Source Challenge - Breaking card Suppression Field

[Freggle]

http://static.starcitygames.com/sales/cardscans/MAGRAV/suppression_field.jpg

It is of my belief that this card can POSSIBLY shake up the format if built around properly.

I believe this for one main reason. It's ability to affect fetch lands, Wastelands, and AEther Vial that fuel the format.

I am well aware of the drawbacks to playing with this card. I understand that when you build with this card you are saying openly that you will omit some of the best cards of the format.

I would like to put it to the community to build the best deck that uses this card that we can.

The reason I have renewed faith in this card is the fact that it does not affect mana abilities.

I find this to be exciting because that means you are not limited to mono white. ...to put it more directly you can fuel the deck on Noble Hierarchs & Birds of Paradise in a "mono green-ish." build.

I have had limited success with the following rough draft:


Lands
4 Sunpetal Grove
9 Forest (2)
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Savannah

Creatures
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Birds of Paradise
3 Noble Hierarch
2 Tarmogoyf

// Spells
4 Suppression Field
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Mirri's Guile
2 Armageddon
3 Ghostly Prison
3 Black Vise Banned - (Iron Maiden)
3 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Thermokarst
4 Ice Storm


This build goes all in on mana depletion.

Both Leonin Arbiter & Suppression Field stall fetch.

Thermokarst, Ice Storm & Armageddon run clean up duty as early as turn 2 (but really 3 because 2 is for Arbiter or field)

Ghostly Prison (when the deck is functioning correctly) acts as an uber moat shutting down your opponents attack.

Black Vise -Banned ( Iron Maiden) is the #1 kill.

There is dis-synergy with GSZ and Arbitor that should be avoided with a revised build.

Honestly the deck should likely loose the goyfs for more lock pieces. Vise (Iron Maiden) could be sufficient for a win.

This build lacks a draw engine.

I thought I would post it here to see if the community can help me through an arduous build process. This list is stronger than it looks often locking the game turn 3 or 4, but still needs serious work.

If this belongs in another forum please move it. Thank you all.

[Nonex]

Black Vise is banned.

The most successful list I've ever played with Suppression Field is Enchantress. It draws enough cards to see them consistently until they print Suppression Field 2.0, which imo is what other decks would need to take advantage of them.

[Freggle]

Black Vise is banned.

Ouch. Well there is also Iron Maiden it is clearly not as good, but when you are locking someone out it's not that bad.

T2 either a Leonin Arbiter or a Suppression Field properly stalls fetch to start putting the wedge in.

If your opponent goes T1 Vial you go all in on the Ghostly Prison perhaps the correct replacement to goyf & GSZ is 4 Enlightened Tutor.

[morgan_coke]

You should really look at this as a gwr zenith deck. Try something like:

Creatures
1x Dryad Arbor
4x Birds of Paradise
2x Noble Hierarch
4x Leonin Arbiter
4x Burning-Tree Shaman

Enchantments
4x Suppression Field

Instants
4x Punishing Fire
4x Swords to Plowshares

Sorceries
3x Armageddon
2x Life from the Loam
4x Green Sun's Zenith

Lands
4x Grove of the Burnwillows
4x Forest
3x Plains
3x Mountain
4x Taiga
2x Plateau
4x Savannah

Trinisphere and Sphere of Resistance are both better options for you than thermokarst/ice storm would be. Aven Mindcensor is another possible pickup here.

[dahcmai]

I've seen a deck using Glittering Lynx and Knight of the Holy Nimbus since they are really hard to kill once a field is out. Cursed Totem is another that comes to mind.

[Qweerios]

Oh hi Freggles!

