UW Mentor Bomberman

[Megadeus]

So I tested this deck all this past weekend in a handful of legacy challenges at the GP rather than playing in the main event and some interesting results. It originally started out as a budget Back to Basics based deck, but B2B was pretty weak outside of some corner cases all weekend. The main list that I'm on right now looks like this:

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
3 Impulse
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Spell Pierce
4 Swords to Plowshares

3 Trinket Mage
3 Auriok Salvagers
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Monastery Mentor

1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Aether Spellbomb
3 Sensei's Divining Top

1 Leyline of Sanctity

1 Supreme Verdict

4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
3 Marsh Flats
1 Tundra
4 Island
4 Plains
2 Cavern of Souls

SB:
1 Helm of Obedience
3 Rest in Peace
1 Meekstone
1 Back to Basics
1 Engineered Explosives
3 Meddling Mage
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Disenchant
1 Pithing Needle

So the sideboard is definitely rough and some of the MB choices are odd like Impulse over something more powerful like Dig Through Time. I certainly got a lot of people with the combo that either did not see it coming at all, or like my BUG opponents who actually couldn't interact with the combo once I got a cavern on human and Deathrite being unable to interact with any of the combo even though it is graveyard based. Mentor was also very powerful. Sticking a cavern into him and then next turn making him infinitely large to kill people caught people off guard. That and simply sticking two tops with a mentor won games. Deck definitely needs some work, but my results were 2-2 in the first 3 challenges which at least one of those could have ended up as a 3-1 finish had I played tighter, and a 3-1 in the final round. I think the deck has a decent amount of promise. I just would like to get some of your inputs on it.

[pettdan]

There have been posts about a similar list with a red splash, if you haven't already I suggest you have a look at it:

http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...l=1#post867867

[mgrinshpon]

A deck

You've mentioned that your deck decisions are a little strange but didn't elaborate. Would you mind talking about your deck decisions a bit more?

For instance, why not run at least one DTT? It seems all upside in a deck that's aggressively cantripping. Why the 3 Impulse over, say, Ponder? Why the maindeck Leyline of Sanctity? Why run Supreme Verdict if you can run Terminus in your 3-4 Diving Top build?

In your sideboard, have you considered swapping Back to Basics for Magus of the Moon (that Cavern synergy!)?

[T-101]

Have you tried a Helm of Awakening? It would enable another axis via Mentor + looping Tops. You already have Trinket to find Tops, and E Tutor to find Helm or Top. Winning without using the yard could be valuable, especially in post-board games.

[Kael]

I wonder if there's any potential in running Tasigurs, similar to some of the Vintage Bomberman lists running around now. You'd still need some way to actually kill your opponent (no Recall, obviously), so maybe something like 2 Tasigur, 1 Pyrite Spellbomb? Not sure if the third color is worth it, but having a wincondition that's also a decent beater certainly has merit.

[phazonmutant]

So we were having some discussion of legacy Bomberman on my Vintage Champs tournament report. To recap, the list I proposed was this:

Bomberman in Legacy sounds pretty bad, unfortunately :( Maybe you can use the Tasigur idea with an Unburial Rites / Gifts package? Here's a sketch:

1 Engineered Explosives
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Sensei's Divining Top
2 Monastery Mentor
3 Trinket Mage
2 Auriok Salvagers
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Thoughtseize
3 Gifts Ungiven
4 Force of Will
1 Unburial Rites
2 Dig Through Time
2 Cavern of Souls
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Academy Ruins
2 Tundra
1 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Seat of the Synod
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta

I did some goldfish games and it wasn't as terrible as I thought it might be - it's a pretty consistent combo, and there are solid beatdowns before. The mana seems a bit off though. Needs more acceleration and colored sources, probably just more lands too.

If you're going the legacy route with Tasigur, you can just play a single Sign in Blood or another targeted card draw spell and win that way. I'm not sold on the Gifts package though, its super slow.

