What is everyone's list going into TCG States this weekend and what are you preparing for?
I am expecting some form of the Death's Shadow deck, Jund, Junk Company, Tron (RG and Eldrazi), and Burn decks. I've had semi-success using Primal Command against the DS decks but it hardly feels like a SB card.
Was writing out a tournament report then chrome crashed, but this is what I played at GP Vancouver.
I finished at 11-4 in top 64.
Beat Eldrazi tron several times, lost to ad nauseum twice, deaths shadow once, and a 4c company zoo deck (turns out meddling mage on primeval titan is quite good)
If I wanted to update this list for more death shadow in the meta, my friend suggested Hornet Nests to the SB. Card seems like a house against death's shadow and buys you enough time to kill them. Maybe cut Reverberates if you don't expect a lot of control.
Basically against combo leyline decks I think rec sage is too slow. You need to get to turn 4 before you can go for it and then nause will probably have killed you. Back to nature is just a flexible and cheap answer to all redundant enchantments.
The tech here is Back to Nature, maybe one or two copies. I find that the sideboard bullets are probably too slow to matter (as GerryT said)
My SB is something like
1 Ranger of Eos
3 Lingering Souls
3 Fulminator Mage
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Liliana, Last Hope
1 Grafdigger's cage
2 Back to Nature
1 Kataki
Match 1 Merfolk 2-1
------------------
I lost the die roll, but my opponent had a slow start, he had a couple spreading seas and not much action, I drew into lands (one time I actually liked getting sorta mana flooded). I had goblin guide and swift spear, and proceeded to burn him to death with skull crack, boros charm etc.
Game 2, he was more explosive, but I had a t1 grim lava man. Unfortunately, I had to use most of my gas including lava man as spot removal and was gassed out before he killed me.
Game 3, t1 and t2 goblin guide got me there.
Match 2 Merfolk 2-1
----------------------
I played so much fish.... Won the die roll,
Had a nut hand with goblin guide and double rift bolts. Got him down to 2 life and played my last card which was an eidolon of the great revel. Opponent plays a cursecatcher and I remind him of Eidolon's trigger and he smacks himself in the face.
Game 2, he wins with an explosive start and I couldn't do anything about double spreading seas which unlike the first game slowed me down a lot.
Game 3, double goblin guides got me there again.
Match 3 Boggles 2-1
--------------------------
Lost die roll and got wrecked first game, he plays a boggle with umbra then daybreak coronet and I just lost.
Game 2 sided out all my spot removal (searing blaze for destructive revelry, deflecting palm).
On the play I manage to play t1 guide, t2 eidolon. Opponent burns himself for 2. I play a T3 eidolon, opponent burns himself for 4. Next, I played destructive rev and opponent scoops when he's down to 4.
Game 3, I had t1 guide, t2 guide, destructive revelry and opponent mulled to 5.
Match 3, Drew with opponent
---------------------------
Wanted to to play commander
Overall, I prefer the RWg deck over the full Naya Deck. I played 4x Atarka's Command version and I felt the deck was not consistent enough. So many times I would have a Boros Charm and a AC in my hand and only 1 fetch for the whole game. I've come to realize after a decent amount of deck testing that the +1/+1 mode on atarka's command just isn't that good because we don't really play enough creatures for AC to be more than a strictly worse skullcrack. If I knew my meta had a lot of life gain, I would do -1 Kor Firewalker, and -1 Smash to Smithereens and run 2 AC's in the board (and maybe add a single stomping grounds to the main) for 6 Skullcracks.
I like the inclusion of Nacatl if we are going deeper green simply because it makes the pump mode on Atarka's Command even more relevant and Boros Charm's double strike mode also becomes relevant on occasions. Major problem I can see is we are taking a lot of pain from our lands and trying to get WW for Firewalker is dubious. Still, I think this list has potential to be very cool. I'm also running Windswept Heath because I cannot afford any other enemy fetches at the moment.
I'm not sure how I feel about combust and I dont see the need for flames of the blood hand at all. It's slow and we have 8 instances total of life gain prevention. I think we need 4 Kor Firewalker for the mirror. I'm also not sure about how I feel about running 8 main deck. As much as shard volley has its downsides, it's not horrible and is instant speed 3 to the dome for 1.
I like the 13 cards I picked for the sideboard options. The last two slots are flex for whatever your meta feels like. Smash to Smithereens if there's a lot of affinity. Deflecting Palm for infect. Helix and Path to Exile for the unknown.
So I was durdling around with a Doran, the Siege Tower style rock/junk deck for tiny leaders, but I really like Nic Fit in Legacy and the old Birthing Pod decks in modern, so I tried to build a toolbox deck along that vein. I'm pretty much brand new to Tiny Leaders so I don't know what the format's speed or anything is like. Here is my take on an ETB toolbox deck. Anafenza is the commander because Doran is not synergistic with Kitchen Finks.
