I wouldn't cut GQ as it gives you a fair game 1 against our hardest matchups. I actually think the mana is not that bad at 19 with 3 bauble and 3 traverse. I don't recall ever being in trouble. Only thing i'm having trouble with sometimes is maximizing value on Scavenging Ooze. In those situations i'd prefer more green sources in play, but my focus is on double black for Liliana and I fetch rather conservatively.
Concerning mana sources, 19 lands + 3 traverse (counting as full lands here) and 4 baubles (a cantrip is approx. 25 % of a land) would end up to 23 virtual lands. I think for an Midrange Abzan build with a lot of 3 drops I would consider that a minimum.
I think 3 Decays main is too much. I would run 2 at max. It misses so many creatures right now, I would totally run the 6th discard spell in that place.
As for your SB, I think Pithing Needle is really underperforming for your stated meta. I would run a second Pulse or a Golgari Charm in place of it. Replace Katakis with Stony Silence, it is clearly better if you are not on the traverse build. For which reason do you want Leyline of Sanctity? Storm? Scapeshift? I think you could run better cards for that purpose, I don't think they are impactful enough.
I find Blind Obedience to be very lackluster. Why not run EE in that slot? Helps against Storm, Tokens, Lantern, Jund and KCI. Lastly, the second RHino on the board could potentially be a Thrun, helping in the Control matchups and still applicable against Jund.
I found a way include stony silence in the deck. I have 3 utility lands that I board in to go 22 lands and board out Mishra's bauble and put 2 stony silence. replaced thrun with gavony township because of the presence of terminus. still kept bojuka bog and put ghost quarter in sb. stony silence is really important I believe and I see it more and more popping up even with Mishra's bauble so I thought I build a sideboard to do that.
That is 5 sideboard slots just for Stony Silence. Doesn't seem to worth it.
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That is 5 sideboard slots just for Stony Silence. Doesn't seem to worth it.
it seems that way but its not. for example gavony township is for grindy matchups but ill still board it in tron matchup so I can remove baubles. same for bojuka bog and ghost quarter. bojuka is really not for tron but i'll take it in to increase land count. I believe 22 land count is ok number, its the same number when we had noble heirarch in the main, most specially if we still have traverse to search for lands.
I saw Bitterblossom in someone's sideboard, looked fun. I'm gonna try it out instead of Choke for a bit, looks more flexible.
Might be HoneyBear's (or KoDiamonds) list from the fb group. He was playing it lately. Is also the guy who advocated for Walking Ballista.
As for BB itself, I am not sure we want it, since it is in theory a tempo card.
I think ballista has a place on the deck but siege rhino still better for mana reasons. but ballista strength is its flexibility. I've played with both and sometimes I want a 2 rhino and sometimes I want a ballista.
I've replaced to Gavony to Bitterblossom. Its a better grind card right now. Gavony was my attempt to bring in stony silence but gavony gets splash hit by all the field of ruin running around. so from the original list, bitter blossom replaces thrun because thrun is not good right now because of the terminus.
I played three copies of Bitterblossom in the main-deck for a while in Rock. It didn't seem terrific but I didn't really test it long or diligently. The idea was to give Rock the capabilities Lingering Souls gives Junk.
It does also give the possibility of an extra card type one doesn't normally have available for 'Goyf-chow.
Bitterblossom is a tempo card, not a grindy card per definition. Naturally, a 1/1 flyer usually should cost lets say 1 mana in the game. BB creates a slow tempo advantage by investing 2 mana at first and then creating free 1/1s, which should normally cost mana instead. And naturally you don't want to prolong the game when BB is on the BF, as it kills you at some point. You want to utilize that slow incremental tempo advantage to overwhelm the opponent before you die from it. It doesn't seem like a tempo card, but the way it works, it is definitely one. A grindy card always becomes better the longer the game goes, with BB there is a clear endpoint, which is the life total reaching 0. And you are looking to kill the opponent before that happens. You don't try to rush with a grindy card, you want to prolong the game to create more and more advantage of the grindy card. In addition to this, a grindy card is pretty much always a great topdeck. BB is not when you are behind. This is also the reason we see it in Faeries, despite the natural synergy, it helps creating an incremental tempo advantage by using life total to improve their boardstate while disrupting the opponent with their flashy counter creatures or spells.
Bob is exactly the same type of card for us as another example.
I think there is no creature that dodges terminus really. The fact that it can also be cast on instant speed means even manlands are not completely safe.
To be effective, Bitterblossom requires some life-gain. BW tokens uses Shambling Vents for this and sometimes Auriok Champion. If one wants to grind with BB, one needs life-gain.
