Is Dark Petition a really maindeckable legacy card? Is it worth dropping Ad Nauseam to have a really high "threat" density? Is it better than Grim Tutor?
I don't know the exact percentages obviously but on this site it's 3 out of 7 tier 1 decks. When you consider how bad of a matchup Jund is for us it seems reasonable to have atleast one "I Win" cards. Keranos and Thragtusk are helpful but the impact isn't really close compared to CC. And the only matchup where I would want keranos over CC is probably UR twin.
I haven't tuned my list for a GP because I typically play in my local meta more often, and I'm not claiming to know the perfect 75 as you are saying. I was just pointing out that thrun still gets outclassed by tasigur and zombie fish.
Hey guys. I wanted to open the discussion on sideboard for us. Against fair decks like Jund and Grixis control where I can't combo against I bring in a few "big" threats.
Currently my set up is 2 Thragtusk, 1 Thrun, and Keranos. I'm happy with Thrun and Keranos but I'm still iffy on Thrag. Have any of you guys been trying other alternatives (Surrak, Batterskull, Wurmcoil, obstinath baloth) and how have they been working out for you? So I just wanted to open discussion and what you guys think is best in the sideboard of the current meta (I've noticed Jeskai control is making a bit of a comeback so maybe another thrun may do?)
Chameleon Colossus is a currently a better threat than Thrun at accomplishing what you aim to do with the sideboard slot: play a beater that's immune to Grixis's and Jund's removal and put your opponent to 0. Thrun is always hitting the board and Damnation isn't killing it if you have the mana, but a Tasigur, Angler, or rival Goyf on board just makes the card a Wall of Denial you have to pump 1G into every turn. With Colossus you can play it, chump a Tasigur or Angler then untap and attack through them with the pump held up to kill blocking Goyfs or just threaten to 16 your opponent late game.
Colossus does not however have protection from counter spells or hexproof. And no sane Grixis control player will sideboard in Damnation, since most of the time it should remove most of their threats rather than your. A single bolt or electrolyze will remove their attacker after block with Thrun also. I've had way more success with Thrun.
I'm going with 2 Thragtusk, 1 Thrun in the sideboard and 1 Keranos main currently.
The can't be countered clause does earn some points against Grixis, but the only way you're removing Colossus is double Bolt before you have 2GG or Cryptic bounce, both die to Lili-Edict, so it's more or less hexproof in the matchups you really want it for. Colossus doesn't get blocked or killed in blocks by the black Delve guys and the pump ability effectively grants you a card in the comparison to Thrun given you are rely on having a Bolt or Electrolyze to kill anything relevant in these matchups.
I'm sure your weeks of exhaustive testing of Colossus has proved that Thrun is better, but I personally prefer a card that while marginally easier to answer, doesn't just get trumped in the matchups you explicitly sideboard it for and bank on other spells to make it achieve what you want. Thrun may be ultra safe, but it's not near as impactful of a card that I feel a sideboard card should. You're opinion and play preference may vary though, so I do see the merit in Thrun over Colossus if you are just a conservative player.
You are forgetting about the Twin mirrors and general control mirrors (scapeshift, delver and uwr are not non-existent). Have you ever faced a Thrun in the Twin mirror? Only place where Colossus shines is against GBx. But against those decks I'm already well equipped with my general sideboard plan. Colossus to me is like number 19-20 on the sideboard list, alot of cards I'd rather have in a GP meta.
If your meta is full of GBx then you shouldn't be playing Rug Twin but Grixis control anyway. So in essence Colossus does not make sense in the big picture. It is a niche card.
CC is a house against a large percent of the meta game. You can't just negate Grixis because they have counterspells. Being down two mana in the control mirror just to be blocking zombie fish and banana nips isn't as exciting as you think.
So far in this thread most people have decided to go away from huntmaster. In fact I have noticed in a couple threads huntmaster having pretty polarized opinions. I'm running three to combat my local meta of junk, 2x abzan coco, 2x elves, 2x burn.
Huntmaster has really been over performing, he is the number 1 top deck when I have choose the beat down plan, and only sucks when I face linear aggro decks that put me on my heels, but there are even times where they don't have removal and he takes over the game. I have also come to terms with being ok with getting a 2 for 1 and gaining two life.
I don't report every week but I have been playing this deck 1-3 times a week at my LGS and have been slowly improving and still love the style of the deck!
First game, against Affinity: 2-1
Game 1, he started. I saw a turn1 Vault Skirge and I've started smiling already. I kept a hand with 2 lands, Serum Visions, Snare, Terminate, Twin and Snapcaster. When it was my turn, I drew a Bolt, so I just played a Steam Vents and pass. He played two Springleaf Drum and pass, I bolted the Skirge, and in my turn Serum. He then played Plating, I snared it and he scoops.
