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Post by vanguardian on Aug 29, 2010 9:24:05 GMT -6
So has anybody heard of this new standard deck? I went to FNM the other night and heard some guys talking about it and thought it was a joke. I looked it up and the deck is actually placing in some events. Check this out:
4x Ajani's Pridemate 4x Kor Firewalker 4x Ranger of Eos 4x Soul's Attendant 4x Serra Ascendant 4x Soul Warden
4x Brave the Elements 3x Rest for the Weary 4x Survival Cache 1x Ajani Goldmane 1x Elspeth
4x Kabira Crossroads 4x Tectonic Edge 15x Plains
It looks fun, but also flaky. Somebody should try it out!
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Post by natedog08 on Aug 29, 2010 10:00:42 GMT -6
I actually heard about it as well, and i've been working on putting it together. If i don't run my usual Black/White midrange at the TCGPlayer event, this will probably be the one i run. I just need the Rangers, Ascendants, and the Elspeth.
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Post by masonking on Aug 30, 2010 10:35:41 GMT -6
This version is actually a little out of date, the version that Conley Woods almost top 8'd nationals with didn't have ajani or rest for the weary and ran 3 elspeths. I've actually built this deck at home to playtest against and can say that it is incredibly powerful and that Pridemates have the potential to get huge quick
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Post by vanguardian on Aug 30, 2010 11:17:32 GMT -6
I would run Ajani since he gains you life. As always, you just have to build a deck to your liking.
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Post by masonking on Aug 30, 2010 14:21:33 GMT -6
Ajani does gain you life, but is strictly worse than elspeth, even in a life gain deck.
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Post by natedog08 on Aug 30, 2010 14:34:43 GMT -6
Ajani's best use is in a token based deck, if you ask me. It's his -1 ability that makes him so good. The life and avatar are just a bonus.
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Post by vanguardian on Aug 30, 2010 15:32:01 GMT -6
His -1 ability is also good in a White Weenie deck, like this one. He makes the 1/1 Soul sisters bigger, as well as everything else in the deck. It's not a matter of Elspeth being better; Ajani just makes more sense in this particular deck. I would run them both, really... just like the build I posted.
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Post by kartheunlucky on Aug 30, 2010 18:51:29 GMT -6
Ajani isn't strictly worse. It's just different. B/W Tokens wanted Ajani more than it wanted Elspeth. Elspeth is good, but Ajani is also good. Just in different ways.
As far as the term "strictly worse" goes, it should really only be applied in cases like Grizzly Bears is strictly worse than Wild Mongrel.
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Post by masonking on Aug 30, 2010 21:10:09 GMT -6
Ajani isn't strictly worse. It's just different. B/W Tokens wanted Ajani more than it wanted Elspeth. Elspeth is good, but Ajani is also good. Just in different ways. As far as the term "strictly worse" goes, it should really only be applied in cases like Grizzly Bears is strictly worse than Wild Mongrel. Fair enough, I agree with this, I shouldn't have used strictly worse. However for the deck while Ajani's -1 is good, Elspeth making a soldier token is broken. With 2 or 3 Soul Wardens out it gives you 2 or 3 triggers to grow your Pridemate, while +1'ing or -1'ing with ajani only gives you one counter.
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Post by th3on3songoku on Aug 30, 2010 21:29:18 GMT -6
the point of using ajani over elspeth would be the minus 1 ability. sure getting a soldier token is good and gains you more life but wont win you the game. the ability to give your creatures +1/+1 and vig. every turn is really good. in this deck ajani goldmane would get the nod for me over elsepth. also saying ajani is better in a token deck is just wrong. goldmane is a good planeswalker. he doent see play cause of others but there isnt a deck out that can maximize his strength's until sou sista's ajani is better in a aggro deck then elespth.
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Post by ewolttirrem on Sept 5, 2010 21:02:02 GMT -6
When I first heard of this deck I thought it was a joke as well. But after playing against it, it seems pretty good. I still think my naya deck could have out raced it, but after 3 rounds of drawing up good hands, I was due for a bad draw and beat down.
The deck runs so many cheap one and two drop creatures that it always comes out fast causing other agro decks to go defensive. Having seen it in action now, I know to pack some cheap removals to slow it down. Pyroclasm would have been far more useful in my sideboard then the 3 celestial purges that I never used.
Im curious to see if this type of deck holds up after Shards and M10 rotate out.
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Post by natedog08 on Sept 6, 2010 8:48:37 GMT -6
Well, a majority of the cards are going to be in the format post rotation, so it's going to be played.
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Post by vanguardian on Sept 6, 2010 9:58:11 GMT -6
Except Soul Warden gets the ax and this deck can no longer be called Soul Sisters.
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Post by ewolttirrem on Sept 6, 2010 21:02:21 GMT -6
Ranger of Eos also drops out, so no searching for more cheap guys after the opening hand runs out of gas.
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Post by th3on3songoku on Sept 6, 2010 21:41:35 GMT -6
i think they will give a another gain life guy. and i also believe we will see ranger back with in the next year.
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