Welcome to Legacy Week here on StarCityGames.com! As you can probably tell from my tournament reports and articles, I’m a big fan of the Seachrome Coasts, Tundras, Flooded Strands, Hallowed Fountains, and even the occasional Glacial Fortress. I’ve been playing U/W since Ravnica/Time Spiral Standard, and with the printing of Stoneforge Mystic and Jace, the Mind Sculptor, it seems that U/W has had a hold on my heartstrings for a good long while now. For a while after the printing of Mental Misstep, U/W decks with Ancestral Vision ruled the roost in Legacy, but alas, that era came to a bit of an end with the banning of the best free counter ever printed (suck it, Force of Will!)
Fortunately for the followers of the noblest color combination, Spell Snare was there to pick up some of the slack, and the deck still had what it took to cut it in the challenging Legacy metagame. Snapcaster Mage also had something to do with the deck’s continued presence, as the card is exactly what Stoneblade wants; it allows you to play more virtual Brainstorms, Swords to Plowshares, and Spell Snares. All three of those cards are among the best one-mana spells ever printed, and getting to rebuy them with an aggressively costed 2/1 blocker just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Obviously the card Stoneforge Mystic has had a warping presence on every format, especially since the printing of Batterskull, and getting to play with that powerful package allows the deck to close out games quickly and present a must-answer card on the second turn. With all these overpowered cards put together in one 75-card pile, I don’t foresee Stoneblade going away anytime soon.
In fact, I still think that it’s the best deck in the format, despite naysayers pointing to a weak RUG Delver matchup. Well, let me explain something to you about Legacy right now. It doesn’t matter what your matchup is against a deck: Legacy is a skill format. This goes double if both players are packing Brainstorms, but let me reiterate that: Legacy is a format where the better player has a significant advantage, all of the time. Let me let you in on another little secret about the format: people aren’t very good at Legacy. It’s a hard format to learn, and most people don’t play it to the same degree that they play Standard, Limited, or Modern. It’s not their fault; they just don’t have enough time to focus on all of these wonderful formats, especially when Standard is the more frequently played and more accessible format.
What all this means for matchups and the metagame, though, is that when the statistics for a StarCityGames.com Open indicates that a matchup is "bad," this should always come with a big asterisk and a message that reads something like this: "These matchup percentages involve large samples of players who may not realize the many nuances in a matchup and may not be indicative of the true likelihood of one deck to beat another. Your mileage may (and will) vary."
Another factor in Stoneblade’s corner is its ability to crush random decks. Sure, Delver can do the same thing, but Delver has a hard time beating linear aggro and burn decks. No matter what your opponent is doing, you have a way to interact with them if you’re casting counterspells and Swords to Plowshares, and you have a way to quickly end the game with Stoneforge Mystic and planeswalkers. Enough chatter about the reasons to play the deck, here’s the list I played at Richmond a few weeks back:
Creatures (11)
Planeswalkers (5)
Lands (24)
Spells (20)
I’d definitely get those Geists of Saint Traft out of the board, despite some people’s assertions that they like him in the mirror match. Drew Levin said it before: the mirror match isn’t about hitting them three times with an aggressive Geist, especially when blockers like Mishra’s Factory, Batterskull, Vendilion Clique, and Snapcaster Mage are running around. As for playing against aggressive or tempo decks, what is Geist going to do for you? Block? If you’re trying to get into a racing situation against a tempo or aggro deck, you’re playing right into their game plan. Instead, I’ll shamelessly quote an Adam Yurchick article by exhorting all you prospective Stoneblade players to "let the game come to you."
Let them show their hand and respond accordingly. Don’t get impatient and try to finish the game unnecessarily quickly, especially if doing so puts you at risk of getting blown out. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way, believe me. I’ve tapped out for Jace, the Mind Sculptor against RUG Delver post-board, assuming that my opponent had taken Daze out since he was on the draw that game. One bounced Tropical Island later and I was far behind to a card that should’ve been a virtual blank! If I’d just waited another turn, I would’ve won! Of course, only do this if the board is even or near even. If you’ve got to take a shot at getting blown out for the chance to turn around a bad board state, then you have to make the play. Just remember that your default should usually be to wait and let the game come to you.
