Golden Cricket is harder to chump block, but easier to remove. Safehold Elite survives the chump or removal and still leaves you with a 1/1. On top of that, Golden Cricket's activation cost, might leave you short on mana to play counterspells, especially since you are mana light.
Sighted-Caste Sorcerer is pretty terrible, I wasn't thinking straight.
Unsummon is better as a sideboard card. DDW isn't as big a metagame concern as before. Sure Clout wrecks you and you have no answers, but it's pretty bad in most other matchups.
Blister Beetle hasn't been that great for me, maybe you've had better experiences with it.
I don't think Capsule will change any plays coming down on turn 1, though I could be wrong.
Did you try running another cycler like Aphotic Wisps instead of Grixis Panorama? Costs the same, and you get the added benefit of turning off auras and occassionally getting extra damage through.
I'm a much bigger fan of four copies of Grixis Panorama then I am of one - you really need a bunch of deck thinning effects before they really start to have any statistical significance. Even the original Onslaught fetchlands weren't that great for deck thinning by the math, and those didn't require a mana investment.
I do really like the idea of running that deck with Mulldrifter and Agony Warp.
In the entire deck, there is one card that cares about having more than one Swamp available at any given time, the aforementioned Unmake. Now, in all likelihood, I will not be casting Unmake on turn three, as those first few turns should be saved for Inversion, Beetle, and Capsule. Therefore, not having BBB on turn three is not critical. And even if it was, I could spend turn two sitting on Inversion and cycling for the Swamp so that on turn three I could have Unmake mana up. To be honest, further testing has shown maybe I want a second Panorama. Unlike other MBC decks, this one does not need to max out on land for Corrupt (Classic) or Consume Spirit (Classic and Extended) so late lands all get fed into Crime.
Now I will be honest, I am a fan of incrimental gains in deck quality in MBC decks as I feel the decks tend to pack higher quality cards than many others and with lack of access to cards like Mulldrifter, this davantage can be important in the mid to late game in my mind. Now another option is to add in some more Panoramas and go for the Grixis Splash of Drifter and Agony Warp.
Because 22+1 is actually 23 when your 23rd is a mana-producing land with no other real utility, and seems to just be inferior to basic Swamp. If there was something like Desert/Wasteland/etc. avaialble in Pauper, then I could understand it - but Grixis Panorama just doesn't do anything for you, at least as far as I can tell. Maybe I'm wrong, but saying it's "right" doesn't really give us anything to discuss.
First, with regards to the Panorama- I stand by my decision for the time being. Again, my testing has shown 22 to be too few and 23 to me too many. Also, why go to 61? So I can run 23 Swamps? That seems like the worst justifcation for going to 61 ever. The mana is fine and if you diagree, please test the deck and post your changes either here or at PDCmagic.com.
Sensei:Sorry to disappoint, but I wrote this article very early last week before the two Standard event results came in. At the time of writing these decks were more appropriate to what was being played in PDC and in events. As for the Faeries list, I will look into your suggestions but I am not a fan of Footbottom Feast- the creatures in this deck are not worth the potential tempo loss of just ripping creature after creature. I would sooner run Gravedigger or Warren Pilferers than Feast.
Crummy: Why is Safehold Elite strictly superior? It does not fly, lie Golden Cricket can do; it does not boost combat stats like Skirmisher can. Yes, it survives removal but then you're left with a 1/1. The idea of this deck is to attack and the two drops in this deck all do that very well. Elite is a fine creature, but I'm not sure it is right for this deck. As for Somnomancer, I love that card, but I am not sure it is the right call right now. I will consider it however. Sighted Caste: Are you serious? A 1/1 for two? Squire only makes the cut because it can attack for two on turn two and then boost all creatures after. Sorcerer takes the spot of an aggressive creature and then just sits there. Unsummon also saves me from removal and it also is a turn one answer to Clout of the Dominus. I mean, if they go Hopper/Clout on turn two and you bounce the Goblin, do you realize how insane of a play that is? Apparently not. Blister Beetle has been stellar- look around Standard an count all the low toughness creatures. Not to many people are happy to trade their Gizzly Bear with a Ravenous Rats post combat. Goblet is still being test. Capsule is quite good as it can fundamentally change the face of the game if it comes down on turn one. Suddenly, no creature they have is safe (bar Black creatures). I really like this card.
