First, my apologies for taking so long to get this up. I didn’t want to post here until the decklist was pretty much finalized (except, of course, the SB), and the matchups much more thoroughly tested. While I will continue testing matchups (especially with different SB configurations and choices), I feel that I’ve provided a strong enough framework to share with you all, now. Some choices will no doubt be changed, some sideboarding techniques refined, but all that is fleshing out that we can do together. It’s time for me to share the refined decklist. If necessary, I'll add further detail to the "How to play the deck" section.
Deck History: This is an evolved version of what I used to think of as BUG Threshold. It started as a direct port to black, with Tombstalker for a finisher and Tarmogoyf for beatz (and Deed for versatility). Unfortunately, the deck felt significantly weaker than its other variants due to the loss of Meddling Mage, Worship, and decent spot-removal.
Clearly, then, the deck needed something more to make it viable—I started experimenting with elements from Gro-a-Tog (‘Tog, Genesis, Wonder) and dredge-based decks, and found that Wild Mongrel could be used to greatly increase consistency. From there, it was a small step to include Intuition and a small base of tutorable utility tools. There’s been some tinkering since, and what I present to you today is a base list that’s been largely finalized, although there are still a few question marks.
First phase.
Second phase.
Third Phase.
(FYI, this is the deck’s fourth distinct incarnation)
Now, a decklist:
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Wasteland
2 Lonely Sandbar
2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
2 Bayou
3 Windswept Heath
3 Polluted Delta
4 Serum Visions
4 Brainstorm
3 Intuition
4 Force of Will
3 Daze
3 Ghastly Demise
3 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Pernicious Deed
1 Life from the Loam
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Wild Mongrel
1 Psychatog
1 Genesis
1 Wonder
1 Stinkweed Imp
1 Tombstalker
1 Gigapede
Sideboard:
4 Stifle
3 Sandstorm
3 Crime//punishment
3 Pithing Needle
1 Tombstalker
1 Savannah
Playing the deck--basics:
Basically, you want an opening hand with at least two lands and a creature (preferably Mongrel or Tarmogoyf), or at least some kind of card-drawing. You can keep one-land hands with a lot of draw, but I just don’t trust that on MWS or Apprentice. In real life, maybe. Generally, you want to keep a fairly aggressive strategy early on (as much as your hand will allow) and then switch to a more controlling position when necessary to end the game with a flying alpha strike. Most games will play out as variations on this theme; the important thing is to remember to switch gears; if you don’t, you run the risk of being out-aggroed or out-controlled.
Why play this over other Threshold or ‘Tog variants? As always, I’ll be honest about my biases, but I believe that this deck is more resilient than typical Threshold, ‘Tog, or non-Ichorid Dredge builds, and the reason for this lies in the combination of strategies. TarmoTog begins the game aggressively, much like Threshold (except perhaps a little more aggressive—you want those extra points of damage, and you don’t need to wait for them very long). It has more (and bigger) creatures, however, and thanks to Genesis it can recur them when it needs to (thus effectively negating most removal). When the aggro strategy starts to wind down, you can easily switch into ‘Tog mode and swing for a bazillion (ish) with a flying Psychatog (or just cinch the deal with Tombstalker). Also, the dependence on the graveyard is significantly less than in most Threshold or ‘Tog decks for a few reasons:
1.) By and large, your creatures don’t suck without a graveyard (at least, not as much).
2.) Because you have both a cantrip engine and a dredge engine, recovering from temporary graveyard hate is much easier (you’ve also got Deed and Punishment for Leylines and Planar Void, although obviously it would be better not to depend on these).
3.) The deck packs far more aggression than ‘Tog typically does, and so doesn’t rely on a huge swing with ‘Tog—the ‘Tog swing is just one option among many (that are often equal).
