Moving Exemplars to SB while the meta is gravitating towards more Marvel and UR seems madness. Also, turn 1 exemplar into turn 2 scrounger/heart followed by removal is nuts!
I don't like dispossess or anyother effects of this type (lost legacy), not worth loosing tempo against Marvel since they can win even w/o spinning the will post-SB. Transgress is the go-to discard spell for me, 3 seems the correct amount, but playing the full set can be justified in control/marvel heavy metas.
I notice a lot of Mardu decks have 2x Nahiri, the Harbinger in the sideboard. Do you all think she is necessary or could she be replaced with Chandra, Torch of Defiance?
I bring this up because when I faced Mardu decks, they would bring in Nahiri but usually just +2 her for nothing. I guess her removal ability is good against Aetherworks Marvel but there's already Anguished Unmaking and Release the Gremlins.
Used to think that too, until I played with one Nahiri (the only one that I had) in the game-day last weekend. She puts a lot of work against Zombies, Marvel and Control decks. And her high loyalty is perfect for crewing Heart/protecting herself. On the other hand, 4cc Chandra was bit underwhelming. The only thing impeding me going up to two in the SB is her price that seems to never drop
It resembles the UR prowess deck, but here we exchange speed for consistency.
I went 3-0-1 on the FNM (16 players)
2-0 BW Warriors
2-1 Abzan Aggro
1-1 UW Control (with Linvala)
2-0 UR prowess
Notes:
- I tried a couple Jace in the MD, but he's not suited for this deck, we want our 2-drops to apply direct pressure on the opponent. Jace's more suited for the long-card-advantage-based game instead of our tempo plan of playing a threat, protecting it/removing the opposing ones and hitting hard.
- D-command is INSANE with prowess triggers and the amount of enchantment-based removal running around, also the G splash doesn't hurt us singe we already have to play Battle Lands with G because of our fetches.
I'll probably play this on a PPTQ this weekend, maybe with some adjustments on the SB, but the Main Deck stays.
In addition to the mentioned above, the amount of Ojutai's Command running around makes Sarkhan better than Kolaghan's (but i love Kols, miss the old mardu dragons from last season :/).
Against Abzan, Heir of the Wilds is better, indeed. It can attack safely through Rhinos. But overall (i.e. in all the other MUs) Gnarls is better, it provides much more pressure and in the current meta the extra damage and the hability to survive damage-based removal matters a lot. Through my tournament I never lost with Snapping Gnarlid turn 2 on the play. I usually side then out on the draw, except versus control/ramp. (The Jeskai Black matchup is a tricky one, sticking to the gnarls post-side depends very much how you feel their overall posture. Since they usually assume the control role against you, I prefer to keep them. But I firmly believe that sideboarding it's not an exact science and is much more based on your previous experiences with the match-up and how well you know the opponent's list).
So I got hooked on the Temur Black bandwagon when I read CVM's article this week with Kibler's list.
I think that's the correct approach to the archetype, aggro and tempo-oriented. More midrangey versions are clunky and/or suboptimal when compared to the other popular combinations (Jeskai/Abzan/Esper right now).
This is the 75 that I took to a 50 person PPTQ on Saturday. I went 4-0-2 (2 IDs in the last rounds) losing only one game on swiss and finishing 3rd overall. Unfortunately, I lost in the Top 4 to the, probably, best player on the tournament with a very unique build of Jeskai Black (with Ob Nixilis and Dark Petition MD).
The change in MD from Kibler's list is the 2 Den Protector instead of 2 Crater's Claws. Claws is, imo, the weakest card in main deck, even with the reach it provides in certain matchups I prefer the recursion provided by Den, once we have great threats and the best removals in standard right now. (I played 2 Delta cause I only own 2, if you have the playset, take out 1 falls and 1 glade)
The deck plays a tempo-fishy game, pressure early with Gnarls (usally dealing 4 dmg)or ramp into Wanderer/Regent/Hasted Knuckles turn 3 with mystic and have the disruption to protect your creatures/clear the way.
The Rounds:
2-1 vs Esper Dragons
2-0 vs Atarka Red
2-0 vs GW Megamorph
2-0 vs Abzan Aggro with Stubborn Denial
ID
ID
Top8:
2-0 vs Abzan Aggro
Top4:
0-2 vs Jeskai Black
Green-based midranges are a good matchup, so if your meta is infested with abzan, I recommend playing this. Our threats overload their removal and are very resilient. Control anda Jeskai depends of our draws being aggro and don't give them time to breath and bury us in card advantage. Atarka is a bad MU, but the side helps turning the tides on our favors. I didn't played any ramp or rally so I can't tell anithyng about these games.
