Hello Hollow One friends. I'm considering playing at SCG Louisville in a couple of weeks and I will be playing Jeskai. Our matchup certainly seems to be difficult from my side of it, and I was wondering if you guys had any advice for sideboard cards to look at for the matchup? Is graveyard hate really that good? Obviously access to Path is be, but we only have 4 actual and 8 functional copies.
This deck proves interesting to sideboard against, and there seems to be no single "haymaker" card or strategy that really seals the deal. Although graveyard hate is a strategy that has value, many times the Hollow One deck sort of changes gears, and just casts everything in hand, rather than discarding. Of course, there is value in that, as the deck seems far less explosive that way, but the Hollow One deck is surprisingly versatile and flexible. It seems like Jeskai removal isn't ideally suited for Hollow Ones, as Lightning Bolts don't scare them, and bolting a Bloodghast or a Flamewake Phoenix is an exercise in futility, since they have such nice recursive abilities. Path to Exile does have value, making me wonder if a Declaration in Stone might be a useful addition to the sideboard as well, or something like Chained to the Rocks. All in all, seems like a bad matchup for Jeskai, as Jeskai has tons of tools and seems like a nice toolbox deck, but doesn't have the explosiveness that B/R Hollow One packs. Best of luck in the tourney; hope it turns out well.
I ran up against Hollow One in a league last night, which was nice to get a few games in. I've got a Settle in the main right now over the second Verdict, as well as an Anger in the board so I can dedicate my Paths to the big stuff more often. Considering a mainboard Abrade since it has such great crossover with the Humans matchup.
I've been iffy on Sphere in general. I think it's good enough to have in the board, but I wouldn't bring it in for the matchup. I feel like the times you get to extra spell in a run you are already ahead, so Sphere isn't that relevant. Do you think of it differently?
I have a standard list, -1 Collective Brutality and +1 EE in the main. I do that for several reasons:
I want a mainboard out to Ensnaring Bridge, which is everywhere in my meta.
I want a reasonable mainboard answer to go-wide decks like Humans, Elves, Affinity, and Mardu Pyromancer.
I sometimes see Chalice on 1 against me in G1.
Since I discard so much stuff anyway, the "dead card" problem isn't really a factor with EE, and I am certain I like this tweak in my meta. I also run a singleton Verdant Catacombs in place of a red fetch, since it gives me one more way to get a Swamp if I'm facing a game one Blood Moon, which happens a lot. (Catacombs still hits all my shocks, too.) Right now I am seeing Moon or Bridge in more than half the matches I play, no exaggeration.
In the side I have 3x Leyline of the Void--are other players still running this package? Any thoughts? Also, I have two Blood Moons in the side myself, but I'm not sure I'm sold on them. Any players have any spicy SB tech to share here? I've considered a single Sweltering Suns for a third piece of go-wide aggro hate, but maybe Pyroclasm would be better. Has anyone tried either of these out?
I don't tend to worry too much about Etched Champion, in theory at least, since Hollow Boy can block it. However I haven't yet faced Affinity with this deck. Maybe Kozilek's Return could be a thing? Three CMC for only 2 damage really seems too slow though, especially against a deck like Humans or Elves.
I like the added artifact and graveyard hate that Rakdos Charm provides, I could see it being good maybe. Anyone else playing this tech to good success?
I don't tend to worry too much about Etched Champion, in theory at least, since Hollow Boy can block it. However I haven't yet faced Affinity with this deck. Maybe Kozilek's Return could be a thing? Three CMC for only 2 damage really seems too slow though, especially against a deck like Humans or Elves.
I like the added artifact and graveyard hate that Rakdos Charm provides, I could see it being good maybe. Anyone else playing this tech to good success?
what about radiant flames versitile and does not exile our stuff.
The tradeoff for Radiant Flames would be to cast it for RRR and preserve our Adepts and Phoenixes against a token deck, but that seems like a corner case. Getting to X=3 with Converge pressures our manabase and life total if we need that number, for instance against Elves or Humans. Most decks can play around their own sweepers, in my experience, so Sweltering Suns seems likely to be better overall--the cycling clause fits our deck design perfectly.
I don't like Anger because of the nonbo with Bloodghast and Phoenix.
I've been using Charm since November, and it in combination with some Lavamancers in my side is what wins me matches against other go-wide decks.
It also being GY and Artifact hate it just amazing versatility, and I run 3 in my SB. Also saves me from having to run 3 GY hate, 3 Artifact hate, AND 3 Board wipes, so 5 or 6 slots in my SB saved.
