[Primer] Elves!

[JJTibbs]

Each of the Elves decks that made top 8 today have a Melira in the SB. Is Infect really that popular at these events to have a bad SB card for it?

edit: Also this is the 14th place Elves list: http://sales.starcitygames.com//deck...p?DeckID=74791

Some interesting choices to say the least.

So I was the guy who came in 14th. I can try to explain some of my choices, but long story short...

1. This was my first sanctioned legacy event.
2. I have a powered down version I own with more priests and archdruids, but I was able to borrow cradles and bayuos for the event.

I had a blast playing it and I own much of my success yesterday to the info here, so thanks all!

[haganbmj]

So I was the guy who came in 14th. I can try to explain some of my choices, but long story short...

1. This was my first sanctioned legacy event.
2. I have a powered down version I own with more priests and archdruids, but I was able to borrow cradles and bayuos for the event.

I had a blast playing it and I own much of my success yesterday to the info here, so thanks all!

Congratulations on the top 16 finish - that's awesome.
Your build attacks from a slightly different angle as Archdruids and Ezuri can really push combat damage through well.


I've been running with this recently.

Stuff (29+11=40)	Lands (20)	Sideboard (15)
1 Llanowar Elves 2 Birchlore Rangers 3 Heritage Druid 3 Nettle Sentinel 4 Deathrite Shaman 4 Quirion Ranger 4 Wirewood Symbiote 4 Elvish Visionary 1 Scavenging Ooze 1 Reclamation Sage 2 Craterhoof Behemoth 4 Glimpse of Nature 4 Green Sun's Zenith 3 Natural Order	2 Dryad Arbor 2 Forest 1 Pendelhaven 2 Bayou 9 Fetches 4 Gaea's Cradle	3 Pithing Needle 3 Thoughtseize 2 Cabal Therapy 1 Null Rod 1 Sylvan Library 3 Abrupt Decay 1 Natural Order 1 Progenitus

Played this last Saturday
2-0 v UWR Delver
2-1 v Death and Taxes
ID v Deadguy Ale (friend) - very winnable matchup.
1-2 v UWR Delver

I'm pretty sure I'll be on this
-1 Llanowar Elves
+1 Wren's Run Packmaster

for GP Nashville and SCG Atlanta. I might mix up the sideboard and cut down a Pithing Needle. I'd like to have something else against UR and UWR Delver variants - maybe cutting a Pithing Needle or the Null Rod for something to hedge there. I'm also not entirely sure I want 3 Thoughtseize, 2 Cabal Therapy instead of the other way around.
Maybe I'll give the mainboard Abrupt Decay idea ventouza6969 posted a shot for a couple nights to see how that is. I certainly like the idea of having more sideboard slots; it's not like winning game ones would be hard with three extra spells in the main.

[Krasman]

I'd like to have something else against UR and UWR Delver variants - maybe cutting a Pithing Needle or the Null Rod for something to hedge there.

I have been liking Energy Storm; although I have only tested it a few times.

http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Ca...tiverseid=2684

It locks out burn spells and holds delvers down and if you have a Cradle out it is easy to pay for.

[shopshopshop]

My problem with Energy Storm is that it is only good if you are ahead. As you say, if you have a Cradle and enough creatures that the Cradle is making a reasonable amount of mana, then this card *might* strand a Pyroclasm in your opponent's hand. It might save one of your creatures from a burn spell, but then you just traded 1-for-1 and still have to pay the upkee--in this case I'd rather just have more creatures. It might also be something you draw when you're behind and can't pay the upkeep, and have no creatures in play. Or it might delay your win by making you pump mana into it over multiple turns.

I don't think this is a good solution to fighting burn spells.

[Krasman]

My problem with Energy Storm is that it is only good if you are ahead. As you say, if you have a Cradle and enough creatures that the Cradle is making a reasonable amount of mana, then this card *might* strand a Pyroclasm in your opponent's hand. It might save one of your creatures from a burn spell, but then you just traded 1-for-1 and still have to pay the upkee--in this case I'd rather just have more creatures. It might also be something you draw when you're behind and can't pay the upkeep, and have no creatures in play. Or it might delay your win by making you pump mana into it over multiple turns.

I don't think this is a good solution to fighting burn spells.

If you can pay for the upkeep and still advance your board it works really good; if you have no board and are light on mana then you are correct it will be bad.

Against UR Delver I still like Ruric Thar, not so much against UWR but it still works.

[haganbmj]

If you can pay for the upkeep and still advance your board it works really good; if you have no board and are light on mana then you are correct it will be bad.

Against UR Delver I still like Ruric Thar, not so much against UWR but it still works.

I can try Energy Storm, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't affect the match in the way I want it to.
Ruric Thar was very situational when I played him; but maybe I'm just not seeing enough situations where I can get in a Ruric in play and not already be in a winning position. If you're putting a 6 mana creature in play then something, clearly, was already going well.

[Krasman]

I can try Energy Storm, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't affect the match in the way I want it to.
Ruric Thar was very situational when I played him; but maybe I'm just not seeing enough situations where I can get in a Ruric in play and not already be in a winning position. If you're putting a 6 mana creature in play then something, clearly, was already going well.

UR Delver has nothing they can do against Ruric Thar other turn double bolt or block and bolt, both of which are not good trades for them. If he stays alive they can't really afford to cast cantrips and it holds down Delvers.

