[Deck] Birdsh*t

[Duncan]

I used to play Birdsh*t in the past because I thought it was a really good 'unpowered' deck. After a while I switched it for Oath, but these days I'm leaning more towards Birdsh*t again. I picked up my old list and added a few changes:

- Creatures
4 Meddling Mage
4 Nimble Mongoose
3 Werebear
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours

- Counter/Disruption
3 Null Rod
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Misdirection
3 Stifle
4 Swords to Plowshares

- Utility/Draw
1 Regrowth
4 Brainstorm
1 Gush

- Mana
1 Mox Emerald
4 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
4 Tundra
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland


Sideboard:
3 Ray of Revelation
4 Hydroblast
2 Oxidize
3 True Believer
3 Serenity


I don't play the rest of the power cards because I don't own them and I am fully aware of the fact that regrowth is much better when you can target Recall or Walk, but I still think it acts nice as a Strip #6, Swords #5 or whatever I need. I think it's a bit dead in my opening hand though. Regrowth seems like the weakest card in my deck to me. Maybe i want to replace it and the 2 Misdirections for 3 Orim's Chants, but I haven't tested that yet.

A lot of the deck seems quite logical to me. The biggest change, in my opinion, is the mana base. I play 2 basics nowadays.   I know you see less and less Crucible-locks, but they still come in quite handy vs. Fish and Stax (which still sees a lot of play in my local meta).

Now let's take a look at the sideboard:
3 Ray of Revelation - vs. Oath and Leviat
4 Hydroblast - vs. Goblins
2 Oxidize - vs. Stax b/c chalice @2
3 True Believer - vs. Gifts and all sorts of combo decks
3 Serenity - also vs. Stax
There is one niche i haven't find an answer for yet: Aggro. Although I play quite a lot of creatures I often get raced by aggro decks so I need to find something for that. It will probably replace hydroblast, cause I think that's a bit of a narrow card.

The Matchups:
Stax: pre-sb unfavorable, post-sb even.
All sorts of combo: favorable, both pre and post-sb
Fish: favorable, since you got the bigger creatures, Mongoose is a house in this matchup.
Aggro: slightly unfavorable (like I said, I still need to find an answer for this, this is where I need help)
Oath: favorable

Cards I'm thinking about:
- Mental Note: adds to early threshold, but doesn't give any card-advantage or card-quality.
- Orim's Chant: is less times dead than misdirection, can act as a time walk.
- LoA: I don't know whether to play this card or not, it can be extreme good, but it also weakens my mana base even more.
- Kataki, War's Wage: I used to play them but I replaced them for Ninja's. They help quite a bit in the Stax matchup.

I hope to get some advice and ideas. Thank you!


- Duncan

[Harlequin]

The main deck looks solid.  I would really try to muster up 3 Null Rods in the main deck.  Esp with Slaver on the rise.  The deck is definately tight, but seriously, Null Rod is just under "required" for this deck.

 For the sideboard I would pay special attention to these cards:

Orim's Chant - Amazing answer to Combo.  If your sitting on Tundra, Orim, Stifle.  you SO win against combo.  here's why:  If they duress you before they combo out, you Orim them in reponse, and kill all thier storm.  If they don't duress you, then stifle goes all the way.  It also answers yawgmoth's will.

Sacred Ground - Amazing against stax.  It shuts off the best two winconditions in stax: Crucible, and Smoke Stacks.  Now they are forced to power a creature through your defences, swords, and Oxidizes.  I think at 2 level this is vastly supperior to Serenity.

[Metman]

I think you underestimate your Oath matchup.  I have found it really tough if you play creatures any smaller than theres.  Which is everything but DS.  Your Swords are nice but you won't be able to get them often enough, plus with SSS being sideboarded to make Fish an easier match makes life hell.  Your SB looks helpful against Oath and Stax.  Annuls might be useful too, but may be too much overkill.  Have you tested them?  I know fishy decks are very mana intensive and would rather not sit around on open mana hence the free counters but they help against Oath and Stax.

[Duncan]

I know oath can be hard sometimes, but before sideboarding I have Meddling Mage next to Swords, giving them rushing river as their only out. Besides, I have quite a fast clock and with stifle acting as a sort of timewalk, oath can come down too late. Post sb. i've got Rays; I think the whole point is to stop Oath before it triggers, not to deal with their creatures.

