[Deck] Aggro Loam

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Originally Posted by Claymore

Played a small tournament, but managed to go 0-2 in matches against an Eldrazi player, who also throttled other aggro loam players at the tournament. Got manhandled in my matches.

Matchup seems a bit rough and heavily reliant on getting one or more large Knights out quickly through Thoughtknot disruption, and game 2 avoiding the Leyline draws. I almost think we need straight Devastating Dreams sweepers or simple Go for the Throat spells in the board. Maybe 1x Goyf main to make a fast fat body? Their 14+ sol lands means our wastelands are overloaded so hitting a single Ancient Tomb is followed up by an additional City plus Thought knot, and their 4/4 and 5/5s swinging on turn 3 don't give Loam a lot of time to wastelock.

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About a week ago I was trying to make an adjustment for the eldrazi MU. I was in between adding a goyf back to the main deck or just straight up adding a dismember. I was going to shave an abrupt decay for either card (go from 4 -> 3). Someone earlier suggest Hornet's Nest (also zenithable). I considered playing retribution of the meek (though eventually I settled on dismember since its instant, then never got paired against it). Ultimately I think we may be better off not running random 1 off cards in our main deck for a match up we might face.

I think we just have to hope that they don't have a super explosive draw. It sucks but, sometimes your opponent just "has it". I think our average draw is better than theirs and any specific cards for the MU should be in the sideboard.

I am interested in trying 1x Glissa, the Traitor in the board to Zenith for vs Eldrazi. Has anyone else tried this?

I tried in few construction - mostly Nic Fit. It's staller vs them for sure. Actually if they don't have removal, they need alpha strike to have chance to win which gives needed time. She also recur some artifacts like Mox diamond or EE which is also nice. On the other hand if they suspect her comming it will just die like any creature unless you have Karakas, in conclusion - if you have problems with Eldrazi Stompy you can add one to your SB, but I'm not convinced that Eldrazi Stompy will stay long in legacy meta-game.

I'll be testing Frog monster dude in old school Jund Assault Loam, since the synergy seems just fine. Expensive to cast? Of course, but I'm game to try.

-Matt

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Originally Posted by sdematt

I'll be testing Frog monster dude in old school Jund Assault Loam, since the synergy seems just fine. Expensive to cast? Of course, but I'm game to try

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I hear the frog monster triggers twice if you feed it Beta duals.

Now you've got my motor running. I don't call them Beta duals anymore, I call them most people's rent payments. Feels better that way, because the salt is more real.

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Originally Posted by sdematt

I'll be testing Frog monster dude in old school Jund Assault Loam, since the synergy seems just fine. Expensive to cast? Of course, but I'm game to try.

-Matt

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Definitely seems worth testing with Assault, maybe as a singleton GSZ target? Between Assault, Loam, and cycle lands I'd be surprised if this guy didn't win on the spot most of the time.

I decided to play this deck again this week for the first time since some time last year. I stopped playing it then because I got paired against Burn multiple times in succession at a tournament and it tilted me because I have no idea how to win that matchup.

Anyway, I ended up getting paired against Burn this week and it brought back a lot of traumatic memories :cry:

Game one I actually almost got there. I stabilised at low life with a chalice on 1, then managed to empty the board and stick a chalice on 2 at 2 life. I also had an active Knight, so just needed my opponent to not draw Rift Bolt (and he'd already cast one!) for a few turns. Sadly he proceeded to immediately topdeck Rift Bolt.

Game two I got a DRS and had a Maze which gave me some free Goblin Guide triggers. I am very careful to play around Price of Progress and Waste my own land with a couple of Moxes in play to create lethal next turn with my Knight, but my opponent proceeds to Smash to Smithereens my Chalice in my end step and then untap and kill me.

How does anyone win this matchup?

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Originally Posted by cdnza

I decided to play this deck again this week for the first time since some time last year. I stopped playing it then because I got paired against Burn multiple times in succession at a tournament and it tilted me because I have no idea how to win that matchup.

Anyway, I ended up getting paired against Burn this week and it brought back a lot of traumatic memories :cry:

Game one I actually almost got there. I stabilised at low life with a chalice on 1, then managed to empty the board and stick a chalice on 2 at 2 life. I also had an active Knight, so just needed my opponent to not draw Rift Bolt (and he'd already cast one!) for a few turns. Sadly he proceeded to immediately topdeck Rift Bolt.

Game two I got a DRS and had a Maze which gave me some free Goblin Guide triggers. I am very careful to play around Price of Progress and Waste my own land with a couple of Moxes in play to create lethal next turn with my Knight, but my opponent proceeds to Smash to Smithereens my Chalice in my end step and then untap and kill me.

How does anyone win this matchup?

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Establish a knight that doesn't die to 3 damage and manage your life the best way possible. Take out bob, loams, try to play around price. Bring in anything like charm to deal with enchamtments. The match isn't in your favor, but def winnable.

