Alright, since there was some confusion with my last blog over what format I was talking about, I’ll be clearer. Today’s deck list is for block, BLOCK. The Brion Stoutarm combo deck from last time was also a BLOCK deck. I’m not being rude, I just don’t like receiving posts saying that somebody tested out the deck and it got hosed by G/W Wish… a block Glittering Wish deck? Was it magically reprinted so that I didn’t know about it? Okay, enough poster-bashing, on to the goodies.
After making the deck now being called “Strong-Arm Searblades,” I wanted to build something a little more conventional for block. I really wanted to build something that would be popular like Fairies for testing purposes with SAS but I realized that I didn’t have any Bitterblossoms, I traded away all my Mistbind Cliques and I only have one Scion of Oona. I didn’t feel like proxying an entire deck yesterday so I decided that I would throw together something good against Fairies. I know that a lot of people are looking for decks to beat Fairies in standard, Fairies will be good in block too and these ideas will translate into standard if you want.
I started by looking at what I had for land to determine what I could easily play, which is a really good idea for everyone in every format since dual-esque lands are always a pain in the ass to get. For the Lorwyn tribal duals I had sets of Gilt-Leaf Palace and Auntie’s Hovel and three Graven Cairns. I really didn’t consider Goblins yet, but I will make a block list for you all next week. So I went with the Elves, a decent deck in block as most people would agree, but I don’t settle for decent. I looked over the layout of my curve and decided that the elves package on its own wasn’t going to beat Fairies, so I went common sense all over that pile. This deck is, as of yet, “BOOM.” You know why?
4x Wren’s Run Vanquisher
4x Imperious Perfect
2x Elvish Harbinger
1x Shriekmaw
1x Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
3x Cloudthresher
3x Garruk Wildspeaker
1x Liliana Vess
4x Thoughtseize
4x Fertile Ground
4x Nameless Inversion
3x Eyeblight’s Ending
2x Profane Command
4x Gilt-Leaf Palace
2x Mutavault
2x Vivid Grove
2x Vivid Marsh
9x Forest
5x Swamp
Sideboard:
4x Lys-Alana Bowmaster
3x Shriekmaw
2x Elvish Hexhunter
4x Firespout
2x Chameleon Colossus
Because when that Fae player turns his fliers sideways, you shout “BOOOOM!” and slam a Cloudthresher! (You *meep* if they counter it, but we’re all too good here to get him countered)
The deck plays really smoothly and has some great synergy, which is why there are no Bitterblossoms, because Cloudthresher is too good. The sideboard is currently under construction, I want 4 Shriekmaw available to me, but I played a few Eyeblights Endings for the Elf count for Vanquisher. I will definitely keep tinkering with the list, this deck has a very powerful game and should be a main player in block.
On a disappointing note for this deck, in some quick testing yesterday, without sideboarding, over the course of three games, SAS beat this deck 2-1 with this deck losing game 2, in which it had a free mulligan. SAS comboed off on turn 7 or 8 game two after dominating the whole game and won a nail-biting game three in which BOOM played two Garruks, both Oblivion Ringed and Mirror Entity, two Flamekin Harbingers and a Smokebraider aggroed the win. The life total were on the last turn 4-2, SAS-BOOM. It was close but SAS is a legit deck, it shouldn’t, theoretically, be able to handle Thoughtseizes and Removal, but it can.
Don’t be discouraged by that from trying this deck out, it is a really strong deck that I really think does have the edge over SAS and definitely Fairies. I’ll see how it does against a RDW type deck today.
Until you come before me to drink in my wisdom again,
Tom
Tags: Lorwyn Block Elves Big Mana
Related to:
Magic: the Gathering
