This deck stumbled some for me. I don't know if I'm using it wrong but my 5-6 player FFA just recognizes it early and goes immediately on the offensive. I'd be grateful for any suggestions on improving it or my play
As soon as Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur came out it drew so much hate that I didn't last much longer. In a 6 player FFA I could only ever fend off one or two before I was overwhelmed. Maybe more subtle hate? Not sure. Please /discuss...
As soon as Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur came out it drew so much hate that I didn't last much longer.
That's not really surprising given how miserable Jin-Gitaxias is to play against. It's hard to picture losing a game where you're allowed to untap with him in play. What are the other decks in your play group like? If I'm your opponent and I'm running some midrange deck that can't realistically win if I'm discarding my hand every turn starting turn 2/3, then you bet I'm aiming all my disruption at you and advocating that the other players do the same. Because otherwise we might as well just concede. If your deck is built to win on turn 2/3 and your opponents' just aren't then I only see a few options:
Make the deck less powerful. Remove oppressive cards like Jin-Gitaxias or cards like Blazing Archon that totally invalidate certain common strategies. I had a guy in my group remove Blazing Archon from his reanimator deck recently because he was tired of me always going after him first. But if I know that he's got an archon in the deck and I'm counting on winning through combat, how many options do I have?
Play the deck less often. I have an elves deck that rarely ever loses. It's a lot stronger than most of my opponents' decks. I don't want to make it less powerful because I like it and I don't want to stop playing powerful cards altogether. What's the point of owning Gaea's Cradle if you don't play it? Instead I just play it rarely so that my opponents' don't get into the habit of teaming up against me. If I ever need to break a losing streak I'll take it out. It's become a running joke in my group to say things like "don't do that to MaelstromPonderer; I don't want to play elves next"
Help your friends raise the power level of their own decks to compete. You can play your four GJs without getting ganged up on if the player next to you is playing a Waste Not combo deck.
Sage advice on all fronts. I long suspected it was merely the way I played the deck and how oppressive it got. In reading all of your posts, I seem to remember the person that helped me put it together here did, in fact, give me that warning. This may have to be relegated to Elf Deck status.
Great Advice above. Why not sub out Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur for Sire of Insanity Then everyone gets hit by the ability except your deck will still be better situated to take advantage without it being completely one sided. There is less whinging when I play it that way I noticed.
That's not really surprising given how miserable Jin-Gitaxias is to play against.
Pretty much this. Reanimator does paint a massive target on you generally, as does much combo.
In my MP reanimator deck, I'm running a less powerful shell, Hydra Omnivore, Caller of the Pack, Warchief Giant for stomping & utility in Ashen Rider.
Not the best options considering the archetype, but they force opponents to think about defending, which matters if they're trying to stomp you out.
I really like the Giant, even tho it's the worst target of the lot, as haste does some serious lifting if you can land this on turn2.
I disagree with most of what's being said here. This deck should work, and if it's not then there's ways to make it work.
If you need more consistency bite the bullet and shell out for the last two Entombs. They're crucial to turn 1-2 reanimation sequences.
If you need more removal field Smallpox as a discard outlet/disruption combo and Massacre to stymie the board without expending mana.
If some of your creatures are't getting the job done then swap them out for ones that will. There's no shortage of powerful alternatives to Jin.
Yup, agreed. There's one of these running around in my meta ATM, and it's only running one Jin for exactly these reasons - it's the biggest of big targets.
The version I'm up against runs Reya Dawnbringer to have an extra way of keeping Jin on the table, Sepulchral Primordial to play with other people's yards, Bringer of the Blue Dawn for card advantage, and Mindleech Mass (simply because it's fun).
Reya is particularly annoying - if you've only managed to stick Jin and his friends back in the yard, and then burnt through all your removal, Reya brings it all back piece by horrid piece.
Personally, I've got a fair bit of time for Sheoldred, Whispering One and Bad Mike as reanimation targets. I know Bad Mike's starting to reach obnoxious pricing levels nowadays, but he basically means you're going to have to kill Jin twice to get anywhere.
4 Putrid Imp
1 Blazing Archon
4 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Terastodon
4 Animate Dead
2 Diabolic Servitude
Land
23 Snow-Covered Swamp
Artifact
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Instant
4 Dark Ritual
2 Entomb
4 Exhume
2 Night's Whisper
4 Sign in Blood
3 Buried Alive
As soon as Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur came out it drew so much hate that I didn't last much longer. In a 6 player FFA I could only ever fend off one or two before I was overwhelmed. Maybe more subtle hate? Not sure. Please /discuss...
You could try mass reanimation. Keep the Animate Deads, but maybe replace Diabolic Servitude with Living Death/Living End binning cards like Massacre Wurm or Demon of Dark Schemes (more budget) along with Jin-Gitaxias, so it's harder for them to hit you before they have to discard.
For finishers, there's plenty in Golgari like Demon of Dark Schemes, Sepulchral Primordial, Sylvan Primordial,
Sheoldred, Whispering One, Void Winnower etc.
That's not really surprising given how miserable Jin-Gitaxias is to play against. It's hard to picture losing a game where you're allowed to untap with him in play. What are the other decks in your play group like? If I'm your opponent and I'm running some midrange deck that can't realistically win if I'm discarding my hand every turn starting turn 2/3, then you bet I'm aiming all my disruption at you and advocating that the other players do the same. Because otherwise we might as well just concede. If your deck is built to win on turn 2/3 and your opponents' just aren't then I only see a few options:
Thank you folks.
Pretty much this. Reanimator does paint a massive target on you generally, as does much combo.
In my MP reanimator deck, I'm running a less powerful shell, Hydra Omnivore, Caller of the Pack, Warchief Giant for stomping & utility in Ashen Rider.
Not the best options considering the archetype, but they force opponents to think about defending, which matters if they're trying to stomp you out.
I really like the Giant, even tho it's the worst target of the lot, as haste does some serious lifting if you can land this on turn2.
If you need more consistency bite the bullet and shell out for the last two Entombs. They're crucial to turn 1-2 reanimation sequences.
If you need more removal field Smallpox as a discard outlet/disruption combo and Massacre to stymie the board without expending mana.
If some of your creatures are't getting the job done then swap them out for ones that will. There's no shortage of powerful alternatives to Jin.
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Yup, agreed. There's one of these running around in my meta ATM, and it's only running one Jin for exactly these reasons - it's the biggest of big targets.
The version I'm up against runs Reya Dawnbringer to have an extra way of keeping Jin on the table, Sepulchral Primordial to play with other people's yards, Bringer of the Blue Dawn for card advantage, and Mindleech Mass (simply because it's fun).
Reya is particularly annoying - if you've only managed to stick Jin and his friends back in the yard, and then burnt through all your removal, Reya brings it all back piece by horrid piece.
Personally, I've got a fair bit of time for Sheoldred, Whispering One and Bad Mike as reanimation targets. I know Bad Mike's starting to reach obnoxious pricing levels nowadays, but he basically means you're going to have to kill Jin twice to get anywhere.
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