[Primer] Elves!

[danyul]

There doesn't appear to be a stream but you can follow the standings here:

http://www.planetmtg.de/articles/art...ction=comments

[Lord_of_Rivendell]

There doesn't appear to be a stream but you can follow the standings here:

http://www.planetmtg.de/articles/art...ction=comments

There where I say his standing, as well. I do appreciate Google Translate, as my German is quite limited.

[yaWgnorW]

Thanks for providing the links guys. Wish I could have made it. I look forward to seeing Julians list. Swan Song is interesting of course, a while back some Elf players were trying out various counters but I dont remember much significance coming from it. Looking forward to seeing it how it really works.

[Havoc]

I don't disagree that Grafdigger's Cage is very effective against graveyard decks, like reanimator. That said, I think it is far too effective against us, especially when you've chosen to play only one in your sideboard. Put at least three in your sideboard, and you're going to have a more consistent plan to deal with a meta that is filled with graveyard decks. With just one, you're counting on a lot of luck and NOT using the strengths of the rest of the deck. If you test it, and I suggest that you do, one Scavenging Ooze and your Deathrite Shamans will serve you better, especially when you consider that you also have to optimize your sideboard.

In the end, to each his/her own. But for my taste, you would never see just one Grafdigger's Cage in my sideboard and you'd only find three in there in a meta where I'm expecting at least 25% of the decks to be graveyard intensive--and even then, I'd probably sooner take Tormod's Crypt or Relic of Progenitus.

grafdiggers cage is amazing but it takes some understanding and the right elf build to utilize it. not that you are in anyway inexperienced at the deck but i had to learn how to play it with elves. i have lots of dredge, reanimator and opposing elf's in my meta. because of this Ive had to adjust and the cage is my hay-maker. when it comes in i actually side out NO and green suns. usually its -2 of each. while i know that's heresy among elf players it can be of use. no one expects me to hurt myself so its always a surprise when i land it. against opposing elf list they're siding in their last NO and im removing mine. when this happens i go the glimpse and a hard-casted hoof for the win. i actually run 2 cages if there's more reanimator and elves but i traded it out for the relic because of the RUG and Jund match-ups. the cage isn't for everyone but i think if more elf's, reanimator,and dredge are around its a good surprise for them

[Julian23]

I Top8'ed after drawing the final round then we split the Top4 of the event. Good times!

R1: *BYE*
R2: Miracles, 2-1 (after receiving a gameloss g1 due to a decklist error, lol)
R3: Manaless Dredge, 2-0
R4: Canadian, 2-1
R5: SneakShow, 1-2
R6: Deathblade, 2-1
R7: Team America, 2-0
R8: Deathblade, ID

1/4 Finals: Punishing Jund, 2-1

Maybe I'll write a small report but I'm too tired right now...

[Havoc]

I Top8'ed after drawing the final round then we split the Top4 of the event. Good times!

R1: *BYE*
R2: Miracles, 2-1 (after receiving a gameloss g1 due to a decklist error, lol)
R3: Manaless Dredge, 2-0
R4: Canadian, 2-1
R5: Omniclash, 1-2
R6: Deathblade, 2-1
R7: Team America, 2-0
R8: Deathblade, ID

1/4 Finals: Punishing Jund, 2-1

Maybe I'll write a small report but I'm too tired right now...

congrats

[Lord_of_Rivendell]

I Top8'ed after drawing the final round then we split the Top4 of the event. Good times!

R1: *BYE*
R2: Miracles, 2-1 (after receiving a gameloss g1 due to a decklist error, lol)
R3: Manaless Dredge, 2-0
R4: Canadian, 2-1
R5: Omniclash, 1-2
R6: Deathblade, 2-1
R7: Team America, 2-0
R8: Deathblade, ID

1/4 Finals: Punishing Jund, 2-1

Maybe I'll write a small report but I'm too tired right now...

Way to go!! Sleep well.

[Darklingske]

Another awesome result Julian! Congrats!

[spirit of the wretch]

R5: Omniclash, 1-2

I actually played SneakShow. Just because I did draw almost no creatures in our matches doesn't mean I didn't play them =)

It was a real pleasure playing you!

Grats to top4.

