Red Prison 2 - 0
(Got super lucky in that my opponent had terrible draws, this deck is a nightmare to play against with Chalice and Blood Moon etc.)
Tron 2 - 0
(Game 1 had a nut hand, dealing 18 on turn 3 with Groundbreaker, Experiment One having regenerate meant O-Stone couldn't help him)
Tron 1 - 2
(A resolved Ugin is game over. Wormcoil is also very difficult to deal with)
UR Phoenix 1 - 2
(If we can neoform for Eidolon of Rhetoric it's an easy win, otherwise letting them flip Thing In The Ice is normally game over)
A pretty average result, although I got to play the absolute nut hand vs Tron:
Turn 1 -> Experiment One
Turn 2 -> Geist [4 dmg]
Turn 3 -> Pelt Collector, Neoform for Groundbreaker. [18 dmg] [Exp One 4/4, Geist 3/2, Pelt Collector 5/5]
Nice write-up as always. I'm gonna be honest, I've stopped playing the deck. The last time I played I was just shut down by decks such as Storm, Tron, and Spirits.
There were opportunities to win the game, but it always meant relying on Craggwick discard with only 50% or 33% chance of getting the win, and if you whiff it's game over. Taking the time to make it 100% is a turn or two too slow I think. Those odds just aren't suiting me at the moment.
I'm going to run Bant Bogles tomorrow at FNM using that list. If it goes well I'll let you guys know.
I appreciate it. I've always wondered about Bant Bogles in practice. I've never done it or Aura Swap, despite having all the cards. I just didn't have the guts.
One thing I'd be wary of is [c]Thing in the Ice[/I]. It turned an easy matchup into a nightmare for us. I would like to have 4 Path to Exile and probably even 1-2 Dismember in the SB for that card. Maybe that's overdoing it since I haven't played actually played Bogles in a while, but I feel scared of it. It flipping is GG for Bogles. Scoop it up time...
Yes, it was as you say. In theory Bant boggles could have been good. However, UR phoenix with Titi was auto-lose. Won a few games but lost overall, deck didn't feel too strong IMO, at least for this meta.
Playing bogles again just reminds me how often we have to mull to 4 or 5 for a playable hand... Anyway, until people stop playing UR Phoenix I can't recommend any kind of Bogles deck at the moment. Feels bad man
I finish 3-1, so 19-5 with the deck so far! I may try it for tomorrow's LCQ, but I don't have much time to make a decision since I gotta leave early in the morning.
Congrats on the results. Just one question. Is the wurm hardcast by this deck, or is it only used to dome the opponent for 16 with cremator?
It's 100% discard for 16 damage only.
I've been playing a few games recently with the stock list and I've started to come around to Nullhide a little.
Vs black decks it makes them hesitant to play LotV, but otherwise it's the fattest creature that can be fetched with an Evo onto Geist. The 'hexproof' is pretty weak but it slows down the turn they choose to remove it.
Ok, so I’m happy to say this deck isn’t quite dead yet. Tweaked the deck for my local FNM and I’m pretty happy with the results.
I removed the janky pseudo-combo of Anafenza / Viscera Seer. Replaced them with 1 Scavenging Ooze and 1 Siege Rhino. I’m very happy with 2 scooze main, it very rarely feels like a dead draw and is very helpful against all the decks utilizing the graveyard these days. I’m not quite as certain about running a third Rhino, most matchups I’m very happy to draw Rhino but there are times where it can get stuck in the hand, WBG isn’t always easy to cast especially when playing blood moon decks.
Fairgrounds warden is actually pretty solid, being able to tutor an exile effect is pretty useful and is basically permanent removal when playing against tribal decks or those without kill control. Side out against decks with lots of kill / damage spells.
Eternal witness is… ok. In theory she can help return cards like Path and Abrupt Decay if I need them however most of the time I’m using her to accelerate lands.
The Archangel / Spike-feeder combo looks very sketchy but for the cost of two card slots it gives occasional free wins. Angel of Thune is generally synergistic with this deck anyway so is not much of a cost, and spike feeder can sometimes be useful as a way of chumping a block and gaining health at the same time or moving a counter onto Finks to recur it.
Mardu Pyromancer 0 - 2
Game 1: Well I had hoped that cards like Finks and Voice would work in my favour but he kept my board state shredded and targeted all my Eldritch Evo’s with discard to prevent me getting anywhere. Eventually lands Blood Moon, which I forgot was in that deck. Oops.
Game 2: Had to mulligan to 5 due to low land hands / unplayable land colours. Kept a playable hand with Eidolon of Rhetoric. Eidolon slowed the game down but he eventually outvalues me by casting multiple Bedlam Revellers. Oh well.
Eldrazi Tron 2 - 1
Game 1: Had a good hand but he used Thought-knot to remove my Evo’s. Eventually he uses the exiling Eldrazi plus Thought-knot to chain together exiling effects and remove all the good cards out of my hand.
