[Deck] GW/x Maverick

[Megadeus]

Played a couple blessed alliance tonight in my sideboard. It seems like a decent card. Got to kill a Marit Lage with it. Unfortunately my opponent made another the next turn and I died a couple turns after that because the alliance gained me 4 life too. Idk. Card seems pretty playable. Life gain, non targeted removal for true name or lage or even just a delver, hell even combat tricks.

[Rascalyote]

Been doing well with my list recently, 4-0'd my last two local weekly events. Similar list I posted last page. Went up to 3 Abrupt Decay in the main and I love it - the swamp has been pulling it's weight towards casting them as well.

4 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Windswept Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Marsh Flats
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
1 Swamp

1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sylvan Library
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Green Sun's Zenith

4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
4 Mother of Runes
2 Qasali Pridemage
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Knight of the Reliquary

SB

2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Choke
1 Sylvan Library
2 Zealous Persecution
1 Toxic Deluge
3 Thoughtseize
2 Surgical Extraction


Pretty sure I don't want new Thalia or big drops or anything, just keeping it sleek and simple for the most part. Surgical has been good to me, feel like it really improves our lands matchup especially when combined with already having Shaman and Ooze. Has game against combo as well and it's just nice having instant speed interaction as a G/W deck, especially for 0 mana.

[Warden]

Been doing well with my list recently, 4-0'd my last two local weekly events. Similar list I posted last page. Went up to 3 Abrupt Decay in the main and I love it - the swamp has been pulling it's weight towards casting them as well.

-List-

Pretty sure I don't want new Thalia or big drops or anything, just keeping it sleek and simple for the most part. Surgical has been good to me, feel like it really improves our lands matchup especially when combined with already having Shaman and Ooze. Has game against combo as well and it's just nice having instant speed interaction as a G/W deck, especially for 0 mana.

I've actually been goldfishing with various builds. If possible, I'd love to hear your logic about Thalia 2.0 before tomorrow morning.
The times I included her in the deck, the opening lines of play were insane. However, the list needs to adapt. I've been at a crossroads of "do I go Decays or Thalia"....as @Vervandi appears to use the shell I like. I can't figure out if I like 2-3x Thalia 2.0 more than 2-3x Abrupt Decay.

[maharis]

I've actually been goldfishing with various builds. If possible, I'd love to hear your logic about Thalia 2.0 before tomorrow morning.
The times I included her in the deck, the opening lines of play were insane. However, the list needs to adapt. I've been at a crossroads of "do I go Decays or Thalia"....as @Vervandi appears to use the shell I like. I can't figure out if I like 2-3x Thalia 2.0 more than 2-3x Abrupt Decay.

I've been playing a Bant deck with 7 dorks and new Thalia and she has been pulling her weight. She makes wasteland insane and is really good against Eldrazi. If you can get a wasteland machine going and your opponent is playing fetches, watch out. I definitely think she is worth a slot here.

[Rascalyote]

Regarding new Thalia it's mostly a matter of there's too many good cards for this deck and you're going to have to make sacrifices along the way - I like her, cool artwork and character too. So many cool cards I want to play like Sigarda, Planeswalkers, etc. but alas they don't fit.

The cards people are playing new Thalia instead of seem to be either the abrupt decays or the stoneforge package, but those are better against more decks I feel, and are better against miracles (and why would I want to make my miracles matchup worse). Stoneforge is a source of card advantage in a deck that lacks it. I used to have decays in the board but it literally almost came in every matchup (except storm or something - but new Thalia isn't exactly stomping on that deck either) so it's just in the maindeck now and I haven't regretted putting it there.

I don't think we need new Thalia to make Wasteland good because we already have 8 copies of Knight to do that, and eldrazi is going to have much more problems with an established Knight than a Thalia (especially because her body doesn't handle their actual threats), however I admit Sword of x/y is a feel bad in the matchup (though decay hits mimic/jitte/chalice to turn on plow, and some other stuff)

Not the best person at describing my reasoning but there it is - no pro or anything so if you feel you can make a list and rock new Thalia than you do you, she's a cool card and would love to see more of her around tbh.

[Qweerios]

@Maharis,

New Thalia is much better in Bant because old Thalia is way more appropriate to Maverick and as Rascalyote stated, there are better options for the cost for Maverick.

[Lockeid]

Hi,

I'm looking to build into Maverick as I love the feeling of GWx decks, and my LGS has a very strong legacy scene in which I'd like to play.

Being new to the format, I obviously don't have any duals, wastelands or most staples, I'm looking to build the deck progressively with budget options (Shocks instead of duals, more lands to offset the loss of Wastelands).

Here's the list I've come up with which seems to be the most budget friendly while still being the play decently and learn the deck more and more:

1 Birds of Paradise
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Mother of Runes
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sylvan Library

1 Dark Depths
1 Dryad Arbor
2 Forest
2 Godless Shrine
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Plains
2 Razorverge Thicket
1 Swamp
3 Temple Garden
1 Thespian's Stage
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills

Sideboard:
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Mirran Crusader
2 Pithing Needle
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Zealous Persecution

Do you have any suggestions to improve the mana-base, maybe some better creatures (regarding Thalia, Heretic Cathar maybe), including the Depths/Stage combo or a better sideboard.

[Warden]

I'm on iPhone so this will be brief before I drive.
Played Maverick for the first time in months. Felt soooo good.
7 rounds today at Cuse.

I'm sitting 4-0-1 through 5 rounds. Was 4th seed at that time. I can't draw to make t8 so I have to play. I lose in 3 to the eventual 1-seed. I go into final round at 4-1-1 needing a win and can't beat shard less. Game 1 I run through him misplacing. Game 2 he toxic D's for 7 and I cannot comeback against his ridiculous top decks. Game 3 I have to mull to 5 due to "7 card no lands" and "6 cards no lands". He had the god 7 vs my poor 5. I'm frustrated I felt the my momentum leave me but also VERY pleased I can be on hiatus and not practice only to land 27th (plus was in contention for T8 the final 2 rounds). New Thalia is ridiculous. Decays were okay. SFM was pretty much MVP against my bracket all day. Worst case she drew out force of will pitching something important of theirs. I'll take 27th because I really shouldn't be salty. I had a lot of luck getting to where I finished.

[maharis]

So let's talk about this guy:

http://static.starcitygames.com/www/images/article/16August2016Preview01.png

Green Sun's Zenith is one of my favorite cards but between this and the new Thalia I think it might be time to explore some alternative builds.

4 DRS
4 Hierarch
4 Thalia GoT
4 Recruiter of the Guard
3 Knight
3 Thalia HC
2 QPM
2 Scooze
2 SFM

4 STP
2 equips
2 Sylvan Library
2 Abrupt Decay

22 lands inc. 4 wasteland

That's the obvious way to go. I think with 8 dorks Eldritch Evolution or Natural Order is also a possibility but they don't play great with old Thalia.

[Cire]

Green Sun's Zenith is one of my favorite cards but between this and the new Thalia I think it might be time to explore some alternative builds.


Why not both . . . with both it would seem that you would be incredibly consistent.

[screallix]

Why not both . . . with both it would seem that you would be incredibly consistent.


I think it's time again for some vial maverick action.
One argument against aether vial in maverick was the inability of fetching the right toolbox targets.
with this awesome card you'll be able to both generate card advantage and search for the right tools.

also: when cutting green sun zenith we're able to play more creatures thus making collected company better.

imagine:
#1 Vial on 2, Vial on 3:
opp: Terminus trigger
response, recruiter into gaddock teeg

#2 vial on 3, vial on 3
vial in recruiter into flicker wisp target recruiter into flicker wisp rinse repeat value.

#3 vial on 3, vial on 3
collected company into recruiter into eternal witness target collected company #infinitevalue

my first thoughts:
cutting the 4ofss to 3offs to make room for 4 recruiter + 4 flickerwisp

core:
4 aether vial
4 swords to plowshares
4 collected company
4 recruiter of the guard
4 flickerwisp

3 mother of runes
3 knight of the reliquary
3 thalia, guardian of thraben

etc. you get my point

although finding stoneforge mystic is great, i dont think running more non-creatures is good for collected company.
didn't someone made a calculation about how many creatures are needed for a good % in hitting 2 creatures?

~screallix

[Cire]

Ha, now i'm just imagining a silly CoCo Recruiter Deck. . .

4 Collected Company
4 STP
2 Punishing Fire
1 Jitte
1 Batterskull

3 Grove
17 Other Lands

4 Red Recruiter
4 White Recruiter
4 DRS
4 Noble Heirach
2 SFM
2 Knights
1 Clique
1 TNN
1 Meddling Mage
1 Revoker
1 Flickerwisp
1 New Thalia
1 Pridemage
1 [?]

[maharis]

CoCo and Thalia GoT seem like a bit of a non-bo but it is something to consider. Would make the deck much more resilient to Terminus, especially if you hit two guys and one of them is a recruiter that puts another guy in your hand.

[Warden]

I ran this on Sunday. Recalling from memory.

1 Dryad Arbor
2 Noble Hierarch
3 Deathrite Shaman
3 Mother of Runes
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Knight of the Reliquary
/26

1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Life from the Loam
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Abrupt Decay
/13

1 Dark Depths
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Karakas
2 Forest
1 Plains
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wasteland
/22

SB
3 Thoughtseize
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Sylvan Library
2 Pithing Needle
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Containment Priest
/15

EDIT: had 0 Teeg, 2 Priests in sb (literally I give up against miracles)
===
I'll have to find my notes to discuss matchup details. I beat UR delver, DnT, Eldrazi-colorless, *something else*. Lost the final 2 rounds to 4C deathblade and Shardless BUG. Tied Elves!

***
New Thalia was dope. She's not leaving the deck anytime soon. If you drop her turn 2 or 3, it warrants Force of Will immediately. SFM was also a goddamn all-star throughout my day. It won me a variety of games by itself, especially down the stretch in near or complete topdeck mode.

I had a gut-feeling I'd need the DD/Stage combo and it was great all day. It won 3 games --- sealed up the Eldrazi matchup in particular. Loam + DD combo was strong. I had 1 game that had an opening hand of 2 wastelands, a fetch, and loam. Needless to say that was a strong CA engine early.

I never really bothered with TS all day. Did not need Surgical.

I'm kicking myself for running out of luck and momentum after being ranked #4 in the event at 4-0-1. I simply couldn't close out matches down the stretch. My final game was a mull to 5 during game 3. Felt awful.

===
@Recruiter of the Guard: This is a tough one. It's a very strong 3 drop in a deck that's more or less out of free space. I like that we finally have an on-color Imperial Recruiter -- capable of still grabbing basically every target. However, I will remind people that we're looking at another SFM. I mean that we're looking at a dud of a creature that tutors for something substantial. Sequentially, it makes our lines of play clunky unless we vial it in (more on this below) or have a dork.

I think the end-result is going to be a ridiculously awesome Green and Taxes list. I am not sure I'd want Vial -- because you'd want the mana dorks to muscle out Recruiter on turn 2 (faster than traditional DnT setups) and/or smooth your sequencing over the opening turns. You also don't want to waste 12 of your 38 functional slots on setup cards.

@dorks + Recruiter: This is the way to go, though I think 8 dorks is likely overkill. You want 3 mana on turn 2 and at least 4 mana on turn 3.

I can't figure out a list right now, but I'm open to kicking around ideas.

[pettdan]

@Warden: it seems like Horizon Canopy would be great with the Loam in your list. Nice list btw!

One advantage of the new recruiter is that it enables playing one of hatebears/bullets in the main deck (increased viability due to being tutorable): Ethersworn Canonist, Spirit of the Labyrinth (so good with two vials, perhaps it's finally your time to shine), Aegis of the Gods, Meddling Mage.. And bullets such as Mirran Crusader, Mangara, Tidehollow Sculler, Orzhov Pontiff, Ooze (green, but still). And actually some beaters: Endless One, Goyf..

Edit: PS if anyone can help me get rid of the 2-3 empty lines at the end of my messages please let me know. They are not in the signature.

[maharis]

damn Warden I love that maindeck Loam. With Wasteland and Thalia HC it is so brutal against non-basics.

To me I see this deck as being really dependent on ramp t1 and while GSZ has been nice for double-duty there, there's no denying that THC is a good card for any strategy that wants to wasteland the opponent multiple times and can't be ignored. I actually thought about Time of Need and Living Wish but you really just want to play 4 of her and try to get her down on as many turn 2s as possible (and also have a wasteland)

Maybe the deck that tries this strategy isn't truly Maverick, but I think it's still a deck with potential.

[Megadeus]

Rock Mox Diamond loam Thalia aggro? Crop Rotation for the tempos and knights are pretty sick too

[Warden]

Rock Mox Diamond loam Thalia aggro? Crop Rotation for the tempos and knights are pretty sick too

I thought about Mox D but it's very vulnerable in the meta. Plus my team was getting blow up constantly on Sunday. I would hate the tempo loss of seeing 4 cards (land, mox, mox's land, the actual creature) result in them simply going decay/STP/counterspell. Feels bad. I think a loan centric deck needs to be Aggro loan. I had it in my list to preserve DD combo and to be a technical outside wincon with wasteland.

Edit:
@horizon canopy: I literally cannot stand the card. Id run basics and fetches ahead of it. It definitely doesn't crack into my Mount Rushmore of Maverick "utility lands". Assuming you own it, Cradle is 10 times out of 10 better.

Thanks for the kudos peeps! Wish I had made T8. The deck is spicy.

[Lockeid]

didn't someone made a calculation about how many creatures are needed for a good % in hitting 2 creatures?


Frank Karsten did: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/magic-math-orator-of-ojutai-collected-company-and-dragons-of-tarkir/

[Barook]

Screallix's idea with CC seems pretty neat. More instant speed creatures helps dodging Terminus, not to mention that the Recruiter/Flickerwisp package is stuff made of nightmares for Miracles, since it's Imperial Recruiter chaining on steroids. Instant speed Teeg/Prelate gives the middle finger to Terminus triggers. Also these elements could combine very well into a build that wrecks Miracles.

Eternal Witness seems insane in that kind of build - fetchable with Recruiter, recycles your freshly cast Collected Companies or StPs and has an unholy amount of synergy with Flickerwisp.

[NEELEY]

5-0 with my same list last night

I think this is what I played

1 eldazi
2 grixis
3 shardless
4 storm
5 big red

Scryb ranger is awesome, considering also going back to a 1 of quirion ranger and only run 1 pridemage. Scryb Rangers ability wins so many games.

[Rascalyote]

Might seem like jank at first glance but thoughts on playing a copy of Throne of the High City in the SB? (Taps for C and has 4, tap, sac: become the monarch.)

[Warden]

Made Top 8 at Mythic. Went 4-0-2
R1: Sneak/Show = W
R2: Affinity = W
R3: Goblins = W
R4: McKay UR Delver = ID (mutual agreement not to play each other and hedge ourselves against the final 2 rounds)
R5: Timur's Noble-SFM-TNN Bant = W
R6: Kassis UR Delver = ID into top 8
T8: Hollywood Sneak/Show = L (very entertaining for those who watched. I didn't really stand a chance but played serious head games)

Scagnelli / Top 8 / Mythic Games - Aug. 2016 Legacy Monthly

1 Dryad Arbor
2 Noble Hierarch
3 Deathrite Shaman
4 Mother of Runes
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
3 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Knight of the Reliquary
/28

1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Life from the Loam
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
/11

1 Dark Depths
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Karakas
2 Forest
2 Plains
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wasteland
/22

SB
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Mirran Crusader
2 Pithing Needle
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Rest in Peace
2 Armageddon
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
/15

***
Notes
- I made some tweaks to my SCG: Cuse list. Reflecting back on the event, I felt Safekeeper just sucked against a field that centered around fair decks. You really need 4 moms to provide either protection or pro-actively get your team through any and all clogged up boardstates.
- I survived an Emrakul attack during R1-game 2. He knocked me down to 3 and wiped my table. I didn't quit because he had nothing in hand after that -- making him topdeck and try to finish me off. Lady luck let me quickly assemble a team and out top-deck for a win from oblivion.
- I cut decays from the main because I feel they're not "needed" as much as I have a tendency to view them as a security blanket.
- I re-read my previous post about how much I appreciated SFM at Syracuse and decided to bump her up to 3x. Whatever is going on in the meta is letting me capitalize on her coming out to play. I'm running an onslaught of creatures -- so if anyone can carry the equipment, they're the new "must answer'' threat.
- DD/Stage continued to steal games.
- Cradle does cradle things...usually leading to a ridiculous chain of events
- KotR is MVP and nobody respects her.
- Thalia 2.0 was great all day.
- Loam never showed up except in 1 hand I decided to mulligan away.
- Half my SB was irrelevant. I totally underestimated the amount of Lands.dec and Sneak/Shows in the room. I should have run Containment Priests again to sure up those matches. I nearly ran a Kgrip and Sylvan in place of Mirran Crusader, who only came in once all day. Kgrip would have been relevant. Sylvan would have been okay. Armageddon was my concession at Miracles/Nic Fit/Eldrazi Stompy and a hail mary inclusion against Sneak/Show. The only one I played all day was countered (R1 against sneak/show). If it wasn't, I easily had the game. If I could remake the SB, I'd have run Revokers, Canonists, and Priests in place of Crusaders, Gideons, and Armageddons.

[Rascalyote]

Played in the Vancouver legacy classic today ( which sadly SDEMatt never goes to anymore :'( )

I suck at tournament reports because my memory is blegh (and Im tired) but here's some details

Rd 1 vs ANT 2-1
Rd 2 vs Burn 2-0
Rd 3 vs BUG Delver 1-2 ( Yah I lose to delver and beat burn, omni, and ANT :^) )
Rd 4 vs U Omni 2-1 (he gets a game 1 loss)
Rd 5 vs Grixis Delver 2-1

First place in swiss, on the play every game 1 for to 8 yeyeh

Rd 1 vs Mono U Omni again, 2-1 same guy (survived an emmy hit and got to keep Thalia + Teeg in play to lethal him)
Rd 2 Vs DnT 2-1, really awesome, close (long), fun games
Rd 3 vs Eldrazi 2-1

Special Note - I was wrong about Heretic Cathar, I played 2 of her today and she was amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing, jfc. I made slight tweaks to my list (like playing duress instead of thoughtseize, putting the 4th Thalia Guardian of the Galaxy back in, and playing the 3rd surgical) mostly to deal with clowns like burn and degenerate combo.


4 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Windswept Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Marsh Flats
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
1 Swamp

1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sylvan Library
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Green Sun's Zenith

4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
4 Mother of Runes
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Knight of the Reliquary

SB

2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Toxic Deluge
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Duress
3 Surgical Extraction

Special Note #2 - won the door prize as well, the GP Brainstorm mat. #AlwaysLucky #NoJustice

Play of the game - Vs DNT. (I forget most of the board state and such but Opp has Sword of War and Peace in hand and 2 unknowns.) I have double mom up and he swings in with his mirran crusader. I say screw it and yell "yugioh!!!!" and double block with both moms and just pro white them both. No Plow, his crusader dies. #NoFear

[Cpt-Qc]

I see many DnT and Maverick lists now boasting War and Peace and I get why but has it performed really well for anyone so far?
I would have to take Light and Shadow out of the side to fit War and Peace as they kinda occupy the same spot.

Also regarding THC, she has been really usefull so far. Either she hate a removal on the same turn she came down or she was a house, no exception.
It feels so great to wasteland a miracles player as this is not usually possible :)
We can now play a mana denial strategy much closer to DnT's, which helps in lots of situations.

[Warden]

I see many DnT and Maverick lists now boasting War and Peace and I get why but has it performed really well for anyone so far?
I would have to take Light and Shadow out of the side to fit War and Peace as they kinda occupy the same spot.

Also regarding THC, she has been really usefull so far. Either she hate a removal on the same turn she came down or she was a house, no exception.
It feels so great to wasteland a miracles player as this is not usually possible :)
We can now play a mana denial strategy much closer to DnT's, which helps in lots of situations.

My rankings at the moment: Jitte > Fire/Ice > Light/Shadow and Batterskull > Feast/Famine > Body/Mind and War/Peace

We can split hairs on Batterskull but it's a clear 3rd pick behind Jitte and Fire/Ice. I wouldn't run War/Peace. I've done it in the past and unless the meta is heavy on burn and/or patriot, you don't need it. Light/Shadow gives colors and perks worth running. Or you can decide to be aggro and drop the germ.

The real question I ask myself is whether I want 2 or 3 SFM. 2 is my standard amount. But 3 yesterday was smooth as butter. I was always threatening.

[Cpt-Qc]

My rankings at the moment: Jitte > Fire/Ice > Light/Shadow and Batterskull > Feast/Famine > Body/Mind and War/Peace

We can split hairs on Batterskull but it's a clear 3rd pick behind Jitte and Fire/Ice. I wouldn't run War/Peace. I've done it in the past and unless the meta is heavy on burn and/or patriot, you don't need it. Light/Shadow gives colors and perks worth running. Or you can decide to be aggro and drop the germ.

The real question I ask myself is whether I want 2 or 3 SFM. 2 is my standard amount. But 3 yesterday was smooth as butter. I was always threatening.

I have both L&S and Bskull in my side atm and I like it this way quite frankly. Was just wondering if people were having much success with another equip.

2 SFM has been plenty for me in the past. I wouldn't go over it since I feel we are low on flex slots since THC came in (I feel 2 of her belongs to the core now).
I already cut 1 Kotr and not running Hierarch.. can't imagine cutting something else for a card that only fetches equips.

[Rascalyote]

I switch between the 2 swords all the time and mostly play them for the "protection from white" text. I'm sure I'll sleeve up Light/Shadow in the future

Light and Shadow is insane when you get it's recur a creature ability to work (and looping pridemages is a dream come true) but having a creature in your graveyard is surprisingly hard against White decks. War and Peace also just helps us kill our opponent, which I respect vs miracles. If Jund saw more play I'd enjoy Light and Shadow more because the protection from black is good there and you get to recur creatures all the time (though they have 1000 ways to kill equipment anyways haha).

If you're running BSkull I'd play the 3rd SFM, Skull is a clunker without her. I personally don't play them just for space issues. I've also tried Lightning Greaves in the past for miracles, it was .... ok.

I also think we should be playing 4 Deathrite Shaman, I like having the noble to GSZ for because there's some games where Shaman just can't make mana and Exalted is a really good ability but in most cases DRS is just so powerful. Also having a DRS battle with your opponent probably favours you because you just play more lands than them and stuff like Thalia.

[Warden]

Shaving KotR!? She's arguably the best card in the deck.

@DRS: 4 is too much. Noble also gives you exalted perks + doesn't need lands in the grave to produce mana --- something I'm noticing isn't a given anymore (Eldrazi and DnT in particular). I like 5 dorks. I'm considering running 3 nobles due to their effects in a fair meta.

[Rascalyote]

DRS doesn't even feel like a fair card most of the time, I'm never unhappy to see him as at worst he can attack for 1 (even with other creatures). Like sure it sucks if you play DRS and your opponent blood moons you turn one and you don't have basics, then yes Noble is a lot better there but that's magic. I'm also miffed at DRS making me not want to run Cavern of Souls anymore. All in all though playing 3 DRS and 2 Noble vs 4 and 1 probably makes very little difference in the grand scheme of things. I've also been tempted to play more nobles at times.

Also I'd never shave Knight - my favourite card. Started standard in Alara/Zen and played 4 knights, then when she rotated I started legacy (with NO Bant) and played 4 of her ever since. With that being said it's hard to say a single card is objectively the 'best' but if I was forced to choose, I'd have to say Green Sun's Zenith is the best card in our deck.

[Megadeus]

GSZ is definitely the best card. I probably win 75% of games I draw 3 of them. I can see certain metas where shaving KOTR is fine. I've debated it for the fourth new Thalia. I don't know if that's right though. I just really want to jam Thalia on turn 2 every game

[Jain_Mor]

Are you guys not considering the new chalice on legs card? Seems like you would be the best deck for it since you can cast on T2 when you have it. I thought I'd check out the forum to see if the ideas you had would sway me back to Maverick, but no one has mentioned in the last few pages?

[Rascalyote]

I just had to cut my flex slot PW and my 2nd library to fit in Thalia HC.

Im not cutting SFM, I'm not shaving a pridemage. My main is pretty much stock now aside from playing a swamp. How am I supposed to fit in Sanctum Prelate :(

[Warden]

Are you guys not considering the new chalice on legs card? Seems like you would be the best deck for it since you can cast on T2 when you have it. I thought I'd check out the forum to see if the ideas you had would sway me back to Maverick, but no one has mentioned in the last few pages?

