1) Courier is strongest against Control, Combo, or Big Mana. Go-Wide or Aggro can deal with easily, and it's pretty medium against Mid-Range, as they're generally willing to K-Command it or some such and not care. I liked Courier a lot when I was running more Call to the Netherworlds in my deck, because curving an Adept into a Courier, then popping the Courier after its Attack Trigger with a Call and a Delve guy in hand left me with 2 cards still in hand, and my opponent at 9 life (I stacked Madness triggers from Call and cycled a Street wraith multiple times with the triggers on the Stack). However, I felt it was really mediocre when I started to cut Calls, but I still didn't like the double Maindeck Brutality. Then someone in this Thread turned me on to Wargear, and Courier gained a new purpose.
2) I actually hate running all 14 discarders like the current "Standard Build" does. It feels a lot like Storm's Scherer Build, as I've spent too many games where I discarded my threats to BI or Lore, to only end up with more BI and Lore in hand. You just spend too many turns Durdling, the same as I've seen my buddy do with Scherer Storm casting Cantrips for 3 straight turns with no action. That's just not my style of play, so I don't go over 12 discard outlets in the first place. Admittedly, I can distinctly remember a few opening hands that would've been keepable with Lore instead of Gear, but I can also remember a few specific games where I just cast Lore into Lore for 3 turns before dying with no action happening at all. Pros and Cons, I guess!
3) I haven't tried the Souls Build; it definitely would've helped in my Affinity matchups and against Jund, but I feel like it would've been pretty evenly as useful against Control, and worse against Combo in comparison to Wargear. I also would hate to lose my singleton Call; a few of my openers have been keepable simply because you have Wraith, Wraith, Call, Hollow One, and I'd prefer that kind of synergy with the Bomat build over a Souls Build, I think.
4) I feel like it's worth the hit, personally. I really appreciate the reach sometimes, but I like to interact a bit more if I can, as well, so having that extra bit of removal feels better to me. However, this may just be because my local meta's always been filled with go-wide and tribal decks, so I'm probably biased there!
With all the hype in standart, what do you think off goblin chainwhirler as a sideboardcard in the RB version angianst go wide strategies?
Against Affinity, Souls is better because it blocks manlands. Against Humans, Elves, Company, etc., 1 damage isn't enough to clear the board. You really need 3, which is why I prefer Sweltering Suns as my go-wide solution.
Interesting and nice to see Hollow One take 1st place in Regionals this past weekend, up in New Jersey. After Hollow One put itself on the map, getting some nice finishes, and maybe even a 1st or two, decks like Humans and others seemed to have placed better this spring. So, a nice first place, using a pretty "standard list," but opting to go 1 Fatal Push, 1 Brutality instead of the usual 2 Brutality. Nice.
I would say stubborn Denial is the best card for temur. Izzet charm is interesting and worth a shot. Vexing devil is the odd card that I don't agree with. I feel like it's banking too much on the Vengevine plan.
I will say once again that Mandrills is so great. I love it so much more than Gurmag Angler. Coming down for 1 less and also packing trample is so awesome.
Regarding the bad match ups - I feel burn is hard to win but I have a burn friend and he hates playing against Hollow. He says the match up is favored for HO but I disagree. Affinity is decent, elves and humans are hard for me. I think i will switch my 2 flex slots to main board Ghor-clan Rampager. This card is great against so many decks.
What's the consensus on Slagstorm vs. Sweltering Suns? Slagstorm gives reach if you don't need the sweeper but do need to close the game. Between Slagstorm, Bolt, and Brutality, you can easily average an extra 6-8 damage per game off just these spells, not counting their removal modes. Suns doesn't go to the dome, but you can bin it away if it's not the card you need at the time. This lets you dig a little deeper to find a more relevant answer. It also randomly enables H1 and can pump Adepts.
Personally, I'm leaning towards Slagstorm because the card I would most likely be digging for in a matchup where I bring in sweepers is the sweeper itself. If so, why cycle it in the first place? At least with Slagstorm, the flexibility comes in a defined role switch (from control-the-board mode to racing mode), which is more controllable and probably more relevant. Where are you all at?
