I have bramble crush main for a couple reasons, torpor orb, there is actually a couple guys here local that build decks directly aimed at defeating the decks that place in the top 6 locally. both myself and another pod player were blown out by this because niether of us were prepared ( too much reliance on ETB ).
This is the deck I have been running. I however have no clue what to use for sideboard. any help would be horribly appreciated.
Apologies for the late reply;
Grave Titan has terrible anti-synergy with Heartless Summoning, I'd consider running any other 6 drop. Wurmcoil is probably first choice replacement followed by Reaper from the Abyss in my opinion (it's not difficult to get something to die and flying is handy).
Comparitively though, I've not been impressed by Banshee. Requires a death on your own turn. I'd at least run 3 Slime to 1 Banshee.
Skinrender is a very good reason to be in black, especially in this meta.
How has Bramblecrush worked for you? I'd personally say it's a more expensive, less flexible Beast Within but willing to be corrected. The sorcery speed is a deal breaker.
Sideboard wise: Look to have an approach of answering the most common decks you'll see and their own answers. This depends on your meta, but right now:
Wolf Run Green
Wolf Run Red
U/B control
Solar Flare
W/G Token
U/W Human
RDW
are probably general points.
RDW, You should look to be in a position where you close their early offense and stabilize. You're heavy on 2 drops which is good, so a bit of lifegain in the board is golden, I prefer Peace Strider.
U/W Human, You want to be in a position to Beat out their equipment and enchants at instant speed if they're on that version and to outclass their creatures. Beast Within and Sylvok Replica do the former. Watch out for SoFaF and Mirran Crusader. The former needs an instant answer once they're on 5 mana plus and the latter requires Perilous Myr usually. The later the game goes, the more the emphasis switches to keeping their board clean and grinding it out.
W/G Token Although Ratchet bomb looping with glissa is a reasonable answer, it's not THE answer. Beast Within helps deal with Walkers, otherwise it becomes a tougher version of the above as they have a better midgame and Planeswalkers are an awkward angle of attack for us.
U/B Thrun and Mimic Vat add to our own solid game plan of devaluing their removal and counterspells. Surgical Extraction is a solid option for punishing their use of Alchemy or the GY on some versions.
Solar Flare as above
Wolf Run - it's a bad match up due to their unique angles and considerable fat. Glissa is a strong card here, answering a lot of their fat. SoFaF out of their board hurts though as splash hate and the lands are tough to answer (outside Sylvok Replica on Inkmoth). It's not as horrific a match up as Valakut was for GB last season, but right now it's finding space and a solid plan. I'd certainly run a couple of Spellskites and try and set up a board with Glissa where possible, utilising kite to prevent Wolf Run and protect Glissa, who beats anything in a fist fight (outside of Thrun) Force them to play fair and hope Garruk doesn't beat you instead.
So if I was building a board today, I'd probably look to run some quantities of:
tuned in numbers to suit my meta and maindeck choices.
EDIT: I've not run into extreme pod hate just yet because we're not worth it generally, being small fish. Torpor Orb is answered by Beast Within and Sylvok Replica quite adequately and Stony Silence is less of an issue but answered by Beast Within or Acidic Slime. No need for specialist hate, try and avoid cards purely to answer their answers...they need to have benefit themselves as a proactive plan is usually stronger. Focus on winning rather than not losing.
I also don't think this thread should be merging as it's at risk of losing identity. The Heartless decks are doing different things and the pod thread isn't good for developing ANY deck right now, although whether that's better now Bant has it's own thread I don't know...
I think the reason for the lack of activity is knowing our place. It's really not easy playing a deck that is soft to Mirran Crusader and SoFaF in this current metagame.
Puresteel Paladin
Mono Green Wolf Run Ramp
RDW splashing green for Ancient Grudge
U/W Humans
2-1, 2-0, 2-1, 2-1. Each game loss oddly enough coming in game 1 so I have the odd record of actually not losing post board running Heartless Pod.
The paladin deck got there on Mirran Crusader game 1 whilst I had no answers and struggled for mana. Brutal death. Game 2 was long but I managed to wrestle control thanks to Glissa, Sylvok Replica and Perilous Myr. Game 3 was a stalemate board, took us into time called and turns but Massacre Wurm was the hammer blow that sealed things.
Wolf Run, he went to 6 on the play and ran into a very unfortunate heartless into slime, into slime, into metamorph (slime) which kept his double Dungrove in check (not a bad mull to 6 really!) as I sealed things up. Game 2, I just about contained swords and inkmoths before getting a Glissa to stick and just answering his lands. Sandbagged Beast Within ensured no walkers could rescue and I closed it out.
