Why are you bringing in shackles? Stealing an asuza or something isn't the game plan, and I'm not tapping out for a shackles when they can play titan. 6 Islands is a lot, anyway.
Spellskite also seems really narrow. Only uses that come to mind are redirecting lands that target titan (where if Titan is attacking, you have probably lost or are very close to it), redirecting seal targeting blood moon, or the one-of slaughter pact. The rest I agree with. Also bring in clique if there are any in the sideboard.
I was an early adopter of Keranos and I can say that in my experience he is the nuts in any attrition-based matchup. BGx decks typically just fold to him as many decks have ZERO answers once he is resolved.
If you want it for BGx, couldn't Honden of Seeing Winds be just better? Bolt's don't really kill their creatures.
Does anyone think Tron would do well at my local meta?
3 x Melira Pod
1 x Kiki Pod
2 x URW Control
1 x Ninja Delver
2 x Delver
1 x Merfolk
1 x Assault Loam Delver
1 x Blue Moon
1 x Mono Black Control
1 x Big Zoo
1 x Glittering Wish
1 x Hatebears
1 x Jund
The good players being the ones piloting assault loam delver, jund, blue moon and one of the melira pod players.
Thoughts?
Did you forget twin, or do you really have zero twin players? It's over 30% of the field here. I guess if you have none then that's one good reason to play tron.
Took second today with a loss to GB rock. Seemed like a tough matchup, but I was really happy with replacing Probes with Cliques.
I also replaced electrolyze with a desolate lighthouse, but I haven't gotten any use out of either of those cards in the 9 rounds I played yesterday and today.
I really didn't mean to get into an argument over the value of FDS. I thought:
+ This burn deck wants to have a 2 power one-drop in against MBD and UW in order to apply pressure.
+ FDS is available out of the SB for this.
+ FDS is relegated to the SB because it is dangerous to play vs aggro decks (and decks that have damage based removal).
+ Cackler does not suffer from this problem.
+ Maybe it would be good to play Cackler because then we can have a one-drop in game one against the decks we want to have one.
+ True, Cackler can be dead, but in that case it is just a one-drop when we might not have otherwise had a turn one play. (From memory, the only other turn 1 option is Shock.)
In a burn deck where cackler does no damage, it might as well have been a mull to 6.
I've been unimpressed with assemble the legion (losing 3/4 games after it resolved- and the win was only on a series of my opponent's misplays). I removed both and replaced them with an additional elspeth and a stormbreath dragon. They just impact the board a lot faster, and stormbreath wins a lot of games on his own. And I'm going to try out Brimaz tonight instead of Boros Reckoner. He gets more damage out of purphoros with his tokens but makes it harder to reach 5 red devotion, so I'm not sure if it's a good decision yet. Also I have cut mutavaults because I have cards requiring double red and double white on turn 3. In place of the fourth reckoner I have added a third mainboard chain to the rocks. Since mono black has been my recent losses (all very close) and control has been free wins, I think this is fine. Also seems fine in the pseudo-mirror vs burn or devotion, which have also been very close matches.
I've been tweaking the sideboard for awhile and each card has a specific purpose.
Shock- new addition, seems it could give me a slight edge vs RDW since I have so few one-drops
Chained- mono black (usually demons), GR, mono blue, GW
Pithing Needle- turn off jace or pack rat, usually. Has won many games for me.
Glare- removal spell vs white weenie, also hits elspeth vs control. I don't really care about enchantments because I want to win before assemble matters, and connections should be boarded out against me. Maybe I want revoke existence for thassa? Haven't even played against mono blue in 4-5 events so I'm not sure.
Stormbreath- just great in a lot of matchups, don't think I need to validate this.
Last Breath- fine against white weenie, where I take on the control role. Also hits MoW or spectre against mono blue.
Anger- again, white weenie, just wins the game if it hits 2-3 creatures.
Helix- Added another of these for the pseudo-mirror, these would have won me games in the past if I had more of them.
Feel free to direct me to another thread if this isn't aggro enough, but I couldn't find a better place for it and it's not devotion either. It plays really aggro in some matchups and more midrange/control in others. Pyromaster/burn/phoenix have closed out games very quickly for me, and I can also gain card advantage through Chandra, while purphoros and elspeth ensure I don't run out of gas. Purphoros takes a lot to turn on in this deck, but every creature and elspeth work very well with him. A lightning strike with pyromancer and purphoros in play is 5 damage plus a token. Phoenix can keep coming back for 2+2. Brimaz block and attacks for a guaranteed 2 damage. Elspeth +1 is 6 damage.
And to the person above asking about the new phoenix- I think playing chandra's phoenix with stormbreath is just better. Pro white is very relevant, and don't forget about monstrosity. Chandra's attacks on turn 3 for 2, stormbreath hits on turn 5 for 4. Flamewreath hits on turn 4 for 3 or turn 5 for 5- your opponent's choice. I think chandra/purphoros/helix are all better turn 4 plays.
