2 Dack Fayden
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Mystic Remora
4 Force of Will
1 Misdirection
3 Mana Drain
2 Spell Pierce
3 Flusterstorm
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Repeal
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Punishing Fire
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Life from the Loam
2 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Volcanic Island
1 Tropical Island
2 Island
2 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
Punishing Fire and Grove works wonders with Dack. So does Loam.
Repeal work great with Remora and Mindbreak Trap (you bounce opponent moxes so that their storm count goes up). Repeal is also really nice to use on a tapped SDT.
As you probably can see the whole deck is a big pile of cards that work well together.
I would NOT run this deck without the above power cards. Rushing out a Jace is how this deck wins. Dack works as intimidation and card filtration.
2014/06/25
2014/06/23
URg Dack
4 Delver of Secrets
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Dack Fayden
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Force of Will
2 Misdirection
3 Mana Drain
2 Mana Leak
3 Lightning Bolt
2 Gitaxian Probe
2 Gush
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Fire // Ice
2 Artifact spell
3 One mana counter
4 Utility Land/'s
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Black Lotus
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Volcanic Island
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Strip Mine
But why green?
The answears are Tarmogoyf and Ancient Grudge. You need very few green mana sources and get a super aggressive card and the best single answear to any artifact based deck. Green adds to the deck without really impacting the security of the manabase.
Ancient Grudge, Steel Sabotage and/or Hurkyl's Recall are all good choices for the artifact spells. I like AG the best because you can just discard it to Dack and flash it back for just one mana. Also having at least one two mana artifact spell is really important.
Utility land or lands can be anything like Wasteland, Karakas or manlands like Mishra's Factory Tower of the Magistrate or Worldwake manlands. Id have a couple of Crop Rotation in SB for Karakas.. the chance if it getting countered is close to none.
Creeping Tar Pit & Raging Ravine are the worldwake manlands I think are playable. You cant play 4 copies of these. Two copies would be a max and then fill the deck out with fetch and or islands depending on how scared you are of getting locked out via Wastelands.
They hit the right way in vintage; Both kill Jace-decks and they have that evade effect that ends long games.
One mana counter should be either Spell Pierce or Flusterstorm depending on how afraid of stax you are.
Gitaxian Probe gives you so much information it is just silly. Playing it for life turn one and then landing a Delver gives out the impression your hand is filled with force'es. And if the opponent doesnt know you dont play Mental Misstep.. they wont really dare to play any cmc1 spells before they got two counters.
Gush is really good with Dack and the deck is full with high effect spells so you can get away with having few lands in play.
Fire / Ice is a decent spell that is AWSOME with Dack's ultimate. Tapping Trinisphere eot?
The deck can also be played without power. Id add two more Gitaxian Probes and more fetches & basics. Three Wastelands and a Strip Mine should be OK for a powerless deck.
Sideboard should include something like three to six Blood Moon effects. Moment's Peace is also really good and a card noone would expect. Volcanic Fallout is kind of the same card as Moment's Peace if you have Tarmogoyf in the sideboard.
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Dack Fayden
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Force of Will
2 Misdirection
3 Mana Drain
2 Mana Leak
3 Lightning Bolt
2 Gitaxian Probe
2 Gush
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Fire // Ice
2 Artifact spell
3 One mana counter
4 Utility Land/'s
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Black Lotus
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Volcanic Island
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Strip Mine
But why green?
The answears are Tarmogoyf and Ancient Grudge. You need very few green mana sources and get a super aggressive card and the best single answear to any artifact based deck. Green adds to the deck without really impacting the security of the manabase.
Ancient Grudge, Steel Sabotage and/or Hurkyl's Recall are all good choices for the artifact spells. I like AG the best because you can just discard it to Dack and flash it back for just one mana. Also having at least one two mana artifact spell is really important.
Utility land or lands can be anything like Wasteland, Karakas or manlands like Mishra's Factory Tower of the Magistrate or Worldwake manlands. Id have a couple of Crop Rotation in SB for Karakas.. the chance if it getting countered is close to none.
Creeping Tar Pit & Raging Ravine are the worldwake manlands I think are playable. You cant play 4 copies of these. Two copies would be a max and then fill the deck out with fetch and or islands depending on how scared you are of getting locked out via Wastelands.
