Faeries was known as the boogeyman back in the Lorwyn block era. Much like the next deck to hold that title, Jund, Faeries was extremely dominant. There have in fact been statistics that argue Faeries was more dominant than Mirrodin Block Affinity, claims that I won't bother to refute or support, but that I'll mention just to provide some reference point for those unfamiliar with the Faeries deck.
What made Faeries so difficult to beat? The deck played the best cards in the format. Mutavault, Bitterblossom, Thoughtseize, Cryptic Command, Vendillion Clique were all present in abundance. Additionally, the tribal synergies presented by Scion of Oona, Mistbind Clique, Spellstutter Sprite, and crew added layers upon layers of complexity to the plays the deck could generate, thus making it a nightmare to play against, since outside of Bitterblossom and Thoughtseize, the rest of the deck was all instants. It was virtually impossible for an average PTQ player to play correctly against a board of Secluded Glen, Secluded Glen, Sunken Ruins, Mutavault, and a few tokens from an active Bitterblossom. The Faeries player could have Scion of Oona to blow out an attack, Mistbind Clique during combat to eat a guy and deny your mana, Vendillion Clique on your end step if you cast nothing, Cryptic Command if you did, and so forth.
The myriad of options available on any given turn, the same quality that made Faeries so difficult to play against, also made it one of the most difficult decks to play. The ability to discern the correct line of play was even more important whilst piloting this deck than usual, since a wrong play would often lose the game. Faeries walked a razor thin edge, and is definitely not a forgiving deck.
The next PTQ season is extended, which means a wider cardpool from the last time Faeries was good. As a result, I don't think the deck will be quite as dominant, but it will still definitely be a contender. Thoughtseize is simply the best card in the format, and Faeries is the deck that makes best use of the card. It can back up the disruption with pressures, and unlike Jund, it is also able to use the information gained to know what spells to counter and when it's safe to Mistbind Clique, whereas other Thoughtseize decks are at the mercy of the rest of the opponent's hand.
Let's get to the decklist:
Faeries | The Rusty Machete
11 Creatures:
4 Mistbind Clique
3 Vendilion Clique
4 Spellstutter Sprite
24 Spells:
1 Agony Warp
4 Bitterblossom
4 Cryptic Command
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Mana Leak
4 Preordain
2 Smother
4 Thoughtseize
4 Mistbind Clique
3 Vendilion Clique
4 Spellstutter Sprite
24 Spells:
1 Agony Warp
4 Bitterblossom
4 Cryptic Command
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Mana Leak
4 Preordain
2 Smother
4 Thoughtseize
25 Lands:
3 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Darkslick Shores
6 Island
4 Mutavault
4 Secluded Glen
2 Sunken Ruins
2 Swamp
3 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Darkslick Shores
6 Island
4 Mutavault
4 Secluded Glen
2 Sunken Ruins
2 Swamp
15 Sideboard:
1 Deathmark
1 Duress
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Jace Beleren
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Ratchet Bomb
1 Tectonic Edge
3 Wall of Tanglecord
2 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Deathmark
1 Duress
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Jace Beleren
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Ratchet Bomb
1 Tectonic Edge
3 Wall of Tanglecord
2 Wurmcoil Engine
Rather than explain each of the card choices, I will walk you through the tournament, and let the cards speak for themselves.
Round 1: JB2002 with U/W Sun Titan.
Game 1: I keep an opener with Spellstutter Sprite, Thoughtseize, Bitterblossom, and Agony Warp. My Thoughtseize reveals Sun Titan and Cryptic Command... and 5 lands. Nice keep. He predictably never resolves anything of relevance and dies to Faerie Roge tokens.
Sideboard: +2 Inquisition +1 Duress +1 Jace Beleren +1 Jace TMS -2 Smother -1 Agony Warp -2 Spellstutter Sprite
It's very hard to Sprite a Titan or a Baneslayer on the draw, which are the only cards capable of killing you. And the Sprite's job against Kitchen Finks or Jace Beleren has been substituted with Inquisition, which is stronger anyways.
Game 2: I Duress + Thoughtseize him on turn 2 off Tar Pit and Sunken Ruins, taking Vendillion Clique and Oblivion Ring, leaving him cards he can't cast as his mana base is 2 Islands and a Tectonic Edge. I resolve Beleren on 3 and it easily puts him away as it draws me into Bitterblossom, then Mind Sculptor.
When your plan for beating Faeries is to board in Coralhelm Commander, something is wrong.
Round 2: JasonA with Scapeshift
Game 1: He starts with turn 0 Leyline of Sanctity, and turn 2 Omen. I play a Bitterblossom and wait. I can't Vendillion Clique him as he has the Leyline, but he is missing a Valakut to be truly dangerous. He has to Cryptic to stay alive, and I have the Mana Leak to prevent him from cantripping. He concedes when he is dead on board.
