what's everyone's thoughts on gut shot as a SB card?
Surprisingly amazing IF you have set rest of your sideboard properly. I like play 2. Awesome against Bob, Noble, any infect creature, steel overseer, and many other guys you dont want to path.
Also IS able to make lethal(pre lethal) damage. Nobody expects Spanish direct damage in our colors.
What would you say is the ideal number of Restos/Wall of Resurgence/Brimaz/Blade Splicer to run, and should I drop Eldrazi Displacer? It's definitely one of the best tools in E&T.
You should try to found Your own best amount. I'm sure You need to keep at least one Displacer. If You're not certain, two of them would be good.
Is there anyone who plays BW? I love that color combination for additional lingering souls, and good sideboard. For example Hide // Seek is amazing against any Nahiri shell and Scapeshift combo.
Also, with te BW we're able to play Soring, Solemn Visitor, who adds a lot of pressure in a game.
Okay, let's talk about the Gearhulk seriously. Speaking of It I'll consider only bad matchups, because good ones don't need any additional efforts to win.
1: Really Fast Agro Decks That Goes Wide [Affinity, Elves, Folks ]
Yep, there may be some profit from a Hulk. If You have some amount of luck, You'll be alive long enough to play a Hulk in Your favor. The problem Is You must have either a T-1 vial that vil not be destroyed(resetted) till your 3x OR You need 5 mana on Your turn 5 (which means Youre not able to implement Your mana-denial plan at all) AND You must be alive! If all that things was implemented, then you might be able to win. Not 100%
Why do we need so much IFs while we have an access to widest collection of best hate card and quite dense amount of high quality point and mass removal? Engineered Explosives, Sunlance, Declaration In Stone, Zealous Persecution, even Gutshot and Dismember are extremely good against a swarming enemy. Dedicated art hate such as Kataki, Stony Silence and Disenchant will bring an Affinity player to his knees much faster and much more efficient way!
Moreover, that kinf of hate Youre able to use against other archetypes, such as Lantern Control or even Tron.
2: Grindy Midranges With A Lot Of Removal And Card Advantage Engines [JUND, JUNK, Grixis, Uwr]
All that match a reaaly terrible. Especially Jund and Grixis. Last one is hell because of Snapcasters and Darkdweller.
Our main plan here is to be VERY aggressive and very successfully with the land destruction plan. Tell me please, You-Hulk-Guys. How do suppose Hulk will help You here? Do You want to try your luck and waint till they cast couple of K-Command and Terminate? Do You really want to swap all bord for a Hulk while they may be able to keep either Lilliana and a 5/6 Tarmo or a Kalitas with a bunch of zombies? Have You ever think of the Kalitas?
And even if you managed to make 1 vs 1 board. Ho about a Terminate or a K-Command? Making their tarmo +1/+1 one more time as a side effect. Sweeet.
3: Heavy Control [UWR, UW]
What task will the Hulk have here? Destroy a random Snapcaster?
I say again, You have to be fast and aggressive here! Couple of Selfless Spirits plus a Thalia = Youre Ok. You're placing a Gerahulk? They have Snapcaster + Path for it. Then couple of 'all tapped and draw' via Cryptics, then Sphinx's Revelation and You re dead. A lategame is not You want.
4: Scapeshift
Okidoki, You wait for some counters, they wait for 8 mana to kill You. What a Hulk will do here? Nothing. Instead You want go wide and kill him before he comboes off. Aven Mindcensor is the awesome backup here. Hulk is the dead card. Again.
Actually, I may continue, but I think there is more than enough arguments for not having a Hulk in a Deck.
Maybe there is a realy bad matchup where the Hulk helps a lot, but I don't know about that. Maybe You'll tel me?
I don't remember that I advocate the Prison. In fact I think it's quite bad card for a DnT deck. Problems must be solved, not delayed. That's why I prefer any cheap and drirect point removal or amy mass removal over such things like the Prison.
Having 5 CMC conflicts with what defines the deck, and with most lists running 22 lands (with up to 7 sacrifice land effects in Horizon Canopy, Ghost Quarter, Tectonic Edge]) people will have issues casting it or be in scenarios where they're forced to uptick vial to 5 which is really bad.
I don't argue with You, buddy. You re have your opinion already. I just want to caution other fellow players.
Rather then relaying on a Hulk when Your state is bad, I prefer to use cards that prevent me from being in a bad state. I guess this is just a different approach for a game planning.
PS
that add nothing to the discussion.
You know what? I have some arguments at least! About high cost of a Hulk's hardcasting. About loss of tempo when Yoou trying to vial it in. About thing that's it's bad to allow Youre enemy to choose what to keep. And other stuff.
But from You I see only 'Muh Hulk so potent much wonder! Wonna not hear anybody! '
I'd say 'The pot shouldn't call the kettle black' ;-)
- I tap 5 mana and place my Hulk, m-kay?
- I eat eat all my board for that ravager, and put all that counters on my Etched Champion. Lets resolve Your Hulk.
- I choose my Hulk, m-kaay?
