Anyone tested Shalai, Voice of Plenty ?
I was testing Shalai in G/W shell, as a 4rd Ezuri (previously I ran Mirror Entity in this slot). I have to admit, it's bonkers. It is a win condition with Vizier/Devoted, and can protect the team from spot removals. It's also decisive against some 'hard' match ups. (She slows down Storm, outgrind Burn, disable scapeshift, can block/trade affinity's flyers...)
Do someone has news from the 2 Elves players at Pro Tour RIX ?
One went to day2 but isn't on the final deck tables (>=18pts).
Since there were draft rounds, it's hard to know how they really went.
I might be a heretic, but I'm wondering if people consider Shapers' Sanctuary a very good card because of a mental flaw.
That is, we all fear that our elves might be removed from the board. An empty board and no cards to cast is basically a nightmare. But when you play Shapers' Sanctuary, that fear vanishes, because you know every single elf you play will actually do something (staying on board or let you draw). Thus, one can overestimate a game situation after having cast SS, because there's less pressure.
When you do that, you put a value on your mental pressure... that has nothing to do on the game situation Even if Lead the Stampede, for exemple, could give you as much cards as SS, it doesn't have this relaxing effect.
Maybe I'm completely wrong, but I just wanted to investigate this possibility.
Actually, Shapers' Sanctuary won't protect you from any kind of sweepers. If your opponent brings in 2 wraths against you, SS won't save you. That's why I'm so ... reluctant to play Sanctuary. If your opponent grinds you without discards and wraths AND SS is in your opening hand THEN it is a good card.
On paper, I prefer Lifecrafter's Bestiary. Because once on the battlefield (assuming it's not countered), you just need to play an elf to draw a card. You have more elves in your deck than your opponent has spot removals. What's more, the scry option is here to ensure you can top a creature to start drawing, even if your hand is empty.
On the other hand, I want to talk about the "you don't want to drop SS T1". Actually, when you bring SS in, you absolutely want to cast it T1. You always bring it in MU where elves are removed from the board with Bolt, Push, and all kind of spot removals. Sooo... Your T1 elf isn't going to live past the T1. You won't untap with it.
Playing T1 mana dork is offering a trade to your opponent : 1 card (and your explosivity) VS 1 card (spot removal). When you play T1 SS, you don't offer your opponent the possibilty to trade anything. If he kept mana up, it's all for naught this turn. What's more, when your dork will hit the battlefield, the trade will read : 1 card (a spot removal) VS cycling a dork into a draw. Much less attractive... Let's bet that this time, your T2 dork will stay on the board. What's more, T2, you can play 2 1-drops, or a Devoted Druid.
TL;DR : for me, T1 SS is quite an automatic win if your opponent has a lot of spot removals, no sweepers in hand, and not a huuuge package of discard (because he then can discard key cards and let your dorks live). A bit limitated isn't it ?
Only Jeskai and probably some (not all) Jund/Junk fits this description...
The only other trix I think about is against Walking Ballista. Want to kill some elves ? Good, let me draw like crazy ! But if you already play Stony Silence, that's under effective.
I'll cut my 3rd Nettle for Visionnary. I feel I might need some extra lord to make those Dorks effective (Elvish Champion ?), so I might change it. Not sure... Sylvan Messenger might also be a candidate, as well as Essence Warden who can sneakily buy us one or two more turn of survivability if unanswered.
@Kauridt
Is your choice of GW over abzan for the sideboarding cards ? If you play only 2 Shamans, you are still able to play your W sideboard. You already chose the fetch route anyway. (I wonder why if you stay 2 colors...)
I think your list is OK, but you miss something to counter Titanshift.
You're also very light for Death's Shadow match up (and it's more than 10% of the competitive meta). I feel you're too light on anything grindy. Kataki always has an impact, even if just a small one. It can range to total blast to not really powerful.
Is Stony Silence for anything else affinity ?
About Nettle, I'm wondering if I should cut one for Narnam Renegade. Not that I will trigger Revolt that often, but it can keep Tarmo / Tasigur / Shadow / Smasher at bay. Even ambush them on a CoCo or Chord.
For Shapers' Sanctuary, I'm trying to find out its real value. Can't really help, but I'll be interested in your opinion about it.
