Volraths stronghold + primeval titan + other random fatty (atm I'm on sire of insanity) makes for an interesting sideboard package in intuition builds.
So this was my first Legacy tournament ever, so I am very green with the deck and format. I definitely learned a lot, and had a ton of fun despite the results. I ran the RG list, which seems a lot easier to play for a beginner than the rug version.
I definitely think I need to work on knowing other deck's sideboards, and could probably mulligan more often (I think I mulled once all day). Some of the sideboard choices below might not be 100% accurate as I sometimes played 2-3 rounds between writing down my results. I never felt like I was out of any matches except d&t.
Rd. 1 vs MUD w/12 post?
Game one I make tons of mistakes due to nerves. He makes turn 1 chalice on one but I keep him off mana long enough to make Lage. He goes off on his turn and plays and attacks with a lightning greaves blightsteel forcing me to block with Lage shrinking her. I get him to 3 on my turn thanks to some earlier punishing fires and drop chasm...he copies chasm on his turn with vesuva. I forget my chasm trigger losing it on my turn...I waste his chasm, block with Lage on blightsteel and double punishing for the win...should not have been this close.
In 4 grip, 1 depths
Out 2 punishing fire, Karakas, bog, 1 manabond
We both keep and I drop turn 1 exploration, mox, and cast loam he does nothing but accelerate for a couple turn while I dredge eventually finding the combo on turn 6 with him having sundering Titan in play. Key play was gripping his turn 2 metalworker, as turn 3 Titan would have done me in I think (though I had chasm in hand).
1-0
Rd. 2 MUD
Game 1 He wins the roll...duh duh duhnnnnn. He makes a turn 1 Golem, I lose. I punted as I should have rotated into maze but not sure if I would have won even if I had as he had metalworker in play as well.
Same sides as prev.
Game 2 I make turn 2 Lage and win.
Game 3 I wasted his first 2 lands but he gets chalices on 0 and 1. I make a Lage on time but he's gained 2 life off of post so I get him to 2 when he makes infinite life with metalworker/staff of domination.
1-1
Rd. 3 Infect
Game 1 I waste his first inkmoth, he plays another and we take turns doing nothing until I find the green mana source to rotate into the combo.
In 4 grip, 2 chalice, pfire can't remember what came out.
Game 2 I turn 1 exploration, turn 2 combo...he submerges the token. Turn 3 I happen the have the combo in hand again (plus loam backup) and he scoops. Not too exciting but it gave me time to grab lunch.
2-1
Rd. 4 RUG Delver
Game 1 I win with turn 3 Lage.
In chalices, pfire, Don't remember exactly what I sided out, but the chokes came in when I was on the play.
Game 2 he gets a really fast start with delver and 2 mongoose...I can't lock him out in time.
Game 3 I drop my hand on the table and he counters loam for a few turns til one sticks and I am able to combo off
3-1
Rd. 5 Death and Taxes
This matchup is rough...game 1 he goes mom, Stoneforge, flickerwhisp, and I have no interaction.
I side in 4 grip, depths, and pfire
Game 2 he leads with rest in peace vs my literally 4 Ports and tabernacle. He flickerwhisps my first lage and I eventually grip his rest in peace allowing me to start loaming. I find chasm to stall a couple turns but he eventually vials in mangara and blows it up for the win.
3-2
Rd. 6 vs charbelcher
Game one he makes 10 goblins turn 1. I survive 3 turns thanks to punishing fire and maze, but don't find tabernacle in time.
I side in basically everything but the chokes and punishing fire...out come the punishing fires, mazes, bog, Karakas, and 3 other cards I can't remember.
Game 2 I turn one mox, chalice on zero, port and sphere of resistance basically locking him out of the game.
Game 3 He makes 8 goblins turn 1. I have a very fast hand with manabond and the combo, but if I cast it turn 1 I give him a life and can't make Lage til turn 2 anyway. I decide to play thicket first and if I draw a land I'll be able to Lage turn 2 either way without him getting the life. I don't draw the untapped land and go to 4. My loam finds chasm which I play. My opponent then makes a comedy of errors...he tries to cast tendrils for 3 on 3 of his goblins (illegal)...so he goes for my face instead just trying to gain life...he didn't even realize he had won and I had to explain it to him.
3-3
Rd. 7 UR Delver
Game 1 he has a fast start with delver and 2 swiftspears. I stall a little with chasm but can't keep it forever.
Game 2 is a turn 2 Lage for the win.
Game 3 I stick a turn 1 chalice on 1, but he has blood moon into vortex into price of progress to finish me off. My lack of knowledge of his sideboard cost me as I had only brought in one grip against him.
Game 1 he has a fast start with delver and 2 swiftspears. I stall a little with chasm but can't keep it forever.
Game 2 is a turn 2 Lage for the win.
Game 3 I stick a turn 1 chalice on 1, but he has blood moon into vortex into price of progress to finish me off. My lack of knowledge of his sideboard cost me as I had only brought in one grip against him.
How do we have a chance against this hyper efficient U/R delver draw/counter deck?
I encountered similar game/match results where my 3rd turn Lage token met a submerge, then brainstorm into ponder into bolts into dig through time into double price of progress.
I even landed a first turn sphere of resistance but that only delayed the loss by one turn.
All (most) of their cards are instants and they don't care if we "port" them during their upkeep since they can just respond by using the mana to cast whatever.
Here is a short report on my top 4 finish at SCG Philly with RG lands.
My list was pretty similar to my list from SCG Richmond. Overall I wouldn't make any changes to the list except for possibly cutting a Krosan Grip for another anti-combo card.
Here is a round by round description. My notes are poor so some of this may be a little out of order.
Round 1: URb Delver. These games were all pretty tight. My opponent had played lands before so I actually thought this was a mirror when I sat down. In game three I get the combo but he has put enough pressure on me that it will be a turn late. As he goes for the lethal attack I crack a Horizon Canopy looking for Crop Rotation. I hit it and plan to go for Glacial Chasm which would fog for a turn and let me win on the next turn. Sadly, his top deck was a Smash to Smithereens which is exactly lethal since I am at 3. Rough way to start.
0-1.
Round 2: URb Delver. I don't remember a whole lot about this one. My hands were strong and I don't think it was close.
1-1.
Round 3: Maverick. He got out really fast in the first game with a lot of pressure and my hand struggled. I eventually found a Tabernacle which was sufficient to ease the pressure and I was able to assemble the combo. Game 2 was much less close where I overpowered him.
