Page 24 of 26 FirstFirst ... 1420212223242526 LastLast
Results 461 to 480 of 515

Thread: [Deck] Deathblade

  1. #461

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by Molz7 View Post
    The last match was the first time I was really on camera even though I sat at the backup match 3 times ( 5 minutes verus Todd Stephens doesn't really count). This match I obviously got very lucky. You need to get lucky to win a tournament. Playskill and preparation are no where near enough. When I drew the council's judgement in game 2 as a huge out to solidly win the match I knew, and verbally said to my opponent 'I'm very lucky it seems'. Same when I drew the TNN after punting game 1 by not equipping strix with Jitte. The line went through my head and I just absolutely blanked. I was at 40 life, so likely I'd be fine, but still don't give them outs.

    Imagine I draw the council's judgement (or any other card not in my deck) and I look down to basic island and swamp because he wasted me off of my non basics. Likely not winning that game.
    Any other sideboarding options you considered that might be worth it in a narrower local meta? I.e. disenchant, lingering souls, or any other things you might consider?

    For example, I battle a meta filled with fair Czech pile and DnT strategies.

  2. #462

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by First_Revenge View Post
    I know you didn't play against it, but did you have any specific plans that deal with new miracles?

    Terminus seems really good against your deck, since it deals with both TNN and leovold. It's one of the reasons i run lingering souls.
    I've played versus the miracles version in the past and they are really reliant on terminus or a verdict to win the game. This is a matchup where TNN or a Leo with Sofi is gameplan A. I keep in forces and thought seize as I'm just trying to punch a hole and be the aggressor. Given enough time they will set up and out grind you.

    In the past I would bring in meddling mage versus terminus. I like this if they continue running only terminus, but if they switch to multiple verdicts than I don't like it.

    TNN is still your best card in this matchup. Souls is just too slow of a clock to really pressure them.

  3. #463

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by scapiander View Post
    Any other sideboarding options you considered that might be worth it in a narrower local meta? I.e. disenchant, lingering souls, or any other things you might consider?

    For example, I battle a meta filled with fair Czech pile and DnT strategies.

    DnT is a very good matchup for my version. TNN and equipment, 3 zealous, plows etc is a nightmare for them. I board -4 FOW, -2 Leo, + 3 Zealous, + 2 Council's judgment, +1 library.


    Czech pile I really wanted to test against more before this weekend, but I couldn't find time. My plan was the 3rd leovold and a library. TNN is great here and so is leovold. They both need an edict to remove normally, so prioritizing thought seizes towards those types of removal spells works well. If you have a ton of Czech pile you could consider a gideon or non blue threat. Lingering souls plays into sideboard -1/-1 effects too much for my liking in general, but I could see it working. I was doing -4 FOW, -2 Plow, -1 Island (games go long) +2 Council judgment, +1 Leo, +1 Library, + 2 Fluster, +1 Sofi. I debated keeping in forces or trying a surgical or 2, but I didn't have enough time to test these.

  4. #464
    Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.
    Hanni's Avatar
    Join Date

    Aug 2006
    Location

    Columbus, OH
    Posts

    2,818

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    First of all, congrats on winning the SCG Open.

    Considering the amount of mana denial strategies that you played against over the weekend, I'm very impressed with your results.

    Most of my experience comes from playing Bant Deathblade and Mentor Deathblade, although I have tried many other variations of Stoneblade over the years. I've always found that one of the biggest weaknesses of the archetype are against decks that are able to get underneath you before your more powerful gameplan comes online.

    This is the reason why I feel that Bant Deathblade is great... the 8 mana dorks help that deck develop its mana. This is also why I like the Mentor Deathblade list I played at EW... the colored requirements are light, the deck has a bunch of basics, and a fairly low curve.

    Obviously you had different results over the weekend. You ran a color-source intensive list with a very top heavy curve without Noble Hierarch, and it worked out very well for you.