As far as more traditional Psychatog builds are concerned, my problem with them has usually been that they aren’t quite aggressive enough (at least, not for my taste—I don’t feel comfortable running 6-8 creatures in a format rife with removal); what I like even less is the reliance on a single massive swing (eggs, basket, etc.). Granted, I’m an aggro kind of guy--on the other hand, StP (which any Legacy deck with at least a white splash—and there are a lot--is bound to run) really sucks when you only run two or three real threats. This deck has a further advantage in that Pithing Needle is not very effective as a hate card, since the deck does not depend on any of the valid targets to an inordinate degree (Psychatog, Mongrel, Jitte, or Deed) and can side them out.
Sure, Psychatog decks have a scary number of counterspells—but these cards are reactive, and leave the deck largely defenceless if and when something punches through. While TarmoTog retains a minimum of counter-power, it relies more on Deed and Punishment to clear the way for lethal attacks/whatever. It’s also obviously much more aggressive (especially initially) than ‘Tog decks are and therein, I think, lies its greatest strength: TarmoTog’s creatures can all win the game on their own (i.e. without the “finishers”). You don’t need Psychatog or Mystic Enforcer (in this case, Tombstalker) to win the game—you can punch through with Mongrels/’Goyfs/whatever. Indeed, I’ve found that a number of games are resolved without a finisher (‘Tog or ‘Stalker) ever touching the table. In large part, of course, this is due to the fact that Tarmogoyf is essentially a finisher for IG.
So… yes, I’m biased toward my creation. On the other hand, I think that it embodies the best of both worlds (Threshold and Tog), and I feel that the result is well worth noting. The deck’s composition gives it strong options in role assignment, and indeed allows it to switch roles at pretty much any point in a game—you can be aggro when you need to be, and you can be more controlling when that’s what’s required, but the best thing (in my opinion) about the deck is its ability to apply tremendous early pressure and then simply sit back and turtle through the opponent’s riposte until a kill can be set up.
Why not BUG Threshold? Like I said earlier, this deck originated as a Black-based Threshold port. I found that it lost too much, however, and that its gains eventually compromised its aggression (ex. Deed is counterproductive with Tarmogoyf and Nimble Mongoose). Losing Meddling Mage is also a huge blow. I just didn’t feel comfortable with the roles that the replacements were fulfilling (ex. Ghastly Demise for Swords to Plowshares). This deck functions in largely the same way as BUG Threshold, but its dependencies are reduced and the synergies have been increased, and the net result is, I think, a deck that is simply better. The most significant loss is that of Nimble Mongoose, but Gigapede now plays a similar role. I certainly wouldn’t mind a few Mongeese, but that’s another story.
How it works: Well, this part is pretty straightforward, especially for people who are familiar with Psychatog and Threshold. Open with a cantrip, follow up with a creature (hopefully Mongrel or Tarmogoyf), and continue to cantrip/cast creatures at your leisure while you beat face. Once your creatures start having a harder time getting through, switch into your control elements; that is, dig for Genesis/Wonder/Deed/Tombstalker and counter what you can’t answer. Generally, your hardest matchups are against combo (because, initially, you haven’t got much), but you can fight through. Don’t hesitate to shift gears (from aggro to control, or whatever) to keep your opponent off-balance long enough to kill him. The longer the game drags on against combo, the better your chances—although, to be fair, that goes for most decks.
The deck’s initial games are mostly favourable, since few decks run hate in the main deck. The biggest problem the deck faces is splash hate, since graveyard hate and Pithing Needle all work against it. I’ve tried to minimize this kind of hate’s effect on the deck (by giving it a quick graveyard recovery system and a certain independence from the grave, as well as by giving it alternative finishers), and these measures are certainly successful—nonetheless, the problem remains. That means that your second and third games will be harder, but I think that the deck has enough initial resilience that clever sideboarding (and in-game gear-shifting) will prove to be enough of a defense. In testing, this has certainly been the case. In fact, the only piece of hate that should really worry you is Leyline of the Void, and it’s become much rarer now that Flash is gone.
Single Card Discussion:
Genesis - Single-handedly negates most removal, thus allowing you to make aggressive openings (trading with whatever your removal can’t touch, etc.). Genesis-based recursion also makes it so that you’re running more creatures than you really are, thus making Jitte all the more effective.
