Magic Deck Tech: Dueling Megrims, or "You got a purty hand"...
...so, amongst all of the Titan Force and Shaman Conscription decks that popped up last weekend, one little rogue deck came out in the Finnish Nationals:
Dueling Megrims, aka Eightgrim.
It's a black-red discard engine whose goal is to kill you with Megrim. How can you not love that?
Of course, they printed a new, better form of Megrim in M11 in Liliana's Caress. Which, for a short time only, means that both of these cards can play beside each other in Standard. They'll get a little longer in Extended, but not only will they have better options to play with, so will every other deck, so it'll be a lot harder to wade through there.
These are the deck's options (and since they're only options, it doesn't have to add up to 60):
4x Liliana's Caress
4x Megrim
Since you're running creatureless, these are your damage dealers. You've got to get them out as quickly as possible, preferably 2nd or 3rd turn. Obviously, Caress is better than Megrim, allowing for a 3rd turn with damage and disruption, but they work best in multiples. It's almost imperative one shows up in your opening hand.
Up to 8x of some combination of Duress and Inquisition of Kozilek (Thoughtseize for Extended)
It's extremely important to get off to a good start, and both Duress and Inquisition of Kozilek fit the bill. The original only had Inquisitions, but both spells do things the other can't: Duress gets Destructive Forces and Leylines of Sanctity (if your opponent wasn't smart enough to mulligan until he had one in his opening hand), while Inquisition gets War Priest of Thune. In Extended, Thoughtseize is an automatic four-of.
4x Blightning
This is guaranteed damage, quite possibly the best combination of damage and disruption ever printed at common. Of course, with one Caress, this is 7 damage on turn 4. An auto-four-of in this type of deck.
Up to 8x in some combination of Mind Rot and Mind Sludge
Although not mono-black, thus cutting down on the card's effectiveness, Mind Sludge is a very viable turn 5 source of damage, especially if you have at least two 'grims out. Mind Rot is a more constant source of disruption; not as good as Blightning at the same cost, but mono-colored.
Up to 4x Burning Inquiry
With one 'grim out, this is a double Bolt. With two out, you're already halfway to killing your opponent. And probably the biggest thing about Burning Inquiry is that it doesn't target, thus circumventing Leyline of Sanctity in a crucial way.
Up to 12x of some combination of Lightning Bolt, Staggershock, Burst Lightning, and Doom Blade (Puncture Bolt and Rift Bolt in Extended)
This is the creature control suite. Unless it's killing your opponent (or a Staggershock rebound without a creature on the battlefield), you don't want to aim any of these at your opponent's head. The Doom Blade is there to take care of stuff like Kor Firewalker (and thus, an excellent sideboard candidate if it doesn't make your main deck.)
Up to 4x Sign in Blood
This, along with the far less certain Burning Inquiry, is your refueler. It can, of course, be aimed at a non-Leylined opponent's head to land the finishing blow.
Up to 4x Diabolic Tutor
For getting what you need as quickly as possible.
Up to 4x Thought Hemmorhage
A much maligned card, mainly because it's not speedy enough for the Standard environments it's been thrust into, this actually makes an excellent final disruptor after a few turns worth of Duress and Mind Rot. Although it doesn't actually discard (and thus does not combo with the 'grims), your previous Duresses should have given you a good idea of what your opponent is playing, and thus you're ready to Lobotomy away their best card (get those Primeval Titans before they get you!)
Land Base:
Up to 8x of some combination Lavaclaw Reaches and Dragonskull Summit (and 4x Graven Cairns in Extended)
Any good deck needs duals, and the Reaches are your only source of creature-based damage in the main deck.
Up to 24x of some combination of Swamp and Mountain (about 60/40 Swamp to Mountain)
The basics. Not much more to say here.
Up to 4x Tectonic Edge
Most of your discard spells will not be able to hit lands, so that's where the Edge comes in.
Up to 4x Dread Statuary
If you feel you need more creature-based damage, this is probably your best shot.
Sideboard:
vs. White Weenie and Leyline of Sanctity:
Fill out your Burning Inquiry and Doom Blade quota. The former gets around the Leyline, and the latter gets rid of Kor Firewalker. Combust goes here for Baneslayer Angels, though you'll probably need followup burn if Honor of the Pure is out; alternatively, Deathmark will get rid of her outright. Besides Inquiry, you might want to load up on non-targeted discard, perhaps even using Rotting Rats, Liliana's Specter, and even Cunning Lethemancer.
vs. Titan Ramp and Titan Force:
You almost always want to Fill out Thought Hemmorhage and Duress, but the best first-turn play versus these decks is Inquisition, as it can get all of the ramp engine cards, from Birds to Explore to Cobra to Harrow. If you can get to turn 4 without having a Primeval Titan hit the table, you're pretty good to go. For the splash of blue for Titan Force, the strategy is the same, though Anathemancer would also be a good choice, since the deck necessarily runs a broader mana base. Here, turn 1 Inquisition can get a Mana Leak, so that turn 2 Duress gets Jace or Garruk.
