Main Menu
Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - Aubrey

#1
Deck Lists / Re: Cephalid Druid
31-10-2012, 12:54:10 PM
Sorry, it took some time as I wasn't in town. I did some testing with the updated list.

@carte_blanche: I think you can't survive a long lasting game either it's against aggro or control. Aggro simply sets you a clock which is around the 6th turn. Sometimes even the 5th. Control will get more and more protection in the same time. I think a slower gameplan is only playable if you put the combo into a shell to work as a hybrid. Compared to Pattern Rector were the combo is part of some kind of rock deck. So Pattern has the chance to slow aggro and beat control even without having the combo up. For this deck maybe a reanimator shell would be interesting as you would have a strong aggro matchup and can pressure control while setting up the combo.

Therefore I feel like playing Druid turn 3 or Cephalid+2nd part turn 4 is the only chance to win as a pure combodeck. This means that we have just 1 mana more than needed to play the combopieces. This is why I wasn't able to get a stable deck right now. You get games were your opponent is dead turn 3 without even knowing what he could have done to prevent this. On the other hand there are games where you play like one or two cards and die like your opponent just goldfished.

@pyyhttu: Thx for the link, some interesting thoughts. One thing, Cephalid is a two card combo which wins the turn it is played. While testing I felt more and more that the longer the game runs the more you want the Cephalid. The combo costs 3 mana total and so it's "safe". The Druid needs Greaves to get haste so it's 4 mana and one mana to activate 5 mana. The other option is to play and protect the Druid.

I came to the conclusion, that all killoptions are clumsy and you don't want to draw them so the best one I think is the one that works with the lowest amount of cards. As all use 3 it's your choice and meta depended what you take. Every kill has it's pros and cons.


For now I see two different ways:
1. Get more mana acceleration in form of elves or Guides or whatever. So you can tutor turn 2 with the 3 mana tutors. Then kill turn 4-5.

2. Accept that you are (like in modern or type 2) slower than aggro and have to have a major plan for aggro and combo is just a sidekick. Maybe reanimator...

Is it possible to come to 60% against aggro? What so you think?
#2
Deck Lists / Re: Cephalid Druid
25-10-2012, 11:55:25 AM
Hi,

I tested yesterday against some decks and came to a new list. I switched my orientation to the list MMK suggested. I cut the Necrotic Ooze Combo because there is no need for another GY based Combo with more dead cards. The testing showed that the Mimeoplasm Combo is maybe superior to the fact that you get the abolisher space.

1 Hermit Druid
1 Cephalid Illusionist
1 Shaman en-Kor
1 Nomads en-Kor
3 Combo Creatures
1 Fatestitcher
1 Narcomoeba
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Vedalken Aethermage
1 Trinket Mage
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Elvish Spirit Guide
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Spellskite
1 Eternal Witness

1 Shred Memory
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Sylvan Tutor
1 Rhystic Tutor
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Sylvan Library
1 Diabolic Vision
1 Intuition
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Portent
1 Ponder
1 Lim Dûl's Vault
1 Preordain
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Brainstorm
1 Regrowth
1 Impulse
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Thoughtseize
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Duress
1 Cabal Therapy
1 Silence
1 Orim's Chant
1 Abeyance
1 Force of Will
1 Misdirection
1 Dispel
1 Spell Pierce
1 Pact of Negation
1 Chrome Mox
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mox Diamond
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Aether Vial
1 Memory's Jorney
1 Reanimate
1 Noxious Revival
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Dread Return
1 Shuko
1 Shallow Grave
1 Grim Tutor
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
1 Slaughter Pact

1 Tundra
1 Taiga
1 Underground Sea
1 Badlands
1 Tropical Island
1 Scrubland
1 Savannah
1 Plateau
1 Bayou
1 Volcanic Island
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Stomping Ground
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
1 Breeding Pool
1 Godless Shrine
1 Temple Garden
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Steam Vents
1 Flooded Strand
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Marsh Flats
1 Windswept Heath
1 Arid Mesa
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Forbidden Orchard
1 City of Brass
1 Gemstone Mine


So in a next step I would switch the kill to the Mimeoplasm. Then there are those Silence effects. Abeyance is the only one I would keep. The CC of 2 combined with the ability to negate Crypt effects is what convinced me.
What are your thoughts? Maybe some cards I could cut or miss?
#3
Deck Lists / Re: Cephalid Druid
24-10-2012, 05:49:05 PM
Quote from: ChristophO on 24-10-2012, 05:37:31 PM

Redcap and Lord of extinction arent dead cards either. I agree on Solitary confinement and infinite life, but have never encountered this problem yet. Regarding Dead cards: Redcap and Lord of extinction as well as the mimeoplasm are powerful cards on their own in many games. I believe angel and and Lab. Maniac are dead way more often. Grand abolisher will be dead because of mana requirements, so this is why I much prefer the Mimeoplasm kill.

