~ Maverick ~ ... a modern archetype Last Updated: 8.25.11
The Basic Tutorial for All Things Maverick / GW Aggro
Maverick is your basic GW Aggro deck that uses a toolbox approach, via Green Sun's Zenith to limit the opponent's ability, while still being able to hit hard and win through combat. Maverick's main format is in Legacy, though certainly it can be transferred, alteast mostly, to the Modern format. The major losses going from Legacy to Modern are Mother of Runes and Stoneforge Mystic. If success is to be had, suitable replacements need to be found. I hope you enjoy the primer and are able to use it's resources to your benefit.
Noble Hierarch - standard mana dork with a relevant Exalted ability. Birds of Paradise - see above, replacing Exalted with flying. Much better before Stoneforge Mystic was banned (flying swords is a definite bonus). Aven Mindcensor - although undoubtedly better when all the best tutors are in the format, this card is still relevant against decks like Zoo with their pile of fetchlands. Also, flying is again relevant here. Mirran Crusader - what's better with a sword than a double-striking, pro Goyf, Bob, Nacatl, etc beater? Definitely one of my favorites so far. Kitchen Finks - a favorite in any formats it's legal, the Finks does a great job staying alive and when you're playing a host of fetches, the lifegain can be relevant. Qasali Pridemage - with two very relevant abilities, Naturalize on a stick + Exalted, Qasali Pridemage is a staple in any GW list and a big part of the GSZ toolbox. Eternal Witness - usually only used as a 1-of, this card is the perfect choice for a toolbox-style deck. Thrun, the Last Troll - an uncounterable, non-targetable creature that still holds a sword and regenerates itself... what more can you ask for? Knight of the Reliquary - the very definition of a staple in GW. Mangara of Corondor - an uncommon, but powerful choice for Maverick, Mangara's ability to exile a permanent should not be underestimated. Flickerwisp - a flying, 3 power, 3CC creature with a relevant ability, the possibility for Flickerwisp to thrive is here. Scryb Ranger - another utility card that has multiple uses. Dryad Arbor - a classic turn one play via GSZ when a Noble Hierarch isn't available, Dryad Arbor usually finds a spot in any Maverick list. Tarmogoyf - one of the best of all time, however, this card rarely sees play in Legacy Maverick, it is certainly something to be tested in Modern. Viridian Shaman - possibly a SB card, possibly a 1-of MD, depending on how Modern develops, look for this card to be a toolbox all-star.
Sideboard Gaddock Teeg - the "other" old man, Teeg can shut down some decks, however it's important to note that it directly interferes with GSZ, so be careful when casting. This card is also sometimes seen in the MD. Ethersworn Canonist - another shutdown card as above, this card is more synergistic with GSZ but also isn't as big of a pain for decks to deal with. Burrenton Forge-Tender - against Zoo or Red, BFT is a valuable tool. Phyrexian Metamorph - often seen as a 1-of in sideboards, Phyrexian Metamorph is one of the best utility cards printed. However, it has no synergy with GSZ and therefore it's important to remember that you can't fetch this card as you could anything green.
Aether Vial - depending on your creature count and casting cost, Aether Vial is another option to build around.
Tormod's Crypt - thanks to the Timeshifted cards of Time Spiral, we get this little 0 cost artifact as part of our sideboard tools. Thorn of Amethyst - again, this deck runs very few noncreature spells, unlike other combo decks where this card can really be of use. Pithing Needle - a cheap, quick way to deal with various probelm cards, again utility is key here.
Path to Exile - an instant 4-of here, this card is the best removal in the format. Green Sun's Zenith - the main engine of the deck, Maverick lives and dies on GSZ.
Sideboard Choke - depending on how the meta develops, Choke can be a valuable tool against blue. Krosan Grip - it has yet to be seen if the Split Second ability will make up for the 3CC. If not, Nature's Claim may be the answer. Nature's Claim - see above, for G
Elspeth, Knight-Errant - probably the only PW good enough to make it here, the +3/+3 and flying can be devastating with near any creature in the deck.
Choice in GW Duals Temple Garden - the best in the Modern format Wooded Bastion - this land is excellent assuming you're not running a host of colorless lands. Horizon Canopy - feeds Knight of the Reliquary, taps for G and W, and can draw you a card... it's everything you want in a support land. Sunpetal Grove - taps for G and W but could CiPT, which is a major downfall.
Fetchlands
Unfortunately, we don't get our color-specific fetchland in Modern, so a combination of green and white fetches will have to do. More testing will give us an close-to-exact number.
