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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:19 pm |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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A new take on Gruul beats, by yours truly!
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I’ve been playing Gruul beats for 4 straight FNM so far, and I’m starting to grow more and more fond of aggro decks, and I was really surprised when I look at the Worlds Top 8 and saw Boros on top of Gruul. Then, I took a look at some of the most popular Gruul builds, and I’ve finally spotted what I think the problem is. Therefore, I’ll give my own build, which’s been pretty succesful so far, explaining my cards of choice.
GRUUL BEATS (60 cards)
21 Lands:
7 Mountain
4 Forest
4 Stomping Ground
4 Karplusan Forest
2 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
19 Creatures:
4 Kird Ape
2 Scorched Rusalka
1 Magus of the Scroll
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Scab-Clan Mauler
4 Burning-Tree Shaman
16 Sorceries:
4 Rift Bolt
4 Browbeat
4 Volcanic Hammer
4 Call of the Herd
4 Instants:
4 Char
SIDEBOARD:
3 Leyline of Lifeforce (depending on the meta, these can go, usually for Moldervine Cloak, Bottled Cloister, a 3rd copy of Pandemonium and/or Tormod’s Crypt and/or a 4th copy of Solifuge, etc... Let’s call it a fluctuating card for now)
3 Naturalize
3 Giant Solifuge
2 Rumbling Slum
2 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Pandemonium
Now, some people may look at this deck and be surprised: "Browbeat? Over Solifuge? Who plays that?". Well, yes. I’ve found Solifuge to be less than optimal most of the times, since it consumes 4 mana to deal around 3-4 damage (maybe 5, if I get to sac it to my Rusalkas) before my opponent either blocks it or plays a board-sweeper of sorts... Also, if you followed the progress of Damo da Rosa’s Boros deck on Worlds, you probably saw this happen a lot of times: the opponent would be down to 1-2 life, but he has completly out of gas. Now, Browbeat either gives you a MUCH needed fuel for a late game (an after-Wrath, maybe), or it gets 5 burn in for one less mana! I’ve actually tried it out swaping Solifuges for Browbeats, and I like it much better this way! Oh, yes, I’ve also switched Honorable Passage for Luminesce or Pull from Eternity). Assuming you can suspend a Rift Bolt, that’s 8 damage with the same amount of mana spent! So, aside from the Browbeats, the only GREAT maindecked surprises are the Llanowar Elves over Birds of Paradise, but that’s a tad obvious: I don’t need a first-turn mana-fixer. I need a first-turn play that deals damage to my opponent, so I can play my second-turn Scab-Clan Mauler with activated Bloodthirst. If it ALSO allows me to, in case I DON’T have a Mauler to play on turn 2, play a turn 2 Shaman or Call, the better.
Now, the REAL surprise comes from the sideboard. I’ve seen some random Remands cripple aggro builds SO BAD the match turned out to be unwinnable later on, because of that! Now, this Sideboard is a jack-of-all-trades of sorts.
It’s got Naturalizes to blow up Circles of Protection, Signets Gauntles, Ivory Masks, Faith’s Fetters, etc. It’s got Tormod’s Crypt to try and stop eventual Vores, Reanimators and MartyrTron. It’s got Rumbling Slum against Wildfire decks, since it survives those, and pounds hard! Now, the real MVPs are the next cards.
Leyline of Lifeforce is a life-saver! It completly shuts down most counter-happy decks, not letting them have that much needed tempo advantage by countering or Remanding a creature or two. Then, if creatures can’t be countered, your opponent’s counterspells will have an obvious target: your burn spells. Good thing you have so many of them, and at a so cheap cost, right?  However, if burn IS an issue, Demonfire tends to get the job done, once you reach Hellbent. Then, there’s the last BIG surprise. Barbed Shocker. I’ve been expecting to see this guy being put to good use for quite some time now, and I’ve finally found one way to do it! Why is it here? Well, combine him, Leyline of Lifeforce and Tormod’s Crypt, and MartyrTron is 1-2 strikes away from losing. Also, this deck had no way (ok, no GOOD way) to deal with Dragonstorm, and this guy WRECKS IT APART! Your opponent can’t counter it, it comes down exactly one turn before Storm’s clock, and not only it strips them of their perfect hand, it also makes it possible that they DRAW some of those dragons, crippling them even more! Now, between these differences, I’ve found this build to be quite good. And in case there’s a lot of discard in your meta, you can also swap Demonfire for Bottle Cloister, giving you both and edge on card advantage AND aa great protection against all of those discarding SORCERIES!
So far, I’ve won 3 FNM with it, having lost most of my matches to MartyrTron and SnoWhite, and that was BEFORE I added in the Shockers... So far, I’m 6-0 after sideboarding against MartyrTron, 5-1 against SnoWhite, and 4-1 against Dragonstorm. So, I hope you enjoy this build, and try it out if you like some really mean aggro!