Wonder - As in more traditional Psychatog builds, Wonder is here to prevent stalemates and to allow for lethal attacks.
Tombstalker - Often questioned. Usually, the complaint is that he eats the graveyard. What most of his detractors fail to realise, however, is that TarmoTog’s graveyard is a resource, unlike Threshold, where it’s a necessity (even a crutch). Ghastly Demise can suffer under Tombstalker, but by the time you cast this bugger you should have used most—or you should have the ability to cantrip/dredge into a graveyard. Tarmogoyf doesn’t much care because he feeds on your opponent’s graveyard as well (in fact, Tarmogoyf is the key to winning against Fish decks with Leyline of the Void, since he’ll still be bigger than their stuff). Your dredge engines are there for two reasons: to feed Tombstalker and Psychatog, and to dominate the late game through recursion. You should, of course, try to keep at least a single dredger in there if you can)—in any case, you can recover your grave quickly enough. He’s a healthy alternative finisher (rather than Psychatog), since he flies without Wonder. Ultimately, when you play Tombstalker, you’re playing him to win—at that point, what’s in the grave is less relevant (either because there’s more than enough in there, or because you just need a fattie with evasion).
Tarmogoyf - Better than Werebear in every way, reduces dependence on my own graveyard; probably the single most important card in the deck. ‘Nuff said.
Gigapede – Quality beatstick that can’t be hit with targeted removal (like Swords to Plowshares!). Has the added advantage of recurring without Genesis, and acting as a discard outlet. Has proven invaluable, although Trample/more toughness would be nice. To be honest, Gigapede is probably the single most important addition to the current version of the deck—he’s just been amazing. Most of the time, when you cast Intuition you’ll want to grab Gigapede, Genesis/Wonder, and something else. If the wrong card gets returned, you can just Gigapede it away, even without a Mongrel or Psychatog. Otherwise, you’ve got a bloody scary insect on the way.
Psychatog - A secondary or even tertiary strategy option. If the smaller ones can’t quite punch through, use Psychatog to crush the defences. Also acts as a fifth Mongrel. How useful is it really? I often find myself using Tombstalker in its stead, but I think that, if nothing else, it’s important as Mongrel #5. Definitely a removal magnet, but very useful nonetheless. Sometimes I think of cutting it, but I’ve always decided against it; the raw power and the utility are simply to significant to ignore.
Ghastly Demise - The weakest slot in the deck, since it can’t target black creatures and is also dependent on your graveyard. Vendetta is the only other real in-colour option, but I dislike the life loss (since Demise is best used against fatties). Smother would work, but the extra mana requirement is a significant hindrance, plus it can’t get rid of anything particularly large and threatening (weenies are easily dealt with, what with your ginormous creatures and all).
Life from the Loam – Helps you skirt LD strategies, feeds the grave (acting as a draw engine even without Lonely Sandbar), recurs Wasteland, and pumps Mongrel and Psychatog.
Pernicious Deed - Too important not to play. Deed is both a wrath-effect and more pinpointed removal, and clearing the board is always good—especially since you can just use Genesis to put the fat back on the table. Deed is the bane of Legacy’s lower tiers, and that alone is a great reason to run it. Destroying hate is awesome.
Stinkweed Imp – Recurring removal, creature, graveyard-filler (engine), etc.
Sideboard:
Tombstalker - Sometimes, a more independent finisher is better than Psychatog or whatever other creature. Also works to negate Needle’s effect on you. Sometimes, two are better than one.
Sandstorm – Replaces Engineered Explosives. I was mostly using the Explosives to destroy goblins from EtW, but the Explosives often come online a little too slow to make the difference they need to make. Yes, they're versatile, but I already have Deed to sweep the board, and too often EE has become a replacement for targeted removal--in other words, not so great. So, I've replaced it with Sandstorm to increase the chances of beating EtW-based combo, and also because Sandstorm is much more effective than EE against Goblins (hell, at worst, it kills a first-turn Lackey). Besides, nobody expects it.
