Thursday morning — at an unknown time — when I was sleeping, Patrick came into the guest room, trying to wake me up. He said it was 11am, and that I had overslept. My flight was just after noon, and I had set my alarm for 10am. I watched my clock… it said 9am. I told him I wanted to sleep some more, but he promised me it was 11am. I turned on my laptop, and found out it actually was 11am. All our clocks where still in Chicago time — mine was even still on winter time. I packed all my stuff in a hurry, and we left his apartment for the airport at 11:20am. We arrived at the airport and ran inside to find that the flight was delayed by 50 minutes. Phew.
I arrived in Hanover on Friday evening and got together with Shuhei Nakamura and Paulo Vito Damo da Rosa to finalize the decklist that I played. The basic list was created by Martin Juza, but he was already sleeping as he didn’t feel very well. Here is what we came up with, followed by matchup analysis and a tournament report.
Creatures (11)
Lands (23)
Spells (26)
The deck idea is nothing new, so let’s talk about the most important match-ups for a minute, and how to play against them with this version.
Versus Faeries
A turn 1 Ancestral Vision is very good in the mirror — and with this list it is very hard to stop as it doesn’t run any Stifle. Besides Vision, both Sower of Temptation and Vedalken Shackles are key cards. It is close to impossible to stop pressure when your opponent has an active Shackles.
Umezawa’s Jitte might look important on paper, but it is easily stopped by several cards. Spellstutter Sprite, Sell Snare, Riptide Laboratory, Engineered Explosives, and Umezawa’s Jitte pretty much stop it by themselves. Usually, the more complex part of the game is to figure out who is the beatdown. As soon as you know who the beatdown is, it gets easier. It gets more complex when the beatdown player changes, so you should pay attention to this.
Future Sight is a really good sideboard card, but it can be to slow if you are under pressure — if the board is even thou a resolved Future Sight will always win the game. Glen Elendra Archmage is generally too risky a card for them to keep in because of Control Magic effects. Since it usually gets sideboarded out, the only way to stop the Future Sight is Mana Leak and Cryptic Command.
-3 Engineered Explosives
+2 Sower of Temptation, +1 Future Sight
If you are running more Fetch Lands you might consider keeping Engineered Explosives, as you can kill Vedalken Shackles with it. If you are keeping Engineered Explosives I would board out Umezawa’s Jitte.
I think the matchup is favorable for you. Maindeck Vedalken Shackles and no Glen Elendra Archmage really help there. The lack of Fetch Lands makes you more Stifle proof than most other lists. Ancestral Vision has an advantage over lists that are running more Thirst for Knowledge and Trinket Mages. After sideboarding, it usually gets closer as your opponents have a better sideboard than you. Still, I don’t think they can catch up with the disadvantage they have in the first game.
Versus Life from the Loam Decks
Usually the game plan of every Life from the Loam deck is the same against you — generate card advantage with Life from the Loam combined with cycling lands, while making pressure with big Green guys. Game 1 is very tight as you have a really hard time dealing with Life from the Loam every turn. You might be able to catch the Life with a Vendilion Clique if they run out of cycling lands after you counter it. After sideboarding, the matchup gets a lot easier. Your dead cards like Umezawa’s Jitte become game-winners like Future Sight and Relic of Progenitus. Take care that you are not passing priority with Relic of Progenitus because you are greedy — they might run Krosan Grip.
Slide
-1 Engineered Explosives, -3 Umezawa’s Jitte, -1 Vedalken Shackles, -1 Sower of Temptation
+3 Relic of Progenitus, +2 Flashfreeze, +1 Future Sight
BG Loam (with Goyf and Bitterblossom)
-2 Vedalken Shackles, -2 Spellstutter Sprite, -1 Vendilion Clique, -3 Umezawa’s Jitte
+1 Threads of Disloyalty, +3 Relic of Progenitus, +1 Future Sight, +1 Sower of Temptation, +2 Flashfreeze
Depending on if you see Tarmogoyfs in the second game, you want to remove (or add more) Threads of Disloyalty. Many people told me that the right play is to board out Tarmogoyf. Still, I think it is the very best card against you and you’d rather be prepared to fight it with your Engineered Explosives, Spell Snares and Threads of Disloyalty
BG Loam / Cloud (Ravenous Baloth)
-2 Vedalken Shackles, -3 Umezawa’s Jitte, -2 Spellstutter Sprite
+1 Sower of Temptation, +3 Relic of Progenitus, +2 Flashfreeze, +1 Future Sight
Again, I think you are in the advantage in the match up. I didn’t lose a game so far when I resolved a Relic of Progenitus. Their deck usually becomes very bad if you can stop their Life from the Loam, as their disruption is not that good against you.
