I played in a 16 person tournament yesterday AS, ended up splitting the prize for first place. (2 Plateau's each)
First off, the decklist:
10 Plains
2 Windswept Heath
2 Karakas
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Wasteland
4 Silver Knight
4 White Knight
4 Soltari Priest
4 Mother of Runes
4 Exalted Angel
3 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Parallax Wave
2 Disenchant
2 Mask of Memory
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Sword of Fire and Ice
Sideboard
4 Cursed Totem
2 Disenchant
4 Morningtide
3 Pariah
2 Second Sunrise
Quick and Dirty Tourney Report:
Round 1 vs Red Burn
2-0 He plays a lot of burn, I play Pro-Red dudes and rip Jitte game 2 when it counts
Round 2 vs TurboLand'ish Hybrid played by BigRedMeanie
2-1
Anytime I play against Rex, I know it's going to be a battle. He is probably the most accomplished Legacy player in DFW. He was playing a new deck this time around, and the first game he locked me down with Crop Rotation into Glacial Chasm with Crucible and Exploration. The next 2 games, were pretty much won due to Morningtide.
Round 3 vs Red Burn (WTF with all the burn)
2-1
Game one I win easily
Game 2 I can't pull white mana number 2, and lose.
Game 3 Soltari Priest + Pariah + Jitte = win
Round 4 vs Survival Advantage Hybrid
We actually draw since we're both guaranteed top 8, but play it out anyways
Game 1 I stomp him.
Game 2 I'm stuck on one land, and he drops Chalice for 2, and proceeds to stomp me.
Game 3 I stomp him.
Top 8
I play Rex again, and win 2-0 (I love you Morningtide, don't know how I stole that first game though)
Top 4
My opponent leaves (it was the guy I played in round 3) so chalk one up for easy win.
Top 2
We split. It's late, it's brutally hot (we were playing in a hallway between the back of the stores in the strip mall, in Tx!?!--- don't ask)
He was playing Gobs w/white splash. If I would have had the Chrome Moxen, I had ordered earlier in the week. If they had arrived in time I probably would have played it out since I feel fairly confidant in the match, with the extra speed but oh well, I hate you UPS.
In retrospect,
The Wastelands were a metagame call that worked great last time I played, but this time-- pretty mediocre. I think they're going to get swapped for 2x Chrome Mox, and 2x Windswept Heath
Morningtide--simply amazing, can't be Pithing Needled, what more needs to be said
Mask of Memory-- I am so iffy on these, I really wanna take em out for 1x Jitte, and 1x SOFI.. because imho, Masks don't win games, where the latter do. Playtesting will have to be done.
Questions/Comments?
@Ophidian- Has the low number of white sources ever been a problem for you?
Also you should probably drop the Windswept Heaths for Plains as you don't need the deck-thinning or the shuffle effect.
Belcher, RUG Delver, Death & Taxes, Colorless Eldrazi, Goblins
Originally Posted by Caboose
Originally Posted by MasterBlaster
I rarely have any probs with white--- e.g. yesterday there was only 1 game where I was 1 white shy of probable victory, and I did have a Wasteland in hand, which in theory would have been either a Chrome Mox or a Heath.
Re: the heaths, I absolutely love them, I've playtested the deck with every combination of Tithe, Fetch, Mox, blah blah blah.. I think it's possible that since I only run 10 plains, the fetch thinning might help me more than decks that run more plains, but this is definitely the configuration that suits my play/mulligan style.
That being said, I am an absolute mulligan fiend with this deck.. If I'm on the draw (which is like ALWAYS since I can't win a die roll) and I'm not 80% sure I can, I always send it back, especially if I'm playing against aggro. However, if I'm playing vs. control, I know I can take my time and wait out the second plains, or creatures, or whatever.
I did notice that you were lucky and didn't have to play against any combo throughout the tournament. Angel Stompy has been one of the best aggro decks in the format that strives on playing other aggro and control decks. I have noticed lately that at least our metagame has featured more combo in Solidarity and Iggy Pop (Ill-Gotten Gains). I feel like the deck is a gamble if combo decks rise in popularity throughout the Legacy community.
~Shriek~
Angel Stompy is what's called a Metagame deck. That means that it is designed for a specific type of meta. That is, anything that doesn't include combo. At times I feel like Angel Stompy can't lose to decks that want to win with creatures, and can't beat decks that don't. That's just how it goes. If your meta has a lot of aggro, and some control, you're going to kick ass with this deck. If there's some Solidarity, Iggy Pop, or other good combo, play something else.Originally Posted by nickrit2000
This isn't going to change, and we can stop talking about it. There's nothing that hoses combo well enough in Mono-White such that you would want to play this in an aggro-heavy metagame. Play it in the right meta, or even get the right pairings, and you'll win. Don't, and you'll lose.
I was pointing out that Angel Stompy is a metagame deck and I don't believe its as viable as it once was as the metagame has shifted slightly to more combo heavy. Having the ability to do well at tournaments is picking the right deck for the current metagame in addition to play skill. This is the very reason I was able to top 8 with Vial Affinity in Toronto because the metagame was Gro and Goblins as I planned it would be. That was my point, you don't have to jump all over me for making an statement about the metagame.
~Shriek~
I see what you are saying and I agree with you.
I think the meta may have shifted to the point that Fairie Stompy is superior to angel stompy. It's more explosive and has disruption that can slow down combo, not just creatures, and can set Chalice for 1. It's disruption elements like FoW can deal with threats other than just creatures ala. Swords.
