[Deck] GW CataLoam v2.0

[C-Aleric]

Okay. I'm a very large fan of the card Cataclysm. I feel that the raw power when combined with a sizable fatty is ridiculous. Especially with some artifacts and enchantments that make life hell for you opponents.

I've been tweaking around with the manabase, and the creature base, and the spells for quite a while now. I by no means feel I've come to the optimal deck list for this idea. That's why I'm getting it out there fast. I feel it has potential.

GW CataLoam v2.0

// Lands
1 [RAV] Temple Garden
3 [R] Savannah
2 [ON] Secluded Steppe
3 [ON] Windswept Heath
3 [TE] Wasteland
1 [U] Plains (2)
1 [ON] Tranquil Thicket
2 [ON] Flooded Strand
2 [JU] Nantuko Monastery
1 [SH] Volrath's Stronghold
1 [U] Scrubland
1 [IA] Forest (2)
1 [MR] Ancient Den
1 [CHK] Boseiju, Who Shelters All

// Creatures
3 [OD] Terravore
1 [DS] Razor Golem
4 [FUT] Tarmogoyf
2 [TSP] Serra Avenger

// Spells
2 [CHK] Ghostly Prison
1 [JU] Solitary Confinement
4 [MI] Enlightened Tutor
1 [SOK] Pithing Needle
4 [4E] Swords to Plowshares
4 [EX] Cataclysm
4 [SH] Mox Diamond
4 [RAV] Life from the Loam
1 [DS] Sword of Fire and Ice
1 [BOK] Umezawa's Jitte
1 [DS] Trinisphere

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [JU] Solitary Confinement
SB: 1 [SOK] Pithing Needle
SB: 1 [MM] Squee, Goblin Nabob
SB: 1 [MR] Rule of Law
SB: 1 [MR] Chalice of the Void
SB: 1 [VI] City of Solitude
SB: 1 [8E] Choke
SB: 1 [WL] Aura of Silence
SB: 1 [PLC] Seal of Primordium
SB: 1 [NE] Seal of Cleansing
SB: 4 [PS] Orim's Chant
SB: 1 [US] Absolute Law

So. The idea here, is to use the Enlightened Tutor Toolbox to its potential. In game 1, we are trying to resolve a Cataclysm that will just win the game. In games two and three, we have some serious bombs to bring in to facilitate our victory. The sideboard brings in a lot Tutor targets, and jank hate. The chants are there to give my a turn against combo now-a-days. Since they are so fast, the most I can hope for is getting a chant in their way, and getting some detrimental hate on the board.

Again, not much testing has been done, but in the few games I've played on MWS, it's showing it could have some potential.

Let me know what you all think.

[C.P.]

I have to question Golem, since you have quite a bit of colorless lands. I'm not sure If Like like Jitte and Swords as well. Imperial Plate instead of swords, maybe?

And that SB Squee doe not too useful.

Otherwise, I like the deck. Pretty neat idea.

EDIT: with clear head, it look like my suggestion for alternate equipment is not very good. SoFI is probably the way to go. Also, I'd like to see Rule of Law MD.

[Bovinious]

1 [RAV] Temple Garden
3 [R] Savannah


Why? Extirpate or budget or something I'm missing?

[C.P.]

Why? Extirpate or budget or something I'm missing?

Extirpate. We happen to hate that card.

[Nydaeli]

I like the concept of the deck. That said, it has some problems that definitely need addressing.

It's over-reliant on Enlightened Tutor. Cut some of the silver bullets. The equipment looks pretty weird, especially. Tutor should be used to increase the consistency of your deck, but here it is doing the opposite. In the same vein, your sideboard is terrible because it has so many 1-ofs.

It probably has terrible combo matchups. If you're going to splash Black, why not run Duress or Therapy somewhere in your 75?

[SillyMetalGAT]

And that SB Squee doe not too useful.

Squee is for the Confinement.

[TheCramp]

Nourishing Dreams is worth considering, both good with Loam to regrow countered threats etc, and with Goyf to stratigicly place card typs in the yard. Also can rapidly replace loamed lands for Vore.

[C-Aleric]

I like the concept of the deck. That said, it has some problems that definitely need addressing.