Crime//punishment – My sideboard seemed to lack versatile mass removal when I took out Engineered Explosives for Sandstorm, and so my thoughts turned to these. They can go in for Deed when Pithing Needle/Meddling Mage is expected, or they can be played in conjunction with Deed for some serious hate. Sometimes, the fact that they can be played slightly faster is preferable to Deed being an enchantment. Crime presents an interesting extra option (but only that: using it as a Deed should be your and its primary task), and one I’ve been testing out by including a single Savannah in the board. The question, of course, is whether this is simply a nod toward “cool things,” or a meaningful addition to the deck.
Savannah – Replaces Wasteland in matches where it’s irrelevant, less useful, or when you might want to use Crime. Alternately, it replaces Lonely Sandbar. I plugged in a Savannah rather than a basic Plains because if you draw it (rather than fetching it), you want to be able to play your key creatures. Hence also why I favoured it over Scrubland or Tundra. I’m wondering if these might not just be more useful than Lonely Sandbar, however.
Pithing Needle - Only really necessary against 'Belcher: FoW, Daze, Stifle, or Pernicious Deed (or Punishment) can help to take care of the rest. Jitte also takes care of opposing Jittes. Along with Deeds and Punishment, it should really shore up the Belcher matchup.
Tried or Suggested (but dismissed):
Nimble Mongoose: Unique in this section insofar as that I’d love to be able to include a few of these once more. It’s a quality beatstick that’s especially useful in block Goblin Lackey, it’s easily recurred via Genesis, and it’s bloody hard to remove. Gigapede currently fills a similar role as an untargetable beatstick, but his ability to become a discard engine is more valuable. Nonetheless, I’d really love to see a full complement of these make their way in—or at least 2-3. I’m just not sure if it’s possible (read: ideal). The only possible creature slots that it could occupy are the two filled by Psychatog and Tombstalker, but I’m not convinced that that would be a good move.
Berserk: Just a win-more card. It’s more useful in typical Tog lists, which tend to be creature-light (well, lighter). Sure, using it on Mongrel/Tog/Goyf is attractive, but it’s unnecessary since you’ll be applying pressure from the very start. It will help you win a turn earlier, but that’s not really enough to justify it’s inclusion over something else. Besides, it’s expensive.
Engineered Explosives – Great sweeper, but I was mostly using it to sweep Goblin tokens. Sandstorm does that better. As for general sweepers, I’ve now got Punishment, which I think is generally better despite being a sorcery.
Big Game Hunter – Great extra removal, good synergy with my discard outlets. As a singleton, useful in fairly specific circumstances. I’ve got Crime//Punishment now, however.
Engineered Plague – At first glance, a no-brainer in the sideboard. Unfortunately, it’s not as useful as one might hope: without Ritual, the mana commitment is intensive, and difficult to manage when trying to play around Wasteland/Port lockdown from Goblins. In its stead, I’ve chosen to rely largely on Sandstorm to get rid of miscellaneous 1/1s and tokens. It’s obviously not as good, but it works well enough in conjunction with the big beaters. It’s too bad that Plague doesn’t work so well--it would really make the Goblins matchup stellar. Some may still want to include it, but I feel that EtW-based combo decks pose a much larger threat to the deck, and Sandstorm and Crime//Punishment are both better suited to dealing with that than Plague is.
