[Deck] Berserk Stompy

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Berserk Stompy

The Green Aggro - grow Based deck!

About the deck
Berserk Stompy is a variation of the old Stompy decks, that ran several green creatures along with a lot of Giant Growth-like effects (usually reffered to as pumps or growths) to try to win as fast as possible.
This variation of the deck focus on the double-damage card "Berserk" combined with pumps to deal a large amount of damage in no time.


Historical
Monogreen aggro decks were the first ones to be referenced as "Stompy", long ago, at T2 games. It have involved lots of creatures and growth effects to try and hit the opponent in severeal different variations. Though most of the variations had medium to little success, stompy is always trying to reach a good point in the top.
A long known version of Stompy is the N-land Stompy, which uses Quirion Ranger together with other techs to try to abuse a lowland build, drawing more business cards. However, this version never had much success, specially because of low land count and use of accelerations.

Berserk Stompy as it is today was first developed by César Fernández, and made it to a Top 1 finish in "Legacy Open PT Valencia", 2007:

Berserk Stompy by César Fernández (PT-valencia report):
//Lands
3 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
10 Forest

//Creatures
4 Jungle Lion
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Kavu Predator
4 Skyshroud Elite
2 Scryb Sprites
2 Tarmogoyf

//Spells
3 Seal of Strength
4 Invigorate
4 Rancor
4 Berserk
4 Might of Old Krosa

//Sideboard
SB: 4 Seeds of Innocence
SB: 3 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 1 Gaea's Blessing
SB: 3 Viridian Zealot
SB: 4 Rushwood Legate

There's also another version of the deck, a 3-color deck featuring a way different view. It's also called Berserk Stompy, but since only Etienne develops it and play, I thought it was worthy the Honorable mention, but let's focus on the green version.
Berserk Stompy by Etienne Villani:
//Lands
4 Savannah
2 Taiga
2 Forest
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath

//Accelerators
4 Lotus Petal
4 Elvish Spirit Guide

//Creatures
4 Kavu Predator
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Wild Nacatl
3 Qasali Pridemage
3 Skyshroud Cutter

//Spells
4 Berserk
4 Invigorate
4 Rancor
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Fling

//Sideboard
SB: 4 Vexing Shusher
SB: 1 Qasali Pridemage
SB: 3 Gaddock Teeg
SB: 3 Compost
SB: 2 Reverent Silence
SB: 2 Seeds of Innocence





Updated version
as of 2015-02-25
Here's a more up-to-date version I've recently tested:
// Maindeck
17x Forest

4x Dryad Militant
4x Jungle Lion
4x Nettle Sentinel
3x Skarrgan pit-skulk
4x Silhana Ledgewalker
2x Viridian Zealot

4x Berserk
4x Giant's Growth
4x Invigorate
4x Rancor
3x Seal of Strength
3x Sylvan Library

// Sideboard
4x Faerie Macabre
3x Gleeful Sabotage
2x Umezawa's Jitte
4x Mindbreak Trap
1x Moldervine Cloak
1x Slippery Bogle

Card choice explanations

Creatures
Basic choices here - Skarrgan, Neetle and Lion are the 3 best creatures for 1cc, with a close cut for Tattermunge Maniac. They are fast, put pressure, and deal the early damage you need. They are the core of the deck.
Silhana Ledgewalker is the solution to a "safe combo". She can win the game via Rancor+Evasion+Hexproof, but at best she will receive a lot of pumps and just win. It's the "lategame" creature (like, turn 2-3 =P)
Viridan Zealot is here taking the recently cut place of Kavu Predator. Predator can be great against some decks not packing removal, but this is something rarer over time. Zealot can take you out of nasty situations for a win, against a lot of random Enchant/Artifact, and the 2/1 body can still put pressure. The close cuts here are many, and it won the spot for it's versatility. You can still use Kavu Predator since, in the end, the guys that win most games are going to be the 1cmc 2/x guys and Silhana.

Pumps
Berserk is the deck namesake, and the card that will be most related to your wins than any other.
Invigorate has four functions, going from just a +1 damage to a strong high damage for free under a Berserk, and is worth it even without Kavu around. It can also be hardcasted, and the last function is protecting from burn for free.
Rancor increases the early damage, and can win the game by itself, on the back of a silhana of a first turn guy. It also helps "mana smoothing", since you can cast it a turn prior Berserk to stack.
Seal of Strength is an underrated card in this deck. Its function is to smooth mana at the same time it can be a sorcery Giant Growth. Its synergy with Berserk got the spot for it, and is really solid.
Giant Growth got the last spot fighting against Might of Old Krosa. The former is better on a little more complex combat situations, and can help you go through blockers or kill a big threat easier. The second is better under the utopic "open field". It's really worth the versatility GG gives over MoOK, but MoOK is a fair option as well.

Business
Sylvan Library - This card is unbelievable strong. I used dismiss it, and now I regreat -- It fetches for fuel and is a must counter for control decks. Play this card.

