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Okay, that DEFINITELY doesn't belong in the landstill thread. No standstill and no removal besides STP.
That being said, I don't like cryptic command. I'd rather have a spell without the prohibitive UUU cost like FoF to dig for other bombs and answers than something so narrow.
Also, as moss said, NICE METAGAMING. Holy hell man, that's like boarding 4 tividar's crusade and playing goblins all day...
Word. What sticks out to me is no fetchlands, vials, and Price of Progress in the SB. Voracious Dragon is a fiend though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinefol
Thanks for the constructive criticism reply on my deck. It does well against aggro and also ichord combo. Thresh packing stifles can be a tough match. The problem I ran into is other types of combo. Like enchantress. Which kinda makes me want to run cunning wish again just so I can side this: Tempest of Light. Then I still have to fight Replenish so save a counter for that. The other type of aggro decks use tribes often and I have Engineered Plague for that. The reason I had 4 Counterspells is usually I use one or two for FOW fodder as well as the counterbalance, that and both cards are amazing but cunning wish would give me more options game one. So I could add three and take out an o-ring, counterspell and a crucible? I find it hard to justify running WOG now days.
edit: @rsaunder I thought running Spell Snares weren't necessary when running CB just because you can hit that number so frequently with CB out.
I would like to how how well Ajani Vengeant is really doing in builds. What match-ups does it improve? We've all ready established that just about any planeswalker is amazing against control, but he actaully seems weak in the control mirror - Unlike Elspeth he doesn't put tokens into play to protect himself and unlike Jace he doesn't really generate any card advantage unless you're killing a dark confidant. He can never kill a gofy unless Humility is on the table in which case Elspeth is most likely better.
Against Zoo Type decks, if they only have one creature I can see him shining, +1ing him every turn. But he cannot take down a goyf and the best thing he can hope to do is really draw a few burn spells, which is good.
Against threshold He's good against anything that isn't Mongoose.
Anyone who has been testing it in Landstill can you explain which match-ups he shines in and which he is lackluster in (Except the obvious Combo and Dredge.)
Ajani is good in a number of situations and, contrary to what you might think.Quote:
I would like to how how well Ajani Vengeant is really doing in builds.
Firstly, he can sit on the board and tap a creature after it has attacked, and continue to do so indefinitely if you keep other threats off the table. This is very strong against decks that don't run a lot of threats, like Dreadstill and certain Countertop builds.
He can sit around and tap a land indefinitely. In this, he acts exactly like Wasteland. He makes your Standstills stronger by shutting down enemy manlands, and he can keep an opponent who is light on lands off an entire color, or off the double blue necessary to cast something like Counterspell.
He eventually is a one-sided Armageddon. This is amazing in the mirror, as your opponent will have few, if any, ways to deal with him after he resolves. Resolution of his ultimate should win you the game all by itself. If you can manage to do it against most other decks, the game is probably already over, but it can actually be the deciding factor in the mirror.
Finally, his minus ability is quite good. At the very least, he can act as a four-mana Lightning Helix, which is not a bad thing.
The matches I've found him really good in are the mirror, Dreadstill, Countertop, and any deck that is generally low on creature and/or land count. The matches where he really is nothing more than a 4-mana Lightning Helix are fast combo and fast aggro, i.e. ANT, Goblins, or Merfolk.