Some matchups:
Goblins: Even or a little better, pre-board. You have a much better intial matchup than either Threshold or Tog due to your increased fat and sweepers. Start by beating face for a couple turns, and then you should arrive at a stalemate. Attack (and block) carefully while you wait for Genesis, Wonder, Tombstalker, Psychatog, or Deed to give you an advantage. Post-board, you gain Sandstorm and perhaps Crime//punishment (that’s up to you—I prefer Deed, since it hits more, but Crime//Punishment could prove useful) to complement your Deeds, which ultimately really turn the matchup in your favour. I also like to replace Psychatog with the Tombstalker, which doesn’t need to wait to fly and has a higher initial toughness. Bringing in Stifle for Daze can also be a good move. A first-turn Lackey is the biggest threat when playing against Goblins—you’re going to have a hard time dealing with it if it brings in a Siege-Gang or something. Still, if you don’t panic, you’re quite capable of turning the tables—as long as you put some kind of creature on the table fairly soon. I myself have recovered from slow starts a number of times (and I’m not such a great player), but I won’t lie: it isn’t easy, and such a situation is far from favourable. My sideboarding choices are pretty simple, really: Sandstorm as a Lackey and token answer (unless you draw two!), Needle for Siege-Gang Commander, Tombstalker because he’s beefy (and therefore hard to remove) and flies without Wonder, and Savannah because it’s better than Lonely Sandbar. Gigapede goes out simply because he’ll die to a weenie, which sucks for a five-mana drop. Likewise, Daze goes out because it doesn’t do much versus Vial, and you could use the slot for something more pro-active.
+3 Sandstorm
+3 Pithing Needle (or Crime//Punishment)
+1 Tombstalker
+1 Savannah
-3 Daze
-1 Gigapede
-1 Psychatog
-1 Serum Visions* (not sure if there’s something better to take out)
-1 Brainstorm* (not sure if there’s something better to take out)
-1 Lonely Sandbar
The EPIC Storm: An ugly matchup, initially. With Deed, you might be able to force your opponent into a Tendrils-win if you can stall long enough with Fow/Daze, but it will only get you so far. I expect to lose game one. For subsequent games, however, your chances are strong. Just remember that you can stack Sandstorm so that it will kill both Xantid Swarm and Goblins, but you won’t be able to cast anything else that turn (shouldn’t be a problem, though, since so many resources will have been expended on Goblin tokens; if your opponent is reaching for a Tendrils kill, however, Sandstorm won’t help). Watch out for Goblin War Strike, since it can make things a little sticky.
+4 Stifle
+3 Sandstorm
+3 Crime//punishment
+1 Savannah
-3 Umezawa’s Jitte
-3 Intuition
-1 Genesis
-1 Wonder
-1 Stinkweed Imp
-1 Gigapede
-1 Lonely Sandbar
Threshold: Generally favourable. Expect to take some losses early in the game (to counterspells and so on), but as the game progresses, your odds get better and better—and the game can’t help but to progress, since each and every one of your creatures (barring Wonder, if it’s not in the graveyard) is a bigger threat than their own. Usually, you can just sit tight with just a Mongrel or Tarmogoyf to block things and keep a small army (say, two Mongeese and a Werebear or perhaps even a Tarmogoyf) at bay. Tarmogoyf is their biggest threat against you; use Ghastly Demise on it. Gigapede is an all-star in this matchup, since enemy burn and Swords to Plowshares can’t touch it—and Mages are unlikely to ever name it. Your first Intuition should fetch it out along with Genesis and either Wonder or Stinkweed Imp, whatever the situation calls for, and everything will be peachy. Your opponent is likely to expend StPs early, so use that to your advantage—a StPed Imp sucks, but whatever. Your better creatures and mass removal should ultimately prove too much to contend with when coupled with timely counterspells. Expect Pithing Needles to name Jitte and/or Deed (Whichever you played in the first game; if both were played, the first Needle or Mage will likely hit Deed) in subsequent games, and prepare accordingly. I like to side out Jitte for Crime//Punishment because of opposing Needles, but Ghastly Demise could also come out for it.
+3 Crime//Punishment
+1 Savannah
-3 Umezawa’s Jitte/Ghastly Demise
-1 Lonely Sandbar
Countersliver: Hard matchup, often decided early on. With an active Mongrel or Tarmogoyf, you can hold the bastards at bay for some time; you really want Tarmogoyf, though. The tricky thing is not getting overwhelmed before you can clear the board and start killing your opponent. Accordingly, you need to stall the early game. That means keeping Mongrel as a blocker (you opponent will be reluctant to swing into it without two Muscle/Sinew Slivers or a lot of other slivers), and hoping to resolve Tarmogoyf to do the same. You want to try to counter Crystalline Sliver so that you can still remove stuff with Ghastly Demise. Unfortunately, your opponent also has counterspells, so you need to prioritize: should you protect Tarmogoyf, or Deed? These are decisions that you’ll have to make yourself. Post-board, lose Ghastly Demise in favour of Crime//Punishment. You probably wont want to use Crime, but the Savannah is important to speed you up.