2-1.
Round 4: Don't remember this one. Sorry. Won it 2-0
3-1.
Round 5: BUG control. This was Gerard Fabiano's list I believe. Game 1 he established a fast Counterbalance/Top. This locked out my loam engine. Fortunately he had little pressure so given enough time I was able to draw both combo pieces. He had no answer and I was able to take the game. Game 2 i had a very strong hand that made the Lage on turn two for the win.
4-1.
Round 6: Miracles. Game one went fairly long. I believe he resolved a Jace and was ticking up. I assembled the combo and was able to port his white mana (I think). Game 2 I dropped choke and between that and rishadan port was able to constrict his mana entirely until I found the combo.
5-1.
Round 7: Osyp Lebedowicz on Miracles. Game 1 he established Counterbalance/top. However, I kept casting and resolving my loams because he could not find a 2 casting cost card to put on top. Eventually I made the Lage and he did not have an answer. Game 2 I ported his mana significantly and was able to make the Lage while he had no white mana available.
6-1.
Round 8: Death and Taxes. Game 1 I believe I won pretty easily but I don't remember. Game 2 I got the combo assembled but got blown out by Armageddon. I had played around Cataclysm by holding a colorless land in my hand to pair with a green source I would keep. However, he was playing Armageddon for some reason and it really got me. I never found green again and he had a swords for the Lage. I was beat to death by two mother of runes… Game 3 He didn't have much pressure and I was able to get the win. He brought it Grafdigger's cage (which doesn't do anything). He realized his mistake as soon as he cast the cage.
7-1.
Round 9: RUGb Delver. This matchup is great. Tabernacle took game 1. Game 2 was not very close. This opponent was super nice and seemed like a great guy.
8-1.
End of Day 1.
Day 2:
Round 10: Peter Johnson on Sneak and Show. He went for show and tell on turn 2 I believe. Fortunately I had two copies of crop rotation to go get Karakas for his Emrakul. I took that game. Game 2 was really close. He had a Pithing needle to turn off my Karakas which I had a few sphere effects to limit his mana. I couldn't assemble the combo and got killed once he was finally able to resolve his combo. Game 3 on turn 1 I gambled for Karakas. He then played a pithing needle on Turn one on Karakas. He then was able to play Show and Tell for the win.
8-2.
Round 11: Jim Davis on Storm. I cursed when I saw this pairing. Somehow game 1 I was able to restrict his mana game 1 and land a fast Lage for the win. Game 2 I assembled the combo on turn 2 or 3 but he was able to kill me off a single land he played that turn. Four rituals later and I was dead. Game 3 was super close. I landed a sphere and a chalice on zero. He abrupt decayed the chalice and was then able to cast Ad Nauseum. He flipped down to 4 and had not found an LED to be able to empty his hand. He had two brainstorms he could cast but it wasn't clear if he would find what he needed. He flips one more card: Past in Flames!!! I get the win on a miracle.
9-2.
Round 12: UR Delver. Game 1 I keep a hand that has manabond and six lands. The six lands have the combo so if I resolve the manabond I can make the Lage on turn one. Sadly he has a FoW. He lands a few early threats but I make the Lage on Turn 4. I'm able to get this one by fading a bolt and having his delver not flip on a critical turn. Definitely thought I was going to lose that game. Game 2 I make a Lage on turn 2 and he can't find his one of vapor snag.
10-2.
Round 13: Gerard Fabiano on BUG control. I keep a sketchy hand and get really punished game 1 by a little discard and counter magic. Really wish I could've done that mulligan decision again. The hand was really mana light and I got blown out by an abrupt decay on my mox. Games 2 and 3 I was able to take advantage of his deck's slow clock and get the Lage early something he doesn't have an answer for.
11-2.
Round 14: Rudy Briksza on Shardless BUG. This one was on camera. I kept about the weakest five card hand I would keep. It was wasteland, mox, maze of ith, horizon canopy, and glacial chasm. I kept because it had green mana and I figured it could hold off his minimal pressure for a while and get a lot of draw steps. I got thoughtseized and hymned but then top decked loam and got it from there. Game 2 I had a really strong hand and was able to take it.
12-2.
Round 15: ID into top 8!
12-2-1.
Top 8: After getting paired against Painter and Death and Taxes in my two previous top 8's I was less than thrilled to see Omnitell as my pairing. This one has a write up on the SCG website. I kept a hand game one that made the Lage on turn 3 with me on the play. It seemed fine and was sadly a turn slow. I was hoping he would have to cantrip a little more to assemble things. Game 2 I had a perfect hand with two sphere effects and the combo. Game 3 was very close. I made a major error by getting my second sphere countered by FoW. I should have wastelanded his ancient tomb and then cast the second sphere. I was getting tired… Fortunately, I was still able to take the match.
Top 4: Daryl Ayers on RUG. There is a write up on this one as well. My hands were fine both games. I had the combo in both but my crop rotations into defensive pieces were countered and he was able to hold up a wasteland both game to disrupt my combo. I don't think I should have mulliganed either hand as they had loam and the combo but it is possible I should have gone looking for more acceleration.
I'd be happy to answer any questions about the tourney or the list. The deck felt really strong all day. Highly recommend it.
Congrats on the finish. Couple of questions for you:
1) How effective has Tranquil Thicket been for you in your games? Would you ever play a list without it?
2) I'm currently running a RUG Lands list similar to sparki's. I'm always kind of waffling between the count of Abrupt Decays and Krosan Grips. Do you feel that x4 Krosan Grips in your board is sufficient or would you like additional effects? Right now I'm on x2 Decay/x3 Grip.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Currently Playing: Legacy: RUG(B)Lands UWRMiracles
Congrats on the finish. Couple of questions for you:
1) How effective has Tranquil Thicket been for you in your games? Would you ever play a list without it?
2) I'm currently running a RUG Lands list similar to sparki's. I'm always kind of waffling between the count of Abrupt Decays and Krosan Grips. Do you feel that x4 Krosan Grips in your board is sufficient or would you like additional effects? Right now I'm on x2 Decay/x3 Grip.
1) I really like having one Tranquil Thicket. In the games that go really long you will always find it and the card advantage/extra dredging can be big. I felt ok going down to one although I definitely wouldn't cut it all together.
