[Discussion] What is the best current combo deck?

[Bryant Cook]

If you have unbiased pilots piloting the test decks, why dont you have unbiased people picking the lists, doesn't that make sense?

I picked standard lists, the lists I chose were fine.

[goobafish]

Except there is no standard Threshold list, the white one you chose runs Pithing Needles and Predicts main, which are not too common, and also do not affect your lands or tutors right?

[Michael Keller]

Obviously the key here to is make these results unbiased and fair. What measures are you all taking to ensure this is enforced?

[Bryant Cook]

Except there is no standard Threshold list, the white one you chose runs Pithing Needles and Predicts main, which are not too common, and also do not affect your lands or tutors right?

Plenty of lists run maindeck Needle. I didn't even think about predict to be honest, but they still see play. You wouldn't be allowed to pick lists anyways, your his teammate.

Edit: Fine, let someone else pick the lists.

[goobafish]

I am on no team, and I didn't suggest I would pick lists. I was figuring the pilots of the test decks would choose.

Edit: Even if I think this whole thing is kinda silly, if you are gonna do it, do it right.

[Bryant Cook]

Well obviously Tacosnape is going to pick his own list, then Cait Sith has to pick a list. Is that fair?

[Illissius]

Yes, the pilots choosing their own lists seems like a good idea to me. Also, if TES and FT are being piloted by their respective creators, and 4c Landstill by Tacosnape, it would be fitting to have Threshold be piloted by, say, one of the Hatfields -- a true Clash of the Titans.

[Bryant Cook]

Yes, the pilots choosing their own lists seems like a good idea to me. Also, if TES and FT are being piloted by their respective creators, and 4c Landstill by Tacosnape, it would be fitting to have Threshold be piloted by, say, one of the Hatfields -- a true Clash of the Titans.

If one of them would like to sure, although, I don't think that they mess around with MWS. I've asked them to MWS in the past.

EDIT: Anyone else in mind for Threshold?

[Kadaj]

Bardo? I would volunteer, but I doubt I have either the time or the experience with Threshold to make it worthwhile. At any rate, I see no issue with having Cait Sith pilot Thresh. Let him choose his own list and let's get this on. I'm of the opinion that not nearly enough unbias testing is done and released on this forum, so I'm interested in seeing the results.

[andreotti16]

Bardo? I would volunteer, but I doubt I have either the time or the experience with Threshold to make it worthwhile. At any rate, I see no issue with having Cait Sith pilot Thresh. Let him choose his own list and let's get this on. I'm of the opinion that not nearly enough unbias testing is done and released on this forum, so I'm interested in seeing the results.

I have to agree with that staement. Oh and in legacy, a lot of people run maindeck pithing needle just because about 85% of the time, it will shut something decent down game 1.

[Bryant Cook]

Emildn, if Bardo agrees are you alright with him and his list?

[andreotti16]

Oh, i got lost in the discussion, last time i checked, thresh wasn't combo. The best combo in the format right now i believe is Iggy pop 4 colors (w,u,b,r) splashing white for orim's chant. I do want to see how the newest combo: Swan's + Chain of plasma does.

[emidln]

Emildn, if Bardo agrees are you alright with him and his list?

I'm fine with that. We might have to bring him out of retirement though ;)

[freakish777]

I can volunteer to be the threshold player if Bardo/a Hatfield/Goobafish is unable/unwilling. I won't make any claims as to how much difficulty to expect out of me.

My list would be UGbw similar to what Machinus & the Hatfields semi-recently played.

[Jak]

I think this would be a good end to the discussion. I would love to see the results.

Also...

FoolofaTook

The direction that FT is taking in moving towards a more controlling game is probably the path to best overall deck in the meta at some point. I'm not sure that the cards are there yet to do it but moving a combo deck down the control path, without losing much speed, is a very strong overall development in terms of likely future power. The evolution of FT at this point is reminding me a little bit of the evolution of the Balance decks early on. Nobody had the same list but the concept was being clearly established and it wasn't long before the deck was tops in the meta. The caveat here is that our meta is much, much smaller than that one and so it may take a significantly longer interval for the right mix to emerge. There were 10,000 people (approximately) trying to break Balance in 1994 and we maybe have 100 (that's probably a high estimate) trying to break the FT archetype.

The problem is that they aren't control. They are just making the deck slower so they can react to more hate. By making it slower, you are giving your opponent more time to find their hate which really doesn't make sense.

[Bardo]

I'm fine with that. We might have to bring him out of retirement though ;)

Yeah, life's too busy. If it was up to me, I'd have "freakish777" as my proxy. :)

[Jak]

Also, I always see UGw Thresh lists with Predict MD, so I wouldn't argue its inclusion in the Thresh player's list.

[Cait_Sith]

That is wt I have always run. MD Predicts over Mental Note, because CA is good.

[goobafish]

Why run so many cantriping effects? Those are variable slots, by having Bryant choose the list, it is not unbiased. I am not saying it wrong to run Pithing Needle or Predict, or that he choose the list for that reason, but that is just a random list that someone posted on the UGw thread, and by no means a standard list.

[freakish777]

The list I have currently is:

4 FoW
4 Counterbalance
4 Daze
4 Thoughtseize

3 SDT
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

4 Goyf
4 Goose
2 Enforcer

4 Swords
1 Needle

8 Fetch
4 Trop
3 USea
3 Tundra

SB

4 EPlague
4 Tormod's Crypt
2 EE
3 Krosan Grip
2 Threads of Disloyalty

The sideboard isn't going to be giving me any help particularly against combos decks, let alone a specific one (aside from Ichorid, which isn't really being discussed).


EDIT: Updated list that I'll be playing is above.