Manalessish-Ichorid "E.K.M."

[EKM_Ichorid]

Some answers:

The Tormod's Crypts are because I'm playing in a meta of 60% Gifts/Long (mostly Gifts) and 35% Stax. The Crypts can be dropped turn 1 and they ultimately act as passive and active disruption. They need to get rid of it, and I can blow it any moment. It's really neccessary in my meta to have them on top of the Leylines.

The thing I've been seeing with Sutured is that it's a hit or miss. You can't make a lethal Ghoul after a Crypt,  and it's easily removed. Hellkite has an effect regardless as long as it hits play. The Chosen is my only chance against an early ETW.

I'm most likely running my manaless list:


Maindeck:
Land///8
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
2 Mishra's Factory
1 Petrified Field
1 Strip Mine

Creatures///26
2 Phantasmagorian
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Golgari Thug
4 Ichorid
4 Nether Shadow
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Sutured Ghoul
1 Sundering Titan
1 Ancester's Chosen

Disruption///18
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Tormod's Crypt
4 Unmask

Combo///8
2 Dragon Breath
2 Dread Return
4 Serum Powder

Sideboard:
3 Riftstone Portal
4 Pithing Needle (Welder, Crypt, Furnace)
2 Ancient Grudge (Stax)
1 Bogardian Hellkite (Stax/TMWA/Fish/SS)
1 Blazing Archon (Oath/Stax)
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

I think MD this version is well-equipped for a combo/Stax metagame, and the board can do decent against random aggro. I'm thinking about -1 Chosen +1 Dread Return in the MD and -1 Archon +1 Chosen in the SB .

[Harlequin]

I think you underestimate how clean and effective x2 Ghoul x2 Devouering Strosus is.  Oath, Fish, ETW... All answered by a 36/x trampler with haste.  Given the meta you describe I think something like "Cookie Monster" is a good choice.  It runs 7-8 maindeck mana sources (bayous mostly) to give you access to some crtical black spells - namely duress.  And critical green spells out of the board - namely x4 Emerald Charm (LLotV), and x4 ancient grudge (stax, forcing a tormod's). 

[mox apricot]

i can definately see why you'd go with tormod's crypt, over the void, more controll is never a bad thing. the fatal ghous thing. the idea of it is thatsits hit or miss... and it's nearly imposable to get rid of due to the amount of cabal therapy going on. i usualy have about 3 happeneing befor dread return. thats it definately enough to get rid of the bounce or whatever is preventing fatal. the hellkite... still makes no scence... true it still does something if all it does is hits play and leaves... but 5 damage worth os something...the creatures your sacing to play the thing usualy adds up to well over 5 damage (cinsidering the therapies if nothing else), so why waste the deck space in order to deal less damage than you'd be doing anyways? i'm well aware of the targeting advantage  but it's nothing that dark blast wouldn't solve in less deck space. if somethign is a real threat u still need the creatures in play to deal with it. but a good 99% of the threats ichorid will incounter is something keeping the creatures out of play, at least removing them befor main phase. hell kite does not help with that, and darkblast will deal with a sick welder much more efficiently (it even dreadges for you). i can definately see sb a hellkite for salvagers. if u in a salvager heave enviornment, consider another deck.
as for the life thing, isn't it more easily acheived with mishra's factories? which just require a land to get the creature, opposed to the land and spell?i can see if your trying to do an 8 of effect, but even if it gets a ghoul, hell kite strossus,grave troll... it'll take an extra swing (not enough yard to fuel the ghoul), so your turn count ends up the same anyways
by the way, blazing archon, brilliant!

[Cross]

Having no answers to leyline of the void seems like a really poor choice to me. People still play this card, and if someone just mulls for it you are almost guaranteed to lose if it hits play.

[Harlequin]

Dread Return Ichorid is a hit or miss deck.    I would rather up my "hit" percentage by running 9/9's and ghouls and cheap disruption... rather than attempt to mitigate the effects of a miss.   Buy running creatures that effectively "can't miss" just makes the deck less consistant because your cutting disruption to pack in 'plan-b' options. 

[EKM_Ichorid]

Having no answers to leyline of the void seems like a really poor choice to me. People still play this card, and if someone just mulls for it you are almost guaranteed to lose if it hits play.

Not always however. I have a decent win percentage against, actually.

