I actually yanked the Eldrazi titans because they're really unfun to play against. Archetype of Endurance is obviously an auto-in, and I will be testing both new gods. One thing I've thought about...is Mana Reflection really needed? We don't really need more than six mana (though more is obviously nice), and I was thinking of replacing it with Karametra to add to the fat density while maintaining most of the deck's functionality.
A week from Sunday, I'll probably do the BNG decklist update.
I'm not sure if I like Karametra in the deck actually - the ramp only happens if you cast a creature. That doesn't seem to happen often in my games, heh.
What do we think of Aura Shards in place of, say, Krosan Grip? Or Aura Shards at all, really.
I do like Aura Shards a lot, and I've been trying to get one locally for my Mayael deck.
Btw, how do I tweak the deck for 1v1? I really like what Mayael does, but it seems like she only works well in a multiplayer game - where people ignore me till I get enough mana.
Round 1 I won 2-0 against the mirror
Round 2 I won 2-0 against the mirror (putting me into 22nd place out of 714)
Round 3 I lost 1-2 to mono black
Round 4 I won 2-0 against RDW
Round 5 I played some close games with White Weenie splash red, but he won the die roll so I lost the match 1-2
Round 6 I played UW Control and lost 1-2
Due to weather I left the tournament with a score of 3-3, putting me in 247th place as I left.
I have a largely similar list except for the Baneslayer Angel and Avacyn... and was wondering if I should swap out Domri Rade and maybe True Conviction (which seems like a win-more) to Isochron Scepter and Worldly Tutor?
Your plan is basically 2-for-1ing yourself, and that doesn't seem ideal. If you're playing Grixis, then you'd have access to way better answers like Doom Blade, Hero's Downfall or even Ultimate Price.
What would you take out for Thragtusk? Relics? I'm thinking of trying two in my sideboard as well, and Relics seem to be the most inconsequential cards in the matchups I'd want to bring Thragtusk in.
Pretty stock MD. Negate and Thragtusk are kind of strange in the SB. I'm not sure if it's actually very good, but it's definitely different. Feel you'd lose something when you lose the shock factor, though.
Primer updated with the Infect matchup. Any additional thoughts on anything (the Infect MU, the Primer itself) are as always welcome.
I think Negate was there mainly for Sowing Salt (noticed no Slaughter Games in the 75), but also to function as a catch-all against other combo decks. Thragtusk is a strange card in here indeed, but it is actually very easily cast with four Prophetic Prism and the other green sources. The life gain from that could be useful against faster aggro decks, and in bad situations where we somehow cannot assemble Tron, comes down one turn earlier compared to Wurmcoil.
Maindecked Gloom Surgeons are interesting, and so is the sire. With Griselbrand, Sire and the surgeons, does decking yourself become a problem?
Maindecked Gloom Surgeon is a metacall, and it does a lot of work in one where aggro is prevalent. Most players will also use their removal on this roadblock, thereby paving the way for my Vampire Nighthawk to stick around as the second roadblock at 3 CMC. If they use a second removal on Vampire Nighthawk, the coast is usually clear for my Crypt Ghast to stick around and let me do insane things with Griselbrand
Sire of Insanity would likely come in against control cards, where Gloom Surgeon would not feature so I don't think it matters that much.
I think you have 2 too many Griselbrands in there.
I'd disagree actually - with 4 Crypt Ghasts in the maindeck, a turn 5 Griselbrand is very likely. That's why I play 4 Griselbrands to maximise the possibility of that happening.
It's pretty much an anti-creature deck in the maindeck, which I think is a correct meta-call in my local LGS. Post-board, I have a lot of answers to control decks, as well as the third Pillar of Flame to deal with decks playing VoRs, and Curse of Death's Hold and Tragic Slips for Aristocrat-ish decks.
I'm not sure if I like Karametra in the deck actually - the ramp only happens if you cast a creature. That doesn't seem to happen often in my games, heh.
I do like Aura Shards a lot, and I've been trying to get one locally for my Mayael deck.
Btw, how do I tweak the deck for 1v1? I really like what Mayael does, but it seems like she only works well in a multiplayer game - where people ignore me till I get enough mana.
What does Pay No Heed come in for?
Your plan is basically 2-for-1ing yourself, and that doesn't seem ideal. If you're playing Grixis, then you'd have access to way better answers like Doom Blade, Hero's Downfall or even Ultimate Price.
I think Negate was there mainly for Sowing Salt (noticed no Slaughter Games in the 75), but also to function as a catch-all against other combo decks. Thragtusk is a strange card in here indeed, but it is actually very easily cast with four Prophetic Prism and the other green sources. The life gain from that could be useful against faster aggro decks, and in bad situations where we somehow cannot assemble Tron, comes down one turn earlier compared to Wurmcoil.
1x Eye of Ugin
1x Forest
1x Ghost Quarter
4x Grove of the Burnwillows
4x Urza's Mine
4x Urza's Power Plant
4x Urza's Tower
1x Yavimaya Coast
Creature (4)
1x Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
3x Wurmcoil Engine
4x Chromatic Star
4x Expedition Map
4x Oblivion Stone
4x Prophetic Prism
4x Relic of Progenitus
Sorcery (12)
4x Ancient Stirrings
4x Pyroclasm
4x Sylvan Scrying
Planeswalker (4)
4x Karn Liberated
3x Nature's Claim
4x Negate
3x Spellskite
2x Thragtusk
3x Torpor Orb
Maindecked Gloom Surgeon is a metacall, and it does a lot of work in one where aggro is prevalent. Most players will also use their removal on this roadblock, thereby paving the way for my Vampire Nighthawk to stick around as the second roadblock at 3 CMC. If they use a second removal on Vampire Nighthawk, the coast is usually clear for my Crypt Ghast to stick around and let me do insane things with Griselbrand
Sire of Insanity would likely come in against control cards, where Gloom Surgeon would not feature so I don't think it matters that much.
I'd disagree actually - with 4 Crypt Ghasts in the maindeck, a turn 5 Griselbrand is very likely. That's why I play 4 Griselbrands to maximise the possibility of that happening.
4x Crypt Ghast
4x Gloom Surgeon
4x Griselbrand
2x Olivia Voldaren
4x Vampire Nighthawk
Instant (3)
3x Doom Blade
Planeswalker (3)
3x Liliana of the Veil
1x Corrupt
4x Mutilate
2x Pillar of Flame
4x Sign in Blood
Land (25)
4x Blood Crypt
4x Dragonskull Summit
17x Swamp
1x Curse of Death's Hold
2x Dreadbore
1x Liliana of the Veil
1x Pillar of Flame
2x Rakdos Charm
2x Rakdos's Return
2x Sire Of Insanity
1x Staff of Nin
3x Tragic Slip
It's pretty much an anti-creature deck in the maindeck, which I think is a correct meta-call in my local LGS. Post-board, I have a lot of answers to control decks, as well as the third Pillar of Flame to deal with decks playing VoRs, and Curse of Death's Hold and Tragic Slips for Aristocrat-ish decks.
1) Dropping Geist, Batterskull or other similar threats
2) Making use of removals, counters and card draw to keep ourselves ahead of our opponents
I suppose the key for me is to play with the deck, and to familiarize myself with the meta and each deck's key threats?