Winning at FNM: A Look Into Beating the Top Decks in Standard
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Illiad
21 October 2009
2846 views
21 October 2009
2846 views
If you have played at Friday Night Magic since Zendikar was released you probably noticed a few things, the foremost being that your average player is not running the same casual-level deck that he would have been running just a few months ago.
Lets face it, the Standard format is more competitive now than it has been in years, and it can be quite scary to be pitted up against some of the monster cards and combos that have been rolling through the gates these last few weeks. But have heart! You would be surprised how easily some of these new cards can be to deal with, if you step back and take a look at the format. Here are some good counters to the top 3 cards of what are currently the top 3 decks in the format. I will directly neglect counter spell cards for obvious reasons.
Deck 3: Vampires
The shear number of Vampire decks in the format seemed tell-tale enough, but let us look at the top 3 Champions of Vampires.
First up, Bloodghast.
A 2/1 for (B)(B), Bloodghast doesn't seem like a game winner, but when he returns from the grave at every land drop, he can become a nuisance very quickly. And once you dip down to 10 health, he even gets haste! Only penalty he carries is that he cannot block, which hardly seems to matter when he has you on the defensive.
So how do we dispath this reincarnating menace once and for all? Luckily, there is many answers in the format.
Consider: Celestial Purge Devout Lightcaster Magma Spray Jund Charm Relic of Progenitus Path to Exile Bant Charm Are all quick, cheap, efficient, sideboardable removal that can take care of Bloodghast and double for many other uses! All of them are useful against Black and Red decks in general! Soon this unkillable vampire becomes a lost resource, no longer the unlimited fuel for the stockpile of vampire needing cards.
Next, Tendrils of Corruption.
3(b) for a X creature kill/Life gain, where X is the swamps you control. This card might be low on the list for what you consider "The top Vampire cards" but trust me it is among them. Board position wins games, and this card KOs just about any creature it can target, while giving you a sizable amount of life in return, late game, it can easily leech for 6 or more from your best creature. With all the control Vampires can manage, them setting back a life based win condition is very costly (Mills can rightly ignore this card :P)
But how to stop it? Luckily there is a number of ways to either save your creature, negate the effect, or fizzle the spell completely. I should first point out a technicality in the rules of magic, if someone casts Tendrils of Corruption on one of your creatures, and you, in response, make it untargetable, the entire spell fizzles and your opponent does not gain life. Sometimes you can consider eliminating your own creature in response to his cast to stop his life gain, but to avoid losing one of your spells, let me show you some that would make the situation an advantage (application rather obvious): Vines of Vastwood Path to Exile Bituminous Blast - in this case you would do it for the cascade - Volcanic Fallout Jund Charm - If you can take out some of his creatures in the process - Needlebite Trap Twincast - When a spell goes on the stack, X goes with it, so it would deal the same damage as if your opponent had cast it, yours would resolve first, killing your creature, you would gain the life, and your opponent's spell would fizzle!
And finally, Malakir Bloodwitch.
As much as you may have expected Nighthawk, Sorren, or Nocturnus, this is the card that wins games. 3(B)(B), 4/4 Flying, Pro White Vampire, and no, that's not all. When she enters the field, she also leeches life from you equal to the vampires out, including herself!
The answer to this card isn't as simple as "Ill just terminate her when she comes out" although that sure did take care of her, you missed where she already did her job - the life leech. I 5 point life leech alone can be enough to turn a game around, without even getting a 4/4 flying pro white swinging at you. Preemptive action is the best way of dealing with this Bloodwitch, and vampires in general. Keep them supressed enough and when she comes out, she'll be poking you for one before you send her to the beyond.
But alas, this isn't as easy for the white decks, who when confronted with a 4/4 pro white flying, can be in serious trouble! Day of Judgment Martial Coup and swinging through it can sometimes be your only answers!
Deck 2: Boros Bushwhacker
This fast little deck runs holes through the slower decks in the format, lets look at putting a stop in those combos that have you sitting in 1 shot range by turn 4.
First up, Goblin Guide.
This turn 1 2/2 haste for (R) carries a double edged sword, when he attacks you, you reveal the top card of your deck, if its a land, you can add it to your hand, but if not, it reveals your upcoming cards to your opponent. Against Bushwhacker you already know you can't just take the damage, and there is tons of cheap answers: Magma Spray Burst Lightning Path to Exile Harm's Way or stalling answers for blue and green. And for black, the ever underused Disfigure . The question is, do you get rid of Goblin Guide right away, or take him out before damage and play your luck on your top card being a land, or revealing it to your opponent? Your gamble on that one.
