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Pioneer Turbo Abzan Greasefang Primer & Sideboard Guide
Intro to the deck
Hello friends. This is Alessandro again, this time with a new deck guide about Abzan Greasefang .
Abzan Greasefang has been around for a couple of months now, trying to establish itself as a Tier 1 deck in Pioneer . However, it has not yet managed to do so because it remains an inconsistent and luck-dependent deck. These two factors are the main pro with it, but they are also the price to pay for running Greasefang Okibba Boss, a creature that can seal the game when it hits on Turn 3.
I have been playing this deck competitively for a long time, trying to get it to a point where it has the highest consistency possible. I have tried many different builds, and I think I have finally found the perfect version to play.
Finding the right version
There are many ways to build Greasefang decks with different colors, but I believe that Abzan (black-green-white) is the most consistent, most explosive, and has more tools to be a real contender in the current Pioneer metagame .
When looking for the optimal version for the current meta, we have two clearly differentiated options:
The first option is playing a more classic version with Whitherbloom Command and Liliana of the Veil, a typical midrange deck that has different plans and angles of play outside the Greasefang Okiba Boss + Vehicle combo. I really like this plan, as it has consistency, a very fluid mana base, and the ability to improve our matchups post sideboard.
The second option is Turbo Greasefang, which consists of trying to maximize the chances of being able to combo on turn 3, with the key card being Eldritch Evolution. In my opinion, this version is the most effective in game one for most of the matchups. This really caught my attention, but it has the disadvantage of being a much slower deck post sideboard and losing a lot of consistency.
After a deep analysis and a lot of testing, I arrived at the perfect list to play Abzan Greasefang in the current state of the metagame.
$416/118.03 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [16] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Raffine's Informant | $0.35 | |
| 4 Stitcher's Supplier | $2.29 | |
| 4 Greasefang, Okiba Boss | $0.49 | |
| 4 Satyr Wayfinder | $0.35 | |
| Artifact [10] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Esika's Chariot | $4.49 | |
| 2 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship | $1.99 | |
| 4 Parhelion II | $0.59 | |
| Instant [3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Grisly Salvage | $0.35 | |
| Sorcery [10] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Can't Stay Away | $0.49 | |
| 4 Eldritch Evolution | $5.49 | |
| 4 Thoughtseize | $11.99 | |
| Land [21] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Concealed Courtyard | $0.99 | |
| 1 Boseiju, Who Endures | $49.99 | |
| 4 Blooming Marsh | $2.49 | |
| 1 Godless Shrine | $13.99 | |
| 2 Mana Confluence | $44.99 | |
| 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire | $12.99 | |
| 4 Overgrown Tomb | $14.99 | |
| 4 Temple Garden | $13.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Witherbloom Command | $1.99 | |
| 4 Fatal Push | $2.49 | |
| 2 Unlicensed Hearse | $0.69 | |
| 2 Knight of Autumn | $0.59 | |
| 3 Abrupt Decay | $1.29 | |
$60.54 Tix @cardhoarder
$1.51 / Week @cardhoarder
$355.09 @tcgplayer
$431.31 @cardkingdom
Visual View
Similar Decks
Proxies
Archetype Analysis
Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
Playing the deck: tips and tricks
Main goal & backup plan
The main goal of the deck is to play Greasefang Okiba Boss as early as possible to take advantage of its ability to reanimate a vehicle from the graveyard. The three vehicles that work best in combination with Greasefang Okiba Boss are Esika Chariot, Parhelion II, and Skysovereign Consul Flagship.
If we can get Greasefang + Parhelion into play in turn 3 or 4, we have a very good chance of winning almost any game. The advantage of playing Abzan is that we have access to Esika's Chariot and Skysovereign as backup options if we don't get Greasefang + Parhelion into play.
Mulligan for the win
The performance of the deck really depends on your mulligan decisions. Keep in mind that this deck needs very few cards to be able to perform our combo, so we should not be afraid to mulligan repeatedly.
