Mindlock stax

[Mastikor]

hello guys,
i am a stax player, and this card http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=79089&stc=1&d=1221624096 looks really interesting to me. i have built a deck around it but its still on paper and untested. something like this:

mana:
4 ancient tomb
4 city of traitors
4 wasteland
4 ghost quarter
7 islands (seat of syond)
1 academy ruins

lock:
4 mindlock orb
4 smokestack
4 tangle wire
4 chalice of the void
3 crucible of worlds
3 propaganda
3 pendrell mists

win:
4 epochrasite
3 masticore
2 karn, silver golem
2 triskelion

sb:
4 trinisphere
3 chill
3 pithing needle
3 powder keg
2 gilded drake

thank you for suggestions!

[GenghisTom]

I also think it's an interesting card, however, I'm not sure it's the type of card you main deck four. Is Ghost Quarter the only card it has synergy with (assuming your opponent doesn't run any cards in their own that search the library)?

It seems that if there are not enough cards to create synergy with Mindlock Orb then it belongs in the side board - if that. Ghost quarter and Mindlock Orb is cool, however, if you think about it all your doing when you add Mindlock Orb is upgrading Ghost Quarter to a Strip Mine. Strip Mine is good, but having to play a 4cc blue card just for that is not good. It seems like 4x Wasteland is efficient enough for wastelock type effects. Too much work just to add four more wastelands.

I cant think of anything off the top of my head, but there may indeed be more cards that have synergy with Mindlock Orb. When I first saw it I imagined it would be useful in Vintage rather than the other formats. Until a card is found that has more synergy with Mindlock orb, I believe it belongs in the sideboard.

Sure it shuts down fetch lands and infernal tutor, but is that really worth the 4 slots its takes up not to mention its relatively high cost. Just my thoughts, like I said I cant think of anything other than Ghost Quarter.

EDIT: Where's Mox Diamond?

Gen

[Forbiddian]

The lock comes in too late for it to be terribly effective. Most combo decks which are hurt most by your anti-tutor tech try to go off around that time (or they could just bounce your permanent and then go off), and it's a dead card against a horribly high number of decks.

Aggroloam, everyaggrodeckever, etc. only rely on a small number of searches (if any) and in general were I playing those decks I'd GLADLY promise not to play any search cards if my opponent had to tap 3U and lose a card.

[idraleo]

Probably the only mu that Orbs improves is against Survival, even if they gto no mana open when u drop it, otherwise they discrd some dude and go off to VIridian/Harmonic/Chewer...

[Boogy_Boy]

Mindlock Orb is a little more devastating than u'd think. It shuts down fetch land as well so if it hits play, it will screw Thresh over. Or not...

Also, unless a combo player has 8+ bounce effect, they can't reliably bounce Mindlock Orb.

"Lawl? Mindlock Orb? I'll just tutor my bounce"
"You... tutor.. wut?....."
"Fine, har har, I top decked my bounce. Bye bye Mindlock Orb"
*Proceeds to combo off*
"Dude.. where you get the mana? You didn't bounce the Chalice for 0. Your LED is countered"

Just the conversation that comes to the top of my head.

[Jaiminho]

Mindlock Orb is a little more devastating than u'd think. It shuts down fetch land as well so if it hits play, it will screw Thresh over. Or not...

Also, unless a combo player has 8+ bounce effect, they can't reliably bounce Mindlock Orb.

"Lawl? Mindlock Orb? I'll just tutor my bounce"
"You... tutor.. wut?....."
"Fine, har har, I top decked my bounce. Bye bye Mindlock Orb"
*Proceeds to combo off*
"Dude.. where you get the mana? You didn't bounce the Chalice for 0. Your LED is countered"

Just the conversation that comes to the top of my head.

This won't stop TES/Solidarity from grabbing with Burning/Cunning Wish whenever they want whatever they always used against Stax. Against FT, you lock half of the lands from ever adding mana, until Serenity, which was never tutored for, comes in. Adding to that, one can tutor things in response to kill lots of pieces. Those things include: Rebuild, Rushing River and Shattering Spree.

[Lifeless]

Doesn't this really want Aven Mindcensor? Fiddling around with the manabase you can drop him end step of turn 2. I kind of like the idea, not sure how far it can go, but adding white lets you add even more prison elements.

[rufus]

You could play that with Maralen and Aven Mindcensor. Really, Mindcensor is usually going to be superior to the orb.

[Poron]

yes but just for the flash ability

[rufus]

yes but just for the flash ability

The casting cost is also lower, and it's asymmetric in your favor.

Edit: Oh, and Mindcensor can block and do damage.

[emidln]

This won't stop TES/Solidarity from grabbing with Burning/Cunning Wish whenever they want whatever they always used against Stax. Against FT, you lock half of the lands from ever adding mana, until Serenity, which was never tutored for, comes in. Adding to that, one can tutor things in response to kill lots of pieces. Those things include: Rebuild, Rushing River and Shattering Spree.

Actually, from playing FT against Stax, we tend to bring in 1 Rushing River, 1 Echoing Truth, and then 3-4 Serenity OR 2 Ancient Grudge with an additional 2 Rushing Rivers/Rebuilds/Echoing Truths. We can bring in 1-3 Krosan Grip and 1 Wipe Away to add to this total, but it really isn't necessary and cuts into our ability to Duress your relevant cards away. FT actually seems like it would be the best deck that Mindlock Orb is good against, and then it's not even very good. If the best use of the card is barely average, why would you want to play it?

I'd echo that Mindcensor is better.