So, if I’m cutting those sweet Geist of Saint Trafts, what in the world am I putting in those slots? Well, I think that Disenchant might be a card that merits consideration and perhaps a fourth Surgical Extraction. Extraction is, of course, more insurance against the boogeyman Dredge, as well as provides more interaction against Reanimator. Just for those two decks, I’d be willing to commit an extra sideboard slot.
The Disenchant is for Choke and nothing else. If that card didn’t let Maverick steal games from you that they had no right winning, you’d have no reason to consider Disenchant, but I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to have insurance against and Choke is one of those cards. Another important thing that I’ve realized is that my mana probably isn’t good enough to keep playing Counterspell with only sixteen blue sources. I think it may be time to cut a Wasteland and a Riptide Laboratory for colored sources or to say hello to Mana Leak. I know we haven’t been in five Island territory for a while, but I only find myself losing games to Delver when I get mana screwed. When we get to play real Magic, I think that Stoneblade is the better deck. The next logical step, then, is to make the mana base more resilient to Stifle/Wasteland packages, and that involves increasing the blue sources.
Of course, what primer would be complete without an in-depth look at most matchups and the sideboarding that I use? Again, this is all with the caveat that just like you should eat your vegetables and be nice to other people, you should learn how to sideboard organically so you’re not stuck without a plan when your opponent shows up with a tweak you didn’t consider. This is especially important in Legacy where there are far too many archetypes and variations on those archetypes to figure out a strict plan for each matchup.
For RUG Delver, you’re looking to minimize the impact of their Dazes, Stifles, and Wastelands. What that means is waiting to crack your first fetch land in response to their fetch land activation, it means fetching basics if you need to, and it means understanding when you should aggressively tap mana and when you should just pass the turn. Generally, if my opponent has a single Wasteland and I have two fetch lands with a Tundra and maybe a Brainstorm or another non-basic land in my hand, I’ll go for non-basic lands. They’re going to kill the Tundra anyway, so you might as well make sure that the rest of your lands can produce all the mana you’re likely to need. Then, even if they draw a second Wasteland, you’re still capable of producing blue and white mana.
If you’ve got two fetch lands and no other land, however, fetching Island and Plains may be in your best interest. That guarantees you the ability to play the game, and as long as you’re still playing lands and casting spells against Delver RUG, you’re just pushing the game further along. Think about who has the inevitability in this matchup. Hint: it’s almost never the deck with Daze, and it’s frequently the deck with Jace. The worst thing you can do is not recognize when you’re going to have a vulnerability to Wasteland and half-play around it. If you’re going to be playing a Tundra from your hand, fetch out a lot of them so you can keep your opponent from cutting you off a color. If you have a basic land and two fetch lands, then sure, you can get two Islands and a Plains, but recognize that the Wasteland is almost immediately going to hit the fourth land and that you’re nowhere near out of the woods yet. You have to play cautiously, but cards like Vendilion Clique are invaluable as blockers that can clear you a turn to drop a Jace or an Elspeth.
The problematic cards for you are Nimble Mongoose and maybe Red Elemental Blast. Recognize that their potential Counterbalances out of the board mean nothing to your big Oblivion Rings, Wrath of God, and planeswalkers. You just want to Swords to Plowshares everything you can target and block Nimble Mongoose if it’s starting to threaten you. Watch out for Ancient Grudge if you can help it, and remember that from their side, nothing’s scarier than an Elspeth ticking up to ultimate while keeping a Tarmogoyf or a Nimble Mongoose neutralized turn after turn.
I like siding in two Wraths, two Oblivion Rings, two Spell Pierces, and a Path to Exile. Cut Force of Wills, a Jace, the Mind Sculptor (they have so many Red Elemental Blasts and Lightning Bolts!), and Counterspells if you’re still on that double-blue monstrosity. You can also cut into your Vendilion Clique stock if you’re on Mana Leak, since Vendilion Clique also does not match up that well against their Lightning Bolts.
The mirror match is also a huge grind, and it will go to the more patient player. My ideal sequence in the mirror is land, land, land, EOT Vendilion Clique taking their Force of Will or Counterspell, land, Jace, the Mind Sculptor. GG. I’m also perfectly happy just playing land-go for as long as possible, since I love reducing variance by getting to see more of my deck. If you have a turn two Stoneforge and you’re on the play, then it’s your call whether to try to run it out there and steal a win or not. If you have a lot of lands, you might want to wait since running it into a Spell Snare and letting them play a Stoneforge Mystic is just the worst. If you’re land-shy, maybe with a second Stoneforge Mystic and only one more land, go for it since playing the waiting game could end up with you missing land drops first. Brainstorming for lots of land is great, and just watch out for Spell Snare because that’s the narrowest card in the match, yet it also counters some of the best spells (Stoneforge and Snapcaster).
