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According to a friend of mine who plays frequently in our local meta... he says the Local Meta is rather diverse bordering on the kind of diversity that one can expect to find at a Star City Games Open Series event. What that means exactly I am not sure. But I figure that I can expect a wide open field of various kinds of decks to have to play against.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quantum
The current bad matchups are Elves, 12-Post, and Belcher. Storm is now a pretty good matchup. Even when they have dedicated hate like Dread of Night. Amazing, right? Omniscience is also pretty good for us, though not as good as storm. Spiral Tide: I don't know for sure due to limited testing, but we have pretty good ways to interact with that deck. I don't know how long ago you stopped following the format, but last year we got Thalia, which has been huge. This year we got Judge's Familiar, which has been pretty good. The deck is as strong as it has ever been.
Thank you Finn, that is what I kind of wanted to know. I have been playing around with the deck on Cockatrice, and plan on taking it to a local tournament this Saturday. And while I don't actually have Rishadan Ports in my physical deck as of yet, I am hoping to get them as Christmas Gifts, and if I don't I should have enough money saved up to pick them up after Christmas just in case. That combined with the other cards I have picked up should make my deck comparable with the other death and taxes decks out there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn
I am also kind of hoping to go to a major legacy tournament in the near future and as such am putting in massive training periods each day with the deck utilizing Cockatrice so as to get better at understanding the deck. I hope all of this pays off and I am able to place well in the tournament that I am planning to go to. I would post the list I am testing, but I kind of want to maintain some level of secrecy when it comes to this deck.
what would you board in vs merfolks?
that depends on your decks design. I would say that a sword of fire and ice equipped to a Serra Avenger is always a plus. And a Mother of Runes that is active can really help alot. But what really wins the day against Merfolk is a Batterskull, either as a Germ Token, or more preferably equipped to a flying creature. But that is just my take on the issue. Not really a whole lot to board in. Though I suppose you could board in Gut Shot and Oust to help speed up the kills on certain Lords (though Gut Shot loses a lot of power after two or more Lords hit the field).Quote:
Originally Posted by attemanden
You don't, unless you're bringing in sword of fire and ice. You should be automatically crushing that deck. Your vial is stronger at revealing powerhouses, and they die to a mangara lock. Serra avenger locks down combat with mom backup.Quote:
Originally Posted by attemanden
Fish is extremely easy in short.
Greetings,
Just a quick intro, since I don't normally post here..
I normally play Mav, stax, junk/nicfit variants... my pet deck is stax, but since it kinda sucks nowadays I just play it casually...
I decided to play my last tournament this year, using D and T since I think that it plays better than mav vs the ever so popular miracles in my area...
I also see it as somewhat stax ish...in regards that it plays a little prison effect...
I haven't been able to play magic/play test as much, and even join tourneys for 2 months or so but was still blessed by God with 2nd in a 74 man tourney yesterday...
My list is just a little different since, I think I need a little more muscle in the my list, and that i have always played with 61 cards..
23 lands
5 fetch
3 karakas
2 plains
4 savannah
2 horizon canopy
4 wasteland
3 rishadan port
11 spells
4 stp
4 vial
1 batterskull
1 sofi
1 jitte
27 creatures
4 mom
4 thalia
4 stoneforge
3 revokers
2 serra avenger
4 flicker
4 kotr
2 mangara
Sb
3 needle
1 e.tutor
2 gaddock
1 cannonist
1 true believer -- didn't have the 2nd cannonist, thought this might help vs rip helm combo as well as combo.. but anyway
2 rip
2 tormods
2 path
1 cataclysm - didn't know what to put in this slot anymore...was thinking of anti gobs or tribal.
REport...ill keep it simple.. since i was really tired that day...Im just trying to remember my sideboard choices so it may not be accurate.
RND 1 vs- BW stoneblade
Game 1- win via stone forge batterskulll.. he gets disrupted by ports and waste..
SB- I don't remember what I put in.. but I think I try to put in true believer... which got sworded anyway..
Game 2- win via batterskull again... he gets disrupted with ports and waste.... his answers were turns late..
RND 2 vs- Merf
Game 1- win via mom kotr..
