Tails of a Ferret: Back in the Saddle!
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OutspokenFerret
4 July 2014
1382 views
4 July 2014
1382 views
Hi all. Boo, Hiss Sorry for my random dissappearance, and the lack of a Block deck article, It seems that between working, finals, Driver's Ed, and SAT's, there was so much on my plate, that something was bound to get lost in the scrambled eggs that used to call itself my brain, and it turns out that thing lost was Magic. Not just here, but in general I retracted from Magic a bit. Don't worry, this isn't a Mark Nestico announcement, I'm not gone for good, in fact, I'm here, I'm back, hopefully for a good while.
That out of the way, I want to discuss the previous series I was doing, and why I'm moving away from it. First of all, it was a lot more work than it may have seemed. Between mixed feedback, and constant leaving after game 1 when I was trying to get matches through on 'Trice, it seemed almost impossible to meet a weekly schedule. So finally, instead of further cutting back the period between each article, I decided to just drop it all together for the time being. Again, this just means something new will replace it, something I'll hope everyone, myself included, will enjoy.
Unveiling that new thing... is both going to dissappoint, and open a door for more interactivity in different forms than before. I still need your help feeding my relapsing addiction to deckbuilding, except... Drumroll I will be sticking to 1 deck per format. So instead of each 3 weeks doing something new, we will constantly be working and adapting upon a single deck per format. The deck basis however, will be pre-determined, as these will be the decks I will be playing for those formats both online, and in paper at events. I hope everyone will still enjoy this, and are as giddy as I am to see how far we can take the deck, and how much each discussion can and will improve players card assessment, skill, and technique. These decks are to be 100% competitive and the only time we may change decks would be based on the viability and adaptability of the deck as a whole. Continuing, this article is not just a simple introduction for articles to come, this is also the first article in the series. Here we go.
Format: Standard
Colors: TBA
Core: Hornet's Nest - When many people I talked to saw this card they thought flavor, when I looked at this card, I fell in love. This card has value written all over it. In no situation does this card feel like it would be truly bad except against control, and even then, with some well timed spells, it can force an Elspeth plan into a corner. It will only be stopping one at a time, but thats all you really need to do in many decks so you can try and stabilize the board, sweep it, or try to outpower it. This card to me just seems like a force to be Reckoned with, and could hold similar power to Boros Reckoner (See what I did there), perhaps even surpassing it because the dudes are more permanent than the damage. Also, if you batter the Hornet Nest, you only make it angry.
The card I'm most excited to run along with the Nest, is a card straight from WotC's Ferret donations, Chord of Calling. Awwww hell yes! This card lets you grab the nest at Instant Speed, and its cost is lowered for each creature that you won't be using until your next untap step. Did I mention instant speed? As in, flashing in a blocker, as in using its own tokens to dig for another, as in being able to manipulate the boardstate in any way your deck can, in response to most things. Chord is so versataille it seems a must have in most decks running Green and creatures.
So now is where I want some input from everybody. What other colors to play? I was thinking that Jund might be the slot for this deck but really don't know. So I want to hear everyone's thoughts on what other colors to run. (No Mono-Green) I wanted black for the removal, board control, big dudes, and effects like Chording out a Brain Maggot. So all color combo's are open for discussion, and in my next article, I will have a color combo, a list, and the begginings of a sideboard. Please post specific cards along with your vote on color combo, and feel free to discuss others posts as long as it is in a healthy, constructive manner.
Let's make a deck!
To be honest, I am new enough to the site to not even acknowledge your existence, but I'm happy to see someone making interactive series. I agree with Hat above me, Golgari is good option. If you want tri-color, I would make Necra ( WGB), who would give your deck star Indestructibility or Gift of Immortality or various aura buffs. Dunno how would it play out, I am more a Johnny kind of brewer. Anyway, I hope these series are gping to be as best as possible. Good luck!
July 4, 2014 2:30 p.m.
I wouldn't necessarily opt for black because you don't need removal - you're producing death touch tokens.
Instead I would opt for white for things like Ajani's Presence . This could let you get lots of value out of the card by giving it indestructibility so it doesn't die but it does still produce tokens.
I would like to see Hornet Queen but I think it's too over costed for what it is. It's not going to win games - it's VERY defensive in nature.
July 4, 2014 2:36 p.m.
Unforgivn_II says... #4
Erm, unless the title is a play on words that is over my head, the word is saddle...
Before y'all shout "GRAMMAR NAZI!", hear me out. You want to be taken seriously right? You write an article not only because you like doing so, but because you want to help people as well. When I see poor spelling/grammar, I instantly think "Wow, this guy doesn't know anything" because I'm a judgemental person. I'm sure there's more to you than just your spelling, but from this small window into your life, that's all I can see. I read the article, and the rest was pretty good, just a few run-on sentences and minor spelling errors. But when the title is spelled wrong, it just doesn't help your image.
I know there's no way to say this without sounding like a dick, but I felt it had to be said. I really am looking out for you though. Think of it like tough love.
July 4, 2014 3:05 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #5
Please feel free to correct me as much as you want. Three in the morning is not the time to proofread an article so I appreciate the catch. Don't worry about being a "Grammar Nazi", I mean you did use "y'all" in the same sentence, and Proper Grammar =/= Genocide.
