Well, people are really starting to pack the hate for this deck. The very high variance of it keeps pushing me towards the "don't need to ban it". Because if the deck isn't doing its namesake, it's not doing ANYTHING. Sometimes you just die because you're missing a piece or two and the deck just simply does not give it to you. I finished 3-2 today. Lost against naya company (path to exiles are a real problem) and mono white (again, path to exile). It didn't help that I never drew the key hate pieces (like chalice).
I think we're fine playing this deck for a while. Unless there's some new tech that really pushes it over the top, this is a deck that is more consistent than it used to be, but not perfectly consistent.
It *can* be hated it, but like every other time, when one day gets all the hate, another strives. I've spoken to some players who have foregone most of their hate for other decks in favor of beating this as it is starting to show up a lot more. However, it is quickly becoming hard to access because the prices for the deck have skyrotted (pretty happy about having had all the pieces before that happened).
I played today and I don't know if it was because it was too cold in the room or what but the deck totally crapped out on me. All land in Match 1 and no lands in Match 2.
Talk about variance. The thing is, if you aren't doing your game plan, you aren't doing anything. The deck does not interact with the opponent at all. They tend to have free reign.
I'll be trying again tomorrow but a lot of more people are starting to pick it up. Some will get frustrated because it's a pretty hard deck to play.
Foodchaingoblins: I agree with you. I'm a global 21-3-2 with the deck. THAT IS ABSURD. We only have probably another two weeks to play with this deck (before the ban list is updated). Maybe we'll get lucky and dodge it this time. But I would be VERY surprised that we'd dodge it twice. I'm going to play another modern event today at noon. If I 5-0 that one as well, I might turn some people off from modern until they ban my deck lol.
I have been testing the Grishoalbrand versus Jund matchup with a highly skilled, experienced pilot over the course of the week, and Blood Moon hasn't been good. I know I've brought up this point before, but I think with the benefit of experience, I have come to the conclusion that either
(1) There is something everyone else knows about playing Blood Moon correctly that I don't
or
(2) Blood Moon was only good as a surprise tactic that people weren't expecting, and that now that cat is out of the bag, we need to think of something better.
Here is what I have experienced in testing:
If you want Blood Moon to have an effect against an experienced pilot who knows it is coming, you need to drop it turn 1 or turn 2 before they fetch out their Swamp or Forest. They really only need one of the two because both Dark Confidant and Scavenging Ooze separately are big problems for us. But in order to drop an early Blood Moon you have to spend 1-2 cards of fast mana doing it, and that does not leave you with enough cards left in hand to reliably execute the combo. I emphasize that you are priced into effectively Mind Twist-ing yourself when you run Blood Moon.
Why is this bad? First, even if you screw them for a few turns, without action in your hand to follow up your Blood Moon, you cannot help but give them a bunch of draw steps to find their out. Second, sometimes you are unlucky and they have the basic in hand, in which case you will surely lose because you just spend 3-4 cards to do nothing. I have lost games where I slammed t1 Blood Moon and they just drop Goyf the following turn off of a naturally drawn Forest, which was ample pressure to finish me off because I literally had nothing left in hand to cast. Finally, sometimes you don't have it in the opener, and then you are really sad to draw it when it is long past the point where it would be good. In this particular aspect, it is no better than Leyline of Sanctity, despite what Bob and others have said.
Does anyone have insight into these problems?
I've thought that something like Read the Bones could be a decent replacement for Blood Moon given that cantrips are a good way of fighting discard. Pithing Needle on Liliana or Scavenging Ooze also seems potent.
Happened the same to me and have returned to leylines. I have been toying with other sideboard options such but none of them look efficent.
Also, saw one of the latest lists run necrotic ooze in the side, but can't figure out why, since it dies to the same gy hate as the rest of the options.
1) The Ooze allows you to use the Griselbrand activation (or bobo) in the grave despite someone having played a pithing needle on either. It gives you the combo in one creature. It opens up space.
2) On blood moon. I have played BM on turn two against jund and they never drew a basic, giving me ample time to draw the necessary cards to win. BM is less likely to give you a free win and more an option to buy you time. I would hate to run leylines because they are just awful past your opening hand. Jund is a tough match up. They HAVE to have discard spells in their opener against you or they just simply lose. Sometimes they'll mulligan down to it. You could just always ignore playing the moon and just play your game. But it's just a tough match up. Personally, I find it to be the hardest. At any rate, BM against Naya zoo, four color zoo, junk and tron is good enough to give you wins you wouldn't otherwise get.