BAMF plays out like this: block early, counter large threats, neutralize their creatures, draw a ton of cards, win.
I was really kind of let down; I think you might have grown a bit out of touch in a way with some things. Other things however, like creativity, are still top notch.
I have to agree with SPG, I had thought that it would be widely known by now, especially by you Alex, about the negligible effect of deck thinning due to search lands in relation to the positional disadvantage you incur by limiting your early mana development.
I also have been working on a faeries list and I like yours pretty good. I have been using the 'reactive' list you mentioned and I must agree that I find it rather lacking in certain aspects that I find are resolved by the approach you took. I suggest changing Recover to Footbottom Feast as a way to survive long bouts versus EsPer control and to increase your creature count.
Too often in this format are decks running plentiful amounts of what you indeed yourself claim to be very good removal and it is very difficult to stick creatures in play considering the lack of density that Faeries typically has; especially considering how Faeries typically plays its matchup in relation to more aggressive decks. Therefore, I think including more creatures is probably the best way to effectively improve the deck's performance. I would find space to do this by going to 22 land and cutting down to 6 counters maindeck instead of 8. In my experience, 22 land is sufficient even with the higher-end controlling Faerie build.
I guess I just don't understand when you would want it in a game over just basic Swamp. You definitely don't want to draw it early and miss access to BBB for Unmake. I guess it's ok to draw late in the game, but the deck thinning benefit is basically negligible. At this point you need to invest part of a turn to convert it into black mana if need be (for Unmake + unearth moves), although the colorless mana should be ok at this point.
If it's a balance thing (23 too heavy, 22 too light), then running a colorless land doesn't seem like the best solution. You could consider going to 61 cards to sort it out?
I understand that these are really rough sketches, but a lot of the cards being played are of questionable quality. The only ones that looks tested are Rakdos Sligh and Faeries.
In Guyliner, why are you running those terrible two drops? Safehold Elite is superior to both. Other alternatives are Sighted-Caste Sorcerer or Somnomancer. Why use Unsummon? Oblivion Ring already handles the enchantments. I would probably use Burrenton Bombardiers or Surge of Thoughweft as they are both great combat tricks to save yourself from removal.
In MBC, why Executioner's Capsule over Terror when you have no artifact recursion? In my own testing, Onyx Goblet and especially Blister Beetle are better as sideboard cards.
BAMF is very interesting and I honestly cannot envision how that would play out.
For the Naya deck you wrote: "The engine for this deck appears to be Ranger of Eos. It’s an easy tutor for twelve of the creatures in the list..."
I see 8 one drop creatures in that list, those being 4x the hydra and 4x the cat. A simple and small mistake which has no bad impact on the whole article itself, but still wanted to mention.
The information which is missing - the number of players in the events that I could track - is 26. I forgot to add it in the final draft, sorry. This isn't a lot of players, but that's because this period was very hectic. There are more consistent numbers this week.
I'm not sure what you don't get, if you don't need this solution then it's not for you. Do you have a solution that you feel works for your needs? Great. Please don't consider this article an attack on whatever you have going on. I'm sure it's perfectly acceptable for whatever you need it to do.
What this is for is to help people who don't have access to a back-up routine. And once it's set up, it's the same amount of work to back up your files (right click->commit) vs. copy/paste. For some, a flash drive solution is fine. Although you do have to actually buy a flash drive to do that. While they're quite cheap, they still cost something. I've also fried a fair number of them in my life. I wouldn't want any of them to be my 'backup' plan.
But really, the major bonus, and it's a big bonus to some, is that you can see exactly what you changed and when you changed it for each revision of each deck. With comments for how the deck performed, etc. Personally, I build decks like crazy. I love to build decks. I love to build different versions and make different changes and all sorts of things. For me, and hopefully others, this is something that they can use.