This particular part of your statement is manifestly untrue. While he may not generate actual CA in many situations, he will replace himself through the virtual CA gained by his +1, and his second and third abilities will often generate quite a bit of CA. So, while Jace may draw you into solutions, Ajani is often both a solution and CA, which is what makes him so good.Quote:
unlike Jace he doesn't really generate any card advantage
I want to act the devil's advocate in this case, though I'm also currently testing a UWr version, but your explanation of the role of ajani kinda seems to de-value him despite of your intentions. In your opinion, Ajani is nothing more than a winmore, just because it is good only against decks against which other things are also good (or even more good), say the 3rd jace, the 3rd elspeth, doj, or any other tool white has access to. So, anyone that has finished reading your apology of A. Vengeant is asking himslef: "So why run an offcolor card that is good only against matches we can won without him? Without splashing for a third color, we could just go straight UW control". The effort of reintroducing a red splash for landstill is intended to keep a good mirror MU (or even to improve it, read: reb) and to improve the aggro MU by means of cheaper mass removal than wrath (read: firespout), just to say it simply. It's not a simple metagame choice, the effort is to define a build that has the same power level of "classic" UWb versions. If ajani vengeant has nothing to say against aggro and he's only good in MU we would already win without him, then by no means he should be in this list, landstill doesn't need winmore. If vengeant is in UWr landstill, it maybe is a little more powerful against lotta decks and not only vs control ones, being a more versatile board control element in mid-late game than just a "4 mana helix".Quote:
Originally Posted by HPB_Eggo
Like it been said, Ajani is a beating against control, and there he actually gives the deck edge other than some otherwise unfavorable match ups. I'm talking about black based control decks like Pox and Train Wreck.
Previously they just could play a game of 'get many lands, play a ton of discard and stick a game-ending threat'. No more, because Ajani eats up at least one of their lands and his Loyalty points going to 7 make them overxtend and cast the threats early, not protected by discard. You kill them, he does the ultimate = win.
Ajani is a beating against aggro-control or decks with light amount of creatures. Have Goyf or Tombstalker tapped forever? I'm in. Oh, they drop another creature? Wrath the board, destroy their lands.
It's never bad against aggro. Like it been said, at worst, its Lightning Helix + Fog for next turn. Generally it is so much more than that. You don't drop it when there are two creatures on the board, unless they go lethal next turn. Drop him when where are no creatures, or just one creature on the board, which is quite common. Burn or "tap". Keep it there for another turn. Now if it has 5 and they either face armageddon soon, or lose two creatures. Either is fine by me. I almost never 'armageddon' against aggro though - they choose to cast creatures and have them burned. But they don't have unlimited supply of them, so he gets its +1 quite often to replenish the loyalty. So ton of CA and virtual CA there.
Ajani + Elspeth represent some serious tempo, much more than Elspeth does alone. I've successfully raced Survival with Survival on table. I've raced Progenitus player with him on 26 hits. This isn't winmore, I couldn't just do that with Elspeth alone.
Ajani (along with Wasteland/removal/Dust Bowl) punishes mana light hands with birds/hierarchs/mana elves. Happens quite often for me. This is where F/I shines too.
He's quite good against specific types of combo. The not so easy match up against Enchantress becomes fine if you drop him. Not only he provides the mana denial here, they scoop when you destroy their lands. Found it useful against Ichorid, where he let me win 2 very long games preboard, by 'tapping' out their DRed Troll, letting me assemble double Standstill combo to deck them.
Granted, its Helix against ANT most of the time, but other Plainswalkers are no better there.
Thanks Tinefol, this is what I call a good explanation of a cards. Though I'm curios to know how you beat a prog on the table :laugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinefol
I need a sideboard for a zoo/burn infested meta. I know there will be a lot of ichorid as well. I don't care so much about the ichorid. I play cunning wish. If you say counterbalance, I will block you.
Why do you say that? One-sided chalices at 1 are good against burn and zoo.Quote:
Originally Posted by rockout
Other lifegain is the obvious answer, pulse and ajani. That, P2E, and relic should all be in.
I've been testing this lately, I wanted more spot removal because of Merfolk and Zoo but I also wanted to Keep Jace in there and work in Crucible... this is the product of all that..
