[Deck] Burn

[Khaospawn]

Or you can move Flame Rifts to the side and play Searing Blazes main. Bring the Rifts in against decks where Blaze just isn't good, like against combo and Miracles.

[Jack]

Or you can move Flame Rifts to the side and play Searing Blazes main. Bring the Rifts in against decks where Blaze just isn't good, like against combo and Miracles.

Interesting idea. I think I'll make the decision on that once I get to know all of our matchups a bit better.

[Jack]

I'd go with a second Lavamancer and cut a Ring for a Mountain just because the Ring isn't bros with Price, Fireblast, and Lavamacer. Relic is a fine choice for shrinking Tarmogoyfs (so you can pick them off with Lavamancer), hindering Dredge and Snapcaster, and cycling for more Burn.

Me gusta. 19 Mountain, 1 Ring, 2 Lavaman and 2 Relic.

[Jack]

Sulfuric Vortex is a very, very tough card to evaluate. I'm pretty sure I want exactly 2, but, as a double-edged sword, it's really hard to see where this is good/bad.

[Jack]

Good vs. decks that aren't great at generating a board presence

[Jack]

And probably still good vs. everything else.

[Khaospawn]

Vortex is a tremendous card. A resolved Jitte or Batterskull can mean the end of a game for you and the Vortex really applies the pressure for the opponent. It works great in tandem with Lava Man too - they take 2, and then another 2 from Grimmy. If you can resolve it against Miracles, it's hard to lose that match too.

[Jack]

That's a big if, though, because by the time you have 3 lands out, they're leaving mana up for countermagic every turn.

[Khaospawn]

Well, that's the risk you take, lol. It's a reason why Vexing Shusher is so clutch against them.

Don't play scared, Jack. But also know that there is a big difference between playing scared and playing stupid. Just evaluate their position. If you suspect they have the countermagic, throw fire at them on their turn to try to draw out that counter and then play it your turn. Battling a Blue Mage is all about dancing, if you will. You can make them play YOUR game if you're smart enough. Draw their counters out, force them to tap out or fight over something irrelevant. Timing is everything.

[Khaospawn]

I can't tell you how many times I've beaten Blue Mages at their own game, even by playing draw-go with them. Eventually they will HAVE to make a move if they want to win. Look at it like a Western gunfight - whoever blinks first loses.

[BlakLanner]

You definitely want some graveyard hate, Relic serves fine in that regard. I am not sure if you really need the Pillars since you already have Eidolon. I play Mindbreak Trap as "don't lose on turn 1" insurance that also helps against a fringe matchup or two. Pyroblast isn't bad but I don't think we need it. It only really helps against OmniTell and High Tide. Most other blue spells we either ignore or aren't worth losing a burn spell over. We play reactive cards like Bridge because they shut down the opponent nearly completely. I don't consider that diluting our deck.

As for the last main deck card, I am always fond of having a third Vortex. More ways to shut down DRS/Batterskull lifegain is always useful.

Edit - 1900 posts after I started this one, will review.

[Khaospawn]

If you play 3 Vortex main, I strongly recommend staying at 20 land. Or even 21 if you're playing fetches.

[BlakLanner]

He is on 20 lands. He should be fine with 3 Vortexes. I really don't like the Barbarian Rings. Interesting idea with the Rift/Blaze swap. That just might work.

[Jack]

Oh, draw-go is my favorite way to play against Miracles. Once you consider that we have more burn spells than they have counterspells, you realize that we're heavily favored unless they land countertop.

Miracles
Our key cards:
Sulfuric Vortex
Eidolon of the Great Revel
Pyrostatic Pillar
Pyroblast
Vexing Shusher
Copious burn spells

Their key cards:
Sensei's Divining Top (also very hard to kill)
Counterbalance
Counterspell
Stoneforge Mystic package (since they should never get to untap with Mystic)
Council's Judgement (note: we can't do shit against this)
Snapcaster Mage (simply because he's copies 5-8 of their important spells. Also a kill-on-sight card, unless you're nearly certain you have them dead in 3 turns, since it prevents us from playing draw-go)

I really don't know exactly how to side against this deck, though. I think it's right to cut a number of Price of
Progress, since they'll try to play around it early. Smash to Smithereens might be useful here, but I'm not sure if it's consistent enough to merit its inclusion (since they won't always have an artifact that we can remove). Cutting a lavamancer might be correct, since they have a lot of removal and not many creatures. Maybe -4 Price of Progress -1 Lavamancer +2 Pyroblast +2 Pyrostatic Pillar +1 Vexing Shusher.

[BlakLanner]

I actually keep my default 60 against them. The only cards I would consider are Vexing Shusher and Pyroblast (if you can trap them into tapping their Top and blowing up the Counterbalance in response). Neither of those are in my current 75.

[Khaospawn]

Smash and Shusher are what you want. You want to kill their Tops if you can.

[Jack]

I'm pretty much viewing Pyrostatic Pillar as a superior Price of Progress against Miracles, since Miracles is easily able to function by fetching basics rather than duals.

[Jack]

Smash and Shusher are what you want. You want to kill their Tops if you can.

Smash = Deglamer, I guess.

[BlakLanner]

Smash and Shusher are what you want. You want to kill their Tops if you can.

Smash = Deglamer, I guess.

Nope. What you do is you force them to tap their Top (usually to counter a 1 or flip a Terminus). Same way you would deal with Counterbalance.

[Khaospawn]

Decent little article I found on Sally: http://themeadery.org/articles/philosop ... ount-to-20

And another for Jack: http://themeadery.org/articles/fetchland-less-burn

[Khaospawn]

Actually there is a whole slew of good articles written by that dude. I'm reading the one on Blood vs Blaze and sideboarding now...

[Jack]

I just read the second one before checking this page, actually. 2 Figures are now in the deck.

[Jack]

The list he comes up with at the end looks pretty bad, though. Sudden Shock is a joke, not to mention completely unnecessary when he has 2 Barbarian Rings in there.

[Khaospawn]

I said they were good articles, not great . lol

[Khaospawn]

Figured it would all be good food for thought.

[Jack]

They were all good, I just wasn't a fan of his list.

[BlakLanner]

Such discussion is almost always healthy. The more information we have, the better our decision can be.

[Jack]

Aaaand figures are now out of the deck. The card is entirely too slow, and this deck can't play like Delver, landing a threat and trying to protect it.

[Khaospawn]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Figures in Legacy. Their time was over a year, year and a half ago.

[magicdownunder]

Since I was practicing for MOCS1 (standard) I now have a stupid amount of QPs, so if anyone whats to practice Legacy in a highly competitive environment (MOCS: Prelims) let me know the dates are:

All times listed are in Pacific Time (for UTC, add 7 hours)
Sep 3, 8:30 p.m.
Sep 4, 8:30 a.m.
Sep 4, 4:30 p.m.
Sep 5, 8:30 a.m.
Sep 5, 12:30 p.m.
Sep 5, 4:30 p.m.

You won't get any prizes for this so you only do this for bragging and practices rights.

The finals are on:
Sep 06, 7:00 a.m.

^I'll split whatever payouts you win for that event (I won't play this one because I can't stand legacy).

P.S. You don't have too play burn if you don't want too if you have access too other cards by all means run them .

[BlakLanner]

How many points do you have, MDU? I will play in the finals as you requested two weeks ago.

[magicdownunder]

How many points do you have, MDU? I will play in the finals as you requested two weeks ago.

I think I have enough for enter in the finals + 2 practice runs (if you win a practice run you get another 35 point (which is a spot in the finals or another 2 practice runs) for even more practice runs )

Interested in a practice run BlakLanner? (note I don't have any legacy cards so you might need two computer to trade back and forth (or I could be able to borrow a list if you can list the cards you need)).

[BlakLanner]

Damn, really racked up the Rupees there. I will let other people take the prelims. No need for me to get greedy.

[magicdownunder]

Damn, really racked up the Rupees there. I will let other people take the prelims. No need for me to get greedy.

I think only you and Khaos are interested in playing legacy online (on a ongoing basis, I know purp also played it once but I think that was for practice mainly), thus I highly recommend taking at least one practice run before the event .

[BlakLanner]

If there are points free, you know I will. I just wanted to give everyone else a chance first. My deck being greedy doesn't mean that I have to be.

[Jack]

My last game went like this:
Hand: Goblin Guide, Goblin Guide, Fireblast, Chain Lightning, Pyrostatic Pillar, Flame Rift, Mountain
Him: Bayou
Me: Draw Mountain, Goblin Guide, swing
Him: Cavern, name elf, GSZ for Llanowar Elf
Me: Draw Guide, Goblin Guide, Goblin Guide, swing, no blocks, he's at 12
Him: Gaea's Cradle, NO for Progenitus
Me: Draw Lightning Bolt, swing, block, he's at 8, Flame Rift, Fireblast, gg with 6 damage and a Pyrostatic Pilar in hand.

Turn 3 win facing a Progenitus. Feels good, man.

[Jack]

I'm also only 2 Chain Lightnings and a few SB cards away from owning this deck in paper, which is nice.

[Valdarith]

My paper deck is all foiled out with the exception of the fetches, Eidolons, three Guides, and Sulfuric Vortex. Yeah, I still have a little bit to go.

[Jack]

It helps that most of our cards are either only playable in burn or available in a premium deck (or both).

[Jack]

I'll probably start picking up the <$10 foils once I have the deck as complete as I want it (Mindbreak Traps, Bridges and Chain Lightnings, then maybe fetches).