    I still stand by what I said before though. If you're going greedy, I don't like playing with basics.

    I'm still skeptical of playing Wasteland outside of the Bant Deathblade shell, but I may have to reconsider that perspective.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

  5. #465
    Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.
    Hanni's Avatar
    Join Date

    Aug 2006
    Location

    Columbus, OH
    Posts

    2,818

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    As far as TNN vs Mentor is concerned, they do different things which I don't think are easily comparable. In the right spot, Mentor can be very resilient to spot removal. It's also much better when you can Probe/Therapy to clear the way first, or can protect it for a turn.

    TNN is much stronger against heavy spot removal decks, and against decks with a slower clock. TNN is more vulnerable to sweep effects... TNN is vulnerable to Zealous Persecution, Marsh Casualties, Golgar Charm, etc, where Mentor is not.

    Running Deluge in the board when you play TNN is a non-bo, whereas it becomes an option if you play Mentor.

    TNN is vulnerable to Pyroblast, where Mentor is not. Mentor is vulnerable to Sulfur Elemental or Dread of Night, where TNN is not.

    TNN is more vulnerable to Diabolic Edict and Drop of Honey. Mentor is more vulnerable to Abrupt Decay.

    TNN is atrocious against combo decks, where Mentor is fantastic. TNN is better in an aggro/tempo approach, whereas Mentor is better in a control approach.

    Mentor has the ability to bring you back from losing board states in a way TNN never could, but requires a deck composition that is heavy in non-land, non-creature spells, and requires that you have the resources to do it. TNN is a better topdeck when you are empty-handed.

    So the point is that it's not really cut and dry. Both have pros and cons. I like both approaches. I've had great success with Bant Deathblade, and I've had great success with Mentor Deathblade. I don't think either approach is better than the other.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

  6. #466

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by Hanni View Post
    As far as TNN vs Mentor is concerned, they do different things which I don't think are easily comparable. In the right spot, Mentor can be very resilient to spot removal. It's also much better when you can Probe/Therapy to clear the way first, or can protect it for a turn.

    TNN is much stronger against heavy spot removal decks, and against decks with a slower clock. TNN is more vulnerable to sweep effects... TNN is vulnerable to Zealous Persecution, Marsh Casualties, Golgar Charm, etc, where Mentor is not.

    Running Deluge in the board when you play TNN is a non-bo, whereas it becomes an option if you play Mentor.

    TNN is atrocious against combo decks, where Mentor is fantastic. TNN is better in an aggro/tempo approach, whereas Mentor is better in a control approach, especially in combination with Therapy.

    So the point is that it's not really cut and dry. Both have pros and cons. I like both approaches. I've had great success with Bant Deathblade, and I've had great success with Mentor Deathblade. I don't think either approach is better than the other.

    Good points. I really like probe therapy, and I think if you're doing that mentor makes more sense.

    TNN is bad versus combo decks, but Leovold is insane. So I board out the bad one depending on matchup. The one that isn't good depending on matchup is still blue, and is pitchable to force.

    A big focus for me is that all of my 3+ mana cards are blue so early in the game I can pitch them to force of will if needed. I also haven't played with therapy enough to be a master like some of your blind calls. I like thought seize to see what lines up well against my current hand and adjust accordingly.

    Mentor is a much faster clock when you untap with it, I've just been wastelanded significantly before I untap with TNN. I feel like a mentor shell with daze could be fairly strong too.

    I definitely like mentor with therapy/probe/basics and TNN with Thought Seize/wastelands. I think they are likely not interchangable much as pieces.

  7. #467

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Thanks a lot for coming in here and sharing all this valuable information, I'm sure I'm not the only one who really appreciates it. You've definitely convinced me to give 4C a shot again. Only card I'm missing from your list is the third Underground Sea - how would you adjust it if that were a Bayou? Is this at all doable?

    Oh, and isn't 4 Mystics overkill?

