Deck to beat: B/x Rogue

Here is my latest creation from the lab. It's a combination of Chapin's list and my own...

4 Earwig Squad
3 Marsh Flitter (really good with a few other guys...)
4 Nightshade Stinger
4 Oona's Blackguard (necessary and powerful w Flitter and Blossom)
3 Oona's Prowler
3 Prickly Boggart (needed 3 to make sure I have an opener)
3 Stinkdrinker Bandit (drop to finish the game, would like a 4th)

3 Bad Moon (drop to finish the game)
3 Bitter Blossom (way better than I thought)
3 Morsel Theft (really needed to offset damage and randomly finishes games, draws card)
4 Noggin Whack

4 Mutavault
2 Pendelhaven (Thanks Chapin!)
16 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

SB:
4 Bottle Gnomes
3 Extirpate or Funeral Charm (still testing)
4 Pithing Needle (might not be needed or go down to 2-3?)
4 Thoughtseize

So far this beast beats the mirror matches(including rack ver.) and has game vs. RDW. It's not quite as explosive but it gets the job done. By the way, Boooomstalker is a win more card in this build and is not needed. This may be "the build". Help me test it out.

I can't focus on type 2 for the time being, but here's what I know. I played B/r Rogues in a magic-league trial the other day. I played both Shared Animosity and Stinkdrinker Daredevil, hoping that I could just largely ignore what my opponent was doing and evade past them for a lot of damage. I lost to Doran round 1. For sure, the deck needs 4 Deathmark SB because it pretty much can't win while he's in play. He ignores the fast cards (Animosity and Stinkdrinker), blocks fear guys, and swings back for a bunch. I don't know if anything can be done to kill him maindeck, maybe some Mouth of Ronom? Probably eww.

You could SB desert for the mirror. Thats probably only if you run out of Namless Inversions, you need to kill Blackguards. Board out Bad Moon in mirror.

There was never a situation where I wouldn't have been happy to draw a Tombstalker, and I played 3 that day.

Blackguard and Bitterblossom are good after all.

Bad Moon is pretty good. It's not a card I like to play, but it's necessary.

I think the deck plays too many creatures. I'd like to see Thoughtseize and some removal main, but I don't know what. Namless Inversion is versatile and cheap, so probably that. Also, I don't know what to cut.

I think the sideboard needs to help you make sure you don't get out-raced by green decks. I already said 4 Deathmark for sure, and I suggested Nameless Inversion main. I was pretty happy with Footbottom Feast I think. Again, the think you care most about is the turn 2 Wren's Run Vanquisher that's going to outrace you with Imperious Perfect backup.

I don't think RDW will be much more than a poor hate deck trying to beat Rogues and not even doing that. But I've been wrong many times.

My build that I ran last FNM just killed Doran because it was 2 steps faster. My new build may have a problem with him so Deathmark is in for sure and, like you said, it's good vs. mga which is pretty good by the way. I've done some testing vs. a very good mga build and I'm not having too much trouble and the match is slightly in Rogue's favor. If RDW fizzles then I don't see any deck other than U/B Faeries competing with Rogue.

4 Earwig Squad
4 Nightshade Stinger
4 Oona's Blackguard
4 Oona's Prowler
4 Scion of Oona
3 Sower of Temptation
4 Spellstutter Sprite

3 Bitterblossom
4 Noggin Whack
3 Thoughtseize or 3 Psionic Blast or 4 Rune Snag and -1 of something

2 Island
4 Mutavault
4 River of Tears
4 Secluded Glen
4 Swamp
4 Underground River
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

SB:
4 Bottle Gnomes
4 Deathmark
2 Loxodon Warhammer
4 Morsel Theft
1 Sower of Temptation

Discuss!

Seems good, I like Thoughtseize in that slot a lot, but it kinda sucks that you can't play Cryptic Command. Or can you? Also, what cards make the deck fast enough to outrace Doran? Even with Stinkdrinkers I couldn't do it.

I haven't tried this deck at all but I suspect your right about a turn 2 Doran on the play! If they get that down then I guess it's on to game2 with a set of Deathmarks. I don't know though... it seems my original Rogue deck was just too fast and the new versions I'm building are slower.

yeah but the slower builds are generally more consistent and versatile, and can deal with opponent's ways of disrupting them better. except doran game 1 i don't know what's best.

if doran has a good hand and goes first, then game 1 is usually already in the books, you'll be throwing out blockers instead of threats. deathmark seems uber effetive vs. doran and can be used on almost all of their critters (since when does deathmark kill lands?!) including villages

hmm its a sorcery but outside of eyeblights ending its basically the only thing that kills doran well.

Eyeblight is do-able though slower than Nameless. I would like to try my Bitterblossom Rogue vs. Doran to see what game 1 is like. I do know that my original build will whoop Doran like a redheaded stepchild, though weak in the mirror!

oh yeah i was gonna say i think this deck might start to play fewer and fewer prickly boggarts, maybe down to none. fear really sucks. Squealing Pie Sneak is no good either. Fliers are the way to go. Opens you up to Cloudthresher, but you can address that with blue.

ah, i forgot that deathmark is a sorcery, its not as broken as i thought it was.

Okay, I was talking to Red the other day about his R/G Warriors deck that utilizes Simian Spirit Guide for acceleration... I then read a post at TCG Player under the Rogue thread by a player utilizing the very same SSG tech! Here is my list...

