[Premium Article] Psychatog in 2008

[Smmenen]

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/15375.html

Blurb: With a plethora of choices available to the Vintage player - including fast aggro, storm combo, and tempo decks - Stephen has turned his head towards a control creation… yes, that’s right: Doctor Teeth is back! The Vintage World Champion looks at Tog in the current Vintage metagame, and runs the deck through the wringer at a local Vintage tournament.

[ErkBek]

Steve, your list at the end of the article seems like it'd flood a lot without the IT/AK engine. I know you're very contentious of the shop aggro match atm, but has this proven to be a problem outside the matchup? Do you ever board out like 2 or 3 mana sources in non-shop matches?

[Smmenen]

I don't know if this answers the question, but right before I put this article to press, I followed the advice of former Magic World Champion Tom Van De Logt and ran 4 Cunning Wishes.  For some reason, I cut it in the last minute change to go down to 3.

I think 4 Wishes may be the right number both to give you drain sinks, but also because it synergizes so well with this deck.   Tog + Scroll means that you can just regrow Ancestral alot in control matches.  Against decks you need to hate, C. Wish is instant speed tutor for the best answer, Firestorm, Ancient Grudge, you name it...

[Wildthing]

We had plenty of time left for me to win two more games. I sideboarded in Artifact Mutation, Rack and Ruin, and two Pithing Needles. I left Oxidize and Firestorm in my board as Wish targets

Wouldn´t be more appropiate to side in the oxidize and leave the rack and ruin as a wish target?. At the end of the day all you want is to survive the first few turns and then rack and ruin 2 of his artifacts for the win, I would say that maindeck oxidize serves better that purpose.

Also what would you take out for the 4th wish. I am thinking on cutting mystical, I dont want to go below 2 duress. I was skeptical about the basic swamp but it has proven to be golden and clearly deserves a spot.

Congratulations for the great work in one of my favorites archeotypes

[Smmenen]

Congratulations for the great work in one of my favorites archeotypes

Thank you!  I'm actually frightened by the prospect that alot of people might switch to Tog!  It's too bad I couldn't win that tournament!

I'm not sure what to cut, but I might begin with either Shaman or Empty the Warrens, although both cards are great and serve important roles.   

[zeus-online]

Any chance of seeing the decklist?

/Zeus

[steadyelmo]

Any chance someone can post the list here to have some discussion on it?

I'm very intrigued on how the new list is better than that of the old list running only 1 cunning wish...

[The Duressed]

Here you go, have at it.

If I were to play Tog again in tournament, here’s what I’d play:

Psychatog 2k8
Suggested by Stephen Menendian on 2008-02-03 as a potential deck for Vintage
As written about in http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/15375.html
Print this deck!
Maindeck:

Artifacts
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire

Creatures
1 Gorilla Shaman
3 Psychatog

Enchantments
1 Fastbond
   

Instants
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Brainstorm
3 Cunning Wish
4 Force Of Will
4 Gush
4 Mana Drain
1 Mystical Tutor

Sorceries
1 Demonic Tutor
2 Duress
1 Empty The Warrens
4 Merchant Scroll
1 Time Walk
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Basic Lands
4 Island
1 Swamp

Lands
2 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
1 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
   Sideboard:

2 Pithing Needle
2 Yixlid Jailer
1 Artifact Mutation
1 Berserk
1 Echoing Truth
1 Extirpate
1 Fact Or Fiction
1 Firestorm
1 Oxidize
1 Pyroblast
1 Rack And Ruin
2 Red Elemental Blast

[islanderboi10]

Has anyone tested or been playing this deck?

[hauntedechos]

Nice list Steve.  It's good to see you take a look at Tog with the meta game slowed down as it has, I was thinking that Control has a good game right now.  I would have to agree that Tog is one of the best control decks that I've ever played and recently was thinking of looking towards a Tog list of my own.  I was thinking of going with W over R, however I was brought back to a thought that Shockwave brought up in concerns with Landstill...R just has more game over the few solid choices that W can offer.

I'm sorry that you were unable to win that tournament as well Steve, it would have been a great boon to Tog.  If everyone started to play Tog as you candidly mentioned above, do you feel that it would allow Storm Combo to make a comeback?  Generally isn't that when Combo rears its head, when the meta is slow?

At any rate Steve, thanks for the continued effort poured into our favorite format.

Haunted.

[Wildthing]

The decks is quite good against MUD style decks, but I have to agree with kobefan that sometimes it floods against not workshop decks. Gorilla shaman and 1 basic island may go from the maindeck.
In sideboard I think that a darkblast/fire ice is needed to get rid of confidant or welders and to side in in 2nd games. Also with the raising popularity of oath maybe naturalize should also be added. Why is this great deck not seeing any play?

