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By: Basic Land, Andrew Westin
Nov 21 2007 12:04pm
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After last article's discussion of the seemingly non-existant Lorwyn Block, I bring you what you have been waiting for, more on Limited Lorwyn.

(Note: In light of the comments made by "The Pink Floyd", I decided to shave my head.)

I joined a league with a Tournament Pack (75 cards), and 2x Boosters (30 cards). Then I sorted the cards by color and began analyzing the strengths and weaknesses to find out what to play.

 

Creatures (11):

Burrenton Forge-Tender
Dawnfluke
Goldmeadow Dodger
Goldmeadow Harrier
Hillcomber Giant
Judge of Currents
Kithkin Greatheart
Plover Knights
Purity
Springjack Knight
Wispmare

Spells (4):

Soaring Hope
Oblivion Ring
Pollen Lullaby
Summon the School

 

 

 Green

Battlewand Oak and Bog-Strider Ash work well with other Treefolk. Too bad we have about one more Treefolk in our pool. Briarhorn would be included. It's versatility in being a Giant Growth if needed, as well as a warm body makes it good. All in all, not many creatures with great synergy. Oakgnarl Warrior would be great late game. Although for a Converted Casting Cost of seven, it's nothing special. Gilt-Leaf Ambush is about the best spell. Rootgrapple would allow for some card advantage if we survived that long. Elvish Promenade and Jagged-Scar Archers really require more elves to be effective.

Survey Says: A weak color, not even worth splashing for.

 Creatures (9):

Blind-Spot Giant
Caterwauling Boggart
Faultgrinder
Flamekin Brawler
Goatnapper
Ingot Chewer
Nova Chaser
Stinkdrinker Daredevil
Thundercloud Shaman

 

Spells (6):

Blades of Velis Vel
Crush Underfoot
Lash Out
Needle Drop
Tarfire
Hurly-Burly

 

Black

Dreamspoiler Witches would complement the red instant spells. Exiled Boggart, Facevaulter Hornet Harasser, Nath's Buffoon, and Quill-Slinger Boggart continue our Goblin theme, however, the Harasser and Buffon are the only auto-includes. Thieving Sprite is another evasion Faerie, and Thorntooth Witch is mediocre outside of a Treefolk deck. Like red, the spells are great, solid removal in Eyeblight's Ending and Nameless Inversion, and Boggart Birth Rite acts as a utility box in late game, finding a removal spell or a beater out of the graveyard. Hoarder's Greed is an undervalued draw spell.

Survey Says: A fun complimentary color with nine auto-include cards and about twelve playables.

Creatures (9):

Deeptread Merrow
Drowner of Secrets
Inkfathom Divers
2x Merrow Harbinger
Paperfin Rascal
Silvergill Douser
Stonybrook Angler
Æthersnipe

Spells (2):

Broken Ambitions
Wings of Velis Vel

Other

The lone gold card and Creature happens to be Wort, Boggart Auntie. Awesome. Way to shore up Goblins and cement a BR build. The Colfenor's Urn is basically useless in limited without a bunch of four toughness creatures, Poultice is almost as bad. Runed Stalactite adds some much needed creature types to decks as well as being a one card filler. Shimmering Grotto and Vivid Creek would help in splahing a third color. Thorn of Amethyst is better in a format that isn't as creature-heavy.

Survey Says: One Playable Black Red card, and one Playable in any deck. 

White

White has fifteen total cards, the bomb being Purity. It has one great removal card in Oblivion RingJudge of Currents and Summon the School are fantastic if their are other Merfolk to help them out. Burrenton Forge-Tender and Hillcomber Giant are great against Red Mages. Plover Knights is a solid flier in limited.  Goldmeadow Harrier can help tap Merfolk or keep an opposing Giant at bay. This looks like a decent second color with some serious possible synergy.

Survey Says: There are ten cards that I would automatically include in a deck, if I ran White.  The exceptions being Dawnfluke, Goldmeadow Dodger, Wispmare, Soaring Hope, and Pollen Lullaby. Although three or four of those could see play if fillers are needed.

Creatures (8):

Battlewand Oak
Bog-Strider Ash
Briarhorn
Elvish Handservant
Jagged-Scar Archers
Nath's Elite
Oakgnarl Warrior
Warren-Scourge Elf

Spells (6):

Fistful of Force
Gilt-Leaf Ambush
Heal the Scars
Lace with Moonglove
Rootgrapple
Elvish Promenade

Red

Blind-Spot Giant is a nice beater, if only he had a Giant friend. Caterwauling Boggart helps Goblins and Elementals get through the red-zone. Faultgrinder, is an elemental that destroys a land. However, there are really only Basic Lands to Stone Rain, and a 4/4 for seven is a bit much. Flamekin Brawler is a Firebreathing Elemental Goblin ChirurgeonGoatnapper can be fun with all of the Changelings running around. However, if he doesn't find any goats, he is an overcosted Grizzly Bears. Ingot Chewer, is another silly, unplayable Elemental. Nova Chaser, without them is a dead card. Stinkdrinker Daredevil ties in our Goblin theme nicely with our Giant sub-theme and cheapens our Changeling spells. Thundercloud Shaman is a great beater with the possibility of being a walking pyroclasm. Our spells are pretty solid in removal with Needle Drop being the worst and still a cantrip.

