[DECK] Loam Pox

[Raindown]

This is the list.

4 pox
4 smallpox
4 sinkhole
4 thoughtseize
2 raven's crime
4 perniscious deed
4 tombstalker
3 nether spirit
3 life from the loam

3 swamp
4 bayou
3 bloodstained mire
3 polluted delta
4 wasteland
4 mishra's factory
4 hymn to tourach
4 urborg tomb of yawgmoth

side
4 extirpate
4 leyline of the void
4 engineered plague
3 zuran orb

Thank you for posting, interesting list. Anyone run this or would change anything? Obviously I'm going to throw in the Verdant Catacombs fetchlands in there and a forest or two. Also cut Pox but as for what I am uncertain.

[Aggro_zombies]

Thank you for posting, interesting list. Anyone run this or would change anything? Obviously I'm going to throw in the Verdant Catacombs fetchlands in there and a forest or two. Also cut Pox but as for what I am uncertain.

Nether Spirit is basically 100% worse than Bloodghast. It wasn't even good when it was the only creature in the deck because you never wanted to see more than one for fear of having to discard it to a Pox and then losing your guys' ability to recur themselves.

Sinkhole isn't that great. I mean, it's great if you play it on turn two, but thereafter it's always a shitty draw, especially given the total lack of card drawing in the deck and the fact that all Zoo/Goblins/aggro in general has to do to beat you is stick one guy after a Pox and beat you shitless. This deck's topdeck mode is godawful in large part because of the number of symmetrical destruction effects it runs and the number of cards that get much worse as the game goes on.

[Ectoplasm]

High five leander, thanks for posting :)

[electrolyze]

creatures:

2xtombstalker
3xbloodghast

artifacts:

4xmox diamond

sorceries:

4xinnocent blood
4xsmallpox
4xsinkhole
4xhymn to tourach
4xthoughtseize
1xlife from the loam
1xraven's crime

instants:

2xentomb

enchantments:

3xpernicious deed

landjes:

4xbarren moor
4xwasteland
3xmishra's factory
2xurborg, tomb of yawgmoth
2xswamp
4xbayou
2xpolluted delta
1xverdant catacombs
1xmarsh flats
1xbloodstained mire

This is the list I'm testing atm. I think bloodghast can do a better job than spirit since it can comes in multyples and doesnt get affected by a tombstalker hitting the grave.

Since entomb is unbanned, I thought he would e perfect for the deck. You only have to run one copy of loam and 3 bloodghast ( in theory there are 5 bloodghast in the deck now , which is great). Also you can fetch mishra's and wasteland if you have loam and raven's crime afcourse.

The rest looks very normal I think. Just a few questions,

How good is sinkhole in this deck these days? Maybe cutting him and put in some more entomb so I can run a worm harvest too.

Should I put some cool lands in it like tabernacle, maze of ith, cabal pit and such?

[Jon Stewart]

I didn't realize that there was a Loam Pox thread. I don't think Eternal Witness is all that hot or worth splashing for. But Crop Rotation or Living Wish on the other hand...

If I were to go the Dark Depths route, I would probably splash green for Living Wish, and I would definately play Mox Diamond since you run so many almost useless lands...

4 Thoughtseize
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Smallpox
4 Sinkhole

4 Mox Diamond
3 Life from the Loam
2 Pox
2 Wretched Banquet/Crop Rotation/Reanimate/Tarmogoyf

4 Living Wish
3 Tombstalker
3 Vampire Hexmage
3 Dark Depths

4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
3 Mishra's Factory
3 Bayou
3 Swamp

Just an idea, Im sure a few cards need to be changed around, but I see definate potential in it.

[Cthuloo]

With the following list I finished 3rd in a 49 people tournament some months ago (I previously posted it in the main pox thread, not realizing that this thread existed):

// Deck file for Magic Workstation (http://www.magicworkstation.com)

// Lands
3 [A] Bayou
4 [AQ] Mishra's Factory (4)
2 [PLC] Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 [SOK] Tomb of Urami
2 [ON] Barren Moor
4 [U] Swamp (1)
4 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
4 [TE] Wasteland

// Creatures
3 [FUT] Tombstalker
2 [MM] Nether Spirit

// Spells
1 [FNM] Smother
4 [TSP] Smallpox
4 [FE] Hymn to Tourach (3)
2 [TSP] Phyrexian Totem
4 [FNM] Duress
4 [SH] Mox Diamond
2 [CHK] Sensei's Divining Top
1 [EVE] Raven's Crime
1 [EVE] Worm Harvest
1 [EVE] Syphon Life
3 [RAV] Life from the Loam
2 [AP] Pernicious Deed
2 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse

// Sideboard
SB: 2 [FNM] Smother
SB: 4 [GP] Leyline of the Void
SB: 3 [TSP] Krosan Grip
SB: 3 [PLC] Extirpate
SB: 3 [7E] Engineered Plague


What I've changed to the list up to now:

Main
- 1 Worm Harvest -2 Totem - 4 Bloodstained Mire -4 Duress -1 Tomb of Urami + 4 Thoughtseize + 1 Smother + 1 Forest + 4 Verdant Catacombs + 2 Garruck
Side:
- 2 Smother - 3 Extirpate + 3 Innocent Blood + 2 Duress

