I love love love GSZ and dryad arbor. The worst GSZ has ever been is an extra exalted trigger and a shuffle effect. The best it is an maindeck answer to jittes, a way to get around top lock out (always GSZ for three miracles runs the fewest numbers of threes even if you are getting a glistner elf). As for Arbor reconsider how often you switch game plans and go from infect damage to regular damage. An end of turn fetch for arbor is wonderful. If arbor is stuck in your hand brainstorm and shuffle it away like you would do any other excessive land. I can't tell you the number of times I've brainstormed put two trops back and fetched for a trop just grabbing the one I know is on top and shuffling away as happy as can be. If you play against ad naus think about fetching arbor with hierarchs in play and forcing them to ad naus sooner then they want to.Originally Posted by ns407
I play the white splash and it did improve my matches vs grixis, lands, gy decks... with helpers like STPs/ absolute law/ RIP
sylvan library is a meta call decision, i have numerous grindy decks in my meta with MUD, miracles, lands and itll be a great help if u have it main, though in a combo infested meta, i would cut it and insert in another cantrip in the form of a 3rd probe or 2nd ponder.
Needles are GREAT! i always have 2 in my SB, and almost all the time they go in. very good vs tops, lands, griselbrand, wastelands, eldrazi toys, lilli's.... just about anything we hate. I have games won too via probing (or just plain listing enemy fetches) and naming them, suppressing their development is key.
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Regarding the disruption slots:
Does anyone have experience or insights in playing two or more Flusterstorms in maindeck? I have the typical 6 free counters + 2 pierce + 1 Flusterstorm + 1 Stifle and would love to have a second Fluster there as it does a lot of work and as a bonus would free a SB slot. The only volatile slot I'm willing to consider is my 1-of Stifle. Opinions, which one is better when preparing for a GP? Stifle and a slightly more diverse disruption package or Flusterstorm and it's ability to control almost any stack? Or maybe even something else? 3rd Spell Pierce?
Flusterstorm is stronger against storm. That is one of my drivers for the change as even when my record against storm decks is quite good in tournaments, the matchup feels most of the time frustrating. On the other hand, Flusterstorms from the board have been gamebreaking. Stifle can do surprising things no other card in the maindeck can but is such card needed in md - maybe not. Stifle can't protect the kill outside some Jitte-harrasment or similar while Flusterstorm does it better than anything. Neither of the cards shines against eldrazis: at best Flusterstorm can counter a removal spell through Chalice while Stifle can counter Displacer-blinks or Seer-triggers or whatnot _if_ there's no Chalice around.
I also put a lot of emphasis on the aspect of getting one more SB slot, as I can't otherwise reasonably fit in another much needed anti-red card, be it Chill, Absolute Law, Hydroblast or [insert suggestion].
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Not trying to overreact to a boogeyman but I think right now I would rather have a 4th force of will than flusterstorm MD. I only play 1 Flusterstorm in the board, it's just a bit narrow I feel. I have a feeling storm will see a bit less play in the future with what looks like an uptick in chalice decks. Also I've given a lot of thought to stifle and I can see how it helps further the tempo plan but I feel like I would rather have more counters or pseudo counters in vines (I even play a piracy charm, it's pretty relevant in my meta with a lot of X/1 s and the versatility is great).
I have no ambition to address eldrazis outside an additional artifact removal card in SB. Force of Will is too much card disadvantage to make the cut. When going for the kill, Flusterstorm is usually of higher value to me. Chalice is like the only card that I would want to have an extra Fow for but it's not something I'm concerned with in any way.
I already play 4 Vines to deal with the numerous BUG decks. I like Stifle a lot but one copy seems to be waste. You really, really want it in your opening hand. Piracy Charm used to be a staple in my list before the white splash. I would explore it again if I were playing plain UG.
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I'm finding the same with stifle. It's so so good in your opening hand and so meh after that. It's generally a horrible top deck as well, so I'm likely going to cut it for a second spell Pierce or flusterstorm in my list (running 1 Pierce and 1 flusterstorm main atm with a second flusterstorm in the side).
