On July 18th, there was a PTQ in Kanazawa, Japan. At this PTQ, the Standard format changed forever. Today I am going to examine the decks from that Top 8, and give you my honest opinion about each deck and what I felt each player did right and wrong in deckbuilding.
Yes, I know the PTQ only had 25 participants. The low turnout does not change the relevance of these results.
Let’s start with the 8th place deck:
Creatures (4)
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (14)
Spells (38)
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 4 Forest
- 3 Mountain
- 4 Island
- 4 Mana Leak
- 3 Rampant Growth
- 3 Garruk Wildspeaker
- 2 Mind Spring
- 2 Into the Roil
- 3 Explore
- 3 Cultivate
- 3 Destructive Force
Sideboard
What I like:
1.) The use of Destructive Force. As I said last week, I expect Destructive Force to be a major player in this new Standard format, and this decklist did not disappoint, with three in the main deck and another copy in the sideboard. The combo between Garruk Wildspeaker and Destructive Force is obvious, but I was quite surprised that this obvious combo was not incorporated into the other Primeval Titan decks in this Top 8.
2.) The use of Into the Roil. The biggest foils to Destructive Force are planeswalkers and Knight of the Reliquary. Into the Roil conveniently deals with both of these issues for a very low cost. I’ve seen some people maindeck Flame Slash to be able to handle Knight of the Reliquary before it gets too large, and while four damage is a lot, it isn’t always guaranteed to solve the problem. I enjoy that Into the Roil is a flexible catch-all.
What I dislike:
1.) The number of ramp spells. We all know that most of the Primeval Titan decks are going to be ramp decks, but for a ramp deck to work, you need the correct amount of ramp spells. When I see 3 Explore, 3 Rampant Growth, and 3 Cultivate, I see a deck that is unsure of which cards to play. I believe that Cultivate is the best of the ramp spells available, as it is useful against Blighting and does the best fixing possible. After Cultivate, I prefer Rampant Growth, because it is a guaranteed land drop while Explore is not. Explore can be anything, and I’m not comfortable with that kind of uncertainty.
2.) Only two Primeval Titan. While I’m not sure if four Primeval Titan is the way to go, when given the option between playing Frost Titan or Primeval Titan, I’m going to select Primeval Titan every time. Unlike everyone else, I don’t think Frost Titan is a bad card, because a six-mana 6/6 with only positive abilities cannot be a bad card. However, for the goals of this deck, I find Primeval Titan to be the expensive threat of choice. It simply has too much synergy within the context of what this deck is trying to accomplish.
3.) Four Raging Ravine. I could be very wrong on this, but I feel like this isn’t the kind of deck that wants Raging Ravine at all. The mana fixing is nice, but I don’t think that Raging Ravine is going to be actually attacking very often. From what I understand, the goal of this deck is to cast Destructive Force profitably. When you are sacrificing your own Raging Ravine(s) to your own spell, something just doesn’t feel right. I think the mana can be tailored to fit in Rootbound Crag and have it be a lot more effective.
Overall, I think this is a good starting point for a Destructive Force deck. There is still plenty of room for innovation, but this seems to be a great launching pad.
Next up is my favorite of the eight decklists:
Creatures (14)
- 4 Lotus Cobra
- 4 Oracle of Mul Daya
- 1 Avenger of Zendikar
- 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
- 1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
- 1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
- 2 Primeval Titan
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (20)
Spells (22)
Sideboard
What I like:
1.) The overall direction of this deck. This feels like a ramp deck to me. It has a very single-minded goal, but I think it does what it wants to accomplish extremely well. This take on Turbo Titan is basically an update to Turboland but with a lot more explosiveness. In pre-M11 Turboland decks, if Lotus Cobra didn’t die things got pretty ugly. If Lotus Cobra doesn’t die in this version of Turboland, this are going to get downright hellacious.
2.) The use of Primeval Titan. This is a deck that takes full advantage of a resolved Primeval Titan. Whether you’re searching up two Eldrazi Temples to ramp, a Halimar Depths to set your library, a Khalni Garden to stall, or a Tectonic Edge to deal with a problem, everything here is positive about Primeval Titan. The only deck that takes advantage of Primeval Titan nearly as well as this deck is the Valakut deck that took first place, and I’m willing to say that it doesn’t do it quite as well as this one.
