[Deck] GBW Two Pump Chumps

[Frank The Tank]

Originally this deck started off as RGW zoo but over time and testing it has morphed into what it is today.

The basic idea is similar to fish, zoo, vial goblins, etc in that you get a vial out turn one and just continue to cast/vial out cheap threats while clearing the way with path/swords/vindicate. I love vialing in a Tidehollow after the opponents draw step to have a choice on what to pick. I have also casted Vindicate turn 3, then turn 4 vial in a witness to cast it again along with an extirpate / swords.

// Lands
2 [UNH] Forest
1 [UNH] Plains
1 [UNH] Swamp
2 [R] Savannah
2 [R] Scrubland
2 [R] Bayou
3 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
4 [ON] Windswept Heath
3 [ON] Wooded Foothills

// Creatures
4 [FUT] Tarmogoyf
4 [RAV] Dark Confidant
3 [LRW] Gaddock Teeg
4 [ALA] Tidehollow Sculler
4 [FD] Eternal Witness
3 [UL] Mother of Runes

// Spells
2 [TSP] Krosan Grip
2 [CNF] Path to Exile
4 [PLC] Extirpate
4 [DS] AEther Vial
4 [AP] Vindicate
2 [R] Swords to Plowshares

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [SHM] Vexing Shusher
SB: 4 [PS] Orim's Chant
SB: 4 [DK] Tormod's Crypt
SB: 3 [ALA] Ethersworn Canonist


The only slot that I am "iffy" about is the 3 mother of runes. I basicly put her in there as another turn one drop in case you didn't get a vial, and once she sticks is great for keeping your "chumps" alive.

Some cards I would think about adding / changing around:

Serra Avenger - cheap beats that can get vialed in fast

Qasali Pridemage - 2 for a 2/2 with Exalted and 1 colorless for a naturalize is nice. I could see vialing him in then using to get around counterbalance etc. Could possibly replace the 2 main deck K Grips.

Top - Although not a creature, it is another one drop in case you don't hit your vial and goes great with Dark Confidant and fetch lands while helping you find the threats you need.

Doran and Grizzled Leotau. A 3 drop 0/5 with the new 2 drop 1/5 could be interesting. Doubt I have room for both but you never know.

This deck can keep up with aggro, control and even combo(game 1 is an auto loose but has a good chance game 2 and 3)


Let me know what you think.

[Getsickanddie]

Why are you playing extirpate main deck over, say, thoughtseize?

[Frank The Tank]

Mainly for help with first game wins against force, life of the loam, wasteland recursion, dredge, combo, etc. I can get their hand with Tidehollow and teeg helps stop alot of stuff too. I don't mind letting one swords resolve in order to get the other 3 plus I loose enough life as it is from Dark Confidant and late game witness for extirpate is nice.

[Master Shake]

If you're intent on not using Wasteland it seems to me that you could run Doran, the Siege Tower without any trouble. He may actually be really good for you as well, being a huge body and also gives you something else to do with a vial at 3 other than Witness things.

A trick that a lot of people in my local metagame have picked up is Unearthing Eternal Witness. Its quite good.

I'd really like to see you utilizing some sort of discard to make your MD extirpates better or even good for that matter. You can't Wasteland > Extirpate, you can't Thoughtseize/Duress > Extirpate. The best you can do is let them get an effect out of a card > Extirpate or Vindicate > Extirpate.

If you want to use lategame Witness for Extirpate then I'd maybe run 2 for the same effect.

It produces colorless which sucks, but Eternal Witness said something about wanting to see what Volrath's Stronghold is like.

Personally, I don't like the Paths in your deck. Even though you're not running a mana denial plan, you still have the option of vindicating lands if your opponent is visibly screwed, but Pathing something can undo all the hard work of keeping pressure on the opponent's resources.

I really wish there was some sort of nifty way for you to sacrifice Tidehollow Sculler with the comes into play trigger on the stack, but there isn't And I guess he's still all right even if you have to use his ability in a fair manner. If you wanted ot just RFG a card you'd use Castigate anyway, I guess.

Remember that against Combo you can basically use Extirpate to Counterspell+ a Mystical Tutor (Extirpate the Tutor, its fun.)

[Frank The Tank]

Those are some solid points. With that said I think I may do something like this.

Out
-3 Mother
-1 Extirpate
-2 Path to Exile
-1 Forest
SB
-1 Shusher


In
+4 Thoughtseize/Duress
+2 Swords
+1 Volrath's Stronghold
SB
+1 Extirpate

I am still up in the air about whether I should use Thoughtseize or Duress. I have lost a couple games due to bob constantly hitting my 3 drops and bolting myself to the face. Also would one Volrath's Stronghold be enough or what land should I cut for the 2nd one?

// Lands
1 [UNH] Forest
1 [UNH] Plains
1 [UNH] Swamp
2 [R] Savannah
2 [R] Scrubland
2 [R] Bayou
3 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
4 [ON] Windswept Heath
3 [ON] Wooded Foothills
1 [SH] Volrath's Stronghold

// Creatures
4 [FUT] Tarmogoyf
4 [RAV] Dark Confidant
3 [LRW] Gaddock Teeg
4 [ALA] Tidehollow Sculler
4 [FD] Eternal Witness


// Spells
2 [TSP] Krosan Grip
3 [PLC] Extirpate
4 [DS] AEther Vial
4 [AP] Vindicate
4 [R] Swords to Plowshares
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [DK] Tormod's Crypt
SB: 4 [PS] Orim's Chant
SB: 3 [SHM] Vexing Shusher
SB: 3 [ALA] Ethersworn Canonist
SB: 1 [PLC] Extirpate

[Clark Kant]

I like your deck a LOT, but I don't like a few of your card choices. Here are my suggestions...

