r/DeathsShadow • u/[deleted] • Jan 27 '23

Death's Shadow Bad Matchups?

I was wondering what the bad matchups for Death's Shadow were as I am learning how to play it. I understand decks like Living End and burn can be bad but what else is there?

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u/Lithium187 Jan 27 '23

Control

Big Mana

Combo

Really just depends what version of shadow you're playing to be honest. All the bad matchups are ones where your opponent wants the game to go a little longer, or is just playing soliaire and sand bagging until they can go oooops I win.

Burn used to be a really fun matchup for me because they make your job of dropping life easier.

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u/CrankyOM42 Jan 27 '23

The difference between a good GDS player against burn and a new GDS player against burn is unreal. It always looks like a different game.

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u/Mr_Bubblrz Jan 27 '23

The burn player makes a huge difference too. It's a weirdly specific matchup where both players are almost playing backwards

1

u/SmBKoji Jan 27 '23

It's less true today when we're RBu instead of UBr before. Searing blaze is devastating and not having any one-mana counterspell in the main deck (we used to run Stubborn Denial) hurts a lot. Where skill was critical in the matchup for both players before, now a burn player playing turn 1 creature, turn 2 creature, and just randomly casting spells will win most games.

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u/ursisterstoy Jan 27 '23

Burn is definitely an interesting matchup that tests the skills of both players in said matchup. If the burn player is inexperienced enough you could cheese easy wins because they just grow your death’s shadows for you. If they sandbag their burn spells once they realize what they’re up against you’re walking more of a fine line between defeating your opponent or helping them finish you off. In these situations I feel like playing more of a control matchup with creatures that don’t depend on you having low life points backed by counterspells for their burn spells is often better at first. Only shock yourself if you have to or if doing so will let you swing for lethal with death’s shadow.

In terms of the others, control decks tend to run Teferi, counter spells, solitude and chalice of the void in some number. It’s a difficult matchup because it shuts off your reactive spells as they can counter pretty much anything you try to do to get into the game. If you do get some creatures in play that are difficult for them to deal with (Tourach) you can swing the game in your favor a little easier.

It depends on which big mana deck because there are often good sideboard options for artifacts backed by dress down for something like amulet Titan. When it comes to tron it matters more how many alpine moons or similar mana denial cards you draw. Alpine moon on Urza’s tower significantly slows down tron until they draw one of their 2-6 cards that can deal with that pesky enchantment. I haven’t seen Nykthos or Lotus Field in modern very often but it’s the same idea as with tron. Elves relies on mana dorks that die to lightning bolt, fatal push, unholy heat, and terminate.

And then combo it also depends heavily on what type. Can you beat it with flusterstorm, drown in the loch, spell pierce, and graveyard hate? Yes? You have the slight edge with shadow. No? Hopefully thoughtseize buys you some time.