This deck looks siick. I'm gonna run my list this weekend, but I will def try this out.Quote:
Originally Posted by aslidsiksoraksi
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This deck looks siick. I'm gonna run my list this weekend, but I will def try this out.Quote:
Originally Posted by aslidsiksoraksi
Tournament was fun. I went a disappointing 3-4.Quote:
Originally Posted by ntropy
Burn 2-0
Manaless Dredge 0-2
Soldier Stompy 2-0
Grixis Reanimator 1-2
Belcher 2-1
Affinity(!) 1-2
Sneak and Show 1-2
I think the only change I will make is cutting the Liliana for a Bojuka Bog. Game 1 vs Dredge and Reanimator it would have done work. I had wanted to find space for it but could not. The Lili might be too important vs D+T though. I'm not sure.
The deck felt powerful, RNG missed my Leylines 2 rounds, and I think that of the top tier decks, Sneak and Show is probably the toughest match-up. I think I need Chalice on 1 plus aggressive land destruction to get there. I wish I had room for 2 Trinisphere in the board. With further testing vs. the Jace matchups, I may be able to swap the Spyglasses for 3balls.
Anywho, poor result, but I'm excited to have a list I like.
The same thing happens to me in many tournaments: I prepare for tier 1-2 decks, see a couple and then face a bunch of randoms. Of your 7 matches, only 3 of them are prevalent at all (I'm counting Burn because it has had a small uptick lately.) I faced not one, but *two* enchantress decks at my last legacy tournament (6 rounds.) Yay legacy right? It's not an indication of how good your deck is placed in the field, it's an indication of many people doing the same thing as you: playing something more fringe to gain an edge.Quote:
Originally Posted by ntropy
One small note about Living Wish: it's abysmally slow and requires a fairly high investment in resources. I think you'd be better off playing Crop Rotation or Entomb, maybe maindeck Maze of Ith, Tabernacle, and Karakas. Living Wish lets you handle just about anything, but slowly. Chalice gets you there but only if you draw it early. Looking at the metagame, there aren't really any other Chalice decks making any waves (save for Eldrazi, but that's a completely different animal.)
Yeah, relying on the Mox Diamonds to have any play at all on turn 1 is a bit rough as well. I'm going to play this a bit more, but I think I will swap to a build designed to exploit Entomb soon. (I 2-1'd the local with it again last night, beating 4 color Shadow Delver Nonsense, and Miracles. I lost to D+T in a close 3 in the Finals) This list feels amazing vs Miracles. I can't quite put my finger on why, since some of my cards line up awkwardly, but it feels unstoppable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Safety
Chalice is too much of a crutch I feel and if you aren't playing it t1, its pretty much a wasted card slot.
Plus, I like being able to "tutor" with cards like Entomb and Crop Rotation.
Having T1 plays like Thoughtseize aren't bad either...
Updated my list, added a Trophy and testing Vraska in the sideboard..
Since Deathrite is gone I may try two other cards in the Fatal Push slot... maybe 4th Mox and 2nd Bontu's or Liliana, Last Hope..
Lands (28)
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Bayou
3 Wasteland
3 Mishra's Factory
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Swamp
1 Buried Ruin
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Polluted Delta
1 Windswept Heath
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Forest
1 Barren Moor
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Dark Depths
1 Cabal Pit
Creatures (1)
1 Nether Spirit
Spells (22)
3 Smallpox
3 Life from the Loam
3 Hymn to Tourach
2 Thoughtseize
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Entomb
2 Fatal Push
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Bontu's Last Reckoning
1 Crop Rotation
1 Raven's Crime
1 Collective Brutality
Planeswalkers (3)
2 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
Artifacts (4)
3 Mox Diamond
1 Cursed Scroll
Enchantments (2)
2 Mirri's Guile
Sideboard (15)
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Assassin's Trophy
1 Pithing Needle
1 Damping Sphere
1 Coffin Purge
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Lost Legacy
1 Karakas
1 Crop Rotation
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Chains of Mephistopheles
1 Vraska, Golgari Queen
1 Ensnaring Bridge
Looking to get into pox. Can someone recommend a list that doesn't run the Chains, Void, or tabernacle.
