[Deck] UG Hexproof Berserk Stompy

[michaelq]

Finally a 3rd playable "troll shroud" ("Hexproof" in M11). Barring non-targeted creature removal and countermagic, there is little that way of berserking your way in!

In keeping with the observation that, post Mental Misstep, you have to play blue in order to t8, I've added the blue. Since we have troll shroud, we can now use my all-time favorite pump spell without getting two-for-one'd - Unstable Mutation!

Creatures 12
4x Silhana Ledgewalker
4x Slippery Bogle
4x Gladecover Scout (m12 G 1/1 hexproof)

Pump Effects 16
4x Might of Old Krosa
4x Unstable Mutation
4x Rancor
4x Berserk

Disruption, Card Quality 14
4x Mental Misstep
4x Force of Will
4x Brainstorm
2x Daze

Land 18
4x Tropical Island
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Verdant Catacombs
3x Wooded Foothills
2x Forest
1x Pendelhaven

Side Board
4x Submerge
4x Winter Orb
3x Tormod's Crypt
4x Rushwood Legate

Blue card count: 22
Average CMC (not counting FoW and Daze): 1.1

Strengths:
- Good tempo cards
- A decent mid-game thanks to FoW and pump that sticks around a few turns
- Remains explosive as long as it has a creature in play
- Blanks their removal and removes the critical flaw of getting two- or three-for-one'd.
- Doesn't have to rely on over-costed creatures like poison stompy
- Bonus: aside from the manabase, all the cards are common or uncommon, so it's a fairly inexpensive deck to build

Weaknesses:
- MM and Chalice are quite effective against this deck
- Wasteland hits most mana sources
- Early Tarmogoyfs can stall the ground and make Berserk a necessity to win

Overall, the countermagic and "hexproof"ness makes this deck more robust than traditional all-in strategies, while still maintaining explosiveness and allowing players to "live the dream" with 2x pump spell/aura -> berserk. The real question is whether another hexproof 2-drop is in M12 - unlikely, but having 14 or 16 creatures would arguably add to the consistency.

The real question is whether this deck can be better than Tarmogoyf-packing control decks like Team America.

Any input you might have on the potential problems with matchups and sideboard suggestions would be most appreciated!

[Mr. Safety]

Hmmm...solid idea, but 12 dudes seems too low, IMHO. You can probably cheat on this by adding in 4x Inkmoth Nexus, which at least provides evasion with a flyer. I'm not sure about the blue dude (Blighted Agent?) with infect for 1U that is unblockable, too...seems like a natural fit and would get your blue count a little higher for Force of Will.

Speaking of Force of Will...I would play either Force and Mental Misstep, but maybe not full sets. Your library manipulation is neccessary with Brainstorm (providing Force fodder) but I don't think you need 8 free counterspells (10 if you count Daze.) I would probably cut the Dazes and probably 1 Force for 3x Blighted Agent You would still have 7 free counterspells and you would have a greater consistency of landing a turn 1-2 threat to combo out with.

Good luck man!

[4eak]

This deck cares about life totals, not poison counters. Nexus and Agent don't fit in this deck at all. If you chose to replace the hexproof creatures with infect creature, well, then you'd have a different deck.


peace,
4eak

[Mr. Safety]

How did I miss that? Wow...I thought this was a deck based on infect.

Pay no attention to the bald man in the corner...he's retarded

[michaelq]

All right! They printed a 4th playable hexproof creature! 14 creatures provides a critical mass of creatures, 8 of whom pack evasion. Since every creature is hexproof, you can play the superior aura spells without fear of getting two-for-oned. Blue card card count: 24!

Creatures 14
4x Silhana Ledgewalker
4x Slippery Bogle
2x Gladecover Scout
4x Invisible Stalker (U1 hexproof unblockable 1/1 from new Innistrad)

Pump Effects 16
4x Briar Shield
4x Unstable Mutation
4x Rancor
4x Berserk

Disruption, Card Quality 12
4x Mental Misstep
4x Force of Will
4x Brainstorm

Land 18
4x Tropical Island
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Verdant Catacombs
3x Wooded Foothills
2x Forest
1x Pendelhaven

Side Board
4x Submerge
4x Winter Orb
3x Tormod's Crypt
4x Rushwood Legate

[Freggle]

All right! They printed a 4th playable hexproof creature! 14 creatures provides a critical mass of creatures, 8 of whom pack evasion. Since every creature is hexproof, you can play the superior aura spells without fear of getting two-for-oned. Blue card card count: 24!

Creatures 14
4x Silhana Ledgewalker
4x Slippery Bogle
2x Gladecover Scout
4x Invisible Stalker (U1 hexproof unblockable 1/1 from new Innistrad)

Pump Effects 16
4x Briar Shield
4x Unstable Mutation
4x Rancor
4x Berserk

Disruption, Card Quality 12
4x Mental Misstep
4x Force of Will
4x Brainstorm

Land 18
4x Tropical Island
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Verdant Catacombs
3x Wooded Foothills
2x Forest
1x Pendelhaven

Side Board
4x Submerge
4x Winter Orb
3x Tormod's Crypt
4x Rushwood Legate

I have not played this at all so you can tell me if I'm crazy or not, but I do have a few questions.

Firstly why are you running so many non-basics? Unless I'm missing something your deck needs two colors to function correctly 1 Island, and 1 Forest. Any more beyond that it is just icing.

However you choose to go all in on fetch lands (which will work) but runs higher risk. I'd hate to see how this deck would function against an early Blood Moon effect. ...but then again perhaps you would already have your two required mana.

If you are building this deck to work under those kinds of conditions your Winter Orb should be main. However, even if I were to build that I'd still cut down on the fetch and bump up the basic forests and perhaps 1 basic island.

If you do find yourself with a respectable amount of forests in play I would certainly find room for Dungrove Elder. Heck even if you don't most of your guys are only 1/1's anyhow. given your mana requirements I'd try maybe two and not a full set.

Unless I'm missing something I do not know what you get out of running Rushwood Legate in the board outside of it's cool to play stuff for free. I can not think of one match up where someone fearing that card being boarded in. ...and that is what your board cards should do.

If it's worth anything to you a few of us on here worked on a aura deck on this site a few months ago here (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?20454-Kor-Spiritdancer-Enchantress-y-B-W&highlight=kor+spiritdancer).

Somewhere in there we explored some blue auras, but not extensively.