I run 2 decays MD. Pulse and Path are in the 3-removals slots, like Dismember, Slaughter Pact,... I wouldn't advise you to play my personal preference of removal spells if you don't feel like it's the way to go for your list and field. GR Tron is not the only reason why I'm among those who like Path.
Stain the Mind is in testing for me, the targets against Tron would be Karn and Oblivion Stone, but certainly not Emrakul, unless I know he can cast it on the next turn. If I have Sigarda on the board, then Emrakul and Karn are slightly less of a problem, I would rather choose Wurmcoil or Oblivion Stone.
Other cards like Phyrexian Revoker, Hex Parasite and Vampire Hexmage can be an option, as they hose any PW, and here can be used against Oblivion Stones. But aaaaaall these dozens of cards don't really save this horrible MU...
Oh and I bring in Thrun, the last troll too. He's immune to Stone, Karn, stops Wurmcoil. Even better VS U-tron !
I would suggest to bring out Eternal Witness as you won't have much to get back because of Relic + Torpor Orb.
I just sent a message to Lectrys about Stain the Mind, as I believe it's a great answer to Karn. I run Maelstrom Pulse and Path to Exile as excellent removals against Wurmcoil. These 3 cards I'm talking about aren't narrow, they are playable in multiple MUs.
I say that because cards like Gaddock Teeg and others you mentionned are narrow. Also cards like Fulminator Mage don't really help unless you play 3, which is a huge concession to other MUs.
I tried Sigarda, Host of Herons but she dies to Oblivion Stone. She's good against Lili decks and Living End, but I suppose Stain the Mind would do better.
I'll tend to agree with you ! Especially playing 3. It seems very blindfolded towards land denial strategies : Merfolk, Living End, Tron (Karn), Hatebears, and I surely forget a few. How many matches ask for the untapped land at that exact turn not to lose ?
Besides mana requirements that change according to the creatures we play, I could see myself increasing basics up to 6-7 and prefer Sunpetal Grove / Woodland Cemetery over Thicket. Is it foolish ? Is it Greedy ?
For 8rack, side in entomber exarch, obstinate baloth, reclamation sage, sin collector. Rest depends on your board. I side out shriekmaw, path to exile, and 2 chords.
I also bring in Lingering Souls and Sigarda. I tend to get rid of Wall of Roots as I also bring out Chords, Spellskite and Linvala don't do much.
If you just want a big unkillable hammer to close out games with, Sigarda, Host of Herons is miles better because she's evasive and a faster clock
Well, I would say she serves a different purpose than just being a hexproof beater. You play Sigarda to give yourself an edge against Liliana decks, Living End, Tron, but she gets countered and killed by wraths in the UWx Match-ups...
Thrun stands as the ultimate weapon against UWx and dies to only 1 wrath spell that doesn't even see play in all the lists (even though it probably should). Cryptic Command is the other card to be aware of.
Meso94, Thrun is a SB card, unless you expect an abnormal controlish field. Playing him on turn 3 is the worst thing a blue mage wants to face.
DeadManSeven, I don't think you'd chord into Thrun anyway, because you'd probably wouldn't keep your Chords against counterspell decks. Would you ?
Thrun is also the best card you can Pod into in this MU, the fact you have a Pod into play doesn't give you the win, it doesn't help you race against a Colonnade. A "similar" argument has been used by some people to consider Restoration Angel as a bad card in Pod : the fact we don't take advantage of Flash would make the Angel a bad target for Pod. Nevertheless, it's a current staple in Angel Pod decks and has always been a good card for the deck overall.
Any of you have found burn matchup difficult? I'm thinking about a Kor firewalker in side.
I prefer Burrenton as he stops Anger of the Gods, doesn't care about Skullcrack, is easier to cast, protects other key creatures on your side, and I probably forget other utilities that Firewalker doesn't have. That one favorably trades against Goblin Guide and that's pretty much it.
I do not believe the MU is bad for us, Angel Pod is probably the better positionned though, since it has nearly 8 cards that gain you life in the 75. Then it depends whether you're grindy with your Pods, untapped lands and potential Dismembers.
I would say Angel Pod with MD Thoughtseize (and disruption creatures), Restoration Angel and Spike Feeder as additional protections (respectively flicker effect and +1/+1 counter) is an acceptable shell for a Fiend Hunter constantly under the spotlight of the next removal. The idea your opponent can time his removal right when he wants to get his creature back is an issue though. Shriekmaw, Big Game Hunter and Nekrataal don't let you worry about the common shenanigans.
