Okay So I have a bit of an asterisk, there were only 8 people there, and my first round was against a "Scrub" new to the game, only been playing a few weeks, had a 90 card deck, beat him pretty easily.
Round 2 was against Standard Boogles, things got a little scary, but a deck built around just building up one guy when I have 6-7 guys attacking gave me a real advantage.
Round 3 was the REAL match of the night, a control player who wins alot in the charlotte meta, BW control, not second sun, just a control, gearhulk deck I went 2-1 against him because I got greedy and over attacked into an obvious Settle the Wreckage
It was an easy night, it's not like I'm at the Pro Tour, but It's my first ever FNM win and It just felt really good, so I thought I would make a thread.
So heres my list, I've put alot of thought into this but I know it still needs work.
SIDEBOARD
[card]
4 Duress
3 Cast Out
3 Gideon of the Trials
2 Gifted Aetherborne
1 Fatal Push
2 Dusk Legion Zealot
[/card]
So Viscous Conquistador is an all star, a 2/2 for B, I perfer Duskborne Skymarcher to the 2/1 because having flying early lets you trigger Mavren and it's pump ability comes in useful a lot, protecting Viscous so it can keep pinging though for one, or letting Mavren attack without worrying about losing your token generator.
I'm thinking of running more Dusk Legion Zealot Especially against control, I played him twice and both times that extra card really helped me even though he was only a 1 of when i played tonight, so i bumped him to two in the sideboard. You need card advantage when you play control and I think he can help.
Gideon is there for Approach but i'm thinking of cutting him if you guys can tell me something better, i really want to run dispossess for gearhulk
Duress can just ruin control decks, (I play a lot of control decks in my meta so I got to be prepared for them)
Cast out or binding? I think Binding might be better, but I don't have any...so maybe i should pick them up, because as a heavy aggro deck I tap out every turn anyway so theres no point in having flash.
Gifted Aetherborne for hexproof and things that are hard to kill, plus it's lifelink really helps out
I cut to three fatal pushes because this deck wins on playing lots of threats, really fast, and just over running your opponent, I put the forth push in the sideboard in case i face another heavy aggro deck.
I'm thinking of putting a swamp or two in my sideboard for when I side against control, because I would usually put in duress and zealot, and take out fatal push and adnato vangaurd so my deck leans heavy to black or if I have to side in gifted aetherborne, more heaviness on black, lots of my sideboard cards lean heavy to black
I didn't run into too many mana problems, should I drop Ifnir dreadlands? I shefet dunes has won me multiple games, effectively doubling my attack power, but I have never used Ifnir dreadlands, would swamps suffice? I feel life gain in this deck negates the cost of playing a desert so it's just something that's nice to have.
Should I bump to four sanctum seekers, this guy finishes games, I only had 3 so that's why I only ran three, but in the packs I won I cracked a 4th one, so should I find room for him? What about bishop of the bloodstained I run a one of of him to just come down and finish the game but would the deck be better with a 4th seeker? bishop does one extra damage because he counts himself
Also Frontrunner really did some work for me, I found a Mavren (because I already had seeker in my hand) so i was able to pump out tokens, and attack with Mavren because he could pump mavren and protect him when I attacked and made a token. Frontrunner can just grab you a win condition.
Have a good board, grab seeker
Need to just get in and kill them, grab bishop
Grindy game and you need consistent damage, grab twilight prophet
Should I bump him to two? what should I drop for him?
So that's my deck, I'm really proud of this one, would love to hear what you guys think. Welcome! Congratulations! Per Standard Deck Creation Forum Rules, "If you want to post a new thread in this forum, please check and make sure there isn't already a thread on the same topic. If you're unsure, please go ahead and ask." Accordingly merging with the existing BW vampires thread. - hoser2
Personally, I think when it comes to Cast Out/Binding, it's the right move to have a mix. You don't want to be all in on Cast Out or all in on Binding, just to get Binding'd. I've done it to opponents, and seen their faces sink. Also, if you can at all help it, never be the first to Binding.
Do you run into a ton of Gearhulks? I don't think I'd dedicate a sideboard card to removing them specifically. There's plenty of creature kill/artifact hate in black and white that I don't think you have to worry too much about them. In that spot, I'd run something simple like Forsake the Worldly instead. It's a great sideboard card. Permenantly gets rid of artifacts and enchantments and cycles away if you draw it and don't need it.
Instead of Gideon in the Approach match, I think I'd use Lost Legacy. Gideon sits there until your opponent can deal with him, then they Approach. It buys time, and sometimes that's enough, but I'd rather just cast the single Legacy and be done with Approach for the rest of the game. Best time to Approach is after they cast the 1st Approach. They normally won't tap out before that. Not saying they won't, just saying there's plenty of time, so you can be patient.
I think Gifted Aetherborn is good enough to be a main deck 4-of. Lots of aggro in the meta. It's the perfect card to fight those decks.
