OGW BANT SUPERFRIENDS - SOI UPDATE!
Dills here bringin' ya a fresh update to my super friends brew I've been running the past few months in OGW Standard! With the SOI pre release done, and the set just around the corner it's time to pull the Monastery Mentors, Binder our Fetch Lands and pump it into overdrive as we move forward.
KTK Block updates, match results and information (OUTDATED) Show
Dills here with another update! Had another chance to test the deck against a few match-ups and wanted to discus the results with everyone as well as a few changes I will be making before we head to FNM this Friday.
Only played a single set against this deck and unfortunately we
did not sideboard but the final result ended 1/2 in favor of CoCo. The biggest issue pre-board for us is dealing with
Deathmist Raptor and it's interaction with
Den Protector
. it's very difficult for us to justify casting
Dromoka's Command on
Deathmist Raptor targeting something like
Monastery Mentor or
Sylvan Advocate which severely limits us to either
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
(situational) or a buffed token (more situational). This makes removal more difficult for us giving the deck time to properly set up with company and eventually just beat us in presence. Solution: with our exsisting sideboard cards I would suggest +2 Hallowed Moonlight +2 Dispel Removing slower more situational cards such as -2
Oath of Gideon
and -2 dromoka's command as well as our current main board shift of +3
Silkwrap
. These cards gives us a
MUCH stronger starting point. Will continue to explore this match-up and post more results just as soon as I have the opportunity to play it again.
Played several sets against this deck again without side-boarding but we have a pretty good foothold pre board and were mostly successful ending somewhere like 4/1. cards that cause the most problems are "player targeting" burn such as
Wild Slash
,
Crackling Doom and
Jeskai Charm
as these have the ability to interact with our planes walkers directly which can be troublesome. Also Keep an eye out for
Mantis Rider, which "Ususally" should be dealt with as its played, although our presence pre board more times than not overruns the deck Mainly due to getting multiple permanents each turn. early answers to Jace, Vyrns Prodigy are ready and available look for them! When Side-boarding consider things to help push permanents through and slow down removal. easy +2
Dispel more than likely replaces
Oath of Gideon
. Overall Not too much difficulty dealing with this deck will continue to test and post results though :)note: for prowess/tempo variations running heavy on creatures consider Sarkhan for Ob Nix swap post board :)
This was definitely the most difficult of the match-ups I've faced as of yet (without boarding). played only a set before we had to call it a night but the deck just walks over us (tested prior to mainboard silkwrap)
Hangarback Walker,
Pia and Kiran Nalaar,
Thopter Engineer and
Thunderbreak Reagent
will clock us so quickly with flying its rough! On top of access to prime removal a la
Crackling Doom Murderous Cut and
Kolaghan's Command this is not a match up to take lightly. without the addition of Silkwrap this deck is virtually unbeatable pre-board which was one of my biggest reasons of including 3x
Silkwrap
considering other flying creatures
WILL appear in the format and we need to have
GOOD answers to them when they do.
Will continue to post updates and changes during testing as well as try to answer as many questions as i can here again thanks for keepin' up see you soon! - Dills
without further ado, the breakdown!
ENCHANTMENTS!
(the core)
4x Oath of Nissa - This is the core of the deck it is everything we want to turn on our mana fixing engine, with a fantastic dig effect that I'm only to happy to play turn one.
3x
Oath of Gideon
- the loyalty counter is relevant to each walker, especially Gideon who can start dropping emblems immediately and live! It has synergy with Nissa's -2 ability and at the very least gives us 2 bodies!
SUPER FRIENDS!
3x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar - I love this card. her plus ability is a great way for us to throw some bodies up and protect our walkers. with an oath of Gideon in play things can get silly pretty quick :P
4x
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
- Yup! again, makes bodies for us, +1 him + Nissa's -2 ability starts stacking +1/+1 counters, finally worth noting with oath of Gideon in play, we can neg Gideon for an emblem immediately and survive to potentially activate a +6/+6 Gideon next turn.