Sign in Blood seems pretty bad, the mana is tough. I think infinite Mentors + Pyrite Spellbomb is fine.

You're right Gifts is slow, but it's a 1-card tutor for all the 3 pieces. If the deck is constructed properly it could also be a good value play. I think I want to find room for a Dack, Snapcaster, and Reanimate to make the Gifts piles better.

[ESG]

You might get some mileage out of a 1-of Cabal Therapy in that list. It gives you more value out of your Turn 3 Trinket Mage and it fits into a Gifts pile as a piece of protection that's probably live regardless of how the opponent splits up your Gifts. In general, I think this deck has an uphill climb as long as people are running red blasts in their main decks, but I like the concept.

[phazonmutant]

You might get some mileage out of a 1-of Cabal Therapy in that list. It gives you more value out of your Turn 3 Trinket Mage and it fits into a Gifts pile as a piece of protection that's probably live regardless of how the opponent splits up your Gifts. In general, I think this deck has an uphill climb as long as people are running red blasts in their main decks, but I like the concept.

Good idea!

So with the changes I was talking about:
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Snapcaster Mage
2 Monastery Mentor
2 Trinket Mage
2 Auriok Salvagers
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Thoughtseize
1 Cabal Therapy
1 Reanimate
1 Dack Fayden
2 Gifts Ungiven
4 Force of Will
1 Unburial Rites
2 Dig Through Time
2 Cavern of Souls
2 Tundra
2 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Seat of the Synod
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn

Why does Red Blast hurt this deck specifically? Red Blast is much better against Show and Tell combo decks than this - the essential combo pieces are non-blue, and there is a legitimate creature beatdown strategy.

[Megadeus]

I just find the fact that the BUG decks can't actually interact with yourcombo preboard

[ESG]

Why does Red Blast hurt this deck specifically? Red Blast is much better against Show and Tell combo decks than this - the essential combo pieces are non-blue, and there is a legitimate creature beatdown strategy.

It's not this deck specifically; it's any deck that wants to cast juicy blue spells. Losing a Gifts or a Dig to a red blast is not a trade I would want to be making. Basically, I feel this deck would be better positioned if Dig weren't in the format and causing people to run main-deck red blasts.

Edit: Haven't seen you at the weeklies for a while. Maybe take this deck in for a crash course next time?

[mini1337s]

In all honesty, is Trinket Mage impactful enough for Legacy? Trust me, I want to believe, but we don't get any of vintage's acceleration or most of the relevant targets.

I think I would look at an Esper Intuition-based core of:

Creatures:
4 Monastery Mentor
3 Snapcaster Mage

Instants:
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Intuition

Sorceries:
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Gitaxian Probe

Artifacts:
2-3 Sensei's Divining Top

And then add some more one-of Intuition-focused cards to taste. I would take a look at the following cards, as you can assemble some spicy piles:
Noxious Revival
Unburial Rites
Lion's Eye Diamond
Auriok Salvagers
Aether Spellbomb
Academy Ruins
Engineered Explosives
Baleful Strix
Lingering Souls
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas/Liliana of the Veil/Jace, the Mind Sculptor
EDIT: DERP, Tasigur goes in

You could focus on more value Mentor piles like Mentor/Rites/LED or just creature based CA by inserting Baleful Strix, Snap, or Salvagers in Mentor's place. Revival is likely an auto-include if you go the Intuition route as you would want access to piles like Snap/Therapy/Revival. You have some interesting options for board control too through EE/Salvagers/Academy Ruins.

I think you open up into the deck you are trying to build by including Intuition, but the black inclusion will force you out of B2B/Blood Moon. That said, you were already potentially looking a red splash and cavern, which are both pretty shitty with B2B/Moon anyways.

[Doishy]

Would the use of Sol lands and / or the potential to use recurring petals/Mox Diamonds not be sufficient to include Trinket mage? He allows for un-counterable tutoring (with cavern) for a number of silver bullets, many of which are very main-deckable as well as his purpose in assembling the namesake combo.