What do you cut from the main 'core' build to play up to 3 shamans, 2 Ezuries and 1 Duskwatch ? And why do you call it a moderate success ? Last but not least, how do you coope with Abzan sideboard ?
Personnaly, I'll stick with 3 Ezuris. You never know which Ezuri is gonna stick and pump the team. But I acknowledge it can do some good work.
Hi guys !
I've been a long time Elves player (since two years now), and I'm trying to come back to competitive level for my local GP. There are a lot of choices I had to do to come with my current list, and I'm unsure of many of them. I'd be glad if you can correct me if I'm wrong somewhere.
I felt "common" GB lists lack of fast ways to kill. Sure, you can extend and kill with Shaman and Ezuri, but I felt I need to pressure even more opponents like Storm, and anything that can wrath me before I'm big enough. So, I went for GW, with Vizier of remedies and Devoted Druid combo. Sure, it makes flashy wins but that's not the main point. Druid is amazing by herself. I mean, she can produce 2 mana in a single turn, is 0/2 (hence protected from pings). Even if our dork is killed, she will enable Collected Company by herself and quite a Chord of Calling. And, she is a must-answered card. As stated before, being here is a threat in itself : we can fast combo at any moment.
(Small Edit here to refer to previous posts : Devoted Druid does the same 'untap thing' as Nettle and thus combo with Heritage Druid. Once per game (unless you pump it), but usually, you don't do 2 flashy 'starts' with the same Druid It can also serve to have a tricky blocker or attacker and to wrong maths of dizzy opponent. In that regard, I think Elvish Visionnary was more 'air' than Druid. When I play druid, I put pressure, enable silly things. The card in itself advance greatly our plan. When I play Visionnary, I'm more like : "okay, I sink 2 mana into drawing" for a 1/1 that won't do anything unless it can be 'activated' by something else (Ezuri, mainly). When i'm in attrition matches, I like Visionnary on topdeck to dig and have a 1/1 on board. But I surely hate to have it in opening hand, because that just slow me.)
So, I delved in GW... But I felt I laked something. Shaman of the pack is too good to pass on. Especially against Death's Shadow. What's more, the combo is hated and blocked by opponent 60% of the time (that's the whole point of having it I'd say), so we need something else to race.
From there, I went to Abzan. I had to cut cards to fit 2 Shaman of the Pack. In the end, I went down to 3 Nettle Sentinel because this is often a card I side out. (Heritage Druid get all the hate and combo-ing with Nettle become less and less a reality. And you can do it with Devoted Druid anyway. What's more, in attrition matches, Nettle not untapping can be hell). Ezuri, Renegade Leader has been down to 3, from 4 in classic GW lists. I felt I couldn't cut an Elvish Archdruid, and I was only playing 3 Ezuri in GB anyway. But I'm not sure of this. Another drawback is that I can't (can I ?) have silver bullets main deck. Not even a Selfless Spirit or Spellskite.
Another question is : Chord of Calling or Lead the Stampede ? GB, I went for 1/4, but as Abzan, I went for 3/2. I like how Lead can get our HAND full. Not the board that is. You can overextend a bit, play lead, and you have enough fuel even if you are wrath-ed. When it comes to attrition matches against Junk / Jund / Mardu / EldraTron, this card is gold and a good Lead can win a game when a bad one (two or less low value cards) won't kill us. Thus, I felt I cannot go under 3 Chords, or the combo and few Shamans I have would become irrevelent. So, only 2 Leads.
When it comes to the manabase, I don't feel I need fetches so far. 6 sources of black for 2 shamans feel alright. 6 sources of white for the white cards feel a bit tight, but I can Cavern into Cleric (2 cards) Spirit (3 cards) or Wizard (2 cards). In some MU, I even trigger my 2nd cavern for one of these.
Above all, I don't want to hit me too much, as a confortable 20 life means a lot of time to build your board. (And what about the Burn match up ?)
That was about the main deck. But what I'm the most unsure of (if not totally in a thick fog) is the sideboard.
As Abzan, I can't go deep into colored non-creature spells. So I decided to put an emphasis on silver bullets. As I do so, I want other silver bullets enablers, and I choose Eldritch Evolution above the 4th Chord. Evo T2, sacrifice a Llanowar, and you can bring your bullet as fast as T2. That's more convincing to me than trying to Chord a Eidolon of Rethoric to lock Storm... on T3.
