[Deck] Salvager Game (Golden Grahams)

I have seen this eck on TMD, and thought it was pretty cool. I'll just copy and paste Tash's post, as it is his deck.

Ok, so my local group has been playtesting for Legacy a lot recently, and one of them brought in the gamekeeper oath deck, the one that plays 4 gamekeeper, disruption, and then 2 Darksteel Colossus.

Well being the combo player I am I thought up a "better" idea. What if instead of running the Colossus's, we run the Auriok Salvagers combo with LED and pyrite spellbomb.

I worked on it for a bit and this is the list that I've come up with.

"Salvager Oath"

Tutor/Draw
2 Nights Whisper
4 Living Wish
4 Tainted Pact

Disruption
3 Chainers Edict
3 Duress
4 Cabal Therapy

Creatures
3 Gamekeeper
2 Auriok Salvagers

Combo
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
3 Pyrite Spellbomb

Other
1 Krosan Reclamation
4 Chromatic Sphere

Land
3 Windswept Heath
2 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
4 Dark Ritual
3 Snow-Covered Swamp
3 Swamp
1 Snow-Covered Plains
2 Forest
2 Snow-Covered Forest
1 Bayou
1 Savannah

Sideboard: Not finished yet, but it will include
1 Gamekeeper
1 Auriok Salvager
1 Kumano, Master Yamibushi
2 Darksteel Colossus

Card Choices:
Tainted Pact: This was originally a Spoils of the Vault, but I kept killing myself with it. TP seems really good just because you can start digging for stuff and even if you hit the same card twice, well you just cleared out some crap so you can get to your combo quicker.

Living Wish: In creature based combo this card is sort of a DUH. It reads "Gamekeeper #4-7" as well as "Salvager #3-6"

Darksteel Colossus: It starts the matchup in the sideboard for a reason. Mostly because I like the Salvagers combo much better, but it's there so if someone sides in all their graveyard hate, you can just pull those in game 2 and say: "Oh, you just cast tormonds crypt. Damn." And flip over Colossus. Seems pretty good.

So there's my deck idea. Any suggestions or comments will be appreciated. But if you want to flame, please do more than just say "Wow, you're a retard." Give me a thought out reason on why I'm wrong in playing this deck.

This is his tournemtn report from first place at the GPT in Indy

On Oct. 8 I, for the first time ever, went to a local store for Friday Night Magic. While there, I mention legacy, and one of the guys starts telling me about the GPT in Indianapolis on the following day. I completely scrub out in the FNM tourney, but I have a ride to the GPT. I get on the wrong bus however, and figure I'm going to be late, but I switch routes and get to the game shop 20 minutes before they arrive. Traffic is a bitch, because of the Indiana University: Bloomington homecoming game, and we get to Indianapolis with 20 minutes left before the tourney. I pick up a Dragon's Breath for the sideboard, and register. This is what I played


Golden Grahams
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Living Wish
4 Duress
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Tainted Pact
4 Lions Eye Diamond
4 Innocent Blood
4 Dark Ritual
2 Nights Whisper
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Krosan Reclamation
2 Auriok Salvagers
3 Gamekeeper

1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Bayou
1 Plains
2 Snow Covered Forest
2 Forest
3 Snow Covered Swamp
2 Swamp
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Polluted Delta
3 Windswept Heath

SB:
4 Tsunami
1 City of Brass
1 Viridian Zealot
1 Gamekeeper
1 Trinket Mage
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Maga, Traitor to Mortals
1 Kjeldoran Dead
2 Darksteel Colossus
1 Auriok Salvagers
1 Dragon's Breath

I triple checked the list this time, after getting a game loss in GPT Louisville for a misregistered card. No problems, so I sit around and wait for the tourney to start.

Round 1: Chris with White Weenie.

Game 1: He throws down a Chrome Mox, and plays a turn 1 Soltari Priest. I fire off an Innocent Blood just to screw up his day. Later on he fires off Mother of Runes and Mask of Memories, but that is nothing compared to the power of me comboing off on turn 5.

Game 2: My notes here are scarce, as they are through out the tourney, but I see that he got out 2 Suntail Hawks and I therapy him circa 3 times, the last time right before comboing off, realizing that he didn't have anything to stop me, so I name Black Lotus for shits and giggles.