But you keep on repeating that you only loose to Stifle because of Grand Abolisher. Mimeoplasm also only looses to stifle as spot removal does not stop the trigger on stack (which will use last known information for Power if Mimeoplasm is killed in response to the copied Redcap trigger).

K, I will give Redcap Plasm some testgames. Maybe I'm really wrong. I think I just like the way on not trying to harm the lifepoints of my opponent. But I will see ^^. Thx for your suggestions.

Maybe I post an updated list tomorrow.
#4
Deck Lists / Re: Cephalid Druid
24-10-2012, 05:03:14 PM
First the Combo parts in the Angel kill aren't dead draws (Hapless Researcher can be "cycled"). Second as Grand Abolisher is reanimated too you just have to care for stifle. Third it's more secure against infinite life, Solitary Confinement and stuff like that. For now I couldn't find one situation where the Mimeoplasm was superior to the Angel. Maybe I'm just wrong and you can convince me.

@MMD: Thx for the suggestion. As the deck has a really squishy manabase I'm not a fan of the Silence effects. What do you think isn't it better to handle threats EOT with removal/bounce or play discard against control?
#5
Deck Lists / Cephalid Druid
24-10-2012, 02:46:27 PM
Hi,

to stop this section from dying I'll present my approach on the Cephalid Illusionist/ Hermit Druid Combo. Some years ago I played Cephalid in Legacy and earned some good results. Therefore I like the Combo and try to come to a competitive deck.
In today's meta we fight against lots of aggro decks spiced with some amount of lets say rock decks. Control has just disappeard or is too weak to beat the aggro decks. To get a good Combo deck in this meta I will try to focus on a fast Combo which is capable playing against removal and a small amount of GY Hate (Scavenging Ooze).
My inspiration was taken from Tabris and his column on magic universe (Thanks for that). If you don't know how the combo works (http://www.magicuniverse.de/html/kolumnen.php?tempid=420.280.545.304.73&id=2093) So I will start with his list and mark some notes:

Länder
1 Bayou
1 Tundra
1 Tropical Island
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Breeding Pool
1 City of Brass
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Polluted Delta
1 Reflecting Pool (I think the deck wants to evolve its mana [testing Forbidden Orchard])
1 River of Tears
1 Savannah
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Scrubland
1 Temple Garden
1 Twilight Mire
1 Underground Sea
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Volrath's Stronghold (The manabase is so squishy that I think this card is too greedy)
1 Watery Grave
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Underground River
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Windswept Heath
1 Flooded Strand
1 Godless Shrine
1 Mox Diamond

Kreaturen
1 Hermit Druid
1 Necrotic Ooze (Don't know if you really need the Ooze Combo)
1 Triskelion
1 Phyrexian Devourer
1 The Mimeoplasm (Better killoptions out there)
1 Lord of Extinction
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Shuko
1 Cephalid Illusionist
1 Fatestitcher
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Shaman en-Kor
1 Nomads en-Kor
1 Rotting Rats
1 Snapcaster Mage (good card but not for this deck)
1 Spellskite
1 Narcomoeba
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Trinket Mage (Tutor for Shuko and Top is this enough?)
1 Eternal Witness

Sprüche
1 Sylvan Library
1 Brainstorm
1 Dispel
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Forbidden Alchemy (Expensive )
1 Force of Will
1 Frantic Search (Carddisadvantage)
1 Impulse
1 Intuition
1 Lim-Dûl's Vault
1 Mana Drain
1 Mana Leak
1 Mental Misstep (maybe this should be a Daze)
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Mystical Teachings (CC 4 and no tutor for the combo)
1 Noxious Revival
1 Pact of Negation
1 Shallow Grave
1 Shred Memory
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Spell Pierce
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Careful Study (Carddisadvantage)
1 Cabal Therapy
1 Buried Alive
1 Dread Return
1 Duress
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Living Death (necessary?)
1 Maelstrom Pulse (expensive but universal solution)
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Reanimate
1 Regrowth
1 Rhystic Tutor
1 Thoughtseize
1 Vindicate (expensive but universal solution)
1 AEther Vial
1 Memory's Journey

This were my first thoughts on the list. So I searched other cards to include which fit better to the plan of a fast combo deck. Cards I wanted to include were:

Sylvan Tutor
Grim Tutor
Dimir Infiltrator
Vedalken Aethermage
Cruel Tutor
Diabolic Vision
Portent

Path to Exile
Chain of Vapor

Lotus Petal
Chrome Mox

And I changed the killoption to Angel of Glory's Rise, Laboratory Maniac and Hapless Researcher. This because with Grand Abolisher in the deck the combo is better protected and the Hapless Researcher isn't dead if drawn.

