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 Last week, I started an article series based around the old Choose your own adventure books.  My first article in the series can be found here.

Just as I sat down to start writing the second article, I noticed the first had been posted.  So far two comments, which I suppose isn't too bad for a Tuesday morning.  One thing I've found about this site is that the reader base is full of pauper players.  After talking with a friend, we both decided in order to expand this idea and make it more productive, he would start writing pauper articles similar to these.  Legacy has always been my baby, so I will continue writing ones based around my favorite format.  But, have no fear my pauper friends, your brain cell exercise time is soon to come.

 In the last article, we discussed the deck Death and Taxes.  While this deck is very fun to play, it just doesn't sit well with me.  I have played it a few times and it always comes up short as far as my play style goes.  Each to their own, right? 

Recently, the wonderful people at WOTC announced a new ban/unban list for Legacy.  In case you are living under a rock, the card Mystical Tutor received the ban title and the cards Grim Monolith and Illusionary Mask both became free market agents again.  So why is this announcement important?  Simply put, with the death of Mystical Tutor, decks like Reanimator and Ad Nauseam suddenly lose their Tier 1 status and have been relocated to the "If I play this will anyone laugh at me" location.  Ok, maybe that was a little bit harsh.  I really think these decks can remain viable and I'm sure someone will figure out a way to continue to abuse their mechanics.  Until that time, we can expect the format to take a stage left exit into the super aggro realm.  I am anticipating a meta where Zoo becomes the consistent Deck to Beat and Dredge starts to gain more momentum as the graveyard hate it felt from Reanimator starts to lessen just a little bit. 

 If we follow the typical magic flow chart we would get something that looks like this:

Aggro beats Control, Control beats Combo, Combo beats Aggro.

We've all played Rock Paper, Scissors growing up.  Rock crushes scissors, Scissors cuts paper and Paper covers rock.  Then some smarty pants developed Dynamite to blow up the entire game and move towards total World Domination.

Well, Magic doesn't have access to dynamite does it?

So, with the neutering of Mystical Tutor and the death of Ad Nauseam (supposedly), how in the heck are we going to beat Aggro?

Well, I think it is time to start our adventure with Dynamite.  It is time to peak into the world that is Aggro-Control.  For those who struggle with deciding on which style to play like myself, why decide?  With aggro-control lists, you get the best of both worlds.

Bant Aggro

Choose your own adventure Decklist #1

Creatures 2 Knight of the Reliquary 4 Noble Hierarch 4 Qasali Pridemage 2 Rhox War Monk 4 Tarmogoyf 2 Vendilion Clique 18 cards Other Spells 4 Brainstorm 4 Daze 4 Force of Will 3 Spell Pierce 4 Swords to Plowshares 4 Ponder 23 cards

Lands 2 Flooded Strand 1 Forest 1 Island 2 Misty Rainforest 1 Plains 3 Tropical Island 3 Tundra 4 Wasteland 2 Windswept Heath 19 cards Sideboard 4 Hydroblast 2 Krosan Grip 2 Path to Exile 2 Engineered Explosives 2 Pithing Needle 3 Relic of Progenitus 15 cards

This was the original list I posted in the first article.  While it might not be the perfect decklist for our future metagame, it is a good starting point for us to discuss.

Let's breakdown the card selections before getting to the adventure part.

I won't spend much time on the manabase other than to say typically Aggro-Control lists run Wastelands.  New Horizons runs them, as well as Thresh lists.  This manabase utilizes the fetchlands to establish the proper colors and it also runs 3 basics to keep other mana denial strategies in check.

- This card helps pamper a shaky manabase and is hardly a terrible topdeck.  It makes your (Tarmogoyfs) bigger than your opponents and this isn't something which should be overlooked.

- Almost every aggro-control deck running green I know of is using 4x of this guy.  Why should we be any different?

- Another exalted creature to pump Tarmos, this one destroys all the cool toys your opponents might try to surprise you with.  I have a feeling we will start to see more (Stoneforge Mystics) which will lead to more crazy artifacts like Umezawa's Jitte.  Let's also not forget that if Storm does die, the deck Enchantress suddenly loses its worst matchup.  You better be prepared for Enchantress, this guy helps with that.

- One of my new favorite cards in my new favorite deck, (New Horizons).  It becomes a large beater, can thin out your deck and finds Wasteland which can punish weak manabases.  It is not as important in this deck as it is in New Horizons, but after your opponent wastes all his removal on Tarmogoyf, this guy can come in and seal the deal.

- A 3/4 body with Lifelink, what is not to love?  Did I mention he is pitchable to Force of Will?  In an aggressive aggro format, this guy could easily become a 3 or 4x maindeck.  Some decks might also run Kitchen Finks.

