Miracle Control

[sdematt]

Played this list at a local to a 4-0-1 finish:

3 Tundra
1 Karakas
1 Mystic Gate
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
1 Arid Mesa
4 Island
2 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Volcanic Island

3 Counterbalance
4 Top
4 Force
2 Counterspell
2 Spell Pierce
4 STP
4 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
3 Terminus
1 Supreme Verdict
3 Entreat the Angels
1 Unexpectedly Absent
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

//Board

2 Wear/Tear
1 Canonist
1 Moat
3 REB
1 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Rest in Peace
2 Enlightened Tutor
1 Flusterstorm
1 Venser, Shaper Savant

Round 1: Pox

Usually a really grindy matchup, but I get some good plays in and early counters. I get to Entreat at the end of Turn 4 and win. Game 2 is very much the same way.

2-0

Round 2: Dredge

I die Game 1 when he goes off on Turn 2. Oops.

Game 2, I mull into action, but not actual grave hate. I have the mass removal and Top. I keep and sweep his board and make him start building back up. By that time, I hit Rest in Peace then clean up with Entreat.

Game 3, i keep a 6 with 2 land, Cage, RIP, Terminus, Brainstorm. Seems fine! Winner winner.

2-1

Round 3: Imperial Painter

It's back and forth. He sets up Bridge but I'm still committed to Entreating for 3 since he's at 10. He manages to get rid of two of my Jaces, and then we start slow grinding. I have no real way outside of Jace to stop him, since I'm locked out with double Bridge by this point. I land Jace #3, and start ticking up to 13. He lands Koth and starts ticking up. I calculate that even with one card in hand, even if I Jace ultimate, Koth's ultimate still can deal 12 to me before he draws blank and loses - and I'm at 11. He grinds me into a Ponder into my singleton Absent and I put Koth as the last card.

Game 2, I keep a hand with Fetch, Basic, Basic, Top, Swords, and junk. Good enough. He uses Revoker, I use STP. Snapcaster plows a Painter, and I drop Needle on Grindstone. He Blood Moons too late, and I plop Jace. He hits Pyro, but I've already set up a lethal Entreat.

Round 4 - Can't remember

Round 5 - Draw with RUG Delver

Draw to prize split, but I lose in 2 in the fun games since he has the everything and I brick many, many times. Oh well.

-Matt

[Phoenix13]

For your Round 2, it seems like you played against Dredge, not Affinity. Nice result, nonetheless.

[YamiJoey]

For your Round 2, it seems like you played against Dredge, not Affinity. Nice result, nonetheless.

I was like "RiP and Cage? Wow. I really don't know this deck at all."

[Vandalize]

3 Tundra
1 Karakas
1 Mystic Gate
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
1 Arid Mesa
4 Island
2 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Volcanic Island

3 Counterbalance
4 Top
4 Force
2 Counterspell
2 Spell Pierce
4 STP
1 Ponder
3 Terminus
1 Supreme Verdict
3 Entreat the Angels
1 Unexpectedly Absent
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Your deck is missing 3 cards. Can you complete it please?

[Aetherick]

Your deck is missing 3 cards. Can you complete it please?

It's probably 61 cards, as he's missing 4 brainstorms.

[sdematt]

I typed this while I was REALLY tired. Will fix :P

I used to play this deck about 8 months ago more regularly, but when I started running out of time to practice, I just switched back to Rock to put up better results just walking into a random tournament. I really like how this build ran, and I'll be tweaking from there. Unexpectedly Absent pulled it's weight, and basically replaced EE from my old E. Tutor in the maindeck build. It's also Snapcasterable, so that's okay. Maybe it'll get cut long term, but in my really weird meta with Nether Voids, Koths, and such, I'll leave it for now.

-Matt

[warfordium]

it was only 4 rounds! thats why you can't remember the round.

i'm just typing up my list in the BUG thread and we each only lost to the RUG player. the deck is good…if it nuts you (double daze on the play with an early clock) its hard to beat.

[twndomn]

I like sdematt's mini-report, allow me to beat his conciseness.

4 flooded strand
2 scalding tarn
2 arid mesa
1 polluted delta
2 tundra
1 mystic gate
2 volcanic island
3 plains
5 island
1 karakas

3 Counterbalance
4 Top
4 Force
1 Counterspell
3 Spell Pierce
3 StP
1 Pyroblast
3 Terminus
1 Supreme Verdict
2 Entreat the Angels
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Brainstorm

Round 1: Esper stoneblade
Usually a grindy MU, won anyway.
2-0

Round 2: WUR delver
I keep trading 1-1 and 2-1. He ran out of counter, I started playing bomb, won anyway. He's more patient than the usual Delver players.
2-0

Round 3: Shardless BUG
Back and forth games, at one point his vision ran into CB flip for zero, another game blind flip broke his back.
2-0

Round 4: Jund
Too many threats too fast. SB game even if I traded well, still had to worry about PFire and Liliana did ultimate on me. Prepared for possible Choke but did not matter.
0-2

Round 5: Merfolk
Draw.