1-0-0

Round 2: John with W/b Aggro

Game 1: John plays cards like, Vindicate, Suntail Hawk, SoFI, StP, and Exalted Angel. I duress him once or twice, removing the spells that I need to, and I pull out the victory.

Game 2: Yeah, simply put I start to combo off, and get swords to hell.

Game 3: See: Game 2

1-1-0

Round 3: John with Sensei, Sensei

Game 1: I rode up with John, and he lost round 1, and got the bye round two. We joke for a few minutes before the round starts. He brings out a turn 2 or 3 Helm of Awakening. The next turn I living wish for a Salvagers and combo off.

Game 2: His turn 1: Tundra. Go.
My turn one: Scrubland, Dark Ritual, Chromatic Sphere, Pop the Sphere for green, Draw some jank, Play 2 Lion's Eye Diamond, Cast Living Wish and crack them both for WWWWWW, I get the Salvagers with the living wish and cast it with WW floating. John goes "At least I got to play a Tundra"

2-1-0

Round 4: Jason with Not Quite Grow
Game 1: Jason was the guy that won GPT Louisville with practically the same deck. I laugh and claim that I was going to avenge my friend's top four defeat. We shuffle up and he administers a lot of beats, but late in the game, as I'm at 6, I sstabilizeand Combo out.

Game 2: I side in the 2 Colossus, 4 Tsunami and the Dragons Breath. I figure it'd be pretty good. I get out a Tsunami on turn 3 and end up with a Colossus in hand as I sac my Gamekeeper. I forget to target, and start flipping cards. The second Colossus is on the bottom of the deck, so I target myself naming Colossus. The judge is called, and I get a pproceduralwarning. I lose because I took out Krosan Reclamation. That was not good.

Game 3: In short, we play to time and go to the fifth turn. He asks if I'm planning on going to Philly, and I say yes. He nods and looks at the judge. "I scoop" he says as he packs up his cards.

3-1-0

Round 5: I was once told that the last round in a magic tourney, before cut to top 8 is all politics. It didn't take me much to convince my opponent to draw in to the top 8.

3-1-1

Top 8: Andy playing Goblins.

Game 1: So before the match, he's trying to get hints from me about how to win against me. He says something like "I side in pithing needle against you", Me: "Well, that does hurt" Him: "I think I should name the spellbomb with the needle." Me: *smirk* "Sure, taking out my win condition is always good. I win the roll and go land go. He goes turn one lackey, and I go turn 2 Ritual Gamekeeper. He stops altogether, since he doesn't want to kill the keeper, and I combo him out.

Game 2: Anyone remember the bit about the Pithing needle? He turn 1 drops a needle naming Pyrite Spellbomb. I block some goblins with a Gamekeeper, and a hardcast Salvagers, and combo out, using chromatic sphere to go get a living wish and hit him with a very painful Maga, Traitor to Mortals.

4-1-1

Top 4: John (the U/B aggro player from round 2)

Game 1: I get to play the guy that beat me. Oh joy. We trade off with the usual disruption, and he hits a morphed angel, he flips her and taps out. Next turn I combo off.

Game 2: I side in the Colossus plan. Unfortunately I don't see a damn Gamekeeper for the entire game, and he starts beating himself down with an Ancient Tomb, of course his clock is faster than my sitting there and doing nothing. I scoop.

Game 3: I play a forest on turn on followed by a Chromatic Sphere. He duresses me on turn 1 and pulls a Tainted Pact, while I have a Lion's Eye Diamond and an Auriok Salvagers in hand, turn two I play a fetchland, crack a sphere for black and see glory in all shapes and forms. A dark ritual pops into my hand. I crack the fetchland and go get a white source. I bring out turn 2 Salvagers with Lion's Eye Diamond, and a Chromatic Sphere in the graveyard. That's all she wrote folks. He shows me an enlightened tutor from his hand. He would have had a turn 2 pithing needle, if he wouldn't have duressed away my pact and instead grabbed my Lion's Eye Diamond.

5-1-1

Finals: Rory with Landstill

I came up with Rory and offer him my packs if he lets me have the victory. He mulls over it for a second, and figures he won't be attending GP Philly, he takes my packs and we shake hands.