I would say Melira Pod isn't suited for Fiend Hunter at all, whereas Kiki-Pod is.
@Tupie-san : Get rid of Ranger of Eos. Pilgrims are poor targets in comparison to hierarchs, plus you don't have Viscera Seer. All in all, what is the point ? If you want a value card in the same slot, put Entomber Exarch instead : he works well with Resto, comboes with Lark (as Witness does) and does the job Sin Collector does in usual Angel Pod lists.
I wouldn't go under 6 copies of tutor cards. 4 Pods + 2 Chord is usual in Angel Pod. Why do you run only 5 ?
The wooded foothills are not the right fetches in this deck, is it a mistake ?
What is the Cavalier for ?
Linvala has to be somewhere in the 75 !
Last but not least, with new fetches I suggest to prepare yourself to a huge popularity of Kiki Pod and Pods in general, where the new Anafenza would be a nice slot in the SB (filling the entomber exarch slot if you followed my previous suggestion).
Wouldn't Ajani be just mono-white ? We notice several things in the current format :
- white devotion is the only colour that don't perform well. It seems like we miss (at least) a strong mid-curve card to allow the archetype.
- we already have an aggro Ajani (he used to be a midrange PW twice before the current one we know), and we have Elspeth as a control PW.
- According to the storyline, Ajani might become stronger than ever, and complete the cycle of the major PWs reaching the 5 mana cost step, finally.
- Ajani has to be hard to cast enough so that UW don't use him as a 3rd staple PW.
With all that in mind, I would like to see something like this :
Ajani, ~~ 2WWW
+1: creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain lifelink until end of turn.
-2: exile target non-land permanent your opponent controls until Ajani, ~~ leaves the battlefield.
-6: Choose a color. You get an emblem with “Creatures you control have protection from the chosen color.”
Loyalty : 3
The 1st ability may look underwhelming, but a white devotion strategy would involve Precinct Captain, Heliod, Assemble the Legion, Evangel of Heliod, etc... so cards that generate tokens. From that statement, a team pump would be pretty strong, leaving Ajani to a decent but not OP 4 loyalty count.
The 2nd ability has to be strong since we paid 5 mana to cast him. By exiling a card, we keep the flavor intact, in the same shape as Swords to plowshares, Banisher Priest and Chained to the Rocks. The permanent has to come back when Ajani leaves the battlefield, otherwise we get to close to a golgari-like ability (Maelstrom Pulse, Abrupt Decay, Vraska). Again, Ajani makes creatures hs prisoners, he can shatter a Detention Sphere as the savior cleric he's supposed to be... quite flavorful. The downside is this ability would be too repetitive in the format, somewhat OP for a white devo deck.
Taking Garruk, Primal Hunter as an example, the ultimate has to be a game-breaker and a rather short clock for the opponent. Indestructibility or maybe protection of a chosen color may work. Not very original though. But creatures being protected from a chosen color, Ajani could die with no huge downside.
Overall, I don't see Ajani involve enchantments since he never did, even though the weird exceptions that Ajani Vengeant and Tezzeret are may let us think it's possible. I'd be disappointed in such a case.
Stain the Mind is in testing for me, the targets against Tron would be Karn and Oblivion Stone, but certainly not Emrakul, unless I know he can cast it on the next turn. If I have Sigarda on the board, then Emrakul and Karn are slightly less of a problem, I would rather choose Wurmcoil or Oblivion Stone.
Other cards like Phyrexian Revoker, Hex Parasite and Vampire Hexmage can be an option, as they hose any PW, and here can be used against Oblivion Stones. But aaaaaall these dozens of cards don't really save this horrible MU...
Oh and I bring in Thrun, the last troll too. He's immune to Stone, Karn, stops Wurmcoil. Even better VS U-tron !
I would suggest to bring out Eternal Witness as you won't have much to get back because of Relic + Torpor Orb.
I just sent a message to Lectrys about Stain the Mind, as I believe it's a great answer to Karn. I run Maelstrom Pulse and Path to Exile as excellent removals against Wurmcoil. These 3 cards I'm talking about aren't narrow, they are playable in multiple MUs.
I say that because cards like Gaddock Teeg and others you mentionned are narrow. Also cards like Fulminator Mage don't really help unless you play 3, which is a huge concession to other MUs.
I tried Sigarda, Host of Herons but she dies to Oblivion Stone. She's good against Lili decks and Living End, but I suppose Stain the Mind would do better.
Besides mana requirements that change according to the creatures we play, I could see myself increasing basics up to 6-7 and prefer Sunpetal Grove / Woodland Cemetery over Thicket. Is it foolish ? Is it Greedy ?