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Nice to meet you and I'm glad that you like the idea :D Hope to see you in a few articles in the future as well. Also I'm a Johnny as well, but I want I'm slowly trying to "Picasso" my style to make more functionally efficient decks. One of my all time goals is to be netdecked with a crazy build. Really looking forward to the next year of Standard with Hornet Nest and friends. Also out of curiosity, is there a story behind your name?
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Although I entirely agree that black could be omitted, I feel that the overall goal, of the deck is not to just generate the tokens, but to use Chord of Calling and other tools to where, I have so many options readily available to manipulate the board state that swinging on a seemingly empty board, is like throwing a rock at a tree and hitting a Hornet Nest . So while black may not be the color we are going to end up with, I wanted to clarify that the deck is not all about the nest, it's just the nest is a great face for the deck (hence the analogy) and it is what got me started along this path. With that, I also want to say I am completely open to other builds beyond that premise, but that to me just seems to be the most potent idea I could find.
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Soul of New Phyrexia seems really good here if we go the stompy midrange route, and while Hornet Queen in the deck would be the bee's knees, I do think that it is a bit too slow for the current standard. The new Garruk however, I have had the pleasure of getting my ass whooped by on Cockatrice, and let me tell you, he is pretty strong, and all the hate on his CMC is a bit too harsh. 6 mana would make him incredible, and I still remember when people were complaining that Elspeth should cost 5. If Elspeth costed 5... Oh god, best not go there.
Anyways, I'm hearing some leaning towards B/G, but I want to hear thoughts on what black offers besides removal, that I can't get from Red, White, or Blue, I feel like they may have some more relevant abilities/bodies tied to their creatures.
I will try to respond to most comments but If I miss you I apologize, and I think I may do some streaming during brewing on Cockatrice so we can see how different builds play and you can comment with your opinion in the stream chat, looking for a particular builds consistency, power, and general viability as well as to fine tune a list for the next article. I will keep you posted on when that might be here on this thread, but for now, just ready your thinking caps, and have a good 4th!
July 4, 2014 4:07 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #6
Well, that's what I get for using preview to format lines to signify individual sections compared to a change in topic, instead of looking into how to format one.
July 4, 2014 4:09 p.m.
I really don't see the point of going black for removal in this build. A lot of good black creatures are also about to rotate out.
You know what would be interesting? Simic. Use blue for early control. Use hornets nest to deter attackers that you failed to counter (given death touch etc). Finish by landing a planeswalkers and gg.
July 4, 2014 4:15 p.m.
Hello and welcome back! While I may not have known about your existence beforehand, I have a feeling that I'm going to enjoy reading your article as your deck(s) develop and grow. And, I could always use a refresher on assessing cards as well, so I'm going to be following pretty consistently.
Anyway, I'm going to agree with ChiefBell above me. Running G/U (Simic) would give you a really valuable pool of counter, draw, hexproof, and a few other nice options. Take into consideration that with Chord of Calling , Hornet Nest , and Hornet Queen , you're already setting yourself up for some real fun.
Now for suggestions:
Roaring Primadox
- Gives the chord another purpose, and opens the possibility of using all the ETB effect creatures coming in M15. (Including Hornet Queen
)
Archaeomancer
- Toolbox ETB instant and sorcery recycling.
There are a hundred other options I could give, but for the sake of it, I'm going to cut my post short to leave people room.
July 4, 2014 4:39 p.m.
miracleHat says... #9
If you do go u/g, i could see Master Biomancer (before it rotates) saying "hi"! Also, Simic Charm to give your tokens hexproof or even buff them up that for they can survive the bigger creatures!
Also, why not have b/u/g? There will be 2 of the painlands for it!
July 4, 2014 10:06 p.m.
Tricolor b/u/g wouldn't be terrible, you'd have access to major card advantage. (Again citing U as draw speed and B as discard (i.e. Thoughtseize ). Then if you went the way I said before (toolbox style with Roaring Primadox ), you could look to see if there are a few black ETB effect creatures that are available.
Then only downside to Tricolor is not having exactly the lands you need when you need them, but miracleHat is right in saying that there are pain lands to fix this issue.
Just my two-cents at the end of the day.
July 4, 2014 10:18 p.m.
miracleHat says... #11
@samk125, i don't know how much experience you have with tri-color, but here are the lands that could be considered running (that are duals or three color producing):
Overgrown Tomb
Watery Grave
Breeding Pool
Temple of Malady
Temple of Mystery
Temple of Deceit
Mana Confluence
Llanowar Wastes
Yavimaya Coast
all in all, i think that three colors are accessible, and that the land base can support it.
July 4, 2014 10:22 p.m.
I hadn't been paying attention to the release of all the pain lands miracleHat. Lol, looks like there's a plethora of land base to support tri-color. Though the shocks rotate in October, that still leaves the Theros temples, pain lands, then whatever duals are introduced or reprinted in Khans of Tarkir. Thanks for correcting me though!
July 4, 2014 11:21 p.m.