When I acquire them, I'm pretty sure I want 4 in the 75. How that 4 is split is beyond me.
I am willing to shave down on some flex slots in favor of prelate. I also thought about the new white Recruiter...but it has been "meh" at best. I think a green and taxes list could better incorporate Recruiter. The upside of recruiter is a strong flow of creatures throughout the game. Almost never missing a beat. The upside of prelate is locking out your opponent. Prelate "puts the boot to their throat" because you reduce the odds of a comeback. Eliminate sweepers and cantrips. Finish with the lead you have.
If there was a downside to both new cards (focusing more on prelate coming into the deck), it's the slots you're not using to make room for them. I just top 8'ed without decay and felt fine. I could also drop scryb, a QPM, a Thalia 2.0 and be fine. So the room is there.

The small amount of goldfishing I've done with the new cards has been interesting. Prelate definitely plays the game better. It's something I'd like to see nearly every match. Usually my 3 turn sequencing is dork into Thalia and SFM or dork into three drops. I'm not ruling out the idea of new cards being better suited for DNT or Deadguy.

[Megadeus]

I think Prelate and new Thalia compete for the same slots. Thalia is a better body and easier to cast plus first strike and exalted or equipment is insane. I think Prelate is more something for the board and it maybe simply replaces some number of KOTR in the matches where it's not as good like miracles, storm (KOTR of course is good against SNT), and other stuff.

[ET1]

Anybody have thoughts on Kaya in the sideboard? I played a copy today in my LGS's weekly legacy tournament and it was an absolute house against Miracles. Ticking her down making them discard cards and you drawings is huge, after doing that twice you can just reset her. She seems like she may also be decent against decks like Jund and Shardless.

[kellysandall]

I just had to cut my flex slot PW and my 2nd library to fit in Thalia HC.

Im not cutting SFM, I'm not shaving a pridemage. My main is pretty much stock now aside from playing a swamp. How am I supposed to fit in Sanctum Prelate :(

whats your list?

[screallix]

so I just made this list from scratch:
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/collected-recruiter-maverick/

Creature (26)

1x Eternal Witness
1x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1x Gaddock Teeg
1x Phyrexian Revoker
1x Qasali Pridemage
1x Sanctum Prelate
2x Stoneforge Mystic
3x Recruiter of the
3x Flickerwisp Guard
3x Knight of the Reliquary
3x Mother of Runes
3x Noble Hierarch
3x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Land (22)

1x Cavern of Souls
1x Dark Depths
1x Thespian's Stage
1x Karakas
2x Forest
2x Plains
2x Savannah
4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Wasteland
4x Windswept Heath

Artifact (6)

4x AEther Vial

Instant (7)

3x Collected Company
4x Swords to Plowshares

Sideboard (15)

1x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1x Leonin Relic-Warder
1x Life from the Loam
1x Mangara of Corondor
1x Phyrexian Revoker
1x Scavenging Ooze
1x Containment Priest
2x Choke
2x Council's Judgment
2x Ethersworn Canonist
2x Faerie Macabre


I guess it's a way to start

[Koby]

Anybody have thoughts on Kaya in the sideboard? I played a copy today in my LGS's weekly legacy tournament and it was an absolute house against Miracles. Ticking her down making them discard cards and you drawings is huge, after doing that twice you can just reset her. She seems like she may also be decent against decks like Jund and Shardless.

Would any of the walkers have been good in the same spot? Like Elspeth Knight-errant; Garruk; or Sorin Lord of Innistrad? Not making tokens limits Kaya's ability to be useful in other matchups. Resolving the walkers is usually the challenge. Once they're live Miracles has trouble dealing regardless of which walker you use. Also, can she beat Jace?

[NEELEY]

13th in the premier mtgo legacy event yesterday. Went 5-2 losses were round 1 to elves and I think round 4 to rug delver. 5th through 8th were all 5-2, shouldn't of loss so early but when you play a terrible match up round 1, it's hard to have good breakers. FYI same list I've been running. The three stoneforge with batterskull feels right. Has anyone been playing this configuration or no?

[Thunderknight]

I gotta Quest for 4 Power (Black Lotus) event on Sunday that I'm looking for some feedback/discussion .

My meta is primary Lands, Miracles, Delver, and Storm

I have a game plan between Delver and Storm, and okish Miracles plan (I'm running DD and Bobs because the card advantage is important in this match-up and their source of removal is swords and terminus so I can afford the life loss of cards). the only deck that I don't really have a solid game plan is Lands (RUG, RG, Turbo, etc.)

I feel that Loam + Bog just seals them out the game, safekeeper blanks on their removal, and Knights just applies more pressure. But I could be wrong.

My list is similar to DNEELY list except I do not run the SF package and instead I run Bobs, THC, loam, and DD combo, and an extra pair of Library.

[Megadeus]

Having access to 2-3 Scavenging Ooze is pretty nice in the match up. Can get out of PFire range and you get to waste tabernacle and eat it so you don't have to worry about not being able to go wide

[Thunderknight]

Having access to 2-3 Scavenging Ooze is pretty nice in the match up. Can get out of PFire range and you get to waste tabernacle and eat it so you don't have to worry about not being able to go wide

That sounds right. though I'm more tempted to bring out Armageddon but I know it won't do as much as I want

[Warden]

13th in the premier mtgo legacy event yesterday. Went 5-2 losses were round 1 to elves and I think round 4 to rug delver. 5th through 8th were all 5-2, shouldn't of loss so early but when you play a terrible match up round 1, it's hard to have good breakers. FYI same list I've been running. The three stoneforge with batterskull feels right. Has anyone been playing this configuration or no?

You can check my recent list. I am a fan of 3x SFM recently. She just powers through board states and is a wonderful top-deck. I am still opposed to Batterskull. When it works, it works well. But far too often it is a waste of space Sword of X/Y isn't. Especially in the early game I find myself capable of making several 3 drop plays. I'll even bait countermagic with a key 3 drop in exchange for later playing a sandbagged equipment. Batterskull is literally impossible to run during the game period of the game without the prerequisite SFM to fetch it. IMO if you untap with 5 mana, you're already doing well in Maverick and any equip is good by that point.


I gotta Quest for 4 Power (Black Lotus) event on Sunday that I'm looking for some feedback/discussion .

My meta is primary Lands, Miracles, Delver, and Storm

I have a game plan between Delver and Storm, and okish Miracles plan (I'm running DD and Bobs because the card advantage is important in this match-up and their source of removal is swords and terminus so I can afford the life loss of cards). the only deck that I don't really have a solid game plan is Lands (RUG, RG, Turbo, etc.)

I feel that Loam + Bog just seals them out the game, safekeeper blanks on their removal, and Knights just applies more pressure. But I could be wrong.

My list is similar to DNEELY list except I do not run the SF package and instead I run Bobs, THC, loam, and DD combo, and an extra pair of Library.

I'm going to assume those 4 decks are a significant portion of the anticipated meta and that you feel you have roughly equal odds (25%) of facing any of them. They could also be the main competition you wanna skew the deck design around.

Lands
+ Needle (port, waste, maze, stage to prevent DD combo)
+ RIP > Bog. Every. Time
+ Sanctum Prelate (crop rotation, gamble, exploration, etc. on 1 // decay, Pfires on 2)

Miracles
Run 2x Teeg in the 75
Run Planeswalkers like Gideon, Ally of Zendikar and Elspeth, Knight-Errant (yes, it's a No-Bo with Teeg on table but that's a risk you need to take). If you fear the delver matchup, then Garruk Relentless is an option. He shoots down delvers as faux removal. Also relevant against Miracles but is not as strong as the 2 aforementioned.
+ Armageddon (see: also STRONG against Lands.dec)
+ Needle (see: also strong against Land.dec, stop SDT shenanigans)
I usually cut Thalia GoT in games 2 and 3. She's a detriment beyond turn 3. They keep dropping lands and you have better things to run.
+ Krosan Grip/Abrupt Decay/QPM to knock out tops (in response to them drawing) or CB itself
+ Sylvan Library from the SB

Do not bother with Choke.

Delver
+ Thalia, HC obliterates them
+ Sanctum Prelate on 1 obliterates them
+ Thalia 1.0 is strong
+ Canonist (seriously, she's a pain for them to remove and it also eliminates cantrip chains. also takes the bullet in place of your other friends)

Loam is okay, but it isnt a priority. I would aim for mana denial and the good 'ol Thalia 1.0 + Wasteland.
Stop their fliers early and often.

Storm
+ Thalia 1.0
+ Canonist
+ Discard in the SB
Prelate on 2 is the priority according to Bryant and others. Don't be afraid to read the situation and call X = 0/1/4

@Thunderknight: I think for his situation you run 'Geddon.

==================
The SB I'd run
5x Canonist + Discard (3:2 or 2:3, your pick)
1x Sanctum Prelates not already in the main
2x Armageddon
2x Pithing Needle
1x Teeg #2
2x Rest in Peace
2x Flex...Sword of X/Y, Walkers, additional Scooze/QPM, Kgrip, Zealous Persecution (my fav flex)

My personal opinion is that you're wasting space running Confidants and Libraries main. They are "win more" against these decks. Storm and Lands will simply kill you without some form of disruption. I'd probably run 3x Sanctum Prelates in the main. They take care of business rather swiftly. I love Thalia, HC in general. IMO she's also a STRONG play here. Curving mom, Thalia 1, Thalia 2 sets you up rather well. The same could be said for dork into thalia-wasteland or dork into 3drop.

[Oathbreakers]

Do not bother with Choke.



Been playing Maverick for a few years now and i have always had 2 Chokes in my board, most lists i look up to compare generally have at least one. Would like to know more about your Reasoning

[Cpt-Qc]

I'm intrigued as well...

When choke resolves it's a game changer against miracles since they cannot waste mana toping all the time.

And since we can reliably get it out turn 2 it feels very good (knowing they probably boarded out forces if they know what they are doing means it will almost always resolve).

[Bobmans]

How is the Elves MU on overall with this deck?
Besides Toxic Deluge, Zealous Persecution and/or Golgari Charm what are solid cards to play/board?

[H]

How is the Elves MU on overall with this deck?
Besides Toxic Deluge, Zealous Persecution and/or Golgari Charm what are solid cards to play/board?

New Thalia seems like your best hope though, right?

[Cpt-Qc]

New Thalia seems like your best hope though, right?

This.

As long as she's there you know elves cannot combo off with craterhoof.

This slows them down, hopefully long enough to find sideboard cards and/or force your way with mom.

[Thunderknight]

This.

As long as she's there you know elves cannot combo off with craterhoof.

This slows them down, hopefully long enough to find sideboard cards and/or force your way with mom.

You have lots of ways of dealing with Elves

between Canonist, Zealous, both Thalia's, gaddock teeg, Games two and three can be very favorable.

[Cpt-Qc]

You have lots of ways of dealing with Elves

between Canonist, Zealous, both Thalia's, gaddock teeg, Games two and three can be very favorable.

Yes, after board. That's why I said it gives you time to find such cards.

G1 it still gives you a chance to get a jitte out and running.

[Koby]

You have lots of ways of dealing with Elves

between Canonist, Zealous, both Thalia's, gaddock teeg, Games two and three can be very favorable.

Yea... Idk about that. Elves can get ya without trying hard.
See https://youtu.be/1WPrmzphW5M?t=29m

[Warden]

Been playing Maverick for a few years now and i have always had 2 Chokes in my board, most lists i look up to compare generally have at least one. Would like to know more about your Reasoning


I'm intrigued as well...

When choke resolves it's a game changer against miracles since they cannot waste mana toping all the time.

And since we can reliably get it out turn 2 it feels very good (knowing they probably boarded out forces if they know what they are doing means it will almost always resolve).

Choke does very little in the end against Miracles. Much like Thalia 1.0, the card gets mitigated the longer you play against them. They are the proverbial "draw, go" deck in the format and play the best long game. Much better than us. Color denial only goes so far against them since their deck is made up of lots of fetches and basics. Drop Choke turn 2 against them. They'll proceed to lay fetches and crack basics. If they absolutely need blue mana, they'll use it to drop Jace or Venser EOT. In some cases they may use their islands/blue duals to fire off a gamewinning play -- circumventing the choke-effect you're banking on. Should Choke actually bother them, they'll have some way of bouncing it/nuking it. Be wary of Council's Judgement for this reason. They have infinite searching, so hitting WW1 to remove the Choke isn't enough.
Not only that, but recognize Miracles really lives and dies off their access to SDT + 1x Plains to ruin your day. STP and Terminus are the trump cards to our deck. If you're hellbent on hitting their mana where it hurts, go bigger with Armageddon -- as Miracles can't afford to lose its arsenal of lands.

The better SB calls against Miracles deal with Top itself (Needle, Revoker, Kgrip, Null Rod, etc) and Planeswalkers -- as they are immune to STP, Terminus, and Jace (the main way you'll lose). I'm convinced the new card Sanctum is a game-changer because it can turn off all threats Miracles throws at you.


How is the Elves MU on overall with this deck?
Besides Toxic Deluge, Zealous Persecution and/or Golgari Charm what are solid cards to play/board?

Elves are very difficult. Teeg lost some effectiveness as the GB1 elf who makes you lose X life (X = number of elves in play) is a very strong alternate wincon.
I board in Canonist, Containment Priest, all removal/sweepers (splash colors for Maverick shine here), and/or revokers. I remove anything that's irrelevant + Thalia 1.0.
Thalia 2.0 is good but may actually be too slow if you're not putting her into play early and often. Toxic D is the best sweeper (kills everything and progenitus) for Elves followed by ZP. Dont' be afraid to be aggressive with ZP because all Elves.dec needs at any given moment is a dude or two on the table to threaten with NO.

[Cpt-Qc]

I found that Choke + Thalia 2.0 is wonderful against miracles. They do have a lot of basics, but they also have tons of fetches.
Even they cannot avoid being taxed if you wasteland their fetches aggressively.

I was able to keep an opponent on 1 land for about 5-6 turns the last time I tried it. That was just enough to beat for 3 a turn until dead.

[Thunderknight]

I found that Choke + Thalia 2.0 is wonderful against miracles. They do have a lot of basics, but they also have tons of fetches.
Even they cannot avoid being taxed if you wasteland their fetches aggressively.

I was able to keep an opponent on 1 land for about 5-6 turns the last time I tried it. That was just enough to beat for 3 a turn until dead.

Choke is a temporary way to seal out the game. But you know what does it strickly better?

Tusmani. Blows up their islands and doesn't hurt our lands. :tongue:

But kidding aside. I think I found a way to deal with the rising Eldarzi & Taxes in my meta.

Glissa, The Traitor and Zealous Conscripts

[Warden]

I found that Choke + Thalia 2.0 is wonderful against miracles. They do have a lot of basics, but they also have tons of fetches.
Even they cannot avoid being taxed if you wasteland their fetches aggressively.

I was able to keep an opponent on 1 land for about 5-6 turns the last time I tried it. That was just enough to beat for 3 a turn until dead.

Been loving Thalia 2.0. But she didn't factor into my answer about "why don't you run choke?"
Incorporating what I mentioned above, I'd love to run Needle/Revoker + Thalia 2.0 against Miracles. Turn off top, potentially disable half their fetchlands, and make all nonbasics enter play tapped. That's savage.

[Vandalize]

You can also run 2 Teegs in the 75 and do the ol' good Mom Teeg lock, and add some Pithing Needles and Planeswalkers mix in the sideboard.

My list:

Lands [23]
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Karakas
1 Dark Depths
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Dryad Arbor

Creatures [25]
4 Mother of Runes
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
3 Deathrite Shaman
2 Noble Hierearch
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons

Spells [12]
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

Sideboard [15]
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Path to Exile
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Pithing Needle
1 Krosan Grip
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Life from the Loam
1 Garruk Relentless/Garruk the Veil-Cursed
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar

My meta isn't full of Combo (except some occasional Belcher players, which is kinda hopeless), so I don't need Ethersworn Canonist nor Thoughtseizes in the sideboard. Path to Exile is really good versus Delver and Eldrazi, so that's the replacement.

[Seraphix]

You can also run 2 Teegs in the 75 and do the ol' good Mom Teeg lock, and add some Pithing Needles and Planeswalkers mix in the sideboard.

My list:

Lands [23]
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Karakas
1 Dark Depths
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Dryad Arbor

Creatures [25]
4 Mother of Runes
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
3 Deathrite Shaman
2 Noble Hierearch
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons

Spells [12]
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

Sideboard [15]
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Path to Exile
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Pithing Needle
1 Krosan Grip
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Life from the Loam
1 Garruk Relentless/Garruk the Veil-Cursed
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar

My meta isn't full of Combo (except some occasional Belcher players, which is kinda hopeless), so I don't need Ethersworn Canonist nor Thoughtseizes in the sideboard. Path to Exile is really good versus Delver and Eldrazi, so that's the replacement.

The Mom-Teeg soft lock against Miracles already took a big hit when Council's Judgment was printed, and with the addition of Mentor to Miracles has unfortunately become even less reliable.

[pettdan]

I agree with Seraphix, I haven't had success with Gaddock vs Miracles during the last 12-18 months I believe.

I was lucky enough to win the finals of our local legacy league in Stockholm, I'll post a list and a few comments later. Nothing spectacular in the list but still.

[Bobmans]

List;
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons


How does the Sigarda work out? Is Cradle a must here to get it out often/fast enough?

[Vandalize]

How does the Sigarda work out? Is Cradle a must here to get it out often/fast enough?

Sigarda is pretty much my pet card, no real reason to use her, just a fine fatty. Gaea's Cradle should be in every Maverick list, powering up those GSZ is the name of the game.

[Koby]

Sigarda is pretty much my pet card, no real reason to use her, just a fine fatty. Gaea's Cradle should be in every Maverick list, powering up those GSZ is the name of the game.

It also fuels up fast SFM turns for 5W or 6W into equipped attacker.

[Zulabnar]

What do you think about
kaya ghost assasinhttp://magiccards.info/scans/en/cn2/75.jpg

[Megadeus]

It also fuels up fast SFM turns for 5W or 6W into equipped attacker.

This. Cradle I want to see almost every game. I've honestly contemplated adding a second. It's mediocre against miracles, but being able to go stoneforge plus cast sword, plus equip sword is ridiculous. Turn 2 stoneforge after a mana dork into sandbagged cradle cast and equip nobody sees it coming and you just crush them. Also Scooze + Cradle. Yes please

[pettdan]

Also, regarding cradle, if you're playing Sigarda or Titania it feels almost like you're dropping a one sided Show and Tell when you go t1 mana dork, t2 knight into t3 knight activation for cradle and GSZ for your bomb. Those are all 4-ofs so it's not very unlikely.

[ET1]

What do you think about
kaya ghost assasinhttp://magiccards.info/scans/en/cn2/75.jpg

Insane against miracles, I imagine it's pretty good against decks like jund and shardless as well

[Koby]

http://magiccards.info/scans/en/cn2/75.jpg


Would any of the walkers have been good in the same spot? Like Elspeth Knight-errant; Garruk; or Sorin Lord of Innistrad? Not making tokens limits Kaya's ability to be useful in other matchups. Resolving the walkers is usually the challenge. Once they're live Miracles has trouble dealing regardless of which walker you use. Also, can she beat Jace?

[NEELEY]

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=107600

Looks like Maverick with new Thalia took down the classic today. Congrats!

[lordofthepit]

Has anyone tried brewing a Vial Maverick list with Recruiter of the Guard?

[Thunderknight]

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=107600

Looks like Maverick with new Thalia took down the classic today. Congrats!

That Swamp though. Savage.

I'm really interested with why no Abrupt Decays MB, maybe it was a meta call.

[NEELEY]

That Swamp though. Savage.

I'm really interested with why no Abrupt Decays MB, maybe it was a meta call.

The marsh flats and the swamp are not worth it in my opinion even if you maindeck decay. I'd just run a second bayou.

[Bobmans]

The marsh flats and the swamp are not worth it in my opinion even if you maindeck decay. I'd just run a second bayou.
Agreed, all fetch should be able to get basic Forest.
The basic Swamp is a good idea, if you run maindeck Decay. And not have DD/Stage and/or Maze aswell.
Nonetheless, 1st place proves that those things are all minor details.
Maverick is getting more top8 positions, is the deck popular? Or are the pilots just that dedicated?

[NEELEY]

Agreed, all fetch should be able to get basic Forest.
The basic Swamp is a good idea, if you run maindeck Decay. And not have DD/Stage and/or Maze aswell.
Nonetheless, 1st place proves that those things are all minor details.
Maverick is getting more top8 positions, is the deck popular? Or are the pilots just that dedicated?

Maverick isn't a bad deck. If you dodge elves you're in a good spot. Miracles is the best deck in legacy but if you go to a SCG Classic in my own experience, I rarely play against it and if I do it's 1 time per tournament. The decks consistency will win you games. Keep the deck as consistent as possible and don't dilute it with the dd combo. I know the consistency will win you more games than the combo will. I think the pilots know how to operate the deck and green sun zeniths gives you a lot of game to solve a lot of board states. I definitely know Maverick isn't popular and if people played it as much as say Miracles, we would see more results. I'm guilty of not playing Maverick in paper tournament because I have been doing great with aggro loam, but the last tournament I used Maverick, I got 9th and missed the top 8 on breakers at SCG Indy.

[sanderanders]

Maverick isn't a bad deck. If you dodge elves you're in a good spot.

Tides have changed: With 3 new Thalia's, Elves is a favourable matchup for us!

I hope the pilot of the winning deck at the classic will post a report here.

[KobeBryan]

Tides have changed: With 3 new Thalia's, Elves is a favourable matchup for us!

I hope the pilot of the winning deck at the classic will post a report here.

care to explain

[Warden]

Maverick isn't a bad deck. If you dodge elves you're in a good spot. Miracles is the best deck in legacy but if you go to a SCG Classic in my own experience, I rarely play against it and if I do it's 1 time per tournament. The decks consistency will win you games. Keep the deck as consistent as possible and don't dilute it with the dd combo. I know the consistency will win you more games than the combo will. I think the pilots know how to operate the deck and green sun zeniths gives you a lot of game to solve a lot of board states. I definitely know Maverick isn't popular and if people played it as much as say Miracles, we would see more results. I'm guilty of not playing Maverick in paper tournament because I have been doing great with aggro loam, but the last tournament I used Maverick, I got 9th and missed the top 8 on breakers at SCG Indy.

I played abysmal this weekend. 0-2 drop and a quick exit.
Biggest mistake was removing the DD combo. R1 paired against the lone miracles player in the room. I'm convinced we cannot beat that match.

Got a deck reg error going into R2 (resulting in a game loss). Play a faux game 1 that counts as game 2. TES goes off on turn 1 for 14 goblins. gg.

Sooooo....that was my weekend. Pretty sure I'm going to venture into Green and Taxes.

[NEELEY]

Tides have changed: With 3 new Thalia's, Elves is a favourable matchup for us!

I hope the pilot of the winning deck at the classic will post a report here.

Thalia does not make this a favorable match up. Please explain or show some evidence against good elves players. I didn't say you couldn't beat elves I think it's just the worst match up. Adding a third to 4th sweeper would help out.

[NEELEY]

I played abysmal this weekend. 0-2 drop and a quick exit.
Biggest mistake was removing the DD combo. R1 paired against the lone miracles player in the room. I'm convinced we cannot beat that match.

Got a deck reg error going into R2 (resulting in a game loss). Play a faux game 1 that counts as game 2. TES goes off on turn 1 for 14 goblins. gg.

Sooooo....that was my weekend. Pretty sure I'm going to venture into Green and Taxes.

I just beat Losset in the legacy premier. He was streaming that day so you could probably find the match.

[sanderanders]

care to explain

Ok, ok, 'favourable' is maybe a bit too much, but all creatures of the elves player come tapped into play! I played only a few matches against elves but it is gg and scoop when Thalia resolves.

[dte]

Ok, ok, 'favourable' is maybe a bit too much, but all creatures of the elves player come tapped into play! I played only a few matches against elves but it is gg and scoop when Thalia resolves.

Try to play a couple of more games. I play elves myself and have won more often than lose when facing Thalia tHC (admittedly against D&T). It is ok against glimpse, although glimpse can be faster and drawing a few cards out of it is already good value. It prevents one creature from attacking from a NOed hoof. Not that hot. It does nothing against the main WS-EV engine.

