Can we get this made an {Official Thread} so it doesn't keep falling off the first page, like the other Gifts threads have? This is the best deck in the format; it's exceedingly silly that there's no Official Thread for it.
There... now explain any different card choices you'd make for a predominantly control metagame. - Raia
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Those who fear the darkness have never seen what the light can do.
Well, my metagame has shaped up to be aggro-heavy so far. I have two PTQs later this month, so we'll see if that trend continues. This area tends to favor control historically, so it'll be interesting to see what develops.
I'm a fan of Ghost-Lit Stalker for the control metagame, and if I expected a lot of control, I'd probably run two of them maindeck. I'd also find room for a second Extraction. Shortfang out of the sideboard would obviously be a good call, also.
I've been cutting Shizo, Death's Storehouse from my build because, the creature you can give fear rarely need it and the land is seeing play in all MBA builds..Unfortunately they can afford for it to be legend-ruled and gifts cannot.
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Templus, I think you really need the Black Myojin. Having 3 Kokushos seems overly redundant. One will usually win by itself, though I could see playing a second for its "Drain you for 10" interaction with the first. Since you're playing Stalker over Exile, I presume you're expecting a more controllish metagame. The Myojin excels there.
How does this deck beat Black Hand? They're beating you in the head until you play a fatty. Then they kill your fatty with anything from Kiku's Shadow to Sickening Shoal to Hero's Demise. Then they're beating you in the head again. They even have Graverobber so you can't do silly graveyard tricks.
Against Control the game plan is simple. Play Gifts, get Hana Kami, Revival, Death Denied, and Stalker/Myojin. Nuke their hand until you have to go for something like Kagemaro for the beats. Death Denied into like 4 or 5 creatures will usually allow Maro to swing for lethal in a few turns.
The thing about Shizo is that your Ink-Eyes need it and you need it to stop it if for nothing else. You do plan on chumping with Elders or Hana Kamis for a bit.
As for the choice of tuning against Aggro or Control, you have to tune for control. The thing is that you can just put removal in the board and win the next 2 quickly. A lot of decks actually have trouble against Gifts game 1 since Shoal/Maro are too good for WW/Black Hand.
Well heres a build someone from Pojo imed me. Yeah its run of the mill, same as someone elses deck but I'm workin on all the plays and stuff then I'll make it my own. Any suggestions on what I should take out/change?
Well heres a build someone from Pojo imed me. Yeah its run of the mill, same as someone elses deck but I'm workin on all the plays and stuff then I'll make it my own. Any suggestions on what I should take out/change?
@Votan:: I've been looking at gifts and Deck-X as well. I think your plan is solid, so don't get me wrong here. I'm just wondering what we're going to do as gifts players when they board in the four hisoka's defiance? That kinda jacks up the whole recursion engine, methinks. I wonder whether it might be prudent to include an additional death denied or soulless revival. Maybe even returning to Stir the grave since it's not arcane? Am I over-worried about them countering the Kami or the Death Denied?
Votan:: Good point about the kagemaros / shoals. Luckily, MD hate against Deck-X will likely be fairly effective against the other aggro field decks.
Have you considered Hero's Demise for Deck-X? What about rag dealer / nezumi graverobber for the mirror?
Warning!::: Strange ideas follow :::You know, in a game I played two days ago, a crazy thought occured to me, but I think it's kinda lousy... the idea was to try Erayo, Soratami Ascendant... hear me out before you flame it! I had two elders and a hana in the yard, and I had death denied recursion, and I was sucking the land out of my deck with multiple defenders, and I thought... hmmmm... this is a lot of spells per turn, and I'm not even trying to do it! Anyway, it's certainly a "Win-More" right now for this deck, but of all the tier 1 decks, I think this is the approach to use the soratami ascendant in... Maybe I'm high. Don't think less of me for this suggestion, I'm just brainstorming. The same theory applies to Kuon, Ogre Ascendant as well... but again, win more I think.