Red deck wins, took him to 1 life but he was able to close out the burn. Game 2 I lowered my curve and simply curved out onto him into midrange and beat him down faster. Game 3 I took out the Summoning additionally for the Extractions and a Mimic Vat to play a more controlling game. Eventually got his Phoenix onto vat to deprive him and pushed through final damage as he drew dead,
U/W humans, being the only 3-0s a split was sensible. Played out for fun and game 1 I struggled on land as Crusader ripped me apart. Game 2 he landed a Leonin Arbiter (ouch if not for my GftT!) and Mirran Crusader, but throwing artifacts under the bus got me into a massacre wurm, then a sheoldred with spellskite present to lock things up. Game 3 he mulled to four, although still managed a champion into arbiter (gftt again). He also landed HoTP but I was able to squeeze him out and a couple of acidic slime, followed by entomber into slime again closed it in cruel fashion.
I still hold that the deck is in a rough spot right now. Although I've fought through crusaders and SoFaFs it's a question of whether the payoff is worth the effort. Like a true rock deck any match is winnable but very few pin you as favourite. I also feel pretty tired out mentally again after 4 rounds which doesn't bode well for the deck at bigger events. YMMV.
It's a very strong field at Sheffield FNM, most people broke out tier decks. Likewise my last 4-0 was at a different FNM so it's a variety of players. In the right hands I do believe this deck IS right up there as capable of winning a large event.
This is probably going to be borderline casual. I have a BG Heartless Pod deck, I've seen one guy playing with white splash (and it's not so great), but wouldn't Jund work pretty well? Mana base looks as solid as 3 colors without Birds of Paradise ever going to be.
Here's a vague idea for such, I replaced some colored-mana-intense cards with worse cards for easier mana like Entomber Exarch by Gravedigger (it matters especially if you have Heartless Summoning out).
Double Tree of Redemption maindeck is something I've been doing in BG Heartless Pod and it works very well against local metagame.
The Gravedigger vs Exarch mana doesn't matter...can only cast either under 1 summoning unless you want a 0/0. So that's either BB or 1B. Entomber hitting their hand is good flexibility, especially against UB.
1B seems a lot easier than BB if I add a third color, and I want to dig something from graveyard 90% of the time (at least in local meta). But then, it's a fairly late card normally, so perhaps you're right.
Does Jund make much sense overall?
If you add a third colour, then yes you start to hurt your mana, one of the reasons I stick to 2 colours. It's a question of how many of the red cards are lock ins and is it worth the price of finding it more difficult to hit GG, BB or BBB (Glissa/Acidic Slime, Skinrender/Entomber Exarch, Massacre Wurm/Reaper from the Abyss are all cards I love in my build). For me personally I only really miss Inferno Titan, but can cope.
I'd keep the build green-heavy, since Acidic Slime is absolutely 4x. Glissa has been sort of underwhelming already, since she requires artifacts creatures, and they're all rather underwhelming outside Perilous Myr machine gun combo that happens maybe 1 game per 50, so she might not make it anyway. Inferno Titan just seems a lot better than Reaper from the Abyss. Entomber Exarch is not something you get much value from turn 3 anyway, so late BB is not so bad.
That leaves Skinrender and especially Massacre Wurm as two things that might get a lot harder to cast.
I need to learn how to play online, so I can test if this makes any sense.
How much have you actually played with the deck, because those are interesting experiences...
Skinrender is a Nekrataal in this format.
Birthing Pod, Sylvok Replica, Ratchet Bomb, Spellskite...all very good with Glissa who is very good as it stands against wolf run since they can't trample through her.
I didn't rate Reaper at first due to finding Mokrut Banshee a bit weak. Then I tested him and it makes a big difference that he can trigger morbid on your opponent's turn. As well as being black and evasive (doom blade says hi).
Not sure why Ancient Grudge is needed. Beast Within is a flexible answer, but Sylvok Replica is insanely useful.
I just don't think Inferno Titan, whilst a great card, is a big enough reason to go down the rabbit hole in terms of mana base here. I mean, Snapcaster is a fantastic card but I'm not going blue to utilise him and then cramming instants in ;-) It feels like Inferno Titan is the card I'd WANT...but then I'd have to force other red cards in to justify it. Which isn't a good way to build a deck.
its a possibility that my luck was with me against crusader. I play both puresteel and GBw heartless pod and always managed to have an answer. I also play 4 myr maindeck.
1 Moldgraf Monstrosity ( here because i was testing it vs grave titan as finishers )
1 Phyrexian Rager ( here because i pulled it out for blade splicer and testing )
you will notice that norn is not in this list... and that is because this is what i would play if i wnt to FNM right now as i cannot find a norn any where. sorry about that =)
the biggest reason i have a few of these cards is because I will pod into a slime and know that i have little need for the summoning any more( destroying it ).
