I am not sure cutting Spring is ever correct with this variant. I haven't missed it though so I am not sure whether I should put it back in or not. I really like Compass, but having three in the deck always felt clunky and the card I cut it for -- Unferi #2 -- does a lot more for me.
You are definitely right about needing the 3rd Fumigate in the MD. I don't know what your meta is like, but I've got a lot of decks going low and wide as hard and fast as they can so cutting a wrath just feels super wrong to me. And this is why I am not comfortable about cutting Spring -- if your oppo has Shalai your Settles are dead (especially if he's smart enough to hold it back and keep is away from your seals), so you need to Spring on T3 into Fumigate on T4 (hopefully). And cutting a Spring makes that less likely.
My board is pretty much all over the place too, but the core pieces are the same as yours.
[card]3 Negate
3 Lyra
1 Nezahal (I really like this card)
2 Desert's Hold
3 Naturalize (there are no many good targets for this right now)
1 Unferi
2 Flex[/card]
The flex slot could be a lot of things. It rally depends on what looks like it's problematic as the meta evolves. Right now I like Spyglass, another Binding and Commit//Memory. I also think we may want more GY hate. The R and RU GPG deck can be very fast and it can win out of nowhere.
There's a 5-0 list from yesterday that is interesting. It's quite different from Davis. There are a few weird decisions in the list like the Grow from the Ashes and the Hostile Desert, but I've always been fond of the Gift of Paradise.
i'll definitely keep all that stuff in mind. i do like spyglass too. just need to find the ones i have. i like your reasonings behind things too. thanks! i've been testing blink of an eye instead of essence scatter and seem to like it a lot.
i have been thinking of axing search for azcanta. i seem to be siding it out in a lot of matchups and i know that it's helpful but i feel like there's better options out there. but that might be wrong. still new to this deck (and standard in general).
Thanks!
I'm going to test Blink in those slots too. I'm not super excited about Scatter. Even if your oppo knows you have them, they probably know you don't have many so it's never the right play to worry about them. You just go hard and try to get there and if they have one of their two scatters then they do. The math says you gamble, so you do. besides...the mono W player I lost to on Monday was running Sram's Expertise into the Benalish dude so I couldn't counter him even if I wanted to. If I was going to run MD counters I'd have to look at Negate, Disallow or Syncopate. I think we have enough board management for the creatures anyway.
I'd keep the SfA. We have very little to do on T2 and scrying every turn has helped my mana development or helped me find key pieces. You may want to side it out against Aggro, but I think you want to keep in in the deck.
you could have countered the dude if you did have the counter in your hand. expertise says cast so you could have still countered it.
i just really like the bounce so far. played a few matches on mtgo and it made your opp do weird blocks. played against a bw vamps deck that had a lot of control elements in it. i brought in carnage tyrant as a threat he couldn't touch and he triple blocked with a radiant destiny out, hoping to kill it. i bounced the destiny and destroyed him.
i agree on the counters. i really feel like we don't need those main board. i don't mind holding up 4 mana for blink/cast out/seal away but feel like most games we can answer with our mainboard threats.
ended up doing awful today at standard showdown, no point really going over it. Main thing could be that I've barely played standard past few months except when needed to fill a trios slot for standard.
one thing I really struggled with was sideboarding, can I get help with a few lists and sideboarding guides please?
played a 12 person PPTQ today, 5 rounds cut to top 4. went 2-2-1.
round 1 lost 1-2 to GR monsters/stompy/dinos. kept stupid hand game 1, got there game 2 and he was too fast game 3
01
round 2 I beat UB midraneg 2-1. Game 1 he couldn't do much due to not really having answers in the main. Game 2 was tight but scarab god is a good card. game 3 I was able to dig for second sun too much and he couldn't get the negate for the second copy of second sun
1-1
round 3 I make a quick 2-0 of UW GPG. She didn't have any answers to second sun.I was able to get a second copy off azcanta just for safe measures so I could spend tow turns in a row casting it. Game 2 she tried to be too cute with fraying sanity trying to mill me. she milled over a few copies of second sun but I used the memory end of commit//memory to recycle my library after casting out the sanity. after casting spells to establish she didn't have counters, I went all in on the win con and was rewarded
2-1
round 4 I lost 0-2 to uw gpg again. game 1 I probably punted because I decided to get greedy with second sun instead of leaving settle up. he had a ballista with a lot of counters on it and mana open but for some reason I didn't catch the line. he brought me from like 23 to 0 that turn. pretty bad punt. game 2 i lost a tight game when he countered my second sun that would have been the win for me then killed me on the back swing
round 5 I drew it. top 4 was clean cut so I didn't really have reason to to. plus it was the mirror and the guy was a notorious slow player,so the headach wasn't really worth the effort
I find I probably played fine, minus the bad hand game 1 of round round and the ballista incident. second time playing standard in a non trios event in maybe 2 months, first standard pptq in this format so I probably just need t keep putting work in for nationals in a month
For creatures of recommend 2 shalai, 2 glyph keeper and 1 nezahal, for spells negates are good and 2 sorcerous spyglasses can't hurt.