+3 Crime//Punishment
+1 Savannah
-3 Ghastly Demise
-1 Lonely Sandbar
IggyPop: Easier to deal with than other storm-combo decks, since your counters are actually useful (countering either Ill-Gotten Gains or the tutor reaching for it, etc.). Still, game one could be ugly—especially since IggyPop sometimes runs Empty the Warrens now. Afterwards, you gain Stifle and Sandstorm, which should even things out for you.
+4 Stifle
+3 Sandstorm
+2 Crime//punishment
+1 Savannah
-3 Pernicious Deed
-3 Ghastly Demise
-1 Stinkweed Imp
-1 Wonder
-1 Genesis
-1 Lonely Sandbar
Solidarity: Without Stifle, don’t expect to win this one. Even then, victory is less than certain—unless, of course, Solidarity fizzles. Game one, try to counter High Tide, Reset, or Cunning Wish (you’re not likely to succeed, of course) in the hope that it will make your opponent fizzle. Below, you’ll see I board in Needle—yes, I know it’s not very useful. On the other hand, it can at least sometimes do something to slow the deck down, and it’s more useful against Solidarity than anything you’re taking out.
-3 Ghastly Demise
-3 Pernicious Deed
-1 Stinkweed Imp
-1 Wasteland
+1 Tombstalker
+1 Savannah
+2 Pithing Needle
+4 Stifle
Faerie Stompy: Usually a pretty exciting match. The amount of removal that you run will pose problems for Faerie Stompy, but FS can easily break out Chalice and Pithing Needle to slow you down. Needle is especially unfortunate since Deed and Mongrel are the real all-stars in this matchup (Psychatog too, but Mongrel comes out faster). Counter Needle whenever possible, and you should be OK. Chalice at one only hurts you because you lose Ghastly Demise and half of your draw engine (Dredge being the other half). Remember that you can still play Brainstorm/Serum Visions, they’ll just go straight to your graveyard (and into your Tarmogoyf). If your opponent manages to set a Chalice at two… well, you’re in serious trouble unless you’ve got the better board position. If you can get beyond the first few turns without having to face down 2-3 huge fliers with nothing of your own, you are favoured to win. FS’ biggest asset in this fight is its explosive speed early on; its greatest weakness is its tenuous creature base. Often, you don’t really need to even counter SoFI—you can just destroy every creature that might wear it. Counter it if you can—I’m just saying that it won’t end your world. Oh, and this is one matchup where Crime (oh Gilded Drake, where are you?) is pretty useful.
+3 Crime//punishment
+3 Pithing Needle
+1 Savannah
+1 Tombstalker
-3 Umezawa’s Jitte (you might not always want to board this out; depends on the build you face)
-3 Pernicious Deed
-1 Psychatog
-1 Gigapede
Reanimator: Big, flying pro-black (and black) things are NOT good. Deed, Daze, and FoW, however, ARE (but Deed is not very useful in this matchup, unfortunately). Expect a fight, game one. For subsequent games, Stinkweed Imp, the extra Psychatog, and Tombstalker should make things more favourable for you. You’ll also want to use Crime, if possible—meaning that you need to live that long.
