Dredging for the Bottom Feeders
Hello and welcome to Fish Fodder. My name is Sharkbait and I’m a fish. You read it right a fish. My owner is a Magic The Gathering player who unfortunately rarely gets to play live games against live people. He does however practice a lot. He does this mostly at work on Apprentice but sometimes against me. Basically, he shuffles up and deals out his seven and then works to build some combo.
My owner is kinda weird. He is always fascinated with some crazy combo. Even though he knows it isn’t close to a competitive deck he still plays around with it always believing that there is some sick degenerate combo that no one has played or posted on the net.
So why am I talking you? First of all a talking fish isn’t exactly normal. But going beyond your hallucinations I am here to tell you what I see when my owner plays. I seriously doubt that his combo’s will warrant the attention of the Spikes of the world. But maybe a Johnny or two may appreciate what he has built.
Something is awry in my household. Dan (that’s my owner) is actually trying to be competitive. He’s all fired up trying to find the fastest kill in Extended. This week he has actually worked on two different decks. The first I am sure you have seen around a lot lately. In fact, I would guess that if I asked you what the fastest deck in Extended right now is you would probably answer… DREDGE!
Dan played around a little with some different cards on Sunday. He finally settled on the following list.
4 Cephalid Coliseum
1 Godless Shrine
2 Watery Grave
2 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
2 Cephalid Sage
2 Flame-Kin Zealot
4 Golgari Grave Troll
3 Golgari Thug
3 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
4 Putrid Imp
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Street Wraith
2 Tireless Tribe
4 Breakthrough
4 Careful Study
3 Chrome Mox
3 Dread Return
This is the problem with playing against a fish. Dan doesn’t feel he needs the protection of Cabal Therapy or Chain of Vapor that you would see in most builds. Any way a few of his hands went like this.
Hand 1
Putrid Imp(2), Careful Study, Polluted Delta, Bridge form Below, Golgari Thug, Street Wraith.
Turn 1 – Play Delta,
Sac to fetch Watery Grave,
Play Imp,
Discard Thug,
Cycle Wraith,
Replace Draw with Dredge 4 for Thug (Delta, Tribe, Study, Sage)
Discard Thug.
Turn 2 –Draw Stinkweed Imp, Discard Stinkweed Imp
Play Study,
Dredge 5 for Imp (Narcomoeba –to play- Stinkweed, Breakthrough, Ichorid, Wraith),
Dregde 4 for Thug ( Thug, Dread, Narco – to play- Wraith)
Discard Thug, Stinkweed, Bridge.
Sac Putrid, Narco (2) to play Dread Return targeting Sage. (3 tokens).
Dredge 5 for Stink (Breakthrough, Coliseum, Troll, Strand, Stinkweed)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Grave, Coliseum, Putrid, Mox, Shrine, Troll),
Dredge 6 for Troll (Breakthough, Narco – to play-, Sage, Flame-Kin, Coliseum, Inchorid),
Discard two Trolls.
– “I can’t believe I didn’t hit a Dread Return in there. Half the cards are in the yard and I can’t find one Dread!” was all Dan could say.
Turn 3 – Dredge 6 for Troll (Troll, Tribe, Stink, Bridge, Flame-kin, Ichorid).
After that Dan starts flipping groups of 6 cards. Turns out it would take 2 more turns before a Dread Return landed in the Yard.
Hand 2
Stinkweed Imp(2), Breakthrough, Putrid Imp, Careful Study, Ichorid, Bridge from Below
Mulligan
Cephalid Coliseum (2), Bridge from Below, Tireless Tribe, Golgai Grave Troll, Stinkweed Imp
Mulligan again
Careful Study, Golgari Grave Troll, Narcomoeba, Flooded Strand, Ichorid
Turn 1- Play Flooded Strand,
Sac to fetch and play untapped Watery Grave,
Play Study
Draw Thug and Breakthrough
Discard Troll and Thug
Turn 2 – Dredge 6 for Troll (Wraith, Breakthrough, Bridge, Putrid, Bridge, Wraith)
Play Breakthrough –
Dredge 4 for Thug (Mox, Troll, Zealot, Dread)
Dredge 6 For Troll (Tribe, Dread, Bridge, Breakthrough, Wraith, Coliseum)
Draw Study and Stinkweed
Discard hand
Turn 3 – Remove Wraith to bring Ichorid to play
Dredge 6 for Troll (Tribe, Sage, Putrid, Sage, Troll, Study)
Swing with Ichy (Assumes that Opponent wouldn’t block since that would make for an easy Dread Return of Cephalid Sage)
End of Turn Ichy Dies leaving 9 Tokens
Turn 4 – Remove Wraith to bring Ichorid to play
Dredge 6 for Troll (Bridge, Stink, Mox, Ichorid, Narco – to play- Breakthrough)
Sac Narco and Ichy and 1 token for Dread Return of Zealot
Attack with 16 3/3 Tokens.
- “That was a bit overkill and a turn slow.” Dan mutters.
Hand 3
Chrome Mox, Polluted Delta, Breakthrough, Street Wraith (2), Watery Grave, Flame Kin Zealot
Dan debates on this one for a while. Obviously deciding Weather or not he would hit a Dredge card when Cycling the Wraiths. “I’ll Mull” he decides but still looks at the next two cards. First is a Stink.
“Damn”. Flips next five cards (Mox, Ichorid, Troll, Study, Stink).