vs. RDW:
One of the biggest things is to get the speedy critters early, and make sure Karrgan Dragonlord never levels up. Load up on your Inquisitions and Thought Hemmorhages, as well as your creature control suite. Their turn 1 Goblin Guide isn't horrible, so long as you get a look at what's coming, both for you and for them. But the disruption is there to make sure you see your Hemmorhage on Turn 4. To prevent those pesky Hellspark Elementals from coming back, make sure to pack at least one and probably two Leylines of the Void.
vs. Super Friends:
Duress is king here, as well as Thought Hemmorhage. Pretty much anything that can harm you can be taken by Duress, and the biggest thing that can't (Baneslayer) is Combusted or Deathmarked away. But remember, any deck playing white has the dual dangers of Kor Firewalker and Leyline of Sanctity, so be ready for them as well.
vs. Vengevine Naya and/or Vampires:
As both will be playing with a nasty grave threat, Leyline of the Void is almost essential. Deathmark can take care of Fauna Shaman, but then, so can Lightning Bolt. There is a bit of a possibility for a Leyline of Punishment to shine, but only a bit, as more likely your creature control suite will be able to take care of the Nighthawks and even the Bloodwitch when kicked.
vs. Conscription:
Any sort of Conscription-based deck requires Combust for the Sovereigns, and failing that Doom Blade for the recipient of the Conscription.
vs. Other:
Other cards you could run into more than once are Basilisk Collars and Behemoth Sledges. Perhaps a Manic Vandal or two might mitigate that one. These are usually preceded by Stoneforge Mystics, so make sure you take care of them before the equipment hits the board. Dauntless Escorts should be Deathmarked on your turn so they don't cause shenanigans on your opponent's. If you have a lot of blue in your area (and thus, enough Spreading Seas for it to be a problem), you might sneak a Reckless Scholar into your board. The mirror is basically a speed run to see who gets to 20 damage first; since it's red-black, there's not much you can do about the opposing 'grims...your best bet may be to prolong the clock with something like Blood Tithe.
Here's my version of Dueling Megrims, along with sideboard:
Spells (36)
4x Liliana's Caress
4x Megrim
3x Duress
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Burning Inquiry
3x Staggershock
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Burst Lightning
4x Blightning
2x Mind Sludge
2x Thought Hemmorhage
Lands (24)
4x Dragonskull Summit
3x Lavaclaw Reaches
3x Tectonic Edge
8x Swamp
6x Mountain
Sideboard (15)
2x Leyline of the Void
1x Duress
1x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Thought Hemmorhage
3x Deathmark
3x Combust
2x Liliana's Specter
1x Manic Vandal
Of course, there are probably better options on the tournament scene, but for the first time in a while, discard is both fun and viable! Well, semi-viable, anyway...
Dueling Megrims, aka Eightgrim.
It's a black-red discard engine whose goal is to kill you with Megrim. How can you not love that?
Of course, they printed a new, better form of Megrim in M11 in Liliana's Caress. Which, for a short time only, means that both of these cards can play beside each other in Standard. They'll get a little longer in Extended, but not only will they have better options to play with, so will every other deck, so it'll be a lot harder to wade through there.
These are the deck's options (and since they're only options, it doesn't have to add up to 60):
4x Liliana's Caress
4x Megrim
Since you're running creatureless, these are your damage dealers. You've got to get them out as quickly as possible, preferably 2nd or 3rd turn. Obviously, Caress is better than Megrim, allowing for a 3rd turn with damage and disruption, but they work best in multiples. It's almost imperative one shows up in your opening hand.
Up to 8x of some combination of Duress and Inquisition of Kozilek (Thoughtseize for Extended)
It's extremely important to get off to a good start, and both Duress and Inquisition of Kozilek fit the bill. The original only had Inquisitions, but both spells do things the other can't: Duress gets Destructive Forces and Leylines of Sanctity (if your opponent wasn't smart enough to mulligan until he had one in his opening hand), while Inquisition gets War Priest of Thune. In Extended, Thoughtseize is an automatic four-of.
4x Blightning
This is guaranteed damage, quite possibly the best combination of damage and disruption ever printed at common. Of course, with one Caress, this is 7 damage on turn 4. An auto-four-of in this type of deck.
Up to 8x in some combination of Mind Rot and Mind Sludge
Although not mono-black, thus cutting down on the card's effectiveness, Mind Sludge is a very viable turn 5 source of damage, especially if you have at least two 'grims out. Mind Rot is a more constant source of disruption; not as good as Blightning at the same cost, but mono-colored.
Up to 4x Burning Inquiry
With one 'grim out, this is a double Bolt. With two out, you're already halfway to killing your opponent. And probably the biggest thing about Burning Inquiry is that it doesn't target, thus circumventing Leyline of Sanctity in a crucial way.
Up to 12x of some combination of Lightning Bolt, Staggershock, Burst Lightning, and Doom Blade (Puncture Bolt and Rift Bolt in Extended)
This is the creature control suite. Unless it's killing your opponent (or a Staggershock rebound without a creature on the battlefield), you don't want to aim any of these at your opponent's head. The Doom Blade is there to take care of stuff like Kor Firewalker (and thus, an excellent sideboard candidate if it doesn't make your main deck.)
