This is such a specific topic about Goyf Sligh that I decided to make it a separate thread.

The thing I dislike most about Goyf Sligh is that I'm too often reduced to top deck mode and have to put "Cross Your Fingers" on the stack. If I could run 8 Magma Jets, I would. So, I figured, wtf. I got time to kill. I'm gonna toss SDTop into my GoyfSligh build, goldfish it a bit, and then do some MWS testing. Here's the list.

Spells (41):
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Grim Lavamancer (1 less than usual)
3 Figure of Destiny
2 Keldon Marauder (1 less than usual)

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
4 Magma Jet
3 Rift Bolt (1 less than usual)
3 Fireblast
2 Price of Progress (1 less than usual)

4 Tops
2 Krosan Grip

Lands (19):
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Bloodstained Mire
4 Taiga
8 Mountain
1 Forest

Sideboard (15):
4 Pyroclasm
2 Krosan Grip
2 Shattering Spree
4 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Price of Progress
2 Vexing Shusher


I took out semi-random cards since , when I started the experiment I wasn't sure which cards I'd replace for Top. However, I'm fairly certain now.

The first thing I noticed about Top with just a few goldfishes were the following:

1. It conflicts with a one drop. I'm not always sure if pressure or draw-fixing is better and that decision is so dependant on many things.
2. Top mana conflicts with FoD mana. I doubt I'd run both
3. Because of #1 and 2, maybe 3 Tops would be the right #.
4. I should probably increase the sac-land count.

Before we look at some Goldfish and test games, you may saying to yourself, why not just toss in some Badlands and Confidants. Personally, I refues to butcher my mana base and jeopardize two of my finishers - PoP and Fireblast.

GoldFish
Here are three hands to look at. You can make your own conclusions.

Hand 1: 3 Magma Jet (stupid MWS), Bolt, Fanatic, Top, Foothill. Do I keep it? If that top was a Grim or another 1cc Bolt, I would consider it. Top complicates the decision here. What do you lead with? I top decked a land and Top becomes much better now.

Hand 2: 2 Top, Mountain, FBlast, FoD, Grip, Bolt. I would consider shipping this. FoD and Top will compete for mana and top-decking a land does not change the fact that I have functionally dead cards in hand.

Hand 3: Mountain, 2 Sac lands, Top, Grim, Grip, Chain. Keeper IMO. I'd lead with Top since Grim isn't going to put much pressure on the table anyway. Next turn, you can spin Top and cast Grim if you don't like your top 3. On the other hand, that is one slow fucking start for GoyfSligh.

MWS Games

Game 1: vs UB Dark Confidant Tombstalker CounterTop thing.
1A: I have no top this game, so nothing specifically worth reporting but my win.
1B: My opening hand consists of 2 Tops, 2 Lands, 2 Jets and no pressure in the 1cc department. I use the Top late to find a Goyf, get Grip for Counterbalance, find a 2nd burn spell to kill Tombstalker, find a Grip for his Top, find a Sac land to shuffle away the 2 mountains the were determined to be drawn, and then draw the game winning burn. It was a pretty desperate situation. At 5 life, he just equipped Jitte to a fresh Confidant and would swing next turn. I have Fireblast in hand but need any other burn spell. He has 2 or 3 cards in hand which I assume are counters of some sort. At his EOT, I spin Top and stack the top 3 like so: Bolt, Rift, Chain. I draw my bolt, cast it, he counters. I tap my top, get that Rift and cast it and the Fblast for the win

- Top was assume in that game.

Game2: Elf Opposition
2A: no top and a loss
2B: Opening hand of Top, 3 lands, Clasm, Grip, Fanatic. I lead with Fanatic and then use Top to prevent a land glut until I can Jet away those two lands. In mid game, he says "1 sec" which must be Spanish for, "I have to do my laundry, take a shit, and wash my car." When he returns, he spends his next two turns casting ALL his AKs. Top was decent here, but I still lose to tokens and Seedborn beatings.

- Top was decent but didn't save a newly found bad match.

Game 3: vs. An opponent claiming he wants a game with No Counters (Black Stax)
3A. Trinin + black LD = a Loss. My top can only find lands for awhile until I have 3 spells on top no lands in play.
3B. Fuck that, I know I have a bad game against STAX variants. Even sub-par ones.

- Top was decent but I still lose

Game 4: Vs. SystemPlayer Lost
My opening hand was 2Top, Goyff, 2 lands, Jet, and Bolt.

Game 5: AggroLoam
5A. I mully to 5 and walk into his DD for 3. I should have won that game if I was paying more attention. I was even holding back a Grim because I knew DDing my board was going to hurt, so I don't know why I played that 3rd land.
5B. Zuran Orb + and early 7/7 Terravore doesn't do jack shit for Top-testing. Thanks, dick.

Game6: CounterSliver (Oh, fuck you already MWS)
6A: My opening hand is Top, Land, FoD, and 4Chain Lightnings! I keep and use Top to find my 2nd land during my upkeep. Even though he bounces HibSliver a bunch, I still lose to Muscles and Vial stupidity.
6B: No top and no win. I die with him at 1 life and the ground stabilized through my Goyfs. Unfortunately Wing Sliver cares little about Goyfy's ground work.

- Top was OK here.

Game 7: UBG Painter with Goyf main.
7A: I masterfully win the game from under CounterTop lock.
7B: I win the game with mucho burn to the domo. I never drew Top.

Tentative Conclusions:

1. Top CAN be good in Goyfsligh. I unsure what changes to the main deck should be made.
2. Top and Jet sometimes make me pop a boner.
3. ElfOpposition is a bad match? Luckily I can file that under, "Who Fucking Cares."
4. FoD and Top probably shouldn't both be in the deck. Sad face.