[Deck] 43 Lands

[Julian23]

Haven't been visiting this thread as much as I should lately, but one thing I have to state:
The current metagame forces you to cope with Jace. If you can't you will lose game 1 unless you manage to keep them off four/double blue mana. Therefor: first, play a singleton Celestial Colonade maindeck. I don't care which card you cut for it. Second, run 2-4 Pithing Needle in the sideboard. YES! They are THAT good! Shutting down Jace and Sensei's Divining Top is huge as well as hitting Survival of the Fittest preemptivly is a big deal. Not to mention all the corner case scenarios like being able to stop Tormod's Crypt and Relic of Progenitus and a lot of other shenanigans like rendering Goblin's Wasteland useless against your Glacial Chasm.

Do or die.

[mchainmail]

Haven't been visiting this thread as much as I should lately, but one thing I have to state:
The current metagame forces you to cope with Jace. If you can't you will lose game 1 unless you manage to keep them off four/double blue mana. Therefor: first, play a singleton Celestial Colonade maindeck. I don't care which card you cut for it. Second, run 2-4 Pithing Needle in the sideboard. YES! They are THAT good! Shutting down Jace and Sensei's Divining Top is huge as well as hitting Survival of the Fittest preemptivly is a big deal. Not to mention all the corner case scenarios like being able to stop Tormod's Crypt and Relic of Progenitus and a lot of other shenanigans like rendering Goblin's Wasteland useless against your Glacial Chasm.

Do or die.

Why not just run Leyline of Sanctity?

[Patrunkenphat7]

After looking into Oblivion Stone quite a bit, it seems really good, but I wouldn't run both Oblvion Stone and EE maindeck. Anybody have any insight on which seems better in the current meta? You can tutor for EE and be more specific about your targets, but O-Stone is a beast.

Also, does anyone know of any good articles about Lands? Is anyone planning on updating the first page? It seems like this deck is infinitely different than anything in the opening post. I'm just trying to learn more about this deck. Thanks!

[fdiv_bug]

I've been learning to play this deck using Jason Schousboe's list that took 7th in Minneapolis, and so far I'm having a lot of fun. Thanks for all the advice and information people have already written in this thread!

I was wondering if there are any suggestions that the more experienced pilots had regarding specific matchups, especially with what to grab with Intuition. Like, with Merfolk do I want to get Loam/Tabernacle/Maze as quickly as possible, or would Loam/Academy Ruins/Ensnaring Bridge be better? I understand there's going to be a lot of variance in what I need to get based on the state of the board and what's gone before, but any pointers anyone had for someone who's just learning to pilot this would be much appreciated. That also includes any older posts here or elsewhere that I may have overlooked; while I've read through most of the entire thread, I did kinda skim the older stuff, paying closer attention to more recent posts, especially those after the banning of Mystical Tutor.

Thanks in advance!

[Julian23]

As you said, it totally depends on the game state. However, IF you know they are not playing bounce and you got the time to recurr Bridge and maybe even draw a Force or two in the process without dying, Ensnraing Bridge spells game over (unless they trigger their own Standstill yada yada).

[mchainmail]

I've been learning to play this deck using Jason Schousboe's list that took 7th in Minneapolis, and so far I'm having a lot of fun. Thanks for all the advice and information people have already written in this thread!

I was wondering if there are any suggestions that the more experienced pilots had regarding specific matchups, especially with what to grab with Intuition. Like, with Merfolk do I want to get Loam/Tabernacle/Maze as quickly as possible, or would Loam/Academy Ruins/Ensnaring Bridge be better? I understand there's going to be a lot of variance in what I need to get based on the state of the board and what's gone before, but any pointers anyone had for someone who's just learning to pilot this would be much appreciated. That also includes any older posts here or elsewhere that I may have overlooked; while I've read through most of the entire thread, I did kinda skim the older stuff, paying closer attention to more recent posts, especially those after the banning of Mystical Tutor.

Thanks in advance!

Grabbing Tolaria West is usually pretty good too.

[Eldar]

Just got back from the Jupiter Games lotus tourney and took 7th with a hybrid variant of lands. Went 5-0-2 in the swiss only losing to madness survival board into NO prog game 2 after losing game 1 to too many warnings. I am sure if anyone is interested in the list they can find it, but don't really feel like posting it because I don't want to see it get flamed.

[Serbitar]

Congrats. Hybrid between Lands and what (in Germany there are some lists with Knight of the Reliquary)? How did it improve the deck?