Up to 4x Sign in Blood
This, along with the far less certain Burning Inquiry, is your refueler. It can, of course, be aimed at a non-Leylined opponent's head to land the finishing blow.
Up to 4x Diabolic Tutor
For getting what you need as quickly as possible.
Up to 4x Thought Hemmorhage
A much maligned card, mainly because it's not speedy enough for the Standard environments it's been thrust into, this actually makes an excellent final disruptor after a few turns worth of Duress and Mind Rot. Although it doesn't actually discard (and thus does not combo with the 'grims), your previous Duresses should have given you a good idea of what your opponent is playing, and thus you're ready to Lobotomy away their best card (get those Primeval Titans before they get you!)
Land Base:
Up to 8x of some combination Lavaclaw Reaches and Dragonskull Summit (and 4x Graven Cairns in Extended)
Any good deck needs duals, and the Reaches are your only source of creature-based damage in the main deck.
Up to 24x of some combination of Swamp and Mountain (about 60/40 Swamp to Mountain)
The basics. Not much more to say here.
Up to 4x Tectonic Edge
Most of your discard spells will not be able to hit lands, so that's where the Edge comes in.
Up to 4x Dread Statuary
If you feel you need more creature-based damage, this is probably your best shot.
Sideboard:
vs. White Weenie and Leyline of Sanctity:
Fill out your Burning Inquiry and Doom Blade quota. The former gets around the Leyline, and the latter gets rid of Kor Firewalker. Combust goes here for Baneslayer Angels, though you'll probably need followup burn if Honor of the Pure is out; alternatively, Deathmark will get rid of her outright. Besides Inquiry, you might want to load up on non-targeted discard, perhaps even using Rotting Rats, Liliana's Specter, and even Cunning Lethemancer.
vs. Titan Ramp and Titan Force:
You almost always want to Fill out Thought Hemmorhage and Duress, but the best first-turn play versus these decks is Inquisition, as it can get all of the ramp engine cards, from Birds to Explore to Cobra to Harrow. If you can get to turn 4 without having a Primeval Titan hit the table, you're pretty good to go. For the splash of blue for Titan Force, the strategy is the same, though Anathemancer would also be a good choice, since the deck necessarily runs a broader mana base. Here, turn 1 Inquisition can get a Mana Leak, so that turn 2 Duress gets Jace or Garruk.
vs. RDW:
One of the biggest things is to get the speedy critters early, and make sure Karrgan Dragonlord never levels up. Load up on your Inquisitions and Thought Hemmorhages, as well as your creature control suite. Their turn 1 Goblin Guide isn't horrible, so long as you get a look at what's coming, both for you and for them. But the disruption is there to make sure you see your Hemmorhage on Turn 4. To prevent those pesky Hellspark Elementals from coming back, make sure to pack at least one and probably two Leylines of the Void.
vs. Super Friends:
Duress is king here, as well as Thought Hemmorhage. Pretty much anything that can harm you can be taken by Duress, and the biggest thing that can't (Baneslayer) is Combusted or Deathmarked away. But remember, any deck playing white has the dual dangers of Kor Firewalker and Leyline of Sanctity, so be ready for them as well.
vs. Vengevine Naya and/or Vampires:
As both will be playing with a nasty grave threat, Leyline of the Void is almost essential. Deathmark can take care of Fauna Shaman, but then, so can Lightning Bolt. There is a bit of a possibility for a Leyline of Punishment to shine, but only a bit, as more likely your creature control suite will be able to take care of the Nighthawks and even the Bloodwitch when kicked.
vs. Conscription:
Any sort of Conscription-based deck requires Combust for the Sovereigns, and failing that Doom Blade for the recipient of the Conscription.
vs. Other:
Other cards you could run into more than once are Basilisk Collars and Behemoth Sledges. Perhaps a Manic Vandal or two might mitigate that one. These are usually preceded by Stoneforge Mystics, so make sure you take care of them before the equipment hits the board. Dauntless Escorts should be Deathmarked on your turn so they don't cause shenanigans on your opponent's. If you have a lot of blue in your area (and thus, enough Spreading Seas for it to be a problem), you might sneak a Reckless Scholar into your board. The mirror is basically a speed run to see who gets to 20 damage first; since it's red-black, there's not much you can do about the opposing 'grims...your best bet may be to prolong the clock with something like Blood Tithe.
Here's my version of Dueling Megrims, along with sideboard:
Spells (36)
4x Liliana's Caress
4x Megrim
3x Duress
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Burning Inquiry
3x Staggershock
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Burst Lightning
4x Blightning
2x Mind Sludge
2x Thought Hemmorhage
Lands (24)
4x Dragonskull Summit
3x Lavaclaw Reaches
3x Tectonic Edge
8x Swamp
6x Mountain
Sideboard (15)
2x Leyline of the Void
1x Duress
1x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Thought Hemmorhage
3x Deathmark
3x Combust
2x Liliana's Specter
1x Manic Vandal
Of course, there are probably better options on the tournament scene, but for the first time in a while, discard is both fun and viable! Well, semi-viable, anyway...