// Lands:24
3 [ON] Flooded Strand
3 [ON] Polluted Delta
3 [B] Tundra
2 [B] Underground Sea
1 [TSP] Academy Ruins
1 [TE] Wasteland
1 [B] Swamp (1)
2 [B] Plains (2)
2 [B] Island (4)
3 [AQ] Mishra's Factory (3)
1 [FUT] Tolaria West
1 [B] Scrubland
1 [MM] Dust Bowl
// Creatures:1
1 [SC] Eternal Dragon
// Spells:35
4 [B] Swords to Plowshares
3 [TE] Diabolic Edict
2 [CFX] Path to Exile
4 [IA] Brainstorm
4 [AL] Force of Will
3 [OD] Standstill
3 [DIS] Spell Snare
3 [FD] Engineered Explosives
2 [LOR] Jace Beleren
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 [SC] Decree of Justice
1 [IN] Fact or Fiction
1 [B] Wrath of God
1 [FD] Crucible of Worlds
// Sideboard:15
SB: 2 [FD] Crucible of Worlds
SB: 2 [MOR] Negate
SB: 3 [ALA] Relic of Progenitus
SB: 1 [DK] Tormod's Crypt
SB: 1 [MI] Enlightened Tutor
SB: 3 [UL] Engineered Plague
SB: 1 [IA] Hydroblast
SB: 2 [B] Blue Elemental Blast
@J.V.
Based on the way you built that deck, which has a lot of spot removal, I think you should cut DoJ. The reasoning for this is that you dont have enough to restart the board and slow the game down deliberately for you to ramp up to 8-10 mana to fully use DoJ effectively. Obviously with that game plan, you should be dropping an Elspeth down and bashing face. Also, cut Dust Bowl: that card is old news with Mutavaults and opposing Factories running around. Run another Wasteland instead. In fact, run at least 3 Wastelands if you expect any Merfolk at all. Also, with that color set-up, you should definitely take advantage of this and run Vindicate. It's a very powerful all-purpose card. Also, consider running Chainer's Edict over Diabolic Edict. Most games where I cast those cards, it's either because it's very early in the game (in which you will usually tap out a lot), or I'm facing some stupid shroud creature that wants me to clear him off the board (in which tapping mana on your own turn wont matter that much), so anything else in between, Swords and Path handle the board better.
So:
-1 Tolaria West
-1 Dust Bowl
-2 Decree of Justice
-3 Diabolic Edict
+2 Wasteland
+1 Elspeth, Knight Errant
+2 Chainer's Edict
+2 Vindicate
And if you can squeeze in Garruk Wildspeaker as Planeswalker 5-6, that would definitely make the deck more boss. Obviously you're going to have to cut Black, but totally worth it as Garruk keeps your in the game against Aggro and Control way better than Ajani Vengeant.
Update in testing:
4 flooded strand
2 Marsh Flats
4 Tundra
1 und sea
1 scrub
3 island
3 plains
3 mishra
1 dustbowl
1 academy ruins
4 force
4 snare
2 c.s
3 top
3 standstill
3 brainstorm
4 stp
3 ee
2 wrath
1 humility
1 path
1 disk
3 decree
2 elspeth
2 cunning wish
sb:
1 pulse
1 pate
1 ray of dist
1 e tutor
2 path
2 relic
3 EP
3 CB
1 cow
This Ior Ruin Expedition and Spell Pierce look hella gg.
Ior Ruin Expedition only draws us 2 cards and takes 3 turns to become active. It also sacriifces itself when you draw the 2 cards. Spell Pierce looks promising. Foil Commons should be really cheap.
Why run spell pierce over negate?
Spell Pierce to me looks like Yet another tool for Tempo thresh to utilize.
Standstill > Ior Ruin Expedition. Spell pierce looks interesting. But Spell Snare is used in many builds for the 1CC and that gets goyf as well. I don't even use snare with Counterbalance. So not hella gg. The power level is up on this new set though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystical_Jackass
@mossivo1986: No wasteland? Its so much quicker then Dustbowl. You need that many basics? You still have counters and ways of stopping B2B and Blood Moon, those matches still don't come up as frequently as Goblins and thresh though. Teamed up with Crucible people tend to want to scoop after that resolves. And also 3 Brainstorm? That card is much to good to only use 3 especially when its the type of card that helps you late or early game when your searching for land / answer. I do agree with 3 Standstill though that card has been treating me well, with enough man lands and wastes you can out wait most any deck.