Usual sideboard Options
Gleeful Sabotage - The best "Disenchant" effect for this deck. Unlike Krosan Grip, it has 2cmc, fitting our manabase, and its copy isn't countered by Chalice of the Void and doesn't triggerCounterbalance. Also, it can be used against Stax/Enchantress/Affinity as a 2-for-1.
Seeds of Innocence - One of the most common sideboard options, it breaks many artifact-dependant decks, and also brings a giant kavu to the win. Easy add against Dragon Stompy and Stax-like decks. Also great against Affinity
Naturalize - Fast and versatile, it solves the problem, and since it's instant speed, you can wait to cast it with the right timing. Can be used against uncountable decks.
Vexing Shusher - Your protection against Combo breakers, this card is awesome against many decks, like Thresh, CB top, decks that involve Chalice of the void, and many others.
Krosan Grip - This boosted naturalize can deal with more extreme situations, but the extra :1: required to cast it makes it slow sometimes. Besides that, a Shusher with a Naturalize can deal it's job most of the time (only thing they can't is destroing a Top)
Reverent Silence - Breaks decks with many enchantments. The bad part is that usualy decks run more artifacts than enchantments, but it's a good call against Enchantress and anything else. Plus, it grow your Kavu.
Tormod's Crypt - Simple drop it against LftL and see how afraid they get. This thing is supposed to get you enough time to combo against those decks that GY abuse to combo before you. Besides, it helps a lot against other decks as well.
Gaea's Blessing - A single copy of this in your sideboard, and you may get even a draw or a win against some random Painter and High Tide decks. Almost weigthless
Thorn of Amethyst - Against storm combos that can blow you up before you can do anything, this may help you out. Too bad it's a 2cc card, so, you may have no time to play them. It also slows you down a bit, but they'll be crushed.
Pithing Needle - Awesome overall card, it's hatefull effect can nerf pretty much almost every deck in the format. It may break Sensei's divining top, LED, Vial, Jitte, Mishra & Mutavault, and so many other cards in the format. This is almost an auto-include to a sideboard that lacks options.
Scryb Sprites (!) - This can be add in if you fell like there are too many creature-aggro decks in your meta, and want to fly over them to combo. It's an avarage card, but should be kept as a meta call.
Chalice of the Void - To be used @ 0 against combos - Don't be surprised, this really owns storm combos!
Rushwood Legate - Free creature against the hole bunch of decks that play blue, a good addition, and helps a lot against Landstill.
Hidden Herd - Considered a Sideboard against non-basic, but so should Skyshroud Elite be, in legacy this card is almost a :g: 3/3 creature. Too bad it can be delayed forever when the opponent already have his lands.
Mindbreak Trap - Recently added against Tendrils of Agony combos, it breaks them apart, but are most likely to be discarded or disabled by Orim's Chant. Might help anyway, since it takes them a little time/mana to use their defenses, enabling you to rush them.
Faerie Macabre - Like tormods, less effective but harder to counter (stifle counters it). Seems great against reanimator.
Relic of Progenitus - Like Tormods, a lot more effective, but easier to counter (when fighting daze or chalice @1).
Compost - Helps against B decks, like The Gate, Rock, Deadguy, Junk, Pox. And is strong against dredge.
Umezawa's Jitte - Against aggro decks, held by a Silhana, can be devastating.


Close Cuts - Close cuts almost made into maindeck, but due to some lackluster were cut, can still see play.

Kavu Predator - this one is not really a close cut, it can go maindeck instead of Viridian if no artifacts/enchantments are expect. I still prefer the useful Viridian, tho.
Slippery Bogle
Tattermunge Maniac
Nettle Sentinel
Tarmogoyf
Elvish Spirit Guide
Scryb Sprites
Might of Old Krosa
Vines of Vastwood


Gameplay

Zerk is a basic deck, but I've seen people doing several gamebreaker mistakes all the years I've been playing with it. Some of them are easier to figure, some harder, but here is my experience playing the deck. Feel free to discuss.

Mulligan right
You should mulligan your bad hands. Some of them are obvious (6 forests, 6 pumps) but some of them are less obvious, and these are the ones you should look at.
First, 1-forest hand is not always keepable, and as you will find out, it is more often than not a mulligan. If the hand is not a godly hand, you should try a 2 lander, because then you can stack pumps and cast 2cc dudes, and library, properly.
A godly 1cc hand depend on the matchup. For example, against Ad Nauseam, a good 1cc hand has a 2/x guy for :g: and a growth, so that you can deal some early damage.
A generally good hand with 1-lander must be able to do strong things and give you play. A land with several Invigorates and a Berserk, or Seal and Zerk, or a hand with 1cc guys and Rancor are good electable hands for 1-land.
If it has silhanas, libraries, and low pump count, forget it, it's too slow.
On the other side, most 2 and 3 land hands are good enough to go, unless clogged with boring slow resources, like a 3 forest 4 Silhanas hand. Sure, you might draw a rancor and win on the back of it, but you could face a tarmogoyf clock and lose without even trying.
17 is the magic number of lands here exactly because of this - it's the best number to get 2 or 3 land hands without drawing too much of them later, and it mulls fine.

