MTG: Standard, Practice for local PTQ/WMCQ with GB Ooze

Today I realized what sweet value 401 is offering at their PTQ and WMCQ (thank god Skyfox Games isn't getting good events anymore!) which resulted in me getting super pumped and opening Magic Online to battle in 2 dailies. I went 3-1 and 2-2, resulting in a cold 6 tix, 1 QP profit, ya living large :P Here's a updated/mutated version of the GB Ooze I cashed with the 2.5K.

Lands: 24

11 Forest

4 Overgrown Tomb

4 Woodland Cemetery

2 Golgari Guildgate

2 Evolving Wilds (experimental Deathrite Shaman synergy)

1 Swamp (Evo target, being a non Ooze land hasn't hurt since it's a extra source)

Creatures: 28

3 Ulvenwald Tracker

3 Deathrite Shaman (Gotta even up the Junk match up somehow)

4 Lotleth Troll

4 Strangleroot Geist

2 Knight of Infamy (Being played over Gloom Surgeon)

4 Wolfir Avenger

4 Predator Ooze

2 Yeva, Nature's Herald (I blame Andrew Naylor)

2 Wolfir Silverheart (Yeva/Salvage caused the swap with Garruk)

Spells: 8

2 Rancor

2 Grisly Salvage (Ridiculous curve filler, medicore card)

2 Ultimate Price

2 Sever the Bloodline

Sideboard

2 Rancor

1 Ulvenwald Tracker

1 Ranger's Guile

2 Appetite for Brains

2 Abrupt Decay

1 Deathrite Shaman

2 Garruk, Primal Hunter

1 Duress

1 Knight of Infamy

2 Triumph of Ferocity (Has been impressing me less and less)

0 Arbor Elf: It never fixed my colored mana, I didn't need a turn 2 Predator Ooze since I play this deck more as a slower/"inevitable" beatdown deck. Cutting it let me increase the land/black count, add more threats, and consistently cast a 2 drop on turn 2, which is what I've been craving this whole time.

2md/2sb Rancor: The metagame is easily a third aggro, Rancor just doesn't preform against those decks, in my experience I've rarely wanted any more then 1 Rancor, so 2 seems to be a fine hedge. The third is brought in against most slow removal/heavy sweeper decks, and the fourth is a random hedge in case I have to board out a insane number of threats.

2 Evolving Wild/1 Swamp/2 Golgari Guildgate: Just a little experiment to see how good adding a extra black source while slightly powering up Deathrite Shaman is. It's been playing a touch better then the old mana base.

3md/1sb Deathrite Shaman: Excellent for stabilizing against aggro, slightly below average against control, but the rise of Junk Reanimator forced my hand into moving 3 into the main deck. The synergy with Grisly Salvage and Evolving Wilds are also adding a few small points as well for it.

2 Yeva: I've been running into problems playing against Supreme Verdict, I have to keep regeneration mana open but can't deploy threats which lets those scummy control players get ahead. Yeva, Avenger, and Grisly Salvage are my attempt to fix that problem. They've worked out really well so far, I've also been very pleased to find out a 4/4 is bigger then a 3/4 (resto). Who woulda thought.

2 Grisly Salvage: This is the role-player that got signed on the team after I decided I wanted moar Deathrite's and Yeva's. It's super power is filling the curve from turn 2 onward by being able to keep regeneration mana open or deploy cheap to medium costed threats along side it. It's effect is powerfully mediocre

0 Alpha Authority(For now!): I want to tweak this current version until I fully understand it before I try to squeeze in another cheesy combo. But when I do it'll be bloody sweet. Here are pics as proof of concept.

Missing one of a victorious 6/5 Lotleth Troll vs Junk Reanimator :(

I'm still a big fan of this deck, it's ability to switch roles against opponents, resilient threats, and oddball cards have kept me coming back for moar. On that note I'll sign off. If you've got any questions or comments feel free to post em or email me. Till next time.

MTG: Standard, 8th @ CBA Games 2.5k with GB Ooze

Since we've returned to Ravnica I've been in a stump when it comes to Standard, for some reason I hated most of the format and didn't find a deck that flowed for me. Then after Quebec City I realized it's a really interactive format that rewards good deck building and tight play, sadly I was doing neither since my shitty deck usually tilted me. Then out of the blue a buddy suggested I try out GB Ooze which he had built physically and online. I started grinding with Kibler's list, after I got enough experience with it I start making modifications. My practice consisted of 3 dailies where I went 3-1, 1-3, and 4-0 and probably about 15 to 20 Practice Room Matches. This is what I sleeved up for the CBA 2.5K.

Lands: 23

11 Forest
4 Golgari Guildgate
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Overgrown Tomb

Creatures: 27

3 Ulvenwald Tracker
2 Deathrite Shaman

4 Arbor Elf

4 Strangleroot Geist

4 Lotleth Troll
2 Gloom Surgeon

4 Wolfir Avenger
4 Predator Ooze

Spells: 10

4 Rancor
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Sever the Bloodline
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter

Sideboard
1 Vraska the Unseen (Never got to Judo Chop Olivia)
2 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
1 Ranger's Guile
1 Ultimate Price
2 Appetite for Brains
1 Abrupt Decay
2 Deathrite Shaman
2 Duress
2 Triumph of Ferocity

I'll go over some of the note worthy additions and subtractions

-4 Dreg Mangler: 3 drops are like trans/satured fat in the deck, they aren't healthy but you need them to make a delicious fast food joint. 11 was way to many, they routinely clogged my arteries/hand . Also Dreg Mangler is a very fair card in a deck that's trying to play semi unfair/hard to kill threats, Mangler is neither.