Changes to my deck:
24 land
4 Tundra
4 Flooded Strand
2 Plains
2 Islands
4 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
1 Faerie Conclave
1 Underground Sea
1 Academy Ruins
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 STP
4 Brainstorm
4 FOW
4 SDT
2 Counterspell
4 Counterbalance
3 Standstill
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Engineered Explosives
2 Cunning Wish
1 Wrath of God
side:
4 Engineered Plague
2 Wheel of Sun and Moon
3 Sphere of Resistance
1 Tempest of Light
1 Pulse of the Fields
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Path to Exile
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Disenchant
Ior Ruin Expedition looks like an Ancestral Visions that: costs more mana, can be Spell Snared, can be Krosan Grip'd, and draws you 1 less card.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystical_Jackass
@ Rockout looking for a SB card against alot of Zoo and Burn, has Kitchen Finks been considered? It's kind of slow, but it can trade with their smaller guys or fog a couple Goyf swings, while gaining you some life. It might prove to be worse than Ajani, but it more or less seems like it accomplishes the same thing, soaking up some combat damage and gaining a bit of life. And the 3cc slot is generally less crowded than the 4cc slot, as far as curving out, idk just an idea.
Anyway what's wrong with actually running Ajani? He's been hella solid for me at least, doubling as an annoying lifegain-slowdown that gets you into the game and a tag-team with decrees and elspeth.
Edit: By running I mean putting him in your sideboard.
Ior Ruin Expedition is obviously bad but Spell Pierce looks really great. I think it will be played in tempo thresh. I dont know if it deserves a spot in landstill. Maybe it can replace Counterspell...but otherwise I like the versatility of hard counters.
@memnarch
Interesting. I usually dont like balance in Landstill.
I dont like the o-rings in your build. How do they work in testing?
Would be wrath/standstill/Path the better choice?
And I think you should play 6 fetchies. F. Conclave and Mutavault are too much - you play 4 wastelands.
@mossivo
I dont get the point with Marsh Flats. You play no swamps and you cant fetch a basic island, which seems much more important for me than the basic plains. At least I would play 1 Marsh Flat and 1 Delta.
3 Mishras looks a little strange but you play 3 decree for the finish which is acceptable.
@Dust bowl
I played dust bowl for several months in my list but I will cut it again for 1/2 wastelands. On the paper it looks really nice when u can screw your opponent with only one land but practically I often see me that I cant tap out in my turn (holding a counter) just to waste a land and see my opponent top decking a land. Wastelands fits in this roll. I can waste the land and play EOT Cunning wish->Enlight. Tutor-> CoW for the screw.
Otherwise dust bowl has its power in the control mirror.
I'm running into alot of mirror and use of Plainswalkers. The O-rings are great. Cheaper then Engineered Explosives and EE can't hit high CC Plainswalkers either. Only up to 3CC so Jace I can hit with EE in my deck. Also its just the versatility for 3 mana is worth it but late game there is the factor of the O-ring leaving play.