Extripate is a horrible card maindeck. Seriously, don't play it.

-4 Extripate
+4 Hymn to Tourach

Hymn is just way too strong a card not to play in a deck like this. The card is downright broken. I would cut a forest for a swamp to support this change.

- 3 Mother of Runes
- 4 Eternal Witness
- 2 Krosan Grip
+3 Qasali Pridemage
+3 Doran, the Siegetower
+3 Tombstalker

Both of the latter cards are must kill for your opponent, if they're not dealt with within a couple of turns, your opponent is dead.

-4 Aether Vial
+4 Thoughtseize

This is probably the most controversial suggestion I'm making, and honestly, you can ignore it if you want. But I think Thoughtseize is really strong and deserves inclusion.

Basically, this is the list that I would play...

// Lands
2 [UNH] Swamp
1 [UNH] Plains
1 [UNH] Forest
2 [R] Savannah
2 [R] Scrubland
2 [R] Bayou
3 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
3 [ON] Polluted Delta
2 [ON] Windswept Heath
2 [ON] Wooded Foothills

// Creatures
4 [FUT] Tarmogoyf
4 [RAV] Dark Confidant
4 [ALA] Tidehollow Sculler
3 [LRW] Gaddock Teeg
3 [ARB] Qasali Pridemage
3 [LRW] Doran, the Siege Tower
3 [FUT] Tombstalker

// Spells
2 [R] Swords to Plowshares
2 [CNF] Path to Exile
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
4 [FE] Hymn to Tourach
4 [AP] Vindicate

I think with a build like that, you would do great.

If you really really want to retain Aether Vial, I guess you can do that too. And to make room for the one drop (Mother of Runes), you can cut one of the new cards.

[Jeet]

@ Clark Kant

That looks a lot like The Rock (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11737).

This is what I'm running right now:

// Lands
4 [ON] Windswept Heath
5 [A] Swamp (1)
4 [A] Bayou
4 [A] Scrubland
1 [A] Plains (2)
4 [ON] Polluted Delta
1 [A] Forest (2)

// Creatures
4 [RAV] Dark Confidant
4 [FUT] Tarmogoyf
2 [FUT] Tombstalker
1 [LRW] Doran, the Siege Tower
4 [ARB] Qasali Pridemage

// Spells
4 [AP] Vindicate
3 [CHK] Sensei's Divining Top
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
4 [A] Swords to Plowshares
4 [FE] Hymn to Tourach (1)
2 [FD] Engineered Explosives
1 [AP] Pernicious Deed

The Qasali Pridemage have been excellent thus far. Along with Vindicate, EE, Deed and Swords to Plowshares you can answer pretty much anything on the board. I was playing Tidehollow Sculler in its spot but once again the Sculler was a bad topdeck when the opponent didn't have a hand. At least Qasali beats for 3 or makes another creature bigger and wins Goyf wars.

The Doran might seem random but that was Tombstalker #3 which I changed for Doran because of Confidant issues.

[Frank The Tank]

Ya I am trying to keep this deck different from The Rock with a main focus of it being on the Vial with lots of 2 drops to "sneak" in past counter magic.

As i said from the first post in order to put in Doran I would also have to put in something else like the 1/5 to make it worth while. Plus i am really hesitant to add more 3 drops and taking out 1 or 2 drops because I get lightning bolts to the face too much as it is with Vindicate and Witness. Pumping up the goyf might be nice, but it lowers Witness, Bobs, and doesn't affect the teegs, and Tidehollows.

I would have put in the Pridemages already but the main point for the pridemages/K Grips is counter balance and if I don't resolve the vial turn one, or it gets destroyed by EE etc the deck is screwed. With all the 1 and 2 drops its a slaughterfest with counter top online. I might just have to add him and give it a try.

I still don't understand all the extirpate hate. Every time I use it, it helps me alot and I always hear the opponents moan.

Also I dont want to add the Tombstalkers without tops for bob. Getting hit for 7 just isn't worth it. I would rather run another flyer like Serra Avenger or Jitte's so that my peons get though.

[Clark Kant]

How exactly is Extripate better than Thoughtseize or Hymn?

I just don't understand how a card that sometimes hurts your opponents hand could possibly deserve inclusion over cards that consistently decimate your opponents hand.

[Frank The Tank]

Ya I just brain farted when it comes to Thoughtseize.

Now should I use that or duress when I run bob and 10 fetch lands?

[Rizso]

Have considered testing Noble Hierarch? With Combination with Qasali Pridemage for extra early game exalted pump guys.

[Clark Kant]

Yes Hierach has potential in Mother of Runes slot as the one drop. Once you make that switch and play Thoughtseize or Hymn over Extripate. The deck would pretty much be perfect.

I think Thoughtseize is fine with Bob and fetchlands. You're not playing Snuff Out or anything. Most every deck that plays Bob also plays Thoughtseize and fetchlands. Its better to take 2 life for thoughtseize than have to deal with your opponents goyf next turn.

If you're considering Duress, I would probably play Hymn over Duress. The idea of recasting Hymn off of Eternal Witness is tempting.

Duress is a good card too though. There are no pure creature decks these days. So if you don't want to spend money on Thoughtseize and don't think your manabase could support Hymn, there's nothing wrong with playing Duress.

[Frank The Tank]

With the inclusion of thoughtseizes does that pusht the Extrepates to still main deck, sideboard or out completely? I usually can only beat Combo like storm, dredge, etc because of the extirpates.

[Clark Kant]

Wouldn't MD Extripate. Play Leyline in the side.

Otherwise your deck is awesome. Good job.