Good to see other people keeping it alive, I will also share my recent results with the current iteraction of the deck.
I'm playing this deck since GP São Paulo last month. My GP list was greatly influenced by thoughts shared in this thread, so first of all I would like to thank everyone that put an effort on it. I had this deck built as a second option for some months but was mainly playing Abzan, as the GP meta had a heavy presence of Eldrazi Tron, I considered changing my choice after playing some trials on the friday of the GP. The good results that I got with this deck in the trials made me stick with it for the main event. After leaving the GP with a record of 5-3-1 due to a relative inexperience with the deck, I felt it was very well positioned for the local meta, so I made small changes in the intention to grind through the PPTQ season.
This is the current iteraction that I'm playing and is what I played in the two tournaments that I reported below. I know it's a 61 card list and that's ugly, but I wanted to try some different things and was very uncertain about the amount of lands in the deck.
Last weekend I played a 29-man PPTQ, in which I lost in the finals after finishing 4-1 and getting 1st in the swiss portion of the event.
This thursday was a national holiday here in Brazil, so 66 people attended to a PPTQ that was tought to be a 25-ish people one. After 7 exhausting rounds I finished in 16th place (4-3 record) losing the win-and-in match for the last spot in the top8.
PPTQ #1 (details about some of my match have already gone away of my mind, so it will be a kind of summary) Round 1: Grixis Shadow
G1 he had no early cratures and spent life agressively trying to draw cards, I had enought early game pressure and disruption.
G2 he cast an early Gurmag Angler who hit me once, but was neutrallized by Mirran Crusader T3, turn 4 I noticed he was goin low on life trying to find another big creature so I decided to race him with crusader, he took the damage, but then I recklessly cast another Mirran Crusader instead of Lingering Souls and he responded with an EoT Kozilek's Return wiping my board. He hit again with gurmag leaving me at 10. I cast lingering souls and flashback it, he decides to stop attacking me, so I start applying pressure in the air and cast an 3-cmc Eldrazi (probably matter reshaper) he has one card in hand and I take the damage from the gurmag hit (forgetting that he could have a TBR), as he doesn't have TBR to punish me, the following turn the tokens finish him in the air.
(2-0)/ 1-0
Round 2: Bant Retreat
G1 a had no removal for his double KotR + retreat comboing me on turn 4. But i gained some value in seeing that he was very inexperienced with the deck, took a lot of time to combo and didn't know about turn phases so well.
G2 disruption and early Reality Smasher dominate the game.
G3 again I apply a lot of pressure and force him into situations that he could have played safer if he was more experienced, he has a large board (like 5-6 dorks) a tireless tracker with plenty of counters, but only 4 life. I attack with all my creatures, he blocks the Smasher only with Tireless Tracker, I activate Vault of the Archangel, then after blocks he cast an Collected Company and brings some useless creture instead of a Kitchen Finks that could have made some difference. as damage is attributed i point that he is dead then the judge that was watching the match explains to him how trample interacts with deathtouch.
(2-1)/ 2-0
Round 3: Abzan
G1 I mulligan to 5, take a lot of early damage but after some incredible topdecks (Relics, Push, Path, seize for his only Rhino) he finds another rhino that brings me dead.
G2 I make one of the largest punts ever, having smasher in hand and two temples I play my T2 land being sure that it's a temple, than i take a look at it and realize I played a Ghost Quarter instead... not being able to cast T3 Smasher his large goyf start beating me, I had also two Mirran Crusader, one gets Thoughtseized and the other was removed by Liliana's minus two in a sequence of terrible missplays from me still tilted for playing the wrong land on turn two.
Lesson: never let missplays from early turns lead you to another ones, If I sequenced correctly the two crusaders could have turned the game.
(0-2)/ 2-1
Round 4: UR Gifts Storm
I was disappointed after losing rd3 match, but was still alive, thinking that a win could lock me on the top8.
G1 the deck does his best demonstration of oppression and 2 Eldrazi Temple, Turn 2 TKS followed by Displacer makes me control his hand and he has no chance.
G2 I disrupt everything that I can, apply some pressure but can't find removal for his creatures. I exile one empty the warrens with TKS and at some point one Grapeshot goes to his graveyard (can't remember how) and I cast surgical extraction on it. I check his deck and see that his only win con left is 1 empty the warrens, so I keep attacking with every possible creature, it's not enought as he had 3 goblins and comboing and once he started comboing his lmost infinite mana allowed him to dig deeply to find the only empty the warrens left. I don't draw mass removal the next turn and lose to 17 angry goblins.
G3 even not being so heavy on disrupt i get some removal for his creatures, so i dont allow anyone to stay on the board, he even casts a gifts ungiven, but
Surgical extraction and Relic makes it easy for me to disrupt it. Some turns later after when I have letal on board he topdecks a past in flames and tries to combo without any creature, fails to do it, make some bad sequencing and loses
(2-1)/ 3-1
At this point I was thinking I could be locked with an ID since 3-1-1 was often enough to make the cut on similar PPTQs I had played before, but my standings doesn't help and I am obliged to play the last round. This is kind of good as I have the possibility of finishing 1st if I win.
