[Deck] Fetchland Tendrils

[emidln]

I don't mean that IGG is bad in general, just that in places where 1U + draw spell + 2 cards = IGG is bad, 1U + draw spell + 2 cards = Emrakul is probably fine. I'm not cutting IGG from my maindeck. For that matter, I don't even play Cloud of Faeries, I just see where it's potentially useful.

[rsaunder]

IMO, cloud of faeries is a replacement for IGG, either MB expecting lots of non-tempo blue or SB. I can see it being better in the wish variants than the S&T variants though, since that deck has few cheap outs against tempo.dec.

[GreenOne]

Is this going to change something?
it's sort of Orim's Chant in green, so we can play it maindeck in place of Thoughtseize or something.

Is it worth the slots?

[bruno_tiete]

My impression regarding Autumn's Veil is that its inability to Chantwalk is a dealbreaker. While it could be an improvement in blue (specially tempo) matchups, it's dead weight when you are trying to finish the game asap.

I could be wrong, though, as Thoughtseize is less than spectacular against aggro strategies.

I have missed a couple Ponders in the list, as you don't want to throw away your only cantrip in search for mana/business just to get to situations were you have to pass the turn and pray. I am really unsure about what to cut, though.

As a last minor complaint, Burning Wishes always seem to make me one card short of Threshed CRits.

[DarthVicious]

I'm not a fan of the Shelldock->Emrakul plan, I don't know why. I have 2 EtW in the board, along with Bribery as a BW target. Yeah, you read that right. Bribery. Telemin Performance does not accomplish the same thing.

Took a reanimator player by surprise one time. In hindsight I should've taken the Sphinx instead of going for the legend kill on Iona. Horrible misplay. But you had to see the faces of everyone next to us, especially his.

Ritual, Ritual, Nauseam? Resolves?
Ten bucks.
Ritual, Doomsday pile FTW?
Hundred bucks.
BW for Bribery to steal your nastiest fatty?
Priceless.

[jamis]

I've been testing this deck, but I felt not being able to wish for acceleration was pretty harmful, so I added some Rite of Flame. I'm going to start testing this list:

2 Underground Sea
1 Badlands
1 Volcanic Island
4 Polluted Delta
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Swamp
1 Island

1 Shelldock Isle
1 Cloud of Faeries
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

1 Meditate
1 Ill-gotten Gains
1 Tendrils of Agony

4 Burning Wish
3 Doomsday
2 Lim-dul's Vault

4 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Brainstorm
1 Ponder

4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Dark Ritual
3 Rite of Flame
4 Lotus Petal
1 Cabal Ritual

4 Duress
1 Thoughtseize
1 Wipe Away

Sideboard
3 Defense Grid
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 Show and Tell
2 Deathmark
1 Sadistic Sacrament
1 Thoughtseize
1 Doomsday
1 Ponder
1 Rite of Flame
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Tendrils of Agony

[DarthVicious]

I've been testing this deck, but I felt not being able to wish for acceleration was pretty harmful, so I added some Rite of Flame.

I've been looking for wishable acceleration and can't seem to find any worthwile. BW->Rite of Flame is more of a late game play, it depends on how many you've seen pre-DD.

0 RoF in grave = -1 net mana, +2 storm
1 RoF in grave = even mana, +2 storm
2 RoF in grave = +1 mana, +2 storm
3 RoF in grave = +2 mana, +2 storm

For Mana Seism you'd have to sac at least four land to make it worthwile. I even thought of running Inner Fire when I was running Ad Nauseam. I just did a search and came up with 19 sorceries that add mana, most of which involve creatures and/or green.

BW->Drafna's Restoration might be the best option, although it pretty much demands you have some card draw, and that you've used some artifact mana already (Petals and LEDs).

I've spent some time on Gatherer. Quite some time.

[Aleksandr]

I played DDFT on yesterdays tournament (12 people, 4 rounds, prizes were Bayou HP, two fetches)

list:

Qty Name
// Lands
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
1 Swamp
1 Island
3 Underground Sea
1 Shelldock Isle
1 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
//\\
// Creatures
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Cloud of Faeries
//\\
// Spells
1 Ill-Gotten Gains
1 Cabal Ritual
4 Dark Ritual
1 Tendrils of Agony
4 Lotus Petal
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
3 Infernal Tutor
4 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
4 Doomsday
3 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Meditate
1 Wipe Away
4 Duress
2 Thoughtseize
1 Pithing Needle
//\\
// Sideboard
1 Tropical Island
3 Pithing Needle
2 Echoing Truth
3 Pernicious Deed
2 Krosan Grip
4 Dark Confidant


Round 1, Vaclav, Elves

I lost g1 to fast beats and I sided wrong, so I lost the g2 too.
I thought to Deed away his Elves, but this is in no way Merfolk match. I always lacked one mana to Deed the board, because with all his accelleration, he is one turn ahead of me every time I wanna sac the bomb. Confidants did nothing, too, they can draw the cards, but that's about it.
I should have rather keep the discard and Seize him of Elves and mainly Duress the Crossroads and Land Grants to slow him down. Nvm, next time I'll be wiser.