3.) The addition of Eldrazi. With the ability to hunt out Eldrazi Temples with such ease, I think playing with the Eldrazi is correct again. I don’t believe that Emrakul is necessary and should probably be moved to sideboard, but Kozilek can take the place of Mind Spring rather easily, and Ulamog is one of the best threats this deck could ever cast.
What I dislike:
1.) The removal of Time Warp. If there was ever a deck to fully take advantage of Time Warp, this is it. I think this version of Turboland should be built with completely ignoring the opponent in mind and just going as wild as you possibly can. A mediocre draw could be:
Turn 2 Rampant Growth (3 land in play)
Turn 3 Oracle of Mul Daya (5 land in play)
Turn 4 Time Warp (6-7 land in play)
Turn 5 Primeval Titan for whatever you need (Too many land in play and two threats that must be answered right now)
2.) Three All Is Dust. Over the past month, you would be hard-pressed to find someone with more love for All Is Dust than me. But by playing Lotus Cobra and with the printing of Primeval Titan, I think Turboland decks do not need the catch all mass removal spell and should just focus on doing completely insane things instead. If things go to plan, no one should be able to do more broken things than this deck, so why interact when you don’t have to?
3.) One Avenger of Zendikar. Avenger of Zendikar used to be the perfect win condition for Turboland decks. Now that people have had the opportunity to adjust to how Turboland works, it is time to move on. That Avenger of Zendikar should be the third copy of Primeval Titan almost assuredly.
4.) Three Mana Leak. Once again, I do not want to interact with my opponent. I just want to blow by them as quickly as possible and dare them to keep up. I think these should be cut for the Time Warps I discussed earlier.
I really like this deck. It feels like a great update to Turboland, and only needs a few changes to be completely ridiculous.
This next list should look rather familiar:
Creatures (9)
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (16)
Spells (33)
Sideboard
What I like:
1.) The use of four Primeval Titan. Ishihara understands what this is all about. Primeval Titan is the best threat available, and he uses four of them to prove his point. I don’t understand why people are playing less than four in these ramp decks, but to each their own I suppose.
What I dislike:
1.) Three Jace, the Mind Sculptor. The only excuse for this is card availability. I readily admit that it took me a while to come around on Jace, the Mind Sculptor, but now that I have realized how amazing it is, I sure as hell wouldn’t stop at playing three in a deck that is capable of casting them.
2.) This just doesn’t look as powerful as the previous decklist. If you take the time to compare the last deck with this one, the previous one is just so much more powerful. I don’t feel like this deck is taking full advantage of Primeval Titan. Yes, it is playing four, but what is the big finish once you have resolved one? I also have a major issue with the White splash. Kabira Crossroads just isn’t worth it.
I don’t hate this deck by any means. I just don’t think it realizes its full potential. There are some powerful things going on here, but there are more powerful things going on in the seventh place list. Given the option, I would play the seventh place list.
Next up is our very first non-Primeval Titan deck:
Creatures (8)
Planeswalkers (6)
Lands (17)
Spells (29)
- 4 Plains
- 2 Mountain
- 3 Island
- 3 Mana Leak
- 3 Jace Beleren
- 4 Oblivion Ring
- 3 Day of Judgment
- 3 Journey to Nowhere
- 4 Spreading Seas
Sideboard
What I like:
1.) The use of Jace Beleren. In a field of Primeval Titan decks, Jace Beleren is an excellent threat. In my extensive testing with Turboland, one of the last cards I wanted to play against was Jace Beleren because it came onto the battlefield before my Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Not only did it come first, but it forced me to play the game differently. It is a little odd looking at a decklist with three of both Jaces, and while I don’t really agree with those numbers (I think it should be two of little Jace and four of his big brother), I am in agreement with Jace Beleren being in the maindeck.
2.) Journey to Nowhere over Path to Exile. This change makes sense to me due to all the ramp decks that are floating around. Dealing with a resolved Lotus Cobra has to occur, and there isn’t a much worse way to deal with it than a Path to Exile in terms of the ramp matchup. I could see a shift back to Path to Exile once Vengevine decks get big again, but with ramp decks being the new hotness, I think Journey to Nowhere is the correct evolution.