They hit the right way in vintage; Both kill Jace-decks and they have that evade effect that ends long games.
One mana counter should be either Spell Pierce or Flusterstorm depending on how afraid of stax you are.
Gitaxian Probe gives you so much information it is just silly. Playing it for life turn one and then landing a Delver gives out the impression your hand is filled with force'es. And if the opponent doesnt know you dont play Mental Misstep.. they wont really dare to play any cmc1 spells before they got two counters.
Gush is really good with Dack and the deck is full with high effect spells so you can get away with having few lands in play.
Fire / Ice is a decent spell that is AWSOME with Dack's ultimate. Tapping Trinisphere eot?
The deck can also be played without power. Id add two more Gitaxian Probes and more fetches & basics. Three Wastelands and a Strip Mine should be OK for a powerless deck.
Sideboard should include something like three to six Blood Moon effects. Moment's Peace is also really good and a card noone would expect. Volcanic Fallout is kind of the same card as Moment's Peace if you have Tarmogoyf in the sideboard.
2014/06/19
Conspiracy
So conspiracy has been out for a while.. For vintage its got like one good card and two cards thats a wee bit worse then already printed cards.
I love the reprints! Its really nice to get more of the played cards to the cardpool. Brainstorm should cost close to nothing imho. Also some of the artwork is great updates (Natures Claim).
Council's Judgment - well it removes planeswalkers and Emra's but there are already really good answear to other bombs. I dont see where it could see play.
Split Decision - OH! A Fork that can do something more! And with a better manacost!
But then again Fork is a shit cards now and counters for 2 have to be really effing good to be worth playing (seen a playset Mana Drain been played lately? Not?). Shit card and you should defriend people that think this is a good card.
Dack Fayden
This is probably the best card printed since I dont know when.. Flusterstorm prolly.
The first ability is crazy. Sure the first turn its shit but the following turns its just amazing. Combined with Ancestral and Gush.. awsome.
The second ability is what makes the card so insane. Now when a player has a turn one blue land or fetch and a mox the opponent cant be sure to go turn one Tinker. Combining a key-lock has to be done in one turn. I mean the worst thing you can steal is a manasource.
The hardest impact this card will make is the fear-factor. It is two of the most common colors so getting a third splash color will be real easy. I like green because you only need the one source for a couple of Ancient Grudge (two if you got the mox), but really any color adds a spark.
Oh yea there is a -6 ability but its not that awsome except when combined with Fire/Ice and Lightning Bolt, if the critters survive.
I love the reprints! Its really nice to get more of the played cards to the cardpool. Brainstorm should cost close to nothing imho. Also some of the artwork is great updates (Natures Claim).
Council's Judgment - well it removes planeswalkers and Emra's but there are already really good answear to other bombs. I dont see where it could see play.
Split Decision - OH! A Fork that can do something more! And with a better manacost!
But then again Fork is a shit cards now and counters for 2 have to be really effing good to be worth playing (seen a playset Mana Drain been played lately? Not?). Shit card and you should defriend people that think this is a good card.
Dack Fayden
This is probably the best card printed since I dont know when.. Flusterstorm prolly.
The first ability is crazy. Sure the first turn its shit but the following turns its just amazing. Combined with Ancestral and Gush.. awsome.
The second ability is what makes the card so insane. Now when a player has a turn one blue land or fetch and a mox the opponent cant be sure to go turn one Tinker. Combining a key-lock has to be done in one turn. I mean the worst thing you can steal is a manasource.
The hardest impact this card will make is the fear-factor. It is two of the most common colors so getting a third splash color will be real easy. I like green because you only need the one source for a couple of Ancient Grudge (two if you got the mox), but really any color adds a spark.
Oh yea there is a -6 ability but its not that awsome except when combined with Fire/Ice and Lightning Bolt, if the critters survive.
2014/06/06
NO Depths
Been busy so havnt been able to update the blog.. will try to do it more often from now on.
Something is missing but I dont know what. Id rather not play blue in all the decks but this deck really loves being blue instead of black/white (ie B/U/G).
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Magus of the Vineyard
1 Progenitus
1 Worldspine Wurm
3 Qasali Pridemage
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Natural Order
4 Crop Rotation
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Skullclamp
4 Thoughtseize
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Duress
2 Bayou
2 Savannah
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Wooded Foothills
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Ancient Tomb
2 Dark Depths
3 Thespian's Stage
Something is missing but I dont know what. Id rather not play blue in all the decks but this deck really loves being blue instead of black/white (ie B/U/G).