Next, Ranger of Eos.
This 3(W) double (1) cost fetcher can let your opponent get his his aggro rolling again if you managed to wipe it out early enough. Which can be an easy game on the following, or even the same turn if they fetch for Goblin Bushwhacker. But what is the best method to deal with this resurgence? At turn 4, you have a lot more options available to you to take out the new aggro, just be creative in how you use it. The most obvious dispather is global effects, Jund Charm Volcanic Fallout Marsh Casualties Day of Judgment Whiplash Trap can all clear the field of most of the threat, but if your opponent does it turn 4 or 5, you might want to look at options to blast those creatures out of their hand. Blightning Mind Sludge Thought Hemorrhage - They just revealed to you the creatures after all - just to name a few.
Finally, Landfall.
Well be rolling 5 cards into the top spot! Landfall landfall landfall! Landfall is what this deck uses to pump up that Steppe Lynx and Plated Geopede! But how do we stop that turn 2 swing for 4? Well for one answer lets look at the lands that they use. Arid Mesa Marsh Flats Scalding Tarn - Noticing anything different from it just paying a life to get another land out? Thats right! Its an activated ability! Pithing Needle can stop those nasty filter lands from accomplishing anything other than rotting there! Also you can use cards like Sadistic Sacraments to break combos ahead of time; but its unrealistic to assume youd stop the lands completely, so lets focus on stopping that Lynx and Geopede! Theres a bunch of one cost answers to the annoying lil pokers! Path to Exile Magma Spray Burst Lightning Lightning Bolt Deathmark Disfigure Fog Whiplash Trap - wasted landfalls are great for you! - or even a Harm's Way if your opponent has a Goblin Guide out. And there is even more answers for you by turn 2.
Deck 1: The control crowd's favorite: Jund!
It runs heavily on controlling you while swinging with some tough to put to rest creatures.
First up for Jund, we have Putrid Leech.
For (B)(G) this 2/2 doesn't seem like much of a threat, but he can convert health into power and toughness, letting him dodge lighting bolts, beat 3/3s, eat Hellspark Elementals and trade with creatures as big as Wooly Thoctar. There is many red 4 damage options midgame, but hes served his purpose by then. But how to go about beating this little fiend? 1 shot answers like Celestial Purge and Path to Exile work, but before you sideboard beating him could use more tact. Baiting is the key trick here, and a good poker face doesn't hurt either. Don't block to draw out the pump for extra damage, in response to the pump, blast that little bugger off that board with a Burst Lightning Disfigure or Lightning Bolt. You might also want to block with a trade creature, your opponent pumps, and you in response buff the creature or harm the leech. Vampire's Bite Vines of Vastwood Harm's Way all serve this end quite well. You can also Pithing Needle Leech's pump, but normally there is better options for the needle ( Garruk Wildspeaker for example)
Next it will be Blightning
While jund has plenty of annoyingly powerful cards ( Maelstrom Pulse, Sprouting Thrinax and Bloodbraid Elf Come to mind ) they don't turn the game into an uphill battle as fast blighting does. 3 Damage and 2 discarded cards for a 1(R)(B) sorcery is very powerful, so you want to lessen or reverse its impact as much as possible. If your playing Grixis, I would highly recommend Swerve at least in your sideboard, it stops tons of cards, but in the case of Blightning, redirecting that 3 dmg 2 discard sets Jund 3 cards behind, and hurting bad. Another strategy is if your deck runs cards that can return from the graveyard like Hellspark Elemental Magma Phoenix or Bloodghast, discard those and get them back out without much issue. Saving instants in your hand is a good way to draw out a Blightning and drop them before it goes off - it is exceedingly effective if your holding burns or a Harm's Way.
Finally, Broodmate Dragon.
This double 4/4 flying dragons for 3(R)(B)(G) can come out as early as turn 5 if your opponent has Garruk Wildspeaker out and rolling.
