A Few More Thoughts On Block Constructed

(Sorry for two long rambling articles in a row but its 7am and I've had no sleep.)

So yeah have not been able to get much practice in this week but here it goes:

Azure Command>>>>>>>>>>Incendiary Command - Being able to kill 4/4s and 5/5s is so much more important than killing Mutavaults. The "half a wrath" ability of this card can also come in useful wiping out the board of a faerie player and leaving your fat intact.

Mana Reflection might be the tech - I played against an AWFUL 5c control deck with maindeck Mana Reflection. Imagine seeing that in hand versus kithkin... That said for the mirror match it was insane. I'll give you a hint, Mirari's Wake was not a format defining card because of the +1/+1. I don't know if this is worth sideboard space but it seems to be a great mirror trump.

Puppeteer Clique is the real deal - This reminds me of Primal Command. When I saw the card I thought it was awesome but not constructed worthy. Pretty wrong on both counts. Clique is going to be one of the main tools in the 5c mirror and for other decks to fight against it. In both situations you have to watch out for Makeshift Mannequin. The internets have beens swirling with stories of Cliquing a Cloudthresher, having it die then grabbing the other Thresher, take 18. Mannequin on the first target (or second) means you take 4-11, not 18.

The 5c Mirror Will Suck to Play but Reward Skill - I think the 5c control mirror will be possibly the most skill intensive mirror in a while. Why? It is slowwww. Mind Shatter is the only card in play that can turn a game into a rout with few options for escape. What spells to counter will be one of the most important facts of the matchup. Most of the spells are so big that you don't want your opponent to resolve them. From what I've seen the best way to win the mirror is to try and keep your opponent behind. If you counter their Mulldrifters and try and Cryptic their lands they will be under pressure. This should let you resolve game-breaking spells like Oona, Mind Shatter, and Mind Spring.

The 5c Mirror Has Lots of Dead Cards g1 - Seriously, Firespout?

The Vast Majority of T8s Have Been Three Decks - This will probably change over the block season but at the moment at least at the top tables you need to have game vs 5c control, fae, and kithkin. I like fae and 5c control because they are more adaptable. Kithkin can't really switch its maindeck around much. 5c and faeries have many, many options to tweak their deck to beat whatever they feel the need to beat. Kithkin on the other hand are by far the most consistent deck, and I mean come on who doesn't like a beatdown deck with 26 land?

Mana Ramp Seems Unexplored - Green has many good accelerators in this format, one GW ramp deck made a PTQ t8, more might. Personally I think Devoted Druid might become the new Smokebraider allowing powerful turn three plays. Also I want to play Grim Poppets.

5c Control Will Keep the Format Honest - Without a control deck in the format cards like Peppersmoke would be amazing maindeck, if 80% of the field was Kithkin and Faeries instead of kithkin, faeries, and 5c then Peppersmoke would be a 4x.

Non-Kithkin Decks Will Probably Move to Five Colors - Kithkin is the only playable mono-colored deck in the format. Three color mana bases are worse than five color in this format. Heck the five color mana bases are more consistant if a bit slower than TWO color manabases. I think the lure of being able to play any card will pull decks like faeries to five colors. The only thing that could counteract this is the hyper-awkward hybrid cards like Demigod of Revenge and Gilt-Leaf Cavaliers (which by the way seems nuts v Kithkin (and awful vs 5c and fae)).

Puncture Bolt Might Be Playable - Persist creatures are all over, non-Incremental Blight -1/-1 counter cards might become worthwhile to deal with them.

If a Non-Fae Two Color Deck Makes it There Will be Red - I think RG Warriors or Shamans and something Rakdos could maybe work out. That said I think the RG deck should probably be a Firespout deck and in that case just run five colors.