The difference between 5 mana for a 2/2 and 3 mana for a 4/3 is difficult to overstate. Crawling barrens is a control deck's answer to another control deck. Faceless haven is an aggro deck's answer to a control deck.
And crawling barrens gets embarrassed by bounce and eliminate even harder than faceless haven gets hit by heartless act.
God though
Tier 1 platinum vs snow
Start the game with a steelclaw, Fervent Champion and two reanimate spells.
Finish the game with five lands, six reanimate spells and an ascendant spirit flying over my sad Knight.
I actually took your knights list out for a spin. It was fun, but I can't stand running more than one or two copies of Call; even then I only run it if I'm packing Village Rites and/or other sac outlets. I ended up dropping one Call, all the Draugrs, and replaced them with 3 Village Rites and two Demonic Embrace, which made draws seems a bit smoother.
But if you take out the Draugrs, then you can't Full Control return a dead murderous rider to your hand.
Seriously though, I left the village rites out because I had trouble keeping board presence up with them in the poison counters deck.
Seems better to just all attack all the time, and then resurrect things that have eaten the opponents removal or trades.
God though
Tier 1 platinum vs snow
Start the game with a steelclaw, Fervent Champion and two reanimate spells.
Finish the game with five lands, six reanimate spells and an ascendant spirit flying over my sad Knight.
I actually took your knights list out for a spin. It was fun, but I can't stand running more than one or two copies of Call; even then I only run it if I'm packing Village Rites and/or other sac outlets. I ended up dropping one Call, all the Draugrs, and replaced them with 3 Village Rites and two Demonic Embrace, which made draws seems a bit smoother.
But if you take out the Draugrs, then you can't Full Control return a dead murderous rider to your hand.
Seriously though, I left the village rites out because I had trouble keeping board presence up with them in the poison counters deck.
Seems better to just all attack all the time, and then resurrect things that have eaten the opponents removal or trades.
Village Rites is there to counter removal. It's really great against Bonecrushers and Brazen Borrower, but even against Eliminates and other removal it's a great way to refill the hand. Also really good against life link and trample, as you can sac before the block to prevent the life gain.
Still need the opponent to be targeting your creatures with removal/etc to get ahead.
I just found sometimes with poison counters I was needing to sac things to get the draw, when I'd much rather throw bodies at faces to force a trade.
Maybe it works better here, and the deck does have a little issue with draw (though my copy now has different lands, inc. 3 Locthwaines so I haven't had too much issue).
...
Mobile app is acting a bit clunky after the update.
Had to Good Game an Ugin deck, because I couldn't get to the concede button and thought I'd have to rope out.
And then everything started working again.
Now I feel dirty.
Yeah this version is less about sacing more about turning all your shit against you
I feel like that version of sac doesn't pair well against white/red aggro because it's too slow, and then also loses to creatureless decks or weenie cycling. Not sure I like it's role in the current meta.
Got mono-G poison counters Vorinclex working.
Just got to toss some Toski's in there.
The client thinks it's fun to pair me with the only other person who plays Lurrus disenchantment now though, for the -/- on Toski.
Yeah this version is less about sacing more about turning all your shit against you
I feel like that version of sac doesn't pair well against white/red aggro because it's too slow, and then also loses to creatureless decks or weenie cycling. Not sure I like it's role in the current meta.
Claim/Rites will generally ruin their day, as it hits every creature they play. Kroxa is painful, as every card they have in their hand is gas. IMO mono white typically folds to removal heavy decks (outside of god-draws).
Personally I run a stompy-er rakdos instead of the sacrifice build. I really dislike having dead cards in hand against many decks.
Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Rakdos sac is easily the most annoying deck to play against right now for any kind of midrange.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
Hey, they banned Muxus and Tibalt's Trickery! That's great!
The other choices feel like the results of a slow bureaucratic process. Solemnity? That hasn't been relevant in months. (And it never was a particularly big problem.)
