Media314r8
12-26-2007, 03:16 PM
The List:
//Spells// (22)
3 x Slaughter Pact
3 x Thoughtseize
4 x Brainstorm
3 x Daze
2 x Umezawa's Jitte
3 x Damnation
4 x Force of Will
//Creatures// (14)
4 x Dark Confidant
4 x Looter il-Kor
3 x Shadowmage Infiltrator
3 x Psychatog
//Mana Sources// (24)
4 x Chrome Mox
4 x Underground Sea
4 x Polluted Delta
2 x Flooded Strand
1 x Island
1 x Swamp
4 x Mishra's Factory
4 x Wasteland
//Sideboard// (15)
4 x Chalice of the Void
3 x Pithing Needle
3 x Extirpate
1 x Umezawa's Jitte
4 x Engineered Plague
The Idea:
Dentist Appointment was designed to utilize my favorite creature, (who is now vying for most powerful against goyf) Psycatog as a wincon while not throwing all the proverbial eggs into one basket with a deck designed with tog as the sole wincon. The deck packs several guys with evasion and Jitte, as well as targeted and mass reoval backed by free counters. I've loved Looter il-kor ever since his release in Timespiral block, and routinely first-pick him in limited. His synergy with tog is undeniable, and I consider his 2 mana price tag to be roughly equivalent to a serum visons and a lava spike, as he nearly always resolves, and will often do between 3 and 5 points of damage, while smoothing out your draw and providing tog-chow for later. Bob seems like a natural fit in a UB tog deck, as his card advantage allows you to find, feed, and backup tog with countermagic. Shadowmage was added as another card-drawing engine. (i have abysmally poor luck, and need all the card quality/advantage i can to survive mana floods and stalls) The deck is rounded out with Permission in the form of Thoughtseize, daze, and Force, with creature removal in Slaughter Pact and Damnation. (which can yield massive advantage, as tog forces opponents to commit dudes to the board, and works well with the four factories and card-selection) I chose Pact over smother after much playtesting with both (and with sudden death), as smother often had to be played around daze, and was never guaranteed to resolve. Pact is nigh undaze-able, and with happily serve as a free hymn if someone forces it. The payment plan of Pact also helps when you need to remove a blocker and activate factories to swing in for the win. My list was as follows, and was wholly original, developed over a month and a half by myself and team-mate, Anthony Cuevas.
The Matchups:
Goblins: As with many decks battling the little green guys, it often comes down to who has the nuts and/or who is on the play. Killing lackey is essential, as without a chrome mox, the deck has no answers to a lackey on the draw other than force. (with c mox, bob and factory get there) The addition of thoughtseize over duress has helped immensely in the gobins match as once goblins gets rolling, it is often irrelevant whether you are at 10 or 20 life, a warcheif into dubs drivers is usually GG, as is a 2nd turn SCG via lackey. Poor goblins players with empty their hand and tutor for a card toehr than matron or ringleader, leaving themselves open to a tasty damnation. For slow-rolling goblins experts, damnation is just a speed-bump. Jitte, however, is a real game-winner, and makes the pre-board matchup about 40% in tog'd favor. Post-boards, 1 damnation comes out along with looters for 4 E plagues and another jitte. Daze comes out for pithing needles if you are on the draw, but daze is better on the play (as it kills lackey and vial) Post-boards, you should be highly favored (60-70% vs tested monored, red-green and red-white) slightly less vs my version of RB, which nabs three c therapies, a full playset of mad aunties, a king, (outnumbering your plagues effectively 5 to 4) and sharpshooters, as well as 2 tinkeres for your moxen, factories, and jittes. (my RB list is FAR from a normal goblins list though) Should goblins become less aggro oriented with things like fanatic, in favor of a more controling version such as my RB list, things could be as bad as 50%-50% after boards.
