[Deck] Rockin' Funkbrew

[The Rack]

ROCKIN’ FUNKBREW

History:

Here is a brief history of the deck. I began Magic a few years ago and was always obsessed with the discard mechanic. I began to play a monoblack discard deck. (I know you are all wondering how this relates, but it does.) The deck sucked crap at the beginning but then placed between 8-12 regularly in a tournament held of 35-50. I worked on it for about 3-4 months until I accumulated a big enough cardpool to play competitive Legacy. I shelled out 40 for some Bayous and grabbed some Overgrown Tombs from some friends. The deck became B/G Discard. I put some neat green stuff like Deed and Witness. With the inclusion of Ravnica I added in some Putrefies. The deck then placed regularly between 4-10. A big improvement from when I started. My friend’s signature deck is a Braid’s LD deck that’s pretty nasty so I took some ideas from it and threw in some Vindicates and StPs. I recently have bought a play set of the Duals I need and am finally playing the deck in real life (instead of lame proxies or MWS). I’ve looked at so many BGW lists it’s kind of disgusting. I grabbed aspects from all of them and threw it into this pet deck of mine. Here’s all the decks I’ve checked out.

Benefits:

THIS DECK IS NOT A TARMOGOYF DECK. Rockin’ Funkbrew was created before the time of the Confidant and added Tarmogoyf as a better beater than Necravolver. I love this deck because it plays how I want to. It is not a control deck, and it is not an aggro deck. It is both. I have outraced sligh and burn with Kittys and Snakes. This deck can play however you feel like. Sometimes I want to get a lunch break during a tourney so I’ll play aggro because I want to. This deck doesn’t pilot itself like so many other decks. If you like to be in control of the game and truly have every proactive removal Legacy has then this is the deck for you. Deed, Vindicate, Swords to Plowshares, and Darkblast complemented with Duress and Hymn to Tourach, you have a strong deck. Why play it over anything else? If you hate Threshold as much as I do you will play this deck. Everything in the deck is aimed to beat Threshold. It contains Pro Green, Darkblast with my own Tarmogoyf, River Walk, Deed, and strong finishers such as Mystic Enforcer or Grave-Shell Scarab. I’ve built this deck along with my fellow Team Funk members and changed the deck so many times just to make it that much better. It really is a continuous process.


The Deck


// Lands
1 - Forest (3)
1 - Plains (3)
1 - Swamp (4)
1 - Bloodstained Mire
4 - Windswept Heath
4 - Bayou
4 - Scrubland
2 - Savannah
2 - Nantuko Monastery
1 - Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

// Creatures
4 - Dark Confidant
2 - River Boa
2 - Mire Boa
4 - Spectral Lynx
4 - Tarmogoyf

// Spells
3 - Pernicious Deed
3 - Glittering Wish
3 - Vindicate
3 - Darkblast
4 - Swords to Plowshares
4 - Duress
4 - Hymn to Tourach

// Sideboard
SB: 4 - Engineered Plague
SB: 3 – Krosan Grip
SB: 1 - Pernicious Deed
SB: 1 - Vindicate
SB: 1 - Gerrard's Verdict
SB: 1 - Mystic Enforcer
SB: 1 - Loxodon Hierarch
SB: 1 - Dueling Grounds
SB: 1 - Grave-Shell Scarab
SB: 1 - Castigate



CARD EXPLANATIONS

Disruption:
Duress- So with the decks weaker matchups such as MUC and MBC this card adds a lot to the deck. It is a very strong card against ANY control deck along with so many combo decks. It can basically be a Time Walk in your favor if used in a correct time. The timing to play this card is at best 1st turn and basically whenever you are in topdeck and need to take a peek at the opponent’s hand. The card has been switched out with Funeral Charm for the versatility but the effectiveness of Duress has held it a spot in this deck.

Hymn to Tourach- Ok so pretty much one of the greatest tempo cards made in the game. A Hymn coming down turn 2 is very powerful against ANY deck. This card also adds a lot of bluffing for the deck, i.e. if you played a turn two hymn last game against a blue control deck, they will save that counterspell for that Hymn so that meanwhile I can bluff in a few critters and get some points away from them. The double black was at first an issue, but the manabase is very very stable now so about 90% of the time you will have mana open for it. A truly great card against Control, Aggro, and Combo.

