[Primer] R/G Lands

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Originally Posted by Cfetchcaviar

Went 2-1 at my weekly event. Lost to a four color control deck. the other match ups were shardless and merfolk and they went exactly how you think.

The four color deck had double DRS game one and was able to keep me off everything, never saw punishing fire.
Game two they had DRS, and meddling mage on pfire. I was able to waste them off white, bog their graveyard and make a witch with no swords.
Game Three they were able to land double DRS and meddling mage on pfire. During one of the sideboard games they extracted my wastelands. This match up felt awful, even though their entire manabase was non basics. ugh :(

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This is what makes me want to play Red Elemental Blast or Volcanic Fallout.

We can beat DRS+DRS. I had my Punishing Fires and Stages extracted at Champs and still won (due to a few unsafe decisions by my opponent, but still) but mixing Meddling Mage into the mix can cause severe problems. :( Makes me want to play "Can't be Countered" or "Can't be Prevented" answers to Meddling Mage.

We need to be on the watch for an increase in Meddling Mage. Pay attention to the Miracles and Stoneblade threads.

I think the easiest way to sum up what has happened of late is to say we have become a known entity. I mean this time last year sure people knew about the deck but who really wanted to play test against something that was rare, not really fun to play against and who no one you knew really understood how to pilot correctly anyway for a gauntlet?

Skip to now and we are popular, known, growning and people are starting to understand that the cost of Lands as a deck is in fact lower then some other decks in the format. If you own DnT or Goblins the cost to cross over is lower still. This means we are seeing more hare, more people taking up the challenge of testing against us and trying to work out what works and what does not. We are known now. It might mean that now, it's our turn to adapt.

I've also seen an increase in Meddling Mage online. My initial thought for sideboarding was to try something like Barbarian Ring, but its impact seems too low. Other options include Molten Vortex, Seismic Assault, or PrimeTime (not a direct answer, but a Meddling Mage seems like less of a problem when you've got a huge guy and a witch token). But maybe Pyroblast is the way to go, since it can also be boarded in against a slew of matchups.

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Originally Posted by gigapatrick

I've also seen an increase in Meddling Mage online. My initial thought for sideboarding was to try something like Barbarian Ring, but its impact seems too low. Other options include Molten Vortex, Seismic Assault, or PrimeTime (not a direct answer, but a Meddling Mage seems like less of a problem when you've got a huge guy and a witch token). But maybe Pyroblast is the way to go, since it can also be boarded in against a slew of matchups.

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Not to nitpick but I actually think we want Red Elemental Blast since it's much harder to Misdirect when we're targeting the Mage in play.

So what to drop? 3ball? And how many, 2-3? Interesting, I'm keeping my eyes open and test REB.

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Originally Posted by Chatto

So what to drop? 3ball? And how many, 2-3? Interesting, I'm keeping my eyes open and test REB.

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Well, since we want to run 6 to 7 Sphere effects in the board for combo matchups, maybe you drop some number for two REB since REB also has utility in those matchups as well. Something like:

3 Sphere of Resistance
2 Trinisphere
2 REB

or some such configuration depending on your main deck. Not sure, but I might try it for a video.

In my flex slot, i play a one of wildfire. Its a little slower that a turn three volcanic fallout, but the effect is more dramatic. It puts me at a great advantage over my opponents since I can recover lands faster. Plus, it kills angels, and blows up basics we can't waste. Can cast under a blood moon. Ill be more keen in the future for meddling mage sideboard shenanigans.

SB:
4 Grip
3 Sphere of Resi
2 Trini
2 Chalice of the void
2 Boil
1 Pithing Needle
1 Wildfire

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Originally Posted by Cfetchcaviar

In my flex slot, i play a one of wildfire. Its a little slower that a turn three volcanic fallout, but the effect is more dramatic. It puts me at a great advantage over my opponents since I can recover lands faster. Plus, it kills angels, and blows up basics we can't waste. Can cast under a blood moon. Ill be more keen in the future for meddling mage sideboard shenanigans.

SB:
4 Grip
3 Sphere of Resi
2 Trini
2 Chalice of the void
2 Boil
1 Pithing Needle
1 Wildfire

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When are you bringing Chalices and Needle in? I want both for Miracles but I found that I get jammed up with Chalice on 1 blocking my needle. I definitely want Chalice for Storm.

Now that DTT has gone and Omni with it (for the most part) Trinisphere has lost most of its appeal I reckon. The one-two punch of 3Sphere and Choke don't do the same thing vs Sneak and Show, and vs storm etc stacking up multiple Spheres and Chalices should be more effective due to the lower CMC.

@ patrick: I'm no big fan of Trinisphere vs combo. It's a beast when it goes unanswered, but being 3cmc it's rather slow. SoR along REB/ PB will do just fine, and also makes your SB better against more decks (I think)

@ Dissection: I agree with your reasoning. That's why I would think that Choke and Trinisphere are the very first to cut for REB and/ or Pyroblast. Our deck has become a real contender, people will pack hate against us.

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Originally Posted by Chatto

@ patrick: I'm no big fan of Trinisphere vs combo. It's a beast when it goes unanswered, but being 3cmc it's rather slow. SoR along REB/ PB will do just fine, AMD aldo makes your SB better against more decks (I think)

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Seems reasonable. I've been thinking of dropping the Trinispheres for REBs and doing a video, though right now I'm trying something with a little bit more spice. Will probably do a video with REBs when what I'm trying now fails.

