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5c Landfall

Started by grizzledmage, 08-03-2010, 08:01:16 PM

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grizzledmage

I set up a Landfall deck a couple months ago, as a fun/casual deck. My youngest son (although he'll be 21 this summer  ;)), however, really enjoys it, and we've been working together to see if we can't convert it into something more competitive. Here's what we have so far:

Lands
    3 Forest
    1 Verdant Catacombs
    1 Naya Panorama
    1 Arcane Sanctum
    1 Crumbling Necropolis
    1 Bant Panorama
    1 Rupture Spire
    1 Savage Lands
    1 Scalding Tarn
    1 Seaside Citadel
    1 Terramorphic Expanse
    1 Misty Rainforest
    1 Jungle Shrine
    1 Arid Mesa
    1 Wasteland
    1 Dust Bowl
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Mutavault
    3 Plains
    3 Swamp
    3 Island
    2 Mountain
    1 Marsh Flats
    1 Esper Panorama
    1 Grixis Panorama
    1 Jund Panorama
    1 Crosis's Catacombs
    1 Darigaaz's Caldera
    1 Dromar's Cavern
    1 Rith's Grove
    1 Treva's Ruins
    1 Terminal Moraine
    1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds

Creatures
    1 Rampaging Baloths
    1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
    1 Emeria Angel
    1 Grazing Gladehart
    1 Hedron Crab
    1 Roil Elemental
    1 Turntimber Basilisk
    1 Windrider Eel
    1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
    1 Coiling Oracle
    1 Diligent Farmhand
    1 Soratami Rainshaper
    1 Farhaven Elf
    1 Frontier Guide
    1 Yavimaya Granger
    1 Sakura-Tribe Scout
    1 Scute Mob
    1 Vinelasher Kudzu
    1 Yavimaya Elder
    1 Oracle of Mul Daya
    1 Living Tsunami
    1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
    1 Walking Atlas
    1 Cosi's Ravager
    1 Lotus Cobra
    1 Mother of Runes

Spells
    1 Soul Stair Expedition
    1 Kodama's Reach
    1 Harrow
    1 Eternity Vessel
    1 Ior Ruin Expedition
    1 Khalni Heart Expedition
    1 Crucible of Worlds
    1 Adventuring Gear
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Oblivion Stone
    1 Wrath of God
    1 Damnation
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Propaganda
    1 Life from the Loam
    1 Lifegift
    1 Garruk Wildspeaker
    1 Exploration
    1 Rampant Growth
    1 Explore
    1 Lightning Greaves
    1 Worldly Tutor
    1 Mortify
    1 Chainer's Edict
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Terminate
    1 Sylvan Scrying
    1 Diabolic Tutor
    1 Path to Exile
    1 Mind Spring
    1 Putrefy
    1 Krosan Grip

A few remarks...

Some of the more popular T2 Landfall creatures, most notably Plated geopede and Steppe Lynx, were in the original build but have since been cut because they didn't seem to be functioning too impressively. It seemed to my son and me that the deck was great once it got going but took some time to get there; hence the defensive card inclusions (Propaganda, Mother of Runes, Putrefy/Mortify, WoG, Damnation, etc.)

Fastbond seems like an obvious choice although we haven't tried it yet; maybe Zuran Orb also?

Red is in here, partly because of the original Geopede and partly because of Countryside Crusher (which has also been cut), as well as 1-2 other reasons (which I don't remember now). It may be that elimination of Red altogether is indicated, although of course that will mandate a serious re-working of the mana base. (Yes it supports Terminate, but Vindicate - although there are none currently in our household! - is probably better in that slot anyway.)

Also, Soratami Rainshaper still seems like a good idea to us, but in all honesty it simply hasn't shone much at all, in all the games played so far.

Anyway, the deck is still great fun (actually more fun) but we're kind of stymied at this point on improvements. Any suggestions?

Mythrandir

#1
Well, first: fastbond is currently banned :P

A quick review (since many names there i have no idea what they do... lol)

Lands:
Cut the tri-lands from ARB. i know you want a budget deck, but those are just horrible, IMO.
Add onslaught fetchlands ( a MUST)
You can test those bounce-lands from ravnica block, although very crippling if you get "wastelanded"
If you play LFTL, add cycle lands.


Creatures:
- frontier guide
- sakura tribe scout
+Solemn simulacrum
+ eternal dragon
+ reliquary knight

Spells:
- lightning greaves (again you need to focus on the strategy...)
+ burgenoning
+ expedition map
+ sensei diving top

Overall considerations:
You need to focus on the strategy, cards like mother of runes and meloku usually don't go hand to hand... That's why the lynx didn't work, lynx is great in very aggro decks.
Definitely cut R, i don't think tit's worthy enough in that deck.
Also add trinket mage + some grave removal.