Removal:
Vindicate- The most efficient removal for anything in the game. It takes out the pesky manlands, Solidaritys precious Islands, Goblins Vials and Warchiefs, and Thresholds Werebears and completely wrecks their manabase. It is so effective that there is ALWAYS a target it can hit. It’s never dead. In the combo matchup, it hits those Belchers, lands, and Moxen. The aggro matchup it’s slow but still a great topdeck late game. It is simply a must have in all BW decks, too versatile to not have in here.

Swords to Plowshares- This is simply THE BEST creature kill in the entire game. It takes care of anything and everything. It sometimes comes in handy against matchups like Burn and Combo. I can always sac a creature for one W to gain enough life to survive, not too bad. The reason there are only three in here is because I simply value the third Vindicate over the 4th StP. Plain and simple. If you have a convincing enough argument to make the split 4:2 then let me know.

Pernicious Deed- So the best board sweeper in the game. The deck is basically built around this card. The regeneration and manlands are very synergistic with Deed. Vindicate backs up the Game 1 P Needle and helps keep it out. Deed is so phenomenal in here, it honestly changes games in an instant. A late game topdeck is usually better than a Standstill. It keeps the opponents at bay and allows you to finish them with quick beats.

Darkblast- At first I was a bit skeptical of the uses it has in here but has proven very useful. It can kill MMs naming StP and basically keeps Goblins under my reigns. The redundancy of the Dredge is very ridiculous when you need to pick up some thresh for the House. It takes care of manlands and a lot of other little threats that can be hazardous. Definitely a surprise card, very few decks are prepared for it. It can be very powerful.


Utility:
Glittering Wish – This card adds sooo much to the power of this deck. It creates awesome consistency while giving you a Dirt-like wishboard for only 2 mana. I really like the variety the wish adds to the deck. It really was the card that this deck needed. For only 2 mana you can get a fatty, a discard spell, removal, and a goblin hoser. What else needs to be said?

Critters:
Dark Confidant- The main card engine in the deck. If it stays for about 2 turns it can change games. The fact that it beats turn three and block turn two is big too. It adds a lot the deck didn’t have before it came in. Night’s Whisper has been tried along with Phyrexian Furnace, but neither has stood there ground as well as Confidant. It chump blocks and creates advantage, a great card in this deck.

Spectral Lynx- Lynx, and Boas are the best 2 drops for these colors. Lynx makes Threshold a very easy matchup and reads “Protection from Threshold” when I play them. The regenerate is very synergistic with deed and creates a lot of pressure right after a popped deed. It only regenerates for B, which I ALWAYS have open and usually comes down turn two.

River Boa- River Boa is almost the same purpose as Spectral Lynx as it also walks right in the front door to threshold and greatly helps the MUC matchup. If it resolves it usually goes for broke. The regenerate adds more synergy with deed and creates pressure after a pop. The G regenerate cost is usually always open and adds some tricks during the combat step.

Mire Boa- Almost identical to River Boa except the fact that this helps out the Deadguy Ale, MBC, and Suicide matchups a lot. It provides the same exact pressure as River Boa and Spectral Lynx after a popped deed. It adds yet more synergy with deed and creates the must get rid of soon fell for the opponent.

Tarmogoyf – This deck was made long before the introduction of Tarmogoyf into this format so don’t think it is based around this deck at all. Tarmo’ utilizes all potentials of it being a 6/7 when deed hits and puts some artifacts in the grave for me. It’s a great addition and more so a great distraction to opponents. I love watching them go through loops to get rid of it so I Wish for the game ending fatty.

Lands:
Nantuko Monastery- Why run 2 man lands? The answer is simple, it’s huge. This isn’t Mishra’s Factory, it is much much bigger and better. The threshold is never a hard thing to reach and even in tight situations, I can dredge Darkblasts for some Thresh. The main thing about House is that it has First Strike, this ability is sooo huge in the Goblins match up, threshold, UWB Fish, Suicide, and sooo many more. I have beaten decks single-handedly with this card before. So badly in fact that they side boarded in graveyard hate to keep my thresh gone. That’s saying something.