+3 Crime//Punishment
+1 Savannah
+1 Tombstalker
+1 Psychatog
-3 Pernicious Deed
-1 Lonely Sandbar
-1 Wild Mongrel
-1 Gigapede
Ichorid: See Reanimator (except with Punishment instead of Stifle, and with much lower odds on your success); I’d basically call this an auto-loss. Hell, I’ve pretty much stopped trying to win. Without graveyard hate in the SB, you just aren’t likely to win against an opponent that’s familiar with his deck. I figure that your best chance is if your opponent decks himself, but the odds are against you if this happens, since he’ll likely overwhelm you. Sandstorm will buy you a turn. Maybe you can use Crime to steal something permanent, who knows (unlikely, given the mana requirement)? You won’t need your counters, but Stifle might be useful versus Bridge or some of the creatures. Unfortunately, Ichorid seems to be gaining in popularity, which may well mean that you will need to devote some sideboard slots to hate it out (Leyline of the Void, since other decks suffer splash-hate from it). I would imagine that Pithing Needle is what you can most afford to take out (since Deed and Punishment sort of substitute for it), and if you replace a Lonely Sandbar with a Savannah, that gives you the necessary fourth slot.
+4 Stifle
+3 Crime//Punishment
+3 Sandstorm
+1 Savannah
-4 Force of Will
-3 Daze
-3 Ghastly Demise
-1 Lonely Sandbar
CRET Belcher: Win some, lose some. You need to counter Belcher to win. In fact, you’ll probably lose game one—especially since your opponent is likely to use Empty the Warrens. For subsequent games, you gain Stifle, Crime//punishment, Pithing Needle, and Sandstorm, and these should help immensely. Even then, however, this is no bye. Initially, you may be just as well off countering mana.
+4 Stifle
+3 Crime//punishment
+3 Pithing Needle
+3 Sandstom
+1 Savannah
+1 Tombstalker
-3 Ghastly Demise
-3 Umezawa’s Jitte
-3 Intuition
-1 Lonely Sandbar
-1 Stinkweed Imp
-1 Genesis
-1 Wonder
-1 Gigapede
-1 Wild Mongrel
Burn: Generally favourable. You can counter whatever extras point your way. Aim to resolve and activate Umezawa’s Jitte—to do so should win you the game. Also aim to make your opponent feel that s/he should burn your creatures (that’s a mistake, unless death is imminent). Bring in Pithing Needle for Ghastly Demise, and use it to name Barbarian Ring (unless, of course, the deck you’re facing runs some critters like Ball Lightning). Hey, it’s better than nothing. Also bring in Stifle and a Tombstalker for Deed, since you never know—maybe you can Stifle a fetchland, or something.
+3 Pithing Needle
+2 Stifle
+1 Tombstalker
-3 Ghastly Demise
-3 Pernicious Deed
Moon Vineyard RG Beatdown (or whatever you want to call it): Favourable. Try not to let Magus of the Moon resolve. Even if he does, the Vineyards will give you the green mana that you need to win. Gigapede is a house. You could also take out Deed for Crime//Punishment, just to give you an edge against Needle (and to grab as Ascetic or something if you can hold off Blood Moon effects!). Your own Needles should hit Sword of Fire and Ice first, then Troll Ascetic.
+3 Crime//Punishment
+3 Pithing Needle
+1 Savannah
-3 Pernicious Deed
-1 Lonely Sandbar
-1 Psychatog
-1 Tombstalker
Various Stax Builds: Slightly unfavourable to yucky, depending on the build. You’ll want to counter Smokestack and Trinisphere (less important), and use Wasteland liberally on the manabase. A single safe fatty will win you the game, but you’ll need to hold its hand the whole way through.
Random decks: You should crush most of these, largely thanks to Deed and, later, Crime//Punishment.
Some Issues:
Lonely Sandbar – How good is it, really? I’ve noticed that I almost always side one out for a Savannah to speed things up (it really sucks when it’s one of the two lands in your opening hand). Myself, I haven’t been too impressed--before, everyone was clamouring for their inclusion, saying that the deck’s draw was insufficient (which it isn’t, considering that Dredge is also a draw engine of sorts). Having one every once in a while to dredge on is nice, but two? I really, really want to replace one with a Savannah and just call it a day, opening one more SB slot. I realize, however, that I’m not wholly objective on this point, so you tell me: how has it played out in your own testing?
NOTES:
I can guarantee that such situations will come up, and they can really decide the game.Originally Posted by A recent rules article on MTGSalvation:
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