Hi everyone, I have a question about the manabase.
Ive seen several lists running 2-3 basic mountains, 2 bloodcrypt and 3 blackcleave cliffs. And other lists run 3 blood crypt and 2 blackcleave cliffs. What is the recomended combination and reasoning behind the number of basics and bloodcrypts vs blackcleave?
Personally I think running more than 2 copies of your shockland targets is not necessary, but I think the main reason for including 3-4 is because they can potentially be accidentally discarded away, or destroyed by an opposing Fulminator Mage perhaps. I love Blackcleave Cliffs (in the BR version) and Copperline Gorge (in the GR version) because 90% or more of games we only need 2-3 lands in play to combo off. These lands allow us to get the colors we need without taking damage, which help with Burn, Affinity, & other aggro match-ups.
I would love to see a statistical breakdown of how often using Gemstone Mine would actually hurt. Like Blackleave Cliffs it’s a card that is best in the fastest of decks, like this one. If we have a keepable opening hand, either we’ve got the 1-mana god hand or we have 2+ land, in which case we could defer Gemstone Mine play to T2 and its drawback wouldn’t even begin to stunt our mana available until T5 (we’d get one mana of any color out of it in t2, 3, and 4 - on 4 it even becomes delve fuel). And with this deck - the outcome one way or another is almost always a foregone conclusion by t5.
Personally I think running more than 2 copies of your shockland targets is not necessary, but I think the main reason for including 3-4 is because they can potentially be accidentally discarded away, or destroyed by an opposing Fulminator Mage perhaps. I love Blackcleave Cliffs (in the BR version) and Copperline Gorge (in the GR version) because 90% or more of games we only need 2-3 lands in play to combo off. These lands allow us to get the colors we need without taking damage, which help with Burn, Affinity, & other aggro match-ups.
I run 3 Mountains, 1 Swamp, 2 Bloodcrypt, 3 Blakcleave.
I think that running more than 2 Bloodcrypt is not needed, as the deck can opperate on 1 black mana, so we need only to fetch one. The Mountains and Cliffs are needed to protect our life total against burn.
I am even considering to run the 4th Cliffs over a Mountain, but then i would not have enough fetchable targets for my taste, and we can nolonger board out the stomping ground in matches were it is not needed.
Thanks for the replies guys. The BR version seems it can easily run bloodmoon out of the side, is there any reason this card isnt seen much, or is anyone having success with bloodmoon in the BR version? Is bloodmoon worth in this deck?
I run it. I side out my black cards just in case (minus the graveyard ones). It just straight blanks Tron, at least long enough for you to beat them over the head.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/273202011145?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649
UW Control
UWR Geist
UWR Control
UW Control
UWR Geist
UWR Control
UW Control
UWR Geist
UWR Control
In the side I have 3x Leyline of the Void--are other players still running this package? Any thoughts? Also, I have two Blood Moons in the side myself, but I'm not sure I'm sold on them. Any players have any spicy SB tech to share here? I've considered a single Sweltering Suns for a third piece of go-wide aggro hate, but maybe Pyroclasm would be better. Has anyone tried either of these out?
Thanks for reading.
I like the added artifact and graveyard hate that Rakdos Charm provides, I could see it being good maybe. Anyone else playing this tech to good success?
what about radiant flames versitile and does not exile our stuff.
I don't like Anger because of the nonbo with Bloodghast and Phoenix.
It also being GY and Artifact hate it just amazing versatility, and I run 3 in my SB. Also saves me from having to run 3 GY hate, 3 Artifact hate, AND 3 Board wipes, so 5 or 6 slots in my SB saved.
Looks like most lists are off the 2x SB Blood Moon lately. How are players here liking Big Game Hunter?
Ive seen several lists running 2-3 basic mountains, 2 bloodcrypt and 3 blackcleave cliffs. And other lists run 3 blood crypt and 2 blackcleave cliffs. What is the recomended combination and reasoning behind the number of basics and bloodcrypts vs blackcleave?
Thanks in advance
Draft My Cube!
Thanks for the replies guys. The BR version seems it can easily run bloodmoon out of the side, is there any reason this card isnt seen much, or is anyone having success with bloodmoon in the BR version? Is bloodmoon worth in this deck?
Affinity
GR Eggs GR
UR Storm UR
BR Hollow One BR
WUR Cheerios WUR
G Mono-Green Control G
Affinity
GR Eggs GR
UR Storm UR
BR Hollow One BR
WUR Cheerios WUR
G Mono-Green Control G