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth – This was a fetch land but I realized it would much better if I could go turn 1 Basic turn two Hymn. It has saved me in games where I wouldn’t have one without it such as games when my opponents got the black lands off the board and I could top deck this into a deed or hymn. It’s a very powerful land.

The rest of the lands are self-explanatory.

Side Board:
Pernicious Deed – This adds some consistency to the deck being deed 4-7. I rarely wish this up unless it’s an absolute necessity so that I can always have an out to everything.

Vindicate – This adds some more consistency and gives another out to anything. I really like the versatility this card adds in some match ups that deed won’t take care of. This can take care of some big dudes and some game ending cards.

Gerrard’s Verdict – This is added consistency against any deck that can generate card advantage quickly. I occasionally get the 6 life from a bluffer who sandbags lands, but I usually use it to rip apart combo or control hands. Life is always a bonus too.

Mystic Enforcer – This is my Go-To Guy. He’s the strongest beater and has awesome evasion. Thresh is easily acquired in this deck and he is always a 6/6 Flying Pro Black for me. The pro black is awesome against Pikula by the way. He’s a strong dude in here.

Loxodon Heirarch – Incase I get in some tight situations with Goblins and especially against burn. It acts as a strong body and can block just about anything in the format. It even regenerates my other dudes. The combo with this and StP is awesome in the red match ups. A great card in the SB.

Dueling Grounds – An awesome Goblin hoser. This really helps out the match up because it gives you a lock with a regenerate creature on the board. Post board it gives you a hard lock with regen and needle on Siege Gang Commander. It is more of a stall tactic till I get superior board position. I really like this card against Goblins.

Grave-Shell Scarab – I really like this guy. I always wish for him against any deck with white because it bugs the heck out of the control player. Late game I can sometimes swing for 4 then sac it and drop it untapped. The dredge works out with the Tarmo but that really isn’t the reason he’s in here.

Castigate – This card is searched out before Verdict on some occasions against the combo match up. It really gets that meat card out of their hand and buys a few turns. I like the RFG effect of it also. It’s a really strong addition to the Wish Board.

Engineered Plague – This really helps out the Goblin and Sliver match ups. 2 Plagues on either spell gg with added removal. I usually Side Board out the Duress for these and another card I don’t think need be. A better game against Goblins is always good.

Krosan Grip – This is the meta slot. Grip is a house in San Diego due to all the Survival, Scepter Chant, Tormod’s Crypt, and the entire sideboard tech that other aggro control decks bring in against me. I also use Pithing Needle and Engineered Explosives in the same Sideboard slot.

MATCHUPS


GOBLINS-

- Preboard 45/55. You have swords to plowshares, dark blasts, deed, and a lot of discard. Discard will break down the tempo and dark blasts and stps will stop a first turn lackey. Your creatures that regenerate will also help you out in this match able to block anything that goblins throws at you is key to winning the match. Deed will help clear the board of goblins if it gets too ugly in favor of the goblin player. I would also recommend to drop Tarmogoyfs as quickly as possible because they don’t die as 4/5s. Glittering Wish creates a soft lock down with Dueling grounds and can grab a Pernicious Deed.
-4 Duress

+4 Engineered Plague

- Postboard 50/50 in favor of funkbrew against goblins. I would recommend sideboarding all four of your engineered Plagues. Plague is really good in here in addition to Darkblasts.Because Ringleader adds so much game changing card advantage you should apply as much pressure to the goblin player as soon as possible. I usually wish for a Heirarch to create a life bumper between you and the goblin player. Dueling Grounds, a regen, and Pithing Needle is a hard lock against goblins also.



