GBw Lands

[Raystar]

Hello everybody,

I have played Lands since forever (alternating it with other crazy stuff :) ) and I have come up lately with a build that looks interesting.

The reason I have worked on it is that i can't stand the variance introduced by Gamble and I wanted to have as many answers as possible to the combo decks.

That line of thought brought me to Entomb to maximize the number of available Loams G1. To maximize the anti combo suite I decided to include a W splash and dropped both R and U from the deck. The removal suite changed from Punishing Fire to Engineered Explosives and the recurring engine for EE is based on Buried Ruin.

Here you go with my current list:

Main Deck (61)

Spells (26)

3 Engineered Explosives
4 Mox Diamond
2 Cursed Scroll
2 Manabond
3 Entomb
4 Crop Rotation
4 Exploration
4 Life from the Loam

Lands (35)

1 Bojuka Bog
1 Buried Ruin
1 Cabal Pit
1 Forest
1 Glacial Chasm
1 Karakas
1 Misty Rainforest
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
2 Dark Depths
2 Savannah
2 Tranquil Thicket
3 Bayou
3 Maze of Ith
4 Rishadan Port
4 Thespian's Stage
4 Wasteland

Sideboard (15)

2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Dark Confidant
4 Sphere of Resistance
2 Choke
2 Krosan Grip


I have accrued some testing and this is what I know in terms of matchups:

UW/UWr Miracles: It's a very good matchup, RG Lands suffers G1 and have a somewhat difficult G2. The version above, instead, has a very tough time losing against Miracles in G1 and is a real beating after sideboarding.

Delver decks: They are generally as good as they are for RG Lands. The stance the deck takes is a little more control-ish but the removal suite of 3 Engineered Explosives, 2 Cursed Scroll and 1 Cabal Pit together with the usual denial package is generally enough to shore G1. G2 may be a little more intense than against Miracles but Choke and Thalia (together with the usual side in of Dark Confidant) give a significant edge.

Elves: Very favourable, crop rotation shines in the same way it does in the RG version and the removal complement is generally enough unless the opponent doesn't have a crazy hand.

D&T: The initial iteration of this version was pretty weak to D&T. When I added Cabal Pit and Cursed Scroll it changed favourably, the deck is capable of playing a very consistent control role until is able to kick in the combo

Omnitell: Probably the worst match up of this version. It is significantly better than with the RG build but is definitely un-winnable G1 and become slightly better G2 with the anti-combo suite.

Sneak&Show: another bad matchup. The heavier anti-combo setup in comparison to the RG version makes it a little better but still significantly unfavourable.

ANT/TES: G1 basically impossible to win. G2 this version has a lot better chance than RG Lands and can present some serious threats to the opponent.

RG Lands: By being a little slower than the RG version, the matchup is probably in favour of RG but I haven't had the chance to test it significantly.

What I like the most about this build is its capacity to switch very easily between a combo and a control role. The added benefits of not folding to Pithing Needle G1 and to be able to respond to Jace, the Mind Sculptor or Entreat the Angels make it, in my opinion, very well placed in the meta.

Please feel free to tear it down :)

[Clown of Tresserhorn]

I have to imagine not playing an urborg is a mistake. I even want to play that card in RG lands.

[Raystar]

I have to imagine not playing an urborg is a mistake. I even want to play that card in RG lands.

In my testing it never came out...but I'll definitely think about it.

[Dice_Box]

Got to second the Urborg, when I was playing Jund Depths I found myself Entombing that card no small amount.

The lack of Horizon Canopy seems strange to me, 5 Duals seems high and while I know it's probably a horrible suggestion, want to try and fit Volrath's Stronghold in the side? Ok that ones likely not the best idea.

All all seriousness though, I would look at adding a Nether Spirit too. I know that is something from Jund Depths and might not find a home here, but when I had Entomb he was a fine thing to find. He can also play the role of a Maze that you don't need Loam to use.

[Fatal]

Running Entomb I would add for sure Riftstone Portal to gain access to G/W colors by Urborg. If tempo decks started to be a problem you can also think about removal under Entomb via Vengeful Pharaoh - http://magiccards.info/m12/en/116.html

[Phelix]

ravens crime (board)and worm harvest would love to be in there.

urborg seems like autoinclude.

