[Deck] Canadian Thresh (a.k.a. RUG Tempo, Tempo Thresh)

[atropos]

Anyways one other thing that I have noticed is that a lot of the Canadian Thresh players are using Spell Pierces in their boards. If it makes so many of Thresh's matchups easier, then why not just play Spell Pierce main boarded instead of Spell Snare? That would free up the board slots and could maybe improve the deck. Also since we run so few creatures, Pierce could protect them better than a Spell Snare can. I know Spell Pierce can't counter a Goyf, which could be a problem, but maybe it could make most of the matchups in the meta a bit more solid.

I believe I actually remember seeing several decks with a 2/2 split on deckcheck.net in the main occasionally when Zendikar first came out, but that doesn't really appear to be the case anymore. However, spell pierce has almost effectively replaced K-Grips in the board which is nice. Spell Pierce is cheaper and does way more for you.

Also, on a side note, the 50 best decks in Legacy article I believe sold us short. I always thought that Tempo Thresh had a fairly even matchup with countertop but evidently I'm mistaken. I suppose they may have been talking about the Natural Order/Progenitus lists. How can we sideboard effectively against that?

Here's the article (even though it's already in the Formats & Articles Discussion section):
http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/l...of_Legacy.html

[TrialByFire]

I believe I actually remember seeing several decks with a 2/2 split on deckcheck.net in the main occasionally when Zendikar first came out, but that doesn't really appear to be the case anymore. However, spell pierce has almost effectively replaced K-Grips in the board which is nice. Spell Pierce is cheaper and does way more for you.

Also, on a side note, the 50 best decks in Legacy article I believe sold us short. I always thought that Tempo Thresh had a fairly even matchup with countertop but evidently I'm mistaken. I suppose they may have been talking about the Natural Order/Progenitus lists. How can we sideboard effectively against that?

Here's the article (even though it's already in the Formats & Articles Discussion section):
http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/l...of_Legacy.html

They also used a shitty list with Lavamancers and a Basic forest

[Purgatory]

They also used a shitty list with Lavamancers and a Basic forest

Indeed I was wondering what was up with that.

In any case, I scrubbed out hard in the tournament, starting with a strong 0-2 (against Merfolk and some weird Red/Black deck that managed to draw one Terminate for every Tarmogoyf I played) but I stuck around and played because I couldn't get home before the others were done getting their asses handed to them, and I'm still pretty new to the deck and could use the experience).

I played 1-2 vs. Black/Red. Lost just barely after he managed to drop a Tombstalker that I couldn't answer in the top 4 cards of my library. Had nothing to board in, as he played al ot of creatures.

I played 1-2 vs. Merfolk after he drew three Wastelands and/or Stifles in all three games. The board was fine against it.

I played 1-2 vs. Loam, but that was when I had stopped caring about the results. Mulliganed to 3 in game two, and still didn't get a land, kept it and took him down to 5 before I lost. If I had drawn a third land for my Vendilion Clique I could've stolen his Loam and provided he couldn't draw another one in two turns, I would've won (his win-con there was Seismic Assult). The board was never a deal as I didn't draw any of the cards I sided in (2 Tormod's Crypt, 1 Engineered Explosives and 4 Submerge)

I played 2-0 vs. mono-blue painter. Blasts are awesome.

I played 2-1 vs. Dreadstill, after Submerge proved to me why it's better than Mind Harness in CT.

And then I finished with a solid 0-2 vs. Faeries, who were simply a lot more awesome than me in that game.

A dissappointing 2-4 and the best result in the car was my brother who managed a 13th place (out of about 50) with 4-2, piloting a really cool homebrew Survival. The rest of us sucked.

Oh well, there's another tournament at the same place on the 20th next month. Here's to a better result.

[spartan117]

I managed to arrive 6th in a local tourney (63 players) with Caplan's list.
I played against 2 probant decks, only one featuring Counterbalance. I won 2-1 against the first one and lost 0-2 against the second (the one with CB), but not due to CB. In the end he won the tournment. The best thing you could do in this MU is trying to stifle their fetch so they are not able to find basic lands. You really need to keep them short of mana and try to win the race. If they land an early sensei's or are able to reach some mana it's nearly finished, 'cause in the late game it's pretty impossible for use to win, especially G1.

Two days later I won 2-1 against another CB-probant because I left him with only 1 land all game along in G2 and G3. This fact proves that this strategy really pays against them.

What would you sideboard against probant with the following sideboard?

4 spell pierce
2 pyroblast
2 red elemental blast
4 submerge
1 krosan grip
1 EE
1 pyroclasm

[Purgatory]

Two days later I won 2-1 against another CB-probant because I left him with only 1 land all game along in G2 and G3. This fact proves that this strategy really pays against them.

