As a note, I haven't the slightest idea what should go into the sideboard, or if a sideboard would even be helpful, honestly. The engine is super-tight, and the only thing I could possibly see being boarded out are the Filigree Familiars. Any ideas considering that fast aggro, removal and Lost Legacy are the bulk of what we're up against? Midrange beatdown ain't a thing, as they REALLY need to kill you before turn 5 so that you can't get irrecoverable life gain amounts online. I won a game after my opponent resolved three(!) Emrakuls, for instance.
I have been running a list really similar to the above for the past week or so. Has a good deal of success, but I have some changes.
The 0 drop artifacts (Cathar's Shield, Bone Saw) are absolute garbage that do nothing to further your gameplan outside of an extra cast trigger. We can do better. Since we're going to hopefully be casting artifacts at reduced cost, there are some better options for sure.
Hedron Archive seems expensive at 4, but if you're going off, it pays for itself after the initial casting cost. It can dig for a few more cards in a pinch, and ramps you for subsequent turns if you can't finish the job, almost always assuring you WILL finish them the next turn if you're close at all. Also of note, 2 Archives and a Prophetic Prism can get you a cast of Paradoxical Outcome without tapping a single land which should almost always win you the game.
Filigree Familiar is getting a lot of hype (rightfully so) in an emerge shell, but does some serious work here. It's often a 2 drop, one drop or or free, and is the best roadblock available. If they want to get through it, you get a free card, which is exactly where this deck wants to be. The life gain on ETB can be a literal lifesaver, or give you the edge you need to get over 50. Just a great card all around.
Other minor tweaks that are by no means necessary: I'm running a Torrential Gearhulk as a one of. Flashing back an outcome with a free trigger is great, and sometimes cheaper than normal if you have a few Foundry Inspectors out. It also bounces itself on the flashback, allowing you an extra draw/2nd flashback if necessary (lol if you haven't won after casting Paradoxical Outcome three times though). You probably don't want more than one though.
Inventor's Fair has been insanely underwhelming. I went down to one since the legend rule makes hitting multiples really bad, and switched it out for a single Geier Reach Sanitarium for a bit of extra filtering.
It's a fun deck, but gets shut down very easily (any discard, removal in multiples or, God forbid, Lost Legacy targeting Paradoxical Outcome). I'll definitely be sleeving this up for an FNM or two.
As a note, I played out a game to the logical extreme and got to 4500+ life on turn 6, not even seeing my 3rd and 4th Aetherflux Reservoir until the last 10 cards of the library. Feels good, man.
Had a pretty respectable showing with a Thermo-Thing list at FNM (2-1, loss to BW control) and gameday (4-0, cut to single elimination top 8, lost to a weird 4 color walker deck)
I have a horrible, horrible time beating anything planeswalker heavy. Boarding in some Negates and Goldnight Castigators is good, but just doesn't seem like enough. Basically everything coming in at 4 loyalty to get barely out of range for Collective Defiance or Incendiary Flow is just ball-busting. How are you guys handling planeswalker based builds?
I will remove a Goldnight Castigator as well from the sideboard
I was super-skeptical about 3 Castigators in the board, but after dropping some on turn 4 against U/R Eldrazi and GB Delirium, I can safely say that the card Just Wins Games in a matchup against a slower deck.
What do you all think of Primal Druid as a two drop?
I've been messing around with 4 of him and 4 Jaddi Offshoot, and have been having a lot better luck against the faster decks that are popular in my area. They can usually hold off some of the first turns of attacks, which can make all of the difference with this deck. If not, the druid can at least get a block in and then you have a delayed Rampant Growth with a chump block to boot.
It should be noted that it is totally useless against the new Spirits deck/anything with a lot of early fliers, but that's what sideboarding in Rending Volley/Spatial Contortion is for.
In all honesty, if I wanted something other than a janxy FNM deck, I would ignore Primal Surge entirely and just run WRR. But Surge is just so Timmyriffic, I want something based around it.
Craterhoof Behemoth is a musthave for this deck. No reason not to have him in, as everything that hits the board is coming in for stupid amounts with trample. (And if Urabrask is there everything has haste as well)
UW Humans
Delver Tempo
UB Zombies
Wolf Run Ramp
GR Aggro
Roughly in that order, but it's wide open and anything can win it on a given day I would say. The pilot choosing based on their personal style seems like the best way to go in this meta.
I really see no reason to go GW if you're banking on Mirrian/Angelic/Swords to win when WU just synergizes so much better with St. Traft and Moorland Haunt. I really don't understand how dropping manadorks with G is preferable to help you if your wincon is slapping something on a Crusader when U just flat out gives you better, more resilient options.
Yep, this is basically GR aggro (check the G/x subforum in developing).
As a note on the deck at hand, Koth looks realbad here with only 7 mountains, and the Contagion Engine looks out of place with nothing to proliferate other than the counters it gives from hitting the board/planeswalker loyalty/Ooze.
from my experience, my vision of the game changes completely when i realize why i should use a Llanowar Elves instead of add another Forest.
