BUG Delve(-r)

[CabalTherapy]

BUG Delve(-r)

Following my article on cardmarket https://www.cardmarket.com/de/Magic/...lver-in-Legacy, I have been having some good results at local tournaments with BUG Delve. The deck tries to play a tempo game and cast one of three Delve creatures: Tasigur, Gurmag Angler, Hooting Mandrills. All of which can't be killed with Bolts, Decays, Pushes but obviously are vulnerable to Swords to Plowshares (+ mind the Karakas).

First of all, the deck:

4 Hooting Mandrills
3 Gurmag Angler
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Thought Scour
2 Mental Note
2 Stubborn Denial
3 Stifle
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Fatal Push
1 Dismember
4 Wasteland
1 Island
3 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest

I am quite happy with this set up. I like to play more than 14 lands in this tempo list and Island has always been a great draw/fetchable land in many match ups. The other slot I am unsure of is Dismember. I don't know if 4 Pushes + counterspells are enough to deal with most of the creature decks in Legacy. I can see this deck running Snare/Pierce main as well. Having bigger threats certainly helps in many situations where there is no removal spell at hand. I also feel like I need to say something about Thought Scour and Mental Note; both rather underrated cantrips. Most of the time I don't cast them without knowing what is on top of my library until I really need to dig for something or want/have to deploy a creature as fast as possible. They are great when you want to get rid off bad cards with Brainstorm (Push against ANT e.g.) and when one does not have the shuffling power of fetchlands available. Even though this deck is a tempo deck at heart, one does not need to play a creature on turn 2 or 3 (no more Delver or Stifle on turn 1) since the Delve boys are much better at closing out games than many other decks.

Main problems are Rest in Peace and Leyline of the Void. I am not afraid of RiP because I can easily counter it postboard but Leyline is extremely annoying. Therefore, I am sure that one wants to play a slightly different SB than let's say a regular BUG Delver deck would want to play.

3 Spell Snare
2 Spell Pierce
2 Massacre
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Thoughtseize
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Echoing Truth

I know that this looks like a mess. I feel like this deck cannot afford playing Flusterstorm but has to settle for Pierce and Snare to counter RiP, Jace, Strix, etc. I also don't know how to approach the DnT match up but Massacre might be a possibility; or simply Dread of Night. Echoing Truth deals with Leylines and is great against 20/20 tokens.

// I plan to add proper sections to this starting post.

[Ingo]

Interesting, but why no delvers (in the article it isnt mentioned)? Wouldn't a diversified plan between Delvers and Delve-creatures partly counter the vulnerability towards RIP and Leyline?

[CabalTherapy]

Interesting, but why no delvers (in the article it isnt mentioned)? Wouldn't a diversified plan between Delvers and Delve-creatures partly counter the vulnerability towards RIP and Leyline?

Yeah no Delvers because I want to follow Jonathan Kurz's RUG Delver approach of not playing vulnerable creatures . Delver the card, to be honest, looks rather weak in today's meta.

[Fox]

The best play you can have access to with Thought Scour is opening with Thoughtseize vs opponent who responds with Brainstorm. You're jumping through too many hoops, playing right into yard hate, when you're describing a Death's Shadow deck.

[CabalTherapy]

The best play you can have access to with Thought Scour is opening with Thoughtseize vs opponent who responds with Brainstorm. You're jumping through too many hoops, playing right into yard hate, when you're describing a Death's Shadow deck.

It definitely plays like a Death's Shadow tempo but without dieing to Push/Decay. Deck feels solid though.

[Man of Steel]

I tested a deck similar to this one and was very impressed by golgari charm in the sb, because it answers Tokens, Rip and lotV

Stifle underperformed for me in that deck. i would Play at least one more subborn denial. The denials are so key aginst miracles

[Fox]

It definitely plays like a Death's Shadow tempo but without dieing to Push/Decay. Deck feels solid though.

If that's the qualifier, then you probably need to make 4 cuts to put in the 4x Mongoose. A total of 9 threats without evasion and no recursion (should you mill them) seems dubious. You'd remain at 0 threats vs any dedicated yard hate.

[CabalTherapy]

If that's the qualifier, then you probably need to make 4 cuts to put in the 4x Mongoose. A total of 9 threats without evasion and no recursion (should you mill them) seems dubious. You'd remain at 0 threats vs any dedicated yard hate.

Mongoose is bad.
Mandrills have evasion and I count on the delve boys to be bigger than most of my opponents' creatures. Angler is a removal for Angler and Stalker (should he decide to block).
Regarding the other statements/facts, I have already commented on them.

[Lava Snacks]

I have nothing constructive to say, just that I admire tempo strategies but dislike the existence of Delver, so it soothes me to see the possibility of a tempo deck without it; so, I wish you luck.