[Antonius]

Do show and tell; none of us here are malicious people... at least to my knowledge we aren't.

[mchainmail]

Just got back from the Jupiter Games lotus tourney and took 7th with a hybrid variant of lands. Went 5-0-2 in the swiss only losing to madness survival board into NO prog game 2 after losing game 1 to too many warnings. I am sure if anyone is interested in the list they can find it, but don't really feel like posting it because I don't want to see it get flamed.

I'd like to see it too. Congrats on the top 8... the one vestal event I'm not there for...

[Eldar]

It was a hybrid lands build with painter grindstone in the main.

[Julian23]

1 Painter, 1 Grindstone to grab via Intuition alongside Academy Ruins?

[Antonius]

It was a hybrid lands build with painter grindstone in the main.

Not a bad innovation--This deck has all the time in the world to recur the pieces should they die and we still have port/waste to protect Painter from Swords on the combo turn. I'd love to see your list.

[Eldar]

Main Deck: 60

Creatures: 3
3-Trinket Mage

Artifact Creatures: 3
3-Painter's Servant

Artifacts: 9
3-Mox Diamond
1-Engineered Explosives
1-Ensnaring Bridge
1-Grindstone
1-Tormod's Crypt
1-Zuran Orb
1-Sensei's Divining Top

Legendary Artifacts: 1
1-Mindslaver

Sorceries: 6
3-Life from the Loam
3-Living Wish

Instants: 3
3-Intuition

Enchantments: 4
4-Exploration

Lands: 31
4-Wasteland
4-Rishadan Port
3-Maze of Ith
3-Tropical Island
3-Tolaria West
2-Tranquil Thicket
1-Volrath's Stronghold
1-Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1-Glacial Chasm
1-Bayou
1-Misty Rainforest
1-Verdant Catacombs
1-Wooded Foothills
1-Windswept Heath
1-Forest
1-The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1-Ghost Quarter
1-Academy Ruins

Sideboard: 15
3-Krosan Grip
2-Ray of Revelation
1-Painter's Servant
1-Trinket Mage
1-The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1-Llawan, Cephalid Empress
1-Oracle of Mul Daya
1-Indrik Stomphowler
1-Karakas
1-Bojuka Bog
1-Glacial Chasm
1-Crucible of Worlds

I started out running a list of lands running living wish like Ken Adams did in the one SCG 5k and with wish in the deck and both painter and grindstone being artifacts it provides inevitability that you will draw the combo unless they exile with swords or grave hate. I started thinking about this at GP Columbus where some lands players were running random cards like keening stone for the lands mirror and I figured grindstone with the potential to painter was just better so I added a painter and a trinket mage in the side and a grindstone main, since at worst you can just mill yourself, and tested that at the small legacy event in Rochester going X-1-1 and not dropping a game unfortunately I showed up late and got a round loss and I ended up having to leave before t8 started anyway. I was just going to play the same list of the deck in Vestal, but I was really disappointed with mishra's factory so far in games that I have played and cut it for more of the painter combo main deck with the only clunky cards being the painter's themselves, since trinket does so much for you anyway and it worked out great. A few matches of the tournament I was able to win game 1 in traditional lands fashion without even showing my opponent living wish, painter's servant, or grindstone and that allowed me to win game 2 with the combo easily while completely ignoring any hate for lands both grave hate and moon effects. It should also be stated that I went to time I believe twice in the tournament including in the last round in game 3 and was able to win fast enough with the painter combo on turn 3 of extras to win both of those matches rather than eliminate myself with a draw.

This is probably the list I would try currently. Changes from the tournament include -2 manabond for a top and cutting to 60 cards. Was running 61 at the tourney without really noticing any difference. Not sure if I still want the meloku without manabond in the deck or not. I was also running the 4th loam in the side in place of the glacial chasm, but to be honest with painter stone in the main it was hardly noticeable only running 3. I think you can easily get away with only 3 so I cut it for a 2nd chasm in case hate hits your first one (i.e. extirpate) still allows you to be able to wish as an out. Sadly the only real way you can win against TES or ANT is hope they get a horrible draw and that you get a very good one. The matchup is just so hard to win anyway maybe adding a canonist to the side to wish for would help, but I am not sure if it would even matter, so I was just taking that m/u as a loss in case anyone was wondering. It could be good with the addition of top to at least run one dark confidant to wish for and I could easily see myself cutting meloku for it.

