Can't say about MUD, never been too popular around here. Serenity is better, though still non ideal. If you run serenity around T4-5, that would generally be a hard knock for the Affinity player. The issue with it though is that it gives Affinity a turn, which can be huge. The reason Flux is so dangerous is that if you dont kill it the turn its cast, your in trouble. Serenity gives the affinity player a turn to kill it. Additionally, you know your going to lose everything, usually foolish moves like putting everything on a Skirge becomes very attractive. Has Affinity lost if the life-totals are 30-6, but the board is wiped? Unfortunately for you the answer is no, it's unlikely, but the life coushine can give the time nessissary to pull it off. It all depends. The number of lands and Skirges becomes a large part of it... If I have lost 5 lands and 3 Skirges, coming back becomes much less likely.
These are just my thoughts... I haven't played vs Serenity (or dead guy) a lot, but if I'm not dead if you bring in 3 Flux, 3 Serenity seems like I could live with it. Vs Dead Guy, my impulse would be to bring in Claim, especially since you guys are shifting towards Vial and SFM.
I don't know if Null Rod is still worth using... Mind you, I mainly posted because Tim's post seems blatantly wrong... And makes it pretty clear he hasn't played vs good players much, or ever looked at my primer
EDIT: Reading your post, what your saying makes a lot more sense. My appologies, if your game plan is 4 ET and Mul into it, that changes a lot (I didn't know you played ET? But maybe then I'm the one who should b reading primers ). There's a world off difference between sbing 2 Rods and expecting Affinity to just die, and having 4 ET md and locking us out turn 2.
EDIT 2: Vault Skirge is amazing. Love that dude. Removal is less useful vs those of us running Etched Champ over MoE, especially combined with Pest and Ravager. I dunno about it being a good deck, but in every meta report since NPH it has completely killed away in the rankings. Close to Proven for a few months now, we even hit 2.97 at one point. Plus I kill people with it, and most ppl report a g1 win % that is only beaten by dredge. Kinds fits my definition of a good deck. Shame Dead Guy doesn't have either of those...
null rod is amazing to run in the side board. Not only does it hose affinity, it can stop shackles, LEDs, mox's swords.
null rod fights pithing needle for that spot in the SB. in this case, id rather run null rod since it is far more resilient against multiple decks. whereas pithing needle only has an advantage against jace and wastelands.
The fact that you'll rarely connect with a creature that has SoLS on it because the only black/white creatures are Germs/SFM/Bob. Big fish, Goyfs, and Knights will eat your sworded creature all day.
Scratch that Knight's won't, but it still sucks in comparison to the rest of the swords, except maybe Feast and Famine.
Yes I said SoFaF sucks. Did you hear me everybody? I'm going on the record again saying that Sword of Feast and Famine SUCKS compared to almost every other playable equipment. Hell I think I'd play Basilisk Collar before I played SoFaF because SOFAF SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS (right now).
yea. SOFF does suck. I do agree with you about SOLS. I think the best one right now is actually SOBM.
I was intending to rely on the 10 MD discard spells to fight combo, wouldn't ethersworn canonist be too slow to fight the decks that they matter against?
And yes the engineered plague were pathetic, I didn't see any aggro all day. I was expecting merfolk, belcher and junk to make a bigger presence as they were everywhere 2 months ago (this tournament takes place once every 1-2 months).
I personally felt that vampire nighthawk wasn't very spectacular, or maybe I'm just using it wrong.
Jace, the mind sculptor is horrible when it lands. Without vindicate (and even with it, they will counter it anyway), its almost an instant scoop.
with all the decks you faced, it seems hypnotic is better in your meta than the VNH. you do have lots of removal already.
discard doesnt' really do anything to combo. it just slows them down. you need a lock (can even be hypnotic), and then beat his face. If you run 2 tutors, turn 1 you discard him or take a chance with tutor and then get the ethersworn on turn 2.
I'll bet you your engineered plagues were beyond pathetic in this meta.
second, I would not use dark ritual in this deck. I would personally move the dark rituals out, move bitterblossoms in the MD.
This frees up 6 slots in your SB. the next problem is the manriki, the sword of war and peace, and the serenity. just take these out. they are not that good to dedicate 3 sideboard slots.
I know you have a tutored board, but you only have one. up one more on the tutor. then add 1 ethersworn cannonist to fight combo.
now you have 4 slots left. Use extirpates as a 3 of to fight annoying blue decks and graveyard decks. .
As for the last SB card, I am unsure at this point. I think you should up the serenity count, but this card is too slow to remove the artifacts that you need to get rid of.
also, always thoughtseize before hymn. you might get two cards with hymn that you then cannot get with the thoughtseize. i know chances are slim, but it might happen.
If you have a Vial out then you've already stopped counter decks. If you don't, they'll take this guy with Vedalken Shackles or just *** you. I like the guy, but I don't think he's disruptive enough to warrant the slot, especially at 2/2 for WW.Krosan Grip.
Then you'll have revolker to stop Shackles. granted he's better for death and taxes, but it's still a card to consider.
The doublestrike on Mirran Cursader also makes our equipment package particularly insane. I really like getting double counters on Jitte or triggering SoFI/SoBaM twice
wait wut? I never knew it triggered twice. Wow all those times I got screwed over because I never knew...
null rod is amazing to run in the side board. Not only does it hose affinity, it can stop shackles, LEDs, mox's swords.
null rod fights pithing needle for that spot in the SB. in this case, id rather run null rod since it is far more resilient against multiple decks. whereas pithing needle only has an advantage against jace and wastelands.
People start to lose when they overextend.
those things are impossible to beat with eva green. its so bad, i don't even board for it.
(most relevant) - SoFI - SSoBaM - SoLs - SoWaP- SoFF - (least relevant)
yea. SOFF does suck. I do agree with you about SOLS. I think the best one right now is actually SOBM.
that's actually the million dollar question
with all the decks you faced, it seems hypnotic is better in your meta than the VNH. you do have lots of removal already.
discard doesnt' really do anything to combo. it just slows them down. you need a lock (can even be hypnotic), and then beat his face. If you run 2 tutors, turn 1 you discard him or take a chance with tutor and then get the ethersworn on turn 2.
I did that once against ANT and came out on top.
second, I would not use dark ritual in this deck. I would personally move the dark rituals out, move bitterblossoms in the MD.
This frees up 6 slots in your SB. the next problem is the manriki, the sword of war and peace, and the serenity. just take these out. they are not that good to dedicate 3 sideboard slots.
I know you have a tutored board, but you only have one. up one more on the tutor. then add 1 ethersworn cannonist to fight combo.
now you have 4 slots left. Use extirpates as a 3 of to fight annoying blue decks and graveyard decks. .
As for the last SB card, I am unsure at this point. I think you should up the serenity count, but this card is too slow to remove the artifacts that you need to get rid of.
also, always thoughtseize before hymn. you might get two cards with hymn that you then cannot get with the thoughtseize. i know chances are slim, but it might happen.
this matchup is brutal
that doesn't stop merfolk or Eva green or other rock based deckss
Also hymn without mix diamonds is very difficult. Same as using gatekeeper
Then you'll have revolker to stop Shackles. granted he's better for death and taxes, but it's still a card to consider.
great with vial. makes deadguy more aggro. and stops counter decks cold
wait wut? I never knew it triggered twice. Wow all those times I got screwed over because I never knew...