Crack the Earth
x4
2
Executioner
x2
2
Reweave
x4
2
Temple Looter
x3
3
Auralian Merchant
x4
3
Pearl Abbey Smuggler
x4
4
Imperial Loyalist
x4
Justice Sigil
x22
Time Sigil
x24
Crest of Progress
x4
View Deck on Shiftstoned
I've played this deck quite a few times now, as well as similar Kanya/Executioner decks in the past, and can say with great certainty that I'd much rather have some answer to Tocas than useless Cuno.
So wanted to share my take on it: swapped Cuno which didn't cut it for me neither defensively nor for the combo, never found the window to use his contract like ever, for Moonstone Vanguard (card draw and endurance but very susceptible to removal) or Krogar, Burdened Hero (better overall, more consistent, silence is neat).
And 3 Temple Looters for 3 Grand Builder or Wasteland Brokers. The idea for those is to have more 4 drops and to have a maindeck solution to drawing executioners, plus being quite good defensively too. Also because the ramp makes it not very punishing to have more 4 drops. And a detail is that it's more likely to get combo pieces with Grazer.
Also cut to 22 Time and 20 Justice to add 4 Amber waystones, because hp :).
That's about it :) glhf
"It can kill Tocas (and potentially other units that might prove a problem), while simultaneously both dissuading the opponent from playing it again immediately and making them deal with it, so that you can prepare to go off the turn after."
I did consider Krogar, but it can't deal with Tocas if it gets twisted, and Goliath Axe seems like a better fit in general.
Putting in 4 copies of Amber Waystone seems good, though. Not as sure about replacing the copies of Temple Looter, but I see the logic, just worried it might be a bit slow. I'll try it.
About the Temple looters, I think the 4 drops make the combo more reliable and faster overall, but yea might be tougher vs aggro.
Grazer is clearly the better card, but in most cases you have to play the 5 drop and give the opponent 1 extra turn which can be enough to have it die especially vs heavy removal deck. Aggro is also a problem.
Tbh we only need 4 drop for fast exchange and was looking for sustainability through corrupt, regen and aegis mechanics. Coperhall elite is the best after searching. Can be marketed by all merchants, allows to combo 1 turn faster, is a big body and has same first time protection as corrupt. Crack the earth will become ofc a bit worse. I would consider cutting Kuno.. Haven't seen Kuno's effect be useful outside of niche occasions, the opponent has to be playing a really slow deck for meto be able to put a card on top and pray Kuno survives one more turn to Fair exchanged. Also why we run 2 executioners? If you draw both like it happened on one of my gaunlet mulligans you dead. A 3rd one seems to bea good call imo.
I have been experimenting with Aamri's choice instead of Temple Looter. I went with 3 executioners btw for 1 less resource. I can trigger pledge from Loyalist and also the mode that silences and put enemy unit into hand stalls similarly to temple looter. I also cut Kuno for Copperhall Elite on market.
The 8 power play you describe is actually worse than this play: 5 power, play the grazer on their end step, avoiding non-fast removal. Then on your turn you can pass if you already have Exchange, or play 6th power and play Merchant to get Exchange, then pass. You don't lose to fast removal at the end of your turn, because of corrupt. You then respond to non-fast removal with Exchange, or wait until the end of their turn (if you wouldn't die in combat).
While you can Exchange a 4 drop for Kanya, the 5 mana cards are simply better options (for a number of reasons) than any printed 4 drops.
Reason 1: Crack the Earth is an amazing card in this deck. It can serve multiple functions, including ramp from Arc of Sol, always getting Grazer (and occasionally Cuno) Effectively making these cards cost 4 in the long run anyways. Obviously a 1/1 can be useful against an aggro deck. Another function it has is avoiding the Insta-lose situation of drawing both Executioners. Using Crack the Earth you can put an Executioner into market and get Cuno. Exchange can be used to play Executioner, then play Cuno and rebuy Exchange.
Copperhall Elite is competing for the 4 slot with Imperial Loyalist, and obviously Loyalist is winning that competition. It doesn't have ambush so it doesn't hold a candle to Grazer or Cuno.
Executioner is a terrible card to draw, for multiple reasons. 2 is the perfect number for the deck, as having 1 is too risky (and can't beat a high life total like 2 can) and 3 would be a higher chance of actually drawing the dud. You don't lose to drawing both (like I outlined above)
I've played probably ~100 games with this deck, and am in Masters. I love making my own decks and tinkering. I've tried to make adjustments to this deck, but I seriously think it's perfect and any change made would be for the worse.
