[Deck] MonoU OmniTell

[teonsw]

Anyone know what the matchups are like against control decks such as esper and bug?

[mistercakes]

they are pretty favorable, their clocks are generally too slow for their disruption to be very effective. they are by no means byes, but it's far easier than rug. the bug delver matchup can be tricky if they turn 1 delver, but otherwise i feel pretty confident with it. careful with the esper decks as some run 1 venser maindeck.

[Lejay]

I don't consider them easier than RUG, but yes unless they start to metagame specifically for your deck they are either slightly favourable for esper or favourable for shardless.

[GoboLord]

Hello Lejay,

lately I have been playtesting with- and against your new deck (the Mono U Omniclash) and was really amazed how powerful it is. And I don't mean "studpidly" powerful in the way that S&T decks are usually described, but "powerful" as being mutli-facetted and hard to effectively lock down with the conventional hatecards. In fact the only weak spot I could find is indeed that it sometimes took me too long to assemble a combo which suited the situation (like when you rip an Emrakul from the top, no Brainstorm in hand, while your opponent has a Karakas). Things get even worse when I'm up against decks with lots of manadenial, or (to give the child a name): Death&Taxes and Goblins. The builds I tested it against both had 4 Ports and 3 Thalias, which were admittedly quite effective. The difference is that D&T can't set up a resonable clock, while Goblins has no problems with that, unless you counter Lackeys and/or Piledriver. To me the best combo against Those decks was S&T -> Emrakul, which didn't happend too often. SOmetimes I was (as already stated) forced to put back Emrakul and to go for DH or Omniscience. However, with Thalia + Rishadan Ports getting 4 mana wasn't as easy as it should be. I had those awkward situation where I had to keep a City of Traitors on my hand for like 3-4 turns to protect it against Ports.

Obviously I don't have enough experience with the deck to make definite statements, that's why I'm asking for your oppinion.
a) is it reasonable to go up to 4-6 Sol-lands (like some Sneak-Show decks do)? I see the issue with the "low" amount of blue sources, but sol-lands seem crucial to me if you sometimes want to hardcast Dreamhalls
b) what's your impression /strategy on the Goblin- and Death&Taxes MU respectively. Also, I didn't test vs. MUD yet, but I can imagine that this deck also stands a chance if it wasn't for it's inconsistency.

Hi,

Increasing the number of sol lands makes you vulnerable to wasteland. I wouldn't do it but 4 sol lands is not that bad.
I consider these rishadan decks favourable for D&T and easy for goblins. Goblins testing is limited to 3-4 matches though. MUD has been 100% win in my experience but I had a teammate having problems with it.

Why are there so many people PMing me ? Why don't you just post in the thread ?

[Lans89]

I need a Leyline to beat Uwb postboard, or Snapcaster recycles too much discard to win through.. Discard + counters + clique + snapcaster is otherwise often too much. Shardless BUG seems fine untill Liliana hits the board. I'm happy with my testing results so far (the manabase and cantrips feel good) but I expected a bit more!

I'm currently playing OmniManiac and use this sideboard:

3 Defense Grid
4 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Labaratory Maniac
1 Research//Development
1 Firemind’s Foresight
1 Wipe Away
1 Echoing Truth
1 Trickbind
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Intuition

(4 FoW, 4 Pacts and 3 Cunning Wish main)

But I rly rly rly rly rly rly want a Noxious Revival in my sideboard! If it's not for hating graveyard tactics, its another tool to fight discard (put Show and Tell back on top). But since I fell in love with Defense Grid I have no room left in my sideboard. What would you cut?

[Stone]

Hey Lejay,
Thanks for all the work you (and others) have put into the deck as well as the great primer on page 1.

I grabbed the list yesterday having not played legacy in a year and went 4-0 in a local game night.
Beat esperblade 2-0 , ANT 2-1, Elves 2-1 and loam/chalice control 2-0.

