I went to SCG Regionals yesterday in San Diego, and there were a total of 161 players. I made top 8 and lost in the quarter finals to Abzan (really disappointing loss, as I feel very favored in the match up). my final standing in the event was 6th place.
My match ups were as follows.
Match 1: Esper control. Win
Match 2: U/B Scarab God Jank? Win
Match 3: U/G Merfolk Lose
Match 4: Humans Win
Match 5: Jeskai Control Win
Match 6: U/G Merfolk Win
Match 7: U/R Moon Breach Win
Match 8: Burn Win (No leylines Showed up games 2 and 3)
Top 8 Decks
Bant Eldrazi (myself) (seat number 2)
Abzan
Affinity
Affinity
U/G Merfolk (Top Seat)
Mono White Hate Bears
Storm
Abzan Counter Combo
And yes, 3 EE in the main feels more important now with Humans and U/G Merfolk on the rise.
I tried the walking ballista main board a bit on xmage and was overall displeased with it. It seems disappointing every time I've casted it. I don't like playing a 2/2 with an arch lightning style effect for 4 mana when I could be playing thought knots and smashers with that type of mana. Also, in my experience, the card wasn't even all that much of an all star in the counter company decks. It can kill a bird of paradise before they can ramp into there threats provided we are on the play. But even then, it's a 1 for 1 trade. For me, Walking Ballista in Bant Eldrazi has felt lackluster.
I'm not saying that it's incorrect for us to play it, but for me, it has very much so underperformed.
I was definitely rooting for the Bant Eldrazi player with the 9-0 record on day one. Sadly, after day two, the Bant Eldrazi players list didn't get posted because it wasn't in the top 32. Also, I am happy to hear your success in your recent modern event. I have been on a bit of a hot streak myself. The last 3 weeks, I have either taken first, or split for first. While I lost a game here and there, I won all the following matches. (or split) week 1
match 1: Black White tokens
match 2: Scapeshift
match 3: Storm
match 4: grixus control (not death shadow)
Week 2:
match 1: Skred Red with rabblemaster
match 2: Living End
match 3: Jeskai Control
match 4: Counters combo ----split and avoided the bad match up.
Tonight
Match 1: Bogels
Match 2: Abzan Flayer
Match 3: Death Shadow
Match 4: Death Shadow (split, then played it out and won)
This deck consistently feels great, and its a ton of fun to turn your creatures sideways
I will possibly be doing the same thing in standard with Dinosaurs. They are shockingly similar. Some cards are almost word for word cards we play in Eldrazi. (Commune with Dinosaurs, Charging Monstrosaur, Unclaimed Territory.)
I own half this deck. Should I buy the other (expensive) half?
I am a good magic player, been playing magic for a few years, and modern for over a year. I own burn and Ponza. But I love me some Eldrazi.
A few other questions.
Do you think you're as good or better than Eldrazi tron?
How much of a pain in the ass is a blood moon( it doesn't seem too bad for you guys, since you play dorks and scions can sac for colorless, but I hate greedy mana that punishes you)
What is your worst matchup?
What are your meta relevant good matchups?
Are you better than Bant knightfall?
Is there a single card that reks you when you face it?
Cheers for your time bois.
I also own Ponza as my secondary deck. I think your decision to buy the expensive half of the deck should be based on if you like the "cast big fatty's and turn sideways" play style. As a Ponza player, It sounds like that might be the exact play style you enjoy.
I'm not sure if you are asking if us Bant Eldrazi players have a favorable match up against Eldrazi tron, or if us Bant Eldrazi players are better positioned in the format over eldrazi tron. So I will speak to both points. Under normal Eldrazi tron lists, as a Bant Eldrazi player, I feel favored.
.....However, as of two weeks ago, I played against two separate people from separate locations who switched out some mainboard artifacts for eldrazi mimics, which has made the match up harder for me. (I ended up losing both matches, and more testing is needed to give an answer on the tron list with mimics).
As for positioning in the format, I feel we have a very decent spot in the meta. It is hard for me to say we are better positioned in the format than tron because Eldrazi tron seems to be consistently putting up results, as well as lots of pros choosing to play the tron version over Bant.
Blood moon is situational depending on what list you play. a resolved blood moon can be very challenging if you run the standard list of 2 forests, 1 plains. I have played lists in the past where i ran two talisman of progress mainboard and 22 lands, and always thought it was hilarious when somebody played a blood moon on me. With two talismans, one of each basic land (Forest, Plains, Island), 4 skyspawners, and 3-4 drowners, blood moon was borderline terrible agaisnt me. (If I fetched correctly)
Worst match up by far is Scapeshift.
