[Primer/Deck] Pox

Liliana's Trinity Prison! The response to a slower midrange meta...

Win Cons
2 Cursed Scroll
2 Nether Spirit
4 Mishra's Factory

Disrupt
4 Wasteland
4 Sinkhole
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Hymn to Tourach

Pox-like FX
4 Innocent Blood
4 Smallpox
1 Pox (I really wanted to run 2, :frown:)
4 Liliana of the Veil

Prison
1 Nether Void
1 Night of Souls' Betrayal
1 Ankh of Mishra

Mana
4 Dark Ritual
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
12 Swamp

Sideboard
2 Pithing Needle
1 Sphere of Resistance
1 Uba Mask
4 Engineered Plague
3 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Surgical Extraction

Ankh's ability to lock out late game is amusing. At 5 hp, late game Fetchlands become unusable and dead topdecks. Early game, it carves large chunks of health from your enemies who want as many colors as possible. Sure it hurts us too, but we're Pox, and by laying it after our land drop, we keep the life point advantage. I was thinking of other ways to punish top-decked lands, but Polluted Bonds doesn't do enough for the steep mana cost.

Any suggestions on better prison pieces that cause enemy top decks to become garbage?

@omnistrata

ha ha ha..you must be psychic! i was about to ask what your latest build looks like! :laugh:

anyway, i'm sticking to 2 copies of the big pox in the main right now because most of the players i seem to be going up against these days have a propensity to hide behind basics and daddy pox hits them!

i even considered running a singleton ghost quarter just for that but i'm afraid of diluting the mana base too much..so instead i'll stick with the 2 big pox configuration..

one change i made is the inclusion of a singleton crucible in the main.. :cool:

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Originally Posted by zenitramleirdag

@omnistrata

ha ha ha..you must be psychic! i was about to ask what your latest build looks like! :laugh:

anyway, i'm sticking to 2 copies of the big pox in the main right now because most of the players i seem to be going up against these days have a propensity to hide behind basics and daddy pox hits them!

i even considered running a singleton ghost quarter just for that but i'm afraid of diluting the mana base too much..so instead i'll stick with the 2 big pox configuration..

one change i made is the inclusion of a singleton crucible in the main.. :cool:

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Ah Crucible, that takes me back. Even had a Loam Pox build a long time ago. I've abandoned those builds because in my experience, recovering from your Poxes is less productive than surviving under it and just continually disrupt your opponent. With Liliana, you now have an engine that mostly locks your foe out. Crucible builds tend to rely on Waste-lock and they draw the game out longer. For 3 mana, I'd rather do something to my opponent than try and dig myself out of my hole I dug. I even considered Bottled Cloister as an advantage engine, but that too was too much mana in an attempt to recover instead of BUTCHERING MY OPPONENT :laugh:

TL;DR - Crucible and Loam make games take longer instead of killing my foes, hence why I don't use 'recovery' cards in Pox anymore.

The first Pox thread had simple criteria for card inclusion. Cards must either disrupt my opponent, provide mana, or kill my opponent. I experimented with Sphere of Resistance in place of Hymn to Tourach, but my meta's too slow to effectively use it so I went back.

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Any suggestions on better prison pieces that cause enemy top decks to become garbage?

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Not sure how well it would do, but Tainted Æther/Tainted Aether could be useful. It combos pretty well with Tabernacle alongside Loam/Wasteland.

- Any suggestions on better prison pieces that cause enemy top decks to become garbage?

uhm, wand of denial? :confused:

sorry if it seems janky but a pseudo jace effect is nothing to sneeze at.. :cool:

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Originally Posted by zenitramleirdag

- Any suggestions on better prison pieces that cause enemy top decks to become garbage?

uhm, wand of denial? :confused:

sorry if it seems janky but a pseudo jace effect is nothing to sneeze at.. :cool:

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Not when you're paying life like a madman. Ankh is a helluva weapon against Veteran Explorer [little bastard]. Knight of Reliquary doesn't like getting slapped by the ankh often either. :eek: Uba Mask is my answer to most top decks as it replaces the draw phase and guaruntees an empty hand for as long as it's in play. 4 mana to ensure an empty hand almost forever is hawt. It also rips counter decks and instant-loaded decks in two if it's the End of Turn flavor.

