Hello all. I have been lurking here for quite a bit and have been playing a slightly different version. I have been playing this deck in practice and play for the last month or so. This includes states, FNM, MNM and play testing. Cards that I think are underplayed are -
Polukranos, World Eater - This guy has put in so much work for me. He acts as another removal spell and can be played as early as turn three. In the mirror he can come down and clear Elspeth tokens and beats BBoV in a fight. Also he seems very good against the new mono blue deck. Untested, but in theory he can clear a lot of that deck the turn after he is played and become a major threat. This card is so much more proactive then DD and fills that slot for me. Where DD gets tapped down Polk goes big killing all those creatures and actually can attack.
Boon Satyr - From reading the other deck lists and posts this might be quite controversial but I greatly prefer this card to Loxodon Smiter. Being able to hold up three mana vs any other creature based deck on turn 3 or 4 to kill their incoming creature or EOT Satyr has been great. I was also having issues with Soldier of Pantheon in multiples and opposing BBoV. This card is another out to each.
Read the Bones - Card advantage and filtering. This deck sorely needs both of these cards. I would highly recommend at least a 2 of in any JUNK deck. This deck is very painful to play between RtBs, Thoughtseize and shocklands. I have put all my TS to the board and have never regretted it. Being more consistent with RtBs has been much more beneficial.
With all this said here is my current build. I went 3-0 on MNM and 3-1-1 at FNM this past week. The only deck that I lost to was a BWr deck who I had beaten prior in the evening and misplayed in horrible fashion for a 0-2 exit.
I know what you are thinking. No Advent of the Wurm, No Obzedat, Ghost Council!! I haven't missed them. The interaction with whip and Advent let him hit the bench. Also having Satyr for the flash aspect is enough. As has been said before, flashing Satyr onto anything is great, onto BBoV is amazing. Obzedat hurt the mana base too much and was left in hand turns 4-6 as a dead card too much. Is it great, of course. Was it better then always being able to BBoV. No.
I think since you are on the boon satyr plan you can go with 0 obzedat and use blood barons. For me though, I would miss the ghost council too much. I do like polukranos though. I think a 1 of or 2 of would be key. Like you said, it does fight and beat blood baron and can hit a few x/1s that are key.
Edit: vraska has been underwhelming for me. I don't know. Maybe I'm using her wrong. But I never really like drawing her (testing 1 of MB). Essentially vindicating something once doesnt seem the best since she usually dies. Maybe my build is wrong.
I've been meaning to get back into standard with Theros, and I was toying around with the idea of a workable U/W aggro deck. This looks like a good place to start!
What standard cards do you guys think will improve on the deck's strategy? It'd certainly help my game a lot.
My first thought was something in vein of a W/u deck that was mainly white weenie with blue for things like lyev skyknight, detention sphere, bident, and counters if you needed them. But adding things like spear of heliod, maxing out on dryad militant, soldier of pantheon, precinct captain (im sure there is other good WW creatures i just cant think of any) and things like brave the elements, rootborn defenses, gods willing to help push through fast damage. Fiendslayer paladin is another card that comes to mind.
Or go, heavy blue with splash of white for gods willing/rootborn defenses. But then you are going closer to the master of waves build which is way more expensive than a heavy white build with a splash of blue.
Geists out of the board actually aren't that bad if you expect a lot of mirrors. Geist is quite good in the mirror since they would side out all their Wraths and you'll be good to go.
what else would they be good in with what normally is bad matchup
I'm on my phone but I was at states this weekend. Went 6-2 got 10th place with the deck. Lost to green red ember swallower monstrous deck and a mono white deck. The mono white deck just was really really fast and he always had brave the elements and gods willing for anything i tried to do or for the alpha strike. the monstrous deck just got out of hand too fast, and top decking multiple storm breath dragons was just no fun.
Those are the only two problem matchups for me. Everything else I feel like i am at least 50/50 or better, and stuff like control only beats me with their god hands or ultimate top decks. But any advice for those decks? Again I will post deck list later. Thanks.
Hi friends,
My names Amanda and I'm doing a project for university about Magic cards and fandom; those who play the game and make the game a big part of their life. If you have just a few minutes to answer the few questions I have posted below, I'd really appreciate it. You can reply on this thread or just email me at [EMAIL="am249551@dal.ca"]am249551@dal.ca[/EMAIL]
1. How many times a week do you play Magic: The Gathering cards or is it just an occasional game?
2. Does your circle of friends also play Magic cards or do you find yourself talking about the game solely with the Magic community?
3. Does going to competitions and gatherings give you a sense of belonging because you all have a certain thing in common?
4. If you have ever played Dungeons and Dragons, do you find Magic influenced by it, or is it completely different?
5. How long have you played?
You certainly don't have to answer all of the questions, even only answering one or 2 would be beneficial. Anyway, thanks and play on!
