Has anyone liked that Manamorphose list by Andrew Baeckstrom? I found the Ranger and Ghor Clan absolutely detrimental to have, I do wonder if the deck would feel smoother if it became a grim flayer or something
Also, how are you guys feeling with these lists cutting lingering souls?
I can't decide whether to go 5C, 4C with blue splash, or 4c with white splash.
Andrew Baeckstrom's list has no rhyme or reason to me.. Manamorphosex3 without kiln fiend, MD Rampager, MD Ranger of Eos, 2 bolts in the SB(?!?!). Maybe someone smarter than I can explain to me..
Although I must say that I dig the SB Grim Lavamancers.
Instants can sometimes be the most difficult card type to get into the graveyard when it comes to enabling delirium due to the fact that all our instants need specific targets before we can cast them. Manamorphose can be cast at any time, doesn't cost us any mana and offers an additional way to burn through our deck.
I think it's a very interesting card, I just wouldn't feel too happy cutting Decays for it. Maindeck Ghor-Clan and Ranger are a bit more perplexing to me... but I also do like that Grim Lavamancer in the sb.
Been testing a singleton Forest in the maindeck and a Surgical Extraction in the side. Both were good to me today, went 3-1 at the LGS losing to Abzan (as if there's any other way), but I still put up a decent fight. Love this deck to death.
Is the Baecktron deck the one you love or do you just mean Traverse Shadow in general?
I tried playing a few practice games on mtgo with the Ghor Clan and Ranger maindeck---and it felt clunky.
The manamorphose seems strange to me. I get it's a card draw and nice to cast when we get our Shrine blown up, but it feels like a cantrip you don't want to use until several turns later, which can clunk the hand up
The PT showed that Traverse/5C is possibly the better deck, but now I'm so unsure what version to proceed with
There's the blue splash, there's the version without lingering souls
I have no clue what version of this deck to play, I never can decide when there isn't a general consensus on decks.
The grim lavamancer seems awesome in the side though.
just curious if you could be more specific with your statement of blood moon being in "everything". examples?
Jund decks, a lot of Ponza players, a Living End Blue player with Moon, who I sat next to, the guy playing the red prison deck in the top, who I also sat right next to. People were coming ready to punish big mana and greedy mana bases. It's honestly why I think the top 8 classic had some funky decks to it.
Spooly, at the Classic, Blood Moon was being jammed I'm EVERYTHING.
Jeskai was EVERYWHERE
I played two Jeskai decks, and my jeskai friend played the mirror four times, I think.
Does that just make the traverse shadow bad to play in that scenario or just shadow decks in general?
I expect the PT to be a linear mess, but Opens tend to have a ton of Jeskai decks.
I think it's bad for all versions of shadow. Grixis or pure Jund Traverse Shadow are both still going to have lots of problems with UWR and mana denial (and graveyard hate).
I agree about the PT, though I'm including big mana in that. Maybe the Open meta will shift in response, making things more favorable for shadow decks. But at opens right now, I'd be inclined to be on something like Valakut.
Valakut and Big Tron were eaten alive at the Classic, and not for lack of trying. There were a ton in the early rounds and they dissapeared if you managed to make it to the top tables.
Fair enough, I would expect your list to do very well against Tron/Scapeshift. After waffling on 4 vs 5 colors all week, I played this last night to a 4-0 finish:
I beat Junk Reanimator, U/W Control, Pyro Prison, and Scapeshift. The deck was like a freight train, and despite how simple the sideboard is I felt like I had a lot of options in each matchup and was very happy with my post-board configurations. I was surprised by how much I liked Fulminator, this deck already has so much resource denial that he just really tips the scales and makes it almost impossible for your opponent to catch up when you get ahead. At this point, this is the list I'm planning to play on Sunday, and I'm not expecting that to change.
Pretty much what I was running minus the bolt. Hazoret is so I don't have 4 dead cards if shrine blows up
I'd love to hear about how grim does. It messes with Goyf and Traverse, but its interesting to note---Reid Duke is a huge advocate for no boardwipes and Grim Lavas instead. Outside of K-Command, you're not trying to two for one people.
The cards you're bringing in Grim for are against decks that lack the removal, or it's removal that doesn't hit a large shadow instead.
Dropped haz down with Goyf and it was game. Hazoret has just felt so much better than ranger.
I think I should consider a snapcaster mage now that you're talking about it.
