So a turn 2 Siege Rhino is good against Delver. That is all.
Forest, pass.
Vet explorer, play Stronghold, sacrifice Vet, search for Forest Plains, Rhino. Ka. Boom.
-Matt
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So a turn 2 Siege Rhino is good against Delver. That is all.
Forest, pass.
Vet explorer, play Stronghold, sacrifice Vet, search for Forest Plains, Rhino. Ka. Boom.
-Matt
Yeah, it doesn't make that much sense boarding (some) Decays out with hindsight. And if it's only for their SB-options or Cliques/Snapcaster to be able to attack Jace.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arianrhod
I usually side out 2-3 Vets, 2 StP, a couple of therapy for thrun, SoFaF, SoFaI, 1 Canonist and 2 memorcides.Quote:
Originally Posted by tomatojim
Then again....I've rarely beat it as well.
Has anyone been brewing any sweet bug lists lately?
Here's one that recently did good
http://mtgdecks.net/decks/view/117438
I think the list is okay. But I wonder if not dig is better than cruise here. Also I'd like to fit in a Karn.. perhaps instead of sagu mauler
The other day i read this in the Miracles thread about the Nic Fit match up. I do not fully agree, but be the judge yourself:Quote:
Originally Posted by tomatojim
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheArchitect
Yup, I read that as well, so at least for punishing builds it seems reasonable to keep the Decays in, since you (could) encounter Priest, RiP, CB and Clique. Killing Top like Arianrhod mentioned or an Angel so their damage isn't lethal can also be relevant.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobmans
Do you side out all Explorers against them? I did, but maybe that's just because I want 2/3 of my SB against Miracles. Maybe you should keep one in just to be able to tutor for it in some weird situations.
That's where I'm at right now, tell me if it's too much or has general flaws:
In: 2x Thoughtseize, 2x Needle, 2x Slaughter, 1x Grip, 3x REB
Out: 1x Ooze, 1x PFire, 4x VetEx, 1x Baloth, 2x Therapy, 1x Witness
Golgari Charm is also a way to deal with Enchantments or X/1 creatures, but I'm not sure I want that as well.
Sure, I posted a list a week or so ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by litenkatt
Here is where I am now:
Lands (20)
1 Underground Sea
2 Forest
2 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Tropical Island
3 Polluted Delta
4 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
Creatures (10)
2 Glen Elendra Archmage
4 Baleful Strix
4 Veteran Explorer
Planeswalker (2)
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Artifact (1)
1 Sensei's Divining Top
Enchantment (3)
3 Pernicious Deed
Instant (16)
1 Golgari Charm
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Brainstorm
4 Cunning Wish
4 Force of Will
Sorcery (8)
1 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Ponder
4 Cabal Therapy
Sideboard
1 Empty the Pits
1 Echoing Truth
1 Krosan Grip
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Pact of Negation
1 Crypt Incursion
1 Hatred
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Flusterstorm
3 Thoughtseize
1 Golgari Charm
1 Abrupt Decay
I cannot determine yet which version is stronger right now between my former post or this new list. Each list has its pros and cons.
Link to the former post: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...l=1#post854002
Personally i run 3 Vet and 4 DRS with 3 Carpet of Flowers in the board. This to avoid the akward situation of getting mana screwed against decks where i boarded out all Vet's. The upside of using DRS is that it eventually costs resources of the Miracles pilot to remove it. If he does i like to be able to extract either Terminus or STP. Also i really like Slaughter Games in this MU. Removing Entreat and Jace shuts down their main wincon. Offcourse they still run Clique, SCM, Priests and whatnot, but we can PFire and Abrupt Decay.Quote:
Originally Posted by tomatojim
Switching Cabal Therapies for Thoughtseize is a bit weird, but understandable if you have trouble hitting correct cards with the therapy (experience?). You could offcourse just add the TS and run 6 discard. Needles are a bit akward also because naming SDT shuts down your own. I would say board in one to be able to shut down Karakas or Helm, but only if you know they run it. The 4 ponder build often does not.
Golgari Charm might be better against lists running RiP + Helm, against the legends build i would just go with AD and PFire sinse those are better at doing the job. AD decay hits most annoying stuff anyway. Also Krosan Grip is powerful against Miracles. REB is also a solid choice although i personally wouldn't bring more than 2. I found that playing against most decks it is better to just keep pressure and let them drain themselves instead of trying to prevent them from stopping you (this sounds logical?) with Miracles being no exeption other than SDT (+CB) keeps it going.