The Ana combination (BUG) mentioned here sounds good and competetive. I think it only depends if you prefer controling opponent by removal or by counterspells. However BUG haves better access to draw and it's name is more flavorwise for you deck, so we all know which option is better.
PS: OutspokenFerret, Google my name and see the graphics.
July 5, 2014 2:55 a.m.
McSleuthburger says... #14
Glad to see you are back, and trying something new! But I got a couple ideas if you are willing to hear them. Green wise you could go with Life's Legacy (to get more draw) and im still a fan of Phytotitan because he is always willing to show back up (life's legacy on him and you basically get seven cards for 2 mana). If you wanted to go mono-green (I know you dont but I just had the idea) maybe try Kalonian Twingrove
if you went the simic route, I think Polymorphist's jest is hilarious because I dont think anybody wants a bunch of frogs
if you do decide on what other color(s) you want I might have a few more ideas but right now there are too many for me to think of. I wish you the best of luck with this.
July 5, 2014 8:54 a.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #15
What do you guys think of Bant, also using Heliod's Pilgrim to tutor for cards like Banishing Light and also having Access to Illusory Angel (Cheating with Chord) and also to Lyev Skyknight ?
July 5, 2014 1:20 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #16
Going to do some streaming after this game :D
twitch.tv/OutspokenFerret
Come and watch me work on the deck and provide your input on the deck in action!
July 5, 2014 5:10 p.m.
I will watch when I'm back but I'm out for a week or so. I'm considering streaming modern when I return .
July 5, 2014 5:51 p.m.
I think that going BUG has all the support it needs. BUG is going to be insanely strong post rotation with access to Courser of Kruphix , Prognostic Sphinx and Thoughtseize .
Chord of Calling is amazing on it's own but I think it will find a great home in the build. I feel like this is the right shell ( :D? :D? ) for Hornet Nest .
July 6, 2014 3:25 p.m.
Tyrannosary says... #22
i definitely see what you are going for here. I think you need to find some ways to protect your nest whether it is counter magic, giving it indestructibility, or pumping it. I do think you could also abuse its effect and cast spells to deal damage to it such as Lightning Strike , Magma Spray , Magma Jet , or even Spark Jolt . You can also use those spells to kill your opponents creatures. either way i think you might want to run Green and Red for sure. and then either run red pump spells or another color to help protect your nest.
July 6, 2014 11:12 p.m.
I would recommend using Parallel Lives as a bolster so you can get double the tokens, and maybe a Indestructibility + Pariah to keep Hornet Nest moving against a red deck.
July 7, 2014 4:25 p.m.
Lordofevolution says... #25
Hello OutspokenFerret I've enjoyed some of your past articles.I haven't read all that many but I have to say this one sounds like a great idea. Now for the deck IMO U/G or BUG is the way to go with it. Imagine using Prophet of Kruphix with the nest as flash in blocker or chord of calling on your turn grabbing the prophet with blockers on their turn just saying it's something to think about. LoE out.
July 8, 2014 9:37 p.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #26
Seems like a good idea for a series. I'd get involved if you weren't making a competitive deck with Hornet Nest pre-slotted into the mainboard. It's a sideboard card except if for some reason 50% of the meta is aggro decks.
July 9, 2014 3:47 p.m.
OutspokenFerret says... #27
@Rasta_Viking29 The same was said about Boros Reckoner .
Nothing can change without action, and when I see comments like this, I cry a little. Too many people are unwilling to try simply because of impressions. Magic is a game where a card can only be truly judged when it is in your hands, and the narrow sighted miss an entire aspect of the game. That said, the article is going up soon and may address your issue with the Nest
July 9, 2014 8:12 p.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #28
This card is nowhere near Reckoner. Boros Reckoner attacks for 3, even when blocked he pushes damage through, trades with almost any creature, and can burn the opponent. He can win games.
Hornet Nest can't attack. It can get you X for 1's and make dtouch tokens. Not a wincon. I love him out of the sideboard, maybe as a 1x with Chord.
It's not about impressions either. When I build a deck I start with what I'm going to win with and then what's going help me do it. Nest is a help card.
July 9, 2014 8:53 p.m.
How about putting a Shield of the Avatar on your Hornet Nest ?
July 10, 2014 11:19 a.m.
Hellogoodbye2yu says... #30
I think that G/R is a good option for the time period. This is simply because of the sweet Dictate of the Twin Gods/Boros Reckoner interactions. Say 4/4 smacks into reckoner, deals 8 damage (dictate), boros deals 16 (dictate) to hornet's nest. 16 flying 1/1's! You could even make it naya for boros charm, ready/willing, and rootborn defenses to protect your 1/1's.
miracleHat says... #1
I know that it isn't standard, but the first thing that i thought with this card was Blasphemous Act :D !!!
Anyways, in standard; i think that G/b would be pretty good. Another thing that could be synergetic is Soul of New Phyrexia . Giving hornet nest indestructible seems really fun. On the subject of hornets everywhere, you must have a queen (Hornet Queen !).
Give black removal and hand disruption (you get the point) and you get the new garruk, which seems really nice.
What do people think?
July 4, 2014 1:50 p.m.