B/G loam algae control?

[uncletiggy]

Been doing some brewing on a new project and ready to hear some input, looking to make vraska and spreading algae viable in legacy only play paper magic so looking for a little help refining the concept or scrapping it before investing in some missing pieces so the rough draft:

3 Liliana of the Veil
3 Vraska the Unseen

3 Mox Diamond
3 Crop Rotation
4 Sinkhole
4 Spreading Algae
3 Life from the Loam
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Pernicious Deed

4 Bayou
1 Forest
3 Marsh Flats
1 Maze of Ith
3 Misty Rainforest
2 Swamp
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wasteland

Immediate cards of attention:

raven's crime
crucible of worlds
garruk relentless
dust bowl
ancient tomb
sylvan library
dark confidant
mirri's guile
sensei's divining top

Pretty straight forward I think most card selections are pretty self explanatory so I'm not gonna type on an on about interactions, early mana or hand disruption being key towards establishing loam/waste lock or algae/tomb lock with some catch all removal and board wipes. The walkers numbers are probably wrong, but I think six slots is a good place to start. Some form library manipulation needs to find a home in here too. Feel free to chew it up.

[sco0ter]

Nice idea with the algue, but I'd play more Urborgs (3).

[ESG]

As someone who has tried to make Spreading Algae + Urborg work, I can say that you really also need something like Rishadan Port to complete the combo, because they can just sit there and not tap the enchanted land. There also are times when you have Spreading Algae and not Urborg and Algae is just dead. In general, I feel that Vindicate and Sinkhole are a more consistent way to achieve the same end. If I was running so many cards focused on stunting my opponent's manabase, I would want a faster clock than those planeswalkers. And if I was committed to Algae + Urborg, I would max out on both and also run Bob and Top.

[ahg113]

Of the library manipulators - Top, Guile, Library, that's the order I'd play them.

Think 3 Lili and 2 Vraska would fit you better, as you don't want to draw so many multiples. Garruk is another good win-con, but I'm not sure he's the best you can do.

And Bob is just a beating. He quickly takes games over if the opponent doesn't solve him. You have 27 '0' casting cost cards in the deck as - is, with the most damage coming from a revealed Vraska at 5, I like those odds.

Not in love with your sweepers. Pernicious Deed takes time and resources to utilize effectively, while Abrupt Decay will hit most things, but not all things. Maelstrom Pulse is a silver bullet, but not guaranteed to get you out of a jam. You're eschewing creatures on purpose I suppose, but 7 seems like a lot when they're all conditional. No Damnation?

Also think a manland or two (not Dryad Arbor) would benefit you well. And because you're playing crop rotation, 1 or 2 Bojuka Bogs just make too much sense with Crop Rotation, unless you feel comfortable putting those in the SB.

I'm also a big fan of raven's crime with Lili, put two in the deck. If you get it gravy, if not, so be it. The potential for abuse of chucking extra lands at them is really great.

For the heck of it- I'm a fan of transformational SB's. I'd make it super aggro with LolTrolls, Vengevines, Bloodghast galore and just stomp your opponent. But... I like turning things sideways.

TLDR: +1/+2 Treetop Village (or as you like), Bob = YES, Raven's Crime = yes, sweepers = ?, Bojuka Bog + Crop Rotation, yes please

[metamet]

I like the idea! I'd like to take a page from Pox and run 1 Nether Spirit.

For your board wipes, I'd be inclined to favor a little Damnation, as you're looking to push the game out as long as possible. Deed kills your Algea when you don't want them dead.

I'd also be for a Crucible + Ghost Quarter lock.

[ahg113]

another +1 to the Rishidian Port idea. Because the tapping of land is conditional to your opponent in relation to Spreading Algae, it's important that you have some type of effect that can tap their lands for them. If not Port, something along those lines- Mishra's Helix or the sort.

[Valtrix]

Although I think this concept overall is weak, Expedition Map would probably be good to fetch Rishadan Port and/or Urborg.

[Ppa0]

I like the deck idea, I tried to make my own version few months back but I went more of the 42lander route with cards like; life from the loam, raven's crime, worm harvest, but also more utility with lands: G/B cycling lands, karakas, bajuka bog, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, etc.

