The name...G/R Prius I chose because it has the feel of a hybrid...I have found a mix of WRR and G/R Aggro. This deck is a very efficient blend of the two that showcases the natural power of the G/R team. Im posting here for hopefully a good honest critique and I want to know if anyone else has tried a list like this. Im in Afghanistan and needless to say we have a unique meta-game so this deck could be terrible, but it all but rampages through our FNM out here. So...the list
The sideboard is always metagame dependent but is a more standard R/G approach
Some small card choice explanations:
Mini-Garruk: Allows to search for trouble creatures (aka the ones you cant find with Zenith) and allows for a semi overrun in the presences of a previous board wipe. Wolves arent bad either. d
Red Sun's Zenith-I hate undying...seriously. Scaling semi-reusable burn.
War and Peace>Feast and famine. The original list had SoFaF to easier manipulate Huntmaster.
I have other things to get to today but please leave suggestions...stuff from AVR is welcomed but I wont have that for another week or two.
Just remember when posting a critique that this deck is built around being able to switch gears at a moments notice, going from sword attacks to ramping to titans or wolf-running poison through or going straight aggro and dropping a Hellrider to bumrush.
Im on board with Pillar of Flame...exile is just too awesome right now. Also with a more ramp approach using Somberwald Sage and Cavern of Souls, you can drop a real consistent Titan(of any kind) on turn 3...uncounterable. Though that discussion is more suited for WRR...
The sideboard is in the process of being changed right now so it will be posted at a later time. I have been toying with the idea of dropping the mimic vats for Rampant Growth or Llanowar Elves to help get the 4+ costs out faster.
Quick explanation of the deck: It takes the traditional G/R aggro and WRR and tries to combine the best of them. It has a knack for changing direction when you want it to, has multiple win conditions and plays very well against most of the field.
Hes better than you are giving him credit for. If you can ramp into him hes good removal, even if its a flipped delver. (I run red with my green so I have the burn to deal with it) If left even slightly unchecked he will dominate the board either by choking up the board with wolves or searching out the creatures you need as green is a pretty creature-centric deck.
His uses are great:
Eat spirits or poo wolves.
Search for the creature you need, poo death touch wolves or spring an overrun ability.
Another advantage is that I never feel bad siding him in or out, if hes not putting up the numbers I want then the next game he leaves and in comes something that is far more impressive in his slot for that particular matchup. But I have found there are very few matchups where he is actually bad.
It may look like I just took a bunch of Green and Red cards I had and threw them in a blender but I put a lot more thought into this deck than that. In the many games I have played with this exact deck, it has proven to be able to swing from an aggro match into a WRR setup in no time. It has 3 main win conditions that it can change gear into at almost any given time. It may be a little rough around the edges but it works more often than not where I am. I play in Afghanistan but almost everyone here netdecks to a large degree and I put this together to exploit all of it. I will explain a couple of my choices:
Garruk: I have been trying to find a good home for this guy and this deck fits him well. Get him flipped and get him ready to ultimate in time for a Hellrider Assault and you will most likely have won. If its too dangerous to flip him than you can always start pumping out 2/2's with him. I only put two because I feel you don't want to see him too much.
Hellrider: Straight boss in this deck....it works on the whole concept of smash creatures on the board, drop him, ???, Profit.
Mimic Vat: I packed enough creatures that cost 4 or greater and have good ETB effects to use this....it meshes very well with the Titans, Solemn and Huntmaster. I will soon be incorporating an Acidic Slime into the deck for the very reason of making people hate me.
Titans: Once again with Mimic Vat these guys are twice as troublesome. Having the titans can turn an aggro setup into a WRR style assault in as little as one or two turns.
Huntmaster: Just awesome.
Swords: FaF lets you abuse Huntmaster and WaP makes the life swing a very real thing to deal with.
