[Deck] The Rock

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Now I would really like to start playing the rock but i've been hearing bad things

Can you guys tell me how The Rock is doing and post some deck lists that are the best in your oppinion.

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What bad things have you been hearing? I think the Rock is getting a ton better with the new options of Deathrite Shaman and Abrupt Decay.

I think the lists that I've seen that I've liked the most are:

// Lands (22)
1 [FUT] Dryad Arbor
4 [JGC] Windswept Heath
1 [M11] Forest (3)
1 [CST] Plains (2)
3 [R] Savannah
1 [U] Scrubland
4 [JGC] Wasteland
2 [R] Bayou
1 [FUT] Horizon Canopy
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs

// Creatures
4 [WWK] Stoneforge Mystic
4 [DDG] Knight of the Reliquary
2 [CMD] Scavenging Ooze
1 [ARB] Qasali Pridemage
1 [LRW] Gaddock Teeg
2 [FUT] Tarmogoyf
1 [RTR] Deathrite Shaman

// Spells
4 [MBS] Green Sun's Zenith
4 [IA] Swords to Plowshares
1 [NPH] Batterskull
4 [ROE] Inquisition of Kozilek
3 [LRW] Thoughtseize
1 [BOK] Umezawa's Jitte
3 [RTR] Abrupt Decay
1 [DS] Sword of Light and Shadow
2 [LG] Sylvan Library

If you're planning a SFM route.

4x Knight of the Reliquary
1x Tarmogoyf
1x Scavenging Ooze
1x Eternal Witness
1x Deathrite Shaman
1x Qasali Pridemage
1x Kitchen Finks

3x Green Sun's Zenith
2x Thoughtseize
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Swords to Plowshares
1x Abrupt Decay
2x Maelstrom Pulse
3x Pernicious Deed
3x Phyrexian Arena
2x Liliana of the Veil
1x Garruk Relentless
1x Life from the Loam

2x Bayou
2x Scrubland
1x Savannah
1 x Bojuka Bog
4x Verdant Catacombs
2 x Marsh Flats
1x Plains
1x Swamp
1 x Forest
1 x Cabal Pit
1x Tranquil Thicket
1x Barren Moor
1x Treetop Village
1x Volrath's Stronghold
4x Wasteland


If you want a more control-based route.

Hanni's list if you're looking for very fast Junk.

And probably, lastly, either Ian or my own lists for hybrids in between.

Artifacts
1 Batterskull
3 Mox Diamond
2 Sensei's Divining Top

Creatures
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Dark Confidant
3 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
3 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Tarmogoyf

Enchantments
1 Sylvan Library

Instants
4 Swords to Plowshares

Legendary Artifacts
1 Umezawa's Jitte

Planeswalkers
2 Liliana of the Veil

Sorceries
2 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Thoughtseize

Basic Lands
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Swamp

Lands
2 Bayou
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Marsh Flats
1 Maze of Ith
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Wasteland
3 Windswept Heath

Land Creatures
1 Dryad Arbor

Legendary Lands
1 Karakas

OR

// Lands (23)
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Windswept Heath
3 Marsh Flats
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Savannah
2 Scrubland
3 Wasteland
3 Bayou
1 Karakas
1 Maze of Ith
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs

// Creatures
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Qasali Pridemage
3 Tarmogoyf
4 Dark Confidant
1 Ulvenwald Tracker


// Spells
3 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Sylvan Library
2 Sensei's Divining top
2 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Garruk Relentless


-Matt

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Originally Posted by Mirrislegend

I don't see the Hymns. Just missing a 60th card by my count.

Yea, Library and/or Top is definitely in order here. Given your relatively low number of shuffle effects, I'm going to say you cannot abuse Top to it's fullest. Hence, Library might be in order. On the flip side, Top plays pretty nicely with Loam (tap top, replacement of draw, top goes on top after dredge, right?). If that does work, maybe you should pick Top, just cuz it doesn't die to Deed (which is a very critical part of your build)

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Hymns were left out deliberately, and i typically run 61 cards, which is why I have 2 slots available (also why you counted 59 cards.) Also, there is only 3x Wastelands and there is 1x Dryad Arbor in the list (that's what happens when you do it by memory...doh!)

