Bound to the Old, We Cling to the New
Current Standard
OutspokenFerret
16 March 2015
3134 views
16 March 2015
3134 views
Hello, I know it's been a while... a long while... But I have to put academics and family first and I apologize for my abrupt absence and can not guarantee it won't happen again for the time being, I can tell you that I will try to remain as active as possible and provide as much insight as I can. To begin on our topic for this article, I have to start with a small story.
I almost quit Magic... I really did. I looked at cards sitting on my desk and saw almost no interest. FRF spoilers came and went but I just glanced and moved on. I bought a box, hoping to reignite my spark for Magic, but it did nothing. It was like when you finally burn out on Mac & Cheese as a kid, I felt dazed and distraught, like I had lost a part of myself.
I never had time to go to FNM or playtest at home, not the money to play MODO or even the patience to play Cockatrice. It took me a while to realize what had happened. I had been constantly watching for new things, analyzing archetypes and trying to craft a new deck to beat those archetypes. Every time I did, I kept falling short of success and never truly felt like the decks were powerful enough. This was the root of my problem. Instead of trying to adapt the meta, I was trying to skirt around the edges of it and break it. So I burnt out on Magic, not because I lost my love for the game, but because I lost hope fighting against the current. Finally, I realized that what I should be doing, instead of trying to break the meta, I should be using it as a tool.
The meta is a shell, a number of cards that are insanely useful or powerful, that are all tools at my disposal in order to make a powerful deck. That is where this article comes in. To prepare for the coming transition and to find what I will be playing in it, I have to first analyze what makes the current decks the top decks. I am planning to go to a few opens this spring and I would love everybody's insight.
Goblin Rabblemaster - The Rabbledabbler is a tough little 3-drop that puts the hurt when left unchecked. He is easy to cast in most decks, makes tokens, and synergizes with itself. What makes him so powerful is how good he gets if he lives a turn. If you let him live past turn 3, he is getting in for 6 damage the next turn a lot of the time, and that is a lot to take from just one card, that also has little guys to give him a hand. What is really good against him, is 2+damage sweep effects and 2-mana spot removal that denies him the chance to even make a friend.
Siege Rhino - Siege Rhino is great for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it is increasingly obvious that if a creature is draining life and either does so in large quantities for a low cost or attached to a large body, the card tends to be powerful. This is most likely because it (Rhino specifically) creates a 6 life gap between the opponent and you, whilst being above the curve and having a body hard for burn to deal with and able to block Rabblemaster on turn 4 when he gets bigger and live to tell the tale. Siege Rhino is tough to answer, tough to push past, and hits like a truck. All things you want in a strong midrange card. It falls victim however, to big creature hate, spot removal, and only having 4 power makes it susceptible to Polukranos nom-age.
Hornet Queen - Deathtouch is scary, and 4 buzzing nuisances with it and their mother is even more so. Thriving from the ramp and recursion in this format, Hornet Queen provides both a relevant threat with its evasion, and a hard to beat wall with it's ability to trade. However, Hornet Queen is susceptible to 2+ damage sweepers and dividable damage.
Mastery of the Unseen - A newer appearance, Mastery of the Unseen is a powerful tool that lets you sink mana that you didn't use over the turn or on your opponent's into a group of threats that are 2/2's in themselves, or if you get a creature along the line, you can flip it to gain a ton of life. Mastery of the Unseen is weak to lifegain blocks, the plethora of enchantment hate, and quick decks.
Whisperwood Elemental - Whisperwood is a threat that keeps getting bigger and gives you a bit of mass-removal protection. He is really versatile and like Rabblemaster, can quickly take over a game if left unchecked.
There are more, but to me, those seem to be the behemoths right now. After that, we have a ton of support. Now that we see why those cards are good, we can evaluate what new cards help those plans... or destroy them.
