Big Red (Mono-R Sneak Attack)

[crovax86]

Hi guys!! First of all, Congrats to HDeck, always great reports and good results!! For what concerns Command I totally quote igri_is_a_bk.

@ igri_is_a_bk: If you want to play moxes, I think you should keep the songs. In your 4 Inferno Titan list particullary, 4 songs are just great, plus as red cards, U can pitch them in your moxes...For what concerns Faithless Looting I just say that's a great card, our only "manipulation"; trust me that if I see a bad hand with looting I just don't keep it because of looting. It's a risky card to use wisely, but it'also a great card that turns dead draws in useful cards, the flashback option is just insane for this deck...
I only suggest you to think twice before cutting them, my opinion is that without them the deck get worse...


Last weekend I went to a tournament (60 people), finished 4-2 (12th, there was just one place in top for a 4-2 but I had a low rating).

Same list of the tournament that I won a few weeks ago except for the side: -3 koth - 3 Pyroclasm +1 Woodfall Primus +2 Stronghold Gambit + 3 Chaos Warp.
I just wanted to try that Gambit trick guys..but I have to say that I side them only twice and I didn't see them..so I don't know what to say about it..I just tell you that I've missed the Pyroclasm very much at the match point for the top 8 vs maverick.

Quick report:

Round 1 - Team America

G1 - This is always a though MU for the deck, he discards, counters and races with a flipped delver. This is the sad summary.

G2 - In 4 leylines and 3 Defense Grid..Out 1 Looting 1 Pyromancy 1 TTB 1 Griselbrand 1 Song 1 Magus 1 Sandstone Needle. I keep a hand with a turn 1 moon or grid, just a tomb and a mountain as land. I think: if he forces the grid, next turn I play the moon, if he doesn't I play the moon..Moon vs Bugs = win. So I play grid, he says ok, pass, he thinks a while, then..wasteland on tomb. Ouch. I pray to see another double land..instead mountain....the match goes on, with me resolving a sneak attack creatureless and a moon (so he can't play nothing) and he that makes me a tourach discarding Emrakul and something else and plays 3 delvers in 3 turns with only one flipped..I'm 2 life and draw a Griselbrand (Emrakul was gg)..I think that if I attack and draw 7 I could easily lose the game cause only another Griselbrand could help me but I side out one of them, or I should draw Emrakul and Worldspine hoping delvers won't flips again..I had to risk but I wasn't brave enough..so I pass..delver didn't flips (!!!), he attacks, I sneak Griselbrand and block the flipped delver, goin' to 9, then back to 7..he passes, I draw land, go, pass, delvers flips, he attacks bringing me to 1, passes, topdeck. Simian Spirit Guide not enough.

0-1 (Hate this matchup..)


Round 2 - Spanish Inquisition

Nothing to say 'bout this round, I'm faster than him both the matches and that's all. The first I made a turn 2 Worldspine, the second I TTB a turn 2 Primus destroying a Bayou and a Belcher. (Side: -3 Blood Moon -2 Magus -3 Pyromancy +4 Leyline +2Woodfall +2Stronghold Gambit).

1-1


Round 3 - Jund

G1 - He starts, Tseize discarding sneak attack, passes, Sandstone, pass, he land Tseize again discarding an Emrakul (I had also a Wurm), I shuffle, he passes, I draw a TTB, play another sandstone and pass, he plays a goyf, passes, I play mountain, double sandstones activation, TTB, wurm, he should survive blocking with tarmo but decides to pass to the next.

G2 - Side in 4 Leyline, Side out 1 Magus 1 Pyromancy 1 Song 1 Looting. I keep a pro hand with Leyline that vs Jund is basically gg. So it is, with a relaxing turn 4 emrakul-griselbrand sneak attack.

2-1 Still hope!


Round 4 - 12 Post Mono G

G1 - A turn 4 breached Emrakul destroys all his lands, then I slowly assemble a pyromancy for the 5 lasts damages.

G2 - Side in: +3 Chaos Warp -1 Mountain -1 Sneak Attack (I wisely expected Needles) -1 Looting. He starts land needle on sneak ..but I have a strongest plan against him: blood moon. So, a few turns passes land go, land go..I don't see anything bout sneak attacks (2 in hand and no warps), then he resolves a Titan, I finally draw a Pyromancy but too late, cause he grips me the moon EoT and then resolves an Emrakul. Damn.

G3 - Side in: 2 Woodfall Primus, side out 1 Pyromancy and 1 City of Traitors. I want to play hard! I resolve a turn 2 magus, then he neddle me the sneak, but turn 4 I TTB Primus, destroying his basic forest and his needle..he'll lose with primus+magus attacks.

3-1 and now it'up to me!


Round 5 - Maverick

G1 - Theorically a good matchup. And my turn 3 sneak-emrakul for the win seems to confirm that. But..

G2 - I side in just 2 Chaos Warp, in case of Gaddock/Thalia; understimating the MU, I keep a turn 3 breach-worldspine hand, but he swords him (I thought since he hasn't seen the wurm game 1 he sided out the swords, bad playing this, I tell myself), then he plays zenith for gaddock and I don't see warps in time to finish him despite my 33 life.

G3- Side in the 3rd Warp and a primus. Keep wrong a slow hand with sneak-primus-Emrakul-warp-mountain-needle-petal. After a few turns I resolve the sneak without mana activation and he plays a qasali and break the sneak, then another two empty turns in which I play lands and he plays Jitte, I faithless looting seeing a TTB, I have enough mana to cast it so I have to discard a land and one beast, he has karakas in play so I sadly decide to discard Emrakul and TTB primus, I pass beacause've only 4 mana after looting, he zeniths gaddock, I warp it EoT then reveals..Thalia he passes, Land, there is a justice, TTB primus that destroys karakas and Jitte. Pass and he plays Mother of runes, passes, I attack him, he goes to 7..then in 6 turns I draw Nothing (Songs, Emrakul, Griselbrand without Pyro, Sneaks, or Breaches) and he draws everything (Mystic, Knights ecc.).

3-2 Very Sad, I've could play it really better and in the last game I had to mulligan...


Round 6 - UW Miracle

G1 - I have a bad rating so I know it's almost impossible to reach the top. Let's play it anyway. He counters a TTB, then resolves a Sneak attack-Emrakul, he switch Sensei's to Terminus but I have another Emrakul ready for him.

G2 - Side in: 4 Defense Grid, 2 Chaos Warp 2 Gambit Stronghold, side out: 5 moon effects, 1 TTB, 1 Looting, 1 Mountain. The plan is: first the sneaks effect, then the pyromancy (the real strong card vs this MU), so it goes, he counters me a sneak, He disenchant a grid, then I play Pyromancy, looting 2 discard cheap costs to tap 6 and made him 26 damages of Emrakul-Wurm costs.

4-2 A good score after all..


Final thoughts -

- The deck remains very strong and difficult to defeat. I think I'll back to Pyroclasms, the Stronghold trick is interesting but frankly unnecessary.
- I don't have to be afraid to mulligan, this deck can win with 5 cards
- I need to learn to play against Team America and BUG types..I noticed that everytime it's very though to play against it..moon effects if they don't comes down quickly are not efficients and delver guarantees a very fast race.


I'll end this post quoting Jaya Ballard: "Some have said there is no subtlety to destruction. You know what? They're dead."

[hdeck12]

Thanks for the heads up on command. I was thinking it'd be nice to have a maindeck answer to teeg now that karakas has fallen. Oh wait, teeg's in play, can't tap more than 3....great plan

As for the seething songs. It's a call. I haven't tried it without yet. Maybe a slower more controlling version is even more powerful. You can let us know! When I first put the deck together I had a solid idea of what I wanted the manabase to be. After a year of casually flipping lands and numbers I really have no clue of what I want my EXACT base to be anymore. I will say that, against non-FOW decks, seething song is the card I want most in my opener. And even against FOW it's still just a 2 for 2. Powering out a titan before KOTR can trade with him is important. Getting him down to take out a stoneforge so batterskull can't hit the board will keep esper on the backfoot. I've thought about cutting to 3 since I don't really want 2 in my opener. They're not even bad in multiples though, plenty of times I've seething songed into seething song to cast mulitple spells, get ahead of spell pierce, or crank titan up to crash in like a truck. Also provides the line for a turn 3 pyromancy kill. Anyways, I agree with Crovax that a 4 titan build would benefit from some fiery music. I'm certainly curious to hear how it goes!

Glad to hear stronghold wasn't too interesting. People have been suggesting this to me for a long time, but there just seems to be better options for that function. I've been tossing the idea around of adding a couple sensei's divining tops. Maybe a 2/2 split with faithless. I agree that you never keep a hand based on having a faithless alone. Its no brainstorm. Turn 1 tomb, top, spin, is SO strong. Seeing 10 cards is better than seeing 9 cards and being down 1. If the tops came in I'm not sure if a few fetchlands would come in or not. They don't lose much to moon, but open the deck to stifle and aven mindcensor and inadvertently add deathrite fodder to the yard . Any thoughts?

[whienot]

I've been tossing the idea around of adding a couple Sensei's Divining Tops. Maybe a 2/2 split with faithless. I agree that you never keep a hand based on having a faithless alone. Its no brainstorm. Turn 1 tomb, top, spin, is SO strong. Seeing 10 cards is better than seeing 9 cards and being down 1. If the tops came in I'm not sure if a few fetchlands would come in or not. They don't lose much to moon, but open the deck to stifle and aven mindcensor and inadvertently add deathrite fodder to the yard . Any thoughts?

I've been playing with the deck and always find Faithless Looting lacking. Aside from Inferno Titan, we're dealing in 2 card combinations that don't interact with the graveyard. Not that card advantage is important while playing combo, but Looting can be too disadvantageous at times.

4 Tops with 5 fetches have been working much better for me. Divining Top helps recover from a barrage of discard, or even find the correct combo piece(s) to try to go off again after a counterspell. There's Emrakul/Worldspine shuffle tricks, also. Most importantly, combined with your draw step, SDT can get you the enabler + fatty in a single turn, even from an empty hand.

[hdeck12]

@whienot: Great advice!

