[Article] Optimizing Intuition Slaver, by Rich Shay

[Dralock]

I would still say edicts are the best choice though right now in my meta Cranial Extraction is seeing a lot of play.

Extraction is nice if you can get it off before they put an oath down.  But otherwise its an overcosted jester's cap that doesn't do the same amount and can only be used once.

I still say echoing truth is going to be the best bet, since edict only gives it back to them.  That way they have to brainstorm it back in to their deck to get it out.  Since you can't really hope to rely on getting black mana 1st turn AND your edict game 2, it would seem that staying blue would be a better answer.

@eddie

Or wonder, heh.

[jazzykat]

Is there a card that removes flying from all creatures? That way you can block with oath creatures and have your own Mofo to oath up next turn.

Gravity Sphere. But seriously, I wouldn't look that far. If you're not careful someone might suggest Island of Wak-Wak.

Eddie= My hero

Island of WakWak I have 2 of them Mu ha ha, now I have a reason to bring them out in competitive play. Fuck flyers!

[forests failed you]

Tormod's Crypt is not good against Oath because they almost always set a Chalice of the Void to Zero against Slaver to try and Stunt its Mana excel and ruin its Yawgmoth's Will.  Ideally the key is to stop them from resolving Oath of Druids, however it is difficult because it comes down fast and they have lots of hate the slows down your game plan long enough that they can get it down and combo you out. 

Windfall and I agree although Slaver can randomly win game one with a good counter draw, Oath has too much hate to reliably win game one through all of Oath's maindeck hate.  Therefore, the game plan should be to have enough hate in the board to win games two, and three.

I really think that edict is an awful idea because they have blessings and will just Oath their creature back up next turn; and obviously the Chalices inhibit your ability to play Crypt.  Echoing Truth is a strictly better card in this Matchup because it can hit Oath or Creatures.  Plus, once Akroma is in their hand they have to find a brainstorm to put her back down.  Truth buys you more time to set up your board.  Also, Island of Wak-Wak and Maze of Ith are terrible in this matchup because Oath plays maindeck Wastelands and Strip Mine. 

I think that the key is to use Goblin Bombardment to stop them from Oathing, EVER. 

Ideally, we considered the possibility of boarded out our Welders, Slavers, and creatures for Blessings, Bombardments, Echoing Truth and Anti-Oath creatures.

However, this strategy was two fold, you want something that you can Oath up and win with, but you also want something you can Oath up and use to deal with their threats if they have already Oathed.  Which is why we considered Clockwork Dragon, because she laughs at Akroma, gets bigger every turn and sits there until you Truth their creature and swing for leathal; and/or can't be Killed by Hydra, and Races Hydra.  Anyways, that was the justification behind Dragon.
I'm not advocating it, nor do I think Windfall is, we just tested it.

I merely think that by Bringing up our discussion of Clockwork Dragon, Windfall was just trying to point out how people put down an idea without having the foresight to think it, or test it, all the way through.  (Earlier in the post a bunch of people talk about what a dumb ass some kid was for playing Dragon).

Also, Duplicant isn't very good because it doesn't do shit against Ancient Hydra, (they kill it in response) and they have Furnace to stop you from Recuring it Via boarded in Blessings.

[nataz]

why use Goblin Bombardment when you can use spawning pit? Pit can be welding back into play, and has the added bonus of creating free weld targets, all the while taking care of the tokens generated by orchard. Not to mention you don't have to worry about having a volc to play it.

true, it doesn't damage the oath player, but I'd rather have it post SB if oath is really bringing in chalices to stop your moxen.

EE also was fairly solid for me. Easy to set at two for oath and ground seal, and only two colorless mana to blow. It can also be welded back it to take care of spirit tokens in a pinch.

[Rico Suave]

why use Goblin Bombardment when you can use spawning pit? Pit can be welding back into play, and has the added bonus of creating free weld targets, all the while taking care of the tokens generated by orchard. Not to mention you don't have to worry about having a volc to play it.

