Under Preconstruction – Back in the Bird Cage

Posted on May 9, 2011

Welcome back to "Under Preconstruction"! Today, I'll regale you with tales of valor and folly, of victory and hardship. I'll speak of horrible Days of Judgment, of glorious Gravitational Shifts at the last possible moment. It's the story of an unlikely hero, and it all begins with a simple precon.

In case you have an irrational fear of links (how did you even get here?!), I'll fill you in. Last week, I started working on the Flyover intro deck from Worldwake. When we last saw our little precon, it looked something like this.

"Piece of Shift 3.0"

I played a bunch of games with the deck in the casual room to see where we should go from here. Here are a few of them.

Game 1 – Mono-White Aggro

His opening of Memnite, Ornithopter, Plains suggested Tempered Steel, but the dangerous enchantment never showed. Instead, he played an Honor of the Pure on the second turn. I summoned a creature on turn two that left my opponent between a Hawk and a hard place.

* cough *

He played a 4/2 Accorder Paladin, which I answered with Journey to Nowhere. His Ornithopter did a fine job holding off my bird, so I passed. My opponent played a Silverskin Armor, equipped his Memnite, and attacked for 2 with his artifact that was an artifact in addition to its other types. I played a Pilgrim's Eye to ensure my fourth land drop, while my opponent suited up his Ornithopter with another Silverskin Armor.

I drew a fifth land, and began my parade of rares with Archon of Redemption. He played Priests of Norn (whaaa?) and passed, and my Emeria Angel followed by a land gained me 4 life. My opponent cared little for my life total, as he slammed a +5/+5 Armored Ascension on the vigilant infector and attacked. I chumped with a bird.

I had a second Emeria Angel the following turn, albeit with no land drop, as well as a Squadron Hawk (who proceeded to chump the Priest). A Terramorphic Expanse put the nail in the coffin, giving me four bird tokens and four life. My opponent, apparently drawing blanks, conceded.

1–0.

Game 2 – U/W Metalcraft Control

Once again, a turn-one Ornithopter stood in front of my turn-two Squadron Hawk, but this time, my opponent had a Sword of Vengeance to make it a legitimate threat. Luckily, I had a Journey to Nowhere to get my ragtag group of three Squadron Hawks and a Wind Zendikon through for 5 damage. My opponent responded with an Argent Sphinx.

I played an Emeria Angel but missed Landfall, and elected not to attack into the Sphinx. He played an Everflowing Chalice ( = 2) and equipped the Sword That No One Cares About to his Sphinx, bashing for 6. I played a second Emeria Angel and a Terramorphic Expanse, making four guys. On his turn, he simply played a Brittle Effigy and attacked for 6, bringing me to 6. No problem, I'll just play this Gravitational Shift and attack for a billion . . . Oh, Stoic Rebuttal? No problem, I'll attack with just enough birds to ensure a victory next turn, while making sure I have plenty of blockers for your Argent Sphinx.

His next attack, after a chump from two birds (Effigy means a single chump isn't enough), brought me to 2. Then the worst thing possible happens: He Preordains into a Plains. This allows him to blink out his Sphinx and play Day of Judgment. Wuh-wuh-wuuuhhhh. I lose during his next attack step.

1–1.

Game 3 – Mono-Green Tokens

I kept a hand with three Kor Aeronauts because, well, I've never played Kor Aeronauts in a constructed game before. It's the same reason I drew the duck blue.

Things got Aeronutty when I had three 2/2's and a hasty Wind Zendikon on the board by turn four, but my opponent was also doing stuff. Namely, he was playing Growth Spasms, Bestial Menaces, and a kicked-a-bunch Wolfbriar Elemental. I should still win the race, barring a pump spell. He has a pump spell.

1–2.

Maybe you've noticed I haven't mentioned Apex Hawks in any of these games. That isn't because I cut them when you weren't looking. No, I drew plenty of the Wind Drakes; I simply never wanted to cast them. I had something better to do on every single turn, so the lesser Hawks have yet to see action today. And they never will!

−3 Apex Hawks

Just like a Band-Aid. Now, what to play in their stead?

So far, most of my losses are due to one of the following: (1) I stumble on mana, or (2) My opponent is too fast for Gravitational Shift to make a difference. Adding Wall of Omens addresses these problems quite nicely. The cantrip effect digs for lands while the big butt blocks Goblin Guides and Memnites. As an added bonus, the Wall takes us back to our roots of Flying Over the stalled ground with our air force.

