PT Hollywood Fallout

I don't think I'm the only one surprised at the lack of success by faeries last weekend. That said, as a faerie player the outcome couldn't have been better for me. If people lay off the Riftsweepers or switch to 'lark things will look pretty good come regionals. I do really like the five color control deck but won't consider playing it at regionals because I can't test it on MODO and I have countless faerie matches under my belt.

Speaking of my playing faeries it has been a bad week. Last friday I picked up the first loss with the deck at FNM loosing in round two to Revelliark, 0-2. It was quite frustrating but what can you do. FNM faeries record: 16-1. Last night I went 4-6 on modo with faeries, by far my worst performance with the deck. At least half of my game losses were to mana problems, usually never drawing a land or black source. I did get "lucky" one game and draw 18 lands. I cut back to 25 lands as it seems I'll get mana screwed ether way so might as well try and get lucky.

I'm starting to play around with the maindeck, I tried Ponder as per a SCG article but honestly in the six or seven games I played with that list I was unimpressed. I'll try and get more testing in with it but can't be sure. I think I will next try maindeck Thoughtseize cutting the three Nameless Inversions for a trio of the sorcery. This means I have to juggle the sideboard around I'm thinking:

1 Thoughtseize
3 Damnation
3 Razormane Masticore
2 Nameless Inversion
2 Slaughter Pact
4 Flashfreeze

In paper I do like the Murderous Redcap tech and will probably cut the Slaughter Pacts for them along with a Flashfreeze for a Nameless Inversion.

I hate mana

So tonight i'm 2-5 in sanctioned modo matches with Faeries. This is pretty much the worst I've ever done with the deck. The PE I'm in right now I'm 0-2, gonna stick in it for ratings points (one can hope). Round one I loose to Merfolk seeing an average of one Terror/Nameless Inversion per game each of which he sees about 5 lords. Game three he also countered my turn one Ancestral Visions with Sage's Dowsing. I kept a two lander on the draw and had two lands come turn five's upkeep... Round two I smash elves g1, loose a game two I had on lock down due to a couple irrelevant draws in a row, game three I have a strong hand but predictably I draw five black cards and zero black sources on my way to getting smashed.

And I thought this faeries deck had a good manabase...

Triple Post & Ponder

This is getting excessive but I blame waking up at 6am. I'm pretty sure Sean McKeown posted his most relevant article ever here. Basically it cuts land and spells in faeries for Ponder. I was against Ponder in general but it seems a great way to get the mirror edge (more-so in g1). Read the article, it is not conclusive but seems very relevant. I don't have time to test on MODO so unclear if I will Ponder tonight at FNM. If I do I'll run this list:

4x Bitterblossom
4x Ancestral
4x Scion
4x Mistbind Clique
4x Spellstutter
4x Cryptic Command
4x Rune Snag
4x Terror
4x Ponder
4x Glen
4x River of Tears
4x Underground River
4x Mutavault
2x Conclave
1x Pendelhaven
5x Island

Changes from current list:
-2 Nameless Inversion
-2 Faerie Conclave
-1 Pendelhaven
+4 Ponder
+1 Island

I'm unsure on the one Pendelhaven but I know at FNM there are few faerie players and I have a HUGE playskill advantage on them. Ponder really excites me by helping draw sideboard cards.

Sideboard with Ponder:
3x Flashfreeze
3x Thoughtseize
3x Nameless Inversion
4x Bottle Gnomes
2x Razormane Masticore

The 3x Thoughtseize are another concession to local metagame, odds I play faeries are low and I don't want 4x for anything but mirror. 2x Razormane with Ponder seems perfect as I never like running 3x but with 2x it is hard to find one when you need it.

I'm so excited by this list I think I have to run it. Could cut Bottle Gnomes for stuff to help other matchups but whatever. Loosing two mana lands might be the biggest hit but not much can be done about that. Turn one Ponder beats tapped Faerie Conclave. If I run this at FNM will post on how it went.

