Sol's an amazing player, because I really can't follow that deck list. It looks like such a mess and I don't see a lot of rhyme or reason for his choices. He's definitely amazing, because it like...it's a mess.
Glad to see Reid on it. It sounds like Reid did very so so with Rock, I think he was X-3, but he also had 3 byes. Without those byes that's a solid record though.
The exact same thing basically is true for Selfeisek and his Mardu Pyro build. He created it, he plays it differently, and pretty much nobody does the same^^
On another take, I think about this time it is apropriate enough to let Rock have its own show. In this thread versions are discussed all over the place, Rock, Abzan or Abzan Traverse. I am currently writing on a standalone primer for Rock and I hope it will be available soon. Rock deserves it as much as Abzan or Jund at this point.
1: Sol Maka obviusly comes equiped to fight non-creature decks.
2 Abrupt Deckay, 3 Assassins Throphy and 1 Malestorm pulse means you are looking to kill non-creature permanents. Following up on this the deck runs 3 Ghost Quarters. Ghost quarter help vs tron (having 6 disruption pieces mainboard vs the tron lands) and it helps vs Azcanta, Gavony Township and manlands, mainly celestial colonade. It also can do some work vs Ponza as it can take enchanted lands. I think the quarters are there mainly to kill tron as that is where Field of Ruin is much worse then ghost quarter.
Not only does the deck run 4 Iquesition and 2 thoughtsieze, it also runs 2 Collective Brutalaty to continue the discard suite. This also works double duity vs fast decks as you can combine a removal and sicard spell in one. Vs Burn you will often do all 3 modes.
Only running 2 fatal pushes means Sol Maka does not think creatures are that dangerus.
Generally Liliana of the Veil is better vs non creature decks and last hope is better vs creatures. You see the continuation of focus vs non creature spells.
2: Sol runs 2 Mishraus Bauble to boost Lhurgoyf, thin his deck and turn on his lone traverse the ulvenwald.
3: Sol runs a small toolboks package. The lone traverse effectivly functions as a second copy of a lot of cards like thrun, eternal witnes, and ghost quarter. It can also find gravyeard hate in ooze, card draw in tracker or dark confidant, or beats in the form of goyf. It can also help finding silver bullits in sideboard.
4: Having hate cards maindeck frees up your sideboard. Thrun for instance. This is not unlike how Reid use Spellbomb main.
5: The small land count means he dedicate his utilaty lands to ghost quarter. Where as the usual other option is treetop village. The deck wants a lot of green, not black. A pitty quagmire and spawning pool are quite bad.
6: Sideboard.
Ghost Quarter in the sideboard. Clearly tron hate. Perhaps also vs UW control.
Dures vs controll, combo and burn.
Fulminator mage vs tron. Perhaps other decks.
Kalitas vs dredge, greavyeard decks and midrange.
Surgical Exstaction vs gravyear decks and probably tyron with all the land destruction. (9 after sideboard.)
Damnation, Liliana and slaughter pact vs creature decks. Perhaps the golgari charm as well?
Liliana of the last hope vs controll?
Spellbombs vs gravyeard decks.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
Sol's an amazing player, because I really can't follow that deck list. It looks like such a mess and I don't see a lot of rhyme or reason for his choices. He's definitely amazing, because it like...it's a mess.
Glad to see Reid on it. It sounds like Reid did very so so with Rock, I think he was X-3, but he also had 3 byes. Without those byes that's a solid record though.
The exact same thing basically is true for Selfeisek and his Mardu Pyro build. He created it, he plays it differently, and pretty much nobody does the same^^
On another take, I think about this time it is apropriate enough to let Rock have its own show. In this thread versions are discussed all over the place, Rock, Abzan or Abzan Traverse. I am currently writing on a standalone primer for Rock and I hope it will be available soon. Rock deserves it as much as Abzan or Jund at this point.
I think the problem is that rock and abzan sometimes are divided very thin. Like the versions reid made that has 3 lingering souls in them, some white mana, but the main plan is to discard them. Is that really an abzan deck is the main plan does not involve any white mana?
But yes, please make a new primer. Rock/Golgari has gotten enough tools now to be independent.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
What deck do you suggest Phyrexian Obliterator is good against?
Burn decks probably finish before you get your 4 black mana. And by that time they go upstairs.
Dredge might not care about loosing 3 permanents when you block prized amalgan. Also, all dredge late games finish you with a conflagerate off life from the loam. Creeping Chill will also drain you azt leats 6 points.
Spirits do not care. They just fly pass you.
Humans might not like him. But there is always reflector mage.
Hardened scales has sack outletrs, they never deal damage to obliterator.
Amulet Titan might actually have problems with him. Provided you get him out fast enough and they do not have 6 lands to sacrefice. (That they might have in all honesty.)
