[Developmental] GW Opal-Wave

[Freggle]

lol, Fjaulnir's deck list got featured in MTGgoldfish's "Instant deck tech", apparently the deck is called, Opal Essence Reanimator.

Hey, Claymore. Thanks for the heads-up. Here is the link.

[Freggle]

Got home from work and tested Terminus a bit. I think we're on to something here.

Again MTGO Tournament Practice, will move up to League once the sideboard is worked out.

First 5 matches with Terminus:

Belcher 2-0 – Rule of Law G1 got there / Sphere of Resistance Game 2

Turbo Depths 2-1 - Lost Game 1 / Game 2 parallax wave with Swords back-up / G3 See Game 2

Black Bitterblossom Deck 2-0 - Combo Got there both games

Belcher 1-2 I Terminus-ed Goblins! – Game 1 I got a turn on the draw, and had Rule of Law. I ramped with a Sprawl, but op went off t2 :( - Game 2 Sphere of Resistance / Terminus / Leyline of Sanctity - Game 3 could not find Leyline and got belched with 3 cards in hand, but I had a turn on the draw again, and played Guile. After loosing I looked at the top 3. If it was gobos again I did have Terminus in the top 3 to clear them, and a Sphere in hand. It wasn't I lost.

4 color Stoneblade 2-0 – Terminus-ed True Name Nemesis, worked like a charm both games.

Overall early signs show that this version is showing great potential. I think we should explore Mindbreak Trap in the board as a card to get us to Sphere or Resistance of Rule of Law.

I'll try and test more later, but for now. Life stuff.

Main:

The Combo
4 Parallax Wave
4 Opalescence
1 Starfield of Nyx - Alt win 1

The Dig
4 Kruphix's Insight
3 Sylvan Library
3 Mirri's Guile
2 Enlightened Tutor

The Ramp
4 Wild Growth
4 Utopia Sprawl


The Stall / Clean-up
4 Oblivion Ring
3 Rule of Law
3 Terminus

The Inevitability
1 Replenish

The Mana
1 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
1 Savannah
4 Serra's Sanctum
6 Forest
2 Plains
2 Wooded Foothills

The Board
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Sphere of Resistance
1 Banishing Light
3 Faerie Macabre
3 Swords to Plowshares

[Odd Mutation]

Hi all,

Very interesting deck.

Why not Rest in Peace instead of Faery Macabre? Didn't read the whole thread (just first few and last pages), so maybe this has already been answered... Replenish is not your most important card nowadays apparantly so it might be something that was discarded back then but may earn a slot now?

Good luck with the deck, I will be trying it. Just ordered the cards I missed.

Loving the Terminus tech! It's such a powerful card. Remember Miracles? Made the deck roll vs more than half the field. If you have enough shuffles and with the Guiles and Libraries, it could be a hoser!

Do you consider the Enlightened Tutors to be essential? Those Mirage tutors need to be game changers since you give up a draw.

Sorry for the questions while not having tested the deck. I don't get many opportunities lately to play...

Robrecht

[slayjay]

I really REALLY like Rule of Law main. I think we board it out against grixis delver? Too much counterspells...

[Claymore1]

Why not Rest in Peace instead of Faery Macabre? Didn't read the whole thread (just first few and last pages), so maybe this has already been answered... Replenish is not your most important card nowadays apparantly so it might be something that was discarded back then but may earn a slot now?

Hello, welcome to the GW Opal-Wave, I do not have much experience piloting the deck as I am more of a Enchantress player. But I do assemble it back from time to time. However, with experiences with both decks. Rest in Peace will also eat your own graveyard, since you're also tossing cards away due to commune with the gods or kruphix insight. If its for sideboarding, I find the card to be too slow. The decks that you would bring it on, often can win before the card even comes down, such as dredge or reanimator. Or can be easily interacted with, quickly, and cheaply, either through turn 1 discard, countermagic, or removal. That is why the pilots for this deck prefers something that either comes out fast, or is hard to interact with.

