[Deck] GW Bombs

GW Bombs aka Little Kid Deck is deck where the gameplan is to play out some mana acceleration, then use the mana to play game breaking cards. It is in some way similar to Bant aggro but instead of blue it plays bombs. Due to the decks multitude of bombs it has really good matchups against the blue decks, since they only have so many counters.

I have played this deck for a few months now, and it has placed me top 4 in the danish eternal rating.
Ok then, on to the list: (sorry for not putting the cards in tags i don´t know how)

Creatures:
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Baneslayer Angel
4 Eternal Witness
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch

(26)

Removal:
4 Swords to Plowshards
1 Path to Exile

(5)

Equipment:
2 Umezawas Jitte
2 Sword of Fire and Ice
(4)

Planeswalkers:
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Elspeth, Knight Errant
(4)

Lands:
2 Savannah
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Wasteland
1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
4 Forest
2 Plains
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Tropical Island
(21)

Total cards: 60

Sideboard:
1 Path to Exile
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Tormods Crypt
1 Dueling Grounds
1 Energy Flux
1 Back to Basics
2 Krosan Grip
2 Enlightend Tutor
2 Choke
1 Aura of Silence
1 Umezawas Jitte

Total cards: 15

Lets talk a little about the individual cards:
Creatures:

Tarmogoyf: While not the a very big creture in deck (you have only 5 instans and no sorcerys and 6 fetchlands), he is still a very good creature and if nothing else can block the opponet's tarmogoyf.

Eternal Witness: The best man (woman) in the deck. If you play the blue decks she gives you the bomb they just countered and vs zoo she picks up Sword to Plowshards. Very good.

Baneslayer Angel: A recent addition to the deck (used to be Troll Ascetic), she is the very definition of a bomb, and can win you games it looked like you would loose only a moment ago. However she is 5 mana, but since this deck plays 29 mana sources (and 3 Knight of the Reliquary), you will get to 5 mana pretty fast. However she is a recent addition so maybe 3 is 1 too many.

Qasali Pridemage: Can destroy the opponets Jitte, counterbalance, standstill and vial. Plus exalted is good even in legacy. Even then if your opponent plays with no targets for them to destroy you sideboard them out.

Knight of the Reliquary: The weakest link. He can get big fast, plus he accelerates you (you can sac a tapped land and get an untapped land), but he sometimes seems underwhelming since he is not that big if you havn´t used his own ablility first. Even then i found them better than Kitchen Finks and Troll Ascetic.

Birds of Paradise: You need mana fast, so we need 8 1 mana accelerators. The bird is good at attacking with Sword of Fire and Ice and Umezawas Jitte (if you have exalted or there is a counter on already).

Noble Hierarch: Can make the 3 colors of mana you need plus he has exalted.

Equipment:
To really turn your cretures in to bombs we need some equipment, and since the deck runs so much mana you can often attack with the Jitte and then equip a blocker.

Umezawas Jitte: A really good equipment, but you don´t want to draw more then 1 so we only play 2 main. In the matchups were it is very good we sideboard 1 more.

Sword of Fire and Ice: Also a really good equipment it could also be Sword of Light and Shadow. However i don´t own any Sword of Light and Shadow so i haven´t tried them.

Planeswalkers:
The Planeswalkers are always very impressive even on their own, and they can often win a game for you with minimal support from other cards.

Garruk Wildspeaker: Most of the times he just makes a lot of beasts which your opponent has to deal with, or if you have a few creatures down already he can make an overrun FTW.

Elspeth, Knight Errant: Played mostly as an eqiupment that gives +3/+3 and flying, however don´t understemate her ablity to make a chump blocker each turn (or someting to sacrifice to smokestack).

Lands:
6 fetch. You really need fetch land to make you´r knights huge, and they are fetch lands.

3 Horizon Canopy. The deck runs 29 mana surces, so sometimes you have too many, this card turns the extra lands in to cards.

