Counter, Counter, Okay, Board Wipe, Hand Extension
Standard*
SCORE: 12 | 21 COMMENTS | 2404 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER
FNM Report —Jan. 10, 2015
I went Top 4 out of 40+ FNMers by playing my deck. (Pre-FTF)
Match 1 was Temur Enchantments? It had Savage Knuckleblade and things seen in UW Heroic, I basically responded with too many counters for him to really get going then Elsepth took over the games. I lost a game to multiple Knuckles and him returning them to his hand but otherwise, won fairly easily.
2-1
2-1
Match 2 was against Mono white Heroic, I knew i couldn't do anything to stop him from playing creatures so I let him keep the 1/2 0/4's and countered the spells he casted to target (He still triggers Heroic) and used my life as a resource to stall until I could get out the Angel. G2 I did similarly, siding in Atherspouts and Brimaz as stallers to get Elsepth online.
2-0
4-1
Match 3 I played against Mardu Token/aggro. Game 1 he just barely got there with Seeker triggers. I sided in Brimaz, Aethersprouts, Raise the Alarm, Last breath, taking out an Elspeth, Pearl Lake, and Disdainful Stroke. I countered til T6 when I could get Brimaz out and swung with him while still having blockers, He died fairly quickly after that. G3 he got really really mana screwed so I won.
2-1
6-2
Match 4 I just drew with my friend to get into top 8 as we both were one of the few 3-0 records but we played for fun til time was called. He plays jeskai Control his own homebrew with Mindswipe, Dictate of the Twin Gods, Keranos, God of Storms, and Narset, Enlightened Master. He won the first game as I drew 0 of my card draw and simply burned me to death and G2, I had too many counters for him to deal with and I got to resolve Resolute Archangel. We didn't have much time to play a 3rd but I feel it would've been in my favor as he doesn't have much that can deal with any of my wincons if they resolve.
Cut top top 8. I played against green devotion strangely enough. G1 he apparently plays 4x Mainboard Mistcutter Hydra, I deal with 3 of them and have him top decking with 4 cards in hand. There wasn't anything left for him to draw to really kill me at 6 health besides mistcutter. And he drew it. We laughed, G2 and G3 I countered and End Hostilitied everything he laid out and Elsepth did her job again.
Top 4. I play against my worst matchup, a finely tuned Temur Midrange/Aggro. Really I don't know what I could've done here. G1 he destroys me with Savage Knuckleblades and Sarkhan, and Satyrs. G2 He does the same thing except this time he sides in Stubborn Denial and Savage Knuckleblade resolves because Denial counters my counter. Then it's just game.
So ending 4-1-1 for the night.
Overally I played well and think that this deck is still very well positioned against the meta and strongly advocate it to those of you who like to play tight and think of Magic like chess, where each space matters. Really really fun! I'm glad my homebrew is working out.
ZooGambler says... #2
There are very few draw spells in Standard. Dig through Time, Divination, Weave Fate, Interpret the Signs, Jace's Ingenuity, Font of Fortune being them.
I used to run Divination, however divination is pretty bad alongside counterspells. Font can give us a T2 play where Divination cannot. We can play it T2 and hold up mana T3 for counterspells (or bluffing) then crack it EOT. Granted, Divination in better than Font late game but most control decks peak in the late game anyways. Font is in there to smooth out the early game which is the most problematic at the moment.
Weave Fate is an expensive Divination and worse Jace's Ingenuity. Interpret the Signs is hit or miss though can be included as a 1 of. Jace's comes down just too late (imo) and makes us reliant on hitting 5 lands just off the top.
Just my thought process.
November 10, 2014 3:38 p.m.
This deck obviously has no win condition, it seems like you rely on your Elspeth to do all the work.
December 30, 2014 11:03 p.m.
Your feature card isn't in your decklist? List looks incredibly close to what Jim Davis has been running for 8 weeks or so. I do like the deck of course though.
December 31, 2014 11:47 p.m.
ZooGambler says... #8
Kagani I just like the art a ton, I don't mind that the card isn't in there. I've been working on this for over 2 1/2 months now! I guess we came up with something similar in the end haha.
I tried prog sphinx but it was just way too painfully slow and I don't like how you need to sacrifice a card to give it hexproof. Elsepth does work and Pearl Lake, while I don't like it at all, is the only finisher I could think of, that's the slot I'm really playing with. If you have any suggestions to run here, I'm open to them. As well as any other suggestions! Also I can't seem to put Aethersprouts in the deck for some reason. but the actual list is -1 End Hostilities +1 Aethersprouts
December 31, 2014 11:55 p.m.
I'm a big fan of Whelming Wave against any token deck (especially ascendancy), u/w heroic, and mono green. It isn't the best vs Azban though unless you plan on leaving up 2 for stroke afterward. It is questionable main board, but it wrecks those 3 decks, faster than end hostilities and generally the same effect or better as they can't indestruct through it.
I also love the art on the angel, wish the card was better.
January 1, 2015 5:25 p.m.
ZooGambler says... #10
Kagani The only thing about Whelming Wave is the whole thing with ETB effects, among Siege Rhino, Sidisi, Wingmate Roc, and the like, returning them to their opponents hands hasn't shown to be of much use. It stalls a turn but then I'm just looking for a End Hostilities the following turn. Though it does beat up hordeling outburst and raise the alarm handily.
Aethersprouts has been working since it puts the opponents in a position where they have to determine what they put on top and on bottom, if they put it on top they just wasted a draw on something I now know they have, at instant speed allowing me to untap and counter/not counter whatever comes out next. With Whelming Wave I have to just live with whatever comes next. End Hostilities is a different story imo because it permanently takes care of the threats that were on board.
Given those little theories, I'll give it a try against those respective matchups to see how I like it! Thanks for the suggestion!
January 3, 2015 11:04 p.m.
touch_thy_egg says... #11
It seems that AEtherspouts might not be showing up because you are spelling it as sprouts, not spouts. It's spouts as in water spouts. Hope this helps
January 3, 2015 11:59 p.m.
Yeah that is why I said it is questionable main, especially against Abzan, but specifically against those 3 decks it wipes tokens and slows tempo if you hit more than they can fully recast in the next turn, or kills the token ofc. Hitting a raided wingmate is still a 1 mana tempo 2 turn gain as they can't raid trigger until the turn after next. Bad against rhinos, tempo gain on wingmate and hornet queen etc, can always go hushwing if you're worried about the etbs. there is also something to be said about not putting things in the gy to whip, delve, or if Pharika, turn into more creatures.
I like it as a 2 of board, but that is just me, wave also dodges pearl lake. Prowess trigger chumps gone, in heavy.
Against u/w heroic all they can do is maybe stubborn deny, and if they've exhausted unsustainable ench/protection cards you gain a huge amount by resetting the heroic triggers and swing timers. Dodges ajani's presence and soon to be valorous stance (FRF).
Saljen says... #1
There is much better draw in Standard than Font of Fortunes. Even Divination is better in most regards.
November 10, 2014 1:04 p.m.