This is kinda where I am now with straight pure Simic. The strange lands are to add additional reach. Very painful in the first few turns, but it hasn't been much of an issue at this point. Turn 1 dude almost always mean 2 damage to me. Turn 2 dude is running about 50/50 damage to me. After that it's not so bad. So I give up on average 3 life at game start. Thinking of switching raptors to Young Wolf to soften the self damaging aspect. Other than that concern the deck runs very smooth.
As always the guildmage is my superstar. People have learned to kill it on sight. That is the main reason why I added Garrul Relentless. It gives another guildmage while allowing some sick plays like sacking a strangleroot to find it and cantriping the undying.
Grove has not been a superstar. Only 1 game did I crack it and rancor for a 10 power trampling vig. Will keep for now. Could be better as a haunt or even an island.
Haunt has proven to be very powerful. Late game haunt/rancor has won many games. Control can't do much to stop it once you exaust their resources. And it can buy you time by blocking out any nontrampling guy.
Testing the stalker currently. I like that it triggers evolve when played early. Can get rid of any nonhexproof dude and combos nicely with rapid. You don't need stalker in play to shuffle away their dude. So you get a 3/3 or bigger dude while shipping back their best guy. Awesome play when you do that via snapcaster.
All in all it's a pretty good aggro control deck. Usually go 3-1 at the FNMs. Or 4-1 if we have enough players.
SB is always changing, but usually has 2 Elusive, 3 spiders, 3 crypts, 3 o spheres
Well give some feedback on this build.
The Guildmage is the heart and soul of the simic guild. Just a few sick plays you can do-
Turn 2 guildmage. Turn 3 activate it and cast rapid hybridization on it. Real quick 4/4 token to stop aggressive plans. Best used when something like mangler is cast and thrown at you, or when your play group is scared of guildy. Counter the removal and beat face. I've won games with just turn 1 exp turn 2 guildmage swing for 2. Turnv3 rapid gm after activation then charm/bind a blocker swing for 7 then synco a spell or blocker and get in another 7. Usually against midrange or control decks.
It's always amazing with Garruk primal. Just creating a free 4/4 or 5/5 token while keeping the option to instantly draw a card is the real power play of the deck. Something the other simic decks seem to be ignoring.
Use baby Garruk to sac an undying guy to grab it and then get a free guildmage and card draw out of the deal.
Activating it early in the turn when you have moorland in play makes people a little scared to swing in. I've activated it and my opponent didn't think much of it. Swung in and I proceed to make a dude with haunt, flashed in Snapcaster targeting Rapid and shooting a geist with it. Was a complete blowout. Probably would have just made the token and drew a card had he not swung. Player error can be your friend.
It allows "bad" top decks to be pretty much on par with average cards. Yeah a 3 mana 2/2 isn't great, but it's better than a 1/1 late game. Combine that with primal and for 3 mana you would get a 3/3 and a 4/4 token. Not looking like the worst top deck in history anymore.
Blocking with Geist and drawing a card is always an option.
Uhmm I like the idea but seems a bit gimmicky, I'd like to see a better finisher (not gonna deny the fact that you can just kill with Avengers or Strangleroots + Rancor, but still)
I think I'd cut Raptor (maybe) and definately the Void Stalker and add Young Wolf as you already mentioned then maybe add the 4th Hybridization
Yeah. Usually the wins come from board domination. Garruk makes it so you don't have to over commit to the board. Synco and simic charm prevent sweepers or removal.
Control - Decree is not counterable but I try to not over extend. The pws help here also. Guildmage and then a dude here and there with the tokens make have to sweep over and over again. Eventually they run out of options.
Aggro - Nothing special here. Just play the defense. Simic can't hope to race if they get the nutz. Just block here and there, counter bombs, and deny removal with tricks. Don't allow yourself to below 7 life. Even more if you see brimstone.