As it turned out 3-1-1 was no good.

[sdematt]

it was only 4 rounds! thats why you can't remember the round.

i'm just typing up my list in the BUG thread and we each only lost to the RUG player. the deck is good…if it nuts you (double daze on the play with an early clock) its hard to beat.

That's why I didn't remember it. Only one Cuba Libre at the pub, but the five at home did me in.


The basic mountain really fucked me even against RUG Delver since I was land light and it kept me from casting Counterbalance for...three turns? Sample size is small, and I understand WHY one plays it, but I still wasn't excited to ever open with it in Game 1's.

-Matt

[Dzra]

Unexpectedly Absent pulled it's weight, and basically replaced EE from my old E. Tutor in the maindeck build. It's also Snapcasterable, so that's okay. Maybe it'll get cut long term, but in my really weird meta with Nether Voids, Koths, and such, I'll leave it for now.

I've been curious about Unexpectedly Absent, how did it perform do you think? Most likely I'd have to cut Venser for it, and I definitely have a love affair with Venser...

And twndowmn, what was your SB?

[sdematt]

I've been curious about Unexpectedly Absent, how did it perform do you think? Most likely I'd have to cut Venser for it, and I definitely have a love affair with Venser...

And twndowmn, what was your SB?

2 mana sometimes better than 4 mana. UA can also be used to Submerge something so it's not just back in their hand. Also Snapcasterable, but Venser is repeatable with Karakas. I also don't mind having another 2 drop for Counterbalance.

-Matt

[twndomn]

I've been curious about Unexpectedly Absent, how did it perform do you think? Most likely I'd have to cut Venser for it, and I definitely have a love affair with Venser...

And twndowmn, what was your SB?

I'm at work. Based on my memory, it's
2 Disenchant
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 EE
1 Pyroblast
1 Sphere of Law
3 RiP
1 Pithing Needle
1 Venser
1 Node
1 EtA

Come to think of it, Jund actually killed my Canonist asap. I guess he really wanted to cascade.

[Dzra]

2 mana sometimes better than 4 mana. UA can also be used to Submerge something so it's not just back in their hand. Also Snapcasterable, but Venser is repeatable with Karakas. I also don't mind having another 2 drop for Counterbalance.

Ok, I suppose I might try it out sometime. The seems a bit annoying. Be sure to share if you have any more experiences with it.

2 Disenchant
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 EE
1 Pyroblast
1 Sphere of Law
3 RiP
1 Pithing Needle
1 Venser
1 Node
1 EtA

Come to think of it, Jund actually killed my Canonist asap. I guess he really wanted to cascade.

I would probably try something like this. Even with the Snapcaster/RIP nonbo, I think I'd rather have more Flash creatures to pressure Liliana instead of Canonists.

-4 Force, -3 Spell Pierce, -1 Pyroblast
+3 RiP, +2 EE, +1 Sphere of Law, +1 Venser, +1 EtA

[zerzab11]

Out of curiosity, why Sphere of Law over something like Leyline of Sanctity?

Is it because of Goblins, etc are "en masse" in your meta or what.

[sdematt]

Ok, I suppose I might try it out sometime. The seems a bit annoying. Be sure to share if you have any more experiences with it.



I would probably try something like this. Even with the Snapcaster/RIP nonbo, I think I'd rather have more Flash creatures to pressure Liliana instead of Canonists.

-4 Force, -3 Spell Pierce, -1 Pyroblast
+3 RiP, +2 EE, +1 Sphere of Law, +1 Venser, +1 EtA

I'm usually fetching Blue, then white, then blue, then white again if I can, in some permutation. Island, Plains, Island, Tundra is my usual sequence, so I can do it on Turn 4. The deck doesn't like to see Liliana, and many people have been switching to BUG and Jund and running many of them. I love playing her, but not against her :P I just want to say I played control....and I liked it.



-Matt

[alphastryk]

Ok, I suppose I might try it out sometime. The seems a bit annoying. Be sure to share if you have any more experiences with it.
...

I tried it in the past and could never reliably have WW when I needed to cast it.

I'm on an EE and a Wear / Tear main at the moment and that seems to handle most things.

[sdematt]

http://www.tcdecks.net/deck.php?id=12676&iddeck=92958

4th in a 71 player tournament, Miracles list:


Creatures [2]
2 Vendilion Clique

Instants [19]
2 Counterspell
2 Unexpectedly Absent
3 Spell Pierce
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares

Sorceries [6]
1 Supreme Verdict
2 Entreat the Angels
3 Terminus

Enchantments [3]
3 Counterbalance

Planeswalkers [3]
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Artifacts [4]
4 Sensei's Divining Top

Lands [23]
1 Karakas
2 Plains
2 Polluted Delta
2 Volcanic Island
3 Arid Mesa
3 Tundra
4 Flooded Strand
6 Island


BOARD
3 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Batterskull
2 Flusterstorm
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
2 Rest in Peace
1 Supreme Verdict
3 Swan Song

THAT many Swan Song seems interesting, I'm just wondering if this person was expecting infinite Sneak and Show, or did face it and just crushed it. I'm also wondering if running only 2 Blasts is worth the splash.

