The Monday Mulligan #3: Week Of The Weener

With the rise of the Gatherling Metagame Breakdown, the way I show the meta will be a bit different. I will post the Gatherling entry for the event (which I would have edited to include at least all decknames and colors), so you can browse the meta yourselves. The play-offs paragraph will list the archetypes that were played (aggro, control, etc.) and how many. A deck that played in the finals will appear in the quarter-, semi- and finals part. Read and shiver:

Gatherling Metagame Breakdown

Play-offs:
Finals - Aggro (1), Control (1)
Semi-Finals - Aggro (2), Control (2)
Quarter-Finals - Aggro (3), Aggro-Control (1), Control (4)

Metagame:
Aggro - 6

Control: - 8

Aggro-Control: - 4

Mid-range: - 1

Unclassifiable: - 1

Discussion:
The meta re-balances itself after last week's aggro debacle. Three WW decks were played, one going to the top (piloted by jtamaro) and one reaching the quarter-finals. WW seems to act a bit like Extended's Dredge, when no-one is prepared for it it will take another top spot. The other three aggro decks were two Sliver decks ( and ) and a RDW list which couldn't fight past the eventual winner in the semi's. This gives aggro decks a play-off percentage of 50%, just like last week. It was a long time ago a RDW list made a splash at an event, congrats msp99!

Control decks were out in force last monday. With four out of eight decks making play-offs (50%), two lost in the quarter-, one in the semi- and the last in the finals. It was an almost even split between Grimdrifter variants (four, both and , the highest ranking list is featured in The Spotlight) and Storm Control (three; two "classic" lists and a modded one. The one that made the finals, piloted by ChronicHeaves, was packing a combination of Grinning Ignus and Peek to go for huge storms, making in far more combo than most lists, which go for moderate storms as a win-condition in a control deck). The odd one out was Dreamspore Rock. This deck hasn't been seen since the start of the season and was considered to be not good enough to be played. stiffdiddypinky played a fairly standard list that made room for Mulldrifter.

The aggro-control archetypes underperformed this week, placing only a Blinkdrifter deck in the play-offs. Last weeks runner up Sticks crashed and burned. If you consider Dreamspore to be aggro-control, it did a bit better. Also, the winner of 1.13 and runner-up of 1.12, Use UR Illusion, wasn't even played! Maby Sensei was right last week and people should be "hating" on players instead of decks.

Morningtide: Black

CardName: Blightsoil Druid
Cost: 1B
Type: Creature - Elf Druid
Pow/Tgh: 1/2
Rules Text: T, Pay 1 life: Add G to your mana pool.

Lets sum up everything that's wrong with this card:
1) It costs , accelerating you from turn two to four, not from one to three, which is far more useful.
2) It is a 1/2 for , our good friend Leaf Gilder is a two powered beater, which balances the disadvantage outlined at (1) if you need acceleration, but not turn two.
3) It costs you life.
Don't play this.

CardName: Festercreep
Cost: 1B
Type: Creature - Elemental
Pow/Tgh: 0/0
Rules Text: Festercreep comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it. 1B, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Festercreep: All other creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.

This is more like it. Subterranean Shambler is played, because it's both mass removal (which is sparse) and a creature, making it abusable with Blink and Harvest. The advantage of Shambler over this is that it gives you a 2/3 blocker (at least untill next turn) and an additional, sweep. If you want to attack with it you'll have to pay another . Festercreep is a bit more color intensive ( for a sweep) and doesn't leave a blocker. It also hits half as hard if you decide to go on the offense. What the creep does do is kill pesky x/1 flyers and it gives you the ability to sweep on turn three by spreading the cost. With more quality fearies (AKA x/1 flyers) entering the format, this might get the nod over the Shambler in heavy black/Grim lists.

CardName: Final-Sting Faerie
Cost: 3B
Type: Creature - Faerie Assassin
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: Flying When Final-Sting Faerie comes into play, destroy target creature that was dealt damage this turn.

Orzhov Euthanist has not seen play, and that costs less and has the ability to kill twice. I don't think it will make a splash, even with Flying. Though it can be a nice play after failing to pay Shambler's echo.