The bullets are well-known, I won't discuss too much about them and their utility. But I raise another problem : number of slots ! I want to put more Eldritch Evolutions, to ensure locking Storm / Affinity, and to make my combo more dense and faster when I need to / have the opportunity. Another issue is playing other silver bullets : I feel naked against EldraTron (Revoker is the only bullet...). I'd be glad to bring in Tajuru Preserver and Magus of the Moon. (Magus is a pet card of mine in Elves, and shutdown so many decks like Tron, EldraTron, Death's Shadow, Humans...) Elvish Champion didn't make the cut, but might if enough G decks make their way.
About the other cards : Rest in Peace is really versatile and deals a serious blow to Mardu midrange, Storm, Death's Shadow, Dredge, Living end...). But I can't search for it unfortunately. So, I also have a Scavenging Ooze to search for, even if he doesn't do Rest in Peace formidable work.
Shapers' Sanctuary is the newest card in my sideboard, and the one I am the most puzzled with. It can be good against heavy removals decks, netting you 3-6 cards if played early, but it's a total waste when it comes T3+ I'd say. So, I was wondering why not playing Lead the Stampede above Sanctuary : it will do its work even if drew T3+ and make you see 5 cards, quite all nonlands ('xcept for CoCo and Chords) are put in hand. It will give a bit less cards, but only creatures. (That is to say, no unwanted lands, nor trump cards). Last, but not least, it takes two slots, that can't be used for silver bullets. We can search for bullets, while we have to open a hand with Sanctuary for it to be worth.
I'm still testing it, because it's my only hope to have decent MU against Jeskai control, but I'm really looking for your thoughts about the card.
Thanks a lot for reading, I'd be glad to have your opinions guys !
Also having problems sequencing with GW as i am not sure whether to attack or leave creatures untapped for an end turn chord. Any thoughts would be great. Thanks!
I always stay untapped if :
- I Overextended (means I have a loooooot of elves in play) and can be whipped on a removal. In that case, I want to be able to Chord either Ezuri (+ regen) or Selfless/BFT.
- I might have to disrupt my opponent. If it turns out I doesn't need, I chord for a kill, and it's similar to situation 3.
- I would be lethal on next turn with the card I Chord, and 'just' attacking this turn and the next wouldn't be enough.
I played a GW classic + 2 SotP. SB is quite only silver bullets to get on CoCo or Chord. I play Chord over EE or Lead because of that Silver Bullet SB and because having a board untap during my opponent's turn allow to react the best possible way. Counter his Wrath (BTF, Selfless Spirit), his combo (Revoker, Eidolon), his mana (Revoker, Magus) (...) or, if he doesn't try to disrupt us, I go for a lethal card. Most of the time, Ezuri or if I already have one, Archdruid. Champion is also an option. And when I untap, it is often game.
But Chord is often slow (T3 Chord usually), and I sometimes wanted to use something to bring a silver bullet (especially Magus) faster. EE can be good, especially in SB, when heavy & fast disrupt is needed. I wouldn't play it MD thus, but it's just my personnal feeling about the card.
I'm not used to Lead the Stampede. I often thought that it's not a race card, more a CA card, needed when our elves are under a rain of removals. (Well, in fact, just few removals targeting the lords are enough for me to want this :p). Thus, it's a card I'd gladly play SB. But I haven't so much slots, and I don't know what to take out.
My final word is that I got by Affinity (0-2 / 1-2 / 1-2). Those are the only one-way matchs that I lost in Lille. May I know what are your sideboard techs and priorities in that particular MU ?
- Ad Nauseam : Eidolon slows him quite a lot (he needs to cast Unlife during his turns, pass, cast Ad Nauseam during our turn, them Storm during his turn). That's a lot of 8 manas. And casting Lotus Bloom would slow him even more, since he won't be able to cast anything else when it resolves. (Giving you plenty of time to kill him or just Reclamation Sage into UnLife)
If you 'only' TKS, you'll remove 1 of his combo card... and he might just draw it again thanks to visions, spoils of the vault, redundancy (4 Unlife, 4 Angel).
- Storm : here again, from my little experience, Storm won't care about you resolving a TKS. He will get rid of 1 card and then what ? Eidolon is a hard call for him, he could only try to Volley.
