Edit: Just thought about this...a suspended Will is possibly better. You know on turn whatever, you'll have all your available mana to use to replay cards in your 'yard. Least with Will you had to pay an initial 3 mana that turn...
This is a MODO draft? Insanity...my drafts are never like this, ever. Fixers flying around like mad with along with red cards being overlooked. Ugh, been getting beaten bloody lately by flyers myself and would've definately went with Trophy Hunter.
Just to help explain the a few picks. The Archetype he is shooting for is aggro attempting to get Skarrgan-Pit Skulk pumped up for heavy, nigh-unblockable, damage. Also, Flaring Flames-Kin is quite nice with the high number of playable Auras. With the right support this deck is tough to stop, nevermind slow down.
I would keep this hand. Sounds insane but there is enough mana in that hand to ensure that Mikokoro keeps netting cards and we can play Enduring Ideal on turn seven. Really tough decision and Spell Snare doesn't really feel that good with this hand.
Also think that we're missing few cards, i.e. Court Hussar which is excellent in this deck.
Same reason why Avatar of Discord is undesirable. There is a wealth of removal available in the current format and giving your opponent the opportunity to get a 3 for 1 trade is a disaster.
Land Destruction "sounds" nice but in reality there are not enough LD spells that cost less than four mana.
Gotta have something, I like Nikko-Onna with Congregation at Dawn, as I get to keep the 2/2 body. Mortify will definately be a huge help with plenty of targets. I tend to run 3-4 Tempset of Light in the board for ED and Ideal matches. Overall, Seed Spark seems to be the top candidate at the moment with Mortify.
If that isn't the most confusing thing I've read all day...
I think you it may be a good idea to add some more burn. Char would be nice to have here. I also like the synergy with Surge, Affinity, and Pyroclasm. Makes me think another Natural Affinity would be worth adding.
If you think about running Clone as removal, why not Hero's Demise instead? It's an instant, and is half the mana to cast. Again, just things that keep getting repeated over and over...
Quote from sakeyah »
can this deck go three colors? like b/u/w? a playset of wrath would be nice... plus maybe 10 counterspells then the hunted leyline theme... just thinking out loud... hehehe...
Actually something I pondered as well. Playing white gives us access to Mortify, Faiths Fetters, Wrath of God, etc. I really lost faith in the counterspell route of the deck and the mana may not be as rough as you'd first think. With Godless Shrine and *gulp* Forbidden Orchard, our mana base could still function properly. Hmm...
now to ur post, just wondering y u only have one creature on the board by turn five? did u have a sub-optimal draw? f yes, then y did u keep it?
i always thought that this deck has to mulligan aggresively in order to find the leyline plus critters in the opening hand or critters plus a host of counterspell back-up...
also, y did u have to play the phantasm by turn five? for mana leak back up? i don't see any spell in the ww/r deck capable of dealing 6 damage at once... maybe char and lightning helix... but that would have cost 5 mana... so maybe u should've played it by turn three or four...
I been mulliganing to at least six if I don't open with the Leyline. I kept a six card hand with Gasp, Telling Time, 1 Remand, and 3 lands (can't recall which lands exactly). I know had Phantasm in hand on turn 4 but no Leyline, held back and cast Telling Time and found a Leyline. So from then planned the Phantasm and then Leyline play. Wanted to hold back for counters because I was getting pressured by the Boros deck.
also, assuming it was turn five, (i'm assuming via the land count...) u must've been playing against a very, very unorthodox ww/r deck for it not to miss any land drops by turn five... most decks i've faced only had 22-20 lands atm, which sure as hell makes land drops not that consistent...
Well, their decklist is posted as well, it only runs 20 land, but did get to five lands easily. I didn't write anything down or save the game log, just recalling from memory. Playing the deck is a bit frustrating if you don't get a great opening hand. Not even sure now if the counterspell plan is the best idea anymore...
