Deck 'MiniRampie_v1.1'

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Deck : 'MiniRampie_v1.1', by Eric Baes (created 2014-09-26)
Format : Standard THS BNG JOU M15 KTK
Archetype : (Abzan) Junk Aggro/Control
Colors : BGW
Plan A : beat-down, protecting (ideally 'Elvish Mystic' powered turn 2) 3-drops
Plan B : some early resilient creatures and mainly spot removal
Strengths : low mana curve (only 4 spells above 3 CMC); versatile removal based non-intrusive sideboard (keeping offensive deck nature)
Weaknesses : non-trivial mana base: self-damage + assuming practical 4 mana limit; no card draw; no full board sweepers in sideboard; not much defense against Blue instant blowouts
Comment : inspired by v1.0, but switched to KTK Standard; almost untested

Deck

Number of cards : 60
Mana curve : 0:23 1:14 2:10 3:10 4:2 5:1
Mana cost symbols : B:26 U:0 G:14 R:0 W:17
Mana ability sources : X:8 B:13 U:4 G:19 R:4 W:15
 
Why this card ?    Why this amount ?    Comment ...

23 Lands
Lands mana ability sources : X:8 B:13 U:4 G:15 R:4 W:15
Lands untapped mana ability sources : X:8 B:13 U:4 G:15 R:4 W:15
Lands self-damage mana ability sources : X:0 B:12 U:4 G:12 R:4 W:12
 
4 E M Caves of Koilos  / tempo  / 2nd best (despite pain) land  /
4 E M Llanowar Wastes  / tempo  / 2nd best (despite pain) land  /
4 E M Mana Confluence  / tempo  / best (despite pain) land  /
4 E M Windswept Heath  / tempo  / fetch (untapped) land  /
3 E M Forest  / also fetchable  / lands completion  /
3 E M Plains  / also fetchable  / lands completion  /
1 E M Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth  / tempo  / legendary  /

21 Creatures
Creatures mana curve : 0:0 1:7 2:6 3:6 4:2
Creatures mana cost symbols : B:14 U:0 G:13 R:0 W:10
Creatures mana ability sources : X:0 B:0 U:0 G:4 R:0 W:0
 
4 E M G Elvish Mystic  / mini-ramping tempo  / maximal turn-2 3-drop probability  /
3 E M L W Soldier of the Pantheon  / good upward trade + (conditional) defensive capability  / reasonable overall turn-1 1-drop probability  /
4 E L GW Fleecemane Lion  / early pressure + late defense  / practically always useful  /
1 E M L 1G Heir of the Wilds  / slightly overpowered deathtouch  / 2-drops completion  / what else ?
1 M L BG Rakshasa deathdealer  / mana sink  / 2-drops completion  / what else ?
4 E M L 1BB Master of the Feast  / ultimate beatdown monster  / always useful  /
1 E M L BGW Anafenza, the Foremost  / overpowered; also against graveyard strategies  / legendary  /
1 E M L 1BB Herald of Torment  / evasion + bestow  / already considerable lands self-damage  /
2 M L 1BGW Siege Rhino  / direct damage + trample  / completing the curve  /

14 Instants and Sorceries
Instants and Sorceries mana curve : 0:0 1:7 2:3 3:3 4:0 5:1
Instants and Sorceries mana cost symbols : B:12 U:0 G:1 R:0 W:5
Instants and Sorceries mana ability sources : X:0 B:0 U:0 G:0 R:0 W:0
 
4 M L W Gods Willing  / cheap (3-drops) protection + evasion  / practically always useful  /
1 E M L B Boon of Erebos  / cheap pump spell  / inferior to hard removal  /
1 E M L B Thoughtseize  / proactive disruption, in addition to reactive removal  / already considerable lands self-damage  /
1 E M L B Ulcerate  / fast removal  / already considerable lands self-damage  /
2 E M L BB Bile Blight  / x-for-1; versatile removal, a.o. versus (token) creature swarms  / evenly divided non-exile removal  /
1 M L 1G Titanic Growth  / potential finisher  / minimize overall negative 2-for-1 risk  /
2 E M L 1BB Hero's Downfall  / versus primarily planeswalkers  / evenly divided non-exile removal  /
1 M L 2W Phalanx Formation  / potential finisher  / minimize overall negative 2-for-1 risk  /
1 M L 4B Murderous Cut  / cheap creature removal  / situational  /

2 Other Spells
Other Spells mana curve : 0:0 1:0 2:1 3:1
Other Spells mana cost symbols : B:0 U:0 G:0 R:0 W:2
Other Spells mana ability sources : X:0 B:0 U:0 G:0 R:0 W:0
 
1 E M L 1W Suspension Field  / cheaper exile capability than e.g. similar 'Abzan Charm'  / evenly divided exile-ish removal  /
1 E M L 2W Banishing Light  / exile capability  / evenly divided exile-ish removal  /

Sideboard

Number of cards : 15
 
Why this card ?    Why this amount ?    Comment ...

