[Primer/Deck] Pox

[Mr. Safety]

Not afraid of opposing discard, just brainstorming fringe benefits. I'm thinking Syphon Life or The Rack. The Rack helps race (deals a bunch of damage to a deck that empties their hand fast) and Syphon Life should give me 1-2 time walks that should let me grind out the game.

[Fjaulnir]

Wow haha this 5-0 list is awesome!!

http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles...gue-2017-05-30
(stax-pox hybrid)


Too bad I'll never be able to afford it IRL, having only 1 chains and 0 abyss in my collection

[non-inflammable]

Wow haha this 5-0 list is awesome!!

so many cool toys; thanx for posting!
i played during extended and i've been looking for a list that can use 4 chains of meph.
gonna make this list real soon...

EDIT: i only own 1 abyss, but noetic scales could be used.

[Quitrex]

Interesting. Pox/Stax hybrid could be something worth looking at.

[TLK]

I posted this in the Stax thread. Love the Hippies in the board! Going to need to make this (after I find 2 more Chains).

[Hardcore]

Three years ago I ran this deck to a 3-1 result at the LGS.


4 The Rack
4 Bloodghast
3 street wraith
2 tombstalker
3 shrieking affliction

4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Smallpox
4 Pox
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Innocent Blood
4 gitaxian probe
3 wrench mind

16 Swamp
1 dakmor salvage

SB:
SIDEBOARD (15)
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Surgical Extraction
2 Necroplasm
3 Cabal Therapy
2 Darkblast


I think that something like this may be what to build if you, like me, want to run eight Pox effects. Planeswalkers are too expensive considering all the land destruction.
So, liliana and Kaya is on ice for now. Instead I have cabal rituals to add. Given my marsh flats, on the way by mail, I have more options in red and white.
Maybe something to consider when making the sideboard.

[Hardcore]

Maybe something like this:

3 The Rack
4 Bloodghast
3 tombstalker
3 shrieking affliction
2 liliana of the veil

4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Smallpox
4 Pox
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 gitaxian probe
4 cabal therapy
2 toxic deluge

11 Swamp
4 bloodstained mire
4 marsh flats
1 dakmor salvage
1 Godless shrine

[Dr_D]

I'm more interested in the 4 Chains list. Do the more experienced pox players think it has potential?

[OmniStrata]

I'm more interested in the 4 Chains list. Do the more experienced pox players think it has potential?

The new sexier sounding Topless Miracles deck packs more cantrips now so more Chains to lock them out is a good thing. Personally, I'm fine with just 1 as multiples only work if they keep many cards in hand. I'd rather use it as a mid - late game lock piece.

[OmniStrata]

Catastrophe Pox

Land/Mana (24)
12 Swamp
4 Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
4 Dark Ritual

1cc Disruption (8)
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Innocent Blood

2cc Disruption (12)
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Sinkhole
4 Smallpox

3cc Disruption (8)
4 Pox
4 Liliana of the Veil

Win Conditions (8)
4 Mishra's Factory
2 Phyrexian Totem
2 Nether Spirit

(Sideboard)
2 Pithing Needle
2 Contagion
2 Spinning Darkness
1 Drown in Sorrow
1 Night of Souls' Betrayal
1 Nether Void
1 Chains of Mephistopheles
1 Lost Legacy
3 Leyline of the Void
1 Nihil Spellbomb

Currently testing. Big thanks to Hardcore for reminding me of how epic Big Pox is. I'd call this Quad-Lazer Pox in the spirit of old Dredge but I couldn't get a consistent threat base. 4 Nether Spirit is bad and 4 Phyrexian Totems with 4 Mishra's means Pithing Needle ensures you can't win. Was trying to come up with ways to run Chimeric Idol diversifying the threat base to 4. Maybe even 5 with Epochrasite. Flex slots are 2-3 Dark Rituals and 1-2 Big Pox.

