The Staticaster is a great example. It hoses Affinity, Infect, tokens, Elves,etc. but it also can fill in versus Storm where it blanks all Empty the Warrens and the Abzan company, Merfolk, and Eldrazi decks which run a lot of 1 power creatures.
But Staticaster is more like Relic of progenitus.
It's good versus Dredge but also can fill in versus Jund, Grixis, Mirror...
Rest in Peace is Vandalblast/Shatterstorm. Rarely you will bring it in versus other decks rather than those for which it is thought.
Not sure how you could come to that conclusion. Izzet Staticaster is almost impossible for Affinity and Infect to beat (by almost impossible I mean it kills just about everything in the deck). Relic is not good against Dredge. In the Dredge match-up Relic is worse than Tormod's Crypt by a pretty fair margin and miles below RIP which is an "I win" card. To beat RIP they have to have an answer for your answer and it has still cleared the graveyards. Relic will stop one or two creatures from coming back, then they restock the graveyard and kill you.
Izzet Staticaster is a strong hoser that just happens to have splash value as Jex said. RIP is "I win" against Dredge, Living End, and Reanimator. And to be clear, I'm not currently running any straight graveyard hate.
I'm fine with having RiPs in my board. Dredge is a tough matchup otherwise, and having "I win" buttons against linears you would otherwise struggle against is good policy IMO.
But even our specific answers have splash damage. You bring in Staticaster against Infect and Affinity, but it's also relevant against Merfolk and token decks when they turn up. I don't think playing an all purpose 'answer' is better than a targeted answer with splash damage. We have catchalls in the mainboard called counterspells, we don't need more catchalls in the sideboard, we need specific answers to shore up bad matchups.
I completely agree. I just don't think this argument between philosophies is going anywhere productive.
But even our specific answers have splash damage. You bring in Staticaster against Infect and Affinity, but it's also relevant against Merfolk and token decks when they turn up. I don't think playing an all purpose 'answer' is better than a targeted answer with splash damage. We have catchalls in the mainboard called counterspells, we don't need more catchalls in the sideboard, we need specific answers to shore up bad matchups.
I completely agree. I just don't think this argument between philosophies is going anywhere productive.
@Chaos-A lot of the people who read and learn from this site don't ever post anything. Just because we don't convince some of the more vocal people doesn't mean that sharing the information isn't productive. You'd be surprised how many people contact me about this kind of stuff and it's always like "Hey, I didn't want to comment in thread but what's the reasoning behind ..."
I'm looking at some Mardu Nahiri builds and seeing what makes them different from us. Aside from the obvious difference of card advantage being disruption, they also run proactive cards like Lingering Souls to take over the game when they're not winning. It's certainly not viable for us to run Lingering Souls with any consistency, but I think we should study their successful lists along with ours.
I'm looking at some Mardu Nahiri builds and seeing what makes them different from us. Aside from the obvious difference of card advantage being disruption, they also run proactive cards like Lingering Souls to take over the game when they're not winning. It's certainly not viable for us to run Lingering Souls with any consistency, but I think we should study their successful lists along with ours.
They have to be more proactive because it's hard for them to find Nahiri. No Serum Visions and no Ancestral Vision it's hard to gain much velocity in that deck.
Izzet Staticaster is a strong hoser that just happens to have splash value as Jex said. RIP is "I win" against Dredge, Living End, and Reanimator.
And what's the "splash damage" of Rest in peace? I mean... When do you side it in, apart from those cited MUs
It's a silver bullet for the tier one Dredge deck but it just happens to beat Reanimator/Griselbrand and Living End. You might bring it in against Grixis Control depending on the build. Or against a CC Abzan deck.
Izzet Staticaster is a strong hoser that just happens to have splash value as Jex said. RIP is "I win" against Dredge, Living End, and Reanimator.
And what's the "splash damage" of Rest in peace? I mean... When do you side it in, apart from those cited MUs
Also sideboard cards don't need to come in against 5-10 decks. Especially if they don't change your win percentage. If you boarding in cards that don't change your win percentage why are they in the list?