Game 2: Fairgrounds warden keeps him from combo-ing his exile effects, multiple finks and Ralliers eventually go wide for the win.
Game 3: Thoughtseize prevents him from making powerful early plays, he lands a Thought-knot but chooses to take Path from my hand instead of Worship, his mistake. Cast Worship, he has no way to deal with it so I go wide for the win.
Gifts Storm 2 - 1
Game 1: Good hand with lots of removal keeps two storm dorks off the board, turn 4 he plays another Baral and combos off. Didn’t get an opportunity to Evo for Shalai since I had her in my hand and didn’t get my 4th turn.
Game 2: Thoughtseize and some kill spells slow him down enough that I can get beats in before he can go off.
Game 3: Getting Remorseful Cleric down early lets me go at my pace, later get a scooze down as insurance, he attempts to combo the turn before I would swing for lethal but Remorseful Cleric shuts him down. Good times.
So I've played against a variety of decks and it can really hold its own against tough match-ups likes Death's Shadow and Humans. The real problem is it feels like it has weak Game one match-ups against a lot of decks. After sideboard our chances improve greatly of course as we can tune our hate-cards for particular strategies.
Suited up some slippery boys for FNM, ran Leylines in the sideboard in trying to guess my local Meta
Went 2 - 1 overall:
vs Shadow 2 - 0
Pretty straightforward, first game got thought seized for my hexproof creature, drew one on turn three and started slamming enchantments, opponent conceded after I got daybreak going.
Second game brought in leylines, landing a creature with double ethereal armour and that was that
vs Eldrazi Taxes 1 - 2
Tough matchup, opponent seemed to get Thalia on turn two every game which really screwed me up. Followed up with Thought-knots and Reality smashers...
eh... even when I had the removal its costing my too much to play it and the tempo loss means I get my face smashed.
vs Jeskai Control 2 - 1
First game ran fairly straightforward, just suited up and stomped.
Game two I foolishly decided to remove my control, only to stare into a spellskite turn two... Feels bad man
Game three went long, brought the removal back in, had to mulligan a bit which left me slow out of the gate. Manage to path his spellskite early on, but left low on auras / cards. Eventually get him to ten, he has all his mana up so I know he's planning something, let's me swing and take him to 3 then plays Supreme Verdict on his turn taking all my guys out. Luckily I had decided to leave an un-cracked fetch up, crack it during his end-step for dryad arbour, then enchant dryad with the rancor that came back to my hand and swing for the win.
1
Red Prison 2 - 0
(Got super lucky in that my opponent had terrible draws, this deck is a nightmare to play against with Chalice and Blood Moon etc.)
Tron 2 - 0
(Game 1 had a nut hand, dealing 18 on turn 3 with Groundbreaker, Experiment One having regenerate meant O-Stone couldn't help him)
Tron 1 - 2
(A resolved Ugin is game over. Wormcoil is also very difficult to deal with)
UR Phoenix 1 - 2
(If we can neoform for Eidolon of Rhetoric it's an easy win, otherwise letting them flip Thing In The Ice is normally game over)
A pretty average result, although I got to play the absolute nut hand vs Tron:
Turn 1 -> Experiment One
Turn 2 -> Geist [4 dmg]
Turn 3 -> Pelt Collector, Neoform for Groundbreaker. [18 dmg] [Exp One 4/4, Geist 3/2, Pelt Collector 5/5]
1
There were opportunities to win the game, but it always meant relying on Craggwick discard with only 50% or 33% chance of getting the win, and if you whiff it's game over. Taking the time to make it 100% is a turn or two too slow I think. Those odds just aren't suiting me at the moment.
1
Yes, it was as you say. In theory Bant boggles could have been good. However, UR phoenix with Titi was auto-lose. Won a few games but lost overall, deck didn't feel too strong IMO, at least for this meta.
Playing bogles again just reminds me how often we have to mull to 4 or 5 for a playable hand... Anyway, until people stop playing UR Phoenix I can't recommend any kind of Bogles deck at the moment. Feels bad man
1
It's 100% discard for 16 damage only.
I've been playing a few games recently with the stock list and I've started to come around to Nullhide a little.
Vs black decks it makes them hesitant to play LotV, but otherwise it's the fattest creature that can be fetched with an Evo onto Geist. The 'hexproof' is pretty weak but it slows down the turn they choose to remove it.
1
2 Forest
2 Gavony Township
1 Godless Shrine
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Plains
2 Razorverge Thicket
1 Swamp
2 Temple Garden
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
Creatures (29)
1 Archangel of Thune
2 Birds of Paradise
1 Eternal Witness
1 Fairgrounds Warden
4 Kitchen Finks
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Renegade Rallier
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
3 Siege Rhino
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Spike Feeder
4 Voice of Resurgence
2 Wilt-Leaf Liege
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Path to Exile
Sorcery (4)
4 Eldritch Evolution
1 Cataclysmic Gearhulk
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Kambal, Consul of Allocation
1 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Quasali Pridemage
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Remorseful Cleric
1 Tocatli Honor Guard
1 Worship
3 Thoughtseize
FNM Report
Overall 2 - 1
Ok, so I’m happy to say this deck isn’t quite dead yet. Tweaked the deck for my local FNM and I’m pretty happy with the results.
