Problem with Infect is getting the time to react to their fast openers - If I depend on getting Molten Vortex online, and having bolts, it may or may not be enough. That's pretty much the only reason I keep Sudden Shock around, so I can side out my slow/grindy cards (Crusher, Sensation) and side in more removal and disruption such as Revelries, Angers and Shocks. And it might as well be due to being a bad player, but I don't find the matchup easy at all.
What would you recommend to improve my Infect matchup? I find it hard to be this favored ("almost a bye") against such an explosive/consistent/resilient deck.
Yeah, I agree with you on the extraction part - it is pretty awful to draw multiple Assaults when they're nothing more than discard fodder for Faithless Looting
And by no means I wanted to say that naturally drawing lands is efficient - I just meant it sometimes gets me there. Of course I rely heavily on creatures on these games ^^
(EDIT)
I really like how versatile Fog is (Infect/Aggro/Griselshoal/Affinity), and I don't think dropping down to 2 Destructive Revelry would be a good idea.
That said, while I do like my current sideboard (as in "I think I have a lot of useful tools"), I'm terrible at actually sideboarding (as showcased on the report).
Regarding Dredge, I see Anger of the Gods as a paliative measure - they are resilient enough as to rebuild their position. It's Cage that really matters, imho. Having the Assault-Loam engine online also helps a lot, indeed, and Goyfs/Crushers tend to block Amalgams very well. I usually board in Fog as well in favor of the slower cards.
And you're absolutely correct regarding the Snapcaster Mage matchups, I really should sideboard more carefully.
I don't see having Loam extirpated as game over because of these other threats/game plans. Of course things still need to align somewhat well (deck would absolutely love having access to another Loam-like recursive effect), but I guess that's playing game 2 with a synergy-based deck, regardless.
Ok, this last week's FNM was weird. There were only 9 players, field looked like this:
- 2 Grixis Delver
- 2 Grixis Control
- 1 RG Titanshift
- 1 UG Infect
- 1 Dredge
- 1 Naya Allies
- 1 RG Assault
I performed very poorly - went 0-3 and a bye. Will go into detail on what I believe I did wrong, and what could've been better regarding my current list.
First thing, right off the bat - don't EVER assume that I'm a good player. I believe I make a lot of mistakes, and really find myself having to crawl back into the game most of the time. That said, here we go.
Friday Night Magic - Leitura Parque D. Pedro
November 18
Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil
Attendance was low that night due to a myriad of factors. Another popular store moved to a better location recently, which has been drawing players there for the past few weeks. Also, finals are approaching, and a number of regulars missed this FNM to prepare (or something).
Round 1 - Grixis Control
Got paired against my friend who was trying Corey Buckhart’s Grixis Control (with a different SB, aimed toward what we usually have here, of course). He’s very experienced with Control, and manages his resources very well.
It was mostly an awesome game, I believe I put up a good fight. He countered my Crawling Sensation and delayed Molten Vortex action by countering the Life from the Loam and giving me little to no breathing room.
Game 2 I keep a very bad opener (Hindsight). Again, I rely too much on my creatures and a lonely Molten Vortex to stop the flood gates (?), and get punished by abundant removal + Engineered Explosives. This game was also very fun and intense - to the point I slammed a Thrun, the Last Troll and began the clock, which he answered with a Tasigur, the Golden Fang. We got to the point where he was very low on life (3-ish) and chained Cryptic Commands for “Tap all; bounce Raging Ravine”. He even played around Lightning Bolt (which I didn’t have) until the very last turn, when he bashed for lethal with Tasigur and Tar Pit.
Hindsight 20/20: I’d totally side the Cages, everytime. Also, I knew what I was playing against, and should’ve mulliganed more aggressively toward an early Crawling Sensation and Life from the Loam, since I have 8 Assault effects - even on Game 1. Total brainfart - kept creature-heavy hands against “removal.deck”. Other than that, totally should’ve kept some number of Lightning Bolts for Game 2. Really need to improve my sideboarding skills (fair warning: more cringe ahead)
Loss: 0-2
Overall: 0-1
Round 2 - Grixis Delver
This one came back to bite me in the butt. I tend to be overly confident against Grixis because no Rest in Peace usually means I can play around the graveyard hate, and Crawling Sensation at times takes the game by itself.
Also, I take pride on running a ton of recursive damage, which makes the deck solid against small-creature strategies, so when I realized I was paired up against Grixis Delver I thought to myself “What could possibly go wrong? Everything seems aligned in my favor, right?”
Oh boy.
This guy is the original “Dredge Guy” on the store. Since he’s afraid of a banning, he has been borrowing different decks to try them and see that he’s not completely set adrift should a ban arise in the near future. He’s a cool guy, and plays mostly well (better than I do, at the very least), though he isn’t as experienced as my Round 1 opponent.
Game 1 is a blur. I was under the impression I kept a very solid hand, since I knew what I was playing against. Removals here and there, then Tasigur, the Golden Fang happened, and numerous discards and… Really, something bad happened, and I can’t seem to remember precisely - I assume, however, that I misplayed somehow and/or never found Life from the Loam. Also, Crawling Sensation was discarded (I guess) early in the game.
Game 2 I get completely, absolutely, totally, definitely, undoubtedly destroyed. First of all, I keep Anger of the Gods, Destructive Revelry (idk, Leyline), Lightning Bolt and Molten Vortex. I mean, come on, so much value - Turn 1 Vortex, playing around discard spell and all.
Hindsight 20/20: Less Thragtusk, more Tarmogoyf. Also, mulligan aggressively toward the engine, not good - just keep removal and wait for the engine to come online by itself. Don’t side out Crawling Sensation since it could’ve possibly won me the game there (blocking Tasigur, finding Loam, fueling the grave for Goyf…), even against Delver.
Loss: 0-2
Overall: 0-2
Round 3 - RG Titanshift
It’s been a long time since I had last played against a Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle deck. Of all blends and flavors, I’d rather get obliterated by honest-to-god ramp into Primeval Titan and actual individual Valakut triggers than all that Through the Breach-Emrakul, the Aeons Torn mumbo-jumbo, so I found this match very fun to play.
The player is also very experienced with Magic and Modern, and I enjoy playing against good players because of the feedback after each game, since we get to discuss what we did right, wrong or what could’ve worked, what we played around… This applies to all 3 of my opponents, but due to time constraints this was the round I actually had the opportunity to talk about plays and all.
Game 1 is a head-to-head race. He finds a lot of ramp, I get the Molten Vortex engine early, assisted by Tarmogoyf for the sick beats. However, he reaches 8 lands and Scapeshifts for 36 damage, which is more than enough. This game, though uneventful, had both of us thinking about potential damage and how long the game could take, whether we would have another turn or not… So it was pretty intense in its last turns.
