The deck over performed most of the night only losing to Atarka Red in the top 4 (a rematch from the swiss we won).
I'm looking for some feedback as well as some critique on a possibility to splash white.
Ok so it's been awhile since I posted here and the deck had been tweaked and tuned since then in preparation for GP San Antonio at the end of the month.
This is what I have now:
As you can see there have been a few changes.
First off Ajani, Mentor of Heroes is gone. He acts as a win more card.
Second I am trying Setessan Tactics in place of Fated Conflagration. Its a cheaper trick that can deal with tougher decks as well as it synergizes well with the deck.
Thirdly, the landbase has changed to accomidate the new sideboard. Erase is gone, replaced with destructive revelry. This is 100% upgrade. I have won countless games off of that extra 2 damage over the last few weeks alone. The one of Back to Nature was suggested by a teammate against GB constalation and it is AWESOME!
Last week the deck went 7-1, coming in 2nd against the same deck i crushed round 4 in the swiss.
Setessan Tactics. Things I have done with it besides just fighting a creature and hornet nest: Targeting Nest AND a Polukranos to get 6 bees; surviving Drown in Sorrow with nests; targeting an animated land to kill a strombreath; +1 Steadfast targeting Land, attack gain 5, then tactics and kill a Polukranos (gaining 6 more life); +1 Sarkhan then tactics to kill a Siege Rhino; Fighting Bees with Rhinos to avoid trample damage; Nest surviving Searing Blood AND getting two bees; Tactics targeting an animated land to save Sarkhan from crackling Doom; using the +1/+1 to kill for exactzies.
The options are FAR more then fated and I will be testing it up till I either find it less useful or the meta changes.
@YoungQuakerBoy Thanks for trying out the deck! Im glad you had fun and someone else gets to enjoy the awesomeness that is Hornet Nest. As far as the stronger decks go: I think the Setassen Tactics may solve a few of those problems. Having the advantage of knowing the deck in and out has its merits so Ive put together a few notes for people playing this.
Naya Nest Control Breakdown Lands: The manabase is designed to allow for 3-4R, 2W and 2G comfortably. You want to save the fetches if you can for fixing later but if its the difference between holding up magma jet/strike do it. Scrylands are your friend... and Chandra's! Hornet Nest: The bread and butter of the build. This bad boy will give you exactly what you want: Time. First, the opponent reads the card. Second, they will either kill it right away, ignore it, or stop everything. If they ignore it, chances are they don't get it. If they kill it, they have just used up a useful spell (and turn) to stop it. If they do nothing, they FEAR it! And Rightly So! Nest works with almost every card in our deck. It turns burn into deathtouching flyers, and aggro into a losing race. Know it. Embrace it. Love It. Setessan Tactics: See Above. Magma Jet: The scry on this card makes it invaluable in this deck. Lightning Strike: Bolt is good. Bolt is life. Anger of the Gods: Aside from a sweeper, AND exiling targets, it ALSO give us three bees when it hits nest. (Against Mono G or GB, save one for hornet queen) Banishing Light: O-Ring is O-Ring. End Hostilities: 5 mana wrath. Some people said it was too slow, costs too much. This deck is about gaining time to cast our spells. This sweeper is amazing. Xenagos: Endless tokens can either be offensive or defensive, both are good for us. The mana ability is actually VERY relevant in this deck as we can do some amazing things with it. His third ability doesn't exist unless in G2-3 when we boarded in Stormbreaths Chandra: Funny note- Hornet Nest + Chandra = Bitterblossom! YAY! Seriously though she is a constant threat and card draw when you need it. Also, only ult if you either need removal or if you still have a good amount of jets/strikes/ left in the deck. 0 BEFORE playing a land! Ajani Steadfast: Weakest card in the deck, but by no means bad. Each keyword on that +1 has come in handy quite a bit. The -2 is usually only if you are ulting a walker or going aggro with creatures. If the Ult resolves, well you can usually win. Ive decked UB and UW control for not dealing with him. Nissa: 4/4 Trampling lands are NO JOKE. They bypass Utter End, Perilous Vault, and most burn. The untap has only come in handy a few times but its still nice. The ult is superficial as it never happens but always do it when not playing against W. Sarkhan: Yes. Yes yes yes. Stormbreath? Not so much. Flame Slash? Sure. Win Condition? Abso-freaking-lutely. The Ult is AMAZING in out deck and if you aren't close to winning i suggest using it. Elspeth: If you don't know about this one yet read any article about any White midrange or control deck. SIDE NOTE- -3 kills Nissa Lands!
SIDEBOARD Stormbreath: More 4/4s with pro white and a game winning ability. Nyx-Fleece Ram: Everything you want Vs any aggresive deck. Mistcutter Hydra: UB UW control no brainer, but surprisingly good vs Jeskai Control and other U deck with little to no non-U creatures. Destructive Revelry: Naturalize + Shock = Valuetown. Kill their Courser at the END OF DRAW STEP for max value after you see their next draw. Essentially skullcrack. Back to Nature: Primarily for GB constilation but good against other decks running enchantment creatures for when you need all the enchantment hate you can get. Magma Spray: Kill the ELF! Always kill the elf! Exiling clause is useful, even in conjunction with other burn and attacks.
Well, I hope this has been informative. See you soon!
If hitting Sarkhan and othet walkers is an issue, see if you can accomodate Fated Conflagration. Its very solid in the current meta game as a 2 of. Though the mana requirements may be too tough on your deck.
Im currently testing 2 in the side. I have a lot of red and so far i've had no problem casting it. If it turns out really good I'll try to find a place for it in the main board.
R1 Vs UR Counterburn W/L/L: Game 1 I went to 4 and stabalized. I saw a Monastery Swiftspear G1 and thought it was an aggro build. Board: -3 Xenagos, -2 Mentor, -1 End / +3 Stormbreath, +3 Sheep Notes: So I didn't recognize what he was playing and paid for it. The deck was strong and annoying to play against.
R2 Vs. Dirty Blue (Low costed blue cards. Tap/untap theme with Dakra Mystic W/W: Angered both games to wreck him. Board: -3 Strike, -1 End / +3 Stormbreath, +1 Eidolon Notes: Turns out the guy was a huge douchebag so I reveled in the win a little more then usual.
R3 Vs. Abzan Midrange (Our Team Guru) W/W: End Hostilites is your best friend here. It's also your only out Vs Wingmate Roc. Board: -3 Strike, -3 Xenagos, -2 Mentor, -1 Chandra, -1 Steadfast / +3 Sheep, +3 Stormbreath, +3 Erase, +1 Anger Notes: So looking back anger does nothing here save hit the random Fleecemane Lion. I boarded sheep in to block Brimaz and Rhino. Also, don't forget you can cast spells at the end of the draw step. Opponent has a Courser out, draws, reveals a land, Erase.
R4 Vs. Jeskai Combo (Our Teammate) L/W/W: G1 I lost to the combo. 2 and 3 I kept his creatures down with removal and won through Sarkhan and/or tokens. Board: -2 Nissa, -2 Mentor, -1 Chandra, -1 Steadfast, -2 Xenagos / +1 Eidolon, +3 Erase, +3 Spray, +1 Anger. Notes: Like most Combo right now, they run a transformational sideboard. Either they stay combo, shift to control, or shift to midrange. I decided to keep a good mix to combat each one. Eidolon is ok (survives anger) but it's just gonna get bounced. Not worth it here.
R5 Vs. Mardu Walkers/Midrange (Helped build the deck) W/L/L: G1 I won the attrition war. G2 got stuck on 2 lands for 7 turns (happens). G3 he really did well and stopped me card for card. Board: -3 Strike, -2 Anger, -1 Nissa, -1 End, -1 Chandra, -1 Steadfast / +3 Stormbreath, +3 Erase, +3 Sheep Notes: Sheep is good in attrition matches like this. I have no way of stopping Sarkhan aside from Banishing Light. Needs to be addressed.
OVERALL NOTES: 3-2 and ONE guy decided not to want to top 8 (boo) and I was 6th. I have a problem with Sarkhan. Rhetoric was a good test but it just pales in comparison to good, solid removal. Boarding in Sheep Vs Abzan is surprisingly good.
Note: Had insight that there were 3 or more Ux control decks so tried out Mistcutter Hydras.
