[Deck] Balance of the Grim Angel (WUR)

[Barook]

Edit: Meh, due to various circumstances, I'm not going to find the time to do enough testing. So don't bother to rate this deck and save your time @ judges

There is already a thread for a WUR deck, so I decided to post the list now before it is developed further and looking to similiar to my deck.

So, what it is the deck about? It's basically a port from Trinket Angel, but with a twist: It runs alot of direct damage for creature control and reach, but without running a single burn spell which are supoptimal against Goyf and card disadvantage when burning out players (especially with StP in the deck).
How is this achieved? The deck runs Grim Lavamancer, Goblin Legionnaire, SoFI and (tutorable) Cursed Scrolls. Throw in a Trinket Mage tool box, Counterbalance and other good stuff the colors have to offer and you have a deck. Here's the list, although it's far from being the finale one - besides, it can be easily adapted to your meta needs (e.g. running more Grunts and MD Crypt in graveyard-heavy metas or MD Silver Knights against red decks).

Balance of the Grim Angel

Lands: 20
3 [A] Tundra
4 [ON] Polluted Delta
4 [ON] Flooded Strand
4 [ON] Windswept Heath
2 [Be] Volcanic Island
1 Plateau
1 [10E] Plains
1 [IN] Island

Creatures: 19
4 [TO] Grim Lavamancer
4 [PS] Meddling Mage
2 [CS] Jotun Grunt
3 [FD] Trinket Mage
2 [TSP] Serra Avenger
4 [AP] Goblin Legionnaire

Spells: 21
2 [TE] Cursed Scroll
1 [FD] Engineered Explosives
1 [10E] Pithing Needle
2 [CHK] Sensei's Divining Top
3 [CS] Counterbalance
4 [MM] Brainstorm
4 [Be] Swords to Plowshares
2 [LRW] Ponder
2 [DS] Sword of Fire and Ice

Sideboard
1 [FD] Engineered Explosives
1 [10E] Pithing Needle
3 [TSB] Tormod's Crypt
4 [SC] Silver Knight
3 [SC] Stifle
3 [AP] Orim's Thunder

[B]Card explanations:

- The manabase: The deck runs the maximum amount of fetchlands, but not a full set of duals. Why? One reason is that you do need the flexibility in the manabase. I tried less fetches and more duals and the result sucked because I was too often color-screwed. Other reasons are the awesome synergy with Top and Brainstorm and filling the graveyard for your Lavamancers and Grunts. With 8 Fetches in the corresponding color, it's also easier to get the basic land you need in matches were it really matters.
20 Land seems to be alot with the low curve and card filtering, but the deck has many options to sink mana in.
(Why do I get the impression that somebody will suggest splasing Green for Goyf due to the amount of fetches? :confused: )

- Grim Lavamancer: One of the most important cards in the deck. He keeps weenies under control and provides reach, especially when combined with the other burn options of the deck. He also has the bonus of removing Goyf fodder.

- Meddling Mage: Hate - plain and simple. He should be used to block the cards you really don't want to from your opponents.

- Jotun Grunt: A nice beatstick which is also used as GY hate. However, due to the anti-synergy with the Lavamancers, his numbers should be kept low unless you're facing alot of graveyard-based decks.

- Trinket Mage: Used for the artifact tool box, especially fetching SDT with Counterbalance in play or Cursed Scroll for additional burn.

- Serra Avenger: A nice, cheap beatstick and ideal equipment carrier. Flying wins you the game. It could be Lightning Angel as well, but I don't like its casting cost - it's much more likely to have :w::w: available on turn 4 than :1::r::w::u:, especially when playing against non-basic hate. Plus, it allows you to do other stuff with the rest of your mana which is kinda neat, considering the options the deck has.

- Goblin Legionnaire: Burn in Bear form. The ideal card to support the direct damage plan.

- Cursed Scroll: You normally run out of cards sooner or later and that's the point were Scroll kicks in. Being tutorable with Trinket Mage is a huge bonus. It helps to control weenie swarms and is a serious threat against control players due to not being a creature. Helps to get rid of Pro Red creatures, too.

- Engineered Explosives: Deals with all kinds of crap. It also benefits from the tri-colored mana base which gives you a 0-3cc range to deal with.

- Pithing Needle: Same as Meddling Mage

- Sensei's Divining Top: Provides card selection (especially with Fetches) and is the combo piece to make Counterbalance nuts

- Counterbalance: The control engine of the deck - which contains alot 1-2cc cards and library manipulation, so it's ideal to be combined with Counterbalance. But we know that already from Threshold. :tongue:

- Brainstorm & Ponder: Card selection, combo with Counterbalance, fill the graveyard

- Swords to Plowshares: StP - when burn simply doesn't cut it. Quo vadis, Goyf?

- Sword of Fire and Ice: Chosen over Jitte for 2 reasons:
a) Most of your dudes are wimps and SoFI is more useful in this case compared to Jitte
b) The deck gets more 3cc cards to work with Counterbalance

Sideboard:
Obvious stuff - also depends on the meta. Orim's Thunder was chosen over other options because it has a 3cc casting cost to avoid CotV and Counterbalance, it's instant speed and has the nice bonus option of killing off a weenie.