Got home from work and tested Terminus a bit. I think we're on to something here.

Hello Freggle, is this simply to buy you time to assemble your pieces? if so, since the deck tends to dig deep and toss things to the graveyard. Wouldn't Moment's Peace fit that category better? You'll toss it away while you commune or kruphix, it'll sit there in the yard (or even accumulate there) for use at your own pace. Also, with this "toss things to the yard" in mind, I noticed that you pilots, based on your conversations, seem to be struggling with W mana production. Would Riftstone Portal as a 1-off be too cute?

[Freggle]

Why not Rest in Peace instead of Faery Macabre? Didn't read the whole thread (just first few and last pages), so maybe this has already been answered... Replenish is not your most important card nowadays apparently so it might be something that was discarded back then but may earn a slot now?

The timing and that it is uncounterable and free. It also feels great to get him out for free blanking your opponent with Exhume, but that interaction is nothing to write home about.

RIP is superior in the long game, but in the long game we have reanimated creatures covered with STP, and Parallax Wave / Terminus less Iona, Shield of Emeria.

I have to find the best way to get a Karakas back in the list. It’s either cutting a fetch, or Sideboard Not sure yet. For card slots it’s cutting a fetch, but I don’t want to get wreaked by Wasteland as we do need to hit 4 mana reliably.

Side note: I am considering a Tutor able lands SB suite with Crop Rotation ( a green tutor [see Iona]) obviously for Karakas and Bojuka Bog to do funky things at instant speed and get more shuffles for the deck. It wouldn’t be half bad to rotate into Serra’s Sanctum from time to time as well.

Good luck with the deck, I will be trying it. Just ordered the cards I missed.

Welcome aboard. Keeps us posted on your thoughts.

Loving the Terminus tech! It's such a powerful card. Remember Miracles? Made the deck roll vs more than half the field. If you have enough shuffles and with the Guiles and Libraries, it could be a hoser!

At this point I truly think it’s a game changer for the deck. Yes the deck needs mana, but instead of trying to ramp into 4 mana with Lotus Cobra the deck could just “stall” and
“buy time” with Terminus an extremely powerful card. I played 5 matches with it, and Miracle-d it at least 4 times drawing it once. In combo with Rule of Law it can slow the game to a crawl and get us to the late game where we are HEAVILY favored. It also fixes the targeting issue for cards like Progenitus and True-Name Nemesis. It’s pretty fun to bleed people of counter magic with Enchantments, and then “get em” with Terminus eliminating their clock(s). Only to potentially get those enchantments back with Replenish or Starfield of Nyx later.

Do you consider the Enlightened Tutors to be essential? Those Mirage tutors need to be game changers since you give up a draw.

The slot is questionable, but it shuffles and helps with the A+B combo, but I’m closely watching the slot. It’s nice to see what your opponent is up to and then dial up the right answer, so it’s been performing well.

I really REALLY like Rule of Law main. I think we board it out against grixis delver? Too much counterspells...

I am too, as far as Grixis it again depends on the total list and your overall game plan. I personally would keep them in, and let them counter Parallax Wave or other Enchantments, and then when they have about 3 cards in hand try and get them with Terminus assuming the have creatures, and you have mana for Spell Pierce

Hello, welcome to the GW Opal-Wave, I do not have much experience piloting the deck as I am more of a Enchantress player. But I do assemble it back from time to time. However, with experiences with both decks. Rest in Peace will also eat your own graveyard, since you're also tossing cards away due to commune with the gods or kruphix insight. If its for sideboarding, I find the card to be too slow. The decks that you would bring it on, often can win before the card even comes down, such as dredge or reanimator. Or can be easily interacted with, quickly, and cheaply, either through turn 1 discard, countermagic, or removal. That is why the pilots for this deck prefers something that either comes out fast, or is hard to interact with.

Correct.

