Hey everybody, I've just started trading towards this list: http://decks.deckedbuilder.com/d/138043 and I'm wondering if it's a good place to start. My meta is a bit of everything and I plan on taking the deck to larger tournaments. I'd like feedback on my list and general tips for playing the deck as a beginner. Thanks!
Sylvan scrying is there to fetch your Inkmoth which is your best creature in several matchups
If you have a lot of aggro matchups, necropede is better, if you have a lot of control matchups, sylvan scrying is better
The last time I played the deck I was playing a 2/2 split
Blight Mamba is really slow for me, but if you like it, why not!
For the last 6 cards it's your choice, I was playing 4x Giant Growth because it's a good pump at instant speed and protects from bolt, but some play might of the old krosa or a combinaison of both
I was also playing 2x dismember mainboard, it's always nice to have removal when needed, especially vs spellskite, but the fact that you don't have unblockable means that opposing creatures can be more troublesome
Few months ago I was considering adding some gitaxian probe and 1 become immense in the deck, but I never tried it... could be interesting though
Lands (22)
4x Inkmoth Nexus
4x Cathedral of War
1-2x Pendelhaven
12-13x Forest
Sideboard
At least 1 Creeping Corrosion for affinity which is faster than mono-green infect
3-4x Nature's Claim good and cheap removal
at least 2 dismember for creature removal (maybe more if you don't run any maindeck
2x Guttural Response vs blue decks, always good and they don't expect it from a mono-green deck
2-4x Tormod's Crypt for graveyard hate
2x Wild defiance can be nice vs slow matchups with burn removals
some spellskite if you have them of course!
additional sylvan scrying or necropede for when you need more creatures on the battlefield or you get them killed way too fast
Edit: Postmortem Lunge can also be a cute surprise factor vs deck with a lot off removal. They won't expect haste from an infect deck after they removed your creatures from the board, so they might tap out their mana feeling safe to do so.
But like always, it comes down to your meta, so try asjusting your deck and sideboard for what works the best for you!
Thanks for the input.
With the creature base, I also feel the Mamba is slow. Sylvan Scrying is an interesting idea, one I might toy with, but I'm not sure I would have more than a pair. Then again, it's a good tutor to get you out of a pinch if you are drawing dead.
For the spells, I like Krosa because that +4 really comes in handy. It can also save you in a pinch. I see Giant Growth as a good board against some stuff, it's a good Bolt dodge. Dismember helps get you out of a pinch or get rid of a threat, and can easily be boarded out where it's not needed - I like it.
Not in a mono-green version of the deck
The whole point of the mono-green version is not to use fetch (usually for budget reasons). You are slower, but your mana base hurt less.
And since your creatures are not inblockable, instant speed pump is way better than sorcery speed boost (ex: you have 2 attackers without trample and they have only 1 blocker)
Having 22 lands and not having fetches increase your chances to top deck a land if needed.
And you usually keep a land in your hand, unless you need it, to be able to activate groundswell
Not having groundswell in a mono-green deck is removing your best pump from the deck
Just look up Ultra_Magnus mono-green infect deck to have a good idea of a competitive version of this deck
Agreed.
The thing with this deck is, you have pretty much no card draw. With such a low curve, if you are hitting 3 land on turn 3, you don't really need anymore to spend your hand at that point, and a lot of cards are spent with life (which you are better off not draining with fetches). If you pick up a 4th Forest, you can keep it in hand until you need to drop it to trigger Groundswell. It's actually a pretty solid card in this style of deck.
So a while ago I said that I was going to locals and that I was going to write up another report. I am very sorry to say that after the second round, I realized that I hadn't been recording my matches. So I Apologize for that. However, I do want to say that I went 3-1 with my only loss being to a Splinter Twin deck. Also, Piracy charm worked exactly the way I wanted it to. I faced 2 Podless Chord decks, and won both pretty convincingly. I would definitely recommend Charm mained.
Anyways, I'm sorry that I don't have a report for you guys. The next one I go to, I'll try to remember.
Why are so many lists running Dismember and Twisted image main? I feel like these are strictly SB cards as they are completely useless in a lot of matchups (Twin, Tron, Bloom, BGx, Tokens, Zoo ect..)