Tough game, very intense and fast-paced, we both had a blast.
Hindsight 20/20: Really have to learn to sideboard better, I got traumatized by graveyard hate and keep bringing Destructive Revelry even in matches where it doesn’t belong. The Lightning Bolts are better than I value them, even if less synergistic with the deck - I should be more conscious about how to value reach.
Loss: 1-2
Overall 0-3
Round 4 - Bye
I like to joke around that the perfect record is “0-3, cry in the bathroom for round 4, get dropped out for not showing, lose lottery prizes”. Well, while I was somewhat inclined of following the plan, I have to work better on untilting myself and getting some perspective so I can improve as a magic player, Assault Loam or not.
Result: 2-0 Bye
Overall: 1-3
Verdict - Scrub
//
To anyone who read this far, thank you very much for your support - I’ll keep trying to get better and better so I can provide more helpful advice, but truth is I’m a bit bummed out (even disregarding this FNM), so I’ll stop playing Modern for a while. As soon as I get excited about some new tech or strategy, will be sure to come back here, since Assault Loam will always have a special place in my heart.
All the best to all of you, hope you enjoyed this scrub’s report! ^^
Haven't been able to playtest your 4C list, I'll just jam my usual Red-Green build tonight. It's been 10 days and no further activity on this thread, which is kinda sad.
Really looking forward to testing something like this - the 4-color greed is real, but there are a ton of very sweet synergies there that really caught my eye. As a huge fan of Smallpox and Young Pyromancer I must say I'm very impressed. It's hard to evaluate how such a list would play, but nevertheless I'm curious
I also agree on Crawling Sensation being a powerhouse - wins matches on its own sometimes.
Really unsure on what else to say other than this list looks sweet, and don't know whether I'll be able to playtest it anytime soon to provide more helpful feedback. But congratulations, man, just the idea of running these cards and game plans together warms my heart.
Hello everyone - sometimes I like to come back here and share my latest list. I'm far from being a competitive (or competent) player, and mostly run Seismic Assault on FNMs. My sole purpose is to share whatever knowledge I may have acquired recently, and perhaps it could help some of you.
Why Red/Green?
I like straight-up Red/Green the most because I feel like I can keep the greediest hands and get away with it. It also feels a lot easier to get RRR for Seismic Assault, and helps me go deep on early-game Ghost Quarter recursion versus Tron. The times I played Jund or Temur always felt like I had the very real chance of losing to my own manabase, and RG just gets rid of that stress, mostly.
Recent Additions and Tests
I have recently tested a bit with Noose Constrictor as a Wild Mongrel of sorts. I even tried adding a Madness subtheme to the deck just because - but it really underperformed. I think the best thing I achieved with it was Life from the Loam getting back lands so I could discard and bash for 5 every turn, since my opponent had Leyline of Sanctity out. It worked out just fine, but Scavenging Ooze #3 might just be better overall. Not completely sure, though - since the Constrictor also looked nice alongside Crusher, but that's stretching a bit. With 8 "discard a land" outlets on the deck, seems unnecessary.
On the other hand, Crawling Sensation has been a total beast. It pretty much won me several games (and matches) against Grixis and a couple of games against Jeskai Control and weenie decks. It fulfills the function Young Pyromancer used to have (back when I played a lot more Sorceries/Instants and had maindeck Flame Jabs, before Molten Vortex existed), but is a lot harder to remove. Additionally, helps me dig for Life from the Loam and increases the relevant Enchantment count, making enchantment removal a bit worse (due to multiple threats). I highly recommend some testing on this, especially if you like grinding the game.
Vessel of Nascency started out as a 1-of, to check if it could be a Commune with the Gods that had less timing restrictions. I used to run a number of Communes because I really found the effect very helpful - but it cost me a lot of tempo and was vulnerable to timely countermagic, which is why I have been searching for something similar. Vessel fulfilled my expectations because it's another turn 1 play, synergizes nicely with Tarmogoyf, and has the slight upside of allowing me to get an artifact (for sideboarded games) or even a land (that +2 damage sometimes actually matters). It's versatile, doesn't get stuck on my hand... Been liking it so far.
Magmatic Insight was very disappointing - ran a varying number of them through the last year or so, from 1 to 4 - definitely has a lot of value if I were back on the Young Pyromancer train, but then again it just feels very awkward most of the time. It's not BAD, just not there yet. Haven't tested Tormenting Voice or Cathartic Reunion on the slot because I really hate being Spell Snared (who doesn't?). Definitely on a more spell-centered strategy, they could work great with Life from the Loam, but yeah.
Another recent addition has been the Haunted Fengraf plan - basically, recur creatures to outgrind the opponent. Friend of mine suggested it, so I have been testing. Too soon to think of any conclusions.
Regarding the Sideboard, my configuration has been changing A LOT lately. My main concern has been having a plan against Dredge, Bogles, Infect and Griselshoal (the "top cancers" on my local metagame). Other than that, getting a hand against Merfolk and Burn would also be great, and Bant Eldrazi was very rough (played only one match, couldn't test much). Overall, the sideboard has been serviceable - only conclusion so far is that the Tron matchup really only needs aggressive mulligans toward Ghost Quarter and Life from the Loam (used to run 2 Crumble to Dust on SB).
Comments on Current Iteration:
I really like this current list. It's by no means polished/competitive/metagame-breaking, but I just like how smoothly it runs, and how easy it is to dig toward Loam, finding a replacement Assault post-removal... Of course, Rest in Peace IS a beating, but that's ok, I guess. I really think 26 lands feels right, though a bit on the lighter side (used to run 28), but it works. Getting to untap, dredge Loam and attack with a lethal Crusher+Assault for 17+ damage HAS to be one of my favourite things in Magic, all the while having access to some sweet land disruption, board control and some resilience to countermagic.
Just... trust the deck, I guess. It's ok to keep 1-landers with Loam/Looting/Vessel. Crusher costs 3 mana + a fetchland. Cast Loam for 0 lands so you can make a big Goyf on turn 3. Always have a plan for Rest in Peace and GO DEEP, being cautious is all your opponent wants. Make them have to have it and crush some countrysides. Throwing lands at your opponent's face.
If your meta has a lot of burn or gr aggro, call the bloodline is likely a great card there. Chumps with lifelink for days? Yes please. There hasn't been much discussion here but I do tend to check in every day if you ever have comments or questions I would happily bounce ideas back and forth with you.
Hey - long time, no see (I remember your posts back from Treasure Cruise Modern!)
