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Thread: Dark Snow

  1. #1
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    Dark Snow

    This deck plays fair Magic : The Gathering as Richard Garfield intended it

    Jorn / Kaldring allows you to play Depths combo within a BUG Snowko shell, using some combination of Intuition or Entomb to assemble the combo pieces. Kaldring can recur Dark Depths, or just Coatls and Astrolabes. The graveyard tutors also set up the Uro plan and other tricks, while Jorn supports the fair beatdown ramp plan, so there's good synergy.


    //Lands: 21
    4 Prismatic Vista
    3 Misty Rainforest
    2 Polluted Delta
    4 Snow-Covered Island
    2 Snow-Covered Forest
    1 Snow-Covered Swamp
    1 Tropical Island
    1 Underground Sea
    1 Volrath's Stronghold
    1 Dark Depths
    1 Thespian's Stage

    //Creatures: 9
    4 Ice-Fang Coatl
    3 Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
    1 Jorn, God of Winter
    1 Leovold, Emissary of Trest

    //Artifacts: 4
    4 Arcum's Astrolabe

    //Planeswalkers: 3
    3 Oko, Thief of Crowns

    //Spells: 23
    4 Force of Will
    4 Brainstorm
    4 Ponder
    3 Abrupt Decay
    2 Bloodchief's Thirst
    1 Fatal Push
    1 Life from the Loam
    1 Intuition
    1 Force of Negation
    2 Dead of Winter



    Intuition piles:
    Loam + Depths + Stage = Marit Lage
    Loam + Stronghold + Jorn = get Kaldring in play, then start looping Coatls and Rogue Elephants or spamming Depths through removal
    Stronghold + Jorn + Depths = get Depths one way or another even if Loam is extracted
    3x Uro = get Uro with fodder
    3x Oko = play a fair magic card

    SPOILER
    ------------
    Jorn, God of Winter 2G
    Legendary Snow Creature - God
    Whenever ~ attacks, untap each snow permanent you control.
    3/3
    -
    Kaldring, the Rimestaff 1UB
    Legendary Snow Artifact
    T: You may play a snow permanent card from your graveyard tapped.

  2. #2

    Re: Dark Snow

    This card is completely bonkers. I'd try out mox diamond since jorg can return snow lands and more LftL.
    Quote Originally Posted by Laser Brains View Post
    With the printing of Gigantosaurus, Thrashing Brontodon and Steel Leaf Champion the deck has evolved from good to very competitive. Anyway, give it a few play tests if you are interested and let me know what you think.

    Winter Maze
    Quote Originally Posted by CptHaddock View Post
    With veteran explorer I know that I 100% will not enjoy a 30 minute grindfest against someone who can barely afford dual lands and believes that their deck can cast a 10 mana 8/8.

  3. #3

    Re: Dark Snow

    I knew someone would try to brew with it as soon as I saw Jorn spoiled. This card's great. Too bad it's just another Elk...

  4. #4
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    Re: Dark Snow

    Looks likes a ton of fun, I love it. Is there an argument for more copies of Intution? I could see the Force of Negation going to the sideboard for a 2nd Intuition. I think it's, simply put, *insane*, that Snapcaster Mage isn't even good enough for mid-range decks anymore.

    Another card that could be a utility all-star is Vampire Hexmagex1. It works with your Stronghold synergy, can be found with Intution, combos with Depths, and kills PW's cold. I think it's worth a slot.
    Last edited by Mr. Safety; 01-21-2021 at 07:04 AM.
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    I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner

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    Re: Dark Snow

    Good suggestions. Both the 2nd Intuition and the 1-of Hexmage deserve a look. I'll have to figure out which control slots are most expendable. Maybe FoN is OK in the SB. Might be able to shave an Uro too because they're tutorable now.

    Not sold on Diamond yet. The graveyard package is light (can be boarded out vs heavy hate) and the card disadvantage hurts the fair plan.

  6. #6
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    Re: Dark Snow

    Any progress/further development on this? Playing mid-range with combo is one of my favorite ways to play magic. I hadn't really splashed blue into the mix in the past, I didn't have the USeas, but playing The Rock with Depths combo was one of my favorite projects. My favorite legacy deck so far was Turbo Depths with Deathrite Shaman and Dark Confidant maindeck.
    Brainstorm Realist

    I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner

  7. #7
    Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.
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    Re: Dark Snow

    This is pretty much what my Mind Harvester/Intuition Depths decks are, with some different card choices. The two that I was working on are in my signature (Yorion Intuition and Miracle Intuition).

    Two major points:

    1) The deck needs some number of Exploration, because the combo is way too slow otherwise.

    2) You should also include Field of the Dead, which is stronger vs midrange matchups.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

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    Re: Dark Snow

    No, haven't done much with this yet.

    The general shell is not a new idea. It's BUG Snowko with an Intution/Loam/Jorn package thrown in. BUG midrange with Intuition/Loam has been around for years in different incarnations, like Hanni said. It's a thing that works. It's just a matter of fine-tuning the control slots to the meta and fine-tuning the engine.

    I should take another look at this soon though, with Jorn legal soon.

    Field of the Dead sounds great, though it's much better in the decks with higher land counts.

    Same with Exploration. This isn't a 28-land deck or even primarily a Loam deck. It just has 1-of Loam as a way to force through Depths. Will Exploration do much more than Explore? Meanwhile it's card disadvantage. Uro also lets you play out lands.

  9. #9
    Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.
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    Re: Dark Snow

    Exploration does more than just set up Depths/Stage faster (possible turn 4 lethal), it also allows you to make a 20/20 every turn when the opponent has temporary answers like Swords to Plowshares, Wasteland, etc.

