UG Upheaval

Basically this deck is designed to ramp into an Upheaval play an Embodiment of Insight and win that same turn with hasty 3/3 land creatures.

Upheaval has always been one of my favorite cards so I can't help myself but trying to jam decks with it. Not sure how competitive this deck is but figured I'd post it here since it's been fun to play in weekly events and hopefully I can get some feedback on my build.

Here's the list:

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

4 Force of Will
4 Daze

4 Exploration
4 Horn of Greed
4 Summer Bloom

3 Upheaval
3 Embodiment of Insight

2 JTMS

4 Misty Rainforest
4 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
4 Simic Growth-Chamber
2 Mystic Sanctuary
5 Island
1 Forest

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Comments regarding individual card choices:

I've tried other wincons, including Meloku and Hedron Crab but EoI seems to be the best one since it can usually win the same turn you Upheaval or at least the turn after (with Daze to block whatever they play on their turn).

Mystic Sanctuary is pretty amazing in this deck; especially with Daze and especially in the Meloku version since she lets you continually return the card and replay it which can create some pretty interesting loops. For example, with a Horn of Greed out and a Summer Bloom in the yard you can make infinite land drops.

Simic-Growth Chamber ramps hard with Exploration and Summer Bloom and is down right ridiculous if you are lucky enough to have Horn of Greed out.

Daze plays great because you can make so many land drops you don't even mind returning an island to hand. And again, with Horn of Greed that is basically upside.

I included JTMS because as one might expect the early turns of the game are just about survival. Plus going T1 Exploration -> T2 Jace can win you the game on its own.

I've thought about running Cunning Wish but I'm still thinking about how that might look.

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So what do you guys think, is this a steaming pile of crap or does it have potential?

Painter’s Servant + Hibernation because instant speed (also you don’t have to worry about Oko layers with Elk since no matter what they’d stay green).

I'm not quite sure how you really pull of this combo, since you need something like 11 mana to cast Upheaval and Embodiment in the same turn.

I was thinking Sunder would make more sense since you can keep your ramp pieces (and Embodiment, if you have it), but then again, maybe I am missing something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by H

I'm not quite sure how you really pull of this combo, since you need something like 11 mana to cast Upheaval and Embodiment in the same turn.

I was thinking Sunder would make more sense since you can keep your ramp pieces (and Embodiment, if you have it), but then again, maybe I am missing something.

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I can get enough mana decently fast and sometimes you can Upheaval once to reset the game and then rebuild really quick. Bloom also nets you one mana after Upheaval. Even at 7 mana you can wind up with 4-5 lands back in play and its pretty trivial to win but you might have to give them another turn. Although since you can replay Sanctuary and buyback counters you can usually prevent them from doing anything.

Sunder doesn't quite cut it because there's way too many problem permanents it leaves behind that prevents the free win after it resolves. Upheaval pretty much wins the game 100% of the time if you can actually cast it. The good thing at least is when people make me discard it I can Sanctuary it back on top and redraw it.

I mean if we're talking competitive play this deck is a turn or two slow. It's mostly a meme deck at this point but it's been fun to play it and build it.

Why not just upheaval and psychatog?

Card tagged for us normal players who don't know what Embodiment of Insight does

Quote:

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4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

4 Force of Will
4 Daze

4 Exploration
4 Horn of Greed
4 Summer Bloom

3 Upheaval
3 Embodiment of Insight

2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

4 Misty Rainforest
4 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
4 Simic Growth-Chamber
2 Mystic Sanctuary
5 Island
1 Forest

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5 mana for a 3/3 vigilance haste Boltable land per turn seems worse than just playing Oko

If I wanted to make Upheaval memes, it would revolve around some combination of Sol Lands, Ankh of Mishra, Parallax Tide, and Chalice/3sphere.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Weapon X

Why not just upheaval and psychatog?

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Doesn't kill on the same turn and you have to degrade the mana base. I think there's plenty of wincons in blue and green that it doesn't justify going into black. I could be wrong though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FTW

5 mana for a 3/3 vigilance haste Boltable land per turn seems worse than just playing Oko

If I wanted to make Upheaval memes, it would revolve around some combination of Sol Lands, Ankh of Mishra, Parallax Tide, and Chalice/3sphere.

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Thanks for putting in those links.

I refuse to buy Okos so fuck that card! :laugh: I honestly wonder if it is better than Jace. Probably not in this deck since you can make Jace on T2.

I don't generally play EoI until after the game reset with Upheaval unless something is going wrong or I think I can just win some type of race situation. When EoI comes down it usually ends that turn or the next turn so I'm not really worried about bolts. It really comes down to if you can cast an Upheaval before you die. Hedron Crab could actually wind up being the better wincon but making enough landrops to mill them can be tough without two crabs.

The Parallax cycle is one of my all time favorites. I brewed a janky proliferate Parallax Nexus / Parallax Tide prison deck once upon a time involving Sol Lands, Lotus Petalm Flux Channeler, Contentious Plan, Karn's Bastion, and Thrumming Bird. When it actually was able to do its thing (basically never) it was a thing of beauty. Exiling an opponent's entire hand on T2 is good times.

I have to say, I also don't really see how the deck works. A video maybe?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Weapon X

Why not just upheaval and psychatog?

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Aaaah! Good times...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Purple Blood

Doesn't kill on the same turn and you have to degrade the mana base. I think there's plenty of wincons in blue and green that it doesn't justify going into black. I could be wrong though.

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It’s not like this kills on the same turn. Psychatog also saves you mana meaning it can win faster.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Weapon X

It’s not like this kills on the same turn. Psychatog also saves you mana meaning it can win faster.

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You know what else saves you mana and wins faster? Oko