Originally Posted by lorddotm
Nop. Elspeth comes post side. Against landstill and fellows MotT and the taberlacle become uselles. So i side in 2 elspeht and 2 decree. KotR is in my main deck without elspeth.
Hi, I am the stax pilot who won Philly.
I took the same list to a side event at PT Austin and beat dredge followed by two merfolk before losing to dragon stompy. The only change I made between events was -1 karmic justice for +1 moat in the sideboard. The moat was pretty good vs the fish because I don't think either of the lists ran any bounce. Dragon stompy blew me out in one game with double song into chalice@4 which I had no answers to.
I didn't take good notes in Philly, but I beat (in order): Stasis, AnT, Belcher, Zoo, Dredge, Canadian Thresh, double draw into t8, Depths Combo, Bloodghast Dredge and Canadian Thresh (same opponent as round 6). Thankfully the combo took out most of the zoo.
I ran baneslayer over exalted because I would never drop either angel until I had a softlock or no other viable options. Baneslayer is better than exalted for that purpose. I haven't had time to test knight enough, but at this point, I am more likely to keep running baneslayer. The lifelink and evasion was relevant on numerous occasions. I am not a proponent of Elspeth in any stax list running ghostly prison.
Has the red splash been given much thought here? I know it seems like it might push the deck toward D. Stompy but access to Ajani V, Boil, Pyroclasm, and Simian Spirit Guide to accel even more sick t1 plays seems good for the deck. Plus, Ajani V doubles as an amazing kill card.
I used to play Red splash for Rolling Earthquake maindeck and Pyroclasm in the side: it worked out great beacuse this was Legacy Pre-Tarmogoyf where every other deck was Goblins.
Honestly, Red doesn't bring much to the table: Pyroclasm doesn't cut it anymore, Ajani is more vulnerable than Elspeth, and Simian Spirit Guide is a big no no because it's not a permanent mana source. If you want more mana acceleration, Chrome Mox is your answer.
The only card worth splashing Red for IMO would be Boil. However, Green offers so much more in Choke, Krosan Grip, and KoTR, not to mention it allows you to run Horizon Canopy.
Chrome Mox is not that great because less than a third of your deck can be imprinted on it, and often its something you don't want to imprint anyway.
I'm really liking Baneslayer in this deck. It gives the deck the ability to quickly seal the deal after some heavy disruption, as well as gaining back some much needed life, instead of giving the opponent forever to recover. Its much better than Exalted Angel, you should almost never be morphing the Angel anyway, I always hated tying up two of my early critical turns on that.
Agreed: I never said Chrome Mox was great, I would just much rather play it over SSG.
Anyways, Btex, I would like to congratulate you on your win and representing Stax. I'm wondering if you could give us some input on your sideboard, like what was extremely useful and if there were any cards you thought were duds.
Hi Guys. Yesterday i've a hard test day of my deck. Played agaist: Dragon stompy, Elves, Pox, Eva green, Death and taxes and so on. I'm gld with the resultas beeing Pox and Eva green the worst match ups last night. Here's the list:
// Lands
4 [TSP] Flagstones of Trokair
4 [EX] City of Traitors
4 [TE] Ancient Tomb
5 [10E] Plains (3)
2 [AQ] Mishra's Factory (1)
4 [TE] Wasteland
1 [FUT] Horizon Canopy
// Creatures
4 [PLC] Magus of the Tabernacle
3 [ON] Exalted Angel
1 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
// Spells
3 [ALA] Oblivion Ring
3 [10E] Crucible of Worlds
4 [CHK] Ghostly Prison
3 [US] Smokestack
3 [DS] Trinisphere
4 [MR] Chalice of the Void
4 [SH] Mox Diamond
4 [6E] Armageddon
// Sideboard
SB: 2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
SB: 3 [UL] Defense Grid
SB: 4 [RAV] Suppression Field
SB: 2 [PLC] Stonecloaker
SB: 2 [10E] Aura of Silence
SB: 2 [SC] Decree of Justice
This monday i'm going to get a tardenacle at pendrell vale. Which do you thing is the best change for including it??
was thinking on: -1 Flagstone + 1 Tarbenacle, -1 Magus +1 Exalted.
What do you think about Kor haven is a good inclusion??
Good call on the tabernacle.
You should test Baneslayer instead of exalted, it's soooo much better, pro tombstalker (evagreen is a beating) the first strike is extremely relavant. Either way, 3 is more than enough angels. if anything, I would -1 magus +1 Knight
May also want to cut a City of traitors for a savannah, then you can run choke in the board more reliably if you need.
??How do you like KotR?? havn't had time to test it yet.
I would probably cut a City of Traitors, most people I see are playing 3, including myself, and it works out just fine.
As far as the sideboard goes, how do you feel about Defense Grid? I never really liked it because I felt that I already have a good matchup against most U/X decks. Also, do you think the interchangeable kill conditions are worth it? Perhaps it would be better to board in more silver bullets against those decks instead of switching your kill condition.