- Living End : getting rid of 1 card of living end is, on the paper, more useless than in the 2 previous : the deck can cycle like crazy and plays up to 8 of his killing cards. On the other hand, it doesn't play a lot of spot removals (up to 3 MD, 6 post-side). It's still less outs. And casting a removal takes a whole turn most of the time (2-3 manas) during which he won't resolve a cascade.
Chording Eidolon as a resp of a cascad trigger is quite a free win btw.
Otherwise, just Scooze his grave to slow him : we have enough mana to do it.
- Infect : T3 TKS is a bit slow I'd guess. And not as decisive as Melira or Magus. Or Spellskite.
- Breachift : Well, 1 card combo playing with Titan and Scapeshift than can both ruin us. Best would be to speed up. Why not trying to resolve a Magus.
In that particuliar MU, I'd consider the play as a good one. Since Breachift/Scapeshift plays a lot of Wrath-like (engineered explo, Anger...), TKS would be a disrupt AND a beatdown more consistent than our elves.
Against any kind of controle deck, I wouldn't consider playing EE if not to bring a Magus T2. Even then, I usually prefer to have Sylvan Messenger than Chord or EE, because it will make a great CA and is not counterable under CoS.
I'm not against TKS nor Evolution individually. I'm just not fond of the play Evolution into TKS... which makes TKS a bad toolbox card for me.
Well, there are a lot of hate cards for 2-3 against combo : Eidolon of Rhetoric, Ethersorwn Canonist, Phyrexian Revoker, but also Magus of the Moon (T2 Evolution into Magus seems a strong play to me) and, if you want discard, Sin collector.
I feel TKS is more a card that you want to cast, rather than Evolution into. Michael Dugan (6th at StarCityGames.com Invitational Qualifier on 8/27/2016) for example, plays 4 of them in SB. I haven't tested, but for me, it's a card he wants to cast. (Btw, he isn't even playing Evolution.)
How do you resove a TKS T2 ? I only see the line Heritage T1 into Elite T2, tap for 3, Evolution into TKS. But that's a 3 card 'combo' (that still needs 2 lands), so I think it won't happen very often. On top of that, Druid must survive T1. Most of the time, we will have to wait until T3, and sac' the 2 drop (if we had one). That's why I was considering 3-drop cards better than TKS on the paper.
By the way, with the line of play that brings TKS on the board T3, it is still vunerable to pyroclasm or even Anger (if you're on the draw). And it makes you 'loose' an attack phase. (Okay, you will attack, but for not much... 2-4 at best.) What bugs me more in that line, is that on top of being still vulnerable to removals, T4 attack phase is going to be weak.
In a nutshell, what I do not like with this play, is the outcome and slow : you sacrifice a lot of speed in order to do a discard 1 and put a 4/4 beater who has no interaction with our elves.
I'm wondering : why not 'simply' resolve a discard spell ? Or having creatures + manas up on T3 to chord into (inter beater or hate card) at instant speed ? That way, you don't have to act proactively, but reactively, according to what opponent is playing during his turn. It will be as fast as to put a TKS on the board, plus it will not cost 1 creature to sac.
EDIT : I can't think of MU that we can't hate with a 3 manas card so far...
If you play EE, do you think you still need to pack 4 SotP ? Basically, EE can turn into a blast spell before a attack ftw.
Sometimes, I don't want to hit SotP, because it has 0 impact on the board state, unlike Ezuri, Champion or even Archdruid. If we play CoCo + Lead (or Chord) + EE, we will definitely be able to search for SotP when needed, while we do not want her in our opening hand, as it is just slowing us down.
I cut it to only 2 MD and it does work well with me.
About TKS : what's the point of running TKS if we have some 2-3 drops that can also hate combo decks ? We would be able to cast it regulary on T2.
I was at GP Lille too, and did 10-5 whith a Gwb list. (GW classic with Chords, +2 SotP)
I was wondering about the 4 more dorks that you were running. I had quite never my 1st guy killed, and I don't really understand what it does change on the game plan : if your 1st dork dies, you want to put on some pressure and a mana-maker (including Heritage ?). So, dropping Nettle T2 doesn't seems so bad to me. Did I missed something ? Do you think we would need that extra mana to be sure to cast CoCo or Lead T3 ?
Also, I was playing Sylvan Messenger SB in case I was in a grindy match up : can't be countered with CoS and basically does the same work as Lead the Stampede. Only drawback : you can only squeeze more elfes out of it, so not your silver bullets.
