[DTB] U/R Delver

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U/R Delver, a Legacy Primer

I. Introduction
a) History
b) Strategy
c) Why should I play U/R Delver?

II. Card Choices
a) Main Deck
b) Sideboard

III. Variants of U/R Delver
a) The Reveler List
b) The Non-Reveler List
c) The Control List

IV. Matchups, Strategy & Sideboarding Options

lV. Matchups
a) Already tested, bad card choices
b) To Be Tested Cards
c) Tested, Niche Potential

VI. Literature
a) U/R Delver Related
b) Legacy Related
c) General Magic Theory
d) Updates

VII. Final Addendum

I. Introduction

a) History

Ever since the beginning of Legacy, the format has known certain archetypes, to fit player's favorate playstyle. Some players like to play Control, while others like to play Aggro or Combo. One such archetype is Tempo.

Tempo refers to different aspect of the game, which loosly can be described as board presence: effective use of mana, cost effective beatsticks, life totals, and card advantage. In short, the player who knows how best to use his or her resources to the fullest, is able to dictate the tempo of the game, and is most likely to win.

While Tempo-strategies are not specific related to one colour, it is mostly associated with Blue. It was with the release of Innistrad (2011), and one card in particulair that the Tempo-strategy became 'mature'. Delver of Secrets would have a big impact on Legacy, and on Tempo oriented decks. One of the first succesfull tempo decks to emerge was RUG Delver. Other ‘Delver-decks’ were soon to follow.

This primer is about one of those other tempo decks: U/R Delver. It combines Aggro-elements of Burn, with Tempo-elements of, say, RUG Delver.

U/R Delver can be described as a counterBurn deck. Early lists don't really differ much of today's list. For example, this list by Andrew Shrout took first place at SGC St. Louis (04-12-2011):

3 Snapcaster Mage
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Goblin Guide
4 Delver of Secrets

2 Fireblast
2 Daze
3 Force of Will
3 Price of Progress
3 Spell Snare
3 Ponder
4 Chain Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Brainstorm

1 Wooded Foothills
2 Arid Mesa
2 Mountain
2 Island
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard
2 Sulfuric Vortex
3 Pyrostatic Pillar
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Submerge
3 Pyroblast
1 Force of Will

Of course, the creature base is a bit different. The printing of Treasure Cruise made U/R Delver omnipresent. One of the first list with Treasure Cruise was:

3 Young Pyromancer
3 True-Name Nemesis
4 Delver of Secrets

4 Lightning Bolt
3 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Brainstorm
3 Treasure Cruise
3 Ponder
3 Gitaxian Probe
2 Chain Lightning
4 Stifle
1 Spell Pierce

Sideboard
[cards]1 Swan Song
1 Sulfur Elemental
2 Submerge
3 Smash to Smithereens
2 Relic of Progenitus
3 Pyroblast
1 Mana Maze
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Envelop/[cards]

Played at Trial BOM on 27 september 2014 it had all the elements of the U/R Delver list that would become prominent, yet played only three Treasure Cruise. It was Bob Huang who took first place at SCG Legacy Open Edison (28 september 2014) with the following list:

4 Delver of Secrets
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Young Pyromancer

2 Forked Bolt
4 Ponder
1 Chain Lightning
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Treasure Cruise
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Daze

4 Volcanic Island
4 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Mountain
2 Island

Sideboard
2 Sulfuric Vortex
2 Blood Moon
2 Grim Lavamancer
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Pithing Needle
1 Null Rod
1 Smash to Smithereens
3 Pyroblast

Based on a list by Ben Winokur, Huang would present a blueprint for the months to come. U/R Delver would become the most efficient Aggro Tempo deck to dominate Legacy.

But the dream couldn’t last forever, and Treasure Cruise proved to be too good. The card got the banhammer on 19th of january 2015. U/R Delver was back at the drawingboard, and different builds were being played. Then, on 22th of January 2016, Stormchaser Mage was printed, and the modern U/R Delver deck took shape.

