Steel Stompy 2.0 / Ravager Shops

[Alex_UNLIMITED]

Revoker is the first thing to go out against grixis delver and czech pile. It dies to everything they have and is pretty weak on it's own. I also find thorn pretty lackluster against grixis and czech after game 1. Games tend to go longer after game 1 so the effect of a thorn is quickly mitigated (especially with deathrite). Grixis is also very capable of playing a longer game, much better than UR delver or RUG delver where thorn stays good after game 1. You're boarding in mostly noncreature spells which is also kind of a nonbo with thorn.

Spyglass or not depends a bit on how they boarded. If they board in stuff like lili the last hope, lavamancer or staticaster you might want to bring one or both in. I you can't shut them down these cards pretty much wreck the deck.

I'll write how I sideboarded against the decks I faced next week together with a report of the GP. I'm in the middle of writing a paper so I don't have much time for now.

Thank you! I'm waiting the report, it will be very interesting to know how did you get to the top 4, especially for the sideboarding strategies.

[Johanovich]

As promised, a short report from the GP. I didn’t take a lot of notes so some info will be missing here and there. I played in three events including the main event.

I played the following list:
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
2 Darksteel Citadel
2 Inventors' Fair
1 Karakas
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland

4 Arcbound Ravager
2 Etched Champion
2 Lodestone Golem
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge
4 Walking Ballista

4 Chalice of the Void
3 Lotus Petal
3 Mox Opal
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Umezawa's Jitte

SIDEBOARD
3 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Karn, Scion of Urza
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Sorcerous Spyglass
2 Spellskite

First side event:
R1: turbo depths
Win the die roll
G1: I have wastelands, chalice, revoker plus extra pressure so easy win
G2: I have a quick spyglass and see stage, urborg, dephts, sylvan, crop rotation, hexmage and petal. I put it on hexmage because I have wasteland, but he manages to get extra pieces so he makes a 20/20 in his turn. I copy marit lage with metamorph but he has sejiri steppe in hand to get past my copy.
G3: I get chalice down with some beaters, but take a lot of damage from tomb. He makes a 20/20 but my board pressure is too much.
1-0

R2: turbo dephts
Lose the die roll
G1: urborg + depths + hexmage = very dead
G2: he puts needle on wasteland, I put revoker on hexmage, of which he has three. I have metamorph in hand but miss the play to copy his needle for stage and he goes eot crop rotation into stage to make a 20/20. Could potentially have won this if I was paying more attention.
1-1

R3: Sneaky show
Win the die roll
G1: show and tell into grisel on turn 2 and I am dead
G2: he manages to get a sneak attack down, flashes in emrakul to wipe my board and hit me to 1. Luckily I still have a factory with land and I proceed to hit him for 2 every turn until I rip a revoker two turns after to seal the deal.
G3: he plays show and tell with island and tomb to get omniscience down. I put a lodestone intoplay so he can’t cast anything. In my turn I waste his tomb and swing for 8, he pyroclasms my board except for lodestone. I hit for 5 and he goes ponder into lotus petal into through the breach with nothing.
2-1

Main event:
R1: grixis delver
No idea who won the roll
I don’t have a lot of notes from this match, but he mulled in games 2 and 3. I remember these 3 games being fairly close
1-0

R2: deathblade
Win the die roll
G1: I have chalice on 1, a revoker runs into a blue ambush viper but after that the robot pressure is too much for him.
G2: He mulls to 6, goes DRS into stoneforge to get batterskull. I don’t have metamorph or champion so I die to the germ.
G3: He mulls to 6 again, I land a karn turn 2 which effectively ends the game.
2-0

R3: grixis delver
No idea who won the roll
G1: chalice on 1 with two overseer and a creature quickly ends the game.
G2: I get some early beats, then ravager takes him from 12 to 0
3-0

