[Deck] Nic Fit (GBx Explorer Zenith Control)

[Arianrhod]

Speaking of the GP, I have booked my 14 hour train ride to DC and was wondering how I could recognize fellow Nic Fitters at the event.

I am still unsure if I want to play Nic Fit at the GP but I did kinda swore to myself that my first event outside the country should be done representing Nic Fit just because I am still that Nic Fit guy to a lot of people up in here.... even after I started topping events with other decks (go figure).

I'll be in an orangeish-reddish Mythic Games shirt on Saturday, probably with a black leather jacket either being worn or draped about my shoulders depending on climate control, and I'll be using a blue Mythic Games playmat. Also, you can always look for Kevin McKee on the pairings sheets -- after round 2 (I have a 2-round bye).

As for Friday......good luck. I don't even really know where I'll be myself -- likely perusing the various dealers looking for shinies.

[KntrellCL]

Im still playing a Junk Pod version of Nic Fit... and it has shown been a blast...

Creatures [22]
CMC1 [7]
4 Veteran Explorer
3 Deathrite Shaman
CMC2 [3]
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Scavenging Ooze
CMC3 [4]
2 Eternal Witness
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Bone shredder
CMC4 [4]
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Wickerbough Elder
2 Restoration Angel
CMC5 [3]
1 Thragtusk
1 Acidic Slime
1 Shriekmaw
CMC6 [1]
1 Grave Titan

Engine [8]
3 Birthing Pod
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Recurring Nightmare

Control [9]
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Pernicious Deed
4 Cabal Therapy

Equipment [1]
1 Batterskull

Lands [21]
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Windswept Heath
3 Bayou
2 Savannah
1 Scrubland
3 Forest
3 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Phyraxian Tower

I used to play Wall of Blossoms instead of SFM for the CMC2 creature slot, but I always felt it was underwhelming (playing 1G for a 0/4 while my oponents were playing for the same 1G a 4/5 was too much difference). I never use GSZ for Wall of Blossoms, so I took that place for a non green creature and SFM is a roundhouse for her own... but I would like to play a 3/2 split SFM/Equipment but I dont know what else to take. I also tried Strangleroot Geist but hitting GG turn2 was not consistant (relying only on basics) and a 2/1 haste isnt good for the deck purpose.

I really love the SB versality, but I think it can improve...


SB [15]
2 Liliana of the Veil (Since TNN seems to be the new "creature to beat" and works against combo)
3 Thoughtseize (Against Combo)
2 Krosan Grip (Against Rest in Piece, Omniscience)
1 Morderous Redcap --->Pod Target (against Aggro)
1 Thrun. the Last Troll --->Pod Target/GSZ (against Control)
1 Gaddock Teeg ---->Pod Target/GSZ (against Combo)
1 Umezawa's Jitte ----> SFM target
1 Tormod's Crypt ----> Enlightened Tutor silver bullet
1 Pernicious Deed ----> Enlightened Tutor silver bullet
1 Ethersworn Canonist ---->Enlightened Tutor silver bullet/Pod Target
1 Enlightened Tutor ----> SB Package

[dannemann]

So, played Scapefit again last week. Lost my notes, but a quick recap

Round 1 vs Dredge
Game 1 we both mull to 5, he goes t1 cabal Therapy on himself and starts dredging. My ramp+deathrite are faster than this, and Valakut+mountains wil.
He takes game 2 rather fast. Game 3 he mulls on the draw, and I thoughtseize his LED and only discard-outlet t1 ftw.
Round 2 vs BW Deadguy Ale (w/o Bob, for some strange reason)
Game 1 goes really long, as he goes thoughtseize, hymn, hymn, then gets a Batterskull. I wish for Deluge, clear the board except for his Liliana.
Then I draw top, and out-quality his cards. At one point I have 2x Huntmaster (one reanimated) and 5x tokens vs his Batterskull, Sword of W&P and some creatures.
He still has way to much life for me to start attacking. At some point, valakut and some mountains starts killing his board, and I can attack for the win over 3 or 4 turns.
Game 2 I make angry mountains in turn 4 of extra rounds.
Round 3 vs TES
Game 1 is close, with me taking his Brainstorm+Dark Ritual, but he can JUST go of (to 3 on AdN) the turn before I can Slaughter Games.
Game 2. I mulligan to 5 and lose. Just utterly destroyed.
Round 4 vs Affinity
Game 1 he dumps his hand on t1, topdecks Plating, and Im dead on t3.
Game 2 he's not that explosiveas he has no blue source. Deed takes his whole board. He end up with 1 card in hand, no board and -14 life.
Game 3 he is ahead, as he gets Champion+plating, but I get PrimeTime to Valakut Champion, and then the rest of his board before he scoops.
Round 5 vs UR Delver
I don't remember much, but I win 2-1. Huntmaster was all-star once again.

