• STORE
  • EVENTS
  • ARTICLES
  • DECKS
  • BUYLIST
  • HELP
  • GAME CENTER
  • NEWSLETTER
Advanced Search
Deck Builder
  • LOGIN /
     REGISTER
  • CART
    #
  • WISH
    LIST
  • Magic Singles
    • English
    • Foil English
    • Non-English
    • Foil Non-English
    • Scanned & Graded Cards
    • Misprints and Rarities
    • Wholesale Lots
  • Magic Sealed Product
    • Booster Boxes
    • Booster Packs
    • Box Sets
    • Bundles & Fat Packs
    • Duel Decks
    • Introductory Products
    • Multiplayer Products
    • Non-English Products
    • Tournament/Starter Packs
  • Gaming Supplies
    • Ultimate Guard®
    • Apparel
    • Binders
    • Books & Fat Pack Guides
    • Boxes & Bags
    • Clothing
    • Collectibles
    • Deck Boxes
    • Life Counters & Dice
    • Miscellaneous
    • Playmats
    • Sleeves
  • Specialty Items
    • Creature Collection
    • Gift Cards
    • Lithographs
    • Next Level Library
  • Digital Products
    • Complete Commander
    • Next Level Library
    • OMG: Official Miser's Guide
    • Tha Gatherin'
  • We Buy

Video Daily Digest: Tokens Of Control

Ross Merriam
7/26/17
#Select  #Standard  #Video  #MTGO  #DailyDigest 
  •  

Sam Black has been the primary proponent of Anointed Procession-based token strategies in Standard, to the surprise of no one, but the lists he champions are Abzan with Cryptolith Rite and very much focused on maximizing the token synergies therein.

Today's list is interesting in that it moves away from that concept toward a controlling strategy replete with plenty of removal, including four copies of Fumigate, which appears out of place in a deck that also contains Sacred Cat and Anointer Priest.

But as we all know, appearances can be deceiving in Magic, and that is indeed the case here. The controlling plan makes a lot of sense when you consider that every creature in the deck leaves behind either a Clue token or the potential to embalm, and the primary token generators in the deck are a planeswalker in Gideon, Ally of Zendikar and a value-generating enchantment in Hidden Stockpile, both cards that will play well in long games.

With a more linear strategy, you're better able to assemble the pieces quickly and bury your opponent in a pile of tokens and life from Anointer Priest, but you're also forced into trying to do so as often as possible. Sam's lists do now include Angel of Sanctions for some much-needed interaction, but for the most part, the Abzan Tokens deck is focused on its own gameplan.

This deck can buy its time in setting up the engine, using its removal in the early-game and catching up on the tempo loss from casting Anointed Procession on turn 4 with a Fumigate on turn 5. From there, you can start making piles of tokens and easily outpace your opponent in recovering from the sweeper or force them to answer your enchantment, at which point you revert back into the controlling role until you assemble an engine again.

With aggressive decks on the rise in Standard right now, being able to play an interactive game on the early turns is a significant boon for the deck, and you don't lose much in terms of maximizing the power of Anointed Procession. It may look weird on paper, but that's why we play the games.

W/B Tokens
Agromidget (5-0)
0th Place at Online Event on 7/18/2017
Standard
 

Creatures (11)

  • 4 Anointer Priest
  • 3 Sacred Cat
  • 4 Thraben Inspector

Planeswalkers (5)

  • 4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
  • 1 Ob Nixilis Reignited

Lands (25)

  • 6 Plains
  • 7 Swamp
  • 4 Concealed Courtyard
  • 2 Evolving Wilds
  • 4 Shambling Vent
  • 2 Westvale Abbey

Spells (19)

  • 4 Anointed Procession
  • 4 Hidden Stockpile
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 2 Fatal Push
  • 3 Grasp of Darkness
  • 1 Declaration in Stone
  • 4 Fumigate

    Sideboard

  • 3 Dreamstealer
  • 2 Cast Out
  • 1 Vampiric Rites
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 2 Blessed Alliance
  • 2 Gideon's Defeat
  • 1 Archangel Avacyn
  • 1 Bontu's Last Reckoning
  • 2 Declaration in Stone
 
 


  •  
#Select  #Standard  #Video  #MTGO  #DailyDigest 
« Previous Article
The Mayor Of Value Town
Next Article »
Commander VS: Worst To First!

About Ross Merriam

Ross has been playing competitive Magic for over ten years and has been a fixture on the SCG TourĀ® since 2012. With a highly analytical approach, he stresses playing fundamentally sound Magic with a preference toward proactive strategies. Always ready and willing to teach, his quest to achieve competitive success will help guide your own path to improvement.