Still, my criticism is outweighed by my appreciation that they're doing a shakeup at all and that it includes cards that really need to be under the microscope.
I'm holding out hope that Craterhoof Behemoth and Ugin are in the future shakeup weeks.
Edit: and maybe Growth Spiral, though I'm not sure if it's a problem with Ugin gone, and Ugin is by far a better target for a banhammer.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Hey, they banned Muxus and Tibalt's Trickery! That's great!
The other choices feel like the results of a slow bureaucratic process. Solemnity? That hasn't been relevant in months. (And it never was a particularly big problem.)
Still, my criticism is outweighed by my appreciation that they're doing a shakeup at all and that it includes cards that really need to be under the microscope.
I'm holding out hope that Craterhoof Behemoth and Ugin are in the future shakeup weeks.
Edit: and maybe Growth Spiral, though I'm not sure if it's a problem with Ugin gone, and Ugin is by far a better target for a banhammer.
Are the bans permanent? It seems like a historic league or something where the bans are only for this sprint?
What is this I don't even.
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Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Hey, they banned Muxus and Tibalt's Trickery! That's great!
The other choices feel like the results of a slow bureaucratic process. Solemnity? That hasn't been relevant in months. (And it never was a particularly big problem.)
Still, my criticism is outweighed by my appreciation that they're doing a shakeup at all and that it includes cards that really need to be under the microscope.
I'm holding out hope that Craterhoof Behemoth and Ugin are in the future shakeup weeks.
Edit: and maybe Growth Spiral, though I'm not sure if it's a problem with Ugin gone, and Ugin is by far a better target for a banhammer.
Are the bans permanent? It seems like a historic league or something where the bans are only for this sprint?
Shakeups just ban popular things for the Shakeup, because that's the point of the Shakeup.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
+2
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SurfpossumA nonentitytrying to preserve the anonymity he so richly deserves.Registered Userregular
edited March 2021
I feel like I should feel good that in spite of having at least one game each run where it's like... I get my opponent to 2 and then proceed to draw 5 lands in a row in a 15 land aggro deck my win record for these three quick drafts is 5-6-5.
But holy moly it feel bad, especially when it's the game that ends the run.
Quick draft Foretell.dek having fun making your icebreaker Kraken into two of my ice breaker krakens for 3.
Hopefully the rest of the matches go as well.
Unless you have a very top heavy deck you should definitely cut at least one almost every time. It was less of an issue in Zendikar drafts since there were a lot of landfall triggers, but it's pretty bad for Kaldheim.
Some dumb matches in the final push.
T1 snak: T1 World Tree, T2 fang and world tree concedes.
Then last one was vs cycling. 3 top deck vorniclexs ate 2 zeniths before the concede (fox and ominous seas didn't appreciate the one that stuck)
SurfpossumA nonentitytrying to preserve the anonymity he so richly deserves.Registered Userregular
edited March 2021
Decide to play some Bo3, win the first game easily and then right when I stabilize during the second game the client decides that I'm not allowed to do anything because it's waiting for the server.
My opponent still gets to do things and of course kills me. And then I automatically concede the match for not having done anything in a while, still unable to do anything.
This is not my weekend.
e: I was cursed with enough gold to do another quick draft. Somebody cut 13 cards from this for me please and thank you.
Before you start cutting, you need to ask yourself "How does this deck win? What are my paths to victory?". In this case it's very clear, you curve out and overrun them with creatures while they're playing tapped snow lands. With that in mind, you can cut Dogged Pursuit, Basalt Ravager, Skull Raid. Basalt Ravager and Skull Raid are fine cards in different decks, just not in this one.
