[Deck] The Rock

[Mr. Safety]

Round 3 - Stoneblade Miracles. Won 2-0. Thoughseize was great, but Abrupt Decay was amazing killing tokens and stoneforges. Game 1 I landed a turn 2 Sylvan that won me the game...

This really stuck out to me, and I wanted to bring attention to it: Sylvan Library against anything playing counterspells is the stone cold nuts. It's a *must counter* spell, but my experience is that in most, if not in all, situations players let it resolve. This was my experience when I was piloting Zoo, but it applies here too. I have been fighting the inclusion into my deck for a little while, but I think it's about time I caved and just played it. I have three available to me, and I wouldn't play more than that, but I think I'll start with 2 and go from there. Getting some sort of incremental card advantage (Sylvan, Bobs, Phyrexian Arena) seems to be really important for my style of build (mid-range Rock, not as tempo oriented as other builds.)

Will be back with an updated list soon, when I figure out how to work the Library's.

[Claymore]

Sideboard:
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Ethersworn Cannonist
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Golgari Charm
1 Sealous Persecution
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Choke
1 Stony Silence
1 Qasali Pridemate
1 Duress

I rebuilt my sideboard to be anti miracles and anti combo. I'm expecting good things.

I think you could play x4 Thalia if you're specifically needing to take down Combo. Some of those one-ofs, like zealous and golgari, are expendable.

[sdematt]

Safety, did I not tell you Sylvan was *literally* the nuts?

-Matt

[zulander]

I think you have to play Sylvan in the deck. It just wins you the game against so many decks it's not even funny. Sure Bob + top is cute, but what happens when they remove bob? Now you're just paying 1 mana to durdle around every turn. Sylvan wins you games, hands down.

[Mr. Safety]

Safety, did I not tell you Sylvan was *literally* the nuts?

-Matt

I'm not sure if you said it specifically to me, but yes, message recieved, lol. I've already been testing it online and its already proved its worth. So I'm currently doing a 2/2 split of Library/Phyrxian Arena.

List:

4x Deathrite Shaman
4x Knight of the Reliquary
1x Tarmogoyf
1x Kitchen Finks
1x Eternal Witness
1x Qasali Pridemage

4x Swords to Plowshares
2x Thoughtseize
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Abrupt Decay
3x Hymn to Tourach
2x Liliana of the Veil
1x Garruk Relentless
3x Green Sun's Zenith
2x Phyrexian Arena
2x Sylvan Library
1x Life from the Loam

3x Wasteland
4x Verdant Catacombs
1x Marsh Flats
2x Bayou
2x Scrubland
1x Savannah
1x Dryad Arbor
2x Swamp
1x Forest
1x Cabal Pit
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Tranquil Thicket
1x Barren Moor
1x Treetop Village
1x Nantuko Monastary


I found myself swapping Deed for Hymns too often...Hymns are maindeck and Deeds are in the side.

[Stuuch]

I think you could play x4 Thalia if you're specifically needing to take down Combo. Some of those one-ofs, like zealous and golgari, are expendable.

4 Thalia is bad because she is Legendary and easily removed with one dread of night which is found in storm sideboards nowdays. It's much better to have different hate bears for the decks Thalia is not so good against. Canonist for example is much better against Omnitell and elves than Thalia. Golgari charm is also a very good card in my opinion as a one or two off in the sideboard. Wipes out multiple tokens and x/1s. Regenerates your team after Deed. Kills annoying random Enchatments. What more can you ask from a sidecard?

[Zeckk]

I'm not sure if you said it specifically to me, but yes, message recieved, lol. I've already been testing it online and its already proved its worth. So I'm currently doing a 2/2 split of Library/Phyrxian Arena.

List:

4x Deathrite Shaman
4x Knight of the Reliquary
1x Tarmogoyf
1x Kitchen Finks
1x Eternal Witness
1x Qasali Pridemage

4x Swords to Plowshares
2x Thoughtseize
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Abrupt Decay
3x Hymn to Tourach
2x Liliana of the Veil
1x Garruk Relentless
3x Green Sun's Zenith
2x Phyrexian Arena
2x Sylvan Library
1x Life from the Loam

3x Wasteland
4x Verdant Catacombs
1x Marsh Flats
2x Bayou
2x Scrubland
1x Savannah
1x Dryad Arbor
2x Swamp
1x Forest
1x Cabal Pit
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Tranquil Thicket
1x Barren Moor
1x Treetop Village
1x Nantuko Monastary


I found myself swapping Deed for Hymns too often...Hymns are maindeck and Deeds are in the side.

This list is terrible against RUG delver, and I don't even want to think about the BUG tempo matchup. Too many non-creature spells at 3cmc and above, not enough fetches to make KoTR reliably bigger than a goyf (nor get a lot of use out of deathrite shaman), and witness over scavenging ooze mainboard is just a head-scratcher. I actually don't even know what the maindeck is meta'd for. Combo? Either way, that list folds extremely hard against tempo, maverick, and control, especially miracle control.

[lavafrogg]

This list is terrible against RUG delver, and I don't even want to think about the BUG tempo matchup. Too many non-creature spells at 3cmc and above, not enough fetches to make KoTR reliably bigger than a goyf (nor get a lot of use out of deathrite shaman), and witness over scavenging ooze mainboard is just a head-scratcher. I actually don't even know what the maindeck is meta'd for. Combo? Either way, that list folds extremely hard against tempo, maverick, and control, especially miracle control.

I mean, I don't like the list but I still disagree with you on many points. Rock lists really do not have many problems with RUG, especially right now. Deathrite Shaman and Abrupt Decay just help in so many ways against RUG which is why I love the two cards at the moment. All he needs to do is establish a mana base and then keep delvers out of the air. The Deathrite Shaman will keep goyfs and gooses down and after that point the Rock list will take the game over. Barring super dumb tempo hands BG is favored. The BUG tempo matchup is good for the same reason, just get mana on the table and win....Life from the Loam, Shaman and Library should help with that goal.

The miracle matchup is going to be better than most due to man lands and planeswalkers being OP against miracles. Maverick is going to be a bitch though as is stoneblade(though the witness tech is super leet against stoneblade)...

[Zeckk]

I mean, I don't like the list but I still disagree with you on many points. Rock lists really do not have many problems with RUG, especially right now. Deathrite Shaman and Abrupt Decay just help in so many ways against RUG which is why I love the two cards at the moment. All he needs to do is establish a mana base and then keep delvers out of the air. The Deathrite Shaman will keep goyfs and gooses down and after that point the Rock list will take the game over. Barring super dumb tempo hands BG is favored. The BUG tempo matchup is good for the same reason, just get mana on the table and win....Life from the Loam, Shaman and Library should help with that goal.

The miracle matchup is going to be better than most due to man lands and planeswalkers being OP against miracles. Maverick is going to be a bitch though as is stoneblade(though the witness tech is super leet against stoneblade)...

What? His only sources of CA are higher cmc than bob, and both are spell-pierceable. Decay is good against RUG, but his list has literally 2 card filter spells. Good luck on the games where you need to dig with top + fetches in order to see a reasonable number of abrupt decay or plowshares. His list is also missing mox diamonds, so good luck "getting mana" with those 2 colorless lands, 2 tap lands, and only 1 LftL maindeck...

I agree that The Rock has gotten a much better matchup % against RUG with the printing of deathrite and decay, but his list is just missing too many of the important cards against tempo lists, namely top, bob, SFM, batterskull, and mox diamonds.

[mini1337s]

The one and only Matt Pavlic (sdematt) is playing in the T8 for SCG Seattle.

[damionblackgear]

The one and only Matt Pavlic (sdematt) is playing in the T8 for SCG Seattle.

He was on camera. If you're seeing this part, it's the edit. You missed it... you're late.

