[Deck] U/G Infect

[Cybey]

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I. Overview
II. Core Deck List
III. Card Choices
IV. Sideboard Options
V. Sideboarding Strategies
VI. Priceguide
VII. Awesome Links
VIII. Infect in action

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Original Infect thread: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...232-U-G-infect

I. Overview

UG Infect is based on the Infect mechanic, first introduced in the Scars of Mirrodin Block that focuses on giving the opponent 10 poison counters to win the game. It is an aggro-combo deck that utilizes small creatures with Infect and pump spells to win, which can happen as fast as the second turn. The creatures in the deck are all 1/1, that you're trying to pump with spells and exalted triggers. While it can play the long game if needed, the deck is aiming to kill as quickly as possible. We do this by playing the most efficient pump spells available to us.

The aggro part of the deck mostly comes from green spells: all pump spells and (almost) all creatures are green. Blue makes sure we have a fighting chance to combo and to protect our small (vulnerable) creatures. The deck does contain blue creatures and also green provides some interactions to provide protection.

Poison counters have existed in Magic since the Legends expansion, although only two cards where printed that actually used them: Pit Scorpion and Serpent Generator. While those cards have never seen competitive play, a few more cards with poison counters have been printed in The Dark expansion set and the Mirage block. In the Time Spiral block, the poisonous mechanic was introduced, but was mostly used in casual or rogue Sliver decks in the form of Virulent Sliver as an alternative win condition. The Homelands expansion has the only card that gets rid of poison counters: Leeches. Finally, when Scars of Mirrodin block got printed, Legacy received the tools necessary to start playing this wonderful mechanic.

One of the most notable players of this deck is Tom Ross, who won the SCG Invitational on 8/29/2014.


II. Core Deck List

Creatures
4 Blighted Agent
4 Glistener Elf
4 Noble Hierarch

Spells
4 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
3 Daze
3 Force of Will
0-2 Spell Pierce
0-1 Stifle
2-3 Gitaxian Probe

2 Berserk
4 Invigorate
4 Vines of Vastwood
0-1 Become Immense
0-1 Green Sun's Zenith
1-2 Crop Rotation

Lands
0-1 Dryad Arbor
1-2 Pendelhaven
4 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Forest
3-4 Tropical Island
0-1 Savannah
1 Wasteland
8 fetchland


III. Card Choices

Creatures

Blighted Agent: Our only creature that does not care about the creatures of your opponent. This creature is a must-answer for most fair decks.
Glistener Elf: Simple 1/1 Infecter that enables our turn two wins.
Noble Hierarch: Noble Hierarch has quickly been adopted as 4-of in this deck, since it's amazing. It accelerates our mana development, allowing us to play more pump spells and it pumps our infecters, while also adding protection against Liliana of the Veil.

Pump Spells

Berserk: Berserk is one of the most important pump spells in the deck, but only powerful in combination with another pump spell. It gives our creature trample and doubles the creature's power. It also doubles as a removal spell of your opponent's creatures. This cards was actually banned in Legacy from 1994 to 2003!
Invigorate: Invigorate is our most efficient pump spell, since we can cast it for free. It gives our creature +4/+4 and our opponent 3 life which we do not care about.
Vines of Vastwood: Vines can give our creature +4/+4, but also often is used as protection spell for our creature in response to a removal spell. It can also be used to prevent an opponent from equipping his own creature. Remember that Vines does not actually give hexproof, but protection from spells or abilities your opponents control.
Become Immense: BI can pump your creature to a 7/7 for a single mana. The Delve on the card is quite easy to achieve, and even when you're not able to delve 6, giving your creature this kind of boost is still amazing for 2 or 3 mana in a single spell and is usually a must-answer for your opponent.

Other Spells

Brainstorm: Arguably the best Legacy staple. Draw three cards, put the two worst ones back and crack your fetchland to shuffle those two awful cards away.
Ponder: Look at the three top cards, keep one or shuffle those three awful cards away.
Force of Will: Important Legacy staple in most (all) blue decks. While most decks run a playset, we usually only run three.
Daze: "free" counterspell for early removal.
Gitaxian Probe: Mainly used to see if the coast is clear and making the deck "smaller".
Crop Rotation: Sac your land in response to their Wasteland, sac your land to find Inkmoth Nexus if you don't have a creature, find your single Wasteland to take care of their problem land, get Dryad Arbor in response to Liliana's sac ability or find your Pendelhaven for that additional damage. Also finds Karakas or Bojuka Bog after sideboarding.
Green Sun's Zenith: Find your creature or Dryad Arbor.

