I was one of those decks that didn't make day 2. Finished 1-2-3, then dropped.
First match was against GW auras, and I was nervous and made 2 really bad mistakes. I held onto a AotG and bolt thinking I could sweep next turn and keep the bolt for face damage, then he proceeded to load up his dude (who couldn't attack yet) with about 6 enchantments so I missed my window of opportunity for the bolt. So, should have bolted it asap. Just a poor decision on my part, I usually get that right.
Results:
0-2 against GW auras
1-1-1 against Delver Tempo
0-2 against American Control
2-0 against another American Control variation (he made a couple mistakes)
1-1-1 against Tron
0-1-1 against UW
Basically it was a counter spell battle for 4 of my 6 matches, which is just crappy luck. I only got to cast cruel 5 times, and twice it was a last ditch effort to avoid a draw and I played into 2 counters. I suspected the counter was coming, but I didn't have any other play at the time.
I went in expecting to see a lot of pod, twin, affinity and burn. Didn't face a single one (though they were very prevalent). Meh, it is what it is. Some poor play on my part and bad luck in matchups. Was a fun experience though.
The one thing those decks have in common is they have very little if any hand disruption that most cruel decks seem to run. It's 90% blue/red control. I haven't tried my deck without IoK yet because it just works so freakin well for me. Even if you whiff on removing a card you still get valuable info. Obviously those decks are working without it, just hard to imagine it myself.
This is what I think I'm taking to the Minneapolis GP next weekend. It'll be my first tournament since I was 15 (19 years ago). Seeing that it's 5 miles from my house it would be silly not to go experience it.
Until last week I was playing it with 2 Forbidden Alchemy and only 3 Electrolyze's and 2 Terminates. I bumped each one of those up and removed Alchemy in favor of more consistency in the main board. The only reason I'm removing the Alchemy is because I have 13 cards that provide draw. 2 Shadow of Doubt's main board in this deck is a must. Its directly applicable in 90% of your match ups. At the very least its a cheap draw, and helps with game 1 against pod. It also really messes up things like Primeval Titan if you can't counter it (e.g. Genesis Wave). I used to run 4 Mana Leaks, but dropped one b/c there were quite a few times where I just couldn't counter something b/c they had too much mana open. Remand is basically my 4th Leak now.
As for the sideboard...
A friend recommended Annul in the sideboard to combat Twin. Its a lot easier to keep 1 mana up than 2, and it also helps with token decks (Intangible Virtue) and Affinity. Its also an answer to Blood Moon. Spellskite is for burn match ups, and walls against zoo/aggro decks. I advocated Tribute to Hungar earlier in this thread, but swapped it out for Far // Away. I really like the life gain option in some match ups, but Far // Away has more reach. It handles things like Geists very well, and is just more flexible all around. I don't like Thoughsieze main board, it just sucks too much life which I think this deck can't afford to do. IoK has been a champ and hits so many cards. Duress has been a great sideboard option too. Applicable against a lot of decks. A single Hero's Downfall incase I run into an 8-Rack or Tron deck and need to dispose of a planeswalker. Yeah, Dreadbore is cheaper, but I like instants more than sorceries
I haven't tried relic, but the way I see it is if I survive till turn 5 then the game is heavily in my favor, so it's only a matter of time until I land a cruel. I tend to prefer the draw go style of the deck, so tapping out early when instead I could counter something key is dangerous. At the very least bluffing that you have a counter when you don't can cause them to change their game plan enough to survive.
Keranos, God of Storms Does look interesting. 5cmc is high though for a draw go deck, but it could help get lands necessary to cast Ultimatum, or just use as another finisher that also helps keep your hand full.
If budget is a concern ditch the serum visions for think twice. Much cheaper. It doesn't let you dig but it's instant speed so you don't waste mana on your turn, always use it on their end step.
I guess the point is you have very little interaction/disruption turns 1-3 to stop your opponent. If they are on the play they are very capable of making their turn 4 move and you don't have much to stop it with 3 mana.
Bolts kill mana dorks and other creatures to slow down your opponent until you can sweep. Have you played zoo, pod, or merfolk? On their turn 3 you can be dead or almost dead before you can sweep. And having cryptic as your only counter available at turn 4 is dangerous. I like some of the ideas here, but I'd say scratch the maw and ashoik and get 4 bolts.
I've been running 2 Tribute to Hunger lately and highly recommend it. Its been a life saver. Literally. It hits uncounterable or hexproof creatures and with this deck you should be able to keep the board clear enough so that you force the opponent to sac their larger creatures, thus offsetting some early damage you might take. Its 3cmc might not be ideal, and Far // Away may be seen as a more flexible card, but I prefer the life game from it. I've regained half my life in a couple games and it completely turned the game to my advantage.
Its interesting to hear Tectonic Edge being discussed as I've had a recent run of opponents playing Cavern of Souls. Merfolk, Zombies (of all decks), and some other deck I can't remember. Having 2 or 3 dead counters in your hand is the least fun scenario to be in. I'm not sure if the proper sideboard option is to ditch most counters for more board wipes, spot removal or to bring in Tectonic Edge.
Either way, I'm definitely bringing in 2 or 3 Far // Away back in as a sideboard option after my recent encounters. Electrolyze is still good, but may become the first card(s) to get side boarded out depending on the matchup.
Just use electrolyze on their end step to the face and draw a card if it becomes a dead card first game. I still find it plenty useful, then if it's useless against creatures in game one then it's easier to know which cards to sideboard out.
Alchemy is great. I wouldn't run less than 2. I'm switching to 4 augurs with the 2 alchemy to help dig for answers and provide some early blocking.
