You seem to be siding out Sleight of Hands as a first line choice. I would have thought Peers come out first (If Peer was better than Sleight, we'd be playing 4 Peers, 2 Sleights right?).
G3 I entered a leyline with my opening hand. I got a RiP in my hand that I could land on turn 2, but I didn't (my bad) as I thought that in his T3, without the creature, wouldn't be able to combo, but he did. Fortunately, I resolved well the Gifts Ungiven sending the draw cards to graveyard along with the Grapeshot.
How could he have cast Gifts if you had leyline of sanctity out?
This card has come up a lot since it's reveal, and people do try it out from time to time. Personally I just want more permanent solutions for two mana. The discard is appealing, but without a choice it's just meh.
Yeah I'm saying with the discard package and LOTV, Compelling Deterrence becomes a targeted removal spell.
Blood Artist is really good. He is my Murderous Redcap, so to say. He is also great make close games going longer and there are a lot of situations where he seriously pressures the opponent (i.e. Control -> Verdict into 5 creatures with Artist in play = 5 damage). I often have the situation that my opponents are low (like 4-5 life). If you then get Blood Artist into game, they need to play around killing your creatures. That's huge. Sometimes it just enough to play him and sac your team with Seer. There is not really anything the opponent can do to prevent this when both creatures are on the battlefield.
I don't really see the deck in it's current iteration pressuring control anywhere near enough to get them to 5 life.
I agree on the all in combo G1 as well as birds over nobles.
However, I would cut the spike feeder, archangel, vizier of menagerie, blood artist, rec sage (belongs in SB). They are often just dead cards in your opening hand and with hand disruption and removal on the uptick, you definitely want to minimise this.
I'd replace them with the following concepts:
1) Higher recursion through removal/disruption: Ewit, Rallier
2) Protection: Selfless spirit, Spellskite
3) Universal disruption/decoy: Tidehollow sculler
4) More digging potential/redundancy: Lead the Stampede/Fauna Shaman?
G1: Discard into gurmag/tasigurs while pushing anything I played.
G2: Same as G1, didn't see a single sideboard card. Couldn't assemble a warrens package through discard and pressure despite boarding in an extra 2. My pyretic got stubborn denial'd (with ferocious).
Round 2: Jund Shadow (2-0)
G1: I mull to 6, leaving baral on top. T1 I get thoughtseized and I keep my winning hand as he punishes his own life total. T4 I go off and win through push. I wasn't dead for another 2 turns, not enough pressure.
G2: We both end up in top deck mode, he doesnt draw the threats, I assemble a warrens package for the win.
Round 3: Living End (0-2)
G1: I miscalculated by assuming I had an extra mana in hand while already having played a land. I was counting for a grapeshot PiF grapeshot lethal turn and it was just enough with the rituals in hand and gy.
G2: I gifts at end of his turn and he puts both PiF and ritual in gy, then he cascades and ditches to macabre aeries to smash out my gy whilst bringing back 5 creatures.
Round 4: BR Control (2-0)
G1: I grapeshot both pyromancers and combo off with a stacked gy, without baral/electro.
G2: I pyroclasm his pyro and tokens and he's stuck on swamp, blackcleave and tec edge for 5 consecutive turns (I'm sitting on 4 life the whole time).
My variant feels terrible vs grixis shadow and living end.
Ad nauseam, storm(at least old one) and scapeshift have a strong point in that they dodge creature removal. Your list does not.
1) You switch your argument from "no combo is a guaranteed win" to "well those combo's don't die" to creature removal"
2) To further your own point you decide to mention outdated storm build. Gifts storm is currently tier 2 and trending up.
3) To further your own point, you disregard tooth and nail. Lucky I didn't even bring up abzan coco right?
You seem to have just bait and switched your arguments by not acknowledging your previous logical fallacy and continuing on with some new line of thought. I wouldn't be surprised if you completely disregard the above and bring up some new angle of approach. This is what I mean by baseless and illogical.
You say you've tested against real opponents with tiered decks, but then so can anybody - do you have any published results of similar decks on mtggoldfish or mtgtop8?
That's like me saying - I've tested your deck against real opponents with tiered decks, and it's been a failure.
I realise that it's probably hard to change your stance when you're so publicly exposed - even on the internet. Easier if we just pm each rather than flood these boards with circular rhetoric. Otherwise it's pretty hard for me to justify anymore time conversing with you.