Hold your pumps
This is a rule with exceptions, but grosso modo, don't use your pumps. Any +3 power you spend now could have been +6 or +12 later. You can use your pumps as a way to kill a tempo deck with light threat density, but usually it's not worthy not to hold your pumps.

Play Sylvan Library
Sylvan Library is too good not to be played. Analising when it was good when it came into play, it was always good. Against Control decks, it's gamebreaker, and against Aggro it fetches for your combo-win. Against combo, it isn't that great because it costs 2, but if you T1 nettle and T2 Sylvan, T3 is much more likely a kill than without the sylvan.

Do not overextend
Sometimes it surprises me that people don't know what this is. Don't play all of your creatures, and sandbag Forests in hand if you don't need them. Wrath of God, Armaggedon, Engineered Explosives, Pernicious Deed, and so on... Also, holding lands sometimes baits a stupid Duress and then you draw some pump and can hold it.

Decide your role fast
It's common to have a lot of 2/x creatures in hand, and elect to play one and make it stand alone. If you want to berserk the opponent, playing a Sylvan Library, a Silhana, or a Rancor or Seal can be more gamebreaking than playing a lot of weennies.
Against a pileofcounters.dec, don't keep a hand with only 1 creature, they will handle it, and you will lose. This is simple when you know what you are doing, either going "combo" (strong vs aggro) or "aggro" (strong vs control)

Do your math
Seriously, you are playing magic. You should be able to sum natural numbers and then multiply them for 2, and in the end subtract some other natural numbers. Don't ever lose a game due to bad math - Only zerk when you are 100% sure you will win. Don't forget to count multiple blockers, don't forget to count invigorate +3 life, don't forget to double the power from the creature too.

Play a lot of 2/x creatures for :g:
It's a mistake to play Slippery Bogle instead of Nettle Sentinel and the likes. Nettle will stack crucial early damage for us, while bogle will sit. Bogle can be better midgame, but silhana is the best girl there, and Sylvan is a house there too. If you are already playing 12~14 2/x creatures for :g:, you can afford Scryb Sprites and Slippery Bogle, but not before this much. You always want to open a 2/x for :g:

Play all 4 Invigorate (even without Kavu) and all 4 Seal of Strength
Cheap pumps are what make hands with one land good, and are what makes Berserk better. Also, cheap pumps are good in most game situations, and Invigorate can be hardcasted (I do this a lot, how can people forget?). Leaving home without all 16 fixed pumps is a mistake: Berserk, Rancor, Seal, Invigorate

Don't forget pseudo-evasion, and Giant Growth is good
If you can sustain 2 creatures against one even if one of them die and get replaced, you have a "pseudo-evasion".

Example: 2x Nettle vs Tarmogoyf -> One nettle hits.
This is enough to break some games some times.
If you pseudo-evade, Giant Growth is better than Might of Old Krosa. If you decide to kill the blocker, GG is better as well. MoOK is only better if you have a Silhana or "the open field".


That's all I got, hope it helps. GL & HAVE LOTS OF FUN =)

Moved to Established. Surprising that there isn't a thread for this deck already.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crow_mw

That is because what you are linking is not a image file but a database query. Try using one of those instead:
http://www.wizards.com/global/images...al/Berserk.jpg
http://www.printmymagicdeck.com/MTG_...rserk.full.jpg

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Ok! Done! Thanks!

Let the fun begin!

Ok, first of, The card, at the moment, that is planning to tweak the deck
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Vines of Vastwood :g:
Instant
Kicker - :g:

Target creature can't be the target of spells of abilities your opponents control until end of turn. If Vines of Vastwood was kicked, that creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn.
----------------------

Think it'll will deserve a slot in the deck easly ^^

The awesome thing about VoVW is, that the kicker is the pump and the normal effect is the pseudo-Shroud. This way it offers protection and you can use abundant mana for extrapump.

It should be an automatic 4 of IMO.

Janky and horrible as it sounds, one of my friends plays this deck in a form, and the single most dangerous threat he runs in the deck is Slippery Bogle. He runs all threats and pump in the deck, and being able to sellout pump the Bogle without fear of X-for-1 removal has caused me more than a few nightmares.

I think that's one of the great things about Berserk Stompy - it's friggin janky, but it works.

Too bad Berserk costs about 100 bucks/each.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nidd

I think that's one of the great things about Berserk Stompy - it's friggin janky, but it works.

Too bad Berserk costs about 100 bucks/each.

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Berserk has been reprinted in From the Vault: Exiled. Berserk singles from that set are going for about $30. Still pricey, but cheaper than Tarmogoyf.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Justin

Berserk has been reprinted in From the Vault: Exiled. Berserk singles from that set are going for about $30. Still pricey, but cheaper than Tarmogoyf.

