[DTW] Bant Survival

[Jak]

This version is much more combo-focused, and lacks the S&T out. Normally, Needle on Isle loses to Show and Tell. It also loses to a Doomsday stack with any bounce spells in it.

So I was basically out of the loop on the deck and have been reading the Salvation thread. It looks like they have 3 ways to win. Isle-->Emrakul, Show and Tell-->Emrakul, and then Storm. Doomsday is necessary for two of these. Hmm. It does look like stopping Doomsday is key but so is their setup. No Top, no Mystical, no LDV, etc, like majikal was saying.

I dunno. I want to test this.

[TheD4edalus]

I have the pleasure of trying out that match-up soon, so I'll let you all know how it pans out. Should be sometime next week, when I have a new person to playtest with, who has played Shelldrazi where we play Legacy...

I just got the final cards for Bant Survival, and I'm excited to actually start playing it in tournaments.

I just can't decide on a few final slots..

But I'll go ahead and post my decklist, and maybe you all can help me out.

Also, if someone tells me how to tag, then I'll gladly edit my post to tag the cards. But, anyways, here goes..


Lands
-
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Windswept Heath
1 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Savannah
1 Taiga
2 Forest
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Karakas

Noncreature
-
4 Survival of the Fittest
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Ponder

Creature
-
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Rhox War Monk
3 Spellstutter Sprite (Really pretty altered art ones. :3)
2 Qasali Pridmage
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Rafiq of the Many
1 Kira, Great Glass Spinner
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Loyal Retainers
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria


Um, sideboard isn't completely put together yet, but it obviously includes Firespout. It will also for sure include Genesis (for the longer matches), Meddling Mages, a Gilded Drake, a Llawan..possibly a Cold Eyed Selkie. I've been thinkin' about that one before I was even graced with this thread, so I'm glad other people have said it, because normally when I think of something, and no one else does, it's just a bad idea. ;D

Also, I've been thinking about Submerges for the sideboard.

Anyways, comments would be appreciated.

P.S - the maindecked Kira/Canonist are meta-game choices. Oh, and, also, I just started playing with SSS instead of Spell Snare yesterday while playtesting.

P.S.S heavy mana denial makes me cry. :(

[1mpulse]

Um, sideboard isn't completely put together yet, but it obviously includes Firespout. It will also for sure include Genesis (for the longer matches), Meddling Mages, a Gilded Drake, a Llawan..possibly a Cold Eyed Selkie. I've been thinkin' about that one before I was even graced with this thread, so I'm glad other people have said it, because normally when I think of something, and no one else does, it's just a bad idea. ;D

Also, I've been thinking about Submerges for the sideboard.

Anyways, comments would be appreciated.

P.S - the maindecked Kira/Canonist are meta-game choices. Oh, and, also, I just started playing with SSS instead of Spell Snare yesterday while playtesting.

P.S.S heavy mana denial makes me cry. :(

For your sideboard, Canonist > MM. It's easier to cast, as well as just better against combo, although, maybe your not running it for combo...

Can't wait to test against it though.

[TheD4edalus]

Meddling Mage is for moar than just combo, dur. It can shut down things like..Loam.

Oh, and Goryo's Vengeance. ;D

SDT, etc.

Recurring Nightmare..though you can bet Ionee will always be naming black.

[sdematt]

So I ended up playing this for the local Legacy tournament, and did reasonably alright with it (considering I get little to no practice).

But, a note to the above, why would you run Firespout? In the games that it'll matter (Gobbos, Merfolk) they'll waste your Red source. That's the only reason I'd be hesitant to run it.

I was running:

4 Misty Rainforest
4 Windswept Heath
2 Forest
2 Savannah
4 Tropical Island
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Karakas

1 Rafiq
1 Wonder
1 Squee
1 Trygon Predator
4 Rhox War Monk
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Vendillion Clique
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Qasali Pridemage
3 Meddling Mage

4 Survival
4 Swords
4 Brainstorm
4 Force
2 Ponder

Board:
3 Hydroblast
3 Spell Pierce
3 Path
1 Gilded Drake
1 Kira
1 Llawan
3 Faerie Macabre

Round 1: Black Green Dark Depths

Game one goes extremely well. I curve into Noble Heirarch, War Monk, Rafiq. He does Hymn me, but hits crap. He hits Dark Depths and Hexmage, I rub my forehead and pretend to have no outs. I attack with the look of defeat on my face, then drop Karakas. He scoops.