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Magus of the Vineyard
1 Progenitus
1 Worldspine Wurm
3 Qasali Pridemage
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Natural Order
4 Crop Rotation
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Skullclamp
4 Thoughtseize
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Duress
2 Bayou
2 Savannah
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Wooded Foothills
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Ancient Tomb
2 Dark Depths
3 Thespian's Stage
2014/05/30
RG Beats
2 Porcelain Legionnaire
4 Magus of the Moon
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Mayor of Avabruck
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
2 Viashino Heretic
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Blood Moon
2 Seal of Primordium
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Sylvan Library
1 Trinisphere
1 Lotus Petal
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Windswept Heath
2 Arid Mesa
4 Taiga
1 Mountain
1 Forest
Lots of variations can be made.
I like the manabase to be 20-24 lands and like 90% of the rest of the deck should be cards that either hinder the opponent (Moons/Revoker) or destroy their permanents.
The destroy effects must also be card-economy-spells.. Since you are giving up playing with the most effective spells (YawgWin/Bob/Snapcaster/planeswalkers) you balance it out with playing economy (in any way possible). A critter that can both destroy the opponents permanents and do damage.. sweet. Or just Ancient Grudge that wins games by itself.
Seal of Primordium is added because I really like the way it threatens the opponent. Sure its two mana and sure they know whats coming but it is really effective. (Its kind of like a Gitaxian Probe when you've played it.. the opponents every move will signal what they got in their hand and what their gameplan is).
Mayor of Avabruck & Burning-Tree Emissary? One becomes a fatty and is good against stax and the other guy is free to cast.
What is missing from the deck is Thorn of Amethyst and possibly even Winter Orb. I just couldnt fit them in.
Oh and -1 Taiga, +1 Plateau is also pretty good.
4 Magus of the Moon
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Mayor of Avabruck
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
2 Viashino Heretic
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Blood Moon
2 Seal of Primordium
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Sylvan Library
1 Trinisphere
1 Lotus Petal
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Windswept Heath
2 Arid Mesa
4 Taiga
1 Mountain
1 Forest
Lots of variations can be made.
I like the manabase to be 20-24 lands and like 90% of the rest of the deck should be cards that either hinder the opponent (Moons/Revoker) or destroy their permanents.
The destroy effects must also be card-economy-spells.. Since you are giving up playing with the most effective spells (YawgWin/Bob/Snapcaster/planeswalkers) you balance it out with playing economy (in any way possible). A critter that can both destroy the opponents permanents and do damage.. sweet. Or just Ancient Grudge that wins games by itself.
Seal of Primordium is added because I really like the way it threatens the opponent. Sure its two mana and sure they know whats coming but it is really effective. (Its kind of like a Gitaxian Probe when you've played it.. the opponents every move will signal what they got in their hand and what their gameplan is).
Mayor of Avabruck & Burning-Tree Emissary? One becomes a fatty and is good against stax and the other guy is free to cast.
What is missing from the deck is Thorn of Amethyst and possibly even Winter Orb. I just couldnt fit them in.
Oh and -1 Taiga, +1 Plateau is also pretty good.
2014/05/19
The big blue sea
The thought is big blue critters and a few counters.
Explosive manabase is a must!
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
3 Mox Opal
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
3-4 Ancient Tomb
2-3 City of Traitors
Gotta have some counters..
Force of Will, Misdirection.. Mana Drain maybe.. Mana Leak OH YES.. some fillings probably
So then something like:
4 Force of Will
3 Misdirection
2 Mana Drain.. possibly three
4 Mana Leak
Cute shit:
Tinker, Blightsteel Colossus, Expedition Map (Thespian's Stage+Dark Depths). Time Walk, maybe Ancestral Recall, maybe Thirst for Knowledge, Tezzeret U/UB.
1 Tinker
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Thirst for Knowledge
Critters!
Crystalline Nautilus, Esperzoa, Sea Drake, Imaginary Pet, Gathan Raiders, Fathom Seer, Phantasmal Image, Lodestone Golem, Arcbound Ravager, Phyrexian Revoker, Porcelain Legionnaire.
