Almost finished building the deck and I noticed Brainpipe's post about Vexing Devil rulings. I know Fling is a no go, but does Pongify/Rapid still work for the turn 2 Pelt Collector "combo"?
Holy Ghost I think I've found the card that will make Jeskai Spirits playable! Light up the Stage
Still learning how to properly use Bant Spirits, but I'm using Light Up in experimental builds of Ponza and Mono-Red Prison. I need more games with it, but it's a very powerful filter card from the few games I've played so far, but its downside is that it needs to be Spectacle'd to be useful, otherwise it's a dead card compared to something like Faithless Looting.
I'm accepted that the ramp package, 3-4 drop control, and late bombs are what make this deck Ponza.
Blood Moon is a card we mainboarded because it was good against at least 51% of the meta (and often way more). When I look at the meta right now, I can't bring myself to main it anymore.
I'm assuming if my meta is weak to BM I should still use it, however. How do current lists look for Ponza? Finalizing my build and I'm curious.
the only way to prevent them from having extra etb triggers is by using path to exile. Both reflector mage and deputy of detention are not permanent solutions (even though they are permanents, and solutions ;))
Another card that struck my interest from the new set is Sky Tether, which in our build is a 1 mana pacifism and could be very interesting as removal choice in the more tempo-oriented builds like UW.
Oh I know, I meant I didn't want them re-playing whatever I bounced with Mage and get a bonus trigger from that.
Deputy of Detention has been great in testing so far. Perfect colors, answers lots of things we previously could not deal with and it opens sideboard space because we have 2 copies of a creature D-Sphere. I am on Bant, so I am running 2 Path/2 Reflector/2 Deputy.
note: Tocatli Honor Guard is increasingly popular and that card does hose us and Humans pretty hard.
There's at least three Merfolk players, BW Eldrazi Taxes, and some other Bant Spirits players at my LGS. Is it alright to cut Reflector Mage in this situation? I'd rather not give extra ETB triggers to creature-based decks.
Here's my new list; I removed the Eidolons in favor of filter draws, replaced my single Magus with a Koth, and replaced Alpine Moon and Damping Sphere with two Cratermakers for Eldrazi and Tron. I'm wondering what people think, thanks prison peeps~
Match 1 - UR Phoenix - 2-0
Went 2-0, game 1 I assembled a Bridge, Chalice on 1 and 2, and Chandra; he folded on turn 5 as soon as I played the second Chalice. Game 2, I got an early Warboss and Mutavault.
Match 2 - Esper Mill 2-1
Interesting match to say the least. Game 1 I got Gemstone out since I was on the draw and then I got a turn 2 Blood Moon. He folded after I found a Rabble. Game 2 he used Bridge and Mesmeric Orb to lock me down while he milled me to death. Game 3, I locked him down with Witchbane Orb and killed him with an ult'd Chandra. And to think I was going to remove Witchbane Orb from my board with a different card...
Match 3 - BW Eldrazi Taxes 0-2
Lost 0-2, removal wasn't strong enough against multiple Thought-Knots and I never drew into a Blood Moon. I had Bridge Game 1 but he kept flickerwisp-ing it away and beat me down. Is this a terrible matchup for us without a Moon out?
Match 4 - Dredge 1-2
Game 1 he did Dredge things. Game 2, I got him with a Bridge lockdown + Rabbles. Game 3 was close but Chandra whiffed and exiled my Bridge while I was tapped out, so I died to his Bloodghasts. My Anger wiped out almost all of his board beforehand but I didn't draw into another one quickly enough. I probably should have added more Cages instead of Relics in my board.
Overall I'm okay with how I did, although I do wish I could do better than 2-2 with P-Prison at some point. I definitely got punished for keeping a greedy hand Game 3 of Dredge, but I think I made good decisions overall with keeping and mulligan-ing hands. Eldrazi and Taxes hurt a lot and initially he thought I was on Skred; ironically Skred would've have saved me, since my old Skred list ran Roast and the titular Skred which would have smashed his Seers. I have a Trinisphere and Ravenous Traps in the mail, might continue to adjust my ramp since I did lose a game to Dredge by drawing nothing but lands, rituals, and Guides. Bridge was a godsend so definitely curious to see if I can find ways to cheat my own creatures through it more/find more win cons that are non-creature. Maybe add in a Koth? Also Eidolon did nothing for me tonight, but I have a 4th in the mail and will see if it has more impact the next time I play Prison.
Pelt Collector and Experiment One work perfectly fine next to each other. But I usually end up boarding at least one Pelt Collector out. I personally prefer Experiment One. But opponents usually tend to remove the Pelt Collector first if thet have the choice between both, even before the regeneration clause gets relevant. So in my own opinion the experiment is the stronger one for sure, but opponents seem to judge it different.
The difference between Feed the Clan and Life Goes on is something I cannot judge at the moment. The reason I plaz them both as one of is because I want to find out which one feels better. But for a final decission I need more games.
