Standards and Practices 4
Features
Behgz
3 December 2013
1539 views
3 December 2013
1539 views
Hello and Welcome to the Long awaited Fourth Edition of Behgz’ TO article series!
As some of you may know there was a waiting list the last time I posted an article, and on that list our friend Anansi442 was next in line to be chosen for a user submitted deck.
Bad news Everyone! I have decided to scrap the entire waiting list.
I now know that I cannot keep up with the demand for a high volume write-up style article series, Spootyone seems to have picked up the torch, but I just can not do more than a few weeks worth of it before I have to take a break. Luckily Basketball season is in full swing and in case anyone cared to know, I am doing quite well in my fantasy league this year seeing as I had the number 1 draft position this year as opposed to last place the year before. But know, I will continue to sporadically post articles whenever I can.
Some of you may remember my standard brew last season;
Garden Hose
Modern
SCORE: 28 | 82 COMMENTS | 7227 VIEWS | IN 7 FOLDERS
It pretty much dominated at all times. This standard season however, I do not have the luxury of having the maximum amount of sets available in standard at one time; All of ISD and RTR with Two Core Sets was incredible, I can only look forward to Born of The Gods and Journey Into Nyx, not to mention M15 B*tches! Watch out! (added level of hype attributed to alcohol consumption)
Moving on, we have a few things we need to get out of the way first.
The first being the ever-present problem of users posting in the deck help threads as though it is their personal deck cycle machine. I understand the need for deck help and the need for wanting to publicize ones deck, but there is a system already in place and if we can all learn to use that system as efficiently as possible, maybe we do not need to change anything. (I understand that new users will always be a thing and that is why there is a need for moderators like Epochalyptik to help smooth things out.)
A lot has changed since the last time I posted an article. Rotation hit all of us hard, never thought I would see the day when I would trade in the magnificent Bastard that is Thragtusk but I did, like, The day of rotation, I ran his ass til the hooves fell off.
With rotation comes a new batch of delicious. deck-large:Blood Baron, Sexual predator
Here is my version of the Esper brew floating around most Top 8 finishes.
Ask me which deck is The Top Deck in Standard Right Now.
I would have to say Esper Control.
Ask me which deck is most consistent.
I would have to say Mono-Blue Devotion.
Ask me which deck should you (the reader) play?
I would have to say Mono-Black Devotion.
Why ?
Because, Esper can dig for literally any answer to Every sitch.
Mono-Blue will win half it is matches just off it is own consistency.
And Mono-Black devotion is riding off the coat tails of the cheapest win-con to hit
standard since infect, Blood Artist on a stick is pretty fraking lame IMO.
Moving on..
We have my other standard brew, the ever-present iteration of Mono-Blue Devotion aka MUD deck-large:You Can Has Frog/Lizard This^ was recently featured in Spootyone article series Showndown #10: Splash!
By now you have to know where I am going, that is right, MUD versus Esper!
This week we have the ever-so very hyped MUD versus the tried and true Esper Control.
Disclaimer: Both Deck lists are provided by and piloted by Me. Any and all misplays or mis-transcribing can be attributed to the fact that I am doing this for the public good, (pro bono). I am not asking for $ tips, just throw a couple +1's my way ;-)
First up we have the reining champ as it were, MUD aka Mono-Blue Devotion Steps up to claim its birthright, apparently lol, and Esper just does not like anyone ever :P
Mono_Blue Devotion Keeps Hand of 3x island, Mutavault, Judge's Familiar, Bident of Thassa, and Jace, Architect of Thought.
Esper Keeps Hand of plains, Temple of Deceit, Omenspeaker, Jace, Architect of Thought, Supreme Verdict and 2x Blood Baron of Vizkopa.
MUD wins the toss.
MUD T1: Island, Judge's Familiar, pass.
Esper T1: Draws Plains, plays Temple of Deceit tapped, scrys 1 (Temple of Silence leaves on top). Passes.
MUD T2: Draws Cloudfin Raptor, plays island, moves to combat, swings with Judge's Familiar for 1, life is at M20-E19. Second main casts Cloudfin Raptor and passes.
Esper T2: Draws Temple of Silence, plays plains, casts Omenspeaker scrys 2 (Temple of Deceit & Omenspeaker leaves on top Temple of Deceit and Omenspeaker on top the way they were found). Passes.
MUD T3: Draws Judge's Familiar plays Mutavault, casts Judge's Familiar triggers evolve on Cloudfin Raptor. Moves to combat, swings with judge and raptor for 2 in the air. No blocks. Life is at M20-E17. Passes.
Esper T3: Draws Temple of Deceit plays Temple of Silence scrys 1 (Omenspeaker leaves on top). Passes.
MUD T4: Draws island, plays island, casts, Bident of Thassa, moves to combat. Swings with 2x Judge's Familiar and Cloudfin Raptor at 1 power, no blocks. Life is at M20-E14, Card draw triggers off Bident, Draws 3; island, Nightveil Specter and Master of Waves
. Passes.
Esper T4: Draws Omenspeaker plays plains, moves to combat. Swings with Omenspeaker for one, no blocks. Life is at M19-E14. Second main, casts Supreme Verdict. Passes.
MUD T5: Draws island, plays island, casts Nightveil Specter, activates Mutavault moves to combat. Swings with Mutavault for 2. Life is at M19-E12, Draws off Bident Trigger; island. Passes.
