Stoneforge Stax

[Shough]

Ok, I want to start this thread because this deck does not quite fit with the usual Stax list. On Stax threads it is dismissed as not fitting the Stax theme. Some label it Angel Stompy but, it does not fit that theme either. However it did place 13th at SCG Legacy Open St. Louis played by Zack Strait (http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=42537) and was featured on a Deck Tech article at the same event played by Caleb Durward (http://www.starcitygames.com/events/coverage/deck_tech_mono_white_stax_with.html).


Mono White Stax by Caleb Durward

Maindeck:

Artifacts
3 Batterskull
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Crucible Of Worlds
1 Lightning Greaves
4 Mox Diamond
2 Trinisphere

Artifact Creatures
1 Lodestone Golem

Creatures
3 Hero of Bladehold
4 Stoneforge Mystic


Enchantments
3 Ghostly Prison
2 Oblivion Ring

Sorceries
4 Armageddon

Basic Lands
9 Plains

Lands
4 Ancient Tomb
3 City of Traitors
1 Horizon Canopy
2 Maze of Ith
4 Wasteland

Legendary Lands
3 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Karakas
Sideboard:

3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Trinisphere
3 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Lodestone Golem
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Oblivion Ring
3 Wrath of God
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale



Mono White Stax by Zack Strait

Maindeck:

Artifacts
3 Batterskull
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Crucible Of Worlds
1 Lightning Greaves
4 Mox Diamond
2 Trinisphere

Creatures
3 Hero of Bladehold
4 Stoneforge Mystic

Enchantments
3 Ghostly Prison
3 Oblivion Ring

Planeswalkers
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant

Sorceries
4 Armageddon

Basic Lands
9 Plains

Lands
4 Ancient Tomb
3 City of Traitors
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Maze of Ith
1 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland

Legendary Lands
3 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Karakas

Sideboard:
1 Batterskull
3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Trinisphere
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Decree of Justice
3 Wrath of God
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

[hofzge]

A more aggressive veriosn of this finished 10-5 at GP New Jersey according to this (http://www.starcitygames.com/article/29778_The-Most-Awesome-Deck-In-Legacy.html).

I would go a bit further and cut the Equipments to play more than one Batterskull and maybe an Elspeth. Like this you have less duds you can draw:

6 Plains
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
1 Flooded Strand
1 Ghost Quarter
4 Wasteland
2 Karakas
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

3 Baneslayer Angel
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Windborn Muse

2 Batterskull
1 Elspeth, Knight Errant
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Crucible Of Worlds
4 Mox Diamond
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Trinisphere
2 Banishing Light
4 Ghostly Prison

Sideboard

2 Containment Priest
2 Rest in Peace
1 Blind Obedience
1 Humility
1 Wrath of God
2 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
4 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Armageddon

It would also be possible to play a Lodestone Golem instead of the Elspeth or simply the 3rd Batterskull.

[frogger42]

Here's my list that tied for T4 at a 60-man tourney a few months ago. I think toward the beginning of the year:


4 Flagstones of Trokair
3 Darksteel Citadel
5 Plains
1 Karakas
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
4 Chrome Mox

4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Aven Mindcensor
4 Windborn Muse
4 World Queller
4 Exalted Angel

4 Armageddon

4 Chalice of the Void
4 Trinisphere
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice



I had 4 Suppression Field, 4 RiP, 4 O-Ring and 3 more Equip in the SB. Armageddon is sooooo much better than Smokestack, and most everything here takes advantage of wiping all the lands off.

[Scott]

Here's my list that tied for T4 at a 60-man tourney a few months ago. I think toward the beginning of the year:


4 Flagstones of Trokair
3 Darksteel Citadel
5 Plains
1 Karakas
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
4 Chrome Mox

4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Aven Mindcensor
4 Windborn Muse
4 World Queller
4 Exalted Angel

4 Armageddon

4 Chalice of the Void
4 Trinisphere
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice



I had 4 Suppression Field, 4 RiP, 4 O-Ring and 3 more Equip in the SB. Armageddon is sooooo much better than Smokestack, and most everything here takes advantage of wiping all the lands off.

How have you felt about Exalted Angel in the deck? I've played around with your list a bit, and while I certainly see the importance of the build having a lifelinking flyer that can be cast if one only has 4 mana available, I can't help but wonder if there's something better. You might miss the flying, but perhaps an additional Batterskull could take one of its slots. Also, have you missed Wasteland or turn 1 plays at all? Cool deck, by the way.

