1 Reply by jpw234

(3 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

Hey TyWooOneTime, thanks for the assist.

For card draw, I used to have Underworld Connections, but I found it redundant with Courser. Do you think that a couple of copies of Read the Bones might be a good idea? The fact that it's only one black mana is attractive and it does offer some very nice smoothing.

Blood Baron is definitely something I'd consider, but I view it as more of a sideboard option. Given that I already like my matchup against mono-black/Orzhov control, it doesn't seem worth the evasion that Desecration Demon gives. Do you think it might be a replacement for Obzedat rather than DD?

I'll definitely test some extra Advents in the main, it's obviously a great card, just not sure exactly how it fits in the deck.

Archangel looks interesting, but it's quite expensive tongue I might consider it later.

I'm running with Drown in Sorrow > Fiendslayer in the side, I think you're right that it's just better and it gives me some gas against Pack Rat. The rat hasn't been an issue so far but if it becomes one I might consider Bile Blight.

I'll also test an extra Golgari Charm, probably take out some removal.

Mistcutter has been awesome and Esper in particular has been common, so I think I'll stick with 3 there.

Definitely running with Revoke Existence over Glare, actually might go up to 2 of them. Only thing it really misses that Glare of Heresy hits is Elspeth (which I should kill anyway) and it also hits Madcap Skills, Courser, Underworld Connections, Thassa, etc.

Thanks again for the help!

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2 Topic by jpw234

(3 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

Hello all, I'm hoping you can help me out with this Standard deck that I've been running. The list is here:

http://deckstats.net/decks/11583/80393-junk-midrange/en

You can additionally read the comments on that link for an idea about how the deck plays. I've been playing on MTGO for about a week and this deck has been performing pretty well, but I'm always looking to make things better.

This is a Junk midrange deck that aims to control the board with removal and win in the midgame with green, white and black's powerful creatures. Black's typical removal suite combined with Abrupt Decay gives me game against pretty much every deck in the format that plans on playing permanents. These removal cards make up all of my maindeck non-permanent spells.
There are two "utility" permanents that don't act as beatdown - Sylvan Caryatid and Courser of Kruphix. Sylvan Caryatid is a solid early-game blocker that can't be burned out and allows me to ramp out my finishers earlier. Even more usefully is its mana-fixing property, which can be crucial in a 3-color deck. Fortunately I only have a few cards with double-colored casting costs, but mana screw can still occur in a 3-color deck and Caryatid helps with that. Courser of Kruphix is my most recent addition and is an absolute workhorse. This thing blocks a host of important creatures, can swing when necessary, but most crucially provides the only source of card draw in the deck. The ability to play lands off of the top and dig for my threats quicker is absolutely critical. The incidental lifegain is also helpful against aggro- and burn-based strategies.
There are six slots for some simple beatdown creatures - 4 Reaper of the Wilds and 2 Desecration Demon. Demon is simply a good, efficient beater that can do useful things like block Stormbreath Dragon and Polukranos while forcing answers out of any opponent. Reaper of the Wilds is slightly less powerful, but provides additional utility with the ability to trade with larger creatures through deathtouch and resist removal with hexproof. Reaper can effectively fill the 4, 5, or 6 drop slots on my curve with her abilities making it a fantastic 4-of.
The final six slots go for the 5 and 6 mana finishers - 2 Obzedat, Ghost Council, 2 Vraska the Unseen, and 2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion. Obzedat is simply a fantastic all-around card that most decks struggle with immensely. The repeatable life-drain ability offers stabilization against burn and aggro and the body is solid as well. Elspeth is a fantastic closer as always, often wiping against R/G monsters with her -3 and providing board presence with her +1. Vraska can be an all-purpose removal spell with her -3 (and usually gets off this ability twice), or threaten a kill by turn 8 by plusing to the assassin tokens.

The sideboard is somewhat shaky, so I'd definitely like some additional help here. 2 Golgari Charm are useful in several matchups - against aggro with the -1/-1, against control, WWx and Naya Hexproof by destroying enchantments, and against Verdict via regeneration. Pithing Needle is good all-around, mostly for control but also for BUG Walkers and occasionally R/G monsters. 4 Duress is a saving grace against Boros Burn, Hexproof and fantastic utility against control. 2 Fiendslayer Paladin is an inclusion that I'm unsure of but is good against mono-black (because of its pseudo-protection) and red aggro builds (because of its pseudo-protection and lifelink). Glare of Heresy is nice to hit Detention Sphere and Elspeth against control and is critical against WWx and Naya Hexproof. 3 Mistcutter Hydra absolutely hoses MUD and control. Finally, the shakiest inclusion is 2 Advent of the Wurm, but flash is good against control and a 5/5 trampler really isn't a bad thing.

I'll include responses to the stickied post's suggestion questions as well:
1) What level of play is this expecting to see?  Are you going to play casually just for fun or are you taking it to competitive FNMs?  Are your FNMs full of top level players rocking tier 1 decks, or is it more of a bunch of home brews?
This is playing on MTGO and possibly (depending on my budget) in FNMs this summer. As such I'd like it to be able to compete against tier 1 decks.

2) Do you have a format restriction/preference?
Standard.

