[Deck] The Rock

[sauce]

There is a new card in Conflux:

Knight of the Reliquary - 1GW
Creature - Human Knight (Rare)
Knight of the Reliquary gets +1/+1 for each land card in your graveyard.
{T}, Sacrifice a Forest or Plains: Search your library for a land card, put it into play, then shuffle your library.
2/2

This seems pretty good to fetch up Volrath's Stronghold as well as beat face with.
Although it has a lot more synergy in Aggroloam.dec

What do you guys think

[e=mc^2]

It is like a Terravore on steroids, but without trample. One reason Terravore is attractive as a finisher is because it can't be chump blocked.

The the other ability has a way to fill up the yard with lands, but decks that would run this (read: Loam decks) already have dredge, cycling lands, retrace and Countryside Crusher to get lands into the graveyard.

In Rock I could see this as a utility creature to fetch specific lands as was mentioned. However, if you wanted to use it to its full potential, then you would end up playing Life From the Loam.

[sauce]

what type of SB would you take to GP chicago with this deck?

here is mine right now...

1 ethersworn canonist (ccccombo breaker)
1 gaea's cradle (painter/stone)
2 pithing needle (random stuff)
3 krosan grip (pithing needle on deed vs control)
4 extirpate (ichorid, cephalid breakfast, survival, etc.)
4 leyline of the void (ichorid, cephalid breakfast, survival, etc.)

[Skeggi]

1 gaea's cradle (painter/stone)

How about Gaea's Blessing?

I'm not a fan of Extirpate by the way (also, you're already running 4 Leyline of the Void). It's probably better to have Pithing Needle #3 and #4 and Krosan Grip #4. That leaves you with 1 random card. Perhaps another Canonist then (or another Blessing incase you draw the one).

[citanul]

I think it also depends on your build. If you are low on maindeck discard like me, only running 4 Thoughtseize, I'd dedicate at least 4 slots against combo. Blue is commonly played and the same will be true for the GP, therefore Choke should be in the Sb, at least 3 or 4 to be useful.

If you do not run any form of graveyard hate maindeck, mostly in the form of Jotun Grunt, you should dedicate 4 slots to this, either Leyline of the Void, Tormod's Crypt or Relic of Progenitus. I dislike Extirpate but if you want it, your choice.

That leaves 3 to 4 spots open which is commonly used for Krosan Grip.

If I go I'd run the following sideboard:
4 Choke
3 Krosan Grip
4 Tormod's Crypt
4 Thorn of Amethyst

I prefer Thorn over other combo hate is it can be good and better against other random junk where my heavy removal maindeck will be useless. Again, this is personal preference and also dependant on your maindeck. If you run 8 or more hand discard I wouldn't dedicate any sideboard slots to it, opening it op for other matchups. Know what your deck is weak against and try to find the best sideboard card against it. If you post your list I might be able to give you a more detailed list.

[sauce]

How about Gaea's Blessing?

I'm not a fan of Extirpate by the way (also, you're already running 4 Leyline of the Void). It's probably better to have Pithing Needle #3 and #4 and Krosan Grip #4. That leaves you with 1 random card. Perhaps another Canonist then (or another Blessing incase you draw the one).

yeah oops, blessing not cradle

i have had choke in there before, but my matchup against blue is already favorable. a resolved choke does win the game right there usually.

thanks. will post list later tonight.

list:
1 stillmoon cavalier (just added but not yet tested)
2 loxodon hierarch
3 kitchen finks
4 tarmogoyf
4 eternal witness

4 vindicate
4 pernicious deed
4 thoughtseize
4 swords to plowshares
2 duress
2 sensei's divining top
1 hymn to tourach
1 profane command (just added but not yet tested)
1 harmonize

3 treetop village
the rest are mana lands and fetches

[DrHealex]

yeah oops, blessing not cradle

i have had choke in there before, but my matchup against blue is already favorable. a resolved choke does win the game right there usually.

thanks. will post list later tonight.

list:
1 stillmoon cavalier (just added but not yet tested)
2 loxodon hierarch
3 kitchen finks
4 tarmogoyf
4 eternal witness