I'm not accustomed to GB with discard and decay : bascially, when do you want to use ressources into those spells ?
I was testing Shalai in G/W shell, as a 4rd Ezuri (previously I ran Mirror Entity in this slot). I have to admit, it's bonkers. It is a win condition with Vizier/Devoted, and can protect the team from spot removals. It's also decisive against some 'hard' match ups. (She slows down Storm, outgrind Burn, disable scapeshift, can block/trade affinity's flyers...)
One went to day2 but isn't on the final deck tables (>=18pts).
Since there were draft rounds, it's hard to know how they really went.
That is, we all fear that our elves might be removed from the board. An empty board and no cards to cast is basically a nightmare. But when you play Shapers' Sanctuary, that fear vanishes, because you know every single elf you play will actually do something (staying on board or let you draw). Thus, one can overestimate a game situation after having cast SS, because there's less pressure.
When you do that, you put a value on your mental pressure... that has nothing to do on the game situation
Maybe I'm completely wrong, but I just wanted to investigate this possibility.
On paper, I prefer Lifecrafter's Bestiary. Because once on the battlefield (assuming it's not countered), you just need to play an elf to draw a card. You have more elves in your deck than your opponent has spot removals. What's more, the scry option is here to ensure you can top a creature to start drawing, even if your hand is empty.
On the other hand, I want to talk about the "you don't want to drop SS T1". Actually, when you bring SS in, you absolutely want to cast it T1. You always bring it in MU where elves are removed from the board with Bolt, Push, and all kind of spot removals. Sooo... Your T1 elf isn't going to live past the T1. You won't untap with it.
Playing T1 mana dork is offering a trade to your opponent : 1 card (and your explosivity) VS 1 card (spot removal). When you play T1 SS, you don't offer your opponent the possibilty to trade anything. If he kept mana up, it's all for naught this turn. What's more, when your dork will hit the battlefield, the trade will read : 1 card (a spot removal) VS cycling a dork into a draw. Much less attractive... Let's bet that this time, your T2 dork will stay on the board. What's more, T2, you can play 2 1-drops, or a Devoted Druid.
TL;DR : for me, T1 SS is quite an automatic win if your opponent has a lot of spot removals, no sweepers in hand, and not a huuuge package of discard (because he then can discard key cards and let your dorks live). A bit limitated isn't it ?
Only Jeskai and probably some (not all) Jund/Junk fits this description...
The only other trix I think about is against Walking Ballista. Want to kill some elves ? Good, let me draw like crazy ! But if you already play Stony Silence, that's under effective.
I'll cut my 3rd Nettle for Visionnary. I feel I might need some extra lord to make those Dorks effective (Elvish Champion ?), so I might change it. Not sure... Sylvan Messenger might also be a candidate, as well as Essence Warden who can sneakily buy us one or two more turn of survivability if unanswered.
Is your choice of GW over abzan for the sideboarding cards ? If you play only 2 Shamans, you are still able to play your W sideboard. You already chose the fetch route anyway. (I wonder why if you stay 2 colors...)
I think your list is OK, but you miss something to counter Titanshift.
You're also very light for Death's Shadow match up (and it's more than 10% of the competitive meta). I feel you're too light on anything grindy. Kataki always has an impact, even if just a small one. It can range to total blast to not really powerful.
Is Stony Silence for anything else affinity ?
About Nettle, I'm wondering if I should cut one for Narnam Renegade. Not that I will trigger Revolt that often, but it can keep Tarmo / Tasigur / Shadow / Smasher at bay. Even ambush them on a CoCo or Chord.
For Shapers' Sanctuary, I'm trying to find out its real value. Can't really help, but I'll be interested in your opinion about it.
Personnaly, I'll stick with 3 Ezuris. You never know which Ezuri is gonna stick and pump the team. But I acknowledge it can do some good work.
I've been a long time Elves player (since two years now), and I'm trying to come back to competitive level for my local GP. There are a lot of choices I had to do to come with my current list, and I'm unsure of many of them. I'd be glad if you can correct me if I'm wrong somewhere.
