My Trackers finally came in, just in time for FNM tomorrow!
This is my list, it's a little different than most of yours in that it runs multiple dodges and gnaws, i have no problem with stalling with Gnaw for a turn or two and just unleashing 2 Artful Dodges out of nowhere in the same turn for the win, that's probably my main wincon, actually, (impossible for those of you who run only 1 Dodge, if it's milled).
I also am still in them in the minority of liking Emissary over Ranger.
Say my opponent is attack with a 4/4, i block with two creatures, a 3/3 and a 2/2. Is it he or I who decides which of my creatures takes the damage and dies?
I also tend to side out my ruinators against delver sometimes for thrun. Depends if they are running spellbomb or not. But i most always side in mental missteps against delver as well
I had never thought of siding in Misstep against Delver.
I've been fighting Spellbomb with Phyrexian Revoker for a couple months now and it works great, I just couldn't go back to Misstep for that, it's a dead mill, at least with Revoker I can grab it with a Tracker's in a pinch if i know or very highly suspect they're running Spellbomb(s).
At that point, you almost don't need Artful Dodge any more. Then again, it has the same issue KCBs have always had: no haste. Is that enough to make me want to splash a bit of red for Lightning Mauler? Perhaps. If that still isn't enough, tossing in Cavern of Souls and Zealous Conscripts might be. Can anyone else say UGR Human stompy?
If you were good Cagebreaker swinging was already game over anyways. The problem is getting him to swing...unless you're playing on the kitchen table KCB is almost ALWAYS removed. He is what they save their Doom Blades, O-Rings, GFTT's, Pacifism's and counters and etc... for.
This is proving to be an optimal list and in playtesting i really like the Titan as a tech, he really thins the deck and gives you land to cast tons and tons of stuff each turn late game meaning a huge probability of the only things being milled by Splinterfrights late game are creatures or spells (all of which have flashback).
I don't use Mulch because it's a dead mill, and i don't use Dream Twist anymore because it's mana for milling just for the sake of milling, which is foolish.
What do you guys think of throwing a couple (2-3) Memnite in here, I could see it over Screeching Skaab if you already have enough mill, or maybe even over a secondary dork.
Isn't that a violation of the floor rules? Or the DCI tournament rules? Not to mention illegal.
I thought the same, illegal for sure, but I don't know about anything else.
I just hope I never have to play him or anyone in such a state again.
Magic is a thinking man's game, can't really think clearly under the influence so it's not very challenging or fun for me (though it was probably very much so for him).
Mine was a couple of weeks ago, it was at a new store for me and it was a great time other than my last round game...
It was a $5 casual night where they have a pool of packs we're playing for, very casual but fun.
So pairings go up for the last round of the night, I go to the table and waiting across from me is this kid with the reddest eyes i've ever seen and who reaked like a skunk.
I swear he must have went out to the parking lot and spent some time with Cheech and Chong between rounds, he was barely coherent and missed so many of his triggers and would laugh 30 seconds later when he realized he did (we were both 2-2 at this time, so no prizes were on the line anyways).
It was kind of funny, but very annoying at the same time, fun at home with his friends, maybe, but i paid money to play there.
I know a lot of you guys run more dorks than just 4 Birds, in addition to four birds, but instead of an Elf or Pilgrim and as just a one-of for now i'm going to try and run a different and more aggressive green one-drop Wolfbitten Captive .
What are your thoughts on this card for this deck?
Here's the deck i'm running this weekend at FNM and at a GPT on Saturday
My rationalization for running so few spells and having no mulch or dream twist is that far too often these cards will mill important things such as Splinterfrights, which to me, is obviously the most efficient miller and probably the best creature in this deck.
This is my list, it's a little different than most of yours in that it runs multiple dodges and gnaws, i have no problem with stalling with Gnaw for a turn or two and just unleashing 2 Artful Dodges out of nowhere in the same turn for the win, that's probably my main wincon, actually, (impossible for those of you who run only 1 Dodge, if it's milled).
I also am still in them in the minority of liking Emissary over Ranger.
4 Splinterfright
4 Ghoultree
4 Armored Skaab
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Screeching Skaab
3 Ulvenwald Tracker
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Dungeon Geists
2 Viridian Emissary
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
1 Skaab Ruinator
4 Tracker's Instincts
2 Gnaw to the Bone
2 Artful Dodge
Land x20
10 Forest
6 Island
4 Hinterland Harbor
Thanks
I had never thought of siding in Misstep against Delver.
I've been fighting Spellbomb with Phyrexian Revoker for a couple months now and it works great, I just couldn't go back to Misstep for that, it's a dead mill, at least with Revoker I can grab it with a Tracker's in a pinch if i know or very highly suspect they're running Spellbomb(s).