[yaWgnorW]

I Top8'ed after drawing the final round then we split the Top4 of the event. Good times!

R1: *BYE*
R2: Miracles, 2-1 (after receiving a gameloss g1 due to a decklist error, lol)
R3: Manaless Dredge, 2-0
R4: Canadian, 2-1
R5: SneakShow, 1-2
R6: Deathblade, 2-1
R7: Team America, 2-0
R8: Deathblade, ID

1/4 Finals: Punishing Jund, 2-1

Maybe I'll write a small report but I'm too tired right now...

Personally I'd like to see the decklist + board, since you dropped that you adopted Swan Song.

[Julian23]

I actually played SneakShow.

True! I posted it after returning home at around 3am and going through a Super Street Fighter 2 session with a teammate that I had crashing at my place. We took way too many tries on Deejay...

The day before, I also went into the semifinals of the big Legacy trial, only to lose to TES.
For anyone interested, here's my list:

"Bündnis 76 - Die Grünen" (61 cards)

4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Misty Rainforest
2 Windswept Heath
2 Bayou
1 Tropical Island
2 Dryad Arbor
2 Forest
4 Gaea's Cradle

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Quirion Ranger
4 Wirewood Symbiote
4 Elvish Visionary
3 Heritage Druid
1 Birchlore Ranger
1 Llanowar Elves

2 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
1 Viridian Shaman
1 Scavenging Ooze

4 Glimpse of Nature
4 Green Sun's Zenith
3 Natural Order

SB:
3 Thoughtseize
3 Swan Song
2 Mindbreak Trap
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Pithing Needle
1 Progenitus
1 Natural Order

The deck performed awesomely although I took like alltogether 5 mulligans in the match against Stefan (spirit of the wretch). Against Miracles in round2 I just readjusted the difficulty to "Nightmare!" and start with a gameloss due to not registerng my 2 Windswept Heath. Still easily won the match and even had the Swan Song for his Terminus (would he have found it anyways..).

The metagame was mostly Storm Combo, Miracles and Deathblade variants. Also quite a lot of Elves with 2 other players being in competition for Top8 until the penultimate round.

I will definitely stay on the Swan Song plan as the card looks to be just insanely good right now. Bonus: Against Stefan I used it to Swan Song my own Green Sun's Zenith (with Grafdigger's Cage on the table) to get a 2/2 Flier to keep racing while he was Brainstorm-locked.

[fluuu]

Why u actually guys dont play cavern of souls?

[Lans89]

Elves beats a lot of combo decks by slamming down all creatures, while playing discard, hate and flashback Therapy's, and then kick for maybe only 2-5 dmg a turn. This way you still kill them while they might have countered some of your win-cons. Don't you think giving your combo opponent a 2/2 blocker nullifies that plan? As some guys above already mentioned, there are some other counter-options. But I know it is also awesome to counter enchantments! Anyway, gratz on your finish =)!

@Fluuu: Mostly because of the interaction of forests with Quirion Ranger =)!

[Julian23]

I tried it a lot on Magic Online after the BoM (in place of the Taiga) and it was ok while randomly blowing out Miracles with it. For this tournament though, there was no other land to cut for the Tropical Island so I exchanged these two. Scavenging Ooze was promoted to the maindeck in the process to make more room for anti-combo cards in the sideboard.

Really, giving your opponent a 2/2 Swan Token is the least of your concerns. Especially with Wirewood Symbiote on the table.

[Dice_Box]

On a roll man, well done.

Cavern does not see play as is is not a fetch or a fetch target. Add in coloured mana needed for 11/12 other spells and it just gets in the way.

[Zombie]

Yup. One look at Julian's list and I'm running it. Holyfuckingshit that thing is delicious.

[danyul]

The Champ is at it again! That's a spicy list. Congrats on another great performance! You make me wanna track down some foil Swan Songs.

[Shagstaman]

maybe when I get a trop I'll try it out =)

ruric thar main still seems like a europe-only thing for now..

what all do you bring swan song in against exactly? seems like some matchups the discard would be strictly better.

ionno!!

[danyul]

Swan Song + Discard seems like a package deal against most combo decks.

[matty]

Well I just ordered some swan songs lol