[Deck] Faerie Stompy

[Humphrey]

-land count is enough, trust me. i play this.. and i tried b2b before, it worked not that well for me. I mean, all u need is 3mana
-u cant pitch magus, thats right but u dont need to throw something blue into a chrome (which i also disliked), so it makes no difference at all. magus still can attack or block or sided out (which rarely happens)
-in the end trinket mage isnt much more efficient it think
-Paradise and City is bad, but it really rarely happens. usually u bounce the paradise with drake anyways, throw it into a mox or its a mountain. but im not absolutely happy with that, but there are not much 5c lands. City of Brass is dmg overkill.

but the discussion is still paperbased. im actually PLAYING this and its working. why would i post it, if its not?

[Tacosnape]

So moving on to conversations that are actually worth having, I've been tinkering around with Submerge.

Here's where I keep landing with Submerge: In what matchups do you ever want it where you wouldn't want something else more, and what would you board it in for? Anyone familiar have an answer of some sort to this?

All I've got so far is that it's better than Sword of Light and Shadow against Elf Combo, and that it might be better than SOFI against black-ish decks running Goyf/Stalker/etc.

[Jak]

Aggro Loam, TA, Thresh(?), Eva Green, Survival, and Elves. I think it is worth it in this deck considering it's free, handles a huge problem (Tombstalker), and can help by just allowing you to swing and return that Goyf back so you won't die.

[KillemallCFH]

@Submerge: I think TA would be it's main purpose, which, as far as I can tell, is a pretty bad matchup.

[Captain Hammer]

Tacoscape, what do you mean by SOFI or SOLS is usually better. Neither card is free, and neither removes threats, they only work as deterance if you're willing to hold back your own big equipped threat to serve as a blocker.

Submerge is blue's Snuff Out. It buys massive tempo.

Mystic Enforcer and Tombstalker can hurt this deck a lot. Goyf can be a pain, a fast Dreadnought is a big problem.

With every other deck playing green for Goyf, Submerge answers all these cards. Even bouncing back manlands is very nice.
Best of all, it's pretty much a removal spell for both Dreadnouth and Tombstalker and pretty much anything that hates bounce.

[Tacosnape]

@Submerge: I think TA would be it's main purpose, which, as far as I can tell, is a pretty bad matchup.

Ok, while I agree Submerge would be incredible in this matchup, I don't agree that it's a bad matchup by nature. I'm 3-1 against it so far, though I admit I need to test it more. But that said? Chalice for 1 shuts off a huge portion of their deck, and they don't really run any removal except for the ever obnoxious Snuff Out, which is a beast against all Chalice Aggro. So if you've ever got a Sower with a Force for backup, you can steal whatever guy they drop and cruise. Not to mention that getting down any of your flying threats with a Sword of Light and Shadow on it is close to game.

Granted, they'll win some by mana screwing you, but Submerge isn't necessarily going to fix this, as they can also just Sinkhole your Island if you don't get two and shut you off of it.

Tacoscape, what do you mean by SOFI or SOLS is usually better. Neither card is free, and neither removes threats, they only work as deterance if you're willing to hold back your own big equipped threat to serve as a blocker.

A. What on earth are you talking about? Because I didn't even say anything remotely similar to that. I actually listed two matchups where Submerge is better than the Swords.

B. Stop quoting yourself. We're aware of what you said so entirely recently and nobody really challenged it.

C. I still have yet to see a deck that runs both a land with the "Forest" type and a Phyrexian Dreadnought. Just saying.

[KillemallCFH]

Ok, while I agree Submerge would be incredible in this matchup, I don't agree that it's a bad matchup by nature.

Really? From my (admittedly insufficient) testing, it is pretty horrible. 4 Wasteland and 4 Sinkhole is really bad for this deck. On top of that Chalice at 1 isn't that great when it doesn't come down turn 1, as all their threats, removal, and LD dodge it. Chalice at 2 is pretty good against them, but it often comes down too slow to stop Sinkhole from ruining your day, and Tombstalker and Snuff Out, which are both cards the FS player is extremely unhappy to see, can still come down.

As far as the "Sower with Force backup" plan, TA runs 16 cards (FoW/Daze/Snuff Out/Stifle) that stop Sower, and you only run 3 Sower (maybe 4) plus 4 Force. Plus, just getting to 4 mana to play the Sower in the first place is rather difficult.

Granted, they'll win some by mana screwing you, but Submerge isn't necessarily going to fix this, as they can also just Sinkhole your Island if you don't get two and shut you off of it.