Grafdiggers is there as a singleton as it can work next to relic, while also occasionally annoying coco decks.
The only other thing I can add is that I would for sure replace the Hashep Oasis with Horizon Canopy if I had the budget. And that I'll probably cut a Pelt Collector for a Wasteland Viper to have an additional pseudo removal spell.
For the decision between Feed the Clan and Life Goes On, I've had more success with Life Goes On because it's just easier to find situations where creatures die. The extra 2 life isn't much of a difference in most scenarios, and being one mana cheaper is relevant in Stompy due to the low land count and desire to keep our CMCs and curve low.
I’ve been playing UW Spirits for a few months now. I understand adding a green splash would make the deck more powerful, but because of financial reasons, being pigheaded, and wanting to do something different I want to splash black for Orzhov Enforcer, Lingering Souls, and Fatal Push. Should I forget the whole idea and just splash green to be more competitive?
If you wanna go rogue you might want to consider Jeskai Spirits. I've heard of some people running builds with Eidolon of the Great Revel and other stuff, although life is an issue with Great Revel out.
Well Reflector Mage doesn't seem that good considering a lot of the decks I played/saw have creatures with ETB triggers; is it worth giving my opponent more benefits?
I won 2 matches against Merfolk, both of which were 2-1, and I lost against Storm and Affinity, 0-2. I think my performance reflects the fact that this was my first time playing the Bant version of the deck more than any other reason.
Storm combo'd off too quickly both times, although second game I got too aggressive and tapped out on turn 2 to play Geist, which let them combo off. Affinity outraced me first game, and second game the dude pulled out an Ensnaring Bridge and slowly chipped me down with his Etched Champions; I didn't draw into removal for the bridge fast enough.
My first match with Merfolk was against a new pilot of the deck, I lost the first game due to mana drought. The second and third games I won, partially because of being able to play with no Islands via Hierarch and Botanical Sanctum, but also thanks to Geist hitting the dude with a three turn clock.
The second Merfolk match was much tougher, and I got mana screwed the first two games. First game I mulled to 5, second game I also had to mull to 5. Second game, I gave up and kept a hand with no lands and a Hierarch, but turn 2 I finally drew into a fetch which helped me stabilize. I won that game because my opponent got too greedy and kept tapping out for Master of Waves (got two out and Image'd one) but I hit for 22 in the air the turn before I would have died, after top decking Drogskol Captain. Third game, he forgot to counter Geist, which cost him the game.
Overall I love the deck, and will definitely keep playing it. I'm going to replace the Reflector Mages mainboard, as they did virtually nothing for me, and I'm thinking of adding another land, as I had a huge amount of trouble hitting land drops on curve. Wish I had money for some Misty Rainforests though. I'm also revamping my SB a bit, to the below. Thoughts? My new LGS is a very creature heavy meta, lots of Merfolk and Spirits players, along with Affinity, Storm, Red Prison, and Tron.
1 Disdainful Stroke
2 Knight of Autumn
2 Natural State
3 Rest in Peace
2 Settle the Wreckage or Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
2 Stony Silence
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Unified Will
Still learning how to properly use Bant Spirits, but I'm using Light Up in experimental builds of Ponza and Mono-Red Prison. I need more games with it, but it's a very powerful filter card from the few games I've played so far, but its downside is that it needs to be Spectacle'd to be useful, otherwise it's a dead card compared to something like Faithless Looting.
I'm assuming if my meta is weak to BM I should still use it, however. How do current lists look for Ponza? Finalizing my build and I'm curious.
Oh I know, I meant I didn't want them re-playing whatever I bounced with Mage and get a bonus trigger from that.
There's at least three Merfolk players, BW Eldrazi Taxes, and some other Bant Spirits players at my LGS. Is it alright to cut Reflector Mage in this situation? I'd rather not give extra ETB triggers to creature-based decks.
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Hazoret the Fervent
4 Legion Warboss
4 Simian Spirit Guide
Lands
3 Gemstone Caverns
2 Ramunap Ruins
2 Scavenger Grounds
14 Snow-Covered Mountain
4 Blood Moon
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Ensnaring Bridge
Other
4 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 Desperate Ritual
4 Faithless Looting
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Pyretic Ritual
2 Abrade
4 Anger of the Gods
2 Goblin Cratermaker
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Ravenous Trap
1 Trinisphere
1 Vandalblast
1 Witchbane Orb
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Hazoret the Fervent
4 Legion Warboss
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Simian Spirit Guide
Lands
3 Gemstone Caverns
2 Ramunap Ruins
2 Scavenger Grounds
14 Snow-Covered Mountain
4 Blood Moon
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Ensnaring Bridge
Other
4 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 Desperate Ritual
2 Pyretic Ritual
2 Abrade
1 Alpine Moon
4 Anger of the Gods
1 Damping Sphere
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Shattering Spree
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
1 Torpor Orb
1 Witchbane Orb
Match 1 - UR Phoenix - 2-0
Went 2-0, game 1 I assembled a Bridge, Chalice on 1 and 2, and Chandra; he folded on turn 5 as soon as I played the second Chalice. Game 2, I got an early Warboss and Mutavault.