@theworld: So there's a star city event coming up in my area soon. I'm hoping for some advice on card choices or alternate SB plans. Testing starts this week. Here's the list I've got right now, a few explanations below:

2 city of traitors
4 ancient tomb
3 sandstone needle
2 scalding tarn
1 wooded foothills
2 arid mesa
4 mountain
4 seething song
4 simian spirit guide

4 through the breach
4 sneak attack
3 pyromancy

3 griselbrand
3 worldspine wurm
4 emrakul, the aeons torn
2 inferno titan

4 sensei's divining top
2 chalice of the void
3 defense grid

1 lotus petal
1 chrome mox
1 desperate ritual


//SB
4 blood moon
1 inferno titan
4 leyline of the void
4 leyline of sanctity
2 volcanic fallout


There are a few cards I'm thinking about replacing
1 Pyromancy. Positives: They're really good in the grind. Great against discard. 1 more threat that's a must counter. Negatives: Slow. Slow, slow, slow! Yes, can be fast, but is usually slow. Without being answered, they're dead in multiples. At an SCG I'm thinking I'll need to face more combo than in my local meta. Thoughts?
1 Griselbrand. Lets be honest, this cards wins if it hits the board turn 1 or 2. However, he to is dead in multiples in our deck. He is a completely different tool than in sneak show, reanimator, or even dredge. We're not planning on dropping this guy into play and having him stick around to draw 7 every turn while he attacks or blocks. He's strictly a 'pay 7, draw 7,' did we get there? no, ok 'pay 7, draw 7,' again, either we win on the spot or we lose. The never wanting more than 1 is whats sticking out in my brain about this one.. Thoughts?


1 chrome mox
1 desperate ritual
1 lotus petal

Without the moons it's much less crucial to hit 3 mana on turn 1. Also with the defense grids back to the main I don't know if I need the desperate ritual as another must counter through the breach. 8 mana, the ritual and a breach means two breaches. Usually overkill. If the ritual gets countered though, it's all of a sudden 11 mana for double through the breach. Not so cool. Useful as a ritual, and at drawing out a counter in the right circumstance, but it seems too 'cute'. I want to make room for a third chalice and a third titan. He gets a lot better when swords to plowshares can be turned off completely.

SB: This is just a starting point. All suggestions welcome. I'm thinking about cutting the leyline of the voids. Reanimator seems to be nearly dead at the moment, and I think we can handle dredge without them. Are they still a necessary evil? Maybe bringing in some REBs, Chaos Warps and/or magus of the moons. Thoughts?

-HDeck

[crovax86]

I like this build..it seems very "safe" with Tops and Fetches..I know they're slow but I won't replace pyromancies..maybe you can take off 1 of them goin' to 2..in some MU (miracles, control deck) they're just too good.

Chapter Griselbrand...I don't know if there's something better, but a good card can be Rune-Scarred Demon..there are some situation for ex. when you have sneak on the board, griselbrand on hand, you can't pay 7, you need a match-ball (like emrakul and worldspine)..so..Rune-Scarred could be the solution..sometimes you can also pay 7 but you don't find the solution, with Rune-Scarred you are sure to find it. I don't know..it's just an idea..

1x mana slots: If I'd replace them..I'd give the deck more stability..+1 red fetch +1 Mountain +1 "2 mana land"..21 lands with senseis' - fetches manipulation..it seems a control-combo but maybe...and talkin 'bout sensei..maybe in this build Reforge the Soul could make some sense...

SB: IMHO -4 Leyline of the Void +3 Chaos Warp +1 Pyroclasm/Fallout

[hdeck12]

Thanks for the input crovax! I was thinking about cutting a pyromancy. But maindecking the defense grids mean I don't want to lose to blue game 1. They'll help.

I like the idea of a woodfall primus or two. I was thinking about what he'd be good against other than storm, and it hit me...omniscience/Dreamhalls/Hivemind. These are all pretty popular heavy blue combo decks that can be piloted with or without accuracy. Omniscience being the choice of late. I imagine Enter The Infinite could make an appearance with Omni or HighTide. Anyway, all still backing my original thought of seeing more combo than I'm used to. Will shuffle them around the board in testing.

Lands
-1 desperate ritual +1 Sandstone Needle
-1 lotus petal +1 mountain? OR red fetch?
-1 chrome mox +1 chalice of the void

I like the idea of coming back to Reforge the Soul. Wheel of fortune was my favorite card as a 10 year old. Which is NOT a good enough reason to play any card BUT reforge really fits in this deck. If anyone out there disagrees, please speak up with some evidence or situations, I'm trying to win more than appease the kid in me at this tournament. It wasn't good enough with the faithless lootings, but switching to top gives it a lot of utility.
-1 Griselbrand +1 Reforge the soul

I really want one more titan. It's hard to cut a chalice when they make each other better, but the only cards I can really think of cutting or moving to the board are....1 chalice, 1 through the breach, 1 grid or 1 top. The top is what I'm looking at. I've actually never played a deck that ran more than 1 top before. Is 4 too many? I did just add reforge BECAUSE of the top interaction. Is it good enough that I want one every time? My gut says yes, but my math brain says I'll see them too often. Anyone with top experience out there?

