MTG Salvation

Quote from FlyingDelver »

How is the match up in general against Merfolk and Affinity? Is it that bad that this card is needed?

Affinity is fine, but can have the nuts draws that leave you out of the game with Etched Champions before you can even start reacting. This card helps putting that weight back in our favor.
Now Merfolk is not that hard of a MU but it's definitely not favorable (in general), I have a good record against it (different deckbuilding) but most people complain that is a really bad MU or close to unwinnable. Again, another deck that can have the nut draws and even leave you out of colors without needing sideboarding.

What does everybody think of Consume the Meek? Sure it's 5 mana, but it gets pretty much every difficult creature that dodges Anger of the Gods (Goyfs, Reliquarys, Ooze, Etched Champion, anything cheap and out of bolt range) and can be played as an instant. Just the other day I had Anger against Elves, but it wasn't enough because all of their guys were at least 4/4.

The 5 mana cost might seem like too late, but because we have LOTS of spot removal, I don't think i've ever been on the "turn 3-4 sweep or die" spot.

I currently run 2 Anger, 1 Damnation and 1 Engineered Explosives in the side, and i've considered making room for 1 Consume the Meek. Thoughts?

ps: That spoiled Kalitas looks sick!

I was thinking on running it over 1 of the Anger. So my mass removal in the side would be 1 Consume the Meek, 1 Damnation, 1 Anger.

I think that Anger (adding to what I mentioned earlier) not dealing with protection to red is a big deal. In the tokens match sure, you kill all the tokens, but Auriok Champion still ****s you up. Same with Master of Waves.
That way you have a diverse mix of mass removal in the side, and can deal with pretty much everything.

The only thing I don't like about it is that you can die before casting it. Also, that looks like overkill in the board from sweep effects. It might work at FNM, so if it's for that, sure try it. At larger events it most likely wouldn't work in your favor across match ups.

Wouldn`t Damnation just be better?

Probably. I was just thinking because it's an instant and doesn't kill your guys. Also I wasn't comparing it to Damnation, but to Anger.

I'm kind of surprised it made your maindeck! Doesn't it sit dead when you're against aggro and struggling to stay afloat?

Quote from TheFakeSlimShady »

Yeah it's kinda bad against Zoo or Burn I presume, but it's close to cryptic - the less burn they have [in the Zoo lists], the better Truths become. It helps you reload on gas after some 1-for-1 trades in early game and start to take over with your snaps and kommands. Not being dependent on graveyard is a huge boon aswell. And getting really solid card advantage tool, something that Grixis lacked in the past, is undoubtful boost (if only we have some lifegain to justify 3rd copy...)

Kind Regards,
TFSS

My Grixis comrade, I think that's exactly why they printed Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet. Our pimped out Young Pyromancer is here, he's boltproof, he gives us a 2/2 for every goyf or guide we Terminate, and he gains us life.

I also like the new Kalitas in the deck, it seems really good. The only Problem about is that you basically have to tap out in order to play him, you can't do that against every deck.

Also, how many copies would you play?

My Grixis comrade, I think that's exactly why they printed Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet. Our pimped out Young Pyromancer is here, he's boltproof, he gives us a 2/2 for every goyf or guide we Terminate, and he gains us life.

Also, he comes with an exile effect. That should prevent Voice of Resurgence, Kitchen Finks, Murderous Redcap from coming back right?

I run 2 Tasigur, 2 Angler, 4 Snap, 1 PKN. I was thinking -1 Angler +1 Kalitas MD. I also have Vendilion in the side. I would probably take it out too.

Hi guys,

Long time lurker first time poster.

Sorry if this has already been covered but what are everyone's thoughts on playing mini Jace in this shell? I know he is slow but if we untap and flip him he can run away from games??? Or am I being too optimistic?

So I played Corey Burkhart's Grixis Control list. My FNM had 23 players for 5 rounds.

Round 1 vs. Mono White Death and Taxes. He drew pretty well, but so did I. Triple Lightning Bolt, 2 Snapcaster Mage, and more. When he had 0 cards in hand, I did Kologhan's Command during his draw step to kill his last creature (Leonin Arbiter) and discard. He put a Wilt-Leaf Liege in play, which cost me SCM/Bolt and Bolt. He beat me in the next game after I killed everything, he landed a Mirran Crusader and I had Terminate and Kologhan's Command in hand. I won the last game by grinding him out with Bolts/Kologhan's Command/Snapcaster Mage. 2-1.

Round 2 vs. UR Kiln Fiend/Nivix Cyclops. Not much to see here. I basically kill everything he plays before it can attack and then Liliana of the Veil takes over. I get there with Creeping Tar Pit. Then in the next game, I go Jace, Vryn's Prodigy into Liliana of the Veil and these both crunch him badly. When he finally draws and plays a creature, it gets sacced to Liliana with more counters on it. I get there with a midgame Tasigur. 2-0.

