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Main » Articles » Sullivan Library: On Dumbos and Dinosaurs

Sullivan Library: On Dumbos and Dinosaurs

Adrian Sullivan
Posted on July 26, 2018
 Reddit

The path less chosen. There is a kind of excitement to it, obviously, but I think more importantly for most of us who walk it on occasion, there is a bit of romance. I was talking recently with Zac Elsik about various Nexus of Fate decks that we were both working on, and we gave each other thoughts on what we had tinkered together. I hadn't explored the deck very much yet and was in essence playing Ali Aintrazi's version, with Chromium, the Mutable replaced by a solitary Metallurgic Summonings*, and a slightly different board, but Zac had gone much further, and made an entirely new archetype.

Needless to say, I was more excited by what Zac was doing than what I was doing.

I've been a huge fan of the upsurge in decks, once rogue, now mainstream.

Of course, when I think "rogue" it is hard for me not to this back to this card:

Rogue Elephant

And, of course, if I think of that card, I have to think of the original Stompy, by Bill Macey and Paul Gallagher out of Austin, Texas in the '90s. Here is their list, which took the world by storm in 1997, piloted to tie for Top 8 in the Texas State Championship that year, though he didn't make it.

Seņor Stompy -- 1997 Weatherlight Standard | Ryan Hubble, 9th Place Texas States

Fast forward twenty (twenty!) years, and the archetype is basically back in the top of the Standard format again, driven by the overpowered, efficient Green creatures that give it its name. Take this deck, the most recent update to Mono-Green Stompy, which placed in the Top 8 of the SCG Standard Classic in Philadelphia this weekend:

G/B Stompy -- Magic 2019 Standard | Brad Bonin, 2nd Place, SCG Standard Classic Philadelphia

There are actually a shocking amount of cards from Magic 2019 in this deck. The most obvious addition is Thorn Lieutenant, but the Vine Mare and Vivien Reid in the sideboard are also very noteworthy.

I've long been critical of Scrapheap Scrounger in this archetype, but that was before the current New World Order where Red Aggro, while present, isn't ubiquitous. The world has shifted and become more midrange. Scrapheap Scrounger is no longer in the rough position that it once was.

Still, though, while I love the power of Duress from the board to be able to stymie cards like Settle the Wreckage, it seems to me the world is far more about cards like Nicol Bolas, the Ravager and Verdurous Gearhulk at the midgame than it is about White mass removal. Hour of Glory is a powerful card, to be certain, but I've had more than my share of games fall apart from stumbling on mana.

So, as for me, I've taken a page from Billy Mitchell on the Stompy deck.

No, not that Billy Mitchell. This one:

Stompy -- Magic 2019 Standard | Billy Mitchell, 13th Place SCG Standard Classic Philadelphia

There are some choices I can't really get behind, the largest of which is not running a full complement of Thorn Lieutenant and Blossoming Defense. Here is my take on the Mono -Green version of the list:

Stompy -- Magic 2019 Standard | Adrian Sullivan

If I'm going to take a Vine Mare and put it in my main deck, I want to be able to cast it consistently! Servant of the Conduit is nice at this trick, and with all of the excess mana that comes out of Llanowar Elves and Servant of the Conduit, Verdurous Gearhulk is a nice addition as well, especially give how often Verdurous Gearhulk might be able to help out Vine Mare.

Something has to give with all of the cards in the deck, and so, given the Vine Mare's self protection, cutting a single Blossoming Defense for the sideboard was one of the choices I ended up making.

Only a single Aethersphere Harvester might seem a bit shocking, but one of the powerful things about this deck is that it is just so chock-full of creatures which are antagonistic to any of the aggressive Red decks out there. Cards like Thrashing Brontodon do much of the necessary work against the aggressive Red decks, but if you really ache for more insurance, cutting a card that is more targeted against specific decks you might expect to see less of in your metagame is always an option.

Of course, once you start going down the path of Vine Mare and Verdurous Gearhulk, you might decide to really push the idea. Take this deck:

R/G Stompy -- Magic 2019 Standard | lilyarni, 5-0 Competitive Standard League

Sarkhan's Unsealing. Now that is a hell of a card. While "only" fifteen cards in the main deck trigger the card, that is still quite a remarkable payoff. One of the struggles for a deck like Stompy is that it requires the combat phase to be able to finish off a game, which can often mean that the deck can't end many games for lack of reach. Sarkhan's Unsealing solves that issue entirely.

In the sideboard, those three extra triggers from Carnage Tyrant are especially exciting, as they seem like a much easier way to blow up the entirety of your opponent's world. A pair of Glorybringers also triggers Sarkhan's Unsealing, and are simply an excellent card in a midrange grind as well.

Of course, if you want to really go rogue with your Stompy deck, you could always take it to the limit with Gigantosaurus.

GGGGG Stompy -- Magic 2019 Standard | TannerBanner, 5-0 Competitive Standard League

Thunderherd Migration. That wasn't a card that I expected to see making the cut, but here it is, even with only eight Dinosaurs to help fuel it. That being said, however, I'm not sure if there were ever a deck so impressive with a Rhonas -- or a Cartouche of Strength, for that matter!

If you take this deck for a spin, expect to laugh out loud more than once when you attack with a seventeen power Gigantosaurus with trample. Blanchwood Armor is incredible on any number of cards, but in conjunction with trample, it is pretty horrifying to deal with. And, if you remember how good Blanchwood Armor felt on a Troll Ascetic, it's somehow even more impressive on Vine Mare. Eat your heart out, Jamie Wakefield!

I'd been toying with Blanchwood Armor in other Stompy deck sideboard, and this certainly makes me want to see if it is a worthwhile inclusion, period, in the 75 of my Mono-Green version.

Enjoy.

I'll be at Grand Prix Minneapolis this weekend. I hope to see you there!

-- Adrian Sullivan

@AdrianLSullivan on Twitter

* Here is my take on the Esper Nexus deck, with all credit due to Ali Aintrazi, as there is very little in this deck that isn't ultimately borne out of his work.

Esper Nexus Control -- Magic 2019 Standard | Adrian Sullivan (from Ali Aintrazi)

Magic Core Set 2019 is Now Available!

TAGS articles, constructed, analysis, standard, decklist, adrian sullivan, magic 2019 standard, 07262018, dinosaurs

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