2 Savannah: You don´t want to many non-basics, and this deck is rarely color screwed, so you only play 2.

2 Plains: This is the right number. You need 2 but 3 would be too many.

4 Forest. I would like to play more of these, so i am not sure if i should cut some the utility lands.

Tropical Island: You have blue in the board, and while you mana creaturs can pay the mana, sometimes you don´t have them and so we need to play this land.

Wasteland: Due to the Knight of the Reliquary´s in this deck it is good to have some suport lands, sometimes you need an answer to the opponets Academy Ruins or Volrath's Stronghold. Sometimes it is just a random wasteland that wins you the game.

Dryad Arbor: Can be fetched if you have equipment but no creatures, plus it can chump block. If you play aginst zoo and they attack with a Tarmogoyf, (maybe bluffing a lightning bolt) you can double block with the land and your own Tarmogoyf. However this is a tap land (sort of) and it dies to mass removal.

Oran-Rief, the Vastwood: A recent additon, can be fetched with the knights, i am not sure if this or Dryad Arbor has to be cut.



Sideboard
Path to exile: There are many creature decks like zoo, were you really need that extra path, also when playing decks without basics you can swap it for Swords to Plowshards

Relic of progenitus: Since you use your own graveyard you really don´t want relic, however there are matchups were the relic is really devastating suchs as Tempo thresh and loam, and of course ichorid.

Tormods Crypt: Mostly for Ichorid and reanimator

Dueling grounds: Good versus the tribal decks suchs as goblins, merfolk and elves. Also versus ichorid.

Energy Flux: Versus stax and affinity.

Back to Basics: Versus landstill, affinity threshold and lots of other decks

Krosan Grip: Stax, Counterbalance, and survival.

Enlightend Tutor: For the matchups were you sideboard cards are strong, and they don´t have counters for them, like ichorid, goblins and affnity

Choke: Threshold, and other monoblue decks.

Aura of Silence: Enchantress (and combo)

Umezawas Jitte: Versus aggro decks.

There are no sideboard versus combo, the reason is that you will just have to accept the fact that you will loose to the deck, so don´t play it in a combo heavy meta. I would run Moat over Dueling grounds if i had it.

The decks strenght is it's ability to withstand distruption, both in the form discard and counters, since you have so many impressive cards, and mana denial is also not very good vs a deck with 29 mana surces, and many basics (tempo thresh can sometimes do it). It is a fun, not overly complicated deck to play were you just keep on playing bombs.

I will now list the matchups as i see them for the current decks to beat:

Merfolk
A solid matchup, they have a hard time distrupting your mana, and while you can't win if they have the nuts, you just keep playing impressive cards until they die. Around 60 % in your favor.
Sideboard +1 path to exile +1 dueling grounds +1 umezawas jitte - 1 Knight of the Reliquary -2 Baneslayer angels. (don't bring in choke, it is not good enough)


Zoo
A good matchup, they can sometimes be to fast for you, and grim lavemancer is really good, and if they have Qasali they can even answer your Jitte, however if you manage to stabilze fast then you play Baneslayer angel, or elspeth, or equipment and the game should end fast then. Ca 65% in your favor
Sideboard +1 path to exile +1 umezawas jitte - 1 Knight of the Reliquary -1 Baneslayer angels. If it is 5 colur zoo sometimes you can bring in back to basics.