The thing is that I usually just get Soulless Revival, Hana Kami, Death Denied and either Kagemaro or Wear Away with my first Gifts. It depends upon what sort of board pressure their is. If Jitte is something I must be worried about, then I take care of it as soon as possible. Otherwise, I will just get a lock with Kagemaro.
Another thing is that the Gifts match is your most important match. If you can't win game one you are in a very tought position for that match. Often times I have seen players modify their decks to slaughter the aggro match up more than they already do with no need at all. While it may not seem like much of a problem, the truth is that in a deck built around Gifts Ungiven, you have a great need for the ability to tutor for the correct answers. In the match against the Mirror, the ability to tutor up a Ghost-Lit Stalker, Myojin of Night's Reach, Death Denied, and Soulless Revival to strip the opponents have is too necessary.
You have 3 games to beat aggro, but only one against the mirror.
Actually, the deck started out with gifts and a green splash for Hana Kami, and evovled from there. Hence, I consider it Gifts. And it does work around Gifts.
What about the reanimator-themed versions I'm seeing? More goryo's vengeance, the unspeakable, etc? Do people here consider it viable? What about as a kind of transitional sideboard strategem?
this is my take on godo gifts, i chose too go with a 2nd kokusho over the aetheral haze lock. i was wondering what everone thought about the godo gifts, is it worth it or is there another style of sideboard i should run. any fixs are welcome and helpful
you know I've always wondered why doens't this deck run Eerie Procession. Seriously that card seems amazing... it gets every non-creature spell in the deck besides top, STE and Gifts
you know I've always wondered why doens't this deck run Eerie Procession. Seriously that card seems amazing... it gets every non-creature spell in the deck besides top, STE and Gifts
There... now explain any different card choices you'd make for a predominantly control metagame. - Raia
I'm a fan of Ghost-Lit Stalker for the control metagame, and if I expected a lot of control, I'd probably run two of them maindeck. I'd also find room for a second Extraction. Shortfang out of the sideboard would obviously be a good call, also.
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I used to write for MTGS, including Cranial Insertion and cube articles. Good on you if you can find those after the upgrade.
8 Forest
8 Swamp
4 Tendo Ice Bridge
1 Island
1 Okina, Temple of Grandfathers
1 Shizo, Deaths Storehouse
Creatures: 14
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
3 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
2 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
1 Meloku, the Clouded Mirror
1 Myojin of Night's Reach
1 Ghost-Lit Stalker
1 Hana Kami
4 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Kodama's Reach
4 Sickening Shoal
3 Gifts Ungiven
2 Hideous Laughter
1 Cranial Extraction
1 Death Denied
1 Soulless Revival
1 Footsteps of Goryo
1 Wear Away
1 Exile into Darkness
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I used to write for MTGS, including Cranial Insertion and cube articles. Good on you if you can find those after the upgrade.
Edit: Not to mention Kagemaro, First to Suffer
The thing about Shizo is that your Ink-Eyes need it and you need it to stop it if for nothing else. You do plan on chumping with Elders or Hana Kamis for a bit.
As for the choice of tuning against Aggro or Control, you have to tune for control. The thing is that you can just put removal in the board and win the next 2 quickly. A lot of decks actually have trouble against Gifts game 1 since Shoal/Maro are too good for WW/Black Hand.
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http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=15309
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=15309
Check out the blog too.
I had done that but just copied and pasted the deck from another post.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=15309
Have you considered Hero's Demise for Deck-X? What about rag dealer / nezumi graverobber for the mirror?
Warning!::: Strange ideas follow :::You know, in a game I played two days ago, a crazy thought occured to me, but I think it's kinda lousy... the idea was to try Erayo, Soratami Ascendant... hear me out before you flame it! I had two elders and a hana in the yard, and I had death denied recursion, and I was sucking the land out of my deck with multiple defenders, and I thought... hmmmm... this is a lot of spells per turn, and I'm not even trying to do it! Anyway, it's certainly a "Win-More" right now for this deck, but of all the tier 1 decks, I think this is the approach to use the soratami ascendant in... Maybe I'm high. Don't think less of me for this suggestion, I'm just brainstorming. The same theory applies to Kuon, Ogre Ascendant as well... but again, win more I think.