5 Creatures
2 M L XG Mistcutter Hydra  / versus U(/x) control  / limited tempo efficiency; shouldn't replace core strategy 3-drops  /
1 E M L 2 Phyrexian Revoker  / primarily against planeswalkers and monstrous or dynamic hexproof creatures  / minimal aggro disruption  /
1 E M L 1W Spirit of the Labyrinth  / primarily against excessive (Blue) card draw, also considering 'Master of the Feast'  / minimal aggro disruption  /
1 E M L 2G Reclamation Sage  / complementing 'Unravel the Ęther'  / minimal aggro creatures disruption  /

7 Instants or Sorceries
2 E M L BB Bile Blight  / x-for-1; versatile removal, a.o. versus (token) creature swarms  / evenly divided non-exile removal  /
2 E M L 1G Unravel the Ęther  / primarily hard enchantment removal  / evenly divided exile-ish removal  /
1 E M L 1W Glare of Heresy  / versus W permanents (including planeswalkers)  / complementing other exile-ish removal  /
1 E M L 1BB Hero's Downfall  / versus primarily planeswalkers  / evenly divided non-exile removal  /
1 L 9B Dead Drop  / untargeted board state control against big hexproof creatures  / nice-to-have only, due to low effectiveness probability  /

3 Other Spells
1 E M L 1W Suspension Field  / cheaper exile capability than e.g. similar 'Abzan Charm'  / evenly divided exile-ish removal  /
1 M L BGW Abzan Ascendancy  / against heavy removal  / nice-to-have  / extra copy ?
1 E M L 2W Banishing Light  / exile capability  / evenly divided exile-ish removal  /

Matchups

Archetype Colors Performance Comment ...
Devotion White W  / negative (limited sample) result against prototype +1/+1 counters and lifegain deck (by Kris Baes)  / tested without sideboard to primarily assess too much damage from Black mana base

Note: Unused Cards

Why ?

Creatures
B Bloodsoaked Champion  / too weak/slow, even against control matchups
W Selfless Cathar  / too weak effect, because not many affected creatures
1W Aegis of the Gods  / too narrow
BW Chief of the Edge  / missing synergy
1W Master of Pearls  / too slow/vulnerable/costly as morph creature, compared to e.g. 'Inspired Charge'
1GG Boon Satyr  / relatively weak toughness and presumably too high flash/reactive bestow cost
1WW Brimaz, King of Oreskos  / relatively underpowered attacker without evasion, despite excellent vigilance
2W Hushwing Gryff  / too narrow; also too weak
5G Hooting Mandrills  / too slow

Instants and Sorceries
B Dark Betrayal  / preference for more flexible removal, despite their slightly higher cost
B Despise  / inferior to 'Thoughtseize'
G Gather Courage  / too weak/defensive (negative 2-for-1 risk)
XW Glimpse the Sun God  / relatively hard to use in aggro/tempo setting
XG Windstorm  / too situational, and potentially too expensive; partly replaced by 'Bile Blight'
1G Back to Nature  / kills own monsters
1W Feat of Resistance  / 4 copies of 'Gods Willing' should suffice
BG Kin-Tree Invocation  / (statistically) creates average creature without abilities
1G Life's Legacy  / can't be used reactively, hence tempo loss
XWW Return to the Ranks  / slightly too situational
1G Savage Punch  / slightly too situational, hence preference for hard removal
BGW Abzan Charm  / too expensive, compared to similar or more versatile removal, for (in principle) non-reactive aggro mode
1GW Reap What Is Sown  / too weak per creature
2WW Inspired Charge  / not enough return on investment, due to low number of creatures
2BB Silence the Believers  / more expensive than 'Banishing Light'
2BW Utter End  / more expensive than 'Banishing Light'
5G Become Immense  / too situational; in principle worse than 'Titanic Growth'

Other Spells
1GG Bow of Nylea  / presumably slightly too slow in aggro setting
1WW Spear of Heliod  / too weak/reactive/expensive
3GG Nissa, Worldwaker  / slower than 'Siege Rhino'
3WW Spectra Ward  / too expensive; no guarantee against mass or untargeted blowouts