R1: Lost to traditional ramp. He top decked twice to beat me in the first game, felt very lucky. Eventually lost 1-2.
R2: Lost, sorry can't remember this one.
R3: Lost to death and taxes. Looking at my cumulative record I seem to have trouble with this deck, same with ramp. I believe I'm 1-3 vs. ramp in leagues thus far.
R4: Beat burn, fairly easy wins.
R5: Lost to the same burn player. I had no problem taking out his creatures, but he had a fist full of face damage. Wondering if I need more life gain in the side. I currently pack one Blessed Alliance. Maybe the new life gain card in the HOU cycle is an option?
Kind of disappointing after two 4-1 leagues in a row. Overall I'm wondering if I need more options versus ramp and life gain in the side. I'm running the same MD as Rey and the side is below. I know my side is geared toward artifact hate. Do I need to make any glaring changes:
Thanks for the detailed response Rey, you have me believing! Do you find the -2/-2 on Flaying Tendrils to be a problem? I ran that for a couple leagues and it wasn't able to sweep away elves once they have developed their board. I also can't recall the exact creatures but it might have problems sweeping creatures from CoCo. I've been using Wrath of God...not sure if it's better. Could Bontu's Last Reckoning be an option? Sure, your lands don't untap the next turn but if a red deck or elves have vomited out all their creatures and you wiped them so what?
Thanks Reymon. Can you elaborate on when you find Displacer useful and what it does for you? I've tried the card in a few leagues but I always seem to have better uses for that three mana, i.e. developing my own board or disrupting my opponent. Unless it's a really grindy game I don't seem to use the blink much.
Also, is two Relic enough to support your Stranglers?
I would say anyone using Disenchant in the side should try Fragmentize. I've never ran into an artifact or enchantment where the CMC restriction was an issue (fully realizing I just jinxed myself).
I'm looking for advice on Marvel matchup, I'm playing a fairly stock R/W Humans list. What do you people feel is our win % against Marvel? Here's the cards I specifically had questions about:
-Marvel: Don't see any way of stopping this except for a turn four Gideon's Intervention on the play. I mean we can hope they miss and then Fragmentize, however that doesn't feel like a great answer. Thoughts?
-Puzzleknot: Only thing I can think of is to Fragmentize this. Granted, they will still get 3 life but at least they won't get the second life game provided it's relatively early in the game.
-Kozilek's Return: This ruins my board, the only answer I can think of is Selfless Spirit however I was trying to go budget and look for another alternative.
Any thoughts on sideboard answers to those cards would be great. Also is it crazy to play a couple Cast Out MD? I also have Temur Energy built and if the feedback is the matchup is essentially unwinnable maybe I switch to that?
1-2 vs affinity, missing my thrid land drop g1 and drawing 10 lands and 6 spells g3.
2-0 vs Burn, not close. Given that we were in the 0-1 bracket I gave my opponent the friendly advice not to overboard into situational cards like Deflecting Palm, but he does not heed my advice and dies g2 with 2 of them in hand.
2-0 vs Zoo, bad hands for the matchup but played with a cool head and wasn't afraid to trade my TKS for a narnarm renegade when it was necessary. Played around Atarka's command at all times, and never feared the top of his deck. I play that deck, I know what its capabilities and its limitations are.
2-0 vs burn, Won game 2 at one. Made sure to take lines that would end up with my life at 5 with lethal for the next turn through searing blaze. the most damage he could possibly draw is boros charm, and draw it he did. gotta make your own luck, against decks like burn you can find lines even if they require you to take more damage earlier. your life is a resource, use it, dont be afraid.
2-1 vs Abzan, game 1 mulliganned a hand with seize, 2 souls and 2 sorin. Felt it was too weak against anything but jundy decks, and mulled to nearly the same hand but without the souls. Even though I got punished, on the blind it was a fine mulligan, especially because of my strength in games 2 and 3 vs abzan. My opponent was tilted and misplayed in subsequent games, but the writing was already on the wall and it did little to affect the outcome.