R1 Vs. Jeskai Tempo (Odd List) L/L: Not a great start. Tough matches and he bounced my stuff at critical times. G2 he just went nuts with Sarkhan. Board: -3 Xenagos, -2 Nissa, -2 Mentor, -2 Elspeth, -1 Chandra, -1 Steadfast / +3 Stormbreath, +3 Sheep, +3 Erase, +2 Mistcutter Notes: Almost won due to Mistcutter but couldn't race him. Shouldn't have boarded out Steadfast.
R2 Vs. GR Devotion W/W: Usual Anger Blowout both games. Board: -2 Mentor, -1 Steadfast, -3 Xenagos, -3 Strike, -1 Chandra / +3 Spray, +3 Erase, +3 Sheep, +1 Anger. Notes: This deck is afraid of Hornet Nest. Kept Nissa as she can be a house here.
R3 Vs. Jeskai Tempo L/L: Complete blowout. This guy played extremely well and maintained patience the entire round. Board: -3 Xenagos, -2 Nissa, -2 Elspeth, -1 Chandra, -2 Mentor, -1 Steadfast, -1 Citadel / +3 Stormbreath, +2 Mistcutter, +1 Anger, +3 Sheep, +3 Erase Notes: Horrible boarding on my part. Didn't bring in Magma Spray Vs rabblemaster. This is me being an idiot.
R4 Vs. Grixis Control (Bx Devotion with counters/burn) W/L/W: Almost lost first match but he didn't realize he had lethal on board (was afraid of Nissa) Board: -3 Stike, -2 Anger / +3 Erase, +2 Mistcutter Notes: Didn't bring in Stormbreath due to Ashiok. Chose Mistcutter (Which won me the game) because Ashiok can't due jack with it. Had to play the aggressor here.
OVERALL: Was 10th and didn't top 8 due to people dropping and bad tie-breakers. Mistcutter was a mistake and I made a LOT of boarding/play mistakes. Still need a way to deal with Sarkhan.
Allright. So after all that I realized I need to switch the board around and test against Jeskai until im foaming at the mouth. I have a testing day planned Vs jeskai coming up so we will see where that goes.
I've been testing Fated Conflagration instead in the Circle of Flame/Mistcutter spot and it's doing great. Kills the following: EVERY PLANESWALKER eith on their turn or your next one, Stormbreath; Siege Rhino; Polukranos; etc. Also has Scry. ALSO hits nest for 5 putting the opponent on a 4 Turn clock.
We are gearing up for GP San Antonio in November and we are trying to pinpoint the weaknesses of the deck. My team's guru has suggested putting lightning strikes back in to stop more early plays and stop Mantis Rider. We cut the Stoke the Flames as they were not doing anything in the main and I can't see ever boarding them in. The cut of 1 Anger of the Gods was a result of it constantly becoming a dead card game one and needing space for Lightning Strikes while still sitting at four Magma Jets. Switching the Stormbreath to side for a third Sarkhan helps us have another piece of removal.
I've noticed the success and popularity of Ascendancy combo so we've all started playing with, and against, the deck. Of all our groups decks (Nest-Walkers/Abzan Midrange/Temur Midrange/Ensoul Artifact) mine has the best G1 matchup against it due to the sheer amount of burn we have.
Deflecting Palm is great against some of the decks I will face but it is so niche that I'm not sure it warrants a spot in the sideboard. Honestly I want to try running 2-3 Suspension Field in the side somewhere for the Abzan match as it no doubt will rise in popularity thanks to Ari's recent win.
Please share your thoughts! All constructive criticism is wanted! I'd love to see someone else try to pilot my deck with results!
The only changes were +1 windsweapt heath and -1 Temple of triumph. I switched the Deicides in the side for Erases
STANDARD EVENT #1
R1: UG Yisan Toolbox | 2-0 Game 1: All I saw here was Yisan, bounce spells, and a Hornet Queen. Xenegos tokens and Ajani Steadfast's -2 just overwhelmed him. Win. Board: +3 Magma Spray, +3 Stormbreath Dragon / -2 Nissa, -2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes, -1 Ajani Steadfast. I expected Kiora and other UG goodies so I decided to go over the top. Game 2: He was land screwed and I wasn't. Win. Notes: I'm not counting this one as this appeared to be a casual deck.
R2: Mono R Devotion | 2-1 Game 1: I kept an iffy hand (Temple/Painland/Magma Jet/Hornet Nest/Walkers) and was rewarded. I Jet'd a Satyr Firedancer and scryed into the land I needed to put up a nest. He couldn't get through and I win off of hornets. Board: +2 Deflecting Palm, +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram, +3 Magma Spray / -2 Ajani Mentor, -1 Stormbreath, -1 End Hostilities, -2 Nissa, -3 Xenegos. Against R devotion the deflecting palms can turn the tide. Game 2: Close game but I took a chance with my plays and lost to running Fanatic of Mogis. Loss. Game 3: I had every piece of removal here and kept him down until he was out of steam. Win. Notes: So, against this kind of deck we need to be very controlling. Always, Always choose removal over anything else.
R3: RW Midrange | 0-2 Game 1: Back and forth with removal and I got beat down in the end with Brimaz. Loss. Board: +2 Erase, +2 Stormbreath / -2 Nissa, -1 Chandra, -1 Ajani Steadfast. Wanted to be able to stop Chained to the rocks. Game 2: My 7/6/5/4 hands were all spells no lands. Mulled to 3 and kept a Forge/Forge/Magma Jet hand. Survives a LONG time but I was no match for his pure card advantage over me. Loss. Notes: Mulligans can suck. Midrange Vs Midrange is all about attrition. You have to out play your opponent and choose your spells wisely. Luck doesn't hurt either.
R4: Mono R Aggro | 0-2 Game 1: He overwhelmed me with swiftspears and crusaders and I never drew anger or end. Had a stoke in hand that did nothing the entire games. Loss. Board: +3 Magma Spray, +2 Circle of Flame, +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram / -2 Stoke the Flames, -1 Stormbreath, -1 End the Hostilities, -2 Ajani Mentor, -2 Nissa, -1 Elspeth. Game 2: I lost to Purphoros, Hall of Triumph, and Hammer of Purphoros. All 1of's in the guys deck. Loss. Notes: Circle of Flame is hard countered by Hall of Triumph. Should have boarded in Erase against his enchantments like hammerhand and dragon mantle.
STANDARD EVENT #2
R1: RW Midrange | 2-0 (Same on from Event #1) Game 1: I won off of land screw. Justice. Win. Board: +2 Stormbreath, +2 Erase / -3 Anger, -1 Ajani Mentor Game 2: He had back to back chain to the rocks/banishing light but we had more threats then removal. Win. Notes: Save your erases for the turn before you drop something huge.
R2: Mono R Aggro | 2-0 (Same from Event #1) Game 1: So it turns out if you cast searing blood on my hornet nest with a satyr firedancer out, you kill the nest AND one hornet. More hornets and Ajani Mentor sealed the win. Win. Board: +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram, +3 Magma Spray, +2 Erase, +2 Circle of Flame / -3 End Hostilities, -2 Elspeth, -2 Nissa, -2 Ajani Mentor, -1 Stormbreath, -1 Chandra Game 2: I controlled the board until he ran out of steam. Sarkhan. Win. Notes: We have to be a control deck here. Remove everything and wait till they run out of gas.
R3: RW Midrange | 1-2 Game 1: Rabblemaster, Brimaz, Iroas is a strong thing to beat... and I didn't. Loss. Board: +2 Erase, +2 Stormbreath / -2 Ajani Mentor, -1 Ajani Steadfast, -1 Chandra Game 2: Thank you Sarkhan! His -3 is amazing vs Brimaz. Win. Game 3: VERY tough game. back and forth and HE still played Lighting Strike. Loss. Notes: This can be very tough. Lucky for us they run Chain to the Rocks that bricks against most of our stuff. The Strombreaths in the side are priceless.
R4: Sultai Midrange | 2-0 Game 1: Saw Pharika, Kiora, and Villainous Wealth. Won with Elspeth Ult. Win. Board: +2 Stormbreath, +2 Circle of Flame, +2 Erase / -2 Nissa, -2 Stoke the Flames, -1 Ajani Steadfast, -1 Chandra. I wanted Circle in case he Wealth'd my Elspeth or he went crazy with Pharika. Game 2: Stormbreath and Sarkhan blazed a path to victory. Win. Notes: Interesting deck but I think it hadn't had much testing. Villainous wealth is a real win condition that we need to be ready for.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
2-2 then 3-1. I was a little salty Event #1 but it's losing that teaches the most. Event #2 was a little better but we need 4-0. This was an early standard event without the regulars so it may not chalk up to a real result.