[teonsw]

Thanks for the input crovax! I was thinking about cutting a pyromancy. Then I read the gatecrash spoiler. Rapid Hybridization is going to warp legacy. I'm not sure exactly how yet but it will be played. Pyromancy rocks against blue so I think they're going to stay.

That card already exists.... isn't it just a reprint of pongify.

[hdeck12]

That card already exists.... isn't it just a reprint of pongify.

You're so right, clearly I'm no blue mage. Why don't people play that?

[nonja]

You're so right, clearly I'm no blue mage. Why don't people play that?

Because it's better to splash white and play STP? Pongify leaves 3/3 token, who can bash pretty hard.

[hdeck12]

Tournament Report

Today was Jupiter Game's monthly NELC. I had a great day. It was a 7 round, cut to top 8, 74 man event. I finished first. BOO YA! I'll post the deck list, a briefer report than usual, as I tried to take less notes today and concentrate more on playing, finished up with some reflections. This deck is the real deal...get used to it.


4 sandstone needle
4 ancient tomb
4 scalding tarn
1 wooded foothills
2 city of traitors
4 mountain

4 seething song
4 simian spirit guide
1 lotus petal

3 worldspine wurm
2 griselbrand
4 emrakul, the aeons torn
2 inferno titan

4 sneak attack
3 through the breach
3 pyromancy

3 sensei's divining top
1 reforge the soul
4 defense grid
3 blood moon

//SB

4 leyline of sanctity
1 through the breach
2 volcanic fallout
2 chaos warp
1 blood moon
2 woodfall primus
3 chalice of the void



Round 1 Dean with Burn

Game 1 I keep 6 on the draw in the dark with double top, double tomb, fetch, wurm. Goblin guide smacks me for 2. I open with tomb top trying to get some value off goblin guide...no such luck. I spend my remaining turns digging for business and hit nothing but reforge the soul. I manage to miracle it on my last turn, whiff and lose to all the bolts he drew.

SB In Leylines, Through the breach, Chalice
Out defense grids, Moons, a pyromancy

Game 2 I keep 6 to his 7. Once again all I see are ancient tombs. That plus his burn puts me to 5. I'm at the point where he's tapped out with one in hand. If I fetch for a mountain I can crash in with emrakul but will be in fireblast range. I go for it. He doesn't have fireblast but topdecks a land and a bolt hits my face.

0-1, Gunna be a short day

Round 2 Cory with Elves

Game 1 I keep 6 to his 7. He flipped a gaea's cradle while shuffling so once again I felt good. I cast sneak attack turn 2 without mana to activate it knowing I can follow it the next turn with through the breach if he uses all his resources to kill it rather then elfplode on my face. He decides To try and combo without perfect circumstances. Ends with Ezuri and enough elves and mana to deal LOTS of damage the following turn. I untap my sandstone needle and end the game.

In 3 chalice, 3 fallout
Out 4 defense grid, 2 pyromancy

Game 2 I mull to five with an opening chalice x=1. I keep, drop it in play and take chip damage from a his turn 1 llanowar, and two priests he was allowed to play for a few turns. With a gaea's cradle he had enough land to GSZ for regal force. That gave him enough cards to find an answer to chalice. He then deals with the chalice the turn before I can do anything constructive, and begins to combo off. He has two glimpse of natures going and draws his deck down to 5 cards. Casts Emrakul and forgets to announce the extra turn trigger. He continues to play useless elves. Then he tries to untap for his second turn and I stop him. I'm holding reforge the soul in hand and all I have to do is untap and cast it for the win. Too bad I'm a nice guy. I explain to him that these days you have to announce every trigger and someone else will definitely stick it to him with that. Then pick my cards up.

Game 3
I keep a hand with good stuff and a volcanic fallout. My turn 2 emrakul slows his game down. I respond to his third fetch with volcanic fallout for the win.

1-1 Good, at least you didn't lose ALL of your good matchups

Round 3 John with Junk

I don't remember this well, I must have been in a Chinese food stupor after the lunch break. Game 1 I keep 6 to his 7 on the play. He taps out on turn 2 for an Ooze and I turn 3 Worldpsine. The tokens quickly clean up.

Only saw GW lands so smell GSZ into Teeg. In Fallouts, Warps, Breach
Out Grids 1 pyromancy

Game 2 I think He landed a Teeg, then I landed a Moon, and cast a spirit guide to keep teeg from killing me. We both sit there and top deck for what felt like 10 turns. At some point I find a top, manage to find a titan and then a worldspine quickly follows.

2-1 Sure, we'll take it

Round 4 Ross with Dredge
Game 1 I keep a double pyromancy hand and he is way to fast for it. This was the first time anyone ever actually used griselbrand's ability to dredge a whole deck against me. Flayer and a large troll finished me off.

In DANG IT, I cut the hate and run into dredge. Moon(not seeing any mana game 1 but expceting dryad arbors) Breach, 2 fallout 2 chaos warps
Out Defense Grid 2 pyromancy

Game 2 Emrakul does some early work and a pyromancy finishes the job.

Game 3 My only notes on this are life totals. Mine goes from 20 to 16 and his doesn't change. Probably turn 2 double ancient tomb into through the breach a worldspine?