I've got to admit, Archon of Redemption has been better than expected. The life gain has swung a couple tight races in my favor, and has kept me from losing to Lightning Bolt on occasion. But the Archon is sort of like Casey on this season of American Idol. He's different, so you want to root for him. He does his thing, and it isn't bad; in fact, sometimes it's really great. But you and I both know neither Archon of Redemption nor Casey had a chance to win American Idol. They just aren't good enough.

So, I would like to replace the Archon with another high-end flyer, one that we want to top-deck after a Wrath to seal the deal. Baneslayer Angel is the obvious, and if you have those, go ahead and play them. I'm more interested in Sphinx of Jwar Isle, however.

The shrouded Sphinx makes the perfect post-Wrath threat, because he demands another Wrath or he just wins the game. Our deck is pretty weak against removal-heavy decks (Sparkmage/Collar? Good game.), where Sphinx shines. I particularly like that he's Blue, so he'll be able to block Hawks with Sword of Feast and Famine and Sword of War and Peace.

To make room for the fourth Wall of Omens and a twenty-sixth land, I'm doing away with Wind Zendikon. It was a noble experiment, but the card hasn't performed well. The only good time to play it is after you've already laid out your hand, because you can't afford to attack with a land when you're curving out. At that point, on turn six or seven, do you really want a 2/2?

Interestingly enough, I haven't drawn Sleep in any situations where it would make a difference. My past experiences with Sleep (if you're a regular, you know how often that card makes the cut), coupled with the number of racing scenarios this deck finds itself in, make me hesitant to take it out completely. I'm happy with two copies for now.

Marshal's Anthem has been pretty good for me. We play Blue and artifact creatures, so Honor of the Pure is pretty subpar, and yet we need a card besides Gravitational Shift that can make our assorted 1/1's into game-winners. Marshal's Anthem does that admirably, as well as giving us a great post-Wrath play in the late game.

Look: I'm going to put two Colonnades in this list. There have been numerous games where a Wrath leaves me with nothing but lands in play—and if one of them could beat for 4, I would immediately win the game. I'm not including the full set, both for budget reasons and because that number brings us up to 10 enters-the-battlefield-tapped lands (if we shave off the sac lands, we need to add fetches, bringing the cost up even higher). If you don't have the Colonnades, the mana base you see above (plus an Island) should work just fine.

Here's the final list, complete with a tentative sideboard.

"Piece of Shift 4.0"

Glint Hawk Idol provides a little extra insurance against the Pyroclasms, Slagstorms, and Day of Judgments you'll likely face after sideboard. I would cut some Aeronauts for those. Guard Gomazoa is a fine man against any non-Red aggressive deck (Bolt still kills him dead), but his true purpose is to block a bird with a Sword. I suspect the last few stragglers will stop playing Body and Mind once War and Peace becomes available, meaning Guard Gomazoa is the perfect trump card. Feel free to swap the jellyfish with Gravitational Shift, since it pumps opposing birds as well as our own.

Thada Adel is a cute trick I've used in Blue decks before. She can take Swords and Magnets from Caw-Blade or Wurmcoils from Tezzeret decks. With jellyfish clogging the skies, Islandwalk is a critical route to victory. Wall of Omens is a good choice if you need room in the main. Flashfreeze is primarily to counter Titans of the Primeval and Inferno variety. Both of those cards are huge blowouts against our deck, so we need to stop them from resolving at all costs. It's probably not enough to swing the matchup, but it's something; I'd probably cut Wall of Omens for the counterspell.

Kor Firewalker's role is obvious, right? Just plug them into the Kor Aeronaut slot. If you expect a lot of Red in your metagame, feel free to bump this number up to four.

Let's take our new ride for a spin in the Tournament Practice room.

Match 1 – B/r Vampires

He had the dangerous start of turn-one Viscera Seer, turn-two double Vampire Lacerators, turn-three Lavaclaw Reaches + Bloodghast. I traded a pair of Kor Aeronauts for the Lacerators, but he replaced them with a Hexmage and a third Lacerator. On turn four, I played a pair of Squadron Hawks, one of which was eaten by a kicked Gatekeeper of Malakir. The other traded with a Viscera Seer. Life totals were 15–7 in his favor.

