[Primer/Deck] Pox

[zenitramleirdag]

Note that it isn't TC that kills you. The UR delver win through beat-down and bolts. Can you handle that then you win.

you're right, i've upped my maindeck removal count..i've also added 2 spinning darkness main..at least that's my take on how to handle those decks..i've seen others who prefer to run more lock pieces to slow em down and nullify the cards drawn with treasure cruise..still other's i've seen experiment with cards that draw them cards to match TC's card advantage like bottled cloister, etc..

how about you? what's your take on how to handle it?

[Hardcore]

Well, got crushed yesterday, but didn't face any UR deck iirc. My problem was the changes made against that threat was detrimental to my decks effiency. I have reverted to original configuration and will play that for a while.

[hovercraft]

you're right, i've upped my maindeck removal count..i've also added 2 spinning darkness main..at least that's my take on how to handle those decks..i've seen others who prefer to run more lock pieces to slow em down and nullify the cards drawn with treasure cruise..still other's i've seen experiment with cards that draw them cards to match TC's card advantage like bottled cloister, etc..

how about you? what's your take on how to handle it?

Would Murderous Cut be better than Spinning Darkness?

[zenitramleirdag]

Would Murderous Cut be better than Spinning Darkness?

lifegain*

[hovercraft]

lifegain*

good point for UR matchups. Ill have to track down a couple

[OmniStrata]

they exile 3 and still have to put 2 back?

Yes, the if clause is a replacement effect. So if they draw 3 with Treasure Cruise, they must play/cast them all NOW or be screwed. Did I mention I run 13 land destruction spells?

At 4 cmc it pretty much auto-wins against decks that are majority instants. Gets stronger the more LD you pack as well.

[Hardcore]

I did a search for spells that did "-1/-1" to creatures. I figured the casting cost would be lower than for massacre. I found it is not neccessarily so, but the search did come up with two interesting cards; Outbreak and Lose Hope.
The first would be extra resistant to Daze, which i consider important.

[Mr. Safety]

Lose hope only targets one creature, and if you want a targeted removal spell like that isn't Darkblast just infinitely better?

[Blastoderm]

I did a search for spells that did "-1/-1" to creatures. I figured the casting cost would be lower than for massacre. I found it is not neccessarily so, but the search did come up with two interesting cards; Outbreak and Lose Hope.
The first would be extra resistant to Daze, which i consider important.

Why not Nausea? ..

or Marsh Casualties

[Hardcore]

Lose hope only targets one creature, and if you want a targeted removal spell like that isn't Darkblast just infinitely better?

Scry two is very good.

[Hardcore]

Why not Nausea? ..

or Marsh Casualties

Mana cost

[mysteriofuentez]

Scry two is very good.

Is there any way to block a specific user's comments in this forum, so they don't show up any longer?

[zenitramleirdag]

i'm not saying that lose hope is bad, the scry2 is what shines in it but i agree with mr.safety that darkblast is just better for our deck..darkblast gets even sweeter when you're running bloodghasts..i'm not running bloodghasts since i maindeck night of soul's betrayal, and even still, i'd say darkblast is better..
i want the hear the thought processing involved on why you think lose hope is better than darkblast, have you tested it?

outbreak? uhm, i'm not sure..i'd probably go for contagion first..but with toxic deluge available to us, i don't think i'd ever need outbreak..

i appreciate the effort done in trying to find cards that could help our deck, but try to test them first yourself before you put it here..

@mysteriofuentez
that's a bum rap, no need for that when you can just simply ignore what you don't find useful..

[Hardcore]

Toxic deluge is nice, for sure, but it will hurt getting it countered by Daze. In fact it would probably cost us the game.
I am also considering contagion again, and Sickening dreams because of their resistance to daze.

As for lose hope i used to swear by Darkblast, running three in MD. Problem is that you can dredge too much. Also, against TC Denver, i think it serves me better to try race them. In such scenario the difference between win or loss could be, for exsmple, a successfully cast spinning darkness, or scrying for the right cards.

[frafen]

About darkblast/lose hope, in my opinion there is no contest. Lose hope could be decent, but darkblast it's on another planet speaking of power level. It's like virtual card advantage because your oppenent can't play his x/1s. It's so backbreaking aginst some decks like tribal and UR treasure cruise, can answer any number of delvers etc etc. Also, it can hit x/2 if you cast it in upkeep and than again in your main. Oh, and most of the time I'm happy to see that my opponent waste his counterspells on darkblast.

EDIT like zenit said, bloodghast is pretty good with darkblast. Not only you don't worry about dredging too much because often you will get bloodghast in the process, the nice thing is that when you have bloodghast in play darkblast became a 1 mana counterspell against swords to plowshares and terminus (meaning that is the only removal that is not dead against control and that is actually pretty useful in that mu)

[OmniStrata]

i'm not saying that lose hope is bad, the scry2 is what shines in it but i agree with mr.safety that darkblast is just better for our deck..darkblast gets even sweeter when you're running bloodghasts..i'm not running bloodghasts since i maindeck night of soul's betrayal, and even still, i'd say darkblast is better..i want the hear the thought processing involved on why you think lose hope is better than darkblast, have you tested it?

outbreak? uhm, i'm not sure..i'd probably go for contagion first..but with toxic deluge available to us, i don't think i'd ever need outbreak..

i appreciate the effort done in trying to find cards that could help our deck, but try to test them first yourself before you put it here..

@mysteriofuentez
that's a bum rap, no need for that when you can just simply ignore what you don't find useful..

"NEED MORE SOULS!" - Nightmare of Soul Calibur

I can't Darkblast unless I knew what I was dredging. I don't want to run SDT cause it eats too much mana for when i need it most, which is early game. Top deck mode should hit very quickly with Pox. I also Maindeck 1 Engineered Plague just to keep people off edge. Nobody has done it to me but I heard some players will think you're pre-boarding with Plague, but I do have Elves and Merfolk in my meta that kind of fold in half with a single Plague. NoSB just nails the coffin air-tight.

Also, your mileage may vary with some cards. Just cause 1 person tested a single card dozens of times and find it works doesn't mean it's 'da best'. The tested card will very likely fail in other decks. Think - Sinkhole is proven awesome, but in Rack Pox, it's counter productive.

[Mr. Safety]

Aside from loam and decay, golgari charm is a big reason why I want to play green. My only question is whether to drop all copies of massacre so I can cram 3-4 charms in the board. Recent discussion has me thinking a maindeck darkblast would be great as well.

[Will_L]

If it were me I would play 2 Massacre and 2 Golgari Charm.

It's definitely a metagame call... If you expect more Elves and Delver decks, jam more Charms. If you expect more Death and Taxes and Junk/Deadguy play more Massacres.

[Mr. Safety]

Aside from loam and decay, golgari charm is a big reason why I want to play green. My only question is whether to drop all copies of massacre so I can cram 3-4 charms in the board. Recent discussion has me thinking a maindeck darkblast would be great as well.

[zenitramleirdag]

@OmniStrata
you're still on monoblack right? can i see your most recent list?