Hello Freggle, is this simply to buy you time to assemble your pieces? if so, since the deck tends to dig deep and toss things to the graveyard. Wouldn't Moment's Peace fit that category better? You'll toss it away while you commune or kruphix, it'll sit there in the yard (or even accumulate there) for use at your own pace. Also, with this "toss things to the yard" in mind, I noticed that you pilots, based on your conversations, seem to be struggling with W mana production. Would Riftstone Portal as a 1-off be too cute?

It is to buy time and shore us the non-targetable creatures issue. As for your tech I tthink it would be better if there wasn’t a card Deathrite Shaman given that that card exists I don’t think it’s a good call.

[Weapon X]

Stumbling in again...

I notice opalescence and replenish in all lists here and wonder why no one is running a pandemonium kill.

[mistercakes]

It's just a singleton replenish, pandemonium is off color and pretty bad without opalescence.

[Freggle]

Stumbling in again...

I notice opalescence and replenish in all lists here and wonder why no one is running a pandemonium kill.

Hello Welcome Back Weapon X! As Mirstercakes has jumped in, it's not needed and takes a slot. One of the original versions (prior to this thread) tried to abuse the constellation trigger of Grim Guardian since it didn't target, and it was life loss. However, after playtesting it was just too hard for decks to beat the attacking of 4/4's that it was cut for the slot. Remember after we have Oblivion Ring, Opalescence and Parallax Wave on the battlefield we can remove any targetable permanent indefinitely. So things like Ensnaring Bridge don't save you.

More thought to the tutor - Crop Rotation sideboard:

Here is a sketch of what it *could* look like:

3 Orim's Chant / 3 Silence / 3 Mindbreak Trap - Whichever proves to be most useful
3 Crop Rotation
3 Swords to Plowshares
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Wasteland
4 Leyline of Sanctity

...and cut a fetch for Karakas main.

Here we have a gameplan of:

Storm: 3 Chant, Leyline, Rotations, and Bog (for surprise Past in Flames / or Cabal Ritual nuke)

Turbo Depths: 3 Rotation, 3 Swords, Bog, Karakas (Main), Wasteland for a surprise waste with the Depths trigger on the stack if we cant beat it any other way. If we can (like Plow) then nuke the yard with Bog, or get Karakas. It all depends on what is known. ...like do they have a Wasteland or Ghost Quarter of their own showing?

Belcher: 3 Chant, 4 Leyline

...more to come

With this plan we interact early, "trip-up" opponents early wins, and move into our combo or Rule of Law from there.

Edit:

Wasteland is also for 12 Post, All is Dust or more specifically because of the exile mechanic Ugin, the Spirit Dragon is a beating. Perhaps a Wasteland coupled with some Chant's, and / or Rule of Law could keep them off of that before we kill.

[Freggle]

Ran a League tonight with the list above, and the sideboard below. I went 3-2 both losses to TNN in a Delver shell. Got to rethink that plan a little bit I think. Terminus would work, but all of my "engine cards" to set it up got counterd. I may change the numbers a bit to ensure I can set is up easier.

Sideboard:

4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Swords to Plowshares
2 Orim's Chant
3 Sphere of Resistance
3 Faerie Macabre

Started strong then fizzled:

BG Goodstuff (Lilly, Hymn, Bob...) 2-1 I punted Game 1 forgetting I had Replenished out Rule of Law

4 Color Leo 2-0 Deck did what it's supposed to do.

Grixis Delver 0-2 Stifle and TNN

4 Color Delver 0-2 TNN got there I flooded hard G2 after my card filter got counterd

UW Helm 2-0 Deck did normal deck things

Not satisfied with the outcome, but it's data none the less.

[mistercakes]

i still like the idea of playing enchanted evening, but haven't been able to do any testing for this deck. i suppose you can still lose even if you have out opalescence and evening, but it does prevent almost all future spells from being played (unless if they have something like a deathrite out).

[HdH_Cthulhu]

Yeah best etb trigger to abuse is probably something like soul/essence Warden. Everything after the combo is just win more. But these wardens are just not good enough!

So maybe Auriok Champion Auriok Champion. I play alot of modern and love to bring this guy vs grix. They cant remove it lol, it blocks gurmag and stalls pyros.