EDIT: Sideboard edited after testing/discussing. Found Barbed Shocker to be less than amusing, so swapped it for Giant Solifuge, to kind of go with the Leyline’s theme, and for when opponents don’t have a lot of board sweepers (or traded them aout, since Pyroclasms usually won’t do any good anyway...). Also added in Pandemonium instead of Demonfire, a LIFE-SAVER against SnoWhite. I have played quite a good number of them so far, and never regreted playing a Pandemonium. Also good (although dangerous) against IzzeTron, to try and outrun them before their first Hellkite hits play. However, if you can’t do it, you’re toast. |
| Last edited by Felipe Musco on Sat Jan 13, 2007 11:33 am; edited 2 times in totalI don't like YOU. |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:59 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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This is about the best gruul build I’ve seen maindeck. Only one question- what do you do against smallpox?
For sideboard, leyline can go.... it’s just not a good card. It won’t help stop them from countering your burn, anyway, which is the bigger problem. Creatures are wrathable/fetterable etc. but the burn is what matters.
I’m not sure when barbed shocker is good... even against martyr-tron, there are way better things to do... like discarding, just crypt alone beats them anyway.
Play 4 crypts. Good idea putting them in, but there’s no reason to leave two out, play the whole set.
Not sold on demonfire in a deck with 21 lands and no signets. I have no problem with your base, it just doesn’t support demonfire very well... it looks like 4 or 5 is the most you’ll ever be able to do with it.
I see one minor glitch now, using llanowar elves in an agro deck has caused me problems: If I use it to accelerate, if they remove the creature I accelerated to, they gain massive tempo. If I swing with it, it’s only one. It does not stay like a signet after wrath. I’d investigate something else there.
Otherwise.... wow. This is a very solid build if you fix the sideboard. A very solid build. |
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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:18 pm |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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Thanks a lot for the comments! I’m actually trying Demonfire because of the Leylines. I’ve seen countering buy a lot of unwanted time to opponents, not to mention staving off my beatings tremendously, and after trying the build with them and without them, at least for my meta, playing with them is better. However, that DOES raise a problem, as you pointed out. If my creatures will be getting through, my burn most likely won’t. That’s why I’ve been trying a few hands with Demonfire, I’ll usually side out as most burn as I can (except for the Rift Bolts, because suspending them means my opponent has to counter them while I have mana open, so I can usually slip a better burn through) for the creatures, and Demonfire will usually only have to deal about 4-5 anyway. However, I haven’t had much practice with it yet, so it may have to go. So far, my hands tend to get a little clogged, and all, so it’s difficulkt to achieve hellbent, and in games I can actually do it, it’s usually too late anyway (Martyr, for example). Barbed Shockers are in, so far, because of the synergy with the Leyline thing, so they are basically designed for my meta, and I haven’t tested it out a lot yet (I’ll be bringing them to the FNM tomorrow, though, so this decklist may feature some changes by then), but they seem nice enough. Not to mention, they DO come as a surprise, and usually swing AT LEAST the mental state of the game in my favor, because:
1- Haste is comething that has this effect on opponents, they never see it coming;
2- Discarding your entire hand, even when you draw a new one, is AWFUL a lot of times, since you usually do your best to set up a nice hand, and the possibility of having it replaced for a bunch of dead lands is terrible;
3- It’s a small threat, but one that they just HAVE to deal with, and FAST, because if they don’t, they just lose more and more cards, and in a sense, the guy DOES give me a nice attempt at massive card advantage.
However, as I said, I haven’t tested it out much yet, so it may not pay off as well as it seems, since it may actually hjelp my opoonents find that WoG they so badly need...
Anyway, I’ll test it out tomorrow, and post the results/update the list.
Thanks again for the compliments! I’ll try to review the other new decklists tomorrow!
PS: I have a special decklist for this month, you’ll probably bee seing it soon in the Article area... Chek it out when it’s up, I’m sure you, of all members, will like it! |
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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:49 am |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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I forgot to discuss the Elves, sorry! You see, I don’t really need acceleration, so I’d rather have the Elves in over a Signet, since they cost less. Also, the elves give me options. Having an Elf means that, on turn two, I can:
a) Swing for one, play Scab-Clan Mauler (if I lost the elves, I’d lose 4 cards to make this possible on turn two, so it kinda compensates the loss of tempo, since the maulers are a gain of it);
b) Play a Volcanic Hammer and either another Elf, a Rusalka or a Magus, giving me an edge on creature advantage;
c) Play A BUNCH of one-mana creatures at once;
d) Play a Char or hardcast Rift Bolt
e) Play Call of the Herd, Burning-Tree Shaman or Browbeat, dealing 5 on turn 2.