4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Stormchaser Mage

3 Ponder
4 Chain Lightning
3 Spell Snare
3 Price of Progress
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Force of Will
2 Fireblast
2 Daze
4 Brainstorm

1 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Volcanic Island
2 Mountain
2 Island

Sideboard
1 Force of Will
3 Eidolon of the Great Revel
2 Sulfuric Vortex
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Submerge
3 Pyroblast

Played by Dries Vanheukelom on 26th January 2016 it showed all the ingredients for U/R Delver’s newest incarnation. Still, different variations of the deck were being played, but by the end of the year a more streamlined and stock version would emerge. Hall of Fame-inductee Olle Rade has got a lot of success with the following list (this one played on 5th December 2016):

2 Bedlam Reveler
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Stormchaser Mage

4 Chain Lightning
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
1 Fireblast
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Price of Progress

2 Arid Mesa
4 Flooded Strand
1 Island
1 Mountain
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard
1 Dismember
1 Flusterstorm
2 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Pyroblast
1 Pyrostatic Pillar
1 Rough / Tumble
2 Smash to Smithereens
1 Spell Pierce
1 Submerge
1 Surgical Extraction
1 True-Name Nemesis

b) Strategy

Your aim, like all tempo-decks, is to take full advantage of your resources, and to aggro your opponent out of the game. Your whole deck is made with this in mind. U/R Delver is all about synergy: burn, spot-removal, cantrips, and counters play vital roles, but also add up to Prowess-triggers.

c) Why should I play U/R Delver?

One of the last real Aggro-decks in the format, U/R Delver combines Burn with counters. The deck is great for learning your cantrips, and at the same time adding Prowess-triggers. Your burn-spells are there to clear the way, but also ending your opponent. Last, but not least, your counters help you to disrupt your opponent’s game, and yes, also add Prowess-triggers. While it should not be high on your list: U/R Delver can be your doorway to other Delver-decks, or even Sneak and Show (or Miracles).


ll. Card Choices

a) Main Deck

Creatures

4 Delver of Secrets
Delver is the most efficient threat that comes down for 1 mana. For this version of the “Delver” archetype the namesake card provides a consistent source of good damage where as other threats such as Monastery Swiftspear and Stormchaser Mage require spells being cast to make their damage output as efficient as the Delver.

4 Monastery Swiftspear
The Swifspear is an efficient 1-drop creature with haste and the ability to grow bigger and produce massive amounts of damage. When multiples of the Swiftspear or the Mage are in play each spell instead of adding one damage are adding 2 or even 3 damage to your attacks.

3-4 Stormchaser Mage
Stormchaser Mage is the addition to this deck in late January of 2015 that made this deck become a serious competitive deck again. Stormchaser Mage is somewhat awkward sometimes, being a 2 mana creature. However as said about the Swiftspear also applies, that multiples of either and spells in hand can have very explosive results. As well Stormchaser Mage’s 3 toughness in combination with Prowess make it very hard to kill with a Lightning Bolt. When your opponent goes to Lightning Bolt your Stormchaser Mage and you respond by casting a Brainstorm you have now essentially got them to completely waste a card.

0-2 Bedlam Reveler
Bedlam Reveler offers an amazing card off the top in the late game and thus a way out of a bad spot sometimes. The card does have its fair share of critics and fans though. Bedlam Reveler can sometimes stunt the progression of your game plan by being a dead card in your hand when you need cards to cast to stay ahead. Reveler can also be a card you need to cast and can tear your good hand apart. That said Bedlam Reveler can also help you refuel and present a massive threat that is very difficult to deal with for some opponents.

0-2 Snapcaster Mage
Snapcaster Mage is very useful as it can flashback a Lightning Bolt a Chain Lightning or in the most devastating fashion flashback a Price of Progress and attacks or blocks as a 2/1 as a nice consolation prize. That is the dream. However, many choose to eschew this mage due to it being somewhat slow and clunky.

0-1 Grim Lavamancer¬
With the number of fetchlands you crack and spells you cast you will almost always have fuel for Grim Lavamancer. With this fuel Grim Lavamancer can easily take over some games. Against Elves, Death&Taxes, Grixis Delver and Aluren Grim Lavamancer kills most relevant creatures, thus is a must answer threat for these decks. In addition Grim Lavamancer does a great job of ignoring blockers/clearing blockers to get damage through to the opponent.

0-1 True-Name Nemesis
The lists without Bedlam Reveler lack high impact threats for the late game. For the non-reveler lists the infamous Merfolk Rogue will be a great addition as it is a mini Progenitus. Resolving a True-Name Nemesis after a good start can often just lock up the game for you.