Land Destruction Tectonic Edge - unlike Ghost Quarter, this requires 1 to use and can only hit nonbasic land, however it also doesn't allow the land's controller to replace it with a basic. Ghost Quarter - the major downside here is obviously allowing your opponent to get another land, though only basic, the upside being it can hit basic lands (though it seems somewhat pointless here) and it doesn't require mana to activate.
Sideboard Lands Bojuka Bog - depending on how necessary graveyard hate becomes, this land is a possibility. Unfortunately it CiPT and doesn't tap for our colors, but it does do the job it was ended for.
This is the decklist I will use as a starting point. The sideboard is completely based on what I know others in my meta will be playing, along with some basic utility cards.
Even though you clearly noted that Goyf sees no play in Legacy and should be tested in Modern, I wouldn't feel right not saying anything as Tarmogoyf is in my top 5 Modern fatties!! If you are aggro you are running Goyf PERIOD!
Even though you clearly noted that Goyf sees no play in Legacy and should be tested in Modern, I wouldn't feel right not saying anything as Tarmogoyf is in my top 5 Modern fatties!! If you are aggro you are running Goyf PERIOD!
Goyf isn't played in legacy maverick since the deck doesn't really have many ways to power it up on it's own...which is still the case here.
@Primer: one problem with the lands section. Wooded Foothills is not legal. I am assuming you mean Wooded Bastion.
Also, I would suggest adding a section with Aethervial, as Legacy maverick plays that too.
Other creatures to consider: Mangara of Corondor Flickerwisp
@Tarmogoyf discussion: While tarmogoyf is a good beater, I doubt that he is correct for this deck. This deck thrives on being able to counter the opponent's strategy; it plays more of a control deck, and then an aggro deck. A generic beater is probably worse than all the utility creatures this deck runs. At best, someone may play him as a 1 or 2-of.
@Primer: one problem with the lands section. Wooded Foothills is not legal. I am assuming you mean Wooded Bastion.
Also, I would suggest adding a section with Aethervial, as Legacy maverick plays that too.
Other creatures to consider: Mangara of Corondor Flickerwisp
@Tarmogoyf discussion: While tarmogoyf is a good beater, I doubt that he is correct for this deck. This deck thrives on being able to counter the opponent's strategy; it plays more of a control deck, and then an aggro deck. A generic beater is probably worse than all the utility creatures this deck runs. At best, someone may play him as a 1 or 2-of.
@ Wooded Bastion: noted, appreciated, updated
@ Aether Vial: I heavily considered this, but I'm not sold on Vial here. Also, all the recent top GW decks (SCG tourneys, top performances, etc) have been skipping Vial. However, to your point, I will update it with that information.
@ Goyf: Agreed, Gofy is probably a 1/2-of here.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Amazing Avy & Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios [4/22/11]
These are subjective, but legacy maverick plays wasteland because of duals and other problematic lands. However, in modern, the most broken lands are not in the format, so I am not sure how important these are. But 12-post is annoying, so might as well have hate for it. Also, maverick runs KotR, so it's easy to fetch these.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Take a mechanic from the pre-mirrodin era, and a mechanic after the mirrodin era, and create a card that flavorfully melds both mechanics.
These are subjective, but legacy maverick plays wasteland because of duals and other problematic lands. However, in modern, the most broken lands are not in the format, so I am not sure how important these are. But 12-post is annoying, so might as well have hate for it. Also, maverick runs KotR, so it's easy to fetch these.
Noted, and updated.
I'm not sure which I'd prefer currently, I suppose I should be testing both.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Amazing Avy & Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios [4/22/11]
I'm not sure how I feel about this. While I understand why you would want this, there are two major reasons you would not.
1) Teeg stops your main toolbox plan
2) We have no idea how many relevant decks will be running Wrath effects.
@ Wooded Bastion: noted, appreciated, updated
@ Aether Vial: I heavily considered this, but I'm not sold on Vial here. Also, all the recent top GW decks (SCG tourneys, top performances, etc) have been skipping Vial. However, to your point, I will update it with that information.
@ Goyf: Agreed, Gofy is probably a 1/2-of here.
He stops just more than Wraths though.
Opposing GSZ
Gifts Ungiven
Cryptic Command
Profane Command
Primal Command
Plow Under
Mindslaver
Engineered Explosives
All PW's minus Jace 1.0
Hivemind
Birthing Pod
Empty the Warrens
Dragonstorm
All cards are played in what's predicted to be the Top 2 tiers of the format.