I played in another 100 person Modern event today at the GP Montreal. I 5-0d no problem. Beating Grixis (different mutations) 3 times 2-0 (seriously easy matchup), affinity (almost lost that one but a timely shatterstorm wiped his entire board out - only land was a glimmervoid) and a green devotion. The more I play the deck, the more I am starting to believe that I am a pretty damn good pilot lol but seriously. This deck can't last in this format. Not sure why it hasn't placed much yet because it is utterly busted. Like it breaks so many rules of modern it's amazing it hasn't placed high yet. Maybe I'm an exceptionally good player, I don't know!
Now I wish there was a real major event I could play this thing in to really put it on the map. Have you guys seen the jump in price on Goryo's?? 25$ last week and today? 60$! Might make a killing once this modern season is over...
I've often found that the manamorphose was a necessary evil in the deck while in the midst of a combo. Like someone mentioned, it allows for ritual into faitless into manamorphose into goryo's vengeance. I've made that play almost every time I played the deck to win that turn. It's the easiest route to killing with Bobo. And the most consistent. It requires less cards than the whole breaching portion does.
As for lava ax, I've not even sided it in much. Sure it has its use, but it's not that great since you rarely care about creatures on your opponent's turn. If that's their game plan, you're pretty much en route to victory.
What the deck needs to is another way to filter through. I wish Time of Need was black because I really don't want to be splashing green. There are games where you just can't find a fatty or you have the wrong one in hand and this would help smooth out some portions of the games. Or even better....that emtomb was modern legal (then for sure our deck would get immediately banned).
a card i have been toying with online, instead of 4x pact of negation, doing a 2x pact, 3x trickbind mix. ive increasingly been busted up with activated abilities, and trickbind has been nuts in stopping various triggers. and then i saw the biggest potential of all, it can counter the breach/goryos trigger to sac/exile, leaving you with a giant fatty in play. its a sideboard card but damn it feels like a gangster to counter it and have a 15/15 spaghetti monster on turn 3 permanently.
It's cute but totally unnecessary. Plus it's additional cards that you would be cutting key cards for in your side. If you are swinging with a 15/15 turn three, it is likely you are winning.
its petty narrow right now only hitting hitting twin, griselshoal, and living end....white decks already have hate with RIP, and if theyre control (UW) they have counters to disrupt you. if i were playing blue i would rather have remand than this in my hand. remand wrecks the deck just as bad.
you can combo off in response to this as well, if possible. else pact of negation is still a thing.
Remand puts Vengeance/Breach back in your hand, letting you go for another combo attempt
remand busts this decks balls so hard. usually you are 'going for broke' by exiling 2 of your simian spirit guides + some desperate rituals in order to breach in borborygomos. they remand it, and now you're limited on the remaining # of simian and/or rituals. Alternatively, you bust out some simians, exile your worldspine to splice breach onto shoal, and they remand your shoal, now you have no worm and no lifegain... The older version with fury of the horde, you ahve to dig very hard to get the fury of the horde, you remand one, and suddenly they need to dig even harder/likely fizzle out. remanding while emrakul trigger is on the stack from goryos is another FFFFFFFFFuuuuuuuuuuuuuu moment.
counters are the worst vs this deck ( i have been playing it for 2+ years in its various forms).
Hum that's what the pacts/boseiju are for. Never had any issues with control. As a matter of fact, a draw-go approach is beneficial for us way more than it is for the control deck.
The biggest problem for this deck is aggro decks. The pyroclasm helps some but it's not always enough. I think the chalice is going to be a must for the side. Sure you might lose your Faithless looting in the process, but being able to stop more than half of what your opponent is trying to do in an aggro match up more than makes up for it. You can just build up to the breach that way.
On another note, I'm seriously considering adding Chalice to the sideboard.
This is a huge hedge against: Burn, One drop rush decks, Lantern and Infect. Which are all, arguably, this deck's worse match ups. Not entirely sure on what to cut out of the board though. Maybe the 1 pyroclasm and one shatterstorm.
Game 1: Very little interaction from my opponent results in a turn 3 win.
