Needs More Blue Cards.dec
//edited out md//
Sideboard:
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Firespout
2 Negate
1 Remove Soul
2 Condemn
1 Wydwen, the Biting Gale
1 Smash
2 Puppeteer Clique
2 Austere Command
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Relic of Progenitus
Zulo, I am very curious as to your SB strategy. Can you post your thoughts on what you took out and what you put in for the matchups that you saw at regionals, and any other comments you'd like to make (vs. Boat Brew, Kithkin, 5CC mirror, W/U Lark, etc). Thanks.
I mean, if you're gonna run mass removal in this deck, which is a mistake imo, you might as well run Infest, which is better than Wrath by leaps and bounds because your tokens may still survive it.
Yes, Wrath can be very helpful. The original question was: "I keep getting killed by Stillmoon Cavalier, what can I do?". One answer from the B/W Token SB is Wrath. It is a very flexible answer when considering what the rest of the field may look like - however if you feel that Infest is just as good, then by all means test it out and see how you like it. I would very rarely Wrath away just 1 Stillmoon unless it was getting out of control, prefering instead to trade the Wrath as a 2-for-1. There will be times when the Stillmoon on the opposite side of the table will swing for 4 each turn, but your counterswing will be for 4 or more -- this can be a perfectly acceptable situation.
One other consideration regarding Infest: In the B/W mirror or against any deck packing Ajani or Anthems (W/R, WW etc), Infest becomes marginally worse and worse as the game goes long. Again, it all depends on personal preference but my opinion is that Wrath is the better play out of the SB. Good luck to you.
Is there anything this deck can really do up against a Stillmoon Cavalier? I consistently have been getting beat by it with this deck. The only option i see is Runed Halo... or maybe Mutavault?
Try to get them to overextend into a Wrath. I recommend 4 Wrath SB.
Some reasons not to play 4-of's: 1) You would like to increase your variance in a given tournament, which essentially means you'd like luck to play a larger part on your 6-0 or 0-3 performance; 2) You would like 6-of something so you play 4-wrath and 2-firespout as the firespouts are similar to ***s; 3) You would like to keep your opponents guessing and less likely to understand what you're holding, especially if you are playing a known strategy, like 5CC; 4) You would like to see certain cards mid-game or at the end of the game, but never in your starting 7 -- someone above already gave the percentages; 5) Toolbox search cards such as Tinker Mage fetching Pithing Needle.
We had a good discussion on Rhox War Monk around page 40 or 41 of this thread. Back then, it wasn't easy to convince anyone at all that the Monk was better than Finks, in fact the leading suggestion was running no creature at all in the 3-slot. This really shows how the meta & the choices evolve over time. At the end of the day, the performance of the War Monk will really depend on your meta - for example, if your faeries opponents are running Agony Warp and not Terror. I have found Rhox War Monk to be a little more durable than Finks especially in Game 1 of the mirror, since it can block Finks all day long.
First: Why does Tezzerator run Blood Moon in the sideboard Against who am I wanting to run this card? What situations is this useful?
Second: What cards should I board out against red/zoo?
To answer your first question, Blood Moon is useful against Zoo and other decks featuring a lot of non-basics, such as Tron.
To answer your second question, the Stifles as a start. However, the meta is evolving and the main & sideboards will change a bit. If you are interested in this deck, I would recommend googling for the webcast on "Updating Tezzeret" (source: Blackborder Show, LSV).
Keep in mind that many more people are now aware of Tezzeret in Extended and know how to play against it. Good luck to you.
Has anyone play tested Declaration of Naught? Yeah it sounds a bit limited cheesy card but some cards similar like Memory Plunder has really worked well for a change in a sideboard.
I was thinking along the lines when you look at their hand and see something coming down the roadyou can throw that down like for our buddy Cloud or the Chameleon Colossus. If anything it is for sure way to screw with 5 color control decks when they play limited amount of counter and usually Cryptic Command. Also to boot everyone here seems to be playing enchantment removal for the Bitterblossom, so thought this may make them think which enchantment to remove.
Don't know just an idea...
