I was having a little trouble deciding if I should be running 2 Duress in addition to the 4 Thoughtseize or 2 Smother in addition to the 4 Snuff Out. I decided on the extra removal, but am still torn.
I'm not sure if I should be running more creatures. I think the creatures I have right now are all at the right number, but maybe I should add some more of something else. Putrid Leech, Nyxathid, and Spiritmonger all caught my eye, but I'm not sure if any of them would make the deck any better.
Bojuka Pit
Land (Common)
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
T: add B
When ~ enters the battlefield, remove all cards in target player's graveyard from the game.
What do you guys think of this land for a sideboard option? It doesn't come down turn 0 like Leyline, but with our land destruction and recursion, it could remove Dredge's graveyard multiple times. It's not vulnerable to Chain of Vapor and Pithing Needle, but it doesn't have the replacement effect like Leyline, so they can still combo in response.
Ravana: I'd just stay away from the land destruction side of Pox then. Just focus on hand disruption to fuel The Rack and once you feel that is strong enough, focus on creature removal. Maze of Ith and Innocent Blood could help fill the empty slots.
I just played against ANT with BG Pox, and did very bad. I noticed in the OP, Storm combo is listed as a favorable match-up for us. Is there something I should be doing that would make that match more in my favor?
I like the idea of including a planeswalker in this deck. Unfortunately the two black 'walkers are too mana costly, but for builds that splash green, do you guys think Garruk would have a place?
His first ability could be really helpful against our self-land destruction and his second ability would help with the creature sacrificing. He only has cmc of 4, so he's not too costly, and between Bayou, Mox Diamond, and Riftstone Portal, getting GG isn't too difficult.
I'm with r3p on that. I'd switch The Rack to Chimeric Idol. That way, you have another creature that can save your Tombstalkers from Pox-effects. More creatures also help give you blockers if you don't draw removal right away.
Do you have any targeted creature removal? Smother, Snuff Out, Doom Blade, Terror, etc. I feel that even with all the sacrifice effects, your opponent can still sometimes get a creature to stick. Targeted removal makes sure their only creature isn't the one they want.
I would love to run Tabernacle, but it just isn't in my budget.
How about
-3 Innocent blood
-1 Pox
+1 Mishra's Factory
+1 Thoughtseize
+1 Smother
+1 Mox Diamond
I originally ran 4 Bayou, but took one out for another forest so that I could still function a little bit with something like Back to Basics in play. Besides, Riftstone Portal and Tomb of Yawgmoth turn all my lands into Bayous anyway. However, my manabase has changed a lot since the first list so maybe four is right, right now.
Wasteland I'm sure is right at 3. 3's enough to guarantee I'll draw one, then I can recur it with Life from the Loam.
I'm interested in the other suggestions. Taking out the deck's namesake seems odd. I've found it extemely helpful in getting multiple Tombstalkers into play. It also easily evens up board position if I can't race the opponent and crushes an opponent if I already have an advantage.
Worm Harvest is interesting, too. It looks nice, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to play it before it was already clear that I've won. 5 open mana and a ton of land in the graveyard doesn't come for a long time into the game. Most of the time I'm at 3 mana, and by the time I hit 5, I have recurring Goyf/Stalker Beatdown. Unless it specifically improves a certain matchup, it seems like "win more" in most situations. Maybe I'm not seeing something though.
If I can get the money, I plan on removing one wasteland for a Tabernacle. Will the deck run fine without it for now? Is it even worth it to spend that much money on the card?
I also want to use Mishra's Factory, but am not sure where to fit it into the deck. Is the deck fine without it, or is there something I can take out for it?
I think Sinkhole could be nice with Smallpox and recurring Wastelands, but, again, I'm not sure where to fit it. Would it be worth it to add? I don't see many lists running it.
Sideboard needs help. The best idea I could come up with against GY hate was Krosan Grip. Is there a better solution?
I'm working on a deck that uses Smokestack and Tangle Wire and want to make sure I understand how the two interact with each other.
Owner's of permanents that trigger during the upkeep choose which order the abilities go on the stack, correct?
For instance, during my opponents upkeep, could I have Smokestack resolve first and then Tangle wire so that the opponent would have to sacrifice a permanent and then tap X permanents? And during my upkeep, could I have Tangle Wire resolve first so that I could sacrifice a permanent I tapped with Tangle Wire?
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Bayou
3 Swamp
2 Forest
1 Urborg
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Riftstone Portal
1 Volrath's Stronghold
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Maze of Ith
3 Wasteland
4 Mox Diamond
Creatures (7)
4 Tamogoyf
3 Tombstalker
Instants (7)
4 Smother
3 Crop Rotation
Sorceries (17)
3 Pox
3 Smallpox
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Thoughtseize
1 Raven's Crime
3 Life from the Loam
4 Krosan Grip
4 Engineered Plague
4 Leyline of the void
3 Choke
Thanks for any help.