Dromoka's Command - Provides spot removal for Rabblemaster, possible removal for Courser and Mastery of the Unseen, can protect your creatures from Burn, and can push your Rhino past a World Eater. Seems really solid for any deck that can run it.
Atarka's Command - Really synergistic with Rabblemaster. Turns the 6 life if unchecked, to 12 life minimum if unchecked. It also can stop Mastery of the Unseen from gaining life as well as Siege Rhino.
Dragonlord Atarka - Kills Hornet Queen, Rabblemaster, Siege Rhino, Courser, 2 Morphs, and more, and leaves you with an 8/8 that has evasion all for the price of seven mana... Dayum. Paired with Recursion like Whip of Erebos, this can come down to play as early as turn 4 or 5. Definitely one of the better cards in the set.
Sarkhan Unbroken - Draws cards, ramps, and makes a 4/4 evasive threat. That is one hell of a card. Really strong when paired with the aforementioned Dragonlord and also can make use of Rabble, Courser, and Whisperwood to lend it a hand. Unfortunately it pushes you into certain colors, but damn does it put in work.
Hate Cards - The cycle of hate in this set is all pretty decent. Powerful Side Material for all occasions. Not much else to say here.
Myth Realized - Seems like it may be better than Mastery for control builds, and is another ramping threat for Tempo builds. Definitely a card to watch out for.
Dragonlord Dromoka - May become a thing if Control is big, but it is really susceptible to most removal in the set and despite providing a brief lockout, it can't even block Atarka and live to tell the tale.
Dragonlord Silumgar - This card is also dependent on the success of Control and Planeswalkers. If there are a lot of walkers, then it will be good, but otherwise, it is really susceptible to removal. It can kill Atarka at least.
I know there is a lot more to discuss from this set, but these feel like the most powerful in my opinion right now. I have one more card that I think may be an important card in the coming months.
Corpseweft - This card seems like a rebalanced Pack Rat. That said, it scares me how big it can get pretty quickly. With Satyr Wayfinder and Commune with the Gods this card can get big quick. We'll see but currently I'm throwing 2 into any B/G/x brew and it hasn't failed to amaze me yet.
Currently I'm looking at these two decks for post-DTK:
Abzan Midrange (With Weft) - Has answers to most other decks and is full of quality creatures and support. I am currently running one Erebos, God of the Dead to hose Mastery of the Unseen and opposing Rhinos.
Temur Midrange (With Dragonlord Atarka) - Has access to some of the most versatile threats, answers, and is very adaptable.
These two decks seem really strong both in my eyes. You may notice the complete lack of Control discussion in this article. I just think there are better options than your average Control deck right now. I could be wrong though. What do you guys think? What do you see as behemoths? And what do you think your going to play? I will probably do a follow-up article with my final deck choice/ list but I want to hear your thoughts. If anyone is interested my specs for this set are Myth Realized (grab a few in case they skyrocket) and Mirror Mockery (Versatile, Can be put on Exploit Creatures, and if Mono-Blue gets big, it will probaby run some number of it) Mirror Mockery was not mentioned above because I can't accurately evaluate that card... It triggers my inner Johnny.
OutspokenFerret says... #2
Thanks, I'm making an effort and hope to stay for a while :D
March 16, 2015 10:57 a.m.
Glad to see you back as well, with another solid article. I know what you mean though. Lately me, as well as most of my friends are struggling to avoid the same burning out feelings. I think the variety DTK and origins brings will make it easier, however. I've been brewing decks that I normally wouldn't, and just trying to have generally more fun with Magic as a whole (which has also lead to me playing more EDH). There are a lot of new bombs coming to standard, and I think things really are going to change. This deck showcases a few I think, and it has been really fun so far, but weak to certain things.
In Every Good Life There is an Image of Death Playtest
Standard*
SCORE: 5 | 6 COMMENTS | 668 VIEWSAnd then this will be my more serious, competitive deck:
Whispers Into Screams Playtest
Standard*
SCORE: 38 | 0 COMMENTS | 7514 VIEWSbut still tweaking the mana base and trying to get Ultimate Price in there.