Yeah, I agree - Call the Bloodline is very sweet - was thinking of sleeving back my Squee, Goblin Nabobs and going all-in, but didn't work. However, it sure makes the Jund approach to Assault Loam a lot better. But what about Crawling Sensation? First thing it comes to mind is that it provides an additional "dredge" effect to help find Life from the Loam and make Countryside Crusher bigger without requiring additional resources (for example, Call the Bloodline costs a card per token, and Sensation also triggers with Ghost Quarter and fetchlands. I'm not completely sold, though - Bloodline is probably better because Lifelink AND being an engine on itself - but I might give Sensation a whirl on a nonblack list.
Friend of mine offered me some help and designed his own Assault deck, with a slightly different approach:
This is a preliminary list that he brewed attempting to apply some interesting ideas. First of all, he wanted the deck to be less susceptible to graveyard hate, while giving it tools to drag the game (Blood Moon) and avoid getting decked in the grindiest matchups (Gaea's Blessing). His intention was to make the deck play more like a midrange strategy instead of going guns blazing on the engine and burning opponent ASAP.
I was very skeptical at first, but once I played some matches I finally understood. 4 Mulch might be too much - could see replacing at least one copy for Commune with the Gods, the third Life from the Loam or something else - but drawing 2-3 lands straight from the library has been a lifesaver. Also, casting Gaea's Blessing to shuffle back some relevant spells in grindy games does help.
Although not entirely on board with his list, I felt it was refreshing to see something different (at least for me), and thought it might me helpful for you guys.
Either way, will keep on testing some weird ideas, and see if something cool comes up.
What I meant was "built this crappy list on last minute with whatever I had immediate access to, it's not at all optimized/tested/justifiable by any means". I'm trying to get back at discussing an archetype I was pretty fond of.
Clarification: "I know it's awful, don't bother" (providing feedback on such a crappy list)
Have there been any recent developments for the more traditional Seismic Assault strategy?
Wanted to get back to this thread, after a long time away (phew, 3 weeks since last comment?). Have there been any recent developments for the more traditional Seismic Assault strategy?
Considering the whole Zombie Infestation/Call the Bloodline approach, I'm not a huge fan, but has it been working better than just going all-in with the Assault plan? Doesn't look particularly fast or solid, on first sight.
Figure out how to play through it as Blitkun advocates or there are other approaches. One of the reasons I like the deck I've been playing is I am only really devoting 8 cards to the Vortex/Loam engine and can side out all eight of them to switch to either a straight Tempo deck or a Twin deck depending on how my board is configured.
You can make an Assault Loam deck that revolves entirely around the GY, but you don't have to. If you see enough cards, something a lot of archetypes have interest in, you really don't need a deck full of the combo components to still have it be a powerful engine in your deck.
The Sideboard Twin plan is precisely what I meant with being creative. I'm not a fan of the idea for personal preferences, but it is a really cool way to address the graveyard hate issue. Also, one of the strongest points in the Jund approach is playing closer to Jund Midrange, relying less on the engine. Same could be said about those Temur Delver Assault lists, or even Naya Zoo Assault.
If you're so concerned with sideboard hosers, I'd suggest playing midrange or other format. Modern is molded by specific hosers, and metagaming is a huge part of being successful in it - not that I am successful or anything, but we must be aware of this. If being hosed by a single card such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void is too frustrating to you, graveyard strategies are not the place you'd ever want to be. By default, grave-based decks are already "unfair" in that they use resources that are normally unavailable, and the Life from the Loam combined with the numerous engines we run (from Seismic Assault to Ghost Quarter and Raven's Crime, or even Zombie Infestation alongside Bloodghasts and Lingering Souls) provides card advantage that often needs to be addressed.
Of course everyone should be able to play his own deck and have the chance to "do the cool things". Winning or losing should be a mere result of each game's variance, but this is not how Magic works. The best we can do, as grave-based players, is keep those hosers in mind, and outplay them. It's a great chance to develop ourselves as players, and a lot of really entertaining game states happen due to baiting out the hate card and getting rid of it soon after. It also provides us with opportunities to develop our decks beyond "one trick pony" status.
If you can't see the fun in playing an uphill battle against graveyard hosers, this is not the deck to play, IMO. It's a big part of the fun and challenge. There's no thing as a graveyard deck that has no problem dealing with Rest in Peace and Leyline of the Void. What you can do about it is keep that in mind, and surround yourself with the adequate tools to play around these cards. Be creative, unexpected. A deck that relies solely on finding X card, or having Y resources, has a very obvious weak spot. Try something else.
The cool thing about midrange (not necessarily Jund or Abzan) is that you get to minimize sideboard impact. The more linear a deck is, or the more it relies on a specific engine, the more vulnerable you are. That should be obvious enough, but the decision you make when choosing a deck has to keep this in mind. Next time you feel bad about the opponent's Rest in Peace, think of Rule of Law, Stony Silence, Leyline of Sanctity, Abrupt Decay, Combust/Rending Volley, Guttural Response, Annul, Mindbreak Trap, Blood Moon, Ensnaring Bridge, Kor Firewalker, Thrun, the Last Troll, Deflecting Palm, Slaughter Games, Extirpate, Back to Nature...
Played a small tournament this Monday. Report follows. Borrowed a couple of BG cards from a friend, so I played Jund again. Once more, deckbuilding was a bit rushed, but I applied some knowledge from last Friday.
List performed surprisingly well, were I to run it again would tweak the SB a bit (overloaded against Twin, but that's ok), and add a Murderous Cut maindeck probably in place of Tasigur #3. If I had Tarmogoyfs they'd be there for sure as well. Kolaghan's Command could make into the list, but I'm not into it as much.
Magic Tournament @ Card Addiction - Fullerton, CA
18 players
Field was a bit weird, but varied. Some interesting decks were floating around, and I'm glad I dodged Ad Nauseam.
Game 1 was very interesting. I manage to stabilize after he swarms the board with numerous 1/1s and 2/2s. His build was on a budget (ran Frogmites) but deck behaved quite well. He casts 3 Day's Undoing through this game, I happen to draw poorly and he closes the match with weenie beats + Galvanic Blasts and Shrapnel Blast - he was still at 20 life through all of this, since I had to keep responding to all his threats. Fun game, though - the guy's a sport, and really cool to talk to.
For Game 2 I side in Ancient Grudges, Nature's Claims and one Feed the Clan because why not. I keep an opener stacked with removal, and proceed to massacre a slow opening on his part. After controlling the board, I quickly dispatch him through 2 quick turns of Tasigur and Molten Vortex activation.
Game 3 gets grindy, and I manage to stockpile removal on my hand for the early stages of the game, killing only the key parts of his deck. Even so, he puts on a clock and casts some pretty awesome Day's Undoings. I end up with a horrible hand (multiple Life from the Loam and lands, but no Seismic Assault yet on the board) so I eventually succumb to his pressure while desperately trying to topdeck a damage effect or lootings to no success.
