Comments on: RG Valakut Combo: Deck Building and Playing Guide http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:35:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dee http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-2/#comment-1976 Dee Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:31:43 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1976 Looks mostly good. 4 Titans is a must if you can get a hold of them. I would cut a Map and Burst for the other 2 Titans. Evolving Wilds is better than Jund Panorama. Obstinate Baloth is better than Gladehart. Looks mostly good.

4 Titans is a must if you can get a hold of them. I would cut a Map and Burst for the other 2 Titans.

Evolving Wilds is better than Jund Panorama. Obstinate Baloth is better than Gladehart.

]]> By: aaron http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1965 aaron Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:27:19 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1965 here is a list i need imput on if anyone can...thanks! 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Expedition Map 4 Khalni Heart Expedition 4 Rampant Growth 4 Cultivate 1 Burst Lightning 2 Primeval Titan 3 Goblin Ruinblaster 4 Bloodbraid Elf 4 Siege-Gang Commander 3 Forest 11 Mountain 4 Terramorphic Expanse 4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle 3 Jund Panorama SB: 2 Pyroclasm 2 Trace of Abundance 2 Earthquake 2 Magma Spray 4 Grazing Gladehart 3 Chandra Nalaar here is a list i need imput on if anyone can…thanks!

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Expedition Map
4 Khalni Heart Expedition
4 Rampant Growth
4 Cultivate
1 Burst Lightning

2 Primeval Titan
3 Goblin Ruinblaster
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Siege-Gang Commander

3 Forest
11 Mountain
4 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
3 Jund Panorama

SB:
2 Pyroclasm
2 Trace of Abundance
2 Earthquake
2 Magma Spray
4 Grazing Gladehart
3 Chandra Nalaar

]]> By: Dee http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1876 Dee Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:15:21 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1876 Great idea. I just got wrecked by Primeval Titan in a Valakut deck. I was playing UW Control. I'm definitely going to test it out. With all your mana ramp, you can even avoid Mana Leak at times. Anyways, if you come up with a winning list, feel free to ship it :) Great idea. I just got wrecked by Primeval Titan in a Valakut deck. I was playing UW Control. I’m definitely going to test it out. With all your mana ramp, you can even avoid Mana Leak at times.

Anyways, if you come up with a winning list, feel free to ship it :)

]]> By: Tylor http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1867 Tylor Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:16:30 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1867 I'm sure everyone has seen the M11 spoilers and i'm sure that all of you have seen Primeval Titan. This guy seems like a real all star for the Valakut Combo deck. He can find a valakut and a mountain; two mountains; fetchlands etc. What i think sounds fun, would be to have tectonic edge sideboard to go against other tectonic edges or to help destroy the mirror. Just my two cents about the spoiled Titan. I’m sure everyone has seen the M11 spoilers and i’m sure that all of you have seen Primeval Titan. This guy seems like a real all star for the Valakut Combo deck. He can find a valakut and a mountain; two mountains; fetchlands etc. What i think sounds fun, would be to have tectonic edge sideboard to go against other tectonic edges or to help destroy the mirror. Just my two cents about the spoiled Titan.

]]> By: Tylor http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1614 Tylor Mon, 24 May 2010 13:51:35 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1614 That's true, but I rarely have trouble finding the forest for a harrow or khalni heart expedition or Lotus Cobra but may end up putting a few in in place of a few mountains. That’s true, but I rarely have trouble finding the forest for a harrow or khalni heart expedition or Lotus Cobra but may end up putting a few in in place of a few mountains.

]]> By: Dee http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1612 Dee Mon, 24 May 2010 12:21:46 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1612 Ouch, sorry to hear that. I think Grazing Gladeheart might be a good idea. I looked back at your list and realized that you didn't have any Terramorphic Expanse. That card is pretty crucial in my opinion because it allows you to play less Forests, trigger landfall twice, and you can use as instant speed Bolts once Valakut is active. Ouch, sorry to hear that. I think Grazing Gladeheart might be a good idea. I looked back at your list and realized that you didn’t have any Terramorphic Expanse. That card is pretty crucial in my opinion because it allows you to play less Forests, trigger landfall twice, and you can use as instant speed Bolts once Valakut is active.

