THE RAT PACK
Table of Contents:1) Introduction
2) The Deck
2.1) The Core
2.2) Additions and Alternatives
3) Sideboard
4) Articles
5) Decklists
6) Tips and Tricks
7) Match Analysis
1) Introdution:
By definition, midrange decks start by controlling the early game, then cruising to victory on 1 or 2 large threats. BW Midrange is a different take on the traditional BGx Midrange deck. It eschews green mana in order to play a more consistent mana base and utilize utility lands. Much like other black based midrange strategies, it starts out on a base of hand disruption and Liliana of the Veil. From there, our game winning threats aren't the giant Tarmogyf or Primeval Titan used in other decks, but rather resilient, difficult to answer creatures such as Pack Rat, Brimaz King of Oreskos, and Hero of Bladehold.
The biggest advantage BW Midrange has over other B/x/x decks is Pack Rat. We are basically replacing Tarmogyf in our deck with Pack Rat under the assumption we will win a long grindy game. This card also helps to make our mid to late game discard spell draws relevant as every card in our deck is a Pack Rat once we have one in play. Another advantage to playing this deck is the utility lands thanks to our 2 color mana base. Most lists currently run as many as 6 colorless sources and have little to no mana problems because of them (This includes one of the most aggressive man lands mutavault) Finally the black white color combination gives you access to one of the best cards in the format, Lingering Souls. Very few cards can hold off affinity like this card does, while also interacting very well both with Liliana and Pack Rat. We also have a fantastic suite of kill spells to keep the field clear, and some of the best sideboard cards in Modern.
BW aggro-control already exists in the form of BW Tokens. BW Midrange began to arise with the printing of Pack Rat and Brimaz, King of Oreskos, as they can close out a game without the need of Anthems like a traditional token build.
In early 2014, the deck gained rapid popularity on MTGO, placing 4-0 in dailies, solidifying its possition as an established deck. From there, Chris Dearing (MTGsal's immapwner) earned 1st place at a PTQ in Little Rock, AR on June 2014, firmly putting BW Midrange on the map. The deck has also gained the attention of pro players such as Craig Wescoe.
In early 2014, the deck gained rapid popularity on MTGO, placing 4-0 in dailies, solidifying its possition as an established deck. From there, Chris Dearing (MTGsal's immapwner) earned 1st place at a PTQ in Little Rock, AR on June 2014, firmly putting BW Midrange on the map. The deck has also gained the attention of pro players such as Craig Wescoe.
2) The Deck:
This is generally the core of the deck that should remain almost entirely unchanged. The number of thoughtseize equivalents is flexible so long as you keep at least 7 discard spells. I would suggest keeping 4 of every other card in this shell.
| ShellMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | |
|---|---|
|
Creatures 4 Dark Confidant 4 Pack Rat | Instants 4 Path to Exile Sorceries 4 lingering souls 4 thoughtseize 3 inquisition of kozilek |
The cards below are the most common choices to make up the remaining core of the deck. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to run them, but all successful decks start with these core cards. The list is divided by what role the card plays in the deck.
Thoughtseize 1cmc and 2 life to see your opponents whole hand and then taking whatever nonland card you want from it. Mkay. It's usually called the second best spell in modern after Lightning Bolt.
Inquisition of Kozilek It is to Thoughtseize what Riftbolt is to Lightning Bolt. While it's not as good, it still does a ton of work
Inquisition of Kozilek It is to Thoughtseize what Riftbolt is to Lightning Bolt. While it's not as good, it still does a ton of work
Path to Exile Always run 4. It’s usually considered among the premier removal spells in modern.
Slaughter Pact More expensive and conditional than Doom Blade, but being able to play it the turn before you pay for it allows you to tap out playing our numerous sorcery speed cards, and be ready for whatever craziness your opponent will cast on his turn.
Darkblast Becoming popular thanks to the very common Robots match. The dredge mechanic is useful, as you can Darkblast on the upkeep, dredge instead of drawing, and Darkblast again. Also, if we have Bob on the field, we still get a card off the top. That's serious advantage.
Slaughter Pact More expensive and conditional than Doom Blade, but being able to play it the turn before you pay for it allows you to tap out playing our numerous sorcery speed cards, and be ready for whatever craziness your opponent will cast on his turn.
Darkblast Becoming popular thanks to the very common Robots match. The dredge mechanic is useful, as you can Darkblast on the upkeep, dredge instead of drawing, and Darkblast again. Also, if we have Bob on the field, we still get a card off the top. That's serious advantage.
Liliana of the Veil The premier 3 drop walker. Liliana can quickly chew up a players hand, or force our opponent to sac the creature left behind after our path to exile. It can also be run from the sideboard.
Lingering Souls Always run 4. It is usually considered to be amongst the best spells in the Modern format, some decks splash white just so they can have it.
Dark Confidant Should need no introduction. The card advantage Bob produces is unparalleled. It is important to keep the average cost of our deck low to minimize our life loss to him.
Pack Rat Our winning creature of choice. Pack Rat can turn our extra draws from Bob into more rats, creating a serious amount of damage. It's important to make sure the field is safe before casting.
