What matchup do you bring liliana out of the board for? Just curious.
Control. Any sort of Green (because I just know they'll bring in Thrun, the Last Troll against me. The Tribute to Hunger would come in as well.). Occasionally white (but I would probably only bring 2 in), because edicting a Mirran Crusader seems good.
I haven't fully tested her yet (again, due to exams, and the fact that I only threw this together last night), but both of those choices seemed like good ideas on paper.
She's usually clean-up for what the Despises will inevitably miss. While that card is fantastic right now, you're not going to find a discard target every time you cast it, so you need a Plan-B in case they topdeck like champs. Lili seems to cover that pretty well.
After my inspiring 0-3 performance with UB Infect Control at the recent SCG: Charlotte Open, I decided to try a different and more creature-hating approach:
I'll edit this post after today ends, seeing as I'm in the middle of finals. I just wanted to take a quick break from studying to check the forums and throw this up.
Some players who only play MTG for the limited draft/sealed events are going to be displeased. Why? Simply because they play without sleeves. Of course, Wizards offered the solution to this in the form of the "Flip Card Database," card.
Even then, if they have no way to hide it, the opponent can see their threats before the game even begins.
I like the mechanic a lot, but it's going to be a slight inconvenience as far as actual play goes.
However.......
I do see this whole flip thing confirming Garruk as the 5-ability planeswalker rather than Liliana, seeing as we have those 2 arts of his.
And done with work. My feet hurt. My feet stink. I bought the new issue of GQ with Mila Kunis on the cover.
And I found an Eisenhower dollar.
ANYWAY. My thoughts on the 4-drop spot:
I think a deck either has to pick to go red heavy or white heavy (or possibly even devote 5 SB spots to make the switch dependant on the matchup). White heavy would go Bladehole/Destiny while red would obviously run Oxid Ridge/Koth; the former being better against control and the latter faster for Valakut and the like.
This is reeeeeeally really rough, and as I said, I just made it while sitting here, so I'm not going off of any testing or extended thought. Like I usually do, this is a list of "YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A COOL THING?!?!??" and that's about it.
I really like the new Berserker. Imagine an Adventuring Gear on that guy. Yeah. Train to FunTown.
Angelic Destiny seems decent enough to try late game when we start to run out of land drops.
Don't underestimate this deck. My cousin put this together and it's deadly. He runs a singleton Island that he can grab with either a Misty Rainforest or a Primeval Titan. Lotus Cobra and Birds of Paradise can also help fix mana. If the Exarch doesn't come up, he can still put the Splinter Twin on a Primeval Titan and be fetching 4 Mountains a turn to fuel Valakut. The most dangerous thing about this deck is that it plays very much like a normal Valakut deck, but has the potential to combo and win the game pretty much any time after turn 2 with the amount of ramp in the deck.
This. And the argument that Caw-Blade running it was more viable makes even less sense than Valakut running it. They have to draw, Preordain, or Jace Brainstorm (well, not anymore) into 2 possible red sources to even get the combo off. That's a little more harder than Valakut doing it. I'd almost say that we have an easier time getting the combo off, but we can't control our draws as well as they can, so it might just be about even.
Caw-Blade being Caw-Blade does not mean it was better at running the combo just because it was Caw-Blade.
Edit: I didn't end up running Boros the last FNM. I watched a combo player struggle hard to find those pieces with good draw spells. I also tested with it in and it didn't show up often enough. So yeah, cool/funny idea that just wasn't practical.
The way I see it, you can either go with game plan 1, which is the standard Boros game-plan of I'MA BEATCHA FAYCE. And you'll be relying on that more than not. The benefit of having the twin package as a backup is nice because it's a 1-turn win if it happens to stick, which I think is clever enough to work.
I'm not saying this will happen every time, and I'm sure it wont. All I'm saying is that it could be interesting and funny to try.
Since Ranger of Eos is gone I don't see Boros becoming powerfull, maybe when the new expansion sets are released. I think this will be too slow against other aggro decks.
*troll senses are tingling*
But I am hoping for a reprint in M12. That would fit well with the Gideon theme of white in M12.
My whole reasoning for mentioning this in the first place was because it seemed easy to accomplish, and gave Boros a possible faster win. With SFM now gone, this could replace that package. It won't be as strong, of course. But it could make it rather interesting.
EDIT: After the bans go into effect, I think I'm going to try this out. It may be a one week only thing at FNM due to the sheer lulz that could happen, but who knows. Sun Titan will switch to Inferno Titan just because that's more effective with Splinter Twin.
Control. Any sort of Green (because I just know they'll bring in Thrun, the Last Troll against me. The Tribute to Hunger would come in as well.). Occasionally white (but I would probably only bring 2 in), because edicting a Mirran Crusader seems good.
I haven't fully tested her yet (again, due to exams, and the fact that I only threw this together last night), but both of those choices seemed like good ideas on paper.
