The Rundown is a new weekly feature that shows the results of local tournaments in Montreal and interesting decks around the world that we find for you guys to try out at your next FNM. No elaborate discussion, just list after list after list.
In this week’s Rundown, KYT shows which Valakut list he would run, a BUG Pod concoction, a UG Aggro list from Malaysia and the quint-essential Japanese deck of the week.
Valakut
[deck title=Valakut by Phil Samms]
[Lands]
3 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Evolving Wilds
5 Forest
11 Mountain
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
3 Verdant Catacombs
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
2 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Overgrown Battlement
4 Primeval Titan
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Explore
4 Green Sun’s Zenith
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rampant Growth
2 Summoning Trap
[/Spells]
[Sideboard]
3 Creeping Corrosion
3 Memoricide
3 Nature’s Claim
4 Obstinate Baloth
1 Swamp
[/Sideboard]
[/deck]
For Caw-Blade ideas, I often referred to Gerry Thompson and Drew Levin. For Valakut, I don’t think there’s anybody’s opinion on the deck that I value more than Phil Samms’. It’s funny to me because he did not play Valakut last year, but opted to play a deck he liked to call (or at least scream) ESPAH!. Ever since then, he has been playing Valakut to a good degree of success, fine-tuning it along the way.
Once results of Japanese Nationals came pouring in, Phil Samms loved Mihara’s innovation of having 1 [card]Birds of Paradise[/card] in the deck and defended the Japanese on their inclusion of Oracle of Mul Daya over [card]Solemn Simulacrum[/card]. PV said he would try a full set of Solemns instead, but Phil maintained that the Oracle is the BEST card against blue decks and that it would be foolish to cut it in favor of Sad Robot. In his latest article, GerryT came to the same conclusion: [card]Solemn Simulacrum[/card] is overrated in Valakut. PSamms knows what he’s talking about!
If you are going to SCG Pittsburgh, you can do WAY worst than this tuned list by Phil Samms. Bring Valakut back to the top tables! I highly recommend this 75 for this weekend.
Or I guess you could play a funky-looking list by our good friend Dan MacDonald who managed to top 8 a PTQ in Rochester.
[deck title=Valakut by Dan MacDonald – PTQ Top 8]
[Lands]
3 Evolving Wilds
5 Forest
10 Mountain
3 Raging Ravine
2 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
2 Pelakka Wurm
4 Primeval Titan
4 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Urabrask the Hidden
1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Dismember
4 Explore
2 Harrow
2 Khalni Heart Expedition
1 Lightning Bolt
3 Pyroclasm
4 Rampant Growth
3 Summoning Trap
[/Spells]
[Sideboard]
2 Acidic Slime
2 Combust
3 Memoricide
4 Nature’s Claim
3 Obstinate Baloth
1 Swamp
[/Sideboard]
[/deck]
Phil Samms has this to say about DMac’s version of Valakut: “I don’t think I’ve seen a list I’ve agreed less with”. DING!
BUG Pod
[deck title=BUG Pod by Brennan DeCandio – PTQ 1st]
[Lands]
7 Forest
3 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
6 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
4 Acidic Slime
4 Birds of Paradise
1 Cadaver Imp
1 Deceiver Exarch
2 Entomber Exarch
1 Frost Titan
1 Glissa, the Traitor
1 Grave Titan
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Skinrender
2 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Spellskite
1 Sphinx of Lost Truths
3 Sylvan Ranger
1 Triskelion
1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Birthing Pod
2 Dismember
[/Spells]
[Sideboard]
1 Blood Seeker
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Deceiver Exarch
1 Massacre Wurm
2 Memoricide
3 Nature’s Claim
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Pelakka Wurm
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Viridian Corrupter
[/Sideboard]
[/deck]
Anyone who listens to the Eh Team knows that both Smi77y and I have been playing around with Birthing Pod. RUG Pod has achieved a certain level of success, taking down Australian Nationals. Now, we have BUG Pod, which was able to get two people, including the winner, into the top 8 of a PTQ in Florida. The key addition from M12 with all of these Pod lists is [card]Phantasmal Image[/card].
I look forward to trying this out at some point, but the inconsistency that comes with a [card]Birthing Pod[/card] deck has troubled me. And there’s no [card]Preordain[/card] in this list! I don’t know if this list will have the same problem, but while playing with Olivier Ruel’s Bant version of the deck, I felt like [card]Gideon Jura[/card] was a problem. It was mainly because unless you start Podding up the chain, you just have a bunch of weak 1-power guys that do not put on enough pressure.
UG Aggro
[deck title=UG Aggro by Joe Soh – Nats Top 4]
[Lands]
7 Forest
2 Inkmoth Nexus
2 Island
4 Khalni Garden
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Tectonic Edge
2 Verdant Catacombs
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
1 Acidic Slime
3 Birds of Paradise
2 Consecrated Sphinx
4 Lotus Cobra
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Primeval Titan
2 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sylvan Ranger
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Beast Within
2 Dismember
2 Green Sun’s Zenith
4 Mana Leak
2 Rampant Growth
4 Sword of Feast and Famine
[/Spells]
[Sideboard]
2 Acidic Slime
3 Creeping Corrosion
3 Nature’s Claim
2 Obstinate Baloth
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
2 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Sideboard]
[/deck]
Outside of possibly Terry Soh, his brother, two-time Malaysian Nationals Champion Joe Soh is probably the most known Malaysian player. He was able to top 4 this year’s Nationals with this funky list. I have to say that it is exciting to finally the new Garruk in competitive action. I really want to try this one out. Though even with the [card]Green Sun’s Zenith[/card], the numbers look really sketchy and untuned.
Why are Asians so funky?
Deck of the Week Challenge
I don’t know how much interest there would be in this, but I want to host a contest where the players who play the Rundown’s Deck of the Week at an FNM get an entry to a monthly raffle. Participants would have to show proof that they have indeed assembled the deck indeed via picture or video. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Deck of the Week: Dungrove Elder Beatdown – PTQ Top 8
[deck title=Dungrove Elder Beatdown]
[Lands]
20 Forest
2 Tectonic Edge
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Overgrown Battlement
4 Dungrove Elder
2 Obstinate Baloth
2 Acidic Slime
1 Primeval Titan
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Cultivate
4 Beast Within
4 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Overwhelming Stampede
3 Karn Liberated
4 Green Sun’s Zenith
[/Spells]
[Sideboard]
4 Nature’s Claim
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Spellskite
3 Creeping Corrosion
2 Obstinate Baloth
2 Acidic Slime
[/Sideboard]
[/deck]
The usual question emerges: “Why would you ever play this over Valakut?”. Is [card]Dungrove Elder[/card] the new [card]Tarmogoyf[/card]? The fact of the matter is that this decklist did top 8 a 82-player PTQ in Japan, so I hope one of you guys can help us answer these questions.
Fellow Mana Deprived team member Francis Toussaint gave this comment in our private Facebook group: “This list confuses me on so many levels. Although I do like having 8 [card]Dungrove Elder[/card]. Elder plays well with Garruk and Stampede which is a plus”.
Take care,
KYT
Kar Yung Tom (KYT) is the Digital Content Manager for Face to Face Games. He oversees the F2FTour.com and Magic F2F websites. He is also the lead host of the First Strike podcast.