First of all, congratz Kithkinz. And thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. =]
So, Lantern and everyone else, at the moment I've been running a 5c Tribal Zoo list and I'm quite happy with it. In my side I use 3 Fallouts and 3 Wear/Tear, also good to mention I don't have Abrupt Decays, and the last few days I've been thinking about shaving one of each for 2 Golgari Charms. Reasoning is -1/-1 of Charm can do a lot vs Delver like the Fallout (despite not being uncounterable), the enchantment destruction can catch Blood Moon and the regeneration can be usefull sometimes. So, I would be trading 1 Fallout and 1 Wear/Tear for 2 cards that can "be" both when I need. Has anyone tried Golgari Charms already and can tell me if it is really good in practice?
Do you guys think it could work using Smiters + KotRs since I have no Goyfs?
Maybe a split 3-3 between them with 20-21 lands do support thier 3CMC.
Anyone?
As for Ascendancy matchup, I still have not played it. But I guess we need to rush them and force them to try going off before they are ready to do so consistently. Since they can combo with instant speed, enchantment removal may not be enough, but could work with Thalia and rush. Don't know if only Thalia does that much, since Ascendancy usually runs Bolts and Paths. Then again, just saying this based on my thoughts, not on real game experience.
Bloodstained Mires since I don't have the last Heath yet and the two Arid Mesas I want to use in the final list. Chained to the Rocks filling for Path to Exile that I still have to buy.
Round 1: UWR Control 2-1
Had an opener with two Nacatls, one Ape, one Loam Lion, one Qasali and two lands. Kept it on the draw. Drew a Nacatl on my first turn, played one from my hand and passed. His first land was a Collonade, making me realize he was with some kind of control. He proceeded to Bolt and Path almost everything I put on the battlefield, but I was slowly bringing his life points down, even without drawing any burn or Ghor-Clan. There was a point in the game when he was at 2 and managed to cast a Sphinx's for 3. I brought him back to 2 a turn later and he Snapcasted his Revelation for 3 again, after killing my guy. Then Collonades slowly killed me.
-3 Ghor-Clan, -3 Chained to the Rocks. +3 Refraction Trap, +2 Stone Rain, +1 Relic of Progenitus
G2 had a fast start with Steppe Lynx dealing 4 in my second turn and more creatures joining and bringing him down to 5, when double Helix took him down.
G3 kept a hand with Stone Rain and 2 lands and some guys. He put a Plains and send it to me. My creature didn't see a PtE and that made me happy. He made no lands and then I saw the moment for Stone Rain to shine. Played some more guys and attacked. His turn, he drew and played Steam Vents tapped, and Stone Rain sent it to his graveyard. This game went fast with no real threats besides a Porphory Nodes that I destroyed with Pridemage one turn after it killed my Steppe Lynx.
1-0-0
Round 2: RG Tron 2-1
G1 he had an opener with the 3 Tron Lands and played Wurmcoil on his turn 3. I managed to destroy it with Qasali and take out the Deathtouch token with a 4/5 Lynx, but an Ulamog hardcasted made me scoop.
-2 Lightning Helix, -3 Kor Firewalker. +3 Destructive Revelry, +2 Stone Rain
G2 another fast opener with Steppe Lynx going for 4 on turn two and 9 damage on turn 3 with some more creatures. No reaction time for him.
G3 he had few lands after a mull to 5 and I presented lethal on turn 4 with some Bolts and Helixes.
2-0-0
Round 3: Splinter Twin 2-1
G1 he managed to stop my fast rush, tapped me out with some Cryptics and, at some point, he could combo and I didn't have an answer.
-3 Ghor-Clan, -3 Chained to the Rocks. +3 Destructive Revelry, +3 Refraction Trap.
G2 Steppe Lynx going for 4 again, and I kept pushing more guys to the battlefield that he could kill. He hardcasted a Batterskull, but I had the Destructive Revelry in my hand. Finished with burns.
G3 Lynx for 4 followed by Loam Lion in turn 2. He killed the Lynx but, when he tried to Bolt the Lion I had a Trap to save it. He countered the Trap, after a pause to read it and say that was a really unfair card hahaha. Then I casted Boros Charm to save the Lion. Next turn, Lion hit him, he drew and passed to me. Sent the Lion to attack and he made Snapcaster to flashback the Bolt on my Lion. I had another Trap that saved the Lion and killed his Mage. Boros Charmed him, since he was tapped out. He played Veldakean Shackles, and I apreciated him giving a target for my Revelry. Then Lion hit him again and double Bolt took him out.
3-0-0
Round 4, the guy proposed ID since we were both in first and second place with no one else 3-0-0. Later, talking to him, got to know he was playing UR Delver, a game I'm assuming I'd have and edge since my main had 3 Firewalkers and my side had a lot of cards against that match. Anyway, with ID I ended up in first.
Focusing on buying the stuff I need, like the right fetches and PtE. Had no troubles with my fetches, though. Just need to take care on what to search and how I use them.
Knights of the Reliquary already on the way.
I'm liking very much this list in the current meta that I play. Steppe Lynx is an awesome card.