R4: grixis delver (I think)
No idea who won the roll
Again I have very few notes of this match, it also wasn’t clear to me if he was pure grixis delver or a more controllish build. I saw pyromancer, wasteland and gurmag angler but also baleful strix. He also had izzet staticaster postboard. I do remember making a mistake in game 2 which cost me the game, but I won games 1 and 3
4-0

R5: lands
Win the die roll
G1: he accidentally shows a mox diamond, so I know the deck involves a certain 20/20. He mulls game 1, I have chalice on 1 and proceed to beat face.
G2: I start with leyline in play, start my first two turns with chalice on 1 and spyglass on stage. He grips both the chalice and spyglass and almost gets back in the game by crop rotating for chasm and playing drop of honey. Luckily I had been sandbagging a wasteland for the chasm to swing for lethal. I also still had karakas and bridge as backup in my hand.
5-0

R6: czech pile
No idea who won the roll
I win games 1 and 3. In game 2 a karn gets hymned together with overseer. He admitted that he would have scooped if the karn hit play because he has no way of getting rid of it and it nets too much cards. G3 I won by playing spyglass on scalding tarn, effectively preventing him from ever getting to three mana for his K-commands.
6-0

R7: storm
Win the die roll
G1: I have chalice on 1 with a very fast clock. I only saw island and swamp so I wasn’t sure what I was playing against. I assumed it was control to I took out thorns but left in the golems.
G2: I keep a hand with a reasonable clock but without any real disruption. He fetches for island and swamp like G1 and cantrips a bit, then gets volcanic on turn 4 and goes cabal ritual, cabal ritual, dark petition, etc.
G3: thorns go back in the deck and I go turn 1 thorn, turn 2 chalice on 1 and revoker on LED, turn 3 chalice on 0 with another revoker in hand. Nuff said.
7-0

R8: grixis delver
Lose the die roll
G1: I get chalice on 1 to resolve and he scoops as soon as I play a clock.
G2: the combination of quick delver beats, wastelands, TNN and ancient grudge create a pretty much unwinnable game.
G3: don’t remember what exactly happened, but this game was very close and I had the feeling I could lose at any moment.
8-0

Day 2, given that I was not selected for a feature match on day 1 I figured I would be on feature in the first round of day 2. I wasn’t wrong.
R9: grixis delver (feature match):
Lose the die roll.
I get the first deck check of the day, everything was fine.
You can see everything on the video, but the main thing was that my game 1 thorn did absolutely nothing because he just played creatures. Game 2 I probably should either have mulled the hand or played the ratchet bomb first instead of the overseer. Normally I have a pretty good chance then to draw another land for the vault skirge and get going from there. Sadly I don’t see any lands anymore before I die. Mistakes were made…
8-1

R10: grixis delver
Lose the die roll
I win G1 and G3 because of him mulliganing to 6 and me having lifelink beats.
9-1

R11: moon stompy (Gary Campbell)
Lose the die roll
G1: for the first time in day 2 I have a sol land + chalice with some other good stuff so I keep. Then gary starts the game with tomb, chalice on 1. Luckily I have overseer + 2 ballista to keep shooting and swinging despite a bridge.
G2: turn 2 karn seals the deal.
10-1

R12: tin fins
Lose the die roll
I get my second deck check of the day. My deck is still fine, but my opponent gets a warning because of marked cards. Apparently some sleeves were from a different pack, which caused their sides to stand out in the main deck as lines. He changes the sleeves and asks the judge to check and the judge gives us the all-clear.
G1: he mulls to 5 and I have double overseer plus skirge. Just before they can get completely out of hand he gets emrakul into play via shallow grave to clear most of my board and knock me to 1. I keep a 3/3 overseer and a revoker in play to beat him to death in a few turns.
When we’re done sideboarding I notice the same kind of lines in his deck, so we call a judge to check. Turns out all of his sideboard cards were from the other pack of sleeves so they stand out against the main deck. The judges apologised as they felt this was also partly their fault (they checked maindeck and sideboard separately) for not checking this during the first deck check, but due to the rules they cannot downgrade it and he gets a game loss.
11-1

