Played against a couple zombies, a couple God-Pharoah, GB energy, a couple brews, and several rounds against R/G Ramp. The ramp deck was the only rough matchup for me, I'm considering adding Summary Dismissal to the sideboard to help against Ulamog. Everything else was very one-sided. Lots of cheap removal for the early game, card draw for mid, which snowballs into a wide array of powerful threats. The planeswalkers are great, Nicol Bolas is pretty much an auto-win if it comes down. I tend to side out Jace and sometimes Nicol Bolas against aggro because they can be a bit slow. Glorybringer and Thing in the Ice were also fantastic out of the sideboard. Crook of Condemnation was also fun tech against Zombies, God-Pharoah, etc.
Oh, as far as mana goes, not really an issue. This is basically a U/R deck with a light white splash and one black card, so after tweaking the mana base a bit, I feel good about it.
Got second place on Game Day. Was worried about Ramanap Red, but it didn't show up. Beat Zombies in a tight game that was only tight cause I got mana screwed, but stabilized at 2 life. Beat R/W midrange aggro. And G/B energy. Drew into top 4. Beat R/G Pummeler then lost to the same G/B energy in the finals, or rather lost to my missing early land drops and couldn't pull back into the game when I finally did get them.
I put in more removal against the red decks, but they really worked out in all the games really. I like this main deck a lot. Sideboard needs work. Never got matched up against one of the control decks so Negates and Dragonmasters never came in. And no red so no reason to bring in the Familiar.
It seems like a pretty good card to slow them down. Not only does it trade with most of the cards in their deck, but the ability to just cash in energy to make thopters in response to a kill spell or a falter effect means you should be able to generate some advantage from the whole exchange. I wouldn't lean on it too much, though - any player worth their salt will just point a kill spell at it with the "gain 3 energy" trigger is on the stack, so you're not going to want to play this into an opponent with 1R up. It seems like a solid SB card.
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Top 16 - 2012 Indiana State Championships Currently Playing: GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
He went 3-0-1 in the swiss beating UB Colossus, R/W Burn, and RB mid-range. He lost in the quarters, ending up with a couple of unfortunate games. After he was able to stop everything his opponent played and hopefully stabalize, his Temur Energy opponent top-decks a Glorybringer to beat for 3 turns and steal the first game while he was drawing lands. He then drew very few lands in the second game and couldn't come back.
He ran over the Colossus deck (was able to ultimate both Chandra and Liliana), won 2-1 against the R/W Burn deck, and won a close 2-1 against the RB list. In his 2nd game he was down to 2 (with his opponent still at 20). He played Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh which got him back in the game with a couple of nice +2 activations. The first one got his opponent's Chandra, Torch of Defiance to zap the only creature he had on board, a Glint-Sleeve Siphoner (which his lone Gearhulk couldn't block and would've killed him). He then nabbed a Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet to start climbing back and with a 7 shot from Bolas during his main with his board full, his opponent conceded.
The rubber match wasn't as lopsided, but it was still close. His opponent was at 7 and he was at 4 with a Wandering Fumarole available to block and all of his mana available. His opponent had an Earthshaker Khenra in the yard and goes to Eternalize the Khenra. He Disallows the activation, flashes in a Gearhulk and wins.
The Fatal Pushes were great, but he would probably switch out a Magma Spray for the fourth one (we were expecting more Ramunap Red, but only 2 people played it over the whole weekend). Censors weren't that great. Having the right timing usually wasn't there. Collective Brutality was great though and he used it multiple times in multiple ways. I watched him a couple times discard a land and an instant to get the full value right then to be able to Gearhulk the instant back at another time. In one play against the RB deck it saved him at least 7 potential damage (killed an Earthshaker, gained 2, and removed an Incendiary Flow).
He didn't say much about the rest, but I'll ask him for further information and update.
This going to sound strange but I am really likeing my maindeck glorybringers. I like them much more than maindeck planeswalkers, it is very hard to protect walkers (so much haste, manlands and recursion) and one of our main wrath kills our own (non-bolas)walkers it makes that even harder than usual.
Worst case senario its opponent loses 4 life, a creature and a card in hand. That is more than a chandra can do in a single turn. Best case your opponent misses on removal for a turn or two and you just run away with the game. The downside is that it can be hit with grasp that would otherwise be dead. Collecive defiance and maybe unlicensed disintergration can damage walkers. With abrades everywhere and people with plenty of chumps, I am not really liking Gearhulk beatdown and a way to win.
So can someone tell me what the plan is or line of thinking, as to when you try to stick a gearhulk in the control mirrors? I am awful at the mirror match. I'm aware that you never want to be the one who starts being the aggressor but does that mean you just hold the Gearhulk?
