[Deck] Rocky Depths

[Yochanan]

I am not sure if anyone would consider this new, but it diverges from conventional Black-Green Depths: http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=36761

This is a G/W/B Rock deck that splashes the depth's and vampire hexmage combo quite conservatively. I wanted a rock deck that utilizes a wish board, and during designing, it became logical to include the combo. I do not want the deck to be dependent on the combo, but I want it as another option. Mainly I want the deck to play mid-game aggro-contol.

Creatures:

3 Dark Confidant
3 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Vampire Hexmage

Spells:

2 Crop Rotation
3 Duress
4 Living Wish
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Thoughtseize
4 Vindicate

Artifacts:

3 Engineered Explosives

Lands:

4 Bayou
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Dark Depths
1 Forest
2 Marsh Flats
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
2 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Wasteland
2 Windswept Heath

Sideboard:

1 Eternal Witness
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Faerie Macabre
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Shriekmaw
1 Tombstalker
1 Vampire Hexmage
2 Krosan Grip
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Dark Depths
1 Maze of Ith


Choices:
Why only 2 Hexmages/2 Dark Depths?
2 Crop Rotation, 4 Living Wish and 3 Knight of the Reliquary all search for parts of the combo.

Why E.E. over Pernicious Deed?
It's faster, can hit Aether Vial quickly and you don't have to sweep you can target threats. However, Pernicious Deed is better in many other situations.

Some cards that didn't make the cut:

SB choices: Yixlid Jailer, Choke, Karakas, Kitchen Finks, Wasteland.

MD Choices: Doran, the Seige Tower, Diabolic Edict, Mox Diamond, Stoneforge Mystic w/Jitte and Sword(s), Pernicious Deed, Sensei's Divining Top, Maelstrom Pulse.

*I'll fix the tags and write this up more comprehensively soon.

[Yochanan]

I would really appreciate some feedback on the following questions:

Is Crop Rotation really necessary with the Knight and Living Wishes? I could always use more removal and/or discard in the slot.

What do you think of Raven's Crime compared to Duress, Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek? I'm trying to figure out a good discard package, there's always Hymn to Tourach as well.

Should I up either the Savannah or Scrubland count to 2? I'm leaning towards upping the Scrubland count to 2 as I'm more dependant on black, and need double for the Hexmage.

[dahcmai]

This deck is screaming for Grim Discovery though. It returns several multi-use creatures and not only the Dark Depths, but Wasteland, which of course is fairly awesome too. Accidentally 2 for 1ing the opponent is never bad.

Since Hexmage is useful for killing planeswalkers, I don't think I'd bother with having the crop rotations. You'll need those DD a lot less with only two mages. I'd rather have another Knight (rough with confidant) or the aforementioned Grim Discovery.

Raven's Crime is golden with Loam. If you are not playing Loam, don't bother with that card. It's just not strong enough without a loam to push it into brokeness.

As for the discard, it depends on what cards you do not want to see. I tend to care about Force or Ad Nauseum so I like Duress and Thoughtseize. Inquisition is good, don't get me wrong. If there's nothing you care about past 3 mana, then it's an amazing deal. Thoughtseize grabs problem dudes like Goyf. If you care about that card a lot, you might consider the Inquisition/Thoughtseize combo. Just tailor it to what you do not want to see most. It's simple enough.

Some people cry ewwwww when I suggest the card, but I am a fan of having one Murmuring Bosk in these decks. I like fetching it on the first turn when it doesn't matter too much as it is a forest. Painland though it is, it makes all three colors and that's nice in these decks. Try it and see what you think. It really only sucks when you hit Zoo and have been using it too much for the other two colors (though that means it's been saving you from color screw). Drawing it is annoying, but not too bad. Give it a shot and fetch it out early when you have a chance to eliminate drawing it and you'll be quite happy with it. Not to mention, if you ever end up using Doran in the deck, you have a bonus. That might solve your decision on the Scrubland Savannah thing.

[Yochanan]

dahcmai: I'll definately consider Grim Discovery in the Crop Rotation slots. It's a choice I've seen in Depths decks before and I sort of overlooked its possible potential. I'll test out Murmuring Bosk for sure, I'm skeptical but I see where you're coming from. I think I'm probably going to stick with Duress and Thoughtseize. I may up the thoughtseize count just because it is so versatile.

[Aggro_zombies]

I think you should go up to 3 Hexmage in the main. They're pretty versatile:

- Kills planeswalkers, which is increasingly important
- Resets Vial
- Resets Chalice

There are a bunch of other super niche uses for them, but they're very rarely completely dead, and in some matches you absolutely need to find one (Jacestill, say).

[Yochanan]

I think you should go up to 3 Hexmage in the main. They're pretty versatile:

- Kills planeswalkers, which is increasingly important
- Resets Vial
- Resets Chalice

There are a bunch of other super niche uses for them, but they're very rarely completely dead, and in some matches you absolutely need to find one (Jacestill, say).

You know, I've never really throught of how versatile they are. You bring up some really strong points, especially the first 2. I originally had 3 and dropped to 2, but your convincing me that they have some use in themselves beyond a dead draw for the combo. It may be, as things typically are, a meta-choice. I don't see a lot of planeswalkers. In fact my main deck U/W/b landstill runs more than anyone else around here. On reseting the chalice or vial, an Engineered Explosives that kills them may just be better. Then again, an e.e isn't a combo piece :D.

[Yochanan]

I'll try this out for a few games and see what I think.

+2 Grim Discovery
+1 Vampire Hexmage
+1 Thoughtseize

-2 Crop Rotation
-1 Duress
-1 Living Wish