I think I told you before I made a SF deck, I don't remember if I ever shared it with you. Anyways, here it is:


Creatures (16)
4 Leonin Arbiter
4 Dark Confidant
4 Oona's Prowler
4 Phyrexian Obliterator

Spells (16)
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Sinkhole
4 Vindicate

Enchantments (4)
4 Suppression Field

Artifacts (4)
4 Chrome Mox

Lands (20)
4 Scrubland
4 Godless Shrine
4 Caves of Koilos
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
7 Swamp


I tried playing Hymn to Tourach, Abyssal Persecutor/Gatekeeper of Malakir, Tidehollow Sculler, and Tainted Field to name a few. I remember trying really hard to make this deck work when Leonin Arbiter came out but I quickly gave up, perhaps too early. The fact that we can't play Wasteland is a big downer. From my experience with this deck, it wants equipments so badly and Wasteland is a huge threat to us. What made me give up was the fact that Suppression Field did not screw with my opponents nearly enough to jusity all the constraints I put on my deck in order to play SF in the first place. I will admit though, T1 SF is quite strong, especially if you can follow it up with a Sinkhole or Vindicate on T2. Although, with the meta shifting to equipment packages and jace control decks, I wouldn't be surprised if this deck had more success.

Green/White looks like a good color combination as well. I am in complete agreement with Nonex though, enchantress is probably the only viable g/w deck I can think of that could abuse SF properly considering all the good G/W staple creatures have an activated ability or search the library.

Also, what about Glowrider as an additional tax creature if you wish to go for a more aggro list. He is quite good when coupled with mana acceleration. I would also play Razorverge Thicket over Sunpetal Grove. A couple of Sylvan Library look better than Mirri's Guile as well.

[MGC_player]

I was actually toying with this in a W/g and W/r shells. I personally liked the W/g shell due to its ability to manipulate the library via Sylvan Library, although the W/r version also had a few things going for it. From my own testing, turn 1 Leonin Arbiter or Suppression field can just be incredibly brutal especially when followed up with aggro pressure. It almost seemed like I was playing a Dragon Stompy deck.

[Glorfindel]

You could perhaps try it in an Angel Stompy shell? Morphing is a special action so it isn't affected by Suppression Field ...

[Al-ucard]

What about a more Stax oriented one?

24 Lands
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
3 Flagstones of Trokair
13 Plains

12 Creatures
4 Leonin Arbiter
4 Magus of the Tabernacle
4 Lodestone Golem

24 Others
4 Mox Diamond
4 Thran Dynamo
4 Suppression Field
4 Armageddon
4 Cataclysm
4 Trinisphere

Yes, I know we need more CA and defense, it's only an idea...

[(nameless one)]

What about a more Stax oriented one?


Didn't Armageddon Stax used this card for the longest time?

[Freggle]

My observations thus far (right/wrong or indifferent):

-G/W or W based decks seem to be the best starting point

-Green Sun's Zenith's search has an obvious issue with Leonin Arbiter ability

-Mana seems to always be tight. This allows Mirri's Guile to be considered over Sylvan Library

-The lack of shuffle effects (outside of GSZ) limits Mirri's Guile & Sylvan Library worthyness

-I see Suppression Field fundamentally different from a stackish approach. More as mana denial and less taxing.

-Armageddon and Ravages of War are light-years better than Ice Storm & Thermokarst

-4 Ghostly Prison is an auto include until proven otherwise. With mana denial (not stax) it is too strong.

-Since I consider Ghostly Prison an auto include I am more attracted to wins that ignore the red zone

-The initial build thrives off of Noble Hierarch & Birds of Paradise providing mana post land wipe.

-Mox Diamond and Chrome Mox should be considered

-Magus of the Tabernacle could be a nice Ghostly Prison 3-8

Edit: Wasteland is not entierly dis-synergis in that early game it will waste just fine and post Suppression Field you could just pay the 2 or use it's mana for a land wipe.

More to come later...

[nedleeds]

4x leonin arbiter
4x kor skyfisher
4x knight of the holy nimbus
4x glittering lynx (loyal sentry / isamaru sometimes)
4x soltari priest
2x soltari visionary
2x jotun grunt
- 24 dudes
4x path to exile
4x honor of the pure
4x suppression field
4x chrome mox
2x oblivion ring
-18 other
16 plains
2 karakas (I know. But Iona is a problem)

It top 4 split a few 20-35 man legacies in Atlanta, mostly during the Survival era (where Arbiter and SF were both fistings). That first post list is atrocious. Sideboard was 4x canonist / true believer, Warmth, Disenchant / Abolish, Sunlance (for tribal), Morningtide, and other cards depending on what was expected.

