Took the deck to a FNM yesterday (or should I say WNM?) and went 3-0-1 with it. Doesnt mean much but I was able to beat 2 different zombie builds and that felt good. The other 2 games (1-0-1) were vs control. Would have been 4-0 but last game dragged for too long...
Forking spells with chandraa is awesome. I was able to Fork Appetite for Brains post-sideboarding more than once and its awesome. I actually forked Slaughter Games in game 2 of my third match and took away Entreat the angels and Tamiyo. The guys scooped as he had no other win condition. Thats when I realized how narrow the popular UWR deck is.
Rakdos Returns could be bad for me but I dont really worry about it for now as I can Duress it or use Slaughter games for it.
I had counterspells at some point but I removed the Dissipates because they werent consistant enough and ended up removing the syncopates as well as it wasnt as good as other answers I could find.
I spent the last 3 weeks building, testing and adjusting this deck. It holds itself very well against most popular decks. (playtested against top 8 decks in SCG tourny). The sideboard is the main weapon for control matchups. I belive Slaughter Games is the best card in the format as far as control matchups goes . Against UWR control you name entreat the angels and you just won the match.
I think you can run more griffins and more R.I.Ps. This combo exists in legacy as a deck being brewed at the moment, but legacy has such good search engines that they can do with less copies of the combo-pieces. I'd go up to 4 griffins and 3 rest in peace.
Keeping it to u/w might help more with consitency. You can replace your burn with stuff that detain. inaction injunction seems good as a cantrip.
I was not aware that this combo was brewed in Legacy. thats awesome! My original list was UW but it fell short against certain decks. The Red adds early removal to the mix. I prefer to Pillar of Flame their early threats than to make them skip a turn with a detain ability. Burn also helps me finish the job.
as far as the combo pieces, well I agree with you that a third RIP might be a good idea, even tho Im running 2x Moorland Haunt as a backup. But having 4 Griffins is too redundant. I almost never have 2 on the board let alone 3. As soon as I get the first copy I can start to abuse it. a second copy will insure my late game efficiency. Having 3-4 copies of the Griffin in my hand is useless and so 3 seem like a good amount (so far in testing). PLus Izzet charm usually helps me find the cards I need quickly enough.
one thing that stands out to me as odd is entreat the angels being in the sideboard, why?
Well I wanted additional firepower against certain decks but maindeck I prefer the current list as I feel Aggro decks will be a big part of the early metagame and so Id rather have Bonfire and Pillar of Flame.
Entreat the angel is good but I use it as a secondary tool.
I built this deck for fun kitchen table play but it holds up so well against most big decks in the metagame that I thought I would post it here. It probly needs more tuning for competitive play but still, I think its original.
Basically you want to control the board and then abuse the interaction between Misthollow Griffin and Rest in Peace. When RIP in in play, your Griffin is basically immortal. They bounce him you cast him, they kill him you cast him (hes been exiled), they exile him with Oblivion ring, Detention Sphere or even Angel of Serenity, you cast him back. The only real way to get rid of him is to reshuffle him in the library which is not something you see alot nowadays. Are you being overrun by the opponent? Clear the board with Supreme Verdict or Bonfire of the damned knowing you can get your trusty 3/3 flyer right back.
One way or another they will run out of threats because you can always block with Griffins and recast them right after. You have enough removal to support the Griffins. You carry a fair amount of burn spells to help finish the job.
If you get the Griffins before RIP as I only play 2 copies, Moorland Haunt also works well with it, netting you a 1/1 and allowing you to recast the Griffin. Slayers' Stronghold is pretty sweet mid to late game when you can attack with a 5/3 Haste Flyer and keep him for defense.
The Sideboard speaks for itself.
Is this deck gonna be format breaking? I dont think so, but its original and I think it could turn a few heads on your next FNM.
Testing has shown that the deck has solid removal against any threats in the format. Tragic Slip, Pillar of Flame and Annihilating Fire are quality early removals (with Izzet Charm jumping in from time to time). Tribute to Hunger, Mizzium Mortars and Blasphemous Act can take care of Hexproof creatures while doing other things as well. Syncopate and Dreadbore add versatility to the deck.
Im not a big fan of Desperate Ravings and so I prefer using Augur of Bolas to filter what I need while giving me some early blocks.
Rakdos Keyrune is pretty solid here as both mana accel and a good blocker. Can also be used in late game to deal extra damage. I wasn't sure I wanted to play Gilded Lotus at first as I thought it would be slow but it turns out being able to tap it right away to play Annihilating Fire or Syncopate solves the probleme. Its also crucial when you play big guns like Bolas or Niv-Mizzet and you want some mana open.
Jace is.. well Jace. Card advantage with other perks here and there. Chandra is a beast in this deck, I used to run 3 but I cut 1 as its a BIT slow against zombies and mono red, but her -2 ability is bonkers when mixed with the suit of spells you have access to in this deck. Her +1 gives you a clock (combined with Stensia Bloodhall) and her ultimate is always handy. Tamiyo is here as a 1-of to give me more tools work against ramp or tempo decks. Bolas is a win condition here, Ive never lost a game where he resolves, even if my opponent manages to kill him, the game is already mine. Niv-Mizzet is there as an additional win condition as I dont want to be Slaughter Gamed and have no outs.
