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Standard Spike: RG in Innistrad Block Constructed
Posted on April 23, 2012 by _ShipItHolla
“innovative”……
Cool deck. The ability to beat Boros really speaks for its merits as that seems to be the only thing people are playing online. Scorned Villager seems like a good man.
Nice build, I like this GR much better than the slime/vorrapede version. Not sure if the performance against boros is indicative of the norm – that first boros deck looked like a bad build – but the matchup looks good regardless. Agree with hiveking about scorned villager, I’ve played this format alot and this is the most impressive he has been.
Sucks about R3. The problem with the format to date is that the poles are too far apart (devils play, curse, orb, stalker, etc) and narrow, non-board impacting solutions (like naturalize) are available only in limited supply and *required* to answer certain game-states, like double curse or stalker/cleaver. A green creature for reasonable mana cost that destroyed an artifact or enchantment would really have tied this format together and greatly reduced the number of games resolved by whoever draws more curses/orbs/stalker equipment vs. naturalizes. Oh well, its still pretty fun for a two set block environment… it looks like Avacyn is going to (ironically) send the format to hell with more irritating hexproof evasion guys.
Whoops, that turned into a bit of a rant.
Match 2 Game 1, you should attach with flipped villagers before casting spells to get in with the two extra damage. But very cool deck.
Bramblecrush is a card … not a good card, but a card none the less. Gets those pesky lands, and could be a 5th and 6th naturalize against decks running walkers, which should increase with the new set. Stinks having to play bad cards, but it is block after all.
Bramblecrush and naturalize are both serviceable answers – the problem is that they do nothing unless they have something to answer. The enchantments and artifacts in this format can be game altering when in play… but they are often the only permanents of that type that most decks play. So, do you side in do-nothings that can turn into virtual mulligans or just hope that an opponent does happen to draw two and completely blank your deck? This format isn’t the only one that has had these problems – but it seems particularly problematic in this one.
Nice deck, just an advie you’re not making full use of your Huntmasters, when he’s in play quite often the play is to just pass, and setup flip turns, for example last game aginst boros you played geist to fdeal an extra 2 damage, you could just pass flip and deal two damage to him anyway, then on your next turn go villager + geist to flip again
Btw seeing that you’re playing GR seems to be almost mandatory to have ancient grudge on the sideboard, the card is quite busted.
That damn furor deck is really no different than the ancient Unholy Strength/Unstable Mutation/Serendib Efreet deck that sucked so incredibly much. As much as I hate to lose to that kind of garbage, at least it keeps smart people honest…
Also here are more lines of play that I am sure that you considered, but I just want people to think I am smart (even though I anonymously posted this)…
Concerning Bramblecrush, this was alluded to but not stated outright and I think it’s important: it’s *any* non-creature permanent, meaning you can destroy planeswalkers. I haven’t played block since the Lingering souls/Intangible Virtue ban so I’m guessing that’s not as relevant as it used to be, but it does greatly increase the chance of it not being a dead card against certain decks.
It can also be used to destroy a land, which I’m sure will be extremely relevant once AVR hits. The boros land is going to be a house, admittedly it makes the mana even more difficult than it is already, but I think the upside far outweighs its downsides. Then there’s of course the loothouse and refuge, though I don’t see an obvious home for refuge yet.
Lets not forget Tamiyo (or possibly even Tibalt) either. That’s a lot of new cards (and I haven’t even covered the artifacts/enchantments) that get hit by bramblecrush. The versatility and the fact that it’s never *completely* dead (since it can take out a land) makes it something I’ll definitely want in any green sideboard once AVR rotates in.
The problem with bramblecrush is the same that creeping molds have always had, and usually suffered from: they are expensive and slow and rarely impact the board. Sure, getting a ‘walker with bramble crush is good. But even discussing that best case scenario: unless you are already ahead on the board you still fall behind on the trade. The current format is largely defined by a frenetic early game* capped by 4 drops where losing your 4th turn to undo the damage of a planeswalker can cost you enough tempo to lose in short order. Is there a place for Bramblecrush in SBs? I keep thinking so, and then I keep ending up cutting them.
*which gives way to a grindy middle game, and late game that sees huge life swings from devil’s play/gnaw etc.
Also.
Threw this deck together and played it a bit this week. I really enjoyed it. The only decks I had trouble with were UG dredge decks in testing. Your best card against them is a flipped garruk and sometimes he basically wins by himself, but when he didn’t (or you couldn’t bum rush them) all your reach was easily negated by gnaws and your creatures outclassed. Now UG still isn’t much of the competitive format, but I was wondering about thoughts on shoring up the matchup, because two threatens didn’t seem to do it for me.
Finally, Vorrapede has really underwhelmed. The mirror seems to be decided to a much greater degree by who draws their burn (volley to win huntmaster wars and DP to go to the dome). Though I haven’t played the true mirror at all, but mainly against the RG Vorrapede/slime decks.