She's usually clean-up for what the Despises will inevitably miss. While that card is fantastic right now, you're not going to find a discard target every time you cast it, so you need a Plan-B in case they topdeck like champs. Lili seems to cover that pretty well.
2 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Grave Titan
1 Wurmcoil Engine
4 Snapcaster Mage
Spells: 24
2 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Dismember
1 Victim of Night
1 Go for the Throat
2 Doom Blade
4 Despise
1 Surgical Extraction
4 Forbidden Alchemy
3 Think Twice
4 Mana Leak
1 Negate
1 Tumble Magnet
1 Ratchet Bomb
Lands: 26
3 Ghost Quarter
2 Nephalia Drownyard
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
6 Swamp
7 Island
1 Karn Liberated
1 Batterskull
1 Tribute to Hunger
1 Tumble Magnet
1 Negate
1 Ratchet Bomb
2 Flashfreeze
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Wring Flesh
3 Liliana of the Veil
I'll edit this post after today ends, seeing as I'm in the middle of finals. I just wanted to take a quick break from studying to check the forums and throw this up.
Wish me luck!
1) Simple summoning sickness rulings.
2) Simple math requirement
3) That's just how the card reads.
4) Yeah, that's pretty self explanatory.
No intent on being rude here, man.... But yeah. Novice level stuff.
Zomblade.
Even then, if they have no way to hide it, the opponent can see their threats before the game even begins.
I like the mechanic a lot, but it's going to be a slight inconvenience as far as actual play goes.
However.......
I do see this whole flip thing confirming Garruk as the 5-ability planeswalker rather than Liliana, seeing as we have those 2 arts of his.
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Goblin Guide
3 Grim Lavamancer
3 Stormblood Berserker
2 Blade Splicer
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Archon of Justice
Spells: 13
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Arc Trail
3 Dismember
1 Timely Reinforcements
2 Oblivion Ring
1 Mark of Mutiny
2 Koth of the Hammer
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Marsh Flats
2 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Teetering Peaks
5 Mountain
5 Plains
1 Gideon Jura
1 Koth of the Hammer
2 Mirran Crusader
2 Arc Trail
3 Manic Vandal
3 Timely Reinforcements
3 Mark of Mutiny
Myaaaaah. Ill test and post results at a later date. Now, it's time for bed.
Steppe Lynx.
Koth.
Goblin Guide.
Oblivion Ring.
Dismember. (cuzitgoesineverythinglol)
Bout to post a new list, so go check it out if you wish. Be warned, my lists are odd.
And I found an Eisenhower dollar.
ANYWAY. My thoughts on the 4-drop spot:
I think a deck either has to pick to go red heavy or white heavy (or possibly even devote 5 SB spots to make the switch dependant on the matchup). White heavy would go Bladehole/Destiny while red would obviously run Oxid Ridge/Koth; the former being better against control and the latter faster for Valakut and the like.
So yeah..... that.
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Goblin Guide
4 Plated Geopede
3 Stormblood Berserker
3 Squadron Hawk
3 Mirran Crusader
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Dismember
3 Adventuring Gear
2 Angelic Destiny
Lands:
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Marsh Flats
1 Terramorphic Expanse
3 Teetering Peaks
4 Mountain
5 Plains
This is reeeeeeally really rough, and as I said, I just made it while sitting here, so I'm not going off of any testing or extended thought. Like I usually do, this is a list of "YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A COOL THING?!?!??" and that's about it.
I really like the new Berserker. Imagine an Adventuring Gear on that guy. Yeah. Train to FunTown.
Angelic Destiny seems decent enough to try late game when we start to run out of land drops.
Anyway. Quick 5 minute list. Off to work I go.
Methinks another goblin sac would be in order.
This. And the argument that Caw-Blade running it was more viable makes even less sense than Valakut running it. They have to draw, Preordain, or Jace Brainstorm (well, not anymore) into 2 possible red sources to even get the combo off. That's a little more harder than Valakut doing it. I'd almost say that we have an easier time getting the combo off, but we can't control our draws as well as they can, so it might just be about even.
Caw-Blade being Caw-Blade does not mean it was better at running the combo just because it was Caw-Blade.
Edit: I didn't end up running Boros the last FNM. I watched a combo player struggle hard to find those pieces with good draw spells. I also tested with it in and it didn't show up often enough. So yeah, cool/funny idea that just wasn't practical.
Did end up running UB Infect. I love it.
I'm not saying this will happen every time, and I'm sure it wont. All I'm saying is that it could be interesting and funny to try.
*troll senses are tingling*
But I am hoping for a reprint in M12. That would fit well with the Gideon theme of white in M12.
EDIT: After the bans go into effect, I think I'm going to try this out. It may be a one week only thing at FNM due to the sheer lulz that could happen, but who knows. Sun Titan will switch to Inferno Titan just because that's more effective with Splinter Twin.