https://www.channelfireball.com/vide...id-legacy-pox/Quote:
Originally Posted by PuppyWuppy
Personally, and not intending to create any controversy here, I would steer clear of the Reid Duke lists in lieu of people who put up results and regularly test the deck. One such person on mtgtop 8 is Clayton Levi, who uses the non-Legends build you were inquiring about. Here is one of his lists which got 1st out of 29 players a few months back, which would probably be a good place to start:Quote:
Originally Posted by PuppyWuppy
https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=19133&d=320904&f=LE
24 LANDS
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Maze of Ith
4 Mishra's Factory
10 Swamp
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
6 CREATURES
4 Bloodghast
1 Nether Spirit
1 Tombstalker
23 INSTANTS and SORC.
3 Dark Ritual
1 Fatal Push
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Innocent Blood
4 Sinkhole
4 Smallpox
3 Thoughtseize
1 Toxic Deluge
7 OTHER SPELLS
2 Cursed Scroll
4 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
SIDEBOARD
2 Engineered Plague
2 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Toxic Deluge
Using a contemporary, somewhat stock list like this will give you a good idea of how the deck plays at a baseline before you make specific changes. It's also not terribly expensive, at least as far as Legacy decks go.
Have fun poxing people to oblivion!
yeah 2nd the thing about not going too deep on Reid Duke. Dude did great with the deck once upon a time and he's obviously very intelligent and knows a lot, but I doubt he's played Pox for a while now. The Levi lists are solid. They're a little more aggressive thanks to the Bloodghast stuff, which is actually probably a good place to be with Pox tbh. You could also check out Adachi Ryosuke lists, and just swap some of the legends stuff for more removal/discard/wincons, as suits your meta. He's also a proven player, and the legends cards are rarely more than 3-4 cards on the list, it won't be a huge difference swapping them out.
What happened with your blue version with BStorm's and Jaces? I thought that had a ton of potential.Quote:
Originally Posted by aslidsiksoraksi
I suppose that didn't pan out.
There are some kind of compatibility problems.
Current Decklist:
Land (25)
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Maze of Ith
1 Seagate Wreckage
10 Snow-covered Swamp
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
Creatures (1)
1 Nether Spirit
Enchantment (1)
1 Nether Void
Artifact (5)
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Cursed Scroll
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Phyrexian Totem
Planeswalker (4)
4 Liliana of the Veil
Instants (3)
3 Dark Ritual
Sorcery (21)
3 Innocent Blood
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Sinkhole
4 Smallpox
1 Bontu's Last Reckoning
1 Beseech the Queen
Sideboard
2 Zombie Infestation
2 Duress
1 Ensnaring Bridge
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Pithing Needle
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Night of Souls' Betrayal
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
I do like Clayton's listings, but am not a fan of the Ghasts. Zombie Infestations and Cursed Scroll and Last Hope and Ensnaring Bridge and Seagate Wreckage are a match made in heaven. I can't remember where I got the skeleton for this list. *facepalm* Something of note, this build has a surprisingly strong match against Burn. Never thought it'd happen but there it is.
Beseech into Nether Void seems to be lights out against Burn, especially if you resolve even 1 Sinkhole. Non-Thoughtsieze discards help win the race as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by OmniStrata
Hi Pox players, looooong time lurker, first time poster.
I am coming back into the meta after a year deployment and getting used to the SDT and DRS ban. I have had really positive results the past two weeks at various LGS's in the greater DC area with this monoblack list. Critiques, suggestions welcome!
3 dark ritual
2 cursed scroll
3 thoughtseize
2 inquisition of kozilek
2 innocent blood
1 fatal push
4 smallpox
3 sinkhole
3 hymn to tourach
1 chains of mephistopheles
2 ratchet bomb
3 LOTV
2 Last hope lili
1 Nether spirit
2 To the slaughter
1 Ensnaring bridge
1 Karn, scion of urza
11 swamp, 1 maze, 4 urborg, 4 factory, 4 waste
SB
1 Karn, scion of urza
1 obnixilis reignited
1 underworld dreams
1 ensnaring bridge
1 engineered plague
1 night of all souls betrayal
1 the abyss
2 collective brutality
4 surgical extraction
1 pithing needle
1 sorcerous spyglass
I am highly impressed with Karn. Chains does not interfere with his card advantage, and pooping out a token creature pumped by the mere presence a pithing needle, a cursed scroll, a ratchet bomb, and two activated mishra's factories has really closed out some grindy games. Against grixis and miracles, dude's a tank. 2 copies maindeck of to the slaughter has been a saving grace against the jace decks and chandra/koth moon crap, and the ratchet bombs have blown up opposing lillies in a pinch and wiped out chalices and scary big Endless Ones with ease.