Hero of Bladehold Some use her as a alternative to the Planeswalkers. She does put a ton pressure on the opponent if she is active, but not doing anything for the first turn when costing 4cmc is pretty steep.
Brimaz, King of Oreskos Run no more than 3. Hail to the King! At first glance, Brimaz is a weaker Hero, that competes with our 3cmc slot token generators. In reality, the 3cmc is a benefit (see explanation below), and he puts serious pressure on your opponent. He also decreases your reliance on Intangible Virtue, as he produces Vigilance creatures.
Tidehollow Sculler In a perfect world, it’s a Thoughtseize with a 2/2 body for 2cmc. Sadly the world we live in (modern) is pretty far from perfect. The biggest problem is that he always eats removal, thus returning whatever card you chose. As such, an easy conclusion to draw is that Sculler should always take the removal spell. This is not entirely true, as Sculler really shines as a tempo choice. You get an opportunity to see your opponent's hand (always good), and then choose the card they most need. They can then waste a turn killing the sculler (a psuedo time walk), or try playing without a (hopefully) key piece of their deck. This can create a 1:1 trade. We both spend a card from our hand, and we both spend a turn of our time. Because we have Dark Confidant, stalling for a turn is still powerful as we can draw a card. TL:DR Sculler is worth 3 or 4 slots.
Marsh Flats Our fetchland. Can get our Plains, Swamps and Godless Shrines
Arid Mesa The other fetchland that get get us plains. Not strictly needed, but it does help a bit.
Godless Shrine Always run 4. Our shock land.
Isolated Chapel We run Plains and Swamps and need white and black mana.
Fetid Heath Filter that mana! So we can drop a Auriok Champion on turn 2 from our turn 1 Thoughtseize enabling Swamp into a turn 3 Lilana. As it only provides a colorless mana on it’s own and doesn’t synergize with Isolated Chapel, running more than two is not recommended.
Vault of the Archangel It really helps restore our life total. Because the deck doesn't require too many colored mana sources, we can get away with a few colorless option.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth Helps us get a color our of our colorless land. It's a solid singleton replacing a swamp.
Mutavault It's a Rat! It's a Golem! It's a 2/2! It's a land! Like most midrange or control decks, it's good to have a man-land win con back up. Mutavault is our clear choice due to the synergies listed above.
Arid Mesa The other fetchland that get get us plains. Not strictly needed, but it does help a bit.
Godless Shrine Always run 4. Our shock land.
Isolated Chapel We run Plains and Swamps and need white and black mana.
Fetid Heath Filter that mana! So we can drop a Auriok Champion on turn 2 from our turn 1 Thoughtseize enabling Swamp into a turn 3 Lilana. As it only provides a colorless mana on it’s own and doesn’t synergize with Isolated Chapel, running more than two is not recommended.
Vault of the Archangel It really helps restore our life total. Because the deck doesn't require too many colored mana sources, we can get away with a few colorless option.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth Helps us get a color our of our colorless land. It's a solid singleton replacing a swamp.
Mutavault It's a Rat! It's a Golem! It's a 2/2! It's a land! Like most midrange or control decks, it's good to have a man-land win con back up. Mutavault is our clear choice due to the synergies listed above.
While the core cards above usually make up most of the 60. There is definitely opportunity to change some things depending on your local meta, or personal preferences.
Elspeth Tirel Considered the premier walker for BW Tokens, Tirel's power should not be underestimated in this build. Every ability is relevant to our game-plan. Even the final wrath ability leaves our Rat tokens untouched. Unlike the other walkers, Tirel can actively recover a bad board state.
Elspeth, Knight-Errant One of the best walkers in Modern, she can provide a chump blocker each turn for that goyf, give you card advantage vs. control or provide you with a faster clock. Starting on 4 loyalty and having two +1’s means she is very resilient. It should be noted that only buffing or producing 1 creature a turn is great for stabilizing a powerful board state, but not for creating one from scratch.
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad In this deck he proves to be very much like the Knight-Errant. His -2 for a permanent anthem is great, and the lifelink on the tokens he produces should not be underestimated.
Swords can provide protection to our creatures while making them more threatening, and putting your opponent on a shorter clock.
Sword of War and Peace Making a creature (like Brimaz, King of Oreskos, or Mirran Crusader) Lightning Bolt and Path to Exile proof is a huge bonus. Gaining life when it hits is the icing on the cake.
Sword of Fire and Ice Also provides relevant protections, deals extra damage to players, and lets you draw. All around solid card.
Sword of Feast and Famine Again, the colors of protection are relevant, and being able to untap all land going into your second main phase can set up a dominate board state quickly.
Batterskull A solid choice of closer for any control type deck, especially paired with our lingering soul tokens.
More to come!
3) Sideboard:Elspeth Tirel Considered the premier walker for BW Tokens, Tirel's power should not be underestimated in this build. Every ability is relevant to our game-plan. Even the final wrath ability leaves our Rat tokens untouched. Unlike the other walkers, Tirel can actively recover a bad board state.
