This is my change to Earthquake over BitBlast. I'm going to try out WoR, but I only have one, same with manland, otherwise would probably be two. Added Sign in Blood for more draw and possibly damage FTW. Comet Storm was just a throw in, but also considering 1x Rise from the Grave. It could be useful considering we play Blightning or we just get our own BSA/SGC back. Last card I was thinking about was Harm's Way. Nice damage fodder that could save your planeswalkers, save nighthawk from being lightning bolted, and even redirect 2 of your earthquake damage to your opponent instead.
letthererbeblight is saying Bloodwitch flies thru WoR/WoD.
I think I might try switching to Earthquake over BitBlast. It seems like mono colored decks are going to be more prevalent now and quake is a good sweeper and another wincon like WaterBleu said.
Unfortunately, I won't have much WWK to use, but that's okay because we are still discussing and testing what should/should not be added to the deck.
Does anyone think Searing Blaze should be tested as well? Like firewalker could be too mana intensive.
I'm pretty sure these aren't new. I remember people on this board saying something along the lines of "This doesn't fit into my deck box" Still, it looks pretty cool.
I put mine in card sleeves at an angle to fit so it doesn't poke out at the top.
In that thread it is revealed all the TOs got an email that said:
--- Magic Loyalty Counters! As a thank you for Premier stores we will be including special Loyalty Counters (50 for Gold stores/ 25 for Premier level stores). These loyalty counters are a perfect compliment to use with Planeswalkers. - This is a change from last week - we are sending them to all Premier Stores to arrive the week of November 2nd, and we thank you for working with us this year! ---
For more info read the entire thread at the link posted above.
Wow, that's from awhile back. I wonder how I missed that in my search, lol.
Thanks for the info andrade!
Do these promotions come out with every set or just random occurrences? just curious...
I got some of these from my Worldwake pre-release event. However, I haven't heard a single thing about them. I tried Google and WotC website, even this website. I was just wondering what kind of rarity value they hold. Anybody else got one?
<snip>
Advertising your own eBay auctions is not allowed.
Well, I might have to check this out. So with the planeswalker duel decks separate, are they the whole deck or is there anything missing from it? I would also like to know if the Jace deck has the Quicksilver dragon as well.
hey peoples. I wasn't able to play FNM this past week, but another person saw my post and built a similar version. He split in top 4 out of another 20+ person FNM. When I walked around there was also a lot of vampires. That MU can vary depending on builds. For example, are you playing multiple planeswalkers other than Ajani and do they have Hexmage MD or SB? Any hand removal like duress and mind sludge definitely sux. I do want to add Sign in Blood to my build, just don't know what to take out. I haven't been able to test as much, but I would definitely like to see what WWK will add to this archetype.
Quote from GODSRAGE »
Also, does any have a sideboard configuration they like? I have been using a SB consisting of Ruinblasters (hard RR sometimes), Malakir Bloodwitch, Tidehallow sculler, Wall of Reverence, and singleton Mind Rot.
I like Thought Hemorrhage and Luminarch Ascension.
So I went with the first option and here's what happened. Going to make this a bit short as I'm tired.
21 people FNM 5 rounds cut top 8.
Round 1 - Pyromancer Ascension
Not much to tell here. Game 1 he combo'd out in a few turns. Games 2 and 3 he just ran out of gas and just drew lands, even after a couple of Cruels.
SB in 3 Purge and 2 Thought Hemorrhage
game (2-1) match 1-0
Round 2 - America Control
Also not much to tell here. My friend played Jacerator instead of this deck again, but lent this deck out to another friend. I mulligan both games and only have 3 lands each game. I was actually missing black sources game 1 but still got spreading seas on game 2. I also got Ajani V Ultimate on me while drawing all my Ajani and no 4th land. Game 2 I got a turn 2 Luminarch Ascension while he gets his on turn 3. I have bolts to hold him off, but I still see no more land. He eventually has multiple BSAs and spreading seas my plains so I can't get anymore tokens. Meanwhile his goes off and I just get overrun.
SB 4 Earthquake, 2-3 Purge, 2 Thought Hemorrhage, 3 Ascension
game (0-2) match 1-1
Round 3 - 4cc Cascade?
It's pretty much Naya and Jund mixed with cascade spells. He's got Knight of Reliquarys, Thrinax, Woolly Thoctar, and Pulse for the 3cc spot. I try to hold him off, but he wins a very long game 1. I take game 2 with like 7 min left. I make every attempt to finish the third game quickly, but seems like he is slowplaying it a little, even joking about it. He ends up BBE into Thrinax with 2 other Thrinax in play. I thought I might have a chance, but with all those Thrinax prob not now. Time is called and all I've got is Bloodwitch and SGC. I make blocks to stay alive and bolt what I can. I would have liked to finish the game with a win or loss, but we end with a draw instead.
SB in 2-3 Purge, 3 Bloodwitch
game (1-1) match 1-1-1
Round 4 - Esper Control
These games went by quick. Game 1 he only had 2 lands. Game 2 he only drew lands. I also had Ajani out eventually went Ultimate. He did negate some Blightnings and spreading seas a couple of my lands, but never saw any of his creatures (Wall of Denial and Jwar Sphinx).
