Filling some of the void left as a result of Survival of the Fittest getting banned, Nic Fit is an evolved aggro-control toolbox deck consisting of a G and B color base, often implementing W or Ras well. It seeks to establish a level of board control that simply overwhelms other aggro and control decks if given enough time or acceleration, then beats down late-game for the actual win.
The deck is fueled considerably by your graveyard to work to its full potential, but contains enough strong creatures and fundamental proven aspects of the game - discard, spot and sweep removal, card advantage - that you don't rely on any one card or game mechanic to win. It is extremely variable yet it remains consistent in the hands of a seasoned player due to the near endless stream of card interactions and state-based triggers at your disposal.
Core Cards:
Green Sun's Zenith - As long as you are playing green-aggro, you might as well play Zenith. While the toolbox feature of this card is similar to the use of Maverick, Nic Fit emphasizes a wider array of (mostly) singleton creatures throughout, making Green Sun's Zenith indispensable. Zenith also provides the obligatory Turn 1 land acceleration into a Dryad Arbor.
Veteran Explorer - The other main method of acceleration. Get it into play and then get it into the graveyard. While some may scoff at Explorer's potential benefit to your opponent as well, in the long run it is far better for you. By the time you reach mid-game you have the mana for 5 and 6-drops that overpower your opponents 2 and 3-drops. Depending on your meta, certain opponents may not have basic lands at all, making the trigger one-sided.
Cabal Therapy - Discard is powerful. Double-discard is more powerful still. In addition, Therapy provides an outlet for your creatures to "die" so they trigger effects. One of the most effective early game moves is to sacrifice Veteran Explorer for your second use of this card in a turn, usually granting you enough mana for anything by Turn 3.
Recurring Nightmare - This is how the deck implements a total board and card advantage, as it essentially makes any card not exiled available for infinite use. Sac a Kitchen Finks, it will come right back, gain you two life, then add an Eternal Witness onto the board from your graveyard, netting you that already used Swords to Plowshares for a second (or third) time. Combined with Academy Rector, Sun Titan, and Witness, your opponent may have to exile Recurring Nightmare for it to stop seeing use. As a result, it is usually run as a singleton or at most accompanied by an additional copy.
Birthing Pod - The Pod fills in the holes left by Nightmare and Zenith, being that the former can only grab creatures in your yard and the latter can only grab creatures that are green. With Birthing Pod you "upgrade" a creature already in play, hopefully granting a beneficial trigger either from the first creature leaving play or the new one coming into play. It helps to keep a balanced spread on the converted mana costs of your creatures so you can always upgrade to something helpful no matter the CMC of the initial creature in play.
Pernicious Deed - Sometimes you need to get rid of things your opponents have. Deed is the best all-purpose sweeper in Magic. Also works well for triggering your creatures' abilities. Like Recurring Nightmare, it is all the more devastating when it can easily be returned to play by the likes of Eternal Witness, Academy Rector, and Sun Titan.
Eternal Witness - I've illustrated some examples above of this also must-include card. Run anywhere from 1-4 depending on your meta or taste. Witness is the smoothing agent for this deck as will allow you reuse of cards that were countered or cards that have died. With a Witness and a Nightmare or Pod in play, you can create some serious chains of spells in a single turn without having a hand.
Creature Base:
Aside from Explorer and Witness, the creature base of Nic Fit is highly variable and customizable to your meta. Being that it is a Zenith deck, there are certainly some bodies that you don’t want to leave out since they fill all sorts of toolbox roles.
CMC 0
Dryad Arbor – If you play a Zenith deck you should run this. Enables you to drop two lands on your first turn. Enables you to find a body from a fetchland that grabs a Forest. Enables the nifty “invincible blocker” trick with Scryb Ranger. Here’s how:
1.) Flash in Scryb Ranger (or maybe she is already there)
2.) Announce Arbor as a blocker.
3.) Before the damage step of the combat phase, use Ranger’s bounce “payment” on Arbor to untap a creature. Even if all your creatures are untapped this is still a legal move, and more importantly, since returning the forest to your hand is part of the cost, your opponent cannot respond by Plowsharing or Bolting the Arbor. A great way to stop your opponent’s Jitte from obtaining counters.
Wall of Blossoms – Walls are underrated. This wall is especially nice since we will likely be sacrificing it and recurring it back into play, netting you an extra card every time. At 0/4 it helps stall out early aggro against most of the creatures in the format. You will want removal for early evasive beaters like Delver of Secrets, however. Regardless, Nic Fit is a somewhat slow deck to establishing a dominant board presence, and Wall of Blossoms buys you time and is still useful in late-game. Include 2-3 copies.