Lastly i also like to have a combat walker around against Miracles like Garruk since if it resolves it is hard for them to remove it outside of Council's Judgement. Spitting tokens will overwhelm them eventually unless they Entreat for lethal against you.
Having said this i must also add that i have some experience playing against Miracles and sometimes i also play Miracles, but it is still limited. The problem is that in our testing group we have no Miracles player to consistantly test against. So i can understand if people would not agree with my mostly theorycrafting.
@Bobmans
I might try it with keeping all Therapies in and bringing only 2 REBs and 1 Needle in.
I'm also thinking of playing extra copies of DRS or Carpet of Flowers in the board, maybe instead of the 3rd REB, for the matchups where I don't want Explorer. ATM I run a 4/1 split Ex/DRS.
Luckily Garruk is already in the main deck to spam tokens. :wink:
My experience with Miracles is mostly based on the RiP/Helm version, because that's the only one that exists in our local testing group. So I have less problems boarding against that version than the normal 4-Ponder-list.
Edit: Surgical Extraction will also come in, mostly for Terminus, but it's also great with Therapy.
Does anyone still play any pod lists? Would be cool to see an updated version. Have been playing elves recently and want to try out something different.
Quote:
Originally Posted by litenkatt
Its not your typical build and I don't have the list on me but it is along the lines of Fabino's list but much more streamline; 2 Titania (may go 3) and 3 GSZ, and more trinket mages, also no planeswalkers. Note I have not play tested it but when gold fishing Titania usually starts goes bonkers around turn 6.
(not going to re-quote the whole thread)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobmans
But I highly disagree with what the person was saying from the Miracles perspective, especially about slaughter games. I played miracles for close to a year so I have some experience from the other side of that fence. Depending on the miracles build, slaughter games either will flat out win a game completely, or slow the miracles player down to a point where they won't be able to keep up. In a traditional miracles build, there are 2 win-cons, Jace and Entreat...if you SG the EtA, the game is essentially over as long as you can apply persistent pressure (which should be easy at that point). In miracle builds where they run MD Vensers, V Cliques, etc. you still name EtA, but then it becomes for the Nic Fit player a race to land threats and keep them from killing you.
In either case...CB should not come out on their end...any Miracles player that boards out 4x CB is basically giving you the game in my opinion. At that point, they can't stop you from casting 1 of your 8 discard spells (incl flashback CT). If you just flat out wreck their hand, good luck having them recover from that (or any deck let alone).
I have experience and have play tested the miracles matchup a bit with ScapeWish. Normally, I will keep in 2 Veteran explorers. A couple of reasons, 1) I board in Carpet of Flowers, if I accelerate their lands and they get islands, they just further accelerate my game plan and we are still at an advantage...2) Probably the best of reasons, it presents a 20 turn clock or a threat they need to waste StP on. Will I bash face for 1 each turn? Hell yeah I would, before they know it they will be at 12 or so life and in a position where they need to start thinking about removing it. That right there is +1 in my opinion.
Since I play ScapeWish this is what my boarding plan looks like:
+2 Carpet of Flower
+2 REB
+2 Slaughter Games
-2 Veteran Explorer
-1 Obstinate Baloth
-1 Sakura Tribe Elder
-1 Wood Elves
-1 Pernicious Deed
I pretty much gave up on pod after they printed treasure cruise (and then containment priest, woof). I am planning to go back to trying out pod versions, both BUG and Junk, next week. Titania is an intriguing card that I tried out in Maverick where it wasn't very good. I am going to try it in nic fit pod next, where it seems like you will actually be able to utilize it more effectively. I am planning on playing a sylvan safekeeper to "go off" with it but it wouldn't surprise me if that ended up being bad. I'll let the thread know how it goes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arksz
You can still gain tons of value off ETBs and the Pod. Playing the value game kind of sucks against cruise? The other variants still fall prey to GSZ being hit by containment priest. Just curious as to why BUG pod isn't played as much.Quote:
Originally Posted by GtF
@ honeyt in reference to the abzan list you posted the prime time seems awkward with only one karakas as a non mana target. Has it been worth it for you I feel like either other titan would be more threatening.
Tiggy, want to post your list again?
