Lastly, some things that I wish I had in this deck, but mostly just don't exist the way I want them to.
4) An interesting fog effect at 1 or 2 mana. There are interesting 4 mana fogs, but then you're paying full price for the extra turn you bought.
Hey there tstorm823,
I am a really long-time "lurker" of your thread, and finally, I can maybe contribute !
For your interesting fog effect that you were looking for, I think that Dawn Charm could pretty fit the bill, no ?
Fog, regen Zedruu and the unusual counterspell that could come in handy sometimes ?
Thank you very much for your awesome decklist and description that ia a real pleasure to read.
On another note Jylichan, when putting the cards together yesterday, I noticed that you don't have Command Tower in your manabase.
Is there a special reason ?
Cause it has nearly no downside, apart from not having the plains and island subtypes, and there's no budget issues with it..?
Divine Reckoning is an experiment of mine. I thought it would be good with Bruna or with any other creature of our list that is enchanted.
And even more, I can pitch it to the graveyard with the "loot" spells, as it has flashback.
For Dreamscape Artist, I'm not so sure. There's always the problem of summoning sickness, so I'm reluctant to put creatures without ETB effects.
And we don't have that many basic lands in the list, otherwise I would have put Terrain Generator (as in your old list) and Foil in place of Force of Will.
Finally, MLD spells are frown upon in my playgroup, so I avoided Armageddon. Catastrophe is more flexible, but in my opinion, if Bruna survives the first turn, the game should end quickly !
so finally, I got to post in this topic !
I'm a long time reader of this wonderful primer and have finished gathering all the needed cards to make my own Bruna's list.
As I play both 1vs1 and multiplayer commander (non cutthroat competitive but still optimized), I have crafted a list which satisfies both banlists to save me the pain of switching cards.
I would like some advice/suggestions on how to improve it and if there are some crucial cards that I may have missed that would be good, especially in 1vs1.
Of course, my list is directly inspired from Jylichan's most recent one, so don't expect much innovation (more than 90% in common)
the full spoiler has now been posted on the mother site.
Unfortunately, it seems there isn't much for us in it, not to say nothing.
I'll still wait for your full review Weebo.
For my personal list, there are even no Gorgons in it !
There are some "Gorgon flavour" cards, but they are really bad...
Thanks for your warm welcome
I'll post my list very soon, in order to get some tips from you and the other readers on the changes I've made (mainly due to banlists/budget/card availability).
Don't worry, I don't feel compelled to mimic exactly your list but I really have to say that it's one of the most beautiful "engines" that I've played until now. Everything feels so smooth and synergistic, it is truly impressive. It even seems a bit "unfair" from my opponents' view, with the ability to tutor almost every right card at the right moment
Not to mention all the ETB triggers that add up without drawing much hate on the table.
I'd be eager to hear how Ephara and Karametra fare in your list. I haven't made the move yet (especially because I don't own them for now...).
I must admit that I'm a bit dubious, particularly for Karametra. The upsides are definitely there, but they seem bad topdecks when behind.
The only games that did not perform well with this list was when I was low on lands in my starting hand, as the list is still quite expensive to get "rolling", and due to her 5 mana cost, Karametra will not help there.
just a quick message from a long-time reader that never really posted in this thread :-p
I really wanted to thank you ISBPathfinder for keeping your awesome primer up-to-date.
I think that the biggest challenge isn't always to make a very nice primer (though you did), but to keep it accurate regularly.
So thanks a lot again for this !
On a personal note, my list is directly yours, adjusted to both Multiplayer and 1vs1 banlists (because I play both and want to avoid changing cards), as well as some cards still missing (Gilded Drake for instance, not to mention Capture of Ginzhu).
If someone is interested, I can post it.
thanks a lot Weebo for your thoughts on all the newly released cards (and of course your awesome work on your primer), it's useful as always.
I think I'll try to add a bit of "Gorgon" flavor in my current list because I find it refreshing in the Commander World.
For now, I see Vraska the Unseen and Hythonia the Cruel which seem perfect.
Do you think Reaper of the Wilds is still good enough to be included too ?
I went back on a lot of pages on this topic, but couldn't find your latest decklist. Mind sharing it with us/me?
I also read one of your previous comments where you were skeptical about Jace2/Hunt/Halimar. Is your change of opinion due to your testings of the last few days?
... Persecutor was absolutely amazing you just have to have a design of his demise when your opponent finally falls into kill range. Not only did i use him as a beater but at 4cc he can easily chump/kill the biggest threat on your opponents board. It can block and kill a baneslayer, a broodmate dragon, jwar isle sphinx.
...
Sorry to bother you Beginning_n_End, but if your awesome Abyssal Persecutor managed to block and kill a Baneslayer Angel, then you just cheated.
