MTG Salvation

Apologies if I point you to where you've already been, but Matt has been testing a Junk Depths list here and discusses a bit here.

Anyone still playing this deck competitively?

Curious if anyone has SB suggestions for Sneak & Show; I very rarely have trouble with anything but combo though Sneak & Show is pretty under-represented in my meta. A couple of the better pilots keep it as their money deck to dust off for bigger events and I haven't been playing my competitive decks recently so I'm unsure of the matchup. Is Containment Priest the new go-to card for SB's? I picked a couple up initially but don't have a playset and would like to avoid the other $50 I need to finish it if the card has been underwhelming in practice. So who has experience with this matchup?

Anything else I could be overlooking? I do have some maindeck answers to a creature in off of Show and Tell, like Liliana and the usual package of removal spells. Sneak, otoh, can be problematic as it dodges Abrupt Decay. I run a few Vindicate mainboard and pack a couple of Golgari Charm SB but I'm concerned that a Show into Sneak into Emrakul is pretty much GG before I get a chance to do anything about it. Containment Priest is the only clean answer I can think of here, other than some clunky cards that I'd like to avoid/will be too slow like Ensnaring Bridge.

Also, Khalar89, how did you like the Stoneforge Mystic package? How did you do at your event?

Hey folks, I'm looking to move from mostly casual play with the occasional modern game up to playing in proper Legacy matches; I've been playing a long time so have built up decent cards but not built a really competitive deck at this level before. Below I've tabled out what I'm currently running plus a list of other stuff I've access to that I think could work in this deck too. My questions are:

1. Am I on the right track with the main deck?
2. I'm terrible at sideboarding, what should go in that?

I've listed out beneath the rest of my decent pool. I'd appreciate that - while it clearly won't be optimal you - could suggest from that list first as I can't buy much more right now though if there's something obviously missing then I'll look into it.



Possible Inclusions
2x Qasali Pridemage
2x Choke
2x Maelstrom Pulse
4x Abrupt Decay
1x Dark Confidant
1x Wasteland
4x Deathrite Shaman
2x Pernicious Deed
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Hymn to Tourach
4x Path to Exile

Cheers for any/all help received!

Hi Skanedog! I believe Deathrite Shaman should be somewhere in the main 60; this card is too powerful to not be running main. It can be kind of a nombo with Life from the Loam and even Knight of the Reliquary but I think the potential upside is worth considering. The yard hate is relevant in many matches, it has good synergy with land going to the yard(Mox, fetches) and is very likely to give you gas even when you fail to draw a Mox. Lifegain can be a game saver and the non-targeting life loss can also be surprisingly relevant. In short, this card just does too much to not be main.

I also think that there can be a pretty strong argument for including Abrupt Decay, at least a couple, mainboard. Taking your meta into account, having an uncounterable answer is powerful in many match-ups. With the banning of TC, this may be less of an issue now. Still, it is a highly versatile card with little drawback. It also one of the very few cards that can get out from under a Counterbalance which gives it some extra mileage in my books.

You may want more discard somewhere in the 75. I would be pretty hard pressed to play with anything less than 6 discard spells mainboard. This is a matter of preference but most current lists appear to have 5-7 discard main.

I'm not fond of Punishing Fire in this list. It can be a blowout vs some decks but it can be pretty slow to setup and feels like the mana base is getting thin to include R for these 3 cards. Mox Diamonds help, for sure, but this looks like a weird marriage between Jund and Rock. A few cards away from converting to Jund; BBE and a cpl of bolts?

I absolutely dislike the citp tap lands and, to a lesser degree, Dryad Arbor. I concede that Dryad Arbor has plenty surprise power as a blocker off of fetchland and occasionally can provide mana ramp in combination with the GSZ. Speed is the issue; this deck needs to disrupt what an opponent is doing as quickly as possible and then long enough to grind out a win. Having to wait a turn to activate these lands can be a pretty big price to pay.

Choke is so backbreaking vs the blue matchups, it is worth including in the SB for a chance that your discard clears a safe path and it resolves. Usually follows with a pretty quick win, though Daze can get some extra value out of previously tapped Islands. Choke is a meta specific card and in an underdeveloped meta then it's value typically goes down significantly.

Pernicious Deed is another card that I would be hard pressed not to have somewhere in the 75. The collateral damage can be a problem but it is usually worth it because you use it when you need an answer to almost anything. Unless you have a really good idea of what you are playing against, it is good to have some generic answers. Pernicious Deed, Maelstrom Pulse, and Abrupt Decay are the generic answers you are looking for.

Thanks very much for the feedback, you’ve raised some great points there.



With regards to the discard suite, would you recommend Hymn to Tourach or Inquisition of Kozilek? Personally I prefer Hymn but the double-black can be a bit stiff.



As for Deathrite Shaman, he’s one of my favourite cards ever (this deck was halfway to being modern Junk when he got the banhammer) – fitting him in here is tough though, I’m not sure what to take out to put him in. If I cut the Mox Diamonds I’m hurting the Knights, and if I cut the Knights the supporting cycling land/retrieval is pointless and it feels like a different deck. He’s so good though that I can see why he should be in there, I’m just not sure where best to use him. The CITP lands are never actually played as lands – they’re there solely to discard to the Mox Diamonds or cycle for card draw but again this is a bit swingy as so far I’ve either found it works perfectly or bogs me down, there’s no consistency with them.



Finally, I agree that the Punishing Fire / Grove of the Burnwillows is a bit clunky – while I’ve had some good returns from it can be slow to pull the pieces together.



