Both Stoneblade and Death and Taxes are meta dependent decks since they're not doing anything broken. Both are good decks and need tinkering to adapt to any meta.
I tell ya what: all you Imperial Taxes folks might want to try Hanweir Garrison. Now that's some grindfest valuetown right there.
It's on my list to try. In general though when I want an effect like that I'm a bigger fan of Pia and Kiran because I get my extra creatures on ETB, they fly, synergy with Karakas, and I can throw artifacts at my opponents face and creatures. It could be worth it though because it's so much easier to cast.
Totally depends on the match, board state and hand. That said, Imperial Taxes wants to go to 3 a little bit more than the strictly white version as we want to be able to Vial in Magus of the Moon and most importantly Imperial Recruiter.
Try the Trinity Green for 2014 thread for ideas. The deck has game, and it's somewhere in the Stompy/Stax family but has Green Sun's Zenith for that big green creature flavor. I'm using a list within 5 cards of this one here.
I would just note that Merfolk does not need Wasteland, especially if you're going the Chalice of the Void route. In fact, there are some Chalice builds that don't use Vial either. I would take that Merfolk list and get Cursecatcher, Cavern of Souls (playable with 3 I think), Force of Will and Chalice of the Void and you've got a deck. Add True-name Nemesis, Mutavault, etc as you're able.
Tokens looks tough, but you could go a little down a Deadguy Ale like route in those colors, but the better version tends to splash green for Abrupt Decay and Deathrite these days.
Goblins, and Stompy I would skip. Pox I won't address since I don't play it (I do at times play Merfolk and Deadguy Ale).
I think the writer is ignoring the +1/+1 effect of Orzhov Pontiff when he ponders why I don't just use Zealous Persecution instead, but still cool. All y'alls need to try the build out if you haven't yet.
I'm guessing he just means that Pontiff does either +1/+1 to our dudes or -1/-1 to their dudes, while ZP does both.
So no one has any opinions about the RW version? At least try it out on Cockatrice or something... You'll be very suprised at how good Magus and Recruiter are... Sudden Demise really helps in the Elves matchup as well.
Edit: Here is a link to a sample list to get some wheels turning: http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=11746&d=266965&f=LE
It's been talked about. I play it. It's pretty good, but it does have downsides like any other build. There's a lot more discussion of the red splash on the source though honestly.
If you're looking to play something like this in legacy, I would take a look at some of the Grixis tempo (Delver) decks, or the Grixis control decks for examples.
Sideboard:
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Council's Judgment
3 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Pithing Needle
3 Rest in Peace
1 Sudden Demise
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Phyrexian Revoker
LED Dredge 2-1
G1: Mulled to 5 game 1, didn’t have relevant cards, got mana screwed and conceded.
G2: Kept a hand of RIP, Thalia, Stoneforge, Jitte, Plains, Port and I think Wasteland? Lost RIP to a Therapy, on his turn 1, but top decked a second one like a boss and he scooped.
G3: Notes just say I landed another RIP and won.
Esper Stoneblade 0-2
G1: Died to Jitte on a True-name Nemesis without much of a fight. I drew no tools to deal with either card in a timely manner.
G2: Again died to Jitte. I think in this game I got a Revoker out naming Jitte, but it ate an STP and I didn’t have a Mom.
Miracles 2-1
G1: Landed a turn 1 Vial, and proceeded to Imperial Recruiter for Imperial Recruiter eventually getting some equipment online and taking it home.
G2: He boarded into Mentors, they killed me.
G3: Lived the dream of Recruiter chaining again, but also dropping Pia and Kiran Nalaar, flickering it for value, playing equipment games with Sword of War and Peace on Thopters, and then closing out the game by throwing thopters for lethal after attacking. I could have just flickered a flashed Clique blocker and won a little earlier during a thopter attack… but didn’t see it at the time and was focused on surviving possible Mentor backlash. Won through an active Jace and Mentors.
Big Red: 0-2
G1: He Blood Moons, I put a Revoker on Sneak Attack and put a Magus of the Moon in, by the end of the game we’re up to 3 moon effects in play between us. I play the wrong creature (should have played the Wingmare) and die to Worldspine Wurm instead of keeping him off Through the Breach mana if he drew one more land (he did) and would have allowed me to swing for lethal even over the Worldspine with SoWaP.