SB 3 Luminarch Ascension
game (2-0) match 2-1-1
Round 5 - mirror match
He's playing the same colors, but a different build. Same guy that top 4 last week. I get game 1 with some Blightning and SGC action. Actually, Elspeth ended up winning me the game after he DoJ. Game 2 he Pithing Needle naming Elspeth. He plays Tidehollow Sculler but I have Terminate and Bolt so it dies. I end up with BSA and attack. I think he Paths it then plays his BSA. I play my 2nd BSA and we sit there in staredown mode. I decide to attack first and he blocks. I get to Thought Hemorrhage thinking for a bit and name Blightning. A few turns later I got SGC, but he kills it and plays Haunting Echoes. All I have left is Blightings, Chandras, and Nighthawks. My next couple of draws are Blightnings and with tokens I overtake him.
SB in 2 Thought Hemorrhage, 2-3 Purge
game (2-0) match 3-1-1
Top 8 - Vampires
I get game 1 from both BSAs. Game 2 I forgot about Mind Sludge and probably misplay my turn 4. I had options with Ajani, Nighthawk, and something else. I get sledged while ends up with triple Nocturnus. Nighthawk can only block one, and they are all pumping each other. My only out is DoJ or Bit Blast into DoJ. I crack my fetch for Plains and draw Thought Hemorrhage. Game 3 was close. I played Ajani and shot him immediately. He gets Hexmage and Ajani goes away. I think I get sludged again but I double Bolt him. Top deck mode eventually draws me another Ajani so shoot him. It dies too but he is low on life. His Bloodwitch puts him at 7 but I run out of gas dying to his creatures.
I did have a moment where I drew Ajani but he had Hexmage and Gatekeeper. I had the option to shoot the face and hope to draw burn with Bolt or Blightning. I choose to shoot the Gatekeeper and he drops Nocturnus with bonus to put me to 1. I draw my card, and sigh as it's Bolt. He draws Sign in Blood and targets me. We both did some major thinking, as he wanted to Sign in Blood himself but was worried about being in Bolt range.
SB in 3 Purge, 2 Thought Hemorrhage
game (1-2) match 3-2-1
Elspeth was okay, but sometimes hard to cast with WW. Sorin never really got played and was SB out a lot. I'd say needs more testing. I got mana screwed more than a few times, so I think Sorin should be the Refuge land I took out. The meta in that shop looked like it shifted with multiple Vampire decks and a couple of the Pyromancer Ascension decks, or maybe that's because it's what I played against.
The Genome Effect - I think I should test out your version as well, as I saw parts of it in the Vampire MU. I think I would want Bolts in there somewhere.
//Begin Rant
I was kind of mad about Round 3 because this guy took forever shuffling. Not even pile shuffle nor bridging the deck. Just doing the side shuffle where you take half the deck and push in from the side. He then repeats this process at least 5 more times. He dropped cards while shuffling this way at least 3 times AND discovered that 2 of the sleeves had ripped in this process. There was also some minor chit-chat with his friends and other people watching. I'd venture to guess there was at least 3-5 min lost from this. When I shuffle, I either bridge once and side shuffle or bridge twice. I am a quiet individual and people notice this more-so in games. Banter is fine sometimes but I like to concentrate on the game. I'll get jokingly teased about this, but then stuff like that shuffling incident happens and see what that gets you... a draw.
//End Rant
I'm going to try and mix it up tonight. First, I traded a bunch of stuff for another BSA, which is now in the deck. Second, I want to lower my 5cc count, so I moved the Bloodwitch to SB and took out 1 Chandra. This leaves me with 3 open spots.
Here are my options:
+2 Elspeth
+1 Sorin
I have been wanting to test other planeswalkers and Elspeth could help out. She is another cascade target and fills out the curve better. Could I get some feedback from those of you that have tried her out?
or
+3 Oblivion Ring
Obvious catch all, just gets hosed by pulse.
or
+2 White Knight
+1 ????
I think it's possible that White Knight could help with the Jund MU. Again, it's another creature to fill out the curve better and I can cascade into him. However, due to the casting cost, it fights for position with the other low curve spots that demand either BB or BR.
If you have other ideas for other cards with lower cost than 5cc, I'm open to suggestions. Any feedback appreciated, thanx!
I never even thought about that. Malarkir Bloodwitch doesn't stay around for long most of the time so I've never ran into that situation.
I was playing a causal game against Naya (I think) and he had Ajani V. My friend walks over and starts watching. Mid-game he asked why the Bloodwitch was still tapped. We both point to Ajani. He responds "but it's pro-white."
But yes, it also doesn't usually stay on the board very long, unless you're playing mono-white. Speaking of which, I forgot to mention that in my top 8 game against WW, I also topdecked a Bloodwitch, to which he then topdecked DoJ. Lots of topdecking in that match.
Thought Hemorrhage naming Sphinx of Jwar Isle? Vampire Nighthawk comes to mind, also.
I also prefer Terminate to Path of Exile. Hits just about everything and doesn't ramp them.
I'm liking Siege-Gang Commader more and more each time I play the deck. The point is that he extends reach to lethal pretty easily, and swings for five if they have no threats (which is entirely possible, and five counting tokens).