This is true; I'm not sure Submerge is what this deck needs to fight TA (if, in fact, it even needs anything to fight it). If anyone else (i.e. Eldariel) has done any testing in this MU, I want to hear about it, as Taco and I clearly got different results.

C. I still have yet to see a deck that runs both a land with the "Forest" type and a Phyrexian Dreadnought. Just saying.

Ugr is arguably the most popular color combination for Dreadstill, at least in Massachusetts.

[Captain Hammer]

What on earth are you talking about? Because I didn't even say anything remotely similar to that. I actually listed two matchups where Submerge is better than the Swords.

Wait, so your statement that the only pro you've found to submerge was that it might be better than SOLS against combo elves and sometimes SOFI against black decks was meant to be a ringing endorsement.

I thought you were being sarcastic.

[georgjorge]

Trinisphere against TA ? Sounds bad with your own Force, but with them usually stalling at 2-3 lands, and 3Sphere working against Snuff Out, Daze, their own Forces etc, it should pretty much be a game winner.

[sroncor1]

I played today to a 2-2 finish. I was rusty and had not played magic in nearly 5 months due to medical school, but I have to say that the deck holds up well against TA. I beat it and dreadstill and lost to dreadstill and thresh. Thresh was just one of those times when the deck craps out and you mull down to far. I did make two misplays when I lost to dreadstill, but that was on me not the deck. Submerge was a total house today though. Whenever I drew it I was happy to have it and the ability to play with the CB top engine was gold. I did drop the goblin cards from the board but I doubt I will ever remove the submerges. I will admit that my testing was against those decks in which it would have a big impact but goyfs are in every deck it seems. Anyway it was nice to see the deck still hold up well even though it had been collecting dust on my shelf. I may consider cutting the needle maindeck as I never really wanted it main. I guess I may want to play more but relic might be a better card in the current meta.

[scrumdogg]

Really? From my (admittedly insufficient) testing, it is pretty horrible. 4 Wasteland and 4 Sinkhole is really bad for this deck. On top of that Chalice at 1 isn't that great when it doesn't come down turn 1, as all their threats, removal, and LD dodge it. Chalice at 2 is pretty good against them, but it often comes down too slow to stop Sinkhole from ruining your day, and Tombstalker and Snuff Out, which are both cards the FS player is extremely unhappy to see, can still come down.

As far as the "Sower with Force backup" plan, TA runs 16 cards (FoW/Daze/Snuff Out/Stifle) that stop Sower, and you only run 3 Sower (maybe 4) plus 4 Force. Plus, just getting to 4 mana to play the Sower in the first place is rather difficult.This is true; I'm not sure Submerge is what this deck needs to fight TA (if, in fact, it even needs anything to fight it). If anyone else (i.e. Eldariel) has done any testing in this MU, I want to hear about it, as Taco and I clearly got different results.Ugr is arguably the most popular color combination for Dreadstill, at least in Massachusetts.

Valid points all, but my testing (admittedly low volume to date) has been much closer to Taco's results. Of course, I run more land and SOLAS in my version as well as In The Eye of Chaos out of the board. making their 'free' spells anything but? Combos very well with Chalice & our own FoW (which is there to make sure Chalice, ITEOC or Sower/Gilded Drake land). I have broken down and concede that Sower is better than Glen Elendra, at least until Landstill makes a much greater presence felt (plus I just won an auction for 2 more Sower...) but I'm just as happy to side them out straight for the 3 Gilded Drake in my SB most games. Having the ability to have 6 critter-stealing flyers is nice, but I hate that I have to protect a 2/2 or give them their critter back.

Quick note on testing mods to my deck: I will be trying -1 Chrome Mox, +1 Mox Diamond, mostly for fetching with Trinket when A) I really need EE @ 2 B) times where I don't want to lose a blue card (almost always) but have an extra land (which happens fairly often with 20 land in the deck, surprisingly...>.>). I am hopeful that this will help in my abysmal 4c Thresh matchup as well as against Goyfs/Bob/CB/SotF...you get the picture... I am also going to be testing -1 Crypt, -2 last Pestermites +3 Esperzoa. Unsure how this will turn out, but a 4/3 flyer for with an insignificant drawback (for this deck) deserves to be tested. If it doesn't make the cut, fine, but it's in/exclusion should be data based, not hypothetical. The first mod will be tested in actual tournament play starting this week, the second will be MWS/live testing (not as intense as tournament testing) until Esperzoa is tourney legal.

