Match 1 vs. Ad Naus 1-2
Game 1: Thalia and Mutavault almost got me across the finish line. I stave him off and he is able to go off at four life. I don't think there was anything I could have done differently with the cards I had to speed the clock up. Unluckly. 0-1
Out 4 Path to Exile; In 2 Burrenton Forge-Tender & 2 Stony Silence
Game 2: I have vial into turn 2 Thraben + Clue. He has two lotus bloom on suspend and I draw into stony silence a turn before they tick off. I am able to beat down before he can either remove stony or find enough mana to go off. 1-1
Game 3: I draw a no lander and have to mull. I find a plans, tech edge, Gideon, Vial and two others. Ok, keep. Unfortunately I never found my second white source to drop the Gideon. Commence a slow beat down but he eventually goes off using Lab Maniac. Shame. 1-2
Match 2 vs. Orzhov Allys 2-0
I don't have a play by play of this match. It was a very interesting built. The player was new and made a few bad attacks allowing my first strikers to chop down his wall of creatures. The only real threat he had was Drana's Emissary (due to the constant clock when not removed) and Hada Freeblade (growning out of control with Ally synergy and Captain's Claws). Both games were quite long due to his go wide board but I was able to build a critical mass of fliers to take him down game 1. Game 2 he had a misplay and made a bad attack allowing me to trade a wisp for his Drana's Emissary and get another creature for free blocking with Mutavault. Gideon + Muta beat down put him on a fast clock and spot removal saved the day.
I sided out 2 Thraben Inspector and 2 Copter for 2 Sunlance and 2 Ghostly Prison. If I were to do it again, I would leave the copters and possibly take out two Aether Vial for the Prisons. More on the prisons in the summary.
Match 3 vs. Storm 2-0
This was the easiest match of the night for me. Game 1 I landed an arbiter turn 2 to keep him off Gifts and then vial'd in a Thalia in response to his Electromancer. I beat him down before he could remove Thalia or get enough mana to go off again. Game 2 ran out very similarly but I was able to path his Mancer/Baral each time he tried to storm off allowing me to tick two Ws. He was disappointed since the deck down feel very "screw-storm.dec".
For sideboarding I took out 2 Copter, 3 Thraben for 2 Sunlance and 3 RIP.
Match 4 vs. Loam 1-2
Game 1 I was able to vial in an arbiter turn 3 with two GQ's on board and nuked both of his lands. He found one tech edge before he scooped and we went on to game 2. Game 2 he got two Goyf's and a Lili online and beat me into the ground. Game 3 I was able to clear through his threats but he was able to get 10+ tokens off of Worm Harvest and beat me down with those. The last game was close but his spot removal was plentiful and I couldn't keep my RIPs or Vials on the board in the face of multiple Nature's Claims, Abrupt Decay and Maelstrom Pulses.
Overall I think the deck has legs but my lack of time with it has led to poor choices of cards to sub out when sideboarding.
Cards I don't like:
Ghostly Prison - Anytime I actually find this in my matchups it never matters. Either I am on a long grind and they have the mana or I have beat them down before it can matter. Either way, this would be better as either a Ratcher Bomb or Declaration in Stone as its purpose is to solve the go-wide creature strategies.
Basilisk Collar - This card feels fairly dead in too many matchups. Three mana to give something deathtouch I think is just one mana too much. It is gas when it is good but I feel like it tends to sit sideboard unless I am up against Eldrazi or sometimes DS.
Cards I want to incorporate:
I want more hatebears in the sideboard. There are a lot of spells sideboard which would be better as a beater with hate. I have thought about bringing in a Revoker to help head off planeswalkers early. I am also planning on dropping 1 Tech Edge for a Plains and 1 Flagstones for a Horizon Canopy to help get an extra white source.
Please let me know if you would have done anything different or have any other thoughts. I am still learning and would love some advice.
This is what I am starting to run. Only a week on the deck (and paper only) so my effective matches are under 20 at this point.
My biggest challenge had been moving from game a state where I can be behind my Ensnaring Bridge into a position where I can close out. There are plenty of games where I can go straight to Thopter Foundry/Sword of the Meek and close out quickly but the deck suffers from bad topdecking.
The deck is fast when it goes off, but dreadfully slow if you get behind the bridge without a Tezz or the combo half assembled already. We have been talking about Expedition Map, Tolaria West[c/] and Inventor's Fair for a while and I am going all in and trying it. As others have stated, the opportunity cost is low but it could help us get out of top decking and get the combo going a turn or two earlier (which would have won me a few games which I instead lost).