6-1-1

Overall, I'm proud of me again. A GPT victory with Golden Grahams. I want to change the sideboard mostly, but I just didn't have the time to. I had one night to prepare for the event, and even had to scrounge for some cards anyways.

Props:
Rory for being the worst Landstill player to make top 2.
Jason for being awesome and scooping to me.
That guy with Merfolk.DEC and making it 2-3
My deck, for not crapping out on me
Auriok Salvagers, for being able to pull off matches I have no business winning.

Slops:
Pithing Needle, still. I hate that card.
Viridian Shaman, he's overcosted and not too helpful.
All the cards that just sat in my sideboard and stared at me.
Rory, for taking forever in his top 8 matches.
The Marriott for charging $2 for a 20 oz. drink.

The issue is the fact that the only Goblins matchup he had was against someone who clearly hadn't played Magic before that day. I thought I'd like to show you guys this, and get some insight on what you think. Seems like a decent deck, maybe better than the Game, without getting wrecked by StP.

Hey there, I'm doing some toying around with Auriok/LED too. I got a few questions about your take on it.

The inclusion of Gamekeeper is a really good idea imo. Delivers both Salvager and LED into position. Also allows you to use tech like Therapy and Blood. But if you already have
Salvager out, do these two directions of the deck conflict with eachother? How often does that happen? Have you ever fired off a Gamekeeper and had it NOT get LED in the yard?

this may be a little bit off subject... but hey i thought i'd bounce the idea off of you.

Have you considered trying to abuse the animating enchantments from gorger?

For example.

a sample hand:
Swamp
Lotus Petal
Animate Dead
Lions Eye Diamond
Chromatic Sphere/bauble/pyrite
Auriok Salvagers
anything....

or

Swamp
Lotus Petal
Animate Dead
Lions Eye Diamond
Chromatic Sphere/bauble/pyrite
gamekeeper
cabal therapy

is a first turn kill... (of course the chances of that are slim)

I havent tested it or anything... but i just thought it was a cool idea.

Well that certainly is a different build of the The Game. Seems preety good and I do like the DSC & Dragon Breath in the board. I wonder where he got that from ???

The deck does seem to have a problem with Tormod's, even post-board with DSC. If Gamekeeper is removed before its trigger resolves, you don't get a creature (because of the "if you do" clause"). Maybe too few people know this for it to matter in practice, but DSC doesn't get around grave hate at all.

Quote:

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If Gamekeeper is removed before its trigger resolves, you don't get a creature. Maybe too few people know this for it to matter in practice, but DSC doesn't get around grave hate at all.

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...Nope. Can't say that was on the list of things I knew.

If they remove a gamekeeper, yeah it sucks, but then I just have to find another one.

The odds of hitting a salvager and not a diamond are somewhat low, since Salvagers is a 2-of, and diamond is a 4-of. Although it is still possible. At that point, you just go into digging mode.

And at Colsmak:
Seriously. I'm honored that someone would want to start discussion about a deck that I made (ok, game base, but it's definately a different deck). Thanks.

I have really taken an interest in your build since seeing you play it in Louisville. I have not yet had a chance to try to work on the deck but would the manabase be too shaky to try to work intuition in the deck? The ability to fetch multiple Therpies into the yard/hand seems incredibly strong. It might not be any good, but it seems like if the manabase could take it, that would be incredibly strong.

I was thinking that too, and I came up with Ancient Tomb. It doesn't look all that hot in Colsmack's build, but I think that it would help out casting Salvager and Gamekeeper easier. Colsmak, do you think that 4x Dark Rit is enough?

Also, how dangerous is Pithing Needle to this deck, and should we pack MD bounce?

Actually, it's my build. :p

But, technicalities aside.

Pithing Needle is dangerous. I almost want to find room for 3 engineered explosives either in the main or the side. Since you can pop them for 1 off of a dark ritual. B for the casting cost and then BB for the sacrifice. Also it can be pretty nice with salvager recursion, even if you don't have all the pieces you need you can keep recurring it and blowing up stuff that doesn't have a CMC of 4.