Versus Storm
Without Stifles, this matchup is really bad. Your disruption is down to Vendilion Clique and some hard counters. Usually if they manage to draw a Storage Land, they have a big enough mana advantage so the hard counter doesn’t stop them from comboing off. Electrolyze and Remand make sure they get enough time for a storm count as high as eight or nine. If you are running Stifle, the matchup gets much better, as you are able to Spellstutter Sprite, Venser, or Cryptic Command a Gigadrowse copy targeting a Blue source of yours so you can Stifle the Mind’s Desire.
-2 Vedalken Shackles, -1 Sower of Temptation, -2 Engineered Explosives
+3 Relic of Progenitus, +2 Flashfreeze
The sideboard doesn’t really help you, but I overestimated the number of Affinity decks at the tournament. For future tournaments I am pretty sure I am running three Stifle in my 75.
Versus Elves
The matchup against Elves is pretty good — and the only reason not to run Elves. The game plan is to disrupt them on the first few turns. You want to counter every Glimpse he plays in the early turns. Then on turn 3 you want to Engineered Explosives for one, or if you don’t have it, get a Faerie on the table so you can equip it with Jitte on the following turn. The first few games in the matchup are pretty hard to play and win, but as soon as you know what you are doing you should be able to win the matchup easily.
Versus Hivemaster / Chord
-4 Ancestral Vision, -2 Cryptic Command, -2 Vedalken Shackles
+2 Flashfreeze, +3 Threads of Disloyalty, +1 Engineered Explosives, +2 Sower of Temptation
Versus Weird Harvest
-4 Ancestral Visions, -2 Vedalken Shackles, -1 Spell Snare, -1 Cryptic Command
+2 Flashfreeze, +3 Threads of Disloyalty, +1 Engineered Explosives, +2 Sower of Temptation
The post board games usually don’t change that much. They don’t have a lot of sideboard cards because they don’t want to hurt their combo, while your sideboard cards are small upgrades (besides the Engineered Explosives).
Versus Naya / Zoo
This is another close matchup for the deck, as it runs cards that are very good in the Faerie mirror over cards that are very good versus Wild Nacatl decks. Game 1 is usually very hard to win if you are not drawing an Engineered Explosives, as you don’t have that many ways to deal with a turn 1 Wild Nacatl. The matchup is usually pretty straightforward — they play their threats and you try to answer them.
-2 Vedalken Shackles, -1 Vendilion Clique, -1 Sower of Temptation, -2 Cryptic Command
+2 Flashfreeze, +1 Engineered Explosives, +3 Threads of Disloyalty
I did choose to run the Threads of Disloyalty for the matchup, even though they have the potential of getting blown out by Duegar Hedge-Mage. The upside is that if you are not running into a Hedge-Mage, you probably win the game. Stopping Duergar Hedge-Mage from blowing you out is another reason to play Stifle in your 75.
I think that these are the most important matchups in Extended right now. If you would like to know about any other matchup, feel free to ask in the forums.
So, how did this all work for me? I am glad you asked! Here is rundown of my tournament in Hanover. Hopefully, hearing about what I faced, some mistakes I made, and some matches I won will help you win with Faeries even more in the current format.
Round 4 versus Davis, Ian with Naya (2-0)
Game 1: I won the die roll and we both mulligan to five. My opening hand is very good as it includes Ancestral Vision, Spellstutter Sprite, Mutavault, Island, and Riptide Laboratory. He doesn’t have a very aggressive start as he has to open with Seal of Fire after I suspended an Ancestral Vision. He resolves a turn 2 Tarmogoyf, but I am able to stop it with Venser, Shaper Savant on pretty high life. After that he doesn’t resolve any relevant spells, as I drew a very good three cards off Ancestral Vision.
Game 2: This time we both keep our opening seven and he opens with Nacatl and Kird Ape — which I am able to kill with the help of Engineered Explosives. He managed to resolve a Sulfuric Vortex which gave me the opportunity to charge a Jitte with the help of Mutavault. I can then Threads the Keldon Marauders he plays on the next turn, which he is unable to kill, and I finish him off thanks to Umezawa’s Jitte and Sulfuric Vortex.
Round 5 versus Kowal, Brian with Faeries (2-0)
This is a feature match and can be found here.
Game 1: The game is very complex and we both manage to fit in some minor mistakes. In the end it comes down to me being able to force through some damage while he is replaying Glen Elendra Archmage versus my Sower of Temptation — both of us using Riptide Laboratory every turn.
Game 2: I had a very aggressive start including a turn 1 Umezawa’s Jitte and turn 2 Vendilion Clique. He has a hard time stopping the aggression and I have the perfect solution for his threats all the time.
Round 6 versus Cavaglieri, William with Jund/Tokens (2-0)
William is running a pretty cool deck including Bitterblososm, Sprouting Thrinax, Goblin Sharpshooter, Greater Gargadon and Fatal Frenzy.
