{"ops":[{"insert":"CARTH THE LION - Br. 3 - A beginner's guide"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"PLANESWALKERS - PROLIFERATE - INFECT"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"MAIN INFO"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"PREMISE:"},{"insert":" The deck focuses on casting planeswalkers, doubling their loyalty counters, and activating their most useful abilities as soon as possible. It also proliferates to accelerate their ultimates or guarantee a win through infection counters.\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"STRENGTHS:"},{"insert":" Fast mana, 4 two-card combos and 1 three-card combo, strong tutor lineup, good interaction pool.\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"WEAKNESSES:"},{"insert":" Slow pacing, risk of high number of mulligans, wincon that requires a very specific board set-up.\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"GAME CHANGERS:"},{"insert":" 3 (Opposition Agent, Bolas's Citadel, Ancient Tomb)\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"AV. MANA VALUE:"},{"insert":" 2.8\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"PRED. WIN TURN:"},{"insert":" 6.1 (med-fast)\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"BRACKET REASON:"},{"insert":" With 6 fast mana sources, 6 tutors, and 5 combos, the deck can threaten wins in the mid-game. By being dependent on very specific cards to secure a wincon and not creating an impressive board capable of swinging for game or defending you during your opponents' turns, there is not enough adaptability to push it to Bracket 4 boundaries.\n"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"OPENING HAND:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"KEEP:"},{"insert":" 3 lands + 1 ramp, 1 removal or 1 tutor, and 2 engine cards (ideally, 1 low-cost planeswalker and 1 card capable of giving your opponents poison counters).\nEngine cards worth holding: Ichor Rats, Evolution Sage, Tyvar Jubilant Brawler, Wrenn and Realmbreaker, Astral Cornucopia."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"You should always want to keep Doubling Season and Vorinclex Monstrous Raider, even though they are costly. The advantage they generate in this deck is astronomical."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"You should also always want to keep Infectious Inquiry / Infectious Bite / Phyresis Outbreak / Vraska's Fall, since they are your main way of placing poison counters on your opponents."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"AVOID:"},{"insert":" 4 or more lands, any high-cost planeswalker, any recursion card.\nNever keep a hand that has expensive cards (they will be sitting dead in your hand for some time) or that has 2 or more cards that proliferate (in the early game, you won't have enough cards to take advantage of them)."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"GAME FLOW:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"EARLY GAME:"},{"insert":" Play lands, cast ramps, cast commander as soon as possible. Although the deck can function quite well without it, it speeds up your strategy, getting you to the mid-game faster than your opponents.\nAvoid the combat phase. Try to set up a humble board of low-threat creatures and/or planeswalkers. If you start swinging, you're likely to become the table's enemy, and you should want to stall that as much as possible, considering the fact that that'll happen as soon as you start giving your opponents' poison counters."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Start an early game draw engine (Black Market Connections or Sylvan Library)."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cast a stax spell if you're close to the mid-game. You should always prioritize Defense Grid if you can, since it'll slow the pace of the entire table, allowing most of your plays to resolve."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"MID-GAME:"},{"insert":" Keep ramping but not as much as you did in the early game. Cast an effect that doubles counters, such as Vorinclex Monstrous Raider or Doubling Season. Start casting higher-cost planeswalkers and activating their better effects.\nTime to show what the deck can do. Give all of your opponents their first poison counters, if you didn't already, and start proliferating them."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cast at least 1 game changer, if possible."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Tutor for crucial combo pieces, such as Chain of Smog and Innkeeper's Talent."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Keep your hand full using the draw engine you established, and create another one if you can. If the game changer you play is Bolas's Citadel, abuse it."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"LATE-GAME:"},{"insert":" Develop your board, casting any creature and planeswalker that you can. Activate their ultimates as soon as possible (on the turn they're cast, if you have a counter doubling effect). Proliferate as much as possible.\nControl the battlefield with your removal spells. Right now, you're most likely public enemy, since your opponents can see that you're getting close to fulfilling your main wincon. \tTherefore, you need to protect yourself."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Play a combo to end the game, if you can. If you can't, focus on proliferating the poison counters your opponents have."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"COMBOS:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"TWO-CARD INFINITES:"},{"insert":" \nVraska Betrayal's Sting + Vorinclex Monstrous Raider (An opponent has 8 or fewer poison counters) / Vraska Betrayal's Sting + Innkeeper's Talent (Innkeeper's Talent is at level 3 and an opponent has 8 or fewer poison counters)"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Chain of Smog + Professor Onyx / Chain of Smog + Witherbloom Apprentice"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"THREE-CARD INFINITES:"},{"insert":" \nVorinclex Monstrous Raider + Wrenn and Realmbreaker + Lotus Petal "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"IMPORTANT INFO:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Deck somewhat easy to master. The main goal is to secure a win through poison counters. First, you add them with cards like Infectious Inquiry and Infectious Bite, then you proliferate them as much as possible, ensuring every opponent gets 10 counters."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Most cards added are self-explanatory. For those who aren't, look below:"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Infectious Inquiry / Infectious Bite / Phyresis Outbreak / Vraska's Fall: They are your main way to put poison counters on your opponents. You should always want to tutor for these."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Astral Cornucopia: You should always declare X as 1, so you can pay 3 mana to cast this artifact. It'll enter with only one counter, but you can proliferate it quite easily."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Tempt with Discovery: It's an amazing tutor for lands. Your opponents will most likely tutor as well, so you can get up to 4 or 5 lands on a 4 mana play."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Urza's Saga: It's an amazing utility land in any deck. In this deck, you can tutor for Sol Ring, Mox Amber, Lotus Petal, Peter Parker's Camera, Luxior Giada's Gift, and Astral Cornucopia."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Defense Grid: You're playing Golgari, so you have almost no counterspells. Therefore, this card won't hurt you as much as it will your opponents. Besides, your removal cards are quite cheap."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"General advice: Be wary of the fact that, despite this deck having a \"planeswakers\" tag, your main way to win games will be through the placing and proliferation of poison counters. The planeswalkers ultimates are a bonus to the deck, helping with card draw, recursion, pacing, etc. They are not your main wincon."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Be sure to tutor for the right cards."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"You should always want to grab these cards:"},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Infectious Inquiry / Infectious Bite / Phyresis Outbreak / Vraska's Fall, as soon as possible, since they are your main way to put poison counters;"},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Evolution Sage / Thirsting Roots / Staff of Compleation, also as soon as possible, for the proliferation effect;"},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Vraska's Betrayal Sting, for proliferation and poison counter build-up (it is, dare I say it, your most valuable planeswalker);"},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Doubling Season and Vorinclex Monstrous Raider, since they can enable your planeswalkers ultimates as soon as they enter;"},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Bolas's Citadel, for its ability to let you cast cards from the top of your library;"},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"You should always want to grab these lands, if you tutor them with cards like Tempt with Discovery:"},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Karn's Bastion, for proliferation;"},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Urza's Saga, for tutoring important artifacts;"},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" Strip Mine, for disrupting your opponents' strategy that relies on a land card, or for slowing them down if they played something like Gaea's Cradle or Serra's Sanctum."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Good luck!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"}]}