To Harlequin:

Yes, it's a hit or miss deck. However, it hits just as consistantly with 7/10s instead of 9/9s, with an actual plausible backup plan.

[Smmenen]

In my view, the question of whether T. Crypt or not is ever a bad thing isn't the right question.

The question is: is it the best thing?

Ichorid, more so than any other deck, is extremely sensitive to the most minute design changes.   The 60th card matters quite a bit. 

You are running Leyline and T. Crypt on the assumption that it is a tactical play that interferes with your opponents strategy.  Specifically, you cite Long and Gifts.   That's fine.   But here's the problem: the effectiveness of that as a tactical play depends upon the speed of your deck.    For instance, it is very rare to see someone play Yawgmoth's Will on turn one.   If you consistently win on turn one, then using T. Crypt or Leyline would be nonsensical.   If we extrapolate out for a moment, it seems to me that Leyline and T. Crypt are pretty ineffective tactical plays against either Gifts or Long.   The central problem is that you'd rather have something else there.  This is because, as a general matter, you are faster than Yawgmoth's Will in Gifts and stopping Yawg Will in Long doesn't do anything.   

[meadbert]

I disagree about Gifts.  I play a fairly controlling Gifts list and I am sure I play it worse than most good Gifts players, but I find I am able to combo out on turn 3 over half the time.  That is fast enough to race even the fastest of Ichorid decks.

I find Leyline to be quite useful versus Gifts.

[Smmenen]

I disagree about Gifts.  I play a fairly controlling Gifts list and I am sure I play it worse than most good Gifts players, but I find I am able to combo out on turn 3 over half the time.  That is fast enough to race even the fastest of Ichorid decks.

I find Leyline to be quite useful versus Gifts.

I also know that I created the deck Gifts list you've been playing (MDG) as you asked me for advice on it.   Leyline is very suboptimal versus MDG. 

[Adan]

I don't really like the Factories at all. In most of the cases they are only for fueling C.Therapy and dread return. i wouldn't play them. Instread, I would throw in more Petrified Fields, as they are virtually Strip Mine and Bazaar Nr. 2-5.

Then I'm asking myself if Tormod's Crypt are that useful. You already run Chalice which will always hit the board set on Zero, then you are playing Ley-Lines. So i would rather use those slots for the fourth Petrified Field and a third Dread Return.

Then I would cut 1 Sundering Titan and add 1 Simic Sky Swallower, as he's clearly superior to Plated Slagwurm because he got evasion. And dragon Breath doen't care about the untouchable Ability. It's automatically attached to SSS as he enters play.

[policehq]

I don't really like the Factories at all. In most of the cases they are only for fueling C.Therapy and dread return. i wouldn't play them. Instread, I would throw in more Petrified Fields, as they are virtually Strip Mine and Bazaar Nr. 2-5.

Cabal Therapy is the only reliable piece of disruption in the deck, and Dread Return is the win-condition. I fail to see how fueling either of these cards makes for a bad piece of the deck.

I started playing a mix of 5-7 Mishra's Factory and Blinkmoth Nexus before Extirpate was printed, and time will show whether they have become a necessity to the deck.

Then I would cut 1 Sundering Titan and add 1 Simic Sky Swallower, as he's clearly superior to Plated Slagwurm because he got evasion. And dragon Breath doen't care about the untouchable Ability. It's automatically attached to SSS as he enters play.

If I'm going to return something besides a Sutured Ghoul, I want it to affect the game-state much more than my opponent's life total. With Cabal Therapies, you should not allow yourself to be vulnerable to spot removal or bounce, so Simic Sky Swallower's untargetability is trivial except the fact that he is a slow clock.

I also know that I created the deck Gifts list you've been playing (MDG) as you asked me for advice on it.   Leyline is very suboptimal versus MDG.

Before Gifts players started running 4 Dark Rituals, I felt I had a good match-up, but now I'm experiencing a lot of games where they win by abusing Yawgmoth's Will the very turn before I would resolve a lethal or disruptive Dread Return. I'm not sure that Leyline of the Void is the answer, but I know that Ichorid must make adaptations to face the new Gifts lists.

-hq

[Smmenen]

I don't really like the Factories at all. In most of the cases they are only for fueling C.Therapy and dread return. i wouldn't play them. Instread, I would throw in more Petrified Fields, as they are virtually Strip Mine and Bazaar Nr. 2-5.