The thing I love about this manabase is that it is so flexible around wastelands. There's only 3 lands that can be wasted, and 10 that can't. Along with the 6 fetchlands. I would be hardpressed to fit in Intuition or Ancient Tomb.

Someone suggested Plunge Into Darkness. And I'm really thinking about that. It serves as an instant speed sacrifice outlet, and it also tutors. It definately buys me time when they swords my gamekeeper and I can, in response Sacrifice him to gain 3 life and impulse for 3 life. And then 'Oath'. Seems pretty good to me.

My bad.:D

Plunge is great, but I think in a deck like this Diabolic Intent is far better. Sac Gamekeeper for Salvager, get LED and you're set. Of course, it IS a sorc speed tutor, so you'll have to offset their hand and/or just be quicker than their hate.

As for pithing Needle, maybe Gate to Phrexia?

Tendrils of Despair looks great IMO. Hymm for 1? Get combo pieces out? Oooooooh yeah sucka.

Problem with Tendrils of despair, it's pure crap without the gamekeeper. Innocent Blood and Plunge at least do stuff without the gamekeeper. Same goes for Diabolic Intent. Although that is an interesting line of thought. With the D-Intent that is.

After having read this thread I came up with the following list. I haven't been able to test it yet but I think this list is to give some new ideas and of course it isn't an optimised list.

//Creatures
3 Gamekeeper
2 Auriok Salvager

//Kill;Combo;Utility
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Conjurer’s Bauble
1 Chromatic Sphere
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Animate Dead
1 Dance of the Dead
1 Necromancy
3 Innocent Blood
1 Krosan Reclamation

//Disruption
4 Duress
4 Cabal Therapy
1 Engineered Explosives

//Tutor
2 Cunning Wish
2 Gifts Ungiven
2 Tainted Pact

//Mana
4 Dark Ritual
1 Bayou
1 Scrubland
1 Savannah
1 Underground Sea
1 Tropical Island
1 Forest
1 Snow-covered-Forest
1 Swamp
1 Snow-covered-Swamp
1 Snow-covered-Plains
1 Snow-covered-Island
1 Flooded Strand
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Polluted Delta
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Forbidden Orchard
1 Ancient Tomb
1 City of Brass

Card choices:

I tried to include the "animate-first-turn-kill-idea".
That's why three animaters are included.
Otherwise Innocent Blood + animate spell might be helpfull against Gro or some other control decks with fatties.

Gifts Ungiven:
Imagine you have Lion's Eye Diamond in hand and play GU.
Search for Spellbomb, Salvager and 2 animate spells...

Lands:
One aspect why there kind of land twice in the deck is GU and the other reason is not to have any problems with Tainted Pact.

Tendrils:
Just to have another option to win...

The Sideboard may include:
1 Brainfreeze (thrid kill option)
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Innocent Blood
1 Tainted Pact
1 Stroke of Genius (fourth kill option)
1 Plunge into Darkness
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Disenchant
1 Ray of Revelation
and even cards like Counterspell, REB, BEB, Stifle, Chain of Vapor...

What do you think?

The build looks pretty good, just a few things could use some tweaking.

I really don't feel Tendrils is needed, it's a kill more spell IMO. By the time Tendrils becomes a kill spell, you've won. I don't see any advantages Tendrils has over the standard Pyrite kill. -1 Tendrils +1 Chromatic Sphere.

-1 Explosives +1 Gifts Ungiven. I'm not so sure about this. It's a very conditional card. Is a maindeck'd Explosives overkill? Gifts seems to have alot of promise in this deck.

So yeah, -1 Tendrils, -1 Explosives, +1 Chromatic +1 Gifts.

On a side note, Meddling Mage could be used as a Living Wish target vs. Needle.

I agree with you except for one point. It seems important to me to have at least one "real solution" in our MD (I don't count Cunning Wish here because there are only two in the MD, its mana cost (and cost of the targeted spell) might be high and I don't want to add another copy because of Tainted Pact). The advantage of EE is that it can be used several times with Salvager in play. Therefore I suggest to find another card to cut for EE. What about -1 Duress? Here: Cabal Therapy > Duress.

Reaching back a bit, I think this is slightly relevent though.

Anyone see the top eight of GP Philly?

