First of all I made it clear this was a rant, which is defined as "to complain in an way that is unreasonable" and I just wanted to get it off my chest, so I'm not sure what you were expecting, I even put a warning in the beginning of the post. Also to address a few of the lovely comments, I never claimed I created the deck, all credit goes to Conley who I initially saw this strategy from around BotG was released, I just made a number of adjustments and have been testing a bunch of different versions on cockatrice. I didn't mean ari lax stole my deck either, simply that he used the g/b dredge archetype no doubt played by a number of people, including conley. My complaint was merely that ari's top finish just brought it to a big spotlight, as it can never be a tier 1 deck because sideboard tech hates it out too much, as I said I can't devote too many resources into magic and I can't just whip up whatever deck is the flavor of the month to beat the current meta, which pros like ari can, and once they use it for a weekend and exploit they shift to a new deck I simply can't do. It was just nice to be using a unique deck I had put a lot of work into an spent a lot of time building due to my limited resources, and now the deck I've been building and testing is substantially harder to play competitively at FNM, because part of what made it good was the surprise factor. Now that that's addressed let's let this go die in the elephant graveyard of threads.
Before we start, let me just warn you. This is a rant, I just really needed to get this off my chest because it really pissed me off. And yes I'm aware I sound like a huge Hipster. alright, start rant (you've been warned) also sorry if this is in the wrong format.
Yeah I hate ari for taking advantage of this deck and screwing me over. He used a deck I have been tuning and testing for months based on Conley's strategy and took a tournament by surprise, which made the deck known to everyone, now not only do people understand better thanks to his article explaining the whole thing, but other people at my LGS are netdecking it. Now whenever I play it people don't say "cool deck", they say "oh your playing the ari list, I see" Even though I have been testing and tuning for months. Especially because if people see the deck as a threat at all, they can devote one or two sb slots to rest in peace or incursion, which never would have happened before ari. Now because of ari and all the other people who net decked his list, people at my LGS actually play sb against me that completely screw over the strategy. Mostly I'm just angry be use I'm a fairly poor player and putting this deck deck together took a long time, and now that it's finally complete ari brought it to everyone's attention. He got in, and used the deck for the surprise factor, wrote a smarmy article on it and then discarded it after ruining. Thanks ari. / end rant phew that feels better.
I think it's meh right now but in the future if BG/x gets more popular then this may see play.
On the argument of "dies to devour flesh or verdict"....
If you verdict this guys, go ahead that's just one less answer a UW/x control deck has to answer my stormbreath. As for devour flesh, it's not allways devour hits what it wants. To be honest if you're playing this guy on the field by himself, you're probably already losing at that point.
I myself am speculating on this card, currently at 15 copies sitting in my investment binder. Hoping to see this guy be around 5-10 dollars next set(s).
Yeah I was speculating on him too. I thought he could be good post rotation, or maybe even with the b/g scryland at the end of this standard season. Then they go and print it in a duel deck. >.<
Is Pyrewild Shaman worth any thought? It's a 3 mana 3/1 that Phoenix's. If it had flying or haste, definitely, but as it is, it could still be okay. Extra dude or repeatable pump spell. Worth a try?
Maybe after rotation. At this point there are better creature to be playing for that slot. The problem is, when he is really good, you should be winning anyway. To bloodrush and return to your hand in one turn you need 5 mana. Or you bloodrush it turn 2 and return it turn 3 and you have missed playing a 2 and 3 drop. I think he is just too slow at this point but I will be sure to test him before I rule it out.
Here's the list I'm currently running, it does pretty well at my local gameshop and I would like to acquire two more Boros Reckoner and two Thundermaw Hellkite. Apart from that, I might make a few small modifications. Thoughts?
Better Teysa, maybe change p/t and mana cost but keep ability, maybe a 1/3 for black white and two colorless, it would make her pretty good and stay flavorful (she is a cripple after all, wtf is this 4/4 pro creature bull****). Old teysa was great, new teysa is..... Underwhelming.
Not quite sure I understand this fully, will this be returned to the battlefield along with your creatures after being blinked, or will it return your creatures and stay exiled? I'm pretty sure it's the first one but I'm not entirely confident.
Probably will put him in my Lazav EDH, but he just seems so inadequate. Compared to Nemesis of Reason, he has far worst stats and has to connect, rather than just attack. Maybe if he had hexproof, costed less or had better stats I would like him more, but he just seems so underpowered.
Lingering souls is certainly a very powerful card in standard at the moment, but what will happen when it rotates? It certainly sees play in some older formats. The main question is, will the demand be enough that after a year or so after dark ascension is no longer printed that the price will go up. What are your thoughts? Will it increase after a while? Fall out of favor and decrease?
I see where you're coming from, but in my meta I generally only want to target creature heavy decks, since I know people who run very creature light decks. It's generally better to mill the right person, rather than everybody.
Also, I put in leyline of anticipation, I just haven't updated the list.
GRUUL CHARM!!!! RAAARRRRRR. JK, I think it's either Boros or Azorius. Boros is so versatile and back breaking when played against a T4 Supreme verdict, but Azorius is pretty amazing as well.
I'm having trouble with my RDW sideboard right now. It does pretty well against most matchups, but I really have trouble with Esper Control and Jund Midrange. What are some good sideboard suggestions? I'm thinking 1 or 2 Pithing Needle against Esper, that way you name Nephalia Drownyard and shut down their win con. Also 1 or 2 Archwing Dragon. He dodges Supreme Verdict (my biggest problem right now), as well as Detention Sphere, and keeps beating when I don't really need the mana for anything.
Yeah I hate ari for taking advantage of this deck and screwing me over. He used a deck I have been tuning and testing for months based on Conley's strategy and took a tournament by surprise, which made the deck known to everyone, now not only do people understand better thanks to his article explaining the whole thing, but other people at my LGS are netdecking it. Now whenever I play it people don't say "cool deck", they say "oh your playing the ari list, I see" Even though I have been testing and tuning for months. Especially because if people see the deck as a threat at all, they can devote one or two sb slots to rest in peace or incursion, which never would have happened before ari. Now because of ari and all the other people who net decked his list, people at my LGS actually play sb against me that completely screw over the strategy. Mostly I'm just angry be use I'm a fairly poor player and putting this deck deck together took a long time, and now that it's finally complete ari brought it to everyone's attention. He got in, and used the deck for the surprise factor, wrote a smarmy article on it and then discarded it after ruining. Thanks ari. / end rant phew that feels better.
Yeah I was speculating on him too. I thought he could be good post rotation, or maybe even with the b/g scryland at the end of this standard season. Then they go and print it in a duel deck. >.<
Maybe after rotation. At this point there are better creature to be playing for that slot. The problem is, when he is really good, you should be winning anyway. To bloodrush and return to your hand in one turn you need 5 mana. Or you bloodrush it turn 2 and return it turn 3 and you have missed playing a 2 and 3 drop. I think he is just too slow at this point but I will be sure to test him before I rule it out.
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
2 Stonewright
4 Burning-tree Emmisary
3 Lightning Mauler
4 Ash Zealot
2 Boros Reckoner
2 Pyreheart Wold
4 Hellrider
3 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Brimston Volley
Lands:
21 Mountain
1 Hellion Crucible
4 Reckless Waif
2 Volcanic Strength
2 Mizzium Mortars
2 Legion Loyalist
2 Zealous Conscripts
3 Skullcrack
Censor Evasion Warning -ISB
I see where you're coming from, but in my meta I generally only want to target creature heavy decks, since I know people who run very creature light decks. It's generally better to mill the right person, rather than everybody.
Also, I put in leyline of anticipation, I just haven't updated the list.