Jakedasnake's Keeper

[Jakedasnake]

Well, as obviously observed by the members of this site, Green Aggro has become a large issue. The deck is strong with Bazaars, and many builds run Survival, a must counter. For Keeper, this poses a strong threat. The deck just doesn't pack enough removal to stop the efficient dropping of threats. Also, an active Bazaar of Baghdad can just spell game over.

Here is the decklist I propose:

//Mana sources (26)
3 Tundra
2 Volcanic Island
3 Underground Sea
1 Plains
1 Island
4 Flooded Strand
1 Library of Alexandria
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
4 Moxen (No Emerald)
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring

//Removal, Disruption, Permision (18)
3 Swords to Plowshares
1 Balance
1 Gorilla Shaman
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
2 Stifle
2 Damping Matrix

//Draw, Search (12)
4 Brainstorm
3 Cunning Wish
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Ancestral Recall
2 Skeletal Scrying

//Other, Win (4)
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Time Walk
2 Decree of Justice

//Sideboard (15)
3 Red Elemental Blast
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Coffin Purge
1 Damping Matrix
1 Exalted Angel
1 Deep Analysis
2 Disenchant
1 Humility

Updates: -1 Diabolic Edict, +1 Deep Analysis

The deck is pretty standard, but it packs more removal and less artifact destruction. Workshop.dec just isn't as strong as it used to be, so I figured I could lower the amount of sideboard artifact destruction.

3 Swords to Plowshares seem like a must for the amount of aggro around. With these decks running 5 Strips+Regrowth, and sometimes Petrified Field, a basic plains was added to give me more resilience against their mana screwing capabilities.

2 Basic land have been semi-straining on the mana base. However, Blood Moon, B2B and tons of strips are around, and basic lands need to be added to keep these matchups winnable.

Stifle is still amazing. Most of the time I use it to protect my lands from Wastes, but the nabbing of a Fetchland happens quite a bit, and that's a huge tempo boost.

The Exalted Angel sideboard seems strange, but it's a strong Aggro hoser. The basic plains makes this playable more often than not.

1 Isochron Scepter in the SB. It's a good strong card to side in against aggro, but I hate the card maindeck. Plus, there's horrible synergy with Damping Matrix.

Damping Matrix is huge. It stops Team Lizard Beats from becoming too large of a problem, and it stops the Wild Mongrel discard, not to mention Isochron Scepter and Sliver Queen/Ambassador Laquatus.

Thoughts?

[Chaos Blade]

Well I like your build, well done. On the mana, could you drop a Underground for Volcanic? Since Red is going ot be needed in the Landstill and Tog matchup's alot.

Also how does your deck do against the rest of the field?

[Roxas]

Wouldn't Moat be a good inclusion, at least in the sideboard?  It is very helpful against stuff you can't target (such as Troll Ascetic).  Also, it is a permanent solution to aggro - something that seems to be becoming more and more important.  As you said, there isn't enough removal - 1:1 removal can't last forever.

[Chaos Blade]

Humility is way better then Moat.

[Jakedasnake]

Yes, I'm probably going to stick a Humility in the board. It's been tested with strong results.

I've been wanting something more in the control on control matchup. I need some draw! Deep Analysis seems strong, I tested one maindeck a while back to good results. I'll probably sick 1-2 in my board.

[Kinarus]

If you're going to look at 4cc answers like Moat and Humility, Lobotomy might be worth a look as well. It doesn't need any adjustment to the mana base to fit WW, and it hits Squee if they're careless in addition to a Survival. Unfortunately, it's a very proactive spell in a reactive deck, and it's probably too narrow to be of any use. It suffers the same problems that Duress does, only at a higher mana cost, and so is probably useless.

As for the build you have, I really like the maindecked Damping Matrix. It just stops so much once it hits play. Some things in the sideboard seem out of place, namely the Isochron and a single Angel, as well as no Wishable graveyard-hate. I'd much rather find room for at least one more Exalted Angel in there and add in a Coffin Purge.

-Kinarus

[Jakedasnake]

About Lobotomy: If I'm going to spend 2UB, I'd rather have a card that almost definitely means 'I win'

One of those Tormod's Crypt is supposed to be a Coffin Purge, I just had a brain-fart transfering stuff onto here.

Exalted has been nothing but gold. It's strong against control, but it really wrecks house against Aggro. Usually, I can toss one out (morphed up) turn 4-5 with counter back up. It basically means game. In fact, I might think about putting one in the maindeck.

Isochron comes in with Vampiric Tutor against aggro. I can usually put a Swords on it, which pretty much means game if I can protect it. However, I hate the card.

[Caelestis]

Humility, imo, is much more in tune with the way the deck is going compared to the lone Isochron Scepter, and less likely to be dealt with in my experience.

[Chaos Blade]

The only card I dont really know about is Damping MAtrix main. It seems like it would be dead weight in some matchs. Id put 2 in the board but thats my opinion.

