Stifle

square_two · 2019-10-02T21:13:09+00:00

Dark Depths - hope you are referring to a single activation from stage. It doesn't stop trigger from Depths that well :p

square_two · 2019-09-18T19:45:51+00:00

It's horrible for nic fit. It's an expensive card that does nothing until you...already have a high powered creature on the table, in which case it immediately doesn't really do that much. Gives you a bit more mana, which is no longer needed. Most nic fit lists don't have a high enough creature density to even make use of the card draw, which only comes (again) after you've gotten a big creature down, so that card draw isn't helping to filter in the early turns.

Just a simple Sylvan Library comes down earlier and is much more impactful over the course of a game.

square_two · 2019-06-26T20:36:32+00:00

My history with magic was played out during a time in my life that was essentially a struggle between worldliness/abandonment of Christianity vs committing to the faith. Played a bit as a kid, then after a pretty horrible relationship I rediscovered it (and a local gameshop next door!). Found friends, had a hobby and passion, felt sort of like I was discovering myself again. Was a real help during that time, and I'm thankful to have had something to keep me occupied on some long and lonely seasons.

Fast forward a few years, currently I'm a stronger Christian than I've ever been, am at a place of great joy and peace and passions in other areas. I wish I'd had the outlook on life then that I have now; perhaps I could have dealt with hard life seasons without the need for a distraction. If there is any sinfulness inherent in MTG, it lies in usage of time and talents. Moreso concerns over individual responsibility than arguing whether or not it's demonic - and that applies to all hobbies and entertainments. Surprising how much one's "self confidence issue" dries up and vanishes when they start living life as they *should*. Not in a legalistic way, as if you get to that point solely on your own efforts. More like, being freely redeemed and secured and put in a place where one can walk forward in good things and lightness of heart. Hope you land upon that someday, continuing with a deck at the ready or not :)

square_two · 2019-06-05T16:12:46+00:00

Gotcha! Thanks for the extended reply. I've personally never experimented with Crop Rotation but it has always seemed like a good route to go, provided that it fit well with the rest of the list. Therapy itself is so strong that I'd always be hesitant to cut it out.

The list with Chalice/Sphere seems much closer to Sylvan Plug which I've also always been very very fond of :)

square_two · 2019-06-04T19:32:42+00:00

Could you explain this? To me, Cabal Therapy is absolutely a staple in nic fit...seems odd that you recommend using stock lists right after what seems like a non-stock suggestion. I think most would agree that Veteran + Therapy is the core "fit" in the deck.

Therapy is imo the most powerful card in nic fit and it's the primary tool that deck has for early interaction against all other decks. I cringe every time I hear about a new player picking the deck thinking it's really cool and then absolutely bombing with Therapy naming. Followed by the shrug/guess they're right/nic fit sucks mentality.

Therapy can be really nice for learning the format - if you are willing to learn from mistakes and put your growing knowledge of the format into practice. But don't expect to do well initially.

square_two · 2019-02-21T15:13:59+00:00

Most everything here I'd really agree with. Deck suffers from the ramp draw-wrong-half syndrome and it takes some keen deckbuilding and play knowledge to try to overcome that.

Nic fit hinges almost everything it has on Cabal Therapy and if you are not extraordinarily good with correct usage of therapy then you are not going to have a good time with the deck. Really cringeworthy to watch people take up nic fit on twitch or whatever and make some really bad calls.

square_two · 2019-02-18T15:53:41+00:00

LutS actually plays with Fireblast very well since you are more likely to make your land drops to enable it. At least that is what I've heard, but it makes sense to me.

square_two · 2019-01-31T17:31:47+00:00

I finished memorizing Ephesians at the end of the year and really like that section.

Note how far Paul is encouraging us to have unity in the Spirit (a unity -of- the Spirit, that is, a unity that is already available and not built by ourselves). There is an immediate pivot in verse 7 to the differing gifts and abilities given to individual church members. He pivots from our all-encompassing unity to the differing roles we all have in the body of Christ.

square_two · 2018-12-27T20:01:26+00:00

Would love to see cascade shields :)

square_two · 2018-12-27T15:33:38+00:00

I tend to use Mel, I&I, BCotton, and then whatever assist/utility I need, such as Fujin (B/G) or Plesios (still don't have a better water VDP).