Still trying to summon ambition to translate tournament notes but quick & dirty version:
Hadley:
Rd 1 versus teammate playing some meld between 4c Dreadstill & 4c Landstill (able to board loser to either end of spectrum depending on what he faced). Force through early Chalice both games 2-0
Rd 2 vs Ciccio playing 4c Thresh, lose the die roll, lose 0-2...this will become a recurring theme.
Rd 3 vs UGR Thresh (Mikeyflowers) 2-0, I have been very happy with the normal Thresh matchups...
Rd 4 vs (Vstheworld?) playing GBr SotF. Game 1 I get monkeystomped. Game 2 I trade my Drake for his Masticore, kill his Bob, he Big Game Hunters the Core. I have sufficient mana & we chip back & forth as I have Sigil in hand. He attacks me down to 5 with Drake (whew) and I cast Sigil for 7, slap it on a Mulldrifter and kill him. Game 3 I lock him out and beat him down.
Rd 5 vs ANT (second place guy) I mull to 3 Game 1 (I loaned him cards before the tourney...) and never see a FoW, a Chalice or a Trinket Mage. Not. One. Unsurprisingly he wins this game, although I kept a 3 land hand with the ability to draw an answer...and he did Ad Nauseum himself to 3 on Turn 2. Game 2 saw Chalice & ITEOC both land. Game 3 I kept a speculative hand & got punished (Force of Will & 2 Crypt plus lands & beater). Don't find another piece in time, he wins. Damn, Top 8 out of reach.
Rd 6 vs UWB Landstill. Uh oh...except I stabilize both games and kill him.

4-2 13th/47

The next day locally: Top 4 2-1-1 with the lost being to Ciccio playing 4c Thresh and losing the die roll, the draw was an ID with my son Rd 2 at 1-0 to maximize chances of making Top 4. He has been playing GR/b Aggro-Loam, we play for fun & I win 2-1 (the usual result in my testing so far). Don't remember the other 2 players but they weren't scrubs.

Yesterday locally: Top 4 3-1 with the loss being to Ciccio playing 4c Thresh and losing the die roll...gettin' sick of this tune yet? Gawd knows I am... but beating my son playing GRb Aggro-Loam 2-0, Sui Black 2-0, and GWB Goodstuff/Rock 2-1.

So in four tournaments this month I am undefeated...except to Ciccio & 4c Thresh and one ANT player who took 2nd/47...that seems acceptable to me... I would like suggestions from people who actually play the deck (you know who you are...and aren't, although the ignore function does wonders for me here as well...) and play it as a blue deck concerning 4c Thresh. My problem comes from my inability to land a Chalice at 1 and KEEP a Chalice at 1. Maindeck he runs 2x Trygon Predator (bastard) as well as Counter-Top and more removal than a Thresh deck should have (Bolt AND STP...). After boarding he gets KGrips as well, the results have been lopsided and discouraging... My current board (for what it's worth)
4x Wipe Away
3x In The Eye of Chaos
2x Tormod's Crypt
3x Gilded Drake
3x Back to Basics

I have boarded a number of different card configuration in & out without appreciable success to date. I may just have to chalk this up to an autoloss (and hope to avoid it...) but I hate to do so. I would also like to play him and WIN a die roll, that would be thrilling...but I have lost 2 out of 3 games in matches where I went first Game 2 as well (although maybe if I can take Game 1 on the play and then lightning strikes him at some point in Game 3...).

[Kuma]

I feel your pain, scrumdogg. There's a 4c Thresh player in my meta who runs 2x Trygon Predator maindeck, and I've yet to beat him with Faerie Stompy. I don't think it's unwinnable, but it's certainly unfavorable.

I've been running Submerge in my board for a few tournaments, but the only time I drew it I was at four life facing two 4/5 Tarmogoyfs. So I can't say much about it yet.

In the Eye of Chaos looks interesting. It's a ball-buster against storm, but we already destroy them. I'm like 7-0 against storm with Faerie Stompy. Seems good against Thresh as it makes Daze very difficult to cast and Force impossible to cast, but that cuts both ways. Seems good against Team America's free spells.

I'd love to try it out, but the problem is getting them.

[scrumdogg]

Acquiring In The Eye of Chaos is a challenge, but that is why MOTL and junk rares to dealers exist . I have found storm combo to be more problematic than most people, so I definitely want more answers from the SB. Besides, we run a number of cards maindeck that don't shine at all versus storm combo, being able to swap Sowers & Swords for ITEOC & Crypts (maybe B2B versus FT) is a straight upgrade. As in any good sideboard, however, slots need to be as multi-functional as possible. ITEOC is gold versus storm combo and the decks you mentioned. Count the number of instants those decks as opposed to us: TA 23-25 us 4 (maybe slightly more after SB), Thresh & Dreadstill vary by build but anytime I can significantly impact over a quarter of their deck - I will take it. The Force of Will issue is a valid point but my primary role for FoW versus those decks is to force (pun intended) through my hate rather than stop their proactive spellcasting. As such I am expended by the time it lands. Also, with 20 lands & 4 Mox I have gotten to UU3, 1 life and blue card (and done it a helluva lot quicker than Mr. 16-17 lands including fetches....). Being able to make Krosan Grip cost is fantastic btw but the card does nothing to Trygon Predator....