Don't get me wrong, the card is good, particularly in this MU. But not really better than E. cannonist or C. priest in this particular MU.

[pettdan]

I've been playing 2 Engineered Plagues for a while and I like it a lot, I think it's at its best vs Elves.. But I do have a large amount of tribal decks in my local meta. However it's also great vs Mentor, TNN, merfolk, goblins, Death n Taxes, Pyromancer, Dredge etc..

[sanderanders]

Don't get me wrong, the card is good, particularly in this MU. But not really better than E. cannonist or C. priest in this particular MU.

I agree that the card itself is not better than Cannonist or Priest. The big difference though, is that New Thalia is a 3-of in the mainboard, Cannonist and C. Priest are 2-of sideboard cards, so game 1 is a already better now, but game two and three with the 5 hatebears, 3 new Thalia's and 2 Priests/Cannonists are way better.

[Warden]

I've been playing 2 Engineered Plagues for a while and I like it a lot, I think it's at its best vs Elves.. But I do have a large amount of tribal decks in my local meta. However it's also great vs Mentor, TNN, merfolk, goblins, Death n Taxes, Pyromancer, Dredge etc..

I may be taking this approach moving forwards.

@Elves: Thalia HC is very strong, but doesn't break open the match more than Jitte. Elves can play around either. You need sweepers to win the match. I've been on record for saying 5 (yes, really) sweepers/additional removal makes the difference. I pull Thalia 1.0 and another expendable in favor of making 5 spots. I found I have a higher lose % when I'm packing 3 or 4 removal, as I need to overload on a board wipe to x-for-1 them and pull ahead. With a rise in DnT, I think Plague (Elves, Humans) might be better than my tried and true 3 ZP + 2 Toxic D, but we'll see how to make it all come together.

[Megadeus]

In my limited testing I won every match I had a turn 2 Thalia against elves.

[L10]

In my limited testing I won every match I had a turn 2 Thalia against elves.
+1

[sanderanders]

In my limited testing I won every match I had a turn 2 Thalia against elves.


+1

[NEELEY]

Has anyone tried brewing a Vial Maverick list with Recruiter of the Guard?

I only really test on mtgo and the cards aren't available yet to my knowledge

[sanderanders]

I only really test on mtgo and the cards aren't available yet to my knowledge



Hey Dan, i consider buying into MTGO, but just want to build 1 deck. Maverick isn't the most expensive and my petdeck.

Do you have any advice, tips, words of wisdom? And in wich way is the metagame different from the paper meta?

[rubblekill]

Hey Dan, i consider buying into MTGO, but just want to build 1 deck. Maverick isn't the most expensive and my petdeck.

Do you have any advice, tips, words of wisdom? And in wich way is the metagame different from the paper meta?

You must be prepared to play miracles A LOT. And, being a fair type of magic player (maverick/nic fit), that's what's sucking the fun out of the game, at least for me.

[NEELEY]

Hey Dan, i consider buying into MTGO, but just want to build 1 deck. Maverick isn't the most expensive and my petdeck.

Do you have any advice, tips, words of wisdom? And in wich way is the metagame different from the paper meta?

Maverick is a great deck. The meta on MTGO is a lot of tier 1 decks. If you look at the decks on mtgtop8.com, most of that percentage is based from the online meta game. Some leagues I play miracles 3 times, some none. There is a lot of grixis delver as well. What I'm trying to say is you play a lot of tier 1 decks and I think the average MTGO player is better than the ones I play against in classics. You don't get too many free wins. Also if you aren't winning much it can be a huge money pit, it cost 12 tix which is $12 to enter the leagues and you have to at least 3-2 to get your money back. I know it sounds easy but you can go on some bad runs. So the big difference in my experience is tier 1 decks seem to come up more on MTGO than paper. I played aggro loam on mtgo a lot as well but gave it up because I kept running into show and tell, but that seems to have decreased. So I think it may be a good option again.

[ironclad8690]

I just picked up Maverik again last night for mtgo. Trying the classic winning list.

Had an epic match against neely with like 1 minute left on clock for both of us by the end of the match. New thalia was prett good, but i definitely made some mistakes (havent played maverick in years or even mtg in a couple months). Ended up 1-2.

[NEELEY]

I just picked up Maverik again last night for mtgo. Trying the classic winning list.

Had an epic match against neely with like 1 minute left on clock for both of us by the end of the match. New thalia was prett good, but i definitely made some mistakes (havent played maverick in years or even mtg in a couple months). Ended up 1-2.

The mirror is always fun. You weren't playing scryb ranger, that always gives me the advantage! Sorry about the slow play, I'm usually watching my 1 and 3 year olds. Just remember the match up is all about mom and equipments. That is why scryb ranger is great!

[ironclad8690]

The mirror is always fun. You weren't playing scryb ranger, that always gives me the advantage! Sorry about the slow play, I'm usually watching my 1 and 3 year olds. Just remember the match up is all about mom and equipments. That is why scryb ranger is great!

Yes, I knew I was outclassed game 1 from the time you played the 2nd mom. Once scryb hit the field it was just a long slow death.

I just played another match vs affinity. Etched champion and 2 cranial platings sealed game 1. I had a jitte and creatures of course, but they weren't getting through that.

Game 2 is what really pissed me off. I had a great hand with multiple deathrites and a stoneforge to grab jitte early and swing with it turn 3. My opponent starts off with ancient tomb pithing needle (DRS) and aether vial. I am like, alright, at least I can still go on the jitte plan. He plays manriki-gusari (lolwut?) and then ANOTHER pithing needle this time on Jitte. Needless to say, didn't really matter what else I did, he had the inevitability at that point outside of multiple Qasali Pridemage draw. He eventually drew tezzeret and wrecked me anyways.

Felt pretty unlucky after that one.

Edit: These Thalia, Heretic Cathars are cool, but I am feeling the hurt that 3 drops put on your early game development. The times when you have a manadork are great and can power it out turn 2, but I am experiencing some additional "clunk" than I am used to running Mav.

[NEELEY]

Edit: These Thalia, Heretic Cathars are cool, but I am feeling the hurt that 3 drops put on your early game development. The times when you have a manadork are great and can power it out turn 2, but I am experiencing some additional "clunk" than I am used to running Mav.

Yes I also think they are also just okay.The 3 equipment package has been good for me and leads to strong turns with a top decked stoneforge with cradle.

[ironclad8690]

I did just win a match against elves thanks to new Thalia. Maybe I was too quick to pass judgment on her XP.

[KobeBryan]

I did just win a match against elves thanks to new Thalia. Maybe I was too quick to pass judgment on her XP.

What does she do to make it so superb

[ironclad8690]

Elves really wants creatures to ETB untapped because of Heritage Druid/Birchlore and Cradles entering tapped give you time to find a wasteland before they can make a billion mana. I was able to buy enough time to assemble Mom + Jitte and take over.

Also, I was able to stave off a Wren's Run Packmaster with both Thalias out.

[TMagpie]

What has people's impression's of Sanctum Prelate been now that its been a few weeks of play?

[Lockeid]

Alright, finally got to start in Legacy, I'm still missing a couple of cards and I currently have no duals or Wasteland, but I plan on buying them in the long run.
Went to a 4 round tournament and ended up at 2-1-1 with this list:

Creatures
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Mother of Runes
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Equipment
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte

Spells
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sylvan Library

Lands
1 Dark Depths
1 Dryad Arbor
2 Flooded Strand
2 Forest
1 Overgrown Tomb
3 Plains
1 Swamp
3 Temple Garden
1 Thespian's Stage
3 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills

Sideboard:
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Ghostly Prison
2 Mirran Crusader
2 Pithing Needle
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Zealous Persecution

I realized when I came to the event that I had packed absolutely no graveyard hate. I'm wondering which is the best, Rest in Peace or something along the lines of Grafdigger's cage ?

Anyway, here's the report:
Round 1 Burn (0-1)
Game 1: I have no real way to protect my creatures nor to really deal with a guide so I just get chipped away.
Game 2: I manage to get an early Jitte in which helped me stabilise a lot, my opponent eventually conceded because she was running out of gas and the Jitte had too many counters.
Game 3: I manage to stabilise a bit, but eventually the fact that I'm playing shocklands instead of duals caught me

Round 2 UR Delver (1-1)
Game 1: YP early, I had no real way to deal with all the tokens early on, and I stabilise way too late to get back in the game
Game 2: Much better start, I get a Marit Lage online turn 4, opponent has no way to deal with this
Game 3: This one got quite long. I have a Marit Lage with a Mom on the board with two KoTR. Opponent bounces the Marit Lage, but with the combo I have enough lands to swing for 16 with the KoTR and get it done anyway.

Round 3 DnT/Clerics
Kind of a weird deck, it plays a part of the DnT shell but with Mikaeus and some clerics on top of it.
Game 1: Opp puts a Phyrexian Revoker online to deal with my KoTR but I have GSZ for Pridemage, so I get the combo off
Game 2: I'm a bit light on mana and it get cut off of green so I can't do much
Game 3: I keep a one-lander with GSZ. I get an early Sylvan Library online which allows me to find answers for everything. I get the DD off and he scoops.

Round 4 Abzan Deathblade
Game 1: Opp misplays and taps and doesn't use his wasteland on my Thespian's Stage while my KoTR is still summoning sick, I get Marit Lage and finish him off.
Game 2: I get some pressure in early with a Mirran Crusader but opp finds a StP. He starts running away with the game with a Batterskull and a Jitte so I scoop.
Game 3: I get kind of stuck on lands, and as soon as I start getting back into the game I get double Hymn'd. A Mirran Crusader again helps me stabilise, but it ends up in a draw.

I was super happy to go 2-1-1 for my first event, and I'm really having a blast playing the deck. I'm making mistakes for sure, but I feel like I can spot some of them in hindsight.
Really looking forward to Friday's legacy FNM.

[ironclad8690]

4 Deathrite Shamans and an Ooze is usually enough GY hate, if you need more I'd opt for Containment Priest, Bojuka Bog/Crop Rotation, Surgical Extraction.

Grafdigger's turns off your Zeniths, but if your meta has a lot of Dredge might be worth it. Rest in peace I would only play if I expected Lands or Aggro Loam. Otherwise the shrinkage to Knight is just not good.

[Lockeid]

There are many Reanimator and Drege players, but you're right that Ooze + DRS might be enough. I guess I'll see when I play against them.

[Rascalyote]

There are many Reanimator and Drege players, but you're right that Ooze + DRS might be enough. I guess I'll see when I play against them.

If you need more GY hate in your meta I personally love Surgical in this deck because a 0 mana instant is a different angle of attack than all your 1-2 mana permanents, applies to storm too.

[Lockeid]

Might be a good pickup anyway, I'll try to see what the meta looks at the other LGS. I'll probably to adapt my SB for Eternal Weekend over the next couple of weeks.

[ironclad8690]

Also, Thomas Herzog used to play Ooze #2 in the Sideboard. I think Containment Priest effectively ended that though.

My favorite is Containment Priest because you can protect it from Abrupt Decay with Mom. It can be a little slow, but DRS at least comes online pretty early. We also have Karakas/Knight search to fight Reanimator. Crop Rotation is especially useful, either to get Bog or Karakas depending on the situation.

[ironclad8690]

How many Zealous P do you guys bring in against True-Name.dec? Like Deathblade for example, where TNN is the only real target (aside from "countering" their Zealous P)?

[Koby]

How many Zealous P do you guys bring in against True-Name.dec? Like Deathblade for example, where TNN is the only real target (aside from "countering" their Zealous P)?

Depends on if there are any other creatures to pick off with ZP. I think SoFI is more than enough to handle TNN. My experience is that he only attacks when Jitte is active.

[Warden]

How many Zealous P do you guys bring in against True-Name.dec? Like Deathblade for example, where TNN is the only real target (aside from "countering" their Zealous P)?

Just to clarify, you're talking about any deck playing TNN? I bring in as many sweepers as possible.

4C: kills TNN, Strix
Grixis: kills unflipped delver, TNN, Strix, Y. Pyromancer tokens
Bant: kills Mom, Noble, TNN, Arbor
*These decks may also have access to Clique and/or Snapcaster

[Thunderknight]

Alright, finally got to start in Legacy, I'm still missing a couple of cards and I currently have no duals or Wasteland, but I plan on buying them in the long run.
Went to a 4 round tournament and ended up at 2-1-1 with this list:

Creatures
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Mother of Runes
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Equipment
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte

Spells
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sylvan Library

Lands
1 Dark Depths
1 Dryad Arbor
2 Flooded Strand
2 Forest
1 Overgrown Tomb
3 Plains
1 Swamp
3 Temple Garden
1 Thespian's Stage
3 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills

Sideboard:
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Ghostly Prison
2 Mirran Crusader
2 Pithing Needle
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Zealous Persecution

I realized when I came to the event that I had packed absolutely no graveyard hate. I'm wondering which is the best, Rest in Peace or something along the lines of Grafdigger's cage ?

Anyway, here's the report:
Round 1 Burn (0-1)
Game 1: I have no real way to protect my creatures nor to really deal with a guide so I just get chipped away.
Game 2: I manage to get an early Jitte in which helped me stabilise a lot, my opponent eventually conceded because she was running out of gas and the Jitte had too many counters.
Game 3: I manage to stabilise a bit, but eventually the fact that I'm playing shocklands instead of duals caught me

Round 2 UR Delver (1-1)
Game 1: YP early, I had no real way to deal with all the tokens early on, and I stabilise way too late to get back in the game
Game 2: Much better start, I get a Marit Lage online turn 4, opponent has no way to deal with this
Game 3: This one got quite long. I have a Marit Lage with a Mom on the board with two KoTR. Opponent bounces the Marit Lage, but with the combo I have enough lands to swing for 16 with the KoTR and get it done anyway.

Round 3 DnT/Clerics
Kind of a weird deck, it plays a part of the DnT shell but with Mikaeus and some clerics on top of it.
Game 1: Opp puts a Phyrexian Revoker online to deal with my KoTR but I have GSZ for Pridemage, so I get the combo off
Game 2: I'm a bit light on mana and it get cut off of green so I can't do much
Game 3: I keep a one-lander with GSZ. I get an early Sylvan Library online which allows me to find answers for everything. I get the DD off and he scoops.

Round 4 Abzan Deathblade
Game 1: Opp misplays and taps and doesn't use his wasteland on my Thespian's Stage while my KoTR is still summoning sick, I get Marit Lage and finish him off.
Game 2: I get some pressure in early with a Mirran Crusader but opp finds a StP. He starts running away with the game with a Batterskull and a Jitte so I scoop.
Game 3: I get kind of stuck on lands, and as soon as I start getting back into the game I get double Hymn'd. A Mirran Crusader again helps me stabilise, but it ends up in a draw.

I was super happy to go 2-1-1 for my first event, and I'm really having a blast playing the deck. I'm making mistakes for sure, but I feel like I can spot some of them in hindsight.
Really looking forward to Friday's legacy FNM.

Possible replacement for Wasteland is Ghost Quarter. Most of the legacy decks don't run a lot of basic anyways (Delver,Shardless,Eldrazi). Also its really good if you are running into a lot of LANDS and Miracles as you can recur back with life of the loam. Its a suggestion (I would probably cut the 2 Flooded Strands and 2 Plains for the full playset.

the DD combo is fine in certain matchups, but since Maverick tends to have greedy hands, eventually you might not even need it. It will ruin your consistency.

[ironclad8690]

I was thinking more for decks where TNN is usually the only X/1, though I guess those all play Baleful Strix these days anyways. Like say game 1 you see 2 Deathrite Shaman, Stoneforge, and a TNN. Do you bring in both zealous persecution?

[Lockeid]

Possible replacement for Wasteland is Ghost Quarter. Most of the legacy decks don't run a lot of basic anyways (Delver,Shardless,Eldrazi). Also its really good if you are running into a lot of LANDS and Miracles as you can recur back with life of the loam. Its a suggestion (I would probably cut the 2 Flooded Strands and 2 Plains for the full playset.

the DD combo is fine in certain matchups, but since Maverick tends to have greedy hands, eventually you might not even need it. It will ruin your consistency.

I could include one or two Life from the Loam and some number of GQ to see how it goes. Sure it's only been my first time but the DD combo has been what helped me most of the time, I guess I need to play against more different decks to better gauge whether of not it's good enough to stay in. I already had to mulligan several times because I got stuck with a hand with DD, but I guess I had the luck with me since every time I mulliganed I had a good enough hand.

[Thunderknight]

Maverick got a new 3 drop. Meet Kambal

http://mythicspoiler.com/kld/cards/kambalconsulofallocation.html

What's everyone opinion on this dude.

Pros:

He's a 2/3 that can't be massacre, Kolizek Return, Pyrocalsm.
Can be return with Karakas.
dodges most damage-spot removal (with the exception of bolt).
Whenever a opponent tries to remove him, its a 4 L.P exchange for one spell they cast.

Cons:
Not fetchable with G.S.Z
fights the 3 drop slot with T.H.C/ Sanctum Prelate/K.O.T.R


I'm most likely going to be replacing my Sanctum Prelates with this dude. He's a threat that must be answered against Miracles, Delver, Storm, Lands.

[ironclad8690]

Seems cool, I just wish the 3 drop slot wasn't so bogged down already.

I went 4-1 in a league today:

Deathblade: 2-0
Jeskai Omnishow/Mentor: 2-1
Jeskai Omnishow/Mentor: 1-2 (same guy lol)
RUG Delver: 2-0
UR Delver: 2-1

My current list is pretty close to Neely's. I cut the 3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar for 1 SoLaS, 1 Sylvan Library, and 1 Scryb Ranger.

SB:

3 Thoughtseize
2 Choke
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Garruk Relentless

I didn't even realize I had a 14 card sideboard for that league until just now. I guess I will put the 4th Thoughtseize.

[kellysandall]

Do you guys prefer dark depths combo or having gaea's cradle? I cant decide on which. Also, what are opinions on maze of ith?

[NEELEY]

Do you guys prefer dark depths combo or having gaea's cradle? I cant decide on which. Also, what are opinions on maze of ith?

Cradle for sure, especially if you are running 3 equipments. Gives you huge tempo turns with Knight or just naturally drawing it. Dark depths takes 2 turns to
Set up with knight and wasteland stops it and you can't get it back like lands does.

[RobNC]

I'm putting this together based on what I currently own. Would I benefit more from another Bayou and/or Savannah, or a Gaea's Cradle? I'd like to run around 4 basics as I have a very Wasteland-heavy local meta.

// Creatures
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
4 Mother of Runes
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Dryad Arbor

// Spells
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Feast and Famine

// Lands
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
4 Verdant Catatombs
1 Bayou
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Karakas
3 Forest
2 Plains
1 Swamp


Savannah would definitely be easier to pick up, and leaves money for more sideboard goodies.
Bayou seems less necessary than Savannah as the deck is primarily GW.
Cradle seems on paper like it'd be the least necessary, but it did look pretty sweet in some older coverage I watched today of Thomas Herzog.

[NEELEY]

Congrats to my buddy Jj top 8ing the Indy classic. I wasn't able to make it but he told me his loss was to stax in the swiss and Omni in top 8.

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=108144

[Megadeus]

Definitely want another Savannah. And Cradle.

[NEELEY]

I'm putting this together based on what I currently own. Would I benefit more from another Bayou and/or Savannah, or a Gaea's Cradle? I'd like to run around 4 basics as I have a very Wasteland-heavy local meta.

// Creatures
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
4 Mother of Runes
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Dryad Arbor

// Spells
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Feast and Famine

// Lands
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
4 Verdant Catatombs
1 Bayou
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Karakas
3 Forest
2 Plains
1 Swamp


Savannah would definitely be easier to pick up, and leaves money for more sideboard goodies.
Bayou seems less necessary than Savannah as the deck is primarily GW.
Cradle seems on paper like it'd be the least necessary, but it did look pretty sweet in some older coverage I watched today of Thomas Herzog.

You deff want the 2nd savannah(most important land for Maverick). You don't need that many basics and you aren't running decay in the main so the swamp will only cast 4 cards in your main deck. I would deff cut it.

[RobNC]

If I get a Savannah it's very unlikely I'll be able to swing for a Cradle as well. I could do Savannah and Scrubland but Scrubland doesn't seem very helpful for more than one copy.

I do have Decays in the sideboard, wasn't sure if I was going to put them in the main or not. I primarily play D&T and I sometimes find the lack of maindeck removal frustrating.

[Stevestamopz]

Congrats to my buddy Jj top 8ing the Indy classic. I wasn't able to make it but he told me his loss was to stax in the swiss and Omni in top 8.

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=108144

Congrats to him.

Lame that the 2nd coolest deck in Legacy loses to the biggest abortion in the format but... that's life I guess.

[Thunderknight]

I notice that A.D. is moved to the S.B.

What caused this shift?

[NEELEY]

I notice that A.D. is moved to the S.B.

What caused this shift?

If you're talking about Jj's list, we have always played them in the board.

Although I think it would be okay to move 1-2 main with the amount of grixis I have been facing on mtgo.

[Thunderknight]

If you're talking about Jj's list, we have always played them in the board.

Although I think it would be okay to move 1-2 main with the amount of grixis I have been facing on mtgo.

The past two legacy classic, the top 8 Maverick Decklist had A.D in SB. I understand depending on meta. The card isn't necessary mainboard (I.E Combo decks like Storm-Omni-Tell).

I'm just curious.

[ironclad8690]

4-1 in another league.

Eldrazi: 2-1
Storm: 2-1
Omnisneak: 1-2
Aggro Loam: 2-1
Bant Deathblade: 2-0

Funny thing is, none of the matchups really looked good on paper, but the consistency of Maverick makes up for it.

Here is the list again (basically stock)

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Mother of Runes
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Scavenging Ooze

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow

2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
4 Windswept Heath
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Gaea's Cradle

Sideboard
4 Thoughtseize
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Reclamation Sage

[RobNC]

Aside from the Orlando Classic 1st place list, I haven't see many well-placing lists with THC in them. Are you guys finding her underwhelming? Ive been jumping back through the history of the thread and saw a lot of talk when she was relatively new but not tons after. I was planning on a 3/3 split of TGT/THC but now I'm curious.

[ironclad8690]

I tested her. She was pretty cool, but often felt too little too late. I have won so many games lately off the back of Scryb Ranger, I think I just prefer to stick with the classic Scryb, Sword of Light and Shadow, and 2nd Sylvan Library (which I cut pretty often, mainly there for Miracles).


I did win an otherwise unwinnable 2 games against Elves when I had Thalia, HC (I always kept him 1 turn away from a lethal combo, was able to wasteland cradles), so in certain metagames it might be worth it.

I think for Miracles.meta, Sword + 2nd Library are better, and that's basically where I am most comfortable (having a plan against the top and most common deck).

[Serch]

Sword of Light

Why this deck usually uses sword of light instead of fire and ice?

[H]

Why this deck usually uses sword of light instead of fire and ice?

It doesn't, it uses both. He is only mentioning Light and Shadow because that is what he considers a "flex slot."

His list is right up here (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?20612-Deck-GW-x-Maverick&p=972813&viewfull=1#post972813) and has both Fire and Ice and Light and Shadow.

[NEELEY]

4-1 in another league.

Eldrazi: 2-1
Storm: 2-1
Omnisneak: 1-2
Aggro Loam: 2-1
Bant Deathblade: 2-0

Funny thing is, none of the matchups really looked good on paper, but the consistency of Maverick makes up for it.

Here is the list again (basically stock)

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Mother of Runes
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Scavenging Ooze

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow

2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
4 Windswept Heath
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Gaea's Cradle

Sideboard
4 Thoughtseize
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Reclamation Sage

This is my original 75 if I'm not playing batterskull, only diff is a pridemage in the board over rec sage. Love this list.

[NEELEY]

Aside from the Orlando Classic 1st place list, I haven't see many well-placing lists with THC in them. Are you guys finding her underwhelming? Ive been jumping back through the history of the thread and saw a lot of talk when she was relatively new but not tons after. I was planning on a 3/3 split of TGT/THC but now I'm curious.

I just don't think she's worth a slot, my personal opinion of her

[QuranJames]

only diff is a pridemage in the board over rec sage.

Any particular reason for the Pridgemage instead of the Rec Sage? I've always figured that the Rec Sage out of the board dodges Needle, etc.

[korstructure]

5-0 list with 3x THC posted today.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/486528#paper

Also, the Rec Sage is better against Omni-Tell - that's one of my reasons to run the card!


