[Deck] Nic Fit (GBx Explorer Zenith Control)

[Ralf]

I'll make a more involved post later, but just a quick thought for you: the only way to beat Elves is to sweep them and then drop something that they can't recover from (ie Deluge -> Plague / Nether Void / Chalice@1 etc).

Everyone in this thread knows how much of a fan of Nether Void I am, so I'd definitely run one of those. It's awkward, for sure, but it's really the best chance you have to keep them down. They can still go off through it, especially with Cradle, but it'll be much, much harder for them to do, and hopefully you can continue to pile on hateful cards / clock / more sweepers and slam the door before they recover -again- (because they will).

I do love Nether Void but I think it is just to narrow.
Jbone has already access to "Humility" (and also "Moat" but it does not stop DRS ping activation).
Humility won't win you games alone, as you will have to cope with a horde of 1/1 (glimpse is alive...) but there will be blood.
Very few elves' list can deal post SB with a Humility on the battlefield.
Once Humility hits, your plan is finding as fast as possible an equipment (BSK here an ALL STAR) to just win. Period.

While I was routing for Toxic Deluge (x2) in SB, Engineered Plague (naming elves) while humility is on the battlefield could help you buying time to dig for Batterskull or to kill him with your 1/1. But sooner or later, it will get decayed...

In any case, that MU really is a nightmare. And with your current settings, I could see a few games against Elves ending on a draw (unable to finish the last one) and most likely the ones involving "Humility".

To speed up the games, you would need:
1) another equipment (jitte but I find it sub-optimal against a horde of 1/1) to increase the odds to actually seeing one equipment (1 batterskull, 1 diabolic intent, 1 jitte for example = 3 ways to get it).
However, I would rather not pack SFM because you are exposing yourself to discard (some elves' list run CT or TS)
2) a mass "pumper" (no way) or a kessig wolf run (not optimal but could deserve some testing) to get the fastest kill between 2 sweepers but you need another creature in hand.
3) a manland (best option ? even if it could be overrun by a horde of 1/1) to get a quick kill between 2 sweepers

[pettdan]

Regarding fighting elves, this spring I was losing a lot against elves in the LGS and the following configuration of cards (pretty much what you're discussing, I also may have posted on this topic earlier this spring) in rock Nic Fit seemed to make the deck favored in the matchup. Reclamation Sage was not available for elves at this time, not sure how much difference it makes.

First the Skull/Humility/Plague cards:
MD:
2 Batterskull
2 Stoneforge Mystic
SB:
1 Engineered Plague
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Night of Souls' Betrayal (also killing the Wirewood Symbiote and good vs Death & Taxes, True Name, Lingering Souls etc; can't be abruptly decayed)
1 Humility

Note that NoSB and Humility form a soft lock which Batterskull can get out on top of.

In addition to above cards the following where good at slowing them down. (Extra) discard to get rid of the first Glimpse of Nature and then Natural Order. Follow up with Gaddock Teeg and/or Spirit of the Labyrinth to shut down top decked Glimpse or Natural Orders (can be tutored for by GSZ/Enlightened Tutor). Or land Plague/NoSB. Humility helps too, didn't consider it very important earlier but with the Reclamation Sage around it seems more important now. Also I notice the dissynergy betwen SotL and NoSB, it's ok I think, you probably want to play SoTL turn 1-3 and NoSB after that.

MD:
2 Toxic Deluge
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Thoughtseize
0-2 Living Wish (for Tabernacle or Spirit of the Labyrinth, not crucial just experimenting and I love tutors/wishes)
0-1 Academy Rector
1-2 Liliana of the Veil
SB:
1 Thoughtseize
1 Spirit of the Labyrinth
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1? Abrupt Decay
0-1 Liliana of the Veil

I think the setup of cards is flexible, synergistic and valuable in many matchups, as well as taking up few slots. And the following tutor elements help get the right stuff at the right time: 1 Enlightened Tutor, 1 Academy Rector, 2 Stoneforge Mystic, 4 Green Sun's Zenith, 2 Living Wish.

