Awesome everything! Lists, good writing, novel thinking. Thanks for the good read.
"In game two my opponent went first and hit his Charbelcher combo on turn one, activating and flipping over Blood Crypt as the FIRST card! I went for my own combo and Consulted for Necropotence into oblivion. Are you kidding me?"
To quote the maxim: truth is tranger than fiction. The last time I played against belcher, my opponent's only land was on top as well, but to lose all 4 Necros to a DC (or at least with just a couple fo cards left) is kind of funny. Whiffy says how he hates playing the card.
I, too, very much enjoy your article. This one is excellent even by your usual high standards. Grixis has been the odd man out among the Alara shards and I imagine that will change significantly with Conflux and the Grixis-themed Planeswalker.
You inspired me to make a standard Grixis deck, but I went a slightly different path:
Land (25)
4 Crumbling Necropolis
4 Grixis Panorama
4 Island
4 Mountain
6 Swamp
3 Vivid Marsh
Creatures (19)
4 Sedraxis Specter
3 Highway Robber
4 Shriekmaw
4 Mulldrifter
3 Sedris, the Traitor King
1 Prince of Thralls
Other (16)
4 Raven's Crime
2 Agony Warp
4 Blightning
2 Grixis Charm
2 Liliana Vess
2 Cruel Ultimatum
Liliana Vess really helps things out a lot, both for the tutor ability and continuing the theme of forcing your opponent to discard. Since this deck is a little on the slow side, the highway robbers help shore up life (plus give me a body with which to block) against fast decks. Plus, unearthing it is fun too. The Prince of Thralls doesn't really belong here, but it appeals to my inner Timmy and they're dirt cheap online. Thoughtsieze may be better than Raven's Crime as a turn 1 drop, but two factors made me opt against it: (1) Raven's Crime makes every single card in my deck useful; and (2) I don't own any Thoughtsieze cards, nor wish to spend $28 to get a play set.
I, too, very much enjoy your article. This one is excellent even by your usual high standards. Grixis has been the odd man out among the Alara shards and I imagine that will change significantly with Conflux and the Grixis-themed Planeswalker.
You inspired me to make a standard Grixis deck, but I went a slightly different path:
Land (25)
4 Crumbling Necropolis
4 Grixis Panorama
4 Island
4 Mountain
6 Swamp
3 Vivid Marsh
Creatures (19)
4 Sedraxis Specter
3 Highway Robber
4 Shriekmaw
4 Mulldrifter
3 Sedris, the Traitor King
1 Prince of Thralls
Other (16)
4 Raven's Crime
2 Agony Warp
4 Blightning
2 Grixis Charm
2 Liliana Vess
2 Cruel Ultimatum
Liliana Vess really helps things out a lot, both for the tutor ability and continuing the theme of forcing your opponent to discard. Since this deck is a little on the slow side, the highway robbers help shore up life (plus give me a body with which to block) against fast decks. Plus, unearthing it is fun too. The Prince of Thralls doesn't really belong here, but it appeals to my inner Timmy and they're dirt cheap online. Thoughtsieze may be better than Raven's Crime as a turn 1 drop, but two factors made me opt against it: (1) Raven's Crime makes every single card in my deck useful; and (2) I don't own any Thoughtsieze cards, nor wish to spend $28 to get a play set.
There's a HUGE difference between a creature that dies to Terror, Slaughter Pact, Eyeblight's Ending, even Incinerate/Nameless Inversion if early enough, and an enchantment. Tarmogoyf had answers that were maindeckable, while Bitterblossom demands cards that are dead in blossomless matchups. Also, Tarmogoyf is a single threat. That means it's easier to play around and even chump block than an enchantment that spits 1/1 fliers every turn.
As I've come to expect from your articles, this was very very good. You put a lot of effort into your decks and articles and it certainly shows. I look forward to your articles more than the deck building articles on mtg.com now!
Hindering Light is fantastic, but if you really want to stop Corrupt Black/MBC, I suggest the old stand by Circle of Protection- not much they can do to you with that on the board.
This must be what SpikeBoyM feels when he opens up the PDC Magic forums...
Loved the article! A couple of things I'd like to point out -
The initial template for this deck was mirrodin era UW control. Of course, there is no wrath in pauper, so white had to be replaced with red. Petrahydrox and the Chronarch were both initially included because they are red, and therefore made it easier to Wrath of Martyr. There is a surprizing dearth of red control cards.
I don't run mulldrifter. Yes, the card is very good, but it is also difficult for this deck to abuse. I run Seer/Compulsive Research instead. The seer is an early blocker when necessary, and research is cheap advantage that can be returned with the chronarch in a pinch. Plus it doesn't get countered by the most common counterspell in EXT, Remove Soul.