Aside from the Orlando Classic 1st place list, I haven't see many well-placing lists with THC in them. Are you guys finding her underwhelming? Ive been jumping back through the history of the thread and saw a lot of talk when she was relatively new but not tons after. I was planning on a 3/3 split of TGT/THC but now I'm curious.

[ironclad8690]

Yeah I like Rec Sage for Show and Tell, and it is the same mana investment anyways. Rec is harder to Countertop than Pridemage too (I think).

Edit: also D&T, where Pridemage often gets Revoked.

[Schryver]

Hey guys,
I am new to Legacy and decided to go with Maverick for my first deck after reading though some of this thread and watching videos! I already ordered a bunch of the cards, but am looking for a some opinions.
Here is what I ordered/plan to get in the next week or two:

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Mother of Runes
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
3 Forest
2 Plains
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothils
4 Wasteland
1 Karakas

Sideboard
4 Duress
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Pithing Needle

The lands are probably my biggest issue currently. I will buy the Duals as soon as possible but I will be using the Wooded Foothills from my Modern deck for now. Obviously that will make Scrubland worse so maybe I shouldn't even bother picking it up right away? I will hold off on the Horizon Canopy but will be on the lookout for a deal on Gaea's Cradle since everyone says it is one of the best lands in the deck. What should I run for the time being? Just add a forest and plains as shown?

I think I will just use one of my Birds of Paradise for a while and pick up a Noble Hierarch down the road.

The stock sideboard looks to have 2x choke, 2x abrupt decay, plus a Gaddock Teeg and Garruk but I might just wait and see what I need based on the decks I see locally when I finally start playing. Guessing I should prioritize the Abrupt Decay though

[oSeabass]

I pulled the trigger and finally caved to buying Maverick on MTGO. I had been derping around with Dredge (Manaless + LED) just to ease back into things. I quickly realized I just wanted to be playing a deck I knew.

Maverick has changed a bunch since I was really into it, last time I played it seriously was back before Deathrite and Terminus when it was a solid GW no splash. Playing B is gonna take some getting used to but I think some of the sideboard cards alone make up for it, as well as Abrupt Decay being real good. I need to get used to DRS vs Noble for mana acceleration, but I like the extra reach and graveyard hare built into DRS.

I started out with a stock list I found a few posts back, and am going to make some minor changes and see how it plays. Might go back to the stock list everyone has been posting. The big question is Depths + Stage or Cradle... some people swear by it, others haven't been to fond of it and say just play Cradle instead. I'll have to play around with both builds to see what I like. I have also debated putting a Pithing Needle in the main. It's one of those cards I feel like can be relevant in any match up, might be ok to draw it later in a grindy game to eek out some small advantage, or good to have earlier to slow down or stop some combo before they bring in hate. Needle is kind of like Cabal Therapy to me, the more you know the format and how to read opponents the more powerful it becomes. I can't really think of any game 1 where it wouldn't be sometimes useful, but I don't know if I wanna dilute the main with more jank, after I already brought in Garruk and 1 AD. If I diud make the switch I'd probably swap Needle for the Garruk and move him to the SB.

List:
25 Dude Mans
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Mother of Runes
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Scavenging Ooze

13 Spells
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow

22 Lands (+ Arbor)
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
4 Windswept Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Marsh Flats
4 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Gaea's Cradle

Sideboard 15
2 Thoughtseize
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Choke
1 Sylvan Library
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Reclamation Sage
2 Pithing Needle

[NEELEY]

Any particular reason for the Pridgemage instead of the Rec Sage? I've always figured that the Rec Sage out of the board dodges Needle, etc.

Yea rec sage is probably better to be more versatile, I was just referring to my older list that I like a lot.

[NEELEY]

5-0 list with 3x THC posted today.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/486528#paper

Also, the Rec Sage is better against Omni-Tell - that's one of my reasons to run the card!

Nice finish! I feel like the list is deff far from a standard list, let me know how you continue to do with it, I think you may run into some consistency issues but I'm probably wrong. Decay has been something I have been thinking of moving main, I don't know if I want to play birds or just an extra bayou? Rec sage deff deserves a spot to be more versatile.

[Koby]

Nice finish! I feel like the list is deff far from a standard list, let me know how you continue to do with it, I think you may run into some consistency issues but I'm probably wrong. Decay has been something I have been thinking of moving main, I don't know if I want to play birds or just an extra bayou? Rec sage deff deserves a spot to be more versatile.

I suspect this was a budget replacement for Noble Heirarch.

[ironclad8690]

Played another league today.

Eldrazi: 1-2
Mirror: 0-2
Grixis Delver: 2-1
Miracles: 2-1
What I can only assume was RUG delver: 2-0

Here's the link to the stream, which for some reason cut out and came back in the middle of maverick match: https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93337739

Edit: Also, if anyone is wondering why I popped my pridemage vs miracles in g3, it was because he was tapped out and if he had put Terminus on top of his library he would have to lose his top to cast it. I wasn't expecting Moat, so maybe that was a mistake.

[korstructure]

I suspect this was a budget replacement for Noble Heirarch.

I'm guessing the same. To be clear, this was not MY list. I was simply reporting that the list was posted at 5-0.


Played another league today.

This was fun. It's been SO LONG since seeing Maverick! And I don't think I've ever seen it streamed before since MTG on Twitch has only become a thing in the last couple years.

No THC due to disinterest, not enough time to test, card availability?

I liked your chat with the viewers. You seemed engaged and interested.

[ironclad8690]

I'm guessing the same. To be clear, this was not MY list. I was simply reporting that the list was posted at 5-0.



This was fun. It's been SO LONG since seeing Maverick! And I don't think I've ever seen it streamed before since MTG on Twitch has only become a thing in the last couple years.

No THC due to disinterest, not enough time to test, card availability?

I liked your chat with the viewers. You seemed engaged and interested.

Sunnyveil used to stream some Mav, but he has been inactive for a little while.

I have 3 THC, I tried them out last time and was a little unerwhelmed. I can try again if there is interest though!

Thanks! I try to be engaged in chat since I don't really have a webcam or microphone.

I only have stock (Dark) Maverick now, but I could also buy into Punishing Dark, Naya Punishing, GWb Vial, or GW Vial/Zenith if anyone would like to see any of that.

[kellysandall]

Cradle for sure, especially if you are running 3 equipments. Gives you huge tempo turns with Knight or just naturally drawing it. Dark depths takes 2 turns to
Set up with knight and wasteland stops it and you can't get it back like lands does.

Im currently on 2, but youve tested the deck much more than i have so youd know better than i. Depths combo has always been clutch in lands match, or delver. Cradle still better?

[oSeabass]

Sunnyveil used to stream some Mav, but he has been inactive for a little while.

I'm gonna stream a little on my surprise day off. Trying a Sylvan Safekeeper over the 4th Mom cus Im nuts. twitch.tv/oSeabass208. jtw11632 on MTGO.

[oSeabass]

I'm gonna stream a little on my surprise day off.

Ended up going 1-2. Beat some Combo deck, lost to Lands twice. I just hate playing against Lands, I never have fun. I feel like we can win that matchup and it's probably 60/40 in their favor, but I just feel like that deck is my kryptonite. The list I was running towards the end was:

3 Mom, 1 Sylvan Safekeeper
4 Thalia, 4 Knight, 4 DRS, 1 Noble
2 Qasali PM, 1 Teeg Father, 1 Scooze, 1 Scryb Ranger, 2 SFM

1 Dryad Arbor, 1 Cradle, 1 Canopy, 1 Karakas, 2 Savannah, 1 Scrubland, 1 Bayou, 2 Forest, 1 Plains, 1 Marsh Flats, 4 Heath, 3 Catacombs, 4 Wasteland

1 ADecay, 4 GSZ, 1 Pithing Needle, 1 Sword F/I, 1 Sword L/S, 1 Jitte, 4 StP

SB:
2 Canonist, 2 TSeize, 1 Surgical Extraction, 1 Library, 1 Choke, 1 Rec Sage, 1 Garruk, 2 ZP, 2 ADecay, 1 TeegSon, and another Pithing Needle.

Needle main is "cute" and helps a little, but I don't know if it's better in the flex spot then another Pridemage, some discard spell, maybe another SFM, Garruk maindeck, Sylvan Library. I feel like in every match game 1 there is something to name with Needle.
Lands: turns off their Wastelands, Ghost Quarter, Thespian Stage, etc.
Miracles: Top
Any deck with Planeswalkers, Liliana seems like a good canidate.
Elves has a few you can handle.
Sneak and Show has Sneak.
etc.

[NEELEY]

Im currently on 2, but youve tested the deck much more than i have so youd know better than i. Depths combo has always been clutch in lands match, or delver. Cradle still better?

Lands run wasteland, maze of ith and tabernacle. It seems better in my playing experience to use a cradle so you can have a normal turn through tabernacle and wasteland is the best utility land against them. Against delver, you win games with a big cradle turn with equipment or protecting a scryb ranger.

[RobNC]

Went 2-1 at FNM last night, my first time playing Maverick.

Infect - 2-1 in games
Game 1: He turn 1 Elf, I turn 1 DRS. Chump the Elf his turn 2, and either turn 3 or 4 after I start developing my board he swings with Elf again, so I chump with my 0/1 DRS and he Invigorate/Berserks me to 9 poison. I get him close to lethal until he drops Blighted Agent, which I can't remove, and pings me for lethal poison next turn.
Game 2: He gets Inkmoth as a threat. After he swings for 1 I try to remove with Swords, but he casts Vines. Next turn I topdeck Wasteland and remove it anyways, and he doesn't have much for threats after that.
Game 3: He keeps pinging me for 1 or 2 poison each turn because I keep ripping pump spells out of his hand with Duress. I get a Knight on Board (the only one I left after sideboarding) and get him for a few life each turn with Scryb Ranger and Knight with Mom backup/protection. On my last turn I have a Thalia 1.0 on board and top deck a Wasteland. I consider wasting his Tropical to keep him from casting a pump next turn and realize I am one point away from lethal on board. I waste my own Scrubland and then swing more than lethal with Knight, Thalia, and Scryb Ranger.

RUG Delver - 2-1 in games.
Game 1: Turn 1 he isn't able to do too much, he scoops. Scavenging Ooze is great here.
Game 2: The game is pretty even until he drops Goyf, which I have trouble answering. The then bolts my creatures, drops a second Goyf, and I can do nothing.
Game 3: He gets flipped Delvers and ignores my board, so we get each other pretty low. I flash in Scryb Ranger to block one Delver, try to remove it (he submerges it to save it). I get a Knight on board with two Moms, give it pro-blue and swing for a bunch. Next turn he drops a Mongoose and holds back the single flipped Delver since I still had my Ranger. I give Knight pro-green and pro-blue, knowing I can untap a Mom with Ranger to answer a Bolt/Dismember, but he has no response so I swing for lethal.

Miracles - 0-2 in games. This matchup is ROUGH!
Game 1: Turn 2 THC, Turn 3 Knight. Terminus :( I can't develop much of a board after that and die to JTMS ultimate.
Game 2: I end up putting more pressure on but he miracles an Entreat, and I have to waste my removal on angels instead of the Mentor he eventually drops. I can't answer it and can't maintain a board thanks to JTMS. I now see why a second Gaddock Teeg would be useful in this matchup.


Overall I was underwhelmed with THC, echoing what others have said. I feel like I'd be better off going with 4 TGT and using the other two slots for something else (including second Sylvan Library?) instead of the 3/3 split. Sylvan Library was amazing when it stuck, especially with fetchlands; I now see why people love it so much.

For mana, I was glad I didn't run a basic swamp because it was something I never wanted to draw (especially in an opener), but only having two lands that tapped for black felt pretty bad when I had lots of sideboard cards with black. Maybe I'll pick up a second Bayou if I can afford one, it feels like it'd be better than a second Scrubland which is unfortunately the more affordable one. Cradle was also never bad, I'm glad I took the advice here and had picked one up.


Here's the list I ran (Gideon was supposed to be Garruk but the store couldn't find the ones they had in stock until late in the night, and I kind of wished Duress was Thoughtseize):

4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
4 Mother of Runes
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Dryad Arbor

4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
4 Verdant Catatombs
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
1 Karakas
1 Gaea's Cradle
2 Forest
2 Plains

// Sideboard
1 Scavening Ooze
2 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Duress
2 Zealous Persecution
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Elspeth, Knight Errant
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Pithing Needle

[ET1]

Ended up going 1-2. Beat some Combo deck, lost to Lands twice. I just hate playing against Lands, I never have fun. I feel like we can win that matchup and it's probably 60/40 in their favor, but I just feel like that deck is my kryptonite. The list I was running towards the end was:

3 Mom, 1 Sylvan Safekeeper
4 Thalia, 4 Knight, 4 DRS, 1 Noble
2 Qasali PM, 1 Teeg Father, 1 Scooze, 1 Scryb Ranger, 2 SFM

1 Dryad Arbor, 1 Cradle, 1 Canopy, 1 Karakas, 2 Savannah, 1 Scrubland, 1 Bayou, 2 Forest, 1 Plains, 1 Marsh Flats, 4 Heath, 3 Catacombs, 4 Wasteland

1 ADecay, 4 GSZ, 1 Pithing Needle, 1 Sword F/I, 1 Sword L/S, 1 Jitte, 4 StP

SB:
2 Canonist, 2 TSeize, 1 Surgical Extraction, 1 Library, 1 Choke, 1 Rec Sage, 1 Garruk, 2 ZP, 2 ADecay, 1 TeegSon, and another Pithing Needle.

Needle main is "cute" and helps a little, but I don't know if it's better in the flex spot then another Pridemage, some discard spell, maybe another SFM, Garruk maindeck, Sylvan Library. I feel like in every match game 1 there is something to name with Needle.
Lands: turns off their Wastelands, Ghost Quarter, Thespian Stage, etc.
Miracles: Top
Any deck with Planeswalkers, Liliana seems like a good canidate.
Elves has a few you can handle.
Sneak and Show has Sneak.
etc.

I only watched your first match against lands, but I do believe you could've sequenced your turns a bit better and fetched around wasteland. In your 2nd game, which i believe you won anyways, I definitely think you should've mulliganed as having your only green source being a dryad arbor in a hand heavily dependent on producing green mana seemed way too risky, and far too slow. Additionally I believe in game 1 (I think?) you probably shouldn't have attacked with your knight and instead hold up the ability to either wasteland or grow your knight to the point where you just can win on your turn. Just a few observations I had, I do believe the match-up isn't actually all that bad.

[oSeabass]

I only watched your first match against lands, but I do believe you could've sequenced your turns a bit better and fetched around wasteland. In your 2nd game, which i believe you won anyways, I definitely think you should've mulliganed as having your only green source being a dryad arbor in a hand heavily dependent on producing green mana seemed way too risky, and far too slow. Additionally I believe in game 1 (I think?) you probably shouldn't have attacked with your knight and instead hold up the ability to either wasteland or grow your knight to the point where you just can win on your turn. Just a few observations I had, I do believe the match-up isn't actually all that bad.

It's been quite a while since I've really "played" so my sequencing is going be shit for a while lol. I missed a bunch of interactions I would have used to know with Scryb ranger and knight and stuff. It's just getting back into a more complex deck with more lines versus the RUG Delver deck I kept in paper. More straight forward gameplay there. The matchup just seems really grindy, I'm sure playing more will make it feel better but since it attacks on such a different angle I'm just not used to it yet.
Also the version I ran in paper was simpler times when it was just GW no splash, so a lot less to worry about mana wise from opening hands and mulligan decisions.
Thanks for watching though. I had fun, def. wanna stream a league when I get some more tickets.

[ET1]

It's been quite a while since I've really "played" so my sequencing is going be shit for a while lol. I missed a bunch of interactions I would have used to know with Scryb ranger and knight and stuff. It's just getting back into a more complex deck with more lines versus the RUG Delver deck I kept in paper. More straight forward gameplay there. The matchup just seems really grindy, I'm sure playing more will make it feel better but since it attacks on such a different angle I'm just not used to it yet.
Also the version I ran in paper was simpler times when it was just GW no splash, so a lot less to worry about mana wise from opening hands and mulligan decisions.
Thanks for watching though. I had fun, def. wanna stream a league when I get some more tickets.

For sure! I'm always down to see some maverick streaming

[Stevestamopz]

For sure! I'm always down to see some maverick streaming

+1

Really enjoyed watching the stream on playback (even with your music on in the background :tongue:)

[oSeabass]

+1

Really enjoyed watching the stream on playback (even with your music on in the background :tongue:)


Thanks! I'll have to figure a way where only I hear my shitty music lol. Good to know someone enjoyed watching, gives me more reason to wanna stick with MTGO and Maverick :)

[Thunderknight]

Top 8'ed two legacy events back to back with this list I ran. (I took Josh Katine list and I changed some things up to the meta).

1 Bayou
1 Cavern of Souls
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Gaea's Cradle
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Karakas
4 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Marsh Flats
3 Mother of Runes
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Plains
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Savannah
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scrubland
1 Scrub Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sylvan Library
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Thrun, The Last Troll
1 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath

2 Abrupt Decay
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Reclamation Sage
2 Thoughtseize
1 Toxic Deluge
2 Zealous Persecution
1 Cabal Therapy

I'll write a full T.R later on once I have some free time. Here are some mentions.

1.) Thrun beats feels so good.
2.) Zealous Persecution is at all-time high right now.

[Ganfar]

2.) Zealous Persecution is at all-time high right now.

Zealous Persecution is really good sideborad card. Elves and D&T will have all thier cretures(almost) killed :smile:

[ironclad8690]

Here's how I ended up in this last league:

Belcher: 0-2
Miracles: 0-2
Esperblade: 2-1
Moggcatcher: 2-0
Miracles: 2-0

First 3 matches streamed here:

https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93519285

Last 2:

https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/94123951

[ET1]

Here's how I ended up in this last league:

Belcher: 0-2
Miracles: 0-2
Esperblade: 2-1
Moggcatcher: 2-0
Miracles: 2-0

First 3 matches streamed here:

https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93519285

Last 2:

https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/94123951

The playback cut off towards the end of your game 1 against deathblade, I assume you lost that game? Also how have you been boarding against deathblade?, it's the one deck I seem to frequently face and am not certain on how to board for.

[ironclad8690]

The playback cut off towards the end of your game 1 against deathblade, I assume you lost that game? Also how have you been boarding against deathblade?, it's the one deck I seem to frequently face and am not certain on how to board for.

Annoying!

Here is the rest of Deathblade:

Part 1 https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93531424
Part 2 https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93532005

I did lose that first game, but won the next two luckily.

Out:

1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (Can afford to cut imo vs midrange)
1 Library (good in grindy matches but not as much when they go t2 TNN and clock you)
1 Gaddock Teeg (only Jace and FOW are not enough IMO)

In:

2 Choke
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Abrupt Decay

No idea if this is correct. I think 1-2 Zealous Persecution might be worth it too, but I can't figure out what to cut.

[Ganfar]

Annoying!

Here is the rest of Deathblade:

Part 1 https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93531424
Part 2 https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93532005

I did lose that first game, but won the next two luckily.

Out:

1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (Can afford to cut imo vs midrange)
1 Library (good in grindy matches but not as much when they go t2 TNN and clock you)
1 Gaddock Teeg (only Jace and FOW are not enough IMO)

In:

2 Choke
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Abrupt Decay

No idea if this is correct. I think 1-2 Zealous Persecution might be worth it too, but I can't figure out what to cut.
1 StP? There is other way to kill TNN and Zealous can kill Sprits and other cretures.

[NEELEY]

Annoying!

Here is the rest of Deathblade:

Part 1 https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93531424
Part 2 https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/93532005

I did lose that first game, but won the next two luckily.

Out:

1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (Can afford to cut imo vs midrange)
1 Library (good in grindy matches but not as much when they go t2 TNN and clock you)
1 Gaddock Teeg (only Jace and FOW are not enough IMO)

In:

2 Choke
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Abrupt Decay

No idea if this is correct. I think 1-2 Zealous Persecution might be worth it too, but I can't figure out what to cut.

It's always correct to bring in zealous persecution against deathblade and everything that kills jitte

[ironclad8690]

You guys both have good points. I like having 4 STP left in the deck for Creeping Tar Pit and Deathrite Shaman mostly. I will use on on a stoneforge mystic if it means the difference between Batterskull or none for several turns.

I probably should bring in more outs to TNN and Jitte (And opposing sweepers).

[ironclad8690]

Whelp, another 3-2

https://www.twitch.tv/adelorenzi/v/94308738

Aluren: 1-2
Infect: 0-2
Elves: 2-0
Shardless: 2-0
Miracles: 2-0

I made some mistakes vs the first two.

Here is an interesting choice vs Infect g2:

https://s22.postimg.org/41ap41psh/Maverick_Choice.jpg

You have the option to equip jitte to knight and swing or wasteland his karakas and follow up with Thalia.

Which do you pick and why?

[oSeabass]

You have the option to equip jitte to knight and swing or wasteland his karakas and follow up with Thalia.

Which do you pick and why?

I don't like the Wasteland plan when he has that many cards in hand and a Library. Doing nothing with Knight to pressure this turn seems wrong. Equipping Jitte and swinging isn't lethal but it puts him to 2 (no blocks assuming), which means he can't use Library to draw extra gas. If he does block, blocking with NH is -1 mana, no -5 life, -1/1 Exalted trigger, adds another to the graveyard for BI and such. Either way (block or no block), Jitte is getting counters unless he has an Apostle's Blessing type card to have KotR deal no damage, which wastes a spell, forces a fetch or 2 life but leaves us open to respond to the Blessing with say a StP or something. Also having up WB does make him think you could have ZP which could be a huge swing if he blocks, Blessings up to save Jitte counters, and in response you ZP. Attacking with Knight forces him to act.

Tapping Knight to get a Thalia into play (and buffing Knight by 2) seems ok, but the fact he has 2 lands in play + NH and 4 cards in hand + LIBRARY. If he needed, he would/should have access to 4 mana next turn which is probably enough for 2 ish spells through Thalia given some of the freebies, BI, and regular pump. Wasteland gets you a Thalia on board, but I don't think that gives you as much when they have access to so many free spells and that much mana already. Also the First Strike protection from Thalia is meh if he gets pro white or goes bigger with trample with one of the two spells.

Unless he puts a lot of effort into making Jitte NOT getting counters, you having Jitte counters means trying to kill G Elf on this turn (which I like). Again, they have a Library so letting them see more cards is no good, so pulling the trigger on the Jitte counters now and either 1. Killing Elf and being ok, 2. Elf lives and he uses ~2 cards in hand to protect it just loses him so much action.

Keep the pressure up, Jitte on Knight and go for the face.

[ET1]

It's always correct to bring in zealous persecution against deathblade and everything that kills jitte

Do you guys board in Pithing Needles? Also what does everyone take out against Deathblade? That's been the hardest part for me.

[maharis]

I played Maverick tonight and played against Deathblade in the first round. Won game 1 on play. cut 3 Thalia HCs, 2 mom and a scooze to get in 1 zealous, 1 E plague, 1 rec sage, 1 grip, 2 needles (jace, tar pit, Lili). Felt that THC on the draw was too slow, mom was too low impact.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thunderknight]

Anyone here going to EE5 (External Extravaganza 5)?

I would like for those who are going to discuss game plan and what your list looks like.

Also, I've been thinking about this now and I want to hear feedback.

I am thinking of creating a "Tharben University" blog, but for Maverick. Any thoughts?

[Warden]

...Here is an interesting choice vs Infect g2:

https://s22.postimg.org/41ap41psh/Maverick_Choice.jpg

You have the option to equip jitte to knight and swing or wasteland his karakas and follow up with Thalia.

Which do you pick and why?

Good question.
I'm trying to interpret icons. Opponent clearly at 7 life...interpreting the little symbols in the corner as 44 cards in deck. 4 card hand?
I can't make out his graveyard -- which is actually relevant to the decision. He burned 1 of each pump spell. I am assuming you're at 0 poison, since I cannot find that info (and/or I'm oblivious).

Also assuming your list is 1x Scryb Ranger. The one in the grave is the only one in the deck?
My ideal line is actually
1. GSZ for Scryb
2. Attack with Knight
3. Untap knight (bounce Bayou to hand). Lets you keep Knight as a blocker or fetch wasteland by sacrificing Scrubland (would need to feel him out to see if he's sandbagging a crop rotation though)
4. Replay the Bayou as "the land for the turn" (again, assuming you didn't play any of the lands on the table)

^^In a perfect world, the Knight forces him to block shit with Scryb in play. If he has no blockers, you have a backdoor lethal-damage situation (scryb untaps knight to wasteland your own nonbasic and deal lethal). If he blocks, you profit. If he removes KotR with removal, you are +1 blocker on the rebound.