There's a lot of flexibility to a revision solution once it's up and running
I think that I probably discounted Dragon Fodder too quickly as just a crappy Mogg War Marshall replacement. There are some positives and negatives to both cards, and now I can definitely see how well it would work in this deck.
Okay, I did some experimenting with my deck based on your article. Marsh flitter just came up short for me too much. Four mana that only provides fodder... I'm having better luck with Dragon Fodder since it hits faster. However, my build is a little more aggressive. I run less CIPT lands, which is a lot more inconsistent (so I had to cut the Thrinax). If my build was going for consistency over explosiveness, like yours, then the Marsh Flitter might be the correct call over Dragon Fodder. Also, the Skullmulcher is useful too because sometimes I get locked into a ground stall and I need to find either a Hellion or the Predator Dragon ASAP.
Torrent of souls... all I can say is "wow!" Great call on that card. Rite of consumption is something I should like more than I do. It's probably just a play style since a lot of my games become top deck wars after a wrath, but I recognize where it could outright win games when you can't push the damage through. I'll try it more tonight.
One more card for you to try is Elvish Visionary. I've had good luck with him - he digs through the deck (getting five lands is so crucial), makes good munchy fodder, and can play defense in a pinch. Let me know if you try him out.
I love the article! Especially transforming the deck into a budget version which is still very effective!
You are both right. I apologize for being rude. I guess my frustration comes from the fact that now everyone and their mom is playing this deck everywhere online, even in the casual room. BTW - your article is formatted well each week, regardless if I like the content or not. Once again, I'm sorry.
Not at all?
Those are unbanned for EDH and may have an impact due to higher life total. At twenty life in 100cs games they are unplayable.
How much do you think the unbanning of Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant and Test of Endurance will impact the format?
Golden Cricket is harder to chump block, but easier to remove. Safehold Elite survives the chump or removal and still leaves you with a 1/1. On top of that, Golden Cricket's activation cost, might leave you short on mana to play counterspells, especially since you are mana light.
Sighted-Caste Sorcerer is pretty terrible, I wasn't thinking straight.
Unsummon is better as a sideboard card. DDW isn't as big a metagame concern as before. Sure Clout wrecks you and you have no answers, but it's pretty bad in most other matchups.
Blister Beetle hasn't been that great for me, maybe you've had better experiences with it.
I don't think Capsule will change any plays coming down on turn 1, though I could be wrong.
Did you try running another cycler like Aphotic Wisps instead of Grixis Panorama? Costs the same, and you get the added benefit of turning off auras and occassionally getting extra damage through.
I'm a much bigger fan of four copies of Grixis Panorama then I am of one - you really need a bunch of deck thinning effects before they really start to have any statistical significance. Even the original Onslaught fetchlands weren't that great for deck thinning by the math, and those didn't require a mana investment.
I do really like the idea of running that deck with Mulldrifter and Agony Warp.
Fair. Here is my reasoning:
In the entire deck, there is one card that cares about having more than one Swamp available at any given time, the aforementioned Unmake. Now, in all likelihood, I will not be casting Unmake on turn three, as those first few turns should be saved for Inversion, Beetle, and Capsule. Therefore, not having BBB on turn three is not critical. And even if it was, I could spend turn two sitting on Inversion and cycling for the Swamp so that on turn three I could have Unmake mana up. To be honest, further testing has shown maybe I want a second Panorama. Unlike other MBC decks, this one does not need to max out on land for Corrupt (Classic) or Consume Spirit (Classic and Extended) so late lands all get fed into Crime.
Now I will be honest, I am a fan of incrimental gains in deck quality in MBC decks as I feel the decks tend to pack higher quality cards than many others and with lack of access to cards like Mulldrifter, this davantage can be important in the mid to late game in my mind. Now another option is to add in some more Panoramas and go for the Grixis Splash of Drifter and Agony Warp.
-Alex
Because 22+1 is actually 23 when your 23rd is a mana-producing land with no other real utility, and seems to just be inferior to basic Swamp. If there was something like Desert/Wasteland/etc. avaialble in Pauper, then I could understand it - but Grixis Panorama just doesn't do anything for you, at least as far as I can tell. Maybe I'm wrong, but saying it's "right" doesn't really give us anything to discuss.