Game 1: We both trade pretty much all our cards while he has a Greater Gargadon suspended while I have Ancestral Visions in the removed from the game zone. When I end up with 6 Lands on the table and no board right after Mogg Fanatic finished my last creature, he is sacrificing all his lands to bring the 9/7 beatstick online. I topdeck a Venser, Shaper Savant, and he concedes as soon as I play it.
Game 2: He Thoughtseizes me on the first turn looking at a hand of Mutavault, 2 Island, Hallowed Fountain, Spell Snare, Flashfreeze and Venser, Shaper Savant. He chooses Spell Snare… and I draw an Ancestral Vision and suspend it on the very first turn. He follows up with a Tarmogoyf and a suspend Greater Gargadon. After Tarmogoyf attacked me three times I bounce it with Venser at the end of his turn. The game eventually starts to look pretty bad for him as he has to double Slaughter Pact two of my creatures. Eventually he is bringing the Gargadon in play before I resolve my Vision and I can follow it up with 2 Sower of Temptation, to which he concedes.
Round 7 versus Blohon, Lucas with Faeries (1-2)
Game 1: He is running a list very close to Martin Juza’s build. In the first game I can suspend an early Ancestral Visions while he resolves a Vendilion Clique at sorcery speed. I choose to play my Spellstutter Sprite at sorcery speed, which was chosen to stop the Vendilion Clique. Unfortunately he drops a Sower of Temptation and I can’t deal with the 6 power on his side of the table.
Game 2: I again suspend an early Ancestral Vision. This time I am able to keep the pressure of the table until the card advantage from Ancestral Vision and Vedalken Shackles overload him.
Game 3: I try to make early pressure with Umezawa’s Jitte and Spellstutter Sprite. Unfortunately he did not sideboard out Engineered Explosives and played it for two. I tried to Spell Snare it but he was able to Stifle my Fetch Land so I won’t be able to cast it. I then screw on three mana for several turns while he is building up pressure. When I drew my fourth land (with 3 Sower of Temptation, 1 Venser, 1 Cryptic Command and Future Sight in hand) it is already too late, as he has Riptide Laboratories against my Sower of Temptation.
Round 8 versus Jeschke, Benjamin with Affinity (2-1)
Game 1: I won the die roll and suspended an Ancestral Vision on the first turn. I then manage to stop almost all his threats with the help of Spell Snare, Mana Leak, Spellstutter Sprite and Venser. I can explode away the last two threats he has (2 Atog) and the Umezawa’s Jitte I draw from the Ancestral Vision finishes him off.
Game 2: I again have the turn 1 Ancestral Vision and I can Mana Leak a threat of his on the second turn. I then play a Vendilion Clique to block his Frogmite as I thought that the card advantage from Ancestral Vision would finish him off. Sadly all I draw was an Umezawa’s Jitte and land. The Hurkyl’s Recall I draw later in the game doesn’t do more than buy me two turns in which I didn’t draw something relevant.
Game 3: I against start with an Ancestral Vision while he starts with an Arcbound Worker and Thoughtseizes my Mana Leak. I then draw a Hurkyl’s Recall and suspend another Ancestral Vision as the Recall will be able to buy me enough time to resolve the Visions. I then immediately draw my third land and manage to buy several turns with the Hurkyl’s Recall. I draw another Recall with my Ancestral Vision resolving which made the game.
Round 9 versus Zornes, James with Swans Control (0-2)
Game 1: I suspend a turn 1 Ancestral Vision on the draw after I went to Paris. Sadly the Vision never resolves, as he kills me on turn 5 with Swans, Chain of Plasma and Pact of Negation back up.
Game 2: I suspend the turn 1 Vision again. I can stop an early combo even though he had Pact of Negation and Condescend — still the Swans of Bryon Argoll stick to the table. After I resolved my Vision and could make some pressure with Vendilion Clique he manages to go off the turn before he dies again — and again with Pact of Negation back up.
Round 10 versus Noorlander, Niels with Knight of the Reliquary Loam (2-0)
Game 1: He mulligans to six and play a turn 1 Thoughtseize on the play revealing two Ancestral Vision and an Island (and some other cards). He doesn’t manage to find a Life from the Loam and only draws removal spells while I had Riptide Laboratory going on. He is never really in the game as he has to two for one against most of my creatures while I drew several extra cards of Ancestral Vision.
Game 2: I steal his early Tarmogoyf with a Threads of Disloyalty and equip it with the one Umezawa’s Jitte I kept inside. He manages to stop it with Knight of the Reliquary which is quit big as had Loam, Cycling Lands and Raven’s Crime running since the beginning of the game. I eventually drew Future Sight which immediately revealed Relic of Progenitus. He could never recover from the Relic and the card advantage from Future Sight won me the game pretty fast.