My round 5 opponent was the only 4-0 player, so I ended up taking 1st place. [/brag]

My list (actually Kevins, with a few changes):
4 Veteran Explorer
1 Deathrite Shaman
2 Sakura-Tribe Elder
2 Wood Elves
1 Eternal Witness
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Thragtusk
1 Primeval Titan

4 Cabal Therapy
4 Burning Wish
4 Green Sun's Zenith
2 Scapeshift
3 Pernicious Deed
3 Sensei's Divining Top
2 Slaughter Games

4 Taiga
1 Stomping Ground
3 Badlands
3 Mountain
2 Bayou
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Verdant Catacombs
3 Forest
2 Swamp
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's Stronghold
2 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

//SB
2 Red Elemental Blast
3 Carpet of Flowers
2 Thoughtseize
1 Slaughter Games
1 Reanimate
1 Scapeshift
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Pyroclasm
1 Reverent Silence
1 Innocent Blood

I like both Towers, but the deck need shuffle effects, so might cut Stronghold for a fetchland.
Other than that, for my meta right now, I'll move Slaughter Games to the board over Carpets(also, I dont ow any), and play a Scavenging Ooze. This could be anything, so might try something else.
In the last slot, I'll try From the Ashes, or play a 3rd REB

RE: Primeval Titan
I like this card in this deck way to much. Maybe it just does more for me as I'm playing two towers, but most of the time he just gets Valakut+mountains for a fast kills, often from a GSZ
Maybe it's just me, but this has been miles better for me than Thragtusk.

RE: other cards

heavyweights
Thragtusk - he has not been great for me, but I am keeping the 1
Kalonian Hydra - might just be big enough for me to try. Still, he does nothing vs StP
Gurzigost - I don't like it, but if someone tests it and like it, then maybe
Broodmate Dragon - Is a 4th 2-monsters-for-one-card nessary, despite the flying? maybe in place of a Huntmaster?
Kodama of the North Tree - to vanilla for my blood, would rather play Traghtusk
Ruric Thar - Putting this into play of S&T vs Omnitell sounds awesome, but still I thinking Primeval Titan is better. Maybe sideboard, if you can find the room
Mistcutter Hydra - A green fatty we can't GSZ for? Really?
Polukranos, World Eater - 4-mana 5/5's have not been enough before. I don't think monstrosity at this cost is good enought to make it viable
Nylea, God of the Hunt - no, I don't think so. A 4-mana enchantment, that only does something for 4 mana? No thank you
Arbor Colossus - vs PrimeTime. I'll take Titan any day
Elderscale Wurm - As a 7-drop, this goes against wanting to play more fetches, as it does nothing after a cracked fetck, or some other 'loss of life' effect
Panglacial Wurm - More for the lolz, than because it is good, I think
Thornling - I think this might be to green-heavy?

Collective Voyage - this sound fine on paper, but how often do we need this? Really, I asking as I have no idea.
Now I have to keep track of how often I want this, or just test it.
Harmonize - I have actually considered this before. Do anyone have any experience playing this?

RE: GPDC
I sadly wont be going to meet up with you guys, as DC is quite a long way from Denmark

Sneak and Show can't actually beat Slaughter Games, and they struggle with Therapy. Oftentimes they can just Force of Will a Thoughtseize or a Hymn or something, and then casually go off. Therapy is extremely disadvantageous to Force, because it'll be coming back anyway. Sometimes they nut out, and sometimes they're running a list that still has the sideboard Leyline of Sanctity, which is extremely bad for us, but generally speaking I've won a lot more against Sneak than I've lost. It's not a FUN matchup, by any stretch -- you're sweating bullets the whole time, but it's generally winnable. REB also goes a long way in the matchup, since it stops their "quick threat" of Show and Tell, and sometimes you can "gotcha" them by REBing a Brainstorm in response to Therapy.

