Here's the list that I'm taking with me to GP Seattle/Tacoma this weekend. There's been a lot of speculation amongst our playgroups that Shardless BUG is gonna be in full force there. And as a result, I expect to find a few more Burn decks out in the field to take advantage of Price of Progress. Because of this, I've decided to sideboard 3 Dragon's Claw. What do you all think of it?
I've tried to make this as tempo-based as I possibly can, by playing as few non-instant cards that I can get away with. I use Disperse to great effect in here. It makes easy work of Hangarback Walker, a beefed up Nantuko Husk, and it stops the Atarka Red strategy dead in its tracks.
Honored Hierarch is the real deal. Nobody ever looks twice at him, and he always gets a free hit in. Which in turn makes it super easy to get mana online, and to have a nice little beater chipping away at life totals (especially against control decks who don't wanna spot removal a 2/2 with vigilance).
Hooting Mandrills is also a perfect fit for this build. While he isn't too crazy overpowered, he makes great value out of all the instants I'm jamming in, and he acts as a great removal magnet to make way for the other fun stuff, if need be. Plus, it's a card that nobody expects.
Thoughts on making it even more budget-friendly: -3 Hangarback Walker, +1 Whirler Rogue, +1 Catacomb Sifter, +1 Anticipate. Now, it'd be less than $50.
With that in mind, current cards in Standard like Nantuko Husk, Catacomb Sifter, Zulaport Cutthroat, and Sultai Emissary have been known to play very well together. With this past weekend being Pro Tour Battle for Zendikar, Christian Calcano played with a Blue-Black Aristocrats list focusing around the synergy with Whirler Rogue and Nantuko Husk.
Currently, I can't afford Liliana, Heretical Healer for the deck. So, why not combine the elements of Christian's build with green for Catacomb Sifter and Blisterpod for a much more budget friendly version? Note: There are no fetch-lands or tango-lands purely to keep it budget.
Tell me what you think, and if there's any suggestions you'd make for the build! Thanks for reading!
For the most part, this looks good. I might suggest Deadbridge Goliath for its efficiency and its dredge. Also, Bushstrider doesn't do much good against aggro. How will vigilance help? As far as I can tell, it won't. You may also consider another Bow and then Pit Fight in a form of removal. With your creatures' natural power and Nylea's pumping, you wont need Aspect of Hydra that much, so you could take it out for Pit Fights.
Brushstrider has helped me play semi-defensively against aggro matchups, because of the vigilance. Getting at least 2 attacks with him proves to be enough for me in some situations. Pit Fight is also a really good idea, especially if I use it with Wasteland Viper, or something to that effect.
I really like Garruk, but I have a hard time imagining him staying alive longer than a turn, unless I was on the defensive. Have you had any good experience with him?
So, I've been out of the Standard scene for awhile, I left right when RTR rotated in with Scars rotating out. As having bias towards mono green playstyles, I was excited to see it come back in fashion, this time around. So with that in mind, I decided to build with a semi-low budget in mind, as I don't run Mutavaults in this deck. Other than that, it's free game.
They wouldn't put Counterspell in Modern. It already has Mana Leak, Remand, Spell Snare, Spell Pierce, Dispel, and Dissolve. If Counterspell was printed in Modern, blue decks would dominate so well.
Well, in retrospect, if they have a problem with you using "not real" cards that were printed by WOTC, and have actual face value, then they can shove it. It's not like they can call over the EDH rules judge, and have you infracted, or anything like that. I'd play them with pride, to be honest.
People really really need to stop using the term OCD, while I don't personally have the disorder, it's a bit offensive to those that do, akin to saying "oh I am so retarded" being offensive to those that are actually mentally deficient. OCD is a serious disorder, and people talking about "being so OCD about this or so OCD about that" is just wrong.
I wouldn't consider it OCD, but just that you like things in a certain order, and need control. What helps is excessive testing with different numbers, especially if you're trying out a new deck. Play 10 test games/hands with 1, or 3, or whatever copies of certain cards, and then change those numbers. Play 10 more tests, and so forth. That way, you can personally experience where that sweet spot is of consistency for your decks. Having set rules or guidelines for cards only hinders your creativity. Try a 19 land deck with 3-5 drops, 6-3 drops, and a bunch of 2 and 1 drops, as opposed to statistically correct numbers. It'll give you a lot of insight towards playing, and deck building.
Don't listen to people that say "It's because you play Standard L0LZZZ." Because, that in itself is subjective, and ends up going nowhere. Look at it objectively. Getting bored of playing Standard for 3-4 hours at a time on Cockatrice? Go to your shop, and play a draft. Or start a conversation with someone about the lore of Mirrodin. Or maybe you could take a break, and go do some other activities that you enjoy, or reconnect with old friends. Any time spent essentially "re-charging" your batteries will help you gain perspective on your hobby. If you come back to the same routine, and are dissatisfied with it, then maybe you should set aside Magic for awhile?
