My current list for R/G Ponza.
I shall record play notes below (organized by opponent deck type) for my own future reference. Feel free to comment with additions if you play Ponza.
GENERAL SIDEBOARD NOTES:
- If they have access to green or R/W, the sideboard they bring in to kill Blood Moon will probably also answer artifacts. Board out Batterskull.
Norin Sisters
This is a very fun matchup for both players, as each deck packs no crippling answers for the other. We have tons of board clear to keep them from over running us, but they have high resilience to blood moon and they can chump block forever once they get a genesis chamber out. The game runs long, we get big swings in every turn we can clear their board, but every turn you don't clear is usually one they gain lots of life back. With good timing and some luck, we break through even their best draws.
Strategic Notes:
They rarely kill a T1 Arbor Elf, so feel free to play him. Have a plan to kill their champions of the parish very quickly, it can outgrow Dismember in a turn (normally takes two turns before T4) and will prevent you from swinging with Inferno Titans, which you will desperately need to keep tokens under control.
Hold This for That:
Ineffective cards:
Non-obvious Value:
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Pia and Kiran Nalaar - This card is hilariously effective against their deck, as Genesis Chamber provides you with plenty of artifact fodder to sac, letting you kill whatever non-token creatures you please while swinging for 2 in the air each turn.
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Scavenging Ooze - Late game, denies Return to the ranks and gives you much needed life gain.
Mardu Planeswalkers
A fun matchup that we dominate, mulligans permitting. They play their threats as early as T3 with Liliana, but they're a control deck at heart. Some run Chandra, ToD instead of Nahiri + Emrakul, and I'd say that's a bit better against us. If Nahiri is Stormbreath Dragon's favorite meal, Chandra is his liver and onions.
Strategic Notes: If you have to choose between T1 Sprawl or Elf, pick Sprawl. Best use for elf is to drop him alongside another threat. Thrun is fantastic in game 1 (only fears Lili when he's alone on the board), but they will definitely side in Crackling Doom if they have it. Expect Inferno Titan to play as a 6 CMC bolt, if you can't keep them off white or black. Mardu suffers more than one might expect to Blood Moon. Earlier the better.
Hold This for That:
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Beast Within - Planeswalker (can wait until they're about to ult, if it's your only answer in hand)
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Obstinate Baloth - Just hold it in general, Lili is just an Edict as long as you have it.
Ineffective cards:
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Dismember
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Bonfire of the Damned
Non-obvious Value:
Ad Nauseum
Ponza can take a game 1 win in this matchup, which is awesome. They need 2 black and 1 white to go off, and we're just the deck to deny them that.
Strategic Notes:
We're fighting a combo deck with non-red color requirements. First and main priority is keeping them off color. Beast Within proves it's worth by crushing Pentad Prism. Sudden shock (if and when boarded) is the only answer and best line against Lab Maniac once they combo, but it's not a guaranteed win. Mulligan aggressively for T2 blood moon. Once Moon is on the board, cast every piece of land destruction you get if they have 2 or fewer lands.
Hold This for That:
Ineffective cards:
Non-obvious Value:
-
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - They have no interaction for her, and she lets you dig for more land destruction after Blood moon comes down. Don't ult if it will kill her when your opponent can feasibly combo off.
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Primal Command - This is not added value, just something to note. If you try to bounce a Bloom to the top of their library, do not choose to tutor for a creature. If you cast it with these two modes and they sac the Bloom, there was only one target for the spell and now that target is invalid. Whole spell is countered. Much safer to bounce their land (priority is darkslick shores) if you want to tutor a creature.
TO BE ADDED: WUG ETERNAL COMMAND, BURN, ABZAN MIDRANGE
Strategic Notes:
Hold This for That:
Ineffective cards:
Non-obvious Value:
