[Deck] Imperial Painter

[drude1]

Drude1 is 5 graveyard hate cards necessary? seems a bit extreme. i think you could cut the crypt for Daretti if your planning on taking him out of the MD. As for your flex spots i agree with EE being amazing specially when abused with welder and Daretti. And of course ill always make a suggestion of have trinispheres in the SB. its just special to me and slaming that turn one is enough sometimes.

I totally meant leyline of sanctity and revised my list. I play E.E in the main already. think I'm gonna go with the Daretti in the SB as he's just more versatile. Just don't know what other MUs I would bring him in against. IQ is tomorrow so we'll see how it goes.

Also, trying to work in Keranos I also tried this configuration:

-1 e-tutor main
-1 spirit guide main
-1 Plateau main

+1 Trinket Mage main
+1 lotus petal main (4 total)
+1 volcanic island main
+1 keranos in the SB

the benefit is that if you are short your grindstone but have the painter and a recruiter, you can recruit into trinket mage into grindstone. Trinket mage also gets things like e.e, top, lotus petal or the one of chrome mox I play (or the tormod's crypt out of the board). this build also lets you more easily get to 3 colors for e.e. if need be. I really, really like Keranos against Miracles as they only have one card in their deck that can deal with it; it can kill creatures, jaces or the opponent and gives you card advantage when drawing land. Still not actually convinced on the trinket mage over e-tutor though so I might swap it out for something else like a top or something.

I'm also surprised to see so many people cut Jaya lately. Do people think she is that bad? She has won me so many games when the combo doesn't work (eg. Emrakul decks).

[RingoDeathStarr]

I'm not a big fan of Jaya because usually she just dies to everything before you get any utility from her, and I don't think she's needed in the Sneak match up any more if you run Containment Priest, Koth, Canonist, and Ensnaring Bridge. She is insane if she doesn't die though, no contest there. Also, her utility in Miracles is less than that of Engineered Explosives in my opinion, and she's awful against U/R Delver, while EE is good in both match ups and just as effective, if not more so, against Chalice of the Void decks. Granted, she's easy to find with Imperial Recruiter, but I'm on 3 Enlightened Tutor personally, so I don't feel like it's a huge difference in availability, and it's certainly a lot faster and less expensive.

[Nuke is Good]

I'm not a big fan of Jaya because usually she just dies to everything before you get any utility from her, and I don't think she's needed in the Sneak match up any more if you run Containment Priest, Koth, Canonist, and Ensnaring Bridge. She is insane if she doesn't die though, no contest there. Also, her utility in Miracles is less than that of Engineered Explosives in my opinion, and she's awful against U/R Delver, while EE is good in both match ups and just as effective, if not more so, against Chalice of the Void decks. Granted, she's easy to find with Imperial Recruiter, but I'm on 3 Enlightened Tutor personally, so I don't feel like it's a huge difference in availability, and it's certainly a lot faster and less expensive.

For me Jaya is great on game 1 when your opponent doesn't expect the ensnaring bridge. Helps you go hellbent and is a vindicate on a stick. I do board her out against faster decks though. Against Sneak and Show I went boring and went the containment priest route.

[Sleight]

I would have to agree that jaya may be too situational. It is just too slow against most red decks. I have moved mine to the side and haven't had too many matches where I really like bringing it in apart from 12 post.
I have moved hedge mage to the main and have enjoyed it as a target to find in many matches/situations.
Maybe moving jaya out completely in this meta is correct. I am going to add containment priest and see how it plays.

I need to post my updated list as well, but alas I only have my phone as a source of typing responses at this time, and it just seems like a pain :/

[Kap'n Cook]

Jaya is one of the highest upside cards you can run for the low low cost of one slot in the maindeck. Slow? Yes. But applications against every single deck if she sticks and especially in the matchups where you'll get blown out by random. Aka chalice, eldrazi. Too good to ever cut imo. Back in 2012 when I was first starting I had this belief of not needing her but was quickly set straight and realized that upside greatly outweighs downside.

Went 3-3 drop at Philly. I blame the bad result on a package I ordered a week ago not arriving in time lol. (hedge-mage, explosives, portal pyroclasms) was forced to borrow ee (or use ratchet) overpay for two shitty art m11 or whatever set pyros and run my homeboy manic vandal. I think I won 1 out of 6 die rolls and most were extremely relevant.