Emeria Angel plus Terramorphic Expanse gave me an instant army. Emeria Angel blocked Hexmage, while one bird token blocked Bloodghast. My opponent played another Lavaclaw Reaches and passed the turn with no cards in hand. I ripped Gravitational Shift, which completely shut down his offense and allowed me to attack for 8 in the air. He had one turn to draw a Lightning Bolt, but he didn't.

1–0.

I boarded in the Guard Gomazoas for Marshal's Anthem and Sphinx of Jwar Isle, which I worried were too slow. The second game's replay got eaten by MTGO, but I distinctly remember the end of the game: He attacked with a board full of Vampires, and I blocked with enough bird tokens to ensure I'd be able to attack for the win the following turn, going to 1 life. He played Vampire Hexmage to combo with the Highborn on the table and drained me for the win.

1–1.

In the third game, Wall of Omens held off Bloodghast, while Squadron Hawk soaked up a Gatekeeper trigger. I had Gravitational Shift in my hand, so I just used Squadron Hawks to buy enough time to get to five land. Emeria Angel and an Evolving Wilds ended the game quickly post-Shift.

2–1.

Match 2 – U/G/R Polymorph

I kept a two-lander with two Wall of Omens and a Pilgrim's Eye. Still, I missed my third land drop, and it took a third Wall of Omens to find it. Meanwhile, my opponent played Khalni Garden, Explore, and Growth Spasm. Suspecting I'm a traditional Blue/White control deck, he played around counterspells by casting Mass Polymorph when I tapped out for Pilgrim's Eye—but only for two creatures. He used Terastodon to blow up three of my four lands, and Massacre Wurm ate my Pilgrim's Eye.

I ripped a second land and played Journey to Nowhere on the Massacre Wurm. I attacked with my three elephants, losing one to his 9/9 blocker. He played Garruk, made a Beast, and attacked. I elected not to block and went to 9. We traded 3/3's, but I still killed his Garruk, and followed it up with a Kor Aeronaut. I had three Wall of Omens and a series of Squadron Hawks to chump his 9/9, while he drew nothing relevant. Once he comboed off, there wasn't much left in his deck but ramp spells and Preordains, so I had all the time in the world to get to four lands, play Emeria Angel, and generate all the chump blockers I needed. I won gradually, 1 Squadron Hawk damage at a time.

1–0.

I have nothing in the sideboard for this matchup, and really, no way to interact in the main. I just have to race.

I mulliganed two one-landers into a five-card hand with one land and Wall of Omens. Luckily enough, I drew the second, and cantripped into the third. I was able to play Emeria Angel on time and follow it up with a Gravitational Shift—but my opponent went off on turn six, getting three Massacre Wurms to deal 18 and wipe my board. I had two Journeys, but the third Wurm did me in.

1–1.

I led with Kor Aeronaut on turn two, followed by Wall of Omens and Emeria Angel. My opponent had a pair of Awakening Zones, and I played Marshal's Anthem plus Evolving Wilds to generate a good-sized attack force. I suspected he had the Mass Polymorph, but in order to play it, he'd have had to sacrifice his Eldrazi Spawn—making the Polymorph useless. He conceded in the face of lethal damage.

2–1.

Above all, the deck has proven to be consistent. Wall of Omens and Pilgrim's Eye make sure the games you lose to mana screw are few and far between, while the redundancy of Squadron Hawk/Emeria Angel and Marshal's Anthem/Gravitational Shift means the games play out pretty much the same way every time. The deck fares very well against aggro decks and can grind out its fair share of games against control, but the fact that it can't interact hurts its combo matchup. Of course, we're in the color of Mana Leak, so interactivity is just a sideboard slot away.

I walk away impressed by Gravitational Shift and Emeria Angel, two cards that see some Standard play here and there, but never really had their chance to shine. The innocuous Pilgrim's Eye also proved his worth; if you have some way to make his tiny body relevant (say, with equipment), he's a great value card.