You might recognize the first decklist that was posted on this post.

Sure it wasn't me playing it, but yeah. This deck top eight'd in Philly. I think that calls for just a little bit more discussion on it.

Also I think it calls for this deck to be taken out of the new and developmental forums maybe Open Legacy, or even Legacy Metagame. Since a Win, 3rd place at two GPTs and a top eight at GP Philly says that this deck is just a bit more than just a cute combo deck.

And if anyone can get me a way to contact the guy that piloted this deck to top eight, it would be appreciated. I'd love to talk to him about his matchups and all.

Here's his decklist:
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Bayou
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Polluted Delta
3 Windswept Heath
1 Plains
3 Snow-Covered Swamp
2 Snow-Covered Forest
2 Forest
2 Swamp

2 Auriok Salvagers
3 Gamekeeper

4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Chromatic Sphere
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
4 Dark Ritual
4 Duress
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Innocent Blood
4 Living Wish
4 Tainted Pact
2 Night's Whisper
1 Krosan Reclamation

SB:
1 Viridian Zealot
1 City of Brass
2 Darksteel Colossus
1 Ray of Revelation
4 Tsunami
1 Kjeldoran Dead
1 Trinket Mage
1 Gamekeeper
1 Auriok Salvagers
1 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
1 Uktabi Orangutan

It's very similar to the builds we've been discussing, except he's got a more focused approach. Some of the ideas thrown around here help out side strategies:stalling vs Gro with Animate Dead, or maindecking EE. While you can do really funky stuff with that, those cards on their own don't focus on your strategy.

One thing's really bothering me though. Why Kagemaro as a wish target? In order to get him out, you'd have to discard your hand via LED to pay for him, and you know what that means. And sure, he is a 7/7 for 5. But no trample? No evasion? No inherent protection from removal?

The list you just posted was one card off from the Decklist I took to the GPT in Louisville, he traded a Maga, Traitor to Mortals for a Uktabi Orangutan. Which I disagree with, you should have a SB kill card. But that's just me.

The Kagemaro was there because you can use him as beats, or as a board clearer VS goblins/random aggro. You don't always have to use LED to cast it, you can use oh, Dark ritual, or even hardcast him.

I took him out, but apparently he used it fairly well in the Iggy Pop matchup. So maybe I'll keep him in there. ::shrug::

Moved to Open, as the deck has proven itself at Philly and elsewhere. It will have to be a bit more prevalent before it would be considered for the LMF forum, but if it continues to put up the results, that's not unlikely. - Zilla

I've been playing this deck, and Night's Whisper just plain pisses me off. Later, I added in Cruel Tutor (Grim Tutor's expensive), which actually did very well for me...

A big weakness of this deck is that Salvager can be killed in response to going off, and that instant creature kill is very rampant. Heck, most decks don't even need to SB Pithing Needles if they maindeck Swords, Gempalm Incinerator, etc. So, what to do?

Hubba hubba hubba hubba...
Steely Resolve!

So, what do you think? Does it deserve MD slots? Of course it means that they can actually start using their Naturalizes, but IMO it provides a cheap protective shield that can be played before Salvager/Gamekeeper hits play.

Alternatively, you could go fetch a DSC and just win.
-Slay

Eh, not so much. Because DSC costs eleven you won't be hardcasting it unless you're comboing out. If you're at that stage where you are comboing out unimpeded, then you've already won.

You know what's better than Steely Resolve? Cabal Therapy.

I've been doing some testing with the T8'd decklist, and I found that Cabal Therapy definetly held its ground, but most of the time I was just trying to stave off their offenses. First turn vs goblins, drop a swamp and cast Therapy, am I really gonna name Incinerator? Nope. I'm more concerned about staying alive than about protecting a combo that isn't even online yet, so when I cast Therapy I'm gonna name Piledriver.

There's gotta be some more combo protection. Whether this means MD'ing more hand disruption, or playing specific hate cards (ie resolve or Meddling Mage), that's something that needs be discussed.

I realize that well, Resolve sucks. It really has no other applications outside combo protection, and even then it's still a sitting duck for enchantment removal. But it's the most accessible form of permanent safety, and that alone has to give it some merits.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rastadon

Eh, not so much. Because DSC costs eleven you won't be hardcasting it unless you're comboing out. If you're at that stage where you are comboing out unimpeded, then you've already won.