Sharing my experience on some issues:

- Sinkhole is not that good in the deck. Bg pox goes more for board control, so better let them drop their threats and deed them away.
- Bloodghast is less amazing than one might think. It's a good help versus control (even more if you play therapies in the side instead of duress), but this is already a favourable matchup for the deck. It's almost useless against aggro, since it can't block, and combo, for it's slow clock. Nether spirit it's still better, event though it is far from being excellent.
- The deck needs a good finisher in addition to the Stalkers. I've tried a dozen different solutions, and now I'm sticking with Garruck, even though is hard to get sometimes
- You need the moxen. I know they have a poor synergy with deed, but they provide acceleration and mana fixing, something the deck desperately needs.
- About tabernacle, maze and other utility lands: you simply don't have the space to fit multiples of them in the deck, and as 1-of they're too random. What can be done is fitting some living wishes in the deck and try to abuse them. Looking at my previous list I would go: -1 Stalker -1 Raven's Crime -1 Smother (not sure about this) + 3 Living Wish in the main, and then -4 Leyline - 2 duress + 3 other grave hate + 1 Stalker + 1 Tabernacle + 1 Maze in the side.

[Raindown]

- You need the moxen. I know they have a poor synergy with deed, but they provide acceleration and mana fixing, something the deck desperately needs.

I agree that having acceleration is nice, but with Verdant Catacombs and running 4 Urborg, do you think Mox are still needed for mana fixing? I just starting testing and I don't even run Bayou.

[Cthuloo]

I agree that having acceleration is nice, but with Verdant Catacombs and running 4 Urborg, do you think Mox are still needed for mana fixing? I just starting testing and I don't even run Bayou.

Well, in my experience it is. Remember that running smallpox you will probably have to sacrifice and/or discard a good amount of your own land, and a well timed wasteland by your opponent can leave you without the precious green mana for your loam.
If you don't run bayou (I will assume you run basic forest(s) ) the green mana being wasted is maybe not an issue, but you should then have problems obtaining bot the and the you need to make the deck running.
Last but not least, they're a great out against blood moon/back to basics, that are a pain for this deck.

Is your experience with the deck different? If you manage to do fine without the moxen, could you post your complete manabase?

[e=mc^2]

People are right when they say that Deathcloud needs more lands in play to be good. Ramping up to 6 lands + bad Pox. If you want to play Deathcloud I would also recommend dropping Pernicious Deed since a one turn Deed is the other slow spell in the deck. This also allows your Mox Diamonds to stay around longer. Also if you need more lands you can just play more than 24 and have some cycling lands. My last Deathcloud Loam Deck looked something like this:

4x Finks
2x Tombstalker
1x Terravore

4x Mox Diamond
4x Life from the Loam
4x Edict
3x Garruk
3x Damnation
3x Death Cloud
3x Thoughtseize
2x Raven's Crime
1x Worm Harvest

3x Bloodstained Mire
2x Wooded Foothills
3x Bayou
3x Tranquil Thicket
3x Barren Moor
1x Maze of Ith
1x Volrath's SH
2x Wasteland
4x Swamp
4x Forest

[Raindown]

Is your experience with the deck different? If you manage to do fine without the moxen, could you post your complete manabase?

Testing this at the moment, I do sometimes get hosed. I'm not sure if I miss the acceleration yet, as I often smile drawing a business spell rather than a Mox.

// Lands
4 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Swamp (1)
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Marsh Flats
3 Forest (7)

Edit: even thought about dropping the Factories for more of a pure green black splash. Call me crazy

[hofzge]

I really liked Ali Aintrazi's new deck with an Entomb package, but removed the Darkblast from the deck he recommended in his article Rise Of Aintrazi Poxing DC

This is what I will play in our local groups next Legacy Tournament:

1 Nether Spirit
4 Entomb
1 Garruk Relentless
4 Liliana of the Veil
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Innocent Blood
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Life from the Loam
3 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Raven's Crime
4 Smallpox
2 Swamp
2 Barren Moor
4 Bayou
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Cabal Pit
1 Marsh Flats
1 Maze of Ith
3 Mishra's Factory
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
SB: 3 Pernicious Deed
SB: 3 Extirpate
SB: 1 Krosan Grip
SB: 3 Duress
SB: 1 Innocent Blood
SB: 2 Perish
SB: 1 Worm Harvest
SB: 1 Karakas

[zathe922]

I have been working on loampox for some time now and i have a list that have done pretty well during playtesting.

1 Nether Spirit
3 Entomb
3 Loam
3 Liliana
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Pernicious Deed
4 Smallpox
4 Innocent Blood
3 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Worm Harvest
3 Bayou
3 Swamp
1 Forest
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Marsh Flats
1 Maze of Ith
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Bojuka Bog
3 Wasteland
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth


Sensei's Divining Top is a card that is working amazing in this deck, it makes sure i never run out of disruption and it can also be used to protect loam from graveyard removal.