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Huh? Last time I checked, reprinted Berserk was selling for 100 bucks/each. On the other hand, I didn't check since 2 months or so.

Thank you for the information, looks like I'm gonna build that deck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tacosnape

Janky and horrible as it sounds, one of my friends plays this deck in a form, and the single most dangerous threat he runs in the deck is Slippery Bogle. He runs all threats and pump in the deck, and being able to sellout pump the Bogle without fear of X-for-1 removal has caused me more than a few nightmares.

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Slippery Bogle + Silhana + VoVW seems like the deck won't be so easily stoped any longer! =)
We have to test something with all those, ad sure add nettle sentinel to those first lists there...
Urray!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gui_Brasil

Slippery Bogle + Silhana + VoVW seems like the deck won't be so easily stoped any longer! =)
We have to test something with all those, ad sure add nettle sentinel to those first lists there...
Urray!

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CotV and 3Sphere still fuck you up pretty hard.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nidd

CotV and 3Sphere still fuck you up pretty hard.

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That's true. But you get a nice giant options in sideboarding for those. And once you get around then, you can beat 'em the aggro style...
Faster combos still fuck us up pretty harder... not even a large amount of sideboarding options...
I used to side Shard of Amethyst, and carry a cross for the further praying... but that was some ago...

I love this deck more than I can say. It's just so green and fun. A few quick thoughts --

If there are a lot of Merfolk in your area, Scryb Ranger can be an absolute beating. Ruins their guys all day long, especially if they're wearing Jitte.

Slippery Boggle looks sick as hell, I was actually wishing that they were going to print a 1/1 for G with opponent shroud in Zendikar. Apparently it already exists. Awkward.

Reverent Silence is amazing against Counterbalance, it doesn't cost you a thing to cast, it's hard to hit with CB, and grows your Predators. Debatable if it's better than something like Krosan Grip, but it's certainly very worthy of discussion.

If you're running Fetchlands or Land Grants, one copy of Dryad Arbor can be amazing. Personally I don't like Fetches since the lack of them makes opposing Stifles almost completely dead, but I won't deny that they can make some sick plays. Ever seen the look on someone's face when they run a 4/5 Goyf into your board that's tapped out except a single fetch, you turn it into Dryad Arbor and Invigorate it? Downright hilarious.

Speaking of hating the fetchlands, I'm pretty heavily opposed to splashing colors. As nice as things like Fling, Teeg, Isamaru, Jotun Grunt, etc might look, I've found that opening the small landcount up to Wasteland and Stifle hate is just not worth it. I'd rather just drop an endless horde of green dudes than drop slightly better guys and lose half my games to manascrew. The deck doesn't need more "Oops, I lose" problems on top of G1, T1 Chalices.

I would still argue for Vine Dryad's inclusion. Mostly everything you are going to play against will be running Goyf and having a card that just goes .... oh unblockable, FUCK YO COUCH, is pretty good. The negative card synergy is understandable, these decks drop the hand VERY fast.

Mono-G has always been the most consistent of any of the lists. As far as fetches go ... not a fan, Something like 12 forests and 4 Land Grant should be more than enough. Opening up the deck to Stifle and Wasteland is a terrible idea and you will lose a lot of games to it. You also don't have to run ESG with a manabase like this (create less dead topdecks later on) which could also be a plus. I really like the new pump spell but is it better than Seal of Strength? I think it is since StP has always been this deck's nightmare and with Invigorate on the stack watching your Predator go farming is not good, but you now have a response to that!

I think we need to establish a good, solid creature base before anything else. I think these are the essential creatures for any Berserk Stompy deck:

4x Ledgewalker
4x Bogle
2-4x Scryb Sprites (help with mana so much and flying is a +)
4x Kavu Predator

The rest are up for debate, cards like: Skyshroud Cutter, Vine Dryad, Pit-Skulk, Jungle Lion, Rogue Elephant, Harvest Wurm, Skyshroud Elite, and there are many more. I really don't like Goyf in the deck but this is just my personal opinion, I much prefer someone who comes down turn 1 or has evasion of some form.

I vote for Pit Skulk.
Oh and do you want some fun? Try Xantid Swarm. i know, it has power 0, but once it attacks you can freely dump your hand full of pumps on the board.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nidd

I vote for Pit Skulk.

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This. Pit-Skulk was like the best creature in the deck aside from Goyf, why cut it?

The good old Berserk Stompy
I played it years ago. Although its not an official tournament list, it might me interesting to the thread. Ive thrown it together on mws. But i cant remember the SB, i know i played naturalize but what else =?



