MTG Salvation

So, I had actually been mulling over a list like this, but I hadn't really gotten around to putting anything together until I saw Saffron Olive playing on MTGGoldfish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owxZ-FO4C8k&list=PLtLlcD-b2JRHztsxbKCRFR6RnUxy-JR4n

His deck did pretty good, and it got me more interested in focusing on the archetype. However, even while watching the video, I thought there were some glaring holes in his list. For 1, why run Longtusk Cub without other ways to generate some energy, namely Attune with Aether and Aether Hub, and, for 2, holy moly why so many ETB Tapped lands?! So, naturally, I cut the lands guaranteed to ETB Tapped out, added in some attune with Aether and tweeked his list a bit, and this is what I've ended up with.
**11/5 - Changed mana base. Added ETB Tapped back in because off more colorless lands being added, specifically Field of Ruin
Changed main to full playsets of Caracal and Lifecrafters. Added Binding. Went down a Leopard and 2 Prepare//Fight
Changed Sideboard. Added Deathgorge Scavenger, another Intervention, a Vanquisher's Banner and 3 Blossoming Defense. Went down 2 Champions, 1 Authority and a Prepare//Fight**

So, I definitely recommend watching the videos. It's a super fun deck, and the videos can give you great insight in how the deck works, why the deck works, and what can be done better. One of the first things you'll notice while watching the videos is this deck is no slouch! It's a total value engine kind of deck. The longer the game goes, the more you bury your opponents in card advantage. The deck also has serious game against most decks in the format. You out-value Temur Energy, the card advantage + Eternalize + Serpopards just make counterspell based control decks a dog against you, and there's so much incidental life gain that you stabilize and turn the corner against aggro decks pretty fast. This deck is a winner! I've been tooling around on MTGO and I've lost 1 match so far. It was to Temur Energy and I flooded so hard in games 2 and 3 there was just no coming back. **Disclaimer - I've been playing in the Open Play - Just for Fun section. I'm not saying I haven't played some tough decks, even some tuned decks, just most of the time, it's brews or knock-offs of Net-decks. Keep in mind, though, this is also a budget version. If one wanted to add some $$, they could make the deck even better!**

These cards just make a HUGE card advantage engine. Lifecrafter's is INSANE! The scrying plus the card draw. This card is BROKEN and budget! It keeps relentless pressure on control decks, keeps the value going against other midrange decks, and can help you find the pieces you need to make a comeback when you need it. I've had it take me from the brink of losing, scry into a Regal Caracal and send my cats clawing back to a win! Vanquisher's Banner is great on the same regards. It makes all your creatures that much harder to kill with Red or Green removal and it keeps the creatures flowing into the hand as well!

Shapers' is a real sleeper of a card! It seems so unassuming, but then your opponent's removal just lets you replace what they're taking away. If it's not removal it's free card advantage. The best is when they target your creature with removal, Shapers' triggers, resolves to draw you a Blossoming Defense and letting you blow them out completely! It's totally a great card in this list.

The rest of the list shouldn't need too much explaination. I know Aetherstream Leopard seems like it could be a better card (and it probably could be), but I've actually been impressed with its role. In Saffron Olive's list, he's running 4 Serpopards, which is good against counterspells, but not great against other stuff. Against everything else, the Leopard is so much better. It's easier to cast, it adds to the energy total, and, most importantly, it tramples over other go-wide decks. I've got so much value out of the .01 tix each I spent on them. I like them a lot.

The sideboard should also be self explanatory. A lot of slots just bring the copy count up to 4 from the Mainboard allowing the deck to adjust the numbers as needed. The Sunscourge Champions (as well as the Authorities add more lifegain to the deck in the faster aggro matchups. You might be tempted to bring them in vs Control decks (since Eternalize can't be countered), but don't. It's not necessary, and it felt like it actually hurt that matchup.

Ixalan's Binding and Gideon's Intervention help to deal with problem Gods and just other problem cards in general. They wreck Revolt, Gods and even Gearhulks. Forsake the Worldly works with the previous 2 and the Cast Outs to give very strong Artifact/Enchantment removal. And Finally, Watchers of the Dead + the Scavenger Grounds seems to be just enough GY hosing to really mess up Gate and Scarab God decks.