Hello! So I played RG Lands in the MKM Series Prague main event.

I started 4-1 (won vs Elves, Miracles, Stoneblade, Team America. Lost to a Miracles pilot I know, didn't see Thespian's Stage in at least 30 cards)
Shardless BUG put me out of contention in Game 3: T1 Needle on Stage, T2 MeddlingMage on Punishing Fire, T3 MeddlingMage on Life from the Loam. I K'gripped the Needle (had 2 Grips in hand and drew a 3rd) but eventually lost to Mage beatdown joined by a Tarmogoyf because I had only 1 Maze & didn't draw Stage.

My hand was too slow & I should have mulliganed. I'm conservative when it comes to Mulligans but it was definitely a mistake!
Speed & Wasteland/PFire T1-2 is super important I think. I will definitely try the 2 REBs you talk about & Molten Vortex again as I had some bad matches versus good DnT players in the past. Next tourney in 2 weeks.

Speaking of Mulligans: Mulling with non-U (non-Brainstorm) decks is much harder, especially with Lands! I still have to practice this.

Building a Fortress #23

Building a Fortress #24

Building a Fortress #25

The first two feature some of my worst play, ever. I clearly am awful.

The third features the best of accidental-type Lands wins.

Enjoy.

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Originally Posted by barcode

When are you bringing Chalices and Needle in? I want both for Miracles but I found that I get jammed up with Chalice on 1 blocking my needle. I definitely want Chalice for Storm.

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I bring in chalice for: miracles, show and tell varients, storm varients, and rug delver. I bring the needle in the miracles match up as well. I find more often than not, my turn one chalice is countered. Having needle is an extra, more diverse tool if chalice gets countered, or wear teared. Hits fetchlands, karakas etc. I don't mind having it be a dead card if I have chalice on 1. It means I can combo without worrying about swords. Unless they have terminus.

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Originally Posted by gigapatrick

Building a Fortress #23 (Lands vs. Aggro Loam)

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Various slips as you say, a suggestion maybe not trivial: when the opponent has the capability to kill your Prime Titan with blockers, it's a good thing to fetch a maze, so you can attack with the titan and maze it to protect it from blockers. You'll do no damage, but you'll keep on fetching two new lands every turn.

Edit -

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Originally Posted by gigapatrick

Building a Fortress #24 (Lands vs. The Walking Dead)

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G1 you could combo right after your first Manabon activation, right? Anyway result aside, very funny match!

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Originally Posted by Morte

Various slips as you say, a suggestion maybe not trivial: when the opponent has the capability to kill your Prime Titan with blockers, it's a good thing to fetch a maze, so you can attack with the titan and maze it to protect it from blockers. You'll do no damage, but you'll keep on fetching two new lands every turn

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Hey, thanks for the advice. I totally didn't think of that (otherwise I would have done it). Not real happy with my play in that video, not happy at all. At several points, I could have turned the game in my favor had I made better decisions. My play against The Walking Dead in the next video is even worse, so bad I'm a little ashamed to show the both of them.

LOL I see, but I really appreciated both of them. Sometimes suboptimal plays let you think and learn more than a perfect game. Keep on with your good work gigapatrick!

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Originally Posted by gigapatrick

Hey, thanks for the advice. I totally didn't think of that (otherwise I would have done it). Not real happy with my play in that video, not happy at all. At several points, I could have turned the game in my favor had I made better decisions. My play against The Walking Dead in the next video is even worse, so bad I'm a little ashamed to show the both of them.

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Keep up the videos they are super informative. I love them.

If you're worried about Meddling Mages I would much sooner consider running Sudden Shocks and/or Volcanic Fallouts in the sideboard over REBs. Sudden Shock has great additional utility, dealing with Deathrite and Monastery Mentor. With REBs its really hard to hold it up as a removal spell when your opponent is casting Brainstorm which Fetches open/Ancestral Visions etc etc - especially against BUG decks. Against Miracles there are a lot more high impact cards than REB you can be running in SB.

As for Trinisphere - imo it's not really something you want to be running anymore since Omni has left the format. 3Sphere is too slow against Storm/Reanimator and really weak against Show and Tell decks. I think Sphere of Resistances/Chalices and possibly a 1 of Thorn for certain metas is where you want to be at. Sphere has historically put in the good fight against all 3 of those decks :)

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Originally Posted by hyp3r1on

If you're worried about Meddling Mages I would much sooner consider running Sudden Shocks and/or Volcanic Fallouts in the sideboard over REBs. Sudden Shock has great additional utility, dealing with Deathrite and Monastery Mentor. With REBs its really hard to hold it up as a removal spell when your opponent is casting Brainstorm which Fetches open/Ancestral Visions etc etc - especially against BUG decks. Against Miracles there are a lot more high impact cards than REB you can be running in SB.

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I was just thinking about Sudden Shock this morning while planning to take Dredge to GP SEATAC for Vintage sides. It packs Sudden Shocks to deal with these hatebear creatures. Sudden Shock also has the benefit of being 2 CMC so we won't lock ourselves out of REB with Chalice of the Void on 1.