3x Sarkhan Unbroken - [s]This is kind of a flex spot, alternately you could sub this with Ob Nix for those drawn out games, however I ultimately chose Sarkhan as we can still successfully cast sarkhan without Oath in play, making a surprise dromoka's command really hurt, with sarkhan up front we can better determine if DK is a problem with minimal blow back, be prepared post board for subsequent games and possibly surprise our opponents with Ob later in the set. Sarkhan essentially has a better version of Ob's +1 ability and his dragons can help to close games out.[/s]
1x Chandra, Flamecaller - just a 1 of, can help us go wide to close out a game, flush a hand of land into more gas or sweep when falling behind. solid card but due to CMC not something we want to see opening
3x Ob Nixilis Reignited - as previously stated our alternate top end (to sarkhan) friend Ob nix is great for that extra removal or more importantly as a win con in long drawn out matches when we can slam out these out with 7 counters and grind into emblems.
2x Narset Transcendent - love Narset, however she is probably the most situational of our walkers, her plus ability is always great and again with oath of Gideon in place an impressive 7 counters on entry we're potentially ready to emblem turn 6. Our only targets to her neg ability are Dromoka's Command and Call the Gatewatch. Now rebounding dromoka's command all day is absolutely FUN, but between Oath, Jace, and Sarkhan we are digging consistently and not sure I like call as a target. As such Gideon makes for a more consistently aggressive option and I would prefer to bring her in only when truly necessary.
SUPER SIDEKICKS!
4x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
- definitely an all-star, loots us goodies early, flips into a superfriend! + ability helps to keep our walkers alive, - ability to flash back dromoka's / call if needed or again emblems to get us through a grind sesh! (worth noting jace into nissa, for a 1/3 jace is real!)
4x Sylvan Advocate - a great two drop with key text that works really well with out list, essentially helps put up early pressure works well with our walkers, and gets huge if unanswered. Yes please
4x Wall of Resurgence - Probably on of my favorite cards to be printed recently, the tempo this gives with a 3/3 haste creature that synergizes well with our Advocates, on top of an impressive 0/6 body that just eats up creatures threating our dudes. Nissa triggers give them great "Thorns" effects making them especially nasty to swing against.(Honorable Mention: Wall of Resurgence +
Kin-Tree Invocation
is real! See my Abzan variant of this list with it's inclusion HERE! )
Instants/ Sorcery
4x Dromoka's Command - This is essentially our main board removal, while versatile in nature were really looking to crunch counters out of this card and fight, with 4x Gideon's available and the added bonus of counters that persist and a creature that fights as no less than a 6/6 indestructible
2x Call the Gatewatch - Very flexible spot, pretty straight forwards, tutor walkers when we need to, can be anything from extra walkers
Side board!
this should cover not only my current picks but others I've tried and why and a few things I'm interested in trying that I put to you all!(my picks are based on local meta your opinions or lists may differ in the end hopefully this acts as a good base line!)
3x
Den Protector
/ 3x Dispel - While two completely different cards they are both here to help us with decks that have answers to our plan (i.e. Ruinous Path, Dromoka's Command, counterspells) being in blue gives us the ability to stop some of these cards entirely and for others at least give us the ability to re use previously answered cards.
2x Hallowed Moonlight - both Rally the Ancestors and Collected Company are big in my current Meta. As this card answers both quite well it's a pretty easy inclusion.
3x Ob Nixilis Reignited & 2x Narset Transcendent - covered above :)
2x
Stasis Snare
- little extra removal, really like the flash key text, easily Silkwrap again take a look at what you opponents are playing/likely to play for this one!
1x Planar Outburst / End Hostilities - I really like an Sweep in here for games I fall behind on, or even simply just drawn out stalemate type rounds, sweeping before activating walkers is a great way for us to clear the field and repopulate with tokens immediately. Makes for great swings and each have an upside, Awaken is great and plays real nice with Sylvan Advocates in the deck but on the other hand End Hostilities can be really nice as well if your facing lots of
Silkwrap
/
Stasis Snare
to get back dudes!
To be Considered!...
Secure the Wastes - probably the number one card i'm considering currently, works so well with Nissa / Gideon, instant speed makes it a great recovery post sweeps, X cost makes the card relevant at any point during the game and really the card just is great fit overall.consider in place of Call the Gatewatch
Bonds of Mortality - Used specifically to kill things like Ulamog / Dragonlord Ojutai as they are problems for the deck otherwise, if these are big in your LGS, consider it!
Undergrowth Champion
- Super resilient, plays well with both Nissa and dromoka's command. Consider it!
(OGW) Bant Superfriends - Now Viewing
(SOI) Rakdos Vampires - Madness Agro
(SOI) Azorious Project Release - 3/20
(SOI) Dimir Project Release - 3/24
(SOI) Orzhov Brew (WIP) - TBA