+2 Garruk, Primal Hunter: My thoughts on Garruk are the same as my GP Quebec City report, he's a better Thragtusk if you don't have slots to support it and is a hard to kill threat (notice a trend?).

+2 Gloom Surgeon: Much easier on the curve then Mangler, but also provides another amazing wall against the slew of aggro decks in the format. Few things make grown men cry as turn 2 Surgeon turn 3 Predator Ooze.

+2 Sever the Bloodline (maindeck): Olivia is this decks bane so I added 2 to the main. It's 4 mana cost is perfectly fine since you want to develop your board in the first turns and THEN start removing threats, also the flashback and pulse qualities give you some much needed hedge against mana flood.

Now for the report.

Round 1 vs Bant Wolf Run Control, 2-0

g1: I battle through triple Azorious Charm and Detention Sphere in the first 6 turns, he double Sphinx's Revelation, but since my threats are dying at a extraordinarily slow rate all he's doing is treading water while I eventually deal lethal.

g2: Rhox Faithmender buys him infinity time, letting him get up to 38 after his third Revelation. A key turn 3 Triumph of Ferocity lets me keep up card wise and I'm eventually able to beat him with about 15 cards left in his deck.

Round 2 vs Naya Midrange, 2-0

g1: I battle through double Thragtusk with my little army of regenerators.

g2: My opponent draws 16 draws off 3 Garruk, Primal Hunters over the course of the match, plays double Armada Wurm, and I'm STILL able to fight through that over time with Predator Ooze+Rancor+Ulvenwald Tracker.

Round 3 vs UWR Flash, 2-0

g1: My opponents stumbles with lands and his Azorious Charm's just buy time but don't translate into any pressur, eventually I'm able to grind him down despite drawing more lands then him.

g2: Opponent stumbles with, doesn't draw Azorious Charm and get's stomped quickly.

Round 4 vs Jund, 0-2

g1: I draw 4 Rancor's this game but only one threat, not a winning hand against a deck with varied removal like Tragic Slip.

g2: I'm a little light on lands for a bit, making it hard to apply pressure while keeping regeneration mana open. I misplayed by not tapping out for Vraska to kill a Vampire Nighthawk that sealed the game with the help of Kessig Wolf Run.

Round 5 vs GW Human Aggro, 2-1

g1: I almost stabilize against double Rancor on a 4/4 Champion of the Parish that's bonded with a Nearheath Pilgrim, but he lethals me while he sits at a lofty 40.

g2: Turn 2 Ooze with back up is very hard for his deck to deal with, the longer the games go the more they favor me since I'll be able to bury him in synergy or durable threats.

g3: On the draw, I close my eyes and play turn 2 Gloom Surgeon turn 3 Predator Ooze, I'm relieved that I'm still in the game when I open them on turn 4. Ulvenwald Tracker and company eventually grind him into dust.

Round 6 vs Humanimator, 2-1

g1: Sadly get comboed out before I can 0 him.

g2: He boards out the combo and morphs into a Resto/Thragtusk. I'm able to easily fight through that, surprise surprise.

g3: He wiffs on a turn 3 Mulch, misses his land drop, and I'm able to kill him on turn 4 with a Deathrite Shaman in play covering any combo shenanigans.

Round 7 vs Unknown, Intentional Draw

We shake hands and draw into top 8. I go from 4^th to 7^th place.

Round 8, Quarterfinals, vs Jund, 0-2

g1: As the second seed my opponenet plays first and slams a turn 4 Olivia that is sadly unanswered and buries me.

g2: I mullagin to 5, I had a small chance with Arbor Elf and Ooze but he has Tragic Slip, Liliana of the Veil, Garruk Primal Hunter, and Olivia to bury me.

With that I'm vanquished from the top 8 with 100$ in my hands. As lame as it was to lose in that fashion, I'm still happy about the finish cause I had fun playing my deck, put work and preparation, and finally won in RtR  T2. On the hour walk home I brainstormed Deadly Allure as a potential answer to Olivia. These are the changes I've made to my list after playing in a Premier Event (awful awful value please don't ever play these!)  and a Daily (amazing value play these!).

Maindeck: -2 Abrupt Decay, +2 Tragic Slip

Sideboard:-1 Ultimate Price, -1 Vraska, +1 Abrupt Decay, +1 Deadly Allure

Lands: 23

11 Forest
4 Golgari Guildgate
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Overgrown Tomb

Creatures: 27

3 Ulvenwald Tracker
2 Deathrite Shaman

4 Arbor Elf

4 Strangleroot Geist

4 Lotleth Troll
2 Gloom Surgeon

4 Wolfir Avenger
4 Predator Ooze

Spells: 10

4 Rancor
2 Tragic Slip
2 Sever the Bloodline
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter

Sideboard
1 Deadly Allure
2 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
1 Ranger's Guile
2 Appetite for Brains
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Deathrite Shaman
2 Duress
2 Triumph of Ferocity

Special thanks of Nathan Enkel and Jonny Teigesser for loaning me both online and physical copies of the deck. If you've got any questions or comments feel free to post em or send them my way.