I started playing MTG right at the release of Shards of Alara and back then there were a couple of decent PW control type of decks, even with a plethora of good ways to deal with them. These days PW's are on an insane power level and there isn't really a good, efficient way to deal with them. So why hasn't a bad ass PW deck been brewed up? It seems like it would be pretty good. Maybe Bant or American?
I started playing MTG right at the release of Shards of Alara and back then there were a couple of decent PW control type of decks, even with a plethora of good ways to deal with them. These days PW's are on an insane power level and there isn't really a good, efficient way to deal with them. So why hasn't a bad ass PW deck been brewed up? It seems like it would be pretty good. Maybe Bant or American?
I always thought a Bant PW build would be cool since Garruk can untap lands for counter's, Koth would be cool as well. Both of them would be harder to splash for then say Ajani Vengeant though because of the double G/R. I tried to make a UW PW build work though that abused Venser/Elsepth/Jace/Gideon with proliferate to get ultimates faster, but it was too slow for todays meta.
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Instead of just saying CawBlade is just a better deck and he should quit with this deck and join the bandwagon is helpful only to a point. I think that I would like to see a version of this PW control developed with or without proliferate.
I have a version that I brewed up, but I haven't been able to test it at all because I've only been able to play in a few tournaments (without much testing time) so I've been sticking to what I know (RUG). I would post the list, but it won't let me here.
The fact is, the power level of the Walkers has been significantly lowered since Superfriends dominance. Jace 2.0 + Gideon + Elspeth 1.0 + Ajani Vengeant is just way better than any combination of Walker available today. Not only do you end up having harder to cast cards like Garruk, but you have far more limited Walkers like Tezzeret 2.0. That format also had one of the best 1 CMC removal spells ever printed as well as a modal sweeper in Martial Coup in addition to Day of Judgment. A Walker control deck needs removal and sweepers to function properly, these days that forces you into black (for spot removal) and white (for sweepers) which ends up excluding colors that would be essential to this deck (Green and Blue since that's where the best Walkers are). Green also gives the deck nothing, but is necessary due to the lack of another powerful Walker. So you are left with Jace, Gideon, and Garruk as your main Walkers with Black being a necessary color to have any spot removal without a decent Walker there. Tezz pushes you in a whole other direction and Lilianna has no way to defend herself.
There are lists out there that are really quite good. U/W/r control with lots of planeswalkers stomps on aggro, and has solid matchups with most other decks. People play caw/blade at big tournaments because it's so consistent, but there's nothing keeping anyone from beating up local tournaments with superfriends! (other than the price tag . . . )
Actually in my opinion bant walkers is the best deck in the format. 3 people in my gauntlet group play it exclusively. Sadly he scrubbed at regionals. But I expect to see it in a top8 PTQ soon.
There's a "rogue" list that's been used to some success that's been called "Super Villans" or what not. It features: JTMS, Gideon, Tezz, Venser. The deck runs a lot like a UB-Tezz control deck but splashes for the 2 other planeswalker. It almost day 2'ed at GP Dallas but didn't because of pilot(s) errors or bad mulligans.
Yeah Ajani and the original Elspeth really made the deck what it was. Without them, it's not nearly as good. T2 Chalice into T3 Ajani gave your opponent a 4 turn clock. Combine that with playing an Elspeth next turn, and they get killed by whichever walker they don't attack.
Though Jace and Gideon are both good, they don't demand as much of a "have to get rid of it" clock as Ajani and Elspeth did. Both ajani and elspeth could protect themselves, since ajani's +1 tapped, and elspeth's made blockers. Gideon doesn't have an ultimate, so protecting himself doesn't really lead to anything, and Jace can't protect itself without removing counters. They just wouldn't work well in a solely planeswalker deck.
I started playing MTG right at the release of Shards of Alara and back then there were a couple of decent PW control type of decks, even with a plethora of good ways to deal with them. These days PW's are on an insane power level and there isn't really a good, efficient way to deal with them. So why hasn't a bad ass PW deck been brewed up? It seems like it would be pretty good. Maybe Bant or American?
Mana was a lot better back then.
But if somebody was to brew up a planeswalker deck, IMO, U/W/x would be the best, as it gives access to the best walker, Jace, the defensive powerhouse, Gideon. Green gives Garruk, Black gives Sorin and Liliana and Red gives Chandra and Koth (?). I'd lean towards Bant, as it has the best mana.
