[Deck] Sneak and Show

[MRTY]

Hey JPA, I was checking lists on mtgtop8 and I noticed you placed 2nd in a daily with a slightly different list than what you've been running previously. I was curious what you thought of your changes and if you've liked them. I just put together your SCG indy list in paper and am trying to learn as much as I can.

[JPA]

Wondering if I could get some suggestions. I would like to build Sneak and Show online but its about 1k to build which is a little ridiculous to be honest. Anyone have suggestions of how to get there, build up my acct, sell cards etc? What did you guys do? I figured some good feedback would help.

I started off with a cheap burn-heavy UR Delver list in May 2014 (which obviously contained some parts of Sneak & Show already), played a ton of draft, and in ~September I had made enough profit so that Sneak & Show cost me close to 0.

Hey JPA, I was checking lists on mtgtop8 and I noticed you placed 2nd in a daily with a slightly different list than what you've been running previously. I was curious what you thought of your changes and if you've liked them. I just put together your SCG indy list in paper and am trying to learn as much as I can.

I was just testing the 2nd place list from Eternal Extravaganza. It was an easy 4-0, but the list has some obvious flaws (Boseiju without Throug the Breach is nonsensical, for example) and I will stick with my own list for now.

[Islandswamp]

Heys guys!

Wondering if I could get some suggestions. I would like to build Sneak and Show online but its about 1k to build which is a little ridiculous to be honest. Anyone have suggestions of how to get there, build up my acct, sell cards etc? What did you guys do? I figured some good feedback would help.

I have Sneak and Show in paper, but I really would like to play the deck a lot more (since my work schedule conflicts with weekends sometimes which all tournaments fall on

Thanks!

You either have to play a lot and win packs to sell, or spend money. Also, you can sell unneeded paper here: http://www.mtgotraders.com/store/papertomtgo.html and get credits for mtgo traders. You can also check out this link http://puremtgo.com/node/1451 to earn some credit to get MTGO cards, it's how I got a lot of my stuff.

There was a time where I could draft and at least win some packs there or playing 2-man or 8-man ques every day, and I built up my account that way, but my schedule does't really allow for that anymore.

[HeartNana]

Hey guys ;)

Have you ever tried Izzet Charm in Sneak Show ???

greetings

[blindspotxxx]

Hello fellow Sneak and Show brothers!

Have we been totally pushed out of the metagame lately? Our position is just so bad with so many Delver Decks dominating in the Metagame. Combo is at a total down low...
What have you guys been brewing up to counter this hostility?

[JPA]

Have you ever tried Izzet Charm in Sneak Show ???

I think Izzet Charm is similar to Fire//Ice, although a little bit less versatile. Could be okay to play Charm in the 1-Misdirection-slot, if you don't expect to face that many BUG-style decks. The loot-mode of Izzet Charm also has some side bonus against Reanimator, where you could discard a Griselbrand in response to an opponent's Exhume.

To make it more clear:

Misdirection if you expect: BUG-variants, Jund, discard-heavy Esper, counter-wars

Fire // Ice if you expect: Death and Taxes, Elves, Young Pyromancer.dec

Izzet Charm if you expect: Miracles, Blade (UWR, Esper), Reanimator, any matchup where you want Spell Pierce, Death and Taxes too I guess (to break the pre-board Revoker+Karakas lock)

Have we been totally pushed out of the metagame lately? Our position is just so bad with so many Delver Decks dominating in the Metagame. Combo is at a total down low...
What have you guys been brewing up to counter this hostility?

No, we haven't. I like our position, it's basically the same as before Treasure Cruise. One new matchup I have found highly annoying, though, is Grixis Control, which is pretty popular on MTGO. Especially the post-board games can be very frustrating, since you can't really board Defense Grid against a Cabal Therapy deck, but often get drowned in counters (FoW, Pierce, Counterspell, Flusterstorm, REB). Pyroclasm can buy you some time, considering their weakness is very low threat-density, but I haven't found an effective way to improve the matchup yet and my post-board record against them is pretty terrible.
Besides that, I feel Sneak & Show is as strong a deck as ever and I definitely plan on playing it at SCG Worcester in May.

[blindspotxxx]

I think Izzet Charm is similar to Fire//Ice, although a little bit less versatile. Could be okay to play Charm in the 1-Misdirection-slot, if you don't expect to face that many BUG-style decks. The loot-mode of Izzet Charm also has some side bonus against Reanimator, where you could discard a Griselbrand in response to an opponent's Exhume.