1. Maybe 2 or 3 times a week, depending on how much work I have
2. Well my friends I met through playing magic
3. No, it doesn't give me a sense of belonging. It is fun to go to though.
4. Only influenced it the same way that most fantasy genre things seem influenced by it. I think that magic lore has broken far enough away at this point that I wouldn't say it has though.
I played the FNM yesterday with my first version of the deck. I ended 2-2, with good feelings of the final result, but I know I need to improve. This is the list I played:
Match 1: vs Dimir Control, 0-2
The deck mocks me. Nothing more to say
Match 2: vs Selesnya aggro, 2-0
A newbie kid, I played easy. Victory without value.
Match 3: vs Junk Reanimator, 2-0
The first competitive match. Obzedat fell at the power of my Selesnya Charm and Scavenging Ooze (and DRS in second game) ate everything. Good.
Match 4: vs Naya, 1-2
The first and third game I didn't have response, he wrecked me. The second game I draw all my Loxodon Smiters, a couple of Reaper of the Wilds and a Blood Baron of Vizkopa, so his Boros Reckoner were a little useless.
The main problem I found is the first turns, I have nothing to do until I have a little thread (I didn't have any yesterday...)
Reading some posts, I rebuild my deck a little, I hope it start to works the next week:
I didn't have the lions, so I didn't included it yesterday (I'll receive it this week). The main problem I saw is that I have very little very little threads, so the opponent can play easy the first turns; Caryatid can help me to block the first turns while I have more, and Lion can make pressure in early game and be almost invincible in late.
Everyone wants the Whip of Erebos, but in my games I used only the lifelink of the whip, I think Bow of Nylea can help me more because in every turn I can do something. Little flying menaces? Let's erase them! Need some lives having game controled? 3 here, please! Blood Baron of Vizkopa with a Mizzium Mortars over his head? A +1/+1 counter and prepare for the party.
Devour Flesh is a personal bet: if I find some hexproof creature I can deal with him, and if I need some lives I can sacrife my own Sylvan Caryatid (better if it have some +1/+1 counters) in late games in order to survive.
I'll try this week, but I want to know your opinions.
How are the abrupt decays working for you? I'm surprised you didnt feel you had enough threats with your initial build. I would try to keep thoughtseize in, it handles everything that you can't as long as you get rid of it before you play it.
Did you realy like bow that much? I play 1 of whip, think I should go 1/1 whip and bow or just 1 bow?! I really like the lifelink of the whip to offset the dmg we take constantly.
Have you tried Hundred Handed one or elspeth for more threat density? How are you liking abrupt decay/devour flesh over something like doom blade? How is reaper doing for you? It seems like you have enough removal that desecration demon might be better.
If I activate scavenging ooze's ability and target a card in my graveyard. In response my opponent shocks it. Does the target in the graveyard still get exiled? Do I still gain the one life? Thanks.
I think this deck really wants both whip and ghost council in the main. They both psuedo-combo together and they help offshoot the life payments of shocks, t-seize, read the bones, underworld connections, etc.
I'm pretty intrested in what list you have been testing
Charm against Burning Earth, tokens, and can hit whip,spear, bow or whatever
Sin Collector and Duress against control, obviously. This deck has a great curve and extremely beefy creatures for cost, the plan after boards simply becomes to disrupt a few crucial turns and get in there. Trying to be too clever and bring too many things in here will just end with the control player outdrawing you.
Lifebane zombie because he's amazing against so many things right now. But I'm too nervous to play 3 main. Exiling a blood baron or an angel of serenity or a world eater is gorgeous. plus he has evasion and can punch for 3 or trade with something.
Gaze of granite - I'm unsure about this, honestly. Against red this can just be too slow and voice of resurgance decks are so resilient to sweepers. I'm considering switching this to Fiendslayer Paladin because sometimes the red deck just gets a lot of power on the board off of a burning-tree.
Dark- replace doomblade against black guys
Heresy - Really nice against voice. Can also take care of fiendslayer, the white god, detention spheres, spear, etc.
What have you tested this against if you dont mind me asking?
I also wanted to ask you your opinion on desecration demon? He seems good in B or GB but in GBW I feel like there would be better options, but his big evasive body might be good? What have you in your tests seen with him?
Same with the 1x devour flesh? Is it good?
And how has vraska treated you? I feel like 5 mana vindicate is too slow
I'll say the obvious one's first.
-2 underworld connections (sideboard only in new format)
-2 immortal servitude (what do you expect to do with this?)
-3 gaze
You do not need hundred-handed one, you have blood baron and smiter to hold off aggro.
-2 hundred-handed one
-1 scavenging ooze, I don't have experience with him yet, but most decks only run 3 copies. I'm sure it's because subsequent ones get significantly worse since the yard has already been pilliged by the first one.