3-1 Ok, top 16 is in sight

Round 5 Devin with Scapeshift Nic Fit
Game 1 Devin was a little loose with his shuffling and flashed me enough cards to know what he was on. I keep a strong 7 even against discard. He has none and my turn 3 worldspine wraps up the game.

In Moon, Breach, 2 chaos warps
Out 4 Grids

Game 2 Bad notes again, I think he mulled to 5 or so and had 1 thoughseize as disruption. I think a turn 3 emrakul followed by a pyromancy finished the game.

4-1 Sweet, win one more and I can draw into top 8, my tiebreakers are average

Round 6 Joe with Mono Red Painters Stone
Game 1 We both know what the other are on and I'm pretty sure I can't lose. Not like, it's a good matchup, but like his cards can't actually win the game against mine. Ya know, unless I let a painter servant attack me 20 times. So he plays an early moon which does little to, or for, either of us. I don't do much until I can alpha swing and I think around turn 5 he goes for grindstone, I pick up my deck and hand it to him saying, you wanna look through it? cause there are 6 shuffle triggers about to hit the stack. He looks through it and offers to shuffle like a gentlemen (even though he knows he can't win game 1 and has a sad panda face) since we're having a fun mountain mirror. I untap and sneak titan plus emrakul for the win.

In 2 chaos warps, 1 breach, 3 chalice, 1 woodfall?
Out 4 grid 3 moon (In retrospect the grids would have been useful as I fought through 3-4 REB/Pyroblasts the following game)

Game 2 This was a crazy game. I don't have a lot of notes so it's from memory. He misses a land drop and pops his top to play a land. I decide to chaos warp his land (to shuffle away his top, and put him on 1 land for a few turns) Not the best use of chaos warp. Shoulda saved it. These games tend to get weird and long and I was being too aggressive. He doesn't miss enough land drops to make it useful. He lands two thorn of amethysts and a metal worker. I manage to go off with worldspine putting myself to 1. He crashed in for 15 and made 3 5/5s. Then Joe untaps and topdecks ensnaring bridge. We both have tops and dig as hard as we can for a win condition. Mine being Chaos warp, reforge the soul, 3 x pyromancy, his being...? Theres now about 5 minutes left in the round. I hit pyromancy first. Somehow I am low on mana with ancient tombs and being at 1 (he's at 3). I cast pyromancy, he top decks laboratory maniac and I pop my top (to get one more casting cost >3 card in my hand) and have a 6/7 chance of killing him with the pyromancy activation. It hits, I'm king of the mountains.


Round 7 Joey Manner with Miracle Helm Combo
I get the pair down and don't get to draw in...:-( Joey and I have played against each other a lot, he's a nice guy and we always have fun games. We talk about standings and he scoops me into top 8...at top seed! What a great guy!. He thinks it's a horrible matchup for him, I think it's more like 60/40 but in no way a "throw away game up in rochester". We play for fun, I smash him game 1, he counters me out of threats game 2, we both play really loose game three and I have no idea who would've won had we both been concentrating.

Top 8 1st seed...couldn't be much better right now.

Quarterfinals I stopped taking notes at this point so I don't have much on these matches, but they were all feature.
Hypergensis (RUG) On Camera
I keep a hand with more fatties than he can answer, knowing he can't put his in without letting me put mine in. It works out.

IN 3 chalice 2 chaos warp
Out 3 Moon, 2 pyromancy

Game 2
Pretty sure he kept at 5 cards not too happy. I think I have a turn 1 through the breach, he forces and a turn 2 or 3 sneak attack for emrakul while he was missing land drops.

Semi Finals
Louis with Junk On Camera
Game 1 I take some chip damage until emrakul and titan clean house.

In moon, breach, 2 fallout, 2 warp
out 4 grid 2 song

Game 2 Every turn he seemed to just be able to keep me from going off via wasteland or discard. I lose

Game 3
I hit a really early sneak attack, and have the choice of emrakul wipe your board, wurm follow up next turn or worldspine now kill you next turn. even if you answer sneak attack. I went with the emrakul, wrong play. It left him more outs. He had a decent handsize and had he been holding land he could draw into discard, stp, or pithing needle. Had I gone with the wurm his out was land into triple swords to plowshares. I hit with the emrakul and showed him the wurm and he extended his hand without drawing that last card, not sure if he even looked at it or not. I already gave one guy a free win today, couldn't take any chances in top 8 as I shuffled my cards together before he realizes there were outs.

Finals
Janene with Maverick on camera
Game 1 I do what we do against maverick. The life total says 20, 19, 0.

In breach, 2 warp, 3 chalice 2 fallout
Out 4 grid, 2 pyromancy, 1 Reforge 1 moon

Game 2 Teeg lands the turn before I can through the breach emrakul and then a jitte is equipped and charged the turn before I can inferno the little kithkin. Chaos warp is my only out, I don't find it before the equipment carrying 2/2 beats me down.

Game 3 I'm so tired and so frustrated I might lose to maverick in the finals. I don't remember the details but I had to deal with TWO gaddock Teeg's. I do and on the last turn I manage to sneak attack Worlspine, Emrakul AND Griselbrand, I could have drawn 7 to try and hit a titan to swing with
"The Team" but I didn't wanna take any chances. Game, Set, MATCH.