I like Flamebreak because it does both sides of Slagstorm and stops elves from regenerating. It's not as good against Affinity (Skirge, Thopter) or against Humans (Kitesail, Mantis Rider)... Although I haven't tested any of these in my sideboard, just speculating here. I currently have 3x Lightning Axe but maybe I'll switch to 2/1 split of Axe/Flamebreak.
-EDIT-
I really like the idea of Temur Ascendancy in the sideboard against decks that want to grind you out. While I still haven't tested any Temur builds I'm reall enjoying the debate you guys have going because its giving me ideas for when I start brewing my own list. I'm sticking with GR for the upcoming GP but afterwards I'll be testing some of the ideas.
What's the current line of thinking re: Goblin Guide? I know that there were lists running Guide in a lot of the early versions -- what contributed to him getting the axe over cards like Bushwacker?
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Contrary to popular opinion, I don't do anything for the fun of it.
Interesting side by side performamce this weekend on MTGO and at the GP. Sigrist went straight Jund with no Souls and 2 MD Brutality. Warren Smith of the FB group went 12-3 with Lavaman, Brutality, and Warhead. The Challenge winner had 3 MD Souls in a 4C build. How are people deciding between these flex slots? What metagame factors influence your choice about which to go with?
Also, it looks like all the best performing lists this weekend ran Leyline, so I think that's the final performance indicator I needed to just go 3-4 in the SB and call it a closed issue. Same with Push and TS.
Still at a loss on why you'd ever go Jund when Rakdos Charm gives you a fighting chance against Humans, as well as doing most of what Leyline and Grudge do, while taking up significantly less slots than all of those things take up in the SB.
In other news, KCI and other combo and Big Mana decks made me question why I'd never considered running a singleton Surgical Extraction in my SB. Then I realized Burning Inquiry has a chance to force them to put their most important pieces into the 'Yard, setting it up nicely at the end of their Draw step, and now I'm absolutely going to fit one into my Side.
Raphaël Lévy has a new article and video up at TCG with a Vengevine/Lotleth Troll build that looks pretty good, might be worth a look. It's got me convinced.
Raphaël Lévy has a new article and video up at TCG with a Vengevine/Lotleth Troll build that looks pretty good, might be worth a look. It's got me convinced.
I haven't been digging the BR deck too much lately, personally, so it'll be fun to give a new version a whirl.
I like the idea but can't see this being better than the BR version. Sigrist went 12-3 with the list, as did Warren Smith on the FB page (he's a H1 diehard). The lack of interaction makes me nervous in this format; even so-called all-in combo decks are packing it. See KCI with EE and Pyrite. Or Storm with more Remand/Repeal/Unsub in the main. All of this points me back towards the 4 Bolt and 1-2 Brutality in the main plus the Hymn-esque effect of Inquiry. But the new build does look fun!
Personally, I need to jam some Wargear on MTGO and see how it works. I think Wargear is better suited to a metagame where you would want Souls instead of Brutality, and I'm still not sure about when you want Souls vs. Brutality anyway in a metagame setting. Anyone have insights on that?
Dangit, KTK, don't get me thinking about adding Souls in with my Wargear, that's just sick! I've got an extra slot in the deck since I finally cut Call to the Netherworld and everything, geeze...
Personally, I'd run the Souls AND Brutality at a 1/1 split, with one or two more of each in the SB. You just generally get to see so much of your deck with H1 that if a game goes long, you'll probably find that Souls eventually.
Are we talking about Grafted Wargear?? Because if so that is some spicy tech that I've got to get my hands on.
I played in the GP last weekend and got rocked with an Inquiry/Lore version of Hollow Vine. Those cards are better suited for the hellbent style deck that is RB H1. Vengevine needs to be played with more precision and purpose. I changed the deck and ended up doing fairly well in the 3 side events that I participated in.
M1 G1 vs Elves (gb)
win, we both mulliganed, he went first and kept a fair hand, slow start for him, I played slow as well t1 Adept then building up my Gy t2 looking for a H1 or Fish. He built up elf army but I spent T3-4 killing off threats and finding threats from randomness. T5-6 he dies.
win G2 he mulls to 3 cards. I keep. GG
M2 G1 vs mono Green stompy
lose, he out develops me and gets larger and more aggressive.
lose, g2, I Sb in more kill spells take out 1 fish, 1 G Lore, ect
He goes big and redundant. kills me with trample.
both games were quick t4.