There you have it. My G/R Aggroing Huntmastering Ramping Titans deck...I have no idea what to name it. If anyone has the guts to try this build out at your LGS then let me know the results....I think it has potential but I also am afraid that I am flying in too many directions at once with this deck.
Beserker would most likely underperform in this deck. I think it would be just terrible. Hellrider can easily turn a stalemated board into a win almost instantly. If you manage to pull more than one then you may as well have the win already. He makes birds for crying out loud. He's boss for aggro.
Case in point: When playing against another aggro based deck last friday I managed to pull 2 out with a loaded (but stalemated) board. Attacking with those two and 3 others nearly pulled through enough damage for the win (had I remembered to Ultimate Garruk I would have...Miscalculated my math of damage and was off by one point.....but I digress)
As far as the deck itself goes, I pulled a line of thinking that gave a glorious marriage between WRR and G/R aggro that enables me to start in one direction and if things aren't going my way I can change the direction of the deck almost instantly...If anyone is interested in the list I can post it up for Critique...though I must warn the Sideboard is very heavily developed towards the local Metagame.
I just started playing my own variant of G/R Beatdown and I really wanted to use my two mini-Garruks and Daddy-Garruk(hes chinese so yeah wanted to confuse people). I am running a 2/1 split since they are not quite necessary to run the deck, seeing them is pleasant and all but at turn4 I want to be dropping a hellrider and hitting for a lot of damage. Mini is good for those times where its just not smart to attack....either build up your posse or eat a troublesome creature.
Side Note: My Garruks had an unfortunate run in with a co-workers cup of coffee and I had to rename him "Garruk Defenseless"
Had the parties responsible sign him so we all have the memories of an unprovoked attack on my gentle planeswalker.
If you don't have money for the dual lands, a couple Evolving Wilds might be the trick if you need to fix mana. Elspeth isn't a bad idea I dont think, but the Drogskol Reaver might kind of be a pipe-dream. Another Dungeon Geist would be nice as well and Oblivion Ring x4 is a catch all to cover you. Moorland Haunt is also somewhat necessary to out-grind your opponents.
I have my own list for a strictly Tribal Spirits deck I'll post later when I have time...its a bit on the slow side but it works well when it doesnt get out-aggroed.
There doesn't seem to be a best decklist for humans, both the creature heavy build nor the more traditional control with leak nor the more token heavy lists with Gather seem that good in the current meta. The meta is also so diverse that is very hard to sideboard effectively.
"Since % tend to get mocked, argued with, and way inflated, I think it would be effective to just use a system of > is favorable (slightly better than 50% and very draw-dependent), >> is highly favorable (approx 55%, typically a decisive 2-0), and >>> is a bye (would require a highly dedicated sideboard to balance this matchup to 50%)."
Humans ~ Delver (50/50%) - Delver when played by a good player beats almost everything most of the time. When we play more token cards (gather, midnight haunting, lingering souls the matchup swings towards us by 5%, otherwise it is 5% in their favour). If they can deal with the early pressure (gutshot, vapor snag champion or we don't draw this), they have enough counters, bounce and flying to win. With Dungeon geists and flashback on Lingering souls, Delver Spirits is even worse for us (40/60%) at least.
Humans << Ramp (40/60%) - The latest version was designed to beat humans (http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/paulo-vitor-damo-da-rosa/pvs-playhouse-rg-ramp-hawaiian-style/) and does so brutally well. Whipflare, slagstorm, blast early impossible for us to stop without leaks/negate SB. Then huntmaster and the titans start coming, or just thrun/inkmoth with wolf run. Casting a hero when they are casting titans does not end favorably for us most of the time.
Humans >> Zombies (60/40%) - A good matchup for us at least on personal experience. We have blockers for their early pressure, they find it hard to deal with Mirren crusader, Hero is also good against them. Still timed with good removal and an answer for crusader (e.g. tumble magnet, copy effects) and it is a lot closer.
