Wow, I haven't made a new post in forever. I blame my disgust for the current Extended environment for my disinterest in Magic for the last couple of months, but I can only say "I hate the current meta" for so long before I get the itch to play and write.
If you can't tell from the above, I have basically given up on Extended due to my lack of days off on PTQ dates and my loathing of the format in general. I hate having to dedicated my sideboard to combat unfair combo decks that can still win against the metric ton of hate I pack. I hate how every deck runs the exact same cards because every card can be played in every deck with fetches and Rav duals. I hate how no matter what deck you play there will be matchups you just can't logistically win. I hate waiting for people to activate tops every turn. Despite the deck field being wide in Extended I have found the format quite boring and stagnant. No one is breaking ground with new decks or archetypes. The top 8s all look alike.
That said, I am happy to move back into T2 full time and leave Extended somewhere far behind me in my rear-view mirror. I generally like Standard more than any other format because there is a smaller card pool which forces people to use cards that don't fall into the chase rare category to make decks. Matchups tend to come down to playing and stronger decisions because every card you draw isn't going to create insane card advantage or put the game on a three-turn clock.
For the most part, I like the current T2 format. With the exception that WOTC has made it nearly impossible for control to win with how strong all the aggro decks now are, I like what I have seen. Thanks to the Urza block man lands and Mutavault, control can not shut down aggro. A wrath effect doesn't prevent a turn of damage as you will be hit by 3/3, 2/2 or 2/1 on the next turn and unless you have an instant removal piece sitting in your hand, you basically can't stop the opponent from applying pressure.
The one thing missing from the environment is a legitimate control deck. Teachings is too slow. Pickles doesn't have blockers or removal to stop Kithkin, Elves, Faeries or Goblins. And Guile is in the same boat. If anything, RGb big mana is the new control and I will be damned if I call RG a control archetype. RG mana ramp is the most lame deck I have seen in a while. Do nothing but play Wall of Roots then cast giant creatures. This deck would crumple in the face of a real control build, but as control can't beat aggro right now, GR big mana will dominate as it has.
I do like how there is a couple of combo decks in Dragon/Swath storm decks and blink/Reveillark decks. Then a couple rogue decks keep things interesting with the wacky Elixir deck and Turbo Fog. This allows for an intriguing field of decks and each deck has room to try new things. I hope the next set brings in some more control-type cards that can allow permission to stand a chance. Hell, it would be a great time to reprint Stone Rain as lands continue to be stronger and stronger.
As for me, I refuse to play a deck WOTC has built for me. This can be seen clearly in the form of the Doran forest. As is GBW needed any more help. But enough with the complaining, I have been messing with a couple of decks. The first was a Rw aggro deck that makes use of the absent Jotun Grunt. Check out the synergies in this list and tell me what you think.
Grunt
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Countryside Crusher
4 Jotun Grunt
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Inner-Flame Acolyte
4 Greater Gargadon
4 Rift Bolt
4 Shard Volley
2 Threaten
2 Fatal Frenzy
2 Temporal Isolation
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Ancient Amphitheater
10 Mountain
Grunt is a great anti-Tarmogoyf card and is solid beating. Lots of cards work well with Grunt and Gargs. Turn 3 hasty Grunt thanks to an evoked Acolyte that will be pitched to Gargs is pretty sweet, not to mention attacking with a Marauder. If you don't have the cards to feed Grunt, sac him to Gargs and move on. Shard Volley feeds grunt and has great synergy with Crusher. You can go all in by pumping crusher with lands and getting a hasty 9/7 Gargadon. Lots of cool stuff to work with. Tell me what you think.
Here is my current project and my goal to bring Pickles back into the format.
UG Pickles
4 Brine Elemental
4 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
4 Riftwing Cloudskate
4 Rune Snag
4 Ancestral Vision
2 Cryptic Command
4 Wall of Roots
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Search For Tomorrow
2 Garruk, Wildspeaker
4 Yavimaya Coast
9 Forest
11 Island
The deck can hold on in the early game with Wall of Roots, Riftwings and Rune Snags, which allow you to set up the lock and win the game. Pretty simple. Play early suspend cards that fetch you extra lands and cards. Then set up blockers and go for the lock or aggro out with Riftwings, 'Goyfs and morphs (using Shapeshifter to make more 'Goyfs). Garruk is fun times when accelerating the lock or just supplying some beasts to hold down the fort until you lock them out.
Shapeshifter is so handy when stalling people with Riftwings or drawing extra cards from someone's Mulldrifter. In a pinch you can get another Wall of Roots or use a Shriekmaw on an opponent's elf. The deck has been fun in my initial testing and can stabalize despite having mass removal. This is just the secod draft of the deck so changes are sure to come and suggestions are appreciated.
The sideboard has Epochrasites to own the aggro matchups, Scryb Rangers for the Faerie decks or other matchups with blue. Faerie Trickery is being used right now for the Reveillark deck, but nothing is set in stone. Chameleon Colossus is being tested as a strong answer in Elves, MBC, Doran and Faeries. I didn't list the board because I keep messing with it and these are the main cards floating around. I want to use Sower of Temptation, but I think Epochrasite might be better in most matchups.
This is all I got for now, but I should be checking back in more frequently since I am motivated on coming up with new tech for T2.
Thanks for reading,
Nick Miller
Tags: Magic UG Pickles Complaining
Related to:
Magic: the Gathering
