Hi everybody! A friend of mine plays a similar version of this deck (He runs GRB Death Shadow) and he's looking for help to improve his deck and collect feedback about it.
This is his list:
Going to a few PPTQ's the next few week and I've been really looking at this deck or Abzan midrange..
I really like Hazoret but I also feel I could use a second Tarfire.. And then there is the LLanto special, he is a real expert with this deck so I could be tempted to give it a try..
Do you guys still play a basic forest? It sucks to draw it sometimes but in matches where life total matters (burn,affinity) it is so handy to have..
I really think Hazoret should only be in the side. Too expensivw to run it main.
I still like the Forest. Great against Burn, Path and Blood Moon.
About Hazoret:
So if you have two creatures on the battlefield, like one Hazoret and one Death's Shadow, and so your opponent will only have to remove one of them (the Death's Shadow) and can just ignore your other one, which is rendered useless.
I like her too. Great in the Grixis Mirror.
I also thought about running a 3rd Lily. Both in the side though. I feel Hazoret is too slow a lot of times and only good in the side.
Do you run Hazoret and 3 old Lilys main? What do you cut for it?
I am thinking about cutting the Souls completely in the SB.
I started playing Magic about 4 months ago. Jund DS was my first deck. I switched to Grixis DS and started playing Burn a bit, but I still like the deck a lot. I took it up again with a few minor modifications for a qualifier today. I won the tournament (17 people only, but hey, still won a bye for the MKM series).
Here is how I did:
1. Burn - 2:1
Collective Brutality, Goyf, Shadow and Temur Battle Rage as MVPs (as to be expected). The Burn matchup is one of the reasons I like the Jund version over the Grixis version.
2. Affinity - 2:0
I knew there would be some affinity players, so my sideboard was well prepared with Kataki, Ancient Grudges, Lingering souls etc. The Affinity matchup is one of the major reasons I like the Jund version.
3. Grixis Shadow - 1:2
My only loss today. Hard matchup as expected. However I would have won if I did not make a mistake in the last turn. I played Hazoret and 2 shadows the same turn. Attacked into one Gurmag Angler with the hasty Hazoret. He had two removal spells ans swung for the win.
4. Burn - 2:0
Burn again. Pretty easy this time, the Burn player was not experienced with the DS matchup. Had 3 Shadows out in the second game in turn 3. He played Shrine of Burning rage so I boarded in grudges too.
5. Eldrazi Tron - ID (2:0)
He offered the draw to be sure we both make top 8. I accepted. We played it out just for fun and I crushed him. One game I won turn 3! Turn 1 Death's Shadow (3x cycle, Fetch Shock), Turn 2 second Shadow, Turn 3 KC his only blocker and swing for the win. First turn 3 kill for me.
--- Top 8 ---
6. Grixis Shadow - 2:1
Very close as to be expected. Same guy I played before. This time I won because of a mistake he made. Ranger was my best card here.
7. Affinity - 2:1
Same guy I played before. Game two he had plating out really early, I didn't draw any artifact removal. Game 3 Kataki, Goyfs and enough removal sealed the deal.
8. Finals: Eldrazi Tron - 2:0
I was just too fast for him. Happy to not see any chalices. First game two Thoughtseizes, a Shadow and a Battle Rage where enough to seal the deal. Second game he had a wormcoil engine out, but two Goyfs, a Shadow and a Kolaghan's Command where enough.
Overall I went 8-6-1-0
I think the matchup for Affinity, Burn and Eldrazi Tron is better compared to the Grixis version, the Grixis mirror is hard though.
I am very happy how this went and apparently I anticipated the meta right.
Hazoret is great against GDS and UW control but it can be pretty awkward if u draw it when playing against affinity or coco decks. Currently I have her in my sideboard
How is it good against UW? They can just Path it. Wouldn't Ranger be at least as good as Hazoret?
I am thinking about including it, but the 4 CMC is putting me off a bit.
I would like to try this version. Any suggestions regarding sideboard guides? I am specially unsure about the Godless Shrine in the SB.
I am very new to MTG (playing <3 months), I am doing well with DS Jund, but in my meta UW Control is predominant. Lingering Souls is good, but most UW lists now play 4x spreading seas, so I can max cast them once and afterwards Ranger and Souls are pretty dead. Blue splash seems less vulnerable there.
Tarmogoyf is missing. This is not an option but a must have. 4 Goyfs, no discussion. If you don't want to play Goyf, don't play the Jund version.
Also I prefer Mishra's Bauble over this Bauble.
I really think Hazoret should only be in the side. Too expensivw to run it main.