That's a hard question to ask because there really is no set answer. I mean there's the easy situations, when they tap out on their turn for starters. But for not so straight forward situations it is almost a game of poker. You have to read your opponents play to figure if they have the counter in hand. Or test the waters with a Glimmer or two (not always an indicator), play to try and run them out of cards, or as a 6 mana counterspell.
The best plan you can make ahead of time is get as many lands on the board as possible and go from there. The general rule of thumb is, don't try to go first. Exceptions for a EOT turn 4 Glimmer or a turn 6 Dragonmaster Outcast.
Of course, it's also not as difficult as it sounds. We don't run as many counters as control decks of formats past. My current configuration of the deck only runs 8 and 2 of those are Censor. Running them out of counterspells will be easier, though Abrade could be considered a psuedo counterspell, if only because you do get to flash something back.
So there were two URx control decks that managed to Top16 the SCG Classic this weekend, and since Ramunap Red's meta share has crashed I think our chances of doing well against a mostly open field are better. Abrade is still a constant thorn in our side, but with smart play and good awareness of your local meta this deck can go places and do some things.
What I am noticing from the decks that are placing is they tend to have the same shape. 9-10 spot kill spells, 3 sweepers, 8-9 draw spells, 8-10 counterspells. Then 4 gearhulk, Bolas if you're on that plan, and 25-26 lands. A more consistent framework should lead to more consistency and better results as we proceed.
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Top 16 - 2012 Indiana State Championships Currently Playing: GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
I recently won game day going undefeated. also just 4-0 at fnm last week so I'll post my list
when I get home.
currently the decks I usually face are
ramunap red
temur energy
black green energy
zombies.
I feel like Jeskai control might be the way to go in a heavy aggro meta. The incidental life gain you can get from white seems like it would matter. Things like Authority of the Consuls and Blessed Alliance. Has anyone tried Jeskai lately?
I recently won game day going undefeated. also just 4-0 at fnm last week so I'll post my list
when I get home.
currently the decks I usually face are
ramunap red
temur energy
black green energy
zombies.
Due to a series of unfortunate actions on my part I ended up as thread owner. I haven't been playing this deck and haven't made the primer this thread deserves. If someone wants to take that on, they could start a thread in New Card Discussion, which could become the new URx Control thread post-rotation.
Just to make it official, after rotation the thread started by Schreckstoff will be the active URx thread and this one will be archived. It probably makes sense for discussion to occur there. Thanks! - hoser2
4x Torrential Gearhulk
Spells (30)
4x Glimmer of Genius
4x Harnessed Lightning
4x Magma Spray
3x Abrade
3x Sweltering Suns
3x Censor
2x Disallow
2x Essence Scatter
2x Supreme Will
2x Hieroglyphic Illumination
1x Hour of Devastation
4x Wandering Fumerole
4x Spirebluff Canal
4x Aether Hub
5x Mountain
9x Island
3x Thing in the Ice
3x Whirler Virtuoso
3x Negate
2x Dragonmaster Outcast
2x Hour of Devastation
1x Chandra's Defeat
1x Filigree Familiar
I put in more removal against the red decks, but they really worked out in all the games really. I like this main deck a lot. Sideboard needs work. Never got matched up against one of the control decks so Negates and Dragonmasters never came in. And no red so no reason to bring in the Familiar.
It seems like a pretty good card to slow them down. Not only does it trade with most of the cards in their deck, but the ability to just cash in energy to make thopters in response to a kill spell or a falter effect means you should be able to generate some advantage from the whole exchange. I wouldn't lean on it too much, though - any player worth their salt will just point a kill spell at it with the "gain 3 energy" trigger is on the stack, so you're not going to want to play this into an opponent with 1R up. It seems like a solid SB card.
Currently Playing:
GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG
RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR
RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Clan Contest 3 Mafia - Mafia Co-MVP
His list:
2 Torrential Gearhulk
2 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 Magma Spray
2 Harnessed Lightning
1 Radiant Flames
2 Abrade
3 Fatal Push
2 Collective Brutality
2 Negate
2 Disallow
2 Censor
2 Essence Scatter
2 Anticipate
1 Pull from Tomorrow
3 Glimmer of Genius
4 Aether Hub
2 Wandering Fumarole
3 Spirebluff Canal
1 Fetid Pools
1 Canyon Slough
2 Choked Estuary
2 Foreboding Ruins
2 Swamp
2 Mountain
7 Island
2 Confiscation Coup
2 Shock
1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
1 Dispossess
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Grasp of Darkness
2 Transgress the Mind
1 Dispel
1 Radiant Flames
1 Hour of Devastation
He went 3-0-1 in the swiss beating UB Colossus, R/W Burn, and RB mid-range. He lost in the quarters, ending up with a couple of unfortunate games. After he was able to stop everything his opponent played and hopefully stabalize, his Temur Energy opponent top-decks a Glorybringer to beat for 3 turns and steal the first game while he was drawing lands. He then drew very few lands in the second game and couldn't come back.