If the purpose of this SB card is to kill creatures, then what does it matter if Spawning Pit can make weld targets if Welder itself is a creature? 

[Windfall]

It's true, Spawning Pit has merits in Control Slaver because the deck deals with artifacts in general.  However, being an artifact also has negative aspects.  I have seen many different Oath sideboards, and I've seen many Oath players bring in artifact hate against Slaver.

The Welding aspect has no relevance to the game state as Rico has stated.  I don't plan on having a Welder in my deck game 2 or 3, so it doesn't matter.  To be honest with everyone, I will probably have 3 of each in my board and I will bring them all in.  You have to have one or the other or the game is going to end quickly and not in your favor...

[Outlaw]

I havent had the ability to see the rest of the discussion on the spawning pit issue, but is claws of gix better as it comes down turn one as a 0?  it only costs a colorless mana to activated, in my opinion its strictly better.  Anyone shed some light on that situation?

[nataz]

When I played the oath matchup, I was going for two different win conditions

1) tinker -> plat
2) Timewalk + welder

Pit kept the board clear until I could win with a welder, while always giving me free weld targets.

Not to mention its 2cc, which is way different then 1R in a deck with only 4 volcs vs a deck with waste/strip, and the whole tinker + TFK issue. These alone I would think are better then the one life vs oath per creature they put out. 

**edit
on the claws issue
Since Oath v Slaver comes down to a control match (if you are lucky to last that long) it would be bad to tie up your mana in the midgame trying to kill tokens.

[Hi-Val]

As an aside on the Pit/Bombardment debate:

I have found that I bring in Pit when my opponent will be bringing in enchantment destruction (if I'm playing an Oath mirror, for example) and bringing in Bombardment if my opponent will be using artifact destruction (if I'm playing Stax or 5/3). Sometimes you have to be conscientious about what you have mana for; casting Pit might be easier in Stax than using GB. It's up to the player, but I think both are worthy cards. Pit can be Tinkered up, but if I am Tinkering, I want t be getting something just a little better!

[nataz]

Pit can be Tinkered up, but if I am Tinkering, I want t be getting something just a little better!

it was more of "possible", and less of an "often" kinda thing

btw, I just realized that I haven't mentioned how much I like this deck. Great Job putting it together, Boseiju is a house right now for me.

[DuKeLiO]

I played CS a lot and I never lost a match vs. Oath with aether spellbomb in my side. The spellbomb helps if they oathed up a critter yet, you can play it easy in the first turn and it buys you time to put online your engine. My standard config vs. Oath are sideboarding in Platinum Angel, 2 Aether Spellbomb (it also is useful vs Dragon and Tinker-decks), 2 Engineered Explsives (for Oath itself and ground seal and it is useful vs a lot of decks) and Echoing Truth.

[jpmeyer]

I havent had the ability to see the rest of the discussion on the spawning pit issue, but is claws of gix better as it comes down turn one as a 0?  it only costs a colorless mana to activated, in my opinion its strictly better.  Anyone shed some light on that situation?

Spawning Pit has the big advantage of being able to potentially kill an opponent.  It takes fewer counters than you might think to be able to kill an opponent (usually around 10.)

[nataz]

I think that part of the problem I have with SB'ing for the oath match up is i'm not sure what creature base they are using game two. Hydra, or at least trike should be coming in against CS to nail welders, but as for the other spot I'm not sure.

If its an akroma or another pinger, bounce, like spellbomb works fine. Echoing truth in the match up would be great because you could use it as insta bounce vs oath, groundseals (multiple copies) and creatures. duplicant wouldn't be the worst either.

but, if they bring in an untargetable, suddenly you just got hosed.

Thats why I'm more of a fan of ignoring their creatures all together, and focusing on just not letting them get one out. That way you are safe against boarding-in dead card in an already tough match-up 

[Jacob Orlove]

This thread got seriously off-topic. Closed.