Deathrite Shaman is anti-synergy with Knight of the Reliquary and I don't run enough fetches to justify him. Also, I don't like the idea of Veteran Explorer because giving lands to the opponent doesn't see good at all in this format.
Other obvious optimizations include dual lands, enemy colored fetches, Liliana of the Veil and maybe Brimaz, King of Oreskos, but I can't afford those at the moment. Finally, not sure I can find space for an artifact kit with Stoneforge Mystic.
Anyway, here is my list and let me know what you think.
Thirdly Restoration Angel is a great flicker ability on a flying body, and finally Phantasmal Image also infinite combos with Palinchron and is much cheaper to go off than just with Deadeye navigator. The only downside for Phantasmal Image is it doesn't synergize with Roon.
cloudshift for restoration angel
Stonehorn dignitary for sunblast angel
I am trying to focus on using cards that I already own listed in the second deck tags. Would like to see if there's anything in the second list that is better than what I have in the first list.
I am of the opinion that (whether you run mana rocks or not) a mono blue control deck that runs 35 lands is not enough. My Riku deck that runs a ton of ramp spells and some mana rocks has 36 lands. You should run at least 38 lands, but closer to 40 the better. I know you mention that you like the Empire cards, but it seems unreliable for you get all three of them out at once since you do not use any tutors. I would cut all three of them for either 3 islands, or Myriad Landscape, Terrain Generator, Arcane Lighthouse.
I would replace Weave Fate with Fact or Fiction, Levitation doesn't seem all that great since most of your bombs don't really need that kind of evasion or already have it (if you have the Artisan of Kozilek or Pathrazer of Ulamog in play, flying seems very win more). I would replace it with Rhystic Study or Mystic Remora.
Maybe also consider cards like Deceiver Exarch or Pestermite. Instant speed creatures that can block, untap Jalira and be sacrificed before combat to Jalira seems pretty sweet.
I am creating a mono-U draw go control deck for multiplayer as well as single player EDH. I'm kind of at a loss for what to include in my deck. I have a lot of cards I am interested in putting in, but I have no idea what to cut. Here is my list, and here are the cards I own I am interested in also playing. I would appreciate some feedback on what to cut.
Basically this a blue control deck that aims to play cheapish cantrips and counterspells to produce a huge number of Drakes. There are some blue bombs too and a Proteus staff to sac drakes into other creatures. I have a list of other cards that I own, that I would love to see in the deck, but I'm not sure what to cut, if there is anything worth cutting. I would like some suggestions on how to tighten up this list using the excess cards I have listed below.
Was writing out a tournament report then chrome crashed, but this is what I played at GP Vancouver.
I finished at 11-4 in top 64.
Beat Eldrazi tron several times, lost to ad nauseum twice, deaths shadow once, and a 4c company zoo deck (turns out meddling mage on primeval titan is quite good)
4 Sakura Tribe Elder
4 Primeval Titan
2 Summoner's Pact
PW
3 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Instances/Sorceries
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Explore
2 Farseek
2 Anger of the Gods
4 Search for Tomorrow
4 Scapeshift
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Windswept Heath
3 Forest
7 Mountain
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
4 Cinder Glade
2 Stomping Ground
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Nature's Claim
2 Reverberate
2 Sudden Shock
2 Chalice of the Void
2 Obstinate Baloth
2 Beast Within
2 Engineered Explosives
If I wanted to update this list for more death shadow in the meta, my friend suggested Hornet Nests to the SB. Card seems like a house against death's shadow and buys you enough time to kill them. Maybe cut Reverberates if you don't expect a lot of control.
My SB is something like
1 Ranger of Eos
3 Lingering Souls
3 Fulminator Mage
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Liliana, Last Hope
1 Grafdigger's cage
2 Back to Nature
1 Kataki
4x Wooded Foothill
4x Bloodstained Mire
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Windswept Heath
3x Sacred Foundry
1x Stomping Ground
1x Clifftop Retreat
4x Mountain
Creatures
4x Eidolon of the Great Revel
4x Goblin Guide
4x Monastery Swiftspear
2x Grim Lavamancer
4x Lava Spike
4x Rift Bolt
Instants
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Skullcrack
4x Boros Charm
3x Searing Blaze
2x Lightning Helix
2x Shard Volley
2x Path to Exile
1x Searing Blaze
4x Destructive Revelry
1x Smash to Smithereens
2x Deflecting Palm
3x Kor Firewalker
2x Molten Rain
Match 1 Merfolk 2-1
------------------
I lost the die roll, but my opponent had a slow start, he had a couple spreading seas and not much action, I drew into lands (one time I actually liked getting sorta mana flooded). I had goblin guide and swift spear, and proceeded to burn him to death with skull crack, boros charm etc.
