This has been a pet idea of mine for some time now, but when I saw some of the amazing cards in Rise of the Eldrazi, I finally had to build my mono-white lifegain deck, and it's actually pretty solid.
The sideboard isn't quite finalized, but the MD pretty much is, although I would appreciate suggestions for either SB or MD.
The idea is to gain life while putting up a strong defense with walls mainly, until you have enough mana to cast the win-cons. 24 land is pretty steep for legacy, but most Legacy decks don't run 5-drops and 6-drops.
The reason this deck can compete is because of the insane white card advantage printed in ROE with Survival Cache and Wall of Blossoms 2.0. I had built a similar deck before ROE, but it got outclassed very quickly by established decks. I'm not going to say that this is a format breaking deck and that everybody will be playing mono-white lifegain at the next Grand Prix, but it can get there and often does.
In playtesting I've found good MU's against Zoo, Enchantress, and Burn.
I haven't done a lot of playtesting against the rest of the field, I'd imagine ANT being saddened by this deck unless they got Angel's Grace and Ad Nauseam since I can be at 40 life easily by turn 3.
I'd imagine having no problem with 38 Land since this doesn't rely on hitting their lifepoints away to win.
I have yet to test against dredge, but I'm anticipating the same ol' same ol', lose game one, win games 2 and 3 after sideboarding. Honor The Fallen isn't the most well-known card and I haven't playtested it (hence the sideboard isn't quite finalized), but I can see it being good for this deck, and if nothing else I can always revert to the standard GY-Hate packages with Tormod's Crypt/Relic of Progenitus .... and I'd probably take Relic over Crypt in this particular deck.
Reanimator, no testing done...
One glaring problem I've found is a weakness against blue (maybe not all blue), especially Merfolk which is what I've tested against. This is a problem since Merfolk is a relevant deck in my meta, and I've thrown tons of Silence effects into my SB for the blue matchup, but game one it is practically an auto-loss to Merfolk... Cursecatcher shines against Rest for the Weary, Survival Cache, and Swords to Plowshares, while FOW is obviously good at keeping my win-cons down so basically the opponent just beefs his Merfolk up with lords until they can run over my walls and with my win-cons being countered I have trouble sustaining. So with that in mind any help on that front would be appreciated.
I thought about adding a single copy of Moat to the SB somewhere as well, simply because I own a copy... I don't know if it's needed though.
I've also been wondering about using Oblivion Ring at least in the sideboard if not in the main simply to have some answers to non-creature permanents that screw me over... any thoughts there?
Let me know whatchu guys think!
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Life is wonderful... but why??" Legacy:
Burn
:symr:(:symgb:) Goblins
:symu:(:symw:) Merfolk
:symg::symw::symr: Enchantress
:symg::symw::symr:(:symb:) Zoo
:symg::symw::symu: New Horizons
:symg::symw: Berserk Stompy
:symg::symb:(:symw:) Eva Green
:symg::symb: The Cure
Control
If you've got a moat, run it maindeck. It will stop the islandwalking shenanigans, not that it should matter so much. However, I think a card that might warrant testing against the folk is suppression field or pithing needle on aether vial. that will make them have to cast their merfolk...and I believe I see some wraths somewhere in that 75.
"Life is wonderful... but why??" Legacy:
Burn
:symr:(:symgb:) Goblins
:symu:(:symw:) Merfolk
:symg::symw::symr: Enchantress
:symg::symw::symr:(:symb:) Zoo
:symg::symw::symu: New Horizons
:symg::symw: Berserk Stompy
:symg::symb:(:symw:) Eva Green
:symg::symb: The Cure
Control
you should also take a look into the en-kor combo with the guy that gets +o/+x for each time it's being targeted. ( you can do this infinitely)
It also used cards like mammoth graveyard to fix it.
I highly doubt the deck you provide is going to win a lot of matches.
I truly wonder what makes your deck good against zoo? they only need pridemage for test, and keep the removal on hand for the felidar, ANT still blows you away and will just need to build more storm, which shouldn't be a problem since they can use ad nauseam safely.
Making 20 storm after an ad nauseam shouldn't be much of a problem, since you don't run chants or burn mainboard.
Reanimate knocks out your deck in no-time.
