[Deck] UBGx Landstill

Regarding card advantage. I'm playing 3 Dig Through Time + 2 Snapcasters, infect plays none of that (maybe one of Dig?). It is not a big edge but longer we survive, more apparent it will be. Also they are playing forces themselves. But yeah, if you have to use two forces early, things can go ugly really quickly.

I like your sideboarding. I didn't test Cliques myself, but they seems very good here. Just beware of Dazes. Good call on Krosan Grip, didn't think of that.

Dismember can overcome Invigorate so it could be good too if one can find room in sb. Playing around Pendelhaven will still be tricky though.

Krosan Grip is really well positioned right now. It's great against Omnitell and good against Miracles, Dn'T and Stoneblade, which covers basically all the top decks except Delver variants.

I agree with Krosan Grip being great right now. I played recently with 2 in the sideboard and got lucky enough to play a MUD deck. I felt somewhat bad for the guy. That MU is overkill with a cage and needle. Speaking of which, Pithing Needle on Inkmoth forces them to play a reactive game with their grips. I still like it despites the mentioned weakness .

I've not been playing much standstill for a while, but I have been thinking about the deck and might try this out later:

CREATURES (1)
1 Pearl Lake Ancient :-)

ENCHANTMENTS (4)
2 Standstill
2 Pernicious Deed

SORCERIES (9)
4 Ponder
4 Innocent Blood
1 Life from the Loam

INSTANTS (21)
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Abrupt Decay
3 Dig Through Time
3 Counterspell
3 Spell Snare

PLANESWALKERS (2)
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

LANDS (23)
4 Polluted Delta
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Island
3 Mishra’s Factory
2 Wasteland
1 Creeping Tar Pit

SIDEBOARD (15)
3 Thoughtseize
2 Night of Souls’ Betrayal
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Krosan Grip
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Null Rod
1 Pithing Needle
1 Meekstone

The deck sacrifices a bit of the raw power of standstill in order to make DTT better. I think that this deck will lack the ability to Chain standstills into each other and just completely take over, but it (theoretically) makes up for that with more selection, leading to less situations where you draw the "wrong part of the deck" in specific matchups. If you try it out I would love to hear of your results.

Btw, NOSB is a great card against infect, I highly recommend it! :)

Your list seems really soft to Omnitell. If it's absent in your local meta then go for it, but I would not dare to take above list to an open meta like GP. Speaking of which, GP Lille is next weekend and I will be chaining Standstills there.

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Originally Posted by Nastaboi

Your list seems really soft to Omnitell. If it's absent in your local meta then go for it, but I would not dare to take above list to an open meta like GP. Speaking of which, GP Lille is next weekend and I will be chaining Standstills there.

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and do you mind to share your decklist? :)

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Originally Posted by Nastaboi

Your list seems really soft to Omnitell. If it's absent in your local meta then go for it, but I would not dare to take above list to an open meta like GP. Speaking of which, GP Lille is next weekend and I will be chaining Standstills there.

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What would you recommend to fix it? I might sb another Vendilion Clique, add a few Spell Pierce MB, and a few Flusterstorms in the SB. I like the 1 Island Larsleif but I also couldn't imagine playing less than 4 Standstill. Dig is great but this doesn't seem like the deck to build around it. Standstill already takes that commitment.

I've commited to playing this deck for some time. If anybody is interested, feel free to PM to work on a list.

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Originally Posted by Ancestral

and do you mind to share your decklist? :)

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Sure, not giving up much advantage by doing it.

4 catacomb
3 delta
1 misty
3 sea
2 trop
1 bayou
1 forest
1 swamp
3 waste
2 mishra
2 tar pit

4 shaman

3 lily
3 jace

2 seize
2 pierce
2 disfigure
3 decay
3 deed
4 force

4 bs
4 standstill
2 dig
1 loam

SB:
3 tarmo
3 clique
2 surgical
2 seize
2 flusterstorm
1 krosan grip
1 decay
1 murderous cut

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Originally Posted by ScottW

What would you recommend to fix it? I might sb another Vendilion Clique, add a few Spell Pierce MB, and a few Flusterstorms in the SB.

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That's a start, but I fear it's not enough. You either need a decent clock or a way to lock them out of game in addition to disruption. As you can see from my list, I have ten creatures post board along with Liliana and manlands. If you are not willing or able to go that far, you might look for ways to lockdown. Discard+surgical is one way (though a rather suspicious one). Cranial Extraction and similar does that in one card, but good luck resolving 4cc sorcery in time. Or you can go crazy and board like three Ionas. There is probably better ways, but you got the idea.

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I've commited to playing this deck for some time.

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I have everything from above list in foil except for one Tarmogoyf which I have a trade tentatively arranged. You may call it a level of commitment. :wink:

I feel that I need to explain my proposed list a bit more, I get that it feels weird.