[bizdoin]

what do you think about replace sphere effects for 3 thalias?

[nedleeds]

Armageddon is sooooo much better than Smokestack, and most everything here takes advantage of wiping all the lands off.

Armageddon and Smokestack really play different roles. Armageddon allows you to benefit from a marginal lead in resources (usually you have a threat or a non land source or a crucible) and put your opponent behind. If you have a big enough threat (an angel, batterskull) and a lock piece you can just win. Smokestack is a lock piece that provides on board inevitability as well as outs to existing non land permanents. A fast smoke stack can also produce an unwinnable position for your opponent (you don't have to put a counter on it), and in concert with a crucible or elspeth or trading post means capping your opponents at 1-2 permanents. Armageddon is synergistic with Smokestack because it resets lands and if you have Flagstones / Mox / Crucible you can then slam Smokestack and lock your opponent. Smokestack IMO belongs in control stax builds, Armageddon can go in any kind of stax, and almost certainly should be a 4+ of in an aggressive stax variant with 12+ creatures (Angel Stompy).

[hofzge]

After some games I don't like the Windborn Muse and Sphere of Resistance, but would like to have an Armageddon. This gets us here:

Manabase

4x Ancient Tomb
3x City of Traitors
4x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Horizon Canopy
2x Karakas
1x Maze of Ith
1x Mishra's Factory
6x Plains
4x Wasteland
4x Mox Diamond

Lock pieces

4x Chalice of the Void
3x Trinisphere
4x Ghostly Prison
4x Armageddon
2x Crucible of Worlds

Threats

3x Baneslayer Angel
1x Lodestone Golem
4x Stoneforge Mystic
3x Batterskull

Removal

2x Banishing Light

Sideboard

2x Containment Priest
2x Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1x Grafdigger's Cage
2x Lodestone Golem
2x Phyrexian Revoker
2x Rest in Peace
1x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1x Trinisphere
2x Wrath of God

This version is again very close to the original deck Caleb Durward ran, as that deck was constructed very well (not playing 4 Crucibles, Trinispheres, playing additional threats etc.).

[frogger42]

How have you felt about Exalted Angel in the deck? I've played around with your list a bit, and while I certainly see the importance of the build having a lifelinking flyer that can be cast if one only has 4 mana available, I can't help but wonder if there's something better. You might miss the flying, but perhaps an additional Batterskull could take one of its slots. Also, have you missed Wasteland or turn 1 plays at all? Cool deck, by the way.

Thanks Scott! I kinda like Exalted because, really, WW is tough to do in this build, esp when you Geddon away most of your white. Sometimes it's just a Pearled Unicorn, which is totally stupid, but white doesn't offer much that it splashable and Legacy-viable. It's kinda a (mostly) necessary evil. I actually don't like Mindcensor that much because it's not really much of a clock. Every dood in this build should be a clock because you can't manipulate your library to find a finisher when you need it (maybe Spirit of Labyrinth would be better... but no flying). Muse is different because it generally gains enough space to outrace your opponent. I guess Aven's got flash...

Originally Queller was going to be Ravages of War, but I made the right (budget) call with going with another finisher. Though now I'd change the Queller with Resto Angel, and then Exalted becomes that much better. I do miss T1 plays, a lot, which are generally predicated on my having either Chrome + SFM or Chalice. But because I run basics and Flagstones (and Citadel), I generally don't get Wasted back a turn, and the T2 play is a heavy-hitter. Esp if you SB in your Supp Fields, then it's just NUTS. Just be careful to lead with a non-Tomb land. Unless you have 3 tombs and want your opponent to Waste one away T1.

@ Nedlees - Smokestack is, in my opinion, waaaaay too slow to get the job done. If you open a hand with 2 of them, you might as well mulligan to gain a card. Geddon has an immediate effect, and Smokestack takes 2 turns to come online and - wooo - sac a land. That's my personal opinion, and I see how you'd want something with an effect each turn in a more control-ish variant; that said, I absolutely HATE the card. Not to say I hate your valuation of it, you're right, just, literally, I hate the card.


EDIT - I run pretty close to the bare minimum of white sources in the manabase... so I can't really cut a Plains even. Citadel is pretty goshderned good here, too, and has saved my bum a number of times. There's unfortunately no room for Wasteland in this particular build, and I don't run Crucible (maybe 1-2x Dust Bowl... bleh), but that doesn't stop people from Pithing Needling the Waste. Just in case. MUAHAHAHAHA.