Generally the most prevalent decks are the best decks, except for affinity, which is the reverse. Sideboard against decks which will probably show up, not ones that might show up but likely will not. You're not going to be dying to the modern equivalent of Four Horsemen, you'll play against Jund, Suicide Zoo, and Eldrazi.
Testing out the new lands and a slightly different list than I normally run. Manabase seems sweet, taking a lot less damage from the 10 or so games I've played so far but I did cut out utility lands which may or may not be a mistake. I'll eventually cut something for a Ghost Quarter, probably.
I'm taking the Jund approach in terms of manabase and it seems sweet so far, but if I was to add a Ghost Quarter, I would probably take out an Arid Mesa. Secondly, it seems that Tron is decreasing in usage but Valakut is on the rise, so as much as I want to cut Crumble to Dust, it seems useful for the time being. I used to run the 23 lands, low to the ground list before but I think the format is a little less hostile towards Cryptic Command so I'm dusting off a copy and seeing how it performs.
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I think if you're running it, it should be 3 copies mainboard, or zero in the 75. It's awful in the sideboard. I'd rather have a worse game 1 against some decks than 3 wasted spaces in the side. I've decided that it is worth playing because when it resolves it makes it significantly harder to lose, especially against grindy decks. If you burned resources early, you get them all back. However, it is an effective mulligan and it near useless against fast aggressive decks. This is what the sideboard is for and you just take them out.
I'm not a huge fan of the card, I think there are many issues, but with fastlands they are significantly better in the deck, and way better on T1.
I was playing, against a lot of eldrazi bant with TappingStones lists. Some advice against that MU?
Are you trying my newer list? That one hedged more against Bant Eldrazi.
Yes, last list except:
-1 Ceremonius rejection
+1 Geist of saint traft
My meta is heavy dominated by Affinity, Burn and Jund (great win ratio against all of them), but Bant Eldrazi, Titan and Tron are heavy represented. I try atack the ramp problem with another geist but not with great results, and against bant eldrazi, sometimes i can stop them but ancient stirrings give them to much consistency... Probably its more a pilot problem if you guys dont have the same feeling. I love the list, maybe im wrong in some gameplans against this decks.
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Modern: Jeskai control / Jeskai Geist
Death and taxes / UW control
I was playing, against a lot of eldrazi bant with TappingStones lists. Some advice against that MU?
Are you trying my newer list? That one hedged more against Bant Eldrazi.
Yes, last list except:
-1 Ceremonius rejection
+1 Geist of saint traft
My meta is heavy dominated by Affinity, Burn and Jund (great win ratio against all of them), but Bant Eldrazi, Titan and Tron are heavy represented. I try atack the ramp problem with another geist but not with great results, and against bant eldrazi, sometimes i can stop them but ancient stirrings give them to much consistency... Probably its more a pilot problem if you guys dont have the same feeling. I love the list, maybe im wrong in some gameplans against this decks.
It's certainly an unfavorable match-up. Small mistakes can really be costly, too. I wouldn't worry too much. Just get better at playing your deck. Try to think about what decisions you had during the game and if you find spots where you messed up. I think the Ceremonious Rejection is a nice haymaker against Eldrazi. If they are using their Ancient Stirrings to get Cavern than they probably had to pass up on a "big creature", but when they don't have Cavern, which is quite often in the early game, CR is very good.
1. There is an numbers game with Spreading Seas and Crumble to Dust. Some run just 2 of one of them, others run all 4. I was thinking one of each. I really don't know.
2. Perhaps lose the dispel for the newer ceremonious rejection? My worry here is that having a straight-up anti-instant cards is super useful. Additionally,Negate is pretty powerful, so I am not sure if a single is appropriate.
3. I'm not sure if a 2nd Clique is necessary.
4. Some decks run the Purge, some don't.
The following cards could probably be eliminated, but I am (again) not sure:
I know a lot of people swear by Geist, and quite a number of sideboards I've seen run a single of Elspeth, but I'm just not sure they're worth it. Additionally, I am pretty sure that with 2 copies of Engineered Explosives as well as a singleton of Anger of the Gods and another copy of Supreme Verdict, that it should be fine to lose the second copy.
I think that's all. Many thanks in advance for any forthcoming feedback.
