I also run 3x Magmaquake and lots of removals,,, but after testing I'm still trying to find a "balance" between removal and counters.. currently running:
2x Syncopate
2x Essence Scatter
2x Rewind
3x Devour flesh
3x Far // Away
3x Pillar of Flame
(all main)
But I find myself lacking counters vs control, and can't really stabilize vs aggro... thinking about adding some augurs and taking out some cheap removal / counters.
Also, I'm having trouble deciding finishers, currently running 6:
1x Aetherling
1x Olivia
1x Tamiyo (kinda counts despite Only having pillar as damage ><)
1x Jace MA
1x Nicol Bolas (I know he's slow,, turn 8,,, not very popular,,, but I see him as a Jace that actually helps controlling the board)
1x Nephalia (It's just,,, necessary vs control, can't risk loosing the match because of the lack of win cons)
2BB
Creature - Zombie
Deathtouch
Whenever Liliana's Reaver deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card and you put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.
4/3
*Zombie dancing*
This is gonna have a nice home in all the zombie decks and some (MANY) Jund's..
2RR
3/3
Creature - Ogre Warrior
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, that creature gets +2/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
And a nice flavor text.
Ogres are driven by passion, rage, and another ogre standing behind them with a whip.
With this, Awaken the Ancient, and Chandra's phoenix coming back, I sense RDW's Return.
PS: Great,, now I have to stuff some more Slaughter Games in my SB ><
Also
Control - Lawl. Control doesnt really stand a chance against you. Remember, your opponent is probably going to have it in their head "i have to drop something" and when they get that 5 mana to drop a Tamiyo, Plasm it, drop an Ætherling, and win the game. Simple as that.
lol at the "probably" and,,, why would someone tap out to play Tamiyo when their opponent hasn't played anything by turn 5.
I understand what you mean on Rakdos Charm, idk I've liekd it enoguh so far. As for Far // Away I honestly really want to play it, but I can't see myself playing it over Liliana or Tribute, and 5/6 turn 3 edict effects seems like a lot.
I'm going to drop Tamiyo for Aetherling though, she hasn't done enough.
In your deck (no Nephalia Drownyard, and 4 Magmaquake)
I think it's the right choice to not run Tamiyo / Rakdos Charm.
I've seen many people complain about tokens,, if that's the only thing that's giving you trouble, or you think it deserves some slots in the sideboard then... maybe this can help? Illness in the Ranks, Izzet Staticaster..
I went 5-0 at locals the other day vs 1 American Control, 1 American Midrange, 1 Naya Blitz, 1 Jund, 1 Esper. 4-0 in swiss, beat Esper in top8 and then split.
This was my first tournament trying without Drownyard and I honestly never missed it. I don't know, I think its because the combination of walkers ends up being such a reliable win condition that I tend to also use my mana for other things besides Drownyard. Even vs Esper in tournament game 1 against esper, I was shorted on the mana the entire game and he opened up 2 Drownyards and killed me. And I practically autowon game 2 and 3 through Slaughter Games and Rakdos's Return early on, and the Psychic Spiral or Nicol Bolas for game later. It feels odd not having Drownyard in, but it hasn't bothered me yet.
I'm going to States this weekend so we'll see how it fairs.
Nice list :3
-I'm just wondering how was Turn // Burn for you, because I think that, unless you're running Augurs, Far // Away is better.
-Why do you have 2 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker I feel like you're trying to rush it(?), I don't see any hurry to get him down if you're already on turn 8 (I feel dumb asking this, it's probably obvious and I don't get it ._.).
-Also kinda curious if you'd have liked to have Crypt Incursion,,, anywhere.
Snapcaster V.=
-Has more removal.
-Can combo with Tragic Slip to trade with 2 creatures.
-Can Recicle things that Forbidden Alchemy throws into the graveyard.
-Better mana.
Electromancer V.=
-Ability to cast more removal/counter on early turns.