Humans ~ Ub Control (50/50%) - Not sure we are that dominant against UB Control. Abolisher and Thalia are great but lots of spot removal and Black sun zenith and re-occurring ratchet bomb and it is very hard not to keep losing everything. If it ever gets to Tezzeret/Inkmoth or Sphinx we usually lose. Think we do better against Esper control.
Humans << Tokens (BW and GW) (40/60%) - This is really not a good matchup. They have blockers for our early pressure and late game, they have more flying, Vault of the Archangel destroys us, they can play Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and SB in board wipes. Also have Ray of revelation or their own Oblivion rings and they can have more anthems and their pressure doesn't tap! A really tough one in the few games I have played.
Humans < Mono Green (45/65%) - At least the Todd Anderson list just ruins us. The undying pressure at the start is very hard to stop, a bird with a sword Turn 3 is just GG. Mirren Crusader is our only trump and if they have an answer for him that's it.
Humans < Tempered Steel (45/65%) - Like Delver the humans list with more flying does ok the more creature based version just loses to lots of blockers and fat flying creatures.
Humans << Pod (40/60%) - Don't think it is that bad but still bad overall. If we get rid of pod and avoid the Dignatary lock, the early preasure and late disruption can be enough but if they ever get the lock even for 2 turns, sun titan and phantasmal image combo is just GG.
Humans << Re-animator (40/60%) - Hope for early pressure and counter their Unberial rites (assuming you even have leak). Elesh Norn hits play and it is all over. Hope to draw the graveyard hate after sideboard.
Overall:
Most of the metagame looks evil for humans, we have very few favorable matchup's and worse everyone expects a decent amount of the field to be humans so come packing hate. Some of the new options like mono green, mono black/BR aggro, Re-animator and of course Delver spirits and WRR seem like much better choices if you actually want to win an event.
I'm really questioning Humans Competitive Tier 1 status at the moment
Personally I'm going to buy the cards for the Delver spirits deck on MTGO and avoid IRL games till Avecryn restored brings us some over-powered humans
Happy to be proven wrong though, maybe someone will put up a decklist that wins multiple tournaments or some secret tech will be discovered on MTGO when DKA is finally playable this week.
Not to offend, but I dont think you are playing the deck right or you are playing a less effective version of the deck. My old deck (I switched to a mid-range version of Spirits that does NOT revolve around delver...more fun but less effective.) had tons of utility creatures. There was literally nothing that was safe from my deck in the area I play. Small area but very diverse.
U/B control usually gets to the point of dropping a sphinx...cool, let it happen and fiend hunter/o-ring it. Curses hurting you? Leonin Relic Warder is a boss.
Tokens trying to beat you down? mulitple ratchet boms is boss. Set one to two and another one hovering at 0 and you have effectively destroyed their hopes and dreams. Mind you, you have to play tight and not fall into and Elspeth situation and always have a bomb in hand...letting THEM o-ring it is a bad idea.
RDW is kind of a race. Theres not much I can say but if its a real problem, side in Celestial Purge. (Also works against black!)
Pod is easily solved with Fiend Hunter/Oblivion Ring/Leonin Relic-Warder...however if it gets a nut draw you may not stand much of a chance. The fact is we are faster...use the advantage and don't accept a suboptimal hand.
We are weak to U/W Delver....theres not much to say except play very tight and you shouldnt have much of a problem.
Now the original (dominant) version of U/W Humans didnt run Delver of Secrets, and its base was almost entirely white with blue splashed for Geist of Saint Traft and Moorland Haunt. Then the board sweepers came and Mana Leak was needed. Hence it evolved and cut creatures...after a while it just took away from the power and aggro of the deck.
All in all I dont think Humans is out, I think it needs some overall rethinking and restructuring to accommodate the new meta.
Oh and you should never overextend....if you have Hero of Bladehold, don't worry about dropping a second one or a Mirran Crusader when you know they they may have a sweeper in hand....thats how I win most games...most decks will get desperate looking at potential lethal on board and wipe...if you overextended and are forced into top-deck mode...you have lost.
