Mother Lover: BG Berserk Infect

[InResponseForceOfWill]

I really like Phyrexian Vatmother. Most people see it as a crappy rare, but in the right deck, I think she's very powerful. I'm looking for card ideas for a deck I threw together fast. It's over 60 cards at the moment, so obviously I need to trim it up. I need opinions on what to cut, what to include, what sucks about it, and what might have potential. The current list is:

4x Invigorate
4x Rancor
4x Berserk

4x Phyrexian Vatmother
4x Phyrexian Crusader
4x Birds of Paradise
4x Plague Stinger
3x Taunting Elf

4x Mox Diamond
4x Dark Ritual

4x Go for the Throat
4x Maelstrom Pulse
3x Concordant Crossraods

4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Bayou
8x Swamp
4x Forest


I feel the deck needs a few 1cc or 2cc drops to lower the mana curve. I also believe that it needs some type of card draw. SDT could help fill both of those needs. What else could I use for card advantage?

I think running 20 land is fine since I'm running Birds, Mox, and Ritual. I might add in 2 more fetches and ditch and swamp and forest.

I chose Invigorate, Berserk and Rancor as my buff spells of choice. Berserk because it's godly, Invigorate because it's free, and Rancor because it has recursion and is really cheap for what it does.

For my creatures:

Vatmother, the big beater. 4/5 infect for 4cc, possible to drop turn 1, and even attack (obviously would need ideal hand...)
Phyrexian Crusader, protection from removal.
Plague Stinger is a cheap evasive infecter. Capable swinging for the game on turn two.
Taunting Elf, might be a win more card in many decks, but here I think it's imporant to get your beaters to sneak in for the win.
Birds, Mox and Ritual help the deck accelerate. Considered Elvish Spirit Guide too.

Concordant Crossroads will help you start getting those poison counters on your opponent a turn quicker.

Maelstrom Pulse and Go for the Throat are obviously for removal of threats. Maybe Pernicious Deed?

The initial problems I see for this deck is that it: runs a high mana curve, is subject to removal and will be shut down by anything running heavy on counters. City of Solitude or Defense Grid would likely be a card to run on the side.

Very unlikely turn 1 win, on the draw: Hand (Bayou, Swamp, Mox, Crossroads, Phyrexian Crusader, Dark Ritual, Invigorate, Invigorate)

Drop a Bayou and pitch a land for Mox. Use Mox for green to play Crossroads, Ritual for Crusader. Double Invigorate, attack for 10 poison. Lol, won't ever happen, but hey...


Cards that just missed the cut: Vines of Vastwood, Ground Swell, Ichorclaw Myr, Septic Rats, Hand of the Praetors, Might of Old Krosa, Elvish Spirit Guide.


Please criticize me! Thanks in advance for your help.

[forsmark]

Inkmoth Nexus

While I realize the deck is very mana hungry, especially on colored mana, I think this card is just too good not be run in any infect deck. Maybe you can compensate for this by running Overgrown Tomb and perhaps a fetch or two more. I dunno, I haven't tested it. Also, it seems to me at least that you should reconsider Elvish Spirit Guide.

I am not overly convinced by running 8 removal cards in this sort of deck. I think you would be better off removing that threat before it hits the board in the first place, aka. running discard (Thoughtseize) instead of some if not all the removal. It would also lower the mana curve a bit, seeing as your threats are somewhat high cc and perhaps a tad slow, even considering the Mox Diamonds and Dark Rituals.

- forsmark

[Sims]

4x Invigorate
4x Rancor
4x Berserk

4x Phyrexian Vatmother
4x Phyrexian Crusader
4x Birds of Paradise
4x Plague Stinger
3x Taunting Elf

4x Mox Diamond
4x Dark Ritual

4x Go for the Throat
4x Maelstrom Pulse
3x Concordant Crossraods

4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Bayou
8x Swamp
4x Forest

Please criticize me! Thanks in advance for your help.

I think 20 lands is too few to reliably support Diamond. I'd consider either Lotus Petal or Chrome Mox in that slot, as you are playing plenty of colored spells. Also, I'd look more at leaving your mana as opena s possible for pump and casting threats, in that case i would likely remove Go for the Throat and replace it with Snuff Out. Having free removal will leave your mana open to cast as much of your pump as possible while removing pain in the ass blockers.

Maelstrom pulse, while very good might also be too slow. Since you're playing a hyper-aggressive deck (the nature of any berserk variant), your life total doesn't matter as much... so perhaps replace pulse with Vendetta? Cheap removal that does hurt, but who cares if you're going in with a Rancor'd Vatmother that's going to be berserking venom all over someones unsuspecting face.

edit: Or as the poster above me said, Thoughtseize would probably be a solid card for the pulse slot as well.

Taunting elf does seem highly out of place... I understand the reasoning behind it, but it seems so weak and easy to remove. Even Panic Spellbomb seems like it would be a better play than the elf.

Inkmoth could also be really good, as could Vector Asp or either of the 1/1 infect myr... but in order to support the 1 power infectors you really should be running more pump spells.