Lost to elves round 1 when I kept a turn 3 combo hand on the draw of 3 land, stone, petal, tutor, other stuff and he turn 3 nordered for lethal. Then game 3 I monkey blasted a glimpse on his turn 3 and he had another to go off. Would've had two blasts at the ready next turn with active top+many shuffles. Beat Landstill, then 4c Chalice Loam solely on the back of jaya and ee. EE killed chalice and mox game 1 to get combo in. Game two there were two chalices set to one and jaya was able to ping out with the help of bob. Beat Team america cruise by using ee to kill three flipped delvers on two occasions and then beat through null rod g3. So things looking better and then faced punishing maverick. Lost the roll and had a t1 moon but he went fetch, savannah, birds. Oh well. Lost in 3 because of so many pridemages, jitte, rec sage, pfire, stp etc. By this time I was in the dregs and faced a buddy of mine from VA who likes to brew chalice metagame hate decks. Spirit Lab, Tnn, equipment, thalia, factories, fire/ice, echoing truth etc. Almost got there game 1 with jaya.

Basically the tourney just reaffirmed my belief of needing to wade through the bullshit in the early rounds to get to the tier 1/1.5 decks and I was unable to do so. I'm never one to make sweeping judgments about choices after six matches, but the deck was certainly capable of making a strong run and is pretty svelte at the moment. I definitely like how the 75 sits, even with cruise. I hadn't played a larger paper event in a long time and the site sucks but I definitely felt an edge being able to mindgame and read opponents. I was flooding out like crazy with 19 lands and was never mana screwed even when facing down loam+wasteland on two separate occasions. I sometimes debate a 20th but then realize that it still ran well in the face of so many wastelands pre-khans. Only thing I'll probably be debating is maindeck canonist over one of the other cards in the board if the meta stays the same after the 19th.

Last random thing: vs punishing maverick had an off-camera feature while sitting at table 52. Not sure if this means I for some reason am known? Hopefully it's because Shortcake (especially the name) is becoming widespread.

-Jack

[Sleight]

Glad to hear you made it to a paper event! Shame things didn't break better for you. Elves can be an aggravating match for sure!
My thought with hedge mage over jaya (with jaya still in SB) was with the current meta is that I've noticed I only need a one time removal on a chalice g1 or random enchantment once g1 then g2 bring in jaya as well for grindier matches, since it is so amazing on a stalled bored.
After what you said I doubt I'll cut it from the side. I haven't done a bunch of testing with it in the side yet, so there is a good possibility I am going to switch them back around soon.

[drude1]

So I also played in a paper tourney today, an SCG qualifer. 44 people at the event. I felt like being a little goofy so played the keranos build I was talking about. Here was my list.

// Lands
3 [ZEN] Mountain (3)
4 [ZEN] Arid Mesa
1 [MR] Great Furnace
1 [UNH] Plains
1 [R] Plateau
3 [EX] City of Traitors
4 [V12] Ancient Tomb
1 [ON] Flooded Strand
1 [R] Volcanic Island

// Creatures
4 [SHM] Painter's Servant
3 [P3] Imperial Recruiter
2 [JGC] Goblin Welder
1 [NPH] Spellskite
1 [SOM] Trinket Mage

// Spells
4 [TE] Grindstone
4 [IA] Pyroblast
4 [CH] Blood Moon
2 [SH] Ensnaring Bridge
3 [ARE] Enlightened Tutor
3 [V09] Sensei's Divining Top
4 [V09] Lotus Petal
3 [B] Red Elemental Blast
1 [MR] Chrome Mox
1 [MMA] Engineered Explosives
1 [JOU] Keranos, God of Storms

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [TSP] Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
SB: 1 [EVE] Duergar Hedge-Mage
SB: 1 [FUT] Magus of the Moon
SB: 1 [ALA] Ethersworn Canonist
SB: 3 [M11] Leyline of Sanctity
SB: 3 [AL] Pyrokinesis
SB: 1 [OD] Sphere of Law
SB: 1 [C14] Containment Priest
SB: 1 [M15] Tormod's Crypt
SB: 1 [DKA] Grafdigger's Cage

Ended up going 3-2-1. Not great, but got to play in a win-and-in last match so I felt I did okay.

