I've been trying mardu control as of late and I'm really liking it. Cards like cut and never with Sorin/redgearhulk can just blow opponents out. Gideon and Glorybringer can pressure the opponents and make them use their premium removal and the late drop of Sorin red/blk gearhulks can put them away.
My local meta is very heavy in creature decks.
I'm not sure how to go with aggro as I feel like decks can now outclass us.
Ok. I am a little rusty when it comes to rulings these days so excuse me if it sounds noobish. If I attack and exert 4 Combat Celebrants would i get 4 extra attack phases? I used to know this stuff....
If they were all exert during the first combat phase wouldn't they be tapped after the second combat phase? As the card says untap other creatures after this phase.
I think you would have to exert one per combat phase to make sure they all untap for each combat phase.
I'm planning on playing Mardu at a PPTQ, and I've seen a lot of good results with a similar sideboard plan. When do Nahiri, Ob, and Sorin come in? Is the idea just to transform and blank any removal that the opponent brings in? Looking for your thoughts on the sideboard in general, as well as thoughts on what comes in for the big matchups: 4C Saheeli, BG, Temur...
Unmaking is a boss against temur/saheeli, sometimes they'll go shields down at a end of a turn thinking you have a unlicensed and you can exile their tower. No need to explain why it's good against saheeli, lost legacy I've seen in the sideboard and have played it, works really well against 4c, and can take away glimar from temur before they can use one.
BG Counters seems favored for us, watch out for a lost legacy blow out though. Guy took both all my Gideon's and Avaycn's from my deck, but luckily I found a chandra to close the game out.(this deck just isn't fair haha)
Not really a fan as Hellion doesn't have trample and could just be a 1/1, I rather play the White god in that slot.
t1. Tool. 2. Heart. t3. Gideon t4. Truth
Here's hoping the Black god is favorable for us!
It'd like to thank everyone for this soul crushing deck, I'm 9-2 at taking first with it, and 10-1 if you want to count second place at a PPTQ.
It's been a fun ride!
Went 4-0 with Ballista list.
2-0: Padeem list? No idea what this homebrew was trying to do, but I cruised over him. B/G Artifacts?
2-1: 4 color saheeli, He kept a greedy hand game one and was his downfall. Game 2 mull to six really didn't pull anything to help pressure or removal. Game 3 hit all the removal and all the sideboard cards I needed to stop the combo.
2-0: Abzan Clues: Game 1 he should have won but over reached and I killed him, I was at 4 life. Game 2: I side boarded poorly because game 1 I didn't really see any creatures in his deck, but they all game about out in game 2. Luckily I had a t4 Nahiri/Heart and good removal, finally got to play Nahiri and Release the Gremlins these cards were rotting in my SB as no matchups made sense. Made 2 Gremlins and Nahiri let me filter too a Gideon and close the game out.
Ballista Is a great value card for me and I don't for see pulling him out anytime soon. I think I'm going to side in shocks for the future as this was the first time I saw 4c Saheeli at the LGS.
Went 4-0 last night, I ran a list very similar to Brian Demars? From CFB only having 4 main Gideon and 4 main fatal bush 2 Depala and no Pia. I know Depala has fallen out of favor with people but a 3/3 is relevant and digging for dwarfs and vehicles is nice. attacking with 4/2 and 4/3 has also forced people into blocks they didn't want to make.
G/B del/Aggro 2-1: Lost g1 because he had three snacks and counters just kept adding up, other games I was able to maintain board and smash.
G/R Pum: 2-0: Fatal push and sideboarding ballistas hoses this deck pretty well.
G/B/W Abazan Del 2-1: Hard fought matches, Post sideboard he lost legacy Gideon both games, and in g3 Avacyn as well, But not Chandra who helped me close the game out.
G/B/W Evolution 2-1: Very easily could have been 2-0, had him at 2 life 3 times with a chandra out but he topdecked the right lifegain answers, and weirdly enough I unlicensed three times without an artifact very weird game.
I think Ballista belongs in the sideboard for my meta. I'm also not sure how I feel about cultivators caravan, I think fleetwheel could do more for me because of the trample and potential of Depala making it a 6/4 and a depala/veteran making it a 7/5 trampling juggernaut. Has anyone used fleetwheel against g/b decks?
Anguished Unmaking is still putting some great results for me, I need to find another and replace skywhalers shot.
I've ran the Mardu ballist list with the superfriends sideboard for a week or so now, and dominate everything else. 4-color has the perfect mix of board clogging and removal
Whirler virtuosos has quickly become the bane of my existence.
fumigate? Dec in Stone? Anguished Unmaking was great for me against 4-color, 3 life doesn't matter as they just want to combo off and play defense, and it takes out every piece of the combo at instant speed.