If you can get shalai out then next turn drop G keeper it's pretty much game over, they both fly, you can protect shalai with counters and as far as I know UB only runs spot removal, no mass removal so they are sol.
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For creatures of recommend 2 shalai, 2 glyph keeper and 1 nezahal, for spells negates are good and 2 sorcerous spyglasses can't hurt.
If you can get shalai out then next turn drop G keeper it's pretty much game over, they both fly, you can protect shalai with counters and as far as I know UB only runs spot removal, no mass removal so they are sol.
I really like that, thanks for the recommendations
Hey all, I've been jamming some UW approach in prep for the upcoming RPTQ's. Went 4-1 last night in a competitive league with a very early 1st draft of this:
My history with approach decks goes WAY back so I'm not new to the arch type.
Matches:
Vs Esper Control 2-1 Win
Vs RB aggro 0-2 Loss
Vs Mono Red Aggro 2-0 Win (This match up is the reason I'm honing in on approach)
Vs BW Benalia 2-0 Win
Vs Esper Control 2-0 Win
My Innovation was/has been the 7 desert package and 14 cycling cards in my opening 60. Censor is a card that has gone up in value for me. A lot of decks tap out often, so a card like Censor is flexible. It doubles up as soft permission and helps the deck hit its land drops. The entire cycling component of the deck helps you dig for your answers and win conditions. I was very impressed with how smooth the deck ran last night.
The Mirror matches are often decided by decking in G1. With 7 Deserts, you can patiently wait for your opponent to answer your threats and bait them.
Threats/Win Cons:
3x Teferi
1 Geahulk
2 approach
Taxing your opponents permission suite plays into your G1 plan of decking. Exhaust their permission, let them draw cards and wait until you've amassed 4-7Deserts; then execute the plan. Mill them for a potential 28.
In control mirrors on mtgo I am 6-0. I'm confident that this works. After board it always gets harder against Esper and UB but unlike a few seasons ago UW actually has good cards to bring in:
Any updates to your testing? Planning on running something similar to your list for the upcoming RPTQ since as you said it's solid against red and control, which is exactly where I want to be.
There are a lot of new goodies for U/W players, however, I didn't get a chance to take a good look yet and am busy since I have to leave for store championships soon, so I'll have to continue this another day. One of the good news is that Essence Scatter got reprinted so it will continue to live on past September which may be key in this deck.
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Personally, I haven't seen ANYTHING in 19 that I like as an upgrade to the deck. I'll run Cleansing Nova once Fumigate rotates, but that's about it for me. Here's to hoping Azorius is strong in RtRtR.
Unless we get something new at rotation, I don't hate Arcane Encyclopedia for repeated card draw. Abrade rotates, too, so mainboard artifact hate should go away.
I'm running Brad Nelson's list from PT Dominaria on MTG Arena and doing well with it, my only question is, what do I bring the History of Benalias in against?
Just want to say I still hate Approach decks!!! hehe I just went 3-1 for FNM (We have standard on Wednesdays at my LGS)
I think I've only ever managed to beat an approach deck once.... I was one win away from taking the whole prize pool! damn approach. I was even using my good old Temur Energy deck to great success... damn approach
Unless we get something new at rotation, I don't hate Arcane Encyclopedia for repeated card draw. Abrade rotates, too, so mainboard artifact hate should go away.
This deck doesn't live past rotation due to losing approach itself. It will need a different win condition in September.
As for the encyclopedia it could be used in a control shell for sure, also it's amazing in limited.
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you could have countered the dude if you did have the counter in your hand. expertise says cast so you could have still countered it.
i just really like the bounce so far. played a few matches on mtgo and it made your opp do weird blocks. played against a bw vamps deck that had a lot of control elements in it. i brought in carnage tyrant as a threat he couldn't touch and he triple blocked with a radiant destiny out, hoping to kill it. i bounced the destiny and destroyed him.
i agree on the counters. i really feel like we don't need those main board. i don't mind holding up 4 mana for blink/cast out/seal away but feel like most games we can answer with our mainboard threats.
one thing I really struggled with was sideboarding, can I get help with a few lists and sideboarding guides please?
I need a UW Control player (not Approach) to PM me.
Thanks!
