[Deck] Imperial Painter

Quick post for now. Longer report with everything later on tonight or this week

Ant 2-1
Tes 1-2
Rug 2-1
Miracles 2-1
Rug 0-2
UR Delver 2-1
Team America 2-1
Werewolf Stompy 1-2 (punts)
Merfolk 2-0


Besides merfolk and team America to an extent, my matchups weren't really that friendly. All others I was under pressure to deal with threats very quickly (even miracles with a lot of counterbalances). It was unfortunate I didn't play against any blade/shardless decks where you have time to set up a dominant position.

A few hands I kept game 1 were money against sneak and show/blade variants with bridges but I ended up against fast delvers or young pyromancers.

I wouldn't switch up the list at all really. I was never out of it in any match and if I hadn't punted werewolf and maybe thought a little longer against tes (I will post the situation for to see what you guys think) I might have been 8-1. Either way it was all good. A ton of players were there and I definitely overheard multiple times people had played against Painter of some sort. I don't know if any Imperials Day 2d but I wouldn't be surprised.

Kap'n sorry I didn't get to meet up with you.

Also about my lost it does look a little pre-boarded. The reason being is that after watching a good amount of legacy, creatures are whats winning games. Sneak Show, TNN.dec, and deathrite.dec bridges are good against. The storm match-ups are what thorn and fast painter into grind. I also am going to finally try magma jet more seriously as a removal/dig. I am going to try the haymaker mentality with this deck and overload on bomb control cards with a little disruption in the form of blast. I do need help in figuring out the DnT and Miracles match-ups.

Quick Update:

Miracles: 0-1-1 (Loss)
Elves: 2-1
Shardless Bug: 2-0 Blood Moon!
Merfolk: 2-0 BLAST!
RUG Delver: 1-2
Sneak and Show: 2-0
Burn: 1-2 (End of my day)

I will post more details later.

GP DC Report: Something like 400th place probably

Red/White Imperial Painter (Strawberry Painter?)

7 Sol Land
4 Fetches
1 Furnace
2 Plateau
5 Mountain

4 Painter
4 Recruiter
4 SSG
3 Welder
2 Revoker
1 Magus
1 Jaya

4 Stone
4 Moon
3 Top
2 E tutor
2 Bridge
4 Pyro
2 REB

SB
4 Crypt
4 Firebolt
1 Koth
1 Bridge
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Trinisphere
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 REB
1 Manic Vandal


I was pumped because this was the first event after a small weekly event where I could play with my new toys:

Posting recruiters too because they are the most pimp. The other 65 are all normal. (question: what's the way to go on pimping it out if I want a good mix of white border to match recruiter? miscut? foreign/foil don't really appeal to me because half the deck can't be foiled and English rec is already the most rare. /aside)

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps028ded29.jpg


Shoutout to Jandax for helping me get a sweet deal for these Plateaus


No byes for me so I was going to attempt to channel my inner Grymer and run the table

Round 1: Ant

I fan open a hand that absolutely murders any deck trying to attack to win. Something like Welder, Bridge, Blast, 3 lands and an SSG. If I was playing against Rug or Sneak it's basically an autowin. My opponent plays island preordain but then past in flames loops turn 2. Oh well. Game 2 I keep a riskier hand with ancient tomb, painter, stone, welder and 3 non lands. I play out painter turn one and rip a plateau turn 2 to play welder and stone. He can't kill me his turn 2 so he has to try to decay painter when I activate. Welder does his job. Game 3 I mull and open a hand that can turn 1 trinisphere. he probes twice and brainstorms looking for a discard spell. no dice so I trini and the next few turns play a welder, a painter and some random artifacts. he decays sphere but welder does his job again.

side:
out 4 moons, jaya, 2 bridge
in: trinisphere, ratchet bomb, canonist, 3 crypts, 1 blast

