Update 2
Splitcell, 6 years ago
Dropped Protean Hulk to add Ramunap Excavator for more redundancy with playing lands out of the grave yard. Still working on upgrading the mana base. But slow going until I move.
4-1. More winnings!
ToolmasterOfBrainerd, 6 years ago
I have missed Thoughtseize. I also have not been liking Ceremonious Rejection or Damping Sphere very much, so now my sideboard has Nihil Spellbombs and Thoughtseizes. The goal is to dodge tron, or if I have to play it, then use a combination of Thoughtseize and countermagic to keep them from resolving anything relevant. It's a crappy plan because of Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, but it's still better than playing Ceremonious Rejection and losing anyway.
Round 1 I'm paired against Abzan midrange that mainboards Thrun, the Last Troll and Glittering Wish. Quick 0-2. His deck is designed to demolish decks like mine. Record: 0-1.
Round 2 I'm paired against a newer played on Burn. Game 1 I mulligan into a crappy hand and go nowhere with it. He miracled Thunderous Wrath to kill Tasigur, which was my only hope of winning that game. Games 2 and 3 I get down delve threats and keep them alive as I counter anything relevant. Record: 1-1.
Round 3 I'm paired against Jund. Game 1 we trade back and forth and eventually I think I have 1 more Tasigur than he has answers. Game 2 he has turn 0 Leyline of the Void. The game stalled way out (I flashed in a few Snapcaster Mages to attack with). Eventually he gets me with a manland I think? I don't really recall. I'm not supposed to beat a turn 0 Leyline. Game 3 I Thoughtseize his Terminate, kill his Bob, then play an early Tasigur. He hardcasts a Leyline, which resolves and he's at 12 life. I flash in a Snapcaster end of turn and attack for 6 twice. Fun games. Record: 2-1.
Round 4 it's KCI. Game 1 he knows I'm on Delver and plays turn 1 Engineered Explosives on 1. I play a Young Pyromancer a few turns later and counter things while I beat him to death with Elementals and Tasigur. Game 2 he makes infinite Mishra's Self-Replicator. Very funny. Game 3 he doesn't do anything while I beat him down with a Snapcaster Mage. Record: 3-1.
Round 5 I'm paired vs Infect. Game 1 kill his stuff and kill him with Snapcaster Mage and Tasigur. Game 2 I keep a 1 land hand. He plays 2 inkmoths and a forest and deals 1 infect on his 3rd turn. I bolt the Inkmoth, he plays Blossoming Defense, and I bolt it again to kill it. I play a Tasigur, which he Dismembers. After that, neither of us draws anything relevant for about 10 turns. He's manascrewed for a few while I get flooded (I had 2 fetchlands in my hand that I didn't play because every shock and basic was already in play). I drew a lot of countermagic and removal so he couldn't kill me, but 2 Blighted Agent got Spell Snared. Eventually I get a Snap down to attack with which takes him down to 0. On the last turn he played Geist of Saint Traft, which surprised me, but if I hadn't had a counterspell or lethal, it very well could have killed me.
I finished in 3rd for $30 in store credit. I got myself a Godless Shrine and a Breeding Pool for EDH.
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jingersoll101, 6 years ago
None
SereneTsunami, 6 years ago
Played this for 1st time with Carnage Tyrant. The combination of them and Vine Mare was a bear to deal with for 2 of my opponents who played with black creatures. All their removal was useless and even their deathtouch creatures didn't help.
Would have won 2 matches if I had moved Bandar counters differently Just missed one shotting him with a 20/20 flying tyrant. Im considering going to all Blossoming Defense. Im stuck too often with Admiral's Orders in my hand when a BD would have been useful. Still needs lots of playing.