I still like the Forest. Great against Burn, Path and Blood Moon.
You seem to confuse Hazoret with Rhonas.
Differences to mine:
Main:
-1 Hazoret. +1 Kolaghan's Command
-1 Abrupt Decay +1 Tarfire
-1 Liliana of the Veil +1 Liliana, the Last Hope
Side:
-1 Surgical +1 Cage
-1 Souls +1 Hazoret
2 Grudges, no Fulminators, 1 Push, only 2 Collectives, 1 Ethersworn Canonist
I love Hazoret but think it is too slow for the main.
Also think Tarfire is great against Affinity and Hatebears, Merfolk etc.
What are your thoughts about Ethersworn Canonist?
I also thought about running a 3rd Lily. Both in the side though. I feel Hazoret is too slow a lot of times and only good in the side.
Do you run Hazoret and 3 old Lilys main? What do you cut for it?
I am thinking about cutting the Souls completely in the SB.
1 Blood Crypt
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
1 Godless Shrine
1 Swamp
1 Forest
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Marsh Flats
2 Polluted Delta
CREATURES (12):
4 Death's Shadow
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Street Wraith
3 Fatal Push
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Kolaghan's Command
2 Tarfire
2 Temur Battle Rage
2 Terminate
4 Thoughtseize
4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
OTHER SPELLS (7):
2 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
4 Mishra's Bauble
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Collective Brutality
1 Fatal Push
3 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Hazoret the Fervent
1 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Kozilek's Return
3 Lingering Souls
1 Ranger of Eos
Here is how I did:
1. Burn - 2:1
Collective Brutality, Goyf, Shadow and Temur Battle Rage as MVPs (as to be expected). The Burn matchup is one of the reasons I like the Jund version over the Grixis version.
2. Affinity - 2:0
I knew there would be some affinity players, so my sideboard was well prepared with Kataki, Ancient Grudges, Lingering souls etc. The Affinity matchup is one of the major reasons I like the Jund version.
3. Grixis Shadow - 1:2
My only loss today. Hard matchup as expected. However I would have won if I did not make a mistake in the last turn. I played Hazoret and 2 shadows the same turn. Attacked into one Gurmag Angler with the hasty Hazoret. He had two removal spells ans swung for the win.
4. Burn - 2:0
Burn again. Pretty easy this time, the Burn player was not experienced with the DS matchup. Had 3 Shadows out in the second game in turn 3. He played Shrine of Burning rage so I boarded in grudges too.
5. Eldrazi Tron - ID (2:0)
He offered the draw to be sure we both make top 8. I accepted. We played it out just for fun and I crushed him. One game I won turn 3! Turn 1 Death's Shadow (3x cycle, Fetch Shock), Turn 2 second Shadow, Turn 3 KC his only blocker and swing for the win. First turn 3 kill for me.
--- Top 8 ---
6. Grixis Shadow - 2:1
Very close as to be expected. Same guy I played before. This time I won because of a mistake he made. Ranger was my best card here.
7. Affinity - 2:1
Same guy I played before. Game two he had plating out really early, I didn't draw any artifact removal. Game 3 Kataki, Goyfs and enough removal sealed the deal.
8. Finals: Eldrazi Tron - 2:0
I was just too fast for him. Happy to not see any chalices. First game two Thoughtseizes, a Shadow and a Battle Rage where enough to seal the deal. Second game he had a wormcoil engine out, but two Goyfs, a Shadow and a Kolaghan's Command where enough.
Overall I went 8-6-1-0
I think the matchup for Affinity, Burn and Eldrazi Tron is better compared to the Grixis version, the Grixis mirror is hard though.
I am very happy how this went and apparently I anticipated the meta right.
Neither does Rhonas.
Seems great against small creature decks giving trample.
What about Rhonas? He would be great, given that we can stick another creature.
How is it good against UW? They can just Path it. Wouldn't Ranger be at least as good as Hazoret?
I am thinking about including it, but the 4 CMC is putting me off a bit.
I would like to try this version. Any suggestions regarding sideboard guides? I am specially unsure about the Godless Shrine in the SB.
I am very new to MTG (playing <3 months), I am doing well with DS Jund, but in my meta UW Control is predominant. Lingering Souls is good, but most UW lists now play 4x spreading seas, so I can max cast them once and afterwards Ranger and Souls are pretty dead. Blue splash seems less vulnerable there.
For the white splash version I used this SB guide so far:
http://www.mtgmintcard.com/articles/writers/magnus-lantto/the-ultimate-deaths-shadow-matchup-guide