Round 5: Counters Company
G1 I am able to kill every Vizier of Remedies that he cast, and the Reality Smasher applies enough pressure to seal the game.
G2 goes incredibly long, I start by casting Surgical Extraction on Vizier Of Remedies and find some extremely opportune Flaying Tendrils through the following turns, when he builds an expressive board again, with Rhonas and 2 Kitchen Finks I find an Eldazi Displacer who shines blinking his attackers, when I think my blinks will not be enought I draw an Path to Exile to remove his Rhonas, it's time in the round and he is not able to kill me in 5 turns.
(1-0)/ 4-1
And then I finished in 1st place, what is very good as prizes are distributed by the swiss standings, but as my match took a lot of time I was not able to find out what my unknown top8 opponent was playing. Top8: GW Auras
G1 I was playing blindly, kept a safe hand with a reasonable game plan. T1 IoK lets me know what he is playing, as he has a lot of creatures that I can race I try to remove the most problematic auras. He draws many other ones and kills me after making my largest Eldrazi look like tiny ants.
G2 he casts only one creature puts all his eggs in one nest and is punished by a well timed Blessed Alliance.
G3 he starts by casting many creatures that i exile with Flaying Tendrills, when he has only one creature he start playing on it and then again, an Blessed Alliance makes the path clear for me to kill him.
(2-1)
Top4: Similar to Todd Steven's GW Company
This one has been the most exhausting and grindiest match I've ever played with the deck. I don't remember much details about G1 (he won) and G2 I won finding the right removal to kill his last creature that was turning an annoying Worship on. G3 he started with Voice and KotR, I took the opportunity to exile the only land in his yard (a Windswept Heath) and follow up with a turn 3 Flaying Tendrils which reset the game. Both of us developed a large board state but reality smasher came to break the stall when he was starting to put counters on his creatures with Gavony Township
(2-1)
Final: Merfolk splashing white for Spell Queller
The opponent was a friend of mine who has been playing this custom Merfolk list for a while and made day 2 of GP São Paulo with it. I had beaten him previously when I was playing Abzan, so i tried to play as close as Abzan that I could.
G1 I started with IoK taking away the Ather Vial and noticing that he was full of Quellers in hand. As I had 3 TKS I played them first as bait for the Quellers, proceeded to kill the Quellers and cleared his hand. I was pressuring his life totals but I had to lose a lot of life due to only having Cave of Koilos to generate colored mana due to him having enchanted two of my lands with Spreading Seas. Then when I needed two more attacks to kill him, he found an Islandwalk lord who providing his two Mutavaults the ability to pass through my blockers and kill me before I could attack him twice.
G2 I don't remember well, just remember I was stomped and could not handle it.
PPTQ #2 (the 66-man event)
Round 1: BG Tron
G1 Enough Pressure and hand disruption made his Tron irrelevant. Worth noting that I bite the bullet and cast Path to Exile on a Wasteland Strangler to ramp me one turn and pressure with reality smasher earlier. It paid of when he had to activate his Oblivion stone to kill my creatures that posed lethal damage and had to take his Karn in the process.
G2 was an academic match, Ghost Quarter on one piece of Tron, Surgical extraction on it. Stony Silence to keep him from getting value of the artifacts, pressure with Relity Smasher, game.
(2-0) / 1-0
Round 2: Affinity
This matchup is a walk in the park for us, we have to really try to lose the match. as I was so relaxed I lost g1 forgetting about the boost given by Master of Etherium. I focused to not make great mistakes on the other games and played safe, lingering souls dominated G2 and an early Stony Silence locked him. On G3 Lingering Souls, efficient removal and Sorin taking me to an unreachable life amount made the win only a matter of time.
(2-1) / 2-0
Round 3: RG Ponza
G1 3 discards including TKS on turn 3 made it impossible for him to develop his game plan.
G2 He cast a turn 2 blood moon followed by Mwonvuli. When I removed the moon with Ratchet Bomb his board state was light-years ahead and I couldn't handle it.
G3 fatal push on dork avoided any chance of turn 2 blood moon, basic lands helped making me safe against it. I made him discard a Mwonvuli Acid Moss and a surgical extraction removing one card that I knew was duplicated in his hand helped me to control the board and avoid him to draw a Bonfire Of the Damned that Courser Of Kruphix was showing on top of his deck.
(2-1) / 3-0
Round 4: UB Faeries
G1 an early Reality Smasher from me and Bitterblossom from him made him lose quickly
G2 and G3 I made such bizzare missplays that I can't even say anything about the match, it unexplainable, I could win both matches, but threw it away with missplays, I don't know... the only reasonable explanation was that I was playing sloppy and/or was hungry and should prepare myself better to unexpected large tournaments.
