MTG Salvation

I have been running an esper build at my shop with quite a bit of success (nobody expects that the deck will do anything at all). For me it has been all about removing their threats until I am safe for two turns to tutor for and cast BoW. Against control I have more access to PW which trumps them and mine is just a better control deck since BoW can win on the spot. I need to do some more testing (I just did about a 20 card change to the deck). I was at first on the idea that if I want to be playing a card, then I want to be playing 4 of that card. However, I have changed my mind on a lot of the cards as they are still bad in multiples and I can tutor for certain cards if I need them. Anyway, here is the list:



1) I think I want the Images to be Metamorphs as they can copy my artifacts which seems relevant (I don't think I want both)

2) Pristine Talisman has been great for me, the life gain can be relevant at times but the mana-fixing from Manalith might be better than the life gain from Talisman (have to test this).

3) I don't like the idea of unburial rites as you would need to run a lot of large creatures to make use of it so I initially wrote off Elesh Norn. However, Elesh Norn can stop aggro decks and combined with Sorin and Lingering Souls you can just win games.

4) I keep being told that Mana Leak needs to be replaced by a hard counter, but I disagree. I want counter magic early, and the 3 CMC counters sometimes aren't early enough. I realize that hard counters are better late though and the chances of seeing one of my mana leaks is low, so possibly just removing them altogether, or replacing with essence scatter as aggro is my primary concern, would be best.

5) Archangel's light seems like it might be useful against aggro-mill decks... if they exist.

6) Celestial Purge is to replace Doom Blade against zombies / mono-b control.

7) Planar Cleansing is for mirror / planeswalker control decks.

I am planning to play a Bant Turboland deck with enlightened tutor for utility. However, I am looking for an artifact or enchantment that would be good to tutor late game as a threat when I already have all my utility pieces. Any Ideas?

Quote from BlackWingStudio

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Love this, and would love to see some more LoL alters!

I honestly don't see how you would play B/R/G... Of the black cards I see maybe two that would be playable, and only a handful in red. I realize you want to force Olivia, but that seems like a poor choice given the synergy in your U/G pool and the larger number of playable cards.

Quote from klug

Decided to skip FNM and start something ambitious.

Seems to have a lot of the same qualities as the black lotus, but it looks awesome, can't wait to see this one finished.

Quote from lifeinsepia

you've done it too! that is not a tree, it's his arm!

Even in the original art his right arm is indistinguishable from the foliage. However, his left arm is hidden in the foliage as well and in the Winter alter his left arm is just kind of non-existent... Other than that though, great alters!

Quote from Raalic

Ah, now we're talking. The other one must have just been a spell featuring Garruk in the art. THIS is a Planeswalker. HOORAY GARRUK 3.0!

If it was the tile for the sweepstakes (of which they are all planeswalker arts from what I have seen) seems likely that would be his art? Either way, seems awesome, and probably not another mono green Garruk which is cool.

Quote from sdematt

Is there a card with the word meth in it? I'm assuming there's a bunch of "Crystal" cards, but even part of a word would be fine.

Breaking Bad is the best show on television at the moment, bar none. That alter is fantastic.

-Matt

Thorn of Amethyst

Quote from demonium71

i don't know the original artist, i'll ask whiplord if he know ^^

Honestly, one of my favorite alters I have seen, a really unique take on the card

I have redone MP multiple times, I originally played G/U and then quickly realized how strong Elspeth is in this deck. What has changed the most is my lands though. I was playing Celestial Colonnades but didn't find myself using them much except against control decks and generally that set me back a turn rather than letting their Jace stay for a turn or two. I wanted less tap lands which led to the current mana base. Tweaking and changes may be necessary or desired.

+3 Celestial Purge, +3 Day of Judgement, +3 Obstinate Baloth
-2 Jace, -2 Awakening Zone, -1 Emrakul, -1 Admonition Angel, -1 Terrastodon, -2 Your Choice.

