[Deck] Welder Survival 2K7

[Finn]

I'm playing around with this deck...In fact I've played around with nearly every deck popular in the format. That being said tinstreet hooligan is NEVER better then ingot chewer...here is why

Ingot chewer
Costs 1 to use
Dies so geneses can dish it out again
Its covered mana cost is 5 this is very important because it will help quite a bit vs. top/counterbalance and all the spell snare floating around.

I'm not intenging to condescend here. Though, I suppose it may come off that way. The problem with having played nearly every popular deck in the format is that you do not get the real story for any of them. Let me impart a bit of wisdom that you come by if you pilot the deck enough. Ingot Chewer, while it is a pretty combo on paper with Genesis, is not so essential.

...quick aside about Genesis. This is the 60th most important card in the main deck in my builds. I constantly struggle with wanting to run him as a 1-of in the sb instead of in the main. He is the last resort of the deck against the overwhelming majority of the field. If this needs clarification I will do so, but it is a long talk, so I am skipping it for now...

I prefer Tin Street Hooligan because it is a bonafide aggro dude in a deck that REALLY needs an aggro element. And it is a 2-for-1. The Chewer-Genesis stuff is fine, but consider how Genesis got in the GY in the first place. Did your opponent let you resolve an Intuition? Are you using Survival? You should be dominating the game the first time you untap with Survival in play. If that is the case, there is no need for Chewers and such. You have already removed the hate the opponent has stacked up against you getting this far. If the opponent has not or could not do this, there is no need to worry since you will be winning that game. The Hooligan gets you card advantage and a threat at a point in the match when you have nothing going yet. Chewer-Genesis is a "cool thing" that does not. And if you need it to, Hooligan can still be brought back with Genesis, though you will want to simply Survival up another instead most of the time.

Spore Frog is sooooo bad. It's a great way to not lose while your opponent actually wins : \ Also, as a person who has been playing Survival for a hella long time, you must resist the danger of cute cards. Ask yourself if you're going to tutor for it in three out of five games if you can. Cards like Orcish Settlers are most definitely worth tutoring for. Cards like Ovinomancer are also stupidly strong with Anger in play. Those are two I'd want to cram in (well, at least the sheeper, since Titan does the Settler thing).


I built this up awhile back too. The two Shield Spheres are absolutely correct. Do not move them out! I don't think Tarmogoyf is necessary in the deck, and here's why: you'll never Survival for him. The deck is constructed so as to be really strong with Survival out, and quite good without it anyway. If you have Survival, you go get the Titan, Welder, Sphere thing and go nuts.

I've found that you often just kill off your own Taiga, so Anger gets maybe one or two uses. That's frowns, but I was fine with that. I'd want more Mesmeric Fiend off the board.

I've seen some lists running Nullstone Gargoyle, but that seems pretty bad. It looks good, but every deck has the power to punt one spell into it and then Sword it or whatever. It's the definition of win-more. I am hesitant to run another giant robot like Duplicant anyway.

I'd almost want Mindslavers somewhere, but I think Eternal Witness is a stronger Mindslaver off the board against control decks.

Also: oh my God, I forgot that I did this until now-- I switched one of the two Forests into a Pendelhaven. So. Good. It protects glassjaw welders, and it's not actually a forest. Between that and Tree of Tales, you'll have strong green sources that don't get blown up when Titan hits. In fact, I'd almost be tempted to remove the last forest for a Horizon Canopy or Centaur Garden. If the deck had even one Legend in it, I'd want to drop Okina in.

Remember that one of the most powerful plays you can make is an Intuition for three Therapies.

I realize that you are talking about a deck that it slightly different from the one I am, so it makes sense that we have differing views. But to be clear, I disagree with most of what you have said here.

OK, I also discovered Spore Frog to be a useless card from a different meta. That is true. The Tarmo's are an excellent choice since the deck WILL WIN almost every game you play when Survival is active. Who cares if they are worth Survivaling for? They save your hide when the opponent brings in 11 cards from the sb to hose Survival.

I have almost no problems with Titan killing my Taigas. Quirion Ranger gives you insane maneuverability, and it has a nifty advantage here as one of them. Just remember not to play a land the turn you "go off" and you can replay the Taiga after you have returned it to your hand.

Nullstone Gargoyle is not excellent on its own in some cases, but the deck operates like clockwork, so you can orchestrate when and how it comes into play. It is good alone, make no mistake, but it is a killer if it comes in after a Titan has wiped out most of the opponent's lands. This card, more than any other, makes the game a sure thing. It is a proactive resource denial element, and is therefor superior to Platinum Angel in most cases, which just hopes they don't topdeck STP. It should simply occupy the Angel spot.

Finally, Pendelhaven. I'm sure it has its uses, but it is mostly good for what, keeping Welders alive, right? In a deck that is prone to having too few basic lands you are better off with another Forest.

I tell you these things not out of my opinion just based on experience. I mean I have really, really put some time and effort into this.

With Goblins again failing to top8, I am even less inclined to pilot this deck seriously anymore. If I were to, I would set about solving the aggro-control matchup problem. I think I would go on GRU as the colors with heavy blue to support FoW these days. But that is not an easy thing to manage.