If you want to beat Abzan midrange, the Pantheon's UB control list (not the one that made top 8, the one that Turtenwald and Cuneo et al played) was specifically designed to crush the midrange courser decks like abzan while having a reasonable game against Jeskai burn and random other things. Despite losing every match in the feature area, you have to hand it to them for having a VERY VERY high percentage of conversions to winning records--the % of UB players that we saw in the feature match area with winning records relative to the total number of them according to the metagame breakdown on the mothership was actually VERY high. What this tells us is that it was (no surprise) a metagame predator for this specific tournament designed to crush the majority of the pack but weak to other similar predators (Jeskai Tempo and random other stuff that was well-prepared for the control matchup).
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Yes, I am a local area mod. WELP. GOOD LIFE CHANGES ALL HAPPEN AT ONCE AND SOME ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
Primary Decks:
Modern: Esper Draw-Go
Legacy: RUG Lands
EDH: Sidisi turn-3 storm
I was looking at SCG states deck list and I see a couple of boss sligh list took 1st place, one of them was Tom Ross no surprise here, I wonder if Boss Sligh is still fast enough to go underneath Abzan.
BTW, Tom Ross' deck does not play a single Rabblemaster
Just play Gb Devotion, particularly the one that Ross Merriam took to SCG NJ. The card advantage engine of Eidolon of Blossoms, Courser of Kruphix, and Doomwake Giant outpaces their removal, and Genesis Hydra turns all of their removal besides sweepers into card disadvantage. You don't overcommit to the board in order to play around sweepers and you'll eventually overwhelm them. Hornet Queen takes care of Sorin or Elspeth and Arbor Colossus brick walls Rhino and Wingmate Roc. That amazing moment when everyone has forgotten about Polukranos, but he is still bigger than Rhino...
Yes, I am a local area mod.WELP. GOOD LIFE CHANGES ALL HAPPEN AT ONCE AND SOME ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVEPrimary Decks:
Modern: Esper Draw-Go
Legacy: RUG Lands
EDH: Sidisi turn-3 storm
Can't you just play the typical green devotion manaramp and just replace your finisher cards depending on the matchup?
Villainous Wealth or Hornet Queen / Genesis Hydra or Crater's Claws etc.
I think See the Unwritten decks could give abzan trouble. It's just a matter of having more 5/5 and 6/6 dudes than they have removals.
BTW, Tom Ross' deck does not play a single Rabblemaster
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http://www.starcitygames.com/events/coverage/deck_tech_gb_devotion_with_ros.html