Gr0-ing myself a'Tog in T1

[Doom]

Well this is yet another shot at a deck that is doing relatively well in the current meta, any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks

The Mana: 17
4 Underground Sea
4 Tropical Island
4 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire

Draw: 6
4 Brainstorm
1 LoA
1 Ancestral Recall

Denial: 11
3 Counterspell
4 FoW
4 Misdirection

Tutor/Etc: 14
1 Regrowth
1 Yawgs Will
1 Time Walk
1 Cunning Wish
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
3 Sleight of Hand
3 Merchant Scroll
1 Fast Bond

Beats: 12
3 Togs
4 Quirion Dryads
1 Gush
4 Beserk

SideBoard: 15
4 Duress
3 Smother
3 Naturalize
????????
???????

I need a SB, thanks

[Doom]

Fact or Fiction?

[firebird365]

What's the deal with 4 MD Berserk? I guess you could try it, but I don't think your creatures will last long if you keep Berserking them.

[Klep]

Fact or Fiction is restricted for a reason, you should be running it.

I suggest going down to 1 Berkserk and putting it in your board, filling the slots main with Fact or Fiction and 3 Duresses.  4 Misdirection is also really high.  I recommend going down to 2 and replacing those with another 2 Wishes.

For your board, Oxidize and Naturalize are good options, as is Coffin Purge for Dragon. You may also wish to consider Stifle and Skeletal Scrying.

[Doom]

Alright thanks for the help guys.

The Mana: 18
4 Underground Sea
4 Tropical Island
4 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire

Draw: 6
4 Brainstorm
1 LoA
1 Ancestral Recall

Denial: 11
3 Counterspell
4 FoW
3 Misdirection
1 FoF

Tutor/Etc: 14
1 Regrowth
1 Yawgs Will
1 Time Walk
1 Cunning Wish
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
3 Sleight of Hand
3 Merchant Scroll
1 Fast Bond

Beats: 9
3 Togs
4 Quirion Dryads
1 Gush
1 Beserk

SideBoard: 15
4 Duress
3 Smother
3 Naturalize
2 Coffin Purge
2 Skeletal Scrying
1 Stifle


I still have two slots should I put in some T1 staples like Wastland or Strip minr or should I add extra swamp and island?

[Flurp™]

You need to make better use of wishes.  I would cut 2 merchant scrolls, berserk, and FoF for 2 wishes, 2 duress, and put berserk and FoF in side.

[Klep]

No, Fact or Fiction should stay main.  In this deck it's just too good to leave in the board.  It definitely needs a couple more wishes though, and some MD Duresses.  Move Berserk to the board, add 2 Wishes, cut 2 Scrolls, and move 3 Duress main.  You probably only need one Scrying in the board, as you should be able to draw enough cards off one to win.  You should also consider an Oxidize or two for your board, and maybe consider Deed.

[illuzion]

I'm just a scrub and all, but from the few times I've played post-restriction GAT, the following comes to mind:

1. No Duress in the main?
2. Sleight of Hand?  Couldn't you run something more useful?  How about AK (sorely missing, methinks)?
3. Only 1 Wish?  I  think Berserk belongs in the board.  And besides, re-using AKs with some help from Tog is one of the more powerful things you can do with GAT.  I wasn't incredibly impressed with Gush, so I'm tempted to run another Wish in its place.
4. Fastbond...?  Um... how is that working without 4 Gushes?  I'm not going to badmouth it, since I've not tested it... I'm genuinely curious.


Here's my build, for reference:

2 Flooded Strand
1 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
3 Polluted Delta
1 Strip Mine
4 Tropical Island
4 Underground Sea
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
3 Psychatog
1 Demonic Tutor
3 Duress
1 Mind Twist
1 Yawgmoth's Will
4 Accumulated Knowledge
1 Ancestral Recall  
3 Brainstorm  
2 Cunning Wish
4 Force of Will
1 Gush
2 Intuition
3 Mana Drain  
2 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor  
1 Time Walk
4 Quirion Dryad
1 Regrowth

I'm not a great player... but the lack of AKs bothered me enough to post... I draw soooo many cards off AKs with my build...

[Hi-Val]

You don't seem to have a draw engine in the deck. The way GAT wins is to crap out a dryad and then pump it with a lot of spells. When the spells that you cast do not draw you more cards, it becomes hard to push that dryad up. I suggest the AK engine if you don't see any Tog, but I find that the Thirst For Knowledge/Deep Analysis combo is far superior.

What kind of metagame do you see? If you're not seeing a lot of sui black and sligh, it might be better to cut Misdirections for more draw or better counters.

[Squee]

First off, posting a decklist with no card explanation isn't a good thing and makes everyone angry.  Also, try to avoid posting things like

Fact or Fiction?