Ok, let's start form the beginning: I have had a recurring problem when playing the deck historically. That problem is basically that the deck has two very different parts: The Removal Suite and the Counter Suite. My problem with that has been a lack of selection. In short, I have lacked a good way of regulating which part of the deck I draw.

So with this problem in mind I looked at the other prime control deck in legacy, Miracles. That deck also has two very different parts, but usually holds everything together with the following package:

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Top

Now, I don't think Top is good enough in this deck, it's obviously much better in miracles (because miracles). So that lead me to adapting the Ponders instead. Now, adding Ponders into this type of deck presents some consequences on the deck design, both good and bad. Firstly, we can run less lands. Secondly, we can run more spicy one-offs in the sideboard as we have more digging power. Thirdly DTT becomes better in this shell as we have a higher velocity and charge up our graveyard easier. These are the good things. The bad things with running Ponder is that Standstill becomes a bit worse, and we become more dependant on blue mana.

That's my reasoning at least, if you feel that the lack of selection doesn't harm you then I don't recommend trying it. But I think that it's something we may consider.

Regarding Omnitell, yes it's not the best pre-board, although post-board it's pretty good. Talking about it, I have been thinking of splashing for Slaughter Games actually. That card is very good vs both Miracles and Omnitell.

Nastaboi,
How'd the GP go?

Not that well. I started 3-0, then lost to Infect, managed a draw against Elves and got another draw against slow-playing DnT player. My board was

3 Goyf
3 Clique
2 Seize
2 Surgical
2 Flusterstorm
2 Krosan Grip
1 Murderous Cut

I went 14-7-3 total counting trials and side events. Matchups:

OmniTell 2-3
Infect 2-2
Lands 1-1
Reanimator 1-1
DnT 1-0-1
RUG Delver 1-0
Miracles 1-0
Goblins 1-0
Shardless BUG 1-0
Rg Burn 1-0
UW Stoneblade 1-0
MBC 1-0
BUG Delver 0-0-1
Elves 0-0-1

As you can see from the matchups, my boarding plan against OmniTell was not good enough. Or even if it was, G1 was nigh impossible (I won once when they fizzled). I would not play the deck as it is unless they ban Dig next week. If they do, I would add couple of Diabolic Edicts in side as it works against Emrakul, Marit Lage, Gurmag Angler and reanimate targets alike.

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Originally Posted by Nastaboi

Not that well. I started 3-0, then lost to Infect, managed a draw against Elves and got another draw against slow-playing DnT player. My board was

3 Goyf
3 Clique
2 Seize
2 Surgical
2 Flusterstorm
2 Krosan Grip
1 Murderous Cut

I went 14-7-3 total counting trials and side events. Matchups:

OmniTell 2-3
Infect 2-2
Lands 1-1
Reanimator 1-1
DnT 1-0-1
RUG Delver 1-0
Miracles 1-0
Goblins 1-0
Shardless BUG 1-0
Rg Burn 1-0
UW Stoneblade 1-0
Pox 1-0
BUG Delver 0-0-1
Elves 0-0-1

As you can see from the matchups, my boarding plan against OmniTell was not good enough. Or even if it was, G1 was nigh impossible (I won once when they fizzled). I would not play the deck as it is unless they ban Dig next week. If they do, I would add couple of Diabolic Edicts in side as it works against Emrakul, Marit Lage, Gurmag Angler and reanimate targets alike.

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I'm pretty sure I was your opponent during a trial =>mono black. But I was not on Pox !!! Rather on MBC.
Nice deck !

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Originally Posted by Nastaboi

I would not play the deck as it is unless they ban Dig next week.

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Exactly reason why I'm playing BUG control with 0 or 2 Standstills and 3 Digs. Standstill is not strong enough compared to Dig's unconditional card selection.

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Originally Posted by Ralf

I'm pretty sure I was your opponent during a trial =>mono black. But I was not on Pox !!! Rather on MBC.
Nice deck !

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MBC would indeed have been more accurate. Infinite removal, Geralf's Messengers, Infernal Contracts, Empty the Pits as wincon, red SB. Cool deck. Though it was on Sunday, not a Friday trial, but side event anyway.

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Originally Posted by theBloody

Exactly reason why I'm playing BUG control with 0 or 2 Standstills and 3 Digs. Standstill is not strong enough compared to Dig's unconditional card selection.

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I was just referring OmniTell as a horrible matchup and thus not advocating this deck right now. I do play two Dig myself, and playing more does not solve the MU.

Infect, while being a scary matchup, should be slightly positive. When I lost I felt it was close, when I won I won by a lot. The deck just loses to itself at times. SB plan I suggested earlier worked well for me, I ended up cutting a Factory as a last card. Clique was great in the matchup. And in every other matchup I brought it in.