Mossivo's counter package basically relies on a single blue to work, while nearly all wincondition, and most board control elements, requires double white to work (not to mention white is a good portion of his sb). In the earlier stages of the game, is far more important for his list to quickly achieve a single blue mana and at least 2 white mana, diminishing the amount of specific white in the deck for the mid-late game, where blue really begins to matter. Having 6 ways to access his specific white i the earlier game is an assurance against aggro and aggrocontrol, so I can see why he want flats instead of deltas (though I'd probably go for a 1/1 split myself, but that's to say that his choice does make sense). 3 mishra is not strange, it's a lot he plays 3 to reduce the amount of uncolored mana producer lands in the effort of stabilizing the manabase. Now with the 3rd decree I see that choice matter much more.Quote:
Originally Posted by i_need_extra_turn
Maybe because you are using bowl in the wrong way. You don't want to waste "A" land, a generic land. You want to waste MANlands, and that's all. Landstill, in this configuration, is no more a deck that does massive LD, nor it cares. It better focuses on board control. You can think of bowl as the 4th factory if you wish, better defensive than offensive. And now with the 3rd decree, again the choice makes much more sense. Plus bowl allows to play without crucible, which is a gained slot, while waste usually requires crucible to work fine, and it requires multiples to do well, while bowl needs only itslef. Against aggro, you do not really want to make land disruption: the rare case it happens, you would have already won as well (or tempo decks that lose tempo for random screw have already lost, let's put it this way). Certainly, it's happened that I screwed a slow aggroloam with bowl on t4 and some vindicate: it's satisfactory, but it's not the main goal of the deck. Better not focus on LD to profit of the random screw of others, better to stabilize our manabase and care of LD essentially in the control MU, for which Dbowl was designed for, as you well understood.Quote:
@Dust bowl
I played dust bowl for several months in my list but I will cut it again for 1/2 wastelands. On the paper it looks really nice when u can screw your opponent with only one land but practically I often see me that I cant tap out in my turn (holding a counter) just to waste a land and see my opponent top decking a land. Wastelands fits in this roll. I can waste the land and play EOT Cunning wish->Enlight. Tutor-> CoW for the screw.
Otherwise dust bowl has its power in the control mirror.
Your manabase scares the crap out of me. 10 colorless lands out of 24? This is exacerbated by the fact that your build wants UU on turn 2 and WW shortly thereafter. Also, I would recommend more fetches to maximize Top's effectiveness.Quote:
Originally Posted by memnarch
@i_need_the_extra_turns:
I prefer Dust Bowl because it takes up fewer slots and let's you run 4x Factory. Wasteland is much more of a tempo card whereas Dust Bowl is more aligned with the control strategy of Landstill. My biggest concern is that it only takes one opposing Wasteland to eff up that gameplan, but then I guess they're not hitting your Factories/colored mana.
@mossivo:
That latest list is begging for a 4th Standstill now that you have 3 Decree and 3 Factory (which I would bump up to 4 as mentioned above). I agree with others on the 1/1 Delta/Flats split. Lastly, how much better has 1x Path been over 1x Vindicate? FWIW, I like the list a lot.
My list:
Misplayer: I'll look into testing the fourth standstill again. Its been a while since ive run four.Code:4 flooded strand
2 Marsh Flats
4 Tundra
1 und sea
1 scrub
3 island
3 plains
3 mishra
1 dustbowl
1 academy ruins
4 force
4 snare
2 c.s
3 top
3 standstill
3 brainstorm
4 stp
3 ee
2 wrath
1 humility
1 path
1 disk
3 decree
2 elspeth
2 cunning wish
sb:
1 pulse
1 pate
1 ray of dist
1 e tutor
2 path
2 relic
3 EP
3 CB
1 cow
Gustha: Took the words out of my mouth.
Memnarch:
No I prefer Dustbowl above wasteland. Wasteland is (quicker) then dustbowl but dustbowl is a repititious effect without wasting an additional slot on COW while also preserving your landbase. Rockout and I actually just had a conversation on this. In order to run wasteland (x3) you need to have a landbase of 24 lands or 23 + E. Dragon. Wasteland acts as a utility spell more then an actual land so nine times out of ten your going to be mana hungry more and also making it difficult to achieve the famous four land goal of land still. When wasteland actually does act as a land you run the problems of non basic hate as it fundamentally makes your land drops weaker (forces you to fix your mana more with non-basic answers.)Quote:
No wasteland? Its so much quicker then Dustbowl. You need that many basics? You still have counters and ways of stopping B2B and Blood Moon, those matches still don't come up as frequently as Goblins and thresh though. Teamed up with Crucible people tend to want to scoop after that resolves. And also 3 Brainstorm? That card is much to good to only use 3 especially when its the type of card that helps you late or early game when your searching for land / answer. I do agree with 3 Standstill though that card has been treating me well, with enough man lands and wastes you can out wait most any deck.