[InResponseForceOfWill]

@Sims: Thanks for the advice. Snuff Out makes a lot of sense. I'll definitely try that. Also, I was debating between Chrome Mox and Mox Diamond. It'd be easier for my to use Chrome Mox since my Diamonds are in my Stax Deck. And I see what you're saying about the Elf. Panic Spellbomb might work well in his place. What other cards might do a similar job and be equally as effective?
I couldn't help but notice you're from Ballston Spa. I just moved into an apartment in Ballston Lake off of exit 11 on the northway. It's always nice to see local players on the boards... Do you play at any shops up there? I'm originally from Clifton Park so I usually go down to Colonie, Albany or East Greenbush to play. I haven't looked into what's in the Malta area.

[Sims]

@Sims: Thanks for the advice. Snuff Out makes a lot of sense. I'll definitely try that. Also, I was debating between Chrome Mox and Mox Diamond. It'd be easier for my to use Chrome Mox since my Diamonds are in my Stax Deck. And I see what you're saying about the Elf. Panic Spellbomb might work well in his place. What other cards might do a similar job and be equally as effective?
I couldn't help but notice you're from Ballston Spa. I just moved into an apartment in Ballston Lake off of exit 11 on the northway. It's always nice to see local players on the boards... Do you play at any shops up there? I'm originally from Clifton Park so I usually go down to Colonie, Albany or East Greenbush to play. I haven't looked into what's in the Malta area.

The problem with most of the "can't block" effects is that they are red. You might be able to make use out of something that gives your team Fear, but it'll probably be too costly to really be effective. Panic Spellbomb is unique in that it gives a can't block effect to all colors, without opening you up to the 0/1 body that can be removed easily with the Elf.

@Local Shops: I'm actually living in Clifton Park now, but as the Gamer's Guild has been closed for many a moon, I generally play Legacy on sundays at The Comic Depot in the Wilton Mall, exit 15 off the Northway/I-87. They've got a supply of singles and they're always looking for more to build their Legacy stock, as well as having a series of Legacy and Standard tournaments that they will be running starting with a Legacy tournament for Seas, an english moat, and some more stuff on the 20th of this month. There are some other stores in the area that i'll go to for singles, but at the moment I've only really played there. It's a good store run by good people, so that's generally where my business goes. I've not always had the best experience at the stores south in the Albany/East Greenbush area.

In any case, though this probably should have been in PM /shrug, you can scope out the Depot if you are interested. Aside from Special Events they run Legacy every Sunday at 1pm, $5 entry with Pack prizes, more information at their site: http://www.comicdepotllc.com

[Squirrel]

I feel the deck needs a few 1cc or 2cc drops to lower the mana curve. I also believe that it needs some type of card draw. SDT could help fill both of those needs. What else could I use for card advantage?


I want to suggest Sylvan Library for this.

[InResponseForceOfWill]

I want to suggest Sylvan Library for this.

Yes. What about Mirri's Guile: http://magiccards.info/query?q=mir+guile&v=card&s=cname

It doesn't give you the option to pay 4 life to keep cards, but you can drop it turn one. I suppose you could drop Library turn one too, but that'd make you use a ESG or Petal.

[InResponseForceOfWill]

Updated List:

4x Invigorate
4x Rancor
4x Berserk/Might of Old Krosa (Budget)
4x Vines of Vastwood

4x Phyrexian Vatmother
4x Phyrexian Crusader
4x Plague Stinger

4x Elvish Spirit Guide
4x Dark Ritual
2x Lotus Petal

4x Snuff Out
3x Sylvan Library
3x Concordant Crossroads

4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Windswept Heath
4x Bayou
3x Inkmoth Nexus
3x Swamp
2x Forest

Need help cutting 8 cards! I can probably drop 2-4 pump spells. I'm not sure if Crossroads is necessary. I dropped BoPs for ESGs. Another infector like Ichorclaw Myr would be nice, but I wouldn't know where to begin on squeezing some in. I added in Sylvan Library for CA and card quality. I also considered Mirri's Guile and Dark Confidant. Not sure which of the three is best. Snuff out is my only removal, I'd like more, and discard like Inquisition of Kozilek, but see no room. HELP!

If it was up to me I think I'd cut 3x Concordant Crossroads, 4x Rancor :( and 1x Vatmother? I dunno, I'm torn.

I think the basic frame of the deck should be something to the effect of: 20 land, 12 buff, 12 creature, 8 acceleration, 8 utility OR 20 land, 14 buff, 14 creature, 8 acceleration, 4 utility. Opinions?

EDIT: Cut to 60 cards. (20 land/12 creature (16 including Inkmoth)/10 pump/10 utility/8 accel)

4x Invigorate
4x Berserk
2x Rancor

4x Phyrexian Vatmother
4x Phyrexian Crusader
4x Plague Stinger

4x Elvish Spirit Guide
4x Dark Ritual

4x Snuff Out
4x Vines of Vastwood (considering a utility card, not pump)
2x Sylvan Library

4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Windswept Heath
4x Bayou
4x Inkmoth Nexus
2x Swamp
2x Forest