Changes:
The maindecked Toxic Deluges were very valuable, but should probably be Abrupt Decays in a meta with less elves and tribal than mine (was).
Not sure how valuable Tabernacle is right now, I'd probably skip it.

[jbone2016]

And of course I lose to elves in the first round of the trial.


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[jbone2016]

Lost to esperblade. Moat almost got there.


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[jbone2016]

1-1. Beat tezzerator. Teeg too strong.


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[jbone2016]

Beat lands round 3. Beat miracles round 4. 3-1 now


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[jbone2016]

Drew with bug. Should have won. Beat dredge. 4-1-1


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[Ralf]

Drew with bug. Should have won. Beat dredge. 4-1-1


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How many matches left ?
Go go !!

[jbone2016]

Bah. Lost to 2 bolts against American delver in game 3 when I have lethal on my next turn.


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[jbone2016]

Lost to bug an then beat the leyline deck. 5-3-1. Might top 64.


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[jbone2016]

...and 56th.


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[Ralf]

...and 56th.

Will you write a report, please ?

[whatwas]

JUst got done looking at the walker build and watching the vids. Seems kinda interesting some minor tweaking could make it more viable. The one ofs's of strix and ponder need to be changed out, possiabliy for more walker maybe Kiora maybe even Ashiok. Here is the link with vids if any1 is interested http://www.starcitygames.com/article...n-Walkers.html.

It's a good article, I just finished building the deck last week and I most say it is very fun. I actually beat belcher in the last tournament I played by blowing up deed. I'm thinking about adding a deathrite shaman or 2, I really like ponder in the list but I wanted to try top. I'm so glad when, while reading the article, I clicked on 'let it go' to find a clip of starwars instead of frozen. Hah

[MD.Ghost]

...and 56th.

Gratz!

------

I played other decks for a while but decided to switch back to BUG Pod for the last tournament in a LGS last sunday.

Decklist:

// Deck: BUG Pod (60)

// Lands
2 Bayou
2 Forest
2 Island
3 Misty Rainforest
1 Phyrexian Tower
2 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
2 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
4 Verdant Catacombs

// Creatures
4 Baleful Strix
3 Deathrite Shaman
1 Eternal Witness
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Grave Titan
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Shriekmaw
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Thragtusk
4 Veteran Explorer
1 Wolfir Silverheart

// Instants
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Brainstorm

// Sorceries
4 Cabal Therapy

// Enchantments
2 Pernicious Deed
1 Recurring Nightmare

// Artifacts
3 Birthing Pod

// Sideboard
SB: 1 Doomwake Giant
SB: 1 Fleshbag Marauder
SB: 1 Flusterstorm
SB: 4 Force of Will
SB: 1 Glen Elendra Archmage
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction
SB: 2 Swan Song
SB: 1 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Vendilion Clique
SB: 1 Venser, Shaper Savant

New Card (not only for Elves): Reclamation Sage! Rest is more or less the basic build, an Anti-Combo-Sideboard and a Doomwake Giant (D&T switch with Wolfir Silverheart) and Fleshbag Marauder (against Creature based decks, including Cheat Stuff like Show&Tell). Wolfir Silverheart was the only "test slot", because with Reclamation Sage Pod can cut the clunky Acidic Slime as a 5drop. Wolfir Silverheart can enable more "Power" to your Podchain, because you can pump all the little guys and maybe swing with an unexpected 5/5 Strix. It also works as a backup, if Grave Titan isn't avaible. Finally you can also do some "Deadshot" tricks with Murderous Redcap.

