First question, do you bring in cunning sparkmage against RDW? Why or why not?
I like to bring him in because you want the extra basilisk collar anyway and he kills ball lightnings and hellsparks nicely. If they have to burn a bolt on him, it slows them down a lot.
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Quote from thundyr »
Jacerator is an aggro deck - it just wins by attacking the library, it doesn't really control the board other than to play a few Fogs
Cunning Sparkmage absolutely wrecks Vamps with Collar equipped. And yes I would bring it in vs. RDW, because it either gets burned and they go 1-for-1 with a spell, or is awesome against them.
Cunning Sparkmage absolutely wrecks Vamps with Collar equipped. And yes I would bring it in vs. RDW, because it either gets burned and they go 1-for-1 with a spell, or is awesome against them.
Ya I've been finding my vamps matchup is extremely good even pre-board. Post-board it goes even more in our favor. They try to go control after board with deathmarks and such, but your sparkmage combo is just far superior to anything they have. Duress is the only thing that can take care of your equips and thats if you havent played it yet.
What have you been guys siding out for the sparkmages against vamps? I like siding out two rangers, two bolts, two Nacatls, for 4 Sparkmage, 1 Mystic, 1 Collar. Is siding in the extra sledge worth it? Rarely do you need two sledges and they cant destroy the single one that we have.
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Quote from thundyr »
Jacerator is an aggro deck - it just wins by attacking the library, it doesn't really control the board other than to play a few Fogs
Ya I've been finding my vamps matchup is extremely good even pre-board. Post-board it goes even more in our favor. They try to go control after board with deathmarks and such, but your sparkmage combo is just far superior to anything they have. Duress is the only thing that can take care of your equips and thats if you havent played it yet.
What have you been guys siding out for the sparkmages against vamps? I like siding out two rangers, two bolts, two Nacatls, for 4 Sparkmage, 1 Mystic, 1 Collar. Is siding in the extra sledge worth it? Rarely do you need two sledges and they cant destroy the single one that we have.
I wouldn't bring in the other sledge, but definitely the second collar. I would do something like this:
Depends what version you have but I would (LSV's version with a mystic instead of a Elspeth).
Out-
2 Ajani
2 Orings
1 Bolt
In-
4 Sparkmages
1 Collar
I like to keep in the creatures because they are trying to be killing as many as they can and will with a bloodwitch or a nocturnus. Where Ajani does do anything to witch, Hexmage is a problem for it, tapping their land is not that big for them if they are going control. O Ring I find to slow in the match up but mostly because of Witch. When taking out creatures gatekeeper becomes much better for them. For the bolt you can argue that or path. I picked bolt because Path can at least kill nocturnus, help your scutemob to win the game, and if your not playing ajani giving them a land doesnt matter. Bolt also doesnt kill Bloodwitch.
Yea, I've noticed Ajani V ending up being a 4-cost Lightning Helix, which isn't horrible, but it's not optimal. But then again if they want to Hexmage Ajani at 1, then it seems as though I've essentially 2-for-oned them with the PW...So I dunno
People are getting smart. They'll harms way that ***** onto your threats.
Honestly, I don't even see harms way getting played, period, let alone enough for me to have to play around it. That might change but right now its not something im gonna worry about.
I'm sort of beginning to wonder why this isn't a main deck thing. Seems I'm siding all four in practically every match now - just one with a basilisk collar dominates most matches.
I'm sort of beginning to wonder why this isn't a main deck thing. Seems I'm siding all four in practically every match now - just one with a basilisk collar dominates most matches.
You don't want him against Jund or Control; which together probably make up more than a third of the meta.
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Yeah, and its nearly a dead card against the best deck in the format. Do you really want to sacrifice your game one against a third of the meta?
He's good, but he's not necessary to win. He's just the icing on the cake against a lot of decks. Against others, a more aggressive clock is better.
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I'm actually considering running a version that mains the 4 Sparkmages with 3 Stoneforgers and 2 Collars to see how effective it is. Its not like Sparkmage is a DEAD card against any deck, since at worst he does a damage a turn. Something like Journey to Nowhere or Path to Exile is effectively dead against Chapin's U/W, since they only one creature, Iona, who will often name white to protect herself anyways. If the list does well, I'll post it later.
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I'm actually considering running a version that mains the 4 Sparkmages with 3 Stoneforgers and 2 Collars to see how effective it is. Its not like Sparkmage is a DEAD card against any deck, since at worst he does a damage a turn. Something like Journey to Nowhere or Path to Exile is effectively dead against Chapin's U/W, since they only one creature, Iona, who will often name white to protect herself anyways. If the list does well, I'll post it later.
