For the Tron matchup, you need two things to win: 1) a fast clock, and 2) they screw up.
1) A fast clock pretty much means Norin+Champion or Norin+Sister+Pridemate. Genesis Chamber may work but they have Pyroclasm.
2) Ghost Quarter helps. Sometimes they only got one Karn, Liberated and you have two big dudes, or Genesis Chamber. Sometimes you path their only Wurmcoil Engine. But that's about it.
Brave the Elements
Oh god I totally missed Path to Exile and Dismember. I generally don't mind Path to Exile though as it ramps me up to my 4-drops. I dont mind 1-2 in my sideboard if I have slots.
This card is only playable if you play Ajani's Pridemate.
edit: I guess there's also Vapor Snag. Now it is getting better.
Burrenton Forge-Tender
Pretty much a meta-call. I like one in the main as I want one somewhere in my 75 and putting it in the main saves me a sideboard slot.
Grim Lavamancer
Never tested it, but I guess we don't have much of a graveyard to support.
I think that for the time being, until my budget improves, I'll just start with the shocks and maybe get some of the cheaper fetches like Bloodstained Mire or something. It seems like after that, 2-3 Cavern of Souls would be more important than Arid Mesa.
I do wonder about cards like Spear of Heliod for our Myr tokens, or Ring of Thune for pumping Champ or Pridemate even faster / swing more often. Any point to these?
I go by fetches now. Battlefield Forge often costs 2+ damage that I would rather just play fetches and shocks. That enables Clifftop Retreat better. (and i dont even play that)
Then you can go two ways.
1) Ajani's Pridemate. You need additional sisters in Auriok Champion. With these large creatures, Legion Loyalist becomes a good tutor target to provide first strike and trample. You probably want Serra Ascendant as well. This works better if you need to race in the meta (combos, linear aggro like Affinity or Bogles).
2) Impact Tremors. This gives you reach without going to combat. Lightning Berserker. Works better in a blue/grindy metagame as you just need to resolve some permanents and grind them out from there.
My first changes would be +1 Soul Warden +1 Ranger of Eos -2 Fling. You can have the 3rd Ranger to tutor for Legion Loyalist for the tokens matchup. Also conveniently good vs BGx and URx.
Suppression Field is obviously a meta call. It is nuts against Griselbrand. I think it is even better than Rest in Peace in this matchup. Lantern control was not in my meta though.
On the other hand, when Dromoka's Command was printed, Chained to the Rocks died off completely.
It is always a pendulum swinging in some directions. Right now the metagame is on the enchantment side. That's all depends on whether you keep your deck as it is, or you can next-level the field.
Notes: Outpost Siege and Abbot of Keral Keep has been amazing. Especially Abbot as it gets me to my 4th land early or an extra card late. I did misplay with Outpost Siege by not naming dragons vs UW control though.
Changes I would make:
-1 Soul Warden
+1 Burrenton Forge-Tender (free up slots in sb)
-1 Mountain
+1 Ghost Quarter (you know)
General post board strategy in difficult matchups: Mull until you have Champion+Norin or the high impact hate cards (Suppression Field vs Grishoalbrand, Stony Silence, etc.)
Fun Fact: Abzan opponent dropped my singleton Blood Moon on the table when shuffling my deck. He then proceeds to fetch only basics and manascrewed himself. No you cant cast Liliana with Plains Forest Swamp Gavony Township
We ended up going to time because it required a lot of thought. I got him to 1 life on my Turn 2 and he almost scooped when he topdecked on turn 3. But he played it out very well. He had a ton of lands out, and I had two soul sisters. He had put Splinter Twin on Snapcaster last turn in order to recur his graveyard, which had cryptic (in order to fog). At this point, his graveyard was 2x IOK, 2x Serum Visions, 2x Kommand, +lands. He made a snapcaster token and drew a blank of Serum visions, but then used Scry 2. He then threw another twin on the Snapcaster token and made another snapcaster token targeting the second Serum Visions, which drew the card that he scryed to the top with his first serum visions. Then he cast the Deceiver Exarch that he just drew when it was my turn and tapped down my Soul Warden on upkeep, leaving the exarch as a blocker for my only attacker, the other Soul's Attendant. I couldn't push the one damage through unless I had topdecked a Path to Exile to remove the blocker. Alas, I found a champion and couldn't win. He couldn't win either even though he had a third Twin in hand, because I had two soul sisters and he only had a potential topdeck of Terminate to remove them, which wouldn't have helped. I was disappointed that I drew that but very impressed by the play and was okay with it because that was pretty sweet.
He could have ambushed your two sisters with Exarch untapping the Snapcaster when you attack, and kill you with Twin afterwards?
Probably dont need the reach to close out the game, but it is something to interact with your opponent. Kill that Steel Overseer or Eidolon of the Great Revel for example.