2) I saw very few RIP and no blood moons on the day so I am contemplating going down to 3 grips. I saw a ton of surgical extractions though.
Congratulations on your finish, nice to see you again and again in top 8ths of large tourneys!
And thanks for sharing the report. I'd like to ask some questions, if you don't mind.
- How do you feel about Tranquil Thicket? You cut one for an additional Taiga, did you miss it? Would you ever consider cutting the other as well?
- How did the sideboard choke perform for you? Against which decks did you board it in?
- I'm curious about Seismic assault too. Did you side that one in often, and how did it perform?
- I also noted the lack of Primeval Titan, did you miss this card? Did you ever feel vulnerable to extraction?
- Would you consider running Zuran Orb in the sideboard?
- You mention cutting a Kgrip, which card do you consider as replacement?
Lots of questions and once again, congrats on your great result.
1) I really like having one Tranquil Thicket. In the games that go really long you will always find it and the card advantage/extra dredging can be big. I felt ok going down to one although I definitely wouldn't cut it all together.
2) I really like the one Choke. It is really nice to gamble for and can steal games against miracles. I boarded it in against non-storm, non-delver blue decks. It performed well for me and I would keep it in the board. I like having one I can find but more than that is probably overkill.
3) I boarded in seismic assault a fair bit although I never drew it or cast it all day. I brought it in against decks that could potentially have blood moon and in matchups where I feared surgical extraction (as an out to getting depths surgical-ed).
4) I haven't been a big fan of Prime Time and seismic assault fills a role as a hedge against surgical. With Prime Time against show and tell decks I would usually rather get Karakas. Also against miracles I generally board in some number of sphere effects which don't go well with the titan.
5) Zuran orb is really good in the blue lands decks since they can find it much easier. However with gamble as the only means to find orb is seemed pretty low impact. Almost always there is something I'd rather gamble for be it loam or glacial chasm. We are fast enough that we can frequently over power UR and burn.
6) Another anti-combo card. Probably another thorn or null rod.
I boarded in Prime Time before removing him completely (in test games) and these were also matches where I wanted spheres, so I sat all game with prime time in my hand, drawing more spheres and having to cast them. Prime Time has been cut.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
So two Opalescence and a Humility walk into a bar, I forget the rest of the joke but your sanctioned judge is a scrub.
Tournaments reports for the last two weeks I played. This is from a local game store that I have been trying out over the last two weeks. I heard there was a lot of Jund being played so I switch to an older configuration with 4 Punishing Fires and 3 Crop Rotations
Deck List:
4x Life from the Loam
4x Exploration
3x Crop Rotation
2x Manabond
4x Gamble
4x Punishing Fire
4x Mox Diamond
4x Grove of the Burnwillows
4x Wasteland
4x Rishaden Port
4x Thespian Stage
3x Wooded Foothills
3x Maze of Ith
3x Trangquil Thicket
2x Dark Depths
2x Taiga
1x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Karakas
1x Forest
1x Glacial Chasm
Sideboard
4x Chalice of the Void
4x Sphere of Resistance
4x Krosan Grip
2x Primeval Titan
1x Ancient Tomb
Round 1: Jund 2-1
Game 1 – He starts slow with a second turn Sylvan Library while I keep a little bit of a clunker, Maze’s stop his Tarmogoyf. Punishing Fire deals with a Bob after he gets one extra card. I draw a Gamble which turns into a Manabond. I explode all over the place with Loam and a couple turns later he scoops it up.
Game 2 – I get crushed. A quick Sylvan Library into Goyf 1 into Extirpate on my Loams then BBE into Goyf 2. I stay the beatings for a turn with Chasm but don’t have a line to play to before I die.
In: 3 Chalice of the Void.
Out: 1 Crop Rotation, 2 Gamble.
Game 3 – I keep a hand that has a natural Stage/Loam. On turn two I drop a Mox Diamond and Thespian Stage to go with my Wasteland I dropped on turn one. He slams down a Pithing Needle and snap names Thespian Stage, I slow him down and we rewind so that in response to him casting Needle copy a Badlands. He still names Thespian Stage, OK? During my turn I drop Dark Depths and passed, He drops a Lilianna of the Veil and ticks up. I make a Marit Lage with my badlands at the end of his turn. He seemed pissed as he didn’t understand the interaction
Round 2: Ascendancy 2-0
Before the start of round two I was able to watch him go nuts with Ascendancy so I knew what he was on.
Game 1: I go exploration into Exploration then Gamble for Loam. I waste all his lands. Crop rotation for Ghost Quarter and keep him off lands for the rest of the Game. It takes a while to win because he didn’t concede and it took me forever to find my Dark Depths
In: 4 Chalice of the Void, 4 Sphere of Resistance, 2 Krosan Grip, 2 Primeval Titan, 1 Ancient Tomb.
Out: 4 Punishing Fire, 1 Tabernacle, 1 Karakas , 4 Gamble, 2 Manabond, 1 Life from the Loam
Game 2: He Probes me and sees a hand of Crop Rotation 2x Chalice of the Void, Stage and other random stuff. He plays a fetchland and passes. I draw and additional Crop Rotation, Play a taiga which I Crop Rotate for an Ancient Tomb and drop a Chalice on one, He brainstorms in response, and lets it resolve. He wears it on his turn; I drop another Chalice on my turn which shuts off my Crop Rotation. He drops Ascendancy on his turn which is met with my K-Grip on my turn. He Digs through Time on his turn and Wears the other Chalice I pass my turn with Combo in place (Stage onboard with Crop Rotation in Hand) He does something that’s not relevant on his turn and I crop rotate for DD which resolves and allows me the win. At the end of the Game he shows me the Double Surgical Extraction :/ Good thing I didn’t need Loam.
Round 3: Death and Taxes 1-1-1 ID
My opponent comes up to me before the right when the round begins and asks for the draw, which I was fine with because I knew he was on Death and Taxes (a matchup I don’t enjoy playing) it seems to bring him relief? Don’t know why the matchup isn’t like a landslide. Whatever, I get to bird some interesting games and leave a little early which is nice.
One Week later I decide to give the local tournament another try.
Game 1 – This Game was epic, I end up losing by decking myself basically, I dug myself out of most likely being killed by a TNN and Batterskull with me only having two lands in play with a Chasm out and me at two life. In the end he deals with my Marit Lage several times while I waste out all his white mana and he casts a Spell Snare to prevent me from reoccurring Marit Lage on last time with two cards left in my deck.