My fundamental inclination is to put in Library...but as you say, it gets wrecked by Deed. The inclusion of maindeck Deeds was also the biggest reason (other than budgetary constraints) for using Phyrexian Arena...I can still deed for 2 and keep my draw engine. I think 2x SDT is probably where I will start. In the worst case I can always just do a blind draw off the top after activating Deed so I don't lose the long-term filtering.

So with Hymn to the sideboard, this is what I'm looking at for cards 62-76:

3x Hymn to Tourach (aggro, aggro-control, combo)
4x Leyline of Sanctity (burn, storm)
2x Oblivion Ring (Show and Tell)
1x Thrun, the Last Troll (some decks just can't beat Thrun)
1x Gaddock Teeg (combo)
1x Surgical Extraction
3x Tormod's Crypt

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Originally Posted by Mirrislegend

I don't see the Hymns. Just missing a 60th card by my count.

Yea, Library and/or Top is definitely in order here. Given your relatively low number of shuffle effects, I'm going to say you cannot abuse Top to it's fullest. Hence, Library might be in order. On the flip side, Top plays pretty nicely with Loam (tap top, replacement of draw, top goes on top after dredge, right?). If that does work, maybe you should pick Top, just cuz it doesn't die to Deed (which is a very critical part of your build)

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Hymns were left out deliberately, and i typically run 61 cards, which is why I have 2 slots available (also why you counted 59 cards.) Also, there is only 3x Wastelands and there is 1x Dryad Arbor in the list (that's what happens when you do it by memory...doh!)

My fundamental inclination is to put in Library...but as you say, it gets wrecked by Deed. The inclusion of maindeck Deeds was also the biggest reason (other than budgetary constraints) for using Phyrexian Arena...I can still deed for 2 and keep my draw engine. I think 2x SDT is probably where I will start. In the worst case I can always just do a blind draw off the top after activating Deed so I don't lose the long-term filtering.

So with Hymn to the sideboard, this is what I'm looking at for cards 62-76:

3x Hymn to Tourach (aggro, aggro-control, combo)
4x Leyline of Sanctity (burn, storm)
2x Oblivion Ring (Show and Tell)
1x Thrun, the Last Troll (some decks just can't beat Thrun + discard, but mostly control)
1x Gaddock Teeg (combo)
1x Surgical Extraction
3x Nihil Spellbomb

Hey Mr. Safety you play over at Crossroad's ever?

Btw that Greenleaf quote is classic Greenleaf nonsense...

Almost took down the local monthly Legacy. I went undefeated into the finals but lost to Goblins. Game 1 wasn't even close, Game 2 was somewhat close but I drew nothings, and game 3 I got stuck on two lands and he had the God draw. I played my normal list against 43 Lands, Maverick, and Gobbos.

-Matt

Grats on the close finish Matt!

In other news I won a 34 man tourney last night playing my GSZ/DRS build, more to come.

I played in a small tournament last weekend. My list was with green sun+ stoneforge. I lost to U/R-Delver, RUG and Painter-Stone
My problem was my sideboard. For the next time i want to prepared for those decks. What cards are good sideboard cards against them? and how to board best. I have changed my maindeck a bit. I will post it soon.