I really love this card right now in my Esper Spirits deck. He generally comes out after Captain and therefore has the buff from that. Survives slagstorm at that point and is resistant to spot removal. The hard part is deciding how many to play in my deck. Im thinking three may be the right number so I have it when I want it...
Theres always a sweet satisfaction when you lock down a creature with vigilance.
I dont know...I made a decklist with it in mind but theres not much that Thalia and Abolisher cant handle...plus that ups the curve (if only slightly). I probably wont run it but it does severely limit your opponent if they dont have an answer to it. Yeah, might be a SB option...but thats gonna have to be a meta call
I really dont see the point. Apart from other people with similar rides, most people are going to think "loser" when they see it. I love anime but it holds a stigma with it, and even I find a problem when it appears to be an 8 year old anime girl flashing her skirt...just sayin'.
10 Forest
3 Mountain
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Inkmoth Nexus
Creatures (19)
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Strangleroot Geist
2 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Hellrider
1 Acidic Slime
1 Inferno Titan
2 Primeval Titan
3 Green Sun's Zenith
2 Rampant Growth
1 Brimstone Volley
2 Incinerate
2 Galvanic Blast
2 Red Sun's Zenith
Artifacts (3)
2 Sword of War and Peace
1 Batterskull
2 Garruk Relentless
The sideboard is always metagame dependent but is a more standard R/G approach
Some small card choice explanations:
Mini-Garruk: Allows to search for trouble creatures (aka the ones you cant find with Zenith) and allows for a semi overrun in the presences of a previous board wipe. Wolves arent bad either. d
Red Sun's Zenith-I hate undying...seriously. Scaling semi-reusable burn.
War and Peace>Feast and famine. The original list had SoFaF to easier manipulate Huntmaster.
I have other things to get to today but please leave suggestions...stuff from AVR is welcomed but I wont have that for another week or two.
Just remember when posting a critique that this deck is built around being able to switch gears at a moments notice, going from sword attacks to ramping to titans or wolf-running poison through or going straight aggro and dropping a Hellrider to bumrush.
2 Sword of Feast and Famine
2 Sword of War and Peace
2 Mimic Vat
Artifact Creatures
2 Solemn Simulacrum
Creatures
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
2 Hellrider
2 Primeval Titan
1 Inferno Titan
1 Acidic Slime
2 Red Sun's Zenith
3 Galvanic Blast
Planeswalkers
2 Garruk Relentless
Land
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Inkmoth Nexus
10 Forest
3 Mountain
The sideboard is in the process of being changed right now so it will be posted at a later time. I have been toying with the idea of dropping the mimic vats for Rampant Growth or Llanowar Elves to help get the 4+ costs out faster.
Quick explanation of the deck: It takes the traditional G/R aggro and WRR and tries to combine the best of them. It has a knack for changing direction when you want it to, has multiple win conditions and plays very well against most of the field.
His uses are great:
Eat spirits or poo wolves.
Search for the creature you need, poo death touch wolves or spring an overrun ability.
Another advantage is that I never feel bad siding him in or out, if hes not putting up the numbers I want then the next game he leaves and in comes something that is far more impressive in his slot for that particular matchup. But I have found there are very few matchups where he is actually bad.
Ok So like I said...its a bit unconventional but it seems to work great based off of the pace that it can achieve and change direction.
2 Sword of Feast and Famine
2 Sword of War and Peace
2 Mimic Vat
Artifact Creatures
2 Solemn Simulacrum
Creatures
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
2 Hellrider
2 Primeval Titan
1 Inferno Titan
4 Green Sun's Zenith
2 Red Sun's Zenith
3 Galvanic Blast
Planeswalkers
2 Garruk Relentless
Land
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Inkmoth Nexus
10 Forest
3 Mountain
Garruk: I have been trying to find a good home for this guy and this deck fits him well. Get him flipped and get him ready to ultimate in time for a Hellrider Assault and you will most likely have won. If its too dangerous to flip him than you can always start pumping out 2/2's with him. I only put two because I feel you don't want to see him too much.