Game 2 – He Drops an early Meddling Mage naming Punishing Fire, then follows up with a Pithing needle to shut off my Stage, which I respond during casting and copy a plains on his board. I put Dark Depths on board with the mana to activate. On his next turn he taps his lands wrong and Casts another Meddling Mage naming Krosan Grip, he ended up tapping his tundra and plains which shuts him off of white? I make Marit Lage while he looks down at his lands confused. This was a gift. I think I could have gotten him next turn though.
Sideboard: No Change
Game 3 – Was a quick affair. He keep at 1 lander and bricked off of Brainstorm, My port keeps him off of playing the Ponder stuck in his hand and I quickly combo him out without him ever getting a second Land.
Round 2: UWR Stoneblade 2-1
Game 1 – I lose. He gets and early Batterskull via Stoneforge coupled with Young Pyromancer. I lock him off of Lands but fail to find a Maze of Ith or Tabernacle to choke his creatures out before he double bolts me for the win.
Game 2 – I Punishing Fire his dudes and land a Primeval Titan which beats a meddling mage any day of the week. Primetime summons a concession. Ancient Tomb is great
Game 3 – He mulligans and I keep a very harsh mana disruptive hand. I lock his two basic lands down with Ports, and I am sitting on a pair of wastelands, eventually I get my loam engine going with two explorations out. It takes me a couple dredges to actually find lands but once I do the game was over as it forces another concession
Round 3: Shardless BUG 2-1
Game 1 – He starts with Swamp, Thoughtseize taking my crop rotation Pass. I drop a Mox Diamond and a Port. Tap his swamp on his turn. He drops a fetchland and passes. I play a wasteland and pass. I tap him during my upkeep. He wastelands my Port during his turn and passes. I play Stage on my turn. He drops tropical island which I wasteland on the end of his turn. He uses it to brainstorm. I play another Port. He summons a Goyf on his turn after I port his swamp on his upkeep. On my turn I At this time I have a 3 lands and a Mox Diamond out with a Crop rotation in my hand. During his turn he fetches during and casts a Shardless Agent during his main phase into a Hymn. I respond by Crop Rotating for a DD and which summons an Avatar and wins the Game.
Game two – This game was a back and forth affair. I mull to six and had to navigate through a spell bomb and a Deathrite while getting beat down with a goyf. I eventually kill the Deathrite and force the spellbomb activation all while keeping my punishing fire. I feel pretty good because I have two maze of Ith’s out which was all for not when he played a Shardless into another Goyf and dropped a Pithing Needle naming Maze of Ith, which shuts me off my Maze of Ith and I take a beating. I draw for my turn which happens to be my third Maze of Ith and I pack it in.
Game three - I keep a hand with 2 Crop Rotations, 2 Explorations, Stage, and two fetchlands. I play Fetcland into forest, Exploration into second Fetch. He plays underground Sea Pass. I draw my third Fetchland and play Stage and the Fetchland. During his upkeep I crop rotation my forest away, and he brainstorms and allows me to make a Marit Lage token and concedes as he doesn’t have an answer. Sweet
That's an intesting sideboard, Rampart. I assume the TreasureCruise-decks have something to do with the 4x chalice, would you board 4 of them again now TC is banned?
I don't board COTV against most of the delver builds for two reasons
1. COTV is underwhelming in most of those delver match-ups as it turns on powerful sideboard cards like Smash to Smithereens and Wear//Tear and shuts off a lot of our cards and for what? the potential to resolve a spell that could win the game that we are already favored to win anyway? I have found that the only Delver Decks that I really side COTV in against is old schools RUG Delver with mongooses and stifles and old school U/R delver with Snapcasters and Surgical in the side, as chalice locks out almost 80%+ of there actual deck and that's worth the hedge to me. The other delver decks revolve around the 2cc spells to much to make Chalice really exciting
2. It makes taking a mulligan much harder to evaluate. For example: you are playing against U/R Delver and you open a hand of Chalice, Mox, Gamble 4 Lands. I would keep that on first glance because it does what you want to do, get loam and lock the board, but if you look at it long enough its becomes a problem and here's why. If they are on the play they get under the chalice unless you drop it on turn one and it resolves making gamble dead killing your hand unless you have a natural Stage/DD combo. If you gamble first you may lose chalice and they get two turns before chalice comes down this is going to allow your opponent to have enough velocity to continue the game regardless of chalice while shutting off most of your draws. This also assumes that they don't have an answer for the artifact, if they establish something like a pyromancer then smash it you just wasted a turn and took a bunch to the dome. If your on the play the this specific hand better but its still awkward because of the role of COTV in the deck and how you sequence your cards. Ill prefer to pass on those types of games. I'm the control deck and I can beat most of the Delver/Stoneforge decks with the tools I have less Chalice.
I normally side Chalice in against the following:
Miracles, Elves, Broken Combo, RUG Delver, 12 Post
I would keep the 4 Chalices in the board at this time or maybe 3 Chalice and 1 Pithing Needle if I was going to play in a large open event.
I don't regret it at all, as far as power level goes. I think RG Combo Depths is the superior deck, in my experience.
However, I must say that I do miss all those grindy games with the U builds. Playing millions of cards every turn... Slowly and systematically obliterating any chance my opponent has of winning... Clicking the multitude of locking mechanisms into place... Not even trying to win myself until turn 10+ once I have nigh absolute control... Watching my opponent desperately trying to navigate the labyrinthine prison that I've constructed... Seeing the light of hope fade and ultimately extinguished in an excruciatingly slow manner... THAT'S fun Magic.
There is a definite appeal to attacking with a 20/20 on turn 2 or 3. Turning Emrakul into a chump blocker holds a certain charm as well. But nothing compares to those 40+ minute games.
Personally, I've never been a fan of R/G Lands. It's the superior deck against decks that can't defend themselves against a Marit Lage token, but in matchups where you can't rely on Marit Lage, RUG Lands is what you want to bring to the table. Obviously meta dependent. With Treasure Cruise, R/G Lands was probably the better choice for attacking that Meta, but with Miracles gaining the most from it's banning I suspect RUG Lands to be back on par with R/G Lands.
