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1  Eternal Formats / Creative / Re: Chalice/Sui on: August 17, 2006, 05:15:43 pm
Unfortunately I have not been able to do much testing against top tier decks over the last year or so.  That being said, looking at many of the results from top tournaments (Waturbury, Rochester, etc..), Suicide black seems like a very solid choice in today's metagame.  Suicide traditionally rolled over control, aggro control and had the best game you could expect from aggro against combo (not that this means much).

I think the most critical shift in type one since the days when suicide was considered a legitimate option has been the introduction of fetchlands, which since GAT, have been critical to the success of most top tier decks.  Aggro decks were hurt most by fetchlands because their mana denial strategies became less effective.  I think in order to make the most of Suicide today, one or more colors has to be splashed, limiting yourself to one color when fetchlands can smooth any mana base is a mistake.

I have been tinkering with a Suicide deck that used a white splash, for Jotun Grunt, Kataki and Swords.   Jotun Grunt fits well with the suicide creature strategy, and considering the abundance of discard, fetchlands and cheap cantrips, it should have no problem hitting for 8-12 damage.  Against some decktypes the Grunt can end the game on its own.  Suicide also suffers greatly in the stax matchup because of black's lack of artifact removal, which Kataki and white in general helps alleviate.  Swords stops Collosus, and can be applied to enough other matchups to justify 1-2 maindeck spots.

Nantuko Shade, Phyrexian Negator and Dark Confidant should round out the creature base.  Shade and Negator end games in a hurry, and are the reason why this deck should have the advantage in a metgame of 2/2's for 2.  Fish are not fast enough to stop either fatty, and burn has left the meta completely.  Confidant is also an excellent gift for the deck, providing needed spells while not slowing the clock.  A friend of mine used to use Phyrexian Arena with very good results, and this is vastly superior.

I am still not set on a preffered set of disruption.  Duress is an obvious four of, and I also like four Hymns.  I think that Sinkhole however is a mistake.  It can no longer be used to effectively shut off a particular color and is too slow to stop anything in today's type one.  I would still encourage mana denial through Sphere of Resistance and Trinishphere, cards which are far more effective against storm and cantripy decks in general.

I don't have a very good list right now, but just some thoughts I have been working with.
2  Eternal Formats / Creative / Black Hole a Variant to Chalice Black, Better or not? on: February 04, 2004, 05:52:55 pm
I have been working on a suicide variant for the new metagame recently because it can be built successfully without power, and is strong against control and combo to some degree, two popular deck types right now.  First here is my list:

4- Shade
4- Negator
4- Wretch
4- Flesh Reaver

4- Duress
4- Hymn
4- Sinkhole
3- Null Rod

1- Yawgmoth's Win
1- Demonic Tutor
1- Demonic Consaultation

4- Dark Ritual
4- Wasteland
1- Strip Mine
17 Swamp

Sideboard:
4- Chalice of the void
4- Sphere of Resistance
3- Masticore
3- Powder Keg
1- Sol Ring

    This list is basicly an unpowered build of Legend Black, but with a diferent sideboard.  Wretches are now more powerful than shades, they are cheaper and stop AK, Survival, Dragon, and Squee- Bazaar.  Negators and Reavers hope to end the game as quickly as possible, before scepter can hit or your oponent can recover and go off.  Duress is a bomb, and hymn is still a powerhouse, especially when you see the useless stifles that were once misdirections hit an opponents graveyard.
   
    Mana bases are becoming more and more varied with top decks normally running at least 3-4 colors (Tog, Keeper, venguer masque and scepter control).  Wastelands are almost never dead and even when faced with mis-d sink holes are not card disadvantage (although the tempo setback can be a pain).  The null rods stop moxen and more importantly in my meta, scepter and mask, which can each devistate a sui deck when active.
   
    The side board is largely a result of my needing to do more testing, but contains a number of bombs against various decks.  Chalice is powerful against both cheap weenie (sligh and stompy that sui hasn't fared well against game one) and combo decks.  It can also be played for one to stop brainstorm and swords.  The sphere can hurt combo, control and fast aggro, but I wonder it it is needed along side chalice.  Has anyone tested trini-sphere in sui?  I doubt the manabase could support it.  Finally the masticores and kegs are there to give you a chance against what are probably the deck's worst matchups, tnt and mask respectively.

    I wonder if R/B is the best way to go, as you gain Blood Moons and Rack and Ruin for your two worst matchups.  My major question is which is most powerful in suicide maindeck, null rod, chalice, keg or sphere?
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