R13: elves
Lose the die roll
G1: he plays forest, DRS so I know it’s probably elves. I land chalice on 1 to stop him from doing broken stuff. He later goes eot fetch for dryad arbor, zenith for ranger, tap arbor and forest, bounce forest to untap arbor, replay forest and tap forest and arbor to play order into hoof. I go to 3 and I chump the hoof for a few turns while killing his other remaining creatures. If I topdeck a non-tomb land (I’m at 2 life) I can play etched champion or lodestone golen to kill his hoof or eternally chump it. I topdeck ancient tomb.
G2: I get an active jitte on turn 2, which is later destroyed by reclamation sage but the damage is done. I play walking ballista to mop up the rest and win from there.
G3: chalice on 1 faces of against DRS like in game one, but now revoker and a few others join the party and his plays are hindered too much by the chalice.
12-1

R14: czech pile (feature match)
Lose the die roll
G1 is not on the feature, which is a real shame as it featured a metamorph copying a leovold. Considering my deck is not bothered too much by leovold this ends up winning me the game.
G2: too many kolaghan’s command form my deck to handle and I took a lot of damage from tomb. Especially the vault skirges with the tomb really hurt, but I needed to advance my board. The spyglass on delta could have worked out pretty good with the lifegain from fair if he hadn’t topdecked another fetch right then.
G3: to react to the comments: I wasn’t playing around daze. My plan with karn usually involves playing some threats or lockpieces to get counters out of their hand first and then follow up with karn to restock. When I noticed he missed his land drop and I didn’t draw any good alternative to cast I decided to give it a go anyways. Tapping the wasteland was a mistake which luckily didn’t cost me the game.
13-1

R15: ID
13-1-1

QF: grixis delver (feature match)
I’m on the play
G1: all in all I think I played this one correctly. Perhaps jitte was also an option in game 1, but that would’ve required me to sac my thorn. Another route was to sac thorn to ballista as well to take out the deathrite to quicken my clock, but in every scenario I would’ve died to bolt before I could kill him.
G2: I can see definitely why you would keep the first hand, but if the chalice gets countered you have a very slow hand all of a sudden with factories as the only beaters. So I decided I wanted a hand that does not completely depend on chalice resolving. Turns out he did not have the force anyway.
G3: I did not want to give him extra mana, so no wasteland activation. The commentators were really going on about not playing the factory, but at that point it’s a bit unnecessary and I would only be giving him more mana to work with because of the city dying. Similarly I didn’t want to play metamorph because he was dying anyway and if he counters it he could eat the creature with deathrite to gain life. I do admit I should have been a bit more aggressive with champion to end the game quicker.
14-1-1

SF: moon stompy (feature match)
I’m on the play
G1 was fine, G2 is one massive tilt and G3 was a bit of bad luck (my outs for the last draw I took were ballista and ratchet bomb). I do think it might have been better to make a token with karn immediately instead of upticking, but there’s no way I could have guessed he was going to play spyglass. Also the cards karn revealed were the worst possible options in that situation. Revoker on hazoret was because of ensnaring bridge. In testing this is what killed me most of the times because they can empty their hand for bridge. If you have a sphere effect often they are stuck with a card or two and you can sneak in damage under a bridge.
14-2-1

Second side event
R1: dredge
Lose the die roll
G1: I mull to 4, dredge does what dredge does best
G2: I have a ravager to get rid of bridges and a thorn to prevent flashbacs after a wasteland. Vault skirge with 2 overseer races 3 ichorids and 2 narcomoeba.
G3: I start with leyline and she didn’t board in enchantment removal.
1-0

