OnBC: Beasts

[Rakamir]

Roger Sorino designed this, right? Be advised that another version maindecking Vitality Charms did quite well at Venice, but this was the only Beasts deck to make Top 8. The only card I want to insert is Krosan Warchief, and only two, for Barkhide Mauler, a card I'd rather not take out, but I like everything else in it too much to mess with.

For train, to pre-empt a question: It lost to Tomi Walamies' Gobbos in Semis, much to Osyp's delight, I'm sure, as Jordan beat Osyp with this in the Swiss.

Jordan Berkowitz
BEASTS- Pro Tour Venice Semifinalist
Pre-Scourge

4 Contested Cliffs
4 Tranquil Thicket
3 Forgotten Cave
4 Wood Foothills
5 Mountain
6 Forest

4 Wirewood Elf
4 Ravenous Baloth
4 Canopy Crawler
4 Avarax
4 Tephraderm
4 Thoughtbound Primoc
4 Krosan Tusker
2 Barkhide Mauler

4 Shock

Sideboard:
3 Wirewood Savage
4 Naturalize
4 Broodhatch Nantuko
4 Gempalm Incinerator

Hold on to your seats, as Jerrod Bright will be writing an article about this archetype next week. How this deck will get around Ark of Blight, I do not know, but I suspect Jerrod will give his opinion.

 

[train]

I'm actually leaning towards the green white still...

 

[Ferret]

You forgot one of the best cards to ever have in a Beast deck that has Red in it: Aether Charge. It just sits there waiting for Beasts to come out and all of a sudden four damage appears - more if you have mulitple ones in play.

-Ferret

"I once killed a rather defensive deck w/o ever having to attack!"

 

[Rakamir]

Jarrod has a decklist for New OnBC Beasts today. Not a fan of Barkhide Mauler and Krosan Tusker, he has repleced them with more Amflify critters and Krosan Warchief, a cupla Starstorm, with DoA's in the board.

http://www.brainburst.com/db/print.asp?ID=3089

4 Avarax
4 Canopy Crawler
3 Feral Throwback
4 Krosan Warchief
4 Ravenous Baloth
3 Tephraderm
3 Thoughtbound Primoc
4 Wirewood Elf

4 Shock
2 Starstorm

4 Contested Cliffs
8 Forest
2 Grand Coliseum
7 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills

board:
4 Broodhatch Nantuko
2 Decree of Annihilation
3 Nantuko Vigilante
2 Starstorm
4 Wirewood Savage

 

[train]

I think that's a mistake on Jarrod's part...

The tuskers are in there for the land and card drawing - to thin the deck...

Just like thawing glaciers did... For as cheap as Tusker's ability is - he's worth it...

 

[Rakamir]

Feral Throwback has Amplify and Provoke, cool, but it's expensive.

I don't have an explanation for Jerrod's designs. I know he playtests (really), and with a member of Australia's National team. I know he's bright because his father calls him son, but still ...

I still like Tusker though. In taking out Tusker AND Mauler AND Thickets AND Caves, he just slowed his deck down. Wise?

Other versions of this deck had Vitality Charms, too, another card to keep in mind.

 

[Rakamir]

I'm taking out the Tuskers and Maulers and a forest for 4 Warchiefs and 3 Feral Throwbacks. Oh my god is that card sick. I hadn't realized it had Amplify: 2. I'm keeping the Caves and Thickets tho. Like I said, slowing this thing down too much tain't good.

\Won a game with 3 lands in play on turn 6. It's fun to cast a Baloth and a Thoughtbound Primoc for 3 mana. Try it.

 

[train]

G/W...

Shards... Dawn Elemental...(even gets around the cliffs...)

 

[Rakamir]

I have another thread for G/W, but doesn't that deck lose horribly to Goblins?

 

[Reverend Love]

It's not the traditional Beast deck but the article concerning the Morality Shifting beast deck was really thought provoking. My pal'omaly and I are dorking around with something quite similiar. Here's the jist of it

4 Morality Shift
4 Balthor the Defiled
4 Laqutas Champion
4 Aether Charge
4 Goretusk Firebeast
4 Macetail Hystrodon
4 Duress
4 Cabal Therapy
etc.