Round 2: TES

I keep another hand that isn't too bad against a slower deck with turn 1 moon potential, bridge and some other stuff. He probes turn 1 and lays city of brass and ponders. I assume I'm screwed because I'm up against storm again. I rip revoker and name LED. I land a blood moon and then a simian and they go the distance. Pretty lucky. Game 2 involves a quick empty for 10. I play and spin top looking for help but nothing so I scoop. ratchet bomb 4th card down. Game 3 I keep something like magus, revoker, sol, blast, fetch, grindstone, land. t1 revoker led. turn 2 magus. he had brainstormed and his turn 2 empties for 14. I draw painter and here was the dilemma I faced. he had no hand but knew the card on top from brainstorm. Do I play painter and stone? Do I play painter and keep 1 land open for blast and hope to draw a mana? Do I play painter and if he does nothing important blast magus and have 4 mana again for stone? I chose option 1 to play around discard and burning wish/infernal tutor into discard and he chain of vapored painter. I topdeck a petal and only have 4 mana available.

side:
out: 3 moons, jaya, 1 bridge
in: trinisphere, ratchet bomb, canonist, 1 crypt, 1 blast

Round 3: Rug

Quick welder/bridge puts it away. Game 2 is the usual game of counters and burn and goyf beats. Game 3 I turn 1 stone, turn 2 painter which meets a force. sensing weakness and no daze I ssg blast it. win turn 3.

side:
out: 2 revoker, jaya, magus, top
in: blast, bridge, ratchet, 2 firebolt

Round 4: Miracles

I deal with a counterbalance and a jace before getting locked out. I play a bridge out that he taps his 2nd to last mana to reveal entreat. I end my turn and he tops, in response I grindstone him without a painter in play using a secret ssg. he scoops in response? i'll take it lol. game 2 I get beat down by a clique while trying to blast everything and remove a pithing needle. no dice. game 3 was epic. I have to mull to 5 but keep plateau, ancient tomb, ssg, blast, blood moon. he forces and plays a plains and a karakas. he bricks on blue for a long time and I keep drawing lands and blasts. I play out a painter that he removes but not before I blast his island away. that buys me more time to keep beating with my welder. eventually I get him low enough where he has to jace bounce my ssg and kill off clique blocking welder. I had finally found a grindstone and find a recruiter with like 11 mana available so I get a painter and stone to win on turn 2 of turns

on the draw side:
out 3 moon, petal
in: koth, vandal, blast, ratchet,

on the play side:
back in all moons and petal
out: 2 welder, 2 e tutor

Round 5: Rug

Game 1 I moon lock him but not before 2 delvers flip instantly. nothing I can do. Game 2 I moon lock him again while he has a goyf. I play a bridge but he has ancient grudge (every rug match I play they seem to draw this 1 of ancient grudge) I eventually start chaining recruiters trying to buy time. When I play my 2nd bridge he forces twice through my blast. I use the last recruiter for a welder and he has a bolt.

same as above. if they play lavamancer all 4 firebolts come in over a welder and the 7th blast

Round 6: UR Delver

Another hand with early moon potential and an ensnaring bridge lockdown. a quick 2 young pyromancers off of basics plus probe and 2 daze means a million tokens I cant deal with. I bring in my firebolts and they handle a lavamancer and a delver, buying me time to combo off with double blast protection. Game 3 involves a mull down to 5 again but I firebolt an early delver and eventually enlightened tutor for the game winning painter.

side:
out all moons, jaya, 1 welder
in: 4 firebolt, 1 bridge, 1 ratchet, blast

Round 7: Team America

Game 1 is classic TA where I get thoughtseized and hymned twice while a goyf does me in. Game 2 I firebolt a deathrite and establish a turn where I can tap top and draw a moon with blast and daze protection for the win. Game 3 I start laying out redundant bridges and moons to eat removal/counters. I stick a blood moon and firebolt his deathrite to lock it out.