Soul Warden doesn't seem too dangerous. 1/1 creatures have a hard time staying alive against the deck.
Well, Nighthawk usually gets bolted in that MU. And yes, SGC can help you race them. Sure they can block 1 or 2, but then you still throw it in their face. Soul Warden is tricky, but only because there are other creatures that are attacking you while they gain a few life here and there. In other words, if they get a fast start, you'll want to kill whatever is attacking and not soul warden. Also, dropping SGC with the Warden out gives them +4 life. It's also relevant if they've got any Honor of the Pure out.
Trust me this deck is still control deck.
Now think back, were there any cards you weren't happy to see during particular match up of the game? Those might be the ones you want to take out
Let's see, Martial Coup wasn't really used much. It's just another sweeper that can also make dudes. Pithing Needle is an okay card, useful sometimes but it's probably coming out as well. Not sure if that 3rd Chandra Nalaar is necessary, maybe add another Malakir Bloodwitch?
For most match ups, it often comes down to 3 Thought Hemorrhage going in for DoJ, dependent on how many creatures they're expected to play, and 4 Mind Rots coming in for one-ofs that you can do without. Or for Terminate.
For example, against control deck x.
-3 Day of Judgement (regardless of them running Sphinx and WoD, since there is plenty that deals with them)
+3 Thought Hemorrhage
Playing with Jund in my area, I've seen the mirror of their matchups come down to frequencies of Blightning. Mind Rot, again, will help exhaust your opponent's resources, even though Jund in topdeck mode still functions well enough to lucksack the match. Day of Judgement can be somewhat disappointing here, as Jund doesn't need to solely rely on their creatures to win the game. Thought Hemorrhage can work well to worsen their topdecking, calling out BBE or Bit Blast themselves to prevent lucky cascades into clutch spells. In this match, Terminate probably leaves the main in favor of Celestial Purge. Thrinax can be a huge pain to deal with, and Purge takes him out with ease, while being able to target all of the creatures that the typical Jund player has at their disposal.
Thought Hemorrhage was a house all night long, I actually want to up this to 3 (even though I only have 2 :-/). I would not side out DoJ if the Sphinx has Shroud. That MU is pretty hard for [at least my version of] this deck. At least Jund has topdeck mode, but they will just counter and draw.
Another thing about WoR is that it can't target the Malakir Bloodwitch. Therefore, unless you're playing BSA then you're only gaining a few life. I don't know if I'd play 4 of them, but pulsing them is fine because usually it would hit my planeswalker.
I also prefer Terminate > Path simply because I don't want to ramp them. However, path can be good though because it exiles from the game.
As far as Chandra vs. Sorin, my preference is with Chandra. She has a higher removal range, comes out turn 5 as opposed to turn 6 (also triple black might be harder), and I just love when I get to use her ultimate. Comparing the abilities, Sorin's first one is better than Chandra's, but her second and third are just better than Sorin's.
I also agree with the others, that you should be playing Blightning.
Personally I've yet to test out SGC.
but as I'm thinking it...it could be a good addition. Lark would be pretty good now. Bring back SGC, nighthawk, sculler..But I guess alot of decks would abuse lark like they usually do.
Man, do I miss Lark ;). I find SGC to be a great addition. It's another form of removal or even direct damage. Just watch out for those Soul Wardens in the WW MU.
These were last minute decisions. I thought I would get more out of SGC than Sculler and it felt just right. I wish I would have tested the one-of Liliana, but I wanted more removal on board as opposed to the hand. For the SB I was already going to take out the 2 Bloodwitches but the switch to Ascensions was because I saw a few control decks.
5 Rounds, cut to top 8.
Round 1 - B/R Bloodquake
Game 1 he leads off with a Hell's Thunder. Next turn I get Ajani and start locking down his refuge land. He's not doing much as I play Chandra and start pinging him to death. I don't see much from him game 1, but I get a couple of Blightnings off. He redirects his direct damage to the planeswalkers so I can't ultimate. I eventually overtake him while I'm still at 15 life.
Game 2 was much more of a race. He had both Hell's Thunder and Hellspark Elemental. Damage is flying back and forth on both sides. I get a couple of SGC and they go the distance. I don't think he had good draws.
SB in 3 Purge and 2 Needle, not sure what I took out.
game (2-0) match 1-0
Round 2 - RWU Control
This is the same guy I played a couple of causal games the night before, doesn't look good for me.
Game 1 with me taking out the Scullers means my deck is a little worse. He has MD Spreading Seas to mess with my mana. I only hit him once with something, everything else got countered.
Game 2 I board in the surprise Ascensions as he thinks they are Oblivion Rings. Turn 2 I play my Ascension, turn 3 he Divination with 2 Plains 1 Island, turn 4 I Ajani keeping the Island tapped and he scooped.
Game 3 was in his favor as he turn 2 his own Ascension. I think he also mulled to 5 or 6, but he was stuck on few land. I have Ajani and Thought Hemorrhage, bait out Flash Freeze with Ajani and next turn Thought Hemorrhage naming Sphinx (Jwar). This hits him for 6 and it's a race. Next turn he puts down Deft Dualist and I Earthquake for 6 to slow down his Ascension. Afterwards I have another Earthquake and a Bolt but eventually get overrun by Angel Tokens. I didn't see enough early damage to slow down the Ascension, plus he was holding Negate for the race.