CardName: Frogtosser Banneret
Cost: 1B
Type: Creature - Goblin Rogue
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: Haste Goblin spells and Rogue spells you play cost 1 less to play.

Goblins is already an established archetype, and reducing all your costs by can lead to some quick empty hands, Warren Pilferers for anyone? The boggart decks running around now are a bit aggro-control-ish, with recursion (Harvest, Pilferers, Birth Rite) fueled mid/late games. Harvest isn't a goblin (and neither is Chilling Shade), many goblins cost only collored mana and list is pretty tight as it is. Because of this, it can't utilize the Banneret as well as, par example, Treefolk or Kithkin. This means the deck might need to be revamped if this is worth running in a different kind of built. And I haven't even talked about it's usefullness in Fearies/Rogues. I'm not that keen on a 1/1 hasty fellow for two though. Why isn't Empty the Warrens a Goblin?

CardName: Moonglove Changeling
Cost: 2B
Type: Creature - Shapeshifter
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: Changeling (This card is every creature type at all times.) B: Moonglove Changeling gains deathtouch until end of turn. (Whenever it deals damage to a creature, destroy that creature.)

This is a very nice changeling, that will surely give black based changeling decks a boost. It is a 2/2 "evasive" (as long as you have open, it won't be blocked by creatures that would normally block and live) creature for (like Avian Changeling). On defense it can hold of almost any ground pounder from beating your face in. Nice...

CardName: Morsel Theft
Cost: 2BB
Type: Tribal Sorcery - Rogue
Pow/Tgh: /
Rules Text: Prowl 1B (You may play this for its prowl cost if you dealt combat damage to a player this turn with a Rogue.) Target player loses 3 life and you gain 3 life. If Morsel Theft's prowl cost was paid, draw a card.

The first non-creature for today, and a good one too. A three point drain life that can only hit players for four mana is horribly overpriced. Reduce the cost to and let it cantrip and you have the closest thing PDC will see that can be compared to Lightning Helix. That is, if you can tag your opponent with a Rogue. Foreshadowing into blue; Latchkey Faerie is a very nice Rogue/Prowler too and the Frogtosser cheapens them both. Did you know Looter Il-Kor was a Rogue? And Infiltrator Il-Kor too? And Pilferers, Pestermite and Violet Pall? I shan't go on.

CardName: Pack's Disdain
Cost: 1B
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh: /
Rules Text: Choose a creature type. Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn for each permanent of the chosen type you control.

Hey it also hits creatures that aren't in combat, for a lousy more. I think black has better removal than this, which depends on keeping those saps or goblins in play.

Goblin Player: I target your Aurochs.
Aurochs Player: Ok, I Nameless Inverion your fourth goblin in response.
Goblin Player: &%$*$##@%

CardName: Prickly Boggart
Cost: B
Type: Creature - Goblin Rogue
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: Fear

There are better Goblins, Rogues and one drop evasive creatures. On top of that, there isn't enough Prowl to enable to make this playable.

CardName: Pulling Teeth
Cost: 1B
Type: Sorcery
Pow/Tgh: /
Rules Text: Clash with an opponent. If you win, target player discards two cards. Otherwise, that player discards a card. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of his or her library, then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if his or her card had a higher converted mana cost.)

What was the math on clash again? You'll hit it on average about 40% of the time? That means this discards 0,4 x 2 + 0,6 = 1,4 cards on average. Thats not worth it, I'd rather go for their best card with Distress or pay for Augur of Skulls and Mournwhelk.

CardName: Squeaking Pie Grubfellows
Cost: 3B
Type: Creature - Goblin Shaman
Pow/Tgh: 3/2
Rules Text: Kinship - At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it shares a creature type with Squeaking Pie Grubfellows, you may reveal it. If you do, each opponent discards a card.

There aren't enough playable Shaman (Shamen? Shamans?) and Goblins don't want and need this. Will be sitting in the dug out this season.

CardName: Violet Pall
Cost: 4B
Type: Tribal Instant - Faerie
Pow/Tgh: /
Rules Text: Destroy target nonblack creature. Put a 1/1 black Faerie Rogue creature token with flying into play.