-- Lugger
round 1 lost 1-2 to GR monsters/stompy/dinos. kept stupid hand game 1, got there game 2 and he was too fast game 3
01
round 2 I beat UB midraneg 2-1. Game 1 he couldn't do much due to not really having answers in the main. Game 2 was tight but scarab god is a good card. game 3 I was able to dig for second sun too much and he couldn't get the negate for the second copy of second sun
1-1
round 3 I make a quick 2-0 of UW GPG. She didn't have any answers to second sun.I was able to get a second copy off azcanta just for safe measures so I could spend tow turns in a row casting it. Game 2 she tried to be too cute with fraying sanity trying to mill me. she milled over a few copies of second sun but I used the memory end of commit//memory to recycle my library after casting out the sanity. after casting spells to establish she didn't have counters, I went all in on the win con and was rewarded
2-1
round 4 I lost 0-2 to uw gpg again. game 1 I probably punted because I decided to get greedy with second sun instead of leaving settle up. he had a ballista with a lot of counters on it and mana open but for some reason I didn't catch the line. he brought me from like 23 to 0 that turn. pretty bad punt. game 2 i lost a tight game when he countered my second sun that would have been the win for me then killed me on the back swing
round 5 I drew it. top 4 was clean cut so I didn't really have reason to to. plus it was the mirror and the guy was a notorious slow player,so the headach wasn't really worth the effort
I find I probably played fine, minus the bad hand game 1 of round round and the ballista incident. second time playing standard in a non trios event in maybe 2 months, first standard pptq in this format so I probably just need t keep putting work in for nationals in a month
C Long Live Eldrazi C
What is your sideboard and what do you side in and out when playing against UB, without this information we can't help you.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
For creatures of recommend 2 shalai, 2 glyph keeper and 1 nezahal, for spells negates are good and 2 sorcerous spyglasses can't hurt.
If you can get shalai out then next turn drop G keeper it's pretty much game over, they both fly, you can protect shalai with counters and as far as I know UB only runs spot removal, no mass removal so they are sol.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
I really like that, thanks for the recommendations
1 Torrential Gearhulk
Planeswalkers (3)
3 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
Spells (19)
3 Censor
4 Disallow
3 Glimmer of Genius
2 Hieroglyphic Illumination
3 Settle the Wreckage
2 Fumigate
2 Approach of the Second Sun
Enchantments (11)
4 Seal Away
2 Search for Azcanta
2 Desert's Hold
3 Cast Out
1 Desert of the Mindful
1 Desert of the True
2 Field of Ruin
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Ipnu Rivulet
4 Irrigated Farmland
3 Island
6 Plains
1 Shefet Dunes
3 Aether Meltdown
3 Negate
3 History of Benalia
2 Ixalan's Binding
2 Lyra Dawnbringer
2 Torrential Gearhulk
My history with approach decks goes WAY back so I'm not new to the arch type.
Matches:
Vs Esper Control 2-1 Win
Vs RB aggro 0-2 Loss
Vs Mono Red Aggro 2-0 Win (This match up is the reason I'm honing in on approach)
Vs BW Benalia 2-0 Win
Vs Esper Control 2-0 Win
My Innovation was/has been the 7 desert package and 14 cycling cards in my opening 60. Censor is a card that has gone up in value for me. A lot of decks tap out often, so a card like Censor is flexible. It doubles up as soft permission and helps the deck hit its land drops. The entire cycling component of the deck helps you dig for your answers and win conditions. I was very impressed with how smooth the deck ran last night.
The Mirror matches are often decided by decking in G1. With 7 Deserts, you can patiently wait for your opponent to answer your threats and bait them.
Threats/Win Cons:
3x Teferi
1 Geahulk
2 approach
Taxing your opponents permission suite plays into your G1 plan of decking. Exhaust their permission, let them draw cards and wait until you've amassed 4-7Deserts; then execute the plan. Mill them for a potential 28.
In control mirrors on mtgo I am 6-0. I'm confident that this works. After board it always gets harder against Esper and UB but unlike a few seasons ago UW actually has good cards to bring in:
History of Benalia
Gearhulks
Lyra
Bindings
I had a nutty draw last night that saw me draw all 3 Saga's in my opening hand. That match ended quickly.
As referenced earlier in this post, this is a firsr draft. Early testing is going well.
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now:
G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record)
C Eldrazi Tron (9-5)
UG Infect
RW Burn
UBRWGHumansUBRWG
UMerfolkU
Eldrazi Tron
Legacy
WDeath & TaxesW
Pauper
RGoblinsR
EDH
UGMerfolk ComboGU
Standard
UWApproachWU
There are a lot of new goodies for U/W players, however, I didn't get a chance to take a good look yet and am busy since I have to leave for store championships soon, so I'll have to continue this another day. One of the good news is that Essence Scatter got reprinted so it will continue to live on past September which may be key in this deck.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11439737#post11439737
Reality is only what man allows it to be. Few shape it so that many may accept it.
I think I've only ever managed to beat an approach deck once.... I was one win away from taking the whole prize pool! damn approach. I was even using my good old Temur Energy deck to great success... damn approach
This deck doesn't live past rotation due to losing approach itself. It will need a different win condition in September.
As for the encyclopedia it could be used in a control shell for sure, also it's amazing in limited.
Check out my Youtube channel where I upload MTG content videos twice a week!
Mtg Lifestyle