[SpikeyMikey]

Here's the problem with Suppression Field. As you noted, playing Suppression Field means *not* playing some of the strongest cards around, especially in White. Since you'll have turn 2 Suppression Field in less than half your games, that means that in over half your games, you're purposely crippling yourself in order to support a card that you didn't even draw. And in the half that you do have it, it's not so game-breaking as to win by itself (like something like Back to Basics or Blood Moon could do). It's very irritating for opposing decks, but so is Winter Orb.

This is not to say that I haven't made some efforts with the card in the past, but my opinion is that until there is a functional reprint that allows you to pack 8 of these into a deck, it's junk. Or unless there's a deck that naturally avoids cards that are hit by Suppression Field. The way that Moat naturally falls into Thopter decks because not having Moat doesn't hurt the deck but having it hurts opponents.

[Freggle]

Here's the problem with Suppression Field. As you noted, playing Suppression Field means *not* playing some of the strongest cards around, especially in White. Since you'll have turn 2 Suppression Field in less than half your games, that means that in over half your games, you're purposely crippling yourself in order to support a card that you didn't even draw. And in the half that you do have it, it's not so game-breaking as to win by itself (like something like Back to Basics or Blood Moon could do). It's very irritating for opposing decks, but so is Winter Orb.

This is not to say that I haven't made some efforts with the card in the past, but my opinion is that until there is a functional reprint that allows you to pack 8 of these into a deck, it's junk. Or unless there's a deck that naturally avoids cards that are hit by Suppression Field. The way that Moat naturally falls into Thopter decks because not having Moat doesn't hurt the deck but having it hurts opponents.

I get that. ...but that is why this is a challenge.

I firmly belive with good minds on this the card can be broken.

As for a functional reprint... it depends on which aspect of it you would like to exploit.

For me the best part of it is mana denial and there is a functional reprint for that in Leonin Arbiter

...and while your at it if you go the G/W route with birds and hiearch why not pack the 4 Winter Orbs too? ...as a matter of fact toss in 4 Root Maze and make it a party.

All of these will shut off all aggro plans with a single Ghostly Prison on the board.

Then win with Aven Mindsensor or Bird of Paradise with hierach boons in the air, or slam down a Iron Maiden or two.

I think there are ways to make this card hurt even in the current printings.

[nedleeds]

functional reprint that allows you to pack 8 of these into a deck, it's junk.

This. In having played it 2-3 times and having a competent friend pilot it another 4-5 times, games where you won the die roll and went chrome mox, plains -> S. Field you won in glorious fashion. Also there was a ton of SotF and Suppression Field and Arbiter both raped Survival.

For it to have maximum impact you have to drop it turn one (on the play if possible) because turning off fetches is it's greatest use and that utility is really only in the early game (turns 1-3).

You also need an aggressive clock to back up the mana disruption, hence my attempt to pair it with hyper aggro white weenie evasion. The card has some nice synergies with other cards, KotHN being one but is anti-synergistic with 50% of the good cards in the format.

- Fetches
- Aether Vial
- Wasteland
- SFM
- KotR
- Maze of Ith
- Coralhelm Commander
- Any Equipment that doesn't automagically have a black germ attached to it

If I were to try this deck again today, I'd probably find a way to add some Aven Mindcensors and have a swap plan for the Fields (like Ghost Quarters in the side).

[SpikeyMikey]

I get that. ...but that is why this is a challenge.

I firmly belive with good minds on this the card can be broken.

As for a functional reprint... it depends on which aspect of it you would like to exploit.

For me the best part of it is mana denial and there is a functional reprint for that in Leonin Arbiter

...and while your at it if you go the G/W route with birds and hiearch why not pack the 4 Winter Orbs too? ...as a matter of fact toss in 4 Root Maze and make it a party.

All of these will shut off all aggro plans with a single Ghostly Prison on the board.

Then win with Aven Mindsensor or Bird of Paradise with hierach boons in the air, or slam down a Iron Maiden or two.

I think there are ways to make this card hurt even in the current printings.

Because while your opponent will be balled up in the corner crying when you've got Suppression Field, Winter Orb, Leonin Arbiter and Aven Mindcensor on an otherwise empty board, achieving that state is nearly impossible. 10 years ago, this maybe would've been a deck. Today, having a solid effect isn't enough. It needs to be able to win or to completely shut an opponent down by itself (see Humility, Blood Moon, Ensnaring Bridge, etc.) and even then, shut-down cards are almost always relegated to the sideboard because you simply cannot afford dead draws in Legacy.