Countertop
The deck is desinged with this matchup in mind. You have many bombs that they must answer fast or die, plus you run a main deck answer to Counter Balance, and the Counter Balance top lock is not that good since you have so many bombs at 3, 4 and 5.
sideboard: Depending on the build vs the typical UG Countertop i would board in the following. +2 Choke +1 Back to basics +2 Krosan Grip -1 path - 3 Knight of the reliquary - 1 Baneslayer Angel. Around 70 %

ANT
You are going to lose this matchup, there is nothing you can do about it, even if you play sideboard cards (like cannonist or Rule of Law) you will still lose. So don´t bother. Around 2%

Vial Goblins
If you can get to the midgame, you should be in good shape to win with Jitte, Sword of Fire and Ice, Baneslayer Angel or Elspeth. Around 60%
Sideboard -3 Knight of the Reliquary -1 Baneslayer Angel +1 Path+1 Umezawas Jitte +1 Dueling Grounds +1 Enlightend Tutor

Tempo Thresh
I have only played versus the red version, and it is an ok matchup, around 50%, they can be very fast but if they don't bring down a creature fast or if they do and you exile it then you win, otherwise they are just to fast for you.
Sideboard+1 relic +1 path to exile +1 choke- 1 swords to plowshards -2 Qasali Pridemage

All in all a powerfull deck that thrives in a combo hostile environment, since it has good matchups versus the decks that can beat combo, and it scoops only to combo itself.

This deck could not have been made if it wasn´t for my good friend Bjørn (whom made the deck basicly) and Isak who have tested so many matchups with me.

So, your plan against combo is to race it?
Add some Chants in the board, or even Rule of Law (consistant turn 2 play for you) or you're not getting anywhere with this.

If you read his post, his plan against combo is to punt the matchup, which is admirably clear-sighted.

It might be worth it to keep Canonist, Teeg and Chant in the board, but on the whole, it might be better to just concentrate on matchups you can win.

To be fair to alderon666 i editet that i would punt the matchup after he wrote the comment

Have you tested Wilt-Leaf Liege?
It's a very solid beater and the Lord-effect for all your creatures is great.

I'd cut 1-2 Eternal Witness, as she neither has a great body (you know what I mean :tongue: ) nor do you usually have a real threat in your 'yard in the first turns. Her effect is great, but costs you a lot of speed.

While it is true that witness don´t have any targets from after turn 3 or 4 (you can sometimes use her to get a fetchland if you really need) she is just impresiv, and a great way to gain card advantage, besides she can chump, race and attack with a jitte. You don´t really need a lord effect in this deck, all the creaturs are huge any way.

How about Ohran Viper instead of KotR?
The deck has lot of pumps (Exalted, Elspeth, equips) and pumped Viper will give your opponent a major headache with combat decisions and the card itself is not dead 'cause it killes small dudes and trades with big groundpounders.

You can also try Boggart Ram-Gang for the same reasons, but :g::g::g: cost looks a little prohibitive (But turn 1 Hierarch, turn 2 start beating for 4 is cool).

And some creative insanity: Briarhorn. It can do tricks, it can just help you to pound and you can try SoLaS to do silly things (by the way, SoLaS+Pridemage rocks in deck that produces enough mana - your does).

Wouldn't Summoning Trap be pretty good in this deck's sideboard? You're already playing a playset of Witnesses, so there's a decent chance that you might get a second use out if it you hit one of those with it, and getting a free Baneslayer after having something else countered would be nice. Sometimes you'll hit "only" a Tarmogoyf or something, but who cares, you paid no mana for it.

Just throwing the idea out there. You might not need the card if you already have good matchups against blue decks, though.

3 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Eternal Witness
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch

Two words.
Reveil lark

'Leaves the battlefield' is the big thing here. A 4/3 flyer that can match goyf for damage output must be delt with. Even if he gets STP it is likely you will go up in cards. While Baneslayer is a bigger threat, Lark in this deck screams 'your screwed' eitherway to your opponent.

Helps with the cards advantage by picking up Witness if need be.
Perhaps 2 of?

Quote:

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Tarmogoyf: While not the a very big creture in deck (you have only 5 instans and no sorcerys and 6 fetchlands), he is still a very good creature and if nothing else can block the opponets tarmogoyf.