Round 2 , Martin, UR CB-Painter

Not that I love 8 Blasts maindeck, but otoh, I can easily avoid the Grindstone kill. Postboard Deed gets rid of all the vexing artifacts and CB, while Confidants draw both cards and opponent's life total.
I cannot remember how I exactly it happened, but I lost g1 to fast Mages beat supported by CB lock.
G2 Martin kept a strong hand lacking any mana, which cost him some turns. I played double Confidant into mini-Tendrils, so onto g3.
The third game was very interesting, as we both played some ammount of defense, be it Deed, Needle, CB, Duress, etc. Finally I went for the Emrakul kill, not that it was 100% safe, but he had nigh empoty hand and I just have to try anything, before it is too late, as he build the lock and had serious beats onboard. After DD he have drawn the Mage, but was one mana short of killing me by Stone, so he just took the Needle and pitched the Isle. This was fine, as I had Wipe Away, but I just realized that he could have kill me by blasting the Isle. Next time I must not forget this option!


Round 3, Tom, Tress

He had horrible hand with no acceleration, many draw effects and very few enchantments, moreover the bad ones. I Emrakuled him.
G2 he mulled to three after he made an error during the first mull. This wasn't much exciting game. I comboed via DD.


Round 4, Michal?, RG LD.dec

I was hit by some Stone Rains, Molten Rains and another Rains, but I finally drawn the land needed to start the chain. I killed him with an IGG loop.
G2 I DDed for the Tendrils 30+. Not much to say.


So...
I went 3-1 which was 2% less short of the 3rd place. Nevermind. I lost to Elves, but this was mainly due to incorrect sideboard. I won some games, but honestly, these victories were sometimes far from well-deserved. I need to practice, too, because I could have won the g2 of Elves match, if only I went for the DD->Emr, swing for 15, BS->Rit, Rit, ToA.

I am satisfied with the deck, but I am bit affraid of the Emrakul toolbox. Although strong in some matchups, it just makes the deck worse against non-blue decks. Otoh, I can win with it from nowhere and it is really hard to spoil it, as it takes a monkey to complete the Emrakul pile and turn him sideways. So I stay true to the great 15/15 for now.

[sam.]

How effective has Cloud of Faeries been for you? I was considering it in my own list, but couldn't think of enough scenarios where I wouldn't already win with Tendrils.

Edit: Oh, and also congratulations on the strong finish!

[Aleksandr]

Edit: Oh, and also congratulations on the strong finish!

Thanks!

How effective has Cloud of Faeries been for you? I was considering it in my own list, but couldn't think of enough scenarios where I wouldn't already win with Tendrils.

Well, they are there to speed up the Emrakul kill by one turn and save him from Edict/Curfew. From time to time you can also cycle them and if you're not a moron like I am, this can be helpful... just think if you want to cycle now, or after you set up.

They're far from stellar, but they do what you want them to do, and DD -> BS, CoF, Emr is 16 life swing... and since now you should be able to seal the game with Rit + ToA.


EDIT: I just remembered that I defeated the Tress guy by DD-Med-IGG loop with removal backup in g2. Not that it matters, just for the record that Emrakul has one scalp less.

[rsaunder]

Thanks!
They're far from stellar, but they do what you want them to do, and DD -> BS, CoF, Emr is 16 life swing... and since now you should be able to seal the game with Rit + ToA.

I don't see how annhialator 6 doesn't win you 99% of these situations. I almost never look at Emmy as damage but as massive recurring removal.

@DarthViscious: All Sun's Dawn is probably the best option, but it's not worth the slot. Neither is bribery, if you have 7 mana going on you should just win the game instead of being cute.

[DarthVicious]

@DarthViscious: All Sun's Dawn is probably the best option, but it's not worth the slot. Neither is bribery, if you have 7 mana going on you should just win the game instead of being cute.