Underworld dreams likewise is almost a maindeck card for me. I am seldom disappointed to draw it, whether against storm, control, or creature decks.
Overall, Lands does not appear as prevalent as it was when I last played in December 2017, and maybe it's mostly luck, maybe it's the excitement of playing again, but Pox feels pretty well positioned right now. I've gone 4-0, 3-1, 3-0, and 2-1-0 in the past two weeks at different stores. Hoping the run continues!
Nice deck. Over here lands never went away. The value of big 20/20 flying monsters is too good to be ignored.Quote:
Originally Posted by ajprice0006
Hi,
Played a tournament in France with BG pOX with the list below, ~60 players and finish 3-4rd. The list is strong and has answered near everything.
Spells
4x ENTOMB
2x LIFE FROM THE LOAM
2x LILIANA OF THE VEIL
3x SMALLPOX
2x FATAL PUSH
3x ABRUPT DECAY
1x ASSASSIN TROPHY
1x MAELSTROM PULSE
1x GO FOR THE THROAT
3x HYMN TO TOURACH
1x INQUISITION OF KOZILEK
1x DURESS
1x LINGERING SOULS
1x NETHER SPIRIT
1x GOLGARI BROWNSCALE
2x MOX DIAMOND
1x SYLVAN LIBRARY
1x PERNICIOUS DEED
1x DARKBLAST
3x INNOCENT BLOOD
Lands
4x VERDANT CATACOMBS
3x BAYOU
1x BLOOMING MARSH (don't have the 4th Bayou yet)
1x WOODLAND CEMETERY
3x URBORG, tomb of Yawgoth
4x BARREN MOOR
2x SWAMP
1x FOREST
1x CABAL PIT
4x WASTELAND
1x MISHRA'S FACTORY
Sideboard
2x SADISTIC SACRAMENT
2x ENGINEERED PLAGUE (awsome)
1x CHOKE
1x LEYLINE OF THE VOID
1x COFFIN PURGE
1x KROSAN RECLAMATION
2x EXTIRPATE (should have been 1 of each - 1 surgical, 1 extirpate)
1x GOLGARI CHARM
1x RAVEN'S CRIME
1x AKUTA, BORN OF ASHES
1x DAMPING SPHERE
1x BONTU'S LAST RECKONING
Quick report
ROUND 1 vs DEATH & TAXES 2-0
gAME 1 : entomb searching darkblast made the whole game.
gaMe 2 : he can't find graveyard hate. Controlling the whole game.
ROUND 2 vs GRIXIS CONTROL 1-2
gamE 1 : the only problem is Jace, and I'm playing now Assassin Trophy and a Pulse. Also, the association of Nether Spirit and Golgari Brownscale make the life difficult for the blue Planeswalker if you can deal with their Gurmag (and with darkblast to deal with cheap creatures it's relatively easy for your Inoocent Blood or SmallPox to catch them). But my opponent didn't find his lands soon enough before I began loaming.
Game 2 : A lot of hate, and a TNN.
Game 3 : A BloodMoon and I can't find a swamp/Mox Diamond to cast Decay soon enough before dying. He had no pressure but two Snapcasters and I've named Merfolk on my Engineered Plague (probably because of game 2, damn!). Naming Human probably give me a lot more turns to find a black source.
ROUND 3 vs DEATH SHADOW 2-0
GamE 1 : Loam + Waste and my opponent did'nt find any threats.
Game 2 : My opponent made a mistake when he shuffled a Gurmag on top with a fetchland. I can get rid off a another one and a Death Shadow (with Nether Spirit). Just took one big hit from the shadow and managed to deal with his last points of life. Bad luck also for him, he milled two graveyard hate with a thought scour, but you need luck also in your tournaments ;-)
ROUND 4 vs UR DELVER 2-0
Game 1 : My opponent has drawn too many lands for what the deck want to do. Golgari Brownscale gave me also just enough life to survive (6 or 8 life). Deal with all his creatures, so I just feared Price of Progress.
Game 2 : Waste the first land and he didn't find another one soon enough.
ROUND 5 vs BR REANIMATOR 2-1
Game 1 : Double Chancellor revealed and win on the 3rd turn after reanimate in the same turn a Chancellor and Grisou. He discarded me the answers I had in hand.
