[Deck] Salvager Game (Golden Grahams)

[Slay]

Alternatively, you could go fetch a DSC and just win.
-Slay

[Rastadon]

Eh, not so much. Because DSC costs eleven you won't be hardcasting it unless you're comboing out. If you're at that stage where you are comboing out unimpeded, then you've already won.

[MattH]

You know what's better than Steely Resolve? Cabal Therapy.

[Rastadon]

I've been doing some testing with the T8'd decklist, and I found that Cabal Therapy definetly held its ground, but most of the time I was just trying to stave off their offenses. First turn vs goblins, drop a swamp and cast Therapy, am I really gonna name Incinerator? Nope. I'm more concerned about staying alive than about protecting a combo that isn't even online yet, so when I cast Therapy I'm gonna name Piledriver.

There's gotta be some more combo protection. Whether this means MD'ing more hand disruption, or playing specific hate cards (ie resolve or Meddling Mage), that's something that needs be discussed.

I realize that well, Resolve sucks. It really has no other applications outside combo protection, and even then it's still a sitting duck for enchantment removal. But it's the most accessible form of permanent safety, and that alone has to give it some merits.

[Slay]

Eh, not so much. Because DSC costs eleven you won't be hardcasting it unless you're comboing out. If you're at that stage where you are comboing out unimpeded, then you've already won.

Um, what? You get the Colossus with Gamekeeper, and board out the combo. That way, creature hate is worthless. That's kind of the idea.
-Slay

[Brushwagg]

Eh, not so much. Because DSC costs eleven you won't be hardcasting it unless you're comboing out. If you're at that stage where you are comboing out unimpeded, then you've already won.

Um, what? You get the Colossus with Gamekeeper, and board out the combo. That way, creature hate is worthless. That's kind of the idea.
-Slay

Except for STP. But Therapy/Duress takes care of that.

Now Maybe I missed it but is Naturalize MD or SB? I was just wondering what do you do if you see Null Rod or Cursed Totem? Besides getting bent over the table. Or if you thing you are going to be hated on bring in the DSC?

[Tash]

There is Uktabi Orangatun in the SB, well at least there should be. Paul S. had the Sex Monkey and the viridian zealot in the board for wish targets.

Duress and Cabal therapy should be able to take out their creature kill, and all the times I was playing goblins I would just throw down a gamekeeper and that would give me stall time because they didn't want me to get the salvagers and win.

[Bane of the Living]

Could this deck benifit any to play cards with dredge? You kind of want therapies, LED, spheres, and stuff in there.

Life from the effin Loam is provenly good. Is it a good route to take here? My attention has gone deep into CAL lately to enjoy abusing that card. Life from the loam helps you dredge 3 cards a turn to find the combo. Plus 1 fetchland you may get off it for the turn, plus 2 cards drawn off of cycling. That means in one turn LftL can dig you 6 cards deep into your lib. Thats like a hand a turn!

Now consider this with wastelock. Wasteland is proven 5 star material in this format. Why not play one every turn? This can keep your opponent down long enough for you to draw into a Keeper/Salvager or dredge through your cog combo pieces.

I now realize how much I love to play in the graveyard.

If this sounds like potential to anyone else dont let it fall on deaf ears. Sound it on the source! This deck is proven top 8 material. Lets keep it rollin!

[MasterBlaster]

I don't think dredge belongs in this deck because milling through Salvager or Gamekeeper is just bad.

[Bane of the Living]

But milling LED and Spheres is very good. Not to mention Darksteel Colossus will always shuffle back in. The problems I have playing this against goblins is because of mana consistancies. Im having problems dealing with Lackey and Wasteland/Port. Out of 10 games today, 5 sideboarded, I won 5. Fanatics were making innocent bloods miss the warcheifs, and Lackey seemed to hit me way too much. Not to mention 4 Duress is just bad here.

Life from the Loam would help me keep in shape with mana problems. And adding it gives you the powerful Mox Diamonds for first turns that will very consistantly look like..

Mox Diamond, pitch Barren Moor. Land, Life from the Loam.
Talk about tempo.
Dredge: LED, land, therapy
Life is good!

Darkblast would also be amazing against gobs of course..
Inclusion of Mox increases all/white mana sources and speed of deck.

[Lego]

It seems like it could be interesting at the very least, but would probably slow down the combo by several turns, which I don't think is a good thing. The deck isn't a slow control deck that wins with a combo finish, it's a combo deck that packs some disruption. I think you're taking it in the wrong direction, but by all means let us know what your testing results are.

[Bane of the Living]

Well I played the deck this past Sunday. I used the list from Philly give or take a few cards. I went 3-2. I won the first 2 rounds then got paired down to a R/G Zilla Stompy deck. First turn I therapy for Survival (what he usually plays) and miss. He put alot of pressure on me and Burning Tree Shaman caused enough of a disturbance to win him the game. He sideboarded Needles and they shut down my Deeds that I sided in. I couldnt swing twice with Colossus before I was dead.

