I currently run 1-of Venser is my bant pod build. I used to run 2 but tbh it was never good to draw multiple copies. He's won me a number of games as a 1-of, either combining with slime or blade splicer for shenanigans, or drawing it late game in a stalemate and breaking the siege with unblockability for an instant win.
I went 5-3-1 at the SCG open this weekend with my modified bant list. (similar to the one from the PTQ where I went 5-2-1) I faced Caw Blade 4 times and split 2-2 with them. Biggest thing was beating Edgar Flores in the first round 2-1. I got really bad luck in round 6 (mulled to 5 g1 and then 4 g2 because of 1 or no landers) and was going to win round 2 but that was the draw (against RUG twin), should have managed time better on my part.
As far as the deck is concerned, I'll be cutting Hero of Bladehold and finding room for a possible Aether Adept at 3 drop. I recall situations where I was wishing I had access to her so I'm going to try it.
I am planning on going to the SCG Open in Pittsburg this Saturday. Would appreciate thoughts or comments on this build. I can change it to a pod deck if need be, but I wanted to try it this way. Credit for most of this build goes T. Fujimoto (he placed 2nd at Japanese Nationals)
I'm going to be testing RUG pod splash Twin as a backdoor win because of the weakness now. It is nice to run red for sideboard Combust which few cards they might run deals with, mutagenic growth being one of them.
Yeah, I get that. I was honestly thinking it might be a better idea for them overall; I'd have won the fog match if I played Roils over Dismember (He had Luminarch Ascension), and have done no worse in any other matchup, because I never actually got a chance to use the card when I had it (I mean, there were targets, but it was just never worth it)...cept for one chance against twin.
Then it got dispelled.
Also...has anyone heard of twin players using Mutagenic Growth on Deceiver Exarch? I totally saw this guy do it to someone (He'll survive dismember/combust).
I'm a huge fan of mortis dogs because if equipped with lashwrite the opponent has the option to kill mortis dogs which will do X amount of damage if mortis is killed or if they don't block him he is still doing x amont of damage. Minus the fact if you play a deck with "no combat damage is dealth this turn" cards then yea. Tower of calamities is just in there right now because I don't have many other cards to replace it currently I just got into this but it was my thought to remove that once I figured out what to replace it with. With caged sun out though mana isn't a problem...thanks.
Mortis Dogs is certainly good in limited, and I think an argument could be made for it having been at uncommon rarity. Not sure it cuts it in T2 at 4 drop though, and in this deck you have 12 4-drops. That's kind of steep for aggro, I'd try to lower that curve.
A lot of 1-ofs in your removal too, try to clean that up. Dismember in particular should have more presence.
His deck seems cold to Valakut and UR twin, I've been playing with it on MWS. Is the Aus meta very different or something? Seems like the deck wouldn't do well in NY area at all.
Used your list with some minor meta adjustments last night jdmike and it ran fairly well. I went 3-2, beating valakut, UR twin, and UW control. Lost to another Valakut and UR twin.
It seems a little cold to UR twin in the number of responses (against a well prepared opponent with Dispel). Good overall though.
In the last tournament I went to I faced the UW mirror match 2 times, except these guys didn't run Blade Splicer/Venser package. Blade Splicer single-handidly won me the match both times. Whether it was baiting out an early Day of Judgment or just simply beating face, Blade Splicer is an all-star.
I'm gonna say RUG has, the one that runs the Twin combo.
Thanks for the report, Escudero. I like your deck a lot, interesting take on the Pod concept. Did you consider possibly running the Stonehorn Dignitary combo?
I hadn't, but I suppose it's something to consider for the sideboard as a 1-of.
I would cut something else if so in a field full of splinter twin decks. Dismember is less likely to be answered, but both of them would have fallen to Dispel anyway.
Round 1: Loss 1-2 to monoRed
My opponent was playing Grim Lavamancer and Spikeshot Elder and burnspells. If he was playing Guide and such I didn't know, never saw them. I lost game 1, then sided in all my aggro hate (firewalkers, baloth, baneslayer, celestial purges, spellskites) and stomped him game 2. Game 3 I didn't draw a single sideboard card though somehow and lost.
Round 2: Win 2-1 against UB control.
I was paired against one of my friends I'd drove there with and actually received a game 1 loss for a list violation. I'd forgotten to write down Phyrexian Metamorph on my decklist so had a 59/15 deck on paper. The judge straightened it out and I realized what was wrong, so I was fine for the rest of the tournament.
I drew well though and stomped him in 2 games, winning ultimately with my manlands.