side:
out: jaya, welder, 2 revoker, 1 top or something. don't remember
in: 4 firebolt, 1 bridge

Round 8: Werewolf Stompy (game of punts)

Game 1 I seriously thought he was on the mirror. I played a welder which he revoked. then he exiled ssg to play a magus to fix his mana. Jaya came down for him too and he pitched a hanweir watchkeep or something. I knew what was up then so I played a grindstone, played a recruiter nabbing a revoker for jaya. Then recruited for painter to win it. Game 2 I played turn 1 grindstone while he played chalice at 1 for his turn 2. I had a welder in hand so I recruited for manic vandal fearing a revoker on stone to all but lock me out. I ended up getting beat down before I could find a painter. Punt number 1. grab painter and win dumbass. Game 3 I kept a stacked hand of two lands, painter, revoker, manic vandal, blast, recruiter. I end up bricking on a third land for a bit but he has double revoker on grindstone. I get koth out and he attacks with the +3 +0 attackers werewolf to kill koth. I get a jaya out and double bridge and all but have the game locked up as I start killing stuff when he says

"shattering pulse with buyback"

I tilted like none other and missed an opportunity for the win when he swung with his team (trample werewolf with a sofai) to kill jaya. instead of chumping the smaller guy I just blocked with everyone and missed the chance to counterattack for the win. he had taken serious damage dismembering 2 painters earlier. Punted away day 2 because I got tunnel vision thinking that I had to combo win the game and not thinking after shattering pulse killed my bridges. To be fair he was really good with his deck and played really tight to all of his outs and got there.

side:
out 5 moons
in: vandal, bridge, koth, bomb, blast

Round 9: Merfolk

Not really caring anymore but having to wait through round 9 anyway for a friend I decided to play this round. I kept a really loose hand like blast, fetch, 2 ssg, bridge, recruiter, stone. he plays island vial turn 1 indicating folk. I enter yolo mode and cast bridge with no daze or force backup and it sticks. Proceed to win phase. Game 2 a resolved welder turn 1 just handled everything he tried to do.

side:
out 5 moons, 2 revoker
in: blast, bridge, 4 firebolt, vandal


Three things for everyone else:

1) My sideboard strategies differ wildly from being on the play to on the draw and I just felt like getting this up here first so if people are interested I can edit the board plans back in later on.

2) Thoughts on the correct TES play.

3) Pimp options. No foils/foreign due to English Rec being a boss


Going forward, IP is well positioned (as it always has been really) since it handles TNN the best in the entire legacy format. No game I played was a blowout which is a testament to IP in general plus the 'pre-boarded' build I decided on. I've been really impressed with enlightened tutor and the few times I saw it during the day it helped me win the next turn (except rug which had ancient grudge as always). While I wasn't able to day 2, 6-3 wasn't too bad.

-Kap

More detailed update.

I played this list.

4 Grindstone
3 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Blood Moon
4 Simian Spirit Guide
2 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
1 Goblin Welder
1 Spellskite
2 Magus of the Moon
4 Painter's Servant
4 Imperial Recruiter
3 Red Elemental Blast
3 Pyroblast
3 Lightning Bolt

9 Mountain
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Scalding Tarn
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors


Sideboard


4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Manic Vandal
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Pyroblast
1 Pyroclasm
1 Martyr of Ashes
1 Koth of the Hammer

I also had no byes so I was attempting to run the table as well.

Round 1 U/W Miracles

Game 1: Long grindy game, he had answers for me, I had answers for him. Got him down to 2 before an perfectly timed completely random Terminus saved the day. He managed to turn the tide and beat me from there.

Game 2: Long game, I get Koth out and get him up to 5, but am unable to attack due to an combo of Ensnaring Bridge (Likely bad sideboard decision) and an early wall of bodies keeping me from attacking) when my opponent EoT Enlightened Tutors for Pithing Needle and shuts me down. Ends up going to time.

