[Deck] Nic Fit (GBx Explorer Zenith Control)

[Alexeezay]

Arianrhod, lol I never knew why you love Wood Elves in Valakut-Fit so much...and then I realized how good it works with the Scapeshift plan =) lol I'm so stoked to play that deck

[Arianrhod]

Tapping out for Wood Elves with Top in play is also one of the greatest feelings ever =D So much value. It's basically a chump blocking fetchland that can sometimes be sac'd to Therapy and doesn't cost you life.

[GAROTOTIC]

I'm playing with this list:

// Lands
1 [A] Scrubland
2 [ON] Windswept Heath
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
1 [US] Phyrexian Tower
1 [SH] Volrath's Stronghold
2 [A] Swamp (1)
3 [A] Forest (1)
2 [A] Plains (1)
1 [A] Savannah
1 [FUT] Dryad Arbor
3 [A] Bayou

// Creatures
1 [AVR] Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 [EVE] Wickerbough Elder
2 [FD] Eternal Witness
1 [MBS] Thrun, the Last Troll
1 [GAM] Grave Titan
1 [M11] Sun Titan
4 [WL] Veteran Explorer
1 [FNM] Wall of Blossoms
2 [FNM] Kitchen Finks
1 [UL] Deranged Hermit
1 [CMD] Scavenging Ooze
1 [UD] Academy Rector

// Spells
3 [AP] Pernicious Deed
2 [ISD] Liliana of the Veil
4 [MBS] Green Sun's Zenith
2 [V09] Sensei's Divining Top
3 [GPX] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [A] Swords to Plowshares
1 [EX] Recurring Nightmare
4 [FNM] Cabal Therapy

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [LG] Nether Void
SB: 1 [PLC] Damnation
SB: 1 [LG] Chains of Mephistopheles
SB: 2 [FBP] Surgical Extraction
SB: 2 [TE] Choke
SB: 1 [MI] Enlightened Tutor
SB: 1 [PLC] Extirpate
SB: 3 [M11] Leyline of Sanctity
SB: 2 [SOM] Nihil Spellbomb
SB: 1 [LRW] Gaddock Teeg

[Arianrhod]

@Garo -- how has the Nether Void been for you? That's one of those cards that I've always wanted to test, but I've never got around to it. That, and I don't want to drop the $120 on it just to try it out, haha.

I don't like the third Leyline in your board -- I think 2 is plenty. Even if you don't have it in your opener, you can E.T for it and just cast it, or you can Rector it in. 3 seems like overkill to me. Also, there's a distinct lack of Thragtusk in your list, which should be corrected especially if you're running Nightmare. That synergy is really strong...much stronger than with Finks, since the persist screws up Nightmare loops.

[Qweerios]

What about Explore for the Scapeshift version?

Also, here is my latest BUG Fit:


Creatures (14)
4 Veteran Explorer
2 Coiling Oracle
2 Eternal Witness
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Thragtusk
1 Primeval Titan
1 Grave Titan
1 Shriekmaw

Spells (23)
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Life from the Loam
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Gifts Ungiven

3 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Pernicious Deed

2 Liliana of the Veil
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Lands (23)
1 Wasteland
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Karakas
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Forest
2 Swamp
2 Island
2 Bayou
2 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea

Sideboard (15)
4 Negate
4 Thoughtseize
2 Faerie Macabre
2 Extirpate
1 Darkblast
1 Damnation
1 Consuming Vapors


I don't really like the UU cost of Jace but he is very good... I still think it lacks at least 2 Innocent Blood. Oracle isn't as good as I first thought simply because commiting your second turn to Oracle is really a weak play when we ought to be casting TS, Therapy, GSZ@1, or IB on a Delver. Oracle will only ever be a GSZ target in a mana-short scenario when we are on 3 lands on T3 and have nothing better to do. Oracle makes a good complement to 4 Explorers + 4 GSZ (10 is fine but 12 is too many).

With this Bug Fit list, I should probably start testing Recurring Nightmare again. I reckon I could always drop the Loam Volrath Tower plan to support Recurring Nightmare more and open up some deck space but that would, IMO, weaken the deck and I don't think this deck needs more than 1 recursion engine (it has other issues to deal mainly).

My next step is to include said 2 IB to bump up the sac outlets to 7 (7-8 is my goal). Liliana (double black ), Oracle, Thrun, and maybe Shriekmaw are the most likely cards to be replaced.

[Megadeus]

I mean the list looks pretty good, but why negate? Is it a budget replacement for FoW?

[Koby]

I mean the list looks pretty good, but why negate? Is it a budget replacement for FoW?

6 blue cards in the maindeck. Force of Will traditionally needs a minimum of 14 blue cards (including FOW) to be castable.

[Star|Scream]

Arian: I am interested in building the BUG fit as I have the BG build and BGw Rock build completed, but I don't own a Karakas or Underground Sea. Would 3 Bayou & 3 Trop be a suitable replacement?

Also IOK or Duress as The thoughtseizes still elude me as well.

[GAROTOTIC]

@Arianrhod -- Never used the Nether Void, i mean, never really casted it to see if it really Works, boarded it against TES, Belcher and another deck that i can’t remember by now.The game was either already won or already lost right before i could cast it.
I bought one just to have as na nice acquisition for my collection, but i don’t believe the deck really needs its effect.

I Always had a hard time against burn, that’s why i kept the third leyline, its good to save some time until i can draw a good threat, and by the way, this card is NUTS against combo. Waiting until the end of the third turn to tutor for it doesen’t seem to be a good plan for me.