I think Ceremonious Rejection is going to be a bit too hit-or-miss to truly be worthy of inclusion in Jeskai Nahiri sideboards. It does nothing if Eldrazi land a Cavern of Souls, or if Affinity just roars out of the gate (as is its wont). If you're choosing between Spreading Seas and Crumble to Dust, I'd lean toward the latter - you have enough cheap interaction to hold the fort until Crumble can slam the door shut. I also don't think you have much need for Elspeth, Sun's Champion now that Nahiri is in the fold - that's WU Control's wincon now. Last but not least, a 2nd Clique is most definitely unnecessary IMO.
1. There is an numbers game with Spreading Seas and Crumble to Dust. Some run just 2 of one of them, others run all 4. I was thinking one of each. I really don't know.
2. Perhaps lose the dispel for the newer ceremonious rejection? My worry here is that having a straight-up anti-instant cards is super useful. Additionally,Negate is pretty powerful, so I am not sure if a single is appropriate.
3. I'm not sure if a 2nd Clique is necessary.
4. Some decks run the Purge, some don't.
The following cards could probably be eliminated, but I am (again) not sure:
I know a lot of people swear by Geist, and quite a number of sideboards I've seen run a single of Elspeth, but I'm just not sure they're worth it. Additionally, I am pretty sure that with 2 copies of Engineered Explosives as well as a singleton of Anger of the Gods and another copy of Supreme Verdict, that it should be fine to lose the second copy.
I think that's all. Many thanks in advance for any forthcoming feedback.
Cheers,
Sean
Hi Sean, the question is what decks are you ok with having a bad match-up against? Any card can be cut from that sideboard. None are essential. It just depends how you want to attack the meta. I have reasons for running all the cards that I run. You should have reasons to run the cards you run.
Hi Sean, the question is what decks are you ok with having a bad match-up against? Any card can be cut from that sideboard. None are essential. It just depends how you want to attack the meta. I have reasons for running all the cards that I run. You should have reasons to run the cards you run.
These lines are true for the entire 75. I wish more people would think about deck building in these terms.
Not sure how you could come to that conclusion. Izzet Staticaster is almost impossible for Affinity and Infect to beat (by almost impossible I mean it kills just about everything in the deck). Relic is not good against Dredge. In the Dredge match-up Relic is worse than Tormod's Crypt by a pretty fair margin and miles below RIP which is an "I win" card. To beat RIP they have to have an answer for your answer and it has still cleared the graveyards. Relic will stop one or two creatures from coming back, then they restock the graveyard and kill you.
Izzet Staticaster is a strong hoser that just happens to have splash value as Jex said. RIP is "I win" against Dredge, Living End, and Reanimator. And to be clear, I'm not currently running any straight graveyard hate.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
I completely agree. I just don't think this argument between philosophies is going anywhere productive.
@Chaos-A lot of the people who read and learn from this site don't ever post anything. Just because we don't convince some of the more vocal people doesn't mean that sharing the information isn't productive. You'd be surprised how many people contact me about this kind of stuff and it's always like "Hey, I didn't want to comment in thread but what's the reasoning behind ..."
UWR Control
Legacy:
W D&T
They have to be more proactive because it's hard for them to find Nahiri. No Serum Visions and no Ancestral Vision it's hard to gain much velocity in that deck.
It's a silver bullet for the tier one Dredge deck but it just happens to beat Reanimator/Griselbrand and Living End. You might bring it in against Grixis Control depending on the build. Or against a CC Abzan deck.
Also sideboard cards don't need to come in against 5-10 decks. Especially if they don't change your win percentage. If you boarding in cards that don't change your win percentage why are they in the list?