Because of all this options, I like having the Elves around. Another nice thing, also, is that I can use him to chump block if need be, and usually to good avail, since I can knock out a Dark Confidant or Savannah Lions. This alone usually means my opponent will most likely waste a burn/destroy spell on it to keep his creature (specially in the case of Boros) and come in for damage, meaning they’ll have one less spell to deal with my real threats, once they’re down. So, for instance, if they waste a rift bolt on a Llanowar Elves, they’ll have to find another way to deal with the maulers and herd tokens.
Also, I won’t be going to the FNM today, as I said I would, so I won’t be able to properly test the Shockers... 
What do you suggest over Demonfire? I was thinking about Solifuge, it may be a cool card, and has synergy with the whole Leyline theme. Or maybe the new green Ball Lightning... However, I think it’s a little color-intensive for this build. |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:32 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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I don’t like signets more than elves, I like neither in an agro deck.
I would rather be playing scorched rusalkas and magus and kird ape over them in an agro deck. Agro is all about damage output, and elves simply don’t cut the cake for me.
On a side note, I do not recommend playing browbeat turn two. It’s much better when your opponent lets you draw inot the cheap red burn spells gruul beats is known for.
I don’t like barbed shocker because 1) he’s usually blockable, 2) many times players have land in their hand late game as a bluffed answer when they know they don’e need more. That means shockering them just gives them chance to pitch those for better cards, 3) They can just cast what they want to and hold the rest in hand for you to shocker away the next turn.
I suggest cheaper burn spells, volcanic hammers etc. over demonfire. Or fuge, which is effectively burn, and the like. Maybe moldervine cloak even? It’s recurrable, which never hurts.
Once again, I don’t think leylines will be in any good tournament deck, your’s or your opponent’s. I wouldn’t worry about them. |
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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 11:26 am |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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| Maybe Leylines can be taken out in bigger tournaments, but so far, in FNM, they’re good. I tried a few hands with shockers yesterday, and I must say I hated it. Turned out exactly as you said, except when my opponents were dumb, noobs or goldfishes, in which cases I would have won anyway... I’ll edit the sideboard accordingly. |
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| physcosick |
![]() Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:52 pm |
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Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 229
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Do not cut Barbed Shocker under any circumstances unless, and only unless, your meta has ZERO drangonstorm. Barbed Shocker makes your matchup against DS go from a race to undeniably in your favor.
If you can sneak an attack past martry, it woykd be amazing too. If only it be a one hit wonder for 4 mana, it did it’s job. But i don’t think it’s that good against martry... perhaps sudden shock is your best bet. I suppose crypt works as well, just have to time it right. Smart players will expect the sudden shock and would probably sac it before you get priority making it next to useless... i suppose. |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:36 am |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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physcosick wrote: Do not cut Barbed Shocker under any circumstances unless, and only unless, your meta has ZERO drangonstorm. Barbed Shocker makes your matchup against DS go from a race to undeniably in your favor.
I agree that shocker helps this matchup, but you should beat D-storm anyway! It’s stinking agro! If it can’t beat combo, what can it do? Any good agro deck, including this one, should have a good matchup against dragonstorm. Plus, dragonstorm still is a very specific deck- sideboarding for it is different than sideboarding for a normal archtype, and it’s not a top 3 deck (look at the article here http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/fk21 ) At #4, in a game you should already win, I see no need for such a specific sideboard. |
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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:43 am |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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But it’s not true that I should already win. I have a good matchup, that’s correct. And the Leylines also help me make this even better, making almost impossible for them to try a Remand-based stall, taking away also the card advantage it gives them. But still, I have these 2 guys playing D-Storm, and they manage to pull turn-4 clocks a good amount of time, and this deck certainly can’t beat that. But yeah, maybe with a few more D-Storm matches under my belt I can see if it’s worth it or not. Also, it’s kind of useless against Martyr, since it’s a redundant Tormod’s Crypt. And, this deck has potential for steadly imposing turn-5 clocks, and that’s dealing over 25 damage, so it can compensate for an annoying lifegain, specially with solifuge coming in for games 2-3, as they can’t Condemn, Fetter, Shackle or pretty much anything short than Wrathing him away. If it’s the WU version, then there are even less answers, as Leyline prevents even Spellburst tricks anyway. But yeah, I may be a bit too afraid of D-Storm, and in theory aggro owns combo, but this is one nasty combo deck, after all, it DID win worlds...
PS: Out of theme question, but, in Boros, what do you guys think would be the best answer to D-Storm? Honorable Passage, Circle of Protection: Red, Luminesce or Pull from Eternity? |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:45 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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Felipe Musco wrote:
PS: Out of theme question, but, in Boros, what do you guys think would be the best answer to D-Storm? Honorable Passage, Circle of Protection: Red, Luminesce or Pull from Eternity?
That’s a good question... I think that’s a large reason on the whole drop in popularity of Boros. I would say probably Wrath plus lifegain (helix maindeck should suffice). There’s not really a good answer... Wrath hurts. Fetters wouldn’t do enough against them, I don’t think, and Cop means you’ve got your mana locked down forever. |
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