[Project] Stonybrook's Alarm, Wizard to Opposition!

Hello people,
I'm here with a new idea, that's the sum of 2-3 archetype that stagger between Casual and tier 2 decks. I mean: Wizard, Faeries, Opposition.
The core cards are:

http://magiccards.info/scans/en/od/89.jpghttp://magiccards.info/scans/en/mt/25.jpghttp://magiccards.info/scans/en/8e/86.jpghttp://magiccards.info/scans/en/7e/92.jpg

The concept is clear:

Patron Wizard and Stonybrook could lock the game pretty well, not an hard lock but you still menage to control the key-spells.
Stonybrook+Intruder alarm+Opposition/Patron= Infinite tokens, counter all you want with Patron

The main point is: these combinations aren't so solid to let us ground on them. I mean, Legacy has S&T and Elves, that are the touchstone for combo decks. But we can implement them in a deck that could be a Control-Combo-Prison decks, with other cards strong by themselves.

I mean, the base could be:

4 Patron Wizard
4 Stonybrook Schoolmaster

2-3 Intruder Alarm
2-3 Opposition
0-2 Enlightened Tutor

4 AEther Vial

4 Meddling Mage
4 Mother of Runes

1-2 Surgespanner
1-2 Master of Waves
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
0-1 Venser, shaper savant

2 Vendilion Clique
3-4 Spellstutter Sprite
0-2 Sower of Temptation
0-2 Glen Elendra Archmage



With that, each Color (or just stay UW) has its gift to the deck:

Black:
-Dark Confidant
-Bitterblossom(with an Heavy Faerie plan, some Jitte too)
-Pain Seer: maybe still doesn't reach Confidant, but if you run BB you can consider him. It's a 2/2, that means he doesn't die by Golgari Charm, Zealous ecc. His effect is discretionary, so it'll kill you unlikely. With Patron, Opposition and/or Alarm you could use him since he's on the BF and more times.
-Deathrite Shaman

Red:
-Imperial Recruiter (tutors all deck's creature)+Toolbox
-Grim Lavamancer
-Reb (sb)

Green:
-Noble Hierarch
-Scryb Ranger
-Fauna Shaman+Toolbox
-Gaddock, Qasali, Dryad Arbor

Uw:
-Thalia
-Aven Mindcensor
-Stifle/Wasteland/Port

If we choose Green Splash, NH means t2 Patron, like. Means you can play with only 15 lands+4Nh+4Vial+2-3 Scryb Ranger. Black&DRS splash could go with i think 18 lands+3-4 Drs+4 Vial, others needs almost 20 lands (and this is one of the reason because of i'm trying UWG, with or without black splash (and Bop instead of NH, of course).
I'm testing and trying, if you have any suggestion i'm glad to hear =D That's the list i'm playing, just for an example:

2 Intruder Alarm
2 Opposition
4 Stonybrook Schoolmaster
1 Surgespanner
3 Tropical Island
2 Tundra
2 Savannah
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
2 Scryb Ranger
3 Meddling Mage
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 AEther Vial
4 Mother of Runes
1 Peacekeeper
4 Windswept Heath
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Fauna Shaman
4 Patron Wizard
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
SB: 1 Umezawa's Jitte
SB: 2 Rest in Peace
SB: 1 Zur's Weirding
SB: 1 Choke
SB: 1 Caller of the Claw
SB: 2 Pithing Needle
SB: 1 Bubble Matrix
SB: 3 Force of Will
SB: 1 Stoneforge Mystic
SB: 1 Ensnaring Bridge
SB: 1 Qasali Pridemage

I used to play Merfolk Opposition a decade ago, what I can tell you is you should find a slot for Static Orb. With Static Orb + Opposition, you can shut down your opponent:

-Tap anything relevant your opponent has via Opposition.
-At end of opponent's turn, tap your Static Orb. On your turn, untap all your permanents while on your opponent's turn, he can only untap one.

Today i've had a bit of time, and i've seen that the main problem is manabase. 15 lands+4 Nh+4 Vial+2 Scryb+1 Dryad seems too little without GSZ, and with them... I've no slots. I have to decide if play 4 Brainstorm and only 1 Oppo-1 Intruder with E.tutor, or gsz, or... dunno.