Round 2 - versus UWR Midrange (with the combo)
1-1-draw
Game 1 gets intense. I kill things, he kills things, I resolve Molten Vortex and he burns me down to 2, but I end up drawing the second Life from the Loam and set up a lethal turn. Really amazing game, though - between Snapcaster Mages, Restoration Angels and Wall of Omens he has a ton of CA and makes things really difficult for the deck. We end up having a lot of fun with this.
Game 2 I exchange some bolts for Rending Volleys and prepare myself for another grindfest. This one goes long, really really long. He boards in a Timely Reinforcements that gives him enough chump blockers for my Tasigur, the Golden Fang and Zombie Infestation tokens to lose the race against his Restoration Angel. I feel I misplayed this game badly at some point, but can't really see what was it. Again, we had a blast.
Game 3 starts, and as we are still on the first turns time is called for the round. Opponent keeps playing because he can combo me off, so I just sandbag removal and kill everything on sight. We draw.
Round 3 - Grixis Twin
2-1
End up playing one of my friends. But it's k.
Game 1 I Raven's Crime him away and setup a 16-damage turn. Not much else to say, since Raven's Crime is BRUTAL on this matchup.
For Game 2 I side in the Rending Volleys and 2 of the Nature's Claims to hedge against stuff. He drops a turn 3 Blood Moon that I did not expect, and suddenly I'm on topdeck mode with a resolved Seismic Assault on the field. His Tasigur leads the way, and even after I manage to naturally draw my Forest, Life from the Loam gets countered twice. When I finally manage to kill Tasigur, I get burned away.
Game 3 I keep a hand stuffed with juicy removal, and as we proceed to exchange resources I get access to Raven's Crime and out-value him. After that, he sadly draws very bad cards, and I close the game with my Tasigur and a couple of lands to his face. He got to the point of Serum Visions into land, scry 2 lands to the bottom, and draw 3 lands in a row from that point on. Sucks.
Round 4 - versus 4C Delver
1-2
Game 1 is the story of a Delver of Secrets not flipping for 3 turns, as I manage to assemble the engine and take the game away. I love happy endings.
Game 2 I side in Jund Charms to deal with the token sub-theme and add some graveyard hate (he's playing a ton of delve spells). We grind the game away, he drops Tasigur, kills a lot of stuff, goes for Rest in Peace that gets Abrupt Decayed, goes for a lot of aggro/value/hurray stuff that I manage to respond until... Slaughter Games happens. Goodbye Life from the Loam. Hello weird topdecks.
Game 3 is a repeat of Game 2. Very, very, very grindy - but Slaughter Games wins for him. He manages to cast 2 of them. once for Loam and the second for Lightning Bolt (he was pretty low). Tasigur kills me.
I think if there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that I really should expect less of myself. Back to the drawing board.
Will get back to testing RG variants until I get the cash to purchase my own B stuff.
I play with 2 tapped lands (Raging Ravines) because I wanted to avoid it. Back when I ran 3 Ravines and a Treetop Village I used to have some sequencing issues (also ran Commune with the Gods, cmc 2 spell) that were solved only after I lowered the dig curve to 1 and made turn 2 the "official turn for the tapped land". And it's still far from satisfactory. That's why I find it so hard to believe this list runs smoother than what I've been doing, and why I've been eager for comments on performance x.x
Anyway, sideboard does look like an improvement. I personally prefer Combust over Rending Volley but lately haven't played neither on SB because Twin combo can be played around with Molten Vortex and whatnot. But I'm probably wrong, as always.
4 raging ravine and 2 village could just mean he's more likely to start on turn 2 rather than turn 1 and voice gives him card advantage rather than looting which sets you back a card. It is nice to be able to keep the cards you draw (especially land) rather than pitch them to looting he actually gets the chance to keep 1 extra land to pitch to an assault or vortex.
The only interaction I can see is being able to discard Loam as a cost of casting then dredge it back using one of the draws. If that actually works. But it does seem pretty corner case.
Or if you've nothing else in hand and topdeck useless cards. But the extra mana and lack of flashback seem like legit downsides.
Acually Tormenting Voice is neutral (-2:+2), as well as Magmatic Insight. Faithless Looting is +2:-3, card disadvantage that allows you to sculpt your graveyard faster, and is turn 1 action. I agree that the amount of tapped lands is certainly connected with the Voice, but what would be the benefit of risking getting Remanded on turn 2 instead of consistently evading both Remand and Spell Snare by playing the CMC 1 spells?
I probably rate this way too highly, though. Hate being Remanded, especially if I discarded a card as part of the casting cost. Anyway, I agree that Voice allows you to hold one extra card if compared with Looting, but still seems off. Openings with 2 tapped lands are REALLY awkward. This is bugging me out, seriously.
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Problem with Infect is getting the time to react to their fast openers - If I depend on getting Molten Vortex online, and having bolts, it may or may not be enough. That's pretty much the only reason I keep Sudden Shock around, so I can side out my slow/grindy cards (Crusher, Sensation) and side in more removal and disruption such as Revelries, Angers and Shocks. And it might as well be due to being a bad player, but I don't find the matchup easy at all.
What would you recommend to improve my Infect matchup? I find it hard to be this favored ("almost a bye") against such an explosive/consistent/resilient deck.
And by no means I wanted to say that naturally drawing lands is efficient - I just meant it sometimes gets me there. Of course I rely heavily on creatures on these games ^^
Regarding Anger of the Gods, I understand what you're saying - but what would you recommend? Swapping Worm Harvest for Anger #3? Or Maybe one of the Feed the Clans?
(EDIT)
I really like how versatile Fog is (Infect/Aggro/Griselshoal/Affinity), and I don't think dropping down to 2 Destructive Revelry would be a good idea.
That said, while I do like my current sideboard (as in "I think I have a lot of useful tools"), I'm terrible at actually sideboarding (as showcased on the report).
Regarding Dredge, I see Anger of the Gods as a paliative measure - they are resilient enough as to rebuild their position. It's Cage that really matters, imho. Having the Assault-Loam engine online also helps a lot, indeed, and Goyfs/Crushers tend to block Amalgams very well. I usually board in Fog as well in favor of the slower cards.
And you're absolutely correct regarding the Snapcaster Mage matchups, I really should sideboard more carefully.
On 8 Seismic Assault effects, I just like the redundancy to find them faster (and discard extras to Looting) because it makes me more resilient against enchantment removal. While I'm pretty much "all in", I've won more than once after getting Surgical Extraction/Extirpate'd - if it's not Rest in Peace/Leyline of the Void, Countryside Crusher still grows, Tamogoyf presents a clock and I can always naturally draw lands (it actually works). Raging Ravine and Crawling Sensation are also very real threats that don't depend on Life from the Loam, and that being the case I'd probably side in Thrun, the Last Troll, Thragtusk and Worm Harvest to get that extra edge if the matchup is grindy enough.