Made minor changes based on card availability (MD: -1 city of traitors -1 gitax probe +1 tomb +1 personal tutor SB: -1 defense grid +1 misdirection -1 sapphire charm +1 vapor snag)

Got a bit lucky against both ANT and Elves in the respective game 3's with ANT missing on a sided epic experiment post board hitting bounce for leyline but failing to hit a tutor despite x = 8 and (in credit to the deck build) won through 2 mindbreak trap on turn 3 v elves (show & tell, omni, cunning wish (trap), cunning wish (trap), cantrip into enter the infinite - not sure if the elf player holding the first trap for the wish spell intuition would've made a difference here).

I did feel that the single personal tutor gave me an extra show & tell to cantrip into but that could be a function of loose keeps and no prior play testing (I note you address this on page 1). Would be keen to try Elroy's page 2 suggestion of perhaps swapping this slot to a single MD intuition and the side intuition slot (or something else?) for firemind's forsight (FF) to make dream hall more of an instant win. Felt in games where i was waiting to hit 5 mana for dream halls that it was a looooong time to be unable to interact (save with FOW) and would be curious about trying to get a couple flusterstorm into the side to help this and have a versatile answer to both counters and discard (just musings though the list and board looks VERY tight and pact is obv much better for the normal T3 kill scenario).

The obvious line of hate people will bring in is to attack the omni/halls off/emrakul the resolved show & tell with o-ring/woodfall primus. I know in hivemind this was generally just 'play another pact' as a solution.
What's the plan here?

Cunning wish is an instant speed solution to the trigger but only 3 md and required as a win cond means this isn't a common solution (side an extra one?).
Does having the FF enable the single wish to both get bounce and the win cond? (sided into md answer echoing truth/trickbind + intution/c wish). Am sure you've found better solutions? If so please share.
How are people handling this sort of postboard hate? The current board design of leylines, grids, pacts and MD FOW does an AMAZING job of protecting v discard and getting through counterwalls in the current 'normal' meta (rather than a vengeful local meta).

Any links or ideas people have to post sb v hate scenarios, vids, gameplay, etc would be greatly appreciated.

Once again thanks for the awesome primer, boarding notes and testing. A mono U combo deck - i'm in love

[Stone]

I'm currently playing OmniManiac and use this sideboard:

3 Defense Grid
4 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Labaratory Maniac
1 Research//Development
1 Firemind’s Foresight
1 Wipe Away
1 Echoing Truth
1 Trickbind
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Intuition

(4 FoW, 4 Pacts and 3 Cunning Wish main)
But I rly rly rly rly rly rly want a Noxious Revival in my sideboard! If it's not for hating graveyard tactics, its another tool to fight discard (put Show and Tell back on top). But since I fell in love with Defense Grid I have no room left in my sideboard. What would you cut?

Unless you're wedded to using 2 slots for the win cond replace maniac + R&D with release the ants... frees up your extra slot ;)

[Terminus]

Unless you're wedded to using 2 slots for the win cond replace maniac + R&D with release the ants... frees up your extra slot ;)

The RtA version also uses up 2 sideboard slots, unless you skip out on Eladamri's call.

Concerning the Counter-Top MU - Because of the inherent reliance on CW for your win in the LabMan version of the deck, how do we deal with Counterbalance on 3? So far, the only solution I'm thinking is siding in Wipe Away + Echoing Truth, resolving EtI, casting Echoing Truth, then casting Wipe Away if they counter the Echoing Truth off of a 2. This, of course, is assuming they keep a 3 on top of their library at all times, but I feel like a good player will be fairly diligent in that regard, particularly as the deck gains popularity.

I've been testing the LabMan version, but I'm inclined to switch to the RtA build to have access to Emrakul mainboard, as Counter-Top is always a player in my local meta.

[emidln]

The RtA version also uses up 2 sideboard slots, unless you skip out on Eladamri's call.

