Is Desperate Ravings ever played in this deck? I'm thinking about switching my deck over from Bant to U/W/R and with the loss of the life gain aspect, I thought I would add in some more drawing power. Will Desperate Ravings work or do I need to go digging around for Think Twice?
Consensus is that Ravings is poor because of random discard and Think Twice is rarely played in exchange for more burn/utility.
AnotherCrimeScene:
How are you liking the Chandra's Play package? Personally, I'm starting to feel like the Chandras are often dead weight, especially against midrange. We run so few threats that their Dreadbores are always ready for the first 'walker played. However, while the other 'walkers generate some sort of value even if they die before you untap, Chandra really wants full mana during the main phase to maximize value. Against faster decks, she at least acts like a removal spell against X/1's, and against control, untapping with her at or above 2 loyalty should win the game, but I'm questioning whether her potential power is worth the times she's clunky.
If I were to replace her, I think I'd go with 1 Snapcaster/1 threat, but I'm not sure which threat. I've been really liking Thundermaw just to push opponents into Devil's Play range, but I think increasing threat diversity is important. Probably AoS, I suppose.
I've really liked it. Outside of the Entreat/Play/Revelations shennanigans she opens a lot of utility.
Doubling sweeper wipes everything from thragy to a board of undying(in the case of Verdicting). Doubling Izzet either gives you crazy counter protection when you're worried about a counter war, allows you to deal with a resurging aggro, and quad loots. Double Spear handles a Thrag by itself at a 3:1 damage:mana ratio which can also go to the face.
The only change I really had to make to my deck for the Chandra's Play Package is +2 Chandra and +1 Devil's Play. People are so threatened by her that they rush to deal with her, even going to stupid means to do so.
Here is my latest build. I am wanting to fit in another Thundermaw Hellkite but am not sure what I should take out, Detention Sphere is my first thought. This deck has more threat density then some but sometimes feel I need more. Another 5cmc smasher might help. Thoughts?
Yeah, removing a Dsphere is a simple fix. By large the consensus of 3 Dsphere/Oring feels right. Have you tried out the Chandra's Play package?
Pillar of Flame: are we fer' it or agin' it? I like a cheap 2 damage spell, but it's a sorcery and it won't exile anything that regenerates. I'm thinking the two pillars could be cut so I can run three dissipates and an extra steam vents.
Do you think I have enough board wipe? I've seen players running 6, and it just seemed a bit extreme to me when you consider the snapcaster.
For the sideboard I was going to run an extra two terminus' for those pesky undying/regenerate/i love my graveyard decks. Other than that I'm not sure what to run because I'm not terribly clear on what the biggest threats to the main deck are. I would put in a couple negates just in case I see another control deck. Maybe some more direct damage if I see more planeswalkers?
People have dropped Pillar for things with better timing/more relevant sums of damage. Nothing wrong with dropping them into the sideboard if you have zombies in your meta. Obviously, if you play in a zombie heavy area MD is the right call.
From what I've seen, a lot of people don't run snapcasters. 6 Sweepers feels right. Drop in some Orings for other Dspheres is never a bad choice. Negates and Syncopates are common inclusions aswell.
Don't forget you can do cool stuff like bounce your own blocking snapcaster and use him next turn, or bounce your blocking restoration angel/thundermaw hellkite.
And lategame you can bounce your AoS before the CITP ability resolves to kiss 3 of the enemy's goodies bye bye forever.
I'm pretty happy with the deck, but I am woeful at making a sideboard. Anybody got any suggestions? Good articles about sideboard building/sideboarding in general?
Play it, no reason not to. Like Koopa said, usually for control decks there's something to slow it down till you can wrest board control. Farseek will let you take the board more reliably, due to picking your colors, and faster.
I'm going to up my land count to 27 and give 4x Izzet Charm a shot. I don't know about you guys but missing land drops kills me more than anything. With 27 land I'm also going to run 2x Desolate Lighthouse to help filter the excess lands when I inevitably draw them. Obviously the most apparent answer is "play Think Twice" but I just don't feel like it's good enough right now, you can really be punished for keeping a heavy hand with them. Azorious Charm is another consideration but I just don't like the way it plays, maybe I'm crazy though. Thoughts on this?