Stompy list in 2003
// Lands
12 [8E] Forest (2)

// Creatures
4 [EX] Skyshroud Elite
1 [7E] Elvish Lyrist
4 [TE] Muscle Sliver
2 [B] Scryb Sprites
4 [AN] Ghazban Ogre
3 [WL] Rogue Elephant
4 [PT] Jungle Lion

// Spells
4 [U] Berserk
3 [DM] Bounty of the Hunt
3 [WL] Briar Shield
3 [BD] Giant Growth
2 [5E] Winter Orb
3 [NE] Seal of Strength
4 [MM] Land Grant
4 [UL] Rancor

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pulp_Fiction

4x Ledgewalker
4x Bogle
2-4x Scryb Sprites (help with mana so much and flying is a +)
4x Kavu Predator

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Do you mean Scryb Ranger? I'm missing how Scryb Sprites help with your mana other than just not costing very much of it. Not that Sprites are bad in the deck, one mana evasive dudes are quite solid, just looking for clarification.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pulp_Fiction

I really like the new pump spell but is it better than Seal of Strength?

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Seal is definitely the slot that it fights for and I'm pretty sure that VotV wins. Seal is nice in that it can cost 0 on the turn you need instead of G or GG, but it's an on-the-board trick and often ends up getting cast the turn you use it due to you usually having dudes to cast for the first two turns. I'm pretty sure that slowing down a tiny bit for the extra consistency against StP/Bolt is worth it. Not to mention that taking out Seal also means that literally the only thing that Stifle targets is the Rancor graveyard trigger, which is hilarious.

Is Kavu Predator really worth playing in this deck? I get that it combos with invigorate and possibly Reverent Silence post-board.... but it's just a bear all other times... seems janky to me. The deck doesn't need that kind of inconsistency. I think Bounty of the Hunt is better than Invigorate as free, instant pump.

My creature base would look like this:

best green 1 drops:
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4 Skyshroud Elite
4 Jungle Lion

then:
4 Slippery Bogle - Seems decent.. not sure if it's better than Ledgewalker.
4 Scryb Ranger - Quirion Ranger + flash, evasion AND pro-merfolk? I'm in.
4 Tarmogoyf - why run less?

Elvish Spirit Guides are good for a bit of speed and Daze protection. Plus, they pitch to Bounty when they're no longer useful. Land Grant, however, is probably not worth the risk of having it be the only mana source in your opening hand. But it does pump Goyf and pitch to Bounty.

Bogle seems to be a house, but we should see if the other 1cc with 2 attack aren't better due to the extra dmg they do per turn, and specially the extra damage they do when doubling dmg...
Anyway we have silhanas also... And now we got Vastwood, we can have 12 of the same effect. Not saying it`s bad, but we can't reduce our power against our good matchups...

A creature I always consider in my stompies, and also in Berserk ones, is Vine Dryad. It can evade Chalice, CB and Snare, come turn 1, mini-combo with skargan on the draw, surprise block and surprises counters EOT... AND she forest walks. IMO it's a house...

Quote:

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4 Tarmogoyf - why run less?

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Because it's slow for us in so many matchs that don't use GY abuse

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gui_Brasil

Vine Dryad

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Definitely crossed my mind. The only thing is if you use Bounty as well, that's a lot of card disadvantage, and I think Bounty is better.

Re: Goyf

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gui_Brasil

Because it's slow for us in so many matchs that don't use GY abuse

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Goyf is your backup plan when the pump tricks fail. It's an easy 4/5.

17 Forest

4 Slippery Bogle
4 Jungle Lion
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Kavu Predator
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
3 Scythe Tiger (not sure about this, perhaps 4 Goyfs and just 3 Vines of Vastwood would be better)

4 Berserk
4 Invigorate
4 Rancor
4 Might of old Krosa
4 Vines of Vastwood

17 Lands, 23 Creatures, 20 Pumper. Works quite well at least on MWS and against the goldfish.

SB would be something like:

4 Reverent Silence (free, CB proof, kills Enchantress, synergy with Kavu
Predator)
4 Mindbreak Trap (just anti combo)
4 Rushwood Legate (free creatures are good I hear)
3 Umezawas Jitte (Zoo)

If Scythe Tiger had trollshroud and not just Shroud, it would be playable.

No Skyshroud Elite?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by keys

Definitely crossed my mind. The only thing is if you use Bounty as well, that's a lot of card disadvantage, and I think Bounty is better.

Re: Goyf


Goyf is your backup plan when the pump tricks fail. It's an easy 4/5.

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Bounty isn't used for long... anyway, fell free to explain your reasons on why it's better then Vine... IMO, I prefer card disadvantage to have creatures hitting better then that for pumps that depends a) on creatures and b) in green cards in your hand.


On Goyf, I don't think I should run 4-of my backup plan for when the rest of the deck didn't go... but that's a personal issue... Anyways, it's a 4/5 many times indeed, in the mid-late game.


Well, about Scythe Tiger, i wouldn't run it into a Berserk Stompy -.-
Hard Shroud doesn't help much

And Skyshroud Elite is probably the fastest creature of the deck for the format.

Bounty was awesome when I played 10-land stompy ages ago. Pitch Land Grants and ESGs. Pitch doubles. Pitch unnecessary creatures. It's rarely dead, and it doesn't give your opponent life. It's like a "Force of Arc Lightning" in this deck.