I'll be playing this deck regardless. Standstill is incredibly fun and it's great how it positions the game.

Question: I'm not sure if this is correct but I often play Standstill as I would a Brainstorm in the sense that if they counter it (with the exception of Daze and sometimes Spell Pierce) then it becomes a source of card advantage, especially when they FoW. I'll often enter the "counter war" over it however, as winning this sub-game seems rather good.

Please don't be too harsh but I was recently playing for top 4 in a local tournament and, like and idiot, sequenced my Abrupt Decay and Standstill too quickly which gave my opponent +3 cards to my minus -1, and subsequently lost the game. I've been since putting my hand "face down" on the table after casting Standstill to guard against mechanical mistakes such as this. Like the die reminder on your deck for Ancestral Visions, does anyone have a suggestion for Standstill or is not being an idiot just good enough? (Truthfully, I feel like like I mistakenly got caught up thinking through too many plays ahead and often try to play quickly to avoid draws.)

So we'll have at least three more months with DTT Omnitell nonsense. I might take another deck for tournaments for time being, but continue to experiment with Standstills. One idea I have is to move Tarmogoyfs main and play like Shardless-less BUG. I'll report back if I ever get to test the approach.

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Originally Posted by ScottW

Question: I'm not sure if this is correct but I often play Standstill as I would a Brainstorm in the sense that if they counter it (with the exception of Daze and sometimes Spell Pierce) then it becomes a source of card advantage, especially when they FoW. I'll often enter the "counter war" over it however, as winning this sub-game seems rather good.

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I think I have never fought over Standstill and like you am generally satisfied if they counter it.

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Please don't be too harsh but I was recently playing for top 4 in a local tournament and, like and idiot, sequenced my Abrupt Decay and Standstill too quickly which gave my opponent +3 cards to my minus -1, and subsequently lost the game. I've been since putting my hand "face down" on the table after casting Standstill to guard against mechanical mistakes such as this. Like the die reminder on your deck for Ancestral Visions, does anyone have a suggestion for Standstill or is not being an idiot just good enough? (Truthfully, I feel like like I mistakenly got caught up thinking through too many plays ahead and often try to play quickly to avoid draws.)

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Well, when you do this once you'll bound to remember it rest of your life. Putting your hand face down on table works, and I recommend getting into habit of pointing at Standstill and declaring the trigger before picking up your cards. When you point at Standstill every time it will become muscle memory and you'll never do anything else before resolving Standstill any more.

Any thoughts on the Maverick MU? I can't seem to get around Mother plus Knight, which equals dead. I kept blowing my removal on the Mother and then was blank and / or Wasted out of Abrupt Decay mana.

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Originally Posted by ScottW

Any thoughts on the Maverick MU? I can't seem to get around Mother plus Knight, which equals dead. I kept blowing my removal on the Mother and then was blank and / or Wasted out of Abrupt Decay mana.

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I board in a Darkblast and a Disfigure. That means that for g2 and g3 my deck contains:

3 Disfigure
1 Darkblast
2 Pernicious Deed
1 Toxic Deluge
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Maelstrom Pulse

plus Snapcaster Mages to reuse the above, in addition to Spell Snares and Spell Pierces (to hit GSZ). I've never found the GW(b) matchup to be that bad. What are you boarding in? I don't even think you need to worry that much about Mother if you have a Deed or a Deluge.

Cdnza,
I think I was misplaying the MU. I should have been easily favored. However, some changes I'm considering are:
-1 Cage / +1 Nihil (sideboard) I have a 2 / 1 split the other way currently.
Move to Innocent Blood (not Disfigure) and include 2 additional sweepers in the SB.
Adopt the forest / swamp as basics rather than the single Island.

Maybe I'll post a list if anybody's interested...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottW

Cdnza,
I think I was misplaying the MU. I should have been easily favored. However, some changes I'm considering are:
-1 Cage / +1 Nihil (sideboard) I have a 2 / 1 split the other way currently.
Move to Innocent Blood (not Disfigure) and include 2 additional sweepers in the SB.
Adopt the forest / swamp as basics rather than the single Island.

Maybe I'll post a list if anybody's interested...

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I'd be very much interested. I just can't figure a solid 75. It feels like Disfigure is a necessary evil when not going for Innocent Blood and i am maybe hanging on to my 3 DRS, 1 Clique, 1 Tasigur main to much. Tasigur has been a life saver btw. Anyway, it feels like the list is lacking some solid spot removal.
Also i played some number of games against R/G Lands and found it to be a troublesome matchup. Even after boarding in Surgicals and having a Loam+Wasteland going myself.