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This is part of what im running and its doing GREAT so far... It may not be as competitive as other decks out there, but its GREAT to play. It runs 8 walkers, and some nice creatuer interactions
Turn 4 Urabrask into turn 5 Precursor is WICKED good.
WALKRERS
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Gideon Jura
1 Karn Liberated
2 Chandra Nalaar
CREATURES
4 Precursor Golem
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Urabrask the Hidden
The thing with planeswalkers is that they don't need to protect themselves, they excel at protecting each other. Elspeth Tirel spawns tokens, venser bounces her back to 4, rinse and repeat. Jace TMS sits back and brainstorms behind an army of tokens brainstorming while koth sets your mountains up to ping away or Garruk allows you to overrun with the tokens. With enough removal, the decks work quite well against everything but counters.
Yeah Ajani and the original Elspeth really made the deck what it was. Without them, it's not nearly as good. T2 Chalice into T3 Ajani gave your opponent a 4 turn clock. Combine that with playing an Elspeth next turn, and they get killed by whichever walker they don't attack.
Though Jace and Gideon are both good, they don't demand as much of a "have to get rid of it" clock as Ajani and Elspeth did. Both ajani and elspeth could protect themselves, since ajani's +1 tapped, and elspeth's made blockers. Gideon doesn't have an ultimate, so protecting himself doesn't really lead to anything, and Jace can't protect itself without removing counters. They just wouldn't work well in a solely planeswalker deck.
But you wouldn't know this without testing a deck.
Garruk
Jace
Elspeth
Venser
Gideon
Omens
Cultivate
Condem
Oust(meta call)
Doj
Spine of ishsha (to be replaced with karn)
Preordain
Yeah Ajani and the original Elspeth really made the deck what it was. Without them, it's not nearly as good. T2 Chalice into T3 Ajani gave your opponent a 4 turn clock. Combine that with playing an Elspeth next turn, and they get killed by whichever walker they don't attack.
Though Jace and Gideon are both good, they don't demand as much of a "have to get rid of it" clock as Ajani and Elspeth did. Both ajani and elspeth could protect themselves, since ajani's +1 tapped, and elspeth's made blockers. Gideon doesn't have an ultimate, so protecting himself doesn't really lead to anything, and Jace can't protect itself without removing counters. They just wouldn't work well in a solely planeswalker deck.
Gideon can protect everyone else, or serves as its own clock by swinging. If Ajani V was reprinted, this decktype would be completely viable
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But caw-blade is just better more consistant and easier to pilot.
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I always thought a Bant PW build would be cool since Garruk can untap lands for counter's, Koth would be cool as well. Both of them would be harder to splash for then say Ajani Vengeant though because of the double G/R. I tried to make a UW PW build work though that abused Venser/Elsepth/Jace/Gideon with proliferate to get ultimates faster, but it was too slow for todays meta.
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He's really the crux of the deck, and he's missing.
Elspeth 1.0 while very strong, did not serve a purpose that Gideon could not easily fill himself.
Though Jace and Gideon are both good, they don't demand as much of a "have to get rid of it" clock as Ajani and Elspeth did. Both ajani and elspeth could protect themselves, since ajani's +1 tapped, and elspeth's made blockers. Gideon doesn't have an ultimate, so protecting himself doesn't really lead to anything, and Jace can't protect itself without removing counters. They just wouldn't work well in a solely planeswalker deck.
Mana was a lot better back then.
But if somebody was to brew up a planeswalker deck, IMO, U/W/x would be the best, as it gives access to the best walker, Jace, the defensive powerhouse, Gideon. Green gives Garruk, Black gives Sorin and Liliana and Red gives Chandra and Koth (?). I'd lean towards Bant, as it has the best mana.
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Turn 4 Urabrask into turn 5 Precursor is WICKED good.
WALKRERS
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Gideon Jura
1 Karn Liberated
2 Chandra Nalaar
CREATURES
4 Precursor Golem
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Urabrask the Hidden
NeoFinnity... A Control Affinity Primer
But you wouldn't know this without testing a deck.
Garruk
Jace
Elspeth
Venser
Gideon
Omens
Cultivate
Condem
Oust(meta call)
Doj
Spine of ishsha (to be replaced with karn)
Preordain
Sleeve it up and test it.
Gideon can protect everyone else, or serves as its own clock by swinging. If Ajani V was reprinted, this decktype would be completely viable