(Deck 635_2016-04-29_GW Tokens_GP-TO 2016-04-30)
This is the deck I piloted at Grand Prix Toronto April 30th. The only reason I am running 3x Sigarda vs Avacyn is because I don't have the budget for her.
Round 1: Loss in 3 vs Bant company. Avacyn brings home the win for my opponent.
Round 2: Loss in 3 vs UR Goggles. Game 1 kept a one land hand: should not have done that (DOH!), but it might have paid off since everything in my hand were 1 & 2-drops. Lost Game 1, won Game 2: played 3 Secures + 3 Gideon anthems in a row. Swing with 15x 4/4 Warriors -- DONE. Game 3 Goggles wiped my board again and again and again.
Round 3: Win in 2 vs BG Aristocrats. I'd say this was because I was playing against a 13-year-old kid, but that would not be entirely true, because the kid was pretty damn sharp, almost had me game 2 on the back of Husk + Rogue's Passage. Game 1, Cryptolith + Secure all teh tokens FTW. Game 2, Ormenthal + tokens FTW.
Round 4: Loss in 2 vs White Weenies. Avacyn'ed my ass both games.
Round 5: Loss in 2 vs White Weenies. Avacyn'ed my ass both games, but... I almost pulled ahead in game 2 on account of top-decking a Linvala -- boy was he surprised! Man that card is bonkers in the right situation. Going to increase her to 2x in the sideboard.
Dropped from the tournament after that, really didn't feel like losing to Avacyn again.
On the whole I was pleased with how the deck played, although I found that because the deck has no main board removal I was on the defensive most games for too long until I could stabilize. This deck runs like a midrange deck, but it needs to run a little more aggro.
If I were to make any changes it would be put in 4x main of some removal like Declaration in Stone or Dromoka's Command to apply the pressure until ma warriors come out to play. Evolutionary Leap is great for sacking Hangarback, but since Sigarda fulfils the role of card advantage, I'll put it down to a one-of next time. Tireless Tracker is a great card -- in CoCo, not in this deck. I'm lucky if I get one clue off this before it gets killed. Better to bump Thalia's Lieutenant and Hanweir Militia Captain up to a playset each. Mage-Ring Network was an experiment: the most I got this up to was 3 counters. Sigarda ate most of my excess mana, so didn't get to pump Network as much as I would have, maybe I'd play this if I was running Avacyn instead of Sigarda. Westvale Abbey
is bonkers in the games where it makes an appearance, but not every game, so going to decrease it to a 3-of and increase Blighted Steppe to a 2-of, since it saves my bacon against aggro.
As for the sideboard, I found that Archangel of Tithes is not enough of a threat against white weenies, though it would still be good against the mirror -- what I need is some protection against Avacyn, like Make a Stand. Warping Wail did not make an appearance in my GP matches, but while playtesting @ FNM it was bonkers against midrange sporting 4x Declaration in Stone, or against control with their board wipes -- they will not be expecting me to counter anything! Quarantine Field is definitely a beast in this deck with Cryptolith ramp: with it I can easily use it to twofer my opponent's biggest threats. Against weenies I took out a transformed Gossipmonger + Gryff's Boon with this, and would have one on account of that if it were not for Avacyn (again). Some games I can quarantine 3-4 permanents for at least 4 turns before they destroy it and get their stuff back, during which time I have built up an army of tokens. Vryn Wingmare was not as useful as I thought it would be against CoCo & Gryff's Boon... I think next time I'll just put in Moonlights.
On the whole I feel this cryptolith variation of GW Tokens could be a Tier 1 deck, but without Avacyn I have my doubts.