So I came up with this list:

Länder
1 Bayou
1 Tundra
1 Tropical Island
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Breeding Pool
1 City of Brass
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Polluted Delta
1 Forbidden Orchard
1 River of Tears
1 Savannah
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Scrubland
1 Temple Garden
1 Twilight Mire
1 Underground Sea
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Volrath's Stronghold (Still there but I don't like it any suggestions?)
1 Watery Grave
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Underground River
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Windswept Heath
1 Flooded Strand
1 Godless Shrine
1 Mox Diamond

Kreaturen
1 Hermit Druid
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Triskelion
1 Angel of Glory's Rise
1 Hapless Researcher
1 Laboratory Maniac
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Shuko
1 Cephalid Illusionist
1 Fatestitcher
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Shaman en-Kor
1 Nomads en-Kor
1 Rotting Rats
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Spellskite
1 Narcomoeba
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Trinket Mage (Good with Aethermage)
1 Eternal Witness
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Vedalken Aethermage

Sprüche
1 Sylvan Library
1 Brainstorm
1 Dispel
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Force of Will
1 Sylvan Tutor
1 Impulse
1 Intuition
1 Lim-Dûl's Vault
1 Mana Drain
1 Mana Leak
1 Daze
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Grim Tutor
1 Noxious Revival
1 Pact of Negation
1 Shallow Grave
1 Shred Memory
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Spell Pierce
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Cabal Therapy
1 Buried Alive
1 Dread Return
1 Duress
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Path to Exile
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Reanimate
1 Regrowth
1 Rhystic Tutor
1 Thoughtseize
1 Vindicate
1 AEther Vial
1 Memory's Journey

At this point I would want to start the discussion. What killturn do you think we should aim for? Is turn four ok or shall we try to get a good probability for a turn three kill?
#6
Deck Lists / Re: 5c Dark Hex [Combo]
17-10-2009, 09:39:52 PM
Hi,

when you play Scapeshift you should play Valakut. I think the Valakut-Combo is better than the Depths one. You just should play some Landsearch.
I also miss Sylvan Scrying. Good tutor imho.

Greetings
#7
Deck Lists / Re: UW Control
09-12-2008, 04:30:24 PM
The WW was meant to be white weenie. I think exile is one of the best pointremoval in the format.

Glen Elendra Archmage looks like me for a cc5 creature that makes a matchup better that I already win.

I see I should cut the Sword you're right that I have not enough creatures to take the advantage of this card.

The PW are too weak in my opinion Ajani's lifegain isn't really that strong and the second ability only works with Decree. I have thought about Elpeth quiet a long time but I think her abilities are too slow. As a killoption I think I have better cards and the second one is useless since I don't have enough creatures. Only Jace is a card that beats control by itself. The cardadvantage is perfect and control has problems finding a solution for a PW.

I will test cutting rout but I don't think I get happy with it.

So Changes:

- Sword of Fire and Ice
- rout
#8
Deck Lists / Re: UW Control
08-12-2008, 10:43:00 PM
Hi,

and thanks for your answer.

I think your right with the factory, but I don't really understand why I should add the cyclelands. I can't use them and so they are just non-basics that leave tapped when B2B is in game. Vesuva sure can be a good land but I think it's only strong when you still have a good mana base on the table. I will test it but in my opinion it isn't very good.

In the early days Tithe was a part in this deck but it's only good if you can manage to have fewer lands than your opponent. Even then I hate to change a unknown card in my hand against two known cards that are lands.

Intuition and Teachings are missing because they don't make any card advantage. In this deck they work as a bad tutor. Sometimes I even think about cutting Gifts because there are no really good targets. But you can see Gifts as a Instant 4cc better drawspell.

Deep Analysis, Future Sight and Meloku all have the problem that I'm only able to play them in my turn. Further, they are expensive. I don't want to pay 5 or even 4 mana on my own turn, so that I can't protect the two permanents.

Pact of Negation is a card that I think is to slow. It's only good if you want to play expensive spells on your turn and then protect them. In this deck it would be a counter for 5 mana that will force you to tap out on your next turn.