Cards that deserve testing/not included so far:
- Force of Will: The MD is really tight and I have no idea how to squeeze it in, although i really want to do it. But the current blue count is way too critical to really support FoW. Maybe as a SB option?

- Aether Vial: Again, space issues. Considering the constant mana use of the deck, it shouldn't be bad here.

- Voidmage Prodigy: The deck runs alot Wizards - Lavamancer, Pikula, Trinket Mage. Could be worth it, although only with Aether Vial.

among other stuff...

The Match-ups:

Coming soon after further testing...

[Maveric78f]

I am really disappointed. I wanted you to post your baublestalker concept. It looked far more promising and original.

[Zach Tartell]

I'm gonna say, right now, that, as a judge, I feel that this is dangerously close to this (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8102) guy. I realize that you're probably off like ~10 cards, but the concept is essentially the same, save for your Trinket Magi and the CB/Top in place of the unnecessary burn.


That said, I have no idea why you aren't running a single Chalice of the Void main or sided, even just to deal with combo. I wouldn't ever set it at 1 or 2, on account of you'd have a pretty arduous time winning, but, speaking from experience with a similar concept (Fish-y sort of thing with :b: instead of :r:), it's definetly worth the one slot in your board. I'd rather see 4 Forces + 1 Random card (maybe whet stone or whatever - y'know, the one that costs :1: and taps to mill two cards off of a library, and, should they share a color, rinses and repeats) to improve your conrtol match.

Also, I could see you having trouble filling your 'yard for your lavamancer to work consistantly. And maybe a basic mountain. So you could not get waste-locked out of red.

[Aggro_zombies]

I actually built this deck (well, something similar to it, anyway) shortly after Counterbalance was printed. It's worse than red Thresh with CounterTop in almost every way.

Just sayin.

[Barook]

I am really disappointed. I wanted you to post your baublestalker concept. It looked far more promising and original.
It was my original plan to make Baublestalker my submission (after all, it is far more original), but after extended testing, I came to the conclusion that it's not worth it. It simply lacked the resilience because it can be attacked from too many angles and left me unsatisfied.


I'm gonna say, right now, that, as a judge, I feel that this is dangerously close to this (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8102) guy. I realize that you're probably off like ~10 cards, but the concept is essentially the same, save for your Trinket Magi and the CB/Top in place of the unnecessary burn.
Uhm - no? :confused:
After comparing the similiar cards (not counting the manabase which is a bit different, too), I count 22 cards that are the same (besides, the deck still isn't final - e.g. Grunt was kinda meh outside the Threshold match-up so far) - and that includes absolute staples in the colors like StP, Brainstorm and Pikula. Overlaping can't be prevented if you run the same colors and good cards at the same time.
I think they're more than different enough, considering that I run a Trinket tool box including Counterbalance and a direct damage plan based on permanents. The deck has also multiple ways to use its mana besides casting spells. It's a bit designed like Sligh - trying to maximize the use of your mana.


That said, I have no idea why you aren't running a single Chalice of the Void main or sided, even just to deal with combo. I wouldn't ever set it at 1 or 2, on account of you'd have a pretty arduous time winning, but, speaking from experience with a similar concept (Fish-y sort of thing with :b: instead of :r:), it's definetly worth the one slot in your board. I'd rather see 4 Forces + 1 Random card (maybe whet stone or whatever - y'know, the one that costs :1: and taps to mill two cards off of a library, and, should they share a color, rinses and repeats) to improve your conrtol match.
I already thought about Chalice, but i dismissed the idea so far because of my own, low curve. Well, I think I can sacrifice one slot to test it. I'd love to add FoW, but in which spot(s)? Are you talking about the Sideboard?
And Grindstone? :confused: Sounds rather odd. Against what exactly do you plan to use it?


Also, I could see you having trouble filling your 'yard for your lavamancer to work consistantly. And maybe a basic mountain. So you could not get waste-locked out of red.
From what I've seen so far in my playtesting, Grim Lavamancer has hardly any problems to get constant fodder. So far, I only had problems to muster enough food against Dragon Stompy when I was locked out the game. And a Basic Mountain doesn't make much sense because it can't be fetched unlike the Plains or Island. Plus, against Moon-effects, you're still having access to your red mana.


It's worse than red Thresh with CounterTop in almost every way.
Maybe. Once the build has evolved enough and I have more match-up data, then I can compare them. And similiar doesn't mean equal. For example, did your build run Lavamancers? Because they're a freakin house in this deck.

[galeng]

No Counterspell? Force of Will? Stifle?

Just scoop to Pernicious Deed or anything of the sort?

[Barook]

No Counterspell? Force of Will? Stifle?

Just scoop to Pernicious Deed or anything of the sort?
How about MD Meddling Mage and a tutorable Pithing Needle + SB Stifle (or/and FoW, depending on test results)?

Plus, how do you get the idea that the deck "just scoops" to Deed and friends?

[Jaiminho]

I'm gonna say, right now, that, as a judge, I feel that this is dangerously close to this (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8102) guy. I realize that you're probably off like ~10 cards, but the concept is essentially the same, save for your Trinket Magi and the CB/Top in place of the unnecessary burn.
The concept is not the same, not even in essence. His deck packs lots of aggro-control features, including the Trinket toolbox, while mine has a straight-forward aggro strategy. We only share the same colors.