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Um, what? You get the Colossus with Gamekeeper, and board out the combo. That way, creature hate is worthless. That's kind of the idea.
-Slay

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slay

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rastadon

Eh, not so much. Because DSC costs eleven you won't be hardcasting it unless you're comboing out. If you're at that stage where you are comboing out unimpeded, then you've already won.

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Um, what? You get the Colossus with Gamekeeper, and board out the combo. That way, creature hate is worthless. That's kind of the idea.
-Slay

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Except for STP. But Therapy/Duress takes care of that.

Now Maybe I missed it but is Naturalize MD or SB? I was just wondering what do you do if you see Null Rod or Cursed Totem? Besides getting bent over the table. Or if you thing you are going to be hated on bring in the DSC?

There is Uktabi Orangatun in the SB, well at least there should be. Paul S. had the Sex Monkey and the viridian zealot in the board for wish targets.

Duress and Cabal therapy should be able to take out their creature kill, and all the times I was playing goblins I would just throw down a gamekeeper and that would give me stall time because they didn't want me to get the salvagers and win.

Could this deck benifit any to play cards with dredge? You kind of want therapies, LED, spheres, and stuff in there.

Life from the effin Loam is provenly good. Is it a good route to take here? My attention has gone deep into CAL lately to enjoy abusing that card. Life from the loam helps you dredge 3 cards a turn to find the combo. Plus 1 fetchland you may get off it for the turn, plus 2 cards drawn off of cycling. That means in one turn LftL can dig you 6 cards deep into your lib. Thats like a hand a turn!

Now consider this with wastelock. Wasteland is proven 5 star material in this format. Why not play one every turn? This can keep your opponent down long enough for you to draw into a Keeper/Salvager or dredge through your cog combo pieces.

I now realize how much I love to play in the graveyard.

If this sounds like potential to anyone else dont let it fall on deaf ears. Sound it on the source! This deck is proven top 8 material. Lets keep it rollin!

I don't think dredge belongs in this deck because milling through Salvager or Gamekeeper is just bad.

But milling LED and Spheres is very good. Not to mention Darksteel Colossus will always shuffle back in. The problems I have playing this against goblins is because of mana consistancies. Im having problems dealing with Lackey and Wasteland/Port. Out of 10 games today, 5 sideboarded, I won 5. Fanatics were making innocent bloods miss the warcheifs, and Lackey seemed to hit me way too much. Not to mention 4 Duress is just bad here.

Life from the Loam would help me keep in shape with mana problems. And adding it gives you the powerful Mox Diamonds for first turns that will very consistantly look like..

Mox Diamond, pitch Barren Moor. Land, Life from the Loam.
Talk about tempo.
Dredge: LED, land, therapy
Life is good!

Darkblast would also be amazing against gobs of course..
Inclusion of Mox increases all/white mana sources and speed of deck.

It seems like it could be interesting at the very least, but would probably slow down the combo by several turns, which I don't think is a good thing. The deck isn't a slow control deck that wins with a combo finish, it's a combo deck that packs some disruption. I think you're taking it in the wrong direction, but by all means let us know what your testing results are.

Well I played the deck this past Sunday. I used the list from Philly give or take a few cards. I went 3-2. I won the first 2 rounds then got paired down to a R/G Zilla Stompy deck. First turn I therapy for Survival (what he usually plays) and miss. He put alot of pressure on me and Burning Tree Shaman caused enough of a disturbance to win him the game. He sideboarded Needles and they shut down my Deeds that I sided in. I couldnt swing twice with Colossus before I was dead.

I beat a gob deck next then made my way to top 4. I played the same R/G guy. This time I 'oathed' into a Salvager on the top of my deck. Milling no cogs at all. Second game I smashed face with colossus. Third game I get very unluckey with a tainted pact and burning tree shaman seals the deal.

The other 3 games I won were quite smooth and stellar. No one saw the deck coming, and it provided good competition. I think next time I play the deck Ill push to include dredge. Even Darkblast seems benificial.