Some people fail to remember that Baneslayer is not only a 5/5 lifelink first strike...
I agree with most of your arguments, except for the Warhammer: it's definitely not a turn 2 (or even 3 if you don't have your manadork). It's a late game play that will turn every creature draw into an awesome threat (save only for the Mimic if you don't connect it afterwards).
I agree as well with Gaddock Teeg, but remember we nearly all play Cryptic Command, and that's definitely a no-go for this.
If you prefer a more curved aggro deck, with less control and solutions against *** or such (Gaddock / Reveillark), I'd advice you to go and see the thread on the 4cc Chapin's Aggro. It has got good results (Top4 from Kyoto) and the list is tinkered very well now.
Another good answer to opponent's Planeswalkers is simply to have creatures with evasion: Vendilion clique, Jhessian Infiltrator, or the Trample from the Mimic or the Treetop (or granted by the Loxodon Warhammer).
I have never been frightened by a Planeswalker so far...
Otherwise, I'm still working on my list. I'm also trying to get a fourth Treetop in there, considering the many sweepers that are being run in the metagame.
to Psy: You're exactly right. On some match-ups, I tried to be aggro AND control, and it's not working (and it can't). That's why I need to tune the list to my playstyle (and my low skill, unfortunately).
to Rafiq: No, I will never remove the Cryptics (I never said that btw). It's just that in all my games, I didn't get the chance to use them in order to finish my opponent or do something very big. But I know their potential, and it's common wisdom that it's one of the best standard cards for now. For your thoughts on my matches: against GB Elves, my starting hand contained indeed a Treetop, and that's why I kept it. Unfortunately, I had to "sacrifice" the Treetop on defense to survive one more round...You're probably right about me cutting the Jaces. And even more right that I tried to beat a Control deck in a counter war. It's my fault, but I was very surprised of my opponent's deck, and was not very sure what to do.
to Alteryoda: Yes, Jace is awesome, but unfortunately, I did not see him a lot (probably have sided him out too much, so it's my fault). For the Celestial Purge, that was to take care of Ajani Vengeant as well as the other standard threats, while not giving them a land. And don't worry, I'm not leaving the deck, I'll work even harder on it! I have to tune it to my playstyle!
to all: One of the other things I forgot to mention in my report is: my manabase was great! (shameless promotion on!). I got screwed only one time in starting hand, and with a big bet, it worked like a breeze! If I had to find something to change, I'd say that I was running too many painlands, but they helped to stabilize a lot. Even casting Wrath of God (with its 2 White manas) was not a problem.
Otherwise, we all find that Jace is top notch in this deck. Do you think we could up the count to 4? I know 2 in starting hand is a bit much, but if we can use the first one to depletion while drawing another, that would be awesome, don't you think?
I think I'll try to remove the negates (yes, I know, no counter wrath, but Elves and Kithkins have the same problem anyway, and we have Treetop and lots of creatures), up the Jaces to 4, and put back the Mimics and Infiltrators to 4. While keeping the 2 warhammers, definitely. I'll try to post a list as soon as I tinker it.
so, here is my report as I promised.
My list has stayed the same (go here if you wanna check out).
We were 281 players at this NQ, meaning there were 15 places for the Nationals. And to qualify, you had to go for at least 7-2 (9 rounds) with a good % opposing win.
1st Match: G/B Elves
I really get stomped during this match, it was absolutely awful. I won the toss.
Game 1: I kept a slow hand with 4 lands, a Vendilion, a Cryptic and a Negate (probably should have mulliganed, but the 4 lands I had could allow me to cast Cryptic turn 4). And my opponent went: T1 Llanowar, T2 Wolf Skull Shaman T3 Double Vanquisher T4 Liege. My Vendilion Clique took away a Profane Command. I managed to resist a bit with the Cryptic, but I drew only lands and...another Vendilion. I got swarmed and finished me with a Profane he had drawn in replacement from my Vendilion. Just plain bad luck...
Siding: -3 Jace (was afraid of being swarmed) +3 Wrath
Game 2: I decided to go first. Opening hand: 3 lands, Hierarch, Rhox, Rafiq and a Wrath, so I kept. I successively played my hierarch, my monk and Rafiq on my 3 turns. Unfortunately, Rafiq went down with a Eyeblight's Ending. I began to get swarmed again: Wolf Skull Shaman (with kinship almost every turn), Cameleon Colossus and an Imperious Perfect. So I wrathed, my opponent had only 1 card remaining. But the card was another Colossus he played on his turn, and at end of my turn, flashed a Cloudthresher. I couldn't hold it (he had mana to double the Cameleon as well), and quickly died.
Overall, I just couldn't keep up with all his creatures (not to mention the Mutavault and Treetop), and couldn't control him enough...
