1. Remand is a flexible slot. I play against a lot of islands and tap out decks, so it does work for me. Previously have used Electrolyze, 3rd Snare, collective, and 3rd fatal.
2. I'd say 2. Of course there are games where even grixis Control can't cast cryptic. I run 21 lands, while most of them are on 22. Also, this build wants more black sources, as opposed to red, for creepy activations, and casting kommand or something in the same turn.
3. I do like painful truths, but casting it more than once is a little too much pain, and a little too much truth for me haha.
Round 1: 2-1 vs. Skred
Game 1 lost to an early Blood Moon. Game 2 and 3 jammed an early delve creature and kept up counterspells the rest of the game to an easy victory.
Round 2: 2-0 vs. Burn
Game 1 was close but the opponent was stuck on 1 land for a few turns, letting me develop my board while keeping up removal and counterspells. Game 2 both opponent and I mull'd to 6 to 1-landers. I played a T1 uncontested Delver and kept up Spell Pierce, Dispel, and some removal for the rest of the game to take advantage of my opponent's mana screw.
Round 3: 2-0 vs. Jeskai Nahiri
Game 1 was grindy but I got some hits in with Delvers and an Angler and was able to Bolt for the finish with 0 cards left in hand. Game 2 was even grindier, but I was able to win most counter wars over Nahiri and grinded out with Kolaghan's Command and Snapcaster (9 cards left in deck at end of game).
Overall, I'd like opinions on sideboarding. My sideboard was horribly constructed (which is why I'm not posting it as it was largely irrelevant). I would also like help on constructing the manabase with Fatal Push in mind regarding black sources, as some games I was riding solely on Vents+Spirebluffs with a serious need for black mana. Thanks!
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Check out some Magic Gameplay and Commentary videos here, including Modern Grixis, Jeskai, and Esper videos as well as some Standard and Drafts too: My YouTube Channel!
Haven't watched it yet, but I think it's before Fatal Push was legal on MTGO.
He got his butt kicked by fish. Despite being creature based, it's such a tough match up. My 2 losses last night in a 5 round were back to back fish players. Anyone got any tips for this one? Might move up to 2 anger instead of one in my SB.
Haven't watched it yet, but I think it's before Fatal Push was legal on MTGO.
He got his butt kicked by fish. Despite being creature based, it's such a tough match up. My 2 losses last night in a 5 round were back to back fish players. Anyone got any tips for this one? Might move up to 2 anger instead of one in my SB.
Engineered Explosives is probably easier to use effectively in Grixis. If one sees Merfolk twice a night, EE main-board is not a bad idea as it's rarely dead and it works against things like Blood Moon and Ensnaring Bridge. It also won't kill Delver of Secrets while it takes out the trash.
I would also like help on constructing the manabase with Fatal Push in mind regarding black sources, as some games I was riding solely on Vents+Spirebluffs with a serious need for black mana. Thanks!
Your mana looks fine; you have three fetch-able B sources and eight fetches that work for two and four for the third. Some folks like two Watery Graves, but it's not essential. You could swap either a Canal or the Shores for the second Grave but as I said, it seems fine as it is.
It's a bad matchup pretty much no matter what - the threat density is high, and Merfolk's disruption is very relevant against Delver's creatures. Sweepers like Anger of the Gods and Engineered Explosives give you a decent chance to win, though.
Pretty much sweepers or die haha.
I'm also convinced about siding out delver in this match up. We are hardly ever (never?) going to win a race even with a t1 delver t2 tas. The games go long enough that I want ancestral.
Yeah, merfolk is unfavord. Keep in mind though that in those games the merfolk player drew really well and I don't think Kevin Jones drew snapcasters.
Some tips
Remove all counters except snare postboard. Bring in ee, staticcaster, extra removal, and some grindy cards. Consider removing a gurmaug as they have relic and bounce effects.
Always snare silvergill if you get the chance
Curse catcher is their best card against you, and every game is this annoying dance of "do I kill the curse catcher or play around him?" And the answer depends on your mana.