0-1-1 (Loss) 0-1

Round 2 Elves

Game 1: My opponent must have kept a slow hand. I played out Grindstone on turn 1, named Wirewood Symbote with revoker and attacked a few times with SSG before drawing the mill win.

Game 2: I almost punted this game. I played a Blood Moon turn 2 or 3, and fetched an Maryter of Ashes on turn 2. This kept him defensive for awhile, but I was afraid that I was going to loose to Natural Order. I blew an maryter of ashes and attacked with a bunch of SSG's but still ended up losing.

Game 3: On the play I kept a turn two gindstone kill. Won.

2-1 1-1

Round 3 Shardless BUG

Game 1: I kept a hand with 3 Blood Moons, an Mountain, an Ancient Tomb, an Painter and a REB. Cast the first Blood Moon, and he floats 2 and Abrupt Decays it. Cast the second one into a Force. The third got me there. Then I blasted his tarmogoyf, and proceeded to beat face.

Game 2: I keep an hand with Magus of the Moon, it's discarded, and I turn 1 draw Magus of the Moon. Play Magus of the Moon and then win.

2-0 2-1

Round 4: Merfolk

Game 1: Take some damage but end up comboing off. Blasts keep me alive, untill I get to the combo.

Game 2: Same as Game 1.

2-0 3-1

Round 5: RUG Delver

Game 1: Ended up losing not exactly sure why, but I remember a well timed bolt on Goblin Welder being part of this match.

Game 2: Ended up combo killing him. Brought in Ensnaring Bridge... however not sure this was right. My opponent suggested that Blood Moon is better as they have no basics and can't kill you with only Red.

Game 3: Same Ensnaring Bridge nonsense. Bridge got destroyed and I lost. (Might have been better to be on the Moon Plan)

1-2 3-2

Round 6: Sneak and Show

Game 1: I cast painter he forces pitching misdirection after showing me an Volcanic Island. I put him on painter, and drop a Revoker on Sneak Attack next turn. He ponders a bunch but concedes when I get him to 14 and he's not cast anything of not yet.

Game 2: I keep an hand with Revoker, Name Sneak Attack and go on the beat down plan. Again never casts Show and Tell, though I had Bridge in Hand and a Blast back to fight over it, so I think I was in the clear anyway.

2-0 4-2

Round 7: Burn

Game 1: I turn 1 Blood Moon, he plays a mountain and suspends rift bolt. =( Not even close.

Game 2: Double Thorn slows him down enough for me to combo win.

Game 3: I get a Thorn out, but it doesn't buy enough time for me to pull though.

1-2 4-3 (I drop and go get food)

Overall I liked my deck, and I think I made a few mistakes... but overall not a bad showing. A little frustrated that I ran into burn in Round 7.... =(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kap'n Cook

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps028ded29.jpg

-Kap

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Sweet. I'm missing one English Recruiter myself. As far as non Eng/Foil pimp, what I do is just get the oldest version of the card in English as possible. THat's my kind of pimp, Beta lands and Blasts, Dark Blood Moons, etc. Maybe you just need to get the whole deck altered? At Strasbourg I played against a guy with UR Painter that was totally altered, looked friggin' sweet.

Nice job guys! Always good to see some of us representing in the tournament scene. On another note, does anyone know if the lone Painter/Grindstone deck (Come on coverage guys, be more specific) that made day 2 was U/R or Imperial? I assume it was U/R painter, but I'm hoping that I'm wrong. :tongue:

Le bump

I dropped Thorn of Amethyst. Just not the kind of combo in my area to warrant four sideboard slots. Instead I'm running a Manic Vandal, likely much to the delight of a few posters here, and three Grafdigger's Cage. Cage is good against Elves, which I always have a problem against. It neuters their GSZ, Fetchlands for Arbor and Natural Order. All legit mechanisms that make the deck strong. Gonna play again after a break this coming saturday. Were I not missing a couple cards I'd run Sneak and Breach, that deck is the shiz

For anyone who has tried the white splash:

Did you ever try out Ethersworn Canonist main? Obviously the biggest problems for us are the exponential decks (storm, elves, enchantress, tinfins) and having it main might steal some games just like bridges do. There is small upside utility vs decks that will try to remove painter in response to an activation since they only have 1 spell to cast and a blast solves that problem.