Game 2 : He cast a discard spell, see a Krosan Reclamation but didn't read the whole text box (flashback). He want to reanimate Iona (which is game over for me), I flashback my Reclamation. Controlling the rest of the game especially with Sadistic Sacrament removing Iona and two Exhume (I can destroy the Animate deads with Decay in hand and he's now too low on life to cast Reanimate). I also destroy a Griselbrand in this game with GftT.
Game 3 : I cast a Mox early and an entomb in response to a discard spell to put a Coffin Purge in my grave, so I'm protected now against Iona or another early threat. I'm patient and wait for a fourth mana source to cast Liliana. Lingering souls tokens make little pressure, and he got a turn when he can reanimate a Chancellor and suddenly with only one mana open I can no more cast the Coffin Purge in my graveyard. He also exhume a Griselbrand. Hopefully I had a second Lili in hand, so I can make him sacrifice his two flying creatures and I win two turns after.
ROUND 6 vs MARDU AGRO-COMBO 2-0
Had to play this one to enter top8
Game 1 : He revealed a Chancellor at the opening :-/, again a tense game ? No, I cast a discard spell and see Young Pyromancer, Monastery Mentor, Lingering Souls and Entomb (my choice). Loaming find me everything (darkblast especially), I've wasted all but 2 basics. Easy game and really cool deck mixing good mardu cards like the ones mentionned before, cabal therapy and faithless looting. His reanimation targets are 4 Chancellor and an Elesh Norn. But his strategy is not good against me.
Game 2 : A Golgari charm destroyed all his board except for a Monastery Mentor. I played then an Innocent Blood. This play made the whole game. Again, loam + waste maKe his development difficult.
TOP 8 QUARTER vs MIRACLE 2-1
Game 1 : Fetch my basics soon to dodge B2B. Lot of discard spell, finish the game with a lonely Mishra's Factory. It's easier when he spend two cards to cast FOW, and lose 2 others to Hymn.
Game 2 : Raven's crime discard his whole hand, but he finds a Monastery Mentor. I make a big mistake when I cast a Golgari charm end step when one of the two tokens was a 2/2 (with a prowess trigger resolved). Could have been played better. My smallpox in hand is dead now. He finds another one and it's too pressure for me to answer. Deed was my only chance but didn't find it.
Game 3 : Pass a discard spell, see nothing but 2 preordain and a Council Judgment (my choice). Next turn cast Engineered Plague on Human (Snap & Monk) but he had drawn a FOW (ouch!!!). Okay, next turn Choke ;-). He played a Snap on nothing to put pressure and I didn't find anything but Sadistic Sacrament to remove 2 Jace and a Council Judgment. The lone Snappy put me to one life ! before I draw a Lili. Made a mistake when we both have only around 15 cards left in library when I flashback Lingering souls and he had an EE on 0 on board. Should have blown the EE first with Decay. In my head I can't lose because my library is bigger, but he played Surgical !... and extract me only two cards, which wasn't enough. Forget that I got a second Sadistic Sacrament left and this time I kicked this one for lethal !!! yeah. This game I've made the Ultimate of Lili three times sometimes just for one land ;-)
TOP 8 SEMI vs SLOW DEPTHS 1-2
Game 1 : A lot a discard spells from him let a Dark Confident survive few turns. Hopefully, a Lingering Souls cast with a Mox put some pressure after dealing Bob. Loam + waste blew up his lands but he managed to create a Marit Lage token. Smallpox to deal with it and he was just on two Mox Diamond and concede right after.
Game 2 : I wasn't sure about the identity of my opponent's deck (we don't look at decklists), I think first it was 4Color loam with thoughtseize and crop (maybe entomb) instead of the Chalices, so I side out all my discard spells (which is bad). Also a mulligan to 4 didn't help me a lot. Fight a little but too much grave hate and a early wasteland stopped me.
Game 3 : My own strategy played against me by my opponent. Managed to extract Thespian Stage, but the game gone deep and despite I was really behind, a fresh entomb find me Loam --but a second Surgical, after removing all my wastelands, exil all of them from my library. He also played a Ghost Quarter and an early Loam by his side let him recurse it and I concede when I lost my last lands on board ;;;;-)))))))
The other finalist was RUG Delver, so a nice match-up for me. Really regrettable!
