I’ve begun to feel that all I’m capable of writing about is Lynch Mob, but deep down inside, I know that’s not all true. It’s just that this deck has consumed my every thought, and I spend so much time testing it and working with ways to improve it, that it’s hard for me to get outside of that particular mindset. I know I have so many more things I would like to discuss, so I decided to try and file them all together into one column. This will either come across as pure randomness or something of some benefit to those looking forward to attending Regionals. Either way, the saying”keep your fingers crossed” could easily be applied to anything from this point out. In addition, for anyone who isn’t familiar with Lynch Mob and my obsession, then check out my column archive and dip in.
Where is Lynch Mob now? Since my last column touching on Lynch Mob, I’ve won two FNM events, a Mox and a box, and placed third in another Mox and a box. The deck has evolved in each one of these tournaments and not just from the metagame, but from a greater understanding of certain matches and what I need to accomplish in order to win them. So far, I have yet to lose to Ravager, but that’s not to say that this deck is impervious to Ravager. My games have been tight and some precise plays mixed with a bit of good fortune have propelled me to the wins I’ve managed. My Lynch Mob council (a group of fellas who play the deck with me) have performed rather well against Ravager, but I haven’t had the opportunity to view their games, so I can’t say how close the games came. Control decks have been a dream matchup so far. Tooth and Tron decks have been just as enjoyable to play. Often times, the winning factor is casting a Death Cloud for four or five and then utilizing the deck’s ability to recover or take advantage of Death Cloud, to finish them off. I guess I should post the most updated list, so everyone can see where the deck is now. I’ll go ahead and let you know the deck hasn’t had any”major” changes, but it does look a little new and things have been moved around some. Anyway, enough yapping…
Lynch Mob
4 Rotlung Reanimator
4 Withered Wretch
4 Cabal Archon
4 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Smother
4 Skullclamp
4 Death Cloud
4 Chrome Mox
3 Oversold Cemetery
1 Echoing Decay
1 Dark Banishing
3 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Polluted Delta
3 Unholy Grotto
9 Swamp
1 Island
Sideboard
4 Echoing Truth
3 Persecute
4 Carrion Feeder
3 Gravepact
1 Dark Banishing
As you can see, the Gravepacts have been thrown into the sideboard. The Carrion Feeders are also there and usually tag along with the Gravepacts when being sideboarded in. I’ll go ahead a give you a list of ways in which you should sideboard against the three most dominant decks in the field.
Ravager Affinity (although I really do prefer to say Brilo)
+3 Gravepact +4 Carrion Feeder +1 Dark Banishing
-3 Oversold Cemetery -3 Solemn Simulacrum -1 Death Cloud -1 Echoing Decay
Why This:
The Gravepacts really can go the distance against Brilo. I know it seems redundant of me to press this matter, since I’ve been a proponent of Gravepact for so long now, but after what seems like tons of testing, I always seem to miss the card when I remove it from the main deck. I’m still in a bit of a battle with myself as to whether or not the Gravepacts need to stay in the main deck. If the different Tooth decks keep showing up in force, then I’m definitely making a return trip for the Gravepacts. Anywho, I’m getting away from things. The Carrion Feeders accentuate the Pacts and work to keep Affinity fair. Well, as fair as the deck can be fair, I guess. I try and save my Smothers for Ornithopter and Disciple of the Vault, while letting the Gravepact and the rest of the mob handle the ground work. The main goal here is to stay alive and healthy until you get your Death Cloud. The Cloud is usually enough to end their day, by devastating their minimal amount of lands and clearing the board too. Timing is of the utmost importance, when casting Death Cloud. In general, I try to take their entire hand and not allow them to have any Skullclamped creatures if possible. This way they don’t recover as easily from the Cloud as you will.
Astral Slide
+4 Echoing Truth +3 Persecute
-4 Smother – 1 Ravenous Rat -1 Echoing Decay -1 Dark Banishing
Why This:
For awhile, it seemed the losses that I took when playing Lynch Mob, came from Damping Matrix, Circle of Protection: Black, Ivory Mask, or token creatures. Echoing Decay was handling the creatures, but not the other problems. Someone sent me an e-mail and suggested I try Echoing Truth, which I admit, I was rather reluctant to try. Needless to say, the Truths have been wonderful for me. Oblivion Stone is no longer required, which makes anyone on a budget a little more happy. The Echoing Truths also did what I needed the Decays to do and even lent help against the artifacts and enchantments that were wrecking my day. Persecute is there to keep annoying Pulse cards from getting out of hand and doing what Persecute does – win games.
Against Slide, you have to go get down and dirty. Try to keep Withered Wretch from being removed from the game by things like Scrabbling Claws, because he’s there to keep their Exalted Dragons from returning. Sacred Ground will usually show up at some point to help them survive the Death Cloud. Never (well I guess I shouldn’t say”never”), Death Cloud while they have Sacred Ground on the board. Maybe this comes across as common sense to some, but so often I see people casting Death Cloud with the Grounds on the board just to hurt Slide’s hand size. Overall, I’ve found this match very favorable for me and I can only hope the many hours spent testing this deck can prove that for others, as well.
