Defying Delver
- Thread starter Encaen
- Start date
We actually had someone run an infect deck at a local pro tour qualifier here. They ended up placing second to this really interesting W/U planeswalker based control deck.
I've been looking at this deck idea for a long time, I just haven't been able to wrangle together the defiances which is a real shame. I'd probably add a couple of phyexian metamorphs to defend the small creatures from something like Elesh Norn for my area though. I know a couple of guys with reanimator and she's their best friend.
Yeah, [mtg_card=Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite] and, similarly, [mtg_card=Curse of Death's Hold] are both absolutely brutal for just about any infect build. [mtg_card=Phyrexian Metamorph] seems like a solid answer to Elesh Norn, and at least there are [mtg_card=Naturalize]s in the board for the Curse. Now that you mention it, I'm surprised to see zero answers for Elesh Norn in this deck, but I suppose he just expected to win before anybody could resolve one. This plan doesn't bode well for a turn four [mtg_card=Unburial Rites], though.Dorano said:
As much as I've been vying to see this infect build go somewhere recently, I'm a sucker for a good planeswalker deck. Do you know which walkers they were running? I've noticed [mtg_card=Venser, the Sojourner] getting a bit of press recently, which I'm pleased to see. [mtg_card=Stonehorn Dignitary] locks are fun.vxicepickxv said:
Hmm. I've never tried the properly competitive area of Magic; all I ever really do is FNM drafts, prereleases and games days. Plus I simply don't have the money to spend on building decks: I only really use what I have, and rarely buy individual cards. Add on the fact that I simply don't know my way around some aspects of the game yet, and I might as well be a rookie like some of the others, even though I've been playing for eight years...
It's a slightly confusing situation.
It's a slightly confusing situation.
I'm sort of in the same situation. I've never really played "professionally" outside of FNM and friend-hosted tournaments. Most of the time I just play with what I've got and usually expand my collection (the few times I do now-a-days) by just buying a few packs. Rarely do I ever buy singles unless there's a very specific card I'm looking for. (and it's cheap enough)CounterAttack said:
However, I think I could do well in a pro-tour, assuming I'm willing to spend the money on getting the right deck(s). I'm no "expert", but I tend to grasp the more complex concepts. (might help that I've been playing off-and-on since 1994
)Have you drafted in Inistrad? I've been in an "off" mode with Magic since Scars of Mirrodin, so I'm curious what the current environment is like.
I've drafted through the entire Innistrad block. I don't really do well in drafts and sealed deck tournaments anyway, since I often misplay or just generally screw up. Even now I still don't quite get why people tell me to save playing sorcery-speed cards until Second Main.Vigormortis said:I'm sort of in the same situation. I've never really played "professionally" outside of FNM and friend-hosted tournaments. Most of the time I just play with what I've got and usually expand my collection (the few times I do now-a-days) by just buying a few packs. Rarely do I ever buy singles unless there's a very specific card I'm looking for. (and it's cheap enough)
However, I think I could do well in a pro-tour, assuming I'm willing to spend the money on getting the right deck(s). I'm no "expert", but I tend to grasp the more complex concepts. (might help that I've been playing off-and-on since 1994
Have you drafted in Inistrad? I've been in an "off" mode with Magic since Scars of Mirrodin, so I'm curious what the current environment is like.
As for the environment... I have no idea what you mean. >.<
This one was much more Gideon Jura and Elspeth Tirel, with a lot of boucing, countering, and day of judgement action.Encaen said:
By "environment" I mean what the meta-game is like. For example: What kind of decks and deck strategies have been showing up? What're the popular draft choices? Stuff like that.CounterAttack said:I've drafted through the entire Innistrad block. I don't really do well in drafts and sealed deck tournaments anyway, since I often misplay or just generally screw up. Even now I still don't quite get why people tell me to save playing sorcery-speed cards until Second Main.Vigormortis said:I'm sort of in the same situation. I've never really played "professionally" outside of FNM and friend-hosted tournaments. Most of the time I just play with what I've got and usually expand my collection (the few times I do now-a-days) by just buying a few packs. Rarely do I ever buy singles unless there's a very specific card I'm looking for. (and it's cheap enough)
However, I think I could do well in a pro-tour, assuming I'm willing to spend the money on getting the right deck(s). I'm no "expert", but I tend to grasp the more complex concepts. (might help that I've been playing off-and-on since 1994
Have you drafted in Inistrad? I've been in an "off" mode with Magic since Scars of Mirrodin, so I'm curious what the current environment is like.
As for the environment... I have no idea what you mean. >.<
I suppose I could stop being lazy and just hop over to Magic's website and see for myself instead of pestering people about it. XD
I know how you feel on draft tourneys. I'm often hit-and-miss. Sometimes I'll be on top of my game and draft a great deck and play it very well. Other times I hobble together an awful mess and play it terribly.