4 vindicate
4 pernicious deed
4 thoughtseize
4 swords to plowshares
2 duress
2 sensei's divining top
1 hymn to tourach
1 profane command (just added but not yet tested)
1 harmonize

3 treetop village
the rest are mana lands and fetches

Your random one ofs hurt me noggin'.
Also, no tombstalkers? They are pretty synergetic with your pernicious deeds... I tend to like to run 2-3 of them in rock.
From my experience, 3 witness is the perfect number in almost any deck you want to play that card in, and this deck is no exception.
I am uncertain about the treetops, i mean they aren't terrible....
Also.. a singleton Volrath's Stronghold goes well with ALL creatures ROCK generally wants to play.

[sauce]

Your random one ofs hurt me noggin'.
Also, no tombstalkers? They are pretty synergetic with your pernicious deeds... I tend to like to run 2-3 of them in rock.
From my experience, 3 witness is the perfect number in almost any deck you want to play that card in, and this deck is no exception.
I am uncertain about the treetops, i mean they aren't terrible....
Also.. a singleton Volrath's Stronghold goes well with ALL creatures ROCK generally wants to play.

the "one ofs" are amazing if you draw them and do not hurt the deck if you don't. i just got tired of being locked out by a 3 drop w/ countertop so I added a profane command.

i run volrath's stronghold as well, sorry did not mention it.

also, do you guys just scoop if you are locked out with 3 drop on countertop?

i may run genesis instead of 1 eternal witness and maybe drop in 2 life from the loam for 1 duress and 1 hymn.. but then should I run the black/green citp/cycle lands as well to get the full synergy? hmm..

[citanul]

I don't run Cycle land but I do run Life from the Loam. Works great with Fetchland and top for reshuffle effects, manlands, wasteland and avoids being manascrewed.

I do scoop mostly at CB with 2 and 3 floating. The only things I can play is Tombstalker and Shriekmaw but as the game progresses I'll lose.

[sauce]

I don't run Cycle land but I do run Life from the Loam. Works great with Fetchland and top for reshuffle effects, manlands, wasteland and avoids being manascrewed.

I do scoop mostly at CB with 2 and 3 floating. The only things I can play is Tombstalker and Shriekmaw but as the game progresses I'll lose.

do you run genesis? if not, how do you recover from loaming away 2 goyfs and other threats? only volrath's stronghold?

[citanul]

I only run 1 Volrath's Stronghold and no Genesis, neither do I play Witness or any other form of graveyard recursion. This is to avoid a dependancy on the graveyard, often resulting people siding in graveyard hate against my mediocre loams giving them death cards.

I do play Jotun Grunt though to avoid getting decked in a way and to reuse threats.

[Pulp_Fiction]

??????????????????????????????????????????

Genesis ?? Loam ???

1x Profane Command, 1x Harmonize, 1x Hymn to Tourach, 3x Treetop Village, 4x Eternal Witness?

Seriously, this is insane. The first thoughts that came to my mind were pick a deck. When you start mixing archetypes it begins to dumb down other features of other archetypes your deck has and it begins to function well below the level that it should. Pick what you want to go for, Loam, Rock, Tombstone, pure aggro, disruptive aggro control, etc. Your build looks like nothing, like you took a few ideas from this thread and jammed a few pet cards in there. This is not to flame, but that build is awful, look back in this thread or check www.deckcheck.net for a good Rock list. The builds vary but .... just no. I am not going to comment on any of those card choices except for Treetop Village .... it comes into play tapped and Rock-ish decks can have problems with super fast aggro like Goblins. Its bad and it isn't like the Rock archetype is lacking good threats ... especially lacking enough power to run Treetop Village.

As far as SBs go, this is optimized for a random meta:

3x Choke
3x COP: Red
3x Extirpate
3x Engineered Plague
3x Krosan Grip

[sauce]

??????????????????????????????????????????

Genesis ?? Loam ???

1x Profane Command, 1x Harmonize, 1x Hymn to Tourach, 3x Treetop Village, 4x Eternal Witness?