Personally, when I get bored, I switch formats (in Magic, and out). I'll get into my PS3 for a good month or two, or jam on my guitar, go out with friends, or play Yu-Gi-Oh! to stimulate things. If I get bored of Modern, I'll switch to Limited, or EDH. That way, everything is equally fresh for me.
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Eidolon of the Great Revel
1 Grim Lavamancer
Non-Creature
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Price of Progress
4 Fireblast
2 Sulfuric Vortex
1 Searing Blaze
1 Exquisite Firecraft
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
12 Mountain
3 Dragon's Claw
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Red Elemental Blast
2 Smash to Smithereens
2 Exquisite Firecraft
1 Pyrostatic Pillar
1 Searing Blood
4 Honored Hierarch
4 Savage Knuckleblade
2 Bounding Krasis
2 Hooting Mandrills
Non-Creatures
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
4 Wild Slash
4 Clash of Wills
4 Anticipate
3 Disperse
2 Stubborn Denial
2 Brutal Expulsion
2 Temur Charm
2 Dig Through Time
4 Shivan Reef
4 Yavimaya Coast
2 Lumbering Falls
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Cinder Glade
1 Forest
3 Mountain
4 Island
3 Radiant Flames
3 Dispel
3 Fiery Impulse
2 Negate
2 Horribly Awry
1 Temur Charm
1 Brutal Expulsion
I've tried to make this as tempo-based as I possibly can, by playing as few non-instant cards that I can get away with. I use Disperse to great effect in here. It makes easy work of Hangarback Walker, a beefed up Nantuko Husk, and it stops the Atarka Red strategy dead in its tracks.
Honored Hierarch is the real deal. Nobody ever looks twice at him, and he always gets a free hit in. Which in turn makes it super easy to get mana online, and to have a nice little beater chipping away at life totals (especially against control decks who don't wanna spot removal a 2/2 with vigilance).
Hooting Mandrills is also a perfect fit for this build. While he isn't too crazy overpowered, he makes great value out of all the instants I'm jamming in, and he acts as a great removal magnet to make way for the other fun stuff, if need be. Plus, it's a card that nobody expects.
With that in mind, current cards in Standard like Nantuko Husk, Catacomb Sifter, Zulaport Cutthroat, and
Sultai Emissary have been known to play very well together. With this past weekend being Pro Tour Battle for Zendikar, Christian Calcano played with a Blue-Black Aristocrats list focusing around the synergy with Whirler Rogue and Nantuko Husk.
Currently, I can't afford Liliana, Heretical Healer for the deck. So, why not combine the elements of Christian's build with green for Catacomb Sifter and Blisterpod for a much more budget friendly version? Note: There are no fetch-lands or tango-lands purely to keep it budget.
Tell me what you think, and if there's any suggestions you'd make for the build! Thanks for reading!
Creature Spells
3 Hangarback Walker
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Blisterpod
4 Sidisi's Faithful
4 Sultai Emissary
4 Zulaport Cutthroat
4 Nantuko Husk
3 Catacomb Sifter
3 Whirler Rogue
Non Creature Spells
2 Anticipate
3 Bone Splinters
Lands
4 Opulent Palace
4 Yavimaya Coast
4 Llanowar Wastes
2 Jungle Hollow
2 Dismal Backwater
4 Swamp
2 Island
Sideboard
3 Dispel
2 Despise
3 Duress
2 Languish
2 Murderous Cut
1 Ultimate Price
2 Naturalize
Brushstrider has helped me play semi-defensively against aggro matchups, because of the vigilance. Getting at least 2 attacks with him proves to be enough for me in some situations. Pit Fight is also a really good idea, especially if I use it with Wasteland Viper, or something to that effect.
I really like Garruk, but I have a hard time imagining him staying alive longer than a turn, unless I was on the defensive. Have you had any good experience with him?
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Experiment One
2 Wasteland Viper
4 Kalonian Tusker
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Boon Satyr
4 Reverent Hunter
2 Polukranos, World Eater
2 Nylea, God of the Hunt
1 Arbor Colossus
3 Aspect of Hydra
1 Bow of Nylea
1 Fade into Antiquity
LANDS
23 Forest
Cards to Consider, Sideboard Material:
Brushstrider- Vigilance seems very relevant against aggro decks.
Ranger's Guile- Great against any Fight abilities, Boros Recokoner, and most R/B removal.
Bioshift- Synergy with Experiment One and Scavenging Ooze, but is a dead card in most cases.
Nylea's Disciple- It could help against any burn/aggro, and Gray Merchant of Asphodel.
Skylasher/Mistcutter Hydra- Great against mono blue, U/W, and Esper decks.
Fade into Antiquity- Deals with pesky gods, and Detention Sphere.
This is what I've come up with so far. Any ideas or ways to improve it is much appreciated!
Watching Breaking Bad, and other dramas help get me through stressful, or bummed out situations.
Very true.
Personally, when I get bored, I switch formats (in Magic, and out). I'll get into my PS3 for a good month or two, or jam on my guitar, go out with friends, or play Yu-Gi-Oh! to stimulate things. If I get bored of Modern, I'll switch to Limited, or EDH. That way, everything is equally fresh for me.