Purphorus can be a bit scary at times, especially when they are running Assembles with it as they combo so well. Depending on what you were gripping, I would have probably chosen the god as well considering your only other out is a chained to rocks, and that is to assume they are already up on devotion and he's already smacked you one good time.
R/x is doing it wrong if they aren't running assemblies somewhere. I've found the dragon to be easier to answer while taking longer to get running on average. Of course it depends on your removal suite.
I will probably be sleeving up various lists I have seen recently as I start to transition back into actually playing regularly again, so you should see me around here a bit more often now.
I will probably be sleeving up various lists I have seen recently as I start to transition back into actually playing regularly again, so you should see me around here a bit more often now.
Nice to see you back kamahl! I have been kinda middling around with playing lately preparing for born of the gods (hoping for more midrange support, and more disruption options) I am currently running a variant using Chandra's Phoenix right now because I am liking her recursion against control, (allows you to play phoenix drawing removal while dropping bigger threats later.) I'm not expecting the list to be overly competitive but since my skill level kind of allows me to play around with the list while still drawing a decent win/loss average I felt I'd try her out a for a couple fnm's at least.
This is my main currently. I am tweaking numbers, because I'd like to fit more draw and burn main to help with the phoenix, but I think there are enough triggers to activate the bird without weakening the removal suite. Needs work though.
I really like Stormbreath Dragon right now from just glancing at what is going on in the format. Chandra seems like somewhere I would like to explore during a period of refreshment
Speaking of which, what are your thoughts on pack rats for dega? This list for me seems right to slip them in somehow considering that I can pitch the phoenix to grow the rats then burn to return the phoenix's then rinse and repeat. Back the rats up with a couple of connections and you have a formidable early game that sets up Obzedat and Baron perfectly. I originally didn't like pack rats without mutavaults, but I could see this being an alternative to mutavaults for pack rats without losing a bunch of life to do so.
Speaking of which, what are your thoughts on pack rats for dega? This list for me seems right to slip them in somehow considering that I can pitch the phoenix to grow the rats then burn to return the phoenix's then rinse and repeat. Back the rats up with a couple of connections and you have a formidable early game that sets up Obzedat and Baron perfectly. I originally didn't like pack rats without mutavaults, but I could see this being an alternative to mutavaults for pack rats without losing a bunch of life to do so.
I wouldn't want to run Pack Rats in a deck without Mutavaults unless it's some sort of Reanimator list. In theory, you would use them to pitch dead cards against control to make tokens, but the only dead cards against control you're running are Chained to the Rocks, as you'd be using your burn spells to recur Phoenix's.
Also, spamming Pack Rats into a Supreme Verdict is not exactly the optimal play.
I am running 4 Alms beasts at this point and think its one of the better cards in the deck. An anger of the gods followed up by Alms beast is game over against alot of the green and red decks.
Bluish, what does your manabase look like? Needing early BB for Downfall, RR for Anger, and W for Chained I would be concerned about being able to play them on curve when you need to.
-Moving 2 sin collecters to the main in place of the returns
-taking Obzedat out completely
Other than that the deck seems to be just fine.
I have yet to play it with the dragons...im going to test them out today though.
My reason being, i wanted to blank as much removal as i could.
Personally I've found storm breath to be quite bad. Obzedat dodges more removal than stormbreath. I also favor elspeth over assemble in the main. Assemble is really only good against mono black. Elspeth can work as a win condition is similar fashion while being better against the field. Sin collector and rakdos return are both good against UWx and sin collector might be a little better, so I think that's a good call.
I am running 4 Alms beasts at this point and think its one of the better cards in the deck. An anger of the gods followed up by Alms beast is game over against alot of the green and red decks.
Bluish, what does your manabase look like? Needing early BB for Downfall, RR for Anger, and W for Chained I would be concerned about being able to play them on curve when you need to.
Alms beast has been an absolute monster for me. He's worse than desecration demon I feel, but together the two are absurd. He's particularly turned my mono blue matchup from my toughest to favorable.
MD Lifebane Zombie over Boros Reckoner appears to be a meta call.
No card draw in the 75 aside from a pair of Chandras main.
Elspeth over Stormbreath.
Solid list but I have a few issues. Are 9 mountains enough for CttR? Maybe cut that plains since we already have 16 sources of W and only 13 of red. Since RR is needed earlier than WW, I would not shortchange red for white mana. I'd also remove the SB sin collector or lifebane based off my assumed meta and add another wear to the deck. I always hate the 1 ofs in SBs because the true likelihood of drawing that one answer is extremely low. Get two and up those chances or just help other matchups.
Solid list but I have a few issues. Are 9 mountains enough for CttR? Maybe cut that plains since we already have 16 sources of W and only 13 of red. Since RR is needed earlier than WW, I would not shortchange red for white mana. I'd also remove the SB sin collector or lifebane based off my assumed meta and add another wear to the deck. I always hate the 1 ofs in SBs because the true likelihood of drawing that one answer is extremely low. Get two and up those chances or just help other matchups.
Seems fine, especially since that list also has 2 Keyrunes. I'm running 10 R sources (no keyrune) with the only double R being 1 Aurelia (and SB Anger) and can only remember getting screwed with Chained (I run 3) once. I'm also running 3 Magma Jets and 1 Connections for filtering though.
I started running whip in my deck so i figured I should try out obzedat again for the combo, taking out aurelia. Where is obzedat with or without whip particularly good? I figure he's probably solid against UWx because they don't have many answers to him and he can grind out a win since they like to play the long game. Does he serve any other purposes?
