Return to nature seems like a really solid card over Revelry. In my experience, the artifact/enchantment hate is usually coming in against decks where our life total is relevant, so still being able to operate on island+stomping ground is very useful in that sense.
You can go down a Scalding Tarn for a second Wooded Foothills, or you could play ten fetches with 4 Misty 4 Tarn 2 Foothills. I'd say the 4th Tarn is better than the 1st Flooded Strand, if you have access to 4 Tarns. If not, I might even say the 3rd Foothills is better than the 1st Strand, as it is on color and fetches a basic forest, is pretty important if you play with Blood Moon in the sideboard. I would not recommend playing less than 4 shocks, and really not less than 2 Steam Vents.
Sorry I keep posting spoilers, but I'm actually pretty interested in this one.
We already want to cast a bunch of noncreature spells anyways, and turning the tokens into goyfs/Hooting Mandrills seems really good. I think this is very playable.
It seems interesting. The best I think it could do is force a Goyf/Mandrills to resolve against control decks. That alone isn't bad. The fight clause is also interesting, as there isn't tons of lightning bolts running around right now, so a 5/6 goyf could pretty comfortably kill a Gurmag. It seems like a neat card! But you're right, not affecting the board directly is kinda eh. I do like the static ability. Flipped Delvers now turn on stubborn denial!
Well slight change of plans for me tonight, one of my buddies wants to come to FNM with me but he needs to borrow some cards from RUG Delver, so I am on UR Kiki Moon this week. I'll hopefully be able to give y'all some more info on these card choices after next FNM.
I think I'm probably going to start doing little write ups before each FNM, as I plan on trying out new cards pretty often. If there are any cards you'd like to see me try out in the maindeck or in the sideboard, let me know and I'll be glad to give it a go! Anyways, here is the list for this week.
The maindeck is almost identical, with 2 minor changes. Firstly, -1 Mountain, +1 Island. I think this configuration allows for more keepable hands, which is important as this deck runs very few lands, so maximizing the number of one land hands that are keepable is important. Next, -1 Mana Leak, +1 Spell Pierce. I explained my opinion on Spell Pierce more in depth last week. Basically, every game I brought it in, it was an all star. On the other side, drawing tons of Mana Leaks makes me sad. I think the major upside to this exchange it allows us to interact with most decks more effectively in the early game for a little cheaper, which is pretty good considering how land light we are.
Now onto the sideboard. Same as last time, I am pretty excited about this one! Here are the changes from last week.
So, I'll explain a little bit about the cuts I made in the sideboard, and then the additions. Firstly, -2 Ancient Grudge. It feels really weird to be not playing this card in my sideboard, as I have had 2 in my board in every deck I've played for years now. However, I just don't think they are that great in the meta I am playing in. There are basically no Affinity or Whir decks, which is where I think this card is best. I've chosen to go with just 2 Destructive Revelry as it is just a bit more flexible, being able to destroy enchantments as well (which is nice, because we have a pretty hard time with stuff like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void).
Next up, -2 Spell Pierce. I know it seems like heresy as I literally just talked about how good I thought this card was last week. However, I think just playing 1 in the maindeck allows me to have access to the effect, and frees up some space in my sideboard.
Next, -1 Tormod's Crypt. Basically, there isn't a lot of Dredge of Phoenix in the meta I am playing in, so this card loses some value. I think having 2 of them in the board is good, as there is still 1 Phoenix player in the meta, as well as this card having some game against Gifts Storm and the BUG Midrange deck I've played against the past two weeks. I just don't think there is enough graveyard shenanigans in my meta to need 3 of this card.
Lastly, -1 Spite of Mogis. I am trying out Beacon Bolt in its place this week, as I think that it counting cards in exile, as well as having Jump-start makes it possible that Beacon Bolt might just be better than Spite of Mogis. I am mildly worried about it costing 3 mana, but I think it deals with every creature we would care about very effectively. If I get the chance, my post FNM write up will likely deal with this card quite a bit, as I think it probably has the most potential out of the cards I am trying out right now.