That being said ( and this is just a start),
can you provide us with any competetive information about match-ups?
I can't see an ANT deck making 20 storm without Angel's Grace unless they got ridiculously lucky, but admitedly I don't have very much experience piloting ANT and am not 100% sure of what it's capable of, I think the build might make a difference too.
Reanimator should be an auto-loss game-one. period. and I would imagine it being a near auto-loss games two and (if I'm lucky) three. I haven't tested, but I can't imagine the deck standing up to an Inkwell Leviathan or one of the other monsters that Reanimator runs.
Goblins is a tough match-up, I've tested and it really depends on their speed and amount of bounce... I need to get a heavy defense going early and this can be difficult especially if I'm on the draw. Goblin Piledriver smashes through my walls with a vengeance and AEther Vial puts too many threats out too fast. Bouncing my walls with Stingscourger and swinging in for massive damage can wreck my strategy expecially if it puts me below them in life as I won't be drawing extra cards with Survival Cache. Mono-White can win, and the match-up is better post-board when I have access to Wrath, but it's a difficult one.
Zoo is a decent MU from all my testing (and Zoo is my primary deck of choice, and I won't stop playing Zoo anytime soon) because my walls really slow them down, their burn spells can't keep up with my LG power and they have nothing to deal with my win-cons outside of PTE and perhaps Pridemage for Test of Endurance. I can't say it's a bye or that this deck crushes them, and it is a worse matchup if they are on the play, but it's a "decent" MU. Their key cards are Grim Lavamancer because he can ping my walls after combat damage to send them to the graveyard and Sylvan Library 'cause it gives them the card advantage/quality to overcome stalemates. They really can't handle a Divinity of Pride if it hits the field, they just get demolished, same goes for Felidar Sovereign to a lesser extent, and Ajani Goldmane can be a huge force with his -1 ability.
As for the En-kor... I've seen it, I like it, I'm not looking to net-deck something tho. I really don't even care if it's a better idea, I want this to be original. A simple life-gain deck and I'm wondering if it's possible without the use of En-kor, 'cause they've been done before.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Life is wonderful... but why??" Legacy:
Burn
:symr:(:symgb:) Goblins
:symu:(:symw:) Merfolk
:symg::symw::symr: Enchantress
:symg::symw::symr:(:symb:) Zoo
:symg::symw::symu: New Horizons
:symg::symw: Berserk Stompy
:symg::symb:(:symw:) Eva Green
:symg::symb: The Cure
Control
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4 Kabira Crossroads
4 Martyr of Sands
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Perimeter Captain
4 Wall of Omens
4 Rest for the Weary
4 Lone Missionary
4 Survival Cache
2 Ajani Goldmane
2 Test of Endurance
2 Divinity of Pride
2 Felidar Sovereign
1 Beacon of Immortality
4 Honor The Fallen
3 Orim's Chant
3 Silence
2 Runed Halo
The sideboard isn't quite finalized, but the MD pretty much is, although I would appreciate suggestions for either SB or MD.
The idea is to gain life while putting up a strong defense with walls mainly, until you have enough mana to cast the win-cons. 24 land is pretty steep for legacy, but most Legacy decks don't run 5-drops and 6-drops.
The reason this deck can compete is because of the insane white card advantage printed in ROE with Survival Cache and Wall of Blossoms 2.0. I had built a similar deck before ROE, but it got outclassed very quickly by established decks. I'm not going to say that this is a format breaking deck and that everybody will be playing mono-white lifegain at the next Grand Prix, but it can get there and often does.
In playtesting I've found good MU's against Zoo, Enchantress, and Burn.
I haven't done a lot of playtesting against the rest of the field, I'd imagine ANT being saddened by this deck unless they got Angel's Grace and Ad Nauseam since I can be at 40 life easily by turn 3.
I'd imagine having no problem with 38 Land since this doesn't rely on hitting their lifepoints away to win.
I have yet to test against dredge, but I'm anticipating the same ol' same ol', lose game one, win games 2 and 3 after sideboarding. Honor The Fallen isn't the most well-known card and I haven't playtested it (hence the sideboard isn't quite finalized), but I can see it being good for this deck, and if nothing else I can always revert to the standard GY-Hate packages with Tormod's Crypt/Relic of Progenitus .... and I'd probably take Relic over Crypt in this particular deck.
