Some facts of magic:
-Terror is an emotion which, when experienced, results in death.
-The pox was a disease notorious for having killed one-third, rounded up, of Europe’s population. Smallpox, on the other hand, killed only a single person.
-A person riding a horse cannot be stopped by foot soldiers, large animals, walls, archers, or even catapults.
All-In Red looks about as vulnerable to counterspells as your typical plan does, especially since they banned Rite of Flame. About the only guy in the above plan that looks cast-able in time is Kargan Dragonlord. With a 16- to 18-land deck, I can't see how you'd cast the other guys without casting rituals, and those rituals are easily hosed by counterspells. The plan looks much more feasible with Simian Spirit Guide, but I think it was the critical mass of uber-cheap rituals that made All-In Red a deck--the Rite banning basically made it unplayable.
Heck, without Past in Flames, targeted discard shoots your plans down even harder.
A better transformational sideboard is probably the "man plan", with Delver of Secrets, Kiln Fiend, Vendilion Clique, Goblin Guide, and/or Dark Confidant. At least two of the above can be cast on Turn 1 while you opponent hasn't played disruption yet, and since your opponent likely boarded out removal, you have free rein.
We still have all the cantrips, I don't think actually getting to 4 or 5 land would be a problem if that's what we set out to do. Other than that though, I guess, you're right. Getting to 5 lands still doesn't really play around mana leak (or cryptic, at that point).
Are we really trying to beat counterspells though? What hate have people been encountering the most? For me, it's mostly things that I can bounce.
One advantage of "All-in" is that the creatures might be able to beat a zoo strategy by themselves, something a "man-plan" isn't necessarily going to be able to do.
Some facts of magic:
-Terror is an emotion which, when experienced, results in death.
-The pox was a disease notorious for having killed one-third, rounded up, of Europe’s population. Smallpox, on the other hand, killed only a single person.
-A person riding a horse cannot be stopped by foot soldiers, large animals, walls, archers, or even catapults.
Thought about it but never decided on what set of creatures to choose. Instead, my sideboard is supposed to be an anti-sideboard... Nature's claim to take out leyline of sanctity or ethersworn canonist. Guttural response for mindbreak trap when you want to cast that grapeshot... Pithing needle for artifact hate.
In the end, the sideboard is heavily dependant on the meta...
and what about going for the EtW + Bushwhacker combo transformation? (if EtW is not in the maindeck already, like in the first post) . Not easy with inquiry and goblin lore, but when faithless looting is available, it may have some merit. Meanwhile, the kiln fiend plan is not a bad idea, unless your opponent knows what are you trying to pull off.
although, if you go for kiln fiend plan, you need to pack some removal IMHO, so you have to storm for 6 or 7 and cast grapeshot to get the lethal swing. both plans (etw or fiend) get through leyline of sanctity , but mindbreak trap and gaddock teeg is still an issue (but if you are playing remand it ,spell pierce (if you play UR) or removal they should do fine)
Mindbreak trap, canonist, rule of law, thorn of amethyst, etc. etc. etc.
If you're going to transform, you need to transform into something that's resistant against the commonly played hate cards, or there's not much point in transforming.
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If God spoke to you, and commanded you to kill your own children, would you do it?
If your answer is "No," then your morality does not come from God's commandments.
If your answer is "Yes," then please, please reconsider.
The Vendillion Clique and Delver of Secrets man plan seems like it has something to it. It doesn't take up too many slots so you can still keep anti-hate cards in your sideboard, and can also leave an empty the warrens package in for sided games, it's low cost so you can play 16 land and still have it work and it's really good against the mirror.
So, let's say we take this to a PTQ. What are the odds of Transformational Kiki-twin actually being beneficial to the point of going X-0 or many X-1/2?
I've tried the transformational sideboard in a local store competition, a PTQ and a GPT. Memorable wins include a Living End player who mull to 4 to get a Leyline of the Void only to face a gazillion Pestermite tokens.