(1-2) / 3-1
Round 5: Merfolk
G1 he stomped me, did what merfolks do best with an explosive start and cheated creatures from Aether vial
G2 I had some early discards and noticed that he had two Vials in hand and those got locked by Stony Silence, without him having many cards in hand and not being able to cheat in creatures I was able to win the game.
G3 was a fair game, he enchanted one land of mine with Spreading Seas. I had Fragmentize, Disenchant and Lingering Souls in hand, instead of playing safe, casting Fragmentize on the enchantment and making some more blockers from souls, I opted to pass the turn trying to get him with Disenchant on Spreading Seas after he declared attackers, for my disappointment he had Dispel for it, I was not able to race him and the fishes became larger than my blockers.
(1-2) / 3-2
Round 6: Burn
G1 he started by quickly casting a lot of spells, Reality Smasher and TKS did their job hitting quickly as he ran out of gas. He had one draw to try to kill me as I had 4 life, but didn't draw Boros Charm and got killed on the following turn.
G2 he was less aggressive on spells but got advantage of two swiftspears that i struggled to remove, when he cast a Hazoret I didn't have removal for it and he took the game
G3 was won by Collective Brutality taking a spell and draining life followed by IoK on Ensnaring Bridge. Double Reality Smasher in sequence dealt exactly the needed damage to take the match
(2-1) / 4-2
At this point I was 4-2, almost thinking to go away. Standings were posted and I noticed that only the 3 top tables could ID. As my standings were very good (UB Faeries, RG Ponza and Merfolk opponents were locked in top8) I was in 9th and if I won I could get the last spot in the top 8. I knew what my opponent was playing and I knew how I had to play the match to get chance to win
Round 7: RG Scapeshift
G1 I lost the dice roll and kept with: Eldrazi Temple, Fetid Heath, 2x TKS, 2x Reality Smasher, IoK. A risky hand but was the kind of unfair game that I needed to win before he could kill me. It turned out that I didn't drew any land and I cast a total of zero spells in the game.
G2 I had to mulligan to 6 and decided to keep another two-land that could have some action if I drew another land intead of going down to 5. I also had almost no chance to cast spells and lost quickly.
(0-2) / 4-3
So that's it, if you are interested I can explain some of the card choices or absences and also try to bring some sideboard notes, any feedback is welcome as I'm feeling I need to uppdate the list to deal with Merfolk and RG Scapeshift.
How did Matter Reshaper work out for you? I'm currently weighing it against Tidehollow Sculler and other possible 3-drops.
It's a card that's great when I want blockers in the ground (Death's Shadow Variants, Naya and other Zoo lists) and is also good if the opponent wants to kill creatures (Burn and Abzan). In matches against deck that run Path To Exile it's good if Reshaper makes the opponent spend on it one of their few cards that deal with Reality Smasher.
It really depends on the matchup to say which of the 3-drop Eldrazi are better, but Matter reshaper is generally the easier to cast one and the one that I want to play independently of the board state. Strangler is good if it can kill something so it's worth to wait to cast it, and displacer is better if it can dominate the board blinking other creatures for value.
Overall it is a card that's good if I can cast it on turn 2 from an Eldrazi Temple and pressure the opponent to spend resources giving me the card advantage, but not even close to how absurd is a turn 2 TKS or a turn 3 reality Smasher.
And most of the time I think I would cast a Tidehollow Sculler first if I had to make the choice between both. early game disruption is what generally makes us break the opponents plans and have an easier match
Last week I went to a smallish tourney and decided on taking Processors with me after a long time without playing the deck.
Knowing most of the people there, I expected to find a couple of people on Tron (Eldrazi and/or Mono U) and Death Shadow, with a possible mix of R/G Ponza, Living End, D&T and Merfolk among the rest of the field. Of all of those, I ended not playing against them with the exception of the Merfolk and D&T players.
Round 2: Death & Taxes
...
G2: I don't remember this game that well and my notes don't say much. I boarded the Wraths for his creatures and the Stony Silences for his vials, going down on Relics, and exchanged the Wastes for the Cavern of Souls.
Hi. Congratulations on the results and thanks for the comprehensive write-up, which is very helpful. I am not sure if there is a typo in your decklist given that you had a Wastes that you brought in during matches, but isn't listed in the deck list? On the sideboard, how much of what you included was based on your knowledge of the meta? Would you sideboard differently for an unknown meta or say a PPTQ or GP, or MTGO league? Also, I am on the fence about using Anguished Unmaking. When do you bring it in?
@schuppius, thanks for the write-up! I appreciate the frustration that a mid-range deck faces in the current meta. I too really enjoy playing the deck tho I too realize it is not as competitive as say, Eldrazi & Taxes or other Tier 1/2 decks. I have been following the Colorless Eldrazi Stompy thread to see exactly about bringing in a bit more aggro and have been toying with the idea of either Endless One or Eternal Scourge, or even Eldrazi Mimic. I don't play Copter and not sure what I would cut, though, besides the 2 Displacers I have MB. I can't really see upping the number of creatures so as to not dilute the hand disruption/removal elements..... Would welcome any other ideas.