Hello guys i'm back from the grave (too much work related things to make me so busy), i participated a 17-men legacy yesterday and went 6th place standing. Testing out a build that doesnt use mox diamond, in place for the diamonds i used deathrite shaman (after weighing w/c is a good topdeck in the middlegame or late game) so i give the shaman a shot, here's my list:

4 dark confidant
4 knight of the reliquary
4 tarmogoyf
2 deathrite shaman

4 inquisition of kozilek
4 hymn to tourach
2 thoughtseize
3 maelstrom pulse

4 swords to plowshares

2 pernicious deed
1 engineered explosives
3 sensei's divining top

2 bayou
2 scrubland
2 swamp
1 forest
1 plains
4 verdant catacombs
4 marsh flats
3 wasteland
1 karakas
1 maze of ith
1 bojuka bog
1 volrath's stronghold

//sideboard
4 timely reinforcements
2 extirpate
2 tormod's crypt
1 bojuka bog
2 choke
2 perish
2 engineered plague

R1 vs UR delver: 2-0, timely reinforcements FTW
R2 vs UG infect: 1-2, pithing needle for my deeds on third game :cry:
R3 vs manaless dredge: 2-0, game 1 turn 1 shaman rocks!
R4 vs MBC: 1-2, too much hate on my lands, surgicals my verdant, sinkholes my basics, wastes on my duals :cry: and came up to the point i was overrun by 2 nighthawks

On the shaman, 2-offs on my deck w/c i cant give anything relevant notes atm maybe i will drop my 2nd thoughtseize and replace it w/ my 3rd shaman (will act as 3 mox diamonds) and maybe i will stick at the shaman leaving my diamonds on my binder.

Few notes on my deck, i run 4 basics since i dont have mox diamond (w/c is resistant to wasteland) w/c i think a stable manabase together w/ 4 duals (my preference). As consequence of 4 basics i run 2 deeds and 1 EE to stall aggro w/c i feel so comfortable (after the tourney i tested this list against merfolk deck w/o SB w/c turns out a really handy match up) and also a good match up for UR delver and UG infect (on the 2nd game). About the SB it is a anticipated one on the meta i was facing in my local, gobs, burn, affinity, maverick, nic fit to name a few so it turns out to be like that but i will remake my SB this coming nov. 10 big event w/c miracles are present. About Liliana sometimes her +1 ability is so symmetrical it hurts me alot so atm i took her away from my 75 but back in my mind i like to do -2 seize, +2 liliana. About 4 inquisition of kozilek, still for me it is puzzling to drop seize and replace w/ IOK cuz most of the decks i'm facing run 3 cmc or less w/c turns out sometimes i grab ponder via thoughtseize w/ -2 life (that -2 life in ponder is so meaningless) so atm i run 4 IOK jamming w/ 2 seize.
Thats all atm i think i'm started loving the shaman even he showed up only in my dredge match up (quite a hero :tongue:).

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Originally Posted by Deckerator

I played in a small tournament last weekend. My list was with green sun+ stoneforge. I lost to U/R-Delver, RUG and Painter-Stone
My problem was my sideboard. For the next time i want to prepared for those decks. What cards are good sideboard cards against them? and how to board best. I have changed my maindeck a bit. I will post it soon.

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Vs UR delver/RUG: timely reinforcements (i'm totally crazy about this card! this card saved me from near death experience :smile:)
Vs painter-stone: some disruptions in the form of hymns, IOK, seize, extirpate on grindstone and if you run e-tutor SB needle on the grindstone seem's good

Okay, from the other day before I forget/lose my notes: 4 rounds cut to top 8.

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Dark Confidant
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Quasali Pridemage

Artifacts: 2
1 Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

Sorceries: 8
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Thoughtseize

Planeswalkers: 2
2 Lilliana of the Veil

Instants: 7
4 Swords to plowshares
3 Abrupt Decay

Lands: 23
1 Scrubland
4 Wasteland
3 Bayou


1 Savannah
1 Maze of Ith
4 Marsh Flats
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Karakas
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Dryad Arbor

Sideboard: 15
3 cabal therapy
3 Choke
3 Judge's Familiar
1 batterskull
1 sword of light and shadow
1 scavenging ooze
3 path to exile

Round 1: Goblins 2-1 WLW Game 1 was a quick SFM plus equip with discard on his removal. Jitte wrecked face. Game 2 I ate a perish with a board of Shaman and Knights. Bouncing Batterskull, Removal, Lilliana edicts and Shaman life gain wore him down.