It's over-reliant on Enlightened Tutor. Cut some of the silver bullets. The equipment looks pretty weird, especially. Tutor should be used to increase the consistency of your deck, but here it is doing the opposite. In the same vein, your sideboard is terrible because it has so many 1-ofs.

It probably has terrible combo matchups. If you're going to splash Black, why not run Duress or Therapy somewhere in your 75?

I wouldn't go to say that it's overly reliant on Enlightened tutor. The main plan of the deck is to resolve Cataclysm. Most games, you'll get to resolve a fat creature, and Loam, and eventually a 'Clysm. The Enlightened tutor is to help you get anything that you need that you may be missing. You need a creature? Razor Golem. You need a land? Ancient Den. You need a enchantment? Take your pick. You want Equipment for Cataclysm dominance? That's why there is some there. I mean, Enlightened Tutor isn't trying to be necessary, it's trying to help add consistency (which is why I can't see how you can claim it makes me less consistent). In game 1, it can provide an unfair advantage just getting the spell that hoses your opponent immediately. In games 2 and 3, it gets the hate you bring in against your opponents. I don't think that losing the tutoring ability is good.

I also won't disagree with it's bad combo matchup. That's why I have 4x Orim's Chant in my sideboard. It's the best white can do. I don't think that I want to play this deck without swords. It wants to have an answer to lackey outside Turn 1 Mox Diamond shenanigans. Swords removes their creature after Cataclysm as well, with the one land you have left. Volrath's Stronghold is useful with dredging Loam. That's the only reason there is one Scrubland outside my Diamonds to facilitate its use. I'm not sold on the idea of making the deck more black, but I won't say I dislike the idea of Duress. I just picked up 4x USaga Foily Duress. It could be a sideboard option for sure. I'd probably have to add another black mana source to the deck, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.


Nourishing Dreams is worth considering, both good with Loam to regrow countered threats etc, and with Goyf to stratigicly place card typs in the yard. Also can rapidly replace loamed lands for Vore.

I'm assuming you're referring to Nostalgic Dreams. I think it does what your describing. I like this card a lot. If I were to lean towards the Red direction (instead of black), I could run Burning Wish, which gives me lots of good things. I'm not sure I want to become dependent on a third color though. I don't feel that Nostalgic Dreams is worth running when it's not in a sideboard. From my experience, one you run Nostalgic Dreams with Discard/Devastating Dreams, you don't feel it's worth it in other lists. It just never seems as broken.

[C.P.]

Squee is for the Confinement.

I can obviously see that. I just don't think putting unfetchable, otherwise dead card just for 2 confinements is worth it.

[C-Aleric]

Okay. So I just got back from a little local tournament. GW CataLoam takes first place over CounterSliver, BW Suicide, Psychatog, Solidarity, and Legacy Weapon (look on the fourms if you're really interested in what this deck actually is. It's really not worth it. It loses to everything but Solidarity).

Lucky: Didn't end up playing Solidarity. I would have lost. If Solidarity ever makes it popular, maybe Chants and a couple Blessings with a good clock will end it. Odds are that I will just lose.

So, bad story about playing the list I had. Didn't actually have Volrath's Stronghold. I had a proxied version for actual testing, and showed up there needing to cut it from my list. So what I think I actually ran was:

GW CataLoam v1.8 (This is by far not the optimal list to play, just what I had)

// Lands
1 [RAV] Temple Garden
3 [R] Savannah
2 [ON] Secluded Steppe
3 [ON] Windswept Heath
3 [TE] Wasteland
1 [u] Plains (2)
1 [ON] Tranquil Thicket
2 [ON] Flooded Strand
2 [JU] Nantuko Monastery
2 [u] Scrubland
1 [IA] Forest (2)
1 [MR] Ancient Den

// Creatures
3 [OD] Terravore
1 [DS] Razor Golem
4 [FUT] Tarmogoyf
2 [TSP] Serra Avenger

// Spells
2 [CHK] Ghostly Prison
1 [JU] Solitary Confinement
4 [MI] Enlightened Tutor
1 [SOK] Pithing Needle
4 [4E] Swords to Plowshares
4 [EX] Cataclysm
4 [SH] Mox Diamond
4 [RAV] Life from the Loam
1 [DS] Sword of Fire and Ice
1 [DS] Trinisphere
1 [ON] Smother