3) What are the win conditions of the deck?  Or, in other words, how do you envision the deck winning games?
Wins usually end with a planeswalker out or 2+ of my beatsticks. Remove their threats early game and transition into beatdown mode.

4) If you were to imagine an ideal 4-5 turns, how do you envision them playing out?
Diverse mana in hand. T2 Caryatid, T3 Courser, T4 Obzedat/Demon/Reaper, T5 Planeswalker. Mix in removal when necessary. Ultimately this deck is kind of reactive which makes this question difficult to answer.

5) What sort of budget do you have for improving the deck?  It's easy to suggest that you add $400 worth of cards, but if you're only looking to spend $20 to make improvements then suggesting 4x Snapcaster Mage isn't useful information.
Right now, my budget is low, but by summertime I should have enough for $80-100 of improvements. Please suggest any improvements regardless of price and I'll figure out what I can afford.


The things I'm least confident in are SB Advent of the Wurm and Fiendslayer Paladin, the balance between Reaper and Desecration Demon, do I have too much removal, should there only be 1 Vraska?
Cards I've considered:
Thoughtseize (price issue mostly)
Mutavault (rough on the manabase)
Lifebane Zombie (probably in the SB)
Underworld Connections (does Kruphix make it redundant?)
Polukranos (monstrosity provides a mana-sink, but pretty one-dimensional)
Brimaz (WW is pretty tough on turn three with Courser and Hero's Downfall already so important)
Golgari Guildgate (perhaps 1 or 2 in over the forests/Temple Garden?)
Scavenging Ooze (but it seems slow and where does it fit?)
Pack Rat (but I don't really want to be discarding cards and where does it fit?)

Thanks in advance for the help!

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3 Reply by jpw234

(5 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

Thanks for the very in-depth advice! I can't quite put all of this into action immediately but will definitely work toward it. One question - with 4x Fleecemane that puts me at 12x GW 2/2 or 3/3s (Selesnya Charm, Call of the Conclave, Fleecemane) - is that redundant at all? Would something like a Gyre Sage or Sylvan Caryatid be useful instead, or would that be too slow for the more aggro-focus of the new deck?

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4 Topic by jpw234

(5 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

Hey everybody, several of my friends (who are pretty deep into the MTG scene) have dragged me into this game, and have given me some tips on a first deck. However, I'd love to get some extra opinions. The decklist is here: http://deckbox.org/sets/590327

Since I'm new here, I'm just going to copy the suggested additional questions from the stickied post.

1) What level of play is this expecting to see?  Are you going to play casually just for fun or are you taking it to competitive FNMs?  Are your FNMs full of top level players rocking tier 1 decks, or is it more of a bunch of home brews?
I'm planning on attending local KC FNMs with this deck. I went to one with a friend's deck and it seemed like people knew what they were doing, but of course my ability to judge this is fairly non-existent right now.

2) Do you have a format restriction/preference?
Standard, please.

3) What are the win conditions of the deck?  Or, in other words, how do you envision the deck winning games?
In the midgame, this deck can win by powering out a lot of scary 5/5 tramplers backed up by a couple of smaller 3/3 centaur tokens and other creatures (possibly equipped with Unflinching Courage to gain trample as well). In the later game, populating Grove of the Guardian's 8/8 vigilance token, or flooding the board to powerup the Wayfaring Temples is the way to go.

4) If you were to imagine an ideal 4-5 turns, how do you envision them playing out?
Turn 1: Shock a Temple Garden, Elvish Mystic
Turn 2: Forest, tap Elvish Mystic for Wayfaring Temple
Turn 3: Plains, tap Elvish Mystic for Advent of the Wurm
Turn 4: Forest/Plains, tap Elvish Mystic, use Call of the Conclave and equip an Unflinching Courage to Wayfaring Temple. Swing in with a 5/5 trampling wurm and a 6/6 trampling temple that will populate the wurm if combat damage is given. Follow up with Trostani, Armada Wurm, Growing Ranks, etc.

5) What sort of budget do you have for improving the deck?  It's easy to suggest that you add $400 worth of cards, but if you're only looking to spend $20 to make improvements then suggesting 4x Snapcaster Mage isn't useful information.
I'm a college kid. I have some money, but would prefer not to spend a lot of it. I spent about $90 on the deck and sleeves/deckboxes, so I'd prefer not to spend more than $50 now, but if you have higher-cost suggestions (Voice of Resurgence is something I'm looking at) throw them out and I might get around to them eventually.

Stuff I've been thinking about:
The 4-drop slot is very crowded with Advent of the Wurm, Growing Ranks, Trostani and Heliod. When I am goldfishing this (is that the correct usage of that term?) sometimes my hand feels logjammed around turn 4/5 with a bunch of these. In particular, Heliod is a great card but sometimes seems superfluous.
I feel like Voice of Resurgence would be good here when I can afford it, over what?
I'm planning on adding some Mistcutter Hydras to the sideboard to help against blue, possibly Skylasher as well. I have no experience with making deck modifications after a game 1. In general against a mono-blue/some sort of blue control deck, what would I want to take out to put these in? Also, how many?
Do you think that Collective Blessing or Primeval Bounty would be more effective 6 drops than Armada Wurm?

Thanks!

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