[Other Format - Block Party] - U/W ALICE

[(nameless one)]

ALICE basically means Alliance-Ice Age-Coldsnap block.

Our local store is doing a bunch of crazy formats every thursdays and one of them would be a Block Party format. I was going to use Onslaught Goblins when I realized that a lot of Legacy's defining cards are from ALICE. I also happen to own most of those cards. Most of the ALICE cards that I use in my legacy decks are:

- Force of Will
- Brainstorm
- Counterspell
- Rune Snag
- Counterbalance
- Scrying Sheets
- Snow Covered Plains and Islands
- Swords to Plowshares
- Hydroblast

With all those cards, I am planning to use ALICE block instead. When it comes to deckbuilding, I am not the best, so I came here to ask for help with a good U/W control deck using cards from ALICE block.

I was thinking along the lines of:

- Abusing Counterbalance and Scrying Sheets using Soldevi Excavations, Brainstorms and Portent to an extent, or anything along those lines.

Basically, play control and win with something big.

Any ideas are welcome

Thanks!

[dahcmai]

Need more info. What's the banned list? Demonic Consultation and Necropotence are in that block too. I'd have to say it's a tad bit broken to get to play with those. I wouldn't think of playing anything else other than maybe Saga Block if you get to use those.

If it's Legacy rules only, then I think I'd have to go with Lorwyn Block and play Faeries or Invasion and play Nether Spirit U/B control. There's a championship deck out there with the decklist (gold bordered decks).

[(nameless one)]

Surprisingly, Demonic Consultation and Necropotence are not banned.

Here are the banned cards:

•Amulet of Quoz (Ice Age Block)
•Thawing Glaciers (Ice Age block)
•Zuran Orb (Ice Age block)

The rest of the banned cards for Block Party Format can be found here: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazin...urces/sfrblock

Goblin Bidding is a good one too but I wanna be that dude who wants to use his Forces, Brainstorms and Counterbalance (talk about Legacy defining).

I think I have a good one going on but I just cant find a win condition.

[Malchar]

Order of the white shield/White shield crusader, Vexing sphinx, Jotun grunt, maybe even Zur?
Merieke Ri Berit isn't too bad if you go into those colors.
Perhaps the biggest issue when it comes to finding a good decklist is the virtually unknown meta.

[DrJones]

How about Vexing Arcanix? Works well with Counterbalance as a drawing engine and was the pinger artifact of choice before the printing of Cursed Scroll.

[mossivo1986]

Magic-league rules
Block Party

In Block party you can play a deck from any of the following Blocks:
Alice Mirage Block Rath Cycle
Ice Age
Alliances
ColdSnap
Mirage
Visions
Weatherlight
Tempest
Stronghold
Exodus
Urza's Block Masques Block Invasion Block
Urza's Saga
Urza's Legacy
Urza's Destiny
Masques
Nemesis
Prophecy
Invasion
Planeshift
Apocalypse
Odyssey Block Onslaught Block Mirrodin Block
Odyssey
Torment
Judgment
Onslaught
Legions
Scourge
Mirrodin
Darksteel
Fifth Dawn
Kamigawa Block Ravnica Block Time Spiral Block
Champions of Kamigawa
Betrayers of Kamigawa
Saviors of Kamigawa
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Guildpact
Dissension
Time Spiral
Planar Chaos
Future Sight
Lorwyn-Shadowmoor Block Shards of Alara Block Zendikar Block
Lorwyn
Morningtide
Shadowmoor
Eventide
Shards of Alara
Conflux
Alara Reborn
Zendikar
Worldwake

All cards banned in any Block are banned in Block Party. Here you have the block bans.

[(nameless one)]

Order of the white shield/White shield crusader, Vexing sphinx, Jotun grunt, maybe even Zur?
Merieke Ri Berit isn't too bad if you go into those colors.
Perhaps the biggest issue when it comes to finding a good decklist is the virtually unknown meta.

I like the idea of Jotun Grunts and Vexing Sphinxes as late game betters for cheap. Vexing Sphinxes would be good, along with Scrying Sheets and Vexing Arcanix (as suggested by Dr Jones below) to feed it. Then all the discarded cards would be recycled via Jotun Grunts. I like that idea. Now, just a list which I cant seem to craft.

How about Vexing Arcanix? Works well with Counterbalance as a drawing engine and was the pinger artifact of choice before the printing of Cursed Scroll.