Maindeck is already good vs anything other than control. In a control matchup it's usually 50/50 game one. However my sideboard is packed with tools against control. Duress is a must, Appetite for Brains is duress #5&6 most of the times. I even bring it against ramp as it hits their big guys. Slaughter Games is the reason why im playing Grixis and not American control. This card will make THE difference in control matchups. Whoever casts it first will have a huge advantage. Evil Twin is there to battle Sigarda but I also bring it vs green creature decks. Using it on Thragtusk and then being able to use it to destroy their next ones is pretty sweet, although most of the time you just use the life gain and then block. Armada Wurm is also a sweet copy target. Underworld Connections is something that really helps keep the upper hand in card advantage in control matchups.
So far I have a pretty solid win rate with this deck. Needs much further testing but I would feel confidant playing this in a competitive environment with the current metagame.
Lemme know what you think, it's all about gaining more knowledge. Cheers!
Lets say I use Izzet Charm on my opponent's turn to draw 2 discard 2, and the first card I draw is a miracle card. In what order do I proceed? do I annonce my miracle trigger before drawing the second card and discarding? or do I finish resolving the Charm and then resolve the miracle trigger?
Forking spells with chandraa is awesome. I was able to Fork Appetite for Brains post-sideboarding more than once and its awesome. I actually forked Slaughter Games in game 2 of my third match and took away Entreat the angels and Tamiyo. The guys scooped as he had no other win condition. Thats when I realized how narrow the popular UWR deck is.
Rakdos Returns could be bad for me but I dont really worry about it for now as I can Duress it or use Slaughter games for it.
I had counterspells at some point but I removed the Dissipates because they werent consistant enough and ended up removing the syncopates as well as it wasnt as good as other answers I could find.
Junk is WGB =)
4x Blood Crypt
4x Steam Vents
4x Hallowed Fountain
4x Glacial Fortress
4x Drowned Catacomb
1x Sulfur Falls
1x Isolated Chapel
1x Clifftop Retreat
1x Desolate Lighthouse
1x Plains
1x Swamp
1x Mountain
Creatures: (4)
2x Olivia Voldaren
2x Snapcaster Mage
2x Sphinx’s Revelation
2x Feeling of Dread
Sorceries: (12)
4x Pillar of Flame
3x Dreadbore
2x Supreme Verdict
2x Divination
1x Rolling Temblor
Enchantment: (4)
3x Detention Sphere
1x Dead Weight
Planeswalkers: (9)
3x Jace 4.0
2x Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
2x Chandra, the Firebrand
1x Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1x Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
3x Duress
3x Slaughter Games
2x Evil Twin
2x Rest in Peace
2x Appetite for Brains
1x Rolling Temblor
1x Jace, Memory Adept
1x Supreme Verdict
I spent the last 3 weeks building, testing and adjusting this deck. It holds itself very well against most popular decks. (playtested against top 8 decks in SCG tourny). The sideboard is the main weapon for control matchups. I belive Slaughter Games is the best card in the format as far as control matchups goes . Against UWR control you name entreat the angels and you just won the match.
Feel free to discuss
I was not aware that this combo was brewed in Legacy. thats awesome! My original list was UW but it fell short against certain decks. The Red adds early removal to the mix. I prefer to Pillar of Flame their early threats than to make them skip a turn with a detain ability. Burn also helps me finish the job.
as far as the combo pieces, well I agree with you that a third RIP might be a good idea, even tho Im running 2x Moorland Haunt as a backup. But having 4 Griffins is too redundant. I almost never have 2 on the board let alone 3. As soon as I get the first copy I can start to abuse it. a second copy will insure my late game efficiency. Having 3-4 copies of the Griffin in my hand is useless and so 3 seem like a good amount (so far in testing). PLus Izzet charm usually helps me find the cards I need quickly enough.
thx for the feedback guys!
Well I wanted additional firepower against certain decks but maindeck I prefer the current list as I feel Aggro decks will be a big part of the early metagame and so Id rather have Bonfire and Pillar of Flame.
Entreat the angel is good but I use it as a secondary tool.
4x Steam Vents
4x Hallowed Fountain
4x Glacial Fortress
4x Sulfur Falls
2x Moorland Haunt
2x Island
1x Clifftop Retreat
1x Plain
1x Mountain
1x Slayers' Stronghold
1x Desolate Lighthouse
3x Misthollow Griffin
Instants: (12)
4x Izzet Charm
4x Annihilating Fire
2x Azorius Charm
2x Syncopate
Sorceries: (10)
4x Pillar of Flame
4x Supreme Verdict
2x Bonfire of the Damned
Enchantment: (7)
3x Detention Sphere
2x Oblivion Ring
2x Rest in Peace
3x Jace, Architect of Thought
4x Negate
3x Essence Scatter
2x Entreat the Angels
2x Oblivion Ring
2x Blasphemous Act
2x Witchbane Orb
I built this deck for fun kitchen table play but it holds up so well against most big decks in the metagame that I thought I would post it here. It probly needs more tuning for competitive play but still, I think its original.
