[Deck] GW/x Maverick

[Morte]

Hello
Just wondering.., have you guys seen any maverick decks made it into the top 8 or 16 after misstep was banned ?

Really? Maverick T8ed both last two big events I've played "after Misstep" in Milan - OvinoSex (382 players) two weeks ago, and Legacy Side Event at GP Milan last Saturday (188 players).

[_erbs_]

Really? Maverick T8ed both last two big events I've played "after Misstep" in Milan - OvinoSex (382 players) two weeks ago, and Legacy Side Event at GP Milan last Saturday (188 players).

Thats good then, i guess its too early to tell, but i was guessing that with snapcaster decks and other popping up tempo ugr, etc., maverick will have a hard time dealing with them.

[Philipp2293]

These decks are still beatable with tight play and proper 75 card selection. Combo is the main worry. I'm already at a point where I consider mostly giving up on combo and improving my MU vs U-Decks.

[Morte]

I agree. Snapcaster and UGR tempo decks are actually growing in popularity, but I don’t think it’s bad news for Maverick. Such matchups are 50-50 at worst. If you’re looking for bad news after the ban of Misstep, look at the rise of combo at most. Anyway, I don’t think you should give up the combo matchup, with a proper sideboard we’re ok. A clock and Enlightened Tutor package + Mindbreak Trap or Silence/Orim’s Chant is quite robust.

Edit 1:
Looking around for new ideas, I noticed Realms Uncharted from current Eva Green builds, usually as a 2of. Could this card make the cut in Maverick? Pros:

• More mana
• Pumps Knights and ‘vore
• Interaction with Eternal Witness for a real land tutor effect (can get 1ofs – Karakas, Gaea's Cradle, Maze of Ith, Tower of the Magistrate, Bojuka Bog...)
• Interaction with Life from the Loam for a real tutor effect (same as above)
• Card Advantage?

Typical land choice could be:
Heat, other fetch1, other fetch2, basic/Savannah/Wasteland

Edit 2:
They published the summary of OvinoSex in Milan (biggest Legacy event in Italy, 388 players this year). Maverick was by far the most popular deck. Coverage:

36 Maverick
29 Merfolk
25 Zoo
24 Canadian
23 Ant/Tes
21 Spiral Tide
19 NO RUG
13 Reanimator
13 Dredge
12 NLU
12 Burn
11 Thopter Combo
11 Team America
9 Belcher
8 Rock
8 MUD
8 Bant
7 URG Control
7 Goblin
6 Landeed
6 Hive Mind
6 Affinity
4 White Weenie
4 Team Italia
4 sneack attack
4 junk
4 Caw Blade
3 Stiflenought
3 pikula
3 Pattern Combo
3 Faery Stoneforge
3 Eva Green
3 enchantress
3 Elf Combo
2 UW Control
2 show and tell
2 Painter
2 Landstill
2 Infect
2 Dragon Stompy
2 Dark *****
2 Aggroloam
1 White Stax
1 UR Ninja
1 Ur control
1 stoneforge TA
1 Splinter Twin
1 show and tell NO
1 most
1 Mono U
1 Mono Black
1 Mesmeric Orb Combo
1 eureka.deck
1 dream halls
1 Defense NO
1 Dark Depths
1 cephalid breakfast
1 Birting Pod
1 Aluren

Top 8:
1 Team America
2 Robin UGR
3 Thopter Combo
4 Spiral Tide
5 Maverick
6 Canadian
7 No RUG
8 Canadian

Best result for Maverick was 5th place. This is the list (by Andrea Giarola):

3 Aven Mindcensor
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Mother of Runes
3 Noble Hierarch
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Scryb Ranger
3 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Green Sun's Zenith
2 Sylvan Library
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Dryad Arbor
2 Forest
1 Gaea's Cradle
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Karakas
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Plains
4 Savannah
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant

SIDE
3 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Faerie Macabre
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Krosan Grip
3 Choke


Sorry for the long post.

[Fatal]

@Morte

Thank you very much for report.

Looks like in Amsterdam a lot of mirrors going to happends. As far as I know best weapon in mirrors are submerges with U splash and more removal spells, but as like in most mirrors winning a roll is the tech to victory and good playing. Also Mindcensors are very good here.

[Philipp2293]

Morte, this is an interesting suggestion. One of the pro points you forgot to mention: Pulling 4 lands from your deck at once should have a significant thinning effect. Which leads also to a minor con: If you pull utility lands, you don't have them in your deck for future Knight activations, so without Witness this line of play becomes weaker.

Also, concerning that list, I think it's quite brave to cut Gaddock from MD, concerning that TES/ANT and Spiral Tide were both well presented, but it worked out, after all :)

[DragoFireheart]

I've never played Maverick and I'm curious about one thing: why are some lists running 1 or 0 Tarmogoyfs? is Scavenging Ooze better? Is Kotor better? I thought he was a relatively decent creature despite being a vanilla beater. What is it I am missing?

[Philipp2293]

You pretty much answered your own question: At the 2 mana slot the ooze offers more utility with the possibility of outgrowing goyfs, and since you basically run 8 Knights due to Zenith, you don't need additional vanilla fat.