]]> By: Tylor http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1606 Tylor Sun, 23 May 2010 05:43:32 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1606 After making the "improvements" to my list and going to the Rise of the Eldrazi game day, I ended up going 0-4. Round 1 was against Vampires where game 1 was close until the end when he stuck a Nocturnas, and game 2 I kept a 1 mana hand with plenty of burn to knock down the Vamps and ended up running into too many Nighthawks and Nocturnas's. Round 2 I played against a Blue Black Control deck. It had Bloodchief Ascension with Countersquall, Parasitic Strix, and Hideou End to activate it, then followed it's activation with a Mind Funeral for the win twice in a row. Round 3 The guy played a Green Blue aura/counter deck where he revolved around Nulltread Gargantuan for early beats, and Lorescale Coatl for the death blow. Game 1 he took me out with the Gargantuan before I could finish him with the combo. Game 2 I swept him before he became a threat. And Game 3 he outraced me for his win. Round 4 I played against a Bant deck that had a lot of Oblivion Ring and Journey to Nowhere. Game 1 I decimated him and sent 18 lethal with 3 valakuts down and cracking a khalni heart expedition. Game 2 he Oblivion Ringed when he needed to, and stuck 2 Rhox War Monk's when I wasn't able to top deck a harrow for the win. Game 3 led to many awkward draws and board positions for both of us, and he ended up winning by Oblivion Ringing my Bloodbraid and swinging in with Rhox War Monk for lethal. I believe that My thoughts on this deck were wrong. The deck is powerful, contains removal in it's 6-15th mountains, but does not contain the life gain to keep me alive. I think my sideboard will again change, throwing in Grazing Gladeheart to keep myself alive to combo out more often. After making the “improvements” to my list and going to the Rise of the Eldrazi game day, I ended up going 0-4.

Round 1 was against Vampires where game 1 was close until the end when he stuck a Nocturnas, and game 2 I kept a 1 mana hand with plenty of burn to knock down the Vamps and ended up running into too many Nighthawks and Nocturnas’s.

Round 2
I played against a Blue Black Control deck. It had Bloodchief Ascension with Countersquall, Parasitic Strix, and Hideou End to activate it, then followed it’s activation with a Mind Funeral for the win twice in a row.

Round 3
The guy played a Green Blue aura/counter deck where he revolved around Nulltread Gargantuan for early beats, and Lorescale Coatl for the death blow. Game 1 he took me out with the Gargantuan before I could finish him with the combo. Game 2 I swept him before he became a threat. And Game 3 he outraced me for his win.

Round 4
I played against a Bant deck that had a lot of Oblivion Ring and Journey to Nowhere. Game 1 I decimated him and sent 18 lethal with 3 valakuts down and cracking a khalni heart expedition. Game 2 he Oblivion Ringed when he needed to, and stuck 2 Rhox War Monk’s when I wasn’t able to top deck a harrow for the win. Game 3 led to many awkward draws and board positions for both of us, and he ended up winning by Oblivion Ringing my Bloodbraid and swinging in with Rhox War Monk for lethal.

I believe that My thoughts on this deck were wrong. The deck is powerful, contains removal in it’s 6-15th mountains, but does not contain the life gain to keep me alive. I think my sideboard will again change, throwing in Grazing Gladeheart to keep myself alive to combo out more often.