Here’s how I like to board. On the play, cut three Force of Will and two Swords to Plowshares for two Oblivion Ring, a Crucible of Worlds, and the two Spell Pierce if you’re feeling aggro. If you want to keep in Geist, here’s where you’d bring him in over the Pierces. You could also keep in a third Plow. On the draw, cut two Plows and a Force of Will for the Oblivion Rings and Crucible. Geist is terrible on the draw since he’ll just get Leaked or Counterspelled or EOT Snapcaster + Brainstorm into Elspeth or something else that just gains value on the exchange. If you do decide to play Disenchant, you can certainly bring it in here. This is the matchup that’s the most flexible and organic in terms of sideboarding, in my opinion, as there are just so many important aspects of the matchup and so many different factors to keep track of that that can be the pivotal piece for a given game.
For Burn, the plan is as simple as their deck choice: counter stuff. Plow stuff. Batterskull. Win. I don’t understand how people think this matchup favors the linear Burn deck, especially when you have Stoneforge Mystics that your opponent absolutely must kill. Spell Snare is nutty, saving you from their big Flame Rifts, Keldon Marauders, and Price of Progress. Watch out for Smash to Smithereens, if you can afford to!
I would definitely sideboard in the Spell Pierces as they’re great at interacting with your opponent until your more powerful game comes online. A Path to Exile is fine to bring in, too, and I’d certainly cut at least the two Elspeths and a Jace. If you want to cut a Vendilion Clique or a second Jace for more Paths, that’s your call, but sometimes you can be flush with Swords to Plowshares effects and die to burn. I think five or six is the right number in this matchup for that type of card. On the play, I’d certainly want to keep a pair of Jaces in there and probably only have one Path brought in. The matchup should be straightforward, just mulligan the clunky hands!
As for the boogeyman, Dredge, you aren’t favored pre-board, but I think you have a fine shot of taking the match with all those Surgical Extractions. Just get their Narcomoebas in response to a Narco trigger, and then flash it back with Snapcaster Mage to get their Ichorids. You’ll find it very hard to lose after that. Swords to Plowshares effects on Narcomoebas and Ichorids are also key in keeping them off their Zombies. Your endgame is the classic Stoneforge-Batterskull connection, where you keep them off Bridge from Below by bouncing Batterskull and losing your Germ. Pre-board, you can still definitely win, but it involves you being on the play with a Stoneforge and a Force of Will for their Breakthrough or Careful Study. You could also have two Swords to Plowshares and two Snapcaster Mages to really make them hard-pressed to get enough creatures into play to do anything meaningful. Really, this matchup isn’t great, but it’s not something I fear at all especially if I don’t think my opponent is very experienced in Legacy. Little nuances in timing can be all the difference when you’re playing against Dredge, and if your opponent messes it up, he can give you extra turns to get into the game.
Board in Surgical Extractions, Spell Pierces, and Path to Exiles. Cut Spell Snares, one or two Vendilion Cliques, and a couple of your planeswalkers. Consider boarding in Wrath of God and cut an extra planeswalker if you need room for them, depending on how many Surgicals you decide to run.
As for Maverick, you’re not extremely well positioned, but you’re also playing Brainstorm and Swords to Plowshares + Snapcaster Mage, which means that you can really beat a lot of their starts. Just don’t get Choked in post-board games and recognize that Mother of Runes is a pain in the butt if you don’t have the immediate Swords to Plowshares. Stabilize the board with liberal removal and a Stoneforge if you have it and ride a Planeswalker to victory. Jace, the Mind Sculptor is great, as he always is against midrange decks, since bouncing a Knight of the Reliquary and Brainstorming is a great way to put the game out of reach. Watch out, though, because Punishing Fire is a real irritant on your Jaces, Stoneforges, and Snapcasters. Don’t worry about Surgical Extraction for it, though, since Elspeth really goes over the top of their light burn package and you don’t need to devote narrow cards to fight a battle you can just ignore once you’ve stabilized. Remember how much time and mana they’ll have to spend to get back to card parity with your card advantageous two-drops, and the fact that every turn they have to do that you’re just getting to your more powerful late game.
