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"Extended just feels like double Standard."
"Great, now we get to deal with Jund and Faeries at the same time. No thanks."
"Who just wants to play against the same decks again?"
Heard any of these statements brandished about by players when it comes to the new smaller Extended? I know I have.
I love how Magic players are so quick to question the wisdom of Wizards when it comes to organized play decisions despite the fact that they have been obsessively playing this silly card game for a significant portion of their lives. Wizards has kept you chasing that blue envelope all this time, haven't they? Maybe Wizards actually shrank the card pool of Extended to keep the power level in check (ahem, Thepths) while still allowing the creativity and diversity of the format to shine through. Maybe what they've actually done is created a deck builder's paradise for all of us to trollop around in this extended season. And I bring with me a little proof of this possibility.
[cardlist]
[Spells]
4 Preordain
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Cryptic Command
4 Jace, The Mind Sculptor
2 Splinter Twin
[/Spells]
[Creatures]
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Lotus Cobra
4 Pestermite
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
4 Copperline Gorge
3 Flooded Grove
3 Cascade Bluffs
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Island
2 Mountain
3 Forest
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Jace Beleren
3 Spell Pierce
1 Splinter Twin
3 Great Sable Stags
4 Nature's Claim
3 Kitchen Finks
[/Sideboard]
[/cardlist]
When approaching deck building in Extended I believe it is essential to do the most powerful thing possible in the format. If you try to play fair, eventually you will succumb to a deck which is capable of doing something far too broken for you to compete with. The nut Faerie draw, infinitely large Necrotic Oozes, and Scapeshifts dealing 70 trillion damage to your face are all perfectly good examples. The "Pestertwin" deck not only has the potential to combo you out before giving you access to two mana, but also presents a beatdown plan which demands an answer.
An answer which often leaves you tapped low and vulnerable to this year's version of a 20/20 indestructible flyer... infinite Pestermites!!
I played this deck to a 4th place finish in the first online PTQ of the season and think it is a very viable choice moving forward. Certainly the potential to win all of my matches was there, and if not for some poor play/luck on my part, I believe I would already have my ticket to Nagoya booked. While it is often redundant to do so, I think in this case I would like to go over each card in the deck and sideboard, and talk about its purpose and placement within the 75 before delving into specific match-ups and sideboarding tactics.
This is really the glue that holds this deck together. Some of you may remember a version of RUG that was popular in Extended at the time of PT Amsterdam. It was a deck that my team and I quickly discarded because of inconsistency of draws and mana. If we had put Preordain into the deck, it may have been a completely different story. Besides allowing you to keep openers without perfect mana, it also serves as a way to clear away chafe you've brainstormed to the top of your library with Jace, sets up your Bloodbraid Elf cascades, lets you leave combo pieces on top of your library to protect them from Thoughtseize, and helps to find combo pieces you may be missing. This card is so infinitely better than Ponder and I actually now have a hard time playing decks which don't contain this gem. Someone asked me how it feels to cascade into Preordain with Bloodbraid Elf. My answer? "Fantastic."
Lightning Bolt walks a razor's edge between greatness and mediocrity. When in a beatdown role, having Lightning Bolt in the deck makes your clock a significant threat. A few exalted Clique nips here, a Bloodbraid there, and next thing your opponent knows, they're dead. Picking off utility creatures such as Fauna Shaman and opposing Hierarchs makes this card too important to leave out of the main, but it will frequently be sided out.
This is the card that truly pushes the deck into the realm of degeneracy. Turn 1 Noble Hierarch, turn 2.5 (in your opponents upkeep) Pestermite tapping their land, Turn 3 Splinter Twin happens far more often than you might believe, and even when you don't take the trip to Magical Xmas Land, turn 3 Jaces and Bloodbraids are nothing to scoff at. Hierarch is made far more powerful with the appearance of Scars of Mirrodin dual lands, but we'll discuss those more when we come to the mana base.
