[Primer] R/G Lands

[Croprot]

Yup His name was Kurtis. The deck he had was super sweet. Ill probably keep choke in, however I never feel that I ever needed it against decks like delver and shardless though because of how good our mana denial is. Pithing Needle seems like a soild choice for SnT and is good in a variety of match ups.

I agree with the other people supporting choke. There are a lot of match ups where this spell isn't obviously a good card. However, when you examine it in any blue match up, it can decide the game if it resolves. I bring it in against Delver and if it stops a counter from hitting a relevant card like Trinisphere or gamble it has done it's job because the permission they take out their bad permission post board. It isn't super consequential when you compare it to the mana denial we already have but in practice it means any blue creature deck can't pay for tabernacle. It means brainstorming now has to be done very conservatively. It means that miracles will almost never resolve a Jace if we have any rishadan ports on field and their entreats don't survive the tabernacle.
My current board is
3 sphere
3 Trinisphere
4 k grip
2 choke
1 boseiju
1 bog
1 Chalice of the void
My karakas I'd main board because mana denial plus some luck means we can destroy sneak and show. It also helps with DnT which may come back strong.

[gigapatrick]

Yup His name was Kurtis. The deck he had was super sweet. Ill probably keep choke in, however I never feel that I ever needed it against decks like delver and shardless though because of how good our mana denial is. Pithing Needle seems like a soild choice for SnT and is good in a variety of match ups.

Kurtis has been a buddy of mine for years and years and years. His deck is pretty fantastic to look at, though obviously Pox has a horrible matchup against us. I think he got me one time out of like thirty tests matches with a fast Liliana game one and an unanswered Leyline game two. Agreed about Choke against Delver. I've boarded it in against a Deathrite-Delver deck to good effect, and I've crushed Shardless Bug with Choke as well, but against Rug or Napoleonic Delver I probably wouldn't board in Choke. Choke works against Miracles and blue Midrange decks, and I guess using the card depends upon how big of a player Miracles becomes in this new (old) meta without Dig Through Time.

[Layalouhamesh]

How will you adapt the mana? Single Bayou?

Layalouhamesh, good write up on Urborg. I'm impressed. Welcome too the thread.

Thanks :D

I ended the tournament with a correct 3-2. As far as I remembered, things went this way:

1°) First match against a very good Shardless player, that ended up winning the tournament. I made a few mistakes tue to my discovery of the deck, and he got me with well-played strix/liliana. I think I could have made a better game with more experience of the pack. On game 2, Thespian stage gets needled, and meddling mage on punishing fire lock me long enough. 0-2

2°) Second match was against a UR Delver. Absolutely no problem on game 1, I combo on turn 5 after destroying/tapping his lands. On game 2, I expect him to play Blood Moon, so I side in Confident *3, Dark Depths *1, Choke *2 and Krosan Grip *3. I need to mulligan up to 5, and I keep a hand with only a Wasteland (plus Loam, Mox Diamond, Gamble and Grip). I cannot draw a land, and my opponent finally plays the Moon. It gives me the needed red mana to go search for my Forest with Gamble and start playing. In fact he locked himself. I finally put my mox into play, and draw 3 Confidents that kill him. My opponent was a bit too desesperate, and ended up playing quite bad after he locked himself (he stifled my mox!). 2-0

3°) Third match against a friend, that plays aggro Loam, with reliquary knight. This card is quite a pain, and he gets his Karakas when he needs it. Shaman and Ooze are really difficult too. I get game 2, but on game 3 he gets Leyline of the void in his opening hand, and plays a turn 1 chalice. I kill one reliquary with punishing fire followed by bojuka bog, but it is not enough 1-2

4°) Fourth match against Miracles. Not really a problem. The opponent assembles countertop on turn 2 on both games, but cannot find a 2-mana spell, so I play the combo twice (sworded Marit Lage) and end the game. On game 2, I put choke into play, and I have 3 rishadan in play. 2-0

5°) Shardless again, but this time I put my whole hand into play on turn 1 with manabond, and win on the next turn, while he has only discard in hand. Game 2 is a bit slower, but punishing fire killed all the beasts before I put the combo together. 2-0

The missing card was clearly Ghost Quarter to me. Against Miracles and Aggro Loam, I really needed a card to take out the plains.
Also, reliquary knight is a real pain since it gives Aggro Loam a lot of reactivity to find solutions.