Stalker really isn't that terrible. It's a 2/1 for 2. That allows a little pressure against control and evolves everything on turn 2. Also helps as a blocker to slow the aggro decks. I like how it stops that random bomb.
I don't know it just seems like it'd be too slow, you do have to wait a turn before you can use the ability, and as a creature it's pretty weak. The 4th Hybridization would also deal with that random bomb
Anyway, I'm just saying, cause if it works it works
I really like the deck idea but trying to run aggro and control at the same time seems like it wouldn't work out to well.
While playing aggro i feel that you will not be fast enough to beat it. From the start it will be a race and I feel as though they will win. If you get one of your planeswalkers to land I feel that they can be easily removed with Searing Spear etc.
While playing mid-range I feel that you just wont be fast enough to kill them. Then by turn 5 or 6 they just have bigger fatties then you.
For control I see this deck having a really hard time unless you get one of your planeswalkers to land. Then you will have a little of the advantage.
I think you just need to pick which direction to take the deck. Either Simic control (which I can see being good) or Simic aggro (which is also a good deck). You just gotta pick which one you like better.
I think his classification is a bit wide, but I get why he calls it aggro-control, his creatures are pretty resilient which is why against other aggro decks he will clearly have the control role. His creatures are also fast enough to play the aggro role against control decks.
Now, against midrange I can see him having some problems, but you gotta consider his spell suite too. He can probably keep the bigger stuff off the table with what he has.
I'm only saying this because I do the same with my R/G deck (which also plays Strangleroot and Wolfir Avenger x4), it's a deck that adapts to its opponents.
@Pork- I know what this deck is. What card confuses you? The syncopates? They are so the bombs can't come down to mess up my day. Hands of binding? They do their part in slowing down aggro and getting that fat out of my way. Rapid has so much synergy with the deck while also being a bomb remover. Snapcaster? While not typically an aggro card it does well in here. I like being able to keep open mana up after my board is created. This allows meto keep mana open for avenger while being able to have answers. It's very good in aggro control.
Midrange is basically what this deck prays on best. I go dude dude dude then respond to them. Hands shuts them down, a well placed synco can stop them long enough for my guys to get in the damage.
Control can be an issue. I added in the few lands to help with that matchup. Haunt helps should I draw it. The ability to make a 10/8 trampler has been really good when they or midrange tap out.
Stalker is under performing. Just like I had thought it would. I added it when I put in Garruk Relentless. I have only had a few games when it basically goes sac geist for stalker, draw a card. Next turn stalk a dude and sac geist to get stalker back. All 3 times I had the basic set up the deck lost Garruk. Idk at this point if it's teally worth running it. I like the idea of tutorable removal. Maybe if I increase the count of Relentless? If I do that then maybe adding in a single guildleader?
Now, against midrange I can see him having some problems, but you gotta consider his spell suite too. He can probably keep the bigger stuff off the table with what he has.
I'm only saying this because I do the same with my R/G deck (which also plays Strangleroot and Wolfir Avenger x4), it's a deck that adapts to its opponents.
This is dead on. Apply early pressure then I make my plays based on what the other deck does or is.
And I missed the part pork said about it being a race against aggro. It's anything but. This version doesn't have red so I know better than race aggro. Even trying to is a mistake. I may send a dude in if things are safe just to soften them up a little though. Against aggro it's more of a hold the line kind of game plan. I use trades and grow my team until I have board domination. Use rapid on my dudes mostly. Blanks removal they play or basically make an instant 3/3 for 1. Or it targets reckriders. Hands are a big deal against aggro. And pretty much one of the 2 reasons raptor is still in the deck. I bind a guy then cipher it to raptor whenever possible. The other use is to stop resto.
I really hate aristocrat decks. 4/1 fliers are a bit too much if on curve. I basically hope to go dude, dude then have to play the defense and hope my snapcasters and trolls can be enough.
