[Deck] Team Italia

[Mr. Safety]

A couple other possibilities for dealing with removal or getting our utility guys active would be running Aether Vial. Giving us the ability to vial out Grim or MoR during end step and reducing the window of opportunity for the opponent to Bolt or StP them before they get at least one activation.

On the Apostle's Blessing / Rebuff the Wicked side of things there's also Shining Shoal or Reverent Mantra that could be considered if the list is pretty White heavy.

Could you do me a favor and just call her Mom? I've been scratching my head for a couple minutes to find out what MoR is...I had to actually look back in the thread, lol. I'm just used to hearing her called Mom is all.

Vial is a good opportunity, and one that supports Bob better. If Vial is used, it makes Serra Avenger quite a bit better as an aggressive drop that dodges the turn 4 stipulation (potential for turn 3 with Vial, and avoids the WW in her cost)

With Vial, I think a creature suite like this would work well:

4x Mother of Runes
3x Grim Lavamancer
3x Serra Avenger
4x Dark Confidant
3x Mirran Crusader
3x Vampire Nighthawk

[jlagrav]

With Vial, I think a creature suite like this would work well:

4x Mother of Runes
3x Grim Lavamancer
3x Serra Avenger
4x Dark Confidant
3x Mirran Crusader
3x Vampire Nighthawk

No SFM? So would you cut the equipment package all together? With Vial I think this deck might also be able to take advantage of Magus of the Moon, you can use Vial to keep bringing in creatures while they are stuck on only mountains.

[yoshencranz]

If we start vialing creatures, such as Serra Avenger, up I'd just much rather play Death and Taxes or Deadguy Ale. Those two decks are really awesome, and as soon as we start moving the deck in that direction, it becomes a direct derivative of one of the two mentioned. I'd say this deck is more of a decendant of the Deadguy Ale deck, and if we make moves it should generally be in that direction.

However, I'm interested in making Team Italia better not making it more like Deadguy or D&T.

I've moved away from Finks as my Big threat. I've tested Obliterator some and like it until it gets blasted with Dismember. So yeah, after all our testing, I too agree that Mirran Crusader fits the BIG threat slot the best.

Here is my current Creature base:

4 Bob
4 Grim Lavamancer
3 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Mirran Crusader
2 Mom
1 Figure of Destiny

I've been wanting to cut down the number of Mystics in the deck b/c you really only need to find one, so I went down to 3. Mirran Crusader has been BOSS for me being Goyf, Tombstalker, KotR proof.

[Kich867]

If we start vialing creatures, such as Serra Avenger, up I'd just much rather play Death and Taxes or Deadguy Ale. Those two decks are really awesome, and as soon as we start moving the deck in that direction, it becomes a direct derivative of one of the two mentioned. I'd say this deck is more of a decendant of the Deadguy Ale deck, and if we make moves it should generally be in that direction.

However, I'm interested in making Team Italia better not making it more like Deadguy or D&T.

I've moved away from Finks as my Big threat. I've tested Obliterator some and like it until it gets blasted with Dismember. So yeah, after all our testing, I too agree that Mirran Crusader fits the BIG threat slot the best.

Here is my current Creature base:

4 Bob
4 Grim Lavamancer
3 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Mirran Crusader
2 Mom
1 Figure of Destiny

I've been wanting to cut down the number of Mystics in the deck b/c you really only need to find one, so I went down to 3. Mirran Crusader has been BOSS for me being Goyf, Tombstalker, KotR proof.

I would drop the figure of destiny for either another mom or crusader, FOD is very unimpressive, having only one seems kind of on the useless side. Another mom would add protection and power, whereas the FOD doesn't actually do anything.

[Mr. Safety]

No SFM? So would you cut the equipment package all together? With Vial I think this deck might also be able to take advantage of Magus of the Moon, you can use Vial to keep bringing in creatures while they are stuck on only mountains.

DOH! I've been drinking that retard coffee again...

I was actually wracking my brain for the last 3 creatures thinking 'What goes good with Mystic/equips?' and I put in 3 Nighthawks. In the process, I forgot to add Mystic. Herp derp... take the 3 Nighthawks out and put in 3 Mystics, and the creature suite works well.