Where I differ more from others is in the sideboard. I have yet to test the two Chalice of the Void but they are there to help trounce some Tron, Burn, DS and others who rely fairly heavily on their 1 drops. The other major change is the addition of three Surgical Extraction in lieu of cards like Padeem, Consul of Innovation or Trading Post. Both of these have felt slow, being at 4 CMC, and not worth the payoff. The Surgical Extraction would have been incredibly clutch against Tron or other Combo decks which can get setup or counter me quicker than I can setup.
I am having a blast running this and my opponents either have a blast, or in the case on one Death's Shadow player, curses you out for running a prison deck.
I would love to talk sideboard as that is where this deck should be focusing efforts. The main deck seems to have a few flexible slots but overall feels solid.
Edit: Liliana of the Veil vs Herald of Anguish - This is an interesting topic. If I were to slot these in they would replace the Chalice's in the sideboard most likely. I feel LotV is far superior as it gives us an additional win condition behind the Ensnaring Bridge and still has lots synergies well with that strategy. I have tried Herald a few times and it either comes down too late or is only discarding my opponents hand from behind the bridge.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/ent-4/
Game 1: Lantern Control 2-0
Game 2: Loam Something (had Goyfs and Kalitas, was odd) 2-0
Game 3: Infect 2-0
Game 4: Jund Shadow 2-1
Mono White DnT:
4 Aether Vial
4 Path to Exile
2 Smuggler's Copter
PLANESWALKERS
3 Gideon of the Trials
CREATURES:
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Leonin Arbiter
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Serra Avenger
4 Flickerwisp
3 Mirran Crusader
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Restoration Angel
2 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Mutavault
4 Tectonic Edge
4 Ghost Quarter
10 Plains
1 Basilisk Collar
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
3 Rest in Peace
2 Ghostly Prison
2 Stony Silence
2 Sunlance
2 Oblivion Ring
Match 1 vs. Ad Naus 1-2
Game 1: Thalia and Mutavault almost got me across the finish line. I stave him off and he is able to go off at four life. I don't think there was anything I could have done differently with the cards I had to speed the clock up. Unluckly. 0-1
Out 4 Path to Exile; In 2 Burrenton Forge-Tender & 2 Stony Silence
Game 2: I have vial into turn 2 Thraben + Clue. He has two lotus bloom on suspend and I draw into stony silence a turn before they tick off. I am able to beat down before he can either remove stony or find enough mana to go off. 1-1
Game 3: I draw a no lander and have to mull. I find a plans, tech edge, Gideon, Vial and two others. Ok, keep. Unfortunately I never found my second white source to drop the Gideon. Commence a slow beat down but he eventually goes off using Lab Maniac. Shame. 1-2
Match 2 vs. Orzhov Allys 2-0
I don't have a play by play of this match. It was a very interesting built. The player was new and made a few bad attacks allowing my first strikers to chop down his wall of creatures. The only real threat he had was Drana's Emissary (due to the constant clock when not removed) and Hada Freeblade (growning out of control with Ally synergy and Captain's Claws). Both games were quite long due to his go wide board but I was able to build a critical mass of fliers to take him down game 1. Game 2 he had a misplay and made a bad attack allowing me to trade a wisp for his Drana's Emissary and get another creature for free blocking with Mutavault. Gideon + Muta beat down put him on a fast clock and spot removal saved the day.
I sided out 2 Thraben Inspector and 2 Copter for 2 Sunlance and 2 Ghostly Prison. If I were to do it again, I would leave the copters and possibly take out two Aether Vial for the Prisons. More on the prisons in the summary.
Match 3 vs. Storm 2-0
This was the easiest match of the night for me. Game 1 I landed an arbiter turn 2 to keep him off Gifts and then vial'd in a Thalia in response to his Electromancer. I beat him down before he could remove Thalia or get enough mana to go off again. Game 2 ran out very similarly but I was able to path his Mancer/Baral each time he tried to storm off allowing me to tick two Ws. He was disappointed since the deck down feel very "screw-storm.dec".
For sideboarding I took out 2 Copter, 3 Thraben for 2 Sunlance and 3 RIP.