It is a bit expensive removal, even if there is a 1/1 Flyer attached to it. It will probably find a home as a one-off in Faerie Teachings, but that's it.

CardName: Weed-Pruner Poplar
Cost: 4B
Type: Creature - Treefolk Assassin
Pow/Tgh: 3/3
Rules Text: At the beginning of your upkeep, target creature other than Weed-Pruner Poplar gets -1/-1 until end of turn.

Imagine you are the president of some shady country and the US decides to get rid of you. What do they do? They sent in their most trusted, unbribeable assassin. You are at your desk, writing evil plans, surrounded by countless bodyguards and military personel. Suddenly you feel a branch round your neck, pushing all air out of your lungs. What's wrong in this story?

...
...
...

THERE IS A GIANT TREE IN YOUR ROOM!
How did he get past the people? How can a enormous walking Poplar be a sneaky assassin?

I think the card is a bit to highly costed to make a big inpact. Both everyones favorite Thallid and the Witches of Eastwick do the same quicker and more.

This week I'm sending the mic across the Channel, to everyone's favorite WW player, RaiserUK:

Who are you if you're not playing PDC and where are you from?
My name, when it's not Raiser, is Paul. I'm 39 year-old retailer from London, and proud of it (hence the UK). The tag Raiser came about from wanting to advertise that I was a healer in MMORPGs and it stuck. Favourite other games - Warcraft, Civ IV, and the sorely under-appreciated Psychonauts.
What do you enjoy most about MTG?
In a word... turn-based. I think a lot of experienced MTG players forget about the joy of discovering a good old fashioned turn-based game, and the possibilities that the back and forth creates. Tactics are lost in so many *twitchy* games nowadays. I'm looking at you, consoles!
You are new to the entire game? How did you come in contact with MTGO and PDC then?
A RL friend and I wanted to find a PC game, with a deck building element, that we could play against each other over a long period of time. Something that we wouldn't tire of, and MTGO offers that steadily changing arsenal. As I say we opted for commons to keep the cost down, and I came to the PDC community to find other opponents to practise my decks on before returning to that extended duel. As it turns out my RL friend has now turned into my play-tester for MPDC.
On a side note, PDC and even pauper is kind of cryptic for new players. The phrase 'commons only' should be spread around more widely.
What is your favorite format?
Standard PDC. Standard because I'm new to MTG, so I bought the current blocks. PDC because of economics (and player run events!) If PDC is this much fun, why should we feed the corporate wizards by chasing rares??
Your favorite card (non-PDC)?
Really I'm a newbie to MTG and I only own standard commons. I wouldn't know a non-PDC card if it came up and hit me in the face.
What is your favorite deck-archetype (aggro, combo, control, etc.)?
Aggro. I was tempted to enter my first ever tournament by seeing how well Karakusk did with RDW in SPDC 4.03, and being so impressed by KingRitz's WW. Aggro seems unloved for its lack of subtlety, but at the very least it should be appreciated as the entry-level-bait that lures more players to events like MPDC.
If you are such a new player how do you credit your three wins in your first three attempts at competitive play?
A. A great template deck by KingRitz. (It was a guilty pleasure, beating him in my first final. He was very good about it.)
B. Making the right choice for the metagame at that time.
C. Going for a deck that so very very rarely needs a mulligan shouldn't be underappreciated. This is also what kept me coming back to it.
D. Dropping the Blades of The Sixth Pride from the original deck list.
E. Putting a lot of faith in Goldmeadow Harrier.
F. Luck.
Your favorite standard PDC card?
Goldmeadow Harrier! There are too many other targets in WW, so people hate wasting removal on this little 1/1. He's removal that can re-target to the latest big attacker, or he can disable two blockers every second turn when you feel that you can out pace an opposing aggro deck for the win. He's been my humble MVP.
What is/are your favorite deck(s) in standard at the moment? And why?
Storm Control. Super strong against aggro, resilient against counters, and at the flick of a SB switch it becomes a counter deck that can tackle tough combos. Got to respect that.
Yeah, I'm starting get a feel of the deck too, I knew it was good, but couldn't play it. What I'm even more excited about is Morningtide, are you? Are there cards you are anxious to use in standard PDC?
Yes, because it might encourage people to play more casual tribal PDC, and I like tribal fun. Kithkin Zephyrnaut. Kithkins rule. It's "Serra Angel 2/3's of the time!" (What's a Serra Angel?!?)
Just one of magics most iconic creatures!
How would you like to see PDC evolve?
More AotP! The auction part of Alt-PDC 1.08's AotP [with Chris Millar - sypher] event was thrilling. A tiny meta where any deck can win if you get it for the right price. (I couldn't resist getting caught up in the auction and buying my way into an early grave.) An AotP made up from the best of this season's standard decks and held twice, EST and GMT, anyone?
Thanks for your time and the answers to questions I hadn't even asked yet Raiser!