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Tombstalker
3 Nantuko Shade
3 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Hypnotic Specter
Instants (10)
4 Dark Ritual
4 Snuff Out
2 Smother
Sorceries (13)
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Sinkhole
4 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
2 Umezawa's Jitte
Lands (19)
3 Bayou
7 Swamp
1 Forest
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Engineered Plague
4 Krosan Grip
3 Summoning Trap
I was having a little trouble deciding if I should be running 2 Duress in addition to the 4 Thoughtseize or 2 Smother in addition to the 4 Snuff Out. I decided on the extra removal, but am still torn.
I'm not sure if I should be running more creatures. I think the creatures I have right now are all at the right number, but maybe I should add some more of something else. Putrid Leech, Nyxathid, and Spiritmonger all caught my eye, but I'm not sure if any of them would make the deck any better.
Any other advice is very appreciated.
What do you guys think of this land for a sideboard option? It doesn't come down turn 0 like Leyline, but with our land destruction and recursion, it could remove Dredge's graveyard multiple times. It's not vulnerable to Chain of Vapor and Pithing Needle, but it doesn't have the replacement effect like Leyline, so they can still combo in response.
4 CMC seems like a lot in a Pox deck. I find flying to be enough evasion as well, so I don't see trample making it too much better.
His first ability could be really helpful against our self-land destruction and his second ability would help with the creature sacrificing. He only has cmc of 4, so he's not too costly, and between Bayou, Mox Diamond, and Riftstone Portal, getting GG isn't too difficult.
Do you have any targeted creature removal? Smother, Snuff Out, Doom Blade, Terror, etc. I feel that even with all the sacrifice effects, your opponent can still sometimes get a creature to stick. Targeted removal makes sure their only creature isn't the one they want.
How about
-3 Innocent blood
-1 Pox
+1 Mishra's Factory
+1 Thoughtseize
+1 Smother
+1 Mox Diamond
I originally ran 4 Bayou, but took one out for another forest so that I could still function a little bit with something like Back to Basics in play. Besides, Riftstone Portal and Tomb of Yawgmoth turn all my lands into Bayous anyway. However, my manabase has changed a lot since the first list so maybe four is right, right now.
Wasteland I'm sure is right at 3. 3's enough to guarantee I'll draw one, then I can recur it with Life from the Loam.
I'm interested in the other suggestions. Taking out the deck's namesake seems odd. I've found it extemely helpful in getting multiple Tombstalkers into play. It also easily evens up board position if I can't race the opponent and crushes an opponent if I already have an advantage.
Worm Harvest is interesting, too. It looks nice, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to play it before it was already clear that I've won. 5 open mana and a ton of land in the graveyard doesn't come for a long time into the game. Most of the time I'm at 3 mana, and by the time I hit 5, I have recurring Goyf/Stalker Beatdown. Unless it specifically improves a certain matchup, it seems like "win more" in most situations. Maybe I'm not seeing something though.
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Bayou
3 Swamp
2 Forest
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Urborg
1 Riftstone Portal
1 Volrath's Stronghold
3 Wasteland
3 Mishra's Factory
1 Maze of Ith
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Tombstalker
Instants (6)
3 Smother
3 Crop Rotation
Sorceries (20)
4 Pox
3 Smallpox
3 Innocent Blood
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Thoughtseize
1 Raven's Crime
3 Life from the Loam
3 Mox Diamond
4 Krosan Grip
4 Engineered Plague
3 Choke
4 Leyline of the Void
Here's the current list I'm thinking of:
3 Bayou
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Swamp
2 Forest
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Riftstone Portal
4 Wasteland
1 Urborg
1 Maze of Ith
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Dark Depths
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Tombstalker
2 Vampire Hexmage
Instants (6)
3 Smother
3 Crop Rotation
Sorceries (22)
4 Pox
3 Smallpox
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Innocent Blood
3 Life from the Loam
3 Living Wish
1 Raven's Crime
1 Dark Depths
1 Vampire Hexmage
4 Krosan Grip
2 Choke
3 Engineered Plague
4 Leyline of the Void
If I can get the money, I plan on removing one wasteland for a Tabernacle. Will the deck run fine without it for now? Is it even worth it to spend that much money on the card?
I also want to use Mishra's Factory, but am not sure where to fit it into the deck. Is the deck fine without it, or is there something I can take out for it?
I think Sinkhole could be nice with Smallpox and recurring Wastelands, but, again, I'm not sure where to fit it. Would it be worth it to add? I don't see many lists running it.
Sideboard needs help. The best idea I could come up with against GY hate was Krosan Grip. Is there a better solution?
Owner's of permanents that trigger during the upkeep choose which order the abilities go on the stack, correct?
For instance, during my opponents upkeep, could I have Smokestack resolve first and then Tangle wire so that the opponent would have to sacrifice a permanent and then tap X permanents? And during my upkeep, could I have Tangle Wire resolve first so that I could sacrifice a permanent I tapped with Tangle Wire?
Thanks