Block

Wizards has set up a semi-awkward situation. PT Hollywood is this weekend, next up is Regionals in a few weeks. They will be Standard and I assume we'll see the impact (whatever it might be) of Hollywood. However also starting in a couple weeks is PT Berlin PTQ season which is block. Block right now is virtually unexplored. MODO has no Shadowmoor or PEs and there have been no large block events. The only large block event in the near term will be GP Birmingham at the end of the month. Honestly it comes at a bad time as most pros devoted all their time to Hollywood so I don't expect too much work to have been done on the format.

Faeries will be the default deck based on its place in Standard. This is bad for me. I think Faeries is utterly busted in Standard but it looses a lot in block. However because block is unknown at the start of the season everyone will be gunning for faeries. I'm not sure if they can take the heat in block.

I want to play fae in block because I have the deck, know it well, and play it well. Hopefully it will be a viable and strong deck but we just can't tell yet. What is also unclear is what the proper block faerie decklist will look like. First I'll look at auto includes at 4x.

4x Bitterblossom
4x Scion of Oona
4x Mistbind Clique
4x Cryptic Command
4x Nameless Inversion
4x Secluded Glen
4x Sunken Ruins
4x Mutavault


This leaves us with 32 cards, 20 spells 12 land. Lets base the deck off 24 land and no more non basics. That gives us 12 more cards putting us to 44 cards, room for 16 more spells. Spells that leap to mind:

Thoughtseize
Ponder
Broken Ambitions
Pestermite
Vendillion Clique
Wydwyn the Bitting Gale
Profane Command
Eyeblight's Ending
Peppersmoke

As the deck stands there are no one drops. I want to run Ponder and Thoughtseize to give the deck early game. Thoughtseize as a 4x might not work maindeck so I think I want to start with three. Broken Ambitions will have to stand in for Rune Snag and should do a fine job of that.

3x Thoughtseize
4x Ponder
4x Broken Ambitions

This brings us to 55 spells. We have five slots left, these could be used for more removal or more creatures. To start I might want to try a split.

3x Peppersmoke
2x Pestermite

So the list comes to:

4x Bitterblossom
4x Scion of Oona
4x Mistbind Clique
4x Cryptic Command
4x Nameless Inversion
4x Secluded Glen
4x Sunken Ruins
4x Mutavault
8x Island
4x Swamp
3x Thoughtseize
4x Ponder
4x Broken Ambitions
3x Peppersmoke
2x Pestermite

Clearly weaker than Standard but I think this should hold up in block. I think Peppersmoke might be an all-star against decks like Elementals. Will probably sleeve this up soon and try to get some paper testing in.

PT Hollywood

T8 predictions:

5 Faerie decks
1 Elf deck
1 Red deck
1 Random deck

2 French, 1 Japanese, 3 American, and two unknown for t8. Three French players seems easy as Wafo-Tapa and Nassif are probably gonna t8.

I honestly don't think there will be a "Dragonstorm" this event. Unlike the last PT, Worlds there is a deck that is head and shoulders above the others. Faerie hate decks have two issues #1 they don't beat faeries every match #2 all the ones I've seen scoop to Forests. I wouldn't be surprised at a solid Rakdos deck (probably from Chapin's crew). I do think that this PT will advance faeries mirror technology by leaps and bounds.

Faeriesing at FNM again this week, seeing if I can improve the deck's record to 15-0 there. People are really starting to hate it, not that that changes things. Last week I won round three with Mutavault beats mostly before bouncing his Raking Canopy.

Faerie hate cards ranked by effectiveness:
#1 Riftsweeper
#2 Squall Line
#3 Cloudthresher
#4 Sulfurious Blast
#5 Hurricane
#6 Firespout
#7 Pyroclasm
#8 Raking Canopy

#'s 5-8 are pretty unplayable. Thresher is better than Squall Line in slow decks with no pressure. That said those decks can't beat Faeries anyway.

Faeries Mirror

Just beat Faeries in round one of an 8 man. I can honestly say that nether of us really effected the outcome of the match. Games one and three my draw blew him out, game two he blew me out. He ran Mawcor but honestly I'm not impressed by it or Peppersmoke. I'm thinking that maybe a 3rd Pendelhaven in the sideboard might be the right call, Pendelhaven advantage can be huge in the mirror. We'll see but I might try that out.