2-0 vs Death's Shadow, this was a breeze. g2 I had the gq interaction I mentioned, and later on in that game I made attacks that were sure to present lethal on the next turn and keep his life just high enough that a topdecked street wraith cycled into another street wraith into a temur battle rage would leave me at 1
2-1 vs valakut. was dead game 1 to any cards off the top other than valakut, forest, and khalani heart expedition for 2 turns. He drew forest forest and I stole it. game 2 I got crushed by a courser into a fast primetime. once they get multiple valakuts going the game is over. G3 I curved sculler into sculler into fulminator and never cracked the fulm. if they have 7 lands and draw scapeshift, you can destroy a mountain (not valakut) and stop 15 of the 18 damage coming your way due to the intervening if clause on valaukut that checks your other mountain count both when the trigger goes on the stack and tries to resolve. Dont crack your fulminator unless they for example have 5 lands and you can keep them off primetime for a turn, the 2 damage clock is important. Hard matchup, you need to do a lot of math and cost/benefit analysis
Seed #1 going into the top 8, we almost split but one guy didnt want to (which saved me from having to make the hard choice, do I split and just go home or be the ******** who makes everyone play?)
Quarters against affinity. G1 I had a good draw against his medium draw, and was able to chump with lingering souls while beating down long enough to survive any crazy draws, like a second ravager or a master of etherium. he had glint nest crane, which I am glad to see on the other side of the table given the alternatives. I was also likely dead to a line he could have taken involving poisoning me over 2 turns and praying i dont draw path/push/gq/souls, but he took the low risk low reward line. He regretted it, and I agreed that he should have gone for it instead of waiting. g2 I drew both zealous, and although one was enough to put me way ahead, the second one saved us from having to do combat math. 2-0
Semi's Bant Eldratzi. this deck is very different than ours, we are the control player for sure. landing the first tks is big tho, and they have access to way more tricks. g1 was easy, I tore up his hand and board and easily raced a smasher. G2 I have the hardest sculler of the day, with a wrath in hand I know he will eventually get the card back. He has drowner, smasher, and worship, and 3 lands in play, one being a temple. I took the worship, knowing I would need to draw a second wrath and a shambling vents to be able to beat it waaay down the line. My hope was that he would whiff on land for turn and I would be able to pressure him enough to deprive him of the opportunity to ever play the worship profitably, or find a processor in time. he got the land i hoped to fade and curved smasher into drowner, which I was ready for with my wrath. my wrath puts the worship back into his hand, and with 2 path in hand i know my line is to kill him before he draws scion producers. he draws skyspawner of course and that plus an noble and worship means his fortress is impenatrable. I get him to one and have to draw a zealous before he draws a bigger than 1 toughness guy or outright kills me, and he finds a drowner. g3 I curve relic into strangler (kills his displacer) into souls into blight herder, which is way more than his "low energy" reality smashers can swing into while I assainate him with the spirit of Gene Wilder (courtesy of RK Post)in the air.
Finals. Bant Eldrazi again. It was late so we split the finals, taking home 600 bucks cash and an invite each. Given that I was top seed coming in I got top billing
So I went 8-1 in matches, 16-4 in games. Deck is great, I have changed nothing since the event, even though I've played in a couple fnm-type events since (2-1 and 4-0). Ask me anything, except why Smasher is so much worse than Herder, I've beaten that poor ghoulsteed to life by now.
I'm a beginner to this deck and just got smoked by a renegade rallier Abzan build. I noticed you didn't have Cage in your SB. How would you sideboard for this matchup please? Voice and rallier were killing me and kept bringing things back from the yard
Great, thanks guys! Bottom line is I need to get some EE's it sounds like. I was following the plan Effort listed above (minus EE of course) so at least I had somewhat of a clue in my first matchup against Elves lol. They just ran me the eff over. Really liking Bant Eldrazi, TKS is the real deal and I caused so many *sighs* when it came out.