@RossHunneds Twitter
Read more by Ross Merriam

Dominaria Prerelease April 21-22
ORGANIZED PLAY
  • THIS WEEK
  • NEXT WEEK
  • +
  • THIS Saturday, April 21
  • PRERELEASE WEEKEND
    FIND YOUR STORE!
  • THIS Sunday, April 22
  • PRERELEASE WEEKEND
    FIND YOUR STORE!
  • Saturday, April 28
  • Atlanta OPEN
  • IQ Danbury, CT - Gamers Gambit
  • IQ Frederick, MD - Tournament City Games
  • Sunday, April 29
  • Atlanta OPEN
  • Atlanta Modern CLASSIC
  • Atlanta Standard CLASSIC
  • Atlanta Legacy CLASSIC
  • IQ+ New Holland, PA - Six Feet Under Games
  • IQ Newington, CT - Tabletop Shop

SCG TOUR ® EVENTS

  • Apr 21 - 22: StarCityGames.com PRERELEASE
  • Apr 28 - 29: Atlanta OPEN
  • Apr 29 : Atlanta Modern CLASSIC
  • Apr 29 : Atlanta Standard CLASSIC
  • Apr 29 : Atlanta Legacy CLASSIC
  • May 5 - 6: Baltimore OPEN
  • May 6 : Baltimore Modern CLASSIC
  • May 6 : Baltimore Standard CLASSIC
  • May 6 : Baltimore Legacy CLASSIC
  • May 19 - 20: Louisville OPEN

  • Complete SCG Tour® Schedule | Coverage Archive
1 CALEB W SCHERER 175
2 BENJAMIN NIKOLICH 169
3 JONATHAN ROSUM 167
4 JIM I DAVIS 156
5 TODD STEVENS 148
6 DANNY JESSUP 147
7 ZAN SYED 143
8 DYLAN DONEGAN 141
9 COLLINS MULLEN 130
10 PIETER TUBERGEN 125
11 BRENNAN M DECANDIO 118
12 ANDREW JESSUP 105
13 KEVIN JONES 102
14 JODY M KEITH 97
15 KAZU NEGRI 96
16 JULIAN JOHN 95
DECKLISTS
  • STANDARD
  • MODERN
  • LEGACY
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Durham, US
  • 4/07 Grand Prix Seattle, US
  • 3/25 SCG Classic Cincinnati, US
  • 3/24 Grand Prix Kyoto, JP
  • 3/24 SCG Team Open Cincinnati, US
  • 3/10 Grand Prix Madrid, ES
  • 3/10 SCG Classic Dallas, US
  • 2/24 Grand Prix Memphis, US
  • 2/18 Invi Qualifier Medford, US
  • 2/18 SCG Classic Indianapolis, US
  • 2/10 Invi Qualifier Glassboro, US
  • 2/03 Preliminary PTQ Roanoke, US
  • 1/28 SCG Classic Philadelphia, US
  • 1/27 SCG Team Open Philadelphia, US
  • 1/21 SCG Classic Dallas, US
  • 1/20 SCG Team Open Dallas, US
  • 1/06 Grand Prix Santa Clara, US
  • 12/17 Invi Qualifier Clarksville, US
  • 12/16 Invi Qualifier Port Charlotte, US
  • 12/03 SCG Classic Roanoke, US
View More Standard Decks - Search Decklists
  • 4/15 Invi Qualifier Cary, US
  • 4/15 Invi Qualifier Niles, US
  • 4/14 Invi Qualifier Moore, US
  • 4/14 Invi Qualifier Columbia, US
  • 4/14 Invi Qualifier Roanoke, US
  • 4/14 Grand Prix Hartford, US
  • 4/14 Invi Qualifier Columbia, US
  • 4/14 Grand Prix Sydney, AU
  • 4/08 Invi Qualifier Bernardsville, US
  • 4/08 Invi Qualifier Falls Church, US
  • 4/08 SCG Classic Milwaukee, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Denton, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Lexington, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Kingsport, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Toronto, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Glassboro, US
  • 4/07 SCG Modern Open Milwaukee, US
  • 3/31 Invi Qualifier Bernardsville, US
  • 3/25 Invi Qualifier Middletown, US
  • 3/25 Invi Qualifier Falls Church, US
View More Modern Decks - Search Decklists
  • 4/08 SCG Classic Milwaukee, US
  • 4/06 Grand Prix Seattle, US
  • 3/25 SCG Classic Cincinnati, US
  • 3/24 Grand Prix Kyoto, JP
  • 3/24 SCG Team Open Cincinnati, US
  • 3/10 Grand Prix Madrid, ES
  • 3/04 SCG Classic Worcester, US
  • 3/03 SCG Open Worcester, US
  • 1/28 SCG Classic Philadelphia, US
  • 1/27 Invi Qualifier Columbia, US
  • 1/27 SCG Team Open Philadelphia, US
  • 1/21 SCG Classic Dallas, US
  • 1/20 SCG Team Open Dallas, US
  • 1/07 SCG Classic Columbus, US
  • 1/06 Grand Prix Santa Clara, US
  • 11/19 SCG Classic Baltimore, US
  • 11/18 SCG Team Open Baltimore, US
  • 10/29 SCG Classic Washington, US
  • 10/28 SCG Open Washington, US
  • 10/22 Invi Qualifier Bristol, US
View More Legacy Decks - Search Decklists

 

Connect with us

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive content, sale notifications, and more!

Need help?
Contact Us
Help Center
Organized Play
SCG Tour
Schedule
Leaderboard
Coverage
Coverage Archives
In-Store Programs
Invitational Qualifiers
Game Night
Prerelease Playmats
Organizers
StarCityGames.com
About Us
Careers
Game Center
5728 Williamson Road NW

Roanoke, VA 24012


© 2018 StarCityGames.com®
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Statement | Refund & Return Policy