Sb I had centaurs to help with both styles. Taking out the 2 white lands really hurt in caating them
Edit on top due to crap phone.
Cards that performed well. Snapcaster (duh), grove, rapid, gm(duh again) and syncopate. Troll was ok. Most other cards were decent.
Cards that did poorly. Rancor(WTF?), stalker(could have worked. Don't know as I never drew it. So much for testing.), exp was over shadowed by raptor. Not much control though, garruk(maybe. Helped in the stall match), hands(tapped a dude in the stall but never got to attack with the ciphered dude.)
Sorry I haven't updated this recently. Waiting on my friend to get back to me with the notes from FNM. He choose not to play. Wanted to see simic in action. I'll update with the play by play games whenever he comes through with them.
Went 4-1 on Friday. Took 2nd place. I found the card that makes the aristocrats deck manageable. Cyclonic Rift. Needs more raptors to make it better still.
Match 1 was 2-1 against just that, but a more budget version. I guess. Player only had 2 Falkenraths. Deck probably plays 4... assuming. Important plays here were game 2 raptor was a 3/4 and he cast 4/1 flier. I block and he sacs a guy only to have the vamp get bounced to his hand. Huge tempo swing. Next turn it ate a pate. Game 3 he targeted my guildmage with slip and I responded with rapid. He tried to hit it again in responce and I snap castered a previous rapid to hit it again. All removal out of his hand and had a surprise 5 power on the field. Next turn Relentless shot his only blocker down for beats. His next turn was an unimportant dude which I sac snapcaster for a geist and beat in. Making blocks pretty bad for him.
Match 2 was a GBR midrange style deck. Went 2/0 here. Tuff as it ran 4/1 vamps and hellkites. Counters and pongs saved me. No big plays here. Just dude dude dude answer answer won it for me both games.
Match 3 was a 0/2. Some weird 5 color miracle deck. Got lucky I think. But won first so must have had good luck all night. Game 1 I could have won but got surprised by a turn 3 Terminus. Turn 5 Bonfire. Game 2 I put more pressure on but went for a turn 4 dude only to be met with bonfire eot. Yeah, luck was on his side. Decree wisked away the double geist I had on the field that bonfire left.
Match 4 was against a humans aggro deck. Not sure what its called. 1/0 here. Wgu humans. He applies pressure. And lots of it. I play a exp and gm and geist to block. Troll comes down to help a few turns later. I'm on the def heavily as his guys out # mine. No attacks from me for awhile. I saw no red so I knew he lacked reach. Like 35 minutes into it still no attacks. I played it that way on purpose as I had a plan. I knew tapping my dudes would mean defeat so I went with the Grove plan. 10 or so cards left in the deck and I finally draw it. Plop it down and eot make a token. Activating gm 3 times. 11/11 dude. But wait. He's in topdeck mode. Lets put on these 3 rancors to! So a 17/11 vig tramp was too much for the dude. Could have killed it but a charm bumped it too big. Game 2 was time as I played exactly the same style. Could have applied more pressure as I'm sure he held some answer for it this time. Probably a charm of some kind.
Match 5 was a cake walk. Mill deck that got stuck on low lands. I countered a keyrune 1 game with snappy. That's about the most important thing that match.
I have been working on something similar. I played about 50 games with a Simic counter deck.
After a good amount of playtesting, the two biggest challenges I ran into were Boros decks, and anything with a supreme verdict.
All of the standard Boros Decks with cards like silverblade paladin, boros elite, ash zealot makes life very difficult. The challenge I faced was that there simply isn't enough removal in bg -- I tried pit fight for a while, but the boros reckoners were untouchable, and rapid hybridization doesn't help much against smaller creatures, and Hands is a short term solution that usually ends up being a two for one against you. What I found was that RW's aggro creatures will win with first/doublestrike, Champion of the Parish outclasses evolve creatures, and the first time I end up tapped out, the pillar wiped out an undying creature.