Tron does not care.
Eldrazi tron has problems with it.
Iron Works mdoes not care.
Infect bypass him.
Bridgevine might have a problem with him.
Hollow one might have a problem provided they do not have a push. But you do not wanne rely on a 4 drop vs a deck that makes 2 4/4 in turn 1.
Storm does not care.
Mardu Pyromancer has removal for him.
Jund/Rock/Abzan all can remove him.
Blue Red Ascentuion might have problems with it.
Valakut does not care.
Ponza might not like him.
@pzbw7z in what matchup do you want Phyrexian Obliterator? You might actually tro to jump through some hoops (read Dromoka's Command) if you want to run him. Just dodge blood moons.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
@pzbw7z in what matchup do you want Phyrexian Obliterator? You might actually tro to jump through some hoops (read Dromoka's Command) if you want to run him. Just dodge blood moons.
Obliterock was the flavor of the month a years years ago. It's just nostalgia. It's a fun card for FNM. I did play it for quite a while.
I am excited to announce that I was given the opportunity to write as guest author at MTGRock.com going onward! I am deeply humbled by that offer. As my first article I have a reworked and polished version of my article of "how to build consistant manabases for GBx decks" from reddit to share with you guys. I hope it can be of some help for you!
@pzbw7z in what matchup do you want Phyrexian Obliterator? You might actually tro to jump through some hoops (read Dromoka's Command) if you want to run him. Just dodge blood moons.
Obliterock was the flavor of the month a years years ago. It's just nostalgia. It's a fun card for FNM. I did play it for quite a while.
Back in my day we dark ritualed into Phyrexian Negator.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
Reid's list has no mana denial unless I missed something, and Sol was playing Ghost Quarter instead of Field of Ruin.
I'm truly not sure about that. I want at least two copies of strip mine effects in my main deck, and the only reason I would play GQ over FoR is for disrupt turn 3 Tron. What do you guys think?
Back in my day we dark ritualed into Phyrexian Negator.
So our opponent can go mountain, shock, go.
Ahh I miss those days!
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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
I am excited to announce that I was given the opportunity to write as guest author at MTGRock.com going onward! I am deeply humbled by that offer. As my first article I have a reworked and polished version of my article of "how to build consistant manabases for GBx decks" from reddit to share with you guys. I hope it can be of some help for you!
Since Frank Karsten has posted his article about the manabase I am thinking much more about my land-configuration than before. This is what I am currently working on (stock Reid Duke list):
My biggest problem with The Rock has always been the manland. I hate playing Hissing Quagmire, and after watching Reid playing the deck I decided to cut it as well. But I believe playing 23 lands in The Rock might be too greedy and because I play 2 Trackers I don't think going up one land compared to Reid's landbase will hurt the deck. I also don't like playing 4 Treetop Villages so I decided to add 1 Ghost Quarter in order to have at least one disruptive land in the deck, while still having 18 black and 18 green sources in order to cast my spells on curve.
@Hype_rion Looks good to me, you cover all bases for needed mana sources. You just put more emphasis on the creature land as opposed to the LD land. This is very fine, and I like it.
I am excited to announce that I was given the opportunity to write as guest author at MTGRock.com going onward! I am deeply humbled by that offer. As my first article I have a reworked and polished version of my article of "how to build consistant manabases for GBx decks" from reddit to share with you guys. I hope it can be of some help for you!
Lost vs monogreen tron. I was stuck on lands (ghost quarter dod not help) and he never ran out of basics. Game one lost hands down. Game 2 he just sided into more midrange. One sphere later (that backfired when I was short on lands) Tron just came up to 8 lands and ugined me.
Lost vs a waste not deck. Wonn vs burn and wonn vs pelt colector zoo deck.
I miss treetop village. I also miss more card draw. I liked the traverse, but eternal witnes and trunn did not impress me. And I really like eternal witness in other modern decks. (I played kiki chord for a long while.)
I also playtested it vs storm. It was 50/50. The storm player sided out the mana bears, stranding me with a lot of dead cards. It is fun mind games.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
I think Sol has a very unique playstyle which fits his list. I think if you are not Sol, you won't just have the same results for what he does against a certain matchup, for which reason I think it is best to take the list, and make adaptions to your own playstyle.
I was wondering what people's thoughts are on Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants in this deck? It's - ability gets back our threats similar to the last hope, and its plus one can pump up lingering souls, which conveniently makes two tokens at a time. I feel like ajani would be better in more board positions than the last hope because lili doesnt do anything when you have nothing in the yard and the opponent has no creatures out, while ajani at least permanently pumps our guys. Both lili and ajani have game-ending ults that take the same amount of pluses to reach as well.
