Topic: (standard) GBW Xenagos help and feedback please?

I've been really working at trying to get a good deck to play at my local FNM and also on game day.
https://deckbox.org/sets/520455
I am using cards that I have currently in my inventory.  My winning condition is to get The Xenagos God out and use it to double the attack of one of my big creatures.  I've placed a few cards in my sideboard to address blue control, ( I have a feeling I'll see a lot of that since there are quite a few net decks in play at my local shop!)
I would appreciate any ideas you may have to finish out my sideboard, as well as any feedback that might help me fine tune this deck in order to be appropriately competitive!  Thank you in advance for any suggestions you may have!

Sherc

Re: (standard) GBW Xenagos help and feedback please?

I think this is a pretty sweet rough draft somewhat similar to the Tier 1 Jund Monsters deck except in Naya colors and about half the price.  You mentioned you're trying to use cards from your inventory to improve it and build a sideboard.

First, I notice you have a Chandra, Pyromaster in your inventory that card needs to be in your 75.  It's a beast with Courser of Kruphix.  You may even want to mainboard it by swapping it in for a Lightning Strike this will round out your curve to 8 total 4 drop threats. 

Second, I think you're a bit light on mana for your top end threats of XenaGod and Elspeth. Jund Monsters gets away with 23 land and 2 of them being Mutavault because it plays 7-8 accelerator creatures with both Elvish Mystic and Sylvan Caryatid.  I'd cut the 2 Hornet Nest and add a Stomping Ground and another Caryatid.  This will help your base be more solid and help you cast your Courser, Polukranos, Phoenix, Xenagod Planeswalker, or Chandra on time.

Also, there may be too many temples basic land which could/should be shocklands to help you cast things on time.

Boros Charm needs to be in this deck.  They're a little expensive for an uncommon ($1.50-$2.00) but they do a ton for your gameplan: saving your team against Supreme Verdict or Planar Cleansing, double-striking for one of your big guys, or just 4 damage to your opponent's dome as a finisher.  Get em and a find a spot for them if you can. 

There is no reason to have 4 Bow of Nylea in the 75.  This should be a 1 of in the sideboard at most in my opinion.  Good to bring in against Mono-Blue Devotion and some other aggro-decks. 

You don't have a Domri Rade, so I won't go there, Elspeth maybe a little too ambitious and somewhat against your big monster strategy with her -3 is going to hit your game winners of Stormbreath Dragon and Polukranos. 

Lastly you probably want some Ghor-Clan Rampager to push through damage especially with Polukranos.  For as bad as a XenaGod trigger on a Polukranos for a 10/10 hasty hydra may seem it still gets chump blocked by a 1/1 token.

If I have time later I'll copy your list and make some mods and post it to see what you think.

Re: (standard) GBW Xenagos help and feedback please?

These are some great ideas!!  thank you!!
I definitely need that Boros Charm!   I went up against a black/white/blue control deck and was very weak against some of his board wipes. went 2 and 2 last night - should have been 3 and 1, but I missed a trigger from a side-boarded Polis crusher when it went monstrous.  ( Aggravation!)
Yeah, I liked Elspeth mainly for her soldiers to help with blocking.  But I see where there are better options smile
I'll put in a Ghor clan rampager instead, in addition to finding at least another spot for a 2nd one if not more.
Once again, thank you very much for taking your valuable time to look over everything!
Updated deck: https://deckbox.org/sets/520455

Last edited by sherc027 (2014-08-09 15:12:35)

Re: (standard) GBW Xenagos help and feedback please?

How did you do at your FNM/Gameday after the changes? 

What cards seemed to work or be relevant every time you drew them and what cards seemed to be useless and sit in your hand? 

Did you have any cards that you really wanted to cast but couldn't because of mana colors being wrong?

I've copied your deck, and am modifying it how I think I might do it without adding a bunch of really expensive cards.

Let me know how you did.

Re: (standard) GBW Xenagos help and feedback please?

went 2 and 1 and 1 draw.
I need to fix white mana.  I didn't have the white needed for a boros charm - which would have made a win on the game that was a draw. Chandra wasn't very effective - at least in the game I played her.. She seems to be more of a sideboard card for those that decide to play 1/1 weenies or tokens. I may rethink magma jet.. its a good card, but not very effective with all the temples that I am running. There were several times where scry 2 really wasn't looking at two cards since I had already scried with a temple land. So I might take those out in favor of another couple boros charms or banishing lights.
Strangely enough, I think the hornet's nest helped with holding off my opponent while I continue to build mana for my four drops and combos: so, after the fact, I've put them back in.
Once the deck gets going, holy cow can it ever dominate the game board!!  It's just building up to that point that needs the tweaking smile
Luckily there wasn't a huge turn out, so, even with that status, I was able to get top 8 smile

Sherc

Re: (standard) GBW Xenagos help and feedback please?

No offense but I think you are looking at Chandra, Pyromaster the wrong way. Chandra's +1 is a utility to kill 1 toughness creatures or to prevent your opponent's biggest dude from blocking, her real value is her 0 ability.  This is basically a free card draw every turn, which is liquid gold.  If you don't need it don't cast it and it gets lost but now you are one card closer to the card you do need. 

Don't give up on Chandra as a mainboard card yet.  Think about how you're using her.  If she's out on the board use her 0 ability before you play a land or cast any other spells. You may exile a land, or Stormbreath Dragon.

Re: (standard) GBW Xenagos help and feedback please?

I see,  and no offense taken smile
I'll give her another shot the next time I play.
Thanks!