thoughtseize or spell pierce md, which seems better to you guys (given my meta is 90% grixis/gbx)? we only have so many spell slots.... and its going to be really hard for me to run less than 4 galvanic blast (given that splinter twin combo is a thing) and cut any thoughtcast for either of the two MD..... and if its only for one copy either of the two, that seems just way too random...
for spells im currently running only/either a combination of
3-4 galvanic blast
3-4 thoughtcast
90%? No wonder you're overreacting! If the meta is that hostile towards Affinity then, maybe you should put it on the shelf and play a different deck. But if you still want to try it, I have found in my testing that running at least 6 cards mainboard between Spellskite and Galvanic Blast gives you a favorable game 1 against Twin. Keep in mind that Spellskite can redirect both the Shock and Shatter modes of Kolaghan's Command it. Thus, negating the 2-for-1. I'm still not sold on this, but a few players have found success in using Hangarback Walker im order to blanm removal. Also, playing 4 Etched Champions main looks to be the obvious choice for your meta.
Tomorrow I'm bringing Affinity to a tournament where the following decks are expected to be the majority: Jund, Grixis Delver, Collected Melira/Anafenza, Zoo of various types and Burn. There will also be quite a lot of Twin decks but I'm mostly giving up the MU.
What do you think about my list as a list meant to be able to fight Jund, Grixis Delver, Burn, CoCo decks and Zoo decks?
Also, if you had to play this deck what would you side in and out againt the decks I listed above (I already have my plan but I want to see if others would do the same).
The main doubt right now is between Steel Overseer, that took the place of Ensoul Artifact for this tournament, and Spellskite maindeck. What I don't like about playing Spellskite maindeck is that sometimes it really slows us down and reduces our aggressiveness level, and that is very bad. I'm also thinking about a second Whipflare but I'm hesitant because I found out that Dispatch and Galvanic Blast are actually better most times!
I don't expect to meet AT ALL the following MUs: Abzan (therefore I took out Illness in the Ranks), Infect, Scapeshift, Bloom, Mirror, Merfolks, Blue Moon.
It russles my jimmies a bit when you said you're giving up the Twin matchup, then you say how bad maindeck Spellskite is, and you're not playing the 4th Galvanic Blast main. Personally, I find giving up on Twin, or hoping to dodge it to be unexceptable, especially when we're talking about a tier 1 deck.
sending goblin guide for instance and others into brindle boar is actually a good idea because we will very likely sacrifice it for life gain after we declared it as a blocker. If we do not then they will killed a blocker a source of life gain and we gained no life. also they can simply bolt brindle boar forcing it out of the field and making us gain 4 life, perhaps leaving us without a blocker, which may or may not play into there aggro plan. Baloth takes more of burns resources to force it off the field.
Biggest plus I have for something like baloth is because it is etb we gain the life without having to give up a blocker due to sacrifice activated ability. burn will have to use 2 burn spells or a creature and a burn spell to kill it. neither of which is good for them.
Down side of course is the double green and costing 1 more mana.
games 2 and 3 I almost guarentee you they will be playing Eidolon of the Great Revel if they are not already. looking to hit us in the 3cc.
I'm still more of a kor firewalker guy when going against red decks, but I can't support the double white in Living Twin, leaving me to go into the green options to fight burn.
First of all, no Burn player in his right mind will bolt a Brindle Boar, unless he has Skullcrack mana up. That's just a huge tempo loss and a waste of cards. Also, Burn only cares about the ETB trigger of Baloth, not the 4/4 body. They will just Skullcrack you, and let you keep the creature. Burn has been doing the same thing against Siege Rhino.
Instead of swan song, what about stubborn denial? With ensoul artifact, cranial plating, arcbound ravager, and Master of Etherium getting a 4 power creature shouldn't be all that hard.
I've also wondered about Stubborn Denial. That card hasn't been discussed here since it has been spoiled. Has anybody here even tested it?
There's an interesting midrange robot build on channel fireball. The article is discussing treasure cruise. The list has 4 chalice of the void, only 2 springleaf drum, no other 1cc stuff, 4 master of etherium, myr enforcer, a bunch of ensoul artifact, basically it trades all the opening speed for a bunch of 5/5s or bigger.
"...Affinity is one of the last remaining bastions of fair Magic..." -Josh Silvestri-
The thing about Stain the Mind, and Cranial Extraction effects in general, is that they're only really good against decks where if it resolves, you pretty much win the game. Such decks as Living End, Ad Nauseum, and Scapeshift.
I've heard there are players siding in Chalice of the Void against Ascendancy Combo, Burn, and UR Delver, which are three of the most played decks right now. It also screws over Infect, Living End, and Storm a little bit. Even Zoo is playing Chalice main. They kept Wild Nacatl and Kird Ape, replaced Lightning Bolt with Dead // Gone, and play Pyroclasm and Volcanic Fallout in the main. I think Affinity can play Chalice in the 75 as well, since our only 1 drops are Signal Pest, Springleaf Drum, and Galvanic Blast, and we are capable of playing Chalice for x=1 on turn 1.
Anyone else notice how amazing the new equipment is:
Ghostfire Blade (1)
Equiped creature gets +2/+2
Equip (3)
Ghostfire Blate's equip ability costs (2) less to activate if it targets a colorless creature.