Aside from the MTG content alone, this was still a really solid read. Your wording here was fairly captivating. The title, "Bound to the Old, We Cling to the New", is that from something in particular or is it original? I am a fan of that line.
March 16, 2015 11:45 a.m.
ZooGambler says... #4
I think GW Aggro, with Counters as a theme will become a player. (At least I hope it does) I enjoyed the article, I'd love to see a Corpseweft deck dee play.
March 16, 2015 11:59 a.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #5
In the first deck, the Temur one, you may want to consider Sylvan Caryatid over Elvish Mystic. Most of the time the ramp wouldn't be relevant until turn 3 anyways there, so Caryatid gives you better fixing, a good body, and ensures they aren't going to hate kill your mana dork as often. Also, there is a noticeable lack of Dragonlord Atarka in the mainboard which could really swing matches in your favor. Not to mention with Tempest it domes them for 8 damage. See the Unwritten seems better than Anticipate because you most likely are going to want to be using more ramp or playing Tempest turn 2. I like where the deck is going though, and You may even consider Xenagos, the Reveler if you are already flooding the board before a Descent. If you go turn 1 Mystic, Turn 2 Hordeling, Turn 3 Xenagos + Goblin Fodder/ Tempest, turn 4 Descent, thats game right there. And that has many combinations to reach a turn 4-5 win. Seems good.
As for the second deck. Move Bile Blight to board for at least 1 Ultimate Price but you really want 3-4. Maybe cut a Dissipate, 1 Disdainful Stroke, and 1 Sultai Charm for the other 3? Also, at least in my personal experience, I would play a Pearl Lake Ancient over Garruk, Apex Predator because it is a harder threat to answer that generally wins the game fairly quickly after you play it. Other than that, you have an answer to most spells but I think not having 1 Treasure Cruise may be a mistake but I'm not sure. I think the Mana Base will get better with the exclusion of 1 or 2 Sultai Charm's and moving the Bile Blight to the sideboard. You have a lot of 3-drop removal spells which can get scary, but the aforementioned may help with that.
Finally, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I'm sure someone has said something similar to the title somewhere at some point but to my knowledge that is an original line :D. Let me know if you have any more questions. I would love to help out.
March 16, 2015 12:17 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #6
@ZooGambler Shhhhhhh.... My teammate for the SCG events I will be going to is working on a Hardened Scales deck... He fell in a bit of a rut when he felt it was just not synergizing the way he wanted but I do think the potential is there for something. Maybe running the 2 green 2 drops? Avatar of the Resolute and Scaleguard Sentinels with some Red for dragons and white for Dromoka's Command maybe. You could run Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit and High Sentinels of Arashin maybe for added effect?
March 16, 2015 12:27 p.m.
ZooGambler says... #7
@OutspokenFerret I'm working hard on a deck that has been preforming very very well in testing. If you/your friend wanted to collaborate, I can shoot you my work and we can hopefully come up with something really awesome that nobody is prepared for. zoogambler @gmail.com!
March 16, 2015 12:41 p.m.
How do you think a well made mono blue can do in standard after Dragons comes out.
March 16, 2015 9:05 p.m.
buildingadeck says... #9
Obsolete: Mono-blue Devo is definitely back and is very strong. If you run the two-drop counter that makes your opponent pay mana equal to your Devo, it's even stronger.
Personally, I'm building a rather risky but fun deck that utilizes a forgotten archetype known as TurboFog. My primary win-con is mill, but Kiora and Garruk win just about as frequently as that happens. It's done pretty well in testing, but I worry about burn, control, and Purphoros, God of the Forge and Brutal Hordechief.
Here's the list: Belle: The Beast-Tamer Let me know if you have any thoughts on improvement. :)
March 16, 2015 11:55 p.m.