It falls a lot onto playstyle as well. When I play Lands, I always try to employ every avenue of trying to lock my opponent out of the game before going for the Marit Lage kill unless it's a combo match-up or I can't establish the lock engine fast enough.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Currently Playing: Legacy: RUG(B)Lands UWRMiracles
The grind, the durdle, the control!
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
So this was my first Legacy tournament ever, so I am very green with the deck and format. I definitely learned a lot, and had a ton of fun despite the results. I ran the RG list, which seems a lot easier to play for a beginner than the rug version.
I definitely think I need to work on knowing other deck's sideboards, and could probably mulligan more often (I think I mulled once all day). Some of the sideboard choices below might not be 100% accurate as I sometimes played 2-3 rounds between writing down my results. I never felt like I was out of any matches except d&t.
[cards]
4 Rishadan Port
4 Wasteland
4 Thespian's Stage
2 Dark Depths
4 Grove of the Burwillows
3 Maze of Ith
2 Tranquil Thicket
2 Taiga
1 Forest
1 Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Karakas
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacombs
[cards]
4 Mox Diamond
4 Life From the Loam
4 Exploration
2 Manabond
4 Gamble
3 Crop Rotation
3 Punishing Fire
[cards]
4 Krosan Grip
4 Sphere of Resistance
3 Choke
2 Chalice of the Void
1 Punishing Fire
1 Dark Depths
Rd. 1 vs MUD w/12 post?
Game one I make tons of mistakes due to nerves. He makes turn 1 chalice on one but I keep him off mana long enough to make Lage. He goes off on his turn and plays and attacks with a lightning greaves blightsteel forcing me to block with Lage shrinking her. I get him to 3 on my turn thanks to some earlier punishing fires and drop chasm...he copies chasm on his turn with vesuva. I forget my chasm trigger losing it on my turn...I waste his chasm, block with Lage on blightsteel and double punishing for the win...should not have been this close.
In 4 grip, 1 depths
Out 2 punishing fire, Karakas, bog, 1 manabond
We both keep and I drop turn 1 exploration, mox, and cast loam he does nothing but accelerate for a couple turn while I dredge eventually finding the combo on turn 6 with him having sundering Titan in play. Key play was gripping his turn 2 metalworker, as turn 3 Titan would have done me in I think (though I had chasm in hand).
1-0
Rd. 2 MUD
Game 1 He wins the roll...duh duh duhnnnnn. He makes a turn 1 Golem, I lose. I punted as I should have rotated into maze but not sure if I would have won even if I had as he had metalworker in play as well.
Same sides as prev.
Game 2 I make turn 2 Lage and win.
Game 3 I wasted his first 2 lands but he gets chalices on 0 and 1. I make a Lage on time but he's gained 2 life off of post so I get him to 2 when he makes infinite life with metalworker/staff of domination.
1-1
Rd. 3 Infect
Game 1 I waste his first inkmoth, he plays another and we take turns doing nothing until I find the green mana source to rotate into the combo.
In 4 grip, 2 chalice, pfire can't remember what came out.
Game 2 I turn 1 exploration, turn 2 combo...he submerges the token. Turn 3 I happen the have the combo in hand again (plus loam backup) and he scoops. Not too exciting but it gave me time to grab lunch.
2-1
Rd. 4 RUG Delver
Game 1 I win with turn 3 Lage.
In chalices, pfire, Don't remember exactly what I sided out, but the chokes came in when I was on the play.
Game 2 he gets a really fast start with delver and 2 mongoose...I can't lock him out in time.
Game 3 I drop my hand on the table and he counters loam for a few turns til one sticks and I am able to combo off
3-1
Rd. 5 Death and Taxes
This matchup is rough...game 1 he goes mom, Stoneforge, flickerwhisp, and I have no interaction.
I side in 4 grip, depths, and pfire
Game 2 he leads with rest in peace vs my literally 4 Ports and tabernacle. He flickerwhisps my first lage and I eventually grip his rest in peace allowing me to start loaming. I find chasm to stall a couple turns but he eventually vials in mangara and blows it up for the win.
3-2
Rd. 6 vs charbelcher
Game one he makes 10 goblins turn 1. I survive 3 turns thanks to punishing fire and maze, but don't find tabernacle in time.
I side in basically everything but the chokes and punishing fire...out come the punishing fires, mazes, bog, Karakas, and 3 other cards I can't remember.
Game 2 I turn one mox, chalice on zero, port and sphere of resistance basically locking him out of the game.
Game 3 He makes 8 goblins turn 1. I have a very fast hand with manabond and the combo, but if I cast it turn 1 I give him a life and can't make Lage til turn 2 anyway. I decide to play thicket first and if I draw a land I'll be able to Lage turn 2 either way without him getting the life. I don't draw the untapped land and go to 4. My loam finds chasm which I play. My opponent then makes a comedy of errors...he tries to cast tendrils for 3 on 3 of his goblins (illegal)...so he goes for my face instead just trying to gain life...he didn't even realize he had won and I had to explain it to him.
3-3
Rd. 7 UR Delver
Game 1 he has a fast start with delver and 2 swiftspears. I stall a little with chasm but can't keep it forever.
Game 2 is a turn 2 Lage for the win.
Game 3 I stick a turn 1 chalice on 1, but he has blood moon into vortex into price of progress to finish me off. My lack of knowledge of his sideboard cost me as I had only brought in one grip against him.
3-4 drop
Looking forward to the write up. Blows that you lost to RUG, though.
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
My 1994 Magic Cube
Japanese cards on eBay -- Legacy, Modern, EDH, Cube.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/userblogs/gigapatrick-blog/40493-rg-lands-4-epic-loot
How do we have a chance against this hyper efficient U/R delver draw/counter deck?
I encountered similar game/match results where my 3rd turn Lage token met a submerge, then brainstorm into ponder into bolts into dig through time into double price of progress.
I even landed a first turn sphere of resistance but that only delayed the loss by one turn.
All (most) of their cards are instants and they don't care if we "port" them during their upkeep since they can just respond by using the mana to cast whatever.
Here is a short report on my top 4 finish at SCG Philly with RG lands.
My list was pretty similar to my list from SCG Richmond. Overall I wouldn't make any changes to the list except for possibly cutting a Krosan Grip for another anti-combo card.
Here is a round by round description. My notes are poor so some of this may be a little out of order.
