[Deck] ANT (Ad Nauseam Tendrils)

[Patrunkenphat7]

Patrunkenphat7,

I'd love to hear how you sideboard for each matchup. Would you give a brief overview of your SB card choices? Your board is a-typical and I like it.

I'll post it here so everyone else knows what im referring to:

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deck...p?DeckID=57897

2 Pithing Needle
4 Xantid Swarm
1 Dread of Night
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Disfigure
1 Echoing Truth
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Tropical Island

Thanks for taking interest in my list and SB. Here are the uses of the following cards and what matchups I bring them in for:

2 Pithing Needle:
I bring these in against Jund and Shardless BUG. I usually board out 1 Therapy and 1 Probe against Shardless and 3 Therapy for the Needles and 1 Inquisition against Jund. The discard in their decks is a minor annoyance, but very easy to beat if they don't have a turn 1 Deathrite. Shutting off their Deathrite or Nihil Spellbomb (or sometimes Liliana of the Veil), makes these games much easier.

2 Disfigure:
Apart from the obvious hatebear answer, this card is really good against Deathblade. Killing Deathrite Shaman or Meddling Mage is an important play post-SB. Killing Bob can also be relevant. I board out a Therapy and a Probe for these against Deathblade. Of course I also board these in against Thalia or Teeg decks.

3 Abrupt Decay:
Everyone should be playing these. I felt like 4 was too clunky, and 3 ended up being fine. Hatebears, MUD, and Counterbalance.

1 Dread of Night:
This is additional Mav/Death and Taxes hate. I think playing 1 or 2 of these is correct. It complements the Disfigures and Decays in these matchups. I don't want to get locked out by their turn 1 Mom draw.

4 Xantid Swarm:
These are specifically for the Show and Tell matchups. The card is just nuts against S+T decks because of their reliance on a combination of Force, Flusterstorm, and Leyline of Sanctity post-SB. I think the S+T matchup is super annoying and high variance post-SB without these, simply because of Leyline of Sanctity. I also board in the 1 Echoing Truth so I can Tendrils combo though Leyline or double Leyline, although sometimes goblins is enough depending on which turn you are on. I board out Therapies first in this matchup just because of the unreliability of this card if you didn't have the Duresses in. Therapies would be bad if you relied on just Probe post-SB to give you information. You are also not always naming Force with Therapy post-SB if they don't have Leyline in play, so 3 Duress and 1 Thoughtseize is safer to leave in. I board out both of my basic Islands in this matchup, because you don't need them and don't have time to durdle around and curve on basic lands. I obviously bring in the 1 Trop, so I am netting -1 land post-SB in this matchup. The Swarms are also very good against Fish, but I am not bring them in against anything competitive other than those 2 archetypes.

1 Echoing Truth:
Playing more than 1 bounce spell wastes slots against S+T, and this card easily answers double Leyline. It's mostly for this matchup. Also bring it in against faster combo playing Empty the Warrens as a miser answer to their fast Empty hand. Bring it in against MUD.

1 Inquisition of Kozilek:
I swap it with Thoughtseize against RUG Delver or fast tempo decks. It comes in against hatebear decks as an additional discard with the maindeck Thoughtseize. It's better than Therapy against Jund or non-blue midrange discard decks. Inquisition is also better than the 2nd basic Island against other combo decks like TES or Reanimator.

My list has evolved over time after tons of testing and playing this deck. After adding the Pithing Needles, I never looked back.

I think sometimes people over-value Therapy post-SB. While it is inherently the most powerful discard spell in the deck, a lot of the time you need consistency and more information post-SB rather than higher variance raw power. It's still one of the best cards against RUG though, and I never board any out against them.

For reference, here is my current list: :)

"Storm"

4 Dark Ritual
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Lotus Petal
4 Lion's Eye Diamond

4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
4 Brainstorm

4 Duress
3 Cabal Therapy
1 Thoughtseize

4 Infernal Tutor
2 Grim Tutor

1 Past in Flames
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Tendrils of Agony

2 Island
1 Swamp
2 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Bloodstained Mire

SB
1 Tropical Island
4 Xantid Swarm
1 Echoing Truth
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Disfigure
1 Dread of Night
2 Pithing Needle
1 Inquisition of Kozilek

[Tombstalker]

Patrunkenphat7- Im returning to legacy after a long break and I was on storm before I left (well and TA). Anyway I dig your list.

Edit post was lame content removed to save space.. carry on.

[thefringthing]

I think I'm on to something with this partial sideboard:

1 Tropical Island
3 Xantid Swarm
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Teferi's Realm
5 TBD (2 Ignorant Bliss, 2 Pithing Needle, 1 Discard?)