TheNinjaJesus says... #10
OutspokenFerret... Atarka's Command + Rabblemaster... 3 damage, 2/2 Goblin, 2/2 Goblin, 7/2 Rabblemaster= 14 damage, not 12. If you choose the "Can't gain life" mode, it's 11... 3 damage, 1/1 Goblin, 1/1 Goblin, 6/2 Rabblemaster. Unless I'm misunderstanding your math, which is distinctly possible.
March 17, 2015 12:29 a.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #11
On turn 4 with the command, you would have two 2/2 goblins and one 5/3 Rabblemaster plus the 3 damage to opponent which adds up to 12 damage :D
March 17, 2015 1:18 a.m.
TheNinjaJesus says... #12
Ah, yes, dead tired. My mistake. Sorry, Ferret.
My theory- Deathmist Raptor/Whisperwood Simic Morph might be a thing.
March 17, 2015 3:32 a.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #13
I actually just playtested a Jund Morph deck and I have to say that Ashcloud Phoenix and Deathmist Raptor are best friends. I mean they even have similar surnames (I think thats what those would be) "Ashcloud" and "Deathmist". There was so much rage when my opponent couldn't evet permanently kill my Phoenix and friends :P
March 17, 2015 6:59 a.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #14
Learn from the Past (3U Instant that does the same thing as Archive but doesn't exile) > Cranial Archive because it can be recast if you run 2 and you only have to spend mana once at instant speed, and it can be delved if need be.
Generally in Turbofog, Better Draw > More Fogs. If you can run 8x 2 mana fogs and consistently draw and play them, that is better than running an extra set of bad fogs. This would free up slots for 4x Dig Through Time and then cut the Dictate of Kruphix for Dissolve as in Turbo fog, you never want to give your opponent cards. This means cutting Dakra Mystic as well for the same reason. In that space, you can run 1 Treasure Cruise and 2 more AEtherspouts leaving us one more spot open. Instead of 3 Negate you can run 2 Disdainful Stroke that will hit more of the threats you want to hit (Siege Rhino, Purphoros, God of the Forge, Brutal Hordechief, Stoke the Flames). Im moving it away from the straight mill Strategy because you said Control and Burn were giving you trouble, and ending faster helps on both fronts. If you want to stick to the draw-out strategy then you may want to run Damnable Pact which would amount to a lethal, one-time blowout instead of giving them more fuel to pull ahead.
Additionally, Countermand may be a bit too expensive for what it does, and running Ultimate Price will help give you some much needed spot removal. If you cut Countermand and Griptide you can make space for 3 Ultimate Price and then rebalance the manabase a tad. If you can afford it, I would suggest adding a few Polluted Delta. With some of the extra space I left you could go up to 26 mana, (I suggest 27, but play around with 26 and see how it feels).
With your last slot you could add Pearl Lake Ancient. This deck needs a resilient Wincon that lets you take over the game while leaving mana up for Removal and Fogs. I know these seem like a lot of changes but just give them a shot even if you kinda dislike them. You might be surprised. I tried to keep the changes fairly budget so I hope these help :D!
March 17, 2015 12:34 p.m.
ZooGambler says... #15
My GW Aggro Thread I'm making lots of adjustments as they come. I want to post my list here but Tappedout is so slow to add in the new set. LMK what you think of my most recent list?
March 17, 2015 12:56 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #16
Has Hardened Scales not been performing for you?
Instead of Sunscorch Regent what do you think of Ajani Steadfast? He can quickly bump all your creatures up a notch or pump a creature and gain a ton of life.
The big issue I see here is recovering from Perilous Vault or Aetherspouts. Maybe running Mastery of the Unseen to recover afterwards and provide a stronger midgame. It even helps you dig out a Den Protector. Additionally, Whisperwood Elemental fills a similar niche while only costing mana once and providing an immediate body.