Since everybody has given up on nausea (?) I have been playing this deck a lot, and have been getting owned by meddling mage, pithing needle, and the amazing amount of hate ( tormods crypt, etc) .:mad: (screw that card to heck). Therapies and duress just weren't enough disruption, so i added pernicous deed. That card won me every sideboarded game in the tourney except one where he set his mage to deed. lol. Anyway, i have cleaned up a needle, jitte, and samurai of the pale curtain with that and won. Its amazing. What do you guys think?

Actually I had deed in my board and I found myself siding it in almost every game 2 and 3. The only probem is the deck doesnt normally run enough mana sources. 19 land isnt enough to support deed with or without rituals. One of my woosta cronies should be piloting the deck at the weekly tourny so ill try to make that tweak in the deck and ill post results here.

This is a really cool deck. I like the idea for "The Game" when I first saw it, and this seems like a clear improvement on that. There are a few things that worry me about it. First: your fundamental turn is not really faster than Solidarity's. True, sometimes you will be faster, but after a little testing on MWS, it seemed to be turn 4-5 on average. That would be just fine, except that Salvager Game lacks the maddening resiliancy of Solidarity, having big problems with most of the cards traditionally sideboarded for Solidarity, as well as Pithing Needle, Worship/untargetable creature, Humilty, Astral Slide, graveyard hate, and most spot removal. The fact that it is still a rogue deck does mitigate that somewhat, but that seems like a stupid thing to rely on.

Most of my few test games were against Angel Stompy, and I barely won any of them. Either they would have StP or Parallax wave or Jitte to stop the combo, or they would just kill me before I could go off. How does this compare to the experiance of those who have more experiance with the deck?

Also, I have to question a few of the card choices. 2x Night's Whisper: this seems kinda random to me. Wouldn't something to buy time against a creature rush be a better choice? Infest, for instance, or Moment's Peace, or even Engineered Explosives. Living Wish: before anyone gets the wrong idea, I do think it is a good card. However, it's slower than molasses going uphill in the wintertime, and for all the situations it can solve, it can't solve Humility, and it can't answer graveyard hate. Given that the deck runs 4 other tutors, has anyone tried NOT using the wish? This would allow you to maindeck perhaps Orim's Chant or Abeyance, or 4-of a mass removal spell, or Naturalize, or Pithing Needle, or Phyrexian Arena, or a bunch of other options. It would also allow you to sideboard effective answers for each matchup. All I'm saying is: yes Living Wish is good, but is it really necessary to give your opponent a free Time Walk?

The whole point of wish is to play it, then win. You can wish for a salvagers or gamekeeper and sac LED in response and win most of the time. Its the card that leads to turn two kills.
Also, does anyone have any suggestions vs hate like pithing needle and crypt? (Other than deed)

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Originally Posted by Rambo

Also, does anyone have any suggestions vs hate like pithing needle and crypt? (Other than deed)

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Side in Darksteel Colossus. Thats what they are in the sideboard for.

Darksteel Colossus does not help vs. crypt.

You can sideboard Pithing Needle against Crypt. Duh?

I prefer this deck to and against Solidarity because you have 4 Duress and 4 Therapy. This stalls for you to win, grabs your opponents Swords, grabs their counterspell, ect. You also mill it into the yard with Gamekeepers.

@BlindMage
Everything you mentioned besides Humility can be dealt with via Living Wish. Thats why we dont take it out. Besides LED + Wish = amazing.

This is a combo deck that needs alot of love. Alot of customizing, and alot of practice. This decks 'biggest' problems.. Needle, StP, Crypt, can all be dealt with before comboing, one way or another. Wish for artifact destruction, wait for a Duress before putting Colossus into play. Ect. Practice with the deck some more before you make too many decisions with it. Whos version were you playing?

If you're having serious problems with hate, such as Tormod's Crypt, Pithing Needle, Arcane Laboratory/Rule of Law (although Colossus gets around the lab), then one answer might be Serenity.

Pros:
1) Gives you a one turn window to combo out
2) Not mana intensive (1W)
3) Can't be stopped by Pithing Needle or Null Rod

Cons:
1) Doesn't hit creatures (Meddling Mage is bad times)
2) Your opponent has a turn to get rid of it or plan around it.