I'm assuming a lot for my realistic answer. Going to assume you DO NOT have another Scryb Ranger in the deck. So GSZ --> Scryb #2 is out.
I'd hesitate on slamming Jitte. Any removal or bounce (he has 1 submerge already) is going to spell GG.
1. GSZ with the Bayou (X=0) for Dryad Arbor.
2. Thalia played from hand with 2 white lands
3. Swing with Knight

^^I like GSZ for Arbor here because it ruins his math/ways to hit you during subsequent turns. Also lets you have another attacker/mana next turn. You are playing around removal/bounce. Thalia on top of this means he likely cannot double pump AND remove your dude. it's too much mana. Thalia also has first strike, which influences his bluff ability. She's yet another creature on the table. You likely win when you untap.

My logic is that I'm mitigating the removal/bounce of KotR. Jitte looks amazing for a hot second. If jitte is stifled/knight is bounced or removed, you possibly lose the game.

[oSeabass]

^^I like GSZ for Arbor here because it ruins his math/ways to hit you during subsequent turns. Also lets you have another attacker/mana next turn. You are playing around removal/bounce. Thalia on top of this means he likely cannot double pump AND remove your dude. it's too much mana. Thalia also has first strike, which influences his bluff ability. She's yet another creature on the table. You likely win when you untap.

My logic is that I'm mitigating the removal/bounce of KotR. Jitte looks amazing for a hot second. If jitte is stifled/knight is bounced or removed, you possibly lose the game.

The opponent has a Karakas in play that is untapped. By not getting a Wasteland with the active KotR, the opponent can end step bounce your Thalia back to hand with their Karakas and then not have to play around the extra mana issue.

[oSeabass]

The only thing I am seeing after playing a few days in a row now, is I miss Crop Rotation and Maze of Ith tricks with KotR. A lot of the time I have a KotR now a days it just sits on defense, or is an instant trick to get a Wasteland in the middle of some shenanigans. I might try swapping out the one of Library and Thalia 3CMC in my list for 2 Crop Rotations just to see what it's like. In this case I might also want to add in the Maze and a Bojuka Bog, but that's diluting the mana a bit more. Dunno if I would cut like Forest #2 for Bog, and dunno what I would cut for the Maze.

Knight's ability is what makes me love this deck so much, esp. with Scryb Ranger's untap. The problem is Knight is such a big target most games I never get to have fun with Knight... makes me think a quicker option like Crop Rotation would be fun.

[Warden]

The opponent has a Karakas in play that is untapped. By not getting a Wasteland with the active KotR, the opponent can end step bounce your Thalia back to hand with their Karakas and then not have to play around the extra mana issue.

Wow I totally brain-farted about this. I apologize for not recognizing the alt. art Karakas/reading the land twice.
I think I'd still go with GSZ -> Arbor + play Thalia (assuming Scryb #2 isn't in the deck -- she's the best choice IMO).
Maybe GSZ for an exalted dude like QPM (upside to eliminate the Library next turn) or your own Noble (brings him down to 1...means fetching is lethal).

I wouldn't wasteland Karakas because I think you need to attack (in general). Attacking means he likely blocks. If not, the damage from KotR functionally disables Sylvan Library from giving the opponent that extra card to pull ahead/suddenly end you.

There's also the counterpoint about Knight land-tutoring being met with submerge and/or stifle. Although the chances are small, they aren't improbable. The upside of burning Karakas isn't worth losing KotR, who is controlling the game.

There are ways you can also straight win the game (Safekeeper for example wins on the spot), but I'm assuming he is not in the list.
Maze of Ith hasn't been seen in a while. That would be a conservative/defensive choice to heavily mitigate the opponent from touching you with poison damage, given the board-state.

[oSeabass]

Finished 3-2 in my last league running this list: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/489760#online. Was able to stream all of it and have really enjoyed streaming. It makes me think through my plays a bit more and helps me find stuff I wouldn't see. I'm going to continue to stream whenever I play just to build that knowledge up.

R1: 0-2 Grixis Delver. Game 1 he had all the tempo and I couldn't build a board. Game 2 I had a bad keep (I'm still thinking GW old Mav) and got punished bad for it.
R2: 2-0 ANT. Thalia turn 2 with Wastelands is real strong. Game 2 was sideboard city, TS his ITutor, then Thalia into Canonist into Teeg = easy game. I am actually feeling good about combo (more on this later).
R3: 2-1 Turbo Depths. G1 he just had the combo with Hexmage and PNeedle every chance I had. G2 was won on the back of Wastelands and a Swords TP on the 20/20, while having a decent enough clock to finish off the extra life. G3 was a bit more grindy with PNeedle on both sides, I was able to find answers for his though. I had just enough time to squeeze in damage to win the match. This one was an odd one because the angle they attack on is so different.
R4: 0-2 Bant. G1 I had a real bad keep and got uber punished. Conceded early before I knew what to board in... big mistake. G2 he dropped a TNN and eventually got a Jitte on it, I had no way to stop it. He cleaned me up pretty fast with TNN and 4 StP for any threat I had to build on.
R5: 2-1 Miracles. G1 he got the CounterTop lock down and I scooped it up after a few turns. Game 2-3 I was able to stick a Thalia to slow them down enough and then stick a Gaddock Teeg to stop Jace, Terminus, etc. I love Gaddock Teeg.... like a lot.... card is so good! Game 3 I was able to resolve Garruk out of the board and he scooped quickly after.

3-2 in my first league on MTGO and with Maverick after not playing for a long time feels good. Already started my 2nd league currently sitting 2-1. The loss was a real close real great match against Infect. I don't think I made any big mistakes and neither did my opponent. It felt like one of the better Legacy games I have played in a long time. The other 2 wins were against the same guy, on ANT both times. The 2nd time against ANT, I was able to get mulligan down to a low count but had land, mana dork, GSZ, to be able to get a quick turn 2 Teeg which he scooped to. Game 2 he fizzled while going for it while I had a solid board pressuring him.
==============================================

All in all I love the deck. Haven't cast new Thalia once. Sylvan Library has been good in game 1 when I land it. Scooze wasn't really seen, I feel like DRS fills that spot and I might take Ooze out of the MD although he is greedy and good with a Cradle and a board. DRS is odd and I prefer the NH cus I'm oldschool and bad. When I and the opponent both have DRS they just kinda stare at each other and don't do anything. The 1 of Marsh Flats instead of Verdant 4 hasn't really mattered. I might want to find space for a Bojuka Bog or a Maze of Ith and possibly a Crop Rotation. Crop Rotation allows real ridiculous mind games and Knight math similar to how Affinity in Modern is insane to block against. Crop Rotation a land, get a Wasteland and Waste your own land +3 on Knight for 1 G they might not see coming.

Sideboard: Pithing Needle is great, I think I want a 3rd somewhere as it lets the games become a grind which I think we do better in given the tools we have access to. Surgical Extraction hasn't been used, but I wanna have it just in case for Life from the Loam and Reanimator type strats. Choke has been meh. Rec Sage has been good in that spot. 2 AD is nice, I want 1 in the MD I think and was debating cutting the new Thalia 3CMC for one.

-Seabass (twitch.tv/oSeabass208)

[oSeabass]

There are ways you can also straight win the game (Safekeeper for example wins on the spot), but I'm assuming he is not in the list.

How does Safekeeper win on the spot here? Safekeeper is not like Mom in providing protection against a color, but giving Shroud. I can see having the sac outlet for Knight to get more damage but a block makes that not matter.

[Warden]

How does Safekeeper win on the spot here? Safekeeper is not like Mom in providing protection against a color, but giving Shroud. I can see having the sac outlet for Knight to get more damage but a block makes that not matter.

You swing knight, no blocks, sac the manabase before damage. There are obviously conditionals (ie; no blockers declared, etc).

[sanderanders]

Anyone here going to EE5 (External Extravaganza 5)?

I would like for those who are going to discuss game plan and what your list looks like.

Also, I've been thinking about this now and I want to hear feedback.

I am thinking of creating a "Tharben University" blog, but for Maverick. Any thoughts?

just begin writing your first article and share it here, that will get response. I would like to see a Maverick blog!

[maharis]

Wow I totally brain-farted about this. I apologize for not recognizing the alt. art Karakas/reading the land twice.
I think I'd still go with GSZ -> Arbor + play Thalia (assuming Scryb #2 isn't in the deck -- she's the best choice IMO).
Maybe GSZ for an exalted dude like QPM (upside to eliminate the Library next turn) or your own Noble (brings him down to 1...means fetching is lethal).

I wouldn't wasteland Karakas because I think you need to attack (in general). Attacking means he likely blocks. If not, the damage from KotR functionally disables Sylvan Library from giving the opponent that extra card to pull ahead/suddenly end you.

There's also the counterpoint about Knight land-tutoring being met with submerge and/or stifle. Although the chances are small, they aren't improbable. The upside of burning Karakas isn't worth losing KotR, who is controlling the game.

There are ways you can also straight win the game (Safekeeper for example wins on the spot), but I'm assuming he is not in the list.
Maze of Ith hasn't been seen in a while. That would be a conservative/defensive choice to heavily mitigate the opponent from touching you with poison damage, given the board-state.

I can't see how the answer to this puzzle isn't equip Knight and attack. If he has removal + combo it doesn't matter what you do. Get your counters and attempt to kill the elf on your turn. It would take at least two cards from their hand to mitigate that. (you go to kill elf, they play a pump spell, you respond, then they either have to play another pump spell, stifle, or Crop Rotate for an Inkmoth, so you get two cards from their hand and then they still have to have double pump to win next turn.)

I like Zenith for arbor second main too to make them have Berserk/Wasteland/Daze.

[oSeabass]

Another League, another 3-2 finish after starting 3-1 and hoping to close out finally a 4-1, but ran into the wrong combo round 5. The list I'm running: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/489760

R1 ANT: 2-1. G1 (W) Thalia and pressure, he went for it and fizzled. G2 (L) I had a crazy board and pressure, he had a bounce for Teeg and then wins. G3 (W) Thalia into Knight and then Wasteland denial of mana.
R2 Infect: 1-2. G1 (W) don't remember much of this one and didn't take any notes. G2 (L) We had the board under control but a late game Blighted Agent and no answer led to him eventually grinding out the win. G3 (L) Double Invigorate + Berserk = gg. Couldn't have really done anything.
R3 ANT: 2-0 G1 (W) Same user as R1, so I knew he was on combo. Mull to 5 game 1 for a DRS, GSZ hand, leading to Teeg turn 2 into scoop. G2 (W) no real hate on my side but a lot of pressure. He went for the combo and fizzled.
R4 Infect: 2-1 G1 (W) Thalia is good again. G2 (L) He had the nuts with 2x Invigorate, etc. Nothing much I could do. I have to advance the board on turn 2, and it forces them to just have it. Them having counterspells makes it harder for us to just spin our wheels being protective too much. G3 (W) Took a beating early to go to I think 5 poison, was able to stabilize with Thalia into ZP to kill 3 of his dudes.
R5 Omnitell: 0-2 G1 (L) Could have won. Had a lot of pressure. In response to my Stoneforge ETB trigger I could have Pridemaged his Omni, I clicked too fast then realized it. Emrakul and Griselbrand had exact damage in 1 swing. I had an active Jitte that gained life to 22, Pridemage survived the Emmy trigger for lethal, but Grisel made lethal. G2 (L) He just had it. He had the Force for Thalia into Emmy.

Findings: ANT feels good post board with all the hate. If you can get a read quickly, Teeg is amazing. ANT being a little slower and Graveyard dependent makes it a little better for us then TES which can Burning Wish for answers G1. G2+3 feel like a coin flip of, do they have the turn 1/2 before I can get a hate card on T2.

Infect feels like a coin flip depending on the cards drawn. Library main helps this a bit to filter. I found that I kind of enjoy the Infect match when it isn't just over turn 2. Taking the game turns 5+ makes for a fun Legacy match.

Omnitell seems to be right in the sweet spot of combo that just destroys us. Discard to get our good stuff, combo to counter Thalia, Teeg doesn't do anything, Karakas is useless since they can just recast. This is (along with TES) a combo deck I feel we just don't have enough interaction to deal with the way they attack us.

I want to go back to the drawing board a bit. I still haven't cast 3 CMC Thalia and want her to be another Library or PROBABLY a Maze of Ith.

Cheers!
-Seabass

[Behlial]

So. I should have been posting ages ago, but Thunder does enough for me haha. We have been going back and forth with ideas and taking list through some testing.

I top 8 and 16 to events recently with it.


http://www.mtgdecks.net/deck/eternal_extravaganza_satellite_hq_games/legacy/maverick_wayne_danielczyk/637667/

Went 3-0-2 and lost in top 8 to eldrazi.
I don't remember my match ups. I know I played Eldrazi, 12-post, and one other match up in rounds. I played the same 75 card eldrazi list in rounds and top 8. Two of my friends were playing the same deck. In top 8, he just got lucky and drew not 1, but 3 back to back Flametounge kavus and I drew like shit after my opening hand.


This was the same list I used for the last umm 2 years. I quit for a bit and came back to the game and made 0 changes to this list. Granted I do not remember with the 15 card slot in the board was off top of my head. I think it was 3 Zealous Persecutions tbh.


The week later I went to the large event at Squabbles for the lotus event and took top 16 going 5-2.

I lost to Miracles and a delver deck. Miracles well.. he had nuts draws enough said.

I remember most of the matchups.

2-0 Storm. I had no clue he was playing storm until I asked after matches. I had a T2 thalia every game and all I saw was draw cards and fetches.
2-1 RUG delver.
2-1 High Tide.
2-0 Delver
2-0 Same salty player that I killed with a 20/20.

This was my list for the Lotus event.

2 Noble Hierarch
3 Deathrite Shaman
3 Mother of Runes
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
3 Knight of the Reliquary


1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Abrupt Decay

1 Dark Depths
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Karakas
2 Forest
1 Plains
2 Savannah
2 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Verdant Catacombs
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wasteland


SB
3 Thoughtseize
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Pithing Needle
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Sanctum Prelate


I honestly love the DD list, but I ran into a lot of problems with it and mostly bad luck. I mulled to 5 a good bit of my games due to have X land and DD in my opener. If only DD produced Colorless. I sided out DDs in some games just so I wouldn't draw it. I felt due to DD not producing mana that I had inconsistent draws and t1-3 plays. I love making 20/20s and just winning sometimes.

Thalia 2.0 was in all star if played on T2-3 and running 3 I drew her consistently. Not 100% sold on her as of yet. She is hit in miss. She takes up a 3 drop slot that could be used for another sword or something else. She is good don't get me wrong.

Prelate in the board. I felt it was underwhelming. If you don't have her down early it doesn't really do much. I had it down on t3 against my delver opponent and he almost scooped. I named 1 and his hand was nothing but 1 drops. I won 4 turns later. Not worth the spot to be honest. I switched her out to being choke.


My current list is almost card for card what thunderknight is playing.

I think we have 1 card different in the main and side.
We went through our sideboard plans and realized we side in Abrupt Decay in almost all matchups. Is there a reason why we started moving it to the board? I can see the need to want to play a sword and another critter.

For those playing Sword of Light and Shadow in the main. How is it performing for you? I been debating about playing it again in the main.

How do people like Garruk Relentless in the board? I am iffy on him. That and I seem to have missplaced my copy. Sad panda.

Anyway I will be going to EE this weekend and playing in Legacy and Vintage. Should be fun. More then happy to bounce ideas if anyone wants to chat. I am half tempted to go back to playing the list I top 16 with.

[oSeabass]

We went through our sideboard plans and realized we side in Abrupt Decay in almost all matchups. Is there a reason why we started moving it to the board? I can see the need to want to play a sword and another critter.

For those playing Sword of Light and Shadow in the main. How is it performing for you? I been debating about playing it again in the main.

How do people like Garruk Relentless in the board? I am iffy on him. That and I seem to have missplaced my copy. Sad panda.

1. I think Abrupt Decay in the main is a concession a little to the fact I feel our G1 is not the greatest against some decks. I feel like we always have a stronger G2/3 due to hate bears in the board and being able to tweak the tools in the box. I've thought about bringing at least 1 AD in, but I like cutting down to 4 mana dorks and bringing in the 2nd. I like the 3 DRS/1 NH split, and if I had the tix on MODO woudl maybe even go a 3/2 if I had the space. I'll probably be dropping my 3 CMC Thalia for at least 1 flex.

2. Sword LS in main is nice as a tutor target against some decks game 1. Again our G1 is a little janky IMHO due to the toolbox being set for optimal balance. I normally end up siding out at least 1 Sword based on color the opponent is running, and sometimes both (combo, etc). It is nice to land in grindy games as it helps recur creatures and help get life for extra Library activation. I could see moving 1 of the swords to the board and bringing in the spare AD, just flipping them between MD/SB.

3. Garruk in the board is nice for grindy matches. I landed one against Miracles and it won the game on the spot for me. I had him main for a while but being a 4 drop main is a little eh for me. He will def. stay at least a 1 of in my board just on the fact he crushes miracles, being a 4 they only have so many counterbalance answers to him (Jace being the only thing I think they have).

4. I like the 3 Qasali main, but again feel like it's just shifting stuff between board and MD. Instead of the Rec Sage as a 3rd artifact/ench hate you get a lower costed Exalted beater game 1. Dunno if I have the space for a 3rd one main.

[oSeabass]

I keep feeling like I never use Cradle in games. If I am using it I am already ahead or have probably overextended in a poor way. If I have it against Lands, it's just a Wasteland recursion away from not helping fight Tabernacle.

The 20/20 plan sounds nice but takes up 2 land slots, as well as it adding another non mana producing land which I'm not to keen on. Has anyone done any testing with Cavern? I know our creature base is a little all over the place. When we played GW straight it was a little easier to name Human (Thalia, Knight, Mom, NH) or something like Wizard in a pinch (Aven Mindcensor, Qasali Pridemage). Don't know if the move to DRS makes Cavern viable anymore. Thoughts?

[Behlial]

oSeaBass. That make sense when it is worded like that for Abrupt Decay. When playing it in the main, sometimes it felt clunky in my hand g1 when trying to do so many other things to finish the match.

Cavern of Souls. My only issue with Cavern it doesn't produce W or G so depending on what you draw it could be dead after you play X card. I do agree if we went to a GW build it is easier to jam them since its mostly humans at that base, and you can play 2-4 with out batting an eye. I had in some games not the correct mana to cast other spells. It is nice to play it and cast cards through miracles bs.

Garruk. I am probably going to play him in my board. I tried him in the main and didn't like him.

Pridemages. I use to play 3 all the time due to my local meta 2 years ago being filled with Miracles and other equipment based decks. I would always have them when I need them. Now I would run max 2 in the main and the Rec Sage in the board.

This is what I am thinking about running Sunday for EE. Or going with the list I posted above Minus DD. Debating on the Flex spot. Its between Thalia 1.0, thalia 2.0, Second library, random kick ass green critter(sigarda) , or something else. As much as I love sigarda, I always felt like it was a dead card in my hand some games. The Cavern may come out for another forest or maybe the bayou to another forest or a swamp. I like having 3 Black sources.

2 Bayou
1 Cavern of Souls
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Karakas
1 Plains
1 Scrubland
2 Savannah

3 Deathrite Shaman
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Mother of Runes
2 Noble Hierarch
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scrub Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Thrun, The Last Troll
1 Flex

4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sylvan Library


2 Abrupt Decay
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Reclamation Sage
2 Thoughtseize
1 Toxic Deluge
2 Zealous Persecution
1 Pithing Needle/Surgical Extraction

[Serch]

Can anyone share a sideboard guide, please?

Thanks in advance

[oSeabass]

oSeaBass. That make sense when it is worded like that for Abrupt Decay. When playing it in the main, sometimes it felt clunky in my hand g1 when trying to do so many other things to finish the match.

Cavern of Souls. My only issue with Cavern it doesn't produce W or G so depending on what you draw it could be dead after you play X card. I do agree if we went to a GW build it is easier to jam them since its mostly humans at that base, and you can play 2-4 with out batting an eye. I had in some games not the correct mana to cast other spells. It is nice to play it and cast cards through miracles bs.

Garruk. I am probably going to play him in my board. I tried him in the main and didn't like him.

Pridemages. I use to play 3 all the time due to my local meta 2 years ago being filled with Miracles and other equipment based decks. I would always have them when I need them. Now I would run max 2 in the main and the Rec Sage in the board.

This is what I am thinking about running Sunday for EE. Or going with the list I posted above Minus DD. Debating on the Flex spot. Its between Thalia 1.0, thalia 2.0, Second library, random kick ass green critter(sigarda) , or something else. As much as I love sigarda, I always felt like it was a dead card in my hand some games. The Cavern may come out for another forest or maybe the bayou to another forest or a swamp. I like having 3 Black sources.
....

I also like the idea of 3 black sources, especially for sideboard games where I need to cast ZP, TS, Deluge, or any number of black hate cards. Dunno if I want a 2nd Bayou, or a basic Swamp. Basic helps against Wasteland but Swamp doesn't sac to Knight. I think I'm leaning Basic just to help against potential Blood Moon decks too, without the basic we need a DRS to be able to cast stuff like AD.

Garruk main was eh, I like him better in the board.

3 pieces of artifact/ench hate total seems fine. I've been liking the split the others on here recommended: 2 Pridemage main, 1 Rec Sage board.

Cavern seems way better in GW, but sadly I don't think we can get away with it splashing Black with DRS :(

Sigarda is just super slow IMHO. Only being a 1 of means we normally have to GSZ for it which takes even longer. By then we are normally dead. I like the idea of Thrun in flex green beater spot, 4 toughness is nice and uncounterable seems very helpful just landing a resilient threat, hexproof is also nothing to take lightly. I think 4 mana is kinda the max for a dude in the deck. 5 gives us a lot of options but I don't think I reach 5-6 mana most games, and I would want my 5 drops to basically win on the spot.

I've been making a list of derp creatures that I remember running or having just to be meta calls. Some of these could see flex spots if the time is right. If anyone has anymore to add to this lemme know :) (bolded ones I might bring into rotation in my practice)

Thrun, Loxodon Smiter, Fauna Shaman, Vengevine, Thragtusk, Wilt Leaf Liege, Siege Rhino, Eternal Witness, Troll Ascetic, Voice of Resurgence, Master of the Wild Hunt, Courser of Kruphix, Obstinate Baloth, Grim Flayer?, Skylasher, Peacekeeper, Linvala, Tajuru Preserver, Captain Sisay, Sigarda, Elvish Visionary, Aven Mindcensor, Hero of Bladehold, Mirran Crusader.

[ironclad8690]

Here is my sideboard guide. Note that there are many approaches to sideboarding with this deck, so I am not 100% confident in these.

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Mother of Runes
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Scavenging Ooze

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow

2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
4 Windswept Heath
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Gaea's Cradle

Sideboard
3 Thoughtseize
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Pithing Needle

Miracles:
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 2 Choke, 1 Gaddock Teeg, 1 Garruk Relentless, 1 Reclamation Sage, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 4 Swords to Plowshares, 1 Deathrite Shaman, 1 Noble Hierarch, 1 Knight of the Reliquary, 1 Wasteland

Grixis:
IN: 1 Choke, 2 Abrupt Decay, 2 Zealous Persecution
OUT: 2 Sylvan Library (Too Slow), 1 Gaddock Teeg, 1 Qasali Pridemage

Eldrazi:
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 1 Reclamation Sage, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 2 Mother of Runes, 2 Sylvan Library (Too Slow)

Storm:
IN: 2 Ethersworn Canonist, 3 Thoughtseize, 1 Gaddock Teeg, 2 Zealous Persecution
OUT: 4 Swords to Plowshares, 2 Sylvan Library, 1 Stoneforge Mystic, 1 Knight of the Reliquary

Sneak Attack:
IN: 3 Thoughtseize, 2 Ethersworn Canonist (If see Omniscience, most I run into these days have it), 1 Gaddock Teeg, 1 Reclamation Sage, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 4 Swords to Plowshares, 1 Scavenging Ooze, 2 Sylvan Library, 1 Umezawa's Jitte

Death and Taxes:
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 2 Zealous Persecution, 1 Reclamation Sage, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 1 Gaddock Teeg, 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, 1 Sylvan Library

Shardless BUG:
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 1 Gaddock Teeg, 1 Noble Hierarch, 1 Sylvan Library

Elves:
IN: 2 Ethersworn Canonist, 2 Zealous Persecution, 2 Abrupt Decay, 1 Pithing Needle, 1 Gaddock Teeg
OUT: 1 Deathrite Shaman, 2 Sylvan Library, 1 Sword of Light and Shadow, 1 Mother of Runes, 2 Qasali Pridemage, 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Let me know if you have questions about other decks, these are the ones I usually face.

