[Blue] RUG Delver

[B.C.]

I'm not any kind of expert with this deck, but it is a major player in the metagame, so it needs a thread. I'll just post a few lists from recent tournaments (including one of mine):

BC (from Vacaville, 7/28):
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Delver of Secrets
2 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Gush
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
3 Preordain
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Time Walk
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Fastbond
2 Trygon Predator
2 Tarmogoyf
1 Ancient Grudge
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
3 Volcanic Island

Sideboard:
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Flusterstorm
3 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Ingot Chewer
1 Mountain
3 Nature's Claim
1 Red Elemental Blast
2 Steel Sabotage
1 Threads of Disloyalty


Ryan Glackin (from Northeast Vintage Series, 7/21):
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Delver of Secrets
2 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Gush
1 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
2 Preordain
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Steel Sabotage
1 Time Walk
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Dead/Gone
1 Trygon Predator
1 Nature's Claim
3 Tarmogoyf
1 Ancient Grudge
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Island
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Tropical Island
3 Volcanic Island

Sideboard:
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Forest
4 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Grim Lavamancer
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Mountain
1 Nature's Claim
1 Tarmogoyf
2 Tormod's Crypt


Valerio Visco (from Rome, 7/14):
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
3 Delver of Secrets
2 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
3 Gush
1 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Mana Drain
3 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Spell Snare
1 Time Walk
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Regrowth
3 Tarmogoyf
1 Flooded Strand
3 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Tropical Island

Sideboard:
1 Arcane Laboratory
1 Flusterstorm
1 Forest
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Nature's Claim
1 Pithing Needle
1 Tarmogoyf
3 Trygon Predator
1 Umezawa's Jitte


Marc Bertolin (from Liga Maná Infinito de Vintage, 7/7)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Delver of Secrets
2 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Gush
3 Mental Misstep
3 Preordain
3 Snapcaster Mage
3 Spell Pierce
2 Steel Sabotage
1 Time Walk
2 Trygon Predator
3 Tarmogoyf
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Island
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Tropical Island
3 Volcanic Island

Sideboard:
1 Ancient Grudge
4 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Mountain
3 Nature's Claim
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ravenous Trap

[TheElvishPiper]

I noticed that the first list was your own. Are there any changes you would make to the deck?

[socialite]

Blaine,
Why do you feel RUG is well positioned in the current meta? GI and I did some testing, I've run Soly's list in two weekly events and I wasn't too impressed. I was under the assumption that RUG had solid game against Workshops yet I found the Espresso match to be an utter nightmare.

Also, have you tried the mid range version posted on TMD?

4 Delver of Secrets
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Snapcaster Mage
3 Trygon Predator
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Vendilion Clique

1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Island
1 Forest
3 Volcanic Island
3 Tropical Island
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine

2 Spell Pierce
2 Mental Misstep
4 Force of Will
1 Steel Sabotage
2 Nature's Claim
4 Lightning Bolt

1 Ponder
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

SB: 4 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 2 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 2 Pyroblast
SB: 1 Red Elemental Blast
SB: 2 Ingot Chewer
SB: 3 Forked Bolt
SB: 1 Mountain

[TheElvishPiper]

Blaine,
Why do you feel RUG is well positioned in the current meta? GI and I did some testing, I've run Soly's list in two weekly events and I wasn't too impressed. I was under the assumption that RUG had solid game against Workshops yet I found the Espresso match to be an utter nightmare.

I feel like it is well positioned at the moment. The reason I like this deck so much is because of the great Workshops matchup. I have no idea what to play at Vintage Champs next week...

[socialite]

I feel like it is well positioned at the moment.
Please explain your reasoning, why do you feel it is well positioned?


The reason I like this deck so much is because of the great Workshops matchup.
This to me seems to be a conundrum as RUG runs many proactive and reactive cards for the Workshop match but at the same time runs a very light mana base and a low CC curve that gets wrecking balled by Chalice of the Void.

[TheElvishPiper]

Please explain your reasoning, why do you feel it is well positioned?


This to me seems to be a conundrum as RUG runs many proactive and reactive cards for the Workshop match but at the same time runs a very light mana base and a low CC curve that gets wrecking balled by Chalice of the Void.

I fell like the shops matchup is good, although Chalice is a real pain, and the list that I have tested has been strong against Landstill. When I was testing different Tezz decks, I had a problem with beating this deck so I tried it out. The oath matchup is great too!

[B.C.]

I only played the deck at one tournament, but I felt like it had a decent game against most decks. The build I played was woefully unprepared for Dredge, so that is something I would definitely change if I was to play this again. It's not explosive at all, but it can usually put on some pressure and control the game enough to win. I didn't find the Shops matchup to be unwinnable, but it's definitely a concern.

[bfeingersh]

I played RUG in our weekly event and I was really happy with it. After discussing some changes, I've come to this list:

3 Delver
4 Goyf
3 Snapcaster
2 Talrand

1 Jace TMS
1 Steel Sabotage
2 Mystic Remora
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Time Walk
1 Gush
1 Mystical Tutor
3 Preordain
2 Gitaxian Probe
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
1 Recall

4 Force of Will
2 Mental Misstep
2 Spell Pierce

1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Island
1 Mountain
3 Tropical
3 Volcanic
2 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn

SB:
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Trygon Predator
1 Arc Trail
1 Red Blast
1 Pyroblast
2 Flusterstorm

I need to make 1 cut to the main deck. Any suggestions?