I like Vexing Arcanix. Not only it can be a slow late game pinger, you can use it for card advantage too if needed.

I was thinking of using Kjeldoran Outpost but finding that card is going to be tough.

Did anyone play "standard" back in Ice Age days?

[Carabas]

Other than the mana costs, don't necropotence and counterbalance interact somewhat well? If you want to stick to UW, I think that Adarkar Valkyrie could be a decent finisher.

[(nameless one)]

Other than the mana costs, don't necropotence and counterbalance interact somewhat well? If you want to stick to UW, I think that Adarkar Valkyrie could be a decent finisher.

I don't think that Counterbalance + Necropotence will work because once you flip CB, you can't response trying to chance your topdeck via drawing through Necropotence.

[(nameless one)]

Sorry for the doublepost but I needed to refresh this thread.

Alright, I have been tinkering and I think that this should be the control core of this deck:

10 Snow-Covered Island
7 Snow-Covered Plains
3 Scrying Sheets
3 Mouth of Ronom
2 Ice Floe

4 Brainstorm
4 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
4 Portent
4 Power Sink
4 Rune Snag
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Sunscour

4 Open Slots/Win Conditions

I still don't know which kill condition to use. I dont really own any creatures from this block so I'll have to buy it. What is a really good win condtion from this block? I was thinking of using Kjeldoran Outpost but they cost like $7 each :(

Also, what are some good sideboard options? Heres what I currently have:

4 Hydroblast
2 Circle of Protection: Black
2 Circle of Protection: Green
2 Circle of Protection: Red
5 Open Slots

Thanks for the help!

[Felidae]

Kjeldoran Outpost would be awesome, as you said, Blinking Spirit seems also like a good creature, slightly slow but hard to kill (sadly it lacks evasion), Frost Raptor might also work, again a bit slow but evasion and protection from removal might work. Rimefeather Owl should end the game pretty quickly, but it lacks selfprotection.

Actually I'm kinda sad now because this looks basickly like the kind of deck I'd like to play at the block party mws tour (if you are still willing to host it), guess I have to find something new :D.

[(nameless one)]

Kjeldoran Outpost would be awesome, as you said, Blinking Spirit seems also like a good creature, slightly slow but hard to kill (sadly it lacks evasion), Frost Raptor might also work, again a bit slow but evasion and protection from removal might work. Rimefeather Owl should end the game pretty quickly, but it lacks selfprotection.

Actually I'm kinda sad now because this looks basickly like the kind of deck I'd like to play at the block party mws tour (if you are still willing to host it), guess I have to find something new :D.

Don't be discouraged. There are still talks about it as a 6 person tourney won't cut it. Besides, I also have other deck ideas from other Blocks (I just don't have the cards)

With the last 4 win-con slot, I thnk both Blinking Spirit and Frost Raptor would be ideal. Maybe a 2/2 split?

I also think that Rimefeather Owl would be really good since he can be protected with Permission spell.

I am still thinking of using Counterbalance but my curve looks messed up. Maybe on the last 4 slots, use 2 Kjeldoran Outpost and 2 Counterbalance? But then, I dont have any 3CC to maximize CBalance.

Any more ideas? What are some good sideboard cards from this block?

[Aggro_zombies]

Adarkar Valkyrie seems pretty strong, but otherwise you're out of luck. Also, you might want to consider Vanish into Memory, as I don't think you're running enough card drawing to refill. This isn't Legacy, where you can chain a bunch of one-for-ones into something ridiculous; the lower power level and long-term outlook of your deck means you need actual card drawing, but the best you're getting in those colors will be Vanish. The Scrying Sheets engine is okay but not strong enough in the absence of Top. You're probably running too many counters: Rune Snag and Force are your best ones, so you can probably shave some number of Counterspell and Power Sink to add Vanish and a few more win conditions.

Keep in mind that your competition will be decks like Goblin Bidding, Gifts Ungiven, Faeries, Jund, Madness, Tooth and Nail, and Rebels. These decks are all very powerful and very consistent. Drawing the wrong combination of counters and removal spells (only four!) means you'll be dead long before you even get off the ground. Personally, I would recommend doing a Zvi-style Invasion block aggro-control deck, as it's probably stronger, but...

[Anusien]

When I played Ice Age block, UW Control was a marginal kind of deck. The blue ice counter creature is a decent finish, but you'd probably have much more luck with some sort of blue/white beatdown deck with Martyr of Sands.