M3 vs Storm (gifts)
G1 lose, he storms off T4
G2 win, sb in 2 collected brutality, 2 Push, 2 GY hate, 1 Lava Mnacer Out: 2 fish, g Lore, other stuff.
I play first gain some small hand fixing t2, t3 bolt his eletromancer, t4 he plays new Karn, I kill Karn then exile his GY setting him back, I unload big guys and swing for the kill next turn.
G3 win, Lavamancer worked hard, as did tasiger, he spent his turn delaying my advance which is just like time walking him as I can play with less mana gaining phonixes and ghasts, and dropping 2 H1. He does not draw/find enough relevant cards to keep him in the game.
My deck list is a bit standard RB list Ill post it later.
I am having trouble with the mono green stompy deck and Eldrazi stompy in my meta. Any advice on these? These decks give me problems in genral regardless of the deck I am playing. So maybe y statagies against them are flawed.
When I play vs them I try to race them on damage, and I SB in more kill spells/ board wipe. What are other people doing verses this archtypee?
SB options in RG HOLLOWVINE for Living End? I have Relic of Progenitus in my deck currently but was underwhelmed in the games I played. My list is similar to GodOfFunerals except with MB Lavaman.
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Contrary to popular opinion, I don't do anything for the fun of it.
I took this to an IQ and got to the semi finals, losing to infect in Swiss and tron in semi. My only 2 losses for the day were the two finalists, deck is real strong.
I've played with Noose Constrictor which seems great on paper but it's not that great in reality: what usually happens is that you discard your big guys with the snake to get them back from their Living End and then they remove those with Faerie Macabre. The best way to deal with it is exiling their whole graveyard, we have 4 options for this: Tormod's Crypt Nihil Spellbomb Ravenous Trap Leyline of the Void
I've played with all of those and I believe Leyline is the way to go although Tormod is quite good as well since it doesn't cost you a single mana, Ravenous is a card I love but is the more niche of them all so not really that great unless you expect a lot of storm (they can't do anything about it while the can bounce your permanents).
It's more a preference thing but I would say Tormod and Leyline are the best options
OK, so I love Raph's Jund Hollow Vine list from TCGplayer, but there are a few things I plan to change about it for my own deck.
Firstly, I agree that the fastlands are less good here and I would much prefer to have 5c lands such as City, Confluence or gemstone.
Secondly, I think that Scourge Devil is a super loose include in the deck and doesn't really do enough to justify its mana cost (both front end and unearth). The deck has 12 creatures that can return a Amalgam more efficiently, so I think it is by far the worst card in the deck. The reason I am posting here is because I have multiple options to replace these 2 slots and I want to hear your thoughts. In no particular order, they are:
Ghor-Clan Rampager
Pros - Allows our larger creatures to punch through trample damage, can trade for a blocking Tarmogoyf and generally further supports the all in approach of the deck.
Cons - Bloodrush ability costing two mana does not support early Hollow One casts very well.
Dismember
Pros - Kills almost everything for one mana.
Cons - No other synergy with the deck.
Gurmag Angler
Pros - 1 mana 5/5...
Cons - most of the deck is made up of recursive creatures, would feel real bad to have to delve away Vengevines.
Cathartic Reunion
Pros - Discard outlet, draw machine, general gas.
Cons - One of the worst cards to play into a counterspell in the format.
Simean Spirit Guide
Pros - Helps cast early creatures/ chain creatures to trigger vengevine
Cons - Doesn't interact with anything and backup mode of a 3 mana 2/2 is laaaame.
2) I actually hate running all 14 discarders like the current "Standard Build" does. It feels a lot like Storm's Scherer Build, as I've spent too many games where I discarded my threats to BI or Lore, to only end up with more BI and Lore in hand. You just spend too many turns Durdling, the same as I've seen my buddy do with Scherer Storm casting Cantrips for 3 straight turns with no action. That's just not my style of play, so I don't go over 12 discard outlets in the first place. Admittedly, I can distinctly remember a few opening hands that would've been keepable with Lore instead of Gear, but I can also remember a few specific games where I just cast Lore into Lore for 3 turns before dying with no action happening at all. Pros and Cons, I guess!
