Curby
03-04-2012, 04:19 AM
Not exactly the stiffest competition, but I certainly learned a lot.
Please give me feedback/suggestions on my boarding strategy. I think I made some bad choices, despite the outcome, and want to learn more.
Short version: Just a small local event: three rounds of swiss and no top-x cut. I didn't give up a single game.
I played Finn's list, -1 each Avenger, SFM, Revoker for Thalia. Final sideboard:
Utility
4 Enlightened Tutor
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Aura of Silence
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Circle of Protection: Red
Anti-critter
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Ensnaring Bridge
Anti-Reanimator/Yard
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Tormod's Crypt
Anti-combo
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Round 1 vs Billie with Graveborn (preconstructed Reanimator)
Game 1 he discards and Exhumes Inkwell Leviathan, so it's a race. I give SoFI to Serra Avenger though, which soaks up 5 damage without dying.
Boarding: -3 Revoker, -2 Mom (?), -2 Flickerwisp (?), +4 ETutor, Metamorph, Wheel, Crypt
Game 2 he drops a Blazing Archon in the yard, which is fine since I'm holding STP. I Tutor into Wheel, but cast Thalia as my 2-drop. I guess he's mana-screwed cause he's unable to Duress the Wheel out of my hand on his second turn. I drop Wheel, he brings back Archon who gets plowed, and despite tricks such as Faceless Butcher on Mangara, the weenies have it.
Round 2 vs Chris with Mill (Painter/Stone + Helm/Leyline)
Game 1 I keep Port/Waste/Vial and no white mana. Vial gets Vindicated and he has a ton of removal for my creatures, but I establish a beachhead with three active Ports and double Wastelands on his duals to prevent him from assembling either combo (or casting his black removal spells). Jitte sits on the field for a long time due to his removal, but eventually Flickerwisp comes in and finishes.
Boarding: -3 SFM (I figured I can Tutor for equipment), -3 Grunt (Leyline means little food), -1 SoFI (he names red with Painter) +4 Tutor, Aura, Seal, Thalia
Game 2 I mull to 5 looking for Mom (he's got a metric ton of point removal) or hate. He lands an early Grindstone, and I Tutor for Seal. Before I can draw it, he freaking Dark Rituals Grindstone to mill it off. Wow. I eventually get 4 land for Mangara/Karakas without Vial, and from there in concert with STP on Painter and other disruption, with it's easy to deny him either combo as the little guys pick him apart.
Round 3 vs Richie with Legacy Reanimator (pretty much fully powered)
Game 1 I figure he's playing Reanimator so I mull to 5 looking for hate. I settle on Grunt and Karakas. I lead with a Wasteland, wanting to keep Karakas hidden. He drops two Lotus Petals and Entombs Iona. Jackpot. He's mana screwed for a bit, which allows me to Grunt Iona, Revoke Petal, and Waste two duals in a row. On offense, SoFI on Revoker does 6 damage a turn, which is pretty quick against an open field.
Boarding: -4 Mom (no targeted removal, I can rely on equipment to push through), -2 Revoker (leaving one Tutor target if I really want to mess with his Petals), -1 Avenger (?), +7 same as Round 1
Game 2 I mull into Tutor. With nothing in his yard as I tutor on his end step, I figure I can either go for Wheel and risk Daze/FoW, or go for Crypt and only risk FoW. I go for the big play, resolve Wheel on my second turn, and I win before he can bounce it.
Things I (re)learned:
- Playing the control role without countermagic is sweet. This deck probably abuses the stack more than anyone except Solidarity.
- Who's the beatdown? If not you:
- Mull aggressively. Even preboard, D&T has enough niche disruption that mulling to specific answers can really help you out.
- I tend to be very conservative, but tonight I took some risks. I'm learning to be less intimidated by what the opp might be holding.
- I like the broader utility and casting cost of Grafdigger's Cage, but Wheel does so well against Dredge and Reanimator. When a third of the room is running yard-based strategies, maybe I should run both.