Qasali Pridemage – One of these ought to do. Since you can Zenith for it you essentially have 5 main deck slots for artifact and enchantment hate, and it makes him easy to get into your graveyard to start fueling Recurring Nightmare. Exalted is a nice bonus.
Scavenging Ooze – Simply one of the best creatures in the format right now. Graveyard sniping and lifegain built into a cheap body. Ooze is the anti-Tarmogoyf and can in fact become bigger.
Ethersworn Canonist - Superb sideboard hate for Storm decks, and a considerable choice to bring in against Elves and any Snapcaster Mage variants.
Scryb Ranger - Flash, mana acceleration, creature untapping, flying, Protection from Blue. She's got it all.
Gaddock Teeg - Hate for a variety of cards and decktypes. Most run a minimum of one in the main or side.
CMC 3
Kitchen Finks – The little beater that could. We also pack built-in lifegain via this pesky guy. He is one of the best creatures to sacrifice to any of the mechanics listed above because he automatically comes right back and nets you two more health.
Bone Shredder – He is not getable with Zenith. His triggered ability has some holes. Nonetheless, he can be a nice “upgrade” via Birthing Pod if you need some applicable spot-removal. Bonus is that he is one of the few cards that can kill the super-fattie, Emrakul, The Aeons Torn.
Harmonic Sliver – For those who prefer triggered artifact/enchantment destruction over Qasali Pridemage’s activated ability.
Fleshbag Marauder – Another Bone Shredder-like effect, though this gets around all sorts of shroud because “each player sacrifices a creature”. Works wonders if you need an outlet to sac an Explorer or Rector. Downside is that if he is the only creature you have, he automatically dies upon entry.
Loaming Shaman - Good sideboard choice for graveyard hate. Nice because you can target specific cards, and as many as you want at that.
Knight of the Reliquary – As a deck we don’t run as many toolbox lands that Bant and Maverick do to fetch, making her less appealing in this package, but the fact remains that Knight is still a force to be reckoned with. She and Scryb Ranger are also Super Best Friends, so if you run one, try the other with it.
CMC 4
Academy Rector – A fantastic fit for this deck. Being able to sac Rector into Recurring Nightmare or a Deed can be invaluable for an opponent playing against you deck for the first time, and even when they know to Stifle it should they have one, all they’ve done is stop you getting it in for free. With all the various methods to cycle enchantments in and out of your graveyard, hand, and battlefield, having two Deeds seems like 5 or 6.
Phyrexian Metamorph - Becoming a mainstay in Legacy sideboards, the implementation of Birthing Pod lets you run this guy maindeck. One of the more versatile cards around, this enables you to copy an opponent’s equipment, kill a Legend like Vendillion Clique (and still get a trigger for yourself out of it), or simply make another Deranged Hermit for an army of eight 3/3 Squirrel tokens.
Entomber Exarch - Extra glue to keep an army of singletons relevant. Get a Duress or Raise Dead out of a body. One of the few discard mechanics that can hit lands. Superb in the right circumstances.
Spike Weaver When you need board stall and prefer it to squirrels. Personally, I think Deranged Hermit does the job just as well and additionally, fills other roles that Weaver cannot.
Wickerbough Elder - Artifact/enchantment-hate that costs more, but you keep the body once done.
Solemn Simulacrum - Haven't tested him myself yet, but he oozes synergy with Birthing Pod.
Thrun, the Last Troll – It really helps a lot of the time to have an uncounterable beater with Regeneration. Thrun packs a punch and can block forever. And opponents are loath to the prospect of removing him from play. Thrun rounds out the 4-drops as the most reliable of the bunch.
CMC 5
Reveillark – Get a second chance on two of any creatures besides Finks, Titan(s) and Thrun. More fuel for the fire equals more consistency.
Genesis – Often run as an alternative to Reveillark. Genesis has the advantage of having an everlasting effect and is also searchable with Zenith. That said, his ability is expensive and does offer immediate results the same as Reveillark. Personal taste reigns here.
Deranged Hermit – One of the best token generators available, Hermit packs a punch, stalls out the board to buy you time, and provides much needed fuel for Pod and Nightmare. He’s a natural fit.
Shriekmaw – A black body with the same effect as Bone Shredder, however Shriekmaw has the added benefit of Evoke, which allows the removal at 1 less mana than casting Bone Shredder. Shriewmaw is also a better body once in play, so if you are tight on room for CMC 3 then add Shriekmaw for a CMC 5 spot.
