I lost to Cruel Control (my own deck) then defeated Abzan Company, Cheerios and Burn.
Notes:
Against Abzan Company he built up a board but I was able to Cryptic--> Gearhulk target Cryptic---> Attack + Cryptic--> Attack Cryptic and win.
The other game I rolled by wiping the board and letting the warriors come out to play.
Against Cheerios Spell Snare saved me from his engine cards and I was able to overcome him.
The Burn match consisted of blowouts for each of us the first two games then a very tight game three. I countered and killed all the early threats then played Secure the Wastes for three. I was able to get him down to six then he played a Eidolon + Goblin Guide. I Snapcaster in response to Ediolon getting Fatal Push to kill the guide. I then draw another secure the wastes (four mana available).
I proceed to attack and he blocks a warrior bringing him down at 2 life. I am also at two life, but I know I win due to his life total. He attacks, I secure for three, block and that is all she wrote.
Pretty fun for a last minute decision after my buddy begged to play my Cruel deck. I ordered the cards I am missing for Esper Control and will be playing it until bolas returns in Amonkhet.
RG Ponza is pretty bad, so don't consider it competitive at all. Examine MTGO dailys and SCG events to keep an eye on the meta.
However, if your meta contains such decks then you should adjust to them. Playing more negate effects and discard should help.
Bant Eldrazi and Affinity had a good showing at this weekend's SCG event, so I would be prepared to beat those decks and the decks that beat those decks
Kalitas is gone forever in that situation. You want to let the first ability resolve then kill the fiend hunter in order to get Kalitas back.
Engineered Explosives is required in the 75 in my opinion. We can't really deal with enchantments and EE helps clear up permanent heavy matchups. I play 2.
I suspect bant eldrazi and abzan company will be more competitive in the new meta. Therefore, I will continue to play two Damnations. You can definitely cut a Kommand, I run four due to my artifact heavy local metagame.
You don't need to run more fetchlands to trigger Revolt, but it does help. I've come to the conclusion that another fetch per 2 copies of Fatal Push is pretty good.
Don't forget that we can attack with Snapcaster or a man land and let our opponent trigger Revolt for us!
Spell Snare is very useful in the current meta; I usually have 2-3 copies of it.
With the expected rise of Jund/Junk, Spell Snare is great in those matchups.
For me the 3/3 Split is perfectamente, I get to search for cards and draw a bunch later in the game. That said, playing one set is fine if your deck has access to other card advantage.
@TooSwiss I bring in Ashiok, Keranos and Engineered Explosives against Jund. Usually I will play Ashiok on curve and start ticking up. I bring in Ashiok against combo, control, dredge and heavy creature decks. Against combo you can sometimes Snag their win condition and against heavy creature decks Ashiok can fog them. Control decks usually can't beat a resolved Ashiok.
Dark Intimations is an overcosted and slow Kommand and kinda meh...right now. I predict that the card gets much better when the new Bolas arrives though. I will always test cards even when they appear horrible; many people doubted Kolaghan's Command when it was spoiled
You can definitely cut a Kommand for the 3rd Terminate. I was waffling about that the entire time I was testing, my meta has multiple lantern "control" players...
I usually play a pair of Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver which might be very good in a midrange and tron dominated meta.
In order to facilitate Fatal Push an extra fetch has been added. The post-ban meta will (likely) favor Tron, Affinity and GBx decks. Thus my sideboard has been tailored to it. Fulminator Mage is a placeholder until I decide whether to use more planeswalker hate and counters against tron. Dredge will still be a force, so keep that graveyard hate handy.
Good job to everyone that got out and played Cruel Control last week.
It seems like Fatal Push would have helped in some of your matches Manatee. I will be testing three copies of Fatal Push and will let everyone know what I think about it.
The next Bolas will be playable. If you examine the last 10 planeswalker cards we have seen, they are all decent. Better than the days of Liliana of the Dark Realms lol.