  8. #468

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    First 3-0 in a long time. Made a few misplays, but was saved by insane draws or opponents making bigger misplays. List is still the same, I’m pretty happy at this point other than a card or two.


    Match 1: UWR Stoneblade(2-1 Win)
    I'm probably more proud of this win than i should be. Finally took down an extremely good player, probably lost to this guy 3-4 times in a row.

    Game 1: Win
    On the play I keep 2 thoughtseize, TNN, and some lands. I thoughtseize him see 5 lands, brainstorm, and TNN. I take his brainstorm, and follow up on the next turn to grab his TNN. After that I resolve my own TNN and start beating him down for the win, I think I get him down to 1 or 2 before he gets rid of the TNN with his 1 of council’s judgment. Brainstorm finds collective brutality, and I drain him for lethal.

    Game 2: Loss
    Sideboard:
    -3 Thoughtseize
    -4 FoW
    +2 Fatal Push
    +1 Engineered Explosives
    +2 Zealous Persecution
    +1 Disenchant
    +1 Sword of Fire and Ice

    I stick a TNN again and start beating down. He deploys a SFM I can’t deal with and a batterskull. I have another TNN in hand which I feel forced to deploy so I can deep beating down and keep the skull in check. I know the dangers of this as I can walk into an engineered explosives or supreme verdict. I do walk into a verdict and he ends up killing me not long thereafter.

    Game 3:
    I do some thinking beforehand and decide to switch things up with my sideboard. Still not sure how to feel about this SB play, I do want advice on this if you have any.
    -4 DRS
    -1 Fatal Push
    +3 Thoughtseize
    +2 FoW
    Essentially, I’m thinking that his deck is a longer range version of mine. While DRS does set up for explosive plays, it can be a dead draw late game. So I trade them in for more longrange cards like thoughtseize/FoW to disrupt his gameplan.

    I shuffle these cards up and proceed to draw the nuts. TNN, Jace, Lingering Souls, and lands. My follow up draws are 2 TNNs. He manages to stick a vendilion clique equip a jitte, and swing. He uses the jitte counters to kill my two spirit tokens. My topdeck is none other than a very timely disenchant to destroy it. A few turns later I swing with TNN putting him at 2. My hand is DRS, DRS, and Brutality. I bait a DRS to see what he does and he taps out to play counterspell. I follow up with Brutality for lethal and he concedes, ending the game on the spot.


    Match 2: Aggro Loam(2-1 Win)

    Game 1:
    Not much of a game, I get pinned under chalice on 1 and 2 wastelands. My board state never progresses and I lose not long thereafter.

    Game 2:
    -2 Lingering Souls
    -1 Collective Brutality
    -2 Spell Pierce
    -2 FoW
    +2 Surgical Extraction
    +2 Fatal Push
    +1 Disenchant
    +1 Sword of Fire and Ice
    +1 Engineered Explosives

    Probably mistakenly I keep a hand with SFM, SFM, 2 fetchlands, ponder, brainstorm, and fatal push. I crack for an island, ponder and pass the turn. He plays chalice on 1, which is terrible and makes me instantly regret keeping this marginal hand. I follow up with SFM fetching batterskull, he takes his turn to deploy bob. I start beating down with batterskull, and deploy my 2nd SFM fetching SoFi, he casts life from the loam. My opponent makes it awkward by playing choke. I flash in SoFi in response, but the only land I have that untaps is a swamp so I can’t actually equip it. A turn or two later I find wasteland, equip the sword and keep swinging in, putting my opponent at 2 life. He deploys a very large knight, but against 2 SFMs and Batterskull it’s not enough and he gets dealt lethal.
    My opponent’s mistake was not dredging his earlier life from the loam. He acknowledges his mistake, but either way I’ll take a win I guess.

