[Deck] Vial Affinity

[Shriekmaw]

First, Welcome to The Source. You should go introduce yourself in the thread for new source members. This will allow everyone to get to know you a little better. Thanks for the input on the new deck archetype that I think is very good, but needs a lot more testing.

As of right now, I'm just going with the traditional Vial Affinity build and packing a good portion of my sideboard for combo hate as that is the weakest matchup for Affinity.

Thanks for the post and happy to see a new member.

[Opterown]

From FS:
Epochrasite {2} 1/1
Artifact Creature - Construct

Epochrasite comes into play with three +1/+1 counters on it if you didn't play it from your hand.
When Epochrasite is put into a graveyard from play, remove it from the game with three time counters on it and it gains suspend.

Could this see play in this deck? I suppose it could be a replacement for a Myr Enforcer (if Vialed In), and it keeps coming back.

[Shriekmaw]

From FS:
Epochrasite {2} 1/1
Artifact Creature - Construct

Epochrasite comes into play with three +1/+1 counters on it if you didn't play it from your hand.
When Epochrasite is put into a graveyard from play, remove it from the game with three time counters on it and it gains suspend.

Could this see play in this deck? I suppose it could be a replacement for a Myr Enforcer (if Vialed In), and it keeps coming back.

I think the card is just too slow for the deck. You want to drop creatures right away into play and not have to wait around for them. Plus it doesn't have modular which kinda defeats the purpose.

It would be nice if you have a vial out, but a lot of times this just isn't the case. Its a nice card to consider, but I don't think its a good fit into the deck at all.

What does everyone else think?

[Xero]

The problem with the card is that its shitty without Vial, and not really good without Vial and Ravager. Archbound Worker is better in most circumstances.

[Bane of the Living]

I think the card is just too slow for the deck. You want to drop creatures right away into play and not have to wait around for them. Plus it doesn't have modular which kinda defeats the purpose.

It would be nice if you have a vial out, but a lot of times this just isn't the case. Its a nice card to consider, but I don't think its a good fit into the deck at all.

What does everyone else think?

I think he went through a lot of trouble to create an account and make his first post about a terrible card. Other than that welcome to the source and try one of the more recent developed decks.

[Opterown]

I think he went through a lot of trouble to create an account and make his first post about a terrible card. Other than that welcome to the source and try one of the more recent developed decks.

Actually, I've been a lurker here for 2 odd years or so and made an account last year. I only decided to start posting now since my FS Prerelease cracked 3 of these things, so I decided to wonder whether they were any good. I've built a version of Affinity (pretty standard UBR without Atog (Shrapblast instead)

Actually, I wanted to ask several questions. I find that Vial becomes a horrible topdeck midgame and it doesn't do all that much early game, unlike Goblins where it can ramp up to 4/5 counters. Affinity runs only a few cards which are 1/2 drops, and I find that hardcasting the creatures is often an acceptable tradeoff for not playing Vial. Yeah, sure, it helps not getting your things countered but is that good enough to get bogged down turn 3/4 trying to find the finisher? Or is it that I don't have enough 2-drops? (Only Ravager.)
What could I do to improve the consistency of Vial?

Ah, also, what would sideboard options and plans be against some of the more played decks?

[Gekoratel]

I find that Vial becomes a horrible topdeck midgame and it doesn't do all that much early game, unlike Goblins where it can ramp up to 4/5 counters.

While its true that vial is not as good in Affinity as it is in Goblins, it is still a very good card to have in the deck. Vial is highly synergistic with the deck being an artifact as well as smoothing out your mana in the early game and accelerating your turn 2 and 3 plays. Without atog vial might not be quite as strong but atog is an incredibly powerful tool in affinity, it provides your fastest kills which are necessary to have a chance against combo in this format(at least game 1).

Here's my current decklist(I cut blue for green because thoughtcast was not that impressive in testing.)

RBg Affinity
4 Great Furnace
4 Vualt of Whispers
4 Tree of Tales
1 Darksteel Citadel
3 Blinkmoth Nexus
2 Glimmervoid

4 Ornithopter
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Disciple of the Vualt
4 Arcbound Ravager
3 Atog
4 Frogmite
3 Myr Enforcer

4 AEther Vial
4 Chromatic Star
4 Cranial Plating
2 Berserk
2 Fling

Sideboard
3 Chalice of the Void
2 Tormods Crypt
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Pyroclasm
2 Ancient Grudge

I've found the diversity of end game in fling and berserk to be quite good. My testing has been fairly limited mainly against thresh and goblins. Goblins has been favorable for me in all the games I've played the combination of fast clock and then either atog, ravager or cranial plating + berserk or fling usually is sufficient to finish Goblins off once they stabilize, post board that plus the threat of pyrocalsm makes it very hard for goblins to win.

