[Deck] Aluren

[limbo]

Hi :) I have the same feeling about the recruiters, I like the idea to have a 2 cards combo. Also I am quite interested in your list with the GSZ :) I thought a lot about them in the past (I used to love the living wish version), but I am not sure if we have enough green creatures to justify GSZ :-\ Especially removing shardless agent

GSZ and zenith don't interact favorably in either direction (cascade doesn't trigger when shardless is put into play, and cascading into GSZ is terrible), so that cut makes sense if you want zenith. If you are just meaning shardless is a higher value card that GSZ then I could agree with that depending on deck construction.

[comix84]

GSZ and zenith don't interact favorably in either direction (cascade doesn't trigger when shardless is put into play, and cascading into GSZ is terrible), so that cut makes sense if you want zenith. If you are just meaning shardless is a higher value card that GSZ then I could agree with that depending on deck construction.

You are totally right about the interaction :) Sorry, I was barely counting the number of green creature that we can fetch with GSZ and Shardless was one of them, but I totally agree that cascade with Shardless in a GSZ would be pretty annoying! :)

[Quasim0ff]

Anybody else unhappy with the Carpets in the SB? They are basically for Delver decks, and in this MU they rarely pulled their weight so far, since with careful play I almost always assemble a stable mana supply and if I die, it's mostly because I flood out/draw too little action. I'm looking to switch them with a one-off Jitte and another removal, either a Shriekmaw (traverse-able) or maybe a Diabolic Edict.

Hi,

I'm speaking from the side of Miracles:
Carpet is arguably the most scary card in sideboard games. The mana advantage you get is often enough to win the game/put you so far ahead it's hard to recover.

I will be smiling if the carpets gets cut.

[dinosaurus]

GSZ and zenith don't interact favorably in either direction (cascade doesn't trigger when shardless is put into play, and cascading into GSZ is terrible), so that cut makes sense if you want zenith. If you are just meaning shardless is a higher value card that GSZ then I could agree with that depending on deck construction.

I was just thinking of a gsz list as well (replacing shardless agent)

Maybe something like this:

4 deathrite shaman
4 baleful strix
4 recruiter of the guard
2 arctic merfolk
1 academy rector
1 cavern harpy
1 coiling oracle
1 parasitic strix
1 veteran explorer
1 gaddock teeg
1 Léopold

4 aluren

4 brainstorm
4 cabal therapy
3 green sun zenith
3 abrupt decay
1 thoughtseize

20 lands (inc. dryad arbor)

This has more green targets: dryad arbor, explorer, Léopold, deathrite, coiling oracle and gadock teeg. Réclamation sage and others are good options depending on the meta.

Not claiming it's necessarily better than shardless, just want to explore options. This version is likely better at ramping and has more consistent access to disruption through Léopold, deathrite and teeg. Thanks!

One more option if one wants to go deep on gsz is to replace parasitic strix by shaman of the pack + eternal warden, although that's a bit clunky.

[dinosaurus]

I was just thinking of a gsz list as well (replacing shardless agent)

Maybe something like this:

4 deathrite shaman
4 baleful strix
4 recruiter of the guard
2 arctic merfolk
1 academy rector
1 cavern harpy
1 coiling oracle
1 parasitic strix
1 veteran explorer
1 gaddock teeg
1 Léopold

4 aluren

4 brainstorm
4 cabal therapy
3 green sun zenith
3 abrupt decay
1 thoughtseize

20 lands (inc. dryad arbor)

This has more green targets: dryad arbor, explorer, Léopold, deathrite, coiling oracle and gadock teeg. Réclamation sage and others are good options depending on the meta.

Not claiming it's necessarily better than shardless, just want to explore options. This version is likely better at ramping and has more consistent access to disruption through Léopold, deathrite and teeg. Thanks!

One more option if one wants to go deep on gsz is to replace parasitic strix by shaman of the pack + eternal warden, although that's a bit clunky.