Don't you want 2-3 Plains to fetch with Viridian Emissary? But then you have very little white in your deck.
I run no plains because the lands can all be activated another way
and i have very VERY little need for the white mana with 3-4 cards that require it in one way or another.
Your 5cmc slot - [r]Archon of Justice[/c] seems way too white-intense, and my experience with Morkrut Banshee has been very underwhelming. Not tempted to go 4x Acidic Slime?
banshee will almost definatly be removed for slimes, they are more usefull than any other 5 cmc we would use, archon is there for a couple reasons. its big, had a horribly usefull ability getting rid of things that slime cannot.
Bramblecrush looks like a very weird meta choice, what is it for?
bramble crush is here because if i run into torpor orb i have no other way of getting rid of it( i also have no beasts in my posession... bought a box, pulled a sword and two inkmoth nexus ( one foil ) but no beasts ... wtf ), it has also been usefull to get rid of pesky lands and other stuff a turn earier than a slime if i have to cast it at full cmc.
When do you side 3 Mimic Vats? That's 8 engines mainboard + 2 sideboard. Or 11+2 counting Unburial Rites. That looks pretty extreme. How's Unburial Rites working for you, because that's one mainboard card for which I'm really tempted to splash white.
i have mimic vats against RB control. that way even if they decide to get rid of my creatures i have a much higher chance of keeping them, disrupting their land with a vatted slime destroys them.
Blade Slicer + Heartless Summoning seems like a strange choice. It's turn 3 or later 2/2 for W and you cannot even pod it out. It looks like one of those creatures that work great with Pod but not so much with HS to me. How is it working for you? Phyrexian Rager feels like a conservative choice.
I agree that the blade splicer is odd, but it is also a one of that i probably wouldnt use to pod into even if i had it in hand a 1 caster 2/2 golem sounds nice, rager is a card i'm still not convinced of as i have actually screwed my self using it a couple times. the CA is nice, but at the same time im hoping for a better 3 cmc
1x Massacre Wurm seems to be your only board sweeper. Your meta must have far less token/weenie decks than her.
1 wurm has worked magic for me because of unburial rites, pod out of this into sheoldred and bring back the wurm WHEN you need it. comment on meta is my area is horribly infested with MBI, this week there were 4 MBI out of 27 players, I was playing pure steel and will probably switch back to RU control to avoid the incoming artifact hate from the rest of them. ( or chance it with the pod deck, who knows )
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i may end up dumping the white, as much as i want to have white for a couple creatures to not be GB ( sword will now wipe me ) i just cant find the synergy that GB alone has in those slots. norn is ok and i may just end up splashing white for norn + flashback on unburial rites.
I have indeed thought about putting a second glissa in the deck in replacement of the rager.
I agree that that combo isn't reliable but OMG is it hilarious when it happens and you immediatly see the opponent raise a hand for the judge.
replica is a planned sideboard change banshee met her demise tonight as i removed it for acidic slimes all the way and sideboarded a couple skin render.
after these changes i will definatly have to replan the mana base. the largest problem i have ran into lately is the fact that i keep running into being able to pay GG but not the BB costs.
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Did you consider Glissa, the Traitor? She can block and kill pretty much anything important with major exception of Mirran Crusader, so she stops aggro dead in tracks. She's Doom Blade proof too, so not so easy to get rid of.
And she is a Zombie which grants her immunity against Victim of Night, which is some U/B control and Mono-B infect decks tend to run as an 1 or 2-of.
Have you guys thought of Steel Hellkite in some of matchups? G/W tokens could easily pump their tokens out of Massacre Wurm's range, and one hit from the Hellkite, which is not so hard since it has flying, could be GG for them. I could see it worth the SB slot against G/W tokens/aggro and U/W Humans.
With Heartless Summoning he is so easy to cast(not mentioning pod could tutor it up from an Acidic Slime) and you could take a huge advantage from even the first hit.
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Decision made, splashing white via two grove and two isolated chapel, adding in respective forests/swamps to make up. sheoldred will be the only white card in the 75. i cannot justify the rest.
glissa x2 rager x2
deck, just works better this way.
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This may not be a tier one deck, however if you look at the meta overall. there is no solid clear cut winner. decks people didnt see are coming up, bant pod is still on its way up.