Hellrider: Straight boss in this deck....it works on the whole concept of smash creatures on the board, drop him, ???, Profit.
Mimic Vat: I packed enough creatures that cost 4 or greater and have good ETB effects to use this....it meshes very well with the Titans, Solemn and Huntmaster. I will soon be incorporating an Acidic Slime into the deck for the very reason of making people hate me.
Titans: Once again with Mimic Vat these guys are twice as troublesome. Having the titans can turn an aggro setup into a WRR style assault in as little as one or two turns.
Huntmaster: Just awesome.
Swords: FaF lets you abuse Huntmaster and WaP makes the life swing a very real thing to deal with.
Case in point: When playing against another aggro based deck last friday I managed to pull 2 out with a loaded (but stalemated) board. Attacking with those two and 3 others nearly pulled through enough damage for the win (had I remembered to Ultimate Garruk I would have...Miscalculated my math of damage and was off by one point.....but I digress)
As far as the deck itself goes, I pulled a line of thinking that gave a glorious marriage between WRR and G/R aggro that enables me to start in one direction and if things aren't going my way I can change the direction of the deck almost instantly...If anyone is interested in the list I can post it up for Critique...though I must warn the Sideboard is very heavily developed towards the local Metagame.
Side Note: My Garruks had an unfortunate run in with a co-workers cup of coffee and I had to rename him "Garruk Defenseless"
Had the parties responsible sign him so we all have the memories of an unprovoked attack on my gentle planeswalker.
I have my own list for a strictly Tribal Spirits deck I'll post later when I have time...its a bit on the slow side but it works well when it doesnt get out-aggroed.
Hope this little bit helps.
Not to offend, but I dont think you are playing the deck right or you are playing a less effective version of the deck. My old deck (I switched to a mid-range version of Spirits that does NOT revolve around delver...more fun but less effective.) had tons of utility creatures. There was literally nothing that was safe from my deck in the area I play. Small area but very diverse.
U/B control usually gets to the point of dropping a sphinx...cool, let it happen and fiend hunter/o-ring it. Curses hurting you? Leonin Relic Warder is a boss.
Tokens trying to beat you down? mulitple ratchet boms is boss. Set one to two and another one hovering at 0 and you have effectively destroyed their hopes and dreams. Mind you, you have to play tight and not fall into and Elspeth situation and always have a bomb in hand...letting THEM o-ring it is a bad idea.
RDW is kind of a race. Theres not much I can say but if its a real problem, side in Celestial Purge. (Also works against black!)
Pod is easily solved with Fiend Hunter/Oblivion Ring/Leonin Relic-Warder...however if it gets a nut draw you may not stand much of a chance. The fact is we are faster...use the advantage and don't accept a suboptimal hand.
We are weak to U/W Delver....theres not much to say except play very tight and you shouldnt have much of a problem.
Now the original (dominant) version of U/W Humans didnt run Delver of Secrets, and its base was almost entirely white with blue splashed for Geist of Saint Traft and Moorland Haunt. Then the board sweepers came and Mana Leak was needed. Hence it evolved and cut creatures...after a while it just took away from the power and aggro of the deck.
All in all I dont think Humans is out, I think it needs some overall rethinking and restructuring to accommodate the new meta.
Oh and you should never overextend....if you have Hero of Bladehold, don't worry about dropping a second one or a Mirran Crusader when you know they they may have a sweeper in hand....thats how I win most games...most decks will get desperate looking at potential lethal on board and wipe...if you overextended and are forced into top-deck mode...you have lost.
Theres always a sweet satisfaction when you lock down a creature with vigilance.