feat: woe update

_posts/2023-09-01-altar-quick-update.markdown

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Altar Tron: WOE update"
+date: 2023-08-01 18:00:00 +0200
+categories: article
+published: True
+permalink: /altar/post-woe-release
+image: https://cards.scryfall.io/art_crop/front/1/b/1be6786e-0569-42dd-b03c-82da7b32a14f.jpg?1692937818
+---
+
+# Is Altar still viable?
+
+![Rowan's Grim Search](https://cards.scryfall.io/art_crop/front/1/b/1be6786e-0569-42dd-b03c-82da7b32a14f.jpg?1692937818)
+
+> PER FAVORE NON PIANGERE, NON CI RIMANERE MAAAALE
+
+# Table of Contents
+
+1. [Introduction](#introduction)
+2. [The deck](#the-deck)
+3. [The meta](#the-meta)
+4. [Wrap up](#wrap-up)
+5. [Review history](#review-history)
+
+## Introduction
+
+After quite some time I finally had time to play some pauper both online and irl, piloting my beloved Altar Tron, which
+I didn't play much since Paupergeddon Florence.
+I didn't grind a lot, because I played only a paper tournament, three LPTAA leagues and a bunch of MTGO leagues, but all
+of them were after the release of Commander Masters, which shook the format introducing new and busted cards that I
+didn't have time to face yet.
+New decks emerged from the aforementioned releases: the most notable ones are UW Artifacts, MonoR Sticker and monoU
+terror, all of them gaining some powerful cards (that none asked for).
+After facing multiple times these decks, I have visualized how Altar Tron is positioned, and I
+wanted to write a quick update for write down some thoughts.
+
+**Spoiler**: No good news :(
+
+## The Meta
+
+Now the meta seems to be warped around few decks, which are:
+
+1. MonoR Sticker
+2. UW Glitters
+3. MonoU/UB Terrors
+4. Caw Gates
+
+Obviously there are others contenders, such as RG Ponza, Boros Synth and BG Gardens, and depeding on where you play (
+local leagues, irl tournaments, online), the meta change.
+
+That being said, I faced multiple times these 'new' decks, and this is the conclusions I came up with:
+
+- **UW Glitter**: This match up is highly unfavored, I didn't win a single game against this archetype and the only
+  matches I was able to take down were non-game where he didn't draw nothing relevant and I quickly assemble tron + the
+  combo. This match up concludes when ATG connects, no matter your plays.
+  **Record**: 1-4
+-
+- **MonoR Kuldotha**: '_____ Goblin' gives the deck another busted opening, where a T3 goblin into whatever is just a
+  match lost. MonoR historically was a 50/50 match up, but the addition of card draw and this ritual boi strengthrn the
+  match up on monoR side. Altar now lose on average to t1 Swiftspear + multiple spells, t3 ____ Goblin + whatever and/or
+  combinations of these.
+  **Record**: 2-5
+
+- **Terror**: Cryptic Serpent is just a better Gurmag Angler, so the deck plays a more lean plan. Easier to play 5/5,
+  better manabase and Delver of secrets lead to more problematic games. T1 delver + interaction is probably enough to
+  win most of the games, and also fast 5/5 with protections are just unwinnable. One thing I noticed is that the match
+  up is also influenced by the skill of the player: the more skilled is the player, the more Altar tron struggle to win.
+  **Record**: 5-3
+
+These three, most dominant decks rn, have strategies that are better, leaner and faster than Altar Tron plan: this is no
+good news.
+
+### TLDR:
+
+| Decks          | Main strategy         | Average turn kill | Sideboard                           | How to beat them                         | 
+|----------------|-----------------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
+| MonoR Kuldotha | Combat + spell damage | 3-4               | Artifact hate, occasionally gy hate | Fast tron + Weather + opponent bad draws |
+| UW Glitters    | Combat                | 3-4               | Counter, occasionally artifact hate | Fast tron            + no Glitter        |
+| Terror         | Combat                | 5-7               | Counter                             | Fast tron + draw spell                   |
+
+| Type of tournaments | Win | Lose | Total | Win percentage |
+|---------------------|-----|------|-------|----------------|
+| IPT Leagues         | 7   | 8    | 15    | 46%            |
+| MTGO leagues        | 13  | 12   | 25    | 50%            | 
+| Radioatog team trio | 2   | 3    | 5     | 40%            | 
+
+Results aren't stellar: on the time period of Paupergeddon Milan (one moth prior - one month after), I was on something
+lie 68% win rate combined paper and online.
+
+## The deck
+
+![the deck](_site/altar-quick-update/the_list.png)
+
+> The list I'm currently playing
+
+My maindeck idea is to play it full combo, playing cards that tries to make fast Tron and assemble the combo as fast as
+possible.
+
+Some card discussion:
+
+- **Candy Trail**: At first glance I had big hopes on this card, and I played it a lot in my lists: it helps you to
+  assemble tron and find good cards, but most of the time is more or less an updated version of 'Introduction to
+  Prophecy'.
+
+- **Rowan Grim's Search**: It's the best option for make value and digging for combo pieces, it has a good synergy with
+  Moments Peace and Myr Retriver and helps in the grindy match ups. It's bigger weakness is that without bargain, is not
+  such a great card. I was very reluctant to play it but a very good player friends of mine states that 'It's
+  essentially Dig Through Time of pauper', which convinced me instantly (not fully yet).
+
+The sideboard is mainly composed by cards that lets you survive the early turns.
+Gigadrowse + Wizard's Rocket is my wet dream and can be used to comboing off over multiple counterspells: I chose this
+set up because I think there isn't space for a full set of Duress.
+Sideboarding is more or less the one described in my previous article of Altar Tron.
+
+## Wrap up
+
+In conclusion, the new deck that emerges from the latest expansions are all bad match ups for Altar Tron, which puts the
+deck in a worst spot than in the previous meta.
+
+Is the deck still viable? I really don't know, since it continues to put good tournament placement both in irl
+tournaments and in LPI leagues in contrast of my paper and online results.
+Probably I'm not on the the optimal list route, but I'm refusing to play a deck with only 2 Altar in a 'go fast or die'
+meta and/or with a full set of a Rowan Grim Search where, most of the time, on T3 you are on the verge of dying (if not
+just dead)
+
+The only hope is to have the metagame evolve on the midrange path, where decks get slower and more grindier for be
+better prepared in the later turns and sideboards increasingly aquire more Red elemental blast / Blue elemental blast in
+favor of artifact removal and/or gy hate.
+
+My brain says that Altar Tron is not a viable deck anymore, but my heart tell me to still put works in it, both for the
+love for the deck and the fact that I don't know how to play others decks :).
+
+My advice?
+
+**Keep touching pallette (small artifact balls made of steel that cycle for a small amount of invested mana).**
+
+## Review history
+
+_2023-09-01 18:00:00_ : First publication
+
+----
+> My articles will always be open source, free and reproducible. My writings will always be discussion material, and my
+> opinions can be debated and refuted.