Game 2: Lose to a bunch of discard spells and Scooze+Goyf+bolts
Game 3: My opener is: 1 land, Simian, Pyroclasm, tormenting voice, Shoal, Griselbrand, Desperate ritual. I play a land, pass turn. He inquisitions me, discard the voice. Untap, draw blood moon. Exile Guide, play ritual drop blood moon. Opponent proceed to draw only non-basics and gives me enough time to combo off. His hand was: 2x bob, liliana, kolaghan's command, duress inquisition. Phfew!
WIN!
Round 2 vs. Twin.
Game 1: Combo off turn three.
Game 2: Combo off turn two. He played played one land and serum visions lol .
WIN!
Ya the deck is busted.
Round 3 vs. Naya Zoo.
Game 1: No interaction from my opponent, combo turn 3.
Game 2: No interaction from my opponent, combo turn 3.
WIN!
Round 4 vs. R/G Tron.
Game 1: My opponent resolves Ugin on turn 4. I splice breach on a shoal, drop Wurm, kill Ugin. Get 3 5/5. Opponent untaps, plays another ugin and exiles my tokens. I untap, rip the fifth mana, play breach, drop Wurm, kill Ugin, get 3 5/5s and proced to win the game. How many times can you say casting ugin twice in a game and still lose?
Game 2: Lose to a win and hand but never seeing any creatures.
Game 3: Misplayed but still managed to rip a wurm in my last possible turn to breach into play for the win. Opponent is on tilt mode.
WIN!
Round 5 vs. Infect.
Game 1: Comboed on turn 3 when I was 100% dead if I let him untap.
Game 2: Resolve blood moon on turn two and lock him out of mana. Proceed to combo off on turn 5.
WIN!
Round 6 & 7 are IDs.
Swiss round record: 5-0-2.
Top 8.
Quarter Finals vs. another R/G tron.
Game 1: Combo out turn 4.
Game 2: Never saw any pieces to win despite the digging. Lose to a hard cast Emrakul.
Game 3: Resolve a turn 3 blood moon, Shatterstorm away two Relics and two turns later combo off. At this point, everyone wants to see this combo deck played out with my cards on the table. Mesmerizing the crowd (at the request of a judge, no less).
WIN!
Semi Finals vs. R/G zoo.
This guy had put together what was basically the r/g zoo deck from the last standard minus Domri. Instead he was running Atarka's commands (but Kird apes, BTEs, Experiment ones, Flinthoof boars, goblin guides and nacatls). He tore through the tournament but apparently he had been really lucky.
Game 1: First hand: 6 lands + Goryo's vengeance. Mull. 5 lands + Goryo's vengeance. Mull. 5 cards (2x Shoals, Goryo's, Spirit guide, Wurm). I decide to keep because if I rip a land, I could get there. But alas, no lands in 3 draws and I die to a bunch of winnies.
Game 2: Have all the cards in hand to win, but missing a creature. He mulls and only has one land. I inquisition him and see: Atarka's command, goblin guide, 2x experiment one, nacatl and a BTE. I take the nactl (should have taken the guide). He doesn't play another land and attacks me for one and plays the other experiment one. I draw a second land and play blood moon (off a guide). That actually locks him out. He draws a blank, plays the guide and swings for 6 (I'm at twelve). I draw, play pyroclasm to kill his board. I passe, he does nothing. I draw, a blank but I have 2 faithless looting + a tormenting voice. He plays some other guys, brings me to five all the while I'm digging and digging for a creature. I only need a Griselbrand in the grave to win that game. On my last turn, I top deck into a pyroclasm and kill his board. He is still on one land. Meanwhile, I dug through about 25 cards in my deck and have not seen a single creature so far. He top decks his ONLY forest in the deck, passes turn. I draw yet another blank (I drew about 13 lands in that game) and Atarka's command me. He untaps, and Atarka's command me again for the win. He shows me his hand and it had 2 more atarka's command.
That loss was unreal. I had all the pieces (including a shoal) to win that game and NEVER saw a creature.
So my run ended on a pretty crappy note. But ultimately, I don't think this deck will last very long. It is seriously busted. Every piece in this deck works so perfectly well in unison. The shoal engine allows to give it incredible consistency. So play the deck while you still can!
I played the deck today as I'm fairly new to it (started practicing Saturday).
I read that some players liked a split of 2/2 of Tormenting voice/Manamorphose. After playing with the deck a bit, I made that change and am now never going back. However, the one bigger change I made was to cut the noxious revival and put back the 3rd manamorphose. Not sure how correct this is, but even Bob was saying it was a pretty bad card.
