[Deck] Berserk Stompy

[CHaPuZaS]

Testing proves that 15 lands is enought for the maindeck and most games, but when you play against decks where you need Seeds of Innocence, for Chalices of things like that, 15 lands is just too low. I'm testing a Forest or two in the sideboard.

I am a Drain player in Vintage, God may kill me if he discovers that I'm running forests in the sideboard... xD

[umbowta]

Testing proves that 15 lands is enought for the maindeck and most games, but when you play against decks where you need Seeds of Innocence, for Chalices of things like that, 15 lands is just too low. I'm testing a Forest or two in the sideboard.

I am a Drain player in Vintage, God may kill me if he discovers that I'm running forests in the sideboard... xD

Are you planning on sticking to your normal 75? There just doesn't seem to be too much in the board that I'd want in the main over the 1 or 2 Forests that would be shifting to the board. I guess I could see Naturalize and/or Shusher...I guess

[Gui]

[EDIT]

About Tarmogoyf.....he is great but does not feel right in this deck. I was thinking of cutting the goyf and replace him with River Boa....The Islandwalk is a great ability against blue based decks. These decks are often very hard to beat.

River boa isn't a bad creature at all, but it's not the comon sense. If you fell like playing it, go ahead and give it a try. We usually prefer either running 2 tarmo as backup plan, or not running him at all, and replacing with more 1cc creatures or other pump effects... Not going to say you are wrong on trying river boa, though... We all do it once in a while...
though if you are looking for evasion, you could use Scryb Sprites, or even Vine Dryad...
[/EDIT]

Testing proves that 15 lands is enought for the maindeck and most games, but when you play against decks where you need Seeds of Innocence, for Chalices of things like that, 15 lands is just too low. I'm testing a Forest or two in the sideboard.

I am a Drain player in Vintage, God may kill me if he discovers that I'm running forests in the sideboard... xD

You may also try to play, hmmm, 14 Forests and +3 Horizon Canopy... Seems fair, opens one slot, brings a "God, pls, get me the card I want" draw engine to the latter game, and yet, plays 17 lands, with 14 (almost the 15 you said) hard lands so that you don't get stifled/wasted/moon'ed to no lands.

I used to like running 15 Forest + 3 Wasteland, probably because of the fact that 15 is enough, wasteland may backup if not, and also add some extra business.

[Otter]

Testing proves that 15 lands is enought for the maindeck and most games, but when you play against decks where you need Seeds of Innocence, for Chalices of things like that, 15 lands is just too low. I'm testing a Forest or two in the sideboard.

I am a Drain player in Vintage, God may kill me if he discovers that I'm running forests in the sideboard... xD

I like the idea of 15 lands with one or two boarded for most things, but do you run any copies of VotV? I feel like you really need three lands out to get a good cast of VotV. I guess I'd be curious to see your entire decklist for that matter, if you wouldn't mind.

[Gui]

I like the idea of 15 lands with one or two boarded for most things, but do you run any copies of VotV? I feel like you really need three lands out to get a good cast of VotV. I guess I'd be curious to see your entire decklist for that matter, if you wouldn't mind.

I feel like VoV is secondary if you already run 4 Bogle + 4 Silhanas, but some matchups can make use of VoV, so maybe carrying VoV SB together with the 2 forest?
SB: 4 Vexing Shusher
SB: 2 Forest
SB: 3 Vines of Vastwood
SB: 3~4 Seeds of Innocence
SB: 3 Naturalize -or- Tormods -or- something else

I like the idea of shifting our deck into either more agressive or more comboish with our sideboard cards. When I was playin VoV MD without Krosa, I've used it SB so that if combo was better, I boarded them in, and also, added 2x Bounty of the Hunt... If we side Vines of Vastwood, I think the result would be similar... shall need some test thou...

[lorddotm]

I feel like VoV is secondary if you already run 4 Bogle + 4 Silhanas, but some matchups can make use of VoV, so maybe carrying VoV SB together with the 2 forest?
SB: 4 Vexing Shusher
SB: 2 Forest
SB: 3 Vines of Vastwood
SB: 3~4 Seeds of Innocence
SB: 3 Naturalize -or- Tormods -or- something else

I like the idea of shifting our deck into either more agressive or more comboish with our sideboard cards. When I was playin VoV MD without Krosa, I've used it SB so that if combo was better, I boarded them in, and also, added 2x Bounty of the Hunt... If we side Vines of Vastwood, I think the result would be similar... shall need some test thou...

What is your main deck?

