I agree that the Rabblemasters make the SSG's even better. My question now is just if we should sideboard the rabblemasters in against shadow decks? Seems to me like a turn 1 or 2 rabblemaster can be pretty good with all the life-loss they inflict upon themselves. Or will it just help them by getting their shadows online faster?
I wouldn't side in Rabble against Death's Shadow at all, simply because they answer it so easily. It's a huge setback to SSG out a Rabble only to get it answered by a Bolt or Push (or even Tarfire).
Rabble is only worth siding in against creature-less combo decks featuring little to no removal. Ad Nauseam, Storm, Walks (I suppose), and it's also decent against RG Tron and Scapeshift/Breach as a follow-up to Moon. Sadly Death's Shadow doensn't fit the criteria, running Chalice in Rabble's place might be a solution that can hose Shadow while still proving some worth against combo. Don't think I'd sun SSG sb in this situation, thought.
I can actually get behind a full suit of dragons. I've seen a lot of lists run 4 P&K and 2-3 Stormbreath, but flipping the count the other way around makes sense as the walkers tick up the card count at 4 cmc a lot. With Mind Stones 4 stormbreath doesn't seem too bad at all, althought most like to run a 1-of something else instead of a copy.
I really like sweltering suns, but only because I can run 4 without it being stuck in hand against matchup where it's useless. At 2 or 3 sweeps chances are low that you'll see multiples, and I think Anger would be the way to go in this case. Especially with Jets (which I dig tbh but Roast fills flex better these days imo).
I think the 4 SSG in sideboard is a really nice plan. Some games you'll need a early moon or clock to have any chance at all, and having SSGs in side makes sure the consistency game 1 is there for the general game. Seems like a good idea to me, question is how much you'll miss Molten Rains. I'd also like to mention that spirit guiding out chalice/bridge isn't necessary and you shouldn't think SSG only fits the prison style. Cheating out Moon or Rabble is plenty enough for it to be of value (I've even had game-winning T2 Koths).
Im finding the matchup against EldraTron pretty tough, they just search a wastes with a map, ghostquarter himself or w/e to be able to play their eldrazis and im not faster enough against them, also chalice on 1 make our skreds and bolts useless, im bringing game 2 some molten rains and roast or dismember but i cant deal with this deck, any suggestion? for reference im running pretty standard list with 3 anger of the gods main and scourges,.
Eldrazi-tron is near impossible to beat game 1 if they can play around Moon and still retain a good clock. However, without Stirrings they're not as consistent as RG tron so you might steal a game occasionally.
Post-board is a lot more tolerable as they'll still lack good removal for Moon, and can be hit hard by Molten Rains. This is one of the mathups where the 4th rain is very welcome. Also bring any Mortars/Roast obviously, and Obliterate if you play it (it's actually amazing against them).
By no means a good matchup, you'll have to draw the right pieces in timely matter and pray you can play them before a Seers strips them away. In other words, seeing how both decks lack proper card selection, it's a battle of construction and RNG.
Chalice if definately a sb card, we can't cut the quality removal and all relics from main. That being said, I think chalice is incredible atm and should probably be tested more, even without SSG.
It works well against a lot of unfavored matchups like Death's Shadow, Storm, Ad Naus and the like, as well as the comeback of Living End (chalice for 0 shuts the cascade). I don't know how many copies we're looking at, but I'm thinking 2-3 should do?
I think Hollow will do lots of work in standard with Catharic Reunion, but probably too jank for other formats. There's some sick openings with it, but dropping consistency for an occasionally free 4/4 doesn't seems like much worth.
Imo Stormbreath is miles ahead of both Sarkhan and Glorybringer, and wouldn't drop any copies for either. At 5 mana you want a finisher, something that ends the game in ideally 2 turns. Stormbreath fits that best.
However I've liked a 3rd Chandra which compensates for the requested 4 dmg to creature.
This got me thinking, what else does meet those criteria? About the only thing I can think of is Eidolon of the Great Revel, which does die to those spells, but it doesn't just die -- it inflicts some pain along the way.
Normally Eidolon will deal too much damage to ourselves to be worth a spot, but it's a great sb tech against Storm, and maybe also Ad Nauseam.
As for the Shrine, I think it's a possible sb to bring in against grindy matchups as said, but too clunky to go main. I've had it in my 75 on a couple occasions before, but have yet to see its full potential.
Welcome to the lurkers! Always nice to see that there's still people getting into the archetype : )
@Tolsimiir
Your decklist looks great to me. Chandra, Torch of Defiance isn't a must, but it does everything you need to get back into the game if it hasn't worked quite out in the early turns. Very often it comes down and eats a creature, then either take a bolt for a 2-for-1 in your favor, or continues to supply a constant stream of card advantage or shocks. As such it stimulates the control part of the deck, so add according to your playstyle.