About the Thragtusk, but, in what slot?The second finks?Deranged Hermit?A Split of one Finks/1 Thragtusk? I really don’t know.
Andy es, i’m using Recurring Nightmare, the synergy with about 80% of the creatures of the deck is AMAZING!Even if you just veteran a couple times in a turn.

I just started to read the topic from the very first page, at the momment i’m at the page 62, and because of this there are some informations that i haven’t read yet.

I really enjoy the decks, have been playing with it since january, with Caleb Durward’s first BG list, just after that, adapting it to Higashi’s BGW list, that i changed one thing or another

[sumbahdy]

What about Explore for the Scapeshift version?

Also, here is my latest BUG Fit:


Creatures (14)
4 Veteran Explorer
2 Coiling Oracle
2 Eternal Witness
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Thragtusk
1 Primeval Titan
1 Grave Titan
1 Shriekmaw

Spells (23)
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Life from the Loam
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Gifts Ungiven

3 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Pernicious Deed

2 Liliana of the Veil
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Lands (23)
1 Wasteland
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Karakas
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Forest
2 Swamp
2 Island
2 Bayou
2 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea

Sideboard (15)
4 Negate
4 Thoughtseize
2 Faerie Macabre
2 Extirpate
1 Darkblast
1 Damnation
1 Consuming Vapors


I don't really like the UU cost of Jace but he is very good... I still think it lacks at least 2 Innocent Blood. Oracle isn't as good as I first thought simply because commiting your second turn to Oracle is really a weak play when we ought to be casting TS, Therapy, GSZ@1, or IB on a Delver. Oracle will only ever be a GSZ target in a mana-short scenario when we are on 3 lands on T3 and have nothing better to do. Oracle makes a good complement to 4 Explorers + 4 GSZ (10 is fine but 12 is too many).

With this Bug Fit list, I should probably start testing Recurring Nightmare again. I reckon I could always drop the Loam Volrath Tower plan to support Recurring Nightmare more and open up some deck space but that would, IMO, weaken the deck and I don't think this deck needs more than 1 recursion engine (it has other issues to deal mainly).

My next step is to include said 2 IB to bump up the sac outlets to 7 (7-8 is my goal). Liliana (double black ), Oracle, Thrun, and maybe Shriekmaw are the most likely cards to be replaced.

@Qweerios
I like the list but in which match ups do you transform into a control deck of the board? What do you take out without compromising the consistency of the deck?

[Qweerios]

Lily, Jace, Deeds, Shriekmaw, and Karakas are popular cards that I side out for the TS/Negates. Negates are really powerful against Miracle so I usualy side out Ooze, Shriek, and 2 Deeds. Against combo decks I tend to side out the 4 Deeds, Pulse, Shriek/Ooze, and Jace for the 4 TS and 4 Negates. Lilies, Shriek, and Jaces come out against Dredge, and I also throw out the Pulse/Deeds against Reanimator.

[Star|Scream]

Qweerios: Please see my question to Arian above. I meant to direct it to you. my bad.

[Claymore]

This might be too random of a question, but is there a "I win" combo for GB? In lists I have running around with Culling the Weak, it can generate massive amounts of mana but I lack good ways to use it, especially when it's often a one-shot ritual turn. I found Mikaeus + Triskelion but that might be too high cc across both components. I took a look at storm but most non-blue versions roll with Ad Nauseum. There is ob nixilis and scape shift...

I'm mostly limited to these colors (or white) due to not having other duals, but otherwise it feels like a mono-black storm when I go t1 explorer - culling the Weak for GBBBBXX on turn 2.

Edit: I fear that I didn't "expect" the Spanish Inquisition.

For now I'm experimenting with New Frontiers to give the deck some additional redundancy when you don't have an Explorer, and to make it relevant late game using some Landfall critters like Ob Nixilis and Rampaging Baloths. Phyrexian Obliterators to make Culling extra good. Throwing in Dark Ritual for the help of it lol

[Megadeus]

I have been looking for a replacement for wickerbough elder because I don't know if I need it... I may try out a 1of Disciple of Bolas on Wednesday. If skeletal scrying is good, this guy seems awesome, and I know he is awesome in my standard deck

[Arianrhod]

I split top 4 at Jupiter yesterday, taking home a Mox Pearl for my trouble. I'll do a more full writeup and post it later. I played the Scapeshift version....matchups were U/R Delver (W), Burn (W), TES (W), Sneak (L), RUG (W), Miracles (Draw), top 8 U/R Delver again (W), then split. There's a feature match against the Sneak player, and then later on they also featured game 3 my top 8 match vs U/R Delver. I'll fish out the link / timestamps for that when I do my full report.

[Claymore]

Damn son, congrats!

[Cire_dk]

@Arianrhod Well done!! I will be looking forward to your report.

? Did you play 3 Huntmasters? Any other changes to your list. I am also very curious about SB plan and choices. Since I am new to Nic Fit it helps me a lot to understand the deck. Thanks a lot.

[Claymore]

I did a little digging and found the link for the video http://www.twitch.tv/jupitergames/b/328251813

Sneak Attack at 4:10 and RUG at 8:30

[Arianrhod]

8:30 is actually vs U/R Delver, not RUG. And as I watched back the Sneak matchup earlier today, I saw literally the worst misplay I've ever made in my life, which cost me game one completely. I don't think that game three would have gone better -- he had four Leyline of Sanctity in his board, which really hurts any chance the Red version has, but I could have at least made a set out of it, rather than just folding 0-2. Rage.

And yeah, I played 3 Huntmasters. You can find the list here: http://www.jupitergamesonline.com/ar...gust-11th-2012

[Claymore]

Ah, I see now. I assumed it was RUG because of all the Tropicals he fetched

What miss play, not calling Show on the flashback therapy?