[Gui]

For this configuration of side, and the hole Forest @SB plan, it would be this:
Maindeck:
15 Forest

4 Invigorate
4 Rancor
4 Berserk
3 Seal of Strength
4 Might of Old Krosa

4 Slippery Bogle
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4 Skyshroud Elite //(I actually use Vine Dryad here, but that's me...)
4 Nettle Sentinel //(Or Scrybs)

4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Kavu Predator
2 Tarmogoyf

[lorddotm]

For this configuration of side, and the hole Forest @SB plan, it would be this:
Maindeck:
15 Forest

4 Invigorate
4 Rancor
4 Berserk
3 Seal of Strength
4 Might of Old Krosa

4 Slippery Boggle
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4 Skyshroud Elite //(I actually use Vine Dryad here, but that's me...)
4 Nettle Sentinel //(Or Scrybs)

4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Kavu Predator
2 Tarmogoyf

Looks interesting.

4 Slippery Bogel
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Kird Ape
4 Vishino Slaughtermaster
4 Uktabi Drake
4 Kavu Predator

4 Berserk
4 Vines of Vastwood
4 Might of Old Krosa
4 Invigorate
4 Rancor
2 Seal of Strength

4 Taiga
8 Fetch
2 Forest


So I never got feed back on my Red Splash.

Maybe Colossal Might?

[Gui]

Hmmm... no need for colossal might... I'd rather run the 3rd and 4th Seal instead
I'm not sure about Viashino, how is it going for you? And I'd cut Drake for, hmmm, nettle, or scryb, or Nacatl -n- go white too... But anyways, I think 14 lands for a hybrid version will get you into trouble against few matchups that will break you manabase down. AND you are running 12 2cc, +4VoV, which is 2cc for the combo sakes.

[lorddotm]

Hmmm... no need for colossal might... I'd rather run the 3rd and 4th Seal instead
I'm not sure about Viashino, how is it going for you? And I'd cut Drake for, hmmm, nettle, or scryb, or Nacatl -n- go white too... But anyways, I think 14 lands for a hybrid version will get you into trouble against few matchups that will break you manabase down. AND you are running 12 2cc, +4VoV, which is 2cc for the combo sakes.

Viashino has been pretty good as it has a built in Berserkish effect.

Maybe -4 Drake +4 ESG? Although the thing I love about Drake is just being able to win on an empty board. When they tap out for a creature, not expecting anything, and you drop Drake, pump it up, Berserk, and kill them. Those kind of kills usually need 2 Berserks though.

The VoV are just as good as protection spells IMO. Protecting a Viashino from a Path or Swords can be backbreaking.

So far best win was T3 with Viashino.

T1 Seal
T2 Viashino
T3 Might, Vines, Invigorate, break seal, Berserk. 22/22 double strikers with trample are good I hear.

But I have won games where I got a Rancor on Viashino, and then a few pumps killed them, without a Berserk, thanks to DS.

[CHaPuZaS]

I have won out on turn 2 many times, but that's because I've been playing it for soooo long.

So far, most "¡¡¡WTF!!!" win was:

Turn 1: Forest, Elite

Opp T1: Lackey

Turn 2: Forest, Invigorate, Invigorate, Invigorate, Berserk, Berserk

...

Which turns out to be 56 Damage, even though your opponent will have 29 lives now... xD

I remember to have done this at least three times, with different creatures, the others were with Scryb Sprite vs a 2nd turn Dreadnought and the other was a Jungle Lion which was Bolted as an answer to the first and second Invigorate.

Anyway, with a combination of between 3 invigorate and a berserk or berserk and 2 invigorate is much more common.

[johanessen]

I'm not sure if it has been commented yet before but anyone tryed Sylvan Safekeeper here?

[Otter]

I'm not sure if it has been commented yet before but anyone tryed Sylvan Safekeeper here?

The problem is that the stack doesn't interact very nicely with him. Picture this situation: I am trying to combo out a player holding a removal spell like Plow. If I try to pump my guy, they Plow in response and then if I Safekeeper in response to that in order to save them, the shroud will then counter my own spell too. If I use the Safekeeper proactively then I can't cast my pump at all. The only way it works is if they're terrible and try to respond with Plow when you lead with a Safekeeper activation, then you can respond with all of your pump, resolve it, then activate Safekeeper again. I'm not a fan of anything that requires my opponent to misplay.

[Gui]

I have won out on turn 2 many times, but that's because I've been playing it for soooo long.

So far, most "¡¡¡WTF!!!" win was:

Turn 1: Forest, Elite

Opp T1: Lackey

Turn 2: Forest, Invigorate, Invigorate, Invigorate, Berserk, Berserk

...

Which turns out to be 56 Damage, even though your opponent will have 29 lives now... xD

I remember to have done this at least three times, with different creatures, the others were with Scryb Sprite vs a 2nd turn Dreadnought and the other was a Jungle Lion which was Bolted as an answer to the first and second Invigorate.