Esper T5; Draws Temple of Deceit tapped, believe it or not, we do not have 2 blue sources out yet, I was so worried about hitting the turn 4 Supreme Verdict that I can not get this Jace AOT out til next turn. Plays Temple of Deceit scrys 1 (Hero's Downfall leaves on top). Casts Omenspeaker scrys 2 (Hero's Downfall and Blood Baron of Vizkopa puts both back where they were). Passes.
MUD T6: Draws Frostburn Weird plays island. Moves to combat. Swings with Nightveil Specter for 2. Life is at M19-E10. Draws off Bident Trigger; island, reveals top card of opponents library from Nightveil trigger; Hero's Downfall. 2nd Main casts Frostburn Weird and then Master of Waves devotion of 8, creates 8 elemental wave tokens. Passes.
Esper T6: draws Blood Baron of Vizkopa plays Temple of Deceit scrys 1 (Sphinx's Revelation leaves it on top]]). Casts Blood Baron of Vizkopa. Passes.
MUD T7: Draws island, moves to combat. Swings with the team. Overkill even with lifelink blocks. GG
Thoughts on the round. Well Dayum, MUD just cleaned house, but seriously the real star of the show in this particular match-up was Bident of Thassa that card provided so much card advantage it was not even funny, as well as showcasing the decks ability to take a handful of otherwise derpy creatures and just completely run away with the match.
Esper, while hitting its ever-so very crucial Supreme Verdict on curve at turn 4 just is not enough when your opponent responds with animating Mutavault and drawing off Bident of Thassa that kind of resiliency and draw power is what makes MUD so powerful, it is not any one big creature or spell, but rather it is how it all synergizes and works together to become more than the sum of its parts.
Tune in next time when I will be churning out the next edition completely at random!
Nice write-up. My various esper builds have struggled with MUD too, it's really strong. No Game 2?
December 3, 2013 11:10 p.m.
If the Esper deck had put the Hero's Downfall below the Blood Baron of Vizkopa it would have been there to cast on Master of Waves but the master wasn't out at the time of the scry 2, and I assumed lifelink from Blood Baron of Vizkopa would be enough based on the current board state to at the least keep him in the game.
December 3, 2013 11:24 p.m.
Nigeltastic says... #5
The thing about MUD is that it IS an aggro deck. It's RDW with a (sometimes) unblockable 5/5 that fixes draws and an artifact that gives card advantage. If Esper doesn't rip the Supreme Verdict or counter the Thassa, God of the Sea they get stomped in. I personally thing Golgari is well situated to hose MUD, but it has a bit of trouble vs. Esper, and also nobody plays it for some reason.
December 4, 2013 10:18 a.m.
Nigeltastic Esper only needs to handle two main things, Master of Waves and Nightveil Specter , the rest of the game is easy. as the MUD player is trying to build devotion. Allowing Thassa, God of the Sea to stay on board, is fine because it leaves them believing they'll reach it. the Bident of Thassa , is unimportant also. I take out Nightveil Specter and Master of Waves as soon as one hits the board or attacks., the MUD player is always stuck for something else to do. the other little threats, deal with them, but they aren't as important as these other two. Don't worry about the enablers, like thassaa and the bident and worry about the actual threats, then the game just becomes...Wait for esper player to drop Elspeth, Sun's Champion , turn the game into a 4 turn clock.
As for nobody plays it, it usually tops 8 gp's and pt (last 5 major events, 2 of 5 didn't have an esper deck top 8), it's played, but the mana base needed is problematic, the tighter mana-base for the mono colors make it a bit better in that category, so when two players of equal skill play, the mono player wins for this reason alone.
December 4, 2013 10:29 a.m.
Nigeltastic says... #7
I don't know that you read the sentence where I stated "nobody plays it" in very well... I know people play Esper, I would have to be a fool to think they don't. I said Golgari (G/B) handles MUD very well, but nobody plays Golgari currently, possibly due to it having some trouble vs. Blood Baron of Vizkopa .
As for your analysis of the matchup of Esper vs. MUD, I think you underestimate the beatdown Cloudfin Raptor and Frostburn Weird can deal with a Mutavault or two alongside. Esper has always struggled with consistent aggro decks, but has relied on Supreme Verdict to bomb the board and then the aggro player to have 2 cards in hand and lose. MUD can ride Frostburn Weird on pumps alone, and use Bident of Thassa to regain lost cards. This allows them to not overcommit to the board and get nuked, and to recover afterwards.
December 4, 2013 10:39 a.m.
Is this a kind of article where you playtest netdecks? Because that would be a good idea, so we can see the ins and outs of certain matchups.
December 4, 2013 8:23 p.m.
@Matsi883 This week it ended up being 2 netdecks, but as I eluded to in this issue, I no longer have any kind of waiting list, so each issue can be determined at random, the only real parameters of the article include sticking to standard brews and transcribing matches as the meat and potatoes. As well as no timetable for the next issue. No pressure, better article ;-)
Spootyone says... #1
They're back! Glad to see that man! Also sort of glad to see that my most recent loss to your MUD deck wasn't just because my deck is bad hahaha. But seriously, though, MUD can be incredibly explosive. I'm actually thinking of re-adding Plummet to my sideboard as a 2 or 3 of to help combat this sort of deck. Fairly easy to cast as its first positive attribute, it can also kill just about every threat the deck can pose (either through direct removal or by turning off devotion via Nightveil Specter death).
December 3, 2013 10:52 p.m.