CMC 6 (Titans)
Sun Titan – Blows the game wide open for you. Brings back most of your permanents to play, and if you want that Thrun back, simply target Witness with Titan, netting your Thrun in the process. If an opponent cannot get rid of Sun Titan within a turn they might as well concede since you can get a free auto-Deed back into play to blow up everything CMC 5 and lower every turn.
Grave Titan Probably just as powerful as Sun Titan, Grave Titan is another major fuel generator for your Nightmares, Pods, and Cabal Therapies.
That covers most of the known creatures in Nic-Fit. Throughout the life of this thread I hope this serves as a starting point to further discussion about ideal creature choices, including ones perhaps not popularly implemented yet.
Other Spells:
Swords to Plowshares – Still the best spot-removal spell ever printed, and likely to stay that way. Helps greatly with early game threats. All we need to win is time.
Abrupt Decay - Now known as the best all around removal. Plowshares still edges on the creature removal basis - and being 1 CMC less - but Abrupt Decay has impacted the format quite a bit. Don't leave home without it.
Go For The Throat – If you need removal and aren’t splashing white, this is probably the 2nd least discriminatory one.
Innocent Blood - Additional "sacrifice" removal for you and your opponent. Great for decks not running white who want to pack extra removal. Bonus as it is yet another way to get Explorer into the Yard.
Sensei’s Divining Top – What hasn’t been said about this card? With all the shuffle effects this deck has, you will likely find something relevant to your game with Top. Run as little or as many as you want.
Sylvan Library – I prefer Library for being able to tutor it up with Academy Rector, and it essentially provides the same service as Top except that it only happens on your draw step.
Maelstrom Pulse – Broad removal for 3 mana. Great at killing your opponents tokens. Unlike Deed, which has the same casting cost, this can kill Plainswalkers.
Vindicate - One of the most elegant cards printed. If you prefer the ability to destroy land and don’t run any Wasteland yourself, try Vindicate over Pulse.
Liliana of the Veil – Likely the most relevant Plainswalker to run if you run any. She creates an environment of general havoc for your opponents, and offers you two ways to get creatures in your graveyard. The new Garruk is pretty cool in this deck and you can make Elspeth work as well, but for now it’s Liliana.
Phyrexian Tower - The one alternative-function land is here for good reason. Enables you to sac a creature at instant-speed. Great outlet to get Veteran Explorer in the yard early.
Unearth - This card is quietly making a comeback in certain Team America lists, and for good reason. We usually have enough suitable targets to consider this if you don't have a white-splash.
General Strategy:
The general gameplan for Nic Fit is to accelerate mana production and get creatures into your graveyard so they can be reused by Recurring Nightmare. Green Sun's Zenith is used as a tool to adapt to specific threats your opponent throws at you, and you generally will be setting your board position up so that you can get a Pernicious Deed off that wipes your you and your opponent's board, but which you can recover faster from. Usually Mid-to-Late Game is when you start to have Nightmare and Pod chains setup, enabling a full toolbox at your disposal to deal with almost anything your opponent throws at you.
The #1 thing you want to avoid is having cards of yours exiled. Eternal Witness enables you to get anything back and can completely change your board position, so you want to keep cards in the yard. Be sure to use Cabal Therapy to rid your opponent's hand of cards like Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile, and be sure to dispose of any graveyard hate he may bring in on Game 2, being sure to minimize cards lost as much as possible. Usually having creatures countered or destroyed is not a problem.
Nic Fit is not a particularly easy deck to play, as you need to be extremely discerning on which creatures you tutor for when playing Zenith, Nightmare, and Pod. Eventually, once you are used to your deck's lineup you will gain a sense of when you use what. As long as you don't die within 4 turns, you stand an increasing chance to win the longer the game progresses.
Matchups:
Coming Soon (Submit write-ups on specific ones if you know them!)
This looks like a seriously cool deck. How fast is it generally? I'm wondering about something like Ghostly Prison to buy you some turns. I think I like the second list more for its tool-box style creature base. Dungrove Elder also makes my mouth water.
This looks like a seriously cool deck. How fast is it generally? I'm wondering about something like Ghostly Prison to buy you some turns. I think I like the second list more for its tool-box style creature base. Dungrove Elder also makes my mouth water.