Lotus Cobra is a strange card in the context of this deck. It is by far the worst card in the main and I've tried many replacements but have yet to find a suitable one. Cobra's main job is that of lightning rod. He is a removal sponge, as opponents have been trained to never let a cobra live, lest they face the wrath of what ever massively expensive threat you are packing in your deck. While Lotus Cobra eats up all the Maelstrom Pulses and Lightning Bolts in your opponents deck, your Pestermites bide their time in your hand waiting for the perfect opportunity to end your opponents day. Should cobra actually survive, then like I said earlier, turn three Bloodbraid Elves and Jaces are still good. Also his role as a beater in the deck shouldn't be overlooked. The two points of power he packs are the main reason he cannot be replaced by a card such as Birds of Paradise.
When I set about building this deck, my main concern was having to play fair with inferior cards such as Pestermite when I didn't have the combo. Boy, do I feel stupid. Pestermite is actually insane, and I am perfectly happy playing 4 copies of him in this deck. The tempo gained by tapping down an opponents land, especially on turn 2 if aided by Noble Hierarch, is so significant for a deck like this. Pestermite's utility extends far beyond tapping lands. My favorite Pestermite play ever was attacking with a Wurmcoil Engine against a Jund opponent. Knowing that he could still kill me on the swing back, he let the Wurmcoil go through. On his turn when he went to alpha strike I played my Pestermite, untapped my Wurmcoil Engine and gained another six life while sniping out two of his attackers. I won that one fairly easily. Cascading into Pestermite has been another favorite of mine, often clearing out opposing blockers or untapping my land and allowing me to cast another spell. Oh, and also he forms an infinite combo with Splinter Twin that actually gives you the fastest goldfish in the format. Pretty good for a bulk common.
Part beater, part Thoughtseize, part card drawer... talk about utility! Having Noble Hierarch in your deck makes this guy just unreal. I would certainly play more, but space in the deck is tight, and cascading into a Clique when you have one on board is the only real awful cascade your main deck has.
I enjoy when decks take a staple of a format and use it better than all the other decks can. That's the case with Cryptic Command in this deck. I doubt I have to tell you why this card is good in an aggro-control tempo deck. I'll just say this, Cryptic Command in this deck feels even more powerful than it does in Faeries. It's that good.
What am I supposed to say here? At this point even joking about not having anything to say is old and trite. How bout this... I'll rank the planeswalkers in the order of how likely I am to name one of my future children after them.
- Jace
- Gideon
- Liliana
- Nissa
- Ajani
I wouldn't really consider any of the other names. Sending a kid to Kindergarten with a name like Tezzeret is just signing him up for a lifetime full of wedgies.
This is a number I have moved around a lot but in most match ups I am comfortable with two. There really isn't any way to squeeze extra utility out of this card. I've only targeted a creature besides Pestermite with Splinter Twin one time and it was a Noble Hierarch. The second exalted bonus was enough to allow my Vendilion Clique to win the game. The first builds of the deck played Frost Titan to give Splinter Twin a few extra targets. It was clunky and unnecessary. You have enough ways to manipulate your library that you are often able to find the aura when you need it, and post board you have access to a third for match ups where you are focused on producing the Splinter Twin/Pestermite combo. It seems that this is as good a place as any to speak about just how often you will be attempting to win with the combo. I would say that no more than 30 percent of all matches are won through infinite Pestermites. This deck is efficient as an aggro-control machine, and the threat of the combo alone is often enough to force you opponent to alter their strategy, making your beatdown plan that much stronger. Let the plays come to you, and don't force a particular angle of attack, and you will be truly utilizing the build's potential.
Cascades in this deck lack the consistency of those in a deck like Jund, but you will seldom find yourself disappointed by what the Bloodbraid lottery brings to you. Obviously Vendilion Cliques and Pestermites are insane, but Noble Hierarchs and Preordains can be just as important to your overall strategy. There is a significant "nonbo" with the Spell Pierces in the sideboard but that is something I am willing to live with. Even when Bloodbraid isn't at his absolute best, he is still one of the best creatures in the history of Magic and more than earns his place in this deck.
Probably the most easily debated slot in the deck, I chose to play a Wurmcoil Engine because there are some creature based decks that are simply cold to the Calcano/Eason hybrid (Jund, Naya, et al.). Giving Lotus Cobra a large beater to accelerate into is also a good idea, but all this being said, I could easily see replacing this card with a third Island or a different large spell that I am currently overlooking.