SB in 3 Ascension 4 Earthquake, took out all removal as all his stuff was shroud.
game (1-2) match 1-1
Round 3 - UW Mill
Game 1 this guy didn't see much of anything. A single Nighthawk did 10 damage worth. I threw all the direct damage I could. I did get double Archive Trap when I land fetched but it was already too late.
Game 2 pretty much like game 1 except I got to Thought Hemorrhage his Archive Traps. =/ for him.
SB in 3 Ascension, 4 Earthquake, 2 Pith Needle, took out all removal and DoJ.
game (2-0) match 2-1
Round 4 - Jund
Games 1 and 2 were similar, but game 2 was topdeck mode for both of us. He stalled early on missing land drops and I did what I could to capitalize on it. I know he took at least 3-4 damage from his fetch lands each game. I think in game 2 I also Thought Hemorrhage his Broodmate Dragons. I got down to 1 in game 2 but Ajani brought me back up. He kept fetching for what I thought was no reason other than to filter land out of the deck, but his last fetch didn't even get him a land. This eventually got him to 3 and I topdecked Blightning FTW.
SB in 3 Purge, 2 Thought Hemorrhage, took out some stuff, not sure.
game (2-0) match 3-1
Round 5 - took the draw to get into top 8.
match 3-1-1
Top 8 - WW
I play the guy I draw with in Round 5.
Game 1 he goes turn 1 Steppe Lynx, omg I'm in trouble. Turn 2 he fetches Plains and plays Honor of the Pure, bash for 5. Turn 3 he fetches, bashes for 5 and plays some other dudes. I land my 1 BSA and block the alpha to go to 1 life. I draw Ajani, play it and it target his Emeria Angel. I forgot about the Honor pumping it, get upset by the misplay and scoop. I was supposed to shoot his Ko2 and Terminate Emeria. Might have lived depending on what he drew, but oh well as long as I learn from my mistakes.
Game 2 he has a much slower start. I eventually get out both Bloodwitches to take him down. I Thought Hemorrhage his Conqueror's Pledge, but he's still gaining life via Soul Warden. I just outrace him as I stay alive at 16 life.
Game 3 was so close. He leads off with Steppe Lynx and Ko2. He's racing to beat me as I Thought Hemorrhage back to back naming Pledge again and BSA. Next turn I play Nighthawk which is just holding off his side and also gets in there a couple of times. He gets more dudes and I topdeck Earthquake to wipe his board. He topdecks Ranger of Eos gets Steppe Lynx and Soul Warden, I bolt Ranger. My turn I topdeck Ajani and attempt to shoot Soul Warden but he Paths it instead. Then he gets Emeria the land with 7 Plains and eventually starts Ranger out everything possible. My removal is still there so I can Bolt/Terminate Ranger. We're both in topdeck mode but he also has the Emeria land bringing back stuff. He eventually gets to 3 and I'm at 5, topdeck Blightning FTW.
SB in 4 Earthquake, 2 Thought Hemorrhage, took out 4 Bit Blast and something else.
game (2-1) match 4-1-1
Top 4 - Naya Cascade
This went to 3 games, but it came down to who went first and if Ajani V slowed down mana. Game 1 he goes first, and gets Ajani, cascade into big 5 power creatures and wins. Game 2 I go first, and get Ajani, and Thought Hemorrhage his BBE, he's got nothing and I win. Game 3 he goes first, and gets Ajani. I also Thought Hemorrhage his BBE again. I misplay twice as I'm holding DoJ but have to fetch the Plains. I tap wrong for Blightning and his Ajani keeps the Plains locked. I die to three attacks and Ajani.
game (1-2) match 4-2-1
Overall pretty happy with the deck, just gotta playtest more and tweek it out. I ended up getting 4 packs and one of the all foil pack as well. Disappointed only in that I didn't get my FNM Tidehollow Sculler, as I collect promos.
Also of interest, another player played the same BWR deck but more control. He said he'd been playtesting it for a month. He actually did turn 1 Durress, turn 2 Sculler, turn 3 Blightning, turn 4 Ajani V. Don't remember much else but it was more hand disruption than my version. Is my version still control? I don't know, but he thought the Nighthawks were a nice addition. Also not sure if it's arranged like BWR but when I see that I just think BoWseR, so I'm probably just going to call my version Bowser from now on
Here is what went wrong. you are playing hookmaster under the condition that you have a vengeant to lock it up? I don't think that is a correct assumption. the idea of competitive magic should be playing good cards regardless of precondition. With that said, the card should be awesome on its own and the precondition makes it better.
but not much is done without seeing your list, because there is no standard format to this deck yet.
speaking of spot removals depending on what which removal suite you decided to go to.
There is the
cascade removals suite: combination of bituminous blast, oring, day of judgement, terminate, pte, bolt, pyroclasm, volcanic fallout
x removal suite: earthquake martial coup, oring, day of judgement, teriminate, pte, bolt, pyoclasm, volcanic fallout.
basically depends on the option of using x spells, and CA and randomness coming from bituminous blast.