Quick tourney report:

Rnd 1: Reanimator

G1: Turn 1 Griselbrand with lotus petal. I lose
G2: Only big play mistake I think I made this tourney (other than not mulliganing in my last game of round 6). I turn 1 welder and petal. He goes land-go.. I turn 2 bridge and it sticks and then SWING WITH MY WELDER! he EOT entombs for Ashen Rider and exhumes it, exiling my bridge that I no can't weld because I attacked (had a petal in the yard). Luckily, that's about all he has and I have quick combo before the ashen rider kills me.
G3: I open with tormod's crypt, grafdigger's cage, top and a few lands. Great opener against him. He turn 1 Griselbrand and GG.

0-1

Rnd 2: BUG with Goyfs, treasure cruise, etc.

G1: He drops some early beats but I stabilize with bridge. He abrupt decays bridge and hits. I EOT etutor another one and stabilize again and after a few turns combo off.
G2: He forces an early blood moon and I get run over by early goyfs.
G3: I drop an early moon with petal and get out my combo early but am stuck on 2 lands. I blast his one forest and a needle he had on grindstone and he just scoops even though I have no 3rd land.

1-1

Rnd 3: Elves

G1: I combo off really fast
G2: I open with Moon, Painter, blast, etutor and lands. He turn 1 thoughtseizes and I cast etutor for a grindstone. So now he has to either take my moon (he has no basics and no mana elves out) or break up the combo. He decides to take moon and I play out combo with blast backup for his natural order

2-1

Rnd 4: Elves again

G1: opponent mulls to 5 and I early combo
G2: Pt apparently had a heavy discard hand but no black mana. I combo out very fast

3-1

Rnd 5: Enchantress

I am now on 9 points and my opponent is on 12 and I know he would gladly draw. I don't know what he is on.
G1: I win the roll and turn 1 blood moon. He proceeds to drop all his basic lands and goes crazy. I draw nothing for like 6 turns and lose to RIP/helm
G2: I mull to 5 and have 2 ancient tombs, combo and one other card. I drop combo early and activate, hoping he doesn't play Emrakul. Turns out he does but it was in his hand! Lucky!
G3: I decide that this is a bad MU as he has tons of basics and an Emrakul in the main. So I decide to go for a win-and-in in the next round and offer the draw. He quickly accepts. After thinking about this MU though, if you get the combo out early, they have a few turns where they draw crazy numbers of cards. I think you could just go for comboing them out after they have drawn a bunch of cards already and are about to draw more off triggers. You just hope they've drawn their Emrakul. Not sure what else to do. I will say I definitely brought in Jaya here but didn't see her.

3-1-1

Rnd 6: MUD (with goblin welders and chalice of the void)

Need to win this to get into top 8. don't know what he's on.

G1: he's on the play and turn 1 Welder...great. He then drops early lodestones and I get run over.
G2: Not exactly sure how this went, but he had a ton of hate including a welder, revoker and chalice. I blew up his chalice with e.e and killed welder and revoker with a pyrokinesis. He plays daretti and brings back revoker on grindstone as I have combo on board. I kill daretti with a painter swing and then kill revoker again with hedge-mage (he has a wasteland and doesn't kill my volcanic island in response to shut off the 2 mountain thing, yes!). I combo off.
G3: biggest mistake here is that I should have mulliganed. I had 2 city of traitors, a top and other stuff. He turn 1 chalice on 1 and I am stuck doing nothing and just get rolled.

3-2-1 and I'm out of top 8.

My thoughts: I really like the 3rd etutor and like the general idea of comboing as fast as possible. Someone a page or two up posted their list that was really basic with pretty much combo only and did really well with it so I was inspired. Thus, I play 3 etutor, 3 tops, 3 recruiters and a trinket mage to find whatever I need. the blue splash actually never really came up. Not sure about it but theoretically I do really like the Keranos against Miracles. Probably won't main-deck again though. I had cut the Jaya for the trinket mage and may move Jaya back to the main over Keranos, as I actually sided Jaya in at least 3 times on this particular day. I really missed RIP in the board and definitely need to find room for it again. That being the case, I will have to cut either grafdigger's cage or containment priest for it. I think I actually like the cage better because it can be searched for much faster and comes down faster which is very relevant against elves. It also is relevant against decks like ANT and Solidarity, although the Priest is better against show and tell. Tough call.

