Affinity

Jacois · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 433

The trick with affinity is to ignore all the hate and simply make it ass fast as possible. That's how I got my PTQ top 8's.

LsD_Aroot · Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 1

why would affinity take a midrange role... it would be pointless to play at that point.

FR33BALLA247 · Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Posts: 156

has anyone actually played ravager at an extended tournament? ugh. if you cant win by turn 4, your build sucks. if you don't win by turn 7, you don't win. your sideboard, depending on the meta should consist of----

4 echoing truth
4pithing needle
4 thoughtsieze
3 cabal therapy

and thats assuming that you maindeck shrapnel blast (a must in 3 for any ravager deck)

Orlandu · Joined: 25 Sep 2004 Posts: 156

Yeah, you really need to explode with affinity, keeping in mind that if you get an enforcer out there's not alot of decks that can deal with him easily (smother, explosives, counterbalance, lightning helix, don't deal with him, obviously there are spells that can, please don't point them all out.), and because of the nature of the hate against this deck (i.e. kataki, hurkyals recall, deed, shattering spree, shatterstorm and to a lesser degree ancient grudge) being one spell wipe your board effects to a degree, you really need to kill them quickly giving them as small a chance as possible of drawing their hate.

Maltabus · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 52

"The trick with affinity is to ignore all the hate and simply make it ass fast as possible. That's how I got my PTQ top 8's."

Its great to ignore hate if all you're interested in is top 8ing, but you can't rely on your opponent in the elimination rounds to get mana screwed or not draw wrath, etc.

Affinity doesn't have to be an explosive aggro deck, as the cards in it are far more powerful than a midrange deck's cards (compare -- Loxodon Hierarch to Myr Enforcer or Ravager to Troll). See builds removing ornithopter for slightly slower but massively more powerful cards like Tarmogoyf or extra copies of Myr Enforcer. As for the above statement, "if you cant win by turn 4, your build sucks. if you don't win by turn 7, you don't win," The poster may be confusing extended ravager with the block variety that had disciple and skullclamp. Ravager decks *can* win turn four, but that is by no means their average kill turn. Many matches go far later, because, unlike red based aggro decks, Ravager decks have staying power. Whereas rdw wins on small fast dorks and a flurry of burn spells (emptying the rdw players hand), Ravager wins on giant creatures, which also happen to be fast. Gaining 4 or 8 life can be debilitating to a red deck, but it only buys a turn at the most against a ravager deck with a developed board position. Arcbound Ravager, Cranial Plating, Myr Enforcer, and Tarmogoyf are all large and scary anytime after turn 3.

Just remember this when building Ravager: There is no reason to sacrifice power for speed in this metagame. Don't cut Myr Enforcer for Ornithopter or Mishra's Bauble or whatever you may be thinking. There are no Energy Fluxes to combat, no Akroma's vengeances lurking about. Consistency and power are fine goals to play toward.

FR33BALLA247 · Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Posts: 156

LameLaMe · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 6

haha well said but u are forgetting that hurkyll's recall is now in the metagame... sure it doesnt get rid of much but it usually ends up as a 2 or 3 turn timewalk ... in which giving the other deck chance to build up ... honestly i dont think this is a deck to pick up in the current metagame with countertopgoyf having access to hurkyll's recall as well as enduring ideal just being a bad matchup for affinity.

Jacois · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 433

Somber Hoverguard is very sexy vs Countertop. It can't be countered by the Top, dodges smother, and flys over goyfs head whilst dodging Hurkyll's Recall. A great md choice, possibly better than the enforcer. Like most affinity players, I've had my enforcers chumped by tribe elders and baloths. Hoverguard is the metagame choice here I would think.

It may die to firebolts and magma jets, but scale of chiss goria from the side should help. Enforcer and Hoverguard both have their pro's and Con's. Maybe you should use both?

lennin · Guest

affinty should beat counter top anyway

Mad03 · Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 3

// Lands
3 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Glimmervoid
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Vault of Whispers
2 City of Brass
4 Great Furnace
1 Darksteel Citadel

// Creatures
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Ornithopter
2 Atog

// Spells
4 Thoughtcast
4 Chromatic Star
4 Cranial Plating
2 Paradise Mantle
3 Pithing Needle
2 Fatal Frenzy

// Sideboard
SB: 3 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 3 Darkblast
SB: 3 Smother
SB: 2 Cabal Therapy
SB: 4 Thoughtseize

i just love this build sb need work tho but the md is amazing

KrovikanMist · Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 107

Once again...Tarmogoyf?

