MTG Salvation

I didn't see any Ad Nauseam featured on scg or gp this weekend which was sad, I saw izzet storm and turbo turns which is really cool. I always love watching a combo deck especially as I own the other two too.

One ad nauseam list did come 27th
http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gpvan17/9-32-decklists-2017-02-19

I think Eric Froehlich was on camera for a couple of seconds, because he was on Ad Nauseam too. Good for McGregor, he had a great 12-3 run (I think he lost against Dredge, Jund and something else from what I heard and saw on the results section).

GZ to John Mcgregor!
If he is in here, i would love to hear ur matchups and maybe a little report.

How do you all arrive at the correct configuration of lands in this deck? Temples, Fastlands, city of brass, gemstone mine, ect

And what is the benefit to using basic lands at all since we have no fetches to grab them?

Quote from MaxeKu »

GZ to John Mcgregor!
If he is in here, i would love to hear ur matchups and maybe a little report.

Perplex11's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Simian Spirit Guide 1 Laboratory Maniac 4 Serum Visions 4 Sleight of Hand 4 Ad Nauseam 4 Angel's Grace 3 Pact of Negation 3 Spoils of the Vault 1 Lightning Storm 4 Lotus Bloom 4 Pentad Prism	4 Phyrexian Unlife 4 Gemstone Mine 4 Temple of Deceit 3 Seachrome Coast 2 City of Brass 2 Darkslick Shores 1 Dreadship Reef 1 Island 1 Plains 1 Temple of Enlightenment 1 Tolaria West		//Sideboard: 2 Grave Titan 1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir 1 Duress 1 Lightning Storm 3 Ethereal Haze 1 Echoing Truth 1 Slaughter Pact 4 Leyline of Sanctity 1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All

Hmm, I'm running 72 of the same card. Only differences are I have a 3rd City of Brass over the Tolaria West and I have 2 Thoughtseize in place of his 2nd Lightbing Storm and Duress and a 4th Pact of Negation in place of Teferi. Any opinions on what we should be running with the rise of Deaths Shadow Jund?

ethernal haze wins vs eidolon.

if u want to commit sideboard cards against burn (beside 4th unlife in 75)try some blessed alliance and or collective brutality

Grand Prix Vancouver
I went 6-3 on day 1, made it to day 2, but had to head back home To Washington Saturday night...
1 Lab Man
4 SSG
4 Lotus Bloom
4 Pentad Prism
4 Phyrexian Unlife
4 Angel's Grace
3 Spoils of the Vault
1 Lightning Storm
4 Serum Visions
4 Sleight of Hand
3 Pact of Negation
4 Ad Nauseam
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Temple of Deceit
4 Seachrome Coast
2 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Plains
1 Island
SB
2 Thoughtseize
3 Darkness
4 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Nephalia Academy
1 Echoing Truth
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Boseiju, Who Shelter's All
1 Painful Truths
1 Lightning Storm

I registered for Friday morning's early bird (1 match Loss and you're out tournament)--Friday, I ran a Conflagrate MD, w/ the LabMan in the SB. Not being able to combo off at instant speed after exiling my Lightning Storm via Spoils cost me one game as I responded to a chord of calling (this was in a later tournament)
Match 1: Loss 1-2 Grins: I won game 1 because he didn't have a threat, then both games 2 and 3 had my Ad Nauseams surgically extracted

Friday Tournament 2:
Match 1: Loss 1-2 Jund: Too much discard and I wasn't getting my Leylines or Nephalia
Game2: Ad Nauseam surgically extracted

Friday Tournament 3:
Match 1: Loss 0-2 G/W Tron (Tron on the play):
Game 1-- turns 4 and 5, took back to back Ulamogs, Pacted the first, scooped after the 2nd
Game 2-- wasn't sure how to SB because all I saw game 1 were 2 Urza Towers, 1 Mine, 1 Power Plant, and 2 Ulamogs, and a couple spheres/stars-- they start the game w Leyline of Sanctity in play-- I didn't side in LabMan or Echoing Truth (I don't think I've ever seen a Tron build w Leyline of Sanctity in it)
Friday, Tournament 4
Match 1: Loss 1-2 KikiChord-- I won game 1, but couldn't get around Qasali Pidemages and Eidolon of Rhetoric due to his Nahiri MD tech for games 2 and 3