[Serch]

Here is my sideboard guide.

Thanks mate!

I have a doubt with the side against Sneak&Show, why you sideboard into Gaddock? They can still cast creature spells when they have omni on the table..

Only affects to hardcast sneak attack and FoWs?

[pettdan]

Only affects to hardcast sneak attack and FoWs?

Yes, you just answered it yourself. You don't want to stop Sneak Attack, about 50% of the enablers in the deck?

[glowparty]

For Shardless, you'd rather have 2 Pridemage than 2 Library?

For Eldrazi, you'd rather have hierarch over 3rd Mother of Runes? Needle is better than a Library?

[Megadeus]

Thanks mate!

I have a doubt with the side against Sneak&Show, why you sideboard into Gaddock? They can still cast creature spells when they have omni on the table..

Only affects to hardcast sneak attack and FoWs?

Teeg puts them on show and tell or bust. Which sometimes is fine for you because it allows you to put in something. Put in pridemage, blow up omni first moment you can. If they have show, omni, emrakul in hand them who cares, there's nothing you could've done and your opponent is a chimp who had it all.

[ironclad8690]

For Shardless, you'd rather have 2 Pridemage than 2 Library?

For Eldrazi, you'd rather have hierarch over 3rd Mother of Runes? Needle is better than a Library?

Yeah, maybe 2 Library is better vs Shardless. I often cut the 2nd library in matches where it's a board standoff/damage race because 1 seems to work fine.

As for Eldrazi, I think we need all of the mana accelerators we can get to cast Knight turn 2. I cut library because I find that doing that early in the game puts me too far behind, and doing it late is either too little too late or I already stopped the assault and won anyway. I'd rather have needle to turn off Displacer/Endbringer/Jitte/Ratchet Bomb. It's possible Mother of Runes should go first though, I just like turning off Dismember sometimes.

[QuranJames]

Can we have a discussion of the inclusion of a Sword of Light and Shadow (or, really, a third equipment slot generally)? Jitte and Fire and Ice have been great for me, and I understand why they're standard inclusions, but I've found myself unsure or unwilling to fetch out a Light and Shadow.

For those running Light and Shadow, what match ups are you bringing it in for and do you find yourself bringing it in enough to merit a main board slot?

In its stead, I've considered playing a main board Decay and moving it to the side or dropping the third equipment slot totally, cutting a Stoneforge, and perhaps adding new Thalia. I run this stock list: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/05-10-16-maverick/

[ironclad8690]

I mainly fetch SoLaS vs Swords to Plowshares decks. It may as well read protection from Swords to Plowshares.

For me, it is really insurance for when I draw a 2nd Stoneforge or my other equips get destroyed. Equipments take over the game so fast in fair matches, I like to have 3 to increase chances of naturally drawing as well as tutoring in the right scenario.

Teeg + SoLaS is almost a hard lock against Miracles too, which is nice. Death and Taxes becomes a lot easier with this, without it you are cold to Phyrexian Revoker on Jitte.

[maharis]

This is the build I've been playing for a few weeks:

4 Mother of Runes
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Dryad Arbor

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Sylvan Library
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Garruk Relentless/Horizon Canopy (if I can borrow a canopy)

4 Windswept Heath
4 Wasteland
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Savannah
2 Bayou
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Karakas
1 Scrubland
1 Maze of Ith

2 Choke
2 Pithing Needle
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
1 Life from the Loam
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Krosan Grip
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Engineered Plague
1 Dismember
1 Zealous Persecution

Been pretty happy with it, so much so it's made it on the short list for GP Louisville. I like Thalia HC a lot. Last time I played a weekly I went 2-1 beating Deathblade + Aluren and losing a close one to Lands. Did some testing the other night against burn, reanimator, and food chain and it did surprisingly well in the combo matchups. I know I gotta get a Teeg in, but we don't have much Miracles or Storm out here so I gotta find someone to test against.

[Warden]

Can we have a discussion of the inclusion of a Sword of Light and Shadow (or, really, a third equipment slot generally)? Jitte and Fire and Ice have been great for me, and I understand why they're standard inclusions, but I've found myself unsure or unwilling to fetch out a Light and Shadow.

For those running Light and Shadow, what match ups are you bringing it in for and do you find yourself bringing it in enough to merit a main board slot?

In its stead, I've considered playing a main board Decay and moving it to the side or dropping the third equipment slot totally, cutting a Stoneforge, and perhaps adding new Thalia. I run this stock list: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/05-10-16-maverick/

Light/Shadow: Anything white. Mirror, DnT, Miracles, etc.
There are also some backbreaking loops you can run with QPM, which further kicks the crap out of DnT.

The bigger question is whether Light/Shadow surpasses other 3rd options. That's meta-dependent. Feast/Famine and Batterskull are always strong options. Personally, I enjoy Light/Shadow and it's done me solid at large events.

I go back and forth on decay. I've done well with and without it. For the current meta, I like the effect but I don't like the mana instability. With so many wastelands running around, being held off black is kind of a big deal.

New Thalia is strong. But just like the DnT thread, I go back and forth on Thalia 2.0/Recruiter/Prelate fitting into our flex slots.

[Power_queer]

Hey guys this is my first post here. I've been playing Legacy about a year now with Maverick almost exclusively. I've managed to put up a few Top 8s at various IQ's and the Louisville Classic at the open.

The most recent list I've put results up with is as follows:

Creatures
3 Deathrite Shaman
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Mother of Runes
2 Noble Hierarch
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Enchantments
1 Sylvan Library

Instants
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Swords to Plowshares

Planeswalkers
1 Garruk Relentless

Sorceries
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Life from the Loam

Lands
2 Bayou
1 Maze of Ith
2 Savannah
2 Scrubland
1 Thespian's Stage
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
3 Windswept Heath
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Karakas
1 Dark Depths
1 Plains
1 Forest

Sideboard:
1 Pithing Needle
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Ashen Rider
2 Containment Priest
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
1 Choke
2 Rest in Peace
2 Crop Rotation
2 Zealous Persecution
1 Bojuka Bog

I've gotten rid of the Stoneforge Package for awhile now. I don't know exactly why but I was just never a big fan of it. I felt that it slowed the deck down a little too much. Thoughts on why I'm wrong and should re-add it?

As far as new Thalia is concerned I've found her to be amazing if she comes down turn 3 or four. The amount of hurt she puts on our opponents is just unbelievable. Though there have been times when she was just a 3/2 creature aswell but more often than not she has been worth the slot.

I've noticed I'm the only one who seems to constantly run a Maze of Ith and I can't fathom why. It come's in extremely handy for defense and offense. I know how much it sucks to draw it and Dark depths as your opening land but I truly feel our deck is not one that suffers too bad from a mull to 6 or 5. It is resilient enough and has good enough draws to me to take the risk of running to non mana producing lands.

If you have any mainboard questions or concerns just ask.

As for the sideboard I think the most awkward thing I have going on here is the two crop rotations. I'm running them for a storm, lands, and reanimation hatred. i know I already have the rest in peace but I feel like outside of Omniscience Decks we struggle super hard against storm and this is my plan to stop their turn one when if we're on the play by fetching up a Bajoka Bog. I know it is overkill but I'm open to other ideas.

I'll be playing at Eternal Weekend, hope to see some other Maverick players out there.

[TMagpie]

I keep feeling like I never use Cradle in games. If I am using it I am already ahead or have probably overextended in a poor way. If I have it against Lands, it's just a Wasteland recursion away from not helping fight Tabernacle.

The 20/20 plan sounds nice but takes up 2 land slots, as well as it adding another non mana producing land which I'm not to keen on. Has anyone done any testing with Cavern? I know our creature base is a little all over the place. When we played GW straight it was a little easier to name Human (Thalia, Knight, Mom, NH) or something like Wizard in a pinch (Aven Mindcensor, Qasali Pridemage). Don't know if the move to DRS makes Cavern viable anymore. Thoughts?

I think you're going about this wrong.

If the goal is a utility land that provides value, just make a spreadsheet with all the decks you care about on one axis, all the different utility lands on the other axis, mark 1 if the land is relevant in that matchup (Bojuka vs Dredge), mark a 0 if the land does something in the matchup but is not that great (Karakas vs Taxes), and don't mark it at all if it doesn't really do anything in the matchup outside of provide mana (Yavimaya Hollow vs Miracles)

You then tally three metrics: total count, total value, and average value. Total counts simply is how many matchups does the card show up in by adding together total number of times that 1s and 0s shows up. Total value is adding all the 1s together to let you know which land shows up as an important land the most. Average value is taking the total and dividing it by the count in order to show which land is most useful on average. Example numbers.

Land (A) has four 0's has total count of 4, a total value of 0, and an average value of 0
Land (B) has only one 1 has a total count of 1, a total value of 1, and average value of 1
Land (C) has two 0's and two 1's has a total count of 4, a total value of 2, and an average value of .5

Land (A) and Land (C) are both relevant in four matchups, but Land (C) is more valuable each time you draw it.
Land (B) is only ever relevant in one matchup, but is the most impactful should it ever show up with an average of 1
The total value of Land (C) is higher than the total value of Land (B) because Land (C) is important in two matchups as opposed to being important in only 1 matchup.

etc...

That would be the best way to find out what land you actually need as your 1of value target. But I don't think this is the right way to think about this land slot.

The real question is not "which is better Cradle or Depths or Cavern or _____"
The real question is "what game states are around in which I have an active Knight of the Reliquary, who can't win the game, but I now have the ability to find me the card to win the game that an active Knight couldn't"

As an example, I run Dark Depths in my Maverick list because I was looking for more ways to incorporate evasion in my list. I would often get into board stalls as the opponent chump blocks with Pyromancer tokens, or Shardless Agents, or multiple True-Name Nemesis, etc... And in order to break those stalls I would search for a 20/20 and fly over to kill them.

However, if your meta does not need for you to break grounded board stalls, if your meta is not as blocker filled, or is more spell focused--then Depths would not be for you. So really, the first question should not be about which card is more powerful, but really which card fills gaps in your game plan.

[Strassbaw]

I went 7-0-2 playing Punishing Dark Maverick, and lost round 1 in top 8 at Eternal Extravaganza 5 in Baltimore, MD.

Here are links to my stream match:
https://www.twitch.tv/talesofadventure/v/95381760?t=19m39s

Creatures: 21
4 Mother of Runes
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Deathrite Shaman
3 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Dryad Arbor

Non-Creature Spells: 14
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Punishing Fire
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice


Lands: 25
4 Windswept Heath
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
3 Wasteland
3 Wooded Foothills
2 Savannah
2 Taiga
1 Forest
1 Plateau
1 Bayou
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Karakas
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Dark Depths
1 Maze of Ith

Sideboard:
3 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Pyroblast
2 Choke
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Pithing Needle
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Garruk Relentless//Garruk, the Veil-Cursed
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Worship




Rounds 1: Lands 2-1 (Sideboard in 5 cards)

Sideboard in: Bojuka Bog, Reclamation Sage, Pithing Needle, Garruk Relentless, Elspeth, Knight Errant

Sideboard Out: Punishing Fire x3, Gaddock teeg, Jitte (Next time I will board out Dark Depths, as Lands Plays stage more effectively.

Round 2: OmniTell 2-0 (Sideboard in 10 cards)

Sideboard in: 3X Ethersworn Canonist, 3X Red Elemental Blast, 2 Choke, Reclamation Sage, Pithing Needle

Sideboard out: 4X Swords to Plowshares, 3X Punishing Fire, Umezawa's Jitte, Scavenging Ooze, Grove of the Burnwillow (Against combo decks, being more threat dense is important, and taking out a few lands can allow room for more sideboard hate, while keeping in win conditions to help ensure a short game. Combo decks will eventually win if you give them enough time, and drawing lands late can increase the game time)


Game 1: He casts T1 Show & Tell and i put KOTR into play with a Karakas in hand
Game 2:

Round 3: Lands 2-0

Same sideboard choices as above. Didn't remember to take out DD. I had this talk with my friend months ago, and still forget that conversation for 2 games.

Round 4: Charbelcher 2-0 (Sideboard in 8 cards)



Sideboard in: 3x Ethersworn Canonist, Reclamation Sage, Pithing Needle, Gaddock Teeg, Zealous Persecution, Worship

Sideboard out: 3X Punishing Fire, 4X Swords to Plowshares, Maze of Ith,

(He Mulled to 5 game one , and mulled to 6 game 2)
Game 1: I was on the play and I drop a mana dork. He plays T1 Charbelcher. I drop Pridemage from the hand and destroy it for the win.
Game 2: He gets 10 goblins on his turn 1. I play Birds of paradise turn 1 and turn 2 play Zealous Persecution killing all of his goblins. Sometimes you just have it all.


Round 5: Aluren 2-1 (Sideboard in 5 cards)

Sideboard in: 3X Ethersworn Canonist, 1 Reclamation Sage, Gaddock Teeg

Sideboard out: 3 Punishing fire (not sure if StP is better, but StP is faster against combo, which seems right), Maze of Ith, Scavenging Ooze,

Round 6: Miracles: 2-0 (Sideboard in 9 cards)

Sideboard in: 2X Choke, 2X Pyroblast, Elspeth, Knight Errant, Garruk Relentless, Gaddock Teeg, Reclamation Sage, Pithing Needle,

Sideboard out: 4X swords to Plowshares, Maze of Ith, Thespian Stage, Dark Depths, Birds of Paradise, Noble Hierarch

Round 7: Miracles 2-1

Same sideboard as above.

Round 8: ID with Miracles

Round 9: ID with Miracles

Top 8: Miracles 0-2

Same Sideboard plan. Got wrecked game 2 buy a Monastery Mentor turn 3 that I could answer. Taking out Swords to Plowshares usually doesn't feel bad, but sometimes it can bite you. Punishing fire can kill Jace, and is usually better in the long game, so I have been opting to keep them in over Swords to Plowshares.

Overall I think the deck is pretty solid, but unless something changes drastically in the meta game with the influence of Miracles decks, this type of deck will struggle to put up consistent results. I have a very heavy sideboard plan for the Miracle deck, and even with that plan I still feel it is an unfavorable match-up against most miracle builds. Enlightened Tutor sideboard is great when combo is around, but with Chalice of the Void and Counterbalance being the two most played archetypes in the format, Enlightened tutor seems less necessary.

Thanks for reading and keep playing fair!

[almostnice]

I'm taking Maverick to Wednesday night Legacy. This is my list, which I brewed up today with the cards I have. My meta is full of Elves, Shardless, Jund, and random combo (1x Reanimator, 1x Storm, 1x Food Chain)

Creatures
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Mother of Runes
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Dryad Arbor

Enchantments
1 Sylvan Library

Artifacts
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

Instants
4 Swords to Plowshares

Sorceries
4 Green Sun's Zenith

Lands
1 Bayou
1 Karakas
1 Forest
1 Plains
2 Horizon Canopy
2 Cavern of Souls
3 Savannah
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wasteland

Sideboard:
3 Mindbreak Trap
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Path to Exile
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Choke
2 Krosan Grip
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Pithing Needle

[Claymore]

I went 7-0-2 playing Punishing Dark Maverick, and lost round 1 in top 8 at Eternal Extravaganza 5 in Baltimore, MD.

Overall I think the deck is pretty solid, but unless something changes drastically in the meta game with the influence of Miracles decks, this type of deck will struggle to put up consistent results. I have a very heavy sideboard plan for the Miracle deck, and even with that plan I still feel it is an unfavorable match-up against most miracle builds. Enlightened Tutor sideboard is great when combo is around, but with Chalice of the Void and Counterbalance being the two most played archetypes in the format, Enlightened tutor seems less necessary.

Thanks for reading and keep playing fair!

Deck looks solid. Word on the street is that Walkers are the best path to beat Miracles, and Winter Orb has been getting some new looks as tech against it. I think Maverick could potentially use it due to the creature mana. 4C Loam looked into the 6cc Chandra as an all star against the meta.

What's the main point for Worship? Good combo with Mother but seems like it would be slow.

[ltales]

hello everyone.

I am testing maverick in mol for a month and i am using 3 extirpate in side for miracles matchup.

This card is amazing in that matchup, for example:

1) we can bait a terminus and use extirpate in the trigger of the second one;
2) Use extirpate in the trigger of top, targeting a swords.

I think the split second is very important against miracles for this i prefer extirpate than surgical extraction.

what you guys think about it?

another question what are you using in the eldrazi matchup? I am testing glissa, the traitor and basilisk collar.

[Warden]

hello everyone.

I am testing maverick in mol for a month and i am using 3 extirpate in side for miracles matchup.

This card is amazing in that matchup, for example:

1) we can bait a terminus and use extirpate in the trigger of the second one;
2) Use extirpate in the trigger of top, targeting a swords.

I think the split second is very important against miracles for this i prefer extirpate than surgical extraction.

what you guys think about it?

another question what are you using in the eldrazi matchup? I am testing glissa, the traitor and basilisk collar.

Years of playing have taught me that I struggle to produce [black] mana at the necessary time to put extirpate instead of surgical. I've also benefited from the "free" cost of Surgical-ing....be it on turn 0 against a GY threat or for value at any point in the game. I keep forgetting I can cast Surgical for [black] because I play it for 2 life 95% of the time. IIRC, while split second doesn't worry about new things entering the stack (Ie; they cannot activate Top in response), Counterbalance @ x = 1 still counters the spell.

[Thunderknight]

Between Starting a new job, I haven't been as vocal these past weeks. However I want to share a TR that I performed at EW.

Eternal Weekend Last Minute Mega Trial


Statistical Tournament Data:
Players – 33
Rounds – 6
On the way up to the convention center, I was discussing with my friend how I really liked Bob and that Maverick should just take parts of Aggro Loam, and just see what happens. Well I top 8 with him so he’s staying in my deck.


3 Deathrite Shaman
3 Mother of Rune
1 Noble Hierach (Most likely going to be a Bird of paradise)
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
3 Thalia, Guardian of Tharben
3 Dark Confidant
2 Qasli Pridemage
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scrub Ranger (Wins a lot of games)
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reqliury
1 Thrun, The Last Troll

4 Green Sun Zenith
4 Sword to Plowshares
1 Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sylvan LIbrary


4 Wastelands
4 Windswepth Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Caveron of Souls
1 Karakas
1 Dryad Abor

SB:
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Choke
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Thoughtseize
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Rec Sage
1 Maelstrom Pluse
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Sword of Light and Shadow

Round 1 – Tin Fins: 1-2 (Record 0-1)
Game one I assumed that I was facing UB reanimator, which is already unfair to begin with. My opponent proceeds to unhallowed grave, targeting their grisledaddy, which I responded with DRS activation. Then I closed the game with a Thalia and Scooze beats. In game two I thoughtseize their hand and saw a dark ritual, brainstorm, land. I didn’t think I was playing Tin Fins until he storm off next turn and I lost. Game 3 I had karakas and swords in hand, but I didn’t think they would have the turn 1 kill after mulling down to 5. Turns out I was wrong.

Round 1 Analysis:
When I thoughtseize my opponent, I knew it should been a belling ringing to alert me that they are playing Tin Fins when I saw dark ritual. In game three I inserted in Canonist and took out Pridemages since they are not going to be useful. If I went Turn one Karakas go, they wouldn’t have combed off. This is my first time playing against the deck, so for next time I’m better prepared.

Round 2 – Burn: 2-0 (Record 1-1)
I don’t remember much in this matchup, so I can’t really provide enough analysis for this match. What I do remember was that I got down Thalia equipped with Sophie and beats down for Game 1. And in game two I had to play around a Fireblast because I was at lethal, and if they had another copy then I was dead. But thankfully, it was a smash to smithereens.

Round 3 – Miracles: 2-1 (Record 2-1)
They were able to get countertop in play, which really hosed me over but I was able to get enough pressure to get them down to 3 LP. However I was beaten by a wave of monks because my opponent had a second one in the hand.
Game 2 I was able to resolve a T5 Choke against them, after wear/tear my Sylvan Library. They only had one plains at the time and they were land screwed. During that time I was able to get 4 Bob triggers, refueling my hand to 7 cards, before they council judgement the choke. I slammed Sophie and proceeded to win the game.

Game 3 was a grind fest. They had countertop in play, but no real way to pressure me. I Green Sun for Thrun (#GSZ4Thrun), resolved, slammed Thrun on the field. During my opponent end step, I activated SFM and put on Light and Shadow. I want to say first hand that Thrun + L&S + a Pridemage in the GY + Cavern on Wizard = Miracle Slayer. I killed my opponent with an exalted Thrun.

Round 3 Analysis:
I was very satisfied with the new cards that I played. Bob was an all-star in all three games that I played him. Also, getting rid of JTMS with Maelstrom Pulse is killer. I want to practice more game with these new cards, but for now they are positive changes.

Round 4 - Shardless BUG: 2-0 (Record 3-1)
Game one they T2 Hymm me, discarding both Thrun and GSZ, boo. I was able to remove LOTV before she was about to ultimate with Knight. Finished the game with Double Knight beatdown.

Game 2 my opponent mullied down to 5, keeping a one lander. I proceeded to drop T2 Bob, and with all bob triggers I reveal lands, and 3 mana+ cards for my draws. I revealed my hand to my opponent, declaring what I will be casting for the next three turns, and they conceded. No real analysis here.

Round 5 – Grixis Delver: 2-0 (Record 4-1)
Both games were a grind fest and also won with a over powered Scooze (By that I mean it was a 8/8 at the end of game one, and a 14/14 at the end of game 2 that went to turns and I won on my last extra turn). I was able to beat 7 YP tokens in game 2 by untapping ooze with a bayou that I keep returning to my hand thanks to Scrub Ranger. My opponent top deck the bolt they needed, but if they decided to bolt me I would have bin my arbor and eat it in response to the spell. I remember they cliqued during my draw step, which I let the spell resolve and responded to the trigger by casting zealous persecution (the card that I drew for the turn). No real analysis.

Round 6 – Dragon Stompy : ID
Hooray I locked to top 8 by taking 5th place.

TOP 8: Quarterfinals – Grixis Delver.

I’m playing against a really strong opponent, so I felt a little pressure, and thus effect my opening hand decisions. Game one I died from double flipped delvers.
Game two I played turn one safekeeper. My opponent turn one Grim Lavamancer, and that’s how I died in the second game. The fact that they were able to use their graveyard to remove my creatures was just brutal. I was also stuck on back mana for the longest time because I had bob in hand and I couldn’t cast it.

Summary:
I went 4-1-1. I felt that the quarterfinal I could have aggressive mull down to a DRS or a Knight and kept it. But I don’t know. I am very happy with both Bob and Thrun since they respectively won against my toughest match-ups. I didn’t feel that I would have games if I was running Thalia 2.0 and an DRS as oppose to the 3 BOBs.

[Ganfar]

Summary:
I went 4-1-1. I felt that the quarterfinal I could have aggressive mull down to a DRS or a Knight and kept it. But I don’t know. I am very happy with both Bob and Thrun since they respectively won against my toughest match-ups. I didn’t feel that I would have games if I was running Thalia 2.0 and an DRS as oppose to the 3 BOBs.

If you like Bob, then you should test the DeadGuy Ale deck. :laugh:

[Thunderknight]

If you like Bob, then you should test the DeadGuy Ale deck. :laugh:

Fair. I do like Deadguy Ale, however, I don't think its position in the current meta is strong enough for me to consider piloting it.

[Ganfar]

Fair. I do like Deadguy Ale, however, I don't think its position in the current meta is strong enough for me to consider piloting it.

What match-ups do you think Maverick is better agianst then DeadGuyAle?

Both decks is not good aginst combo and have okey match-up agnist Miracles and Eldrazi.

[Megadeus]

I think Deadguy is a bit better against the BGX decks like shardless and jund due to lingering souls and liliana and just more removal in general. I think maverick is probably better against storm because hate bears are generally better than discard due to PiF. Maverick is probably better against eldrazi as well because knight is one of the best card in the format versus them. Also burn fwiw. I like my old deadguy list that played revokers against miracles, but I don't know about now because mentor didn't exist back then.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[Thunderknight]

What match-ups do you think Maverick is better agianst then DeadGuyAle?

