MTG Salvation

So I've been playing GB Snek for months and although I dont mind it, I just want a different strat. I know i want to play karn and Lyra (i think) and a couple black removal. Not sure if i should even play green tho


This is what I'm thinking. Any suggestions would be apperciated. Our standard tournaments are Tuesdays and I'll prolly rock some variant of this today.

I tried Abzan for a few weeks and could never get the mana right. I feel like zero Scattered groves in your mana is wrong, but I also had little success with it. Let me know how it goes. Cause the deck plays really powerful stuff.

Hi A_E,

By now you've probably already seen this Abzan Angels deck that placed well on an SCG tourny. As for your list, I hate 4 Impulses with 90% hit rate. I like it more when I have 50/60 creatures + land for a >99% hit rate.

I do have a logistical question for you. I recently expanded the scope of the Constrictor thread. At the time, I ogled the Abzan Angels, but thought that they were really GWx rather than GBx and thought they belonged in the GWx Midrange thread. In response to a post in the GBx thread, I realized that this is the closest thing to a GWx midrange thread.

Forum rules point toward not having multiple threads with overlapping scope, so I want to work with you, as this thread would seem to have agency over GWx midrange decks and I play so many different decks that I am always happy to support others to maintain OPs.
The options I see:

1. One Gxx Midrange thread: The GWx and GBx midrange decks bleed together. With R and BU dominant in the competitive metagame, It doesn't seem like too great a scope. If you wanted, I would be happy to have you be the thread leader.
2. This thread has scope over GWx decks: The GBx thread would continue and we would look at the W/B balance to direct interest between the threads.

you could use Triumph of Gerrard to time it when your angel comes down
Prepare // Fight
or curve out Sacred Cat / Legion's Landing into Glory-Bound Initiate
Crested Sunmare for redundancy
it's a nice angel; could be a lot of power in play for turn 3

Gxx Midrange wouldn't be over stepping i dont think. Even some of the "snek" decks tossed the snake out. nothing really different here. I can do whatever you need me to do, i'm here everyday at work anyways.

Quote from A_E_I_Own_U »

Gxx Midrange wouldn't be over stepping i dont think. Even some of the "snek" decks tossed the snake out. nothing really different here. I can do whatever you need me to do, i'm here everyday at work anyways.

Thanks!

My preference would be for you to start a new thread (or just retitle this one) and, if you want, I can help with an informative OP and we move it to Established or wherever appropriate. Then you can change the OP whenever you want. I will take the former Constrictor thread, point it to your thread and lock it. I am confirming the plan with the rest of the mod team (lugger) and would like to get back to you with confirmation within a day or two. If you decide you don't want the responsibility later, just let me know.

Edit: I definitely want to combine GWb and GBw midrange (excluding GPG, of course). GBu and GWu midrange seem fine to include also. Gxx midrange brings in Temur, which might be weird, but I don't see a downside. "Gxx Midrange" seems succinct and comprehensible to me.

Does that work for you?

Yea, that seems fine. Unless cards get unbanned, I honestly dont think many will be coming for info on energy variants anyways.

This interesting Abzan list got 12th place at GP Pittsburgh over the weekend:

the only card out of that list that I like is History of Benalia;
maybe that guy played every match against Scrounger red, half the top 8 was Control
Baffling End looks awful; it'd be great against my Brontodons & Steel Leaf Champions but that's like 5% of the field

I like this one better from GP Copenhagen - Martin Hansen

4 Concealed Courtyard
2 Ifnir Deadlands
4 Isolated Chapel
8 Plains
1 Scavenger Grounds
1 Shefet Dunes
4 Swamp
15 CREATURES
3 Knight of Malice
4 Scrapheap Scrounger
4 Toolcraft Exemplar
4 Walking Ballista
4 INSTANTS and SORC.
4 Fatal Push
17 OTHER SPELLS
2 Gideon of the Trials
4 Heart of Kiran
4 History of Benalia
3 Ixalan's Binding
3 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Thopter Arrest

SIDEBOARD
2 Doomfall
4 Duress
2 Fumigate
1 Heartless Pillage
1 Ixalan's Binding
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
2 Lyra Dawnbringer
2 Shalai, Voice of Plenty

Toolcraft Exemplar, very all-in clock
Heart of Kiran leeching off Karn or Gideon
wish it had a better finisher like Red adds
it's probably better to just play Rakdos (Banefire) added in 2019 set; but those hands with more than 1 History of Benalia :))))

These are just two different strats. One is midrange and the one you posted is aggro. The aggro version folds to red. Simple as that. Thats why it isn't played anymore. Although, it does smoke the control matchups.