My deck has undergone a few changes so my SB plan would have to change, however I could very easily see myself dropping 2 preordains as the last card choice. Jace doesn't do enough against RDW to stay in, Awakening zone is to slow. I board out Emrakul because he is too slow and one card you definitely don't want to see. Terrastodon is alright at hurting their mana and getting rid of Koth, but thats why I am keeping it to 1, and Admonition Angel is alright against red, but she is one of the weakest of the creatures so I drop her to make room for baloths. I had SB plans for Elves, control (varies by colors and card choice), eldrazi, and RDW. If you are considering playing the deck I can lend my advice for boarding. Also, Magic workstation is a great way to test a deck and get a feel for it before you try and assemble it.

Yes, I have managed to stick roil elemental turn 4 and steal some vengevine oh, and the stealing of an ulamog, the infinite gyre was pretty nice too. Oust over condemn is personal preference really, there are ups and downs to both, I mean for condemn you can obviously take less damage than oust, or use it for tricks on a kargan dragonlord, but oust is great against joraga treespeakers in ramp, any elf in elves as they use the important elves just as mana sources (elvish archdruid) and to stop ulamog or kozilek, the butcher of truth from actually swinging (same goes for titans).

Oh, and I had the same issue with Ratchet Bomb in my U/G build as others are mentioning they have, but less and less people are including ratchet bomb in their deck, and it isn't as much of a blowout with my build because they will generally try and stop the army of soldiers rather than bait the polymorph, or if they do you can still hardcast creatures.

To explain some of my choices:

Preordain over See Beyond: Besides Emrakul, I have no issue casting any creature in my deck which made the decision to play preordain easier. Rather than drawing cards and shuffling back in, preordain can sift away what I know I don't need.

Oust: Great against aggro, and you need the help MD.

Creatures: I chose to play more than 3 creatures because, as previously mentioned, memoricide for mass polymorph will ruin any deck that is running uncastabale creatures. I have won plenty of games without MP. Admonition angel is great against almost every deck except control, and pre-sideboard it can keep planeswalkers off of ult. Avenger is great against aggro and as a finisher or as fodder for polymorph. Terrastodon is never a bad card, it destroys Eye of Ugin's in the eldrazi matchup, stops control from playing its finishers, and blows up planeswalkers. I see people commenting on, why Iona? There may be a better creature, but I am unconvinced right now, I thought I would remove her, then realized how good she is. She shuts down RDW (who with any other creature package can still burn you for game), Elves, stops control from being able to wipe the board for at least one turn, and by then it is game.

Planeswalkers: Running 3x Elspeth because she is a 6 point MP turn after she hits, can help with chump blocking/life gain in the RDW matchup. Only running 2x Jace as he is great to assist the deck, but overall he doesn't further the goal of the deck.

Sideboard: Negate instead of spell pierce is purely for late game against control. Spell pierce is better early on, but is practically a dead card as the game progresses. Control either has to tap out to place a relevant threat which give you the window to go off, or they sit and let you compile mana and then they can't stop you, so you want to go to the late game where negate is better. Baloth, purge, and DoJ are all for RDW (with Elspeth it doesn't hurt you either). Last, the one of Roil elemental; combined with primeval titan or a fetch, eldrazi green and elves has no answer.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Elves can be tough if they land back to back archdruids, but isn't unbeatable. Control isn't a bad matchup, like I stated they can't play the waiting game, the longer they wait, the less effective their mana leaks become. Ramp is practically a bye, eldrazi can't produce the threats to keep up (even had a match where they hit an early terrastodon on 3 of my lands, so I cultivate next turn into a following turn MP fueled by their Terrastodon).

This deck seems interesting, and if Ob Nixilis survives its great, but it seems similar to valakut ramp, but your build is more susceptible to removal. Might want to consider vines of vastwood to counter possible removal spells so you can keep Ob in play? Just my thoughts.

Good article, but the problem I see with your deck is playing Goblin Guide T1, you can't play any of your 2 drops T2, I realize you could play anything else, but isn't the point of sligh to get your creatures out fast? So in your build I don't think I would play Goblin Guide, but I don't have a suggestion as to what else to play. Otherwise, good article, liked seeing the list of available cards and why you didn't choose others.

I wish I had opened that box... Nice pulls. Anyways, I don't really get how you are trying to figure out the print runs, or how this helps. so if anyone cares to post or PM me about this, I am getting 4 boxes, plan to open 2 of them, so if I can help I will at least record 1 of the boxes (probably both, kinda hard to record when your excited :))