More I play with Knight of Malice, the less impressed I am by it. In a meta with more W/X control decks, it gets way better, but if you find yourself surrounded by aggro and midrange, it drops like a rock.
I've been very impressed with Liliana, Death's Majesty. Even without going to value town with Chupacabras, Belzenlok, or Gonti, she brings back shades and Aetherborn while churning out a small army of zombies.
Has anyone tried The Eldest Reborn? It could be a 3-for-1, but 5 Mana seems very slow.
I am currently running Eldest Reborn as a 2 of in place of Karn 3 and 4. It is slow but effective. Having Mana open on the turn after you have cast it, removes a lot and potentially remove multiple threats with one card. I think it will be more relevant post rotation.
I'm also trying a version of the deck that differs quite a bit from some of the ones posted here:
#I run 4x Duress +2x Doomfall in the maindeck as the deck is already packed with removal for creatures so having interaction for spells in the maindeck seems important and don't think that Kitesail Freebooter is good enough (without pirate support or Panharmonicon shenanigans) as a 1/2 body which will eventually give the card back.
#I'm trying out Rite of Belzenlok in the deck as I liked the idea of clogging the board with blockers and then getting a big flyer to close out the game.
The token dying to Fatal Push is the main concern so far.
#4x Gifted Aetherborn in the maindeck, it is just a very solid creature that will always at least trade and gradually gains life which is very useful.
# I have 3x Treasure Map here (in addition to a copy of Arguel's Blood Fast) for card draw and filtering as it is probably one of the better colorless CA options for the deck which I prefer to the black draw spells and I don't have any Karns yet.
#4x Never // Return in the maindeck as it deals with most threats and the back side can be relevant, might be worse than 2x more Vraska's Contempt and 2x Cast Down/Walk the Plank but I'll try this out first.
# No maindeck Chupacabra as the deck has probably enough removal as it is so I have 1x Gonti and 1x Tetzimoc here instead.
#Yahenni's Expertise over Golden Demise in the SB, the extra mana to get bigger creatures seems worth it (and maybe cast a free Dread Shade).
I've tried to streamline the deck as much as possible but maybe going for the tutor (Rite, Acquisition) route with 1x-ofs and big finishers like Torment/Ballista is a better idea.
This....I have been obsessed with Rite of Belzenlok and have slotted it in as a finisher. But 4 main board Duress with 2 Doomfall is definitely good. I am not playing never or bloodfast but a full 4 of Treasure Map along with 2 Karn, Scion of Urza and 2 Walk the Plank as it hits all the major threats in the format *glares at Lyra, Dawnbringer seeing that it doesn't have haste it is safe to play that.
It would be pretty sick to Field of Ruin-lock someone that's not playing enough basics, but I'm just personally not convinced Muldratha is worth it in this deck. I think you'd have to make some pretty significant changes to maximize his(hers?) value. I think there's a shell involving Song of Freyalise and Muldrotha, the Gravetide that could be interesting. Song helps accelerate out Muldrotha and then Muldrotha recurs Song to keep generating value and make your attacks basically unstoppable. There should probably be a Winding Constrictor in there somewhere too.
I just don't think Journey and Muldrotha go in the same deck as they're kinda fighting for the same niche.
The best thing you can do is fulminator a valakut and extract it. However a good valakut player plays around that easily. So this is pretty unlikely.
Of course, Valakut is tough, but after playing in a tournament, several times, playing against Valakut, Storm and Lantern Control. My whole sideboard became a hate combo big mana deck. With Whispers of Emrakul, Bow of Nylea and Surgical extraction. Don't lose to those decks at all.
How is everyone fighting combo? I played some junk this past week and was feeling pretty good in most matches in testing, then only paired with combo. Storm, Valakut, Storm... Any advice? I did resolve a Runed Halo against storm in one game, but he just deck sifted while going off into his one of Echoing Truth.
As FlyingDelver said combo is a good matchup for us. We have good disruption and fast clock which is the best combination to fight combo decks. Ideally you have turn 1 discard into turn 2 Tarmogoyf and then turn 3 LoTV.
The same plan is for Valakut but this matchup is very bad for us they have better top decks than us and it's very hard to interact with their deck.
