So my list I've edited a bit. I'm not sold on the field of ruin but at the same time maybe I should try it out. I'm with delver about running a 3rd quagmire. The card is very good late game against bad match ups and control/midrange. I think 3 is the correct number. I don't like that Todd isn't running slaughter pact in any of his 75. It hits wurmcoil and hits all kinds of awful stuff plus pairs well with a Kalitas in play. I am currently running gaze of granite, damnation, ee, golgari charm for sweepers. Gaze actually can be really good in the late game against unwinnable stuff especially decks like rw sun and moon or mirrors or aggro. Illness in the ranks is in my board for lingering, shrinking voice tokens, young pyromancer, and empty. It's been very impressive. I'm not sold on running 3 brutality I think I'm gonna stick with two main. One card which I've been impressed with is Kalitas. He makes eldrazi tron have a hard time. Flaying tendrils counters his ability which is why I'm not playing it anymore. I'm running a miser spellbomb main but that might turn into the 3rd tracker. Sol definitely knows more about this deck than Todd. I probably also know more about it then Todd. Either way I agree with Delver that Kalitas and 3 quag is correct. I don't think fulminator mage belongs in here. If anything I might do 2 and 2 for ghost quarter and field. Run a 3rd quarter in the board to swap out. Also I currently run 3 liliana of the veil and 1 liliana the last hope main. I might change the liliana last hope in board to a 4th veil against big mana.
So the thing is Sol has been playing Rock longer that most people in this forum have been playing Magic. I am slightly younger than him but do not disagree with ghost quarter. I am debating cutting the traverse package for more removal, and maybe another discard spell or liliana. I think you should consider the guy who built rock originally and also was piloting it on Mtgo to very goof finishes. His list is similar to Steve Hatto who top 8ed GP Birmingham.
My version with ghost quarters I have a fair matchup and shot against valakut. My question is why run field over quarter? Quarter hits affinity hard also. Also boggles isn't a bad matchup if you run 4 decay and play right.
I'm struggling with Sol's list against a lot of decks online. Not sure if the version which has been putting up results is better than a traverse list? Thoughts? I'm going to Philly for the Team Open and want to settle on a list.
I am mostly concerned with rider and reflector. I think siding out discard and goyfs seems not ideal. I'm just not sure what hands are best to keep against humans.
Hey everyone, I've been playing BG/x decks since Invasion block was legal. I do like Abzan but find the deck to be lackluster against Burn and any deck that wants to take advantage of your life total. I've been on a list of Rock which I've been getting mentored by the one and only creator of rock himself Sol Malka. He's been showing me lines and sideboard decisions I never would have discovered ever. I think for one ghost quarter is amazing in many match ups versus tec edge which has a requirement and FoR which requires 2 mana to utilize it. Ghost Quarter can also be used to float mana and save a tracker or get a clue for value. I've even Ghost quartered my land in response to spreading seas.
In terms of the deck I think the key things which are big right now are:
4 Dark confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Tireless Tracker
1 Kalitas(this card has exceeded my expectations)
8 discard spells
4 Abrupt decay(uncounterable clause is very relevant)
Less fatal push since more tron, big mana strategies
Some sort of mass removal main to deal with token armies or a gyro boards.
With the new set there's a few things I'm eager to experiment with. One of them is Vona's Hunger over one of my two pulses. I feel that if you flood out that card turns into a nasty one sided balance.
I do believe pre bannings that Rock is the best version of the deck to play. Partly because of its resilience to the metagame and how fair the deck is. I've gone 6-1-2 in my first major event with it. I drew because I was new to this variant and made some stupid decisions.
I am curious what people think is the answer to beating humans. I have been struggling with that matchup.
I've been playing straight Rock with some very good results. I took the deck to the Roanoke Open and hadn't had more than 3 events with it. I went 6-1-2 on day 1 and then had other outside external issues make me not play right day 2. I talked to Sol Malka(creator of Rock) prior to the Open.
He made a lot of valid points regarding card choice. His exact 75 have had 5-0s in mtgo leagues recently and did well in a challenge.
I think the correct form in the meta is two color versus jund or abzan. Kalitas has been super impressive that I run a 2nd in board for affinity, creature decks, and eldrazi tron. Also eldrazi tron is a 50/50 matchup for me since I've been playing that a lot. I have over 50 games pre and post against eldrazi, affinity, midrange, & shadow.
One thing I'm debating changing is cutting the traverse package for more discard main and removal. Also considering testing a chameleon colossus over the 2nd Kalitas in the board. I've cut shadow of doubt because it's been underwhelming. I also think two brutality is too many main that might turn into a 3rd push. I might move the 2nd brutality to board with 3rd.
I've been playing Black Green Rock like decks for as long as I can remember. So to start out I don't agree with several of the numbers. Let's start with mana base:
While I do love hissing quagmire compared to treetop village, 3 is the correct number. 4 is a guarantee you'll have them stuck in hand or draw them when you don't need them. Ghost quarter is far superior to tec edge but I might consider testing field of ruin. I run 3 quarter plus they work well with tracker if you kill your own land.