So, Lantern and everyone else, at the moment I've been running a 5c Tribal Zoo list and I'm quite happy with it. In my side I use 3 Fallouts and 3 Wear/Tear, also good to mention I don't have Abrupt Decays, and the last few days I've been thinking about shaving one of each for 2 Golgari Charms. Reasoning is -1/-1 of Charm can do a lot vs Delver like the Fallout (despite not being uncounterable), the enchantment destruction can catch Blood Moon and the regeneration can be usefull sometimes. So, I would be trading 1 Fallout and 1 Wear/Tear for 2 cards that can "be" both when I need. Has anyone tried Golgari Charms already and can tell me if it is really good in practice?
Anyone?
As for Ascendancy matchup, I still have not played it. But I guess we need to rush them and force them to try going off before they are ready to do so consistently. Since they can combo with instant speed, enchantment removal may not be enough, but could work with Thalia and rush. Don't know if only Thalia does that much, since Ascendancy usually runs Bolts and Paths. Then again, just saying this based on my thoughts, not on real game experience.
Maybe a split 3-3 between them with 20-21 lands do support thier 3CMC.
3 Windswept Heath
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Temple Garden
2 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Forest
4 Loam Lion
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Kird Ape
4 Steppe Lynx
3 Loxodon Smiter
3 Kor Firewalker
3 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Qasali Pridemage
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
2 Boros Charm
3 Chained to the Rocks
Sideboard:
3 Refraction Trap
2 Stone Rain
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Combust
3 Destructive Revelry
1 Back to Nature
Bloodstained Mires since I don't have the last Heath yet and the two Arid Mesas I want to use in the final list. Chained to the Rocks filling for Path to Exile that I still have to buy.
Round 1: UWR Control 2-1
Had an opener with two Nacatls, one Ape, one Loam Lion, one Qasali and two lands. Kept it on the draw. Drew a Nacatl on my first turn, played one from my hand and passed. His first land was a Collonade, making me realize he was with some kind of control. He proceeded to Bolt and Path almost everything I put on the battlefield, but I was slowly bringing his life points down, even without drawing any burn or Ghor-Clan. There was a point in the game when he was at 2 and managed to cast a Sphinx's for 3. I brought him back to 2 a turn later and he Snapcasted his Revelation for 3 again, after killing my guy. Then Collonades slowly killed me.
-3 Ghor-Clan, -3 Chained to the Rocks. +3 Refraction Trap, +2 Stone Rain, +1 Relic of Progenitus
G2 had a fast start with Steppe Lynx dealing 4 in my second turn and more creatures joining and bringing him down to 5, when double Helix took him down.
G3 kept a hand with Stone Rain and 2 lands and some guys. He put a Plains and send it to me. My creature didn't see a PtE and that made me happy. He made no lands and then I saw the moment for Stone Rain to shine. Played some more guys and attacked. His turn, he drew and played Steam Vents tapped, and Stone Rain sent it to his graveyard. This game went fast with no real threats besides a Porphory Nodes that I destroyed with Pridemage one turn after it killed my Steppe Lynx.
1-0-0
Round 2: RG Tron 2-1
G1 he had an opener with the 3 Tron Lands and played Wurmcoil on his turn 3. I managed to destroy it with Qasali and take out the Deathtouch token with a 4/5 Lynx, but an Ulamog hardcasted made me scoop.
-2 Lightning Helix, -3 Kor Firewalker. +3 Destructive Revelry, +2 Stone Rain
G2 another fast opener with Steppe Lynx going for 4 on turn two and 9 damage on turn 3 with some more creatures. No reaction time for him.
G3 he had few lands after a mull to 5 and I presented lethal on turn 4 with some Bolts and Helixes.
2-0-0
Round 3: Splinter Twin 2-1
G1 he managed to stop my fast rush, tapped me out with some Cryptics and, at some point, he could combo and I didn't have an answer.
-3 Ghor-Clan, -3 Chained to the Rocks. +3 Destructive Revelry, +3 Refraction Trap.
G2 Steppe Lynx going for 4 again, and I kept pushing more guys to the battlefield that he could kill. He hardcasted a Batterskull, but I had the Destructive Revelry in my hand. Finished with burns.
G3 Lynx for 4 followed by Loam Lion in turn 2. He killed the Lynx but, when he tried to Bolt the Lion I had a Trap to save it. He countered the Trap, after a pause to read it and say that was a really unfair card hahaha. Then I casted Boros Charm to save the Lion. Next turn, Lion hit him, he drew and passed to me. Sent the Lion to attack and he made Snapcaster to flashback the Bolt on my Lion. I had another Trap that saved the Lion and killed his Mage. Boros Charmed him, since he was tapped out. He played Veldakean Shackles, and I apreciated him giving a target for my Revelry. Then Lion hit him again and double Bolt took him out.
3-0-0
Round 4, the guy proposed ID since we were both in first and second place with no one else 3-0-0. Later, talking to him, got to know he was playing UR Delver, a game I'm assuming I'd have and edge since my main had 3 Firewalkers and my side had a lot of cards against that match. Anyway, with ID I ended up in first.
Focusing on buying the stuff I need, like the right fetches and PtE. Had no troubles with my fetches, though. Just need to take care on what to search and how I use them.
Knights of the Reliquary already on the way.
I'm liking very much this list in the current meta that I play. Steppe Lynx is an awesome card.