This deck just has to play more aggro than other pod decks.
again after turn 4-5 you dont need hearless summoning any more in almost ANY case, use a slime and destroy it. get your creatures pumped back up and beat them down.
what is scarrier, a 2/2 death douch or a 1/1 along side a couple other 1/1's or 2/2s when they could have been 2/2's and 3/3's.
if you take away the pod you are a heartless deck, however if you take a way heartless, we are a slower less utilitarian version of pod.
So ignore the fact that this is iether deck, run land ramp, in the event that you get screwed find a way to kill of an emmisary, i run 4 myrs, two glissa and two ragers, 4 slimes , 3 different 6 drops and 1 7 drop(sheoldred).
i run unburial rites because it's hard to deal with even for control. sideboard them out vs aggro because you wont have time to use them for BSZ. does you good too because it can kill off your emmisarys and myrs, getting you land and free damage.
in other words, We are not playing Pod, we are NOT playing heartless, we have to be able to utilize these cards as TOOLS not our win conditions.
Currently tuned in anticipation of a few people who think sleeving up CFB Steel will do a job
So what changed things when I said 3 colours wasn't worth it? Olivia.
I wanted the Inferno Titan...I wanted the Grudge in board (more so with steel around) and I liked the idea of a bit of burn for early game and to threaten enemy planeswalkers.
The Act of Aggression is new spice for the Valaku...sorry, Wolf Run match. Stealing a fattie is always a plan for any deck facing down something hoping to land titan level of threats...podding it away end of turn, even fetching nothing, is added insult.
Still tuning things, not sure if I'm a bit heavy on aggro hate (it is an aggressive meta until control realises it has Wolf Run's number though) so feedback very welcome.
I tried Jund Pod with Olivia - she's not working too well. Against RDW she gets Arc Trailed, against monowhite deck simply loses anyway, Olivia or no Olivia, and against everything else she doesn't have enough good targets for pinging.
I'm inclined to go back to GB and simply accepting that my deck folds to Mirran Crusader. Arc Trail and Inferno Titan are extremely helpful, but 3-color manabase without Birds is simply not going to work.
I have to mulligan very aggressively just to have manabase in order, I cannot afford to try to get Pod or HS as well.
Fair enough, although I should point out:
Perilous Myr answers the crusader
Sylvok Replica, Solemn, Phyrexian Metamorph (answers if you just copy Crusader), Wurmcoil Engine, Massacre Wurm, Sheoldred...there are answers or stalling tactics up the curve. I've fought through more crusaders than I've gone down to whilst piloting the previous GB version I had. Just got to respect the card, sandbag a myr etc. If you lock up the board otherwise then you should have time to turn things your way since the deck has game against the rest of a white deck.
The aggressive mulligan is not really my style...I tend to keep anything with a reasonable plan...Viridian Emissary or Myr and lands and something mid-late cast is golden if the hand doesn't have one of the engines. Most of the decks I build or tweak are purposely calibrated so as to consider going to 5 a rarity with 6 being uncommon.
I'd say at least try the Jund base before you rule it out...I count 11 tap lands and 14 untap of which 12 are basics. 12 Green sources over the lands should give you 3 lands in the averager opener of which 1-2 should be basics or buried ruins, meaning you play the tap land turn 1 at worst and the basic turn 2 into myr or emissary. There may be no BoP in here, but we do have Emissary and Solemn. The base isn't perfect yet but it's passable.
3 Heartless Summoning
1 Bramblecrush
1 Mimic Vat
4 Birthing Pod
2 Go for the Throat
3 Unburial Rites
Creatures 2cmc:
4 Viridian Emissary
4 Perilous Myr
3 Phyrexian Rager
1 Glissa, the Traitor
Creatures 4cmc:
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Entomber Exarch
Creatures 5cmc:
2 Acidic Slime
2 Morkrut Banshee
1 Massacre Wurm
1 Grave Titan
Creatures 7cmc:
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
8 Forest
5 Swamp
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Isolated Chapel
2 Buried Ruin
This is the deck I have been running. I however have no clue what to use for sideboard. any help would be horribly appreciated.
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So how does
1 syvlok replica
2 surgical extraction
1 ratchet bomb ( tokens )
1 nihil spellbomb ( flare )
1 bramble crush ( show stoppers )
2 mimic vat ( ub control )
1 solemn simulacrum
1 melira, sylvok outcast ( not great but it slows them down )
2 oblivion ring
1 archon of justice
Also i have added 8 sources of white to the deck
So i have been adding two o-ring and 1 archon of justice to the sideboard
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Apologies for the late reply;
Grave Titan has terrible anti-synergy with Heartless Summoning, I'd consider running any other 6 drop. Wurmcoil is probably first choice replacement followed by Reaper from the Abyss in my opinion (it's not difficult to get something to die and flying is handy).
