[Free Article] Stratfordbury - TEH RECKONING

[Vegeta2711]

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/15418.html

Basically I go over the general metagame trends I / teammates have noticed recently both here and overseas and how the metagame looks to be shaping up. Also includes some general suggestery and commentary on various decks.

[LotusHead]

I enjoyed this article.

A question:

Not that I'd ever play Goblins (you know that ), but I only see Goblin Vandals as "rogues" to enable prowl for the 5/3 fatty.

Are there other rogues in your list that I missed? (ok, just noticed Warren Wierding)

Nevermind (read prowl more closely).

Good article!

[wiley]

Three things:

First, great article. it was an interesting read and a pretty good coverage of currently played decks.

Second, have you been able to trak down that version of mana'd ichorid?

Third, you said you would steal bridges from ichorid with the squad, this is a mistake.  The targets to go after are narcomoeba first and ichorid second.  The free creatures are what powers the deck, not the bridges (though they are insanely good   )

[RaleighNCTourneys]

Three things:
Third, you said you would steal bridges from ichorid with the squad, this is a mistake.  The targets to go after are narcomoeba first and ichorid second.  The free creatures are what powers the deck, not the bridges (though they are insanely good   )

I'd rather face some 1/1s and 3/1s that go away over an army of 2/2s...

[wiley]

If you never get the free 1/1s and 3/1s you never get the 2/2s ...

[RaleighNCTourneys]

Right, but there are eight 3/1s and 1/1s... not 3.

[Vegeta2711]

I don't actually think I ever said what to remove with graveyard specific cards, merely that Offalsnout was a creature and hence removed Bridges by default.

That said, this isn't Extended, the correct target is almost always going to be Bridge from Below since unlike Extended it's unlikely you'll kill them in some other way or be able to deal with the many token dorks left over. A bunch of 2/2's and Ichorids are going to smash in a turn or two. Narcomeoba is an awful target because the odds on being able to actually hit one are very low and all it does is stop them from going off on the same turn they dredge for infi (and even that is a maybe). Hitting Ichorid is similarly bad because it doesn't deal with Dread Return. If you nail Bridges all you'll have to deal with is whatever they Dread Return back which is most likely just a Golgari Grave Troll or a large donk without the accompanying army.

[madmanmike25]

What ever happened to Thorn?  I know you used to have them in an older Goblin list and said you thought that it was the best place for Thorn of Amethyst.

Earwig Squad seems pretty nice, especially if you up the moxen count.  Are there any other decent 1-drops to enable Squad?  Or would that be too many eggs in one basket...

Hooligan didn't make the cut as well?  I know he serves a similar role to Vandal, but sometimes blowing up stuff now is important.  And yes I realize Vandal is a 1-drop for Squad, so I'm not suggesting cutting down on them. 

You prefer Gempalm over Stingscourger in todays meta?  I like that Scourger can wreck Dryads, DSC, and delay Goyfs.

Glad to see someone still testing Goblins.

EDIT:  Mogg Fanatic maybe?

[Moxlotus]

Do you think those crazy Canadians will be showing up with Elementals? 

[Tareth]

This is a total noob question but how does your Bomberman kill? I know other lists that use Pirite Spellbomb to recur infinite damage. I'm just confused on how comboing with Aether Spellbomb works.

[LotusHead]

This is a total noob question but how does your Bomberman kill? I know other lists that use Pirite Spellbomb to recur infinite damage. I'm just confused on how comboing with Aether Spellbomb works.

Maindeck:

Artifacts
2 Aether Spellbomb
1 Black Lotus
1 Engineered Explosives

If you are "comboing out" with Salvagers, then you asplode all their stuff, (casting cost 0-5), temporarily bouncing your Salvager if need bee, and draw say, all but 4 cards in your deck, put your couple of dudes into play (Time Walk if you haven't already) and enjoy the choiciest 7 cards in hand against an empty field.

Pyrite is fun, but not neccessary.

[Tareth]

So the kill is just swinging out after the board is clear.

[Vegeta2711]

What ever happened to Thorn?  I know you used to have them in an older Goblin list and said you thought that it was the best place for Thorn of Amethyst.