I don't see having Loam extirpated as game over because of these other threats/game plans. Of course things still need to align somewhat well (deck would absolutely love having access to another Loam-like recursive effect), but I guess that's playing game 2 with a synergy-based deck, regardless.
Again, what terrifies me is Rest in Peace and Leyline of the Void. I believe Relic of Progenitus, Scavenging Ooze, Nihil Spellbomb, Tormod's Crypt, Surgical Extraction and Extirpate all have ways to play around. Not easy, by any means, but manageable.
Thank you very much for your thoughts ^^
- 2 Grixis Delver
- 2 Grixis Control
- 1 RG Titanshift
- 1 UG Infect
- 1 Dredge
- 1 Naya Allies
- 1 RG Assault
I performed very poorly - went 0-3 and a bye. Will go into detail on what I believe I did wrong, and what could've been better regarding my current list.
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Stomping Ground
4 Copperline Gorge
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
2 Raging Ravine
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Haunted Fengraf
2 Mountain
2 Forest
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Countryside Crusher
//Spells
4 Faithless Looting
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Life from the Loam
//Enchantments
4 Molten Vortex
2 Vessel of Nascency
4 Seismic Assault
2 Crawling Sensation
2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Fog
2 Sudden Shock
2 Feed the Clan
3 Destructive Revelry
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Thragtusk
1 Worm Harvest
First thing, right off the bat - don't EVER assume that I'm a good player. I believe I make a lot of mistakes, and really find myself having to crawl back into the game most of the time. That said, here we go.
Friday Night Magic - Leitura Parque D. Pedro
November 18
Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil
Attendance was low that night due to a myriad of factors. Another popular store moved to a better location recently, which has been drawing players there for the past few weeks. Also, finals are approaching, and a number of regulars missed this FNM to prepare (or something).
Round 1 - Grixis Control
Got paired against my friend who was trying Corey Buckhart’s Grixis Control (with a different SB, aimed toward what we usually have here, of course). He’s very experienced with Control, and manages his resources very well.
Game 1 I begin with early pressure - Molten Vortex into Tarmogoyf and then Countryside Crusher. It takes me a while to find Life from the Loam, and in this time he manages to properly address all my threats and grind me out on a dragged game, finishing off with Tasigur, the Golden Fang, Snapcaster Mages and Creeping Tar Pit.
It was mostly an awesome game, I believe I put up a good fight. He countered my Crawling Sensation and delayed Molten Vortex action by countering the Life from the Loam and giving me little to no breathing room.
I side out the Lightning Bolts and a Countryside Crusher in favor of Thrun, the Last Troll, Thragtusk, Worm Harvest and 2 copies of Destructive Revelry just in case. I wonder if I should bring the Grafdigger’s Cages, but since the match is set up to be a grindfest, I thought I’d need to flashback my Faithless Lootings to keep up the pressure.
Game 2 I keep a very bad opener (Hindsight). Again, I rely too much on my creatures and a lonely Molten Vortex to stop the flood gates (?), and get punished by abundant removal + Engineered Explosives. This game was also very fun and intense - to the point I slammed a Thrun, the Last Troll and began the clock, which he answered with a Tasigur, the Golden Fang. We got to the point where he was very low on life (3-ish) and chained Cryptic Commands for “Tap all; bounce Raging Ravine”. He even played around Lightning Bolt (which I didn’t have) until the very last turn, when he bashed for lethal with Tasigur and Tar Pit.
Hindsight 20/20: I’d totally side the Cages, everytime. Also, I knew what I was playing against, and should’ve mulliganed more aggressively toward an early Crawling Sensation and Life from the Loam, since I have 8 Assault effects - even on Game 1. Total brainfart - kept creature-heavy hands against “removal.deck”. Other than that, totally should’ve kept some number of Lightning Bolts for Game 2. Really need to improve my sideboarding skills (fair warning: more cringe ahead)
Loss: 0-2
Overall: 0-1
Round 2 - Grixis Delver
This one came back to bite me in the butt. I tend to be overly confident against Grixis because no Rest in Peace usually means I can play around the graveyard hate, and Crawling Sensation at times takes the game by itself.
Also, I take pride on running a ton of recursive damage, which makes the deck solid against small-creature strategies, so when I realized I was paired up against Grixis Delver I thought to myself “What could possibly go wrong? Everything seems aligned in my favor, right?”
Oh boy.
This guy is the original “Dredge Guy” on the store. Since he’s afraid of a banning, he has been borrowing different decks to try them and see that he’s not completely set adrift should a ban arise in the near future. He’s a cool guy, and plays mostly well (better than I do, at the very least), though he isn’t as experienced as my Round 1 opponent.
Game 1 is a blur. I was under the impression I kept a very solid hand, since I knew what I was playing against. Removals here and there, then Tasigur, the Golden Fang happened, and numerous discards and… Really, something bad happened, and I can’t seem to remember precisely - I assume, however, that I misplayed somehow and/or never found Life from the Loam. Also, Crawling Sensation was discarded (I guess) early in the game.
I sideboard badly - out with Tarmogoyfs and both Crawling Sensations (since it was Delver, not Control), in with Anger of the Gods, Sudden Shock and Thragtusk. After all, “what else could possibly go wrong?”...
Game 2 I get completely, absolutely, totally, definitely, undoubtedly destroyed. First of all, I keep Anger of the Gods, Destructive Revelry (idk, Leyline), Lightning Bolt and Molten Vortex. I mean, come on, so much value - Turn 1 Vortex, playing around discard spell and all.
He goes turn 1 Pithing Needle for Molten Vortex. That’s fine. I manage to topdeck Faithless Looting that finds me Seismic Assault and Life from the Loam. Long story short - he exiled my Loam with Nihil Spellbomb, discarded Seismic Assault and wrecked my board with Tasigur, again, and follow-up removal spells. I never find another Faithless Looting nor Life from the Loam, Seismic Assault or Thragtusk, but that was well deserved.
Hindsight 20/20: Less Thragtusk, more Tarmogoyf. Also, mulligan aggressively toward the engine, not good - just keep removal and wait for the engine to come online by itself. Don’t side out Crawling Sensation since it could’ve possibly won me the game there (blocking Tasigur, finding Loam, fueling the grave for Goyf…), even against Delver.
Loss: 0-2
Overall: 0-2
Round 3 - RG Titanshift
It’s been a long time since I had last played against a Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle deck. Of all blends and flavors, I’d rather get obliterated by honest-to-god ramp into Primeval Titan and actual individual Valakut triggers than all that Through the Breach-Emrakul, the Aeons Torn mumbo-jumbo, so I found this match very fun to play.
