[Deck] GW/x Maverick

[.Ix]

Congrats on the top8, 1mpulse!

I'm wondering, though, what's the second Dryad Arbor for? I already get my singleton in the opening hand too often.

[litenkatt]

Sigarda, Host of Herons

Why isn't this card played in Maverick? She's a boss, really. I play her as 1-off and has been doing great. You can play her turn 3 with GSZ if you run the cradle too which is huge..

[flounce]

I think Surgical Extraction is the best manaless GY Hate available, since it also useful against Stormcombo or RUG

Is Faerie Macabre better, as its uncounterable?

[M@verick]

Each card has his advantatges:

Faery macabre is much better agaisnt reanimator. But, i think S.E. is useful against more pairings. Plaing Vs storm combo, sometimes you can extirpate infernal tutor winning so easy. Is very good also when your opponent plays agroloam, and i would play 2 or 3 agaisnt UW miracle (is very nice removing all swords and playing a gaddock)

[1mpulse]

Congrats on the top8, 1mpulse!

I'm wondering, though, what's the second Dryad Arbor for? I already get my singleton in the opening hand too often.

Hey, Thanks!

The second Dryad does a couple of things:

*Lets you use GSZ as Rampant Growth
*If you leave a fetchland up, you can fetch Arbor after sweepers and equip to a equipment for a blowout
*Surprise blocker
*If you do draw one, you can still GSZ for the second one

I tried it out after I started with GSZ, and never went back.

I think Surgical Extraction is the best manaless GY Hate available, since it also useful against Stormcombo or RUG

I couldn't disagree more.

As flounce notes it's uncounterable. That's a pretty big deal against Reanimator, as if they have the turn 2 Reanimate, not only does your Surgical get Forced, but Dazed as well.

Faerie Macabre also gets rid of two things. What if the Dredge player goes: Turn one Faithless looting, discarding Troll and Imp. Play LED. You're dead. Surgical isn't going to get both those things. Reanimator, turn 1 Careful Study, discard two guys. Turn two Exhume, you're dead.

The only way to stop Macabre is to needle her, which slows your opponent down enough to the point that their dead, or you've had enough time to Pridemage, or just get an Ooze down. Or you could have never had it in your hand at all! They'll never know til it's too late.

Additionally, if you run SoLS like I do, you get to keep buying back your Macabre. Your opponent will not be amused.

As for boarding in Surgical against RUG or Storm... you shouldn't be doing that. It's the classic, board in Surgical against everything. Don't delude your deck.

I will agree that Surgical is way better against Aggro Loam though. That said, I've played against Aggro Loam twice in the past 2 years (in America). Reanimator and Dredge, a helluva lot more.

[Esper3k]

Faerie is also probably better for those builds that run Fauna Shaman.

[Koby]

Faerie is also probably better for those builds that run Fauna Shaman.

Part of the trouble with Faerie Macabre is that you need at minimum 3 to make it effective. In a metagame expecting Reanimator to be the top dog, that's a good idea however. I concur with min 3 Macabre in Maverick SB right now. I'm retooling the SB right now, so don't ask what it looks like. Do some homework yourselves :P

[Esper3k]

Part of the trouble with Faerie Macabre is that you need at minimum 3 to make it effective. In a metagame expecting Reanimator to be the top dog, that's a good idea however. I concur with min 3 Macabre in Maverick SB right now. I'm retooling the SB right now, so don't ask what it looks like. Do some homework yourselves :P

I also think that Fauna Shaman is too slow / unreliable as well in the Dredge / Reanimator matchup.

Personally, I've been still happy with 2 Tormod's Crypts in a 2 eTutor board. I think it's stronger against Dredge since you wipe their board. Against Reanimator, it's probably a little weaker due to stuff being counterable, but when you're on the play, it's also unlikely you'll get them discarded out of your hand as well.

On top of that, in the eTutor board, you of course essentially get more virtual copies of the card instead of having to play as many Faeries.

[1mpulse]

I also think that Fauna Shaman is too slow / unreliable as well in the Dredge / Reanimator matchup.

Personally, I've been still happy with 2 Tormod's Crypts in a 2 eTutor board. I think it's stronger against Dredge since you wipe their board. Against Reanimator, it's probably a little weaker due to stuff being counterable, but when you're on the play, it's also unlikely you'll get them discarded out of your hand as well.

On top of that, in the eTutor board, you of course essentially get more virtual copies of the card instead of having to play as many Faeries.

I've never been a fan of Enlightened Tutor in GW, card disadvantage and all. But, to each is his or her own.