    Game 3:
    On the draw FoW is going to be required to deal with a T1 chalice so I need to adjust my SB again.
    -2 Thoughtseize
    +2 FoW

    I draw FoW, FoW, DRS, brainstorm, ponder, and some dual lands. I FoW my opponents opening chalice and from there the game comes to a standstill. We trade threats mostly, he liliana’s my TNN, I cast engineered explosives to kill lilana. And I think I get rid of two knights. I’m drawing into mostly duals and draws into 3 wastelands so I’m more or less unable to develop a manabase. I make a mistake by hanging onto a surgical extraction as he starts casting punishing fire to tick me down by 1 life at a time, a huge mistake on my part. If he drew the second grove my surgical extraction targeting punishing fire no longer works. The reason I’m not deploying it is because I’m stuck, my hand is jace, ponder, surgical extraction. My manabase is plains and swamp. I’m doubtful I can deploy jace so I’m not sure if I should save extraction for life from the loam. In the end I sit on extraction and get lucky he doesn’t find a 2nd grove.
    A key drawstep comes when I find a fetchland, I fetch for island, ponder and see another fetchland to deploy jace next turn. I resolve jace, surgical extraction his pfire, and pretty much end the game on the spot.


    Match 3: New Miracles(2-0 Win)
    Was kinda apprehensive walking into this match as I’ve never played this deck before. My opener is DRS, underground sea, fetchlands, lingering souls, SFM, collective brutality, and a ponder. I keep, underground sea into DRS and pass. My opponent ponders and passes it back. I brutality him, deciding that I want to duress, I see 4 lands, brainstorm, predict, and terminus. I’m not sure what to take here, brainstorm is always a pretty solid choice, I know predict gives him card advantage, and I know terminus is gonna bin whatever threat I find. I end up going with terminus, and use my third mana to cast a 2nd DRS since I’m not afraid of sweepers anymore. He plows one of my DRS on his turn which is fine by me. I take my turn to deploy SFM fetching batterskull to apply pressure. I make a critical mistake that I got away with. On my turn I see 5 mana up on his side, a volcanic island is his only red source. I’m pretty sure he’s telegraphing red blast, so I go to wasteland the volcanic island, he floats a blue in response, and I’m convince I’m in the clear. I windmill slam jace only to see him hardcast a FoW off the floated mana. I needed to pass to 2nd main to avoid the problem, I was just so happy to see no pyroblast in hand I forgot this step entirely. He manages to stick a mentor but I swords it before things get too far out of hand, he only gets 2 tokens out of it. Eventually TNN resolves and puts him to two again. I cast brutality for drain for lethal.