That's the whole decks game plan?

That's like saying: I really don't like Bazaar.  I wouldn't play them.  All it does is enable me to dredge a million cards without having to pay any mana.

If you want more STrip Mines, then play 4 Wastelands.   I run 4 Petrified Fields and 4 Factories. 

[nataz]

If you want more STrip Mines, then play 4 Wastelands.   I run 4 Petrified Fields and 4 Factories. 

Does this mean you finally agree with me that factories are better then duress? :-p

[EKM_Ichorid]

Right now I've made these changes:

Maindeck:
Land///7
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
2 Mishra's Factory
1 Strip Mine

Creatures///26
2 Phantasmagorian
2 Shambling Swarm
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Golgari Thug
4 Ichorid
4 Nether Shadow
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Sutured Ghoul
2 Sundering Titan

Disruption///16
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Unmask

Combo///9
2 Dragon Breath
3 Dread Return
4 Serum Powder

Sideboard (Option 1):
3 Riftstone Portal
4 Pithing Needle
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Bogardian Hellkite
1 Ancestor's Chosen
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Sideboard (Option 2):
2 Riftstone Portal
1 Ancient Grudge
4 Pithing Needle
4 Llanowar Wastes
4 Emerald Charm

I don't know if Option 2 might be better in the long run because I can remove Leylines. I don't know if I should expect Leylines or not...I really don't know.

I have 4 Petrified Fields I could play, and more Grudges/Rays. I suppose the +2 Dredgers are helping, but they could be 2x Petrified Fields or 2x Factories or even 1x Portal 1x Grudge. I'm torn.

I agree with you, Smmenen. Leylines are only effective if my deck does not kill because they activate Will/Gifts/Welder. However, as this is not Bauble Ichorid, I kill turn 3 consistantly. On Turn 3, Wills and Gifts and Welders are certainly possible, and in my opinion, very likely.

[technogeek5000]

What is shambling swarm doing in this list I would definately take them out for factories

I agree with you, Smmenen. Leylines are only effective if my deck does not kill because they activate Will/Gifts/Welder. However, as this is not Bauble Ichorid, I kill turn 3 consistantly. On Turn 3, Wills and Gifts and Welders are certainly possible, and in my opinion, very likely.

Your deck in this state definately does not kill turn 3 consistantly, or atleast compared to other dread return ichorid decks. You probably should play bauble ichorid, its a great deck because its so fast it can still win turn 3 after a bazaar gets stripped turn 1-2.

[mox apricot]

i suggest the following:
-strip
-2 phantanmagorian
-2 sundering titan
-4 leylines
-1 dread return

+4tropical island
+4 rootmaze
+1 riftstone portal

sb:
4x chain of vapor
3x ancient grudge
4x gemstone cavern
4x pithing needle

befor you right these off keep the game clock in mind. ichorid basicly has a 3 turn clock. pre-board its pretty overwhelming on the other end of the table. post board your going to be racing a crypt and overwhelming percent of the time (at least in my meta). if your on the draw, ur already a turn down. when ever i get crypted, its always the turn befor leathal ghoul/ ichorid. chalice buys u a turn from crypt, and root maze buys a turn from crypt (while leaving it convienintly tapped for ancient grudge). root maze also makes fetch lands ridiculously unhappy, hitting the mana base (yep it does the same thing as titan with out wasteing a dread return) makes it hard to search out the hate.
chain is ridiculously multi-purpose. and the needle, well it works against wampus,waste and cap for an affordable 1 colorless
i'ds also replace the factory with riftstone, makes root maze easily castable
i personaly don't like the phantasmagorian because i empties the hand, bazaar plus your draw will maintain your current hand size for all your goodies
shambling shell, its black and it dredges, good but the standard engine works damn good. i'd replace them with some ghoul fuel (no rhyme intended), i'm one of the few people to still like gigapede is most lists (extra stacking in yard/ reuseing a grave troll ealy), but in a list running unmaks, i'd go with strossus.  woste case snario ur ghoul gets coffin purged or osmeting craze and u can maintain the strossus. i think you've got the right idea with the strip, take away a turn. problem is land destruction in general, ie the tap in responce, or worse crop rotation.... i like this list a my main difference in oppinion is the phantasmagorian, and i can't really see a reason to return anything but ghoul.

