[Primer/Deck] Pox

[Hardcore]

Speaking of delver...
Extirpate or chalice of the void?

[Quitrex]

Which version and what are you answering? In general I prefer the extirpate effects, as pulling them off the color of their primary non-delver threat is generally not a bad way to win. You can also just pick something that you never want to see again (a'la pyromancer), where most delver decks will try to come out of the gate at you faster than you can deploy a chalice, and you don't lock them out of their ability to protect their threats, just the ability to control their library and burn you out. That said, I don't think you should need either one, but they are potentially relevant to bring in if you have some cards you aren't terribly happy with in the matchup. Also, am I the only one who's looking at collective brutality as maybe a 5th smallpox?

[Hardcore]

5th? 5th - 8th possibly. Or even replacing smallpox itself. It IS easier on our mana base. That land we needed to get the steam up after SP can be discarded to CB. Hymn, CB, pox, liliana. Should be easier to play the 'heavies' in such a configuration.
But frankly, i am not comfortable to axe smallpox.

[Quitrex]

I think half the power of smallpox (and why I'm not axing it for CB) is that escalate is part of the cost and then try counter it. Also, CB doesn't hit land, can't deal with mongoose, goyf, angler or tnn and will never hit the batterskul they bounced, te Thalia or the mind sculptor that they have in hand.

[Hardcore]

CB hits delver and young pyromancer, and thalia, drs etc. and that without you escalate it. If you do, but run bloodghast and nether spirit, then it will not cost you anything, card advantage vise to have it countered.
I also like to get information of my opponents hand, even if i hit none of his cards.

[Quitrex]

I think we can agree that picking up your set is something to do while they're at 1.5 reg/4foil

[Hardcore]

?

[OmniStrata]

To call Collective Brutality Smallpox #5 would be an insult to the original Pox.

True, CB is good when you have a discard fodder in your hand, like a retrace, Nether Spirit, or Bloodghast, etc. But since most Pox decks don't have a hard draw engine and bases its card advantage on wrecking cards, that could cause 'jamming'.

I only have 1-2 Nether spirit in my deck and that's really the only 'expendable' card I use. Sometimes I run Syphon Life but it's not consistent.

However, if I wanted oh, Pox 'wannabe' #9-12, I suppose this is a close fit.

Now I'm wondering if they print enough 'multi killing' cards, would it be possible to build a Pox deck with 20 'pox-like' spells in it...

[AngryTroll]

Collective Brutality's biggest appeal to me is that it's useful at multiple points of the game as both proactive disruption and reactive removal. I don't think you necessarily need to get two modes out of it to be happy with casting one-just having an appropriate mode at all times is valuable.

It feels really close to amazing. If it was 1cc or if it was a full Duress (so that it could hit Sneak Attack, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, and Batterskull) I'd call it an automatic four-of in a variety of decks. As printed it looks interesting.

[Hardcore]

I have been looking for some edge in my deck, and also more creature kill. This will hit both spots perfectly.

It give so much else too. It will be brutal vs burn. You kill the goblin guide, take one of his bolts and drain his life to add to yours (effectively gaining an extra turn) .

Against PiF it will have much the same effect, cast on turn two, as a hymn would have. Pulling a spell and adding to your life make it harder to make that fatal drain.

[Hardcore]

Eternal scourge
This card, maybe... I have ordered two for peanuts so will test them next week.

[zenitramleirdag]

Eternal scourge
This card, maybe... I have ordered two for peanuts so will test them next week.

its immune to most removal spells in legacy, though its a non-bo with our symmetrical sac effects(bloods and poxes)..if you really wish to use it, you might wanna replace some copies of innocent blood with disfigure, diabolic edict, smother, etc..

[Hardcore]

I think they will work well with delve effects, and those annoying Relic of Progenitus. Would also allow me to play Planar Void in main, which i have considered the merits of.

[Hardcore]

Here is a draft of my deck with the new cards. I am away so cannot test it for some time.


4 Bloodghast
2 tombstalker
2 eternal scourge
1 nether spirit
1 necroplasm

4 Smallpox
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Pox
4 collective brutality
3 liliana of the veil
2 sensei's divining top
3 shrieking affliction

14 Swamp
4 bloodstained mire
3 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
4 wasteland
1 mikokoro, center of the sea


Eternal scourge help replace Tombstalker. The demon is nice but two copies in the deck is probably optimal.

[Quitrex]

My issue with running big pox as smallpox 5-8 is that so many of the decks you want the extra pox against will be throwing bolts, and losing 1/3 of your life total seems counter-productive. Also, at te points where you don't have any dead or pseudo dead cards in your hand to pitch, then you are probably fine either only getting one mode or casting something else. Also, not having cards that pitch well isn't a valid argument when you're playing 4 smallpox, 4 Liliana, and advocating pox over this option. I am of the opinion that this card will likely be the preferred option in multicolored versions and the versions that want to trim on lands, where pox is less forgiving to the mana base but does have more kick. I also feel that the more utility lands you run, te less attractive Pox seems as an option, and the ability to pick what you're killing/making them discard is a suitable reparation for the lack of raw power. I don't think I'll play it as more than a 2 of, but I fully intend to give it a shot, and I don't feel it will disappoint.

[Hardcore]

Indeed!

BTW. i can recommend playing multiple pox vs. burn. It is a big thrill. You shock yourself, the audience and the opponent. With the rack in play the odds are in your favor, but the opponent can top deck.

What happen when you play the first is that opponent sac two lands and blast you. (no worries. that blast will do only two damage after pox resolve.) Then he is starved for resources and you keep hammering the opponent with pox effects till he dies.
Match-up: favorable.

[coricho]

Match-up: favorable.

I agree.
My experience with Prison Pox against burn is pathetic, I only have won 2 matchup in what seems to be hundreds.

With a Rack Pox build however I rarely lost.
The clock can be fast with Bloodghast and The Rack all together with a
ton of disruption like Hymn to Tourach and Pox + burn can empty their hands very fast.

[Hardcore]

I agree.
My experience with Prison Pox against burn is pathetic, I only have won 2 matchup in what seems to be hundreds.

With a Rack Pox build however I rarely lost.
The clock can be fast with Bloodghast and The Rack all together with a
ton of disruption like Hymn to Tourach and Pox + burn can empty their hands very fast.

Hm, 8-rack with Collective Brutality maybe.

[zenitramleirdag]

a pair of trinisphere and some copies spinning darkness will significantly improve your burn match up..those cards are almost always good to have in your 75 because they also have applications against other common archetypes..

[Hardcore]

Theoretically CB should be better than SD.
Will be interesting to follow developments.