[Deck] DeathBlade

[litenkatt]

Against what decks do you board in abrupt decay?

Also, why doesnt this deck run digs?

[Madmankevinx]

Against what decks do you board in abrupt decay?

Also, why doesnt this deck run digs?

I bring in Abrupt Decay against a number of decks. They come in against many "fair" decks where I side out Force of Will to gain spot removal. They are just amazing if a deck can cast them. Abrupt Decay is great against Miracles (kill counterbalance) they are great against chalice of the void decks as well. The uses for Abrupt Decay are just too vast to list!

As far as Dig Through Time is concerned, they may very well be great in this deck, but as to what I want to cut? I I like Ponder too much as it helps find land drops in the early game and is much easier to cast added to the shuffle effect it brings. I think if the deck were to only play 3 Force of Will and 3 Thoughtseize with no Inquisition of Kozilek, there would be two slots for two Digs. With sometimes two to three active Deathrites on the board actively eating my own graveyard (especially in Deathrite mirrors where the Gy's are small) Dig can be inconsistent in successfully casting it when also being attacked by Wasteland( since we run zero basics). Those are just my opinions I suppose though and I may experiment with Dig in my weekly tournaments and see how I like them!

[ryscott85]

Congrats on your success with the deck! I just noticed that Lloyd Kirth got 19th overall playing Deathblade as well (I guess you weren't the only one in the room playing the deck:)).. his build may be a good place to start in the DTT centric meta in which we currently reside.

[litenkatt]

I'm thinking of going to GP Lille and right now my mind is on this deck. I haven't had a lot of practice with deatblade, I normally play decks that has tarmogoyfs in them.

I understand the manabase is very greedy, isn't that a huge problem against any deck that runs wastelands? How do we fight that?

Also I'd appreciate any advices, or just general things that's good to know when playing these kind of decks in the meta we have today.

Thanks!

Here's my decklist:

CREATURES (12)
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Deathrite Shaman
3 True-Name Nemesis
1 Vendilion Clique
SORCERIES (5)
1 Ponder
4 Thoughtseize
INSTANTS (16)
4 Brainstorm
2 Spell Pierce
2 Dig Through Time
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
PLANESWALKERS (3)
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Liliana of the Veil
ARTIFACTS (2)
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
LANDS (22)
4 Flooded Strand
2 Wasteland
4 Polluted Delta
1 Marsh Flats
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
3 Tundra
1 Scrubland
1 Bayou
1 Karakas
SIDEBOARD (15)
1 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Rest in Peace
2 Meddling Mage
2 Containment Priest
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Pernicious Deed
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Swan Song
1 Krosan Grip
1 Envelop

(i dont own flusterstorm)

[Madmankevinx]

This is one of those decks that puts the saying "greed is good" to the test. Of course we're talking about the mana base. The tools you get from splashing green are also tools that give you ways around an assault on our lands. Against a known Blood Moon deck, I absolutely try at any cost to keep a G and a B up to float in the event of a cast Blood Moon. I let the moon resolve and then cast Abrupt Decay targeting the moon. Krosan Grip is never a dead card as a one of in any sideboard so that's another option. Life from the Loam can be a good sideboard card if Wasteland is heavy in your meta. I have also considered Sword of Fire and Ice maindeck because so many decks now have the ability to negate your first Stoneforge activation and its added insurance. Thoughtseize and Cabal Therapy decks have no problem turning our Stoneforge package into a 6 dead card group in some games.

[Lormador]

I think that the complexity of the manabase isn't a problem against every deck running Wastelands, but can definitely be a problem against the most focused Wasteland decks: RUG Delver and DnT.

I don't have anything to say about the RUG matchup (having less experience with it). Against DnT, the deck needs to start snowballing an advantage early, keep Vial away, and ideally resolve a -1/-1 that kills a Mother of Runes + some change with more spot removal for the creatures that follow. Deathblade has to pick its fetch targets very carefully as no particular land can be reasonably assured to remain on the board for very long. I am not a fan of Pithing Needle in these decks, and I think that Disenchant does a lot of work, killing Aether Vials, equipment, and Blood Moon at a cost that's much easier to keep open than Abrupt Decay. You can Disenchant a moon with just DRS mana, for instance, and that's pretty hard to accomplish with Decay.

I've got an unfavorable record against DnT in preboard games (most of the wins coming from a quick TNN followed by a Mystic) and a favorable one postboard.

Running basic lands, which I tried, didn't alter that situation.

[matunos]

I'm thinking of going to GP Lille and right now my mind is on this deck. I haven't had a lot of practice with deatblade, I normally play decks that has tarmogoyfs in them.

I understand the manabase is very greedy, isn't that a huge problem against any deck that runs wastelands? How do we fight that?

There are occasions where you get wastelanded out, but it's very hard for a single wasteland to ruin your day. The reason is Deathrite Shaman. Turn 1 Deathrite is generally your best play. Against decks that traditionally punish a no-basic/light-basic deck, like Death and Taxes, Deathrite is a must-answer card. Otherwise you can work around the early mana denial plan and land bombs like True-Name Nemesis a turn earlier.