The player is also very experienced with Magic and Modern, and I enjoy playing against good players because of the feedback after each game, since we get to discuss what we did right, wrong or what could’ve worked, what we played around… This applies to all 3 of my opponents, but due to time constraints this was the round I actually had the opportunity to talk about plays and all.
Game 1 is a head-to-head race. He finds a lot of ramp, I get the Molten Vortex engine early, assisted by Tarmogoyf for the sick beats. However, he reaches 8 lands and Scapeshifts for 36 damage, which is more than enough. This game, though uneventful, had both of us thinking about potential damage and how long the game could take, whether we would have another turn or not… So it was pretty intense in its last turns.
I sideboard my Lightning Bolts out (and something else, Crawling Sensations if I had to guess), get a Thragtusk, 2 copies of Destructive Revelry (just in case) and Feed the Clan each. I realize I don’t actually have a sideboard plan against Valakut - older versions of the deck used to run 3 Ghost Quarter and 2 Tectonic Edge, so, for the first time since my last Tron matchup, I miss them.
Game 2 I keep an aggressive hand, with Countryside Crusher + fetchland on turn 4 to play around Lightning Bolt, Seismic Assault on 3 and Tectonic Edge to keep my opp down a land. Even though I had to fetch for shock twice, I pressure him enough so he Summoner’s Pact for a Courser of Kruphix to hit land drops and net some life, but ultimately I threaten lethal with a giant Countryside Crusher and Life from the Loam+Seismic Assault to clear the path. He concedes.
(for anyone who’s counting, that was my first Game Win that night)
Game 3 I open with Vessel of Nascency into Tarmogoyfs. 3 of them. They all grow to be 5/6s, opponent gains a bunch of life out of Obstinate Baloths, Courser of Kruphix and used up a lot of Valakut triggers to finish off my board. He’s at 4 life, I never found Life from the Loam, though already have Molten Vortex on the field and a land in hand. He has 2 online Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, topdecks a fetchland. I’m at 6.
Tough game, very intense and fast-paced, we both had a blast.
Hindsight 20/20: Really have to learn to sideboard better, I got traumatized by graveyard hate and keep bringing Destructive Revelry even in matches where it doesn’t belong. The Lightning Bolts are better than I value them, even if less synergistic with the deck - I should be more conscious about how to value reach.
Loss: 1-2
Overall 0-3
Round 4 - Bye
I like to joke around that the perfect record is “0-3, cry in the bathroom for round 4, get dropped out for not showing, lose lottery prizes”. Well, while I was somewhat inclined of following the plan, I have to work better on untilting myself and getting some perspective so I can improve as a magic player, Assault Loam or not.
Result: 2-0 Bye
Overall: 1-3
Verdict - Scrub
//
To anyone who read this far, thank you very much for your support - I’ll keep trying to get better and better so I can provide more helpful advice, but truth is I’m a bit bummed out (even disregarding this FNM), so I’ll stop playing Modern for a while. As soon as I get excited about some new tech or strategy, will be sure to come back here, since Assault Loam will always have a special place in my heart.
All the best to all of you, hope you enjoyed this scrub’s report! ^^
Anyhow, will edit this later with my report.
Really looking forward to testing something like this - the 4-color greed is real, but there are a ton of very sweet synergies there that really caught my eye. As a huge fan of Smallpox and Young Pyromancer I must say I'm very impressed. It's hard to evaluate how such a list would play, but nevertheless I'm curious
I also agree on Crawling Sensation being a powerhouse - wins matches on its own sometimes.
Really unsure on what else to say other than this list looks sweet, and don't know whether I'll be able to playtest it anytime soon to provide more helpful feedback. But congratulations, man, just the idea of running these cards and game plans together warms my heart.
First things first, my current list:
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Stomping Ground
4 Copperline Gorge
2 Raging Ravine
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Haunted Fengraf
2 Mountain
2 Forest
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Countryside Crusher
//Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Faithless Looting
4 Life from the Loam
//Enchantments
4 Molten Vortex
2 Vessel of Nascency
4 Seimic Assault
2 Crawling Sensation
2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Fog
2 Sudden Shock
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Destructive Revelry
2 Feed the Clan
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Thragtusk
1 Worm Harvest
Why Red/Green?
I like straight-up Red/Green the most because I feel like I can keep the greediest hands and get away with it. It also feels a lot easier to get RRR for Seismic Assault, and helps me go deep on early-game Ghost Quarter recursion versus Tron. The times I played Jund or Temur always felt like I had the very real chance of losing to my own manabase, and RG just gets rid of that stress, mostly.
Recent Additions and Tests
I have recently tested a bit with Noose Constrictor as a Wild Mongrel of sorts. I even tried adding a Madness subtheme to the deck just because - but it really underperformed. I think the best thing I achieved with it was Life from the Loam getting back lands so I could discard and bash for 5 every turn, since my opponent had Leyline of Sanctity out. It worked out just fine, but Scavenging Ooze #3 might just be better overall. Not completely sure, though - since the Constrictor also looked nice alongside Crusher, but that's stretching a bit. With 8 "discard a land" outlets on the deck, seems unnecessary.
On the other hand, Crawling Sensation has been a total beast. It pretty much won me several games (and matches) against Grixis and a couple of games against Jeskai Control and weenie decks. It fulfills the function Young Pyromancer used to have (back when I played a lot more Sorceries/Instants and had maindeck Flame Jabs, before Molten Vortex existed), but is a lot harder to remove. Additionally, helps me dig for Life from the Loam and increases the relevant Enchantment count, making enchantment removal a bit worse (due to multiple threats). I highly recommend some testing on this, especially if you like grinding the game.
Vessel of Nascency started out as a 1-of, to check if it could be a Commune with the Gods that had less timing restrictions. I used to run a number of Communes because I really found the effect very helpful - but it cost me a lot of tempo and was vulnerable to timely countermagic, which is why I have been searching for something similar. Vessel fulfilled my expectations because it's another turn 1 play, synergizes nicely with Tarmogoyf, and has the slight upside of allowing me to get an artifact (for sideboarded games) or even a land (that +2 damage sometimes actually matters). It's versatile, doesn't get stuck on my hand... Been liking it so far.
Magmatic Insight was very disappointing - ran a varying number of them through the last year or so, from 1 to 4 - definitely has a lot of value if I were back on the Young Pyromancer train, but then again it just feels very awkward most of the time. It's not BAD, just not there yet. Haven't tested Tormenting Voice or Cathartic Reunion on the slot because I really hate being Spell Snared (who doesn't?). Definitely on a more spell-centered strategy, they could work great with Life from the Loam, but yeah.
Another recent addition has been the Haunted Fengraf plan - basically, recur creatures to outgrind the opponent. Friend of mine suggested it, so I have been testing. Too soon to think of any conclusions.