Round 3: Win 2-0 against Eldrazi Green
Wasn't much contest here. I Destroyed key lands, o-ringed ramp creatures, and locked down an Ulamog he'd Summoning Trapped into play with my Frost Titan in g2 for the win.
Round 4: Win 2-0 against UR Splinter Twin
I have played this former pro before and had overheard what deck he was playing two rounds earlier while I was in the bathroom and he was discussing it with someone else, so I knew how to approach this game. Game 1 I was lucky enough to draw a dismember in my opening hand and played appropriately from there, never tapping out after turn 3. I tried to keep him off double red with slimes and Frost, and succeeded for the win.
Game 2 I sided in all my additional hate (purges, spellskites, flashfreeze) and there was little he could do when I hate skite in play and multiple answers in hand.
Round 5: Win 2-1 against BR Vampires.
Pretty much the classic BR Vampires deck, I didn't see any new tech really. Game 1 I stomped by pulling out Baloth, metamorph Baloth, then Sun Titan.
Game 2 I lost to a poor draw after siding in second Baloth, Baneslayer, Spellskites, celestial purges. Didn't see any of those except spellskite.
Game 3 I fared better in drawing answers, eventually landing Avenger of Zendikar and bouncing it with Venser for 12 tokens and proceeded to win the next turn with unblockability.
Round 6: Win 2-1 against RG Valakut.
Pretty straightforward Valakut, won game 1 with slimes, tec edges, O-ring, and frost Titan.
Lost game 2 to 3 Primeval titans and didn't see any flashfreeze.
Game 3 Flashfreezed a Green Sun's Zenith, Celestial Purged an Inferno Titan, O-ringed his other primeval, until he had no hand and I simply swung down two turns with my Titans.
Round 7: Draw with UB Tezzeret
Interesting MU, I was very scared game 1 when he dropped maindeck Torpor Orb turn 2. I couldn't imagine a worse thing to see. I proceeded to lose that game to 5/5s, wishing just for that MU I'd had my Nature's Claims which I'd dropped in favor of dismember (better against twin because of mental misstep).
Game 2 I brought in Corrupter, Spellskite, and Purges. Took this one down by slowing him down with corrupter and slimes (preying on lands and chalices). Celestial purged his first Tezz and O-ringed the next. It eventually turned into a Sphinx battle as I metamorphed his Sphinx. He scooped when we got into a draw war and I used less triggers, so he had no library.
Game 3 we only had about 2 minutes left before starting. I had frost titan and baloth in play when it ended with him at 8 and nothing on the field. One more turn and I would have won in all likelyhood.
Round 8: Loss 0-2 to UR twin
A better twin deck than the one I faced in round 4. I played it the same I did against the other, slowly swing in and keeping mana open while my opponent dug for his pieces. When it came time to stop the combo though, he was prepared with Dispel. Both games he countered my answer, game 2 even doing it twice (Dismember and Flashfreeze). I had him at 1 life game 2 when he resolved Splinter Twin. very painful.
Summary:
So I had a good experience overall. I think I could have been 6-2 instead of 5-2-1 if we'd played a little faster in round 7, but that would have been only good enough for 10th place anyway.
It might be nice to bounce once (I run a 7-drop Avenger of Zendikar) but beyond that there are much better targets you could have. It is clearly good with my Birthing Pod copies, but how many basics are people running anyway? I only have 7 in my current build.
As far as the deck is concerned, I'll be cutting Hero of Bladehold and finding room for a possible Aether Adept at 3 drop. I recall situations where I was wishing I had access to her so I'm going to try it.
I'm going to be testing RUG pod splash Twin as a backdoor win because of the weakness now. It is nice to run red for sideboard Combust which few cards they might run deals with, mutagenic growth being one of them.
Mortis Dogs is certainly good in limited, and I think an argument could be made for it having been at uncommon rarity. Not sure it cuts it in T2 at 4 drop though, and in this deck you have 12 4-drops. That's kind of steep for aggro, I'd try to lower that curve.
A lot of 1-ofs in your removal too, try to clean that up. Dismember in particular should have more presence.
It seems a little cold to UR twin in the number of responses (against a well prepared opponent with Dispel). Good overall though.
I hadn't, but I suppose it's something to consider for the sideboard as a 1-of.
Link to post and event report: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showpost.php?p=7050737&postcount=1546
I went 5-2-1 for 27th place. There were about 250 players, more than expected.