Elspeth, Knight-Errant One of the best walkers in Modern, she can provide a chump blocker each turn for that goyf, give you card advantage vs. control or provide you with a faster clock. Starting on 4 loyalty and having two +1’s means she is very resilient. It should be noted that only buffing or producing 1 creature a turn is great for stabilizing a powerful board state, but not for creating one from scratch.
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad In this deck he proves to be very much like the Knight-Errant. His -2 for a permanent anthem is great, and the lifelink on the tokens he produces should not be underestimated.
Swords can provide protection to our creatures while making them more threatening, and putting your opponent on a shorter clock.
Sword of War and Peace Making a creature (like Brimaz, King of Oreskos, or Mirran Crusader) Lightning Bolt and Path to Exile proof is a huge bonus. Gaining life when it hits is the icing on the cake.
Sword of Fire and Ice Also provides relevant protections, deals extra damage to players, and lets you draw. All around solid card.
Sword of Feast and Famine Again, the colors of protection are relevant, and being able to untap all land going into your second main phase can set up a dominate board state quickly.
Batterskull A solid choice of closer for any control type deck, especially paired with our lingering soul tokens.
Duress Shouldn’t be in the main 60 unless your meta is combo and control heavy. Generally, you want thoughtseize of inquisition.
Dismember A great card that sees a lot of play both mainboard and sideboard in others decks.
Disfigure 1cmc instant speed removal that works against the majority of modern staples is never a bad thing.
Engineered Explosives It can shut down bogles, robots, and merfolk easily. Definitely an option over doom blade, depending on your meta.
Doom Blade It's simple and effective. Sometimes, you just need to kill something.
Zealous Persecution A one turn anthem for your team, and negative anthem for theirs. It can act as a pseudo sweeper against robots and bogles (in response to them casting an enchantment). It has the benefit in the late game of making an attack lethal, and ruining your opponents combat math.
Disfigure 1cmc instant speed removal that works against the majority of modern staples is never a bad thing.
Engineered Explosives It can shut down bogles, robots, and merfolk easily. Definitely an option over doom blade, depending on your meta.
Doom Blade It's simple and effective. Sometimes, you just need to kill something.
Zealous Persecution A one turn anthem for your team, and negative anthem for theirs. It can act as a pseudo sweeper against robots and bogles (in response to them casting an enchantment). It has the benefit in the late game of making an attack lethal, and ruining your opponents combat math.
Mirran Crusader Strong against Goyf and bogles. A few successful decks have ran it, and it's also recommended by Craig Wescoe.
Auriok Champion Being protection from black and red means she won’t be getting removed too easily. Giving 1 life for each creature entering the battlefield means you’ll be gaining pretty much life from all your tokens.
If you have two in play she acts as a hard counter for the combos of Splinter Twin and Murderous Redcap.
Still, in some match-ups she is close to a dead card and usually the first one to be side-boarded out.
Blade Splicer A colorless Golem with First Strike can swing for real damage, and can block creatures with color protection (eg, etched champion). She can also chump block, and has the benefit of giving Mutavault First Strike, too.
Kitchen Finks A great option to compensate for the deck's self damaging nature. The WW casting cost can be a deterrent. It also doesn't pair well with RiP, which is a common sideboard card.
Restoration Angel A 3/4 Flyer with Flash can put be a great surprise play all on its own. Couple that with the ability to blink Blade Splicer, reset Kitchen Finks, or take a second peek at an opponents hand with Tidehollow Sculler is very powerful. Still, it can be gimicky, so currently resides in the "alternatives" section.
Baneslayer Angel A very quick game ender. She's our Thundermaw Hellkite. Some players avoid her due to the high cost (and risk of flipping it to Bob), but untapping with one is probably a win.
Blood Baron of Vizkopa Similar to Baneslayer Angel, but trades flying a 1 point of power/toughness for pro white and black. Since WB are the most common removal spells, this increases the odds of untapping with it still alive.
Squadron Hawk Hawks used to be staples. They can be pitched to Liliana, Pack Rat, or be equipped with a sword to become a real threat. Unfortunately, the are weak on their own, and the deck risks loosing consistency to run them over Tidehollow Sculler.
Emeria Angel In a build with 8 Fetchlands, she can be an army in a can. She does die to removal/bolt, but we are playing disruption. As a flier, it can be an evasive threat vs Tarmogoyf while leaving behind chump blockers and pingers. Because she's a 3/3 the risk of loosing a 4 mana investment is still very high.
Auriok Champion Being protection from black and red means she won’t be getting removed too easily. Giving 1 life for each creature entering the battlefield means you’ll be gaining pretty much life from all your tokens.
If you have two in play she acts as a hard counter for the combos of Splinter Twin and Murderous Redcap.
Still, in some match-ups she is close to a dead card and usually the first one to be side-boarded out.
Blade Splicer A colorless Golem with First Strike can swing for real damage, and can block creatures with color protection (eg, etched champion). She can also chump block, and has the benefit of giving Mutavault First Strike, too.
Kitchen Finks A great option to compensate for the deck's self damaging nature. The WW casting cost can be a deterrent. It also doesn't pair well with RiP, which is a common sideboard card.