4 Splinterfright
4 Ghoultree
4 Armored Skaab
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Ulvenwald Tracker
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Dungeon Geists
2 Screeching Skaab
2 Viridian Emissary
1 Champion of Lambholdt
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
4 Tracker's Instincts
2 Artful Dodge
2 Gnaw to the Bone
Land 21
9 Forest
8 Island
4 Hinterland Harbor
Ulvenwald Tracker is an obvious include. Not yet sure about the Champion, still need to get hard copies of all of this AVR stuff.
Does look pretty good, but could you rationalize for me running 4 Screeching Skaabs and having no Dungeon Geists?
Also, why Borderland Ranger over Viridian Emissary? You can do a lot with three lands in this deck, i would ramp to 3 ASAP, but after I don't see it.
If you were good Cagebreaker swinging was already game over anyways. The problem is getting him to swing...unless you're playing on the kitchen table KCB is almost ALWAYS removed. He is what they save their Doom Blades, O-Rings, GFTT's, Pacifism's and counters and etc... for.
4 Splinterfright
4 Ghoultree
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Armored Skaab
3 Ulvenwald Tracker
3 Dungeon Geists
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Viridian Emissary
2 Screeching Skaab
1 Kessig Cagebreaker
4 Tracker's Instincts
2 Artful Dodge
2 Gnaw to the Bone
Land 22
10 Forest
8 Island
4 Hinterland Harbor
4/4 Flying Infect w/haste and regenerate is scary and gives you 1, maybe 2 turns to destroy if you're lucky.
I consistently go 4-1 at my FNM which is full of the first category.
At GPTs, the best i've done is 3-2, that was once. Usually i'm 2-3, sometimes 1-4, and my first GPT ever...0-5.
Lots of success for me, went 3-2 at a GPT last Saturday, that was before the Titan, though, i'll see what does for me.
4 Splinterfright
4 Ghoultree
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Armored Skaab
3 Dungeon Geists
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Viridian Emissary
2 Screeching Skaab
1 Kessig Cagebreaker
1 Primeval Titan
4 Tracker's Instincts
3 Artful Dodge
3 Gnaw to the Bone
Land 22
10 Forest
8 Island
4 Hinterland Harbor
3 Beast Within
3 Phyrexian Revoker
2 Mental Misstep
2 Sylvok Replica
1 Gnaw to the Bone
1 Skaab Ruinator
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Kessig Cagebreaker
This is proving to be an optimal list and in playtesting i really like the Titan as a tech, he really thins the deck and gives you land to cast tons and tons of stuff each turn late game meaning a huge probability of the only things being milled by Splinterfrights late game are creatures or spells (all of which have flashback).
I don't use Mulch because it's a dead mill, and i don't use Dream Twist anymore because it's mana for milling just for the sake of milling, which is foolish.
T1: Forest, Birds, Memnite sounds pretty appealing.
Free chump blockers while we're setting up and if he's milled, fine by us.
I thought the same, illegal for sure, but I don't know about anything else.
I just hope I never have to play him or anyone in such a state again.
Magic is a thinking man's game, can't really think clearly under the influence so it's not very challenging or fun for me (though it was probably very much so for him).
It was a $5 casual night where they have a pool of packs we're playing for, very casual but fun.
So pairings go up for the last round of the night, I go to the table and waiting across from me is this kid with the reddest eyes i've ever seen and who reaked like a skunk.
I swear he must have went out to the parking lot and spent some time with Cheech and Chong between rounds, he was barely coherent and missed so many of his triggers and would laugh 30 seconds later when he realized he did (we were both 2-2 at this time, so no prizes were on the line anyways).
It was kind of funny, but very annoying at the same time, fun at home with his friends, maybe, but i paid money to play there.
Share your stories.
What are your thoughts on this card for this deck?
Here's the deck i'm running this weekend at FNM and at a GPT on Saturday
4 Splinterfright
4 Ghoultree
4 Armored Skaab
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Dungeon Geists
2 Viridian Emissary
2 Screeching Skaab
2 Ambush Viper
1 Kessig Cagebreaker
1 Wolfbitten Captive
4 Tracker's Instincts
3 Artful Dodge (much more reliable than 2)
2 Gnaw to the Bone
Land 22
10 Forest
8 Island
4 Hinterland Harbor
3 Phyrexian Revoker
2 Mental Misstep
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Beast Within
2 Copperline Gorge
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Gnaw to the Bone
My rationalization for running so few spells and having no mulch or dream twist is that far too often these cards will mill important things such as Splinterfrights, which to me, is obviously the most efficient miller and probably the best creature in this deck.