Matchups:

R1 vs Sneak Show 0:2 (No1 - He knows me and my deck and Gitaxian Probe saved his Gameplan, because he know Show&Tell is a bad idea, latter he also won the tournament)

R2 vs Sneak Show 2:0 (No2! - G1 was very grindy and i got Archmage online, G2 i use Image, copy Strix, draw Sage to kill his Sneak Attack right before he topdecks Emrakul, than Swan Song got his Through the Breach, later he plays Show&Tell and i put in Fleshbag Marauder)

R3 vs Sneak Show 1:1 (No3....meta?! G1 was very grindy, because Recurring Nightmare + Archmage bought some turns, but after a couple of "draw 7" he gets me, G2 was also a grind, i managed to use Surgical Extraction vs Sneak Attack, finally Show&Tell vs Venser won the game).

R4 vs MUD 2:0 (G1 Therapy hits 2 Lodestone Golems and Reclamation Sage killed the rest, G2 Sower graps his 8/8 Golem and the team slams him down)

R5 vs Loam Pox (G1 Mulligan 6, 1 Land + Brainstorm + Explorer etc. - he removed Explorer with Inquisition, i draw no land and than he t2 goes Ritual into Nethervoid, i respond with Brainstorm, see no land and we go to G2, grindy as expected, but he breaks my Pod with Pulse and a Liliana's Ultimate + Small Pox killed my last trumph: a fresh Grave Titan, so it was over...)

Last game i had the chance to "win and in", but missed the 5ths place and only got 11th...Top 4 was 3 Show&Tell Decks...

-------
Best Card was Reclamation Sage, easy to find as a 3drop with pod, won me some Games vs Sneak Attack and also showed up vs MUD to kill some Metal.

Sideboard worked good so far (14 cards vs Sneak Show...). Swan Song over Envelop was also right, because sometimes it matters to get also nasty Instants/Enchanments.

Afterall, a lot of fun with Nic Fit (besides the weird meta).

[jbone2016]

Will you write a report, please ?

Sure. I'll try to write it tonight after I look at my notes.

[jbone2016]

Report Time:
Main Board (61)
Dudes
4 Vets
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Sylvan Ranger
1 Spirit of the Labyrinth
1 Scooze.
1 Eternal Witness
1 Thrun
3 Academy Rector
1 Thragtusk
1 Sigarada
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Batterskull
non-dudes
3 Tops
1 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Therapy
3 GSZ
1 Diabolic Intent
3 Living Wish
3 Deed
1 Moat
1 StP
2 Decay
Land
3 Windswept Heath
3 Verdnant Catacombs
3 Bayou
2 Savannah
1 Scrubland
3 Forest
2 Swamp
2 Plains
1 Karakas
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's Stronghold
Board
1 Karakas
1 Bog
1 Humility
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Thoughtseize
1 Toxic Deluge
1 E. Plague
1 Leyline of the Void
1 Warmth

[jbone2016]

Ok...actual report

Round 1 (Esperblade) Judge calls (2 or 3, damn my foreign cards)
Game 1: This game goes 40+ minutes. Involves a Moat which neither of us can get past (my Baneslayer got swords which I knew about and I couldn't find my Sigarda) He finally gets a Council's judgment to deal with the Moat and TNN seals the deal.
In: Pridemage, Deluge, Plague, TSx2
Out: ?
Game 2: No way to get anything together that fast to win.
0-1 (0-2) 4 SCG Legacy opens in a row starting with loss.

Round 2 (Tezzeret)
Game 1: We both mull. Him to 6, Me to 5. First action is my GSZ for a Teeg.....and he pretty much scoops. I only deltas and basic land, so I have no clue.
In: TSx2, Trapsx2
Out:
Game 2: Land the Teeg on turn 2 and slowly beat down with stuff. I intented my rector into a decay to kill a strix. Seemed good
1-1 (2-2) 2 Mulls

Round 3 (Lands)
Game 1: I flood the board with more creatures then he has maze of ith's (which was 3 at one point)
In: Humility, Leyline of the Void
Out:
Game 2: We play the cripple fight with humility on board. He is recurring dark depths every turn with crucible while I bring back something with volrath's stronghold. Krosan grip ends this fast.
Game 3: I get an ooze out on turn 2 and he fires it. I get Thrun out. He ends up ee for 4 and kills it. :(. I land a tusk and then a sigarda to finish him just in time.
2-1 (4-3)