Personally the only occasion you should use burst lightning is against malakir bloodwitch, but in our colour we have terminate, chandra, nighthawk, DoJ, martial coup, bituminous blast to deal with that (build depended).
long story short we have enough answer for bloodwitch. I use earthquake to deal with boros. with addition of WoR to deal with RDW if they want to 2 for 1 be my guest.
Yes, I was saying that Hookmaster is fine on it's own, and even better when accompanied by Ajani V. I have already posted a list at the bottom of page 4 on this thread.
My personal debate is whether or not to keep around Tidehollow Sculler and maybe the Liliana Vess as well. I have only played a few pickup games against RWU and gold-fished a bunch of times. Bloodwitch was nice because it got past the Wall of Denials and Ajani V couldn't touch it either. However, I only saw shroud creatures so my removal was fairly limited, and most of my red spells got flash freezed. SGC is another good choice as well, may have to consider that one. Gotta mess with my sideboard as well, but I got to find out the local meta first.
Thanks for the input everyone. Hookmaster is not bad, as it does stall a creature for a turn and with Ajani V locks them down. I still want Blightning though as early game it hits cards and late game its just damage. I might try Hookmaster over Sculler as that seems easier to cast, but that might be too much in the 3 CC slot.
We did a 4 man draft for picks last night. Path and Broodmate were the only ones from that list pulled. The first guy only took a few cards and didn't want anything else. The second guy took foils for his pauper deck, and the rest was split between me and another guy.
Probably going to have another 4 man draft tonight. A little expensive, but lots of fun. It was only disappointing when we didn't have enough foil lands for our draft, lol.
I think one of my favorite cards is Cloudgoat Ranger. I've done extremely well with it in the past, both limited and constructed play. I have also made it a rule to first pick it in any cube draft, even over P9 cards.
4 Arid Mesa
3 Marsh Flats
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Akoum Refuge
2 Dragonskull Summit
5 Plains
4 Swamp
4 Mountain
creatures
2 Baneslayer Sngel
4 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Wall of Reverence
2 Seige-Gang Commander
3 Ajani Vengeant
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 Blightning
4 Terminate
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Earthquake
3 Sign in Blood
1 Martial Coup
1 Comet Storm
2 Thought Hemorrhage
3 Celestial Purge
3 Luminarch Ascension
3 Malakir Bloodwitch
4 ???
This is my change to Earthquake over BitBlast. I'm going to try out WoR, but I only have one, same with manland, otherwise would probably be two. Added Sign in Blood for more draw and possibly damage FTW. Comet Storm was just a throw in, but also considering 1x Rise from the Grave. It could be useful considering we play Blightning or we just get our own BSA/SGC back. Last card I was thinking about was Harm's Way. Nice damage fodder that could save your planeswalkers, save nighthawk from being lightning bolted, and even redirect 2 of your earthquake damage to your opponent instead.
I think I might try switching to Earthquake over BitBlast. It seems like mono colored decks are going to be more prevalent now and quake is a good sweeper and another wincon like WaterBleu said.
Unfortunately, I won't have much WWK to use, but that's okay because we are still discussing and testing what should/should not be added to the deck.
Does anyone think Searing Blaze should be tested as well? Like firewalker could be too mana intensive.
I put mine in card sleeves at an angle to fit so it doesn't poke out at the top.
Wow, that's from awhile back. I wonder how I missed that in my search, lol.
Thanks for the info andrade!
Do these promotions come out with every set or just random occurrences? just curious...
<snip>
Advertising your own eBay auctions is not allowed.
Treasure Hunt + Knight of the Reliquary + Drastic Revelation
I like Thought Hemorrhage and Luminarch Ascension.
LoL, that's awesome. LMK how that goes...
21 people FNM 5 rounds cut top 8.
Round 1 - Pyromancer Ascension
Not much to tell here. Game 1 he combo'd out in a few turns. Games 2 and 3 he just ran out of gas and just drew lands, even after a couple of Cruels.
SB in 3 Purge and 2 Thought Hemorrhage
game (2-1) match 1-0
Round 2 - America Control
Also not much to tell here. My friend played Jacerator instead of this deck again, but lent this deck out to another friend. I mulligan both games and only have 3 lands each game. I was actually missing black sources game 1 but still got spreading seas on game 2. I also got Ajani V Ultimate on me while drawing all my Ajani and no 4th land. Game 2 I got a turn 2 Luminarch Ascension while he gets his on turn 3. I have bolts to hold him off, but I still see no more land. He eventually has multiple BSAs and spreading seas my plains so I can't get anymore tokens. Meanwhile his goes off and I just get overrun.
SB 4 Earthquake, 2-3 Purge, 2 Thought Hemorrhage, 3 Ascension
game (0-2) match 1-1
Round 3 - 4cc Cascade?
It's pretty much Naya and Jund mixed with cascade spells. He's got Knight of Reliquarys, Thrinax, Woolly Thoctar, and Pulse for the 3cc spot. I try to hold him off, but he wins a very long game 1. I take game 2 with like 7 min left. I make every attempt to finish the third game quickly, but seems like he is slowplaying it a little, even joking about it. He ends up BBE into Thrinax with 2 other Thrinax in play. I thought I might have a chance, but with all those Thrinax prob not now. Time is called and all I've got is Bloodwitch and SGC. I make blocks to stay alive and bolt what I can. I would have liked to finish the game with a win or loss, but we end with a draw instead.
