Color analysis
Black: solid removal, couple of playable creatures
Green: solid creatures, bomb hydra
Blue: bomb tricks, serpents are fine but not many other worthwhile creatures, couple of control/tempo cards
Red: nothing really interesting
White: Some good cards but it has no late game / evasion
I hesitate between 3 builds and I'd like to get some feedback on what would be the best:
UB: I like this build a lot because it has a lot of interactivity and the serpents give me some good finishing moves. I can also play Confiscation Coup and Saheeli's Artistry which can be amazing depending on the matchup. I can even splash white for Restoration Gearsmith + Revoke Privileges by using the fastland + Aether Hub. It feels bad to leave the good green creatures behind though.
UG: Energy theme could work well but its very low on interactivity as I lose all of the black removal. I feel compelled to splash for Revoke Privileges.
I'm a big proponent of sealed being largely based on playing your bombs, and your UG build has the most amount of bombs. I don't think the two removal spells in black make up for the terrible creaturebase, so I would suggest your UG build - Revolutionary Rebuff + Aether Tradewinds, which is more consistent than the counter and gives you some additional interaction. I also like fitting the wild wanderer in there to help with the splash, perhaps in place of a land since you have the Attune with the Aether has a pseudo land?
I'm of the opposite school of thought. I've won a lot of Sealed events playing with my most synergistic and flexible cards rather than forcing my bombs. A lot of players see Sealed as being all about bombs, but that can introduce unnecessary variance unless the bombs have strong support. Especially in formats like this that favor the attacker, if I can see good aggro support in the commons, I'll build that over playing bombs.
Those blue and green rares are very powerful cards, and green has good creatures, but having only Hunt the Weak as removal scares me. There's not even artifact removal! If you don't draw your bombs and opponent draws his bombs, you probably lose. Or if opponent rushes you out, how do you answer? There's a lot of high-cost blue stuff you may never get to play. I don't like going into a game with those odds.
On the other hand, all your removal is in white and black, and you have 2 Inspired Charge and multiple Servo generators.
This is a basic go-wide strategy. Play a lot of cheap bodies and tokens. Push through damage with combat tricks and Inspired Charge. Solve problems with removal. You might even be able to live the dream of Gearshift Ace + Renegade Freighter.
Yes, 15 lands. A whopping EIGHT 2-drop bodies and the curve tops at 4. And lands are awful in this format.
Maybe +1 land -1 card? My last cut was the 16th land, and it was between that, Tidy Conclusion, and one of the combat tricks. Going below 14 creatures seems bad. Tidy Conclusion is the biggest tempo suck, but it's also your best out if you stumble or opponent hits a bomb. I like having it available, but maybe it just threatens your game 1 consistency. The combat tricks are strong and essential to this sort of strategy. If I was actually in the event I would deliberate more over this decision.
Sideboard accordingly. Bring in equipment and/or Pressure Point to help push through bigger blockers. Bring in Restoration Gearsmith and Ninth Bridge Patrol against heavy removal. Bring in Self-Assembler + lands if you need bigger bodies. Adjust to whatever you need to keep piling on the pressure.
I'd be a lot more tempted to try blue if:
a) the Black pool had more midrangey creatures
or b) Green had Appetite for the Unnatural and more pressure (e.g. another Thriving Rhino)
If you do play blue, be ready to board in the 2nd Select for Inspection against fast decks. And I agree with replacing Rebuff with something with more board interaction.
I like your take on it FTW1987, thanks for the tip. Am I correct when I say that the same problem you described with the bombs can happen if I don't draw an Inspired Charge with that BW "go wide" deck? I am also a bit scared of losing to Make Obsolete and that red spell that does 3 to all creatures.
@NorthenPolarity: appreciate your comment, thanks a lot! I'll probably playtest the UG build before the league starts without the counterspell. I'm a bit scarred about the low ammount of removal though.
I like your take on it FTW1987, thanks for the tip. Am I correct when I say that the same problem you described with the bombs can happen if I don't draw an Inspired Charge with that BW "go wide" deck?
Not at all. This deck has a ton of removal. If opponent draws a bomb before you draw Charge, you have a good chance of killing it. In bombs.dec without removal, if opponent draws a bomb before you draw a bomb, you probably lose.