Check out the blog too.
Considering that there is about 8.6 billion different versions of Gifts now......
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
3 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Myojin of Night's Reach
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Hana Kami
Spells (25)
4 Gifts Ungiven
4 Kodama's Reach
4 Sickening Shoal
4 Sensei's Divining Top
2 Hideous Laughter
1 Soulless Revival
1 Death Denied
1 Wear Away
1 Cranial Extraction
1 Goryo's Vengeance
1 Ethereal Haze
1 Exile into Darkness
8 Swamp
7 Forest
1 Island
1 Plains
4 Tendo Ice Bridge
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
4 Nezumi Shortfang
2 Kiku's Shadow
2 Rend Flesh
2 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Kodama of the North Tree
1 Cranial Extraction
1 Rending Vines
1 Hideous Laughter
1 Horobi's Whisper
I am not really a fan of the Godo version, so please don't suggest that **especially since it really won't be a surprise anymore**
I am just looking to tweak this deck to near perfection......
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With that slot we normally run Ghost-Lit Stalker instead. The Stalker gave us better game against the Mirror and Blue control.
The Real Best Legacy Poster of 2005 poll
Another thing is that the Gifts match is your most important match. If you can't win game one you are in a very tought position for that match. Often times I have seen players modify their decks to slaughter the aggro match up more than they already do with no need at all. While it may not seem like much of a problem, the truth is that in a deck built around Gifts Ungiven, you have a great need for the ability to tutor for the correct answers. In the match against the Mirror, the ability to tutor up a Ghost-Lit Stalker, Myojin of Night's Reach, Death Denied, and Soulless Revival to strip the opponents have is too necessary.
You have 3 games to beat aggro, but only one against the mirror.
The Real Best Legacy Poster of 2005 poll
4 Gifts Ungiven
4 Hero’s Demise
4 Rend Flesh
1 Horobi’s Whisper
4 Hinder
2 Oppressive Will
4 Night of Soul’s Betrayal
2 Soulless Revival
2 Hideous Laughter
4 Jushi Apprentice
4 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Lands
9 Island
3 Tendo Ice Bridge
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1 Minamo, School at Water’s Edge
10 Swamp
2 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
2 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
3 Quash
4 Kiku’s Shadow
2 Hideous Laughter
2 Cranial Extraction
Check out the blog too.
8x swamp
7x forest
1x island
1x mountain
4x tendo ice bridge
1x shizo, deaths storehouse
1x okina temple to the grandfaters
creatures:14
4x sakura-tribe elder
3x kagemaro, first ot suffer
2x kokusho, the evening star
1x meloku the clouded mirror
1x ink-eyes, servent of oni
1x myogin of nights reach
1x ghost-lit stalker
1x hana kami
4x senseis divining top
non-creature spells:19
4x sickening shoal
4x gifts ungiven
4x kodamas reach
2x hiddeous laughter
1x wear away
1x soulless revival
1x goryos vengence
1x death denied
1x cranial extraction
1x tatsumasa, the dragons fang
2x godo, bandit warlord
3x okiba-gang shinobi
3x pithing needle
1x hiddeous laughter
1x kodama of the north tree
2x nezumi graverobber
1x ghost-lit stalker
1x keiga, the tide star
this is my take on godo gifts, i chose too go with a 2nd kokusho over the aetheral haze lock. i was wondering what everone thought about the godo gifts, is it worth it or is there another style of sideboard i should run. any fixs are welcome and helpful
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=1278809#post1278809
Pretty much because its blue........Gifts is pretty much a B/G deck that splashes blue for Gifts Ungiven (duh!) and Meloku the Clouded Mirror
.....and red if they want to play Godo or white if they want to use the Haze lock.
Former Member but Friend 4Ever of the Random Bull***** Society
Former Chairman of Iron Chef Salvation