Faestill

[pauw]

I've always liked the idea of a legacy Faerie-deck. And I don't remember where but I saw a deck that combined Faeries with Standstill and I really liked the idea. After some testing and tuning the deck I came to this list.

FAESTILL agro-control

// Lands
3 Island
3 Tropical Island
3 Mutavault
3 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
3 Underground Sea

// Creatures
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Spellstutter Sprite

// Spells
2 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Spell Snare
4 Ponder
4 AEther Vial
4 Standstill
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Bitterblossom

1. Cardexplanation
Tarmogoyf
1G : 4/5 .
Spellstutter Sprite
I really like this card as he is a hardcounter for 1U and a 1/1 flying creature.
Umezawa's Jitte
I'm not sure about Jitte though. As my Faeries have flying it's nice to equip but mostly I just keep him in hand as he is a little bit expensive.
Aether Vial
Can play Tarmo and Sprite around Standstill.
Bitterblossom
I really like this card, 1 damage for a 1/1 creature with flying is great. Even better is the interaction with Standstill and less with Spellstutter Sprite.
Standstill
Gives a sick cardadvantage as your opponent has to break it (mostly) and you can play around it with Blossom, Vial and Muta.
Rest
I think they speak for themselves.
Manabase
Speak for themselves. I had never problems with 18 land thusfar.
Mutavault has a great interaction with Standstill and Spellstutter.

2. Sideboard
As for now I'm testing this sideboard:

SB: 4 Hydroblast
SB: 3 Krosan Grip
SB: 4 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 2 Scion of Oona
SB: 2 Pithing Needle

Hydroblast
It's just a great card against all red decks like Burn, Goblins, Sligh, DS.
Krosan Grip
Mainly for Counterbalance because Faestill plays alot of 1 and 2 CC and so CounterTop kills your deck.
Tormod's Crypt
For decks that are based at grave-manipulation or dredge like Ichorid, Loam, ITF.
Scion of Oona
This is more like a testing slot. Thusfar I really like the Scion a (s)he protects my Faeries against Echoing Truth and gives all of em +1/+1.
Pithing Needle
Mostly for SDT, Pernicious Deed and EE.

3. Plan
As Faestill plays 16 counters, 8 cantrips and Standstill it is pretty easy to control the game. It can go really fast with T1 Aether Vial with counterbackup and T2 Standstill or you can just hold on and counter the first threats and than set up a Blossom wich is mostly game. This deck is another Agro-control deck like Threshold, Dreadstill, TA.

3. Possible other cards
Countertop
I think the deck will be TOO slow by playing Countertop. And I think the manacurve is pretty sucky as Faestill only plays 1 and 2 CC.
Scion of Oona
I'm not sure of Scion. I might chance -2 Jitte and +2 Scion as most legacy decks play some kind of removal and Scion pumps my little faeries.
Trygon Predator
I really love this card. He can be usefull when playing against Stax, Enchantress, MUC but I think he is a bit too slow as this deck needs it's mana for controlling your opponent.
Stifle
Great against ANT and fetch but I don't know what to cut for these.
Thoughtseize
I hate to topdeck this card in mid-late game but early game it can win games for sure. Maybe in sideboard for combo matchup.

4. Plan
As Faestill plays 16 counters, 8 cantrips and Standstill it is pretty easy to control the game. It can go really fast with T1 Aether Vial with counterbackup and T2 Standstill or you can just hold on and counter the first threats and than set up a Blossom wich is mostly game. This deck is another agro-control deck like Threshold, Dreadstill, TA.

5. Results
As I am only testing it during 2 days and don't have that much time to test I haven't got that much results.

Solidarity 2-1
ANT 1-2
Enchantress 1-0
BG Pox 3-0
Burn 1-0
Merfolk 1-2
Goblins 1-0
Spring Tide 2-1
Black sui 1-0
Mono W Equipment 1-0

I hope you guys will help me with this deck because I really to play it !

[gnat]

Just some things I've noticed while testing 2 games:

The deck doens't have much threats.
Vial with only 8 creatures in the deck? Maybe you could test Stifle & Dreadnought in the deck.
NO removal... :eek:

[Citrus-God]

One thing I've noticed while testing Faeries is how terrible of a card Spellstutter Sprite is. I'd rather just stick to Bitterblossoms and Mistbind Cliques and Vendelion Cliques. Even Scion of Oona can be good at times.

Btw, AEther Vial seems icky. You only have 8 creatures.