Restoration Angel A 3/4 Flyer with Flash can put be a great surprise play all on its own. Couple that with the ability to blink Blade Splicer, reset Kitchen Finks, or take a second peek at an opponents hand with Tidehollow Sculler is very powerful. Still, it can be gimicky, so currently resides in the "alternatives" section.
Baneslayer Angel A very quick game ender. She's our Thundermaw Hellkite. Some players avoid her due to the high cost (and risk of flipping it to Bob), but untapping with one is probably a win.
Blood Baron of Vizkopa Similar to Baneslayer Angel, but trades flying a 1 point of power/toughness for pro white and black. Since WB are the most common removal spells, this increases the odds of untapping with it still alive.
Squadron Hawk Hawks used to be staples. They can be pitched to Liliana, Pack Rat, or be equipped with a sword to become a real threat. Unfortunately, the are weak on their own, and the deck risks loosing consistency to run them over Tidehollow Sculler.
Emeria Angel In a build with 8 Fetchlands, she can be an army in a can. She does die to removal/bolt, but we are playing disruption. As a flier, it can be an evasive threat vs Tarmogoyf while leaving behind chump blockers and pingers. Because she's a 3/3 the risk of loosing a 4 mana investment is still very high.
Caves of Koilos A cheap alternative if you don’t have enough fetches.
Ghost Quarter/Tectonic Edge Having a way to remove pesky land is great. Generally the goal is to remove land with powerful effects, like man lands, or to stop Tron/Scapeshift. Keeping your opponent off a color of mana is a secondary goal.
Ghost Quarter/Tectonic Edge Having a way to remove pesky land is great. Generally the goal is to remove land with powerful effects, like man lands, or to stop Tron/Scapeshift. Keeping your opponent off a color of mana is a secondary goal.
More to come!
We could talk about sideboard for days. Ultimately, run what works in your meta. If you don't know what that is, there are a few solid options for "unknown" metas, but the ideal option is to go to events, and learn the meta.
In general, it is best to run the Hatiest Hate Possible. You don't want to inconvenience your opponent, you want to ruin their day. Keep that in mind when making sideboard selections.
Rest in Peace A ‘hard’ alternative to Relic of Progenitus, as it has a continuous effect. Does tamper with your own Lingering Souls, so don't bring it in against Snapcaster Mage. It's not worth locking out one of your best cards, too.
Grafdigger's Cage The cage DOES NOT STOP LIVING END. It does, however, stop Storm and Pod (and our own Lingering Souls). It is a powerful solution to 2 very specific decks. Rest in Peace also hurts those decks, and has broader applications, so generally, the cage is not recommended.
Stony Silence Artifact hate. Shuts down the most troublesome cards that Affinity has, as well as significantly slowing down Tron (and stopping Birthing Pod). Seeing as those two decks are amongst the most popular, the consensus is that anything between 1-3 of this particular card is common sense.
Burrenton Forge-Tender Anti-hate. Pyroclasm and Anger of the Gods can wipe our board presence. This is our 1cmc answer to it.
Kor Firewalker A good counter to Red Deck Win or Burn by stonewalling their creatures, and acting as our personal dragon claw
Pulse the Fields A good counter to Red Deck Win or Burn because it's an inverse Flames of the Bloodhand that keeps coming back to our hand.
Aven Mindcensor Flashing this guy in can severely hamper decks that like to search their library, such Pod, Amulet of Vigor, and Scapeshift. It can slow down Tron as well. Being a 2/1 flyer means he’ll be pulling some extra weight as a damage dealer, especially with a sword.
Runed Halo A very popular "unknown meta" catch all, Runed Halo can shut down anything trying to hit you. A slippery bogle, goyf, or even Deceiver Exarch.
Leyline of Sanctity Another "unknow meta" catch all. It can stop opposing thoughtseizes, lightning bolts to the face (Burn in general), Liliana of the Veil and random mill decks.
Rule of Law Shuts down living end and Storm. Can be substituted for Ethersworn Canonist or Eidolon of Rhetoric. Eidolon also has the benefit of being a lightning bolt proof creature for the same cost.
Celestial Flare Totally anti-Bogle tech.
Torpor Orb Stops ETB effects, most notably souls sisters, combo elves, and amulet of vigor (namely Primeval Titan). Obviously, it's a big no no if you're using Blade Splicer or Kitchen Finks. A good choice against local metas with budget players, as the decks listed above are lower tier, but cheap decks.
Suppression Field Stops twin, and slows down pod. Good option if you play against both decks in your meta.
Disenchant Simple and effective. It's a good way to take out artifacts and enchantments (big surprise, right?). Bring it in against Bogles, Robots, and lower tier strategies like Heartless Summoning and combo elve's Cloudstone Curio.
Sundering Growth Probably the "better" disenchant, as the ability is the same, but will almost always net you another token. The only draw back is the casting cost.
Pithing Needle A great way to stop pesky planeswalkers, namely Karn Liberated.
Oblivion Ring Oring needs no introduction. It's fantastic, broad hate against anything that needs to go away. It is sometimes played over Disenchant or Sundering Growth as it has further applications in other matches.