    Game 2:
    -2 Spell Pierce
    -2 Collective Brutality
    -1 Thoughtseize
    +2 Fatal Push
    +1 Engineered Explosives
    +2 Surgical Extraction
    In retrospect, invasive surgery and engineered plague naming monk would have been great here, I need to include those next time.
    Other than that I got rid of spell pierce since games go long and it does little to address terminus. Brutality doesn’t do a whole lot in this matchup, its duress effect is still helpful, but it can’t reliably kill a mentor.
    My starting 7 is ridiculous. TNN, Lingering Souls, SFM, Leovold, brutality, and lands. I probably can’t ask for a much better hand than this. I lead with a brutality, and he brainstorms in response. I believe I yank some countermagic. I resolve a SFM and he terminus’s it away, which is fine by me. Next turn is another SFM, which he pyroclasms. My next turn I cast Lingering souls and to start beating down again. He resolves a Jace, but can’t brainstorm because the spirit tokens keep beating him down. I try to snapcaster mage, flashing back brutality to see if the way is clear for a Jace to resolve, but he counterspells to stop snapcaster. At this point he is tapped out and I go for a jace of my own and it resolves. I brainstorm finding surgical extraction and thoughtseize, money cards in this boardstate, especially with a terminus in the graveyard. I cast the thoughtseize revealing Fireblast, jace, counterspell, FoW, and Snapcaster. I stupidly take the fireblast. He snapcasters to blast my jace which I somehow didn’t see... He takes the last counter off his jace to return snapcaster mage to hand.
    At this point my hand is TNN, Leovold, Batterksull, jitte , and surgical extraction. I decide to see how he wants to use his countermagic by casting surgical extraction targeting terminus. He thinks about it, and lets it slide, no more terminus. I attempt to resolve the 2nd half of my lingering souls for more pressure, combined with my DRS is a 6 damage clock. He does nothing, so I go for jitte, pretty much knowing it’s going to be countered. It is. At this point the snapcaster he bounced back to hand comes back to haunt me. He snaps back pyroclasm clearing my board, I’m pretty mad at myself for walking both halves of lingering souls into the same sweeper, defeating the beauty of the card. At this point all he’s got is FoW, Jace in hand. I have to decide if I want to resolve TNN or Leovold, batterskull is the 3rd card in hand.
    TNN has the advantage of being almost unanswerable since his terminus is gone. But he does have a jace in hand, and if he brainstorms well, he could find mentor and cards to start making a bunch of tokens. The game could conceivably get away from me, he is at roughly 10 life so TNN gives him 3-4 turns to mess around with. Leovold on the other hand shuts the door hard on him, but is soft to swords, which I think there are two of left in his deck. While leovold would 2-1 itself if he finds swords, there’s still no guarantee that the drawn card is useful, and maybe what I do want is TNN, a threat he just can’t get off the board. In the end I decide leovold is more important and cast TNN as bait, he takes the bait, casting FoW pitching jace leaving him hellbent. Leovold resolves after that and he’s now in topdeck mode. Batterskull resolves the turn after and he can’t recover.


    Overall, I got away with 2 critical mistakes, but my draws and opening hands were pretty insane tonight. Still have to tighten up play in a few places, noteably, I seem to get too excited about resolving jace leading me to make stupid mistakes.

  9. #469

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    @Molz7 Really appreciate you writing up your thoughts and explanations. I managed to watch quite a few games over the weekend so saw a couple of your matches, including the final. Primarily an Esper Blade player but will be giving Deathblade a whirl at an upcoming FNM, if not in some casual games beforehand.

  10. #470
    Member

    Join Date

    Nov 2017
    Location

    Columbus, OH
    Posts

    10

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    @Molz7 The insights were great. I'm just getting into Legacy and wanted to play SFM but wasn't sure whether to go Bant or Esper route. Your explanations made me think about my style of play. I like proactive strategies and having answers so I went the Esper route.

    Other than Dredge, what matches are players finding success with Surgical Extraction and Library?

  11. #471

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by RHWil View Post
    @Molz7 The insights were great. I'm just getting into Legacy and wanted to play SFM but wasn't sure whether to go Bant or Esper route. Your explanations made me think about my style of play. I like proactive strategies and having answers so I went the Esper route.

    Other than Dredge, what matches are players finding success with Surgical Extraction and Library?
    I can't speak to library since i don't play it. I'd wager its useful in midrange grindy games.


    Surgical extraction i find useful in combo matchups that rely on one card to go off. Reanimator is a good example, extracting griselbrand in their yard takes away their premier threat and makes them burn a reanimate spell if you time it right.

    Otherwise its still very useful against decks that revolve around a single card. Show and tell decks are the easiest and most popular example. If you find a surgical extraction in your opening hand you really want to get the show and tell into the yard. You can most efficiently do this with thoughtseize, or you can win a counter war over a show and tell to get one in there. Either way, once your opponent has show and tell in the yard you can extract it and mess with their gameplan. Its also good against decks like miracles, if you can surgical key cards out like terminus leaving them few ways to deal with a TNN.

    It should also be noted that this card is busted with snapcaster mage. Snapping back surgical extraction taking away even more key cards from their deck is backbreaking.