Favored match ups are usually Grixus death shadow, Eldrazi tron, and Abzan.
Matches that i feel are very winable but can sometimes get punked out include affinity, burn, and storm (post sideboard)
Most match ups I face, i feel it is at least a 50% chance to win.
In my experience, I would say I have slightly above a 50% win rate agaisnt bant knightfall. (I run 3 mainboard engineered explosives which helps a lot against a lot of matches. (merfolk, knightfall, elves, company counters, (if i don't die turn 3 to combo) affinity, lanturn.
And as for cards that wreck face, Id say Valakut. And Blood Moon can be a challenge sometimes.
1
My match ups were as follows.
Match 1: Esper control. Win
Match 2: U/B Scarab God Jank? Win
Match 3: U/G Merfolk Lose
Match 4: Humans Win
Match 5: Jeskai Control Win
Match 6: U/G Merfolk Win
Match 7: U/R Moon Breach Win
Match 8: Burn Win (No leylines Showed up games 2 and 3)
Top 8 Decks
Bant Eldrazi (myself) (seat number 2)
Abzan
Affinity
Affinity
U/G Merfolk (Top Seat)
Mono White Hate Bears
Storm
Abzan Counter Combo
And yes, 3 EE in the main feels more important now with Humans and U/G Merfolk on the rise.
1
I'm not saying that it's incorrect for us to play it, but for me, it has very much so underperformed.
1
week 1
match 1: Black White tokens
match 2: Scapeshift
match 3: Storm
match 4: grixus control (not death shadow)
Week 2:
match 1: Skred Red with rabblemaster
match 2: Living End
match 3: Jeskai Control
match 4: Counters combo ----split and avoided the bad match up.
Tonight
Match 1: Bogels
Match 2: Abzan Flayer
Match 3: Death Shadow
Match 4: Death Shadow (split, then played it out and won)
This deck consistently feels great, and its a ton of fun to turn your creatures sideways
I will possibly be doing the same thing in standard with Dinosaurs. They are shockingly similar. Some cards are almost word for word cards we play in Eldrazi. (Commune with Dinosaurs, Charging Monstrosaur, Unclaimed Territory.)
1
I also own Ponza as my secondary deck. I think your decision to buy the expensive half of the deck should be based on if you like the "cast big fatty's and turn sideways" play style. As a Ponza player, It sounds like that might be the exact play style you enjoy.
I'm not sure if you are asking if us Bant Eldrazi players have a favorable match up against Eldrazi tron, or if us Bant Eldrazi players are better positioned in the format over eldrazi tron. So I will speak to both points. Under normal Eldrazi tron lists, as a Bant Eldrazi player, I feel favored.
.....However, as of two weeks ago, I played against two separate people from separate locations who switched out some mainboard artifacts for eldrazi mimics, which has made the match up harder for me. (I ended up losing both matches, and more testing is needed to give an answer on the tron list with mimics).
As for positioning in the format, I feel we have a very decent spot in the meta. It is hard for me to say we are better positioned in the format than tron because Eldrazi tron seems to be consistently putting up results, as well as lots of pros choosing to play the tron version over Bant.
Blood moon is situational depending on what list you play. a resolved blood moon can be very challenging if you run the standard list of 2 forests, 1 plains. I have played lists in the past where i ran two talisman of progress mainboard and 22 lands, and always thought it was hilarious when somebody played a blood moon on me. With two talismans, one of each basic land (Forest, Plains, Island), 4 skyspawners, and 3-4 drowners, blood moon was borderline terrible agaisnt me. (If I fetched correctly)
Worst match up by far is Scapeshift.
Favored match ups are usually Grixus death shadow, Eldrazi tron, and Abzan.
Matches that i feel are very winable but can sometimes get punked out include affinity, burn, and storm (post sideboard)
Most match ups I face, i feel it is at least a 50% chance to win.
In my experience, I would say I have slightly above a 50% win rate agaisnt bant knightfall. (I run 3 mainboard engineered explosives which helps a lot against a lot of matches. (merfolk, knightfall, elves, company counters, (if i don't die turn 3 to combo) affinity, lanturn.
And as for cards that wreck face, Id say Valakut. And Blood Moon can be a challenge sometimes.
Hope this helps with your decision.