The Stratagy Behind the "Strategic Slaver" Deck

[LordHomerCat]

OK, here's some examples of how I sideboarded.  They are probably not perfect but it's a start at least.

Vs. Long:
+3 Waste, +3 Sphere, +1 3ball, +1 Crypt, +1 Sower;  -2 Island, -1 MisD (esp. if they've seen it), -1 Mystical, -1 Rack and Ruin, -1 Echoing Truth (if they don't have red), -2 Strat Planning, -1 other spell (maybe FoF or a thirst or Scroll or something random like that)

vs. Shops:
+3 Waste, +1 rack and ruin, +1 Explosives, +1 Sower; -1 MisD, -1 Mystical Tutor, -1 Merchant Scroll, -1 Tormod's Crypt (depends on build, you may need to keep this against Crucible Strip), -1 Fof -1 Strats (or maybe just -2 Strats).

I didn't really take any notes on the day, and my sideboarding probably changed slightly every round since it was mostly just putting in the cards I wanted, then rifling through the deck and taking out cards I didn't think were necessary.  There are some cards that are dead in each matchup, and personally I'm really not a fan of Mystical because you just straight up lose card advantage (ESPECIALLY against decks with Force as it's an awful topdeck there) so I tend to board it out a lot.  Otherwise, it was mostly just trimming the random 1-ofs and streamlining the deck into something designed to beat whatever my opponent is playing.

Also, the 15th card in Brian's sideboard was a Shattering Spree, although I went with a Rack and Ruin since it's better against Painter and I happened to know of at least one very strong painter player I was worried about.

[marcb]

Lord Homer,

  Thanks so much for posting this. It helps a lot. I have been thinking about how I would board, and I have some questions. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Firstly, against long is it better to board out strategic plannings or TfK. I would imagine that your game plan might be faster with planning left in. Also, against Workshops (depending on the build) wouldn't S. Titan be a good card to side out since it will probably only destroy your own lands? They're probably playing a few basic mountains at best and most workshop decks don't run any basic lands.

[slyfer]

I don't understand Thran Foundry.... To me "feldon cane" is strictly better, it's the same identical effect, but 1 less mana to activate it...
I guess it is used vs painter deck, no?

[The Atog Lord]

You can't Feldon's Cane your Ichorid opponent.

[T00L]

ooooooooh i finally figured out what thran foundry was for haha thats pretty clever

[mutedequilibrium]

I remember SP being talked about a long time ago. It was mentioned briefly in <a href="http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=29687.msg434063#msg434063">this</a> thread.

Funny how the trash of one time period is the treasure of another. I wonder where Slaver would be if SP had been explored more in depthly, back then.

[Anusien]

ooooooooh i finally figured out what thran foundry was for haha thats pretty clever

When is Foundry better than Crypt?  Just because you can use it to save yourself from Painter?

[Watanabe]

ooooooooh i finally figured out what thran foundry was for haha thats pretty clever

When is Foundry better than Crypt?  Just because you can use it to save yourself from Painter?

It goes over CotV at 0, no ?

[Hi-Val]

It has three basic uses:

1. Fuzz an opponent's Tormod's Crypt.

2. Recycle your deck in case you need to get something back, like a Fire/Ice or a Rack and Ruin or things like that.

3. Dominate a slaver opponent, as it shuts down Will and Welder.

The huge annoyance about Foundry is that it RFGs itself, otherwise you could just keep Welding it in and wrecking : \

[The Atog Lord]

Out of curiosity, I asked Mo Ya to translate a Chinese Strategic Planning. Here's what she said it says, word for word:

Strategy Planning

Witch Art

Check the top three cards above your card. Place one card of them in your hand and the rest two in your graveyard.

Plan strategy planning inside the tent. Actual war happens thousands of miles away.
Chapter 39,
General's Advisor's first attempt at military planning,
at Bo Wang Po [A Place]

[forests failed you]

Neat.  I really like the flavor text on the card.

[moxpearl]

Funny translation...I would infer that they designed the card text in English but the flavor text in Chinese.   The flavor text is cool.

I was comparing that translation to the English text and noticed it said 1000 li.   Of course, I had to google "li" wondering if that was a typo, and it actually is a distance in Chinese equal to about 0.5 kilometers.   So, the translation should be 300 miles, eh?

[The Atog Lord]

Mo Ya says that the distance measure ought not be taken literally. Rather, it is an amount of distance which would be better to translate as "far away."

[Razvan]

although i am quite unhappy about the price spike... adding this card is genius. it does so much for so little. being able to play it of a land and a mox on turn 1 (which was the motivation for many other 1U and 1B cards) is quite nice.

again, well done brian/jimmy!

[bluemage55]

What was the rationale for including 3 robots, as opposed to a lower or higher number? 

How flexible is that number, given that too few might lead to a deck that is too passive, and too many might flood your hand with more junk than TfK and Strategic Planning can sort out?

What was the rationale behind those 3 robots in particular?  Could any of them have been changed around for other juicy targets (DSC, Platz, Triskelion, Pentavus, etc.) or did they provide absolutely crucial elements?

[LordHomerCat]

What was the rationale for including 3 robots, as opposed to a lower or higher number? 