Basically you want to control the board and then abuse the interaction between Misthollow Griffin and Rest in Peace. When RIP in in play, your Griffin is basically immortal. They bounce him you cast him, they kill him you cast him (hes been exiled), they exile him with Oblivion ring, Detention Sphere or even Angel of Serenity, you cast him back. The only real way to get rid of him is to reshuffle him in the library which is not something you see alot nowadays. Are you being overrun by the opponent? Clear the board with Supreme Verdict or Bonfire of the damned knowing you can get your trusty 3/3 flyer right back.
One way or another they will run out of threats because you can always block with Griffins and recast them right after. You have enough removal to support the Griffins. You carry a fair amount of burn spells to help finish the job.
If you get the Griffins before RIP as I only play 2 copies, Moorland Haunt also works well with it, netting you a 1/1 and allowing you to recast the Griffin. Slayers' Stronghold is pretty sweet mid to late game when you can attack with a 5/3 Haste Flyer and keep him for defense.
The Sideboard speaks for itself.
Is this deck gonna be format breaking? I dont think so, but its original and I think it could turn a few heads on your next FNM.
Let me know what you think.
Cheers!
4x Blood Crypt
4x Steam Vents
4x Sulfur Falls
3x Dragonskull Summit
3x Drowned Catacomb
2x Stensia Bloodhall
2x Island
1x Swamp
1x Mountain
1x Desolate Lighthouse
1x Reliquary Tower
Creatures: (3)
2x Augur of Bolas
1x Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
Instants: (9)
2x Izzet Charm
2x Tribute to Hunger
2x Tragic Slip
2x Syncopate
1x Annihilating Fire
4x Pillar of Flame
3x Dreadbore
2x Mizzium Mortars
1x Blasphemous Act
1x Increasing Ambition
Artifacts: (4)
2x Rakdos Keyrune
2x Gilded Lotus
Planeswalkers: (7)
3x Jace 4.0
2x Chandra, the Firebrand
1x Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1x Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
4x Duress
3x Slaughter Games
3x Evil Twin
2x Appetite for Brains
1x Dreadbore
1x Blasphemous Act
1x Underworld Connections
Testing has shown that the deck has solid removal against any threats in the format. Tragic Slip, Pillar of Flame and Annihilating Fire are quality early removals (with Izzet Charm jumping in from time to time).
Tribute to Hunger, Mizzium Mortars and Blasphemous Act can take care of Hexproof creatures while doing other things as well.
Syncopate and Dreadbore add versatility to the deck.
Im not a big fan of Desperate Ravings and so I prefer using Augur of Bolas to filter what I need while giving me some early blocks.
Rakdos Keyrune is pretty solid here as both mana accel and a good blocker. Can also be used in late game to deal extra damage. I wasn't sure I wanted to play Gilded Lotus at first as I thought it would be slow but it turns out being able to tap it right away to play Annihilating Fire or Syncopate solves the probleme. Its also crucial when you play big guns like Bolas or Niv-Mizzet and you want some mana open.
Jace is.. well Jace. Card advantage with other perks here and there.
Chandra is a beast in this deck, I used to run 3 but I cut 1 as its a BIT slow against zombies and mono red, but her -2 ability is bonkers when mixed with the suit of spells you have access to in this deck. Her +1 gives you a clock (combined with Stensia Bloodhall) and her ultimate is always handy.
Tamiyo is here as a 1-of to give me more tools work against ramp or tempo decks.
Bolas is a win condition here, Ive never lost a game where he resolves, even if my opponent manages to kill him, the game is already mine.
Niv-Mizzet is there as an additional win condition as I dont want to be Slaughter Gamed and have no outs.
Maindeck is already good vs anything other than control. In a control matchup it's usually 50/50 game one. However my sideboard is packed with tools against control. Duress is a must, Appetite for Brains is duress #5&6 most of the times. I even bring it against ramp as it hits their big guys. Slaughter Games is the reason why im playing Grixis and not American control. This card will make THE difference in control matchups. Whoever casts it first will have a huge advantage.
Evil Twin is there to battle Sigarda but I also bring it vs green creature decks. Using it on Thragtusk and then being able to use it to destroy their next ones is pretty sweet, although most of the time you just use the life gain and then block. Armada Wurm is also a sweet copy target. Underworld Connections is something that really helps keep the upper hand in card advantage in control matchups.
So far I have a pretty solid win rate with this deck. Needs much further testing but I would feel confidant playing this in a competitive environment with the current metagame.
Lemme know what you think, it's all about gaining more knowledge.
Cheers!
AND the R Mythic