4 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
2 Marsh Flats
2 Watery Grave
2 Celestial Colonnade
2 Island
2 Swamp
2 Plains
1 Shambling Vent
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Godless Shrine
4 Fatal Push
4 Path to Exile
2 Supreme Verdict
Card Advantage
4 Esper Charm
4 Think Twice
2 Sphinx's Revelation
Counter Spells
4 Spell Snare
4 Cryptic Command
2 Countersquall
Threats
2 Torrential Gearhulk
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Secure the Wastes
2 Sphinx's Tutelage
1 Wrath of God
1 Damnation
2 Cataclysmic Gearhulk
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Negate
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Detention Sphere
2 Anguished Unmaking
Had to throw this together last minute so forgive the lack of Logic Knot, Celestial Colonnade and wacky sideboard.
I lost to Cruel Control (my own deck) then defeated Abzan Company, Cheerios and Burn.
Notes:
Against Abzan Company he built up a board but I was able to Cryptic--> Gearhulk target Cryptic---> Attack + Cryptic--> Attack Cryptic and win.
The other game I rolled by wiping the board and letting the warriors come out to play.
Against Cheerios Spell Snare saved me from his engine cards and I was able to overcome him.
The Burn match consisted of blowouts for each of us the first two games then a very tight game three. I countered and killed all the early threats then played Secure the Wastes for three. I was able to get him down to six then he played a Eidolon + Goblin Guide. I Snapcaster in response to Ediolon getting Fatal Push to kill the guide. I then draw another secure the wastes (four mana available).
I proceed to attack and he blocks a warrior bringing him down at 2 life. I am also at two life, but I know I win due to his life total. He attacks, I secure for three, block and that is all she wrote.
Pretty fun for a last minute decision after my buddy begged to play my Cruel deck. I ordered the cards I am missing for Esper Control and will be playing it until bolas returns in Amonkhet.
However, if your meta contains such decks then you should adjust to them. Playing more negate effects and discard should help.
Bant Eldrazi and Affinity had a good showing at this weekend's SCG event, so I would be prepared to beat those decks and the decks that beat those decks
Engineered Explosives is required in the 75 in my opinion. We can't really deal with enchantments and EE helps clear up permanent heavy matchups. I play 2.
Most decks can't beat our recursion engine.
Don't forget that we can attack with Snapcaster or a man land and let our opponent trigger Revolt for us!
With the expected rise of Jund/Junk, Spell Snare is great in those matchups.
For me the 3/3 Split is perfectamente, I get to search for cards and draw a bunch later in the game. That said, playing one set is fine if your deck has access to other card advantage.
@TooSwiss I bring in Ashiok, Keranos and Engineered Explosives against Jund. Usually I will play Ashiok on curve and start ticking up. I bring in Ashiok against combo, control, dredge and heavy creature decks. Against combo you can sometimes Snag their win condition and against heavy creature decks Ashiok can fog them. Control decks usually can't beat a resolved Ashiok.
I may add some information to the primer.
Let me know if anyone has something they want mentioned.
You can definitely cut a Kommand for the 3rd Terminate. I was waffling about that the entire time I was testing, my meta has multiple lantern "control" players...
I usually play a pair of Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver which might be very good in a midrange and tron dominated meta.
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Polluted Delta
3 Island
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Wandering Fumarole
2 Steam Vents
2 Swamp
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Watery Grave
1 Mountain
1 Blood Crypt
Creatures
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Torrential Gearhulk
4 Cryptic Command
2 Countersquall
2 Spell Snare
Removal
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Kolaghan's Command
2 Damnation
2 Terminate
2 Fatal Push
Card Advantage
3 Serum Visions
3 Ancestral Vision
Haymakers
1 Cruel Ultimatum
1 Dark Intimations
3 Fulminator Mage
2 Collective Brutailty
2 Dispel
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Pillar of Flame
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Keranos, God of Storms
In order to facilitate Fatal Push an extra fetch has been added. The post-ban meta will (likely) favor Tron, Affinity and GBx decks. Thus my sideboard has been tailored to it. Fulminator Mage is a placeholder until I decide whether to use more planeswalker hate and counters against tron. Dredge will still be a force, so keep that graveyard hate handy.
It seems like Fatal Push would have helped in some of your matches Manatee. I will be testing three copies of Fatal Push and will let everyone know what I think about it.
Anyway I also got a new playmat.