Standard and Stuff

Have not posted in a while having a job and getting my ass kicked by allergies can do that. MODO had more PE tests today I didn't get into one which is sucky but after waiting 45 minutes an 8 man fired. Beat RG mana ramp round one and waiting on round two. With Flashfreeze in the board the matchup is basically a bye. They put zero pressure on you while they ramp up their mana. The problem is your spells are better than theirs and cheaper. Game one I drew very few counters and he drew tons of sweepers so I had to beat him down with man lands. Eventually he went for the Skred on a Mutavault which let me play my Scion that had been in my hand the past twelve turns for the win. Game two he drew lots of stuff but I had counters, Bitterblossom, and Rune Snag.

RG mana ramp sideboarding: -4 Scion -2 Nameless Inversion +3 Thoughtseize +3 Flashfreeze

Waiting for round two will post on it when done. I love the 5-3-2-2s because with that quick 2-0 I've already made a profit.

Well my opponent decided to show up nine minutes into the round and then do nothing but run his clock down some more.

He was playing RDW. Game one he draws more lands than me which is an issue for both of us. He runs out of gas with me on three life only problem being I have a hand of double Mistbind, four Terror, and one Rune Snag. I mistbind him two turns in a row, second turn he Sulf Blasts putting me to one. He then gets greedy on Gargadon which eats a Terror and his one land left turns on my Rune Snage to stop a Mogg Fanatic the turn before I win.

RDW Sideboarding (varies): -4 Scion -4 Bitterblossom -1 Nameless Inversion +2 Masticore +3 Flashfreeze +4 Peppersmoke

Game two he has a very strong creature heavy draw and I see only one removal spell.

-1 Mistbind Clique +1 Nameless Inversion

Game three my hand is 2x Mutavault, River of Tears, Island, Nameless Inversion, Rune Snag, Masticore. This is not what I'm looking for but will do. He then proceeds to shoot my face for a ton while I draw all removal and no counters. Thankfully he has to kill my Masticore which keeps me alive for Mutavault beats to get him. He did play a Countryside Crusher with a suspended Gargadon and three lands. I decided Invert it because my hand was Inversion, Terror, Snag, and the Gargadon still had 6 or 7 counters on it. He sacced a land to save it which meant Snag hits anything but a Gargadon with floated mana. Next turn I draw another Terror and use one on the Crusher.

Finals is the mirror match. Game one I have Ancestral+BB to start but draw no lands. The bigger problem is he drew 3 Spellstutter Sprites and Pendelhaven so I was pretty much blown out. Game two we go back and forth and I manage to counter his Ancestral and draw my own. Many turns later things are pretty much wrapped up. Game three I mulligan into a bad triple Thoughtsize hand. He suspends Ancestral turn one which screws me, more so when I draw no counterspells before it goes off. I end up drawing lots of Bitterblossoms and few removal spells and die to triple Mutavault beats.

Vintage for P9

Still unclear on what I'm going to play in terms of formats on Saturday but I think my Vintage deck of choice might be changing. The most recent decent sized Vintage Tournament, an ICBM Open was won by Painter's Servant combo. The winning list:

1 Library of Alexandria
4 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Badlands
1 Island
1 Tolarian Academy
5 Moxen
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Black Lotus
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Merchant Scroll
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
4 Red Elemental Blast
4 Pyroblast
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
4 Painter's Servant
2 Grindstone
1 Echoing Truth
1 Tinker
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Demonic Consultation

SB:
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Rack and Ruin
1 Trickbind
3 Thoughtseize
2 Pyroclasm

Now I love this deck but don't understand some parts of it. First I dislike it for being narrow. It can win with Grindstone and Servant or Tinker->DSC. This is fine but far from impressive in a field of turn one kills and Oath decks casting Tendrils for 20. The deck runs Merchant Scroll which also makes little sense to me. It runs 8 Blasts and 4 FoWs, will it need to scroll up more countermagic? Well of course it can tutor for its combo right? No, not really. It can scroll for Mystical for Vampiric or Tinker but that is all, seems slow. Lastly I see little reason to run Demonic Consultation over Imperial Seal, the Seal is both more reliable and flexible if a bit slower. The Gifts/Will package is okay but unless you have a Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, or Black Lotus you won't be doing anything quickly.