SB in 2-3 Purge, 3 Bloodwitch
game (1-1) match 1-1-1
Round 4 - Esper Control
These games went by quick. Game 1 he only had 2 lands. Game 2 he only drew lands. I also had Ajani out eventually went Ultimate. He did negate some Blightnings and spreading seas a couple of my lands, but never saw any of his creatures (Wall of Denial and Jwar Sphinx).
SB 3 Luminarch Ascension
game (2-0) match 2-1-1
Round 5 - mirror match
He's playing the same colors, but a different build. Same guy that top 4 last week. I get game 1 with some Blightning and SGC action. Actually, Elspeth ended up winning me the game after he DoJ. Game 2 he Pithing Needle naming Elspeth. He plays Tidehollow Sculler but I have Terminate and Bolt so it dies. I end up with BSA and attack. I think he Paths it then plays his BSA. I play my 2nd BSA and we sit there in staredown mode. I decide to attack first and he blocks. I get to Thought Hemorrhage thinking for a bit and name Blightning. A few turns later I got SGC, but he kills it and plays Haunting Echoes. All I have left is Blightings, Chandras, and Nighthawks. My next couple of draws are Blightnings and with tokens I overtake him.
SB in 2 Thought Hemorrhage, 2-3 Purge
game (2-0) match 3-1-1
Top 8 - Vampires
I get game 1 from both BSAs. Game 2 I forgot about Mind Sludge and probably misplay my turn 4. I had options with Ajani, Nighthawk, and something else. I get sledged while ends up with triple Nocturnus. Nighthawk can only block one, and they are all pumping each other. My only out is DoJ or Bit Blast into DoJ. I crack my fetch for Plains and draw Thought Hemorrhage. Game 3 was close. I played Ajani and shot him immediately. He gets Hexmage and Ajani goes away. I think I get sludged again but I double Bolt him. Top deck mode eventually draws me another Ajani so shoot him. It dies too but he is low on life. His Bloodwitch puts him at 7 but I run out of gas dying to his creatures.
I did have a moment where I drew Ajani but he had Hexmage and Gatekeeper. I had the option to shoot the face and hope to draw burn with Bolt or Blightning. I choose to shoot the Gatekeeper and he drops Nocturnus with bonus to put me to 1. I draw my card, and sigh as it's Bolt. He draws Sign in Blood and targets me. We both did some major thinking, as he wanted to Sign in Blood himself but was worried about being in Bolt range.
SB in 3 Purge, 2 Thought Hemorrhage
game (1-2) match 3-2-1
Elspeth was okay, but sometimes hard to cast with WW. Sorin never really got played and was SB out a lot. I'd say needs more testing. I got mana screwed more than a few times, so I think Sorin should be the Refuge land I took out. The meta in that shop looked like it shifted with multiple Vampire decks and a couple of the Pyromancer Ascension decks, or maybe that's because it's what I played against.
The Genome Effect - I think I should test out your version as well, as I saw parts of it in the Vampire MU. I think I would want Bolts in there somewhere.
//Begin Rant
I was kind of mad about Round 3 because this guy took forever shuffling. Not even pile shuffle nor bridging the deck. Just doing the side shuffle where you take half the deck and push in from the side. He then repeats this process at least 5 more times. He dropped cards while shuffling this way at least 3 times AND discovered that 2 of the sleeves had ripped in this process. There was also some minor chit-chat with his friends and other people watching. I'd venture to guess there was at least 3-5 min lost from this. When I shuffle, I either bridge once and side shuffle or bridge twice. I am a quiet individual and people notice this more-so in games. Banter is fine sometimes but I like to concentrate on the game. I'll get jokingly teased about this, but then stuff like that shuffling incident happens and see what that gets you... a draw.
//End Rant
2 Dragonskull Summit
2 Akoum Refuge
4 Arid Mesa
3 Marsh Flats
5 Plains
4 Mountain
4 Swamp
Creatures
2 Baneslayer Angel
4 Vampire Nighthawk
3 Siege-Gang Commander
4 Ajani Vengeant
2 Chandra Nalaar
Spells
4 Bituminous Blast
4 Terminate
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Blightning
2 Day of Judgment
2 Thought Hemorrhage
3 Celestial Purge
3 Luminarch Ascension
3 Malakir Bloodwitch
4 Earthquake
I'm going to try and mix it up tonight. First, I traded a bunch of stuff for another BSA, which is now in the deck. Second, I want to lower my 5cc count, so I moved the Bloodwitch to SB and took out 1 Chandra. This leaves me with 3 open spots.
Here are my options:
+2 Elspeth
+1 Sorin
I have been wanting to test other planeswalkers and Elspeth could help out. She is another cascade target and fills out the curve better. Could I get some feedback from those of you that have tried her out?
or
+3 Oblivion Ring
Obvious catch all, just gets hosed by pulse.
or
+2 White Knight
+1 ????
I think it's possible that White Knight could help with the Jund MU. Again, it's another creature to fill out the curve better and I can cascade into him. However, due to the casting cost, it fights for position with the other low curve spots that demand either BB or BR.
If you have other ideas for other cards with lower cost than 5cc, I'm open to suggestions. Any feedback appreciated, thanx!