Deathmist Raptor can,especially if you run any of the aforementioned Manifest effects, really keep you ahead in a game when you are constantly trying to push them down.
Finally Collected Company can let you leave mana up on turn 4 and still keep Tempo, possibly even pushing you ahead of the curve.
Hope that helps :D
March 17, 2015 1:26 p.m.
ZooGambler says... #17
I find that I get there just fine not using it. My list is very tight as it is and just don't know what I'd take out to put it in. It seems really fun though! A bunch of cards including Daghatar the Adamant, Servant of the Scale, and Salt Road Quartermasters would all reap benefits from its inclusion... but what do I take out...
My answer to each of those would be to prevent myself from over extending. I find that having just 1 or 2 creatures out can provide enough pressure to the point where spending 5 mana would actually be detrimental to control. In the side I would include Nissa, Reclamation Sage and potentially Back to Nature to deal with those problems.
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, Perilous Vault, and AEtherspouts are the biggest problems right now. Perilous Vault is pretty easily solved by a timely Reclamation Sage, AEtherspouts isn't that common of a card (maybe a 1 or 2 of) that I can play around once I know they have it. And Ugin is the largest problem of them all. Everyone and their mother is attempting to work him into their list. Nissa, Worldwaker and Whisperwood Elemental are my 2 solutions so far that I've found. What else could work?
Ajani Steadfast seems like a nice inclusion, I'm just skeptical about him because he's reliant on other cards to make him good, whereas Sunscorch is a threat on his own. But that all requires testing! I'll certainly try it out.
And actually my newest list DOES include Collected Company I believe that card is amazing. Works fantastically to find Reclamation Sage, or any other threat. It also combos well with Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
Figuring out the SB is actually the toughest part about the deck I think. Newest List:
4 Servant of the Scale
3 Salt Road Quartermasters
5 Forest
4 Plains
March 17, 2015 2:17 p.m.
buildingadeck says... #18
I agree that Countermand is a bit less efficient as Dissolve, and I will make that swap. Negate for me is still a strong mainboard card over Disdainful Stroke because I'm usually not concerned with creatures excepting Purphoros, God of the Forge, Siege Rhino, and Brutal Hordechief, which are simply asking to be hit by Disdainful Stroke as you said, but not every deck I play will be running them. If I find that my local meta is heavy on them, I will make that switch but Negate hits Hero's Downfall and Banishing Light, which threaten my PWs.
Ultimate Price is great, but wouldn't I be better off with Reality Shift in most cases since it exiles, and it helps me thin their deck? Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time don't help me too much because the force me to exile some things from the graveyard which I need to return to my library with Learn from the Past (which was proxied as Griptide, which will hopefully help that make more sense). I had left one Cranial Archive in the main for the off-chance that both Learns were countered.
So, so far my edits to the main would be -2 Revealing Wind/+2 Reality Shift and -2 Countermand/+2 Dissolve.
For the side, I'm thinking about changing out a Dissipate for another Reality Shift and swapping out Unravel the Aether and Naturalize for 2 Fade into Antiquity. While fade is sorcery speed, I need it for Purphoros, God of the Forge and I'm unsure of Unravel the Aether being equally effective.
March 17, 2015 3:29 p.m.
masterosok says... #19
Secure the Wastes seems like it would be a pretty powerful card. It is certainly a U/W Control finisher, good with Jeskai tokens, and might find its way into G/W Devo.
March 17, 2015 4:29 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #20
Face-down creatures are unaffected by Ugin. Nudge nudge yah know how you "manifest" some face down creatures?
Also, holding Collected Company against decks that may be running Ugin sounds pretty strong. You can get 2 more thrests onto the board that they most likely won't be able to handle if they went to deep on Ugin, thus killing Ugin if need be and/ or getting a decent bit of damage in. Seems legit.
March 17, 2015 4:46 p.m.