The Mana Base
Copperline Gorge is so good in this deck. Playing a Hierach with Gorge on turn 1 assures that you have the proper colors to play a turn 3 Bloodbraid Elf if the little Noble guy survives. The filter lands are obviously chosen to facilitate the casting of Cryptic Command. It is entirely possible that there should be 4 Cascade Bluffs in the deck and 2 Flooded Groves. I will admit that my greatest weakness as a deck builder is in the creation of manabases. I am more than willing to listen to anyone's opinion on improving the current build. This being said, mana has not been a tremendous issue for me. Preordains do a lot in alleviating potential catastrophes. Don't be afraid to mulligan! Despite being a Noble Hierach deck (notoriously bad for mulliganing) this build actually goes down to 6 and even 5 cards fairly well.
Sideboard
This was a last minute addition to the deck because I wanted an additional threat to sideboard in against control decks that could be played on turn 2 with a Hierarch. Jace seemed perfect in that role, as he also serves to neutralize your opponents first Jace. I've only got to play him once, but he performed admirably in that case.
Alright, lets get this out of the way. It sucks to cascade into this with Bloodbraid Elf. You feel like a donkey and will be laughed at and taunted by your opponent unmercifully. However, the times when this card counters a Jace, Bitterblossom, Cryptic Command, Wargate, Cruel Ultimatum, or some removal spell targeting your ready to be cloned Pestermite, will more than make up for a few unfortunate cascades. This cards raw power level is off the charts in Extended right now.
For times when the combo is going to be your main path to victory. If I kept the combo hidden from my opponent in game one I would often bring this in regardless of the match up, but with the deck becoming a known quantity this is probably no longer correct.
These are still really good vs. Fae. Moving forward, I would recommend adding a fourth stag to the board. It is just too important in tilting the match up in your favor and Fae will clearly be one of the top decks throughout the entire season.
The best sideboard card in the format. Nature's Claim is like a one mana Vindicate when against Tempered Steel and it takes out key two mana enchantments from Fae and Prismatic Omen decks. Obviously not the most versatile piece of sideboard tech, but extremely efficient at what it does. All this being said, four copies was probably overkill.
These were OK at best. Against aggressive attrition based decks like Jund they do a fine job of holding the fort, and are serviceable life gain against the mono-red decks which are growing in popularity. I think that there is a better option however, which is included in my updated deck list below.
[cardlist]
[Spells]
4 Preordain
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Cryptic Command
4 Jace, The Mind Sculptor
2 Splinter Twin
[/Spells]
[Creatures]
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Lotus Cobra
4 Pestermite
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
4 Copperline Gorge
2 Flooded Grove
4 Cascade Bluffs
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Island
2 Mountain
3 Forest
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Jace Beleren
3 Spell Pierce
1 Splinter Twin
4 Great Sable Stags
3 Nature's Claim
3 Obstinate Baloth
[/Sideboard]
[/cardlist]
Only a minor change occurs in the main deck, with one of the Flooded Groves becoming the 4th Cascade Bluff. In the sideboard we have moved away from Kitchen Finks and instead looked to Obstinate Baloth for our life gain needs. Giving us some insurance versus Blightning and Cruel Ultimatum seems better than a card like Finks which makes us even weaker to Volcanic Fallout.
Sideboarding with the deck is an instinctual affair, with many possible routes opened up to us. Always consider the style in which your opponent plays and whether or not they seem to have familiarity with your deck when making your sideboarding decisions.
Vs Fa
Probably the deck's worst match up, and yet this one is still far from unconquerable. In game one you are fighting a difficult battle. You are basically looking to pressure your opponent as much as possible, forcing them to use Cryptics and Mistbind Cliques defensively, and trying to create a window to sneak your combo on to the table. It is actually possible to out tempo them if you are on the play. Turn 1 Hierarch followed by turn 2 Pestermite tapping their land or Vendilion Clique taking their Bitterblossom is obviously the ideal situation. Post-board things get much better.