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Goyf logic strikes again, although this time far better than usual. You admit that the card itself is not exactly ideal in your deck, and that the only reasons for including him is that he is a good card, and that he can block opposing Goyfs. This strikes me as a terrible reason to play him, especially given that he takes up 4 potentially valuable slots. If you are so worried about opposing Goyfs, then you should run additional removal (more PtE), or stick with your ramping strategy to get something big and nasty into play.

I am also concerned about this deck stalling out. Your only methods of card advantage are Eternal Witness (who is admittedly awesome) and Swords, which a) you only have 2 and b) is largely contingent upon your birdy. That is one reason that firemind's suggestion of Viper is so good; it has excellent equipment synergy, can help in the aggressive Temp Thresh matchup (especially with a Jitte equipped), and will get you cards. Admittedly, ninjadoom might have had experiences with the deck that show stalling not to be problematic. If so, then this is not a valid objection.

Also, have you considered the indispensable Troll Ascetic? Unless your opponent counters him, he is virtually unremovable, and if you can get him down on turn 2 in the Tempo Thresh matchup and get some equipment on him by turn 3 you will have a serious threat well above Goyf or his buddies.

-ktkenshinx-

This deck can do crazy shit with Scryb Rangers. Its a great combat trick when your opponent attacks past your supposedly tapped creatures. It can hold a jitte and is pro blue (goes all the way against merfolk with equipment). It is also tight as hell as a turn 2 play: Forest/Savannah + BoP/Hierarch, then turn 2, play scryb rangers, untap BoP returning forest, play forest, then play goyf/jitte/pridemage/etc. It enables turn 3 Garruk playing off of 1 land. I suggest cutting some land for them. Seriously I play with it now in Stasis and its just ridiculous. You have WAY too many land already. 21 land and 8 BoP? Drop 4 land in favor of 4 Scryb Ranger. 17 is more than enough with all the mad tricks you will have with Rangers (you can run quirion ranger instead but I have preferred Scryb Rangers because its an instant, pro blue, and has flying. though in many cases, you can play quirion ranger, and then have 3 mana to play either another BoP/hierarch and a goyf, or even drop a turn 2 KoTR.)

Also, Scryb Rangers ensures that you don't lose any lands to wasteland and sinkhole (especially since you can cast it in response to sinkhole/wasteland and then return your land.) It also does crazy things with KoTR. KoTR taps sacrifice a forest, search for a fetch land, play the fetch land, sac the fetchland, playing a forest, return a forest, untap KoTR and repeat (also enables crazy wastelock tricks.)

Think about it.


Also, how good has Eternal Witness been for you? It looks sub-par in your build. You can't really take advantage of it with too much. Wouldn't Kitchen Finks be a better choice? Or more KoTR?

With Elspeth, multiple Exalted effects, and Equipment, this seems like an ideal place for Cold-Eyed Selkie.

Reveillark sounds very exciting and i will try to put 2 in the deck, maybe i will cut 2 angels or at least 1 and som other card. As for the Troll Ascetic and Kitchen Finks, i have played both of them, at some point over Knight and Angel, while troll ascetic is great, he is just to slow when it comes to blocking. Since you play so many cards that just win you games the game you loose are the typical the games were your opponent is to fast for you. The problem with the Kitchen Finks is that they are simply to small. They can chump block goyf two times and that is fine, but if you´r oppoent has two goyf it is much better the see Knight of the Relicuary, since he kan kill them. However they are they are certenly playabel in the deck, and i can see them get played in the right meta. This is also the reason why cold-eye selkie is bad, you something that can block, and 1/1 don´t block very well.

I am not sure about Scryb Ranger, i will have to think about it, but i don´t thnik i will run it. More on this at some other time.

As for how good eternal witness has been, i will say that is its one the best cards in the deck especaly if you just have some sort of equipment since this makes all you creatures to a problem even a 2/1.

I know that this is a G/W bomb deck but black opens you up to a realm of great cards.

Unearth (interaction with Eternal Witness is nice)
Doran

Being two which spring to mind straight away. it also gives you access to deed which would help in the Tribal matchup.