Result: 0-2 / 0-1 overall
2nd Match: Weird WU Control
A very strange deck, consisting of an incredible load of removal (Remove soul, negate, oblivion ring, path to exile, cryptic command, martial coup), which kills with tokens from spectral procession, rise of the hobgoblins (!!) or from the coup. I won the toss.
Game 1: I went T1 Hierarch, T2 Rhox. And after this, all my spells were countered!!! Yes, all of them. Unfortunately as well, I was stuck at 3 lands for a lot of time, so I never was able to outcounter him. He took a few hits from the Rhox, recovered with a Kiss of the Amesha, and began to cast 2 Spectral Procession and one Rise of the Hobgoblins. So, by giving first strike to his creatures, he was able to kill my Rhox on defend, and slowly killed me with his flying creatures.
Game 2: I went first and began to stomp him with a Mimic connected to an Infiltrator, and then connected to a Rhox. The Rhox get Oblivioned. I countered a Cryptic with a Guttural on the next turn, and things began to look good. He was at 6. And here it goes again: Kiss of the Amesha one time, and then a second time!! I successfuly cast a Rafiq, bringing him again to 6. And a Martial coup well placed ruined my hopes of winning (no counters in my hand at that time...), followed by another Rise of the Hobgoblins. I got swarmed and died.
Result: 0-2 / 0-2 overall
3rd Match: Bant aggro
Not really a mirror match, as he played "controlling" creatures like Gaddock and Stoic Angel. He only had one Rafiq...I won the toss (third time in a row, yeah!)
Game 1: Opening hand: 6 lands and Jace! ouch! Mulliganed to 6. Had a good hand (Mimic, Rafiq, Monk and Cryptic) but the 2 lands were filters!!! But I was so desperate (0-2 so far) that I kept it (poker style!). And it worked, my next draw was a brushland that allowed me to cast everything I wanted. Well, almost, cause he played Gaddock Teeg on turn 2, and the Cryptic stayed in my hand all day long. Rafiq took his Bant charm, unfortunately. And on the next turn, when all my creatures were tapped, he played Stoic Angel. But she took her Bant charm as well, and I attacked for victory.
I decided to side nothing, as I thought my match-up was favorable (more aggressive than him).
Game 2: I stomped him again. Nothing much to say on this one, it was really easy. Oh, a funny thing: I countered his Bant charm with...a Bant charm!
Result: 2-0 / 1-2 overall
4th Match: Mono Black Rogues
Unusual deck for the metagame, but one of my usual sparring partners used to play a deck like this, so I knew what to do and what to remove. I lost the toss.
Game 1: He began to swarm me very fast: a Prickly Boggart T1 allowed him to cast successfully all his prowl costs. So he had an Oona Blackguard, followed by a Marsh Flitter with 3 2/2 tokens. I Bant Charmed the Oona, but he kept attacking me. I was at 1 life, with a Rhox and 2 hierarchs when I drew...Loxodon Warhammer!!! And a Rhox with double lifelink, 2 exalts and trample is nothing to make fun of! So I went back to 17 life (OMG), and he never recovered from this.
Siding: -3 Jaces (too many "fear" creatures) ; +3 Wraths
Game 2: I don't remember too well this game (my notes are not very precise on it), but I recall I won with an Infiltrator with a Warhammer, with a Rafiq for the kill. That was sick.
Result: 2-0 / 2-2 overall, things began to go better
5th Match: Faeries
Finally a "common" deck of the metagame (with the GB Elves, of course). I lost the toss.
Game 1: I stomped him quite fast (he had not a great opening hand). He managed to control me a bit with 3 Broken Ambitions (yes, he was playing them!) and a Cryptic. A well timed Jace allowed me to keep up with the pace. So I put him to 3 with an Infiltrator followed by a Rafiq while he was hitting himself with a Bitterblossom. And he managed to stabilize with a Sower of Temptation stealing my Rafiq. I couldn't cast my Bant Charm on his Sower due to Scion of Oona. I attacked again with my Infiltrator, putting him to 1, and said: End of Turn with a smile. But he championned his bitterblossom that would have killed him with a Mistbind Clique, followed by an agony warp on my Infiltrator....I then went down...I was so close, it was insane.
Game 2: A remake from game 1 unfortunately: I stomped him at first, putting him to 6, and he slowly began to stabilize and killed me. I never hit my side cards that would have allowed me to stand a chance.
Result: 0-2 / 2-3 overall
6th Match: GR Warriors
I won't go into details for that one: I had perfect hands on game 1 and killed him fast when he was stuck at 3 lands (and he blasted the "wrong" creatures, allowing me to keep Rafiq on table). Game 2 was good as well: he played nearly all his hand, beginning to stomp me...until I wrathed. I was then able to kill him with a Treetop equipped by 2 loxodon warhammers.