I believe the Black equivalent of a Fateseal could be Misinformation. Want to draw 3 useless cards for the next three turns? :tongue:

i like misinformation..it can also slow down dredge and give you a good game against reanimator..

since we're talking about top decking, maybe null brooch? its a bit mana intensive especially since we're also nuking our lands, but it can put the opponent on a soft lock especially with liliana in play..

Out of curiosity, has there been any consensus regarding The Rack builds with a heavier emphasis on Pox to maintain parity?

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Originally Posted by Koby

Out of curiosity, has there been any consensus regarding The Rack builds with a heavier emphasis on Pox to maintain parity?

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The problem I've had with Rack based Discard builds is that lucky top decks can't be stopped. It's hard to cast a top-decked Jace Mind Sculptor if you've been wastelanding and sinkholing their manabase. But rack builds won't be able to stop him unless you intend to burn Rack damage on him for a few turns. Big CMC decks are supposed to have some problems fighting us. I've even attempted a test of a mana denial inclusive build using Sphere of Resistance in place of Hymn to Tourach, which I've now moved to the sideboard. Being able to hit BOTH land and hand is what Pox is about. TOTAL DISRUPTION! :cool:

NEW tournament report! Games vs. ANT, Death & Taxes, Elves -> Drop
Deck has been changed to accommodate 1 main deck Eng. Plague. -1 Innocent Blood, +1 Eng. Plague.
Sideboard changed as well: -1 Sphere of Resistance -1 Uba Mask +2 Dystopia [this card is the bomb] Instead of Nether Void which I didn't own, I subbed Trinisphere, which didn't matter since it didn't show up in any game.

Game 1 Round 1 vs. ANT
I win the die roll, I Dark Rit into Liliana off of Urborg. His face's 5'o clock shadow looks grim. I see him drop Underground Sea, Lotus Petal, and LED. He gets his hand eaten by Liliana and top decked Inquisitions left and right. 3 Inq. of Kozilek where in my yard game 1, nasty. Mishra's Factory alone gets me my win.

Game 1 Round 2 I side out 3 Innocent Bloods, Eng. Plague, & 1 Night of Souls' Betrayal for 2 Surgical Extractions and 3 Relics of Prog. I never needed my sideboard. Dark Ritual into Liliana once again seals his doom. I've fought I think a dozen combo decks and my classic Pox build is undefeated vs. combo. I haven't fought Dredge yet since my Dredge buddy [coach] has left for Naval duty but I think that's the combo deck for me to fear. Mishra's + C. Scroll kills him quickly. He sided in 3 Leylines [he was short 1] and Helm of Obedience. He got his helm but no mana to feed it and no Leyline to start. I laugh maniacally inside as I shake his hand for a gg.

Game 2 Round 1 vs. Death and Taxes
I'm on the draw with turn 1 Liliana and I Discard Nether spirit. In 2 turns, he drops two Mother of Runes. My turn 2 involves Dark Rit + 2 swamps into Night of Souls' Betrayal. :laugh: He was unable to play Thalia or Phyrexian Revoker and butcher him with 2 1/1 Mishra's Factories.

Game 2 Round 2
He sticks an Aether Vial. I didn't board in anything, confident that I can still cut him down. By vialing in a Stoneforge, he manages to kill me with Nether Spirit fending off his Batterskull. Mirran Crusader murders me.