I'll respond to the quote above, which was posted earlier, since it's more specific about what you are looking to accomplish. I have tested Memory Plunder. It's a fun card, simply because it creates "are you kidding me?" moments. I would not run it in today's Standard because our matchup vs. 5CC is already good provided that we play intelligently and don't ease up during the game. Quite frankly if we've let Cruel resolve then something has gone very wrong - we're likely to be tapped out and tossing that Memory Plunder into our graveyard anyway.
If your goal is to improve your matchup vs. 5CC, you may want to try: Glen Elendra Archmage, Mind Shatter, Negate, Flashfreeze. Those aren't overpowering but if you absolutely want to dedicate sideboard space to 5CC, they can all be viable options.
As for "new tech" I think we are about to see the meta evolve, with Worlds around the corner. The meta may end up a little different than what we're used to seeing. Who knows, G/B/x may be making a comeback and traditionally elves-style decks packing disruption aren't exactly a favorable matchup for Faeries. I think we'll see some evolving sideboards soon enough.
Re: Zoo. Game 1 generally requires Engineered Explosives and Shackles. You can extend the game through early non-fetched Ensnaring Bridge or Trinisphere, but Shackles is just such an absolute beating in the first game. In Game 2, expect to see Ancient Grudge from the Zoo player. Your Blood Moon - if you have a tiny bit of breathing room to play it - generally will seal the deal. Be careful of keeping an opening hand that doesn't have Pyroclasm/Firespout, EE or Shackles in it. It's a good idea to think "they will open with Turn 1 Nacatl, turn 2 swing for 3, cast another Nacatl, turn 3 cast Teeg or Goyf" when deciding whether to keep or mulligan.
For the Mirror, for the deck & sideboard above I would recommend swapping -4 Mistbind for +4 Thoughtseize and then make the extra cuts for the 2 extra Sowers depending on what I saw in Game 1. Edit: This is independent of the draw vs. play, as Broken Ambitions will also lose value on the draw but may still have some value in mid-game. I would also -2 Jace +2 Remove Soul but that isn't an option in the decklist above.
What I was saying is that it shouldn't be kept in the deck against the mirror after sideboarding. Nearly every faerie deck plays 2-4 Sower of Temptations sideboard; it will lose games. The effect it has in a game is often something any other 2-3 mana removal/counter would have done, but it has a liability attached. It can sometimes be an amazing card and win the game for you, but the cases where it will do that in a game which you wouldn't already win aren't many.
While getting sowered away is very unfortunate, the purpose of the Scion is really to help win the attrition war. If you suspect Sower shenanigans, hold back on your Scion until you can max out its value. It is not an auto-win by any means, but there are certainly situations involving Bitterblossom, Agony Warp, Peppersmoke, Sower, and combat tricks which would make the Scion a very smart play. The mirror often comes down to an air war with tokens running into other tokens and the Scion helps swing things your way, though it doesn't just win the game on its own as a lowly 1/1. Taking out your Mistbind Cliques rather than your Scions will likely improve your chances in Games 2 and 3 in the mirror. If the room is full of fae players, Peppersmoke becomes a solid SB option as well.
also, i've cut scions for sage's dousing, and it's turned out quite well. even if it doesn't cantrip (which it typically does) it's better. scion is just more win more than normal for faeries. fae really needs all the [instant speed] card draw it can get (it's decent even if they can pay it... trips and taps them out). has anyone else tried it?
Perhaps you may be interested in testing the Banneret version of the Wizards/Faerie hybrid deck that's a few pages back. It runs Sage's Dousing and does pretty well. In the typical non-Wizard Faerie deck, I don't recommend cutting the Scion count. Depending on your opponent, the Scions can really turn the tide from "this game is close" to "whew, I won". In many cases Scions are soft counters 5-8 while packing a punch and making your entire team better. Sage's Dousing just doesn't offer the same amount of value in the standard Faerie build. Good luck in your testing.
I quite like it, what are the resounding thunder's for though?
