[Questions] UGxx Thresh: Which is which?

[DragoFireheart]

It seems like there are so many different ways to splash Thresh and the only thing they have in common is blue and green mana.

Which UGxx Thresh deck do I use for the following and why?

-Aggro / Aggro-control meta.

- Control meta.

- Combo / Combo-control meta.

- Mixed meta.

The meta I am in currently is a aggro and combo meta BTW.

[Nihil Credo]

-Aggro / Aggro-control meta.

This is a bit too wide a group, considering Aggro-control (both blue and nonblue) is by far the dominating category in Legacy.

- Goblins: UGr, no questions. Pyroclams is awesome.
- Other aggro decks: UGw. StP is better than Bolts here, and other options (Threads, etc.) are equally accessible.
- Aggro-control (Threshold-like): This is discussed endlessly on these boards, and I won't dare to answer it. I defer you to such threads.
- Aggro-control (nonblue): UGr, because nonblue aggro-control hates burn more than removal.


- Control meta.UG is the best, IMO, because of its ability to punish manabases and serve up more beats and faster.
UGr is a close second thanks to burn (especially with Price of Progress in the board).


- Combo / Combo-control meta.UGb rapes these decks six ways from Sunday. Extirpate is the stone cold nuts.


- Mixed meta.I read that as "random meta", in which case I'd go with a UGr list with at least 8 pieces of burn.


The meta I am in currently is a aggro and combo meta BTW.I'd go with UGw, you get StP for the former and Gaddock Teeg for the latter. Unless aggro means mostly Goblins, in which case I'd recommend UGb with Engineered Plagues in the board.

[Happy Gilmore]

The big question is wheither or not you think the mirror match will be common or not. UGw or UGb are better by a long shot in the mirror match, but UGR tends to have the best overall matchups.

UGw has the advantage pre-board over the other two. But Duress post-board from UGb, helps them a lot to resolve a Counterbalance eary, or take one from the opponent. All of the builds are good imo, but I can't justify not running removal. Thats why I will never take UG to a large open tourmanent, regardless of how it did at the Legacy Championship.

[kabal]

What cantrip configuration are people playing now that Ponder will be legal soon? Is there a difference depending on what splash you choose?

Aggro
========
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Mental Note/Predict

Control w/ CB SB
========
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Predict
2 Portent
2 STD

[Happy Gilmore]

What cantrip configuration are people playing now that Ponder will be legal soon? Is there a difference depending on what splash you choose?

Aggro
========
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Mental Note/Predict

Control w/ CB SB
========
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Predict
2 Portent
2 STD

Honestly I think it has changed quite a bit at this point. The obvious are:

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

Then you need to decide if CB is main or sb. If main:

+3 Sensei's Diving Top

Then there are two routs to go at this point

either

+3-4 Portent
+2-1 removal or disruption spells

or

+ 2-4 Predict
+ 3-1 Portent

Predict is still good in the current meta because it works with counterbalance alone, and foils mirage tutors.

[kirdape3]

UG clubs the mirror like a baby seal. Wastelands and Stifles really make the matchup unpleasant for decks with more 2 colors. Add Counterbalance and the Dreidel postboard and the matchup is even more tilted indeed.

[from Cairo]

Post Lorwyn I'm thinking

4 Brainstorm
3 Ponder
3 Portent
3 Sensei's Top
3 Predict

for my cantrip base in UGw... But I really like Portent.

[zulander]

-1 portent +1 ponder. How on earth is the third portent better than the fourth ponder?

[from Cairo]

Portent is powerful once you have Sensei's Top out, to target your opponent, if you're fairly stabilized and not searching for a threat to cast that turn I've found it to be disruptive (stacking bad stuff) and helpful planning-wise to see the what you're opponent will be drawing over the next few turns. Especially against combo decks and agro decks if you've stabilize their initial burst be it going off attempt or emptying their hand, you can generally feed them a few bad cards if they don't have a fetchland and again if you have Top can still be stacking your draws. A couple turns of such a big swing in terms of draw phase card quality can be gigantic.

If you never use Portent against your opponent than I totally agree -1 Portent/+1 Ponder.

[Pinder]

Portent vs. Serum Visions was bad enough. Let's not get into a Portent vs. Ponder debate. Ponder is clearly better. End of discussion.

For those interested, the cantrip configuration I'm currently running in my UGw Thresh is:

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Serum Visions
3 Predict (might leave for Mental Notes, though)
3 SDT (Not really a cantrip, but you know)

[kabal]

For those that are playing Ugr with being less reliant on having threshold, what will your cantrip base look like?

Currently I am testing out the below:

3 Burning-Tree Shaman
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
2 Sleight of Hand

[DragoFireheart]

Something I have been testing is to main-deck a Crucible of Worlds in my UG Thresh deck.

I've been using it and any deck with non-basics just get ripped apart. Recurring wasteland with Goose/Gofy/Grizzly beatdown is simply too much for some decks to handle.

[kabal]

Right now there seems to be 4 different versions floating around that have performed well.

Trio
===============
// Lands
1 Island
1 Forest
3 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
4 Tropical Island
4 Volcanic Island
3 Wooded Foothills

// Creatures
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Werebear

// Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
3 Fire/Ice
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Mental Note
3 Stifle
4 Ponder

// Artifacts
1 Pithing Needle



NQGr
=====
// Lands
2 Island
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Tropical Island
4 Volcanic Island

// Creatures
3 Burning-Tree Shaman
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf

// Spells
4 Brainstorm
2 Counterspell
4 Daze
3 Fire/Ice
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Magma Jet
4 Ponder
2 Sleight of Hand

// Artifacts
2 Pithing Needle



4 Color
==============
// Lands
1 Island
4 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
4 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island

// Creatures
2 Mystic Enforcer
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf

// Enchantments
1 Worship

// Spells
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Brainstorm
2 Counterspell
3 Daze
3 Fire/Ice
4 Force of Will
2 Lightning Bolt
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Ponder

// Artifacts
2 Isochron Scepter




Red Counterbalance
===============
// Lands
1 Forest
1 Island
2 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
4 Tropical Island
4 Volcanic Island
3 Wooded Foothills

// Creatures
2 Fledgling Dragon
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Nimble Mongoose

// Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Force Of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Ponder
4 Predict

// Enchantments
2 Counterbalance

// Artifacts
3 Pithing Needle
3 Sensei's Divining Top