Game 2, I kept a one land hand, with Serum, Snare, Bolt, Twin and two other cards. He played a Memnite, land, Skirge, go. I wanted to play Snare instead of Serum and I did well, because I've hit his Ravager. I got stuck for 5-6 turns without the second land, eventually bolting, Vandalblasting him and playing other Serum, but I couldn't find the land. I scooped and revealed my following draws, and I literally didn't see a land until I drew something like 6 cards.
Game 3, Exarch, Pestermite, Bolt, 4 land. Easy keep. I bolted his Skirge that he was attempt to enchant with Ensoul Artifact, and then played a turn3 Pestermite, hoping to draw Twin. I drew Lighthouse and I had 3 lands in hand, not bad. He played Master, pumping his Skirge, then attacked. I blocked the Skirge and then, with 5 lands, played Exarch-Kommand, killing his Memnite and his Master, he scoops. I drew Twin anyway and he just had two plating in his hand.
I haven't ran into an affinity player that was this bad in a long time.
If you want to do that type of trick plays I'd recommend humble defector drawing 4 cards will probably be better than looting twice, and your opponents have more incentive to let him live. He saw play in the last pro tour, granted it was a UR list with main deck spellskites.
I live in the area, so i'll be there whether I play in the main event or not. I've never been to a GP and also never played legacy before. Do you guys think it makes sense to start throwing something together now, or just play in the side events?
Casting Goblin Charbelcher is always fun no matter what event you are at.
Hey Kyro, mind giving a play by play if you can remember? Would give some insight on how Day's did against Burn and Grixis Twin!
Did not take any notes on this tournament, but :
Playing against burn was quite straight forward. If i remember correctly i finished first game at around 10 lifes, and the second at 15.
The key point is that actual burn builds plays like 15 creatures, none with flying.
If they cast their creature, they dont blast you. If they blast you, they dont kill your creatures.
Welding jar is your ally. Always blast Eidolon.
I played my master beeing sure that they could not blast it.
Activate your moths only if they are full tap.
Day's can be awfull agains burn, but if you cast it befor turn 3 (for him), they will never have enough mana to kill you with a fresh hand. You will next have enough artifacts to kill with master/cranial/ravager.
Twin was another amazing game.
I started first.
Played darksteel, mox, 2 memnites, drum. Took one blue from mox, played another mox, cast master.
Passed turn.
Opponent played an island and a serum vision, passed turn
Top decked day's... Atacked for 10, played day's
My opponent played a fetch and passed turn.
Flushed my hand and a cranial (countered) for the win.
Game 2
He started, played a fetch.
I played inkmoth, orni, mox, drum, pest and keeped darksteel, ravager and day's in hand.
He fetched a steam vents, played an island, passed turn.
Draw cranial. Played cranial, countered. played ravager. Attacked for 2 poisons.
He played an serum and passed turn.
Draw blinkmoth. Played it and swing for victory with sacrificing my board for ravager and inkmoth.
Planning to play 2 small moderns next week. Will try to take some notes.
But i think my opponents will prepare a sidebord against my build.
You are attributing the raw power of affinity to day's undoing. You aren't losing many games after a T1 MoE or EC.
Also I'd like to know how you cast cranial plating and arcbound and still got in with posion.
Is Dark Petition a really maindeckable legacy card? Is it worth dropping Ad Nauseam to have a really high "threat" density? Is it better than Grim Tutor?
What are people's thoughts?
I haven't tuned my list for a GP because I typically play in my local meta more often, and I'm not claiming to know the perfect 75 as you are saying. I was just pointing out that thrun still gets outclassed by tasigur and zombie fish.
CC is a house against a large percent of the meta game. You can't just negate Grixis because they have counterspells. Being down two mana in the control mirror just to be blocking zombie fish and banana nips isn't as exciting as you think.
Try and stop me:
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Wooded Foothills
2 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
1 Stomping Ground
3 Sulfur Falls
3 Island
1 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Tectonic Edge
//Creatures [15]
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Deceiver Exarch
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Serum Visions
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Remand
2 Cryptic Command
1 Dispel
2 Spell Snare
1 Electrolyze
2 Gitaxian Probe
//Enchantment [3]
3 Splinter Twin
2 Dispel
1 Blood Moon
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Nature's Claim
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Pyroclasm
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Sarkhan Unbroken
2 Spellskite
I don't report every week but I have been playing this deck 1-3 times a week at my LGS and have been slowly improving and still love the style of the deck!
I haven't ran into an affinity player that was this bad in a long time.
But anyways I was wondering if anyone had any info on public transportation from Seattle to Tacoma.
Casting Goblin Charbelcher is always fun no matter what event you are at.
You are attributing the raw power of affinity to day's undoing. You aren't losing many games after a T1 MoE or EC.
Also I'd like to know how you cast cranial plating and arcbound and still got in with posion.