I've found the speed varies. Sometimes you can get a big beastie out by turn 3 or 4, and sometimes you will need to wipe the board a few times before you start to establish a threat presence 10 turns into the game. Ghostly Prison is not necessary because having your blockers die is not a problem. In fact, you want creatures like Veteran Explorer to die when they block. Since your opponent will have their lands accelerated too and we have no methods of limiting his lands, Ghostly Prison is not a fit for this deck. If you really need to buy some turns because you took fast and early damage, that's why we have Kitchen Finks.
I've found the speed varies. Sometimes you can get a big beastie out by turn 3 or 4, and sometimes you will need to wipe the board a few times before you start to establish a threat presence 10 turns into the game. Ghostly Prison is not necessary because having your blockers die is not a problem. In fact, you want creatures like Veteran Explorer to die when they block. Since your opponent will have their lands accelerated too and we have no methods of limiting his lands, Ghostly Prison is not a fit for this deck. If you really need to buy some turns because you took fast and early damage, that's why we have Kitchen Finks.
Ok, that makes sense Do you think Dungrove could make it in this deck?
I wonder if it would be worth adding a Pattern of Rebirth/Progen to the deck as an alt wincon? Pattern might also be just worth having
EDIT: I can't see Wish being that great here... Its more expensive than GSZ, and there arn't that many lands we would care about tutoring for
No wasteland, no Fow, no goyf, minimal dual lands... can this really be??
I'm excited to hear more news
What I really like about Nic Fit is that it uses mostly newer cards, with the duals as the oldest cards. Funny how the use of Veteran explorer punishes decks that don't use basics.
Ok, that makes sense Do you think Dungrove could make it in this deck?
He is basically a lesser Thrun, and if you run full Rock - White/Black/Green - then he may only be a 3/3 when he comes in. Thrun has the added benefits of being uncounterable and can survive a Pernicious Deed wipe, so I don't see the added benefits, however efficient he may be as a beater. It's the same reason that a Nic Fit deck traditionally does not run Tarmogoyf. If all the card does is be a beater, it doesn't add anything to our gameplan that another body that also does something amazing - like Sun Titan - can't do. Remember: the idea for this deck is not to run efficient creatures for fear of having your manabase attacked early, just like Caleb's writeup said. I had early on tried to find Lord of Extinction a home in this deck, and while it is amusing to cast a 25/25 creature sometimes, you want the bodies you pick for your Nic Fit lineup to do something.
Personally, having played B/G originally, I'm now fully converted to the White-splash, if only for Sun Titan. He causes the most absurd card-chains to happen. I also see more benefit in 3 StP than 3 Hymns as the non-white versions tend to run. When I was without StP I found myself getting hit hard by certain decks early, and when I added it the problem seemed to go away. Hymn can also take care of this problem and can be a pseudo-win-con all by itself, but it still relies on chance and luck to show it's good side. I usually try to minimize chance out of the equation for deck building.
I love this deck; I've been looking for an "upgrade" to my NOless Aggro-Elves, and this seems like the perfect direction to take Green Sun's Zenith.
Quick question: If this deck wants to punish decks with little-to-no basics, why wouldn't we run Path to Exile over Swords to Plowshares? Giving them an additional land they probably don't have (especially after Veteran Explorer pops) seems much better than giving them life--or at least seems more congruent with the gameplan
Path to Exile, in early game especially, can and will pull your opponent ahead, whereas Plowshares' downside is almost certainly going to be minimal. In any deck not trying to win by turn 5, Swords is better.
it sort of rips apart a lot of the top decks, i think thats a big reason why it does as well as it does.
it won 1st twice in a row on magic-league, though that might not mean anything
I hope it's for real, as I really like the look of a lot of the lists. GSZ is one of my favorite cards from the last couple years, and I always love a good rock deck.
Looked over the deck, and I gotta say, I'm loving the variance in options and synergy. Are there any other cards anyone thinks would work besides the ones listed?
I like the list, going to try it out! Why not add in Innocent Blood if you aren't going for a white splash?
another card to consider is Unearth. So much fun to play and very versatile, especially with Eternal Witness, Finks and the other CMC 3 dudes.
I like both of these ideas. For those who don't want to splash white for Sun Titan, Academy Rector, Reveillark, and Swords to Plowshares, these are some great alternatives to the open 5-8 slots you would have open as a result.
The only problem with splashing white is it makes the manabase worse. That and while rector is super super cute it isn't really the greatest. I'd rather play innocent blood over StP for the synergy it has with explorer. Also randomly answers emrakul and co. That and white doesn't really have anything better than the cards in green and black.
Overall huge fan of the deck though.
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"Yawgmoth," Freyalise whispered as she set the bomb, "now you will pay for your treachery."