[JeroenC]

Faerie Mechanist
Artifact Creature - Faerie Artificer
Flying
When Faerie Mechanist comes into play, look at the top three cards of your library. You may reveal an artifact card from among them and put it in your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
2/2

After the entire Conflux spoiler is out, only this card and Esperzoa really appeal to me... Anybody have any opinions on this card?

[Taurelin]

Faerie Mechanist

What is its mana-cost? 2U?

If so it is nice and might be a substitute for Trinket Mage.

[b4r0n]

What is its mana-cost? 2U?

If so it is nice and might be a substitute for Trinket Mage.

Nope, 3U. And hence, likely unplayable. Esperzoa seems more interesting, but the drawback might be too difficult to handle.

[Phantom]

It's so it's slightly less interesting.


(Ninja'd)

[bowvamp]

ME LIKEY! Faerie Mechanist looks perfect in welder survival. Unless that list is brought back, it's a meh card.

EDIT: 3U is horrible, it's unplayable.

[Arsenal]

@ Edariel

You mentioned that you were considering/testing a singleton Cursed Scroll in the sideboard, thinking it would help in the pure control matchup. Have you gotten any further in your testing/thought process?

[Kuma]

My current Not Quite New decklist -

MD:
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
9 Island
1 Seat of the Synod

4 Pestermite
4 Sea Drake
4 Serendib Efreet
4 Trinket Mage
3 Sower of Temptation
3 Mulldrifter (yeah, three only. Spare me of "omg paly four, it roxxorz!!" No, I got just enough of it, dont wanna see it before turn 3)
1 Shoreline Ranger (unsure of this, more like a mascot of the deck, but his flexibility is sometimes hailed.)

4 Chalice of the Void
4 Chrome Mox
1 Pithing Needle
2 Umezawa's Jitte (yeah, Jitte main. Kills gobos, faster than Swords, with all that LD in my meta I dont fear of collisions with CotV@2..)
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow (only one? Fuck the lategame.)
0 Sigil of Distinction, EE, Crypt (Fuck the unreliable and conditional MD cards. The only thing I lack a bit is Sigil...)

4 Force of Will (I h8 it, but it's a must-have.)

SB:
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Tormod' Crypt
1 Relic of Progenitus (I fear Goyfs. Like a lot. We have three Sowers against the main win-con of the format. I dont care if Relic interferes with CotV@1, because Pernicious_Deed.dec will take care of Chalices in some way or other..)
1 Pithing Needle
2 Hydroblast (no Loam in our meta, must be enough against Goblins, namely for those games when we bring back Chalices...)
2 Misdirection (mainly Eva America, also Burn..)
3 Back to Basics
2 Gilded Drake (unsure of it, but against LD and Krosan Grips are Sowers and Control Magics not fast enough and/or reliable. Stealing a Tombstalker = hawt.)
2 Glen Elendra Archmage (I would rather use three, but there is no place for the last one..)

Good to see someone agrees with me about Sigil. If your meta has become aggro I'd cut the Shoreline Ranger since he's unlikely to be cast and will only eat up your mana early.

The more I play Faerie Stompy, the more I realize that SoLS > SoFI in virtually every matchup. A notable exception to this is Goblins, so if you're running into a lot of the little green men, your equipment package seems fine.

SoLS is better for several reasons:

1) Protection from white and black is way better than protection from blue and red. Removal in this format is white and black. So are the creatures you have trouble swinging through. Don't get me wrong pro red is nice, but the +2/+2 on the swords puts all your creatures out of burn range except for Pestermite.

2) SoLS is a five point life total swing compared to SoFI's four. Yeah, SoLS only does two of that to your opponent, but you have to consider your life total against decks that can put pressure on you. Especially when you're dealing yourself Serendib, Force, and Ancient Tomb damage.

3) In the late game, a creature of your choice from the graveyard is better than a random card from the top of your deck. I know we're a "Stompy" deck, but in my experience Faerie Stompy often ends up playing the late game and that's where SoLS shines.

Right now, I'm running two SoFI and four SoLS with two Jitte in the board as my only equipment, and I believe the 2/4 split is correct for the metagame at large.