This is huge. Our manlands get to 3/3 for essentially 3 mana per turn which helps in the long game. It helps make those Ornithopters and Memnites relevant. It helps with metalcraft and makes Etched Champion a much stronger beater. Spellskite can now go on offense. I don't think it's a 4 of, but I could potentially see 2-3 being consistently played.
I'll admit, this will help me fill in those 2 spots in my deck which are being filled up with a 4th Etched Champion and 4th Etherium. I refuse to use Steel Overseer. It's just a card that does not put out enough damage. Yes it's a threat, but by the time it's a threat to your opponent, you should already have won.
Affinity does not want this card. +2/+2 for a 1 mana cast and 1 mana equip seems too... fair for this deck when compared to Cranial Plating, Master of Etherium, Etched Champion, Arcbound Ravager, and even Ensoul Artifact. Also, Memnite, Signal Pest, Vault Skirge, and manlands are still in Lightning Bolt range. If the +2 power really mattered, we would've been playing Bonesplitter ages ago.
I think your missing why the equipment is good. It's not a Bonesplitter. It gives +2 toughness. How many times does your Thopter get bolted out of the sky with a cranial plating equipped? It also acts as a late game piece. I would not recommend more than 2 of the card sure, but it should not be undervalued. 2 toughness is a huge bonus to us.
So, it makes Ornithopter better. Is that it? Yes, my Ornithopter does get bolted and so does everything else with 1 or 2 toughness that carries Plating, and how is Ghostfire Blade going to change that for those 1 toughness critters? As for the late game, how is it as good of a top deck as Plating, Ravager, MoE, Champion, and Ensoul?
Anyone else notice how amazing the new equipment is:
Ghostfire Blade (1)
Equiped creature gets +2/+2
Equip (3)
Ghostfire Blate's equip ability costs (2) less to activate if it targets a colorless creature.
This is huge. Our manlands get to 3/3 for essentially 3 mana per turn which helps in the long game. It helps make those Ornithopters and Memnites relevant. It helps with metalcraft and makes Etched Champion a much stronger beater. Spellskite can now go on offense. I don't think it's a 4 of, but I could potentially see 2-3 being consistently played.
I'll admit, this will help me fill in those 2 spots in my deck which are being filled up with a 4th Etched Champion and 4th Etherium. I refuse to use Steel Overseer. It's just a card that does not put out enough damage. Yes it's a threat, but by the time it's a threat to your opponent, you should already have won.
Affinity does not want this card. +2/+2 for a 1 mana cast and 1 mana equip seems too... fair for this deck when compared to Cranial Plating, Master of Etherium, Etched Champion, Arcbound Ravager, and even Ensoul Artifact. Also, Memnite, Signal Pest, Vault Skirge, and manlands are still in Lightning Bolt range. If the +2 power really mattered, we would've been playing Bonesplitter ages ago.
1
90%? No wonder you're overreacting! If the meta is that hostile towards Affinity then, maybe you should put it on the shelf and play a different deck. But if you still want to try it, I have found in my testing that running at least 6 cards mainboard between Spellskite and Galvanic Blast gives you a favorable game 1 against Twin. Keep in mind that Spellskite can redirect both the Shock and Shatter modes of Kolaghan's Command it. Thus, negating the 2-for-1. I'm still not sold on this, but a few players have found success in using Hangarback Walker im order to blanm removal. Also, playing 4 Etched Champions main looks to be the obvious choice for your meta.
1
It russles my jimmies a bit when you said you're giving up the Twin matchup, then you say how bad maindeck Spellskite is, and you're not playing the 4th Galvanic Blast main. Personally, I find giving up on Twin, or hoping to dodge it to be unexceptable, especially when we're talking about a tier 1 deck.
1
First of all, no Burn player in his right mind will bolt a Brindle Boar, unless he has Skullcrack mana up. That's just a huge tempo loss and a waste of cards. Also, Burn only cares about the ETB trigger of Baloth, not the 4/4 body. They will just Skullcrack you, and let you keep the creature. Burn has been doing the same thing against Siege Rhino.
2
1
>Does not have haste
Into the trash it goes.
1
I've also wondered about Stubborn Denial. That card hasn't been discussed here since it has been spoiled. Has anybody here even tested it?
2
Affinity
Fair Magic
So it has come to this.
1
I've heard there are players siding in Chalice of the Void against Ascendancy Combo, Burn, and UR Delver, which are three of the most played decks right now. It also screws over Infect, Living End, and Storm a little bit. Even Zoo is playing Chalice main. They kept Wild Nacatl and Kird Ape, replaced Lightning Bolt with Dead // Gone, and play Pyroclasm and Volcanic Fallout in the main. I think Affinity can play Chalice in the 75 as well, since our only 1 drops are Signal Pest, Springleaf Drum, and Galvanic Blast, and we are capable of playing Chalice for x=1 on turn 1.
1
So, it makes Ornithopter better. Is that it? Yes, my Ornithopter does get bolted and so does everything else with 1 or 2 toughness that carries Plating, and how is Ghostfire Blade going to change that for those 1 toughness critters? As for the late game, how is it as good of a top deck as Plating, Ravager, MoE, Champion, and Ensoul?
1
Affinity does not want this card. +2/+2 for a 1 mana cast and 1 mana equip seems too... fair for this deck when compared to Cranial Plating, Master of Etherium, Etched Champion, Arcbound Ravager, and even Ensoul Artifact. Also, Memnite, Signal Pest, Vault Skirge, and manlands are still in Lightning Bolt range. If the +2 power really mattered, we would've been playing Bonesplitter ages ago.