To make it more clear:

Misdirection if you expect: BUG-variants, Jund, discard-heavy Esper, counter-wars

Fire // Ice if you expect: Death and Taxes, Elves, Young Pyromancer.dec

Izzet Charm if you expect: Miracles, Blade (UWR, Esper), Reanimator, any matchup where you want Spell Pierce, Death and Taxes too I guess (to break the pre-board Revoker+Karakas lock)



No, we haven't. I like our position, it's basically the same as before Treasure Cruise. One new matchup I have found highly annoying, though, is Grixis Control, which is pretty popular on MTGO. Especially the post-board games can be very frustrating, since you can't really board Defense Grid against a Cabal Therapy deck, but often get drowned in counters (FoW, Pierce, Counterspell, Flusterstorm, REB). Pyroclasm can buy you some time, considering their weakness is very low threat-density, but I haven't found an effective way to improve the matchup yet and my post-board record against them is pretty terrible.
Besides that, I feel Sneak & Show is as strong a deck as ever and I definitely plan on playing it at SCG Worcester in May.

Thanks for the quick reply JPA :) I will be playing at GP Kyoto this weekend but still not sure about our position. I know the way to beat Delver is to use Defense Grids but our win ratio against them post board is still very small. I would understand the Grixis matchup because they have Cabal Therapy and it is very hard to battle that card. I would try to scout the metagame during the LCQ Days if our favorite deck can stand a chance.

[JPA]

I will be playing at GP Kyoto this weekend but still not sure about our position. I know the way to beat Delver is to use Defense Grids but our win ratio against them post board is still very small.

Good luck at the GP! Even without Defense Grid, the post-board Delver matchup is pretty even in my opinion. UWR can be really annoying with their combination of permanent-based hate and counters, but RUG and BUG are close matches I usually enjoy playing.

[blindspotxxx]

@JPA

What do you think about Misdirection back in the main? So far the meta here is mostly BUG Delver and BG Decks like JUND, Shardless, Elves and Deathblade.

Most prevalent colors are black and blue. Tempting to put Leyline back..

My List so far is:

2 JTMS
1 Dig
3 Probe
3 Spell Pierce

And then the stock list..


SB is

3 Blood Moon
3 Pyroclasm
2 Grafidiggers
2 Flusterstorm
2 Omniscience
1 DTT
1 Boseiju
1 Wipe Away

What do you think?

[JPA]

@blindspot: My opinion on Leyline is still the same as ever, I don't like it at all, even in the "right" metagame.

I would definitely play a 1-of Misdirection in the main deck. Other than that, your main seems good to me.

Concerning your sideboard: Boseiju without Through the Breach is nonsense, in my opinion. I don't like Omniscience, unless you expect a ton of Mirror/Reanimator/ContainmentPriest.dec.
I would recommend swapping the 2 Omniscience for 2 Through the Breach.

[mariobross]

hello JPA since you are very willing to give advice, especially against us players who are learning recently,
to play this deck, I wanted to ask what are your side in / out in these metch up (with the list you posted lately):

- BUG control (shardless)

- BUG Delver

- Patriot (UWR Delver)

I ask this because even if the preceding pages I read something about this information I do not know if they are updated on the current metagame.
I also believe that for a player who started playing a new deck to know how to do the side in / out is one of the most important things.

thanks in advance for your help !!!

[JPA]

- BUG control (shardless)

- BUG Delver

- Patriot (UWR Delver)

My current list for reference:

1 Dig Through Time
1 Misdirection
3 Spell Pierce
4 Gitaxian Probe
The rest is stock (19 lands with 5 sol-lands, 4 Tarn, 3 blue fetches, 3 Volc, 3 Island, 1 Mountain)

Sideboard:
2 Defense Grid
3 Pyroclasm
1 Pyroblast
1 Flusterstorm
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Blood Moon
2 Echoing Truth
2 Through the Breach

As always, these are just guidelines and I will adjust my own boarding depending on which sideboard cards I see, whether I'm on the draw or the play, etc.

Shardless BUG:

+1 Pyroblast, +1 Flusterstorm, +2 Blood Moon, +1 or 2 Echoing Truth, +2 Through the Breach

there are different options for boarding out, most of the time it's some combination of Gitaxian Probe, Force of Will, Lotus Petal and sometimes 1 Emrakul

BUG Delver:

That's a real tough one, especially since there are two different versions now (Stifle/Confi and Hymn/Lili). Against the Stifle/Confidant version you definitely want Pyroclasm and maybe Defense Grid, in addition to the standard boarding plan of Blood Moon, Pyroblast, Flusterstorm, and 1 or 2 Echoing Truth. You can board out some amount of Forces and Gitaxian Probes, maybe even a creature or two.