Nice tournament, few changes are going to be made :
- find a Scrubland ;-)
- replace the GftT by an Assassin Trophy
- Questionning me about some toolbox lands like karakas and Bojuka Bog
- add a fifth fetchland (maybe instead of a Barren Moor)
- Lingering souls, even if I often cast it for only 2 tokens, is awsome, so a second copy is considered
- Great side-board, maybe cut a Sadistic but not sure, really good against some match-up. Damping sphere not sure about it, want something against ANT and Elfball without being tax myself (sphere of resistance).
Didn't regret any choice in the main, only the manabase had to be revisited.
++
Good job! I like the tech in your deck. Would hate to fight it however
Awesome report and nice tech!!Quote:
Originally Posted by AruSulato
Few recommendations:
-1 Entomb, +1 Crop Rotation: Crop Rotation is a good instant speed tutor for lands like Bojuka Bog and Karakas.
-1 Barren Moor, +1 Bojuka Bog: Bojuka Bog is good against gy decks, Lands and Storm.
-1 Wasteland, +1 Karakas: Putting the Karakas mainboard can help cast Lingering Souls and is better than adding the Scrubland since its good against Reanimator, SnT and Dark Depths etc... you can also fetch it with Crop Rotation.
-1 Inquisition of Kozelik and -1 Duress, +2 Thoughtseize: I think Thoughtseize is just better.
-1 Pernicious Deed, +1 Bontu's Last Reckoning or Toxic Deluge: Pernicious Deed is bad with Mox Diamond and can destroy Sylvan Library.
Other:
I would find room for at least 1x Liliana, the Last Hope (really good against DnT and Grixis) and one more Mox Diamond.
I think Lost Legacy is easier to cast than Sadistic Sacrament.
Just my two cents, I think I will add Lingering Souls to my BG Pox list too!
Way cool that he did kick sadistic sacrament :laugh:
@streetMage :
The idea of adding a Crop is releavant if I considere Karakas & Bojuka. Probably test that technology a little, even if cutting the 4rth Entomb didn't seems great for me at first. Entomb is good in your opening against near every match-up, but I can search a Wasteland also with crop, so...
The thing is, that the match-up against Lands and Storm are gonna be solved more in game 2 & 3 with sideboard cards.
I can cut effectively a Waste if I play a Crop, that can be considere, yeah.
For thoughtseize, definitely not. Life points are too much relevant, what cards do you have in mind that inquisition or duress do not take and you absolutely want to remove from their hand ? Never face such a case until now (maybe Academy Rector), and I prefer be more conservative with my life. If it's just for FOW, I can turn around and force them to spend two cards. And now we have Assassin Trophy to deal with JaceTMS.
For pernicious, it was just to have something to control the game permanently just by having it on board. Bontu is in sideboard, toxic too much life to spend. Also deed deal with permanents other than creatures (equipment, vial, chalice, creepy enchantments...) Ok, it's slow, it's an old school card, and not synergystic with mox but you're playing loam, so loose a mox I think it's not really impacting.
Liliana last hope seems great because it's also a finisher. Darkblast do near the same and if fetchable with entomb, and second capacity of this Lili don't serve us at all. But I think she's good enough to find a slot somewhere, maybe in sideboard.
Major difference between Lost Legacy (I considere it a time) and Sadistic Sacrament is you can choose 3 "different cards" and that's huge. Against Miracles, taking the Entreat the Angels and two Jace is a big deal. Against Reanimator, different stuffs. Against Storm, game over. But you're right, the 3rd black mana to cast it isn't anecdotic and can be relevant. But I take that risk because you're gonna be reward more and the card is more impactful than Lost Legacy by a lot. Also, I'm on a BG list so just 1 Mishra, 1 Forest and Wastes if I don't draw an Urborg. I don't know if the card is so good enough to take two slots, but definitely don't add Lost Legacy as a replacement.
25 lands 2 mox seems good for me for as long I'm playing the deck. That said, a third one don't offense me.
And thank you very much for your thoughts about the list ;-) ! Always helpful to improve our approach of the list.
@Hardcore : a delightful reward for playing a weird card ;-)
++
Thanks for sharing your list! Since you had success with the list, I had some questions:Quote:
Originally Posted by AruSulato
1. There are only 4 win conditions maindeck, and 1 sideboard. Is closing out a game ever a problem for you? Or do you simply find win conditions easier with tutors?