Seconds after my opponent and I shook hands my phone started buzzing off the hook from all the guys on my team who were watching my success at home. Shout out to Larry&theDoolittles from Ithaca, NY for helping me hatch this egg into a viscous beast, and Timur Babakol for finding me a shell to start with.

I am now the proud owner of 4 Underground Seas and a really big ego!

Reflections:
Top totally changes the way this deck is played. I liked it. Stays in. With three I was seeing
them in multiples. I think 4 would be too many.

Blood Moon/Dryad Arbor: Today I learned that Under a blood moon, a Dryad Arbor is a 1/1 Mountain that is still affected by summoning sickness.

Woodfall: Out, threw him in the last minute because I spotted some omniscience...didn't run into any. Gotta find something better.

I packed 4 defense grids main deck and didn't see islands until round 7. I know everyone thinks its a sideboard card, but for now I like a few main if I can still beat non blue decks. And they're the nuts against counterspells, which has been most of my losses.

Chaos Warp: This card deserves 2 slots minimum. It has way more applications than I expected. I'm still finding new ones.

Worldspine Finishes games against non white decks PERIOD. Half of him being so sweet is he leaves behind 3 huge blockers to keep you from taking that back swing. Emrakul is good early to hit lands, this guy is fantastic late to throw up blockers.

Grislbrand. I didn't activate him once today, he swung a few times alongside emrakul. I think 2 or 3 is good, but he's no 4 of, and good enough not to be a 1 of. Still not sure if 2 or three is right.

Reforgre: Cast it against burn in an emergency and it got me nowhere. I used it one other time and it didn't get there. It's a back up plan, but I'm not sure if it's the best one, casting it was way fun, but if I was winning it was over kill, and if I'm losiing the % still isnt' high it'll get me out. Maybe good to dig for an answer to a hate bear. I mean had I been a jerk, it actually would have won me a game today. Not sure, deserves some more matchups.

I'm overboarding against Junk. Help. I wanna bring in leyline for discard, fallout for teeg, moon for waste, chalce for swords, warp for liliana, and even woodfall for karakas. Any suggestions?

Leyline of Sanctity. I'm getting sick of not seeing a leyline, starting the game with 5 cards, then top decking one. It happens to me too much. They're so good agaisnt discard, but with the tops the deck might be able to handle discard better. I think those four slots desserve some more thoughts. They are really good for storm, but still have the same problem. Drawing them sucks.

Objective Complete.
-Hdeck

[xdavisx]

congrats!

[igri_is_a_bk]

Nice job hdeck!

Top was a great addition. I wish it didn't mean the Chalices had to be relegated to the sideboard, but that's how it goes.

I still don't like the Grids in there. You sided them out almost every game two, and counterspells aren't the most of our worries. I don't want to sit across from faster combo and that's about it. We can play enough win conditions to exhaust the counters from their hand. Then Grid can come in game two, and that's fine. We get three games even if you do get countered into oblivion game one. But I just don't see that happening often enough to warrant Grid.

I was so wrong to try the deck without Seething Song. So nobody else has to worry about testing that one.

// Lands
4 [TE] Ancient Tomb
2 [EX] City of Traitors
4 [MM] Sandstone Needle
2 [ON] Wooded Foothills
2 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
1 [ZEN] Arid Mesa
5 [UNH] Mountain

// Creatures
4 [PLC] Simian Spirit Guide
4 [ROE] Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 [AVR] Griselbrand
3 [M12] Inferno Titan
4 [RTR] Worldspine Wurm

// Spells
4 [US] Sneak Attack
4 [CHK] Through the Breach
4 [CHK] Sensei's Divining Top
4 [MR] Seething Song
1 [AVR] Reforge the Soul
3 [DK] Blood Moon
3 [SOM] Koth of the Hammer

// Sideboard
SB: 3 [UL] Defense Grid
SB: 3 [IA] Pyroclasm
SB: 2 [CMD] Chaos Warp
SB: 2 [DK] Tormod's Crypt
SB: 1 [ZEN] Ravenous Trap
SB: 3 [MR] Chalice of the Void
SB: 1 [ZEN] Mindbreak Trap

Here's what I'm playing now. I'm sick of Pyromancy. It's too slow, and doesn't win in one shot most of the time. It also makes my future Sneak and TtBs worse by pitching all my fatties. I'm done with it. Koth is good by himself, unlike Pyro, and is strong against blue just like we need in that slot. I've won on the back of Koth + Titan beat down enough times that I want to keep it there. I've been impressed how he functions as mana and an aggressor. Blood Moon is vital for this version as it shuts off their Wasteland for Koth's +1, while also stacking his -2. You have to play Moon with Koth. I'm pretty sure of that.

Reforge the Soul seems fine to me. I've used it before and it worked. I've also had it when I didn't need it, but I wasn't upset it was there for plan B.

[crovax86]

Congrats Hdeck!!! So happy for Ur result!! Maybe the "Reforge the Soul" idea hasn't been a great suggestion U can replace it with the 4th TTB instead..and add the 3rd Warp in your side..