Threshold is just about continually pushing damage through usually the game devolves into Nexus beats and my guys holding the ground. Assuming no needle shows up cranial plating on a flier can end the game quickly.

Excepting the Pyroclasm and cabal therapy the board is not largely tested. What is the best anti-combo measures in addition to therapy(which is good against control)?

-Chalice of the Void - it's a cheap artifact that shuts down petals, lions-eyes and the like can be put at 1 against solidarity and such hurts you alot more at 1.
-Sphere of Resistance - it's an artifact slows down almost all combo if you can get it in to play, can slow you down as well depending how early it is dropped.
-Pyrostatic Pillar - not an artifact, can hurt you a decent amount but combined with your clock can make it extremely difficult for you opponent to go off.

[kicks_422]

I think the best anti-combo package out of the SB is Chalice and Pillar for any deck that can run it.

I also favor RBg when it comes to affinity, but with Dark Confidants instead of Myr Enforcers and Jittes in the MD. 2-3 Dark Confidants in play is sweet in this deck.

[Shriekmaw]

My current sideboard for the deck includes the following:


4 Chalice of the Void
4 Engineered Plague
3 Krosan Grip
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Umezawa's Jitte


The main deck changes that I really feel necessary is the following:

4 Darksteel Citadel (mainly b/c wasteland exists)
4 Myr Enforcers (this card is amazing in only every matchup)
2 Pithing Needle (this is probably the weakest card I play, but its good sometimes)

[Gekoratel]

4 Chalice of the Void
4 Engineered Plague
3 Krosan Grip
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Umezawa's Jitte

What is you opinion on Pyroclasm over Plague. Plague is slower then Pyroclasm and does not remove all their creatures unless you get 2 of them. A lot of the time an atog or ravager on board, I could win the game with a berserk, fling or pyroclasm. The most relevant creatures in the goblins matchup are Ravager Atog and to a lesser extent Enforcer(mostly as a blocker). Pyroclasm doesn’t kill any of those and I board frogmites out for them.

4 Darksteel Citadel (mainly b/c wasteland exists)
4 Myr Enforcers (this card is amazing in only every matchup)
2 Pithing Needle (this is probably the weakest card I play, but its good sometimes)

I could see 4 citadels although I think I prefer the versatility of nexus for control and threshold matchups.
I ran 4 enforcers recently in a tournament and anytime I drew 2 of them in the opening hand it was almost an auto mull.
Don’t really want to squeeze in p. needles, but I can see them in if I had more room

[Shriekmaw]

I think pyroclasm is definitely something to consider in the board. The main reason why I do like plague, is because usually when it comes into play its game over for goblins. I do see pyroclasm as a more versatile card in a lot of different matchups outside of goblins.

The mana base that I do run includes 19 lands:

4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Tree of Tales
4 Whispers of the Vault
4 Great Furnace
2 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Glimmervoid

The main deck is pretty similar to your list:

4 Myr Enforcers
2 Atog
2 Berserk
2 Pithing Needle
3 Cranial Plating

I could see cutting the needles for the 4th plating and the 3rd atog.

I've been always a fan of pithing needle, but I could see it getting cut for those.

Let me know if you really find that pyroclasm is a lot better than plague in the board?

[Gekoratel]

I only run 18 lands making pyroclasm a slightly better choice as far as mana requirements go. I haven't tested plague against goblins so I’m not sure how good it is in affinity, but pyroclasm keeps them from building up to devastating a board presence and will let you alpha strike through with atogs and such. My deck is obviously more geared towards taking advantage of atog wins(with berserk, fling and 3 atogs). My friend plays goblins alot and he doesn’t fear plague nearly as much, because the disenchant effects get auto boarded in against affinity and it only truly wins the game when you have 2. I'm sure 1 plague with good board pressure is very bad for goblins but so is 1 pyrcolasm. The question is which one is better in more situations? and which one is more versatile?