Seems to me that this deck could probably benefit from having Ancient Tomb.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nation Prophetic

Seems to me that this deck could probably benefit from having Ancient Tomb.

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In a UW shell, that could be good. Tomb slows me to play Patron but it could be ok if the direction is more *lock* with Orb and so on. A stuff like:

1 Intruder Alarm
2 Opposition
4 Stonybrook Schoolmaster
2 Glen Elendra Archmage
4 Meddling Mage
4 Mother of Runes
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Patron Wizard
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Spellstutter Sprite
1 Azami, Lady of Scrolls
2 Master of Waves
4 Brainstorm
2 Static Orb

4 AEther Vial

4 Flooded Strand
4 Ancient Tomb
1 Karakas
1 Island
4 Tundra
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Wasteland/other land?

Hey Guys,

I've been brewing wizards for a while now,
Dit is my list so far.
Its my first time writing a decktech and it will be far from perfect and my english is not that great, but i would love to hear what you guys think of the deck.
I playtested it a lot of times and i would like a lot more playtesting with the deck. The gameplan is to play the patron as soon as possible with counter backup or through cavern of souls than control the game untill you get your jace or master of waves.

Landbase (22)
4 Cavern of souls
8 Blue fetches
10 Island

Creatures (23)
4 Patron Wizard
4 Sage of Epityr
3 Cursecather
4 Spelttuter sprite
3 Information Dealer
2 Aether Adept
2 Master of Waves
1 Azami, lady of Scrolls

Other (15)
2 Jace, the mind Sculptor
3 Force of Will
1 misdirection
2 Daze
2 Spellpierce
3 Opposition
2 propaganda

Sideboard: (15)
3 Back to Basics
3 Echoing Truth
2 Sower of Temptation
1 Flusterstorm
2 surgical
2 tormods crypt

Now let me explain how it works, Obviously the deck is al about patron wizard but it can also win by just dropping a lot of creatures.
At first why mono blue?
As we all know patron wizards is UUU so i cant play any other basic lands islands. You always want to be able to drop patron in turn 3 in the best case true cavern of souls. So splashing a color needs dual lands. I don't want do that since they are wasteland targets, and because of my sideboard plan of back to basics.
So i decided to go for mono blue.
Sage of epityr might look like out of place here
I can tell you it is definitley not!. It makes me sculptor my hand early. Also i can sculptor a nice lock with the counterbalance.
Curse cather needs no explanation
The card is a house and can do some early soft countering
Speltutter Sprite
it's a 2 turn creature with flying wich i can cast at the end of the opponents turn while keeping up mana for spellpierce. It also counters stuff like lightningbolt, swords to plowshares, delver of secrets, grim lavamancer, aether vial, thoughtseize etc etc etc. It is also a uncounterable counter when you cast it through cavern of souls ( only thing they can do is stifle the trigger).
Information Dealer
Information Dealer is my Sensei Devining top. I can sculptor my draws pretty nice, it fits perfect in my mana curve. And it is verry good in combination with counterbalance.
Aether Adept
Until you lock the game down with Wizard Patron its pretty hard to stay alive because you want to have as many wizards in play when you drop patron (this means no blocks in the first couple of turns), so it can deal with a big goyf en when they want cast it again you can counter it. It can also help against reanimator like decks.
Master of Waves
Rarely my devotion to blue is lower than 4 or 5 when i cast it so you put a lot of threads on the board at once. Your opponent has to have an answer fast or he dies by a lot of creatures or by the opposition lock.
Azami, lady of Scrolls
This is my midgame to late game card to get ridiculous card advantage

Jace the mind sculptor
He fits nicely in this deck while you control the board with patron you go for his ultimate or just use one of its other qualitys. To bounce a creature or something when he hits the board with the amount of counter backup we have, most of the time it should be game if u use it wisely.
Force of Will, Daze, Spell pierce
You want to keep the board empty in an early state or you want to be sure you can counter the golgari charm, toxic deluge or something like that. So i recommend to play slow keep your mana open en never tap out, unless you can counter without mana.
Opposition
On turn 4 you probably have around 2/3 creatures in play wich makes it hard for the opponent to kill you because you can tap there mana in the upkeep or tap theire creatures before the attack fase. If you can drop it in combination with master of waves your opponent will probably scoop.
Counter Balance / Missdirection
Well this is a flex spot depending on your meta. Counterbalance is wonderfull versus elves or burn for example. Against BUG or other decks that like to play abrupt decay in theire main you would like to have missdirection. When they target your wizard patron you just redirect the abrupt decay to theire Liliana or TNN.
So this really depends on the meta. But since abrupt decay is the only thing that can destroy patron you should have an answer for that if you expect to see a lot of those cards.