Seriously, this is insane. The first thoughts that came to my mind were pick a deck. When you start mixing archetypes it begins to dumb down other features of other archetypes your deck has and it begins to function well below the level that it should. Pick what you want to go for, Loam, Rock, Tombstone, pure aggro, disruptive aggro control, etc. Your build looks like nothing, like you took a few ideas from this thread and jammed a few pet cards in there. This is not to flame, but that build is awful, look back in this thread or check www.deckcheck.net for a good Rock list. The builds vary but .... just no. I am not going to comment on any of those card choices except for Treetop Village .... it comes into play tapped and Rock-ish decks can have problems with super fast aggro like Goblins. Its bad and it isn't like the Rock archetype is lacking good threats ... especially lacking enough power to run Treetop Village.

As far as SBs go, this is optimized for a random meta:

3x Choke
3x COP: Red
3x Extirpate
3x Engineered Plague
3x Krosan Grip

i based my build on peter's deck, http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=21692
that deck won danish legacy champs.

what is your list, and what has it won? i know you said you're not trying to flame, but thats what it comes off as unfortunately.

i was just bringing up ideas of loam/genesis, i didn't say i am running it or was going to run it.

cop: red seems like a meta choice imho, we don't have aggro loam or goblins really, i dont think goblins are going to survive a deed/plague anyway.

we have burn show up sometimes, finks/loxodon hierarch do the task pretty well most of the time, and when they don't you can always play Aegis of honor.

is your matchup against ichorid/breakfast so good that you only run 3 extirpates and no leylines? im confused.

thanks for "not" flaming me.

[citanul]

I'm very satisfied with Loam myself, I run 3 along with 6 fetchland, 3 wasteland, 3 Mishra's Factory. Combining these with Sensei's Divining Top allows you to create an insane deckstacking engine. Inclusion of cycle land is possible but I felt that it clumped up the deck a lot and forced you to go more Loam based.

Genesis is a great card but rather mana intensive. Without a sacrifice outlet of your own bar Deed but who ever blows that for 5, it is rather useless and often overkill in my eyes.

Stillmoon Cavalier looks like a good card but just like you, I haven't tested it yet. I'm afraid it's mana intensive as well and it would be better to just play Tombstalker or if you desire to have Protection, Mystic Enforcer.

Profane Command is probably a good choice as your deck is focused on late game and this card is just a bomb then, creating card advantage and versatile, also good synergy with a Witness in the yard.

As for a sideboard for your deck. You only run 7 discard so you'll need at least 3 slots, preferred 4 against combo. Seeing as you might need a fast clock in those MU's before they recover you can either run Gaddock Teeg or Ethersworn cannonist. Thorn of Amethyst is also a possibility but that's my opinion.

You run no graveyard hate maindeck. The only matchup you'll side it in against is Ichorid since you stated in a previous post that there is no agro-loam. I'd go for Leyline of the Void or Tormod's Crypt then but you'll need at least 4.

Krosan Grip is an auto include when you play Rock. 3 to 4 is adviced, depending on your fear of artifacts.

This puts you at a list of:

3-4 Combo hosers
4 graveyard hate
3-4 Krosan Grip

So you still have 5 to 3 spots left. This depends on your fear of decks. If you think blue such as MUC/Standstill are bad match ups then you should add Choke. If you are uncertain about combo you can add extra discard like Cabal Therapy, Duress or Hymn to Tourach. Scared of tribal decks like Elves and Goblins add Engineered Plagues. Or just run extra graveyard hate if you want to.

Hope this helped a bit.

[Pulp_Fiction]

@ sauce: I have been waiting for a comment like "what is your list and what has it won." Thats funny. Although I don't keep track of all the successes that my build of Rock has amassed, I have taken it to my local card shop no fewer than 5 times (each time had no fewer than 20 people), and each time it has made the top 8 and 4/5 times it made the top 4 split (we always do this because it is fair). I also made it to a top 4 split at the Atlanta Grand Prix Legacy Side Event going 4-0-2 and winning some 45ish packs. So I think I understand the deck.