MAINDECK THOUGHTS
The stokes were pretty useless here. I hit a nest with it once, but still. I'm really missing maindeck Lightning Strike but I still like 4 magma jets. I noticed a few times anger was a dead card. The one stormbreath needs to be a third Sarkhan.
SIDEBOARD THOUGHTS
Erase was SO much better then Deicide, even when hitting a god. I was able to End Hostilities, pass, and destroy the banishing light on my sarkhan at his end step. We need another one. If we move a stormbreath to the side we need to make room. Deflecting palm is great but I think it's worth removing for now.
+1 Magma Jet, +2 Stoke the Flames / -3 Lightning Strike
Been testing this and 4 jets are better and the 2 stokes allow me to kill opposing stormbreaths.
Is Xenagos any good right now? I've been playing with him in a different list, and he doesn't seem like he actually does anything. The mana is usually irrelevant, a 2/2 can't get through anything being played, and he dies very easily to Mantis Rider and other things.
He's there for blockers, attackers against victims of your removal and sweepers, and a distraction. He's boarded out against Jeskai Tempo.
Side Note: The mana is VERY relevant in this deck. Nissa creatures make double mana, hornets make mana, elspeth tokens make mana. It helps. Also I will +1 against Jeskai tempo ASAP game 1
Man, that deck looks sweet. So many planeswalkers! <3 How's Hornet's Nest working out? I've been toying with the idea of using it as an early game speed bump against aggro decks, but I often get burned when I rely on a gameplan built around surviving by blocking with creatures (usually Threaten or Falter effects)
Thanks for the compliments!
Hornet Nest is the best card in the deck. No joke. It does everything you need it to. Yes, Threaten effects can hurt, but thats another spell (or two) that they waste while we build towards a win con.
Vs aggro we have nest, magma jet, and anger. Our post-board is the best against aggro as well.
Oh and I love when someone asks how many walkers are in the deck, and I reply, "Thirteen." I am officially dubbing my deck NAYA NEST-WALKERS
Hmm... maybe I'll make a Primer one day...
First off are some small changes.
+1 Xenagos / +1 Sarkhan / +1 Banishing Light
-2 Devouring Light / -1 Stormbreath (to sideboard)
Matches:
R1: UB Mill/Ensoul Artifact | 2-0 Game 1: I just saw a mill strategy in Ashiok/Phenax. Won by resolving a Sarkhan and ignoring Ashiok. Board: +2 Stormbreath +2 Purphoros / -3 Anger -1 Nissa (This was poor boarding on my part) Game 2: He kept my walkers down and I didn't draw a Banishing Light for Ashiok and it ult'ed. TOPDECK HERO: Sarkhan/Stormbreath for the win. Notes: Boarding in Stormbreath against this Ashiok deck was risky as they can steal it and wreck you with it. Proper board is -4 Hornet Nest / +2 Puphoros, +2 Deicide
R2: Mono W Heroic | 2-1 Game 1: He had all cantrips when I had removal. He wins G1. Board: +2 Burn Away, +2 Stormbreath, +3 Magma Spray / -2 Lightning Strike, -1 Xenagos, -2 Ajani Mentor, -1 Chandra, -1 Ajani Steadfast Game 2: Anger of the Gods/ End Hostilities. Next Game 3: I go to 5 and keep a RG Temple, Battlefield Forge, and 3 Magma Jets. Scrying ensured victory. Nissa + Darksteel citadel wins the game. Notes: Against an aggro deck that can cantrip like crazy you just need to become the control deck and kill EVERYTHING until they're in topdeck mode. Side Note: Burn Away on Hornet nest is AMAZING!
R3: G Devotion | 2-0 Game 1: This deck can bring the beats, right into a Hornet Nest. He can't attack profitably and I fly over with Sarkhan and Hornets. Board: +2 Deicide, +3 Magma Spray, +2 Stormbreath / -2 Nissa, -3 Lightning Strike, -1 Ajani Mentor, -1 Chandra Game 2: Was threat after threat from both sides. Guy played a freaking Terra Stomper! End Hostilites/Elspeth were invaluable here. Cleared the board and Stormbreath led the charge. Notes: This is a fast deck if it goes off. Always Magma spray the elf/satyr but if you held up Magma jet and they caryatid, just jet them to smooth out your draws. You can't afford to miss a beat against an explosive deck like this. Oh and both Ajani's and Sarkhan high five.
R4: Bu Devotion | 1-2 Game 1: Grey Merchant of Asphodel can get around our defenses and man does that suck. I must have been thoughtsieze'd all 4 times and seen all 4 downfalls and STILL got there. We just play too many threats sometimes. Very close game but I got it. Board: +2 Deicide, +2 Burn Away, +2 Purphoros / -3 Anger of the Gods, -2 Nissa, -1 Lightning Strike Game 2: Gary into Gary into Gary kills us without disruption. I brought in the Deicide to kill the Whip of erebos but didn't see it. Loss Game 3: This was a fair match. Thoughtsieze, Thoughtsieze taking banishing light and sarkhan. Magma jet nets us another light for the next turn ashiok. Back and forth, Burn Away'd a Master of Feast when he played Whip to Exile his yard (really helpful). Another Ashiok takes our only copy of Stormbreath (maybe should have boarded out?) and Purphoros. He wins on the back of our two creatures. Notes: Ok, so Ashiok trumps Stormbreath and makes our Purphoros plan against UBx control harder. This is a really tough matchup, but for a different reason then I had originally thought. This deck gives no f*cks about thoughtsieze or downfall. We simply have too many threats. Ashiok, however, proves to be a problem due to our superior creature in Stormbreath, and our anti-planeswalker card, Purphoros, can get stolen as well. I wish I could run 8 Banishing Lights.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
3-1 isn't bad right out of the gate. Only two cards, Grey Merchant and Ashiok, have proven real trouble for this deck so far. We topdeck like champs and everything we play can be a threat. Everytime I was thoughtsieze'd I received an audible sigh as every card in my hand was going to be a problem.
MAINDECK THOUGHTS
There were times I was missing the double G or W to cast End or Nissa and that is a problem that a small amount of fetches should remedy. I think switching out the GW temples for Windswept Heath's would be perfect. We want some scry but we need that double mana on 5 and I think that just 4 fetches in the colors we have a hard time getting is perfect. The songle Chandra and Ajani Steadfast still perform well and as of now they are staying. Switching to 2 Sarkhan 1 Stormbreath main was a smart move as G1 against ashiok is just a bit better. I think I may want to go up to 4 Magma Jets main to ensure better draws, but this could be fixed by fetches, will test.
SIDEBOARD THOUGHTS
I was way off on two cards. I thought Deflecting Palm would shine and Burn Away would fall behind. Turns out this was the total opposite. Burn away was amazing and every time I thought of bringing in Deflecting Palm I couldn't justify it. (I really want to deflect a game-winning mindswipe). Palm is most likely coming out for... something. Everything else in board worked fine so I need to find another way to combat Ashiok. Hmm...
Well this deck is fun as hell and people hate hornet nest even more now at my LGS. I hope this was detailed enough and I'll keep updating this as I get more results in.
Thanks for trying this out!
CHANGES
-3 Temple of plenty \ +3 Winswepth Heath (Got some)
-2 Purphoros, -2 Burn Away / +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram in the sideboard.
There's not enough reanimator for burn away and purphoros can't shine until more walker-esque decks show up.
Matches:
R1: Mono R Burn | 2-0 (Some creatures but not much) Game 1: Mulled to 6, kept a Nest, Nest, Jet, Jet, Temple, Fetch hand. Smooth draws and Hornet nest, that is all. Board: +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram, +3 Magma Spray, +2 Circle of Flame / -3 End Hostilites, -2 Elspeth, -2 Nissa, -2 Ajani Mentor Game 2: Now we have 8 annoying blockers. Circle of flame kept his X/1's back and Ajani Steadfast + Sarkhan high-fived for 5 point life gain every turn. Notes: Pretty straightforward boarding. If he had more creatures then burn I would board differently (see R4)
R2: G Devotion | 2-0 Game 1: Sweepers hose devotion. Board: +3 Magma Spray. +2 Deflecting Palm, +2 Deicide / -1 Ajani Steadfast, -3 Xenagos, -1 Chandra, -2 Nissa Game 2: Back and forth and we were both down to 7 life. He swings with a single courser and I declared no blocks. He casts Aspect of Hydra for 8. I cast deflecting palm. Notes: With Polukranos and other 5+ power creatures, you want to board in Palm for the blowout. Sweepers sweepers sweepers.