Round 4(Cheater Miracles)
Game 1: We jockey for position while I start to beat down a little. Sigarda lands and starts to beat down. They try to terminus but I have the tower/stronghold combo to not lose my sigarda.
In: TSx2, Pridemage
Out: Rector x1, Vet x2?
Game 2: Sigarda comes down fairly early (after they tap out for Keranos after I attempted a batterskull which got counterspelled) but I'm facing a Keranos that becomes active with 2 counterbalances and a v. clique. I'm at 8, and they are at 8 and I attack with my sigarda to put them to 3. Keranos trigger put me to 5, they attack for the win....but I kill the clique with the decay I've been floating with my top. They dig for an answer....and don't find one.
3-1 (5-3) 3 mulls

Round 5 (BUG)
Game 1: I mulligan twice....and then gets thoughtseize on the draw. enough said.
In: TSx2, Leyline of the Void, Deluge
Out : Rector x1, Teeg + ?
Game 2: TS into therapy and Explorer leads to a early Thrun and then a deed to clean up.
Game 3: I open with the Void. Slowed down his goyfs and DRS. Time gets called. I'm at 6 and he's at 13. I have a sigarda vs. flipped delver. I thought he had a card in hand, so I was fearing a v. clique. I pass. he gets a goyf. turn 3: I get a baneslayer and attack. turn 4: he stays put. turn 5: the draw is....a blank. Draw. I attack Sigarda on turn 1, I win. Or removal.
3-1-1 (6-4-1) 4 mulls

Round 6 (Dredge)
Game 1: He almost goes off on turn 3. Has a therapy in the yard with several bridges and creatures in play but no dread return. I go living wish into bog you. Then deed away the board in turns. He almost rebuilds before getting decked.
In: Void, Bog (mistake), Canonist, e. Plague
Out: Spirit, stp,? ? ?
Game 2: He therapies 2 living wish away on turn 1.....but hits no dredges for several turns of digging. Ooze eats his chances away.
4-1-1 (8-4-1)

Round 7 (American Delver)
Game 1: Some early discard sees what he is on, I have batterskull but he gets a TNN out. Stalls for a little while until a deed and Tusk cleans up
In: Pridemage, Plague, Deluge. ts?
Out: Teeg, ?, ?
Game 2: I get wasted out of the game before I do anything really.
Game 3. Crazy game. Both mull to 6. I have a chance to kill a jitte with a decay but I kill the flipped delver....with a deluge in my hand. He gets jitte to 4 counters and has a SFM to it. I have to deluge for freaking 10 to kill it. I have a stronghold in play with explorer in my yard but I know he has a bolt and a skull. He gets a delver with jitte on it now. My draw...rector with a tower in play. Deed for 2. Go. His turn: land, skull. My turn.......rector, deed for 5, go. His draw land. Mine, top, spin, flip....GSZ....for sigarda...fearing the bolt would kill my tusk....which seems bad afterwards with the stronghold....and I'm at 4. him land. Go. Me, draw a therapy. Attack to 9. go. him land. go. me. Baneslayer, attack him to 4. go. him. bolt bolt for the win. Crap.
4-2-1 (9-6-1) 6 mulls

Round 8 (BUG Delver)
Game 1: Comes down to a Sigarda vs. Lilly and tombstalker. I'm winning the damage race at this point, so he deluge's for 5 to clear the board and keeps ticking up lily. Deed comes out to clear the board and puts a threat on the table. he edicts.plays a delver I play a thrun, he edicts again which kills lily. delver flips. I go to 6, then play my batterskull. Which he can't race. He had discarded a dismember earlier to lily which would have won him the game.
In: TSx2, deluge
Out: Teeg, rector, ?
Game 2: I never get any footing a die fairly quickly to 2 goyfs.
Game 3: Same as game 2.
4-3-1 (10-8-1)

