I still feel that going in blind Breach is the better Game 1 plan, but I bring in my 3 TiTi very often, and it wins games.
So do you think the TiTi sb plan is more effective? I've actually found the madcap package to be pretty effective versus burn and hollow one, but I haven't given the thing package much mileage in comparison. I gotta admit that the allure of running Thing MB does give us more flex spots. Idk. I tried running Ross Merriam's straight blue moon control deck and absolutely despised it. It's also quite possible that I'm basing too much off of my LGS meta versus the open field meta, especially since I never tried the straight control/titi version on mtgo. I always get the deck jitters coming up to a tournament, it's probably smarter to just fine tune my breach list and go with that (and not blame the deck and tell myself "Told you so" if I don't perform the best).
I've been seeing the Thing version 5-0'ing a few times in the competitive leagues. I've tried it myself and didn't have much luck, although admittedly I only tried it for 1-2 FNM's; I didn't do any games on MTGO. Is it better in this meta? I'm going to the SCG open in a few weeks and while I'd rather play breach, I also want to present the strongest option available. Anyone have any thoughts?
I've been good with it, its a change I made just for these last 4 games. Even with Twin I used to shave parts of the combo Main deck, and with Opt now? I'm ok with this. Breach or Emy alone are just plain dead, and if I dont have it in my hand turns 1/2 then they are not discard/extraction targets so...ok. Maybe its greedy, but it hasnt burned me.
Leak has been good. It still wins counter wars when it needs to, and since the action for us is early (Serum, Remand/Leak, Moon, Cryptic) if we are even remotely trying to curve, its fine. When its late game, meh, its late game, and we see who has drawn to their outs better.
I still like the 2nd Electrolyze main, velocity is very important, and while Abrade will almost never be dead the difference is minimal I would imagine if we looked at our common opponents for 2 vs 3 damage, and the ability to blow out a few 2/1 or 0/1 dorks is golden. 2 Abrade in the side for Hollow One/Affinity is key of course. I was trying a Lavamancer (2 actually) in the side, but since we see (or at least I do) GY hate the moment people see Islands, I've dropped them.
Snare feels like cheating, honestly. Ramps up the salt levels a good 50% when you cast it, every time.
I'm actually heading to my shop, going to swap out some UWR staples I'm not using and see how far I can get in foiling this out.
People just dont bother to even try and play around 'twin like' decks anymore, I swear.
EDIT x 2: Punt vs Storm.
Game 1, Moon, Breach.
Game 2, I cannot find either, and my fist full's of burn is not enough to prevent the Goblin's from storming me.
Game 3, Long, lots of action on both sides, comes down to near top decks, when I get stupid, at 7, cast Sweltering to kill a mass of Goblins and Baral, leaving me at 4 Mana, with Cryptic, and him at 1 card. I cast...Thing, leaving up 2 useless Mana....He plays another land, and Past in Flames, GG.
Not to say I had it locked up of course, but I like my odds when I am top decking more so than Storm...
EDIT x 3: Another win against Burn, lost Game 1, win Game 2 at 1 Life (Thing bounced his team), with Game 3 at 5, with a late Breach. Love the deck.
Oh, man, you wanna talk punts?! I had a hilariously bad punt at FNM this past week.
This was the first week I've ran the madcap package in the board, and also the first time trying wurmcoil (never got to play it, although I honestly think that having it be a mana leak or something early game is better, so probably changing it).
Anyways, R1 I'm playing against R/G Eldrazi. Game 1 I T5 breach. Game 2 he TKS x2 between turn 2 and 3, dead 2 turns later. Game 3, I madcap T4 at 16 life. The look on his face has me knowing that I locked down this game (he later admitted to sideboarding all his removal/abrades) and as I start flipping cards, I see a wurmcoil. As the 16th card. I laughed my ass off while shaking his hands and signing the match slip. Felt bad man, but hey, I'll never make THAT mistake again!
I've been playing this deck on Modo and finally got the last breach needed for paper, so I'll be playing it at my LGS tonight. This is the list I have sleeved up (slightly different build on modo) https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1041423#paper
I have -1 Jace, -1 Cryptic, -1 loothouse for +3 serum
I honestly love the deck, but at times when we don't draw the cards we need it can feel really bad. I've played with adjusting the counterspells, either adding more or changing some number of remands for mana leaks or logic knots, but honestly the draw seems so important. There are so many games where I'm just trying to stall until I get my last piece.
I was really salty about the B&R either not giving me Ponder/Preordain or banning stirrings, but that's my Blue player entitlement showing lol. I honestly hate serum visions and have toyed with the idea of cutting it altogether, but as of now I feel it's a necessary piece. I've toyed with adding a fun-of supreme will, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
Sorry for my rambling, I've been lurking this thread for weeks and figured I'd start talking due to the thread inactivity.
*Edit* What's the consensus on land count? I see both 22 and 23 count lists but I haven't been able to form a personal opinion yet. Some games on 22 I still draw 4 lands in a row, other times I'm sitting on the combo and stuck on 4 lands. Is 23 with the 2 loothouses the best option? What if moon is in play?
So do you think the TiTi sb plan is more effective? I've actually found the madcap package to be pretty effective versus burn and hollow one, but I haven't given the thing package much mileage in comparison. I gotta admit that the allure of running Thing MB does give us more flex spots. Idk. I tried running Ross Merriam's straight blue moon control deck and absolutely despised it. It's also quite possible that I'm basing too much off of my LGS meta versus the open field meta, especially since I never tried the straight control/titi version on mtgo. I always get the deck jitters coming up to a tournament, it's probably smarter to just fine tune my breach list and go with that (and not blame the deck and tell myself "Told you so" if I don't perform the best).
Oh, man, you wanna talk punts?! I had a hilariously bad punt at FNM this past week.
This was the first week I've ran the madcap package in the board, and also the first time trying wurmcoil (never got to play it, although I honestly think that having it be a mana leak or something early game is better, so probably changing it).
Anyways, R1 I'm playing against R/G Eldrazi. Game 1 I T5 breach. Game 2 he TKS x2 between turn 2 and 3, dead 2 turns later. Game 3, I madcap T4 at 16 life. The look on his face has me knowing that I locked down this game (he later admitted to sideboarding all his removal/abrades) and as I start flipping cards, I see a wurmcoil. As the 16th card. I laughed my ass off while shaking his hands and signing the match slip. Felt bad man, but hey, I'll never make THAT mistake again!
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1041423#paper
I have -1 Jace, -1 Cryptic, -1 loothouse for +3 serum
I honestly love the deck, but at times when we don't draw the cards we need it can feel really bad. I've played with adjusting the counterspells, either adding more or changing some number of remands for mana leaks or logic knots, but honestly the draw seems so important. There are so many games where I'm just trying to stall until I get my last piece.
I was really salty about the B&R either not giving me Ponder/Preordain or banning stirrings, but that's my Blue player entitlement showing lol. I honestly hate serum visions and have toyed with the idea of cutting it altogether, but as of now I feel it's a necessary piece. I've toyed with adding a fun-of supreme will, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
Sorry for my rambling, I've been lurking this thread for weeks and figured I'd start talking due to the thread inactivity.
*Edit* What's the consensus on land count? I see both 22 and 23 count lists but I haven't been able to form a personal opinion yet. Some games on 22 I still draw 4 lands in a row, other times I'm sitting on the combo and stuck on 4 lands. Is 23 with the 2 loothouses the best option? What if moon is in play?