Match 1: Vs Merfolk
As I have limited experience with the deck, I wasn't sure how to approach this one due to the stupid 1 drop merfolk that you can sac' to counter an instant/sorcery. Once my opponent had 3 on the board, it became very hard to play around. I ended up punting this match due to outplaying myself but do not think Merfolk is that bad a match up. Spreading seas is incredibly annoying though.
Match 2: Mono green ramp.
No chance for my opponent. No way for him to interact. Turn 3 combo twice.
Match 3: Merfolk (again)
Punted this one too. Here's my hand: Manamorphose, Worldspine, Shoal, Through the breach and a blank. I have four lands in play. On his end step, I cast manamorphose, for no reason. Just to cycle it. Then it was my turn and I was all like...well that was dumb (drew a blank). In case you don't get it...shoal exiling the manamorphose, splicing the breach and dropping the wurm should have been my play.
Match 4: Jeskai control
Game one I comboed turn 2. Game 2, he sided into a more controlling version, which I think is a mistake. This deck is highly favored in a draw-go scenario. Splicing my Goryo's at the end of his turn forced him to counter useless spells leaving me wide open to cast it on my turn. Easy wins.
I need to play more matches, including the tough ones like infect and affinity but overall, very impressed with the deck. Graveyard hate at its minimum right now makes this deck absurd.
I have. Not even close to remotely worth the price of entry.
If it was half the price, it would be ok. But as is, 40$ drafts aren't really my cup of tea. I guess it's cool to do it once. And then never look at it again.
What's happening right now is that a bunch them drew and every round is going an extra 30 mins because of all the damn draws. It's really dragging the tournament. It's 5 pm right now and we're still in round six. Day one should not take until ten pm to finish....
So I'm at the gp right now (Toronto) and was convinced into not playing esper. This was a mistake. Scorn is clearly too powerful in this format and it's a shame because it's going to put a stranglehold on the format. I don't know what they were thinking. Combine ojutai to this and it's just too much. If the dragons were only semi playable, it would be a different story but they are really pushed. This card might get banned. The top 8 is going to be esper and atarka. Going to make a pretty boring top 8.
I've been to Tokyo. They don't recycle. They just burn everything in those uber ominous grey towers lol Although I am curious about the technology because those things don't emit any smoke.
Say what???
When did you go?
I went just over a month ago, and there were public bins *everywhere*-
And not just single bins like we have here- they had separate bins for paper, cans, bottles, and even bottle caps(?!).
We stayed at an airbnb in Akihabara,
and the host made us separate our recylables into the like eight different categories they have for them there.
I went two years ago. We rented a house actually and ya, there were two bins (with instructions as to what goes where) but it was more like "Recyclables" & "Trash". What I did notice, in a bit of a test of irony, is that although the Japanese are recycling savy, they literally package everything. And that includes dumb stuff like an apple. Why the hell does my apple need to come in a damn box???
I think we're fine playing this deck for a while. Unless there's some new tech that really pushes it over the top, this is a deck that is more consistent than it used to be, but not perfectly consistent.
I played today and I don't know if it was because it was too cold in the room or what but the deck totally crapped out on me. All land in Match 1 and no lands in Match 2.
Talk about variance. The thing is, if you aren't doing your game plan, you aren't doing anything. The deck does not interact with the opponent at all. They tend to have free reign.
I'll be trying again tomorrow but a lot of more people are starting to pick it up. Some will get frustrated because it's a pretty hard deck to play.
1) The Ooze allows you to use the Griselbrand activation (or bobo) in the grave despite someone having played a pithing needle on either. It gives you the combo in one creature. It opens up space.
2) On blood moon. I have played BM on turn two against jund and they never drew a basic, giving me ample time to draw the necessary cards to win. BM is less likely to give you a free win and more an option to buy you time. I would hate to run leylines because they are just awful past your opening hand. Jund is a tough match up. They HAVE to have discard spells in their opener against you or they just simply lose. Sometimes they'll mulligan down to it. You could just always ignore playing the moon and just play your game. But it's just a tough match up. Personally, I find it to be the hardest. At any rate, BM against Naya zoo, four color zoo, junk and tron is good enough to give you wins you wouldn't otherwise get.
