Elmi
12-30-2007, 06:00 AM
Hi Everyone!
Introduction
Last year, I developped a deck designed to combat Threshold and Pikula-like decks (when Leylines weren't played and the only grave hate was Crypt), which were really present in my metagame. It was a Gwu Loam deck, with mainly Grunts against Thresh, FoWs against combo, and I had to add Confinement (which wasn't the main idea but was necessary to win against goblins). You may see the list here (http://www.magictrade.org/index.php?mod=decview7500&categorie=Comp%E9tition&typeselected=Type%201.5#mtpowaaa) (simply put your mouse on french names to see english scans). I made Top16 at last Belgian Legacy Champs with it, but with the release of Extirpate, and the growing presence of Uwb fish (which was surprisingly a bad matchup), I stopped playing it. Now, with Threshold more present than ever, I started thinking about a new list. You might see very few simularities with the old list. That's true. The main thing that remained is blue, which I think is underplayed in Loam decks.
I guess many of you haven't tested Brainstorm with Loam. Guys, we have a Trall in Legacy! A classic situation: you play Loam, get 2 Lands and 1 Cycler, then you play Brainstorm, you draw 3 cards, put those lands on top, then Cycle your land to dredge loam and get rid of those lands. Ok, the trick costs a bit more than a Trall to be honnest, but the card advantage and card quality it provides are amazing.
Current list
// Lands
3 Tropical Island
3 Wasteland
3 Lonely Sandbar
4 Polluted Delta
1 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Bayou
1 Swamp
2 Tranquil Thicket
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Forest
2 Windswept Heath
1 Flooded Strand
1 Wooded Foothills
// Creatures
2 Terravore
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Dark Confidant
// Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Life from the Loam
4 Mox Diamond
3 Counterbalance
4 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Thoughtseize
3 Pernicious Deed
// Sideboard
SB: 1 Pernicious Deed
SB: 4 Engineered Plague
SB: 4 Extirpate
SB: 4 Stifle
SB: 2 Engineered Explosives
As you can see, you must all know every card played in this deck, but some might seem strange in a Loam deck. Actually it looks like a janky mix between Threshold and Loam.
Rather than describing card choices, as everyone knows them, I'll explain some (good and worse) interactions.
Some interesting interactions
BS + Loam: already explained
SDT + Loam: you select what you want to draw, and you dredge cards you don't want to see, and you won't see them again.
SDT + Counterbalance: obvious
Counterbalance + Loam in graveyard: helps you often having a free "scry 1" before getting SDT. You see your next draw and are able to dredge it if you don't want it.
SDT + Confidant: obvious
Stronghold + Counterbalance: you might have 2 CC and 3 CC creatures in your yard. You want to get them back, but why not counter a spell in addition thanks to them?
Goyf is often 6/7 thanks to dredge and all "old" types of cards that are in the deck.
Mox is really usefull not only as an accelerator, but also against anti non basic lands strategy (which becomes played a lot). The deck also plays one of each basics, each one being useful in some situations (I might cut the Swamp though).
Some weaknesses
Mox, Creatures, Counterbalance + Deed: You might think there is a bad synergy between those. Actually, Deed helps a lot as the only piece of removal the deck has. When the opponent has the advantage on table, you won't mind losing some permanents to get rid of all of their threats. The deck has an amazing card advantage. Deed is necessary in so many situations, you'll never regret it.
Counterbalance with 29 0 CC cards!? Ok, let's compare with Thresh: it plays about 25 1CC cards, and about 15 2CC cards. LoamBalance plays only 12 1CC spells, but 14 2CC spells (usually more after side) and 5 3CC spells. Think about it, are there that many 1 CC spells you have to counter? When you have an active SDT, you are sure to counter crucial ones like StP, or when they have an empty hand, by putting SDT on Top of your library. You may actually bluff your opponent too when you don't have SDT by cycling a land when they know the card on top. And with an active SDT and the ability to dredge everything you don't like, tons of fetchlands and Brainstorms, you're sure to have what you'll need on top of your library quite often.