^ Reveillark + Recurring Nightmare provides interesting interactions in the scope of ETB effects of other creatures. But I do like the idea of using Innocent Blood over StP.
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The deck is fueled considerably by your graveyard to work to its full potential, but contains enough strong creatures and fundamental proven aspects of the game - discard, spot and sweep removal, card advantage - that you don't rely on any one card or game mechanic to win. It is extremely variable yet it remains consistent in the hands of a seasoned player due to the near endless stream of card interactions and state-based triggers at your disposal.
Core Cards:
Green Sun's Zenith - As long as you are playing green-aggro, you might as well play Zenith. While the toolbox feature of this card is similar to the use of Maverick, Nic Fit emphasizes a wider array of (mostly) singleton creatures throughout, making Green Sun's Zenith indispensable. Zenith also provides the obligatory Turn 1 land acceleration into a Dryad Arbor.
Veteran Explorer - The other main method of acceleration. Get it into play and then get it into the graveyard. While some may scoff at Explorer's potential benefit to your opponent as well, in the long run it is far better for you. By the time you reach mid-game you have the mana for 5 and 6-drops that overpower your opponents 2 and 3-drops. Depending on your meta, certain opponents may not have basic lands at all, making the trigger one-sided.
Cabal Therapy - Discard is powerful. Double-discard is more powerful still. In addition, Therapy provides an outlet for your creatures to "die" so they trigger effects. One of the most effective early game moves is to sacrifice Veteran Explorer for your second use of this card in a turn, usually granting you enough mana for anything by Turn 3.
Recurring Nightmare - This is how the deck implements a total board and card advantage, as it essentially makes any card not exiled available for infinite use. Sac a Kitchen Finks, it will come right back, gain you two life, then add an Eternal Witness onto the board from your graveyard, netting you that already used Swords to Plowshares for a second (or third) time. Combined with Academy Rector, Sun Titan, and Witness, your opponent may have to exile Recurring Nightmare for it to stop seeing use. As a result, it is usually run as a singleton or at most accompanied by an additional copy.
Birthing Pod - The Pod fills in the holes left by Nightmare and Zenith, being that the former can only grab creatures in your yard and the latter can only grab creatures that are green. With Birthing Pod you "upgrade" a creature already in play, hopefully granting a beneficial trigger either from the first creature leaving play or the new one coming into play. It helps to keep a balanced spread on the converted mana costs of your creatures so you can always upgrade to something helpful no matter the CMC of the initial creature in play.
Pernicious Deed - Sometimes you need to get rid of things your opponents have. Deed is the best all-purpose sweeper in Magic. Also works well for triggering your creatures' abilities. Like Recurring Nightmare, it is all the more devastating when it can easily be returned to play by the likes of Eternal Witness, Academy Rector, and Sun Titan.
Eternal Witness - I've illustrated some examples above of this also must-include card. Run anywhere from 1-4 depending on your meta or taste. Witness is the smoothing agent for this deck as will allow you reuse of cards that were countered or cards that have died. With a Witness and a Nightmare or Pod in play, you can create some serious chains of spells in a single turn without having a hand.
Aside from Explorer and Witness, the creature base of Nic Fit is highly variable and customizable to your meta. Being that it is a Zenith deck, there are certainly some bodies that you don’t want to leave out since they fill all sorts of toolbox roles.
CMC 0
Dryad Arbor – If you play a Zenith deck you should run this. Enables you to drop two lands on your first turn. Enables you to find a body from a fetchland that grabs a Forest. Enables the nifty “invincible blocker” trick with Scryb Ranger. Here’s how:
1.) Flash in Scryb Ranger (or maybe she is already there)
2.) Announce Arbor as a blocker.
3.) Before the damage step of the combat phase, use Ranger’s bounce “payment” on Arbor to untap a creature. Even if all your creatures are untapped this is still a legal move, and more importantly, since returning the forest to your hand is part of the cost, your opponent cannot respond by Plowsharing or Bolting the Arbor. A great way to stop your opponent’s Jitte from obtaining counters.
CMC 1
Veteran Explorer – See above
Birds of Paradise/Noble Hierarch – For those who want an additional 1-drop used for mana acceleration.
CMC 2
Wall of Blossoms – Walls are underrated. This wall is especially nice since we will likely be sacrificing it and recurring it back into play, netting you an extra card every time. At 0/4 it helps stall out early aggro against most of the creatures in the format. You will want removal for early evasive beaters like Delver of Secrets, however. Regardless, Nic Fit is a somewhat slow deck to establishing a dominant board presence, and Wall of Blossoms buys you time and is still useful in late-game. Include 2-3 copies.