4th Sanctum Seeker is definitely better than Bishop. More impactful and lowers the curve.
The problem is trying double black on turn two, with white on one, or double white on three. With 3 aether hubs, the best i could do is 18 black sources with12 white, not enough. Even that double counts the hub. The tribal land helps, but it can't cast the enchantment. I think the deck is good, but tier 2 only. Twilight is not a good card, unless you structure your whole deck around her.
Match One
Constricter with splash blue, got close but just didn't get the draws, and he just over ran me with 6/6's and 5/5's and in G3 I went Conquistador, Aetherborne (Got pushed) Aetherborne (Got pushed) and he drew another push and that was pretty much it for me
Match two
Ramunamp Red
New player, didn't really know how to pilot it, but he had the expensive cards, got me close but once sanctum starts the lifegain engine theres just no way he could catch up. 2-0
Match three
Grixis Pirates Sided wrong because i killed him so fast in G1 i thought he was playing control so I took out pushes, he was playing alot of steal cards, hostage taker, kitesail, That black card from kaladesh got my twilight prophet, sided back the pushes and went 2-1
Match four
God Pharoh's gift
G1, killed him really fast
G2, he went off killed me in one turn with combat celebrant chaining, got him down to 1 but he had angel of intervention so even if i did survive he was back up to like 12 also I thought that eternalized tokens had no CMC so i kept pushes in, found out i was wrong the hard way
G3, He referbished, and i immediately casted out GPG (two copies sided in) sanctum seeker, turn dudes sideways, 2-1
Sanctum Seeker IS this he is responsible for 3/4ths of my wins.
Andanto Vangaurd is awesome, the 4 life is nothing to you because he's going to trigger Mavren and give you more lifelinkers, and once seeker is out you're going to gain 4 life a turn
Deck is really playing well, once of the best I've ever made, the sideboard needs work though, Should I slip a solemnity or 2 into it, I have room to cull. Right now it's this
Bishop of the bloodstained I feel is very underratted, if you t4 seeker into t5 bishop, you're dealing like 8-10 damage before combat even takes place, and you may be thinking "Why not just run a 4th seeker" I feel it's worth it as a 1 of because It's one extra damage because he count's himself, that one extra damage means alot, lets you extend your alpha strike another point by letting sanctum himself attack if that one extra point can get you leathal. I feel like it's a debate we should have, like I said i just run a 1 off of him. (Also I have won a game by twilight prophet ripping him off the top for 5 damage)
Sheffet Dunes is awesome won me a game, the black desert is useless, i'm cutting it, and probably going to three shefet dunes when... You know what... comes out
Twilight prophet goes online about 2/3'rds of the time she lands and when she does you're probably going to win, I have one in deck, i have another, should i find a place for her? maybe in SB, what matches is she good in?
Round 2 was against Standard Boogles, things got a little scary, but a deck built around just building up one guy when I have 6-7 guys attacking gave me a real advantage.
Round 3 was the REAL match of the night, a control player who wins alot in the charlotte meta, BW control, not second sun, just a control, gearhulk deck I went 2-1 against him because I got greedy and over attacked into an obvious Settle the Wreckage
It was an easy night, it's not like I'm at the Pro Tour, but It's my first ever FNM win and It just felt really good, so I thought I would make a thread.
So heres my list, I've put alot of thought into this but I know it still needs work.
SIDEBOARD
[card]
4 Duress
3 Cast Out
3 Gideon of the Trials
2 Gifted Aetherborne
1 Fatal Push
2 Dusk Legion Zealot
[/card]
So Viscous Conquistador is an all star, a 2/2 for B, I perfer Duskborne Skymarcher to the 2/1 because having flying early lets you trigger Mavren and it's pump ability comes in useful a lot, protecting Viscous so it can keep pinging though for one, or letting Mavren attack without worrying about losing your token generator.
I'm thinking of running more Dusk Legion Zealot Especially against control, I played him twice and both times that extra card really helped me even though he was only a 1 of when i played tonight, so i bumped him to two in the sideboard. You need card advantage when you play control and I think he can help.
Gideon is there for Approach but i'm thinking of cutting him if you guys can tell me something better, i really want to run dispossess for gearhulk
Duress can just ruin control decks, (I play a lot of control decks in my meta so I got to be prepared for them)
Cast out or binding? I think Binding might be better, but I don't have any...so maybe i should pick them up, because as a heavy aggro deck I tap out every turn anyway so theres no point in having flash.
Gifted Aetherborne for hexproof and things that are hard to kill, plus it's lifelink really helps out
I cut to three fatal pushes because this deck wins on playing lots of threats, really fast, and just over running your opponent, I put the forth push in the sideboard in case i face another heavy aggro deck.