I'm playing haz instead of hostage taker. I have 2x blood crypt because my board is leaning on red a lot and I cannot afford just 1 red source.
Gershens list is basically what i based my first list off of, mainly tinkered with the sideboard since I agreed with his maindeck choices.
After watching Reid, I just go all in against jeskai. Our deck cannot afford to play the long game and play around wraths.
I have 3x cb for a lot of decks, I like it against control decks too.
I just don't think souls can be justified for 4 slots.
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Death's Shadow
1x Grim Flayer
4x Street Wraith
Spells (29)
4x Thoughtseize
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Fatal Push
2x Abrupt Decay
1x Dismember
2x Temur Battle Rage
4x Mishra's Bauble
4x Traverse the Ulvenwald
2x Liliana of the Veil
3x Stubborn Denial
4x Verdant Catacombs
2x Bloodstained Mire
2x Marsh Flats
4x Polluted Delta
2x Blood Crypt
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Breeding Pool
1x Watery Grave
1x Swamp
3x Collective Brutality
1x Grim Lavamancer
1x Kozilek's Return
1x Temur Battle Rage
1x Maelstrom Pulse
1x Hazoret, the Fervent
1x Stubborn Denial
2x Disdainful Stroke
2x Ancient Grudge
1x Fatal Push
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
And
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Death's Shadow
2x Grim Flayer
4x Street Wraith
Spells (29)
4x Thoughtseize
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Fatal Push
1x Abrupt Decay
1x Dismember
2x Temur Battle Rage
4x Mishra's Bauble
4x Traverse the Ulvenwald
2x Liliana of the Veil
2x Tarfire
4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Bloodstained Mire
3x Marsh Flats
1x Godless Shrine
2x Overgrown Tomb
1x Blood Crypt
1x Stomping Ground
1x Swamp
1x Forest
3x Lingering Souls
1x Hazoret, the Fervent
1x Maelstrom Pulse
1x Kozilek's Return
2x Ancient Grudge
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
3x Collective Brutality
1x Temur Battle Rage
1x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Nihil Spellbomb
Has anyone liked that Manamorphose list by Andrew Baeckstrom? I found the Ranger and Ghor Clan absolutely detrimental to have, I do wonder if the deck would feel smoother if it became a grim flayer or something
Also, how are you guys feeling with these lists cutting lingering souls?
I can't decide whether to go 5C, 4C with blue splash, or 4c with white splash.
http://mtgdecktechs.com/mythical-magic-4c-deaths-shadow-i-told-you-so/
You're just the god damn GBx master, man.
Is the Baecktron deck the one you love or do you just mean Traverse Shadow in general?
I tried playing a few practice games on mtgo with the Ghor Clan and Ranger maindeck---and it felt clunky.
The manamorphose seems strange to me. I get it's a card draw and nice to cast when we get our Shrine blown up, but it feels like a cantrip you don't want to use until several turns later, which can clunk the hand up
The PT showed that Traverse/5C is possibly the better deck, but now I'm so unsure what version to proceed with
There's the blue splash, there's the version without lingering souls
I have no clue what version of this deck to play, I never can decide when there isn't a general consensus on decks.
The grim lavamancer seems awesome in the side though.
Jund decks, a lot of Ponza players, a Living End Blue player with Moon, who I sat next to, the guy playing the red prison deck in the top, who I also sat right next to. People were coming ready to punish big mana and greedy mana bases. It's honestly why I think the top 8 classic had some funky decks to it.
Valakut and Big Tron were eaten alive at the Classic, and not for lack of trying. There were a ton in the early rounds and they dissapeared if you managed to make it to the top tables.
I do think big mana will do well at the PT though
Spooly, at the Classic, Blood Moon was being jammed I'm EVERYTHING.
Jeskai was EVERYWHERE
I played two Jeskai decks, and my jeskai friend played the mirror four times, I think.
Does that just make the traverse shadow bad to play in that scenario or just shadow decks in general?
I expect the PT to be a linear mess, but Opens tend to have a ton of Jeskai decks.
Also, did anyone ever discuss Nathan Holidays list from weeks ago?
Pretty much what I was running minus the bolt. Hazoret is so I don't have 4 dead cards if shrine blows up
The cards you're bringing in Grim for are against decks that lack the removal, or it's removal that doesn't hit a large shadow instead.