Illusory Angel (comboish with Esperzoa)
So to the final product;
1 Blightsteel Colossus
4 Illusory Angel
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Lodestone Golem
2 Porcelain Legionnaire
3 Sea Drake
4 Force of Will
3 Misdirection
4 Mana Leak
1 Tinker
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Expedition Map
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
3 Mox Opal
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
3 Ancient Tomb
2 City of Traitors
1 Tolarian Academy
8 Island
Lots of 0-1 artifacts and 2C-lands should accelerate the mana so that at least 6 critter can be cast the first turn.
Playing Chrome Mox gets you that sweet blue mana turn one but with 7 cards that pitch another card.. naa.
Porcelain Legionnaire is the man.. dies to just about any targetting spell but can also block almost any other critter in the format.
Lodestone Golem is in more or less just because you have that kind of mana and theres really no other large critter at that manacost in color.
Expedition Map works as both an artifact and the best way to accelerate mana. After SB it can fetch Depth-combo or Academy Ruins.
See this post as a bit of a teaser. With the groundwork in this post a whole lot of different decks can be built.. anything from UB depth-control (budget possibility!) to straight up aggressive affinity-type deck.
Explosive manabase is a must!
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
3 Mox Opal
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
3-4 Ancient Tomb
2-3 City of Traitors
Gotta have some counters..
Force of Will, Misdirection.. Mana Drain maybe.. Mana Leak OH YES.. some fillings probably
So then something like:
4 Force of Will
3 Misdirection
2 Mana Drain.. possibly three
4 Mana Leak
Cute shit:
Tinker, Blightsteel Colossus, Expedition Map (Thespian's Stage+Dark Depths). Time Walk, maybe Ancestral Recall, maybe Thirst for Knowledge, Tezzeret U/UB.
1 Tinker
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Thirst for Knowledge
Critters!
Crystalline Nautilus, Esperzoa, Sea Drake, Imaginary Pet, Gathan Raiders, Fathom Seer, Phantasmal Image, Lodestone Golem, Arcbound Ravager, Phyrexian Revoker, Porcelain Legionnaire.
Illusory Angel (comboish with Esperzoa)
So to the final product;
1 Blightsteel Colossus
4 Illusory Angel
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Lodestone Golem
2 Porcelain Legionnaire
3 Sea Drake
4 Force of Will
3 Misdirection
4 Mana Leak
1 Tinker
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Expedition Map
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
3 Mox Opal
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
3 Ancient Tomb
2 City of Traitors
1 Tolarian Academy
8 Island
Lots of 0-1 artifacts and 2C-lands should accelerate the mana so that at least 6 critter can be cast the first turn.
Playing Chrome Mox gets you that sweet blue mana turn one but with 7 cards that pitch another card.. naa.
Porcelain Legionnaire is the man.. dies to just about any targetting spell but can also block almost any other critter in the format.
Lodestone Golem is in more or less just because you have that kind of mana and theres really no other large critter at that manacost in color.
Expedition Map works as both an artifact and the best way to accelerate mana. After SB it can fetch Depth-combo or Academy Ruins.
See this post as a bit of a teaser. With the groundwork in this post a whole lot of different decks can be built.. anything from UB depth-control (budget possibility!) to straight up aggressive affinity-type deck.
2014/05/16
Enchantment aggressor
Trimming the deck.
3 Dryad Militant
3 Nyxborn Shieldmate
4 Spirit of the Labyrinth
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Qasali Pridemage
1 Aegis of the Gods
4 Eidolon of Countless Battles
2 Enlightened Tutor
1 Rest in Peace
4 Ethereal Armor
1 Oblivion Ring
4 Aether Vial
3 Sterling Grove
4 Utopia Sprawl
3 Wild Growth
3 Savannah
4 Windswept Heath
2 Forest
5 Plains
2 Serra's Sanctum
Getting 2-1'd is bad mkay. When playing a budget deck where every card counts you do not want to get in to possitions where a 2-1 is likely. This means trimming away a couple of spells.
Sterling Grove is bad with Ethereal Armor and bestow-critters.
So I start by removing a couple of these spells. -3 EA, -2 SG. I feel youd like to cast one of either once in a while. SG+AotG is foolproof vs Jace & Lightning Bolt. Add in a Spirit or RiP and you got a party!