It seems like your deck has too many focuses, and may step on its own feet at times.
The evolve creatures can be useful, but if the largest creatures you'll see are 3/3, they stop evolving. A Rancor on the evolve creatures also stops that progression.
Gavony Township is useful, but you don't want to add counters to the Strangleroot Geists prematurely. Could I suggest removing white? Zameck really needs a very sturdy mana base to be at his peak, and you aren't using white for anything besides the lands. You could probably replace the Grove with a Vorapede, and the gavony township with any variety of the counter generators.
I'm also incredibly confused by the Void Stalker. Does that really work? 5 mana for removal never sits right with me.
Void stalker was just a test. I liked how in theory it was strong against midrange. Relentless could search it up when I needed it, and evolves things early. Practical application proved otherwise. Even in my big stall game I had like 8 cards left in the deck. One of them was the stalker So at the FNM I never got to cast it. During play test it wasn't ever a life saver. That slot would probably be better as a pede.
Boros isn't popular around here. I do see where I would have issues with a good hand from them. Idk if its really as brutal as you described though. They need to pull paladin cast it and be allowed to attack with it. Wouldn't a exp 1 be able to kill it or the guy it's bound to by this point? Idk as I said boros isn't big here. Maybe 2 ot 3 people had it. None in top 8 or really near me. Humans do see play and they are ruff to keep up with. Basic plan for them is block block block.
I have ran into pillar hate and yeah they are about 50/50 in hitting my giests. Usually I respond with rapid. Not always but fairly often. Getting an undying counter and a 3/3 token for the trouble is great for me. Rdw style is why I go up to 4 rapids. I have no issue with hitting a reckoner with it. A vanilla 3/3 is much easier to deal with. Same for paladin. They bind and swing. I'd rapid the paladin and block the guy. They give up tempo and 2 cards for a 3/3. Not the best deal for them. Also would side in cyclone for things like this. Maybe aetherize should be something to look back into. I'm basically 1 step ahead. Aggro was big, but people bring so much hate that the amount has started to go down. I now bring hate for the other decks that hate the aggro. Possibly this is bad for anyone not playing where I am as aggro could be something in that meta. Then this deck may look bad to them. Idk. I'm not an online player currently. Only beat face in person.lol.
Ok same deck basically. Went 4-0-1 today. ID last round as I was not wanting to play anymore and the guy is cool. 2nd place finish. Split prizes though. Good enough.
I noticed laat week that aggressive decks seemed to be on the rise, and reanimator decks are losing ground. So I altered the sb to crush aggro. No hope for them now. And it was a good thing as 3 of the matches were against them.
This sb is the king of aggro smasha.
Noteworth plays.
Match 1 boros. 2-1. First game was really bad for me. Reckoner beats my face in for a few turns while I look for an option. Silklash spider was the best I could find for awhile. Taking 1 less damage per turn helped in my attempt to stay alive but that stupid burn spell kills me. Remove x cards from your grave to win the game. Err. Sucks.
Next 2 were that player getting to the point of wanting to rage quit. I'm pretty sure if we were the last at the table that it would have flipped. Games went something like kill your dude. You get a token. Bounce your team. Bounce youe team. Snapcaster and bounce your team. Simic charm my snapcaster and replay to bounce your team.
Round 2 was too close. Went 2-0 but human reanimator is stupid strong. I got luck to have rapid in hand when they tried to go off and enough pressure to make them barely die both attacks after combo. It's good to go dude dude dude when they go set up combo for 3-4 turns.
Match 3 was a 2-1. Against my little mini me. Playing a more slow but more powerful end game simic deck. We are about even when play testing. His runs master and guildleader. I still think it's far too slow but he usually does well considering thw meta WAS aggro less. Now he struggles. Anyways. Game 2 he got the biomancer, biomancer play and I got stomped. He showed me another in hand at the end of the game. How stupid would trip mancer be? Game 3 I played Cyclonic and wisked away a bad situation. Guildleader came down after mancer and a few dudes. He drew like 8 cards but tapped out for it.