22 or so of your lands do not produce green or black mana. thats quite alot. you might even want a basic swamp as well?

id also look into decay.

[door]

That's an interesting take on lands.
A few hints: since you play Buried ruin, you have to play Zuran Orb. Burn is still a bad match up. Raven's Crime is a good friend with Entomb and could significantly improve Show and Tell match ups, but you have to play Urborg as mentioned earlier.
Moving from Gamble to Entomb makes you more graveyard dependent, that's the biggest issue with such list, as I think.

[Phelix]

on the matchup side id love to see an analysis of the difference in matchups compared to playing R/G and control lands.

stats could resemble:

Vs Miracles: GBw 40%, R/G 70%, ctrl lands 50%

etc.

[Raystar]

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

Horizon Canopy: seems like senescence is catching up on me...of course, one of them instead of Tranquil Thicket!

Urborg: given the unanimous support I'll swap a Bayou for it and test

Zuran Orb: Yes Burn is a really bad matchup. I have been on the fence about Zuran Orb in this list given that there is no way to go search for it except Entomb...It always seemed like a random one of...

Raven's Crime: Good thinking. I'm not sure what to remove from the side tho, it seems a shame to replace choke....

Pharaoh and Nether Spirit: I'm really not sure if they would fit. They are cool but there isn't much space for them and tempo decks don't pose that much of a threat...

[Raystar]

on the matchup side id love to see an analysis of the difference in matchups compared to playing R/G and control lands.

stats could resemble:

Vs Miracles: GBw 40%, R/G 70%, ctrl lands 50%

etc.

I can only provide a wide set of estimations and I haven't played U based lands in a while so I don't have a very good grasp of where it sits against some of the current meta. I'll abstain to make the comparison to the "control" version for fear of saying something absolutely wrong :) Feel free to provide the comparison between RG and control so that we can compile an extensive list.

Here you go with my best attempt (Green is reasonably sure, Blue needs some confirmation, Red I don't trust my estimate):

Miracles GBw: 70% RG: 50% ----->GBw > RG
Elves GBw: 70% RG: 70% ----->GBw = RG
ANT/TES GBw: 40% RG: 30% ----->GBw > RG
Omnitell GBw: 30% RG: 10% ----->GBw > RG
D&T GBw: 60% RG: 70% ----->GBw < RG
UGx/UWx Delver GBw: 60% RG: 60% ----->GBw = RG
UR Delver GBw: 50% RG: 50% ----->GBw = RG
Dredge GBw: 80% RG: 70% ----->GBw > RG
Sneak&Show GBw: 40% RG: 40% ----->GBw = RG
MUD GBw: 50% RG: 50% ----->GBw = RG

In general I believe that the GBw vs RG matchup is favourable to RG.

This are the matchups that I feel I can give a feedback on. We can keep this list updated and maybe add the control part if somebody volunteers :)

[Raystar]

Moving from Gamble to Entomb makes you more graveyard dependent, that's the biggest issue with such list, as I think.

You are not that more dependent on the GY: at the end of the story you mostly search for loam and it really doesn't make a difference....actually by having the option to time your Entomb accurately you can also move around G1 hate better.

[Dice_Box]

MUD is a reasonably good match for Lands most of the time.

The thing about Gamble is while you are taking a risk, you can use it to tutor outside of the grave. Your dependence on Entomb will make the second and third games harder and game one, if we are against most non combo decks we have a lot of play anyway. I am not sure how much you really gain by pushing game one over games two and three.

[Megadeus]

I've tried a similar but different in many ways list. Urborg at least is wanted. Riftstone portal was good but it's pretty bad in the face of Deathrite. I also second Ravens Crime. Great card.

[Raystar]

MUD is a reasonably good match for Lands most of the time.

The thing about Gamble is while you are taking a risk, you can use it to tutor outside of the grave. Your dependence on Entomb will make the second and third games harder and game one, if we are against most non combo decks we have a lot of play anyway. I am not sure how much you really gain by pushing game one over games two and three.

You are right but please consider that G2 a lot of the deck engine is working through Dark Confidant. I generally keep one Entomb and 2 Loam to benefit if the opponent doesn't see GY hate but DC is generally enough to generate advantage.

[Dice_Box]

You are right but please consider that G2 a lot of the deck engine is working through Dark Confidant. I generally keep one Entomb and 2 Loam to benefit if the opponent doesn't see GY hate but DC is generally enough to generate advantage.