Result: 2-0 / 3-3 overall
7th Match: BR Blightning
A slightly unusual deck list: he had almost only creatures, with a few spells which were Blightning and Volcanic Fallout (ouch!). I lost the toss.
Game 1: T1 Mogg from him. I kept a "control only" land, consisting of a Negate, a Bant Charm and a Cryptic, with 4 lands allowing me to cast Cryptic turn 4. It was unfortunately a big mistake. His mogg managed to hit me 5 times before I put down a creature (a hierarch he killed me, of course). I countered his turn 3 Blightning with a Negate. I bought some time with my Cryptic, countering an Ashenmoor Gouger and sending him back his Ghitu encampment to his hand. I had to Bant Charm an Ashenmoor Liege unfortunately, loosing 4 life in the process. And he killed me while I was at 2 with a Volcanic Fallout, when I had a Negate in hand...
Siding: +4 Burrenton Forge Tender, +3 Celestial Purge, -3 Jace (I thought he had real blasts...), -3 Mimics (only 1 life) -1 Bant Charm
Game 2: A very weird game. We both were stuck at 2 lands for a long time. But I kept a hand with...3 Forge Tenders! So I was able to hit him for 1 or 2 each turn while keeping one for defense as he had put mogg and 2 figures of destiny. We then began to draw lands and I managed to put down a Rafiq while he put down 2 goblin outlanders (so the two of us hitting the opponent for 4 each turn). But as I was on top on life points, I won.
Game 3: I got torn into pieces on this one. First, I drew only painlands and second, I was outpaced every turn (example: draw a negate on turn 3 after I got hit by a Blightning...). A Volcanic Fallout took out my few beasts, while his ones survived (ashenmoor googer and Shambling Remains). I quickly died.
Result: 1-2 / 3-4 overall.
There were 2 matches remaining, but seeing how bad I went, I decided to drop.
Conclusion:
I definitely aggree with Rafiq now: trying to be aggressive AND trying to control in the same time is an utopia. Yes, on perfect hands, we are able to put our beasts early, and then control the game. But it happened too little on my tournament. Every time I was laying down a threat, I didn't have the necessary mana to counter the answer of my opponent. Maybe I played too aggressively for my list, I don't know.
Overall, the cards I have been pleased of:
- my 2 Warhammers. They have allowed me to win games, and even totally turn the tides (against Rogues for instance). I asked myself every time I got them: Would a Path to Exile be better at that moment? Never the answer has been "yes". So I'm very happy I put 2 in my deck.
- Jace. Unfortunately, I never was able to get him a lot, and I had to side him a bit too much (probably a misplay from myself, I admit), but every time, he fueled my game.
- Infiltrators. They were every time awesome (saved for the Volcanic Fallout of the last match). And my opponents were all scared when I played them, more than when I dropped the Mimic. Especially the Faeries Player.
The cards I was disappointed:
- Cryptics. Yes, I know, I'll get flamed for this, but it was true on my games. Cryptics buy you time. Cryptics is an awesome counter. But Cryptics does not save you. (well, no card really can, maybe the Martial Coup, as Rafiq is trying). And with all our "evasion" creatures, I never used it for alpha strike.
- Vendilion Cliques. They're actually not too bad, but I've been very unlucky casting them. Every time, my opponents ended up with a better card that I took them off (and for my defense, I really think I got them to discard "big" cards)
That's it for now. It was very long writing this.
I'd like to thank all of you for your hints and advice, and I hope this report will be of use to you. I'm not gone from this topic, but now, I definitely need to think about how I can tune my list so it better suits either me or the metagame.
Hey there tstorm823,
I am a really long-time "lurker" of your thread, and finally, I can maybe contribute !
For your interesting fog effect that you were looking for, I think that Dawn Charm could pretty fit the bill, no ?
Fog, regen Zedruu and the unusual counterspell that could come in handy sometimes ?
Thank you very much for your awesome decklist and description that ia a real pleasure to read.
On another note Jylichan, when putting the cards together yesterday, I noticed that you don't have Command Tower in your manabase.
Is there a special reason ?
Cause it has nearly no downside, apart from not having the plains and island subtypes, and there's no budget issues with it..?
Divine Reckoning is an experiment of mine. I thought it would be good with Bruna or with any other creature of our list that is enchanted.
And even more, I can pitch it to the graveyard with the "loot" spells, as it has flashback.
For Dreamscape Artist, I'm not so sure. There's always the problem of summoning sickness, so I'm reluctant to put creatures without ETB effects.
And we don't have that many basic lands in the list, otherwise I would have put Terrain Generator (as in your old list) and Foil in place of Force of Will.