THRESHOLD-

-Preboard 60/40. Funkbrew has a much stronger threat density than Threshold. With the addition of Tarmogoyf in their arsenal it makes Darkblast that much more important in this match up. Spectral Lynx is a 4 of because of Threshold and River Boa makes a very nice walker on my side of the board. You can deed away the mongooses and Tarmogoyfs are easily dealt with 4 StP, D Blast with my Tarmo, Deed, Vindicate, and Glittering Wish for other fatties. You want to watch out for the stifles so try to rip their hand apart before deed activation if at all possible. I personally Hymn turn 2 right into the daze because it gives you to set up a deed or vindicate on their land turn 3. Monastery can also block Mongoose and make combat tricks with darkblast too.
-1 Darkblast
-2 Duress

+3 Krosan Grip

-Postboard 60/40. Prepare for Needles naming Deed and Monastery. Grips are awesome against this stuff. It hits the Needles and sometimes Crypts that they bring in for you. Sometimes you’ll see Deeds brought in against you during Dark Thresh Match ups. The match up stays in your favor due to the split second of Grip. Just play very aggressive and overwhelm them early game. When it comes to late game, you gave much bigger guys than theirs so just Wish for the right guy and go from there.

[Negator131]

Withered Wretch is good against Survival.dec and Reanimator, and isn't complete ass against Iggy Pop. It also happens to be good against Threshold, if that's a problem.

Silver Knight is pretty sweet against Goblins and any decks running Red for removal.

Running both, however, would do terrible things to your manabase, which doesn't look too solid as it is. Six colorless lands in a three-color deck with 22 lands? :/

I don't think Wasteland belongs.

I don't think Eternal Witness belongs.

Weird as it might sound, Pernicious Deed doesn't look too incredible in here either.

Where's Umezawa's Jitte?

[The Rack]

Jitte is being tested along with Jotun Grunt. Quicksand is also replacing Wasteland for the time being. Is Grunt better than Wretch?

@sockxmonkey: wtf???????

[Negator131]

For the purpose of hating graveyards, obviously Wretch is better. For the purpose of getting in there, obviously Grunt is better. Which is more important to you?

I'm also not the hugest fan of Wall of Blossoms in here, as the deck is obviously aggressive in nature. I read a SCG article a ways back about how every creature in The Rock should be a threat, ie. should be able to attack in addition to blocking. I've kind of stuck to that mantra in my head; after all, in an open board, Wall of Blossoms is a pretty mediocre topdeck.

More openly, I think you should take a more openly aggressive mindset. I don't like cards like Eternal Witness and Pernicious Deed because they're REALLY slow. 2/1s for 1GG aren't going to win any races unless you cheat them in. Since you're only running 22 mana sources, playing a Deed and popping it is going to take two full turns, and you lose all your non-land permanents too. Basically your only win conditions in this ostensibly-aggressive deck are:

4 Dark Confidant
4 Spectral Lynx
4 River Boa
3 Eternal Witness

and that's just not enough, IMO. I'm glad you're testing Grunts, as they seem like one of the better answers to this problem.

Also, just a quick comment on your manabase, you should have a way to fetch every Dual in your deck; the Savannahs without Green or White Fetchlands seem silly. Also, why aren't you running Heaths? It seems a bit silly when Heaths get all your duals and Black fetches don't.

I personally would play Withered Wretch over Grunt despite his bigger body because Wretch more effectively hates the graveyard and still beats down. This is especially true due to the high percentage of your metagame composed of Reanimator and Survival variants.

I'd probably end up running Wretches alongside Silver Knights and some number of Umezawa's Jittes. I'd build it like this:

//Disruption
4 Duress
4 Hymn to Tourach

//Removal
3 Vindicate
4 Swords to plowshares
2 Pernicious Deed

//The Dudes
4 Dark Confidant
4 Spectral Lynx
3 River Boa
4 Silver Knight
3 Withered Wretch
2 Eternal Witness

//The Ugly Stick
2 Umezawa's Jitte

//Lands
4 Windswept Heath
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Polluted Delta
4 Scrubland
4 Bayou
1 Savannah
2 Nantuko Monastery
2 Colorless lands or Black Fetchlands (Quicksand, Wasteland, Mires and Deltas, Nantuko Monasteries, etc)

B: ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooo
W: ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo o
G: ooooo ooooo o

I cut a Vindicate because it is also likely too slow as a four-of. Deed is likewise still present, but in smaller quantity.

In the face of a better creature base, River Boa seems rather weak. It doesn't beat down as well as Silver Knight or Spectral Lynx and its landwalk ability is only as useful as your metagame makes it, which, as far as I can tell, isn't very useful. Thus the cut of one of them.

