I agree.

Our problem is that just about every card type in T4 affects creatures. Damage prevention, wrath effects, spot removal, control magic, counterspells, they affect a fatty's ability to hit the board.

A probable solution would be to make it more of a rock, paper, scissors game rather than everything beats creatures. Instead of having a lot of really good versatile cards, it would be interesting to include more specialized ones. For instance, instead of playing with all Thwarts, Desert Twisters, and Vampiric Dragons, mix it up with Annuls, Blue Elemental Blasts, and Northern Paladins. Still include the versatile bombs, but limit them to where they are a first pick gem rather than one of ten in a card type category. Also, by including cards with more narrow uses, it decreases the game's power level, making you more comfortable to play a fatty during your turn.

The first problem that comes to mind is that there aren't enough Annuls and Red Blasts to fill a deck for multiple players. However, look through your old commons boxes, you'd be surprised how many one use, generally bad cards there are.

What are you talking about? Dragon is an excellent metagame choice at the moment. It has an excellent Stax/Workshop matchup, as long as its built right. What scares me is all of the horrible builds I've seen. Let the right person get behind the deck, and it will soar.

We've had a similar discussion to this in the Vintage forum. While he may write for Star City Games, he isn't an authoritative Vintage paragon. So consider your source.

What happens when they side in Iridescent Angel and Pristine Angel and all of the hate just mentioned is worth nothing?

-Let me start off by saying that I am not an Affinity player. My suggestions are coming from logic rather than experience.

-I feel that this build is suboptimal to the traditional Ravager Affinity. You are compromising your explosive power to do cute tricks with Goblin Welder. Above it all, it hasn't exactly molded to the metagame. You still die to Null Rod. However, If you wish to play this variant, I have included a single suggestion.

-I feel that Genesis Chamber should find its way back into the deck. My main argument is that it is a threat, and also has other uses. It provides you with lots of 1/1 tokens and has excellent synergy with the rest of the deck. It is essentially a 2 for 1.

How?

     -Chamber allows Crusher to get very big very fast.
     -Chamber Provides alternate outlets to clamp, so you are not losing important creatures.


-Brian

Excellent Report Ben-

It was unfortunate that I couldn't join you guys in the top eight.
I had a lot of fun heading to Canada despite my extremely bad luck. I had the worst day for magic that I can ever remember, and sadly scrubbed out.
I wanted to stay to see the results, or even beat Josh at Halo   , but I happened to have school the next day. But, after an hour backup at the tunnel, I got home just as late. Figures.

--Brian

@wuaffiliate - These Questions are hypothetical. I am not dismissing all decks except Control Slaver. I am simply brainstorming the possibilities of (1) Drain Slaver becoming a more dominant and widely-played deck and (2) the causes of that effect.

@Dicemanx - This is true. I feel it is a combination of both. Skill plays in very heavily, however deck choice can make or break you. I agree that we will most likely continue to see strength in 4CC and quite possibly Fish.

With World's in our taillights, it is almost second nature for the universal metagame to make some changes. With Control Slaver's recent victory, there will almost indefinately be an upsurge of the archetype. Fish, the supposed "Deck to Beat" at gencon, was anticipated, and in turn capsized by the undertoe. With these matters at hand, I propose a few general questions that have kept me thinking, and with plenty of thought, I hope answers can be found.

(1)--Hypothetically, Drain Slaver may become the deck to watch in the next few months. I do not doubt that it will be commonly played. Its impact, however, is a larger question.  Could we see Oshawa and Food Chain Goblins come out of the closet? Will Slaver be big enough for the metagame to shift to its weakpoints?

(2)--A few weeks ago, Fish was the predominant deck in the format. World's sideboards were undoubtly fixed for the deck. But somehow, it lacked to deliver. Is it possible that with the rise of Control slaver and Workshop style decks, that Fish could fade?

(3)--Four Color Control, what was the leading control deck in type one, was almost absent from the high places at Gencon. Will Slaver take over to become the dominant control Deck in the format?

(4)--With the rise of Slaver and possible fall of Fish, will Tog make a reappearance?

     
     With so many questions in one thread, I ask that you specify which you  are responding to. I hope that this will stur up some brainstorming and give us a jump ahead towards the next few months.

--Brian

@JP

I can see your reasons for Scullclamp, and they make sense. On paper, however, Bazaar looks significantly more effective. It doesn't die to null rod (which has been seeing too much play in the current metagame), and isn't very afraid of wasteland (Crucible).  Your Scullclamp targets are minimal and not creatures that you can afford to lose. Your hope is to reoccur the Elves, not send them to the graveyard for two cards.


The major con to Bazaar is that it is a landdrop. However, that has not stopped the previous Oshawa builds and Madness from abusing its power.

Does fastbond have a place here?

I could be completely wrong, for I have not tested this build. I will promptly do so.

Decline?

It may be true that the rating of Storm dependent decks such as TPS and Draw Seven has been steadily dropping in the current metagame. It may be true that the new archetype of Charbelcher Combo has seen less play.  

But Combo, in general, declining?



I don't think it is.


-One combo deck that has caught my eye lately is Dragon. It is an older archetype that, I feel, has been greatly underlooked.  After Sideboarding, it has logical answers to today's dominant "meta threats" such as Fish, 4CC, and Drain Slaver.  

As it may appear that Tendrils based decks seem to have been phasing out of the format lately, but it is second nature to see a new wave of Combo builds arise.  


---Declining?
     For the moment, maybe. However, tomorrow could be a different story.

Xantid Swarm is especially helpful if it can maintain its position on the board. However, 4CC has plenty of answers to it. I am not saying that Xantid Swarm is useless versus 4CC (Believe me, I know it's good), but Chalice just seems to prevent them from casting answers versus Dragon. But then again, with Brainstorm and Swords gone, you still have eight counterspells to worry about. When I think about it, I'm not sure which one really does make more sense.

First of all, I am glad to see a recent win from Dragon. I am a Michigan local and would have been there if it weren't for work. I had a handful of friends who were able to make it and I was especially dissapointed. I really needed the bazaar because I have made the recent change to Dragon.

The version that I am testing is just U/B. I never thought it important to include green, mind you I am new to the archetype. Is is the splash, in your eyes, worth it for the significane of swarm and the SB deed?

For reanimator tech, I include three Titans in the SB. I have not bothered with the Verdant Forces. Do you think that they serve some significance? If so, what scares you to the point where you need a 7/7 and lots of tokens versus a 7/10 land destroyer?

I have found one of the best cards in my deck to be Deep Analysis. Although I do not know why, I have not run Vampiric or Vault. Maybe a little extra tutor makes more sense than a little extra draw. The DA also works to get a single turn kill with Laquatus.

I have also run Caller of The Claw over Sliver Queen. I like Caller because it doesn't force me to float mana if I don't have it. But, Sliver Queen can work as a beatstick in odd situations. I'll test it.

To sway the discussion a bit, let me talk some sideboard.

There are, of course, the givens..

But I was considering the possibility of adding Ground Seal.
In theory, it looks like moderate hoser as far as welder is concerned. It also puts forth a struggle for Dragon. I'll have to do some testing.