[Shriekmaw]

I only run 18 lands making pyroclasm a slightly better choice as far as mana requirements go. I haven't tested plague against goblins so I’m not sure how good it is in affinity, but pyroclasm keeps them from building up to devastating a board presence and will let you alpha strike through with atogs and such. My deck is obviously more geared towards taking advantage of atog wins(with berserk, fling and 3 atogs). My friend plays goblins alot and he doesn’t fear plague nearly as much, because the disenchant effects get auto boarded in against affinity and it only truly wins the game when you have 2. I'm sure 1 plague with good board pressure is very bad for goblins but so is 1 pyrcolasm. The question is which one is better in more situations? and which one is more versatile?

When I played Affinity in Standard I always ran 19 lands, which worked out very well. Thats probably why I have decided to stay with the 19 lands. I'll try cutting my 2 needles for the 2 fling main deck to see how much I like it. I do agree that you do get more wins via fling and berserk which is something I want to try. I've also changed the plagues to pyroclasm in the board.

I'm not sure if Chalice of the Void is enough in the board to beat combo. Combo is the weakest matchup by far for Affinity.

[Gekoratel]

I would recommend adding one fling and one atog, bringing it up to 3 atogs because atog is by far the best card with fling and berserk.

As for combo matchup I have not actually played against anything but aluren were I got beat by turn 4 alurens both times. I boarded in the 3 cabal therapies I had in the board but never saw them so not sure how much it effects it. I have 7 slots that can be dedicated to combo right now there 4 therapies 3 chalices, although I want to try sphere of resistance out, but no one around me plays any form of legacy combo so I cant really test these cards. Also against Iggy Pop Tormod's crypt can be boarded in although it has anti-synergy with chalice.

[Shriekmaw]

I'm not sure what the metagame in Rochester looks like. During my time when I went to school at RIT, I didn't get a chance to play that much over there. Plus, I usually only come out that way for the bigger events. I would gear your board for whatever metagame your expecting.

I would probably have more insight when it comes to planning for bigger events with diverse fields, which also makes it less likely to see hate for affinity. Thats a reason why I don't play affinity that often over here in Syracuse, because they will hate on it after a few weeks.

[Meeee]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good board for RBg affinity for the Grand Prix my current board is:

2 Tormods Crypt
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Sphere of Resistance
4 Pyroclasm
2 Ancient Grudge

Tormods Crypt’s are for generic graveyard strategies, threshold and Iggy Pop.
Cabal Therapy is for control and combo primarily
Sphere of Resistance is for combo
Pyroclasm is for goblins and possibly survival
Ancient Grudge is for the mirror, random equipment and P. Needles (mostly against thresh although anything that has them I'll bring it in.)

The above posts by Gekoratel were Jeff posting for me since were roomates, but i decided to get a an account.

[Honoluluicecaps]

Still wanna start some discussion...

Looter-il-Kor over Cloud of Faeries?

[Shriekmaw]

Still wanna start some discussion...

Looter-il-Kor over Cloud of Faeries?

In the Chalice Affinity deck, I would prefer on running Cloud of Faeries over Looter-il-Kor simply due to the untap 2 lands when the faeries come into play. This allows you to play more spells early game which can be very crucial when facing fast aggro decks.

What do some of the other Affinity players think?

[Moczoc]

Hi, I'm trying to build an actual Affinity-version that contains Meddling Mage. Can you help me?

Creatures
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Frogmite
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Meddling Mage
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Looter il-Kor
4 Arcbound Worker
2 Ornithopter

Spells
4 Cranial Plating
4 AEther Vial
1 Steelshaper's Gift
2 Pithing Needle

Lands
3 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Ancient Den
4 Vault of Whispers
2 Glimmervoid
2 City of Brass


Sideboard (very rough)
4 Stifle
4 Absolute Law
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Engineered Plague




Explainations:
-> Looter il-Kor: amazing ... replaces Thoughtcast since some test Games. It has mostly the same Mana cost, provides card quality and can attack cranialed while having shadow
-> Steelshaper's Gift: my 5th Cranial, because I don't have the right mana for things like Fling or Berserk
-> Aether Vial/Pithing Needle: Good against Hanni Fish which is a plague in my meta

[ebbitten]

Sorry if this is a little off topic, but anyway.

I usually play group games, and one of my friends created an old school RG beats deck, and i just haven't been able to overcome it with any of my decks yet, it doesn't even look like a good deck and would probably fold to combo, but usually if any one is playing a combo deck everyone goes after them. So my question is: if you were to build an affinity deck (preferably UBr) that allowed skullclamps but was on a slight budget ( i'll buy ravagers, but not Fow) what would it look like?