True. Just today I decided I'd rather bring in my own Emrakul piles for DD than BW->Bribery. Bribery is ok against Iona on black, and you can get their Progenitus/Emrakul/blah blah fattie blah. But Bribery can be countered... which sucks. Bribery is really a leftover on my SB from when I was running AdN.

[Aleksandr]

I don't see how annhialator 6 doesn't win you 99% of these situations.

Because his board was Forest, Forest, Forest, Forest, Llanowar, Llanowar, Quirion, Priest of T., Priest of T., Archdruid, Archdruid, Archdruid, Visionary, Visionary, Visionary, Visionary, Fyndhorn, Champion, Messenger, Messenger, ESG, Empath, Empath, Brass Herald, Brass Herald, Brass Herald, Symbiote, Symbiote, and he held Caller of the Claw.

That's why the sole Emrakul was not enough to win.

[rsaunder]

Because his board was Forest, Forest, Forest, Forest, Llanowar, Llanowar, Quirion, Priest of T., Priest of T., Archdruid, Archdruid, Archdruid, Visionary, Visionary, Visionary, Visionary, Fyndhorn, Champion, Messenger, Messenger, ESG, Empath, Empath, Brass Herald, Brass Herald, Brass Herald, Symbiote, Symbiote, and he held Caller of the Claw.

That's why the sole Emrakul was not enough to win.

Geeze, I don't think I've ever emrakul'd against a situation like that. Against decks that have no burn and will tend to go creature hordes, ToA is your friend, you've gotta know what way to go in what situation. If you could do a cloud of faeries pile you could have done an IGG pile just as easily and outright won without the cute second turn tricks.

[Aleksandr]

Geeze, I don't think I've ever emrakul'd against a situation like that. Against decks that have no burn and will tend to go creature hordes, ToA is your friend, you've gotta know what way to go in what situation. If you could do a cloud of faeries pile you could have done an IGG pile just as easily and outright won without the cute second turn tricks.

Yeah, because during every game I draw exactly those cards that I exactly need. You know that sometimes things go wrong, don't ya?

I was unable to IGG for the kill, because I was short of some cards. And I was unable to double Doomsday, because I was... (drumroll) short of some cards. I was also unable to DD -> Meditate.win, because (I hope you already know it...) I was short of some cards.
I could pretty well won if I Emrakuled for sixteen and than went Rit+ToA, but I didn't notice that there's a possibility how to play it.
At the end of the day I really don't care how I win. Be it Mrak or Tendrils 42+, as long as I win, that's all I care about. And I failed at this quest.

The end.

[DarthVicious]

Yeah, because during every game I draw exactly those cards that I exactly need.

Sarcasm. I like it.

On a side note, I sometimes have a hard time finding DD/BW->DD... I'm wondering if anyone's tested Personal Tutor. I don't like how you have to reveal the card though. Any other suggestions? More cantrips maybe, considering I'm only running BS and Top?

[rsaunder]

I run:

3 Doomsday
4 B. Wish
3 Lim Dul's Vault
1 Infernal Tutor
4 Brainstorm
4 SDT
2 Ponder

And have almost no trouble finding pieces. Personal tutor sucks... avoid it.

[loop]

What did you cut to fit the Ponders in? Sometimes I wish I were running a couple more cantrips.

[Aleksandr]

Sarcasm. I like it.

On a side note, I sometimes have a hard time finding DD/BW->DD... I'm wondering if anyone's tested Personal Tutor. I don't like how you have to reveal the card though. Any other suggestions? More cantrips maybe, considering I'm only running BS and Top?

I ordered four PT right before the prices increased and I didn't find the need to play them since then. They are in any direction worse than MT was and giving my opponent the knowledge what exactly I gonna do on my next turn is not a powerful move.
I've heard of a guy that played some number of them to great finish, but...
Otoh, it is one the best tutors if you want to stay solely UB (the other been LDV), so maybe it could be of help, because even with eleven cantrips, I sometimes get my cards too late...
But don't forget that I pack the Emrakul kill main deck, with additional two or three cards for protection:Wasteland, so if I'd cut the Emr.win, I'd have another free slots for... what? Another cantrip? another acceleration? Or Personal Tutor? IDK...

EDIT:
The guy was playing Reanimator.

[DarthVicious]

I absolutely hate Ponder. I always seem to Ponder into crap, meanwhile Brainstorm gives me two of exactly what I needed. Maybe I'll start testing with LDV again, it wasn't so bad. I cut it for Cabal Ritual when I had trouble casting Doomsday. It's also nasty with Brainstorm.