Standard:
UR Control
The massive amounts and variety of removal are appealing, but I don't want to run too many dead cards against control. Suggestions?
Move some of the dead removal out of the main in favor of more discard, Underworld Connections, and BBoV/Obzedat/Stormbreath Dragon
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I will probably be sleeving up various lists I have seen recently as I start to transition back into actually playing regularly again, so you should see me around here a bit more often now.
Nice to see you back kamahl! I have been kinda middling around with playing lately preparing for born of the gods (hoping for more midrange support, and more disruption options) I am currently running a variant using Chandra's Phoenix right now because I am liking her recursion against control, (allows you to play phoenix drawing removal while dropping bigger threats later.) I'm not expecting the list to be overly competitive but since my skill level kind of allows me to play around with the list while still drawing a decent win/loss average I felt I'd try her out a for a couple fnm's at least.
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2 Stormbreath Dragon
1 Obzedat, Ghost Council
3 Magma Jet
4 Hero's Downfall
2 Warleader's Helix
2 Chained to the Rocks
1 Whip of Erebos
2 Underworld Connections
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
4 Blood Crypt
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Godless Shrine
4 Temple of Triumph
3 Temple of Silence
3 Mountains
1 Swamp
1 Nykthos
This is my main currently. I am tweaking numbers, because I'd like to fit more draw and burn main to help with the phoenix, but I think there are enough triggers to activate the bird without weakening the removal suite. Needs work though.
Phoenix is pretty interesting.
I really like Stormbreath Dragon right now from just glancing at what is going on in the format. Chandra seems like somewhere I would like to explore during a period of refreshment
That is the SCG on Jan 11th right? I plan on going down but I have not decided on what to play yet.
Correct.
Im playing BRw...a very different list than what most have posted though
Post the list and some thoughts/tech/SB?
I am also looking at BRw as an archetype for the GP in Vancouver in a few weeks, not really set on a list yet though.
Key points to the white (basically splash out of the scrylands) are for Blood Baron and Chained tt Rocks
I wouldn't want to run Pack Rats in a deck without Mutavaults unless it's some sort of Reanimator list. In theory, you would use them to pitch dead cards against control to make tokens, but the only dead cards against control you're running are Chained to the Rocks, as you'd be using your burn spells to recur Phoenix's.
Also, spamming Pack Rats into a Supreme Verdict is not exactly the optimal play.
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2x Stormbreath Dragon
3x Chained tonthe Rocks
4x Thoughseize
1x Wear/Tear
3x Dreadbore
2x Magma Jet
2x Rakdos's Return
3x Anger of the Gods
3x Hero's Downfall
3x Read the Bones
1x Chandra Pyromaster
2x Warleaders Helix
2x Assemble the Legion
1x Wear/tear
3x Mizzium Mortars
1x Anger of the Gods
4x Sin Collector
2x Slaughter Games
1x Assemble the Legion
2x Obzedat, Ghost Council
1x Sire of Insanity
The only things im contemplating are
-Moving 2 sin collecters to the main in place of the returns
-taking Obzedat out completely
Other than that the deck seems to be just fine.
I have yet to play it with the dragons...im going to test them out today though.
My reason being, i wanted to blank as much removal as i could.
Why not just cut the Wear/Tear and Chandra (she's not so good in this build where you have alot of situational removal) instead of the Returns?
I can vouch for Dragon being good, but you don't want more than 2-3 as it's not good against mono-black.
I would try and squeeze in a few Pithing Needles in the board, I find it to be a versatile answer for a wide range of problems.
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Bluish, what does your manabase look like? Needing early BB for Downfall, RR for Anger, and W for Chained I would be concerned about being able to play them on curve when you need to.
My mana base is
8 temple
12 shocks
3 mountain
2 swamp
I havent had any color issues
I top 8d this open trial today and yeah, dragon is a fine addition.
Personally I've found storm breath to be quite bad. Obzedat dodges more removal than stormbreath. I also favor elspeth over assemble in the main. Assemble is really only good against mono black. Elspeth can work as a win condition is similar fashion while being better against the field. Sin collector and rakdos return are both good against UWx and sin collector might be a little better, so I think that's a good call.
Alms beast has been an absolute monster for me. He's worse than desecration demon I feel, but together the two are absurd. He's particularly turned my mono blue matchup from my toughest to favorable.
Stormbreath has been awesome for me and sin collecter is awesome right now and i love them in the main
MD Lifebane Zombie over Boros Reckoner appears to be a meta call.
No card draw in the 75 aside from a pair of Chandras main.
Elspeth over Stormbreath.
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Solid list but I have a few issues. Are 9 mountains enough for CttR? Maybe cut that plains since we already have 16 sources of W and only 13 of red. Since RR is needed earlier than WW, I would not shortchange red for white mana. I'd also remove the SB sin collector or lifebane based off my assumed meta and add another wear to the deck. I always hate the 1 ofs in SBs because the true likelihood of drawing that one answer is extremely low. Get two and up those chances or just help other matchups.
Seems fine, especially since that list also has 2 Keyrunes. I'm running 10 R sources (no keyrune) with the only double R being 1 Aurelia (and SB Anger) and can only remember getting screwed with Chained (I run 3) once. I'm also running 3 Magma Jets and 1 Connections for filtering though.
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Whip seems useless in the deck to me though