That Abzan version looks sweet! yes, need to see about the mana. Also think it could support a couple Stranglers given the synergy with the Scavenging Ooze...
Not sure if Displacer is so great in the Abzan deck--what's it gonna flicker for value? TKS is all you got there. And you definitely don't want to flicker a Scooze under most circumstances.
I think the Abzan build looks like it's trying to be Bant with Spirit tokens and more removal. I doubt that it is better than Bant or BW.
I agree that go-wide creature decks are traditionally a tough match for BW Processors.
That Abzan version looks sweet! yes, need to see about the mana. Also think it could support a couple Stranglers given the synergy with the Scavenging Ooze...
I tested the deck last night with some friends. Played against Grixis DS, UW Control, WB Prowess, and Esper Gifts Vengeance. The deck did alright in a bunch of games, but I found it to not be as impactful overall as WB Processors. I used Displacer mostly to either tap opponent's creatures or remove tokens. Of course Scooze was great against the Vengeance deck, gobbling up all sorts of stuff in the graveyard, but is so weak to Fatal Push. Even Displacer took a beating on the Push front after blinking away an opponent's token - so not great value. Will test some more though, as I think Abrupt Decay is super right now and Smasher is unbelievable when attacking alone with 2 Hierarch's on the field.
I concur, without even sleeving up the abzan version I am pretty confident to say it is not a good direction. It takes out basically all the discard spells and the graveyard hate (+processor) for nobles, ooze, and a few decays. Ooze btw is green mana intensive and this is now essentially a 4 mana deck (counting colorless). The hierarchs harken to bantdrazi and this version doesn't seem as explosive/consistent. Plus you're using green and not even using Ancient Stirrings .
I am liking current direction of the W/B version posted here, esp. that displacer is back in (love that card and flickering ). Still weak to Blood Moon but have lots of hand interaction to minimize that early. Seems to reduce early mana issues shambling vents are largely knocked down to 0/1. Copter is a great card (see deadguy ale forum, list sporting 4 there), slightly less useful here for beats. However, it's great with sculler and LS, I'd say lists trying out 2 should shave a Reality Smasher.
@Schuppuis nice list above, looks like good way to try get two copters in there. Same issue with the 2cc creature on deadguy thread, I think we can all agree they just need to unban Stoneforge Mystic
What do you guys think about 4x Expedition maps mainboard instead of the relics?
Focusing much more on getting the eldrazi temples or any other needed land like shambling vent or sea gate wreckage?
Yuck, I feel like I keep reading about Expedition Map in Eldrazi builds where it's terrible. The problem with Map is that it's best if it eats up your turn 1 and 2 but then pays off with something completely over the top. Seer or Smasher don't qualify, especially when you could just go back to the Mind Stone that was once very popular and and use it to land those ahead of curve. Map is no good.
I also agree, this isn't the right deck for Expedition Map. There is no tron payoff in the end or some Dark Depths element. If anything they'd be useful to fetch wastes...which really questions why did they make a 6th basic land type with no associated fetchlands
Hey guys ! This deck has been my main modern deck for a while. I simply love it. However, there's one matchup I absolutely loathe, and the problem is its quite common : burn.
BW Eldrazi CAN disrupt burn, but our threats are slow enough that the opponents will oftentimes finish me in topdeck mode when I can't discard any more of their cards. I find myself crossing my fingers every game, hoping that they won't draw that last piece of lightning bolt.
(the only thing I like is how Goblin Guide is good to us. This little guy helps us draw so many lands. Best T1 by far ^^)
Our lifegain is slow. Collective Brutality is awesome, but a one-of, and Shambling Vents is often bolted before being of any use. Post sideboard, I only add Blessed Alliances, it helps but it's not THAT great.
I read page 1 that the matchup is "even" but it certainly doesn't feel like that to me ^^'
Now I'm not a pro player, so I may just be playing wrong...
Have any of you considered playing Leylines of Sanctity in the side ? I'm starting to think about it, since this matchup is so stressful to me.
It would have the side effect of giving us more tools against UR Storm which manages to pull out surprise wins way too often to my taste (4x Relics MD are a good edge, but my opponents have proven they can win easily through them). Good against discard and Valakut as well.
It's a bad topdeck lategame, sure, but Copters can help recycle them. I haven't played with them but I read last page some of you did, and I'm definitely in to give it a try.
Opinions ?
Cheers
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French Commander : Yisan Liliana Kytheon Kari Zev Grenzo Karlov Tajic Gitrog Prossh Turboramp Najeela Modern : Solemnity Prison Martyr Proc Devotion to Green 8 Whacks Eldrazi Processor Bogles Landfall Aggro Legacy : Goblins
I've never had a problem with burn, especially post board. White by itself has a multitude of lifegain options available. A resolved TKS and Reality Smasher is usually backbreaking for them, especially if you have a Sorin out.
