[Deck] GW/x Maverick

[door]

Between mana dorks, Vials, miscellaneous 1/1s and no Zenith, do you ever wind up not drawing enough ways to actually kill them? (Is that the primary reason for the Sword package?)

That's a rear thing, just because there's more card advantage in this build in comparison with the zenith build.

[Hof]

Congratulations to M@verick for placing so well in several large tournaments with a unique deck that you can call your own. This is a sort of achievement that most of us can only dream of.

I have played Maverick from time to time with either Green Sun or Vial, and I think both versions have their strengths and weaknesses. I am not totally convinced about playing mana creatures in the Vial builds, though. With no GSZ the only things that can be accelerated on turn two is Knight. Stoneforge/Equipment isn't much faster with Birds, because you still can't equip before turn three. I understand the importance of flyers here, and the synergy with Wayfahrer, but Birds just never seem to do much for me in this type of deck. Maybe I am doing it wrong, but I would rather have some more disruption. I think Judge's Familiar has great synergy with Thaila and the mana denial theme in general. It is a Cursecatcher with flying in a deck that has much stronger mana denial than Merfolk.

[Fatal]

@hof - Cursecatcher was not only mana daniel plan, but also a beater with Lords. Here Judge Familiar is at best:
- Exchange for spell (instant/sorcery) - taxing - or with vial it get value.
- Equip handler.
- Exchange with Vendilion/Soul token
- Chump Delver.
- Dredge - Bridge Burner ;)

I think it can be useful in proper meta where is a lot of S&T/Combo decks as a T1 hatebear.

[JanoschEausH]

What is the reason to run Birds of Paradise over Noble Hierarchs in the vial build?

[Philipp2293]

Connecting with equipment is easier.

[TiltingKitty]

- Dredge - Bridge Burner ;)

...but only if you draw one of the four STPs, or use Vial in response to Dread Return. Still pretty loose.

I keep thinking there should be a Dryad Arbor in there somewhere. It's a Sword carrier you can tutor with KOTR/Wayfarer/fetchlands and it provides infinite chumps with the Scryb Rangers.

[Qweerios]

Maverick with Vials reminds me of a little deck I made called "Big Two" in the developing competitive section. It started out as a GW aggro Vial deck that exchanged GSZ for Fauna Shaman and used Squadron Hawk to generate card advantage. It has some very strong tricks in the form of instant speed tutors of any 2 CMC creature notably Phyrexian Revoker in response to Pernicious Deed/Liliana/Top/ Jace, Teeg in response to a Miracle Trigger. Connecting with a Sword of Light and Shadow generally meant a continuous stream of tutors as well. The deck eventually started splashing blue for Daze, sometimes Brainstorm (in Thalia-less versions), and some singletons like Void Stalker, Waterfront Bouncer, Gilded Drake, Meddling Mage, and Phantasmal Image. In case you haven't realized, Gilded Drake + Waterfront Bouncer means that you can discard a card every turn to steal a creature.

KotR and Mangara were suggested countless times and perhaps 1-2 KotR should make their way into the deck but the main plan is to keep a Vial @2 at all times. Judge's Familia definitely has some merit with Thalia and a strong equipment package, and would probably be even stronger combined with Daze.

[Pans-Advocate]

...but only if you draw one of the four STPs, or use Vial in response to Dread Return. Still pretty loose.

I keep thinking there should be a Dryad Arbor in there somewhere. It's a Sword carrier you can tutor with KOTR/Wayfarer/fetchlands and it provides infinite chumps with the Scryb Rangers.

It also ramps you to 3 mana on turn 2 when you play a turn 1 Vial.

[MrShine]

I found the mana guys useful because of the times where you DON'T just draw Vial and play free stuff; both Vial and Hierarch/Birds allow you to get the goods out of your hand while still applying pressure via Wasteland, and it doesn't hurt to have more 1 drops for Vial (MoR is the ideal play), and that's where Wayfarer fits in as well. I'm still not entirely sure if it's really necessary, but I did like the consistency it offered me when I wasn't being a boss and drawing Vial every game; sort of a contingency for solid curves every game.

Stoneforge is definitely more integral to this type of strategy due to the high concentration of weenies in the build; Jitte is definitely a game-breaking card and any dude with 1 power does the job at that point - which, I might add, is why I personally prefer Hierarchs over Birds; I find Jitte much more consistent and flexible in general, and am never really satisfied with the Sword of X and Ys, so in this case having a 'dork with power is preferable. If I am playing swords I keep them in the board to bring in for specific matchups, and in that case it doesn't really matter if my guys have flying or not because they will just have the right protections anyway.

Oh, and another thing; mana dorks means having more creatures on the board in general which powers up Gaea's Cradle significantly; when you are burning through your lands for wastelands w/ knight, you are still able to generate mana to play and equip jitte, etc.