I get that, it's one of the reasons that Jund Depths would transform into Reanimator game two. The issues though are quite varied. You end up with a reliance on the grave past that of R/G (a meta dependent issue) but you have taken your damage dealing engine away from the grave. You can not use it twice in a turn though, something Grove gives you and doubles down on with high numbers of Stage. I approve highly of the EE set, but I honestly feel like recurring them is not that useful. (See my reasons for this I will the R/G thread) the issue with this though it that again your Damage engine is something that can be wiped if you need to use EE. They clash.

On the lands themselves I have no issues, I feel your list is find outside the points I and others have made, save for the Ruins that I would cut. Your sideboard plan is solid on paper, I would want to to test it before I made any other comments. I would though suggest trying to find room for an Ancient Grudge, I think it fits.

I feel like, you have a a little from collom A and a little from B here. I like the list, I just don't know if realistically you gain that much more with white over Red. But then again, I might just be set in my ways.

[Raystar]

I get that, it's one of the reasons that Jund Depths would transform into Reanimator game two. The issues though are quite varied. You end up with a reliance on the grave past that of R/G (a meta dependent issue) but you have taken your damage dealing engine away from the grave. You can not use it twice in a turn though, something Grove gives you and doubles down on with high numbers of Stage. I approve highly of the EE set, but I honestly feel like recurring them is not that useful. (See my reasons for this I will the R/G thread) the issue with this though it that again your Damage engine is something that can be wiped if you need to use EE. They clash.

On the lands themselves I have no issues, I feel your list is find outside the points I and others have made, save for the Ruins that I would cut. Your sideboard plan is solid on paper, I would want to to test it before I made any other comments. I would though suggest trying to find room for an Ancient Grudge, I think it fits.

I feel like, you have a a little from collom A and a little from B here. I like the list, I just don't know if realistically you gain that much more with white over Red. But then again, I might just be set in my ways.

Gotcha.

I really appreciate the comments and yes I also find that there are some disadvantages of EE that are not resolved. In the same way very often there is no need for EE recursion (another good point you make).
The real (very tangible) benefit you get by playing this build is against Miracle: it really is very difficult to lose that game...

[Dice_Box]

Gotcha.

I really appreciate the comments and yes I also find that there are some disadvantages of EE that are not resolved. In the same way very often there is no need for EE recursion (another good point you make).
The real (very tangible) benefit you get by playing this build is against Miracle: it really is very difficult to lose that game...

Sorry of the spelling errors, I reread my post, I am on my mobile.

The thing is, you might gain a leg up on that one match, but is it worth having a land in your deck that is otherwise useless just for that one match? The EE's I would keep, the Ruins, if your going to keep it, side it. I am cutting recursion totally from my build and testing with two EE. In 8 matches (about 20-22 games) I have set up the loop a total of twice. That combo gains the most from having Intuition in your list so you can grab the two cards you need plus Loam. Without it, I just find it lacks the punch since your trying to scrap together a mix of tool's in a limited time frame and you often just don't have the time.

I mean you have so many things pulling for your attention. Loam, Stage/Depths, Crop Rotation, Thicket, Maze. When it comes down to it, while you might have that option to grab the EE, I really find that unless you find both parts early, when they come up your already neck deep in another plan and the distraction is somewhat unnecessary. (Granted, Ruins does put EE straight into your hand and that is a weakness of Academy.it delays you a turn.)

[Blastoderm]

You should play that Flashback (for 1 green) destroy target enchantment card in the sideboard. Forget what it's called..

Anyway, vs rest in peace with trigger on the stack you can entomb + flashback to kill it. Your graveyard still gets removed though.

[Dice_Box]

Ray of Revelation. Coffin Purge is another one that is worth noting

[Blastoderm]

My dream is to have an equivalent land to Academy Ruins for enchantments. That way you can dredge into manabond and exploration. The deck becomes significantly weaker without one of them in your opening hand.

A sidenote though: Top is extremely strong with Life from the Loam. It protects it from deathrite activations and surgical extraction. With a fetch it lets you see 9 cards. It's a good way to dig for those Krosan Grips postboard as well as to stop dredging once you see a manabond or exploration on top.

