Dredge Return- A look at dredge in extended

Xanthophobia · Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 32

So extended season is already underway, with one PTQ already set for this weekend where I live. The question on everybody's mind is "What IS the best deck?". A lot of people find an easy awnser in Doran Rock or Rg/Rb Aggro. However, their are many other options that are competitive and efficient- MUC, Countertop, Ideal, Affinity, and Dredge.

I came to believe dredge would be a good deck choice based on it's matchups in the current meta, because the deck can either combo off or play as a highly fast and consistant aggro deck, winning with ichorids and narcos, a.k.a. manaless ichorid.

Lets cut to the chase, here's my list:

Lands

4 City of Brass
4 Gemstone Mine
2 Tarnished Citidel

Creatures

4 Golgari Grave Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
3 Golgari Thug
4 Street Wraith
4 Putrid Imp
3 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
2 Cephalid Sage
2 Flame-kin Zealot

Spells

4 Breakthrough
4 Careful Study
4 Bridge from Below
3 Cabal Therapy
4 Dread Return
1 Mental Note

Sideboard

4 Chain of Vapor
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Pithing Needle
3 Duress???

I dont know about duress and maybe orim's chant would be better but as of yet I have found no good 3 of in the board. Maybe all of you can help out.

Bad Matchups::

Affinity- Ravager and all of their deck's ways to sacrifice creatures at instant speed make your bridge pretty stupid and some of these decks main tormod's crypt. Also, their clock is fast, and since you always take the draw with dredge ur 1 turn behind already.

SB: +4 Leyline of the Void, +3 Pithing Needle
-1 Cabal Therapy, -1 Mental Note, -3 Ichorid,
-2 Street Wraith

Good Matchups::

MUC/Coutnertop- Counterspells cant do crap to your gameplan. Cabal therapy can get out the counters and even if a dread return gets countered, usually you have one bridge and another return to just do it again. Keep in mind ur going off turn 2 so there is only one counter or countertop is in play with no mana to activate the top.

SB: None, unless you see trinket mage in which case-
-1 Mental Note, -1 Street Wraith, -1 Cabal Therapy
+3 Pithing Needle

Gaea's Zoo or Aggro decks- On turn 2 your opp. has tapped out to play a jotun grunt at best. No single card other than the occasional mogg fanatic disrupts your combo and zoo has no good SB options against you. Just win.

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
Simply say what you think and be honest- what do you think of the deck and its matchups? also, plz vot on my poll its not related.

Peace Smile

Xanthophobia

center · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 435

awful list, you really need darkblast and more land. 16 has felt about right. No way in hell is 10 land right. 12 land is too light from my testing. Also, the akroma plan is great, you should prob run it.

Xanthophobia · Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 32

I run 10 land because I only need to draw one land ever. I havent had enough problems with land to constitute taking out cards for land. I agree akroma plan is good but grave-trolls are bigger, so its not good for the main. Perhaps sideboard 3 instead of duress?

Also, what is darkblast for? Doesnt that trigger my bridges?

lennin · Guest

good ur so bad its unreal,

center · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 435

Noremac · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 97

Xantho, I really don't have anything constructive to say regarding your dredge list because I know next to nothing of the deck. But I what I will say is this, ignore the flamers. Yours was a well written post that helped me to understand the deck at better, and was much more productive than all the people that just post a list and say help me.

center · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 435

dboy1 · Joined: 20 Dec 2004 Posts: 150

ok...do not take this as flame. as a person that is prob ptqing with dredge this weekend and has extensively tested teh deck lemme tell u a few things. for starters u need 15 lands at least. i run 15 with 2 moxes. second, where are the colisseums? u need four. u get a dreder or two in the yard and pop one of those and its over. also mental note is terrible and just not necessary. with more lands u can run winds. also, u need only 3 dread return max, and one sage. thug isnt even needed. however, i would run darkblast lastly, u dont need citys or citadels or mines because u run only 2 colors that u ever pay for. run deltas and graves, maybe one pool for sb ancient grudge. gl with the deck

Xanthophobia · Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 32

To Dboy and Noremac- can you please post the list you are planning on bringing so i can compare. My list is only a couple cards different than William Spaniels. He says 10 land because this version only needs one land ever, but if everyone thinks 15+ is better so be it. And your right about the land in general- what im thinking is this- if the games only last 4 turns max or ive already lost why am i losing 3 life on turn one with fetching a dual when i could lose one or none? just a thought. Anyways, plz post ur lists so i can compare and test.

Peace,
Xanthophobia

center · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 435

r3wind · Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 1252

Mad R3spect to DK for having the most finely tuned killing machine of a list that I have seen to date. Note all of the tech on the sideboard. Also I like how he has 4 differant game plans in the deck. Combo, Grave-Troll midrange, Aggro, Token aggro. The list is from the last Ext magic-league tourney.

//NAME: Dredge - -DK-
1 Breeding Pool
4 Cephalid Coliseum
3 Flooded Strand
1 Island
3 Polluted Delta
4 Watery Grave
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Cephalid Sage
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Golgari Thug
3 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
4 Putrid Imp
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Breakthrough
4 Bridge from Below
3 Cabal Therapy
4 Careful Study
2 Darkblast
2 Dread Return
2 Tolarian Winds
SB: 1 Cabal Therapy
SB: 1 Ancient Grudge
SB: 4 Chain of Vapor
SB: 4 Leyline of the Void
SB: 4 Pithing Needle
SB: 1 Ray of Revelation

center · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 435

-DK- · Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 36

Yea, the deck I played is a copy of one that placed well in a PTQ. The deck is solid, and i fought through 3 mirror matches, differnt versions i believe, staring down leyline quite a few times post board, and the deck can handle one fairly easily with chain of vapor. If i were to change anything I think it would be -1 Ichorid possibly +1 Golgari Thug for food for them, cuz alot of times there just isnt anything to give to Icky. Im sure after a while, this deck is gonna be super hated again, and if it is well it can handle 1 or 2 hate cards but numerous Jailers, Crypts, Explosives, Leylines, it will have a tough time.

lennin · Guest

thug is needed at least as a 1 of for sure, its a for sure dread return sac oulet that puts narcomobas on top of ur library again.

Xanthophobia · Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 32

I like Bao Luong's list with 1x Wonder, but I wonder (no pun intended) if 1 thug is really enough. Wont there be not enough dredgers- sometimes i run into that issue.

Heres his list, I will probably change to it:

4 Cephalid Coliseum
4 Flooded Strand
1 Island
2 Polluted Delta
4 Watery Grave

1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
2 Cephalid Sage
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Golgari Thug
3 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
4 Putrid Imp
4 Stinkweed Imp
1 Wonder

4 Breakthrough
4 Bridge from Below
3 Cabal Therapy
4 Careful Study
3 Dread Return
2 Tolarian Winds

Sideboard (I changed this)

4 Chain of Vapor
3 Darkblast
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Pithing Needle
15 sideboard cards

Peace,
Xanthophobia