I like the idea of this deck, just think that taking a different direction may be better. I don't like playing all those discard spells as after you put your opponent into top-deck mode they become dead cards. Instead, I prefer all the discard coming from this base set of creatures:
In here we have 15 out of 23 creatures providing all the disruption. Twelve of those are evasive beaters, with the Shortfangs potenially gaining fear from Shizo after it flips into the 3/3 Rack. With the discared concentrated there it allows the deck to run a nice complement of removal in Last Gasp and Mortify. The Arena's will help fuel the deck and keep a steady flow of cards coming in until the opponent is overwhelmed. And who could forget our friend the Jitte...
The Sideboard is pretty random but the Extractions will stay as ell as the fourth Shortfang to help against Jushi style decks (that means those blue mages). Also need to mention the possibility of running Castigate and or Nightmare Void as excellent discard spells.
@ incinerated
y aren't u running the leyline? is this a new deck or is it just a variation of the u/b leyline deck?!??!
Hmmm...that's probably why there are only 56 cards in my version of the deck (i.e. I just forgot put 'em in the decklist).
The gameplan sounds nice and all but in practice it just isn't consistant enough. One huge mistake is playing Hunted Phanstasm against them with plans on dropping Leyline next turn. In a game I played Phantasm with Mana Leak Back-up. Pass the turn and opponent untaps his four lands. Taps 2 mana to play Jitte, I counter with Leak. They drop a Foundry, pay 2 life to untap it and then cast Glorious Anthem. Now those five 1/1 Goblins are 2/2's and rushing into the red-zone alongside a Lion and a Skyhunter.
Also, just a note, I don't think that Dimir Aqueduct belongs in the deck. The comes into play tapped hurts pretty bad when you trying to keep mana open for counters. I've stayed away from Hideous Laughter in the MD and would probably use in it the sideboard. I favor Last Gasp for its ability to kill early Specters, Bob's, Jushi's, etc.
Has anyone tested against WW/R? I played ten games and it was quite an unfavorable match-up. Usually a free Leyline would accomplish little as Kami of Ancient Law on turn two threatened to nuke it if I even thought about playing a creature. And if they can't stop the Leyline into a Hunted fattie they just mindlessly beat my face in and then start throwing burn in my face.
Has a very hard time with a deck that pour on tons of pressure or lots of resistance (MUC/b). I did win 2 games, the first when the only had a single Battlefield Forge for mana and another when they mulliganed to six and only played an Isamaru, holding 2 Shocks, a Helix with plenty on land coming off the top of their deck.
I think sakeyah has the best base for the idea so far. I don't like the equipment in the deck though and would cut them, or at least the O-nag's. I would definately up the count on Hunted Horror to four as it is the fastest play if you manage to start with the Leyline.
What I would change before testing:
-3 O-Naginata
-4 Repeal
+1 Hunted Horror
+3 Hinder
+3 Last Gasp
And no Forbidden Orchards, sure the Leyline will keep the Spirit tokens in check, but it seems unnecessarily risky to me.
Balance would be awesome, maybe Armageddon even?
What about a Yawgmoth's Will or is that still too good?
Edit: Just thought about this...a suspended Will is possibly better. You know on turn whatever, you'll have all your available mana to use to replay cards in your 'yard. Least with Will you had to pay an initial 3 mana that turn...
Blue: Repulse
Black: Hidden Horror
Red: Rhystic Lightning
Green: Yavimaya Elder
Artifact: Sword of Fire and Ice
Mostly simple, personal choices as I'm all about me.
Also think that we're missing few cards, i.e. Court Hussar which is excellent in this deck.
Land Destruction "sounds" nice but in reality there are not enough LD spells that cost less than four mana.
On the voting, really tough call...really like both spells but I have to lean towards the 'Quake.
If that isn't the most confusing thing I've read all day...
I think you it may be a good idea to add some more burn. Char would be nice to have here. I also like the synergy with Surge, Affinity, and Pyroclasm. Makes me think another Natural Affinity would be worth adding.
Actually something I pondered as well. Playing white gives us access to Mortify, Faiths Fetters, Wrath of God, etc. I really lost faith in the counterspell route of the deck and the mana may not be as rough as you'd first think. With Godless Shrine and *gulp* Forbidden Orchard, our mana base could still function properly. Hmm...