Game 3 Round 3 -> Brain fart of stupidity
I lose the game due to Pithing Needle naming something BESIDES Stoneforge Mystic [facepalm]. I boarded out all Inq.s and Hymns for 3 Eng. Plague, 3 Ensnaring Bridges, and 2 Dystopias. I never see my Dystopia and my mulliganing down to 5 cards didn't help :frown:

Game 3 Round 1 vs. Elves
I get Craterhoofed after fending off an opening slew of DRS with 2 Innocent Bloods and Smallpox. I brain fart on a Quirion Ranger when I attempt to Wasteland his Dryad Arbor only to have it bounced. I are angry... Side out all Inquisitions and Hymns. In comes 3 Ensnaring Bridge, 3 Eng. Plagues, and 2 Dystopia

Game 3 Round 2
I manage to stick a Liliana and discard/sac him once. 2 Engineered Plagues buy me time and he ends up playing a Viridian Shaman to sacrifice to Liliana. When I stick an Ensnaring Bridge in the face of a 9/9 Scavenging Ooze, he thinks for a second and scoops. So he has only 1 Shaman eh?

Game 3 Round 3. My deck is ARMED TO THE SKY with 3 Innocent Bloods, 4 Smallpox, 1 Pox, 4 Engineered Plagues, 3 Ensnaring Bridges, and 2 Dystopias and I still lost :(
Opening Engineered Plague off a Dark Ritual murders an Elvish Visionary and 0/1s his starter DRS. I REALLY hate Deathrite Shamans. A Glimpse of Nature gives him enough threats that 2 smallpoxes, 1 Liliana sac activation, and Engineered Plague wasn't enough. After my death I look at my next card and see....

drumroll... NIGHT OF SOULS' BETRAYAL!! HAD I GONE FIRST GAME 3 SOMEHOW, I WOULD HAVE WON! GAH! :mad:

Pros learned
Pithing on a DRS is vital. Spamming his ability is enough to kill anyone and I think more damage and card advantage was gained through that bitch than anything.
Combo Decks are a buy; free win :cool:

Cons
Even when set to super win against aggro tribal, being forced to mulligan sucks.

Overall: I didn't get crushed utterly at all this tournament [never lost 2 in a row w00t!] and I think I'm getting closer to my final build. The big maindeck lock pieces will be 1 of ea. Eng. Plague, Night of Souls' Betrayal, Ankh of Mishra, and Nether Void. At worst, I'd sub out the Ankh for Innocent Blood #4 again but I need more testing.

Thanks for reminding about the Quireon Ranger land bounce. Easy to forget. And yes, Deathrite Shaman must always die.

My deck looks quite different today, but is essentially the same as Before. Disruption and dudes.
DRS have been added because it is one of the best black creatures in the format. I got over that it won't be monoB any more. It is not clear yet they fit in the deck, however.
Chalice seems a bit in the vogue again so I put it in my deck. This time i see three good reasons; 1) most other decks have cheaper spells, or key cards that cost only 1cc. Thus i am not hindered any since MY spells usually cost two or more. Technically I am blanking the spells of faster decks.
2)I feel permanent based disruption is superior to 1cc discard. 3) i can cast it turn two and with DRS have mana to pay for Daze. (In Rug matchups.)
Last tuesday I also had Liliana in the deck, but It is probably best to optimize the deck in one specific direction.
Liliana is Control.


4 Bloodghast
2 necroplasm
4 pack rat
2 tombstalker
4 deathrite shaman
2 filth

4 Smallpox
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 pox
2 sickening dreams
4 chalice of the void
16 Swamp
3 Dakmor Salvage
4 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
2 umezawa's jitte

Does anybody know where I could find Hoogland's list from SCG Milwaukee? Looked pretty solid.

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Originally Posted by Juice11

Does anybody know where I could find Hoogland's list from SCG Milwaukee? Looked pretty solid.

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I'm also interested in that.

I couldn't find the list, but I found his match on mtgcoverage.com/index.php

http://www.twitch.tv/scglive/b/517571946?t=579m20s

Its not quite a "Pox" list, more of a Loam Depths control deck with Sylvan Library, Liliana, Maelstrom Pulse, Abrupt Decay, etc.