Fulminator Mage Another card with very clear uses. He brings the added bonus of letting us tap out on our turn to play token producing sorceries, while still having an answer to Urza Lands and Scapeshift. Can be subbed for Rain of Tears.
Celestial Purge Removes Bloodmoon, Liliana of the Veil, Splinter Twin, Dark Confidant, Olivia Voldaren, and Huntermaster of the Fells. A strong spell against Jund and Twin heavy metas, as well as covering targets our Doom Blade or Slaughter Pact miss.
Surgical Extraction A great way to remove all possibility of a combo after forcing a discard with Thoughtseize. When played properly, it can be utterly back breaking, and doesn't even require mana.
Extirpate Similar to Surgical Extraction, but requires mana for the benefit of Split Second.
Memoricide A more expensive Surgical Extraction, but has the benefit of not needing a target in the graveyard. Make sure you know the correct name of the card you want gone.
4) Articles:
Here are some in depth articles about BW Midrange, taking a look at the decks strengths, weaknesses, specific matchups and so on.
I highly recommend that you read them.
Craig Wescoe discussing the power of Pack Rat
Frank Lepore playing and analyzing another Craig Wescoe list
5) Decklists:
First up, MTGsal's own Immapwner's PTQ winning list
| Chris Dearing (immapwner)Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Lands: 24 4 Godless Shrine 1 Isolated Chapel 4 Marsh Flats 2 Temple of Silence 2 Verdant Catacombs 2 Plains 2 Swamp 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 3 Mutavault 2 Tectonic Edge 1 Vault of the Archangel Creatures: 13 2 Tidehollow Sculler 4 Dark Confidant 3 Pack Rat 2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos 2 Baneslayer Angel | Spells: 20 1 Slaughter Pact 3 Inquisition of Kozilek 4 Thoughtseize 1 Darkblast 4 Path to Exile 1 Smother 4 Lingering Souls 1 Dismember 1 Phyrexian Arena Planeswalkers: 3 3 Liliana of the Veil | Sideboard: 15 2 Disenchant 2 Stony Silence 1 Rest in Peace 3 Fulminator Mage 2 Damnation 2 Memoricide 3 Leyline of Sanctity |
| Cody Lingelbach Oregon Modern States WinMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Lands: 25 2 Arid Mesa 1 Caves of Koilos 4 Godless Shrine 1 Isolated Chapel 4 Marsh Flats 3 Mutavault 3 Plains 2 Swamp 3 Tectonic Edge 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 1 Vault of the Archangel | Creatures: 14 2 Baneslayer Angel 3 Blade Splicer 4 Dark Confidant 4 Pack Rat 1 Tidehollow Sculler Spells: 21 2 Darkblast 3 Inquisition of Kozilek 4 Lingering Souls 3 Mana Tithe 4 Path to Exile 1 Smother 4 Thoughtseize | Sideboard 15 1 Aven Mindcensor 2 Cranial Extraction 1 Damnation 2 Disenchant 1 Doom Blade 3 Fulminator Mage 1 Smother 2 Stony Silence 1 Sword of Fire and Ice 1 Zealous Persecution |
| Don Dumont Oregon Modern States top 8Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Lands: 24 2 Arid Mesa 4 Godless Shrine 2 Island 1 Isolated Chapel 4 Marsh Flats 3 Mutavault 2 Plains 2 Tectonic Edge 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 1 Vault of the Archangel 2 Verdant Catacombs Creatures: 13 1 Baneslayer Angel 2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos 4 Dark Confidant 4 Pack Rat 2 Tidehollow Sculler | Spells: 20 1 Batterskull 1 Dismember 3 Inquisition of Kozilek 4 Lingering Souls 4 Path to Exile 1 Phyrexian Arena 1 Slaughter Pact 1 Smother 4 Thoughtseize Planeswalkers: 3 3 Liliana of the Veil | Sideboard: 15 1 Damnation 1 Darkblast 2 Disenchant 3 Fulminator Mage 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence 1 Rest in Peace 2 Stony Silence 2 Surgical Extraction 1 Wrath of God 1 Zealous Persecution |
| Rob Kremer Kentucky Modern States winMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Lands: 24 2 Arid Mesa 4 Godless Shrine 1 Isolated Chapel 4 Marsh Flats 3 Mutavault 2 Plains 2 Swamp 2 Tectonic Edge 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 1 Vault of the Archangel 2 Verdant Catacombs Creatures: 13 2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos 4 Dark Confidant 4 Pack Rat 3 Tidehollow Sculler | Spells: 19 2 Dismember 3 Inquisition of Kozilek 4 Lingering Souls 4 Path to Exile 1 Slaughter Pact 1 Sword of Light and Shadow 4 Thoughtseize Planeswalkers: 4 3 Liliana of the Veil 1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad | Sideboard: 15 1 Damnation 2 Disenchant 3 Fulminator Mage 2 Leyline of Sanctity 1 Rest in Peace 2 Sin Collector 2 Stony Silence 1 Wrath of God 1 Zealous Persecution |
| Craig Wescoe’s GP Boston 2014Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Lands: 25 2 Arid Mesa 4 Godless Shrine 1 Isolated Chapel 4 Marsh Flats 3 Mutavault 2 Plains 2 Swamp 3 Tectonic Edge 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 1 Vault of the Archangel 2 Verdant Catacombs Creatures: 14 2 Blade Splicer 4 Dark Confidant 4 Pack Rat 1 Restoration Angel 3 Tidehollow Sculler | Spells: 20 1 Darkblast 1 Doom Blade 4 Inquisition of Kozilek 4 Lingering Souls 4 Path to Exile 1 Slaughter Pact 1 Sword of Light and Shadow 3 Thoughtseize 1 Zealous Persecution Planeswalkers: 1 1 Ajani Steadfast | Sideboard: 15 1 Damnation 1 Darkblast 2 Disenchant 3 Fulminator Mage 2 Memoricide 2 Peace of Mind 1 Rule of Law 2 Stony Silence 1 Sword of Fire and Ice |
At its simplest, the combination of hand disruption, spot removal, super efficient creatures, and the best hate/sideboard cards in the game can spell VICTORY in any meta. Still, to really push the deck over the top, it is important to understand the decks various interactions.