-Can cast Alchemy and Think twice much easier.
-Goes better with the sideboard cards (Bonfire / Killing Wave / Mind Grind)
-Makes Syncopate a really good counter.
-Relies more on counters / digging and blocking with Hover Barrier instead of having a higher removal count.
My meta is filled with midrange and control decks so, it runs pretty good. Aggro is a problem, but we don't have many aggro decks around here. Let me know what ya'll think!
Well if there aren't many aggro decks then you'll do pretty well..
-Hover Barrier + Devour Flesh = Awesome
-Not sure about killing waves.. but I think it's better than mutilate since I run 16 non swamp lands... might replace for tribute to hunger for some more lifegain.
-I still don't know what to use as a 3-drop, tried Boros Reckoner but my mana wasn't working.. so I just sticked to the Pyreheart tho I'd like to test Wild Beastmaster
-Burning-Tree Emissary is just plain good.
-Experiment One is also pretty good I like to think of it as a second Noble.
About Stormblood, it did pretty good specially when i had volt charge to proliferate blood thirst. maybe i would use a kiln against valakuts, take out shatters and 1 arc trail in SB adding 1 AoA and 3 Manic Vandals.
And about the removals, I was playing them as you say, and occasionally using them to make him waste some pumps (in my turn).
I'm thinking about adding even more creatures, i think the deck will do better that way, in fact tomorrow i'm gonna try adding some kilns, and with cheaper instants.
Well, my result at the FNM was 3-1 btw just writing what I remember (should've tought about this before)
1st round: U/B Control,
The first match was pretty wierd, anyways the whole match i was being pwned except for that miraculous Shrine, i only got to get him till 15hp while i was killing a sphynx and a wurmcoil i got the Shrine till 15, he used 2 preordains and no luck getting a Into the Roil.
I side in 2 shatters (wurmcoil) and 2 AoA(Titans, Sphynx) -2 Probes -1 Mountain -1Burst.
well from this match I only remember taking a wurmcoil with an AoA (he was tapped and realized after he played the wurm) and killing him with that.
Second Round: U/B Infect
about this round.. it was wierd cuz i didn't get to see a vatmother or a skythryx, he controled my Shrines with magnets but still, he used his removals on the phoenix, so 1 turn i used LB and 2 Stormblood. ( I only had 3 poisons but his lands weren't enough to proliferate while playing removals)
I side in 2 Shatters and again 2 AoA -2 probes -1 Mountain (rofl) and 1 Burst Lightning
in this match while he kept poisoning me with a crusader I was just hitting from air with my 3 Phoenix (yeah 3 xD) while i was burning, with my staggers and LB i got to kill the early Necropedes so i got to kill him faster.
Round 3
Wierd U/R deck (not ascension or Twin)
Against this deck i got to win easy because he couldn't get his finisher down, I got to play 2 Berserkers (1 Countered 1 Killed) but again the Phoenix did all the job for me, i only needed to burn his creatures while i kept hitting him and burning.
I side in 2 AoA and 2 Arc Trail
Second match, on this one he just got bad luck very very bad luck, he went with 6 (no lands) and he couldn't get to draw 2 fetchs or lands even with preordains, in this one like he didn't had any mana i just burned him as fast as i could with berserkers, LB and Staggers.
Round 4
U/G Infect
1st match: (he wins the dice roll) I stayed with 2 lands a Shrine, 1 LB, a Burst 1 berserker and a guide.
first turn gg and he goes to 18. He plays an island.
second turn i draw an incinerate and save it against an agent, an elf or anything he could play(i keep hitting with my gg). He only plays an Adventuring Gear,so i use my incinerate on him, he goes to 13hp.
third turn i draw a Staggershock and again i save it, i hit with the goblin till i get him to 11. On his turn he plays an elf, equips it with the Gear and plays a fetch. i burn him with a Staggershock and he uses mutagenic (that gets him to 9) i use the rebound and he uses the fetch.
