[Deck] Berserk Stompy

[AcidFiend]

I am happy to concede my deck is more GW Weenie than GW Stompy.. should I be in another thread? I'm concerned about putting a solid 60 cards together not the naming convention/archetype.

The thing is, while Berserk gets crazy with other pumps, +3/+0 Trample for a G is often good enough. At first I'm like hmm do I even need Berserk in this list, but tried it anyways so far to good effect.

The fact is with GW your creatures are for the most part bigger than Mono. In Mono builds we have some 1-power attacking dudes: Silhana, Bogle, Scryb Sprite. These guys are pretty hopeless with *just* a Berserk. In GW, half the creatures are 1 or 2 power while the other half are 3 or 4 power. Plus the inbuilt synergy of the Exalted buff. This makes Berserk better (in comparison) on its own in GW. Swinging with a 8/4 Trampling Jotun Grunt (who is staring down shrunken Goyfs) is awesome.

Add to that there are a still few ways you can get a pre-pump before Berserk, albeit not many. Exalted, Rancor, Jitte counters and SoFI. Also double Berserk, which as we all know can and does happen.

It acts as a random combat trick most don't expect. Lastly, trample+buff is just what a deck like with equipment needs (I'm looking at you SoFI). Being able to get damage through to the opponent in this scenario is key. Due to equipment we can run a higher threat count. This means you're less likely to draw hands full of pump spells and no business.

I'll admit I haven't tested some other recent builds I've seen listed here - my playtesting time is pretty limited. That said I do want to sleeve up some other builds and give my impressions over the next week.

@ GuiBrazil: Gleeful Sabotage... this is a prime example of why to splash white. Pridemage is just better in so many ways. This deck is all about swinging with dudes. 4 Pridemage means you'll have access to removal if you need it, but they act as a 2/2 Exalted when you don't. They are actually fine in multiples with their exalted stacking, so you can run 3-4; meaning you should draw one when you need it. Gleeful is good in some narrow situations sure, but it also could be completely dead. Its not like you need to run a lot of non-basics to support White at a minimum anyways. Even in the face of Wasteland, this deck has a very low curve. I don't understand all of the fear of non-basic-hate in this thread. Look at Zoo. Its a Tier 1 deck that runs AT MOST 3 Basics. And despite all the Wasteland and Moon effects its a Deck to Beat. The reason is because it plays the best spells it can and punishes decks that try to play fair with basics & Gleeful Sabotage.

Regarding sideboards, I think its pretty pointless to discuss them too much as a whole unless people are posting what kind of metagame they play in.

For mine, it has a noticeable lack of graveyard hate. I did say I hadn't looked much at it, and Glowrider will probably be too slow and be dropped, potentially making room for something along these lines. That said, Jotun Grunt is MD and is a house. I own and play Dredge and this guy has slaughtered me a number of times - Dredge has no answer for it. Add to that I have Swords for Ichorids and can usually sacrifice a Pridemage to remove Bridges, Teeg means no Dread Return, and the matchup is good enough. White showing its usefulness here :) Relic and co won't ensure you stop Reanimator anyways (as they have Show n Tell). It seems the entire Source is fearing over this deck right now. Thankfully almost no-one in my meta plays it. If I had to come up against it and they named Green I have StP. If they name White, at least I have Aether Vial and would try to race them. I'd potentially swap SoIF for SoLS. Vial in Serra and block all day.

Whoo, what a ramble.