Earwig Squad seems pretty nice, especially if you up the moxen count.  Are there any other decent 1-drops to enable Squad?  Or would that be too many eggs in one basket...

Hooligan didn't make the cut as well?  I know he serves a similar role to Vandal, but sometimes blowing up stuff now is important.  And yes I realize Vandal is a 1-drop for Squad, so I'm not suggesting cutting down on them. 

You prefer Gempalm over Stingscourger in todays meta?  I like that Scourger can wreck Dryads, DSC, and delay Goyfs.

Glad to see someone still testing Goblins.

EDIT:  Mogg Fanatic maybe?

The main reason I stopped using Thorn was when I really thought about it, Thron and Squad were being used in the same matches. The key difference was Thorn was mostly not dead, Squad is pretty much never dead in any match. Both suck pretty bad as topdecks and Squad just gives you more % points in the matches you'd want Thorn anyway.

There aren't any other good 1-drops I can think of unless you fit in Fanatic somehow. Hooligan fails to make the cut because, again, I ran out of room. You can't cut the core guys and you need to maintain a certain amount of one drops with Squad. If you wanted to add one, go for it. I prefer Gempalm because it slides by all of GAT's counters and is never dead, sometimes just drawing another card is worth it. Warren Weirding also neatly takes care of Goyf, Dryad, DSC, etc.

---

Do you think those crazy Canadians will be showing up with Elementals?

Would be cute, but I doubt it. The deck just seems awful, I tested against it when Shay wanted to play something different and just mashed it with MUD and GAT.

[LotusHead]

So the kill is just swinging out after the board is clear.

The kill is to win.

If swinging with say, 3 2/2s and 1 2/4 post counterwar gets the job done vs and empty field and 7-8 choice cards in hand, then so be it.

Aether deals with all creatures at least once, and Pyrite kills some. But in comboing off time, there is no difference except Aether deals with DSC and pyrite doesnt.  It's weird, but true.

[Tareth]

Would it be more efficient to run 1 pyrite and 1 aether? You can draw out with either and deal with pretty much everything.

[Purple Hat]

Would it be more efficient to run 1 pyrite and 1 aether? You can draw out with either and deal with pretty much everything.

Aeither is better when you're not comboing for two main reasons:
1) it's on color.  you're actually likely to be able to use it.
2) it deals with dryads/togs/dsc's/gorfs/any other creature that you might put here that pyrite can't, while at the same time it deals with the things that pyrite can deal with when not going off.

if you're actually going off it's basically a wash.  so the short answer is no, it's not more efficient.

[zeus-online]

Another way to win with bomberman is to run a couple of Cunning wishes for utility and then add 1 brainfreeze to the SB...After combo'ing you can just wish for freeze and end your turn.

Although just drawing your deck, playing out all your dudes and time walking with 7 counterspells really should be enough!

/Zeus

[Shimster]

After reading this article, I considered an unpowered Vial Goblins list utilising Earwig Squad. It served me very well during testing, esp. against GAT, Flash (assuming a Leyline in my opening grip) and Oath.

Rbg Vial Goblins

// Lands (19)
4 Mountain
4 Wasteland
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Badlands
2 Taiga
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Strip Mine

// Creatures (31)
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Piledriver
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Goblin Ringleader
3 Earwig Squad
1 Goblin Tinkerer
1 Stingscourger
1 Wort, Boggart Auntie
1 Siege-Gang Commander

// Spells (10)
4 AEther Vial
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring

// Sideboard (15)
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Krosan Grip
2 Artifact Mutation
1 Stingscourger

Wort, Boggart Auntie provides an amazing recursion engine. In my opinion, 3 Squads are enough, as one in your first seven cards should be the way to go.

The sideboard is focused on beating storm combo, GAT, Oath and Staxx, as they are the major forces in my metagame.

Feel free to discuss my list.

[Harlequin]

You have a grand total of 1 non-erwig rogue in the deck... was this intended? Read Erwig Squad more closely - he only triggers when prowled into play.

[goobafish]

You can prowl him off a Goblin or a Rogue. This seems to a common mistake with the prowl cards, people assume that it is only for Rogues, even in draft.