Survey Says: Tweleve Cards are indeed playable. More with an Elemental package.

Creatures (8):

Dreamspoiler Witches
Exiled Boggart
Facevaulter
Hornet Harasser
Nath's Buffoon
Quill-Slinger Boggart
Thieving Sprite

Thorntooth Witch

 

 Spells (5):

Prowess of the Fair
Eyeblight's Ending
Nameless Inversion
Boggart Birth Rite
Hoarder's Greed

 Blue

We continue where we left off in White.Tutoring- Islandwalking-decking-combat altering Merfolk are exactly what we were hoping for. Every creature is playable and welcome. If we don't run blue, it would be hard not to sideboard in the entire color when playing against it. Even both of the spells are nice.

Survey Says: Eleven cards, go Merfolk.

Creatures (1):

Wort, Boggart Auntie

 

Spells (6, 29 Basic Lands):

Colfenor's Urn
Herbal Poultice
Runed Stalactite
29x Basic Lands
Shimmering Grotto
Thorn of Amethyst
Vivid Creek

  

Having examined each color and the impact of all the cards, there are two distinct decks that jump out. The first is RB Goblins, which is anchored by Wort, Boggart Auntie, and Goblin removal spells of Tarfire and Nameless Inversion. This kind of synergy seems too good not to use. So, without further ado, I give you.

 RB Goblins

Lands (17):

9x Mountain
8x Swamp

Spells (11):

Blades of Velis Vel
Boggart Birth Rite
Crush Underfoot
Eyeblight's Ending
Hoarder's Greed
Hurly-Burly
Lash Out
Nameless Inversion
Needle Drop
Runed Stalactite
Tarfire

 

Creatures (12):

Blind-Spot Giant
Caterwauling Boggart
Dreamspoiler Witches
Flamekin Brawler
Goatnapper
Hornet Harasser
Nath's Buffoon
Quill-Slinger Boggart
Stinkdrinker Daredevil
Thieving Sprite
Thundercloud Shaman
Wort, Boggart Auntie
Wort, Boggart Auntie

This deck got me off to two wins in league play. I played at least three removal spells each game and either a Giant or two, flying Faeries or my two-headed Goblin squadron. I was surprised at the adaptability of the deck. However, I did lose a game each match, as either Needle Drop, Hurly-Burly or Blind-Spot Giant became dead cards. Also, there are no sideboard choices, I used all the cards that fit into this deck. So, in games two and three of each match I was at a slight disadvantage. The hidden allstar of the first two matches was Runed Stalactite, which provided me with a Giant to aid my Blind-Spot or Thundercloud Shaman, or by making a creature a goblin to be blocked by two or more creatures. The question is am I missing something, could there be another deck in this pool that is worthy of play?

Record 2-0

(Note: Whenever an author asks a question in an article and the answer needs to be yes for the article to continue, the answer is most likely yes.)

Yes, there is! Since Green has been excluded as an option, that leaves us with White and Blue or splashing for one or the other in our Goblin build (I strongly considered splashing White).  Therefore, let's see where a White and Blue Merfolk build gets us.

WU Merfolk
Summon the School

Lands (18):

10x Plains
8x Island

Spells (5):

Broken Ambitions
Oblivion Ring
Runed Stalactite
Summon the School
Wings of Velis Vel

 

Creatures (17):

Æthersnipe
Burrenton Forge-Tender
Deeptread Merrow
Drowner of Secrets
Goldmeadow Harrier
Hillcomber Giant
Inkfathom Divers
Judge of Currents
Kithkin Greatheart
2x Merrow Harbinger
Paperfin Rascal
Plover Knights
Purity
Silvergill Douser
Springjack Knight
Stonybrook Angler

 

I started off game one with a Summon the School and a Merrow Harbinger in my hand. While my opponent couldn't get through my swarm, he also had two Lairwatch Giant, so I wasn't getting through to him either. Either I was going to deck him with Drowner of Secrets, or he would overwhelm me with fliers. I made the mistake of playing the Drowner to give my opponent a two turn clock on his deck, and instantly out came a Nameless Inversion. The game ended with me dying to a 3/3 flier, while my opponent had two cards left in his library. Waiting a turn would have allowed me to have four extra Merfolk and have given me the victory. Hindsight is 20/20, and I can learn from my mistakes. I won the next game, and then got over run by an explosive Kithkin team. Having to mulligan twice didn't help, but I don't want to take anything away from my opponent's deck.