The first question in every game: Do I keep this hand?
Since we have powerful black control cards, and fantastic White hate, if you have previous knowledge of your opponent's deck, mulligan to a card that helps. This is especially true in game 2/3.
If there is no advanced knowledge to draw on, focus on having a playable hand. This means two sources of two colored sources of mana, ideally , but isn't horrible. Finally, the deck plays best on a curve. Thoughtseize into Dark Confidant into Liliana of the Veil or a 3cmc creatures is a classic midrange environment.
Since we have powerful black control cards, and fantastic White hate, if you have previous knowledge of your opponent's deck, mulligan to a card that helps. This is especially true in game 2/3.
If there is no advanced knowledge to draw on, focus on having a playable hand. This means two sources of two colored sources of mana, ideally , but isn't horrible. Finally, the deck plays best on a curve. Thoughtseize into Dark Confidant into Liliana of the Veil or a 3cmc creatures is a classic midrange environment.
Lingering Souls - It's a Sorcery.
Mutavault is all creature types, including Rat and Golem (if you use Blade Splicer). Remember to include it when you count Pack Rat's power/toughness
Darkblast can be played multiple times in a turn. Cast on your upkeep, then dredge back into your hand on your draw. You can do this AGAIN if you have a draw trigger from a sword.
Next, maximizing the use of thoughtseize:Mutavault is all creature types, including Rat and Golem (if you use Blade Splicer). Remember to include it when you count Pack Rat's power/toughness
Darkblast can be played multiple times in a turn. Cast on your upkeep, then dredge back into your hand on your draw. You can do this AGAIN if you have a draw trigger from a sword.
I'm going to let the pro's speak on this one. Here are two great articles:
The first from Reid Duke: http://www.starcitygames.com/article/26855_Thoughtseize-You.html
And the second from Conley Woods: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=11723
The first from Reid Duke: http://www.starcitygames.com/article/26855_Thoughtseize-You.html
And the second from Conley Woods: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=11723
Finally, don't over extend. A common mistake is to flood the field with all we got (despite having enough already in play to push for lethal), only to get blown out by a sweeper. Sometimes, you have to aggro it up, but do not do that unless it is mandatory.
7)Match Analysis:
There is plenty of room for variation in BW Midrange. For the matchups section, I've listed the major competing decks, and all none-core cards that help against that match. Your sideboard will not fit all these cards. Generally, you need to pad your mainboard a bit with what you think you're going to fight.
In general, BW Midrange decks have flexible slots in their main deck removal, and probably a few personal touches. These will be what your drop for appropriate sideboard cards. It's important to not harm the core of the deck when sideboarding.
Liliana of the Veil slows control. Thoughtseize to remove their sweepers. Watch out for Anger of the Gods in game 2/3. In general, we clog the field, and they can't always keep up with us. A single un-countered lingering souls can win. Still, this deck is one of the most winning decks period, so it can be rough.
+ Liliana of the Veil
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender
+ Ghost Quarter
+ Liliana of the Veil
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender
+ Ghost Quarter
As with other midrange strategies, we have a small advantage right out of the gate. Their spot removal (lightning bolt/helix) doesn't do much against our token producing creatures and lingering souls. Watch out for Restoration Angel and Thundermaw Hellkite. The Hellkite is not super common, but can really wreck us, while Resto is just an all around good card that hurts our air superiority.
+ Sword of Fire and Ice
+ Sword of War and Peace
+ Sword of Fire and Ice
+ Sword of War and Peace
Don't let them search their library, and keep up removal for Primeval Titan. They also use Firespout to clear the skies.
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender
Pod is very popular right now, and always a deck to beat. The key is to stop them from using their toolbox effectively. Stony Silence their pod, and use Aven Mindcensor to limit their search ability. Make them play like a midrange deck, and they'll go down. Mirran Crusader is a powerful creature in this match.