ZooGambler says... #21
I know right? That's why I'm considering Whisperwood. I don't think we'll see much of Ugin for the moment due to the rise of GW devotion but he's certainly pooped on by manifest (Holla at ya boy Den Protector. He's my favorite card of the set.) And oooh learning Collected Company tech and why it's even better left and right!
I'm going to love playing this deck... I can't figure out a really really bad match up for it... Feels even better knowing it's an original.
March 17, 2015 4:56 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #22
Have you tried Favored Hoplite or Phalanx Leader? If you drop some 4 mana creatures for one of the two or both. You can use the Hoplite + Dromoka's Command to get 2 counters and a risk-less fight. Phalanx can buff your whole team and instantly makes your High Sentinels of Arashin huge.
If you are on the draw vs. Abzan Aggro you can kill Fleecemane Lion and get in for 3. If you do run Favored Hoplite though, you may want to consider adding the 1 drop aura that gives Vigilance and +1/+1 for each creature with a counter. The more I thinm about Hoplite, the better it seems
March 17, 2015 5:26 p.m.
ZooGambler says... #23
I haven't tried Hoplite yet but he does seem like a card that may work well here! Phalanx Leader was actually extremely underwhelming:( He screws with the mana base more than I would like (which sounds hypocritical because I'm running Anafenza) but I wouldn't want 4+ double whites. The leader wants an army but at the same time, he wants spells to target him. On the God draw, he is practically god himself but on the average draw he was less than average.
The Aura I believe you're talking about is Gleam of Authority, and I tested that card pretty extensively as well, but it costs 2 mana and was very very win more. It often rotted in my hand and I was wishing for another card. Maybe my shell just isn't right for it, perhaps a token build with Anafenza, Phalanx, Hoplite, and Tokens could make it work better?
March 17, 2015 5:37 p.m.
Hickorysbane says... #25
Wizards really seems to want warrior tribal to be a thing. Do you think it's got enough support that it'll be able to race the midrangey decks you talked about?
March 17, 2015 6:52 p.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #26
I see the tier 1 and 2 decks in these archetypes:
U/B/g Draw-Go Control
U/W/r Tap-Out Control/Tempo
B/W/g Tap-Out Control
G/x Devotion/Constellation
R/B Aggro/Midrange
R/G/x Midrange
G/W Aggro/Midrange
R/u Aggro/Burn
Chained to the Rocks lost a lot of ground and to me is no longer the best removal spell in Standard. I think R/W Aggro might spread out and diversify to the point it's not a single distinguishable archetype any more.
Abzan Aggro still feels weak and poorly positioned.
Whip decks have been dead for a while and I expect them to stay that way.
March 17, 2015 7:04 p.m.
wakawakawaka says... #27
with the abundance of powerful 6-8 drops with powerful etb in the upcoming standard (ugin, atarka, hornet queen, elspeth), as well as some decent mana sinks (myth realized, mastery of the unseen, crater's claw), I feel like a turn 3 Explosive Vegetation could really pull some weight. idk maybe I'm secretly a timmy.
March 18, 2015 12:27 a.m.
Is it just me, or does Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit+Secure the Wastes seem like it could really go from 0 to crazy really fast?
March 18, 2015 9:59 a.m.
TheNinjaJesus says... #29
Anafenza says non-token. If you had some way to bounce a regular creature over and over, maybe.
March 18, 2015 10:33 a.m.
TheNinjaJesus says... #31
He may say hi, but until he can play with Avatar of the Resolute, he won't truly be having fun.
Now break that combo!
March 18, 2015 1:26 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #32
Temur Sabertooth can infinitely cast a Voyaging Satyr if it has haste with a land that can add more than one mana to the mana pool. Kappa.
It can 100% cast Burning-Tree Emissary continually though. I'm not sure what that means but you can kill someone with an Impact Tremors on board in either case.
March 18, 2015 1:57 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #33
To my above statement. BTE cannot be infinitely cast, I have a quarter of a brain so I do apologize.