Twisted image makes a bit more sense since it cantrips and can give our creature 1 extra power through Pendlehaven, but Dismember is a SB card and is useless against so many matchups that I feel we would be better off running an extra pump/protection spell.
List is fairly close to what i run these days. Don't like the SB much, but i don't play online much so maybe it fits that meta better. Good stuff tho, crusader is nuts.
I feel like UG is still better. Why play Plague Stinger over Blighted Agent? It gets blocked by Lingering Souls and most of Affinity's creatures. I'm ok if you want to take out the Probes for Inquisitions I guess but I feel like running 4 Abrupt Decay is a little much. There isn't much pump in this deck which we need to close out games quickly.
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Modern GU Infect | x Affinity | RWG Naya Burn | W Death and Taxes | U Merfolk | BURG BTL Scapeshift | WUUW Titan | R Goblins | BURGW Suicide Zoo
Agreed with Dreamcaster. UG is definitely better than GB. Inquisition is cool but 4 Abrupt decay? That seems like a mistake, Apostles blessing would make so much more sense to protect your creatures or allow them to swing through unblocked.
On another note, I've updated my list. I've been turned and I'm now playing Serum Visions. It just makes sense; we're a combo deck we need cards that allow us to set up on turns 1-3. Still not a fan of Twisted Image or Dismember MB though.
I like this list. I see a lot of lists that try to jam too much into them, but this looks to be just right. What is your meta like?
Serum Visions has always performed well for me.
Maindeck Twisted Image is a hedge against maindeck Spellskites. Dismember might be slightly better depending on meta.
I think triple pool is unnecessary, but it does give you a slight edge post-board when you bring in 2x Dispel/Pierce. I still can't get behind maindeck Dryad Arbor: It's been my 10th core sideboard card but I never want to bring it in.
I haven't tried Carrion Call yet, but I'm strongly considering it.
I like this list. I see a lot of lists that try to jam too much into them, but this looks to be just right. What is your meta like?
Serum Visions has always performed well for me.
Maindeck Twisted Image is a hedge against maindeck Spellskites. Dismember might be slightly better depending on meta.
I think triple pool is unnecessary, but it does give you a slight edge post-board when you bring in 2x Dispel/Pierce. I still can't get behind maindeck Dryad Arbor: It's been my 10th core sideboard card but I never want to bring it in.
I haven't tried Carrion Call yet, but I'm strongly considering it.
What's the 2x Relic for?
Thanks! I've been playing Infect for nearly a year now and this is my most consistent and successful list. My meta is very Aggro/Control heavy with 1-2 Abzan/Jund decks.
I might try Twisted Image in place of Rancor but I still feel that it would be better as a SB card. Not many decks run Spellskite main and the ones that do are naturally bad matchups for us anyway. No reason to play a SB card in the MB to deal with an already un favorable matchup.
I use 3 Breeding Pool because as you mentioned I have a decent amount of blue in my SB and I've never felt the need to buy a 9th Fetch. The Dryad Arbor is actually not currently in my deck thats supposed to be a 3'ed Forest. Haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, would you recommend against it and why?
Relic is for control-heavy decks (Snapcaster + baby Jace) and the Abzan/Jund matchup. It also has uses against other grave-based strategies such as Griselbrand and Living End.
Tron decks have Spellskites main, and then you have random builds of stuff like Affinity that sometimes have them main. Twisted cycles with upside, like when you kill a Noble.
Arbor is situationally good, but you have to be careful playing it into removal. YMMV, I run 19 lands and am fine without the Arbor. Nice to have to save one of your creatures from a Liliana.
Relic is too slow for my liking as far as Snapcaster/GBx but it's invaluable for GY based decks. I was playing 2 when Living End was more prevalent on MTGO, but I recently cut them.
I feel like UG is still better. Why play Plague Stinger over Blighted Agent? It gets blocked by Lingering Souls and most of Affinity's creatures. I'm ok if you want to take out the Probes for Inquisitions I guess but I feel like running 4 Abrupt Decay is a little much. There isn't much pump in this deck which we need to close out games quickly.
