[Primer] Elves!

[Julian23]

Also, credit where credit is due: the first person to suggest Swan Song to me was actually Lighning Bebbi after we had already discussed Envelope right after the BoM. In the end he came 1 point short of potentially Top8'ing the event as well.

[Zombie]

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

Plus Thorns :P Hit them from all the angles. Counters, discard, hate-permanents, a fast clock, oops I wins, DRS vs. PiF/EtW... >:)

[Lighning Bebbi]

Also, credit where credit is due: the first person to suggest Swan Song to me was actually Lighning Bebbi after we had already discussed Envelope right after the BoM. In the end he came 1 point short of potentially Top8'ing the event as well.

:)
Graz again, Julian!
Yes, I was 10th in the end. Alexander Beiersdorfer 11th – also with Elves!

Was a really great weekend for me and somehow Elves!

Here are my Matchups:

Saturday, ~60 people Trial:
1) Esper Blade 2:0
2) Goblins 2:0
3) Manaless Dredge 2:0
4) Death and Taxes 2:1
5) I.D.
6) I.D.

1/4 Final Miracle 2-1
1/2 Final Elves 2-1
Final GWrb Punishing Maverick 0-2

So I saved 1 Bye for Monday!

Monday, 119 people Mainevent:
1) Bye
2) Dredge 2:0
3) Elves 2:0
4) Miracle 1:2
5) TES 1:2
6) Turbo Eldrazi 2:0
7) burg 2:0
8) URW Patriot 2:1

As Julian said already I’m a fan of Swan Song, too. I played it in both events.
On Monday we played a quite similar Decklist. The only difference: I don’t play Llanowar Elves. I play the 2nd Birchlore Ranger to fix 4 colors. I also like to "go off" in some matchups with Glimpse for 2-4 cards turn 2 to find Order for the turn 3 kill, or sometimes just lucky turn 2 kill!

Swan Song countered things like:
- Force against Miracle to protect my Order
- Silence against TES, then I trapped him
- Counterbalance against Miracle, but he could Force it
- Entreat the Angel for 2 against Miracle
- It’s also very convincing in the mirror. For example:
He was on the play with first turn Llanowar Elves. (potential 2nd turn kill :P)
I had mulligan on 6: Fetchland, Cradle, Swan Song, Birchlore, Nettle, Deathrite, Glimpse.
I decided to put Fetchland and pass the turn to counter his Glimpse/Order, since I could play all my stuff even next turn without missing a blue mana in his turn again (Birchlore+Nettle+X). He just played some more Elves in his 2nd turn to arrange his Order turn 3.
I fetch Dryad Arbor EoT. Played Nettle, Glimpse, Birchlore into Nettle, into Heritage. GG :D Yes, this was lucky! but with Swan Song I never could have lost this, I think.

[Lans89]

Anybody looking for a side boarding guide from the BOM Champ can find his very guide right here (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...l=1#post731679), conveniently posted immediately after the primer. There are also links to his two BOM articles from SCG. I hope that helps take some pressure off of your inbox Julian!

He has no guide for Blade, and that's probably because the lists can differ a lot =). I side in 2 thoughtseize, 2 needle, 1 NO, 1 Prog and 1 Ooze (siding out 1 Ruric, 2 glimpse, 2 nettle, 2 herritage). But maybe I should also side in Abrupt Decay, because I sometimes loose to a singleton Grafdigger's Cage or some hatebears like Canonist and MM. What more should I side out if I include 3 or 4 Decays? My main is the same as Julian's 61 from BoM, and my sideboard has 2 Thorn instead of Traps ;)! Thanks!

[Julian23]

Just a short reminder because I'm still stuck at work ( ): When you side into the NO-package, you always take out all but 1 Heritage Druid; especially when you go -2 Glimpse of Nature against white decks. I like 3 Abrupt Decay +1 Thoughtseize but it depends a lot on whether they have Wastelands. Most have and I don't like fetching for Bayou unless I really have to. Same with Abrupt Decay of course but at least you're guranteed a hit on their Jitte with it (TS can and will be countered if they can) and costs them a lot of tempo.

