As I was writing about WW, one doubt surfaced. Sometime ago, when I played WW, I took out scroll racks (I play mono-white WW with land tax), because I felt that the combo was being overrated and it was hard to play and to keep this two card combo such as that one in play.
Thus, eventually I dropped scroll rack and sometime later I started using Null Rods which managed to win me games vs decks such as U/B control, Keeper and mono-blue (well, it didn't cripple keeper that much but it made it slow down considerably).
But the combo isn't impossible to get out, is it? After all, Parfait is based on it. And another thing was that after sometime of taxing I would run out of lands, and in more slower games this became very risky...
So, should I use tax-rack or null rod in my WW?
I use Null Rods, but I have a somewhat unorthodox style of making aggro decks in the first place. Land Tax can be used on its own as well, so it's possible to go with Scroll Rack maindeck and then side in Null Rods game two.
I thought about that as well. Packing rods in the SB and packing them in game two for scroll racks, since game 1 there's always the possibility that rods won't be usefull at all.
I can see the Rods being useful, but I agree that they should be SB. I've been playing mono white WW recently as well, and have found that while you CAN play around a Tax, its very hard to play around an active Tax/Rack.
As for running out of plains, always keep 3 in the deck (unless you immediatly plan to put some on top of your library). That way, you can Tax/Rack with for at least 3 cards each turn, and wont be too screwed if they blow a few lands up after you've discarded a bunch.
Rod is good though against Moxen, for I've lost games where I could keep them at 2 land (2 taxes out) but lost to 5 moxen and a Tolarian. And of course its good against Kegs, Scrolls, Masticores and other such nonsense. I am, however, still finding my build of 4 Tax, 3 Rack, 1 Tutor, and 5 Disenchant (3 Seals, 2 Abolish (*tech*)) to blow up any nasty artifact or enchantment, leaving only moxen to be dealt with. Either way, I'd just SB the Rods, cause they may not always be useful, while you can Rack (even without a Tax) to find whatever you need. HAVE FUN
-Eric
WK, after a while, you don't need to keep dropping lands. You can just put the three you taxed for right back on top of the library, and tax them back next turn. Over-taxing should only be a problem before you have the Rack out. Afterwards, it should be a matter of a colorless Ancestral every turn.
The Maxx
Null Rod isn't for Moxen.
What it does is give you breathing room against three artifacts that are underrated in Type I: Powder Keg, Masticore and Cursed Scroll.
Azhrei's streamlined U/B deck, for example, would have some of its strategy disrupted by Null Rod.
I still prefer Scroll Rack, mainly because my aim is to have decks that can play against whoever is hanging out in a card store when I drop by.
Rakso: I know the rod isn't for moxen. The two main artifacts I fight against are Powder Keg and Masticore. Shutting down moxen is a bonus.
Well, if you play with Nullrod Geddon certainly becomes a lot stonger. Personally I just think the Tax/Rack combo is overrated--as an aggro component anyways. Half the time you're dropping Racks and using mana to Tax/Rack you'd rather be playing threats. Land Tax is a great card on it's own and I'd only use 2 Racks max just in case the game stalls. I much, much prefer WW with Tithes and colors splashed. Without, at least, a second color (red or black) I don't think you can realistically expect to beat control with any sort of consistency.
--Matt
Well, I DID manage to beat control consistently thanks to Null Rods main. The problem is that vs decks such as Stompy, Sligh, etc... They're just plain useless. So it would seem that they would be better game 2.
I do like to splash, sure. I've made a WW with black and blue (no red, as far as I remember).
I'll gladly show it to you.
...
As soon as I find it...
White Knight: But that comment was not directed at you!