Match 4 vs. Loam 1-2
Game 1 I was able to vial in an arbiter turn 3 with two GQ's on board and nuked both of his lands. He found one tech edge before he scooped and we went on to game 2. Game 2 he got two Goyf's and a Lili online and beat me into the ground. Game 3 I was able to clear through his threats but he was able to get 10+ tokens off of Worm Harvest and beat me down with those. The last game was close but his spot removal was plentiful and I couldn't keep my RIPs or Vials on the board in the face of multiple Nature's Claims, Abrupt Decay and Maelstrom Pulses.
Sideboarding was - 3 Thraben, -2 Copter; +2 ORing, +3 RiP, +1 Elspeth.
Overall I think the deck has legs but my lack of time with it has led to poor choices of cards to sub out when sideboarding.
Cards I don't like:
Ghostly Prison - Anytime I actually find this in my matchups it never matters. Either I am on a long grind and they have the mana or I have beat them down before it can matter. Either way, this would be better as either a Ratcher Bomb or Declaration in Stone as its purpose is to solve the go-wide creature strategies.
Basilisk Collar - This card feels fairly dead in too many matchups. Three mana to give something deathtouch I think is just one mana too much. It is gas when it is good but I feel like it tends to sit sideboard unless I am up against Eldrazi or sometimes DS.
Cards I want to incorporate:
I want more hatebears in the sideboard. There are a lot of spells sideboard which would be better as a beater with hate. I have thought about bringing in a Revoker to help head off planeswalkers early. I am also planning on dropping 1 Tech Edge for a Plains and 1 Flagstones for a Horizon Canopy to help get an extra white source.
Please let me know if you would have done anything different or have any other thoughts. I am still learning and would love some advice.
Cheers!
1x Crucible of Worlds
2x Ensnaring Bridge
1x Executioner's Capsule
1x Expedition Map
4x Mishra's Bauble
3x Mox Opal
4x Pentad Prism
1x Pithing Needle
1x Relic of Progenitus
2x Sword of the Meek
3x Thopter Foundry
2x Welding Jar
Land (21)
1x Academy Ruins
4x Darkslick Shores
2x Flooded Strand
2x Ghost Quarter
1x Inventors' Fair
2x Island
4x Polluted Delta
1x Swamp
3x Watery Grave
1x Tolaria West
3x Fatal Push
4x Whir of Invention
Planeswalker (4)
4x Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Sorcery (3)
3x Collective Brutality
2x Chalice of the Void
1x Damnation
1x Flaying Tendrils
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Grafdigger's Cage
3x Surgical Extraction
1x Pithing Needle
1x Relic of Progenitus
3x Thoughtseize
1x Witchbane Orb
This is what I am starting to run. Only a week on the deck (and paper only) so my effective matches are under 20 at this point.
My biggest challenge had been moving from game a state where I can be behind my Ensnaring Bridge into a position where I can close out. There are plenty of games where I can go straight to Thopter Foundry/Sword of the Meek and close out quickly but the deck suffers from bad topdecking.
The deck is fast when it goes off, but dreadfully slow if you get behind the bridge without a Tezz or the combo half assembled already. We have been talking about Expedition Map, Tolaria West[c/] and Inventor's Fair for a while and I am going all in and trying it. As others have stated, the opportunity cost is low but it could help us get out of top decking and get the combo going a turn or two earlier (which would have won me a few games which I instead lost).
Where I differ more from others is in the sideboard. I have yet to test the two Chalice of the Void but they are there to help trounce some Tron, Burn, DS and others who rely fairly heavily on their 1 drops. The other major change is the addition of three Surgical Extraction in lieu of cards like Padeem, Consul of Innovation or Trading Post. Both of these have felt slow, being at 4 CMC, and not worth the payoff. The Surgical Extraction would have been incredibly clutch against Tron or other Combo decks which can get setup or counter me quicker than I can setup.
I am having a blast running this and my opponents either have a blast, or in the case on one Death's Shadow player, curses you out for running a prison deck.
I would love to talk sideboard as that is where this deck should be focusing efforts. The main deck seems to have a few flexible slots but overall feels solid.
Edit: Liliana of the Veil vs Herald of Anguish - This is an interesting topic. If I were to slot these in they would replace the Chalice's in the sideboard most likely. I feel LotV is far superior as it gives us an additional win condition behind the Ensnaring Bridge and still has lots synergies well with that strategy. I have tried Herald a few times and it either comes down too late or is only discarding my opponents hand from behind the bridge.