He ran over the Colossus deck (was able to ultimate both Chandra and Liliana), won 2-1 against the R/W Burn deck, and won a close 2-1 against the RB list. In his 2nd game he was down to 2 (with his opponent still at 20). He played Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh which got him back in the game with a couple of nice +2 activations. The first one got his opponent's Chandra, Torch of Defiance to zap the only creature he had on board, a Glint-Sleeve Siphoner (which his lone Gearhulk couldn't block and would've killed him). He then nabbed a Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet to start climbing back and with a 7 shot from Bolas during his main with his board full, his opponent conceded.
The rubber match wasn't as lopsided, but it was still close. His opponent was at 7 and he was at 4 with a Wandering Fumarole available to block and all of his mana available. His opponent had an Earthshaker Khenra in the yard and goes to Eternalize the Khenra. He Disallows the activation, flashes in a Gearhulk and wins.
The Fatal Pushes were great, but he would probably switch out a Magma Spray for the fourth one (we were expecting more Ramunap Red, but only 2 people played it over the whole weekend). Censors weren't that great. Having the right timing usually wasn't there.
Collective Brutality was great though and he used it multiple times in multiple ways. I watched him a couple times discard a land and an instant to get the full value right then to be able to Gearhulk the instant back at another time. In one play against the RB deck it saved him at least 7 potential damage (killed an Earthshaker, gained 2, and removed an Incendiary Flow).
He didn't say much about the rest, but I'll ask him for further information and update.
Have fun!
Worst case senario its opponent loses 4 life, a creature and a card in hand. That is more than a chandra can do in a single turn. Best case your opponent misses on removal for a turn or two and you just run away with the game. The downside is that it can be hit with grasp that would otherwise be dead. Collecive defiance and maybe unlicensed disintergration can damage walkers. With abrades everywhere and people with plenty of chumps, I am not really liking Gearhulk beatdown and a way to win.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
That's a hard question to ask because there really is no set answer. I mean there's the easy situations, when they tap out on their turn for starters. But for not so straight forward situations it is almost a game of poker. You have to read your opponents play to figure if they have the counter in hand. Or test the waters with a Glimmer or two (not always an indicator), play to try and run them out of cards, or as a 6 mana counterspell.
The best plan you can make ahead of time is get as many lands on the board as possible and go from there. The general rule of thumb is, don't try to go first. Exceptions for a EOT turn 4 Glimmer or a turn 6 Dragonmaster Outcast.
Of course, it's also not as difficult as it sounds. We don't run as many counters as control decks of formats past. My current configuration of the deck only runs 8 and 2 of those are Censor. Running them out of counterspells will be easier, though Abrade could be considered a psuedo counterspell, if only because you do get to flash something back.
What I am noticing from the decks that are placing is they tend to have the same shape. 9-10 spot kill spells, 3 sweepers, 8-9 draw spells, 8-10 counterspells. Then 4 gearhulk, Bolas if you're on that plan, and 25-26 lands. A more consistent framework should lead to more consistency and better results as we proceed.
Currently Playing:
GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG
RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR
RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Clan Contest 3 Mafia - Mafia Co-MVP
when I get home.
currently the decks I usually face are
ramunap red
temur energy
black green energy
zombies.
so pretty much everything tier 1.
Due to a series of unfortunate actions on my part I ended up as thread owner. I haven't been playing this deck and haven't made the primer this thread deserves. If someone wants to take that on, they could start a thread in New Card Discussion, which could become the new URx Control thread post-rotation.
RNA Standard: Grixis Midrange, Jund Deathwhirler, Sultai Vannifar
GRN Standard: Red Midrange, Mono-Blue Tempo, Wr Aggro, Gruul Experimental Dinosaurs, Sultai Midrange, Jeskai Midrange
Modern: Bant Spirits
Forcing a single archetype in all formats: too many colors, bad mana.
RNA Standard: Grixis Midrange, Jund Deathwhirler, Sultai Vannifar
GRN Standard: Red Midrange, Mono-Blue Tempo, Wr Aggro, Gruul Experimental Dinosaurs, Sultai Midrange, Jeskai Midrange
Modern: Bant Spirits
Forcing a single archetype in all formats: too many colors, bad mana.