If you have a decent amount of control in your meta than maining the sparkmages is probably the wrong move. In LSV's list there is potentially only one card that is a dead card against control, the singleton path. The rest of the cards can play a part in defeating control and would probably be more effective than sparkmages.
People are getting smart. They'll harms way that ***** onto your threats.
And then you Sejiri Steppe whatever they hit with Harm's Way. Even if Harm's Way gets through, it's just a one-for-one trade (either they kill your Sparkmage or something else). No reason to stop playing Sparkmage because of one card that barely gets played and isn't that great against the combo anyway.
yes, but hes a TERRIBLE cascade.
If you have a Collar out there's not much more I would want to cascade into. Naya across the board doesn't have great cascades anyway.
I'm actually considering running a version that mains the 4 Sparkmages with 3 Stoneforgers and 2 Collars to see how effective it is. Its not like Sparkmage is a DEAD card against any deck, since at worst he does a damage a turn. Something like Journey to Nowhere or Path to Exile is effectively dead against Chapin's U/W, since they only one creature, Iona, who will often name white to protect herself anyways. If the list does well, I'll post it later.
Journey is useless against UW, but O-ring is not. There have been several times the O-ring has saved me against an Iona, or Jace. Even O-ringing an early everflowing chalice isn't a bad play, if you can keep them off of DoJ
mana.
As far as MD sparkmage, I'm trying it out this Friday. The lesser top 8 Naya lists at SCG Richmong 5k ran them MD. I'll be testing it out Friday, and if I like it, it'll stay that way for the Game Day I'm playing in on Saturday,
And then you Sejiri Steppe whatever they hit with Harm's Way. Even if Harm's Way gets through, it's just a one-for-one trade (either they kill your Sparkmage or something else). No reason to stop playing Sparkmage because of one card that barely gets played and isn't that great against the combo anyway.
If you have a Collar out there's not much more I would want to cascade into. Naya across the board doesn't have great cascades anyway.
I agree with your second point. I don't think "Knight of the Reliquary can make that a non-issue" is a relevant argument, if only because sticking a Knight of the Reliquary long enough for its tap ability to come online against any kind of midrange is almost always game.
Okay, so I've been playing Sparkmage in the main for about a week now. I do prefer the collar-sparkmage combo in the main rather than in the board. This means I'm running 4 sparkmage, 3 mystic, 2 collar (and one sledge) in the main. Collared sparkmage really helps to deal with creature decks and sometimes just takes control of the game from fairly early on.
Its not like sparkmage himself is a terrible cascade. If you have a collar or mystic he's a pretty great cascade that your opponent is going to need to deal with or give up on keeping creatures on the board. Even compared to lightning bolt, sparkmage will usually do close to as much damage to the face against control decks on average, and being able to shoot down w/u manland blockers is relevant. The only really terrible cascades are the mana dudes (scute mob is probably close to coming online if you are casting bloodbraid).
The thing I'm wondering about is this: How do you guys feel about the sparkmage plan against Jund? It usually works fairly well in game one, but depending on what Jund is sideboarding it can become much less effective.
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I like to bring him in because you want the extra basilisk collar anyway and he kills ball lightnings and hellsparks nicely. If they have to burn a bolt on him, it slows them down a lot.
Me i sideboard the sparkmage vs RDW, WW, Vampire, Ally, elfdrazi, bant, miror and junk...
Boros depend the build they use...
So about everything except control and jund
If RDW need to spend bolt on him and i can protect him whit something (like the land that give protection + KoTR) .. most of the time its a win ...
Kor firewaker is still a better choice if you have lot of RDW in your meta
None
Ya I've been finding my vamps matchup is extremely good even pre-board. Post-board it goes even more in our favor. They try to go control after board with deathmarks and such, but your sparkmage combo is just far superior to anything they have. Duress is the only thing that can take care of your equips and thats if you havent played it yet.
What have you been guys siding out for the sparkmages against vamps? I like siding out two rangers, two bolts, two Nacatls, for 4 Sparkmage, 1 Mystic, 1 Collar. Is siding in the extra sledge worth it? Rarely do you need two sledges and they cant destroy the single one that we have.