[idraleo]

Verbal warning for spam. - Bardo

[Shugyosha]

Here is the original list: http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=18565

I'm testing this deck for some time now and it proved to be really good. The brokeness of Sprite pretty much depends on Blossom and Vial. Without Blossom or in multiples it counters Brainstorms and Ponders which is still Ok.
12 creatures is Ok for Vial but I would play 1-2 Vendilion Cliques instead of a playset Predators and add two creatures instead of the Jitte's which are clumsy and win more.

[Elfrago]

This guy has been doing good with this deck for a while.
Maybe you can get some inspiration form his list:
http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=22171

[idraleo]

This guy has been doing good with this deck for a while.
Maybe you can get some inspiration form his list:
http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=22171

This decklist is one of the worst approach i' ve ever seen to the archetype, it play tons of senseless cards such as 1off Crucible (jesus, seriously, why??) 2 Cloud of Faeries that did nothing relevant on the board, it playes 2 Mishra over 4 Mutavault (obscene) but in his latest decklist he plays 4off Mishra (epic Lulz), and his manabase could open hands without blue thanks to the 7 colorless lands he plays, it means a mulligan each 3-4 games by colorscrewed hand. If you want to know why he is doing well read his report and prepare for epic LuLz

[Jak]

14 colored sources are fine. UGr Thrash has always run that many and does well.

2 Mishra's could be due to not owning 2 more Mutavaults.

I think your post was a little harsh since he has put up results with the "worst approah".

[Elfrago]

This decklist is one of the worst approach i' ve ever seen to the archetype, it play tons of senseless cards such as 1off Crucible (jesus, seriously, why??) 2 Cloud of Faeries that did nothing relevant on the board, it playes 2 Mishra over 4 Mutavault (obscene) but in his latest decklist he plays 4off Mishra (epic Lulz), and his manabase could open hands without blue thanks to the 7 colorless lands he plays, it means a mulligan each 3-4 games by colorscrewed hand. If you want to know why he is doing well read his report and prepare for epic LuLz

This is not Faeries, it's a different deck.
Crucible is there to recicle wastelands and man-lands, only one becouse it's a very late game card.
Cloud does nothing on it's own, but it turns on Ninja, Spellstutter and sometimes Standstill for the mere cost of 0 mana.
Mishra's is far better than Muta vs aggro decks, so I can see some reasoning in that.

And if he had only one top8 with the deck I would probably agree with you, but he keeps doing well, so it's not just luck.

[Shtriga]

I have also been testing it and it's one of my favourite decks at the moment. I've found the original list good enough, the predators are great because there are so many relevant artifacts and enchantments in the format. They also hold a jitte very well, but 4 might indeed be too many, replace 1 or 2 with another creature like the vendillion cliques as suggested.

Lacking swords, smother is a very decent removal option. Jitte has been awesome many times, but not so great on other ocasions, so I'm a bit split on whether to remove it or not. I still play 2 at the moment.

I've found aether vial to be vital in the deck, allowing for free counterspells with the sprites, or instant speed free tarmogoyfs. 12 creatures is just barely enough for it.

[idraleo]

@elfrago

If you want to go to Waste/Crucible lock, then play Angelstax or Landstill, a random 1 off Crucible is not justified by that kind of strategy. Talking on CoF, why he hell you got to play a 1/1 vanilla with flying? Because it gives you the chance to drop Standstill? Let me lol, if i got to put something that had a sense in 2 copy, i' ll go with Trygon or Vendillion Clique or anything else, you say that "this deck isn' t a faerie deck" but the only purpouse to play CoF is to had a 1/1 Faerie into play to did Spellstutter from 0 to 2 next turn. Or to did some random trick with Standtill AND Ninja (2x, 3x, 2x)

[Sanguine Voyeur]

If you want to go to Waste/Crucible lock, then play Angelstax or Landstill, a random 1 off Crucible is not justified by that kind of strategy.The single Crucible is there to allow you to replay threats and useful lands in the very late game, when they may have been answered. It grants a sort of utility and inevitability to the deck. It's very powerful, but not too useful due to the limited number of lands that can benefit from recursion, ergo, one or two seems the best number.

[Rood]

There's definetally a better card in your list I'd say then 4x Vial considering your low threats you run.

I know some lists maindeck Trygon Predator too, you should probally look into him he's a complete house.

[pauw]

I'm now testing this list and indeed, it works better. I saw this list and I totally don't like Faerie Conclave as it is pretty slow and costs U more to make it a Faerie for Spellstutter.