On my turn i skip the atack and hopelessly on his turn i try to burn that elf with all i had.
I side in 2 Flame Slash 2 Dismember 1 Shatter and 2 Combust getting out 1 Phoenix 1 Guide 1 Berserker 2 Probes 1 Volt Charge and 1 Mountain (again, i have Bad luck with lands).
same strategy from him, he plays 2 Gears, then An Agent and he had a fetch, so i waste all my burn but he had 2 Mutagenic. on his turn he plays another fetch but before he uses it I answer with a Burst and a Dismember he had a Vines, giving him the match.
so somehow both times i got him to low life, he wasted his pumps but he won because of those Gears.
Btw that's all I can remember and sry if my english is kinda bad :/
Ok, After many, many, many playtests i realized that this deck just won't work very well so, I'm gonna take out the Pyromancer and add some Stormblood Berserker
2x Syncopate
2x Essence Scatter
2x Rewind
3x Devour flesh
3x Far // Away
3x Pillar of Flame
(all main)
But I find myself lacking counters vs control, and can't really stabilize vs aggro... thinking about adding some augurs and taking out some cheap removal / counters.
Also, I'm having trouble deciding finishers, currently running 6:
1x Aetherling
1x Olivia
1x Tamiyo (kinda counts despite Only having pillar as damage ><)
1x Jace MA
1x Nicol Bolas (I know he's slow,, turn 8,,, not very popular,,, but I see him as a Jace that actually helps controlling the board)
1x Nephalia (It's just,,, necessary vs control, can't risk loosing the match because of the lack of win cons)
PS: Here's my deck.
1x Aetherling
1x Olivia Voldaren
3x Pillar of Flame
2x Syncopate
3x Devour Flesh
2x Essence Scatter
4x Think Twice
3x Far // Away
4x Forbidden Alchemy
2x Rewind
3x Magmaquake
1x Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1x Jace, Memory Adept
3x Blood Crypt
3x Dragonskull Summit
4x Steam Vents
4x Sulfur Falls
4x Watery Grave
4x Drowned Catacomb
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Desolate Lighthouse
2x Nephalia Drownyard
3x Izzet Staticaster
2x Duress
2x Notion Thief
2x Crypt Incursion
2x Slaughter Games
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Rakdos's Return
1x Pillar of Flame
1x Pithing Needle
(I don't really like how this list has been performing :/)
Just read this article http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=11185 from Daniel Hayes,,, was able to understand a lot from the comments :3 thx for taking your time Daniel.
PS: "I knew that I had created a monster. A masterpiece…" Love it hehe
Creature - Zombie
Deathtouch
Whenever Liliana's Reaver deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card and you put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.
4/3
*Zombie dancing*
This is gonna have a nice home in all the zombie decks and some (MANY) Jund's..
2RR
3/3
Creature - Ogre Warrior
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, that creature gets +2/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
And a nice flavor text.
Ogres are driven by passion, rage, and another ogre standing behind them with a whip.
With this, Awaken the Ancient, and Chandra's phoenix coming back, I sense RDW's Return.
PS: Great,, now I have to stuff some more Slaughter Games in my SB ><
Also lol at the "probably" and,,, why would someone tap out to play Tamiyo when their opponent hasn't played anything by turn 5.
PS (2): Also, Aetherling.
In your deck (no Nephalia Drownyard, and 4 Magmaquake)
I think it's the right choice to not run Tamiyo / Rakdos Charm.
Also, read your inbox @Monolightning ><.
It does~
Nice list :3
-I'm just wondering how was Turn // Burn for you, because I think that, unless you're running Augurs, Far // Away is better.
-Why do you have 2 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker I feel like you're trying to rush it(?), I don't see any hurry to get him down if you're already on turn 8 (I feel dumb asking this, it's probably obvious and I don't get it ._.).