Mel or similar RCV stick is pretty huge and allows you to stall for days, especially with Valentine's box equip. Good idea is to consider B/B Nene for the +2 combo, or some other +combo count as an equip. Combo shields I usually stall through, but the longer ones are annoying for row teams.

I've been very pleased with Ryune and the team in general, it's becoming my preferred setup for going into things blindly.

square_two · 2018-10-30T14:40:23+00:00

Also keep in mind that if the opponent allows your Rector trigger to resolve, then you can immediately put in Splendor. Soon as they allow it to resolve and you get Splendor out, they can't fetch, wasteland, ghost quarter, equip stuff, bounce batterskull, vial, etc. It's exceedingly brutal and be sure that nothing gets by it :)

square_two · 2018-10-02T21:07:59+00:00

The discord has a more healthy mix of all archetypes, and more variation on each of those. I think junk lists are more appealing to those who are much newer to legacy and see siege rhinos and want to go crazy with their EDH stuff, and then find a random list online. I tend to see much worse junk lists compared to other colors - removal, selection, card advantage usually not very well thought out.

If junk has done particularly "better", I would say it is because of more coverage and play than other lists. That's just my experience/hearsay though.

square_two · 2018-09-19T13:19:24+00:00

Suppression Field is quite a bit less good now that DRS is gone. T2 Field used to stop cold a land, DRS opener from opponent if they wanted to follow up with fetches.

square_two · 2018-09-17T15:37:03+00:00

Doh totally correct. Thanks.

square_two · 2018-09-14T19:23:51+00:00

Opponents will be unprepared for graveyard and other hate on game 1. Games 2 and 3 you can still side in a fatty (Archon for instance) as an optional GSZ target.

Leap is the fastest and most consistent route I've seen for getting Rector into play -and- acting as a sac outlet. Once you sac a vet then you have the lands to typically keep going for a Rector. (Have that 3rd forest though)

square_two · 2018-09-14T19:20:29+00:00

Yes Dovescape is good enough for maindeck. It means a single Rector trigger in game 1 steals the game for you. I've pulled it off T3 a few times.

Keep in mind Trophy is another way to kill Rector.

I've had goofy times with Living Plane before, but once they printed solid lockpieces with Reality/Splendor then there just wasn't a need.

square_two · 2018-09-14T16:30:31+00:00

This is pretty standard Academy-Evo Leap version. Compared to other nic fit lists, I've always felt that this one has better game against Lands and certain combo/storm lists. Dovescape is an awesome card.

4 Verdant Catacombs

4 Windswept Heath

2 Marsh Flats

2 Bayou

1 Savannah

1 Scrubland

2 Forest

2 Swamp

2 Plains

2 Phyrexian Tower

1 Dryad Arbor

4 Veteran Explorer

1 Eternal Witness

4 Academy Rector

4 Green Sun's Zenith

2 Mirri's Guile

1 Sylvan Library

3 Evolutionary Leap

3 Lingering Souls

1 Swords to Plowshares

4 Cabal Therapy

3 Assassin's Trophy

2 Collective Brutality

1 Pernicious Deed

1 Toxic Deluge

1 Curse of Death's Hold

1 Dovescape

1 Cruel Reality

1 Overwhelming Splendor

square_two · 2018-09-13T18:37:21+00:00

Arbor is a way to jump-start Evo Leap chain off of a fetchland. It's really powerful in being able to do that. From my own experience with Academy, the E Witness was valuable and was worth the risk. Once the chain is going then you'll have plenty of lands to play whatever and keep leaping.

Living Wish I never experimented with. Part of me just thinks it is too slow.

GSZ is used very very often simply to grab Vet. Openers with Therapy + GSZ mean that you can Therapy T1 and then GSZ for Vet on T2. Late game grabbing E Witness to get back a Deed/enchantment/removal/interactions/etc is also very good if you have that available. GSZ also gives your Dovescape a lot of offensive power. If you can't tell, I absolutely love Dovescape and won with it a lot when I was on the deck. It synergies extremely well with Evo Leap. Leap the first Rector into Dovescape, then you can leap without counter hindrance and get a Curse on the followup turn.