Now for the sideboard. There are a lot of options, some are obvious some need explanation.
Back to Basiscs
Since a lot of decks play few to none basics this could be a verry good card after they tap out you just play back to basics, for example versus lands, bug, rug, mud and so on. Especially in combination with oppostion you just tap the nonbasics and they will never untap again:)
Echoing Truth
It can bounce any threat and i'am not going to name them all but for example 3 angel tokens, 2 goyfs, a reanimate griselbrand or eleshnorn and so on and so on.
But also permanents like ensnaring bridge wich can be a real problem for use because our only main deck answer to it is jace.
Sower of Temptation
Just look at the smile on the face of your opponent turning in a frown when he cast show and tell and put its emrakul in and you take it over with a sower of temptation of show and tell. That just priceless!!
Flusterstorm
Just and extra counter for TES, ANT, Belcher, Hightide (you probably still lose the counterwar but at leas you did try;)
Leyline of the Void
Since the Lands deck and Reanimator are becoming populair this should be our answer. If you play against lands they have a really hard time to win true Leyline of the Void. Reanimator has some other options but not a lot and since you can counter way more than them you give them a really hard time. Especially because they have to go the show and tell way and for that we have show and tell.

Thanks for taking the time to read it, and let me know what you think of the deck,
If you have some suggestions or questions about a card choice please let me know and i will explain why i made that choice.

First thing: i've read your reasonings about Mono Blue: still, i'm pretty sure that at least one more color is too strong.
I think that if the main point of this deck is Patron, UWr is the best splash, because of him.
http://magiccards.info/scans/en/m12/145.jpg

He has: Cc1, menage 9/10 of the creature we want to deal with (Delver, Mystic, Confidant, DRS above all), wizard, perfect to have a plan like t1 this, t2 sprite/meddling, t3 Patron. Obv if you choose this way you need at least 6-8 cantrips. And Imperial Recruiter is better than this guy, that i think is important in other build (Body for opposition, equips post side, chumpblock, liliana and so on).
http://magiccards.info/scans/en/fut/61.jpg

Black gives this combo, with vial and Aethermage you could make it t4 and win (pretty much)
http://magiccards.info/scans/en/mt/65.jpghttp://magiccards.info/scans/en/fut/18.jpg

Plus, MotR and Meddling Mage is perfect in this deck (and in many others, you know).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Memories of the Time

First thing: i've read your reasonings about Mono Blue: still, i'm pretty sure that at least one more color is too strong.
I think that if the main point of this deck is Patron, UWr is the best splash, because of him.
http://magiccards.info/scans/en/m12/145.jpg

He has: Cc1, menage 9/10 of the creature we want to deal with (Delver, Mystic, Confidant, DRS above all), wizard, perfect to have a plan like t1 this, t2 sprite/meddling, t3 Patron. Obv if you choose this way you need at least 6-8 cantrips. And Imperial Recruiter is better than this guy, that i think is important in other build (Body for opposition, equips post side, chumpblock, liliana and so on).
http://magiccards.info/scans/en/fut/61.jpg

Black gives this combo, with vial and Aethermage you could make it t4 and win (pretty much)
http://magiccards.info/scans/en/mt/65.jpghttp://magiccards.info/scans/en/fut/18.jpg

Plus, MotR and Meddling Mage is perfect in this deck (and in many others, you know).

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Hey thx for your oppinion,

The bottom combo is way to narrow.
The Uwr splash sounds nice although i have no clue what to take out.
I dont want to get wastelanded, so thats why i like monoblue.
The only wastelandable targets i have are cavern of souls and they are a no brainers.
The only real problems i have met so far with the deck are:
- Aether Vial (if goblins, merfolk or death and staxes can cheat creatures in by aether vial our lock is gone)
- Deathrite Shaman good be a problem (i will definitley counter this) And yes i realise that grimlava mancer can fix this but iam not to convinced he is the best answer
- Abrupt Decay (when i think the meta is full of it i will look for a way to get misdirection or divert in the deck)
- Supreme verdict (cant do nothing about it other than not overextending the board) or try to win by jace.