UWR Delver:

+1 Pyroblast, +1 Flusterstorm, +2 Blood Moon (I don't like them on the draw in this matchup, though), +3 Pyroclasm, +2 Defense Grid, +2 Echoing Truth

-2 to 4 Force of Will, -2 to 4 Gitaxian Probe, other cards that could be boarded out are Misdirection, Dig Through Time (not that good against a REB-deck), 1-2 creatures and Spell Pierce (because they don't have Planeswalkers and you have more effective ways to counter their counters in Flusterstorm, Pyroblast and Defense Grid, as well as a ton of must-counter spells).

I hope this helps.

[janluis1]

Just wondering. Does this deck have a good matchup against omnitell!?

[Quasim0ff]

Just wondering. Does this deck have a good matchup against omnitell!?

Fairly decent, as you are just quicker

[Charon]

Fairly decent, as you are just quicker

Are you?

I've seen Omni lists running 5 soul lands and petals, they win the turn they play Omni almost without fail, where we sometimes hit challenges.

I think this match isn't as favorable as you think, if anything I think Omni may have advantage here.

[GoblinZ]

Are you?

I've seen Omni lists running 5 soul lands and petals, they win the turn they play Omni almost without fail, where we sometimes hit challenges.

I think this match isn't as favorable as you think, if anything I think Omni may have advantage here.

I have not played this deck recently so I may be wrong.

The old-version of omnitel is favorable for us, but I think DTT changed thing quite a bit. It is much more dangerous to show a griselbrand now than before, because draw 7 is not big issue for them anymore, even they can respond to fetch a stifle or trickbind to counter the ability, which would be brutal...

If u sit back hoping to resolve a sneakattack without tapping out, it will give them more time to find gas through DTT and very probably u lose the counterwar...


So I think this may not be a good match-up any longer.

I think the only pro for playing sneakshow over omnitel is its explosiveness, they very often need to fow a turn one delver on the draw, while we can neglect the insect in most cases.

[pinkfrosting]

I think the only pro for playing sneakshow over omnitel is its explosiveness, they very often need to fow a turn one delver on the draw, while we can neglect the insect in most cases.

I think that sneak and show is also more consistent at hitting a combo. It has 8 enablers and 8 targets, while Omni only has 4/4-6. While Omnitell is almost guaranteed to go off and win the turn it resolves Show and Tell, they can sometimes get stuck looking for show and tell/Omni.

[s&s]

Are you?

I've seen Omni lists running 5 soul lands and petals, they win the turn they play Omni almost without fail, where we sometimes hit challenges.

I think this match isn't as favorable as you think, if anything I think Omni may have advantage here.

I've found the matchup to be quite in favor of sneak attack.

If they go show & tell to cast omniscience, you can put griselbrand into play, respond to their next cast by drawing 14, and win from there. Since this makes resolving show and tell very risky for them, and sneak attack is a lot easier to cast then omniscience, you are in a great spot from there. Boarding in red blasts and a singleton defense grid I go into this matchup with confidence. Finally access to pyroclasm and blood moon beats the mono-blue approach in my experience.

[GoblinZ]

I think that sneak and show is also more consistent at hitting a combo. It has 8 enablers and 8 targets, while Omni only has 4/4-6. While Omnitell is almost guaranteed to go off and win the turn it resolves Show and Tell, they can sometimes get stuck looking for show and tell/Omni.

But drawing too many fatties or mana like petals could happen, in terms of consistency omnitel si obviously better.

[GoblinZ]

I've found the matchup to be quite in favor of sneak attack.

If they go show & tell to cast omniscience, you can put griselbrand into play, respond to their next cast by drawing 14, and win from there. Since this makes resolving show and tell very risky for them, and sneak attack is a lot easier to cast then omniscience, you are in a great spot from there. Boarding in red blasts and a singleton defense grid I go into this matchup with confidence. Finally access to pyroclasm and blood moon beats the mono-blue approach in my experience.

This mu used to be and still is a grinding mu to some degree, scrupting a perfect hand first and then finding a chance to move. As I said above they can cast cunning wish responding to your drawing seven, fetching a trickbind or stifle to counter u.