I usually run 2 Train of Thought. They are that good. It always makes me upset when the first gets stripped from hand somehow, or I have to cantrip it early and can't find my chronarch late.
I usually include a snapback in my tutor toolbox. It is an good answer to Freed and Ephemeron, as well as protecting your own critters in a pinch.
Incinerate, incinerate chronarch incinerate is some pretty massive reach for a control deck.
I consider this deck to be up there with UBeR Teachings as the top two control decks in EXT. I consider this one to be a hair better, but I'm obviously wildly biased! :)
I've run sliver decks in similar colors before Tempest came out. Lately I've been running a GW aggro sliver deck to great effect, but I have considered splashing blue again, because islands are broken. I'm not a big propent of adding a lot of non-sliver spells to sliver decks though. Except for those spells that generate more slivers, of course.
Maybe - but what do you cut to make room? The deck is too tight already. I am already losing matches against blue because I don't draw enough counters, and you cannot cut the card drawing. I like them, and I tried to find room - but could not.
The other issue is the mana base. I am shorting white - just Sinews and O Rings - but having a white one drop would require a lot more Plains in the deck. That would be tough.
Quick sliver is also an idea - but, again, what do you cut?
I think sidewinder sliver deserves a spot in the deck. Not only is he a 1 drop, which is important, but he makes it very difficult to come out ahead when blocking the slivers. The main problem is that you never really want to swing into a blocker with muscle/sinew slivers--but sidewinder can change the math greatly in your favor.
Burn is not too bad - I have counters and Hydroblast after SB.
Storm is tougher. The best option is to counter the acceleration. Echoing Truth can bounce the dudes - but if you sideboard too heavliy, you lose the speed necessary to win.
My worst matchup has been Corrrupt black. If I can resolve a Hindering Light against a tendrils, I'm ingodshape. If not, it's bad.
The mana base has generally not been a problem, but sometimes I do spend card drawing digging for colors.
This article was extremely well written for someone like myself new to drafting and looking to more get a return then play to win. I started drafting SSE today and so far have been getting great pulls or stuff I can use passed and keeping watch on value. It also holds true what you were saying that the better cards actualy do make a better deck sometimes as so far out of 6 drafts I've placed first in 4 of them and not have had to pay for a single draft minus the initial 3 packs!!!
Great article. I just had a couple of questions. First is Storm combo. Probably the boogie man of Pauper tournies right now- what is your plan against it? Similarly, how do you combat the Burn deck? These look like they will be addressed in your next column. How has the three color mana base been working for you in this deck? I have had my own set ofissues trying to get Shard style bases to work, especially in more aggressive decks (the more mid-range Orzhov Blink and Esper decks can pull it off since they don't have to hit as many drops on optimal turns). Keep up the great work!
The difference between the two is you didn't have to play specifically around tarmo in std, a lot of decks just had ways to deal with it...there was quite a bit of removal in the TFP block, enough with venser bounce, and delays. Bitterblossom had maybe 2 cards that can deal with it, the problem is they don't deal with anything in the rest of the deck consistantly and both of those cards are either limited in green, or even a bounce of cryptic isn't exactly great. Yes, BitterBlossom should have been banned....its retardedly powerful....
how many decks in the last standard and t/f/p block had tarmogoyf. Heck it dominated extended and even had its say in legacy. bitterblossom is a great card, and yes format defining but banworthy....no.
MED2 is actually fine. Your odds of ripping a dual worth 20ish is roughly 1/3 drafts (50 rares in set, 5 duals, 1/10, and 9 packs opened every 3 drafts).
I didn't include MED2 because frankly I think the gameplay is god awful and didn't want to subject anyone to that kind of torture. There are a couple other decent rares, but overall it's probably worse than Eventide. If you don't get a dual (and maybe Necro), then you're just there mostly for the gameplay.
Tempest will be worth it in a few months I think. Right now the market is too saturated, as it always it just after the release.
One of the big things I maybe should have mentioned is the cost of the packs. This varies, but the fact that SSE (nix tix aside) goes for about 9-10 tix per set and MED2 goes for 13 or so makes a huge amount of difference. The higher the cost of the packs, the less valuable it is to raredraft.
10th edition is a good example. Rather than rardrafting in 4322s, 10th is good for 84s. You have so much more to win with a good deck since the packs are 5 each, on top of the fact that the rares aren't worth much. Doing 10th 4322 is suicide, but if you're good enough 84s can be very nice.
Actually, they printed three if you count infest.
Your decklist has a lot of Plains in it =)
Awesome everything! Lists, good writing, novel thinking. Thanks for the good read.