Just a thought I had and was curious if anyone has considered it.

I think you hit it on the head. It's like iPainter playing Bridge main. It's pre-sideboarding in a sense. I assume you run Tutor main, so as a one of in the MD it wouldn't be bad if it were to steal games.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jandax

I think you hit it on the head. It's like iPainter playing Bridge main. It's pre-sideboarding in a sense. I assume you run Tutor main, so as a one of in the MD it wouldn't be bad if it were to steal games.

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Yes, 2 tutors main. They've really been nice to have in 5 moon minimal list.
Canonist can be found by everything too. Recruiter, e tutor, and welder+stone.

But bridges main are just really nice. Against almost every deck they have am application, I'd argue they're better than maindeck burn too just because bridges can buy you so many extra turns

Agreed, I run two main. I'm pretty sure a the metagame looks now, it is best to set up the deck to be Prison with a combo kill.

And I have to admit I have been having a ton of fun with Sneak and Breach lately, gonna run that this weekend instead of iPainter. First time in a long time!

Got stomped by Bryant on camera today in round 5 at Tales of Adventure. G1 was one turn from the win before a chrome mox got the black mana under a moon to win before I could grind next turn.

started 4-0 vs 2 uwr delver, goblins, and dredge.
lost to tes
beat miracles
lost to jund :(
punted team America to end the day with a mediocre record.



List was humming along perfect all day minus game 2 against Jund when I mulled to 5. Enlightened tutor was bad only once on the day, when it got stuck in my hand vs jund. he was able to draw some swamps and establish deathrites under a moon before I could sensei top find a grindstone.

uwr can't beat 7 blasts and 4 firebolts. jund is still hard

I still say 4 lotus petals with enlightened tutor.

To any of you who have tried out Spellskite-how was it? I'm currently reworking my Recruiter toolbox, and I'm trying to decide if I can fit it in main.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Moomba

I still say 4 lotus petals with enlightened tutor.

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I do agree that lotus petal is nice having to consistently cast tutor, but SSG (I assume this is the slot you're comparing) gets so many free wins and tempo swings paying for dazes and monkey blasting. The benefits of being a creature to chump or attack a jace with are a big deal too. It is definitely not wrong to max the petals, though, I just don't know if I am willing to forgo the ssg upsides. Maybe a 3-2 ssg petal split should be tried.

Bridge main on the day stats: Locked out 1 uwr delver match and then found a moon to seal the game. Against dredge I kept welder, 2 moon, tutor, 3 lands. I was able to tutor for bridge and clear my hand fast enough to stabilize at 1 life before narcs could get me. Bought a ton of time in the Jund match but I didn't find the stone in time before Bob drew basics.

Anyone else been playing recently?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Imperial

To any of you who have tried out Spellskite-how was it? I'm currently reworking my Recruiter toolbox, and I'm trying to decide if I can fit it in main.

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Spellskite is love/hate. I don't really like running one because many times grabbing a painter/welder solves the same problems. The biggest exception is if you recruit it to protect a game ending moon from a floated decay/wear/golgari charm. I always loved naturally drawing spellskite. It just felt weird recruiting for one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kap'n Cook

I do agree that lotus petal is nice having to consistently cast tutor, but SSG (I assume this is the slot you're comparing) gets so many free wins and tempo swings paying for dazes and monkey blasting. The benefits of being a creature to chump or attack a jace with are a big deal too. It is definitely not wrong to max the petals, though, I just don't know if I am willing to forgo the ssg upsides. Maybe a 3-2 ssg petal split should be tried.