Opposing GSZ
Gifts Ungiven
Cryptic Command
Profane Command
Primal Command
Plow Under
Mindslaver
Engineered Explosives
All PW's minus Jace 1.0
Hivemind
Birthing Pod
Empty the Warrens
Dragonstorm
All cards are played in what's predicted to be the Top 2 tiers of the format.
Right, but by playing 1 copy, you're playing 5 (including your 4 GSZ), and 6 if you count Eternal Witness. It just needs to be tested whether a second is necessary...
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Amazing Avy & Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios [4/22/11]
As I told you before RWF_Less, I was actually building a Maverick-based deck in the shadows and hoping it would continue to stay under the radar. Looks like the cat's out of the bag :).
Anyway, I've been messing around with many variants of creatures and toolboxes, especially since I'm a toolbox freak and I love having answers up my sleeve when the situation presents itself. The first thing I want to bring up is that Gaddock Teeg should be maxed out between maindeck and sideboard. I don't care if Gaddock Teeg blocks GSZ; it is such an important piece of disruption because he blocks a high number of important and powerful cards in the format. These include:
- Wrath effects
- Cryptic Command
- Elspeth 1.0 (though could be antisynergetic if you run her yourself)
- All is Dust (12-post)
- Dragonstorm
- Hive Mind
- Splinter Twin
- Birthing Pod
The last four deserve mention because Gaddock Teeg literally prevents two of those combos (Twin, Hive Mind) from ever going off while Dragonstorm is forced to burn rituals to play its dragons if it ever draws into them. Teeg is a very powerful hate bear and we should be taking advantage of him since we are in the colors to play him.
EDIT: Well I missed NavyJoe's post for some reason, but let's just say I'll reiterate it. Teeg is good.
Second, I'd run a full playset of Ghost Quarters. You need LD against 12-post, and it also helps to kill Grove of the Burnwillows to stop the Punishing Fire loop from killing off all the X/2s. Ghost Quarters also synergize very well with KotR in being able to tutor them up and pumping her after they've been used. Tectonic Edge does not cut the mustard for me due to its conditional nature. Lands like Cloudpost need to be dispatched ASAP, and Ghost Quarter gives you the immediate response.
And while I'm on that tangent, I'd go -1 Dryad Arbor for +1 Sejiri Steppe. Sejiri Steppe is a fantastic KotR target as noted from last year's Standard by letting you protect creatures and push someone through with the protection at the same time. You really only need one Dryad Arbor to GSZ for.
One engine I'm currently testing: Squadron Hawk + Fauna Shaman + Vengevine. The downside is that you're devoting a lot of space since all three of these creatures want to be maxed out if at all possible, but putting Fauna Shaman in the deck gives you access to another toolbox engine that can get any creature unlike GSZ. Which can be important if you need an Ethersworn Canonist or a Mirran Crusader! Vengevine obviously provides the late-game reach.
Finally, here's some tech I really want to make work: Moldervine Cloak. This card was quite relevant back during Kamigawa/Ravnica Standard for a lot of green-based aggro decks because it turned any creature into an instant threat and the card literally just refuses to die. Enchantments are harder to interact with unlike artifacts, and spending three mana to buff a creature can be very nice when a Sword for example requires three mana to cast and two more to equip, which usually takes two turns to do. Only real problem with the card is the obvious incompatibility with Mirran Crusader.
I have a lot more ideas going here than just this. I honestly think this deck can make some noise in Modern, especially when so many different toolboxes and hate bears/disruption dudes are available.
This doesnt really have anything to do with Maverick at all. If you want help, you should probably make your own thread. (I think there are a couple of enchantress based aura decks in the forum already)
That said, this deck loses a lot from losing Mother of Runes. Is there a substitute in the format?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Take a mechanic from the pre-mirrodin era, and a mechanic after the mirrodin era, and create a card that flavorfully melds both mechanics.
As I told you before RWF_Less, I was actually building a Maverick-based deck in the shadows and hoping it would continue to stay under the radar. Looks like the cat's out of the bag :).