What I dislike:
1.) Three Mana Leak. I don’t think four Mana Leak is correct in every case, but it seems pretty necessary in the current format. Standard is a format with a ton of great threats, and Mana Leak conveniently counters them all. Whether it be a turn 2 Putrid Leech, a turn 4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor, a turn 6 Primeval Titan, or a game-altering Destructive Force, Mana Leak handles them all. In U/W Control and Super Friends, I feel like Mana Leak is a pretty easy four-of.
2.) Four Spreading Seas. I feel like this card is a little outdated now. I think with all the ramp decks that are popping up, Spreading Seas doesn’t have the impact that it once had. Yes, Spreading Seas is a great card against Jund, but it isn’t great in control mirrors, has no effect against ramp decks, and is only marginal against the mid-range Naya decks that exist. Add in the fact that isn’t very impactful against Mono Red decks, and I can’t see a good reason to play Spreading Seas anymore.
To me, UW decks don’t seem to be the best positioned decks right now. I know I am overselling the fact that ramp decks are growing in popularity, but I really don’t see a reason for that to change. Primeval Titan really is that good! With ramp decks being all the rage nowadays (especially after this PTQ), I think now is a good time to set down Celestial Colonnade and company for a few weeks.
Creatures (16)
- 4 Lotus Cobra
- 4 Oracle of Mul Daya
- 1 Avenger of Zendikar
- 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
- 1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
- 1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
- 4 Primeval Titan
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (16)
Spells (25)
Sideboard
What I like:
1.) The overall direction of this deck. Just like the seventh place list, I really like what this is accomplishing. Takahashi even has the Time Warps that I wish Hasegawa did! This decklist really has the road to my heart.
2.) One Mystifying Maze. This is a very interesting singleton land. One of the problems Turboland used to have was with Sovereigns of Lost Alara. Mystifying Maze is a creative tutorable way to mitigate that issue. I’m not sure if Mystifying Maze is better than Tectonic Edge, but it is certainly something worth considering.
3.) Four Primeval Titan. Yes please!
What I dislike:
1.) Three Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Once again, the only reason to play less than four is card availability.
2.) Three Cultivate. For whatever reason, I feel like Cultivate is out of place in this deck. I’d much rather have the fourth Time Warp, the fourth Explore, and the fourth Jace, the Mind Sculptor over the first Cultivate. Turboland is a deck that wants to skip from two mana to four, and Cultivate does not fulfill that role.
3.) Zero Tectonic Edges. Tectonic Edge has always been extremely useful for me in Turboland and it surprises me that there aren’t any in this decklist. I understand that with the addition of Eldrazi Temple and Eye of Ugin that you can only play so many colorless lands, but the upside of Tectonic Edge is so high that I feel that this list should at least try to incorporate two, and possible sideboard an additional one.
This is another Turboland decklist that I absolutely love. Well done Takahashi!
Next up is a deck I generally dislike:
Creatures (20)
- 4 Ball Lightning
- 4 Hell's Thunder
- 4 Hellspark Elemental
- 4 Goblin Guide
- 2 Kargan Dragonlord
- 2 Ember Hauler
Lands (10)
Spells (26)
What I like:
1.) One Searing Blaze. I’d really like to see this number go down to zero, but one is acceptable. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Searing Blaze because I’m not a big fan of conditional direct damage spells. While this condition isn’t very difficult to meet, the times where the condition cannot be met are extremely frustrating. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Searing Blaze is a bad card (quite the opposite, in fact). I just think that right now isn’t the correct time for it.
What I dislike:
1.) Two Ember Hauler. When I spoke about Ember Hauler last week, I stated that I felt it was the worst available two-drop in Red. I still feel that way. I see two Kargan Dragonlord in this decklist and I would rather have the last two than the first Ember Hauler. One reason that I really like Kargan Dragonlord is how good it is against the new ramp decks. Flyers have always been an issue for Turboland decks, and Kargan Dragonlord is a flyer that hits extremely hard. If these Turboland/TurboTitan decks pick up like I think they will, then those that choose to pilot Mono-Red should adapt four Kargan Dragonlord as fast as possible.