Other people's thoughts? 2 Absent is the main is the main difference with no Snapcaster.

-Matt

[Einherjer]

I just have to share this story I just had while testing for GP Paris. It was against TA - a MU where we are fuckingly favored, so it's pretty hard to lose at all. Well, he did manage to get me in game one due to three consecutive Hymns - shit happens. In game 2 I get out a Top, and he needles it, I spin it - cause I got no removal for the Needle in my deck. Soon after that he deploys a second Needle, right before I am able to get down a REB-protected Jace, and he names Jace. Fair enough, I keep playing lands until a point where I have 2 Jace and 1 Top in my hand - he plays Hymn, followed by Liliana, ticking up. So I am hellbent and keep drawing lands or blanks until Lilly is at 6 counters, then I drop Snapcaster. He deploys a creature, followed by Lilly - I Snapcaster - Swords his creature and ambush viper his Lilly, in his turn he removes 2 counters to kill Snapcaster and passes the turn. At the end of his turnI flash in Vendilion Clique to kill his Liliana and finish him off, soon thereafter.

I mean what the fuck? What's wrong with those people hating Miracle like that? 3 Needles? Additional Lilianas in the SB? So like everybody is hating Miracles now? Has anybody else experienced such a bunchload of kind of dedicated hate or relevant splashhate? If people continue to throw Pithing Needles at me I might have to rethink some of my well proven strategies...

Greetings

[Adryan]

I just have to share this story I just had while testing for GP Paris. It was against TA - a MU where we are fuckingly favored, so it's pretty hard to lose at all. Well, he did manage to get me in game one due to three consecutive Hymns - shit happens. In game 2 I get out a Top, and he needles it, I spin it - cause I got no removal for the Needle in my deck. Soon after that he deploys a second Needle, right before I am able to get down a REB-protected Jace, and he names Jace. Fair enough, I keep playing lands until a point where I have 2 Jace and 1 Top in my hand - he plays Hymn, followed by Liliana, ticking up. So I am hellbent and keep drawing lands or blanks until Lilly is at 6 counters, then I drop Snapcaster. He deploys a creature, followed by Lilly - I Snapcaster - Swords his creature and ambush viper his Lilly, in his turn he removes 2 counters to kill Snapcaster and passes the turn. At the end of his turnI flash in Vendilion Clique to kill his Liliana and finish him off, soon thereafter.

I mean what the fuck? What's wrong with those people hating Miracle like that? 3 Needles? Additional Lilianas in the SB? So like everybody is hating Miracles now? Has anybody else experienced such a bunchload of kind of dedicated hate or relevant splashhate? If people continue to throw Pithing Needles at me I might have to rethink some of my well proven strategies...

Greetings

That also happened at my last daily, except that i killed him with some Angels. 2 Needles, 1 Krosan Grip and some Lilis Main or SB is a stock list. That's why i like Explosives in the SB, because it also handles a resolved Sylvan Library.

[klaus]

I just have to share this story I just had while testing for GP Paris. It was against TA - a MU where we are fuckingly favored, so it's pretty hard to lose at all. Well, he did manage to get me in game one due to three consecutive Hymns - shit happens. In game 2 I get out a Top, and he needles it, I spin it - cause I got no removal for the Needle in my deck. Soon after that he deploys a second Needle, right before I am able to get down a REB-protected Jace, and he names Jace. Fair enough, I keep playing lands until a point where I have 2 Jace and 1 Top in my hand - he plays Hymn, followed by Liliana, ticking up. So I am hellbent and keep drawing lands or blanks until Lilly is at 6 counters, then I drop Snapcaster. He deploys a creature, followed by Lilly - I Snapcaster - Swords his creature and ambush viper his Lilly, in his turn he removes 2 counters to kill Snapcaster and passes the turn. At the end of his turnI flash in Vendilion Clique to kill his Liliana and finish him off, soon thereafter.

I mean what the fuck? What's wrong with those people hating Miracle like that? 3 Needles? Additional Lilianas in the SB? So like everybody is hating Miracles now? Has anybody else experienced such a bunchload of kind of dedicated hate or relevant splashhate? If people continue to throw Pithing Needles at me I might have to rethink some of my well proven strategies...

Greetings

Jace and Top are just 2 out of many decent targets, such as:
Lili, Vial, Grindstone, equipment, Griselbrand, Sneak Attack, Deed, Mangara, all Planeswalkers, some Dredge cards, Lavamancer, Wasteland (is a thing against anything Loamish), the list goes on.

I actually used to run needles in my Miracles SB and they did come in quite frequently.