Bastion seems pretty mediocre. Only helps your own Karn and ratchet bomb. Only hurts opposing Chalices (even then it takes a couple of activations to get chalice above a # that doesn't affect you) and vials I guess? It just doesn't feel like it does enough unless I'm missing something. Also format shifting to more walkers and such is kind of why I like the thought of Immortal Sun. It's not a complete lock, but if you don't think Karn will survive it's pretty damn good
I don’t like Bastion in there right now, either. Still optimizing the mana base.
Yeah I think a lands that arent sol or red producing probably do not have a spot in Painter, or at least in Shortcake. We are a very greedy deck mana wise and further opening yourself up to Wasteland for marginal upside seems the danger of cool things. I have to say the current manabase has felt fairly good. I was on the 20 lands for a bit but shifting that 4th City to a SSG feels solid with increased ability to maintain red mana when needed.
I def think we should be running at least 3 Copter's in our Shortcake lists. I really want 4 but I acknowledge deck constraints now make that nearly impossible.
@Hollywood- I would suggest with that many welders to up the Lotus Petal count to four. The speed is important to resolving Karn and the combo, but you just need as much fuel for the Welder. Where are you using Zuron Orb, I love the card but have found applications of it limited. But I do like exploration of any zero cost artifact with upside. You should seriously consider EE someplace. While never the strongest at what it does, its a very useful swiss army knife.
Seth
…no matter how much you think you love somebody, you’ll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close.
Legacy 1K in progress in NJ (Card Titan). Just swept the Swiss without losing a game. Coating was gross. Made Top 8 and am drawing in, will follow up on the results of the T8.
Typical Keller. Defying everyone's concerns. Maybe because the deck is great. Maybe just because the pilot is great.
I wonder how you fare against post, and how many tutors & copter you ended up with. Good luck!
Karn with Coating has been MVP. Strip Mining lands against Miracles in two different rounds was a thing of beauty at a zero-mana investment.
Last edited by Michael Keller; 05-11-2019 at 08:51 PM.
@Hollywood: Awesome, congratulations!
Lost in the T8 to Steel Stompy. Gorilla Shaman was a machine gun. But alas, lost game three on the draw. Matchup is very play-draw dependent.
I figured I would write up a small report based on yesterday's tournament at Top Deck Games's 1K Legacy Event in New Jersey. The event was well-run as usual. There were 25 players, if memory serves me correctly.
Here was the list I wound up running:
Main Deck:
4x Painter's Servant
4x Karn, the Great Creator
4x Pyroblast
4x Imperial Recruiter
3x Grindstone
3x Goblin Welder
3x Lotus Petal
2x Gorilla Shaman
2x Liquimetal Coating
2x Red Elemental Blast
2x Enlightended Tutor
1x Sword of War and Peace
1x Simian Spirit Guide
1x Phyrexian Revoker
1x Ethersworn Canonist
1x Magus of the Moon
1x Blood Moon
1x Ensnaring Bridge
4x Arid Mesa
4x Ancient Tomb
4x Mountain
2x Great Furnace
2x Plateau
1x Blast Zone
3x City of Traitors
Sideboard:
2x Surgical Extraction
2x Pyroclasm
1x Mycosynth Lattice
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Pithing Needle
1x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Liquimetal Coating
1x Trinisphere
1x Meekstone
1x Ensnaring Bridge
1x Zuran Orb
1x Ratchet Bomb
1x Grindstone
As you all know in this particular thread and the Imperial Painter thread, I've been keen on testing Karn in conjunction with other cards like Liquimetal Coating, Gorilla Shaman and obviously Mycosynth Lattice out of the sideboard. The deck felt eerily similar to a Vintage deck, to be honest.
But enough of that for now, here's a brief synopsis of the event:
Round One vs. Humans
2-0, 1-0-0
In typical Painter fashion, both of these games were relatively non-eventful. Game one involved the opponent playing out the Kitesails and other tricks, while my turn one Grindstone found its pair with a turn four Painter that sealed the game up. Keep in mind this variation was similar to the Modern iteration of Humans, so removal was relatively nonexistent.
In game two, I opened like this: Tomb, Petal, Petal, Painter, Grindstone, Welder (with another land in hand). I proceed to win the game the next turn.