Counter-top Thresh: My buddy Kyle Paster and I have tested this matchup to death, and both pre and post-boards are in tog's favor. Slaughter pact is usually a free hymn or game-win when pointed at Goyf, and factories are irritating for mongeese to attack through. Turn one-bob or looter usually bring home the game via CQ/CA if not quickly bolt/fire-d. Damnation is a huge bomb, as I can usually draw out counters on key cards like bob and shadowmage, then 2for1 with damnation, often keeping a factory on the board and another threat in hand. Thoughtseize has been great in testing, and unless answered by a brainstorm, usually pulls out the only creature in the thresh players hand, or serves as one mana hymns 4-6. Post boards gets even better, as 2 brainstorms and 3 thoughtseizes come out for the third jitte and four chalices, more must-counter bombs, as it stops over half the cards in thresh. Counter-top has no way to hit 4, and few cards to hit three, (usually just boarded-in grips, if any) and i generally to slow and inferior to my chalices. I'd imagine UGw would have a better matchup against my deck, with grunts and swords serving as better beats than mongeese and bolts. I've had w splash players over-board against me though, once having both a mage AND a needle naming tog (which I had boarded out after seeing grunts game one.) Several fish players have also made math errors with goyfs running into togs with only certain permanant types in my yard, or played double grunts forgetting about tog's ability to eat from the yard. Against professional opponents, I'd put UGr thresh at 60% favorable pre-boards and 65% favorable post-boards, while UGw would be closer to 55% and 60%. UG, which is rare, is extemely favorable, as once looter or bob hits the table, thresh can't stop it. I actually only board in a jitte and EXTIRPATES against UG, as 'pating goyfs removes nearly every threat they have (especially the builds that run only four geese and four goyfs.) I'd put UG at 65-70% favorable.
Landstill (UGbw): Even to favorable depending on the build. I've never lost a match to landstill, having played against four decks in tournaments since building dentist appointment. That said, I have also never 2-0'd a landstill opponent with tog. Most games are won by resolved bombs, either a crucible on landstill's side or a jitte on my side. (usually carried by looter or shadowmage) Needles come in for thoughtseizes, and jitte and extirpates come in replacing Damnations and a daze. Control on control decks usually fight tooth-and nail, and this matchup is no exception. They run more counters, but I run more threats. My CQ/CA is superior however, as looter and bob can singlehandedly win games, and shadowmage can draw a concession if they don't see a deed in a few turns.
Fast Combo (TES): Straight 50%-50% game one. My friend Anthony and I have tested this match to death as well, and he almost allways goes for a 'safe golbins plan out of his hand turn one or two, else he gets bob or defense grid before trying at the tendrils kill. My own bob often lowers my life total thta he can have a tutor countered, tutor again next turn, and play a few accel/petals/moxen from hand an lethal tendrils. The goblins plan is often a game win if he goes for them turn one or two, but with 11 guys that draw cards and 4 brainstorms, the odds of me getting mox-mandation to save me on the play, or damnation to save me form later goblins is fairly high. 60-65% in Tog's favor, depending on the cards in his deck. (the matchup is more in my favor if the list doesn't have bobs) I get Chalice, and he gets spree, but I have MUCH more digging power and he is forced to play reactively, without his accel. Damnations and Pacts get baorded out along with jittes, for a full set of E plagues (naming EtW goblins) and chalices.
Slow Combo (high tide): I have six dead cards (and nealry two dead jittes that only give +4/+4 after the first hit) and a slower clock barring turn one bob, turn two mage, turn three tog shenanigans, so game one is nearly unwinnable without a force or two. Chalice is a house, as is extirpate, and those come in for 3 damnatsions 3 pacts, and 1 jitte. Extirpating Reset/high tide is strong, but if I have a slow start, solidarity can just wish for them again. Chalcie at one two, or three (!! it has happened before) is usually wins. 30% pre-board, 60% post-board. creature-based decks like Gamekeeper, Alluren, and Breakfast are more winnable.
Affinity: Vial hurts, and disiple hurts. This actually plays out much like goblins, save for that affinity has no removal, (barring a shrap blast, but that has become more and more rare) and I don't have to deal with turn one lackey. Slaughter pact and Dmanation are actually much more relavent here, and both wreck havok on modular. The most race-like match of any, as not too many guys on either side block. Older lists with frogs and enforcers are easier to win against than newer lists with epocite, goyf, bob, and vial. Jitte is again a house, and factory stares at frogmites and workers for most of the game. Shadowmage is the saddest of the bunch, and is on blocking duty for most all of game one, until he is boarded out for chalices/needles and a jitte. (with dazes or thoughtseizes depending on the build) Goyf-bob-vial is slightly unfavorable game one, while classic affinity is favorable. Both get better after boards. Classic Affinity 60% pre, 65-70 post boards. Goyf-Epo-Vial-Bob Affinity 40 pre, 50-55 post boards.