Deep Anals are great..... not in.. Well Id play 2 in the board and loved them. 3 ReB and 1-2 Deep Anal give you the thrusting in the control matchup against Hulk and Landstill I think.

[Jakedasnake]

Agreed, but I've got to test it out before I make a switch. So far, I've never tested Humility, but it seems strong in theory.

[Chaos Blade]

Yea I gotta test that card out to. It also seems powerful against Hulk. Hulk should roll voer to 3 Reb 2 Damping and Humilty but who knows.


EDIT: here is my build for reference. Im testing 3 Impulse and might go down to 2. I love them. My sideboard is in chaos right now


//NAME: Untitled Deck
// Counter Base
        4 Force of Will
        2 Stifle
        4 Mana Drain
// Tutoring
        2 Cunning Wish
        1 Mystical Tutor
        1 Demonic Tutor
        3 Impulse
        4 Brainstorm
// Broken
        1 Time Walk
        1 Balance
        1 Yawgmoth's Will
// Draw Engine
        1 Ancestral Recall
        1 Fact or Fiction
        2 Skeletal Scrying
// Removal
        1 Fire/Ice
        2 Swords to Plowshares
// Win
        1 Gorilla Shaman
        2 Decree of Justice
// Mana
        1 Island
        3 Underground Sea
        3 Tundra
        3 Volcanic Island
        1 Black Lotus
        1 Sol Ring
        1 Mox Jet
        1 Mox Pearl
        1 Mox Ruby
        1 Mox Sapphire
        4 Wasteland
        1 Strip Mine
        1 Library of Alexandria
        4 Flooded Strand
// Sideboard
SB:  1 Blue Elemental Blast
SB:  2 Damping Matrix
SB:  1 Deep Analysis
SB:  1 Swords to Plowshares
SB:  1 Humility
SB:  1 Disenchant
SB:  2 Rack and Ruin
SB:  2 Coffin Purge
SB:  1 Exalted Angel
SB:  3 Red Elemental Blast

[urza_insane]

The only reason there is such a resurgeance (or one of the main reasons) is that it hasn't been around for a long time. This makes people lax in their builds and they forget to include aggro hate. Never forget to leave your house without a Moat of Abyss handy.   Damping matrix also works great against a lot of decks. 4 Stp? I'm I just crazy or would this be good? Bring back the old days! 4 Disenchant, 4 Swords to Plowshares!

[Pago]

Some things I have to question:

a) keeper brainstorm/fetch draw engine.
- your only running 4 fetches. wheres the 5th?

b)two skeletal scryings
- this is a little wierd, as it impedes your ability to go crazy with a will

c) why no emerald?

[Caelestis]

Brainstorm-Fetchie count doesn't necessarily have to have a 5th Fetchie, Zherbus and others have used a City in the 5th Fetchie slot with equally successful results.

Will is not a win condition, it allows you to go crazy, yes, but you don't go resolving one without drawing into counters, and to draw into counters you need Scrying.

It is offcolor, and this version of Keeper is not in a huge need of that kind of mana.

[Moxlotus]

Humility would be a great card to add to the sideboard. It works along with Decree about as good as Abyss worked with its partner Superman.

Also with 2 Skeletal Scryings in the deck it gives plenty of draw power and impedes Will very little.  Just remove the crap that you don't want to get back.

[heiner]

As you said, there isn't enough removal - 1:1 removal can't last forever.

I think thats the point.

@chaos Blade: how to you stop aggro with just 2 StoP??

I have 2 StoP, 1 Abyss and 2 Scepters Main. Scepter with swords imprinted is amazing because it is really fast enough to stop aggro. It cant be tutored up so I have one abyss main deck.
Because of the Abyss I play 2 god old Morphlings, but 2xdecree+Humility main would probably be god too.

1 run 1 skelletal+1 braingeyser MD + 1 skelletal in SB

I also run a specter in SB, probably removing it for an exalted angel.

[Chaos Blade]

I have 2 StP and 1 Fire/Ice. I run 3 Impulse to take that stuff and to imply my control. If the match gets really bitchy I can add 1 Stp and Humilty plu Exalted from the board.

[Cuandoman]

Scrying also works wonders in that you can remove card from the game so you can wish for them. I do this with my Mystical Tutor every once in a while and ive even done it with an Ancestral once.

[RoadTrippin]

Humility is actually way underrated right now. Don't forget that keeping it in play means a win vs. Dragon in addition to basically any and all aggro decks.

[Rico Suave]

Their cards that hurt you most are Survival of the Fittest and Bazaar of Baghdad.

You already run several ways to answer Bazaar, so why not run Disenchants too?  It seems like it would be useful in the same matches Humility would be useful in too, except Disenchant is much faster and easier to cast.