The card that most punishes your greedy manabase is not Wasteland but Blood Moon. Even with an active Deathrite, if you can't remove a Blood Moon relatively quickly, you're likely dead; you can't feed your yard with more fetchlands, your Brainstorms are worse than Ponders (because, again, no fetching), and your opponent is usually close to killing you because of the nature of decks that run Blood Moon (aside from UWR). Back to Basics is a little easier to get out from, but if someone catches you with it at the right time, it can do enough damage to lose it for you.

About your specific list:

I'm not high on 2 Lilianas. One is okay, I think, but unless you're playing Lingering Souls, she's generally not as good in this sort of deck as in say Jund. One of the main reasons is there are a lot of times where you want all of the cards in your hand (e.g. Brainstorms, countermagic, removal), so you just have to zero her.

I think 1 Ponder is either 1 too many or 1 too few. You can easily go to 2 Ponder and 21 lands, as Ponder helps even out your mana. Creeping Tar Pit would probably be my cut there. I don't think it's that great in this deck.

From your SB, I don't like Pernicious Deed. Activated at the most likely values of X, it destroys most of your non-planeswalker threats (and 2/3rds of your planeswalkers are, as mentioned above, not optimal in this deck), and while it's not likely you'll have to blow up your own Batterskull with it, it will take long enough to get it back online that you almost might as well have. Since you have no Supreme Verdicts in your 75, I would replace it with that. Nine times out of 10, what you're trying to sweep away are creatures, and verdict is just better at that.

I don't like Rest In Peace in a deck that not only has 2 Digs but also 4 Deathrites. Other versions, like UWr, can side out Digs, or leave them in and take the risk; but neutering both them *and* your Deathrites seems pretty bad. Personally, when I play Deathblade, I play with at least 1 Snapcaster, and I've found 2 Surgical Extractions to usually be enough GY hate, even against decks like Dredge and Reanimator (these decks are also happy to blow up your permanent-based hate before going off), and especially so if you're playing Cage as well.

I don't really see the need for Krosan Grip when you also have 2 Abrupt Decays. Maybe it's better against Omnishow? That's about all I can think of.

I'm also not too sure about Swan Song. Stoneblade doesn't usually play it, and probably because it's not too hard to conceive of situations where you lose to swan beat downs. It's certainly not a replacement for Flusterstorm. You might consider mixing up your counter magic a little between good ole vanilla Counterspell, Pierce, and Spell Snare. Alternatively, I find having a Sword of Fire and Ice is very good against many combo decks, for presenting a huge clock as well as helping you restock after surviving an initial battle. Those are matches where Jitte is really sub-par (except Combo Elves) and SoFI provides as fast a clock as Batterksull (your life total often doesn't matter, and Sword usually comes online a turn earlier).

[Waikiki]

I've played a little bit of a deathblade brew to a top 4 finish at a GPT Lille today.

The decklist:

Creatures [11]
3 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Monastery Mentor
1 Snapcaster Mage

Instants [15]
1 Counterspell
2 Dig Through Time
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares

Sorceries [12]
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder

Planeswalkers [1]
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Artifacts [2]
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

Lands [19]
1 Island
1 Marsh Flats
1 Plains
1 Scrubland
1 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
3 Underground Sea
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta

3 Meddling Mage
2 Abrupt decay
2 Flusterstorm
1 Perish
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Disenchant
1 Pithing Needle
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Game 1: I lost my first match against Elves. He was the king of topdecks getting his wirewood symbiotes stopped and getting his natural order stopped just by topdecking another one for the win. 2nd game I get him down next turn after I empty his hand with therapy and getting Sofi into play just for him to topdeck reclamation sage. LOSS 0-2

Game 2: Against white stax. game 2 he resolves crucible + waste combo and gets ensnaring bridge down. games 1 and 3 I just kill him before. WIN 2-1

Game 3: Reanimator, I make a huge mistake this game by not keeping DRS active to remove his fatties. Game 2 and 3 He isnt able to go off and I jace him one and beat him down the other game. WIN 2-1

Game 4: UWR Delver. He just gets outclassed by this deck. We also do another game for fun and I win all 3. WIN 2-0

Game 5: Miracles, I get downpaired against my travel companion who isnt playing for anything anymore since its top 4 cut. A draw would do but he scoops to give me 2nd seed.

4-1 Overall

We split the prices in top 4 and I lose a very close match to miracles. Game 1 he has a greedy 1 lander keep and I beat him down while his hand gets destroyed by therapy.
2nd game I board out my swords to plowshares and my stoneforge package. I board in 1 disenchant, 2 decay, 1 needle,1 jace and 3 meddling mage.
He boarded in his own 2 mentors and his own stoneforge package. I expected one of the two creatures coming in but not both. For the 3rd game I showed him I was boarding 4 cards back in which I shuffled through and then removed them again. Gambling on him to board out his creature plan again. It didnt work and I just couldnt keep up with his superior late game. Loss 1-2

Any advice on how to strengthen the miracle matchup?