GW cards that are pretty damned good/bomby andshould deserve some testing
:
Gaddock teeg: helpsagainst copmbo (nog more tedrills, or nauseam, or IGG,... and also make's landstill suck up it's WoG, and FoW (And decks runing fact of fiction)

Kitchen finks: rock agro and can come back a lot with whitnes...

Loxodon heirarch: give you life, has a 4/4 body, and save's all your guys from deed/EE, sounds good no?

some food for thought.

I want to try this deck in Ext. I mean everything is legal except 4 PtE instead of StP and Ravnica duals and Zendikar fetches instead of the others (although for GW, onlsuaght fetches woulda been sweet).

I just made a gw deck also. Its not that based on bombs but more on mana.

Here's the list:

creatures:

4xnoble hierarch
4xbirds of paradise
4xsteppe lynx
4xlotus cobra
4xtarmogoyf
4xqasali pridemage
4xknight of the reliquary
1xprogenitus

Instants:

4xswords to plowshares
1xpath to exile

sorceries:

4xharmonize
4xnatural order

lands:

4xwindswept heath
4xwooded foothills
1xverdant catacombs
1xflooded strand
1xmisty rainforest
3xsavannah
3xhorizon canopy
1xdryad arbor
3xforest
1xplains

This build is really fast and has the possibilty to get big creatures fast. Also with the cobra you can play cards like harmonize and natural order very consistently.

Does someone have some comments?

Electrolyze, i think you need to cut the steppe lynx, you don´t want to play it turn 1, and it don´t really play well with you´r other game plan, namely to be in control until you win with a 10/10 hydra or a 10/10 knight, i think you´r deck is to low on threats if you draw progenitus, if you plan to play harmonize, then you need to have som blockers and the steppe lynx just don´t cut it.

i'm trying a rock (extended style) wich is similar to this deck. i think dark confidant and doran are so pretty for this gameplan. also seize gives a smart protection for your game.

the list:

lands (21):

1 forest
1 plains
1 swamp
3 bayou
2 savannah
1 scrubland
4 windswept heath
4 verdant catacombs
1 marsh flats
3 horizon canopy

creatures (24):
4 birds of paradise
3 noble hierarch
3 qasali pridemage
4 dark confidant
4 tarmogoyf
3 knight of the reliquary
3 doran, the siege tower
1 baneslayer angel

spells (14):
2 garruk wildspeaker (trying elspeth now, may be 1garruk,1elspeth)
2 umezawa's jitte
4 thoughtseize
4 swords to plowshares
2 vindicate

side:
3 extirpate
3 ethersworn canonist
3 relic of progenitus
2 vexing shusher
2 pithing needle
2 choke

One thought:
The deck already runs :u: for sideboard options and has enought :u: sources to support some cards in maindeck.
Maybe try some Rhox War Monk in maindeck?

I also very interested in Landstill and Trainwreck (and other controls with Deed) matchups. Has anyone tested that?

I also have a deck wich has many similar things with the one in OP:

LANDS (21)
3 Savannah
2 Tropical Island
4 Windswept Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
3 Horizon Canopy
5 Forest
2 Plains

1-DROPS (12)
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Mother of Runes
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile

2-DROPS (13-12)
2 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Qasali Pridemage
3-2 Sylvan library

3-DROPS (12-13)
4 Ohran Viper
2 Sword of Fire and Ice/Light and Shadow
3-4 Eternal Witness
3 Rhox War Monk

FREE SLOTS (2)
Garruk/Elspeth/Baneslayer Angel - dunno here, looks like Elspeth is the best choice 'cause flying Viper/Warmonk is great.