I been mulliganing to at least six if I don't open with the Leyline. I kept a six card hand with Gasp, Telling Time, 1 Remand, and 3 lands (can't recall which lands exactly). I know had Phantasm in hand on turn 4 but no Leyline, held back and cast Telling Time and found a Leyline. So from then planned the Phantasm and then Leyline play. Wanted to hold back for counters because I was getting pressured by the Boros deck.
Well, their decklist is posted as well, it only runs 20 land, but did get to five lands easily. I didn't write anything down or save the game log, just recalling from memory. Playing the deck is a bit frustrating if you don't get a great opening hand. Not even sure now if the counterspell plan is the best idea anymore...
4 Caves of Koilos
1 Eiganjo Castle
4 Godless Shrine
2 Plains
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
11 Swamp
Dudes:23
4 Hand of Honor
4 Hypnotic Specter
4 Nezumi Cutthroat
3 Nezumi Shortfang
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Shrieking Grotesque
4 Last Gasp
4 Mortify
4 Phyrexian Arena
3 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Cranial Extraction
2 Execute
3 Faith's Fetters
4 Kami of Ancient Law
1 Nezumi Shortfang
2 Slay
In here we have 15 out of 23 creatures providing all the disruption. Twelve of those are evasive beaters, with the Shortfangs potenially gaining fear from Shizo after it flips into the 3/3 Rack. With the discared concentrated there it allows the deck to run a nice complement of removal in Last Gasp and Mortify. The Arena's will help fuel the deck and keep a steady flow of cards coming in until the opponent is overwhelmed. And who could forget our friend the Jitte...
The Sideboard is pretty random but the Extractions will stay as ell as the fourth Shortfang to help against Jushi style decks (that means those blue mages). Also need to mention the possibility of running Castigate and or Nightmare Void as excellent discard spells.
Hmmm...that's probably why there are only 56 cards in my version of the deck (i.e. I just forgot put 'em in the decklist).
The gameplan sounds nice and all but in practice it just isn't consistant enough. One huge mistake is playing Hunted Phanstasm against them with plans on dropping Leyline next turn. In a game I played Phantasm with Mana Leak Back-up. Pass the turn and opponent untaps his four lands. Taps 2 mana to play Jitte, I counter with Leak. They drop a Foundry, pay 2 life to untap it and then cast Glorious Anthem. Now those five 1/1 Goblins are 2/2's and rushing into the red-zone alongside a Lion and a Skyhunter.
Also, just a note, I don't think that Dimir Aqueduct belongs in the deck. The comes into play tapped hurts pretty bad when you trying to keep mana open for counters. I've stayed away from Hideous Laughter in the MD and would probably use in it the sideboard. I favor Last Gasp for its ability to kill early Specters, Bob's, Jushi's, etc.
Decks for reference:
4 Battlefield Forge
1 Eiganjo Castle
4 Mountain
6 Plains
4 Sacred Foundry
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
3 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
3 Savannah Lions
4 Boros Swiftblade
3 Kami of Ancient Law
4 Leonin Skyhunter
4 Skyknight Legionnaire
4 Shock
4 Lightning Helix
3 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Char
4 Glorious Anthem
2 Dimir Aqueduct
4 Island
1 Minamo, School at Waters Edge
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
4 Swamp
3 Tendo Ice Bridge
4 Underground River
4 Watery Grave
4 Hunted Horror
4 Hunted Phantasm
Spells
4 Boomerang
4 Last Gasp
4 Mana Leak
4 Remand
3 Telling Time
2 Compulsive Research
4 Hinder
Has a very hard time with a deck that pour on tons of pressure or lots of resistance (MUC/b). I did win 2 games, the first when the only had a single Battlefield Forge for mana and another when they mulliganed to six and only played an Isamaru, holding 2 Shocks, a Helix with plenty on land coming off the top of their deck.
What I would change before testing:
-3 O-Naginata
-4 Repeal
+1 Hunted Horror
+3 Hinder
+3 Last Gasp
And no Forbidden Orchards, sure the Leyline will keep the Spirit tokens in check, but it seems unnecessarily risky to me.