In my opinion, the decks are so different that there's little point in comparsion. Fact remains that Angel Stompy has an even better match-up against the aggro-decks of the metagame. However, Faerie Stompy isn't totally inequipped to deal with pretty much anything; the tools are generally there for any given match-up. I think Faerie Stompy is actually no metagame deck, appearing quite playable just about anywhere (although it can of course be geared to beat different types of decks, the version I'm presently playing is built to have a game in a varied, even random metagame, such as a GP-event).
But I think this is the wrong place to talk about Faerie Stompy. All attempts to make Angel Stompy's combo match-up better have failed thus far, but who knows; perhaps there is an Angel Stompy-build that could maintain the good aggro-match up while not scooping to combo.
Well, unless you have a combo deck that's going to win first turn (ala belcher and occassionally iggy), then I've found 4 glowrider in the board to be a suitable answer. Couple that with 2-4 Armageddons and you tend to be pretty good. As for first-second turn combo, just pray you don't see them. Unless of course you want to splash blue for FoW and meddling (nudge nudge).Originally Posted by Eldariel
Originally Posted by tsabo_tavoc
Well, I'd imagine something like Solidarity would do everything in their power (y'know, a dozen library manipulation spells to find FoWs+Remands) to keep the Glowriders from resolving before they're ready to go off (or Wish for bounce in response). From what I've experienced and heard, usually that SB hate is far from sufficient to consistently win 2 close matches in a row.
Yes, I agree that I was lucky to not face any combo decks, but I was also fairly confidant that it would not be played by more than 1 or 2 people.
That being said, vs. Solidarity, I think Defense Grid is a great option. It can easily come out turn one. It messes not only with their combo, but their counterspells, which can enable you to play other bombs, aka 'Geddon.
As far as Iggy Pop is concerned, I have no idea.. I've never played against it, so I have no idea.
I would assume that Chalices could be an option? one for 1, and one for 0 sounds pretty good.
I still like True Believer, (even in the solidarity matchup) plus it looks pretty decent against Iggy- esp since Intuition now says Target Player again muahahahhahahhaah
I fail to see the relavance to that...When is the IGG player ever targeting you with Intuition? I think they'd be casting it to set up or to win.Originally Posted by Ophidian
Originally Posted by Jack Burton
It needs a 'target opponent' to be legal to cast. If you have Believer out, you shut down their Intuition. That makes it slightly useful vs. Iggy-Pop, but still horrible vs. Solidarity. Man, I just wish they'd return Oaths to their former wordings so that True Believer would be Da Bomb in Vintage.Originally Posted by Anarky87
Ah, I see, well then I suppose that would do some good in slowing them down, but as you said, still lacking against Solidarity.Originally Posted by Eldariel
Originally Posted by Jack Burton
Just a few things:
Angel Stompy and Faerie Stompy are actually rather similar. The way they approach the game strategically are quite similar: control the board, keep your opponent's threats in check, resolve large beaters, make them even bigger, and win. Ideologically they are very similar. Where the difference lies is not in the overarching strategy, but how and what they are each able to control. Where Angel Stompy is much more geared towards creature control (Parallax Wave, StP), Faerie Stompy is more geared towards beating control and combo (Chalice, FoW, etc.). The choice between the two is obviously a metagame decision, but by and large, if you're comfortable playing one, you'll probably be comfortable playing the other.
As for Angel Stompy's combo matchup, it's a misconception that it folds to all combo. Certainly this is the archetype with which Angel Stompy has the most trouble in general, but certain combo (like Salvager Game, for example), isn't actually that bad for it at all. In fact, it could be considered a positive matchup. In fact, any combo deck which is highly reliant on artifacts, creatures, the graveyard, or activated abilities is a reasonably winnable one for Angel Stompy. Decks like Solidarity, which lack these weaknesses, on the other hand, are quite difficult. The sideboard can be tuned to beat even that with reasonable regularity, but it then forsakes many other questionable matchups. Generally, Angel Stompy doesn't have that big a problem with most combo, but Storm combo specifically is usually very difficult.
It's also a misconception that all attempts to improve Angel Stompy's combo matchups have failed. Phil Stolz's W/u/b Angel Stompy build has a significantly better combop matchup, thanks to cards like Brainstorm and Duress. It is weaker against aggro because of it, but the same can be said of Faerie Stompy.
Sooooooo, are you still considering adding Jotun Grunt for the Threshold matchup, Zilla?
I'm personally moving away from the idea primarily because Iggy seems to be gaining popularity and for that you really want something like crypt to keep them off their game. Grunt just doesn't work against them. JUST looking at threshold and solidarity, I'd take grunt over crypt, but considering the rest of the field, crypt still seems like a better choice to me.
Last edited by tivadar; 07-25-2006 at 08:51 AM.
Originally Posted by tsabo_tavoc
I'm with Tivadar on this one. I do like the idea of an additional threat to take place of Crypt in the board, because it gives you extra threats to bring in against control and combo where you'd otherwise have more dead cards than cards to side in, but the simple fact is that Jotun is essentially useless against combo like IGG and Salvager Game.
So, how has Jotun Grunt been in Angel Stompy?
Is it ok to mainboard a couple copies of the Grunt or is he only fit for the sideboard? Or is he complete trash in this deck?
It's been such a long time since I played this deck. I'm really outta the loop.
Belcher, RUG Delver, Death & Taxes, Colorless Eldrazi, Goblins
Originally Posted by Caboose
Um.. Jotun Grunt doesn't seem that great in this deck. POSSIBlY a player in the sideboard against threshold, but not main deck for sure. This card is too situational to be maindecked.. it's only true solid use is against threshold. Against a random deck, Jotun Grunt doesn't seem optimal.
Team Unicorn- "I'm Horny."
"The Wandering One" of Legacy.
"Glimmervoid, Go."
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