[Deck] GW/x Maverick

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Originally Posted by Oathbreakers

Congrats on top 4~

I'm on something close to your MD with a 4 cards different in the main

-1 Thalia +1 Batterskull
-1 Swords +1 Decay
-1 Rallier. +1 Noble
-1 Ghost Q. +1 Cavern

Few questions,

are you going to keep the Rallier over the 2nd QPM?

What are you going to play over Ghost Quarter?

How was Blessed Alliance?

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I think Rallier has earned a spot in my list. It has uses in just about any matchup, whereas I just seem to never want to draw QPM unless I'm facing D&T or Stoneblade (or something weird like Enchantress or MUD). Rallier can even act as QPM #2 by getting it back.

I think I want to go back to Cavern of Souls over the GQ. Fun fact: Ramunap Excavator is a Cleric. Just like Mother, Prelate, Containment Priest, and Canonist.

Blessed Alliance is somewhat of a pet card of mine. It is super versatile and generally has performed well. I bring it in against any deck with TNN, Delver, D&T, Reanimator, Sneak/Show, Lands, Infect, Burn, Eldrazi, and more. I've used all 3 modes profitably (the oft-forgotten untap 2 creatures mode can be really strong in Maverick particularly).

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Originally Posted by timmyod17

I think Rallier has earned a spot in my list. It has uses in just about any matchup, whereas I just seem to never want to draw QPM unless I'm facing D&T or Stoneblade (or something weird like Enchantress or MUD). Rallier can even act as QPM #2 by getting it back.

I think I want to go back to Cavern of Souls over the GQ. Fun fact: Ramunap Excavator is a Cleric. Just like Mother, Prelate, Containment Priest, and Canonist.

Blessed Alliance is somewhat of a pet card of mine. It is super versatile and generally has performed well. I bring it in against any deck with TNN, Delver, D&T, Reanimator, Sneak/Show, Lands, Infect, Burn, Eldrazi, and more. I've used all 3 modes profitably (the oft-forgotten untap 2 creatures mode can be really strong in Maverick particularly).

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I have issues with both Ranumap and Rallier being 3cc more than their effect. I even prefer Rec Sage over pridemage for the effect he provides. Pridemage being a Watchwolf is just so good.

However, I think we are at a phase where the number of 3drops that one can fit in Maverick is a personal choice. What is less personal is the casting cost of spells. the only issue I have ever had with Blessed Alliance is that its single effect seems meh but its escalated effect seems bonkers; how often were you able to escalate?

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Originally Posted by TMagpie

I have issues with both Ranumap and Rallier being 3cc more than their effect. I even prefer Rec Sage over pridemage for the effect he provides. Pridemage being a Watchwolf is just so good.

However, I think we are at a phase where the number of 3drops that one can fit in Maverick is a personal choice. What is less personal is the casting cost of spells. the only issue I have ever had with Blessed Alliance is that its single effect seems meh but its escalated effect seems bonkers; how often were you able to escalate?

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I think having a glut of 3 CMC creatures is a fair criticism of those cards. I just found myself often wanting more powerful effects in the deck without having to go up to 4 or 5 CMC.

Regarding escalate, it's obviously easier vs certain decks. I usually don't get to escalate vs decks with Daze. But I can get 2 (or 3) modes against decks like D&T or Lands perhaps 50% of the time. It feels so good getting a Marit Late or an equipped Mirran Crusader by surprise.

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Originally Posted by timmyod17

I think Rallier has earned a spot in my list. It has uses in just about any matchup, whereas I just seem to never want to draw QPM unless I'm facing D&T or Stoneblade (or something weird like Enchantress or MUD). Rallier can even act as QPM #2 by getting it back.

I think I want to go back to Cavern of Souls over the GQ. Fun fact: Ramunap Excavator is a Cleric. Just like Mother, Prelate, Containment Priest, and Canonist.

Blessed Alliance is somewhat of a pet card of mine. It is super versatile and generally has performed well. I bring it in against any deck with TNN, Delver, D&T, Reanimator, Sneak/Show, Lands, Infect, Burn, Eldrazi, and more. I've used all 3 modes profitably (the oft-forgotten untap 2 creatures mode can be really strong in Maverick particularly).

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I also like Blessed Alliance. Won me a game against Infect when he had protection in hand. I would have lost that turn if I cast Swords, the only other card in my hand, but fortunately I read the Source. I also keep it for the other decks you mention, particularly Griselbrand and TNN decks and Sneak and Show.

quick question, what are the matchups that Maverick tends to be UN-favored in?

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Originally Posted by scapiander

quick question, what are the matchups that Maverick tends to be UN-favored in?

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Generally uninteractive combo decks that go off before we can get a hate piece on board. If storm can kill us before we thalia/ teeg, or dredge can make enough zombies before ooze or drs are active then its bad. Overall the worst matchups ive played are MUD, cloudpost, fast storm, mono red stompy if we cant get any basics, and elves. Maverick is one of those decks that has pretty much a 50/50 against most decks. We dont really have any byes and we have to work for our wins. Its all about player skill and knowing how your cards inteact with your opponents.