I felt "common" GB lists lack of fast ways to kill. Sure, you can extend and kill with Shaman and Ezuri, but I felt I need to pressure even more opponents like Storm, and anything that can wrath me before I'm big enough. So, I went for GW, with Vizier of remedies and Devoted Druid combo. Sure, it makes flashy wins but that's not the main point. Druid is amazing by herself. I mean, she can produce 2 mana in a single turn, is 0/2 (hence protected from pings). Even if our dork is killed, she will enable Collected Company by herself and quite a Chord of Calling. And, she is a must-answered card. As stated before, being here is a threat in itself : we can fast combo at any moment.
(Small Edit here to refer to previous posts : Devoted Druid does the same 'untap thing' as Nettle and thus combo with Heritage Druid. Once per game (unless you pump it), but usually, you don't do 2 flashy 'starts' with the same Druid
So, I delved in GW... But I felt I laked something. Shaman of the pack is too good to pass on. Especially against Death's Shadow. What's more, the combo is hated and blocked by opponent 60% of the time (that's the whole point of having it I'd say), so we need something else to race.
From there, I went to Abzan. I had to cut cards to fit 2 Shaman of the Pack. In the end, I went down to 3 Nettle Sentinel because this is often a card I side out. (Heritage Druid get all the hate and combo-ing with Nettle become less and less a reality. And you can do it with Devoted Druid anyway. What's more, in attrition matches, Nettle not untapping can be hell). Ezuri, Renegade Leader has been down to 3, from 4 in classic GW lists. I felt I couldn't cut an Elvish Archdruid, and I was only playing 3 Ezuri in GB anyway. But I'm not sure of this. Another drawback is that I can't (can I ?) have silver bullets main deck. Not even a Selfless Spirit or Spellskite.
Another question is : Chord of Calling or Lead the Stampede ? GB, I went for 1/4, but as Abzan, I went for 3/2. I like how Lead can get our HAND full. Not the board that is. You can overextend a bit, play lead, and you have enough fuel even if you are wrath-ed. When it comes to attrition matches against Junk / Jund / Mardu / EldraTron, this card is gold and a good Lead can win a game when a bad one (two or less low value cards) won't kill us. Thus, I felt I cannot go under 3 Chords, or the combo and few Shamans I have would become irrevelent. So, only 2 Leads.
When it comes to the manabase, I don't feel I need fetches so far. 6 sources of black for 2 shamans feel alright. 6 sources of white for the white cards feel a bit tight, but I can Cavern into Cleric (2 cards) Spirit (3 cards) or Wizard (2 cards). In some MU, I even trigger my 2nd cavern for one of these.
Above all, I don't want to hit me too much, as a confortable 20 life means a lot of time to build your board. (And what about the Burn match up ?)
TL;DR : my list
// 33 Creature
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Heritage Druid
3 Nettle Sentinel
4 Dwynen's Elite
4 Elvish Archdruid
3 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
4 Devoted Druid
1 Vizier of Remedies
2 Shaman of the Pack
//7 Instant
3 Chord of Calling
4 Collected Company
4 Forest
1 Pendelhaven
4 Horizon Canopy
4 Cavern of Souls
1 Westvale Abbey
2 Razorverge Thicket
2 Gilt-Leaf Palace
// 2 Sorcery
2 Lead the Stampede
// 15 Side
/ Bullets
1 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Reclamation Sage
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Selfless Spirit
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Burrenton Forge-Tender
1 Rest in Peace
2 Shapers' Sanctuary
1 Eldritch Evolution
That was about the main deck. But what I'm the most unsure of (if not totally in a thick fog) is the sideboard.
As Abzan, I can't go deep into colored non-creature spells. So I decided to put an emphasis on silver bullets. As I do so, I want other silver bullets enablers, and I choose Eldritch Evolution above the 4th Chord. Evo T2, sacrifice a Llanowar, and you can bring your bullet as fast as T2. That's more convincing to me than trying to Chord a Eidolon of Rethoric to lock Storm... on T3.
The bullets are well-known, I won't discuss too much about them and their utility. But I raise another problem : number of slots ! I want to put more Eldritch Evolutions, to ensure locking Storm / Affinity, and to make my combo more dense and faster when I need to / have the opportunity. Another issue is playing other silver bullets : I feel naked against EldraTron (Revoker is the only bullet...). I'd be glad to bring in Tajuru Preserver and Magus of the Moon. (Magus is a pet card of mine in Elves, and shutdown so many decks like Tron, EldraTron, Death's Shadow, Humans...) Elvish Champion didn't make the cut, but might if enough G decks make their way.