The 8 power play allows to play around removal in particular regarding Cuno. Opponent has clearly better board than this deck, what stops him from keeping a fast spell on his turn to kill Cuno. Grazer is the perfect card instead, it can also be used as ambush while enemy attacks and bring a random blocker from deck. If you would block with him or not depends on the situation but I avoid having it die in combat.
Regarding 2nd paragraph. Crack the earth is great especially with Arc and in particular nececcary for Grazer but Cuno is really a bad card. What you describe works in theory vs really slow decks. I played 7 gaunlets testing the deck but on its raw form and with minor changes and never managed to complete it which is an indication that the deck self destructs in some games. The deck has hands that loses by itself or very small disruption and gets stomped by aggro. I got stomped by AI playing pytroknight and frontier jitto... Also is not like you make much board presence to last one extra turn playing Cuno eot and having him survive. Elite comes faster and has protection similar to Grazer. Elite is on market replacing Cuno not main deck contesting Loyalist. And doesn't need ambush it has protection. Ambush is pointless besides the combo, is only useful to dodge non fast removal. Literally besides torch and sweepers most decks run fast removal and Elite stops sweepers as well. Plus being able to block 1 turn earlier with a 4/4 or stop an enemy attack is quite significant.
I lost 2 times while drawing 2 exectioners from gaunlet. Gaunlet won't let you mulligan to 6 and I had both executioners on opening hand. Having to market Executioner into Fair exchange, then playing Cuno eot to put Fair exchange top and praying he survives is too many variables. If you don't die on board by then I don't know what the opponent is doing. Unless he play a slow control deck without counters staying behind aegis waiting for his weapons, I find it hard that it beats proper midrange decks let alone aggro.
Aamri's choice is way better than Temple Looter as well.
Looter will stall 1 ground enemy without overwhelm for 1 turn and draw 1 card which is most likely a resource.
Aamri's choice can trigger renown geting executioner without shift unfortunately. it can buff one of the potatoes we run as blockers, even a cultist or an a auralian. It can stop enemy units with evasion, buffs or or weapons on them stalling usually for 1 more round. More significant than 1 block and 1 draw from the looter imo.
Yes you can sacrifice looter to get executioner but ususally is used for blocking and a mechant is sacrificed for reweave.
Deck had 0 participation on May major event where people actually play for money, that actually must tell you something, if my opinion is invalid why noone from the people actually contesting for money play it? .
Smart Auto-Pass be dumb.
It seems only to go off if I have an option to block.
If everything that swings has wings, no Fair Exchange. If everything is unblockable, no Fair Exchange. It will also react to end of turn triggers, but seemingly only ones that involve your own creatures. It also doesn't react to your opponent's fast, or normal spells.
That aside, against any kind of kill or discard package, this thing gets destroyed. It's a really fun and cool deck, and I wish I saw more like it, but it can only handle a small amount of disruption. What it can handle though, it does very well.
In regard to targeted removal and hand disruption, there are a number of interesting counterplay options. Using Reweave lets you get an executioner that cant be targeted. Kanya only needs to enter the battlefield to start the combo, it does not need to be on the battlefield for the combo to continue. In regards to hand disruption, being able to hide cards in the market via crack the earth can be effective. Since the card you *need* to win (Fair Exchange) lives in the market, you can leave it there until the turn you cast it, to avoid hand disruption. Also, a neat play I've done, when they've caught me with Fair Exchange in hand, is to Fair Exchange in response to an Exploit, to switch the Grazer with Cuno, and putting Fair Exchange on top of the deck.
And yeah, I've made some interesting "hide the card in my hand" plays with Crack. Super useful. That's a sick play with the Grazer and Cuno switch though.
It's just that early game discard/kill that seems to foil any plans.
One game, someone used a kill spell on the damn Cultist from Crack the Earth. When I finally got out the Smuggler, kill spell.
I wasn't able to keep anything in play.
And as far as early game hand disruption, it's almost impossible to come back from back-to-back Exploits. One is manageable. Even the kill spells are alright until they're casting their third and fourth ones. Haha.
I've been tempted to just sandbag my whole hand until I have enough power to do it all in one go. (I think ten power is the earliest you can go off if you play nothing else beforehand. 3 for Merchant/Smuggler, 4 for Loyalist, and 3 more on their turn for Exchange.) But that will probably never pan out. Hah.
But wait.. Kanya can come out to start the triggers, but then leave, and the triggers will keep going??
Yes Kanya only needs to touch the battlefield for the combo to happen. So if your Executioner is shifted, they cannot stop it with spot removal.
Also, this combo beats aegis.
Early game hand disruption can be bad, but everything important lives in the market.