Round 3 vs. Jund. We trade discard. He only gets Scavenging Ooze and a Tarmogoyf in this long game and they are both killed immediately. I am getting there with a Creeping Tar Pit (one already was Bolted and 2 Bolts were in the graveyard already). He goes for Raging Ravine, which I probably win the race anyway, but I had drawn 2 Terminate the past 2 turns. Snapcaster Mage/Kologhan's Command is great. In the next game, I make him discard a Goyf, but he draws into turn 3 Liliana of the Veil. I also get one, but make a mistake of discarding Anger of the Gods, which I wanted to save for a Pia and Kiran Nalaar that I saw in his hand. He got his Liliana of the Veil to 7 counters before I stormed back with multiple Snapcaster Mage into Kologhan's Command. Ridiculous draws got me there while he drew nothing. I hadn't planned on discarding the Anger to his Liliana, but I forgot after I surprisingly had some really good draws. Admittedly, I drew damn well with this deck today. 2-0.

Round 4 vs. 4 Color Gifts. He wins the first game after a mull by both of us to 5 by doing triple Inquisition of Kozilek. I get stuck on 2 lands the whole game and he Unburial Rites Iona, Shield of Emeria after a Gifts resolves. The next game was interesting. I had 6 damage short of lethal with Bolt/SCM/Dispel in hand. He had 6 mana. He casts EoT Gifts Ungiven. I respond with Lightning Bolt/SCM/Lightning Bolt and he does Negate. I Dispel and win. The last game is bad for me when he destroys my hand with discard and then Raven's Crime/Life from the Loam. I end up landing a Jace, Vryn's Prodigy before being hellbent and it keeps his creatures at bay. I trade my Fulminator Mage with his Eternal Witness. I end up winning with Creeping Tar Pit, despite not fetching and shocking when I finally drew a land to fetch Black for Creeping Tar Pit. Alas, the extra turn did not matter. 2-1.

Round 5 vs. Grixis Twin. I kind of wanted to play it because it seems like a good matchup for Grixis. He is 3-0-1 and I am 4-0. But I draw and split prizes to leave early and get home. Also this guy hadn't done too well lately, so it made IDing easier. 0-0-3.

I finish 4-0-1 and 1st place.

It seems like the "Chapin Version" is quickly becoming the "Blue Jund" aka "Grixis Midrange" version. Is this a natural progression due to the midrange version simply being better? Or are they both good enough independently that they could each have a sub-forum?

Quote from gkourou »

Oh. I thought you were a combo only player. I didn't think I would see you throwing in a report in here but I guess a good player can play many different archetypes and styles. Well thanks for the report.
Nice wins. You seem to have drawn lotv a lot of times! I do not like her much but seems to have cut it for you.
After the report are there any changes you would do to the deck have you gone back in time or due to future use?
If so you can tell us your opinion!

Yes, I nearly always play combo as long as combo is viable in a metagame (wouldn't play whatever "combo" is available in Standard because it's probably less than Tier 3). Several players said to me while watching that they were surprised to see me on that deck. One player said that he never saw me not playing combo, to which I replied, "I played Jund once."

There were a few reasons that I chose the deck. The first reason is that I've been trying different decks in Modern to get a more overall perspective and to have fun and push myself. The next reason is that I analyzed something. Why am I playing super quick Combo decks when Aggro goldfishes just as quickly? The RG Aggro deck can do 18-19 damage by turn 3 and let's not even get into Affinity. Also, I thought it would be fun to build "8 Snapcaster Mage.dec" and it tested poorly at home, mostly because most of the decks I have currently built are Combo. Soooo, maybe it would do just the opposite at FNM? I was getting somewhat tired of my opponent drawing their 1 of hate card and winning games 2 and 3, despite me having a few answers to the hate. After going 3-0 at TNM with Hulk Combo, I went 0-3 on ThNM at another store and 2-3 at FNM.

And I definitely wouldn't call myself a "good player." Discarding the Anger of the Gods that I planned on keeping and not fetching the Black source that gave my Gifts' opponent an extra turn to find an out was pretty poor. I may be hard on myself, but I know what I was capable of in the past. Maybe I am living in the past?

I don't see any changes right now...mostly because I just drew very well. Wait until I don't draw gobs and gobs of Snapcaster Mage. I will say that I was lucky to dodge the plethora of wonky decks and combo decks in our meta, to which I don't think this deck is at its best. There is also a Lantern player who finally beat me for the first time in 6 tries at TNM when I ran Bloom and I don't want that to happen again. Two others are trying to build Lantern, although one of those guys didn't show up and I think the other feels the pressure at least at FNM to run something Grixis as to guaranteed to well at FNM.

I know it was just 1 FNM, but the Liliana was so helpful. But I will probably wish I had 2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar after the first time I face Affinity, so I can see where you're coming from.

Quote from Arkaedrian »

It seems like the "Chapin Version" is quickly becoming the "Blue Jund" aka "Grixis Midrange" version. Is this a natural progression due to the midrange version simply being better? Or are they both good enough independently that they could each have a sub-forum?

Were can I see the Version from Chapin? Is it exactly like the Midrange Version in the Forum?

Chapins version has 5 Delve fatties and doesn't have baby Jace, Inquisition or Lili.