Qasali Pridemage – One of these ought to do. Since you can Zenith for it you essentially have 5 main deck slots for artifact and enchantment hate, and it makes him easy to get into your graveyard to start fueling Recurring Nightmare. Exalted is a nice bonus.
Scavenging Ooze – Simply one of the best creatures in the format right now. Graveyard sniping and lifegain built into a cheap body. Ooze is the anti-Tarmogoyf and can in fact become bigger.
Ethersworn Canonist - Superb sideboard hate for Storm decks, and a considerable choice to bring in against Elves and any Snapcaster Mage variants.
Scryb Ranger - Flash, mana acceleration, creature untapping, flying, Protection from Blue. She's got it all.
Gaddock Teeg - Hate for a variety of cards and decktypes. Most run a minimum of one in the main or side.
CMC 3
Kitchen Finks – The little beater that could. We also pack built-in lifegain via this pesky guy. He is one of the best creatures to sacrifice to any of the mechanics listed above because he automatically comes right back and nets you two more health.
Eternal Witness - See above.
Bone Shredder – He is not getable with Zenith. His triggered ability has some holes. Nonetheless, he can be a nice “upgrade” via Birthing Pod if you need some applicable spot-removal. Bonus is that he is one of the few cards that can kill the super-fattie, Emrakul, The Aeons Torn.
Harmonic Sliver – For those who prefer triggered artifact/enchantment destruction over Qasali Pridemage’s activated ability.
Fleshbag Marauder – Another Bone Shredder-like effect, though this gets around all sorts of shroud because “each player sacrifices a creature”. Works wonders if you need an outlet to sac an Explorer or Rector. Downside is that if he is the only creature you have, he automatically dies upon entry.
Loaming Shaman - Good sideboard choice for graveyard hate. Nice because you can target specific cards, and as many as you want at that.
Knight of the Reliquary – As a deck we don’t run as many toolbox lands that Bant and Maverick do to fetch, making her less appealing in this package, but the fact remains that Knight is still a force to be reckoned with. She and Scryb Ranger are also Super Best Friends, so if you run one, try the other with it.
CMC 4
Academy Rector – A fantastic fit for this deck. Being able to sac Rector into Recurring Nightmare or a Deed can be invaluable for an opponent playing against you deck for the first time, and even when they know to Stifle it should they have one, all they’ve done is stop you getting it in for free. With all the various methods to cycle enchantments in and out of your graveyard, hand, and battlefield, having two Deeds seems like 5 or 6.
Phyrexian Metamorph - Becoming a mainstay in Legacy sideboards, the implementation of Birthing Pod lets you run this guy maindeck. One of the more versatile cards around, this enables you to copy an opponent’s equipment, kill a Legend like Vendillion Clique (and still get a trigger for yourself out of it), or simply make another Deranged Hermit for an army of eight 3/3 Squirrel tokens.
Entomber Exarch - Extra glue to keep an army of singletons relevant. Get a Duress or Raise Dead out of a body. One of the few discard mechanics that can hit lands. Superb in the right circumstances.
Spike Weaver When you need board stall and prefer it to squirrels. Personally, I think Deranged Hermit does the job just as well and additionally, fills other roles that Weaver cannot.
Wickerbough Elder - Artifact/enchantment-hate that costs more, but you keep the body once done.
Solemn Simulacrum - Haven't tested him myself yet, but he oozes synergy with Birthing Pod.
Thrun, the Last Troll – It really helps a lot of the time to have an uncounterable beater with Regeneration. Thrun packs a punch and can block forever. And opponents are loath to the prospect of removing him from play. Thrun rounds out the 4-drops as the most reliable of the bunch.
CMC 5
Reveillark – Get a second chance on two of any creatures besides Finks, Titan(s) and Thrun. More fuel for the fire equals more consistency.
Genesis – Often run as an alternative to Reveillark. Genesis has the advantage of having an everlasting effect and is also searchable with Zenith. That said, his ability is expensive and does offer immediate results the same as Reveillark. Personal taste reigns here.
Deranged Hermit – One of the best token generators available, Hermit packs a punch, stalls out the board to buy you time, and provides much needed fuel for Pod and Nightmare. He’s a natural fit.
