The hero this deck needs is Pyroclasm. Comes down early, controls the board, provides CA. I tried the red splash, it improves your odds versus all-in aggro, but otherwise just dilutes the game plan to the point I gave up. It's the hero it needs, but it can't have it without transforming into another deck.
I've been playing this deck daily (not yet on events 'cause I wanted to know it really well, but soon). My tip to all you guys is to resist this incessant need we have to "tweak" and "improve" the deck. Nice effects are nice, but we must think about the role each card has in the build. Play the stock build at least 30 games (10-15 matches). Get a feel of it, learn the tricks. I thought I knew how to play it at the moment I saw it, but I have misplayed a lot of times in the first 10 games (and probably still do) and learnt a lot.
If you really believe something is "subpar" and should be replaced, I also would like to ask that you go ahead, make the changes, play a minimum of 30 games and report back with the results.
Not trying to be an idiot here, just want to make the thread helpful. I'm writing a primer and will contact shoktroopa/kharniverous to ask for revisions if he has the time, so I also need results to justify tweaks.
After playing for a few days I agree. I 2-2'ed the daily because I wasn't ready to play it yet after 10 games. I'm sure at least one of the two matches I lost could have gone my way if I knew the deck better. It's extremely nuanced, but when I make the right calls, the deck just blows out the game and opponents don't stand a chance.
I'm taking the core build back for another few days of practice games. The deck is powerful but requires airtight play to achieve consistency.
Happy to hear about your success, I might follow you in giving this a try. Are you playing any white cards MD, or is the plains just to enable hosers in the side?
Did you go up to 4 Solemns, or just 3 plus the other fixers?
Is it worth splashing white (through maybe one white basic to be tutored with map and solemn, plus the white talismans) for anti-aggro tech and enchantment removal, or is it better to just bounce and counter?
Just 2-2'ed a daily. Beat UW and Jund, lost to Jund w/Fulminator and some sort of 4-Color Gifts deck. Stony Silence was the thing that lost me G2 and G3 against 4-color.
Another thing I want to try is Fabricate instead of Treasure Mage. The 2/2 body is important in some matchups, but (as we're discussing) doesn't save you against dedicated aggro and Fabricate can fetch Oblivion Stone, Expedition Map and so on.
That's true, I end up feeling like Treasure Mage is a dead draw vs Aggro a lot of the time. I would love to get a wurmcoil, but if I've yet to assemble to Tron, I don't have enough to cast TM and then cast a 6 cost artifact. Fabricate could go get Spellskite if Skite is MD, too.
There are plenty of times I would have loved to get Threads. 3 CMC is something I'm confident I could get to, it's the UU that worries me.
I'm a HUGE fan of MD Skites. Card is ridiculous, especially in the current meta. My only issue is that I'm not confident to make any cuts to the MD list - maybe the O-Stone? But running 1 Skite with no tutors does not seem consistent.
Against aggro I find myself wanting counters but not so many as I usually get. I spend too much time building up my board and tapping out to counter. Maybe replace one or two counters with spellskites in addition to the stone?
Kaijin, Spellskite, and Dismember - I take it these are our prime anti-aggro tech. Are any of these worth maindecking? I'm assuming no for kaijin, but is spellskite good enough at protecting your threats that it's decent against control too? I've had more than one game so far that I would have won had Wurmcoil or Plat Angel lived one more turn.
Sorry that I am asking so many questions and providing few answers - I've yet to test more than a handful of matches. I'm going to play this in a few dailies over the weekend and should have more data to add to the conversation by then.
The 4-0 list ran 0 stones, and replaced the one-of with another Talisman. Does the extra acceleration let the deck hit the endgame before aggro can win, or is there another reason?
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When I bought some singles from MTGOTraders, the seller said "I've sold four copies of this deck in the last hour."
I guess the budget factor really helps.
After playing for a few days I agree. I 2-2'ed the daily because I wasn't ready to play it yet after 10 games. I'm sure at least one of the two matches I lost could have gone my way if I knew the deck better. It's extremely nuanced, but when I make the right calls, the deck just blows out the game and opponents don't stand a chance.
I'm taking the core build back for another few days of practice games. The deck is powerful but requires airtight play to achieve consistency.
Did you go up to 4 Solemns, or just 3 plus the other fixers?
The original list 3-1'ed another daily, no 4-0s this time.
That's true, I end up feeling like Treasure Mage is a dead draw vs Aggro a lot of the time. I would love to get a wurmcoil, but if I've yet to assemble to Tron, I don't have enough to cast TM and then cast a 6 cost artifact. Fabricate could go get Spellskite if Skite is MD, too.
There are plenty of times I would have loved to get Threads. 3 CMC is something I'm confident I could get to, it's the UU that worries me.
Against aggro I find myself wanting counters but not so many as I usually get. I spend too much time building up my board and tapping out to counter. Maybe replace one or two counters with spellskites in addition to the stone?
Sorry that I am asking so many questions and providing few answers - I've yet to test more than a handful of matches. I'm going to play this in a few dailies over the weekend and should have more data to add to the conversation by then.
Though it makes me wonder if Rift might be a better choice over Stone? It's not dead in a low-mana situation.
I'd offer to test this on MTGO but the only good cards I have are for this deck so I can't play any of the opposing MUs.
I'm currently running the one-of build online and on paper.