Match 4 was Gruul. 2-1 again. I should have probably lost this but dude was clearly tired. His mistake was rushing a rampager on a dryad while I had rapid in hand. He knew I had it because it kinda flipped out of my hand when I was shuffling my hand togeer. I was tired also. BUT he should have casted the 4/4 dude rather than letting me kill his 9/9 trampler. I thought he had something to instant hexproof and was just pushing me to use my rapid. I had no option as death was served if that dude made it through.
Game 3 was bounce city.
Oh game 1 was somewhat close. Garruk shot some dude. BTE I think but then got killer. Next turn garruks big brother came and made a token. Basically pw power all the way here.
Working on another deck now. Temporarily retiring this deck until maze is released. Total Win Loss record at FNMs is somewhere around 18/4/3. Probably the best ratio I've ever had but I agree that with aggro getting more popular I need a switch. 40/60 odds against the popular decks game one is a tuff spot to be. Even if you get 70/30ish after board. A mana screw game 2 or 3 could cost a match.
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2 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Strangleroot Geist
1 Void Stalker
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Zameck Guildmage
3 Wolfir Avenger
3 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Garruk Relentless
3 Rapid Hybridization
2 Simic Charm
3 Syncopate
2 Hands of Binding
4 Breeding Pool
4 Hinterland Harbor
3 Temple Garden
2 Gavony Township
1 Sunpetal Grove
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Moorland Haunt
1 Grove of the Guardian
3 Forest
1 Island
This is kinda where I am now with straight pure Simic. The strange lands are to add additional reach. Very painful in the first few turns, but it hasn't been much of an issue at this point. Turn 1 dude almost always mean 2 damage to me. Turn 2 dude is running about 50/50 damage to me. After that it's not so bad. So I give up on average 3 life at game start. Thinking of switching raptors to Young Wolf to soften the self damaging aspect. Other than that concern the deck runs very smooth.
As always the guildmage is my superstar. People have learned to kill it on sight. That is the main reason why I added Garrul Relentless. It gives another guildmage while allowing some sick plays like sacking a strangleroot to find it and cantriping the undying.
Grove has not been a superstar. Only 1 game did I crack it and rancor for a 10 power trampling vig. Will keep for now. Could be better as a haunt or even an island.
Haunt has proven to be very powerful. Late game haunt/rancor has won many games. Control can't do much to stop it once you exaust their resources. And it can buy you time by blocking out any nontrampling guy.
Testing the stalker currently. I like that it triggers evolve when played early. Can get rid of any nonhexproof dude and combos nicely with rapid. You don't need stalker in play to shuffle away their dude. So you get a 3/3 or bigger dude while shipping back their best guy. Awesome play when you do that via snapcaster.
All in all it's a pretty good aggro control deck. Usually go 3-1 at the FNMs. Or 4-1 if we have enough players.
SB is always changing, but usually has 2 Elusive, 3 spiders, 3 crypts, 3 o spheres
Well give some feedback on this build.
Turn 2 guildmage. Turn 3 activate it and cast rapid hybridization on it. Real quick 4/4 token to stop aggressive plans. Best used when something like mangler is cast and thrown at you, or when your play group is scared of guildy. Counter the removal and beat face. I've won games with just turn 1 exp turn 2 guildmage swing for 2. Turnv3 rapid gm after activation then charm/bind a blocker swing for 7 then synco a spell or blocker and get in another 7. Usually against midrange or control decks.
It's always amazing with Garruk primal. Just creating a free 4/4 or 5/5 token while keeping the option to instantly draw a card is the real power play of the deck. Something the other simic decks seem to be ignoring.
Use baby Garruk to sac an undying guy to grab it and then get a free guildmage and card draw out of the deal.
