RGW Naya Sligh

[brianw712]

Necro!

I've been testing this version with some good results:

4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
4 Arid Mesa
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Verdant Catacombs
3 Plateau
4 Taiga

4 Steppe Lynx
4 Goblin Guide
4 Kiln Fiend
4 Wild Nacatl
2 Grim Lavamancer

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
3 Fireblast
3 Mental Misstep
3 Reckless Charge
4 Berserk

SB:

4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Searing Blaze
3 Sulfuric Vortex
4 Qasali Pridemage

It's basically balls-to-the-walls sligh. Turn 3 goldfishes are quite easy (especially with Kiln Fiend), although the average is probably closer to 3.5 or 4. Kiln Fiend + Berserk is obviously the nuts, although Reckless Charge + Berserk on anything or just Berserk on Steppe Lynx/Nacatl isn't bad either.

Obviously the most surprising thing about the list is the inclusion of Mental Misstep (or not surprising, depending which way you see it, since everybody seems to be trying to abuse it now.) Misstep has been really good for me in testing. It fights all of this deck's biggest problems: Swords to Plowshares, Combo, and Stifle on fetchland (and maybe opposing Missteps, I guess). Not to mention that if they are silly enough to attempt a Swords on your Kiln Fiend on your turn, Misstepping the Swords pumps the fiend :). The reason why I run three and not four is the same reason I only run three Fireblasts: you generally want to see one, but not two. Why not just an extra burn spell like Rift Bolt in place of Missteps? Well, this list is much more reliant on creatures than your average sligh list. Protecting Lynx is worth 4+ damage, protecting Kiln Fiend basically gives you the win. Protecting any Charged/Berserked creature will provide you with more damage than Rift Bolt would. Plus it stops some decks from just flat-out killing you.

Thoughts on this approach?

[troopatroop]

It's like a modern Garv.dec, not that anyone would know about that anymore... :D

I like it alot. I like that you've gone all in on Berserk AND Reckless Charge. Double Berserk seems good with Mental Misstep :D 16/20 Trampling Steppe Lynx? Ouch.

Why Dryad Arbor? It seems worse than a fetchland, or a 4th Plateau.

[brianw712]

Yea, I didn't know what Garv.dec was, and then I looked it up. Man, how Magic has changed.

About Dryad Arbor, I've always liked it just as an extra creature whenever you need it. Since the threat density is kind of low in the deck (18 is low when 7 of your spells are completely dependent on you being able to stick one), Dryad Arbor is useful to convert late-game Charges into damage (and to a much lesser extent Berserks). Even just fetching it early and swinging generally nets you 2 damage. But yea during testing I noticed the deck doesn't really like seeing multiple Wastelands, so maybe a more stable manabase is worth it.

[troopatroop]

Yea, I didn't know what Garv.dec was, and then I looked it up. Man, how Magic has changed.

About Dryad Arbor, I've always liked it just as an extra creature whenever you need it. Since the threat density is kind of low in the deck (18 is low when 7 of your spells are completely dependent on you being able to stick one), Dryad Arbor is useful to convert late-game Charges into damage (and to a much lesser extent Berserks). Even just fetching it early and swinging generally nets you 2 damage. But yea during testing I noticed the deck doesn't really like seeing multiple Wastelands, so maybe a more stable manabase is worth it.

And the fact that it can't cast Wild Nacatl turn 1, dies to removal, and makes you mulligan alot.

I would just add a Plateau for a whole 33% increase to non fetchland white sources! I'm glad I'm not the only person that finds Steppe Lynx + Reckless Charge to be powerful. Now, to aquire a set of Berserk... :D

[GGoober]

Lol, that is pretty hilarious:

Turn 1: Lynx,
Turn 2: 2nd Lynx, crack fetchland, Reckless Charge 2nd Lynx swing in for 11 damage :P

[troopatroop]

Lol, that is pretty hilarious:

Turn 1: Lynx,
Turn 2: 2nd Lynx, crack fetchland, Reckless Charge 2nd Lynx swing in for 11 damage :P

Exactly, you can play a Lynx before your land for the turn!