Cards not played
No FoW?!? Ok, though one. I'd rather play discard and Counterbalance than having to play suboptimal blue cards to be able to play FoW. Look, I only play 7 blue cards maindeck. I thought about playing it in sideboard, but even there you'll need to have more blue cards to bring to make it usefull. Finally a deck with blue and no FoW? Well, at least it's something almost new for the contest :tongue:
Wild Mongrel and other creatures: I currently feel there is no slot for this amazing creature (with loam, of course). The deck plays few creatures, because of deed. Confidant is necessary because you'll need card advantage when you don't have Loam, and the curve is really low. Terravore is the big finisher, you'll find him eventually. You'll never have that many useless lands in hand thanks to Brainstorm and card quality SDT offers.
Sideboard
The fourth Deed is obvious, you'll need them against all kinds of aggro decks, as well as prison decks.
Stifle: I'm currently looking for cards to help Goblins and strorm ombo matchups. Stifle helps against storm combo. What I need against Goblins is a way to stop their card advantage. Stifle and Thoughtseize help to achieve this goal.
Hydroblast: It also helps against red aggro decks, TES, Belcher and Dragon Stompy (which is played a lot currently). I've replaced them with Plague, which works a lot better against goblins (especially when you're able to play it faster thanks to Mox Diamond).
Leyline of the Void: It helps against Ichorid, Cephalid Breakfast and might help against IGG (they won't win with goblins because you play Deed). I've replaced them with Extirpate. LotV may be bounced with Chain of Vapor, and come back too late. Now that I play Plague, Extirpate is a nice addition to deal with Bridges when there is a Plague on Horror. Extirpate is also better against Threshold with a weak manabase (Waste Trop then Extirpate them or deal with a Goyf and Extirpate them which also works against Cephalid Brekfast) and might be good against storm combo (and Loam mirrors).
Needle on Deed might be problematic too. Against Thresh it's not really a problem except when paired with an active Countertop, but against decks like Faerie Stompy, Needle on Deed then Chalice for 2 might be annoying. So I added 2 Engineered Explosives.
Some testings
One of the greatest advantages with the deck is that you're able to bluff being a black splashed Threshold deck (Blue lands, Countertop, Goyfs, Brainstorm, ...).
Threshold is really an easy matchup, as everything you play is a threat for them. Their only hope is trying to be a beatdown deck, while being able to deal with Goyfs and Deeds, before you get an active loam or counterbalance engine.
White Stax is also easy. They'll often think they play against Threshold, and won't expect deed. Even if they know your deck, it's still an easy matchup thanks to deed, amazing card advantage and strong beaters/finishers. Crucible + Waste isn't a problem for LoamBalance too.
Goblins is rather hard. The deck has very few maindeck solutions against turn 1 lackey. Even with deed, their card advantage will often be deadly. Lots of people think that with Goyf, Goblins becomes an easy matchup for them, and as before overstate their win %. I've not made serious testings with the new sideboard yet, but now it might help enough thanks to Stifle and Hydroblast.
Chalice based Aggro are favorable. They hate deed and when you've dealt with some threats, they have almost no CA to recover. Dragon Stompy is really good (Blood Moons don't hurt much thanks to Moxen, basics and Hydroblasts), as is Green Stompy (saw it some times on MWS). Faerie Stompy might be harder, if they have an early equiped beater and I can't resolve a Deed.
I've played against tons of other aggro decks (RG Goyf, 9 lands Stompy, WW, ...), and lost about 2 on 10 matches. Counterbalance and Deed really shine there.
Landstill is rather good too. At least, without Extirpate (I haven't tested yet against black splashed, it's obviously worse, but don't know if it becomes unfavorable). With Loam, you'll have a better card advantage. They don't like recursive wastelands, theirs don't hurt you. Stronghold helps you recurring threats to seal the game.
Against Loam decks, you have an advantage: Counterbalance. I've won surprisingly a game against 43lands thanks to it. You prevent them from playing Loam, you get some Moxen for mana, you waste Mazes and other annoying lands they can't recurr anymore, and you kill them with a 30/30 Terravore.
I haven't tested a lot against combo. I've won surprisingly 2 random MWS matches against Belcher and TES, thanks to Thoughtseize, Hydroblast, Countertop, and mainly bluffing playing FoW :laugh: But when they know what you're playing, I think the matchup becomes difficult.
Overall, it's a really difficult deck to play, with really strong cards and some broken plays. I'd like to test a bit more now, but I'll be soon in exams, so I'll not test much before end of January.