I'm going to test the blue splash a little more online and see how it goes. I don't know if the extra color is really worth it for Keranos. But like I said before, it also let's me get to 3 for e.e easier as well. Having said that, if a new win condition for miracles gets printed that is mono white (eg. a mono-white Assemble the legion) I would drop the blue. Keranos is kinda my pet card right now though as well. Loving it in Modern.

[ravenklath]

Last random thing: vs punishing maverick had an off-camera feature while sitting at table 52. Not sure if this means I for some reason am known? Hopefully it's because Shortcake (especially the name) is becoming widespread.

I would say you are becoming more known, several streamers are aware of who you are. And your recent results have helped but it on the map so much so where people are saying in chats anyways, is this Painter servant deck a real deck to be worried about? So yeah im sure you are getting more recognition then you realize Jack.

[Mapson]

whenever people find out I play painter they ask if I know you.

[Tammit67]

whenever people find out I play painter they ask if I know you.

You play painter and are from West Chester... I'm sorry man

[Bonk]

I saw numerous lists playing hedge mage duergar. it seems really nice and polyvalent against many problems, but hard to play efficiently. for those who had tested the card... is this a problem to cast the card ?

I thought about playing 3 plateau instead of 2, but the mana base would be more fragile. It's not a problem for the 'white part of the card' - against combo decks, omnishow for exemple. but it seems perilous against equipment decks, like maverick, D&T or patriot, which all play wasteland and mana denial

[RingoDeathStarr]

I think it's important to think of Hedge-mage as a Manic Vandal with potential upside, not as a Wear//Tear on a stick. As such, it hasn't changed my deck construction much, though I have run 3 Plateaus in the past with few problems getting double white or with Wasteland. Against Wasteland decks with equipment, the enchantment destruction doesn't even matter, so just fetch basics or sequence your lands to play around Wasteland, cast Blood Moons etc. and he'll be live. I've only ever not been able to get his artifact trigger once when it has mattered, and I've cast him quite a few times now.

[nonbasicland]

I'm going to play Shortcake out at Legacy night again tonight. Hopefully I can play a round or two on WUBRGxyz's stream.

[Uroborian]

@nonbasicland That's the store on north Broadway tonight? I've got the night free so I'm headed up to sling some spells witchya

[nonbasicland]

@nonbasicland That's the store on north Broadway tonight? I've got the night free so I'm headed up to sling some spells witchya

Yep! Broadway and Bryn Mawr. I'll be wearing a black shirt, black hoodie and a tan hat. Should be there around 6:30!

[Mapson]

You play painter and are from West Chester... I'm sorry man

There's nothing to be sorry about, it's not that hard to answer a simple question but I mean I've also been asked out of the area. I got asked at GP Baltimore

[Bonk]

Hi, here's the list which make me win a tournament 5-0 in france. (there's only 1 or 2 changes). My meta is heavy combo, with sneak & show, omnishow, miracle or UR delver in the top table. So I've made changes : inclusion of duergar, forgetender and priest. I worked on this list and on the sideboarding plan. Could you help me in correcting mistakes on the sideboarding plan ? Do you see big mistakes ? Have you advices for me ?

Should I play a third plateau instead of the furnace ? (for duergar)

MD :
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mountain
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 City of Traitors
2 Plateau
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Great Furnace
4 Painter's Servant
4 Imperial Recruiter
3 Simian Spirit Guide
2 Goblin Welder
2 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
4 Pyroblast
2 Enlightened Tutor
3 Red Elemental Blast
4 Blood Moon
4 Grindstone
3 Sensei's Divining Top
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Lotus Petal

SB :
1 Containment Priest
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Rest in Peace
1 Burrenton forge-tender
1 Vandal Manic
2 Koth of the Hammer
3 Sudden shock
1 Vexing Susher
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Trinisphere



Death & Taxes
-3 Top, -1 Welder, -2 Moon
+1 Bomb, +3 Shock, +1 Duergar, +1 Priest