- I got to be honest with everyone, this card confuses me.  I used to hate it, but lately I've been testing it in my New Horizons list and now I love it.  It can be an end of turn 3/1 flyer which forces your opponent into a decision.  Against control it can remove that Jace in their hand or other crucial cards.  It comes down as a nice surprise against Death and Taxes who love to run Serra Avenger.  Don't forget this creature is Legendary, which makes it a interesting Karakas target should you try to test that idea.

- These are practically auto-includes in most aggro-control lists. UGR Canadian Thresh lists obviously don't run Swords, but the other cards speak for themselves.

The last card is Spell Pierce.  Using 3x Spell Pierce, this deck runs 23 Blue spells which is enough to make Force of Will happy. Some discussion of Dispel was used.  I think Pierce is the overall better choice here.  It isn't one-dimensional like Dispel, plus it works well with Daze by forcing your opponent to take lands, often times tapping all of theirs.  Going 2 for 1 with Pierce and Daze isn't the best plan in the world, but I suppose that play has merit in the right situation.  If anything, Pierce taps out your opponent, allowing you to cast some of your other creatures while using Daze as backup in that situation.  Either way, this is mostly a flex spot.  I've seen lists run Engineered Explosives, Spell Snare, more removal, more creatures and other counters.

So how about we get on with the adventure already?

First, let's remember the tournament scenario from the last time.

You briefly look at the pairings and see the following 16 players (the event fired at the minimum amount required).

1. Soron
2. Relopsist
3. Jumman
4. BarelyKnew
5. FarfromTruth
6. I8Pizza
7. Framer
8. Hero's Welcome
9. Mythea
10. Sections
11. SilentAcceptance - You
12. Darkside
13. FivO
14. Tristan
15. Rathmon
16. GymDandy

You are a relatively seasoned tournament player.  You know it is bad to make assumptions, but you have some based on frequent players in the tournament who usually play the same decks.

Here are your assumptions before sitting down to play round 1.

• Sections has played Mono Blue Merfolk in the last three Daily Events
• Rathmon plays several decks including New Horizons, UGR Thresh and Landstill
• BarelyKnew is a clanmate and you know he is playing Reanimator
• I8Pizza is known as a rogue type player, usually playing something controlling
• Darkside is known as a zoo player, but has also played Ad Nauseam and Belcher in the past
• Framer is also a clanmate, but you are unsure of which type of deck he might play this time,  Your guess is Landstill or Merfolk
• Mythea you have never seen in a Legacy Tournament
• FivO was seen playing Dredge in the Tourney Practice room a few days ago
• You played Jumman in a 2man about a week ago and he was running a Rockish Type of Deck which you beat easily.
• GymDandy is probably playing Goblins, although he sometimes throws in Affinity.

Let the adventure begin!  It is time to make up your mind!

Here is Scenario #1

You begin round 1 play, lose the dice roll and draw Darkside.  Here is your opening hand, do you keep or mulligan?

 Knowing assumptions are usually bad, we think he is either Zoo, ANT or Belcher.

What are our plays?

• If he is belcher, we are screwed.  Most belcher lists are extremely vulnerable to counters, but with him winning dice roll he could easily win on his turn.
• If he is ANT (with Mystical), the chances of losing this turn are much less than Belcher.  We really don't have any good plays, if he goes Underground Sea into Duress our Pierce becomes worthless.  The only other card helpful is Brainstorm.
• If he is Zoo, our opening hand isn't the worst in the world as it holds removal and some other goodies.
• Do we go strand into Brainstorm at EOT?
• Do we go Strand into Noble?
• Do we hold strand and STP if he is on Zoo?
• Do we mulligan and hope he is playing Storm?
• Do we scratch our head and wonder if we turned off the stove after eating dinner?

Here is Scenario #2

You decide to run with your gut and mulligan just in case he is running ANT or Belcher.  Plus, you weren't all that excited about your opening hand vs. Zoo.

Here is your opening 6:

, ,

 Do we keep this hand, cross our fingers and hope he isn't running Belcher?  Or do we mulligan one last time?

You decided with 1 land and 2 cantrips to take the chance and keep the hand.  He is playing belcher, goes first and then goes onto victory.  Onto game #2 we go.

Scenario #3 - What cards would you sideboard in for this matchup, what cards would you sideboard out?

 You pull out victory in games 2 and 3 on the back of Counters and Pithing Needle so onto the 2nd round we go.

 Scenario #4 - You just got done watching replays and find yourself paired up against Mythea.  From the replays you know he is playing Dredge.  You win the dice roll and here is your opening 7.  Do you keep this hand or mulligan it away?