Finally, MLD spells are frown upon in my playgroup, so I avoided Armageddon. Catastrophe is more flexible, but in my opinion, if Bruna survives the first turn, the game should end quickly !
so finally, I got to post in this topic !
I'm a long time reader of this wonderful primer and have finished gathering all the needed cards to make my own Bruna's list.
As I play both 1vs1 and multiplayer commander (non cutthroat competitive but still optimized), I have crafted a list which satisfies both banlists to save me the pain of switching cards.
I would like some advice/suggestions on how to improve it and if there are some crucial cards that I may have missed that would be good, especially in 1vs1.
Of course, my list is directly inspired from Jylichan's most recent one, so don't expect much innovation (more than 90% in common)
Notable exclusions :
Ancient tomb, Mana crypt, Mana Vault, Sol Ring, Grim Monolith, Cataclysm : all banned in 1vs1
Intuition, Force of Will, Flooded Strand, Tundra : I don't own them, budget issues
Here it is :
1x Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Lands (35) :
6x Island
6x Plains
1x Adarkar Wastes
1x Azorius Chancery
1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Cephalid Coliseum
1x Command Tower
1x Glacial Fortress
1x Halimar Depths
1x Hall of the Bandit Lord
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x High Market
1x Homeward Path
1x Kor Haven
1x Mystic Gate
1x Nimbus Maze
1x Opal Palace
1x Petrified Field
1x Reflecting Pool
1x Skycloud Expanse
1x Temple of the False God
1x Thawing Glaciers
1x Tolaria West
1x Winding Canyons
Ramp (16) :
1x Azorius Signet
1x Burnished Hart
1x Coalition Relic
1x Expedition Map
1x Gilded Lotus
1x Knight of the White Orchid
1x Land Tax
1x Marble Diamond
1x Mind Stone
1x Sky Diamond
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Talisman of Progress
1x Thran Dynamo
1x Walking Atlas
1x Wayfarer's Bauble
1x Weathered Wayfarer
1x Abduction
1x Alexi's Cloak
1x Battle Mastery
1x Corrupted Conscience
1x Diplomatic Immunity
1x Eel Umbra
1x Eldrazi Conscription
1x Flickerform
1x Fool's Demise
1x Mystic Veil
1x Pariah
1x Righteous Authority
1x Spectra Ward
1x Steel of the Godhead
1x Treachery
1x Unquestioned Authority
1x Vanishing
1x Vow of Duty
1x Vow of Flight
Tutoring and Card Draw (17) :
1x Auratouched Mage
1x Boonweaver Giant
1x Compulsive Research
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Frantic Search
1x Heliod's Pilgrim
1x Iridescent Drake
1x Memory Jar
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Read the Runes
1x Sovereigns of Lost Alara
1x Sphinx of Lost Truths
1x Thirst for Knowledge
1x Three Dreams
1x Totem-Guide Hartebeest
1x Windfall
1x Austere Command
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Divine Reckoning
1x Forbid
1x Grand Abolisher
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Misdirection
1x Pact of Negation
1x Scout's Warning
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1x Winds of Rath
Thanks a lot for reading and for help !
just popping here to say thank you for your set review.
Pretty disappointing for our Jenara deck unfortunately...
Haven't had much time to play with the deck recently, so no new card questions/suggestions for now.
I hope to have some soon
the full spoiler has now been posted on the mother site.
Unfortunately, it seems there isn't much for us in it, not to say nothing.
I'll still wait for your full review Weebo.
For my personal list, there are even no Gorgons in it !
There are some "Gorgon flavour" cards, but they are really bad...
Really disappointing, I agree
Thanks for your warm welcome
I'll post my list very soon, in order to get some tips from you and the other readers on the changes I've made (mainly due to banlists/budget/card availability).
Don't worry, I don't feel compelled to mimic exactly your list but I really have to say that it's one of the most beautiful "engines" that I've played until now. Everything feels so smooth and synergistic, it is truly impressive. It even seems a bit "unfair" from my opponents' view, with the ability to tutor almost every right card at the right moment
Not to mention all the ETB triggers that add up without drawing much hate on the table.
I'd be eager to hear how Ephara and Karametra fare in your list. I haven't made the move yet (especially because I don't own them for now...).
I must admit that I'm a bit dubious, particularly for Karametra. The upsides are definitely there, but they seem bad topdecks when behind.
The only games that did not perform well with this list was when I was low on lands in my starting hand, as the list is still quite expensive to get "rolling", and due to her 5 mana cost, Karametra will not help there.
Anyway, thank you again
just a quick message from a long-time reader that never really posted in this thread :-p
I really wanted to thank you ISBPathfinder for keeping your awesome primer up-to-date.
I think that the biggest challenge isn't always to make a very nice primer (though you did), but to keep it accurate regularly.