-Matt
At our local legacy event last week there was a Pod-List in the top8 (36 players):Quote:
Originally Posted by Arksz
08. Moritz Mathes
1 Dryad Arbor
3 Deathrite Shaman
4 Veteran Explorer
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Voice Of Resurgence
1 Spike Feeder
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Eternal Witness
1 Bone Shredder
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Siege Rhino
1 Ranger Of Eos
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Restoration Angel
1 Reveillark
1 Archangel Of Thune
1 Shriekmaw
1 Armada Wurm
2 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Birthing Pod
1 Batterskull
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
3 Forest
2 Swamp
1 Plains
2 Scrubland
2 Bayou
1 Savannah
1 Phyrexian Tower
Sideboard:
1 Chaines Of Mephistopheles
1 Aegis Of The Gods
1 Eidolon Of Rhetoric
1 Choke
1 Nether Void
1 Grave Pact
1 Painful Quandary
1 Curse Of Death's Hold
1 Academy Rector
1 Voice Of Resurgence
1 Thalia, Guardian Of Thraben
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Duress
1 Inquisition Of Kozilek
1 Hymn To Tourach
I can't really say anything about it, since I'm not into Pod, just wanted to share the list.
Greetings
I've played both styles, Pod and not Pod. When Pod gets up and running, you're likely winning. The problem is, if you don't get Pod, you're stuck with some very poorly curved creatures. Basically, the deck becomes a Survival deck without Survival because you are playing quite a few bullet creatures. I like the non-Pod builds just due to consistency.
-Matt
This is where I'm at currently.
3 Explorer
3 Deathrite Shaman
3 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Seige Rhino
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Strangleroot Geist (flex)
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Sigarda
1 Batterskull
1 Jitte
1 Sword of fire and ice
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Abrupt Decay
2 Plow
1 Funeral Charm (flex)
1 Golgari Charm (flex)
3 GSZ
2 Sylvan Library
1 Top
1 Recurring Nightmare
6 Basics
6 Duals
7 Fetches
2 Phyrexian tower
Sb:
2 Carpet of Flowers
2 Thoughtseize
2 Toxic Deluge
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Grafdiggers Cage
1 Pithing Needle
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Krosan Grip
1 Council's Judgement
1 Elspeth, Knight Errant
I'm debating on the deluge/deed split in the board and whether it should go the other way. The geist could be plow #3 but its been so good i cant bring myself to cut it. Whether or not I really need the relic of progenitus or if it should be another surgical. I havent fully developed my board plans for each match so im not sure yet if I have any matchups where I have way too much to bring out and not enough to bring in.
I have been pondering about the spot of Primeval Titan in my PFire list. Rampaging Baloth will be replacing his spot coming tournament. It has some solid synergy next to Courser of Kruphix, Sensei's Divining Top, Veteran Explorer and fetchlands. It might just make more impact on the board then PrimeTime. Havent actually played it yet so i am blind on if it actually works.
Also i have been testing Sarkhan the Mad and it felt a bit weird. Sometimes it does nothing and sometimes it is bonkers. It goes to the sideboard for now, while Vraska is staying mainboard. Everytime i resolved her she was more then usefull and helped me either stabilize the board or win with it.
Also Garruk, Apex Predator is on my radar and i am going to test it soon as a replacement of Sarkhan in the board but i am a bit worried that 7 mana is to much.
I have played with Garruk, AP in roughly 15ish matches. Conclusion on it was the same as any 7 drop PW...when it sticks, the game is over...when its stuck in your hand, life sucks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobmans
I currently play ScapeWish without any PWs, there just isn't any need right now. I have been fooling around with Punishing Fit and I wouldn't touch my Lili count.
After toying with various Pod lists, I feel that BUG is the best option if you're looking to take that route. It offers the best creatures for both podding away (Baleful Strix, Glen Elendra Archmage, etc) and podding into (Phantasmal Image, Frost Titan, Consecrated Sphinx), and ultimately allows for stronger match-up flexibility.
Nope. That was just a typing error on my part. Titan is not supposed to be in the list at all. Should just be 60 cards.Quote:
Originally Posted by uncletiggy
I'm playing Karakas as my 61st to bounce Thrun and Sigarda, it's been fine.
Went 3-1 yesterday losing to Burn and beating Elves, Mono White Stax, and something else.
Lovely play against my Elves opponent. He's at 3 before he stabilizes and builds up enough blockers against my massive Scooze. How does one get out of this? GSZ for Rhino, of course.