So with less than 24 hours before the event I decided I should make up a decklist that I like for testing tonight.

4 Painter's Servant
2 Trinket Mage
4 Dark Confidant
1 DSC
2 Grindstone
1 Tinker
3 Thoughtseize
6 Blast
8 Power
4 FoW
4 Brainstorm
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
4 Delta
2 Mire
2 Volc
2 Sea
1 Badlands
1 Island
1 Library
1 Academy
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Echoing Truth
1 Tormod's Crypt

The most striking change is going from five creatures to eleven. This makes beating down with 2/x's a viable plan or at least reduces your DSC clock to one turn. Unanswered a turn one Bob will win most games of Vintage by drawing you ether into your combo or more control spells. The original deck sideboarded Duress effects, I find this a bit silly why wouldn't you want Thoughtseize maindeck? They are only bad versus balls to the wall aggro decks and Ichorid. Most of your cards are bad versus those decks, blasts certainly are. I also cut the blasts from eight to six, sometimes (rarely) they will be dead cards and having two or three in hand in those situations will suck. Also Dark Confidant will help you dig into more of them. Lastly, the deck only has four permanent sources of red mana so often you won't be able to cast many in one turn, again making them weak in multiples.

Tormod's Crypt is I think a worthwhile maindeck addition. Flash, Oath, Storm, and Ichorid are all popular decks that rely on the graveyard to win games. If you draw it in an irrelevant matchup you can Brainstorm or Tinker it away. Echoing Truth is a necessary evil giving you an answer to any number of problem spells. It might be worth replacing this with Engineered Explosives for better synergy.

The manabase is good but a bit light. All the artifact mana means that fitting in more than 14 lands is almost impossible but the 14 lands that are in it are solid. Honestly one or two more basics would be nice and I'm not above putting them in the sideboard.

Painter's Servant is a very exciting card and I'm sure it will cause more judge calls than any other card this weekend. When it is in play naming blue suddenly you can pitch a Mox to Force of Will (or Misdirection which I would love to fit in). I partly want to play this deck to see an opponent equip Sword of Fire and Ice to a creature. Here is a hint: it falls off.

I think this is a very strong deck that can play the control, beatdown, or combo roll depending on your hand and matchup. Having a two-card "I win" combo is invaluable in this metagame. Often opposing decks can demolish Flash's hand but unless they have a quick clock or massive card advantage a couple of good topdecks and they'll be seeing Flash->Hulk. I like this deck because it is very disruptive like a Fish deck or DeezNoughts but can pull off quicker kills than ether of those decks while using fewer cards.

I might skip playing in FNM to test Standard and Vintage tonight, will have to see. Then tomorrow I'll be up bright and early to drive down to Richmond for a weekend of Magic.

Lorwyn/Shadowmoor Block Constructed

One side effect of MODO not having PEs is that Block play has gone no where. Thanks to deckcheck.net a few Block events have been posted. Only one post Shadowmoor event has happened, a GPT for GP Birmingham in Brussels. Only the top three decks are available but they are what I would have expected knowing nothing about the format.

First Place - Alexander Kreuz with Faeries

Mainboard:

4 Scion of Oona
4 Mistbind Clique
4 Pestermite
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Sower of Temptation
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Nameless Inversion
4 Cryptic Command
4 Thoughtseize
4 Bitterblossom
4 Sunken Ruins
4 Secluded Glen
4 Mutavault
2 Reflecting Pool
7 Island
3 Swamp

Sideboard:

2 Notorious Throng
4 Peppersmoke
1 Wydwen, the Biting Gale
2 Sower of Temptation
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Profane Command
3 Jace Beleren

A list that I assume will be pretty typical. In Block faeries looses many of its support spells making the 4x Thoughtseize maindeck pretty appealing. This list only runs 24 lands which is wrong.