Also, it depends on how good an aggro player you are. Inspired Charge does a lot of work, but it isn't essential. The creatures can push through damage on their own. I've run decks like this before with 2 copies of Charge-type effects and been happy with that consistency. The big difference with aggro is that, unlike bombs.dec, you're probably attacking most of the game. So even if you don't draw Charge, by the point that you'd expect it opponent is probably at 8-12 life, and you can grind out the remaining damage with combat tricks, well-timed removal, strategic attacks, and bluffs. Syndicate Trafficker and Fretwork Colony can both grow into significant threats. Renegade Freighter can win games on its own, especially backed by Gearshift Ace. There are several creatures with evasion and several combat tricks. It's not like you're just playing 22 1/1s and 2 Inspired Charge.
On the other hand, with bombs.dec in a fast format, you might be trying to stabilize instead of attacking. So by the time you'd expect to curve out your bomb, opponent might still be at 15-20 life. That means if you don't draw your bomb, you have that much more work ahead of you. Those decks tend to depend on their bombs a lot more to both stabilize against attacks and deal all that damage. When you're depending on those cards to carry such a huge role, there's going to be higher variance. If you had a very strong UG pool outside of your bombs, it'd be different, but you don't.
Also, 2 of your "bombs" (Confiscation Coup and Saheeli's Artistry) are contingent on board state. You can't topdeck them to win on an empty board. Or you might have no juicy targets. You could be stealing/copying 2/2s. They're higher variance than a traditional bomb like a 5/5 dragon.
Without Charge, gameplay decisions do matter a lot more, so it depends on how comfortable you are piloting aggro. If you're not, go for the blue deck.
I am also a bit scared of losing to Make Obsolete and that red spell that does 3 to all creatures.
Those are uncommons and only in 2 colors. Many decks have no access to them, and many decks in those colors still won't have them in their pool. If you happen to see one in game 1, just sideboard accordingly and play around it in game 2 (Fabricate has 2 modes).
From these questions, it sounds more like you are uncomfortable playing aggro in general than with aggro in this particular pool. In that case, just play the blue deck that you'd be more comfortable with.
You don't have high artifact or Artificer count in your deck. Not enough consistent energy generation for it to be worth it. It seems very durdly. You need heavy defense to have the time for it.
Thanks again for your help. I will give it a shot. I reviewed the pool and I have 2 Built to Last not one. Should I find a spot for it maybe over die young?
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I need help deciding on which colors I should play from this pool.
1x Dhund Operative
1x Diabolic Tutor
1x Die Young
1x Dukhara Scavenger
1x Essence Extraction
1x Fortuitous Find
1x Fretwork Colony
1x Live Fast
1x Maulfist Squad
1x Mind Rot
1x Rush of Vitality
1x Subtle Strike
1x Syndicate Trafficker
1x Thriving Rats
1x Tidy Conclusion
1x Weaponcraft Enthusiast
Red
2x Hijack
1x Maulfist Doorbuster
2x Renegade Tactics
1x Spontaneous Artist
2x Thriving Grubs
1x Wayward Giant
Green
1x Attune with Aether
1x Bristling Hydra
1x Cowl Prowler
1x Highspire Artisan
1x Hunt the Weak
1x Larger Than Life
1x Longtusk Cub
1x Ornamental Courage
1x Peema Outrider
1x Sage of Shaila's Claim
1x Thriving Rhino
1x Wild Wanderer
1x Wildest Dreams
1x Woodweaver's Puzzleknot
1x Built to Last
1x Consul's Shieldguard
1x Gearshift Ace
1x Glint-Sleeve Artisan
2x Inspired Charge
1x Ninth Bridge Patrol
1x Pressure Point
1x Propeller Pioneer
1x Revoke Privileges
1x Servo Exhibition
1x Tasseled Dromedary
Blue
2x AEther Tradewinds
1x Confiscation Coup
1x Era of Innovation
2x Gearseeker Serpent
1x Glassblower's Puzzleknot
1x Glint-Nest Crane
1x Minister of Inquiries
1x Revolutionary Rebuff
1x Saheeli's Artistry
2x Select for Inspection
1x Vedalken Blademaster
1x Wind Drake
2x Fireforger's Puzzleknot
1x Foundry Inspector
1x Inventor's Goggles
1x Iron League Steed
2x Narnam Cobra
1x Renegade Freighter
2x Self-Assembler
1x Sky Skiff
1x Torch Gauntlet
Land
1x Aether Hub
1x Concealed Courtyard
Color analysis
Black: solid removal, couple of playable creatures
Green: solid creatures, bomb hydra
Blue: bomb tricks, serpents are fine but not many other worthwhile creatures, couple of control/tempo cards
Red: nothing really interesting
White: Some good cards but it has no late game / evasion
I hesitate between 3 builds and I'd like to get some feedback on what would be the best:
UB: I like this build a lot because it has a lot of interactivity and the serpents give me some good finishing moves. I can also play Confiscation Coup and Saheeli's Artistry which can be amazing depending on the matchup. I can even splash white for Restoration Gearsmith + Revoke Privileges by using the fastland + Aether Hub. It feels bad to leave the good green creatures behind though.