Saw this list by Jason Lu placed 14th at SCG Charlotte yesterday, losing last match to the Simic Merfolk deck that would have gotten him into top 8. https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/794536#paper
I would really like to understand matchups and thinking around his play. I am particularly interested to hear when and how he used Chalice of the Void given the significant number of 1-drops in the deck and general curve.
I am into this deck, but have been very unhappy with results and not sure how much is me vs current general meta. I find almost every game is competitive, but just not enough to get the wins. So been playing WB Eldrazi & Taxes lately. Getting better results but find it less fun. Any thoughts welcome.
@Jim_prov looked at that list...a bit odd. Main thing stuck out was the 4x cavern while still running 4x sculler. Considering eldrazi are logical creature type to name that doesn't help from mana standpoint as many are colorless, going to assume he really wanted to wreck control. Chalice is a bit odd as this deck has no mana ramp like eldrazi tron so its either sticking for 0 or 1 only most of time likely. I suppose good for storm, delver, and burn on 1. I guess could also be used to try to make opponent's paths/pushes useless in hand and as proactive creature protection. Those 6 cards alone are a huge financial cost though and I'm not sure really warranted for this deck and not just some nice meta call
@Jim_prov looked at that list...a bit odd. Main thing stuck out was the 4x cavern while still running 4x sculler. Considering eldrazi are logical creature type to name that doesn't help from mana standpoint as many are colorless, going to assume he really wanted to wreck control.
How right you are about 4 Caverns being odd as you'll only want to call Edlrazi; naming Eldrazi with 1 Caverns is usually enough. The possible second Caverns (or even the first you play depending on your hand and draws) could be naming Zombie to fix Sculler's colors for the remaining lands in hand. I can see potential, but I agree it seems off.
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I'm playing this deck since GP São Paulo last month. My GP list was greatly influenced by thoughts shared in this thread, so first of all I would like to thank everyone that put an effort on it. I had this deck built as a second option for some months but was mainly playing Abzan, as the GP meta had a heavy presence of Eldrazi Tron, I considered changing my choice after playing some trials on the friday of the GP. The good results that I got with this deck in the trials made me stick with it for the main event. After leaving the GP with a record of 5-3-1 due to a relative inexperience with the deck, I felt it was very well positioned for the local meta, so I made small changes in the intention to grind through the PPTQ season.
This is the current iteraction that I'm playing and is what I played in the two tournaments that I reported below. I know it's a 61 card list and that's ugly, but I wanted to try some different things and was very uncertain about the amount of lands in the deck.
2 Matter Reshaper
2 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Wasteland Strangler
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
3 Relic of Progenitus
4 Lingering Souls
4 Path to Exile
2 Fatal Push
1 Dismember
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Thoughtseize
1 Collective Brutality
4 Caves of Koilos
3 Concealed Courtyard
1 Fetid Heath
1 Marsh Flats
1 Cavern Of Souls
1 Mutavault
1 Shambling Vent
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Wastes
2 Stony Silence
2 Flaying Tendrils
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Mirran Crusader
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
1 Rest in Peace
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Disenchant
1 Fragmentize
1 Ratchet Bomb
Last weekend I played a 29-man PPTQ, in which I lost in the finals after finishing 4-1 and getting 1st in the swiss portion of the event.
This thursday was a national holiday here in Brazil, so 66 people attended to a PPTQ that was tought to be a 25-ish people one. After 7 exhausting rounds I finished in 16th place (4-3 record) losing the win-and-in match for the last spot in the top8.
PPTQ #1 (details about some of my match have already gone away of my mind, so it will be a kind of summary)
Round 1: Grixis Shadow
G1 he had no early cratures and spent life agressively trying to draw cards, I had enought early game pressure and disruption.
G2 he cast an early Gurmag Angler who hit me once, but was neutrallized by Mirran Crusader T3, turn 4 I noticed he was goin low on life trying to find another big creature so I decided to race him with crusader, he took the damage, but then I recklessly cast another Mirran Crusader instead of Lingering Souls and he responded with an EoT Kozilek's Return wiping my board. He hit again with gurmag leaving me at 10. I cast lingering souls and flashback it, he decides to stop attacking me, so I start applying pressure in the air and cast an 3-cmc Eldrazi (probably matter reshaper) he has one card in hand and I take the damage from the gurmag hit (forgetting that he could have a TBR), as he doesn't have TBR to punish me, the following turn the tokens finish him in the air.
(2-0)/ 1-0
Round 2: Bant Retreat
G1 a had no removal for his double KotR + retreat comboing me on turn 4. But i gained some value in seeing that he was very inexperienced with the deck, took a lot of time to combo and didn't know about turn phases so well.
G2 disruption and early Reality Smasher dominate the game.