Activating it early in the turn when you have moorland in play makes people a little scared to swing in. I've activated it and my opponent didn't think much of it. Swung in and I proceed to make a dude with haunt, flashed in Snapcaster targeting Rapid and shooting a geist with it. Was a complete blowout. Probably would have just made the token and drew a card had he not swung. Player error can be your friend.
It allows "bad" top decks to be pretty much on par with average cards. Yeah a 3 mana 2/2 isn't great, but it's better than a 1/1 late game. Combine that with primal and for 3 mana you would get a 3/3 and a 4/4 token. Not looking like the worst top deck in history anymore.
Blocking with Geist and drawing a card is always an option.
I think I'd cut Raptor (maybe) and definately the Void Stalker and add Young Wolf as you already mentioned then maybe add the 4th Hybridization
Control - Decree is not counterable but I try to not over extend. The pws help here also. Guildmage and then a dude here and there with the tokens make have to sweep over and over again. Eventually they run out of options.
Aggro - Nothing special here. Just play the defense. Simic can't hope to race if they get the nutz. Just block here and there, counter bombs, and deny removal with tricks. Don't allow yourself to below 7 life. Even more if you see brimstone.
Stalker really isn't that terrible. It's a 2/1 for 2. That allows a little pressure against control and evolves everything on turn 2. Also helps as a blocker to slow the aggro decks. I like how it stops that random bomb.
Anyway, I'm just saying, cause if it works it works
While playing aggro i feel that you will not be fast enough to beat it. From the start it will be a race and I feel as though they will win. If you get one of your planeswalkers to land I feel that they can be easily removed with Searing Spear etc.
While playing mid-range I feel that you just wont be fast enough to kill them. Then by turn 5 or 6 they just have bigger fatties then you.
For control I see this deck having a really hard time unless you get one of your planeswalkers to land. Then you will have a little of the advantage.
I think you just need to pick which direction to take the deck. Either Simic control (which I can see being good) or Simic aggro (which is also a good deck). You just gotta pick which one you like better.
Now, against midrange I can see him having some problems, but you gotta consider his spell suite too. He can probably keep the bigger stuff off the table with what he has.
I'm only saying this because I do the same with my R/G deck (which also plays Strangleroot and Wolfir Avenger x4), it's a deck that adapts to its opponents.
Midrange is basically what this deck prays on best. I go dude dude dude then respond to them. Hands shuts them down, a well placed synco can stop them long enough for my guys to get in the damage.
Control can be an issue. I added in the few lands to help with that matchup. Haunt helps should I draw it. The ability to make a 10/8 trampler has been really good when they or midrange tap out.
Stalker is under performing. Just like I had thought it would. I added it when I put in Garruk Relentless. I have only had a few games when it basically goes sac geist for stalker, draw a card. Next turn stalk a dude and sac geist to get stalker back. All 3 times I had the basic set up the deck lost Garruk. Idk at this point if it's teally worth running it. I like the idea of tutorable removal. Maybe if I increase the count of Relentless? If I do that then maybe adding in a single guildleader?
This is dead on. Apply early pressure then I make my plays based on what the other deck does or is.
I really hate aristocrat decks. 4/1 fliers are a bit too much if on curve. I basically hope to go dude, dude then have to play the defense and hope my snapcasters and trolls can be enough.
Sb I had centaurs to help with both styles. Taking out the 2 white lands really hurt in caating them
1 Syncopate
1 Hand of Binding
3 Silklash Spider
3 Negate
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Elixir of Immortality
Was my Sb. Thinking about putting the lands back to better support the healers again.
Cards that performed well. Snapcaster (duh), grove, rapid, gm(duh again) and syncopate. Troll was ok. Most other cards were decent.
Cards that did poorly. Rancor(WTF?), stalker(could have worked. Don't know as I never drew it. So much for testing.), exp was over shadowed by raptor. Not much control though, garruk(maybe. Helped in the stall match), hands(tapped a dude in the stall but never got to attack with the ciphered dude.)