Valakut....argh. well for a budget option Lost Legacy is a good option to hit the titan or scapeshift. I'm playing Abzan Traverse and I play Surgical Extraction and Whisper of Emrakul due to the efficiency of getting delirium by turn 3 or even shortly after a graveyard wipe. Combo decks shouldn't be an issue for GBx
The best vampire in the format is Adanto, play 4. You need 4 tribal land. I would start with three legion landing, 3 baffling end, three radient destiny, three ixalans binding, 3 twillight, 4 adanto and go from there. I am not sure what the last should be and thus have not built this deck.
Squire's Devotion seems bonkers on Adanto Vanguard. You get to gain the life back from his ability and any pump spell i.e. Radiant Destiny ot Legion Lieutenant makes it even better.
Why in Abzan Shadow and not plain Abzan? Utter End is 4 mana option that doesn’t cost any life.
Well 4 mana os a bit high, but Abzan shadow as it gets Shadow Bigger. Although Hero's Downfall is great with Thoughtseize AND surgical extraction for fighting JtMS and BBE along with all other combo decks then yeah. But Maelstrom Pulse is great still and Thrun....
In a kind way, would yall be willing to take a look at this idea? In theory it takes one of Jadine's old Abzan Traverse builds and swaps liliana's(I know it sounds crazy but isnt great vs BBE and Jace) for 4 Knight of the reliquary to make the deck go just a bit faster.
I have been playing the Abzan Traverse version of G/Bx for quite some time. I see that KoR is a good card but mot entirely sure it has a place here though, but it does have my attention.
I have been playing 1 Glissa, the Traitor and 1 Anafenza, the Foremost with Traverse shell is funny. Glissa has have me play Bauble at least 5 to 7 times a game while Anafenza pumps my Rogue Fairy and Spirit tokens. And what does a JtMS deck do against Eldritch Moon Emmy?
I have been looking at a lot of lists and trying different stuff. I think the big decisions are going either play Mono Black splash white or Mono White Splash black. I love Gifted Aetherborn but after playing Squire's Devotion on Adanto's Vanguard the combo is of juggernaut proportions. The Mono Black list I did is great versus control and midrange decks because it plays Push and contempt with Arterial Flow mainboard. Although, Twilight Prophet is a card I want to consistently win with. Still looking for ideas
I think it's time to merge topics and choose one, so I'll post here from now on.
I'm working on an aggro shell after a long time scratching my head on a midrange one. There's a package of cards that work no matter what shell we play, then the remaining slots ar a bit more complicated to evaluate.
Here's my current list :
Adanto Vanguard is praised as the best vampire by some pros, while Paladin of Atonement is completely overlooked. My tests ring a different bell. I've been deeply disappointed by Vanguard, probably because Standard isn't what it was before RIX. Paying 4 is too much to save a creature that don't attack that well anymore. Between gods, Phoenix, eternalize, I don't like him in a go-wide list. He's probably still good in a UW Sram shell.
I have the same feeling with Yahenni, Undying Partisan. In this shell, I don't want to sacrifice my creatures before they dealt damage, and he doesn't even attack that well anymore. Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle, on the other hand, is the best 3-drop I want in every game, very strong with lords and anthems.
Notable vamps that don't make the cut ae Oathsworn Vampire and Famished Paladin. There's no way to gain life every turn, period. Dusk Legion Zealot is interesting but not very aggro. Aethersphere Harvester is easy to crew, but most importantly, it blanks Rekindling Phoenix and Glorybringer, which are too strong against vamps. Removal spells don't do enough cause they play many more copies. It also gives me more reach, cause the creature decks are impossible to break through on the ground.
In the SB, I don't have feedback to give yet, there may be some poor choices for now.
I understand what you are saying about Adanto, but after looking at the U/W Auras deck it seems super strong as it is hard to kill. So, I plan on testing Squire's Devotion to give him life link and a vampire token, Adanto can gain 5 life on each attack! Now, I know the idea might not seem popular, seeing that my deck isn't an aggro deck, just a Twilight Prophet deck. Stall out and blank my opponents attack and win with advantage from the Twilight.