-Matt
RhinoBolts FTWQuote:
Originally Posted by sdematt
Seriously, though, JUNK Fit is looking super spicy right now. Matt, have you tested out Restoration Angel yet? I feel like the flexibility it provides would outweigh the "cuteness" factor. The usual arguments of it blocks Delver, dodges both [boring-non-rhino] Bolt and Decay apply.
What's better than a RhinoBolt? Instant speed RhinoBolts.
FTW, ofc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrShine
You're better off using the Resto Slot for another Rhino.
Probably true... Flying is moderately relative these days but yeah Rhino pretty much just does everything we need - even tramples through TNN
Today i played my PFire list at a small tournament and went 3-2-1. Not the best results, but the list played awesome and was able to put on some serious fights.
3 Veteran Explorer
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Eternal Witness
1 Courser of Kruphix
2 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Thragtusk
1 Rampaging Baloth
4 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Pernicious Deed
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Punishing Fire
1 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Liliana of the Veil
1 Vraska the Unseen
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's Stronghold
2 Bayou
1 Taiga
1 Badlands
3 Forest
2 Swamp
1 Mountain
4 Verdant Catacomb
2 Wooded Foothills
Board
3 Carpet of Flowers
3 Thoughtseize
2 Golgari Charm
2 Slaughter Games
2 Pyroblast
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Extirpate
1 Sarkhan the Mad
Round 1: UW Stasis 1-2
Game 1: I was able to get a DRS, Liliana and PFire + Grove online and he scooped with only a Tabernacle, some lands and a Howling Mine. Didn't know what he was on.
Game 2: I have some creatures, pyroblast and a GSZ. I used the Pyroblast on a Counterbalance and i nipped his life away over the turns. Finally i tap out for a GSZ into a Huntmaster and on his turn he lands Stasis and Root Maze.
Game 3: i opened with 2 Carpet of Flowers, Slaughter Games, Abrupt Decay, GSZ, Swamp and Mountain. I never find a green source and then Stasis plus Root Maze happened again.
Round 2: Burn 2-0
Not really sure how the games went, but both games i managed to stabilize midgame due to the amount of lifegain of DRS and Courser and Huntermaster seals both games.
Round 3: Dredge 1-2
Game 1: I get some decend board presence, but i couldn't find an answer for 8-9 Zombie tokens and a 16/16 grave-troll. DRS really stalled the game, but i guess Scavenging Ooze could have been a better option for GSZ during the first turns.
Game 2: I am able to slow him with a DRS and land a Scooze to take over. He has like 13 Zombie tokens and a 8/8 grave-troll, but i find a Pernicious Deed and have a 10/10 Scooze plus a Huntmaster that flips and takes his Putrid Imp to seal the deal.
Game 3: i mull to 5 and keep 2 lands, Cabal Therapy, Surgical Extraction and a Huntmaster. He lands a Gemstone, LED and a Pimp and eot discards a Bridge, Ichorid and a Thug. I get greedy and remove the Ichorid's to slow him down and realize i should have waited for a Narcomoeba to trigger and remove that instead. I only draw into more lands and lost horribly.
Round 4: Burn 2-1 (treasure cruise splash).
Game 1: He lands an early Bloom Moon and i have some business with DRS, Veteran Explorer and Courser of Kruphix. He lands a Sulfuric Vortex and i have to blow the board with Pernicous Deed. I was on 1 life and resolve a Thragtusk ftw.
Game 2: He has a nuts hand and burns me down to fast before i can stabilize.
Game 3: I can slow him down with DRS and removing Eidolon from the board, but eventually both board are cleared and i land a Vraska, the Unseen. She ultimates and he has only 2 Lightning Bolts when i attack with my 3 lethal tokens.
Round 5: Mono black discard 2-0
Game 1: We trade resources back and forth while i am able to land the Rampaging Baloth. He answers with a Toxic Deluge and a Maze of Ith. But i have a Volrath's Stronghold and recast it. Next turn i drop a land and i crack a fetch. He couldn't recover.
Game 2: He keeps a one land hand and never got the second and scoops on turn 4.