[fdiv_bug]

This weekend at our small, local, weekly Legacy tournament, I was looking for a singleton artifact to take the place of the Oblivion Stone that hadn't yet arrived in the mail. I was pawing through my binder seeing what interesting and untested artifacts I had that might be worth a try, and I came across an Obelisk of Alara. I tossed it in, and was immensely impressed. I'm running a four-color list (no black), but with four Mox Diamond in my deck, I can get all five abilities online pretty easily. It directly won me two games, one through repeatedly dealing 3 damage to the opponent and the other by gaining more life than he could cope with while I won with Celestial Colonnade, and contributed to a concession in a third game. I also used the blue looting ability to dredge back a Loam in response to him Knight of the Reliquarying in a Bojuka Bog. All in all, pretty solid.

I dunno that I can make room for it once the Oblivion Stones get here, but maybe I'll just put the stones in the side; my other miser artifacts in the main are one each of Engineered Explosives, Zuran Orb, and Ensnaring Bridge.

Thoughts?

[mchainmail]

I started out running a list of lands running living wish like Ken Adams did in the one SCG 5k and with wish in the deck and both painter and grindstone being artifacts it provides inevitability that you will draw the combo unless they exile with swords or grave hate. I started thinking about this at GP Columbus where some lands players were running random cards like keening stone for the lands mirror and I figured grindstone with the potential to painter was just better so I added a painter and a trinket mage in the side and a grindstone main, since at worst you can just mill yourself, and tested that at the small legacy event in Rochester going X-1-1 and not dropping a game unfortunately I showed up late and got a round loss and I ended up having to leave before t8 started anyway. I was just going to play the same list of the deck in Vestal, but I was really disappointed with mishra's factory so far in games that I have played and cut it for more of the painter combo main deck with the only clunky cards being the painter's themselves, since trinket does so much for you anyway and it worked out great. A few matches of the tournament I was able to win game 1 in traditional lands fashion without even showing my opponent living wish, painter's servant, or grindstone and that allowed me to win game 2 with the combo easily while completely ignoring any hate for lands both grave hate and moon effects. It should also be stated that I went to time I believe twice in the tournament including in the last round in game 3 and was able to win fast enough with the painter combo on turn 3 of extras to win both of those matches rather than eliminate myself with a draw.

How do you feel you do against opposing Krosan Grips? I find people board them in a lot against me, mostly to hit exploration or bridge.

[GoldenCid]

I came across an Obelisk of Alara. Thoughts?

Is a nice choice...could you give some details of your experience with it??

[Eldar]

Normally playing around grip is fine. Sure not having exploration in play sucks but having an alternative win con makes grip way worse when there are a lot more things they just have to kill.

[fdiv_bug]

Is a nice choice...could you give some details of your experience with it??

Well, aside from the fact that everyone I played against had to read the card first () it gave me a damage win condition that got around Ensnaring Bridge, which was handy in the game against a Rock deck that had me staring down the barrel of two Tarmogoyfs and a 12/12 Knight of the Reliquary. He hit me with Bojuka Bog in game one, so I lost a couple Loams, but I was able to keep pressure on him, cowering on the other side of my Bridge. Game two of that same match, he hit me with Bog once more, and I dredged back a Loam in response using the Obelisk. This prompted him to re-read Obelisk to make damn sure he knew what all it did.

Later on, I was facing off against Dragon Stompy, once again on the far side of a Bridge. I had a Riftstone Portal in my yard, and he landed an Arc-Slogger. He checked my life total, counted his library, and then activated it enough to kill me. In response, I gained five life. He didn't have enough cards left in his library to kill me with the Slogger, had no removal for either the Bridge or the Obelisk, and conceded. He then proceeded to moon the hell out of me in games two and three, which Oblivion Stone would've prevented.

The biggest problem with the Obelisk is that it's a six-drop, and can get me out of relatively few dire situations the way that Oblivion Stone can -- dealing damage and redirecting to Jace is one way to get rid of the Planeswalker, but the Stone is more effective, requires less effort, and can be dropped sooner. It was a fun experiment, and I was very pleased with how it turned out, but I'd need to find room for both it and O-Stone, since the latter is, in my opinion, more important overall.

[GoldenCid]

The biggest problem with the Obelisk is that it's a six-drop, and can get me out of relatively few dire situations the way that Oblivion Stone can -- dealing damage and redirecting to Jace is one way to get rid of the Planeswalker, but the Stone is more effective, requires less effort, and can be dropped sooner. It was a fun experiment, and I was very pleased with how it turned out, but I'd need to find room for both it and O-Stone, since the latter is, in my opinion, more important overall.

You'd run stone + EE??