Most control is single target, leaving you with yet another 4/4 flying to finish off (Which is the strategy behind running the card). Blue has a cool method of dealing with it in the form of Rite of Replication
- which is actually a VERY powerful card in this format. If its late in the game enough this could mean 5 Broodmates, which each produce a 4/4 token! But for the rest of us, we need to manage these dragons the best we can. Cards that can take out both at once include Whiplash Trap Day of Judgment Bituminous Blast (Hoping for the 2nd control card or more aggro) are all ways of slowing down or getting rid of the dragons (In addition to trying to just take them out individually). Vampires has the advantage of having its own flying creatures to fight one dragon and the control to kill the other. But there is other methods for dealing with them. Baiting comes into play yet again, swing with some cheaper creatures to draw the block, then buff your creatures or global damage to get the dragons down.
No Deck in standard is unbeatable and certainly no cards or combos unbreakable. If you have some cards or combos you have trouble dealing with, comment here and I'll see about getting back to you.
Bonus! How to beat stag!
Great Sable Stag this little 3/3 for 1(G)(G) is not just uncounterable, but also carries protection from blue and black. Red can obviously burn him off with a lightning bolt, and green and white deal with him as normal, but for control decks and Vampires, he can get annoying quick. Gargoyle Castle is hardly the most efficient way of dealing with him.
Beating him with blue: Rite of Replication is your friend, of course you cannot copy the stag... but consider the Woolly Thoctar or the Bloodbraid Elf, these can block and kill the stag with ease. Clone can serve this end, but it is not as versatile, and the chance at a kicker with Rite is very tempting. Also Mindbreak Trap exiles, not counters, sure it can be expensive, but exiling uncounterable spells breaks your opponent's reason for using them.
Beating him with black: Gatekeeper of Malakir is the king of Cruel Edict, wipe out everything but stag, and you can simply make your opponent sacrifice it (This is a handy answer to Progenitus and Darksteel Colossus if you have any daring Polymorph -ers at your local tournaments) Fleshbag Marauder serves the same end, and can form quite the combo with Bloodghast
Very informative and well thought out. I haven't attented many MTG events so this article helps me better prepare against the competitive world. No more surprises here, Illiad! Thanks.
October 21, 2009 6:53 p.m.
excellent article! i should make a new FNM deck. If I do I will totally come back to this article to help me with my meta. thanks!
October 21, 2009 6:56 p.m.
ChaosandKellee says... #4
Very informative I like the swerve insert as well
October 21, 2009 7:08 p.m.
Good article..!
i like that you touched base on the gate keeper..
he is the king of shroud/protection removal for sure..
October 21, 2009 7:26 p.m.
It's good to see so many new people around these days. As for vampires, allow me to just mention a good Windstorm will knock most of their field off. A cheaper green version of wrath, perhaps. This bodes will for people playing Jund or otherwise.
October 21, 2009 8:03 p.m.
good call on the windstorm.. i wish they would have reprinted Hurricane though.. it would see more maindeck play than windstorm.
October 21, 2009 8:17 p.m.
Awesome article where I live it is all aggro and it makes our meta extremly fast. I face a lot of jund aggro. Last week a guy came in with red black goblins and turn three wins it was insane!
October 21, 2009 8:49 p.m.
this article really help it just gave me an idea cause everyone at my local fnm plays jund cascade or vamps i think i see the way i need to go to stop them thanks _
October 22, 2009 3:08 a.m.
DevouringFlame says... #10
lol 'daring polymorphers' that gave me a laugh.
October 22, 2009 10:57 a.m.
mattlohkamp says... #11
As I mentioned before, Twincast ing your way out of Tendrils of Corruption is a hilarious suggestion, I love it! Don't forget Archive Trap for punishing pain-fetch-land players. I also like how Boros has managed to live on, in name and colour anyway, from Ravnica.
October 22, 2009 5:45 p.m.
Thank you for all the awesome feedback guys! Was a bit nervous about my first article but I think it turned out pretty well.
Windstorm does take out vampires pretty nicely if they have a Vampire Nocturnus out, but I would only recommend it in decks that can't take them out by other means... Sidedecking a card for a single deck usually isn't the best usage of your sideboard. But if your very vulnerable to vampires top end creatures, its still a great card.
Myself I usually take out Nocturnus individually and blow up the rest with a global effect - something that is also effective against white weenie - not to many aerial decks right now.
October 22, 2009 8:22 p.m.
Now all we need is counters to the counters you've prescribed... lol my vamp deck is gonna bite it if anyone of my friends sees this article lol
October 23, 2009 12:03 a.m.