I saw someone post about Magus of the Moon...that sounds like hawt tech with Vial. Sideboard potential against greedy mana-bases? (Team America, Rock, Zoo, etc.)

[jlagrav]

DOH! I've been drinking that retard coffee again...

I was actually wracking my brain for the last 3 creatures thinking 'What goes good with Mystic/equips?' and I put in 3 Nighthawks. In the process, I forgot to add Mystic. Herp derp... take the 3 Nighthawks out and put in 3 Mystics, and the creature suite works well.

I saw someone post about Magus of the Moon...that sounds like hawt tech with Vial. Sideboard potential against greedy mana-bases? (Team America, Rock, Zoo, etc.)

I've been playing with Magus of the Moon in my b/r midrange deck and it just wrecks everything. RUG, BUG, Maverck, and more only play one or two basics. Even against decks like fish it at least shuts off the mutivaults.

But yea in order to run him in this deck we would HAVE to use vial and make this deck a lot more aggro and less 'team italia'

[jlagrav]

OK so here is what I'm thinking for an aggro TI



Creatures - 21
4 Dark Confidant
3 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Grim Lavamancer
3 Mother of Runes
3 Magus of the Moon
3 Mirran Crusader
2 Vampire Nighthawk

Spells - 18
4 Aether Vial
3 Vindicate
3 Lightning Bolt
4 Hymn to Tourach
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sensei's Divining Top

Lands - 21
4 Scrublands
3 Badlands
2 Plateau
2 Swamp
2 Plains
4 Marsh Flats
2 Bloodstained More
2 Arid Mesa



I went for basics over Wastelands to make a more stable man a base and so we can cast through our own Magus.

SoFI gives Mirran lots of protection and draws, SoLS brings back our guys and recovers life lost from Bob, Jitte is just awesome.

I wish there was space for Swords to plowshares I think the deck is fine without it.

I'm not sure about Hmyn, I like it how it just destroys hands, but I might rather go with Thoughsieze, its easier to cast and you can choose what they discard, but it costs life and they only discard one card.

What do you guys think?

[yoshencranz]

I like idea of a more aggro version, but when i look at it, it just seems like a bad Zoo deck. There are no creatures that can go over the top like Goyf for Aggro TI to abuse. there is not enought removal to burn a path for your dudes, as well, we dont have Islandwalk. I may be completely wrong on this though.

Also, Vial decks are better with Wastelands and tempo disruption cards to "get ahead". Hymn + Vial is a proven strategy but those have always come with a full suite of Wastelands and Vindicates.

[Mr. Safety]

While I agree on a fundamental level, I think the Vial plan has a lot of merit. I do agree on using Wasteland...maybe not 4, but at least 2-3. If you land Magus, it becomes a mountain. No problem, it can feed burn spells or Grim Lavamancer just fine. It doesn't even hurt your strategy, but can be a way to disrupt your opponent's mana-base before you land Magus (turn 3 at the earliest.)

[Jacemindbreak]

How do you guys feel about Abyssal Persecutor for the big beater? Then change IOK or Duress for Cabal.

[ceustice]

How do you guys feel about Abyssal Persecutor for the big beater? Then change IOK or Duress for Cabal.

I don"t think this deck need Abyssal Persecuter. My friends and I just put a TI deck together to test with and against. We started with the list Adam Barnello had in his article not to long ago.
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Dark Confidant
4 Figure of Destiny
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Hymn to Tourach
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
4 Vindicate
3 Arid Mesa
4 Badlands
2 Bloodstained Mire
4 Marsh Flats
1 Plains
1 Plateau
4 Scrubland
4 Wasteland
Sideboard
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
2 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Burrenton Forge-Tender
4 Pyroblast
3 Blood Moon

We've made a few changes to the deck but it is a pure house. We dropped all the Hymn to Tourachs for another IoK, Ranger of Eos, Sword of Feast and Famine, and a Swamp.

[Jacemindbreak]

check out the deck that recently placed in my local meta.