[ivanpei]

I think you guys need to test the Thespian Stage-Dark Depths combo in this deck now. It's the perfect fit for this deck. I'd cut some silver bullets lands for 3 Stage and some random silver bullet dudes for 2 Crop rotation and 1 Dark Depths. It's ridiculous!

[Sansian]

Why do you need more than one stage? Seems silly to add 3 of a card that borks your mana, when you can get by just as we'll with one.

[ivanpei]

Why do you need more than one stage? Seems silly to add 3 of a card that borks your mana, when you can get by just as we'll with one.

Drawing a single Thespian Stage is ok. It comes into play untapped and makes colourless. Seems decent. GW Mav makes use of plenty of colourless so it doesn't Bog your mana at all. Playing 3 gives you a higher chance to have a Stage in play so you only have to activate Knight/ Crop Rotation once. Makes you a turn quicker.

[ironclad8690]

I'm sorry but what exactly is the process to getting merit lage? wouldn't copying dark depths kill both?

Edit: Nevermind, I saw the rules update just now. This is gonna be an awesome chapter in the book of maverick hopefully.

[zulander]

New rules state that when you put one into play you pick which one stays/dies. You make a copy of DD, DD dies, your new one has no counters on it, you sac it and put a 20/20 into play. With KotR you can do this on opponent's EOT, untap, draw, give the token protection via MOM and then win. Seems good! It doesn't go off until turn 4 at the least.

[Poron]

doesn't Vesuva work well with Depths too?... would it ETB with the counters?

[ivanpei]

Doesn't need protection for evasion, it flies! ;) Vesuva ETB with counters, so nope it doesn't work.

[Morte]

M@verick’s list could add the combo with a minimal impact: it already plays a lot of land tutoring in the form of Weathered Wayfarer and Knight of the Reliquary. Something like:

1 Thespian's Stage
1 Dark Depths
4 Windswept Heath
4 Savannah
4 Wasteland
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Maze of Ith
1 Karakas
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Gaea's Cradle

3 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Mother of Runes
4 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Weathered Wayfarer
2 Sylvan Safekeeper
3 Birds of Paradise
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Scryb Ranger
2 Phyrexian Revoker

4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte
4 AEther Vial

Flagstones of Trokair, another card improved by new legendary rules, is also cool with Sylvan Safekeeper, even if probably doesn’t make the cut here.

[Koby]

I don't get the whole fascination with Marit Lage. You could just fetch another Fetchland for KotR and still have something that wins.

In order to get Marit Lage out: play/fetch Dark Depths, fetch Thespian Stage, spend 3 mana, gain 20/20. How much work is this compared just using KotR for value?

[ivanpei]

I think cutting GSZ is a very bad idea. The flexibility is what makes Mav so adaptable. Wayfarer seems ok, but I still prefer crop rotation because Wayfarer is something you can see coming, whereas Crop Rotation + one component already in play is an Auto win if done on opponents EOT. However wayfarer is card advantage, so they are pros and cons. I'd also prefer to spend the first few turns doing what Mav does best, which is tempo plays and hatebears. The 20/20 plan comes into play when your initial onslaught couldn't quite get there or there is a ground stall. Spending your first few turns assembling the combo with Wayfarer seems slow and mana-consuming. You won't always be on the draw/have a fetch, so Wayfarer doesn't always work. Also, you are telegraphing the plan very obviously to the opponent.

Edit: Thats why it's important to play more than 1 Thespian's stage. Multiples give you a higher % of drawing it. If you already have 1 component in play, 1 KOTR tap/ crop rotation is GG. Crop rotation also does lot of things such as turning an extra land into a Maze later in the game, or as a tutor for Karakas to bounce Emrakul.

This deck needs the extra punch from the combo to put it over the top. It's great for ground stalls and against decks like UW Miracles. If they tap out for Jace etc, sometimes you can just suddenly win out of nowhere. Without the combo finish, it is hard to kill in time before Terminus ruins the day.

[zulander]

I don't get the whole fascination with Marit Lage. You could just fetch another Fetchland for KotR and still have something that wins.

In order to get Marit Lage out: play/fetch Dark Depths, fetch Thespian Stage, spend 3 mana, gain 20/20. How much work is this compared just using KotR for value?

It's just another "oops I win" combo that can be easily accomplished and doesn't require turn after turn of trying to grow a KotR. Sure it's not fool proof, but as it currently stands decks really only have to be able to deal with Knight in current mav builds. Removing 2-3 "cute" cards to put additional pressure on opponents can be the difference between victory and defeat.

having said that, I think it's best to be relegated to the board, I'm not 100% sold yet.