After cutting for deck type, you then start cutting for power, taking out the underpowered cards and the ones that are situational. -4 Deskwielders, -1 Shackles of Treachery, -1 Grim Draugr, -1 Rune of Speed. For the final 3 cuts, things get a little harder. Run Amok is a great card but I don't think you want to play all 4 unless you had no other non-creature spells, I'd cut 1. Same with Squash which is premium removal but without any giants you're not getting to cast it before turn 5. Finally I'd cut one firewalker to trim on your curve a little and the frost bite and to go up to 16 lands. 17 is my baseline and while this deck I think can cut 1 land I don't think cutting 2 is the right idea. You want to curve out to 4 and you have 5+ mana plays and mana sinks with moving your equipment around. I don't think you run 15 lands unless nothing in your deck costs more than 3 and you're happy to spend your entire game on 2-3 lands.
Battlenet ID: NullPointer
+1
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SurfpossumA nonentitytrying to preserve the anonymity he so richly deserves.Registered Userregular
edited March 2021
I'd much rather cut more of the high cost stuff than play 16 lands, I am traumatized.
The Dogged Pursuit is an easy cut, yeah, and I've always gotten no value out of Kennel Master so it's probably gonna go along with Squash. Skull Raid I like but I guess I should be hoping I don't get into topdeck wars. Grim Draugr is also the worst of the bunch in its slot, I left it in there for completeness' sake.
I wanna give the Ravager a shot because everything except it and the pups is a berserker. Shackles of Treachery has won me a bunch of games in aggro decks, not sure I want to get rid of that. The Firewalkers are nuts, I'd rather cut a Breakneck than one of those. Everyone keeps saying Runes are amazing and I actually have a bunch of equipment to stick it on this time. Run Amok is the bees knees and I'm tempted to cut... I dunno, Feed the Serpent instead.
I really like having a one drop but yeah I should probably get rid of at least some Duskwielders. So I'm thinking:
e: welp, guess MTGA heard me complaining about getting mana floods with 15 land decks, had two games where I didn't see my third land before turn 7, and one of those I think I would have won anyway if I had a few more seconds to do Kardur math. I feel like this deck was better than a 3-3 run but o well.
Getting mana screwed feels so much better than getting flooded, though, because as soon as you draw a land you get to just start dumping stuff onto the board.
Man, I really hope after the next rotation, Kaldheim + D&D decks are a viable thing in standard. There's so much FLAVOR. I wish so badly that I could play an Arni Slays the Troll, viking themed deck that was actually viable. A D&D party + a couple vikings is an acceptable secondary.
Posts
Crawling Barrens was literally in the set prior to this one. And is functionally immune to Heartless Act if you're careful.
And crawling barrens gets embarrassed by bounce and eliminate even harder than faceless haven gets hit by heartless act.
But if you take out the Draugrs, then you can't Full Control return a dead murderous rider to your hand.
Seriously though, I left the village rites out because I had trouble keeping board presence up with them in the poison counters deck.
Seems better to just all attack all the time, and then resurrect things that have eaten the opponents removal or trades.
Village Rites is there to counter removal. It's really great against Bonecrushers and Brazen Borrower, but even against Eliminates and other removal it's a great way to refill the hand. Also really good against life link and trample, as you can sac before the block to prevent the life gain.
I just found sometimes with poison counters I was needing to sac things to get the draw, when I'd much rather throw bodies at faces to force a trade.
Maybe it works better here, and the deck does have a little issue with draw (though my copy now has different lands, inc. 3 Locthwaines so I haven't had too much issue).
Is that... an issue? I can't play two games without eating nine Eliminates.
Was seeing it a bit against other creature heavy decks, yeah, where I wouldn't have a sac opportunity.
I have never attacked with - or even animated - a 2/2 Barrens (see also: Heartless Act). Smallest I swing with is usually 6/6. And then an 8/8.
Agreed but that wasn't what you first said.
This is fair.
Mobile app is acting a bit clunky after the update.
Had to Good Game an Ugin deck, because I couldn't get to the concede button and thought I'd have to rope out.
And then everything started working again.
Now I feel dirty.
Its fun.
Feels like so much of my play is slowing wearing out control decks by making them waste their counterspells
That's been my primary deck for like two years but I haven't loved its Kaldheim performance. What kind of list are you running?