[non-inflammable]

I'm more interested in the 4 Chains list. Do the more experienced pox players think it has potential?

i like it immensely...

i won't argue against his (5-0) results but i would like to theory craft. does he post here?

so many artifacts (seems good) but why not 3 mox opal and 4 vault of whispers instead of 3 chrome mox?
why only 2 ancient tombs if you always want a chalice on turn 1?
and maybe 1 phyrexian totem to get around your own abyss or if Leyline or RIP in play?

i'm tempted to play this at a bigger event this weekend of maybe 50 people...


4 Liliana of the Veil

1 Nether Spirit (drop a spirit, add a totem)

1 Beseech the Queen
2 Chainer's Edict
4 Smallpox

4 Chalice of the Void
3 Mox Opal (instead of chrome mox?)
3 Crucible of Worlds
4 Mox Diamond
2 Smokestack
1 Noetic Scales (replace the missing abyss?)
1 Phyrexian Totem (replace the missing spirit)

4 Chains of Mephistopheles
1 The Abyss (i only own 1)

2 Ancient Tomb
2 Geier Reach Sanitarium
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Vault of Whispers (artifact land?)
4 Swamp
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
1 Tabernacle Pendrell Vale (just because)

[Dr_D]

i like it immensely...

i won't argue against his (5-0) results but i would like to theory craft. does he post here?

so many artifacts (seems good) but why not 3 mox opal and 4 vault of whispers instead of 3 chrome mox?
why only 2 ancient tombs if you always want a chalice on turn 1?
and maybe 1 phyrexian totem to get around your own abyss or if Leyline or RIP in play?

i'm tempted to play this at a bigger event this weekend of maybe 50 people...

I imagine the player thought 9 ways to get chalice turn 1 was sufficient. I think mox opal would be too inconsistent compared to chrome mox. I played some games last night with the list, and it seemed like it had the problem most stompy decks have; you either open with the right hate cards for the matchup and can stall enough to completely lock them out, or you get the wrong piece and the top of your deck screws you as your opponent kills you.

[non-inflammable]

and the top of your deck screws you as your opponent kills you.

up the geier reach sanitarium to 4 and play a squee, goblin nabob?

[Quitrex]

I think the chains miracles has a lot of potential if you expect a late game meta (see enchantress, leovold, delver decks, and the like) where I would tinker with a 7-8 pox list for a more combo oriented meta, and try to find a happy medium for a balanced meta.

[Kanti]

Thoughts on... -1 Edict, -1 Nether Spirit, +1 Crippling Fatigue, +1 Entomb. Entomb is non-bo with CotV@1, but it would allow you to tutor up Nether Spirit, Crippling Fatigue, and any land if you have out a Crucible.

Maybe Edict is a lot better than Fatigue, so go -1 Spirit, +1 Entomb for some added versatility. You do kind of get jammed by a single DRS activation though. Still, what sets this Stompy list apart in my mind is the interaction between Chains+Geier Reach.

[PirateKing]

Catastrophe Pox

I like this a lot, I can't mach the Legends in the side, but I think I'll work the first 60 myself.

[streetMage]

Thoughts...

[Quitrex]

That it has a lot of potential as long as you have control of the rest of the game except their dudes or are able to heavy accelerate it out. Otherwise toxic deluge is likely just better

[Mr. Safety]

Thoughts...

Modern powerhouse for sure, not sure about Legacy. Giving your opponent a time-walk is exactly the opposite you want to be doing with Pox. Opponent's can already top-deck out of a pox lock, which is frustrating enough, so giving them a free turn seems really bad. Toxic Deluge seems like a much safer solution at three mana (or Engineered Plague, Virtue's Ruin, etc.) I look at it kind of like Slaughter Pact, which is a similar effect its just a targeted removal instead of a wiper, and that card sees very little Legacy play (that I'm aware of.)

[OmniStrata]

I like this a lot, I can't match the Legends in the side, but I think I'll work the first 60 myself.

I would suggest Trinisphere or Sphere(s) of Resistance for Nether Void and Underworld Dreams for Chains of Mephistopheles. I'm currently waiting on a trade of Chains for a Near Mint Underground Sea my bro gave me for a b-day present. 1 Chains I think is enough as a late game top deck lock to prevent Jace and B-storm shenanigans. I've read they do stack but only if they have multiple cards in hand.

In that scenario, you're not singing your Hymns hard enough.