I beat a gob deck next then made my way to top 4. I played the same R/G guy. This time I 'oathed' into a Salvager on the top of my deck. Milling no cogs at all. Second game I smashed face with colossus. Third game I get very unluckey with a tainted pact and burning tree shaman seals the deal.

The other 3 games I won were quite smooth and stellar. No one saw the deck coming, and it provided good competition. I think next time I play the deck Ill push to include dredge. Even Darkblast seems benificial.

[Rambo]

Since everybody has given up on nausea (?) I have been playing this deck a lot, and have been getting owned by meddling mage, pithing needle, and the amazing amount of hate ( tormods crypt, etc) . (screw that card to heck). Therapies and duress just weren't enough disruption, so i added pernicous deed. That card won me every sideboarded game in the tourney except one where he set his mage to deed. lol. Anyway, i have cleaned up a needle, jitte, and samurai of the pale curtain with that and won. Its amazing. What do you guys think?

[Bane of the Living]

Actually I had deed in my board and I found myself siding it in almost every game 2 and 3. The only probem is the deck doesnt normally run enough mana sources. 19 land isnt enough to support deed with or without rituals. One of my woosta cronies should be piloting the deck at the weekly tourny so ill try to make that tweak in the deck and ill post results here.

[BlindMage]

This is a really cool deck. I like the idea for "The Game" when I first saw it, and this seems like a clear improvement on that. There are a few things that worry me about it. First: your fundamental turn is not really faster than Solidarity's. True, sometimes you will be faster, but after a little testing on MWS, it seemed to be turn 4-5 on average. That would be just fine, except that Salvager Game lacks the maddening resiliancy of Solidarity, having big problems with most of the cards traditionally sideboarded for Solidarity, as well as Pithing Needle, Worship/untargetable creature, Humilty, Astral Slide, graveyard hate, and most spot removal. The fact that it is still a rogue deck does mitigate that somewhat, but that seems like a stupid thing to rely on.

Most of my few test games were against Angel Stompy, and I barely won any of them. Either they would have StP or Parallax wave or Jitte to stop the combo, or they would just kill me before I could go off. How does this compare to the experiance of those who have more experiance with the deck?

Also, I have to question a few of the card choices. 2x Night's Whisper: this seems kinda random to me. Wouldn't something to buy time against a creature rush be a better choice? Infest, for instance, or Moment's Peace, or even Engineered Explosives. Living Wish: before anyone gets the wrong idea, I do think it is a good card. However, it's slower than molasses going uphill in the wintertime, and for all the situations it can solve, it can't solve Humility, and it can't answer graveyard hate. Given that the deck runs 4 other tutors, has anyone tried NOT using the wish? This would allow you to maindeck perhaps Orim's Chant or Abeyance, or 4-of a mass removal spell, or Naturalize, or Pithing Needle, or Phyrexian Arena, or a bunch of other options. It would also allow you to sideboard effective answers for each matchup. All I'm saying is: yes Living Wish is good, but is it really necessary to give your opponent a free Time Walk?

[Rambo]

The whole point of wish is to play it, then win. You can wish for a salvagers or gamekeeper and sac LED in response and win most of the time. Its the card that leads to turn two kills.
Also, does anyone have any suggestions vs hate like pithing needle and crypt? (Other than deed)

[MasterBlaster]

Also, does anyone have any suggestions vs hate like pithing needle and crypt? (Other than deed)

Side in Darksteel Colossus. Thats what they are in the sideboard for.

[Geet]

Darksteel Colossus does not help vs. crypt.

[Bane of the Living]

You can sideboard Pithing Needle against Crypt. Duh?

I prefer this deck to and against Solidarity because you have 4 Duress and 4 Therapy. This stalls for you to win, grabs your opponents Swords, grabs their counterspell, ect. You also mill it into the yard with Gamekeepers.

@BlindMage
Everything you mentioned besides Humility can be dealt with via Living Wish. Thats why we dont take it out. Besides LED + Wish = amazing.

This is a combo deck that needs alot of love. Alot of customizing, and alot of practice. This decks 'biggest' problems.. Needle, StP, Crypt, can all be dealt with before comboing, one way or another. Wish for artifact destruction, wait for a Duress before putting Colossus into play. Ect. Practice with the deck some more before you make too many decisions with it. Whos version were you playing?

[Ventus]

If you're having serious problems with hate, such as Tormod's Crypt, Pithing Needle, Arcane Laboratory/Rule of Law (although Colossus gets around the lab), then one answer might be Serenity.

Pros:
1) Gives you a one turn window to combo out
2) Not mana intensive (1W)
3) Can't be stopped by Pithing Needle or Null Rod

Cons:
1) Doesn't hit creatures (Meddling Mage is bad times)
2) Your opponent has a turn to get rid of it or plan around it.