3) I haven't tried the Souls Build; it definitely would've helped in my Affinity matchups and against Jund, but I feel like it would've been pretty evenly as useful against Control, and worse against Combo in comparison to Wargear. I also would hate to lose my singleton Call; a few of my openers have been keepable simply because you have Wraith, Wraith, Call, Hollow One, and I'd prefer that kind of synergy with the Bomat build over a Souls Build, I think.
4) I feel like it's worth the hit, personally. I really appreciate the reach sometimes, but I like to interact a bit more if I can, as well, so having that extra bit of removal feels better to me. However, this may just be because my local meta's always been filled with go-wide and tribal decks, so I'm probably biased there!
Against Affinity, Souls is better because it blocks manlands. Against Humans, Elves, Company, etc., 1 damage isn't enough to clear the board. You really need 3, which is why I prefer Sweltering Suns as my go-wide solution.
I will say once again that Mandrills is so great. I love it so much more than Gurmag Angler. Coming down for 1 less and also packing trample is so awesome.
Regarding the bad match ups - I feel burn is hard to win but I have a burn friend and he hates playing against Hollow. He says the match up is favored for HO but I disagree. Affinity is decent, elves and humans are hard for me. I think i will switch my 2 flex slots to main board Ghor-clan Rampager. This card is great against so many decks.
Draft My Cube!
Personally, I'm leaning towards Slagstorm because the card I would most likely be digging for in a matchup where I bring in sweepers is the sweeper itself. If so, why cycle it in the first place? At least with Slagstorm, the flexibility comes in a defined role switch (from control-the-board mode to racing mode), which is more controllable and probably more relevant. Where are you all at?
-EDIT-
I really like the idea of Temur Ascendancy in the sideboard against decks that want to grind you out. While I still haven't tested any Temur builds I'm reall enjoying the debate you guys have going because its giving me ideas for when I start brewing my own list. I'm sticking with GR for the upcoming GP but afterwards I'll be testing some of the ideas.
Draft My Cube!
Go Pelakka Wurm!
Also, it looks like all the best performing lists this weekend ran Leyline, so I think that's the final performance indicator I needed to just go 3-4 in the SB and call it a closed issue. Same with Push and TS.
In other news, KCI and other combo and Big Mana decks made me question why I'd never considered running a singleton Surgical Extraction in my SB. Then I realized Burning Inquiry has a chance to force them to put their most important pieces into the 'Yard, setting it up nicely at the end of their Draw step, and now I'm absolutely going to fit one into my Side.
http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=14699&writer=Raphael+Levy&articledate=6-19-2018
I haven't been digging the BR deck too much lately, personally, so it'll be fun to give a new version a whirl.
Go Pelakka Wurm!
I like the idea but can't see this being better than the BR version. Sigrist went 12-3 with the list, as did Warren Smith on the FB page (he's a H1 diehard). The lack of interaction makes me nervous in this format; even so-called all-in combo decks are packing it. See KCI with EE and Pyrite. Or Storm with more Remand/Repeal/Unsub in the main. All of this points me back towards the 4 Bolt and 1-2 Brutality in the main plus the Hymn-esque effect of Inquiry. But the new build does look fun!
Personally, I need to jam some Wargear on MTGO and see how it works. I think Wargear is better suited to a metagame where you would want Souls instead of Brutality, and I'm still not sure about when you want Souls vs. Brutality anyway in a metagame setting. Anyone have insights on that?
Personally, I'd run the Souls AND Brutality at a 1/1 split, with one or two more of each in the SB. You just generally get to see so much of your deck with H1 that if a game goes long, you'll probably find that Souls eventually.
I played in the GP last weekend and got rocked with an Inquiry/Lore version of Hollow Vine. Those cards are better suited for the hellbent style deck that is RB H1. Vengevine needs to be played with more precision and purpose. I changed the deck and ended up doing fairly well in the 3 side events that I participated in.