Yeah, the only thing I've hated about vampires is how much they nerfed them. I've seen a lot of 1/1's at 4 cmc in the past, from Liliana's Shade to Wing Splicer, but a mythic creature that is a 1/1 and has no immediate impact on the field and basically no way to really protect itself? Elenda, the dusk rose is probably the worst 1/1 for 4 I've seen just on the basis of her being a mythic of all things. Lumberknot was an uncommon that I'd probably pick over Elendra just due to the hexproof.
Elenda doesn't need to be protected. Having Radiant Destiny Legion Lieutenant with either Vanquisher's Banner or The Immortal Sun on the field means that they kill her you get a big board. Although Supernatural Stamina seems great with Elenda. Things to consider, Arguel's Bloodfast is great with the life linkers as steady card advantage.
Is it possible to play thia deck as a midrange deck? I mean, Both W and B has the best removal. Lower the creature count to 16-20 (Preferably all Life Linkers with Vona being the top of the curve) add Live Fast and Arguel's Bloodfast as card draw (live fast for energy for Aether Hub to smooth out the mana) and Radiant Destiny with a bunch of removal. Idk spitballing some other ideas. Aggro seems lack luster, I think there is more to this deck. Play cards that pay life and a bunch of lifelinkers seems like on theme ways to win.
I have been doing some brewing with these new cards from Rivals of Ixalan and let me tell you. Radiant Destiny and Twilight Prophet are legit cards. And the best way to get to Ascend is by casting Call to the Feast and Legion's Landing. Below is a link to my current iteration of B/W vampires.
I am currently running Eldest Reborn as a 2 of in place of Karn 3 and 4. It is slow but effective. Having Mana open on the turn after you have cast it, removes a lot and potentially remove multiple threats with one card. I think it will be more relevant post rotation.
This....I have been obsessed with Rite of Belzenlok and have slotted it in as a finisher. But 4 main board Duress with 2 Doomfall is definitely good. I am not playing never or bloodfast but a full 4 of Treasure Map along with 2 Karn, Scion of Urza and 2 Walk the Plank as it hits all the major threats in the format *glares at Lyra, Dawnbringer seeing that it doesn't have haste it is safe to play that.
While my list isn't mono black, adding the white for Elenda and Martyr of Dusk seems to be a legit route.
Wait...Song of Freyalise and Muldrotha, the Gravetide can be a shell. I have been toying with an idea of using Rite of Belzenlok and Demonlord Belzenlok and this might be it. Being able to have the demon token or the demonlord to have Freyalise buff is the nuts. And being able to keep generating tokens, Vraska, Scheming Gorgon as a one of to ultimate to win games. Heck even as a one of 1x Razaketh, the Foulblooded to sack the free cleric tokens. Too much? Maybe, but I would try this
Valakut....argh. well for a budget option Lost Legacy is a good option to hit the titan or scapeshift. I'm playing Abzan Traverse and I play Surgical Extraction and Whisper of Emrakul due to the efficiency of getting delirium by turn 3 or even shortly after a graveyard wipe. Combo decks shouldn't be an issue for GBx
I was just sitting here thinking the same thing. But I would look into playing that in an Abzan Death's Shadow list maybe.
I have been playing the Abzan Traverse version of G/Bx for quite some time. I see that KoR is a good card but mot entirely sure it has a place here though, but it does have my attention.
I have been playing 1 Glissa, the Traitor and 1 Anafenza, the Foremost with Traverse shell is funny. Glissa has have me play Bauble at least 5 to 7 times a game while Anafenza pumps my Rogue Fairy and Spirit tokens. And what does a JtMS deck do against Eldritch Moon Emmy?
I understand what you are saying about Adanto, but after looking at the U/W Auras deck it seems super strong as it is hard to kill. So, I plan on testing Squire's Devotion to give him life link and a vampire token, Adanto can gain 5 life on each attack! Now, I know the idea might not seem popular, seeing that my deck isn't an aggro deck, just a Twilight Prophet deck. Stall out and blank my opponents attack and win with advantage from the Twilight.
Elenda doesn't need to be protected. Having Radiant Destiny Legion Lieutenant with either Vanquisher's Banner or The Immortal Sun on the field means that they kill her you get a big board. Although Supernatural Stamina seems great with Elenda. Things to consider, Arguel's Bloodfast is great with the life linkers as steady card advantage.
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/visual/881811