Burn: Game 1 is almost unwinnable. (6 dead cards again) You really need tog+jitte to win this, prefferably off a chrome mox. They will probably board in sprees to deal with your jittes, and hopefully you can land a chalice at 1 and hold a daze/FoW for when it comes. Board out dead cards, ect. Games 2 and 3 favorable. Fast games, as jitte/chalice-win, no jitte-lose. 30% pre, 60% post boards
MBA: Actually quite winnable, as though your pacts are dead, you have jitte and CA over a deck with almost none. Factories deal with almost all of their guys save for shade, and even hold back big negs. Chalices and Jittes from the board replace the shameful shadowmage. 55-60% pre and 70% post-boards. Hurrah for black having no artifact removal. Numbers are lsightly lower for Sui-black splashing Goyf.
The Experience:
I've been playing Dentist Appointment for over a year now, and am A big fan of the deck, as it has a favorable matchup against thresh, and neutral matches against most of the field, with a few other favorables. The sideboard packs something for most all decks, and It never feels like I'm unable to win, that most games come down to play skill, which makes it a fine deck to take to a tournament where you are unsure of the metagame. I've tied for first at a 30ish person legacy tournament in Columbus hosted by Steven Menedian at the Soldiary, and won two other tournaments, one in Akron (~20 people) and one in Los Angles. (about 25 people, but the playskill of CA left mush to be desired) I've always had a positive match record at tournaments, and I enjoy the interactivity and decision-making of the deck. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as Ive enjoyed building and playing it, and urge you to at least proxy it up and test against some of the other DTB/DTW.
Cheers,
Eric Blegen
Team Lucksack
EDIT: here is a link to the tournament in Columbus I tied for first in. http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=33758.msg483397#msg483397
//Spells// (22)
3 x Slaughter Pact
3 x Thoughtseize
4 x Brainstorm
3 x Daze
2 x Umezawa's Jitte
3 x Damnation
4 x Force of Will
//Creatures// (14)
4 x Dark Confidant
4 x Looter il-Kor
3 x Shadowmage Infiltrator
3 x Psychatog
//Mana Sources// (24)
4 x Chrome Mox
4 x Underground Sea
4 x Polluted Delta
2 x Flooded Strand
1 x Island
1 x Swamp
4 x Mishra's Factory
4 x Wasteland
//Sideboard// (15)
4 x Chalice of the Void
3 x Pithing Needle
3 x Extirpate
1 x Umezawa's Jitte
4 x Engineered Plague
The Idea:
Dentist Appointment was designed to utilize my favorite creature, (who is now vying for most powerful against goyf) Psycatog as a wincon while not throwing all the proverbial eggs into one basket with a deck designed with tog as the sole wincon. The deck packs several guys with evasion and Jitte, as well as targeted and mass reoval backed by free counters. I've loved Looter il-kor ever since his release in Timespiral block, and routinely first-pick him in limited. His synergy with tog is undeniable, and I consider his 2 mana price tag to be roughly equivalent to a serum visons and a lava spike, as he nearly always resolves, and will often do between 3 and 5 points of damage, while smoothing out your draw and providing tog-chow for later. Bob seems like a natural fit in a UB tog deck, as his card advantage allows you to find, feed, and backup tog with countermagic. Shadowmage was added as another card-drawing engine. (i have abysmally poor luck, and need all the card quality/advantage i can to survive mana floods and stalls) The deck is rounded out with Permission in the form of Thoughtseize, daze, and Force, with creature removal in Slaughter Pact and Damnation. (which can yield massive advantage, as tog forces opponents to commit dudes to the board, and works well with the four factories and card-selection) I chose Pact over smother after much playtesting with both (and with sudden death), as smother often had to be played around daze, and was never guaranteed to resolve. Pact is nigh undaze-able, and with happily serve as a free hymn if someone forces it. The payment plan of Pact also helps when you need to remove a blocker and activate factories to swing in for the win. My list was as follows, and was wholly original, developed over a month and a half by myself and team-mate, Anthony Cuevas.