Personally I'm playing 3 atm because it's been that good to me, however I can also understand a more linear approach with a curve of quick pressure (Stone -> Koth -> Dragon). Magma Jet contributes to this style.
As for Roast, it's by no means a staple, but for many a necessary evil to deal with 5-thoughness creatures as discussed in page 78. If you need it rarely, simply drop it. It's all meta.
You sideboard looks flawless, except for the Shatterstorm. The only situations I'd play it would be with some Lantern Control in the meta, because it's not worth including for affinity. Shattering Spree is better in 95% of cases, personally I think 2 is the perfect number at the moment.
As for as I know there's no secret sideboard-tech for ad nauseum -it's simply our very worst matchup. Some try Goblin Rabblemaster coupled with Simian Spirit Guide, but even if you would get it down turn 1 it's no guarantee that they don't have their early Lotus and combo to follow quick enough. I'd say you should simply pray that you don't meet them (and luckily their playerbase is low), because atm there's no cards that allows us to interact well with instant/sorcery/enchantment based combo-decks.
I've been making working on my sideboard plan for GP Copenhagen and I've come to realise that I actually side in Molten Rain more often than I leave in Relics. Molten Rains are a given against ramp decks such as Tron, Eldrazi decks and RG Valakut. I also find them useful against Burn, where one less land can be a severe tempo lose for the burn player, which can allow you to stabilise. It's also good against most 3 color decks, against control, and against decks playing creature-lands.
I guess I have two questions: 1) Am I over-sideboarding with Molten Rains? If so which matchups do you side them in against and which do you leave them out? 2) Since I find myself going for Molten Rains most games and siding out relics about half, would it be crazy to go for Molten Rains in the main and Relics in the side instead of the other way around?
Interesting, because to me it's the other way around; I rarely side out relics. Often I have a lot of other things to get rid of before relic since the cantrip doesn't make it useless. Molten Rains feels like a necessary evil, but there's not too many matchup I side them in.
I've been thinking of just replacing them with 3 Rabblemaster and a Needle as they do a lot of work against ramp/tron as well as being more flexible. Needs testing tho, idk if it's good enough against said decks.
Edit: I side in Molten Rains against tron, scapeshift/breach variants, and control if I'm on play. That's about it. If I got a LOT of dead cards main, like Blood Moon-resistant decks or ad naus, I may also include some copies. But I wouldn't count those as reasons to play them.
Would you guys have your koths signed? I'm not sure if I would, since mine are japanese :/
if your concern is the artist's reaction, I truly don't think he'll mind at all. The art is still his, regardless of the language.
Personally I don't get my cards signed anymore since most artists got frickin huge handwriting and I want my cards to be readable. However since yours are japanese, chances are good that you'll have to explain its abilities anyway.
So if you dig signs I'd say you should totally go for it!
Two mana for five damage is pretty good, and kills a lot of good creatures. Mizzium Mortars is two mana for four damage that can become a boardwipe. Roast is only better for creatures with exactly five toughness. Are there really enough of those to justify the card that's weaker in all other circumstances, given that Skred can itself kill five-toughness creatures?
As always it depends on how the meta is, but nowadays that 1 extra damage makes all the difference. As mentioned there's Tasigur, Angler, Reality Smasher, and a better chance of snatching Goyf or Death's Shadow with Roast. I really like 1/1 split of Roast between Main/Side, but I can also stand behind 1/1 split between Roast and Mortars in the main.
Skred can do 5 damage, but not until turn 5 (given that you got all your landdrops). It obviously performs well late, but not fast enough against certains matchups as the 5-thougness creatures usually comes down turn 3-4.
When Grave-Troll was banned, I pulled Angers out for Slagstorm. I think the bolt to the face option is what we want more than cycling in matchups where sweeps like Anger is a dead card. Just my thoughts.
The selling part of cycling is the instant speed. Sure it costs 3, but it can dig into missing lock piece, threat, or land-drop without tapping out.
I'm not disliking Slagstorm, I also played it while dredge was away, but it was lackluster to tap out for it on your own turn for 3dmg in dead matchups. Especially if you're already behind.
In the end Anger is still the best sweeper if that's what you need tho, but I'm siding it out enough to give the Suns a shot.
Now Sweltering Suns seems really interesting. There's a lot of matchups where wipes doesn't do a lot and ends up being sided out, so I think the ability to get rid of those awkward draws against certain matchups weights up for the lack of exile.
Even without Anger we got good game against Company and Dredge, but if it's too present a couple Angers in the sb too should do fine.
Rabble is only worth siding in against creature-less combo decks featuring little to no removal. Ad Nauseam, Storm, Walks (I suppose), and it's also decent against RG Tron and Scapeshift/Breach as a follow-up to Moon. Sadly Death's Shadow doensn't fit the criteria, running Chalice in Rabble's place might be a solution that can hose Shadow while still proving some worth against combo. Don't think I'd sun SSG sb in this situation, thought.