Regarding the Sideboard, my configuration has been changing A LOT lately. My main concern has been having a plan against Dredge, Bogles, Infect and Griselshoal (the "top cancers" on my local metagame). Other than that, getting a hand against Merfolk and Burn would also be great, and Bant Eldrazi was very rough (played only one match, couldn't test much). Overall, the sideboard has been serviceable - only conclusion so far is that the Tron matchup really only needs aggressive mulligans toward Ghost Quarter and Life from the Loam (used to run 2 Crumble to Dust on SB).
Comments on Current Iteration:
I really like this current list. It's by no means polished/competitive/metagame-breaking, but I just like how smoothly it runs, and how easy it is to dig toward Loam, finding a replacement Assault post-removal... Of course, Rest in Peace IS a beating, but that's ok, I guess. I really think 26 lands feels right, though a bit on the lighter side (used to run 28), but it works. Getting to untap, dredge Loam and attack with a lethal Crusher+Assault for 17+ damage HAS to be one of my favourite things in Magic, all the while having access to some sweet land disruption, board control and some resilience to countermagic.
Just... trust the deck, I guess. It's ok to keep 1-landers with Loam/Looting/Vessel. Crusher costs 3 mana + a fetchland. Cast Loam for 0 lands so you can make a big Goyf on turn 3. Always have a plan for Rest in Peace and GO DEEP, being cautious is all your opponent wants. Make them have to have it and crush some countrysides. Throwing lands at your opponent's face.
DAMN that list looks AWESOME, man *-* cheers!
[disclaimer]: I'm not an active user on this forum, please feel free to provide feedback, but keep in mind I might-- *smokescreen*
Hey - long time, no see (I remember your posts back from Treasure Cruise Modern!)
Yeah, I agree - Call the Bloodline is very sweet - was thinking of sleeving back my Squee, Goblin Nabobs and going all-in, but didn't work. However, it sure makes the Jund approach to Assault Loam a lot better. But what about Crawling Sensation? First thing it comes to mind is that it provides an additional "dredge" effect to help find Life from the Loam and make Countryside Crusher bigger without requiring additional resources (for example, Call the Bloodline costs a card per token, and Sensation also triggers with Ghost Quarter and fetchlands. I'm not completely sold, though - Bloodline is probably better because Lifelink AND being an engine on itself - but I might give Sensation a whirl on a nonblack list.
Friend of mine offered me some help and designed his own Assault deck, with a slightly different approach:
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
2 Bloodstained Mire
3 Stomping Ground
4 Copperline Gorge
2 Raging Ravine
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Mountain
4 Forest
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Countryside Crusher
//Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Faithless Looting
2 Magmatic Insight
4 Mulch
2 Life from the Loam
2 Gaea's Blessing
2 Anger of the Gods
4 Molten Vortex
2 Seismic Assault
3 Blood Moon
This is a preliminary list that he brewed attempting to apply some interesting ideas. First of all, he wanted the deck to be less susceptible to graveyard hate, while giving it tools to drag the game (Blood Moon) and avoid getting decked in the grindiest matchups (Gaea's Blessing). His intention was to make the deck play more like a midrange strategy instead of going guns blazing on the engine and burning opponent ASAP.
I was very skeptical at first, but once I played some matches I finally understood. 4 Mulch might be too much - could see replacing at least one copy for Commune with the Gods, the third Life from the Loam or something else - but drawing 2-3 lands straight from the library has been a lifesaver. Also, casting Gaea's Blessing to shuffle back some relevant spells in grindy games does help.
Although not entirely on board with his list, I felt it was refreshing to see something different (at least for me), and thought it might me helpful for you guys.
Either way, will keep on testing some weird ideas, and see if something cool comes up.
Clarification: "I know it's awful, don't bother" (providing feedback on such a crappy list)
Have there been any recent developments for the more traditional Seismic Assault strategy?
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Windswept Heath
3 Stomping Ground
4 Copperline Gorge
2 Raging Ravine
3 Ghost Quarter
1 Tectonic Edge
2 Mountain
2 Forest
2 Scavenging Ooze
3 Countryside Crusher
1 Eternal Witness
2 Hooting Mandrils
//Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Faithless Looting
4 Magmatic Insight
4 Life from the Loam
1 Anger of the Gods
//Enchantments
4 Molten Vortex
4 Seismic Assault
1 Pithing Needle
2 Nature's Claim
2 Guttural Response
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Young Pyromancer
2 Feed the Clan
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Crumble to Dust
I know it's awful, don't bother.
Wanted to get back to this thread, after a long time away (phew, 3 weeks since last comment?). Have there been any recent developments for the more traditional Seismic Assault strategy?
Was thinking maybe sticking to RG and using Crawling Sensation as a 1 or 2-of, but I still need better sideboard plans against Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void and Leyline of Sanctity, never seems to be enough.
Considering the whole Zombie Infestation/Call the Bloodline approach, I'm not a huge fan, but has it been working better than just going all-in with the Assault plan? Doesn't look particularly fast or solid, on first sight.
The Sideboard Twin plan is precisely what I meant with being creative. I'm not a fan of the idea for personal preferences, but it is a really cool way to address the graveyard hate issue. Also, one of the strongest points in the Jund approach is playing closer to Jund Midrange, relying less on the engine. Same could be said about those Temur Delver Assault lists, or even Naya Zoo Assault.
If you're so concerned with sideboard hosers, I'd suggest playing midrange or other format. Modern is molded by specific hosers, and metagaming is a huge part of being successful in it - not that I am successful or anything, but we must be aware of this. If being hosed by a single card such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void is too frustrating to you, graveyard strategies are not the place you'd ever want to be. By default, grave-based decks are already "unfair" in that they use resources that are normally unavailable, and the Life from the Loam combined with the numerous engines we run (from Seismic Assault to Ghost Quarter and Raven's Crime, or even Zombie Infestation alongside Bloodghasts and Lingering Souls) provides card advantage that often needs to be addressed.
Of course everyone should be able to play his own deck and have the chance to "do the cool things". Winning or losing should be a mere result of each game's variance, but this is not how Magic works. The best we can do, as grave-based players, is keep those hosers in mind, and outplay them. It's a great chance to develop ourselves as players, and a lot of really entertaining game states happen due to baiting out the hate card and getting rid of it soon after. It also provides us with opportunities to develop our decks beyond "one trick pony" status.
If you can't see the fun in playing an uphill battle against graveyard hosers, this is not the deck to play, IMO. It's a big part of the fun and challenge. There's no thing as a graveyard deck that has no problem dealing with Rest in Peace and Leyline of the Void. What you can do about it is keep that in mind, and surround yourself with the adequate tools to play around these cards. Be creative, unexpected. A deck that relies solely on finding X card, or having Y resources, has a very obvious weak spot. Try something else.