Thanks for reading, and forgive my English mistakes :wink:
Introduction
Last year, I developped a deck designed to combat Threshold and Pikula-like decks (when Leylines weren't played and the only grave hate was Crypt), which were really present in my metagame. It was a Gwu Loam deck, with mainly Grunts against Thresh, FoWs against combo, and I had to add Confinement (which wasn't the main idea but was necessary to win against goblins). You may see the list here (http://www.magictrade.org/index.php?mod=decview7500&categorie=Comp%E9tition&typeselected=Type%201.5#mtpowaaa) (simply put your mouse on french names to see english scans). I made Top16 at last Belgian Legacy Champs with it, but with the release of Extirpate, and the growing presence of Uwb fish (which was surprisingly a bad matchup), I stopped playing it. Now, with Threshold more present than ever, I started thinking about a new list. You might see very few simularities with the old list. That's true. The main thing that remained is blue, which I think is underplayed in Loam decks.
I guess many of you haven't tested Brainstorm with Loam. Guys, we have a Trall in Legacy! A classic situation: you play Loam, get 2 Lands and 1 Cycler, then you play Brainstorm, you draw 3 cards, put those lands on top, then Cycle your land to dredge loam and get rid of those lands. Ok, the trick costs a bit more than a Trall to be honnest, but the card advantage and card quality it provides are amazing.
Current list
// Lands
3 Tropical Island
3 Wasteland
3 Lonely Sandbar
4 Polluted Delta
1 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Bayou
1 Swamp
2 Tranquil Thicket
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Forest
2 Windswept Heath
1 Flooded Strand
1 Wooded Foothills
// Creatures
2 Terravore
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Dark Confidant
// Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Life from the Loam
4 Mox Diamond
3 Counterbalance
4 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Thoughtseize
3 Pernicious Deed
// Sideboard
SB: 1 Pernicious Deed
SB: 4 Engineered Plague
SB: 4 Extirpate
SB: 4 Stifle
SB: 2 Engineered Explosives
As you can see, you must all know every card played in this deck, but some might seem strange in a Loam deck. Actually it looks like a janky mix between Threshold and Loam.
Rather than describing card choices, as everyone knows them, I'll explain some (good and worse) interactions.
Some interesting interactions
BS + Loam: already explained
SDT + Loam: you select what you want to draw, and you dredge cards you don't want to see, and you won't see them again.
SDT + Counterbalance: obvious
Counterbalance + Loam in graveyard: helps you often having a free "scry 1" before getting SDT. You see your next draw and are able to dredge it if you don't want it.
SDT + Confidant: obvious
Stronghold + Counterbalance: you might have 2 CC and 3 CC creatures in your yard. You want to get them back, but why not counter a spell in addition thanks to them?
Goyf is often 6/7 thanks to dredge and all "old" types of cards that are in the deck.
Mox is really usefull not only as an accelerator, but also against anti non basic lands strategy (which becomes played a lot). The deck also plays one of each basics, each one being useful in some situations (I might cut the Swamp though).
Some weaknesses
Mox, Creatures, Counterbalance + Deed: You might think there is a bad synergy between those. Actually, Deed helps a lot as the only piece of removal the deck has. When the opponent has the advantage on table, you won't mind losing some permanents to get rid of all of their threats. The deck has an amazing card advantage. Deed is necessary in so many situations, you'll never regret it.
Counterbalance with 29 0 CC cards!? Ok, let's compare with Thresh: it plays about 25 1CC cards, and about 15 2CC cards. LoamBalance plays only 12 1CC spells, but 14 2CC spells (usually more after side) and 5 3CC spells. Think about it, are there that many 1 CC spells you have to counter? When you have an active SDT, you are sure to counter crucial ones like StP, or when they have an empty hand, by putting SDT on Top of your library. You may actually bluff your opponent too when you don't have SDT by cycling a land when they know the card on top. And with an active SDT and the ability to dredge everything you don't like, tons of fetchlands and Brainstorms, you're sure to have what you'll need on top of your library quite often.