Make sure to have mono black removal (that isn't fatal push) somewhere in your 75 so you have a consistent answer to master.
Always watch your manabase. Spreading seas is great against a 3 color 19-20land deck, so make sure you're not about to get cut off black or red.
Aether vial works by giving you a chance to respond to the tap effect, not the creature they chose (which is why they bluff so often). Keep this in mind when they have the option to vial in a lord/harbinger/kira/cursecatcher.
V clique is nice in this match up. They dont like to bounce it, and you can steal away their card in response to them activating vial. Again though, cliquing away a silvergill is often a good idea, as a random card plus a merfolk is usually stronger than a random card. And as always, remember that if you can answer everything in hand, you don't have to clique away anything.
If you want something spicy to kill merfolk, there's always grim lavamancer
Kevin Jones vs Affinity with Walking Ballista at 2:57:00.
Kevin Jones vs UWR Control at 4:47:00.
Max Jones vs Eldrazi & Taxes at 7:00:00.
Kevin Jones vs Jund at 7:35:00.
If I'm not mistaken, KJ's playing the exact 75 from his video that I posted on my previous post except: -1 Sleight of Hand, -1 Terminate and +2 Fatal Push.
Countersquall is strictly better than Negate in this deck. There is almost zero opportunity cost to cast because you always want UB anyway.
I think big 4 drops are not where this deck wants to be, so Damnation, Olivia, Jace AoT; they seem a bit much. Even Cryptic Command is pushing it, but at least Cryptic flips Delver. The deck really struggles to hit 4 lands on turn 4, and that's usually when you want to be casting stuff like Damnation. Engineered Explosives deal with many relevant threats at any stage of the game and Anger of the Gods's exile clause can be very relevant as well.
I absolutely cannot stand Painful Truths. I think tapping out 3 mana on my own turn at sorcery speed AND losing 3 life is not where I want to be either. That cost means I may or may not be able to cast anything relevant that I draw, am less likely to have mana available to deal with whatever my opponent does for a turn, and deals me a lot of damage in a deck that deals a lot of damage to itself through its manabase already. If I'm playing for a grindy game, I want Ancestral Vision all day. The only reason, IMO, to play Painful Truths is budget considerations ($50 vs $0.50 is not a small difference and totally understandable).
While I think Young Pyromancer is absolutely essential to an aggressive Delver build, it may not be ideal for a controlling/reactive build. Same goes for Remand. It's great if you're presenting a good clock and attacking with an early Tasigur or flipped Delver, but it's pretty awful otherwise. Drawing a card is great, but buying a turn doesn't do anything if you aren't taking advantage of that turn.
Spellskite can be good defensively against pump decks or hexproof aura decks, but it's not super relevant in protecting our own creatures. We have Kolaghan's Command and Snapcaster Mage to get back and re play whatever creature we need. I don't think it's necessary.
I don't like Electrolyze because I think the effect isn't worth 3 mana. In a slower, controlling build though, it's fine. I prefer Forked Bolt, but I'm also running a lower curve, fewer lands, and Young Pyromancer.
Sulfur Falls is fine in almost every scenario except if it's your only opening land. That's the only case in which Spirebluff Canal is better. Canal can cast a Turn 1 Delver, Falls cannot. But Canal also hurts 4 drops by coming in tapped as a 4th land (which probably aides in my dislike for 4 drops).
Good luck Sxnr1se!
The list looks good. The land base is fine assuming you didn't type out 2 steam vents.
Creepy is great as a 2 of, try him out. I don't see a problem with cutting a cryptic. You want sulfur for this build, as opposed to fast land. Just remember to fetch more black, than red so you can lay a tas down, activate creepy and countersquall in one turn. Also remember, delver is supplement to the game plan. 1 land delver hands become less appealing. It's your call of course whats in your opener. Report back!
Also, i'd say no on the countersqualls sb. In the matchups where you want more counter magic, it'll be hard to cast multiple squalls in the same turn due to color restraint. Negate is strictly better here.