ChaosandKellee says... #14
You are incorrect with the tendrils x being the same on twin cast.... it would copy the spell... yes... but if the other player has no swamps it does nothing..... Because it states x is the number of swamps you control.
October 23, 2009 4:51 p.m.
rule# 706.9. To copy a spell or activated ability means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isnt cast and a copy of an activated ability isnt activated. A copy of a spell or ability copies both the characteristics of the spell or ability and all decisions made for it, including modes, targets, the value of X, and additional or alternative costs. (See rule 601, Casting Spells.) Choices that are normally made on resolution are not copied. If an effect of the copy refers to objects used to pay its costs, it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original spell or ability. A copy of a spell is owned by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell or ability is controlled by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, even though it has no spell card associated with it. A copy of an ability is itself an ability
October 23, 2009 5:25 p.m.
Random question: If I attack with my Bloodghast and they declare a blocker (for example, Kraken Hatchling ) and I sac my bloodghast, can their blocker (in this case the hatchling) block another creature because there is no creature for it to block since i sacked bloodghast?
October 24, 2009 12:27 p.m.
mistergreen527 says... #17
SageRook: No, they can not choose another blocker. Combat is composed of three steps: the attack step, the block step, and the damage step. Once blockers are declared, the block step has happened. You can sacrifice a creature before the damage step begins, but that does not make the game go back to the block step again.
October 24, 2009 3:02 p.m.
AHHHHHHHH!!! i knew i should have looked at this before the draft on friday!
October 25, 2009 10:46 p.m.
it was informative but I noticed one thing "Also zendikar/mindbreak-trap.jpgMindbreak Trap exiles, not counters, sure it can be expensive, but exiling uncounterable spells breaks your opponent's reason for using them. " the only way for you to use this on stag would be for the trap cost because otherwise it's blue so if your opponent doesn't play three spells at once you can't use it.
October 29, 2009 12:53 a.m.
mistergreen527 says... #20
Mindbreak Trap is blue whether you pay for its trap cost or not. It can, however, still target great-sable-stag since protection from a color does not go into effect until the card comes into play.
October 29, 2009 1:53 a.m.
Hehe, you guys work pretty fast at clarifying the rules, lol. Keep checking the thread for things to respond to and my works been done for me. :P
October 29, 2009 12:04 p.m.
About [Voracious Dragon], if a spell counters it, does its ability not work? And if not, how are some ways to counter its ability?
November 6, 2009 4:01 p.m.
Devour happens as a creature comes into play, so if Voracious Dragon is countered, his ability cannot work because he never came into play to devour anything. (Aside from his damage ability being when he comes into play).
The best way to best this ability is simply to kill the goblins before hand. Goblins aren't exactly the toughest creatures out there, and are probably the more susceptible to globals than any other creature type.
Only goblin generator you can't always put to rest is Goblin Assault , and if you can maintain even a 1/2 it can eat them every turn.
November 7, 2009 3:17 p.m.
Magereaper says... #24
Great article! Just one thing twincast would not work as an answer for tendrils unless you have some swamps of your own to go with it. The damage delt bt tendrils is calculated as it resolves meaning it's the last step of resolving the spell. if you control no swamps when the spell resolves you deal no damage. other than that it was some sound advice for new and casual players alike.
November 9, 2009 6:22 p.m.
it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original spell or ability
SCROLL UP * * * |
November 9, 2009 6:36 p.m.
Magereaper says... #26
for voracous Dragon there are two ways to deal with it you can counter the spell all together our you can counter the ability with spells like stifle or trickbind or voidslim. if you counter the ability with stifle or trickbind then your opponent gets his(her) dragon but if they chose to use the ability that you countered they loose all the creatures they sacrafice as well and do not get to deal any damage with the second ability. you can also stifle or trickbind the second ability to get the same effect although you would have a much bigger dragon to deal with.
November 9, 2009 6:42 p.m.
Magereaper says... #27
No it does not Tendrils of Corruption says "it deals x damage to target creature and you gain x life. x is the number of swamps you control" the number of swamps you control is checked last as the spell resolves. if you control no swamps it deals no damage. you gain no life. the only time the x is copied is when you pay for x like with fireball or banefire or consume spirit. because x is not checked as the spell resolves x is stated when you cast it (like paying 1R and you state that x is 20 then you pay 20 mana and x is 20. if x is determined by a source such as the number of lands of a certain type then you can adjust what x is before the spell resolves. Example your opponent cast tendrils on you 4/4 creature he/she has 4 swamps in play you have strip mine in play and in response you sac the strip mine to destroy one of his/her swamps then your 4/4 creature is only going to take 3 and not 4 damage.