Other thoughts:
Pithing Needle is techy against 2-land Belcher and also hits AEther Vial vs. Goblins and Survival of the Fittest vs. Survival.dec. Perhaps it's worth maindecking in your metagame?

Darkblast is a solid answer to both Goblin Lackey and mana creatures from Survival, namely Birds of Paradise and Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary. It also isn't bad against pre-Threshold Werebears and Meddling Mages, or Ichorid.

You may just have to accept the High Tide matchup as bad and move on. You could play yet more hand disruption in the sideboard, but that's about the only out that I can see other than running out early disruption and randomly winning with dorks.

I still am not a huge fan of either Witness or Deed. River Boa seems a little lame after the creature base changes too.

[Cavius The Great]

@The Rack - I'm a big fan of your threads. You speak Magic from the heart. I did notice a little something about your build though that concerned me. With so many 2cc creatures, do you ever find Pernicious Deed being at a disadavantage for you? I know about 8 of your critters have regenerating, but that's a big mana sink. Regenerating all your critters and popping a Deed seems a little unfeasible to me, especially in the early game when it matters the most.

@your decklist - All the clutter in your first post is confusing. Can you post your current decklist in a more organized way, so we can tell which deck is your most current build. Thanx ahead of time.

[The Rack]

@Cavius: Deed is honestly one of my favorite cards and I have really been deciding whether or not it belongs in here. The best thing about it is that it is such a late game bomb that I just love it see it during the game any time . I often have a few cats and snakes running around with a confidant or something of the like. Deed blows up there entire board while I keep my regens out there. Another thing about early game deeds. I can afford to blow up deed turn 4 then lay out 2-3 crittersm turn 5. It happens a lot of times. Here's your second wish:

The newest decklist with changes inspired by rsaunder and negator:

The Full list I’m using as of now testing and it’s crappy SB.

//Disruption
4 Duress
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Jitte

//Removal
4 Vindicate
4 Swords to plowshares
4 Pernicious Deed

//The Dudes
4 Dark Confidant
4 Spectral Lynx
3 Wall of Blossoms
4 River Boa
2 Jotun Grunt

//Lands
2 Nantuko Monastery
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Polluted Delta
4 Bayou
4 Scrubland
2 Savannah
3 Quicksand

7 Undecided Slots

Side Board:
3 Darkblast
3 Engineered Plague
4 Leyline of the Void
?? Compost??
?? Xantid Swarm??
?? Pithing Needle??

5 Open Slots

The bold an underlined stuff are the undecided slots. I'm really looking to strengthen the manabase and pound out a final copy. Thank you all for your help.

[Cavius The Great]

Is Quicksand really that helpful? It's only good in decks that don't have many ways of getting rid of creatures. You have 12 removal spells. Is Quicksand really that needed?

[Blair Phoenix]

Is Wall of Blossoms really needed With Dark Confidant in the Main? Seems a waste of a slot, especially considering Wall doesn't add to your clock, and can't even kill anything by itself.

[The Rack]

Quicksand just improves the Goblins and Deadguy matchups. Wall is useful for holding off until a deed comes to the table. If there is any better guy at doing that same thing I would definately use it. Thanks all for the help.

[Negator131]

If your gameplan involves stalling with Wall of Blossoms until you Deed away their stuff, then playing guys, you're playing the deck way differently than I am. The deck seems like it doesn't have enough lands to reliably support that plan.

[smeagol]

I came up with a very similiar deck for my last local tournament. Have a look:


Bob Rock V 1.0:

4 Bayou
3 Scrubland
1 Savannah
3 Windswept Heath
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Polluted Delta
1 Volrath’s Stronghold
4 Swamp
3 Forest
1 Plains

4 Dark Confidant
3 Wall of Blossoms
3 Eternal Witness
2 Loaming Shaman
4 Loxodon Hierarch

3 Sensei’s Divining Top

3 Pernicious Deed

3 Funeral Charm
3 Swords to Plowshares

2 Haunting Echoes
4 Vindicate
4 Cabal Therapy


Sideboard:
4 Duress
4 Engineered Plague
2 Grave-Shell Scarab
2 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Loaming Shaman
1 Eternal Witness


Cabal Therapy is way better than Hymn in this kind of deck, also Loaming Shaman trumps Grunt in almost all ways. The Synergy of Top and Bob is just sick. Volrath's Stronghold has been really strong for me (though I only have one,two is probably the better number).

non-obvious Cards I liked:
- Loaming Shaman: This is just awesome against Threshhold, sometimes it even shuffles back your own spells.
- Funeral Charm: very versatile, can remove lots of guys, even in control matchups not completely dead thanks to the discard.