[phazonmutant]

I think I'm on to something with this partial sideboard:

1 Tropical Island
3 Xantid Swarm
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Teferi's Realm
5 TBD (2 Ignorant Bliss, 2 Pithing Needle, 1 Discard?)

Ok, since I have a giant hard-on for Teferi's Realm, I'll bite.
Hmm, that metaphor took a turn for the strange, moving on.

What specifically do you think you bring it in against, what are you boarding out, and why do you think it's better than a pile of bounce / Virtue's Ruin / Dread of Night / Rebuild / Hurkyl's Recall?

[Bed Decks Palyer]

Ok, since I have a giant hard-on for Teferi's Realm, I'll bite.
Hmm, that metaphor took a turn for the strange, moving on.

What specifically do you think you bring it in against, what are you boarding out, and why do you think it's better than a pile of bounce / Virtue's Ruin / Dread of Night / Rebuild / Hurkyl's Recall?

Hurkyl's Recall does nothing against Gaddock and Virtue's Ruin cannot remove Trinisphere. It's all abnout versatility, and as sb space is limited, versatile cards are good. I need to test the card, the only thing I dislike is the hard-to-get casting mana.

[thefringthing]

why do you think it's better than a pile of bounce / Virtue's Ruin / Dread of Night / Rebuild / Hurkyl's Recall?

Because it fills the roles of all those cards combined, potentially freeing up sideboard space for stuff like graveyard hate, Needles, Ignorant Bliss, etc.

[Koby]

Because it fills the roles of all those cards combined, potentially freeing up sideboard space for stuff like graveyard hate, Needles, Ignorant Bliss, etc.

If the current trend is to utilize Sensei's Divining Top along with LDV, then would you consider Devastation Tide as a catch-all (minus Teeg) answer to problematic permanents?

[thefringthing]

That's an interesting idea. I'm not on the LDV + SDT train just yet, and my initial reaction to Devastation Tide is that it seems pretty cute. It's definitely on the same axis I'm exploring with Teferi's Realm, though.

[Bed Decks Palyer]

I don't like it much. Even with SDT in play, it has few weaknesses:
One: Unlike Miracles.dec, if you start with this in hand, you got just Brainstorm to return it on top, we don't play JTMS.
You may use it with LDV, but this little bit limits how exactly you may build the pile.
Next trouble is already mentioned - it doesn't answer Teeg.
I won games against hatebears with this sequence: Rituals+IT (sac LEDs, drop PiF) into Chain/Truth, than flashback PiF. You can't do this that easy with Tide. You may play the IT into LDV and then use SDT, but it's a bit harder.
Also, when in grave, this card's flashback costs a lot, unlike Chain/ET that can be flasbacked for much less.

Otoh, it answers the permanent based hate completely and as such, it's strength is unique. I am very interested in your test results. Maybe some split of Chain/Karakas (for Teeg) and Devastation Tide (for the rest) could be usable.

[Dia_Bot]

Also, as long as you play ad Nauseam you don't want to add additional 5 CC spells to your deck since you shouldn't side AN out againt D&T or Maverick.
Also against the decks where you would play devastation tide massacre is almost always better since at least you can play it for free if it's in your hand (the only sitiuation where it's worse is when the cannonist/thalia etc. has a sword/jitte attatched to it).

Non creature based hate is not nearly played enough to negate the downsides of playing devastation tide over massacre.

[phazonmutant]

Because it fills the roles of all those cards combined, potentially freeing up sideboard space for stuff like graveyard hate, Needles, Ignorant Bliss, etc.

I've been liking Teferi's Realm so far. A lands player was incredibly confused, then I won.

That plus Carsten's Lim-Dul's Vault list is enough to get me to pick up ANT again. I just love those "terrible" old cards too much.

[Bed Decks Palyer]

I've been liking Teferi's Realm so far. A lands player was incredibly confused, then I won.

That plus Carsten's Lim-Dul's Vault list is enough to get me to pick up ANT again. I just love those "terrible" old cards too much.

How would you build your sb? I like Pyroclasm/Virtue's Ruin because it gets rid of the creatures immediatelly, and sometimes it is important to not being hit by another attack. Otoh, Teferi's Realm may be played turn3 without thinking and just annoy the opposing player for several turns.
Would you sb it against control for whatever the reason, e.g. to make it act like a pseudo-Geddon? I know that it sucks to not have lands, but we may start the combo with Petals and a land drop, while the opponent (unless he uses manarocks/dorks) sits and stares; well, except for FoW, of course.