I removed the janky pseudo-combo of Anafenza / Viscera Seer. Replaced them with 1 Scavenging Ooze and 1 Siege Rhino. I’m very happy with 2 scooze main, it very rarely feels like a dead draw and is very helpful against all the decks utilizing the graveyard these days. I’m not quite as certain about running a third Rhino, most matchups I’m very happy to draw Rhino but there are times where it can get stuck in the hand, WBG isn’t always easy to cast especially when playing blood moon decks.
Fairgrounds warden is actually pretty solid, being able to tutor an exile effect is pretty useful and is basically permanent removal when playing against tribal decks or those without kill control. Side out against decks with lots of kill / damage spells.
Eternal witness is… ok. In theory she can help return cards like Path and Abrupt Decay if I need them however most of the time I’m using her to accelerate lands.
The Archangel / Spike-feeder combo looks very sketchy but for the cost of two card slots it gives occasional free wins. Angel of Thune is generally synergistic with this deck anyway so is not much of a cost, and spike feeder can sometimes be useful as a way of chumping a block and gaining health at the same time or moving a counter onto Finks to recur it.
Mardu Pyromancer 0 - 2
Game 1: Well I had hoped that cards like Finks and Voice would work in my favour but he kept my board state shredded and targeted all my Eldritch Evo’s with discard to prevent me getting anywhere. Eventually lands Blood Moon, which I forgot was in that deck. Oops.
Game 2: Had to mulligan to 5 due to low land hands / unplayable land colours. Kept a playable hand with Eidolon of Rhetoric. Eidolon slowed the game down but he eventually outvalues me by casting multiple Bedlam Revellers. Oh well.
Eldrazi Tron 2 - 1
Game 1: Had a good hand but he used Thought-knot to remove my Evo’s. Eventually he uses the exiling Eldrazi plus Thought-knot to chain together exiling effects and remove all the good cards out of my hand.
Game 2: Fairgrounds warden keeps him from combo-ing his exile effects, multiple finks and Ralliers eventually go wide for the win.
Game 3: Thoughtseize prevents him from making powerful early plays, he lands a Thought-knot but chooses to take Path from my hand instead of Worship, his mistake. Cast Worship, he has no way to deal with it so I go wide for the win.
Gifts Storm 2 - 1
Game 1: Good hand with lots of removal keeps two storm dorks off the board, turn 4 he plays another Baral and combos off. Didn’t get an opportunity to Evo for Shalai since I had her in my hand and didn’t get my 4th turn.
Game 2: Thoughtseize and some kill spells slow him down enough that I can get beats in before he can go off.
Game 3: Getting Remorseful Cleric down early lets me go at my pace, later get a scooze down as insurance, he attempts to combo the turn before I would swing for lethal but Remorseful Cleric shuts him down. Good times.
So I've played against a variety of decks and it can really hold its own against tough match-ups likes Death's Shadow and Humans. The real problem is it feels like it has weak Game one match-ups against a lot of decks. After sideboard our chances improve greatly of course as we can tune our hate-cards for particular strategies.
1
Having been striking out at my FNM recently with decks like Ponza, Hardened Scales, etc.
Lots of helpful information to help me get back into the swing of Pyromancer, thanks!
1
Went 2 - 1 overall:
vs Shadow 2 - 0
Pretty straightforward, first game got thought seized for my hexproof creature, drew one on turn three and started slamming enchantments, opponent conceded after I got daybreak going.
Second game brought in leylines, landing a creature with double ethereal armour and that was that
vs Eldrazi Taxes 1 - 2
Tough matchup, opponent seemed to get Thalia on turn two every game which really screwed me up. Followed up with Thought-knots and Reality smashers...
eh... even when I had the removal its costing my too much to play it and the tempo loss means I get my face smashed.
vs Jeskai Control 2 - 1
First game ran fairly straightforward, just suited up and stomped.
Game two I foolishly decided to remove my control, only to stare into a spellskite turn two... Feels bad man
Game three went long, brought the removal back in, had to mulligan a bit which left me slow out of the gate. Manage to path his spellskite early on, but left low on auras / cards. Eventually get him to ten, he has all his mana up so I know he's planning something, let's me swing and take him to 3 then plays Supreme Verdict on his turn taking all my guys out. Luckily I had decided to leave an un-cracked fetch up, crack it during his end-step for dryad arbour, then enchant dryad with the rancor that came back to my hand and swing for the win.