It'd depend on your list, I guess. I run 2 loothouse in 26 lands and never have an issue unless I need to come up with 3 white sources for nonmiracled Entreat. I also run a 3/3 charm split which has worked out for me pretty well.
The looting is card disadvantage no matter how you look at it. At best it filters some lands. I was testing it in multiple games and it was less than useful. It rarely countered any thing if at all, the shock was irrelevant (mostly because it was a control mirror). The looting is among the worst abilities on it. In control mirrors i would 100% side it out. Every time i looted with it i was unhappy with it. It can hit miracles but you always go down a card when looting. Tonight i will be testing it against some more aggro decks. If it under preforms there than it is getting the cut and i will not be looking back.
If Izzet Charm doesn't counter anything they either A. Didn't respect it and played stuff willy nilly when you didn't have one or B. They played 2 lands slower in respect of it. Between Jace and Revelation being in the deck taking a -1 late game to get an answer isn't going to kill you, especially if it saves you.
Izzet ideal? No, but double looting isn't your first choice ability on the card either. People don't get on Azorius Charm's back for it's third ability being Think Twice with no Flashback.
Izzet charm has the boon of being viable in EVERY matchup. Countering crap against control or making them play stuff 2 lands slower is very strong. Late game digging for answers.
And then there is critter burn. Pillar out performs Charm against only 1 deck. In every game I've ever played vs nonzombie I would have much rather preferred a charm.
Consensus is that Ravings is poor because of random discard and Think Twice is rarely played in exchange for more burn/utility.
I've really liked it. Outside of the Entreat/Play/Revelations shennanigans she opens a lot of utility.
Doubling sweeper wipes everything from thragy to a board of undying(in the case of Verdicting). Doubling Izzet either gives you crazy counter protection when you're worried about a counter war, allows you to deal with a resurging aggro, and quad loots. Double Spear handles a Thrag by itself at a 3:1 damage:mana ratio which can also go to the face.
The only change I really had to make to my deck for the Chandra's Play Package is +2 Chandra and +1 Devil's Play. People are so threatened by her that they rush to deal with her, even going to stupid means to do so.
Yeah, removing a Dsphere is a simple fix. By large the consensus of 3 Dsphere/Oring feels right. Have you tried out the Chandra's Play package?
People have dropped Pillar for things with better timing/more relevant sums of damage. Nothing wrong with dropping them into the sideboard if you have zombies in your meta. Obviously, if you play in a zombie heavy area MD is the right call.
From what I've seen, a lot of people don't run snapcasters. 6 Sweepers feels right. Drop in some Orings for other Dspheres is never a bad choice. Negates and Syncopates are common inclusions aswell.
Derp, I shouldn't post when I get home from work.
And lategame you can bounce your AoS before the CITP ability resolves to kiss 3 of the enemy's goodies bye bye forever.
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
4 Clifftop Retreat
2 Desolate Lighthouse
Creatures
2 Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
Planeswalkers
2 Chandra, the Firebrand
3 Jace, Architect of Thought
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
3 Azorious Charm
3 Izzet Charm
4 Searing Spear
2 Sphinx's Revelation
Sorceries
2 Devil's Play
2 Entreat the Angels
2 Supreme Verdict
4 Terminus
Enchantments
3 Detention Sphere
1 Angel of Serenity
3 Erase
2 Negate
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Pillar of Flame
2 Pithing Needle
2 Syncopate
I'm pretty happy with the deck, but I am woeful at making a sideboard. Anybody got any suggestions? Good articles about sideboard building/sideboarding in general?
It'd depend on your list, I guess. I run 2 loothouse in 26 lands and never have an issue unless I need to come up with 3 white sources for nonmiracled Entreat. I also run a 3/3 charm split which has worked out for me pretty well.
If Izzet Charm doesn't counter anything they either A. Didn't respect it and played stuff willy nilly when you didn't have one or B. They played 2 lands slower in respect of it. Between Jace and Revelation being in the deck taking a -1 late game to get an answer isn't going to kill you, especially if it saves you.
Izzet ideal? No, but double looting isn't your first choice ability on the card either. People don't get on Azorius Charm's back for it's third ability being Think Twice with no Flashback.
And then there is critter burn. Pillar out performs Charm against only 1 deck. In every game I've ever played vs nonzombie I would have much rather preferred a charm.