I honestly can't think of very much that I'd add on to this deck to make it better. If I was playing the deck with a little more money added, I'd definitely find some room for Metallic Mimic. It would increase the cat count, especially in the early game. I'd also probably trade out Sunscourge Champion for Deathgorge Scavenger in the sideboard.

One card I'm wanting to try is Prepare // Fight. My gut is telling the Blossoming Defense is just better, but I still think it's worth testing out, since it's more incidental lifegain, removal, and also has the ability to blank some removal.

At any rate, I would love some feedback. I definitely recommend playing this deck. It's crazy fun and so strong. You won't regret it!

After some playtesting, I can say I definitely like Prepare // Fight better than Blossoming Defense in the deck. Holy moley it's so good. The Prepare side is a great. It's a great way to gain some life, to take your creature out of damage based removal range. I really love letting my opponents think they're gonna get a free attack, then SUPRISE!! lol. But, the Fight side is definitely the side of the card that matters. I played a few games today with either a Lord on the other side or a Hostage Taker or even just things like fliers, Aerial Responder can be especially troublesome... I didn't lose any of those games, but it was still annoying racing them or having to use a Cast Out. Prepare//Fight has just been a huge card.

I also adjusted the mana base a little. I added in a couple of Scattered Groves to bring up the colored mana count. It seems to have helped. I didn't think it was that far off, but I was getting some color screw. I bought a playset, but only added in 2. The playset of P/Fs and Lands cost about 2.5 Tix, so add that to the cost of the deck. Here's the most current list, and I'll add it to the Original Post as well.

I actually bought the cards for this deck while building what WAS a modestly priced scarab god midrange... before hostage taker flew into the 14 dollar mark. I went a little higher on the budget and splurged for the Pride Sovereign, as it often came down as a reliable 3/3 that could exert for extra tokens via Initiate's Companion. I had to nick name the latter as expendo-cat because I swear it never lived beyond turn 3. People really liked using magma spray and fatal push on it.

I don't really like Pride Sovereign. I think it's a slower cat engine than just drawing and playing extra cats. Also, while it can be a 10/10, that requires you to have 8 other cats in play, which normally means you're gonna win any way. In the event having 9 cats in play doesn't mean you outright win, like you're playing an even wider deck, he's so easy to chump block. I honestly have loved Aetherstream Leopard in that slot. That trample makes all the difference.

The primary reason I play it is to get reach in the mid to late game. It gives some extra lifelink bodies that become 2/2s with Regal Caracal, and with Prepare // Fight he can be untapped unexpectedly early, so he does play better than he looks.

I suppose I can see that. I haven't found myself having trouble making it to the late game. Prepare // Fight has helped with that a lot. When I played with Pride Sovereign, I wasn't really impressed. I'm not sure what else I'm gonna test. I hate to think this deck doesn't have more evolution to it other than adding in some expensive Metallic Mimics or Deathgorge Scavengers...

Quote from Ronnie328 »

I suppose I can see that. I haven't found myself having trouble making it to the late game. Prepare // Fight has helped with that a lot. When I played with Pride Sovereign, I wasn't really impressed. I'm not sure what else I'm gonna test. I hate to think this deck doesn't have more evolution to it other than adding in some expensive Metallic Mimics or Deathgorge Scavengers...

They'd have to basically print more cats, which are oddly missing from Ixalan unless we want to count Ajani who is coming in Rivals. I agree with you that Pride Sovereign isn't really outright better than Aetherstream Leopard.

So, I don't like that single Watchers of the Dead as much as I thought I did. Classic case of not reading my cards lol. Didn't realize it only hits opponents and didn't realize they're left with 2. Used it against a The Scarab God opponent today, and while I did make them get rid of a lot of nasty creatures, they were still able to keep a couple of nasty creatures, in addition to pulling from my GY if needed as well. I got lucky and was able to keep killing their God with Prepare // Fight and an eternalized [/card]Adorned Pouncer[/card] long enough to win the game, but it was still a punt to rely on that. I think that means I'll end up with another Scavenger Grounds somewhere. Honestly, I really wish Deathgorge Scavenger would come down in price. I could shore up my GY hate and add lifegain to the SB all at the same time, freeing up even more SB slots!

What are opinions on adding it to the sideboard? Typically, for land, I just throw it in the main, and free up another sideboard slot, and that's probably what I'll do this time, since I don't have too much trouble hitting my colors.