Sb- out revokers - in pte cataclysm... I don't remember if I boarded out 1 mangara for 1gaddock..
Game 2- loss - didn't draw any relevant creatures...
Game 3- draw- I miss calculate and left him at 1 during the 5 turns... I should have wasted my own land instead of his land since there was a kotr attacking...
RND 3 vs- Miracle
Game 1- loss I didn't get the 2nd white land...
SB- out stp- jitte batterskull 1 stf in- 3 pithing 1tutor-2 gaddock- 1 cataclysm
Game 2- win I needle sensei, lock his lands and win via kotr
Game 3- long long game. I won via miracle. humility in play, and he is beating with 1/1s but decides to disenchant his own humility because he knew time was running out and I had more creatures.I was losing card advantage bad due to jace as he already had around 6 cards and I had zero, I finally got some threats via canopy and got to equip sofi on serra avenger and kill vendillion and snap caster, He gets to cast 2 entreat tokens because of land locks...Vials are at 2 and 3....he is down t 3, while I am down to 9...I know he has terminus at the top of his library because of cb.. He attacks one last time which brings me down to 5 ... I draw flicker wisp, He casts terminus and passes the turn.... he brainstorms with jace and passes the turn...I drop flicker at end of his turn and win from there...
RND 4 vs-merf
Game 1 -win stoneforge - batterskull... flicker wisp stoneforge,- sofi.. sofi with batterskull...
SB- out -1 revoker -2 mangara- in- -2 path 1 cataclysm.
Game 2 - win.. Win via serra avenger with sofi...
RND 5 vs Miracle stoneblade..
Game 1- loss.. he gets to set up counterbalance.. I guess it was my mistake.. as I had 2 lands, thalia and revoker in hand.. he had sensei and cb, no free mana.. , but I decided to put down thalia first to draw an stp instead of revoker...from then on.. everything is countered...
SB- Im trying to figure out if I should board out stps for this match up since I know he is more of a stoneblade miracle..OUt- 2 stp jitte batterskull 1 stone forge... In - 3 needle 1 etutor, cataclysm
Game 2- pithing needles win the game, I draw 2 with the first getting FOwed...Thalia beats down... He gets EE for 1.. I drop revokers on EE... He stps revoker, and activates EE, which gets my needles.. he is tapped out, I ee to another needle.. and win from there even if he gets to terminus 2x..
Game 3- draw
RND 6- miracles again
Game 1 -Vial wins the game.. he is a bit on a rush and Im not sure if he is trying to pressure me with the way he is rushing...
SB- out stp- jitte batterskull 1 stf in- 3 pithing 1tutor-2 gaddock- 1 cataclysm
Game 2 -He tried to kill me with vendillion,but managed to block it with a vialed wisp.. Win via mangara and flickerwisp, I managed to remove a few lands and keep his lands in control..
RND 7- Rug
Game1 - I win via taxing his mana...
SB- out - 3 revokers 1 mangara . -- in 2 path , 2 RIP
Game 2- Win via vial and stoneforge to batterskull and sofi...
TOP 8
RND 1-Goblins
Game 1- I am winning via serra avenger equipped with sofi, revokers on his vial, but he still manages to destroy the sofi, by calling matron on tuktuk, then casting kikijiki to copy matron which calls stingscrounger that bounces revoker to hand.. then he uses his vial at 4 to put tuktuk to destroy sofi... he manages to catch up, but its a good thing he is at low life and can't block flying creatures...
SB- out 2 mangara 3 revokers ---- in 2 path to exile, 1 cataclysm, 2 gaddock(for pyro ken-- at least this is better than revokers)
Game 2- win via jedi cut. - he mulls to 5...
Didn't want to push through with the rest of the rounds as I was really tired and it was already 11 pm..We had to change venue as well since the shops were closing...
RND 2-vs dredge --
Game 1 - loss - i die to the red creature that deals damage as it comes to play..
SB- I put in 13 cards....except cannonist and cataclysm
Game 2- win via rip
Game 3- I mull to 6 but draw a tormods and rip with only 1 land...I manage to delay enough to draw the 2nd land... he draws into arbor, and casts rev silence on rip... I cast needle naming phantasmogorian and revoker naming street wraith, stp the arbor... I draw into tutor and get my second RIp.. which wins me the game..