I have not lost a g2 or g3 against 4-color and I know it's because of my sideboard. I also think Shock is a great against them as renegade and whirler both have 2 butts.
If I had to guess the breakdown of the turny it was:
8 Mardu
6- Catlady combo of some sort(both 4-color and control)
8- G/B Aggro/Del
4-Control/other
I went 3-1-1 in prelims, losing my first match to a mirror. He was running the Nahiri/Enchantments SB and it hosed my slow hands.
0-2 Mirror. Slow hands and betrayal by the deck.
2-0 Mirror. He was running a older list and I was on the play. I just controlled the board with planeswalkers and won g2 by ulting chandra playing a ballista for 1 counter and fatal pushing one of my creatures.LOL
2-1 Control. He got game one countering everything early and gearhilking late, but game 2/3 he got greedy and kept slow hands and I was able to cruise to victory.
2-0 Jund Energy. First time playing this and It felt like my deck was super favored. Game one he didn't hit any removal and I got through him. Game two was very weird we both kept hands with lots of removal, but I topdecked a Gideon and closed the game out.
Top 8:(in the 8 spot)
2-1(1v8) 4-color combo: Got game 1, got comboed g2(kept a slow hand, got 4 lands and just kept pulling five drops and no removal, won game 3, his deck betrayed him.
(1v5)2-1 GB aggro: Lost a close game 1, but cruised pretty easily g2/g3 beat him with with a sick Ballista play.
(8v?) 0-2 GB Del: My deck betrayed game 1, I kept 3 lands and didn't see a fourth until I was far behind. Game 2 It was pretty close until he ruinous path'd my first gideon, I drew the game out but couldn't turn the corner. In all he killed 3 Gideons, with 3 different plays, not being able to get his Liana in the gy until his second Ishkana is ultimately what did me in.
Overall:
over-preformed, it was clear no one was expecting that, going forward I'll play two and take out dec in stone. Being able to make sure marvel only gets one spin in energy makes sense and the fact I can instantly take out anything in that matchup for life is great, as your life total is pretty meaningless to them.
I was happy not to go the Nahiri route.
Harvester- Meh. I think caravan/fleetwheel would have been much better.
Chandra- Worth a place somewhere in the Mainboard at bigger turnys.
All hail King Gideon. I would say he over-performed but ole' meatslab has always been great.
Scrapheap- Underperformed, I'm a fan of this card though.
Avaycn- Only played her once(against Jund energy) and she ate a harnessed lightning for her troubles. As soon as I got to my upkeep:(, had he not hand the harnessed lightning though I would have closed the game out, as I had a ballista in hand and nothing like hitting for 4, slamming a ballista for 3 counters using counters and letting avacyn flip to take a total of 10(3 on his upkeep technically)and putting him at 6 meaning I presented lethal. Would have been my favorite play all day.
Walking Ballista- Sooooo gooood. Much Synergy. would play again.10/10
Unlicensed- I honestly wish I could run 5 or 6, helped me turn the corner or put someone within lethal to a ballista many times. Slam a gearhulk with 3 mana untapped, I DARE YOU. Please sire, tap out and play that big green machine and put all his counters on something I can get with a fatal push on my upkeep while I kill the hulk now.
Top phrase from the opposition:
Gideon is so dumb/stupid/broken. Like I didn't already know that!
Top LOL moment:
Black gearhulk killed my Inspector.... yep he gained a life, and I actually killed it with Unlicensed, so he net gained -2.
I've been loving the transformational sideboard in this deck, I've made plenty of opponents look silly when I went to the control/superfriends route. I mostly run into rogue decks/homebrews though and the ability to switch gears usually leaves them caught in the brights. That said, I'm not sure what to bring to the PPTQ tomorrow, I don't have a lot of information on the meta as so many non-regulars show up. The last PPTQ there was a solid mix of homebrew controls/aggro and midrange almost a 33% split, of course their were T1 decks but every aggro seemed T1 with Copter, any advice would be appreciated.
Walking Ballista has been an all-star for me, and currently 16-1 in competitive play with my deck. Which makes me more nervous as I'm not sure what to change about the deck for the PPTQ. Avaycn seems to still be an unknown to a lot of people in my area, which leads to massive blowouts. I think two is a perfect number for SB/MB, I personally run her main because I like how she can fly over a lot of threats and can easily be flipped thanks to ballista.
Has anyone tried Oath of Lil/Chandra I want to run them, but it's really hard to make room and maybe it's simply not good enough since I only run 8 Walkers?
Anguished Unmaking is another card I've been looking into for this meta because I would like a silver bullet to a Ulamog or Abbey flip, as I've seen decks like those being played more, I guess I could just use Dec in Stone? I have one in the SB but the instant speed seems blowouty, maybe just two decs? Drop the Skywhalers shot maybe?