G2: Again died to Through the Breach to Emrakul.
ANT: 2-1
G1: Mom + Thalia + 3 Ports, gets there.
G2: Died to Empty the Warrens for 14 goblins after he got 1 Dread of Night out to kill Thalia and shrink a Canonist, then dropped a second one to wipe my 2 Canonist board.
G3: Canonist equipped with SoFaI and a Thalia close it out pretty quick.
Omnitell 0-2
G1: Shows in an Omniscience, best I can do is flicker it for a turn. Die to Emrakul.
G2: Showed in an Omniscience, best I can do is put in Karakas. Released the Ants all over me. Bummer.
I did not have enough hate for Combo decks in that meta. I would strongly consider going to 4 Ethersworn Canonist and possibly even adding in Simian Spirit Guide in some numbers, or using some other variety of hate bears like a Spirit of the Lab, Containment Priest or even an Eidolon of Rhetoric. Needed some more artifact hate to beat equipment against other Stoneforge decks (1 Stoneblade and 5 Death and Taxes decks out of 33 decks yesterday), possibly Relic Warder again since it can get other stuff, though Seal of Cleansing would allow me to go back to an Enlightened Tutor sideboard and perhaps down to 2 RIP again. Pia and Kiran Nalaar was amazing against Miracles, but may be overkill considering how good Recruiter and Cavern of Souls is against them already with SoWaP. Every opponent had to read it multiple times though, which I consider the goal of any good legacy deck. I only brought in Batterskull once, and it was never really useful. I would consider going to 3 Stoneforge and even dropping Batterskull entirely from the 75. RIP was critical, but just because of Dredge. Dying to Dread of Night sucks by the way and I definitely see the rationale behind splashing black and getting Thoughtseize like SwordsToTimeshares has done. He also played there and top 8’d with Bob From Accounting.
How does this sound as a revision to that paragraph?
"Splashing does not have to be dramatic. Often a player will splash for 1-2 specific cards, but those cards may be incredibly powerful hosers. Splash builds often thrive in unhealthy or predicable metagames, but are perfectly viable on their own. Splashing does, however, make cards like Wasteland, Stifle, and Price of Progress considerably more threatening."
I think this has been mentioned before, but is Wasteland something we're actually that worried about? I mention this because of the sheer number of Wasteland targets in our deck (even in mono-white). If they waste the dual or Cavern, that means they aren't hitting Karakas or Port. Generally we need to use a dual or Cavern of Souls once before getting real value from it as our splashes are generally so light (I run red with 4 red cards main, and have run green with 2). Just food for thought, I suspect I'm not the only one that sandbags the off color producing land for the single play and then don't care at all if it gets wasted even to the point of at times baiting Wasteland.
If you're running white and not running fetches, I'd be a jerk and run Leonin Arbiter, Aven Mindcensor, Path to Exile and Ghost Quarter while I'm at it
Both Stoneblade and Death and Taxes are meta dependent decks since they're not doing anything broken. Both are good decks and need tinkering to adapt to any meta.
It's on my list to try. In general though when I want an effect like that I'm a bigger fan of Pia and Kiran because I get my extra creatures on ETB, they fly, synergy with Karakas, and I can throw artifacts at my opponents face and creatures. It could be worth it though because it's so much easier to cast.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/legacy-type-1-5/developing-legacy/580164-the-juggernaut-trinity-green-for-2014
Tokens looks tough, but you could go a little down a Deadguy Ale like route in those colors, but the better version tends to splash green for Abrupt Decay and Deathrite these days.
Goblins, and Stompy I would skip. Pox I won't address since I don't play it (I do at times play Merfolk and Deadguy Ale).
I'm guessing he just means that Pontiff does either +1/+1 to our dudes or -1/-1 to their dudes, while ZP does both.
It's been talked about. I play it. It's pretty good, but it does have downsides like any other build. There's a lot more discussion of the red splash on the source though honestly.
Tempo
http://mtgtop8.com/archetype?a=479&meta=39&f=LE
Control
http://mtgtop8.com/archetype?a=478&meta=39&f=LE
4 Flickerwisp
3 Imperial Recruiter
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Mangara of Corondor
2 Mirran Crusader
4 Mother of Runes
3 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Vryn Wingmare
4 AEther Vial
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Cavern of Souls
3 Karakas
4 Flooded Strand
1 Windswept Heath
3 Plains
2 Plateau
4 Rishadan Port
4 Wasteland
Sideboard:
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Council's Judgment
3 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Pithing Needle
3 Rest in Peace
1 Sudden Demise
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Phyrexian Revoker
LED Dredge 2-1
G1: Mulled to 5 game 1, didn’t have relevant cards, got mana screwed and conceded.