The list ran hot, losing twice to variance, once to exhaustion and once to good old infect being more efficient than I was. I'll type out a full report later, but summarize my takeaways since there seems to be a bunch of splinter threads right now and little cohesion.
The switch away from Pyro was correct. He would have helped me in some matches that are already good, but with so much Push in the room Gurmag was a house all day, scoffing at Decay and push while trumping everything on the board.
Four Snare's pretty much sows up burn, which I beat 2-0 twice and went late two games. We win here on efficiency,much like against infect, and having some kind of clock while telling them no either with removal or counters. Overturf was correct, hurting yourself a lot is better than playing scared and not casting your spells (better to shock to snare a boros charm than just take it).
While the midrange version seemed to have plenty of play and late game power against the field, playing cryptic seems far too clunky, as most games were decided by jockeying in the first three turns. Better to snare, leak then snap-leak than Get triple blue and have a spell which is uncastable most of the time.
My "variance" losses came from either drawing too many lands (against affinity game three after stabilizing the board, I drew six lands in a row, and a single Kommand would just win the game), or getting stuck on too few (against Infect I was unable to fimd a third land, and therefore couldn't cast two removal at his eot to kill his guy through protection and therefore died from lack of interaction)
The exhaustion loss was round 9 when I couldn't remember my scouting, but the bushwacker zoo guy did. Needless to say, mana leak was really bad on the draw with no bolt/push. This matchup actually seemed favorable assuming you have a more normal hand.
Six 2-drop counters was strong all night, minus riund nine. The remands kept lands flowing, delayed haymakers so I had time to answer them, pushed the aggressive clock when I was ahead, and played havock with AV and flashback spells. Also, Remand made leak better late, when opponentz were forced to play their thing to try and answer my clock.
My mix of removal was solid, having enough terminates to amswer "everything" while also plenty of one drops to answer aggression on the draw without being too painful.
The board was spectacular, easily transitioning me into my role for the right matchup, powering through control killing them in turns, or staying efficient enough to keep pace with fast decks until we land a threat and win.
Finally, overall I will be sticking to this list, because no matter what situation or deck I never felt like I was down and out even if I lost game one. Except when I flooded against affinity. Even against bushwacker if I had found EE I would have stabilized healthy and won with Tas. Feel free to ask specific questions, but I think this list is balanced against the Tier 1 meta, and well suited to fight on whatever axis the match calls for. Although specific meta tuning is always a thing.
Painful Truths it's great since it only occupies one spot in the sideboard. For AV to be playable you want minimum 3, preferably 4. I don't want 4 cards against grindy decks since I already have good matchup against them. However Painful Truths, while clunky to cast, helps and it's a good topdeck. We don't really care about life total against the decks you want it.
@RUGJester great insight, thank you! On the fence about Pyromancer but curious about V Clique. How do you feel about one of these in the deck? Could you also give a few tips for sideboarding in specific matchups? Still getting used to the deck, so sometimes the cards to bring in seem obvious, but what to take out does not. Thanks!
As to the painful truths vs AV discussion, obviously I lean towards AV. Truths is too clunky vs any control deck, which will punish us for tapping three mana by slamming any number of hard to deal with threats like Nahiri, Elspeth or even Secure the wastes now. We win these matchups via efficiency, AV only costing 1 mana with time being mostly irrelevant snare usually winning against opposing Snapcasters and preventing them accruing the value they need to get back in the game. Also, since most control decks are currently URx, taking three damage is very relevant. However, they do take up a lot of sideboard space.
@Don,
Pyro would have been awesome against infect, Scapeshift and affinity (three of my losses), but lackluster against everything else due to the high density of efficient removal in the room, and how my games played out. Most of the time I was stabilizing against burn, Midrange, or some combo/aggro list on three lands and holding up interaction after playing a 1 manna threat (Delver or delve guys), then winning by snapping back a relevant spell after I had pressure for a few turns . Actually tapping two whole lands would have been a lot worse in many spots, and had I had the wrong interaction for that turn, I would have been miserable. Now against the actual combo decks he would have been great, but I only saw one. Clique is good most of the time, but is a mulligan until you hit three lands, and usually I needed to use the manna not hold it up until EOT so it would encourage a 20th land.
