Introduction
Today I will be talking about the Omnath Stoneblade list which I have posted on Twitter and glad to see the deck making it to the top 8 of the Mana Trader event.
The deck came about when I was pairing 《Wrenn and Six》 with 《Cosima, God of the Voyage》 but later found that 《Cosima, God of the Voyage》 underperform and is only good in the early game and also a bad top deck in the late game and having to survive 1 whole turn to start gaining card advantage can be a liability in this format.
The red cards have certainly felt impressive in my testing, 《Wrenn and Six》 and 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》 proven to be strong with the stoneblade package. 《Wrenn and Six》 has always been a good card advantage engine especially when our deck can make use of the excess land. 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》 is just an unfair card that can quickly turn the game to our advantage with just a fetchland.
This is the current decklist I have been playing now.
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With the rise of Tron and lesser graveyard decks, I have added 《Damping Sphere》 and remove 《Rest in Peace》 in the sideboard. 《Ashiok, Dream Render》 can act as our graveyard hate if needed. I have also added 《Skyclave Apparition》 as it is more useful in the various matchups. The sideboard cards can be tuned according to the meta you expect. I have also cut a 《Snow-Covered Forest》 for 《Waterlogged Grove》 as I want an additional land to return with 《Wrenn and Six》.
Addressing Issue
The Removal Package
As we are just a bant deck splashing for red, 《Lightning Bolt》 might not be viable as our removal suite as it can make fetching awkward and we might take too much damage from our mana base especially in this aggressive metagame. I prefer 《Path to Exile》 over 《On Thin Ice》 as our main removal partly due to it being an instant removal spell and it also allows us 《Path to Exile》 our 《Spell Queller》 in response if we want to remove the exile spell forever.
We can also 《Path to Exile》 our own creature to trigger 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》 third ability. Multiple 《On Thin Ice》 can be bad against a deck that has 《Blast Zone》 or 《Engineered Explosives》.
The Flex Slot
I choose to play 1 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》 in this slot as the top end as this should be the best 5 mana spell you can cheat with 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》. You can choose to play 《Elder Gargaroth》 or another card depending on the meta you expect.
To 《Ice-Fang Coatl》 or Not?
If we play 《Ice-Fang Coatl》 in this deck, we have to fetch basic land most of the time in order to consistently enable death touch which can be hard in our 4c mana base. It can certainly be good if the format is more midrange to control but for now, Izzet Prowess, Burn, Death Shadow, and Hammer Time form a large part of the meta which makes a 2 mana can trip a hard pass.
《Steam Vents》 as an Additional Red Source?
So far I don’t have much issue with the mana base, having too many shockland can make the mana base bad against the aggressive deck.
Tips and Tricks
We can 《Path to Exile》 our 《Spell Queller》 in response with the ability on the stack to permanently remove the spell forever. This is useful if you think they have a removal spell and you do not want them to get back the spell you exile. Also with 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 in play, they do not get back the spell you exile with 《Spell Queller》 even if they kill it.
If Opponent has multiple planeswalkers in play or is at 4 life, we can use 《Path to Exile》 on our creature to trigger 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》 third ability if we have a fetchland.
If we have a 《Stoneforge Mystic》 and 《Batterskull》 in play, activate 《Stoneforge Mystic》 ability first before 《Batterskull》 so if an opponent has have a removal spell on our 《Stoneforge Mystic》, we can still safely put our 《Batterskull》 into play
Sometimes it is right not to crack your fetchland if you have enough mana in play as it make future 《Tireless Tracker》 and 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》 much better.
The first land to fetch if we do not have a turn 1 play is usually 《Raugrin Triome》 as it solves most of the color requirement the deck needs unless you do not have a green source.
Sideboard Guide
Izzet Prowess
Game 1 can be hard if we did not draw enough removal especially if we are on the draw. After the sideboard, we have access to 12 removals for the creatures which make the matchup a favor for us. I kept 《Wrenn and Six》 after sideboard as I prefer it over 《Noble Hierarch》 which just die to 《Lava Dart》 and 《Wrenn and Six》 also provide us enough land for 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》.
vs. Izzet Prowess
Out
In
Boros Burn
Burn has a hard time beating 《Batterskull》 and 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》, just make sure not to take unnecessary damage from our mana base. We have 《Force of Negation》 after sideboard which makes protecting our 《Stoneforge Mystic》 and 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》 way easier.
vs. Boros Burn
Out
In
Rakdos Death’s Shadow
Save our removal for 《Death’s Shadow》 and 《Scourge of the Skyclaves》 unless they have multiple 1 drops. Try not to take damage from fetch if they do not have 1 drop as this prevent them from resolving 《Scourge of the Skyclaves》 if they do not have 《Lightning Bolt》. Some version play 《Blood Moon》 in the sideboard so do take note whether they reveal 《Lurrus of the Dream-Den》 as their companion.
vs. Rakdos Death’s Shadow
Out
In
Mono Green Tron
Game 1 is bad if they are able to set up early Tron with multiple threats. We have to try and resolve an early threat and end the game as fast as possible.
vs. Mono Green Tron
Out
In
Hammer Time
If they have 《Giver of Runes》 in play and flash in 《Colossus Hammer》 with 《Sigarda’s Aid》 ability, we can 《Path to Exile》 the creature in response with 《Sigarda’s Aid》 equip ability on the stack so if 《Giver of Runes》 give protection from white to the creature, the equip ability get fizzle.
vs. Hammer Time
Out
In
Heliod Company
Save your 《Spell Queller》 and 《Mana Leak》 for 《Heliod, Sun-Crowned》 and 《Collected Company》 as most of their creatures are not impactful without 《Heliod, Sun-Crowned》 in play. 《Omnath, Locus of Creation》 can be too slow and we do not really want to tap out much as we are playing the control role in this matchup.
vs. Heliod Company
Out
In
Azorius Control
《Stoneforge Mystic》 has always been in favor of the Control variant. I usually find 《Sword of Feast and Famine》 in this matchup especially if I have 《Noble Hierarch》 into 《Stoneforge Mystic》 as this force them to have the removal spell immediately.
I boarded in 《Skyclave Apparition》 as they might have 《Monastery Mentor》 and it is also useful against resolved 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 and 《Jace, the Mind Sculptor》.
vs. Azorius Control
Out
In
Dredge
Game 1, we have to resolve an early 《Batterskull》 to have a chance to win. After sideboard, we have 《Force of Negation》 as well as 《Ashiok, Dream Render》 against them. If this deck gets popular, we can put 《Rest in Peace》 back on our sideboard.
vs. Dredge
Out
In
Death and Taxes
Be careful not to put all your 《On Thin Ice》 on 1 snow basic land as they have 《Ghost Quarter》 and 《Flickerwisp》.
vs. Death and Taxes
Out
In
Amulet Titan
Although 《Path to Exile》 give them an extra land, but it is the only way that allow us to get rid of 《Primeval Titan》 or 《Dryad of the Ilysian Grove》 at instant speed if they threaten lethal with the 《Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle》.
vs. Amulet Titan
Out
In
Conclusion
That marks the end of my article! Hope you have fun with Omnath Stoneblade. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them via Twitter. Thanks!
Kelvin Chew (Twitter)