I'm pretty satisfied of the confidents, since my opponents sided out nearly all creature removal spells as expected, allowing me to touch my hate really fast.
However, I was sometimes out of colored mana, so I won't cut the 3rd fecth for the quarter. Maybe the 4th Punishing fire?
Also, I'm more and more thinking of putting 1-2 Decays (Liliana, Counterbalance...) and a Needle (reliquary, Karakas, Ooze, Top...) in the SB

[gigapatrick]

Building a Fortress #13

Enjoy.

I talk a little about Choke after the match, which might be relevant to the mini-discussion we've been having on the card.

[gigapatrick]

Building a Fortress #14

Good news, everyone! This installment showcases a matchup never before seen on Building a Fortress.

[djxstream]

Thoughts on sideboarding for a Griselbrand.

Do you keep in your punishing fires for those moments when they draw down to 2 or 1 life?

Yesterday i took out my PFs and opponent was down to 1 life and i lost. a clutch PF could of been the difference..but is it worth the slots for those slim opportunities?

[barcode]

Thoughts on sideboarding for a Griselbrand.

Do you keep in your punishing fires for those moments when they draw down to 2 or 1 life?

Yesterday i took out my PFs and opponent was down to 1 life and i lost. a clutch PF could of been the difference..but is it worth the slots for those slim opportunities?

The matchup is more informative than simply one threat in it. What matchup are you having problems with?

[Dice_Box]

You have to balance it out. In that match what has more impact, a Punishing Fire or a Pithing Needle? In the end, that's the choice your making. The deck is already tuned to a knife edge, there is not really that many places to make cuts.

Went 3-1 tonight losing to Imperial Taxes with Magus of the Moon as a Recruiter target. Mother made killing it hard. Ouch if that becomes a thing.

[djxstream]

The matchup is more informative than simply one threat in it. What matchup are you having problems with?

Last night was vs Sneak and Show but I've had this also happen vs reanimator.

You have to balance it out. In that match what has more impact, a Punishing Fire or a Pithing Needle? In the end, that's the choice your making. The deck is already tuned to a knife edge, there is not really that many places to make cuts.

I actually just today decided to take out my remaining sphere effects and make it 2 chokes 2 needles. so yeah the needles will be coming in for that matchup.

[barcode]

Went 3-1 tonight losing to Imperial Taxes with Magus of the Moon as a Recruiter target. Mother made killing it hard. Ouch if that becomes a thing.

Sadly this is becoming a thing. :( Woe is us if we have to play a f'kn Volcanic Fallout.

[gigapatrick]

Sadly this is becoming a thing. :( Woe is us if we have to play a f'kn Volcanic Fallout.

If Imperial Taxes (which should, to my mind, be called Bloody Taxes) does become a thing (as far is it ever can in a format defined by the consistency of Brainstorm), then don't we simply start putting Seismic Assault effects in our board? Even if they have two Mother of Runes out, a hand of three lands and an Assault on board means we can shock to death any creature we want. Or maybe I'm being too optimistic?

[barcode]

If Imperial Taxes (which should, to my mind, be called Bloody Taxes) does become a thing (as far is it ever can in a format defined by the consistency of Brainstorm), then don't we simply start putting Seismic Assault effects in our board? Even if they have two Mother of Runes out, a hand of three lands and an Assault on board means we can shock to death any creature we want. Or maybe I'm being too optimistic?

Maybe Seismic Assault is good enough but they'll probably Revoke it. Still, we'll see how it goes.

[UnsungHero]

Looking at some of the earlier lists of R/G lands, some players were using Primeval Titan in the sideboard. Primeval Titan seems interesting against Show and Tell. Reveal it off of Show and Tell and Grab Karakas + Another land or Depths and Stage. What other matchups were people using Primeval in?

[Crimhead]

Maybe Seismic Assault is good enough but they'll probably Revoke it. Still, we'll see how it goes.

This is the best argument I've heard for a 1-1 Vortex/Assault split.

[barcode]

Looking at some of the earlier lists of R/G lands, some players were using Primeval Titan in the sideboard. Primeval Titan seems interesting against Show and Tell. Reveal it off of Show and Tell and Grab Karakas + Another land or Depths and Stage. What other matchups were people using Primeval in?

