Sooo, why is it called "ponza" and not "stax"?

TheRedGoat

This one explains it pretty well

Note the date, some more exposition

Stax is both players for the most part, things like Winter Orb.

Okay, so given I will not be able to reply until much later today, Why would you say you run so many more beater creatures over land hate like the original style does?

TheRedGoat, did I say that somewhere? The one in the link I provided ran eleven large threats (including Batterskull), whereas I only run nine (including finks). Is there an original style I'm not seeing?

You should replace Stone Rain with Molten Rain

Wobbly_Bob it's in the notable exclusions list, because getting in the early game is sometimes tough, and the two damage is of very low impact. Thanks for the comment, though!

I suppose I got confused because your build uses such a different set of cards to the linked version that I felt it was of a different variety. You both use land hate effects and beaters, but his just involved a different method of approaching it than yours and that threw me off.

I honestly don't know what to change. maybe if you want to make it slightly janky, you could put in the combo of Liquimetal Coating and Splinter in the SB for mono colored decks.

any thoughts on Choke for blue hate as a SB or Explore for darw/extra land drop? very cool concept! i may revisit this primer for a future deck idea +1 from me

Icbrgr thanks! I'm currently testing a 2-magus 1-choke SB right now and am liking it, it will probably become a permanent change. I don't really like Explore here because the deck is completely devoid of two drops, we want to normally be mooning or raining on T2. I will keep it in mind, though.

RAD!

Bovine073,
So how's Ponza feel in the current meta (wasn't sure how recent your Cockatrice results were)?

clayperce not great. If an opponent can get down a death's shadow and I have no beast within for it the game is generally over. Sometimes you get lucky though and just totally screw DS. Haven't played the matchup much and it seems quite volatile.

Eldrazi tron, on the other hand, well, it's tron and they have a very hard time winning considering we can get our fatties out faster than theirs.

Bovine073,
Thanks ... I'm running UG Infect now, and it's just in SUCH a rough patch, I was looking for something else to play for a while. Ponza has always seemed awesome, so I was frankly hoping to hear it was in a better place :-)

A couple thoughts though, for Death's Shadow:

• Primal Command? The versatility is great, but mode 1 seems like it would be especially useful (killing DS in early- and mid-game, and giving you that just one more turn in the late-).
• Trinisphere maybe, for sideboard? It's solid against against a bunch of decks (I learned about the card the hard way playing Infect). Not sure though if shutting down your Birds and Elves though is worth it.

Please keep us posted, and draw well!

clayperce holy crap it is target player gains 7. I have never thought about playing Trinisphere, and quite frankly can't help wonder about it. It seems very interesting but also very solid. You've got me thinking for sure. I think I'll remove 6-mana Chandra for a Primal Command for now, see how it tests against the deck. Cheers!