Abzan Greasefang in the current Pioneer meta
After playing with the deck for +200 games and winning large tournaments in Magic Online, I came to the conclusion that Abzan Greasefang has no bad match-ups. It's a strategy that can beat any deck.
However, the deck is not without its weaknesses. One of the biggest problems is that it is very reliant on luck. In most games, we will be depending solely on our luck and not on the interaction with our opponent. This can make the deck very inconsistent.
I have the same feeling as when I used to play Dredge in Modern . You need a little bit of luck with what you put into your graveyard.
On the other hand, despite its inconsistency, Abzan Greasefang is a powerful deck that can win large tournaments. One of its key strengths is that it is very hard for opponents to deal with. Each turn presents a new opportunity to combo off, putting a lot of pressure on them.
Chances of winning Game 1 are very high, since most of the decks in the format don't have answers to stop our combo. On the other hand, we have to be very skilled while sideboarding to be able to face the Game 2 and Game 3 in the best way possible if the situation arises.
Card breakdown
There's not much to talk about or explain in terms of how each card in the deck works; in short, this deck is divided into 3 engines.
Mill engine
This Mill core is very comfortable for me. The worst card of these 4 is probably Stitcher’s Supplier, but I feel compelled to play 4 copies because it has a good interaction with Eldritch Evolution.
Vehicles
Combo
Eldritch Evolution is an excellent addition to this strategy, as playing 4 copies of Eldritch Evolution maximizes our chances of comboing on turn 3.
It feels as if we would have 8 Greasefang Okiba Boss in our deck!
Sideboard Guide
Mono Green Devotion
In this match, we will try to keep hands that allow us to combo on turn three. I feel that it is a really even matchup in general. Our main threat is Karn the Great Creator, but if we can deal with this card, we should not have any problems in closing the game before turn five or six.
IN:
- 4 Witherbloom Command
OUT:
- 2 Can’t stay away
- 2 Sticher’s Supplier
Izzet Phoenix
This matchup is one of the hardest because Izzet Phoenix has the tools to interact with Greasefang Okibba from the start of the game. We'll need to have a good understanding of the board state and be able to find the correct window to execute our combo.
IN:
- 2 Unlicensed Hearse
- 4 Fatal Push
OUT:
- 2 Eldritch Evolution
- 4 Sticher’s Supplier
Rakdos Midrange
I've played this matchup many times and the winrate is favorable. Many of the Game 1s will be victories for us, but Rakdos midrange improves quite a bit after sideboarding. We'll be playing a more midrange game and trying to take small advantages that in the end will give us the victory.
IN:
- 3 Abrupt Decay
- 2 Knight of the Autumn
- 2 Witherbloom Command
OUT:
- 2 Eldritch Evolution
- 4 Sticher’s Supplier
- 1 Parhelion II
Mono White Humans
The matchup is quite favorable for us, especially in Game 1. However, after sideboarding they get access to Rest in Peace, which gives them an edge. But even with that, we have the answers we need to deal with it and develop our game in the early turns.
IN:
- 3 Abrupt Decay
- 4 Fatal Push
- 3 Witherbloom Command
OUT:
- 4 Thoughseize
- 2 Can’t Stay Away
- 2 Grisly Salvage
- 1 Parhelion II
Thank you for reading our article. We hope you have enjoyed it. We will be back next week with more great content. Thank you for your support!
If you liked this article maybe you will also find interesting on of the following ones Standard Rakdos Discover Deck & Sideboard Guide, Pioneer Monowhite Humans deck guide, Modern Izzet Murktide Tips Tricks & Sideboard Guide By Mogged
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MTGO Grinder
Alessandro Carvallo, better known as Cabezadebolo on MTGO, is a very well-known grinder and deckbuilder on MTGO. Carvallo has been playing Magic: The Gathering for many years and has been involved in the competitive scene since a long time.