The transform works great in the early matches of the PTQ and GPT. But after word gets around, people tend to expect a transformational SB and are prepared for it. Especially if your GPT is only about 30 people.
The transform is great to get around Relic of Progenitus, but has its own weakness as well, mainly in getting Thoughtseized or Inquisition of Kozilek.
And against control, a full transform to deceiver combo does not solve the counterspell issue.
That might be true, but it gives us an easy way to force them to drop answers on their turn rather than the traditional counter key piece of our storm on ours.
They'll end up tapping out while we drop key combo piece. It's actually pretty nice.
It's the same thing against spot removal though.. Gotta fight through it and win with education(Probes)
I am actually working on tweaking a Delver Tempo strategy via the sideboard, (So far it is just 4 Delver 3 Echoing Truth because I would like to have the remaining 8 cards contribute to handling the common strategies of the metagame while running on either gameplan) But the Splinter Twin strategy cannot be condensed into a sideboard gameplan successfully IMO because there are cards necessary to produce an effective Deciever Exarch victory that do not give benefit when associated with PiF-storm.
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Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
My teammate tested something interesting in his transformative sideboard; ramping into Wurmcoil Engine as a damage dealer in storm. It worked somewhat well for him in a few games; so I am picking the subject of alternative threats. how do you all feel about a card like Deus of Calamity out of the sideboard with the delver changeup strategy? My explanation of the suggestion stems from the idea that early ramp-able threats which have a potential of disrupting the opponent's gameplan (like All in Red did in old extended) could be very profitable. Because I really do not believe the splinter twin switch-up can be condensed into 15 slots.
Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
Pulled that one off at a gp trial, ramping into a wormcoil also means not completely abandoning the storm win, it worked well in the mirror, bc the lifegain often puts you out of reach of a grapeshot. I got blown out by Jund however, since they usually keep in their maelstorm pulses. He bloodbraided into the first one and cast the second one from hand. The wormcoil plan isn't very resilient, I feel like delver/cliques might be the best direction.
I played a UR Gifts storm my last PTQ. I transformed into (T)win after game 1 most games and it carried me to top 8 pretty easily. So many games my opponents just sat on dead SB cards while I continued to combo away.
If I were playing the standard UR ascension deck with 16ish land I wouldn't want to board into twin at all as they will leave in random answers to enchantments assuming they dont even board in more answers.
If you want to transform from the ascension verison I would just move into a delver/clique style deck.
I have been playing with a transformational board since pyromancer's ascension was a card, and I can safely say that the best way to put your opponent's on tilt is to shuffle your entire sideboard into the deck and then remove 15 cards.
Did it to a BU delver player who left in his removal because he thought I was going to trick him by switching to something like Splintertwin, only to trick him again by staying storm and removing my sideboard from my 75.
Also leaving in 2 Pyromancer's Ascension is a cute trick because it lets your dig dig deeper, and leaves your opponent guessing on what your playing. Bonus points if they blow up the dummy enchantment on their turn only to see a splinter twin on yours.
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Storm decks can be summed up to this:
We cast spells to make mana to cast spells, then we use the mana for draw spells, so we can cast those spells to draw more spells or make more mana to cast more spells. Somewhere in this quagmire... we win or lose instantly, usually this is when we stop digging.
My transformational board with a generic hate vs affinity/maybe tron. Any thoughts? I was considering trying Inferno Titan in the slots for Wurmcoil, although the lifegain that I can get from an active engine can get me out of so many situations.
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For example:
-4 Past in flames
-4 Empty the warrens
-4 Grapeshot
-3 Pyromancer Ascension
+4 Deus of Calamity
+4 Demigod of Revenge
+4 Koth of the Hammer
+3 Kargan Dragonlord
Perhaps it would be necessary to run Simian Spirit guide MD, but would it be worth doing so?
---
Any opinions on a splinter twin sideboard?
+4 Pestermite
+4 Deceiver Exarch
+4 Splinter twin
+3 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror breaker
-Terror is an emotion which, when experienced, results in death.