Only creatures dodging Terminus are Gaddock Teeg and Meddling Mage I think, they stop it from getting cast or super sticky stuff like Thragtusk and just barely. Championed stuff also stay on the board.
You can alternatively surgical in response to miracle trigger if opponent has another copy in graveyard or stifle the miracle trigger with something like nimble obstructionist.
Field of Ruin can help play through it for GB since it's a forced shuffle and you can probably hit it if they decide to miracle it at instant speed on your combat step setting it up with Opt. Yet, it's a guessing game if they decide to cast it on their turn after Serum/Jace. Field of Ruin has really nice synergies with Tracker in GB shell since it acts as a pseudo-fetch, giving you 2 clues.
Newer cards like Field of Ruin, Search for Azcanta and Teferi, Hero of Dominaria are all really strong tbh and helped move UW to another level. Teferi and Jace are even seeing play in decks like Bant Company where they have the ramp to cast it even earlier. GBx decks do need better 4-drop planeswalkers. Nissa, Vital Force is nice for grinding but kinda costly for traverse shell. Should work for more midrange builds of GB, Abzan and Jund tho yet doesn't really work with Dark Confidant.
this is some great stuff. I do believe bitterblossom is the cards because it comes down early. wee can use phyrexian arena too as well. Gideon, ally of zendikar is good too but double white is tough.
yeah I've dropped kataki too. eidolon of rhetoric is actually good target against KCI. I do have stony silence tho. I figured you just need 1 target for traverse in a specific matchup and the rest can be something you can draw naturally that would be powerful.
what do you guys think of vampire hexmage? I think we have all traversable answers except for planeswalker. we got lock pieces like gaddock teeg, and fulminator for them to prevent from getting to that point but it would be nice to have an answer if they are already in play.
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and regarding ballista, it almost feels like a flexible siege rhino. sometimes having 2 rhino is too much.
Modern: WUBRG Humans - GBW Traverse - GWU Knightfall - GRW Bushwhacker Zoo -
As for your SB, I think Pithing Needle is really underperforming for your stated meta. I would run a second Pulse or a Golgari Charm in place of it. Replace Katakis with Stony Silence, it is clearly better if you are not on the traverse build. For which reason do you want Leyline of Sanctity? Storm? Scapeshift? I think you could run better cards for that purpose, I don't think they are impactful enough.
I find Blind Obedience to be very lackluster. Why not run EE in that slot? Helps against Storm, Tokens, Lantern, Jund and KCI. Lastly, the second RHino on the board could potentially be a Thrun, helping in the Control matchups and still applicable against Jund.
edit: also this seems like a good grind card.
Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
what are your thoughts
it seems that way but its not. for example gavony township is for grindy matchups but ill still board it in tron matchup so I can remove baubles. same for bojuka bog and ghost quarter. bojuka is really not for tron but i'll take it in to increase land count. I believe 22 land count is ok number, its the same number when we had noble heirarch in the main, most specially if we still have traverse to search for lands.
Might be HoneyBear's (or KoDiamonds) list from the fb group. He was playing it lately. Is also the guy who advocated for Walking Ballista.
As for BB itself, I am not sure we want it, since it is in theory a tempo card.
I think ballista has a place on the deck but siege rhino still better for mana reasons. but ballista strength is its flexibility. I've played with both and sometimes I want a 2 rhino and sometimes I want a ballista.
I've replaced to Gavony to Bitterblossom. Its a better grind card right now. Gavony was my attempt to bring in stony silence but gavony gets splash hit by all the field of ruin running around. so from the original list, bitter blossom replaces thrun because thrun is not good right now because of the terminus.
It does also give the possibility of an extra card type one doesn't normally have available for 'Goyf-chow.
Frenzy-Affinity-Ghost Quarter-Rock-Tokens- RGWPhyrexian Zoo- WVial KnightsStandard:
BW Knights(Rotated)Pioneer: RW Knights - BW Rally Zombies - UW Heroes
Commander:WUG
Jenara, Asura of War- WGSigarda, Host of HeronsCasualties of economicsLegacy: Good-night, sweet prince. Mono-R Burn
Bob is exactly the same type of card for us as another example.
Frenzy-Affinity-Ghost Quarter-Rock-Tokens- RGWPhyrexian Zoo- WVial KnightsStandard:
BW Knights(Rotated)Pioneer: RW Knights - BW Rally Zombies - UW Heroes
Commander:WUG
Jenara, Asura of War- WGSigarda, Host of HeronsCasualties of economicsLegacy: Good-night, sweet prince. Mono-R Burn
this is some great stuff. I do believe bitterblossom is the cards because it comes down early. wee can use phyrexian arena too as well. Gideon, ally of zendikar is good too but double white is tough.
question: do you sideout Rhino when you play KCI?