I haven't tested annul yet, but in the first few turns I likely haven't got mana open. Sacred Ground can make it's way into the sideboard, I'll be testing with that.

- Duncan

[Imsomniac101]

How have 4x Ninja's been treating you?

[Duncan]

I still don't know whether 3 or 4 is the right number. I do know know that they are too good not to include them (if that was your question). Sometimes I feel like I get too many of them; opening hands with 2 of them aren't that nice, but then again, they are pitchable to FoW so I don't have to waste other blue cards like MMage or BS for that. When I get one Ninja online the decks really starts working and with mongoose they are good. Also ninjutsu MMage and then name another target is nice.
But, like I said, maybe I should play only 3 of them.

- Duncan

EDIT: does anyone have an idea for a SB card against aggro?

[Imsomniac101]

I've always hated the ninja for some reason and haven't touched it till testing that URBana Fish deck. And even then, I still don't like it.

EDIT: does anyone have an idea for a SB card against aggro?

Well, it depends what kind of aggro you expect to see. Dredge variants like Dawn of the Dead and Ichorid, Fish, garden variety Red and/or Green aggro, Black aggro etc.

[Shikari]

 Creatures
4 Meddling Mage
4 Nimble Mongoose
3 Werebear
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours

- Counter/Disruption
3 Null Rod
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Misdirection
3 Stifle
4 Swords to Plowshares

- Utility/Draw
1 Regrowth
4 Brainstorm
1 Gush

- Mana
1 Mox Emerald
4 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
4 Tundra
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland


Sideboard:
3 Ray of Revelation
4 Hydroblast
2 Oxidize
3 True Believer
3 Serenity


The Ninjas are too slow. They're a tempo disadvantage, and dont really do well in an Aggro matchup. It also does nothing besides drawing cards, and has no other synergy with the rest of your deck.

The Misdirections are a must in my opinion. It is a free counterspell that helps you forc ein turn 2 Mages and Rods. It's also godly when targetting their Ancestrals.

Regrowth is good. Keep it.

Orim's Chant is a must. It stops Yawgmoth's Win, burns up Drain mana, enables you to play 5 time walks in your deck and ensures your Forces gets uncountered.

I wouldn't play any basic lands as this deck tends to require alot of colored mana to be effecient If you're afraid of non-basic hate, just mulligan till you get stable mana bases, or play more cantrips. Serum visions is good in this deck.

Sideboard wise, Energy Flux > Serenity.

You don't really need True Believer, as this deck has mainboard hate for combo decks.

[Duncan]

EDIT: does anyone have an idea for a SB card against aggro?

Well, it depends what kind of aggro you expect to see. Dredge variants like Dawn of the Dead and Ichorid, Fish, garden variety Red and/or Green aggro, Black aggro etc.

Well, just any kind of aggro, I hoped someone could figure out a card that would be usefull against any of them. But I can't find that much creature-hate in UWG. Talking about Ichorid, can this deck support GY hate in it's SB to board in against them for Null Rods?

The Ninjas are too slow. They're a tempo disadvantage, and dont really do well in an Aggro matchup. It also does nothing besides drawing cards, and has no other synergy with the rest of your deck.

After testing I found them to be rather good. Turn 1 Mongoose followed by a turn 2 ninja seems good to me. Although I might play too little 1cc creatures to support the Ninja.

Orim's Chant is a must. It stops Yawgmoth's Win, burns up Drain mana, enables you to play 5 time walks in your deck and ensures your Forces gets uncountered.

So you suggest playing them instead of the Ninja's? And how do you see that, Forcees gets uncountered, do u play them before you play a Force?

I wouldn't play any basic lands as this deck tends to require alot of colored mana to be effecient If you're afraid of non-basic hate, just mulligan till you get stable mana bases, or play more cantrips. Serum visions is good in this deck.

What would you sugget as a manabase? And would you include LoA?

Sideboard wise, Energy Flux > Serenity.

I always felt Energy Flux is worse in this deck because it costs 3 mana.

You don't really need True Believer, as this deck has mainboard hate for combo decks.

If I add Orim's Chant, you've got a good point.


After testing some more, I see the deck can have some problem with Withered Wretch. I'm considering to play Pithing Needle in the sb, which can also be used againts Ichorid's Bazaar.
I know I've asked you a lot of questions in this post, but I'm just wondering how other people see things, two people know more than one.