Round 1: URb Delver. These games were all pretty tight. My opponent had played lands before so I actually thought this was a mirror when I sat down. In game three I get the combo but he has put enough pressure on me that it will be a turn late. As he goes for the lethal attack I crack a Horizon Canopy looking for Crop Rotation. I hit it and plan to go for Glacial Chasm which would fog for a turn and let me win on the next turn. Sadly, his top deck was a Smash to Smithereens which is exactly lethal since I am at 3. Rough way to start.
0-1.
Round 2: URb Delver. I don't remember a whole lot about this one. My hands were strong and I don't think it was close.
1-1.
Round 3: Maverick. He got out really fast in the first game with a lot of pressure and my hand struggled. I eventually found a Tabernacle which was sufficient to ease the pressure and I was able to assemble the combo. Game 2 was much less close where I overpowered him.
2-1.
Round 4: Don't remember this one. Sorry. Won it 2-0
3-1.
Round 5: BUG control. This was Gerard Fabiano's list I believe. Game 1 he established a fast Counterbalance/Top. This locked out my loam engine. Fortunately he had little pressure so given enough time I was able to draw both combo pieces. He had no answer and I was able to take the game. Game 2 i had a very strong hand that made the Lage on turn two for the win.
4-1.
Round 6: Miracles. Game one went fairly long. I believe he resolved a Jace and was ticking up. I assembled the combo and was able to port his white mana (I think). Game 2 I dropped choke and between that and rishadan port was able to constrict his mana entirely until I found the combo.
5-1.
Round 7: Osyp Lebedowicz on Miracles. Game 1 he established Counterbalance/top. However, I kept casting and resolving my loams because he could not find a 2 casting cost card to put on top. Eventually I made the Lage and he did not have an answer. Game 2 I ported his mana significantly and was able to make the Lage while he had no white mana available.
6-1.
Round 8: Death and Taxes. Game 1 I believe I won pretty easily but I don't remember. Game 2 I got the combo assembled but got blown out by Armageddon. I had played around Cataclysm by holding a colorless land in my hand to pair with a green source I would keep. However, he was playing Armageddon for some reason and it really got me. I never found green again and he had a swords for the Lage. I was beat to death by two mother of runes… Game 3 He didn't have much pressure and I was able to get the win. He brought it Grafdigger's cage (which doesn't do anything). He realized his mistake as soon as he cast the cage.
7-1.
Round 9: RUGb Delver. This matchup is great. Tabernacle took game 1. Game 2 was not very close. This opponent was super nice and seemed like a great guy.
8-1.
End of Day 1.
Day 2:
Round 10: Peter Johnson on Sneak and Show. He went for show and tell on turn 2 I believe. Fortunately I had two copies of crop rotation to go get Karakas for his Emrakul. I took that game. Game 2 was really close. He had a Pithing needle to turn off my Karakas which I had a few sphere effects to limit his mana. I couldn't assemble the combo and got killed once he was finally able to resolve his combo. Game 3 on turn 1 I gambled for Karakas. He then played a pithing needle on Turn one on Karakas. He then was able to play Show and Tell for the win.
8-2.
Round 11: Jim Davis on Storm. I cursed when I saw this pairing. Somehow game 1 I was able to restrict his mana game 1 and land a fast Lage for the win. Game 2 I assembled the combo on turn 2 or 3 but he was able to kill me off a single land he played that turn. Four rituals later and I was dead. Game 3 was super close. I landed a sphere and a chalice on zero. He abrupt decayed the chalice and was then able to cast Ad Nauseum. He flipped down to 4 and had not found an LED to be able to empty his hand. He had two brainstorms he could cast but it wasn't clear if he would find what he needed. He flips one more card: Past in Flames!!! I get the win on a miracle.
9-2.
Round 12: UR Delver. Game 1 I keep a hand that has manabond and six lands. The six lands have the combo so if I resolve the manabond I can make the Lage on turn one. Sadly he has a FoW. He lands a few early threats but I make the Lage on Turn 4. I'm able to get this one by fading a bolt and having his delver not flip on a critical turn. Definitely thought I was going to lose that game. Game 2 I make a Lage on turn 2 and he can't find his one of vapor snag.
10-2.
Round 13: Gerard Fabiano on BUG control. I keep a sketchy hand and get really punished game 1 by a little discard and counter magic. Really wish I could've done that mulligan decision again. The hand was really mana light and I got blown out by an abrupt decay on my mox. Games 2 and 3 I was able to take advantage of his deck's slow clock and get the Lage early something he doesn't have an answer for.
11-2.
Round 14: Rudy Briksza on Shardless BUG. This one was on camera. I kept about the weakest five card hand I would keep. It was wasteland, mox, maze of ith, horizon canopy, and glacial chasm. I kept because it had green mana and I figured it could hold off his minimal pressure for a while and get a lot of draw steps. I got thoughtseized and hymned but then top decked loam and got it from there. Game 2 I had a really strong hand and was able to take it.
12-2.
Round 15: ID into top 8!
12-2-1.
Top 8: After getting paired against Painter and Death and Taxes in my two previous top 8's I was less than thrilled to see Omnitell as my pairing. This one has a write up on the SCG website. I kept a hand game one that made the Lage on turn 3 with me on the play. It seemed fine and was sadly a turn slow. I was hoping he would have to cantrip a little more to assemble things. Game 2 I had a perfect hand with two sphere effects and the combo. Game 3 was very close. I made a major error by getting my second sphere countered by FoW. I should have wastelanded his ancient tomb and then cast the second sphere. I was getting tired… Fortunately, I was still able to take the match.
Top 4: Daryl Ayers on RUG. There is a write up on this one as well. My hands were fine both games. I had the combo in both but my crop rotations into defensive pieces were countered and he was able to hold up a wasteland both game to disrupt my combo. I don't think I should have mulliganed either hand as they had loam and the combo but it is possible I should have gone looking for more acceleration.
I'd be happy to answer any questions about the tourney or the list. The deck felt really strong all day. Highly recommend it.
Couldn't find the write-ups on SCG that you mentioned. Were they written by your opponents? Got a link?
Congrats on the finish. Couple of questions for you:
1) How effective has Tranquil Thicket been for you in your games? Would you ever play a list without it?
2) I'm currently running a RUG Lands list similar to sparki's. I'm always kind of waffling between the count of Abrupt Decays and Krosan Grips. Do you feel that x4 Krosan Grips in your board is sufficient or would you like additional effects? Right now I'm on x2 Decay/x3 Grip.