Goblin Bidding
+3 Carrion Feeder +3 Gravepact +1 Dark Banishing
-3 Oversold Cemetery -2 Solemn Simulacrum -2 Death Cloud
Why This:
I hate Goblin Bidding. I hate it more than Ravager Affinity, more than land screw, and even more than busting open a foil Confusion In the Ranks. I try not to allow my hate to override my better judgment and add a ridiculous amount of cards to the sideboard for just that matchup. With Lynch Mob, the win or lose factor of this matchup seems to come from keeping their graveyard in check. Having to Smother their Warchief right off the bat is annoying, but you have to do that or get run over. The Sharpshooter can be annoying, but Gravepact comes in to help with the creature situation and make Siege-Gang Commander a little less powerful. Bidding runs more creatures than the Mob and with more means to sacrifice creatures, which means they’ll use their Skullclamp so much more than you. If you lose game one, then bring in the Persecutes for game two, over the Carrion Feeders.
So that’s where I’m at now. I hate the sideboard, but it’s what’s working for me now. Why do I hate it, you ask? Well, I’m not sure, but it just feels annoying to me. Oh well, it’s something I can get over.
On to other things.
I’m not sure if anyone has taken a look at the tournament pack display for Fifth Dawn, but can you take a look at who’s on it over to the left.
Does that guy look familiar to anyone else? Here’s a closer look for you to gaze at.
Could you imagine if that’s what I think it is? How big of an effect would that have on Standard? Scary.
Why was Krosan Warchief printed as the FNM prize for April? Who decides these things? I mean come on now, of all the cards you could choose to foil up and give the new template too, someone chooses Krosan Warchief. That’s disgusting! Why are so many of the promotional cards so bad? Elvish Aberration? Willbender? Why? The JSS, a tournament designed to create early interest in the game and project future growth, issues Giant Growths to the participants. I don’t think I’ve seen a Giant Growth in a deck in ages, yet some person or panel or whomever, thinks the best way to excite these kids into playing is a foil Giant Growth, That’s upsetting. The Two-Headed Dragon wasn’t much better, but at least it had alternate art and it was a dragon. Some people like them. Why not print alternate art versions of cards that see frequent play? I mean how excited can you get about a foil Withered Wretch promo, when you can bust them right out of the pack? A Withered Wretch with new art, would have been better in my opinion. Cards that never got the foily treatment would have been excellent choices too. I know that some cards have been chosen for that and that the best promotional selections will be reserved for judges, writers, and things along that line, but there are a lot of cards out there.
I’m excited about Unhinged. I liked Unglued and can’t wait to see what the new stuff is going to look like. My only problem with Unhinged is that they said you could draft it with Unglued, but Unglued product seems to be scarce to me.
I secretly enjoy playing Tooth and Nail decks. I love them, but yet I feel so”bad player-ish” when I play them. More like Timmy. This is easily cured by thrashing a good control deck or two.
If you qualify for Nationals, Worlds, or a Pro-Tour on ranking, then shouldn’t a small portion of your travel be compensated? If you’re qualified for a Pro-Tour, then you can’t really play in any qualifiers and win the travel purse. I know this would cost a fortune, I’m sure, but there has got to be something to help the not-so-average Joe travel cheaper.
Grand Prix D.C. is this weekend and I’m not going to be attending. This makes me very sad, because Limited is my forte and the format I love the most, despite what my writing reflects. To everyone attending, I hate you. Okay, not really, but I do envy you.
Is Block Constructed really as stale as it looks? I haven’t played any block, whatsoever, but I’m interested in it now. A group of guys I playtest with have come across a certain deck that they claim fares well against several decks, but I don’t know. My main attraction to this deck, is that it runs Death Cloud, which I seem to have this obsession for. I’ll post it here and that way maybe people can report how well it does in the forums. Keep in mind this is a totally untested deck and I know that violates a bit of the writing rules, but some knowledge is better than no knowledge. Even if the presented”some” knowledge could turn out to be crap.
Checkers
4 Shatter
4 Barter in Blood
4 Detonate
4 Electrostatic Bolt
4 Shrapnel Blast
4 Talisman of Indulgence
4 Death Cloud
4 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Terror or Fireball
3 Mephitic Ooze
4 Chrome Mox
4 Darksteel Ingot
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
7 Mountain
5 Swamp
Sideboard
4 Molten Rain
2 Terror
4 Furnace Dragon
4 Damping Matrix
1 Mephitic Ooze
Surely the deck lacks something, but who’s to say what?
Well, I’ve ranted enough. I hope I’ve shed some light on Lynch Mob for those of you who plan on playing it at Regionals. I’m still toying with Reactorsaurus Rex, but keep coming up with so many pitfalls. Since my attention has been redirected to Block for a brief moment, I could attempt to create a Block version. Many of the crucial pieces to the deck are available, but I hate losing some of the others. I guess that’s what makes Block what it is.
Anywho, enjoy D.C. and I hate you – okay not really, but I’m green.