Sorry autocorrect, meant leovold and essence warden of course

[Moneymakermich]

Dinosaurus : you have nearly got my list!
I just cannot decide myself over the lands count, always between 20 and 21... (I should probably go for 20 but this list has 21)

Here is what I'm currently playing :

2 thoughtseize
1 veteran explorer
4 deathrite shaman
4 brainstorm
3 green sun zenith
4 cabal therapy
1 arctic merfolk
4 abrupt decay
1 cavern harpy
4 baleful strix
1 leovold
1 parasitic strix
4 recruiter of the guard
1 academy rector
4 aluren

4 verdant catacombs
4 misty rainforest
1 dryad arbor
2 forest
1 swamp
1 island
1 bayou
1 savannah
1 scrubland
2 tropical island
1 tundra
1 underground sea
1 phyrexian tower

Side:

2 enlightened tutor
2 ensnaring bridge
1 aegis of the gods
1 aethersworn canonist
3 swords to plowshares
2 faerie macabre
1 golgari charm
1 reclamation sage
2 thoughtseize

[comix84]

Dinosaurus : you have nearly got my list!
I just cannot decide myself over the lands count, always between 20 and 21... (I should probably go for 20 but this list has 21)

Here is what I'm currently playing :

2 thoughtseize
1 veteran explorer
4 deathrite shaman
4 brainstorm
3 green sun zenith
4 cabal therapy
1 arctic merfolk
4 abrupt decay
1 cavern harpy
4 baleful strix
1 leovold
1 parasitic strix
4 recruiter of the guard
1 academy rector
4 aluren

4 verdant catacombs
4 misty rainforest
1 dryad arbor
2 forest
1 swamp
1 island
1 bayou
1 savannah
1 scrubland
2 tropical island
1 tundra
1 underground sea
1 phyrexian tower

Side:

2 enlightened tutor
2 ensnaring bridge
1 aegis of the gods
1 aethersworn canonist
3 swords to plowshares
2 faerie macabre
1 golgari charm
1 reclamation sage
2 thoughtseize

This is very similar to what I had in mind... maybe -1 Thoughtseize main deck +1 Coiling Oracle (or Recl. Sage).
Out of curiosity, how much do you miss the FoW in the sideboard?

[btm10]

Hi,

I'm speaking from the side of Miracles:
Carpet is arguably the most scary card in sideboard games. The mana advantage you get is often enough to win the game/put you so far ahead it's hard to recover.

I will be smiling if the carpets gets cut.

Cutting Carpet seems like a horrible idea in general. It's the best way to beat soft permission, too.

[Moneymakermich]

1 coiling oracle seen as target for GSZ is useless in my expérience (has been tested). When you have the opportunity to GSZ you want something with more impact. Reclamation sage could make it, still hesitating ;-)

Hard to say for FOW since I could not play it even in SB because of low count of blue cards.
I think that for the matches where I'd like it (i.e. mostly combo decks) I have enough with the package enlightened tutor and its targets (bridge, canonist, aegis).

[comix84]

1 coiling oracle seen as target for GSZ is useless in my expérience (has been tested). When you have the opportunity to GSZ you want something with more impact. Reclamation sage could make it, still hesitating ;-)

Hard to say for FOW since I could not play it even in SB because of low count of blue cards.
I think that for the matches where I'd like it (i.e. mostly combo decks) I have enough with the package enlightened tutor and its targets (bridge, canonist, aegis).

Just noticed that you are also not playing the Carpet of Flower :-o I have always found it very nice especially with Miracle (but even with Wasteland-decks like all the delvers)... Interesting list btw, I think I'll try something similar next Tuesday at my legacy weekly event :)

[adreena]

For the BUG Leovold lists, I've noticed a couple recently going 5-0 with 3 Leovold main and down to 3 Cavern Harpy. I've been playing some practice games and so far 3 harpies seems totally fine. Anyone else testing different numbers of main deck creatures? These lists also seem to have 2 Glint-Nest Crane too, rather than 1.

Having 2 of the cranes makes your sideboarded artifacts easier to find. Jitte seems popular, with some lists even running 2. How come I've not seen any recent lists running Null Rod, Grafdiffer's Cage and Pithing Needle in the sideboard?

I also miss the 2 Toxic Deluge from the recruiter lists. How come BUG lists have dropped it? I guess this version is more creature focused and less combo.

One 5-0 deck had a couple of Meekstone in the sideboard, which is pretty sweet, but perhaps too narrow a sideboard card. Other than Eldrazi, I cant think of many match-ups where you would bring it in. I guess it taps down goyfs, delvers, TNN, anglers etc.

[Cartesian]

Like I said in my previous post, I play the white recruiter version. I prefer it for the power of 2 cards combo over the blue version, where FOW is also often a pain as card disadvantage. Too often with this version I draw into another draw into cascade into more draw etc... And during that time I get beaten by aggro.