0-3 Soul-Scar Mage
The newest creature we can toy with. While it looks like a strictly worse Monastery Swiftspear, the addition of Soul-Scar Mage gives this deck more explosive potential. Generally, Soul-Scar Mage replaces 1 Stormchaser Mage and your other flex creatures, thus giving you an extra 2 creatures with Prowess. This means you are more likely to have turns where you cast 3-4 spells with 2 or more creatures with prowess on board resulting in a massive output of damage. Soul-Scar Mage also has a little side bonus of being able to essentially give your burn spells wither (deal damage to creatures in -1 -1 counters instead). It is a very niche ability but it can be relevant when battling Tarmogoyf and Gurmag Angler. The real reason to play this card is really that it gives you extra prowess creatures at 1 mana.

Burn spells

4 Lightning Bolt
Simply one of the best removal spells in the game. Efficient at 1 mana for 3 damage to a creature or has the ability to go directly to an opponent. With this sort of strategy you want to hold you Lightning Bolts for creatures primarily and bolts that don’t go to creatures will eventually end up going to your opponent’s face in an attempt to burn them out of the game.

4 Chain Lightning
This is almost exactly like Lightning Bolt however it is much worse. You will always cast these before casting you Lightning Bolts. Be careful with Chain Lightning as it can chain and take out your own creatures if your opponent has double red up. You want to make sure that the coast is clear before you cast this or have another double red up of your own to threaten throwing it back again.

0-1 Forked Bolt
Although not often Forked Bolt does take out 2 creatures and can be completely devastating. More often it is used to kill a single creature or kill a creature and go upstairs. Forked Bolt going upstairs is not always that great on the down side and against some decks Forked Bolt isn’t going to kill creatures. Despite this having 1 can be very useful and is extremely good at times.

2-3 Price of Progress
Price of Progress is very good at punishing people and their greedy manabases. Price of Progress can deal lethal blows to decks like Lands, Aggro Loam, and Eldrazi even after they gain a bunch of life with Glimmerpost. It is also great at dealing 4-6 damage against other Delver decks, Death&Taxes, and various BUG decks. Price can sporadically be good against decks like Sneak&Show, Infect and Elves as well. Despite the very high upside of this card it can be almost dead against decks like Miracles that play many basics. However there are some very niche uses for Price that include forcing opponents to crack fetchlands especially when they want to flip their Sensei’s Top.

0-1 Fireblast
Fireblast can end games suddenly and for no mana too. Given that it is a “free” spell it goes very nicely with Monastery Swiftspear or Stormchaser Mage. Often the 4th damage is extremely relevant when pointing it at your opponent. Fireblast in a pinch can be used to kill creatures but in that position things are not looking well. Despite these great things about Fireblast is it is heavily taxed by Wasteland and at times it can be clunky.

0-1 Thunderous Wrath
5 damage for 1 mana is off the charts efficient, however the catch is you must set it up or randomly miracle it to be able to cast it. The other downside is that it can get stuck in your hand and you will have to find a Brainstorm to put it back to make it castable, otherwise it can really slow you down by being an uncastable dead card in your hand.

Cantrips

4 Brainstorm
Simply the best card in Legacy. Brainstorm is a very fun card for its applications, because many decks want to cast it differently. The ideal use for Brainstorm is the start of a combo turn. Brainstorm can literally just become Ancestral Recall in that spot as there are bound to be a couple useless cards in your hand. Brainstorming in this spot is an attempt to find gas to start a fiery storm of Lightning Bolts, Gitaxian Probes, and Prowess triggers. Brainstorm also serves the usual purpose of being able to find gas on non-combo turns to help you get some pressure. Brainstorm lastly serves the purpose that all Brainstorms ubiquitously share, hiding information, finding land or finding spells.

4 Ponder
Ponder in this serves the purpose that all Ponders do. Find what you need when you need it. Ponder isn’t incredible during combo turns however. It does do the job though of finding 1 extra Lightning Bolt, or setting a Gitaxian Probe into a Lightning Bolt. Ponder mostly serves the usual purpose of finding land or spells.