Besides the uncounterable 6 vs. Faeries and the Mirror, as was mentioned above, the Resounding Thunder is also very useful against Planeswalkers especially those you see in homebrew builds that could be problematic. I have actually increased my Resounding count post-SB for this reason. There are board positions that won't allow you to attack through to get rid of an odd Jace, Garruk or Elspeth. Resounding Thunder is a great way to help in those situations and provides you with uncounterable direct damage later in the game.
And in a pinch, it's extra removal vs. Teeg, Scullers, Ram-Gangs, or Treetops.
finks its a beater that comes back twice has imediate result. Plus war monk is harder to cast, only thing I see Monk better at would be against kithkin and RDW.
Give the War Monk a try in 5-10 test games and see how you like it. You may be surprised at how it goes. I think it's safe to call it a metagame choice whether you run Finks or War Monk in your 3-slot, as the purpose of that slot is to provide early pressure vs. Faeries, serve as an early blocker vs. Kithkin and RDW, and be able to provide beats while you get to the endgame and take over. Given all that, I've been pleasantly surprised at how effective War Monk has been at doing its job in 5CC.
All right... I get it now. On turn 9, when you draw your Pyroclasm, it's magically going to help you kill those 2 Boggart Ram-Gangs that are beating your face in? I mean, because you used your spot removal to stop Figures, Demigods, and Hell's Thunders from kill you... right? Or did you let those hit you and you're using all of your removal on Lashers/Figures/Ram-Gangs?
If you are at the stage of the game where your RDW opponent now has 5 red mana available for Demigod, if you are above 10 life you are actually in pretty good shape.
It is true that a midgame Pyroclasm doesn't deal with a lot of threats that hit the board, but there are cases where the 1 mana difference compared to Firespout will make a difference, such as against Faeries where you would prefer to keep more mana open. An early game Pyroclasm can also be a beating against many creatures that RDW, Kithkin or mid-range aggro could throw at you (such as Gaddock Teeg), or killing very early Figures + Fanatics at the same time.
Your goal vs. aggro is to get to mid game and then start taking control - - yes a late game Pyroclasm draw vs. aggro isn't gamebreaking for you but the good news is that you should already be in control. Pyroclasm increases your chances of getting to that point. It's your call on what sweeper you'd like to run, Firespout is a good choice too, but keep in mind that many 5CC decks run a lot of Vivids and you may not have 3 untapped mana available on turn 3. Good luck.
Zulo, I am very curious as to your SB strategy. Can you post your thoughts on what you took out and what you put in for the matchups that you saw at regionals, and any other comments you'd like to make (vs. Boat Brew, Kithkin, 5CC mirror, W/U Lark, etc). Thanks.
Yes, Wrath can be very helpful. The original question was: "I keep getting killed by Stillmoon Cavalier, what can I do?". One answer from the B/W Token SB is Wrath. It is a very flexible answer when considering what the rest of the field may look like - however if you feel that Infest is just as good, then by all means test it out and see how you like it. I would very rarely Wrath away just 1 Stillmoon unless it was getting out of control, prefering instead to trade the Wrath as a 2-for-1. There will be times when the Stillmoon on the opposite side of the table will swing for 4 each turn, but your counterswing will be for 4 or more -- this can be a perfectly acceptable situation.
One other consideration regarding Infest: In the B/W mirror or against any deck packing Ajani or Anthems (W/R, WW etc), Infest becomes marginally worse and worse as the game goes long. Again, it all depends on personal preference but my opinion is that Wrath is the better play out of the SB. Good luck to you.
Try to get them to overextend into a Wrath. I recommend 4 Wrath SB.
To answer your first question, Blood Moon is useful against Zoo and other decks featuring a lot of non-basics, such as Tron.
To answer your second question, the Stifles as a start. However, the meta is evolving and the main & sideboards will change a bit. If you are interested in this deck, I would recommend googling for the webcast on "Updating Tezzeret" (source: Blackborder Show, LSV).
Keep in mind that many more people are now aware of Tezzeret in Extended and know how to play against it. Good luck to you.