It is difficult to play colorless lands in this deck. All your one-drops need colored mana. Your best starting plays are always 3 one drops.
I guess if you play the 2-drop version such as Ajani's Pridemate you can afford some colorless lands. Also you always want your 4th land so you dont really want to sac one. Path to Exile was my best bet vs Amulet/Tron, but there are very few of those in my meta. If you are really concerned, go with Blood Moon.
Impact Tremors dies to Abrupt Decay, but it is good enough. You have another big threat in Genesis Chamber already. And some opponents just cant race Norin+Sister+2x Impact Tremors.
Just played against the big decks: Twins, Grixis Control, Abzan Company, etc.
VS Twin, just dont suicide your one-drops into their 1/4.
VS Grixis, your threats go under their Counterspells and they are too slow to react. Path their delve creatures and it should be game.
VS Abzan Company, I think this one is actually tough. I got the nut draw of T1 Champion T2 Champion Norin in G3. I think most of the time the games are between you beating down while guarding against his combo. G1 I got more removals and G2 He got more combo pieces.
1) A fast clock pretty much means Norin+Champion or Norin+Sister+Pridemate. Genesis Chamber may work but they have Pyroclasm.
2) Ghost Quarter helps. Sometimes they only got one Karn, Liberated and you have two big dudes, or Genesis Chamber. Sometimes you path their only Wurmcoil Engine. But that's about it.
Brave the Elements
Oh god I totally missed Path to Exile and Dismember. I generally don't mind Path to Exile though as it ramps me up to my 4-drops. I dont mind 1-2 in my sideboard if I have slots.
This card is only playable if you play Ajani's Pridemate.
edit: I guess there's also Vapor Snag. Now it is getting better.
Mark of Asylum
The ping effects in question are Grim Lavamancer, Huntmaster of the Fells and Olivia Voldaren, so basically the whole Jund deck. I don't have much opinion on this card, but that's for some reference.
Celestial Purge
I do play Celestial Purges. Doesn't hit Tarmogoyf but hits all the cards above, as well as Tasigur/Angler, Liliana of the Veil, Night of Souls' Betrayal.
Burrenton Forge-Tender
Pretty much a meta-call. I like one in the main as I want one somewhere in my 75 and putting it in the main saves me a sideboard slot.
Grim Lavamancer
Never tested it, but I guess we don't have much of a graveyard to support.
Boros Charm is good against any mass destroy effects. Engineereed Explosives, Oblivion Stone, Wraths of Gods. Double Strike and deal 4 are both good options to have.
You can destroy your own Flagstones of Trokair with Ghost Quarter!
They do mess up your Clifftop Retreat. Also Blood Moons, though you shouldn't need that if you play Ghost Quarters, so pick either one.
Consider this package if you have issues with Amulet Bloom/Tron/Affinity/Infect/Smallpox (yes Ghost Quarter is a good card).
2-3 Cavern of Souls is more important than Arid Mesa. Definitely.
Go with Windswept Heath and Flooded Strand. Plains is more important.
Spear of Heliod feels like an overkill to me. If we assemble Norin+Genesis Chamber we should be in very good shape already. Also Legion Loyalist beats the Myrror match.
That being said, Gideon, Ally of Zendikar may be a good option.
Ring of Thune I'd rather play Lightning Berserker
The greedy part of me wants to fit in some Ghost Quarters and a Burrenton Forge-Tender. And I think the 4th Wear // Tear can be the 3rd Stony Silence or a Blood Moon.
I go by fetches now. Battlefield Forge often costs 2+ damage that I would rather just play fetches and shocks. That enables Clifftop Retreat better. (and i dont even play that)
3 Sacred Foundry
3 Cavern of Souls
3 Plains
3 Mountain
2 Flagstones of Trokair
2 Ghost Quarter
or try:
4 Clifftop Retreat
3 Mountain
3 Plains
3 Flagstones of Trokair
3 Ghost Quarter
The core: Soul Sisters, Norin the Wary, Champion of the Parish, Genesis Chamber, 2~3 Ranger of Eos, 1~2 Purphoros, God of the Forge, 20-21 lands. That's around 42 cards.
Then you can go two ways.
1) Ajani's Pridemate. You need additional sisters in Auriok Champion. With these large creatures, Legion Loyalist becomes a good tutor target to provide first strike and trample. You probably want Serra Ascendant as well. This works better if you need to race in the meta (combos, linear aggro like Affinity or Bogles).
2) Impact Tremors. This gives you reach without going to combat. Lightning Berserker. Works better in a blue/grindy metagame as you just need to resolve some permanents and grind them out from there.
Complete your deck with your choice of removals (bolt, path, Electrickery), CA engines (Return to the Ranks, Outpost Siege) or anything (Boros Charm, Thalia, Guardian of Theraben, Abbot of Keral Keep).