Round 11 versus Huschner, Roland with Swans Combo (1-2)
Game 1: I suspend an Ancestral Visions on turn 1. Before the Vision resolves he tries to go into the combo with Swans and Cain of Plasma. As I have the Cryptic Command to bounce the Swans in response and he doesn’t have a piece of disruption, the Ancestral Visions wins me the game pretty fast.
Game 2: I kept a hand with only one Counterspell which tried to stop his turn 4 Swans of Bryon Argoll. He played Pact of Negation to force it through and killed me on his upkeep in response to the Pact triggering.
Game 3: He suspends 2 Lotus Bloom under draw and resolves a Vexing Shusher on his second turn. I then stick a Shackles and have to find a fourth Island in time so I could take over the Swans he plays after the Blooms come into play. He can’t combo off as I have several Spell Snares, while I can’t find and Island to take over the Swans even though I had both Ancestral Vision and Thirst for Knowledge. I then died to the combat damage of Swans.
Round 12 versus Nielsen, Kristian with Mono Red Midrange (2-0)
His deck included Figure of Destiny, Magus of the Moon, Molten Rain, and Blistering Firecat. I think that a straight Strawberry Red deck is not as threatening as a Naya Burn deck, but it does have some scary weapons.
Game 1: I suspend a first turn Vision off an Island while he starts with a Mulligan and a Mogg Fanatic. I play an Island on every turn while he plays a Molten Rain for three turns in a row. After I drew three cards of the Vision and was able to deal with his Figure of Destiny and Mogg Fanatic with Engineered Explosives I managed to stick a Jitte.
Game 2: He mulligans to five and I am able to counter the first three spells he plays. I start making pressure with 3 Mutavault. He can’t race them with the two Blinkmoth Nexus he controls, and the Boil he draws doesn’t really affect the board as I control a Riptide Laboratory and a Chrome Mox besides the Mutavaults. He never really recovers from the Mulligans and the Mutavaults get there.
Round 13 versus Sokolowski Konrad with Faeries (2-0)
Game 1: I suspend an early Visions and resolve an early Vendilion Clique to see two Spell Snares. My Visions resolve without any fight and I could deal with the Vedalken Shackles he resolved the turn before by bouncing it with Cryptic Command and taking it away with Vendilion Clique (thanks to Riptide Laboratory). When I resolve my own Vedalken Shackles he couldn’t stabilise the board any more, and I won several turns later.
Game 2: This time he has the turn 1 Vision while I have the early Shackles. As he is screwed on Blue mana (he has 2 Mutavault and a Riptide Laboratory) he could cast Vendilion Clique only after he draw three of Ancestral Vision. I revealed a hand of Cryptic Command, Sower of Temptation and Spellstutter Sprite as I tapped almost out for Vedalken Shackles on my turn. He takes the Cryptic Command and I draw a Riptide Laboratory off Vendilion Clique’s ability. I draw the Future Sight in my regular draw and he can’t deal with the card advantage Future Sight made, while I could keep off the pressure with Vedalken Shackles.
Round 14 versus Roessler, Andreas with Storm (0-2)
This is a feature match as well and can be found here.
Game 1: I was able to disrupt him early with two Vendilion Cliques (one of them dying to Electrolyze). When he then went into combo, I sacrificed my second Vendilion Clique for my third one to see a hand of two Tendrils of Agony. I take one and he manages to bring me down to three life. I am not able to make enough pressure at this point until he manages to combo off again.
Game 2: He charges a lot in the early game, and after he Gigadrowses me I Vendilion Clique him to steal his Storm spell. He doesn’t have one, so I take a Peer through Deeps, but the 3 Manamorphoses and a Ponder find him the needed Storm spell to finish me off.
Round 15 versus Kukuscka, Zsolt with Slide (2-0)
Game 1: He makes a lot of early pressure with the help of Kitchen Finks and Seismic Assault. When I manage to Engineered for three to kill both threats he has, I have enough time to resolve several Ancestral Vision. When he finally draws a Life from the Loam, I manage to counter it every turn until he concedes.
Game 2: He manages to draw several extra cards thanks to Life from the Loam and Cycling lands, but I can stop all his threats with Vendilion Cliques and counterspells. I eventually draw a Relic of Progentius which stops his card draw engine, while Riptide Laboratory and Vendilion Clique work on his hand. As I knew which spells I had to counter for the rest of the game, Vendilion Clique and Spellstutter Sprite have no problem finishing him off.
In the end I went 11-4, which was good enough for the 31st place. I still think Faeries is the best choice for someone trying to qualify. You just need to have a good prediction of what your metagame will look like, so that you know how to best prepare yourself.
Right now I am on my way to GP: Singapore. I will post an updated deck for Faeries (and some other interesting Extended Decks) next week!
Thanks for reading…
Manuel B