[Primer/Deck] Nic Fit

[Ricardio]

I agree, discard is good against them.
One thing about your list: no pulse (in addition to vindicate)? I do always see a lot of JTMS usually and pulse+vindicate +3 tips to find them has been crucial in my experience
I'd easily play pulse over courser to be honest, giving away information is so bad. My 0.2c

HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY DECISION MAKING SKILLS! FIGHT ME IRL, NERD.

Ya, courser is definitely the weakest card in the 60 imho. Adding another pulse made me feel like I was overboarding with removal since I have 4 decay, 3 path, 3 deed, 1 vindicate with a deluge in the board. Maybe its better as a pulse.

[TLK]

I still test the Eldrazi menace, but i always read how this deck develop and how well you guys doing with Nic Fit!

I like the new rules, since it makes Garruk (always a fan of him), Huntmaster and Nissa far better with Deed. Even EE is good if you don't want to kill your own Token but need to get rid of a Delver. Speaking of EE you can also get enemy Nimble/Deathrites/Delver while profit from the kill of your own Explorers.

The good thing with Eldrazi is, that Matchups like Miracle and (more important for Nic Fit) Combo are affected. This will lead to some fairer Matchups, like BGx stuff (naturally do well vs Stompy) and you all know that any Nic Fit version is a beast once the meta is based on fair midrange decks.

In the past i played Punishing, Scape and BUG Pod for a while, but i still like the Junk/Rhino lists (so much toys!). If i would test the GBW stuff i would try the following build (based on Arianrhod latest list):

Land (22)
3x Bayou
3x Forest
1x Karakas
1x Phyrexian Tower
2x Plains
2x Savannah
1x Scrubland
2x Swamp
1x Taiga
3x Verdant Catacombs
3x Windswept Heath

Creature (16)
1x Deathrite Shaman
1x Eternal Witness
1x Glissa, the Traitor
1x Meren of Clan Nel Toth
1x Nissa, Vastwood Seer
1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
1x Scavenging Ooze
1x Shriekmaw
2x Siege Rhino
1x Sigarda, Host of Herons
1x Thragtusk
4x Veteran Explorer

Artifact (5)
1x Batterskull
1x Engineered Explosives
3x Sensei's Divining Top

Enchantment (5)
2x Pernicious Deed
1x Recurring Nightmare
2x Sylvan Library

Sorcery (9)
4x Cabal Therapy
4x Green Sun's Zenith
1x Maelstrom Pulse

Instant (3)
3x Abrupt Decay

Sideboard (15)
1x Ajani Steadfast
1x Gaddock Teeg
1x Garruk Relentless
1x Liliana of the Veil
2x Pithing Needle
1x Reclamation Sage
2x Slaughter Games
3x Surgical Extraction
2x Thoughtseize
1x Toxic Deluge

I made some changes, basically i like to avoid 6 drops - sure all have a lot of power, but hands can be very clunky sometimes and the Junk-build has so many other bombs, manasinks etc. that i see it as a "win more" most of the time. So i basically lower the mana curve a bit. A tech from my games with sylvan plug: Shriekmaw + Meren, i think it will also work here and (bonus points) Eldrazi are legal targets too. Not sure if the list needs good old Tusk, but with Sylvan Library, Recurring Nightmare and Phyrexian Tower it seems good enough (unlike Rhino it kills Reality Smasher) and it is still a good card vs Miracle. I chose Library over Painful Truths since it comes down faster (turn 1 therapy, turn 2 zenith for explorer and 2 left mana etc.), maybe only one copy is enough with tops/deed.

Since Glissa, the Traitor found a home, besides EE i also like Batterskull as a annoying, resilient threat. Sideboard is a colourful mix from various cards. I like Rec.Sage over K.Grip because it is tutorable and while Miracle with Top can be a pain i think this pile of cards pack more than enough trouble for Miracle (and you still can Needle top if needed, thanks to Library).

I am still a fan of 2-3 Decay in any Nic Fit shell, because sometimes it isn't easy to set up Explorer-Ramp while your opponent rides an aggressive delver to victory supported with a bunch of disruption. Decay stops early threats to buy some time - once mana is developed Nic Fit should overpower most decks with various cards, key was always to survive long enough.

Ajani Steadfast actually sounds pretty potent in Nic Fit. Has anyone tried it?

[Ricardio]

Ajani Steadfast actually sounds pretty potent in Nic Fit. Has anyone tried it?

