Originally Posted by
schweinefettmann
After some more testing against UW aggro-y miracles:
Wipe away is definitely useful, especially if we're not able to out-race a turn 2-3 CB on the draw. Basically, if they know what we're on (it aint hard to figure out after a few turns), all they need to do is leave a 3cmc on top, they throw down a beater, and we're stone cold dead soon after (since we can't wish or meditate)
My first SB strategy was +3 disrupt, + flusterstorm, -2 impulse, -high tide, -reset, with the thought that i should be control (not sure if this is correct), but he drops a CB with mentor (3cmc) on top, and i realise i can't beat that. my opponent called it with my over-reliance on the wish, and i think most miracles players would do the same. I'm pretty sure this SB isn't right. i think it's my gut reaction to 3 pyroblast and 2 surgical.
My second SB i tried was + echoing truth, +wipe away and -high tide, -impulse - the idea being that i need at least 1 active answer main, some ability to dig at 1, 2 and 3 cmc. And then mull quite aggressively to control the game until i can go off over the hate. Worked, being able to sit back on a bounce spell and a wish, then being able to bounce at the end of turn the CB, then go off on my turn has been good. It still doesn't feel that 'safe' though even though i'm more able to control the board. Moreover, winning these games were really grindy, and most definitely going to go to time (meaning we definitely shouldn't do this if we lose game 1).
My third SB strategy was just "go off faster" - +meditate, +mission briefing, +flusterstorm - 2 cunning wish, -force. force of will never feels like a 'good' card in this matchup even though it's a free counter. having to exile something means I'm losing 1.5 cards (since i usually end up flashing back at least 5-6 cards when going off), and they're all good cards. I'm considering finding a couple copies of three wishes as extra card draw during setup (and as i understand it, it works with growth spiral as ramp). It seems ok, but quite a large variation; i can't guarantee that i can actually find all the cards that i need unless i mull really aggressively (in which case it hampers my ability to go off faster). In most tests, i basically took beatings until the turn before i get something that looks like it can go off, and test the waters. I save my force and fluster for surgicals. It feels really awkward going high tide, then they counter it, and debating whether or not their 4 card hand has further answers for the rest of my hand. high tide meet a force, then 2nd high tide while still on the stack and keep going off seems fun, but is quite risky. If they start the game with even 2+ pyroblasts, spell pierces, it can get pretty ugly.
I'm not sure if I'm misdiagnosing our role in this matchup. should we be beatdown or control? My gut reaction is that we should basically be control in almost every matchup; we should go off as late as possible, usually in response to being killed if possible, right? But for a stack-disruption heavy deck, they're playing like a (very slow) pseudo-tempo deck, trying to land a beater and keeping us off the combo as long as possible. Heck even an entreat for 1 felt like bad news for me, yet not vital enough for me to want to counter it with anything.