3 Island
4 Forest
1 Sunpetal Grove
2 Celestial Colonnade
2 Stirring Wildwood
2 Razorverge Thicket
2 Seachrome Coast
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Tectonic Edge
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Scalding Tarn
Creatures:
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Obstinate Baloth
2 Blade Splicer
1 Spellskite
2 Acidic Slime
4 Birds of Paradise
1 Sun Titan
1 Consecrated Sphinx
4 Lotus Cobra
3 Fauna Shaman
1 Frost Titan
2 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Avenger of Zendikar
2 Venser, the Sojourner
Spells:
4 Preordain
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Dismember
2 Birthing Pod
1 Obstinate Baloth
2 Spellskite
3 Kor Firewalker
3 Flashfreeze
2 Celestial Purge
2 Day of Judgement
1 Viridian Corrupter
1 Baneslayer Angel
Round 1: Loss 1-2 to monoRed
My opponent was playing Grim Lavamancer and Spikeshot Elder and burnspells. If he was playing Guide and such I didn't know, never saw them. I lost game 1, then sided in all my aggro hate (firewalkers, baloth, baneslayer, celestial purges, spellskites) and stomped him game 2. Game 3 I didn't draw a single sideboard card though somehow and lost.
Round 2: Win 2-1 against UB control.
I was paired against one of my friends I'd drove there with and actually received a game 1 loss for a list violation. I'd forgotten to write down Phyrexian Metamorph on my decklist so had a 59/15 deck on paper. The judge straightened it out and I realized what was wrong, so I was fine for the rest of the tournament.
I drew well though and stomped him in 2 games, winning ultimately with my manlands.
Round 3: Win 2-0 against Eldrazi Green
Wasn't much contest here. I Destroyed key lands, o-ringed ramp creatures, and locked down an Ulamog he'd Summoning Trapped into play with my Frost Titan in g2 for the win.
Round 4: Win 2-0 against UR Splinter Twin
I have played this former pro before and had overheard what deck he was playing two rounds earlier while I was in the bathroom and he was discussing it with someone else, so I knew how to approach this game. Game 1 I was lucky enough to draw a dismember in my opening hand and played appropriately from there, never tapping out after turn 3. I tried to keep him off double red with slimes and Frost, and succeeded for the win.
Game 2 I sided in all my additional hate (purges, spellskites, flashfreeze) and there was little he could do when I hate skite in play and multiple answers in hand.
Round 5: Win 2-1 against BR Vampires.
Pretty much the classic BR Vampires deck, I didn't see any new tech really. Game 1 I stomped by pulling out Baloth, metamorph Baloth, then Sun Titan.
Game 2 I lost to a poor draw after siding in second Baloth, Baneslayer, Spellskites, celestial purges. Didn't see any of those except spellskite.
Game 3 I fared better in drawing answers, eventually landing Avenger of Zendikar and bouncing it with Venser for 12 tokens and proceeded to win the next turn with unblockability.
Round 6: Win 2-1 against RG Valakut.
Pretty straightforward Valakut, won game 1 with slimes, tec edges, O-ring, and frost Titan.
Lost game 2 to 3 Primeval titans and didn't see any flashfreeze.
Game 3 Flashfreezed a Green Sun's Zenith, Celestial Purged an Inferno Titan, O-ringed his other primeval, until he had no hand and I simply swung down two turns with my Titans.
Round 7: Draw with UB Tezzeret
Interesting MU, I was very scared game 1 when he dropped maindeck Torpor Orb turn 2. I couldn't imagine a worse thing to see. I proceeded to lose that game to 5/5s, wishing just for that MU I'd had my Nature's Claims which I'd dropped in favor of dismember (better against twin because of mental misstep).
Game 2 I brought in Corrupter, Spellskite, and Purges. Took this one down by slowing him down with corrupter and slimes (preying on lands and chalices). Celestial purged his first Tezz and O-ringed the next. It eventually turned into a Sphinx battle as I metamorphed his Sphinx. He scooped when we got into a draw war and I used less triggers, so he had no library.
Game 3 we only had about 2 minutes left before starting. I had frost titan and baloth in play when it ended with him at 8 and nothing on the field. One more turn and I would have won in all likelyhood.
Round 8: Loss 0-2 to UR twin
A better twin deck than the one I faced in round 4. I played it the same I did against the other, slowly swing in and keeping mana open while my opponent dug for his pieces. When it came time to stop the combo though, he was prepared with Dispel. Both games he countered my answer, game 2 even doing it twice (Dismember and Flashfreeze). I had him at 1 life game 2 when he resolved Splinter Twin. very painful.
Summary:
So I had a good experience overall. I think I could have been 6-2 instead of 5-2-1 if we'd played a little faster in round 7, but that would have been only good enough for 10th place anyway.