"In game two my opponent went first and hit his Charbelcher combo on turn one, activating and flipping over Blood Crypt as the FIRST card! I went for my own combo and Consulted for Necropotence into oblivion. Are you kidding me?"
To quote the maxim: truth is tranger than fiction. The last time I played against belcher, my opponent's only land was on top as well, but to lose all 4 Necros to a DC (or at least with just a couple fo cards left) is kind of funny. Whiffy says how he hates playing the card.
I, too, very much enjoy your article. This one is excellent even by your usual high standards. Grixis has been the odd man out among the Alara shards and I imagine that will change significantly with Conflux and the Grixis-themed Planeswalker.
You inspired me to make a standard Grixis deck, but I went a slightly different path:
Land (25)
Creatures (19)
Other (16)
Liliana Vess really helps things out a lot, both for the tutor ability and continuing the theme of forcing your opponent to discard. Since this deck is a little on the slow side, the highway robbers help shore up life (plus give me a body with which to block) against fast decks. Plus, unearthing it is fun too. The Prince of Thralls doesn't really belong here, but it appeals to my inner Timmy and they're dirt cheap online. Thoughtsieze may be better than Raven's Crime as a turn 1 drop, but two factors made me opt against it: (1) Raven's Crime makes every single card in my deck useful; and (2) I don't own any Thoughtsieze cards, nor wish to spend $28 to get a play set.
I, too, very much enjoy your article. This one is excellent even by your usual high standards. Grixis has been the odd man out among the Alara shards and I imagine that will change significantly with Conflux and the Grixis-themed Planeswalker.
You inspired me to make a standard Grixis deck, but I went a slightly different path:
Land (25)
Creatures (19)
Other (16)
Liliana Vess really helps things out a lot, both for the tutor ability and continuing the theme of forcing your opponent to discard. Since this deck is a little on the slow side, the highway robbers help shore up life (plus give me a body with which to block) against fast decks. Plus, unearthing it is fun too. The Prince of Thralls doesn't really belong here, but it appeals to my inner Timmy and they're dirt cheap online. Thoughtsieze may be better than Raven's Crime as a turn 1 drop, but two factors made me opt against it: (1) Raven's Crime makes every single card in my deck useful; and (2) I don't own any Thoughtsieze cards, nor wish to spend $28 to get a play set.
There's a HUGE difference between a creature that dies to Terror, Slaughter Pact, Eyeblight's Ending, even Incinerate/Nameless Inversion if early enough, and an enchantment. Tarmogoyf had answers that were maindeckable, while Bitterblossom demands cards that are dead in blossomless matchups. Also, Tarmogoyf is a single threat. That means it's easier to play around and even chump block than an enchantment that spits 1/1 fliers every turn.
As I've come to expect from your articles, this was very very good. You put a lot of effort into your decks and articles and it certainly shows. I look forward to your articles more than the deck building articles on mtg.com now!
Keep up the great work, it's awesome!
Hindering Light is fantastic, but if you really want to stop Corrupt Black/MBC, I suggest the old stand by Circle of Protection- not much they can do to you with that on the board.
-Alex
Homing Sliver?
http://www.mtgotraders.com/store/FUT_Homing_Sliver.html
Slow, yes, but allows you to have a toolbox of Slivers? Play 1 Shadow, Flying, Quick, etc... And dont need to play red either!
Admittedly, part of the appeal of Consultation is grabbing spells...
This must be what SpikeBoyM feels when he opens up the PDC Magic forums...
Loved the article! A couple of things I'd like to point out -
The initial template for this deck was mirrodin era UW control. Of course, there is no wrath in pauper, so white had to be replaced with red. Petrahydrox and the Chronarch were both initially included because they are red, and therefore made it easier to Wrath of Martyr. There is a surprizing dearth of red control cards.
I don't run mulldrifter. Yes, the card is very good, but it is also difficult for this deck to abuse. I run Seer/Compulsive Research instead. The seer is an early blocker when necessary, and research is cheap advantage that can be returned with the chronarch in a pinch. Plus it doesn't get countered by the most common counterspell in EXT, Remove Soul.
I usually run 2 Train of Thought. They are that good. It always makes me upset when the first gets stripped from hand somehow, or I have to cantrip it early and can't find my chronarch late.
I usually include a snapback in my tutor toolbox. It is an good answer to Freed and Ephemeron, as well as protecting your own critters in a pinch.
Incinerate, incinerate chronarch incinerate is some pretty massive reach for a control deck.