Bridge main on the day stats: Locked out 1 uwr delver match and then found a moon to seal the game. Against dredge I kept welder, 2 moon, tutor, 3 lands. I was able to tutor for bridge and clear my hand fast enough to stabilize at 1 life before narcs could get me. Bought a ton of time in the Jund match but I didn't find the stone in time before Bob drew basics.

Anyone else been playing recently?



Spellskite is love/hate. I don't really like running one because many times grabbing a painter/welder solves the same problems. The biggest exception is if you recruit it to protect a game ending moon from a floated decay/wear/golgari charm. I always loved naturally drawing spellskite. It just felt weird recruiting for one.

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Fair enough. I'll test around a bit with it.

Guys, I've jumped ship!

Been toying with Sneak and Breach and it's been a friggin' ton of fun.

Regarding painter questions;

Spellskite is indeed love/hate. It solves problems one might have if they are running into a lot of UWr Delver/Zoo/other things with tons of spot removal. It soaks up a removal spell and blocks a portion of their team. But it's still a card, and at least two life activation. It's better to just have extra business. And I'm still a proponent of main deck Bridges. At least in my area, UWr Delver and Elves are increasingly popular decks, both of which are tough matches for Painter, and having a few outs MD dramatically increases the odds of the matchup. And as far as sweepers go, I'm impressed with Sudden Demise. however, my only gripe is that it doesn't nail Phyrexian Revoker, which is an important card in the DnT match.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jandax

Guys, I've jumped ship!

Been toying with Sneak and Breach and it's been a friggin' ton of fun.

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Aw man... You joined the dark side.

I played sneak & show, UR omni-petals, and mono blue Omnitel; in combination for over a year. I jumped from that to painter (mono red, now playing UR). I just couldn't find it fun anymore. SnT is extremely powerful, but just very few options and decisions to be had.

Painter decks (both variants) give you so many different lines of play, both involving the combo and not. I bet we'll see you back here soon enough!

However, I'm not a deck snob... So if you're havin fun with it... AWESOME, that's what it's all about. Glad to see you still commenting here as well.

In a more meta related discussion. It appears that sneak and show is slowly becoming the only strong combo choice in a world full of delver/TNN tempo decks. How is mono red treating you guys? My UR variant feels aweful against UWR and like tempo decks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ish

Aw man... You joined the dark side.

I played sneak & show, UR omni-petals, and mono blue Omnitel; in combination for over a year. I jumped from that to painter (mono red, now playing UR). I just couldn't find it fun anymore. SnT is extremely powerful, but just very few options and decisions to be had.

Painter decks (both variants) give you so many different lines of play, both involving the combo and not. I bet we'll see you back here soon enough!

However, I'm not a deck snob... So if you're havin fun with it... AWESOME, that's what it's all about. Glad to see you still commenting here as well.

In a more meta related discussion. It appears that sneak and show is slowly becoming the only strong combo choice in a world full of delver/TNN tempo decks. How is mono red treating you guys? My UR variant feels aweful against UWR and like tempo decks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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That's specifically why I'm not playing SnT. The mono red version is a deck full of cards no one has seen or played against in umpteen years. But I digress, this isn't the appropriate thread...

It seems to me that if SnT and TNN decks are the next wave of tier one decks, cards like Blood Moon and Ensnaring Bridge will be main deck houses. I'm even thinking of straying from Big Red back to iPainter because of that, at least for the yearly Legacy Championship this sunday. Both the aforementioned cards are houses against appropriate decks. All their mana base are belong to Blood Moon. And I think Ensnaring Bridge is one of the only real answers to TNN/SnT critters the deck can afford. I'm going to work up a list for the champs this sunday and post it here for scrutiny. I'm quite familiar with all the good decks in the format so most of my "testing" will come down to perceiving the correct card choices.