RND 3- ANT
Game 1- he gets to cabal revoker before I cast it and combos off.
Game 2- I play with 5 lands with 2 canopies, gaddock and kotr... I didn't mull hoping to get more hate... I draw into more lands with canopy and draw another on my draw step..He comboes off... I should have mulled, I always make this mistake when I am tired and just want to rest and get over with the tournament...
Over all, fun tournament but it should have not lasted till 1230am...There were alot of delays.
If I were to change something... I think I might need to add an extra serra avenger, and remove another creature...
Also, I will need to add another sb for combo... and take out cataclysm...
The worst match-up has to be anything removal-heavy mono-black or black-splashed playing stuff like Darkblast and Engineered Plague, however. That match-up is nearly un-winnable for Death and Taxes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn
how does something playing Engineered Plague make the match up unwinnable for Death and Taxes? Also, Darkblast is only a threat if you don't get Mom Online prior to him being able to start casting it on us. Removal Heavy Decks such as Pox, and similar decks are a threat I agree, but Mom, Thalia, and Judge's Familiar kind of mitigate that threat at least a little bit. Add in Rishadan Port and it becomes even more difficult for these decks to begin casting their removal spells.Quote:
Originally Posted by MGB
The decks I see as the biggest threat for us, happens to be decks based around Blood Moon which can shut off our entire land package.
Darkblast is great at fighting Moms even if they're active. All you have to do is end of their turn, Darkblast the Mother (forcing it to tap), then you dredge it back on your turn and Darkblast her again. Sure, you 2-for-1'd yourself, but you got rid of the Mother and theoretically can deal with the other threats now.Quote:
Originally Posted by DalkonCledwin
A Darkblast in hand or in the graveyard makes Mother of Runes, Thalia, and Mangara blank cards, basically. You're right that he can't depend on Darkblast in every opening hand, but often enough there will be a situation where either he gets it first or you don't get Mother of Runes in play without summoning sickness... and then Darkblast ruins everything.Quote:
Originally Posted by DalkonCledwin
Engineered Plague naming "Human" is pretty bad for this deck, don't you think? If he can kill Mother of Runes, Mangara, and Thalia all as they enter the battlefield, and turn off 12 of your cards with 1 of his, then he can focus the rest of his deck on what threats you have left. And he can even go ahead and name "Elemental" with his second Plague to turn off Flickerwisp if need be.
Both of these problems can essentially be solved by Honor of the Pure though. Which is one reason I am still in favor of the Tutor Board.Quote:
Originally Posted by MGB
You fetch Sword of Light and Shadow with Mystic and win. Darkblast is good, yeah, but it is 1-1 at best. I have not faced these kinds of decks in some time, but these are not new tactics. Vial still blows much of what their sorceries do out of the water. I can't believe that the matchup has gotten so bad from being pretty easy.
Engineered Plague is a weak Dread of Night. Been there. Done that.
Alot of these decks also sideboard in Pithing Needles that shut down Vial / Swords (presumably there for the Miracles matchup).Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn
Darkblast is a 1-1 but the opposing player can basically draw it every turn if he wants to. Which means that Mangara, Thalia, and Mother all are non-factors once Darkblast is in the graveyard or hand of that player. That leaves the DnT pilot with Stoneforge Mystic, Flickerwisp and Serra Avenger to win the game? And we presume that the opposing player has other removal spells and other cards in general aside from the Darkblast...
I'm sure it is an issue. I have definitely lost my share of games to this card. But the creatures are not non-factors. You play them and force him to continue to draw the Darkblast rather than any other cards. It becomes an interesting scenario. Of course, in the past I had Jotun Grunt up my sleeve, and that has changed recently. I submit that it is not Darkblast that wins these games. It is the fact that Darkblast is now accompanied by stronger support cards. Deathrite will be loving the dredge each turn and Decay is maindeck hate for Vials that never existed before. It is certainly harder.
But any deck that has zero to two basic lands is in for a rude awakening when faced with this deck no matter what its gameplan. I have beaten dredge through mana denial on a few occasions. It is significant.