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Originally Posted by yuMi-

I'm also interested in that.

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I actually just tweeted him, he said he was going to put up a tournament report with the list on the meadery later this week. So I would look out for that in the future.

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Originally Posted by Hardcore

My deck looks quite different today, but is essentially the same as Before. Disruption and dudes.
DRS have been added because it is one of the best black creatures in the format. I got over that it won't be monoB any more. It is not clear yet they fit in the deck, however.
Chalice seems a bit in the vogue again so I put it in my deck. This time i see three good reasons; 1) most other decks have cheaper spells, or key cards that cost only 1cc. Thus i am not hindered any since MY spells usually cost two or more. Technically I am blanking the spells of faster decks.
2)I feel permanent based disruption is superior to 1cc discard. 3) i can cast it turn two and with DRS have mana to pay for Daze. (In Rug matchups.)
Last tuesday I also had Liliana in the deck, but It is probably best to optimize the deck in one specific direction.
Liliana is Control.


4 Bloodghast
2 necroplasm
4 pack rat
2 tombstalker
4 deathrite shaman
2 filth

4 Smallpox
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 pox
2 sickening dreams
4 chalice of the void
16 Swamp
3 Dakmor Salvage
4 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
2 umezawa's jitte

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DEATHRITE?! YOU TRAITOR HOW COULD YOU!! :mad: It doesn't need dual lands, it's still Mono-B. However, you now have a better game vs. GY based decks. DRS is also a kill condition that can feed off the Poxes you pitched I guess. I distinctly remember an enemy DRS chucking my Nether Spirit from my yard. I really hate how DRS dodges spinning Darkness...

An intimidating list I think.

As far as my deck is concerned, I've removed the miser Ankh of Mishra for the 4th Innocent Blood. The lockout condition is too narrow and I'm not 24 spells Land Destruction Pox. Though perhaps, if my meta had more high-speed clock decks, I'd consider it. If you had the cards, what would they be?

4 Wasteland
4 Sinkhole
4 Smallpox
4 Pox
4 Rancid Earth
4 Blight? :laugh: or Befoul?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hardcore

My deck looks quite different today, but is essentially the same as Before. Disruption and dudes.
DRS have been added because it is one of the best black creatures in the format. I got over that it won't be monoB any more. It is not clear yet they fit in the deck, however.
Chalice seems a bit in the vogue again so I put it in my deck. This time i see three good reasons; 1) most other decks have cheaper spells, or key cards that cost only 1cc. Thus i am not hindered any since MY spells usually cost two or more. Technically I am blanking the spells of faster decks.
2)I feel permanent based disruption is superior to 1cc discard. 3) i can cast it turn two and with DRS have mana to pay for Daze. (In Rug matchups.)
Last tuesday I also had Liliana in the deck, but It is probably best to optimize the deck in one specific direction.
Liliana is Control.


4 Bloodghast
2 necroplasm
4 pack rat
2 tombstalker
4 deathrite shaman
2 filth

4 Smallpox
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 pox
2 sickening dreams
4 chalice of the void
16 Swamp
3 Dakmor Salvage
4 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
2 umezawa's jitte

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I've been using Chalice again too and liking it. I find it protects Loam a bit from at least half of grave hate, keeps tops and brainstorm from finding answers. Blanks Deathrite and Delver after you kill the early one if you dont get Chalice down early. Works well with Mox Diamond. Chalice can also protect our few critters from Swords to Plowshares as well.

@OmniStrata
I guess Rancid Earth due to Threshold. Even better now that TNN is a thing.

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Originally Posted by beez

@OmniStrata
I guess Rancid Earth due to Threshold. Even better now that TNN is a thing.

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Not really since it doesn't affect your opponent TNN'S (as long as you're the chosen player) since the damage will be prevented.