I cutted the bouncespells quite a time ago they don't solve any problems they just buy one or two turns. Sometimes these turns may be necessary but I think a real solution or a tutor to find one ist better.

Muddle is a spell that was cutted just a few weeks ago. Normally you would say that it's a two mana counter against most decks and against the others you can transmute for a better spell. But I realized that I don't really have good cc2 spells. Most of them are counter and transmuting into an other counter is a bad idea I think. Maybe my thoughts are wrong here. Why do you think it should be played?

Sword came up while searching for an artifact kill option I'm not really glad with it but the mind slaver I've tested before was even worse. There are some creatures that are to small to kill at themself but with sword they can. Maybe someone can find another artifact kill option that fits in the deck. (Should be cheap or have flash)

Why would you cut exile? It's only weakness is WW and still they have manlands.

Flash of Insight is one of the best cards. Read it as cc3 Cycle cc2 search the top 20-40 cards of your lib for a card and this at instant speed. Although it's a chance to use the grave.

With rout you might be right but I think I shouldn't decreace the number of massremovals. Any other idea?


I think I should try the Finks and the Phantasm especially the Finks may be a better card than the Herald.

The other creatures are too good to cut. They are cheap and good finisher or really great tutor, when you look up the Wizards in the deck you see a lot of potential solutions or kill options.

I think I should change some of the counters to slim the mana curve.

Changes:

+ Finks
+ Miscalculation
+ Daze
+ Factory
+ Mindcensor
- Factory
- Herald
- Shoal

Something else to cut?
#9
Deck Lists / UW Control
08-12-2008, 01:40:20 AM
Hi,

this is a deck I worked on quiet a long time, but now I think I'm very close to what I would call the finished list. For now I don't see any changes which could make the deck better. But nether the less there are some changes I still think about. Here I need your help.
First the list:

//Lands (36)

Academy Ruins   
Kor Haven      
Tundra         
Rishadan Port      
Hallowed Fountain      
Windswept Heath   
Snow-Covered Island 12x      
Snow-Covered Plains 6x            
Karakas         
Ghost Quarter   
Seat of the Synod   
Maze of Ith   
Polluted Delta   
Ancient Den      
Wasteland         
Tolaria West      
Mystic Gate      
Flooded Strand   
Adarkar Wastes      
Urza's Factory      

// Spells (50)

Thirst for Knowledge
Impulse   
Counterspell   
Stroke of Genius   
Austere Command   
Disrupting Shoal      
Mana Leak   
Relic of Progenitus   
Remand   
Engineered Explosives      
Syncopate      
Cryptic Command   
Faerie Trickery   
Forbid   
Hinder      
Dispeller's Capsule      
Parallax Wave   
Sensei's Divining Top      
Dissipate   
Flash of Insight   
Enlightened Tutor      
Back to Basics   
Force of Will   
Swords to Plowshares      
Condemn   
Gifts Ungiven   
Disenchant   
Vedalken Shackles      
Decree of Justice   
Land Tax      
Moat   
Phyrexian Furnace      
Oblivion Ring   
Sword of Fire and Ice      
Condescend      
Hallowed Burial   
Exile      
Absorb   
Misdirection   
Fact or Fiction   
Pulse of the Fields      
Dismantling Blow   
Treachery      
Wrath of God      
Rout   
Brainstorm   
Faith's Fetters   
Mana Drain      
Careful Consideration   

// Creatures (13)

Draining Whelk   
Venser, Shaper Savant   
Trinket Mage   
Academy Rector   
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir   
Solemn Simulacrum   
Azorius Guildmage   
Azorius Herald   
Exalted Angel   
Vendilion Clique   
Vedalken AEthermage   
Serra Avenger   
Eternal Dragon   
Court Hussar   

// Planeswalker (1)

Jace Beleren   


You see the deck is focused to play most off the spells at instantspeed. You need your mana on the opponent's turn so you have to make your own game at End of opponents Turn. With this strategy the deck is very strong against control and combo. The problem is the aggro matchup. Of course there are a lot of massremoval, but most of them are expansive and slow.

This brought me to the idea of adding some cheap counter like Miscalculation, Daze or Spell Snare. They can disrupt the early game. But in a deck that is focused to reach the late game I think that this cards are only good if they show up on the starting hand. Drawn in later turns most of them are dead. What is your opinion?

Another card I would like to see in the deck is Aven Mindcensor. Good against Control and Combo, maybe a finisher. What should I cut?

And maybe there are some cards I havn't considered yet. So help me to find the best list.