Some results i had in the last couple of weeks:
wizards vs. patriot 2 - 1
wizards vs D en T 3 - 3 just make sure they cant drop aether vial
wizards vs Mirracles 3 - 2
Wizards vs Reanimator 4 - 0
Wizards vs MUD 1 - 2
Wizards vs Lifegain 2 - 0
Wizards vs BUG 0 - 2
Wizards vs Goblins 1 - 2 (vial en cavern of souls are hard to fight)
Wizards vs Pox 2 - 1

Although i realise that this isnt a lot of testing i will keep on testing this its just awesome to lock with patron or opposition/master of waves

Only for Meddling Mage, white splash is too strong. If you say "budget reason" i understand, otherwise... no. Unless you wanto to go straight forward Back To Basics+Propaganda and so on (still, two colors is tolerable), 2-3 colors give you wizard way better than MonoU ones.

Edit post: I thought Patrol signaler was a wizard, it makes a lot of my post useless.

An UW Wizard deck is a lovely idea, and something I have been tinkering in my mind. I've never tried it though. On the lists I see here, there is to my point of view a major issue:

The curve of the decks are way to high. Way way to high.

And I can't understand what opposition can do in a wizard deck.
How can a four mana, counterable enchantment can be better than a three mana wizard, playable with vial and cavern ?
Aphetto Grifter is way better.

And I think him and patron shoul be the top curve, even if stonybrook looks so nice with either of them...
Patrol signaler can do the same kind of tricks. I would play paradise mantle with Patrol signaler and puresight merrow too probably, either of them are very good with mantle, aphetto or patron, without costing 3 or 4.

And oracle en-vec and Stormscape Apprentice are pretty strong by themeselves and a very good combo. With Oracle and any way to tap an opponent creature, you basically have a peacekeeper without upkeep cost.

And not to mention it totally renders Ball lightning a joke. More seriously Hoof from elves or Sneak attack are a bit dead.

And it is a lot of paragraphs starting with "Ands"

I would probably play something like that:

To tap our creatures: 12

0 Springleaf Drum
0 sky hussar
4 patron des sorciers
4 paradise mantle
4 Aphetto Grifter

good if tapped: 8

4 Patrol Signaler
4 puresight merrow
0 Stonybrook Schoolmaster

combo infinite life, safeguard vs aggro: 1
1 juge des courants

good stuff: 19

4 vial
0 mirror entity
0 cursecatcher
3 mother of runes
4 Brainstorm
0 Force of Will
2 oracle en-vec
4 Stormscape Apprentice
2 Meddling mage

Lands: 20

4 Flooded Strand
3 Tundra
4 cavern of souls
5 island
1 plain
3 Scalding Tarn

Curve:
0 : 4
1 : 15
2 : 13
3 : 8

Writting the list here I discovered that there are real issues with it:
I wanted to put to much cards in, and not playing 4 FoW or 4 Meddling mage should make the deck a joke for combo (except S & T which have no chance to beat a deck with so many creatures to tap his). I'm sad too to have to remove the cursecatchers, which are cheap and strong wizards.
And the curve is still to high, but I guess without trying it it can't be helped.

But it looked quite fun, you gave me the temptation to actually try it out :)

Nice post dte:many interesting points. I think we have to get a core and flex slot. Mine is: 4x of patron, meddling, mother, force, vial, brainstorm=24
Then, a big mess of choices. I would like 3 puresight, 3 stormscape, 2 apheto gifted, 2 Sigil tracker, 2 ponder, 18 lands, 4 drs/NH, 2 Qasali/other stuff. I don't like paradise, ok the synergy with puresight but mantle is slow, bad topdeck, not so useful in the first two turns... Patrol isn't a wizard and for this reason I don't like him, slow and worse than stonybrook...

You are right Memories, I did not see that patrol was not a wizard. With him as wizard it was perfect, equipied with mantle it was each turn X 1/1 for X as instant, without spending cards in your hand.

As it is not a wizard, the whole Merrow + mantle + signaler + judge should go away, liberating 13 slots.
Maybe I will try adding 3 probes, 2 more meddling, 1 more oracle, 2 thalia, 1 mother, 2 cursecatcher, 2 stonybrook.