November 9, 2009 7:10 p.m.
is there any official rulings on this card.. if so i would like to know where i can go and print them out..
im not saying your wrong and im right..
you sound like you know what your talking about but i was told by a judge during a tourny that it copies the spell entirely.. i would love to prove this person wrong and i think the store owner might give me my 15 packs if i can get my hands on something in writing..
November 9, 2009 7:25 p.m.
Magereaper says... #29
This is in the rules FAQ on wizards.com
If the spell Twincast copies has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Earthquake does), the copy has the same value of X.
and also this was on the wizards.com forums
card]Tendrils of Corruption[/card] determines and deals X upon resolution. If you control no Swamps then your copy of [card]Tendrils of Corruption[/card] will deal not deal damage when it resolves. Thats the best I can do right now. I'm sorry but that judge made an incorrect ruling. aside from finding it in writing the next best thing you can do is find a higher ranking judge and ask him or if it was a sanctioned tourney you can report it to the dci and they will investigate it.
November 9, 2009 8:22 p.m.
Thanks for the info reaper...
the guy just refered to a rulebook and we both agreed on it at the time which is legal i guess. rule# 706.9 is what he threw at me.... :(
sorry for sounding like a newb
November 9, 2009 8:32 p.m.
Magereaper says... #31
I did a little more research and this is what i found. the ruling below and rule 107.3 cover copying a spell like Tendrils of Corruption . the ruling by the judge should have been as such. As far as being legal it depends on the rules enforcement level of the tourny. the higher the level the more "by the book" it is. and rule 706.9 is the wrong rule for the situation.
10/1/2009 If the spell Twincast copies has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Earthquake does), the copy has the same value of X.
simply stated if x is not set as the spell is cast it cannot be copied.
rule 107.3 covers this and means that if x is not in the casting cost and is determined by the text of the spell x's final valued is set as it resolves.
I didn't mean to come off like you were a newb. I overeacted and I'm sorry.
November 9, 2009 10:42 p.m.
no apology needed...
im trying to keep up with all of the rulings that are going on because they change every time the print a new set really.. i am currently playing MTG at 3 different card shops trying to get exp.. im building a mono red deck and just finished my U/W but to be honest im usually playing with a sponsored deck from a buddy who is actually trying to qualify for a major tourny but it is a lot harder than most think.. there is no way to have a regular job and still play magic on the pro tour.. i called him last night and he laughed at me asking why i was playing Twincast anywayz. he said that i should go with Vamps because there easy to play and win,but that mana ramp is what is rocking all over the country..
and when i say mana ramp i mean .1st turn creature-2nd turn Harrow and then dropping Rampant Growth ahhhhhhh whats coming on turn 3..,,.,.,...
November 10, 2009 11:42 a.m.
Just thought I'd throw out responses for the other top decks Eldrazi, Speed Aggro (Vamp, Kor, Goblin), Blue Combo control and Mill.
My solutions so far:
Pithing Needle their Nissa Revane for Eldrazi decks.
Speed Aggro has only one answer and that is Day of Judgment really.
Blue Combo Control is a very fight fire with fire response in that you either need shroud, uncounterability (new word for the dictionary), your own control or all three.
Mill you need to learn that any removal you have needs to wait for their Nemesis, any counters you have wait for the Mind Funerals and whatever you do, do not under any circumstances search your library.
November 19, 2009 7:27 a.m.
After continued research, I found that Tendrils is indeed determined on resolution; tho on another note, the creator of the card really shouldn't of used X, because it leads to a lot of misdirection, because the rules clearly state that a copied spell copies the value of X, thus leading to the confusion.
Instead, it should have been like every other card like it, "Tendrils of corruption deals damage to target creature equal to the number of swamps you control. You gain that much life." instead of throwing X out there like it does.
November 20, 2009 2:14 p.m.
I just want to reiterate how vital this article has been in my decision of deck ideas, sideboard cards, etc. Thanks again, Illiad!
yeaGO says... #1
+++
October 21, 2009 6:23 p.m.