]]> By: Tylor http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1605 Tylor Sat, 22 May 2010 07:02:11 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1605 I normally run a 4 or 5 color cascade deck, and at FNM last night I decided that Valakut might be the stronger option in my meta due to an abundance of Vampires (which I always seem to lose against with cascade). I ended up going 2 and 1 with my only loss being to Jund. I also wanted to be sure of my choice before I went to the Rise of the Eldrazi Game Day later on today. My List Creatures 13 4 Bloodbraid Elf 4 Lotus Cobra 3 Oracle of Mul Daya 2 Lord of Shatterskull Pass Spells 23 4 Burst Lightning 4 Expedition Map 4 Harrow 4 Khanli Heart Expedition 4 Lightning Bolt 3 Rampant Growth Land 24 4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle 5 Forest 15 Mountain Sideboard 3 Hand of Emrakul 2 Chain Reaction 4 Plated Geopede 4 Cunning Sparkmage 2 Gorgon Flail I've made changes to my main board and sideboard since the FNM because of what I thought worked better against the heavier match ups (Jund, UW, Conscription). Main Deck Changes - 3 Rampant Growth +1 Lord of Shatterskull Pass +2 Trace of Abundance Sideboard Changes -3 Hand of Emrakul -4 Cunning Sparkmage -2 Gorgon Flail +3 Rampaging Baloths +2 Elemental Appeal +2 Pyromancer's Ascension +2 Hellkite Charger I found that your Valakut will end up getting hit by Spreading Seas or Tectonic Edge too often. I decided that putting in the two Trace of Abundance I was able to keep at least 2 active Valakuts and have green mana thanks to it. Rampaging Baloths will save you against Jund. You either have landfall blockers, or huge sweepers. Lord of Shatterskull Pass takes out all creature decks. Lotus Cobra accelerates your Bloodbraid Elf, possibly gives you more mana if you hit ramp and allows for many broken combo's with khalni heart. I normally run a 4 or 5 color cascade deck, and at FNM last night I decided that Valakut might be the stronger option in my meta due to an abundance of Vampires (which I always seem to lose against with cascade). I ended up going 2 and 1 with my only loss being to Jund. I also wanted to be sure of my choice before I went to the Rise of the Eldrazi Game Day later on today.

My List

Creatures 13
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Lotus Cobra
3 Oracle of Mul Daya
2 Lord of Shatterskull Pass

Spells 23
4 Burst Lightning
4 Expedition Map
4 Harrow
4 Khanli Heart Expedition
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Rampant Growth

Land 24
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
5 Forest
15 Mountain

Sideboard
3 Hand of Emrakul
2 Chain Reaction
4 Plated Geopede
4 Cunning Sparkmage
2 Gorgon Flail

I’ve made changes to my main board and sideboard since the FNM because of what I thought worked better against the heavier match ups (Jund, UW, Conscription).

Main Deck Changes
- 3 Rampant Growth
+1 Lord of Shatterskull Pass
+2 Trace of Abundance

Sideboard Changes
-3 Hand of Emrakul
-4 Cunning Sparkmage
-2 Gorgon Flail
+3 Rampaging Baloths
+2 Elemental Appeal
+2 Pyromancer’s Ascension
+2 Hellkite Charger

I found that your Valakut will end up getting hit by Spreading Seas or Tectonic Edge too often. I decided that putting in the two Trace of Abundance I was able to keep at least 2 active Valakuts and have green mana thanks to it. Rampaging Baloths will save you against Jund. You either have landfall blockers, or huge sweepers. Lord of Shatterskull Pass takes out all creature decks. Lotus Cobra accelerates your Bloodbraid Elf, possibly gives you more mana if you hit ramp and allows for many broken combo’s with khalni heart.

]]> By: Dee http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1549 Dee Wed, 12 May 2010 01:55:47 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1549 JAHU, Play Terramorphic Expanse and fetch a Forest. Then, play a Mountain and Expedition. JAHU,

Play Terramorphic Expanse and fetch a Forest. Then, play a Mountain and Expedition.

]]> By: JAHU http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-1526 JAHU Thu, 06 May 2010 08:40:43 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/rg-valakut-guide/#comment-1526 Hmm.. Should i play valakut an 1st turn or not? For example i have Terramorphic Expanse, khalni expedition, 3 mountains valakut, and harrow in hand. What should i play first? Hmm..
Should i play valakut an 1st turn or not? For example i have Terramorphic Expanse, khalni expedition, 3 mountains valakut, and harrow in hand. What should i play first?

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