A few of you have been talking about a smallpox package. I was wondering if anybody was willing to share a decklist; I love smallpox but wasn't sure what that would look like in the context of this deck.
A few of you have been talking about a smallpox package. I was wondering if anybody was willing to share a decklist; I love smallpox but wasn't sure what that would look like in the context of this deck.
Here's what I currently run (rather budget), always a work in progress:
For the Pox package, there are a few essential cards. You always want Deathrite Shaman, no questions asked, and I'm working on a playset right now. It gives you some truly insane plays, and it's even better in Pox builds since you'll keep giving it more and more fuel. It's also your salvation against burn. You always want Bloodghast, since it gives you a recurring sac outlet for Smallpox and a way to kill your opponent if you don't want to die. And you always want at least one Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, because running pox effects and Seismic Assault in the same deck is extremely tough on the manabase. Of the more expensive cards, you probably want Goyf (Pox is excellent at building him up), Liliana (removal and a discard engine in one), and Bob (you play lots of lands and nothing with CMC>3... he's a perfect fit).
Be aware that the matchups are very different. Pox builds are very geared towards the long game... it's a lot more vulnerable to stuff like RDW and storm, but great against midrange.
"A prince must imitate the Fox and the Lion, for the Lion cannot protect himself from traps and the Fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a Fox to recognize traps, and a Lion to frighten wolves." -- Machiavelli
"A prince must imitate the Fox and the Lion, for the Lion cannot protect himself from traps and the Fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a Fox to recognize traps, and a Lion to frighten wolves." -- Machiavelli
So it is probably like the list posted on the previous page. It is an interesting take on the archtype. I'll have to test it out.
I took my RUG Loam list to a PTQ at the end of February. I went 3-4 and ended up dropping because my ride needed to leave. I found that I could stall the game effectively but I found that I wasn't making much use of those stalling turns. So I've been trying to fit in a cheap beater that can help apply pressure while I assemble the combo and stall.
After making a list and narrowing it down, I think the best options for that role are Goblin Guide, Kird Ape or Ash Zealot. I'm fiddling with numbers trying to get the slots open for them but I'd appreciate some outside feedback on what you guys would recommend would be best for applying early pressure.
For reference, the deck is currently set up like this:
Blood ghast is the best creature because it has almost guaranteed recursion
Not to say that this statement isn't true (as I agree with it), but in reading the tourny coverage and watching the live feed of his round 14 match, it was stated that he was very unimpressed with the performance of the Bloodghasts and would probably wind up cutting them. I have no idea what would go in it's place.
Thoughts?
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"A prince must imitate the Fox and the Lion, for the Lion cannot protect himself from traps and the Fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a Fox to recognize traps, and a Lion to frighten wolves." -- Machiavelli
He refers to it here, but BDM comments on it if you watch his match coverage. What would he play instead? Go back to the traditional Goyf, Bob, CC route?
I dunno......
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"A prince must imitate the Fox and the Lion, for the Lion cannot protect himself from traps and the Fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a Fox to recognize traps, and a Lion to frighten wolves." -- Machiavelli
btw, got a chance to talk to gaudenis at pittsburgh last weekend and he pulled up his list for me, im 99 percent sure(all the card's matched up) it is copy pasta'd from jaberwocki's list that was featured in turtenwald's article on CFB, if anyone is still interested.
Now Jaberwocki is running a creatureless version that features Desperate Ravings. He has a stream of him grinding with it. It's really sweet. He has basically turned this archetype on it's head and is having great results with it. Now that Modern season is over it might not get any more attention, but we'll see.
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"A prince must imitate the Fox and the Lion, for the Lion cannot protect himself from traps and the Fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a Fox to recognize traps, and a Lion to frighten wolves." -- Machiavelli
Now Jaberwocki is running a creatureless version that features Desperate Ravings. He has a stream of him grinding with it. It's really sweet. He has basically turned this archetype on it's head and is having great results with it. Now that Modern season is over it might not get any more attention, but we'll see.
Do you happen to have a link for his stream channel?
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Common sense is the most fairly distributed thing in the world, for each one thinks he is so well-endowed with it that even those who are hardest to satisfy in all other matters are not in the habit of desiring more of it than they already have. - René Descartes
"A prince must imitate the Fox and the Lion, for the Lion cannot protect himself from traps and the Fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a Fox to recognize traps, and a Lion to frighten wolves." -- Machiavelli
Common sense is the most fairly distributed thing in the world, for each one thinks he is so well-endowed with it that even those who are hardest to satisfy in all other matters are not in the habit of desiring more of it than they already have. - René Descartes
Been looking into this deck lately. I've always been a fan of grindy, annoying decks (I played Martyr-Proc for a long time, as well as Pox in Legacy). This looks right up my alley.
I saw a creatureless version was doing well. I don't have 'Goyf's and Bob's, so I kind of threw together a list of the standard Loam and the creatureless loam. Does the deck clash too much?
the vast majority of decks run a bunch of creature removal, i dont know how i feel about making it live in order to run a few creatures, the creatures you are running arent recurrable and therefore also clash real hard with smallpox.
im not saying a combo isnt worable, im just wondering why youd want to.
on that note, it looks like gaudenis monied a daily pulling in at 3-1. he changed up his board a bit adding in bobs and damnations. im not a big fan of damnation usually, but bob in the board is something i can get behind, especially if being used for a tranformative sideboard plan. Much like monoblack the rack you are usually able to empty the opponents hand and THEN land a bob. I feel bob take over games much faster than deathrite or crusher and is easier on the mana than crusher is. Also since he is post board he can be left out of matchups that he wont work in.
He kept the Bloodghast, interesting. Also lowered the land count to 26.
I will "sleeve" this up in Cockatrice and give it a try, I love how this deck plays.