R2: land tax
Lose the die roll
G1: plays land tax forces my chalice and gain a ton of value via land tax plus scroll rack. I die to RIP + helm.
G2: I get some creatures including ravager and 2 ballista in play. He has two tapped lands and an uncracked fetch at 18 life. I quickly calculate I can do 17 damage in total so I have to rely on him cracking the fetch. I swing with everything, he decides to crack the fetch and swords my ravage so I sac everything except ballista to ravage and ravage to himself. He dies to ballista combat damage plus ballista activations. Turns out he had energy field in hand so if he hadn’t fetched I would’ve been locked out of the game.
G3: he mulls and I have chalice. Robots do the rest.
2-0

R3: ID for best price support for the both of us
Turns out this was the mirror. We played a game for fun, which I won thanks to revoker on his steel overseer, vault skirge and ravage which race a lodestone golem.
2-0-1

[TLK]

Awesome report and congrats on the amazing finish. Any changes you'd make to the deck after running it through a long event?

[Johanovich]

Awesome report and congrats on the amazing finish. Any changes you'd make to the deck after running it through a long event?

Not really, I played in a 50-people tournament last sunday with the same list. I'm going to test some versions with traxos and karn maindeck and maybe one more golem, but for now I'm still really happy with this list.
Did not lose a match untill the finals where I lost against a good friend of mine who was on UW miracles (and is one of the best players of Belgium in my opinion).

Played six rounds of swiss
R1: grixis delver (2-1)
R2: BUG delver (2-0)
R3: moon stompy (2-0)
R4: UW control (2-0)
R5: ID
R6: ID
QF: UB delver (2-0)
SF: czech pile (2-0)
F: UW miracles (0-2)

Three of the matches are on camera: the first round game 3, SF and F.
The top 8 decklists should appear on MTGtop8 within the next few weeks.

There were 3 or 4 other steel stompy players, at least one was playing traxos. They also did relatively well but did not make it to top 8. The top 8 was UW miracles, steel stompy, czech pile, grixis delver, UB delver, BR reanimator, elves and goblins.

[owerbart]

Hi first post here. Was going to ask the same thing, if it wouldn't be cool to run traxos in these type of steel stompy decklists.i I mean everyone talks about nu-Karn but Traxos is a 7/7 4 mana trampler, which exceed what the big beefs in the format are (Angler, goes thru TNN)

[Jorruk]

Hi,

Actually I'm not very sure about traxos. For sure it is a fast clock but with a field full of strix I don't know ... I mean it's not like all the other threat we have, they are all quite cheap so it's not a big deal to lose them compared to traxos.
On the other hand, even if it is blocked and deathtouched that will still be 6 dmg and you still have the option to have a balista to previously kill the strix.

It needs testing ! :p

[Johanovich]

Hi first post here. Was going to ask the same thing, if it wouldn't be cool to run traxos in these type of steel stompy decklists.i I mean everyone talks about nu-Karn but Traxos is a 7/7 4 mana trampler, which exceed what the big beefs in the format are (Angler, goes thru TNN)

My main problem with it is that it's a terrible topdeck later in the game. It enters the battlefield tapped and there is no real guarantee to untap it next turn.
That's why I think you have to run him together with karn. Then karn can provide the necessary cards to keep untapping him.

[owerbart]

My main problem with it is that it's a terrible topdeck later in the game. It enters the battlefield tapped and there is no real guarantee to untap it next turn.
That's why I think you have to run him together with karn. Then karn can provide the necessary cards to keep untapping him.

I get you. Congrats on your great finishes Johanovich :)

I'm trying to optimize a traxos build, currently trying either with a MUD base or with a Steel Stompy Base. I'll post the decklist when i have something cooked up.

[Ciubulu]

I'm trying to optimize a traxos build, currently trying either with a MUD base or with a Steel Stompy Base. I'll post the decklist when i have something cooked up.

Traxos is a great card but needs a dedicated build. I had some success with a 4x voltaic construct 4x traxos 4x grim monolith (and 4x karns md) build but it’s less explosive and too much dependant on getting 4 mana that’s not always easy.