1 Dhund Operative
1 Die Young
1 Essence Extraction
1 Foundry Inspector
1 Glassblower's Puzzleknot
1 Glint-Nest Crane
1 Iron League Steed
1 Maulfist Squad
1 Renegade Freighter
1 Saheeli's Artistry
2 Self-Assembler
1 Subtle Strike
1 Syndicate Trafficker
1 Thriving Rats
1 Tidy Conclusion
1 Vedalken Blademaster
1 Weaponcraft Enthusiast
1 Wind Drake
1 Aether Hub
2 Gearseeker Serpent
1 Era of Innovation
8 Swamp
8 Island
UG: Energy theme could work well but its very low on interactivity as I lose all of the black removal. I feel compelled to splash for Revoke Privileges.
1 Bristling Hydra
1 Confiscation Coup
1 Foundry Inspector
2 Gearseeker Serpent
1 Glint-Nest Crane
1 Hunt the Weak
1 Iron League Steed
1 Longtusk Cub
2 Narnam Cobra
1 Peema Outrider
1 Renegade Freighter
1 Revolutionary Rebuff
1 Sage of Shaila's Claim
1 Select for Inspection
2 Self-Assembler
1 Thriving Rhino
1 Wind Drake
1 Aether Hub
1 Saheeli's Artistry
1 Revoke Privileges
8 Forest
7 Island
1 Plains
GB: Solid creature base but I'm lacking some finishers. Good interactivity but if I don't curve out I feel like I could be in trouble
1 Bristling Hydra
1 Concealed Courtyard
1 Dhund Operative
1 Die Young
1 Essence Extraction
1 Foundry Inspector
1 Hunt the Weak
1 Iron League Steed
1 Live Fast
1 Longtusk Cub
1 Maulfist Squad
2 Narnam Cobra
1 Peema Outrider
1 Renegade Freighter
1 Restoration Gearsmith
1 Revoke Privileges
1 Sage of Shaila's Claim
2 Self-Assembler
1 Subtle Strike
1 Syndicate Trafficker
1 Tidy Conclusion
1 Aether Hub
1 Thriving Rhino
8 Forest
6 Swamp
Side note: is era of innovation playable in any of these builds? It seems kind of slow.
I hope you guys can help me, I'm confused.
Those blue and green rares are very powerful cards, and green has good creatures, but having only Hunt the Weak as removal scares me. There's not even artifact removal! If you don't draw your bombs and opponent draws his bombs, you probably lose. Or if opponent rushes you out, how do you answer? There's a lot of high-cost blue stuff you may never get to play. I don't like going into a game with those odds.
On the other hand, all your removal is in white and black, and you have 2 Inspired Charge and multiple Servo generators.
1 Narnam Cobra
1 Gearshift Ace
1 Servo Exhibition
1 Dhund Operative
1 Fretwork Colony
1 Syndicate Trafficker
1 Thriving Rats
1 Weaponcraft Enthusiast
1 Foundry Inspector
1 Glint-Sleeve Artisan
1 Propeller Pioneer
1 Maulfist Squad
1 Consul's Shieldguard
1 Iron League Steed
1 Sky Skiff
1 Renegade Freighter
//Spells: 9
1 Built to Last
1 Rush of Vitality
1 Subtle Strike
1 Die Young
1 Essence Extraction
1 Revoke Privilege
2 Inspired Charge
1 Tidy Conclusion
//Lands: 15
1 Concealed Courtyard
7 Plains
7 Swamp
1 Inventor's Goggles
1 Torch Gauntlet
1 Ninth Bridge Patrol
1 Restoration Gearsmith
1 Fortuitous Find
1 Pressure Point
2 Self-Assembler
1 Swamp
1 Aether Hub
Mana Curve:
1 - s
2 - cccccccvsss
3 - cccvss
4 - ccccss
5 - s
Removal: 4 (+ combat tricks)
Servo Token makers: 6
This is a basic go-wide strategy. Play a lot of cheap bodies and tokens. Push through damage with combat tricks and Inspired Charge. Solve problems with removal. You might even be able to live the dream of Gearshift Ace + Renegade Freighter.