Boom your dead. Works pretty well in multiplayer as well.

 

[train]

Have you tested the deck i designed against Gobbos...

If not I'd suggest it...

Gobbos can only take so much of a beating before they turn and run from the G/W monster...

 

[Rakamir]

Haven't tested it, and although I'm sure you can tune it main to beat Goblins, doesn't that weaken it vs Slide? I look forward to looking closer at it tho, once I finish looking at the sixteen deck ideas I have. I believe there's only Soldiers and Slivers left.

 

[train]

The only thing helping soldiers is the capability to be mono-color in the deck...

As for Slivers - I don't see them beating many of the archetypes - and to make them worth it - you need 3 colors...

 

[Rakamir]

HI, I'M A SICK DECK

4 Contested Cliffs
4 Tranquil Thicket
3 Forgotten Cave
4 Wood Foothills
5 Mountain
6 Forest

4 Wirewood Elf
4 Ravenous Baloth
4 Canopy Crawler
4 Avarax
4 Tephraderm
4 Thoughtbound Primoc
4 Krosan Warchief
2 Feral Throwback

4 Shock

Sideboard:
3 Wirewood Savage
4 Naturalize
4 Broodhatch Nantuko
4 Gempalm Incinerator

In 6 turns, the goldfish are dead. Every time. I mean every freaking time. Never 7. Never 5. Always 6.

That's basically Berkowitz' Top 8 Venice build with Throwbacks for Maulers and Warchiefs for Tuskers. This deck is wholly sick. I can't see not playing it in the ptqs, really. Really could use Starstorm, but that's greedy.

 

[train]

this might be a little harder for G/W to handle, but the R/W shouldn't have a problem...

 

[Rakamir]

Wirewood Elf, the weakest of the strong, seems to be an "issue" in this deck.

Should it be removed? The argument seems to be: It's good ONLY on the 2nd turn.

If you were to replace it, what would you replace it with?
Vitality Charms? Can a brother have too much regeneration or instant chumpies?

Or would you leave it alone?

 

[train]

I'm not sure if you have a beast bidding deck here... but if you do I haven't noticed an Animal Magnetism in the deck...

Just to mention - it may be faster than the cycling itself... I know it aids the cycling, and you get a creature.... usually a fattie...

 

[Rakamir]

Animal magnetism? I don't draft so I have to look that up.

Anyway, if Beasts/Bidding is good, I'll eat my hat. Although unlike edt, I won't do that in actuality, as I use that as a figure of speech.

Yo, word, Zombies Bidding is better than Beasts Bidding. That's what I hear, anyway, and I promise not to use Ebonics again, if that's what that was.

HERE"S ANOTHER ISSUE (he said in caps)

WHAT DO YOU TAKE OUT of Berkowitz' deck for Krosan Warchief, King of Chiefs? Is it ...

a) Wirewood Elf?
2) Krosan Tusker?
III) Thoughtbound Primoc?

Zvi prefers taking out Primoc, I hear. Bright prefers Tusker. Some Florida buds I have hate the Elf.
Tough one, ain't it?

MORE CONTROversy:

Starstorm. Main? Boarded? In fact, I'm looking for a tight Beasts sideboard. Any ideas?

Lesseee ..... against train's RW, Starstorm wouldn't be all that great. I'd want Elf for speed, Tusker too. OK, I agree with Zvi. Bye, bye, Primoc, and cut down on the Forgotten Caves to 2, also.

Thanks to myself for answering my own question. Ciao bella.

 

[train]

OK, I agree with Zvi. Bye, bye, Primoc, and cut down on the Forgotten Caves to 2, also

That's the main reason I do so well against beasts - they are so limited on flyers - and then the life gain adds up... once they do get beasts out - I finish them with akroma's blessing, and hit with everything...

 

[Rakamir]

Cool. I do believe that either W/r or W/b (nor strsinght-up mono white) control will be a tier one deck. The only question is which, so if you could, discuss it there.