Round 6: ID and we split the prize
I really like my current list and will stick to Rampaging Baloth and Vraska the Unseen. Vraska doesn't look that great on paper, but everytime it hits the board it puts on so much pressure. Rampaging Baloth and the Two Towers where often not needed, but when i shifted into longgame and got to use them those cards sealed the deal. Having seen the Baloth in action i really feel it puts on more pressure on the board then Primeval Titan does. Also 4 Deathrite Shaman is incredible good. If they stick they do some heavy lifting and if they remove it then it is not a problem since the deck puts on so much pressure that eventually they run out of resources. 3 Sensei's Divining Top feels fine, with 4 i found that i was sometimes flooded with it and with 3 i mostly get on midgame when i start to run out of gas. Courser of Kruphix is criminally underplayed. It is so awesome and really speeds up the game when under a Sensei's Divining Top. I haven't resolved a Sarkhan the Mad in any game and i am didn't feel i wanted in any of the games i played. Still gonna keep him in the board for further testing. No changes for this list.
Just updating y'all with my current list:
4 Siege Rhino
4 Veteran Explorer
1 Eternal Witness
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Thragtusk
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Scavenging Ooze
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Path to Exile
1 Golgari Charm
1 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Pernicious Deed
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Recurring Nightmare
3 Forest
3 Swamp
2 Plains
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Bayou
2 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Karakas
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Marsh Flats
2 Windswept Heath
3 Thoughtseize
3 Carpet of Flowers
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Krosan Grip
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Toxic Deluge
1 Massacre
-Matt
How has path been for you matt I suggested it a while back and caught a lot of flack for loosing the ability to swords for life in a pinch in the burn matchup. Im also curious how 8 basics and three utlity lands has been, do you find yourself mulling from mana constraints often.
My thought process was that with 4 Rhino, you want them to be drained on life total, and the basic land doesn't matter since you're Veteran Exploring anyway. It's been very good.Quote:
Originally Posted by uncletiggy
8 basics and three utility has been good. I have no way to tutor them and I really don't want to curve up to Prime-Time. It's never been necessary. But, when I get them, they're nice to have. The mana has always been very good.
-Matt
I like your list Matt, nice and streamlined. Path is definitely and interesting direction to take things, I can definitely see it being unconditional 1cmc removal a lot of the time.
Has 4 Top ever felt like too many copies?
No Teeg maindeck? Is this just a concession to Combo G1?
--
More to all the Junk players / testers out there: Is equipment actually just unnecessary at this point? Siege Rhino is such a beater that it seems like we don't even need to strap anything on our dudes to be able to punch through anymore.
No, I like having 4 Tops because you're a control deck. You ideally want to see one, and you do end up cutting it back in some matchups when sideboarding.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrShine
Agreed. I'm conceding to combo a bit game 1, but game 2 is definitely much better. Teegs, Surgical, etc.
You don't really need Equipment especially in Nic Fit - your guys can plow through most blocks very easily, and you have enough removal like Deed to clear away most creatures. I've never had to Deed on 4, except against Armageddon Stax, which statistically isn't a popular matchup.
-Matt
Why are there so many decks in this thread with 61 cards? Is this common in legacy or just in this archetype?
I like your list a lot Matt (except for the 61 cards thingy), although I'm playing Punishing Fit at the moment I might switch to something a little more aggressive. Couple of questions though:
Do you miss the Stoneforge package?
Would you consider a second Rec Nightmare?
Slaughter games in PFit has been doing a lot of work for me, so I was considering playing Memoricide/Cranial extraction on my Abzan SB. Have you tried them?
Thanks
You'll find 61 card lists almost exclusively in decks containing gsz the 61 st card is almost always a land or a tutor target. Maverick nicfit junkblade all see 61 card lists.
Check out the Abzan list I recommended a couple pages ago (minus the Titan, typo, it's not in the deck) 60 cards, and Memoricde/Cranial Extraction in the board.Quote:
Originally Posted by kade
Yeah. I'm not playing Cranial/Memoricide since Slaughter is just so much better. I like my sideboard as is, even if the Miracles matchup is slightly poorer. Go go gadget Siege Rhino!Quote:
Originally Posted by HoneyT
I wouldn't play 2 Nightmare. You don't want it all the time, just sometimes.
-Matt
Thanks a lot HoneyT. Is really similar to Matt's. I'll play around with both.Quote:
Originally Posted by HoneyT
It seems there are some "personal choices", from what I've read from you in the thread (the lack of Tower/Stronghold and the Cranial/memoricide + Lilliana Package in the board). I've been playing with your PFit deck so I'm kind of used to that by now, so I'll start there.
Won a local holiday Legacy event, went 3-0-1 with Punishing Fit. I was certainly lucky that day, both in pairings and in some games.