Round Two vs. Miracles (Joe Brennan)
2-0, 2-0-0
Game one was a rigorous affair. After trading blows back in forth between Painter and Grindstone being countered in multiples, I proceeded to finally land Karn and obtain a Lattice. Joe proceeds to exile Karn with a Council's Judgement. He has Counterbalance in play, one card in hand. I Pyroblast the Counterbalance in the end step. It reveals Jace (I have another Karn in hand). It gets destroyed. I proceed to cast Imperial Recruiter to find Phyrexian Revoker to lockdown his Jace. He draws and casts Jace, then Ponders. I proceed to then cast Karn, and fish up a Needle - suspecting an impending Terminus to free up Jace. This was exactly what happened, and the Needle saved me. From there I untap and land Lattice and the game is over.
I was also able to Strip Mine a few of his lands early on with Coating, which was key.
Game two was quick. He opens with Island, Ponder. I open with Grindstone off a Mountain, and cast Petal. He untaps, plays a fetch and passes. I play Tomb, and then Painter. It resolves. My only open mana as mentioned was a Mountain and the Petal. He Brainstorms EOT and triggers Terminus. The trigger resolves, and he cracks his fetch (to cast it). I exile the hidden SSG in hand and activate Grindstone to finish it immediately.
Round Three vs. Miracle Blade
2-0, 3-0-0
Game one was grindy. It lasts for a long time until my opponent is depleted, has a Jace out (that is Needled from Karn) and proceeds to cast two TNNs. I have Coating out. I tick down Karn and nab a Bridge to stall his attacks. I then proceed to Strip Mine him out of the game with Coating, leaving him with no resources. From there, Karn nabbed Lattice and he conceded without me even casting it.
Game two starts with a Gorilla Shaman and a Coating. I Strip his lands out and then get (eventually) to Painter (protected by Sword) and Grindstone. That was it.
R4 and R5: ID
3-0-2
I wind up in sixth after final standings are printed. Was looking for the play in the Top 8, oh well.
Quarterfinals vs. Steel Stompy (Tammit)
Matt is the three seed, so he gets the play. He goes turn one City into Chalice. My hand had Gorilla Shaman, so as I mentioned: very play dependent in this MU. Karn would have been nice, but he never showed up. I proceed to durdle for a few turns and he wins off attacks.
Game two I open with Gorilla Shaman. I proceed to blow up his artifacts while he attempts to stabilize with attackers. I finally land Goblin Welder to rid the Revoker he had off the board, swap it with Mox Opal, blow up the Opal with Shaman to keep his mana down and Grindstone away.
Game three wasn't spectacular. I suppose it was a loose keep. I had a Bridge and some three-cost stuff, but I couldn't land anything relevant. Eventually the attackers just get there, and neither Welder or Karn show up. I did have Karn in hand, but it was eventually too late. My SSG even got Revokered!
Overall, the deck was amazing. It seemed vastly improved over traditional Painter lists and far more controlling in nature. I was very satisfied with the list, although some options out of the board I suppose could be tweaked.
The Blast Zone wasn't relevant. I think it's an okay card, but I wonder if the Ratchet Bomb in the board is just good enough. Time will tell there.
Liquimetal Coating was more relevant than I ever thought it would be. I had the ability to tempo out the early game with Shaman and Coating, or go the Crucible-Strip route against control decks mid to late game, which I did without running a six mana artifact into Spell Pierce. I had multiple Coatings in play against the Miracle Blade opponent, so I could blow up a land during my turn with Karn and then "Null Rod" another during his upkeep. It was amazing.
I was on the fence about Copter. I think it belongs at minimum as a one-of, but Sword of War and Peace was just as good to protect creatures, punch in damage and gain some life. For me, it's flex. But I think one Copter is where I stand at the moment, since for two mana the investment with Shaman and Karn is better with Coating than tapping a creature and watching another get Bolted or Plowed.
Just curious; are those plateaus specifically just for that 1-of canonist? Is it really that backbreaking in the deck to weaken our mana so much?
Congrats on your finish tho! I’m looking forward to trying your list now. I tried an earlier edition, but wasn’t very impressed with the liquimetal coating. Maybe like you said, it’s more to do with the starting hands.
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Legacy decks: mono U painter, strawberry shortcake, imperial painter, solidarity, burn
EDH decks: zedruu voltron, rakdos the defiler, persistent petitioners, blind seer
Before the event I had two, but opted to cut one Canonist. In hindsight, one may have been correct. That or having a second Canonist in the board.
Enlightened Tutor is still there, keep in mind.
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