Essentially I feel like I’m pulling this deck in two different directions. If I was able to lay my hand on some Bayou it would make the call for me and I’d ditch all the red influence, as it is I’ve either got ¾ of a cares-about-land deck or ¾ a Junk deck. I’ll have a go at stripping out the clunk bits and using basic lands for now and see what it does.

For the discard suite, I personally run 3 x Thoughseize and 3 x Inquisition of Kozilek MB with 2 x Hymn to Tourach in the SB. As you've mentioned, the double black can be an issue. The actual CC can be problematic as well, since there is a very large difference between T1 and T2, especially in Legacy. Lastly, I think there is significant value in knowing what else an opponent has in their hand; it allows more informed plays, allowing the best use of resources available. All of that said, Hymn nets card advantage and sometimes can almost win a game by itself, ie when hitting the 2 lands an opponent needed to be in the game. Your using Mox Diamond also gives an opportunity to get the double black on T1, which can set up a huge, albeit inconsistent, bomb with the T1 Hymn. I recommend the Inquisitions but could not fault you if you opted for play the Hymn's MB instead.

Hello, I've just built a Junk/Rock deck for legacy, I am kind of new to the format, so I'd appreciate some advice.

This is the list I've put together:



I also just got 2 Gaddock Teeg, which I find an excellent addition, but I don't know what to cut for them.

I was thinking something like -1 Savannah and/or -1 Tarmogoyf and/or -1 Dark Confidant. I don't feell like cutting any other spells from the list. I definitely want to play 2 lilis, the removal config is good, and the discard can't really go bellow 6 slots. Lingering Souls is the bonkers against the mirror and blue decks, there is no way I am cutting it.


Any Suggestions/Thoughts/Advice?

Hey there!


I rly like your list but you should add 1 Liliana of the Veil she is just awesome.

I think you can shrink your removal package a bit, maybe 3 Swords , 3 decay , 1 vindicate and add 3 lilis. There Aren´t that many CmC 4+ targets preboard in general.

And add 1 Sylvan Library for extra Card advanatage.

For Sideboard choices you might consider cutting the Deed and add 1enlightened Tutor. Or is there a special reason for the Deed because i could imagine you often end up blowing up your board also

I am playing a similar list.

You can check it out here in my Buddies YT channel
And sorry for my bad english in the video, I am a bit rusty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77N1ajxP7vk

For my next tournament which is coming up next Saturday, I am going to cut the 3 Hymn to Tourach and add 2 Inquisition of Kozilek and 1 Sword of fire and ice Sword is often Times the better clock than Bskull. Especially with Lingering Souls


Greetz

Hey Guys

Quick update from my last tournament. I went 4-2 and almost hit the Top 8 (Rank 7 to 12 went all 4-2)

Here is the List I piloted.




Match 1: Goblins, 1:2
Match 2: 4-Color Maverick 0:2
Match 3: Jeskai Stoneblade 2:1
Match 4: Maverick 2:0
Match 5: Sneak & Show 2:0
Match 6: Death n Taxes 1:0 (Game 1 was pretty grindy)

All in all it was a good run with a pretty bad start. 4-Color Maverick just ran me over with Stuff and Kept my Creatures in Check with Punishing Fire and Swords to Plowshares, i didn´t really had any clue what to to, even after Sideboard. Got any Tips for that Matchup. Both Games Turn 1 Mother of Runes was a beating.

Playing without Hymn to tourach felt a bit weird at first. But to have another turn one discard option in Inquisition of Kozilek was quite awesome plus turn 2 Discard and playing a two-drop with Deathrite Shaman.
I may consider cutting the Batterskull (Maybe for another inquisition or Sword?) and i am going to switch the Tasigur for the fourth Tarmogoyf, he didn´t rly do anything mentionable.

Greetings

How do you feel that this deck is positioned right now, and would a straight BG list do okay? I know that white adds a lot of powerful cards, but I only have the modern playables and I'd like to start off softly with BG before I pony up and get all the duals. Also considering going BG and using the extra space/color flexibility for a Dark Depths/Thespian/Crop Rotation/Hexmage package, could that work?

Quote from Havrekjex »

How do you feel that this deck is positioned right now, and would a straight BG list do okay? I know that white adds a lot of powerful cards, but I only have the modern playables and I'd like to start off softly with BG before I pony up and get all the duals. Also considering going BG and using the extra space/color flexibility for a Dark Depths/Thespian/Crop Rotation/Hexmage package, could that work?

That definitely works, though I'd recommend you go with a wishboard for Living Wish. You can also add white in the form of Knight of the Reliquary, Swords to Plowshares and Lingering Souls MB with Kataki, War's Wage, Qasali Pridemage and Gaddock Teeg SB. You don't need to spend a lot on white to get good value out of it in Junk Depths.

Here's a demo list of what a Junk Depths looks like:



The only really expensive 'white' card is Karakas, you can just cut it for another land or Mox Diamond. In some games you will suffer not having a karakas, but to get started it should be fine.

Adrian Sullivan is a proponent of pure B/G Rock running Phyrexian Obliterator. His most recent article about it is a couple of months old, but probably still reasonably relevant.

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/30505_Updating-Obliterator-Rock.html

Quote from Chatto »

@ SSquirrel: you do realize he was talking about Modern? It's a bit tricky running Obliterator in Legacy, but I do admit it seems real fun building a straight Bg Rock deck with Obliterator.

Yeah I do, but that could be a good starting point. Swap in real duals for a few slots, etc.

What do you guys think of Oath of Nissa? Card selection that buffs Goyf. It obviously lends itself to a more aggressive, less midrange build. This might not appeal to everyone, but I find myself having trouble closing the game against some decks (BUG especially) and the builds with more pressure are tempting.