The list you see above is what I ran for the actual Grand Prix on Saturday
I'll give a full report later on that;
I went back to LabMan in the main (that's what I'm used to), and I just like the 2nd Lightning Storm over Conflagrate to be able to go off at instant speed. I do like Conflagrate, but I guess I'm just not used to it yet (I grabbed one on Friday at my LGS and went along with Courtenays and Togores' advice to run em MD)

Just went to the finals of Keeper event, wishing it'll be somewhere because it was recorded! Ended 4-1-1, made top 8 by tie-breakers and went straight to the finals, losing to Merfolk...

List :


I left Oboro, Palace in the Clouds out of the manabase to try something more midrange, more oriented towards having a blocker with Tar Pit against midrange and beating down Liliana. It worked out fine. Here's a short report :

Match 1 : Affinity.
Result : 2-1.
Notes : Won game 1 on turn 4, lost game 2 on turn 3 with an Inkmoth Nexus dealing 10 counters (thanks Arcbound Ravager / Steel Overseer for that) and won game 3 on turn 4 again. No crazy stuff, plain straight combo. But I'm so glad to have won against that deck!

Match 2 : Loam.
Result : 2-1.
Notes : weird match. Won game 1 with a turn 5 combo through 2 Thoughtseize! Game 2, kept a greedy hand with 2 Leyline of Sanctity, but didn't have enough cantrips to find the missing piece of the combo. Won game 3 easily.

Match 3 : RG Tron.
Result : 1-1-1.
Notes : lost game 1, Karn Liberated striped my lands on turn 3 (I was on the draw) and couldn't recover from an exiled Pentad Prism. Won game 2 easily. Game 3, turn 3 Karn Liberated, but with 2 lands, I tapped them and exiled 2 Simian Spirit Guide to cast Mystical Teachings fetching Pact of Negation. That's pretty much the highlight of the night. So no contest through triple Karn Liberated... I mean, he drew nothing at all and I had no lands for like 7 turns. Painful, but no contest nevertheless. So it's a great matchup, but if they land Karn, then it's almost over in my book.

Match 4 : Deathcloud.
Result : 2-0.
Notes : turn 4 game 1 and 2. Nothing to say.

Match 5 : Grixis Grishoalbrand.
Result : 2-0.
Notes : Game 1, I cast the combo on turn 4 at his upkeep in response to a Through the Breach an kill him with Conflagrate at my upkeep because of Shoal/Wurm gaining him too much life (I only could dealt 33 damage with Lightning Storm). Game 2 was wild! On turn 3, he uses Thoughtseize to take away my Angel's Grace, leaving me my Ad Nauseam. Turn 4, I draw Thoughtseize and I take his Goryo's Vengeance. Several turns later, I can't remember, he makes his combo, but in the end, he goes down to 5 and I fog him with Ethereal Haze. I have Lightning Storm in hand and 2 lands as well as Pact of Negation and Peer Through Depths, so I cast Lightning Storm with Pentad Prism and discarding one land targeting him. He uses the blue shoal for 0, but I cast Pact of Negation. In response, he casts Pact of Negation. I still have mana open, so I use Peer Through Depths and find a 2nd copy of Pact of Negation. Game over!

Match 6 : RUG Delver.
Result : 0-2.
Notes : I never played this matchup before and I underestimated the tempo of it. Game 1, I should have casted Phyrexian Unlife on turn 2 with Simian Spirit Guide instead of Pentad Prism. He destroyed my mana rock and I could not recover from the damage with a Delver of Secret and a Tarmogoyf on the field. Game 2, I had too many counterspells to face even if I had Boseiju, Who Shelters All, it didn't change a thing while casting Phyrexian Unlife. Again, great playing by the Delver player, he knew how to tempo it and I felt a lack of experience in this matchup on my side. I'll know what to deal with next time.

