Quote from jesseber »So is it your opinion that taking up 50% of the Pro Tour isn't a little much?
Would it change your mind if it was 50% or higher on the next Pro Tour, as well?
Yes and no respectively.
Bans "on principle" due solely to metagame share are horrible policy and long-term unhealthy for the game, which is what this argument implies.
If the higher metagame share is because the deck is doing something fundamentally unfair (whether it's "doing fair things too well" or doing unfair things), then yes, that metagame share may be cause for alarm.
Energy decks aren't doing this. They are 50/50 decks that have some flex spots which can be tuned for an expected metagame. If those flex spots are right for the weekend then yes, they'll crush the field and look OP. If those flex spots are wrong for the weekend, then you can easily scrub out of a real tournament even with tight play and decent luck. The energy decks can't be tuned to beat everything at once, so there's a ton of room both for pilots of energy decks and people who don't want to play energy decks to metagame and make good weekend calls that pay off.
That's exactly what you want out of a "best deck" format. Look at the last time Standard was truly great: Theros block and Khans of Tarkir block, especially the six months after Dragons of Tarkir came out and before Theros block rotated. You had one deck (Abzan Midrange) that was 50/50 or better against the field and was the single best deck the whole time, but you had a ton of viable other options: Esper Dragons, RG Devotion, RG or Temur Dragons/Monsters, Mono-Red/Atarka Red, GW Company, and even a couple more fringe decks like Bant Heroic, Constellation, Whip of Erebos, and OG Rally the Ancestors that all had a shot to spike a Grand Prix or at least an SCG Open on a particular weekend at some point during that season.
It gives the Spikes -- both grinders/pros and LGS-level players who just enjoy playing to win -- a single deck to master or target and a ton of metagaming room, and it gives the Johnny and Timmy players plenty of options to pursue whatever their hearts desire. Johnny in particular has an absurd number of cards that scream build-around-me: Anointed Procession, New Perspectives, Drake Haven, Aetherflux Reservoir, God-Pharoah's Gift, Metalwork Colossus Mechanized Production, Metallurgic Summonings, Revel in Riches, Approach of the Second Sun, Sunbird's Invocation. And Timmy has friggin big stompin Dinosaurs.
After a couple of years of wandering in the desert, WOTC has finally made Standard great again. The only reason people are complaining right now is because the energy mechanic isn't something new. If the energy decks were replaced by some pushed Pirates or Treasures deck and had 28 cards from Ixalan in its maindeck, people would be losing their minds over how exciting and open this format is. But because it's from Kaladesh block (which in fairness had several puzzling R&D decisions, which have been worked out through the banlist already), people are complaining.
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I haven't ever ran Bridge, but from lists that I do see the optimal option is either you run the Removal Package with Pox or your run Bridge. Fatal Push is necessary at 2+ in either lists, but Dismember/Funeral Charm/CB/Small Pox all become unnecessary in Bridge builds. See the issue for me in playing Bridge is that the card is not as punishing as Small Pox can be and post sideboard, the card becomes almost utterly useless when they bring in their artifact removal heavily because of the Rack as well.
As for lists, it would be similar but imagine a list without Dismember, Funeral Charm, or Small Pox. Bitterblossom is an option to play to along with Ensnaring Bridge. You might also consider upping the land count to 24 if you aren't running 24 lands because of the increase in curve.
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Okay, so the deck in general is not sought out to be highly competitive against the main field. It absolutely has decent match-ups against some of the tier 1 decks like DS, Control, Titanshift, etc; however, the deck's strongest aspect is the surprise factor it yields. Many do not know how to play against it, and I am sure you are very well aware of this. The issue is the deck is just not as STRONG compared to the consistency of dominating the field than the decks that are listed tier 1.
My opinion is if you are looking to win at all costs, then do not play this deck; however, experience plays a major role. If you feel that your ability to pilot the deck is strong and you know what you are doing then do it, as having advantage of knowing how to run your deck sometimes trumps better decks because you are the better player. Take into example Tom Ross top 4ing at an SCG. Who would've thought that 8-Rack would make it that far? It showed that the ability to pilot the deck well and with a bit of luck, you can make it far.
I play this deck because I love it, it is not because it will yield me incredible tournament results that will prize me out. I'm content with going 5-4 or 4-5 scrubbing out knowing that I played well with the deck. Some days the deck can take the field by storm and some days it does not, but I play it because I love the concept.
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Doesn't that basically negate the use of Fatal Pushes, Dismember, Collective Brutality, and even Funeral Charm? You basically are taking away our removal package.
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Well Mana-Screw comes down to running either 4 or 3 Tombs. I'm not sure the additional Swamp makes much of a difference to be fair, but it happens whether you are running 24 or 23 lands. That's simply how Magic works, variance can cost you games when there is nothing you can do about it; however, I am a firm believer that 23 lands is the correct amount you should be playing. I also am a big fan on the fetches at 2. I tried 1 and I tried 3, but it just seemed a lot of the times, I'm either wasting the fetch in hand to a discard, or I'm pinging myself in search of a swamp.
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First off, I would like to say that this is an excellent report here, very insightful and very well put!
Secondly, I noticed you said you were replacing the Funeral Charm for the 2nd CB, was there a reason you up'd your count of Wrench Minds to 4 instead of the CB to 2? How did Ghost Quarter feel in the MB, very interesting tech but can be effective! Also, the 2nd Dismember, many have told me that 2x Dismember can be an issue with taking damage for removal; however, what was your experience with the 2nd copy.
The deck looks very good in my opinion and one that I'd like to try out myself and see. My local meta here runs a few 8-Racks and a few of the typical builds like Death Shadow's, etc, etc. Any changes you'd recommend if focusing around that?
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I think you nailed the most important part at the end, it is the strategy of playing around Settle that is most key in winning these games. I notice a few stating that speed is the most important way to win this game; however, with the counter package, I believe it is playing around the one card that can truly screw us.
Ferocidon I believe is atleast a 2 in the 75 and easily pushed to a 3-4 depending on how the meta shapes up the coming weeks. I believe siding in the larger threats like Chandra and Glorybringer is important. Shocks are useless and Abrade doesn't do much period. Cutting those 6 makes the most sense and playing in 2-3 Ferocidon, 2-3 Glorybringer, and 1-2 Chandra is the way to go.
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A 3/3 for 3 Menace with ability to ping and stop lifegain is a huge advantage against decks like U/W after sideboard.