[Shagstaman]

decay vs the "blade" decks has been amazing...obv targets are germ token and jitte...but many times I find its my only out to a v.clique and I am not ashamed to use it on DRS (especially when it's racing time)

[Lord_of_Rivendell]

Anybody looking for a side boarding guide from the BOM Champ can find his very guide right here (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...l=1#post731679), conveniently posted immediately after the primer. There are also links to his two BOM articles from SCG. I hope that helps take some pressure off of your inbox Julian!

Daniel, this continues to be a great addition to the primer; thanks for putting these sideboarding recommendations in such a prominent place. Julian, to my eye, has a great bead on the most common decks that we see. There are some other decks we might consider priming a sideboard strategy. Here are some other decks worth contemplating, even though some are less common than what has already been covered.

43 Lands
Affinity
Belcher
Burn
Canadian Thresh
Deathblade/Stoneblade
Enchantress
Goblins
High Tide
MUD
Nic Fit
Team America
Turbo Eldrazi
Zoo

[Echelon]

Against Affinity, boarding in your Pithing Needles is a pretty nice move. Stops Cranial Plating/Arcbound Ravager/Tezzeret

You could also board those in against Goblins to stop their Aether Vials & Gempalm Incinerators (if you've seen them play those)

[Zombie]

Pox is ass. Play stuff until they draw wrong, Progenitus, they die. Wow. Such fun. So skill.
First time I ever played against the deck, improvised a boarding plan of something like: -2 Heritage Druid, -1 Nettle -1 Viridian Shaman, -1 Hoof, -1 Ruric, +3 Swan Song (build a board securely), +2 Pithing Needle (Lili, Waste, Mishra), +1 Progenitus. Probably badwrong, but meh.

[Kayradis]

Im back from Holidays.
Alright
Lets resleeve Elves!

[Kayradis]

Someone got quoted yesterday on the SCG Stream *cough* *cough* Julian23 *cough* *cough*

[Lemnear]

Someone got quoted yesterday on the SCG Stream *cough* *cough* Julian23 *cough* *cough*

What? Are you telling me what they called him by his Forum Name?

[yaWgnorW]

What? Are you telling me what they called him by his Forum Name?

LoL I was watching when that happened. Way to get some 'stream advertisement' Julian. haha

[Zombie]

LoL I was watching when that happened. Way to get some 'stream advertisement' Julian. haha

Timestamps please, some people had to zzz D:

[Lemnear]

Timestamps please, some people had to zzz D:

I second this. Can't believe those guys are seriously too lazy and dumb to call the Bazaar of Moxen winner and writer FOR THEIR OWN MOTHERFUCKING WEBSITE by his name.

Gabe, do you have a link/timestamp for that brainfart? :)

[yaWgnorW]

I second this. Can't believe those guys are seriously too lazy and dumb to call the Bazaar of Moxen winner and writer FOR THEIR OWN MOTHERFUCKING WEBSITE by his name.

Gabe, do you have a link/timestamp for that brainfart? :)

I don't think I have a timestamp, I'll start trying to find it; however I am fairly certain they mentioned his full name, not his online handle.

EDIT:
Ah, found it. I believe this is what we are discussing. Their reference comes at 7:22:45 and goes on for about a minute, however it is in regard to what happens at 7:19:20.

http://www.twitch.tv/scglive/b/492936471

[Lemnear]

I don't think I have a timestamp, I'll start trying to find it; however I am fairly certain they mentioned his full name, not his online handle.

EDIT:
Ah, found it. I believe this is what we are discussing. Their reference comes at 7:22:45 and goes on for about a minute, however it is in regard to what happens at 7:19:20.

http://www.twitch.tv/scglive/b/492936471

Ok, from you posting earlier today I asumed they used the Forum name. My bad.

[danyul]

I've been reading other threads (blasphemy!?)and it's kinda funny to see everybody talk about the Elves matchup with such trepidation. It warms my grassy heart to see this deck become a real contender in the meta.

One thing I noticed though - people know that Grafdigger's Cage hoses us hard and it's beginning to see more and more play. So expect to see more of those postboard from pretty much any deck. And if you aren't already, you may want to start running maindeck Viridian Shaman.

Just some food for thought.

[Koby]

So when can we go back to Summoner's Pact?

[danyul]

So when can we go back to Summoner's Pact?

This Koby guy. Such a rabble-rouser!