I also bring in Lingering Souls and Sigarda. I tend to get rid of Wall of Roots as I also bring out Chords, Spellskite and Linvala don't do much.
Well, I would say she serves a different purpose than just being a hexproof beater. You play Sigarda to give yourself an edge against Liliana decks, Living End, Tron, but she gets countered and killed by wraths in the UWx Match-ups...
Thrun stands as the ultimate weapon against UWx and dies to only 1 wrath spell that doesn't even see play in all the lists (even though it probably should). Cryptic Command is the other card to be aware of.
Meso94, Thrun is a SB card, unless you expect an abnormal controlish field. Playing him on turn 3 is the worst thing a blue mage wants to face.
DeadManSeven, I don't think you'd chord into Thrun anyway, because you'd probably wouldn't keep your Chords against counterspell decks. Would you ?
Thrun is also the best card you can Pod into in this MU, the fact you have a Pod into play doesn't give you the win, it doesn't help you race against a Colonnade. A "similar" argument has been used by some people to consider Restoration Angel as a bad card in Pod : the fact we don't take advantage of Flash would make the Angel a bad target for Pod. Nevertheless, it's a current staple in Angel Pod decks and has always been a good card for the deck overall.
I prefer Burrenton as he stops Anger of the Gods, doesn't care about Skullcrack, is easier to cast, protects other key creatures on your side, and I probably forget other utilities that Firewalker doesn't have. That one favorably trades against Goblin Guide and that's pretty much it.
I do not believe the MU is bad for us, Angel Pod is probably the better positionned though, since it has nearly 8 cards that gain you life in the 75. Then it depends whether you're grindy with your Pods, untapped lands and potential Dismembers.
I would say Melira Pod isn't suited for Fiend Hunter at all, whereas Kiki-Pod is.
I wouldn't go under 6 copies of tutor cards. 4 Pods + 2 Chord is usual in Angel Pod. Why do you run only 5 ?
The wooded foothills are not the right fetches in this deck, is it a mistake ?
What is the Cavalier for ?
Linvala has to be somewhere in the 75 !
Last but not least, with new fetches I suggest to prepare yourself to a huge popularity of Kiki Pod and Pods in general, where the new Anafenza would be a nice slot in the SB (filling the entomber exarch slot if you followed my previous suggestion).
I noticed the picture for Courser of Kruphix doesn't work. The link of the pic is http://i.imgur.com/m8osVH9.jpg.
Thanks !
- white devotion is the only colour that don't perform well. It seems like we miss (at least) a strong mid-curve card to allow the archetype.
- we already have an aggro Ajani (he used to be a midrange PW twice before the current one we know), and we have Elspeth as a control PW.
- According to the storyline, Ajani might become stronger than ever, and complete the cycle of the major PWs reaching the 5 mana cost step, finally.
- Ajani has to be hard to cast enough so that UW don't use him as a 3rd staple PW.
With all that in mind, I would like to see something like this :
Ajani, ~~ 2WWW
+1: creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain lifelink until end of turn.
-2: exile target non-land permanent your opponent controls until Ajani, ~~ leaves the battlefield.
-6: Choose a color. You get an emblem with “Creatures you control have protection from the chosen color.”
Loyalty : 3
The 1st ability may look underwhelming, but a white devotion strategy would involve Precinct Captain, Heliod, Assemble the Legion, Evangel of Heliod, etc... so cards that generate tokens. From that statement, a team pump would be pretty strong, leaving Ajani to a decent but not OP 4 loyalty count.
The 2nd ability has to be strong since we paid 5 mana to cast him. By exiling a card, we keep the flavor intact, in the same shape as Swords to plowshares, Banisher Priest and Chained to the Rocks. The permanent has to come back when Ajani leaves the battlefield, otherwise we get to close to a golgari-like ability (Maelstrom Pulse, Abrupt Decay, Vraska). Again, Ajani makes creatures hs prisoners, he can shatter a Detention Sphere as the savior cleric he's supposed to be... quite flavorful. The downside is this ability would be too repetitive in the format, somewhat OP for a white devo deck.
Taking Garruk, Primal Hunter as an example, the ultimate has to be a game-breaker and a rather short clock for the opponent. Indestructibility or maybe protection of a chosen color may work. Not very original though. But creatures being protected from a chosen color, Ajani could die with no huge downside.
Overall, I don't see Ajani involve enchantments since he never did, even though the weird exceptions that Ajani Vengeant and Tezzeret are may let us think it's possible. I'd be disappointed in such a case.