Any advice for how to play against Uxx Tempo archetypes like Merfolk and Spirits? Seems liie the combination of an evasive fast clock and stack-based disruption really puts us in a bad position game 1 and an even worse one game 2 and (if we make it) game 3.
I think you want to take a different approach to each of those decks. Merfolk doesn't actually have a ton of interaction with the combo plan, especially game one. It's generally just limited to harbinger of the tides and a few copies of dismember, so you can usually just ignore them and race to the combo. I would stay focused on the combo postboard and possibly board out some of your worse utility creatures like scavenging ooze for a few removal spells to slow them down.
Spirits actually has enough disruption to stop you from goldfishing them between spell queller and path. Queller hitting collected company in particular is really devastating. I would board into lots of removal and tireless trackers or voices of resurgence and try to beat them in a fair game. Voice in particular is very nice against them, since playing at instant speed is their whole shtick.
Hi, what do you think of using Bloodrite Invoker instead of ballista? It can also come into play with collective company.
The upside of Abzan Company over other combo decks is that our combos are built out of cards that are playable (not always great, but playable) on their own merits. Bloodrite invoker is a 3/1 for three with an irrelevant text box if you don't have infinite mana, and that's just lousy.
There's a nice little interaction with the new combo that I haven't seen discussed: if you have infinite mana, a viscera seer, and two eternal witnesses, you can scry through your deck to find your duskwatch recruiter. You can also generate infinite bolster with anafenza on the board.
You say it should be enough, but what other creature actually just wins the game on the spot? What other card can we run? Cause just playing your whole deck doesn't win. Giving another combo deck another turn can be a loss. If they have a sweeper, it's a loss. Really what other card can we run that let's you win that turn
Rhonas the Indomitable can pump the devoted druid and any other creatures for infinite trample damage. It's chordable, a company hit, and still useful when you're just trying to beat down.
What do you folks think about replacing wall of roots with lotus cobra in a build that's heavy on renegade ralliers? I think it could generate a lot of mana with the "crack fetch, get it back with rallier" line that's so common. You can even do things like turn one mana dork, turn two cobra, play fetch, crack it, play rallier to get the fetch back, then play another three drop. That's a nut draw of course, but it's easy to imagine a lot of scenarios where the card leads to very explosive openings.
I've been looking at the same problem. I think too many of our cards are rotating to be left with a competitive deck. All of the cards you mentioned are huge but even losing the humble Elvish Visionary has a big impact. I loved playing the deck but I think it might be time to put it away.
Just started playing the deck and had a few questions. I'm on a pretty stock GB list with lead the stampede over chord.
When is it correct to play collected company during the main phase because of heritage druid instead waiting until your opponent's turn?
Sideboarding: is it worth it to side in reclamation sage against burn to try to kill eidolon of the great revel (or against decks using courser of kruphix or eidolon of rhetoric) or is that too unlikely to actually come up?
I think you want to take a different approach to each of those decks. Merfolk doesn't actually have a ton of interaction with the combo plan, especially game one. It's generally just limited to harbinger of the tides and a few copies of dismember, so you can usually just ignore them and race to the combo. I would stay focused on the combo postboard and possibly board out some of your worse utility creatures like scavenging ooze for a few removal spells to slow them down.
Spirits actually has enough disruption to stop you from goldfishing them between spell queller and path. Queller hitting collected company in particular is really devastating. I would board into lots of removal and tireless trackers or voices of resurgence and try to beat them in a fair game. Voice in particular is very nice against them, since playing at instant speed is their whole shtick.
The upside of Abzan Company over other combo decks is that our combos are built out of cards that are playable (not always great, but playable) on their own merits. Bloodrite invoker is a 3/1 for three with an irrelevant text box if you don't have infinite mana, and that's just lousy.
Rhonas the Indomitable can pump the devoted druid and any other creatures for infinite trample damage. It's chordable, a company hit, and still useful when you're just trying to beat down.