G2: Kept a hand of RIP, Thalia, Stoneforge, Jitte, Plains, Port and I think Wasteland? Lost RIP to a Therapy, on his turn 1, but top decked a second one like a boss and he scooped.
G3: Notes just say I landed another RIP and won.
Esper Stoneblade 0-2
G1: Died to Jitte on a True-name Nemesis without much of a fight. I drew no tools to deal with either card in a timely manner.
G2: Again died to Jitte. I think in this game I got a Revoker out naming Jitte, but it ate an STP and I didn’t have a Mom.
Miracles 2-1
G1: Landed a turn 1 Vial, and proceeded to Imperial Recruiter for Imperial Recruiter eventually getting some equipment online and taking it home.
G2: He boarded into Mentors, they killed me.
G3: Lived the dream of Recruiter chaining again, but also dropping Pia and Kiran Nalaar, flickering it for value, playing equipment games with Sword of War and Peace on Thopters, and then closing out the game by throwing thopters for lethal after attacking. I could have just flickered a flashed Clique blocker and won a little earlier during a thopter attack… but didn’t see it at the time and was focused on surviving possible Mentor backlash. Won through an active Jace and Mentors.
Big Red: 0-2
G1: He Blood Moons, I put a Revoker on Sneak Attack and put a Magus of the Moon in, by the end of the game we’re up to 3 moon effects in play between us. I play the wrong creature (should have played the Wingmare) and die to Worldspine Wurm instead of keeping him off Through the Breach mana if he drew one more land (he did) and would have allowed me to swing for lethal even over the Worldspine with SoWaP.
G2: Again died to Through the Breach to Emrakul.
ANT: 2-1
G1: Mom + Thalia + 3 Ports, gets there.
G2: Died to Empty the Warrens for 14 goblins after he got 1 Dread of Night out to kill Thalia and shrink a Canonist, then dropped a second one to wipe my 2 Canonist board.
G3: Canonist equipped with SoFaI and a Thalia close it out pretty quick.
Omnitell 0-2
G1: Shows in an Omniscience, best I can do is flicker it for a turn. Die to Emrakul.
G2: Showed in an Omniscience, best I can do is put in Karakas. Released the Ants all over me. Bummer.
I did not have enough hate for Combo decks in that meta. I would strongly consider going to 4 Ethersworn Canonist and possibly even adding in Simian Spirit Guide in some numbers, or using some other variety of hate bears like a Spirit of the Lab, Containment Priest or even an Eidolon of Rhetoric. Needed some more artifact hate to beat equipment against other Stoneforge decks (1 Stoneblade and 5 Death and Taxes decks out of 33 decks yesterday), possibly Relic Warder again since it can get other stuff, though Seal of Cleansing would allow me to go back to an Enlightened Tutor sideboard and perhaps down to 2 RIP again. Pia and Kiran Nalaar was amazing against Miracles, but may be overkill considering how good Recruiter and Cavern of Souls is against them already with SoWaP. Every opponent had to read it multiple times though, which I consider the goal of any good legacy deck. I only brought in Batterskull once, and it was never really useful. I would consider going to 3 Stoneforge and even dropping Batterskull entirely from the 75. RIP was critical, but just because of Dredge. Dying to Dread of Night sucks by the way and I definitely see the rationale behind splashing black and getting Thoughtseize like SwordsToTimeshares has done. He also played there and top 8’d with Bob From Accounting.
I think this has been mentioned before, but is Wasteland something we're actually that worried about? I mention this because of the sheer number of Wasteland targets in our deck (even in mono-white). If they waste the dual or Cavern, that means they aren't hitting Karakas or Port. Generally we need to use a dual or Cavern of Souls once before getting real value from it as our splashes are generally so light (I run red with 4 red cards main, and have run green with 2). Just food for thought, I suspect I'm not the only one that sandbags the off color producing land for the single play and then don't care at all if it gets wasted even to the point of at times baiting Wasteland.