Miracle Control

I have to disagree with taking out Terminus in these MUs. You can bring in Pithing Needle for Griselbrand and Terminus/Karakas to fuck with Emrakul.

I have been playing around with a E-Tutor-Sideboard lately. 2 E-Tutor with a Pithing Needle, a Humility and a O-Ring. In addition to this Ive been playing 1 Crypt 1 Relic 1 Cage to use the Tutors most. I did like it pretty much to be honest as it also helped with the CB-Curve in the MUs it was needed.

But some other good players seem to play without the Tutor, and therefore Ive been playing around with a Sideboard featuring 4 Surgical Extracion, as I kicked the Tutor and the Surgicals work very well with the 2 Snapasters I play in the Mainboard. Instead of the O-Ring/Humility + Tutor I play things like 3 Peacekeeper. They come down earlier and can't be countered by Spell Pierce. Ofc a Grisel can still draw into bounce I feel Peacekeeper is better against SneakAttack. They are also very good in G2 vs Maverick as they will board out all of their Swords. Ofc youll bring em out G3.

So I got 2 versions of a sideboard, and I am asking you guys which you think is superior.

1)
2 Enlightened Tutor
1 Oblivion-Ring
1 Pithing Needle
1 Humility
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Grafdigger's Cage
7 other cards

2)
4 Surgical Extraction
3 Peacekeeper
8 other cards

The mainpoint I am not sure about is, as mentioned above, the GY and the Show and Tell-MU. I can see myself playing 2 or 3 Meddling Mages in Sideboard-Number 2 easily.

What do you think?

Greetings

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Philipp802

So I got 2 versions of a sideboard, and I am asking you guys which you think is superior.

1)
2 Enlightened Tutor
1 Oblivion-Ring
1 Pithing Needle
1 Humility
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Grafdigger's Cage
7 other cards

2)
4 Surgical Extraction
3 Peacekeeper
8 other cards

Greetings

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I would be wary of running 4 SEs because SE is reactive. For example, against Dredge, if they turn 1 Cabal Therapy you (before they put anything in their graveyard), then SE isn't doing you much good. It's best to diversify the GY hate and run 2 SE + 2 Crypt/Relic, so I would do a combination of both lists. I would not run GDC because it shuts off SCM.

Your next question about whether Pithing Needle / Humility / O Ring is better than 3 Peacekeeper. Personally, I like the 2 Humility build. However, if you expect to see a lot of Elves, Peacekeeper is probably going to nab you game 2, where if you had Humility, they could still overrun you with a hoard of 1/1s. Cursed Totem might be an option as well (in an Enlightened Tutor board - stops Griselbrand, Elves, and Maverick.)

I think 2 Humility plus counter magic is good vs. Sneak and Show, so my answer is c. None of the Above :)

I can't think of a deck where I'd want Cursed Totem where I would not want Peacekeeper more.

The only way I think Cursed Totem is relevant is in a ET board with limited slots. Peacekeeper needs to be at least a 2-of, probably 3. Humility is better, but it is a turn-4 play. (assuming you hit all your land drops). Elves can go off turn 3. And even with Humility, Elves can still produce a 1/1 swarm. In either case, I think:

1) Humility is the best choice in the current metal because it shuts off Griselbrand's ability to draw for answers.
2) Peacekeeper is 2nd, but is better in certain M/Us (namely, Elves or Maverick when they've taken out all of their removal).
3) Cursed Totem may have some merit in an Enlightened Tutor sideboard. However, as of late, ET sideboards aren't seeing much play.

On a different note, has drawing been an issue for anyone with this deck? Games tend to go long. If we're playing long tournaments, especially against the mirror match, do fatigue and the game clock become concerns?

It can be an issue, but if you practice playing quickly you should be able to avoid draws against the vast majority of decks.