That isn't really asking a question and doesn't tell us what you are thinking of doing with it.  

You seem to be fully powered, where's the Drains?(which replace Counterspell)

You should also up your Cunning Wish count as their are very important to get that Oxidize, berserk or Coffin Purge thats needed.  

Ultima has sworn by Thirst/Deep Analysis in GAT and I use it myself in Dryad-Hate, it just works out much better in aggro-control to opimize your hand and set up a Tog or Dryad kill.  In addition, 3 Merchant Scroll is too many.  You usually only use it to find Ancestral, Wish or maybe Time Walk but 3 clogs your deck up.  I'd cut 2 of them for 2 more Wishes.  Then, to be able to fit in the Thirst engine I'd cut 1 Fastbond, 3 Sleight of Hand and Vampiric Tutor to add in 3 Thirst and 2 Deep Analysis.  The Vampiric should go to the sideboard to be used as a Wish target.  And finally I'd move the Berserk to the sideboard in order to play the 4th Drain.  

@Hi-Val

What kind of metagame do you see? If you're not seeing a lot of sui black and sligh, it might be better to cut Misdirections for more draw or better counters.

Who plays Suicide anymore or at all?   Actually, Misdirection is very viable without much Sligh or Sui.  As seen in more recent top 8s many of the decks play 4 Force fo Will which makes Misdirection better.

[Tank]

I agree with the others, you need AK and more wishes. Here're my suggestions:

Also, if you can, lose the counterspells and add Mana drain- I'd personally lose the three counterspells and a misdirection in favor of them, also consider losing the remaining two misdirections in favour of a Mindtwist (wreaks havoc after a drain!) and a fourth Cunning wish.

Mainboard:

Lose:

3 Sleight of Hand (ugh!)
3 Merchant Scroll (why? it's sorcery and rarely easy to use)
1 Fast Bond (with only 1 gush, this baby won't help you- use tyhe gush for giving your 'Tog +6/+6!)
1 Misdirection (3 is still overkill, I find I rarely use them and actually cut them completely)

Add:

2 Intuition
4 Accumulated Knowledge
2 Cunning wish


I'd also consider losing a swampand a tropical islandin favour of a Stripmine and a Wasteland and filling the last two slots with two more wastelands.

SideBoard:

Lose:

1 Smother (edict gets morphling which is sometimes necessary)
2 Naturalize (why three???)
1 Coffin Purge (you only need one! it works twice!)
1 Duress

Add:

1 Berserk (wishing for it is often easiest)
1 Oxidize (cheaper, so with 4 mana you can wish and play it the same turn- also, it can't be regenerated and has a different casting cost than naturalize which gets around things like chalice)
1 Diabolic Edict (gets around morphling)
2 Ground Seal (great agaianst dragon and welder-decks, as they rarely have any way to get rid of enchantments- and it's a Cantripp!)

[Doom]

Sorry, I am a bit new to T1 and appreciate the help, thanks guys!


The Mana: 16
4 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island
4 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire

Draw: 6
4 Brainstorm
1 LoA
1 Ancestral Recall

Denial: 11
3 Mana Drain
4 FoW
2 Misdirection

Tutor/Disruption/Etc: 19
3 Duress
2 Cunning Wish
2 Intuition
3 AK
1 Regrowth
1 Yawgs Will
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
2 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 FoF

Beats: 8
3 Togs
4 Quirion Dryads
1 Gush

SideBoard: 15
1 Mind Twist
1 Smother
2 Naturalize
1 Oxidize
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Coffin Purge
1 Beserk
1 Skeletal Scrying
1 Stifle
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Misdirection
1 Mana Drain
2 Ground Seal


This is the revised decklist, I couldnt fit in the Thirst/Deep Analysis combo but the decks working ok right now. Suggestions greatly appreciated, Thanks.

[firebird365]

How's your mana base working out? It seems that with only 16 sources (plus Wastes and Strips), you're cutting it really close.

In my opinion, you need to run 4 Drains; the tempo boost is basically what makes these decks tick. On a similar note, run 4 AK; they just get worse with each one you take out.

I would consider taking out the following cards:

[MD]
Intuition: A lot of people have began cutting this card; it wasn't in the 1st place build at Waterbury, but it's really up to you.

Regrowth: The deck is really, really tight; I think better things could be used for this slot.

Wastelands: I don't think you can afford to run Land Destruction; I would actually replace these with Stifles (I'd play 3 MD if you can) to stop opposing LD.

