Card Choices

So my list is playing a few different choices compared to other lists. I’ll talk through why I chose them.

《Angrath’s Rampage》

2

This card looks reasonably unassuming however it does a lot to answer the main problems from Temur Adventures and Bant Mid-Ramp. 《Angrath’s Rampage》 is a card that let’s you have a reasonably clean answer to 《Lucky Clover》 while also answering an 《Edgewall Innkeeper》 on the play. I expected a lot of this match-up over the weekend so I wanted some main deck artifact hate that could play other roles. 《Angrath’s Rampage》 also catches 《Nissa, Who Shakes the World》, Which is a problematic card as when she is accelerated out from Bant. It is sometimes hard to be on the board so you need a cheap answer to her. 《Angrath’s Rampage》 also has synergy with 《Mayhem Devil》 which can definitely come up. Just look out for 《Tamiyo, Collector of Tales》 as that effectively blanks the card.

《Wicked Wolf》: 2 in Main and 2 in Sideboard

2

During testing for this event I ran the Mono Red match-up a lot of times and I was not overly happy with it game 1. The match-up is generally favored however I was finding Mono Red decks online to have access to game 1 removal to answer 《Mayhem Devil》 which would otherwise dominate the game. 《Wicked Wolf》 is such a hard threat to answer right now and also gives another answer to 《Edgewall Innkeeper》. 《Wicked Wolf》 is also another way to cycle through 《Trail of Crumbs》 when you don’t have access to 《Cat》 and 《Oven》. 《Wicked Wolf》 is also an incredible card vs Jeskai Fires as it blocks all of the ground creatures profitably and can easily fight a 《Sphinx of Foresight》.

《Vraska, Golgari Queen》

2

I included this card as an extra answer to 《Lucky Clover》 and gives you an edge in the mirror as she answers 《Trail of Crumbs》. I played 2 copies at the Magic Fest but I think closer to 0 is correct for the future. I found that she often was a 4 mana 《Abrupt Decay》 and her plus ability didn’t really attribute to generating that much value as you want as much mana as possible so sacrificing lands was rarely profitable and having her on board is a liability against 《Casualties of War》 and 《Elspeth Conquers Death》. I could potentially see one in the Sideboard but I think 2 copies wasn’t correct unless you expect a lot of Temur Adventures.

《Wolfwillow Haven》

2

This card was a very good addition that I liked a lot. I wanted an accelerator as ramping into 《Vraska, Golgari Queen》, 《Wicked Wolf》 or 《Korvold, Fae-Cursed King》 or getting to be able to double spell or use 《Trail of Crumbs》 ability more often are all important ways to pull ahead of the game. I prefer this card to 《Paradise Druid》 as 《Shatter the Sky》 or 《Deafening Clarion》 catching your accelerators is incredibly punishing also in the mirror 《Paradise Druid》 dies to 《Mayhem Devil》.

Another reason to play this over 《Paradise Druid》 as it’s synergy with the deck, it can sacrifice itself to create a wolf which triggers Korvold and 《Mayhem Devil》. Important to note with this card it can be activated at instant Speed on your turn which means sometimes your opponent has to play a sorcery speed 《Aether Gust》 on your Korvold Otherwise you can draw a few cards in combination with an 《Oven》 and a 《Cat》. This actually came up at the Grand Prix where my opponent 《Aether Gust》ed my Korvold on my turn and I was able to draw 3 cards in combination with a 《Cat》 and an 《Oven》.

《Murderous Rider》

2

Jund Sacrifice decks usually play with 1 copy of this card. However, I was having trouble answering 《Tamiyo, Collector of Tales》 vs Bant Mid-Ramp especially when they 《Growth Spiral》 into it. I wanted the extra Planeswalker removal spell to answer this as shutting off 《Angrath’s Rampage》 was a pretty big deal.

Mono Red

Against Mono Red

Out

In

I think this match-up is a coin flip game 1 unless you draw 《Mayhem Devil》 and it goes unanswered. However games 2 and 3 our deck is a lot more streamlined and it’s so hard for Red to get onto the board vs all the removal spells and 《Wicked Wolf》. The only real way to lose is keeping a slow hand and them getting underneath you so I mulligan reasonably aggressively and don’t keep slow hands especially on the draw. Your main concern is getting the game to go as long as possible as you have so many cards that generate a +1 and eventually you’ll draw more spells. Don’t be afraid to mulligan away a 《Trail of Crumbs》 or a Korvold the power level of your cards is usually enough and you don’t need to generate a crushing lead just trade 1 for 1 with them and eventually they’ll draw 《Fervent Champion》s or flood out.

Bant Mid-Ramp

Against Bant Mid-Ramp

Out

In

I do not think this is a favorable match-up especially if they are playing a couple of copies of 《Tamiyo, Collector of Tales》. My main advice for playing this match-up is to not play into 《Elspeth Conquers Death》 and try to acquire value from 《Trail of Crumbs》 as much as possible. Differentiating your threats as to not give them a clean answer to your board with 《Shatter the Sky》 is also important. If you expect a lot of this match-up I would consider a second 《Liliana, Dreadhorde General》 in the sideboard so you have access to an extra threat that cannot be 《Aether Gust》ed. I don’t think this is your worst match-up but I definitely feel it is a little unfavored.

Temur Reclamation

Against Temur Reclamation

Out

In

This match-up is easily your worst; they are able to do more powerful things than you and blank your attrition based strategy by drawing 7 cards with an 《Expansion/Explosion》. I would personally not play Jund Sacrifice if you are expecting a lot of this deck. At the Grand Prix I went 1-1-1 in matches vs it however I felt like there could definitely be some way to solve the match-up as in the late game they would generally just flood out.

I keep in 《Wicked Wolf》 in this match-up because sometimes it can fight a 《Nightpack Ambusher》 while also being a hard to remove threat as game 2 they have a pile of 《Scorching Dragonfire》. Sometimes 《Wicked Wolf》 combined with 《Cat》 and 《Oven》 and a 《Mayhem Devil》 is enough to steal a game before their game plan goes over the top of you.

Temur Adventures

Against Temur Adventures (On the Play)

Out

In

Against Temur Adventures (On the Draw)

Out

In

This match-up I have found to be incredibly easy. It’s so hard for them to get you with an aggressive draw and you have clean answers to 《Lucky Clover》 and 《Edgewall Innkeeper》. The only ways I’ve found for this match-up to be tough is through one of their value artifacts either 《Lucky Clover》 or 《The Great Henge》 but even then 《Mayhem Devil》 and 《Cat》 / 《Oven》 can clear their board so really they need 《Lucky Clover》 and 《Fae of Wishes》. With 6 answers to 《Lucky Clover》 and 4 of them tutorable off 《Trail of Crumbs》 I don’t think this match-up is all that close. Just be aware of your life total as a option they have access too is for your opponent to get you low and eventually tutor up 《Fling》 off a copy of 《Granted》.