I would much rather pay the extra G for mentor of heros or change the white to green for garruk. Steadfast REQUIRES a non-SS creature down or a bevy of pw/creatures to get value. Jamming 4 cmc pw in hopes we forcefield ult him isn't my idea of groundbreaking, matchup changing tech. lifelink is good but our life total is not nearly under duress enough to constitute him and even then sorin, SV is just better.
Playing a PW has to do something when it comes down and will always be compared to playing anything else because our cards need to be pound for pound the best. We can play more expensive cards because we have ramp BUT that doesn't mean we can shuffle every BGW pw into a pile and pull out random ones to shove in open slots.

If any thread is as open to suggestions as ours, I doubt it exists on the source but I do not think the old pw's need to be relooked at for playability. Jund wont play tibalt and Ajani goldmane wont be in junk.

[TTX]

Ricardio, why do you not play Dryad Arbor in your list on the previous page?

[Ricardio]

Ricardio, why do you not play Dryad Arbor in your list on the previous page?

I've never been a fan. I don't feel it is worth the slot. pseudo into play tapped land that dies to removal. I've never wanted it in a match and I don't like its interaction with deed. The argument can be made for it in a 4 gsz but I feel tossing a gsz back into the deck for a DA is not worth it. yes, its shuffled back in, but now you have to draw another gsz to toolbox. GSZ are a precious resource and I do not feel comfortable swapping it for a lackluster land.

[Arianrhod]

Ricardio, why do you not play Dryad Arbor in your list on the previous page?

Dryad Arbor is bad in most Nic Fits, unless you're doing something very specific with it like Natural Order. It dies to Deed and you'd rather hold a Zenith for a turn to grab an Explorer or DRS anyway.

[Ricardio]

Dryad Arbor is bad in most Nic Fits, unless you're doing something very specific with it like Natural Order. It dies to Deed and you'd rather hold a Zenith for a turn to grab an Explorer or DRS anyway.

also pod lists but those aren't really a thing atm.

[Jaytron]

Hi all,

Popping over from the Delver world just to try something new and spicy at my weeklies. What does a "stock" BUG Nic Fit list look like currently? That 4 color list with DEN looks hilarious

[Tom4ik]

Hi all,

Popping over from the Delver world just to try something new and spicy at my weeklies. What does a "stock" BUG Nic Fit list look like currently? That 4 color list with DEN looks hilarious

I dont think Nic fit and stock have ever been a thing. Bug doesnt really have set list as it has a few different ways of building it. I have always built it to be a low threat high card advantage deck that has high impact cards and the ability to grind out the game with a combo of planeswalkers and value creatures.

[Jaytron]

I dont think Nic fit and stock have ever been a thing. Bug doesnt really have set list as it has a few different ways of building it. I have always built it to be a low threat high card advantage deck that has high impact cards and the ability to grind out the game with a combo of planeswalkers and value creatures.

Would you mind sharing your list?

I saw the Notion Thief list on the front page, and I really just want to Notion Thief a Brainstorm at some time in my magic career.

[Ricardio]

Ralf has a handful of lists in his signature. you may have to look back a page or two but he has good starting points for you. The ultimate fit list might be where you wanna look haha

[Tom4ik]

Would you mind sharing your list?

I saw the Notion Thief list on the front page, and I really just want to Notion Thief a Brainstorm at some time in my magic career.

Thiefing a Jace is the best. It is literally all the value. I posted a rough list some pages back but I ended up not playing it and on saturday just playing my bug midrange deck instead.

I am looking to brew with some bug lists one of these days. Maybe with this new wall. gsz bouncing all the bros and replaying strixes and witness is super sweet.

[TTX]

I've never been a fan. I don't feel it is worth the slot. pseudo into play tapped land that dies to removal. I've never wanted it in a match and I don't like its interaction with deed. The argument can be made for it in a 4 gsz but I feel tossing a gsz back into the deck for a DA is not worth it. yes, its shuffled back in, but now you have to draw another gsz to toolbox. GSZ are a precious resource and I do not feel comfortable swapping it for a lackluster land.

Dryad Arbor is bad in most Nic Fits, unless you're doing something very specific with it like Natural Order. It dies to Deed and you'd rather hold a Zenith for a turn to grab an Explorer or DRS anyway.

I rarely use GSZ to search up a first turn Dryad Arbor, but when I do, it usually works well for that turn 2 Courser or Painful Truths.
I enjoy Arbor because it is great for surprise Liliana fodder off a fetchland (still catches many people off-guard), and it interacts with Meren
in a great way, coming back into play for free is pretty nice, plus I can turn a fetchland into a Cabal Therapy flashback if I really need to (against Storm or Show and Tell match ups)
If I'm in a match up where Pernicious Deed is a must, then I usually don't get Dryad Arbor, or simply
use it as a chump if available.