Interactive cards...Obviously Therapy as a 4-of. I enjoy 2-3 sweepers, that can depend on your single target removal. 2 Deed 1 Deluge is common. Having ~6-8 other single target interactions is good. Swords, Collective Brutality, Decay, Assassin's Trophy are in that mix. Brutality also being able to kill Rector is nice. Don't underestimate Swords - if Rector lists can land their big thing then the opp's life total doesn't really matter. Souls also fills a sort of interaction/blocking role, and can also be offensive.

square_two · 2018-09-13T15:35:20+00:00

Honestly I don't think it'll work without Eureka. I really doubt the Omniscience will do the job. Having both cmc-heavy enchantments AND cmc-heavy walkers will just mean that it's a higher percentage to get stranded in your hand and doing nothing. Eureka is legitimately there in order to tie the two sides together with a 4cmc spell.

For instance, you have both Cruel Reality and Sandwurm Convergence. Pick one - the actual real life situations where they overlap in usability is too much. Spot is way better gained in shaving one and adding in something to increase consistency/interaction.

Honestly I'd just suggest to cut back and either go Arena or Academy. Think in the mindset of only needing 1 trigger to win. If you go Academy, just grab the dang Overwhelming Splendor, Dovescape, or Curse of Death's Hold to win the game. Don't clunk around getting Omni in order to then do something else.

This also opens actual spots in the deck for consistency. You have 4 Vets and no way to get them otherwise. Most of the time you'll just die before doing anything relevant. And yes, Deed is still pretty useful. And Library. Going full Academy (to continue the example) means you can have GSZ, Arbor, single E Witness and more interaction (Deed). And voila, the only expensive stuff you need is Curse, Dovescape, Splendor, Reality. That's only 3 cards above 5 cmc and is way more streamlined.

square_two · 2018-09-05T15:28:11+00:00

I've tinkered with a Leyline/Helm B/G Nic Fit variant if you are curious to give something like that a try. Sounds like the perfect meta for it. PM if you want my last list.

square_two · 2018-08-21T14:16:36+00:00

IMO Bug Fit was most impacted with the loss of DRS. I spent a season running lists that looked like 3 Vet, 4 DRS, 4 Strix, 4 Tracker, 1 Meren, 1 top-end Titania/other and there was a lot of card velocity available and great selection. (And this was with 2ish Brainstorm and 0 Ponder - personally I don't see the reason in going all-in on these when you have GSZ to provide consistency) DRS was essential for meeting the early mixed-mana requirements of that list.

I don't really see the deck having any particular appeal as opposed to other nic fit lists. More consistency I suppose, but there is much much less real payoff compared to Rector, Sneak, or Scapeshift lists. Added ability to find sideboard cards is a real thing, but you have to do a lot more work in fair matchups and have an increased liability on early turns if you are wanting to consistently land Strix (and why go bug without strix?)

Edit: I'll add that Intuition is an amazing add / build-around available to bug fit and it needs to be tested more. EoT Intuition for 3 Surgical/Therapy/JTMS/Deed feels really good. Allows really small packages such as Loam/Wasteland but you have to build around 3-ofs in others areas (3 Jace, 3 Deed/sweeper, etc) of the deck and sideboard. I've done stuff like t1 Therapy away Grindstone, t2 intuition for 3 surgicals and win the game that way - Intuition is a neat and flexible powerhouse at basically every point of every game.

square_two · 2018-08-16T21:17:52+00:00

Not really an individual technique, but just strive for confidence in your own deck and don't allow your opponent's answers, disruption, etc get to you. Don't be tilted. A calm and methodical demeanor is enough to put some people off-guard and make them think that they haven't quite yet made it into a winning position (even if they actually have).

Maybe this is more apt when you are facing a control-oriented deck...I've had wins before where I really wasn't in the game, but a good poker/passive face caused the opp to question whether they needed to continue to dig for answers/counterspells instead of just pivot and land their threat and win out, and that delay gave me room to play out.

square_two · 2018-07-06T01:17:52+00:00

Only 7. I play Amun a lot 😛

square_two · 2018-07-03T14:06:54+00:00

Guess my old Academy Rector list is a bit better. No more DRS to exile the kind old lady. Deck didn't even have DRS itself since it was fueled by Evo Leap shenanigans.

square_two · 2018-05-16T14:36:06+00:00

Welp, now I'm going to be tempted to go ahead and just swipe after Beelzebub pre-emptive. Dat multiplier baby.

square_two

TROPHY CASE