“Might have been a turn 1. Let’s see.” Next 6 (Shrine, Wraith, Flame, Tribe, Breakthrough, Narco). Next 5 (Dread, Narco, Troll, Putrid, Troll) Next 6 (Wraith, Narco, Stink, Narco, Stink, Thug) Next 6 (Tribe, Ichy, Putrid, Troll, Study, Coliseum)
“Well I guess I was right to Mull. Would have been a turn 1 Kill if I had hit a couple of Bridges in that half of the deck. I don’t know if I like this deck to much Sharkbait. Either I’m doing it wrong or it’s a bit up to the Gods of the Shuffle.”
Mulled Hand
Putrid Imp, Stinkweed Imp, Cephalid Coliseum, Chrome Mox, Ichorid, Careful Study
Turn 1 – Plays Coliseum
Play Mox imprinting Ichorid
Play Putrid Imp
Discard Stinkweed
Play Careful Study
Dredge 5 for Stinkweed (Narco – to play-, Thug, Coliseum, Breakthrough, Stinkweed)
Dredge 5 for Stinkweed (Ichorid, Breakthrough, Study, Stinkweed, Coliseum)
Discard both Stinkweeds
Turn 2 – Remove Thug to bring Ichorid into play
Dredge 5 for Stink (Wraith, Sage, Bridge, Study, Troll)
Swing Ichy
End of Turn Ichy dies making 1 token
Turn 3 – Remove Wraith to bring Ichorid to play
Dredge 6 for Troll (Dread, Bridge, Delta, Thug, Troll, Ichorid)
Discard Troll and Stinkweed
Sac Putrid, Narco, and Ichorid to Flashback Dread targeting Sage creating 6 Tokens (7 total in play)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Bridge, Putrid, Delta, Tribe, Zealot, Putrid)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Narco – to play, Grave, Shrine, Narco – to play, Wraith, Bridge)
Dredge 5 for Stinkweed (Narco – to play, Sage, Wraith, Dread, Breakthrough)
Sac 3 Narcos to flashback Dread Return targeting Flame Kin Zealot. 12 Tokens created making 19 total.
Swing with 19 3/3 tokens, a 3 /4 Sage and a 3/3 Zealot.
- “It’s all or nothing with this deck.” Dan muses.
Hand 4
Golgari Thug (2), Dread Return, Polluted Delta, Breakthrough, Putrid Imp, Tireless Tribe
Turn 1 – Play Delta sac it to get Watery Grave untapped
Play Putrid,
Discard both Thugs
Turn 2 – Dredge 4 for Thug (Breakthrough, Study, Mox, Wraith)
Discard Thug
Play Breakthrough
Dredge 4 for Thug (Stink, Coliseum, Bridge, Stink)
Dredge 5 for Stink (Godless, Wraith, Coliseum, Troll, Thug)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Ichorid, Troll, Putrid, Mox, Breakthrough, Wraith)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Narco - to play, Mox, Dread, Bridge, Sage, Narco – to play)
Discard Hand
Sac Putrid, Narco, and Narco to Flashback Dread Targeting Sage. (6 Tokens)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Coliseum, Study, Strand, Zealot, Wraith, Tribe)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Breakthrough, Stinkweed, Troll, Delta, Study, Troll)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Ichorid, Narco – to play, Putrid, Study, Dread, Stink)
Discard 2 Trolls
Sac Sage, Narco, and 1 Token to flashback Dread targeting Zealot. (9 total tokens)
Swing with 9 tokens and 1 Zealot.
- “Am I getting better or just luckier though? That is the question. It feels like luck to me.”
Hand 5
Golgari Grave Troll (2), Ichorid, Street Wraith, Golgari Thug, Chrome Mox, Cephalid Sage
Mulligan
Polluted Delta, Cephalid Coliseum, Putrid Imp, Tireless Tribe, Narcomoeba.
“If only I had a Dredger….”
Mulligan again
Dread Return, Stinkweed Imp, Ichorid, Cephalid Sage, Bridge from Below
“This is getting risky”
Mulligan to 4
Cephalid Coliseum, Careful Study, Breakthrough, Street Wraith
“Gotta try”
Turn 1 – Play Coliseum
Play Study
Draw Troll and Narcomoeba
Discard Troll and Narco
Cycle Wraith
Dredge 6 for Troll (Dread, Dread, Stinkweed, Godless, Study, Narco – To play)
Turn 2 – Dredge 5 for Stinkweed (Tribe, Study, Ichorid, Thug)
Play Breakthrough.
Dredge 4 for Thug (Thug, Putrid, Study, Troll)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Ichorid, Troll, Coliseum, Narco – to play, Troll, Grave)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Zealot, Breakthrough, Narco – to play, Mox, Breakthrough, Bridge)
Dredge 6 for Troll (Wraith, Thug, Delta, Wraith, Sage, Tribe)
Discard Hand
- “At this point I have to choose between Returning the Sage or the Zealot. The Zealot is a win if my opponent has no apparent answers. But if they do or might I would target the Sage to Dredge most of the rest of my library and then Return my Zealot.
Now Dan is focused on Sportscenter. His Dad has connections within the Chicago Cubs and he has tickets to the playoffs if the Cubbies can make it. Can you believe the Astros basically gave the Brewers those three games? How uncool to throw three Rookie pitchers in a row against a team in a playoff race. Dan gets a big smile when he finds out the Cubs move to a 1 game lead.
It’s time for lights out. Dan scoops up his cards. Then he says, “Maybe I have a idea that might be more consistent and just as fast. We’ll see tomorrow. ‘Night Sharkbait.”
I don’t know why he thinks I sleep at night. Oh well I gives me time to write this.
I know I mentioned two decks earlier but I have to stop now. Grace the Cat is looking rather suspicious. Gotta swim.