4 Gitaxian Probe
Gitaxian Probe (in my opinion) should be played in a deck if that deck has the potential to exploit Gitaxian Probe. Here Gitaxian Probe is exploited because it is a free spell that triggers Prowess on potentially multiple creatures, increasing your damage output and lastly it even replaces itself. Gitaxian Probe can also be used to aid your decision making weather to fetch a basic or to fetch a dual, weather to commit more to the board or to hold up removal.

Counter Magic

Our aggressive playstyle and ability to finish the game by comboing our opponent out makes us want to play only free counters. This is because cards like Spell Pierce and Spell Snare cost mana and can become clunky, taking away from the pressure we create. Other builds of this deck do run some number of Spell Pierce and Spell Snare, however these builds are definitely on the more controlling side with cards like Young Pyromancer.

4 Daze
Daze is by far the most efficient legal counterspell on turns 1-2 and sometimes even turn 3. The cost of Daze is to pick up a land which can in turn actually protect us from a Wasteland. There is not much quite like turn 1 Delver, Daze your spell, and next turn flip Delver and beat face. Daze also has some very funny utility on a combo turn as well and is usually the card that enables turn 3 kills. You can cast a spell holding priority Daze it, and either pay for the Daze or holding priority again counter your own Daze for prowess triggers. If you haven’t made a land drop it can also help out with that on those combo turns, allowing you to cast yet another spell.

3-4 Force of Will
The necessary evil of the format. Force of Will is terrible, however you need it in this format as an insurance policy against anything that will just kill you out of the blue. Force of Will is the counterspell you cling to playing this deck, as you don’t have access to cards like Spell Pierce, and thus is realistically all we have to fight fast combo in game 1. Force of Will also has the same kind of funny utility on combo turns as Daze does but that doesn’t need to be repeated again. Lately, people have opted to play three Force of Wills in the main. Pitching a card can be problematic, as we don't recover as good from card-disadvantage, as other decks. Besides, we need all our spells for Prowess.

Manabase

4 Scalding Tarn
Scalding Tarn is our golden fetchland. If you have access to the land you want through another fetchland, use that one first before using Scalding Tarn. Otherwise there isn’t much else to say other than play your fetchlands as a normal blue deck would.

4-6 Other Blue Fetchlands
These fetch Volcanic Island and basic Islands.

0-2 Other Red Fetchlands
These fetch Volcanic Island and basic Mountains.

3-4 Volcanic Island
Volcanic Island is our U/R dual land. The difference between running 3 or 4 is very much up to the player and how they like to sequence their mana.

2-3 [cards]Island[cards]
Island is your Wasteland proof source of blue mana.

1-2 Mountain
Mountain is your Wasteland proof source of red mana.

b) Sideboard

1-2 Flusterstorm
Flusterstorm is very important to being able to fight combo. You are not favoured in combo matchups and will need the help of Flusterstorm to aid in counter fights.

1-3 Pyroblast
Pyroblast is great in combo matchups (aside from Storm) as a super-efficient 1 mana counterspell for stuff like Show and Tell or fighting their Force of Wills, Dazes, etc. Pyroblast is also excellent against almost any other blue deck as well, such as Miracles, and other Delver decks.

2 Smash to Smithereens
With the rise of Death&Taxes also comes more Stoneforge Mysitics. As well the Bant Deathblade decks are out there and bringing the rise of Storneforge Mystic. This deck will fold to a Jitte, or an unanswered Batterskull. Expecting to see more Death&Taxes than ever Smash to Smithereens is a must, to be able to answer the equipment that will inevitably give you a lot of trouble. Chalice of the Void also being a very prevalent card is a must answer card and Smash to Smithereens is your number 1 answer to this card.

1 Winter Orb
(This is TheManWithaPlan’s not totally biased opinion) Winter Orb is great against many mana hungry decks like Miracles or any Punishing Fire deck. These aren’t great matchups and you will need a bullet for them. Winter Orb punishes these mana hungry decks by making it so that they can’t dump mana into doing things on your end step, whereas U/R Delver is perfectly comfortable with the restrictions that Winter Orb puts on both players.

2 Surgical Extraction
Surgical Extraction takes specific combo pieces out of your opponent’s deck once they hit the graveyard and can be game breaking if that happens. Extracting Show and Tell can often mean that the game is over because they have to find Sneak Attack while under the gun and they will likely have very little time to find it. Surgical can also take out Swords to Plowshares or Terminus against Miracles aiding in your effort to keep pressure on your opponent.