R3: Gr Devotion | 1-2 Game 1: 3 quick Storm breaths kill most people. Loss. Board: +3 Magma Spray. +2 Deflecting Palm, +2 Deicide / -1 Ajani Steadfast, -3 Xenagos, -1 Chandra, -2 Nissa Game 2: Got all the cantrips here. Angered his board and my nest, strike a nest to block a stormbreath. I went to two after a stormbreath went monstrous and deflecting palmed for the win. Game 3: Mulled to 5 and kept a Scryland/Fetch/Jet/Jet/Anger hand. Never saw a third land. It happens. Loss. Notes: Land Screw happens. We played two more games after for fun and I got both of them so I think we still have a decent matchup. Deflecting palm is real!
R4: Mono R Aggro | 2-1 Game 1: First game went really long. He plays a threat, i stop it. I play a threat, he stops it. Eventually I swing with a 7/7 Insect a couple of times for the win. (Note: NEVER pump a single flyer this much against Mono R. Most run Act of treason/Harness by force effects.) Board: +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram, +3 Magma Spray, +2 Circle of Flame / -1 End Hostilites, -1 Stormbreath, -1 Chandra, -1 Xenagos, -1 Elspeth, -2 Ajani Mentor, -2 Nissa Game 2: He gets tricky and Act of Treason's my nest to kill it and get insects of his own before I board wipe. He wins off the back of Prophetic Flamespeaker. Game 3: 2 Nyx-Fleece hand. Snap Keep. I see both circle of flames. He tries to steal nest, but I strike in response. Long, fair game. I win in the end with Sarkhan. Notes: Our main and side board are designed to stop aggro decks. The sheep was a great addition here.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
3-1 again! Still rocking hard though. I tested against Jeskai Tempo and if they ignore our walkers then we can be in some trouble. (Deflecting palm!)
MAINDECK THOUGHTS
The Fetches did help overall mana flow and more untapped lands meant more t4 t5 plays. Trying to get one more. I think we need another Magma Jet main. Perhaps 4 Jets/2 Strikes? Need to test this out. I haven't had a chance to test with Stoke the Flames yet but I think we have enough ways to burn out guys for now. However, it may have been the thing missing Vs Stormbreath.
SIDEBOARD THOUGHTS
The burn away and purphoros aren't needed... yet. Aggro and burn are more prevelent right now so the 4 Rams seem like the right play. Deicide may become erase if I continue to not see gods. Originally was going to make them naturalize's, but all the artifacts I want gone are also enchantments.
Well we are still pumping strong as the deck evolves and it's still strong as hell. Players at my LGS sigh when they see Hornet Nest now.
Thoughts?
@Andymadeit / @Apocrypha Effect: Ramping into early walkers and running 6 sweepers does not mix. My version wants to punish those trying to ramp and maximize top decks rather then get my elves/caryatids killed, showing my opponents ALL of my cards, and having horrible top decks.
I know this is a lot of info but remember I was in another thread.
For the skeptics: Try the deck out for yourself.
I will have an update Sat/Sun with 1-2 more FNM results.
As far as I can see, the three most powerful planeswalkers come KTK are Nissa, Elspeth, and Sarkhan. So I've built a new Naya walkers deck to support these three win conditions.
I've been testing the following list for post-KTK standard:
No Sylvan Caryatid/Courser of Kruphix Engine: As an avid player of this engine since its imagining, I want to stress that this engine is not needed, and frankly detrimental, to our overall goal: Stop the Dudes / Win with Walkers. We are wiping the board, creating difficult combats, board states, and decisions for our opponent. The engine has no place here.
Sidenote: They are horrible Topdecks.
Anger of the Gods/End Hostilities: We finally have a usable white wrath that doesn't kill our walkers and I'll be damned if I'm not going to take advantage of that. Adding Anger takes care of the more aggressive strategies that usually knock us out before we get started.
Banishing Light/Lightning Strike: Both fulfill different roles yet both can serve more of either purpose. Enemy walkers, mana dorks, troublesome permanents and good old fashioned direct damage. These are auto-include versatile spells.
Hornet Nest: Ok, really look at this card. Take it all in. Now, I have to say this card is quickly becoming the most annoying card to the rest of my playgroup. Nest is the real deal. One blocker become 2-4, synergy with Lighting Strike and even Chandra's +1 (Yeah! You can target yourself and the nest for value!). Strombreath's cease to attack and polukranos' take extra effort to get rid of him.
Even with all this it dies to everything. Here's the kicker: that's what we want. Every Downfall/Banishing Light/Burn/etc that is used on the nest is not available against your walkers. A glorious distraction!
Stormbreath Dragon: There's a reason this is a feared card in standard already. It does the work and does it well. Here we are running two alongside Sarkhan's for more versatility.
The Walkers: Here's the Meat of this section. As a rule I like an even split of win-cons that attack from different angles.
-Elspeth, Sun's Champion holds the line with tokens, kills opposing creatures, and her emblem is very hard to recover from. In a word: Solid.
-Nissa, Worldwaker requires a little finesse to work profitably and the list is designed to accommodate that. 26 lands, 10 of which are basics and a one of Darksteel Citadel, gives us the fuel for Nissa to shine.
-Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker is the newcomer and is a little deceiving at just what he's good at. Let's get this straight: Sarkhan is NOT stormbreath, not even close. He is not suppose to be just another beater to turn sideways. He is a threat, relevant removal, and an emblem that is one of the best I have ever played with. One thing to note is that if you just drop a Sarkhan and swing on T5 without board support, your opponent will just swing into him. Never think of him as a creature.
-Xenagos, the Reveler makes dudes, ramps us into more walkers, and has surprising synergy with almost every other walker in the deck, hence three in the main. He allows us to go from defensive to aggressive, and vice-versa, in an instant.
-Chandra, Pyromaster is in the deck for one reason: Her 0. Drawing cards is difficult in Naya and Chandra gets us one step closer to victory every turn she lives. I only +1 her if I don't have open mana, or already have plans for it. Oh, and with 11 Instant/Sorcery removal spells in the deck, her Ult is considered "dig for a board wipe".
-Ajani, Mentor of Heroes serves a similar purpose as he is primarily there to dig for more friends. However, his other +1 is relavent considering the amount of tokens we produce. He has a non-bo with Strombreath but it is rarely an issue. Plus, gaining 100 life is a real F*** You! to most decks, but don't be fooled! It is NOT a win-con!
-Ajani Steadfast rounds out our walkers as a one of due to a few reasons. Non-bo with strombreath, a +1 that we usually won't use either due to an empty board or a defender. The -2, however, is one of the best abilities we have, getting to a game-winning Ult and pumping our little tokens to lethal proportions. His Ult, which I've only ever resolved twice, is very powerful yet not game winning on its own.
Lands: I want temples rather then fetches to smooth out our draws and give us more options. Plus, the extra turn we take scrying gives the opponent another turn to over extend into a wrath. Four forests are fine for Nissa as we rarely untap them and the 1-of Darksteel Citadel and Nissa make for a hard creature to kill.
As far as testing goes I have tested against Jund Walkers, Rabble Red, and Mardu Tokens and have an 80%/60%/85% win rate to each respectively preboard. I need to test against more control and Bx decks as they have the most answers to us. Personally I am dreading the Bx post-board with 4 Thoughtsieze, 4 Despise, 4 Hero's Downfall, but I think we have more threats then they can handle.
This is just an idea for a catch-all board for the first few weeks based on my idea of how standard will look. Originally I had 3 Mistcutter Hydra but I don't think there will be an unsupported blue deck post rotation.
Final Note: Try playing the list as is before dismissing it, the lack of Carytid/Courser engine/Hornent Nest.
Thoughts?
No Caryatid/Courser: Besides making for horrible topdecks, honestly you don't need this engine. Half the time you are waiting until turns 3-5 to wrath the board anyways and you want to hit the creatures your opponents play then, not before, with board wipes. Also, not relying on this engine makes us harder to disrupt.