Board in: 3 Path, 3 Pierce, 1 Gilded Drake. Out: 2 Rhox, 2 Meddling Mage, other crap.

He gets combo on turn 4. I have Goyf onboard, but he living wishes for Gatekeeper. He passes turn. I ponder into nothing, crack a fetch, and Brainstorm into nothing. No Swords, Path, Karakas, etc. I scoop.

Game 3, I land Noble Heirarch into Goyf. He responds with a Goyf, I drop Karakas and pass. He drops Deed. I play into Deed, wanting him to blow it, as I have gas in hand. He blows Deed for 2 and takes my War Monk, then Hymns after to take the rest. Playing into Deed lost me the game. Frick.

Round 2: Dragon Stompy
Game 1, I fetched for basics and curved into a Meddling Mage on Blood Moon, with one of each basic in play. I curve into Rafiq and swing for 12 with a Clique. He plays Magus of the Moon and Double Pit dragon. I had no counters and no Swords. He flies around me and gets there.

Board in: 3 Pierce,3 Hydroblast, 3 Path. Out: Rhox War Monk, Clique, randoms.

Game 2, I open with a fetch and a plains, Meddling mage, and a Force with a Rhox War Monk. Probably not the best to keep, but I did. Basically, he lands a second Moon after Pyroblasting my Meddling Mage. I force the first Moon, but a second one comes out. I'm colourscrewed and need green to have won. I had Goyf + Hierarch in hand. I topdecked like a champ in terms of Path and Swords, but just coun't get all the way. He landed Arc-Slogger and took me to one. I Path is, but I neglect to count the card in his deck, and how many sloggers he has left. I hit a Hydroblast, nuke his Blood Moon, and lay a War Monk. Biggest mistake. I should've taken careful note that I didn't need the Life gain, just a blocker against his lone Simian Spirit Guide. He topdecks Pyroblasts and swings for lethal.

Well, pretty pissed at this point, and I hear the pairings: I'm playing against Reanimator. Oh joy...

Game 1, He lands a 3rd Turn Iona after Thoughtseizing me and fighting a counter-war. He names white, and I cringe. I brainstorm into Karakas and win the game.

Board in: Faerie Macabre, Llawan, Gilded Drake, Spell Pierce. Out: Many of my creatures and most of the the Survival package.

I'm assuming he boards Needle in, and I keep a nice looking hand with Macabre and multiple counters. He entombs, I counter, he dazes, I cry. He entombs Inkwell, which he thinks I have no outs to. He attempts to Reanimate, I Macabre. I drop Goyf and pass. He drops Sea and passes. He literally does nothing for a few turns, and I hit my single Survival left. I get a Meddling Mage, naming Entomb. He Mysticals for Careful Study, I tutor a blue creature to pitch to force. He scoops and drops. Poor guy was really dead to anything I did. We talked about the deck, and we noted it does have retarded draws at times, but it can't play the long game, and he was cold to all of my hate. I offered my condolences, he handed my deck back to me (he borrowed it).

Round 4 was a buy, so I went and got food and watched my friends play.

All in all, I was happy with my results. Blood Moon isn't a terrible matchup, but a key play mistake I'm sure cost me that game. Not sure if I could've won another game, but it would've helped.

Again, if I hadn't played into Deed, It would've been a 3 for 2 Deed instead of 3 for 1. Not sure if I could have won that, but apparently after the gas he had, if I would've hit Karakas/Swords/Path/Drake, he said after the tournament that all he had coming up was nothing.

All in all, I love the deck, but I feel Rafiq and Trygon in my list could be Loyal Retainers and Iona. I'm just not sure if I want to invest in a $120 uncommon at this point.