Also, this is a matchup where you don't board out Explorers despite them having basics and doing powerful things with them. You also board in the Carpets. This leaves you with a shitton of ramp that gets you to 4 mana on turn 2-turn 3, meaning that we can consistently unload a Slaughter before they're ready to do anything -- usually with some hand disruption and/or REB protection on the way. Keep in mind that Sneak and Show is a very, VERY inconsistent deck, and oftentimes they're struggling to find one of the 3 parts of their combo (mana, enabler, monster). Sometimes all the gears fire and we die, but if they stumble even slightly, we're there to punish them, and punish them hard.

Also also, you board in the 3rd Slaughter Games in this matchup. You want it in your opening hand, and Burning Wish priority in the matchup is Reverent Silence (if Leyline) followed by Innocent Blood (if Show Emrakul) followed by Scapeshift. Your aggro plan ceases to exist (Thrags board out) -- this becomes a straight combo mirror. You have two combos to their one, though: you can Shift kill them, or you can kill them by hitting multiple Slaughter Games via drawing/topping/E.Wit, and exiling all of their monsters.

Hope that helps -- if you have any other questions, just fire away.

Thank you for this. I have never played the matchup, so this is really helpful. I never would have considered taking in the 3rd Games.
What do you name on the first Slaughter Games? Later?

[MrIggins]

I'll be in an orangeish-reddish Mythic Games shirt on Saturday, probably with a black leather jacket either being worn or draped about my shoulders depending on climate control, and I'll be using a blue Mythic Games playmat. Also, you can always look for Kevin McKee on the pairings sheets -- after round 2 (I have a 2-round bye).

As for Friday......good luck. I don't even really know where I'll be myself -- likely perusing the various dealers looking for shinies.

Gotta have a Nic Fit meetup, I'll be there late Friday and will be battling in all the rounds (no byes) in a Kermit shirt with a Jupiter Games mat.

[pfiremc13]

I used to play Wall of Blossoms instead of SFM for the CMC2 creature slot, but I always felt it was underwhelming (playing 1G for a 0/4 while my oponents were playing for the same 1G a 4/5 was too much difference). I never use GSZ for Wall of Blossoms, so I took that place for a non green creature and SFM is a roundhouse for her own... but I would like to play a 3/2 split SFM/Equipment but I dont know what else to take. I also tried Strangleroot Geist but hitting GG turn2 was not consistant (relying only on basics) and a 2/1 haste isnt good for the deck purpose.

Really? That's interesting because I cut sfm from arianrhod's thune fit list for a wall of blossoms. I did this because I wanted a 2-drop to gsz for that would be good on its own and start the pod chain. Now that I think about it, it may have not been necessary: I didn't gsz for it very often, and it was good but not great when I drew it. The reason for the change may be me learning not to blow my gsz's so early :P

So I might cut wall of blossoms and move batterskull to the main which I haven't done yet. This will free put more sideboard space as well. Some other options are the varolz I cut (which hasn't done much for me) and testing nylea just cause there are no gsz'able 4-drops and I like the idea of gsz'ing for an enchantment.

Some questions for arianrhod about thune fit:

-Have you ever been disappointed by the lack of gsz'able 4-drops?
-Describe a bit more what varolz has done for you.
-How useful has nether void been? (I think you talked about this before but I can't find where you did)
-What matchups is are the nevermores in your side for?
-Do you think I would be a good idea to have show and tell hate in the side? Has humility worked there in the past? Are there other matchups humility is good in?
-How do you beat omnitell (in general)?

[Star|Scream]

Speaking of the GP, I have booked my 14 hour train ride to DC and was wondering how I could recognize fellow Nic Fitters at the event.

I am still unsure if I want to play Nic Fit at the GP but I did kinda swore to myself that my first event outside the country should be done representing Nic Fit just because I am still that Nic Fit guy to a lot of people up in here.... even after I started topping events with other decks (go figure).

I don't know what I'll be wearing. Perhaps it'll be something Transformer-y or maybe just a hoodie. I won't be playing Nic Fit but I'll keep an eye out for you guys.