That reminds me - Can anyone convince me of why I should play the single birchlore rangers? Most people do, but I don't see the appeal. I must be missing something.
i really love this deck, i almost finished the budget part of NO elves, and i started to collect the upgrades for the combo version. i only have one question, why is the non-basic land count that high, when fetch lands only can fetch forests, dual lands, which in most list only counts, 4-6.. i just don't see the math in it.
Using my list for example, since it's pretty standard. You can fetch a forest, two bayous, a taiga, and two dryad arbors. Why would you need to fetch more than this? If you draw more fetchlands than that, you've probably lost.
Why are you bringing in shackles? Stealing an asuza or something isn't the game plan, and I'm not tapping out for a shackles when they can play titan. 6 Islands is a lot, anyway.
Spellskite also seems really narrow. Only uses that come to mind are redirecting lands that target titan (where if Titan is attacking, you have probably lost or are very close to it), redirecting seal targeting blood moon, or the one-of slaughter pact. The rest I agree with. Also bring in clique if there are any in the sideboard.
If you want it for BGx, couldn't Honden of Seeing Winds be just better? Bolt's don't really kill their creatures.
GR tron, scapeshift.
Did you forget twin, or do you really have zero twin players? It's over 30% of the field here. I guess if you have none then that's one good reason to play tron.
I also replaced electrolyze with a desolate lighthouse, but I haven't gotten any use out of either of those cards in the 9 rounds I played yesterday and today.
Frequently? Did it happen at any time other than the game against blue moon?
Countering a terminus sounds good.
In a burn deck where cackler does no damage, it might as well have been a mull to 6.
4 Temple of Triumph
4 Sacred Foundry
2 Boros Guildgate
11 Mountain
4 Plains
20 Creatures/Planeswalkers
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Chandra's Phoenix
3 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
2 Purphoros, God of the Forge
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
3 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
3 Chained to the Rocks
4 Lightning Strike
4 Magma Jet
2 Mizzium Mortars
2 Warleader's Helix
1 Shock
1 Chained to the Rocks
2 Pithing Needle
2 Glare of Heresy
1 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Last Breath
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Mizzium Mortars
2 Warleader's Helix
I've been unimpressed with assemble the legion (losing 3/4 games after it resolved- and the win was only on a series of my opponent's misplays). I removed both and replaced them with an additional elspeth and a stormbreath dragon. They just impact the board a lot faster, and stormbreath wins a lot of games on his own. And I'm going to try out Brimaz tonight instead of Boros Reckoner. He gets more damage out of purphoros with his tokens but makes it harder to reach 5 red devotion, so I'm not sure if it's a good decision yet. Also I have cut mutavaults because I have cards requiring double red and double white on turn 3. In place of the fourth reckoner I have added a third mainboard chain to the rocks. Since mono black has been my recent losses (all very close) and control has been free wins, I think this is fine. Also seems fine in the pseudo-mirror vs burn or devotion, which have also been very close matches.
I've been tweaking the sideboard for awhile and each card has a specific purpose.
Shock- new addition, seems it could give me a slight edge vs RDW since I have so few one-drops
Chained- mono black (usually demons), GR, mono blue, GW
Pithing Needle- turn off jace or pack rat, usually. Has won many games for me.
Glare- removal spell vs white weenie, also hits elspeth vs control. I don't really care about enchantments because I want to win before assemble matters, and connections should be boarded out against me. Maybe I want revoke existence for thassa? Haven't even played against mono blue in 4-5 events so I'm not sure.
Stormbreath- just great in a lot of matchups, don't think I need to validate this.
Last Breath- fine against white weenie, where I take on the control role. Also hits MoW or spectre against mono blue.
Anger- again, white weenie, just wins the game if it hits 2-3 creatures.
Helix- Added another of these for the pseudo-mirror, these would have won me games in the past if I had more of them.
Feel free to direct me to another thread if this isn't aggro enough, but I couldn't find a better place for it and it's not devotion either. It plays really aggro in some matchups and more midrange/control in others. Pyromaster/burn/phoenix have closed out games very quickly for me, and I can also gain card advantage through Chandra, while purphoros and elspeth ensure I don't run out of gas. Purphoros takes a lot to turn on in this deck, but every creature and elspeth work very well with him. A lightning strike with pyromancer and purphoros in play is 5 damage plus a token. Phoenix can keep coming back for 2+2. Brimaz block and attacks for a guaranteed 2 damage. Elspeth +1 is 6 damage.
And to the person above asking about the new phoenix- I think playing chandra's phoenix with stormbreath is just better. Pro white is very relevant, and don't forget about monstrosity. Chandra's attacks on turn 3 for 2, stormbreath hits on turn 5 for 4. Flamewreath hits on turn 4 for 3 or turn 5 for 5- your opponent's choice. I think chandra/purphoros/helix are all better turn 4 plays.
Using my list for example, since it's pretty standard. You can fetch a forest, two bayous, a taiga, and two dryad arbors. Why would you need to fetch more than this? If you draw more fetchlands than that, you've probably lost.