My version:

4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4 Skyshroud Elite
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Slippery Bogle
4 Scryb Ranger
4 Tarmogoyf

4 Might of Old Krosa
4 Bounty of the Hunt
4 Rancor
4 Berserk
3 Vines of the Vastwood

4 Elvish Spirit Guide
13 Forest

I would really like to believe that this deck could be built optimally without splashing (I have a fetish for mono-green decks), but I simply don't buy it. Splashing gives you access to so many better cards, the first of which is Wild Nacatl, which is pretty much far-and-away the best aggressive one-drop ever printed.

I mean, compare the cat to Skyshroud Elite. It isn't even close, and having guys like Nacatl that have respectable base stats is really important to winning every game that doesn't involve you throwing down triple Berserk on the second turn and falling out of your chair into a seizure brought on by how awesome that was.

Red also gives you Goblin Guide, which seems very likely to find a home here. It's a great turn-one play for a deck that aims to kill in two or three turns. More importantly, having a cheap guy with haste gives you the capability of utilizing pump spells on any turn, even if you started that turn with an empty board. Not only is this an invaluable tactical weapon, it is also greatly complicates your opponent's decision-making. Tapping out to Wrath your team is no longer a safe play to make.

One of the big questions I have about this deck is whether Kavu Predator deserves inclusion, or not. I've played Berserk Stompy with Predator, and it is certainly capable of being silly, but a lot of the time it's terrible, instead. Conditional threats are pretty hard to justify, so I think it may be time to cut this guy loose. It isn't as if Invigorate is all that great, anyway, and Skyshroud Cutter is obviously bad.

I think I do like Woolly Thoctar for this deck. He's expensive, and slow, but ESG makes him a second-turn play, and he can do a ton of damage with or without pump. Along with Tarmogoyf and possibly Predator, Thoctar is one of the few creatures this deck can play that can derive decent use out of an unsupported Berserk (meaning a Berserk without any other pump to go along with it).

Have any of you considered Double Cleave? I never really see anyone talk about the card, but it's a decent proxy for Berserk in many cases. It's similar to the Flings in the opening post, I suppose.

Vines of Vastwood seems like a nice addition to this deck, for all of the reasons people have mentioned. I have actually been waiting a long time for an instant-speed Monstrous Growth, and now we have something much better!

Let's see, here's the list I just typed up:

//21
4x Wild Nacatl
4x Goblin Guide
4x Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4x Tarmogoyf
3x Silhana Ledgewalker
2x Woolly Thoctar

//17
4x Rancor
4x Might of Old Krosa
4x Vines of Vastwood
4x Berserk
1x Double Cleave

//22
4x Elvish Spirit Guide

4x Horizon Canopy
4x Wooded Foothills
4x Windswept Heath
3x Taiga
2x Savannah
1x Plateau

I like Pit-Skulk a lot, since it has both decent stats and a decent ability. I'm a little hesitant on Ledgewalker, because she has horrible stats, but both of her abilities are of course fantastic.

This list might be too land-light, especially with the loss of Invigorate. The Thoctars and/or the Double Cleave could easily become more lands.

Horizon Canopy seems as good here as it is in Zoo (better, actually, since there are no Kird Apes or Fireblasts, and green is the main color), so you guys should be playing them. Especially in the mono-green builds. Why on earth wouldn't you?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obfuscate Freely

...
Horizon Canopy seems as good here as it is in Zoo (better, actually, since there are no Kird Apes or Fireblasts, and green is the main color), so you guys should be playing them. Especially in the mono-green builds. Why on earth wouldn't you?

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The main reason to stick to mono is because it's more stable. If you play only forest, non-basic hate won't affect you, and thus, wastelands.

This deck is easily locked by lack of mana, and thus, if you afford to lose a land, and then they trini/chalice you, it's an auto-loss.

It's much like a personal option. I preffer sticking to monogreen, but I respect your choice on nonbasics.

To be blunt, I'm having trouble seeing how 3-color Berserk stompy isn't just a bad version of Zoo that has the same weaknesses and less reach. What is there to gain by cutting Lightning Bolt, Price of Progress, etc for Berserk, Rancor, etc?

God...this deck is metagame-able that it's janky. So many options with so many open spots. Hell, the only cards everyone can agree upon are forests and Beserk.

I think the first thing we should do is compile a list off all the reasonable 1 and 2 drop creatures.

By the way, Summoning Trap for the SB? We gotta have something better than just Grip against CB decks...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Otter

To be blunt, I'm having trouble seeing how 3-color Berserk stompy isn't just a bad version of Zoo that has the same weaknesses and less reach. What is there to gain by cutting Lightning Bolt, Price of Progress, etc for Berserk, Rancor, etc?

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This.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pltnmngl

God...this deck is metagame-able that it's janky. So many options with so many open spots. Hell, the only cards everyone can agree upon are forests and Beserk.