Also, you have equipment to upgrade your smaller utility dudes.

Pretty much the only time in the last months were I wish I had Goyf as target was when I was screwed on 3 Mana and was facing 2 Goyfs across from me to halt the assault a littel. In the end, I got Scry Ranger and in the end it still worked out. No need.

[mordraid]

I've never played Maverick and I'm curious about one thing: why are some lists running 1 or 0 Tarmogoyfs? is Scavenging Ooze better? Is Kotor better? I thought he was a relatively decent creature despite being a vanilla beater. What is it I am missing?

Tarmogoyf is a great creature. However, it got no abilities, it's not an utility creature. It's only a beater, wich maverick already got in the form of Knight of the reliquary. Scavenging ooze by itself is not better that goyf, but it can win you matchups that would be almost auto-loose if you don't have it. (reanimator-dredge)

Tarmogoyf just don't fit into the concept of the maverick deck.

[menace13]

Green Zenith took out Goyfs from the deck completely. It saw play but not after Zenith. SFM into Batterskull or any equipment plus any exalted triggers trumps Goyf. With access to anywhere from 5 to 8 QPM, Ooze, Teeg, KotR, Scryb, Noble, Witness, Thrun and Terravore, The deck does not have the room any longer or the need.

Zenith propelled Maverick to one of the best decks in the format. The whole Tutor and put it in play for only 1 extra mana makes the card busted. I feel E Tutor is the best thing this deck can do in the Sideboard, it increases the access, range and depth. Combined with disruptive creatures that can be tutored-with Zenith or Enlightened- gives it a chance to beat anything.

[Morte]

Question: would you side in graveyard hate against Snapcaster decks? Let's say I’m playing against Blade Control, and my sideboard is something like:

2 Enlightened Tutor
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Null Rod
1 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Choke
1 Serenity
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Orim's Chant

I could side in:

2 Enlightened Tutor
2 Choke
1 Thorn of Amethyst ?
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon / Tormod's Crypt ?

An early Wheel makes Snappy pretty awkward but is less than spectacular later, while Crypt is one shot but of sure effect. I'm quite sure of the Bog, little downside in siding out a land. Thoughts?

[Fatal]

I wouldn't put more GY hate vs those decks, maybe only replace MD Maze for Bojuka and that's enough. Scavenging Ooze + Bojuka is enough. All cards like Crypt/Wheel will be card disadvantage here.

Chokes are mostly enough, Thron of Amethyst depends on your build but most its a quite good card in this MU.

[Esper3k]

I generally don't like bringing in eTutors against decks that run countermagic (unless they're combo) since if they counter what you tutored up, you just got 2 for 1'd.

[TossUsToLions]

I generally don't like bringing in eTutors against decks that run countermagic (unless they're combo) since if they counter what you tutored up, you just got 2 for 1'd.

If they Force whatever you search for, you actually get 2 for 2'd, but I see your point. But against some of these decks, resolving a Choke is almost an auto-win, so the E.Tutors might be worth it to bring in just to fetch them.

Do others not bring in E.Tutor against blue? I just switched to an E.Tutor board (yesterday) and I am curious about this issue.

[lordofthepit]

If they Force whatever you search for, you actually get 2 for 2'd, but I see your point. But against some of these decks, resolving a Choke is almost an auto-win, so the E.Tutors might be worth it to bring in just to fetch them.

Do others not bring in E.Tutor against blue? I just switched to an E.Tutor board (yesterday) and I am curious about this issue.

I haven't played with an Enlightened Tutor board much (doing so only several times as a Zoo player), and I avoid bringing in that package against Countermagic. In fact, I don't use an Enlightened Tutor package much at all when I expect a lot of blue (as is usually the case in my metagame).

I do like it when I expect a lot of Storm, Dredge, Lands, and maybe Affinity. Then I'll devote whatever I can from the rest of the sideboard to other matchups.

[lordofthepit]

If they Force whatever you search for, you actually get 2 for 2'd, but I see your point. But against some of these decks, resolving a Choke is almost an auto-win, so the E.Tutors might be worth it to bring in just to fetch them.

Do others not bring in E.Tutor against blue? I just switched to an E.Tutor board (yesterday) and I am curious about this issue.

I haven't played with an Enlightened Tutor board much (doing so only several times as a Zoo player), and I avoid bringing in that package against Countermagic. In fact, I don't use an Enlightened Tutor package much at all when I expect a lot of blue (as is usually the case in my metagame).

I do like it when I expect a lot of Storm, Dredge, Lands, and maybe Affinity. Then I'll devote whatever I can from the rest of the sideboard to other matchups.

[f|i[p]]

@Morte

Boarding against UW.. snapcaster is quite a problem...as normally its hard to figure out whats good to board out..

Everything maindeck seems to work great against them...

but when they bring in 4 paths... +4 swords. + 4 snapcasters.. + wog... it becomes a real head ache..