UWR Delver I find Ruric Thar still very useful for the same reason as UR delver, but they do have an extra answer with StP but they are still taking at least 6 damage.

I find I like getting Ruric Thar if I am behind on the board for the above reasons, most of the time you are going to NO for him. Obviously if fetching Craterhoof is going to be a win I just get him and beat.

Ever since I started main decking Ruric Thar I have never looked back.

[AznSeal]

What about Elderscale Wurm? It beats UR Delver, Burn, and many other decks that rely on damage.

[Krasman]

What about Elderscale Wurm? It beats UR Delver, Burn, and many other decks that rely on damage.

I put one of those in my SB last week to try and it and I 2-0'd burn. (G1 was Ruric Thar, G2 was Elderscale Wurm.)

The burn player was rather pissed; which made me happy.

I never had another match where it would of been good, so I need to test it more.

[ESG]

My two losses were to the mirror and a nicfit / scapeshift deck running main deck slaughter games.

Wish I could say that was me. What a baller. Any idea how he finished?

To the group: Isn't Energy Storm worse than Steely Resolve?

[Echelon]

They both do different things. Steely Resolve kills spot removal, Energy Storm kills burn spells (both targeted and sweepers) and holds down Insectile Aberrations and other stuff we can't block but requires us to invest resources into it turn after turn to keep it up.

Not having your creatures Lightning Bolt-ed/Pyroclasmed/Rough//Tumbled/Forked Bolted/Firestormed can be worth it if you face a lot of UR(x)-Delver (and to a lesser extent Burn and Dredge) in your meta, I suppose.

[Krasman]

Wish I could say that was me. What a baller. Any idea how he finished?

To the group: Isn't Energy Storm worse than Steely Resolve?

One thing to note is that Steely Resolve (also Eladamri, Lord of Leaves) give elves shroud and would turn off Wirewood Symbiote & Quirion Ranger abilities.

[Julian23]

One thing to note is that Steely Resolve (also Eladamri, Lord of Leaves) give elves shroud and would turn off Wirewood Symbiote & Quirion Ranger abilities.

You can still target non-Elves to use the abilities. But you don't get to untap Elves though.

[Krasman]

You can still target non-Elves to use the abilities. But you don't get to untap Elves though.

I never thought of it that way.... Dryad Arbor would still be a good target for both. Also Wirewood could still return an Elf as it is not actually targetting the elf with the first part of its ability.

I am not sure if they are worth playing though, as Quirion is unusable without Dryad, Wirewood or one of your fatties, but Wirewood could target itself with the untap. Either way it would slow down your mana production / comboing.

[elfmagic]

Hum, strange stuff @scglive, Elves vs D&T : Elves player concedes vs Magus of the Moat after realizing progenitus does nothing against it. But he still had plenty of time to start GsZing for DrS and grab the win that way :-(

I was convinced before the tournament to run Progenitus, which I have never used. For some stupid reason I thought it had flying. The reason I scooped then, is Shields is playing a deck with almost no spells and I would have had to remove my own spells which would have taken too much time and could never get to a game 3. By scooping there I put myself in a position where I can win in turns and he cannot. The cradle was a lucky draw and for the record I could have drawn 2 more card from the visionary before I would have not had the mana for the craterhoof.

[Kronicler]

Wish I could say that was me. What a baller. Any idea how he finished?

To the group: Isn't Energy Storm worse than Steely Resolve?

All I know is that he was X-2 going into the final round and that he did not top 8. He was a really nice guy - I was definitely hoping he would top 8 after he beat me. Alas, there was even a player at X-1-1 that didn't make it.

[shopshopshop]

I was convinced before the tournament to run Progenitus, which I have never used. For some stupid reason I thought it had flying. The reason I scooped then, is Shields is playing a deck with almost no spells and I would have had to remove my own spells which would have taken too much time and could never get to a game 3. By scooping there I put myself in a position where I can win in turns and he cannot. The cradle was a lucky draw and for the record I could have drawn 2 more card from the visionary before I would have not had the mana for the craterhoof.

Since you won game 1, it's likely you could have just kept playing g2. If the game went to a draw, you win the match 1-0-1.

[elfmagic]

Since you won game 1, it's likely you could have just kept playing g2. If the game went to a draw, you win the match 1-0-1.

True I could have done that but I felt he had enough time and turns to simply draw a flyer, I thought the odds of me killing him on turn 5 or sooner in game 3 was a better idea (I assumed with turns I would get to 5 or 6). I'll admit I misplayed some other decisions but I still think the scoop was the best play, and cause of it and a lucky draw I won the match.

[jim111589]

I think with resolve we just name insect since symbiote makes there targeted removal useless anyway

[B4L4]

Thanks for the reply, i can see the reasoning behind the scoop now.

I watched the game again (start somewhere ~ 27:58:10) and i still have the feeling that you had enough gas to go for the DrS kill (would have been kinda awesome to beat Magus on camera that way).
Opponent is at 15 life with only Thalia, Magus of the Moat & 2 Ports as relevant permanents.
You have a spot where you can have double glimpse active with heritage + 2 nettles + 1 birchlore & a bunch of other stuff (including 3 symbiotes with visionary), so you can basically draw your deck at this point if you wish. I don't know how many NO / Glimpse / Decay you have after board, but you only need 8 of them in your graveyard to win (supposedly next turn with birchlore + a lot of untap effects) so its seems feasible.

Congrats on your finish btw, always nice to have some Elves on camera