Anyway, I've been messing around with many variants of creatures and toolboxes, especially since I'm a toolbox freak and I love having answers up my sleeve when the situation presents itself. The first thing I want to bring up is that Gaddock Teeg should be maxed out between maindeck and sideboard. I don't care if Gaddock Teeg blocks GSZ; it is such an important piece of disruption because he blocks a high number of important and powerful cards in the format. These include:
- Wrath effects
- Cryptic Command
- Elspeth 1.0 (though could be antisynergetic if you run her yourself)
- All is Dust (12-post)
- Dragonstorm
- Hive Mind
- Splinter Twin
- Birthing Pod
The last four deserve mention because Gaddock Teeg literally prevents two of those combos (Twin, Hive Mind) from ever going off while Dragonstorm is forced to burn rituals to play its dragons if it ever draws into them. Teeg is a very powerful hate bear and we should be taking advantage of him since we are in the colors to play him.
EDIT: Well I missed NavyJoe's post for some reason, but let's just say I'll reiterate it. Teeg is good.
Second, I'd run a full playset of Ghost Quarters. You need LD against 12-post, and it also helps to kill Grove of the Burnwillows to stop the Punishing Fire loop from killing off all the X/2s. Ghost Quarters also synergize very well with KotR in being able to tutor them up and pumping her after they've been used. Tectonic Edge does not cut the mustard for me due to its conditional nature. Lands like Cloudpost need to be dispatched ASAP, and Ghost Quarter gives you the immediate response.
And while I'm on that tangent, I'd go -1 Dryad Arbor for +1 Sejiri Steppe. Sejiri Steppe is a fantastic KotR target as noted from last year's Standard by letting you protect creatures and push someone through with the protection at the same time. You really only need one Dryad Arbor to GSZ for.
One engine I'm currently testing: Squadron Hawk + Fauna Shaman + Vengevine. The downside is that you're devoting a lot of space since all three of these creatures want to be maxed out if at all possible, but putting Fauna Shaman in the deck gives you access to another toolbox engine that can get any creature unlike GSZ. Which can be important if you need an Ethersworn Canonist or a Mirran Crusader! Vengevine obviously provides the late-game reach.
Finally, here's some tech I really want to make work: Moldervine Cloak. This card was quite relevant back during Kamigawa/Ravnica Standard for a lot of green-based aggro decks because it turned any creature into an instant threat and the card literally just refuses to die. Enchantments are harder to interact with unlike artifacts, and spending three mana to buff a creature can be very nice when a Sword for example requires three mana to cast and two more to equip, which usually takes two turns to do. Only real problem with the card is the obvious incompatibility with Mirran Crusader.
I have a lot more ideas going here than just this. I honestly think this deck can make some noise in Modern, especially when so many different toolboxes and hate bears/disruption dudes are available.
Oh, sorry SC, I didn't realize you were trying to keep it quiet. Oops!
What number of Teeg are you liking MD currently? I'm testing a 2/2 split right now.
As for the rest, I agree... though I haven't tried Squadron Hawk yet. I'd be more tempted with SFM in the format to fetch swords.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Amazing Avy & Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios [4/22/11]
A quick way to get the upper-hand in a heavily aggro meta (or to lock down opposing Emrakuls, Titans, and what have you) is Glare of Subdual. Just make sure to play it before you bring Teegs out.
Taking another page out of the Kamigawa-Ravnica-era standard G/W playbook, is Watchwolf still relevant? It feels as though Qasali Pridemage outdates him, but you will often be attacking in hordes and not alone, so the Wolves would have the edge there. Just a thought. Hard to beat an unconditional 3/3 for 2.
Running 1-each of three different equipment with no way to find them seems useless, I would just play 3 sword of fire and ice and leave it at that. You only need one teeg, as playing two would hurt your gameplan to much.
Since the deck lacks mother of runes, sejiri steppe seems a good knight target. I would also play tarmogoyf as a 4-of in the deck because your knights won't last as long as in the legacy version. If you play zenith you should at the very least play 1 goyf as a tutor target.
With scryb ranger, fauna shaman becomes a lot better and it allows you to pull your white cards out as well. With fauna shaman, vengevine could also work as a resilient threat, and if you play enough creatures you won't have any trouble getting it back.
I understand what you're saying, but Batterskull is so darn good, I have a hard time not fitting it in.
Part of the reason Batterskull is so good though is because SFM circumvented its expensive mana cost, and at instant speed to boot. If you want to run powerful equipment I'd just run more Swords to up the consistency of the deck. You can manage three mana plus two more for a Sword equip, but five mana in one sitting can be troublesome to get to.