[Doom]

The Mana: 18
4 Underground Sea
4 Tropical Island
4 Polluted Delta
2 Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire

Draw: 6
4 Brainstorm
1 LoA
1 Ancestral Recall

Denial: 12
4 Mana Drain
4 FoW
2 Misdirection

Tutor/Disruption/Etc: 15
3 Duress
2 Cunning Wish
4 AK
1 Regrowth
1 Yawgs Will
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 FoF
1 Mind Twist

Beats: 8
3 Togs
4 Quirion Dryads
1 Gush

SideBoard: 13
1 Smother
2 Naturalize
1 Oxidize
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Coffin Purge
1 Beserk
1 Skeletal Scrying
3 Stifle
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Misdirection
2 Ground Seal


Shall I consider Wasteland or Strip Mine?

[xzero]

It's pretty standard for the 3 color GAT builds to run 8 correct duals, and 2 basic islands.  (Add a Tropical Island and an Island.)

[Tank]

@ firebird:

I don't know his current meta, but usually wastelands are crucial! They allow for mana-denial in multicolored decks but, most importantly, allow you to take out Maze of Ith's and Mishra's Factoris and that kind of stuff. Especially killing the mazes is a huge priority when playing tog!

[Doom]

Is maze of Ith currently largely played?

[Squee]

Only certain control decks sideboard it or maybe maindeck a single copy of it.  Fish and Landstill, which have trouble versus aggro usually sideboard it.

[xzero]

Time Walk owns Maze of Ith.

[Ultima]

As does Stifle which is more versatile and a SB must.

Wastelands are ineffective in GAT and strip isn't necassary.

[Doom]

Hows Cabal Therapy in this deck?

[Pest]

I think Cabal Therapy is terrible in GAT, IMO. It contributes nothing to the deck, and flashing it is the worst thing like ever. I don't mean to sound like a dick, but Cabal Therapy is one of the last cards I would consider playing in the deck. But that's just me.

A card I would like to bring up now is Fastbond. How good is it really in the deck? I always liked it, but I've been told by some ppl it's meh in GAT. I can get some pretty sick Yawg Will's off with Fastbond in play. I always thought it was one of those cards that was part of the deck and was a given that you played it...but perhaps I'm mistaken. Can anybody help me on this one?

[Doom]

@ Pest

Fastbond is not widely played not because of the restriction of the Gush engine, and its not really worth it for just 1 card like Yawgs Will.  So I'd like to play it but I dont there are better things than wasteing a slot on Fastbond

How bout Deed or Future Sight?

Double post merged.
-Jacob

[Pest]

Future Sight is ass in GAT. The mana base can't support it well enough, and without Fastbond, it makes it even worse. Future Sight brings nothing to the table, and it almost always a dead card. Even if you do get it out, by the time that happens, your already winning so its no longer needed.

As for Deed, its a great SB card, but I'm not too sure about the MD. Your Dryads are only 2 Castting cost, and you often want to pop it for 1 or 2, and in which case you may end up haveing to destroy your well pumped Dryad if you do so, MDing Deed IMO is not completely necessary, but its something worth considering at the least. It all depends on the Meta I guess.

[Tank]

Like I said, I have no clue as to your metagame. However, in thes eparts, people like playing fish and stuff (mainly due to the tournies being sanctioned=lots of people don't have P9). This in turn means tons of mazes making wastelands necessary. Also, the mana-denial they sometimes allow you is NOT to be underestimated!

As for deed, I play tweo main and one SB, but again, that's largly due to the fish-type decks (and gayred and all that kind of stuff). If your metagame does not contain significant numbers of mass-creature decks, I'd probably just have one or two SB...

[Doom]

Well I have playtested and fixed it up a bit.

The Mana: 18
4 Underground Sea
4 Tropical Island
4 Polluted Delta
2 Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire

Draw Engines: 12
4 Brainstorm
4 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Deep Analysis
1 LoA
1 Ancestral Recall

Denial: 10
4 Mana Drain
4 FoW
2 Misdirection

Tutor/Disruption/Etc: 12
3 Duress
2 Cunning Wish
1 Regrowth
1 Yawgs Will
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 FoF
1 Mind Twist

Beats: 8
3 Togs
4 Quirion Dryads
1 Gush

SideBoard: 15
1 Smother
2 Naturalize
1 Oxidize
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Coffin Purge
1 Beserk
1 Skeletal Scrying
3 Stifle
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Misdirection
2 Ground Seal

The AK Engine sucks TfK and DA are alot better and more reliable and its just Gass in Tog.

[Squee]

Your deck is too mana light.  You are only running 19 sources in an aggro-control deck that usually runs 21.  By adding in TFK and Deep Analysis you bump up your mana curve.  You are going to just have to sideboard Duress as 2 need to be cut for mana sources and the other 1 can be  Misdirection.

[Doom]

I find the Duresses a must. They can totally ruin your opponents game plan. Alhough, I know this change in the mana base is essential, but the Duress and Misdirection again I find absolutely essential. Is there something else that I should Take/Side out?  LoA, Mind Twist, FoF....? Thanks for the imput