[Deck] Neobrand

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ktkenshinx
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Post by ktkenshinx » 4 years ago

This is a placeholder thread. PM the Modern mods if you are interested in taking over this thread and/or creating a primer
This is a thread to discuss the Neobrand (Neoform and Griselbrand combo) in Modern.
Over-Extended/Modern Since 2010

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FoodChainGoblins
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Post by FoodChainGoblins » 4 years ago

So after talking to finalnub all week, I decided to go with NeoBrand or what he likes to call it, Memeform at an 181 person MCQ.

Round 1 vs. Hogaak. He rolls the die. I call "even." It is a 3. :( He puts out a Gravecrawler, a Bloodghast, a Stitcher's Supplier, and a Hogaak on turn 2. He swings me to 7 life on turn 3. I mention that I wish I called "odd." On my turn 3 at 7 life, I Eldritch Evolution Griselbrand into play, draw my whole deck and kill him with Lab Man (draw more than my deck with Laboratory Maniac in play). In the next game, he Thoughtseizes me on turn 1. I have multiple Neoforms in hand. I'm just missing Pact or Rider. He takes the Manamorphose, which was the correct play. On his turn 2, he Faithless Looting and Stitcher's Supplier, but he doesn't have anything else out. It looks like he'll be ready to do some stuff on his turn 3 (2 Vengevines in the yard). I go to my turn, draw Summoner's Pact, draw my deck again, and the match is over! My first actual round with this version (finalnub's version) of Neobrand. 2-0.

Round 2 vs. Esper Control. This guy made the top 8. I've seen him around a lot, but only played against him once in a top 4 of a 1K. He was on GB Midrange then, so I expected him to be on Jund. (FWIW, I beat him in that top 4 with Amulet) I keep a hand missing just one piece and 2 Eldritch Evolutions because I was not dead to a single Thoughtseize. He plays Flooded Strand on turn 1 and I'm thinking "damn, he probably has Force of Negation in his opener." :( It did not matter. I never saw Summoner's Pact or Allosaurus Rider to go for it. It really didn't matter since he certainly had countermagic by then. When he tapped out, except the Colonnade, to attack me, I was certain he had Force of Negation, Spell Pierce, or Spell Snare. I still would have gone for it, but I didn't find those cards. In the next game, I go for turn 2 Neoform. He actually didn't have any of those 3 cards. He did have Path to Exile. With my 7 cards on the stack (I have to go for it because I Summoner's Pact), I draw another 7 cards, hoping to find any of 4 Nourishing Shoals or 3 sided Pact of Negation. I see the last 3 Summoner's Pact, 2 Veil of Summer, and 2 random cards in the top 7 cards. :( After Griselbrand is Path'd, the 7 cards on the stack did have a single Nourishing Shoal. Sad, sad times. 0-2.

Round 3 vs. Tron. Yes, the matchup I want. They have nothing or very little for me (2 Grafdigger's Cage at most). The opponent was no less than the legendary Joe Lossett, Pro Player, nice guy, one of the best players that California has to offer. Since I haven't played him in a while, we talk a bunch during the match. In the first game, I keep a hand missing Eldritch Evolution or Neoform. I never find those. He gets turn 3 Tron and Karn Liberated, but only a single Thragtusk (main!) after that. On the final turn, I scryed Neoform to the top with Serum Visions, but it was too late. In the next game, I have a turn 2. He plays turn 1 Grafdigger's Cage. I draw Dissenter's Deliverance and kill it, then kill him on turn 3. In the final game, I have a turn 1 kill, but I'm on the draw. I also have Dissenter's Deliverance in hand. I reveal Chancellor of the Tangle. He turn 1 Grafdigger's Cage. I have to use that G mana and my Botanical Sanctum to blow up the Cage. His turn 2? Another Cage and Map. He gets turn 5 Tron. I know it's slow, but I literally have to draw one of 2 Oxidize or the last Dissenter's Deliverance. Not gonna happen as I sit there with my "turn 1 kill" in my hand the whole game. After the match, Joe told me he was running 4 Grafdigger's Cage and 0 Leyline of the Void in the side. I told him that I truly believe that 4 Leyline is a must in this meta, but he showed me why it was not as necessary (Relics main, 4 Wurmcoil Engine, etc.). Tough, tough loss for a matchup that should be what every Neoform player wants to face. :( 1-2.