The next cuts are hard, but you can't play everything.
-1 polukranos, the monstrosity isn't really worth it, and I think reaper is just better.
-1 Temple of Silence.
You can stand to lose a land, and you need green the most early on, plus you have 8 cipt lands.
-1 sin collector, take out 3 needles from your main, and put in the sin collector and the 2 underworld connections.
-1 sylvan caryatid.
The ramp isn't super important, but it's still nice to get it on turn 2.
-1 voice.
It's only really impactful against control, maybe a thoughtsieze should come out over either the voice or caryatid though.
Those last three were really hard to choose, but I think they are the weakest cards in your deck for a new meta.
Thanks for the input. I am thinking of taking this deck to states and have been really wondering what to cut. Like you said, it was tough to cut.
Didn't see a thread on this so I'm creating one, even though I'm not the best creator for a thread. Anyway, I would like some help. I want to run Junk midrange post rotation, but I am having trouble finding a good middle ground and cards to cut. Let me first start with the decklist I have so far which is 75 cards MB and 15 card SB and you guys can tell me what you think?
Anyway that's what I have so far. I think I need to make more cuts. Problem is that I like all the creatures for a deck like this
At CMC2, I like sylvan caratid for mana fixing/ramp and its a nice blocker that dodges spot removal as a 0/3. Voice of resurgence is a great card, and that with thoughtseize helps a lot vs control. Scavenging ooze is great anytime, early or late game as long as there are creatures with a graveyard. You also gain life lost
At CMC3, loxodon smiter is awesome. Great undercurve wall and attacker. Sin collector is really good at being able to see the opponent's hand and taking out something that you didn't get with thoughtseize or something that will be problematic like a burn spell or PW
At CMC4, reaper of the wilds is great as a wall that you can pay to make deathtouch or hexproof. Also the scry 1 is great with your own spot removal. E.honda is also really great in that it has vigilance, can attack into almost anything, dodges all burn removal, and can block pretty much anything except new thundermaw after monstrous. Polukranos as a 1of seems good because his monstrous and the fact he is also undercosted, a 5/5 for 4.
At CMC5 are your win cons. Blood baron and obzedat are both really really good.
4 Thoughtseize is almost a no brainer to me. You want to be able to take out something you cant deal with or just see your opponents hand in a deck like this. I like a 2/3 split of underworld connections and read the bones for draw. Not sure, but I feel like a 2/3 split of putrefy and hero's downfall is right. PW seem like one of the bigger problems for a deck like this. Maybe ultimate price or doom blade might be better than putrefy though. Not sure. Elspeth is also another really really good win condition. Also sweeps the big creatures and pumps out guys every turn, better than assemble the legion and a threat your opponent has to deal with quickly.
Immortal servitude because it gets around underworld cereberus clause and there are a a lot of 2 3 4 cost that would be great to reanimate. Gaze of granite seems like a good sweeper as it also hits PW, even though you might lose a sylvan caratid, to be able to go to a turn earlier on what you need to hit might be good.
Anyway those are my thoughts. Any and all help appreciated. I need to make cuts obviously!
I think since you are on the boon satyr plan you can go with 0 obzedat and use blood barons. For me though, I would miss the ghost council too much. I do like polukranos though. I think a 1 of or 2 of would be key. Like you said, it does fight and beat blood baron and can hit a few x/1s that are key.
Edit: vraska has been underwhelming for me. I don't know. Maybe I'm using her wrong. But I never really like drawing her (testing 1 of MB). Essentially vindicating something once doesnt seem the best since she usually dies. Maybe my build is wrong.
Edit 2: Here is my decklist
4 Forest
4 Godless Shrine
1 Golgari Guildgate
1 Mutavault
4 Overgrown Tomb
1 Plains
1 Swamp
4 Temple Garden
4 Temple of Silence
//Spells
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Advent of the Wurm
1 Bow of Nylea
2 Devour Flesh
2 Doom Blade
2 Golgari Charm
2 Hero's Downfall
1 Whip of Erebos
1 Vraska the Unseen
3 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
3 Desecration Demon
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Sylvan Caryatid
2 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
4 Voice of Resurgence
I want to run 4 elvish mystic main just no one has any around me! Might have to order some.
My first thought was something in vein of a W/u deck that was mainly white weenie with blue for things like lyev skyknight, detention sphere, bident, and counters if you needed them. But adding things like spear of heliod, maxing out on dryad militant, soldier of pantheon, precinct captain (im sure there is other good WW creatures i just cant think of any) and things like brave the elements, rootborn defenses, gods willing to help push through fast damage. Fiendslayer paladin is another card that comes to mind.