How cool is it that there are so many options still left to explore with Aluren. I like the approach with GSZ and 1 Veteran Explorer it is probably what I would try too, if I wasn't so involved in the BUG version now. I just want to point out that I think fizzling a combo win with Harpy and Shardless Agent is almost a non issue, if you:
- Run at least 1 Glint-Nest Crane. Earlier version of the deck with only Coiling Oracle could fizzle by running out of cascade targets.
- Run 2 Parasitic Strix (although lately I have been questioning the necessity of the second, since just cascading for value so often wins the game anyway)
- Pay attention to the number of cascade targets left in deck, and the cards you know are on the bottom of library from cascades/Crane
- Shuffle on Ponder when necessary, for example if all Parasitics are on the bottom
- Get dead cascade targets out of the way, for example if there are no good targets for Abrupt Decay, cast it on your Harpy while holding priority, and return Harpy
- When you cascade into Baleful Strix, don't always resolve the Strix draw immediately. Often it is better to stack more cascades on top of those draws, because you are likely to get closer to Parasitic.

Good luck to anyone playing any version of Aluren at GP Louisville.

[neckfire]

moneymakermich can you post how you would sb with the white version? ive focused all my efforts on the bug version but i wouldnt mind putting your version on modo and trying it out.

[RobNC]

...
- When you cascade into Baleful Strix, don't always resolve the Strix draw immediately. Often it is better to stack more cascades on top of those draws, because you are likely to get closer to Parasitic.
...

Can you elaborate on this one a little more?

[comix84]

Can you elaborate on this one a little more?

I think he means with 2 shardless? No other way otherwise as Shardless would still be on the stack while belaful strix resolve and put his own trigger on the stack :-/

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Cartesian]

Yes I mean with 2 Shardless sorry that wasn't clear. And that will often be the case. If you have Shardless on the bf already and cascade into Baleful Strix, rather than resolve the Strix draw, keep it on the stack and replay Shardless. Because random single draws are likely to hit something worthless like a land or another Aluren, while if you cascade some of those cards to the bottom first, as long as you have enough good cascade targets left, Brainstorm or Ponder, and save the Strix draws on the stack for a latch ditch effort to find Parasitic. At least that is what my intuition tells me, but maybe I need to think some more about it, because I can't atm give a simple proof. Anyway, just hit the Crane and you are fine. :)

[Manipulato]

Hey guys,
would someone be willing to update the primer? The current one is from the stone ages

Would be cool. Good luck at GP Louisville!

[RobNC]

Yes I mean with 2 Shardless sorry that wasn't clear. And that will often be the case. If you have Shardless on the bf already and cascade into Baleful Strix, rather than resolve the Strix draw, keep it on the stack and replay Shardless. Because random single draws are likely to hit something worthless like a land or another Aluren, while if you cascade some of those cards to the bottom first, as long as you have enough good cascade targets left, Brainstorm or Ponder, and save the Strix draws on the stack for a latch ditch effort to find Parasitic. At least that is what my intuition tells me, but maybe I need to think some more about it, because I can't atm give a simple proof. Anyway, just hit the Crane and you are fine. :)

I'm assuming you have Aluren out for this to have instant-speed Shardless.

By cascading again don't you also risk just cascading away Parasitic Strix to the bottom of your library (since it's 3CMC), rather than drawing into it? Seems less useful than the Baleful Strix draw, in which case you can either draw one closer to Parasitic or actually draw it.

[Cartesian]

I'm assuming you have Aluren out for this to have instant-speed Shardless.

By cascading again don't you also risk just cascading away Parasitic Strix to the bottom of your library (since it's 3CMC), rather than drawing into it? Seems less useful than the Baleful Strix draw, in which case you can either draw one closer to Parasitic or actually draw it.

Sure, this is with Aluren out. Yes there is a risk of cascading both Parasitic to the bottom. The we shuffle on the next Ponder. I look at it this way: drawing a random card from my library (and hoping that is is Parasitic) works better the more cascade targets I remove from the deck first. But I might be wrong.

[kaluma]

- Get dead cascade targets out of the way, for example if there are no good targets for Abrupt Decay, cast it on your Harpy while holding priority, and return Harpy

this is a neat one that I hadn't thought of.

I've been on the BUG version since BR reanimator started showing up everywhere on MTGO, and having force of will in the deck seemed important. I've been playing 2 cranes and 1 jitte main (down to 2 ponders), because why not shape your deck around the worst card in it? smaller thing - i play 4 basics: island, swamp, double forest. I know cartesian and others like two islands instead, but i like knowing i can fetch basics and cast aluren if i have to. could be wrong, as second forest is (very) occasionally awkward.

as for carpet of flowers, i love that card and probably wouldn't cut it ever. I was up to 3 for a while when there was a ton of delver on MTGO. I do trim a land when i bring it in against grindy decks (usually second forest).

good luck everyone at the GP!