Comparitively though, I've not been impressed by Banshee. Requires a death on your own turn. I'd at least run 3 Slime to 1 Banshee.
Skinrender is a very good reason to be in black, especially in this meta.
How has Bramblecrush worked for you? I'd personally say it's a more expensive, less flexible Beast Within but willing to be corrected. The sorcery speed is a deal breaker.
Sideboard wise: Look to have an approach of answering the most common decks you'll see and their own answers. This depends on your meta, but right now:
Wolf Run Green
Wolf Run Red
U/B control
Solar Flare
W/G Token
U/W Human
RDW
are probably general points.
RDW, You should look to be in a position where you close their early offense and stabilize. You're heavy on 2 drops which is good, so a bit of lifegain in the board is golden, I prefer Peace Strider.
U/W Human, You want to be in a position to Beat out their equipment and enchants at instant speed if they're on that version and to outclass their creatures. Beast Within and Sylvok Replica do the former. Watch out for SoFaF and Mirran Crusader. The former needs an instant answer once they're on 5 mana plus and the latter requires Perilous Myr usually. The later the game goes, the more the emphasis switches to keeping their board clean and grinding it out.
W/G Token Although Ratchet bomb looping with glissa is a reasonable answer, it's not THE answer. Beast Within helps deal with Walkers, otherwise it becomes a tougher version of the above as they have a better midgame and Planeswalkers are an awkward angle of attack for us.
U/B Thrun and Mimic Vat add to our own solid game plan of devaluing their removal and counterspells. Surgical Extraction is a solid option for punishing their use of Alchemy or the GY on some versions.
Solar Flare as above
Wolf Run - it's a bad match up due to their unique angles and considerable fat. Glissa is a strong card here, answering a lot of their fat. SoFaF out of their board hurts though as splash hate and the lands are tough to answer (outside Sylvok Replica on Inkmoth). It's not as horrific a match up as Valakut was for GB last season, but right now it's finding space and a solid plan. I'd certainly run a couple of Spellskites and try and set up a board with Glissa where possible, utilising kite to prevent Wolf Run and protect Glissa, who beats anything in a fist fight (outside of Thrun) Force them to play fair and hope Garruk doesn't beat you instead.
So if I was building a board today, I'd probably look to run some quantities of:
Ratchet Bomb
Sylovk Replica
Mimic Vat
Thrun
Peace Strider
Spellskite
Surgical Extraction
Beast Within
Skinrender
tuned in numbers to suit my meta and maindeck choices.
EDIT: I've not run into extreme pod hate just yet because we're not worth it generally, being small fish. Torpor Orb is answered by Beast Within and Sylvok Replica quite adequately and Stony Silence is less of an issue but answered by Beast Within or Acidic Slime. No need for specialist hate, try and avoid cards purely to answer their answers...they need to have benefit themselves as a proactive plan is usually stronger. Focus on winning rather than not losing.
EDIT, EDIT: Current list
3 Perilous Myr
3 Phyrexian Rager
2 Glissa, the Traitor
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Entomber Exarch
1 Skinrender
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
3 Acidic Slime
1 Massacre Wurm
1 Reaper from the Abyss
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
3 Go for the Throat
3 Heartless Summoning
4 Birthing Pod
4 Woodland Cemetery
9 Swamp
9 Forest
2 Buried Ruin
2 Surgical Extraction
3 Beast Within
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Mimic Vat
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Peace Strider
1 Skinrender
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
2 Spellskite
I also don't think this thread should be merging as it's at risk of losing identity. The Heartless decks are doing different things and the pod thread isn't good for developing ANY deck right now, although whether that's better now Bant has it's own thread I don't know...
I think the reason for the lack of activity is knowing our place. It's really not easy playing a deck that is soft to Mirran Crusader and SoFaF in this current metagame.
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Puresteel Paladin
Mono Green Wolf Run Ramp
RDW splashing green for Ancient Grudge
U/W Humans
2-1, 2-0, 2-1, 2-1. Each game loss oddly enough coming in game 1 so I have the odd record of actually not losing post board running Heartless Pod.
The paladin deck got there on Mirran Crusader game 1 whilst I had no answers and struggled for mana. Brutal death. Game 2 was long but I managed to wrestle control thanks to Glissa, Sylvok Replica and Perilous Myr. Game 3 was a stalemate board, took us into time called and turns but Massacre Wurm was the hammer blow that sealed things.
Wolf Run, he went to 6 on the play and ran into a very unfortunate heartless into slime, into slime, into metamorph (slime) which kept his double Dungrove in check (not a bad mull to 6 really!) as I sealed things up. Game 2, I just about contained swords and inkmoths before getting a Glissa to stick and just answering his lands. Sandbagged Beast Within ensured no walkers could rescue and I closed it out.