The way I approach the combo matchup in the board is broad and all round answers. I play this:

4 Surgical
4 Counterbalance (You guys might be maining this, so just more counters is fine)
2 Clique
2 Flusterstorm
1 Spell Pierce
2 Disenchant

The problem with the Sneak Show matchup is that they also have a bucketload of counters. If you are playing narrow answers like cursed totem, humility or pithing needle, the other card may kill you. It's like rolling the dice and seeing if you draw the right card. If you draw the wrong answers, they'll just let your wrong answer resolve and you'll have a harder time fighting through their counter wall when they go for the other wincondition.

I believe a bunch of Flusterstorms, Spell Pierces and Cliques should do the trick. Once you get out of the first few turns, Countertop should lock it up for you. Soft counters are pretty important early on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Malakai

I can't think of a deck where I'd want Cursed Totem where I would not want Peacekeeper more.

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Well I think that cursed totem is alot better against griselbrand, but bad against emrakul. But I dont like either if we are talking about sneak and show, cuz totem doesnt stop emrakul, but peacekeeper doesn't stop Griselbrand, because they will just draw a bunch and bounce Totem. I still think Humility is still the best choice.

@Malakai: How do you board for Reanimator?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyC27

@klaus: Are you still rocking 3 Terminus, 3 Entreat?

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I'm still undecided about 3 EtAs actually. At the end of the day it's a meta choice: rather slow meta (with a decent amount of UW Control, NicFit and the likes) = 3 EtA // while fast meta (lots of Combo & RUG) => -1 EtA, -1X, +2 SCM (virtually adds spot removal & counter magic).
I suggest to to never run more thatn 2 SCMs (3/4 are overkill more often than not, and w/o Blade Control they can't pimp their impact by carrying equipment).
-
Carsten, any updated insights about the Eta/dudes config?

@klaus: I've been running the 3rd Snapcaster because I run 3x Surgicals in the sideboard. I also run a bunch of other stuff that is nice to snap back, such as 2x REB, 1x Path, 2x Disenchant, 2x Timely Reinforcements. Just a thought to consider in the 2v3 debate on Snapcasters.

Is there somewhere I can find a list of the matchups of this deck. As in, tough matchups, easy matchups etc. After putting together a mono-white control list, I may move to UW now and am curious to see the type of results this deck has been having. Thanks in advance.

Miracle Control is tearing up the tables at SCG Seattle. Mishra's Factory is doing some work. Interesting to see that there appears to be 2-3 flex slots in the manabase (Wasteland, Factory, Glacial Fortress, more basics, etc).

EDIT: G2 of Team Italia vs. Miracle is just INSANE. Miracle fighting through this nonsense is just wrong.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arsenal

Miracle Control is tearing up the tables at SCG Seattle. Mishra's Factory is doing some work. Interesting to see that there appears to be 2-3 flex slots in the manabase (Wasteland, Factory, Glacial Fortress, more basics, etc).

EDIT: G2 of Team Italia vs. Miracle is just INSANE. Miracle fighting through this nonsense is just wrong.

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Yeah, that was a pretty sweet game until they both apparently agreed to misplay the shit out of every turn. I respect a man that likes to draw cards, but when your opponent's on no cards in hand, you fucking fateseal, not brainstorm.

What did you guys think of the 3x maindecked Engineered Explosives and sideboarded Counterbalances in the SCG list?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Teknique

Yeah, that was a pretty sweet game until they both apparently agreed to misplay the shit out of every turn. I respect a man that likes to draw cards, but when your opponent's on no cards in hand, you fucking fateseal, not brainstorm.

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You mean when his opponent had a Sensei's Divining Top on the table anyway?

Or you mean after his opponent lost his Top, by which time he was still on the "spam Angel tokens" plan for the win?

He was a solid player, give him credit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lordofthepit

You mean when his opponent had a Sensei's Divining Top on the table anyway?

Or you mean after his opponent lost his Top, by which time he was still on the "spam Angel tokens" plan for the win?

He was a solid player, give him credit.

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I wasn't discrediting him. Congratulations to him, seriously. It's awesome because we all know how taxing it is to pilot this deck the. entire. day. I said it was all great until the very end of the match.