+ Stony Silence
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Rest In Peace (maybe. It was great against the melira win con, but doesn't stop Archangel of Thune + Spike Feeder)
+ Grafdigger's Cage
+ Stony Silence
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Rest In Peace (maybe. It was great against the melira win con, but doesn't stop Archangel of Thune + Spike Feeder)
+ Grafdigger's Cage
Super tough to beat. Celestial Flare, Liliana of the Veil, Runed Halo, and Engineered Explosives are your only prayer. Make sure you start with one in your opening hand, as the games go FAST.
+ Celestial Flare
+ Engineered Explosives
+ Liliana of the Veil
+ Ghost Quarter (stops dryad arbors)
+ Celestial Flare
+ Engineered Explosives
+ Liliana of the Veil
+ Ghost Quarter (stops dryad arbors)
The key against burn is to gain life or stop any of their spells. They run out of gas fast, and rely on players hurting themselves to get faster wins. Try to only Thoughtseize if you know it can take a spell that would hurt you more than the 2 to cast. Don't shock lands in or fetch unless necessary. Watch out for sweepers in game 2/3.
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender
+ Auriok Champion
+ Kor Firewalker
+ Pulse the Fields
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender
+ Auriok Champion
+ Kor Firewalker
+ Pulse the Fields
Probably a favored matchup, as they have a tough time fighting Lingering Souls. Again, watch for Anger of the Gods.
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender(if needed)
+ Ghost Quarter (for the man lands)
+ Mirran Crusader
+ Sword of Feast and Famine
+ Celestial Purge
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender(if needed)
+ Ghost Quarter (for the man lands)
+ Mirran Crusader
+ Sword of Feast and Famine
+ Celestial Purge
Difficult game one. Nothing we do stops them, and when living end goes off, their board is crazy, full of big monsters, some with reach. In game 2, mulligan for RiP and Rule of Law. Use your inq/seize to grab Anger of the Gods and Beast Within.
+ Rest in Peace
+ Rule of Law
+ Rest in Peace
+ Rule of Law
Don't be scared of Aether Vial. They're really trying to control you, while vialing in creatures. Keep their creature count low. Engineered Explosives does a great job of this (I've played it in my main 60 for this reason). Ghost Quarter also stops island walk (when used on yourself) of their mutavaults.
+ Liliana of the Veil
+ Engineered Explosives
+ Ghost Quarter
+ Liliana of the Veil
+ Engineered Explosives
+ Ghost Quarter
Very popular deck as well, and the match up is probably 50/50 (despite some claims to be favorable toward us). Keep kill spells open for their threats (Steel Overseer, Archbound Ravager, and Master of Etherium). Obviously Stony Silence. Runed Halo is solid, too, as it stops Etched Champion. Also because of this match, I mainboard Engineered Explosives (destroys Cranial Plating) while at my LGS.
+ Stony Silence
+ Runed Halo
+ Engineered Explosives
+ Ghost Quarter
+ Stony Silence
+ Runed Halo
+ Engineered Explosives
+ Ghost Quarter
Like all combo decks, the goal is to hold the combo at bay, or ruin it entirely with Leyline of Sanctity. Remember that when scapeshift goes off and all the mountains enter play, Valakut puts a number of triggers, equal to the number of mountains that came into play, on the stack. TecEdge can destroy a mountain in response to the first valakut trigger resolving. The remaining triggers will still be on the stack, but if they no longer have the 6 mountains necessary, none of the remaining damage will be dealt. Same trick can be done with Fulminator Mage/rain of tears. In this match, Ghost Quarter doesn't help.
+ Leyline of Sanctity
+ Runed Halo (naming Valakut, the molten pinnacle)
+ Fulminator Mage
+ Liliana of the Veil
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender (Protection against red sweepers)
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Tectonic Edge
+ Leyline of Sanctity
+ Runed Halo (naming Valakut, the molten pinnacle)
+ Fulminator Mage
+ Liliana of the Veil
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender (Protection against red sweepers)
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Tectonic Edge
Keep the sister's dead, and our tokens will clog the board for the win. Engineered Explosives, Zealous Persecution, and Torpor Orb all hurt their deck.
+ Engineered Explosives
+ Torpor Orb
+ Engineered Explosives
+ Torpor Orb
Pretty simple goal in this game: Don't let them combo. We have a few ways to prevent that, namely Rule of Law to stop the combo directly, and Rest In Peace to remove their combo pieces. If possible, Thoughtseize before playing a combo stopper to make sure they can't counter/remove it. Leyline of Sanctity and Runed Halo can also just stop the damage. Don't forget to hold Zealous Persecution if they change gears and go for the goblin swarm.
+ Rule of Law or Ethersworn Canonist
+ Rest in Peace
+ Leyline of Sanctity
+ Runed Halo (name Grapeshot)
+ Rule of Law or Ethersworn Canonist
+ Rest in Peace
+ Leyline of Sanctity
+ Runed Halo (name Grapeshot)
To win this match, go full aggro. Get enough damage on the board for Karn to just not matter. Always watch out for red sweepers (Pyroclasm, Anger of the Gods, etc), and keep them from assembling the Urza Land if possible. For the first point, bring in an anti-sweeper card like Burrenton. To stop the land, prevent them from using their artifacts to search (Stony Silence, also good against Oblivion Stone), prevent them from searching their library with Aven Mindcensor, or just destroy the land with Fulminator Mage, Techtonic Edge, or Ghost Quarter.