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If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
I think Ajani is a bit underwhelming at 4 mana. The counter things are not that interesting. Often you will not have 2 targets for it on the draws that are threath light. There are some good synergies with manlands, (lifelink or trample) as well as grim flayer.
BGx has the best 2 drops in the game, so the patern would be return a 2 drop to defend it. It might have good synergi with grim flayer. Also tidehollow skuller could be good vs non interactive decks.
If you are in abzan I am a big fan of Sorin Sojourner. The vampier is medioker, but the +1/0 and lifelink is very good to tipp a lot of matchups.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
The exact same thing basically is true for Selfeisek and his Mardu Pyro build. He created it, he plays it differently, and pretty much nobody does the same^^
On another take, I think about this time it is apropriate enough to let Rock have its own show. In this thread versions are discussed all over the place, Rock, Abzan or Abzan Traverse. I am currently writing on a standalone primer for Rock and I hope it will be available soon. Rock deserves it as much as Abzan or Jund at this point.
Sol Malka's deck.
3 Liliana of the Veil
Creature (15)
4 Dark Confidant
1 Eternal Witness
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
2 Tireless Tracker
Sorcery (10)
2 Collective Brutality
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Thoughtseize
1 Traverse the Ulvenwald
Instant (7)
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Assassin's Trophy
2 Fatal Push
2 Mishra's Bauble
Land (23)
4 Blooming Marsh
2 Forest
3 Ghost Quarter
3 Hissing Quagmire
1 Marsh Flats
2 Overgrown Tomb
3 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
60 Cards
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Damnation
2 Duress
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Golgari Charm
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Slaughter Pact
2 Surgical Extraction
1: Sol Maka obviusly comes equiped to fight non-creature decks.
2 Abrupt Deckay, 3 Assassins Throphy and 1 Malestorm pulse means you are looking to kill non-creature permanents. Following up on this the deck runs 3 Ghost Quarters. Ghost quarter help vs tron (having 6 disruption pieces mainboard vs the tron lands) and it helps vs Azcanta, Gavony Township and manlands, mainly celestial colonade. It also can do some work vs Ponza as it can take enchanted lands. I think the quarters are there mainly to kill tron as that is where Field of Ruin is much worse then ghost quarter.
Not only does the deck run 4 Iquesition and 2 thoughtsieze, it also runs 2 Collective Brutalaty to continue the discard suite. This also works double duity vs fast decks as you can combine a removal and sicard spell in one. Vs Burn you will often do all 3 modes.
Only running 2 fatal pushes means Sol Maka does not think creatures are that dangerus.
Generally Liliana of the Veil is better vs non creature decks and last hope is better vs creatures. You see the continuation of focus vs non creature spells.
2: Sol runs 2 Mishraus Bauble to boost Lhurgoyf, thin his deck and turn on his lone traverse the ulvenwald.
3: Sol runs a small toolboks package. The lone traverse effectivly functions as a second copy of a lot of cards like thrun, eternal witnes, and ghost quarter. It can also find gravyeard hate in ooze, card draw in tracker or dark confidant, or beats in the form of goyf. It can also help finding silver bullits in sideboard.
4: Having hate cards maindeck frees up your sideboard. Thrun for instance. This is not unlike how Reid use Spellbomb main.
5: The small land count means he dedicate his utilaty lands to ghost quarter. Where as the usual other option is treetop village. The deck wants a lot of green, not black. A pitty quagmire and spawning pool are quite bad.
6: Sideboard.
Ghost Quarter in the sideboard. Clearly tron hate. Perhaps also vs UW control.
Dures vs controll, combo and burn.
Fulminator mage vs tron. Perhaps other decks.
Kalitas vs dredge, greavyeard decks and midrange.
Surgical Exstaction vs gravyear decks and probably tyron with all the land destruction. (9 after sideboard.)
Damnation, Liliana and slaughter pact vs creature decks. Perhaps the golgari charm as well?
Liliana of the last hope vs controll?
Spellbombs vs gravyeard decks.
I think the problem is that rock and abzan sometimes are divided very thin. Like the versions reid made that has 3 lingering souls in them, some white mana, but the main plan is to discard them. Is that really an abzan deck is the main plan does not involve any white mana?
But yes, please make a new primer. Rock/Golgari has gotten enough tools now to be independent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-NiWCRo1U
I'd actually love a Rock forum but Rex has got to get a little respect!
Frenzy-Affinity-Ghost Quarter-Rock-Tokens- RGWPhyrexian Zoo- WVial KnightsStandard:
BW Knights(Rotated)Pioneer: RW Knights - BW Rally Zombies - UW Heroes
Commander:WUG
Jenara, Asura of War- WGSigarda, Host of HeronsCasualties of economicsLegacy: Good-night, sweet prince. Mono-R Burn
Burn decks probably finish before you get your 4 black mana. And by that time they go upstairs.