Cards to think about:
mana breach (pretty nice with exploration)
storm cauldron
academy rector + future sight

Hope it helps


edited: also there are better soratami out there, than the rainshaper (cloudskater being one of them)

grizzledmage

OK - thanks for the input; I have sent my son this info as well for his evaluation and we'll work on it some more this weekend probably. We'll see where we go from here...

coldcrow

With such a focus on the mechanic I'd consider:

crop rotation, ghost quarter, flagstones of trokair, gush, tideforce elemental + ruin sage, war gate (basically an untamed wilds for any land), azusa, summer bloom, sunder, planar birth (if you go basic land route)

I would drop red since it doesn't add any worthwhile cards to that deck.


grizzledmage

Quote from: coldcrow on 11-03-2010, 09:24:01 AM
With such a focus on the mechanic I'd consider:

crop rotation, ghost quarter, flagstones of trokair, gush, tideforce elemental + ruin sage, war gate (basically an untamed wilds for any land), azusa, summer bloom, sunder, planar birth (if you go basic land route)

Wow - some excellent suggestions there that we'd never even considered... The Ruin Ghost seems like a forehead-slapper, too.

Quote from: coldcrow on 11-03-2010, 09:24:01 AMI would drop red since it doesn't add any worthwhile cards to that deck.

Agreed, and in the current iteration (updated since my original post) that's already been done.

Some excellent suggestions so far!!! Any more?

Mythrandir

Also trade routes and undiscovered paradise would be nice additions too, IMO.

And, yeah cut R!

Fish

#6
Here are my ideas although some of them are quite casual:

I know those cards are in almost every deck that share color with them but I would definitely try Intuition and Gifts Ungiven.

Since you can get many lands into play, I would consider some kind of finisher like Rude Awakening - although it is not so good in opening hand I guess it fits here.

Farseek should be better than Rampant Growth.

Krosan Verge - a little bit slow, but you have 2 landfall triggers

You are playing landfall without Scapeshift? What am I missing?

If you could include some kind of "top of the library" control engine like Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Sensei's Divining Top or Sylvan Library, maybe Clear the Land could be fun and with Scouting Trek even more. Also Treasure Hunt could work this way. I have one funny "trick" in my mind but it is too casual: Scouting Trek + Treasure Hunt + Manabond (I hope it works that way). If you are not afraid, you can do this in one card but also for your opponent - New Frontiers.

Veteran Explorer is the other one with two landfall triggers but maybe too risky and too random.

Cloudstone Curio might work here too.

Academy Ruins - you have bunch of artifacts and works well with Expedition Map.

grizzledmage

Quote from: Fish on 19-03-2010, 02:05:15 AM

I know those cards are in almost every deck that share color with them but I would definitely try Intuition and Gifts Ungiven.

Certainly these are great tutors; however I much prefer to play these when there are graveyard effects, which really don't exist in this deck.

Quote from: Fish on 19-03-2010, 02:05:15 AMSince you can get many lands into play, I would consider some kind of finisher like Rude Awakening - although it is not so good in opening hand I guess it fits here.

Interesting idea! We had not thought of it; I will discuss it with my co-creator...

Quote from: Fish on 19-03-2010, 02:05:15 AMFarseek should be better than Rampant Growth.

Krosan Verge - a little bit slow, but you have 2 landfall triggers

Yep; have 'em both (all 3 actually); Verge was added last week (also Nantuko Monastery... what the heck...)

Quote from: Fish on 19-03-2010, 02:05:15 AMYou are playing landfall without Scapeshift? What am I missing?

You're not missing anything and in fact the first version of the deck included it. I found that playing Scapeshift really properly was difficult and I took it out. Now, however, that we're getting more familiar with the deck, it may well go back in.

Quote from: Fish on 19-03-2010, 02:05:15 AMIf you could include some kind of "top of the library" control engine like Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Sensei's Divining Top or Sylvan Library, maybe Clear the Land could be fun and with Scouting Trek even more. Also Treasure Hunt could work this way. I have one funny "trick" in my mind but it is too casual: Scouting Trek + Treasure Hunt + Manabond (I hope it works that way). If you are not afraid, you can do this in one card but also for your opponent - New Frontiers.

Veteran Explorer is the other one with two landfall triggers but maybe too risky and too random.

Cloudstone Curio might work here too.

new Jace - probably good in any deck running blue; will take a closer look!
Sensei Top - already in
Sylvan Library - mmm; I'm thinking the life loss isn't good for a deck that is on the slow side; otherwise it seems a clunky/inefficient draw smoother.
I am curious about the Curio (sorry I couldn't resist ;D) and will take a closer at it also.

Quote from: Fish on 19-03-2010, 02:05:15 AMAcademy Ruins - you have bunch of artifacts and works well with Expedition Map.

I like the Ruins (retrieve Crucible, maybe Curio, Eternity Vessel, Oblivion Stone), but I'm thinking its combo with Expedition map is very slow.

Good suggestions - keep 'em coming!!