Today we are going to be looking at another one of our humble narrator's decklists. This time: Uncle Landdrops' Simic Guildmage Deck.
Out of the ten original GMs, this is the one you are least likely to see on the other side of the table. We all know that UL has a passion for underplayed cards and never shies away from a challenge. This card has some very unique abilities. Let's take a look at the deck list and see how he's using them.
The List
Lands: 38
Evolving Wilds
16 Forest
16 Island
Rupture Spire
Simic Growth Chamber
Simic Guildgate
Transguild Promenade
Creatures: 27
Aethersnipe
Archaeomancer
Battering Krasis
Bramble Elemental
Cloudfin Raptor
Coiling Oracle
Crocanura
Cytospawn Shambler
Drift of Phantasms
Elgaud Shieldmate
Fertilid
Fierce Empath
Floodchaser
Imperiosaur
Krosan Tusker
Merfolk Looter
Mnemonic Wall
Mold Shambler
Mulldrifter
Ondu Giant
Penumbra Spider
Sentinel Spider
Shambleshark
Stormbound Geist
Thornweald Archer
Thought Courier
Yavimaya Elder
Enchantments: 15
Alexi's Cloak
Ancestral Mask
Beastmaster's
Magemark
Chant of the
Skifsang
Eel Umbra
Flight of Fancy
Forced Adaptation
Infiltrator's
Magemark
Lignify
Narcolepsy
Rancor
Shielding Plax
Traveler's Cloak
Tricks of the
Trade
Vanishing
Sorceries: 10
Cultivate
Deep Analysis
Divination
Explore
Kodama's Reach
Ponder
Preordain
Prey Upon
See Beyond
Temporal Spring
Instants: 9
Capsize
Clockspinning
Evolution Charm
Inspiration
Muddle the Mixture
Naturalize
Oona's Grace
Snakeform
Sprout Swarm
Card Choices
This is a budget list. One that specifically focuses on NOT playing some of the marquee cards in the format. You don't see any Eldrazi here. Muddle the Mixture is the only counter spell. No Commander Tower. Instead of just jamming every over-played card into the deck UL has created a synergy-based strategy using a critical mass of creatures. He can set up a favorable board state by shuffling counters. This makes combat tough to navigate for the opponent.
Some cards I really like in this list: Clockspinning, Evolution Charm, Infiltrator's Magemark, Elgaud Shieldmate. Some stuff you don't see every day huh? Clockspinning can grow a threat large enough that it is too tough to kill in combat. Magemark can help punch through big damage later in the game while Shieldmate can protect your threat of choice from becoming the victim of shenanigans.
S.W.O.T.
Strengths: This list is playing a ton of creatures. With plenty of duders running around this deck can get off to fast starts and trade off threats aggressively. The home team is well equipped to take advantage of slower decks that need time to build to high cost power plays. Always having access to a two drop beater means that we can get on the warpath immediately and with a Shielding Plax to follow up this deck can assemble some pretty saucy nut draws. There is plenty of card draw and ramp here as well to help capitalize on any early-game advantage you get.
Weaknesses: Blue-Green has always been light on removal. This list is no exception. Creatures that hit the battlefield are going to stay there. Traditionally the remedy for this problem has been to over-rely on counter spells and bounce effects for tempo-based aggression. This list doesn't have any of that so any deck with a better 'A' plan is going to be trouble. Staying aggressive and try to overwhelm the opponent with small advantages. If you happen to run into a Rock Slide or Evincar's Justice...well, they can't always have it right?
Opportunities: Control decks that rely on spot removal are going to have a tough time keeping up with all the threats in this list. This will really be an advantage late when their resources are low. Hooking up a Shroud effect will likely be game over. Other similar decks that want to flood the ground with chumps will be easy pickings. This deck has ways to grow and punch through in the late game which is a strong strategic advantage.
Generals we want to see: Nucklavee, Trostani's Summoner, Sprouting Thrinax, Auriok Salvagers. (durdlers one and all)
Threats: As I mentioned earlier, any deck that has a faster or more powerful game plan is just going to win. This deck finds consistency through redundancy, but sometimes you need something different to win instead of more of the same.
Secondly, any deck that has an interactive early game can slow the game down to the point where a mass of cheap creatures is less effective. Early removal, counterspells, and particularly creatures with dat booty will spell trouble. I was actually just chatting with UL about a potential Wall of Denial Defender theme deck. While probably not a great deck in general it looks like just the kind of thing that will give Simic Guildmage fits. Similarly, cheap 2-for-1's on our threats are tough.
Generals we don't want to see: Psychatog, Flametongue Kavu/Nekrataal, and the aforementioned Wall of Denial
That's all for this week. Feel free to leave feedback for Landdrops or me in the comments below. GG.
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