Cards not played
No FoW?!? Ok, though one. I'd rather play discard and Counterbalance than having to play suboptimal blue cards to be able to play FoW. Look, I only play 7 blue cards maindeck. I thought about playing it in sideboard, but even there you'll need to have more blue cards to bring to make it usefull. Finally a deck with blue and no FoW? Well, at least it's something almost new for the contest :tongue:
Wild Mongrel and other creatures: I currently feel there is no slot for this amazing creature (with loam, of course). The deck plays few creatures, because of deed. Confidant is necessary because you'll need card advantage when you don't have Loam, and the curve is really low. Terravore is the big finisher, you'll find him eventually. You'll never have that many useless lands in hand thanks to Brainstorm and card quality SDT offers.
Sideboard
The fourth Deed is obvious, you'll need them against all kinds of aggro decks, as well as prison decks.
Stifle: I'm currently looking for cards to help Goblins and strorm ombo matchups. Stifle helps against storm combo. What I need against Goblins is a way to stop their card advantage. Stifle and Thoughtseize help to achieve this goal.
Hydroblast: It also helps against red aggro decks, TES, Belcher and Dragon Stompy (which is played a lot currently). I've replaced them with Plague, which works a lot better against goblins (especially when you're able to play it faster thanks to Mox Diamond).
Leyline of the Void: It helps against Ichorid, Cephalid Breakfast and might help against IGG (they won't win with goblins because you play Deed). I've replaced them with Extirpate. LotV may be bounced with Chain of Vapor, and come back too late. Now that I play Plague, Extirpate is a nice addition to deal with Bridges when there is a Plague on Horror. Extirpate is also better against Threshold with a weak manabase (Waste Trop then Extirpate them or deal with a Goyf and Extirpate them which also works against Cephalid Brekfast) and might be good against storm combo (and Loam mirrors).
Needle on Deed might be problematic too. Against Thresh it's not really a problem except when paired with an active Countertop, but against decks like Faerie Stompy, Needle on Deed then Chalice for 2 might be annoying. So I added 2 Engineered Explosives.
Some testings
One of the greatest advantages with the deck is that you're able to bluff being a black splashed Threshold deck (Blue lands, Countertop, Goyfs, Brainstorm, ...).
Threshold is really an easy matchup, as everything you play is a threat for them. Their only hope is trying to be a beatdown deck, while being able to deal with Goyfs and Deeds, before you get an active loam or counterbalance engine.
White Stax is also easy. They'll often think they play against Threshold, and won't expect deed. Even if they know your deck, it's still an easy matchup thanks to deed, amazing card advantage and strong beaters/finishers. Crucible + Waste isn't a problem for LoamBalance too.
Goblins is rather hard. The deck has very few maindeck solutions against turn 1 lackey. Even with deed, their card advantage will often be deadly. Lots of people think that with Goyf, Goblins becomes an easy matchup for them, and as before overstate their win %. I've not made serious testings with the new sideboard yet, but now it might help enough thanks to Stifle and Hydroblast.
Chalice based Aggro are favorable. They hate deed and when you've dealt with some threats, they have almost no CA to recover. Dragon Stompy is really good (Blood Moons don't hurt much thanks to Moxen, basics and Hydroblasts), as is Green Stompy (saw it some times on MWS). Faerie Stompy might be harder, if they have an early equiped beater and I can't resolve a Deed.
I've played against tons of other aggro decks (RG Goyf, 9 lands Stompy, WW, ...), and lost about 2 on 10 matches. Counterbalance and Deed really shine there.
Landstill is rather good too. At least, without Extirpate (I haven't tested yet against black splashed, it's obviously worse, but don't know if it becomes unfavorable). With Loam, you'll have a better card advantage. They don't like recursive wastelands, theirs don't hurt you. Stronghold helps you recurring threats to seal the game.
Against Loam decks, you have an advantage: Counterbalance. I've won surprisingly a game against 43lands thanks to it. You prevent them from playing Loam, you get some Moxen for mana, you waste Mazes and other annoying lands they can't recurr anymore, and you kill them with a 30/30 Terravore.
I haven't tested a lot against combo. I've won surprisingly 2 random MWS matches against Belcher and TES, thanks to Thoughtseize, Hydroblast, Countertop, and mainly bluffing playing FoW :laugh: But when they know what you're playing, I think the matchup becomes difficult.
Overall, it's a really difficult deck to play, with really strong cards and some broken plays. I'd like to test a bit more now, but I'll be soon in exams, so I'll not test much before end of January.
Thanks for reading, and forgive my English mistakes :wink: