Standard Playtesting
Deck Help forum
Posted on Oct. 29, 2013, 10:39 a.m. by raithe000
Hey, I've got a free day today and am looking for good decks to playtest my Standard deck against. I'll post a writeup of a best of three matchup after each one. I'm not great at sideboarding, so if you have suggestions for that for your deck, please let me know. First come, first served.
deck-large:bantron-hexproof
Match 14 against Nuggettt's The millionth mono-green - Enter the bullcrap
A mono-green devotion ramp deck. If I'm fast enough, I probably won't have trouble, but 4 or 5 drops on turn 3 can probably ruin my day. R for Bantron, N for Millionth Mono-Green.
Game 1
N wins the roll and keeps a powerful hand with Nylea, God of the Hunt
, Kalonian Hydra
and plenty of ramp. R keeps a high creature hand, hoping to use Temple of Mystery
to scry into enchantments.
N begins ramping, getting out Nylea turn 3 and Kalonian Hydra turn 4, but R manages to exile the Hydra with a Detention Sphere
and Ajani, Caller of the Pride
's -3 allows him to swing in for game on turn 5.
No sideboaring, as N has no sideboard and R still hasn't figured what to add against the midrange matchup.
Game 2
N goes first and keeps a ramp heavy hand with Polukranos, World Eater
and a couple Reverent Hunter
s. R keeps a hand with a couple of Fleecemane Lion
s and an Ethereal Armor
.N manages to ramp heavily, getting out Polukranos turn 3 and both Reverent Hunters turn 4, but just can't keep up with a double Ethereal Armor
ed and Aqueous Form
ed Fleecemane, especially when Ajani comes in in the last round and uses his -3 again.
Nuggettt, this is a good start. I might consider splashing red, since there are so many powerful red and red-green cards for a deck like this, I think you can deal with normal aggro easily, but if you do splash red, consider Polis Crusher if you see hexproof in your local meta.
Full battle account
Game 1
N wins the roll
N starting hand: 2x forest, 1x scavenging ooze, 1x sylvan caryatid, 1x nylea, 1x kalonian hydra, 1x nykthos, keep
R starting hand: 1x gladecover scout, 1x breeding pool, 1x hopeful eidolon, 1x fleecemane lion, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x plains, 1x temple of mystery, keep
N1 play forest
R1 draw detention sphere, play breeding pool, shock self, R 18, play gladecover scout
N2 draw forest, play forest, play sylvan caryatid
R2 draw ajani, play plains, play fleecemane lion
N3 draw reverent hunter, play forest, play nylea
R3 draw unflinching courage, play hallowed fountain, shock self, R 16, play unflinching courage on fleecemane lion, swing 6, life totals R 21, N 14
N4 draw scavenging ooze, play nykthos, play kalonian hydra
R4 draw spell rupture, play temple of mystery, scry plains, sticks, play detention sphere exiling kalonian hydra, swing 6, life totals R 26, N 8
N5 draw garruk, play scavenging ooze and reverent hunter
R5 draw plains, play plains, play ajani, use ajani's -3 on fleecemane, swing for game
No sideboarding
N goes first
N starting hand: 1x forest, 1x mutavault, 1x elvish mystic, 1x polukranos, 2x reverent hunter, 1x sylvan caryatid, keep
R starting hand: 1x hallowed fountain, 2x plains, 2x fleecemane lion, 1x ethereal armor, 1x temple of mystery, keep
N1 play forest, play elvish mystic
R1 draw aqueous form, play temple of mystery, scry ajani, sticks
N2 draw forest, play mutavault, play sylvan caryatid
R2 draw ajani, play plains, play fleecemane lion
N3 draw forest, play forest, play polukranos
R3 draw ethereal armor, play plains, play ethereal armor x2 and aqueous form on fleecemane lion, swing 9, scry temple garden, sticks, life totals N 11, R 20
N4 draw forest, play forest, play reverent hunter x2, swing 5, life totals N 11, R 15
R4 draw temple garden, play temple garden tapped, play ajani, use ajani's -3, swing for game
November 5, 2013 10:23 a.m.
I ran a match against CWOLFPACK's deck, but again had turn 4 wins, so I'm not summarizing. This is a good start to a Black devotion deck. I'd recommend finding some 1 and 2 drop permanents, and running more of Nykthos. You also need to tighten up your sideboard, you are running far to many 1-ofs in there. The sideboard should be used to strengthen you against weak matchups, not to have a tool for every situation.
Full battle account
Game 1
C wins the roll
C starting hand: 1x doom blade, 1x gray merchant, 1x mind rot, 1x blood baron, 1x godless shrine, 1x hero's downfall, 1x swamp, keep
R starting hand: 1x breeding pool, 2x gladecover scout, 1x aqueous form, 1x ordeal of thassa, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x detention sphere, keep
C1 play godless shrine tapped
R1 draw fleecemane lion, play breeding pool, shock self, R 18, play gladecover scout
C2 draw godless shrine, play godless shrine tapped
R2 draw ethereal armor, play hallowed fountain, shock self, R 16, play ethereal armor and aqueous form on gladecover, swing 3, scry aqueous form, bottom, life totals C 17, R 16
C3 draw doom blade, play swamp, play mind rot, R discards fleecemane lion and gladecover scout
R3 draw ethereal armor, play ethereal armor on gladecover scout, swing 7, scry hopeful eidolon, bottom, life totals C 10, R 16
C4 draw mutavault, play mutavault
R4 draw plains, play ordeal of thassa on gladecover, swing for game
Sideboarding
R does not sideboard
C Sideboards out 4x doom blade, and 3x mind rot for 2x ratchet bomb, 2x merciless eviction, 1x thoughtseize, 1x whip of erebos, and 1x obzedat
Game 2
C goes first
C starting hand: 1x gray merchant, 1x mutavault, 1x hero's downfall, 2x temple of silence, 1x desecration demon, 1x merciless eviction, keep
R starting hand: 1x aqueous form, 1x ordeal of thassa, 1x gladecover scout, 1x detention sphere, 1x hopeful eidolon, 1x temple garden, 1x unflinching courage, mulligan on one land, 1x hopeful eidolon, 1x temple of mystery, 1x fleecemane lion, 1x witchstalker, 1x ordeal of thassa, 1x detention sphere, mulligan, 1x breeding pool, 2x temple of mystery, 1x gladecover scout, 1x temple garden, keep
C1 play temple of silence, scry swamp, sticks
R1 draw ethereal armor, play temple garden, shock self, R 18, play gladecover scout
C2 draw swamp, play temple of silence, scry temple of silence, bottom
R2 draw ordeal of thassa, play temple of mystery, scry gift of orzhova, sticks, play ethereal armor on gladecover, swing 2, life totals C 18, R 18
C3 draw hero's downfall, play mutavault
R3 draw ethereal armor, play breeding pool, shock self, R 16, play ordeal of thassa and ethereal armor on gladecover, swing 8, no blocks, life totals C 10, R 18
C4 draw swamp, play swamp, play desecration demon
R4 draw detention sphere, play detention sphere exiling desecration demon, swing for game
November 5, 2013 12:58 p.m.
thx for testing :)
nice games and while i wouldve lost g2 small regard on Far / Away on t4 would be better of cast when attempted to cast you lion.
reason you play a hexproof enchantment deck seeing this it would be better to either wait till you buff the elf making it a better kill for me or till you want to summon another creature so it cant be used a fodder for the elf regardless of what you would cast.
a 1/1 swinging issnt a real threat unless you can keep doing so for 10+ turns. atleast thts how i feel.
November 5, 2013 4:40 p.m.
If you still really want to do this...
deck-large:slivers-slivers-slivers-19-09-13-1
November 5, 2013 4:44 p.m.
I know you did one already, but this is a pretty different version of esper then what you playtested before:
Heisenberg mill version 11-1-13
This is a mill deck that might be fun. Not sure about whether there would be things from the sideboard to improve the matchup.
November 5, 2013 5:01 p.m.
Match 16 (including the one above) against GreyFawkes's Bant Hexproof, because screw Esper
This is a mirror match, but with a bit of a twist. GreyFawkes's deck is a little more late-game, running ramp and some heavier duty enchantments. Mine is more aggro, rushing for the win rather than trying to hold board state. R for mine, G for GreyFawkes's.
Game 1
R wins the roll and keeps a decent hand with a Witchstalker
, the lands to cast it, and some enchantments. G keeps a hand with a slightly slow mana base, but includes Sylvan Caryatid
for ramp and a couple early hexproof creature.
The game starts slowly, with neither player getting an attacker until turn 3. R begins chipping away at G's life total with an unblockable Witchstalker
, but G hits back with an Unflinching Courage
on a Fleecemane Lion
. Unfortunately, he doesn't have enough mana open to monstrous it when R targets it with Detention Sphere
, and can't keep up when R plays his own Unflinching Courage
on the Witchstalker, especially when Righteous Authority
+ draw for turn = 2 lands.
Sideboarding
G sideboards out 3 Ascended Lawmage
s for 3 Spell Rupture
s (I couldn't find anything else useful in the sideboard).
R sideboards out 2 Ordeal of Thassa
s and 3 Detention Sphere
s for 2 Naturalize
s and 3 Negate
s (self-explanatory, really).
Game 2
G goes first and keeps a hand with scry, a Witchstalker
, and some enchantments, including Heliod, God of the Sun
. R keeps a hand with a Hopeful Eidolon
, an Ethereal Armor
, and plenty of other enchantments.
R gets off to a quick start, loading the Eidolon into a 4/4 unblockable by turn 2. G just can't keep up, especially with only land draws, and R secures the game by turn 5.
GreyFawkes, I think you have a good start here, but honestly, I don't see any of the 4+ drop auras currently in standard as worthwhile, and I think playable hexproof creatures currently top out at 3 cmc. I simply can't find a compelling reason to go above 3 cmc. Still, I think that this type of deck is both unexpected and powerful in the current meta, so +1 from me.
Full battle account
Game 1
R wins roll
R starting hand: 1x aqeuous form, 1x breeding pool, 1x temple garden, 1x hopeful eidolon, 1x temple of mystery, 1x ethereal armor, 1x witchstalker, keep
G starting hand: 1x fleecemane lion, 1x sylvan caryatid, 2x selesnya guildgate, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x spear of heliod, 1x gladecover scout, keep
R1 play temple of mystery, scry gift of orzhova, sticks
G1 draw unflinching courage, play selesnya guildgate
R2 draw gift of orzhova, play breeding pool tapped
G2 draw gladecover scout, play hallowed fountain, shock self, G 18, play sylvan caryatid
R3 draw hopeful eidolon, play temple garden, shock self, R 18, play witchstalker
G3 draw forest, play selesnya guildgate, play fleecemane lion and gladecover scout
R4 draw detention sphere, play ethereal armor and aqueous form on witchstalker, swing 5, scry unflinching courage, sticks, life totals R 18, G 13
G4 draw Bow of Nylea, play forest, play unflinching courage on fleecemane lion, play gladecover, swing 6, life totals R 12, G 18
R5 draw unflinching courage, play detention sphere exiling fleecemane lion, swing 6, scry aqueous form, bottom, life totals R 12, G 12
G5 draw righteous authority, play righteous authority on gladecover scout, swing 4, life totals R 8, G 12
R6 draw fleecemane lion, play unflinching courage on witchstalker, swing 9, scry breeding pool, bottom, life totals R 17, G 3
G6 draw temple of mystery and breeding pool, concede
Sideboarding
G sideboards out 3x ascended lawmage for 3x spell rupture (not sure what to do with sideboard)
R sideboards out 2x ordeal of thassa and 3x detention sphere for 2x naturalize and 3x negate
Game 2
G goes first
G starting hand: 1x ethereal armor, 2x temple of mystery, 1x witchstalker, 1x aqueous form, 1x breeding pool, 1x heliod, keep
R starting hand: 2x plains, 1x unflinching courage, 1x ethereal armor, 1x aqueous form, 1x temple of mystery, 1x hopeful eidolon, keep
G1 play temple of mystery, scry selesnya guildgate, sticks
R1 draw witchstalker, play plains, play hopeful eidolon
G2 draw selesnya guildgate, play selsenya guildgate
R2 draw breeding pool, play breeding pool, shock self, R 18, play aqeuous form and ethereal armor on hopeful eidolon, swing 4, scry hopeful eidolon, bottom, life totals G 16, R 22
G3 draw temple of mystery, play temple of mystery, scry hallowed fountain, bottom
R3 draw temple garden, play plains, play unflinching courage on hopeful eidolon, swing 7, scry aqueous form, bottom, life totals G 9, R 29
G4 draw forest, play forest, play witchstalker, enchant witchstalker with ethereal armor
R4 draw witchstalker, play temple of mystery, scry gift of orzhova, sticks, play witchstalker, swing 7 unblockable, scry gift of orzhova, sticks, life totals G 2, R 36
G5 draw forest, concede
November 5, 2013 5:56 p.m.
So, I'm actually really enjoying doing this, and I find it quite interesting and helpful for learning how to play my deck against various play styles. I've made a few updates to my sideboard because of this, so I'm definitely going to keep on doing it. If there is enough interest, I might even ask the admins if I can turn it into a series of articles. Keep on leaving me decks, and I'll playtest them. I still recommend sideboard suggestions, though.
Oh, and I finally came up with a better name for the deck.
Scoutin' Your Face With My Ethereal Armor-ed Fist
November 5, 2013 6:05 p.m.
GreyFawkes says... #9
Poopy draws :c
Your deck is also obviously faster than mine, so it makes sense that you would take the victory. Good stuff though, it was really exciting to follow along with the game, these deck testing threads are great ideas. I would like to start one as well if it werent for me working all the damn time. Thanks a lot!
Not that it would have mattered, but i would have sided in Ready / Willing for the gods and Righteous Authority for some sneak defense.
November 5, 2013 6:21 p.m.
Dalektable says... #10
I'd appreciate if you tested Heliod, God of the Weenies
November 5, 2013 7:42 p.m.
Match 17 against Matsi883's SLIVERS!!!!! SLIVERS!!!!!! SLIVERS!!!!!
I haven't seen a competitive sliver deck yet, but this certainly looks like it. Similar to my deck, I'm not sure whether to qualify this as aggro or midrange. I may be a hair faster, but if I can't drop a lifelink aura on a big dude, I'll be overrun by the hive. R for Scoutin', M for Slivers.
Game 1
R wins the roll and keeps a strong, if slow, hand with plenty of auras and a Witchstalker
. M keeps a hand with land searching and powerful slivers.
Unfortunately, all M draws is land, and multiple Ethereal Armor
s on the Witchstalker
quickly ends the game.
Sideboarding
R sideboards out a Fleecemane Lion
, Hopeful Eidolon
, and Gladecover Scout
for 3x Fabled Hero
, guessing there is little removal in a Slivers deck.
M sides out 2x Prophetic Prism
and the Sylvan Caryatid
for more Sentinel Sliver
s.
Game 2
M goes first and keeps a hand full of fast, rampy Slivers. R keeps a hand with a Fabled Hero
and plenty of auras to throw on him.
The Ramping goes well for M, and despite a 5/5 lifelink Fabled Hero
, R can't keep up with the rapid power gain from a Battle Sliver
.
Game 3
R goes first and keeps a slightly faster hand than earlier, though still with decent aura support. M keeps a hand full of cheap slivers, including a Manaweft Sliver
.R's speed prevents M from building up, and despite drawing a Megantic Sliver
, there is just no good way to deal with unblockable lifelink. R wins.
Matsi883, this is a good start. The only major recommendation would be to upgrade the land base, but that will be pretty costly. +1 from me, and good luck on the deck.
Full battle account
Game 1
R wins the roll
R starting hand: 1x hopeful eidolon, 1x witchstalker, 1x temple garden, 1x breeding pool, 1x plains, 1x aqueous form, 1x ethereal armor, keep
M starting hand: 3x forest, 1x lay of the land, 1x bonescythe sliver, 1x battle sliver, 1x predatory sliver, keep
R1 play breeding pool tapped
M1 draw plains, play forest, play lay of the lands getting a mountain
R2 draw unflinching courage, play temple garden tapped
M2 draw forest, play plains, play predatory sliver
R3 draw hallowed fountain, play plains, play witchstalker
M3 draw plains, play mountain
R4 draw ethereal armor, play hallowed fountain tapped, play 2x ethereal armor and aqueous form on witchstalker, swing 9, scry witchstalker, bottom, life totals R 20, M 11
M4 draw mountain, play forest, play bonescythe sliver, swing 2 doublestrike, life totals R 16, M 11
R5 draw ethereal armor, play ethereal armor on witchstalker, swing for game
Sideboarding
M sides out 2x prophetic prism and 1x sylvan caryatid for 3x sentinel sliver
R sides out 1 fleecemane lion, 1x gladecover scout, and 1x hopeful eidolon for 3x fabled hero
Game 2
M goes first
M starting hand: 1x bonescythe sliver, 1x plains, 2x mountain, 1x forest, 1x striking sliver, 1x manaweft sliver, keep
R starting hand: 2x temple garden, 1x detention sphere, 1x fabled hero, 1x plains, 1x unflinching courage, 1x ethereal armor, keep
M1 play mountain, play striking sliver
R1 draw hopeful eidolon, play temple garden tapped
M2 draw forest, play forest, play manaweft sliver, swing 1, life totals M 20, R 19
R2 draw gladecover scout, play temple garden tapped, play gladecover scout
M3 draw predatory sliver, play plains, play bonescythe sliver, swing 1 doublestrike, no blocks, life totals M 20, R 17
R3 draw ajani, play plains, play fabled hero
M4 draw forest, play forest, play predatory sliver, swing 7 doublestrike, R blocks bonescythe sliver with gladecover scout, life totals M 20, R 9
R4 draw temple of mystery, play temple of mystery, scry hopeful eidolon, bottom, play unflinching courage on fabled hero
M5 draw battle sliver, play mountain, play battle sliver, swing 17 doublestrike, R blocks bonescythe sliver with fabled hero, life totals M 20, R 2
R5 draw fleecemane lion, concede
Game 3
R goes first
R starting hand: 1x gladecover scout, 1x fleecemane lion, 1x temple of mystery, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x unflinching courage, 1x temple garden, 1x plains, keep
M starting hand: 1x forest, 1x predatory sliver, 1x mountain, 1x manaweft sliver, 1x sentinel sliver, 1x striking sliver, 1x plains, keep
R1 play temple of mystery, scry ethereal armor, sticks
M1 draw megantic sliver, play mountain, play striking sliver
R2 draw ethereal armor, play plains, play fleecemane lion
M2 draw manaweft sliver, play forest, play manaweft sliver
R3 draw temple garden, play temple garden, shock self, R 18, play unflinching courage, swing 5, no blocks, life totals R 23, M 15
M3 draw predatory sliver, play plains, play 2x predatory sliver, swing 3, life totals R 20, M 15
R4 draw aqueous form, play temple garden tapped, play aqueous form and ethereal armor on fleecemane lion, play gladecover scout, swing 8, scry aqueous form, bottom, life totals R 28, M 7
M4 draw mizzium mortars, concede
November 6, 2013 5:12 p.m.
Sup dawg, I herd you like playtesting enchantment decks..
Did Someone Say Enchantments?
November 6, 2013 5:45 p.m.
Match 18 against Apoptosis's Heisenberg mill version 11-1-13I think I have a decent matchup here. I can kill planeswalkers pretty fast with big creatures, and if I can dodge the wipes, I should be set. R for Scoutin', A for Heisenber Mill.
Game 1
A wins the roll and mulligans a one-land hand into 2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
s, a Jace, Memory Adept
and a Supreme Verdict
. R mulligans a no creature hand for a weak hand with a Gladecover Scout
and no enchantments.R gets off to a strong start, drawing into a few powerful Enchantments and using Ajani, Caller of the Pride
to good effect, but when a Supreme Verdict
wipes the board, he can't rebuild steam, being milled out right after he pops Ajani's ultimate.
Sideboarding
R sidboards out his Aqueous Form
s and a couple enchantments for Negate
s and Mending Touch
es. A sides out two Merciless Eviction
s and 3 Azorius Charm
s for Lifebane Zombie
s and Detention Sphere
s.
Game 2
R goes first and mulligans a hand with 3 Witchstalker
s and no garauntee of enough mana, keeping a control disruptive hand, assuming he can get the right mana. A keeps a hand with scry, a Supreme Verdict
and a Sphinx's Revelation
, although I'm not sure it was the right call.A stalls out the game, and with R not able to get beyond two mana until turn 8, easily wins, with R conceding when he realizes he can't keep up with A's mill power. (I could see both sides, and there was no way R was going to win, so I stopped).
Apoptosis, I think you're other deck is better, but this one is still solid. Your land base looks a little off in the graph, but other than that, very nice. I don't think the second match was representative of my deck, though. +1 from me.
Full battle accountGame 1
A wins the roll
A starting hand: 1x supreme verdict, 1x dissolve, 1x read the bones, 1x godless shrine, 1x merciless eviction, 1x temple of silence, 1x jace, meormy adept, mulligan, 2x ashiok, 1x watery grave, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x jace MA, 1x supreme verdict
R starting hand: 1x hallowed fountain, 1x ethereal armor, 2x aqueous form, 1x ajani, 1x temple of mystery, 1x plains, mulligan, 1x breeding pool, 2x hallowed fountain, 1x spell rupture, 1x ajani, 1x gladecover scout, keep and hope for enchantments
A1 play watery grave tapped
R1 draw aqeuousw form, play breeding pool, shock self, R 18, play gladecover scout
A2 draw godless shrine, play hallowed fountain tapped
R2 draw aqueous form, play hallowed fountain tapped, play aqueous form on Gladecover, swing 1, scry unflinching courage, sticks, life totals A 19, R 18
A3 draw codex shredder, play godless shrine tapped, play codex shredder, mill R 1, R mills unflinching courage
R3 draw unflinching courage, play hallowed fountain, shock self, R 16, play unflinching courage on gladecover, swing 3, scry hopeful eidolon, sticks, life totals A 16, R 19
A4 draw merciless eviction, play ashiok, use ashiok's +2, R exiles hopeful eidolon, plains, and ethereal armor, mill R 1, R mills aquous form
R4 draw witchstalker, play ajani, use ajani's +1 on gladecover, swing 5, scry fleecemane, bottom, life totals A 12, R 23
A5 draw temple of deceit, play temple of deceit, scry watery grave, sticks, use ashiok's +2, R exiles spell rupture, temple garden, and detention sphere, mill R 1, R mills witchstalker
R5 draw gift of orzhova, play gift of orzhova on gladecover, use ajani's +1 on gladecover, swing 6, scry temple garden, sticks, life totals A 6, R 29
A6 draw watery grave, play watery grave tapped, use ashiok's +2, R exiles 2x gladecover scout and temple garden, mill R 1, R mills detention sphere, play supreme verdict
R6 draw ethereal armor, use ajani's +1 on no one
A7 draw supreme verdict, play jace, memory adept, use ashiok's +2, R exiles temple of mystery, gift of orzhova, and ethereal armor, play Jace MA, use jace's +0, mill R 1 (not going to list cards from this point on)
R7 draw hallowed fountain, play hallowed fountain tapped, use ajani's +1 on no one
A8 draw omenspeaker, play omenspeaker, scry jace AOT and temple of silence, Jace on bottom, temple on top, Mill R 11, use ashiok's -10
R8 draw plains, concede
Sideboarding
R sides out 4x aqueous form, 1x gift of orzhova, and 2x ordeal of thassa for 4x mending touch and 3x negate
A sides out 2x merciless eviction and 3x azorius charm for 2x lifebane zombie and 3x detention sphere
Game 2
R goes first
R starting hand: 1x temple of mystery, 3x witchstalker, 1x gift of orzhova, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x negate, mulligan, 1x unflinching courage, 1x plains, 1x mending touch, 1x witchstalker, 1x spell rupture, 1x temple garden, keep
A starting hand: 2x hallowed fountain, 1x omenspeaker, 1x supreme verdict, 1x watery grave, 1x sphinx's revelation, keep?
R1 play temple garden tapped
A1 draw far/away, play watery grave tapped
R2 draw negate, play plains A2 draw swamp, play island, play omenspeaker, scry plains and ashiok, plains on bottom, ashiok on top
R3 draw gladecover scout, play gladecover scout
A3 draw ashiok, play hallowed fountain tapped
R4 draw ethereal armor, play ethereal armor on gladecover scout
A4 draw island, play hallowed fountain tapped
R5 draw fleecemane lion, play fleecemane lion
A5 draw far/away, play swamp, play supreme verdict
R6 draw mending touch, pass turn
A6 draw hallowed fountain, play island, play ashiok, use ashiok's +2, R exiles hopeful eidolon, breeding pool, and detention sphere
R7 draw gift of orzhova, pass turn
A7 draw temple of silence, play temple of silence, scry temple of deceit, bottom, use ashiok's +2, R exiles detention sphere, hopeful eidolon, and gift of orzhova
R8 draw plains, play plains, A plays Sphinx's Revelation for 3 at EOT, draws Jace Aot, dissolve, and psychic strik, A 23
A8 draw detention sphere, play hallowed fountain tapped, use ashiok's +2, R exiles unflinching courage, temple garden, and hopeful eidolon, play jace AOT, use Jace's +1
R9 draw breeding pool, play breeding pool, shock self, R 18, play witchstalker, after witchstalker resolves A plays away, R sacrifices witchstalker and concedes
November 7, 2013 1:05 p.m.
raithe000 thanks for running the playtest with this version. That sucks in G2 not getting your 3rd land until T8, but that's occasionally happens to aggro with just 22 lands.
I know what you mean about the original non-mill version probably being a little better, and I have tweaked that one a bit. When I look at the two, I think the same exact thing (it's better then the mill). BUT, when I playtest against either The Current Orzhov or a B/W/G deck with heavy hand disruption, the mill version dominates over the non-mill and I can't figure out why? On paper the non-mill version just seems so solid. To be honest I don't know what I'm going to run. While the non-mill version might be better against a wider array of matchups, there is something terrifying about watching your entire library get milled out, and I like that. We'll see. Anyway, thanks again for the playtesting.
If you're looking for other decks to playtest against feel free to try
Descendants of Bolas
It's still a prototype, but uses heavy hand disruption through Slaughter Games and Thoughtseize , which can then recur with Codex Shredder . Somewhat of a nod to KrazyCaley's Bolas deck from last rotation (which recycled Slaughter Games like crazy until Bolas hit).
November 7, 2013 2:38 p.m.
Match 19 against JakeSlytherclaw7's Heliod, God of the Weenies
A classic updated for Theros and Heroic. I think I can outrace this, but I have to admit he is probably faster than I am. R for Scoutin', J for Heliod.
Game 1
J wins the roll and mulligans a hand with only Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
for land, mulligans another 1 land hand, and finally keeps a hand with turn 1-3 plays. R mulligans his own 1 land hand, then keeps a slightly slow hand for the deck.J gets stuff out early, and R is hard pressed to keep up, shocking himself twice for land drops. R just can't keep up with Phalanx Leader
's heroics, and a Brave the Elements
seals the game for J.
Sideboarding
J sideboards out 3 Precinct Captain
s and an Ordeal of Heliod
for Celestial Flare
s, while R tests out Fabled Hero
in exchange for 1 of everyone else except Fleecemane Lion
.
Game 2
R goes first and keeps a moderately fast hand, with some disruption and Aqueous Form
in addition to creatures. J keeps a land heavy hand, but with a turn 1 play and Celestial Flare
.R starts off well, managing to counter a celestial flair, but can't draw into lifelink enchantments and a Gift of Orzhova
on a Fabled Hero
is too hard to deal with, quickly winning J the game.
JakeSlytherclaw7, very nice deck! I have yet to see aggro that can take mine, so that was a good lesson to learn in what hands are actually keepable in this matchup. I think you might have trouble with control, but you could also just steamroll them. +1 from me.
Full battle account
Game 1
J wins the roll
J starting hand: 1x spear of heliod, 2x gift of orzhova, 1x fabled hero, 1x ethereal armor, 1x ordeal of heliod, 1x nykthos, mulligan, 2x fabled hero, 1x hopeful eidolon, 1x phalanx leader, 1x soldier of the pantheon, 1x plains, mulligan, 1x spear of heliod, 1x soldier of the pantheon, 2x plains, 1x phalanx leader, keep
R starting hand: 2x detention sphere, 1x ordeal of thassa, 1x plains, 1x fleecemane lion, 1x aqueous form, 1x gift of orzhova, mulligan, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x aqueous form, 1x witchstalker, 1x hopeful eidolon, 1x spell rupture, 1x temple of mystery, keep
J1 play plains, play soldier of the pantheon
R1 draw gift of orzhova, play temple of mystery, scry breeding pool, sticks
J2 draw plains, play plains, play phalanx leader, swing 2, life totals J 20, R 18
R2 draw breeding pool, play hallowed fountain, shock self, R 16, play hallowed fountain
J3 draw brave the elements, play plains, play spear of heliod, swing 5, R blocks soldier of the pantheon with hopeful eidolon, life totals J 20, R 15
R3 draw breeding pool, play breeding pool, shock self, R 13, play witchstalker
J4 draw ethereal armor, play ethereal armor on phalanx leader, swing 9, no blocks, life total J 20, R 4
R4 draw witchstalker, play breeding pool tapped, play witchstalker
J5 draw plains, play brave the elements choosing green, swing for game
Sideboarding
J sideboards out 3x precint captain and 1x ordeal of heliod for 4x celestial flare (guessing here)
R sideboards out 1x gladecover scout, 1x hopeful eidolon, and 1x witchstalker for 3x fabled hero (test)
Game 2
R goes first
R starting hand: 1x witchstalker, 1x aqueous form, 1x temple garden, 1x temple of mystery, 1x spell rupture, 1x ethereal armor, 1x fleecemane lion, keep
J starting hand: 1x celestial flare, 4x plains, 1x soldier of the pantheon, 1x fabled hero, keep
R1 play temple of mystery, scry fabled hero, bottom
J1 draw gift of orzhova, play plains, play soldier of the pantheon
R2 draw temple of mystery, play temple garden, shock self, R 18, play fleecemane lion, J gains 1 life
J2 draw plains, play plains, swing 2, life totals R 16, J 20
R3 draw breeding pool, play temple of mystery, scry plains, bottom, swing 3, J plays celestial flare, R counters with spell rupture, life total R 16, J 17 J3 draw ordeal of heliod, play plains, play fable hero, swing 2, life totals R 14, J 17
R4 draw temple of mystery, play temple of mystery, scry ethereal armor, sticks, play aqueous forma and ethereal armor on fleecemane lion, swing 5, scry ethereal armor, sticks, life totals R 14, J 12
J4 draw hopeful eidolon, play plains, play gift of orzhova on fabled hero, swing 10, life totals R 4, J 20
R5 draw ethereal armor, concede.
November 7, 2013 8:21 p.m.
Dalektable says... #17
raithe000 Thanks for the playtesting it and the match descriptions, i can only hope it runs as well at it's first FNM next friday!
Apoptosis Thank you!
November 7, 2013 10:32 p.m.
Match 20 against Aerokid's Did Someone Say Enchantments?
Similar to the last match, although this one focuses more on the heroic mechanic than the last one. I suspect either one-sided matches or very swingy life totals due to life link. R for Scoutin', A for Enchantments.
Game 1
A wins the roll, and keeps a hand with 2 Hopeful Eidolon
and a Spear of Heliod
and Ajani, Caller of the Pride
to buff them (I'm not sure this was the right call). R mulligans a hand with the wrong mana for his cards, then keeps a risky hand with the right colors but no creatures.
A gets off to a fine start and R just can't keep up. Other than diverting for a turn to take care of R's Ajani, A just keeps up the pressure, and when R's Detention Sphere
fails due to a Gods Willing
, A manages to finish R off with little opposition.
Sideboaring
A sideboards out 2 Chosen by Heliod
for 2 Glare of Heresy
. R sideboards out his Witchstalker
s in favor of Fabled Hero
es.
Game 2
R goes first, and keeps a strong, if slightly slow hand with a Fabled Hero
. A keeps his first hand turn 1 plays and plenty of defense.R puts up little resistance for the first 4 turns, but an unblockable lifelink Fabled Hero
just is too much to deal with when its swinging for 10 a turn, and A concedes.
Game 3
A goes first and keeps a very strong hand. R mulligans on no creatures, then keeps a hand with powerful creatures but no enchantments.
A starts on the offensive, powering up a Favored Hoplite
to incredible power with a series of enchantments, and knocks A all the way down to 6. However, R then heroics Fabled Hero
and manages to just stay in the game, despite being knocked back to 1 life not once, but twice. A plays his own Fabled Hero
, hoping to stay in the lifegain race, but R sacrifices his own Fleecemane Lion
to prevent the second half of doublestrike life gain, and a 10/10 Fabled Hero swings in for the win.
Aerokid great deck! I would suggest running some more removal, for example Celestial Flare , but other than that it was a very interesting matchup. This certainly showed me the power of a Fabled Hero . +1 from me.
Full battle accountGame 1
A goes first
A starting hand: 3x plains, 1x spear of heliod, 2x hopeful eidolon, 1x ajani, keep?
R starting hand: 1x fleecemane lion, 3x hopeful eidolon, 1x breeding pool, 1x gift of orzhova, mulligan, 1x detention sphere, 1x unflinching courage, 2x plains, 1x ajani, 1x temple garden, keep but don't like
A1 play plains, play hopeful eidolon
R1 draw witchstalker, play temple garden tapped
A2 draw chosen by heliod, play plains, play hopeful eidolon, swing 1, life totals A 21, R 19
R2 draw ethereal armor, play plains
A3 draw plains, play plains play spear of heliod, siwng 4, life totals A 25, R 15
R3 draw plains, play plains, play ajani, use ajani's +1 on no one
A4 draw gift of orzhova, play plains, play ajani, use ajani's +1 on hopeful eidolon, swing 5 at ajani, life totals A 30, R 15
R4 draw temple of mystery, play temple of mystery, scry gladecover scout, bottom
A5 draw gods willing, play chosen by heliod on hopeful eidolon, draw chosen by heliod, swing 6, life totals A 26, R 9
R5 draw witchstalker, play plains, play detention sphere targeting hopeful eidolon, A plays gods willing on hopeful eidolon, scrys plains, bottom
A6 draw mutavault, play mutavualt, use ajani's -3 on hopeful eidolon, swing for game
Sideboarding
A sideboards out 2x chosen by Heliod for 2x glare of heresy.
R sideboards out 3x witchstalker and 2x ordeal of thassa, for 2x naturalize and 3x fabled hero
Game 2
R goes first
R starting hand: 1x temple of mystery, 1x fabled hero, 2x breeding pool, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x aqueous form, 1x detention sphere, keep
A starting hand: 1x chosen by heliod, 2x plains, 1x spear of heliod, 2x favored hoplite, 1x gods willing, keep
R1 play temple of mystery, scry temple garden, sticks
A1 draw heliod, play plains, play favored hoplite
R2 draw temple garden, play temple garden tapped
A2 draw nythkos, play plains, play chosen by heliod on Favored hoplite, draw ethereal armor, swing 2, life totals R 18, A 20
R3 draw gift of orzhova, play hallowed fountain, take 2, R 16, play fabled hero
A3 draw chosen by heliod, play ethereal armor on favored hoplite, swing 5, no blocks, life totals R 11, A 20
R4 draw plains, play plains, play gift of orzhova and aqueous form on fabled hero, swing 5 doublestrike, scry gift of orzhova, sticks, life totals R 21, A 10
A4 draw plains, concede
Game 3
A goes first
A starting hand: 2x favored hoplite, 2x plains, 1x gift of orzhova, 2x gods willing, keep
R starting hand: 1x unflinching courage, 1x breeding pool, 1x plains, 2x aqueous form, 1x ethereal armor, 1x naturalize, mulligan, 1x fleecemane lion, 1x spell rupture, 1x temple garden, 1x fabled hero, 1x naturalize, 1x hallowed fountain, keep
A1 play plains, play favored hoplite
R1 draw aqueous form, play temple garden tapped
A2 draw nykthos, play plains, play favored hoplite, swing 1, life totals A 20, R 19
R2 draw unflinching courage, play hallowed fountain, shock self, R 17, play fleecemane lion
A3 draw ethereal armor, play nykthos, play ethereal armor on favored hoplite, swing 3, no blocks, life totals A 20, R 14
R3 draw breeding pool, play breeding pool, shock self, R 12, play fabled hero
A4 draw plains, play plains, play gift of orzhova on first favored hoplite, swing 6 flying, life totals A 26, R 6
R4 draw hopeful eidolon, play unflinching courage on fabled hero, swing 5 double strike, A blocks with favored hoplite and use gods willing on it, naming white, scrys hopeful eidolon, sticks, life totals A 22, R 10
A5 draw hopeful eidolon, bestow hopeful eidolon on favored hoplite, swing 9 flying, life totals A 31, R 1
R5 draw temple of mystery, play temple of mystery, scry spell rupture, bottom, play aqueos form on fabled hero, swing 6 unblockable doublestrike, scry gift of orzhova, sticks, life totals A 19, R 13
A6 draw fabled hero, play fabled hero, play gods willing on non enchanted favored hoplite, naming white, scry plains, bottom, swing 12, R naturalizes Ethereal armor, life totals A 25, R 4
R6 draw gift of orzhova, play gift of orzhova on fabled hero, swing 8 doublestrike, scry detentions sphere, sticks, life totals A 9, R 20
A7 draw hopeful eidolon, bestow hopeful eidolon on fabled hero, swing 17, R blocks Fabled hero with Fleecemane, life totals A 19, R 11
R7 draw detention sphere, bestow hopeful eidolon on fabled hero, swing for game
November 8, 2013 3:33 p.m.
Match 21 against Apoptosis's Descendants of Bolas
Grixis control-ish hand disruption. I have no idea the how this matchup works. R for Scoutin', A for Descendants.
Game 1
A wins the roll and keeps a strong hand with a turn 1 Thoughtseize
and two heavy hitters. R mulligans a hand with no playable creatures, then keeps an incredibly greedy one land hand with Hopeful Eidolon
and two Ethereal Armor
s.
Boring match. A Thoughtseize
s the Hopeful Eidolon
, R can't do anything for the match, Desecration Demon
and Stormbreath Dragon
close it down.
Sideboarding
R does not sideboard, as he has barely seen A's deck. A sideboards in more removal, adding 2 Far / Away
and 2 Anger of the Gods
for 2 Lightning Strike
s and 2 Read the Bones
.
Game 2
R goes first, mulliganing twice into a rather powerful hand with Fleecemane Lion
and Gladecover Scout
. A also mulligan twice, hoping on a Thoughtseize
and Anger of the Gods
hand.R manages to thwart A's hopes, dropping two Ethereal Armor
s on the Gladecover Scout, putting it far out of Anger of the Gods reach, and A concedes on turn 4.
Game 3
A goes first, mulliganing into a Far / Away
and a Jace, Architect of Thought
. R mulligans once, keeping a fast but weak hand.
A thrilling game. R's speed puts A on the defensive, but A manages to get rid of a auraed up Gladecover Scout
with Far / Away
, going on the offensive with a Desecration Demon
. after the Demon is Detention Sphere
d, a pulls out a Stormbreath Dragon
, but a couple of topdecked Ordeal of Thassa
s save R from dying. Jace, Architect of Thought
drops and nets A an AEtherling
, stopping R's two Hopeful Eidolon
assault at 2 life. When R topdecks a Hero's Downfall
, he thinks the game won, but R's Spell Rupture
is too costly, and R slips by the Stomrbreath Dragon for the win.
Apoptosis, interesting deck. I'm not sure how representative it is, and it definitely needs some polishing (I'm assuming those Plains were Islands, right?), but quite powerful. I hope to see it after some more work is done. Also, I'm not sure if I misplayed in the last few turns of G3. Good luck on the deck!
Full battle account
Game 1
A wins the roll
A starting hand: 1x desecration demon, 2x blood crypt, 1x steam vents, 1x stormbreath dragon, 1x thoughtseize, 1x swamp, keep
R starting hnad: 1x fleecemane lion, 2x detention sphere, 1x ajani, 1x spell rupture, 1x temple of mystery, 1x breeding pool, mulligan, 1x detention sphere, 2x ethereal armor, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x hopeful eidolon, 1x aqueous form, keep
A1 play swamp, play thoughtseize, R discards hopeful eidolon, A 18
R1 draw spell rupture, play hallowed fountain tapped
A2 draw temple of deceit, play temple of deceit, scry watery grave, bottom
R2 draw aqueous form, pass turn
A3 draw swamp, play blood crypt tapped
R3 draw gift of orzhova, pass turn
A4 draw mountain, play mountain, play desecration demon
R4 draw temple garden, play temple garden tapped
A5 draw slaughter games, play mountain, play stormbreath dragon, swing 10, life totals A 18, R 10
R5 draw gift of orzhova, concede
Sideboarding
R has no idea what is in A's deck, so no sideboarding for him
A sideboards out 2x lightning strike and 2x read the bones for 2x far/away and 2x anger of the gods
Game 2
R goes first
R starting hand: 1x gift of orzhova, 1x detention sphere, 2x plains, 1x temple of mystery, 1x aqueous form, mulligan, 1x spell rupture, 2x gift of orzhova, 1x gladecover scout, 1x breeding pool, 1x aqueous form, mulligan, 1x hallowed fountain, 1x gladecover scout, 1x fleecemane lion, 1x ethereal armor, 1x breeding pool, keep
A starting hand: 1x rakdos keyrune, 1x thoughtseize, 2x mountain, 1x codex shredder, 1x master of cruelties, 1x jace AoT, mulligan, 1x watery grave, 1x jace AoT, 2x desecration demon, 1x steam vents, 1x codex shredder, mulligan, 1x desecration demon, 2x mountain, 1x anger of the gods, 1x thoughtseize
R1 play breeding pool, shock self, R 18, play gladecover scout
A1 draw mountain, play mountain
R2 draw ethereal armor, play hallowed fountain, shock self, R 16, play ethereal armor on gladecover, swing 2, life totals R 16, A 20
A2 draw rakdos's return, play mountain
R3 draw breeding pool, play breeding pool tapped, play ethereal armor on gladecover scout, swing 5, life totals R 16, A 13
A3 draw codex shredder, play mountain, play codex shredder, Mill R 1, R mills aqueous form
R4 draw detention sphere, play detention sphere exiling codex shredder, swing 7, life totals R 16, A 6
A4 draw watery grave, concede
Game 3
A goes first
A starting hand: 2x temple of deceit, 2x swamp, 1x watery grave, 1x steam vents, 1x stormbreath dragon, mulligan, 1x thoughtseize, 1x desecration deomon, 1x aetherling, 1x island, 1x watery grave, 1x master of cruelties, mulligan, 1x thoughtseize, 1x steam vents, 1x jace AoT, 1x far/away, 1x watery grave, keep
R starting hand: 1x gladecover, 1x ajani, 1x witchstalker, 1x fleecemane, 1x plains, 1x ethereal armor, 1x ordeal of thassa, mulligan, 1x gladecover, 1x breeding pool, 2x hopeful eidolon, 1x aqueous form, 1x temple of mystery, keep
A1 play watery grave tapped
R1 draw plains, play breeding pool, shock self, R 18, play gladecover scout
A2 draw desecration demon, play steam vents tapped, play thoughtseize, R discards aqueous form, A 18
R2 draw unflinching courage, play temple of mystery, scry gift of orzhova, bottom, swing 1, life totals A 17, R 18
A3 draw blood crypt, play blood crypt tapped
R3 draw hallowed fountain, play plains, play unflinching courage on hopeful eidolon, swing 3, life totals A 14, R 21
A4 draw island, play island, play desecration demon
R4 draw temple garden, play hallowed fountain tapped, play hopeful eidolon
A5 draw hero's downfall, play hero's downfall on hopeful eidolon, swing 6, life totals A 14, R 15
R5 draw gift of orzhova, play temple garden tapped, play gift of orzhova on gladecover, swing 4, life totals A 10, R 11
A6 draw stormbreath, swing 6, life totals A 10, R 13
R6 draw detention sphere, play detention sphere exiling desecration demon, swing 4, A plays away, play hopeful eidolon
A7 draw steam vents, play steam vents, shock self, A 8, play stormbreath dragon, swing 4, life totals A 8, R 9
R7 draw ordeal of thassa, play ordeal of thassa on hopeful eidolon, swing 2, life totals A 6, R 11
A8 draw temple of deceits, play temple of deceits, scry aetherling, sticks, play jace AoT, use jace's -2, reveal aetherling, rakdos keyrune, and dissolve, R divides into piles, put aetherling into hand and dissolve and rakdos keyrune on bottom, swing 4, life totals A 6, R 7
R8 draw ordeal of thassa, play ordeal of thassa on hopeful eidolon, swing 4, 1 ordeal pops, draw hopeful eidolon and hallowed fountain, life totals A 2, R 11, play hopeful eidolon, play hallowed fountain tapped
A9 draw desecration demon, play aetherling, use jace's -2, reveal codex shredder, jace, and negate, R divides into piles, put codex shredder and negate into hand
R9 draw ethereal armor, play ethereal armor on unenchanted hopeful eidolon, swing 9, ordeal pops, draw spell rupture and unflinching courage, A blocks the 5/5 hopeful eidolon with stormbreath dragon and the 4/4 hopeful eidolon with aetherling, life totals A 2, R 15
A10 draw hero's downfall, pump aetherling's power 3 times, swing 7, life totals A 2, R 8
R10 draw witchstalker, play unflinching courage on the ethereal armored hopeful eidolon, swing 12, A plays hero's downfall on the enchanted hopeful eidolon, R counters with spell rupture, R wins
November 9, 2013 9:07 p.m.
Alright, I've finished this list of playtests. This thread has gotten long, and the header is wrong, so I'll start up a new thread later. Looking forward to more cool decks!
November 9, 2013 9:08 p.m.
Thanks for the play test! It's been fun to see how the decks perform.
GreyFawkes says... #1
Lol, let's pitch mine versus yours raithe000
November 4, 2013 3:10 p.m.