Round 1: vs. UWR-Blade
G1 I gain advantage over him with plays like Huntmaster which got plowed, Garruk that made a token and ate a bolt, etc. I have multiple creatures, removal, discard and he dies.
G2 was easier postboard, he was relying on Snapping the StP to get rid of my Huntmaster and token, but that got REB'd. Then Clique stripped me of GSZ but died to a Punishing Fire, I draw into Rakdos Charm, exile his graveyard while he has one fetch untapped, and that was just the last nail in the coffin as his hand is DTT and something irrelevant.
2-0
Round 2: vs. UW-Blade
May I have something different this time? G1 he exiles my Veterans, I discard his equipment, the board seems even, then he topdecks Jace and I don't get any answers. Eventually a TNN gets me with a SoFaF. Meh.
G2 we trade resources as usual, I even get to Blast his Jace, and after much ramping I have a SDT on topdeck, 8 lands, get 9th and slam Ruric Thar. Did I mention another TNN on the board? Well, he topdecks a Supreme Verdict, thinks a bit, wipes the board falling to 15, then I use my Volrath's Stronghold on my upkeep, get Ruric again, and in a turn he concedes.
G3 we have little time remaining, he has a Nemesis yet again, searches for equipment which I promptly destroy, but both of my early Golgari Charms get countered. When we're in turns, he gets an Elspeth which sends the fish flying, dropping me to 2. I get some lifegain, destroy Elspeth, and in my last turn I see Huntmaster, Ooze and something else on top. Huntmaster heals me for yet another turn and it seems that I can turn the tables, but the game is a draw.
1-1
Round 3: vs. Goblins
I made what seems a serious misplay in my G1. I had 19 life and my opponent's board was a Matron (found Ringleader) and a Piledriver which attacked for 1. My hand is like Reclamation Sage, Cabal, Garruk Relentless. I chose to get his Ringleader that turn, cast Sage (nothing to destroy) and flashbacked to take a Warchief or something like that. Of course, he topdecks another Ringleader, show a ton of goblins, attacks me for 7, and next turn I die to a Warchief+Krenkko, swarming the board with a horde of hasty tokens. Had I cast Garruk that turn, I could save those precious 7 life points and get a bit more time to dig for answers.
G2 I lead with a blind Therapy, don't remember if it hit, but I saw 2 Earwig Squads which I got next turn with flashbacked Therapy. Then I have a Deed, wipe the board, have Huntmaster flip several times, keeping 2 Decays in hand, and win.
G3 was what I dislike a lot in Magic. I got to play the game and my opponent didn't. Playing first, he had to mull twice due to no-landers, then another mulligan and at least he had lands then. I mulled a hand full of expensive spells into a mix of lands and removal, and the game was like Cavern-pass; next turn a Lackey which got Punished, then he Wastes my Bayou, plays a Vial, I get a Forest off the top, destroy his Cavern with Beast Within, kill it with double PFire, Decay the Vial, kill with a fat Ooze.
2-1
Round 4: vs. Merfolk
Well, this deck plays some counterspells, but I have too much removal for him. G1 he showed a Nemesis for his Silvergill, Wasted something, next turn I Therapy, he Dazes, I find Veteran, discard Nemesis, see other fish. Kill a Mutavault with Deed, Golgari Charm other creatures, then he flooded out and I won with an active Shaman and a lot of cards in hand.
G2 he led with Vial, I took a risk and played Therapy, naming Lord of Atlantis, and hit two of them. His hand is a Lord of the Pearl Trident and a land. I discard the Lord next turn, he topdecks some creatures and lands but it is not enough.
2-0
There were several Painters in the tournament, Miracles, ANT. Miracles could turn into another draw, Painters could win with explosive starts, ANT is almost an autoloss.
MVPs of the evening were my lifegainers: Ooze, Shaman, Huntmaster. Charms and Blasts are amazing when they get to resolve, Ruric Thar is usually a pain to deal with.
I boarded out Sarkhan the Mad almost every game mainly because he shines in slow, grindy matchups or in games with immense creatures like Marit Lage, and I just needed to survive the early game where he is a dead card.
@heat_wave:
Congrats to your finish! Would you mind sharing your current list? And did you feel like the Sage main was something you would play again? 'Cause I never cast it or tutored for it during my 6-round tournament. I'm not sure if we really need it maindeck atm, with all those Deeds, Decays and Pulse.
Greetings!