So thanks a lot again for this !
On a personal note, my list is directly yours, adjusted to both Multiplayer and 1vs1 banlists (because I play both and want to avoid changing cards), as well as some cards still missing (Gilded Drake for instance, not to mention Capture of Ginzhu).
If someone is interested, I can post it.
See ya all !
thanks a lot Weebo for your thoughts on all the newly released cards (and of course your awesome work on your primer), it's useful as always.
I think I'll try to add a bit of "Gorgon" flavor in my current list because I find it refreshing in the Commander World.
For now, I see Vraska the Unseen and Hythonia the Cruel which seem perfect.
Do you think Reaper of the Wilds is still good enough to be included too ?
Keepsake Gorgon and Pharika's Mender seem both too slow/weak for the list, and there isn't enough counters for Korozda Gorgon...
Any other Gorgons/suggestions that I may have missed ?
Thanks again !
I went back on a lot of pages on this topic, but couldn't find your latest decklist. Mind sharing it with us/me?
I also read one of your previous comments where you were skeptical about Jace2/Hunt/Halimar. Is your change of opinion due to your testings of the last few days?
Thanks for this.
Sorry to bother you Beginning_n_End, but if your awesome Abyssal Persecutor managed to block and kill a Baneslayer Angel, then you just cheated.
Some people fail to remember that Baneslayer is not only a 5/5 lifelink first strike...
I agree as well with Gaddock Teeg, but remember we nearly all play Cryptic Command, and that's definitely a no-go for this.
If you prefer a more curved aggro deck, with less control and solutions against *** or such (Gaddock / Reveillark), I'd advice you to go and see the thread on the 4cc Chapin's Aggro. It has got good results (Top4 from Kyoto) and the list is tinkered very well now.
I have never been frightened by a Planeswalker so far...
Otherwise, I'm still working on my list. I'm also trying to get a fourth Treetop in there, considering the many sweepers that are being run in the metagame.
to Psy: You're exactly right. On some match-ups, I tried to be aggro AND control, and it's not working (and it can't). That's why I need to tune the list to my playstyle (and my low skill, unfortunately).
to Rafiq: No, I will never remove the Cryptics (I never said that btw). It's just that in all my games, I didn't get the chance to use them in order to finish my opponent or do something very big. But I know their potential, and it's common wisdom that it's one of the best standard cards for now. For your thoughts on my matches: against GB Elves, my starting hand contained indeed a Treetop, and that's why I kept it. Unfortunately, I had to "sacrifice" the Treetop on defense to survive one more round...You're probably right about me cutting the Jaces. And even more right that I tried to beat a Control deck in a counter war. It's my fault, but I was very surprised of my opponent's deck, and was not very sure what to do.
to Alteryoda: Yes, Jace is awesome, but unfortunately, I did not see him a lot (probably have sided him out too much, so it's my fault). For the Celestial Purge, that was to take care of Ajani Vengeant as well as the other standard threats, while not giving them a land. And don't worry, I'm not leaving the deck, I'll work even harder on it! I have to tune it to my playstyle!
to all: One of the other things I forgot to mention in my report is: my manabase was great! (shameless promotion on!). I got screwed only one time in starting hand, and with a big bet, it worked like a breeze! If I had to find something to change, I'd say that I was running too many painlands, but they helped to stabilize a lot. Even casting Wrath of God (with its 2 White manas) was not a problem.
Otherwise, we all find that Jace is top notch in this deck. Do you think we could up the count to 4? I know 2 in starting hand is a bit much, but if we can use the first one to depletion while drawing another, that would be awesome, don't you think?
I think I'll try to remove the negates (yes, I know, no counter wrath, but Elves and Kithkins have the same problem anyway, and we have Treetop and lots of creatures), up the Jaces to 4, and put back the Mimics and Infiltrators to 4. While keeping the 2 warhammers, definitely. I'll try to post a list as soon as I tinker it.
Thanks for your comments, I appreciate it.
so, here is my report as I promised.
My list has stayed the same (go here if you wanna check out).
We were 281 players at this NQ, meaning there were 15 places for the Nationals. And to qualify, you had to go for at least 7-2 (9 rounds) with a good % opposing win.
1st Match: G/B Elves
I really get stomped during this match, it was absolutely awful. I won the toss.
Game 1: I kept a slow hand with 4 lands, a Vendilion, a Cryptic and a Negate (probably should have mulliganed, but the 4 lands I had could allow me to cast Cryptic turn 4). And my opponent went: T1 Llanowar, T2 Wolf Skull Shaman T3 Double Vanquisher T4 Liege. My Vendilion Clique took away a Profane Command. I managed to resist a bit with the Cryptic, but I drew only lands and...another Vendilion. I got swarmed and finished me with a Profane he had drawn in replacement from my Vendilion. Just plain bad luck...