- Duncan

[Imsomniac101]

Well, just any kind of aggro, I hoped someone could figure out a card that would be usefull against any of them. But I can't find that much creature-hate in UWG.

Well, I know their kind of expensive, but Drop of Honey is excellent against Aggro. Especially with untargettable mongoose on the board. Spell Snare is also potent against bears.

Talking about Ichorid, can this deck support GY hate in it's SB to board in against them for Null Rods?

I'm hoping the new 1W creature from Coldsnap will help. (Jotun Grunt)
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/spoiler/coldsnap/
currently, Tormod's Crypt is the only solution available.

I used to play Chant, but I've replaced them with Annuls because of their broader application. Chants were really only good against Storm combo.

Quote from: Shikari on Today at 09:59:55 PM
I wouldn't play any basic lands as this deck tends to require alot of colored mana to be effecient If you're afraid of non-basic hate, just mulligan till you get stable mana bases, or play more cantrips. Serum visions is good in this deck.

What would you sugget as a manabase? And would you include LoA?

Don't play LoA. The temptation to give up turn 1 Stifle for LoA is too great, so don't put it in.
Also, I would never play more than 1x Basic Land. I would be extremely hard pressed to play 2.
I highly recommend Cephalid Coliseum.

Quote from: Shikari on Today at 09:59:55 PM
Sideboard wise, Energy Flux > Serenity.

I always felt Energy Flux is worse in this deck because it costs 3 mana.

Sacred Ground has always been a much better card vs Stax than either of those.

True Believer is wasted space imo, cuz your maindeck already owns Combo hard (unless you're playing with extra creatures).

It's my opinion that you shouldn't play the deck without Ancestral Recall and to a certain extent Time Walk. Also, Emerald should be Saphire

[LSD/Cruise]

Hi, what do you guys think of this Bird Sh*t build?

I've had some decent success with it, and it seems to also do fine for me against Prison and Drain based decks. Only time I've ever lost was against IT, when they sided Massacre against me...


// Mana 19
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Strip Mine
3 Wasteland
1 Cephalid Coliseum
2 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
2 Windswept Heath
3 Tundra
3 Tropical Island


// Creatures 10
3 Nimble Mongoose
3 Werebear
4 Meddling Mage


// Spells 32
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Gush
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Crop Rotation
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Mana Drain
2 Misdirection
3 Pithing Needle
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Crucible of Worlds
3 Null Rod


// Sideboard 15
4 Seal of Cleansing
1 Wasteland
2 Ground Seal
1 Pithing Needle
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Ray of Revelation
3 Kataki, War's Wage/Energy Flux/Sacred Ground


Okay, I really think MDed CoWs are really powerful. This deck tends to draw dead, so Cephalid Coliseum and CoW tend to shift the card quality in my hand. Crop Rotationing for Coliseum or Strip Mine is quite a strong play, as I have CoW to also compliment with those cards. Or if you dont feel like cracking a fetch and take 1, CR for it...

 

[SonataOfTheCathedral]

I must stress the power of Orim's Chant in this deck. It give you that tempo boost you need to get those final beats in. Try to think of it almost as Time Walk #2,  3,and 4. Your opponent draws a card though, thats the trade off.

[Pitlord]

I think the latest list posted is good, but only inc ertain meta games. If you play against a lot of drain decks it is solid becauase of the quick clock and it can probably out-counter gifts or slaver. In an aggro meta it seems average, but it seems terrible in a meta filled with workshops. Workshop aggro, which has been getting looked at again lately, can easily force through a beat much faster than you can, and roll over you. Against stax, your mana curve is way too high, and you roll over and die.

Also, I agree that chant is great in this deck. You can easily abuse the tempo gain from the chant, because you have a great clock and using the "everything is a time walk" strategy is good when you have a 4 or 5 turn clock down. With the time walk stradegy as well, has anyone tried out remand as a caounter? The cost of 2 is steep, but the ability to play yet another time walk effect cannot be ignored.

[LSD/Cruise]

I've tried Remands in this deck before... except I changed the entire deck as I added in Confidants and Duress...

Also, this deck in an aggro metagame can be strong. I've had strong results against FCG and UW Fish. Against Fish, I cant lose. Just dont let Vial resolve and your fine. Against FCG, just counter everything, and match up with their 1st turn Lackey.

I havent tested against Workshop aggro yet. It seems like an interesting match up.

Stax... I just roll over and die... then I side in hate for awesome...