I would run Baneslayers instead of the Exalted's. They really are fantastic. I wouldn't run more than 2, though. You want to minimize overdrawing them.
3 Magus + 2 Baneslayer is the creature package I run, but I think the Green splash is better, just too lazy for it. In which case I would also run at least 1 Knight, if not 2.
I think we need to get creatures to beatdown our opponents. In my tests i felt many time the lack of a killer when i locked or soft locked. I think that an 8 creatures package to kill is good 7 as an extreme (Always including angels, X magus, and 1 KotR).
On the other hand, against U/X decks i don't what an change of the win cond. It's just that against that decks the effects of the magus and even the tabernacle's are not so usefull. I belive that a control switch is viable.
-X magus
-1 Tabernacle
+3 Defense grid
+2-3 Supression field and why not Luminarch assencion...
Against disrruption decks mentioned above if think that the baneslayer angel is an option but not a solution.
I agree, I think they are unquestionably better than exalted. Yes you can get an exalted unmorphed on turn 2, but if you do, you are playing Stax wrong.
If you spent your first two turns mana on unmorphing an angel when you should be locking down the board thats an epic play failure, especially since it will likely get StP'd costing your opponent 1 mana when you spent 7 (and possibly some life if you used tomb).
Your first turn should ideally always be dropping a chalice at 1 or trinisphere, then dropping some lock components. Chalice at 1 in particular is very important since it then protects your angel from StP. After that, I generally find you want to hardcast your angel and in this case 5 mana is better than 6.
I have also seen people in this thread saying you don't need angels, Magus and Factories do the job fine. While that is 100% true, that assumes you establish a hard lock (i.e. smokestack + crucible). I find that in many games I never quite get there, and have to try and kill my opponent with a softlock. In these situations (before I played angels) I'd often find myself looking across the table at a goyf or tombstalker and not being able to attack with my magus' or factories. That's why I believe you should always run 2 angels (or KotR if you go a green build).
Well i will post the better White Stax list i had played... but i am still not sure which will be more efficient: 4 City of Traitors vs 3 City of Traitors and a Nomad Stadium.
// Lands
6 [UNH] Plains
4 [TE] Ancient Tomb
3 [EX] City of Traitors
3 [TSP] Flagstones of Trokair
3 [TE] Wasteland
3 [4E] Mishra's Factory
1 [FUT] Horizon Canopy
1 [NE] Kor Haven
1 [OD] Nomad Stadium
// Creatures
2 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
3 [PLC] Magus of the Tabernacle
// Spells
4 [CHK] Ghostly Prison
4 [MR] Chalice of the Void
4 [SH] Mox Diamond
4 [US] Smokestack
4 [FD] Crucible of Worlds
4 [R] Armageddon
3 [DS] Trinisphere
3 [ALA] Oblivion Ring
// Sideboard
SB: 1 [DS] Trinisphere
SB: 2 [TSB] Tormod's Crypt
SB: 2 [WL] Aura of Silence
SB: 2 [OD] Karmic Justice
SB: 3 [RAV] Suppression Field
SB: 2 [OD] Sphere of Law
SB: 3 [UL] Defense Grid
What do you think? -1 Nomad Stadium +1 City of Traitors?
i'd say yes!! And by the way...how do you feel drawing a late crucible with another in game..,don't you think that 4 are too much??
^ I don't think you should ever run less than 4 Crucibles in the deck; if I could, I would run 5 or 6. It's the cornerstone of the deck, and it makes nearly all of your cards more useful (Smokestack, Armageddon, Mox Diamond, City of Traitors, Wasteland, Factory, etc.). It also gives your deck the threat of inevitability, to give you the infinite sacrificing with Smokestack. If you draw an extra one, it's nice to have a backup in hand in case your first one gets destroyed, because often it is a priority to be destroyed early by your opponenet. At the very worst, its 3 mana Smokestack fodder.
Stax should be a new DTW come tomorrow, methinks. DTW! DTW!
3 City of Traitors is fine, most successful builds that I've seen play just 3.
If i draw an extra crucible, i will keep it in hand in case the one in the battlefield get destroyed.
Crucible of Worlds is the heart of the deck (personal opinion), meaning if the opponent got a krosan grip, he/she will used against Crusible of Worlds.
Luminarch assension seems really good in here, spitting out 4/4 angel tokens for 2 mana seems better than baneslayer angel. Anyone tested it?
Baneslayer and Knight of the Reliquary block.
Not to mention Baneslayer can attack the next turn it comes out, and block the turn it comes out. Also, it has lifegain, and first strike, which can take out Tombstalkers or something. (Or race)
Meanwhile, Knight of Reliquary can fetch out single lands, and matches well with Armageddon.
Luminarch assension requires you to have a lock set up. Not to mention, it isn't Ancient Tomb friendly. On top of that, it cost two mana, which is something you want Chalice of the Void to be at, sometimes.
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