How sad patroler and SFM are not wizards!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Memories of the Time

Nice post dte:many interesting points. I think we have to get a core and flex slot. Mine is: 4x of patron, meddling, mother, force, vial, brainstorm=24
Then, a big mess of choices. I would like 3 puresight, 3 stormscape, 2 apheto gifted, 2 Sigil tracker, 2 ponder, 18 lands, 4 drs/NH, 2 Qasali/other stuff. I don't like paradise, ok the synergy with puresight but mantle is slow, bad topdeck, not so useful in the first two turns... Patrol isn't a wizard and for this reason I don't like him, slow and worse than stonybrook...

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Is the green absolutely necessary? It obliges us to play heavily with duals, as our main card (patron) costs UUU. Once opposition is dropped for aphetto, we do not have 4 mana cards and no absolute need for mana dorks.

I think I prefer Aphetto Grifter over sigil tracer, as they compete for the same mana cost and the tapping of wizards but does not need additional mana.

But I think that between Aphetto, sigil and patron, we need more wizards or way to untap them. Merrow can be a partial answer, but it costs a lot of mana. Stonybrook looks good, but is expensive and is really good only once we get our engine in play, so only if we are in a good shape...

If you find a playable cheap wizard?

@Dte: i've thought about list in these hours, and i'm goldifishing something like this:

4 AEther Vial

4 Mother of Runes
4 Meddling Mage
4 Deathrite Shaman

1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Maralen of the Mornsong

3 Patron Wizard
2 Spellstutter Sprite
2 Puresight Merrow
2 Aphetto Grifter
1 Sigil Tracer
2 Stormscape Apprentice
1 Vendilion Clique

2 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
2 Island
3 Tundra
2 Cavern of Souls
1 Misty Rainforest

4 Brainstorm
3 Ponder
2 Dimir Charm
2 Treasure Cruise

SB: 2 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Force of Will
SB: 1 Sower of Temptation
SB: 2 Submerge
SB: 2 Zealous Persecution
SB: 1 Vendilion Clique
SB: 2 Misdirection
SB: 2 Council's Judgment


Yeah, without Force of will Maindeck. I think the most important thing we want to counter in g1 is Terminus, so other then the solid Vial+MotR+Meddling+1/2(way better 2) Vendillion i putted in 2 Dimir Charm: versatile card that counters sorcery (what we want: show, NO, Terminus, Entreat, glimpse, Infernal Tutor...) and deals with DRS, Bob, Mystic and so on... 7-8 cantrip+2 Treasure is an "already classic": very fluid deck, we can play not the full playset of things like Puresight that are "ouch" if you find 2 of him in Open hand, for example.
I think that this deck really needs the ability of find what it wants when it wants: the mini-combo Aven/Maraleen is cut-able for sure, but i want to test it. It doesn't need so many slots, Maraleen tutors Aven, Aven by himself is good and 2 wizard... let's see.

@Dorks: DRS is perfect and more powerfull than NH, but as i wrote above the perfect cc1 Wizard is Grim Lavamancer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Memories of the Time

I think that this deck really needs the ability of find what it wants when it wants: the mini-combo Aven/Maraleen is cut-able for sure, but i want to test it. It doesn't need so many slots, Maraleen tutors Aven, Aven by himself is good and 2 wizard... let's see.

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The problem of the Maraleen/aven combo is that Maraleeen is dead if you do not have vial @ 3 out: if we cast it, the opponent start tutoring, tutor an anticreature (at best) and we loose maraleen. In the worst case, we lose much more. But every deck which does not run anti-creatures (combos) are really frightening if you give them a free tutor.

I prefer patron/aphetto for 3 manas because we can cast them in case we do not have vial and they really have a powerfull effect on board.

I'm wondering to max out the en-vec, They should be very good with 8 ways to tap opponents creatures.

Otherwise please let me know how it gets with your testings :)

Main point with Mareleen is that we play 4 Mother 4Meddling Mage 2 Sprite plus Patron/so on... And this is the worst scenario. I'm not saying it's the perfect combo, i want to give to them 2 slots =)
En-Vec+8 tap effects seeems very, very nice. Brittle, but nice. Let me know what results you will get.