Also on the Chant. I believe I dont need Time Walk, as I ahve these...


3 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Time Walk
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Mana Drain
2 Crucible of Worlds
3 Null Rod


Those are all Time Walks. They buy me a ton of attack phases. But however, I am running Orim's Chant in the sideboard for certain match ups like IT.

New build.


[Out] 1 Crop Rotation,1 Mystical Tutor
[In] 1 Nimble Mongoose, 1 Werebear

and Sideboard...


3 Orim's Chant
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Seal of Cleansing
2 Ray of Revelation
2 Serenity
2 Ground Seal
1 Pithing Needle
1 Wasteland


 
 

[Imsomniac101]

@LSD/Cruise:

Holy crap. It's like you somehow hacked into my computer and ripped my manabase.
 
About your spell base; I feel that there are too many expensive cards, for me, Cruci and Fact are way over the curve of this deck. And I would never want to see any of those in my opening hand. They are excellent late game cards however, but I still feel that they are not worth the slots.
 
I would also like to enquire what you would use Pithing Needle for. I tested that card when it first came out and I felt that it was underwhelming. Perhaps I should take a second look at the card. Opinions on the card?

I havent tested against Workshop aggro yet. It seems like an interesting match up.

You should woop them like there is no tomorrow. The only cards you truly fear are Chalice and Titan.

Workshop aggro, which has been getting looked at again lately, can easily force through a beat much faster than you can, and roll over you. Against stax, your mana curve is way too high, and you roll over and die.

The first part is untrue, while the second sentence is true.

[Dante]

Just FYI, here is a version that came in 11th Day 1 at SCG Rochester.

http://sales.starcitygames.com/deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=17468

2 Island
1 Forest
4 Force of Will
4 Mishra's Factory
3 Ninja of the Deep Hours
3 Spell Snare
2 Trygon Predator
2 Breeding Pool
2 Ray of Erasure
3 Mental Note
3 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Werebear
4 Nimble Mongoose
3 Chain of Vapor
4 Flooded Strand
3 Stifle
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
3 Tropical Island
3 Hidden Gibbons

Sideboard
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Echoing Truth
3 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Serendib Efreet
4 Copy Artifact
3 Gilded Drake

[Duncan]

I'm playing a tournament tomorrow in Holland. I will post my result and maybe a short report or something. I won't reveal my decklist because maybe they'll spy here.

[unknown.root]

3 Spell Snare
2 Trygon Predator
2 Breeding Pool
2 Ray of Erasure

I make it a goal to keep up with vintage, and somehow i've never heard of ANY of these cards.

Maybe i've played stax too long and don't pay attention to the other players.

Kevin

[Mantis]

Also on the Chant. I believe I dont need Time Walk, as I ahve these...

3 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Time Walk
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Mana Drain
2 Crucible of Worlds
3 Null Rod

Those are all Time Walks. They buy me a ton of attack phases. But however, I am running Orim's Chant in the sideboard for certain match ups like IT.

Very interesting approach to look as they indeed buy you time.

I think you should keep in the Mystical and add a Life from the Loam for the 2 Crucibles. Loam has a much more insane synergy with Brainstorm and dredge fills up the yard quick, while Loam also curves out better. The advantages of Mystical over Crucible are pretty obvious I think. I really do like the idea to re-use your lands.

The

// Mana 19
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Strip Mine
3 Wasteland
1 Cephalid Coliseum
2 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
2 Windswept Heath
3 Tundra
3 Tropical Island
// Creatures 10
3 Nimble Mongoose
3 Werebear
4 Meddling Mage
// Spells 32
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Gush
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Crop Rotation
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Mana Drain
2 Misdirection
3 Pithing Needle
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Crucible of Worlds
3 Null Rod
// Sideboard 15
4 Seal of Cleansing
1 Wasteland
2 Ground Seal
1 Pithing Needle
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Ray of Revelation
3 Kataki, War's Wage/Energy Flux/Sacred Ground

I'm not sure if you want Mana Drain in here. See, keeping UU open is not a problem in Gifts or CS as they have lots of EOT draw spells and such. This deck on the other hand, might keep UU open and not play a spell on the mainphase, if your opponent doesn't cast anything relevant you just did nothing with your mana. Furthermore, you lack good Drain sinks and you play Wasteland and Null Rod as mana denial, this means Mana Leak will be a hard counter for 1U.