4 Norin the Wary
4 Dark Confidant
4 Soul Warden
1 Soul's Attendant
2 Auriok Champion
1 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Artifacts (7)
3 Genesis Chamber
4 Smuggler's Copter
Instants (9)
4 Fatal Push
3 Path to Exile
2 Kolaghan's Command
4 Thoughtseize
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
Lands (20)
20 Mountain
Many other considerations like Dusk // Dawn, Goblin Rabblemaster, Mirran Crusader, Lingering Souls.
I think Norin with Vehicles + Fatal Push is really good. Black also helps with Bob drawing into more answers/threats.
You seem to be siding out Sleight of Hands as a first line choice. I would have thought Peers come out first (If Peer was better than Sleight, we'd be playing 4 Peers, 2 Sleights right?).
May I ask the logic behind this?
Thanks
How could he have cast Gifts if you had leyline of sanctity out?
Yeah I'm saying with the discard package and LOTV, Compelling Deterrence becomes a targeted removal spell.
I don't really see the deck in it's current iteration pressuring control anywhere near enough to get them to 5 life.
Being already in black, gives us access to Smallpox,IoK,Thoughtseize, LOTV package to get them hellbent.
Early on, it provides tempo advantage and allows us to swing through or disrupt. Later on, it becomes an instant destroy target nonland permanent.
However, I would cut the spike feeder, archangel, vizier of menagerie, blood artist, rec sage (belongs in SB). They are often just dead cards in your opening hand and with hand disruption and removal on the uptick, you definitely want to minimise this.
I'd replace them with the following concepts:
1) Higher recursion through removal/disruption: Ewit, Rallier
2) Protection: Selfless spirit, Spellskite
3) Universal disruption/decoy: Tidehollow sculler
4) More digging potential/redundancy: Lead the Stampede/Fauna Shaman?
SB:
3 Blood Moon
3 Pyroclasm
3 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Shattering Spree
3 Swan Song
2 Empty the Warrens
Round 1: Grixis Shadow (0-2)
G1: Discard into gurmag/tasigurs while pushing anything I played.
G2: Same as G1, didn't see a single sideboard card. Couldn't assemble a warrens package through discard and pressure despite boarding in an extra 2. My pyretic got stubborn denial'd (with ferocious).
Round 2: Jund Shadow (2-0)
G1: I mull to 6, leaving baral on top. T1 I get thoughtseized and I keep my winning hand as he punishes his own life total. T4 I go off and win through push. I wasn't dead for another 2 turns, not enough pressure.
G2: We both end up in top deck mode, he doesnt draw the threats, I assemble a warrens package for the win.
Round 3: Living End (0-2)
G1: I miscalculated by assuming I had an extra mana in hand while already having played a land. I was counting for a grapeshot PiF grapeshot lethal turn and it was just enough with the rituals in hand and gy.
G2: I gifts at end of his turn and he puts both PiF and ritual in gy, then he cascades and ditches to macabre aeries to smash out my gy whilst bringing back 5 creatures.
Round 4: BR Control (2-0)
G1: I grapeshot both pyromancers and combo off with a stacked gy, without baral/electro.
G2: I pyroclasm his pyro and tokens and he's stuck on swamp, blackcleave and tec edge for 5 consecutive turns (I'm sitting on 4 life the whole time).
My variant feels terrible vs grixis shadow and living end.
1) You switch your argument from "no combo is a guaranteed win" to "well those combo's don't die" to creature removal"
2) To further your own point you decide to mention outdated storm build. Gifts storm is currently tier 2 and trending up.
3) To further your own point, you disregard tooth and nail. Lucky I didn't even bring up abzan coco right?
You seem to have just bait and switched your arguments by not acknowledging your previous logical fallacy and continuing on with some new line of thought. I wouldn't be surprised if you completely disregard the above and bring up some new angle of approach. This is what I mean by baseless and illogical.
You say you've tested against real opponents with tiered decks, but then so can anybody - do you have any published results of similar decks on mtggoldfish or mtgtop8?
That's like me saying - I've tested your deck against real opponents with tiered decks, and it's been a failure.
I realise that it's probably hard to change your stance when you're so publicly exposed - even on the internet. Easier if we just pm each rather than flood these boards with circular rhetoric. Otherwise it's pretty hard for me to justify anymore time conversing with you.