On the play, I’d cut Force of Wills, Spell Pierce, and maybe the Vendilion Cliques. You could also cut one Jace, since you want Wrath of Gods, Oblivion Rings, and Path to Exiles, and seven four-drops might be a tad high. The one-of Disenchant might not be a bad idea either since Choke is a real concern. On the draw, you can keep in two Force of Wills and cut two Counterspells if you want, but you don’t have to. It might be nice, though, to have that safety blanket to tap out for a planeswalker and not get Choked. I would probably do it, since you’re going to be on the back foot, tapping out to deal with threats as they appear, and you’re going to have an extra card from being on the draw so Force’s drawback isn’t as awful.
Zoo is sort of a mash-up of Burn and Maverick, and it can be more Maverick-y or more Burn-y depending on the player. I’d board according to whichever they seem closer to. If they’re all about the aggressive one-drops, board more like Burn, but you should still cut those Force of Wills for more Paths. If they’re more like Maverick, maybe with Knight of the Reliquary, play accordingly.
If they’re Bant Stoneblade, great for you, since it means they aren’t Choking you out of the game. So just sit back, relax, and board in all your removal to one-for-one them out of the game. You’ve got Snapcaster Mage on your side, and your Swords to Plowshares are leagues better than theirs. As long as they don’t resolve a Jace, the Mind Sculptor, you should be fine. Plus, you can definitely beat a Jace, just by playing your own and continuing to eke out an advantage with your Snapcaster Mages. You’re not doing that against Choke. Board like you would for Maverick, and just don’t keep a bad hand! You probably don’t have to play around Stifle/Daze by default because most lists don’t have them. Only a couple lists that I’ve seen play Daze, so if you can afford to then by all means play around it, but it’s not too common. Practicing this matchup would be a great exercise in learning to play the deck correctly since it’s a very simple midrange versus control matchup, and the lines of play are generally fairly straightforward.
Reanimator is an irritant. You’re fine against it, but it just sucks that sometimes they Thoughtseize you on turn one, take your counter, and then plop down a fatty on turn two. You should be okay against them overall, though. I think that this matchup is also hugely skill intensive on the part of the Reanimator player and can hinge on things as nuanced as the order in which you put back your Brainstormed cards. Anyway, the important thing to remember is to not assume you’ve won the game just because you countered their first Reanimation wave. They’re always drawing very live, especially because they operate off of two lands and can Careful Study and Brainstorm away their dead draws to help them keep jamming threats.
I’d board in Surgical Extractions, Spell Pierces, and maybe a single Path to Exile. I’d cut Elspeths, a Stoneforge, a Jitte, and a second Stoneforge Mystic if you do decide to bring in the fifth Plow effect. Three Jaces is fine, but you could cut one if you want. They’re really good against Iona, since your opponent is going to have a hard time not naming white with her. Definitely consider cutting one Jace if you’re on the draw. Wrath of God might be a key one to board in if you’re suspecting Inkwell Leviathan or Empyrial Archangel, but I wouldn’t default to boarding it in. This matchup is generally going to be decided by their turn one Duress effect. If you don’t have a second piece of interaction or at least a Brainstorm, then you’re likely going to lose. If you have a Spell Snare or a Force of Will or a Snapcaster Mage after the discard, then you’re probably okay. Be careful to play around Daze, because that’s a big one in Reanimator!
Well, that about wraps up my take on the old Stoneblade. There are too many other archetypes to keep listing sideboard strategies for each one, but hopefully there are common themes running through the sideboard guides that you all can pick up on and utilize. The fact that you have multiple angles of interaction means that no one sideboard card is super impactful against you (except maybe Choke or Back to Basics), and it means that you can buff up a certain aspect of your deck to improve your percentage in just about every matchup. Get comfortable with this deck, and it will reward you greatly. Hopefully I can show everyone just how awesome the ‘Blade is in Indianapolis this weekend. Good luck to everyone battling there and to everyone battling in StarCityGames.com Open: Dallas/Fort Worth this weekend!
Best wishes,
Ben Friedman