// Lands
1 Island
4 Tropical Island
3 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
3 Wasteland
2 Mutavault

// Creatures
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Phyrexian Dreadnought
2 Trygon Predator

// Spells
3 Standstill
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Bitterblossom
4 Stifle
4 Smother

// Sideboard
SB: 3 Krosan Grip
SB: 3 Hydroblast
SB: 3 Threads of Disloyalty
SB: 2 Engineered Plague
SB: 2 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 2 Faerie Macabre

I'm not sure about the Dreadnoughts. I'm now testing if I rather want a Vial or a Dreadnought when I draw one.
Smother is really necessary and is a great card. What card will be better, Snuff Out or Smother?
Smother: costs 2 mana, destroys black creatures, only cmc3-
Snuff Out: free - 4 life, destroys non-black creatures
I really like the Stifles in MB. It combos with Dreadnought and earlygame it's mostly a timewalk or a counter less for your opponent.

[idraleo]

This sounds interesting. Could smother turn into Snuff Out?

[chokin]

This sounds interesting. Could smother turn into Snuff Out?

Bitterblossom+Fetch+FoW+Snuff Out really adds up fast. Smother is fast enough and answers a pretty wide variety of creatures.

[Poron]

where is Sower of Temptation? :/

definitly an auto-include...

[Willoe]

Æther Vial, manlands and Standstill synergies nicely. The only question is which manlands to play and which creatures to pop out with Æther Vial.

Is a tribal approach really necessary? Maverick76f did a good job creating that Ubg Awesomecreaturesandawesomemanadenial.dec, and I don't know which is better:

Playing a hell lot of tribal creatures that are insane together and -somewhat- sucking on their own; or playing some awesome beefs that are all out okay on their own and together.

It's sweet to try that Faerie build, because I see certain advantages:

-They're blue, you're able to play FoW!
-They can create some rather game-winning effects (sower of tempation)
-They have evasion - important versus certain decks

But also some disadvantages:
-Rather weak bodies that dies to resolved Pyroclasms/Firespout
-Lack of agressiveness, which can be important vs. Solidarity/Ichorid etc.
-They aren't good alone - they need to be in a flock to pwn. But when they are, they do win games. be careful though, a Deed can ruin your day.

I SUCK at deck sketches, but if I were to abuse the awesomeness of i.e. Scion of O_o and Spellstutter Sprite, I'd probably go this way:

4 Mutavault
2 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
5 Island
1 Swamp

4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Scion of O_o
3 Mistbind Clique
3 Vendillion Clique

4 Standstill
4 Æther Vial
3 Bitterblossom
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Thoughtseize OR a onedrop like Cloud Sprite - if the latter is included, equipment like Umezawa's Jitte or SoFaI is needed.

That list looks kinda awesome to me. We don't have the speed to quickly eliminate other Landstill variants, but we do have 12 counters and 4 thoughtseize to neutralize their key cards like Humility and Pernicious Deed

The sideboard is hopeless. I have really no idea of what that might be.

On the initial decklist:
Too few creatures for Æther Vial. If you want more, that has to be Faeries. The second posted list also doesn't have enough fodder for Spellstutter Sprite. You'll never really get to counter 2cc spells only with 8 faeries in the deck. It's true that Spellstutter is awesome, but you got to use his skills to the fullest. But maybe, that's just me.

[chokin]

What about Cloud of Faeries? Gives acceleration and makes Spellstutter Sprite better. Probably too small though.

[Shtriga]

I think Cloud of faeries is a terrible card, and I don't want to play it in my list. On it's own, it doesn't offer any acceleration, it just costs 0 mana. It's like playing ornithopter.

Spellstutter on it's own counters 0 and 1 cc cards, which make up a good part of staples used in legacy. brainstorm, ponder, stp, aether vial, dreadnought, stifle, sdt, thoughtseize, dark ritual, lightning bolt, spell snare, mongoose, and so many other cards. With bitterblossom into play, it counters a lot more stuff.

In my opinion, CoF is terrible and spellstutter in no way needs CoF to be good.

[pauw]

I totally agree with Shtriga, I never had the feeling I wasn't able to counter a spell with Spellstutter Sprite.
The mono Faerie list looks decent to me too. Why no Mono U Faeries with B2B? Like Faeries in a MUC-shell ...

[Willoe]

I think that MUC has the advantage of running few creatures over Faerie MUC running a lot. It's imperative not to open yourself to mass removal (also when you play i.e. Powder Keg yourself). Faerie decks should be taken the aggro-control path IMO. Too many non-threats (but control elements) backed up by weenies is not that great. It's also taking up a lot of slots.

But of course, B2B along with Propaganda and such could belong in the sideboard even though B2B is such a house.