A new deck, one that i wanted to try Master Biomancer in.
Goal:
The goal with this deck is to be able to control the early game, stabilize as soon as possible, and start dishing out bomb after bomb. Regular creatures can be considered bombs when i have a Master Biomancer on the field. Convienently out of burn range at 4 toughness, the survivability of Master Biomancer in this format is safely consistent.
Having a single Master Biomancer on the field will make my deck stronger than yours. However... without a heavy amount of removal, the early game is wide open to be pulverized.
Here are my card considerations, and why i have them in my deck.
MAINBOARD
Creatures:
Arbor Elf --- To be honest, i'm still not sure if i should run this guy. Sure he provides blue, green, or black mana for me, but it is pretty conditional, and i'll need a shock land to be able to do so. Still on the fence as this guy is NOT a 100% mana producer.
Strangleroot Geist --- I like the haste, i like the undying, i like the aggression. However, i'm still not sure if he belongs in a deck such as this. Sure, late game he might come in as a 4/3 with haste... or more... but i'm only really thinking about a body for the early game, that could die, and block again if facing an extremely aggro-y deck. Thats my only use for him at this point. Attack when i can, but block always.
Dreg Mangler --- a 3/3 for 3 is pretty solid in any deck. The haste bonus is nice, as he might come in as a 5/5 later... very fun stuff. The scavange is a bonus to throw on any creature... but mainly Master Biomancer. Things could get very fun very fast.
Master Biomancer --- the core of this deck. As a 2/4 creature, like stated above, he can survive the red burn that is out there. He can be a sufficient blocker if i manage to survive this long, and of course... makes all my other creatures scary. cough Thragtusk cough
Thragtusk --- goes without saying.. i'm running a midrange deck with green... i need Thragtusk
Prime Speaker Zegana --- a 2-of in this deck, because she costs 6 mana. However... dropping her with a Master Biomancer on the field effectively makes her a 5/5, drawing me 5 cards. The potential for even greater possibilities is always there as well.
planeswalkers:
Garruk, Primal Hunter --- The only planeswalker that i am currently considering. Making a 5/5 beast turn 5... drawing a lot of cards consistently... seems like a pretty good option for this kind of deck that thrives in the number of creatures it controls.
control cards:
Abrupt Decay --- running black and green? It would be stupid NOT to run this card. Versitile against any kind of deck, stops aggro creatures, stops the controlling enchantments. Its an all around good card that can swing the battle into your favor... cannot be countered.
Devour Flesh --- the new devistation removal card. Bypasses Boros Charm and indestructibility. Granted, using it early is more wise, so you can pick and choose which creature you'd like to perish. Skill is needed to use this card to it's full potential... but the potential is great.
Dimir Charm --- I am choosing to use this charm mainboard mainly for it's removal capabilities. Aggro is really really abundant at my store, and my meta dictates that i need removal like this or i will simply lose on turn 4. (or sooner if i face the copy-cats who made my deck.) As a charm, it offers other potential, i can dig through my deck, or counter some spell. meh. I prefer to mainboard this charm over Golgari Charm until i know what they are playing and what to expect.
Psychic Strike --- is my counter of choice for this deck. With the tri-color, i find it more appealing this way. Dissipate will probably replace this card in the near future, but i'd like to try it and consider it's potential to really screw up their next 2 turns.
TOURNAMENT RESULTS
02-20-13 // 2-2-0
Match 1: Boros Aggro 2-0
Game 1: Nothing too spectacular, the first 4 turns were just me Abrupt Decaying his dudes, and Snapcaster Mage ing them black after a chump block to keep removing them. Finally played a primordial hyrdra for 3, and just began the assault with his miniscule force.
Game 2: Same thing, except i managed to get out my Master Biomancer to block, and kept playing Thragtusk. The game stalled out in my favor, and i dropped a Garruk, Primal Hunter and he never damaged me again.
Match 2: 4 color midrange, not white. 1-2
Game 1: I have actually played this deck a lot, as it was one of my best friend's deck, and i was upset that i had to play him. He plays all the good cards you can imagine from the colors Red, Blue, Green, and White. Yes... so seeing things every turn like Huntmaster of the Fells, Restoration Angel, Boros Reckoner, Supreme Verdict, Thragtusk, Master Biomancer... it wasnt easy to deal with. He clobbered me the first game by playing like 3 Huntmaster of the Fells and 3 Thragtusks.
Game 2: Primordial Hydra became a 32/32 before he could draw the removal. GET THERE!
Game 3: Almost went to time in the round until he top decked a Mizzium Mortars and overloaded my field to swing for the win... the previous turn i had used my Dimir Charm to dick through my deck (GAAAAAAAAH!!!!)
Match 3: Naya Midrange 0-2
Game 1: Didnt really draw anything, overwhelmed by lots of Loxodon Smiters
Game 2: Mana screwed for the first 5 turns... he popped a Domri Rade emblem and played Aurelia, the Warleader and i crumbled.
Match 4: Bant Biomancer 2-1
Game 1: Primordial Hydra gets there for a shitload.
Game 2: His Thragtusk, Restoration Angel, Centaur Healer combo out lasted me.
Game 3: Long ass game... but Bloodline Keeper made enough vampires to transform and swing for 16 on TWO different occasions. Oh, and i had a Master Biomancer on the field for all that fun
Analysis
Against aggro, i really need to make sure i draw enough removal, like i did against the boros kid, and i should have no problem with this deck. I think id remove some of my filler creatures from mainboard, to bring in the necessary spells to eliminate all creatures.
Against mid range, i really need to continue my mana flow. The loss against naya was just a hiccup, because every once in awhile, your deck kind of slaps you. So i'll need to fiddle with my mana base, as well as strong removal for the bigger creatures, or the mass amount of creatures that seems to seep out.
Against control, i didn't really play a control deck, but having things like Bloodline Keeper, that can generate an army by themselves, are cards i need to look for. Huntmaster of the Fells too. If i can play one creature, and force a board wipe for that once creature, i'd consider it a good thing.
02-22-13 // 2-2
02-24-13 // GAMEDAY TOURNEY 3-0-1 INTO TOP 8