Yes, 15 lands. A whopping EIGHT 2-drop bodies and the curve tops at 4. And lands are awful in this format.
Maybe +1 land -1 card? My last cut was the 16th land, and it was between that, Tidy Conclusion, and one of the combat tricks. Going below 14 creatures seems bad. Tidy Conclusion is the biggest tempo suck, but it's also your best out if you stumble or opponent hits a bomb. I like having it available, but maybe it just threatens your game 1 consistency. The combat tricks are strong and essential to this sort of strategy. If I was actually in the event I would deliberate more over this decision.
Sideboard accordingly. Bring in equipment and/or Pressure Point to help push through bigger blockers. Bring in Restoration Gearsmith and Ninth Bridge Patrol against heavy removal. Bring in Self-Assembler + lands if you need bigger bodies. Adjust to whatever you need to keep piling on the pressure.
I'd be a lot more tempted to try blue if:
a) the Black pool had more midrangey creatures
or b) Green had Appetite for the Unnatural and more pressure (e.g. another Thriving Rhino)
If you do play blue, be ready to board in the 2nd Select for Inspection against fast decks. And I agree with replacing Rebuff with something with more board interaction.
@NorthenPolarity: appreciate your comment, thanks a lot! I'll probably playtest the UG build before the league starts without the counterspell. I'm a bit scarred about the low ammount of removal though.
What's you guys' opinion on Era of Innovation?
Not at all. This deck has a ton of removal. If opponent draws a bomb before you draw Charge, you have a good chance of killing it. In bombs.dec without removal, if opponent draws a bomb before you draw a bomb, you probably lose.
Also, it depends on how good an aggro player you are. Inspired Charge does a lot of work, but it isn't essential. The creatures can push through damage on their own. I've run decks like this before with 2 copies of Charge-type effects and been happy with that consistency. The big difference with aggro is that, unlike bombs.dec, you're probably attacking most of the game. So even if you don't draw Charge, by the point that you'd expect it opponent is probably at 8-12 life, and you can grind out the remaining damage with combat tricks, well-timed removal, strategic attacks, and bluffs. Syndicate Trafficker and Fretwork Colony can both grow into significant threats. Renegade Freighter can win games on its own, especially backed by Gearshift Ace. There are several creatures with evasion and several combat tricks. It's not like you're just playing 22 1/1s and 2 Inspired Charge.
On the other hand, with bombs.dec in a fast format, you might be trying to stabilize instead of attacking. So by the time you'd expect to curve out your bomb, opponent might still be at 15-20 life. That means if you don't draw your bomb, you have that much more work ahead of you. Those decks tend to depend on their bombs a lot more to both stabilize against attacks and deal all that damage. When you're depending on those cards to carry such a huge role, there's going to be higher variance. If you had a very strong UG pool outside of your bombs, it'd be different, but you don't.
Also, 2 of your "bombs" (Confiscation Coup and Saheeli's Artistry) are contingent on board state. You can't topdeck them to win on an empty board. Or you might have no juicy targets. You could be stealing/copying 2/2s. They're higher variance than a traditional bomb like a 5/5 dragon.
Without Charge, gameplay decisions do matter a lot more, so it depends on how comfortable you are piloting aggro. If you're not, go for the blue deck.
Those are uncommons and only in 2 colors. Many decks have no access to them, and many decks in those colors still won't have them in their pool. If you happen to see one in game 1, just sideboard accordingly and play around it in game 2 (Fabricate has 2 modes).
From these questions, it sounds more like you are uncomfortable playing aggro in general than with aggro in this particular pool. In that case, just play the blue deck that you'd be more comfortable with.
You don't have high artifact or Artificer count in your deck. Not enough consistent energy generation for it to be worth it. It seems very durdly. You need heavy defense to have the time for it.