Why would you want to play him instead of just using a red sweeper to wipe most (if not all) of the board?
True, against zoo its probably a stretch, but the fairies keep coming with BB. Staticaster flashes in and can keep poking the BB fairies. A board wipe only lasts 1 turn.
My only thought against zoo is it is a blocker, and could make Electrolyze more effective.
Has anyone tried Perplex? I threw one in last night while testing out 2 Vampire Nighthawk instead of Augur of Bolas and was pleasantly surprised how it went. I was playing against an infect deck, so I haven't tried it against other deck types yet. Twice my friend opt'd to discard his hand, and once he let the counter hit. It seems viable as a 1 of b/c I can tutor the Nighthawks, Electrolyze, and Clique from my mainboard, and AotG, Hero's Downfall, and Far//Away from my sideboard. The only downside is the tutor is sorcery speed. I also run 2 Teachings, so I might continue to test this out and see how it does b/c it seems to provide a bit more utility. I like the idea of having a bit more punch with the Nighthawks, and at the very least they are quasi creature removal with the deathtouch.
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First match was against GW auras, and I was nervous and made 2 really bad mistakes. I held onto a AotG and bolt thinking I could sweep next turn and keep the bolt for face damage, then he proceeded to load up his dude (who couldn't attack yet) with about 6 enchantments so I missed my window of opportunity for the bolt. So, should have bolted it asap. Just a poor decision on my part, I usually get that right.
Results:
0-2 against GW auras
1-1-1 against Delver Tempo
0-2 against American Control
2-0 against another American Control variation (he made a couple mistakes)
1-1-1 against Tron
0-1-1 against UW
Basically it was a counter spell battle for 4 of my 6 matches, which is just crappy luck. I only got to cast cruel 5 times, and twice it was a last ditch effort to avoid a draw and I played into 2 counters. I suspected the counter was coming, but I didn't have any other play at the time.
I went in expecting to see a lot of pod, twin, affinity and burn. Didn't face a single one (though they were very prevalent). Meh, it is what it is. Some poor play on my part and bad luck in matchups. Was a fun experience though.
1 Batterskull
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
Instants
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Electrolyze
3 Terminate
3 Cryptic Command
3 Mana Leak
1 Remand
3 Spell Snare
2 Shadow of Doubt
2 Think Twice
Sorcery
1 Damnation
2 Cruel Ultimatum
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Blood Crypt
3 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Dragonskull Summit
1 Dreadship Reef
1 Drowned Catacomb
3 Island
1 Molten Slagheap
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
2 Watery Grave
2 Annul
2 Duress
1 Thoughtseize
2 Rakdos Charm
2 Spellskite
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Counterflux
2 Far // Away
1 Hero's Downfall
Until last week I was playing it with 2 Forbidden Alchemy and only 3 Electrolyze's and 2 Terminates. I bumped each one of those up and removed Alchemy in favor of more consistency in the main board. The only reason I'm removing the Alchemy is because I have 13 cards that provide draw. 2 Shadow of Doubt's main board in this deck is a must. Its directly applicable in 90% of your match ups. At the very least its a cheap draw, and helps with game 1 against pod. It also really messes up things like Primeval Titan if you can't counter it (e.g. Genesis Wave). I used to run 4 Mana Leaks, but dropped one b/c there were quite a few times where I just couldn't counter something b/c they had too much mana open. Remand is basically my 4th Leak now.
As for the sideboard...
A friend recommended Annul in the sideboard to combat Twin. Its a lot easier to keep 1 mana up than 2, and it also helps with token decks (Intangible Virtue) and Affinity. Its also an answer to Blood Moon. Spellskite is for burn match ups, and walls against zoo/aggro decks. I advocated Tribute to Hungar earlier in this thread, but swapped it out for Far // Away. I really like the life gain option in some match ups, but Far // Away has more reach. It handles things like Geists very well, and is just more flexible all around. I don't like Thoughsieze main board, it just sucks too much life which I think this deck can't afford to do. IoK has been a champ and hits so many cards. Duress has been a great sideboard option too. Applicable against a lot of decks. A single Hero's Downfall incase I run into an 8-Rack or Tron deck and need to dispose of a planeswalker. Yeah, Dreadbore is cheaper, but I like instants more than sorceries
Thoughts?
Either way, I'm definitely bringing in 2 or 3 Far // Away back in as a sideboard option after my recent encounters. Electrolyze is still good, but may become the first card(s) to get side boarded out depending on the matchup.
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Cryptic Command
4 Mana Leak
2 Spell Snare
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Electrolyze
1 Terminate
1 Counterflux
2 Forbidden Alchemy
2 Mystical Teachings
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Thoughtsieze
1 Damnation
2 Cruel Ultimatum
2 Watery Grave
2 Steam Vents
2 Drowned Catacombs
2 Sulfur Falls
2 Dragonskull Summit
2 Blood Crypt
3 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Dreadship Reef
1 Molten Slagheap
2 Rakdos Charm
1 Ratchet Bomb
2 Far // Away
1 Shadow of Doubt
1 Spellskite
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Tribute to Hunger
2 Sowing Salt
1 Consume the Meek
Alchemy is great. I wouldn't run less than 2. I'm switching to 4 augurs with the 2 alchemy to help dig for answers and provide some early blocking.
I ran across Sorin's Thirst which does a decent lightning helix impersenation.
True, against zoo its probably a stretch, but the fairies keep coming with BB. Staticaster flashes in and can keep poking the BB fairies. A board wipe only lasts 1 turn.
My only thought against zoo is it is a blocker, and could make Electrolyze more effective.