I'll give a sb guide from Saturday when I get the time, I'm kinda wordy.
PS on the UWR control match I played:
I did manage to grind him out of resources all three games while never seeing AV (he top decked a lucky Colonnade game two with no cards in hand to my three mana leaks and a remand), so the board space might be better dedicated to other hate. However I haven't been able to play against the new esper variant yet.
I've seen a lot of comments after the bannings saying to cut the pyromancers and run 20 lands, is it really that bad if the 20th land is a Creeping Tar Pit ? I mean I now that you really want untaped mana on turns 1-3 but i think that the deck is a little threat light now.
There are lists running 21-22 lands, Creeping Tar Pit and Cryptic Command, but i feel that if you are doing this is better to play Grixis Control already since the delvers aren't doing much.
Delvers aren't doing much? lol
I mean I guess sometimes they wont flip for you, but that's with any modern delver list.
In my experience, if you want to run 1 creepy in a 20 land list, it would be just fine.
Some hands you'll get it as your only opening land, and you'll have to decide if its keepable.
I won a GPT yesterday. So I'll be going into GP Vancouver with two buys which is great since you can face some real shenanigans in the first few rounds of GPs and I feel like delver struggles against some of the more out there strategies in Modern.
I played against cheerios, breach Titan, Naya value dudes, uw control, jeskai control and bant eldrazi. I lost 0-2 to breach Titan but beat the rest.
I was really surprised to win my bant matchup 2-0 since I usually don't feel great against them.
MVP of the day by far was maindeck dispel. Pretty much every game one that I won was thanks to dispel buying me several turns of beating down while they dug for another removal spell or snapcasters. I can't imagine taking that dispel out going forward. It's so rarely dead and in a protect the queen deck like ours it seems like a no brainer. I may even bring my sideboard dispel in and just run two in the main.
It was a real confidence booster for me. I've been running delver online in comp leagues to very middling results, but this confirms my suspicion that I play like ***** online and focus much better in person.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
1. Remand is a flexible slot. I play against a lot of islands and tap out decks, so it does work for me. Previously have used Electrolyze, 3rd Snare, collective, and 3rd fatal.
2. I'd say 2. Of course there are games where even grixis Control can't cast cryptic. I run 21 lands, while most of them are on 22. Also, this build wants more black sources, as opposed to red, for creepy activations, and casting kommand or something in the same turn.
3. I do like painful truths, but casting it more than once is a little too much pain, and a little too much truth for me haha.
Link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLHQ1ckYAhFEXgUK-gL9ybu04pmulHQ7lR&v=v844YLNeorI
Haven't watched it yet, but I think it's before Fatal Push was legal on MTGO.
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Vendilion Clique
Instants/Sorceries (28):
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Fatal Push
2 Terminate
1 Murderous Cut
2 Collective Brutality
3 Spell Snare
2 Mana Leak
1 Spell Pierce
1 Countersquall
2 Kolaghan's Command
4 Serum Visions
4 Thought Scour
2 Spirebluff Canal
1 Darkslick Shores
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Polluted Delta
2 Steam Vents
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
Round 1: 2-1 vs. Skred
Game 1 lost to an early Blood Moon. Game 2 and 3 jammed an early delve creature and kept up counterspells the rest of the game to an easy victory.
Round 2: 2-0 vs. Burn
Game 1 was close but the opponent was stuck on 1 land for a few turns, letting me develop my board while keeping up removal and counterspells. Game 2 both opponent and I mull'd to 6 to 1-landers. I played a T1 uncontested Delver and kept up Spell Pierce, Dispel, and some removal for the rest of the game to take advantage of my opponent's mana screw.