I'll respond to the quote above, which was posted earlier, since it's more specific about what you are looking to accomplish. I have tested Memory Plunder. It's a fun card, simply because it creates "are you kidding me?" moments. I would not run it in today's Standard because our matchup vs. 5CC is already good provided that we play intelligently and don't ease up during the game. Quite frankly if we've let Cruel resolve then something has gone very wrong - we're likely to be tapped out and tossing that Memory Plunder into our graveyard anyway.
If your goal is to improve your matchup vs. 5CC, you may want to try: Glen Elendra Archmage, Mind Shatter, Negate, Flashfreeze. Those aren't overpowering but if you absolutely want to dedicate sideboard space to 5CC, they can all be viable options.
As for "new tech" I think we are about to see the meta evolve, with Worlds around the corner. The meta may end up a little different than what we're used to seeing. Who knows, G/B/x may be making a comeback and traditionally elves-style decks packing disruption aren't exactly a favorable matchup for Faeries. I think we'll see some evolving sideboards soon enough.
While getting sowered away is very unfortunate, the purpose of the Scion is really to help win the attrition war. If you suspect Sower shenanigans, hold back on your Scion until you can max out its value. It is not an auto-win by any means, but there are certainly situations involving Bitterblossom, Agony Warp, Peppersmoke, Sower, and combat tricks which would make the Scion a very smart play. The mirror often comes down to an air war with tokens running into other tokens and the Scion helps swing things your way, though it doesn't just win the game on its own as a lowly 1/1. Taking out your Mistbind Cliques rather than your Scions will likely improve your chances in Games 2 and 3 in the mirror. If the room is full of fae players, Peppersmoke becomes a solid SB option as well.
Perhaps you may be interested in testing the Banneret version of the Wizards/Faerie hybrid deck that's a few pages back. It runs Sage's Dousing and does pretty well. In the typical non-Wizard Faerie deck, I don't recommend cutting the Scion count. Depending on your opponent, the Scions can really turn the tide from "this game is close" to "whew, I won". In many cases Scions are soft counters 5-8 while packing a punch and making your entire team better. Sage's Dousing just doesn't offer the same amount of value in the standard Faerie build. Good luck in your testing.
Besides the uncounterable 6 vs. Faeries and the Mirror, as was mentioned above, the Resounding Thunder is also very useful against Planeswalkers especially those you see in homebrew builds that could be problematic. I have actually increased my Resounding count post-SB for this reason. There are board positions that won't allow you to attack through to get rid of an odd Jace, Garruk or Elspeth. Resounding Thunder is a great way to help in those situations and provides you with uncounterable direct damage later in the game.
And in a pinch, it's extra removal vs. Teeg, Scullers, Ram-Gangs, or Treetops.
Give the War Monk a try in 5-10 test games and see how you like it. You may be surprised at how it goes. I think it's safe to call it a metagame choice whether you run Finks or War Monk in your 3-slot, as the purpose of that slot is to provide early pressure vs. Faeries, serve as an early blocker vs. Kithkin and RDW, and be able to provide beats while you get to the endgame and take over. Given all that, I've been pleasantly surprised at how effective War Monk has been at doing its job in 5CC.
If you are at the stage of the game where your RDW opponent now has 5 red mana available for Demigod, if you are above 10 life you are actually in pretty good shape.
It is true that a midgame Pyroclasm doesn't deal with a lot of threats that hit the board, but there are cases where the 1 mana difference compared to Firespout will make a difference, such as against Faeries where you would prefer to keep more mana open. An early game Pyroclasm can also be a beating against many creatures that RDW, Kithkin or mid-range aggro could throw at you (such as Gaddock Teeg), or killing very early Figures + Fanatics at the same time.
Your goal vs. aggro is to get to mid game and then start taking control - - yes a late game Pyroclasm draw vs. aggro isn't gamebreaking for you but the good news is that you should already be in control. Pyroclasm increases your chances of getting to that point. It's your call on what sweeper you'd like to run, Firespout is a good choice too, but keep in mind that many 5CC decks run a lot of Vivids and you may not have 3 untapped mana available on turn 3. Good luck.