So I went 3-2 both PPTQs. Bontu's Wrath is amazing and no one expects it. Then again no one expects the Spanish Inq... I mean the rack. Lost a game due to keeping a no land hand (mull to 6, see some good cards and said keep before noticing no lands. Also turn 3 had him beating me with 2 DS). I beat WU, Storm, Boros Burn (Thank god for MB collectives) among other decks. I did beat a Solemnity + Phyrexian Unlife deck which would have been evil. I gave him game 2 once he got the combo down for clock management. If I had Lili down I would have kept going and split them.
In fact I do, but it has nothing to do with the amount of lands in the deck. Raven's Crime is a great card for 8Rack, don't get me wrong, but if you're using it to go 1 for 1 on non-targeted discard, it's not that amazing. The real reason we would play something like this is that it can turn any other card into discard from the graveyard. The infamous "soft lock" is a rather powerful position you can set yourself up in and things like lands or useless topdecks can be turned into an actual desirable effect.
From that point of view, I think you generally want to see this card during the game but not so much that you would always want it in the opening hand over other things. The correct number of copies for a card that meets those conditions in a deck without any draw is 3 copies and if you have cycling or draw effects, depending on how many, it could go down to 2. 8Rack generally doesn't run draw aside from Asylum Visitor and he's not present in most competitive lists, so I play 3 Crime and advise people to do so as well, simple as that.
Unless Liliana is out, at which point she is better than the crime since it can't be countered. I also run 3x myself but I don't use the dredge land. Didn't seem to work as well as a Lili when locking up the game and I don't want to risk dredging my ways to win, such as racks or mutavaults
I was talking about the dredge land itself(dakmor salvage). I didn't like using it to cause the "soft lock", just like I don't run Flagstones of Trokair even though I have white and it's cute with Smallpox. Mutavault wins me quite a few games so I am always happy to see it, even if I let it sit there while controlling the game. But run it your way since you need to be comfortable with your deck. <p>
Unrelated, I'm taking out fulminator mage and replacing it with Never // Return. I like the idea of being able to take out planeswalkers against E Tron and/or WU control. The Sorcery vs Instant speed doesn't really matter since they usually wont pass priority until they already have the activation on the stack.
How well do the bridges combine with smallpox? what's your sideboard?
How's the match of this deck vs eldrazi tron?
I have been trying a mono black list on modo (Tom Ross one) seem to gain first game and then end up losing the match. UW's control planeswalkers are a huge pain.
Unless Liliana is out, at which point she is better than the crime since it can't be countered. I also run 3x myself but I don't use the dredge land. Didn't seem to work as well as a Lili when locking up the game and I don't want to risk dredging my ways to win, such as racks or mutavaults
I don't use Dakmor Salvage anymore either. The soft lock works with any topdeck, really - if it's a better effect than making the opponent discard one then... great. If it's not, then just retrace Crime.
I have been trying a mono black list on modo (Tom Ross one) seem to gain first game and then end up losing the match. UW's control planeswalkers are a huge pain.
I think there are too many Leyline of Sanctity around to play the mono black version.
Some people say otherwise, but I see Leyline of Sanctity or Chalice of the Void as instant concede, because it's going to be half of your deck against their entire deck.
That's why people are shifting towards the B/W list.
Well that was quick. I changed to Black with white sideboard splash and got a 5-0 in a competitive league tonight! =) Defeated UW control, Taxes, Ad Nauseam, Burn and Storm.
Way back when I bought a runed halo to run in my abzan elves deck. I completely forgot about the card until it's price spike recently and was wondering how it would do as a 1 of in the SB. What are the prime targets for it in the current META?
all right !! I think in the modern day, playing with a single color is dangerous. by the way . White color is the best in sb. What do you want more? Disenchant fragmentize stony silence rest for the weary celestial purge runed halo lingering souls. I respect what Tom Ross says, but I think he is wrong enough to say that he prefers a mono-black list.
Scapeshift
A good matchup, although as with all combo decks, sometimes they can win out nowhere despite our best efforts.
I haven't played much of this matchup, but is it really favorable? I think they can just play every top deck and kill us with Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle.
Just reporting in, I got a Torment of Hailfirekill last night and had it do some decent work in two separate games. I know giving the opponent choices isn't really ideal, but sometimes you just win either way with it which is nice.
Just reporting in, I got a Torment of Hailfirekill last night and had it do some decent work in two separate games. I know giving the opponent choices isn't really ideal, but sometimes you just win either way with it which is nice.
If playing 23 lands with 4 Smallpox, do you recomend playing only 3 Raven's Crime?
In fact I do, but it has nothing to do with the amount of lands in the deck. Raven's Crime is a great card for 8Rack, don't get me wrong, but if you're using it to go 1 for 1 on non-targeted discard, it's not that amazing. The real reason we would play something like this is that it can turn any other card into discard from the graveyard. The infamous "soft lock" is a rather powerful position you can set yourself up in and things like lands or useless topdecks can be turned into an actual desirable effect.
From that point of view, I think you generally want to see this card during the game but not so much that you would always want it in the opening hand over other things. The correct number of copies for a card that meets those conditions in a deck without any draw is 3 copies and if you have cycling or draw effects, depending on how many, it could go down to 2. 8Rack generally doesn't run draw aside from Asylum Visitor and he's not present in most competitive lists, so I play 3 Crime and advise people to do so as well, simple as that.
Unrelated, I'm taking out fulminator mage and replacing it with Never // Return. I like the idea of being able to take out planeswalkers against E Tron and/or WU control. The Sorcery vs Instant speed doesn't really matter since they usually wont pass priority until they already have the activation on the stack.
How's the match of this deck vs eldrazi tron?
I have been trying a mono black list on modo (Tom Ross one) seem to gain first game and then end up losing the match. UW's control planeswalkers are a huge pain.
I don't use Dakmor Salvage anymore either. The soft lock works with any topdeck, really - if it's a better effect than making the opponent discard one then... great. If it's not, then just retrace Crime.
I think there are too many Leyline of Sanctity around to play the mono black version.
Some people say otherwise, but I see Leyline of Sanctity or Chalice of the Void as instant concede, because it's going to be half of your deck against their entire deck.
That's why people are shifting towards the B/W list.
Did he say it recently?
I haven't played much of this matchup, but is it really favorable? I think they can just play every top deck and kill us with Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle.
I had a good win with it as well.