Also, Lectrys mentioned a Glittering Wish toolbox, and I agree with its potential effectiveness. I think it should be seriously explored. Here's what I'd think about for Glittering Wish targets:
- Teeg
- Pridemage
- Kitchen Finks
- Harmonic Sliver (Pridemage is likely worlds better though)
- Wheel of Sun and Moon (hosing whatever graveyard-based decks are out there that aren't Dredge, like Living End combo)
- Behemoth Sledge (kinda clunky, but turns any creature into a threat and lifegain can be a big help)
- Glare of Subdual (great against Eldrazi/big dudes, and works on Emrakul)
- Fracturing Gust (completely blows out Affinity if you reach five mana)
- Heartmender (incredible synergy with Finks; if your opponent doesn't have exiling removal this guy will make life miserable for them)
- Vexing Shusher (blanks countermagic, good against blue heavy decks)
- Safewright Quest (only to break out of mana screw, but can get dual lands and even Dryad Arbor if needed)
Of course there's all the other hybrid cards out there but it's 12:30am right now and I seriously need sleep for work tomorrow. Something to ponder tomorrow night for me!
Part of the reason Batterskull is so good though is because SFM circumvented its expensive mana cost, and at instant speed to boot. If you want to run powerful equipment I'd just run more Swords to up the consistency of the deck. You can manage three mana plus two more for a Sword equip, but five mana in one sitting can be troublesome to get to.
Also, Lectrys mentioned a Glittering Wish toolbox, and I agree with its potential effective. I think it should be seriously explored. Here's what I'd think about for Glittering Wish targets:
- Teeg
- Pridemage
- Kitchen Finks
- Harmonic Sliver (Pridemage is likely worlds better though)
- Wheel of Sun and Moon (hosing whatever graveyard-based decks are out there that aren't Dredge, like Living End combo)
- Behemoth Sledge (kinda clunky, but turns any creature into a threat and lifegain can be a big help)
- Glare of Subdual (great against Eldrazi/big dudes, and works on Emrakul)
- Fracturing Gust (completely blows out Affinity if you reach five mana)
- Heartmender (incredible synergy with Finks; if your opponent doesn't have exiling removal this guy will make life miserable for them)
- Vexing Shusher (blanks countermagic, good against blue heavy decks)
- Safewright Quest (only to break out of mana screw, but can get dual lands and even Dryad Arbor if needed)
Of course there's all the other hybrid cards out there but it's 12:30am right now and I seriously need sleep for work tomorrow. Something to ponder tomorrow night for me!
Actually Surging Chaos has been talking about Wish for quite awhile, and I have to agree it seems quite powerful. I love that Behemoth Sledge is multi-colored, I'm definitely a fan.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Amazing Avy & Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios [4/22/11]
Is Jotun Grunt usable in this deck (MD or SB) or does it interfere with the deck's synergy?
Well, it's definitely not green, which is a negative. Then it's definitely not multi-colored to fetch with Glittering Wish, and unfortunately it's relevant ability can only be used during your upkeep. I'd have to go with a no at this point, but that's without any testing.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Amazing Avy & Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios [4/22/11]
... a modern archetype
Last Updated: 8.25.11
Maverick is your basic GW Aggro deck that uses a toolbox approach, via Green Sun's Zenith to limit the opponent's ability, while still being able to hit hard and win through combat. Maverick's main format is in Legacy, though certainly it can be transferred, alteast mostly, to the Modern format. The major losses going from Legacy to Modern are Mother of Runes and Stoneforge Mystic. If success is to be had, suitable replacements need to be found. I hope you enjoy the primer and are able to use it's resources to your benefit.
Noble Hierarch - standard mana dork with a relevant Exalted ability.
Birds of Paradise - see above, replacing Exalted with flying. Much better before Stoneforge Mystic was banned (flying swords is a definite bonus).
Aven Mindcensor - although undoubtedly better when all the best tutors are in the format, this card is still relevant against decks like Zoo with their pile of fetchlands. Also, flying is again relevant here.
Mirran Crusader - what's better with a sword than a double-striking, pro Goyf, Bob, Nacatl, etc beater? Definitely one of my favorites so far.
Kitchen Finks - a favorite in any formats it's legal, the Finks does a great job staying alive and when you're playing a host of fetches, the lifegain can be relevant.
Qasali Pridemage - with two very relevant abilities, Naturalize on a stick + Exalted, Qasali Pridemage is a staple in any GW list and a big part of the GSZ toolbox.
Eternal Witness - usually only used as a 1-of, this card is the perfect choice for a toolbox-style deck.
Thrun, the Last Troll - an uncounterable, non-targetable creature that still holds a sword and regenerates itself... what more can you ask for?
Knight of the Reliquary - the very definition of a staple in GW.