Hornet Nest is the real deal. I can't stress enough how awesome this card is in this shell. Turns one blockers into 2-4, makes combat a nightmare for most opponents, stormbreath and polukranos hate him. Also I have Lightning Strike'd him to block and kill opponent's boards as well as targeted myself with Chandra's +1 (First time for everything) to clog the skies with 1/1 deathtouchers.
I have tested against Jund Walkers, Mardu Tokens, and Rabble Red. the win % I have deduced are 80%, 85%, 60%, respectively, for pre-boarded games.
I need testing against both Temur midrange/monsters and Temur control (as I believe they will be prominent) as well as Bx removal heavy decks. Thoughtsieze/Downfall/Utter End may be enough to stop us and after boards, despise becomes a reality.
Thoughts? I am really looking for feedback here as I can't find a reason NOT to play this deck come rotation.
I tested against Jund Walkers/Midrange, Rabble Red, and Mardu Tokens. First I have to say my favorite card in the deck is Hornet Nest. Everyone in my group finds it extremely annoying, which means its working. Anyways, here's the breakdown.
Vs. Jund Walkers
Win Rate: about 80%
You have more, lasting, threats and Polukranos, World Eater hates Hornet Nest. One preemptive strategy is to use Chandra to +1 targeting yourself and Hornet Nest to make a 1/1 Flying Deathtoucher. Also, I Lightning Strike'd my Nest in order to block Stormbreath or hold back a Sarkhan a turn.
Vs. Rabble Red
Win Rate: About 60%
You need early plays light Lightning Strike or Nest to hold off until you can land an Anger or End Hostilities. After the board is reset you can clean up nicely. However, Rabble has an immense speed advantage and can overrun you quickly.
Vs. Mardu Tokens
Win Rate: 85%
Missing the speed of Rabble Red helps us in this matchup. Butcher of the Mardu is a powerhouse but once again, Nest with burn support can shut them down.
Final Thoughts
I want to test against Temur midrange and Temur control as I think those are our worst matchups. Temur Charm makes our creatures useless, our Angers hit almost none of their stuff, and I think they can match us threat for threat.
Can't believe I'm saying this, but Caryatid/Courser are horrible in our deck. There's no room for them, they are terrible topdecks, and I don't want to ramp into a Wrath and set myself back.
Possible Sideboard
I want to prepare for everything so I believe my first board will look something like this:
Because of the prominence of Rabblemaster in my meta, and the spoiler of a non-blue wrath, I'm leaning more towards something like this:
4 Anger of the Gods
4 End Hostilities
2-3 Nissa
2-3 Xenegos
1-2 Ajani, Mentor
0-1 Ajani Steadfast
0-2 Chandra
2 Sarkhan
2 Elspeth
2-4 Stormbreath
now, even if you took the max numbers, that's 26 cards. Because of the board wipes, I'm not sure about the courser/caryatid package. I want something that can protect me more then once while I get my walkers online. Also, we need more spot removal that will hit a majority of problems.
4 Hornet's Nest
4 Banishing Light
Before you dismiss it, think about Hornet's nest from a purely defensive standpoint. A 3-drop that blocks once, then makes combat difficult for our opponent. We want that. Also after an Anger we have 3 flyers.
"But plunoir," you say, "It dies to every removal!"
That's what we want. Every Downfall/Banishing Light/Utter End/Lightning Strike that hits Hornet's Nest, doesn't hit our walkers.
Banishing Light originally was Chained to the rocks, but I don't play many mountains anymore as I would increase the forest count for Nissa to be a win-con.
That gives us 34 cards if we use the max number of walkers. 26 lands sounds ok, but we could make cuts to walkers to add some number of lightning strikes but I'm not sure on numbers yet as this is a new idea for me. It needs 8 fetches for sure to get those forests.
Thoughts?
I noticed that we draw some cards from the core sets from the plane of Shandalar. Is it possible that Arzakon could appear in M14 as the replacement for Nicol Bolas? In the game he could use all 5 colors of Mana and I think he has the potential to become the first 5 color walker.
3 Ob Nixilis Reignited
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
3 Clash of Wills
3 Ruinous Path
3 Dig Through Time
3 Scatter to the Winds
2 Anticipate
3 Transgress the Mind
2 Languish
3 Radiant Flames
1 Murderous Cut
2 Kolaghan's Command
4 Smoldering Marsh
4 Polluted Delta
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Island
2 Mountain
2 Swamp
2 Blighted Fen
1 Blighted Cataract
2 Crux of Fate
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Ultimate Price
3 Silumgar, the Drifting Death
3 Exquisite Firecraft
3 Draconic Roar
The deck over performed most of the night only losing to Atarka Red in the top 4 (a rematch from the swiss we won).
I'm looking for some feedback as well as some critique on a possibility to splash white.
This is what I have now:
2 Anger of the Gods
3 End Hostilities
4 Banishing Light
4 Magma Jet
3 Lightning Strike
2 Setessan Tactics
Creatures
4 Hornet Nest
Walkers
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
3 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Abandon
1 Temple of Plenty
1 Temple of Triumph
4 Windswept Heath
3 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Battlefield Forge
3 Plains
2 Wooded Foothills
3 Mistcutter Hydra
3 Magma Spray
3 Destructive Revelry
3 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Nyx-Fleece Ram
1 Back to Nature
As you can see there have been a few changes.
First off Ajani, Mentor of Heroes is gone. He acts as a win more card.
Second I am trying Setessan Tactics in place of Fated Conflagration. Its a cheaper trick that can deal with tougher decks as well as it synergizes well with the deck.
Thirdly, the landbase has changed to accomidate the new sideboard. Erase is gone, replaced with destructive revelry. This is 100% upgrade. I have won countless games off of that extra 2 damage over the last few weeks alone. The one of Back to Nature was suggested by a teammate against GB constalation and it is AWESOME!
Last week the deck went 7-1, coming in 2nd against the same deck i crushed round 4 in the swiss.
Setessan Tactics. Things I have done with it besides just fighting a creature and hornet nest: Targeting Nest AND a Polukranos to get 6 bees; surviving Drown in Sorrow with nests; targeting an animated land to kill a strombreath; +1 Steadfast targeting Land, attack gain 5, then tactics and kill a Polukranos (gaining 6 more life); +1 Sarkhan then tactics to kill a Siege Rhino; Fighting Bees with Rhinos to avoid trample damage; Nest surviving Searing Blood AND getting two bees; Tactics targeting an animated land to save Sarkhan from crackling Doom; using the +1/+1 to kill for exactzies.
The options are FAR more then fated and I will be testing it up till I either find it less useful or the meta changes.
@YoungQuakerBoy Thanks for trying out the deck! Im glad you had fun and someone else gets to enjoy the awesomeness that is Hornet Nest. As far as the stronger decks go: I think the Setassen Tactics may solve a few of those problems. Having the advantage of knowing the deck in and out has its merits so Ive put together a few notes for people playing this.
Naya Nest Control Breakdown
Lands: The manabase is designed to allow for 3-4R, 2W and 2G comfortably. You want to save the fetches if you can for fixing later but if its the difference between holding up magma jet/strike do it. Scrylands are your friend... and Chandra's!
Hornet Nest: The bread and butter of the build. This bad boy will give you exactly what you want: Time. First, the opponent reads the card. Second, they will either kill it right away, ignore it, or stop everything. If they ignore it, chances are they don't get it. If they kill it, they have just used up a useful spell (and turn) to stop it. If they do nothing, they FEAR it! And Rightly So! Nest works with almost every card in our deck. It turns burn into deathtouching flyers, and aggro into a losing race. Know it. Embrace it. Love It.
Setessan Tactics: See Above.
Magma Jet: The scry on this card makes it invaluable in this deck.
Lightning Strike: Bolt is good. Bolt is life.
Anger of the Gods: Aside from a sweeper, AND exiling targets, it ALSO give us three bees when it hits nest. (Against Mono G or GB, save one for hornet queen)
Banishing Light: O-Ring is O-Ring.
End Hostilities: 5 mana wrath. Some people said it was too slow, costs too much. This deck is about gaining time to cast our spells. This sweeper is amazing.