[Ricardio]

I rarely use GSZ to search up a first turn Dryad Arbor, but when I do, it usually works well for that turn 2 Courser or Painful Truths.
I enjoy Arbor because it is great for surprise Liliana fodder off a fetchland (still catches many people off-guard), and it interacts with Meren
in a great way, coming back into play for free is pretty nice, plus I can turn a fetchland into a Cabal Therapy flashback if I really need to (against Storm or Show and Tell match ups)
If I'm in a match up where Pernicious Deed is a must, then I usually don't get Dryad Arbor, or simply
use it as a chump if available.

Im not saying it is bad and neither is Arianr, we just don't like it and so we don't play it. I am sure it is good in builds that accommodate it.

Did Jaytron find a list?

[Arianrhod]

Im not saying it is bad and neither is Arianr, we just don't like it and so we don't play it. I am sure it is good in builds that accommodate it.

Did Jaytron find a list?

I mean, I think it's kind of bad. But, I'm also probably one of the chillest people in here. If you run Arbor and it does work for you, then hey, that's worth more than me voicing my opinion. Like, you noted about Liliana. If your metagame has a ton of Liliana, then I can see using Arbor as a protection method against her. But it takes some extraneous metaforce to justify Arbor, IMO, or else a unique deck construction (ie Natural Order).

[Jaytron]

Did Jaytron find a list?

Not quite yet, do you have one to share? :D

[Warden]

I rarely use GSZ to search up a first turn Dryad Arbor, but when I do, it usually works well for that turn 2 Courser or Painful Truths.
I enjoy Arbor because it is great for surprise Liliana fodder off a fetchland (still catches many people off-guard), and it interacts with Meren
in a great way, coming back into play for free is pretty nice, plus I can turn a fetchland into a Cabal Therapy flashback if I really need to (against Storm or Show and Tell match ups)
If I'm in a match up where Pernicious Deed is a must, then I usually don't get Dryad Arbor, or simply
use it as a chump if available.

All of this. I loved arbor this weekend.

[Bobmans]

Not quite yet, do you have one to share? :D

As mentioned, stock don't exist in here. But if i where to start testing a list right now:


4 Veteran Explorer
1 Scavenging Ooze
3 Baleful Strix
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Eternal Witness
1 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
1 Meren of Clan Nel Toth
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Thragtusk
1 Fierce Empath
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Deadeye Navigator

2 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Brainstorm
1 Painful Truths

4 Cabal Therapy
3 Pernicious Deed
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Toxic Deluge

2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

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

SB: 4 Force of Will
SB: 2 Flusterstorm
SB: 1 Notion Thief
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction
SB: 3 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Golgari Charm
SB: 1 Glen Elendra Archmage
SB: 1 Pithing Needle

[Echelon]

Ajani Steadfast actually sounds pretty potent in Nic Fit. Has anyone tried it?

Ajani Steadfast is pretty lackluster. For 4 mana you can get either Elspeth, Knight-Errant or Sorin, Lord of Innistrad. They both produce tokens, meaning you can win from an empty field (where Ajani doesn't enable you to do so). Elspeth has pretty much the same + ability as Ajani, but better (+3/+3 vs. +1/+1) and at least she can build her own pumpable platforms and Sorin has an ultimate I find more useful.

For 5 mana, as Ricardio mentioned, there's Ajani, Mentor of Heroes. He finds you creatures, pumps them up permanently (and again +3/+3 vs. +1/+1) and his ultimate is just silly.

@Arianrhod/on Recurring Nightmare: I don't like that it needs a critter on the board to be able to do its thing. Meren on an otherwise empty board and with an empty graveyard still would be able to win you the game. About Meren & Nightmare playing together nicely. Yes they do, but how big are the odds of that ever happening? It isn't something you should bank on. Nightmare also plays very well with Dryad Arbor, perhaps even better than Meren does. When it comes to inevitability - that's something both Nightmare and Meren provide. Yes, Meren might die, but Nightmare could be hit by AD/Reclamation Sage/Qasali Pridemage. In either case you probably still have Eternal Witness in your deck to get either one of them back. Eternal Witness is also a much more reliable way to get Meren back than Nightmare as you can GSZ for it (making it a 5-off in your deck at any given time as opposed to the 1-off Nightmare) and again it doesn't need another creature on the board to actually make it happen.

I agree Nightmare can do incredibly broken things, but I don't like that it comes with quite some strings attached when compared to other cards in the deck. But that's just my opinion .

[Tokugawa]

Glissa is for...combat against Eldrazis? Is this choice too narrow(die to almost every known removal)?

Does Wiltleaf liege worth consideration? Target reality smasher with removal, discard liege to battlefield, pump rhinos to 6/7.