Could someone give me advice on side boarding vs. elves please? I lost in the semis today against the deck at a GPT. Also lost to the same deck in swiss and it seems like a bad matchup...very frustrated. Here's what I ran today:
New player here, hoping for some advice on the deck for an upcoming GPT. First question relates to the side. I don't have the EE and won't in time. I am expecting lots of burn and aggro in the meta. What can I play in the SB in lieu of the EE's? Is there a complete sideboard guide posted somewhere?
I also only have two Caverns. Is Mutavault plus another green source a good sub?
Thanks and I'm really excited to pilot this thing, moar tentacle monsters ftw!
Thanks, I have one Murderous Cut MB, but maybe I need at least one in the SB? I will post my current list below for any thoughts or suggestions. Once Rhino rotates do we think Ultimate Price will be in the SB more often to kill Advocate? When they stick an Advocate and they already have the land requirements (with a man land) things get really tough.
I have been running a BW list with some success online, I think this will be viable after rotation. Beating the go wide red goblin decks and Jeskai has been easy for me, however I have NO chance against Mardu Green. When they stick a Rhino and Advocate I can't hang. Basically I run the black list adding in Silkwrap, Shambling Vent and Stranglers. The white splash gives you more sideboard options and feels great when you stick a Strangler for maximum value!
Can't agree more with Nevelo..Ghostfire isn't great unless you play the blue flyer version. I cut them all and moved towards a more mid range deck. I lose the one drop but this allows me to cast Vent. Black white also got a nice instant. Speed 3 CMC removal spell today!!
Just wanted to add my thoughts and ask what else you guys would add to sideboard outside of Self-Inflicted Wound against Mardu Green.
Hangarback walker is purely a high value card that fits into the curve anywhere. When to cast is situational. If you are up against an aggro deck, then t2 is good to time use it. Warping Wail has many more uses then getting rid of Jace.
here are some that Xover listed:
Creatures it can Exile:
Jace, Vyrnn's Prodigy
Monastery Swiftspear
Abbot of Keral Keep
Stormchaser Mage
Dimensional Infiltrator
Bearer of Silence
Eldrazi Mimic
Zulaport Cuttthroat
Spells it can counter:
Radiant Flames
Crux of Fate
End Hostility
Planar Outburst
Languish
Duress
Painful Truth
Dragon Fodder
Hordeling Outburst
Roast
All of the Eldrazi Ramp Spells
Not mention you drop a scion during combat as a blocker. Or the scion can be used to ramp into a Smasher a turn early.
Thanks Kpal, so if Warping Wail has that many uses why do you think people aren't running it MB yet? Given the apparent success that deck had do the people in this thread feel that's the direction to go?
R1: Lost to traditional ramp. He top decked twice to beat me in the first game, felt very lucky. Eventually lost 1-2.
R2: Lost, sorry can't remember this one.
R3: Lost to death and taxes. Looking at my cumulative record I seem to have trouble with this deck, same with ramp. I believe I'm 1-3 vs. ramp in leagues thus far.
R4: Beat burn, fairly easy wins.
R5: Lost to the same burn player. I had no problem taking out his creatures, but he had a fist full of face damage. Wondering if I need more life gain in the side. I currently pack one Blessed Alliance. Maybe the new life gain card in the HOU cycle is an option?
Kind of disappointing after two 4-1 leagues in a row. Overall I'm wondering if I need more options versus ramp and life gain in the side. I'm running the same MD as Rey and the side is below. I know my side is geared toward artifact hate. Do I need to make any glaring changes:
3 Fragmentize
1 Blessed Alliance
2 Knight of Glory
2 Stony Silence
1 Liliana's Defeat
2 Flaying Tendrils
2 Anguished Unmaking
2 Ratchet Bomb
Jed
Also, is two Relic enough to support your Stranglers?