Finally, I got to attack with Gideon crewing both Flagship and Heart of Kiran achievement unlocked?
I basically run Farizios list from Utrecht. -1 Pia +1 Thalia, SB: Needle Spires instead of Vent to help with Chandra -2 Fumiagate +2 Chandra.
I know this is a rambling mess, I'm just excited to talk about this deck!
I'm not sure you can get 2 elephants out turn 2. Seems like the best we can do is turn 1 bounce elephant for energy. Turn 2 play attune with Aether, then play elephant leaving 1 energy net. Is there a line I'm missing to get 2 elephants out turn 2?
Nvm I read the card wrong, I thought the Elephant netted one energy regardless but it's only if it cannot stick.
Whelp dream crushed haha.
So they can kill her in episode 7, I would love for her to have her become a planeswalker. Jackal god planeswalker? Cool.
My local meta is very heavy in creature decks.
I'm not sure how to go with aggro as I feel like decks can now outclass us.
If they were all exert during the first combat phase wouldn't they be tapped after the second combat phase? As the card says untap other creatures after this phase.
I think you would have to exert one per combat phase to make sure they all untap for each combat phase.
Unmaking is a boss against temur/saheeli, sometimes they'll go shields down at a end of a turn thinking you have a unlicensed and you can exile their tower. No need to explain why it's good against saheeli, lost legacy I've seen in the sideboard and have played it, works really well against 4c, and can take away glimar from temur before they can use one.
BG Counters seems favored for us, watch out for a lost legacy blow out though. Guy took both all my Gideon's and Avaycn's from my deck, but luckily I found a chandra to close the game out.(this deck just isn't fair haha)
Not really a fan as Hellion doesn't have trample and could just be a 1/1, I rather play the White god in that slot.
t1. Tool. 2. Heart. t3. Gideon t4. Truth
Here's hoping the Black god is favorable for us!
It'd like to thank everyone for this soul crushing deck, I'm 9-2 at taking first with it, and 10-1 if you want to count second place at a PPTQ.
It's been a fun ride!
2-0: Padeem list? No idea what this homebrew was trying to do, but I cruised over him. B/G Artifacts?
2-1: 4 color saheeli, He kept a greedy hand game one and was his downfall. Game 2 mull to six really didn't pull anything to help pressure or removal. Game 3 hit all the removal and all the sideboard cards I needed to stop the combo.
2-0: Abzan Clues: Game 1 he should have won but over reached and I killed him, I was at 4 life. Game 2: I side boarded poorly because game 1 I didn't really see any creatures in his deck, but they all game about out in game 2. Luckily I had a t4 Nahiri/Heart and good removal, finally got to play Nahiri and Release the Gremlins these cards were rotting in my SB as no matchups made sense. Made 2 Gremlins and Nahiri let me filter too a Gideon and close the game out.
Ballista Is a great value card for me and I don't for see pulling him out anytime soon. I think I'm going to side in shocks for the future as this was the first time I saw 4c Saheeli at the LGS.
Went 4-0 last night, I ran a list very similar to Brian Demars? From CFB only having 4 main Gideon and 4 main fatal bush 2 Depala and no Pia. I know Depala has fallen out of favor with people but a 3/3 is relevant and digging for dwarfs and vehicles is nice. attacking with 4/2 and 4/3 has also forced people into blocks they didn't want to make.
G/B del/Aggro 2-1: Lost g1 because he had three snacks and counters just kept adding up, other games I was able to maintain board and smash.
G/R Pum: 2-0: Fatal push and sideboarding ballistas hoses this deck pretty well.
G/B/W Abazan Del 2-1: Hard fought matches, Post sideboard he lost legacy Gideon both games, and in g3 Avacyn as well, But not Chandra who helped me close the game out.
G/B/W Evolution 2-1: Very easily could have been 2-0, had him at 2 life 3 times with a chandra out but he topdecked the right lifegain answers, and weirdly enough I unlicensed three times without an artifact very weird game.
I think Ballista belongs in the sideboard for my meta. I'm also not sure how I feel about cultivators caravan, I think fleetwheel could do more for me because of the trample and potential of Depala making it a 6/4 and a depala/veteran making it a 7/5 trampling juggernaut. Has anyone used fleetwheel against g/b decks?
Anguished Unmaking is still putting some great results for me, I need to find another and replace skywhalers shot.
fumigate? Dec in Stone? Anguished Unmaking was great for me against 4-color, 3 life doesn't matter as they just want to combo off and play defense, and it takes out every piece of the combo at instant speed.
I have not lost a g2 or g3 against 4-color and I know it's because of my sideboard. I also think Shock is a great against them as renegade and whirler both have 2 butts.
