How to Identify Archetypes

[(nameless one)]

I was reading the new Sneak Show Primer and I read the "how to identify" part. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I despise the deck.

I wish there was a similar stickied main thread on identifying legacy archetypes based on turn one/two plays and to what to watch out for the following turns.

Also, take note Everyday Eternal hosts. How would you play around the given information by your opponent based on the deck you play (Matt plays Midrange, Jacob is known to play combo (or any Griselbrand.dec), Sam plays control and Sean plays fringe rogue "lockdown prison" strategies. Maybe you can invite Bob again as the tempo player and/or another guest known to play other playstyles not mentioned).

[Zombie]

Nice one from the podcast itself:
Tropical Island, Top: 12-Post.

[(nameless one)]

Nice one from the podcast itself:
Tropical Island, Top: 12-Post.

Yes, but that episode was focused to Cabal Therapy.

[apple713]

You could just wait for us to finish it on the sneak and show thread and then extract that segment for a sticky

We have all or at least the majority of land drops completed. There is only a handful of t1 drops that further narrow it down from there

[Lemnear]

Yes, but that episode was focused to Cabal Therapy.

Excuse me. Which podcast was it? (Timestamp?)

[(nameless one)]

Excuse me. Which podcast was it? (Timestamp?)

It was this one

[Lemnear]

It was this one

Thx

[twndomn]

How Not to identify decks:
Volcanic Island - This land could be anything. RUG Delver, WUR Delver, UR Delver, Sneak and Show, Miracle, Painter Stone....
Tropical Island - This land could be slightly less than any anything. RUG Delver, BUG Delver, Shardless BUG, 12 Post....
Island - This land could be anything. Omni-tell, Miracle, Sneak and Show, High Tide, Merfolk....

Generally, it's the combination of the 1st land and the 1st spell they play. Sometimes, it's the 1st land and the 1st ability they play, as in 1st ability could be cycle, oh 1st land is optional, cause some decks don't need that 1st land.

[thecrav]

Generally, it's the combination of the 1st land and the 1st spell they play. Sometimes, it's the 1st land and the 1st ability they play, as in 1st ability could be cycle, oh 1st land is optional, cause some decks don't need that 1st land.

Completely agree here. If they're playing only land-go, I'm putting them on either keeping a not-so-great hand or killing me next turn.

[kiblast]

Completely agree here. If they're playing only land-go, I'm putting them on either keeping a not-so-great hand or killing me next turn.

You should probably put them on Miracles. No combo deck goes draw go without playing cantrips of any sort. Instead a Miracle player wants to go late game and has little to no interest in casting spells when he's sitting on a Brainstorm+ Terminus in hand. Unless he has Top or CB. But most of the times he will try to play these out of pierce range, so it's perfectly normal for a Miracle player to go draw-go for the first 3-4 turns of the game.

In regard to the post above, if opponent opens with Volcanic go, we just have very few choices here

-Delver decks ( they have stifle and they run Wasteland. They have few creatures and a cc2 game breaking creatures, maybe Goyf, or Sfm, or Young Pyromancer. They play taxing counters.) = they all play the same and the way you play vs doesn't really change a lot.

-combo deck ( Snt, Tes, Ant) They're combo decks. You need to stay open for taxing counters or play discard spells, or play an hatebear, or go off before them. There is not a lot beyond that.

- Miracles that kept a sketchy hand.

That's it in 99% of the cases. Ponder and Bs will not help understanding what they are up to because they're played by all three archetypes (though Miracle usually play 1-2). Ancient tomb helps. So does Delver. Intuition should give you hints. It's not that hard. I find this process rather easy the vast majority of the times. Last month I spotted a guy playing Aluren on turn 2 because he went misty-trop- ponder on his first turn and dropped a Taiga on his 2nd turn.

[.dk]

You should probably put them on Miracles. No combo deck goes draw go without playing cantrips of any sort.

Could easily be an EOT Entomb from Reanimator or Tin Fins if they USea or Swamp, Pass. There are always cases...

[twndomn]

You should probably put them on Miracles. No combo deck goes draw go without playing cantrips of any sort.

Swamp in play, respond to you tap out for Brainstorm, ritual, ritual, Ad Neasuem.

[alphastryk]

Could easily be an EOT Entomb from Reanimator or Tin Fins if they USea or Swamp, Pass. There are always cases...

Yeah, but that's usually a bad line from reanimator - you want to play Entomb before your opponent can Daze / Pierce it.

[Megadeus]

Your opponent goes, Chrome Mox, imprint simian Sprit Guide, City of Traitors, Seething Song, Sneak Attack, activate, put in Worldspine Wurm, Attack you to 5, eot make 3 5/5 Wurms.

You play Swamp Cabal Therapy, what do you name?

[thecrav]

Your opponent goes, Chrome Mox, imprint simian Sprit Guide, City of Traitors, Seething Song, Sneak Attack, activate, put in Worldspine Wurm, Attack you to 5, eot make 3 5/5 Wurms.

I think at this point, I'd be all "lol wat" at seeing Worldspine

[Lemnear]

Generally, it's the combination of the 1st land and the 1st spell they play. Sometimes, it's the 1st land and the 1st ability they play, as in 1st ability could be cycle, oh 1st land is optional, cause some decks don't need that 1st land.

What does my usual Misty Rainforest into Volcanic Island into Ponder tell you about me playing TES? ;P

[Megadeus]

I think at this point, I'd be all "lol wat" at seeing Worldspine

It's not as lulzy when it happens to you 3 weeks in a row at your local when you are playing 4 Color Loam lol.
"BUT MY CHALICE OF THE VOIDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD VERSUS COMBO"

[TheArchitect]

I often go Polluted Delta>island, ponder (no shuffle), go. This can really put my opponent on defensive. Maybe they had a turn 1 delver or their own ponder, but keep mana up for turn 1 spell pierce but I am actually just playing UWr miracles and nothing that will kill them next turn.

Making a guide for this is tricky. Its more a 6th sense. Its not just the cards they play, but the players behaviors and appearance (and the appearance of their sleaves, playmat, etc.). From playing nothing but decks that have 4 maindeck cabal therapies (without probes or other discard) for quiet a long time I got pretty good at it. Research helps, but it is definitely not something you learn overnight by reading a guide.

[kiblast]

Swamp in play, respond to you tap out for Brainstorm, ritual, ritual, Ad Neasuem.

Could easily be an EOT Entomb from Reanimator or Tin Fins if they USea or Swamp, Pass. *There are always cases...

He said ''playing only land go''. I assumed repeatedly over the course of various turns. Like 3-4. How often do you see combo players playing draw go for more than 2 turns (considering storm combo decks play13-15 lands) ? Correct, almost never. My bad though, as I assumed his ''only land go'' meant over the course of a certain number of turns. Not just the first. Obviously fetch go doesn't mean anything lol.

Also with, Swamp in play, I don't think I put them on Miracles lol.

[Megadeus]

He said ''playing only land go''. I assumed repeatedly over the course of various turns. Like 3-4. How often do you see combo players playing draw go for more than 2 turns (considering storm combo decks play13-15 lands) ? Correct, almost never. My bad though, as I assumed his ''only land go'' meant over the course of a certain number of turns. Not just the first. Obviously fetch go doesn't mean anything lol.

Also with, Swamp in play, I don't think I put them on Miracles lol.

One combo deck that does tend to land go for a turn or two is Hypergenesis. So watch out for that.