Personally however I woudn't take off maze of ith for a bog.. since I think a vendillion or a sprite would be too much of a problem when equipped with SFaF..they can do so many tricks with untapping lands and riptide,specially block bouncing.... Might even render chokes useless..

one of the things I thought of and could work against them is Ethersworn cannonist... it will render snapcasters useless...MOm with cannonist is also a pain.....What to take out for them...Its depends on what cards you deem important vs them.

Scavenging ooze might work against them.. but only towards later or mid game...

Chokes are definitely a must side in...as well as maybe a piece of tutor...

I am not worried about getting the chokes countered towards later on.. since normally they have lot's of things to counter early... Just make a good choice for counter bait...

[Morte]

Thanks everybody for the feedback.
Yesterday I played in a 97 players tournament in Legnano, ended 5-2-0.

My list:

4 Windswepth Heat
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Flooded Strand
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Wasteland
3 Savannah
1 Driad Arbor
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Karakas
2 Forest
1 Plains
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Mother of Runes
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Aven Mindcensor
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Sylvan Library
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Eternal Witness
1 Terravore
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

Sideboard:
2 Enlightened Tutor
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Null Rod
1 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Choke
1 Serenity
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Orim's Chant


Mini report:

Game 1: UWr Blade Control 2-0
I was curios about this Snapcaster matchup, but in the end it has been quite easy. Game 2 I just sided in Bog, a couple of Chokes and a Tutor, which I used to fetch a Jitte that closed the game.

Game 2: Merfolk 1-2
Shame on me

Game 3: BG The Gate 2-1
He plays a lot of removals and some discard – Gatekeeper, Liliana, Hymn, Perish after side… But I succeed playing more threats that he can remove

Game 4: UGR NO 2-1
Game 1 I can’t stop T3 Hydra. Later he sided out FoW, I suppose, becoming too weak against my hate.

Game 5: UGR Canadian 2-0
Game 1 I play more mana than he can disrupt and Delver + Mongoose < my threats. Game 2 I’m the tempo deck, I waste a Tropical and a Volcanic and he’s totally mana screwed.

Game 6: UGR Robin 1-2
This is a very interesting match. Oppo is a very good player called Paxxu: he won the Ovino and T8ed the last 5 tournaments he played in a row with this deck. He plays regular UGR staff (Brainstorm, Ponder, FoW, Clique, Hierarch, Goyf, Bolt) plus Punishing Fire + Grove of the Burnwillows and Bloodbraid Elf + Ancestral Vision (which is a free Ancestral Recall if you flip it with the elf).
Game 1 I draw very well and win, later I’m less lucky. Guess I had to keep my Wastelands for his Groves. I just sided in two Chokes against him, not sure if a Wheel could be worth (game 2 and 3 he destroyed me with Punishing Fire).

Game 7: Reanimator 2-1
Game 1 I lose to Elesh Norn + Sphynx. Game 2 and 3 I side in my 11 hate cards and win.

I ended 14th and won a DCI Goblin Welder.

Top 8:
Maverick
Maverick
Reanimator
Reanimator
Blade Control
Zoo
Robin
(don’t remember)

Winner: Reanimator
2nd: Maverick. Same guy who finished 5th at the Ovino, very good player. He doesn’t play Batterskull but Jitte, SoFaI and SoLaS, with 3 Mindcensors, 2 Rangers and a BoP in place of the 4th Hierarch, maybe to have one more flyer.

The Reanimator deck was quite impressive too. He was able to pass by GY hate with Show and Tell. Maybe I’ll add one or two Path to Exile next time.
Against Show and Tell, being ready to respond by tutoring for Phyrexian Metamorph and drawing with Canopy could be a good play. EDIT: Not possible. "The Metamorph's ability (and copy effects like that in general) can only copy things that are on the battlefield before the Metamorph enters the battlefield. Because with Show & Tell, both objects enter the battlefield simultaneously, Emrakul won't meet that condition to be copied" (Esper3k)

[lordofthepit]

The Reanimator deck was quite impressive too. He was able to pass by GY hate with Show and Tell. Maybe I’ll add one or two Path to Exile next time. Against Show and Tell, being ready to respond by tutoring for Phyrexian Metamorph and drawing with Canopy could be a good play.

If you're hoping to drop Phyrexian Metamorph off of Show and Tell and copy the creature they tutored for, you're out of luck. You can't copy that creature.

You can copy the creature if you hardcast it after the Show and Tell, but I assume that's not what you were going for (since you mentioned drawing it at instant speed with the Horizon Canopy).

[lordofthepit]

The Reanimator deck was quite impressive too. He was able to pass by GY hate with Show and Tell. Maybe I’ll add one or two Path to Exile next time. Against Show and Tell, being ready to respond by tutoring for Phyrexian Metamorph and drawing with Canopy could be a good play.

If you're hoping to drop Phyrexian Metamorph off of Show and Tell and copy the creature they tutored for, you're out of luck. You can't copy that creature.

You can copy the creature if you hardcast it after the Show and Tell, but I assume that's not what you were going for (since you mentioned drawing it at instant speed with the Horizon Canopy).