Xenagos: Endless tokens can either be offensive or defensive, both are good for us. The mana ability is actually VERY relevant in this deck as we can do some amazing things with it. His third ability doesn't exist unless in G2-3 when we boarded in Stormbreaths
Chandra: Funny note- Hornet Nest + Chandra = Bitterblossom! YAY! Seriously though she is a constant threat and card draw when you need it. Also, only ult if you either need removal or if you still have a good amount of jets/strikes/ left in the deck. 0 BEFORE playing a land!
Ajani Steadfast: Weakest card in the deck, but by no means bad. Each keyword on that +1 has come in handy quite a bit. The -2 is usually only if you are ulting a walker or going aggro with creatures. If the Ult resolves, well you can usually win. Ive decked UB and UW control for not dealing with him.
Nissa: 4/4 Trampling lands are NO JOKE. They bypass Utter End, Perilous Vault, and most burn. The untap has only come in handy a few times but its still nice. The ult is superficial as it never happens but always do it when not playing against W.
Sarkhan: Yes. Yes yes yes. Stormbreath? Not so much. Flame Slash? Sure. Win Condition? Abso-freaking-lutely. The Ult is AMAZING in out deck and if you aren't close to winning i suggest using it.
Elspeth: If you don't know about this one yet read any article about any White midrange or control deck. SIDE NOTE- -3 kills Nissa Lands!
SIDEBOARD
Stormbreath: More 4/4s with pro white and a game winning ability.
Nyx-Fleece Ram: Everything you want Vs any aggresive deck.
Mistcutter Hydra: UB UW control no brainer, but surprisingly good vs Jeskai Control and other U deck with little to no non-U creatures.
Destructive Revelry: Naturalize + Shock = Valuetown. Kill their Courser at the END OF DRAW STEP for max value after you see their next draw. Essentially skullcrack.
Back to Nature: Primarily for GB constilation but good against other decks running enchantment creatures for when you need all the enchantment hate you can get.
Magma Spray: Kill the ELF! Always kill the elf! Exiling clause is useful, even in conjunction with other burn and attacks.
Well, I hope this has been informative. See you soon!
Im currently testing 2 in the side. I have a lot of red and so far i've had no problem casting it. If it turns out really good I'll try to find a place for it in the main board.
DAY 1: LGS
2 Anger of the Gods
3 End Hostilities
4 Banishing Light
4 Magma Jet
3 Lightning Strike
Creatures
4 Hornet Nest
Walkers
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
3 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Abandon
1 Temple of Plenty
2 Temple of Triumph
4 Windswept Heath
3 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Battlefield Forge
3 Plains
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Circle of Flame
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
3 Magma Spray
3 Erase
3 Stormbreath Dragon
3 Nyx-Fleece Ram
1 Anger of the Gods
Note: My team was trying 1 Eidolon of Rhetoric against Combo.
R1 Vs UR Counterburn
W/L/L: Game 1 I went to 4 and stabalized. I saw a Monastery Swiftspear G1 and thought it was an aggro build.
Board: -3 Xenagos, -2 Mentor, -1 End / +3 Stormbreath, +3 Sheep
Notes: So I didn't recognize what he was playing and paid for it. The deck was strong and annoying to play against.
R2 Vs. Dirty Blue (Low costed blue cards. Tap/untap theme with Dakra Mystic
W/W: Angered both games to wreck him.
Board: -3 Strike, -1 End / +3 Stormbreath, +1 Eidolon
Notes: Turns out the guy was a huge douchebag so I reveled in the win a little more then usual.
R3 Vs. Abzan Midrange (Our Team Guru)
W/W: End Hostilites is your best friend here. It's also your only out Vs Wingmate Roc.
Board: -3 Strike, -3 Xenagos, -2 Mentor, -1 Chandra, -1 Steadfast / +3 Sheep, +3 Stormbreath, +3 Erase, +1 Anger
Notes: So looking back anger does nothing here save hit the random Fleecemane Lion. I boarded sheep in to block Brimaz and Rhino. Also, don't forget you can cast spells at the end of the draw step. Opponent has a Courser out, draws, reveals a land, Erase.
R4 Vs. Jeskai Combo (Our Teammate)
L/W/W: G1 I lost to the combo. 2 and 3 I kept his creatures down with removal and won through Sarkhan and/or tokens.
Board: -2 Nissa, -2 Mentor, -1 Chandra, -1 Steadfast, -2 Xenagos / +1 Eidolon, +3 Erase, +3 Spray, +1 Anger.
Notes: Like most Combo right now, they run a transformational sideboard. Either they stay combo, shift to control, or shift to midrange. I decided to keep a good mix to combat each one. Eidolon is ok (survives anger) but it's just gonna get bounced. Not worth it here.
R5 Vs. Mardu Walkers/Midrange (Helped build the deck)
W/L/L: G1 I won the attrition war. G2 got stuck on 2 lands for 7 turns (happens). G3 he really did well and stopped me card for card.
Board: -3 Strike, -2 Anger, -1 Nissa, -1 End, -1 Chandra, -1 Steadfast / +3 Stormbreath, +3 Erase, +3 Sheep
Notes: Sheep is good in attrition matches like this. I have no way of stopping Sarkhan aside from Banishing Light. Needs to be addressed.
OVERALL NOTES: 3-2 and ONE guy decided not to want to top 8 (boo) and I was 6th. I have a problem with Sarkhan. Rhetoric was a good test but it just pales in comparison to good, solid removal. Boarding in Sheep Vs Abzan is surprisingly good.
DAY 2: GAMEDAY
2 Anger of the Gods
3 End Hostilities
4 Banishing Light
4 Magma Jet
3 Lightning Strike
Creatures
4 Hornet Nest
Walkers
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
3 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Abandon
1 Temple of Plenty
2 Temple of Triumph
4 Windswept Heath
3 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Battlefield Forge
3 Plains
1 Darksteel Citadel
2 Mistcutter Hydra
3 Magma Spray
3 Erase
3 Stormbreath Dragon
3 Nyx-Fleece Ram
1 Anger of the Gods
Note: Had insight that there were 3 or more Ux control decks so tried out Mistcutter Hydras.
R1 Vs. Jeskai Tempo (Odd List)
L/L: Not a great start. Tough matches and he bounced my stuff at critical times. G2 he just went nuts with Sarkhan.
Board: -3 Xenagos, -2 Nissa, -2 Mentor, -2 Elspeth, -1 Chandra, -1 Steadfast / +3 Stormbreath, +3 Sheep, +3 Erase, +2 Mistcutter
Notes: Almost won due to Mistcutter but couldn't race him. Shouldn't have boarded out Steadfast.
R2 Vs. GR Devotion
W/W: Usual Anger Blowout both games.
Board: -2 Mentor, -1 Steadfast, -3 Xenagos, -3 Strike, -1 Chandra / +3 Spray, +3 Erase, +3 Sheep, +1 Anger.
Notes: This deck is afraid of Hornet Nest. Kept Nissa as she can be a house here.
R3 Vs. Jeskai Tempo
L/L: Complete blowout. This guy played extremely well and maintained patience the entire round.
Board: -3 Xenagos, -2 Nissa, -2 Elspeth, -1 Chandra, -2 Mentor, -1 Steadfast, -1 Citadel / +3 Stormbreath, +2 Mistcutter, +1 Anger, +3 Sheep, +3 Erase
Notes: Horrible boarding on my part. Didn't bring in Magma Spray Vs rabblemaster. This is me being an idiot.
R4 Vs. Grixis Control (Bx Devotion with counters/burn)
W/L/W: Almost lost first match but he didn't realize he had lethal on board (was afraid of Nissa)
Board: -3 Stike, -2 Anger / +3 Erase, +2 Mistcutter
Notes: Didn't bring in Stormbreath due to Ashiok. Chose Mistcutter (Which won me the game) because Ashiok can't due jack with it. Had to play the aggressor here.
OVERALL: Was 10th and didn't top 8 due to people dropping and bad tie-breakers. Mistcutter was a mistake and I made a LOT of boarding/play mistakes. Still need a way to deal with Sarkhan.
Allright. So after all that I realized I need to switch the board around and test against Jeskai until im foaming at the mouth. I have a testing day planned Vs jeskai coming up so we will see where that goes.
I've been testing Fated Conflagration instead in the Circle of Flame/Mistcutter spot and it's doing great. Kills the following: EVERY PLANESWALKER eith on their turn or your next one, Stormbreath; Siege Rhino; Polukranos; etc. Also has Scry. ALSO hits nest for 5 putting the opponent on a 4 Turn clock.