Anyway, with a combination of between 3 invigorate and a berserk or berserk and 2 invigorate is much more common.

Well, we could do some extensive math over the "2 turn kill" thing, considering 2 open forest and a creature by turn 2, the dmg would be:
(this kind of math is pre-required to play berserk stompy, isn't it?)

Creatures with power 1:
2 invigorate + zerk: (1+4+4)*2-6 = 12
2 invigorate + (+3 pump) + zerk: (1+4+4+3)*2-6 = 18
2 invigorate + (+4 pump) + zerk: (1+4+4+4)*2-6 = 20 -> ok!
1 invigorate + (+4 pump) + zerk: (1+4+4)*2-3= 15
1 invigorate + 2 zerk: (1+4)*4 -3 = 17
2 invigorate + 2 zerk: (1+4+4)*4 -6 = 30 -> sup?

Creatures with power 2:
2 invigorate + zerk: (2+4+4)*2-6 = 14
2 invigorate + (+3 pump) + zerk = (2+4+4+3)*2-6 = 20 -> ok!
2 invigorate + (+4 pump) + zerk = (2+4+4+4)*2-6 = 22 -> ok!
1 invigorate + (+4 pump) + zerk: (2+4+4)*2-3= 18
1 invigorate + 2 zerk: (2+4)*4 -3 = 21 -> ok!
2 invigorate + 2 zerk: (2+4+4)*4 -6 = 36 -> gg!

From what we can conclude that power 2 creatures are far faster for the combo, and +4 pumps aren't that different from +3 pumps on this scenario, if you consider death as being "reaching 20": just one case different.

Of course I know it's stupidy calculum if you disconsider game situation, and that bogle or scryb may be better suited than power 2 creatures on many situations, but if you are willing to play a version of the deck that can combo faster, then you should do that kind of math.

Also, you could add Bounty of the Hunt, and see how it gets. BotH is better than invigorate when you berserk only once, since 6 > (8-3). It's one point better. (although none of the situations above needs only 1 point, there's always fetchlands...)

[Nidd]

Anyone else already discovered this goodie?

[Gui]

Anyone else already discovered this goodie?

Don't like it much, no...
River boa is far better, and even thou, noone plays River boa. Simple power 2 for 2cc, that can be sworded to death and make you unhappy isn't the kind of stuff we add to the deck. Besides, for the 2cc role, tarmogoyf is way better, since it holds the game if needed, play the aggro really well with rancor, and when you double him with berserk, you don't even care if the opponent got something to block him.

[Nidd]

Don't like it much, no...
River boa is far better, and even thou, noone plays River boa. Simple power 2 for 2cc, that can be sworded to death and make you unhappy isn't the kind of stuff we add to the deck. Besides, for the 2cc role, tarmogoyf is way better, since it holds the game if needed, play the aggro really well with rancor, and when you double him with berserk, you don't even care if the opponent got something to block him.

Now I'm a sad Panda

On a more serious note, why would someone want to play Wasteland in this deck? Manadenial with 3 Wastelands? Doesn't work.

[Gui]

Now I'm a sad Panda

On a more serious note, why would someone want to play Wasteland in this deck? Manadenial with 3 Wastelands? Doesn't work.

hmmm... I used to, I don't do it anymore... it was a far more aggro-oriented deck, and aggro always make use of wasteland as tempo-advantage: as soon as your lands reaches the count of 3, you burn one of yours and one of them, slowing them down while you can still play. Wasteland is also a solution to problematic game winner lands, like academy ruins.
Actually considering, wasteland may also kill a land when the player was relying on his 2 lands to play, and make him sad... It happens, and isn't hard at all.

Wasteland is a great overall card, just don't think it suits the deck... anyway, I always consider wastelands in every single deck I play. Its role is often confused with LD only, but it's far better. It's more of Tempo Advantage for low cc decks.

[Otter]

Here's my take on the boarded Forests plan:

4 Slippery Boggle
4 Skyshroud Elite
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4 Kavu Predator
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
2 Scryb Sprites
1 Scryb Ranger

4 Berserk
4 Invigorate
4 Might of Old Krosa
4 Rancor
2 Briar Shield

15 Forest

SB:
2 Forest
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Reverent Silence
2 Naturalize
4 Vexing Shusher
4 Seeds of Innocence

Basically I'm using one Scryb Ranger main and one boarded to smooth the mana a bit more and own Merfolk. I'd run more, but I don't want to overload the 2cc creature spot. Briar Shield to give the Scryb Sprites, Boggles, and Ledgewalkers a bit more kick. Ditching Vines of the Vastwood, it was never impressive, stressed the mana, and Boggle does the same thing.

[NecroYawgmoth]

...did anyone tested Mindbreak Trap against Combo???

What were the results?



YawG