Round 9 (Leylines)
I figured I would play one of these rounds
Game 1: He mulls 3 times (twice with powder) and keeps a hand with no lands.....but a leyline of the void.
I therapy him a couple of times while he never actually drew a land. Baneslayer beat him pretty hard.
In: Pridemage, Deluge, TSx2, not humility
Out: Spirit, ? ? ?
Game 2: He keeps 7, 3 leylines but no void or sanctity.
No land drop and passes. I end up ripping his hand apart and have a baneslayer on turn 3.
5-3-1 (12-8-1)

Time for some sleep. Questions/comments/gripes? Also, HoneyT? How did you finish?

[Ralf]

Ok...actual report

Round 1 (Esperblade) Judge calls (2 or 3, damn my foreign cards)
Game 1: This game goes 40+ minutes. Involves a Moat which neither of us can get past (my Baneslayer got swords which I knew about and I couldn't find my Sigarda) He finally gets a Council's judgment to deal with the Moat and TNN seals the deal.
In: Pridemage, Deluge, Plague, TSx2
Out: ?
Game 2: No way to get anything together that fast to win.
0-1 (0-2) 4 SCG Legacy opens in a row starting with loss.

Round 2 (Tezzeret)
Game 1: We both mull. Him to 6, Me to 5. First action is my GSZ for a Teeg.....and he pretty much scoops. I only deltas and basic land, so I have no clue.
In: TSx2, Trapsx2
Out:
Game 2: Land the Teeg on turn 2 and slowly beat down with stuff. I intented my rector into a decay to kill a strix. Seemed good
1-1 (2-2) 2 Mulls

Round 3 (Lands)
Game 1: I flood the board with more creatures then he has maze of ith's (which was 3 at one point)
In: Humility, Leyline of the Void
Out:
Game 2: We play the cripple fight with humility on board. He is recurring dark depths every turn with crucible while I bring back something with volrath's stronghold. Krosan grip ends this fast.
Game 3: I get an ooze out on turn 2 and he fires it. I get Thrun out. He ends up ee for 4 and kills it. :(. I land a tusk and then a sigarda to finish him just in time.
2-1 (4-3)

Round 4(Cheater Miracles)
Game 1: We jockey for position while I start to beat down a little. Sigarda lands and starts to beat down. They try to terminus but I have the tower/stronghold combo to not lose my sigarda.
In: TSx2, Pridemage
Out: Rector x1, Vet x2?
Game 2: Sigarda comes down fairly early (after they tap out for Keranos after I attempted a batterskull which got counterspelled) but I'm facing a Keranos that becomes active with 2 counterbalances and a v. clique. I'm at 8, and they are at 8 and I attack with my sigarda to put them to 3. Keranos trigger put me to 5, they attack for the win....but I kill the clique with the decay I've been floating with my top. They dig for an answer....and don't find one.
3-1 (5-3) 3 mulls

Round 5 (BUG)
Game 1: I mulligan twice....and then gets thoughtseize on the draw. enough said.
In: TSx2, Leyline of the Void, Deluge
Out : Rector x1, Teeg + ?
Game 2: TS into therapy and Explorer leads to a early Thrun and then a deed to clean up.
Game 3: I open with the Void. Slowed down his goyfs and DRS. Time gets called. I'm at 6 and he's at 13. I have a sigarda vs. flipped delver. I thought he had a card in hand, so I was fearing a v. clique. I pass. he gets a goyf. turn 3: I get a baneslayer and attack. turn 4: he stays put. turn 5: the draw is....a blank. Draw. I attack Sigarda on turn 1, I win. Or removal.
3-1-1 (6-4-1) 4 mulls