I was planning on going over the cards that New Phyrexia could offer the deck, but unfortunately, there aren't any good flying creatures in the set. Vault Skirge is the closest, as a 1-mana Lifelinking 1/1, but he doesn't become a good card until Gravitational Shift hits—and once that happens, any creature would do. In terms of support spells, Shrine of Loyal Legions is interesting. I tend to play one to two White spells a turn, so if we play Shrine on turn two, we could have seven Myr popping out by turn five. It could be a replacement for Glint Hawk Idol in the board, but the creatures it produces are made irrelevant by Gravitational Shift, so you'd have to cut our signature card.

Spellskite is a fine preemptive strike against the Splinter Twin combo, so you could put a few of those in the sideboard. Moltensteel Dragon is an incredible clock, and will generally win the game the turn after you cast it (assuming you have any sort of board presence at all). Even though we aren't Red, he's worth considering as an option against noninteractive combo decks simply because he's an 11/11 attacker on turn five.

Obviously, Sword of War and Peace is excellent in a deck with this many creatures, as are all the Swords. Really, including an entire Stoneforge Mystic package (in place of Aeronauts and Sleeps) is the best way to make the deck more competitive, so feel free to do that if you have the cards.

So we have a few options, but I wouldn't change anything in Piece of Shift post–New Phyrexia. If we got some incredible new flying creature it would be different, but it seems fitting that the deck remains almost entirely Zendikar block and M11. If you want to celebrate a perfectly good Standard format that was overshadowed and dominated by Titans and Planeswalkers, try out this deck before the rotation.

However, if I were to play Squadron Hawks with NPH cards, I'd have to put down my Gravitational Shifts in favor of this card:

This card isn't getting a lot of love in set reviews, but I think it's awesome. It effectively adds a power and casts Berserk on each non-Infect creature you control. Sure, it's awkward that all the damage you do leading up to Triumph of the Hordes is effectively worthless, but that just means you can spend more time setting up for the Big Turn. And, you know, sometimes you just win with damage.

When looking for cards to pair with Triumph, the first things I look for are cards that produce multiple bodies. The aforementioned Squadron Hawks are great, and Blade Splicer may be even better. Nest Invader is tried and true in creature swarm strategies. Garruk can give you the extra creatures you need, or function as an alternate Overrun effect; double it up with Triumph of the Hordes for a super combo finish.

Double Strike is also great with power-boosting effects, so Mirran Crusader fits the bill. Birds of Paradise can get us to our crucial 3-drop a turn early, and later, tacks on an extra poison counter.

For support spells, I prefer Oust and Tumble Magnet. When we're on the poison plan, we couldn't care less about the 3 life Oust gives away. Even when we don't have Triumph, a few measly points are worth the tempo swing of bouncing a Lotus Cobra or something similar. Tumble Magnet is great for setting up our big turn, or simply protecting a Garruk so he can go ultimate. Here's the list—it's still in the preliminary brainstorming stage, which is why all the cards are four-ofs.

"Triumph of the Birds"

Planeswalkers (4)
4 Garruk Wildspeaker

The mana base needs some work. I think Inkmoth Nexus is well worth playing, because it suits our strategy so well, but it causes some problems. We have to play a lot of Forests to ensure turn-one Birds of Paradise, but we also need a lot of White for Mirran Crusader. Play-testing will help me find the right balance.

Against a goldfish, the deck is capable of quite a few turn-four kills. Nest Invader into any 3-drop into Triumph is 10 poison. Just playing any creatures on turns two and three after a turn-one Birds makes Triumph lethal. At the same time, the deck can play into the midgame with Tumble Magnets and Garruk, and Inkmoth Nexus gives it a little reach.

This is probably the first deck I'll put together after the prerelease, largely because I have an unnatural love for Overrun decks. It might be better off as a Fauna Shaman/Vengevine sort of deck. Only time will tell.

I hope you all had a good time at your prereleases. At the time of this writing, I'm trying to figure out a way to weasel out of Mother's Day celebrations in order to play Two-Headed Giant on Sunday. If all goes according to plan, I may be back next week with the story of how my mom won the first Magic event she ever played in (albeit as the little head).

Thanks for reading!

Brad Wojceshonek

TAGS articles, constructed, standard

Under Preconstruction – Back in the Bird Cage

"Piece of Shift 3.0"

Game 1 – Mono-White Aggro

Game 2 – U/W Metalcraft Control

Game 3 – Mono-Green Tokens

"Piece of Shift 4.0"

Match 1 – B/r Vampires

Match 2 – U/G/R Polymorph

"Triumph of the Birds"

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