Also, 1800 posts bitches!

[brianw712]

And the fact that it can't cast Wild Nacatl turn 1, dies to removal, and makes you mulligan alot.

The thing is, those things only happen if you draw it in your opening hand AND don't have other lands to play for the first few turns of the game. I feel like that situation would occur less often than the situation where you have a fetchland, and are able to get a few extra points in with Arbor. And in Sligh lists, 1 or 2 extra points can be the difference between the win and a loss. I think of it kind of like a fetchable Barbarian Ring.

Of course, I may not be right, as I haven't done that much testing. But in the testing I have done, Arbor has already won me at least one game, and hasn't screwed me over yet.

[AlexAI]

I don't usually write reports, but I need to rage.

4 Wild Nacatl
4 Goblin Guide
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Tarmogoyf

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
4 Rift Bolt
4 Fireblast
3 Magma Jet
3 Mental Misstep
2 Forked Bolt

3 Plateau
2 Taiga
2 Mountain
4 Arid Mesa
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Bloodstained Mire


//Sideboard
2 Serenity
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Mindbreak Trap
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
3 Sulfuric Vortex
3 Grim Lavamancer
1 Ethersworn Canonist


R1: UGr Wiz Tempo

G1: T1 cat forced. We dance the dance of fetching + burn vs Stifle + cantrips until he gets Grim lavamancer + Basilisk Collar going. I die a slow and goyf filled death.

Board: -2 Forked Bolt -2 Fireblast -1 Magma Jet -1 Rift Bolt
+3 Lavaman +3 Vortex

G2: T1 cat misstepped. T2 guide. He is stuck on one land as am I from his Stifle. I don't draw him a single land from the 8-9 Guide attacks until he draws 2 from both of my guides while hes at 2.

G3: I stick a Vortex with enough burn in hand to out-race.

1-0 (2-1)


R2: Belcher

G1: She mulls to 5 and I win turn 4. OH LAWD G1 WIN AGAINST BELCHER

Board: -2 Goyf -3 Jet
+1 Teeg +1 E.C. +2 Trap +1 Tutor

G2: I keep a 6 with Misstep, some cats and one land.
T1: Land Grant, SSG exile, Desperate Ritual, Seething Song, drop Petal, ETW for ten. NICE MISSTEP BRO.

G3: I keep a 7 with 3 land Goyf, Nacatl, Guide, Rift Bolt. T1 I play Nacatl. Her T1 she ETWs for ten again. I play 2 Guides since I topdecked one T2. I drop to 12 next turn. I topdeck + play bolt on a goblin and play goyf and swing with Nacatl. She swings all again. I'm at 7. She Tendrils'd for 8 out of her wishboard. Ow.

1-1 (3-3)


R3: Dredge

G1: I keep a shitty 6 and get rolled.

Board: -2 Forked Bolt -2 Fireblast -1 Magma Jet -1 Rift Bolt
+3 Lavaman +1 Tutor +1 Crypt +1 Wheel

G2: I play Guide T1 and see Ray of Revelation, he plays Imp T1, I play Wheel T2. He waits until his turn and casts ray on the wheel. He could have discarded ray + dredger on the imp with wheel on the stack and upkeep flashbacked it on wheel so he got a dredge that turn. I tell him this after this game. His T1 Land was Citadel so he bolted himself twice, which was enough for me to finish him off without much resistance.

G3: He's all in on Careful Study finding him a dredger. No dice. I kill him quickly.

2-1 (5-4)


R4: The Gate

G1: Mull to 4. Steppe Lynx + 3 fetch. T1 he casts Duress. No dice. I play Lynx. T2 he plays bob. T2 I draw a guide, play it and swing for 6. He takes it. Bob reveals bob. No play. I draw, swing. Bob and Guide trade. Later on he plays Abyssal Persecutor, I swing with two guys and run a guy into percy to deal two damage with the other. He's at 6. He plays bob. I burn him once. He dies to bob one turn before percy kills me.

