As Stoneforge Mystic and Soulherder decks are getting into the meta, I'd suggest not to play more than 4 evolve creatures and to run 2x Torpor Orb in the side, which is also good against humans and Snapcaster Mage decks.
Savage Swipe doesn't seem very good. You can't pump you're own creature in response to take down something real nasty. It can never kill Gurmag Angler. It seems like solid SB piece against opposing wide decks like humans, which can be a crap-shoot match-up.
I don't see why you cannot pump your own creature before fighting. The 2 power pre condition is only for the +2/+2, not for fighting.
The only upside I can see it have is when you T1 Experiment One, T2 Dryad Militant and Scale Up targeting the E1 so you can hit for 6 on turn 2, but that doesn't seem worth it in comparison with Aspect that can hit for 6 as a combat trick to finish the game.
You'd hit for 7 in this case, as E1 would have base power 6 and 1x +1/+1 counter. As AmicDeep and thatmarkguy stated this is why it's not that bad to use it on an Avatar, as it's always a +3/+2 pump, however, being a sorcery makes it a bit hard for us to justify playing it.
2) In reference to how Narnam's Renegade gets counters, just to make sure I have it right, the Renegade gets the +1/+1 counter if, at any point in the turn before the Narnam is cast, a permanent like a fetch leaves the battlefield. This could also apply to any creatures that go to the graveyard from the battlefield if you cast Narnam EoT?
3) My current deck runs 4X of Pelt Collecter/Experiment One/Dryad Militant. is it best to run 4 Experiment One OR 4 Pelt Collector but not necessarily both? Or would a 4/2 split, in addition to the 4 Dryad Militant be more ideal?
Hello there.
2) You do not necessarily cast Narnam Renegade to get the +1/+1 counter. For example you can get a narnam from a Collected Company and +1/+1 would still be placed on it if a permanent you control have left the battlefield that turn.
3) I'd say 4 Dryad Militant is a must nowadays. And 4 Experiment One is almost trivial to play. However, I do not like having more than 4 evolve-like creatures as I run 1-2 Torpor Orb in the sb against Merfolk, Humans, and Snapcaster Mage decks. And somehow more than 4 1/1 creatures seem a bit clunky when you draw them in multiples.
I noticed that Damping Sphere isn't included in the primer and no one appears to be running it in their sideboard. Is there a reason why Stompy doesn't use it at all?
I run 3x Damping Spheres, and 1x Grafdigger's Cage in the sideboard, even though cage hurts Strangleroot Geist. Spheres are good against top 2 decks (tron and izzet phoenix) and the top 7th deck (amulet titan) according to mtggoldfish, and the Cage is a good card to have in the opener, but it might still help you even if you cannot play it turn 1.
Against Thing in the Ice, your best cards are Rancor and Dismember, as Rancor lets you be aggressive and Dismember is our best removal.
After trying different combinations of creatures i've returned to original list with two smuggles copters. Seems my results are more constant that way, and maybe creatures are actually fine.. So, now i'm trying to up the spells, and specifically the SB-options. I dropped surgicals for two heroic intervention to survive annoying boardwipes, and swapped 3xceremonious rejection to 2xunified will and an extra spell pierce. Nissa is still powerhouse for any game that goes longer, and ancient grudges and life goes on will stay too, but otherwise i'm still mulling it over.
Any lists on how u guys side for specific MU's w'd be appreciated...
For reference: in my games the absolute best start is
T1: breeding pool/botanical sanctum and raptor/E1
T2: any land+wolf+pongify
T3+ trying to hold interaction up while adding creatures one by one..
Problem has been the lack of powerful interaction: spell pierce and bolt do nothing to goyfs and such, and lose value quickly
A few advices from my latest friendly league matches:
On Game 1, play Dryad Militant on turn 1 if possible, even over Experiment One. This is a meta call because of Dredge, and gives us a chance against an almost unwinnable game 1.
Damping Sphere helps against Ad Nauseam. I am no longer looking for a blue splash to deal with that deck. I run 2x in the sideboard.
I am very happy with the state of Stompy in the current metagame, we have game against every deck apart from Death's Shadow decks, which I haven't seen in the last 6-7 friendly leagues in mtgo. I have faced 2x Grixis DS in one competitive league though, and I can say it's our worst matchup. However, they are in a big decline in the meta, so maybe I was unlucky in that league I guess.