Overall the deck is fun and if you're looking for a reliable aggro option outside Abzan colours, play this.
That's all and sorry for any bad english.
EDIT: noticed that there were lacking 2 lands MD, added them.
My tournament went:
R1:2-1 Sidisi Whip (w/ raptor & protector)
R2:2-1 4c Company
R3:1-2 mirror.
R4:2-1 MonoRed aggro
R5:2-0 Temur aggro
R6:2-0 Esper Dragons
top8: 2-0 mirror (same guy I played earlier)
top4: 1-2 G/r devotion
Thoughts on deck and matchups.
Commands and Soulfire overperformed for me, but I don't see any reason to go up the numbers on main.
Foul-Tongue was not so good, rarely it hit the creature I needed and they suck in the G/x devotion matchup, maybe I'll try some number of Downfalls on main this weekend (adding 1 urborg MD too) and move the edicts to side.
I think the masteries on SB are a little too much, our matchup is already good against esper and besides the Roars we have no dead cards against them MD.
With the meta moving towards raptor.decs the controls should diminute in numbers, which benefits devotion decks (which I think are one of the thoughest matches for us. If we don't draw removal heavy, he can set a good board, reducing the efience of crackling doom/foul-tongue) I'm considering adding more cheap removal like +1 Murderous Cut or even +1 roast somewhere in the 75.
I don't like dispossess or anyother effects of this type (lost legacy), not worth loosing tempo against Marvel since they can win even w/o spinning the will post-SB. Transgress is the go-to discard spell for me, 3 seems the correct amount, but playing the full set can be justified in control/marvel heavy metas.
Used to think that too, until I played with one Nahiri (the only one that I had) in the game-day last weekend. She puts a lot of work against Zombies, Marvel and Control decks. And her high loyalty is perfect for crewing Heart/protecting herself. On the other hand, 4cc Chandra was bit underwhelming. The only thing impeding me going up to two in the SB is her price that seems to never drop
4 Sylvan Advocate
4 Den protector
4 Deathmist Raptor
4 Thunderbreak Regent
2 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Nissa, Vastwood seer
4 fiery impulse
4 draconic roar
2 Arlinn Kord
4 Evolving wilds
4 cinder glade
4 game trail
6 forest
6 mountain
1 haven of the spirit dragon
4 Seeker of the way
4 abbot of keral keep
4 stormchaser mage
4 mantis rider
2 monastery mentor
Spells(18)
4 Fiery Impulse
4 Slip through space
2 Ojutai's Command
2 Roast
2 Treasure Cruise
2 Dromoka's Command
1 Become Immense
1 Dispel
4 Flooded Strand
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
4 Mystic Monastery
2 Prairie Stream
1 Cinder Glade
1 Canopy Vista
2 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Island
2 Radiant Flames
2 Negate
2 Hallowed Moonlight
2 Rending Volley
2 Surge of Righteousness
2 Outpost Siege
1 Dispel
1 Exert Influence
1 Roast
It resembles the UR prowess deck, but here we exchange speed for consistency.
I went 3-0-1 on the FNM (16 players)
2-0 BW Warriors
2-1 Abzan Aggro
1-1 UW Control (with Linvala)
2-0 UR prowess
Notes:
- I tried a couple Jace in the MD, but he's not suited for this deck, we want our 2-drops to apply direct pressure on the opponent. Jace's more suited for the long-card-advantage-based game instead of our tempo plan of playing a threat, protecting it/removing the opposing ones and hitting hard.
- D-command is INSANE with prowess triggers and the amount of enchantment-based removal running around, also the G splash doesn't hurt us singe we already have to play Battle Lands with G because of our fetches.
I'll probably play this on a PPTQ this weekend, maybe with some adjustments on the SB, but the Main Deck stays.
Thank u guys
Against Abzan, Heir of the Wilds is better, indeed. It can attack safely through Rhinos. But overall (i.e. in all the other MUs) Gnarls is better, it provides much more pressure and in the current meta the extra damage and the hability to survive damage-based removal matters a lot. Through my tournament I never lost with Snapping Gnarlid turn 2 on the play. I usually side then out on the draw, except versus control/ramp. (The Jeskai Black matchup is a tricky one, sticking to the gnarls post-side depends very much how you feel their overall posture. Since they usually assume the control role against you, I prefer to keep them. But I firmly believe that sideboarding it's not an exact science and is much more based on your previous experiences with the match-up and how well you know the opponent's list).