The Matchups:
Goblins: As with many decks battling the little green guys, it often comes down to who has the nuts and/or who is on the play. Killing lackey is essential, as without a chrome mox, the deck has no answers to a lackey on the draw other than force. (with c mox, bob and factory get there) The addition of thoughtseize over duress has helped immensely in the gobins match as once goblins gets rolling, it is often irrelevant whether you are at 10 or 20 life, a warcheif into dubs drivers is usually GG, as is a 2nd turn SCG via lackey. Poor goblins players with empty their hand and tutor for a card toehr than matron or ringleader, leaving themselves open to a tasty damnation. For slow-rolling goblins experts, damnation is just a speed-bump. Jitte, however, is a real game-winner, and makes the pre-board matchup about 40% in tog'd favor. Post-boards, 1 damnation comes out along with looters for 4 E plagues and another jitte. Daze comes out for pithing needles if you are on the draw, but daze is better on the play (as it kills lackey and vial) Post-boards, you should be highly favored (60-70% vs tested monored, red-green and red-white) slightly less vs my version of RB, which nabs three c therapies, a full playset of mad aunties, a king, (outnumbering your plagues effectively 5 to 4) and sharpshooters, as well as 2 tinkeres for your moxen, factories, and jittes. (my RB list is FAR from a normal goblins list though) Should goblins become less aggro oriented with things like fanatic, in favor of a more controling version such as my RB list, things could be as bad as 50%-50% after boards.
Counter-top Thresh: My buddy Kyle Paster and I have tested this matchup to death, and both pre and post-boards are in tog's favor. Slaughter pact is usually a free hymn or game-win when pointed at Goyf, and factories are irritating for mongeese to attack through. Turn one-bob or looter usually bring home the game via CQ/CA if not quickly bolt/fire-d. Damnation is a huge bomb, as I can usually draw out counters on key cards like bob and shadowmage, then 2for1 with damnation, often keeping a factory on the board and another threat in hand. Thoughtseize has been great in testing, and unless answered by a brainstorm, usually pulls out the only creature in the thresh players hand, or serves as one mana hymns 4-6. Post boards gets even better, as 2 brainstorms and 3 thoughtseizes come out for the third jitte and four chalices, more must-counter bombs, as it stops over half the cards in thresh. Counter-top has no way to hit 4, and few cards to hit three, (usually just boarded-in grips, if any) and i generally to slow and inferior to my chalices. I'd imagine UGw would have a better matchup against my deck, with grunts and swords serving as better beats than mongeese and bolts. I've had w splash players over-board against me though, once having both a mage AND a needle naming tog (which I had boarded out after seeing grunts game one.) Several fish players have also made math errors with goyfs running into togs with only certain permanant types in my yard, or played double grunts forgetting about tog's ability to eat from the yard. Against professional opponents, I'd put UGr thresh at 60% favorable pre-boards and 65% favorable post-boards, while UGw would be closer to 55% and 60%. UG, which is rare, is extemely favorable, as once looter or bob hits the table, thresh can't stop it. I actually only board in a jitte and EXTIRPATES against UG, as 'pating goyfs removes nearly every threat they have (especially the builds that run only four geese and four goyfs.) I'd put UG at 65-70% favorable.
Landstill (UGbw): Even to favorable depending on the build. I've never lost a match to landstill, having played against four decks in tournaments since building dentist appointment. That said, I have also never 2-0'd a landstill opponent with tog. Most games are won by resolved bombs, either a crucible on landstill's side or a jitte on my side. (usually carried by looter or shadowmage) Needles come in for thoughtseizes, and jitte and extirpates come in replacing Damnations and a daze. Control on control decks usually fight tooth-and nail, and this matchup is no exception. They run more counters, but I run more threats. My CQ/CA is superior however, as looter and bob can singlehandedly win games, and shadowmage can draw a concession if they don't see a deed in a few turns.