Or go, heavy blue with splash of white for gods willing/rootborn defenses. But then you are going closer to the master of waves build which is way more expensive than a heavy white build with a splash of blue.
what else would they be good in with what normally is bad matchup
Those are the only two problem matchups for me. Everything else I feel like i am at least 50/50 or better, and stuff like control only beats me with their god hands or ultimate top decks. But any advice for those decks? Again I will post deck list later. Thanks.
1. Maybe 2 or 3 times a week, depending on how much work I have
2. Well my friends I met through playing magic
3. No, it doesn't give me a sense of belonging. It is fun to go to though.
4. Only influenced it the same way that most fantasy genre things seem influenced by it. I think that magic lore has broken far enough away at this point that I wouldn't say it has though.
5. I have played on and off since 2004
How are the abrupt decays working for you? I'm surprised you didnt feel you had enough threats with your initial build. I would try to keep thoughtseize in, it handles everything that you can't as long as you get rid of it before you play it.
Did you realy like bow that much? I play 1 of whip, think I should go 1/1 whip and bow or just 1 bow?! I really like the lifelink of the whip to offset the dmg we take constantly.
Have you tried Hundred Handed one or elspeth for more threat density? How are you liking abrupt decay/devour flesh over something like doom blade? How is reaper doing for you? It seems like you have enough removal that desecration demon might be better.
when is the first SCG open if you dont mind me asking
I'm pretty intrested in what list you have been testing
What have you tested this against if you dont mind me asking?
I also wanted to ask you your opinion on desecration demon? He seems good in B or GB but in GBW I feel like there would be better options, but his big evasive body might be good? What have you in your tests seen with him?
Same with the 1x devour flesh? Is it good?
And how has vraska treated you? I feel like 5 mana vindicate is too slow
Thanks for the input. I am thinking of taking this deck to states and have been really wondering what to cut. Like you said, it was tough to cut.
TL;DR any and all help/criticism appreciated
12 CMC 2
4 sylvan caratid
4 voice of resurgence
4 scavenging ooze
7 CMC 3
4 loxodon smiter
3 sin collector
6 CMC 4
3 Reaper of the wilds
2 Hundred-Handed One
1 Polukranos, World Eater
4 CMC 5
3 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
1 Obzedat, Ghost Council
//spells
4 CMC 1
4 Thoughtseize
10 CMC 3
2 Underworld Connections
3 Read the bones
2 Putrefy
3 Hero's Downfall
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
5 CMC X
2 Immortal Servitude
3 Gaze of Granite
//Lands
4 Temple of Silence
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Godless Shrine
4 Temple Garden
3 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Forest
2 Golgari Guildgate
2 Selesnya Guildgate
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Sin collector
2 Unflinching Courage
4 Pithing Needle
1 Gaze of Granite
2 Merciless Eviction
4 Golgari charm
Anyway that's what I have so far. I think I need to make more cuts. Problem is that I like all the creatures for a deck like this
At CMC2, I like sylvan caratid for mana fixing/ramp and its a nice blocker that dodges spot removal as a 0/3. Voice of resurgence is a great card, and that with thoughtseize helps a lot vs control. Scavenging ooze is great anytime, early or late game as long as there are creatures with a graveyard. You also gain life lost
At CMC3, loxodon smiter is awesome. Great undercurve wall and attacker. Sin collector is really good at being able to see the opponent's hand and taking out something that you didn't get with thoughtseize or something that will be problematic like a burn spell or PW
At CMC4, reaper of the wilds is great as a wall that you can pay to make deathtouch or hexproof. Also the scry 1 is great with your own spot removal. E.honda is also really great in that it has vigilance, can attack into almost anything, dodges all burn removal, and can block pretty much anything except new thundermaw after monstrous. Polukranos as a 1of seems good because his monstrous and the fact he is also undercosted, a 5/5 for 4.
At CMC5 are your win cons. Blood baron and obzedat are both really really good.
4 Thoughtseize is almost a no brainer to me. You want to be able to take out something you cant deal with or just see your opponents hand in a deck like this. I like a 2/3 split of underworld connections and read the bones for draw. Not sure, but I feel like a 2/3 split of putrefy and hero's downfall is right. PW seem like one of the bigger problems for a deck like this. Maybe ultimate price or doom blade might be better than putrefy though. Not sure. Elspeth is also another really really good win condition. Also sweeps the big creatures and pumps out guys every turn, better than assemble the legion and a threat your opponent has to deal with quickly.
Immortal servitude because it gets around underworld cereberus clause and there are a a lot of 2 3 4 cost that would be great to reanimate. Gaze of granite seems like a good sweeper as it also hits PW, even though you might lose a sylvan caratid, to be able to go to a turn earlier on what you need to hit might be good.
Anyway those are my thoughts. Any and all help appreciated. I need to make cuts obviously!
im actually excited to see if anything will get banned or not