Round 3: 2-0 vs. Jeskai Nahiri
Game 1 was grindy but I got some hits in with Delvers and an Angler and was able to Bolt for the finish with 0 cards left in hand. Game 2 was even grindier, but I was able to win most counter wars over Nahiri and grinded out with Kolaghan's Command and Snapcaster (9 cards left in deck at end of game).
Overall, I'd like opinions on sideboarding. My sideboard was horribly constructed (which is why I'm not posting it as it was largely irrelevant). I would also like help on constructing the manabase with Fatal Push in mind regarding black sources, as some games I was riding solely on Vents+Spirebluffs with a serious need for black mana. Thanks!
He got his butt kicked by fish. Despite being creature based, it's such a tough match up. My 2 losses last night in a 5 round were back to back fish players. Anyone got any tips for this one? Might move up to 2 anger instead of one in my SB.
Engineered Explosives is probably easier to use effectively in Grixis. If one sees Merfolk twice a night, EE main-board is not a bad idea as it's rarely dead and it works against things like Blood Moon and Ensnaring Bridge. It also won't kill Delver of Secrets while it takes out the trash.
Frenzy-Affinity-Ghost Quarter-Rock-Tokens- RGWPhyrexian Zoo- WVial KnightsStandard:
BW Knights(Rotated)Pioneer: RW Knights - BW Rally Zombies - UW Heroes
Commander:WUG
Jenara, Asura of War- WGSigarda, Host of HeronsCasualties of economicsLegacy: Good-night, sweet prince. Mono-R Burn
Your mana looks fine; you have three fetch-able B sources and eight fetches that work for two and four for the third. Some folks like two Watery Graves, but it's not essential. You could swap either a Canal or the Shores for the second Grave but as I said, it seems fine as it is.
Frenzy-Affinity-Ghost Quarter-Rock-Tokens- RGWPhyrexian Zoo- WVial KnightsStandard:
BW Knights(Rotated)Pioneer: RW Knights - BW Rally Zombies - UW Heroes
Commander:WUG
Jenara, Asura of War- WGSigarda, Host of HeronsCasualties of economicsLegacy: Good-night, sweet prince. Mono-R Burn
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
I'm also convinced about siding out delver in this match up. We are hardly ever (never?) going to win a race even with a t1 delver t2 tas. The games go long enough that I want ancestral.
Some tips
Remove all counters except snare postboard. Bring in ee, staticcaster, extra removal, and some grindy cards. Consider removing a gurmaug as they have relic and bounce effects.
Always snare silvergill if you get the chance
Curse catcher is their best card against you, and every game is this annoying dance of "do I kill the curse catcher or play around him?" And the answer depends on your mana.
Make sure to have mono black removal (that isn't fatal push) somewhere in your 75 so you have a consistent answer to master.
Always watch your manabase. Spreading seas is great against a 3 color 19-20land deck, so make sure you're not about to get cut off black or red.
Aether vial works by giving you a chance to respond to the tap effect, not the creature they chose (which is why they bluff so often). Keep this in mind when they have the option to vial in a lord/harbinger/kira/cursecatcher.
V clique is nice in this match up. They dont like to bounce it, and you can steal away their card in response to them activating vial. Again though, cliquing away a silvergill is often a good idea, as a random card plus a merfolk is usually stronger than a random card. And as always, remember that if you can answer everything in hand, you don't have to clique away anything.
If you want something spicy to kill merfolk, there's always grim lavamancer
Link: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/119650737
Kevin Jones vs Affinity with Walking Ballista at 2:57:00.
Kevin Jones vs UWR Control at 4:47:00.
Max Jones vs Eldrazi & Taxes at 7:00:00.
Kevin Jones vs Jund at 7:35:00.
If I'm not mistaken, KJ's playing the exact 75 from his video that I posted on my previous post except: -1 Sleight of Hand, -1 Terminate and +2 Fatal Push.
Unfortunately, I don't think he made Top 8.