Sorry I haven't updated this recently. Waiting on my friend to get back to me with the notes from FNM. He choose not to play. Wanted to see simic in action. I'll update with the play by play games whenever he comes through with them.
Went 4-1 on Friday. Took 2nd place. I found the card that makes the aristocrats deck manageable. Cyclonic Rift. Needs more raptors to make it better still.
Match 1 was 2-1 against just that, but a more budget version. I guess. Player only had 2 Falkenraths. Deck probably plays 4... assuming. Important plays here were game 2 raptor was a 3/4 and he cast 4/1 flier. I block and he sacs a guy only to have the vamp get bounced to his hand. Huge tempo swing. Next turn it ate a pate. Game 3 he targeted my guildmage with slip and I responded with rapid. He tried to hit it again in responce and I snap castered a previous rapid to hit it again. All removal out of his hand and had a surprise 5 power on the field. Next turn Relentless shot his only blocker down for beats. His next turn was an unimportant dude which I sac snapcaster for a geist and beat in. Making blocks pretty bad for him.
Match 2 was a GBR midrange style deck. Went 2/0 here. Tuff as it ran 4/1 vamps and hellkites. Counters and pongs saved me. No big plays here. Just dude dude dude answer answer won it for me both games.
Match 3 was a 0/2. Some weird 5 color miracle deck. Got lucky I think. But won first so must have had good luck all night. Game 1 I could have won but got surprised by a turn 3 Terminus. Turn 5 Bonfire. Game 2 I put more pressure on but went for a turn 4 dude only to be met with bonfire eot. Yeah, luck was on his side. Decree wisked away the double geist I had on the field that bonfire left.
Match 4 was against a humans aggro deck. Not sure what its called. 1/0 here. Wgu humans. He applies pressure. And lots of it. I play a exp and gm and geist to block. Troll comes down to help a few turns later. I'm on the def heavily as his guys out # mine. No attacks from me for awhile. I saw no red so I knew he lacked reach. Like 35 minutes into it still no attacks. I played it that way on purpose as I had a plan. I knew tapping my dudes would mean defeat so I went with the Grove plan. 10 or so cards left in the deck and I finally draw it. Plop it down and eot make a token. Activating gm 3 times. 11/11 dude. But wait. He's in topdeck mode. Lets put on these 3 rancors to! So a 17/11 vig tramp was too much for the dude. Could have killed it but a charm bumped it too big. Game 2 was time as I played exactly the same style. Could have applied more pressure as I'm sure he held some answer for it this time. Probably a charm of some kind.
Match 5 was a cake walk. Mill deck that got stuck on low lands. I countered a keyrune 1 game with snappy. That's about the most important thing that match.
After a good amount of playtesting, the two biggest challenges I ran into were Boros decks, and anything with a supreme verdict.
All of the standard Boros Decks with cards like silverblade paladin, boros elite, ash zealot makes life very difficult. The challenge I faced was that there simply isn't enough removal in bg -- I tried pit fight for a while, but the boros reckoners were untouchable, and rapid hybridization doesn't help much against smaller creatures, and Hands is a short term solution that usually ends up being a two for one against you. What I found was that RW's aggro creatures will win with first/doublestrike, Champion of the Parish outclasses evolve creatures, and the first time I end up tapped out, the pillar wiped out an undying creature.
It seems like your deck has too many focuses, and may step on its own feet at times.
Boros isn't popular around here. I do see where I would have issues with a good hand from them. Idk if its really as brutal as you described though. They need to pull paladin cast it and be allowed to attack with it. Wouldn't a exp 1 be able to kill it or the guy it's bound to by this point? Idk as I said boros isn't big here. Maybe 2 ot 3 people had it. None in top 8 or really near me. Humans do see play and they are ruff to keep up with. Basic plan for them is block block block.