Siding: -3 Jace (was afraid of being swarmed) +3 Wrath
Game 2: I decided to go first. Opening hand: 3 lands, Hierarch, Rhox, Rafiq and a Wrath, so I kept. I successively played my hierarch, my monk and Rafiq on my 3 turns. Unfortunately, Rafiq went down with a Eyeblight's Ending. I began to get swarmed again: Wolf Skull Shaman (with kinship almost every turn), Cameleon Colossus and an Imperious Perfect. So I wrathed, my opponent had only 1 card remaining. But the card was another Colossus he played on his turn, and at end of my turn, flashed a Cloudthresher. I couldn't hold it (he had mana to double the Cameleon as well), and quickly died.
Overall, I just couldn't keep up with all his creatures (not to mention the Mutavault and Treetop), and couldn't control him enough...
Result: 0-2 / 0-1 overall
2nd Match: Weird WU Control
A very strange deck, consisting of an incredible load of removal (Remove soul, negate, oblivion ring, path to exile, cryptic command, martial coup), which kills with tokens from spectral procession, rise of the hobgoblins (!!) or from the coup. I won the toss.
Game 1: I went T1 Hierarch, T2 Rhox. And after this, all my spells were countered!!! Yes, all of them. Unfortunately as well, I was stuck at 3 lands for a lot of time, so I never was able to outcounter him. He took a few hits from the Rhox, recovered with a Kiss of the Amesha, and began to cast 2 Spectral Procession and one Rise of the Hobgoblins. So, by giving first strike to his creatures, he was able to kill my Rhox on defend, and slowly killed me with his flying creatures.
Siding: -4 Bant Charms, -1 Negate, +3 Guttural Response, +2 Cloudthresher.
Game 2: I went first and began to stomp him with a Mimic connected to an Infiltrator, and then connected to a Rhox. The Rhox get Oblivioned. I countered a Cryptic with a Guttural on the next turn, and things began to look good. He was at 6. And here it goes again: Kiss of the Amesha one time, and then a second time!! I successfuly cast a Rafiq, bringing him again to 6. And a Martial coup well placed ruined my hopes of winning (no counters in my hand at that time...), followed by another Rise of the Hobgoblins. I got swarmed and died.
Result: 0-2 / 0-2 overall
3rd Match: Bant aggro
Not really a mirror match, as he played "controlling" creatures like Gaddock and Stoic Angel. He only had one Rafiq...I won the toss (third time in a row, yeah!)
Game 1: Opening hand: 6 lands and Jace! ouch! Mulliganed to 6. Had a good hand (Mimic, Rafiq, Monk and Cryptic) but the 2 lands were filters!!! But I was so desperate (0-2 so far) that I kept it (poker style!). And it worked, my next draw was a brushland that allowed me to cast everything I wanted. Well, almost, cause he played Gaddock Teeg on turn 2, and the Cryptic stayed in my hand all day long. Rafiq took his Bant charm, unfortunately. And on the next turn, when all my creatures were tapped, he played Stoic Angel. But she took her Bant charm as well, and I attacked for victory.
I decided to side nothing, as I thought my match-up was favorable (more aggressive than him).
Game 2: I stomped him again. Nothing much to say on this one, it was really easy. Oh, a funny thing: I countered his Bant charm with...a Bant charm!
Result: 2-0 / 1-2 overall
4th Match: Mono Black Rogues
Unusual deck for the metagame, but one of my usual sparring partners used to play a deck like this, so I knew what to do and what to remove. I lost the toss.
Game 1: He began to swarm me very fast: a Prickly Boggart T1 allowed him to cast successfully all his prowl costs. So he had an Oona Blackguard, followed by a Marsh Flitter with 3 2/2 tokens. I Bant Charmed the Oona, but he kept attacking me. I was at 1 life, with a Rhox and 2 hierarchs when I drew...Loxodon Warhammer!!! And a Rhox with double lifelink, 2 exalts and trample is nothing to make fun of! So I went back to 17 life (OMG), and he never recovered from this.
Siding: -3 Jaces (too many "fear" creatures) ; +3 Wraths
Game 2: I don't remember too well this game (my notes are not very precise on it), but I recall I won with an Infiltrator with a Warhammer, with a Rafiq for the kill. That was sick.
Result: 2-0 / 2-2 overall, things began to go better
5th Match: Faeries
Finally a "common" deck of the metagame (with the GB Elves, of course). I lost the toss.