[Jakedasnake]

I don't really want to play Disenchant game 1 against every deck, just because I don't always need to play a disenchant against an opponent. I'm not really open to the idea of a dead draw. If I were to fit in a maindeck disenchant effect, I would opt for Dismantling Blow. Sure, it costs one more, but it isn't dead late game.

I really doubt I'd be able to play a Humility against Dragon (ever). First off, Duress takes it out. Second, it costs 2WW, and third, I wouldn't want to tap out to play it.

Chaos Blade: I think running 3 Impulse is just bad right now. You have to much search and not enough answers.

[Chaos Blade]

Yea I think im 1 over. Im going to drop to 2. Playtesting showed that 2 were enough for me to get my shit out. The open slot might be anything from a Disenchant to Decree. I also see people playing 1 Disenchant in the boards and 2 Racks. Im probaly going to end up playing 1 Rack and 2 Disenchant to stop survival etc.

[Jakedasnake]

I think more powerful cards need to be added to your build. You deck searches for answers 1:1, but bombs like Damping Matrix are what win you the game.

[Chaos Blade]

Yea your right but like how is Damping extremely good against every deck that is what im debating about right now. I dropped the Impulse though right now for A D-Blow or a Decree. What one do you think I should play? Im metagaming the deck towards the National meta since I dont have the cards IRL mostly.

[Sodent]

I played a very similar deck at the Waterbury tournoment last Saturday but with a few changes. I think you should definately play a Fire/Ice main deck and even possibly in the SB. It was definately an MVP for me in the tournoment. Humility is definately stronger than Moat now so keep one in the sideboard, Abyss is also a considerable choice. Four fetchlands are fine, anything more would seem kinda silly to me with all the Stifle's running around. The 2 Skeletals are great, definately keep em. It was great when i drew them and i never had a problem using them. They also rarely effected a yawg will being played. Just keep play testing and you'll find that the deck really doesn't need *much* tweeking but your SB will for use with the wishes. Good luck with the deck.

[Mixing Mike]

Morphling tagged with an Abyss seems to be the best answer IMO.  

Dropping a Morphling usually means game over for any aggro deck.  It also makes your mana base that much more stable (seeing all your lands tap for U anyways...).

The Abyss has a much easier CC than Moat and Humility.  Another strong point is that it hits any and all Welders only allowing them to activate once, as well as effectivly killing off Metalworkers.  It's autowin vs. Sui, WW, and has a good effect vs. Fish as well.  The Abyss is worthless vs. Landstill, Dragon and Charbelcher.  Though I'd expect that your list would be able to handle these decks anyways.

[Jakedasnake]

I don't like The Abyss in Keeper anymore, just because Decree of Justice is the best win condition as of now. It's un-counterable, instant speed, and extremely versatile. Morphling is just too slow, it won't come out fast enough against aggro if you're trying to counter their threats, destroy their Bazaars, and use spot removal.

Fire/Ice seems okay, but it won't kill Wild Mongrel, Basking Rootwalla(if they play smart), Psychatog, etc. However, the card is so damn versatile and usefull, I'll test one in the 3rd Swords spot.

[Mixing Mike]

I don't like The Abyss in Keeper anymore, just because Decree of Justice is the best win condition as of now. It's un-counterable, instant speed, and extremely versatile. Morphling is just too slow, it won't come out fast enough against aggro if you're trying to counter their threats, destroy their Bazaars, and use spot removal.

From everything I've ever seen or played, Decree requires at least 3 tokens to be effective vs. anything with Bazaars, and needs around 8 mana for the 4/4 Flyers vs. most aggro decks, not to mention the double White CC.  Playing a Decree usually means that you have full control of the table, and you know they can't remove the tokens.  Say now that you have a Morphling coming out on turn 3 off a Mana Drain then you have no need to worry about spot removal *in most cases* untill the next game.  Not to mention the suprise factor in The Abyss and Morphling, as nobody's prepared for a Morphling to hit any table anywhere.

[heiner]

I don't like The Abyss in Keeper anymore, just because Decree of Justice is the best win condition as of now. It's un-counterable, instant speed, and extremely versatile. Morphling is just too slow, it won't come out fast enough against aggro if you're trying to counter their threats, destroy their Bazaars, and use spot removal.

It really hard for me to decide which is better. MOrphling or decree. I saw my decree stifled more often than my morphling countered. I think both are very slow. You need about 6-7 mana to cast morphling (and to make it untargetable) but you are supported by mana drain.

decree also needs that amount of mana, when being played in opponents discard phase where you can tap out.

A resolved decree stops aggro but you probably loose the tokens blocking his creatures, morhling gets rid of them.

also you can pitch your starting hand morphling for FoW.
And Abyss can be really good too.

I think its really a hard decision..

[xrizzo]

Humility is actually way underrated right now. Don't forget that keeping it in play means a win vs. Dragon in addition to basically any and all aggro decks.

Humility still costs 4 mana.  Every dragon deck can win the game by the time you have 4 mana.  

Getting it in play, and protecting it wins the match, but you can't rely on it...