Round 2: RUG 2-0 WW Game 1 he called Shaman unplayable and then had to waste 2 bolts to kill 2 of them that were keeping him off of threshold. Goyfs stayed small and delvers quickly decayed...pretty easy.

Round 3: Reanimator 2-1 LWW Game 1 I had a turn 2 griselbrand when I played turn 1 shaman...must be nice. Games 2 and 3 he had non turn 2 hands and I had an ooze online by the time it mattered.

Round 4: RUG 2-1 WLW Game 1 I had a land heavy draw and just played SFM into Confidant into Knight into ooze and he ran out of answers. Game 2 is why RUG is good play a dude, counter that, play a dude, bolt that, play a dude, counter that....Game three I thoughtseize, Cabal Therapy, flashback Therapy...you have no hand. gg.

Semi: Maverick 2-0 WW Game one I kept his Oozes off the table or kept them too small to matter. Shaman ate lands and a jitte cleared his board. Game 2 I brought in Batterskull/Sword of L and S and more removal and played the control plan. Lilliana cleaned up the rest when she ultimate for half of his stuff.

Quarter: Goblins 2-1 LWW Game One he tarfired my shaman and got in with a lackey for a ringleader which hit awesome. Games 2 and 3 I brought in more equipment and more removal, eventually I got a sword on a dude and went to town.

Finals: Show and Tell 2-1 LWW Game one I had a early wasteland, thoughtseize and saw double show and tell, double emrakul...eat shit... Game 2 and 3 I brought in Judge's Familiars(finally) and cabal therapies and played the super mana denial role. Game 2 he had to stop a turn to get 1 more mana for the familiar and I was able to pridemage the omniscience but any other hate card would have worked. Game 3 Early wasteland, familiar and discard allowed me to fill the board with teeg, karakas, pridemage and familiars for the old school weenie beat down plan. His wish for sweeper was massacre...

On Shaman: Card is dumb... I stand by my opinion. I only saw scryb ranger once or twice and she did nothing, not mad about it as she is for decks I didn't see although it would have been nice to block a delver all day...

On familiar: could have been any other hate card... Most likely going to be Thalia for first strike.

Congratz frog!

Family issues (mother on hospital) prevented me from attending last week's tournament. Hopefully I'll be able to play again soon

Two Rock decks did well recently in Italy in two different tournaments. One was the token version with Lingering Souls and Bitterblossom and the other one was Dark Maverick.

Yay!

-Matt

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Originally Posted by Fakedylan

Hey Mr. Safety you play over at Crossroad's ever?

Btw that Greenleaf quote is classic Greenleaf nonsense...

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No I don't...but if you're in the Portland area, I'm only about 20 minutes away in New Gloucester. It intrigues me.

Greenleaf was revolutionary in his philosophy in communication; you'll never convince me otherwise. It isn't nonsense if you've read anything from him, such as 'The Servant as Leader' and other essays.

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Originally Posted by sdematt

Two Rock decks did well recently in Italy in two different tournaments. One was the token version with Lingering Souls and Bitterblossom and the other one was Dark Maverick.

Yay!

-Matt

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Do you have a link to the deck list? Thanks!

http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...9&iddeck=68225

http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...4&iddeck=68360

http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...9&iddeck=68225

-Matt

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Originally Posted by sdematt

http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...9&iddeck=68225

http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...4&iddeck=68360

http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...9&iddeck=68225

-Matt

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There are a lot of deathrite shaman in those three lists...

I belive that one tournament there took place in Denmark not Italy. But anyways good results for this deck. Those list are quite odd though for my taste.

They also don't have KotR, second one has Vraska x1, Thrun x2...very odd.

I just pulled up the last few ones just for our considerations. You can also see what metagames they placed in by looking below the decklist.

-Matt

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Originally Posted by lavafrogg

There are a lot of deathrite shaman in those three lists...

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I am 100% convinced that the right number is 4, even if you're committed to GSZ. I just bought the other 3 I needed for the set.