Game 2, he was more explosive, but I had a t1 grim lava man. Unfortunately, I had to use most of my gas including lava man as spot removal and was gassed out before he killed me.
Game 3, t1 and t2 goblin guide got me there.
Match 2 Merfolk 2-1
----------------------
I played so much fish.... Won the die roll,
Had a nut hand with goblin guide and double rift bolts. Got him down to 2 life and played my last card which was an eidolon of the great revel. Opponent plays a cursecatcher and I remind him of Eidolon's trigger and he smacks himself in the face.
Game 2, he wins with an explosive start and I couldn't do anything about double spreading seas which unlike the first game slowed me down a lot.
Game 3, double goblin guides got me there again.
Match 3 Boggles 2-1
--------------------------
Lost die roll and got wrecked first game, he plays a boggle with umbra then daybreak coronet and I just lost.
Game 2 sided out all my spot removal (searing blaze for destructive revelry, deflecting palm).
On the play I manage to play t1 guide, t2 eidolon. Opponent burns himself for 2. I play a T3 eidolon, opponent burns himself for 4. Next, I played destructive rev and opponent scoops when he's down to 4.
Game 3, I had t1 guide, t2 guide, destructive revelry and opponent mulled to 5.
Match 3, Drew with opponent
---------------------------
Wanted to to play commander
Overall, I prefer the RWg deck over the full Naya Deck. I played 4x Atarka's Command version and I felt the deck was not consistent enough. So many times I would have a Boros Charm and a AC in my hand and only 1 fetch for the whole game. I've come to realize after a decent amount of deck testing that the +1/+1 mode on atarka's command just isn't that good because we don't really play enough creatures for AC to be more than a strictly worse skullcrack. If I knew my meta had a lot of life gain, I would do -1 Kor Firewalker, and -1 Smash to Smithereens and run 2 AC's in the board (and maybe add a single stomping grounds to the main) for 6 Skullcracks.
First one includes Wild Nacatl.
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Wild Nacatl
Instants
4 Atarka's Command
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Searing Blaze
2 Shard Volley
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
Land
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Scalding Tarn
3 Windswept Heath
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
2 Mountain
2 Skullcrack
3 Kor Firewalker
2 Path to Exile
3 Molten Rain
4 Destructive Revelry
1 Searing Blaze
I like the inclusion of Nacatl if we are going deeper green simply because it makes the pump mode on Atarka's Command even more relevant and Boros Charm's double strike mode also becomes relevant on occasions. Major problem I can see is we are taking a lot of pain from our lands and trying to get WW for Firewalker is dubious. Still, I think this list has potential to be very cool. I'm also running Windswept Heath because I cannot afford any other enemy fetches at the moment.
The second list is more traditional
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
1 Grim Lavamancer
Instants
4 Atarka's Command
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Searing Blaze
2 Shard Volley
3 Skullcrack
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
Lands
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Windswept Heath
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
1 Clifftop Retreat
3 Mountain
1 Skullcrack
1 Searing Blaze
4 Destructive Revelry
3 Kor Firewalker
2 Path to Exile
1 Deflecting Palm
3 Molten Rain
4 Wooded Foothils
3 Arid Mesa
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
3 Mountain
1 Clifftop Retreat
Creatures
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
1 Grim Lavamancer
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Searing Blaze
4 Boros Charm
2 Shard Volley
2 Skull Crack
4 Atarka's Command
Sorcery
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
3 Molten Rain
2 Skullcrack
4 Destructive Revelry
4 Kor Firewalker
2 Lightning Helix
2 Smash to Smithereens
2 Path to Exile
2 Deflecting Palm
I'm not sure how I feel about combust and I dont see the need for flames of the blood hand at all. It's slow and we have 8 instances total of life gain prevention. I think we need 4 Kor Firewalker for the mirror. I'm also not sure about how I feel about running 8 main deck. As much as shard volley has its downsides, it's not horrible and is instant speed 3 to the dome for 1.
I like the 13 cards I picked for the sideboard options. The last two slots are flex for whatever your meta feels like. Smash to Smithereens if there's a lot of affinity. Deflecting Palm for infect. Helix and Path to Exile for the unknown.
EDIT: Cut an Arid Mesa for a Grim Lavamancer
I know I could include cards like Flickerwisp,Cloudshift and Wall of Omens, but my list is relatively tight.
Deathrite Shaman is anti-synergy with Knight of the Reliquary and I don't run enough fetches to justify him. Also, I don't like the idea of Veteran Explorer because giving lands to the opponent doesn't see good at all in this format.