Maltabus · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 52

There are two basic directions to go with Ravager in the extended format right now.
Option 1 is a fast version of the deck, with every card choice taken into consideration for speed and power. Lethaling your opponent t3 or 4, this kind of a build has weaknesses to smother and other instant speed removal, as well as Doran, the Siege Tower (for his power wacking effects). Here's a sample list:

18 lands
4x Great Furnace
4x Seat of the Synod
4x Vault of Whispers
4x Blinkmoth Nexus
1x Glimmervoid
1x City of Brass

23 creatures
4x Arcbound Ravager
4x Arcbound Worker
4x Frogmite
3x Atog
4x Ornithopter
4x Myr Enforcer

19 other spells
4x Cranial Plating
4x Thoughtcast
4x Springleaf Drum
4x Chromatic Star
3x Fatal Frenzy

This style is obviously sub-par in a heavy doran metagame, since Doran himself makes 7 of your cards dead and smother can be a headache to play around, but it's rather destructive against Ideal Combo, CounterTop decks, and can even run a turn behind Dredge's killclock.

The second style is one relying on resilience, playing particular artifacts to make the midgame better rather than relying on quick kills.

18 Lands
2x Blinkmoth Nexus
4x Seat of the Synod
4x Vault of Whispers
4x Darksteel Citadel
4x Great Furnace

23 Creatures
4x Arcbound Ravager
4x Frogmite
4x Myr Enforcer
4x Arcbound Worker
4x Ornithopter
3x Somber Hoverguard

19 other spells
4x Cranial Plating
4x Springleaf Drum
4x Thoughtcast
4x Cabal Therapy
3x Pithing Needle

This build tries to win via a strong creature-base, supported by Cabal Therapies and Needles (for deed, top, treetopvillage, lavamancer, etc). The Atogs have been cut for smother-proof Somber Hoverguards, who also fly over tarmogoyfs. Maindecking Therapy allows the combo MUs (like ideal) to be winnable without playing cards which allow huge swings via smother. Lessening the Nexus count (Steve Sadin's idea) speeds up the deck's clock and deployment (in conjunction with Springleaf Drum) and allows "nut draws" more consistently than versions packing up to 7 (!) non-artifact lands.

here are some sideboard ideas, to help with metagame choice
Dredge : If you want to win, you need 6 cards. My preferred battery is 2x Crypt, 4x Extirpate. The crypts are expected, so bringing them in isn't as effective..maindecking them, however, is plausible. Extirpate isn't as easily counter-hated, and hitting their first dredger is *usually* enough to win the game. (see Cedric Phillips' article on Starcitygames.com discussing Extirpate in Flowrock's SB instead of crypt). While Crypt has natural synergy with Ravager, their clock is *always* at least a turn and a half faster than yours, and playing incidental SB cards (or only 4x) will not lead to many victories. Cabal therapy is actually fine here g1, as you can snag a breakthrough to buy enough time to kill them.
Bad Cards : None, but Pithing Needle and Somber Hoverguard are the weakest.

Doran : 4x Smother. Obvious choice, as it hits every creature in the deck (save hierarch, who trades with your myr).
Bad Cards: Cabal Therapy

Red Deck (goyf). : 4x Smother, also Welding Jar or Scale of Chiss-goria. Scale is good against versions playing heavy burn components, but if they're bringing in ancient grudge you want welding jar.
Bad Cards: Cabal Therapy

Countertop decks (including NextLevelBlue): These archetypes are easily destroyed by your high CC creatures and quick clock. MD Therapies can win you the game on their own. Against Chapin's Deck (NLB with Living Wish) play tightly and you can win. SB : Spell snare if you expect tons of this deck, but you don't *have* to have it to win with Therapy MD. No more than 3x.

Ideal : This deck is a bad MU. MDing 4 therapies helps, but you still aren't favored. Boarding thoughtseize is ok here, but a better plan is Echoing truth or Rushing River. Bouncing the offending enchantment and lethaling them works much better than proactive hand disruption alone.
Bad cards : Somber Hoverguard (too slow).

I hope this lends some insight into our playtesting results with the above decks, and feel free to respond with questions, concerns, or ideas. Good luck, happy munching!