Also, just play Necro. Seriously. TMD ran a small Alliances block tournament (maybe just 8 people), and I ran Necro and just stomped people.
http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=33829.60

[(nameless one)]

I was thinking of removals such as Exile. Possibly Frozen Solid. Maybe shave off some Power Sinks. I actually like Counterspell there. Having 8 hard counters and 4 'conditional' ones seems awesome.

With the new removal suit above, I think Counterbalance + Soldevi Excavations might also work. That along with Brainstorm might work after all.

I am not sure if Ice Floe could be a good 'removal'.

I guess I'll just stick with whatever win condition that I can find.

My update on my SB:

4 Hydroblast
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Circle of Protection: Black
2 Circle of Protection: Green
4 Disenchant
1 Open Slot

I am still deciding on that one last slot. Any ideas?

Maybe I should use Martyr of Sand on MD?

I would love to run Necro but I dont have the cards needed for that deck (outside of Dark Ritual). Apparently, you can do a 16 point damage and gain 16 life in one turn.

[Aggro_zombies]

Martyr is pretty ridiculous. It fogs a guy, gains you bunches of life (which effectively fogs another guy or two), and doesn't afraid of anything.

Counterbalance seems pretty bad. Legacy makes Counterbalance good because the speed and power of the format heavily favor concentrating your curve in the one and two-drop slots. In block decks, curves are going to be much more varied, making Counterbalance much worse (and this is setting aside how concentrated your curve is).

Your biggest weakness is going to be a lack of card drawing - not cantrips, but actual spells that generate card advantage. You're running tons of one-for-ones and you're hoping that you draw the right mixture of counters, mana, and dig to make it all come together over many turns (your kill conditions are going to be pretty slow in this block). The lack of a real Wrath is also kind of painful - seven mana for the one you have is terrible and you'll almost never have enough white cards in hand to pay the alternate cost.

[Eldariel]

I've got random IA Block Necro Control lying around; it worked pretty well for me in the past (in various Magic-League Ice Age Block tourneys):

// Lands
5 [CS] Snow-Covered Swamp
4 [CS] Boreal Shelf
2 [IA] Snow-Covered Island
4 [IA] Adarkar Wastes
4 [CS] Frost Marsh
4 [IA] Underground River

// Creatures
1 [IA] Blinking Spirit
3 [CS] Blizzard Specter

// Spells
2 [CS] Counterbalance
3 [R] Swords to Plowshares
2 [IA] Binding Grasp
1 [IA] Disenchant
2 [A] Counterspell
4 [CS] Rune Snag
4 [IA] Necropotence
3 [IA] Dark Ritual
4 [5E] Brainstorm
4 [AL] Force of Will
4 [IA] Demonic Consultation

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [R] Swords to Plowshares
SB: 1 [IA] Binding Grasp
SB: 3 [IA] Disenchant
SB: 2 [A] Counterspell
SB: 4 [AL] Contagion
SB: 4 [AL] Dystopia

And yeah, the numbers are anything but optimal, but hey. The mana is a bit hard, but it usually sticks around well enough, though I've more than once Consulted for Ritual to cast Necro. Counterbalance does work alright with Brainstorm, Necro (if you know the top cards, you can get another blind flip, or just use it as Chalice) and company. Note though, I mostly played that in IA Block; not so much in Block Party.

[(nameless one)]

I've got random IA Block Necro Control lying around; it worked pretty well for me in the past (in various Magic-League Ice Age Block tourneys):

*decklist*

And yeah, the numbers are anything but optimal, but hey. The mana is a bit hard, but it usually sticks around well enough, though I've more than once Consulted for Ritual to cast Necro. Counterbalance does work alright with Brainstorm, Necro (if you know the top cards, you can get another blind flip, or just use it as Chalice) and company. Note though, I mostly played that in IA Block; not so much in Block Party.

I love Necro, I love the card advantage that it creates but unfortunately I dont have the black cards in that list (other than Dark Ritual).

I guess I am stuck with U/W.

I know Counterbalance would be marginally okay on Ice Age block format but I am still doubting that it will perform on a Block Party format as all mana-curves would be different. I am still testing this.

I have also came to realization that Sunscour sucks when the only other white cards in 75 are Swords to Plowshares, Exile and COPs. I am still going to use it but I think I'm just gonna go for two at most.


I'll post my list later this weekend. It looks almost exactly as I posted above, the only difference would be the Sunscour numbers and win conditions.