  12. #472
    Member

    Join Date

    Nov 2017
    Location

    Columbus, OH
    Posts

    10

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Thanks for the thoughts First Revenge. What is a good strategy against lands? I'm thinking I want to/options are: 1) Wasteland their Stage after Dark Depths is sac'ed to the legend rule while Stage/copied Depths trigger is on the stack, 2) Surgical/DRS the Loam/lands, 3) Save Plows for Lage if it resolves, 4) Thoughtseize/FOW the Gamble/Rotation/Loam depending on situation, 5) JTMS bounce Lage, and 6) side in Council's Judgment.

    Are there any other strategies I'm missing?

  13. #473

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by RHWil View Post
    Thanks for the thoughts First Revenge. What is a good strategy against lands? I'm thinking I want to/options are: 1) Wasteland their Stage after Dark Depths is sac'ed to the legend rule while Stage/copied Depths trigger is on the stack, 2) Surgical/DRS the Loam/lands, 3) Save Plows for Lage if it resolves, 4) Thoughtseize/FOW the Gamble/Rotation/Loam depending on situation, 5) JTMS bounce Lage, and 6) side in Council's Judgment.

    Are there any other strategies I'm missing?
    If you have to play around 5) or 6) you'll probably be dead...

    Basically, you win this match resolving DRS and protecting him. Of course, 3) is highly recommended as well :D

  14. #474
    Member

    Join Date

    Nov 2017
    Location

    Columbus, OH
    Posts

    10

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by cheinp View Post
    If you have to play around 5) or 6) you'll probably be dead...

    Basically, you win this match resolving DRS and protecting him. Of course, 3) is highly recommended as well :D
    Is it worth SB out the FOWs? I’m trying to decide what to take out in this match for the Surgicals, possibly Meddling Mage, and CJ?

    2 Strix is an easy cut but should Leovold stay in as well?

  15. #475
    Member

    Join Date

    May 2016
    Location

    Portland, OR
    Posts

    60

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Leovold's great vs Lands. He's hard to cast but if he comes down it punishes so much. Port, Maze, P-Fire all dig you towards the cards that do matter. Force is a necessary evil. Exploration, Gamble, P-Fire on a turn 1 DRS are all very important to counter. If you actually manage to stick a Shaman early thats huge. Cut any discard, cut Jitte, maybe cut 2 SFM and BSkull. Surgical is your best card, Meddling Mage is better than most, and CJ is straight trash. Honestly having Strix to be a body and chump Marit Lage isn't nothing.

  16. #476
    Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.
    Hrothgar's Avatar
    Join Date

    Mar 2014
    Posts

    241

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Hi guys, now we have a Deathblade section into Discord chat and you're welcome!
    This link / invite don't expire:

    https://discord.gg/wtehtyY

  17. #477

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by RHWil View Post
    Thanks for the thoughts First Revenge. What is a good strategy against lands? I'm thinking I want to/options are: 1) Wasteland their Stage after Dark Depths is sac'ed to the legend rule while Stage/copied Depths trigger is on the stack, 2) Surgical/DRS the Loam/lands, 3) Save Plows for Lage if it resolves, 4) Thoughtseize/FOW the Gamble/Rotation/Loam depending on situation, 5) JTMS bounce Lage, and 6) side in Council's Judgment.

    Are there any other strategies I'm missing?
    I don't play against lands too much, but its pretty tricky.

    G1 is tough, even though you have swords you don't have access to surgical extraction. This means its hard to apply meaningful pressure, if you plow their lage they gain 20 life and essentially reset and try to build the combo a second time. G1 i focus more on getting TNN on the field and clocking them that way since it can't be P'fired. Unfortunately, once you have to swords a lage though its probably over. In this game i lean pretty hard on counter magic to stop their tutors.

    G2 and G3 are completely different. In a lot of ways the only card in their deck that really matters dark depths(preferable) or thespian's stage. You game plan here is to plow the first lage they make then extract either of those two lands. In this case giving them 20 life doesn't really matter. Once you get lage out of their deck they don't really have a way to win. Depending on your manabase, you may have to extract a loam to stop a wasteland lock or even a ghost quarter lock.