Quarter finals : Kiki-Chord.
Result : 2-1.
Notes : game 1, I should have used Slaughter Pact on Restoration Angel to prevent a Chord of Calling for 3 getting Sin Collector and ripping my hand away. Game 2, Pact of Negation his Kiki, then at my upkeep, Angel's Grace and Ad Nauseam on a double Lotus Bloom. Game 3, natural combo on turn 5.

Semis : Dredge
Result : 2-0.
Notes : not much... He mulliganed to 5 both games.

Finals : Merfolk.
Result : 0-2.

Cheers!

There are so many different variations, i.e. 4 fetch build w/ dual lands, Oboro, Tolaria, Mystical Teachings.
The Gemstone Mine/fast land/Scry lands work best with Spoils because as you gear up to play your combo you can statistically determine (to a certain degree) what your likelihood of getting the Ad Nauseam or Angel's Grace off the top is.

Basics are important because
a.) Blood Moon on board=need the 2 counters on Pentad Prism to cast Ad Nauseam along with the 1 Plains to cast either Phyrexian Unlife or Angel's Grace, or
b.) 1 Island gives you the chance of being to cast Echoing Truth with Blood Moon and/or Stony Silence in play
c.) Ghost Quarters are real bummers if you don't have a basic to retrieve after having had your non basic blasted.

For now, I trust Ganz, Togores, Mengucci, and their approaches in having tested the deck

Grand Prix Vancouver (see the list I ran above)
Round 1 (2-0) Bant Eldrazi
Since he never saw my Lotus Blooms or Pentad Prisms game 1, he decided not to side in Stony Silences

Round 2 (1-2) Elves
I win game 1 easily via Phyrexian Unlife. Game 2, He pretty much goes off turn 3 w Rec Sage on my Phyrexian Unlife. Game 3, I miss my 3rd land drop for 2 turns, attempt to go for it facing lethal on his next turn with Phyrexian Unlife in play, of course he Chords in response for a Rec Sage on my Unlife.

Round 3 (0-2) Infect
What can I say, he wins the dice roll and proceeds to infect me game 1.
Game 2: I Thoughtseize turn 1 only to find he has 2 Glistener Elves and 2 Might of Old Krosas, and 2 lands... I decided to take the Might of Old Krosa. He top decks Become Immense the turn before I'm about to go off.

Round 4 (2-0) Melira CoCo
Game 1, he's on the play, assembles the infinite life gain combo decides to be at 1000 life, and scrys his selected card to the top of his deck. I say ok... he confusingly passes the turn... Lab Man says, what's up?
Game 2, my opponent's psyche can't get over the previous game Loss, pretty easy win as his combo takes longer to assemble, and he chords for Spellskite. My sided in Slaughter Pact opens a clear path for Lightning Storm.

Round 5 (2-0) Sun and Moon
One of my most gratifying wins as I tested a lot against this.
Game 1: I get my 2 Pentad Prisms out asap, Chalices are in play set at 0 and 1, then Blood Moon. Knowing Nahiri can hit the board I hold on to it and Ad Nauseam until I get my 4th land in play, then, play Phyrexian Unlife, quickly followed by Ad Nauseam.
Game 2: I Thoughtseize after he drops a Plains, quickly wondering why would you keep a hand with: Blessed Alliance, 2 Simian Spirit Guides, Emrakul, Plains, and Lightning Helix. I take the SSG. Combo off a few turns later.

Round 6 (0-2) Through the Breach
I tested against the Grishoalbrand version, so I made some critical mistakes during this match which included countering Goryo's Vengeance, when I should've been more concerned with Through the Breaching Emrakul into play. Game 2, Thoughtseized Through the Breach, wasted my Pact again on Goryo's Vengeance, didn't even consider the one untapped watery grave. I go upkeep, Angel's Grace, Ad Nauseam, then, boom, Dispel! Wasn't ready for that.

Round 7 (2-1) R/G Titan
Game 1: I ride Phyrexian Unlife to victory
Game 2: lose, Chalice at 0, slows my combo way down
Game 3: take my time, then combo in response to Primeval Titan

Round 8: my opponent doesn't show.(2-0)

Round 9: (2-1) R/G Titan
I make some pretty bad mistakes, my mind is gone, tired, and still manage to win.
This deck is awesome!