Please give me feedback/suggestions on my boarding strategy. I think I made some bad choices, despite the outcome, and want to learn more.
Short version: Just a small local event: three rounds of swiss and no top-x cut. I didn't give up a single game.
I played Finn's list, -1 each Avenger, SFM, Revoker for Thalia. Final sideboard:
Utility
4 Enlightened Tutor
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Aura of Silence
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Circle of Protection: Red
Anti-critter
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Ensnaring Bridge
Anti-Reanimator/Yard
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Tormod's Crypt
Anti-combo
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Round 1 vs Billie with Graveborn (preconstructed Reanimator)
Game 1 he discards and Exhumes Inkwell Leviathan, so it's a race. I give SoFI to Serra Avenger though, which soaks up 5 damage without dying.
Boarding: -3 Revoker, -2 Mom (?), -2 Flickerwisp (?), +4 ETutor, Metamorph, Wheel, Crypt
Game 2 he drops a Blazing Archon in the yard, which is fine since I'm holding STP. I Tutor into Wheel, but cast Thalia as my 2-drop. I guess he's mana-screwed cause he's unable to Duress the Wheel out of my hand on his second turn. I drop Wheel, he brings back Archon who gets plowed, and despite tricks such as Faceless Butcher on Mangara, the weenies have it.
Round 2 vs Chris with Mill (Painter/Stone + Helm/Leyline)
Game 1 I keep Port/Waste/Vial and no white mana. Vial gets Vindicated and he has a ton of removal for my creatures, but I establish a beachhead with three active Ports and double Wastelands on his duals to prevent him from assembling either combo (or casting his black removal spells). Jitte sits on the field for a long time due to his removal, but eventually Flickerwisp comes in and finishes.
Boarding: -3 SFM (I figured I can Tutor for equipment), -3 Grunt (Leyline means little food), -1 SoFI (he names red with Painter) +4 Tutor, Aura, Seal, Thalia
Game 2 I mull to 5 looking for Mom (he's got a metric ton of point removal) or hate. He lands an early Grindstone, and I Tutor for Seal. Before I can draw it, he freaking Dark Rituals Grindstone to mill it off. Wow. I eventually get 4 land for Mangara/Karakas without Vial, and from there in concert with STP on Painter and other disruption, with it's easy to deny him either combo as the little guys pick him apart.
Round 3 vs Richie with Legacy Reanimator (pretty much fully powered)
Game 1 I figure he's playing Reanimator so I mull to 5 looking for hate. I settle on Grunt and Karakas. I lead with a Wasteland, wanting to keep Karakas hidden. He drops two Lotus Petals and Entombs Iona. Jackpot. He's mana screwed for a bit, which allows me to Grunt Iona, Revoke Petal, and Waste two duals in a row. On offense, SoFI on Revoker does 6 damage a turn, which is pretty quick against an open field.
Boarding: -4 Mom (no targeted removal, I can rely on equipment to push through), -2 Revoker (leaving one Tutor target if I really want to mess with his Petals), -1 Avenger (?), +7 same as Round 1
Game 2 I mull into Tutor. With nothing in his yard as I tutor on his end step, I figure I can either go for Wheel and risk Daze/FoW, or go for Crypt and only risk FoW. I go for the big play, resolve Wheel on my second turn, and I win before he can bounce it.
Things I (re)learned:
- Playing the control role without countermagic is sweet. This deck probably abuses the stack more than anyone except Solidarity.
- Who's the beatdown? If not you:
- Mull aggressively. Even preboard, D&T has enough niche disruption that mulling to specific answers can really help you out.
- I tend to be very conservative, but tonight I took some risks. I'm learning to be less intimidated by what the opp might be holding.
- I like the broader utility and casting cost of Grafdigger's Cage, but Wheel does so well against Dredge and Reanimator. When a third of the room is running yard-based strategies, maybe I should run both.