G3 again I apply a lot of pressure and force him into situations that he could have played safer if he was more experienced, he has a large board (like 5-6 dorks) a tireless tracker with plenty of counters, but only 4 life. I attack with all my creatures, he blocks the Smasher only with Tireless Tracker, I activate Vault of the Archangel, then after blocks he cast an Collected Company and brings some useless creture instead of a Kitchen Finks that could have made some difference. as damage is attributed i point that he is dead then the judge that was watching the match explains to him how trample interacts with deathtouch.
(2-1)/ 2-0
Round 3: Abzan
G1 I mulligan to 5, take a lot of early damage but after some incredible topdecks (Relics, Push, Path, seize for his only Rhino) he finds another rhino that brings me dead.
G2 I make one of the largest punts ever, having smasher in hand and two temples I play my T2 land being sure that it's a temple, than i take a look at it and realize I played a Ghost Quarter instead... not being able to cast T3 Smasher his large goyf start beating me, I had also two Mirran Crusader, one gets Thoughtseized and the other was removed by Liliana's minus two in a sequence of terrible missplays from me still tilted for playing the wrong land on turn two.
Lesson: never let missplays from early turns lead you to another ones, If I sequenced correctly the two crusaders could have turned the game.
(0-2)/ 2-1
Round 4: UR Gifts Storm
I was disappointed after losing rd3 match, but was still alive, thinking that a win could lock me on the top8.
G1 the deck does his best demonstration of oppression and 2 Eldrazi Temple, Turn 2 TKS followed by Displacer makes me control his hand and he has no chance.
G2 I disrupt everything that I can, apply some pressure but can't find removal for his creatures. I exile one empty the warrens with TKS and at some point one Grapeshot goes to his graveyard (can't remember how) and I cast surgical extraction on it. I check his deck and see that his only win con left is 1 empty the warrens, so I keep attacking with every possible creature, it's not enought as he had 3 goblins and comboing and once he started comboing his lmost infinite mana allowed him to dig deeply to find the only empty the warrens left. I don't draw mass removal the next turn and lose to 17 angry goblins.
G3 even not being so heavy on disrupt i get some removal for his creatures, so i dont allow anyone to stay on the board, he even casts a gifts ungiven, but
Surgical extraction and Relic makes it easy for me to disrupt it. Some turns later after when I have letal on board he topdecks a past in flames and tries to combo without any creature, fails to do it, make some bad sequencing and loses
(2-1)/ 3-1
At this point I was thinking I could be locked with an ID since 3-1-1 was often enough to make the cut on similar PPTQs I had played before, but my standings doesn't help and I am obliged to play the last round. This is kind of good as I have the possibility of finishing 1st if I win.
Round 5: Counters Company
G1 I am able to kill every Vizier of Remedies that he cast, and the Reality Smasher applies enough pressure to seal the game.
G2 goes incredibly long, I start by casting Surgical Extraction on Vizier Of Remedies and find some extremely opportune Flaying Tendrils through the following turns, when he builds an expressive board again, with Rhonas and 2 Kitchen Finks I find an Eldazi Displacer who shines blinking his attackers, when I think my blinks will not be enought I draw an Path to Exile to remove his Rhonas, it's time in the round and he is not able to kill me in 5 turns.
(1-0)/ 4-1
And then I finished in 1st place, what is very good as prizes are distributed by the swiss standings, but as my match took a lot of time I was not able to find out what my unknown top8 opponent was playing.
Top8: GW Auras
G1 I was playing blindly, kept a safe hand with a reasonable game plan. T1 IoK lets me know what he is playing, as he has a lot of creatures that I can race I try to remove the most problematic auras. He draws many other ones and kills me after making my largest Eldrazi look like tiny ants.
G2 he casts only one creature puts all his eggs in one nest and is punished by a well timed Blessed Alliance.
G3 he starts by casting many creatures that i exile with Flaying Tendrills, when he has only one creature he start playing on it and then again, an Blessed Alliance makes the path clear for me to kill him.
(2-1)
Top4: Similar to Todd Steven's GW Company
This one has been the most exhausting and grindiest match I've ever played with the deck. I don't remember much details about G1 (he won) and G2 I won finding the right removal to kill his last creature that was turning an annoying Worship on. G3 he started with Voice and KotR, I took the opportunity to exile the only land in his yard (a Windswept Heath) and follow up with a turn 3 Flaying Tendrils which reset the game. Both of us developed a large board state but reality smasher came to break the stall when he was starting to put counters on his creatures with Gavony Township
(2-1)
Final: Merfolk splashing white for Spell Queller
The opponent was a friend of mine who has been playing this custom Merfolk list for a while and made day 2 of GP São Paulo with it. I had beaten him previously when I was playing Abzan, so i tried to play as close as Abzan that I could.