More tuning to my meta. I want to stop losing.
precociousapprentice, 6 years ago
I have been playing some more in my new meta, and I have discovered that there are a few new dominant decks. There is a new Jhoira Paradox Storm, an Oloro and a Karlov Lifegain Combo Control decks. The thing that each has in common is a buildup of life in some fashion, followed by a win in a single turn with a ton of little pings as they go off, or an Aetherflux Reservoir laser cannon. All of them have these elements. I have lost quite a few games to them taking themselves out of reach for my non-infinite attacks. Master of Cruelties and Virtus the Veiled would help with this, but are often too late. Once they go off, I am either pillow forted in, or I lose. Jhoira frequently starts her explosions by turn 6. It is crazy. I have stolen a few games, but I have lost more to these decks recently than any in the history of this deck. The meta is much faster, the decks have greater resiliency, they do what they do much better than most decks I have faced, and they all have multiple ways to get the win. This has pushed me much more than previously. This prompted some changes to keep up and speed up the deck. Things that have not worked well: Tithe, Gift of Estates, and Weathered Wayfarer - All of these are just way too slow for this new meta. I need immediate effects, and I need early gas. The fixing can be good, the extra cards in hand are good, but not when I need to not die on turn 6. Serra Ascendant - When I get hit early and happen to survive, this turns out to be a late game dead draw. The early jump ahead when dropped on turn 1 doesn’t matter much since I still get blown out when they hit their combo, and I need early turns to either deconstruct their assault or pillow fort and not die. Acidic Soil - When they are not planning on dropping 10+ lands, this becomes a dead draw. I never seem to get the reach when they get to 50+ life relatively quickly. Price of Progress still has reach, since it is double the damage, and having one of these cards that is searchable with Sunforger or even Shred Memory is enough. Key to the City - I love this as a subtle card filter, strange pillow fort, and a way to make Master of Cruelties and Virtus the Veiled unblockable. Unfortunately, needing to drop a card and pay mana for it to work is less than ideal. I need those cards to not die. Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - Too group hug. I need to try not to give out free stuff. Other people need to pay for the stuff they get. Things that have worked well but need extra help: Stolen Strategy, Hide/Seek, and Praetor’s Grasp - Deconstructing the thing that will kill me or the thing that will keep me from killing them, or borrowing an offensive strategy that I do not bring with me has been super strong. Being able to use anything in their deck, not just what I can cast, would be extra helpful. Reverberate - Piggy backing their value plays has been super useful, especially since it is often cheaper than what I am copying. Changes: Tithe -> Fellwar Stone - Using my Praetor’s Grasp to even better effect should be useful, it is another 2 CMC rock, and given that I very frequently face a pool with at least two of any of Jhoira, Oloro, Karlov, Gisela, and various others, Fellwar Stone turns out to fix my mana pretty well. Battlefield Forge -> Exotic Orchard - I am putting the Orchard back in for the same reason I am playing Fellwar Stone. Gift of Estates -> Erebos, God of the Dead - Real card draw instead of just cards in hand. It also hamstrings the Jhoira Paradox Storm, Oloro Lifegain Combo Control, and Karlov Lifegain Combo Control decks. The card draw is pretty useful as well, but just stopping Aetherflux Reservoir has been worthwhile by itself. Serra Ascendant -> Blind Obedience - Extort is a pretty nice cushion against aggressive decks, and the tapped feature is pretty good to slow down the Jhoira Storm. Not sure it will stay, but experimenting is good. I may put in the Legends Underworld Dreams I have instead, since all the toughest decks I face draw a ton of cards. We shall see how this goes. Underworld Dreams would potentially turn Erebos on, which may or may not be a good thing. Weathered Wayfarer -> Kambal, Consul of Allocations - The Tax Man is surprisingly good against life gain and storm decks. Acidic Soil -> Fork - Reverberate was great. Fork is better. Both is the best. Acidic Soil -> Fork - The flexibility increase from this is outstanding. Key to the City -> Suspicious Bookcase - The price for unblockable is much cheaper, and the 0/4 blocker can prove useful. Mikokoro, Center of the Sea -> Rogue's Passage - This one also enhances the Virtus or Master of Cruelties plan. The results: Jhoira vs Marchesa, 1v1: Dropped a Kambal on T3, Marchesa T4, she never caught up. I won the first against Jhoira in a while, and 1v1 to boot. Karlov vs Marchesa, 1v1: I struggled to get anything going. Karlov ticked me down