How has Pithing Needle been performing for you? Wouldn't Stifle just be better? You play Blue fetchies and Waste yourself so you can't set the Needle to these. What's left, Goblin Welder, Bazaar and Vial. You have Wasteland for Bazaar and StP to stop Welder. Null Rod deals with Vial and UW Fish usually packs a lot of artifact hate so Needle will get hit regardless. Stifle stops (Time Walks) all of these and also hits Oath, Storm and stuff like Memory Jar which you wouldn't be setting the Needle to I suppose.



But that all aside, I'm truly not sure if a deck without all 5 Moxen + Lotus can be consistently competitive these days, if one could manage to up the number of 1 colorless + 1 colored mana and play the power 8 in this deck, it could truly be a beast. This said, why is every list I've seen so far lacking Lotus Petal? A first turn Werebear means you have 3 mana on your second turn.

[Duncan]

As I promised, here is a bit of information about my tournament today (in Breda, Netherlands). I ended op 10 only missing t8 on tiebreakers. Yesterday I talked with Mantis and decided to swap StP's for Stormscape Apprentice and add Ninja back in. Apprentice has two big cons: it is a 1 cc drop which smoothens your curve and provides a better chance of turn 2 ninja and second he is a proactive answer to colossus instead of reactive. Most of the time your opponent has counterbackup when casting tinker, so your StP is useless anyway. Apprentice can be dropped early and has te be dealt with before tinkering. It is also pitchable to force (now i play 29 blue cards!). The downside is that they do nothing against welder/confidant etc.

Now let me share today's list (i was able to borrow Sapphire and Walk):

4 Meddling Mage
4 Nimble Mongoose
3 Werebear
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
3 Stormscape Apprentice

3 Null Rod
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Misdirection
3 Stifle
1 Time Walk
4 Brainstorm
1 Gush

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
4 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Strip Mine
3 Tropical Island
4 Tundra
4 Wasteland


Sideboard:
3 Ray of Revelation
2 Oxidize
3 Serenity
2 Pithing Needle
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Stifle

Round 1:
I'm playing versus Remco who hasn't got any luck at all this game. First game he mulls to 6 and keeps a bad hand, the only thing i see is a bloodstained mire and he scoops after a turn 2 ninja when he doesn't draw any land at all.
The second game is like the first one. He mulls to 6 and starts with Emerald, Mana Vault, Ruby and Welder. I force welder and next turn he tries to cast Memory Jar, which gets dazed, I play my land again and he doesn't draw one. He plays Chalice @ 1 which gets dazed too. After some quick beats by mongoose, apprentice and ninja he scoops.

1-0


Round 2:


- Under Constuction, i'm tired -

[Duncan]

I don't know whether i'm going to finish that report or not, but one conclusion i can definetely make now i've put StP in the sideboard. You are incapable of dealing with welders / confidants! Since i don't know if i'm able to play walk next tourney i'm going to change this:

0 -> 2 Swords to Plowshares
3 -> 2 Stormscape Apprentice
1 -> 0 Time Walk

Now i also have some extra space in the sb. One slot might be balance, to improve aggro matchups and the other i haven't decided on. Anyone has any suggestions for more welder/confidant hate?

[Mantis]

Icatian Javilineers.

[BreathWeapon]

Time out,

This deck does NOT have a good match up against Workshop Aggro, I don't know where or who you have been playing, but Crucible/Strip Mine, Chalice of the Void, Chains of Mephistophelese, Pyrostatic Pillar, Choke and In The Eye of Chaos are all devestating.

While Bird Shit has the advantage of being able to trade creatures around turn 3-5, it doesn't have MD board control elements like Kataki and has to waste space on sub-par cards like Mental Note just to generate a clock (which is by no meens guaranteed given the amount of Leyline of the Void, Planar Void and Tormod's Crypt).

I'm not saying don't play the deck, but don't confuse bad match ups for good ones.

[GrandpaBelcher]

Wait, did you just take Time Walk out of a deck that gets the the full benefit from it?  When you have creatures with which you need to attack (especially ones like Ninja that do their thing when they attack) you LOVE to have an extra attack phase.  Plus, with Time Walk, it comes bundled with an extra draw step and two main phases that you could play a  land in.  Leave Time Walk, drop Gush.

Edit: Unless you're playing in a proxy environment, which it looks like you are, and you don't have/can't borrow the card, in which case it's okay.  I'd still probably drop Gush in favor of Frantic Search, though.  Frantic Search may be a card lost, but it won't set your mana back.