Keep in mind that this one distinction (Wasteland versus Dustbowl) is a dramatic difference in how I personally play land still.
Playing basic lands is stronger then producing countermagic to handle non-basic land hate.
Also FYI: Good players don't scoop to COW unless theres no out and a wastelock ensures inevitability. Also Cow isn't exactly amazing in the goblins or thresh matchups (Unless its thrashthrashthrash)
The idea with Land Still shouldn't be about playing the waiting game.
Also more manlands doesnt translate into more wins. It does however mean that you are much more susceptible to waste/stifle hozing's.
You're welcome. But please put that 4th standstill into your list. It screams for it. :laugh: I see 3 viable options:Quote:
Originally Posted by mossivo1986
1) -1 top +1 jace: jace is absurd in the control mirror, and you virtually have no other way to generate CA when you side standstills out (i mean, real CA, not the virtual CA of counterbalance); not hurting with the sb cb.
2) -3 top +1 standstill +2 fof
Straight ol' style. Card quantity over card quality. The deck can support it, plus fof is always broken in the control MU. You should let out cb from the sb for the good ol' MM as well
3) -1 top +1 standstill
Simple. Linear. Not hurting with sb cb. Good with your other deck choices. Don't really need the second top with the 3rd decree.
This time it's your turn to take the words out of my mouth.Quote:
Originally Posted by mossivo1986
I'm having a hard time with straight red sligh at the moment. Does anyone know a good strategy of playing against them? I'm already playing 3x Blue blasts and 3 negates plus an extra explosives in my sb against them but even at 10 life my life total seems to be at risk. my current strategy is fetching for basics to avoid price of progress damage and to hold onto swords for ball lightnings but turn 4 wrath to clear the board always seems to slow. by turn 2 with EE set at 1 my life totals already down to 12-15. What are cards that you guys would side out for this match up? At the moment i side out 3 vindicates, 1 wraths and 3 fact or fiction, leaving in 2 elspeths, 2 wrath and 1 humility as my 4 drops.
My win conditions are 3 factories 2 elspeths, 1 E dragon, 2 decree of justice but it just seems too slow against their fast clock
Ball Lightning? You might want to save a BEB for ball lightning since you don't give them 6 life and be willing to swords your mishra's in response to lethal. I'd advise running either cunning wish for pulse, ajani, or cop: red. The great thing about landstill is its ability to swing huge odds into their favorite post board even more so than any other deck in the format. I've even resorted to ivory mask at times. An idea that is outside the normal realm is something that can throw your opponent off and allow your path to victory easier.
Also, if you're playing black and your opponent plays lots of elementals, bring in engineered plague too...better than wrath...
@rockout: you avatar is too cool!
Yeah, that's a good point. Being able to shut off a total of 24 possible damage from 4 hellspark elementals plus their unearth is a solid reason to bring in plague. I forgot to mention that, I do the same thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by gustha
Ball Lightning is an elemental too :)
k thanks guys for all the help. At the moment I'm seeing if this sideboard works against my more difficult matchups
2 Crucible of the Worlds
3 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Circle of Protection Red
2 Ethersworn Cannonist
3 Path to Exile
1 Engineered Explosive
1 tormod's crypt
Thoughts on room for improvement? I've designed it mainly against landstill's more difficult matchups, Combo, Tribal, aggro, and Canadian thresh. I haven't tested against ichorid yet though
The 3 slots im using for cop red could also be something else, runed halo for example
To me I feel that Cannonist is a better answer to combo than Orim's chant because if you chant tendrils in response to their chant they'll just stall and go off protected next turn
This sideboard is incredibly confused.Quote:
2 Crucible of the Worlds
3 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Circle of Protection Red
2 Ethersworn Cannonist
3 Path to Exile
1 Engineered Explosive
1 tormod's crypt
why's that?Quote:
Originally Posted by mossivo1986
Quote:
Originally Posted by whiteshepherdman
your running 1 tormod's crypt. Thats a total of ONE graveyard removal in your entire deck. Now if you run west (Im assuming you do) then you still are handing any graveyard deck a bye.Quote:
2 Crucible of the Worlds
3 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Circle of Protection Red
2 Ethersworn Cannonist
3 Path to Exile
1 Engineered Explosive
1 tormod's crypt
EE is kind of awkward especially if your running 3 in the main deck (You should be running three.)