Creatures:
I think the musts are
4 Bob
4 Goyf
2 Scavenging Ooze
I've been a fan of Tracker more than others. The Rock functions as mid range attrition deck so Tracker is a great resource for card advantage. As for Eternal Witness, I might shave down to one but I find it to be quite useful in some matches. Kitchen Finks is very good in a burn and control heavy meta. Kalitas I have not tested in BG. I was considering it but I dunno if it's needed.
Spells:
I think the proper discard package with the current meta would be 4 iok, 3 thoughtseize and a 4th seize in the board for combo. I do like a combination of spells when it comes to removal.
3 Abrupt Decay (4 is too many)
4 push
2 pulse
2 brutality (burn is a rough matchup without these)
1 dismember/go for the throat
4 Liliana of the Veil
1 Vraskas contempt(I'm considering this against eldrazi tron, ctrl and mirror)
I find we flood a lot with this deck so I think considering thragtusk or the new vraska in the board would be interesting.
I'm curious other people's opinions. I do like some of the new stuff from Ixalan.
I honestly haven't been super impressed with Thought Knots in the main deck. I've moved them all to the sideboard and have since been testing Ammit Eternal as well. I am curious how Bone Picker has been working, it seems like a great card to test out. I also think its a must to have Brutality if you want to beat red decks. I like more than 1 scavenging ground considering Gearhulk and reanimator are both legitimate threats. What are thoughts on adding Red or Green to the deck to make it have more long standing power?
So I am taking black green but splashing white in the SB for painful truths and stony silence. I think BG is better since you have access to night of souls which nerfs bitterblossom, infect, affinity, elves and lingering souls. My only temptation to splash white is to run a blood baron in the board, painful truths, and stony. You don't need siege rhino to beat burn. Also testing has shown me that tireless tracker is spectacular especially against grixis delver which has a similar shell to jund minus green creatures.
I think it should run more noble hierarch and also maybe a Qasali pridemage. Why unmaking? Also blood baron and thrun might be solid sideboard slots to consider.
In terms of the deck I think the key things which are big right now are:
4 Dark confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Tireless Tracker
1 Kalitas(this card has exceeded my expectations)
8 discard spells
4 Abrupt decay(uncounterable clause is very relevant)
Less fatal push since more tron, big mana strategies
Some sort of mass removal main to deal with token armies or a gyro boards.
With the new set there's a few things I'm eager to experiment with. One of them is Vona's Hunger over one of my two pulses. I feel that if you flood out that card turns into a nasty one sided balance.
I do believe pre bannings that Rock is the best version of the deck to play. Partly because of its resilience to the metagame and how fair the deck is. I've gone 6-1-2 in my first major event with it. I drew because I was new to this variant and made some stupid decisions.
I am curious what people think is the answer to beating humans. I have been struggling with that matchup.
He made a lot of valid points regarding card choice. His exact 75 have had 5-0s in mtgo leagues recently and did well in a challenge.
I think the correct form in the meta is two color versus jund or abzan. Kalitas has been super impressive that I run a 2nd in board for affinity, creature decks, and eldrazi tron. Also eldrazi tron is a 50/50 matchup for me since I've been playing that a lot. I have over 50 games pre and post against eldrazi, affinity, midrange, & shadow.
One thing I'm debating changing is cutting the traverse package for more discard main and removal. Also considering testing a chameleon colossus over the 2nd Kalitas in the board. I've cut shadow of doubt because it's been underwhelming. I also think two brutality is too many main that might turn into a 3rd push. I might move the 2nd brutality to board with 3rd.
I'll post a list upon request.
While I do love hissing quagmire compared to treetop village, 3 is the correct number. 4 is a guarantee you'll have them stuck in hand or draw them when you don't need them. Ghost quarter is far superior to tec edge but I might consider testing field of ruin. I run 3 quarter plus they work well with tracker if you kill your own land.
Creatures:
I think the musts are
4 Bob
4 Goyf
2 Scavenging Ooze
I've been a fan of Tracker more than others. The Rock functions as mid range attrition deck so Tracker is a great resource for card advantage. As for Eternal Witness, I might shave down to one but I find it to be quite useful in some matches. Kitchen Finks is very good in a burn and control heavy meta. Kalitas I have not tested in BG. I was considering it but I dunno if it's needed.
Spells:
I think the proper discard package with the current meta would be 4 iok, 3 thoughtseize and a 4th seize in the board for combo. I do like a combination of spells when it comes to removal.
3 Abrupt Decay (4 is too many)
4 push
2 pulse
2 brutality (burn is a rough matchup without these)
1 dismember/go for the throat
4 Liliana of the Veil
1 Vraskas contempt(I'm considering this against eldrazi tron, ctrl and mirror)
I find we flood a lot with this deck so I think considering thragtusk or the new vraska in the board would be interesting.
I'm curious other people's opinions. I do like some of the new stuff from Ixalan.
I think it should run more noble hierarch and also maybe a Qasali pridemage. Why unmaking? Also blood baron and thrun might be solid sideboard slots to consider.