I've been cutting back on Pyroblasts a lot, going 2-2 with Pithing Needle (to catch top). I don't necessarily like this split, but could see running a single Taiga md (or sb) and doing something like 2-2 Grip-Blast, or 1-2-1 Needle-Grip-Blast, even alongside Smash, just because they're completely different cards and we're devoting slots to Miracles anyway. Online Miracles represents a huge % deal of the field, so this feels worthwhile doing.
EDIT: Testing 4 Pyroblasts a little more closely I realize I might have just been wrong about blasts being bad.
Durward suggests +1 PF and Negate over Counterspell (since we're already killing creatures effectively). Also main deck Engineered Explosives against opposing Tarmogoyf. Can't argue with that!
Yeah, you're of course completely right. I'd left it out of the original list only now had time to implement it. I moved Jace to the Maybeboard and made the land count 19. With Jace in the maybeboard, this seems OK.
Mainboard we're losing the Stoneforge package and Swords to Plowshares. Tarmogoyf has the advantage of being simply a beater for 1G over the somewhat clunky SFM+Batterskull deal. Plowshares may well just be better than Punishing Fire - Grove, but it works well with young Pyromancer. The sideboard is where I feel we lose most.
Now that Nimble Mongoose is difficult to play I wonder what will be the fate of the RUG colour combination. Young Pyromancer and Tarmogoyf are arguably the best 2-drops in legacy, one going high and the other going wide. Both reward you for simply playing magic. UWR has a hugely successful midrange deck (http://sales.starcitygames.com/deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=76124), but Stoneforge Mystic feels vulnerable to me. This is an adaption of UWR midrange to RUG colours. I think Punishing Fire+Young Pyromancer and the still very playable Tarmogoyf are strong pulls towards a deck like this.
Just took the list to a tournament where I went 2-0 against BUG Delver, 2-0 against UWR midrange. None of these games felt particularly close. In the last round I went 0-2 in a close finish against UR Delver burn: I misplayed my Jitte and didn't play around the PoP I knew he had and was punished for it. A stronger player would have taken it to a game three, and game one didn't feel unwinnable either.
I played a bunch of games against a BG Midrange deck with Shamans of its own, and even then I didn't have much of a problem. Of course, it did take it's sweet damn time (as threshold always does,) but the crux of it was that I'm so packed with removal that they can't really eat at my graveyard much, while I go at theirs. I'll playtest some more, but if it becomes a problem I'm considering fitting one or two copies of Grisly Salvage for instant threshold, though I think it's a bit expensive. As I acquire more fetch lands, threshold will come quicker still.
BBE really isn't as impressive without Tarmogoyf to cascade into, so I've decided to fight along a slightly different axis with Nimble Mongoose and a main deck Jitte. This lowers the curve, puts less strain on my colours, and allows me to play 21 land. It is now an Eva Green deck with Lightning Bolt over Sinkhole:
Yeah, I think I'll move to Top when I get more fetches, and back to Library as I replace Tombstalker with Tarmogoyf I'm at the point where I really need to playtest, though.
EDIT: What are your thoughts on Skinshifter as a pseudo-goyf?
Your comment on the 1-of Lavamancer is a good one. I've been thinking about Top instead of Sylvan as it seems a bit safer with Bob+Tombstalker if I can Top in response to Bob. Do you think that's good enough digging to warrant the one copy of Lavamancer? which I'm not married to, when all is said and done. On the other hand I guess Lavamancer in this list is kind of a substitute for Punishing Fire + Grove, which is definitely on the list of future upgrades; perhaps working in a second copy beats cutting it altogether. But then again, that makes Tombstalker weaker, and certainly demands maindeck Loam. In that case I can see myself cutting a land for Loam, though BBE already feels like a hard card to cast.
Regarding Tarmogoyf: While I like the Geist+Therapy, the GG is quite brutal. I have considered Putrid Leech+Jitte, but have not had the opportunity of testing it. I think Tombstalker might be the closest thing to a sidegrade to 'goyf in that it does something else but it does it very well. I'm also considering Skinshifter: it can trample for four, which is neat, but can also block effectively with 8 toughness. The mana investment sucks, though, and makes it feel like just a worse 'goyf in contrast to Tombstalker. Of course, Scavenging Ooze has the potential of growing big as well (though I might be overloading on them in the list I just posted).
EDIT: E.g. (where I have not yet switched out the Library for Top, but added another 'mancer):
I'm thinking of 2 Ooze 2 Tombstalker here as a replacement for 4 Tarmogoyf. These are both strong creatures, and with all the other graveyard exploitation in the deck two copies seem about as many as I would ever want of each of these (though I could be wrong).
Yeah, I like Loam. Might be a bit tough to make room for it, though, but definitely in the sideboard; good point on making Grim Lavamancer and Tombstalker better. Bob and Tombstalker is painful, but I think it might be worth it: the odds are pretty good, and Tombstalker is worth 8 life. I've got Scavenging Ooze for life gain (I might consider making room for a Jitte or two,) and a resolved Tombstalker is a really quick clock. Right now I'm at 3 Ooze:2 Stalkers, but 2:3 might be better.
I'm building Jund, but would like to play aggro/midrange Magic along the way. I have a Pox deck, so I've taken the approach (inspired by Drew Levin) of making a black-green aggro list with Sinkhole and Dark Ritual, and splashing for sweet stuff to replace some as I acquire them. I'd like to make the best list I can with the cards I have (or with some investment), and would also like tips on which larger investments to make next. It could be that a Dark Ritual+Sinkhole (and Jitte when I acquire it) list is better than a half-way Jund list (e.g., I feel I have to run 23 land with BBE in the deck). Since I don't have Goyf, what would you recommend between Putrid Leech, Nantuko Shade, and Tombstalker? Feedback much appreciated!
