Looking for solid advice
Deck Help forum
Posted on Oct. 11, 2011, 2:35 p.m. by ViolentDjango
I'm going to be taking this deck (Wolfman Cometh) to FNM (Maybe States on Saturday) if my weekend stays clear.
I'm hoping to get some heavy feedback to try and help me make some last minute improvements. I know werewolves suffer from noobitus, but I really like their concept and all of their cards so I'm set on using them.
I've been making changes and modifications, and I'm going to go pick up 2 Garruk Relentless later today.
I'd appreciate any feedback (and explanations, please, I'm still learning things to look for) for moving forward.
Thanks in advance.
ViolentDjango says... #3
I've been hearing about that, but the problem is what can I do about it outside of intercepting the cast?
I added Mana Leak , but other than that, can Ancient Grudge remove it -after- its been used? I know if you do it before they can can activate. The last instant on the stack takes priority, right?
October 11, 2011 7:29 p.m.
My highest suggestion is to use Stony Silence followed by an Ancient Grudge or other artifact destruction spell. You may have to shift colors to include it, but it may be best in the long run. It also handles other pesky artifacts like Spellskite , the various spellbombs, and shrines (Shrine of Burning Rage ).
Enchantment
Activated abilities of artifacts can't be activated.
Below are a few additional options:
Sorcery
Gain control of target artifact until end of turn. Untap that artifact. It gains haste until end of turn.
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or land. Its controller loses 1 life.
Master Thief 2UU
Creature Human Rogue (2/2)
When Master Thief enters the battlefield, gain control of target artifact for as long as you control Master Thief.
Shape Anew 3U
Sorcery
The controller of target artifact sacrifices it, then reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals an artifact card. That player puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles all other cards revealed this way into his or her library.
Artifact Creature Insect (1/3)
You may choose not to untap Rust Tick during your untap step.
1, Tap: Tap target artifact. It doesn't untap during its controller's untap step for as long as Rust Tick remains tapped.
Acidic Slime 3GG
Creature Ooze (2/2)
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
When Acidic Slime enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact, enchantment, or land.
October 12, 2011 12:24 a.m.
ViolentDjango says... #5
How do you feel about Phyrexian Revoker ? He's kind of what I had as a contingency plan against stuff like this.
Metallic Mastery looks like it could be a really, really good alternative though.
October 12, 2011 1:55 a.m.
4 basic things:
Reevaluate your Mana base
Consider dropping Blue and adding White
Solutions from White
Creature Substitution
Your mana base with only 20 lands (6 of which could have to come into play tapped) is going to be frustrating. Birds of Paradise will easily die to spot removal.
I think that your blue cards are too weak to be helpful in this deck, although maybe as a sideboard option. Again, I think if you are going to splash a third color, white may be a better option.
If you are wanting a control element, white can definitely deliver an answer to several problems.
For example, Innistrad offers:
Nevermore 1WW
Enchantment
As Nevermore enters the battlefield, name a nonland card.
The named card can't be cast.
Instant
Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn.
Flashback 2R (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Rebuke 2W
Instant
Destroy target attacking creature.
Creature Human Soldier (3/2)
When Slayer of the Wicked enters the battlefield, you may destroy target Vampire, Werewolf, or Zombie.
Instant
Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater.
Instant
Creatures you control gain protection from non-Human creatures until end of turn.
From M12, we have:
Creature Human Cleric (2/2)
During your turn, your opponents can't cast spells or activate abilities of artifacts, creatures, or enchantments.
Enchantment
When Oblivion Ring enters the battlefield, exile another target nonland permanent.When Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
Enchantment Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has protection from creatures. (It can't be blocked, targeted, or dealt damage by creatures.)
Instant
Target creature gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. (It can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything of that color.)
October 12, 2011 10:35 a.m.
I also think you could do well by adding additional wolf creatures. The Mayor of Avabruck Flip Flip provides a boost for both Werewolves and Wolves.
Sacred Wolf 2G
Creature Wolf (3/1)
Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
Kessig Wolf 2R
Creature Wolf (3/1)
1R: Kessig Wolf gains first strike until end of turn.
Creature Wolf (2/2)
2G: Darkthicket Wolf gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
Also remember that Adaptive Automaton can act like a lord for the wolves.
Artifact Creature Construct (2/2)
As Adaptive Automaton enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
Adaptive Automaton is the chosen type in addition to its other types.
Other creatures you control of the chosen type get +1/+1.
Final Thoughts:
Take out all blue.
Splash white (3-6 cards - I suggest Spirit Mantle and Stave Off ) and put additional surprises in the sideboard.
Add some of the smaller wolves I mentioned above. On game 2, take them out and sideboard in the extra white spells.
If they can't play a board wiping spell, Spirit Mantle and Sacred Wolf is an unstoppable combo.
October 12, 2011 10:36 a.m.
ViolentDjango says... #8
Hmm.
The original prototype of the deck used White as the third color and the problem I had with it is that it becomes something I felt I had to rely heavily upon it for it to do anything for me.
Outside of Phantasmal Image and Mana Leak , nothing I have in the deck that uses blue demands that I actually have it. Phyrexian Metamorph and Spellskite both offer powerful assisting elements while having their blue components be completely optional.
I'll admit, the instances where I've run into drawing the dual lands on turn one with no other lands have been annoying -- but they've been far from insurmountable in my testing of the deck. I kept the cost of the creatures low specifically to make sure that it didn't become too much of an issue.
The wolves were interesting, but I honestly felt they demanded too much to really be effective. Sacred Wolf was high on my list of potential candidates, but I felt that Hexproof wasn't enough of a boost to compensate for the fact that his stats are actually inferior to a transformed Reckless Waif Flip Flip -- who I could potentially have as early as turn 3.
I ended up on blue because I felt the subtle defensive implications were more substantial than the ones in white -- while white is distinctly powerful and good at control in Innistrad -- something about the costs and balancing required to fit it to any effective degree didn't sit well with me.
I have considered Adaptive Automaton , however, and I may actually put him in instead of Phantasmal Image since I can't seem to find any (since everyones buying them for Solar Flare...)
I like a lot of the ideas, but at this point I feel changing the colors would require almost completely redesigning a deck I feel very good about. I feel that kind of drastic overhaul is completely unnecessary as the deck has already proven it is functional and effective in play testing.
October 12, 2011 11:02 a.m.
ViolentDjango says... #9
Additionally, if someone wants to waste removal on Birds of Paradise I'm more than happy to let them -- that's one less card they can use against my significantly more powerful options, and, depending on a turn, a hindrance to their ability to stop me from doing something else.
If they leave the Birds, it means I can get things out quicker and recover from interruptions with higher resilience.
With regards to my mana base, the distribution of mana has served me well so far, and while there is chance of having the dual lands slow me down, I feel the odds of this this happening consistently are low enough that the benefits outweigh the cons. Further testing may make me change my mind about that, but I feel it works pretty well so far.
Warmonger says... #2
One spell you will absolutely have to find a solution for is Ratchet Bomb . Turn 2, it comes into play with zero charge counters on it. As long as your opponent doesn't add any charge counters, from then on any transformed card and tokens (all of which have a converted mana cost of zero) can be removed at instant speed.
October 11, 2011 6 p.m.