cannonist is perfectly fine but if you run cop red and beb I really think your over comiting yourself. Take a look at my list a page or so back and run that. I think youll like its rdw matchup!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mossivo1986
2 Crucible of the Worlds
3 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Circle of Protection Red
2 Ethersworn Cannonist
3 Path to Exile
1 Engineered Explosive
1 tormod's crypt
hmmm let me try to explain my logic behind this and if i'm still overcommitting towards my red match ups i'll change things.
against Thrash i board in 2 crucibles 3 BEB and 1 EE (for 3 EE's total)
against Merfolk i board 3 path to exile
Goblins: 3 BEB, 3 COP red
FDDT: 2 Cannonist, 1 EE
TES: 3 BEB, 2 Cannonist, EE
Ichorid: Crypt, EE
Burn:3 COP Red, 3 BEB
Sligh: 3 COP Red, 3 BEB, 1 EE
So it does look like I'm throwing my Ichorid match up after all. i'll probably take out 1 cop for another tormod's or relic
What's wrong with actually running cards that are good in multiple matchups? Ditch the COP: Red and canonists and run Ajani and Engineered Plague instead, drop the blue blasts for negates?
That's what I'd do at least :) The cards you're running here are incredibly narrow and saying a COP: red works against both burn and sligh is kind of silly, as is saying canonist works against doomsday and TES (and don't forget ANT).
The thing is, when you play red sligh and burn, half of your deck already doesn't matter to them game 1 cause they are just going to burn you to death. playing standstill a lot of the time is a mistake because its just going to give them a new hand. They have more burns than we have counters. I cast standstill only when i can turn 1 swords turn 2 standstill, or when the opponent has at least 2 or 3 cards more than me. In any case they just don't care if you counter their ball lightning or price of progress cause they'll just wait for more burn spells. In the late game, holding force, and negate sitting on 10 life i've still got the man kicked out of me by my little brother who after i counter his REB protected price, uses a forked fireblast and topdecks a lightning bolt to end the game. racing sligh in a damage battle is not going to turn out favorably. We play a ton of 4 drops, bombs but they hardly do anything unless you play humility which is awful in the mirror. Trust me, ive tried it too, my previous sb looked like this
2 Blue elemental blast
3 path to exile
3 negate
2 spell snare
2 crucible
1 EE
1 Relic
1 tormod's crypt
Now in this sb, the relevant cards which i could've used are EE, BEB, negate, path, spell snare, and Relic or tormods if you hate lavamancer or barbarian ring
My reasoning for COP red is that trading their spell with a counter is hardly fair imo. The deck thrives on unfair trades grabbing at least 2 creatures for 1 wrath, playing cyclers under standstill that give you better board position and maintaining card advantage
I'm not saying that my previous SB was perfect, its just that there needs to be a better answer for burn spells. negate hardly makes a difference. Ajani Goldmane would work but cop also works for me against goblins whereas i wouldn't side goldmane against goblins. I've also things like pulse of the fields but it isn't a foolproof solution. Since i don't play a wish list pulse isn't as useful, when i do run it, i have to commit too much mana resources into using it whereas goldmane would give me free lifegain. pulse is unreliable as they can always in response: proceed to burn your life totals away
My question: In your own sideboards, what would you use to stop the life loss from burn?