Both decks is not good aginst combo and have okey match-up agnist Miracles and Eldrazi.

Adding green to the deck provides consistency to maverick. Between Mana dorks, Qasli Pridemange, and Knight, it also provides a clock to other fair decks. Against Combo decks Maverick has gaddock teeg where as in Deadguy ale you have to rely on other ways to shut down there 4 cost spells. Maverick, in it self, can be a creature-prison or land-prison, depending on which style of deck the pilot wants to do with it. Deadguy Ale, IMO, is the a slower, more attritionish Deathblade. You strip their hand while graduating building up your boardstate.



Also, GSZ, IMO, is the best creature tutor (besides Survival) in the format. The functionality of GSZ is wide. It can be a land tutor of Arbor, can retrieve all of your creatures in your deck (with the exception of Bob, Thalia, Stonefoge, MoM)

I will say that DGA did receive a huge support from both CS2 and KLD. If someone provides an analysis of D.G.A, I would be more than happy to read it and give my 2 cents.

[Megadeus]

Went 3-0 with what I feel is a pretty standard Dark Mav list. No new Thalia though. I love her, but when she comes down late she's mediocre and can't have multiples. 2-0 Jund, 2-1 Eldrazi because I'm an idiot and didn't play around All is Dust the game I lost. lesson learned. just wasteland the shit out of them whenever you get the chance. 2-0 against burning reanimator. Man before the event we played a few games and he won probably 5/6 games. I got good hands in the event. If this deck catches on more I'm gonna have to put Surgicals on my board. How much discard do you guys usually play in the board? I had two thought seize, but I could see playing up to 4 discard spells.

[Seraphix]

Went 3-0 with what I feel is a pretty standard Dark Mav list. No new Thalia though. I love her, but when she comes down late she's mediocre and can't have multiples. 2-0 Jund, 2-1 Eldrazi because I'm an idiot and didn't play around All is Dust the game I lost. lesson learned. just wasteland the shit out of them whenever you get the chance. 2-0 against burning reanimator. Man before the event we played a few games and he won probably 5/6 games. I got good hands in the event. If this deck catches on more I'm gonna have to put Surgicals on my board. How much discard do you guys usually play in the board? I had two thought seize, but I could see playing up to 4 discard spells.

BR Reanimator is basically a turn 1 deck, so without Surgical/Faerie Macabre its a real uphill battle on the draw. The version with Children of Korilis/Tendrils is especially tough since they don't care about Karakas/Plow, but it looks like most of the successful lists aren't on that strategy. Surgical is really the best card we can have against this deck.

[pettdan]

A detail here, Burning Reanimator and BR Reanimator are two different decks. The former can ignore graveyard hate and storm out with LED's but loses consistancy. Anyway..

My default setup is 3 Thoughtseize, 2 Surgicals. I add or remove a Thoughtseize if I expect more or less combo. If I keep losing against Reanimator decks I change into 2 Leyline of the Voids to hedge. That is probably the strongest card in my opinion against them. They have a hard time removing it and the Chancellor of the Annex doesn't help. Or I play 1 Leyline, 1 Rest in Peace and one Enlightened Tutor; the tutor is usually there anyway and allows for second turn RIP otp through discard. If I go RIP it's because it seems stronger vs Lands and works better with the tutor.

I'm also very happy to be playing two Pithing Needles in the board whenever I play against Reanimator decks; t1 Pithing on Griselbrand gives you a good fighting chance and way to come back through the rest of the game. A single StP or a KotR into Karakas can deal with a lot with a needle on the board; otherwise they often get Griselbrand, draw 14 and reanimate 1-2 other threats which is hard to deal with.

[Thunderknight]

My buddy was running my deck while I was judging at the SCG Baltimore. They were able to Day 2.

[ipvitk]

On Sunday, I made top-16 at Topdeck legacy tournament in Moscow, we had 70+ fellow mages battling for this cup. I played RG-lands deck recently, but decided to take loved and trusted Maverick deck this time.

My decklist

4 Windswept Heath
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Savannah
1 Tundra
1 Tropical Island
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Karakas
1 Bojuka Bog
4 Wasteland
1 Gaea’s Cradle
1 Dryad Arbor

4 Mother of Runes
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Scryb Ranger

4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Green Sun’s Zenith
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Sword of Light and Shadow

Sideboard:
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Swan Song
2 Meddling Mage
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Pithing Needle
2 Krosan Grip
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Sylvan Safekeeper

I was very pleased with how the deck performed, the only change I would make is changing SoLS for Batterskull. My games were:

Turn 1. UB Reanimator 2-1
My opponent reanimated Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur turn 1 in the first game, but second and third games i managed to steal with Bojuka Bog and Thalia, Heretic Cathar. Game 3 opponent was 1 mana short of playing Show and Tell into Blazing Archon, which i probably could not beat (i kept 2 StP, but did not have them in hand). Thanks to Thalia and Wastelands, I won.
Turn 2. Colorless Eldrazi 1-2
Game 1 I stabilized at 3 life points and managed to win with Jitte. Game 2 he had turn 1 chalice with several big monsters I could not keep up with. Game 3 I made critical mistake and lost my Scavenging ooze instead of chump blocking with irrelevant creatures, can' t explain it, I just miscounted creatures in my graveyard. This was enough for my opponent to win.
Turn 3. ANT 2-0
Game 1 my opponent scoops after GSZ for Teeg. Game 2 he kept a one-lander with petals and a cantrips, but thanks to Thalias and Canonist just didn't have time to find business.
Turn 4. Food Chain 2-1
A deck playing game similar to Shardless BUG with combo-out. Decays, Toxic Deluge, hand disruption. Game 3 he played Food Chain and pass, tapping all his lands. I destroyed my lands with 2 wastelands and killed him with a giant Knight.
Turn 5. Goblins 1-2.
1 game i won with my Jitte on Geist, other games was very quick lackey-instigator-tarfire-tarfire games. I could won but my opponents draws were little better.
Turn 6. MUD with Karn, Ugin etc. 2-0
New Thalia is a super-star against all-non-basic-lands decks. Even with Crucible of worlds my opponent just could not cast his monsters.
Turn 7. Miracles.
My opponent surrenders as he has 1 draw and no chance for top-16. Then we played and i lost 1-2, winning 1st game, losing second to quick combo Mentor + Top. 3rd game i had Meddling Mage naming StP, Gaddock Teeg with Sword of Light and Shadow, and could not draw anything but lands for 4 or 5 turns. I decided to attack with mage and teeg, my opponent played Snapcaster, block MeMage, kills my sword with Wear/Tear and then flashback StP. Next turn he plays Jace and i scoop.

This was unfortunate, but all in all, i think the deck is solid and has good chances against all types of decks. Be on a good side and play maverick.

[ricste88]

Hi Everybody,
I’m an old Maverick players that After the GP Prague decided to bring back to life his pet deck after a short time where i have played infect. A couple of years ago I just had enough to loose from miracles and I abandoned the deck, but know we have many answers to miracles and I learned how to side against them almost perfectly.
Here is the list that I have developed:

Lands (23)
4 Windswept Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Marsh Flats
1 Forest
1 Plains
3 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
3 Savannah
2 Bayou
1 Scrubland
1 Cavern of souls
1 Gaea’s Cradle

Spells (37)
3 Mother of Runes
1 Scryb Ranger
3 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scavenging Ooze
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
2 Tireless Tracker
1 Siege Rhino
1 Painful Truths
4 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sylvan Library
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad



Sideboard (15)

2 Zealous Persecution
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Krosan Grip
1 Pithing Needle
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Choke
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Engineered Plague
1 Kaya, Ghost Assassin
3 Thoughtseize


I’ll pass to analyze some cards that you don’t see often in other lists.

Nothing to say bout lands, Cavern of souls over the 9th fetch because of Chaliche and Counterbalance, gaea’s cradle is simply amazing, expecially for the synergy with Tireless tracker and Scavenging Ooze.

6 removal spells. I prefer the third decay over the fourth plowshare because I prefer to have an uncounterable removal against delver decks and because it breaks many annoying stuff like Counterbalance, Chalice and Jitte/swords

Planeswalker. Garruk is simply amazing in this deck, it makes board advantage by putting one token every turn, wincondition against Miracles, Eldrazi and Lands, 7th removal just in case. If he flips is game most of the times, it happens that against eldrazi (in situations of stalling board) i kill my own mom in order to flip it and start to put some deattouch tokens and then start tutoring all my knights.

Sorin : amazing against Miracles, Eldrazi and lands as Garruk, he is really more powerful than Garruk in MU like Death and taxes and Shardless, he control the board and if we are lucky enough to use his ultimate is game (the ultimate is amazing against miracle as well because if we steal their Jace is GG)
Both of them are the first side out against any combo deck, I prefer to keep Garruk against tempo deck like RUG, BUG or grixis, but I side out Sorin, 2 colors in the CC and the total cost of 4 are too risky becuase of their mana denials, and if we arrive in the late game we have won anyway, even without Sorin.

Draw engine. 2 Tireless Tracker, Sylvan Library and Painful Truths.
Tracker is the card that i was waiting for. I cut 1 kinght to put the second one, draw engine, big guy and with a knight/scryb on the battelfield is just AMAZING, he become huge in a couple of turns and your hand is full! It fix all the bad MU and is a great beater.
Sylvan library doesn’t need any presentation.
I added a Painful truths because i was looking for a card that allow me to make some card advantage for miracle MU and that can help me in the midgame in the midrange games, like Shardless and Eldrazi, is a snap sideout against tempo deck, Burn and any combo deck.

Siege Rhino: this slot use to be a Sigarda, Host of Herons, but I think that Rhino is better, expecially against miracles, because he do something when he hit the ground, and they are forced to plow it, if they use terminus and we have a zenith in hand he can deals other 3 damages. Good against death and taxes (because of trample), he can deal with goyf 4/5 and with Though-knot Seer. Post SB we can have the mini combo Rhino-Kaya, blinking it every tunr, it could solve some standing-off situation.

Scryb Ranger. Absolutley the MVP of this deck, I saw that some lists don’t run it, is just blasphemy! He works very well with Mor, Kotr and Tireless tracker. He canblocks delvers and the other flying guy of blue burn. Good against miracles because he can block snappy/vendillion without dying and is protected from Jace’s bounce effect and he saves us from wasteland. In Death and taxes MU if we assemble a board with Mother and Scryb is almost GG, if we add a sylvan safekeeper or a second mom is game. With a Mom in play is even good against Griselbrand and Marit Lage (I won many games in this way, trust me)

4 Shamans and only 1 Hierarch. I won’t play less than 5 mana dorks, but 4 shaman are required, in order to deal with opponents graveyard (toghether with Scavening Ooze).

And the rest of the list doesn’t need any explanation.

Sideboard:

2 Zealous: against TNN, Pyromancer tokens, Elves, Death and taxes. I boar them in against Eldrazi, BUG, tempo deck as well
2 Surgical Extraction: nothing to say
1 Krosan Grip: nothing to say
1 Pithing Needle: nothing to say
2 Ethersworn Canonist: nothing to say
1 Choke: nothing to say
1 Swords to Plowshares: 7th removal against any creature-based deck (I want to try to the slaughter in the future, but actually I still prefer Stp because of his cheap cost)
1 Engineered Plague: because of elves, TNN, Infect and Miracles (naming Monk)
1 Kaya, Ghost Assassin: I board her in Miracles, Shardless, Lands, Burn and Eldrazi MU, great card advantage engine.
3 Thoughtseize: nothing to say

Let me know what do you thing about my list and choises, and let me know If you have any questions about MU :)

[jwl3gg]

How's Maverick in the current meta? I'm thinking starting to build it.

[RobNC]

How's Maverick in the current meta? I'm thinking starting to build it.

I've been having a rough time with Miracles. Rarely get Teeg and Mom out at the same time.


Knights can get bigger than Eldrazi real fast, so that helps. Scavenging Ooze can also likely grow to TKS size depending on how far into the same you are. Keeping lots of two drops in also helps with Chalice on 1.

Combo matchups can be okay if you are able to survive to turn 2 at least. I played a 5 round tourney today and my losses were to Miracles, Mono Red Sneak Attack (turn 1 Blood Moon is bad), and BR Reanimator (turn 1 getting two fatties on board is also bad). I was able to beat infect (Zealous Persecution = MVP!) and an Eldrazi player who never got a nut draw, thankfully.

[jwl3gg]

I've been having a rough time with Miracles. Rarely get Teeg and Mom out at the same time.


Knights can get bigger than Eldrazi real fast, so that helps. Scavenging Ooze can also likely grow to TKS size depending on how far into the same you are. Keeping lots of two drops in also helps with Chalice on 1.

Combo matchups can be okay if you are able to survive to turn 2 at least. I played a 5 round tourney today and my losses were to Miracles, Mono Red Sneak Attack (turn 1 Blood Moon is bad), and BR Reanimator (turn 1 getting two fatties on board is also bad). I was able to beat infect (Zealous Persecution = MVP!) and an Eldrazi player who never got a nut draw, thankfully.

I'm currently running RB Reanimator, but not a fan of combo. When I first got into magic, saw Maverick being and have been interested in it since.

[warai]

I've been having a rough time with Miracles. Rarely get Teeg and Mom out at the same time.


Knights can get bigger than Eldrazi real fast, so that helps. Scavenging Ooze can also likely grow to TKS size depending on how far into the same you are. Keeping lots of two drops in also helps with Chalice on 1.

Combo matchups can be okay if you are able to survive to turn 2 at least. I played a 5 round tourney today and my losses were to Miracles, Mono Red Sneak Attack (turn 1 Blood Moon is bad), and BR Reanimator (turn 1 getting two fatties on board is also bad). I was able to beat infect (Zealous Persecution = MVP!) and an Eldrazi player who never got a nut draw, thankfully.

Did you try Sanctum Prelate against Miracles? Also, Wasteland makes Eldrazi life quite hard.

[RobNC]

I doubled up on Teeg instead of 1 Teeg 1 Prelate, as Teeg seemed more versatile against an unknown meta and can be fetched with GSZ. I love Prelate in D&T though.

I went 2-3 in a 5 rounder last night, now that I'm more awake here's a mini report:

4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Mother of Runes
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

1 Garruk Relentless
1 Sylvan Library

1 Abrupt Decay
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares

1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte

1 Bayou
1 Dryad Arbor
2 Forest
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Karakas
2 Plains
2 Savannah
1 Scrubland
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath

//Sideboard
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Elspeth, Knight Errant
2 Surgical Extraction
4 Thoughtseize
3 Zealous Persecution
1 Batterskull

R1: Mono Red Sneak Attack (Loss. 0-1)
G1: I survived an early Emrakul at 4 life, got down to 2 (I think fetched), and wasn't able to apply enough pressure before he sneaked in an Inferno Titan for 3 to the face. Chalice on 1 slowed me down a lot.
G2: I mulled to 6. He dropped an early Blood Moon and early Chalice on 1 but I had been fetching basics so I was still able to apply pressure. Damage came in chunks of 4 thanks to Knight.
G3: T1 Blood Moon killed me. I had an excellent hand that would've won me the game had I been able to fetch a forest but I didn't even get that chance. I lost with 7 or 8 "mountains" and SOFI on the board and nothing else. Sigh.

R2: Infect (Win. 1-1)
G1: He drops T1 Glistener Elf, I drop DRS and start chipping away with other creatures as I drop them. He tries to Daze a Thalia but I pay the 1 with Deathrite activation. He doesn't even bother to attack with his Elf because it's the only infect creature and he scoops at 3 life. I had a STP in my hand the whole game that I was saving for Blighted Agent but I never saw it.
G2: He drops T1 Noble Hierarch, I drop Plains (or a white dual). He drops Blighted Agent T2 and I plow it with thankfully no response. He spends a few turns durdling while I develop my board and manages to get 2x Noble, Elf, and 2x Inkmoth. He activates one Inkmoth with the second and I respond by Wastelanding it so he can't protect with Vines. My next turn I top deck Zealous Persecution and he manages to save Elf with Invigorate but loses Nobles. I continue to beat down and win with only 4 poison. While this guy seemed to be playing very conservatively I still feel very good about the infect matchup as long as you can make it to turn 2.

R3: Miracles (Loss. 1-2)
G1: T3 Terminus, losing Mom and Knight. My Teeg gets instantly plowed. T4 Jace, T5 Entreat. I cannot recover.
G2: I get to stick Thalia T2, Knight T3, start beating him down. My turn 4 he miracles Terminus during combat, and I try to follow up with Elspeth which he gets with his 1-of Counterspell! After a few turns he manages to Entreat for 5 on my turn and I'm dead on the swing back. Had Elspeth stuck this would've been a very different game.

R4: Eldrazi with Oblivion Sowers (Win. 2-2)
G1: He mulls to 5 and doesn't apply much pressure. TKS on turn 3 or 4 isn't very bad for me because I have such a board presence. He gets Jitte onto TKS but doesn't do anything with it because I have SOFI on Thalia. After he drops Oblivion Sower (and whiffs!) I finish him off with DRS activations.
G2: He does serious damage to himself with Ancient Tomb but gets a big board fast and I scoop, as there's no way I can keep up.
G3: This game had a lot of board stalls, and I ended up staring down multiple TKS, Oblivion Sower, and Endbringer, but I have two 7 power Knights and a Batterskull (which I attack into a TKS to gain 4 life and draw a card). Endbringer chips away at me, and after a big attack he gets me down to 1 life. I have the Batterskull on one of the Knights (which Endbringer is preventing from attacking or blocking) and on my turn top deck Elspeth! I give the other night +3/+3 and flying, so I get to either gain a ton of life or kill him by flying over regardless of which Endbringer prevents from attacking. Lucky top deck for sure because nothing else would've gotten me the win there (he was at 6 with more creatures than me).

R5: RB Reanimator (Loss. 2-3)
G1: I drop a land, then he combos off with Griselbrand and mana still available. I scoop, and he says "oh, I was about to reanimate Chancellor too!"
G2: I fetch T1 Forest, he T1 Blood Moons, I T2 top deck a plains (lucky again!) and am able to cast all my stuff. I get Jitte on Knight and keep attacking and pumping. I get him down to 2 life with Jitte equipped Knight, Scryb Ranger, and DRS. DRS eats a land for black manage, Scryb allows it to untap, and I eat the Ancient Grudge that killed Jitte for the last 2. I had Surgical in my opener but never used it.
G3: I manage to get him down to 5 life while I'm still at 20. He gets Griselbrand into play, I plow and he draws 7 in response. Then starts to combo off to get Elesh Norn and I scoop because I have nothing else.


Overall it was a fun day. There was another guy playing Maverick and he got into the top 8 in 5th place, although my buddy with Mono Red Sneak Attack ended up splitting the finals with Burn. I unfortunately never got to use Garruk :(

The meta was weird, aside from 3 Miracles (at least two of them were playing Moat) and 1 Shardless there were no other blue decks, and the MRSA and BR Reanimator were the only combo in the room.

[Megadeus]

Giga Bytes quarterly for a Mox Jet I ran the table in the Swiss and went 6-0-1 with ID as top seed in top 8 then punted around and lost to miracles in top 8 because I'm an ape. Might post more detail later on it. It was fun though.

[Drunken Rancor]

I got 9th on tie breakers at the scg classic. Stinks but no complaints about the deck. http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=109533
Thanks to your suggestion I moved 2 decays main. I haven't looked back. Didn't side them out once in the classic.

[Megadeus]

Yeah my match ups were 2X Eldrazi, 1 BUG Delver, 1 Death and Taxes, 1 Patriot Stoneblade, and 1 Deadguy Ale. So decay is pretty much awesome to have with swords too. Was nice against miracles in top 8 too but I played likedlike shit and got punished for it.

[nicoleptik]

@drunken
Like your list a lot. One question though: id the bojuka bog main really worth it. Seems you free some space in sb by eschewing GY hate

[Megadeus]

Maybe it's just my meta, but I can't imagine playing less than 2 Pridemage. I'm on 3 main now.

[NEELEY]

@drunken
Like your list a lot. One question though: id the bojuka bog main really worth it. Seems you free some space in sb by eschewing GY hate

Just preference, it gives you a win usually once a tournament. I prefer being consistent and running the 2nd basic forest.

[NEELEY]

Maybe it's just my meta, but I can't imagine playing less than 2 Pridemage. I'm on 3 main now.

We are running 2 decay main, so this makes it okay. Something had to be cut and it was pridemage and the flex spot, usually for us is Garruk/2nd library.

[CRich3]

I haven't played magic in about 3 years and I picked this deck back up. I started with deadguy ale so my list isn't quite 100% Maverick yet but it's more so than deadguy ale at this point. I usually play GW but deathritr is loads less expensive than noble hierarch lol. I beat miracles for the first time last night 2-0. I was looking through some of these lists and I seem to be the only person playing Titania. Any reason why she is excluded? Also what is the game plan vs this eldrazi deck I keep seeing?

[NeckBird]

Yeah my match ups were 2X Eldrazi, 1 BUG Delver, 1 Death and Taxes, 1 Patriot Stoneblade, and 1 Deadguy Ale. So decay is pretty much awesome to have with swords too. Was nice against miracles in top 8 too but I played likedlike shit and got punished for it.

Besides you and the Miracles player, what other decks were in the Top 8?

[Megadeus]

Besides you and the Miracles player, what other decks were in the Top 8?

Me, Miracles, Eldrazi, Shardless, Goblins, Death and Taxes, I think a lands deck and I can't remember the last one pretty diverse, but not much in the way of combo.

[NEELEY]

I haven't played magic in about 3 years and I picked this deck back up. I started with deadguy ale so my list isn't quite 100% Maverick yet but it's more so than deadguy ale at this point. I usually play GW but deathritr is loads less expensive than noble hierarch lol. I beat miracles for the first time last night 2-0. I was looking through some of these lists and I seem to be the only person playing Titania. Any reason why she is excluded? Also what is the game plan vs this eldrazi deck I keep seeing?

i personally don't play a big threat because I want my deck to be as consistent as possible. I like to keep the curve low. Eldrazi is a favorable matchup. The plan is to wasteland as much as possible, kill their threats and win with big knights.

[Megadeus]

i personally don't play a big threat because I want my deck to be as consistent as possible. I like to keep the curve low. Eldrazi is a favorable matchup. The plan is to wasteland as much as possible, kill their threats and win with big knights.

Quick response here, but I completely agree. I used to play Sigarda and have cut her. And yes. I pretty much wasteland at this point at any chance I get, especially after losing the other day because I didn't activate Knight to get wasteland when he had 6 mana because I was liek fuck it. Whats the worst that can happen? I always forget All is Dust is a thing. Scooze and Knight are the kings of this game for me generally. New Thalia is also really good.

Also posted a tourney report if anyone is interested.

[nicoleptik]

Did some of you guys test Tireless Tracker? Seems pretty good on paper with knight. Too fancy?

[Megadeus]

Haven't tried him in the dark version yet, but he was pretty sweet when I was splashing red. Can't imagine much being different. Even without Knight he was sweet just as a single threat that grows while you draw cards, and he is great with Cradle to draw many cards. I think unfortunately for him, new Thalia got printed soon after people began adopting him

[nicoleptik]

Thanks for your 2 cents Megadeus, will try it over Sigarda on first occasion. Would definitively enjoy your tourney report, where can Infind it?

[RPD]

Here is my sideboard guide[...]
Sideboard
3 Thoughtseize
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Pithing Needle

Miracles:
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 2 Choke, 1 Gaddock Teeg, 1 Garruk Relentless, 1 Reclamation Sage, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 4 Swords to Plowshares, 1 Deathrite Shaman, 1 Noble Hierarch, 1 Knight of the Reliquary, 1 Wasteland

Grixis:
IN: 1 Choke, 2 Abrupt Decay, 2 Zealous Persecution
OUT: 2 Sylvan Library (Too Slow), 1 Gaddock Teeg, 1 Qasali Pridemage

Eldrazi:
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 1 Reclamation Sage, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 2 Mother of Runes, 2 Sylvan Library (Too Slow)

Storm:
IN: 2 Ethersworn Canonist, 3 Thoughtseize, 1 Gaddock Teeg, 2 Zealous Persecution
OUT: 4 Swords to Plowshares, 2 Sylvan Library, 1 Stoneforge Mystic, 1 Knight of the Reliquary

Sneak Attack:
IN: 3 Thoughtseize, 2 Ethersworn Canonist (If see Omniscience, most I run into these days have it), 1 Gaddock Teeg, 1 Reclamation Sage, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 4 Swords to Plowshares, 1 Scavenging Ooze, 2 Sylvan Library, 1 Umezawa's Jitte

Death and Taxes:
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 2 Zealous Persecution, 1 Reclamation Sage, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 1 Gaddock Teeg, 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, 1 Sylvan Library

Shardless BUG:
IN: 2 Abrupt Decay, 1 Pithing Needle
OUT: 1 Gaddock Teeg, 1 Noble Hierarch, 1 Sylvan Library

Elves:
IN: 2 Ethersworn Canonist, 2 Zealous Persecution, 2 Abrupt Decay, 1 Pithing Needle, 1 Gaddock Teeg
OUT: 1 Deathrite Shaman, 2 Sylvan Library, 1 Sword of Light and Shadow, 1 Mother of Runes, 2 Qasali Pridemage, 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Let me know if you have questions about other decks, these are the ones I usually face.