    Sorcery speed stuff like JTMS/Judgement are really wonky. Most of the time your lands opponent is just going to endstep make the lage token so these cards won't really matter.

    Only counter or thoughtseize the loam if you have a DRS ready to eat it immediately. Otherwise they just dredge it back.

    If you're really struggling against lands and you know you'll be playing against lands a lot, path to exile is a good sideboard card. Pathing a lage nets them essentially nothing but a basic. Its also relevant against the greedier manabases running around that may or may not even have a basic to fetch.

  18. #478
    Member

    Join Date

    Nov 2017
    Location

    Columbus, OH
    Posts

    10

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    I definitely appreciate the thoughts. I'm just jumping into Legacy and didn't know all of the lines to take against some of the decks. Another one I haven't played against is Grixis Delver. What are some strategies for that matchup?

  19. #479
    Member

    Join Date

    May 2016
    Location

    Portland, OR
    Posts

    60

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Basic Lands tips: Be careful about trying to eat or surgical Loam and P-Fire. Obviously Grove and P-Fire is a known thing. But people often forget to play around Tranquil (and now Sheltered) Thicket cycling to instant dredge Loam, or Crop Rotation for Grove. Honestly sometimes you just can't do anything about it or can't play around something. So you have to consider the odds of drawing into something to change the situation vs how much worse your board position will become by allowing them to continue unmolested.

    Deathblade vs Lands is often about small edges and finding every avenue to interact and squeeze out victory. Realistically, they are favored by a good margin and if their plan comes together it will be hard to win. The first few times you play the matchup, you will probably lose, and the best thing is to look back at where you could have done something differently or made them have something. If you play Wastelands or enough basics to reasonably support Back to Basics, these can help. I'm partial to Invasive Surgery as a good SB card for combo matchups that doubles as Loam hate that ignores Thicket cycling and the like. If you can't play B2B or Wasteland but really want to stick it to Lands or maybe have some 12 Post running around, Global Ruin exist so that your 4 color greed pile can punish them for their audacity to play so many nonbasics.


    There are times to counter a loam you can't Shaman, but they are rare and often mean you are losing. Sometimes you just can't let them have that Stage, Depths, Wasteland, Tabernacle this turn. Countering loam usually means you either need to draw a very specific card to not lose or need one turn to kill them. Force can be pressured between Exploration, Gamble, and in many spots Crop Rotation, but sometimes its really weak against a Loam plus lands draw.

  20. #480
    Is Cancer

    Join Date

    Jul 2014
    Posts

    1,146

    Re: [Deck] Deathblade

    Quote Originally Posted by scapiander View Post
    Any other sideboarding options you considered that might be worth it in a narrower local meta? I.e. disenchant, lingering souls, or any other things you might consider?

    For example, I battle a meta filled with fair Czech pile and DnT strategies.
    These decks both struggle with Bitterblossom quite badly unless you get aggro'd pretty hard. Unlikely to have removal for the Blossom, and even if all it does is buy you some time that's often the problem you have when facing D&T. You don't want to be caught spending 7 against D&T while they choke your mana. You want to spend 3 and make most of their trades *very bad.*

    I think the game it impressed me most was that I tanked a batterskull for a bit while slowly building my board against his; he went into large trades in combat once I had enough air power that I could overpower the lifelink while blocking; and the trades ended up being his Skull, Thalia, Thalia 2.0, and I think another creature or two in there with very conservative play on my part; eventually landing my own skull on a flying token and winning. You can bet that guy was quite steamed.

    The fact that Blossom is an absolute tank against Lands and is generally good in any mid-range MU; which means it should serve you well over the course of a tournament.
    Quote Originally Posted by Nestalim View Post
    Wrong. Gideon Emblem protect you from losing and you can even open your binder and slam some cards on the board, not even the HJ can DQ you now.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)