If I had to guess the breakdown of the turny it was:
8 Mardu
6- Catlady combo of some sort(both 4-color and control)
8- G/B Aggro/Del
4-Control/other
I went 3-1-1 in prelims, losing my first match to a mirror. He was running the Nahiri/Enchantments SB and it hosed my slow hands.
0-2 Mirror. Slow hands and betrayal by the deck.
2-0 Mirror. He was running a older list and I was on the play. I just controlled the board with planeswalkers and won g2 by ulting chandra playing a ballista for 1 counter and fatal pushing one of my creatures.LOL
2-1 Control. He got game one countering everything early and gearhilking late, but game 2/3 he got greedy and kept slow hands and I was able to cruise to victory.
2-0 Jund Energy. First time playing this and It felt like my deck was super favored. Game one he didn't hit any removal and I got through him. Game two was very weird we both kept hands with lots of removal, but I topdecked a Gideon and closed the game out.
Top 8:(in the 8 spot)
2-1(1v8) 4-color combo: Got game 1, got comboed g2(kept a slow hand, got 4 lands and just kept pulling five drops and no removal, won game 3, his deck betrayed him.
(1v5)2-1 GB aggro: Lost a close game 1, but cruised pretty easily g2/g3 beat him with with a sick Ballista play.
(8v?) 0-2 GB Del: My deck betrayed game 1, I kept 3 lands and didn't see a fourth until I was far behind. Game 2 It was pretty close until he ruinous path'd my first gideon, I drew the game out but couldn't turn the corner. In all he killed 3 Gideons, with 3 different plays, not being able to get his Liana in the gy until his second Ishkana is ultimately what did me in.
Overall:
over-preformed, it was clear no one was expecting that, going forward I'll play two and take out dec in stone. Being able to make sure marvel only gets one spin in energy makes sense and the fact I can instantly take out anything in that matchup for life is great, as your life total is pretty meaningless to them.
I was happy not to go the Nahiri route.
Harvester- Meh. I think caravan/fleetwheel would have been much better.
Chandra- Worth a place somewhere in the Mainboard at bigger turnys.
All hail King Gideon. I would say he over-performed but ole' meatslab has always been great.
Scrapheap- Underperformed, I'm a fan of this card though.
Avaycn- Only played her once(against Jund energy) and she ate a harnessed lightning for her troubles. As soon as I got to my upkeep:(, had he not hand the harnessed lightning though I would have closed the game out, as I had a ballista in hand and nothing like hitting for 4, slamming a ballista for 3 counters using counters and letting avacyn flip to take a total of 10(3 on his upkeep technically)and putting him at 6 meaning I presented lethal. Would have been my favorite play all day.
Walking Ballista- Sooooo gooood. Much Synergy. would play again.10/10
Unlicensed- I honestly wish I could run 5 or 6, helped me turn the corner or put someone within lethal to a ballista many times. Slam a gearhulk with 3 mana untapped, I DARE YOU. Please sire, tap out and play that big green machine and put all his counters on something I can get with a fatal push on my upkeep while I kill the hulk now.
Top phrase from the opposition:
Gideon is so dumb/stupid/broken. Like I didn't already know that!
Top LOL moment:
Black gearhulk killed my Inspector.... yep he gained a life, and I actually killed it with Unlicensed, so he net gained -2.
twenty packs, but maaaaaan I want that emrakul.
Walking Ballista has been an all-star for me, and currently 16-1 in competitive play with my deck. Which makes me more nervous as I'm not sure what to change about the deck for the PPTQ. Avaycn seems to still be an unknown to a lot of people in my area, which leads to massive blowouts. I think two is a perfect number for SB/MB, I personally run her main because I like how she can fly over a lot of threats and can easily be flipped thanks to ballista.
Has anyone tried Oath of Lil/Chandra I want to run them, but it's really hard to make room and maybe it's simply not good enough since I only run 8 Walkers?
Anguished Unmaking is another card I've been looking into for this meta because I would like a silver bullet to a Ulamog or Abbey flip, as I've seen decks like those being played more, I guess I could just use Dec in Stone? I have one in the SB but the instant speed seems blowouty, maybe just two decs? Drop the Skywhalers shot maybe?
Finally, I got to attack with Gideon crewing both Flagship and Heart of Kiran achievement unlocked?
I basically run Farizios list from Utrecht. -1 Pia +1 Thalia, SB: Needle Spires instead of Vent to help with Chandra -2 Fumiagate +2 Chandra.
I know this is a rambling mess, I'm just excited to talk about this deck!
Nvm I read the card wrong, I thought the Elephant netted one energy regardless but it's only if it cannot stick.
Whelp dream crushed haha.