But it doesn't discredit the fact that we also use these forums to learn, so when watching people make blatantly incorrect plays, it's nice to bring it up for everyone's awareness. *and obviously I'm referring to after he lost his Top.

He gets to dictate whether or not his opponent is drawing an answer rather than merely taking a chance you find a response. Not to mention he had a top out also so he has access to the top 3 regardless.

Worst of all, he didn't get to experience that feeling you get when you fateseal an opponent on an empty board and hand. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Teknique

I wasn't discrediting him. Congratulations to him, seriously. It's awesome because we all know how taxing it is to pilot this deck the. entire. day. I said it was all great until the very end of the match.

But it doesn't discredit the fact that we also use these forums to learn, so when watching people make blatantly incorrect plays, it's nice to bring it up for everyone's awareness. *and obviously I'm referring to after he lost his Top.

He gets to dictate whether or not his opponent is drawing an answer rather than merely taking a chance you find a response. Not to mention he had a top out also so he has access to the top 3 regardless.

Worst of all, he didn't get to experience that feeling you get when you fateseal an opponent on an empty board and hand. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

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I must have not been playing close enough attention (no sarcasm), but I thought when you described the scenario (both Liliana and Jace on the board), both players had SDTs out, so fatesealing his opponent wouldn't really do much. Scrying your worst cards to the bottom would be another use, except it seemed that his top 3 was all gas for a long time, so there was no reason to do that. And of course, increasing counters on Jace can be useful as a way to protect him from losing loyalty or as a way to win the game, but Jace is unlikely to run out of loyalty (in fact, if he were to die, it'd be to a Vindicate or a Red Elemental Blast), and his win condition was going to be Entreat the Angels anyway.

I certainly might not have caught everything though. I wasn't paying close attention.

played at a small GPT gent, 16ppl, went 1-4 :-/ my list did include 3 entreat and 22 lands, no mishra, no wasteland.

Mana basis was very stable, there might be room for 2-3 waste/mishra going up to 23 lands.

The only match I did win was a casual player with no real deck, rest was uw-stoneforge with miracles 0:2, mirror 0:2, burn 1:2, RUG 0:2

CB Top, was too slow most of the time, dunno, not much to say, always fighting uphill untill you stabilize at 1-6 life and then lose anyway. :-/

Mishras would have been awesome, so I will go back to mishras, remove -1 Entreat and maybe move CBs to the sideboard.

Ive been playing at a local GPT too. I won 2-0 vs Doomsday and Maverick and then I played 4 Esperblade in a row. IN A ROW! God that's most likely the worst MU I can imagine. As I plan on bringin this deck to the GP I have to decide how to approach this MU. While I think that RUG and Maverick are pretty much positive I have to find a way to deal with Esper, as it is still making up a decent percentage of the actual metagame. Version 1 is just ignoring it and putting it on the (very short) list of bad MUs. Version 2 is finding a card that's nice against them, but oviously it's hard. They just throw some Discard at you before making CA through Lingering Souls before they finish you off with some Stoneforge Mystics. I couldn't come along with some decent answers, but a friend of mine suggested Vedalken Shackles. They do handle the Spirit tokens rather well as 1 for 1ing them sounds fair, and if they go for the Stoneforge-Plan it costs them a hell lot of mana to re-equip all the time. What I have been unsure is the (correct) boarding-plan. Counterbalance should stay in, as should the Counter and Removal-package. I've been favoring to move all the creatures (2/2) out and bring some Disenchants, Elspeth and Surgical in. Not sure if this is right though.

@Valtrix, MUs from my point of view, I won't go too much into detail as personal testings and experiences vary quite a lot and will stay pretty on the surface, if that's okay.

+ Maverick, Elves, Burn, UR Burn, Stormcombo, Random-creature-deck(MUD, WhiteWheenie)
~ Canadian Threshold, Dredge, Show and Tell, Reanimator, Affinity
- Esperblade, Team America (if well built), Goblins, Merfolk (with the new Lord)

Greetings

true!
Merfolk just owns us, not sure why.

U/R Delver-Burn also owns us, at least that's what I experienced so far.