2. I see you only run two planeswalkers. Do you not consider Liliana of the Veil that important?
3. When exactly do you board in Akuta, Born of Ashes?
Hi Brad,
Ok, :
-1 : Closing out a game never be a problem in any game, even against Miracles where I sided out both Nether Spirit and the Brownscale because of STP. The thing is dredging Loam bring you naturally your threats in the gyard and you always find them. Also, you have Entomb to find them. Against all the match-up that didn't run white for STP, Nether Spirit and the Brownscale are efficient enough. Remember that you also run Cabal Pit and Darkblast so even a Gurmag don't stay long in defense when you have controlled the board. 4 life per turn is what you want, you just have to combine 2 threats.
-2 : It's weird to say that Liliana of the Veil is not THAT important, in fact it's half true. Think a time of playing a third, but I really think that in my list, two is the right number. Someone make me considere a Liliana last hope in sideboard and it's probably a good card to test. I can only add that, after playtest a lot, most of the time you want a Liliana when you've already controlled the board and not before. So you don't need to have one in your opening. You're also running 3x SmallPox that make quite the same effect. I think it's not an error to play a third, I just think it's not an absolute necessity or auto-include.
-3 : Akuta is here to add some pressure against deck like ANT where controlling just the hand isn't good enough. You have to add more pressure until they assemble combo pieces. So I bring it in against combo match-up like ANT, Sneak&Show and Reanimator. Also, it's not bad against non-white Jace deck like Grixis Control (with entomb you can surprisingly kill a Jace). Probably I bring it in also against MUD match-ups and Burn. The big problem sometimes is that it requires you to have more cards in hand than your opponent the time you want to reanimate it, so you have to considere keeping more lands in hand and/or dredging loam-cast loam to have a ~full grip. If you have a better card to advise, I take it ;-) (Centaur Vinecrusher isn't one of them ;-)
++
Smart of you to find Akuta. I have toyed with it in the mono B deck, but it is clear the right place for it is in your loam deck.
There is also Rot Farm Skeleton which does a similar thing, but I don't have any experience with Loam versions so I'm not sure which would be easier to return
Quote:
Rot Farm Skeleton
2BG Plant Skeleton
4/1
Rot Farm Skeleton can't block
2BG, Put the top 4 cards of your library into your graveyard: Return Rot Farm Skeleton from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Four mana is a lot. I toyed with it in EDH where mana is opulent, but in Legacy while you're playing Smallpox it's not exactly efficient. I tried Gigapede, which doesn't require any mana to get back, but was still hard to cast at five mana. Undead Gladiator was actually decent because it had an alternative use as a cycler, but a slower clock.Quote:
Originally Posted by kombatkiwi
One of my favorite interactions for BG Pox is Eternal Witness + Unearth. It's just so good! Abysmally slow as a clock though.
I usto run 2x Bloodghast as my free creature option.. pretty good at closing the game where you'd want Akuta imo...Quote:
Originally Posted by AruSulato
Bloodghast is the easiest way, it just somehow a lit bit weak to add pressure if you only bring one to the battlefield. I have to reconsidere my entire strategy (turn it more agro-control and plaiying at least three bloodghast, which is a way to explore), but if I want to keep this deck a straight control/prison deck, I'm probably try to find at least a 3-power creature that can be fetch with entomb.
Akuta seems per default the best option, but Undead Gladiator is probably a bullet to test also, it has some nice capacities sygergizing with the rest of the list, maybe a lit bit slow (wait for the upkeep and pay 1B, then cast it).
I considere also playing three Tarmos in the sideboard.
Hi all,
long time lurker here.
Playing mono-b-pox causaly since long time, when chimeric idol was used in this deck.
I wanted to share this with you guys, because i got much information from here and also mtgsalvation. But there is no pox thread anymore. I dont know why, it disappeared one day. Otherwise, i assume you are interested in reports. So, here it its.
Today i played my first official Tournament at a LGS nearby. There were four rounds played.
It was really fun and i went there not expecting anything good results, but getting some experience in real life playing (foreign peoples).