March 18, 2015 1:58 p.m.
buildingadeck says... #34
Impact Tremors is looking extremely underrated to me. A Naya ramp/tokens deck could be great with Impact Tremors and Purphoros, God of the Forge.
March 18, 2015 3:29 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #35
Bound to the Old Playtest
Standard*
SCORE: 1 | 0 COMMENTS | 13 VIEWSJust an untested list I whipped up that may be fun to try. Let me know what yall think :D
March 18, 2015 3:54 p.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #36
didn't read through all the comments, so I apologize if this has been mentioned already. but I think you nailed the cards, but not the archetypes. I think Abzan midrange/control, G/x devotion, r/w midrange, jeskai aggro (tokens mostly), and u/b control are the big archetypes.
I noticed that you didn't mention Narset Transcendent. I think she has a lot of potential to make a big splash.
March 18, 2015 4:59 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #37
I forgot Jeskai Midrange, hadnt playtested UB control enough yet (I have now... so gud), and any token deck loses after game 1 unfortunately.
Narset is strong, and again, I couldn't judge what I hadn't tried. She is great in Jeskai Tempo and okay in Control but I think straight UB control is better right now. Mono-red aggro will probably win the first SCG open, and UW Heroic would have been bomb if not for Ultimate Price.
Would say more but Im using 1 hand. Ice Cream > Detail
March 18, 2015 6:09 p.m.
ZooGambler says... #38
I can finally post up my list Incremental Advantage there it is. Lmk what you all think.
March 18, 2015 6:14 p.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #39
I disagree about U/B being better. Crux of Fate just got a lot worse, and u/b doesn't have access to Elspeth, Sun's Champion, which is the best win con for a control deck at the moment. Narset is also a beast that u/b has no access to. I think she will push u/w control into the spotlight. Granted, I may be a bit biased because I play u/w control right now. But I play it because I honestly think it is better right now.
March 18, 2015 10:16 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #40
Ultimate Price is one of the better removal spells in Standard right now below 3 mana, Pearl Lake Ancient > Elspeth, Sun's Champion since it is uncounterable, able to dodge removal and can be cast at instant speed. U/W also doesn't have the token hate black gives UB access to. Between Virulent Plague, Bile Blight, and Drown in Sorrow, you have more answers to aggro/ tokens. Although I think UW is still viable, UB has continually outshined it (at least in my experience)
March 18, 2015 10:32 p.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #41
I agree that u/b has the spotlight, but I think u/w deserves some more love. although u/w doesn't have the best removal, they do have a mana based more focused on blue, allowing them to run more countermagic. u/w also has access to PLA, which I admittedly play alongside Elspeth. I should also note that my Tokens matchup has always been excellent, although that might have more to do with the skill level of the player rather than the decks themselves.
I know people are excited about Ultimate Price, and it ids for good reason. but I think that u/w is significantly better against green devotion and abzan, which, in my opinion, makes it a better choice for the meta. that being said, you are right that u/b is the better choice in a more aggressive meta.
March 18, 2015 10:57 p.m.
poistapoista says... #42
I actually have something similar to the temur archetype you suggested, I would love if you could give some suggestions! That said, don't feel obliged to, although I would be fairly happy if you gave some feedback: Temur ramp
March 18, 2015 10:57 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #44
Having some removal is very key, and I think in a deck where your creatures start to tap for more than one mana and your creatures cost 5+, Chord of Calling loses a ton of power. Additionally, you need more mana sinks for all that excess you'll have, so I suggest running Genesis Hydra and a Crater's Claws or two.
Additionally, Savage Ventmaw too susceptible to Stoke the Flames and Valorous Stance while also costing 6, having 4 power, and is unable to effect the board when he enters the battlefield.
Shamanic Revelation is very win more because if you have enough creatures with 4+ power for it to be worth 5 mana, you've probably already won the game.