I think big 4 drops are not where this deck wants to be, so Damnation, Olivia, Jace AoT; they seem a bit much. Even Cryptic Command is pushing it, but at least Cryptic flips Delver. The deck really struggles to hit 4 lands on turn 4, and that's usually when you want to be casting stuff like Damnation. Engineered Explosives deal with many relevant threats at any stage of the game and Anger of the Gods's exile clause can be very relevant as well.
Murderous Cut and Go For the Throat could easily be swapped for Fatal Push, as long as you don't drop too many Terminates.
I absolutely cannot stand Painful Truths. I think tapping out 3 mana on my own turn at sorcery speed AND losing 3 life is not where I want to be either. That cost means I may or may not be able to cast anything relevant that I draw, am less likely to have mana available to deal with whatever my opponent does for a turn, and deals me a lot of damage in a deck that deals a lot of damage to itself through its manabase already. If I'm playing for a grindy game, I want Ancestral Vision all day. The only reason, IMO, to play Painful Truths is budget considerations ($50 vs $0.50 is not a small difference and totally understandable).
While I think Young Pyromancer is absolutely essential to an aggressive Delver build, it may not be ideal for a controlling/reactive build. Same goes for Remand. It's great if you're presenting a good clock and attacking with an early Tasigur or flipped Delver, but it's pretty awful otherwise. Drawing a card is great, but buying a turn doesn't do anything if you aren't taking advantage of that turn.
Spellskite can be good defensively against pump decks or hexproof aura decks, but it's not super relevant in protecting our own creatures. We have Kolaghan's Command and Snapcaster Mage to get back and re play whatever creature we need. I don't think it's necessary.
I don't like Electrolyze because I think the effect isn't worth 3 mana. In a slower, controlling build though, it's fine. I prefer Forked Bolt, but I'm also running a lower curve, fewer lands, and Young Pyromancer.
Sulfur Falls is fine in almost every scenario except if it's your only opening land. That's the only case in which Spirebluff Canal is better. Canal can cast a Turn 1 Delver, Falls cannot. But Canal also hurts 4 drops by coming in tapped as a 4th land (which probably aides in my dislike for 4 drops).
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
The list looks good. The land base is fine assuming you didn't type out 2 steam vents.
Creepy is great as a 2 of, try him out. I don't see a problem with cutting a cryptic. You want sulfur for this build, as opposed to fast land. Just remember to fetch more black, than red so you can lay a tas down, activate creepy and countersquall in one turn. Also remember, delver is supplement to the game plan. 1 land delver hands become less appealing. It's your call of course whats in your opener. Report back!
Also, i'd say no on the countersqualls sb. In the matchups where you want more counter magic, it'll be hard to cast multiple squalls in the same turn due to color restraint. Negate is strictly better here.
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Gurmag Angler
Spells:29
2 Fatal Push
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Serum Visions
4 Spell Snare
4 Thought Scour
4 Mana Leak
2 Remand
3 Terminate
2 Kolaghan's Command
1 Blood Crypt
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Island
1 Mountain
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Swamp
2 Watery Grave
4 Ancestral Vision
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Dispel
2 Magma Spray
2 Spell Pierce
1 Collective Brutality
3 Countersquall
The list ran hot, losing twice to variance, once to exhaustion and once to good old infect being more efficient than I was. I'll type out a full report later, but summarize my takeaways since there seems to be a bunch of splinter threads right now and little cohesion.
The switch away from Pyro was correct. He would have helped me in some matches that are already good, but with so much Push in the room Gurmag was a house all day, scoffing at Decay and push while trumping everything on the board.
Four Snare's pretty much sows up burn, which I beat 2-0 twice and went late two games. We win here on efficiency,much like against infect, and having some kind of clock while telling them no either with removal or counters. Overturf was correct, hurting yourself a lot is better than playing scared and not casting your spells (better to shock to snare a boros charm than just take it).