I was playing a causal game against Naya (I think) and he had Ajani V. My friend walks over and starts watching. Mid-game he asked why the Bloodwitch was still tapped. We both point to Ajani. He responds "but it's pro-white."
But yes, it also doesn't usually stay on the board very long, unless you're playing mono-white. Speaking of which, I forgot to mention that in my top 8 game against WW, I also topdecked a Bloodwitch, to which he then topdecked DoJ. Lots of topdecking in that match.
Well, Nighthawk usually gets bolted in that MU. And yes, SGC can help you race them. Sure they can block 1 or 2, but then you still throw it in their face. Soul Warden is tricky, but only because there are other creatures that are attacking you while they gain a few life here and there. In other words, if they get a fast start, you'll want to kill whatever is attacking and not soul warden. Also, dropping SGC with the Warden out gives them +4 life. It's also relevant if they've got any Honor of the Pure out.
Let's see, Martial Coup wasn't really used much. It's just another sweeper that can also make dudes. Pithing Needle is an okay card, useful sometimes but it's probably coming out as well. Not sure if that 3rd Chandra Nalaar is necessary, maybe add another Malakir Bloodwitch?
Thought Hemorrhage was a house all night long, I actually want to up this to 3 (even though I only have 2 :-/). I would not side out DoJ if the Sphinx has Shroud. That MU is pretty hard for [at least my version of] this deck. At least Jund has topdeck mode, but they will just counter and draw.
Another thing about WoR is that it can't target the Malakir Bloodwitch. Therefore, unless you're playing BSA then you're only gaining a few life. I don't know if I'd play 4 of them, but pulsing them is fine because usually it would hit my planeswalker.
I also prefer Terminate > Path simply because I don't want to ramp them. However, path can be good though because it exiles from the game.
As far as Chandra vs. Sorin, my preference is with Chandra. She has a higher removal range, comes out turn 5 as opposed to turn 6 (also triple black might be harder), and I just love when I get to use her ultimate. Comparing the abilities, Sorin's first one is better than Chandra's, but her second and third are just better than Sorin's.
I also agree with the others, that you should be playing Blightning.
Man, do I miss Lark ;). I find SGC to be a great addition. It's another form of removal or even direct damage. Just watch out for those Soul Wardens in the WW MU.
A few minor changes from the previously posted deck.
2 Dragonskull Summit
3 Akoum Refuge
4 Arid Mesa
3 Marsh Flats
4 Plains
4 Mountain
4 Swamp
Creatures
1 Baneslayer Angel
2 Malakir Bloodwitch
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Siege-Gang Commander
4 Ajani Vengeant
3 Chandra Nalaar
Spells
4 Bituminous Blast
4 Terminate
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Blightning
2 Day of Judgment
2 Thought Hemorrhage
3 Celestial Purge
3 Luminarch Ascension
2 Pithing Needles
4 Earthquake
1 Martial Coup
Changes include:
-4 Tidehollow Sculler
-1 Liliana Vess
+4 Siege-Gang Commander
+1 Chandra Nalaar
-3 Oblivion Ring
-2 Malakir Bloodwitch
+3 Luminarch Ascension
+1 Earthquake
+1 Martial Coup
These were last minute decisions. I thought I would get more out of SGC than Sculler and it felt just right. I wish I would have tested the one-of Liliana, but I wanted more removal on board as opposed to the hand. For the SB I was already going to take out the 2 Bloodwitches but the switch to Ascensions was because I saw a few control decks.
5 Rounds, cut to top 8.
Round 1 - B/R Bloodquake
Game 1 he leads off with a Hell's Thunder. Next turn I get Ajani and start locking down his refuge land. He's not doing much as I play Chandra and start pinging him to death. I don't see much from him game 1, but I get a couple of Blightnings off. He redirects his direct damage to the planeswalkers so I can't ultimate. I eventually overtake him while I'm still at 15 life.
Game 2 was much more of a race. He had both Hell's Thunder and Hellspark Elemental. Damage is flying back and forth on both sides. I get a couple of SGC and they go the distance. I don't think he had good draws.
SB in 3 Purge and 2 Needle, not sure what I took out.
game (2-0) match 1-0
Round 2 - RWU Control
This is the same guy I played a couple of causal games the night before, doesn't look good for me.
Game 1 with me taking out the Scullers means my deck is a little worse. He has MD Spreading Seas to mess with my mana. I only hit him once with something, everything else got countered.
Game 2 I board in the surprise Ascensions as he thinks they are Oblivion Rings. Turn 2 I play my Ascension, turn 3 he Divination with 2 Plains 1 Island, turn 4 I Ajani keeping the Island tapped and he scooped.
Game 3 was in his favor as he turn 2 his own Ascension. I think he also mulled to 5 or 6, but he was stuck on few land. I have Ajani and Thought Hemorrhage, bait out Flash Freeze with Ajani and next turn Thought Hemorrhage naming Sphinx (Jwar). This hits him for 6 and it's a race. Next turn he puts down Deft Dualist and I Earthquake for 6 to slow down his Ascension. Afterwards I have another Earthquake and a Bolt but eventually get overrun by Angel Tokens. I didn't see enough early damage to slow down the Ascension, plus he was holding Negate for the race.