Mangara of Corondor - an uncommon, but powerful choice for Maverick, Mangara's ability to exile a permanent should not be underestimated.
Flickerwisp - a flying, 3 power, 3CC creature with a relevant ability, the possibility for Flickerwisp to thrive is here.
Scryb Ranger - another utility card that has multiple uses.
Dryad Arbor - a classic turn one play via GSZ when a Noble Hierarch isn't available, Dryad Arbor usually finds a spot in any Maverick list.
Tarmogoyf - one of the best of all time, however, this card rarely sees play in Legacy Maverick, it is certainly something to be tested in Modern.
Viridian Shaman - possibly a SB card, possibly a 1-of MD, depending on how Modern develops, look for this card to be a toolbox all-star.
Sideboard
Gaddock Teeg - the "other" old man, Teeg can shut down some decks, however it's important to note that it directly interferes with GSZ, so be careful when casting. This card is also sometimes seen in the MD.
Ethersworn Canonist - another shutdown card as above, this card is more synergistic with GSZ but also isn't as big of a pain for decks to deal with.
Burrenton Forge-Tender - against Zoo or Red, BFT is a valuable tool.
Phyrexian Metamorph - often seen as a 1-of in sideboards, Phyrexian Metamorph is one of the best utility cards printed. However, it has no synergy with GSZ and therefore it's important to remember that you can't fetch this card as you could anything green.
Aether Vial - depending on your creature count and casting cost, Aether Vial is another option to build around.
Even though we lose Stoneforge Mystic, that doesn't mean we can't use some of the excellent equipments available to Modern. These are all pretty self-explanatory, if any explanation is needed, I'll update on request.
Batterskull
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of War and Peace
Sword of Light and Shadow
Tormod's Crypt - thanks to the Timeshifted cards of Time Spiral, we get this little 0 cost artifact as part of our sideboard tools.
Thorn of Amethyst - again, this deck runs very few noncreature spells, unlike other combo decks where this card can really be of use.
Pithing Needle - a cheap, quick way to deal with various probelm cards, again utility is key here.
Path to Exile - an instant 4-of here, this card is the best removal in the format.
Green Sun's Zenith - the main engine of the deck, Maverick lives and dies on GSZ.
Sideboard
Choke - depending on how the meta develops, Choke can be a valuable tool against blue.
Krosan Grip - it has yet to be seen if the Split Second ability will make up for the 3CC. If not, Nature's Claim may be the answer.
Nature's Claim - see above, for G
Elspeth, Knight-Errant - probably the only PW good enough to make it here, the +3/+3 and flying can be devastating with near any creature in the deck.
Choice in GW Duals
Temple Garden - the best in the Modern format
Wooded Bastion - this land is excellent assuming you're not running a host of colorless lands.
Horizon Canopy - feeds Knight of the Reliquary, taps for G and W, and can draw you a card... it's everything you want in a support land.
Sunpetal Grove - taps for G and W but could CiPT, which is a major downfall.
Fetchlands
Unfortunately, we don't get our color-specific fetchland in Modern, so a combination of green and white fetches will have to do. More testing will give us an close-to-exact number.
Land Destruction
Tectonic Edge - unlike Ghost Quarter, this requires 1 to use and can only hit nonbasic land, however it also doesn't allow the land's controller to replace it with a basic.
Ghost Quarter - the major downside here is obviously allowing your opponent to get another land, though only basic, the upside being it can hit basic lands (though it seems somewhat pointless here) and it doesn't require mana to activate.
Sideboard Lands
Bojuka Bog - depending on how necessary graveyard hate becomes, this land is a possibility. Unfortunately it CiPT and doesn't tap for our colors, but it does do the job it was ended for.
This is the decklist I will use as a starting point. The sideboard is completely based on what I know others in my meta will be playing, along with some basic utility cards.
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of War and Peace
Creatures [24]
3 Aven Mindcensor
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Kitchen Finks
3 Mirran Crusader
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Viridian Shaman
4 Path to Exile
Sorceries [4]
4 Green Sun's Zenith
Planeswalker [2]
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Lands [23]
3 Forest
2 Plains
3 Horizon Canopy
4 Temple Garden
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Wooded bastion
2 Marsh Flats
2 Dryad Arbor
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Choke
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
3 Nature's Claim
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Burrenton Forge-Tender
Please feel free to comment and/or add questions. The thread will be updated daily as testing continues. Thanks for reading!
Thanks to Dantcg for the Sig!