Match 2 - Esper Mill 2-1
Interesting match to say the least. Game 1 I got Gemstone out since I was on the draw and then I got a turn 2 Blood Moon. He folded after I found a Rabble. Game 2 he used Bridge and Mesmeric Orb to lock me down while he milled me to death. Game 3, I locked him down with Witchbane Orb and killed him with an ult'd Chandra. And to think I was going to remove Witchbane Orb from my board with a different card...
Match 3 - BW Eldrazi Taxes 0-2
Lost 0-2, removal wasn't strong enough against multiple Thought-Knots and I never drew into a Blood Moon. I had Bridge Game 1 but he kept flickerwisp-ing it away and beat me down. Is this a terrible matchup for us without a Moon out?
Match 4 - Dredge 1-2
Game 1 he did Dredge things. Game 2, I got him with a Bridge lockdown + Rabbles. Game 3 was close but Chandra whiffed and exiled my Bridge while I was tapped out, so I died to his Bloodghasts. My Anger wiped out almost all of his board beforehand but I didn't draw into another one quickly enough. I probably should have added more Cages instead of Relics in my board.
Overall I'm okay with how I did, although I do wish I could do better than 2-2 with P-Prison at some point. I definitely got punished for keeping a greedy hand Game 3 of Dredge, but I think I made good decisions overall with keeping and mulligan-ing hands. Eldrazi and Taxes hurt a lot and initially he thought I was on Skred; ironically Skred would've have saved me, since my old Skred list ran Roast and the titular Skred which would have smashed his Seers. I have a Trinisphere and Ravenous Traps in the mail, might continue to adjust my ramp since I did lose a game to Dredge by drawing nothing but lands, rituals, and Guides. Bridge was a godsend so definitely curious to see if I can find ways to cheat my own creatures through it more/find more win cons that are non-creature. Maybe add in a Koth? Also Eidolon did nothing for me tonight, but I have a 4th in the mail and will see if it has more impact the next time I play Prison.
For the decision between Feed the Clan and Life Goes On, I've had more success with Life Goes On because it's just easier to find situations where creatures die. The extra 2 life isn't much of a difference in most scenarios, and being one mana cheaper is relevant in Stompy due to the low land count and desire to keep our CMCs and curve low.
If you wanna go rogue you might want to consider Jeskai Spirits. I've heard of some people running builds with Eidolon of the Great Revel and other stuff, although life is an issue with Great Revel out.
Ooooo that's a good idea. I could exile multiple Masters and kill their tokens, multiple lords, etc. I like this.
4 Drogskol Captain
1 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Phantasmal Image
1 Rattlechains
2 Reflector Mage
2 Selfless Spirit
4 Spell Queller
4 Supreme Phantom
Lands
3 Botanical Sanctum
1 Breeding Pool
1 Cavern of Souls
4 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Island
1 Moorland Haunt
1 Plains
1 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
3 Aether Vial
4 Collected Company
3 Path to Exile
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Knight of Autumn
3 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Unified Will
1 Worship
I won 2 matches against Merfolk, both of which were 2-1, and I lost against Storm and Affinity, 0-2. I think my performance reflects the fact that this was my first time playing the Bant version of the deck more than any other reason.
Storm combo'd off too quickly both times, although second game I got too aggressive and tapped out on turn 2 to play Geist, which let them combo off. Affinity outraced me first game, and second game the dude pulled out an Ensnaring Bridge and slowly chipped me down with his Etched Champions; I didn't draw into removal for the bridge fast enough.
My first match with Merfolk was against a new pilot of the deck, I lost the first game due to mana drought. The second and third games I won, partially because of being able to play with no Islands via Hierarch and Botanical Sanctum, but also thanks to Geist hitting the dude with a three turn clock.
The second Merfolk match was much tougher, and I got mana screwed the first two games. First game I mulled to 5, second game I also had to mull to 5. Second game, I gave up and kept a hand with no lands and a Hierarch, but turn 2 I finally drew into a fetch which helped me stabilize. I won that game because my opponent got too greedy and kept tapping out for Master of Waves (got two out and Image'd one) but I hit for 22 in the air the turn before I would have died, after top decking Drogskol Captain. Third game, he forgot to counter Geist, which cost him the game.
Overall I love the deck, and will definitely keep playing it. I'm going to replace the Reflector Mages mainboard, as they did virtually nothing for me, and I'm thinking of adding another land, as I had a huge amount of trouble hitting land drops on curve. Wish I had money for some Misty Rainforests though. I'm also revamping my SB a bit, to the below. Thoughts? My new LGS is a very creature heavy meta, lots of Merfolk and Spirits players, along with Affinity, Storm, Red Prison, and Tron.
1 Disdainful Stroke
2 Knight of Autumn
2 Natural State
3 Rest in Peace
2 Settle the Wreckage or Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
2 Stony Silence
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Unified Will