I'm waiting to test Your build against some Ubased (Team America, BUG, RUG, Esper Stoneblade, Miracle) but it seems very cool!!

Question: How's different the style of play of this Top version compared with the Looting version? Have you ever think in some game situations "I miss them" or not at all?



@ igri_is_a_bk: Ok, You don'like Pyromacies and there's nothing we can do to change your mind but adding Koths in a 5 mountains - 3 moons effects it could be not so effective..otherwise adding more moons effect in a "fetch-sensei" build is not a good move. IMHO if U don't want to play pyromancies -3 Koth +1 Titan +1Chrome mox/Lotus Petal +1 Wurmcoil (a very good "castable" creature in this deck).

[hdeck12]

I never missed the Faithless Lootings at all. All day long I was turn 1 casting top and spinning it for 2 damage. It made the combo much more reliable. I did have to make the decision of turn 1 top or sandstone quite a bit. Not a big deal, but one new line.

It changes mulligans. I was able to keep many more hands. I only went to 5 once all day, and never below. And I have no fear mulliganing, I'll go right down to 3 if I'm not satisfied. It also just gives more options. You don't have to commit to lines of play as early. Seeing your next three cards means you can set up your "best" line and then adjust depending on your opponents play. Before I felt like I was taking whatever line was possible, not the best since I couldn't see my next two draws.

The deck becomes less vulnerable to discard as well. you can leave the two combo pieces (or whichever one you want to hide) on the top of your library and just leave them there until you're ready to go off. Then if they thoughtseize emrakul or wurm, you just have to decide if you pop the top and win next turn, or just start spinning again after the shuffle.

Playing Fetches was fun too. Got to keep my opponents guessing whether or not I had counterspells.

Top is a winner.

As for reforge....still undecided.

So wait, you can wasteland Koth's mountain creature? That's...awkward. The only non wasteable land is now a target? And then Koth's ramp ability gets worse? I think a Koth build desserves more moon effects. At three I wasn't seeing them all the time. I've never played with him though so keep us updated! Glad the seething song train is boarding again. I mean, it's banned in modern, must be good!

Anyone wanting more castable threats....crovax is right on with wurmcoil engine. Some decks just can't answer him without like 5 cards. He turned into inferno titan for me with the rise of maverick. Now that its numbers are dwindling I may reconsider the lifelinking deathtoucher.

[igri_is_a_bk]

I assumed if a Mountain becomes a Land Creature then it is nonbasic. I'm not entirely familiar with the interaction. If anyone could clear that up, that'd be great.

You don't need as many Mountains for Koth to work as you guys think. Mainly, he gets used for his +1 which requires only one Mountain. Between five fetches, five Mountains, and four Blood Moons (dropped Reforge for the fourth), I have a basic in play each game. If Koth's +1 is the mashed potatoes, then his -2 is the gravy. Once you do have Blood Moon in play, your mana can be tight unless you have a Song in hand. That's when his -2 shines most. And tbh, I haven't used his -5 yet.

Do you guys think Pyromancy is a sacred cow to the deck? I really don't, as you all know. But I have a hard time believing that I'm the only one who has a problem with it.

[Koby]

I assumed if a Mountain becomes a Land Creature then it is nonbasic. I'm not entirely familiar with the interaction. If anyone could clear that up, that'd be great.

You don't need as many Mountains for Koth to work as you guys think. Mainly, he gets used for his +1 which requires only one Mountain. Between five fetches, five Mountains, and four Blood Moons (dropped Reforge for the fourth), I have a basic in play each game. If Koth's +1 is the mashed potatoes, then his -2 is the gravy. Once you do have Blood Moon in play, your mana can be tight unless you have a Song in hand. That's when his -2 shines most. And tbh, I haven't used his -5 yet.

Do you guys think Pyromancy is a sacred cow to the deck? I really don't, as you all know. But I have a hard time believing that I'm the only one who has a problem with it.

Koth does not modify the existing supertype (Basic), just the subtypes.
Thus, "Basic Land - Mountain" now becomes - "Basic Land Creature - Mountain Elemental"

[Kich867]

Game 2 I mull to five with an opening chalice x=1. I keep, drop it in play and take chip damage from a his turn 1 llanowar, and two priests he was allowed to play for a few turns. With a gaea's cradle he had enough land to GSZ for regal force. That gave him enough cards to find an answer to chalice. He then deals with the chalice the turn before I can do anything constructive, and begins to combo off. He has two glimpse of natures going and draws his deck down to 5 cards. Casts Emrakul and forgets to announce the extra turn trigger. He continues to play useless elves. Then he tries to untap for his second turn and I stop him. I'm holding reforge the soul in hand and all I have to do is untap and cast it for the win. Too bad I'm a nice guy. I explain to him that these days you have to announce every trigger and someone else will definitely stick it to him with that. Then pick my cards up.

Objective Complete.
-Hdeck

Just as a heads up, this isn't actually the case and wasn't the case at the time of the tournament. In the future, your opponent in no way has to announce the Emrakul extra turn trigger--it's implied that the trigger resolves correctly unless your opponent takes an action or announces something that would imply that it was forgotten. This was changed in the recent missed triggers policy change. Him untapping to take his next turn is all that is required to resolve the trigger. It is implied that the trigger is forgotten if he passes and you take your turn, and that's the only way it can be missed now.