Round 4 vs. UB Mill. In the first game, I am drawing through my deck on my turn 2 with Griselbrand. With an activation of 7 cards on the stack, he goes for Archive Trap. I draw 7 in response, which was a punt. My thought was that I can't let him mill Laboratory Maniac or I can't win and I don't want him to know that, so I have to draw 7 until I find it. With the 7 on the stack, he did Trapmaker's Snare for another Archive Trap. :o I end up losing with the 7 cards on the stack because I can't get Lab Man in play when "draw 7" is on the stack. In the next game, I kill him on turn 1 or 2 and he didn't have any Archive Trap, although I did have the Pact of Negation for it. The last game is similar, but I actually have a Pact of Negation and draw to another one. He doesn't play any Trap and I win! Quick games. 2-1.

Round 5 vs. Ad Nauseam. I win the first game on turn 2, although I was scared about Pact of Negation into upkeep Angel's Grace. In the next game, I made a big mistake that's not very intuitive. I had multiple activations of Griselbrand available to win, so what I need to do is do one end step. He Angel's Grace. Then I do one during his turn. He Angel's Grace #2. Then I do one on his end step, where Angel's Grace "wear off" and fall to 1 life, but he will lose before I have to pay Pacts on my upkeep. It turns out he HAD 2 Angel's Grace and used one on my turn and then one on my upkeep when I tried to win with Pacts on the stack. In the next game, I expect the same, but he doesn't even have 1 Angel's Grace. In the final game, he mulls to 4 or 5. He suspends 2 Lotus Bloom on turn 1, but no land drop. With no land drop, he can't Angel's Grace until the Lotus Blooms come off suspend, so I rush to win before that and do with 1 counter on each Bloom when I go off. He didn't draw a single land. 2-1.

Round 6 vs. Octomancers. Another deck that Neoform players aspire to play against. In the first game, I'm missing Eldritch Evolution or Neoform. I don't find either and he attacks me till I'm dead. A Nourishing Shoal with Autochthon Wurm makes it take much longer than it should have. In the second game, I'm missing Pact or Allosaurus Rider. I don't find either and he does the same thing. He actually got Blood Moon out on me and I immediately drew Serum Visions the turn after. I think I had a Leyline of Sanctity before the game. I assumed discard since he was Mardu and he had Lightning Bolt for sure. I also drew 2 Summer's Veil, which doesn't do much when he's not allowed to target me with discard. I showed him and he said that he had it, but I had Leyline. :o 0-2.

Round 7 vs. UR Phoenix. He taps out for Thing in the Ice, flips it and swings me for 10 with a Phoenix too on turn 3. I Eldritch Evolution on turn 3 and kill him. He did not expect to lose that game. In the next game, I can't remember the details 100%, but I think I went off on turn 2 after he tapped out for Thing in the Ice. But I had to exile SSG to Eldritch Evolution and I didn't find what I needed. So I lose to my Pact next turn. I think the guy thought this round was over when I went off turn 2. In the final game, I'm missing 1 piece to win on turn 2 (or if I had Chancellor of the Tangle in my opener). I'm missing a land. I don't draw one until turn 7 or 9. Meanwhile a single Phoenix is clocking me. I Nourishing Shoal for 15 life, but it is joined by another one at that point off Looting and some spells. Now to be technical, I actually lost this game on turn 3. Here's why. My first 2 draw steps (turn 2 and 3) were Griselbrand X 2. I only have 2 in the deck, so my only other way to win is Allosaurus Riders. But I'm not hitting my 2nd land drop, so they're going to be tiny and not enough to race Phoenixes. I draw a 2nd land and play 1 Rider. He Bolts ME. I'm at 9 life now. That's a bad sign. Attacks me to 3 and then Bolts me again. 1-2.

Round 8 vs. UR Phoenix. I mention to the guy that I lost 7 die rolls today. I did not want to win one now that my tournament is far over. I do win my first die roll in Round 8. :o I keep a hand that's missing a 2nd Green card to exile to Rider. He taps out for Thing in the Ice. I tap out and kill him on turn 3. The next game is similar. My mull to 5 is perfect for a turn 1 kill. I reveal Chancellor. I use every card to Neoform into Griselbrand and it resolves! I get Lab Man and win the game. 2-0.