G1 I started with IoK taking away the Ather Vial and noticing that he was full of Quellers in hand. As I had 3 TKS I played them first as bait for the Quellers, proceeded to kill the Quellers and cleared his hand. I was pressuring his life totals but I had to lose a lot of life due to only having Cave of Koilos to generate colored mana due to him having enchanted two of my lands with Spreading Seas. Then when I needed two more attacks to kill him, he found an Islandwalk lord who providing his two Mutavaults the ability to pass through my blockers and kill me before I could attack him twice.
G2 I don't remember well, just remember I was stomped and could not handle it.
PPTQ #2 (the 66-man event)
Round 1: BG Tron
G1 Enough Pressure and hand disruption made his Tron irrelevant. Worth noting that I bite the bullet and cast Path to Exile on a Wasteland Strangler to ramp me one turn and pressure with reality smasher earlier. It paid of when he had to activate his Oblivion stone to kill my creatures that posed lethal damage and had to take his Karn in the process.
G2 was an academic match, Ghost Quarter on one piece of Tron, Surgical extraction on it. Stony Silence to keep him from getting value of the artifacts, pressure with Relity Smasher, game.
(2-0) / 1-0
Round 2: Affinity
This matchup is a walk in the park for us, we have to really try to lose the match. as I was so relaxed I lost g1 forgetting about the boost given by Master of Etherium. I focused to not make great mistakes on the other games and played safe, lingering souls dominated G2 and an early Stony Silence locked him. On G3 Lingering Souls, efficient removal and Sorin taking me to an unreachable life amount made the win only a matter of time.
(2-1) / 2-0
Round 3: RG Ponza
G1 3 discards including TKS on turn 3 made it impossible for him to develop his game plan.
G2 He cast a turn 2 blood moon followed by Mwonvuli. When I removed the moon with Ratchet Bomb his board state was light-years ahead and I couldn't handle it.
G3 fatal push on dork avoided any chance of turn 2 blood moon, basic lands helped making me safe against it. I made him discard a Mwonvuli Acid Moss and a surgical extraction removing one card that I knew was duplicated in his hand helped me to control the board and avoid him to draw a Bonfire Of the Damned that Courser Of Kruphix was showing on top of his deck.
(2-1) / 3-0
Round 4: UB Faeries
G1 an early Reality Smasher from me and Bitterblossom from him made him lose quickly
G2 and G3 I made such bizzare missplays that I can't even say anything about the match, it unexplainable, I could win both matches, but threw it away with missplays, I don't know... the only reasonable explanation was that I was playing sloppy and/or was hungry and should prepare myself better to unexpected large tournaments.
(1-2) / 3-1
Round 5: Merfolk
G1 he stomped me, did what merfolks do best with an explosive start and cheated creatures from Aether vial
G2 I had some early discards and noticed that he had two Vials in hand and those got locked by Stony Silence, without him having many cards in hand and not being able to cheat in creatures I was able to win the game.
G3 was a fair game, he enchanted one land of mine with Spreading Seas. I had Fragmentize, Disenchant and Lingering Souls in hand, instead of playing safe, casting Fragmentize on the enchantment and making some more blockers from souls, I opted to pass the turn trying to get him with Disenchant on Spreading Seas after he declared attackers, for my disappointment he had Dispel for it, I was not able to race him and the fishes became larger than my blockers.
(1-2) / 3-2
Round 6: Burn
G1 he started by quickly casting a lot of spells, Reality Smasher and TKS did their job hitting quickly as he ran out of gas. He had one draw to try to kill me as I had 4 life, but didn't draw Boros Charm and got killed on the following turn.
G2 he was less aggressive on spells but got advantage of two swiftspears that i struggled to remove, when he cast a Hazoret I didn't have removal for it and he took the game
G3 was won by Collective Brutality taking a spell and draining life followed by IoK on Ensnaring Bridge. Double Reality Smasher in sequence dealt exactly the needed damage to take the match
(2-1) / 4-2
At this point I was 4-2, almost thinking to go away. Standings were posted and I noticed that only the 3 top tables could ID. As my standings were very good (UB Faeries, RG Ponza and Merfolk opponents were locked in top8) I was in 9th and if I won I could get the last spot in the top 8. I knew what my opponent was playing and I knew how I had to play the match to get chance to win
Round 7: RG Scapeshift
G1 I lost the dice roll and kept with: Eldrazi Temple, Fetid Heath, 2x TKS, 2x Reality Smasher, IoK. A risky hand but was the kind of unfair game that I needed to win before he could kill me. It turned out that I didn't drew any land and I cast a total of zero spells in the game.
G2 I had to mulligan to 6 and decided to keep another two-land that could have some action if I drew another land intead of going down to 5. I also had almost no chance to cast spells and lost quickly.
(0-2) / 4-3
So that's it, if you are interested I can explain some of the card choices or absences and also try to bring some sideboard notes, any feedback is welcome as I'm feeling I need to uppdate the list to deal with Merfolk and RG Scapeshift.