As for saving sorceries for your second main... It's usually a good idea because, should you attack that turn, you can put your opponent in a tough situation. One in which they see you attacking with a hand full of cards and a lot of untapped land. This can have a big impact on how they react to the attack. (even if you've got nothing in your hand worthwhile)
It's all about the mind games.
Well, that's dependent on the card whether its better or not. Obviously something like an [mtg_card=Overrun] is better on the first main phase since it does nothing if played during the 2nd. I usually drop creatures in the 2nd main phase though unless I have a good reason to do it before attack step.CounterAttack said:
Ugh... infect... I am not a fan at all. The inability to recover from it in standard just annoys me.
That being said, I've been wanting to put a U/G deck together, so maybe a similar idea is one I'll examine without the infect.
I think my current inexpensive deck that I love is my Slivers EDH and my G/W humans standard.
edit:
I've heard they are planning on banning cards to gimp mageblade because it's becoming the next cawblade.
That being said, I've been wanting to put a U/G deck together, so maybe a similar idea is one I'll examine without the infect.
I think my current inexpensive deck that I love is my Slivers EDH and my G/W humans standard.
edit:
I've heard they are planning on banning cards to gimp mageblade because it's becoming the next cawblade.
Delver is awesome. I play that in my Counter-Burn deck. Really funny to have a turn two 3/2 flyer.
Last tourny I was in was a booster draft. Ended up coming in second (mostly due to [mtg_card=Call to Serve]), and would have won if my opponent hadn't been a filthy cheater. (Four people, him included, were drafting green at his table, and he has a deck with four [mtg_card=Wolfir Avenger]s in it, which most people would agree is a first pick card. Simply put, none of the regulars like him much)
Last tourny I was in was a booster draft. Ended up coming in second (mostly due to [mtg_card=Call to Serve]), and would have won if my opponent hadn't been a filthy cheater. (Four people, him included, were drafting green at his table, and he has a deck with four [mtg_card=Wolfir Avenger]s in it, which most people would agree is a first pick card. Simply put, none of the regulars like him much)
Because you need to tap your mana for sorceries. With your mana tapped, your opponent knows you have no combat trick up your sleeve.CounterAttack said:
That's true, at least in Standard, but if you go Legacy, then you can still have some tricks up your sleeve.Yossarian1507 said:Because you need to tap your mana for sorceries. With your mana tapped, your opponent knows you have no combat trick up your sleeve.CounterAttack said:
Sadly, it looks like one of the few answers to Wild Defiance is *drumroll* U/X control!
That, or turbofog, but you never know.
That, or turbofog, but you never know.
I think I'd like to see Rot Wolf getting buffed with a Revenge of the Hunted. Wipe or at least seriously impair your opponent's board state, and draw several cards while at it. That's normally power you would only see in control, but I think you could make it work in this deck. And if Wild Defiance is on the field it's potentially an instant win.
Of course if it's a dead draw it really hurts, since a 6CMC spell just completely throws off this deck's mana curve.
Of course if it's a dead draw it really hurts, since a 6CMC spell just completely throws off this deck's mana curve.
Before I switched my infect deck over to legacy, I used to run UG control/pump-infect. It played around 4 unsummons and 4 vapor snags to keep them off creatures while I put down a blighted agent or a glistener elf (8/12 creatures) and swung in with either wild defiance pumps or straight up +2/+2 from mirran mettle/mutagenic growth. The reasoning behind mirran mettle is that if I can get my livewire lashes on the field in some combination with active inkmoth nexus' or spellskites then it's a +4/+4 for G.
My favourite part of running control in infect is that you have access to one of the best hard counters in standard- corrupted resolve. Say you hit your opponent for even 1 poison counter turn 2 from a glistener elf, and you drop a hinterland harbor or island... you've officially got a hard answer to anything they decide to play next turn- in either mana leak or corrupted resolve. This deck used to run on mana leaks alone because it was so fast, but with the addition of wild defiance, it pulled into turn 5 average win, instead of the rocky turn-4-with-no resistance thing I had going previously.
The only thing is, infect is almost out of standard, and even with things like Rancor giving you oh so desperately needed evasion, you can't keep this deck around like the Delver guys can. That's why I went legacy with it (well, that and invigorate... too much fun to pass up).
My favourite part of running control in infect is that you have access to one of the best hard counters in standard- corrupted resolve. Say you hit your opponent for even 1 poison counter turn 2 from a glistener elf, and you drop a hinterland harbor or island... you've officially got a hard answer to anything they decide to play next turn- in either mana leak or corrupted resolve. This deck used to run on mana leaks alone because it was so fast, but with the addition of wild defiance, it pulled into turn 5 average win, instead of the rocky turn-4-with-no resistance thing I had going previously.
The only thing is, infect is almost out of standard, and even with things like Rancor giving you oh so desperately needed evasion, you can't keep this deck around like the Delver guys can. That's why I went legacy with it (well, that and invigorate... too much fun to pass up).