with Extort, I tried a Kambal and was Mana Tithed, and then I played a Teferi’s Protection to stave off an infinite with Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond for a turn. I actually Shred Memory’d for Demonic Tutor for Comeuppance. Kambal goes off again with Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond, I Comeuppance, and I was Lapse of Certainty’d. I died to an infinite protected by Orzhov counterspells. No one played either card before I played them here, and now I died to them. Ouch. Jhoira vs Karlov vs Marchesa, 3 pod: Karlov hamstrung Jhoira with an Anguished Unmaking on her Paradox Engine, then Utter Ended my Solemnity I tried to use to control him. Jhoira played some counterspell control against some Karlov aggression, and I stayed out of it for a bit, building my board. Karlov resolves a Erebos to further lock out Jhoira, and turns some attackers at me while his Extort triggers kept ticking us down and raising his life above 50. I resolved Marchesa and Sunforger, and had a Rogues Passage in play. I Commander Damage defeated Karlov in 2 turns with a 7/3 Sunforger toting and unblockable Marchesa enhanced with Boros Charm Doublestrike. I almost never Commander Damage defeat anyone, but that was my only choice given the rapidly runaway lifegain of Karlov. I then settled in benhind a Solitary Confinement with The Monarch to keep it up indefinitely. I counted on Sunforger to keep my defense and offense up. Jhoira spent several turns trying to beat me. I narrowly escaped a Devastation Tide with a Teferi’s Protection tutored off my Sunforger. Jhoira went off and rebuilt almost everything, but ultimately fizzled due to her lack of Paradox Engine. I am sure she was looking for her Aetherflux Reservoir, but never found it. With her tapped out, I pulled out a Price of progress when she had 7 nonbasics, Reverberated it, then tutored up Fork with Sunforger to finish her off. She was at 35 life and had nothing to do about it, and my Solitary Confinement kept me alive. So there you have it. Tuned a little more for my meta, the speed was increased some, and enhanced my ability to use their stuff. I think these changes are good for now.
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OneMustachefart, 6 years ago
Some better removal and other updates
Halebros, 6 years ago
- Diabolic Intent - Commander's Sphere - Lotus Petal - Swiftfoot Boots - Dreadbore - Ruinous Path + Hero's Downfall + Terminate + Mystic Remora + By Force + Talisman of Indulgence + Talisman of Dominance
Some better removal and other updates
Halebros, 6 years ago
- Diabolic Intent - Commander's Sphere - Lotus Petal - Swiftfoot Boots - Dreadbore - Ruinous Path + Hero's Downfall + Terminate + Mystic Remora + By Force + Talisman of Indulgence + Talisman of Dominance
More money spend
BKazunori, 6 years ago
I removed "Titania, Protector of Argoth" and "Predator, Flagship". Add "Eladamri, Lord of Leaves" and "Rofellos, Emissário de Llanowar"
Core Set 2019
Romer, 6 years ago
Added
- Satyr Enchanter another enchanter for the party!
- Darksteel Mutation for more enchantment-style removal, and Sigarda can just fly overtop of it.
- Replenish at last!
- Land Tax, thank you Battlebond.
- Detection Tower can join Arcane Lighthouse to fight other people's hexproof.
Removed
- Silverblade Paladin reduntant compared to Battle Mastery, which works better with my tutors and enchantresses.
- Karmic Justice was too slow and reactive. I'd rather have proactive removal.
- Sun Titan isn't as good as Replenish in this deck. Maybe I can find room to bring him back some day.
- Fertile Ground because it's too tempting a target for land destruction.
- Opal Palace just wasn't very worthwhile.
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thisjourneyends, 6 years ago
-
OUT: Minamo, School at Water's Edge, Secluded Steppe and Lonely Sandbar (all foil).
-
IN: Land Tax, basic Plains, and Detection Tower (all foil).
With the reprint in Battlebond, I finally pulled the trigger on a judge promo Land Tax. Even though (as of writing) the BBD printing was half the price of the judge promo, I opted for the promo printing because I'm all about watermarks. Land Tax is an excellent source of both card advantage and deck shuffles, and there's nothing a control deck hates more than missing land drops. To support it, I wanted to add at least one extra basic - I might end up converting more of my lands to basics later, we shall see.
Additionally, M19 brought us Detection Tower. I had previously played Arcane Lighthouse for this effect as a hedge vs voltron strategies. I had previously cut Arcane Lighthouse, both because I didn't have many voltron strategies in my local playgroups and also because Arcane Lighthouse was unavailable in foil. But, I'm interested in playing this deck in tournament side events, so I'll need to have answers to a wide range of strategies. Besides, since Detection Tower was printed in M19, I can get this effect in foil!