I think that's the correct approach to the archetype, aggro and tempo-oriented. More midrangey versions are clunky and/or suboptimal when compared to the other popular combinations (Jeskai/Abzan/Esper right now).
This is the 75 that I took to a 50 person PPTQ on Saturday. I went 4-0-2 (2 IDs in the last rounds) losing only one game on swiss and finishing 3rd overall. Unfortunately, I lost in the Top 4 to the, probably, best player on the tournament with a very unique build of Jeskai Black (with Ob Nixilis and Dark Petition MD).
4 Rattleclaw Mystic
4 Snapping Gnarlid
4 Savage Knuckleblade
4 Thunderbreak Regent
4 Woodland Wanderer
2 Den Protector
Spells(12)
4 Draconic Roar
3 Murderous Cut
3 Stubborn Denial
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
Lands(26)
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Polluted Delta
1 Windswepet Heath
3 Frontier Bivouac
2 Cinder Glade
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Island
1 Mountain
2 Lumbering Falls
1 Yavimaya Coast
1 Shivan Reef
1 Dragonlord Silumgar
1 Feed the Clan
1 Virulent Plague
1 Rending Volley
1 Sultai Charm
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Dispel
1 Stubborn Denial
2 Duress
2 Self-inflicted Wound
3 Radiant Flames
The change in MD from Kibler's list is the 2 Den Protector instead of 2 Crater's Claws. Claws is, imo, the weakest card in main deck, even with the reach it provides in certain matchups I prefer the recursion provided by Den, once we have great threats and the best removals in standard right now. (I played 2 Delta cause I only own 2, if you have the playset, take out 1 falls and 1 glade)
The deck plays a tempo-fishy game, pressure early with Gnarls (usally dealing 4 dmg)or ramp into Wanderer/Regent/Hasted Knuckles turn 3 with mystic and have the disruption to protect your creatures/clear the way.
The Rounds:
2-1 vs Esper Dragons
2-0 vs Atarka Red
2-0 vs GW Megamorph
2-0 vs Abzan Aggro with Stubborn Denial
ID
ID
Top8:
2-0 vs Abzan Aggro
Top4:
0-2 vs Jeskai Black
Green-based midranges are a good matchup, so if your meta is infested with abzan, I recommend playing this. Our threats overload their removal and are very resilient. Control anda Jeskai depends of our draws being aggro and don't give them time to breath and bury us in card advantage. Atarka is a bad MU, but the side helps turning the tides on our favors. I didn't played any ramp or rally so I can't tell anithyng about these games.
Overall the deck is fun and if you're looking for a reliable aggro option outside Abzan colours, play this.
That's all and sorry for any bad english.
EDIT: noticed that there were lacking 2 lands MD, added them.
This is my list:
4x thunderbreak regent
4x stormbreath dragon
4x goblin rabblemaster
3x soulfire grand master
3x seeker of the way
2x kolaghan, the storm's fury
Spells:
4x crackling doom
3x draconic roar
2x foul-tongue invocation
2x kolaghan's command
1x murderous cut
3x thoughtseize
3x mountain
1x swamp
4x bloodstained mire
4x caves of koilos
4x nomad outpost
3x temple of triumph
1x temple of malice
1x temple of silence
2x battlefield forge
2x haven of the spirit dragon
2x crux of fate
2x mastery of the unseen
1x ultimate price
1x utter end
2x outpost siege
1x thoughtseize
1x sorin, solem visitor
1x glare of heresy
My tournament went:
R1:2-1 Sidisi Whip (w/ raptor & protector)
R2:2-1 4c Company
R3:1-2 mirror.
R4:2-1 MonoRed aggro
R5:2-0 Temur aggro
R6:2-0 Esper Dragons
top8: 2-0 mirror (same guy I played earlier)
top4: 1-2 G/r devotion
Thoughts on deck and matchups.
Commands and Soulfire overperformed for me, but I don't see any reason to go up the numbers on main.
Foul-Tongue was not so good, rarely it hit the creature I needed and they suck in the G/x devotion matchup, maybe I'll try some number of Downfalls on main this weekend (adding 1 urborg MD too) and move the edicts to side.
I think the masteries on SB are a little too much, our matchup is already good against esper and besides the Roars we have no dead cards against them MD.
With the meta moving towards raptor.decs the controls should diminute in numbers, which benefits devotion decks (which I think are one of the thoughest matches for us. If we don't draw removal heavy, he can set a good board, reducing the efience of crackling doom/foul-tongue) I'm considering adding more cheap removal like +1 Murderous Cut or even +1 roast somewhere in the 75.