SIDEBOARD
1 Path to Exile
1 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Relic of Progenitus
3 Krosan Grip
2 Back to Basics
2 Enlightened Tutor
1 Compost - metagame choice
1 Silent Arbiter - over Duelling Grounds 'cause I run Mom to protect him
1 Aura of Silence

My deck is less bomby, but has access to some card selection/advantage via Viper and Library and I like Mom 'cause she turns Viper and Warmonk into a terrible headache for opponent.

Ninjadoom and I test the deck with Scryb Ranger and Reveillark at the moment. It seems to be pretty good, but we have to test more against zoo.

Landstill is not that bad. They have to deal with choke, BtB and planeswalkers after sideboard. Landstill also have to find answers to all the big creatures and the equipments, but eternal witness is amazing here (again).

Yesterday I lost with rGBW survival against the deck, but I could only draw Deed once and then it was too late. Deed will also be better against the deck, when we put Scryb Rangers in the deck, but normally GBW rock will only win the match, when dark confidant stays in play. The planeswalkers are really good here.

We have already tried Kitchen Finks and Loxodon Hierarch, but we think that KotR is better. Against zoo the finks will get a bolt, and then it cannot even kill the kird ape or the Nacatl. Eternal Witness is the best card in the deck. It is the card that makes the deck win the lategame, and when you are against a fast aggrodeck you just get a Sword with it.

We will think about the Rhox War Monk again if the deck have problems with zoo, but the war monk will properly replace KotR and it will make the lategame a bit worse.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ursus

Against zoo the finks will get a bolt, and then it cannot even kill the kird ape or the Nacatl.

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Even if it doesn't kill that Kird Ape you're 9 life ahead (Finks +4 Life and Lightning Bolt = +3 life, since it doesn't go to the dome and blocking Kird Ape +2 life, since you don't get te damage.) If aggro is a problem Finks is your man! (EDIT: I don't mean to say it shoud replace KotR, just as an extra)

And am I correct that we can't get a Tarmogoyf back from the grave with Reveillark? That might be another reason not to run Goyf.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nelis

Even if it doesn't kill that Kird Ape you're 9 life ahead (Finks +4 Life and Lightning Bolt = +3 life, since it doesn't go to the dome and blocking Kird Ape +2 life, since you don't get te damage.) If aggro is a problem Finks is your man!

And am I correct that we can't get a Tarmogoyf back from the grave with Reveillark? That might be another reason not to run Goyf.

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Correct.
It's 4/5 even if it is in your graveyard.

Currently toying with a GBW version that runs Veteran Explorer, BOP, Pridemage, Doran, Viper, Nighthawk, Witness, KotR, Lark and Survival. It seems too topheavy (CMC'3') but searching for Valor (in additon to tossing away acceleration for threats) is appealing.
It's a bit like Bant Survival, with (almost)every threat bigger than Goyf or able to kill him.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nelis

And am I correct that we can't get a Tarmogoyf back from the grave with Reveillark? That might be another reason not to run Goyf.

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You are correct. (arebennian kicks me)
But the only replacement for Goyf I can see is Watchwolf and it's not bomby at all... But I'll try...

Watchwolf wouldn't get picked up by Lark either, so there isn't any point running him in preference.

The only other creature I can think of that can tangle with Goofy is Scute Mob, but he is too slow (even with Explorer).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by arebennian

Watchwolf wouldn't get picked up by Lark either, so there isn't any point running him in preference.

The only other creature I can think of that can tangle with Gofy is Scute Mob, but he is too slow (even with Explorer).

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Right, me dumb.

Looks like the allmighty mr. Goyf is again so good that he doesn't need any synegis to be good...

Aven Riftwatcher works like a charm with Reveillark. Reveillark also combines nicely with Mulldrifter. (I made a legacy multiplayer deck once with those cards (incl Countertop) and that worked out really good. I still want to make a legacy or extended version with Lark)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by arebennian

Correct.
It's (tarmogoyf) 4/5 even if it is in your graveyard.

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And how about KotR? Is there a difference?

He is a 2/2. When Lark targets, he's still a 2/2. He always is a 2/2.
Goyf's size changes. Same as Terravore.