RUG Delver
-2 Revoker, -1 Jaya, -1 Top
+1 Forgetender, +1 RIP, +1 Susher, +1 Thorn

Patriot Delver
-1 Jaya, -2 Top, -1 Welder, -1 Tutor
+1 Duergar, +1 Forgetender, +3 Shock

MUD
-2 Tutor, -2 Moon, -2 Top
+1 Priest, +1 Duergar, +3 Shock, +1 Shusher

Goblins
-4 Moon, -1 Reb, -1 Top
+3 Shock, +1 Duergar, +1 Forgetender, +1 Priest

UR Delver
-4 Moon, -1 Jaya, -1 Top
+1 Shusher, +1 Forgetender, +3 Shock, +1 Thorn

ANT
-2 Moon, -2 Bridge
+1 Thorn, +1 3phere, +1 Canonist, +1 RIP

BUG Shardless
-1 Top, -1 Reb, -2 Tutor
+2 Koth, +1 Duergar, +1 RIP

BUG Tempo
-2 Tutor, -1 Reb, -2 Top
+3 Bolt, +1 Susher, +1 RIP

Dredge
-4 Moon, -1 Magus, -1 Jaya
+1 RIP, +1 Priest, +2 Crypt, +1 Thorn, +1 3sphere

Elfes
-1 Top, -1 Welder, -4 Moon, -1 Magus
+3 Shock, +1 Canonist, +1 Priest, +1 Duergar, +1 3sphere

Jund
-1 Jaya, -1 Petal, -1 Magus, -1 Welder, -2 Top, -1 Reb
+3 Shock, +1 RIP, +1 Forgetender, +2 Koth

Miracle
-2 Tutors, -1 Magus, -1 Moon
+2 Koth, +1 Shusher, +1 Duergar

Omni-Tell
-4 Moon, -1 Magus, -2 Revoker, -1 Top
+1 Canonist, +1 3phere, +1 Thorn
+2 Crypt, +1 RIP, +1 Shusher, +1 Duergar

Sneak-Show
-4 Moon, -1 Magus, -2 Stone
+2 Crypt, +1 Priest, +1 Canonist, +2 Koth, +1 Duergar

Esper-Blade
-2 Petals, -2 Tutor, -1 Moon, -1 Magus
+3 Shock, +1 Duergar, +2 Koth

Spiral Tide
-4 Moon, -2 Bridge
+1 3sphere, +1 Canonist, +1 Thorn, +2 Crypt, +1 Shusher

Reanimator
-4 Moon, -1 Top
+1 RIP, +1 Priest, +2 Crypt, +1 Canonist

Merfolks
-4 Moon, -2 Revoker
+3 Shock, +1 Vandal, +1 Priest, +1 Shusher

Painter
-4 Moon, -2 Painter, -1 Reb
+1 Forgetender, +2 Koth, +1 Duergar, +3 Shock

12-Post
-4 Grinstone
+1 Priest, +2 Koth, +1 Duergar

RG Lands
-2 Tops, -2 Welder
+2 Crypt, +1 Duergar , +1 RIP

Burn
- 4 Moon, -1 Magus
+1 Canonist, +1 3Sphere, +1 Thorn, +1 Forgetender
+1 Duergar

UG Poison
-2 Revoker, -2 Top, -1 Tutor
+3 Shock, +1 Thorn, +1 Susher

thanks

[nonbasicland]

@Uroborian

Nice meeting you last night! Sorry I had to bolt after Round 4, had to be up for work really early today. I dig that deck you're running!

[Dutch253]

I'm going to play Shortcake out at Legacy night again tonight. Hopefully I can play a round or two on WUBRGxyz's stream.

Do you know if you made the stream or video that goes up on YouTube? I'd love the watch the deck in action!

[Mapson]

By the way did anybody here besides Jack and I make it out to SCG "Philly" and if so how did it go? I ended 5-4 losing out on day 2 in my final round to elves. I got to blow him out game two with a turn 2 chandra to kill the dryad arbor he gsz'd for and it was amazing. I also blew him out with marytr of ashes but ultimately fell in three...though the modern more than made up for it. I als finished getting what I needed for grixis painter while there