B/W Tokens
December 15, 2008For anyone who hasn’t seen the new B/W Tokens decks in Standard, Michael Jacob used a version to help knock down the 2008 Worlds team title in favor of the good old USA.
Michael Jacob’s B/W Tokens
4 Bitterblossom
3 Marsh Flitter
4 Terror
2 Thoughtseize
4 Tidehollow Sculler
3 Ajani Goldmane
4 Cloudgoat Ranger
4 Glorious Anthem
2 Knight of Meadowgrain
1 Knight of the White Orchid
4 Spectral Procession
4 Arcane Sanctum
4 Caves of Koilos
4 Fetid Heath
2 Mutavault
3 Plains
3 Reflecting Pool
1 Swamp
4 Windbrisk Heights
sb:
2 Head Games
2 Thoughtseize
3 Stillmoon Cavalier
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
3 Wispmare
3 Wrath of God
This deck has some unusual choices…
[Only?] Two copies of Thoughtseize on one… but these compliment the full set of Tidehollow Scullers on two.
Black two mana spells include tons of Terrors, but also possibly the most powerful spell in the deck, a quartet of Bitterblossoms. This is the kind of deck — along with Blightning Beatdown — where I can really appreciate Bitterblossom. It’s obviously a strong card… I just hate the fact that it is Faerie-stamped.
The only “true” three mana spell in Michael’s deck is Glorious Anthem. I saw a similar innovation in a deck that Andre Coimbra showed me before Worlds. Andre was testing my Blightning Beatdown pretty heavily and was losing badly to B/W tokens. So he decided to brew up some mirror innovations for the B/W deck, and Glorious Anthem “to win the tokens fights” was one of the things he came up with. It looks like Jacob had the same idea.
Regardless, Glorious Anthem has killer synergy with token creatures in general… It can help to make 1/1 throwaways into [more] legitimate threats.
One thing that struck me as a little odd in this deck was the White Planeswalker in the main, that is, the “other” Ajani [Goldmane]. Yes, you can increase all tokens with Ajani, simiar to Glorious Anthem, but Elspeth Knight-Errant actually makes tokens. Her “to the air” attack is about as devastating as you can get with a Knight of Meadowgrain early. Do you realize that a ten-point life swing on a stick actually increases Elspeth’s loyalty?
Offense is rounded out by multiple “make three or more guys” guys… Marsh Flitter, Cloudgoat Ranger, and Spectral Procession. In the following video, I get my Spectral Procession stolen on turn two, but the other two token generators make quick work of Game One.
Enjoy!
LOVE
MIKE
You said "Michael Jacob used a version to help
ReeceP | December 15, 2008You said “Michael Jacob used a version to help knock down the 2008 Worlds team title in favor of the good old USA.”
This might just be home city pride talking, but Brandon would have smoked Michael if their third game was necessary
Perhaps featuring Jacob's deck isn't really the best idea as
lelaidcopain | December 15, 2008Perhaps featuring Jacob’s deck isn’t really the best idea as he didn’t really do so well, and the deck has some major variations from the more stock copies of the archetype. Beyond that, you played terribly in this video. In going back and commentating on the games you should watch and make sure you have not made several mistakes in a single game (not playing knight into sculler g1, not playing the second cloudgoat precombat in order to double up on the ability). If you have just go and play/record another match. Making sure you give provide a good example of the deck functioning optimally is important, and tight play is necessary for that functionality.
I'm sure there were plenty of other matches that Michael
ascensionblade | December 16, 2008I’m sure there were plenty of other matches that Michael succeeded in that he had to win that you aren’t citing, ReeceP.
@lelaidcopain I am not going to claim that I am the
admin | December 16, 2008@lelaidcopain
I am not going to claim that I am the tightest player on the planet but…
I don’t know how I could have played “knight into sculler g1″ … I played Knight to get two for one one at the first opportunity, and played it into the second Knight (rather than Sculler, which I had already played). As for the Cloudgoat Ranger play, that seems irrelevant. I knock him to 10 with the attack. I have potential 13 the next turn. Remember I have very good knowledge of his hand, plus a basic understanding of what cards people play in what archetypes. Even if he removes one of my Rangers, I have two sets of activations and the Flitter, which will still do 10 in the air. But I’ll tell you what - I’ll ask Finkel! I am 80% sure he’ll say “irrelevant” on the second one. But maybe he’ll be on your team. He loves to criticize me after all.
Thanks for your comment and keeping me sharp.
This was really good. I was unsure about how
GRat | December 16, 2008This was really good. I was unsure about how this looked on paper, but I see it’s potential. I’d like to see how it does against more of the tier 1 decks.
-Scheier