Dredge might not care about loosing 3 permanents when you block prized amalgan. Also, all dredge late games finish you with a conflagerate off life from the loam. Creeping Chill will also drain you azt leats 6 points.
Spirits do not care. They just fly pass you.
Humans might not like him. But there is always reflector mage.
Hardened scales has sack outletrs, they never deal damage to obliterator.
Amulet Titan might actually have problems with him. Provided you get him out fast enough and they do not have 6 lands to sacrefice. (That they might have in all honesty.)
Tron does not care.
Eldrazi tron has problems with it.
Iron Works mdoes not care.
Infect bypass him.
Bridgevine might have a problem with him.
Hollow one might have a problem provided they do not have a push. But you do not wanne rely on a 4 drop vs a deck that makes 2 4/4 in turn 1.
Storm does not care.
Mardu Pyromancer has removal for him.
Jund/Rock/Abzan all can remove him.
Blue Red Ascentuion might have problems with it.
Valakut does not care.
Ponza might not like him.
@pzbw7z in what matchup do you want Phyrexian Obliterator? You might actually tro to jump through some hoops (read Dromoka's Command) if you want to run him. Just dodge blood moons.
Obliterock was the flavor of the month a years years ago. It's just nostalgia. It's a fun card for FNM. I did play it for quite a while.
Frenzy-Affinity-Ghost Quarter-Rock-Tokens- RGWPhyrexian Zoo- WVial KnightsStandard:
BW Knights(Rotated)Pioneer: RW Knights - BW Rally Zombies - UW Heroes
Commander:WUG
Jenara, Asura of War- WGSigarda, Host of HeronsCasualties of economicsLegacy: Good-night, sweet prince. Mono-R Burn
Play Patterns: Building A Consistant Manabase for GBx decks.
Cheers,
FlyingDelver
Back in my day we dark ritualed into Phyrexian Negator.
I'm truly not sure about that. I want at least two copies of strip mine effects in my main deck, and the only reason I would play GQ over FoR is for disrupt turn 3 Tron. What do you guys think?
So our opponent can go mountain, shock, go.
Ahh I miss those days!
Ghost Quarter and assassins throphy + discard gives awnsers to natural tron. Field can be to slow.
Congrats, was a really good article
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Polluted Delta
2 Overgrown Tomb
4 Blooming Marsh
1 Twilight Mire
3 Treetop Village
1 Ghost Quarter
5 Swamp
2 Forest
My biggest problem with The Rock has always been the manland. I hate playing Hissing Quagmire, and after watching Reid playing the deck I decided to cut it as well. But I believe playing 23 lands in The Rock might be too greedy and because I play 2 Trackers I don't think going up one land compared to Reid's landbase will hurt the deck. I also don't like playing 4 Treetop Villages so I decided to add 1 Ghost Quarter in order to have at least one disruptive land in the deck, while still having 18 black and 18 green sources in order to cast my spells on curve.
Well done, and congrats! I’ve always liked mtgrock.com. You’ll be a great addition to their stable of writers.
Looking forward to the separation of the primers as well. If you need any help with this, don’t hesitate to reach out.
YouTube Channel, with deck techs, gameplay, analysis, spoiler reviews, and more!
Lost vs monogreen tron. I was stuck on lands (ghost quarter dod not help) and he never ran out of basics. Game one lost hands down. Game 2 he just sided into more midrange. One sphere later (that backfired when I was short on lands) Tron just came up to 8 lands and ugined me.
Lost vs a waste not deck. Wonn vs burn and wonn vs pelt colector zoo deck.
I miss treetop village. I also miss more card draw. I liked the traverse, but eternal witnes and trunn did not impress me. And I really like eternal witness in other modern decks. (I played kiki chord for a long while.)
I also playtested it vs storm. It was 50/50. The storm player sided out the mana bears, stranding me with a lot of dead cards. It is fun mind games.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
BGx has the best 2 drops in the game, so the patern would be return a 2 drop to defend it. It might have good synergi with grim flayer. Also tidehollow skuller could be good vs non interactive decks.
If you are in abzan I am a big fan of Sorin Sojourner. The vampier is medioker, but the +1/0 and lifelink is very good to tipp a lot of matchups.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor?
Frenzy-Affinity-Ghost Quarter-Rock-Tokens- RGWPhyrexian Zoo- WVial KnightsStandard:
BW Knights(Rotated)Pioneer: RW Knights - BW Rally Zombies - UW Heroes
Commander:WUG
Jenara, Asura of War- WGSigarda, Host of HeronsCasualties of economicsLegacy: Good-night, sweet prince. Mono-R Burn