[Mantis]

WS Aggro is not unfavorable by default, because you can cut them off mana way better than they cut you off mana. You have Stifle for their Wastes and Wastes for their Workshops. Crucible equals the equation though.

Meddling Mage, Nimble Mongoose, Werebear and Stormscape Apprentice all handle Juggernaut quite well. StP removes him.

You have counters for their most scary threats and Null Rod stops Triskelion and the Moxen they really need to be fast enough.

I'm not saying it's a very good matchup, but seriously if you are playing this deck right I'm damn sure you can at least get 50/50 if not more.

[BreathWeapon]

WS Aggro is not unfavorable by default, because you can cut them off mana way better than they cut you off mana. You have Stifle for their Wastes and Wastes for their Workshops. Crucible equals the equation though.

Meddling Mage, Nimble Mongoose, Werebear and Stormscape Apprentice all handle Juggernaut quite well. StP removes him.

You have counters for their most scary threats and Null Rod stops Triskelion and the Moxen they really need to be fast enough.

I'm not saying it's a very good matchup, but seriously if you are playing this deck right I'm damn sure you can at least get 50/50 if not more.

Workshop Aggro wouldn't walk into a Stifle with out a Crucible on the board, and Null Rod is worthless because most Workshop Aggro decks are prepared to use Null Rod themselves (atleast as a tutorable singleton). It's not Workshop Aggro's creatures that win the game, it's the soft lock cards. That, and the fact that Energy Flux is over rated against Workshop Aggro and your threats turn into 1/1's post board.

When did Bird Shit ever play Stormscape Apprentice?

[Duncan]

Why is energy flux overrated? It kills your arti's. Besides, i dont even play flux, i have serenity + oxidize, which can both handle your creatures quite well. What do you mean with my threats becoming 1/1? Tormod's Crypt? -> stifle and null rod both shut it down. And 3rd, saying WS aggro wouldnt walk into stifle without crucible sounds quite stupid to me. You are saying you wont waste anything until you have a crucible?

[Imsomniac101]

It's not Workshop Aggro's creatures that win the game, it's the soft lock cards.

Exactly. Back when Stax was rampant, I wouldn't play this deck unless you twisted my arm. Then what's the difference between Stax (which was a bad matchup) and WS aggro (good - even matchup)? The difference is that the WS aggro deck has diluted the number of it's lock components. With Stax, the matchup was abysmal, but as long as the Stax player didnt drop 2 lock parts a turn, you were able to keep up with the deck in terms of countering, then going for the quick win via beats.
With WS aggro, they need a Stax-like hand to beat you. But those hands rarely occur, and most of the time you are able to counter.

more on this later, going for lunch.

[BreathWeapon]

Why is energy flux overrated? It kills your arti's. Besides, i dont even play flux, i have serenity + oxidize, which can both handle your creatures quite well. What do you mean with my threats becoming 1/1? Tormod's Crypt? -> stifle and null rod both shut it down. And 3rd, saying WS aggro wouldnt walk into stifle without crucible sounds quite stupid to me. You are saying you wont waste anything until you have a crucible?

Energy Flux is over rated because it only takes two non-Workshop lands to keep a threat on the board and win the game, it doesn't just say GG against Workshop Aggro the same way it does against Workshop Prison.

I wouldn't waste a land if I was depending on it to support the curve when I knew my opponent was playing a deck with 4 Stifle. It's situational, I'm just saying the Workshop Player doesn't have to walk into Stifle if he doesn't want to.

Usually the GY hate of choice is Planar Void because it can't be hit with Rod or Needle, I guess you could bring in Ray of Revelation and say the same thing tho'. I think the problem with that mentality is that you hope to have an aswer for every bomb Workshop is going to throw at you, and in my experience that hope is never realized. Workshop is filled with cards that if they resolve are absolutely devestating, while your just playing a bunch of answers (some of which are really situational like Misdirection, Daze and Stifle).

Edit: I don't agree that you need a Prison hand to win, it just makes life that much easier. The number of lock components hasn't decreased significantly, you just trade your 4 Stacks and 4 Spheres for 8 men and all of your singletons for Enchantments. The difference is two to three pieces at most, which I'll trade for a random man beating for the win.

[G-A-T 177]

why don't you guys just play quirion dryad like normal people??  She wins games by herself.