Except as I've said, 22+1 is "right," do why go to 61?
Going to 61 cards to fix a mana ratio issue is pretty much the ONLY reason to ever run 61, not the worst.
If 22/60 is too little, and 23/60 is too much, then 23/61 should be just about right.
First, with regards to the Panorama- I stand by my decision for the time being. Again, my testing has shown 22 to be too few and 23 to me too many. Also, why go to 61? So I can run 23 Swamps? That seems like the worst justifcation for going to 61 ever. The mana is fine and if you diagree, please test the deck and post your changes either here or at PDCmagic.com.
Sensei:Sorry to disappoint, but I wrote this article very early last week before the two Standard event results came in. At the time of writing these decks were more appropriate to what was being played in PDC and in events. As for the Faeries list, I will look into your suggestions but I am not a fan of Footbottom Feast- the creatures in this deck are not worth the potential tempo loss of just ripping creature after creature. I would sooner run Gravedigger or Warren Pilferers than Feast.
Crummy: Why is Safehold Elite strictly superior? It does not fly, lie Golden Cricket can do; it does not boost combat stats like Skirmisher can. Yes, it survives removal but then you're left with a 1/1. The idea of this deck is to attack and the two drops in this deck all do that very well. Elite is a fine creature, but I'm not sure it is right for this deck. As for Somnomancer, I love that card, but I am not sure it is the right call right now. I will consider it however. Sighted Caste: Are you serious? A 1/1 for two? Squire only makes the cut because it can attack for two on turn two and then boost all creatures after. Sorcerer takes the spot of an aggressive creature and then just sits there. Unsummon also saves me from removal and it also is a turn one answer to Clout of the Dominus. I mean, if they go Hopper/Clout on turn two and you bounce the Goblin, do you realize how insane of a play that is? Apparently not.
Blister Beetle has been stellar- look around Standard an count all the low toughness creatures. Not to many people are happy to trade their Gizzly Bear with a Ravenous Rats post combat. Goblet is still being test. Capsule is quite good as it can fundamentally change the face of the game if it comes down on turn one. Suddenly, no creature they have is safe (bar Black creatures). I really like this card.
BAMF plays out like this: block early, counter large threats, neutralize their creatures, draw a ton of cards, win.
-Alex
I was really kind of let down; I think you might have grown a bit out of touch in a way with some things. Other things however, like creativity, are still top notch.
I have to agree with SPG, I had thought that it would be widely known by now, especially by you Alex, about the negligible effect of deck thinning due to search lands in relation to the positional disadvantage you incur by limiting your early mana development.
I also have been working on a faeries list and I like yours pretty good. I have been using the 'reactive' list you mentioned and I must agree that I find it rather lacking in certain aspects that I find are resolved by the approach you took. I suggest changing Recover to Footbottom Feast as a way to survive long bouts versus EsPer control and to increase your creature count.
Too often in this format are decks running plentiful amounts of what you indeed yourself claim to be very good removal and it is very difficult to stick creatures in play considering the lack of density that Faeries typically has; especially considering how Faeries typically plays its matchup in relation to more aggressive decks. Therefore, I think including more creatures is probably the best way to effectively improve the deck's performance. I would find space to do this by going to 22 land and cutting down to 6 counters maindeck instead of 8. In my experience, 22 land is sufficient even with the higher-end controlling Faerie build.
-- Sensei
I guess I just don't understand when you would want it in a game over just basic Swamp. You definitely don't want to draw it early and miss access to BBB for Unmake. I guess it's ok to draw late in the game, but the deck thinning benefit is basically negligible. At this point you need to invest part of a turn to convert it into black mana if need be (for Unmake + unearth moves), although the colorless mana should be ok at this point.
If it's a balance thing (23 too heavy, 22 too light), then running a colorless land doesn't seem like the best solution. You could consider going to 61 cards to sort it out?
I understand that these are really rough sketches, but a lot of the cards being played are of questionable quality. The only ones that looks tested are Rakdos Sligh and Faeries.