Sideboard: -2 Smother -1 Agony Warp -4 Spellstutter Sprite +2 Rachet Bomb +2 Inquisition +1 Duress +1 Tectonic Edge +1 Jace Beleren +1 Jace TMS
Rachet Bomb kills Omen, and in a pinch can kill a sideboarded Great Sable Stag.
Game 2:
This is the board state on the crucial turn:
If he draws a Valakut I die, and if he draws Cryptic I die since he can counter my Cryptic which has to bounce Bitterblossom. I brainstorm with Jace, which was a horrible misplay. I know his hand is an Island, and I'm trying to get a Mistbind Clique here to win the game against anything but a topdecked Valakut. However given that he is a combo deck, I should've just fatesealed him, as any basic land leaves him dead as does Cultivate, another Omen, and Mana Leak. Instead the brainstorm missed, and I attacked, then Cryptick'd to tap his Colonnade and bounce Bitterblossom. He draws Cryptic, taps my token, and kills me. I only had a chance in this game because I drew the sideboard Tec Edge and killed his first Valakut, only to throw it away at the very end.
Game 3: I Duress him and take a Mana Leak, leaving him Omen. He plays Omen into Rachet Bomb and Cultivates for 2 Islands. I sac Bomb, and then Tec Edge his Murmoring Bosk, leaving him with no green mana. Jace fateseals him while Mutavault and Vendillion Clique beat him down.
Round 3: Pitbull_RJ with Tempered Steel
Game 1: I Thoughtseize him on turn 1, and take Steel Overseer. He is left with Memnite, Ornithopter, Mox Opal, and lands. He rips Sculler on his turn and takes my Vendillion Clique, draws a Tempered Steel in short order and kills me.
Sideboard: -4 Cryptic Command -3 Mistbind Clique -3 Vendillion Clique -1 Mana Leak +2 Duress +1 Inquisition +1 Tec Edge +2 Wurmcoil Engine +3 Rachet Bomb +1 Beleren +1 TMS
I take out all the expensive spells and ineffective counters on the play, and bring in ways to slow down the game and Jaces to find the game winning Wurmcoil Engines.
Game 2: I Rachet Bomb away his board of Mox Opal, Memnite, Ornithopter and he concedes.
Sideboard: +3 Wall of Tanglecord -3 Mana Leak
Leak is slow on the draw, unable to stop much of anything.
Game 3: I mulligan into Jace Beleren, Rachet bomb, and 4 lands including a Mutavault. After I Rachet Bomb away his 2 Court Homunculuses leaving him with a Memnite and Ornithopter, I play Beleren and -1. He is still stuck on one land and concedes shortly even though I have all lands in hand. :)
Round 4: therock988 with faeries
Game 1: I have Bitterblossom on 2, as does he, and I Vendillion away his Spellstutter. He Smothers, and Thoughtseizes me, making me discard my Mistbind. I resolve a Vendillion in the midgame, countering Mana Leak with Mana Leak and taking his Cryptic, which allows me to stick Mistbind on his upkeep and put him to very few outs. He concedes shortly.
Sideboard : -2 Smother -1 Vendillion -3 Mistbind Clique +2 Duress +1 Inquisition +1 Tec Edge +2 Jaces
A lot of people dislike Vendillion in the mirror as it just trades with a token, but it is a way to resolve Jace or beat down without having Bitterblossom so I leave it in.
Game 2: I have Bitterblossom as well as an Inquision for his copy. However I am stuck on lands and misplay once I get to 3. I tap out for Beleren instead of casting 2x Thoughtseize and Preordain. This gives him a window to resolve Wurmcoil, which kills me.
Sideboard : +1 Wurmcoil -1 Mana Leak. Wurmcoil is stronger on the play.
Game 3: I keep an opener of Glen, Tar Pit, Mutavault, Wurmcoil, Cryptic, Inquisition, Thoughtseize. The reason for this is that this hand can beat disruption + bitterblossom since it has two discard spells. However my first land has to come into play tapped, so he gets to Duress my Inquisition, revealing Bitterblossom for Secluded Glen. I topdeck Bitterblossom, which I forego in favor of Thoughtseize, since if I take his Bitterblossom and he doesn't have a follow up I'll win easily. Instead, I see this:
Luckily, my opponent has no idea how to play the mirror and plays a second Bitterblossom and just dies to Tar Pit attacks.
It is rarely beneficial to play the second blossom, especially against multiple man lands. However, lots of people follow the can play spell, must play spell school of thought. This attitude absolutely must be set aside before you sit down to play Faeries since timing is everything and Bitterblossom is a double edged sword always.
I hope you've enjoyed my report, I look forward to bringing you some draft videos soon as well as PTQ stories! Happy New Years!
3 comments:
Is it unreasonable to add a Tectonic Edge as the 26th land?
It is completely reasonable to do this. In fact most of the lists floating around are 25 lands with 1 edge, but I cut it as I had trouble casting Cryptic whenever I drew it, however having 26 lands might just be the right way to go.
Preordain is just that good it seems..
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