Concerning the Counter-Top MU - Because of the inherent reliance on CW for your win in the LabMan version of the deck, how do we deal with Counterbalance on 3? So far, the only solution I'm thinking is siding in Wipe Away + Echoing Truth, resolving EtI, casting Echoing Truth, then casting Wipe Away if they counter the Echoing Truth off of a 2. This, of course, is assuming they keep a 3 on top of their library at all times, but I feel like a good player will be fairly diligent in that regard, particularly as the deck gains popularity.

I've been testing the LabMan version, but I'm inclined to switch to the RtA build to have access to Emrakul mainboard, as Counter-Top is always a player in my local meta.

There isn't a reason you couldn't play an Emrakul in your maindeck and an Eladamri's Call in the sb if you wanted to in the Lab Man build. The major difference between the two isn't in the kill condition, but in the utility of Dream Halls. Dream Halls is only functional with Enter the Infinite in builds without a 2cmc spell main and Intuition. That's the only real difference worth discussing. Manabase issues are decided by utility slots that you play (playing LDV or sb Thoughtseize requires a Sea or Two, sb REB or Clasm requires a Volc, 5 3cmc instants and 4 dream halls necessitates 4-5 sol lands). The sideboard is dictated by what you're afraid of and what tactics you need open to you. If you're running Emrakul in the maindeck, Call taking a sideboard slot is low cost, high reward as a way to beat Gaddock Teeg. You don't have the space in your sideboard to play Leyline of Sanctity, Defense Grid, and combo hate, so you have to pick your battles there. Your removal can vary (Rushing River, Wipe Away, Echoing Truth, Sapphire Charm, Slaughter Pact, Hurkyl's Recall, Rebuild) as can sideboard protection (Pact of Negation, Flusterstorm, Force of Will, Trickbind) and business (Eladamri's Call, Intuition, Careful Consideration, Firemind's Foresight, Release the Ants, Research//Development, Lab Maniac, Emrakul).

A big drawback to this deck versus most other non-storm decks is that you can't construct a 60 then a 15. You construct the 75. When you play a deck that has 12+ cantrips and wishes, 1-2 card changes can wildly swing matchups. You win and lose before sitting down at the table in some circumstances, simply due to how you picked #74 and #75. This will take some adjustment to if you're not used to it from something like TES, High Tide, ANT, or Doomsday.

[Adan]

... Dream Halls is only functional with Enter the Infinite in builds without a 2cmc spell main and Intuition. That's the only real difference worth discussing. ...

You mean WITH, right? Otherwise you couldn't abuse Firemind's Foresight.

[emidln]

You mean WITH, right? Otherwise you couldn't abuse Firemind's Foresight.

No. (although that was very poorly worded)

Dream Halls can cast Enter the Infinite whether you play Wish->FF->Intuition->Enter or not.

If you don't play FF in your sideboard, your only options for Dream Halls are to cast Enter the Infinite, Wish->Intuition (if you play it in your sideboard at all), or Omniscience (which maybe lets you play cantrips or your Emrakul into a win).

[Adan]

No. (although that was very poorly worded)

Dream Halls can cast Enter the Infinite whether you play Wish->FF->Intuition->Enter or not.

If you don't play FF in your sideboard, your only options for Dream Halls are to cast Enter the Infinite, Wish->Intuition (if you play it in your sideboard at all), or Omniscience (which maybe lets you play cantrips or your Emrakul into a win).

Oh, you meant that Dream Halls' only purpose is to slam EtI! Well... yeah, I misunderstood it then. But I would play a blue CMC2 spell just to be able to pull off FF in order to get maximum flexibility out of Dream Halls. The maindeck Trickbind did steal me games against Enchantess (countered the Aura of Silence which was awesome).

[Lejay]

There isn't a reason you couldn't play an Emrakul in your maindeck and an Eladamri's Call in the sb if you wanted to in the Lab Man build.

No but it would be quite painful in terms of slots needed.

The maindeck Trickbind did steal me games against Enchantess (countered the Aura of Silence which was awesome).

And how many times did it just sit there doing nothing while a cantrip or a land would have give a win ?

[Adan]

And how many times did it just sit there doing nothing while a cantrip or a land would have give a win ?