Sold my collection on MTGOTraders. The response was very quick, and very professional; they gave an agreeable price, and the option for 20% more store credit was a huge upside. Overall, super pleased!
EDIT: Testing 4 Pyroblasts a little more closely I realize I might have just been wrong about blasts being bad.
Durward suggests +1 PF and Negate over Counterspell (since we're already killing creatures effectively). Also main deck Engineered Explosives against opposing Tarmogoyf. Can't argue with that!
Mainboard we're losing the Stoneforge package and Swords to Plowshares. Tarmogoyf has the advantage of being simply a beater for 1G over the somewhat clunky SFM+Batterskull deal. Plowshares may well just be better than Punishing Fire - Grove, but it works well with young Pyromancer. The sideboard is where I feel we lose most.
4x Tarmogoyf
2x True-Name Nemesis
4x Young Pyromancer
Instant (18)
4x Brainstorm
4x Force of Will
3x Lightning Bolt
4x Punishing Fire
1x Pyroblast
2x Spell Pierce
4x Gitaxian Probe
4x Ponder
4x Treasure Cruise
Artifact (1)
1x Engineered Explosives
Land (19)
4x Grove of the Burnwillows
1x Island
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Scalding Tarn
2x Tropical Island
4x Volcanic Island
2x Ancient Grudge
1x Blue Elemental Blast
2x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Krosan Grip
2x Pithing Needle
2x Pyroblast
2x Scavenging Ooze
1x Sylvan Library
2x Umezawa's Jitte
Just took the list to a tournament where I went 2-0 against BUG Delver, 2-0 against UWR midrange. None of these games felt particularly close. In the last round I went 0-2 in a close finish against UR Delver burn: I misplayed my Jitte and didn't play around the PoP I knew he had and was punished for it. A stronger player would have taken it to a game three, and game one didn't feel unwinnable either.
4x Hymn to Tourach
1x Life from the Loam
1x Maelstrom Pulse
4x Thoughtseize
Instant (8)
4x Abrupt Decay
4x Lightning Bolt
Enchantment (1)
1x Sylvan Library
Creature (15)
3x Dark Confidant
4x Deathrite Shaman
4x Nimble Mongoose
3x Scavenging Ooze
1x Tombstalker
4x Liliana of the Veil
Artifact (1)
1x Umezawa's Jitte
Land (21)
2x Badlands
2x Bayou
4x Bloodstained Mire
3x Forest
5x Swamp
1x Taiga
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3x Wasteland
2x Ancient Grudge
3x Engineered Plague
2x Extirpate
2x Golgari Charm
2x Nihil Spellbomb
4x Red Elemental Blast
EDIT: What are your thoughts on Skinshifter as a pseudo-goyf?
Regarding Tarmogoyf: While I like the Geist+Therapy, the GG is quite brutal. I have considered Putrid Leech+Jitte, but have not had the opportunity of testing it. I think Tombstalker might be the closest thing to a sidegrade to 'goyf in that it does something else but it does it very well. I'm also considering Skinshifter: it can trample for four, which is neat, but can also block effectively with 8 toughness. The mana investment sucks, though, and makes it feel like just a worse 'goyf in contrast to Tombstalker. Of course, Scavenging Ooze has the potential of growing big as well (though I might be overloading on them in the list I just posted).
EDIT: E.g. (where I have not yet switched out the Library for Top, but added another 'mancer):
2x Badlands
2x Bayou
4x Bloodstained Mire
3x Forest
1x Mountain
5x Swamp
1x urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
1x Taiga
4x Wasteland
3x Abrupt Decay
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Bloodbraid Elf
3x Dark Confidant
4x Deathrite Shaman
2x Grim Lavamancer
2x Scavenging Ooze
2x Tombstalker
3x Hymn to Tourach
1x Life from the Loam
1x Maelstrom Pulse
4x Thoughtseize
1x Abrupt Decay
2x Ancient Grudge
2x Engineered Plague
2x Extirpate
2x Golgari Charm
1x Hymn to Tourach
2x Nihil Spellbomb
3x Red Elemental Blast
I'm thinking of 2 Ooze 2 Tombstalker here as a replacement for 4 Tarmogoyf. These are both strong creatures, and with all the other graveyard exploitation in the deck two copies seem about as many as I would ever want of each of these (though I could be wrong).
2x Badlands
2x Bayou
4x Bloodstained Mire
3x Forest
1x Mountain
7x Swamp
1x Taiga
4x Wasteland
Instant (7)
3x Abrupt Decay
4x Lightning Bolt
Creature (16)
3x Bloodbraid Elf
3x Dark Confidant
4x Deathrite Shaman
1x Grim Lavamancer
3x Scavenging Ooze
2x Tombstalker
Sorcery (8)
3x Hymn to Tourach
1x Maelstrom Pulse
4x Thoughtseize
1x Abrupt Decay
2x Ancient Grudge
2x Extirpate
2x Golgari Charm
1x Hymn to Tourach
2x Nihil Spellbomb
3x Red Elemental Blast
1x Life from the Loam
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/legacy-type-1-5/budget-legacy/545896-budget-jund
3x bloodbraid elf
4x nantuko shade
3x scavenging ooze
4x deathrite shaman
1x grim lavamancer
2x dark confidant
Instants and sorceries
3x hymn to tourach
4x lightning bolt
4x thoughtseize
4x abrupt decay
1x sylvan library
4x liliana of the veil
Land
4x bloodstained mire
7x swamp
1x overgrown tomb
1x stomping ground
1x taiga
4x wasteland
2x badlands
2x bayou
1x blood crypt
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/rbg-aggro-20-02-14-1/