I think the first thing we should do is compile a list off all the reasonable 1 and 2 drop creatures.

By the way, Summoning Trap for the SB? We gotta have something better than just Grip against CB decks...

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Actually I'm doing the compilation, and will post it in the front page, as soon as I get the time. If you fell like you could do, post it and I'll add in the first page.

Everything that is missing in the first page, anyone who fells like to may help.

To begin with, there are a few other cards other then forest and berserks we can add:

Kavu Predator
Invigorate
Silhana Ledgewalker
Rancor
Might of old Krosa

And some others that are a lot good in every deck, and will do the job:
Skarrgan pit-skulk
Jungle Lion
Skyshroud Elite
Nettle Sentinel
Scryb sprites
Vines of VastWood

The fact is that we run a lot of 1cc and 2cc creatures, so they are personal taste most likely, and we can discuss them for ours. No problem, if you fell like. But first of all, post their ADVANTAGES AND DISADIVANTAGES, in a list, so that we comprehend your point of view =)
(EDIT: Posted this fact as "anti-flame note" in the first page =) )


CB decks isn't supposed to be our worst nightmare: the combo part kind of dies, but the aggro part doesn't, and, we got a lot of stuff against it without mentioning krosan grip, and krosan grip is the best card there is against it also. We can easily combo after a krosan EOT.

I suggest you include Slippery Bogle as a fixed spot in the deck.
Reasoning:
He is a 1/1 for 1 and has trollshroud. A non-evasive Ledgewalker, so to say.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pltnmngl

God...this deck is metagame-able that it's janky. So many options with so many open spots. Hell, the only cards everyone can agree upon are forests and Beserk.

I think the first thing we should do is compile a list off all the reasonable 1 and 2 drop creatures.

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I believe this deck suffers from the same problems as Pox does, if you look at that thread. There's no real set & rock solid list that people agree on most likely because the deck doesn't really function all that well. It's easily disrupted. Some cards just single handedly shuts down the deck. On top of this it's entirely dependant on the top draw which makes it really inconsistant to boot.
So when people get home from a tournament they think "Hmm, that didn't go too well. I'll make some adjustments to the deck...".

Don't get me wrong though. I love Berserk Stompy. It was the first real Legacy deck I collected. :)

On to something more constructive.
I've played the deck through many tournaments and the Kavu Predator / Invigorate combo is ... I'm not sure what I think about it.
I hate, hate, hate having to drop a Kavu Predator without having an Invigorate. Yay. A Grizzly with trample - having to face down my opponent's 4/5 goyf. >_<
It's awesome when it pans out but ultimately I think this mini combo falls into the "Danger of cool things" category.

I never tried out Slippery Bogle. He looks very promising as Silhana Ledgewalker is a total bomb. Silhana Ledgewalker is also the reason why I decided to run 1-2 Briar Shield in addition to 4 Rancor. As a 1/1 she's not the fastest clock in the world. ;)

What about cards like Pyroclasm? They hurt this deck a lot dont they?

I mean most of the drops are 1/1 or 2/2 and trollshroud doesnt even help against Pyroclasm.

I also think Sylvan Library is worth testing out. We lose a round, but on the other hand it improves our cardquality and helps us making the final blow faster.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gui_Brasil

The Berserk Stompy
This is the most usual list, found in Deckcheck, and if I'm not wrong, it was made by César Fernández and made it to the top in "Legacy Open PT Valencia", in 2007, and hasn't change much since then. (Source: http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=11584)

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Cesar has a Spanish blog and recently has made some testing with Berserk Stompy again:
http://launiversidaddelasartesludica...-la-lista.html

His most recent list:
Berserk Stompy, por César Fernández

Maindeck:

3 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
10 Forest
3 Seal of Strength
4 Invigorate
4 Rancor
4 Berserk
4 Might of Old Krosa
4 Slippery Boggle
4 Tattermunge Maniac
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4 Skyshroud Elite
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Kavu Predator

Sideboard:

4 Seeds of Innocence
3 Tormod's Crypt
4 Vexing Shusher
4 Naturalize

Don't Forget to read the Bonus Track. I translated the spanish part and you can read in English in his blog:

Quote:

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Durante la penúltima ronda del evento, mi rival llegó como un minuto tarde, y le pusieron un Game Loss. Empezaba rapidito ganando, aunque fuese en los despachos. Se sienta, barajamos rápido y empieza su partida con un doble Careful Study bastante tochos. En mi turno pongo un Bosque y bajo un Skarrgan Pit-skulk. En su turno pone Ichorids y draga hasta la vida. Total que al final del turno yo estoy a 14 vidas y tengo enfrente una armada de más de 10 Zombies 2/2 y se da la siguiente conversación mientras contaba el total zombies.