Board: I can't remember if it was the same as round 1 or just -2 Forked Bolt -1 Jet +3 Vortex.

G2: I mull a 2 misstep, 3 land, chain lightning, Vortex hand for a 6 with the same except rift instead of chain and just 1 misstep. He plays duress. I misstep. He Missteps back. Bleh. I draw two guides + goyf over the next few turns and he can't handle it.

3-1 (7-4)

T8: Aggro Loam
G1: I play a bunch of guys, they get spouted, I play goyf, I burn him out a few turns later.

Board: -2 Forked Bolt -3 Misstep
+3 Vortex +2 Serenity

G2: SCENARIO:

Him: 5 life, lands, Mox diamond, Chalice of the void at 1, Goyf

Me, 13 life, 2 Plateau, 1 Taiga, 1 Mountain, Goyf, Fireblast + 4 1 drop cards in hand

Ohh god. He plays Duress. I FORGET ABOUT THE CHALICE. In response I sacrifice two land to fireblast him to 1. I SACRIFICE BOTH PLATEAUS. I SHOW HIM MY HAND. He discards a bolt. I realize 6.3 seconds later that I am a COMPLETE brain turtle. I untap...

I DRAW A COCKGARGLING SERENITY.

I then proceed to bend over and take a goyf + crusher double-team right up the ass.

I have to say this is the worst I've ever felt playing magic. I auto-piloted and got rightfully punished.

G3: T1 guy. T2 2 guys. T3 goyf. His T3 he Firespouts, but the damage is done.

4-1 (9-5)

T4 splits.

This tournament is the worst display of skill I have ever demonstrated while playing magic.

Actual analysis:

Mental Misstep maindeck is inconclusive.

I suck at magic.

I'm gonna go take a bat to a mailbox now.

[AznSeal]

What advantage does this have over boros sligh or zoo?

[AlexAI]

In a nutshell, bigger guys than Boros, slightly faster + better manabase than Cat Zoo.

[Mr. Froggy]

In my list I run Reckless Charge and Berserk because I find the combo with either Lynx or the Fiend to be quite devastating.

Played against Something I Can't Remember:
Life totals: Me: 7 Him:8

In Play I had: (Qasali Pridemage and Steppe Lynx)
He had: (Steppe Lynx, Knight of the Reliquary (5/5), and something else (tapped out))

Arid Mesa (fetch Mountain) (Lynx at 4/5)
I play: Reckless Charge targetting Lynx (7/5)
I play: Berserk on the Lynx again (14/5)
I swing with the Exalted Lynx (15/6)

My opponent scooped :)

[hungryLIKEALION]

Top 8'd at Alternate Universe's Legacy challenge with Naya Sligh yesterday, 4-0-2'ing the swiss and then losing to storm in the top 8 (who I had beaten in the swiss). I'm gonna be posting a tournament report soon, but I gotta say without misstep Sligh seems really good right now.

[Vandalize]

In my list I run Reckless Charge and Berserk because I find the combo with either Lynx or the Fiend to be quite devastating.

Played against Something I Can't Remember:
Life totals: Me: 7 Him:8

In Play I had: (Qasali Pridemage and Steppe Lynx)
He had: (Steppe Lynx, Knight of the Reliquary (5/5), and something else (tapped out))

Arid Mesa (fetch Mountain) (Lynx at 4/5)
I play: Reckless Charge targetting Lynx (7/5)
I play: Berserk on the Lynx again (14/5)
I swing with the Exalted Lynx (15/6)

My opponent scooped :)

If Knight of the Reliquary wasn't summon sick, he could have gone for this: Block your Lynx with Lynx + Knight, tap knight to find fetchland which would find another land. Final calculations: His lynx would be 4/5 and his knight would be 7/7, 11 damage blocked and he'd still have 4 life.