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Originally Posted by menloe

I also like Blessed Alliance. Won me a game against Infect when he had protection in hand. I would have lost that turn if I cast Swords, the only other card in my hand, but fortunately I read the Source. I also keep it for the other decks you mention, particularly Griselbrand and TNN decks and Sneak and Show.

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I used blessed alliance against elves today to ruin progenituses life. It was great

I made quite a 'few' changes again to my main deck and went 4-0 at my weekly. Didn't have time//forgot to change up my SB, would make some tweaks to it. (3rd surgical, less IoK?, more brutality?, Ghost Quarter/bog/swamp!!?).

2 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
1 Plains
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
1 Marsh Flats
4 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Dark Depths
-25!-

4 Thoughtseize
2 Collective Brutality
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Green Sun's Zenith
-14-

1 Noble Hierarch
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Ramunap Excavator
4 Knight of the Reliquary
-21-

2 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Path to Exile
2 Zealous Persecution
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Surgical Extraction
-15-

I decided to set mom and SFM package on the bench in place of discard and a bit of a depths package. No need to tell me how good those white cards are, I've played them for years but I thought it was time to try a bit of a different build. Discard was a nice replacement for mother as it helps protect your creatures but is more proactive, faster, more useful against combo and other icky stuff you don't want to touch the stack. The 2 brutalities were especially nice as they let me play even more discard but not feel the diminishing returns quite as hard.

SFM and mother were both nice in dancing around TNN//Leovold piles but I decided killing that with a lage was just easier and less of a headache, there's also a ton of -x/-x hate going around and dread of night and what not that it helped in my decision of playing the thoughtseizes instead. However SFM was one of my few ways to get up some card advantage so I went with 2 copies of Ramunap Excavator for those longer grind fest games where you can get more horizon canopies, lages, wastelands. W/e you need you know.

When I play lage I usually have depths in place of a spell and stage in the land slot but I decided with more black cards main deck I needed to have good mana fixing so I didn't want to cut a coloured land for stage, so I counted it as a spell, this deck has good ways to combat potential floods anyways.

"Doesn't grave hate makes most of your threats suck, like Knight, excavator etc." I mean I guess. That doesn't stop Knight from tapping and wasting or laging you, 2/2's and 2/3's also can get the job done, or even a 1/2 - Get 'em DRS!.

"Is this even Maverick or just Junk" Maverick is a pretty junky deck :^). Jokes <3

I'd like to squeeze 1 Crucible Man into this 60, but am having trouble deciding where to make the cut:

1 Birds
4 Deathrite
1 Scryb Ranger
4 Mom
2 Stoneforge
3 Little Thalia
3 Big Thalia
1 Teeg
2 Pridemage
4 Knight

4 GSZ
1 Library
4 Plow
2 Decay
1 Jitte
1 SoFaI

2 Forest
1 Plains
2 Savannah
2 Bayou
1 Scrubland
8 Fetches
1 Arbor
1 Karakas
4 Wasteland

My initial thought is that it's either gonna be -1 Big Thalia or -1 Decay, but I really do love both those cards. Any thoughts, Maverick Community?

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Originally Posted by Stuart

I'd like to squeeze 1 Crucible Man into this 60, but am having trouble deciding where to make the cut:

1 Birds
4 Deathrite
1 Scryb Ranger
4 Mom
2 Stoneforge
3 Little Thalia
3 Big Thalia
1 Teeg
2 Pridemage
4 Knight

4 GSZ
1 Library
4 Plow
2 Decay
1 Jitte
1 SoFaI

2 Forest
1 Plains
2 Savannah
2 Bayou
1 Scrubland
8 Fetches
1 Arbor
1 Karakas
4 Wasteland

My initial thought is that it's either gonna be -1 Big Thalia or -1 Decay, but I really do love both those cards. Any thoughts, Maverick Community?

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Id cut big thalia. 3 copies is a little too many for her. She can be really good but sometimes not so good. Crucible snake is almost always never bad. Buy back arbor for blocks, canopy for extra card draw, wastes to lock them out, even fetches to thin your deck out/ reset library. He is soo good.

@Stuart: lots of possible cuts. Thalia HC is constantly debated so she seems like the first option to cut. On the other hand she's probably good with Excavator, making repeated Wastelands for fetches a thing in most match ups.

With the two main decked decays I would also consider settling for one Qasali, there is some overlap between these cards. (Personally I like one copy of Rallier as a second Qasali or Jitte in match ups where they are important.)

Finally I'm not really a fan of the ninth mana ramp creature (bop next to 4 Deathrites and 4 GSZ's) but that's quite debatable (too). With a large amount of 3 drops maybe it's worth it. Edit: actually, if Deathrite keeps emptying the graveyard of lands, maybe there is enough reason to change some number of Deathrites into BoPs or Nobles to not get in the way of Excavator. I need to do some testing.

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Originally Posted by pettdan

@Stuart: lots of possible cuts. Thalia HC is constantly debated so she seems like the first option to cut. On the other hand she's probably good with Excavator, making repeated Wastelands for fetches a thing in most match ups.

