Jacob’s Aggro Rock

… And we’re back!

After a multiple week hiatus, here comes the first of the new wave of video updates, this time focusing on Michael Jacob’s B/G Aggro Rock.

In case you haven’t seen Michael’s superb Swiss-crushing deck from the most recent Grand Prix Los Angeles, here it is:

Michael Jacob – Aggro Rock

3 Umezawa’s Jitte

3 Bitterblossom
4 Darkblast
3 Raven’s Crime
2 Slaughter Pact
3 Thoughtseize

4 Kitchen Finks
3 Putrefy
1 Worm Harvest

4 Life from the Loam
4 Tarmogoyf

4 Barren Moor
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Forest
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Mutavault
2 Overgrown Tomb
2 Polluted Delta
3 Swamp
2 Tranquil Thicket
2 Twilight Mire
3 Windswept Heath

Sideboard
1 Pithing Needle
3 Damnation
3 Extirpate
1 Engineered Explosives
3 Choke
2 Ravenous Baloth
2 Seal of Primordium

This deck more or less exchanges the usually defining Death Cloud set from the Life from the Loam versions of The Rock for Tarmogoyf, Bitterblossom, and Umezawa’s Jitte, repositioning the deck from board control to beatdown… while maintaining the card advantage capabilities of the [previously] more common deck.

The biggest take away I have from trying Jacob’s deck is how much better it is against Burn than the Death Cloud version I was on early in this season’s testing. Beating Burn was simply not difficult nor in any way stressful wheresas with Death Cloud, even when you won, you were on the edge of your seat the whole time.

An inability to win by Death Cloud is counterbalanced a little bit by the fact that this deck can still potentially lock the opponent down with Raven’s Crime. Even against Burn this can be useful because even if they are still clocking you for two or more damage you can end up shaving off their options and preventing them from planning — and playing — optimally.

All in all a very solid deck, well worth the try if you are considering B/G.

Here is ye olde video:

LOVE
MIKE