I consider this deck to be up there with UBeR Teachings as the top two control decks in EXT. I consider this one to be a hair better, but I'm obviously wildly biased! :)
I've run sliver decks in similar colors before Tempest came out. Lately I've been running a GW aggro sliver deck to great effect, but I have considered splashing blue again, because islands are broken. I'm not a big propent of adding a lot of non-sliver spells to sliver decks though. Except for those spells that generate more slivers, of course.
Muscle slivers are ridiculously hard to find.
Maybe - but what do you cut to make room? The deck is too tight already. I am already losing matches against blue because I don't draw enough counters, and you cannot cut the card drawing. I like them, and I tried to find room - but could not.
The other issue is the mana base. I am shorting white - just Sinews and O Rings - but having a white one drop would require a lot more Plains in the deck. That would be tough.
Quick sliver is also an idea - but, again, what do you cut?
I think sidewinder sliver deserves a spot in the deck. Not only is he a 1 drop, which is important, but he makes it very difficult to come out ahead when blocking the slivers. The main problem is that you never really want to swing into a blocker with muscle/sinew slivers--but sidewinder can change the math greatly in your favor.
Quick Sliver seems good enough for the main deck. Its very good against MUC.
Hindering touch I think is a good choice for the sideboard against storm.
Have you considered running mana tithe, daze, and/or force spike?
I won a queue tonight with mana tithe and force spike in the main deck. I'm not convinced they are good choices though.
Burn is not too bad - I have counters and Hydroblast after SB.
Storm is tougher. The best option is to counter the acceleration. Echoing Truth can bounce the dudes - but if you sideboard too heavliy, you lose the speed necessary to win.
My worst matchup has been Corrrupt black. If I can resolve a Hindering Light against a tendrils, I'm ingodshape. If not, it's bad.
The mana base has generally not been a problem, but sometimes I do spend card drawing digging for colors.
This article was extremely well written for someone like myself new to drafting and looking to more get a return then play to win. I started drafting SSE today and so far have been getting great pulls or stuff I can use passed and keeping watch on value. It also holds true what you were saying that the better cards actualy do make a better deck sometimes as so far out of 6 drafts I've placed first in 4 of them and not have had to pay for a single draft minus the initial 3 packs!!!
Great article. I just had a couple of questions.
First is Storm combo. Probably the boogie man of Pauper tournies right now- what is your plan against it? Similarly, how do you combat the Burn deck? These look like they will be addressed in your next column.
How has the three color mana base been working for you in this deck? I have had my own set ofissues trying to get Shard style bases to work, especially in more aggressive decks (the more mid-range Orzhov Blink and Esper decks can pull it off since they don't have to hit as many drops on optimal turns).
Keep up the great work!
Indeed. I even posted a confirmation of that, and explained the mixup.
Demonic Consultation is uncommon. You even linked it. :P
Impulse was a common in Visions.
You're right. I was thinking it was common b/c it gets played in Peasant storm (which is NOT pauper). My bad!
Demonic Consultation is uncommon.
There's a REALLY good replacement for Demonic Consultation. Called Demonic Consultation :)
http://www.mtgotraders.com/store/ME2_Demonic_Consultation.html
The difference between the two is you didn't have to play specifically around tarmo in std, a lot of decks just had ways to deal with it...there was quite a bit of removal in the TFP block, enough with venser bounce, and delays. Bitterblossom had maybe 2 cards that can deal with it, the problem is they don't deal with anything in the rest of the deck consistantly and both of those cards are either limited in green, or even a bounce of cryptic isn't exactly great. Yes, BitterBlossom should have been banned....its retardedly powerful....
how many decks in the last standard and t/f/p block had tarmogoyf. Heck it dominated extended and even had its say in legacy. bitterblossom is a great card, and yes format defining but banworthy....no.
MED2 is actually fine. Your odds of ripping a dual worth 20ish is roughly 1/3 drafts (50 rares in set, 5 duals, 1/10, and 9 packs opened every 3 drafts).
I didn't include MED2 because frankly I think the gameplay is god awful and didn't want to subject anyone to that kind of torture. There are a couple other decent rares, but overall it's probably worse than Eventide. If you don't get a dual (and maybe Necro), then you're just there mostly for the gameplay.
Tempest will be worth it in a few months I think. Right now the market is too saturated, as it always it just after the release.
One of the big things I maybe should have mentioned is the cost of the packs. This varies, but the fact that SSE (nix tix aside) goes for about 9-10 tix per set and MED2 goes for 13 or so makes a huge amount of difference. The higher the cost of the packs, the less valuable it is to raredraft.
10th edition is a good example. Rather than rardrafting in 4322s, 10th is good for 84s. You have so much more to win with a good deck since the packs are 5 each, on top of the fact that the rares aren't worth much. Doing 10th 4322 is suicide, but if you're good enough 84s can be very nice.