-The pox was a disease notorious for having killed one-third, rounded up, of Europe’s population. Smallpox, on the other hand, killed only a single person.
-A person riding a horse cannot be stopped by foot soldiers, large animals, walls, archers, or even catapults.
More facts of magic
Heck, without Past in Flames, targeted discard shoots your plans down even harder.
A better transformational sideboard is probably the "man plan", with Delver of Secrets, Kiln Fiend, Vendilion Clique, Goblin Guide, and/or Dark Confidant. At least two of the above can be cast on Turn 1 while you opponent hasn't played disruption yet, and since your opponent likely boarded out removal, you have free rein.
Are we really trying to beat counterspells though? What hate have people been encountering the most? For me, it's mostly things that I can bounce.
One advantage of "All-in" is that the creatures might be able to beat a zoo strategy by themselves, something a "man-plan" isn't necessarily going to be able to do.
-Terror is an emotion which, when experienced, results in death.
-The pox was a disease notorious for having killed one-third, rounded up, of Europe’s population. Smallpox, on the other hand, killed only a single person.
-A person riding a horse cannot be stopped by foot soldiers, large animals, walls, archers, or even catapults.
More facts of magic
In the end, the sideboard is heavily dependant on the meta...
:symwr:BorosBGR Living End(Primer) W Soul Sisters Tokens
UGrand Architect+Pili-Pala Infinite combo:symq::chaos:
Transforming to Splinter-Twin, though, could be good. Rule of Law, Ethersworn Cannonist, Thorn of Amethyst, Mindbreak Trap, etc., don't do anything against the Twin combo. So if your opponent boards out their removal, you can get them real good.
If your answer is "No," then your morality does not come from God's commandments.
If your answer is "Yes," then please, please reconsider.
If your answer is "No," then your morality does not come from God's commandments.
If your answer is "Yes," then please, please reconsider.
If you're going to transform, you need to transform into something that's resistant against the commonly played hate cards, or there's not much point in transforming.
If your answer is "No," then your morality does not come from God's commandments.
If your answer is "Yes," then please, please reconsider.
Worked like a charm. He played meddling mage naming empty the warrens.
This deck is all kinds of fun to play.
Standard:RWUJeskai WinsRWU
Modern:GWBMelira PodGWB
Legacy:WDeath & TaxesW
That actually looks pretty good. Why not 4 Deceiver Exarch and 2 Pestermite though? It is better against stray Lightning Bolts and stuff.
That might be true, but it gives us an easy way to force them to drop answers on their turn rather than the traditional counter key piece of our storm on ours.
They'll end up tapping out while we drop key combo piece. It's actually pretty nice.
It's the same thing against spot removal though.. Gotta fight through it and win with education(Probes)
Then again, I'm the kind of player who enjoys playing through 3 lock pieces, a couple duresses, and counterspells.
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control
If I were playing the standard UR ascension deck with 16ish land I wouldn't want to board into twin at all as they will leave in random answers to enchantments assuming they dont even board in more answers.
If you want to transform from the ascension verison I would just move into a delver/clique style deck.
Did it to a BU delver player who left in his removal because he thought I was going to trick him by switching to something like Splintertwin, only to trick him again by staying storm and removing my sideboard from my 75.
Also leaving in 2 Pyromancer's Ascension is a cute trick because it lets your dig dig deeper, and leaves your opponent guessing on what your playing. Bonus points if they blow up the dummy enchantment on their turn only to see a splinter twin on yours.
We cast spells to make mana to cast spells, then we use the mana for draw spells, so we can cast those spells to draw more spells or make more mana to cast more spells. Somewhere in this quagmire... we win or lose instantly, usually this is when we stop digging.
My transformational board with a generic hate vs affinity/maybe tron. Any thoughts? I was considering trying Inferno Titan in the slots for Wurmcoil, although the lifegain that I can get from an active engine can get me out of so many situations.