To make room for these cards, I dropped some of my worst performing lands. Secluded Steppe and Lonely Sandbar are fine cards, but especially since switching to Azor, the Lawbringer rather than Dragonlord Ojutai I think the deck is hungrier for lands and less likely to be interested in cycling them away. Similarly, Minamo, School at Water's Edge is outstanding for Ojutai but only mediocre for Azor. I'm still quite happy to own a foil copy for a 1v1 Ojutai build though.
![[CMD] Fully Foil Azor - Dangerously Durdley thumbnail](http://static.tappedout.net/chart/40-60-0-0-0-small.png)
![Elixir of Immortality feature for [CMD] Fully Foil Azor - Dangerously Durdley](http://static.tappedout.net/mtg-cards-2/magic-2014-core-set/elixir-of-immortality/elixir-of-immortality-cropped.jpg)
FNM Winner!
Hightreeson, 6 years ago
Played standard at last nights FNM (Drafted release night) with a turnout of ~25 people. Deck did very well overall and played out expected with few hiccups. Here is the break down: Match 1 MBA vs UW Approach - Honestly did not expect to see any approach decks but I haven't played in my LGS in almost a year so meta is slightly behind MTGO. Game 1 went 5 turns and he played 2 spells. Game 2 I was over zealous and walked into a Settle the Wreckage... I immediately felt dumb. He got game two because I couldn't claw out the last 6 points of damage before he approached on back to back turns. Game 3 went just like the first game winning on T5. (MBA 2-1) Match 2 MBA vs Temur Ramp - This is the Hour of devastation deck that I'd seen a few times on MTGO/MTGA but he was running Banefire as an additional kill spell/Wincon. However, much like the Approach deck, they're not interactive in the first 4 turns ramping and setting up. Games 1 and 2 were almost identical with T5 kills. We did play a friendly game 3 in which he held off on ramping to keep the board more under control and flipped his compass to slow me down even more. Overall, it does not feel like a bad matchup. (MBA 2-0) Match 3 MBA vs UW Approach - Same concept different list. His felt much more interactive than Match 1, having Seal away and Cast Out. He won game 1 pretty easily, which was to be expected and white removal and this deck are not friends. Post board was a much different story. With the hand disruption post board we was unable to seal, settle or fumigate and lost both games 2 and 3 in 6 turns. (MBA 2-1) Match 4 MBA vs Boros Dragons - Home brew build utilizing dragon's hoard and mana filtering to include Nicol Bolas, the Ravager. Got both games 1 and 2 in 6 turns. The only match that Demon of Catastrophes appeared and boy did it make a difference. Im not saying he's good, but his presence was felt. (MBA 2-0) Did not do top 8. 3 of the 4 players I played would have made the top 8. Overall it was a good showing. My LGS meta was not token oriented to Plague mare will be removed for something else. Deck struggles against the Green Stompy and BG Constrictor Variants, so trying to find sideboard cards for those matches.
Massive Overhaul
Thorondil, 6 years ago
Replaced around 50-60% of the original deck. Looking to ramp faster and more consistently.
Some specific changes:
Counterspell, Arcane Denial, Rapid Hybridization, Cryptic Command, and Cyclonic Rift for control and protection
More tutors! Time of Need and Merchant Scroll
Replaced Bonfire of the Damned with Comet Storm for instant speed and multikicker (in case Riku is targeted off the board)
Stacking the copy effect and then the exile effect of Worldgorger Dragon will net you infinite mana
Birds of Paradise because Birds
Zealous Conscripts added for another option with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. Also replaced Pestermite with Bounding Krasis because it's searchable with Green Sun's Zenith
Regrowth, Eternal Witness, Archaeomancer all can help recur tutors, extra turns and ramp spells
Added ramp spells like Cultivate, Search for Tomorrow, Farseek, Skyshroud Claim, Three Visits and Nature's Lore (forest searches allow grabbing shock lands)
More that I can't remember off of the top of my head
M19
ArthurJP, 6 years ago
So with M19 I decided to make a couple of changes. This was prompted by the arrival of a wonderful edition Liliana's Contract. Drawing 4 is just great, and given the tribalistic nature of this deck, no doubt the win condition could be pulled off with relative ease.