In Guyliner, why are you running those terrible two drops? Safehold Elite is superior to both. Other alternatives are Sighted-Caste Sorcerer or Somnomancer. Why use Unsummon? Oblivion Ring already handles the enchantments. I would probably use Burrenton Bombardiers or Surge of Thoughweft as they are both great combat tricks to save yourself from removal.
In MBC, why Executioner's Capsule over Terror when you have no artifact recursion? In my own testing, Onyx Goblet and especially Blister Beetle are better as sideboard cards.
BAMF is very interesting and I honestly cannot envision how that would play out.
You are of course right for some reason thought the Druid was a one drop as well and were using it to accelerate the mana. Thanks
I always felt too land heavy at 23 Swamps, too land light at 22, but 22+1 felt and currently plays right.
Random deck thinning for late game?
Why does your MBC deck run Grixis Panorama?
For the Naya deck you wrote: "The engine for this deck appears to be Ranger of Eos. It’s an easy tutor for twelve of the creatures in the list..."
I see 8 one drop creatures in that list, those being 4x the hydra and 4x the cat. A simple and small mistake which has no bad impact on the whole article itself, but still wanted to mention.
LE
The information which is missing - the number of players in the events that I could track - is 26. I forgot to add it in the final draft, sorry. This isn't a lot of players, but that's because this period was very hectic. There are more consistent numbers this week.
I'm not sure what you don't get, if you don't need this solution then it's not for you. Do you have a solution that you feel works for your needs? Great. Please don't consider this article an attack on whatever you have going on. I'm sure it's perfectly acceptable for whatever you need it to do.
What this is for is to help people who don't have access to a back-up routine. And once it's set up, it's the same amount of work to back up your files (right click->commit) vs. copy/paste. For some, a flash drive solution is fine. Although you do have to actually buy a flash drive to do that. While they're quite cheap, they still cost something. I've also fried a fair number of them in my life. I wouldn't want any of them to be my 'backup' plan.
But really, the major bonus, and it's a big bonus to some, is that you can see exactly what you changed and when you changed it for each revision of each deck. With comments for how the deck performed, etc. Personally, I build decks like crazy. I love to build decks. I love to build different versions and make different changes and all sorts of things. For me, and hopefully others, this is something that they can use.
There's a lot of flexibility to a revision solution once it's up and running
I think that I probably discounted Dragon Fodder too quickly as just a crappy Mogg War Marshall replacement. There are some positives and negatives to both cards, and now I can definitely see how well it would work in this deck.
Mind posting your list?
Tnx, useful as always
Okay, I did some experimenting with my deck based on your article. Marsh flitter just came up short for me too much. Four mana that only provides fodder... I'm having better luck with Dragon Fodder since it hits faster. However, my build is a little more aggressive. I run less CIPT lands, which is a lot more inconsistent (so I had to cut the Thrinax). If my build was going for consistency over explosiveness, like yours, then the Marsh Flitter might be the correct call over Dragon Fodder. Also, the Skullmulcher is useful too because sometimes I get locked into a ground stall and I need to find either a Hellion or the Predator Dragon ASAP.
Torrent of souls... all I can say is "wow!" Great call on that card. Rite of consumption is something I should like more than I do. It's probably just a play style since a lot of my games become top deck wars after a wrath, but I recognize where it could outright win games when you can't push the damage through. I'll try it more tonight.
One more card for you to try is Elvish Visionary. I've had good luck with him - he digs through the deck (getting five lands is so crucial), makes good munchy fodder, and can play defense in a pinch. Let me know if you try him out.
I love the article! Especially transforming the deck into a budget version which is still very effective!
I don't get it - how is this easier than right click on Decks folder (which itself can be shortcutted to the desktop) and sending to the flash drive?
You are both right. I apologize for being rude. I guess my frustration comes from the fact that now everyone and their mom is playing this deck everywhere online, even in the casual room. BTW - your article is formatted well each week, regardless if I like the content or not. Once again, I'm sorry.
Nitpick: It was a reformatting of the hard drive, not a system restore (system restore wouldn't cause me to lose data)
But a wonderful article regardless.