So yah you drop it to buy some time/annoy your opponent and once you combo - BAM infinite life no TNN race or watever!

[Freggle]

Yeah best etb trigger to abuse is probably something like soul/essence Warden. Everything after the combo is just win more. But these wardens are just not good enough!

So maybe Auriok Champion Auriok Champion. I play alot of modern and love to bring this guy vs grix. They cant remove it lol, it blocks gurmag and stalls pyros.

So yah you drop it to buy some time/annoy your opponent and once you combo - BAM infinite life no TNN race or watever!

That's a decent idea! I may try that. I will certainly give it a go in tournament practice. My instincts tell me to try Ghostly Prison or Elephant Grass first. They can't counter all of that, and it would lower the curve of the deck and buy time. Could also play a full set of Terminus or even Wrath of God or Day of Judgment to not be so reliant on filters.

...we could also play Orim's Chant main. It pulls double duty in it can pseudo Timewalk people (no attack, no sorcery speed spells) or bait a counter or clear the path for an uncounterable turn.

3rd option is to pack in more draw, and bring back Enchantress's Presence or some number of Commune with the Gods.

i still like the idea of playing enchanted evening, but haven't been able to do any testing for this deck. i suppose you can still lose even if you have out opalescence and evening, but it does prevent almost all future spells from being played (unless if they have something like a deathrite out).

In the area of fun, that would certainly be fun, however in competitive MTG raising the curve for a card that doesn't draw / look / puts cards in hand or do anything without the combo seems the wrong direction to go for the moment.

I started another League last night with a slightly modified list, but had to sleep. ...and now I'm at work.

Here is the data so far. 2-0, but the deck still feels slightly weak to well timed counter magic especially tempo cards.


2-0 UWB - Stoneblade - Normal deck things and 3-4 card keeps off of Sylvan Library
2-1 Elves - Lost to a nut draw T2 kill G1, Games 2 & 3 Combo-ed. Orim's, Swords, and Terminus performed well.

...hoping to stay hot, but still plenty of time to flop. I'll post the list when I can access it. This time no Rule of Law, and a full set of Mirri's Guile & Sylvan Library I believe just to see if it made a difference.

Edit:

...or is this the deck for Scroll Rack? 3 mana T2 is not hard, and can dig to combo, and function as a back-up dig spell. It can also put Terminus back in the deck. It could be like a Parfait / Miracles / Enchantment combo deck.

[Freggle]

That's a decent idea! I may try that. I will certainly give it a go in tournament practice. My instincts tell me to try Ghostly Prison or Elephant Grass first. They can't counter all of that, and it would lower the curve of the deck and buy time. Could also play a full set of Terminus or even Wrath of God or Day of Judgment to not be so reliant on filters.

...we could also play Orim's Chant main. It pulls double duty in it can pseudo Timewalk people (no attack, no sorcery speed spells) or bait a counter or clear the path for an uncounterable turn.

3rd option is to pack in more draw, and bring back Enchantress's Presence or some number of Commune with the Gods.



In the area of fun, that would certainly be fun, however in competitive MTG raising the curve for a card that doesn't draw / look / puts cards in hand or do anything without the combo seems the wrong direction to go for the moment.

I started another League last night with a slightly modified list, but had to sleep. ...and now I'm at work.

Here is the data so far. 2-0, but the deck still feels slightly weak to well timed counter magic especially tempo cards.


2-0 UWB - Stoneblade - Normal deck things and 3-4 card keeps off of Sylvan Library
2-1 Elves - Lost to a nut draw T2 kill G1, Games 2 & 3 Combo-ed. Orim's, Swords, and Terminus performed well.

...hoping to stay hot, but still plenty of time to flop. I'll post the list when I can access it. This time no Rule of Law, and a full set of Mirri's Guile & Sylvan Library I believe just to see if it made a difference.