Polukranos, World Eater is a nice mana sink and a powerful body that you may want to consider. Here would be the changes I would make:
-4 Chord of Calling/ + 4 Genesis Hydra
-4 Savage Ventmaw/ +4 Polukranos, World Eater
-3 Shamanic Revelation/ +2 Crater's Claws, +1 Sarkhan Unbroken
-2 Shaman of the Forgotten Ways/ +2 Sylvan Caryatid
Remember these are all suggestions, but I encourage you to playtest with all of them before deciding whether or not to do them. :D Hope that helps!
March 19, 2015 9:33 a.m.
poistapoista says... #45
Thanks so much! I will definitely test all your changes, however, there are two that I'm not really a fan of. Shaman of Forgotten Ways has proven himself much better than Sylvan Caryatid. Similar to Rattleclaw Mystic, he gives an effective 2 mana, one more than Sylvan Caryatid. That one more is often the difference between casting a Hornet Queen, therefore stabilizing, and not. Although hexproof is nice, and I could test out a version with more Sylvan Caryatid and Sarkhan Unbroken. Also, Shamanic Revelation does draw me cards with just mana dorks out, and the lifegain helps me stabalize. Again, thanks for the tips! What would you suggest for the sideboard? I'd really also like to improve my control matchup, as it isn't the best XD...
March 19, 2015 11:50 a.m.
poistapoista says... #46
As a last note, Shamanic Revelation is mostly just for refilling my hand with bombs to cast, and is especially helpful when I'm at a stalemate after casting a Hornet Queen. Often I'll be happy just gaining 4 off it.
March 19, 2015 12:55 p.m.
JakeHarlow says... #47
Nice post, Ferret, it's good to hear from you. I do so understand the MTG burnout syndrome. It hit me really hard recently; I played a Sunday win-a-box tourney last weekend and it was the first time I'd played in over a month. I don't hate the format, I'm just kind of tired of it. I'm trying to get back into it, the new Sarkhan is a much-needed boost for my Temur build. I preordered a couple Dragons boxes with store credit. Perhaps the new variety will jump-start my interest in the game. Thanks for sharing, bro. Looking forward to more.
March 19, 2015 4:50 p.m.
shepherdofire says... #48
This is my deck. Not super modified from dtk but once I play with the cards I will be manking a new deck.My deck:
Dra....... Heroes of Tarkir 4-0@Fnm wrecks friends Playtest
Standard*
SCORE: 29 | 0 COMMENTS | 5231 VIEWSMarch 19, 2015 8:42 p.m.
wakawakawaka says... #49
consider running Dragonlord's Prerogative over Shamanic Revelations.
March 20, 2015 1:44 a.m.
incarceratedGeneticist says... #50
You don't have to choose between U/W and U/B, just play Esper control.
March 20, 2015 4:18 a.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #51
I'm working on a new article so I may not be responding for a day or so. If I can, It'll be up before most people read this.
March 20, 2015 7:04 a.m.
i would like your opinion about this deck i'm testing, it seems to go but there's something that doesn't convince me...
March 21, 2015 3:39 p.m.
So speaking about Corpseweft. I really like it, but you know wqhat would make it better? Zombie tribal. Before you crucify me, think about this. Necromancer's Stockpile discard's your crappy zombies for 2/2 tokens, Rakshasa Gravecaller does the same, Risen Executioner brings your zombies up to 3/3's. Necromaster Dragon makes 2/2 zombies and mills your opponent when he hits. Back onto Corpseweft and Necromancer's Stockpile. These two synergize in that, you discard a zombie card, draw one, then exile your discarded zombie for a 2/2 horror, or bigger if you let the graveyard build. With Risen Executioner, that's a 3/3, and another 3/3 from Necromancer's Stockpile. You can do all of this on 4 mana as well. Think about that when building with Corpseweft.
Kryzis says... #1
Good to see you back after such a long hiatus.
March 16, 2015 10:53 a.m.