[rancOr_]

@Waikiki, I like the list a lot ,its very challenging to play against!
I would play with Sylan Library MD if u can support it, possibly 2 decays aswell. I think u can switch Sword of Fire and Ice in the main and put Umezawa's Jitte sb, this way u also have a sword to get g1 vs combo besides being all around good vs Miracles as it makes every creature a must answer. I'd consider playing a Elspeth as one off sideboard too. Spell Snare is also really good atm but not sure if it fits in this deck..

[Waikiki]

I think sylvan library is a bit too demanding in the mainboard since I only bring in green cards against decks without wasteland.

Yesterday I have been thinking about dropping the entire stoneforge package and adding 2/3 lingering souls, 1 dig through time and 1/2 open slots.

Im not sure if this will affect the delver matchup alot tho.

[litenkatt]

Two deathblade lists that are exaclty the same did well in this tournament: http://mtgdecks.net/events/view/20799

Comments on that list? MD consists of 61 cards, which is bit odd. Also no DTT. But I really like running thoughtseizes and dazes along with the SFM package because my main issue with SFM is how easily it can be disturbed. However, with thoughtseize/daze you have much better protection

[Madmankevinx]

I'm just not sure that I could ever play Daze over Spell Pierce in this deck honestly. I see the reason why it could be tempting to defend your early stoneforge so that you can steal the game with Batterakull, but wow is Daze bad in later turns which is where this deck is good. I ran no DTT at Worcester and had no match where I wished I had it. 4 Brainstorm/ 2 Ponder worked well enough. I was eating graveyards all day and casting DTT would have been tricky a few times. I also ran 61 cards. I love jamming in that one extra card that most people can't "fit in."

[Waikiki]

This time I managed to take down the GPT Lille!

Creatures
4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Monastery Mentor
1 Baleful strix

Instants
1 Counterspell
1 Zealous Persecution
3 Dig Through Time
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares

Sorceries
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
2 Lingering Souls

Planeswalkers
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Sorin, Solemn visitor

Lands
1 Island
1 Marsh Flats
1 Plains
1 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
4 Underground Sea
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta


4c Delver 2-0
Miracles 2-0
UR Sneak and show 0-2
Belcher 2-0
Infect ID

Top 4
Sneak and show 2-0

Finals
Miracles 2-0

[danpo]

Congrats Waikiki!

This list seems really sweet. I'm intrigued by the move to drop Stoneforge Mystic altogether. Also, how was Sorin?

And what was your sideboard like? I looked at your previous iteration a few posts up, but figure you prolly cut the Sword of F&I in the absence of SFM...

Hey also, can you help me better understand the logic underpinning your manabase? I think I understand why you go the full 4x Underground Sea: you really want to be able to T1 Therapy/Deathrite/Ponder and then have blue ready on T2, I imagine. I'm curious though about the basic Plains and basic Island. I don't play a ton of Stoneblade but when I do I'm paranoid about Moon effects, is why I ask.

Again, congrats!

[Lans89]

Soooo, why is that deck still DeathBlade ^^? But gratz with the byes :D!

[Waikiki]

@Lans89, It seemed the most fitting thread to post it since it did derail from a deck with stoneforge and deathrite shaman in it. CBA to start a new thread about it.

My sideboard didnt really change much. I tried out some different things just for testing purposes. I believe I did -1 Eidolon -1 Sword -1 Disenchant -1 Perish +1 explosives +1 Nihil spellbomb +1 surgical +1 elspeth.

About the manabase. A basic swamp is just terrible imo. You dont want it in your startinghand. I never had the urge to fetch it and its only used to cast DRS and Therapy which are dropped early on when you want blue the most. I started out with a scrubland but already the first tournament opening with scrubland and 2 cantrips makes you feel bad. So I quickly changed it to a 4th sea. Basically island and plains are the colors you need to actually kill your opponent. so I wanted a basic for those. It could be right to just drop all the basics but this is wat worked best for me so far.

About Sorin. I added him for the additional lifegain and the fact planeswalkers seems pretty strong against miracles. Being immune to Red blast effects seemed like a plus aswell. Liliana and elspeth maindeck are a bit too taxing for the manabase imo. I'm not sure which sorin would be the better one but im happy with this one so far. The fact it spits out 2 power flying and makes the lingering soul tokens 2 power is really nice against delver decks aswell.

[Waikiki]

Seems like I wasnt the only one on this path.

http://www.starcitygames.com/article...echnology.html

[maxim.krisevich]

Hello, this is may report with classic Deathblade list. This deck still rocks (sometimes).
http://www.boatbrew.com/magic-the-ga...-legacy-league

[Madmankevinx]

Hello, this is may report with classic Deathblade list. This deck still rocks (sometimes).
http://www.boatbrew.com/magic-the-ga...-legacy-league

Enjoyed the report. Your deck was almost identical to what I have been running since SCG Worcester. Deathblade is still an awesome deck!

[Waikiki]

Made day 2 at GPLille with the build but there isnt anything deathblade about it. I'll create a seperate thread if people are interested.