About the other cards :
Rest in Peace is really versatile and deals a serious blow to Mardu midrange, Storm, Death's Shadow, Dredge, Living end...). But I can't search for it unfortunately. So, I also have a Scavenging Ooze to search for, even if he doesn't do Rest in Peace formidable work.
Shapers' Sanctuary is the newest card in my sideboard, and the one I am the most puzzled with. It can be good against heavy removals decks, netting you 3-6 cards if played early, but it's a total waste when it comes T3+ I'd say. So, I was wondering why not playing Lead the Stampede above Sanctuary : it will do its work even if drew T3+ and make you see 5 cards, quite all nonlands ('xcept for CoCo and Chords) are put in hand. It will give a bit less cards, but only creatures. (That is to say, no unwanted lands, nor trump cards). Last, but not least, it takes two slots, that can't be used for silver bullets. We can search for bullets, while we have to open a hand with Sanctuary for it to be worth.
I'm still testing it, because it's my only hope to have decent MU against Jeskai control, but I'm really looking for your thoughts about the card.
Thanks a lot for reading, I'd be glad to have your opinions guys !
I always stay untapped if :
- I Overextended (means I have a loooooot of elves in play) and can be whipped on a removal. In that case, I want to be able to Chord either Ezuri (+ regen) or Selfless/BFT.
- I might have to disrupt my opponent. If it turns out I doesn't need, I chord for a kill, and it's similar to situation 3.
- I would be lethal on next turn with the card I Chord, and 'just' attacking this turn and the next wouldn't be enough.
So, I don't consider my deck or sideboard the best.
Btw : My deck at GP Lille :
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Heritage Druid
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Dwynen's Elite
2 Elvish Visionary
4 Elvish Archdruid
3 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
1 Elvish Champion
2 Shaman of the Pack
1 Spellskite
1 Scavenging Ooze
4 Collected Company
5 Forest
1 Pendelhaven
3 Gilt-Leaf Palace
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Westvale Abbey
4 Cavern of Souls
1 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
2 Essence Warden
2 Reclamation Sage
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Melira, Sylvok Outcast
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Selfless Spirit
1 Creeping Corrosion
1 Fracturing Gust
1 Sylvan Messenger
I played a GW classic + 2 SotP. SB is quite only silver bullets to get on CoCo or Chord. I play Chord over EE or Lead because of that Silver Bullet SB and because having a board untap during my opponent's turn allow to react the best possible way. Counter his Wrath (BTF, Selfless Spirit), his combo (Revoker, Eidolon), his mana (Revoker, Magus) (...) or, if he doesn't try to disrupt us, I go for a lethal card. Most of the time, Ezuri or if I already have one, Archdruid. Champion is also an option. And when I untap, it is often game.
But Chord is often slow (T3 Chord usually), and I sometimes wanted to use something to bring a silver bullet (especially Magus) faster. EE can be good, especially in SB, when heavy & fast disrupt is needed. I wouldn't play it MD thus, but it's just my personnal feeling about the card.
I'm not used to Lead the Stampede. I often thought that it's not a race card, more a CA card, needed when our elves are under a rain of removals. (Well, in fact, just few removals targeting the lords are enough for me to want this :p). Thus, it's a card I'd gladly play SB. But I haven't so much slots, and I don't know what to take out.
My final word is that I got
- Ad Nauseam : Eidolon slows him quite a lot (he needs to cast Unlife during his turns, pass, cast Ad Nauseam during our turn, them Storm during his turn). That's a lot of 8 manas. And casting Lotus Bloom would slow him even more, since he won't be able to cast anything else when it resolves. (Giving you plenty of time to kill him or just Reclamation Sage into UnLife)
If you 'only' TKS, you'll remove 1 of his combo card... and he might just draw it again thanks to visions, spoils of the vault, redundancy (4 Unlife, 4 Angel).
- Storm : here again, from my little experience, Storm won't care about you resolving a TKS. He will get rid of 1 card and then what ? Eidolon is a hard call for him, he could only try to Volley.
- Living End : getting rid of 1 card of living end is, on the paper, more useless than in the 2 previous : the deck can cycle like crazy and plays up to 8 of his killing cards. On the other hand, it doesn't play a lot of spot removals (up to 3 MD, 6 post-side). It's still less outs. And casting a removal takes a whole turn most of the time (2-3 manas) during which he won't resolve a cascade.