Dismember at minimum 2x is just great. He'll even against some bad matchup game 1 you can use on your own creature to benefit
This is a really important point. I've won many games against tron in which on my turn 3 I Dismembered my Strangleroot Geist when it was certain that they weren't going to be able to assemble tron or Oblivion Stone in the next 1-2 turns.
The good part of having a Damping Sphere is obviously it stops these decks. However, the bad part is you cannot count on Spheres alone. An end of our turn Nature's Claim, Echoing Truth, Abrade, Engineered Explosives, or Oblivion Stone removes it from the board and we are vulnerable. That's why you either need a way to protect them, or have some additional hate cards.
1x Prey Upon: to get rid of their creatures, extra removal helps against them.
We also have really good mainboard answers to Storm in terms of Dryad Militant, Scavenging Ooze, and Dismember. That's why I don't side in any more cards
I don't see why you cannot pump your own creature before fighting. The 2 power pre condition is only for the +2/+2, not for fighting.
You'd hit for 7 in this case, as E1 would have base power 6 and 1x +1/+1 counter. As AmicDeep and thatmarkguy stated this is why it's not that bad to use it on an Avatar, as it's always a +3/+2 pump, however, being a sorcery makes it a bit hard for us to justify playing it.
Hello there.
2) You do not necessarily cast Narnam Renegade to get the +1/+1 counter. For example you can get a narnam from a Collected Company and +1/+1 would still be placed on it if a permanent you control have left the battlefield that turn.
3) I'd say 4 Dryad Militant is a must nowadays. And 4 Experiment One is almost trivial to play. However, I do not like having more than 4 evolve-like creatures as I run 1-2 Torpor Orb in the sb against Merfolk, Humans, and Snapcaster Mage decks. And somehow more than 4 1/1 creatures seem a bit clunky when you draw them in multiples.
I run 3x Damping Spheres, and 1x Grafdigger's Cage in the sideboard, even though cage hurts Strangleroot Geist. Spheres are good against top 2 decks (tron and izzet phoenix) and the top 7th deck (amulet titan) according to mtggoldfish, and the Cage is a good card to have in the opener, but it might still help you even if you cannot play it turn 1.
Against Thing in the Ice, your best cards are Rancor and Dismember, as Rancor lets you be aggressive and Dismember is our best removal.
Can you please share your list?
1 Hashep Oasis
2 Treetop Village
18 Forest
Creatures
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Avatar of the Resolute
3 Kalonian Tusker
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Dryad Militant
2 Leatherback Baloth
4 Experiment One
4 Steel Leaf Champion
3 Rancor
2 Vines of Vastwood
2 Dismember
2 Blossoming Defense
3 Aspect of Hydra
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Pithing Needle
2 Natural State
2 Back to Nature
2 Feed the Clan
1 Dismember
2 Creeping Corrosion
3 Firespout
Against the decks you struggle, you can play Torpor Orb, Grafdigger's Cage, Thrun, the Last Troll.
I am very happy with the state of Stompy in the current metagame, we have game against every deck apart from Death's Shadow decks, which I haven't seen in the last 6-7 friendly leagues in mtgo. I have faced 2x Grixis DS in one competitive league though, and I can say it's our worst matchup. However, they are in a big decline in the meta, so maybe I was unlucky in that league I guess.
This is a really important point. I've won many games against tron in which on my turn 3 I Dismembered my Strangleroot Geist when it was certain that they weren't going to be able to assemble tron or Oblivion Stone in the next 1-2 turns.
The good part of having a Damping Sphere is obviously it stops these decks. However, the bad part is you cannot count on Spheres alone. An end of our turn Nature's Claim, Echoing Truth, Abrade, Engineered Explosives, or Oblivion Stone removes it from the board and we are vulnerable. That's why you either need a way to protect them, or have some additional hate cards.
Against Tron, I run:
Against Storm, I run:
Against Amulet Titan, I run:
So, my point is even though Damping Sphere is powerful, it cannot win the game alone, it is no Blood Moon. You need a way to protect it or have additional hate cards. If you want to make sure your Spheres stay on the board and if you have an additional use of the card, you might try Heroic Intervention. It has its uses really, in terms of Anger of the Gods, Supreme Verdict, Gigadrowse, Conflagrate, etc.