[EKM_Ichorid]

What is shambling swarm doing in this list I would definately take them out for factories

I agree with you, Smmenen. Leylines are only effective if my deck does not kill because they activate Will/Gifts/Welder. However, as this is not Bauble Ichorid, I kill turn 3 consistantly. On Turn 3, Wills and Gifts and Welders are certainly possible, and in my opinion, very likely.

Your deck in this state definately does not kill turn 3 consistantly, or atleast compared to other dread return ichorid decks. You probably should play bauble ichorid, its a great deck because its so fast it can still win turn 3 after a bazaar gets stripped turn 1-2.

I have had the ability to kill turn 3 much more often than not.

Bauble Ichorid is idiotic in my opinion. It is only good if you get a Dredger in your yard turn 1, and you have to run alot less disruption for the 8 Baubles. People seem to only think of Ichorid in terms of goldfishing, but it seems much more effective to think of it in actual gameplay.

I don't understand what you mean by "what is shambling swarm doing in this deck?". It is a dredger, it is black, and it has 3 power which is great for Ghoul. Dredging is more important, because the deck can't function without it.

I may remove Strip Mine. It doesn't seem to do anything constructive most of the time. I may drop it for Mishra's Factory.

[mox apricot]

I have had the ability to kill turn 3 much more often than not.

Bauble Ichorid is idiotic in my opinion. It is only good if you get a Dredger in your yard turn 1, and you have to run alot less disruption for the 8 Baubles. People seem to only think of Ichorid in terms of goldfishing, but it seems much more effective to think of it in actual gameplay.

I don't understand what you mean by "what is shambling swarm doing in this deck?". It is a dredger, it is black, and it has 3 power which is great for Ghoul. Dredging is more important, because the deck can't function without it.

I may remove Strip Mine. It doesn't seem to do anything constructive most of the time. I may drop it for Mishra's Factory.

even a bad ichorid can kill turn 3 more pften than not... it need to happen almsot all the time

...bauble... first of dredger in the yard turn 1st turn is kinda kick ass... or you could always not actuvate it imidiately

shell... honestly i did recomend it be cut for reasons.. i do see why people think its a good idea... but you already have enough dredgers... overkill is a waste of deck space... shell is like playing two mind slavers...power of 6 with a grave stacking/gets a grave troll in the yard again is an even better idea... or a 9/9 flyers that you can easily sustain if not used for  ghoul fuel is also a better idea...dreadnaught even...it would be quite the surprise 2nd main....

believe me.. the strip is one of the most usless things you can put in ichorid... id even recondmend so mething like mystic tutor over strip...i'm glad your considering cutting it, it shows your keeping game clock in mind and what does and does not effect the search rate on the other side postboard is your worste nightmare...slow em down.

[meadbert]

Regarding Leyline of the Void:

The central problem is that you'd rather have something else there.  This is because, as a general matter, you are faster than Yawgmoth's Will in Gifts and stopping Yawg Will in Long doesn't do anything.   

It is tough to debate the merrits of Leyline of the Void when we are not sure what we are comparing it to.

Leyline has problems versus Long.  In my experience Leyline is effective on the play because Long is hardpressed to win on turn 2 through a Leyline of the Void.  The fact that it cannot be countered is huge versus Pitch Long since Pitch Long frequently has turn 2 wins with Force/Misdirection backup.  Force counters Unmask or Chalice while Misdirection counters Unmask.  Neither counters Leyline of the Void.

Anyway, on the draw Leyline of the Void is far less effective, because while Pitch Long struggles to combo out turn 2 through Leyline of the Void, it has a much easier time comboing out on turn 3.  Also, Ichorid's weakness is that is has little turn 2 disruption.  Anyway, the net result is that turn 0 Leyline on the draw means you lose on turn 3 instead of losing on turn 2.  On the play that same Leyline can win you the game.  At least this has been my experience.

Versus Gifts I find Leyline of the Void to be effective.  How effective Leyline is depends on how often your opponent goes for the Tinker win.

A huge factor in how well an Ichorid list performs is how frequently it executes a devestating game plan on turn 3.  Faster lists that consistently have 4 creatures in play on turn 3 are able to deal with a turn 2 DSC even when on the draw.  For these lists the real threat is Yawgmoth's Will since a turn 3 Yawgmoth's Will can beat you.