Something about the +1/+1 ability acting only once it is in play (battlefield). Different with a x/x+1

Look, to be honest, I'm not a level 8 judge and I can't specifically word out why it works with triggers, tareting and such. All I know is that Lark can pick up something like Scute Mob or KotR but not something like Terravore or Goyf (most of the x/x creatures/Lhurgoyfs).

I've checked it before. Might even have read an article on the mothership about it.

Some more creative insanity:
If we run Scryb Ranger and Garruk Wildspeaker, we can run 1 Stasis in sideboard... And if we also run KotR, 1 Forsaken City is not a problem...

I've done some tests in MWS last evening.
Each time I had Mom + Viper/Warmonk, it was like I caught my opponent's balls and the harder he tries to escape, the more painful it becomes. Very nice! :smile:
Eternal Witness is the baddest girl on the planet even when she grabs fetchland. I'll try 61 cards with 4 Witness 'cause Sylvan Library was also very good and I want to see one in almost every game.
My variant runs less mana (no Birds of Paradise), but lower curve, Sylvan Library and Witness grabbing fetch help alot and I had no problems to cast Elspeth or cast+equip Sword when I need. But I found myself using Canopy to draw far less often, so I'll decrease the number in favor of Savannah or basics.

P.S. The deck is powerfull, interesting and easy to play and the cards are easy to find/borrow, so it looks like a good choice for Legacy newcomers...

Quote:

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Some more creative insanity:
If we run Scryb Ranger and Garruk Wildspeaker, we can run 1 Stasis in sideboard... And if we also run KotR, 1 Forsaken City is not a problem...

I've done some tests in MWS last evening.
Each time I had Mom + Viper/Warmonk, it was like I caught my opponent's balls and the harder he tries to escape, the more painful it becomes. Very nice!
Eternal Witness is the baddest girl on the planet even when she grabs fetchland. I'll try 61 cards with 4 Witness 'cause Sylvan Library was also very good and I want to see one in almost every game.
My variant runs less mana (no Birds of Paradise), but lower curve, Sylvan Library and Witness grabbing fetch help alot and I had no problems to cast Elspeth or cast+equip Sword when I need. But I found myself using Canopy to draw far less often, so I'll decrease the number in favor of Savannah or basics.

P.S. The deck is powerfull, interesting and easy to play and the cards are easy to find/borrow, so it looks like a good choice for Legacy newcomers...

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Yea I came to the same conclusion a while back: Stasis is legit with Garruk, especially when you have so many small creatures, it becomes a win con.

I've been testing this as a random pet deck for quite some time. I'm sure it will bring some ideas to the table. It has fewer 'bombs' per se and is more of a synergy deck.

Power Rangers
Land: (18)
4 Windswept Heath
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Wasteland
3 Savannah
2 Tropical Island
1 Tundra

Creatures: (30)
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Birds of Paradise
4 Quirion Ranger
3 Scryb Ranger

4 Mother of Runes
3 Weathered Wayfarer
2 Qasali Pridemage

4 Ohran Viper
3 Knight of the Reliquary

Spells: (12)
4 Brainstorm
4 Stifle
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sensei's Diving Top
2 Garruk Wildspeaker

SB:
4 Trinisphere
4 Stasis
2 Rhox War Monk
2 Choke
2 Krosan Grip
1 Forsaken City

So far I haven't really needed Rhox Warmonk, and EE/Deed have been a problem so I've considered running Caller of the Claw to benefit from a mass removal spell. I have the mana to support it.

Synergies:
Noble Hierarch + Quirion Ranger
Noble Hierarch + Scryb Ranger
Birds of Paradise + Quirion Ranger
Birds of Paradise + Scryb Ranger
Combinations as such let you work with 4 mana on turn 3 with just 1 land. Keeping your land count low is legit if you can get out wayfarer. As long as you are careful with the rangers you should be able to completely avoid wasteland and sinkhole (or surprise with Scryb Ranger at instant speed). It's nice to explode with this in the early game and drop either quirion ranger turn 2 and then either ohran viper or knight of the reliquary or go use scryb rangers and drop something else like jitte or leave some mana open to stifle fetch lands.