[Rivfader]

I do miss Punishing Fire in this deck. It is the best removal spell to entomb for, and goes really well with the loam engine. You can attempt to run 1, but you probably need 4 Groves as you want to recur it as reliable as possible against Deathrite Shaman. It has the same role as Cursed Scroll (this however doesn't synergise well with loam), so I would swap with these. You could cut the Savannah's for the Groves (they only serve 4 sideboardcards for which there are alternatives).

That's another colorsplash suggested, but I think Pfire/Grove and loam are simply too good to keep apart.

[arj]

I have been running a similar build, albeit a bit different.

4 Smallpox
3 Hymn to Tourach
3 Liliana of the Veil
4 Life from the Loam
4 Exploration
2 Sylvan Library
1 Crop rotation
3 Punishing Fire
3 Faithless looting

4 Mox Diamond

1 Maze of Ith
2 Barren Moor
2 Forgotten Cave
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Bojuka Bog
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Thespian's Stage
2 Dark Depths
4 Wasteland
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Badlands
2 Bayou
1 Taiga
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Bloodstained Mire


Sylvan Library is extremely good, I'm considering running 3 now, cutting one Lilliana.

Not sure if Hymn should be Raven's Crime. I just like Hymn quite a bit :)

Also I've tried squeezing in buried ruin and an explosives main, since it becomes quite a lot better post board. But so far I would have to cut bog for it, which I'm not sure is a good idea.

[Ingo]

That line of thought brought me to Entomb to maximize the number of available Loams G1. To maximize the anti combo suite I decided to include a W splash and dropped both R and U from the deck. The removal suite changed from Punishing Fire to Engineered Explosives and the recurring engine for EE is based on Buried Ruin.


While I think you can switch gamble for entomb, I don't think EE+Buried Ruin is a substitute for EE+AcademyRuins or PunishingFire+GroveOfTheBurnwillows.

RG Lands has access to 3-4 Punishing Fires and can get one reliably through Gamble.
RUG Lands has acces to 3 Punishing Fires and EE+AcademyRuins through Intuition and Tolaria West.

Your list has 3 Engineered explosives, but no way to reliably get one (unless you entomb for one, crop rotate for BuriedRuin), so I think you'll have problems dealing with Deathrite Shaman. Cursed Scroll is too slow to handle this. I would at least splash U for Academy Ruins, because this is a 2-card EE-lock. Buried Ruins requires you to have loam as well, and costs therefore 2 mana more (castingcost loam).
Look at it this way: recurring and casting Punishing Fire costs 3 mana.
Recurring, casting en blowingup EE through AcademyRuins costs 5 (only for 1-manapermanents) (EDIT: 6mana, counting the tapped A.Ruins as well).
Casting loam for BuriedRuin, activating Ruin and casting-blowingup EE costs 7 (only for 1-manapermanents). (EDIT: 8mana, counting the sacced B.Ruin as well)

I read in previous posts about dropping the recursion. I don't think it's a good idea, as it's basically one of the strength of lands (be it Punishing Fire or EE-lock).
In a nutshell, I don't really see what this deck has gained over dropping both R (Punishing Fire) and U (academyRuins, Intuition, TolariaWest), and including W (solely for sideboard options).

[Dice_Box]

If your not playing Intuition, dropping the recession on EE is smart. I have made my points on this knowns elsewhere. EE on its own, strong card. The recursion lands on their own? Not so much.

[Ingo]

If your not playing Intuition, dropping the recession on EE is smart. I have made my points on this knowns elsewhere. EE on its own, strong card. The recursion lands on their own? Not so much.

Ofcourse EE is a strong card of its own. So is Pernicious Deed, Maelstrom Pulse or Abrupt Decay. You might run these as well, but that's playing a different strategy besides loam, instead of abusing the graveyard-synergy.

You're referring to your experiences with EE in the RG thread, but there you are running a red splash for a PunishingFire / GroveOfTheBurnwillows recursion-package (with gamble / crop rotation), along with a single EE sweeper (possibly to gamble for), where I see why you're dropping A-Ruins. But this is a very different approach than 3 maindeck EE's without recursion, nor tutoring.

[snorlaxcom]

I don't understand adding entomb and cutting pfire. D&t seems to gain a huge% boost with you relying on the yard more not to mention Phyrexian revoker eats your removal. You have cabal pit I guess.

[Bobmans]

And behold, junk lands is transformed to jund depths.