Also, 16th place is also BGW but not standardized into any of the current versions. Here

[Kich867]

he's on camera now.

Also, 16th place is also BGW but not standardized into any of the current versions. Here

Dude he just rocked that game with the fist of an angry god. I feel so bad for that aluren player right now.

[Ziveeman]

GO MATT! I'm rooting for you!

[Oiolosse]

2nd place. Great job.

[Whippoorwill]

Congrats on 2nd place Matt!

[Vicar in a tutu]

Congrats Matt :)

[Rummelboxer]

Congratulations from Germany Matt!
I always enjoy to read your posts! If someone deserved it, than you!

[Dyvith]

Congrats on taking second.

I'm not a fan of some of your card choices, but the results speak for themselves.

I top four split a Win-A-Mox this weekend with the list I posted earlier. My losses were almost all to mana issues, or just drawing dead sometimes - it happens.

These are the questions I'm thinking about:

How many Goyfs? I ran four, but I'm debating playing main deck Teegs or Thalias rather than playing one of them in the board. I think this is a metagame decision, but I have a feeling that playing two maindeck Teegs might just be the nuts - on the other hand, maindeck Thalia shuts down RUG and other prominent decks but has no impact against Maverick or Goblins, really. Teeg really, really punishes UW decks. If I were to play either in the main deck, I'd cut one goyf and another card for two of either of those.

Is two diamonds correct? Is one?

Should I play basic plains or mase in the maindeck?

This is what I'm considering playing...

4 Deathrite
4 Confidant
4 Knight
3 Goyf
2 Thalia
3 Liliana

4 Thoughtseise
2 Inquisition
4 Swords
3 Decay
3 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Mox Diamond

4 Wasteland
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Karakas
1 Canopy
1 Bog
2 Scrubland
2 Bayou
1 Savanah
4 Verdant Catacomb
3 Marsh Flats
1 Windswept Heath

SB:
1 Golgari Charm
2 Engineered Plague
2 Choke
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Ethersworn Cannonist
1 Duress
1 Bog
1 Mase of Ith
1 Unknown Card - Possibly Darkblast or Sealous Persecution

[sdematt]

Thanks guys!

I rocked that Aluren player as hard as nails. He was my only loss during the entire Swiss, and only due to my not paying attention during the combo (I could have killed him, but I thought he was on his last Imperial Recruiter, but sadly, he wasn't).

I also played the last round, thinking I needed to win-and-in since my breakers were bad. However, it turns out we could have drawn in the last round and still made it, but the people below us, I'm pretty sure, could have screwed us possibly had they drawn. Not entirely sure, but we played, and I knocked a Bant player out of commission, which I would have loved to have played again in the finals.

Here are the matches I played:

Round 1: JJ with Reanimator (2-1)
Round 2: Bill with Combo Elves! (2-1)
Round 3: Ismael with Affinity (2-1)
Round 4: Martin with 4C Aluren (1-2)
Round 5: Nate with Maverick (2-0)
Round 6: Ricky with Merfolk (2-1? 2-0?)
Round 7: Corbett Gray with Sneak and Show (2-1)
Round 8: Bryan with Bant (2-1)

Overall: 7-1 after the Swiss, 21 points, 1st Place.

-Matt



-Matt

[Koby]

Congratulations are in order! Good job Matt, it's a shame I didn't get to watch the matches live, but it turns out I was brewing Junky decks while you were fighting on air.

Onto more pressing matters: how does a Maverick player transition into Junk to take advantage of the heavier disruption suite that Junk has to offer?

Is there a recap of the GSZ / SFM sides? Does the deck perform better with heavier or or base color?

Black offers Liliana and Hymn (and I'm almost certain Hymn is too over the top)
Green offers GSZ and the associated creatures, but it doesn't feel to me like its taking advantage of the color wedge.
White offers SFM and Lingering Souls, which to me seems like the best pairing with Liliana.

Are Mox Diamonds adviseable? 3 or 4 Deathrite Shaman?

Where do I begin? HALP!