It's not perfect yet, but we're getting closer.
2 Anger of the Gods
3 End Hostilities
4 Banishing Light
4 Magma Jet
3 Lightning Strike
Creatures
4 Hornet Nest
Walkers
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
3 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Abandon
1 Temple of Plenty
2 Temple of Triumph
4 Windswept Heath
3 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Battlefield Forge
3 Plains
1 Darksteel Citadel
2 Circle of Flame
3 Magma Spray
3 Erase
3 Stormbreath Dragon
3 Nyx-Fleece Ram
1 Anger of the Gods
We are gearing up for GP San Antonio in November and we are trying to pinpoint the weaknesses of the deck. My team's guru has suggested putting lightning strikes back in to stop more early plays and stop Mantis Rider. We cut the Stoke the Flames as they were not doing anything in the main and I can't see ever boarding them in. The cut of 1 Anger of the Gods was a result of it constantly becoming a dead card game one and needing space for Lightning Strikes while still sitting at four Magma Jets. Switching the Stormbreath to side for a third Sarkhan helps us have another piece of removal.
I've noticed the success and popularity of Ascendancy combo so we've all started playing with, and against, the deck. Of all our groups decks (Nest-Walkers/Abzan Midrange/Temur Midrange/Ensoul Artifact) mine has the best G1 matchup against it due to the sheer amount of burn we have.
Deflecting Palm is great against some of the decks I will face but it is so niche that I'm not sure it warrants a spot in the sideboard. Honestly I want to try running 2-3 Suspension Field in the side somewhere for the Abzan match as it no doubt will rise in popularity thanks to Ari's recent win.
Please share your thoughts! All constructive criticism is wanted! I'd love to see someone else try to pilot my deck with results!
3 Anger of the Gods
3 End Hostilities
4 Banishing Light
4 Magma Jet
2 Stoke the Flames
Creatures
4 Hornet Nest
1 Stormbreath Dragon
Walkers
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Abandon
1 Temple of Plenty
2 Temple of Triumph
4 Windswept Heath
3 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Battlefield Forge
3 Plains
1 Darksteel Citadel
2 Circle of Flame
3 Magma Spray
2 Erase
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Stormbreath Dragon
4 Nyx-Fleece Ram
The only changes were +1 windsweapt heath and -1 Temple of triumph. I switched the Deicides in the side for Erases
STANDARD EVENT #1
R1: UG Yisan Toolbox | 2-0
Game 1: All I saw here was Yisan, bounce spells, and a Hornet Queen. Xenegos tokens and Ajani Steadfast's -2 just overwhelmed him. Win.
Board: +3 Magma Spray, +3 Stormbreath Dragon / -2 Nissa, -2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes, -1 Ajani Steadfast. I expected Kiora and other UG goodies so I decided to go over the top.
Game 2: He was land screwed and I wasn't. Win.
Notes: I'm not counting this one as this appeared to be a casual deck.
R2: Mono R Devotion | 2-1
Game 1: I kept an iffy hand (Temple/Painland/Magma Jet/Hornet Nest/Walkers) and was rewarded. I Jet'd a Satyr Firedancer and scryed into the land I needed to put up a nest. He couldn't get through and I win off of hornets.
Board: +2 Deflecting Palm, +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram, +3 Magma Spray / -2 Ajani Mentor, -1 Stormbreath, -1 End Hostilities, -2 Nissa, -3 Xenegos. Against R devotion the deflecting palms can turn the tide.
Game 2: Close game but I took a chance with my plays and lost to running Fanatic of Mogis. Loss.
Game 3: I had every piece of removal here and kept him down until he was out of steam. Win.
Notes: So, against this kind of deck we need to be very controlling. Always, Always choose removal over anything else.
R3: RW Midrange | 0-2
Game 1: Back and forth with removal and I got beat down in the end with Brimaz. Loss.
Board: +2 Erase, +2 Stormbreath / -2 Nissa, -1 Chandra, -1 Ajani Steadfast. Wanted to be able to stop Chained to the rocks.
Game 2: My 7/6/5/4 hands were all spells no lands. Mulled to 3 and kept a Forge/Forge/Magma Jet hand. Survives a LONG time but I was no match for his pure card advantage over me. Loss.
Notes: Mulligans can suck. Midrange Vs Midrange is all about attrition. You have to out play your opponent and choose your spells wisely. Luck doesn't hurt either.
R4: Mono R Aggro | 0-2
Game 1: He overwhelmed me with swiftspears and crusaders and I never drew anger or end. Had a stoke in hand that did nothing the entire games. Loss.
Board: +3 Magma Spray, +2 Circle of Flame, +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram / -2 Stoke the Flames, -1 Stormbreath, -1 End the Hostilities, -2 Ajani Mentor, -2 Nissa, -1 Elspeth.
Game 2: I lost to Purphoros, Hall of Triumph, and Hammer of Purphoros. All 1of's in the guys deck. Loss.
Notes: Circle of Flame is hard countered by Hall of Triumph. Should have boarded in Erase against his enchantments like hammerhand and dragon mantle.
STANDARD EVENT #2
R1: RW Midrange | 2-0 (Same on from Event #1)
Game 1: I won off of land screw. Justice. Win.
Board: +2 Stormbreath, +2 Erase / -3 Anger, -1 Ajani Mentor
Game 2: He had back to back chain to the rocks/banishing light but we had more threats then removal. Win.
Notes: Save your erases for the turn before you drop something huge.
R2: Mono R Aggro | 2-0 (Same from Event #1)
Game 1: So it turns out if you cast searing blood on my hornet nest with a satyr firedancer out, you kill the nest AND one hornet. More hornets and Ajani Mentor sealed the win. Win.
Board: +4 Nyx-Fleece Ram, +3 Magma Spray, +2 Erase, +2 Circle of Flame / -3 End Hostilities, -2 Elspeth, -2 Nissa, -2 Ajani Mentor, -1 Stormbreath, -1 Chandra
Game 2: I controlled the board until he ran out of steam. Sarkhan. Win.
Notes: We have to be a control deck here. Remove everything and wait till they run out of gas.
R3: RW Midrange | 1-2
Game 1: Rabblemaster, Brimaz, Iroas is a strong thing to beat... and I didn't. Loss.
Board: +2 Erase, +2 Stormbreath / -2 Ajani Mentor, -1 Ajani Steadfast, -1 Chandra
Game 2: Thank you Sarkhan! His -3 is amazing vs Brimaz. Win.
Game 3: VERY tough game. back and forth and HE still played Lighting Strike. Loss.
Notes: This can be very tough. Lucky for us they run Chain to the Rocks that bricks against most of our stuff. The Strombreaths in the side are priceless.
R4: Sultai Midrange | 2-0
Game 1: Saw Pharika, Kiora, and Villainous Wealth. Won with Elspeth Ult. Win.
Board: +2 Stormbreath, +2 Circle of Flame, +2 Erase / -2 Nissa, -2 Stoke the Flames, -1 Ajani Steadfast, -1 Chandra. I wanted Circle in case he Wealth'd my Elspeth or he went crazy with Pharika.
Game 2: Stormbreath and Sarkhan blazed a path to victory. Win.
Notes: Interesting deck but I think it hadn't had much testing. Villainous wealth is a real win condition that we need to be ready for.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
2-2 then 3-1. I was a little salty Event #1 but it's losing that teaches the most. Event #2 was a little better but we need 4-0. This was an early standard event without the regulars so it may not chalk up to a real result.
MAINDECK THOUGHTS
The stokes were pretty useless here. I hit a nest with it once, but still. I'm really missing maindeck Lightning Strike but I still like 4 magma jets. I noticed a few times anger was a dead card. The one stormbreath needs to be a third Sarkhan.
SIDEBOARD THOUGHTS
Erase was SO much better then Deicide, even when hitting a god. I was able to End Hostilities, pass, and destroy the banishing light on my sarkhan at his end step. We need another one. If we move a stormbreath to the side we need to make room. Deflecting palm is great but I think it's worth removing for now.