Edit:

...or is this the deck for Scroll Rack? 3 mana T2 is not hard, and can dig to combo, and function as a back-up dig spell. It can also put Terminus back in the deck. It could be like a Parfait / Miracles / Enchantment combo deck.

Finished the League 4-1 :-/

Last 3 Matches in order:

Eldrazi 2-0 Combo Got there twice

UW Standstill 2-0 Combo both games game 1 was on a mull to 4 for mana

Chech Pile 0-2 I was excited to get this favorable MU, but I got the classic mana flood (all green how is that possible) into mana screw. Even with Guile up both games. Oh, well.

This was not the best version of the deck, I may go back to Enchantress's Presence, and run that through a league.

Here was the frantic schizophrenic list ran:

EDIT: Corrected list - I did not run Enchantress's Presence

4 Parallax Wave
4 Opalescence
4 Windswept Heath
4 Kruphix's Insight
4 Wild Growth
4 Utopia Sprawl
1 Savannah
2 Plains
4 Serra's Sanctum
6 Forest
4 Oblivion Ring
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Starfield of Nyx
4 Sylvan Library
4 Mirri's Guile
2 Replenish
3 Terminus
2 Enlightened Tutor
1 Verdant Catacombs

4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Sphere of Resistance
2 Orim's Chant
3 Faerie Macabre
3 Swords to Plowshares



I think the STPs in the board should be Council's Judgment That's one way to handle a TNN
Or a Revoker / Mom situation.

[Fjaulnir]

That's a pity!! Losing the last one always sucks infinitely more than starting 0-1 and then going 4-1...

What's your screenname btw? Don't remember ever seeing you on MTGO.


Re Cs Judgment: I thought about that one too. STP deals better with early game Infect/Elves though? And Terminus should already help with TNN and Mom-Revoker so except for Prelate on 6 + Mom or Teeg + Mom STP seems better against most decks? Doesn't kill Jace either but this deck should be able to outgrind Jace already + has 4 O Rings.
So changing 1 STP for a C Judg isn't necessarily wrong, but cutting all 3 seems suboptimal in many matchups?

[Freggle]

That's a pity!! Losing the last one always sucks infinitely more than starting 0-1 and then going 4-1...

What's your screenname btw? Don't remember ever seeing you on MTGO.


Re Cs Judgment: I thought about that one too. STP deals better with early game Infect/Elves though? And Terminus should already help with TNN and Mom-Revoker so except for Prelate on 6 + Mom or Teeg + Mom STP seems better against most decks? Doesn't kill Jace either but this deck should be able to outgrind Jace already + has 4 O Rings.
So changing 1 STP for a C Judg isn't necessarily wrong, but cutting all 3 seems suboptimal in many matchups?

I'm also Freggle on MTGO. I hadn't been playing. I was taking a breather as many of us do, and then I fell down a rabbit hole in trading options contracts and stocks. Still do but not in the same volume. That to me was like playing fantasy football 5 days a week instead of once a week :)

Yeah, I came to my senses before submitting. I kept the Plows. I also tested a spicy new one that can fill a lot of roles Thragtusk. I know a 5 CMC creature isn't that win more? ...maybe, but it does work. The ETB effect of gaining 5 life is just what we need to race TNN, and the exit TB trigger of making a 3/3 is icing. It's no joke. You dont even ahve to clock through the iteration much to get a concession.

Helps the burn MU too. Gives us that extra little bit of life to get it done.

I ran another League details below, w/ and altered list

___________________________________________________________________________________________________-

Another League Complete with a slightly different list this time 3-2 :-/

Lands 2-1 – The game I lost I want crazy with Sylvan Libraryand went down to 6 life, and I got had by double p-fire. Live and learn.

Reanimator 1-2 – Won Game 1 on the back of Karakas and wave, Lost Game 2 to loose keep, lost game 3 to a nut draw on a good keep (PLOW, PLOW, Faerie, Guile, fetch, fetch, some others) T1 OP goes unmask (takes Faerie) , ritual, entomb, into Grizzy, into reanimate. Swords Grizzy on 1 activation but still got wreaked.