Cards I somehow disliked:
- Haunting Echoes: 2 of these is a bit overkill, though it was never absolutely terrible.
- Vindicate: slooooooow


I played the deck to an unsatisfying 2-2 record.

Round 1 vs U/G/w Thresh: This deck just smashes Threshhold. Easy match.

Round 2 vs Angelstompy: Armaggedon spells doom. I can win game 2 thanks to a removal heavy draw, but I lose game 1 and 3 to a wrecking Geddon and some equipped shadow dudes.

Round 3 vs Affinity: normally a pretty good matchup thanks to tons of removal and especially deed. Game 1 I draw 10 Lands and 5 Spells. Yeah, I lost that one. Next game I can stabilize with double Hierarch and have enough removal for the Ravager-Disciple Combo. Game 3 he gets the nuts draw with double Disciple, Ravager and turn 3 Enforcer. Even though I have Deed I'm way too slow to stop that beating.

Round 4 vs Burn: Thought this was an auto loss for the deck, turns out I'm wrong. ;) First game I have tripple Therapy, Witness and Hierarch. Next game I have even more discard and double Hierarch.

[Cavius The Great]

Quicksand just improves the Goblins and Deadguy matchups. Wall is useful for holding off until a deed comes to the table. If there is any better guy at doing that same thing I would definately use it. Thanks all for the help.

Have you considered Carven Caryatid in place of Wall of Blossoms? It's a turn slower than Wall of Blossoms but can actually kill the creatures it blocks. It might be something to consider.

[The Rack]

The caryatid is a better version of wall but the GG is just too hard to play with. I'm really trying to fix the manabse and avoid those doublies. If any of you can find a better cantripping critter than Wall please, please let me know. The best thing about wall is that people go out of there way to kill it. It becomes an FTK target and a burning wall of blossoms against red. I am considering CoP: Red due to the burn, sligh, and goblins in my meta. Sound good to all of you?

[The Rack]

I've been working on a solid manabase and here's what I've come up with.

4 Bayou
4 Scrubland
3 Savannah
4 Windswept Heath
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Swamp
2 Forest
2 Plains
2 Nantuko Monastery

24 is a lot but I'm not sure what I would drop. Monastery is too valuable in this deck. However I am disliking it more and more from Grunt. It is really debatable. Any comments?

[Complete_Jank]

Do you remember the GBU Landstill deck I use to run?

That deck ran E. Witnesses and P. Deeds, and I have thought about going back to it again because the format locally has been changing back to where that deck would be strong again. The only difference is that I had Force of Will, but you do have Duress.

Most games do not end in the first 2-3 turns like many would like to think, and getting 4-6 land happens pretty often.

As for Grunt...He's pretty strong, and can usually pay for his upkeep for three turns at least, which makes a difference.

Much of what is posted on forums is not great advice, but that doesn't mean it is all bad. Keep play testing and figuring out what works best. Our local meta is more diverse than anywhere else, so what is good everywhere else isn't for certain good here.

[The Rack]

Hey Mike, thanks for the advice. I really like Grunt in here but it is sooo unsynergistic with Monastery I think I'll drop Monastery for Jitte or some other hotness. Does the manabase look solid?

[Complete_Jank]

Play some Flagstones of Trokair.

[The Rack]

What would I replace? How many? Why?

[The Rack]

Here’s a tourney report for Friday the 3rd of November.