Other obvious optimizations include dual lands, enemy colored fetches, Liliana of the Veil and maybe Brimaz, King of Oreskos, but I can't afford those at the moment. Finally, not sure I can find space for an artifact kit with Stoneforge Mystic.
Anyway, here is my list and let me know what you think.
1 Anafenza, the Foremost
Creatures (17)
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Eternal Witness
1 Mother of Runes
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Voice of Resurgence
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Blade Splicer
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Wall of Roots
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Scavenging Ooze
Enchantments (3)
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Recurring Nightmare
Instants (7)
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Abzan Charm
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Chord of Calling
1 Smother
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
1 Vindicate
1 Lingering Souls
1 Unearth
Lands (17)
1 Command Tower
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Godless Shrine
1 Temple Garden
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Windswept Heath
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Sandsteppe Citadel
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Isolated Chapel
2 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Loxodon Smiter
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Loaming Shaman
1 Mistcutter Hydra
1 Tidehollow Sculler
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Choke
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Zealous Persecution
Recurring Nightmare is the true MVP allowing me to get repeated value out of Kitchen Finks, Blade Splicer, and Voice of Resurgence.
EDIT: Maybe Hymn To Tourach instead of Duress
I would also consider Sunblast Angel. When it's on the battlefield with Roon, your opponents will never attack you. Also has great synergy with Cryptic Command and Brago, King Eternal.
Thirdly Restoration Angel is a great flicker ability on a flying body, and finally Phantasmal Image also infinite combos with Palinchron and is much cheaper to go off than just with Deadeye navigator. The only downside for Phantasmal Image is it doesn't synergize with Roon.
cloudshift for restoration angel
Stonehorn dignitary for sunblast angel
I am trying to focus on using cards that I already own listed in the second deck tags. Would like to see if there's anything in the second list that is better than what I have in the first list.
I would replace Weave Fate with Fact or Fiction, Levitation doesn't seem all that great since most of your bombs don't really need that kind of evasion or already have it (if you have the Artisan of Kozilek or Pathrazer of Ulamog in play, flying seems very win more). I would replace it with Rhystic Study or Mystic Remora.
Maybe also consider cards like Deceiver Exarch or Pestermite. Instant speed creatures that can block, untap Jalira and be sacrificed before combat to Jalira seems pretty sweet.
I am creating a mono-U draw go control deck for multiplayer as well as single player EDH. I'm kind of at a loss for what to include in my deck. I have a lot of cards I am interested in putting in, but I have no idea what to cut. Here is my list, and here are the cards I own I am interested in also playing. I would appreciate some feedback on what to cut.
1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
Creature
1 Trinket Mage
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
1 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
1 Diluvian Primordial
Artifact
1 Sensei's Diving Top
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Proteus Staff
1 Caged Sun
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Mind Stone
1 Sol Ring
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Surveyor's Scope
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Sky Diamond
1 Sapphire Medallion
Sorcery
1 Fabricate
1 Ponder
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Preordain
1 Deep Analysis
1 Blatant Thievery
1 Curse of the Swine
1 Rite of Replication
1 Time Warp
1 Compulsive Research
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystic Remora
1 Back to the Basics
Planeswalker
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Jace Beleren
Instant
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Brainstorm
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Impulse
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Swan Song
1 Pongify
1 Abjure
1 Twincast
1 Gush
1 Spell Crumple
1 Evacuation
1 Domineering Will
1 Capsize
1 Dig Through Time
1 Telling Time
1 Into the Roil
1 Exclude
1 Forbid
1 Interdict
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Spelljack
1 Hinder
1 Foil
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Repulse
1 Counterspell
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Reliquary Tower
33 Snow-covered Island
Basically this a blue control deck that aims to play cheapish cantrips and counterspells to produce a huge number of Drakes. There are some blue bombs too and a Proteus staff to sac drakes into other creatures. I have a list of other cards that I own, that I would love to see in the deck, but I'm not sure what to cut, if there is anything worth cutting. I would like some suggestions on how to tighten up this list using the excess cards I have listed below.
1 Guile
1 Windreader Sphinx
1 Archaeomancer
Artifact
1 Voltaic Key
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Journeyer's Kite
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Isochron Scepter
1 Spell Snare
1 Gather Specimens
1 Boomerang
1 Spell Pierce
1 Essence Scatter
1 Negate
1 Trickbind
1 Commandeer
1 Dissipate
1 Arcane Denial
1 Spin into Myth
1 Reality Shift
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Quicken
1 Think Twice
1 Stolen Identity
1 Call to Mind
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Hidden Strings
Enchantment
1 Rhystic Study
Planeswalker
1 Teferi, Temporal Archmage
Thank you!
Other than that, cool decklist.
You also might want to consider the new artifact tutor being printed in M10.