isn't when Scissors says Rock is overpowered, it's when Paper says it is."
-Mark Rosewater
Yep, it's a direct result of Eldrazi's rise to dominance in the format.
I'm assuming that non-utility lands don't count? Just Valor, Stinkweed Imp and Vault of the Archangel for me. Valor is kind of obvious as multiple ones in the grave are redundant, Stinkweed because I don't want to deck myself out, and I can only realistically get one out as I'd rather cast a Souls and VotA as a test card to stabilize long games. I'd like to try out a Horizon Canopy myself, but as that card isn't cheap, I'm going to see what feedback you guys give before plunging in head first.
My 1-ofs are Rites+target obviously, also 1 GGT and 1 Stinkweed Imp. After some time I wanted a 2nd big dredger to go with as problems with actually seeing Rites became really annoying. Reasoning for that balance between GGT and Imp are those : Imp is actually castable. And for some extent good - recurrable flying deathtouch blocker is pretty neat. GGT is not as impressive if you cast him in a deck full of Squees and Bloodghasts that don't like staying in GY, but 6 after the magic word "Dredge" is generally better than 5.
Shocklands are obviously 1-ofs and all utility lands like Mutavault or Vault of Archangel are usually 1-ofs too.
Deck can accept 1-ofs pretty well thanks to the mechanic of Dredge itself. It allows you to reuse cards but they are not really good in multiples, as you are dredging once-per-turn anyway.
MU-specific cards like Gnaw to the Bone that belong to sideboard are easily dredgeable, meaning you can see them more often. Frees SB slots and it feels pretty good.
@Burn matchup
I have severe problems with this MU and my personal opinion is that Burn is a very powerful deck in general, not just against Loam. Very fast, very consistent and has good options both maindeck and sideboard. Perhaps way too good.
Everything from Eidolon of Great Revelpunishing every card in our deck to big and fast Wild Nacatl to Atarka's Command/Skullcrackstopping lifegain feels incredibly oppresive. And I'm not even going to sideboards.
You try to mount an offense and they ignore you, going face. We are not this fast.
You try to play some control game and find yourself way too slow once again.
It's just not working. At least for me. Sideboard options are hardly solving it because Burn can beat lifegain pretty easily.
I feel like burn is just going to be a crap matchup no matter what. leyline of sanctity is probably the only thing that would make it decent, but probably still not worth the slots since it's uncastable.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: UR Delver
Modern: UGR Delver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
My list is currently Chung's list. I generally don't tinker with lists too much. I prefer to trust a pro and learn how to play that list, even if the meta might shift a little beyond me. I'd rather focus on tightening my play than on constantly tinkering.
As for the Burn Matchup...
Am I the only guy who smiles when I find I've been paired up against burn? I feel as though we're competitive verging on favoured, especially with the pre-eldrazi sideboard of 4 Brownscales total + Gnaw to the Bone.
I think you need to mulligan aggressively with burn in mind. Brownscales are essential in this matchup.
Think of it this way, burn wins because each card is effectively worth 3 damage. All their burn is 1 card = 3 damage. The creatures are higher risk / higher reward and the lands are essential but rubbish after 2. That's why a nuts burn hand is so scary, 2 lands +5 burn cards means you're facing 15 damage by the end of T3. Generally when people aggressively fetch you start modern at 17, maybe 16...
Where the maths gets changed is Brownscale. If you can get him into your yard and survive past T4, you're "drawing a card" each turn as well as gaining 2 life. In comparison to burn drawing 1 card a turn which they hope will deal 3, you're in effect drawing 1 2/3 cards each turn. Each life gain trigger is invalidating 2/3s of the card they'll draw.
With this in mind, its a case of mulliganing for chumpers and the brownscale. For this we have the best chump engine in the business. Once Zombie Infestation lands we don't care about Eidolon, we'll only be dredging brownscale and discarding for zombies before Conflagrating as a wrath for a lot more than CMC 3. You know who else zombies block amazingly, Goblin Guide.
Yes, if something goes wrong Burn punishes you. Stumbling is terrifying against these guys. But we have a good game plan, especially when the board is tailored with them in mind.
On the bright side, whilst Eldrazi are our overlords the burn decks are almost nowhere to be seen.
My Builds
W: Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
WB: Karlov of the Ghost Council
WR: Anax & Cymede
WUG: Phelddagrif
Others' Builds that I've Enjoyed
WUB: Chromium
Luckily I have some Burn players in my Meta where i can playtest a lot with them. Most of the time it feels like a
65:35 in my favour.
Modern:
Heartless Gitrog
Pauper:
Zombies
Delve
Canadian Thresh
I'm running one grave troll, one valor and one necroplasm consistently. I am also testing a one of worm harvest as I am finding that I am grinding most of the time to late game. I think it is better than rites and the fatty as one ofs. Especially since I am running valor and two vault of the archangel main deck. It isn't reliant on anything it's recurrable multiple times and I'd you do have the aforementioned cards out it's not a one turn oops I win but it's more consistent and once you get 7 first strike death touch life link worms out you are a favorite to win.
I have given up on Hooting Mandrills. It's not the right meta call right now, but it has been good against what we should see when eldrazi gets nuked.