Red deck wins, took him to 1 life but he was able to close out the burn. Game 2 I lowered my curve and simply curved out onto him into midrange and beat him down faster. Game 3 I took out the Summoning additionally for the Extractions and a Mimic Vat to play a more controlling game. Eventually got his Phoenix onto vat to deprive him and pushed through final damage as he drew dead,
U/W humans, being the only 3-0s a split was sensible. Played out for fun and game 1 I struggled on land as Crusader ripped me apart. Game 2 he landed a Leonin Arbiter (ouch if not for my GftT!) and Mirran Crusader, but throwing artifacts under the bus got me into a massacre wurm, then a sheoldred with spellskite present to lock things up. Game 3 he mulled to four, although still managed a champion into arbiter (gftt again). He also landed HoTP but I was able to squeeze him out and a couple of acidic slime, followed by entomber into slime again closed it in cruel fashion.
I still hold that the deck is in a rough spot right now. Although I've fought through crusaders and SoFaFs it's a question of whether the payoff is worth the effort. Like a true rock deck any match is winnable but very few pin you as favourite. I also feel pretty tired out mentally again after 4 rounds which doesn't bode well for the deck at bigger events. YMMV.
It's a very strong field at Sheffield FNM, most people broke out tier decks. Likewise my last 4-0 was at a different FNM so it's a variety of players. In the right hands I do believe this deck IS right up there as capable of winning a large event.
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The Gravedigger vs Exarch mana doesn't matter...can only cast either under 1 summoning unless you want a 0/0. So that's either BB or 1B. Entomber hitting their hand is good flexibility, especially against UB.
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If you add a third colour, then yes you start to hurt your mana, one of the reasons I stick to 2 colours. It's a question of how many of the red cards are lock ins and is it worth the price of finding it more difficult to hit GG, BB or BBB (Glissa/Acidic Slime, Skinrender/Entomber Exarch, Massacre Wurm/Reaper from the Abyss are all cards I love in my build). For me personally I only really miss Inferno Titan, but can cope.
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How much have you actually played with the deck, because those are interesting experiences...
Skinrender is a Nekrataal in this format.
Birthing Pod, Sylvok Replica, Ratchet Bomb, Spellskite...all very good with Glissa who is very good as it stands against wolf run since they can't trample through her.
I didn't rate Reaper at first due to finding Mokrut Banshee a bit weak. Then I tested him and it makes a big difference that he can trigger morbid on your opponent's turn. As well as being black and evasive (doom blade says hi).
Not sure why Ancient Grudge is needed. Beast Within is a flexible answer, but Sylvok Replica is insanely useful.
I just don't think Inferno Titan, whilst a great card, is a big enough reason to go down the rabbit hole in terms of mana base here. I mean, Snapcaster is a fantastic card but I'm not going blue to utilise him and then cramming instants in ;-) It feels like Inferno Titan is the card I'd WANT...but then I'd have to force other red cards in to justify it. Which isn't a good way to build a deck.
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with tokens, a massacre wurm takes care of damn near the entire field.
also this is why i decided to splash white for Norn and a couple other key cards.
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as requested:
2 Razorverge Thicket
4 Isolated Chapel
2 Sunpetal Grove
4 Woodland Cemetery
5 Swamp
6 Forest
Creatures 7CMC:
1 Sheoldred, the whispering one
Creatures 6CMC:
1 Grave Titan
1 Massacre Wurm
1 Wurmcoil Engine
Creatures 5CMC:
1 Morkrut Banshee
2 Acidic Slime
Creatures 4CMC:
1 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Entomber Exarch
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Glissa, the traitor
2 Phyrexian Rager
1 Blade Slicer
Creatures 2CMC:
4 Viridian Emmisary
4 Perilous myr
Engines:
3 Heartless Summoning
4 Birthing Pod
Spells/Artifacts:
1 Bramblecrush
3 Unburial rites
2 Go for the throat
1 Mimic vat
1 Peace Strider
2 Melira, Sylvok Outcast
1 Spellskite
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Bramblecrush
2 Mimic vat
1 Archon of justice
1 Moldgraf Monstrosity
1 Phyrexian Rager
2 Oblivion ring
2 Doom blade
1 Moldgraf Monstrosity ( here because i was testing it vs grave titan as finishers )
1 Phyrexian Rager ( here because i pulled it out for blade splicer and testing )
you will notice that norn is not in this list... and that is because this is what i would play if i wnt to FNM right now as i cannot find a norn any where. sorry about that =)
RWGNaya AggroGWR
UBZombiesUB
BBBFNM Mono-Black ControlBBB
How did you SB for your matchups?