SB in 3 Ascension 4 Earthquake, took out all removal as all his stuff was shroud.
game (1-2) match 1-1
Round 3 - UW Mill
Game 1 this guy didn't see much of anything. A single Nighthawk did 10 damage worth. I threw all the direct damage I could. I did get double Archive Trap when I land fetched but it was already too late.
Game 2 pretty much like game 1 except I got to Thought Hemorrhage his Archive Traps. =/ for him.
SB in 3 Ascension, 4 Earthquake, 2 Pith Needle, took out all removal and DoJ.
game (2-0) match 2-1
Round 4 - Jund
Games 1 and 2 were similar, but game 2 was topdeck mode for both of us. He stalled early on missing land drops and I did what I could to capitalize on it. I know he took at least 3-4 damage from his fetch lands each game. I think in game 2 I also Thought Hemorrhage his Broodmate Dragons. I got down to 1 in game 2 but Ajani brought me back up. He kept fetching for what I thought was no reason other than to filter land out of the deck, but his last fetch didn't even get him a land. This eventually got him to 3 and I topdecked Blightning FTW.
SB in 3 Purge, 2 Thought Hemorrhage, took out some stuff, not sure.
game (2-0) match 3-1
Round 5 - took the draw to get into top 8.
match 3-1-1
Top 8 - WW
I play the guy I draw with in Round 5.
Game 1 he goes turn 1 Steppe Lynx, omg I'm in trouble. Turn 2 he fetches Plains and plays Honor of the Pure, bash for 5. Turn 3 he fetches, bashes for 5 and plays some other dudes. I land my 1 BSA and block the alpha to go to 1 life. I draw Ajani, play it and it target his Emeria Angel. I forgot about the Honor pumping it, get upset by the misplay and scoop. I was supposed to shoot his Ko2 and Terminate Emeria. Might have lived depending on what he drew, but oh well as long as I learn from my mistakes.
Game 2 he has a much slower start. I eventually get out both Bloodwitches to take him down. I Thought Hemorrhage his Conqueror's Pledge, but he's still gaining life via Soul Warden. I just outrace him as I stay alive at 16 life.
Game 3 was so close. He leads off with Steppe Lynx and Ko2. He's racing to beat me as I Thought Hemorrhage back to back naming Pledge again and BSA. Next turn I play Nighthawk which is just holding off his side and also gets in there a couple of times. He gets more dudes and I topdeck Earthquake to wipe his board. He topdecks Ranger of Eos gets Steppe Lynx and Soul Warden, I bolt Ranger. My turn I topdeck Ajani and attempt to shoot Soul Warden but he Paths it instead. Then he gets Emeria the land with 7 Plains and eventually starts Ranger out everything possible. My removal is still there so I can Bolt/Terminate Ranger. We're both in topdeck mode but he also has the Emeria land bringing back stuff. He eventually gets to 3 and I'm at 5, topdeck Blightning FTW.
SB in 4 Earthquake, 2 Thought Hemorrhage, took out 4 Bit Blast and something else.
game (2-1) match 4-1-1
Top 4 - Naya Cascade
This went to 3 games, but it came down to who went first and if Ajani V slowed down mana. Game 1 he goes first, and gets Ajani, cascade into big 5 power creatures and wins. Game 2 I go first, and get Ajani, and Thought Hemorrhage his BBE, he's got nothing and I win. Game 3 he goes first, and gets Ajani. I also Thought Hemorrhage his BBE again. I misplay twice as I'm holding DoJ but have to fetch the Plains. I tap wrong for Blightning and his Ajani keeps the Plains locked. I die to three attacks and Ajani.
game (1-2) match 4-2-1
Overall pretty happy with the deck, just gotta playtest more and tweek it out. I ended up getting 4 packs and one of the all foil pack as well. Disappointed only in that I didn't get my FNM Tidehollow Sculler, as I collect promos.
Also of interest, another player played the same BWR deck but more control. He said he'd been playtesting it for a month. He actually did turn 1 Durress, turn 2 Sculler, turn 3 Blightning, turn 4 Ajani V. Don't remember much else but it was more hand disruption than my version. Is my version still control? I don't know, but he thought the Nighthawks were a nice addition. Also not sure if it's arranged like BWR but when I see that I just think BoWseR, so I'm probably just going to call my version Bowser from now on
Yes, I was saying that Hookmaster is fine on it's own, and even better when accompanied by Ajani V. I have already posted a list at the bottom of page 4 on this thread.
My personal debate is whether or not to keep around Tidehollow Sculler and maybe the Liliana Vess as well. I have only played a few pickup games against RWU and gold-fished a bunch of times. Bloodwitch was nice because it got past the Wall of Denials and Ajani V couldn't touch it either. However, I only saw shroud creatures so my removal was fairly limited, and most of my red spells got flash freezed. SGC is another good choice as well, may have to consider that one. Gotta mess with my sideboard as well, but I got to find out the local meta first.
Should we consider other removal over the Sculler, such as pyroclasm, volcanic fallout, Burst Lightning, etc?
Probably going to have another 4 man draft tonight. A little expensive, but lots of fun. It was only disappointing when we didn't have enough foil lands for our draft, lol.