4 Earwig Squad
4 Frogtosser Banneret
4 Nightshade Stinger
4 Oona's Blackguard
3 Oona's Prowler
3 Prickly Boggart
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Stinkdrinker Bandit

3-4 Morsel Theft
4 Noggin Whack
3-4 Thoughtseize or Cloak and Dagger?

Imagine turn1: 'Tosser, turn2: Earwig! Seems mighty tasty!

SSG is so gross, you can try it but eww.

Here are lists from Chapin's SCG Premium article, courtesy of deckcheck.net:

ROGUES
4 Earwig Squad
4 Marsh Flitter
4 Nightshade Stinger
4 Oona's Blackguard
2 Oona's Prowler
4 Prickly Boggart
2 Stinkdrinker Bandit
3 Bad Moon
2 Thoughtseize
4 Bitterblossom
4 Noggin Whack
16 Snow-Covered Swamp
4 Mutavault
2 Pendelhaven
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Sideboard:
1 Loxodon Warhammer
2 Pithing Needle
3 Extirpate
4 Deathmark
2 Thoughtseize
3 Nameless Inversion
---------------------------------
MANNEQUIN
1 Loxodon Warhammer
4 Mind Stone
4 Mulldrifter
4 Riftwing Cloudskate
2 Shadowmage Infiltrator
3 Shriekmaw
2 Cryptic Command
4 Makeshift Mannequin
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Phyrexian Ironfoot
3 Damnation
2 Profane Command
3 Bitterblossom
5 Snow-Covered Island
3 Snow-Covered Swamp
4 Faerie Conclave
4 River of Tears
1 Secluded Glen
4 Underground River
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Mouth of Ronom
(61 cards)

Sideboard:
2 Pithing Needle
2 Mournwhelk
3 Sower of Temptation
2 Liliana Vess
1 Damnation
2 Deathmark
3 Nameless Inversion
---------------------------------
BR GOBLINS
3 Earwig Squad
4 Greater Gargadon
3 Knucklebone Witch
4 Marsh Flitter
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Mogg War Marshal
4 Siege-Gang Commander
3 Incinerate
2 Profane Command
4 Bitterblossom
6 Snow-Covered Mountain
4 Snow-Covered Swamp
4 Auntie's Hovel
2 Graven Cairns
4 Mutavault
4 Sulfurous Springs
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Sideboard:
3 Pithing Needle
4 Extirpate
4 Cryoclasm
4 Deathmark

Must be Bitterblossom day. In all seriousness, for a few life points, an early Bitterblossom lets you keep up with a lot of beats.

Think of it as a one shot Chrome Mox and remember it when you see my opponent flail his hands up in disgust after getting pwned on turn 2.

I tried my list out and I did not miss the Prowlers at all. The Inversions were good vs. the mirror as I was able to have prowl advantage most of the time which wins games. Bitterblossom is just too good not to play 4 so that changes and Morsel Theft was extremely good. Still, I'll have to try Chapin's list as is to see if it's better than mine. I do like his SB! Loxodon Warhammer eh! That was my first thought when I saw Blossom and it's funny that a pro thinks it pretty good. The Mannequin list is still too slow but a little better with Blossom. The B/R list looks interesting!

b/r is missing incindiary commands...

hmm i think it plays too many small critters for incendiary command to be good, tho i guess you could just blow up and land and dome them for 4...like a super-cryoclasm?

B/w Bitterblossom Beats

4 Earwig Squad
3 Marsh Flitter
4 Nightshade Stinger
4 Oona's Blackguard
3 Prickly Boggart
4 Stinkdrinker Bandit

4 Bitterblossom
2 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Morsel Theft
4 Noggin Whack
2 Thoughtseize

4 Caves of Koilos
2 Gemstone Mine
2 Pendelhaven
1 Plains
12 Swamps
2 Urborg

SB:
4 Condemn
2 Extirpate
1 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Nameless Inversion
3 O-Ring
2 Thoughtseize

This is my latest version that I ran a month ago. I took the Bad Moon out for now because they are not needed right now. It's still a decent deck.

This has been fun to play around with:

Ego.dec

// Lands
4 [SHM] Leechridden Swamp
4 [ALA] Arcane Sanctum
3 [EVE] Fetid Heath
4 [SHM] Sunken Ruins
4 [SHM] Reflecting Pool
4 [LRW] Vivid Marsh
1 [ALA] Swamp (4)
1 [ALA] Island (1)

// Creatures
4 [SHM] Sygg, River Cutthroat
4 [MOR] Oona's Blackguard
3 [MOR] Stinkdrinker Bandit
4 [LRW] Oona's Prowler

// Spells
4 [MOR] Morsel Theft
2 [EVE] Soul Reap
4 [ALA] Punish Ignorance
4 [MOR] Bitterblossom
3 [LRW] Profane Command
3 [10E] Remove Soul

// Sideboard
SB: 3 [EVE] Batwing Brume
SB: 3 [MOR] Knowledge Exploitation
SB: 3 [10E] Flashfreeze
SB: 3 [MOR] Negate
SB: 3 [EVE] Talara's Bane


It's a work in progress.

I have Talara's Bane in the board against decks with CC and Cloudthresher. I like it over Thoughtseize b/c I they aren't dropping the threats turn two, so why lose two life instead of potentially gaining some? Yeah, I know, bad card...

Y'know, mutavault is a rogue...