[hauntedechos]

@ wildthing:  I suspect that no one wants to play decks at a tourny w/o popular agreeance and tourny numbers to prove it's good.

[StarOrc]

The deck does seem to have maybe 1 or 2 more sources than needed vs most decks right now, I haven't seen that many Shops recently. Also I sort of expected a Smother in the board. This deck does look pretty good though.

I think the reason it probably hasn't seen much play is that in the past I thought GAT had a good match vs Tog. If you just look at the decks GAT runs more counter, draw/search, and more threats. It seems this deck would have a weak match with GAT and that deck is pretty popular from what I can see. This deck would seem to have a good match vs Tyarnt Oath although I would prefer more duress for that match.

If GATs numbers drop a little more I think this deck would probably see some play.

Star

[hauntedechos]

I've read the article (actually went and subscribed to premium over this and MUD - feel free to tell Starcity games that one Steve) and have since sleeved up Tog.

Something that I like about Tog over GAT is that you don't have to rush into anything.  The fact that you have 8 hard counters is just such a wonderfull thing to get back to, and the addition of the Gush Bond engine into that controll package just feels right.

I've decided that instead of Pearl I wanted Lotus Petal.  Petal is a card that is becomming more and more like my best friend in multi coloured decks.  Sure it's a one time deal, but it's always on colour and tends to be used for a spell that you only need to resolve once anyways.

I agree with your shop re-match, keeping the resistors off the board is pretty important unless you've landed a Fastbond and have proceeded to draw like crazy and puked lands into play.  Yes Tog has more mana sources, but even that buffer doesn't excuse a resolved resistor.  Shop in any form can get out of hand quick, even with all the counter magic, and keeping the spheres off the board is a good way to keep the door shut on them.  My early testing with  shop has been positive, yet still trying..I'd take these percentages over Gat's any day.  I find that using the Gush/Bond engine in Tog leaves you open to some of the same issues that Gat has.  By that I mean Gush's effectiveness is because it's free, with resistors you are being punished for bouncing lands to your hand w/o Fastbond in play;  would you agree that against shop, resolving Fastbond early is fairly important to ensure a resistor that gets by isn't choking you?

I'm wondering what your plans are for both manaless and mana Ichorid.  It seems that with a wish board as it is, the space that Ichorid requires to be effective against is scarce to be had.

At any rate Steve, the article was a good read and I always appreciate your match ups play by play style when discussing decks.  It gives me a chance to see some optimal plays with a deck I'm not proficient with, and also shows me some patterns to be aware of during the match ups.

Haunted.

[smbdy_182]

In today's meta, isn't 8 counters not enough? Combo decks run 4-6 duress effects sometimes with FOW so how does it hold its ground against them? The 1st 3 turns are critical against the combo match up especially if you are on the draw. How soon do you expect to have drain mana up?

[Zygon]

Note:  I haven't read the article but I have sleeved up a version of the deck for goldfishing.

In today's meta, isn't 8 counters not enough? Combo decks run 4-6 duress effects sometimes with FOW so how does it hold its ground against them? The 1st 3 turns are critical against the combo match up especially if you are on the draw. How soon do you expect to have drain mana up?

This deck runs scroll and some duress itself.  Scroll is basically another counter which helps a ton versus most decks, not just combo, and can buy an extra turn to get solid drain mana up.

[hauntedechos]

I myself have:

4 Force
4Drain
4Duress
2MisD

excessive?  you betcha.

Haunted.

[saradoc]

And wht have cut to run such a disruption package? I´m testing the deck and now I´m running 4 Fow, 3 Drain, 3 Duress and 2 Misidis. I would like to run the 4th drain, but don´t know what to take out. I also have a maindeck Fact, which is huge after draining and tutored with scroll.

[hauntedechos]

cut: 1 empty the warrens and 1 cunning wish

reasoning?  I understand the use of warrens, but I don't care for it with such a countrol package. 

and the wish?...same thing as above.

Haunted.

[nineisnoone]

Looking back at Tog for looking for things to add and stumbled across this.

Shrouded Lore  B
Target opponent chooses a card in your graveyard. You may pay B. If you do, repeat this process except that opponent can't choose a card already chosen for Shrouded Lore. Then put the last chosen card into your hand.

With a Tog on board this becomes a Regrowth for B or BB (if you have 2 cards in your graveyard).

[iceage4life]

Looking back at Tog for looking for things to add and stumbled across this.

Shrouded Lore  B
Target opponent chooses a card in your graveyard. You may pay B. If you do, repeat this process except that opponent can't choose a card already chosen for Shrouded Lore. Then put the last chosen card into your hand.

With a Tog on board this becomes a Regrowth for B or BB (if you have 2 cards in your graveyard).

And without Tog it is awful.  Not to mention you often don't want to RFG most of your yard.