+3 Spell Pierce
-3 Lotus Cobra
Post-board you get access to more Bitterblossom answers and your trump card. Nature's Claim ranges from dead to crucial so it is tough to accurately gauge the number you want. A four mana sorcery is difficult to resolve vs Fae and Jace is difficult to keep alive, so he gets trimmed a bit. Really you're just looking to get your Stags into play and use your counter magic to deal with crucial cards like Cryptic Command.
Vs Jund
A removal heavy deck like Jund seems like it would pose significant problems, but I would assert that this match up is actually in your favor. It is not difficult to get ahead on tempo and force them to tap-out to deal with all of your threats. At this point its a short stroll to Pestermite village to end the game. Not an easy one, but not as bad as it may seem. Blightning is the bane of your existence here.
-3 Lotus Cobra
Lotus Cobra doesn't really do enough here to stick around and you also would like the mitigate the damage that potential Volcanic Fallouts will do. Obstinate Baloths allow you to dispense your threats much more aggressively and will hopefully encourage a tap out from your opponent.
Vs Wargate
I've found this match up to be very favorable. They don't have removal for your threats, you have disruption in the form of Cryptic Command and Vendilion Clique, and they don't have a great answer to Pestermite shenanigans short of just killing you.
+3 Spell Pierce
-2 Lotus Cobra
Cobra gets the boot by virtue of being the worst card in the deck and the other cards are obviously not at their best versus non-creature based strategies. You gain even more disruption post-board and a one mana answer to the card they require to win the game... seems like a sweet deal to me.
Vs Tempered Steel
This deck has probably the most explosive openers in the format. Thankfully those openers occur with shocking irregularity and the deck really isn't all that impressive. Play threats with alacrity and combo them out as soon as possible as most lists don't play main deck removal.
-3 Lotus Cobra
Here come the one mana Vindicates! Be aware that Path to Exile probably comes in for them so you can't just combo out with impunity. You now have the tools to play a longer game with them, so you can afford to be more cautious with your Splinter Twins. A nice strategy is Pestermiting their lone untapped white source with an end of turn Pestermite. They will be forced to Path to Exile immediately if they don't want to risk you having the Splinter Twin in your main phase, saving the Twin for a future use and giving you a mana boost for your next turn.
Vs 5cc
When the deck was an unknown quantity I enjoyed a huge amount of free wins versus this deck through sheer patience. I'd slow roll threats and eventually force an ultimatum from my opponent.
I'd typically have two cards left in my hand after said ultimatum. Pestermite and Splinter Twin. Good game indeed. Strategies will have to change now but it is not difficult to apply a proper amount of pressure to force them to tap out. Be mindful of Volcanic Fallout and try to mitigate the damage it does the best you can.
I don't think it prudent to give a specific sideboarding guide for this match up. Builds will vary from opponent to opponent rendering different cards better or worse. In most cases you will be cutting Lightning Bolts and Lotus Cobras and all sideboard cards short of the Nature's Claims are fair game. Try to put yourself in your opponents shoes and analyze his impressions of your deck. Was he devastated by an early creature rush? More removal is on the way. Did you combo him out? Maybe he's bringing in Runed Halos. The important thing here is to stay flexible and anticipate your rival's moves. This being said you will almost always want the Spell Pierces and Jace.
I can't possibly cover every potential deck in the format. There are simply too many viable options. Even with all these options, I truly believe that I have stumbled upon a very special deck. Playing Pestertwin always made me feel like I was doing more powerful things than my opponents and had many more options as to how I was going to win the game. One of my goals this year was to improve the deck building portion of my Magic skill set. I think a large part of that improvement process will include sharing information back and forth with my peers. I strongly encourage you to try out the list and let me know what's right with it, what's wrong with it, and what statements I've made that make me sound like a total buffoon.
As always you can reach me on Twitter @Bryango or on MODO at Bryang. I'm always happy to talk decks. I also wanted to give a quick thanks to Dan Jordan, Jason Ford, my brother Justin, and everyone else who puts up with my constant stream of Extended deck ideas in their inboxes. I'm sure you're all sick of hearing me claim to have broken the format every single day but I'm glad to have such intelligent friends to work on my ideas with. Good luck to all this qualifying season and I hope someone gets to go to the Pro Tour on the back of my hard work... preferably me!