While the midrange version seemed to have plenty of play and late game power against the field, playing cryptic seems far too clunky, as most games were decided by jockeying in the first three turns. Better to snare, leak then snap-leak than Get triple blue and have a spell which is uncastable most of the time.
My "variance" losses came from either drawing too many lands (against affinity game three after stabilizing the board, I drew six lands in a row, and a single Kommand would just win the game), or getting stuck on too few (against Infect I was unable to fimd a third land, and therefore couldn't cast two removal at his eot to kill his guy through protection and therefore died from lack of interaction)
The exhaustion loss was round 9 when I couldn't remember my scouting, but the bushwacker zoo guy did. Needless to say, mana leak was really bad on the draw with no bolt/push. This matchup actually seemed favorable assuming you have a more normal hand.
Six 2-drop counters was strong all night, minus riund nine. The remands kept lands flowing, delayed haymakers so I had time to answer them, pushed the aggressive clock when I was ahead, and played havock with AV and flashback spells. Also, Remand made leak better late, when opponentz were forced to play their thing to try and answer my clock.
My mix of removal was solid, having enough terminates to amswer "everything" while also plenty of one drops to answer aggression on the draw without being too painful.
The board was spectacular, easily transitioning me into my role for the right matchup, powering through control killing them in turns, or staying efficient enough to keep pace with fast decks until we land a threat and win.
Finally, overall I will be sticking to this list, because no matter what situation or deck I never felt like I was down and out even if I lost game one. Except when I flooded against affinity. Even against bushwacker if I had found EE I would have stabilized healthy and won with Tas. Feel free to ask specific questions, but I think this list is balanced against the Tier 1 meta, and well suited to fight on whatever axis the match calls for. Although specific meta tuning is always a thing.
Full tournament report later.
RBGW Suicide Zoo
Legacy
RUG Canadian Threshold
@Don,
Pyro would have been awesome against infect, Scapeshift and affinity (three of my losses), but lackluster against everything else due to the high density of efficient removal in the room, and how my games played out. Most of the time I was stabilizing against burn, Midrange, or some combo/aggro list on three lands and holding up interaction after playing a 1 manna threat (Delver or delve guys), then winning by snapping back a relevant spell after I had pressure for a few turns . Actually tapping two whole lands would have been a lot worse in many spots, and had I had the wrong interaction for that turn, I would have been miserable. Now against the actual combo decks he would have been great, but I only saw one. Clique is good most of the time, but is a mulligan until you hit three lands, and usually I needed to use the manna not hold it up until EOT so it would encourage a 20th land.
I'll give a sb guide from Saturday when I get the time, I'm kinda wordy.
PS on the UWR control match I played:
I did manage to grind him out of resources all three games while never seeing AV (he top decked a lucky Colonnade game two with no cards in hand to my three mana leaks and a remand), so the board space might be better dedicated to other hate. However I haven't been able to play against the new esper variant yet.
There are lists running 21-22 lands, Creeping Tar Pit and Cryptic Command, but i feel that if you are doing this is better to play Grixis Control already since the delvers aren't doing much.
I mean I guess sometimes they wont flip for you, but that's with any modern delver list.
In my experience, if you want to run 1 creepy in a 20 land list, it would be just fine.
Some hands you'll get it as your only opening land, and you'll have to decide if its keepable.
I played against cheerios, breach Titan, Naya value dudes, uw control, jeskai control and bant eldrazi. I lost 0-2 to breach Titan but beat the rest.
I was really surprised to win my bant matchup 2-0 since I usually don't feel great against them.
MVP of the day by far was maindeck dispel. Pretty much every game one that I won was thanks to dispel buying me several turns of beating down while they dug for another removal spell or snapcasters. I can't imagine taking that dispel out going forward. It's so rarely dead and in a protect the queen deck like ours it seems like a no brainer. I may even bring my sideboard dispel in and just run two in the main.
It was a real confidence booster for me. I've been running delver online in comp leagues to very middling results, but this confirms my suspicion that I play like ***** online and focus much better in person.