The cool thing about midrange (not necessarily Jund or Abzan) is that you get to minimize sideboard impact. The more linear a deck is, or the more it relies on a specific engine, the more vulnerable you are. That should be obvious enough, but the decision you make when choosing a deck has to keep this in mind. Next time you feel bad about the opponent's Rest in Peace, think of Rule of Law, Stony Silence, Leyline of Sanctity, Abrupt Decay, Combust/Rending Volley, Guttural Response, Annul, Mindbreak Trap, Blood Moon, Ensnaring Bridge, Kor Firewalker, Thrun, the Last Troll, Deflecting Palm, Slaughter Games, Extirpate, Back to Nature...
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Stomping Ground
2 Blood Crypt
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
2 Raging Ravine
3 Ghost Quarter
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Swamp
2 Mountain
1 Forest
3 Countryside Crusher
3 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
//Spells
2 Raven's Crime
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Faithless Looting
4 Magmatic Insight
4 Life from the Loam
3 Abrupt Decay
//Enchantments
4 Molten Vortex
1 Zombie Infestation
2 Seismic Assault
1 Raven's Crime
3 Rending Volley
3 Nature's Claim
2 Ancient Grudge
3 Feed the Clan
3 Jund Charm
List performed surprisingly well, were I to run it again would tweak the SB a bit (overloaded against Twin, but that's ok), and add a Murderous Cut maindeck probably in place of Tasigur #3. If I had Tarmogoyfs they'd be there for sure as well. Kolaghan's Command could make into the list, but I'm not into it as much.
Magic Tournament @ Card Addiction - Fullerton, CA
18 players
Field was a bit weird, but varied. Some interesting decks were floating around, and I'm glad I dodged Ad Nauseam.
Round 1 - versus Affinity +Day's Undoing
1-2
Game 1 was very interesting. I manage to stabilize after he swarms the board with numerous 1/1s and 2/2s. His build was on a budget (ran Frogmites) but deck behaved quite well. He casts 3 Day's Undoing through this game, I happen to draw poorly and he closes the match with weenie beats + Galvanic Blasts and Shrapnel Blast - he was still at 20 life through all of this, since I had to keep responding to all his threats. Fun game, though - the guy's a sport, and really cool to talk to.
For Game 2 I side in Ancient Grudges, Nature's Claims and one Feed the Clan because why not. I keep an opener stacked with removal, and proceed to massacre a slow opening on his part. After controlling the board, I quickly dispatch him through 2 quick turns of Tasigur and Molten Vortex activation.
Game 3 gets grindy, and I manage to stockpile removal on my hand for the early stages of the game, killing only the key parts of his deck. Even so, he puts on a clock and casts some pretty awesome Day's Undoings. I end up with a horrible hand (multiple Life from the Loam and lands, but no Seismic Assault yet on the board) so I eventually succumb to his pressure while desperately trying to topdeck a damage effect or lootings to no success.
Round 2 - versus UWR Midrange (with the combo)
1-1-draw
Game 1 gets intense. I kill things, he kills things, I resolve Molten Vortex and he burns me down to 2, but I end up drawing the second Life from the Loam and set up a lethal turn. Really amazing game, though - between Snapcaster Mages, Restoration Angels and Wall of Omens he has a ton of CA and makes things really difficult for the deck. We end up having a lot of fun with this.
Game 2 I exchange some bolts for Rending Volleys and prepare myself for another grindfest. This one goes long, really really long. He boards in a Timely Reinforcements that gives him enough chump blockers for my Tasigur, the Golden Fang and Zombie Infestation tokens to lose the race against his Restoration Angel. I feel I misplayed this game badly at some point, but can't really see what was it. Again, we had a blast.
Game 3 starts, and as we are still on the first turns time is called for the round. Opponent keeps playing because he can combo me off, so I just sandbag removal and kill everything on sight. We draw.
Round 3 - Grixis Twin
2-1
End up playing one of my friends. But it's k.
Game 1 I Raven's Crime him away and setup a 16-damage turn. Not much else to say, since Raven's Crime is BRUTAL on this matchup.
For Game 2 I side in the Rending Volleys and 2 of the Nature's Claims to hedge against stuff. He drops a turn 3 Blood Moon that I did not expect, and suddenly I'm on topdeck mode with a resolved Seismic Assault on the field. His Tasigur leads the way, and even after I manage to naturally draw my Forest, Life from the Loam gets countered twice. When I finally manage to kill Tasigur, I get burned away.
Game 3 I keep a hand stuffed with juicy removal, and as we proceed to exchange resources I get access to Raven's Crime and out-value him. After that, he sadly draws very bad cards, and I close the game with my Tasigur and a couple of lands to his face. He got to the point of Serum Visions into land, scry 2 lands to the bottom, and draw 3 lands in a row from that point on. Sucks.
Round 4 - versus 4C Delver
1-2
Game 1 is the story of a Delver of Secrets not flipping for 3 turns, as I manage to assemble the engine and take the game away. I love happy endings.
Game 2 I side in Jund Charms to deal with the token sub-theme and add some graveyard hate (he's playing a ton of delve spells). We grind the game away, he drops Tasigur, kills a lot of stuff, goes for Rest in Peace that gets Abrupt Decayed, goes for a lot of aggro/value/hurray stuff that I manage to respond until... Slaughter Games happens. Goodbye Life from the Loam. Hello weird topdecks.
Game 3 is a repeat of Game 2. Very, very, very grindy - but Slaughter Games wins for him. He manages to cast 2 of them. once for Loam and the second for Lightning Bolt (he was pretty low). Tasigur kills me.
Final Result: 1-2-1
Verdict: Scrub
I think if there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that I really should expect less of myself. Back to the drawing board.
Will get back to testing RG variants until I get the cash to purchase my own B stuff.
Anyway, sideboard does look like an improvement. I personally prefer Combust over Rending Volley but lately haven't played neither on SB because Twin combo can be played around with Molten Vortex and whatnot. But I'm probably wrong, as always.
Thanks - I was just hoping for a bit of context, but it really seems to be quite random.
Acually Tormenting Voice is neutral (-2:+2), as well as Magmatic Insight. Faithless Looting is +2:-3, card disadvantage that allows you to sculpt your graveyard faster, and is turn 1 action. I agree that the amount of tapped lands is certainly connected with the Voice, but what would be the benefit of risking getting Remanded on turn 2 instead of consistently evading both Remand and Spell Snare by playing the CMC 1 spells?
I probably rate this way too highly, though. Hate being Remanded, especially if I discarded a card as part of the casting cost. Anyway, I agree that Voice allows you to hold one extra card if compared with Looting, but still seems off. Openings with 2 tapped lands are REALLY awkward. This is bugging me out, seriously.