I think what I'll end up doing is dropping my 2 ETB Tapped lands, adding in a Grounds and an Unclaimed Territory. Anyone played with that? It seems like it's fine since I'm a tribal deck and will be able to make good use of it. We'll see what happens.

"You deck is pure gas! Love it!"

"At least Tier 1.5"

"So much card draw..."

Excited/Frustrated quotes from opponents. I think Tier 1.5 is a little high, but definitely Tier 2, and definitely the Tier 1 of budget!

I did make minor changes to the deck, mostly the ones mentioned above. I dropped Watchers of the Dead from the sideboard in favor of another main deck Scavenger Grounds. I also got rid of the 2 ETB Tapped lands, and just added a basic Forest instead of Unclaimed Territory. I think the Territory would've been just fine, but I tried it with just the Forest. The lands seem much better, and switching seems unnecessary. Plus Forest lets me play turn 1 green spells, which I have 7, and keeps my Sunpetal Groves ETB untapped.

Also in the sideboard I dropped a Sunscourge Champion. I don't side them in that often, so I think 3 is fine. I'd still rather have Deathgorge Scavengers in that spot since the pull double duty, and I may eventually just have to splurge on them. With those 2 slots freed up, from Champion and Watchers, I added in 1-each Ixalan's Binding and Gideon's Intervention. Here's the new list. As always, I'll update it in the OP. If any of you have a list, feel free to post your take, and I'll throw it in the OP as well.



Finally, I'm wondering opinions of Authority of the Consuls vs Kinjalli's Sunwing? I mainly have Authority in for the Ram-Red match up, and if that was the only matchup I boarded it in, I'd say it's flat out better, and move on. But it's also handy to have token opponents creatures ETB Tapped. Nothing worse than finally beating through a mountain of 1/1s only for your opponent to topdeck something cheesy like a Servo Exhibition and get 8 more chump blockers thanks to however many Annointed Processions they were able to find. Having them enter tapped ends games. In those matchups, being a creature or not coming out so early isn't such a liability, and it synergizes with the card draw in the deck. So I'd love to hear opinions. I'm fairly sure Authority is the way to go, but I'd love to hear what others think too!

The deck has been doing so well, I decided to step up my game. Jumped from the "Just for Fun" and into the "Tournament Practice" room on MTGO. The difference in competition is pretty stiff. Playing against Tier 1 decks can really show you where your deck is lacking and where you need to play more tightly. It's also great for showing the difference between different cards. From playing the stronger competition, I've learned just how important Lifecrafters' Bestiary is. In the Just for Fun room, I could definitely get away with only 3 copies, but in competitive play, you definitely need all 4. Getting the card draw online is so important, that I added a 2nd Vanquisher's Banner to the sideboard.

Getting lifelink online is super important, too. Because of that, I moved Regal Caracal#4 from the sideboard to the Main. Unfortunately, as important that lifelink is, it turns out Prepare // Fight is just too slow to hold as many slots as it did in less competitive settings. Where I used to have 3 in the main and 1 in the side, I'm now down to just 2 in the main and in the side it's been replaced with 3 Blossoming Defense. The other lifegain change I made is I splurged on a couple of Deathgorge Scavengers. Pulling double duty is just better/necessary. I still have a single Sunscourge Champion in the side for when I need even more lifegain.

Finally, I've put a single Field of Ruin in the main. I put it in in the Just for Fun to deal with transform lands, but it's actually come in handy punishing some 3 color decks. Against 1 Temur Energy OP, it definitely kept them off RR and probably kept me from having to deal with Glorybringer.

I've actually done well against Temur/4 Color energy. I think it's a favorable matchup, even if OPs find Glorybringer or The Scarab God. There's enough maindeck removal to deal with those cards, and even more in the side. I've done well against non-Approach control decks. I just bury them in card advantage. Approach, however, is not a favorable matchup. As far as I know, the only card in GW to beat it is Gideon's Intervention. Even if I can get one down un-countered, it's still vulnerable to being Cast Out or bound. The deck really isn't fast enough to race it, because they have like 8 sweepers, and extra bites at Settle the Wreckage thanks to Torrential Gearhulk. If anyone has any good suggestions for this match-up, I'm all ears.

Here's the new list. Updated in OP.



I did have to add the ETB tappeds back in because of the additional colorless lands. It's sad, but consistency is better than speed. To sum up, if anyone has any good ideas against Approach, I'm open for advice. Thanks in advance!