[Article] Eternal Europe: Hating Non-Linear Strategies

[Mon,Goblin Chief]

This time I thought it might be helpful to go over the correct ways to attack decks that don't have a linear gameplan and are therefore less easily affected by targeted hate. Check it out:

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/legacy/23278_Hating_NonLinear_Strategies.html

Hope you'll enjoy it!

[Gui]

Great article, very relevant for current legacy state!

And mad props for mentioning Berserk Stompy xD

[nayon]

Hey Carsten, how would you tune Caw Cartel's SB to attack these strategies? Playing in a tournament tomorrow and I think the meta will have these decks.

[Mon,Goblin Chief]

@Gui: Thanks, happy you like it!

@nayon: Sent you a detailed PM, tuning Caw Cartel isn't exactly what this thread is for ;) For those interested, the short answer is "CawCartel is already good against just about any diverse strategy simply by being the better Jace deck, just make sure you can kill a Thrun postboard because they will have more ways to remove Moat."

[Zilla]

Carsten remains my favorite Legacy author. This subject matter could not be more relevant or timely. Extremely well done.

[lordofthepit]

I love this article. You have an innovative way at looking at the metagame and a great way of explaining the theory behind your decisions. Much better than the premium articles that go "LOL, Y U NO PLAY 4 JTMS?! UR DOIN IT RONG!!1!1"

[TsumiBand]

That MBC deck looks bloody amazing.

This is precisely the kind of thinking that needs to take place when one strips down the fundamentals of what it means to apply "hate" to a strategy. Very very cool article.

[bakofried]

Great article. Definitely one of my favorite Legacy writers.

[.dk]

Great article - one of the better ones I've read in a long while. I'll definitely be re-reading this whenever I find myself stuck trying to tune a deck but can't seem to find enough ways to shore up the bad matchups. Regardless of whether you're talking specifically about tempo style decks, these ideas are important ones to keep in mind at all times.

[ScatmanX]

Carsten remains my favorite Legacy author. This subject matter could not be more relevant or timely. Extremely well done.
I was going to post exactly this.
Thanks.

[DragoFireheart]

Three non-blue decks that will work very well in the current meta. The MBC deck is very interesting. The real problem is that people DON'T want to try and construct new ideas: people expect to be spoon-fed choices and if they don't like what they see they cry for bans.

It's far easier to complain than to try and find a solution to a problem.

[Goaswerfraiejen]

I really enjoyed the article, thank you. It's also pretty gratifying: I primarily play a deck that exploits a non-linear strategy, and people don't usually sideboard very well against me. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind winning: it's just really ridiculous when someone sides in all their graveyard hate and expects that to work. At worst, it's a nuisance. Mostly, it just tells me to go all-in with one of my alternate strategies.

From the non-linear side of the board, the great thing is that your deck's construction may (or often will) allow you to exploit otherwise pretty specific/linear sideboarding choices against your opponent with much more success than you'd otherwise have.

[Tammit67]

Carsten remains my favorite Legacy author. This subject matter could not be more relevant or timely. Extremely well done.

[Meekrab]

Does Urborg actually do anything other than let your Wastes and Factories tap for black? Is that really worth the extra vulnerability to opposing Wastelands compared to running 17 Swamps? I also question the viability of Nether Void in a deck with effectively 22 lands (4 of them can't be in play at the same time) but I can also see how it could just get a lot of decks to scoop.

[Shawon]

Does Urborg actually do anything other than let your Wastes and Factories tap for black? Is that really worth the extra vulnerability to opposing Wastelands compared to running 17 Swamps?

It is when you take into context of recovering from your own Pox effects. Drawing Factories after casting Pox effects sets you back in terms of casting spells, so I can see why Reid Duke went the 4 count on Urborgs.

I think his Pox deck could use some Dakmor Salvage. It guarantees you a land drop after you cast a Pox effect.

[Mon,Goblin Chief]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the praise. Happy to hear you enjoy what I have to offer!

@drago: I agree with the sentiment, though my problem isn't with people wanting to be spoon-fed lists to play. Not everybody can be a deckbuilder. If people were complaining about blue dominance and clamoring for more articles giving them decklists that'll work or explain to them how to attack the latest "dominant" strategy, I'd be all for it. Makes it easy to find subjects to write about.
The annoying part is that they clamor for changes to the format instead of demanding help what to do. Or when I do suggest solutions, they disregard those suggestions because I'm obviously playing blue control (surprise, surprise - that's what I do), won't test the proposed solution decks because they haven't performed yet (Wouldn't that fact be the reason I'm writing about them?), or accuse me of hypocrisy. Honestly, who would be better positioned to tell them what he hates to see on the other side of the table than the very person always running the decks they complain about...
In short, demanding to be spoon fed is fine. Ignoring what you're already being fed and clamoring for bannings is what annoys me to no end.

@meekrab: Not my own list so you'd have to ask Reid why he built it that way. The four Urborg were something that looked suboptimal to me, too, but I suspect he had his reasons. You need a ton of black mana and have 8 colorless sources, so it might just be better to have a redundant Urborg (especially with Pox-effects and Liliana to get rid of them for value) and accept they're sometimes dead. As for the Wasteland issue, you already have targets and the opponent wastelanding you seems like something you're usual happy with considering the deck has (Small)Pox, Sinkhole and its own Wastelands. The whole idea is to leave both sides with as few options as possible and being good in that situation. Having the opponent Wasteland you means he is advancing your gameplan.

@Shawon: Dakmore Salvage, as bad as the card is, really seems like it could have value here by making sure you hit landdrops after Poxing. Nice find!