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [JU] Solitary Confinement
SB: 1 [SOK] Pithing Needle
SB: 1 [MR] Rule of Law
SB: 1 [VI] City of Solitude
SB: 1 [8E] Choke
SB: 1 [WL] Aura of Silence
SB: 1 [PLC] Seal of Primordium
SB: 4 [PS] Orim's Chant
SB: 1 [US] Absolute Law
SB: 1 [OD] Nimble Mongoose
SB: 1 [ON] Smother
SB: 1 [OD] Mystic Enforcer

So. Notably bad: No Stronghold. Basically ruins any late game I'm supposed to have aside from Waste Recursion, and Cataclysm (turns out I still had enough).

First round I played CounterSlivers. This matchup I lost in 3 games. Crystaline posed a big threat. Game 1, Vial let Crystaline just team up for some ridiculous slivers. Game 2, I get a good Wastelock on early, and resolve a Cataclysm which seals this. Game 3 was just overwhelmed by slivers to fast again. Lost. 1-2

Round 2 was against BW Suicide. Game 1 was all about keeping him off White land, and beating with Nantuko Monestary, Swordsing/Cataclysming with Trinisphere on the board. Game 2 I got Duressed, Negatored, and Nantuko Shaded. Vindicate on Ghostly Prison seals the game. Game 3 was more Wastelock, keeping him off white, and 'Clysming with Trinisphere on the board again. With big creatures that ends games quickly. 2-1
Total: 3-3

Round 3 was against Psychatog. Game 1, I managed to bait a force with Solitary Confinement (really he had to, I had loam and a cycler), and put Swords all over that Tog's face. I then managed to resolve a Cataclysm, and Monestary sealed the game (If you can make Monestary a creature, Cataclysm with Mox Diamond, Monestary, and Ancient Den gives you 3 mana sources after 'Clysm, which is pretty unfair for the rebuild). Game 2, was Wastelock at its finest. Keeping him at 2 basic lands, while casting creatures and beating with Monestary ended it pretty fast.
Total: 5-3

Round 4 was against Legacy Weapon. This round was basically a bye. It was against my teammate anyway. I'm sure he would have conceded had he actually won. Anyway. He lost in two. Fast.
Total: 7-3

Finals: CounterSliver

Game 1 involved an early Plated Sliver, as well as a Sinew. Sinew ate the swords, and I tutored up Ghostly Prison, and slapped that down as quick as I could. This bought me enough turns to set up a Clysm, which had a Wastelock afterwards, and a big Goyf' on the table. Game 2, he fetched basic Island and Plains, and Wastelock finally wasn't just going to cheaply win the game. Instead, when the Plains is tapped, I get in for 4 with Monestary. Eventually he gets to two life, and sits on Swords (I didn't actually know, but he did have it, so I'm pleased I didn't chance it). It took me about 10 turns of dredge cycling to get a creature into my hand (actually it took that long to find tutor, which found golem, which went into my hand. Damn not having Volrath's). I then had two creatures vs. Plated Sliver. I won. 2-0
Total: 9-3

Yay! German Volcanic Island!

In Summary, this deck is a powerhouse. It can do some terrible things to people. I love them all. I'll probably remove Sword of Fire and Ice from the maindeck, and perhaps add something that becomes more useful. Perhaps I'll add a Scroll Rack, so I can get some more broken card advantage. Also, do not play this list without Stronghold, I beg of you. It makes matches so much longer than they need to be, and dredging your creatures when you don't have that land feels terrible. Absolutely terrible.

[C.P.]

I was thinking of Genesis in the list. Stronghold is good, but genesis in the SoFI slot might be worth it.

[C-Aleric]

I can see putting Genesis in a 'Vore slot over the Sofi. There aren't many tutor targets outside the Sofi. I was thinking of throwing in a single Scroll Rack, so I can draw into more spells, instead of just relying on my graveyard. I'm unsure as of now though. I plan to do some more testing. Trinisphere has been the MVP recently though :)