What is my build? This really makes me angry, READ THE THREAD! My list is posted all over the place with updates, and reasons for the updates, as well as numerous tournament reports with my thoughts on certain cards. This may be able to be avoided if we had a primer and a few lists with card explanations, but still. Please educate yourself a little on the deck you play before posting.

As far as SB goes, it is me and one other person who bring Dredge up to the tournament. I have never played the matchup with this deck in a tournament setting so I choose to not play Leyline of the Void. Extirpate serves multiple purposes, where Leyline is for Dredge (won't play against it) and Aggro Loam (won't play against it either since me and one other person are the only ones who played it). That is the SB I would take into an unknown meta. Goyf Sligh and Burn are very winnable matches, but I don't want to take a 50/50 matchup against them, I want an edge so I play COP: Red. Multiple Hierarchs is enough to win but you can't reliably mull into multiple Hierarch hands and COP: Red + Hierarch is bad fucking news for them.

Since the combo matchup is .... maybe 20% winnable (that is being kind) I choose to not play combo hate aside from Extirpate because it won't help the matchup much at all. My personal SB strategy is to maximize my chances of winning the matchups that are somewhat-very winnable as opposed to making a hideous matchup into a moderately bad matchup. Plus there is very little combo in my meta.

[from Cairo]

As far as SBs go, this is optimized for a random meta:

3x Choke
3x COP: Red
3x Extirpate
3x Engineered Plague
3x Krosan Grip

For a random meta 3x COP: Red does not seem optimal.

COP: Red seems really narrow and overkill with Plague, why not something like Chalice of the Void which would help Burn/Goyf Sligh, and can also come in against combo?

[Facevaulter]

Well gents, GP time approaches and I'm searching for opinion on my list. Please don't be too brutal.

// Lands
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Savannah
4 Bayou
2 Swamp
2 Treetop Village
4 Windswept Heath
1 Scrubland
2 Bloodstained Mire

// Creatures
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Eternal Witness
3 Doran, the Siege Tower
4 Dark Confidant

// Spells
3 Thoughtseize
3 Vindicate
3 Hymn to Tourach
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Chrome Mox
2 Profane Command
3 Engineered Explosives / P. Deed (still unsure on this sweeper slot)
4 Unearth

// Sideboard
SB: 3 Engineered Plague
SB: 3 Relic of Progen.
SB: 3 Krosan Grip
SB: 3 Choke
SB: 3 Jotun Grunt

Its land light as it curves out very early and witness tricks with unearth can be fun. It maybe a little less agile than I anticipate though so any criticism is welcome.

[Mordel]

That looks more like a funkbrew deck than Rock.

[J.V.]

Birds is probably a better fit than Chrome Mox, It doesn't give you the card disadvantage, is a better color fix than Mox and plays nicely with Doran. Another thing, Treetop village is garbage, in a format of wasteland CIPT lands will strait up lose you games. Also what are you planning to do in the combo matchup? Your side should probably have something to better deal with the two big archetypes you should be expecting to see; Aggro Control (Threshold, Dreadstill, Etc) and Storm Combo (ANT & TES)
I would probably make the following changes:

Lands:21
4 Windswept Heath
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Volrath's Stronghold
4 Bayou
3 Scrubland
1 Savannah
2 Swamp
2 Forest
1 Plains

// Creatures:18
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Dark Confidant
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Eternal Witness
3 Doran, the Siege Tower

// Noncreature Spells:21
4 Thoughtseize
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Vindicate
3 Pernicious Deed
3 Unearth

// Sideboard
3 Choke
3 Krosan Grip
3 Orim's Chant
3 Engineered Plague
3 Tormod's Crypt (Do to your own goyfs and Volrath's Strong hold relic can hurt you too much)


A few other changes:
Cabal Therapy > Hymn to Tourach in a deck like this (especially when you play Unearth.
Volrath's Stronghold makes your late game near unloseable.

[morgan_coke]

Has everyone just plain forgotten about Nantuko Monastery? If you're going to play a manland that requires two mana to activate, and you're already in green and white, why in the hell would you play Treetop Village over this? I r confused.