    Without Exploration, this game plan is way too slow to be worth the effort.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

  10. #10
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    Re: Dark Snow

    Wouldn't it be better to just play BUG Lands at that point? Exploration is a build-around card, not really a value card. There's a big difference between incorporating land tricks (Loam, Uro) and making it the focus of your strategy. I've splashed Depths in The Rock and it's really just a 'gotcha' combo, something to increase threat density and divide disruption. If that's the goal, it can play like Splinter Twin. If you include cards like Exploration you end up having too much emphasis on making the small package work without redundancy (playing 4-of's.) Exploration makes a high volume of lands work very well; Exploration with only 2-3 lands available really doesn't capitalize on the power it can give. Uro on the other hand draws cards, helps make extra land drops, gains life, and is a threat itself. It's basically a planeswalker. Oko is the same, but an actual PW. These cards work well as lightning rods so that it leaves opponent's vulnerable to a Marit Lage. Or you can just make a Marit Lage, if they deal with it you slam an Oko and Uro.

    Just some thoughts, I don't know if my thinking is correct without experience piloting either deck. It's a fun thought experiment.
    Brainstorm Realist

    I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner

  11. #11
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    Re: Dark Snow

    This is where I'm at with my version after the bans...

    Ugw/r Miracle Intuition

    Lands (22)
    4 Flooded Strand
    4 Misty Rainforest
    1 Tropical Island
    1 Tundra
    1 Volcanic Island
    2 Snow-covered Island
    1 Snow-covered Plains
    1 Snow-covered Forest
    1 Mystic Sanctuary
    1 Waterlogged Grove
    2 Wasteland
    1 Thespian's Stage
    1 Field of the Dead
    1 Dark Depths

    Creatures (2)
    2 Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath

    Spells (36)
    2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
    2 Narset, Parter of Veils
    2 Teferi, Time Raveler
    4 Brainstorm
    4 Ponder
    4 Intuition
    2 Life from the Loam
    4 Exploration
    4 Force of Will
    2 Force of Negation
    4 Swords to Plowshares
    2 Terminus

    Sideboard (15)
    2 Ashiok, Dream Render
    1 Flusterstorm
    2 Veil of Summer
    2 Pyroblast
    1 Red Elemental Blast
    2 Surgical Extraction
    2 Wilt
    1 Terminus
    1 Pithing Needle
    1 Null Rod

    Quote Originally Posted by FTW View Post
    No, haven't done much with this yet.

    The general shell is not a new idea. It's BUG Snowko with an Intution/Loam/Jorn package thrown in. BUG midrange with Intuition/Loam has been around for years in different incarnations, like Hanni said. It's a thing that works. It's just a matter of fine-tuning the control slots to the meta and fine-tuning the engine.

    I should take another look at this soon though, with Jorn legal soon.

    Field of the Dead sounds great, though it's much better in the decks with higher land counts.

    Same with Exploration. This isn't a 28-land deck or even primarily a Loam deck. It just has 1-of Loam as a way to force through Depths. Will Exploration do much more than Explore? Meanwhile it's card disadvantage. Uro also lets you play out lands.
    My version is a bit different than yours though, going much deeper into the Intuition/Loam plan. I suppose with your list, Exploration doesn't do as much. Still, the Inuition/Loam into Stage/Depths plan is really slow without Exploration.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Safety View Post
    Wouldn't it be better to just play BUG Lands at that point? Exploration is a build-around card, not really a value card. There's a big difference between incorporating land tricks (Loam, Uro) and making it the focus of your strategy. I've splashed Depths in The Rock and it's really just a 'gotcha' combo, something to increase threat density and divide disruption. If that's the goal, it can play like Splinter Twin. If you include cards like Exploration you end up having too much emphasis on making the small package work without redundancy (playing 4-of's.) Exploration makes a high volume of lands work very well; Exploration with only 2-3 lands available really doesn't capitalize on the power it can give. Uro on the other hand draws cards, helps make extra land drops, gains life, and is a threat itself. It's basically a planeswalker. Oko is the same, but an actual PW. These cards work well as lightning rods so that it leaves opponent's vulnerable to a Marit Lage. Or you can just make a Marit Lage, if they deal with it you slam an Oko and Uro.

    Just some thoughts, I don't know if my thinking is correct without experience piloting either deck. It's a fun thought experiment.
    Well, the idea is that the card disadvantage of Exploration is offset by the vast number of cards that generate card advantage. Exploration accelerating the deck into turn 2 allows the deck to start casting its bombs sooner (and therefore generating card advantage sooner), while getting out from under cards like Thalia and Daze. The deck runs enough lands and cantrips to get to 3-4 lands on turn 2. Loam (and by extension, Intuition) provides the resources to feed Exploration, but the point of Exploration beyond getting 4-5 lands in play is to accelerate the Stage/Depths and Stage/Field kills.

    Extra copies are fine within the context that the opponent may Force the first one, and extra copies can be put back into the library with Brainstorm/Jace.

    The deck plays the midrange grind plan just fine. It doesn't grind nearly as hard as Snowko did, but it has the ability to just resolve an Intuition EOT and then win the game within a turn or two later.

    It's certainly possible that 4 Exploration is too many. I'm still debating if I should cut one for a Sylvan Library.
    Last edited by Hanni; 02-17-2021 at 03:35 PM.
    Sligh
    Echo Stompy
    /r Miracle Intuition
    Yorion's Intuition
    5c Hollow Vine

    Quote Originally Posted by MMogg View Post
    In porn terms, Zoo has a 11" shlong and an impressive money shot, but it's over in 4 minutes, whereas Landstill is a good 8" and can go for 30 minutes.

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