Also I played three matches today, winning two of them (!!). While writing up the loss in the last game, I think I figured out the problem. Tell me what you think. What in retrospect was the key turn had this board (based off my memory, might not be completely accurate):
Him: 5 lands, Edgewall Innkeeper, 1/1 Deathtouch, 2/3 Lifelink, Order of Midnight. Don't remember his life total but he'd certainly taken some damage, and don't remember whether he had lands untapped but to fit my memory of the rest of the game, he probably did (at least 3 untapped) Me: 8 lands, 4/5 Voracious Hydra, 4/4 Hydroid Krasis, 2 food
My hand: Oko, Mass Manipulation, Hydroid Krasis. He knew about all three because he played Legion's End earlier in the game. He'd also connected with Rankle earlier, discarding Liliana, Dreadhorde General.
What's the play?
Spoiler
I think I should've played Krasis for six. Instead I played Manipulation to take his deathtoucher and lifelinker (that thing keeps my creatures back so well). He took the damage but a few turns later had Liliana. I swung for face again because he was so low, then he played Massacre Girl and cleaned my board. I had one more chance to kill him by flashing in Brazen Borrower with him at 2 life, but he had a lifelinker which meant I needed to bounce it first, and he had Veil of Summer to counter.
Kind of crappy game, I think I find the lines with Temur Reclamation much easier.
First things first, don't mess with our resident Canadian
To your question, well.. I said Krasis for 6 before reading the spoiler and I still say it. And I don't see why you would spend 8 mana on MM, risking a Veil of Summer blowout to steal a 1-drop and a 3-drop that neither kill nor block you (in the air).
Just casting something for 8 is not an "I-win"-button. What do you want with a 1/1 and a 2/3? Were you in danger of dying anytime soon? At least steal the one creature he would miss: the Innkeeper. You say that 1/1 keeps your creatures back. So what? You're winning the long game because you generate more value - he needs to kill you, not the other way around.
Sorry I don't mean to be offensive but I honestly don't understand that MM.
edit: Thinking about that play, even Oko wouldn't have been unreasonable. Turn one of your foods into an elk and see if your opponent has an idea to kill him. But I'd still prefer the Krasis for 6 - that's three cards and an evasive beater that puts your opponent on a short clock.
Also, one important piece of info that you haven't provided is the number of cards in opponent's hand. Does he have more cards than you have? Or is he topdecking already? Innkeeper can draw a lot and keep him in the value game. So another avenue would be elkifying him.
Joined: Nov 03, 2013 Posts: 7271 Location: Your Head
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I swing with both Hydras and make a 6/6 Krasis. Having seen a Liliana and a Rankle, I fear those more than anything on the board and would have held MM for when another of those dropped (and I had more land to try and steal more)
Edit: the problem with this is that Legions End is a complete blow out. Of course, itll eat the one in hand too, so getting the life and card draw is probably the best.
And I'm assuming you run 4 Wicked Wolves, cuz if not, that Voracious Hydra should be a wolf which cures your death touch woes.
This is the deck. It plays some questionable cards like Zhur-Taa Goblin or Kraul Harpooner though I've always been a fan of the latter. Back then you'd shoot down Healer's Hawks, now there's bigger birds to fry. I wonder if there's no real 2-drop in Gruul now that it can't skip 2-drops with Llanowar Elves anymore. Paradise Druid is certainly no aggro card either, yet it's in every Gruul list.
And I don't think I want to be in the 4x Once upon a time camp, at least not in an aggro deck. Multiples really stink because you lose almost a full turn for it.
So what's actually good in Gruul? Questing Beast is the best wielder of Embercleave, no two ways about that. Kill 5 blockers with the first strike and then hit face + a planeswalker for 5 - also not the worst situation for a pump spell.
Here's a professional take on that by Seth Manfield. What do we do when Golgari Adventures and Selesnya Adventures can't beat Simic Food and we think Embercleave could be the solution? Gruul Adventures
Mmm right as I was beginning to win with the food decks too lol.
I guess this means I get to try the decks that feel more in tune with my preferences more - looking at Bant Ramp, Temur Reclamation, and Jeskai/Grixis Fires.
Joined: Oct 02, 2013 Posts: 5378 Location: 1,824.5 meters underground.
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You are right Vert and Cucho. I haven't taken my Dimir out for a while but it is lulz and Golgari Henge? I replaced my OUaT with a playset of Bond of Flourishing and went 7-0 last night with it.
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It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. - Maurice Switzer
Yeah, maybe Rotting Regisaur and The Great Henge are allowed to prosper now. Don't forget Embercleave though. Sadly, Jund isn't going to happen for mana reasons - even 2-color decks struggle there. So we gotta pick two out of three. I like Golgari, but Gruul might just be better.
Also with Veil of Summer gone and no blue - thus no Hydroid Krasis - we need a contingency plan for blue-based Control again. Can we outvalue them or do we have to resort to aggression and hope for the best?
edit: Unrelated, but is there a way to see who has liked one's posts? I'm always glad to see that, but I never know who it was.
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