Shriekmaw – A black body with the same effect as Bone Shredder, however Shriekmaw has the added benefit of Evoke, which allows the removal at 1 less mana than casting Bone Shredder. Shriewmaw is also a better body once in play, so if you are tight on room for CMC 3 then add Shriekmaw for a CMC 5 spot.
CMC 6 (Titans)
Sun Titan – Blows the game wide open for you. Brings back most of your permanents to play, and if you want that Thrun back, simply target Witness with Titan, netting your Thrun in the process. If an opponent cannot get rid of Sun Titan within a turn they might as well concede since you can get a free auto-Deed back into play to blow up everything CMC 5 and lower every turn.
Grave Titan Probably just as powerful as Sun Titan, Grave Titan is another major fuel generator for your Nightmares, Pods, and Cabal Therapies.
That covers most of the known creatures in Nic-Fit. Throughout the life of this thread I hope this serves as a starting point to further discussion about ideal creature choices, including ones perhaps not popularly implemented yet.
Swords to Plowshares – Still the best spot-removal spell ever printed, and likely to stay that way. Helps greatly with early game threats. All we need to win is time.
Abrupt Decay - Now known as the best all around removal. Plowshares still edges on the creature removal basis - and being 1 CMC less - but Abrupt Decay has impacted the format quite a bit. Don't leave home without it.
Go For The Throat – If you need removal and aren’t splashing white, this is probably the 2nd least discriminatory one.
Innocent Blood - Additional "sacrifice" removal for you and your opponent. Great for decks not running white who want to pack extra removal. Bonus as it is yet another way to get Explorer into the Yard.
Sensei’s Divining Top – What hasn’t been said about this card? With all the shuffle effects this deck has, you will likely find something relevant to your game with Top. Run as little or as many as you want.
Sylvan Library – I prefer Library for being able to tutor it up with Academy Rector, and it essentially provides the same service as Top except that it only happens on your draw step.
Maelstrom Pulse – Broad removal for 3 mana. Great at killing your opponents tokens. Unlike Deed, which has the same casting cost, this can kill Plainswalkers.
Vindicate - One of the most elegant cards printed. If you prefer the ability to destroy land and don’t run any Wasteland yourself, try Vindicate over Pulse.
Liliana of the Veil – Likely the most relevant Plainswalker to run if you run any. She creates an environment of general havoc for your opponents, and offers you two ways to get creatures in your graveyard. The new Garruk is pretty cool in this deck and you can make Elspeth work as well, but for now it’s Liliana.
Phyrexian Tower - The one alternative-function land is here for good reason. Enables you to sac a creature at instant-speed. Great outlet to get Veteran Explorer in the yard early.
Unearth - This card is quietly making a comeback in certain Team America lists, and for good reason. We usually have enough suitable targets to consider this if you don't have a white-splash.
The #1 thing you want to avoid is having cards of yours exiled. Eternal Witness enables you to get anything back and can completely change your board position, so you want to keep cards in the yard. Be sure to use Cabal Therapy to rid your opponent's hand of cards like Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile, and be sure to dispose of any graveyard hate he may bring in on Game 2, being sure to minimize cards lost as much as possible. Usually having creatures countered or destroyed is not a problem.
Nic Fit is not a particularly easy deck to play, as you need to be extremely discerning on which creatures you tutor for when playing Zenith, Nightmare, and Pod. Eventually, once you are used to your deck's lineup you will gain a sense of when you use what. As long as you don't die within 4 turns, you stand an increasing chance to win the longer the game progresses.
A couple of big-winning lists in the last year:
4th out of 1121
2nd out of 247
My current list:
2 Academy Rector
1 Bone Shredder
1 Deathrite Shaman
2 Eternal Witness
1 Broodmate Dragon.
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Reveillark
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Sun Titan
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
3 Veteran Explorer
Artifact
2 Birthing Pod
2 Sensei's Divining Top
Enchantment
2 Pernicious Deed
1 Moat
1 Recurring Nightmare
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Abrupt Decay
Land
2 Bayou
2 Forest
2 Phyrexian Tower
2 Plains
1 Savannah
1 Taiga
1 Scrubland
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswepth Heath
Planeswalker
2 Liliana of the Veil
Sorcery
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Choke
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Garruk Relentless
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Duress
1 Abrupt Decay
Let the discussion for Nic Fit begin.
