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Thread: Abiding Newts

  1. #1

    Abiding Newts

    My son made a casual Bogbrew Witch deck that gradually morphed into something more competitive. This week, he played it and got a draw in round 1, then went 2-1, only losing to the 4-0 Reanimator player (beating Turbo Depths and Rhinos). I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions that could help make this even more competitive. Thanks.

    Cards that should be in the list but was not:
    Esper Sentinel
    Hunted Witness or Doomed Traveler over Garrison Cat

    List:
    4 Abiding Grace
    4 Bubbling Cauldron
    4 Festering Newt
    4 Archfiend's Vessel
    4 Kami of False Hope
    2 Bogbrew Witch
    2 Midnight Reaper
    2 Garrison Cat
    2 Cabal Therapist
    2 Spark Harvest
    4 Village Rites
    1 Victimize
    1 Desecrated Tomb

    2 Hostile Hostel
    2 Dromar's Cavern
    4 Caves of Koilos
    2 Swamp
    2 Plains
    4 Scrubland
    4 Prismatic Vista
    4 Marsh Flats

    Sideboard (I don't remember exactly):
    Thoughtpicker Witch
    Swords to Plowshares
    Sudden Edict
    Cabal Therapist
    Garrison Cat
    Children of Korlis
    Leyline of Sanctity

    Other 1 mana creatures potentially worth considering:
    Thraben Inspector
    Stirge
    Dockside Chef
    Combat Courier
    Cryptbreaker
    Sleeper Agent
    Serra Ascendant
    Tragic Poet
    Serrated Scorpion
    Hex Parasite
    Speaker of the Heavens
    Planar Guide
    Recruitment Officer
    Gingerbrute
    Cho-Arrim Alchemist
    Deadeye Tracker
    Will-o'-the-Wisp
    Carrion Beetles
    Eyetwitch
    Insidious Bookworms
    Rag Dealer
    Salvage Scout
    Pilfering Imp
    Battlefly Swarm
    Drainpipe Vermin
    Ghost-Lit Stalker
    Blight Keeper
    Ecstatic Awakener

  2. #2

    Re: Abiding Newts

    Burrenton Forge-Tender is an anti-burn sideboard option.

    Ranger of Eos and Recruiter of the Guard could do work.

    It puts pressure on the mana base, but you could look into splash options like Bomat Courier.

    [fixed typo on Ranger of Eos]
    Last edited by rufus; 03-02-2023 at 08:44 AM.

  3. #3

    Re: Abiding Newts

    The mana for the deck is fairly solid, you might be able to cut a few Dromar's Cavern/Caves of Koilos for Ancient Tombs to power out your bigger spells faster, and given how low the deck's curve is you probably don't need 24 lands. Also, and not to be that guy, but this deck is probably pretty good at going wide to take the initiative and has Kami to help hold it, White Plume Adventurer could make some sense in here, especially if you add Ancient Tombs to the mana base. Bone Shards is a little more flexible than Spark Harvest as it could let your son discard an Archfiend's Vessel or other creature to start looping without spending the mana to cast the creature, I can't imagine the "kicker" gets paid very often on Spark Harvest. Not sure where they would go exactly, but some number of Swords to Plowshares should probably be in the main deck, too.

  4. #4
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    Re: Abiding Newts

    Fun idea for your son!

    Dromar's Cavern is a big liability. It could just be 2 more basics. The colored mana should already be very stable with 8 fetch + 4 scrub + 4 caves. 3 of each basic should be fine and make it easier to develop lands vs mana denial decks. Maybe you could even cut down to 22 lands.

    I would cut Spark Harvest and play Swords to Plowsharesx4 main. Unconditional 1 mana removal, best removal in the format, budget friendly. Exile is also better vs some common Legacy threats like Marit Lage and Uro. The synergy with Spark Harvest is cute, but Swords is just so good.

    Next you need some sort of game plan vs combo or powerful spells. Discard. Add some Cabal Therapy and Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek. Therapy works very well with the creature sacrifice plan. Cabal Therapist is cute too, but much slower. Discard will also help protect Abiding Grace.

    SB should have some way to remove noncreature permanents. Prismatic Ending, March of Otherworldly Light, Vindicate, or anything like that. Otherwise Chalice of the Void @ 1 is going to hurt!

    1 copy of Phyrexian Reclamation might be a good backup plan to loop Festering Newts (since you gain 4 each time). It works well with Children of Korlis too, since Children can gain back life paid. Unearth is also a card that is dumb with Archfiend's Vessel.

    For 1 mana creatures main:
    Festering Newt
    Esper Sentinel
    Archfiend
    Kami or Children (not sure which is better - Kami probably won vs Turbo Depths?)

    Those look like the main value engines. The other stuff you mentioned is cute, but much more marginal or conditional value compared to the ones above.
    Last edited by FTW; 03-01-2023 at 05:46 PM.

  5. #5

    Re: Abiding Newts

    If you want to go with the witch theme then Cauldron Familiar and Witch's Oven seem good.
    Ghoulish Procession might also be ok to generate an offensive.

    In case the witch theme isn't as important, then Abiding Grace is nice in a Martyr of Sands deck.

  6. #6
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    Re: Abiding Newts

    Quote Originally Posted by Zoid View Post
    In case the witch theme isn't as important, then Abiding Grace is nice in a Martyr of Sands deck.
    Martyr of Sands is very strong and could push you in a different beatdown direction: Serra Ascendant and Speaker of the Heavens. There was an old deck based around that and Proclamation of Rebirth recursion. Abiding Grace is a better engine. Martyr decks want to be mono-white though, because any non-white cards in hand punish the engine. So it would be very different from the Newt+Witch thing you have going.

    Edit: Proclamation is an easy upgrade on Victimize.
    Last edited by FTW; 03-01-2023 at 05:47 PM.

  7. #7

    Re: Abiding Newts

    Just a few other random thoughts.

    Silent Clearing could have a home in the mana base, being able to turn into a fresh card if you're land heavy.

    While some amount of targeted discard is needed, the mana in the deck can support Hymn to Tourach as well, if you wanted a larger discard package.

  8. #8

    Re: Abiding Newts

    Thanks for the replies! There are a number of cards you mentioned that we had missed in our searches. I will talk with him and let you know what his ideas for an updated list are.

    Also, I believe he got the Kami Engine going early game 1 vs. Turbo Depths. He played a long and complex game 2 in which I believe he played 2x Swords on 2x Marit Lage tokens and he had 3x Archfiend Vessel tokens in play at one point.

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