For lists that sacrifice some speed for controlling cards DSC becomes much scarier.  They are more likely to lose to a turn 2 DSC on the draw.  In fact, Gifts will mulligan to an early DSC and try that strategy.  With that in mind Leyline quickly becomes the worst of your disrupting cards since it does not address your opponent's primary strategy. 

Steve's explanation for why Leyline is suboptimal against Gifts and Long had two main points.
(Steve, correct me if I am wrong)
1:  It is not good enough to win against Long.
2:  You are faster than Yawg Will in Gifts. (You don't need it)

I have already addressed point 1.  On the draw I totally agree.  All Leyline of the Void will do is delay your loss from turn 2 to turn 3.  On the play I find that Leyline of the Void is usually good enough.  Certainly there are games where Necro comes out turn 1 and you lose anyway.  Still, I find Leyline to be a large enough speed bumb to buy me a turn 3 more than half the time.

Against GIfts, the effectiveness of Leyline of the Void depends on your opponent's strategy.  Gifts can goldfish on turn 3 frequently enough to be a huge problem  The bigger problem is that Gifts can actually Goldfish on turn 3 with Misdirect or Force backup maybe a quarter of the time.  (I have never kept records of how often I could goldfish with counter backup so I made that number up.)  Still, I know that Gifts can goldfish on turn 3 well over half the time.  To say that Ichorid is faster than Yawg Will in Gifts is just wrong.  Gifts has the faster goldfish, so you must have some disruption to win.  Chalice and Unmask are usually good enough.  Cabal Therapy is actually very good because between Merchant Scroll and Gifts Ungiven you might already know the best card in your opponent's hand.  While those pieces of disruption are good they are all susceptible to Force of Will.  Leyline and Strip Mine are unique in that they cannot be countered.

If your Gifts playing opponent prefers to go for an early Tinker to win, then the game devolves into a race where Leyline neither slows down your opponent nor speeds up your own win condition.  In a world where Gifts players opportunistically go for the turn 3 win when they have not been sufficiently disrupted, Leyline of the Void becomes effective at assuring that you get to have your turn 3.

[Smmenen]

Steve's explanation for why Leyline is suboptimal against Gifts and Long had two main points.
(Steve, correct me if I am wrong)
1:  It is not good enough to win against Long.
2:  You are faster than Yawg Will in Gifts. (You don't need it)

I carefully used the word "suboptimal" rather than "bad."

Leyline of the Void is not bad - but it is suboptimal.    The points you have up there are, in my view, sufficient reason not to run Leyline, but the real reason is that even if those points didn't hold, it is still suboptimal.  There are simply better cards you can run in those spots. 

Look at my decklist, which I consider the best Manaless Ichorid List:

The Best Manaless Ichorid 
By Stephen Menendian

 
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 Petrified Field
4 Mishra’s Factory
1 Strip Mine
1 Black Lotus
4 Golgari Thug
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
3 Shambling Shell
4 Ichorid
4 Nether Shadow
2 Sutured Ghoul
1 Sundering Titan
4 Unmask
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Serum Powder
2 Dragon's Breath
2 Dread Return
4 Cabal Therapy
 
SB:
4 Pithing Needle
4 Underground Sea
3 Underground River
4 Chain of Vapor

[mox apricot]

wow... thats a nice list
thoughts on gigapede...people hate it, and i can definately see why use other things... but it's gotten me outa some tight jams...

[Smmenen]

wow... thats a nice list
thoughts on gigapede...people hate it, and i can definately see why use other things... but it's gotten me outa some tight jams...

Gigapede is a good card and I def. see the merits.  However, I think Phatasmagorian is just alot better if you want to run that type of effect.

Organized for clarity:

The Combo:
4 Serum Powder
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
2 Sutured Ghoul
2 Dread Return
2 Dragon's Breath

Food:
4 Nether Shadow
4 Ichorid
4 Mishra's Factory

Protection:
4 Petrified Field

Disruption:
4 Unmask
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Cabal Therapy
1 Strip Mine
1 Sundering Titan
1 Black Lotus (to fuel Imp and Shadow and Therapies through both and by itself)

Dredgers:
4 Golgari Grave Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Thug
3 Shambling Shell

SB:
4 Pithing Needle
4 Underground Sea
3 Underground River
4 Chain of Vapor

As I explained in my article.