I practised and experimented alot with my list in the past few weeks (online). I have to say, that i do not have this expensive cards and im a kind of oldschool guy. So i mention cards i use, which see likely no play in maindecks:
2x Ratchet Bomb
4x Pox
1x Spyglass
I know, big pox is not used nowadays, but in my testings against actual metagem decks, it was like a MVP, because when this resolved, it won me the game most of times (play it alongside Lilianas). In combination with mishras, bloodghasts or netherspirit, the delve guys and some other disruption you can often kill enemies before they can stabilize their game. Ratchet Bomb in main ist a result for chalices and other cheap stuff, you can wipe away.
I do not exactly recognize every step of the games, because i was really nervous at first and it was for me really exhausting too.
So i tell you guys what i remember. Im not native english speaker, so excuse me for weird wordings.
My first round was against URW Phoenix.
1. I start with hand disruption and resolve resolve pox on T3 and T4. He had Phoenixes in the grave, but not enough spells to get them back. Bloodghast and Mishra seal the game.
2. He starts with ponder or brainstorm. In my first turn i start with inquisition and took his buried alive. He had a mentor and some other stuff.
Turn two hymn him and he resolved the mentor on his turn. I answer it with a Pox and waste his dual. Finish the game with Mishra while disrupt his recovery.
(2:0)
Second game was against DnT.
1.Game one went forth and back, but i could killed his Thalia with innocent blood and his crusader with a bomb on three. I was at six life forcing him to discard his stuff and killed him with bloodghast.
2. I sideboarded engineered Plague and resolved it, after he had some board presence. So double mother of runes were gone and he had one revoker left. I had a bloodghast and mishra. After smallpoxing his revoker i beat him with both. He vialed in flickerwisp two times. Both times he blocked and flickered my liliana. Then i drew a Angler and he scooped.
(2:0)
Third games was against aggro loam.
1. This was really fast. He got really big knights and killed me, because i drew nothing special.
2. Second game he flooded and i killed him slowly with mishra (he trophied a mishra one time) and bloodghast.
3. I was not able to get control over the game and he killed me with his knights.
(1:2)
I have not much experience with this type of deck and was not sure how to sideboard.
The last round was against like an eldrazi hybrid build.
He had these little ones (Reshaper and TKS) and some more expensive one for 6-7 mana (dont know the names). Other cards he played were grim monolith, all is dust and chalice.
1. First game was quick. I kill most of lands and and Angler + Bloodghast kill him quicker than he can recover.
2. On turn two he resolved a TKS and turn three a big one. The TKS was crucial, because it took my pox i wanted to cast on next turn. I had a Netherspirit, but he had a faerie macabre. So, he was able to kill me fast.
3. I took his grim monolith on turn one. Than i punched him a few turns with mishra. He finally casts a Trinisphere, trying to stop me casting spells. But i had drawn three wastelands this game and so i pinged him with mishra to 6 life in combination with Liliana (i resolved it a turn after he got trinisphere out.) and some disruption spells (hymn e.g.). As i cast an Tombstalker, he scoops.
I enjoyed playing the deck and it was a great experience, but 3:1 i was not expecting at all.
Thx for reading, questions welcome.
Best regards!
Good job! Questions? Yeah, where is your deck list!
Also interested to see. 4 Pox, Bloodghast, Tomby & a Gurmangler sounds beefy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hardcore
Maybe one could call it Monster Pox?:)Quote:
Originally Posted by naynay666
Hi all,
oh yes i forgot the list. Sry, i was focused on remembering the games, so i didnt add my list.
So, here it is:
Lands (24)
10x Swamp
4x Urborg
4x Mishra
4x Wasteland
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Maze of Ith
____________
Sorceries (21)
1x Duress
3x Inquisiton
1x Thoughtseize
4x Hymn
4x Smallpox
4x Pox
1x Beseech the Queen
3x Innocent Blood
____________
Instants (5)
3x Dark Ritual
2x Disfigure
____________
Creatures (7)
1x Nether Spirit
4x Bloodghast
1x Angler
1x Tombstalker
____________
Artifacts (3)
1x Spyglass
2x Ratchet Bomb
___________
Planeswalkers (2)
2x Liliana
__________
__________
Sideboard:
Artifacts (6)
1x Needle
1x Spyglass
2x Bridge
2x Relic
________
Sorceries (4)
2x Lost Legacy
2x Bontu`s last reckoning
_______
Instants (2)
2x Extirpate
_______
Enchantments (2)
2x Engineered Plague
________
Planeswalker (1)
Liliana last hope
__________
__________
I know this list is 61 cards, but i had to make a decision between one tutor or no tutor at all, so i decided to run one beseech as card 61. It seems, many people dont like lists, with more than 60 cards. Personaly, i dont care ;-).