Game 1: I stomped him quite fast (he had not a great opening hand). He managed to control me a bit with 3 Broken Ambitions (yes, he was playing them!) and a Cryptic. A well timed Jace allowed me to keep up with the pace. So I put him to 3 with an Infiltrator followed by a Rafiq while he was hitting himself with a Bitterblossom. And he managed to stabilize with a Sower of Temptation stealing my Rafiq. I couldn't cast my Bant Charm on his Sower due to Scion of Oona. I attacked again with my Infiltrator, putting him to 1, and said: End of Turn with a smile. But he championned his bitterblossom that would have killed him with a Mistbind Clique, followed by an agony warp on my Infiltrator....I then went down...I was so close, it was insane.
Siding: -3 Negate, -2 Vendilion Clique, +3 Guttural Response, +2 Cloudthresher.
Game 2: A remake from game 1 unfortunately: I stomped him at first, putting him to 6, and he slowly began to stabilize and killed me. I never hit my side cards that would have allowed me to stand a chance.
Result: 0-2 / 2-3 overall
6th Match: GR Warriors
I won't go into details for that one: I had perfect hands on game 1 and killed him fast when he was stuck at 3 lands (and he blasted the "wrong" creatures, allowing me to keep Rafiq on table). Game 2 was good as well: he played nearly all his hand, beginning to stomp me...until I wrathed. I was then able to kill him with a Treetop equipped by 2 loxodon warhammers.
Result: 2-0 / 3-3 overall
7th Match: BR Blightning
A slightly unusual deck list: he had almost only creatures, with a few spells which were Blightning and Volcanic Fallout (ouch!). I lost the toss.
Game 1: T1 Mogg from him. I kept a "control only" land, consisting of a Negate, a Bant Charm and a Cryptic, with 4 lands allowing me to cast Cryptic turn 4. It was unfortunately a big mistake. His mogg managed to hit me 5 times before I put down a creature (a hierarch he killed me, of course). I countered his turn 3 Blightning with a Negate. I bought some time with my Cryptic, countering an Ashenmoor Gouger and sending him back his Ghitu encampment to his hand. I had to Bant Charm an Ashenmoor Liege unfortunately, loosing 4 life in the process. And he killed me while I was at 2 with a Volcanic Fallout, when I had a Negate in hand...
Siding: +4 Burrenton Forge Tender, +3 Celestial Purge, -3 Jace (I thought he had real blasts...), -3 Mimics (only 1 life) -1 Bant Charm
Game 2: A very weird game. We both were stuck at 2 lands for a long time. But I kept a hand with...3 Forge Tenders! So I was able to hit him for 1 or 2 each turn while keeping one for defense as he had put mogg and 2 figures of destiny. We then began to draw lands and I managed to put down a Rafiq while he put down 2 goblin outlanders (so the two of us hitting the opponent for 4 each turn). But as I was on top on life points, I won.
Game 3: I got torn into pieces on this one. First, I drew only painlands and second, I was outpaced every turn (example: draw a negate on turn 3 after I got hit by a Blightning...). A Volcanic Fallout took out my few beasts, while his ones survived (ashenmoor googer and Shambling Remains). I quickly died.
Result: 1-2 / 3-4 overall.
There were 2 matches remaining, but seeing how bad I went, I decided to drop.
Conclusion:
I definitely aggree with Rafiq now: trying to be aggressive AND trying to control in the same time is an utopia. Yes, on perfect hands, we are able to put our beasts early, and then control the game. But it happened too little on my tournament. Every time I was laying down a threat, I didn't have the necessary mana to counter the answer of my opponent. Maybe I played too aggressively for my list, I don't know.
Overall, the cards I have been pleased of:
- my 2 Warhammers. They have allowed me to win games, and even totally turn the tides (against Rogues for instance). I asked myself every time I got them: Would a Path to Exile be better at that moment? Never the answer has been "yes". So I'm very happy I put 2 in my deck.
- Jace. Unfortunately, I never was able to get him a lot, and I had to side him a bit too much (probably a misplay from myself, I admit), but every time, he fueled my game.
- Infiltrators. They were every time awesome (saved for the Volcanic Fallout of the last match). And my opponents were all scared when I played them, more than when I dropped the Mimic. Especially the Faeries Player.
The cards I was disappointed:
- Cryptics. Yes, I know, I'll get flamed for this, but it was true on my games. Cryptics buy you time. Cryptics is an awesome counter. But Cryptics does not save you. (well, no card really can, maybe the Martial Coup, as Rafiq is trying). And with all our "evasion" creatures, I never used it for alpha strike.
- Vendilion Cliques. They're actually not too bad, but I've been very unlucky casting them. Every time, my opponents ended up with a better card that I took them off (and for my defense, I really think I got them to discard "big" cards)
That's it for now. It was very long writing this.
I'd like to thank all of you for your hints and advice, and I hope this report will be of use to you. I'm not gone from this topic, but now, I definitely need to think about how I can tune my list so it better suits either me or the metagame.