[Freggle]

Because while your opponent will be balled up in the corner crying when you've got Suppression Field, Winter Orb, Leonin Arbiter and Aven Mindcensor on an otherwise empty board, achieving that state is nearly impossible. 10 years ago, this maybe would've been a deck. Today, having a solid effect isn't enough. It needs to be able to win or to completely shut an opponent down by itself (see Humility, Blood Moon, Ensnaring Bridge, etc.) and even then, shut-down cards are almost always relegated to the sideboard because you simply cannot afford dead draws in Legacy.

SpikeyMikey I appriciate the help. ...and if we fail with this deck it wouldn't be the first time I failed trying to make this.

I would like to point out though that the board does not have to be clear if you can drop a Ghostly Prison before you die.

Also a T1 Root Maze is virtually a time walk. If your opponent drops a fetch it's a 2 turn time walk. (T1 fetch -> T2 untap fetch put land into play tapped.)

This could slow the game to our speed to lock them out. Quick.

[Freggle]

4x leonin arbiter
4x kor skyfisher
4x knight of the holy nimbus
4x glittering lynx (loyal sentry / isamaru sometimes)
4x soltari priest
2x soltari visionary
2x jotun grunt
- 24 dudes
4x path to exile
4x honor of the pure
4x suppression field
4x chrome mox
2x oblivion ring
-18 other
16 plains
2 karakas (I know. But Iona is a problem)

It top 4 split a few 20-35 man legacies in Atlanta, mostly during the Survival era (where Arbiter and SF were both fistings). That first post list is atrocious. Sideboard was 4x canonist / true believer, Warmth, Disenchant / Abolish, Sunlance (for tribal), Morningtide, and other cards depending on what was expected.

This list is fun, and I believe should be the basis for the thread.

If we can find any room for improvement this deck could be a house. We can splash any other color with out affecting this list greatly. Just do the 4 duals, and 4 Ravnica duals / current base set duals and 10 plains.

[Greenpoe]

You might've already seen it, but there's been been plenty of attempts to build around suppression field. Here are two decent places to start, one of which has 18 pages of different builds all across the aggro and control spectrum.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=229617
http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?18188-No-you-can-t-do-that-SUPPRESSION!

[nedleeds]

This list is fun, and I believe should be the basis for the thread.

If we can find any room for improvement this deck could be a house. We can splash any other color with out affecting this list greatly. Just do the 4 duals, and 4 Ravnica duals / current base set duals and 10 plains.

You can, but I think you dilute the deck a bit. The deck is a spoiler deck, it's also fairly cheap (Chrome Mox being the high man?). It (obviously) concedes to a resolved / cheated Iona, and in the past Reanimator was a deck it struggled with maybe Surgical Extraction could help this match a bit.

Some other cards that have floated in and out are Tithe (anti-synergistic with Cat Pimp but still provides nice card 'draw' and makes your mid game draws mostly gas), and even Armageddon. I think though with only 18 land 4 chrome mox 4 mana is a pipe dream.

You could make the deck more staxxy by weeding out all the WW and replacing it with 2W stuff. Some obvious choices at that point are:

- Aven Mindcensor
- G-Prison
- Exalted Angel

Something more like moderate staxx blended with Angel Stompy ... keep in mind the needs of Chrome Mox before blurting out that more artifacts are needed.

4 x Aven Mindcensor
3 x Exalted Angel
3 x Jotun Grunt
4 x Kor Skyfisher OR Stonecloaker
4 x Cat Pimp
2 x Windborn Muse OR Armageddon
- 20 dudes
4 x S-Field
4 x Ghostly Prison
4 x O-Ring
- 12 irritating enchantments
4 x Chalice of the Void
4 x Chrome Mox
- 8 irritating artifacts
4 x Ancient Tomb
4 x City of Traitors
4 x Flagstones
8 x Plains (maybe a Misers Karakas)

You avoid WW with this build and get some 'explosive' starts on the play. Flashing in Aven Mindcensor in response to a turn one on the draw fetch is an erotic dream shared by many mono-white players.