Second Place - Mono Red Aggro by Maxime Gosse

Mainboard:

4 Tattermunge Maniac
4 Tarfire
4 Lash Out
4 Bloodmark Mentor
4 Boggart Ram-Gang
2 Countryside Crusher
4 Flame Javelin
4 Murderous Redcap
4 Demigod of Revenge
2 Vexing Shusher
24 Mountain

Sideboard:

4 Pyre Charger
2 Deus of Calamity
4 Sootstoke Kindler
4 Ashenmoor Gouger
1 Tyrannize

This is an interesting mono red list. Demigod of Revenge stops the deck from running Mutavault which also helps with Flame Javelin. Honestly, I don't understand the sideboard as it is mostly creatures that are sometimes better than what is in the maindeck. The singleton Tyrannize also doesn't make sense to me, I think that Mind Shatter is generally better even in an aggressive deck. Bloodmark Mentor seems just awful to me. He would be nice in the mirror but in any situation where he is relevant the opponent could burn him out. I think there are better 2 drop options.

Third Place - Elementals by David D.

4 Nameless Inversion
3 Shriekmaw
4 Firespout
4 Chameleon Colossus
4 Incandescent Soulstoke
4 Flamekin Harbinger
4 Smokebraider
3 Cloudthresher
2 Nova Chaser
4 Mulldrifter
4 Forest
6 Mountain
3 Swamp
4 Fire-Lit Thicket
4 Primal Beyond
3 Vivid Grove

Sideboard:

3 Wispmare
2 Reveillark
2 Chandra Nalaar
4 Pyroclast Consul
4 Spitebellows

Zero Reflecting Pool?? Did David know the interaction between it and Vivid lands or Primal Beyond? Aside from that the deck looks pretty sweet. It is clearly aiming for Faeries with several of its maindeck and sideboard cards which makes sense to me.

Block right now seems wide open and I don't think we will have much information on it until GP Birmingham at the end of May. A week later PTQs for PT Berlin start which will be Block constructed. Be interesting to see where this season takes us. There will obviously be other decks, I expect Doran Rock, Elves, Warriors, and Kithkin to all make showings. There might also be a good Rakdos deck as clearly the B/R hybrid cards are some of the most powerful.

Current Faeries List

Just a quick update, Terror is a fine maindeck card and the Masticore is sick in the sideboard. Sower of Temptation is on the watch list to cut from the sideboard, I almost never bring it in. That said I think it might be good post Shadowmoor versus some of the stupid decks people have been talking about.

4 River of Tears
4 Underground River
4 Secluded Glenn
4 Faerie Conclave
4 Mutavault
2 Sunken Ruins
1 Pendelhaven
3 Island
4 Bitterblossom
4 Scion of Oona
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Mistbind Clique
4 Terror
4 Rune Snag
4 Cryptic Command
4 Ancestral Vision
2 Nameless Inversion

Sideboard:
3 Razormane Masticore
2 Nameless Inversion
3 Flashfreeze
3 Peppersmoke
2 Sower of Temptation
2 Thoughtseize

Shadowmoor Sealed Deck

This weekend I played in FNM and two Shadowmoor release events. Went 3-0 at FNM, 2-2 at first release event and, 3-1 at second release event. Over 11 matches this weekend I played 23 games and that was only due to me punting a game two at an FNM. Of the 22 games I'd guess 14 or so were blow outs in one direction or the other.

Shadowmoor is a relatively underpowered limited set from what I've seen so far. Hill Giants are fine and bears are pretty good. This lack or power is partly due to the limited amounts of removal in the set. Combat tricks are also few and far between. This means that auras are better than they've ever been before.

A side effect of the low over-all power and limited removal is that bomb cards have a huge impact. The only match I lost on Sunday was to Armored Accention in both games where I didn't draw an answer to a huge flier. On Saturday I got blow out in the first two rounds by two amazing decks before blowing out my opponents in the next two rounds. Round four Knollspine invocation came down turn three in game one and turn four in game two. I won both games dealing a total of three damage to my opponent during the combat step. He didn't have a way to kill the enchantment and just lost.