I have ran into pillar hate and yeah they are about 50/50 in hitting my giests. Usually I respond with rapid. Not always but fairly often. Getting an undying counter and a 3/3 token for the trouble is great for me. Rdw style is why I go up to 4 rapids. I have no issue with hitting a reckoner with it. A vanilla 3/3 is much easier to deal with. Same for paladin. They bind and swing. I'd rapid the paladin and block the guy. They give up tempo and 2 cards for a 3/3. Not the best deal for them. Also would side in cyclone for things like this. Maybe aetherize should be something to look back into. I'm basically 1 step ahead. Aggro was big, but people bring so much hate that the amount has started to go down. I now bring hate for the other decks that hate the aggro. Possibly this is bad for anyone not playing where I am as aggro could be something in that meta. Then this deck may look bad to them. Idk. I'm not an online player currently. Only beat face in person.lol.
2 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Strangleroot Geist
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Zameck Guildmage
3 Wolfir Avenger
1 Silklash Spider
3 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Garruk Relentless
3 Rapid Hybridization
2 Simic Charm
3 Syncopate
2 Hands of Binding
4 Breeding Pool
4 Hinterland Harbor
3 Temple Garden
2 Gavony Township
1 Sunpetal Grove
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Moorland Haunt
1 Grove of the Guardian
3 Forest
1 Island
Ok same deck basically. Went 4-0-1 today. ID last round as I was not wanting to play anymore and the guy is cool. 2nd place finish. Split prizes though. Good enough.
I noticed laat week that aggressive decks seemed to be on the rise, and reanimator decks are losing ground. So I altered the sb to crush aggro. No hope for them now. And it was a good thing as 3 of the matches were against them.
3 Cyclonic Rift
3 Aetherize
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Syncopate
3 Negate
2 Vorapede
This sb is the king of aggro smasha.
Noteworth plays.
Match 1 boros. 2-1. First game was really bad for me. Reckoner beats my face in for a few turns while I look for an option. Silklash spider was the best I could find for awhile. Taking 1 less damage per turn helped in my attempt to stay alive but that stupid burn spell kills me. Remove x cards from your grave to win the game. Err. Sucks.
Next 2 were that player getting to the point of wanting to rage quit. I'm pretty sure if we were the last at the table that it would have flipped. Games went something like kill your dude. You get a token. Bounce your team. Bounce youe team. Snapcaster and bounce your team. Simic charm my snapcaster and replay to bounce your team.
Round 2 was too close. Went 2-0 but human reanimator is stupid strong. I got luck to have rapid in hand when they tried to go off and enough pressure to make them barely die both attacks after combo. It's good to go dude dude dude when they go set up combo for 3-4 turns.
Match 3 was a 2-1. Against my little mini me. Playing a more slow but more powerful end game simic deck. We are about even when play testing. His runs master and guildleader. I still think it's far too slow but he usually does well considering thw meta WAS aggro less. Now he struggles. Anyways. Game 2 he got the biomancer, biomancer play and I got stomped. He showed me another in hand at the end of the game. How stupid would trip mancer be? Game 3 I played Cyclonic and wisked away a bad situation. Guildleader came down after mancer and a few dudes. He drew like 8 cards but tapped out for it.
Match 4 was Gruul. 2-1 again. I should have probably lost this but dude was clearly tired. His mistake was rushing a rampager on a dryad while I had rapid in hand. He knew I had it because it kinda flipped out of my hand when I was shuffling my hand togeer. I was tired also. BUT he should have casted the 4/4 dude rather than letting me kill his 9/9 trampler. I thought he had something to instant hexproof and was just pushing me to use my rapid. I had no option as death was served if that dude made it through.
Game 3 was bounce city.
Oh game 1 was somewhat close. Garruk shot some dude. BTE I think but then got killer. Next turn garruks big brother came and made a token. Basically pw power all the way here.