Plague stinger over Blighted agent is just blacks evasion because you aren't running blue. And with modern being a format of CC 3 or less 4 abrupt decay is awesome. Gives you LOTS of game vs twin and jund and frankly everything else out there, even tron. And i can't begin to describe how awesome phyrexian crusader is vs the format. no bolt no path no terminate, protection from burn/zoo......
I feel like UG is still better. Why play Plague Stinger over Blighted Agent? It gets blocked by Lingering Souls and most of Affinity's creatures. I'm ok if you want to take out the Probes for Inquisitions I guess but I feel like running 4 Abrupt Decay is a little much. There isn't much pump in this deck which we need to close out games quickly.
Plague stinger over Blighted agent is just blacks evasion because you aren't running blue. And with modern being a format of CC 3 or less 4 abrupt decay is awesome. Gives you LOTS of game vs twin and jund and frankly everything else out there, even tron. And i can't begin to describe how awesome phyrexian crusader is vs the format. no bolt no path no terminate, protection from burn/zoo......
Phyrexian crusader is absolutely sick, much like mirran crusader. I've been goofing with the BG list and it's solid. The black offers the sort of disruption in inquisition and removal of abrupt decay that UG can't deliver. Is it better than UG? I don't think so, but it's a fun build.
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Modern UB Tezzerator UBW Gifts B 8Rack
Legacy RB Goblins
Do you do something stupid and put black and 4x phyrexian crusaders post side? (if it resolves on turn 3 it's basically gg)
In U/G Infect? Never. I'm on the B/G plan, so I'm unfamiliar with the usual post board offerings of U/G vs Burn, but in general the plan is to out race them. In my experience, burn is a harrowing ordeal that is the longest 10 minutes of your life.
Been silently hiding on this primer board for over a year and have been playing UG infect for about that long as well.
Some items I have been testing in my sideboard include 2x Leyline of Sanctity and 2x Surgical Extraction.
My local meta is a lot of Grixis, Twin, Jund, and Abzan. Leyline in game 2 when they side in more hand disruption has been stellar.
Surgical Extraction has been taking up the placeof Relic, at first because I didn't have any Relics, but then I realized it was a pretty good "just get em" card that also fuels Become Immense.
I don't know if it is strictly better than Relic, probably not, but it has won me many games just because my opponent cast an abrupt decay, I pro my guy, then get rid of the rest of the decays and be able to cast a become immense to win.
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DnT! I'm a power-load
DnT! Watch me Explode
Thanks for the input.
With the creature base, I also feel the Mamba is slow. Sylvan Scrying is an interesting idea, one I might toy with, but I'm not sure I would have more than a pair. Then again, it's a good tutor to get you out of a pinch if you are drawing dead.
For the spells, I like Krosa because that +4 really comes in handy. It can also save you in a pinch. I see Giant Growth as a good board against some stuff, it's a good Bolt dodge. Dismember helps get you out of a pinch or get rid of a threat, and can easily be boarded out where it's not needed - I like it.
Agreed.
The thing with this deck is, you have pretty much no card draw. With such a low curve, if you are hitting 3 land on turn 3, you don't really need anymore to spend your hand at that point, and a lot of cards are spent with life (which you are better off not draining with fetches). If you pick up a 4th Forest, you can keep it in hand until you need to drop it to trigger Groundswell. It's actually a pretty solid card in this style of deck.
Anyways, I'm sorry that I don't have a report for you guys. The next one I go to, I'll try to remember.
BRG Living End
G Elves
UB Zombie Hunt
Twisted image makes a bit more sense since it cantrips and can give our creature 1 extra power through Pendlehaven, but Dismember is a SB card and is useless against so many matchups that I feel we would be better off running an extra pump/protection spell.
Thoughts?
RWG Burn
GW Abzan Company
Thinking here, how it deals with jund?
List is fairly close to what i run these days. Don't like the SB much, but i don't play online much so maybe it fits that meta better. Good stuff tho, crusader is nuts.
GU Infect | x Affinity | RWG Naya Burn | W Death and Taxes | U Merfolk | BURG BTL Scapeshift | WUUW Titan | R Goblins | BURGW Suicide Zoo
On another note, I've updated my list. I've been turned and I'm now playing Serum Visions. It just makes sense; we're a combo deck we need cards that allow us to set up on turns 1-3. Still not a fan of Twisted Image or Dismember MB though.