I played in another 100 person Modern event today at the GP Montreal. I 5-0d no problem. Beating Grixis (different mutations) 3 times 2-0 (seriously easy matchup), affinity (almost lost that one but a timely shatterstorm wiped his entire board out - only land was a glimmervoid) and a green devotion. The more I play the deck, the more I am starting to believe that I am a pretty damn good pilot lol but seriously. This deck can't last in this format. Not sure why it hasn't placed much yet because it is utterly busted. Like it breaks so many rules of modern it's amazing it hasn't placed high yet. Maybe I'm an exceptionally good player, I don't know!
Now I wish there was a real major event I could play this thing in to really put it on the map. Have you guys seen the jump in price on Goryo's?? 25$ last week and today? 60$! Might make a killing once this modern season is over...
As for lava ax, I've not even sided it in much. Sure it has its use, but it's not that great since you rarely care about creatures on your opponent's turn. If that's their game plan, you're pretty much en route to victory.
What the deck needs to is another way to filter through. I wish Time of Need was black because I really don't want to be splashing green. There are games where you just can't find a fatty or you have the wrong one in hand and this would help smooth out some portions of the games. Or even better....that emtomb was modern legal (then for sure our deck would get immediately banned).
It's cute but totally unnecessary. Plus it's additional cards that you would be cutting key cards for in your side. If you are swinging with a 15/15 turn three, it is likely you are winning.
Hum that's what the pacts/boseiju are for. Never had any issues with control. As a matter of fact, a draw-go approach is beneficial for us way more than it is for the control deck.
The biggest problem for this deck is aggro decks. The pyroclasm helps some but it's not always enough. I think the chalice is going to be a must for the side. Sure you might lose your Faithless looting in the process, but being able to stop more than half of what your opponent is trying to do in an aggro match up more than makes up for it. You can just build up to the breach that way.
This is a huge hedge against: Burn, One drop rush decks, Lantern and Infect. Which are all, arguably, this deck's worse match ups. Not entirely sure on what to cut out of the board though. Maybe the 1 pyroclasm and one shatterstorm.
My version is pretty stock except for the following changes:
-1 Blood moon, +1 pyroclasm
-1 Noxious Revival, -1 Manamorphose, +2 Tormenting voice
Round 1 vs Jund.
Game 1: Very little interaction from my opponent results in a turn 3 win.
Game 2: Lose to a bunch of discard spells and Scooze+Goyf+bolts
Game 3: My opener is: 1 land, Simian, Pyroclasm, tormenting voice, Shoal, Griselbrand, Desperate ritual. I play a land, pass turn. He inquisitions me, discard the voice. Untap, draw blood moon. Exile Guide, play ritual drop blood moon. Opponent proceed to draw only non-basics and gives me enough time to combo off. His hand was: 2x bob, liliana, kolaghan's command, duress inquisition. Phfew!
WIN!
Round 2 vs. Twin.
Game 1: Combo off turn three.
Game 2: Combo off turn two. He played played one land and serum visions lol .
WIN!
Ya the deck is busted.
Round 3 vs. Naya Zoo.
Game 1: No interaction from my opponent, combo turn 3.
Game 2: No interaction from my opponent, combo turn 3.
WIN!
Round 4 vs. R/G Tron.
Game 1: My opponent resolves Ugin on turn 4. I splice breach on a shoal, drop Wurm, kill Ugin. Get 3 5/5. Opponent untaps, plays another ugin and exiles my tokens. I untap, rip the fifth mana, play breach, drop Wurm, kill Ugin, get 3 5/5s and proced to win the game. How many times can you say casting ugin twice in a game and still lose?
Game 2: Lose to a win and hand but never seeing any creatures.
Game 3: Misplayed but still managed to rip a wurm in my last possible turn to breach into play for the win. Opponent is on tilt mode.
WIN!
Round 5 vs. Infect.
Game 1: Comboed on turn 3 when I was 100% dead if I let him untap.
Game 2: Resolve blood moon on turn two and lock him out of mana. Proceed to combo off on turn 5.
WIN!
Round 6 & 7 are IDs.
Swiss round record: 5-0-2.
Top 8.
Quarter Finals vs. another R/G tron.
Game 1: Combo out turn 4.
Game 2: Never saw any pieces to win despite the digging. Lose to a hard cast Emrakul.
Game 3: Resolve a turn 3 blood moon, Shatterstorm away two Relics and two turns later combo off. At this point, everyone wants to see this combo deck played out with my cards on the table. Mesmerizing the crowd (at the request of a judge, no less).