You have the right approach, sometimes you just get unlucky, though. Mulligan aggressively to GSZ/DRS/Scavenging Ooze or Chalice. Thalia is much better than Teeg (who only stops Fireblast), and Maze of Ith (which is just bad). If it's common in your meta it wouldn't hurt to run some lifegain in the board. Feed the Clan is the obvious place to start, but there are some land options (Diamond Valley, Nomad Stadium) as well. Killing them quickly is also important.

As mentioned earlier, my tech against burn is Dromoka's Command. While it doesn't break the matchup wide open like some other cards might, it counters any one burn spell (which is particularly handy against Price of Progress), circumvents lifegain hate and has utility in multiple matchups (unlike pretty much any lifegain spell). I lent the deck to a fellow judge in a tournament where I was busy judging, and he was very happy with the card, even though I don't think he faced burn at all. In particular, it let's us remove Rest in Peace without dedicating a whole card to the task, which is handy.

You can also luck sack into Chalice on 1, Loam back Depths, turn 3 Marit Lage, and then game 2 Chalice on 1 into Thalia and Knight with an opponent who can't get off one mountain.

I treat it as a combo matchup. Bring in Thalia, Thoughtseize, Ethersworn, Golgari Charm, and race to kill before they go off.

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some land options (Diamond Valley, Nomad Outpost)

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Nomad Stadium?

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Originally Posted by Claymore

You can also luck sack into Chalice on 1, Loam back Depths, turn 3 Marit Lage, and then game 2 Chalice on 1 into Thalia and Knight with an opponent who can't get off one mountain.

I treat it as a combo matchup. Bring in Thalia, Thoughtseize, Ethersworn, Golgari Charm, and race to kill before they go off.



Nomad Stadium?

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Yes. Derp. Fixed.

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Definitely seems worth testing with Assault, maybe as a singleton GSZ target? Between Assault, Loam, and cycle lands I'd be surprised if this guy didn't win on the spot most of the time.

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My thoughts exactly. Chalice seems like a must to protect from STP.

2 Gitrog Monster
3 Terravore
1 Eternal Witness
4 Tarmogoyf
10

4 Life from the Loam
3 Seismic Assault
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Devastating Dreams
4 Abrupt Decay
2 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Punishing Fire
4 Mox Diamond
26

4 Wooded Foothills
2 Bloodstained Mire
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
2 Taiga
1 Badlands
2 Bayou
1 Mountain
1 Forest
2 Forgotten Cave
2 Tranquil Thicket
4 Wasteland
1 Volrath's Stronghold
25

I guess you could always shave to add Burning Wishes, but whatever. I just want to jam large threats. Or cycle lands into Gitrog and go kaboom.

For Stadium, it feels like the first activation will be gaining back the 2-3 life you spent using it as a mana source. Thresh is also not a given.

If you want to actually dedicate slots to Burn,(2x) Warmth is pretty good. You can also play something like Kitchen Finks which is higher impact as a one-of due to the Zeniths.

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Originally Posted by apocolyps6

If you want to actually dedicate slots to Burn,(2x) Warmth is pretty good. You can also play something like Kitchen Finks which is higher impact as a one-of due to the Zeniths.

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In a deck with so many lands and GSZ Courser of Kruphix is a nice anti-burn card that lets you "draw" some extra cards along the way. It blocks/kills any creature they send at you, gains you some life and nets you a little CA at the same time. It has won enough games vs. Burn for me in Nic Fit.

That is a fine option against burn specifically, but it isn't that good of a fit for the deck.

Pros:
Blocks well
Gains life
Zenith-able
Sometimes CA
Works very well with Sylvan Library

Cons:
The CA often comes at the cost of sequencing your lands correctly (which is pretty important)
Costs 4 mana off of zenith, and the deck has higher impact plays at the stage
It risks dying in combat, so you are either blocking OR gaining life at which point Knight is just better
Trickles 'value' over time encouraging a slower game, which you are not always looking to play.

I could see playing one in the board against burn but the card also has pretty real limitations.

I recorded myself playing against Eldrazi

I didn't realize my commentary wasn't being recorded, so sorry about that. My play was pretty eh and some of my keeps I might not have made had we been playing for money. Still, I think it is worth looking at to get a sense of the matchup, or at least to start a conversation about decisions at a given timestamp.

@sdematt No love for Dakmor Salvage in that FrogmanAssault deck?

I have asked this before but I will try again since I still feel that it's impossible. How do I beat Shardless BUG? I feel that the matchup is so hard. Mana denial is too slow and I feel that if I keep the hands that deal with Deathrite and Goyf I loose to Liliana or Jace. I am at a loss. Is the DD/Stage-list better than the usual 4decay/3pfire-list?

Advice welcome, it is the only deck I need to beat to win a GPT so I can dedicate atleast 5 slots in the board to win against it.