Here's my list, thoughts?
3x Breeding Pool
1x Dryad Arbor
2x Forest
4x Inkmoth Nexus
2x Pendelhaven
4x Windswept Heath
4x Wooded Foothills
Sorcery (6)
4x Gitaxian Probe
2x Serum Visions
Instant (19)
3x Apostle's Blessing
3x Become Immense
4x Groundswell
3x Might of Old Krosa
2x Mutagenic Growth
4x Vines of Vastwood
4x Blighted Agent
4x Glistener Elf
4x Noble Hierarch
2x Spellskite
Enchantment (1)
1x Rancor
1x Viridian Corrupter
1x Carrion Call
1x Dismember
4x Nature's Claim
2x Relic of Progenitus
2x Dispel
2x Spell Pierce
2x Twisted Image
RWG Burn
GW Abzan Company
Serum Visions has always performed well for me.
Maindeck Twisted Image is a hedge against maindeck Spellskites. Dismember might be slightly better depending on meta.
I think triple pool is unnecessary, but it does give you a slight edge post-board when you bring in 2x Dispel/Pierce. I still can't get behind maindeck Dryad Arbor: It's been my 10th core sideboard card but I never want to bring it in.
I haven't tried Carrion Call yet, but I'm strongly considering it.
What's the 2x Relic for?
Thanks! I've been playing Infect for nearly a year now and this is my most consistent and successful list. My meta is very Aggro/Control heavy with 1-2 Abzan/Jund decks.
I might try Twisted Image in place of Rancor but I still feel that it would be better as a SB card. Not many decks run Spellskite main and the ones that do are naturally bad matchups for us anyway. No reason to play a SB card in the MB to deal with an already un favorable matchup.
I use 3 Breeding Pool because as you mentioned I have a decent amount of blue in my SB and I've never felt the need to buy a 9th Fetch. The Dryad Arbor is actually not currently in my deck thats supposed to be a 3'ed Forest. Haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, would you recommend against it and why?
Relic is for control-heavy decks (Snapcaster + baby Jace) and the Abzan/Jund matchup. It also has uses against other grave-based strategies such as Griselbrand and Living End.
RWG Burn
GW Abzan Company
Arbor is situationally good, but you have to be careful playing it into removal. YMMV, I run 19 lands and am fine without the Arbor. Nice to have to save one of your creatures from a Liliana.
Relic is too slow for my liking as far as Snapcaster/GBx but it's invaluable for GY based decks. I was playing 2 when Living End was more prevalent on MTGO, but I recently cut them.
Plague stinger over Blighted agent is just blacks evasion because you aren't running blue. And with modern being a format of CC 3 or less 4 abrupt decay is awesome. Gives you LOTS of game vs twin and jund and frankly everything else out there, even tron. And i can't begin to describe how awesome phyrexian crusader is vs the format. no bolt no path no terminate, protection from burn/zoo......
Phyrexian crusader is absolutely sick, much like mirran crusader. I've been goofing with the BG list and it's solid. The black offers the sort of disruption in inquisition and removal of abrupt decay that UG can't deliver. Is it better than UG? I don't think so, but it's a fun build.
UB Tezzerator
UBW Gifts
B 8Rack
Legacy
RB Goblins
UB Tezzerator
UBW Gifts
B 8Rack
Legacy
RB Goblins
In U/G Infect? Never. I'm on the B/G plan, so I'm unfamiliar with the usual post board offerings of U/G vs Burn, but in general the plan is to out race them. In my experience, burn is a harrowing ordeal that is the longest 10 minutes of your life.
Some items I have been testing in my sideboard include 2x Leyline of Sanctity and 2x Surgical Extraction.
My local meta is a lot of Grixis, Twin, Jund, and Abzan. Leyline in game 2 when they side in more hand disruption has been stellar.
Surgical Extraction has been taking up the placeof Relic, at first because I didn't have any Relics, but then I realized it was a pretty good "just get em" card that also fuels Become Immense.
I don't know if it is strictly better than Relic, probably not, but it has won me many games just because my opponent cast an abrupt decay, I pro my guy, then get rid of the rest of the decays and be able to cast a become immense to win.