And that is a nice little segue into the other additions to the sideboard. Basically, all the additions to my sideboard are ways to deal with midrange decks, while also having some game against other decks in the field as well.
Blood Moon is strong against the GBx decks, while also being a good piece of disruption against Tron and Amulet. We all know how strong Blood Moon can be. I think I spoke too soon last week when I said I didn't miss Blood Moon, as over the week when I had more time to think about it, having Blood Moon in my sideboard probably would have helped a lot against Jund and Sultai.
Hazoret the Fervent is another card that is really strong against the GBx decks, and other fair decks that aren't running Path to Exile. Basically, take cards that aren't good in the match up and turn them into a clock. Seems good to me!
Vendilion Clique is one that has been interesting to me as of late. I think is has applications against most decks in the format, as it is information, disruption and a clock all on one card. I think in this deck, it will probably be strongest against the big mana decks, however I think it also will have a lot of game in the Midrange/Control matchups too.
The last change in my sideboard is the Mountain. I used to do this same thing a while back after I saw Jordan post about it, and I really like the idea. Having access to the Mountain in sideboard games is really good in that it ups the land count for the expensive things we are siding in, as well as saving some life against the more aggressive decks in the format. It also ups the number of basics we have in our deck for cards like Path to Exile, Assassin's Trophy and Field of Ruin. Every time I've played with a Mountain in the board, I've felt like it was a good choice. It just seems to have so many benefits that I didn't realize an extra basic could have.
But anyways, I think that is it for the week! If you've got any comments, questions or suggestions, let me know! I'd love to hear them.
If you've read all this, thanks for the read! I'll be back Saturday with my thoughts on these changes.
1x Forest
2x Steam Vents
1x Stomping Ground
1x Breeding Pool
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Scalding Tarn
1x Wooded Foothills
You can go down a Scalding Tarn for a second Wooded Foothills, or you could play ten fetches with 4 Misty 4 Tarn 2 Foothills. I'd say the 4th Tarn is better than the 1st Flooded Strand, if you have access to 4 Tarns. If not, I might even say the 3rd Foothills is better than the 1st Strand, as it is on color and fetches a basic forest, is pretty important if you play with Blood Moon in the sideboard. I would not recommend playing less than 4 shocks, and really not less than 2 Steam Vents.
We already want to cast a bunch of noncreature spells anyways, and turning the tokens into goyfs/Hooting Mandrills seems really good. I think this is very playable.
I think I'm probably going to start doing little write ups before each FNM, as I plan on trying out new cards pretty often. If there are any cards you'd like to see me try out in the maindeck or in the sideboard, let me know and I'll be glad to give it a go! Anyways, here is the list for this week.
1x Breeding Pool
1x Forest
3x Island
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Scalding Tarn
2x Steam Vents
1x Stomping Ground
1x Wooded Foothills
Enchantment
1x Curious Obsession
Artifact
1x Mishra's Bauble
Instant
4x Disrupting Shoal
4x Lightning Bolt
2x Mana Leak
1x Simic Charm
1x Spell Pierce
3x Stubborn Denial
1x Tarfire
4x Thought Scour
4x Delver of Secrets
4x Hooting Mandrills
2x Snapcaster Mage
4x Tarmogoyf
Sorcery
4x Serum Visions
2x Sleight of Hand
1x Spite of Mogis
1x Beacon Bolt
2x Blood Moon
3x Damping Sphere
2x Destructive Revelry
1x Hazoret the Fervent
2x Huntmaster of the Fells
1x Mountain
2x Tormod's Crypt
1x Vendilion Clique
The maindeck is almost identical, with 2 minor changes. Firstly, -1 Mountain, +1 Island. I think this configuration allows for more keepable hands, which is important as this deck runs very few lands, so maximizing the number of one land hands that are keepable is important. Next, -1 Mana Leak, +1 Spell Pierce. I explained my opinion on Spell Pierce more in depth last week. Basically, every game I brought it in, it was an all star. On the other side, drawing tons of Mana Leaks makes me sad. I think the major upside to this exchange it allows us to interact with most decks more effectively in the early game for a little cheaper, which is pretty good considering how land light we are.