Scenario #5 - You decide to keep the hand, what is the correct play on your turn?  What is the play you don't want to see from him on his turn?

• Do you play Tundra, then ponder?
• Do you play Tundra and hold brainstorm till his turn?
• Do you play Tundra and see if Pierce is needed?
• Do you play Wasteland because you know Dredge runs few to no basics?

Scenario #6 - What cards do you sideboard in for the Dredge matchup?  What cards do you side out?

Final Scenario #7 - What are the 5 most important plays your deck has? 

Bant-Aggro when played correctly seems like a very versatile deck.  There are plenty of similar versions of the deck which you might also find intriguing.

Bant Control

 

Creatures 3 Qasali Pridemage 3 Rhox War Monk 4 Tarmogoyf 2 Vendilion Clique 12 cards Other Spells 4 Brainstorm 4 Force of Will 1 Path to Exile 3 Spell Snare 4 Swords to Plowshares 1 Ponder 3 Counterbalance 1 Engineered Explosives 3 Sensei's Divining Top 1 Vedalken Shackles 2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor 27 cards

Lands 4 Flooded Strand 1 Forest 2 Island 4 Misty Rainforest 1 Plains 4 Tropical Island 4 Tundra 1 Volcanic Island 21 cards Sideboard 2 Faerie Macabre 2 Krosan Grip 1 Path to Exile 3 Spell Pierce 2 Firespout 1 Threads of Disloyalty 1 Engineered Explosives 2 Relic of Progenitus 1 Tormod's Crypt 15 cards

This version runs the Counterbalance + Sensei's Divining Top combo.  It makes me want to vomit just writing about it.  That is how much I despise the interaction between the two cards.  Counterbalance decks historically were susceptible to 3 mana spells such as Krosan Grip.  This version helps shore up that problem by running six cards of 3 mana cost.  While Krosan Grip stops them from using Sensei's Ability to set up the stack, it doesn't stop the immediate action of Counterbalance.  The printing of Jace 2.0 also brings this deck to a new level.  You will never find me playing these exact 75, but don't be surprised to see them floating around. 

Survival Bant

 

Creatures 1 Iona, Shield of Emeria 1 Loyal Retainers 4 Noble Hierarch 2 Qasali Pridemage 3 Rhox War Monk 1 Sower of Temptation 1 Squee, Goblin Nabob 4 Tarmogoyf 1 Trygon Predator 1 Vendilion Clique 19 cards Other Spells 4 Brainstorm 3 Daze 4 Force of Will 4 Swords to Plowshares 3 Ponder 4 Survival of the Fittest 18 cards

Lands 1 Flooded Strand 1 Forest 1 Island 4 Misty Rainforest 1 Plains 2 Savannah 1 Taiga 3 Tropical Island 1 Tundra 1 Volcanic Island 3 Windswept Heath 19 cards Sideboard 1 Ethersworn Canonist 1 Gaddock Teeg 1 Llawan, Cephalid Empress 1 Progenitus 2 Krosan Grip 3 Spell Pierce 3 Firespout 3 Natural Order 15 cards

Survival Decks seem to be mostly non-existent online, but I think they are still worth mentioning. A survival deck did go 3-1 in a Daily Event recently and the list can be found here and here. For those unfamiliar with the deck, it wants to get Survival on the board, use its ability to put Squee into the graveyard and eventually get out Iona.  It then starts drawing all the creatures of choice, all the while, protecting itself with countermagic and removal.  If reanimator decks go bye-bye, we might see more of this kind of deck since less graveyard hate means more smiles for the survival player.  One thing you will notice about this deck and the previous one is that both are running Firespout in the sideboard.  If the meta shifts like I think it will, this card will become a nice addition to most sideboards.

The last bantish type of deck I want to show you was described in my previous article found here.

New Horizons as previously mentioned is my new baby.  It is my Dodge Viper of the Magic World.  It is super fun to play and well it wins!

Here are placements of different pilots in recent Daily Events:

Legacy Daily #1328388, Legacy Daily #1335090 - TheThirdMoon, Yusuke also went 3-1 in the last event.

Legacy Daily #1335074 - Unique build by mylast

I've also personally taken 2 different decklists to a 4-0 and 3-1 showing recently.  Bant/Thresh/New Horizons/Aggro lists tend to not have bad matchups.  They also don't have great matchups either.  They always give you a fighting chance of pulling off the victory.  It is because of this that these type of decklists are the ones I enjoy playing the most.

No matter what adventure you choose, deck choice is always one of the most important steps in starting it. 

As Always, Thanks for reading.

Graig W.

-ImpinAintEasy on Mtgo-