+ Stony Silence
+ Fulminator Mage
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Tectonic Edge or Ghost Quarter
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender (Protection against red sweepers)
+ Pithing Needle or Oblivion Ring against Karn.
+ Stony Silence
+ Fulminator Mage
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Tectonic Edge or Ghost Quarter
+ Burrenton Forge-Tender (Protection against red sweepers)
+ Pithing Needle or Oblivion Ring against Karn.
Same game plan as RG, but no more red sweepers to worry about. They favor the Academy Ruins package, which fuels the super fun Mindslaver lock. Fortunately, Stony Silence and standard land destruction makes that tough. If they do get the lock, you can request they play it out. It takes about 10 minutes to mill out a deck 1 turn at a time. They have to use Academy Ruins, draw the mindslaver, cast and activate the mindslaver, pass the turn, then draw your card, tap your land, and pass the turn back. You can get lucky, push the game to time, or catch them in an error. Be very cautious of mass return spells, like Cyclonic Rift and Aetherize.
+ Stony Silence
+ Fulminator Mage
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Tectonic Edge or Ghost Quarter
+ Stony Silence
+ Fulminator Mage
+ Aven Mindcensor
+ Tectonic Edge or Ghost Quarter
The key is to break their combo. They can't really fight our token army, so make it hard to combo off, and we can win. Keep Path to Exile mana untapped (even if just as a threat), and hold Zealous Persecution to either guarantee a win or to stop the combo for 1 turn.
+ Torpor Orb
+ Torpor Orb
Focus on applying pressure. Slow their ability to combo with Torpor Orb and Thoughtseize. Fight their green monsters with Mirran Crusader and Brimaz, King of Oreskos/Hero of Bladehold plus honor of the pure. Hold Zealous Persecution or Path to Exile to fight the combo. Keep in mind that if they don't combo, they're a midrange deck, and Elspeth + lingering souls is tough for them to fight.
+ Torpor Orb
+ Mirran Crusader
+ Rest in Peace (for this match, shutting out their goyf, scooze, and snap caster are enough to be okay with the loss of our Lingering Souls)
+ Torpor Orb
+ Mirran Crusader
+ Rest in Peace (for this match, shutting out their goyf, scooze, and snap caster are enough to be okay with the loss of our Lingering Souls)
Same as TarmoTwin, but now they don't have scooze or goyf. This deck plays with more of a midrange feel, which gives us an advantage.
+ Torpor Orb
+ Torpor Orb
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Posted Sep 17, 2014-
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Posted Sep 17, 2014Note: Main deck only. Lingering Souls will not be included because it is a staple.
Creatures:
2:
Honorable Mention: Precinct Captain
3:
Honorable Mention: Transcendent Master (he gets the edge over Master of the Feast because its drawback may be detrimental enough for it to not be an option)
4:
Honorable Mention: Bloodline Keeper
5:
Honorable Mention: Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
6:
Honorable Mention: Admonition Angel
I hope you guys find this helpful when designing your own BW Midrange/Control deck.
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Posted Sep 17, 2014-
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Posted Sep 17, 2014Believe it or not, the following creatures should be considered as well:
2:
Squadron Hawk: These Hawks used to be staples. I believe they fit well here, but not at the cost of losing Tidehollow Sculler.
3:
-Master of the Feast: His drawback is counter productive, but a 5/5 flier for 3 applies pressure quickly. Removal bait.
-Vampire Nighthawk: Great stats that can do some work offensively and defensively.
-Transcendent Master: An underrated and forgotten bomb. As a 1 or 2 of, this little guy can turn out to be a monster. Weak in other White-based decks because of removal, but can be a real threat here because of disruption protecting him. He is great when opponent has exhausted removals or to bait removals to secure the protection of bigger threats. He's also good when we have extra mana lying around.
4:
-Emeria Angel: In a build with 8 Fetchlands, she can get nutty. Like Transcendent Master, it is subjected to 'dies to removal' debate, but we have to remember we are playing disruption. As a flier, it can be an evasive threat vs Tarmogoyf while leaving behind chump blockers and pingers.
6:
-Sun Titan: BW Midrange is one of the best decks to support 6 cmc bombs because we have the resources to push the game late if we need to. Sun Titan can bring a lot to this Archetype, giving us inevitable late game resiliency. Bringing back Transcendent Master, for example, is scary.
-Grave Titan: Quite possibly the scariest card your opponent can be staring at once they're out of removals or a hand. Quick clock, just what a finisher should be.
-Wurmcoil Engine: If it resolves, like Grave Titan, you've most likely solidified a win, especially in a deck like ours.
Please consider.
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Posted Sep 17, 2014I agree about the Hawks, btw. They have value, but I think sculler is really the better choice. There's been chatter about them on the current thread, so I'll throw them a bone.