3 Anger of the Gods
3 End Hostilities
4 Banishing Light
4 Magma Jet
2 Stoke the Flames
Creatures
4 Hornet Nest
1 Stormbreath Dragon
Walkers
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Abandon
1 Temple of Plenty
3 Temple of Triumph
3 Windswept Heath
3 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Battlefield Forge
3 Plains
1 Darksteel Citadel
2 Circle of Flame
3 Magma Spray
2 Deicide
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Stormbreath Dragon
4 Nyx-Fleece Ram
+1 Magma Jet, +2 Stoke the Flames / -3 Lightning Strike
Been testing this and 4 jets are better and the 2 stokes allow me to kill opposing stormbreaths.
I'll post Round-by-round results after ASAP.
He's there for blockers, attackers against victims of your removal and sweepers, and a distraction. He's boarded out against Jeskai Tempo.
Side Note: The mana is VERY relevant in this deck. Nissa creatures make double mana, hornets make mana, elspeth tokens make mana. It helps. Also I will +1 against Jeskai tempo ASAP game 1
Thanks for the compliments!
Hornet Nest is the best card in the deck. No joke. It does everything you need it to. Yes, Threaten effects can hurt, but thats another spell (or two) that they waste while we build towards a win con.
Vs aggro we have nest, magma jet, and anger. Our post-board is the best against aggro as well.
Oh and I love when someone asks how many walkers are in the deck, and I reply, "Thirteen."
I am officially dubbing my deck NAYA NEST-WALKERS
Hmm... maybe I'll make a Primer one day...
I know this is a lot of info but remember I was in another thread.
For the skeptics: Try the deck out for yourself.
I will have an update Sat/Sun with 1-2 more FNM results.
I've been testing the following list for post-KTK standard:
4 End Hostilities
3 Banishing Light
3 Lightning Strike
4 Hornet Nest
2 Stormbreath Dragon
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Triumph
3 Temple of Plenty
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Forest
4 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Darksteel Citadel
Card Choices/Explanations
-Nissa, Worldwaker requires a little finesse to work profitably and the list is designed to accommodate that. 26 lands, 10 of which are basics and a one of Darksteel Citadel, gives us the fuel for Nissa to shine.
-Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker is the newcomer and is a little deceiving at just what he's good at. Let's get this straight: Sarkhan is NOT stormbreath, not even close. He is not suppose to be just another beater to turn sideways. He is a threat, relevant removal, and an emblem that is one of the best I have ever played with. One thing to note is that if you just drop a Sarkhan and swing on T5 without board support, your opponent will just swing into him. Never think of him as a creature.
-Xenagos, the Reveler makes dudes, ramps us into more walkers, and has surprising synergy with almost every other walker in the deck, hence three in the main. He allows us to go from defensive to aggressive, and vice-versa, in an instant.
-Chandra, Pyromaster is in the deck for one reason: Her 0. Drawing cards is difficult in Naya and Chandra gets us one step closer to victory every turn she lives. I only +1 her if I don't have open mana, or already have plans for it. Oh, and with 11 Instant/Sorcery removal spells in the deck, her Ult is considered "dig for a board wipe".
-Ajani, Mentor of Heroes serves a similar purpose as he is primarily there to dig for more friends. However, his other +1 is relavent considering the amount of tokens we produce. He has a non-bo with Strombreath but it is rarely an issue. Plus, gaining 100 life is a real F*** You! to most decks, but don't be fooled! It is NOT a win-con!
-Ajani Steadfast rounds out our walkers as a one of due to a few reasons. Non-bo with strombreath, a +1 that we usually won't use either due to an empty board or a defender. The -2, however, is one of the best abilities we have, getting to a game-winning Ult and pumping our little tokens to lethal proportions. His Ult, which I've only ever resolved twice, is very powerful yet not game winning on its own.
As far as testing goes I have tested against Jund Walkers, Rabble Red, and Mardu Tokens and have an 80%/60%/85% win rate to each respectively preboard. I need to test against more control and Bx decks as they have the most answers to us. Personally I am dreading the Bx post-board with 4 Thoughtsieze, 4 Despise, 4 Hero's Downfall, but I think we have more threats then they can handle.
Possible Sideboard
2 Stoke the Flames
2 Devouring Light
2 Deicide
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Nyx-Fleece Ram
3 Tormod's Crypt
This is just an idea for a catch-all board for the first few weeks based on my idea of how standard will look. Originally I had 3 Mistcutter Hydra but I don't think there will be an unsupported blue deck post rotation.
Final Note: Try playing the list as is before dismissing it, the lack of Carytid/Courser engine/Hornent Nest.
Thoughts?
4 End Hostilities
3 Banishing Light
3 Lightning Strike
4 Hornet Nest
2 Stormbreath Dragon
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Triumph
3 Temple of Plenty
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Forest
4 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Darksteel Citadel
Couple of points before you shun the list:
I have tested against Jund Walkers, Mardu Tokens, and Rabble Red. the win % I have deduced are 80%, 85%, 60%, respectively, for pre-boarded games.
I need testing against both Temur midrange/monsters and Temur control (as I believe they will be prominent) as well as Bx removal heavy decks. Thoughtsieze/Downfall/Utter End may be enough to stop us and after boards, despise becomes a reality.
Thoughts? I am really looking for feedback here as I can't find a reason NOT to play this deck come rotation.
4 End Hostilities
3 Banishing Light
3 Lightning Strike
4 Hornet Nest
2 Stormbreath Dragon
3 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
1 Ajani Steadfast
4 Temple of Triumph
3 Temple of Plenty
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Forest
4 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Darksteel Citadel
I tested against Jund Walkers/Midrange, Rabble Red, and Mardu Tokens. First I have to say my favorite card in the deck is Hornet Nest. Everyone in my group finds it extremely annoying, which means its working. Anyways, here's the breakdown.
Vs. Jund Walkers
Win Rate: about 80%
You have more, lasting, threats and Polukranos, World Eater hates Hornet Nest. One preemptive strategy is to use Chandra to +1 targeting yourself and Hornet Nest to make a 1/1 Flying Deathtoucher. Also, I Lightning Strike'd my Nest in order to block Stormbreath or hold back a Sarkhan a turn.
Vs. Rabble Red
Win Rate: About 60%
You need early plays light Lightning Strike or Nest to hold off until you can land an Anger or End Hostilities. After the board is reset you can clean up nicely. However, Rabble has an immense speed advantage and can overrun you quickly.
Vs. Mardu Tokens
Win Rate: 85%
Missing the speed of Rabble Red helps us in this matchup. Butcher of the Mardu is a powerhouse but once again, Nest with burn support can shut them down.
Final Thoughts
I want to test against Temur midrange and Temur control as I think those are our worst matchups. Temur Charm makes our creatures useless, our Angers hit almost none of their stuff, and I think they can match us threat for threat.
Can't believe I'm saying this, but Caryatid/Courser are horrible in our deck. There's no room for them, they are terrible topdecks, and I don't want to ramp into a Wrath and set myself back.
Possible Sideboard
I want to prepare for everything so I believe my first board will look something like this:
2 Stoke the Flames
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Devouring Light
2 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Deicide
2 Nyx-Fleece Ram
Before you knock Deflecting Palm, realize it doesn't target. Deflect Stormbreath/Polukranos an the odd Mindswipe.
Please, I'd like some feedback on this because I can't find a reason NOT to play this deck.
4 Anger of the Gods
4 End Hostilities
2-3 Nissa
2-3 Xenegos
1-2 Ajani, Mentor
0-1 Ajani Steadfast
0-2 Chandra
2 Sarkhan
2 Elspeth
2-4 Stormbreath
now, even if you took the max numbers, that's 26 cards. Because of the board wipes, I'm not sure about the courser/caryatid package. I want something that can protect me more then once while I get my walkers online. Also, we need more spot removal that will hit a majority of problems.
4 Hornet's Nest
4 Banishing Light
Before you dismiss it, think about Hornet's nest from a purely defensive standpoint. A 3-drop that blocks once, then makes combat difficult for our opponent. We want that. Also after an Anger we have 3 flyers.
"But plunoir," you say, "It dies to every removal!"
That's what we want. Every Downfall/Banishing Light/Utter End/Lightning Strike that hits Hornet's Nest, doesn't hit our walkers.
Banishing Light originally was Chained to the rocks, but I don't play many mountains anymore as I would increase the forest count for Nissa to be a win-con.
That gives us 34 cards if we use the max number of walkers. 26 lands sounds ok, but we could make cuts to walkers to add some number of lightning strikes but I'm not sure on numbers yet as this is a new idea for me. It needs 8 fetches for sure to get those forests.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?