Fast Combo (TES): Straight 50%-50% game one. My friend Anthony and I have tested this match to death as well, and he almost allways goes for a 'safe golbins plan out of his hand turn one or two, else he gets bob or defense grid before trying at the tendrils kill. My own bob often lowers my life total thta he can have a tutor countered, tutor again next turn, and play a few accel/petals/moxen from hand an lethal tendrils. The goblins plan is often a game win if he goes for them turn one or two, but with 11 guys that draw cards and 4 brainstorms, the odds of me getting mox-mandation to save me on the play, or damnation to save me form later goblins is fairly high. 60-65% in Tog's favor, depending on the cards in his deck. (the matchup is more in my favor if the list doesn't have bobs) I get Chalice, and he gets spree, but I have MUCH more digging power and he is forced to play reactively, without his accel. Damnations and Pacts get baorded out along with jittes, for a full set of E plagues (naming EtW goblins) and chalices.
Slow Combo (high tide): I have six dead cards (and nealry two dead jittes that only give +4/+4 after the first hit) and a slower clock barring turn one bob, turn two mage, turn three tog shenanigans, so game one is nearly unwinnable without a force or two. Chalice is a house, as is extirpate, and those come in for 3 damnatsions 3 pacts, and 1 jitte. Extirpating Reset/high tide is strong, but if I have a slow start, solidarity can just wish for them again. Chalcie at one two, or three (!! it has happened before) is usually wins. 30% pre-board, 60% post-board. creature-based decks like Gamekeeper, Alluren, and Breakfast are more winnable.
Affinity: Vial hurts, and disiple hurts. This actually plays out much like goblins, save for that affinity has no removal, (barring a shrap blast, but that has become more and more rare) and I don't have to deal with turn one lackey. Slaughter pact and Dmanation are actually much more relavent here, and both wreck havok on modular. The most race-like match of any, as not too many guys on either side block. Older lists with frogs and enforcers are easier to win against than newer lists with epocite, goyf, bob, and vial. Jitte is again a house, and factory stares at frogmites and workers for most of the game. Shadowmage is the saddest of the bunch, and is on blocking duty for most all of game one, until he is boarded out for chalices/needles and a jitte. (with dazes or thoughtseizes depending on the build) Goyf-bob-vial is slightly unfavorable game one, while classic affinity is favorable. Both get better after boards. Classic Affinity 60% pre, 65-70 post boards. Goyf-Epo-Vial-Bob Affinity 40 pre, 50-55 post boards.
Burn: Game 1 is almost unwinnable. (6 dead cards again) You really need tog+jitte to win this, prefferably off a chrome mox. They will probably board in sprees to deal with your jittes, and hopefully you can land a chalice at 1 and hold a daze/FoW for when it comes. Board out dead cards, ect. Games 2 and 3 favorable. Fast games, as jitte/chalice-win, no jitte-lose. 30% pre, 60% post boards
MBA: Actually quite winnable, as though your pacts are dead, you have jitte and CA over a deck with almost none. Factories deal with almost all of their guys save for shade, and even hold back big negs. Chalices and Jittes from the board replace the shameful shadowmage. 55-60% pre and 70% post-boards. Hurrah for black having no artifact removal. Numbers are lsightly lower for Sui-black splashing Goyf.
The Experience:
I've been playing Dentist Appointment for over a year now, and am A big fan of the deck, as it has a favorable matchup against thresh, and neutral matches against most of the field, with a few other favorables. The sideboard packs something for most all decks, and It never feels like I'm unable to win, that most games come down to play skill, which makes it a fine deck to take to a tournament where you are unsure of the metagame. I've tied for first at a 30ish person legacy tournament in Columbus hosted by Steven Menedian at the Soldiary, and won two other tournaments, one in Akron (~20 people) and one in Los Angles. (about 25 people, but the playskill of CA left mush to be desired) I've always had a positive match record at tournaments, and I enjoy the interactivity and decision-making of the deck. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as Ive enjoyed building and playing it, and urge you to at least proxy it up and test against some of the other DTB/DTW.
Cheers,
Eric Blegen
Team Lucksack
EDIT: here is a link to the tournament in Columbus I tied for first in. http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=33758.msg483397#msg483397