Crypt would be second choice for graveyard hate.

[Esper3k]

I've never been a fan of Enlightened Tutor in GW, card disadvantage and all. But, to each is his or her own.

Crypt would be second choice for graveyard hate.

To me, eTutor has never been for the matchups where you need card advantage, but for the matchups where you have to quickly find an answer or die, ie: combo.

[1mpulse]

To me, eTutor has never been for the matchups where you need card advantage, but for the matchups where you have to quickly find an answer or die, ie: combo.

I just run more bears and stuff.

[Koby]

If any of you are playing with Loyal Retainers...Why are you not playing Griselbrand?

[Esper3k]

I just run more bears and stuff.

In lists that run 3x Thalia, 1x Teeg, 2x Scavenging Ooze, how many more hate bears for combo can you feasibly run?

eTutor gives you speed on top of flexibility with the drawback of card disadvantage, but card advantage isn't how we beat combo anyways.

[Koby]

I just run more bears and stuff.

So.. what do you against a turn 1 Thoughtseize on the when you're on the play?

[Esper3k]

Also, I like the eTutor board because it allows you to diversify your hate as opposed to getting wrecked by a Pyroclasm.

Damnit, Maverick is like the Brokeback Mountain of decks for me...

I just can't quit it.

[Deckerator]

If any of you are playing with Loyal Retainers...Why are you not playing Griselbrand?

I play with 2 loyal retainers and Elesh and Griselbrand as my two targets. I have tested it not many times but this few times i have to say i like grisbrand, too. Griselbrand gives the deck a really good boost. Flying, lifelink and draw ability is really nice. You can protect him with mother of runes, he gets exalted and the best thing is, you can draw 7 cards which is really good, Because you have not many (1-2) card draw abiliries in this deck.

I will test him more times

[Koby]

I play with 2 loyal retainers and Elesh and Griselbrand as my two targets. I have tested it not many times but this few times i have to say i like grisbrand, too. Griselbrand gives the deck a really good boost. Flying, lifelink and draw ability is really nice. You can protect him with mother of runes, he gets exalted and the best thing is, you can draw 7 cards which is really good, Because you have not many (1-2) card draw abiliries in this deck.

I will test him more times

Lets be honest here. Griselbrand is broken. That Maverick can sneak him into play is just comedy. He's bonkers in every deck that can put him in. :)

[1mpulse]

Damnit, Maverick is like the Brokeback Mountain of decks for me...

I just can't quit it.

Lol.

So.. what do you against a turn 1 Thoughtseize on the when you're on the play?

In lists that run 3x Thalia, 1x Teeg, 2x Scavenging Ooze, how many more hate bears for combo can you feasibly run?

Lots O'Bears:
2 Aven Mindcensor
3 Thalia
2 Teeg
3 Revoker
4 Green Sun's Zenith

2 Ooze
3 Faerie
4 Knight

Edit:

Lets be honest here. Griselbrand is broken. That Maverick can sneak him into play is just comedy. He's bonkers in every deck that can put him in. :)

When even a fair deck is playing Griselbrand, you know there is a problem.

[Deckerator]

Yeah maybe. But now you can play him 3 nore month and i will do this. :-)
But it is maybe possible that he will never get banned. He is new, he is a bit overhyped and he is good, that is sure. But lets wait. I think they will not ban him because he doesnt overflow the meta like the other cards they banned, for example survival, mental misstep. this cards had
to be played or you have to create an anti
deck. You havent got this problem with Griselbrand. Not many winner decks are playing him.

@1mpulse: I havent seen him be played at a big tournament in a "fair" deck. So lets wait and have a look

[Esper3k]

Lot O'Bears:
2 Aven Mindcensor
3 Thalia
2 Teeg
3 Revoker
4 Green Sun's Zenith

2 Ooze
3 Faerie
4 Knight

Edit:

When even a fair deck is playing Griselbrand, you know there is a problem.

Mindcensor and GSZ are simply too slow or do nothing against a lot of the combo out there (Dredge, Reanimator, Sneaky Show all kind of shrug those off).

Revokers are alright, but again don't necessarily do much against combo.

Faerie's aren't really hate bears as it's not like it's a dude you plop down and it disrupts your opponent. It might as well be an instant that costs 0 and can't be countered.

With the exception of dealing only with the single card, Show & Tell, Knight is pretty terrible against combo, imo.

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And let's not kid ourselves - Maverick isn't a fair deck :) We win by attempting to ask "answer this card or lose the game" against our opponents as many times as possible in a match.