Now onto the sideboard. Same as last time, I am pretty excited about this one! Here are the changes from last week.
-2 Ancient Grudge
-2 Spell Pierce
-1 Tormod's Crypt
-1 Spite of Mogis
+2 Blood Moon
+1 Hazoret the Fervent
+1 Vendilion Clique
+1 Beacon Bolt
+1 Mountain
So, I'll explain a little bit about the cuts I made in the sideboard, and then the additions. Firstly, -2 Ancient Grudge. It feels really weird to be not playing this card in my sideboard, as I have had 2 in my board in every deck I've played for years now. However, I just don't think they are that great in the meta I am playing in. There are basically no Affinity or Whir decks, which is where I think this card is best. I've chosen to go with just 2 Destructive Revelry as it is just a bit more flexible, being able to destroy enchantments as well (which is nice, because we have a pretty hard time with stuff like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void).
Next up, -2 Spell Pierce. I know it seems like heresy as I literally just talked about how good I thought this card was last week. However, I think just playing 1 in the maindeck allows me to have access to the effect, and frees up some space in my sideboard.
Next, -1 Tormod's Crypt. Basically, there isn't a lot of Dredge of Phoenix in the meta I am playing in, so this card loses some value. I think having 2 of them in the board is good, as there is still 1 Phoenix player in the meta, as well as this card having some game against Gifts Storm and the BUG Midrange deck I've played against the past two weeks. I just don't think there is enough graveyard shenanigans in my meta to need 3 of this card.
Lastly, -1 Spite of Mogis. I am trying out Beacon Bolt in its place this week, as I think that it counting cards in exile, as well as having Jump-start makes it possible that Beacon Bolt might just be better than Spite of Mogis. I am mildly worried about it costing 3 mana, but I think it deals with every creature we would care about very effectively. If I get the chance, my post FNM write up will likely deal with this card quite a bit, as I think it probably has the most potential out of the cards I am trying out right now.
And that is a nice little segue into the other additions to the sideboard. Basically, all the additions to my sideboard are ways to deal with midrange decks, while also having some game against other decks in the field as well.
Blood Moon is strong against the GBx decks, while also being a good piece of disruption against Tron and Amulet. We all know how strong Blood Moon can be. I think I spoke too soon last week when I said I didn't miss Blood Moon, as over the week when I had more time to think about it, having Blood Moon in my sideboard probably would have helped a lot against Jund and Sultai.
Hazoret the Fervent is another card that is really strong against the GBx decks, and other fair decks that aren't running Path to Exile. Basically, take cards that aren't good in the match up and turn them into a clock. Seems good to me!
Vendilion Clique is one that has been interesting to me as of late. I think is has applications against most decks in the format, as it is information, disruption and a clock all on one card. I think in this deck, it will probably be strongest against the big mana decks, however I think it also will have a lot of game in the Midrange/Control matchups too.
The last change in my sideboard is the Mountain. I used to do this same thing a while back after I saw Jordan post about it, and I really like the idea. Having access to the Mountain in sideboard games is really good in that it ups the land count for the expensive things we are siding in, as well as saving some life against the more aggressive decks in the format. It also ups the number of basics we have in our deck for cards like Path to Exile, Assassin's Trophy and Field of Ruin. Every time I've played with a Mountain in the board, I've felt like it was a good choice. It just seems to have so many benefits that I didn't realize an extra basic could have.
But anyways, I think that is it for the week! If you've got any comments, questions or suggestions, let me know! I'd love to hear them.
If you've read all this, thanks for the read! I'll be back Saturday with my thoughts on these changes.