Previous interviews:
53N531/Sensei
icarodx

New Tricks AKA Grimdrifter, as piloted by Boin at MPDC 1.14

Creatures
4 Mournwhelk
4 Mulldrifter
4 Phyrexian Rager
2 Subterreanean Shambler

Spells
4 Mystical Teachings
4 Prismatic Lens
4 Strangling Soot
4 Tendrils of Corruption
2 Grim Harvest
2 Terror

Lands
16 Swamp
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Mountain
4 Island

SIDEBOARD
4 Augur of Skulls
4 Distress
3 Gathan Raiders
2 Subterranean Shambler
2 Terror

Discussion:
I chose this (type of) deck this week because of three things; Grimdrifter qualified two people for play-offs this week, it was placed by four people this week (meaning it gains popularity) and I have some profeciency with the deck myself, piloting it to a top finish. The deck is all about the middle and late game. It tries to survive an early aggro(-control) rush with removal, chumping and mostly Tendrils. After stabilizing almost every card becomes a "I win!", with Drifter and Rager filling your hand, Pit Keeper recycling them, Teachings finding your Harvest and Harvest just being Harvest.

If we look at Boins list, we see that he has adopted red as a tertiary color, as most pilots have done. Red gives you Soot and Shambler, which are critical in todays Storm and aggro infested meta. Some "standard" inclusions are excluded: No Pit Keeper, sideboard Augur and the most expensive 1CC removal spell, Skred, is missing too.

I think Boin has read this weeks Tom LaPille article (Arcane Teachings - Lands are Awesome) very well, because he plays four Pris Lens on top of a whopping 26 lands, which makes half his deck having the sole purpose of mana! The deck is extremely mana hungry, so a high mana count isn't unusual, but thirty mana sources is. He has made good use of this mana: the expensive Mournwhelk and Mystical Teachings have both been upgraded to 4-off (from 2/3-off) and Shambler has main board duty. Playing four Lenses makes you able to drop that 'Whelk or Teachings on turn three, but also helps them get to full potential sooner. Having much mana earlier and more consitantly will also help in getting that single or (who are a bit shy in my build) and will help in Harvesting. This deck is extremely focused on getting enough mana in play and a Harvest in hand to go nuts. Who said you even need Pit Keepers?

The disadvantage of going this route is that you can't go aggro. In "older" builds you sometimes get the Keeper, Rager, Whelk/double removal play that goes unanswered, alowing you to aggro them to death in a few short turns (about 4-5). Not having a two drop that beats for two seriously hampers that plan. Vs. aggro it also functions as an early chump, gaining you the sometimes neccesary 2 life. I also really miss Gutless Ghoul as a repeatable sacrifice outlet. It is very nice vs. aggro, which Boin didn't play last monday.

Previous decks:
Use UR Illusion
GW Changelings

As a final note; MTGO3.0 has been delayed again. The timer has been removed from the homepage and Morningtide will be released on the 2.5 software for sure, on the third of march to be exact. I advise everyone to log in a few games in the new client if the beta is open again, to get acustomed to the new interface. Now you will have some more time for this :D. If you, like most players, find the client too dark and depressing, hamtastic has released two patches in his article, here, to "fix" this.

Untill your next Mulligan!