Legacy:
RUG(B)Lands
UWRMiracles
The grind, the durdle, the control!
1) I really like having one Tranquil Thicket. In the games that go really long you will always find it and the card advantage/extra dredging can be big. I felt ok going down to one although I definitely wouldn't cut it all together.
2) I saw very few RIP and no blood moons on the day so I am contemplating going down to 3 grips. I saw a ton of surgical extractions though.
1) I really like having one Tranquil Thicket. In the games that go really long you will always find it and the card advantage/extra dredging can be big. I felt ok going down to one although I definitely wouldn't cut it all together.
2) I really like the one Choke. It is really nice to gamble for and can steal games against miracles. I boarded it in against non-storm, non-delver blue decks. It performed well for me and I would keep it in the board. I like having one I can find but more than that is probably overkill.
3) I boarded in seismic assault a fair bit although I never drew it or cast it all day. I brought it in against decks that could potentially have blood moon and in matchups where I feared surgical extraction (as an out to getting depths surgical-ed).
4) I haven't been a big fan of Prime Time and seismic assault fills a role as a hedge against surgical. With Prime Time against show and tell decks I would usually rather get Karakas. Also against miracles I generally board in some number of sphere effects which don't go well with the titan.
5) Zuran orb is really good in the blue lands decks since they can find it much easier. However with gamble as the only means to find orb is seemed pretty low impact. Almost always there is something I'd rather gamble for be it loam or glacial chasm. We are fast enough that we can frequently over power UR and burn.
6) Another anti-combo card. Probably another thorn or null rod.
Deck List:
4x Life from the Loam
4x Exploration
3x Crop Rotation
2x Manabond
4x Gamble
4x Punishing Fire
4x Mox Diamond
4x Grove of the Burnwillows
4x Wasteland
4x Rishaden Port
4x Thespian Stage
3x Wooded Foothills
3x Maze of Ith
3x Trangquil Thicket
2x Dark Depths
2x Taiga
1x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Karakas
1x Forest
1x Glacial Chasm
Sideboard
4x Chalice of the Void
4x Sphere of Resistance
4x Krosan Grip
2x Primeval Titan
1x Ancient Tomb
Round 1: Jund 2-1
Game 1 – He starts slow with a second turn Sylvan Library while I keep a little bit of a clunker, Maze’s stop his Tarmogoyf. Punishing Fire deals with a Bob after he gets one extra card. I draw a Gamble which turns into a Manabond. I explode all over the place with Loam and a couple turns later he scoops it up.
In: 2 Primeval Titan, 1 Ancient Tomb.
Out: 2 Manabond, 1 Karakas
Game 2 – I get crushed. A quick Sylvan Library into Goyf 1 into Extirpate on my Loams then BBE into Goyf 2. I stay the beatings for a turn with Chasm but don’t have a line to play to before I die.
In: 3 Chalice of the Void.
Out: 1 Crop Rotation, 2 Gamble.
Game 3 – I keep a hand that has a natural Stage/Loam. On turn two I drop a Mox Diamond and Thespian Stage to go with my Wasteland I dropped on turn one. He slams down a Pithing Needle and snap names Thespian Stage, I slow him down and we rewind so that in response to him casting Needle copy a Badlands. He still names Thespian Stage, OK? During my turn I drop Dark Depths and passed, He drops a Lilianna of the Veil and ticks up. I make a Marit Lage with my badlands at the end of his turn. He seemed pissed as he didn’t understand the interaction
Round 2: Ascendancy 2-0
Before the start of round two I was able to watch him go nuts with Ascendancy so I knew what he was on.
Game 1: I go exploration into Exploration then Gamble for Loam. I waste all his lands. Crop rotation for Ghost Quarter and keep him off lands for the rest of the Game. It takes a while to win because he didn’t concede and it took me forever to find my Dark Depths
In: 4 Chalice of the Void, 4 Sphere of Resistance, 2 Krosan Grip, 2 Primeval Titan, 1 Ancient Tomb.
Out: 4 Punishing Fire, 1 Tabernacle, 1 Karakas , 4 Gamble, 2 Manabond, 1 Life from the Loam
Game 2: He Probes me and sees a hand of Crop Rotation 2x Chalice of the Void, Stage and other random stuff. He plays a fetchland and passes. I draw and additional Crop Rotation, Play a taiga which I Crop Rotate for an Ancient Tomb and drop a Chalice on one, He brainstorms in response, and lets it resolve. He wears it on his turn; I drop another Chalice on my turn which shuts off my Crop Rotation. He drops Ascendancy on his turn which is met with my K-Grip on my turn. He Digs through Time on his turn and Wears the other Chalice I pass my turn with Combo in place (Stage onboard with Crop Rotation in Hand) He does something that’s not relevant on his turn and I crop rotate for DD which resolves and allows me the win. At the end of the Game he shows me the Double Surgical Extraction :/ Good thing I didn’t need Loam.
Round 3: Death and Taxes 1-1-1 ID
My opponent comes up to me before the right when the round begins and asks for the draw, which I was fine with because I knew he was on Death and Taxes (a matchup I don’t enjoy playing) it seems to bring him relief? Don’t know why the matchup isn’t like a landslide. Whatever, I get to bird some interesting games and leave a little early which is nice.
One Week later I decide to give the local tournament another try.
Deck Changes
-1 Tranquil Thicket
-1 Punishing Fire
+1 Crop Rotation
+1 Raging Ravine
Round 1: UW Stoneblade 2-1 – Tons of Basic lands :/
Game 1 – This Game was epic, I end up losing by decking myself basically, I dug myself out of most likely being killed by a TNN and Batterskull with me only having two lands in play with a Chasm out and me at two life. In the end he deals with my Marit Lage several times while I waste out all his white mana and he casts a Spell Snare to prevent me from reoccurring Marit Lage on last time with two cards left in my deck.
In: 4 Krosan Grip, 2 Primeval Titan,.
Out: 1 Bojuka Bog, 2 Manabond, 2 Gamble, 1 Tabernacle
Game 2 – He Drops an early Meddling Mage naming Punishing Fire, then follows up with a Pithing needle to shut off my Stage, which I respond during casting and copy a plains on his board. I put Dark Depths on board with the mana to activate. On his next turn he taps his lands wrong and Casts another Meddling Mage naming Krosan Grip, he ended up tapping his tundra and plains which shuts him off of white? I make Marit Lage while he looks down at his lands confused. This was a gift. I think I could have gotten him next turn though.
