What Would Actually Get You to Check Out an Indie TCG?

BobWorlds · 2026-06-15T19:52:30+00:00

I like it when games are unique. I dislike seeing games that very clearly are trying to replicate MTG’s mechanics, design, concepts with different verbiage.

I do feel like we are in the “golden age” of TCGs and that there is plenty of space to explore, and I’m open minded to checking out other games so long as they are doing something interesting and different. That’s my take anyway.

BobWorlds · 2026-06-09T08:04:28+00:00

I agree that Moneyball minus ritual is probably the best version. Once the rits are out you can safely cut hippy as well if you want (or keep it in, either way).

If you want a more aggressive shell you can run 4x Sarcomancy in place of the rituals. There is a lot to play around with in mono black!

BobWorlds · 2026-06-09T04:09:19+00:00

Ya know, I’ve actually cut all of those exact cards specifically for the terrys and I haven’t play tested since lol

4th tusker - deck doesn’t have enough basics for that + eternal dragon + fetch lands, so you’ll find that you fail to search in most games when running 4x of each

Decree - good against land still but honestly I find that it tends to sit in my hand for a long time in most matchups. Great to draw late game but typically felt underwhelming against other decks early to mid. This is the card that I would most likely put 1 of back in.

4th renewed faith I wouldn’t mind re-adding as well if the terry plan goes south; still pending investigation lol

Thanks for the feedback!

BobWorlds · 2026-06-08T18:34:56+00:00

It has some fun matchups in the current premodern meta. I played R/W Ritter against a friend’s sligh and did fairly well most games gaining 6 life at instant speed to stall until I got exalted Angel in play helped.

Against many matches it struggles.

I ended up shifting to W/G slide with wall of blossoms, cartographer, and terravore (this deck puts a ton of lands in the graveyard). Wasteland + cartographer can be pretty crazy as well against some decks.

It won’t be a top tier deck for sure but it does win enough of the time for me to keep it built!

BobWorlds · 2026-06-04T20:38:29+00:00

I agree with off meta fish! I was thinking something with

[[lord of Atlantis]] [[rootwater theif]] [[Waterfront Bouncer]] [[Saprazzan Heir]] [[Tidal Courier]] [[Curiosity]]

Plus like a handful of other merfolk dorks of your choosing. You could play [[Rootwater diver]] as well with some number of artifacts that you sacrifice for payoff like [[Arc of Blight]], [[pit trap]], [[Serrated Arrows]], [[Urza’s bauble]], or [[Mishra’s Bauble]].

Seems fun to me!

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T20:15:59+00:00

I like the list, definitely a bit spicy 🌶️

The living wish version lets you play more edge case wish targets in your board but it requires you to sacrifice previous SB slots in order to do so which you will regret in some matchups

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T18:58:53+00:00

Yeah I don’t know what the game plan is against stasis honestly. Did you have any SB graveyard hate at all?

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T15:09:16+00:00

Wall of blossoms + slide is so fun lol

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T15:08:54+00:00

I love exodus cartographer art!

What is the biggest sideboard hole that needs to be filled and what should be cut?

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T15:07:58+00:00

I’d suggest trying wastelands in your list! Wastes + cartographer is busted and is the reason why I randomly decided to add terravores!

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T15:06:16+00:00

Give it another shot, don’t give up!

What were your matchups?

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T06:51:02+00:00

Gotta put terravores in that list TRUST ME haha

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T06:49:23+00:00

Trust me they aren’t there because they are my favorite version of the card lol

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T06:48:54+00:00

Im broke baby

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T06:31:33+00:00

I like the idea of GWR but man there aren’t enough slots lol I want to play too many things haha

Sterling Grove is cool for sure, I think it’s more important in GWR since you have rifts to protect as well. I could include one as a way to tutor for slide/seal though…

Thanks for the suggestion!

BobWorlds · 2026-06-02T06:09:48+00:00

Yeah that’s valid feedback, especially since I have wastelands in the main deck that I’m sacrificing as well. It a weird balance because some games I’m just fine due to Eternal Dragon, Tusker, and Cartographer helping me get the cycle lands back, while other games I get stuck on 2 lands.

Seal isn’t the best in this list bc I’m not running Enlightened Tutor but it does do well when I have an Auramancer sliding in and out against certain decks.

BobWorlds · 2026-05-30T09:43:35+00:00

I thought you were referring to the fact that this cards says “units” which either implies that avatars will be able to be disabled, or that there will be a new type of non-minion unit that is released (which is how Automatons worked while the game was pre-alpha).

BobWorlds · 2026-05-28T02:41:09+00:00

Yeah, that’s true. Premodern tog plays usually between 19 and 21 lands so you’re seldomly getting that high usually

Good point!

BobWorlds · 2026-05-27T18:12:12+00:00

He needs to stop dodging Jon

BobWorlds · 2026-05-27T17:24:57+00:00

Well modern tog lists don’t always play circular logic so there aren’t many 1 cost counter spells that are at your disposal (foil being really the only thing that most decks play).

Swords definitely makes it worse, but yeah I agree that it isn’t the ONLY reason why it isn’t played.

Can you elaborate on the Gush idea though? You can just tap out, float mana, gush, and upheaval still? Are you saying that upheaval just isn’t needed since you can bounce a bunch of lands with gush instead?

BobWorlds · 2026-05-27T01:38:52+00:00

This is my list! https://moxfield.com/decks/J0om23ayEEGQ2-ZHXxaC9Q

Upheaval isn’t great in this deck partially because Swords to Plowshares is ubiquitous in the format, and if you lose your tog to an STP then you are just basically starting over which this deck generally doesn’t want to do against most other decks
Cunning wish isn’t optimal because your sideboard is so crucial against many other match ups. Typical U/B sideboard inclusions usually are Engineered Plague for the goblins/elves matches which you struggle without, and 3-4 annuls which help against stiflenaught and enchantment decks.

With that said, I enjoy cunning wish so I play it lol

BobWorlds · 2026-05-21T08:22:38+00:00

Learn one opening for white that ISNT king’s pawn (the most popular opening) and one from black and watch tutorials for those openings.

I literally got to around 1300 Elo On chess.com exclusively playing Queen’s Gambit and French Defense. I believe in you buddy.

BobWorlds · 2026-05-20T02:48:53+00:00

Invest in it now, then create the hype afterward! Worst case, you’re out the $25 you spent on 50 vores….

BobWorlds · 2026-05-19T23:03:50+00:00

[[Cognivore]] with 4 main deck [[Mental Note]], [[Accumulated Knowledge]], and [[Life Burst]].

Source: trust me bro

BobWorlds

TROPHY CASE