1 Pithing Needle
The needle is great against decks like Death&Taxes, Miracles, Aluren, Sneak and Show and Lands. Shutting off things like Stoneforge Mystic, Ghost Quarter, Thespian’s Stage, Cavern Harpy, and Sensei’s Divining Top are very important to suppressing your opponent’s ability to stop your game plan.

1 Null Rod
Null Rod does mostly the same thing as Pithing Needle, but the fact it shuts off all artifacts. It has some different utility that Pithing Needle because of that fact. It can shut off all the mana rocks in Storm, AEther Vials, Jittes, Swords, Tops etc. However it can’t shut off things like Thespian Stage, Ghost Quarter, Cavern Harpy, or Sneak Attack.

1-2 Rough//Tumble
Rough is the side you will be casting if you are curious. It is essentially a one sided Pyroclasm against decks like Death&Taxes, Elves and even Grixis Delver to an extent. Due to these decks having a high density of ground creatures with 2 or less toughness, these decks can fold to a big Rough//Tumble.

1-2 Eidolon of the Great Revel or Pyrostatic Pillar
These cards can help you stay ahead in racing situations against other Delver decks, due to your high density of burn spells. These cards also help your Miracles matchup greatly if they don’t have a Top in play to dig. Forcing them to dig with cantrips into an Eidolon or Pillar will be very perilous for them and could cost them the game if they go too far.

1-2 Price of Progress
Due to your resilient manabase you can use cards like Price of Progress to your advantage. It is also your greatest tool against Lands, Eldrazi and BG/X decks that want to attrition you out. Having access to extra Prices of Progress will prove to be a boon when playing against these decks.

1 Blood Moon
Blood Moon, like Price of Progress, is great due to your resilient, basic heavy manabase. It can shut off a lot of Eldrazi’s best creatures, as well as lock these BG/X decks, lands, and Aggro Loam out of the game. As well, Blood Moon being a 3 drop could end up being a liability due to it being kind of slow.

1 True-Name Nemesis
The fabled Merfolk Rogue is very good at closing out games that have already gotten far. He threatens to end the game almost unconditionally and can be unanswerable for some fair decks. It is also great against the decks that are looking to grind out games like Shardless BUG, Delver, Death&Taxes etc.

1 Grim Lavamancer
Having access to repeatable removal is very great, and allows you to start pointing burn at your opponent’s face while the Lavamancer takes care of the creatures. The lavamancer, like Rough//Tumble can wreck decks that have a high density of low toughness creatures like Delver, Death&Taxes, Elves, Infect and even some other decks like Shardless BUG or Jund.

1 Dismember
Dismember is a great catch-all removal spell to take out bigger creatures like Tarmogoyf, Gurmag Agnler and Thought-Knot Seer that this deck usually has trouble dealing with if the opponent gets ahead or gets to a position where they can race you.

1-2 Grafdigger’s Cage
The cage is extremely potent graveyard hate, especially in a metagame full of Reanimator. It also has the side bonus of hitting Dredge. If unanswered reanimator based decks have no way to function other than getting around the cage. It also has some splash damage against Storm being as it is able to completely shut down Past in Flames.

1 Izzet Staticaster
Staticaster is an excellent option to machine gun down a bunch of small 1 toughness creatures. It comes out at flash speed and has haste, so it can start wrecking your opponent on their turn and immediately. It is an excellent option for controlling Elves, Death&Taxes, Lingering Souls (if you live in Toronto) etc.

1 Sudden Demise
Sudden Demise is a more flexible option than Rough// Tumble, as it catches fliers and can do more than 2 damage. However, it is more expensive and only hits creatures of 1 colour.

0-1 Force of Will
To complement your maindeck 3-of.

0-1 Vendilion Clique
Vendilion Clique is mostly here as hand attack against combo decks, and conveniently comes with a 3/1 flying body. It is also another creature in matchups where you will need more creatures and probably want to board out Force of Will.

1 Spell Pierce
This is mainly to combat combo decks. UR Delver needs more interaction than it already has, to beat combo. In addition, Spell Pierce is great as extra cheap interaction in matchups where you want to board out Force of Will.