I feel like if I had played the deck better, my only loss should've been infect.

jsonstutz: That coco player made me cringe:P First not realizing Ad Nauseam can beat infinite life, then chording for spellskite? I guess he's unfamiliar with the matchup, not knowing that running a slaughter pact is common.
People often assume spellskite will do something when it usually doesn't..

I used to play Ad Nauseam, now I play coco:)

Just a small question on the land base.

I've found on a few (not often) occasions that I'll have a few of the following issues:
The perfect 7 hand but with a temple meaning I'd be a turn behind.
I'd be able to win if I draw and play an untapped land but I draw a temple.

My mana base has been the same for about half a year and won me two modern side events at a gp last year and a few other fnms and am preparing for a modern gp this August.
It is as follows

1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Nephalia Academy
1 Plains
1 Island
3 Darkslick Shores
4 Seachrome Coast
4 Gemstone Mine
3 Temple of Deceit
2 Temple of Enlightenment

I'm thinking

-1 Nephalia Academy
-2 Temple of Deceit

+3 City of Brass

I have also been tempted with the fetch variant of the land base but always decided to stick with what I know

Yes, I've been victim to having to wait an additional turn for the comes into play tapped issue, but on the other hand, I've also been able to combo off a turn or two sooner because of the scry ability. Scry-Digging via the Spoils version is part of the nature of the deck, and I think the benefits outweigh the risks.
I wouldn't fault you at all for swapping for the City of Brass. I almost did the night before Grand Prix Vancouver due to issues like you mentioned above or times when my opponent recognizes, mmm he only has access to 1 white mana, or 1 black mana... Becoming targets for Karn, Ghost Quarter, Fulminator Mage, etc.
I need to test the fetchlands-Teachings version more, but I do think it runs a little smoother and improves the matchup vs Discard, Control etc.
Spoils is just too fun though... it's either ridiculously awesome, or occasionally, loses the game for me.

I do agree that the scry is incredibly important, I've decided to take out 1 temple of deceit and 1 nephalia academy for 2 city of brass for now which shouldn't shake things up too much and will hopefully be more smooth! I should have taken nephalia academy out a long time ago.
Ghost Quarter isn't so much of an issue as I run 2 basics but Karn and Fulminator Mage are both fairly disgusting.
Another thing about the "he only has 1 source" thing, whenever I have a Gemstone Mine and don't need it, I try to hold it for the chance that they kill a primary source.
I'd love to try the teachings version too but I find that spoils can be so good at times especially as you 9/10 have knowledge of your top 1 or 2 cards.

I was at my LGS yesterday and I saw some interesting cards in my fellow Ad Nauseam friend's deck (he's like me, he goes the rogue way). He was running 1 Ignorant Bliss in the SB and 1 Underground River in the manabase. These two cards seemed to me a bit odd, especially the land, but Bliss is sweet (however at 2CMC, it does prevent much T1 Thoughtseize, just if you're on the play and have 1 SSG in hand for turn 1). It was fun to see him playing with these cards!

The deck is in great shape now that the format has moved more to midrange and Jundish decks. Keep it up!

Another card I was considering a while back was Bottled Cloister, draw an extra card per turn. But have to win via Conflagrate or LabMan.

Worth testing as it's only a 50 cent rare

What are you playing Bottled Cloister against?

Keep in mind that you lose your hand forever if your opponent destroys a Bottled Cloister, and since your deck already plays 8 pretty important artifacts you're vulnerable to splash damage from opponents trying to K-Command or Ancient Grudge you.

Ya... bad idea... just trying to think of different ways to maneuver around hand disruption other than Leyline of Sanctity.
Bottled Cloister just happened to be a card I remembered from Ravnica block.

Ignorant Bliss
Pure Intentions
Nephalia Academy
Dodecapod and/or Loxodon Smiter for Liliana's +1

With so much Jund going around, I'm starting to wonder if the time has come to move the 4 Leylines main. Not only are they great against Jund, but also Abzan, Burn, Shadow Jund, Grixis, UR, Storm, Cheeri0s... heck even against GB Tron with the 4 main Collective Brutality. Thoughts?