Cait_Sith
12-12-2006, 02:03 PM
I love lockdown way too much, so here is my take on Relic Orb:
10 Island
1 Academy Ruins
3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
4 Rishadan Port
3 Ancient Tomb
2 Blinkmoth Well
2 Rainbow Efreet
1 Chronatog
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
3 Tangle Wire
4 Propaganda
4 Static Orb
3 Echoing Truth
2 Sphere of Resistance
4 Howling Mine
2 Counterspell
4 Relic Barrier
Side Board:
2 Sphere of Resistance
1 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Hydroblast
3 Cursed Totem
2 Arcane Laboratory
4 Chalice of the Void
Some choices: There are the cards I feel will be the most questioned.
Academy Ruins: This deck is so artifact heavy that this seemed like an auto include.
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale: This big problem with lockdown decks is that aggro will rip them apart time and time again. With this I am able to slow down their ability to play creatures. Combined with Propaganda this can turn aggro decks almost off.
Chronatog: This + Tangle Wire(s) totalling 3 or greater and Static Orb = lockdown except vs 2 cost instants and 1 cost not instant. It may not seems like much but I have been decked while playing this before I added Chronatog.
Daze: If I have no way of tapping the Static Orb Daze offers me both a pitch counter is a very tight mana race and a land drop next turn.
Static Orb: Some people would say Winter Orb is better, but Static Orb can also mess with aggressive deck, decks that use creatures for mana acceleration, decks that use artifacts for mana acceleration (who does though, really? Chrome mox? Mox Diamond? They are for newbs.)
Relic Barrier: People will probably vote for Icy Manipulator, which would be nice I admit, but this costs 50% as much and does not require me keeping a land open so I can tap Howling Mine or Static Orb is I need to.
Sphere of Resistance: I am honestly not sure if I want to keep this anymore...
Sideboard:
Cursed Totem: This is a good way to slow some Thresh and Madness variants down until I can lock them up somehow.
Matchups:
Solidarity/Burn: I am putting these together because their game 1 plan is about identical. You need to get the Chronatog lockdown listed above and hope they don't mess with him. Burn is slightly harder since being stuck at a pattern of 1-2 land doesn't hurt them quite as much. Either way these are hard matchups. Their sideboarding goes very diffretnly for these:
Solidarity: -4 Propaganda and -3 The Tabernacle and Pendrell Vale +2 Arcane Lab, +3 Chalice of the Void, +2 Sphere of Resistance
Burn: -4 Propaganda, -1 Sphere of Resistance, -2 Counterspell, -1 Chronatog +4 Chalice of the Void, +3 Hydroblast, +1 Blue Elemental Blast
Goblins: This is actually a very good matchup overall. It would be a bye, except for Siege-Gang Commander. This dude can win the game all by himself (and has a number of times). Game 1 you just need to mess up their mana base enough that Propaganda prevents them from making a real attack. Swoop down from above with Efreet for the win.
Sideboarding: -2 Sphere of Resistance, -2 Counterspell, +3 Hydroblast, +1 Blue Elemental Blast
Thresh: Ouch... This is probably the worst aggro matchup for this deck. The fact they use a smaller number of creature that become massive means that it is alot harder to lock down their mana base enough that they cannot attack. Propaganda is the MVP here. Typically you need 2 of them to be able to accomplish anything. Beware the mongeese, you cannot bounce them en masse!
Sideboarding: -2 Sphere of Resistance, -2 Counterspell, -1 Chronatog, -1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, -1 Howling Mine, +4 Chalice of the Void, +3 Cursed Totem
I have not been able to test against other decks, but I would relish the opportunity.
10 Island
1 Academy Ruins
3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
4 Rishadan Port
3 Ancient Tomb
2 Blinkmoth Well
2 Rainbow Efreet
1 Chronatog
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
3 Tangle Wire
4 Propaganda
4 Static Orb
3 Echoing Truth
2 Sphere of Resistance
4 Howling Mine
2 Counterspell
4 Relic Barrier
Side Board:
2 Sphere of Resistance
1 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Hydroblast
3 Cursed Totem
2 Arcane Laboratory
4 Chalice of the Void
Some choices: There are the cards I feel will be the most questioned.
Academy Ruins: This deck is so artifact heavy that this seemed like an auto include.
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale: This big problem with lockdown decks is that aggro will rip them apart time and time again. With this I am able to slow down their ability to play creatures. Combined with Propaganda this can turn aggro decks almost off.
Chronatog: This + Tangle Wire(s) totalling 3 or greater and Static Orb = lockdown except vs 2 cost instants and 1 cost not instant. It may not seems like much but I have been decked while playing this before I added Chronatog.
Daze: If I have no way of tapping the Static Orb Daze offers me both a pitch counter is a very tight mana race and a land drop next turn.
Static Orb: Some people would say Winter Orb is better, but Static Orb can also mess with aggressive deck, decks that use creatures for mana acceleration, decks that use artifacts for mana acceleration (who does though, really? Chrome mox? Mox Diamond? They are for newbs.)
Relic Barrier: People will probably vote for Icy Manipulator, which would be nice I admit, but this costs 50% as much and does not require me keeping a land open so I can tap Howling Mine or Static Orb is I need to.
Sphere of Resistance: I am honestly not sure if I want to keep this anymore...
Sideboard:
Cursed Totem: This is a good way to slow some Thresh and Madness variants down until I can lock them up somehow.
Matchups:
Solidarity/Burn: I am putting these together because their game 1 plan is about identical. You need to get the Chronatog lockdown listed above and hope they don't mess with him. Burn is slightly harder since being stuck at a pattern of 1-2 land doesn't hurt them quite as much. Either way these are hard matchups. Their sideboarding goes very diffretnly for these:
Solidarity: -4 Propaganda and -3 The Tabernacle and Pendrell Vale +2 Arcane Lab, +3 Chalice of the Void, +2 Sphere of Resistance
Burn: -4 Propaganda, -1 Sphere of Resistance, -2 Counterspell, -1 Chronatog +4 Chalice of the Void, +3 Hydroblast, +1 Blue Elemental Blast
Goblins: This is actually a very good matchup overall. It would be a bye, except for Siege-Gang Commander. This dude can win the game all by himself (and has a number of times). Game 1 you just need to mess up their mana base enough that Propaganda prevents them from making a real attack. Swoop down from above with Efreet for the win.
Sideboarding: -2 Sphere of Resistance, -2 Counterspell, +3 Hydroblast, +1 Blue Elemental Blast
Thresh: Ouch... This is probably the worst aggro matchup for this deck. The fact they use a smaller number of creature that become massive means that it is alot harder to lock down their mana base enough that they cannot attack. Propaganda is the MVP here. Typically you need 2 of them to be able to accomplish anything. Beware the mongeese, you cannot bounce them en masse!
Sideboarding: -2 Sphere of Resistance, -2 Counterspell, -1 Chronatog, -1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, -1 Howling Mine, +4 Chalice of the Void, +3 Cursed Totem
I have not been able to test against other decks, but I would relish the opportunity.