longer.blue

D aily thoughts #26 Today's thoughts will be a bit different as I'll try breaking down the Lessons vs UB matchup. I played bunch of matches versus Max Rappaport. Lessons has the ultimate endgame edge. If the game lasts 15+ turns, Lessons almost always wins. UB's biggest weapon is Kaito. Without Kaito it's relatively hard to win. Therefore the whole match kinda resolves around Kaito - Lessons player should try to navigate the game into a state where Kaito can't hurt them. Lessons likes to operate at instant speed as for example tapping out on turn 2 to play Artist Talent can be punished by flash two drop into Kaito. Boomerang Basics is great answer to Kaito as it catches you up on tempo (1 for 4-5 mana exchange). Some quick hits. - I initially thought Stormchaser Talent would be good at pressuring Kaito, but in practice it hasn't been so easy. There's spot removal, Floodpits Drowner and even Kaito himself can just tap the token. You need to have multiple Otters and even then it's kinda hard. - I was low on Quench, but it plays out better than expected. Hardcast Kaito is a thing, because you're trying to keep opp away from creatures. It's also good vs Tishana, and Max had Unagi (though I don't think that one is played often. - Quantum Riddler is house - Broadside Barrage might be too expensive - Pyroclasm was bad - I liked trimming Monument as it's weak to Tishana, and 3 mana socrery isn't where you want to be. - Ral is also weak into Tishana, but can at least win the game on its own, and is decent into Kaito. - Max reports Tishana was kinda bad, as I was able to play around it and 3/2 body is kinda meh Overall matchup felt relatively even, but I'd slightly prefer being on the Lessons side. Next week, we test against UB Demons!