WIN!
Semi Finals vs. R/G zoo.
This guy had put together what was basically the r/g zoo deck from the last standard minus Domri. Instead he was running Atarka's commands (but Kird apes, BTEs, Experiment ones, Flinthoof boars, goblin guides and nacatls). He tore through the tournament but apparently he had been really lucky.
Game 1: First hand: 6 lands + Goryo's vengeance. Mull. 5 lands + Goryo's vengeance. Mull. 5 cards (2x Shoals, Goryo's, Spirit guide, Wurm). I decide to keep because if I rip a land, I could get there. But alas, no lands in 3 draws and I die to a bunch of winnies.
Game 2: Have all the cards in hand to win, but missing a creature. He mulls and only has one land. I inquisition him and see: Atarka's command, goblin guide, 2x experiment one, nacatl and a BTE. I take the nactl (should have taken the guide). He doesn't play another land and attacks me for one and plays the other experiment one. I draw a second land and play blood moon (off a guide). That actually locks him out. He draws a blank, plays the guide and swings for 6 (I'm at twelve). I draw, play pyroclasm to kill his board. I passe, he does nothing. I draw, a blank but I have 2 faithless looting + a tormenting voice. He plays some other guys, brings me to five all the while I'm digging and digging for a creature. I only need a Griselbrand in the grave to win that game. On my last turn, I top deck into a pyroclasm and kill his board. He is still on one land. Meanwhile, I dug through about 25 cards in my deck and have not seen a single creature so far. He top decks his ONLY forest in the deck, passes turn. I draw yet another blank (I drew about 13 lands in that game) and Atarka's command me. He untaps, and Atarka's command me again for the win. He shows me his hand and it had 2 more atarka's command.
That loss was unreal. I had all the pieces (including a shoal) to win that game and NEVER saw a creature.
So my run ended on a pretty crappy note. But ultimately, I don't think this deck will last very long. It is seriously busted. Every piece in this deck works so perfectly well in unison. The shoal engine allows to give it incredible consistency. So play the deck while you still can!
I read that some players liked a split of 2/2 of Tormenting voice/Manamorphose. After playing with the deck a bit, I made that change and am now never going back. However, the one bigger change I made was to cut the noxious revival and put back the 3rd manamorphose. Not sure how correct this is, but even Bob was saying it was a pretty bad card.
Match 1: Vs Merfolk
As I have limited experience with the deck, I wasn't sure how to approach this one due to the stupid 1 drop merfolk that you can sac' to counter an instant/sorcery. Once my opponent had 3 on the board, it became very hard to play around. I ended up punting this match due to outplaying myself but do not think Merfolk is that bad a match up. Spreading seas is incredibly annoying though.
Match 2: Mono green ramp.
No chance for my opponent. No way for him to interact. Turn 3 combo twice.
Match 3: Merfolk (again)
Punted this one too. Here's my hand: Manamorphose, Worldspine, Shoal, Through the breach and a blank. I have four lands in play. On his end step, I cast manamorphose, for no reason. Just to cycle it. Then it was my turn and I was all like...well that was dumb (drew a blank). In case you don't get it...shoal exiling the manamorphose, splicing the breach and dropping the wurm should have been my play.
Match 4: Jeskai control
Game one I comboed turn 2. Game 2, he sided into a more controlling version, which I think is a mistake. This deck is highly favored in a draw-go scenario. Splicing my Goryo's at the end of his turn forced him to counter useless spells leaving me wide open to cast it on my turn. Easy wins.
I need to play more matches, including the tough ones like infect and affinity but overall, very impressed with the deck. Graveyard hate at its minimum right now makes this deck absurd.
If it was half the price, it would be ok. But as is, 40$ drafts aren't really my cup of tea. I guess it's cool to do it once. And then never look at it again.
That's an insanely cheap price.
We have to pay about 360 CAN and the store is actually losing money on that.
Stupid distributors.
I went two years ago. We rented a house actually and ya, there were two bins (with instructions as to what goes where) but it was more like "Recyclables" & "Trash". What I did notice, in a bit of a test of irony, is that although the Japanese are recycling savy, they literally package everything. And that includes dumb stuff like an apple. Why the hell does my apple need to come in a damn box???
We were in Ikibukuro. Cool place, Tokyo.