You would be surprised what few wienies can do to your life total even if your opponent has no lands. You however have quite a few destroy spells which is nice, I would just try to utilize crop rotation more or take few out unless you are going to get Rishadan Port.

[Mr. Safety]

Although I think this concept overall is weak, Expedition Map would probably be good to fetch Rishadan Port and/or Urborg.

It's one route...but I think Crop Rotation into utility lands is even better. Loam makes Crop Rotation's risk pathetically easy to manage. CR can grab Urborg, Maze of Ith, Wasteland, or Bojuka Bog if it somehow makes its way in here. I also like the idea of putting in 1x Rishadan Port (like ESG mentioned) Tap the non-enchanted land so they HAVE to tap their Algae land and lose it, that is if they want to do anything in the game.

I also feel the lack of man-lands is likely a mistake...I may be completely wrong on that regard, but I'd want at least one Treetop Village to round out the deck. Possibly a Worm Harvest, too, but you could convince me that Garruk Relentless is better. Both are solid options, with Garruk being less prone to graveyard hate g2.

Small note on Raven's Crime: I think Liliana is actually BETTER than Crime with Loam...I've used Raven's Crime/Loam in a lot of decks but using Liliana is even better.

[dameus]

Been doing some brewing on a new project and ready to hear some input, looking to make vraska and spreading algae viable in legacy only play paper magic so looking for a little help refining the concept or scrapping it before investing in some missing pieces ... Feel free to chew it up.

Please don't let me discourage you if you're having fun. But if you want honesty to potentially avoid a bad investment, I believe the deck concept is too weak and slow to be competitive. Looks fun, though. And the posters have some good suggestions for improvements.

[uncletiggy]

Most money cards I'm missing are worth having anyway so I'm still going to pursue it as a pet deck.

port is definitely a one of i'd like to see as well as bog.

2 damnation over two deeds might be the best route for sweepers, the targeted removal hits art/enchants so it's a better choice.

I'd rather not play bob I'd like to keep removal as dead cards but it would be the best source of CA. taking out deed's pushes me towards dilemma

raven's crime should go in for two discard spells

[baghdadbob]

I don't have much to contribute. I just really wanted to say that it is a cool idea and I will give it a play test. I love Vraska! That card is just too good. The only thing I can think of to add would be hexmage/depths (although it doesn't look like there is the space to do so). It seems like it fits with the loam/rotation/blackgreen deck style perfectly, and lets be honest you lack kill conditions. Good luck.

[uncletiggy]

looking to cut from this list two cards for either bob/top/library probably library since it's filter and draw both of which I feel I need and bob would be sweet but library will probably see more triggers in an average game.


1 Garruk Relentless
2 Liliana of the Veil
2 Vraska the Unseen

3 Abrupt Decay
2 Damnation
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Raven's Crime
3 Life from the Loam
3 Crop Rotation
3 Mox Diamond
3 Sinkhole
4 Spreading Algae
1 Worm Harvest

4 Bayou
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Marsh Flats
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Swamp
1 Forest
4 Wasteland
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Maze of Ith
1 Rishadan Port
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Treetop Village

[jhhdk]

Been toying with the same idea. Never been able to make it work. Was wondering if Smokestack could be useful, would make Spreading Algae do something even if you don't have Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

[jhhdk]

btw. last list posted has Sinkhole, strictly speaking isn't Smallpox almost always better since you often get both a land and a creature of theirs. It seems to me not choosing a target is a small price to pay (you also get a way to deal with indestructible lands).

[Asthereal]

You could try Living Wish too.
Pretty sweet card to get Urborg, Port, or whatever you could use at any given moment.
Also makes it easier to add the Depths/Hexmage combo that was suggested earlier.
And as also suggested, this deck could use a couple of SDT's to find the business.

[uncletiggy]

I feel like hex/depth's would take up more slots then I have room for a win condition but might be worth finding room for, but a land based win condition scares me since wasteland is pretty common main deck.

As for small pox i'm not a fan of the concept just on the fact that it is card disadvantage if they don't have a creature, and a wash if they do, but a replacement for sinkhole would save me most of the money i'd need to invest to get the deck up and running

SDT is in question right now it's between SDT/bob/and library which was the point of posting the last list(literally first sentence) I need to cut two cards for filter/draw