I threw this together fairly quick so it definately needs some tweaking
Deck
2 Rankle, Master of Pranks (ELD) 101
2 Ox of Agonas (THB) 147
3 Bonecrusher Giant (ELD) 115
2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger (THB) 221
2 Valki, God of Lies (KHM) 114
2 Skyclave Shade (ZNR) 125
4 Woe Strider (THB) 123
2 Mire Triton (THB) 105
4 Claim the Firstborn (ELD) 118
4 Village Rites (KHM) 117
2 Heartless Act (IKO) 91
4 The Akroan War (THB) 124
2 Shatterskull Smashing (ZNR) 161
7 Mountain (SLD) 106
6 Swamp (SLD) 105
4 Blightstep Pathway (KHM) 252
2 Castle Locthwain (ELD) 241
4 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
2 Savai Triome (IKO) 253
Sideboard
3 Elspeth's Nightmare (THB) 91
2 Cling to Dust (THB) 87
2 Duress (M19) 94
2 Robber of the Rich (ELD) 138
2 Eat to Extinction (THB) 90
2 Immersturm Predator (KHM) 214
2 Embereth Shieldbreaker (ELD) 122
maybe one or two less Akroan Wars
I feel like that version of sac doesn't pair well against white/red aggro because it's too slow, and then also loses to creatureless decks or weenie cycling. Not sure I like it's role in the current meta.
Just got to toss some Toski's in there.
The client thinks it's fun to pair me with the only other person who plays Lurrus disenchantment now though, for the -/- on Toski.
4 Ram Through (IKO) 170
4 Fynn, the Fangbearer (KHM) 170
1 Crawling Barrens (ZNR) 262
4 Moss Viper (THB) 179
4 Toski, Bearer of Secrets (KHM) 197
4 Blizzard Brawl (KHM) 162
3 Stonecoil Serpent (ELD) 235
18 Snow-Covered Forest (KHM) 284
3 The Great Henge (ELD) 161
3 Cultivate (M21) 177
4 Tajuru Blightblade (ZNR) 208
3 Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider (KHM) 199
1 Vastwood Fortification (ZNR) 216
4 Ilysian Caryatid (THB) 174
Claim/Rites will generally ruin their day, as it hits every creature they play. Kroxa is painful, as every card they have in their hand is gas. IMO mono white typically folds to removal heavy decks (outside of god-draws).
Personally I run a stompy-er rakdos instead of the sacrifice build. I really dislike having dead cards in hand against many decks.
Hey, they banned Muxus and Tibalt's Trickery! That's great!
The other choices feel like the results of a slow bureaucratic process. Solemnity? That hasn't been relevant in months. (And it never was a particularly big problem.)
Still, my criticism is outweighed by my appreciation that they're doing a shakeup at all and that it includes cards that really need to be under the microscope.
I'm holding out hope that Craterhoof Behemoth and Ugin are in the future shakeup weeks.
Edit: and maybe Growth Spiral, though I'm not sure if it's a problem with Ugin gone, and Ugin is by far a better target for a banhammer.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I don't know if this has been posted before, but: https://magic.gg/decklists?utm_source=arena&utm_medium=carousel&utm_campaign=decklist-hub
One of my favorite sources for decklists. They have a few winners in there every week.
Are the bans permanent? It seems like a historic league or something where the bans are only for this sprint?
Shakeups just ban popular things for the Shakeup, because that's the point of the Shakeup.
But holy moly it feel bad, especially when it's the game that ends the run.
Hopefully the rest of the matches go as well.
Next game, I get 5 nonland cards again... and 11 lands.
Sorely tempted to start only running 14 lands or something because this feels awful.
e: aaaaaand that's that run ended after drawing lands 9 through 12 in a row. Good thing I'm out of gold now because I apparently need a break.