- I choose my champion and a cranial plating. Also I have one or 2 Citadels. Enjoy Your Hulk bro.
- I put my 5th counter on the vial to put a Hulk so You can not counter it, You Smelly Fish!
- Sorry bro, but Youre dead 2 turns ago. So no hulks for You today!
- I put my 5th counter on the vial to put a Hulk so You can not counter it, You Smelly Fish!
- Sorry bro, but Youre dead 2 turns ago. So no hulks for You today!
- I put my 5th counter on the vial to put a Hulk so You can not counter it, You Smelly Fish!
- Okay, I'll keep my Lord Of Atlantis, Vial and the Spreading Seas.
Here is my 2nd lord from my vial and here is 2x 4/4 unblockable Mutavaults for You. Enjoy Your Hulk bro.
Surprisingly amazing IF you have set rest of your sideboard properly. I like play 2. Awesome against Bob, Noble, any infect creature, steel overseer, and many other guys you dont want to path.
Also IS able to make lethal(pre lethal) damage. Nobody expects
Spanishdirect damage in our colors.You should try to found Your own best amount. I'm sure You need to keep at least one Displacer. If You're not certain, two of them would be good.
Also, with te BW we're able to play Soring, Solemn Visitor, who adds a lot of pressure in a game.
So far - yes. Discard , lots of removal, 8+ hard beaters vs 4 main PTE, cheap draw.
1: Really Fast Agro Decks That Goes Wide [Affinity, Elves, Folks ]
Yep, there may be some profit from a Hulk. If You have some amount of luck, You'll be alive long enough to play a Hulk in Your favor. The problem Is You must have either a T-1 vial that vil not be destroyed(resetted) till your 3x OR You need 5 mana on Your turn 5 (which means Youre not able to implement Your mana-denial plan at all) AND You must be alive! If all that things was implemented, then you might be able to win. Not 100%
Why do we need so much IFs while we have an access to widest collection of best hate card and quite dense amount of high quality point and mass removal? Engineered Explosives, Sunlance, Declaration In Stone, Zealous Persecution, even Gutshot and Dismember are extremely good against a swarming enemy. Dedicated art hate such as Kataki, Stony Silence and Disenchant will bring an Affinity player to his knees much faster and much more efficient way!
Moreover, that kinf of hate Youre able to use against other archetypes, such as Lantern Control or even Tron.
2: Grindy Midranges With A Lot Of Removal And Card Advantage Engines [JUND, JUNK, Grixis, Uwr]
All that match a reaaly terrible. Especially Jund and Grixis. Last one is hell because of Snapcasters and Darkdweller.
Our main plan here is to be VERY aggressive and very successfully with the land destruction plan. Tell me please, You-Hulk-Guys. How do suppose Hulk will help You here? Do You want to try your luck and waint till they cast couple of K-Command and Terminate? Do You really want to swap all bord for a Hulk while they may be able to keep either Lilliana and a 5/6 Tarmo or a Kalitas with a bunch of zombies? Have You ever think of the Kalitas?
And even if you managed to make 1 vs 1 board. Ho about a Terminate or a K-Command? Making their tarmo +1/+1 one more time as a side effect. Sweeet.
3: Heavy Control [UWR, UW]
What task will the Hulk have here? Destroy a random Snapcaster?
I say again, You have to be fast and aggressive here! Couple of Selfless Spirits plus a Thalia = Youre Ok. You're placing a Gerahulk? They have Snapcaster + Path for it. Then couple of 'all tapped and draw' via Cryptics, then Sphinx's Revelation and You re dead. A lategame is not You want.
4: Scapeshift
Okidoki, You wait for some counters, they wait for 8 mana to kill You. What a Hulk will do here? Nothing. Instead You want go wide and kill him before he comboes off. Aven Mindcensor is the awesome backup here. Hulk is the dead card. Again.
Actually, I may continue, but I think there is more than enough arguments for not having a Hulk in a Deck.
Maybe there is a realy bad matchup where the Hulk helps a lot, but I don't know about that. Maybe You'll tel me?
5 drop IS ALWAYS bad for our deck, unless we're speakeng of Eldrazi Build.
Just read what Darktutor says about gap between costs for vialing issues and about manabase.
I don't remember that I advocate the Prison. In fact I think it's quite bad card for a DnT deck. Problems must be solved, not delayed. That's why I prefer any cheap and drirect point removal or amy mass removal over such things like the Prison.
I guess that that MU is strongly favored for us without any Hulks. Especially after sideboarding.
Rather then relaying on a Hulk when Your state is bad, I prefer to use cards that prevent me from being in a bad state. I guess this is just a different approach for a game planning.
PS
You know what? I have some arguments at least! About high cost of a Hulk's hardcasting. About loss of tempo when Yoou trying to vial it in. About thing that's it's bad to allow Youre enemy to choose what to keep. And other stuff.
But from You I see only 'Muh Hulk so potent much wonder! Wonna not hear anybody! '
I'd say 'The pot shouldn't call the kettle black' ;-)