I've enjoyed Shadowmoor sealed play though I still have reservations because from what I've seen many fewer games than normal are close. This could just be based on the small sample size of games I've played or could be a wider trend.

The Weekend

Don't think I'll be able to post much this weekend. Went 3-0 at FNM followed by a weird-ass dinner at Fridays. Went to Shadowmoor release event in Urbana about 30 minutes away. Went 2-2 in 8 games getting demolished in r1&2 by two insane decks and then crushing people in the next two rounds. MVP of the day was Knollspine Invocation. This actually might make the cube where I originally dismissed it. In round four it dealt over 40 damage.

Another release event tomorrow and then a week to relax from Magic before heading down to Richmond for StarCity Game's 5k/P9.

Faeries & Standard

Faeries is a silly deck. My record with it in FNM/City Champ paper events is 11-1 (8k events really suck 9-0 at FNM and it has gained me 30ish ratings points and only that many because my rating sucks). Sadly it seems R&D is sick of blue being the best color in Magic. Shadowmoor added a land to Faeries and that is pretty much it. Personally I think Faeries might still be a good deck call as it is still the most powerful deck in the format and beats any deck not preparing for the matchup. I expect Vexing Shusher to see tons of play for the next month or so. I think people will take decks that loose to Faeries, add 4x Shusher and call it a good matchup.

I'm okay with that my current Faerie list:

4 River of Tears
4 Underground River
4 Secluded Glenn
4 Faerie Conclave
4 Mutavault
2 Sunken Ruins
1 Pendelhaven
3 Island
4 Bitterblossom
4 Scion of Oona
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Mistbind Clique
4 Nameless Inversion
4 Rune Snag
4 Cryptic Command
4 Ancestral Vision
2 Thoughtseize


Sideboard:
4 Bottle Gnomes
3 Terror
3 Flashfreeze
3 Peppersmoke
2 Sower of Temptation

As I've played the deck I've cut more and more Faeries from it. First went the 2x Oona's Blackguards, then the Pestermites, then the Sower of Temptations, and finally the Vendillion Cliques. I would love to cut a Mistbind Clique or two but they are very important in many matchups. Being able to play a Bitterblossom, get a token or two and then RFG the blossom is a key strategy in beating Red Decks. At this point I'd like to add more creature removal to the maindeck but I'm not sure how I can make room.

It is possible that the format will become to hostile to counterspells and Rune Snag will too often be a dead card. In that case it will come out. The addional creature removal spells are up in the air. Terror and Eyeblight's Ending seem the best options but I don't want dead maindeck cards which both of them can be. Terror might get the nod if for no other reason because it kills Mutavault and Vexing Shusher. Slaugter Pact seemed like a nice idea but tapping mana on your own upkeep seems awful. What would make this deck unbeatable again is an instant-speed edict. Cruel Edict might be playable but the sorcery speed aspect really blows.

Oona, Queen of the Fae is a card I was not very excited about early on but seems really good to me now. If the Rune Snags come out I could see this as a random 1x or possibly sideboard material. A 5/5 that makes tons of 1/1s seems very good versus the red or green decks running around.

The card that scares me the most in Shadowmoor as a Faeries player is not Vexing Shusher but Guttural Response. You know when the Shusher is coming, you can play around it. The Response shuts down Crpytic Command. No longer can you plan on casting it unimpeded turn four as the opponent could cast a three-drop and have mana to kill your Command. I think at first the Shusher will see much more play than Response so this is a more long-term issue.

Despite the additional weaknesses created by the new set I think Faeries will still be the best deck. I think the number of people playing it will be lower than pre-Shadowmoor so that the mirror is less important. I still think Peppersmoke is worth the sideboard place due to the number of x/1s in the format. I plan in playing in the trials next Friday for SCG's 5k Standard event. If I win some byes I'll play Standard on Saturday, Vintage Sunday. If no byes I will probably play Vintage both days.