Being able to cast a Ethereal Armor in a long game is just.. too good.
Serra's Sanctum is a risk, -2 SS. I feel 3 Savannah could just open up too much for decks with Wasteland to get at you so -1 Savannah.
Without playtesting I think 4 EoCB is good. They are THE killcon. Also happy with the number of cmc1-critters.
Pridemage is pretty sweet..
Cant really see any more trims I want to do. I like the landauras better than Noble Heirach or equals because they are really hard to kill.
So here comes the fun part.. what can now fit in!
Its 5 spell- and 3 land-slots open.
The lands will be filled with fetchlands. Fetch dont get Stifle'd in vintage so they are great at defending against landlocks.
For spells two great cards are Porcelain Legionnaire & Spider Umbra. PL is huge and totem armor is just unfair at times. +2 PL +1 SU.
+1 Enlightened Tutor, +1 Oblivion Ring will be the last slots.
3 Dryad Militant
3 Nyxborn Shieldmate
4 Spirit of the Labyrinth
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Qasali Pridemage
1 Aegis of the Gods
4 Eidolon of Countless Battles
2 Porcelain Legionnaire
3 Enlightened Tutor
1 Rest in Peace
1 Ethereal Armor
1 Spider Umbra
2 Oblivion Ring
4 Aether Vial
1 Sterling Grove
4 Utopia Sprawl
3 Wild Growth
2 Savannah
4 Windswept Heath
2 Forest
5 Plains
2 Marsh Flats
1 Verdant Catacombs
Yes I thought about Stony Silence and I just think its shit. Locking offcolor moxes? No thanks.. Id rather have a threat.
3 Dryad Militant
3 Nyxborn Shieldmate
4 Spirit of the Labyrinth
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Qasali Pridemage
1 Aegis of the Gods
4 Eidolon of Countless Battles
2 Enlightened Tutor
1 Rest in Peace
4 Ethereal Armor
1 Oblivion Ring
4 Aether Vial
3 Sterling Grove
4 Utopia Sprawl
3 Wild Growth
3 Savannah
4 Windswept Heath
2 Forest
5 Plains
2 Serra's Sanctum
Getting 2-1'd is bad mkay. When playing a budget deck where every card counts you do not want to get in to possitions where a 2-1 is likely. This means trimming away a couple of spells.
Sterling Grove is bad with Ethereal Armor and bestow-critters.
So I start by removing a couple of these spells. -3 EA, -2 SG. I feel youd like to cast one of either once in a while. SG+AotG is foolproof vs Jace & Lightning Bolt. Add in a Spirit or RiP and you got a party!
Being able to cast a Ethereal Armor in a long game is just.. too good.
Serra's Sanctum is a risk, -2 SS. I feel 3 Savannah could just open up too much for decks with Wasteland to get at you so -1 Savannah.
Without playtesting I think 4 EoCB is good. They are THE killcon. Also happy with the number of cmc1-critters.
Pridemage is pretty sweet..
Cant really see any more trims I want to do. I like the landauras better than Noble Heirach or equals because they are really hard to kill.
So here comes the fun part.. what can now fit in!
Its 5 spell- and 3 land-slots open.
The lands will be filled with fetchlands. Fetch dont get Stifle'd in vintage so they are great at defending against landlocks.
For spells two great cards are Porcelain Legionnaire & Spider Umbra. PL is huge and totem armor is just unfair at times. +2 PL +1 SU.
+1 Enlightened Tutor, +1 Oblivion Ring will be the last slots.
3 Dryad Militant
3 Nyxborn Shieldmate
4 Spirit of the Labyrinth
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Qasali Pridemage
1 Aegis of the Gods
4 Eidolon of Countless Battles
2 Porcelain Legionnaire
3 Enlightened Tutor
1 Rest in Peace
1 Ethereal Armor
1 Spider Umbra
2 Oblivion Ring
4 Aether Vial
1 Sterling Grove
4 Utopia Sprawl
3 Wild Growth
2 Savannah
4 Windswept Heath
2 Forest
5 Plains
2 Marsh Flats
1 Verdant Catacombs
Yes I thought about Stony Silence and I just think its shit. Locking offcolor moxes? No thanks.. Id rather have a threat.
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