[Fizzeler]

Gotta have a Nic Fit meetup, I'll be there late Friday and will be battling in all the rounds (no byes) in a Kermit shirt with a Jupiter Games mat.

I will see you there albeit Saturday, but still! On Nic Pod for the GP MTGO/streaming testing has even shown me it is positioned reasonably and well I want to Angel Of Despair/Serenity Show players

One card I am still unsure on is Voice Of Re$urgence in pod variants

[Ayotte]

I will see you there albeit Saturday, but still! On Nic Pod for the GP MTGO/streaming testing has even shown me it is positioned reasonably and well I want to Angel Of Despair/Serenity Show players

One card I am still unsure on is Voice Of Re$urgence in pod variants

Where do you stream? I'm interested in seeing you play pod on mtgo.

[Fizzeler]

Where do you stream? I'm interested in seeing you play pod on mtgo.

Twitch.tv/fizzeler

Turns Poding has caused me more headaches than Brainstorming

[kavaki]

Speaking of the GP, I have booked my 14 hour train ride to DC and was wondering how I could recognize fellow Nic Fitters at the event.

I'll probably end up wearing my Ravens Jersey to make it easier. I wont be playing as I dont feel comfortable enough to do an event with the deck, but I will be there grabbing up good deals (why yes SCG, I will take a warped copy of port with no edge damage for $15. True story from Baltimore a year or so back.)

One card I am still unsure on is Voice Of Re$urgence in pod variants

I only know the card from Modern/standard (I play against a lot of Pod and Bant Hexproof before rotation I had the cards for.) My impression on VoR is that its a really good card if your opponent is doing stuff on your turn (obv.), but it also gives you a way to chain into a 1 cmc guy (the token does have a cmc of 0). I think voice is testable at the very least and at best deserves a slot.

[Qweerios]

My name is Vincent Durocher if anybody feels like saying hi at the gp. Ill go stalk kevin if I have time but I cant guarantee ill find kermit or a hooded nic fitter.

Oh, if anybody owns nemesis and could bring them to the event, I might use a loan. Ofc I will bring hostages for them.

Sent from my GT-S5830D using Tapatalk 2

[picklock]

Was there a thread consensus on a PW heavy nic fit? Liliana, Jace, Garruk Relentless, Elspeth 1.0 and even 3.0.. replacing the GSZ package. Individually they create more card advantage than any 1 creature as they are more difficult to remove. Spell pierce becomes slightly more relevant... but when is that an issue for nic fit?

Edit:
Reading back a few pages, the discussion of Glittering Wish inspired this:

4 Veteran Explorer
Creatures [4]
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Garruk Relentless
4 Liliana of the Veil
Planeswalkers [7]
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Glittering Wish
3 Innocent Blood
3 Lingering Souls
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Pernicious Deed
2 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Thoughtseize
Spells [26]
3 Bayou
2 Forest
4 Marsh Flats
2 Phyrexian Tower
2 Plains
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Wasteland
Lands [23]

SIDEBOARD
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Ashen Rider
1 Gaddock Teeg
3 Hymn to Tourach
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Loxodon Smiter
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Vindicate
1 Vraska the Unseen
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Zealous Persecution

[Arianrhod]

3-0 after two byes.....beat punishing jund 2-0. Sam is 2-1, devin is 1-2. Qweerios is playing rug and was 0-2 when last I saw him.

[hymntotourcock]

3-0 after two byes.....beat punishing jund 2-0. Sam is 2-1, devin is 1-2. Qweerios is playing rug and was 0-2 when last I saw him.

Fuggin' grats dude. I hope you make it to the end.

[SirTylerGalt]

3-0 after two byes.....beat punishing jund 2-0. Sam is 2-1, devin is 1-2. Qweerios is playing rug and was 0-2 when last I saw him.

I just started looking at the stream and saw you at 9 points in the standings, so I had to check this thread :) I hope I'll see you in the Top 8!

[Arianrhod]

4-0 for me ... beat meathooks. Sam is 3-1 .... beat shardless. Havent seen devin yet

[Svknoe]

Excellent! Good luck in the next rounds. Looking forward to further results.

[Arianrhod]

Got vomitee on by Led dredge. X-1.

[Arianrhod]

Sam won vs miracleblade. He's also x-1

[Ralf]

Sam won vs miracleblade. He's also x-1

Keep rocking !