How flexible is that number, given that too few might lead to a deck that is too passive, and too many might flood your hand with more junk than TfK and Strategic Planning can sort out?

What was the rationale behind those 3 robots in particular?  Could any of them have been changed around for other juicy targets (DSC, Platz, Triskelion, Pentavus, etc.) or did they provide absolutely crucial elements?

Technically there are 4: Slaver, Titan, Triskelavus, and Crucible.  There are 4 because that's pretty much the minimum, and drawing robots sucks hardcore against decks like TPS who will ream you if you draw a bunch of dead crap.  You get all the things you need from those 4 and I never wished I had any other robots.

[bluemage55]

Technically there are 4: Slaver, Titan, Triskelavus, and Crucible.  There are 4 because that's pretty much the minimum, and drawing robots sucks hardcore against decks like TPS who will ream you if you draw a bunch of dead crap.  You get all the things you need from those 4 and I never wished I had any other robots.

I understand the rationale for keeping the number low, but why is 4 the minimum? 

Is that how often you need to hit business, or is it because you need all of the particular abilities they offer, or something else?

[LordHomerCat]

Technically there are 4: Slaver, Titan, Triskelavus, and Crucible.  There are 4 because that's pretty much the minimum, and drawing robots sucks hardcore against decks like TPS who will ream you if you draw a bunch of dead crap.  You get all the things you need from those 4 and I never wished I had any other robots.

I understand the rationale for keeping the number low, but why is 4 the minimum? 

Is that how often you need to hit business, or is it because you need all of the particular abilities they offer, or something else?

Basically, you need certain functions.  You probably need a Mindslaver as it can get you out of a lot of situations that no other card can.  You need some giant dude for early tinkers (Titan normally, altho Trike is better against Dredge and Shops).  You need something that can deal with armies of dudes when Slaver isn't an option (mana shortage, no welder so one time use, etc) in Triskelavus.  Technically, you might not need Crucible, but it's incredible against Shops and Landstill and a lot of tough matchups, and post-board for this deck (with the Wasteland board) it is insane against pretty much everybody.  Plus, you do want to draw one or two some times, since you will eventually find a welder and a thirst, so 4 is a pretty solid number to make sure you can find them when you need them.

Note that Triskelavus also provides for a bunch of slaves in a row and infinite slaving if you have 2 welders, preempting the Bus.  Also, Titan is your best target against TPS unless you can actually activate mindslaver immediately, which I didn't have set up very often since 7 is a lot of mana.  He doesn't just attack and do nothing else like DSC, and he may be a turn slower attacking but he buys so much time against decks that just ignore DSC (like TPS).

[bluemage55]

Basically, you need certain functions.  You probably need a Mindslaver as it can get you out of a lot of situations that no other card can.  You need some giant dude for early tinkers (Titan normally, altho Trike is better against Dredge and Shops).  You need something that can deal with armies of dudes when Slaver isn't an option (mana shortage, no welder so one time use, etc) in Triskelavus.  Technically, you might not need Crucible, but it's incredible against Shops and Landstill and a lot of tough matchups, and post-board for this deck (with the Wasteland board) it is insane against pretty much everybody.  Plus, you do want to draw one or two some times, since you will eventually find a welder and a thirst, so 4 is a pretty solid number to make sure you can find them when you need them.

Note that Triskelavus also provides for a bunch of slaves in a row and infinite slaving if you have 2 welders, preempting the Bus.  Also, Titan is your best target against TPS unless you can actually activate mindslaver immediately, which I didn't have set up very often since 7 is a lot of mana.  He doesn't just attack and do nothing else like DSC, and he may be a turn slower attacking but he buys so much time against decks that just ignore DSC (like TPS).

Thank you for the informative responses.  I don't mean to pester you, but I do have one more question: Would you increase the number of robots if you were playing more welders?

[LordHomerCat]

Basically, you need certain functions.  You probably need a Mindslaver as it can get you out of a lot of situations that no other card can.  You need some giant dude for early tinkers (Titan normally, altho Trike is better against Dredge and Shops).  You need something that can deal with armies of dudes when Slaver isn't an option (mana shortage, no welder so one time use, etc) in Triskelavus.  Technically, you might not need Crucible, but it's incredible against Shops and Landstill and a lot of tough matchups, and post-board for this deck (with the Wasteland board) it is insane against pretty much everybody.  Plus, you do want to draw one or two some times, since you will eventually find a welder and a thirst, so 4 is a pretty solid number to make sure you can find them when you need them.

Note that Triskelavus also provides for a bunch of slaves in a row and infinite slaving if you have 2 welders, preempting the Bus.  Also, Titan is your best target against TPS unless you can actually activate mindslaver immediately, which I didn't have set up very often since 7 is a lot of mana.  He doesn't just attack and do nothing else like DSC, and he may be a turn slower attacking but he buys so much time against decks that just ignore DSC (like TPS).

Thank you for the informative responses.  I don't mean to pester you, but I do have one more question: Would you increase the number of robots if you were playing more welders?

I can't really answer that since I have no interest in playing more welders.  Personally, I hate that guy and think he's a dead card too often.  I wouldn't play more than 2, especially because I would never want more than that against TPS, which is the most important match to prepare for.