I'm thinking of putting a swamp or two in my sideboard for when I side against control, because I would usually put in duress and zealot, and take out fatal push and adnato vangaurd so my deck leans heavy to black or if I have to side in gifted aetherborne, more heaviness on black, lots of my sideboard cards lean heavy to black
I didn't run into too many mana problems, should I drop Ifnir dreadlands? I shefet dunes has won me multiple games, effectively doubling my attack power, but I have never used Ifnir dreadlands, would swamps suffice? I feel life gain in this deck negates the cost of playing a desert so it's just something that's nice to have.
Should I bump to four sanctum seekers, this guy finishes games, I only had 3 so that's why I only ran three, but in the packs I won I cracked a 4th one, so should I find room for him? What about bishop of the bloodstained I run a one of of him to just come down and finish the game but would the deck be better with a 4th seeker? bishop does one extra damage because he counts himself
Also Frontrunner really did some work for me, I found a Mavren (because I already had seeker in my hand) so i was able to pump out tokens, and attack with Mavren because he could pump mavren and protect him when I attacked and made a token. Frontrunner can just grab you a win condition.
Have a good board, grab seeker
Need to just get in and kill them, grab bishop
Grindy game and you need consistent damage, grab twilight prophet
Should I bump him to two? what should I drop for him?
So that's my deck, I'm really proud of this one, would love to hear what you guys think.
Welcome! Congratulations! Per Standard Deck Creation Forum Rules, "If you want to post a new thread in this forum, please check and make sure there isn't already a thread on the same topic. If you're unsure, please go ahead and ask." Accordingly merging with the existing BW vampires thread. - hoser2
Do you run into a ton of Gearhulks? I don't think I'd dedicate a sideboard card to removing them specifically. There's plenty of creature kill/artifact hate in black and white that I don't think you have to worry too much about them. In that spot, I'd run something simple like Forsake the Worldly instead. It's a great sideboard card. Permenantly gets rid of artifacts and enchantments and cycles away if you draw it and don't need it.
Instead of Gideon in the Approach match, I think I'd use Lost Legacy. Gideon sits there until your opponent can deal with him, then they Approach. It buys time, and sometimes that's enough, but I'd rather just cast the single Legacy and be done with Approach for the rest of the game. Best time to Approach is after they cast the 1st Approach. They normally won't tap out before that. Not saying they won't, just saying there's plenty of time, so you can be patient.
I think Gifted Aetherborn is good enough to be a main deck 4-of. Lots of aggro in the meta. It's the perfect card to fight those decks.
4th Sanctum Seeker is definitely better than Bishop. More impactful and lowers the curve.
Match One
Constricter with splash blue, got close but just didn't get the draws, and he just over ran me with 6/6's and 5/5's and in G3 I went Conquistador, Aetherborne (Got pushed) Aetherborne (Got pushed) and he drew another push and that was pretty much it for me
Match two
Ramunamp Red
New player, didn't really know how to pilot it, but he had the expensive cards, got me close but once sanctum starts the lifegain engine theres just no way he could catch up. 2-0
Match three
Grixis Pirates Sided wrong because i killed him so fast in G1 i thought he was playing control so I took out pushes, he was playing alot of steal cards, hostage taker, kitesail, That black card from kaladesh got my twilight prophet, sided back the pushes and went 2-1
Match four
God Pharoh's gift
G1, killed him really fast
G2, he went off killed me in one turn with combat celebrant chaining, got him down to 1 but he had angel of intervention so even if i did survive he was back up to like 12 also I thought that eternalized tokens had no CMC so i kept pushes in, found out i was wrong the hard way
G3, He referbished, and i immediately casted out GPG (two copies sided in) sanctum seeker, turn dudes sideways, 2-1
Sanctum Seeker IS this he is responsible for 3/4ths of my wins.
Andanto Vangaurd is awesome, the 4 life is nothing to you because he's going to trigger Mavren and give you more lifelinkers, and once seeker is out you're going to gain 4 life a turn
Deck is really playing well, once of the best I've ever made, the sideboard needs work though, Should I slip a solemnity or 2 into it, I have room to cull. Right now it's this
Bishop of the bloodstained I feel is very underratted, if you t4 seeker into t5 bishop, you're dealing like 8-10 damage before combat even takes place, and you may be thinking "Why not just run a 4th seeker" I feel it's worth it as a 1 of because It's one extra damage because he count's himself, that one extra damage means alot, lets you extend your alpha strike another point by letting sanctum himself attack if that one extra point can get you leathal. I feel like it's a debate we should have, like I said i just run a 1 off of him. (Also I have won a game by twilight prophet ripping him off the top for 5 damage)
Sheffet Dunes is awesome won me a game, the black desert is useless, i'm cutting it, and probably going to three shefet dunes when... You know what... comes out
Twilight prophet goes online about 2/3'rds of the time she lands and when she does you're probably going to win, I have one in deck, i have another, should i find a place for her? maybe in SB, what matches is she good in?
So that's my report, this deck is really being good to me, I can't belive i beat God Pharos Gift that felt really good.