Goyf isn't played in legacy maverick since the deck doesn't really have many ways to power it up on it's own...which is still the case here.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=519290
Also, I would suggest adding a section with Aethervial, as Legacy maverick plays that too.
Other creatures to consider:
Mangara of Corondor
Flickerwisp
@Tarmogoyf discussion: While tarmogoyf is a good beater, I doubt that he is correct for this deck. This deck thrives on being able to counter the opponent's strategy; it plays more of a control deck, and then an aggro deck. A generic beater is probably worse than all the utility creatures this deck runs. At best, someone may play him as a 1 or 2-of.
Take a mechanic from the pre-mirrodin era, and a mechanic after the mirrodin era, and create a card that flavorfully melds both mechanics.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. While I understand why you would want this, there are two major reasons you would not.
1) Teeg stops your main toolbox plan
2) We have no idea how many relevant decks will be running Wrath effects.
@ Wooded Bastion: noted, appreciated, updated
@ Aether Vial: I heavily considered this, but I'm not sold on Vial here. Also, all the recent top GW decks (SCG tourneys, top performances, etc) have been skipping Vial. However, to your point, I will update it with that information.
@ Goyf: Agreed, Gofy is probably a 1/2-of here.
More cards to consider:
Tectonic Edge
Ghost Quarter
These are subjective, but legacy maverick plays wasteland because of duals and other problematic lands. However, in modern, the most broken lands are not in the format, so I am not sure how important these are. But 12-post is annoying, so might as well have hate for it. Also, maverick runs KotR, so it's easy to fetch these.
Take a mechanic from the pre-mirrodin era, and a mechanic after the mirrodin era, and create a card that flavorfully melds both mechanics.
Noted, and updated.
I'm not sure which I'd prefer currently, I suppose I should be testing both.
He stops just more than Wraths though.
Opposing GSZ
Gifts Ungiven
Cryptic Command
Profane Command
Primal Command
Plow Under
Mindslaver
Engineered Explosives
All PW's minus Jace 1.0
Hivemind
Birthing Pod
Empty the Warrens
Dragonstorm
All cards are played in what's predicted to be the Top 2 tiers of the format.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=519290
Right, but by playing 1 copy, you're playing 5 (including your 4 GSZ), and 6 if you count Eternal Witness. It just needs to be tested whether a second is necessary...
4 Troll Ascetic
4 Kor Spiritdancer
3 Mirran Crusader
2 Hero of Bladehold
2 Sun Titan
3 Spider Umbra
3 Daybreak Coronet
4 Spirit Mantle
2 Angelic Destiny
4 Oblivion Ring /4 Prison Term
4 Sunpetal Grove
9 Plains
7 Forest
Might get tec edges or razorverge thickets.
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
If I did play that, I'd definitely try out Mesa Enchantress.
Anyway, I've been messing around with many variants of creatures and toolboxes, especially since I'm a toolbox freak and I love having answers up my sleeve when the situation presents itself. The first thing I want to bring up is that Gaddock Teeg should be maxed out between maindeck and sideboard. I don't care if Gaddock Teeg blocks GSZ; it is such an important piece of disruption because he blocks a high number of important and powerful cards in the format. These include:
- Wrath effects
- Cryptic Command
- Elspeth 1.0 (though could be antisynergetic if you run her yourself)
- All is Dust (12-post)
- Dragonstorm
- Hive Mind
- Splinter Twin
- Birthing Pod
The last four deserve mention because Gaddock Teeg literally prevents two of those combos (Twin, Hive Mind) from ever going off while Dragonstorm is forced to burn rituals to play its dragons if it ever draws into them. Teeg is a very powerful hate bear and we should be taking advantage of him since we are in the colors to play him.
EDIT: Well I missed NavyJoe's post for some reason, but let's just say I'll reiterate it. Teeg is good.
Second, I'd run a full playset of Ghost Quarters. You need LD against 12-post, and it also helps to kill Grove of the Burnwillows to stop the Punishing Fire loop from killing off all the X/2s. Ghost Quarters also synergize very well with KotR in being able to tutor them up and pumping her after they've been used. Tectonic Edge does not cut the mustard for me due to its conditional nature. Lands like Cloudpost need to be dispatched ASAP, and Ghost Quarter gives you the immediate response.
And while I'm on that tangent, I'd go -1 Dryad Arbor for +1 Sejiri Steppe. Sejiri Steppe is a fantastic KotR target as noted from last year's Standard by letting you protect creatures and push someone through with the protection at the same time. You really only need one Dryad Arbor to GSZ for.