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During the penultimate round of the event, my opponent came a minute late, and get a Game Loss. He sits down, shuffle quickly and starts his game with a double Careful Study. In my turn and I put a forest and cast a Skarrgan Pit-skulk. In his turn returns two Ichorids and dredge a lot. At end of turn I am at 14 and have an army in front of more than 10 Zombies 2/2 and the following conversation occurs while counting the total zombies.
http://launiversidaddelasartesludica...-la-lista.html

That "bonus track" link made me :laugh: although I had to dig a bit to find it... Wouldn't a copy/paste be easier??

I have a real question though: why do people run Seeds of Innocence in the sideboard of this deck? I've even playtested with a similar list on MWS a while ago, and I never understood what match-up it's for. Is it just because of our huge problem with Chalice and Trinisphere?

And I've also never really liked Kavu Predator, I think Tarmogoyf might be better in his slot, much as I fucking cringe at suggesting people to put Tarmogoyf in their decks... I mean, this deck pretty reliably is going to get a land, an instant, and probably also a creature into the graveyard. Is the trample on Predator really that important? Because the mini-combo is a little too cute, I agree with people who've been saying that.

One more thing, I think the Sylvan Library suggestion is actually pretty good. It seems like if you decided to up the amount of fetch-lands to like 10 or so, and run 3-4 Sylvan Library, you could almost run the deck like a weird Green variant of suicide black, which actually sounds pretty appealing to me. I mean, I can't help but think that having a way to help dig out Berzerk would be pretty clutch, and you can ignore your life total to a certain extent in exchange for a few extra cards from Library...

I realize it sounds pretty strange, since I'm literally suggesting that people run more fetch-lands than basics, but I think once you settled on the right number of fetch-lands and the right number of Sylvan Libraries to run, it might actually play pretty smoothly. Has anyone tried this?

finally, a Thread for this deck ^^

Yeah, I played this deck for 2 years now, and now I got Berserks and play Berserk Stompy...

about the Seeds:

I was very sceptical about them,too and asked César about them, he answered me the following:

- It auto-wins Affinity (While pumping Kavu sometimes)
- It completely destroys White Stax and Dragon Stompy (While pumping Kavu sometimes)
. It's good versus decks sideboarding Jitte (While pumping Kavu sometimes)
- It's very good against Welder Reanimator or Welder Survival, killing Sphynx, Platinum, etc... (While pumping Kavu sometimes)

the thing is that it is very good against one of the worst matchups, why not packing it?

...about César's newest list I have to say that he haven't the time to test Nettle Sentinels but we think that he is better than Tattermunge Maniac (I mailed a lot with him)...

my problem with his list is, that I really really really like ESGs in this deck, (you can play first turn Kavu, or 2 Creatures, or suprise pump, which puts a lot of pressure on the opponent, but nobody mentioned her in this Thread... why???

I am not a fan of the Fetchlands, because the thinning-effect is not relevant, and it makes you vulnerable to Stifle...

Land Grant is a bad card, because you don't want to lose against random Force, Thoughtseize, Duress, etc.

and BotH is not needed with choces like "Berserk, Rancor, MooK, Invigorate" and this new thing out there...

Imo we need to find the optimal Manabase for this deck, because we know all other slots...

The good pump (see above) and the good Creatures (in this order imo)

Ledgewalker
Bogle
Kavu
Pit Skulk
Nettle
Elite

YawG

Hm. I totally forgot about ESG. She definitely needs to fit in there.

Don't cut Kavu. Just don't. He may be a bad card on his own, but his interaction with Invigorate and some of your SB cards make him awesome.

Might as well post the version I'm currently testing:

//Lands
16 Forests

//Dudes
4 Skyshroud Elite
4 Skarrgan Pit Skulk
4 Slippery Boggle
4 Jungle Lion
4 Kavu Predator
4 Silhana Ledgewalker

//Pump
4 Rancor
4 Might of Old Krosa
4 Invigorate
4 Berserk
4 Vines of the Vastwood

//SB
4 Seeds of Innocence
4 Tormod's Crypt
4 Vexing Shusher
3 Reverent Silence


No risky stuff like fetches or Land Grant. Nice and simple, sticking to the basic plan of "drop green dudes and bash." This isn't to say that I'm not considering solid guys like Vine Dryad, but I've decided that for the sake of testing I want to start over at the very beginning. So for the moment I'm using the easiest creatures and no card-disadvantage other than the pump. Nettle Sentinel is looking pretty sexy though, probably going to be trying him over either the Elite or the Lions.

@Gui_Brasil- I can understand those cards. I'll accept those.

@Gocho- Thanks for posting that article. I was actually trying to find it to link it to this thread.

I hope zendikar gives us a trap card that pumps creatures in the later sets.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pltnmngl

@Gui_Brasil- I can understand those cards. I'll accept those.

@Gocho- Thanks for posting that article. I was actually trying to find it to link it to this thread.

I hope zendikar gives us a trap card that pumps creatures in the later sets.

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For historical you can find some older post about Berserk Stompy here:
http://www.magicevolution.com/noticia.php?id=297
http://launiversidaddelasartesludica...-valencia.html