2.) Some of these numbers feel random to me. Three Burst Lightning, two Quenchable Fire, and two Staggershock just feels very odd. I see six fetchlands with only one Searing Blaze and no Plated Geopedes. This list of Mono-Red feels very unrefined, and I believe that Oono was very unsure of himself in deckbuilding.
3.) It’s Mono-Red. C’mon. Who really likes Mono-Red?
Personal feelings aside, I feel like this Mono-Red list is far from optimal. I’m positive there is an optimal Mono-Red decklist out there, but this isn’t it.
Next up is one of the more interesting decklists from this Top 8:
Creatures (16)
Lands (11)
Spells (33)
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 4 Forest
- 11 Mountain
- 4 Rampant Growth
- 4 Khalni Heart Expedition
- 2 Comet Storm
- 4 Cultivate
Sideboard
What I like:
1.) The use of Primeval Titan. Once again, four is the way to go. A great start.
2.) The use of Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle. If you’re going to play Primeval Titan without Halimar Depths, Eldrazi Temple and the other busted lands that the Blue/Green version offers, you had better have a good reason. It turns out that Akaike had a very good reason! Valakut is a natural fit alongside Primeval Titan, and it doesn’t surprise me that the lists containing Valakut had so much success. What I like most about this decklist is that it has two separate plans. It has no issue playing as a Valakut deck with inevitability against a control deck, or it can play as a super ramp deck that happens to have a Valakut base in it.
3.) The use of Cultivate. I think Cultivate is a lot more appropriate in this deck because it isn’t looking to skip from turn 2 to turn 4 to play a Jace, the Mind Sculptor / Oracle of Mul Daya ahead of schedule. It can play an Oracle of Mul Daya on turn 3, but it isn’t a big deal. Cultivate feels a lot more natural in this deck.
What I dislike:
1.) Two Inferno Titan. This feels like “good card is good” syndrome. With all this mana ramping going on in this deck, isn’t there a better threat to play? I know I denounced Avenger of Zendikar in Turboland, but that was because it is ramping up to unbeatable Eldrazi creatures. Avenger of Zendikar feels a little more natural in this deck than in the Blue/Green version that is utilizing Eldrazi Temples.
I don’t really dislike a lot of things about this decklist. I really like how Valakut and Primeval Titan work together, as if Primeval Titan isn’t dealt with immediately, THE GAME JUST ENDS. I’m not sure which use of Primeval Titan is better (Blue/Green versus Red/Green) but they are both extremely good.
And now the winner:
Creatures (12)
Lands (10)
Spells (38)
Sideboard
What I like:
1.) Streamlined. I like the streamlined nature of this version of the deck. I’m not the biggest fan of decklists with all four-ofs because it feels like lazy deckbuilding sometimes, but this feels like a four-of decklist.
2.) The use of Avenger of Zendikar. Avenger of Zendikar just seems a lot better than random cards like Comet Storm and Inferno Titan. Four may be too many, but it is quite the powerful card.
What I dislike:
1.) The use of Harrow. In a world of Mana Leak, Negate, and Flashfreeze, this is a bit of a risk. I think this decklist would be a bit better off with Oracle of Mul Daya in the maindeck, due to how it must be answered or the game will end in short order.
I’m not sure if this decklist is better than the second place decklist, but a combination of the two is probably the best deck for the coming weekend.
In the end, this 25-man PTQ has really changed a lot of things. Some people were questioning the hype surrounding Primeval Titan, and this just goes to show that the hype is justified. Analyzing these decklists has showed me that even the lists that don’t use Primeval Titan to its full capability are still good decklists.
To those of you with live PTQs left, be prepared to beat these Primeval Titan decks. I’m not sure what the best way to go about beating these decks are, but to those of you saying that Mana Leak is a problem for these decks, you are way off base. Mana Leak has to counter every question that these ramp decks present, or it will be a dead card extremely quickly. That means that you may have to counter a Rampant Growth with your Mana Leak. That isn’t exactly good!
I’ll be in Louisville this weekend with some sort of Primeval Titan brew. To those attending, see you there! To those playing in PTQs this weekend, I hope things go your way.
Until next weekend!