One engine I'm currently testing: Squadron Hawk + Fauna Shaman + Vengevine. The downside is that you're devoting a lot of space since all three of these creatures want to be maxed out if at all possible, but putting Fauna Shaman in the deck gives you access to another toolbox engine that can get any creature unlike GSZ. Which can be important if you need an Ethersworn Canonist or a Mirran Crusader! Vengevine obviously provides the late-game reach.
Finally, here's some tech I really want to make work: Moldervine Cloak. This card was quite relevant back during Kamigawa/Ravnica Standard for a lot of green-based aggro decks because it turned any creature into an instant threat and the card literally just refuses to die. Enchantments are harder to interact with unlike artifacts, and spending three mana to buff a creature can be very nice when a Sword for example requires three mana to cast and two more to equip, which usually takes two turns to do. Only real problem with the card is the obvious incompatibility with Mirran Crusader.
I have a lot more ideas going here than just this. I honestly think this deck can make some noise in Modern, especially when so many different toolboxes and hate bears/disruption dudes are available.
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
This doesnt really have anything to do with Maverick at all. If you want help, you should probably make your own thread. (I think there are a couple of enchantress based aura decks in the forum already)
That said, this deck loses a lot from losing Mother of Runes. Is there a substitute in the format?
Take a mechanic from the pre-mirrodin era, and a mechanic after the mirrodin era, and create a card that flavorfully melds both mechanics.
Oh, sorry SC, I didn't realize you were trying to keep it quiet. Oops!
What number of Teeg are you liking MD currently? I'm testing a 2/2 split right now.
As for the rest, I agree... though I haven't tried Squadron Hawk yet. I'd be more tempted with SFM in the format to fetch swords.
Taking another page out of the Kamigawa-Ravnica-era standard G/W playbook, is Watchwolf still relevant? It feels as though Qasali Pridemage outdates him, but you will often be attacking in hordes and not alone, so the Wolves would have the edge there. Just a thought. Hard to beat an unconditional 3/3 for 2.
Since the deck lacks mother of runes, sejiri steppe seems a good knight target. I would also play tarmogoyf as a 4-of in the deck because your knights won't last as long as in the legacy version. If you play zenith you should at the very least play 1 goyf as a tutor target.
With scryb ranger, fauna shaman becomes a lot better and it allows you to pull your white cards out as well. With fauna shaman, vengevine could also work as a resilient threat, and if you play enough creatures you won't have any trouble getting it back.
BRWC Mardu Shops - Tymna and Akiri Artifacts BRWC
I understand what you're saying, but Batterskull is so darn good, I have a hard time not fitting it in.
Part of the reason Batterskull is so good though is because SFM circumvented its expensive mana cost, and at instant speed to boot. If you want to run powerful equipment I'd just run more Swords to up the consistency of the deck. You can manage three mana plus two more for a Sword equip, but five mana in one sitting can be troublesome to get to.
Also, Lectrys mentioned a Glittering Wish toolbox, and I agree with its potential effectiveness. I think it should be seriously explored. Here's what I'd think about for Glittering Wish targets:
- Teeg
- Pridemage
- Kitchen Finks
- Harmonic Sliver (Pridemage is likely worlds better though)
- Wheel of Sun and Moon (hosing whatever graveyard-based decks are out there that aren't Dredge, like Living End combo)
- Behemoth Sledge (kinda clunky, but turns any creature into a threat and lifegain can be a big help)
- Glare of Subdual (great against Eldrazi/big dudes, and works on Emrakul)
- Fracturing Gust (completely blows out Affinity if you reach five mana)
- Heartmender (incredible synergy with Finks; if your opponent doesn't have exiling removal this guy will make life miserable for them)
- Vexing Shusher (blanks countermagic, good against blue heavy decks)
- Safewright Quest (only to break out of mana screw, but can get dual lands and even Dryad Arbor if needed)
Of course there's all the other hybrid cards out there but it's 12:30am right now and I seriously need sleep for work tomorrow. Something to ponder tomorrow night for me!
Actually Surging Chaos has been talking about Wish for quite awhile, and I have to agree it seems quite powerful. I love that Behemoth Sledge is multi-colored, I'm definitely a fan.
Well, it's definitely not green, which is a negative. Then it's definitely not multi-colored to fetch with Glittering Wish, and unfortunately it's relevant ability can only be used during your upkeep. I'd have to go with a no at this point, but that's without any testing.