Hey Community! So I've been seeing a couple GW beats decks placing high at recent Vintage events and I'd like to discuss the deck a bit (specifically a couple card choices). Here are two links to recent high placing lists:
http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=38410.0http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=38116.0Here are the lists for reference:
1st Place
Nick Vallas
4 Qasali Pridemage
3 Tarmogoyf
3 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Ethersworn Canonist
4 Heartwood Storyteller
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
3 Aven Mindcensor
4 Gaddock Teeg
4 Null Rod
2 Kitaki, War’s Wage
1 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
4 Windswept Heath
1 Plains
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Mox Pearl
4 Savannah
4 Wasteland
1 Mox Emerald
1 Black Lotus
1 Strip Mine
2 Temple Garden
3 Mishra’s Factory
SB:
2 Samurai of the Pale Curtain
3 Wispmare
2 Path to Exhile
2 Oxidize
1 Krosan Grip
3 Gutteral Response
2 Sylvan Safekeeper
Jon Donovan (GWS) GW Fish
1 Seal of Primordium
4 Aven Mindcensor
3 Null Rod
4 Qasali Pridemage
2 Choke
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Ethersworn Canonist
4 Vexing Shusher
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Gaddock Teeg
4 Wasteland
3 Forest
1 Plains
4 Windswept Heath
3 Savannah
3 Elvish Spirit Guide
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Strip Mine
2 Enlightened Tutor
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
SB:
4 Tariff
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Path to Exile
2 Choke
1 Seal of Primordium
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Kataki, War's Wage
Now I'm trying to pinpoint which card choices are "metagame slots" and which are simply necessary evils of the respective decks. I'm also interested in some unique tech from both decks.
Nick takes the more streamlined "4 of approach" and runs interesting choices like Heartwood Storyteller. Though I like the Storyteller I'm not sure it's needed as you'll often only be drawing a lot of cards against the TPS player the turn they are winning and you won't be drawing into any instant speed shenanigans other than Aven Mindcensor to stop them. Perhaps I'm under rating the card, but it does seem a bit weak at first glance.
Jon takes the more toolbox approach and even runs an enlightened tutor suite alongside the beats shell. I think that neither deck is perfect, but I'd like to know people's opinions on how to make the best composite list of GW beats. Is it too early to really know that? Is it far to Meta-dependent? Will Vintage Beats and Fish decks never really work with a composite list the way that Tezzeret decks work?
The SBs of both decks are also vastly different. Nick opts for 3 Gutteral Response to stop opposing Countermagic while Jon elects to hose the strategy altogether with MD and SB Choke as well as Vexing Shusher.
Nick also likes Wispmare to combat Oath and Ichorid while Jon doesn't seem to go that route and simply relies on Tariff and Path To Exile.
Overall I think I like Jon's list better, but there are merits to Nick's as well. I'm getting the ball rolling on this one, but I'd really like people's ideas on these decks as I think they are the wave of the future for a Shops and Fish infested metagame.
Peace,
-Storm