The one from pittsburgh is a much better deck for the current meta, unless your LGS doesn't have ANY red in it at all.

Toolcraft-junk vs red
Heart of Kiran-with fatal push coming back to the forefront, that coupled with abrade
make it a mistake atm.
Walking Ballista- its in a weird spot atm, could easily be cut from any deck at this
point
Scrounger-bad vs red and anymore, its getting a binding on it so its never recurring
anyways.
No knight of grace is a bad choice. You essentially shut off around 9 removal spells when you play against u/b control, black midrange and b/w knights.

PROS: Gideon might make the g1 vs approach winnable. I'm not sure tho.

We're a go for this being the GX(x) Midrange thread. I will lock the former Constrictor thread and rename this. Feel free to let me know if you want help with an OP. Bannings and meta developments could obviously lead to splitting off threads, but my understanding is that this is the place for G Midrange decks except lifegain focused, Abzan Tokens and God-Pharaoh's Gift (which I consider combo, but either way, covered in the GPG thread).

good ole Junk.deck

I played 2 "events" last weekend with GW Angels, managing a combined 8-3-1(id) match record (18-9 in games). 0-2 (2-4) vs UW Approach though. Standard UW I can slog through, but the Approach versions might be my worst matchup. Any suggestions on how to sure up that up? My first inclination was to try 2x Field of Ruin to shut off Azcanta and shuffle away Approach #2. Serpopard seems too narrow vs a deck packing sweepers/removal and doesnt directly answer the problem cards. Thoughts?

Yeah, seems hard. I find myself thinking of Negate and Duress, but not available. Seems like the deck did well enough overall to keep playing. Gideon emblems? Spyglass and Carnage Tyrant are not perfect.

Quote from hoser2 »

Yeah, seems hard. I find myself thinking of Negate and Duress, but not available. Seems like the deck did well enough overall to keep playing. Gideon emblems? Spyglass and Carnage Tyrant are not perfect.

. Im very happy with the deck. Its just that one nagging matchup. Gideon Emblem may be worth a look so thank you for the suggestion. Spyglass shuts down Teferi & Azcanta filtering but Scavenger can help keep the latter in check (as well as Gearhulk targets, Khenra, & GPG) and Cast Out/Angel of Sanctions the former. Tyrant I like better vs UB because he's just another creature vs white sweepers.

Ive been using Gideon emblems to avoid getting approached. Even if its cast out, i keep a bronto or my own cast out in hand until they cast it and then bring back my gideon just to crush their dreams.

Quote from A_E_I_Own_U »

Ive been using Gideon emblems to avoid getting approached. Even if its cast out, i keep a bronto or my own cast out in hand until they cast it and then bring back my gideon just to crush their dreams.

what would you suggest shaving from my SB?

2x Crushing Canopy
2x Deathgorge Scavenger
2x Settle the Wreckage
3x Seal Away
2x Nissa, Vital Force
2x Lifecrafter's Bestiary
2x Heroic Intervention

EDIT:
meta is pretty evenly diverse. 2-3 ppl playing Snake, RDW, UW Control, UB Mid, UB Control, BW Knight/Vehicles, GW Angels, UW Gift, 1-2 Mono Green, 1-2 Merfolk, 1-2 GR Monster/Dino, 1 Mono Black, 1 Jeskai Superfriends

Gideon's Intervention is all I can come up with for Approach or Sorcerous Spyglass for the Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin.

Thrashing Brontodon hits the enchantment side, but I assume you're already playing it.