I still like piracy charm even with the white splash. I found all 3 modes can have their uses as well. Just a nice versitle card as a 1 of... I've cut it a few times but keep going back to it lol.
Eldrazi isn't really a bad matchup. Chalice for 1 hurts and thorns is a huge pain as well but in general infects clock is much faster. TKS sucks though but usually can be dazed due to most Eldrazi being greedy playing him off 2 sol lands turn two. Match up is far from bad though, so I wouldn't change much of the deck to accommodate that one decklist personally.
I just saw the question about the lack of access to a savannah and considering the utility lands package.
I prefer this approach it is more straight forward and progresses your game plan better. In order to be most effective with it I would consider running no less than 2 crop rotations main. (They are always useful even if it's finding a pendelhaven or an inkmoth game one). This essentially turns everyone of your utility lands in the sideboard into a three of. you need to be able to read the game and know when to tap out and when to rotate into the land you need. Bojuka bog is awful in most matchups you want it if you can't play it at instant speed. I'm thinking specifically against tin fins or other grave yard decks you want to exile their graveyard in response to the reanimate. Against show and tell you want to rotate into the karakas after they've wasted the show and you swing for lethal. Timing is much more important when using the non white package.
I have not been impressed with piracy charm in my builds, so far teferi's response has been my favorite in that spot, but I'm not convinced another crop rotation isn't a better answer.
I'm currently running a flusterstorm along with two spell Pierce; the flusterstorm is better in the late game, and if you cast invigorate+berserk etc into a removal spell and then fluster, you get 4 copies. At the same time, vines could do the same job regardless of storm count. But I'm always battling burn, so I like to be able to counter spells that target me as well as my creatures. As far as my last flex spot, it sounds weird but I have been testing intuition and it has been pretty sweet. Usually I get three forces or two invigorate one become immense!
I was wondering if anyone could share their strategies and sideboard plans for RUG delver. It really just seems like such a horrendous matchup. Aside from a quick combo with protection I don't see how to win it, they seem to have an answer for everything. Thanks
You have to play tight. There's no way around it.
Infect as a deck is as close to RUG delver as it's gets. Think of it as a mirror match where they have more removal than you. Your pumps most of the time counter their removal. Also, you can win in one turn where they have to stay vigilant whenever you declare an attacker.
You want to take out all Fows and replace them with better value, like Flusterstorm and Pithing Needle (for Wasteland/Lavamancer). Daze is very good to leave in as they are (want to be) tight on mana. That said, you still want your basic forest as soon as possible.
If you play white, Rest in Peace is your trump card which leaves only Delver as a real threat. Swords to plowshares also has merit here. I'm not sure about Absolute Law, but it could be worth a spot. And you still have to watch out for Submerge so try to minimize it's impact or even better, play around it if possible. Vines of the Vastwood is one of your better cards in this matchup. I have recommended playing 4 for sometime already.
You have to decide whether you want to side out some Hierarchs. They are awkward if they have Forked Bolt but exalted is very good in the early game when their Mongoose is only 1/1. On the other hand, in Bant version you want as many white sources as possible because they will attack your mana and the lonely Savannah has kind of a short life expectancy.
Because it's practically impossible to tell what a person really has in the sideboard, I usually like to bring in one blind Krosan Grip as well in order not to lose some random hate piece. RUG delver most likely brings in needle anyway to stop your Nexus. Also Sulfuric Vortex is a consideration from their part.
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I play rug delver and jund decks very similarly. You'll want to increase your threat density by bringing in V corrupter (also handy with pithing needles flying around their lists), spellskite, hydroblast, flusterstorm, spell pierce, and I like surgical extraction if you are running it. Take out gitaxian probe, force of will on the play /daze on the draw, and probably whatever you have in your flex spots (sylvan library, piracy charm if it's teferi's response keep it). If you need to take out or add more look at your wasteland slot. I leave dryad arbor in as a surprise chump blocker they should be taking stifle out against you.