I actually just realized that you are talking about mono black. If we are discussing a deck that has the vampire that makes you sacrifice a creature and a crazy amount of creature removal, yeah, it is not a good matchup at all. You are totally right.
I can't concern myself with narrow stuff like that though. There is a reason those decks are not quite viable. They are tuned to a metagame of some tiny fraction of the field. I am much more interested in the BUG decks that have a singleton Darkblast.
Duly noted.Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn
So I guess that the prevalence of BUG decks with Deathrite Shaman and maindeck or sideboarded Darkblast can mostly be handled with the strong mana disruption that Death n Taxes boasts?
Deathrite Shaman only targets stuff in the graveyards. Those are really a non-factor to Death and Taxes unless Sword of Light And Shadows is in play or Jotun Grunt is in play. Worst case scenario if you are afraid of Deathrite Shaman is that you can side in all of your Rest in Peace's and shut down graveyard manipulation in the entirety thereby turning Deathrite Shaman into a measly 1/2 creature with no relevant abilities.Quote:
Originally Posted by MGB
As for Darkblast... I have won games off of Stoneforge Mystic and Serra Avenger alone. So I am not going to complain if those are my only two relevant creatures in a given match up. Especially when Stoneforge Mystic has the ability to summon Batterskull, and Batterskull can still effectively be bounced by Flickerwisp even if Flickerwisp is otherwise susceptible to Darkblast. Batterskull is obviously MVP in these match ups.
Of course, those decks that play Darkblast almost always play lots of other removal spells like the Gatekeeper, or Abrupt Decay, or Innocent Blood, or Edicts, or whatever else. So if you assume that the typical Death 'n Taxes deck plays around ~28 creatures, Darkblast invalidates at least 20/28 (71%) - Phyrexian Revoker, Flickerwisp, Mother of Runes, Thalia, Mangara - of your threats, and by invalidating Mother of Runes and Mangara, two of the core strategies of the deck. Darkblast in the graveyard or hand basically means that the DnT player has to draw one or more of the remaining 8 threats in the deck (Stoneforge Mystic or Serra Avenger) just to compete... and the opposing player can't draw other removal (Decay, whatever else) or just outright kill them in the mean time.Quote:
Originally Posted by DalkonCledwin
you realize your entire argument for the invalidation of this deck hinges upon the "It dies to removal" logical fallacy? According to your argument any deck with enough removal to take out 20 of 28 creatures should arguably be the best deck in the format, since you know, creatures die to removal.Quote:
Originally Posted by MGB
Reality is that isn't the case. You want to know why? Because a vast majority of the good decks in the format either have very few creatures to be removed, or no creatures at all. Alternatively they can create so many creatures that creature removal becomes obsolete (Dredge).
Of course Darkblast is a viable threat, but what happens when these decks run up against a Death and Taxes deck running either Dryad Militant or Rest in Peace. Darkblast becomes significantly less impressive if it is exiled as soon as it is cast the first time, doesn't it?
Some decks do die to removal, however. If you play a deck with a limited number of threats, like say, RUG Delver, if you face a deck that can withstand the mana disruption that also plays enough removal to handle your few threats, then you will lose more often than not to that deck.Quote:
Originally Posted by DalkonCledwin
Obviously a deck consisting of nothing but creature removal would not be favored against the combo decks of this format. But even so, decks like that have a niche in a creature-heavy metagame. Look at IBA's Train Wreck deck, or his Mono-White Control deck.Quote:
Reality is that isn't the case. You want to know why? Because a vast majority of the good decks in the format either have very few creatures to be removed, or no creatures at all. Alternatively they can create so many creatures that creature removal becomes obsolete (Dredge).
And the decks in question right now are the BG or B decks that play discard spells in addition to removal. Playing Darkblast does not require a massive investment on the part of the BG or B player.
Now you're just talking about answers to answers. It's the graveyard hate vs. Nature's Claim/Ray of Revelation argument from dredge discussions.Quote:
Of course Darkblast is a viable threat, but what happens when these decks run up against a Death and Taxes deck running either Dryad Militant or Rest in Peace. Darkblast becomes significantly less impressive if it is exiled as soon as it is cast the first time, doesn't it?