4 Hollow One
4 Vengevine
4 Street Wraith
3 Hooting Mandrills
3 Flamewake Phoenix
4 Insolent Neonate
4 Flameblade Adept
4 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Ghor-clan rampager
4 Faithless Looting
4 Lightning bolt
3 Blood Moon
Lands (18):
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Stomping Ground
1 Blood Crypt
4 Mountain
1 Forest
3 Collective Brutality
2 Gnaw to the Bone
2 Grim Lavamancer
2 Destructive Revelry
1 Flamebreak
3 Ancient Grudge
1 Ghor-clan rampager
1 Lightning Axe
Draft My Cube!
M1 G1 vs Elves (gb)
win, we both mulliganed, he went first and kept a fair hand, slow start for him, I played slow as well t1 Adept then building up my Gy t2 looking for a H1 or Fish. He built up elf army but I spent T3-4 killing off threats and finding threats from randomness. T5-6 he dies.
win G2 he mulls to 3 cards. I keep. GG
M2 G1 vs mono Green stompy
lose, he out develops me and gets larger and more aggressive.
lose, g2, I Sb in more kill spells take out 1 fish, 1 G Lore, ect
He goes big and redundant. kills me with trample.
both games were quick t4.
M3 vs Storm (gifts)
G1 lose, he storms off T4
G2 win, sb in 2 collected brutality, 2 Push, 2 GY hate, 1 Lava Mnacer Out: 2 fish, g Lore, other stuff.
I play first gain some small hand fixing t2, t3 bolt his eletromancer, t4 he plays new Karn, I kill Karn then exile his GY setting him back, I unload big guys and swing for the kill next turn.
G3 win, Lavamancer worked hard, as did tasiger, he spent his turn delaying my advance which is just like time walking him as I can play with less mana gaining phonixes and ghasts, and dropping 2 H1. He does not draw/find enough relevant cards to keep him in the game.
My deck list is a bit standard RB list Ill post it later.
I am having trouble with the mono green stompy deck and Eldrazi stompy in my meta. Any advice on these? These decks give me problems in genral regardless of the deck I am playing. So maybe y statagies against them are flawed.
When I play vs them I try to race them on damage, and I SB in more kill spells/ board wipe. What are other people doing verses this archtypee?
Thanks.
Go Pelakka Wurm!
Tormod's Crypt
Nihil Spellbomb
Ravenous Trap
Leyline of the Void
I've played with all of those and I believe Leyline is the way to go although Tormod is quite good as well since it doesn't cost you a single mana, Ravenous is a card I love but is the more niche of them all so not really that great unless you expect a lot of storm (they can't do anything about it while the can bounce your permanents).
It's more a preference thing but I would say Tormod and Leyline are the best options
Go Pelakka Wurm!
Firstly, I agree that the fastlands are less good here and I would much prefer to have 5c lands such as City, Confluence or gemstone.
Secondly, I think that Scourge Devil is a super loose include in the deck and doesn't really do enough to justify its mana cost (both front end and unearth). The deck has 12 creatures that can return a Amalgam more efficiently, so I think it is by far the worst card in the deck. The reason I am posting here is because I have multiple options to replace these 2 slots and I want to hear your thoughts. In no particular order, they are:
Ghor-Clan Rampager
Pros - Allows our larger creatures to punch through trample damage, can trade for a blocking Tarmogoyf and generally further supports the all in approach of the deck.
Cons - Bloodrush ability costing two mana does not support early Hollow One casts very well.
Collective Brutality
Pros - Acts as a discard outlet, snipes out cards like Anger of the Gods/ Settle the Wreckage, all modes are generally useful.
Cons - -2/-2 only clears small blockers and not larger problem creatures.
Dismember
Pros - Kills almost everything for one mana.
Cons - No other synergy with the deck.
Gurmag Angler
Pros - 1 mana 5/5...
Cons - most of the deck is made up of recursive creatures, would feel real bad to have to delve away Vengevines.
Cathartic Reunion
Pros - Discard outlet, draw machine, general gas.
Cons - One of the worst cards to play into a counterspell in the format.
Simean Spirit Guide
Pros - Helps cast early creatures/ chain creatures to trigger vengevine
Cons - Doesn't interact with anything and backup mode of a 3 mana 2/2 is laaaame.
What do you guys think?