In a similar vein, I felt I really "got" Magic once I realized when Llanowar Elves are better/worse than a Birds of Paradise in a given situation. I suppose this boils down to context.
Multiple people in my meta run 4 Gravecrawlers and some zombie shenanigans or Burning Vengance, and RSZ to exile them for 2 mana sends them fuming each time.
The 0 drop artifacts (Cathar's Shield, Bone Saw) are absolute garbage that do nothing to further your gameplan outside of an extra cast trigger. We can do better. Since we're going to hopefully be casting artifacts at reduced cost, there are some better options for sure.
Hedron Archive seems expensive at 4, but if you're going off, it pays for itself after the initial casting cost. It can dig for a few more cards in a pinch, and ramps you for subsequent turns if you can't finish the job, almost always assuring you WILL finish them the next turn if you're close at all. Also of note, 2 Archives and a Prophetic Prism can get you a cast of Paradoxical Outcome without tapping a single land which should almost always win you the game.
Filigree Familiar is getting a lot of hype (rightfully so) in an emerge shell, but does some serious work here. It's often a 2 drop, one drop or or free, and is the best roadblock available. If they want to get through it, you get a free card, which is exactly where this deck wants to be. The life gain on ETB can be a literal lifesaver, or give you the edge you need to get over 50. Just a great card all around.
Other minor tweaks that are by no means necessary: I'm running a Torrential Gearhulk as a one of. Flashing back an outcome with a free trigger is great, and sometimes cheaper than normal if you have a few Foundry Inspectors out. It also bounces itself on the flashback, allowing you an extra draw/2nd flashback if necessary (lol if you haven't won after casting Paradoxical Outcome three times though). You probably don't want more than one though.
Inventor's Fair has been insanely underwhelming. I went down to one since the legend rule makes hitting multiples really bad, and switched it out for a single Geier Reach Sanitarium for a bit of extra filtering.
It's a fun deck, but gets shut down very easily (any discard, removal in multiples or, God forbid, Lost Legacy targeting Paradoxical Outcome). I'll definitely be sleeving this up for an FNM or two.
As a note, I played out a game to the logical extreme and got to 4500+ life on turn 6, not even seeing my 3rd and 4th Aetherflux Reservoir until the last 10 cards of the library. Feels good, man.
4 Herald of Kozilek
4 Foundry Inspector
4 Filigree Familiar
1 Torrential Gearhulk
4 Paradoxical Outcome
4 Hedron Archive
4 Prophetic Prism
4 Metalspinner's Puzzleknot
4 Spirebluff Canals
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
4 Mountain
10 Island
I have a horrible, horrible time beating anything planeswalker heavy. Boarding in some Negates and Goldnight Castigators is good, but just doesn't seem like enough. Basically everything coming in at 4 loyalty to get barely out of range for Collective Defiance or Incendiary Flow is just ball-busting. How are you guys handling planeswalker based builds?
I was super-skeptical about 3 Castigators in the board, but after dropping some on turn 4 against U/R Eldrazi and GB Delirium, I can safely say that the card Just Wins Games in a matchup against a slower deck.
I've been messing around with 4 of him and 4 Jaddi Offshoot, and have been having a lot better luck against the faster decks that are popular in my area. They can usually hold off some of the first turns of attacks, which can make all of the difference with this deck. If not, the druid can at least get a block in and then you have a delayed Rampant Growth with a chump block to boot.
It turns the early game into less rampy, and more survival for the first 4-5 turn, but you can usually turn the tide going from Explosive Vegetation into a Chandra, Flamecaller or Dragonlord Atarka. Chandra can even do a board wipe on a few of these to help you ramp into an Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger or Emrakul, the Promised End.
It should be noted that it is totally useless against the new Spirits deck/anything with a lot of early fliers, but that's what sideboarding in Rending Volley/Spatial Contortion is for.
Because you're going to be ramping up instead of attacking early, and once you drop Primal Surge, you should be ending the game immediately?
UW Humans
Delver Tempo
UB Zombies
Wolf Run Ramp
GR Aggro
Roughly in that order, but it's wide open and anything can win it on a given day I would say. The pilot choosing based on their personal style seems like the best way to go in this meta.
As a note on the deck at hand, Koth looks realbad here with only 7 mountains, and the Contagion Engine looks out of place with nothing to proliferate other than the counters it gives from hitting the board/planeswalker loyalty/Ooze.
In a similar vein, I felt I really "got" Magic once I realized when Llanowar Elves are better/worse than a Birds of Paradise in a given situation. I suppose this boils down to context.
12 Mountain
6 Forest
4 Copperline Gorge
Creature:
3 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Stromkirk Noble
2 Hellrider
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Strangleroot Geist
2 Grim Lavamancer
3 Incinerate
3 Galvanic Blast
2 Ancient Grudge
Sorcery:
3 Faithless Looting
2 Whipflare
4 Arc Trail
Artifact:
3 Shrine of Burning Rage
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Red Sun's Zenith
2 Slagstorm
4 Act of Treason
1 Combust
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Vulshok Refugee