He'll never get knocked for it anymore, as it really should be, the whole "Gotcha!" era of magic where people could dick people over for obviously implied trigger resolution was silly. Similarly if someone had 3 exalted creatures out, I don't think you'd tell them they didn't resolve their triggers properly if they said "swing for 5" with a 2/2 instead of saying, "First exalted trigger, second exalted trigger, third exalted trigger, swing for 5."

[hdeck12]

@Kich: Thats great to hear, I can't stand the arguing over triggers that are implied but not always explicitly stated. A little while ago I was at a tournament and people were getting nailed for not announcing the annihilator trigger. Was that fixed with the new rules changed too? What if I say "attack with emrakul" and my opponent says "no blocks", and goes to adjust his life total without sacrificing the two lands that are in play. Do they stay or go?

@Koby: glad you're still checkin in on us.

@Igri: Ok. I'll buy it. Probably won't try it, but understand it. I agree with reforge for moon. I'm not sure what mine will become yet but moons a strong contender.

I was hoping to give this a whirl at SCG Edison but with all the snow on the east coast everything's still up in the air :-(. Only other time I was at an SCG Open was in Buffalo and I got a game loss to stone blade for misregistering (writing 'Chalice' instead of 'Chalice of the void') my deck. Didn't get a game 3 and lost the match. And got a game loss to rug in round 5 to be out of prizes for presenting an illegal deck. The judge asked me to hurry up shuffling (even though we had only used 5 minutes of the round for game 1) since I took a few minutes boarding. In my nervous hurry I counted out my sideboard and it was 15 so I just shoved my deck together and presented. Deck check time, oh yeah and a warning for slow playing cause you took too long to board and shuffle. Thanks judge, I like most of you but this one's bummin me out. He comes back and a through the breach is missing from the 75. Two judges and myself can't find it, I accept a game loss into a match loss. I walk outside look through my pile and find it stuck between two wurm tokens...FML. Hoping to redeem my poor performance, in what I think is a pretty good field.

[Koby]

@Kich: Thats great to hear, I can't stand the arguing over triggers that are implied but not always explicitly stated. A little while ago I was at a tournament and people were getting nailed for not announcing the annihilator trigger. Was that fixed with the new rules changed too? What if I say "attack with emrakul" and my opponent says "no blocks", and goes to adjust his life total without sacrificing the two lands that are in play. Do they stay or go?

The new trigger rules assume all triggers will happen, as long as no other meaningful game actions have occurred. Life-total changes or declaring blockers is a meaningful game action. If awareness of the trigger was not demonstrated prior to taking damage or declaring blockers, then the trigger is missed. The attacking player would have to have missed the annihilator and acknowledge a blocker for it to have been missed.

[Koby]

// Lands
4 [TE] Ancient Tomb
2 [EX] City of Traitors
4 [MM] Sandstone Needle
2 [ON] Wooded Foothills
2 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
1 [ZEN] Arid Mesa
5 [UNH] Mountain

// Creatures
4 [PLC] Simian Spirit Guide
4 [ROE] Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 [AVR] Griselbrand
3 [M12] Inferno Titan
4 [RTR] Worldspine Wurm

// Spells
4 [US] Sneak Attack
4 [CHK] Through the Breach
4 [CHK] Sensei's Divining Top
4 [MR] Seething Song
1 [AVR] Reforge the Soul
3 [DK] Blood Moon
3 [SOM] Koth of the Hammer

// Sideboard
SB: 3 [UL] Defense Grid
SB: 3 [IA] Pyroclasm
SB: 2 [CMD] Chaos Warp
SB: 2 [DK] Tormod's Crypt
SB: 1 [ZEN] Ravenous Trap
SB: 3 [MR] Chalice of the Void
SB: 1 [ZEN] Mindbreak Trap

This is more or less what I had envisioned when I heard of the mono-red Sneak deck. List looks solid, and time for me to sleeve it up :D

EDIT: OK finally built this list. Played it in a local 10 man tourney with a lot of Storm, so I packed 4 Chalice and 3 MBT to help fight.

Round 1 - Show & Tell (2-0), his Show & Tell is symmetrical, my TtB is asymmetrical. Easy win.
Round 2 - 4c Storm (0-2), can't do much Game 1, then I keep a good hand w/o Storm hate, but get discarded out of the game. Too fast and disruptive.
Round 3 - UW Miracles (2-0), I have all the time in the world. I cast 2 Inferno Titans and they both get countered, clearing the room for TtB to put in a Worldspine Wurm. Take 15 then 3 5/5s seal it up.
Round 4 - RUG Delver - he scoops to me so we can split the prizes.

I also tested vs Maverick, and Inferno Titan is ridiculous at dispatching Gaddock Teeg.
I had a blast with this deck, even if it does depend on its opening hand more than other decks.

4 Tops are definitely good in this deck, and I could see playing 1 Faithless Looting just to increase the amount of filtering effects too. I don't know what I would cut.