-Also kinda curious if you'd have liked to have Crypt Incursion,,, anywhere.
Snapcaster Mage Version:
3x Snapcaster Mage
4x Hover Barrier
2x Olivia Voldaren
1x Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
Instants/Sorceries: 18
3x Tragic Slip
4x Devour Flesh
3x Dreadbore
2x Think Twice
4x Forbidden Alchemy
2x Rewind
Enchantments: 6
2x Curse of Death's Hold
4x Dead Weight
Lands: 25
6x Swamp
4x Drowned Catacomb
2x Nephalia Drownyard
3x Dragonskull Summit
4x Sulfur Falls
4x Watery Grave
2x Steam Vents
1x Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
2x Killing Wave
1x Curse of Death's Hold
2x Elixir of Immortality
2x Sever the Bloodline
1x Mind Grind
3x Illness in the Ranks
1x Dreadbore
1x Bonfire of the Damned
Goblin Electromancer Version:
4x Hover Barrier
2x Olivia Voldaren
1x Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
3x Tragic Slip
4x Devour Flesh
2x Dreadbore
2x Think Twice
4x Syncopate
4x Forbidden Alchemy
2x Rewind
2x Curse of Death's Hold
5x Swamp
4x Drowned Catacomb
1x Nephalia Drownyard
1x Desolate Lighthouse
3x Dragonskull Summit
4x Sulfur Falls
4x Watery Grave
3x Steam Vents
1x Curse of Death's Hold
2x Elixir of Immortality
2x Sever the Bloodline
1x Mind Grind
3x Illness in the Ranks
1x Dreadbore
1x Bonfire of the Damned
-Meta filled with aggro decks.
-Didn't put much thought on the sideboard.
-Not sure about Dead Weight: Makes big creatures much less treatening and ignores Boros Reckoner's ability.... on the other hand pillar owns... Pyreheart Wolf, Strangleroot Geist, Gravecrawler but still... I'm favoring Dead Weight because of it's ability to turn Flinthoof Boar, Boros Reckoner, Ghor-Clan Rampager, Thragtusk, Huntmaster of the Fells, and pretty much any creature into something I can block or trade with Snapcaster Mage / Hover Barrier.
-Hover Barrier + Devour Flesh = Awesome.
Snapcaster Mage Version vs Goblin Electromancer Version
Snapcaster V.=
-Has more removal.
-Can combo with Tragic Slip to trade with 2 creatures.
-Can Recicle things that Forbidden Alchemy throws into the graveyard.
-Better mana.
Electromancer V.=
-Ability to cast more removal/counter on early turns.
-Can cast Alchemy and Think twice much easier.
-Goes better with the sideboard cards (Bonfire / Killing Wave / Mind Grind)
-Makes Syncopate a really good counter.
-Relies more on counters / digging and blocking with Hover Barrier instead of having a higher removal count.
Well if there aren't many aggro decks then you'll do pretty well..
-Here's my list (meta filled with aggro decks):
3x Augur of Bolas
4x Hover Barrier
4x Tragic Slip
3x Thought Scour
4x Devour Flesh
2x Ultimate Price
4x Forbidden Alchemy
2x Rewind
1x Killing Wave
1x Mind Grind
2x Curse of Death's Hold
9x Swamp
6x Island
4x Watery Grave
4x Drowned Catacomb
2x Nephalia Drownyard
2x Ghost Quarter
1x Death's Approach
3x Elixir of Immortality
2x Ultimate Price
2x Sever the Bloodline
2x Killing Wave
1x Curse of Death's Hold
2x Mutilate
-Hover Barrier + Devour Flesh = Awesome
-Not sure about killing waves.. but I think it's better than mutilate since I run 16 non swamp lands... might replace for tribute to hunger for some more lifegain.