With the two main decked decays I would also consider settling for one Qasali, there is some overlap between these cards. (Personally I like one copy of Rallier as a second Qasali or Jitte in match ups where they are important.)

Finally I'm not really a fan of the ninth mana ramp creature (bop next to 4 Deathrites and 4 GSZ's) but that's quite debatable (too). With a large amount of 3 drops maybe it's worth it. Edit: actually, if Deathrite keeps emptying the graveyard of lands, maybe there is enough reason to change some number of Deathrites into BoPs or Nobles to not get in the way of Excavator. I need to do some testing.

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I like having bop over noble. The exalted isnt the most relavent, but being able to produce any color helps a lot as well as being a flyer has helped a lot. Being able to block grissle or lage with mom backup is great. Also turn 1 birds into turn 2 scryb ranger into another 2 drop without needing lands in gy is pretty beefy

Cheers guys. I think it's gotta be Big Thalia who gets the cut. I love her, but as she's pretty situational and the same CMC as Crucible Man, she's probably less vital than Decay.

Re. Birds: I've found it to be an amazing 5th/9th dork. In straight GW Hierarch is probably better, but Flying and tapping for B is great.

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Originally Posted by Stuart

Cheers guys. I think it's gotta be Big Thalia who gets the cut. I love her, but as she's pretty situational and the same CMC as Crucible Man, she's probably less vital than Decay.

Re. Birds: I've found it to be an amazing 5th/9th dork. In straight GW Hierarch is probably better, but Flying and tapping for B is great.

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I recently cut big thalias from my deck for some fun cards. Right now on sylvan safekeeper titania plan, and it has been pretty solid, but it migh also be double decay or decay elspeth. Basically just toying around with potentials

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Originally Posted by Stuart

Cheers guys. I think it's gotta be Big Thalia who gets the cut. I love her, but as she's pretty situational and the same CMC as Crucible Man, she's probably less vital than Decay.

Re. Birds: I've found it to be an amazing 5th/9th dork. In straight GW Hierarch is probably better, but Flying and tapping for B is great.

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I am starting to find the first BoP to be more essential than the first DRS/Heirarch. If cutting a mana dork is needed, I will not be cutting the bird.

What is everyones consensus on gaeas cradle. Is it better to have it or no? Or would ghost quarter be more relavent now with excavator?

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Originally Posted by Magnaguard100

What is everyones consensus on gaeas cradle. Is it better to have it or no? Or would ghost quarter be more relavent now with excavator?

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I personnally think that Maverick isn't well suited to get rid of 3-8 basics. By the time you cut someone off basics you're usually far behind on the board and they still have access to all their duals. I think it's better to focus on disrupting greedy manabases only and keep cradle to get some kind of mana advantage while you execute this plan.

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Originally Posted by Cpt-Qc

I personnally think that Maverick isn't well suited to get rid of 3-8 basics. By the time you cut someone off basics you're usually far behind on the board and they still have access to all their duals. I think it's better to focus on disrupting greedy manabases only and keep cradle to get some kind of mana advantage while you execute this plan.

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Thats underatandable and i agree with that. What about decks that run 0-2 basics? Ive had corner case scenarios where having quarter won me a couple games because they fetched basics early and it became strip mine, and there are times where i had a lot of small dudes in play but not enough mana to do what i wanted

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Originally Posted by Magnaguard100

Thats underatandable and i agree with that. What about decks that run 0-2 basics? Ive had corner case scenarios where having quarter won me a couple games because they fetched basics early and it became strip mine, and there are times where i had a lot of small dudes in play but not enough mana to do what i wanted

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I never tested with GQ but I don't feel maverick is good enough to tax. I always describe it as close to DnT but more Death less Taxes so I don't want to go there. Maybe it would work but that's not my idea of the deck.

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Originally Posted by Cpt-Qc

I never tested with GQ but I don't feel maverick is good enough to tax. I always describe it as close to DnT but more Death less Taxes so I don't want to go there. Maybe it would work but that's not my idea of the deck.

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Ghost Quartering someone is not to be considered a main strategy of the deck. Rather see it as low-investment inevitability in a few match ups (coupled with Excavator and maybe Mother) and Wasteland no five in others. What do you give up? A single land. What do you gain? The possibility of carrying out the deck's mana denial strategy vs the decks that are protecting themselves from this by playing 1-2 basics and even to a lesser extent the decks that play more basics. It's not like an extra fetch would win you a lot of games in its place. Or well, that's the actual question. My initial assumption was that we don't want to give up any utility lands so the alternatives are perhaps to lower the dedication on a splashed color and replace a dual, to replace a Wasteland, or to increase the amount of lands in the deck. I felt most comfortable experimenting with a lighter splash, Decay is no longer necessary and when we need discard there is no pressure on our lands anyway... Or a fetch. Or a Wasteland. Gah..

The ability to play multiple lands each turn becomes very attractive with an Excavator in play. Maybe it's time to playtest the monster toad (Gitrog Monster). But on the other hand, Titania has been really good now for the last two years (well, for me) and I don't see playing two five drops.