Though the testing is obviously flawed (only one game), I do see your point. Very few decks can operate on only one land.

I would probably board in Blasts and Submerge against ProBant. If I'm going second in the following game, I'd board out Daze. If not, I think I'd board out Fire / Ice.

[Maveric78f]

SB out FoW + bounces + ponder (10 cards) on the play for 4 blasts, 2 pierces, 4 submerge)
SB out Daze + boucnes + ponder (10 cards) on the draw for 4 blasts, 1 pierce, 1 grip, 4 Submerge)

You might want to remove some bolts (inferior to F/I in this MU according to me) for more pierces.

[spartan117]

Though the testing is obviously flawed (only one game), I do see your point. Very few decks can operate on only one land.

I would probably board in Blasts and Submerge against ProBant. If I'm going second in the following game, I'd board out Daze. If not, I think I'd board out Fire / Ice.

Obviously I've won more than 2-3 games by playing this strategy and I'm sorry if I gave you this idea.
I mean, we haven't got many ways to play against Probant, and this seems the best one to me.

Talking about the sideboard, I changed the same cards you are suggesting. After testing I'm still not sure if fire//ice is superior to bolt in this MU, I think it needs more testing.
I'd also like to side in some spell pierce, but I can't find room. I'm not so convinced about sideboarding out forces...

[toni_a_salmi]

Hi folks, I just came to ask some advice and your opinion for some thing. I have played last 4 tournaments with
Tempo Thresh and made 3 times top8 which two was top4. I really like this deck and it works for me like a dream
but there are few very difficult matchups and one is agains Aggro Loam. I have lost 2 times agains it and once played
tie..I dunno what is really the best game strategy and what kind of cards should I take out and have in SB agains it.
Usually I dont play gravehate in SB at all cause there are just few dredge decks in our tournaments and Survival Bant
is not that common deck in Finland. Reanimator or 43 lander you will propably never face. GP Madrid is soon and
I think Survival Bant is quite common deck there and Ichorid is quite common deck in Europe too so should I play
crypts in SB or something and what are the best ways to beat Loam. Agains Ichorid you must just draw nuts and counter
draw spells, stifle Narcomoeba and beat fast but agains Loam is not that simple.
Agains aggro loam the problem is that you cant let chalice resolve so you need your snare for that. Stifles are great agains
Engineered Explosives, FoW hits tarmogoys, crushers & Terravore. If youre lucky maybe few of your bolts can kill something.
You have answers but it always feels like you just dont have enough answers or I just have wrong play strategy.

Another quite bad matchup is rising star Survival Band. There are horrible cards like War Monks, Plowshares kills your
tarmoes and there is lot of creatures while we have just few answers so what is your play strategy and SB strategy agains
Survival/Aggro Bant?

Toni Salmi

[Waikiki]

As a survival bant and thresh player. I actually find TT to be in the advantage. Just mana disrupt them. bolt/fire ice those hierarchs keep mana open for stifle and waste the lands. Survival is very mana hungry and will not function properly without.

[Savo]

As a survival bant and thresh player. I actually find TT to be in the advantage. Just mana disrupt them. bolt/fire ice those hierarchs keep mana open for stifle and waste the lands. Survival is very mana hungry and will not function properly without.

Of course. and post side submerge is great. thry're too slow. Countertop bant is definitely a worst matchup than survival bant in my opinion.

[toni_a_salmi]

As a survival bant and thresh player. I actually find TT to be in the advantage. Just mana disrupt them. bolt/fire ice those hierarchs keep mana open for stifle and waste the lands. Survival is very mana hungry and will not function properly without.

I thought so too but you wont get all your disruption stuff always and when you dont youre really in trouble. As survival
player too I know that you dont even need survival to win Threshold cause there's so many creature and if you can land
Rhox War Monk Thresh is in trouble (again) so this matchup is not quite favourable for TT I think. So the best way to win Bant
is disrupt them and try to keep them mana off. What about SB strategy...I usually side in blasts, submerges and Grip, take out
dazes and bolts. Is there any better SB strategy?

So what is the masterplan agains Aggro Loam? I found this is very bad matchup for TT players.

[Waikiki]

I played vs aggro loam during the chicago GP's when I was still playing TT. My plan was to slow them down as much as possible getting in with goyf and mongooses just in time. Stifling their land wasting the mana and spell snaring the loams. Gaining time is crucial. Game 2 submerges join the team.

worked for me then beating 2 skilled aggro loam player 2-0 and 2-1.

I also beaten GWb aggro loam but he just screwed himself keeping mana light hands.