[Tombstalker]

Spent the last few days shaking the dust off my storm deck, along the way I threw 2 snapcasters and 2 CoV in the main in lieu of preordain and they have been surprisingly good often mvps. I actually killed a burn player and reanimator with snapcaster beat down.

Tried lim-duls vault again too but I just can't make the card function how I'd like. It just seems to sit there blank or encourage me to wait an additional turn just to use it. Feels like a worse brainstorm more than a 2cc vampiric tutor. What am I missing here?

SCM has me thinking of trying a single entomb again. It should in theory function like a hellbent IT with a SCM in hand or PiF in hand or grave.

[Lemnear]

Spent the last few days shaking the dust off my storm deck, along the way I threw 2 snapcasters and 2 CoV in the main in lieu of preordain and they have been surprisingly good often mvps. I actually killed a burn player and reanimator with snapcaster beat down.

Tried lim-duls vault again too but I just can't make the card function how I'd like. It just seems to sit there blank or encourage me to wait an additional turn just to use it. Feels like a worse brainstorm more than a 2cc vampiric tutor. What am I missing here?

SCM has me thinking of trying a single entomb again. It should in theory function like a hellbent IT with a SCM in hand or PiF in hand or grave.

Excuse me? A UB topdeck Tutor is too bad for you, but durdling with CoV + Snapcaster Mages flashbacking BS for a mere 3 mana are MVP's? You consider Entomb + Snapcaster, a 2-card-1UB interaction better than LDV, doing the same or one less card and mana?

You missed a lot, A LOT

[phazonmutant]

How would you build your sb? I like Pyroclasm/Virtue's Ruin because it gets rid of the creatures immediatelly, and sometimes it is important to not being hit by another attack. Otoh, Teferi's Realm may be played turn3 without thinking and just annoy the opposing player for several turns.
Would you sb it against control for whatever the reason, e.g. to make it act like a pseudo-Geddon? I know that it sucks to not have lands, but we may start the combo with Petals and a land drop, while the opponent (unless he uses manarocks/dorks) sits and stares; well, except for FoW, of course.

It's been a long time since I've built an ANT sideboard, but here's my starting point. I have Carsten's manabase - 8 fetch, 2 basics, 2 Sea, 1 Volc, 1 Badlands, 1 Trop main - Empty, and no Ad Nauseam, 6 discards. Also 1 Chain of Vapor main.

SB:
1 Ad Nauseam
1 Lotus Petal
1 Chain of Vapor
3 Teferi's Realm
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Xantid Swarm
1 Cabal Therapy
2 flex slots - currently Disfigure, but maybe should be Surgical.

Really not sure how I feel about the Badlands. I'm almost tempted to run a Gemstone Mine in its place.

If Teferi's Realm is good, it's because it can come in against creatures, Chalice, and control. I'd definitely board it in against miracles because they often have both Counterbalance and hate bears.

[Tombstalker]

Excuse me? A UB topdeck Tutor is too bad for you, but durdling with CoV + Snapcaster Mages flashbacking BS for a mere 3 mana are MVP's? You consider Entomb + Snapcaster, a 2-card-1UB interaction better than LDV, doing the same or one less card and mana?

You missed a lot, A LOT

I knew id regret those words.. not that entomb is great in fact it probably sucks in storm but it was just an idea.
Snaps otoh is really quite good especially since I dont/wont own grim tutors and im trying a list without BWs that im used to.
Maybe I need to work with LDV longer idk, or then again maybe theres a reason its not already part of the maindeck same with SCM and CoV none are new tech.

[Megadeus]

Watching the ANT player the in the semi and the finals hurt. Some nice punts though

[Deviruchi]

It looks like we should have an ANT player as a winner. Unfortunately he played LED before rituals which gave his opponent a chance to Wear that LED. This blowout made him forget about SP trigger. So close.

[ActionJunkie]

It looks like we should have an ANT player as a winner. Unfortunately he played LED before rituals which gave his opponent a chance to Wear that LED. This blowout made him forget about SP trigger. So close.

How was this played wrong - active player can keep Priority or so I thought? So why couldn't he cast spells/activate LED before passing Priority?

Please forgive my ignorance as I'm not experienced with ANT but was confused what went wrong there?

[Fatal]

Sure you still keep priority but when you cast next spell you give priority for response for that spell its all ok when you cast -> rituals, LED, IT bacause you don't give response window between LED and IT. When you cast in wrong order -> LED, Rituals, IT you give priority with LED on table (for response for Rituals) before casting IT so you can lose LED before IT goes on stack - very stupid mistake.