My first changes would be +1 Soul Warden +1 Ranger of Eos -2 Fling. You can have the 3rd Ranger to tutor for Legion Loyalist for the tokens matchup. Also conveniently good vs BGx and URx.
And you need Cavern of Souls to be competitive.
I would expect the Twin players to board out Splinter Twin against us (I think they should) but in case they didn't, I bring Suppression Field in. It is also incidentally good against all the fetches Grixis Twin has, Grim Lavamancer, Desolate Lighthouse, Tasigur, the Golden Fang.
I also board in Suppression Field if I'm on the play and I know he has Ghirapur Æther Grid.
e.g.: Outpost Siege over Chandra, Pyromaster, (in modern) Blood Moon over Magus of the Moon.
On the other hand, when Dromoka's Command was printed, Chained to the Rocks died off completely.
It is always a pendulum swinging in some directions. Right now the metagame is on the enchantment side. That's all depends on whether you keep your deck as it is, or you can next-level the field.
Anyways, I got 9th place in my WMCQ with Norin sisters.
4 Norin the Wary
4 Soul Warden
3 Soul's Attendant
3 Lightning Berserker
2 Abbot of Keral Keep
1 Auriok Champion
3 Ranger of Eos
1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
4 Genesis Chamber
4 Impact Tremors
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
1 Electrickery
4 Sacred Foundry
3 Cavern of Souls
3 Clifftop Retreat
3 Mountain
3 Plains
2 Outpost Siege
2 Electrickery
2 Suppression Field
3 Stony Silence
1 Celestial Purge
1 Burrenton Forge-Tender
1 Blood Moon
1 Spellskite
2 Wear // Tear
Notes:
Outpost Siege and Abbot of Keral Keep has been amazing. Especially Abbot as it gets me to my 4th land early or an extra card late. I did misplay with Outpost Siege by not naming dragons vs UW control though.
Changes I would make:
-1 Soul Warden
+1 Burrenton Forge-Tender (free up slots in sb)
-1 Mountain
+1 Ghost Quarter (you know)
sb:
-1 Burrenton Forge-Tender
-2 Electrickery (too low impact)
-1 Wear // Tear
+2 Patrician's Scorn
+1 Blood Moon
+1 Spellskite
General post board strategy in difficult matchups: Mull until you have Champion+Norin or the high impact hate cards (Suppression Field vs Grishoalbrand, Stony Silence, etc.)
Fun Fact: Abzan opponent dropped my singleton Blood Moon on the table when shuffling my deck. He then proceeds to fetch only basics and manascrewed himself. No you cant cast Liliana with Plains Forest Swamp Gavony Township
He could have ambushed your two sisters with Exarch untapping the Snapcaster when you attack, and kill you with Twin afterwards?
The main draw to Humans is really Cavern of Souls. Mentor of the Meek is interesting though.
What do you play in those slots?
Right now I'm trying out Abbot of Keral Keep and Kytheon, Hero of Akros in the Serra Ascendant slot as well.
I guess if you play the 2-drop version such as Ajani's Pridemate you can afford some colorless lands. Also you always want your 4th land so you dont really want to sac one. Path to Exile was my best bet vs Amulet/Tron, but there are very few of those in my meta. If you are really concerned, go with Blood Moon.
Impact Tremors dies to Abrupt Decay, but it is good enough. You have another big threat in Genesis Chamber already. And some opponents just cant race Norin+Sister+2x Impact Tremors.
The only card that I'm unsure of is Serra Ascendant. Maybe change it to Burrenton Forge-Tender or the 4th Bolt/4th Path. Boros Charm is likely better than Mark of Asylum as it can save you from Engineered Explosives as well. Or 4 to the face. Or save your big Champion from Terminate.
Just played against the big decks: Twins, Grixis Control, Abzan Company, etc.
VS Twin, just dont suicide your one-drops into their 1/4.
VS Grixis, your threats go under their Counterspells and they are too slow to react. Path their delve creatures and it should be game.
VS Abzan Company, I think this one is actually tough. I got the nut draw of T1 Champion T2 Champion Norin in G3. I think most of the time the games are between you beating down while guarding against his combo. G1 I got more removals and G2 He got more combo pieces.
4 Soul Warden
4 Soul's Attendant
4 Norin the Wary
3 Lightning Berserker
1 Serra Ascendant
3 Ranger of Eos
2 Purphoros, God of the Forge
4 Impact Tremors
4 Genesis Chamber
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
1 Boros Charm
3 Arid Mesa
3 Sacred Foundry
4 Battlefield Forge
2 Clifftop Retreat
3 Plains
3 Mountain
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Path to Exile
1 Lightning Helix
2 Boros Charm
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Rest in Peace
3 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Wear // Tear