This deck is approved for Established subsection (12/19/2011) -Warden
Level 1 Judge
Currently Playing:
W Death and Taxes
BGR ScapeWish Nic Fit
BGR Punishing Nic Fit
I've found the speed varies. Sometimes you can get a big beastie out by turn 3 or 4, and sometimes you will need to wipe the board a few times before you start to establish a threat presence 10 turns into the game. Ghostly Prison is not necessary because having your blockers die is not a problem. In fact, you want creatures like Veteran Explorer to die when they block. Since your opponent will have their lands accelerated too and we have no methods of limiting his lands, Ghostly Prison is not a fit for this deck. If you really need to buy some turns because you took fast and early damage, that's why we have Kitchen Finks.
what about living wish and volrath's stronghold?
Ok, that makes sense
I wonder if it would be worth adding a Pattern of Rebirth/Progen to the deck as an alt wincon? Pattern might also be just worth having
EDIT: I can't see Wish being that great here... Its more expensive than GSZ, and there arn't that many lands we would care about tutoring for
Level 1 Judge
Currently Playing:
W Death and Taxes
BGR ScapeWish Nic Fit
BGR Punishing Nic Fit
I'm excited to hear more news
Casual
RGBeatz | BPauper MBC | 0Cheeri0s | BVampires
Competitive
RBurn | GWMaverick | WURPatriot | BWGJunkBlade | BPOX
What I really like about Nic Fit is that it uses mostly newer cards, with the duals as the oldest cards. Funny how the use of Veteran explorer punishes decks that don't use basics.
Modern Tallowisp Spirits - A Modern Tallowisp Deck UW
Eldrazi Ninjas - Summoning Octopus Jutsu YYYYAAAHHHH!
STANDARD
Naban Wizards
He is basically a lesser Thrun, and if you run full Rock - White/Black/Green - then he may only be a 3/3 when he comes in. Thrun has the added benefits of being uncounterable and can survive a Pernicious Deed wipe, so I don't see the added benefits, however efficient he may be as a beater. It's the same reason that a Nic Fit deck traditionally does not run Tarmogoyf. If all the card does is be a beater, it doesn't add anything to our gameplan that another body that also does something amazing - like Sun Titan - can't do. Remember: the idea for this deck is not to run efficient creatures for fear of having your manabase attacked early, just like Caleb's writeup said. I had early on tried to find Lord of Extinction a home in this deck, and while it is amusing to cast a 25/25 creature sometimes, you want the bodies you pick for your Nic Fit lineup to do something.
Personally, having played B/G originally, I'm now fully converted to the White-splash, if only for Sun Titan. He causes the most absurd card-chains to happen. I also see more benefit in 3 StP than 3 Hymns as the non-white versions tend to run. When I was without StP I found myself getting hit hard by certain decks early, and when I added it the problem seemed to go away. Hymn can also take care of this problem and can be a pseudo-win-con all by itself, but it still relies on chance and luck to show it's good side. I usually try to minimize chance out of the equation for deck building.
Quick question: If this deck wants to punish decks with little-to-no basics, why wouldn't we run Path to Exile over Swords to Plowshares? Giving them an additional land they probably don't have (especially after Veteran Explorer pops) seems much better than giving them life--or at least seems more congruent with the gameplan
BRRakdos, Lord of RiotsBR
That just looks like GB Rock with Veteran Explorer and GSZ. Is it really strong enough to compete in this legacy metagame?
GUB [Retired Primer] The Mimeoplasm BUG
Modern: UR Storm RU
Cube: WUBRG Pauper Cube GRBUW
Credit for the banner goes to DarkNightCavalier at Heroes of the Plane Studios
it sort of rips apart a lot of the top decks, i think thats a big reason why it does as well as it does.
it won 1st twice in a row on magic-league, though that might not mean anything
UWUW ControlUW
UGWSpiritsUGW
GHardened ScalesG
WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]
I hope it's for real, as I really like the look of a lot of the lists. GSZ is one of my favorite cards from the last couple years, and I always love a good rock deck.
GUB [Retired Primer] The Mimeoplasm BUG
Modern: UR Storm RU
Cube: WUBRG Pauper Cube GRBUW
Credit for the banner goes to DarkNightCavalier at Heroes of the Plane Studios
another card to consider is Unearth. So much fun to play and very versatile, especially with Eternal Witness, Finks and the other CMC 3 dudes.
Modern: BG eldrazi midrange
BWG Abzan value evolution
BUG BUG Midrange
Tiny Leaders: BW Athreos Zombies
Commander: BG Gitrog Monster
I like both of these ideas. For those who don't want to splash white for Sun Titan, Academy Rector, Reveillark, and Swords to Plowshares, these are some great alternatives to the open 5-8 slots you would have open as a result.
Overall huge fan of the deck though.
Currently Playing:
Retired