Also, are any of you going to SCG Seattle? If so, maybe I'll see some of you there :D

-Matt

[1mpulse]

Canonist is also good against Loam...
Hey, if they want to cast LftL as their one spell, fine by me.

[Waikiki]

Thats probably the only thing they do anyways as they just draw a ton of cards. I'd rather have MM, but I would certainly run Canonist sb against ant or enchantress.

[TheD4edalus]

But, a note to the above, why would you run Firespout? In the games that it'll matter (Gobbos, Merfolk) they'll waste your Red source. That's the only reason I'd be hesitant to run it.

I don't fetch the red source until I have too.

[Waikiki]

SO imagine opening a hand vs merfolk with taiga + fetch and no cantrip or hierach. but survival goyf pridemage. Would you keep?

[TheD4edalus]

SO imagine opening a hand vs merfolk with taiga + fetch and no cantrip or hierach. but survival goyf pridemage. Would you keep?

Hummmm. I have been known to take chances. That looks like something I'd keep, merely because I'd throw the Goyf under their force/daze, then attempt to play the pridemage next turn to kill off their Vial before anything pertinent comes into play. :)

Unless of course I'm playing against a build with stifles, then I might cry. But then again, you only named five cards. Though the other cards would probably be like..STP and Ionee - in other words, useless because that fetch is definitely going for a forest. :o

[Waikiki]

I think u start crying the minute they kill the taiga with waste and they dont care about your 1/2 goyf.

[TheD4edalus]

Anyways. Minor flaming aside, I played a small tourney yesterday, and only played against Enchantress (go figure)...that matchup is kinda tough without Wonder, but I still dealt. I ended up getting a foil Meddling Mage out of it. :)

[Waikiki]

Hmm I played against 2 enchantress players during GP madrid I found it to be a bye matchup. I didn't play wonder which doesnt even matter. I dont see why. Just drop iona on white and win.

[TheD4edalus]

Indeed. But, see, the problem is, they are really really good at dragging the game out. Plus, first game of the first round, I'm playing against my friend, who has one maindecked choke.

And of course, it came out second turn. Of course, if It hadn't, game would've been over in my next turn.

Iona can't magically fly through Angels. Especially not if they have 3 or more.

[majikal]

Indeed. But, see, the problem is, they are really really good at dragging the game out. Plus, first game of the first round, I'm playing against my friend, who has one maindecked choke.

And of course, it came out second turn. Of course, if It hadn't, game would've been over in my next turn.

Iona can't magically fly through Angels. Especially not if they have 3 or more.

That's why you bring in Emrakul. Once you've got Iona on White, you can dump Emrakul in your graveyard to shuffle Retainers back in and go off again. They have literally no outs at that point, since even if they manage to kill Emrakul, he shuffles Retainers back into your library again and you can just bring him right back. Eventually, Annihilator 6 will even get around Solitary Confinement.

[JRR]

I've found enchantress to be a silly easy matchup... I mean they really don't have that many threats. It doesn't matter how many cards they draw if you save your pridemages/counters for the 2-3 threats. The worst case scenario is running into an enchantress deck running bloodmoon main and not being ready for it.

[TheD4edalus]

I know dats' right!

I was gonna have Emrakul sideboard, but my friend traded his, and I'm trying to get one. :(

Enchantress is mainly annoying. Double Sterling Grove kinda hurts too. :P

[Julian23]

Even with double grove, Iona on white just kills them. Just save one FoW for a potential copy of Words of War. They're only out is resolving Ground Seal with double grove protection before Iona enters the scene.

/edit: However, they might be playing Lignify, which they should. They might also have maindeck Karakas so it all depends on their build I guess as this are still rather uncommon choices.

[TheD4edalus]

Yes, Lignify does exist in both decks I played, though one quickly scooped to Iona on white. Words of War was in one, but not the other.

I have never seen any Crackass in any Enchantress I've played. But, anyways, enough about the subject. I swear, I'll never bring up Enchantress again, because then the thread gets flooded with comments.

Edit. P.S.

I just read your signature, and is Land Tax being promo'd? :o

[majikal]

What do we think of Vengevine out of the SB for the Counterbalance matchup?