mtg, mtg cards, magic the gathering, gaming, geeks
Looked over list again to address strategy, and made a number of changes to include better early game suriveability, as well as adopting some suggestions.
Took out some expensive cards that mostly served as 'Win-more" cards to make more space, mostly for utility creatures.
Main Board:
-1 Nissa, Worldwaker -1 Ultimate Price -2 Underworld Connections -1 Perilous Vault +1 Abrupt Decay +1 Banishing Light +2 Read the Bones
Side-Board:
-2 Banishing Light -3 Hornet Nest -1 Thoughtseize +3 Nyx-Fleece Ram +1 Stain the Mind +2 Ultimate Price
I had a lot of fun playing mono-green devotion this weekend and definitely surprised opponents with just how versatile Nissa, Worldwaker can be. She's the real deal. But, there are some adjustments to be made. Here's a lengthy, but thorough review of changes.
As I feared, some of the new M15 cards are exciting, but too mana-intensive--even for a ramp deck. If an opponent has any ability to blow up the ramp strategy in my original build, you get stuck and have almost no way to come back. When I lost, I was often holding Hornet Queen , Hydra Broodmaster , and Chord of Calling without a way to cast them. There are three goals I had in mind when making further adjustments: (1) Make it even quicker, (2) Focus on the meta, and (3) Have a way to cast spells even when my ramp has been wiped out.
Main Board
Removed: -1 Hornet Queen , -1 Hydra Broodmaster , -4 Chord of Calling .
Added: +1 Nylea's Disciple , +2 Boon Satyr , +3 Mistcutter Hydra .There is so much blue out there in mono-blue devotion and control, that I believe Mistcutter Hydra is totally worth the main board space. It has haste and an X casting cost too, so it's relevant through all stages of the game-early, mid, and late.
Sideboard: On a whim, I threw a couple of Scuttling Doom Engine into the sideboard before my matches on Thursday and I have to say--that card shores up a lot of weaknesses mono-green has against mono-black. Lifebane Zombie can't remove it from your hand and intimidate means nothing against Scuttling Doom Engine . It can't be chump-blocked by a small Pack Rat nor Mutavault and trades with Desecration Demon , if your opponent is brave enough to take 6 damage. Most of black's removal are kill spells, so opponents are hesitant to use their removal on it. Of course, it's weak to Thoughtseize , but what isn't? With all of the mono-black out there, I decided to put a full playset of Scuttling Doom Engine in the sideboard.
Another important part of the sideboard is Hornet Nest , which is needed to slow down faster decks and the mirror match. The other cards are for match-ups against decks with lots of enchantments. They include Reclamation Sage , Unravel the Aether , and Back to Nature .
Thursday @ Comics & Gaming Fairfax (before changes): 2-0 vs. control and 1-4 vs. mono-black devotion.
I was surprised at how well the deck performed against control. The pinnacle of the match was after my opponent d-sphered one copy of Nissa, Worldwaker and one Polukranos, World Eater which left me with a bunch of mana dorks. He had Elspeth, Sun's Champion on the table, pumping out tokens when I used a Genesis Hydra to find another Polukranos, World Eater . He was out of removal and couldn't counter Polukranos, so next turn I was able to monstrous it for 16 (33 mana), killing all the tokens and swung in for the win.
Mono-black was just a bear to play. I started out 0-2 and was at a loss for what to do. Unfortunately, I got matched up against another mono-black deck, but I discovered all the good I could do with Scuttling Doom Engine . The deck started to perform better in that matchup. I lost the first matchup of course, sided in 2 copies and won. Then in the final round, he thoughtseized my Scuttling Doom Engine late in the game, leading to a very close loss. This is what inspired me to put a full playset in the sideboard.
Friday - I didn't get to do FNM, but tested the changes out with friends on Friday afternoon. This is with the changes: 6-2 vs. Boros Burn, 2-0 vs. Control, 2-1 vs. Mono-black aggro.
I would have expected this deck to be weak to control, but it has done a lot of good things. I think it's a combination of Mistcutter Hydra which is protected from blue and can't be countered + Nissa, Worldwaker 's elemental land creatures which can't be exiled by Detention Sphere and Banishing Light + the sideboard cards that bounce and destroy enchantments at instant speed.
This deck owns Boros Burn, but when I did lose, it was because Chained to the Rocks can exile Nissa's elemental land creatures and Young Pyromancer 's elemental creatures chump block all day with the right draws. It did well against mono-black aggro too, but it lost once due to Bile Blight screwing up my ramp and it taking too long to come back.
I look forward to trying out this newer, faster, build that is more resistant to decks that currently clog the meta. I'll let you know how it does.
Fielded this for the first time this weekend.
Game 1
Drew Quest and 3x lands. Powered up the Quest by turn five and played a Grozoth which fetched me 4x Inkwell and the other Grozoth . Died before my next turn.
Game 2
Drew Quest again, but never got it powered up. Died before I could kill anyone.
The only way this deck will win is if no one reads or knows your cards. /ugh
Out: Inner Fire , Mana Seism , Chandra Ablaze
In: notion thief], Laboratory Maniac , Waste Not