Of all Titans Grave Titan seems least useful in HS deck. Dismemberable 5/5 + two 1/1 tokens is just not that great. Wouldn't Sun Titan or Reaper from the Abyss or second Wurmcoil Engine/Massacre Wurm be better?
the biggest reason i have a few of these cards is because I will pod into a slime and know that i have little need for the summoning any more( destroying it ).
Don't you want 2-3 Plains to fetch with Viridian Emissary? But then you have very little white in your deck.
I run no plains because the lands can all be activated another way
and i have very VERY little need for the white mana with 3-4 cards that require it in one way or another.
Your 5cmc slot - [r]Archon of Justice[/c] seems way too white-intense, and my experience with Morkrut Banshee has been very underwhelming. Not tempted to go 4x Acidic Slime?
banshee will almost definatly be removed for slimes, they are more usefull than any other 5 cmc we would use, archon is there for a couple reasons. its big, had a horribly usefull ability getting rid of things that slime cannot.
Bramblecrush looks like a very weird meta choice, what is it for?
bramble crush is here because if i run into torpor orb i have no other way of getting rid of it( i also have no beasts in my posession... bought a box, pulled a sword and two inkmoth nexus ( one foil ) but no beasts ... wtf ), it has also been usefull to get rid of pesky lands and other stuff a turn earier than a slime if i have to cast it at full cmc.
When do you side 3 Mimic Vats? That's 8 engines mainboard + 2 sideboard. Or 11+2 counting Unburial Rites. That looks pretty extreme. How's Unburial Rites working for you, because that's one mainboard card for which I'm really tempted to splash white.
i have mimic vats against RB control. that way even if they decide to get rid of my creatures i have a much higher chance of keeping them, disrupting their land with a vatted slime destroys them.
Blade Slicer + Heartless Summoning seems like a strange choice. It's turn 3 or later 2/2 for W and you cannot even pod it out. It looks like one of those creatures that work great with Pod but not so much with HS to me. How is it working for you? Phyrexian Rager feels like a conservative choice.
I agree that the blade splicer is odd, but it is also a one of that i probably wouldnt use to pod into even if i had it in hand a 1 caster 2/2 golem sounds nice, rager is a card i'm still not convinced of as i have actually screwed my self using it a couple times. the CA is nice, but at the same time im hoping for a better 3 cmc
1x Massacre Wurm seems to be your only board sweeper. Your meta must have far less token/weenie decks than her.
1 wurm has worked magic for me because of unburial rites, pod out of this into sheoldred and bring back the wurm WHEN you need it. comment on meta is my area is horribly infested with MBI, this week there were 4 MBI out of 27 players, I was playing pure steel and will probably switch back to RU control to avoid the incoming artifact hate from the rest of them. ( or chance it with the pod deck, who knows )
RWGNaya AggroGWR
UBZombiesUB
BBBFNM Mono-Black ControlBBB
IIRC
Puresteel Paladin:
-3 GftT
-1 Entomber Exarch
+3 Beast Within
+1 Sylvok Replica
Mono Green Wolf-Run
-1 Phyrexian Rager
-1 Perilous Myr
-3 GftT
+2 Spellskite
+3 Beast Within
RDW
-1 Sheoldred
-1 Reaper from the Abyss
-1 Phyrexian Metamorph
-2 Solemn Simulacrum
+1 Thrun
+1 Skinrender
+2 Spellskite
+1 Peace Strider
Then additionally on draw in game 3:
-3 Heartless Summoning
+2 Surgical Extraction
+1 Mimic Vat (Think I'd bring Replica in next time)
U/W humans:
-1 Phyrexian Rager
-1 Entomber Exarch
-1 Heartless Summoning
-1 Viridian Emissary
-3 GftT
+2 Spellskite
+1 Sylvok Replica
+1 Skinrender
+3 Beast Within
The humans was on the Geist and Destiny/Sword plan so Beast Within needed to come in.
Sideboard guides are rough anyway...whilst it helps to have a standard plan, you've also got to be flexible to what your opponent is playing.
Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
I have indeed thought about putting a second glissa in the deck in replacement of the rager.
I agree that that combo isn't reliable but OMG is it hilarious when it happens and you immediatly see the opponent raise a hand for the judge.
replica is a planned sideboard change banshee met her demise tonight as i removed it for acidic slimes all the way and sideboarded a couple skin render.
after these changes i will definatly have to replan the mana base. the largest problem i have ran into lately is the fact that i keep running into being able to pay GG but not the BB costs.