I’m trying a skirge-less build with the 4th revoker +1 land +2 welding jar and 2x hangarback walkers instead of 2 thorns.
I found thorns a little too easy to play around. I kept 2 because it’s great vs miracles and combo decks leaving the other 2 in my sb.
Skirge is a cool card (somewhat unexpected) but it’s not a good topdeck and its impact on the game depends too much if you have an overseer or an equipment (I use sword of fire and ice but jitte is a valid option).

Still trying to figure how sb properly but deck is cool and I’m having a lot of fun with it lately

[Johanovich]

Here are some sideboarding strategies for some of the decks I’ve faced so far (they are somewhat flexible, so I don’t adhere strictly to this myself especially when it comes to siding stuff out). I'll add some more in the near future:

Vs grixis delver, UB delver and BUG delver (the more grindy delver decks with DRS)
-4 thorn
-3 revoker
-2 lodestone
+3 ensnaring bridge
+2 karn
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite
Another option would be to only side in 2 bridge and cut metamorph if you want to keep lodestone in.


Vs burn and really aggro delver decks such as RUG delver and UR delver
-1 metamorph
-3 revoker
+2 spellskite
+2 ratchet bomb

Vs elves
-4 thorn
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite

Vs death and taxes
-4 thorn
-1 metamorph
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite
+1 spyglass

Vs sneaky show
-1 jitte
-2 etched champion
-4 vault skirge
+3 bridge
+2 spellskite
+2 spyglass

Vs storm
-2 etched champion
-1 metamorph
-1 jitte
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite

Vs Czech pile, BUG control, grixis control
-3 revoker
-4 thorn
+2 spellskite
+2 karn
+2 ratchet bomb
+1 spyglass

Vs blade control
-3 revoker
-4 thorn
+2 spellskite
+2 karn
+1 ratchet bomb
+2 spyglass

Vs eldrazi (haven’t faced this yet, but this seems like a decent strategy)
-4 chalice
-4 thorn
+3 bridge
+2 spellskite
+2 karn
+1 ratchet bomb

Edit: forgot spellskites in delver matchups

[Alex_UNLIMITED]

Here are some sideboarding strategies for some of the decks I’ve faced so far (they are somewhat flexible, so I don’t adhere strictly to this myself especially when it comes to siding stuff out). I'll add some more in the near future:

Vs grixis delver, UB delver and BUG delver (the more grindy delver decks with DRS)
-4 thorn
-3 revoker
+3 ensnaring bridge
+2 karn
+2 ratchet bomb

Vs burn and really aggro delver decks such as RUG delver and UR delver
-1 metamorph
-3 revoker
+2 spellskite
+2 ratchet bomb

Vs elves
-4 thorn
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite

Vs death and taxes
-4 thorn
-1 metamorph
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite
+1 spyglass

Vs sneaky show
-1 jitte
-2 etched champion
-4 vault skirge
+3 bridge
+2 spellskite
+2 spyglass

Vs storm
-2 etched champion
-1 metamorph
-1 jitte
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite

Vs Czech pile, BUG control, grixis control
-3 revoker
-4 thorn
+2 spellskite
+2 karn
+2 ratchet bomb
+1 spyglass

Vs blade control
-3 revoker
-4 thorn
+2 spellskite
+2 karn
+1 ratchet bomb
+2 spyglass

Vs eldrazi (haven’t faced this yet, but this seems like a decent strategy)
-4 chalice
-4 thorn
+3 bridge
+2 spellskite
+2 karn
+1 ratchet bomb

Why do you prefer Karn, Scion of Urza instead of Spellskite against grindy Delver decks?

[gngpostalsrvc]

Here are some sideboarding strategies for some of the decks I’ve faced so far (they are somewhat flexible, so I don’t adhere strictly to this myself especially when it comes to siding stuff out). I'll add some more in the near future:

Thanks a lot for this information, Johanovich! I'd be interested to know how you would sideboard against Miracles, Mono-Red Prison, and Maverick too.