Chording Eidolon as a resp of a cascad trigger is quite a free win btw.
Otherwise, just Scooze his grave to slow him : we have enough mana to do it.
- Infect : T3 TKS is a bit slow I'd guess. And not as decisive as Melira or Magus. Or Spellskite.
- Breachift : Well, 1 card combo playing with Titan and Scapeshift than can both ruin us. Best would be to speed up. Why not trying to resolve a Magus.
In that particuliar MU, I'd consider the play as a good one. Since Breachift/Scapeshift plays a lot of Wrath-like (engineered explo, Anger...), TKS would be a disrupt AND a beatdown more consistent than our elves.
Against any kind of controle deck, I wouldn't consider playing EE if not to bring a Magus T2. Even then, I usually prefer to have Sylvan Messenger than Chord or EE, because it will make a great CA and is not counterable under CoS.
I'm not against TKS nor Evolution individually. I'm just not fond of the play Evolution into TKS... which makes TKS a bad toolbox card for me.
Well, there are a lot of hate cards for 2-3 against combo : Eidolon of Rhetoric, Ethersorwn Canonist, Phyrexian Revoker, but also Magus of the Moon (T2 Evolution into Magus seems a strong play to me) and, if you want discard, Sin collector.
I feel TKS is more a card that you want to cast, rather than Evolution into. Michael Dugan (6th at StarCityGames.com Invitational Qualifier on 8/27/2016) for example, plays 4 of them in SB. I haven't tested, but for me, it's a card he wants to cast. (Btw, he isn't even playing Evolution.)
How do you resove a TKS T2 ? I only see the line Heritage T1 into Elite T2, tap for 3, Evolution into TKS. But that's a 3 card 'combo' (that still needs 2 lands), so I think it won't happen very often. On top of that, Druid must survive T1. Most of the time, we will have to wait until T3, and sac' the 2 drop (if we had one). That's why I was considering 3-drop cards better than TKS on the paper.
By the way, with the line of play that brings TKS on the board T3, it is still vunerable to pyroclasm or even Anger (if you're on the draw). And it makes you 'loose' an attack phase. (Okay, you will attack, but for not much... 2-4 at best.) What bugs me more in that line, is that on top of being still vulnerable to removals, T4 attack phase is going to be weak.
In a nutshell, what I do not like with this play, is the outcome and slow : you sacrifice a lot of speed in order to do a discard 1 and put a 4/4 beater who has no interaction with our elves.
I'm wondering : why not 'simply' resolve a discard spell ? Or having creatures + manas up on T3 to chord into (inter beater or hate card) at instant speed ? That way, you don't have to act proactively, but reactively, according to what opponent is playing during his turn. It will be as fast as to put a TKS on the board, plus it will not cost 1 creature to sac.
EDIT : I can't think of MU that we can't hate with a 3 manas card so far...
Thanks for answer
@kavselj
If you play EE, do you think you still need to pack 4 SotP ? Basically, EE can turn into a blast spell before a attack ftw.
Sometimes, I don't want to hit SotP, because it has 0 impact on the board state, unlike Ezuri, Champion or even Archdruid. If we play CoCo + Lead (or Chord) + EE, we will definitely be able to search for SotP when needed, while we do not want her in our opening hand, as it is just slowing us down.
I cut it to only 2 MD and it does work well with me.
About TKS : what's the point of running TKS if we have some 2-3 drops that can also hate combo decks ? We would be able to cast it regulary on T2.
I was at GP Lille too, and did 10-5 whith a Gwb list. (GW classic with Chords, +2 SotP)
I was wondering about the 4 more dorks that you were running. I had quite never my 1st guy killed, and I don't really understand what it does change on the game plan : if your 1st dork dies, you want to put on some pressure and a mana-maker (including Heritage ?). So, dropping Nettle T2 doesn't seems so bad to me. Did I missed something ? Do you think we would need that extra mana to be sure to cast CoCo or Lead T3 ?
Also, I was playing Sylvan Messenger SB in case I was in a grindy match up : can't be countered with CoS and basically does the same work as Lead the Stampede. Only drawback : you can only squeeze more elfes out of it, so not your silver bullets.
I'm not accustomed to GB with discard and decay : bascially, when do you want to use ressources into those spells ?