I would say anyone using Disenchant in the side should try Fragmentize. I've never ran into an artifact or enchantment where the CMC restriction was an issue (fully realizing I just jinxed myself).
Thanks,
Jed
1 Hanweir Battlements
4 Inspiring Vantage
3 Needle Spires
1 Westvale Abbey
5 Mountain
9 Plains
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Town Gossipmonger
2 Bloodlust Inciter
4 Dec in Stone
4 Glory-Bound Initiate
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
4 Honored Crop Captain
1 Devoted Crop-Mate
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Always Watching
4 Hanweir Garrison
Side: 4 Fragmentize, 2 Cast Out, 2 Gideon's Intervention, 4 Magma Spray, 2 Outnumber, 1 Release the Gremlins
I'm looking for advice on Marvel matchup, I'm playing a fairly stock R/W Humans list. What do you people feel is our win % against Marvel? Here's the cards I specifically had questions about:
-Marvel: Don't see any way of stopping this except for a turn four Gideon's Intervention on the play. I mean we can hope they miss and then Fragmentize, however that doesn't feel like a great answer. Thoughts?
-Puzzleknot: Only thing I can think of is to Fragmentize this. Granted, they will still get 3 life but at least they won't get the second life game provided it's relatively early in the game.
-Kozilek's Return: This ruins my board, the only answer I can think of is Selfless Spirit however I was trying to go budget and look for another alternative.
Any thoughts on sideboard answers to those cards would be great. Also is it crazy to play a couple Cast Out MD? I also have Temur Energy built and if the feedback is the matchup is essentially unwinnable maybe I switch to that?
I'm a beginner to this deck and just got smoked by a renegade rallier Abzan build. I noticed you didn't have Cage in your SB. How would you sideboard for this matchup please? Voice and rallier were killing me and kept bringing things back from the yard
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Fracturing Gust
1 Dismember
1 Gut Shot
2 Stubborn Denial
1 Negate
2 Cage
1 Mimic
1 Timely Reinforcements
2 Natural State
1 Thragtusk
Should this deck be running Wrath of God for elves? Basically my meta is all aggro in some form.
Thanks
I also only have two Caverns. Is Mutavault plus another green source a good sub?
Thanks and I'm really excited to pilot this thing, moar tentacle monsters ftw!
Straw that broke the back is when my opponent cast a Rhino then flashed it back three times with Displacer on the next turn ffs.
Thanks, I have one Murderous Cut MB, but maybe I need at least one in the SB? I will post my current list below for any thoughts or suggestions. Once Rhino rotates do we think Ultimate Price will be in the SB more often to kill Advocate? When they stick an Advocate and they already have the land requirements (with a man land) things get really tough.
Creatures:
4 Bearer of Silence
4 Wasteland Strangler
4 Matter Reshaper
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
2 Eldrazi Mimic
Spells:
3 Silkwrap
3 Transgress the Mind
1 Murderous Cut
4 Spatial Contortion
2 Warping Wail
Land:
2 Battlefield Forge
2 Blighted Fen
3 Caves of Koilos
2 Corrupted Crossroads
2 Sea Gate Wreckage
4 Shambling Vent
6 Swamp
4 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
Side:
2 Hallowed Moonlight
3 Duress
2 Self-Inflicted Wound
2 Ultimate Price
2 Ruinous Path
2 Languish
2 Warping Wail
Can't agree more with Nevelo..Ghostfire isn't great unless you play the blue flyer version. I cut them all and moved towards a more mid range deck. I lose the one drop but this allows me to cast Vent. Black white also got a nice instant. Speed 3 CMC removal spell today!!
Just wanted to add my thoughts and ask what else you guys would add to sideboard outside of Self-Inflicted Wound against Mardu Green.
Thanks Kpal, so if Warping Wail has that many uses why do you think people aren't running it MB yet? Given the apparent success that deck had do the people in this thread feel that's the direction to go?