I was using Titan in matches where I expected graveyard hate. Having a win condition outside of relying on the graveyard for an engine is useful. Titan is also good against midrange decks since fetching up your win condition is very powerful and they have no good way to answer it. If fewer people are playing Omniscience then Titan is a good card to put in with Show and tell, otherwise you really need to put Trinisphere into play to not lose immediately.

[Admiral Nobeard]

This is the best argument I've heard for a 1-1 Vortex/Assault split.

I've usually found that working with one main and one side works. I just started playing Lands, but I've noticed that one is always good to have, and it can be cheeky fun to use one main deck and the other side, then switch them out G2 if you know or think they have Revoker or Needle. If not and it's an aggro matchup, I just jam both for funsies.

I was using Titan in matches where I expected graveyard hate. Having a win condition outside of relying on the graveyard for an engine is useful. Titan is also good against midrange decks since fetching up your win condition is very powerful and they have no good way to answer it.

Would that be a good reason to consider playing Inferno Titan as well? I've thought about adding him over Prime Time simply for the extra burn per swing, but also because a large part of my meta runs Blood Moon.

[barcode]

Would that be a good reason to consider playing Inferno Titan as well? I've thought about adding him over Prime Time simply for the extra burn per swing, but also because a large part of my meta runs Blood Moon.

I have thought about this as well and it may be a very powerful sideboard card is Blood Moon effects really take off. Inferno Titan isn't as objectively powerful as Primeval Titan (getting utility lands is better than a random lightning bolt). However after board we'll only be getting mountains under Blood Moon so maybe Inferno Titan is better (especially if it kills a Mother of Runes and Magus of the Moon). But there's also real value in getting 2 dead cards out of the library (draw to K-Grip?) and smashing for 6 every turn, too with Primeval Titan.

Primeval is more powerful than Inferno but Inferno is easier to cast under a Blood Moon. Both are relatively quick clocks, but Inferno can be chump blocked effectively.

[Admiral_Arzar]

I have thought about this as well and it may be a very powerful sideboard card is Blood Moon effects really take off. Inferno Titan isn't as objectively powerful as Primeval Titan (getting utility lands is better than a random lightning bolt). However after board we'll only be getting mountains under Blood Moon so maybe Inferno Titan is better (especially if it kills a Mother of Runes and Magus of the Moon). But there's also real value in getting 2 dead cards out of the library (draw to K-Grip?) and smashing for 6 every turn, too with Primeval Titan.

Primeval is more powerful than Inferno but Inferno is easier to cast under a Blood Moon. Both are relatively quick clocks, but Inferno can be chump blocked effectively.

I've played Inferno Titan in mono-red Sneak before. He is an extremely fast clock (especially under a moon). Note that he is actually absurdly difficult to chump block, as you can just arc lightning all the chumps when he declares attacks. I mean, they can chump him with Goyf or Angler but if they're doing that you're winning anyway.

[Admiral Nobeard]

I've played Inferno Titan in mono-red Sneak before. He is an extremely fast clock (especially under a moon). Note that he is actually absurdly difficult to chump block, as you can just arc lightning all the chumps when he declares attacks. I mean, they can chump him with Goyf or Angler but if they're doing that you're winning anyway.

The only problem is if you face down a double Mom or the more recent Imperial RW Taxes where Inferno Titan can't kill the chumps with protection and then gets blocked completely with a pro-red dood. But still, sending a bolt upstairs every swing is pretty good if you need to.

[snorlaxcom]

I've played Inferno Titan in mono-red Sneak before. He is an extremely fast clock (especially under a moon). Note that he is actually absurdly difficult to chump block, as you can just arc lightning all the chumps when he declares attacks. I mean, they can chump him with Goyf or Angler but if they're doing that you're winning anyway.

Not applicable to decks with Goyf or Angler because they have shit manabases, so Titan isn't needed here like the wincon in Big Red (these decks don't run moon effects so I don't see the comparison trying to be made). If moon decks are the issue just side in grips and add sudden shock for magus. Helps if spellskite is onboard.

The only problem is if you face down a double Mom or the more recent Imperial RW Taxes where Inferno Titan can't kill the chumps with protection and then gets blocked completely with a pro-red dood. But still, sending a bolt upstairs every swing is pretty good if you need to.

Why would Inferno Titan be in your deck vs D&t?