D&T – 2-1 Cataclysm got me game 2

D&T – 0-2 Both games mana screw, Karakas wasted both games it hurt. I have a love hate relationship with the card in the list. I can honestly say if it were a fetch I would have likely won. I can get ported, but not ported and wasted. Even with Guile and Sylvan

4 color Leo – 2-1 the game I lost it was just weird. I saw tons of cards and little to no disruption, but could not find Opalescence

…so overall in leagues I’m 10 of 15, and it not because of surprise factor Cabal Therapy blind naming Opalescence game 1, Revoker naming Parallax Wave game 1 as well...

I will continue to tweak lists till they are right. I do think Joe was right, and Enchantress’s Presence should remain, it just brings the possible dead space of the deck down, and if one sticks it's excellent against counter magic. I’m unsure about Terminus I benched it for this league. It could have done a lot of work in the D&T MU I lost and the Reanimator match I lost. I mean back breaking work had I been able to miracle it.

I like my new TNN hate right now. It feels great. Thragtusk I wish it were a little bit lower costed in mana, but if there was a guy to blink to get there and race TNN it’s him. I won a game of lands on him. I went to 25, took a hit from the 20/20, and combed right after via a Insight. I had little on board, but being able to make infinite 3/3’s it only took one more turn.
It also makes burn way more playable.

If that falls out of favor my next card to test is Story Circle Here is the list from the last league.

Here was the list run:

4 Parallax Wave
3 Replenish
4 Opalescence
4 Windswept Heath
4 Kruphix's Insight
4 Wild Growth
4 Utopia Sprawl
1 Savannah
2 Plains
4 Serra's Sanctum
5 Forest
4 Oblivion Ring
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Starfield of Nyx
4 Sylvan Library
4 Enchantress's Presence
4 Mirri's Guile
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Karakas

4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Faerie Macabre
3 Swords to Plowshares
3 Orim's Chant
2 Thragtusk

I also tested that lits in Tournament practice

Elves 2-0
Doomsday 1-2 - I could have played better there, the match is very winable
2X D&T 2-0 both times
Lands 2-1 & 0-2 - again port ...maybe Needle?
Nic Fit 2-0

Edit: P.S. Mirri's Guile has been phenomenal, and I'm fairly certain it should remain a 4 of. Just instane in dialing up stuff in the face of Spirit of the Labyrinth or Leovold, Emissary of Trest

[Fjaulnir]

Interesting - all different iterations that I'll have to try out. How has cutting the Terminus for more Replenish again felt?


I just ordered my Lotus Cobras 2-3 days ago, so I'm still behind on versions I have to test

[Claymore1]

Would this be a deck where Bow of Nylea actually work in? It's not very good for traditional Enchantress, however, in this deck, a lot of it's modes and effect is actually useful.

Death Touch
Relevant as we can be on the agressive with Opalessence, even when there's no P. Wave out.

+1/+1 Counter to a Creature
Can come in handy, give our creature a turn or 2 just to have a bigger body to break through, when at a standstill with an opponent's creature.

2 Damage to Flying creature
There's plenty of Delver decks around, so this can just out right nuke it.
At least a sure counter for the opponent, 1 less counter for our actual combo.

Gain 3 Life
makes it pretty much near impossible for opponent to kill us with deathrite shaman.
As well as buy us enough time against aggressive decks.
The 3 damage should negate TNN or leovold damage. :

4 cards shuffle
Nice way to bring back Replenish that was tossed to the grave.
Protects our pieces from Surgical Extraction.
Mess with opponent when they activate DRS targetting our stuff.


I feel like all modes and all it's ability are actually useful for this deck.

[Fjaulnir]

It's interesting, at least!!

With Opal-Wave it also untaps infinitely, so really its ability reads more like 1G: do stuff so it's a nice mana sink potentially.
Because of the gain life it'd probably compete with the Thragtusk slot, although it doesn't make infinite tokens.

[mistercakes]

Summoning sickness?