RWGNaya AggroGWR
UBZombiesUB
BBBFNM Mono-Black ControlBBB
And she is a Zombie which grants her immunity against Victim of Night, which is some U/B control and Mono-B infect decks tend to run as an 1 or 2-of.
Have you guys thought of Steel Hellkite in some of matchups? G/W tokens could easily pump their tokens out of Massacre Wurm's range, and one hit from the Hellkite, which is not so hard since it has flying, could be GG for them. I could see it worth the SB slot against G/W tokens/aggro and U/W Humans.
With Heartless Summoning he is so easy to cast(not mentioning pod could tutor it up from an Acidic Slime) and you could take a huge advantage from even the first hit.
Currently Playing:
Standard: Bant Tokens / Jeskai Tutelage
Modern: Temur Twin / GR Tron
Legacy: Miracles / Grixis Delver
glissa x2 rager x2
deck, just works better this way.
RWGNaya AggroGWR
UBZombiesUB
BBBFNM Mono-Black ControlBBB
This deck just has to play more aggro than other pod decks.
again after turn 4-5 you dont need hearless summoning any more in almost ANY case, use a slime and destroy it. get your creatures pumped back up and beat them down.
what is scarrier, a 2/2 death douch or a 1/1 along side a couple other 1/1's or 2/2s when they could have been 2/2's and 3/3's.
if you take away the pod you are a heartless deck, however if you take a way heartless, we are a slower less utilitarian version of pod.
So ignore the fact that this is iether deck, run land ramp, in the event that you get screwed find a way to kill of an emmisary, i run 4 myrs, two glissa and two ragers, 4 slimes , 3 different 6 drops and 1 7 drop(sheoldred).
i run unburial rites because it's hard to deal with even for control. sideboard them out vs aggro because you wont have time to use them for BSZ. does you good too because it can kill off your emmisarys and myrs, getting you land and free damage.
in other words, We are not playing Pod, we are NOT playing heartless, we have to be able to utilize these cards as TOOLS not our win conditions.
the difference being:
Tools can be discarded, win conditions cannot.
RWGNaya AggroGWR
UBZombiesUB
BBBFNM Mono-Black ControlBBB
3 Perilous Myr
3 Phyrexian Rager
2 Glissa, the Traitor
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Entomber Exarch
1 Skinrender
1 Olivia Voldaren
3 Acidic Slime
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Massacre Wurm
1 Inferno Titan
3 Arc Trail
3 Heartless Summoning
4 Birthing Pod
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Dragonskull Summit
3 Rootbound Crag
5 Swamp
5 Forest
2 Mountain
2 Buried Ruin
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Mimic Vat
2 Sylvok Replica
1 Tree of Redemption
1 Skinrender
2 Thrun, the Last Troll
2 Act of Aggression
Currently tuned in anticipation of a few people who think sleeving up CFB Steel will do a job
So what changed things when I said 3 colours wasn't worth it? Olivia.
I wanted the Inferno Titan...I wanted the Grudge in board (more so with steel around) and I liked the idea of a bit of burn for early game and to threaten enemy planeswalkers.
The Act of Aggression is new spice for the Valaku...sorry, Wolf Run match. Stealing a fattie is always a plan for any deck facing down something hoping to land titan level of threats...podding it away end of turn, even fetching nothing, is added insult.
Still tuning things, not sure if I'm a bit heavy on aggro hate (it is an aggressive meta until control realises it has Wolf Run's number though) so feedback very welcome.
Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
Fair enough, although I should point out:
Perilous Myr answers the crusader
Sylvok Replica, Solemn, Phyrexian Metamorph (answers if you just copy Crusader), Wurmcoil Engine, Massacre Wurm, Sheoldred...there are answers or stalling tactics up the curve. I've fought through more crusaders than I've gone down to whilst piloting the previous GB version I had. Just got to respect the card, sandbag a myr etc. If you lock up the board otherwise then you should have time to turn things your way since the deck has game against the rest of a white deck.
The aggressive mulligan is not really my style...I tend to keep anything with a reasonable plan...Viridian Emissary or Myr and lands and something mid-late cast is golden if the hand doesn't have one of the engines. Most of the decks I build or tweak are purposely calibrated so as to consider going to 5 a rarity with 6 being uncommon.
I'd say at least try the Jund base before you rule it out...I count 11 tap lands and 14 untap of which 12 are basics. 12 Green sources over the lands should give you 3 lands in the averager opener of which 1-2 should be basics or buried ruins, meaning you play the tap land turn 1 at worst and the basic turn 2 into myr or emissary. There may be no BoP in here, but we do have Emissary and Solemn. The base isn't perfect yet but it's passable.
Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen