[Deck] The Rock

[Claymore]

--BOARD--

2 Pernicious Deed
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons (I knew there was going to be BUG/Pox/Emrakul)
2 Pithing Needle
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Golgari Charm
1 Zealous Persecution (The 1/1 split was because there were other Souls decks, so I might want to muck their team but not mine)
2 Thoughtseize

How do all of those x2 artifacts treat you? Also, how relevant is that x1 Jitte as board material?

[Esper3k]

My meta these days is filled with U/R delvers, Sneak show, hive mind and miracles. I am more concerned about the latter 3, especially those show and tell decks with leyline of sanctity in the side, hence the 3 o ring. If the show decks pack 4 leyline will you guys remove the discards to add more useful cards or it's a better idea not to touch it? Do you guys think P deed is a good answer to miracles sudden entreat the angels? or there is a better solution? One turn could be lethal. =x

I think you have to leave in discard even if you know your opponent is packing Leylines. They won't always have Leyline and for those games, you'll have to have discard if you want to even have a shot at winning.

I don't particularly like Deed against Miracles. It's so-so because it kills CB and Entreat tokens, but it's also really bad because it will likely wipe your own board and it doesn't touch Jace. Honestly, I just like Krosan Grip against them. If you kill Top, their whole deck has a very difficult time functioning.

[Claymore]

I don't particularly like Deed against Miracles. It's so-so because it kills CB and Entreat tokens, but it's also really bad because it will likely wipe your own board and it doesn't touch Jace. Honestly, I just like Krosan Grip against them. If you kill Top, their whole deck has a very difficult time functioning.

I like it as a safety net. Miracles can kill you out of nowhere with the EOT Entreat, and with a Deed out they must dig and find their x1-2 Detention Sphere first. I save the AD for CB. Plus, Deed has wider applicability in other matches where Grip is very narrow...although it does serve a great purpose if Miracles is infesting your meta.

I do suppose that for mike1987's meta, Grip would be better overall.

[Esper3k]

I like it as a safety net. Miracles can kill you out of nowhere with the EOT Entreat, and with a Deed out they must dig and find their x1-2 Detention Sphere first. I save the AD for CB. Plus, Deed has wider applicability in other matches where Grip is very narrow...although it does serve a great purpose if Miracles is infesting your meta.

I do suppose that for mike1987's meta, Grip would be better overall.

Yeah, like I said, while I don't particularly like it, I think it's ok. I just think the bigger threat in that matchup is Jace / Top so I generally don't like Deed especially since it sets ourselves back so much in that matchup.

[sdematt]

Pithing Needle and Gaddock Teeg take that deck the fuck out. Gaddock Teeg means they can't Jace, Entreat, or Terminus, while Needle shutting off Top means it's super hard for them to find answers.

-Matt

[Claymore]

Reports in the Maverick thread seem to indicate that Sylvan Safekeeper is very strong right now. Certainly seems good against Jund and countering Abrupt Decays on our Knights or Goyfs.

[Mr. Safety]

Lost an online match to Maverick because of Mom...weird, I was thinking the same thing: find a way to protect the fatties, or better yet, get them through in combat regardless of blockers. Sylvan Safekeeper protects from removal, and is searchable with GSZ, but I somehow think Mom is the better of the two choices. I'm itching to try it...but jeesh, how do I find room?

[sdematt]

That is the whole issue right with BWG and BUG: there's so many cards you want to play, but only 75 slots, it's so brutal. It's like asking me which children to save from drowning in a flood. Mom is very good in Maverick, but I'm not sure WE want to play her. I'd say if you're looking to try Safekeeper, go for it. I'm going to hold off for now.

As for all the 2's in the sideboard, they've been treating me fine. Ideally I'd love to do 3x all of them (which means I should run E. Tutor, I know), but so far it's been fine between 4 Bobs, Fetchlands, and 3 Sylvan Libraries.

The 1-of Jitte was there as my random slot. I had 14 slots the night before and had no idea who I was going to face the next day. Jitte is good against possible Tribal I expected to show up, has value against Burn, and is good in the long game against BUG/Jund/Esper. Turns out it was good when I drew it, big surprise . This will probably change to something else (this and Sigarda are the most changeable slots). The Golgari Charm/Zealous split was because I wasn't sure if Omni was going to show up, and I wanted asymmetrical -1/-1 against Esper (in case we both have Souls tokens on the field).


-Matt

[sdematt]

I also just want to note that the RIP combo matchup is a fucking joke for us. That is all.

-Matt

[Barbed Blightning]

I also just want to note that the RIP combo matchup is a fucking joke for us. That is all.

-Matt

Isn't that deck kind of a joke to begin with?

[.Ix]

Lost an online match to Maverick because of Mom...weird, I was thinking the same thing: find a way to protect the fatties, or better yet, get them through in combat regardless of blockers. Sylvan Safekeeper protects from removal, and is searchable with GSZ, but I somehow think Mom is the better of the two choices. I'm itching to try it...but jeesh, how do I find room?

I found that 4 Decay and 4 STP was a bit much even in an aggro meta, and you run 1 Vindicate. Maybe you could cut one of those. I'm running 3 GSZ and 4 knights so that 1 Safekeeper is doing some serious work for me.

[mike1987]

Thanks for the tips guys. I will try the needles and teeg against miracles, it seems awesome. And I hope the show and tell decks dont draw leyline in their opening 7.

[Barbed Blightning]

Thanks for the tips guys. I will try the needles and teeg against miracles, it seems awesome. And I hope the show and tell decks dont draw leyline in their opening 7.

Even still, we have karakas and teeg

[Sughayyer]

On the issue about protecting creatures: wouldn't sejiri steppe be a "free" protection slot? Of course it sucks in an eventual opening hand, but it's tutorable - and with the knight+maze tech we will always have an untapped knight.
I know the lost land due to safekeeper can be re-used via shaman, but at 3 colors, it doesn't seem we have that much forests to spare... Does this make sense?
Or, maybe my concept about the deck is outdated (and that explains my poor performace lately)

[sdematt]

On the issue about protecting creatures: wouldn't sejiri steppe be a "free" protection slot? Of course it sucks in an eventual opening hand, but it's tutorable - and with the knight+maze tech we will always have an untapped knight.
I know the lost land due to safekeeper can be re-used via shaman, but at 3 colors, it doesn't seem we have that much forests to spare... Does this make sense?
Or, maybe my concept about the deck is outdated (and that explains my poor performace lately)

Safekeeper says to sac any land to grant protection. If you need to, you can sac a Maze, Karakas, or even a Wasteland you don't need. I feel like Steppe is good and out of nowhere, but it screws your manabase in very much the same way as Bojuka Bog (but worse since it's white mana).

-Matt

[mike1987]

Sorry to sidetrack a little, when facing burn or U/R delver, do you guys side out bobs?

[Sughayyer]

@matt
that's true, more often than not steppe hinders me. I didn't remember it was "any land" for safekeeper. I'll try to find space for a gsz pack to fit him. Would 2 gsz be enough? You're running 3 atm, right? But I feel also unconfortable with dryad arbor... If you have it in your opening, do you just play arbor, pass?

@mike
I side bobs out. When burn was rampant in my meta, I ran 2 rest for the weary. Gerrard's veredict is also good. For a while, I ran an e-tutor board. During that time I had a conversion. Monored will fold after that.

[Mr. Safety]

I found that 4 Decay and 4 STP was a bit much even in an aggro meta, and you run 1 Vindicate. Maybe you could cut one of those. I'm running 3 GSZ and 4 knights so that 1 Safekeeper is doing some serious work for me.

Good point...I'll got back to 3 Decay/1 Vindicate. I want a random way to deal with a resolved 4-mana PW outside of dudes in the maindeck.

I kind of want to use Loam with Safekeeper though...I really need to get Loam into my sideboard again, or even use that free slot I just got for it. I could always drop Witness for Safekeeper, but jeesh, Witness always shines in the late game.

@Sughayyer: I have been trying Sejiri Steppe in the slot most folks use Karakas (because I don't have one) but trust me, it's pretty lousy when you draw it. Sure if you have an active knight and they sling a removal it's ok, but I have found that discard is better at dealing with opposing removal. I play a LOT of discard though. I have since dropped it and going back to my old standby of Volrath's Stronghold.

Regarding Miracles: I got Jace needled in one matchup (didn't see Counterbalance at all, ironically) but still lost to Elspeth. Bummer...

I sideboard Bob out for Natural Order, usually taking out some targeted discard which is also fairly bad in the same matchups I don't want Bob.

[.Ix]

@matt
But I feel also unconfortable with dryad arbor... If you have it in your opening, do you just play arbor, pass?

This was a point of discussion in the Elves thread. It really sucks to have arbor in hand, but at least this deck gets around 19% chance to play GSZ -> arbor turn 1 unlike Elves. (The probability of getting Arbor in the opening hand is 11%, so you have 7% gain.)

I would only play arbor if it were my last land in hand or if I needed a blocker. Getting Time Walked by a bolt feels terrible.

[sdematt]

@matt
that's true, more often than not steppe hinders me. I didn't remember it was "any land" for safekeeper. I'll try to find space for a gsz pack to fit him. Would 2 gsz be enough? You're running 3 atm, right? But I feel also unconfortable with dryad arbor... If you have it in your opening, do you just play arbor, pass?

@mike
I side bobs out. When burn was rampant in my meta, I ran 2 rest for the weary. Gerrard's veredict is also good. For a while, I ran an e-tutor board. During that time I had a conversion. Monored will fold after that.

I'm running 3 GSZ, but you can run 2. You don't have to run Dryad Arbor, but it does give you another Turn 1 acceleration play. If I do have Dryad Arbor in my hand, I usually play it out to get it Wastelanded against a Control deck since you have the time, or, I'll run it out later so I don't interrupt casting spells as much. Say I have 2 lands and Arbor with stuff in my hand at 1 and 2 CMC, I'll play it as my third land.

-Matt