[Premium Article] Manaless Ichorid v. Meandeck Gifts - Matchup Analysis

[Smmenen]

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/13516.html

I played 10 games of Meandeck Gifts (using Heatheringtons variant with 2 repeals to give me a slight edge over regular MDG) versus Manaless Ichorid.

The results are here.   I post the play-by-play, summarize each facet of the game in a summary chart at the end, and then draw conclusions about:

* The hardest plays on the part of the Ichorid player (I rank them) - I promise that the most important and hardest play from the Ichorid player is not what you think.
* I measure the impact of Colossus and draw a surprising conclusion on Colossus' effectiveness.   
* I evaluate how effective each disruption spell is and rank them by importance. 


Also, this is the longest article I've ever written for SCG.  It weighed in at 50 pages in Word, single spaced!

[Moxlotus]

Ok, so I haven't really cared much about Gifts OR Ichorid articles, but this one was awesome.  I loved your chart at the end and the conclusions reached.  Ichorid is a force and will change the metagame.

[desolutionist]

 

It weighed in at 50 pages in Word, single spaced!

You're insane.

[Mr. Nightmare]

Excellent article as always, Steve.

[Smmenen]

Thanks for the complements. 

Ok, so I haven't really cared much about Gifts OR Ichorid articles, but this one was awesome.  I loved your chart at the end and the conclusions reached.  Ichorid is a force and will change the metagame.

Well, my plan is to write alot more about Ichorid.

Next week is where I unveil my mana ichorid list.   Then I'll be writing a Planar Chaos set review.   Then I will either write a Legacy article or another Ichorid matchup article.  I'm leaning toward Pitch Long v. Mana Ichorid.  If you (or anyone) has another suggestion you'd like to see, I'd be happy to entertain the idea.   

[Neonico]

It was a very interesting article, with some very interesting plays to learn. But if i can critic something, i would say that you choose a very irrevelant mathcup IMO. Its, as stated in the article conclusion, one of the easiest matchup to wion for manaless ichorid. IMO, aggro controle and Combo matchups are alot more interesting to test. As for the controle matchup, i think that decks like Dry slaver are perhaps more interesting, because they got stronger weapons than MDG to fight ichorid game 1.

On a side note, you seem to allways have a very strong hand when playing this deck (you mulliganed really a few games, and started alot of games with bazaar + one or 2 peice of disruption, especially alot of games with Bazaar/Leyline/Chalice) DO you think its really revelant of the real strenght and speed of the deck ? (another interesting thing would be to know if you do those tests with real cards or apprentice ? I think that the Real life shuffle and computer shuffle are really different and it can impact the cards order games after games.)

Thanx alot by the way for your investement and the information you gave about this deck.
I really really want to read your evolutions about the mana ichorid lists because its the one i prefer.

[Polynomial P]

Excellent article. Mana-less ichorid has to be one of the scariest matchups for most decks because the disruption packages common to Vintage are nearly useless against it. Sideboard hate is the only way to stop it, and even then it depends on going first (for tormods crypt) or the SB plan for ichorid (whether they have leyline hate or riftstone portal/ray of rev/ancient grudge).

IRL the manaless ichorid rarely goes less than 6 cards, so i think these games were relevant to real life testing. Also, if you give a bad player ichorid or oath they will win games. If you give a good player ichorid or oath, they will T8 in tournaments. It is an easier deck to play than say...combo, but i would estimate that it is more difficult to play than fish.

[Moxlotus]

I'm leaning toward Pitch Long v. Mana Ichorid. 

This is the exact article I was going to suggest, except for the mana part.  Do you think the manaless versions will be more popular than those which have mana maindeck?

[Smmenen]

I'm leaning toward Pitch Long v. Mana Ichorid. 

This is the exact article I was going to suggest, except for the mana part.  Do you think the manaless versions will be more popular than those which have mana maindeck?

Manaless Ichorid has a horrible pitch long matchup and it would be as big of a blow-out as this article.   

Part of the motivation for this article was so that people could see the deck in action more than an actual analysis of the matchup.   

When I turn to the Pitch Long match, I don't think it would be as valuable to see a one-sided blow out.  Mana Ichorid, at least my particular list, has a decent combo match.   Thus, that's what I'll show. 

[policehq]

Mana Ichorid also has a bit more timelessness to it, similar to Dragon. Manaless Ichorid is kept in check by so many cards it doesn't have answers to.

I'm curious to know if Steve plays Sutured Ghoul in Mana Ichorid lists. I personally don't favor it because Ashen Ghouls add so much to the beatdown that Laquatus's Champion has NEVER failed to seal the game when he is Returned. This is out of 100+ games. He also requires significantly less cards to play.

-hq

[Smmenen]

Mana Ichorid also has a bit more timelessness to it, similar to Dragon. Manaless Ichorid is kept in check by so many cards it doesn't have answers to.

I'm curious to know if Steve plays Sutured Ghoul in Mana Ichorid lists. I personally don't favor it because Ashen Ghouls add so much to the beatdown that Laquatus's Champion has NEVER failed to seal the game when he is Returned. This is out of 100+ games. He also requires significantly less cards to play.

-hq

In three days my article should be up.  At that point, it wil be interesting to discuss the merits of various options you've just discussed.  They really deserve their own thread. 

[Corvel]

Great article, I think it is becoming clear that this deck will have format altering effects.  It will be very interesting to see how all of this plays out.  It's my thought that decks will be forced to run main deck answers to Manaless Ichorid to be able to compete against it.  This was a very informative article that shed some light on how potent this deck truly is.

[WillD]

I played against a Gifts deck recently. Game one I believe I won on turn 4 or 5 after stripping his hand free of counters.

Games two and three he boarded in Leyline and mulliganed (Down to 3 in game 2) into it and I just had no answers. Is there a way to play around Leyline?

[Smmenen]

You can't play around it, but you can sideboard in answers and land to play answers.

[Oedipus]

Would it be better to play Gigapede instead of Shambling Shell to put dredge creatures back if Bazaar is destroyed?