[Johanovich]

Thanks a lot for this information, Johanovich! I'd be interested to know how you would sideboard against Miracles, Mono-Red Prison, and Maverick too.

Haven't played against maverick yet. So not sure what the best sideboarding would be. I'd imagine spellskite and ratchet bomb coming in, maybe spyglass depending on their build. Thorns and metamorph probably go out.

Vs Miracles and other UW control
-4 thorn
-1 metamorph
-3 revoker
+2 spellskite
+2 karn
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spyglass


Vs moon stompy
-4 chalice
-1 metamorph
-1 revoker
+2 karn
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite

Usually postboard against decks with a lot of creature removal, I prefer to have spyglass over revokers as they provide info and are a bit more difficult to get off the table. A 2/1 isn't a very impressive body but you have to have it maindeck to not die to certain stuff. I boarded out all revokers in favor of spyglass against moon stompy in birmingham, but I've reconsidered in the meantime and I think I prefer the option of shutting down their manarocks as well as their planeswalkers. Their removal is abrade and fiery confluence anyway, and both revokers and spyglass die to those.

Some other matchups:

Vs the mirror
-4 chalice
-4 thorn
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spyglass
+2 spellskite
+2 karn

Vs sneaky show
-1 jitte
-2 etched champion
-4 vault skirge
+3 bridge
+2 spellskite
+2 spyglass

Vs infect
-1 metamorph
-1 vault skirge
-3 revoker
+2 spellskite
+2 spyglass
+1 ratchet bomb

Vs turbo depths
-4 thorn
-2 etched champion
-1 jitte
+2 spellskite
+2 sorcerous spyglass
+3 bridge

Vs dredge
-3 revoker
-1 metamorph
-2 etched champion
-2 vault skirge
+4 leyline
+2 spellskite
+2 ratchet bomb

Why do you prefer Karn, Scion of Urza instead of Spellskite against grindy Delver decks?

Looks like I forgot to add a few lines to the strategy. Spellskite definitely should be in there as well. I'll edit my post to correct this.

[Alex_UNLIMITED]

Looks like I forgot to add a few lines to the strategy. Spellskite definitely should be in there as well. I'll edit my post to correct this.

I've read it, thank you very much.

Vs grixis delver, UB delver and BUG delver (the more grindy delver decks with DRS)
-4 thorn
-3 revoker
-2 lodestone
+3 ensnaring bridge
+2 karn
+2 ratchet bomb
+2 spellskite
Another option would be to only side in 2 bridge and cut metamorph if you want to keep lodestone in.

What about to side out Karakas against grindy Delver decks? It's a pretty useless land against them.

[Johanovich]

What about to side out Karakas against grindy Delver decks? It's a pretty useless land against them.

Yeah that would be a good alternative if you play 21 lands like my usual list. I personally wouldn't go down below 20 lands.
Same goes for some of the other matchups where karakas is kinda useless.

[NickDoom]

This deck work with mox diamond?

I dont have mox opal

[Alex_UNLIMITED]

What will be the consequences of the ban of Deathrite Shaman and Gitaxian Probe for this deck?

[H]

This deck work with mox diamond?

I dont have mox opal

Not as currently configured. You don't have enough actual lands to support it.

What will be the consequences of the ban of Deathrite Shaman and Gitaxian Probe for this deck?

Deathrite? Mana denial is better. Probe? Combo is a little slower, I guess.

All in all, a win for this deck.

[Man of Steel]

less K Command is a big Win


More Miracles is a bit of a loss

We Need Sideboard changes, because this deck was Build (at least by me) to beat drs

[aromaticity]

I've been iffy about having Thorns in the mainboard, but after the bannings I have a feeling it'll be a lot easier to justify.