I wouldn't bring in the other sledge, but definitely the second collar. I would do something like this:
-2 Lightning Bolt
-1 Birds of Paridise
-2 Ranger of Eos
-2 Wild Nacatl
+4 Cunning Sparkmage
+2 Celestial Purge
+1 Basilisk Collar
That's based on my list here, which runs 3 mystics main.
I would also consider bringing in the extra O-ring from my side also, maybe for the 3rd Bolt
Standard
Turboland
RDW
Extended-Come October
Faeries
BW Tokens
Legacy
Zoo
Dredge
3 nacal
2 ranger
3 path to exile
1 lightning bolt
Side in :
3 Celestial Purge
4 Sparkmage (4 in deck)
1 Scattershot Archer (1 in deck)
1 collar (2 in deck)
None
Out-
2 Ajani
2 Orings
1 Bolt
In-
4 Sparkmages
1 Collar
I like to keep in the creatures because they are trying to be killing as many as they can and will with a bloodwitch or a nocturnus. Where Ajani does do anything to witch, Hexmage is a problem for it, tapping their land is not that big for them if they are going control. O Ring I find to slow in the match up but mostly because of Witch. When taking out creatures gatekeeper becomes much better for them. For the bolt you can argue that or path. I picked bolt because Path can at least kill nocturnus, help your scutemob to win the game, and if your not playing ajani giving them a land doesnt matter. Bolt also doesnt kill Bloodwitch.
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Standard
Turboland
RDW
Extended-Come October
Faeries
BW Tokens
Legacy
Zoo
Dredge
Honestly, I don't even see harms way getting played, period, let alone enough for me to have to play around it. That might change but right now its not something im gonna worry about.
When DON'T we want to see a Cunning Sparkmage?
I'm sort of beginning to wonder why this isn't a main deck thing. Seems I'm siding all four in practically every match now - just one with a basilisk collar dominates most matches.
You don't want him against Jund or Control; which together probably make up more than a third of the meta.
"What?"
"Well, I'm building a Meat Dragon and not just any meat will do."
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T2:
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Extended:
BGW Doran
BRG Jund
Legacy:
BG Eva Green
Yeah, and its nearly a dead card against the best deck in the format. Do you really want to sacrifice your game one against a third of the meta?
He's good, but he's not necessary to win. He's just the icing on the cake against a lot of decks. Against others, a more aggressive clock is better.
"What?"
"Well, I'm building a Meat Dragon and not just any meat will do."
Awesome sig by Kracked Graphics
Currently Playing
T2:
G Elves!
Extended:
BGW Doran
BRG Jund
Legacy:
BG Eva Green
If you have a decent amount of control in your meta than maining the sparkmages is probably the wrong move. In LSV's list there is potentially only one card that is a dead card against control, the singleton path. The rest of the cards can play a part in defeating control and would probably be more effective than sparkmages.
And then you Sejiri Steppe whatever they hit with Harm's Way. Even if Harm's Way gets through, it's just a one-for-one trade (either they kill your Sparkmage or something else). No reason to stop playing Sparkmage because of one card that barely gets played and isn't that great against the combo anyway.
If you have a Collar out there's not much more I would want to cascade into. Naya across the board doesn't have great cascades anyway.
Journey is useless against UW, but O-ring is not. There have been several times the O-ring has saved me against an Iona, or Jace. Even O-ringing an early everflowing chalice isn't a bad play, if you can keep them off of DoJ
mana.
As far as MD sparkmage, I'm trying it out this Friday. The lesser top 8 Naya lists at SCG Richmong 5k ran them MD. I'll be testing it out Friday, and if I like it, it'll stay that way for the Game Day I'm playing in on Saturday,
Standard
Turboland
RDW
Extended-Come October
Faeries
BW Tokens
Legacy
Zoo
Dredge
I agree with your second point. I don't think "Knight of the Reliquary can make that a non-issue" is a relevant argument, if only because sticking a Knight of the Reliquary long enough for its tap ability to come online against any kind of midrange is almost always game.
Its not like sparkmage himself is a terrible cascade. If you have a collar or mystic he's a pretty great cascade that your opponent is going to need to deal with or give up on keeping creatures on the board. Even compared to lightning bolt, sparkmage will usually do close to as much damage to the face against control decks on average, and being able to shoot down w/u manland blockers is relevant. The only really terrible cascades are the mana dudes (scute mob is probably close to coming online if you are casting bloodbraid).
The thing I'm wondering about is this: How do you guys feel about the sparkmage plan against Jund? It usually works fairly well in game one, but depending on what Jund is sideboarding it can become much less effective.