Andrew Genova - Team Italia (7th)

2x Badlands

4x Wasteland

4x Hymn to Tourach

2x Thoughtseize

4x Vindicate

4x Swords to Plowshares

1x Sword of Feast and Famine

1x Basilisk Collar

4x Dark Confidant

4x Stoneforge Mystic

4x Grim Lavamancer

1x Batterskull

1x Plateau

4x Marsh Flats

2x Arid Mesa

1x Ranger of Eos

1x Sensei's Divining Top

3x Bloodstained Mire

2x Mother of Runes

2x Inquistion of Kozilek

1x Mountain

1x Plains

1x Swamp

4x Scrublands

2x Lighting Bolt



Sideboard

1x Umezawa's Jitte

2x Nihil Spell Bomb

1x Red Elemental Blast

4x Pyroblast

1x Sword of Fire and Ice

3x Extirpate

2x Diabolic Edict

1x Lighting


how does this deck stop maverick?

[from Cairo]

how does this deck stop maverick?

It has 4 Grim and 2 Lightning Bolt for the little guys and 4 Plow, 4 Vindicate and a Basilisk Collar for Knight of the Reliquary. Confidant and Hymn for card advantage. Keeping them off of Mother of Runes and Knight of the Reliquary is important.

Team Italia's unstable manabase given color requirements I think is it's weakest element. Playing Maverick the element they're best positioned to attack is the mana base. Their other priority has to be keeping Grim Lavamancer off the board.

In regards to the list posted I think Ranger of Eos would be better as Elspeth, or alternatively pushing the Jitte to the main seems like a stronger option.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

I can't imagine this deck has problems with Merfolk, so I wonder at the maindeck Batterskull over something that's relevant if SFM gets removed, like, say, Jitte. Or even a Grafted Wargear seems like it could be good to beef up otherwise unimpressive nerds like Lavamancer and Bob when you just want to beat down.

[KobeBryan]

How does italia do serious damage to the opposing player? It seems it will only do some chip damage until the opposing player is dead. Sure there is the batterskull, but if that is gone, there wont' be much left to put up a fight.

[yoshencranz]

I'm glad to see this deck top16 the last Open.

For my build of Team Italia, most of the damage done is with a guy suited up with Sword of Fire and Ice or a Batterskull. You'd be surprised how quickly damage adds up with the extra two that Sword of Fire/Ice does.

Once you get past the early game having stripped them of their hand or crippled their manabase you can equip a guy with relative ease. Elspeth also goes a long way to getting a faster clock with his Divine Transformation ability.

Bob+Sword of F/I = 6 damage+draw a card.

There will be games where the opponent has killed your swords/batterskull and those games are gruelingly long but in my playing, those games are far less than ones with equipment. Also for this purpose, I've been playing 3 Kitchen Finks main as well. I like them a lot as they are pretty resilient (except the obv - StP/Path) and generally give you 2 dudes to equip with.

I've also adopted GFab's new manabase as I've been wanting to add basics to the deck for awhile now.

Here is my current list:

4 Scrubland
4 Badland
1 Plateau
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Marsh Flat
4 Wasteland
1 Swamp
1 Plain

4 Dark Confidant
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Grim Lavamancer
3 Kitchen Finks

4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Thoughtseize
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Swords to Plowshare
3 Vindicate

1 Sensei's Divining Top

2 Lilliana of the Veil
1 Elspeth, Knight Errant

1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte

SB:
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Darkblast
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Mother of Runes

I'm glad that the Pros/Semi Pro's have embraced Lilliana of the Veil in Team Italia. gFabs has been running 2 and I've been advocating it for a long time now. Darkblast out of the board has been great and works so well with Lilliana. The Lightning Bolts in the Side serve a few purposes: 1) having 8/9 1cc removal spells is really helpful vs the new wave of DelverTempo decks. 2) Bolt is better than StP vs. non-blue combo if only for the fact that combos can win without creatures.

[KobeBryan]

is 1 darkblast in the board enough?

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

If you're not using Kitchen Finks for life gain or because you have a particular problem with aggro decks, and you just want two bodies to equip, I would suggest Blade Splicer, as StP and PtE are a Hell of a lot more common than Wrath or Deed these days. Also better against Jace.

Or you could go full hog and build your manabase to support Spectral Procession... probably not though.

[Aggro_zombies]

Is Midnight Haunting better? It's an instant and has easier mana requirements for the cost of one less Spirit.

[yoshencranz]

I havent thought about Blade Splicer at all and it sounds really cool. Going in my deck tonight!