I really like sweltering suns, but only because I can run 4 without it being stuck in hand against matchup where it's useless. At 2 or 3 sweeps chances are low that you'll see multiples, and I think Anger would be the way to go in this case. Especially with Jets (which I dig tbh but Roast fills flex better these days imo).
I think the 4 SSG in sideboard is a really nice plan. Some games you'll need a early moon or clock to have any chance at all, and having SSGs in side makes sure the consistency game 1 is there for the general game. Seems like a good idea to me, question is how much you'll miss Molten Rains. I'd also like to mention that spirit guiding out chalice/bridge isn't necessary and you shouldn't think SSG only fits the prison style. Cheating out Moon or Rabble is plenty enough for it to be of value (I've even had game-winning T2 Koths).
Post-board is a lot more tolerable as they'll still lack good removal for Moon, and can be hit hard by Molten Rains. This is one of the mathups where the 4th rain is very welcome. Also bring any Mortars/Roast obviously, and Obliterate if you play it (it's actually amazing against them).
By no means a good matchup, you'll have to draw the right pieces in timely matter and pray you can play them before a Seers strips them away. In other words, seeing how both decks lack proper card selection, it's a battle of construction and RNG.
Edit: Misread the remark on chalice.
It works well against a lot of unfavored matchups like Death's Shadow, Storm, Ad Naus and the like, as well as the comeback of Living End (chalice for 0 shuts the cascade). I don't know how many copies we're looking at, but I'm thinking 2-3 should do?
So far there's sadly no love for Skred in the set, I'm hoping for some cheap removal with cycling before the keyword is dismissed.
I kinda like the new enchantment tho: http://mythicspoiler.com/hou/cards/imminentdoom.html
Probably won't work here since we lack 2-drops, but it would be one hell of a wincon!
However I've liked a 3rd Chandra which compensates for the requested 4 dmg to creature.
As for the Shrine, I think it's a possible sb to bring in against grindy matchups as said, but too clunky to go main. I've had it in my 75 on a couple occasions before, but have yet to see its full potential.
@Tolsimiir
Your decklist looks great to me. Chandra, Torch of Defiance isn't a must, but it does everything you need to get back into the game if it hasn't worked quite out in the early turns. Very often it comes down and eats a creature, then either take a bolt for a 2-for-1 in your favor, or continues to supply a constant stream of card advantage or shocks. As such it stimulates the control part of the deck, so add according to your playstyle.
Personally I'm playing 3 atm because it's been that good to me, however I can also understand a more linear approach with a curve of quick pressure (Stone -> Koth -> Dragon). Magma Jet contributes to this style.
As for Roast, it's by no means a staple, but for many a necessary evil to deal with 5-thoughness creatures as discussed in page 78. If you need it rarely, simply drop it. It's all meta.
You sideboard looks flawless, except for the Shatterstorm. The only situations I'd play it would be with some Lantern Control in the meta, because it's not worth including for affinity. Shattering Spree is better in 95% of cases, personally I think 2 is the perfect number at the moment.
As for as I know there's no secret sideboard-tech for ad nauseum -it's simply our very worst matchup. Some try Goblin Rabblemaster coupled with Simian Spirit Guide, but even if you would get it down turn 1 it's no guarantee that they don't have their early Lotus and combo to follow quick enough. I'd say you should simply pray that you don't meet them (and luckily their playerbase is low), because atm there's no cards that allows us to interact well with instant/sorcery/enchantment based combo-decks.
I've been thinking of just replacing them with 3 Rabblemaster and a Needle as they do a lot of work against ramp/tron as well as being more flexible. Needs testing tho, idk if it's good enough against said decks.
Edit: I side in Molten Rains against tron, scapeshift/breach variants, and control if I'm on play. That's about it. If I got a LOT of dead cards main, like Blood Moon-resistant decks or ad naus, I may also include some copies. But I wouldn't count those as reasons to play them.
Personally I don't get my cards signed anymore since most artists got frickin huge handwriting and I want my cards to be readable. However since yours are japanese, chances are good that you'll have to explain its abilities anyway.
So if you dig signs I'd say you should totally go for it!
Anyone else? Still plenty of time to plan and book for the trip.
Skred can do 5 damage, but not until turn 5 (given that you got all your landdrops). It obviously performs well late, but not fast enough against certains matchups as the 5-thougness creatures usually comes down turn 3-4.
I'm not disliking Slagstorm, I also played it while dredge was away, but it was lackluster to tap out for it on your own turn for 3dmg in dead matchups. Especially if you're already behind.
In the end Anger is still the best sweeper if that's what you need tho, but I'm siding it out enough to give the Suns a shot.
Even without Anger we got good game against Company and Dredge, but if it's too present a couple Angers in the sb too should do fine.