One time it was relevant, because it won me a match due to tutoring a pox.
This List, lacks good graveyard hate, but luckily i wasnt paired with the dredge players.
Personally i would like to play Faeries/ Surgicals/ Leylines (maybe with Helm) as six sb cards of choice.
Best regards!
Glad you had success with the deck, always good to hear. If I might make a suggestion though, with 4 Smallpox, and 4 Pox, running only 24 land and no Crucible of Worlds does not seem optimal. I would suggest dropping the number of Pox to maybe 2, and add an additional land, this would also bring you down to 60 cards.Quote:
Originally Posted by ponzax
The percentage points are rather small when you weigh a 60 card deck vs a 61 card deck, but being as Pox has no cantrips, actual card advantage, or deck manipulation I think it needs all the help it can get.
I run 4 small and 4 big pox in my list, with 24 lands and i concur with this statement. After 1 or two pox, i find it difficult to get back to 3 lands sometimes and just have to hope my board state gets there (a ghast or affliction usually). most of th etime it does, but it gets worrisome at times!Quote:
Originally Posted by coff33bit
I would never register a Pox list without Crucible of Worlds. They are super affordable, I would get 1-2 copies into the 75. Recurring Wasteland is a big draw, but even getting back Swamps and Factories is just plain card advantage after Poxing. It's even more reliable if you're splashing a Beseech the Queen to find it.
Yes, you were right about the number of lands and your suggestions are very much appreciated!
I am unsure about the "right" number. I started with 27, 26, 25 and went down to 24, because i flooded more often and it felt like to not have enough "ammunition" for constantly disruption.
Sure, in test games i kept enough promising one land hands, just to get punished not drawn a land (or colorless) right at time, so i could not cast eg a hymn or smallpox. Like ronco wrote, there seems to be sometimes a "high tension" if your a land will be your next draw to cast something you want to.
Cutting Pox, i dont know. Maybe i try 3 copies. Its effect is to good to miss and sure, given to every individual boardstates it should be appropriate timed.
No topdeck manipulation is a huge drawback. Im testing cards like darksteel pendant right now, because i could not find other cards besides the card Crystal ball. But it is expensive and it does nothing as it comes into play.
Crucible is very good, no doubt. I started at the beginning with one in main and one in sb, but decide to cut it, because of other things. Likely you are right about 1 in the 75 with a beseech of the queen and the advantages if you can resolve it are, like you say a big draw.
I will cut the Rituals and add +1 Swamp and maybe some other stuff.
Best Regards!
To add my two cents, this is one reason I really like Syphon Life. My reasoning is that this card allows us to run more lands, as we are want to do, and then turn them into a top deck win condition as the game progresses, making the deck more consistent. When it's in the graveyard, ~40% of your library is now a 4 point life difference, whereas before it was just another land leading to mana flooding.Quote:
Originally Posted by ponzax
In practice, these points have proven themselves to be true to me. A plus side is that Syphon Life can be discarded to Liliana or Smallpox and your opponent even forgets it's there until 5 turns later. Another advantage is that it gives us a few extra points of life, as we oftentimes get to a low life total before turning the game into our favor.
I second the notion that Crucible of Worlds is a solid inclusion for us, and obviously complements Syphon Life as well.
Running Bloodghasts without fetchlands is completely incorrect. The ability to give them psudo haste eot and also protect them from gy hate by fetching them out in response is too important.Quote:
Originally Posted by ponzax
When playing big pox you need to build around it. Most important is to have a good mana base.
I went 4-0 today at the LGS.
After facing Grixis control last Tuesday I added two Darkblast to the deck. As luck would have it my opponents played, Delver, Delver , Maverick and Delver (in that order)
The deck:
4 Bloodghast
2 Tombstalker
4 Shrieking Affliction
1 Buried Alive
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Collective Brutality
4 Smallpox
4 Pox
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Darkblast
4 Liliana of the Veil
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Polluted Delta
4 Marsh Flats
13 Swamp
1 Wasteland
SIDEBOARD
4 Surgical Extraction
3 Vampire Hexmage
4 Pithing Needle
4 Engineered Plague
Exciting games but i can't recall that much. Most interesting thing was that my opponents tested Pteramander. It may stay, as extra delvers, but the original is probably better.