[toni_a_salmi]

I played vs aggro loam during the chicago GP's when I was still playing TT. My plan was to slow them down as much as possible getting in with goyf and mongooses just in time. Stifling their land wasting the mana and spell snaring the loams. Gaining time is crucial. Game 2 submerges join the team.

worked for me then beating 2 skilled aggro loam player 2-0 and 2-1.

I also beaten GWb aggro loam but he just screwed himself keeping mana light hands.

You had same strategy than I had but maybe everything was about my luck, I dunno. There is still luck in this game :D
I made one mistake agains one loam player cause I didnt counter wish with snare but that was cause I expect he will
get Chainer's edict but he took maelstorm Pulse but I think that wasnt the reason to my lose.
I have to play practice more agains Loam ato get idea what is the best strategy.

[GUnit]

You definitely don't want play attrition with Loam. You need to tempo them to death or you'll get overwhelmed. Your gameplan is similar to that which you'd employ against a control deck with a dominant late game: drop a beater, disrupt for tempo rather than value and close with burn.

[KubaM]

What kind of meta you guys are expecting at GP Madrid?
The reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to figure out what sideboard will be appropriate. I'm playing standard Ugr build with Cliques in two open slots.
Matchups I'm most concern about are Merfolks, Zoo and obv Dredge. Although, I've noticed that new version of Dredge (non-LED) is not as bad matchup as it was with LED's. I don't really agree with non-Crypt sideboard's assuming that we don't stand a chance against Dredge so there is no point in 'wasting' slots for Crypts. They are great against many other decks such as Loam, 43 Lands, Reanimator.
I'm running following sideboard:
3x Pyroblast
3x Submerge
3x Tormod's Crypt
2x Krosan Grip
2x EE
2x Pyroclasm

For 3 matchups I mentioned my side plan is:
Dredge:
IN:
3x Pyroblast
3x Tormod's Crypt
2x EE
2x Pyroclasm
OUT:
4x Snare
4x Stifle
2x Bolt

Zoo:
IN:
3x Submerge
2x Pyroclasm
2x EE
OUT:
4x Stifle
2x Clique
1x Ponder

Merfolk:
IN:
3x Pyroblast
2x EE
OUT:
2x Fire/Ice
2x Snare
1x Stifle
I realize, that EE is not great against Merfolk, however in my opinion it's better sweep than Pyroclasm - his dudes are almost always at least x/3. As well I don't want to take Stifles out - they can counter Vial ability and/or counter Wasteland

I'll appreciate all your opinions and experiences based on tests.

[Whit3 Ghost]

Played the deck yesterday and hated the bounce slots. I'm starting to think that the deck needs at least two more threats and I have no idea what they should be. I hate Clique and Predator is also too slow for my taste. Sea Drake/Serendib also seem too vanilla. Is there anything that can be run in those slots that actually ups the deck's threat density?

[kabal]

For 3 matchups I mentioned my side plan is:
Dredge:
IN:
3x Pyroblast
3x Tormod's Crypt
2x EE
2x Pyroclasm
OUT:
4x Snare
4x Stifle
2x Bolt

Boarding out Stifle is a mistake. Being able to stop Narcomoeba for entering playing is pretty key for not allowing reanimation and zombie tokens. Even stopping Ichorid at least for a turn can be vital. Not to mention if they go for the win with a Flame-Kin Zealot, well you know.

[johanessen]

Boarding out Stifle is a mistake. Being able to stop Narcomoeba for entering playing is pretty key for not allowing reanimation and zombie tokens. Even stopping Ichorid at least for a turn can be vital. Not to mention if they go for the win with a Flame-Kin Zealot, well you know.

Coliseum anyone?

[Serbitar]

Played the deck yesterday and hated the bounce slots. I'm starting to think that the deck needs at least two more threats and I have no idea what they should be. I hate Clique and Predator is also too slow for my taste. Sea Drake/Serendib also seem too vanilla. Is there anything that can be run in those slots that actually ups the deck's threat density?

I saw someone suggest Wind Zendikon for TempoThresh... it looks kind of shitty, but can also double a Wasteland... dunno ?

[Maagler]

Ive been looking for something meaty to put in the flex slot. I have been looking around for a while but have not been able to find anything that fit in well, so I just settled for the evasive 3/1 that everyone plays. but a couple days ago while browsing through some team America deck lists, I found a few that ran terrovore. I have been trying him out and he is wicked good in some matches. I decided to drop the dual count to 6 and up the fetch count to 8 to support him better, but overall he seems pretty fantastic.

I realize that there are some downsides to playing him. Since he costs 2 green he is a little harder to cast than cliques, but the tradeoff is that you can get a dude that gets huge with trample.

Has anyone else tried Terrovore? What do people think about his inclusion in this deck?