Mother of Runes + Quirion Ranger
Mother of Runes + Scryb Ranger
Protect your creatures really well. It becomes harder to get rid of this combo too with targeted removal once you get more rangers or Mom's down.

Mother of Runes + Quirion Ranger + Knight of the Reliquary/Ohran Viper
Mother of Runes + Scryb Ranger + Knight of the Reliquary/Ohran Viper
Knight in this deck is usually huge. It is what ends the game. Viper gets there but usually just to draw you cards or play defense. Of course having numerous exalted creatures helps too. Viper, Mom and at least one rangers gives you a wall that the opponent usually doesn't want to attack into.

Ranger (Q or S) + Knight of the Reliquary
Makes him huge. You can sac a forest, search for a fetch land, play the fetch land, fetch, play another forest, return that forest to untap knight, replay the forest for your turn and repeat (or just attack now that he is 2 P/T bigger. Also it gives KoTR vigilance if you need him to block or enabling you to play 2 wastelands in one turn at the expense of a few of your lands but you can play with even just 1 so its usually not a big deal.

Ranger (Q or S) + Wayfarer
Find multiple lands by activating his ability twice, enables you to find relevant lands and wastelands in the same turn, while also being able to return all your lands so that you can use his ability anyway.


It plays a lot differently, but in the games I have tested I've done really well against aggro, especially zoo which uses essentially all nonbasics. Thresh has been pretty good actually. If I can lock them out of mana, they have lost pretty consistently, especially if wayfarer + quirion ranger comes down. Also, thresh has problems with Mom + ranger too, as well as viper + mom, and every time I had KoTR on the field I won against thresh (it gives you a wastelock and massive damage cause he is no smaller than a 4/4 when you play him, and can get bigger while wastelocking the opponent.)

Also, the combo matchup looks bad, but wastelocking has won me quite a few games against ANT, and he just couldn't set up. Fast mana into trinisphere is legit too. Provided you can get that fast mana via rangers and birds, etc. dropping trinisphere can win the game provided you can keep their land count at 1 or 2. Garruk with trinisphere is legit too.

I'm testing a similar archetype but rather than investing in mana guys, I think Eladamri's Vineyard is very much underrated.

Here's a beta version of something more control oriented:

4 vineyard

4 StP
4 Path
3 Firespout
3 EE
2 WoG

4 Harmonize
4 Living Wish
2 Elsepth
4 Goyf (or 2 Crucible, Ajani Vengeant, Garruk)
3 E Witness

23 Land

(Basically ported Landstill over with higher threat density rather than countermagic)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by arebennian

He is a 2/2. When Lark targets, he's still a 2/2. He always is a 2/2.
Goyf's size changes. Same as Terravore.

Something about the +1/+1 ability acting only once it is in play (battlefield). Different with a x/x+1

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The */*+1 is a characteristic-setting ability, and functions in all zones ever since Future Sight came out. The +1/+1 for each card in your graveyard is just a regular ability and only functions when Knight is on the battlefield.

I took the deck to our weekly tuesday tournament. i took out 2 baneslayers, 2 forest and a path for 3 scryb ranger and 2 revillark, i went 3-3 after meeting 3 combo decks. I won versus belcher since game 2 i racede his 12 turn 1 with turn 3 baneslayer angel with scryb ranger down, and game three i made a turn 3 dueling grunds to his 8 turn goblins. I lost the 2 other combo matchups. I lost to a deck running discard, deed and witness. I won versus Zoo and a random mono white enchantress.

I am still not sure about the changes, but i will probally play the same deck next tuesday and see how it goes