Anyone have some good advice against burn? i have never played against burn but i feel like its a bad matcup. I have a single Syphon Life in my sideboard against those decks, anyone have better ideas?

[catmint]

The article is very good!
I ma thinking about building BU Pox and a lot of questions were answered by him.

3 Maelstrom Pulse MD looks better since Plainswalkers are a real Problem.

[Psychotron]

Anyone have some good advice against burn? i have never played against burn but i feel like its a bad matcup. I have a single Syphon Life in my sideboard against those decks, anyone have better ideas?

Chalice of the void since its also useful against led combo, Nomad stadium is also a nice SB card if u run crop rotation.

I've been running this list based on greg russel's list for sometime and i really think its an upgrade to his, still missing the tabernacle(so expensive):


4 Liliana of the Veil
4 Crop Rotation
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Life from the Loam
4 Mox Diamond
3 Pox
2 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Smallpox
3 Vindicate
1 Worm Harvest

4 Barren Moor
3 Bayou
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Cabal Pit
1 Marsh Flats
1 Maze of Ith
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Nantuko Monastery
1 Scrubland
1 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland

SB:
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Darkblast
2 Krosan Grip
1 Nomad Stadium
3 Pernicious Deed
1 Solitary Confinement
3 Tormod's Crypt


I'm think of cutting the Poxes for StP as an additional way to deal with Iona and vialed in creatures and sometimes I miss pernicious deed MB which i used to run before switching to vindicate.

[Greenpoe]

You might want a Gigapede, Worm Harvest or that Pharoah (so you can Entomb for removal, sort of), although I really think you'd want Tops in this type of a deck. Actually, what about adding white for Vindicate+Sinkhole? Then you can really just wreck their lands (Waste, Sink, Vindicate, Smallpox, Hymn, Tabernacle snyergy).

[Cthuloo]

You might want a Gigapede, Worm Harvest or that Pharoah (so you can Entomb for removal, sort of), although I really think you'd want Tops in this type of a deck. Actually, what about adding white for Vindicate+Sinkhole? Then you can really just wreck their lands (Waste, Sink, Vindicate, Smallpox, Hymn, Tabernacle snyergy).

Adding white is a real stretch to the manabase, getting color-screwed becomes a concrete possibility if you don't get an early loam going.

I lately came to dislike worm harvest for it's anti-synergy with pernicious deed. In addition, the graveyard usually isn't that full of lands to make the spell gamebreaking. Gigapede is narrower, but more effective against blue decks in general.

Playing Bloodghast is also a possibility (true, they don't block, but they come absolutely for free while you're dredging and advancing your gameplan).

[ReinVos]

This decks slowly seems to turn into Trisomy 21. It's a deck designed by a German player. I'd recommend checking it out. He's had great results with it in 2009.

This is data from it's hey-day:

Top 8s:

- 5. out of 70 people: 09-13-2009, Iserlohn, Germany
- 5. out of 57 people: 10-11-2009, Dülmen, Germany
- 7. out of 46 people: 11-07-2009, Italy
- 2. out of 83 people: 11-14-2009, Iserlohn Legacy Cup, Germany
- 6. out of 38 people: 11-15-2009, Iserlohn, Germany
- 1. out of 45 people: 12-20-2009, Dülmen, Germany

Link to primer: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=208182

This guy has done a lot of work on the Loampox archetype, so I'd definitely suggest reading about his experiences playing the deck.

[Cthuloo]

I'm well aware of the existence of Trisomy 21! The main difference between the decks is that Trisomy is more all in in the mana denial and abusing the Loam engine, while Loam Pox is more of a compromise strategy. I very often side out part of the Loam package in some matchups.

[zathe922]

well... at the moment i am currently trying to build something without smallpox since the pox effects seems bad in my meta, i have yet to face any deck where the card is good.

I am currently looking for an aditional wincondition to play in my sideboard since it seems like i need to bring in aditional threats against many decks. do you think gigapede would be a decent choice? looks good to me since i can entomb for it, and it cant be plowed and it can be replayed every turn.

[Cthuloo]

well... at the moment i am currently trying to build something without smallpox since the pox effects seems bad in my meta, i have yet to face any deck where the card is good.

The card shines, for example, against Maverick. Smallpoxing away a land + Noble can steal away a lot of tempo. It's also very good against decks like threshold that play few threats and have a hard time refilling their hand (and also have an unstable manabase).

I am currently looking for an aditional wincondition to play in my sideboard since it seems like i need to bring in aditional threats against many decks. do you think gigapede would be a decent choice? looks good to me since i can entomb for it, and it cant be plowed and it can be replayed every turn.

It depends on your meta. Gigapede is at its best against control decks. It's quite slow to set up, but then it's pretty much unstoppable, and deals adimrably with Jace. It's also quite good against aggro-control decks that play up to 12-15 creatures, since it shines in 1 to 1 combat. It's not very good against swarm aggro, too slow and easily circumvented.
My current sideboard includes 3xGoyf and 3xTombstalker: they provide a fast enough clock to give me a chance against combo, and can take an opponent by surprise if they boarded out their removal after g1.