Reanimator, no testing done...
One glaring problem I've found is a weakness against blue (maybe not all blue), especially Merfolk which is what I've tested against. This is a problem since Merfolk is a relevant deck in my meta, and I've thrown tons of Silence effects into my SB for the blue matchup, but game one it is practically an auto-loss to Merfolk... Cursecatcher shines against Rest for the Weary, Survival Cache, and Swords to Plowshares, while FOW is obviously good at keeping my win-cons down so basically the opponent just beefs his Merfolk up with lords until they can run over my walls and with my win-cons being countered I have trouble sustaining. So with that in mind any help on that front would be appreciated.
I thought about adding a single copy of Moat to the SB somewhere as well, simply because I own a copy... I don't know if it's needed though.
I've also been wondering about using Oblivion Ring at least in the sideboard if not in the main simply to have some answers to non-creature permanents that screw me over... any thoughts there?
Let me know whatchu guys think!
Legacy:
Burn
:symr:(:symgb:) Goblins
:symu:(:symw:) Merfolk
:symg::symw::symr: Enchantress
:symg::symw::symr:(:symb:) Zoo
:symg::symw::symu: New Horizons
:symg::symw: Berserk Stompy
:symg::symb:(:symw:) Eva Green
:symg::symb: The Cure
Control
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
and maybe run 1x Moat MD taking out a Lone Missionary perhaps.
Good feedback. Thanks.
Legacy:
Burn
:symr:(:symgb:) Goblins
:symu:(:symw:) Merfolk
:symg::symw::symr: Enchantress
:symg::symw::symr:(:symb:) Zoo
:symg::symw::symu: New Horizons
:symg::symw: Berserk Stompy
:symg::symb:(:symw:) Eva Green
:symg::symb: The Cure
Control
I can't see an ANT deck making 20 storm without Angel's Grace unless they got ridiculously lucky, but admitedly I don't have very much experience piloting ANT and am not 100% sure of what it's capable of, I think the build might make a difference too.
Reanimator should be an auto-loss game-one. period. and I would imagine it being a near auto-loss games two and (if I'm lucky) three. I haven't tested, but I can't imagine the deck standing up to an Inkwell Leviathan or one of the other monsters that Reanimator runs.
Goblins is a tough match-up, I've tested and it really depends on their speed and amount of bounce... I need to get a heavy defense going early and this can be difficult especially if I'm on the draw. Goblin Piledriver smashes through my walls with a vengeance and AEther Vial puts too many threats out too fast. Bouncing my walls with Stingscourger and swinging in for massive damage can wreck my strategy expecially if it puts me below them in life as I won't be drawing extra cards with Survival Cache. Mono-White can win, and the match-up is better post-board when I have access to Wrath, but it's a difficult one.
Zoo is a decent MU from all my testing (and Zoo is my primary deck of choice, and I won't stop playing Zoo anytime soon) because my walls really slow them down, their burn spells can't keep up with my LG power and they have nothing to deal with my win-cons outside of PTE and perhaps Pridemage for Test of Endurance. I can't say it's a bye or that this deck crushes them, and it is a worse matchup if they are on the play, but it's a "decent" MU. Their key cards are Grim Lavamancer because he can ping my walls after combat damage to send them to the graveyard and Sylvan Library 'cause it gives them the card advantage/quality to overcome stalemates. They really can't handle a Divinity of Pride if it hits the field, they just get demolished, same goes for Felidar Sovereign to a lesser extent, and Ajani Goldmane can be a huge force with his -1 ability.
As for the En-kor... I've seen it, I like it, I'm not looking to net-deck something tho. I really don't even care if it's a better idea, I want this to be original. A simple life-gain deck and I'm wondering if it's possible without the use of En-kor, 'cause they've been done before.
Legacy:
Burn
:symr:(:symgb:) Goblins
:symu:(:symw:) Merfolk
:symg::symw::symr: Enchantress
:symg::symw::symr:(:symb:) Zoo
:symg::symw::symu: New Horizons
:symg::symw: Berserk Stompy
:symg::symb:(:symw:) Eva Green
:symg::symb: The Cure
Control