Sideboard: No Change
Game 3 – Was a quick affair. He keep at 1 lander and bricked off of Brainstorm, My port keeps him off of playing the Ponder stuck in his hand and I quickly combo him out without him ever getting a second Land.
Round 2: UWR Stoneblade 2-1
Game 1 – I lose. He gets and early Batterskull via Stoneforge coupled with Young Pyromancer. I lock him off of Lands but fail to find a Maze of Ith or Tabernacle to choke his creatures out before he double bolts me for the win.
In: 4 Krosan Grip, 2 Primeval Titan, Ancient Tomb
Out: 1 Bojuka Bog, 2 Manabond, 2 Gamble, 1 Karakas, 1 Crop Rotation
Game 2 – I Punishing Fire his dudes and land a Primeval Titan which beats a meddling mage any day of the week. Primetime summons a concession. Ancient Tomb is great
Game 3 – He mulligans and I keep a very harsh mana disruptive hand. I lock his two basic lands down with Ports, and I am sitting on a pair of wastelands, eventually I get my loam engine going with two explorations out. It takes me a couple dredges to actually find lands but once I do the game was over as it forces another concession
Round 3: Shardless BUG 2-1
Game 1 – He starts with Swamp, Thoughtseize taking my crop rotation Pass. I drop a Mox Diamond and a Port. Tap his swamp on his turn. He drops a fetchland and passes. I play a wasteland and pass. I tap him during my upkeep. He wastelands my Port during his turn and passes. I play Stage on my turn. He drops tropical island which I wasteland on the end of his turn. He uses it to brainstorm. I play another Port. He summons a Goyf on his turn after I port his swamp on his upkeep. On my turn I At this time I have a 3 lands and a Mox Diamond out with a Crop rotation in my hand. During his turn he fetches during and casts a Shardless Agent during his main phase into a Hymn. I respond by Crop Rotating for a DD and which summons an Avatar and wins the Game.
In: 2 Primeval Titan, 1 Ancient Tomb.
Out: 1 Karakas, 2 Manabond
Game two – This game was a back and forth affair. I mull to six and had to navigate through a spell bomb and a Deathrite while getting beat down with a goyf. I eventually kill the Deathrite and force the spellbomb activation all while keeping my punishing fire. I feel pretty good because I have two maze of Ith’s out which was all for not when he played a Shardless into another Goyf and dropped a Pithing Needle naming Maze of Ith, which shuts me off my Maze of Ith and I take a beating. I draw for my turn which happens to be my third Maze of Ith and I pack it in.
In: 2 Krosan Grip.
Out: -1 Gamble, -1 Crop Rotation
Game three - I keep a hand with 2 Crop Rotations, 2 Explorations, Stage, and two fetchlands. I play Fetcland into forest, Exploration into second Fetch. He plays underground Sea Pass. I draw my third Fetchland and play Stage and the Fetchland. During his upkeep I crop rotation my forest away, and he brainstorms and allows me to make a Marit Lage token and concedes as he doesn’t have an answer. Sweet
Final after two tournaments - 5-0-1 (11-5-1)
I don't board COTV against most of the delver builds for two reasons
1. COTV is underwhelming in most of those delver match-ups as it turns on powerful sideboard cards like Smash to Smithereens and Wear//Tear and shuts off a lot of our cards and for what? the potential to resolve a spell that could win the game that we are already favored to win anyway? I have found that the only Delver Decks that I really side COTV in against is old schools RUG Delver with mongooses and stifles and old school U/R delver with Snapcasters and Surgical in the side, as chalice locks out almost 80%+ of there actual deck and that's worth the hedge to me. The other delver decks revolve around the 2cc spells to much to make Chalice really exciting
2. It makes taking a mulligan much harder to evaluate. For example: you are playing against U/R Delver and you open a hand of Chalice, Mox, Gamble 4 Lands. I would keep that on first glance because it does what you want to do, get loam and lock the board, but if you look at it long enough its becomes a problem and here's why. If they are on the play they get under the chalice unless you drop it on turn one and it resolves making gamble dead killing your hand unless you have a natural Stage/DD combo. If you gamble first you may lose chalice and they get two turns before chalice comes down this is going to allow your opponent to have enough velocity to continue the game regardless of chalice while shutting off most of your draws. This also assumes that they don't have an answer for the artifact, if they establish something like a pyromancer then smash it you just wasted a turn and took a bunch to the dome. If your on the play the this specific hand better but its still awkward because of the role of COTV in the deck and how you sequence your cards. Ill prefer to pass on those types of games. I'm the control deck and I can beat most of the Delver/Stoneforge decks with the tools I have less Chalice.
I normally side Chalice in against the following:
Miracles, Elves, Broken Combo, RUG Delver, 12 Post
I would keep the 4 Chalices in the board at this time or maybe 3 Chalice and 1 Pithing Needle if I was going to play in a large open event.
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
Current decks of choice:
Vintage: Shops.
Legacy: Lands.
Modern: Lantern.
Split the finals of the Washington Premier IQ. Interest in a report?
Dave
I know prior to KTK a lot of Lands players were experimenting with things like Tangle Wire/Smokestack and Worm Harvest in the traditional Lands shell.
Legacy:
RUG(B)Lands
UWRMiracles
The grind, the durdle, the control!
I don't regret it at all, as far as power level goes. I think RG Combo Depths is the superior deck, in my experience.
However, I must say that I do miss all those grindy games with the U builds. Playing millions of cards every turn... Slowly and systematically obliterating any chance my opponent has of winning... Clicking the multitude of locking mechanisms into place... Not even trying to win myself until turn 10+ once I have nigh absolute control... Watching my opponent desperately trying to navigate the labyrinthine prison that I've constructed... Seeing the light of hope fade and ultimately extinguished in an excruciatingly slow manner... THAT'S fun Magic.
There is a definite appeal to attacking with a 20/20 on turn 2 or 3. Turning Emrakul into a chump blocker holds a certain charm as well. But nothing compares to those 40+ minute games.
It falls a lot onto playstyle as well. When I play Lands, I always try to employ every avenue of trying to lock my opponent out of the game before going for the Marit Lage kill unless it's a combo match-up or I can't establish the lock engine fast enough.
Legacy:
RUG(B)Lands
UWRMiracles
The grind, the durdle, the control!