Quote from chaos021 »

Gideon's Intervention is all I can come up with for Approach or Sorcerous Spyglass for the Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin.

Thrashing Brontodon hits the enchantment side, but I assume you're already playing it.

Intervention might as well be Gideon then. Either one has to be answered and one is cheaper & attacks for 4.

Yes, I play 3 Brontodon main.

To be fair, Gideon is prolly never attacking a Control player unless they are tapped out. Would suck to lose him to a seal away or settle.
Gideon PW does fit the curve a lil better tho. The scavenger would be what I removed. I don't see GPG being an issue for you. You could also main 1x scavenger grounds and avoid having the deathgorge taking up a spot all together.
If you get a chance, post your whole 75 that way we can disect it a lil more. (and its good for a new thread to see a lot of decks when scrolling until we get established)

Chaos Wand

Quote from A_E_I_Own_U »

To be fair, Gideon is prolly never attacking a Control player unless they are tapped out. Would suck to lose him to a seal away or settle.
Gideon PW does fit the curve a lil better tho. The scavenger would be what I removed. I don't see GPG being an issue for you. You could also main 1x scavenger grounds and avoid having the deathgorge taking up a spot all together.
If you get a chance, post your whole 75 that way we can disect it a lil more. (and its good for a new thread to see a lot of decks when scrolling until we get established)

Quote from The Decepticon »

Quote from A_E_I_Own_U »

Ive been using Gideon emblems to avoid getting approached. Even if its cast out, i keep a bronto or my own cast out in hand until they cast it and then bring back my gideon just to crush their dreams.

what would you suggest shaving from my SB?
...

EDIT:
meta is pretty evenly diverse. 2-3 ppl playing Snake, RDW, UW Control, UB Mid, UB Control, BW Knight/Vehicles, GW Angels, UW Gift, 1-2 Mono Green, 1-2 Merfolk, 1-2 GR Monster/Dino, 1 Mono Black, 1 Jeskai Superfriends

A_E's suggestion makes sense.

If your meta is used to you bringing in Settle, then I would consider shaving 1. I imagine the better players will still play around it.

Otherwise, I would look at Canopy or Seal Away.

Quote from Sugarshark17 »

Chaos Wand

Hilarious. Probably not competitive, but I love it. I so want to spin the Wand in response to Torrential Gearhulk or Approach and get a counter. Killing them with their own Approaches would be a'ight.

Looking at playing this fun thing tonight.



I dont even know. Seems ok but meh. Any thoughts?

Quote from A_E_I_Own_U »

Looking at playing this fun thing tonight.

hoser2's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
Creature:(26) 4x Merfolk Branchwalker 4x Jadelight Ranger 2x Walking Ballista 4x Winding Constrictor 3x Wildgrowth Walker 1x Thrashing Brontodon 2x Champion of Wits 2x The Scarab God 4x Llanowar Elves 3x Hadana's Climb	2x Fatal Push 3x Vraska's Contempt 2x Vraska, relic seeker 1x nissa, steward of elements 4x Blooming Marsh 4x Botanical Sanctum 4x Aether Hub 3x Fetid Pools 3x Swamp 3x Forest 2x Foul Orchard	SB: 2x Negate 2x Thrashing Brontodon 2x Fatal Push 2x Nissa, Vital Force 1x Liliana, Death's Majesty 4x Duress 1x Vraska's Contempt 1x Sorcerous Spyglass

I dont even know. Seems ok but meh. Any thoughts?

No two games alike! If inconsistency is a virtue, you should add singleton The Eldest Reborn and Verdurous Gearhulks.

Seriously, it seems solid, but maybe variable. I would replace a Swamp with an Island, add a Rishkar, swap Nissa, Steward and Liliana, move 1 or more Wildgrowth Walkers to the side, increase Push in the main and add Cast Down to the side (more midrangy Rb decks side out of Push targets post-board sometimes). With Constrictor out, Soul-Scar is kill on sight and Courier is worth picking off. It is unconventional and off plan, but I actually do main The Eldest Reborn.