It's a card that's great when I want blockers in the ground (Death's Shadow Variants, Naya and other Zoo lists) and is also good if the opponent wants to kill creatures (Burn and Abzan). In matches against deck that run Path To Exile it's good if Reshaper makes the opponent spend on it one of their few cards that deal with Reality Smasher.
It really depends on the matchup to say which of the 3-drop Eldrazi are better, but Matter reshaper is generally the easier to cast one and the one that I want to play independently of the board state. Strangler is good if it can kill something so it's worth to wait to cast it, and displacer is better if it can dominate the board blinking other creatures for value.
Overall it is a card that's good if I can cast it on turn 2 from an Eldrazi Temple and pressure the opponent to spend resources giving me the card advantage, but not even close to how absurd is a turn 2 TKS or a turn 3 reality Smasher.
And most of the time I think I would cast a Tidehollow Sculler first if I had to make the choice between both. early game disruption is what generally makes us break the opponents plans and have an easier match
Hi. Congratulations on the results and thanks for the comprehensive write-up, which is very helpful. I am not sure if there is a typo in your decklist given that you had a Wastes that you brought in during matches, but isn't listed in the deck list? On the sideboard, how much of what you included was based on your knowledge of the meta? Would you sideboard differently for an unknown meta or say a PPTQ or GP, or MTGO league? Also, I am on the fence about using Anguished Unmaking. When do you bring it in?
thanks again!
I think the Abzan build looks like it's trying to be Bant with Spirit tokens and more removal. I doubt that it is better than Bant or BW.
I agree that go-wide creature decks are traditionally a tough match for BW Processors.
I am liking current direction of the W/B version posted here, esp. that displacer is back in (love that card and flickering
@Schuppuis nice list above, looks like good way to try get two copters in there. Same issue with the 2cc creature on deadguy thread, I think we can all agree they just need to unban Stoneforge Mystic
Focusing much more on getting the eldrazi temples or any other needed land like shambling vent or sea gate wreckage?
BW Eldrazi CAN disrupt burn, but our threats are slow enough that the opponents will oftentimes finish me in topdeck mode when I can't discard any more of their cards. I find myself crossing my fingers every game, hoping that they won't draw that last piece of lightning bolt.
(the only thing I like is how Goblin Guide is good to us. This little guy helps us draw so many lands. Best T1 by far ^^)
Our lifegain is slow. Collective Brutality is awesome, but a one-of, and Shambling Vents is often bolted before being of any use. Post sideboard, I only add Blessed Alliances, it helps but it's not THAT great.
I read page 1 that the matchup is "even" but it certainly doesn't feel like that to me ^^'
Now I'm not a pro player, so I may just be playing wrong...
Have any of you considered playing Leylines of Sanctity in the side ? I'm starting to think about it, since this matchup is so stressful to me.
It would have the side effect of giving us more tools against UR Storm which manages to pull out surprise wins way too often to my taste (4x Relics MD are a good edge, but my opponents have proven they can win easily through them). Good against discard and Valakut as well.
It's a bad topdeck lategame, sure, but Copters can help recycle them. I haven't played with them but I read last page some of you did, and I'm definitely in to give it a try.
Opinions ?
Cheers
Modern :
Legacy :
1x Cavern of Souls
4x Caves of Koilos
3x Concealed Courtyard
4x Eldrazi Temple
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Godless Shrine
4x Marsh Flats
1x Plains
3x Shambling Vent
2x Swamp
Artifact (4)
4x Relic of Progenitus
2x Collective Brutality
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Lingering Souls
2x Thoughtseize
Creature (14)
3x Blight Herder
4x Thought-Knot Seer
3x Tidehollow Sculler
4x Wasteland Strangler
Instant (5)
1x Fatal Push
4x Path to Exile
Planeswalker (2)
2x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
1x Anguished Unmaking
2x Blessed Alliance
1x Disenchant
1x Flaying Tendrils
1x Grafdigger's Cage
2x Liliana of the Veil
1x Pithing Needle
1x Ratchet Bomb
1x Stony Silence
1x Surgical Extraction
2x Wrath of God
1x Zealous Persecution
I'd be playing two Fulminator Mage in the sideboard over the Ratchet Bomb and Anguished unmaking if I had them.
BWCBW Eldrazi ProcessorCWB
I would really like to understand matchups and thinking around his play. I am particularly interested to hear when and how he used Chalice of the Void given the significant number of 1-drops in the deck and general curve.
I am into this deck, but have been very unhappy with results and not sure how much is me vs current general meta. I find almost every game is competitive, but just not enough to get the wins. So been playing WB Eldrazi & Taxes lately. Getting better results but find it less fun. Any thoughts welcome.
How right you are about 4 Caverns being odd as you'll only want to call Edlrazi; naming Eldrazi with 1 Caverns is usually enough. The possible second Caverns (or even the first you play depending on your hand and draws) could be naming Zombie to fix Sculler's colors for the remaining lands in hand. I can see potential, but I agree it seems off.