MTG Salvation

Quote from Wraithpk »

There were 9 Grixis Shadow lists in the posted top 32s (or 36 for one of the GPs) this weekend, good for 9% of the top meta. That's a healthy percentage, but not anywhere near danger territory unless WotC is dumb and combines all the DS variants together like they did with Twin. Anyway, here is the average numbers of each card played between the 9 lists:

Creatures
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Death's Shadow
3.8 Street Wraith
2 Gurmag Angler
1.9 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Fulminator Mage
.4 Izzet Staticaster
.2 Stillmoon Cavalier
.1 Tombstalker
.1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
.1 Ranger of Eos

Sorceries
4 Thoughtseize
4 Serum Visions
2.2 Collective Brutality
1.8 Inquisition of Kozilek
1.2 Anger of the Gods
.3 Lingering Souls
.1 Dreadbore
.1 Damnation

Instants
4 Thought Scour
3.7 Stubborn Denial
3.1 Fatal Push
2.2 Kolaghan's Command
2.2 Ceremonious Rejection
2.1 Terminate
1.4 Lightning Bolt
1.4 Surgical Extraction
.3 Temur Battle Rage
.2 Deprive
.2 Dismember
.2 Kozilek's Return
.1 Rakdos Charm
.1 Disdainful Stroke
.1 Dispel

Planeswalkers
1.3 Liliana, the Last Hope
.1 Liliana of the Veil

Artifacts
1.3 Nihil Spellbomb
.2 Engineered Explosives
.1 Grafdigger's Cage

Lands
4 Polluted Delta
3.9 Bloodstained Mire
3.1 Scalding Tarn
2 Watery Grave
1.8 Blood Crypt
1.1 Steam Vents
1 Swamp
1 Island
.9 Flooded Strand
.1 Godless Shrine

If you round these numbers to get the consensus 75, it looks like this:

Aodh's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
Creatures 4 Snapcaster Mage 4 Death's Shadow 4 Street Wraith 2 Gurmag Angler 2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang 1 Fulminator Mage 1 Izzet Staticaster Sorceries 4 Thoughtseize 4 Serum Visions 2 Collective Brutality 2 Inquisition of Kozilek 1 Anger of the Gods 1 Lingering Souls	Instants 4 Thought Scour 4 Stubborn Denial 3 Fatal Push 2 Kolaghan's Command 2 Ceremonious Rejection 2 Terminate 2 Lightning Bolt 2 Surgical Extraction 1 Temur Battle Rage Planeswalkers 2 Liliana, the Last Hope Artifacts 2 Nihil Spellbomb	Lands 4 Polluted Delta 4 Bloodstained Mire 3 Scalding Tarn 2 Watery Grave 2 Blood Crypt 1 Steam Vents 1 Swamp 1 Island 1 Flooded Strand

This is actually 77 cards because there were a few cards tied for the last couple slots, so you need to cut two. There was only 1 player playing the white splash, which I think isn't the best thing to do, so the Strand should just be a 4th Tarn, and we can cut the Souls. For the last cut, only 4/9 players were playing Fulminator, so I think that's the last cut. So I think the average list looks something like this:

Aodh's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
Creatures 4 Snapcaster Mage 4 Death's Shadow 4 Street Wraith 2 Gurmag Angler 2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang Sorceries 4 Thoughtseize 4 Serum Visions 2 Inquisition of Kozilek Instants 4 Thought Scour 2 Stubborn Denial 3 Fatal Push 2 Kolaghan's Command 2 Terminate 2 Lightning Bolt 1 Temur Battle Rage	Lands 4 Polluted Delta 4 Bloodstained Mire 4 Scalding Tarn 2 Watery Grave 2 Blood Crypt 1 Steam Vents 1 Swamp 1 Island	Sideboard 2 Nihil Spellbomb 2 Liliana, the Last Hope 2 Surgical Extraction 2 Ceremonious Rejection 2 Stubborn Denial 1 Anger of the Gods 2 Collective Brutality 1 Izzet Staticaster

So if you count, you'll notice this is 61 cards in the main and 14 in the sideboard. Only 2 lists were running Temur Battle Rage, and both cut Bolts for them in the main, so you either cut a Bolt or a TBR (or cut 2 Bolts and play 2 TBR). This means there's one extra slot open in the sideboard. In my opinion, the best options are a 3rd Brutality, 3rd Rejection, or 2nd sweeper. Of course, this isn't gospel, so everyone's free to tinker as they wish, but I think this is the starting point for us going forward.