So far, never. And against Springtide it gave me a Time Walk because I countered his fetch AND messed up his Brainstorm. It can also occasionally safe a sol land from being wrecked by Wasteland which also costed me games back when I was playing UR Omnitell. I don't really find that slot wasted at all.

It also allows me to throw a Pact of Negation at something really annoying. Usually the opponent then say "okay, then go!" and then YOU TRICKBIND THAT SHIT!

[emidln]

So far, never. And against Springtide it gave me a Time Walk because I countered his fetch AND messed up his Brainstorm. It can also occasionally safe a sol land from being wrecked by Wasteland which also costed me games back when I was playing UR Omnitell. I don't really find that slot wasted at all.

It also allows me to throw a Pact of Negation at something really annoying. Usually the opponent then say "okay, then go!" and then YOU TRICKBIND THAT SHIT!

I never really found a situation where I drew Trickbind and it was dead but couldn't be pitched to Force/Dream Halls or be used as fodder for Brainstorm. I've tested LDV, Trickbind, and Impulse pretty extensively and feel that Trickbind is the best in terms of cards I'd like to draw. Nobody ever really taps down Wasteland which means when I go to LDV, I tend to need to fetch Sea and then lose it before I untap. LDV is objectively the most powerful, but there are a ton of situations where Trickbind has saved me from misc hate that seemingly every deck has. I haven't actually tried this yet, but I feel that Think Twice is probably more useful than Impulse against live opponents.

[phazonmutant]

I never really found a situation where I drew Trickbind and it was dead but couldn't be pitched to Force/Dream Halls or be used as fodder for Brainstorm. I've tested LDV, Trickbind, and Impulse pretty extensively and feel that Trickbind is the best in terms of cards I'd like to draw. Nobody ever really taps down Wasteland which means when I go to LDV, I tend to need to fetch Sea and then lose it before I untap. LDV is objectively the most powerful, but there are a ton of situations where Trickbind has saved me from misc hate that seemingly every deck has. I haven't actually tried this yet, but I feel that Think Twice is probably more useful than Impulse against live opponents.

Trickbind does seem like a powerful tool, but I've still been loving Thoughtseize out of the board. Maybe it's just because my local meta tends to have more W and combo decks than discard decks. LDV has been overall good. It's done its job at finding combo pieces, but is definitely not necessary or a 2-of.

If you're concerned about Wasteland, how about just playing a basic Swamp? I've been playing 3 Sol lands and 1 Swamp in 20 lands and it's been fine. As lejay has mentioned, 20 lands helps consistently getting to 5 and I've been screwed more than flooded so far (although those 2 games were on the back of bad keeps).

I top8'd a local yesterday, so I'll post a quick report when I get home from work.

[emidln]

Trickbind does seem like a powerful tool, but I've still been loving Thoughtseize out of the board. Maybe it's just because my local meta tends to have more W and combo decks than discard decks. LDV has been overall good. It's done its job at finding combo pieces, but is definitely not necessary or a 2-of.

If you're concerned about Wasteland, how about just playing a basic Swamp? I've been playing 3 Sol lands and 1 Swamp in 20 lands and it's been fine. As lejay has mentioned, 20 lands helps consistently getting to 5 and I've been screwed more than flooded so far (although those 2 games were on the back of bad keeps).

I top8'd a local yesterday, so I'll post a quick report when I get home from work.

I still play a Sea and some Thoughtseizes with Trickbind. I just have to fetch out Sea much less against Wasteland decks than I do when I play LDV. I'm on a mix of Thoughtseize and Defense Grid right now, with them coming in for different matchups.

[MichaelPozsgay]

Lejay, what is your most recent list, and side boarding guide? I am gonna start testing this deck for the SCG Open in Columbus because it seems to be the best positioned combo deck vs an unknown field, and most people will not know what the deck is doing in the states.

[mistercakes]

lejay's done all that stuff. afaik the list is the same.

[MichaelPozsgay]

I didn't know if any more development has been made or not, or if he has made any concession based on the other list.