[Deck] Nic Fit (GBx Explorer Zenith Control)

[AmishLuvah]

You might try a Wolfir Silverheart. It would increase your clock and make your 1/1 creatures into threats.

[Blastoderm]

I've been reading this thread ever since I've made Nic Fit a year ago. Before terminus was printed, I was able to consistently smash face with natural order in my build. Although I might try it again, I've been working on a pod version as it's a blast to play and pretty consistent.

One thing I want to note is that for a pod version to work, having too many toolbox creatures is just bad. Here's my list:

creatures:

4 veteran explorer
2 strangleroot geist
2 kitchen finks
2 witness

1 reveillark
1 thrun
1 academy rector
1 sun titan
1 thragtusk
1 scavenging ooze
1 qasali pridemage
1 shriekmaw
1 bone shredder

other spells:

4 cabal therapy
3 pernicious deed
3 swords to plowshares
4 gsz
3 birthing pod
1 recurring nightmare
1 diabolic intent

lands:

2 swamp
1 plains
4 forest

4 verdant catacombs
3 windswept heath
3 bayou
2 scrubland
1 savannah
1 dryad arbor
2 phyrexian tower

some things to point out with this build:

1. bad vs storm, decent vs show and tell (iv won 2-0 just by using bone shredder and oblivion rings from the sb)
2. basic gsz targets a standard nic fit would have: pridemage, ooze, thragtusk, witness, thrun
3. bombs/finishers: sun titan, reveillark
4. creatures that double as removal: bone shredder shriekmaw

95% of my wins is getting recurring nightmare going with thragtusk or reveillark/sun titan. It may seem "win-more" but that's basically how I win every game.
Finks and strangleroot geist may seem weak but they've helped wonders vs maverick, rug, and merfolk. They provide the 2 and 3 cmc needed to use pod as well. Killing jace has been fun when you cast a geist, sac it to tower and swing immediately.

Having no sensei's top hurts but pod is a fine replacement. No maelstrom pulse can be annoying at times when I need to kill a jace. Maybe I can find some room to put it in.

Anyways, I like this version but I also run a standard GBw build. Note that in a standard nic fit build I would not use diabolic intent or recurring nightmare.



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I'll post my normal GBw build instead of making a new post:

4 veteran explorer
1 qasali pridemage
1 scavenging ooze
1 thragtusk
1 thrun
2 eternal witness
1 sigarda

3 pernicious deed
3 maelstrom pulse
3 sensei's divining top

4 inqusition of kozilek (I don't own thoughtseize atm, I would probably do a 3 IoK 1 seize or a 2-2 split)
3 swords to plowshares (My meta doesn't have much aggro, if it did I would surely do -1 pulse +1 swords)
4 gsz
4 cabal therapy
2 garruk, primal hunter
1 elspeth

4 verdant catacombs
3 windswept heath
1 marsh flats
3 bayou
2 scrubland
1 savannah
4 forest
1 plains
2 swamp
1 phyrexian tower

[guelahpapyrus]

@Qweerios

I've been playing a build similar to yours for a few months now (replace your MD IoK with Abrupt Decay; replace Thoughtseize with Duress; replace Debtor's Knell with Recurring Nightmare) and I've also been very disappointed with Armada Wurm. One thing I found was that I wished I had a four-drop when I'd be stuck at 5 mana, staring at an empty board with a GSZ in hand. I've been in that position more than a handful of times, whether it happened because of Wasteland, lack of Veteran Explorer, whatever - I prefer having Thrun instead of a 6-drop.

While Sigarda is a replacement for Thrun in most cases, having a four-drop beater that's difficult to remove is fantastic. There are situations where I'd prefer Armada Wurm but most of the time Sigarda and Thrun can get it done. Without Thrun, I find myself wishing he or some other 4CMC beater was in the deck.

[Vicar in a tutu]

I'm considering including 1 Tarmogoyf in my B/G list, simply for a GSZ-target that gives me a clock against combo. The problem for me, after sideboard when I play a total of 10 discard spells, is that I simply cannot end the game fast enough after disrupting my opponent. So I'm considering removing 1 Scavenging Ooze and playing the singleton Tarmogoyf. This is what my list looks like (with the changes):

Lands (22)

5 Forest
4 Swamp
3 Bayou
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Phyrexian Tower
2 Treetop Village

Creatures (12)

4 Veteran Explorer
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Eternal Witness
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Thragtusk
1 Primeval Titan

Spells (23)

3 Pernicious Deed
2 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Thoughtseize
4 Green Sun’s Zenith
3 Sensei’s Divining Top-
4 Abrupt Decay

Walkers (3)

1 Liliana of the Veil
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter

Sideboard

1 Pernicious Deed
1 Golgari Charm
3 Duress
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Tormod's Crypt
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Choke
2 Kitchen Finks

What do you guys think? How do you kill combo-opponents fast after disrupting them? I'm so tired of disrupting and disrupting, only to have them topdeck something useful after 5-6 turns and winning out of the blue.

[Einherjer]

Hmm this might be pretty the first time I write a post like this.. but whatever...

So... I've been thinking of building an underdog-fun-deck... and there I thought of NicFit... but I cannot, simply cannot, play without Brainstorm and Force in my 75. So I remembered Caleb playing some BUG NicFit quite a while ago... Is this BUG NicFit still viable in any way? Are there any recent lists?

Thanks for help in advance.

Greetings

[litenkatt]

Hmm this might be pretty the first time I write a post like this.. but whatever...

So... I've been thinking of building an underdog-fun-deck... and there I thought of NicFit... but I cannot, simply cannot, play without Brainstorm and Force in my 75. So I remembered Caleb playing some BUG NicFit quite a while ago... Is this BUG NicFit still viable in any way? Are there any recent lists?

Thanks for help in advance.

Greetings

Hello

Im currently playing a BUG nic fit deck w/ brainstorms, no fow though. The deck is, just like any other nic fit deck, built to destroy fair decks. However, post board I feel blue gives us better options against combo (counterspells). Also, blue gives us Jace which is huge. Jace turn 2, anyone? :)

Can't say ive tested this list enough to say how well its working, but ive done quite a few games against reanimator and ive had some success. Still hard, but doable

List:
CREATURES (8)
2 Eternal Witness
4 Veteran Explorer
1 Thragtusk
1 Scavenging Ooze

ENCHANTMENTS (4)
3 Pernicious Deed

SORCERIES (11)
2 Green Sun’s Zenith
2 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Thoughtseize

INSTANTS (8)
4 Brainstorm
4 Abrupt Decay

PLANESWALKERS (4)
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Liliana of the Veil

ARTIFACTS (3)
3 Sensei’s Divining Top

LANDS (23)
3 Forest
3 Island
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Misty Rainforest
1 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
3 Bayou
2 Mishra’s Factory
1 Phyrexian Tower

Sideboard is still work in progress

[Claymore]

I also rarely GSZ'd the Wurm in my tournament, but he helps with threat density and giving a nice fat clock that must be answered - same as Grave Titan. I do like your alternatives. Both combo very well with Debtor's Knell, probably better than Penis Wurm. Scarab is interesting, because he can instantly be sacced and dredged against a Terminus for 1cc , but he lacks staying power against Batterskull. On paper I like him better than Ghave because he can avoid popular removal (swords, terminus) for cheap with built-in recursion. Ghave can be cycled into the graveyard for 2cc with nothing else on the board, but doesn't come back as easily.

[kabards]

hope that sooner or later we all go out as a deck to beat deck. december 2, 2012 i will be able to play again using my nic-fit i'll make a short tournament report after.

[Osmin]

Just top8'ed at 90-man event playing Arianrhod's ScapeWish build. I'll make a short report if I would remember something :) In top 8 I lost against Elves (two second turn wins). Any advices on playing against Elves?

[Cire_dk]

Just top8'ed at 90-man event playing Arianrhod's ScapeWish build. I'll make a short report if I would remember something :) In top 8 I lost against Elves (two second turn wins). Any advices on playing against Elves?

First off all congratulations on great result. I am looking forward to your report. Especially SB plan.

Thoughtseize from SB, Deed. Pulse and of course cranial therapy should give nic fit a fair chance? However combo elves can be even to fast for us.

[guelahpapyrus]

Re: Armada Wurm dislike in RectorRock Builds

2nd Thragtusk is also great.

I was underwhelmed with Scarab Shell and Ghave. There isn't a "perfect" creature for that slot right now.

[Osmin]

Here at Moscow, Russia we had a 90-man legacy tournament. I top8'ed with Arianrhod's ScapeWish build. The only difference: I wasn't able to find Virtue's Ruin and replaced it with Firespout in sideboard. And that was good decision as you would read below.

Round 1. RUG 2-0
G1: He gained game loss before I even played a land.
G2: He had a delver first turn and no other creatures. I ramped with Veteran Explorer, played some Therapies and bited Spell Pierce with Bonfire from hand. And then played final Scapeshift with 7 lands.

Round 2. Maverick 2-0
G1: I mulliganed one-lander with bayou and Explorer (of course there was badlands on the top) and kept hand without green mana, but with two lands. And hadn't seen any other land for the several turns. But opponent had only a couple of Mother of Runes and Noble Hierarchs. Finally I played lethal Scapeshift when I was at 5.
G2: Most of the turns a had only 5 lands. Opponent had several Mother of Runes, big KotRs, Rangers and so on. I played 2 Thragtusks and 2 Huntmasters. And for some unknown reason instead of flipping huntmasters for the several turns firing at him, I kept playing some spells. But I still won :)

Round 3. Jund (Confidants, Deathrite shamans, may be Tarmogoyfs) 2-0
G1&2: His Confidants and Shamans couldn’t kill me fast. And he could do nothing against lethal Scapeshift.

Round 4. Sneak&Show. 1-2
G1: Fast Sneak Attack with Emrakul and Griselbrand at the same time.
IN: +3 Pyroblast +3 Thoughtseize
OUT: -3 Pernicious Deed, -2 Bonfire, -1 Wood Elves
G2: No fast fattie, but fast Scapeshift.
G3: He played Blood Moon and my only basic land was Forest. Than he played Sneak Attack but had no creatures. I started to beat with Explorer, than with two Explorers, than with three(!) Explorers. Finally he found Emrakul and I saced all my three Explorer (yeah! more basics and Blood Moon will suck!). If I saced 6 lands, I would be able to end the game with three 1/1.

Round 5. UW with mystics (I haven’t seen any Entreats) 2-0
G1: I started with Valakut in hand and topdecked almost all mountains. First Explorer got sworded. Valakut’s triggers killed Snapcaster Mage, Vendillion Clique, Stoneforge Mystic and finally their owner. No Scapeshift. Perhaps some damage was dealt by Explorer.
IN: +3 Pyroblast
OUT: -1 Wood Elves, -1 Sakura-Tribe Elder, -1 Veteran Explorer
G2: Again first Explorer got sworded. He started to beat me with Geist of Saint Traft. But I managed to cast Scapeshift (through Counterbalance). He sworded his own Clique. And during his turn sworded Geist’s token. Now he was at 5. I played Zenith for six (screw you, Counterbalance!), found Titan, second Valakut and mountain.

Round 6. Goblins 2-1
G1: Mountain, Lackey, Warchief, 3 Piledrivers.
G2: No first turn Lackey. Goblin horde, Pernicious Deed, Surgical Extraction and goblin horde. wish->firespout, goblin horde, wish->damnation, thragtusk, second thragtusk, goblin horde and… lethal miracle!
G3: No first turn Lackey, 2 fetches and Scapeshift with 7 lands.

Round 7. ID

Here all top 8 decided to split prizes (46 packs per player!). And than we started playing for the shiny cup.
Top 8. Elves 1-2
G1: He got slow started. I managed to kill some elves with Firespout and play lethal Scapeshift.
IN: +2 Thoughtseize
OUT: -1 Wood Elves, -1 Sakura-tribe Elder
G2&3: Both games on my second turn I wished for Firespout. And had no third turn.

Arianrhod, thank you for this awesome deck!

[EpicLevelCommoner]

http://www.mtgdeckbuilder.net/Decks/ViewDeck/312247

I'll be taking this list to SCG Open Cincy on 2/17/2013. But before I can determine if this will be my final build, I'd like some advice from fellow Nic Fitters and Dig Fitters pertaining to this list, as well perhaps a playtest montage via MWS if any of you know any other archetypes as well as this one ^_^.

[zeagle]

http://www.mtgdeckbuilder.net/Decks/ViewDeck/312247

I'll be taking this list to SCG Open Cincy on 2/17/2013. But before I can determine if this will be my final build, I'd like some advice from fellow Nic Fitters and Dig Fitters pertaining to this list, as well perhaps a playtest montage via MWS if any of you know any other archetypes as well as this one ^_^.

There are some interesting choices in here. Maybe I haven't been paying attention to the BUG version of this list. Do you care to explain these choices:

Starved Rusalka

Angel of Despair
Magus of the Future
Laboratory Maniac

I feel like you are missing some creatures. At least a Scavenging Ooze, but there is probably more missing.

[EpicLevelCommoner]

Starved Rusalka - Basically just there as a Zenithable sac-outlet for Veteran Explorer

Angel of Despair - Living Wish target against anything with Show and Tell in it
Magus of the Future - Turbo Draw engine with Top. Actually had Future Sight itself in the 61 slots, but took it out to trim the deck size to 60 (was not seeing any good hands at all). Living Wish target after hate/sacbag
Laboratory Maniac - Ultimate Win-Con in case flat out control doesn't get me there. Living Wish target after Magus of the Future.

EDIT: Ooze I took out, along with Arbor Elf/BoP/whatever, for Deathrite Shaman, which is like a manadork and gravehate all rolled into one.

[Arianrhod]

After almost four years of playing Magic nonstop 3+ nights a week, I'm finding myself finally experiencing burnout. As a result, I'm going to be scaling back to just going to Mythic and a local vintage tournament per month -- maybe Jupiter if I feel up to it as the day approaches. I have every intention that this break will be temporary, but my god, I need a break before I end up just quitting permanently....because if I keep pushing myself like I have been, that's exactly what will happen. I plan on still keeping tabs on this thread and offering my thoughts and advice as able, but I won't be as omnipresent as I have tried to be, for a few months anyway. Figure you all deserve to know =)

[Cire_dk]

After almost four years of playing Magic nonstop 3+ nights a week, I'm finding myself finally experiencing burnout. As a result, I'm going to be scaling back to just going to Mythic and a local vintage tournament per month -- maybe Jupiter if I feel up to it as the day approaches. I have every intention that this break will be temporary, but my god, I need a break before I end up just quitting permanently....because if I keep pushing myself like I have been, that's exactly what will happen. I plan on still keeping tabs on this thread and offering my thoughts and advice as able, but I won't be as omnipresent as I have tried to be, for a few months anyway. Figure you all deserve to know =)

I am sorry to hear you have to be scaling down. I do understand why and thanks for sharing.
Since you are one of the pillars of my Nic Fit experience I do hope to see your thoughts and comments once in a while.
I wish you all the best dealing with your withdrawal symptoms from nic fit

Take it easy, see you around.

[EpicLevelCommoner]

After almost four years of playing Magic nonstop 3+ nights a week, I'm finding myself finally experiencing burnout. As a result, I'm going to be scaling back to just going to Mythic and a local vintage tournament per month -- maybe Jupiter if I feel up to it as the day approaches. I have every intention that this break will be temporary, but my god, I need a break before I end up just quitting permanently....because if I keep pushing myself like I have been, that's exactly what will happen. I plan on still keeping tabs on this thread and offering my thoughts and advice as able, but I won't be as omnipresent as I have tried to be, for a few months anyway. Figure you all deserve to know =)

I understand. Went through the same thing with the Fighting Game Community. Sometimes you just get sick of playing, win or lose.

Don't be a stranger, ya hear? :)

[Qweerios]

I recently attended a 1k tournament with a BUG Fit list that built with the intention of breaking the meta. The last time I went to this venue, I faced 4 RUG decks on my way to top8 along with a couple of stoneblades and a maverick. I eventually took first place beating RUG, this was with a straight BG Nic Fit list (you can probably find the report 50-100 pages back or so...). I was expecting a lot of RUG, Maverick, and Rock (Deathrite Shaman), with a healthy dose of Stoneblade and Miracles. Here is the list I built for this event:


Creatures (9)
4 Veteran Explorer
2 Eternal Witness
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Thragtusk

Spells (29)
4 Brainstorm
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Thoughtseize
2 Abrupt Decay

2 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Pernicious Deed

2 Liliana of the Veil
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Vraska the Unseen

Lands (22)
2 Phyrexian Tower
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Bayou
2 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
3 Forest
2 Swamp
2 Island

Sideboard (15)
3 Carpet of Flowers
1 Grave-Shell Scarab
1 Thoughtseize
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Extirpate
4 Negate


The room was filled with RUG, Miracles, and a good portion of Deathrite decks so I felt pretty good about my choices. Unfortunately for me, I ended up having rather unpredictable pairings. I don't really have the time the go into much detail about the matches so I will keep the report short and to the point.

R1: 0-2 vs. Imperial Painter

G1: I mulled until I could get 2 lands, my opponent plays a painter on blue, REBs my GSZ @1 and REBs both my lands the following turn. I get stoned to death.
G2: I mulled until I could get 1 land and drew another after there were 2 Magus of the Moon on the table. I didn't cast any spells so I got stoned again.

R2: 2-1 vs. Pox

G1: I get double hymned and double poxed into Tombstalker. vs my no lands no hand board.
G2: Explorer allows me a Lily, and a Vraska on the field which I eventualy ultimate with and kill my opponent with assassin tokens.
G3: An early Explorer grants me 5 mana and I start beating with Scarab. The scarab never goes away so my opponent eventualy crumbles

R3: 2-0 vs. Miracle Control

G1: Blind therapy on Brainstorm hits, followed by T2 therapy on jace, flashing back explorer + another therapy on Verdict. I negate the Elspeth, lay down Lily and Garruk and my opponent scoops.
G2: Landrops until 3 mana, opponent cliques, I brainstormed a Lily on top so I let him clique away my Lily in hand, play it, opponent sighs. I finally Jace my opponent with Negate backup, he scoops.

R3: 0-2 vs. Dredge

G1: He starts and mulls his entire library by T2, I lost without interacting.
G2: I empty his hand and GY by T2. I am holding a Witness to return that Spellbomb next turn and he has a Coliseum and a LED in play. He draws into Breakthrough, into triple therapy, triple moeba, Dredgers and a Faithless Looting for LED. He strips my hand and goes off again.

R4: 2-1 vs. Reanimator

G1: my opponent gets flooded and I won with a terrible hand
G2: T2 Iona kills me dead
G3: I have 2 Extirpate and a Spellbomb in my opener so I easely win from there

R5: 2-0 vs. Stoneblade??

I don't remember this round but I think I faced a Stoneblade deck at some point. I only remember breezing through R5 and R6.

R6: 2-0 vs. UW Miracle

G1: Strip my opponent's hand, play Jace, Deed Entreat, kill with Garruk and Thragtusk.
G2: Negate Entreat, Extirpate it, play Jace, kill with Vraska ultimate with Negate backup.

R7: 0-2 vs. UW Painter/Stone/LED/Phyrexian Furnace/Auriok Salvager/Orim/Scepter Combos

G1: My opponent gets a Painter and a Furnace in play, I can either play Jace and bounce the painter so that he can't stone me to death during his turn, or GSZ for Ooze and he cant go off with Salvager and LED in hand. I choose to Jace bounce and Ooze the next turn but that was the wrong call and I get combo'd next turn.

G2: I mull to 6 with a swamp a TS and a Therapy. My opponent opens with Leyline of Sanctity, I miss a landrop and get stoned before I can Decay.

The Imperial Painter and Dredge players made it to top8. My friend made it to top4 with Miracle Control after defeating a handful of Stoneblade and RUG delver decks. We all had the joy to see a 220$ missplay which consisted of not playing a Relic of Progenitus against a Dredge player with:

-6 life
-3 City of Brass in play
-5-10 cards left in his library
-Extracted Narcos and Ichorids
-4 Bridges in his GY

...and he didn't play that Relic because it would mean losing his Top to a fetch... go figure

The dredge player cast a dredger, flashed back therapies on the Relic, beat him down with tokens as he failled to find a sweeper.

On a different note, I originaly intended to bring Rector Fit to this tournament but I chose BUG because Rector + the enchantment package is really sub-par when compared to Jace and Brainstorm. I then realized that what made BGw Rector Fit so successful were not the white cards but the strong BG core and the fact that white didnt have to come into play until T3-5. Now, if you look at what made BUG so successful, you will find Jace as preemptive removal for Jace, Brainstorm, and SB counterspells (Negate) to complement discard against unfavorable matchups. What makes BUG Fit weak? Double blue for Jace and requiring a blue source early for Brainstorm. For these reasons, I went back to BG Nic Fit and threw in a Mountain and a Taiga for SB REB/Pyro, a Broodmate Dragon instead of Penis Wurm, and maybe a Huntmaster and/or Slaughter Games somewhere. Are there any other important red cards for Nic Fit that I would be missing aside from cards like Punishing Fire and Burning Wish that require a lot of deck space?

[TheArchitect]

@Qweerios: Thanks for the report, and congrats on the decent finish.

Have you had a chance to to play the scapewish list? I havent tried a conservative GB list with a small red splash, but scapeshift is the real deal.

For a GB list a red splash, I wouldnt even bother with Huntmaster. In my experience with the GBR scapewish build, hes the weakest link and usually only buys you some time till you can scapeshift. He is however, a good clock to get out against combo decks, but tarmogoyf would probably do that job better.

I'd say splash red for Broodmate, 3-5 REBs, 1-2 slaughterpacts first. And if you want to invest a bit more in red, maybe Bonfire of the damned. Its been amazing in scapewish. Even if its in your opening hand it isnt half bad.

Its most likely too cute, but I have always thought Godo+batterskull was awesome.

Also, how did Grave-Shell Scarab work out?