In order to further accommodate this, however we need to make a few changes to increase the demon ratio in the deck. As such the following changes were made:
Out: - Sepulchral Primordial - Grave Titan - Lashwrithe - Conjurer's Closet - Exsanguinate - Mindslicer
In: + Liliana's Contract + Abhorrent Overlord + Abyssal Persecutor + Reaper from the Abyss + Demon of Catastrophes + Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
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seniorweazel, 6 years ago
Deleted entire update because I realize that Krovikan mist is already a better card than labyrinth guardian. Took out 2 doppelgangers and 1 Cryptoplasm for 3 Krovikan Mists.
Spellseeker
T12H, 6 years ago
Spellseeker
So I picked up a Spellseeker a few weeks back and I replaced dream cache with it. I love the mini tool box that it adds to the deck almost like a more powerful Trinket Mage. Right now I have 6 targets for it:
Obviously I’ll probably be getting rift with it 80+% of the time. But it also being a reanimation spell is handy. Also getting brainstorm to clean up some ugly hands could be crucial too. Mystical tutor could be fetched to place a Devastation Tide on top EOT. The 2 tutors would be grabbed if I need something very specific.
I may down the line try to add some more targets for it. A few I was thinking of:
Or any 2 mana hard counter spell
Meta changes
Pabs4444, 6 years ago
GPG is not the same deck it was before, however it is still a combo deck that is on the fringe of the meta. One of the biggest threats (in the overall Standard Meta) is our biggest weakness: Mono red/RB aggro. We have big enough creatures that can outpace mono red depending on our draws. They can threaten us in the air, but we just need big enough pump spells to punch through for the in win. Although electorstatic pummeler is the motivation behind the deck, running an entire playset feels really bad being only a 1/1 as well as being an artifact. There is solid control going around, so proweling serpopard has come back into the SB.
First FNM Report
DukeSteele, 6 years ago
The maiden of voyage of Arcades at FNM was one to remember!
GAME 1: Captain Sisay vs Kruphix, God of Horizons vs Arcades, the Strategist
A fast starting hand with threats and Aluren allowed me to swing in for lethal on the Kruphix player, who was rapidly moving toward one of his many infinite mana combos. Defeating Sisay was a grind, a cat and mouse advantage game of trying to outmaneuver his tutored threats. Drawing into Rhystic Study got me far enough ahead to secure a win with Arcades Commander damage!
My main observation from the game was that that this deck can really change gears on your opponents, i went from full aggro early game, to a controlling finish.
GAME 2: Bruna, Light of Alabaster vs Sai, Master Thopterist vs Arcades, the Strategist
This three man pod saw Arcades take on two of the best players at the store, who both established terrifying board states quite quickly. Facing down a massive voltron Bruna with a Eldrazi Conscription attached, and a massive field of thopters with a pile of deadly artifacts ready to equip.. i knew i maybe one or two turns to survive. I managed to assemble the Intruder Alarm + Axebane Guardian + Wall of Kelp combo to draw my deck and make infinite mana... i played Walking Ballista and shot them up. A nerve wracking win but a fun one.
This game showed me that in a situation where i am heavily outmatched, i need never be outgunned ;-) Walking Ballista is the MVP.
Slight changes - after testing
ReptilianBrain, 6 years ago
Made a couple of changes to quantities for 4-mana creatures. Reduced 1 of each, to add more removal (Seal Away and Cast Down).
Strongly considering adding Valiant Knight, since it's passive buff and double strike ability, instead of Kwende, Pride of Femeref.
Thinking in Vraska's Contempt for Sideboard, to deal with Planeswalkers, instead of Pegasus Courser.
After some tests, I'm thinking in adding Make a Stand due to some table cleaning spells that are really annoying.
![Black and White Knights [Aggro-Midrange] thumbnail](http://static.tappedout.net/chart/65-0-35-0-0-small.png)
![History of Benalia feature for Black and White Knights [Aggro-Midrange]](http://static.tappedout.net/mtg-cards-2/dominaria/history-of-benalia/mtg-cards/_user-added/femme_fatale-history-of-benalia-15238564290.png)