4 Ram Through (IKO) 170
4 Fynn, the Fangbearer (KHM) 170
1 Crawling Barrens (ZNR) 262
4 Moss Viper (THB) 179
4 Toski, Bearer of Secrets (KHM) 197
4 Blizzard Brawl (KHM) 162
3 Stonecoil Serpent (ELD) 235
15 Snow-Covered Forest (KHM) 284
3 Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse (M21) 191
3 Cultivate (M21) 177
4 Tajuru Blightblade (ZNR) 208
3 Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider (KHM) 199
4 Khalni Ambush (ZNR) 192
4 Ilysian Caryatid (THB) 174
T1 snak: T1 World Tree, T2 fang and world tree concedes.
Then last one was vs cycling. 3 top deck vorniclexs ate 2 zeniths before the concede (fox and ominous seas didn't appreciate the one that stuck)
Which makes me think I should be making WG give-Fang-doublestrike equipment.
17 is correct in the real world (or Bo3). 16 is safer in Bo1 thanks to opening hand smoothing.
My opponent still gets to do things and of course kills me. And then I automatically concede the match for not having done anything in a while, still unable to do anything.
This is not my weekend.
e: I was cursed with enough gold to do another quick draft. Somebody cut 13 cards from this for me please and thank you.
After cutting for deck type, you then start cutting for power, taking out the underpowered cards and the ones that are situational. -4 Deskwielders, -1 Shackles of Treachery, -1 Grim Draugr, -1 Rune of Speed. For the final 3 cuts, things get a little harder. Run Amok is a great card but I don't think you want to play all 4 unless you had no other non-creature spells, I'd cut 1. Same with Squash which is premium removal but without any giants you're not getting to cast it before turn 5. Finally I'd cut one firewalker to trim on your curve a little and the frost bite and to go up to 16 lands. 17 is my baseline and while this deck I think can cut 1 land I don't think cutting 2 is the right idea. You want to curve out to 4 and you have 5+ mana plays and mana sinks with moving your equipment around. I don't think you run 15 lands unless nothing in your deck costs more than 3 and you're happy to spend your entire game on 2-3 lands.
The Dogged Pursuit is an easy cut, yeah, and I've always gotten no value out of Kennel Master so it's probably gonna go along with Squash. Skull Raid I like but I guess I should be hoping I don't get into topdeck wars. Grim Draugr is also the worst of the bunch in its slot, I left it in there for completeness' sake.
I wanna give the Ravager a shot because everything except it and the pups is a berserker. Shackles of Treachery has won me a bunch of games in aggro decks, not sure I want to get rid of that. The Firewalkers are nuts, I'd rather cut a Breakneck than one of those. Everyone keeps saying Runes are amazing and I actually have a bunch of equipment to stick it on this time. Run Amok is the bees knees and I'm tempted to cut... I dunno, Feed the Serpent instead.
I really like having a one drop but yeah I should probably get rid of at least some Duskwielders. So I'm thinking:
- 3 Duskwielder
- 1 Frost Bite
- 1 Axgard Cavalry
- 1 Rune of Speed
- 1 Run Amok
- 1 Breakneck Berserker
- 1 Grim Draugr
- 1 Dogged Pursuit
- 1 Skull Raid
- 1 Karfell Kennel-Master
- 1 Squash
e: welp, guess MTGA heard me complaining about getting mana floods with 15 land decks, had two games where I didn't see my third land before turn 7, and one of those I think I would have won anyway if I had a few more seconds to do Kardur math. I feel like this deck was better than a 3-3 run but o well.
Getting mana screwed feels so much better than getting flooded, though, because as soon as you draw a land you get to just start dumping stuff onto the board.
First game opening hand: 3 lands, Light of Hope, Soul Warden, Revitalize, Nine Lives.
Second game opening hand: 3 lands, Light of Hope, Soul Warden, Revitalize, Nine Lives.
This is supposed to be a competitive game, Wizards!
ok so your deck is just one Lurrus and every mono black removal card in standard?