Record 2-1

The next match I started out with RB Goblins and lost as my opponent easily rode to victory on the back of a Hillcomber Giant. Line change. THIRTY NINE sideboard cards jump in. I was able to get in some much needed mountainwalk damage of my own and eek out a victory. Then I lost in the third game, as my opponent's deck was clearly better than mine. (This opponent ended up with 10 points, and plenty of tiebreakers).

Record 2-2.

Now I am thinking, either way, win or lose, at least I will get a pack or two. During my league week, I travelled around the Southeast, and made it home around 4pm on the last day of the league. I was ready to try the UW build again and see how it held up, only to find out that I misread the league information and it ended at 2:30pm. No packs, no chance for glory, just a 2-2 record, six league points, and a participational avatar. Fantastic.

Frustrated I headed to the casual room for some freeform games.

I found that both decks had their downfalls, but were incredible in different situations. If I had the same pool of cards to play again, I would have used one and played with the other as the sideboard, depending on what I thought was the better matchup.

Thank you for tuning in, I hope you enjoyed Lorwyn Limited League play, next time I will be discussing a Lorwyn draft walkthrough.

0 Comments

by Anonymous (Unregistered) 210.55.201.197 (not verified) at Thu, 11/22/2007 - 18:37
Anonymous (Unregistered) 210.55.201.197's picture

Oops.  Keep the 9th plains.

by Anonymous (Unregistered) 210.55.201.197 (not verified) at Thu, 11/22/2007 - 18:35
Anonymous (Unregistered) 210.55.201.197's picture

You should definitely splash either red or black in your merfolk deck, but not both.  That destabilises your main colours and you essentially have twice as many splash cards to colourscrew yoruself with.

I would go with a single colour splash, black since the removal is better and inversion is tutorable.

Changes from your deck:
+ 1 Swamp
+ 1 Vivid Creek
+ 1 Shimmering Grotto
- 2 Plains
- 2 Island

- Burrenton Forge-Tender
- Springjack Knight
+ Eyeblight's Ending
+ Nameless Inversion

Making this deck:

Runed Stalactite
Wings of Velis Vel
Nameless Inversion
Eyeblight's Ending
Oblivion Ring
Summon the School
Broken Ambitions
 
Goldmeadow Harrier
Deeptread Merrow
Stonybrook Angler
Judge of Currents
Silvergill Douser
Kithkin Greatheart
Drowner of Secrets
Paperfin Rascal
Hillcomber Giant
2x Merrow Harbinger
Inkfathom Divers
Plover Knights
Purity
Æthersnipe

8 Plains
7 Island
1 Swamp
1 Vivid Creek
1 Shimmering Grotto

shaved head by mtgotraders at Wed, 11/21/2007 - 12:06
mtgotraders's picture

Holy crap that is funny. 

by Anonymous (Unregistered) 12.47.110.206 (not verified) at Wed, 11/21/2007 - 15:40
Anonymous (Unregistered) 12.47.110.206's picture

This is the build I would take(splash for power/removal):

Crittres(15)

1cc: Harrier

2cc: Judge, Deeptread Merrow, Silvergill, Stoneybrook

3cc: Drowner, Paperfin, Springjack

4cc: Hillcomber, x2 M. Harbinger

5cc: Plover Knights, Inkfathom Divers

6+cc: Aethersnipe, Purity

Spells(8)

Runed Stlagtite, Tarfire

Wings of..., Lash Out

O. Ring, Nameless Inversion,

Eyeblight's Ending, Summon the School

 Land(17)

7 Plains

6 Islands

1 Mountain

1 Swamp

1 Vivid Creek

1 Shimmering Grotto

 

 

Regards,

Andy

Has to be said by The Pink Floyd (Unregistered) 82.33.145.36 (not verified) at Wed, 11/21/2007 - 19:52
The Pink Floyd (Unregistered) 82.33.145.36's picture

You really got to find a less bald picture of yourself.

 

I have the power to control your cranium. Mohahahah (Coruscating with power)

Deck list by Basic Land at Thu, 11/22/2007 - 03:36
Basic Land's picture

Thanks Andy for your deck list. I will go and try that out. That idea didn't even come to mind, I had thought of splashing for red or black, but not both. I am looking forward to see how the deck plays out now.

 

First deck by iceage4life at Wed, 11/21/2007 - 16:55
iceage4life's picture

Am I missing something or are there only 3 ways to get Blindspot Giant and Crush Underfoot working?  If so they should not be in there at all.