I'm new to the deck and I'm reading this, trying to extract the rationale behind this decisions. If someone could tell me which of my thoughts are correct, and if I'm interpreting things correctly... that would help a lot :)

Miracles: out 4 swords. Miracles now runs monastery mentor, and I don't think that leaving mentor in the battlefield leads to any winning game for us. On the other hand, we're the beatdown and leaving swords after sideboarding is like adding cards to answer control's win conditions, which is magic 101 of things that you shouldn't do.

Eldrazi: How does eldrazi sideboard against us? I'm seeing ratchet bomb and jitte in their sideboard, but I don't know if they include anything else. I was wondering what were our abrupt decay targets, and I'm guessing that chalice, trinisphere and endless one + other sideboard cards are enough. On a side note, I'm not sure how good thalia, guardian of thraben is in this matchup. They don't have lots of noncreatures (chalice is faster than thalia), but I guess that it slows down all is dust. New thalia is really good against eldrazi right? reality smasher virtually loses haste and you slow down their mana development.

Sneak and show: I don't understand siding out swords to plowshares. It doesn't kill emrakul, but it's our only way of killing griselbrand right? I play with new thalia, would I side her out here? I don't think so, but I want to ask nonetheless. Against sneak attack it prevents us from dying but it's pretty irrelevant against show and tell.

Death and taxes: Wouldn't garruk relentless come in handy? Against dnt we're the aggressive deck so garruk might be difficult to cast due to rishadan port, wasteland action and opposing thalias. I can't deny its utility nonetheless. I'm also thinking that it might be difficult to keep him alive due to flickerwisp and mother of runes.

Shardless bug: Again, why no garruk? It's a midrange mirror, it should be useful, and shardless doesn't have a mana denial as hard as death and taxes.

[Megadeus]

Thanks for your 2 cents Megadeus, will try it over Sigarda on first occasion. Would definitively enjoy your tourney report, where can Infind it?

It's in the tourney reports section of this site. I'm playing in a monthly today with almost the same list. Probably can't stay for the whole thing, but we'll see how it goes.

[Seraphix]

I'm new to the deck and I'm reading this, trying to extract the rationale behind this decisions. If someone could tell me which of my thoughts are correct, and if I'm interpreting things correctly... that would help a lot :)

Miracles: out 4 swords. Miracles now runs monastery mentor, and I don't think that leaving mentor in the battlefield leads to any winning game for us. On the other hand, we're the beatdown and leaving swords after sideboarding is like adding cards to answer control's win conditions, which is magic 101 of things that you shouldn't do.

Eldrazi: How does eldrazi sideboard against us? I'm seeing ratchet bomb and jitte in their sideboard, but I don't know if they include anything else. I was wondering what were our abrupt decay targets, and I'm guessing that chalice, trinisphere and endless one + other sideboard cards are enough. On a side note, I'm not sure how good thalia, guardian of thraben is in this matchup. They don't have lots of noncreatures (chalice is faster than thalia), but I guess that it slows down all is dust. New thalia is really good against eldrazi right? reality smasher virtually loses haste and you slow down their mana development.

Sneak and show: I don't understand siding out swords to plowshares. It doesn't kill emrakul, but it's our only way of killing griselbrand right? I play with new thalia, would I side her out here? I don't think so, but I want to ask nonetheless. Against sneak attack it prevents us from dying but it's pretty irrelevant against show and tell.

Death and taxes: Wouldn't garruk relentless come in handy? Against dnt we're the aggressive deck so garruk might be difficult to cast due to rishadan port, wasteland action and opposing thalias. I can't deny its utility nonetheless. I'm also thinking that it might be difficult to keep him alive due to flickerwisp and mother of runes.

Shardless bug: Again, why no garruk? It's a midrange mirror, it should be useful, and shardless doesn't have a mana denial as hard as death and taxes.

Miracles: You're bringing in Decays and want to hold on to Jitte, so you'll have answers to Mentor. You can't have too many reactive cards post board so Plows have to go.

Eldrazi: They bring in Ratchet Bomb, Jitte, and All is Dust if they play it. I've seen Eldrazi players bring in Leyline of the Void, but that isn't very good against us. They probably board out Trinisphere/Thorn if they play those. Thalia 1.0 isn't great in the matchup but isn't awful as she does shutt off the anemic x/2 Mimic and Matter Reshaper beats, and lone Factory attack. New Thalia is very good against Eldrazi.

Sneak: Plow is really bad against Griselbrand. Letting them draw 7 extra cards with the life generally isn't worth it. Your plan in this matchup is to "kill" Griselbrand with Karakas.

D&T: Garruk is very unreliable in this matchup due to his low loyalty and vulnerability to flyers. Not to mention their mana denial, using Mother to push attackers through, and shutting him off with Revoker.

[Megadeus]

Got top 4 at monthly event. Beat Jund w/o PFires, Miracles, Shardless, drew into top 8. Beat MUD and then lost to HymnYou on BG Depths because I punted

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[pettdan]

I haven't played magic in about 3 years and I picked this deck back up. I started with deadguy ale so my list isn't quite 100% Maverick yet but it's more so than deadguy ale at this point. I usually play GW but deathritr is loads less expensive than noble hierarch lol. I beat miracles for the first time last night 2-0. I was looking through some of these lists and I seem to be the only person playing Titania. Any reason why she is excluded? Also what is the game plan vs this eldrazi deck I keep seeing?

I've been playing Titania for about a year and like it. After this summer I have been trying the more traditional lists with 4 mothers and no cards CMC > 3. I'm not sure what version I prefer and plan to do some testing back and forth. I think the meta may have slowed down enough that my decision will swing in favor of Titania. Producing an army of 5/3's while allowing for extra Wastelands should be very strong vs Eldrazi and it's also a good card for pressuring Miracles, or so I think. Especially with KotR + Karakas backup for bouncing when they try to answer it.

...

On a different topic, I'm going to mention a couple of deck building options that I keep coming back to. They are not all tested yet, sorry about that, but some thoughts have accumulated. I'm sure a lot of it is nonsense. It would be interesting to hear your comments on them.

Depths + Stage: I like the plan KotR into Depths + Stage vs decks not playing Abrupt Decay or Swords to Plowshares. That is primarily Grixis Delver, I think. And Lands [edit: but they have Wasteland, crop etc so forget it]. And Eldrazi, but vs that deck I think the StP's, Decays and KotR's are enough to give a good matchup. I'm not too fond of this option (Depths + Stage) right now, I'd rather have good cards vs Miracles.

Abrupt Decay vs Swords to Plowshares vs ... Cavern of Souls(?): I've been playing 3 Decay and 3 StP's for the last 18 months or so I think. Since Counterbalance and Chalice have been more of an issue than Deathrite and Goblin Lackey I guess (and Decaying Delver is better than StP-ing it). I feel that if I'm playing 2 Decays then I would want a Cavern of Souls in the deck. To hedge vs Counterbalance and Chalice. Just bringing it up as an idea.. I think I like Cavern over a second Forest in lists with 2 maindeck Decays. Actually I'm even thinking that t1 Cavern into Deathrite through a Chalice on 1 may be pretty strong, since it allows you to expand quickly. Playing nothing t1, Decay t2 (best case) into your first piece of interaction on t3 is quite slow. A Cavern gives you a way to respond with more tempo in the Eldrazi matchup, making you less dependent on winning the die roll. While obviously Cavern on humans lets you deploy a lot of threats uninterrupted by Miracles. It looks like I'll try joining the Cavern camp.



-- 3 drops:
This is where a lot of the differentiation between versions of Maverick takes place (if excluding the Punishing versions).

Tireless Tracker: I think I would like to play 1-2 Tireless Trackers to have a good threat vs Miracles since it may be able to wear them out, it's a 3 for 1 card advantage or better whenever they deal with it - unless they Terminus it, in which case you should still be able to get a couple of cards out of it.

Leovold: I would also like to play a copy of Leovold since shutting down cantrips is strong, and forcing opponents into dealing with it with card disadvantage is strong, and it goes well with the plan of wearing out Miracles. Also the random t2 Leovold can damage a lot of blue decks including combo, is never irrelevant and Leovold with Mother backup is a heavy headache for most decks. So ideally I'd like to play 1-2 Trackers and 1-2 Leovolds in the maindeck. In order to play Leovold in the maindeck I think I need a copy of Tropical Island too. Which means I'll be looking at a few blue cards for the sideboard, if I find some truly strong ones that may be the deciding factor for inclusion of Leovold(s). I think Back to Basics may perhaps be just that. And perhaps Invasive Surgery for dealing with Toxic Deluges and Termini as well as random combo key cards.

Thalia, Heretic Cathar: I would like to include Thalia in the deck too, since she hoses the mana development of Miracles, Lands and Eldrazi while also shutting down the Glimpse combo from Elves. But there is not room for both Thalia HC and Tracker and Leovold. I'm starting to wonder if we really need 3-4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben in the deck. It's main function is interacting with cantrips and Storm based combo. Well, Leovold is better for interacting with cantrips and Storm... Maybe I need Thalia for Storm. Vs Eldrazi and Miracles Thalia GT is not good at all. I'm thinking of testing skipping down to 2 Thalia GT and 2 Thalia HC.

Edit: one more thing, I haven't figured out how Sanctum Prelate fits yet.. It's another powerful 3 drop.

--- Sb options:
Thoughtseize: Playing less Thoughtseizes seems right. At least for my meta. Will settle for 2.

Pithing Needles: I'm surprised that most people play only 1 copy of this card. Vs the number one issue in the meta, Miracles, it's a cost efficient answer to 4 SDT's in their deck, while also doing damage to the Mentor win condition and the Jace win condition and the Karakas/Venser bounce. Granted, since they started maindecking Engineered Explosives (at least I think they do) it lost a little bit of value. We need to be careful with the 1 drops I guess, if you have Needle then save the Deathrite in hand(?). Anyway, Pithing Needle is not only great in the grindiest matchup available, it's also great vs some fast strategies. It interacts t1 with Belcher and vs Reanimators and Tin Fins and Sneak Attack [edit: meant Sneak & Show] it's a t1 answer to them drawing 14 extra cards through Griselbrand which is perhaps what matters most in terms of winning/losing a game. Vs Lands it's t1 cost efficient interaction with their win condition, sure they tend to have 4 answers but.. Well, that one's up for discussion. Vs Tribal strategies and Death and Taxes it's a truly efficient way of dealing with their swarming enabler Aether Vial with potential card advantage while also interacting with other key cards such as Jitte (Death & Taxes), Krenko/Sharpshooter (Goblins) and Rishadan Ports (Goblins/DnT) and Mutavaults (Merfolk). It's a potential card advantage and quick interaction vs Infect/Inkmoth Nexus that doesn't risk being answered by Vines. It's a bit risky in this matchup, true, but cmc 1 interaction with their win conditions does not grow on trees, furthermore it goes well with the Abrupt Decays that don't hit Inkmoth. In short I think Pithing Needle as a 2 of in the sideboard is worth it.

Engineered Plague: I've already mentioned this but I like it better than Zealous Persecution. I think ZP shines vs Infect but in other matchups I prefer the ZP that costs one mana more and stays around. Especially vs Elves, Merfolk, Goblins and Miracles (Monks/Wizards) you want it to stay around. I think it should be good vs Eldrazi too.

Surgical Extraction: with the presumed lower amount of combo decks and lowered amount of Thoughtseizes in the sideboard [edited] (great interaction Thoughtseize + Surgical as a 1 CMC quasi Slaughter Games and Brainstorm killer), and also with the increased presence of reanimator strategies, permanent answers in the form of Leyline of the Void and Rest in Peace are getting better. I prefer the combination 1 Leyline, 1 RiP and 1 Enlightened tutor since it hedges your matchups vs Reanimator/Tin Fins while also adding relevant, tutorable answers to lands and Goyf/Deathrite decks.


---

Finally, props to Megadeus for a lenghty report, love it!

[Megadeus]

I actually only played a 2/2 split of Thalia's yesterday as you said, and I agree on the multiple needles, and also on the number of discard. At least in my meta, combo is severely lacking. In the I think 16 man event yesterday, the only combo was dark depths based, and I guess the one enchantress deck. I would like to fit in a tireless tracker again actually, New Thalia just has been nuts for me, and I'm already down to 3 knights. I guess next to go would probably be the Garruk I played main or maybe even a stone forge.

[RPD]

Thanks for the input @Seraphix, really appreciated :)

Got to play with the deck a bit today. Played poorly, games were too lopsided to be fun (not the matchups themselves, but the games in particular), dropped at the third round. Lost 1-2 against both BUG delver and grixis delver, won 2-1 against turbo depths.

Few questions
1 - Against this blue delver decks, should I blindly sideboard cards against TNN? Game three against BUG they casted it and I hadn't seen it in the other two games, so my zealous persecutions were in the sideboard. My intuition tells me that I should try to race TNN the first time that I see it and then include cards against it the following games, unless zealous persecution is good in the matchup overall (for example, killing pyromancer against grixis)

2 - I kept a triple thalia, guardian of thraben against an unknown oponent, and I was punished hard by probe > cabal therapy. My reasoning is that thalia is really good against the field overall and having so many of them allows me to bait lots of resources into her while having more as a backup, but cabal therapy decks are a problem. Would you keep that hand or I shouldn't open myself to that risk?

3 - Against grixis delver, I had three mana and a choke in my hand. The grixis player was tapped out, so choke is at its best. Nonetheless, it's vulnerable to daze. If I wait one more turn, I'll play around daze but they might cabal therapy it or just untap some mana, making it less effective. In that situation, is it best to play choke or to wait one more turn?

4 - Mother of runes as an attacker. Is there any matchup/situation where I should attack with her? Some games, she's just sitting there doing nothing, while I have no more creatures to protect and my opponent might not have any removal.

5 - Against dark depths decks, should I hold wasteland until they have the combo assembled or is it better to break them fast to keep them out of mana? Some of the times where I fired them quickly, the targeted land got crop rotated while other times the mana denial was nice (in combination with thalia). I don't really know which is the optimal line.

Sorry if some of this questions are too obvious... as I said, I'm pretty new in the format overall.

[Megadeus]

1. The problem with ZP is it's pretty weak outside of killing TNN. I think I'd rather be on the plan of having sword to walk past or mom to get past it. Or even Rogues passage in my case. ZP though is probably worth it if nothing else to save guys from Deluge if they don't do it for a bunch and Golgari Charm which they probably also bring in.
2. I don't like triple Thalia blind that much. It's not the worst, but meh. It's hard to capitalise on a Thalia tax if your hand is just more things you can't do. If you had double wasteland or something with it, maybe.
3. Tough. Really depends on board state and hands. I might just jam it if I have a knight or something. Worst case it's duress to resolve knight, best case it wins the game?
4. Again, depends on board state and life totals and such. If it's a match where she's key I would not risk it usually.
5. Again Depends. If it's early and you can catch them without rotation, go for it. Especially if you have another way to answer lage like an STP or something. If it's your only line of defense maybe hold on to it to buy you a turn or two to try to draw an answer

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[RobNC]

1. The problem with ZP is it's pretty weak outside of killing TNN. I think I'd rather be on the plan of having sword to walk past or mom to get past it. Or even Rogues passage in my case. ZP though is probably worth it if nothing else to save guys from Deluge if they don't do it for a bunch and Golgari Charm which they probably also bring in.

I find ZP amazing versus decks like Infect, too, and can also be brought in for YP tokens, Nimble Mongoose without Threshold, Elves, or some D&T lists that rely more on the traditional creatures that were mostly X/1 and less on the new toys they've gotten this year that are often X/2. Pretty sure there's a "Best of SCG Live" video where ZP allows a board of Moms to defeat a board of Nimble Mongoose (Mongeese?).

[jwl3gg]

I'm so close to building Maverick! I'm currently playing a combo deck, but much prefer fairer decks.

[Megadeus]

Between 3 FNMs and 2 larger events in the past few weeks I'm something like 16-3 with two of those losses containing probably match losing misplays. Deck is great right now. Anybody ever play Natural Order? Debating playing it out of the board or something just for fun. I can't imagine how Shardless ever beats a Worldspine Wurm

[pettdan]

Good to hear, Megadeus!

I decided to test some of the ideas I posted above going 2-2 in the weekly local legacy event (~40 players, good turnout again). I never got a turn two Thalia HC or Leovold and when I played them they didn't matter too much, don't think the alternative cards would have been much better. At least Tracker got to draw a lot of cards when played. Titania might have been able to win a game vs Standstill but he had the FoW. Leovold did cause some problems due to my fetching BUG duals over basics and the UR delver player resolving a Blood Moon, I could have played more conservatively but was eager to play the Leovold.

R1: Goblins 2-0
I draw plenty of removal, destroy Vials and keep him low on mana with active Knight.

R2: UR Delver 1-2
I get slow hands (Double Decay otd vs triple Monastery Swiftspear) and lose one game by not fetching basics (which he punishes with a Blood Moon and he has double Smash to Smithereens for my two equipment). Jitte wins one game.

R3: BR Reanimator 2-1
All games are a bit drawn out, he doesn't open with Chancellor of the Annex and doesn't have any t1 reanimation. In game 1 Thalia GT is game winning, in game 2 I swords an early Elesh Norn and then play RiP which he destroys with Reverent Silence and then after a round or two he gets Griselbrand which wins the race over my pair of Thalias. In game 3 I open with Leyline of the Void which gives me enough time to get Ooze etc in place.

R4: BUG Standstill 1-2
I expected the double Leovold to be MvP in this matchup but I don't think I saw them at all. In the game I won a Tireless Tracker drew me back like 4-5 cards but he was very unlucky and lost with about 5 lands in hand. One game lost involved a t2 Standstill and I didn't get enough lands to power out my cards in an efficient manner. G3 I draw zero removal and die to a goyf, I t1 Thoughtseized a Standstill over a Goyf which may have been a mistake.

[QuranJames]

Hey All,

What's the general gameplan against combo, let's say ANT specifically? How aggressively should I mulligan? The key cards in the matchup appear to be Thoughtseize, Gaddock Teeg, Ethersworn Canonist, Thalia GoT, and Wasteland. I always mulligan to at least one piece of disruption, but I often feel that I absolutely need to have Thoughtseize turn one. How do you all approach the matchup, what are you looking for in an opening hand, and what factors lead you to mulligan? Thanks!

[Megadeus]

Thalia without a wasteland can be pretty mediocre at times. Two pieces are nice because there's a non zero chance that they get a therapy and probe to take one. Could always go up to 4 discard if you feel like combo will be prevalent. I think I currently bring in 1 Surgical, 2 duress, 2 zealous persecution, and maybe Faerie Macabre or Choke. I can probably bring in both right now because my main board is pretty geared to beat fair deck so I have enough to cut. ZP automatically replaces STP because it beats goblins, bobs, pyromancer. Choke plus Thalia is probably GG. I could also see considering a second Teeg.

[ET1]

Hey All,

What's the general gameplan against combo, let's say ANT specifically? How aggressively should I mulligan? The key cards in the matchup appear to be Thoughtseize, Gaddock Teeg, Ethersworn Canonist, Thalia GoT, and Wasteland. I always mulligan to at least one piece of disruption, but I often feel that I absolutely need to have Thoughtseize turn one. How do you all approach the matchup, what are you looking for in an opening hand, and what factors lead you to mulligan? Thanks!

I generally try to mulligan to get one piece of hate, however I generally need a pretty good hand if wasteland is the only disruption piece in my hand. Otherwise I don't think you can mulligan too aggressively trying to beat the turn 1, turn 2 storm combos. Those ones you generally lose anyways.

[artificertxj]

Finally, I activate my account and can post threads now.
Here is a short match report of my 3-0 in the LGS. I play a GW/B maverick. It was Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Only 6 of us show up, and we did only 3 rounds. I played a standard list without dark depths and stage.
I have 3 flexible slots and fill the slots with 1 Leovold+2 new Thalia. To play Leovold, I add 1 tropical island and take out 1 forest.

vs DnT 2-1
game 1:
He played 2 waste lands and used port to lock me out. With a revoker named DRS, I stopped playing magic. I only had a Thalia2.0 in the field. GG.
game 2:
-2 old Thalia -2 new Thalia -1 teeg +2 zealous persecution +2 decay +1 quasali
He side board in 2 canonists and enlightening tutor!!? And he tutored a 2nd canonist !? I had a 3rd turn Sword of F&I and equipped it to a hierarchy. He had a mom to block hierarchy. Finally, a ZP broke the balance and won me the game.
game 3:
Leovold is the MVP in this game. He drew me 4 or 5 cards. Wastelands, port and StP all trigger his ability. With answers to all his threats, the game ended quickly.

vs Grixis Delver 2-1
His deck looks like a Grixis control version with no YP and no therapy.
game 1:
I got a turn 2 THC. In his turn, she got a Lightning Bolt on her head. He jammed a Bob and drew tons of cards. GG.
game 2:
-2 THC -1 Teeg +2 decay + 1 quasali
A turn 2 small Thalia with hierarchy really gave him troubles. A needle named mom. But, It didn't matter at this point. A Thalia pumped by two hierarchy hit hard. Later, a 8/8 Knight ended the game.
game 3:
I won on the back of two wastelands.

vs UR delver 2-0
game 1:
I used one waste land. He only had 2 waste lands in the next 4 turns. GG.
game 2:
He ran out of gas quickly and lost to a small Thalia with a Sword of F&I.

So, what you guys think about flexible slots? I don't really like new Thalia. Should I add a 2nd Leovold and Garruk?

[pettdan]

So, what you guys think about flexible slots? I don't really like new Thalia. Should I add a 2nd Leovold and Garruk?

I think Thalia HC is not at her best vs cost efficient red decks, they -perhaps- aren't hurt too much by the slower mana development (compared to other decks) but primarily they can get rid of her very easily and with tempo advantage by bolting her. But apparently you won vs both Grixis and UR Delver so you can perhaps afford a few weak slots that are better in other matchups. I suggest you keep her around for a bit more testing, at least I intend to.

[artificertxj]

I think Thalia HC is not at her best vs cost efficient red decks, they -perhaps- aren't hurt too much by the slower mana development (compared to other decks) but primarily they can get rid of her very easily and with tempo advantage by bolting her. But apparently you won vs both Grixis and UR Delver so you can perhaps afford a few weak slots that are better in other matchups. I suggest you keep her around for a bit more testing, at least I intend to.

Probably, you are right. I should try THC in more games. Actually, I play Maverick with 2-3 THC few times. She really helps with elves if I can get her out at turn 2. IMO, Leovold can help with more bad match-ups like storm, elves and miracles. He also can be fetched by zenith. The downside is a 4c mana base.

[jwl3gg]

Finally have Maverick built here's my list, any thoughts or critiques welcome.

Lands 23
4 Windswept Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
2 Forest
1 Plains
2 Savannah
2 Scrubland
1 Bayou
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Karakas
4 Wasteland
1 Dark Depths
1 Thespian's Stage

Creatures
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Mother of Runes
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
3 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Instants/Sorceries
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Abrupt Decay

Artifacts / Enchantment/ Planeswalker
1 Umizawa's Jitte
1 Sylvan Library
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Garruk Relentless

[warai]

9 Maverick decks made day 2 in GP Chiba, 0 decks in top 64 sadly. Many D&T though. Could maverick include 2 Recruiter of the guard? What is missing from the deck to be on the top tables?

[Megadeus]

Brainstorm. I kid. Recruiter doesn't help this deck imo. You already have green Sun as a tutor. The deck really just needs miracles to scale back a bit. Mentor can be a real issue. Miracles is just unfavorable and when you know it's close to probably 20% of the field you need a plan. I'm probably bringing in half of my side board at this point for miracles