Round 6 (Dredge)
Game 1: He almost goes off on turn 3. Has a therapy in the yard with several bridges and creatures in play but no dread return. I go living wish into bog you. Then deed away the board in turns. He almost rebuilds before getting decked.
In: Void, Bog (mistake), Canonist, e. Plague
Out: Spirit, stp,? ? ?
Game 2: He therapies 2 living wish away on turn 1.....but hits no dredges for several turns of digging. Ooze eats his chances away.
4-1-1 (8-4-1)

Round 7 (American Delver)
Game 1: Some early discard sees what he is on, I have batterskull but he gets a TNN out. Stalls for a little while until a deed and Tusk cleans up
In: Pridemage, Plague, Deluge. ts?
Out: Teeg, ?, ?
Game 2: I get wasted out of the game before I do anything really.
Game 3. Crazy game. Both mull to 6. I have a chance to kill a jitte with a decay but I kill the flipped delver....with a deluge in my hand. He gets jitte to 4 counters and has a SFM to it. I have to deluge for freaking 10 to kill it. I have a stronghold in play with explorer in my yard but I know he has a bolt and a skull. He gets a delver with jitte on it now. My draw...rector with a tower in play. Deed for 2. Go. His turn: land, skull. My turn.......rector, deed for 5, go. His draw land. Mine, top, spin, flip....GSZ....for sigarda...fearing the bolt would kill my tusk....which seems bad afterwards with the stronghold....and I'm at 4. him land. Go. Me, draw a therapy. Attack to 9. go. him land. go. me. Baneslayer, attack him to 4. go. him. bolt bolt for the win. Crap.
4-2-1 (9-6-1) 6 mulls

Round 8 (BUG Delver)
Game 1: Comes down to a Sigarda vs. Lilly and tombstalker. I'm winning the damage race at this point, so he deluge's for 5 to clear the board and keeps ticking up lily. Deed comes out to clear the board and puts a threat on the table. he edicts.plays a delver I play a thrun, he edicts again which kills lily. delver flips. I go to 6, then play my batterskull. Which he can't race. He had discarded a dismember earlier to lily which would have won him the game.
In: TSx2, deluge
Out: Teeg, rector, ?
Game 2: I never get any footing a die fairly quickly to 2 goyfs.
Game 3: Same as game 2.
4-3-1 (10-8-1)

Round 9 (Leylines)
I figured I would play one of these rounds
Game 1: He mulls 3 times (twice with powder) and keeps a hand with no lands.....but a leyline of the void.
I therapy him a couple of times while he never actually drew a land. Baneslayer beat him pretty hard.
In: Pridemage, Deluge, TSx2, not humility
Out: Spirit, ? ? ?
Game 2: He keeps 7, 3 leylines but no void or sanctity.
No land drop and passes. I end up ripping his hand apart and have a baneslayer on turn 3.
5-3-1 (12-8-1)

Time for some sleep. Questions/comments/gripes? Also, HoneyT? How did you finish?

Thanks for sharing mister !
As I read your report, you made some difficult choices which ended in draw/loss where you could have caught wins.

Except for dredge, no combo, lucky you !

[enemyofarsenic]

Report Time:
Main Board (61)
4 Vets
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Sylvan Ranger
1 Spirit of the Labyrinth
1 Scooze.
1 Eternal Witness
1 Thrun
3 Academy Rector
1 Thragtusk
1 Sigarada
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Batterskull
4 Therapy
3 GSZ
1 Diabolic Intent
3 Living Wish
3 Deed
1 Moat
1 StP
2 Decay
Land
3 Windswept Heath
3 Verdnant Catacombs
3 Bayou
2 Savannah
1 Scrubland
3 Forest
2 Swamp
2 Plains
1 Karakas
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's Stronghold
Board
1 Karakas
1 Bog
1 Humility
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Thoughtseize
1 Toxic Deluge
1 E. Plague
1 Leyline of the Void
1 Warmth

Is it me or are you missing 3 cards from your main?

[jbone2016]

4 actually. 3 tops and a maelstrom pulse.


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