G2: plan

- 4 Thug
+ 4 Pithing Needle

If they have Leylines, in Game 3 you sb as follows:
- 4 Thug
- 4 Field
- 3 Factory
+ 4 Chain of Vapor
+ 7 UB Lands

[EKM_Ichorid]

What do you think of using 4 River and 3 Island rather than 4 Sea and 3 River? Against Stax I'm expecting some Wastes/Titans, so that base might help. Especially because I'd need to buy atleast 2 Vapors and a River with that board. 

[Smmenen]

You can run Gemstone Mines and Cities if you want. 

[EKM_Ichorid]

You can run Gemstone Mines and Cities if you want. 

I may run:

4 Bayou
3 Llanowar Wastes
4 Emerald Charm
4 Pithing Needle

With alot of combo, and the fact I run Leyline/Chalice, it might work better. Then again, Vapor would be better versus DSC if I can't race.

[yespuhyren]

Just a point.  If you want a good answer to Fish/ETW, why are you playing Ancestors Chosen.  Thunder Dragon is FAR superior here in my opinion.  It destroys all creatures but a few.  It kills

Welders
Confidants
Juggernaut
Meddling Mage
Savannah Lions
Kataki

And pretty much everythin else but a few creatures. 

Also, I think 1 Angel of Despair should be in there too, as being a stax player, if I drop Ensnaring Bridge, its usually GG unless my opponent can destroy it somehow.  Without Ancient Grudge, you can't destroy it unless you play a creature to do it, and Angel is the best.  And chalice@2 is not uncommon for me to play ASAP to shut off grudges and protect myself.

[EKM_Ichorid]

Just a point.  If you want a good answer to Fish/ETW, why are you playing Ancestors Chosen.  Thunder Dragon is FAR superior here in my opinion.  It destroys all creatures but a few.  It kills

Welders
Confidants
Juggernaut
Meddling Mage
Savannah Lions
Kataki

And pretty much everythin else but a few creatures. 

Also, I think 1 Angel of Despair should be in there too, as being a stax player, if I drop Ensnaring Bridge, its usually GG unless my opponent can destroy it somehow.  Without Ancient Grudge, you can't destroy it unless you play a creature to do it, and Angel is the best.  And chalice@2 is not uncommon for me to play ASAP to shut off grudges and protect myself.

I've been playing with the Angel. It seems like its only good against Stax post-board...so I don't know how useful it is.

Maybe as a board I'll run:

4 Bayou
2 Llanowar Wastes
4 Pithing Needle
4 Emerald Charm
1 Naturalize/Ancient Grudge

[mox apricot]

Gigapede is a good card and I def. see the merits.  However, I think Phatasmagorian is just alot better if you want to run that type of effect.

i have a problem with phantasmagorian in a mana lists... gigapede maintains your hand size, where as the phantasmagorian  just ruins it... its nice to be able to do the turn to re-dredge of the grave troll, as well as play the pithing needle on tormod's cypt (or whatever). the need to discard a full 3 is a little much. also there have been ocassions in tournment setting where i've hard casted gigapede in games post crypting...once i hard casted gigapede 5 times against a fish... took forever but it got the job done 6/1 untartedable kill most creatures you'll see short of 7/10, and the untagetable thing is handy. granted that is not the norm, and planning for such a thing is effectively planing for failure, but the hand size things is very relivant, and gigapede, as show, has some unforseen perks.

[Smmenen]

How did you harcast Gigapede?   

I think whatever merits Gigapede has, they are sadly outweighed by the fact that Phata. is black and gigapede is not. 

[EKM_Ichorid]

I'm thinking of dropping Phanta for Fields just because it seems like a Field could do anything Phanta could do (besides be fodder) and faster. Early, when losing a Bazaar hurts the most, Field can grab it. Phanta forces the alternative route, which is much slower.

Smmenen...any comments on my board?

4 Bayou
2 Llanowar Wastes
4 Pithing Needle
4 Emerald Charm
1 Ancient Grudge

Against Stax I can side in Needle, the lands, and the Grudge so I can play around Bridge, while still maintaining a way to get rid of Leyline without causing my opponet to combo out or cast it.