4 Experiment One
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
3 Lightning Mauler
3 Flinthoof Boar
3 Pyreheart Wolf
3 Hellrider
1 Hound of Griselbrand
2 Ghor-Clan Rampager
2 Wolfir Silverheart
4 Searing Spear
Enchantments: 4
4 Rancor
Lands: 23
4 Stomping Ground
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Hellion Crucible
6 Mountain
7 Forest
-I still don't know what to use as a 3-drop, tried Boros Reckoner but my mana wasn't working.. so I just sticked to the Pyreheart tho I'd like to test Wild Beastmaster
-Burning-Tree Emissary is just plain good.
-Experiment One is also pretty good I like to think of it as a second Noble.
And about the removals, I was playing them as you say, and occasionally using them to make him waste some pumps (in my turn).
I'm thinking about adding even more creatures, i think the deck will do better that way, in fact tomorrow i'm gonna try adding some kilns, and with cheaper instants.
1st round: U/B Control,
The first match was pretty wierd, anyways the whole match i was being pwned except for that miraculous Shrine, i only got to get him till 15hp while i was killing a sphynx and a wurmcoil i got the Shrine till 15, he used 2 preordains and no luck getting a Into the Roil.
I side in 2 shatters (wurmcoil) and 2 AoA(Titans, Sphynx) -2 Probes -1 Mountain -1Burst.
well from this match I only remember taking a wurmcoil with an AoA (he was tapped and realized after he played the wurm) and killing him with that.
Second Round: U/B Infect
about this round.. it was wierd cuz i didn't get to see a vatmother or a skythryx, he controled my Shrines with magnets but still, he used his removals on the phoenix, so 1 turn i used LB and 2 Stormblood. ( I only had 3 poisons but his lands weren't enough to proliferate while playing removals)
I side in 2 Shatters and again 2 AoA -2 probes -1 Mountain (rofl) and 1 Burst Lightning
in this match while he kept poisoning me with a crusader I was just hitting from air with my 3 Phoenix (yeah 3 xD) while i was burning, with my staggers and LB i got to kill the early Necropedes so i got to kill him faster.
Round 3
Wierd U/R deck (not ascension or Twin)
Against this deck i got to win easy because he couldn't get his finisher down, I got to play 2 Berserkers (1 Countered 1 Killed) but again the Phoenix did all the job for me, i only needed to burn his creatures while i kept hitting him and burning.
I side in 2 AoA and 2 Arc Trail
Second match, on this one he just got bad luck very very bad luck, he went with 6 (no lands) and he couldn't get to draw 2 fetchs or lands even with preordains, in this one like he didn't had any mana i just burned him as fast as i could with berserkers, LB and Staggers.
Round 4
U/G Infect
1st match: (he wins the dice roll) I stayed with 2 lands a Shrine, 1 LB, a Burst 1 berserker and a guide.
first turn gg and he goes to 18. He plays an island.
second turn i draw an incinerate and save it against an agent, an elf or anything he could play(i keep hitting with my gg). He only plays an Adventuring Gear,so i use my incinerate on him, he goes to 13hp.
third turn i draw a Staggershock and again i save it, i hit with the goblin till i get him to 11. On his turn he plays an elf, equips it with the Gear and plays a fetch. i burn him with a Staggershock and he uses mutagenic (that gets him to 9) i use the rebound and he uses the fetch.
On my turn i skip the atack and hopelessly on his turn i try to burn that elf with all i had.
I side in 2 Flame Slash 2 Dismember 1 Shatter and 2 Combust getting out 1 Phoenix 1 Guide 1 Berserker 2 Probes 1 Volt Charge and 1 Mountain (again, i have Bad luck with lands).
same strategy from him, he plays 2 Gears, then An Agent and he had a fetch, so i waste all my burn but he had 2 Mutagenic. on his turn he plays another fetch but before he uses it I answer with a Burst and a Dismember he had a Vines, giving him the match.
so somehow both times i got him to low life, he wasted his pumps but he won because of those Gears.
Btw that's all I can remember and sry if my english is kinda bad :/