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Common sense is the most fairly distributed thing in the world, for each one thinks he is so well-endowed with it that even those who are hardest to satisfy in all other matters are not in the habit of desiring more of it than they already have. - René Descartes
Here's what I currently run (rather budget), always a work in progress:
3x Grim Lavamancer
1x Deathrite Shaman
4x Quirion Dryad
1x Eternal Witness
2x Bloodghast
Noncreatures: 23
4x Faithless Looting
3x Raven’s Crime
2x Lightning Bolt
1x Flame Jab
2x Putrefy
4x Life From the Loam
4x Smallpox
2x Seismic Assault
1x Treasured Find
2x Ghost Quarter
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Dakmoor Salvage
1x Urbog, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Gemstone Mine
1x Raging Ravine
1x Rakdos Carnarium
1x Vivid Crag
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Dragonskull Summit
1x Copperline Gorge
2x Rootbound Crag
2x Golgari Rot Farm
2x Evolving Wilds
2x Forest
3x Swamp
2x Mountain
For the Pox package, there are a few essential cards. You always want Deathrite Shaman, no questions asked, and I'm working on a playset right now. It gives you some truly insane plays, and it's even better in Pox builds since you'll keep giving it more and more fuel. It's also your salvation against burn. You always want Bloodghast, since it gives you a recurring sac outlet for Smallpox and a way to kill your opponent if you don't want to die. And you always want at least one Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, because running pox effects and Seismic Assault in the same deck is extremely tough on the manabase. Of the more expensive cards, you probably want Goyf (Pox is excellent at building him up), Liliana (removal and a discard engine in one), and Bob (you play lots of lands and nothing with CMC>3... he's a perfect fit).
Be aware that the matchups are very different. Pox builds are very geared towards the long game... it's a lot more vulnerable to stuff like RDW and storm, but great against midrange.
Cubetutor Link
Any thoughts? Is this deck viable right now?
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/events.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/dragonsmaze13ptq/0223albequerque
This really creative take on Loam got top 8 in the last MTGO PTQ:
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Blood Crypt
2 Copperline Gorge
1 Ghost Quarter
4 Graven Cairns
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Mountain
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Raging Ravine
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Stomping Ground
1 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Bloodghast
Spells
4 Faithless Looting
2 Flame Jab
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Life from the Loam
2 Lightning Bolt
3 Liliana of the Veil
4 Raven's Crime
3 Seismic Assault
4 Smallpox
4 Ancient Grudge
4 Dragon's Claw
1 Flame Jab
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Pyroclasm
2 Thoughtseize
15 sideboard cards
Piloted by Jaberwocki
Any thoughts??
I took my RUG Loam list to a PTQ at the end of February. I went 3-4 and ended up dropping because my ride needed to leave. I found that I could stall the game effectively but I found that I wasn't making much use of those stalling turns. So I've been trying to fit in a cheap beater that can help apply pressure while I assemble the combo and stall.
After making a list and narrowing it down, I think the best options for that role are Goblin Guide, Kird Ape or Ash Zealot. I'm fiddling with numbers trying to get the slots open for them but I'd appreciate some outside feedback on what you guys would recommend would be best for applying early pressure.
For reference, the deck is currently set up like this:
3 Ash Zealot
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Snapcaster Mage
Spells: 26
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Spell Pierce
3 Thought Scour
2 Pyroclasm
3 Deprive
3 Izzet Charm
4 Life from the Loam
2 Jace Beleren
3 Seismic Assault
2 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Breeding Pool
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Forest
2 Copperline Gorge
1 Raging Ravine
2 Cascade Bluff
3 Ghost Quarter
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Volcanic Fallout
2 Spellskite
2 Dismember
1 Deprive
1 Negate
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Back to Nature
2 Nature's Claim
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Not to say that this statement isn't true (as I agree with it), but in reading the tourny coverage and watching the live feed of his round 14 match, it was stated that he was very unimpressed with the performance of the Bloodghasts and would probably wind up cutting them. I have no idea what would go in it's place.
Thoughts?
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/gpsd13/day1#7
He refers to it here, but BDM comments on it if you watch his match coverage. What would he play instead? Go back to the traditional Goyf, Bob, CC route?
I dunno......
http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/owens-a-win-boborgymos-from-the-loam/
Do you happen to have a link for his stream channel?
http://www.twitch.tv/jaberwocki
posting for reference
I saw a creatureless version was doing well. I don't have 'Goyf's and Bob's, so I kind of threw together a list of the standard Loam and the creatureless loam. Does the deck clash too much?
2 Countryside Crusher
4 Faithless Looting
4 Life from the Loam
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Pyroclasm
3 Seismic Assault
1 Flame Jab
3 Raven's Crime
2 Inqusition of Kozilek
3 Liliana of the Veil
4 Smallpox
1 Swamp
2 Mountain
1 Forest
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Copperline Gorge
4 Ghost Quarter
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Raging Ravine
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Kessig Wolf-Run
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Blood Crypt
2 Graven Cairns
1 Stomping Ground
ex-Moderator
Legacy love.
im not saying a combo isnt worable, im just wondering why youd want to.
on that note, it looks like gaudenis monied a daily pulling in at 3-1. he changed up his board a bit adding in bobs and damnations. im not a big fan of damnation usually, but bob in the board is something i can get behind, especially if being used for a tranformative sideboard plan. Much like monoblack the rack you are usually able to empty the opponents hand and THEN land a bob. I feel bob take over games much faster than deathrite or crusher and is easier on the mana than crusher is. Also since he is post board he can be left out of matchups that he wont work in.
Anyways, here is the daily http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/5230561
I will "sleeve" this up in Cockatrice and give it a try, I love how this deck plays.