I'm not really sold on counterspells because I'm almost always tapped out the turn I play a big creature. If they don't have an answer for it that turn I've probably won. Ulamog is nice because he can protect himself with his double terminate to get them off of a color possibly. I'm going to try running both. It's good having multiple targets for Conduit of Ruin in case the first one doesn't work out. Sagu Mauler is definitely going back to 4-of main. Ramping into that joker is fun. It's only lame if they've got like a Siege Rhino AND an untapped Hangarback Walker on the board....I'm very much considering finding a place for Become Immense in this deck.
I too like Bane of Bala Ged but it's unplayable. If they want to red decks can play Processor Assault and Roast giving them potentially 8 ways to deal 5 damage to a creature. I'm pretty sure any ramp target with 5 or less toughness is unplayable for this reason and 4 or less can't block or attack through Rhino so is also useless. Thus the minimum for anything is 6 and preferably 7 on the back end (red has a 6 damage spell too potentially).
I was hesitant to run Void Winnower because Abzan Charm exists. Not to mention a T4/T5 untap with Bane of Bala Ged is good game, it dies to both red and black removal. The more I think about it though, Void Winnower avoids every other spot removal Abzan runs and also makes like all of their win conditions dead draws (except Nissa). I think what I'm going to do is cut a Whisperer of the Wilds or a land to get the 4th Sagu Mauler back in the main and replace Bane of Bala Ged with Void Winnower. Is 23 lands too few?
Obviously the mana base is cheap but I'm out of money. Evolving wilds are my poor man's fetch lands and work well with Jaddi Offshoots, which help the game against quick aggro.
Sagu Mauler is a house against Abzan. I'm highly considering moving the 4th into the main somehow. As far as the sideboard, I'm thinking Plated Crushers come in for the offshoots against Abzan for even more difficult to remove trample threats. I do like the package of eldrazi but also non-eldrazi bigs that you can play on your way to Ulamog or Bane of Bala Ged.
I'll take this to FNM tomorrow night, but full disclosure I haven't played constructed Magic for 7 years. I've been testing this for a week though so I think I've got a handle on the "complexity" here. I think the most complex choice to make is whether to play Rattleclaw Mystic or morph her.
I was hesitant to run Void Winnower because Abzan Charm exists. Not to mention a T4/T5 untap with Bane of Bala Ged is good game, it dies to both red and black removal. The more I think about it though, Void Winnower avoids every other spot removal Abzan runs and also makes like all of their win conditions dead draws (except Nissa). I think what I'm going to do is cut a Whisperer of the Wilds or a land to get the 4th Sagu Mauler back in the main and replace Bane of Bala Ged with Void Winnower. Is 23 lands too few?
4x Evolving Wilds
8x Forest
4x Island
3x Lumbering Falls
1x Mountain
4x Yavimaya Coast
Creatures (30)
1x Bane of Bala Ged
2x Conduit of Ruin
3x Hangarback Walker
4x Jaddi Offshoot
1x Oblivion Sower
4x Rattleclaw Mystic
3x Sagu Mauler
3x Shaman of Forgotten Ways
1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
4x Whisperer of the Wilds
4x Woodland Wanderer
3x Kiora, Master of the Depths
Enchantment (3)
3x From Beyond
4x Naturalize
4x Plated Crusher
4x Retreat to Kazandu
1x Sagu Mauler
2x Surrak Dragonclaw
Obviously the mana base is cheap but I'm out of money. Evolving wilds are my poor man's fetch lands and work well with Jaddi Offshoots, which help the game against quick aggro.
Sagu Mauler is a house against Abzan. I'm highly considering moving the 4th into the main somehow. As far as the sideboard, I'm thinking Plated Crushers come in for the offshoots against Abzan for even more difficult to remove trample threats. I do like the package of eldrazi but also non-eldrazi bigs that you can play on your way to Ulamog or Bane of Bala Ged.
I'll take this to FNM tomorrow night, but full disclosure I haven't played constructed Magic for 7 years. I've been testing this for a week though so I think I've got a handle on the "complexity" here. I think the most complex choice to make is whether to play Rattleclaw Mystic or morph her.
One of my favorite first 4 turns went:
T1: Land
T2: Land, Hangarback Walker
T3: Land, Shaman of Forgotten Ways
T4: Land, Kiora, Master of the Depths, Tap Shaman for WB, Activate Kiora's + 1, Untap Shaman and a Land, Tap Shaman for RG, Woodland Wanderer, 1 land still untapped to pump Hangarback Walker
T4 with a 2/2 hangarback, shaman, 6/6 trample vigilance, and an active Kiora.
T3: Tap 3 Lands + Rattleclaw Mystic to Cast Kiora. Activate +1 to untap mystic and land, play Hangarback Walker for X = 1 to protect Kiora.
Tap Shaman of Forgotten Ways, untap with Kiora, retap to cast Hangarback Walker for X = 2 +however much more you want to pay with your lands.
If you're playing Kiora, Hangarback makes a great blocker. I also like Jaddi Offshoot to slow down the aggro rush and protect her.