As hopo said you have to play very tightly, don't forget inkmoth can tap for mana then activate itself to be saved with a vines of vastwood. If you do bring in surgical extraction your prime targets are wasteland and volcanic island if you left wasteland in. nothing makes a rug player madder than cutting off one of their support colors. You have to be smart about when you play the surgical though and understand the implications of what you go after. if you go after wasteland your inkmoth is now your best win con, you better activate it when you can protect it. Don't be afraid to chip away slowly holding pump spells as "counters" to removal. If you go after volc your best win con is now blighted agent. Glistner elf and inky become chump blockers in a pinch. you have to play around submerge now but that is fairly easy with vines, and the counterspells.
If you are going to "get em" with the wasteland surgical volc plan you need to get a volc in their yard, when they crack a fetch to get another one make sure they don't have another fetch in play or you are hosed and need to switch to the wasteland plan. In response to the crack play surgical know that rug will have a counter and be ready to get in a counter war over this play because if you succeed it's a race and they are not likely to pull ahead in that race.
If there is an increase in dark blast/punishing fire/red decks in the meta take a page out of the bolt format and put a spellskite in your board. it can eat a lot of spells and buy you some time. The biggest thing to remember is infect doesn't have to be a turn 2 deck, if you go all in on the combo game 2 you are wide open to lots of blow outs as hate for other decks is incidentally great against infect too. When you are boarding keep your game plan tight and take out the things that aren't going to help you progress your plan or will make their plan worse. RUG prides itself on being a 50/50 deck in most matchups they have weaknesses just wait for your opportunity and pounce. By no means is it an easy matchup but it is winnable just play tight and with a purpose.
Awesome responses. Thanks for pointing all that stuff out, gives me a lot to think about with regards to sideboard and sideboard planning.
That is interesting, especially the nice interaction with Become Immense. I will try Intuition, since I am tinkering with Daze-less builds anyway. Impulse and Cunning Wish are similar options.
Intuition tricks seem very slow as I dislike even kicking Vines most of the times. But nothing wrong with trying. Let us know how it pans out. Also, if anyone finds a working way to make Phyrexian Crusader a 4-of, I'm all ears.
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Yes it's very slow, and I probably wouldn't consider it alongside Daze. But Vines is awkward in part because of GG, 2U isn't that much more actually, plus it's blue for FoW. In testing I have cast Intuition twice so far. First time it was win more. Second time against Storm on turn three I had Intuition and 2 Become Immense in hand (and only 1 card in graveyard), Tropical, Inkmoth, Noble, and Glistener in play, and him at 2 poison. I was able to Intuition for 3 fetchlands, play fetchland, cast BI and win. Will continue to test.
I read you could have gotten 3 x Invigorate as well for the same results. Are you playing more than one Immense solely because of Intuition?
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3 x Invigorate?
Actually that was my first thought (intuition?) as well, but it doesn't work. I needed the land to pay one green for BI, having already spent three mana on Intuition.
I usually play 2 BI always, getting two stuck in hand is awkward, but the card is that powerful.
I swear I read you had an Invigorate in hand. My bad.
EDIT: How many Crop Rotations you play? It is THE delve enabler in the deck. I'd like to find a reason (asn space) to play a second one as Inkmoth Nexus solves many problems.
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I play two crop rotations and 1 BI the difference between BI and invigorate isn't that great, where the crop rotation effect is incredible. I did drop down to two vines as I hate kicking it (just like you) but the protection is worth while. I'm thinking about going back up to three vines and moving library to the side.
i love 2 crop rots! ive always wanted a utility spell vs tons of wasteland.decs and another copy for my utility wasteland too vs annoying lands like maze, chasm..
saw a list with 2 stonewood invocation in the sb, cant remember where...
well, what do u guys think bout it? kindly costly but somehow a sure win! perfect for grindy games and can be a blow out vs decks that tend to wait and plans to ambush us : ), i'll try it this weekend : )
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