I finish 4-4, which was certainly disappointing. I mean, I lost to Tron and Octomancers. I'm pretty sure I'm the only Neoform player to ever do that. Lost die rolls #1-7, but won #8. I mulliganed a lot during this tournament, which is to be expected. Normally I would say each round what I mulled to, but it was too much to remember, lol. Grixis Urza ended up beating Mono Red Prison in the finals. Fun tournament with friends, but my 2 teammates went 5-1 into 5-3, so that was sad.
Standard - Will pick up what's good when paper starts
Pre Modern - Do not own anymore
Pioneer - DEAD
Modern - Jund Sacrifice, Amulet, Elementals, Trollementals, BR Asmo/Goryo's, Yawmoth Chord
Legacy - No more cards, will rebuy Sneak Show when I can
Limited - Will start when paper starts
Commander - Nope

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FoodChainGoblins
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Post by FoodChainGoblins » 4 years ago

Damn, these forums are slow right now. I played in a 43 person 1K today.

Round 1 vs. UR Phoenix. Game 1, he does Thought Scour into Sleight of Hand and Serum Visions. I win on turn 2. In the next game, he does Opt into double Sleight of Hand. I win on turn 2. 2-0.

Round 2 vs. Bant Spirits. Ugh, disgusting, Mausoleum Wanderer. He plays turn 1 Aether Vial after I play Botanical Sanctum. I win on turn 2. In the next game, he had a choice of Mausoleum Wanderer or Aether Vial after I mulled to 5. He went with Vial and I turn 1ed him. So to recap that, he played Aether Vial on turn 1 twice and the match was over. 2-0.

Round 3 vs. UW Control. In the first game, I'm missing a piece, Neoform, which I draw on turn 3. He has 3 mana and I'd rather something happen now than Cryptic Command next turn. He does Surgical Extraction. I think about scooping to not let him see my deck, but he hasn't countered it yet. I let him do it and then he does Spell Pierce. Yep, Spell Pierce. :o In the next game, I lost the game on turn 2. My first draw step was the Griselbrand and I had sided out 1, due to the SB list from Neoform God, finalnub. Took a while, but he got Narset in play, then Teferi, Time Raveler. I'm not beating any of those cards or having anything to Neoform into. Lol. 0-2.

Round 4 vs. Enduring Ideal This deck always beats me, but I turn 2 him twice. I was a bit scared of Force of Negation since I played him at FNM, losing with another deck and he had Force of Negation. It stands out in my mind because I thought to myself, how can he support Blue cards with just Forces and T3feri in the deck. But I forgot that he played Serum Visions in game 3 of that matchup, so he also has that. He told me that he had cut it completely. I do Wild Cantor into Eldritch Evolution and he played Silence on me AFTER I got Griselbrand in play. So I responded by drawing through my deck and just casting Pact of Negation so I can cast my Lab Man on main phase 2. 2-0.

Round 5 vs. Infect. In the first game, I win the die roll. Yaassss. I am missing a piece, but I don't find it and I lose on turn 3 to Scale Up and Might of Old Krosa. In the next game, he does turn 1 Glistener Elf. I kill him on turn 2. In the 3rd game, I am missing Neoform or Eldritch Evolution, but I have Serum Visions and Manamorphose. I draw another Manamorphose, but I do NOT get there. Sad times as I lose to Scale Up and Mutagenic Growth X 2 and Blossoming Defenses. Sad times as my top 8 aspirations ended. I ended up drawing 2 Pact of Negation while I was trying to get the Neoform or Eldritch Evolution. He pointed out what I already had felt, that it was wrong siding in 3 Pact of Negation. I sided out Life goes On, Edge of Autumn, and Wild Cantor, so technically those cards don't win me the game either, but Edge is a redraw. :( 1-2.

Round 6 vs. Grixis Urza. In the first game, I was missing a piece and got there on turn 3, exiling 2 Neoform to Allosaurus Rider and Neoform him for Griselbrand. In the next game, I have a turn 2, but she does Thoughtseize (on a mull to 5), nabbing my Neoform. Then she does Urza. Damn, this freaking 5 card hand is going to kill me. But I draw Neoform after a single hit by the token and Urza and get there. 2-0.

I finish 4-2 for 13th place. :( They only paid to 9th, which the Infect player got after he HAD to play for the win-and-in and lost in Round 6. :(
Standard - Will pick up what's good when paper starts
Pre Modern - Do not own anymore
Pioneer - DEAD
Modern - Jund Sacrifice, Amulet, Elementals, Trollementals, BR Asmo/Goryo's, Yawmoth Chord
Legacy - No more cards, will rebuy Sneak Show when I can
Limited - Will start when paper starts
Commander - Nope

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