Deck I used: Rockin’ Funkbrew

List:
//Disruption
3 Duress
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Cabal Therapy

//Removal
4 Vindicate
3 Swords to plowshares
3 Pernicious Deed
2 Diabolic Edict

//The Dudes
4 Dark Confidant
4 Spectral Lynx
4 River Boa
2 Jotun Grunt

//Lands
2 Nantuko Monastery
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Windswept Heath
4 Bayou
4 Scrubland
2 Savannah
2 Swamp
2 Plains
2 Forest

Side Board:
3 Darkblast
3 Engineered Plague
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Glowrider
3 Engineered Explosives

I threw this together last night with the help of Mike (Complete Jank) and some good friends. Here’s how the tournament played out.

1st ROUND:
I’m playing against a jank form of MBC with nothing lower than 3 cc.

1st game: I play duress, He drops land, I play hymn, he drops nothing, I vindicate land, he drops land, I dropped Snakes and Cats, He drops nothing, I win with cat scratches and snake bites.

I SB nothing because there isn’t anything I can SB and it seems like a pushover match.

2nd Game: I have a slow start but ending up late game with 2 Threshed Monasteries, He drops Sengir Autocrat, I attack and kill 2, He stalls, I attack and kill two more, his board clear, I swing with Monasteries for the win!

Record: 1-0

2nd ROUND:
I’m playing against B/W Braids Lockdown. It’s my friend’s deck and I know everything in the deck including all of its SB cards and tricks it can pull.

1st Game: I keep with a Five-land hand. The other two being a stp and duress. I play drop bayou duress. He drops land, I draw duress, I drop land drop duress, grabbed a Hymn and sinkhole so far, He ended up getting man screwed while I drop cats and snakes. Man screw ftw!

I SB in Leyline’s

I don’t remember this game that well but he starts the game off with a double dark ritual Duress, and phyrexian arena. That was it.

I take out the Leyline’s

3rd Game: I ended up duress, hymn, vindicate land, drop 2 critters, then monastery ftw. He didn’t have anything.

RECORD: 2-0

3rd ROUND:
I’m playing Mono Black Pox.

1st game: It was really up in the air. I had an answer for every threat he had while he kept my hand size down and smallpox to keep the critters off the board. He ends up Poxing himself down to 8 and me at 7. I drop Grunt ftw.

I SB nothing

2nd Game: He has a lot of disruption on me and ends up beating me down with a factory.

I SB nothing

3rd Game: I drop bayou and cabal therapy for Sinkhole. He discards three of em. He only had one land, which was vindicated, and then I just hammered him.

RECORD: 3-0

4th ROUND:
I’m playing tri color control, which is BWR. It has Scrolls and Legionnaires and such awesomeness.

1st Game: I end up 4th turn deeding away his cursed scroll and two Goblin Legionnaires, with a spectral Lynx on the board. That was enough to win me the game.

I SB in 3 Darkblasts

2nd Game: He plays first and drops a savannah lions. I drop scrubland and swords his lions, he drops legionaries, I drop deed and blow up a Magus of the scroll and legionnaire, I drop snakes and cats and swing with Monastery ftw.

RECORD: 4-0

5th ROUND:
This is the best deck at our tournament and it’s Nick trudeau with his BHWC Landstill.

1st Game: He has total board position on me and has crucible Wasteland while I have 7 Duals in play. Ummmm… GG.

I SB 2 Glowrider’s

2nd Game: I get him down to 5 with fetch damage and a Cat. He drops Monastery with his Mishra’s and Swords my Cat. Swings with Man lands ftw.

RECORD:
4-1

I really liked how the deck performed. I talked to Nick for a bit and we both decided that Choke would be a much better SB card than Engineered Explosives. An I found the need to run 4 Windswept Heath instead of a 3-3 split. So I dropped a Mire for a Heath.

CHANGES AFTER TOURNAMENT:
MD
-1 Bloodstained Mire
+1 Windswept Heath

SB
-3 Engineered Explosives
+3 Choke

All in all I was very impressed with how smoothly the deck ran. The deck’s manabase is soo strong right now it’s unbelievable. The basics are really helping. Now all of you have somewhat of a feel for my Meta so anything I could use that would help me out let me know!

[Cavius The Great]

Gratz on the success of your deck. You didn't mention what place you got and if you won anything. Please tell us. Complete Jank seems like a cool guy, despite his double posting habit. You guys are from San Diego, right? What is the name of the card shop you play at and what is the usual turn out? Sorry for so many questions, I'm a curious dude.