UWR Control
Legacy:
W D&T
Death and taxes / UW control
4 Snapcaster Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Planeswalkers (4):
4 Nahiri, the Harbinger
Instants/Sorceries (26):
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
2 Lightning Helix
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Mana Leak
3 Remand
2 Spell Snare
1 Cryptic Command
4 Serum Visions
3 Ancestral Vision
3 Celestial Colonnade
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Arid Mesa
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Stony Silence
1 Celestial Purge
1 Dispel
2 Negate
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Crumble to Dust
1 Supreme Verdict
2 Timely Reinforcements
I'm taking the Jund approach in terms of manabase and it seems sweet so far, but if I was to add a Ghost Quarter, I would probably take out an Arid Mesa. Secondly, it seems that Tron is decreasing in usage but Valakut is on the rise, so as much as I want to cut Crumble to Dust, it seems useful for the time being. I used to run the 23 lands, low to the ground list before but I think the format is a little less hostile towards Cryptic Command so I'm dusting off a copy and seeing how it performs.
Are you trying my newer list? That one hedged more against Bant Eldrazi.
I'm not a huge fan of the card, I think there are many issues, but with fastlands they are significantly better in the deck, and way better on T1.
UWR Control
Legacy:
W D&T
Yes, last list except:
-1 Ceremonius rejection
+1 Geist of saint traft
My meta is heavy dominated by Affinity, Burn and Jund (great win ratio against all of them), but Bant Eldrazi, Titan and Tron are heavy represented. I try atack the ramp problem with another geist but not with great results, and against bant eldrazi, sometimes i can stop them but ancient stirrings give them to much consistency... Probably its more a pilot problem if you guys dont have the same feeling. I love the list, maybe im wrong in some gameplans against this decks.
Death and taxes / UW control
It's certainly an unfavorable match-up. Small mistakes can really be costly, too. I wouldn't worry too much. Just get better at playing your deck. Try to think about what decisions you had during the game and if you find spots where you messed up. I think the Ceremonious Rejection is a nice haymaker against Eldrazi. If they are using their Ancient Stirrings to get Cavern than they probably had to pass up on a "big creature", but when they don't have Cavern, which is quite often in the early game, CR is very good.
Here's the deck:
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
3 Celestial Colonnade
1 Arid Mesa
3 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Spirebluff Canal
1 Seachrome Coast
1 Ghost Quarter
Creatures (6):
4 Snapcaster Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
4 Nahiri, the Harbinger
Other Spells (27):
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
2 Lightning Helix
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Mana Leak
2 Remand
2 Spell Snare
4 Serum Visions
3 Ancestral Vision
2 Timely Reinforcements
1 Supreme Verdict
2 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Celestial Purge
1 Wear // Tear
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Dispel
1 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Stony Silence
2 Negate
1 Rest in Peace
2 Spreading Seas
2 Crumble to Dust
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Vendilion Clique
As you can see, I am 5 cards over the 15 card allotment.
So, here are the sideboard cards that I think should stay for sure:
Here are cards that should probably stay, but I am not sure of appropriate numbers:
Here are my issues with the preceding cards:
1. There is an numbers game with Spreading Seas and Crumble to Dust. Some run just 2 of one of them, others run all 4. I was thinking one of each. I really don't know.
2. Perhaps lose the dispel for the newer ceremonious rejection? My worry here is that having a straight-up anti-instant cards is super useful. Additionally,Negate is pretty powerful, so I am not sure if a single is appropriate.
3. I'm not sure if a 2nd Clique is necessary.
4. Some decks run the Purge, some don't.
The following cards could probably be eliminated, but I am (again) not sure:
I know a lot of people swear by Geist, and quite a number of sideboards I've seen run a single of Elspeth, but I'm just not sure they're worth it. Additionally, I am pretty sure that with 2 copies of Engineered Explosives as well as a singleton of Anger of the Gods and another copy of Supreme Verdict, that it should be fine to lose the second copy.
I think that's all. Many thanks in advance for any forthcoming feedback.
Cheers,
Sean
tl;dr: Cut Rejection, Seas, Elspeth, and Clique.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
Hi Sean, the question is what decks are you ok with having a bad match-up against? Any card can be cut from that sideboard. None are essential. It just depends how you want to attack the meta. I have reasons for running all the cards that I run. You should have reasons to run the cards you run.
These lines are true for the entire 75. I wish more people would think about deck building in these terms.
3 Scalding Tarn
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Celestial Colonnade
3 Island
1 Steam Vents
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Plains
2 Sacred Foundry
This is about the same as a stock jund list. any advice?