Lands

Dryad Arbor: Mainly used to negate Liliana's sac effect or surprise chump block. If you run Green Sun's Zenith, you can also use it as mana acceleration.
Wasteland: Take care of that pesky land. Grove of the Burnwillows or Tabernacle are great targets.
Inkmoth Nexus: For many decks the hardest card to interact with, especially decks that do not run Wasteland. Gets around Liliana of the Veil, Maelstrom Pulse and Abrupt Decay.
Pendelhaven: All your creatures are 1/1, so this card really found a home to shine in. Don't forget that a 1/1 creature with Pendelhaven is a 5 turn clock. Add a Hierarch and you have a 4 turn clock!

IV. Sideboard Options

These cards are common sideboard cards used in UG Infect decks. A few are metagame choices, others are mandatory.
Bojuka Bog
Flusterstorm
Force of Will
Grafdigger's Cage
Karakas (mandatory)
Krosan Grip (mandatory 2x)
Nature's Claim (mandatory)
Necropede
Piracy Charm
Pithing Needle
Rest in Peace (only if you splash white)
Spell Pierce
Spellskite
Submerge
Swords to Plowshares (only if you splash white)
Sylvan Library (mandatory)


V. Sideboarding Strategies

For sideboarding I would strongly advise to read Tom Ross' article The Ultimate Guide To Infect.


VI. Priceguide

These are the prices of the most common UG Infect cards. For the most current prices, click on the link of each card. High - Mid - Low according to MTGStocks.

Blighted Agent	$1.15	$0.27	$0.13
Glistener Elf	$1.30	$0.29	$0.12
Noble Hierarch	$83.88	$72.75	$64.98
Brainstorm	$2.49	$0.99	$0.20
Ponder	$1.99	$0.92	$0.65
Daze	$5.49	$3.08	$1.84
Force of Will	$128.25	$85.99	$72.75
Spell Pierce	$3.29	$2.19	$0.98
Stifle	$24.99	$7.36	$4.89
Gitaxian Probe	$3.00	$2.16	$0.48
Berserk	$79.99	$58.23	$51.73
Invigorate	$1.98	$0.75	$0.45
Vines of Vastwood	$2.99	$1.89	$1.25
Become Immense	$3.00	$1.11	$0.59
Green Sun's Zenith	$9.99	$5.12	$3.99
Crop Rotation	$1.99	$0.53	$0.33
Dryad Arbor	$7.98	$6.00	$4.74
Pendelhaven	$5.24	$4.42	$2.90
Inkmoth Nexus	$14.99	$9.52	$7.00
Tropical Island	$500.00	$200.00	$150.00
Savannah	$180.00	$79.22	$60.96
Wasteland	$200.00	$77.58	$62.01

To compare, Tom Ross' 1st Place SCG invitational deck costs: $3247.69 - $1449.96 - $1100.21 (source: http://mtgstocks.com/decks/77478)


VII. Awesome Links

The Ultimate Guide To Infect by Tom Ross

Boss Sligh & Bant Infect by Tom Ross

The Grind: Decision Making With Infect


VIII. Infect in action

SCG Open Atlanta - March 2nd, 2014
Quarterfinals: Tom Ross vs. BBD (Miracles) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN88M9bL9M8

SCG Invitational - April 2nd, 2014
Round 10/16: Tom Ross vs. Ross Merriam (Elves) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6qcZy1RhYY

SCG Invitational - August 31st, 2014
Finals: Reid Duke (Miracles) vs. Tom Ross - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujNcDm8FQSU

SCG Invitational - August 31st, 2014
Quarterfinals: Jared Boettcher (SnS) vs. Tom Ross - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8TI1zGua1Y

SCG Invitational - August 31st, 2014
Round 3/16: Tom Ross vs. Gerry Thompson (Shardless BUG) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td5arSRG2PA

SCG Open Atlanta - September 14th, 2014
Semi-finals: Todd Anderson (Infect) vs. Brad Nelson (Infect) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IsQC9CxMjE