Discussion Forum

Deck Development Forum is locked for new topics, should have posted in the Standard Forum, this will probably be moved.

That answered two questions, thanks. Any thoughts on the deck?

I still personally don't think that the cards are there for a competitive infect deck, but here's some ideas for specific cards. Take out the Distant Memories. Giving your opponents choices like that is bad. If you tutor for something good, they can always just have you draw three, which is still not great for 4 mana.

What would be a better choice? why do I have to reveal the card I choose?
draw 3 for 4 with an unknown tutor seems good, could you elaborate?
Also maybe you see something I don't but 1 card hardly does the difference, perhaps some deeper thoughts?

okay, according to the comp rules, any card exiled is face-up by default, so it has to be revealed unless the card says otherwise. The single card is not the reason I personally believe that the deck (as a whole, not just your version) is not good enough, merely a lack of support cards and the flimsiness of the archetype. I like your take on it because it has reach with the hands and inexorable tides, but surviving to that point is still difficult.

Perhaps some specific card changes and some basic information why its a better choice if you wouldn't mind.
Thanks.

*edit are you saying infect isnt valid for tournament play?

[QUOTE=caz]Perhaps some specific card changes and some basic information why its a better choice if you wouldn't mind.
Thanks.

*edit are you saying infect isnt valid for tournament play?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I am. It's not you, nor your deck, it's the archetype itself that has severe flaws. I'm not saying it won't win some matches, but overall you're going to be working harder to win than the guy who threw together kuldotha red for FNM. And even with your hard work, your deck will sometimes just not get there because of power issues. This is not me bashing on you, just on infect as a decktype, I think we might get the tools to play it competitively after 'Action' comes out (because it's probably New Phyrexia) but it's too early to say.

Guess I'll just have to play it to test different opponents and cards and hope for some cards in the next expansion.
About the flimsiness, do you have any card suggestions or thoughts on how to improve my take on it?

Alright, if you want Hand of the Praetors to work consistently, you're probably going to have to add at least another playset of infect creatures. My recommendation for that would be either plague stinger or Phyrexian Crusader. As is, Crusader should probably be in the sideboard regardless. I don't like the idea of Vivisection in the deck because you need creatures to A: survive and B: deal the first point of infect damage, and hopefully more. I'd also cut the deprive for 2 more go for the throats, the card is that good. If you want a replacement idea for the Vivis, I'd say the fourth preordain and two disfigures. Finally, if you can find some number of Inkmoth Nexuses, those would help a great deal.

Ya get all that?

I've been looking at Vivis for some time but its just a really huge boost when I get to play it.
I see your idea about the crusaders they should be sideboarded and I've also had my eye on inkmoth, would 3 do? About Deprive I often found my self with a kill spell and not enough counters, so I decided to be able to control well enough I had to have at least 6 counters mainboard and they seem the best option.

If I was to focus on Tide?

edit* Updated deck to reflect the changes.

Edit2* It feels like its getting better, currently testing Duress and Phyrexian Crusader hopefully they will do nicely :>

Edit3* I really feel as if I fall behind without more draw then the preordain

Any thoughts on Call to Mind?

Well, I have quite a few suggestions in regards to this specific deck for the control playtype.

Contagion Engine is quite expensive... even for a control deck. We're talking at earliest turn 6. I would rather use Contagion Clasp. Turn 2 creature killer and still gives you the option to proliferate.

Call to Mind is... well. Situational. Sometimes you just don't have the right card even in your graveyard. I'd rather use Elixir of Immortality. At least you gain some life, and ontop of that, get your entire graveyard back.

Steady Progress. I understand the proliferate concept, however... this card isn't exactly what you need to pump up the effects on your opponent. 3 mana to add a single poison counter? I would prefer to put in Æther Tradewinds and use Ichor Rats. At least you're bouncing something on them aswell. Or you could use Regress for that.

Hopefully I've given you some ideas or helped a bit :)

[QUOTE=Safearus]Well, I have quite a few suggestions in regards to this specific deck for the control playtype.

Contagion Engine is quite expensive... even for a control deck. We're talking at earliest turn 6. I would rather use Contagion Clasp. Turn 2 creature killer and still gives you the option to proliferate.

Call to Mind is... well. Situational. Sometimes you just don't have the right card even in your graveyard. I'd rather use Elixir of Immortality. At least you gain some life, and on top of that, get your entire graveyard back.

Steady Progress. I understand the proliferate concept, however... this card isn't exactly what you need to pump up the effects on your opponent. 3 mana to add a single poison counter? I would prefer to put in Æther Tradewinds and use Ichor Rats. At least you're bouncing something on them aswell. Or you could use Regress for that.



Hopefully I've given you some ideas or helped a bit :)[/QUOTE]

First of Id like to thank you for the comment, its always good to get another opinion.
Secondly Id like to elaborate on the card choices maybe get a debate about some of em.

Contagion Engine: It is quite expensive but I found my self always either having the Clasp on my hand simply because it wasn't useful enough to play or never use the proliferate because 4 mana for 1 proliferate is just way too expensive.
Also after adding the Everflowing Chalice I found my self playing the Engine more effectively although sometimes it is simply too slow I still feel its more suitable.

Call to Mind: Is one of the newer cards and is still under testing. In my head it still serves many useful functions so ill have to get back to you on that.

Steady Progress: One of the more useful cards I'd say in the deck, works excellent with Inexorable tide and I desperately needed more draw then just preordain, this is also one of the cards I see working really great with Call to Mind and to further my progress with Everflowing Chalice. Its even helps out Virulent Wounds.

The primary win condition is to get the Inexorable tide setup and suddenly everything goes really fast as you get poisoned even from playing spells (since Ill counter them)
Ive looked towards the rat a couple of times but I just don't feel its that powerful, I could test it instead of the Necropede I suppose but it just makes me very dependent on double black mana production, which is normally not a problem but I wouldn't like to make it one either. :p

Oh don't get me wrong at all, I agree that 4 to Proliferate is rediculous... I just prefer when playing a control deck to never tap myself out. Being that you're playing control that's a major thing. If you're tapping yourself out, you're also leaving yourself wide open for things to happen. Key point for control: Never tap yourself out until the end of their turn.

I can understand the possible uses of Call to Mind but it's another one of those cards I can hardly ever play. Generally in a control deck I find that having an answer in my hand is always a normal, mind you, draw power is something you're lacking with this deck at the moment. Which can cause issues with having answers in-hand aswell.

Steady Progress is still something I couldn't use... even with the spare draw. I'd be more apt to even add some Spreading Seas in it's place for the draw. Not to mention, controlling an opponents landbase can be devestating to them.

The only real reason I mentioned the Ichor Rats is the entering battlefield concept. It just eliminates the requirement to even attack from your deck. Now it can be detrimental in the case you're playing against an infect aggro deck, especially a fast one. But when isn't something all about the next drawn card... lol

I try always to keep 2-3 lands untapped but at about the point where I want to play inexorable tide which is normally turn 4-5 I obviously cant spare it, after that I clear up and suddenly everything is fun to play, especially the Steady Progress since it now gives 2 poison counters and 1 card and possibly more mana from the Everflowing Chalice.
I'm gonna test the rats out though but I think 2 will have to suffice I find it incredibly hard to take out anything as it is, only the Necropede and Call to Mind that I really think I could change in the MB and the Call to Mind would obviously be control spells.
Also on a side note, the first poison comes from Virulent Wound more often then not. :)

I did some testing around with the idea of this deck just so ya know, so props for the idea. It's a :manau:/:manab: deck based around hitting for a psn counter and proliferating. If you'd like to see the decklist lemme know. It's fairly consistant aswell! :D

Lol NightLoki i love how you tell it like it is.