pointofinfo
07-28-2009, 10:49 AM
I've been toying around with a WUb build of Death and Taxes that I'm calling DNTU (U for blue and University, 'cause it takes you to school! [...not really]). It's lacking that something special to put it over the top and make it a fun - though probably not Tier 2 - deck.
My design goal was to abuse not just Karakas, whose tricks have been watered down a bit by M10 rules changes, but also one of my favorite cards from Extended: Riptide Laboratory. I set out with the idea that I could merge these two bouncers, drop some of the less exciting cards like Port and Isamaru, and play better anti-control cards. So far, I have this list:
--19 Lands--
3 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Swamp
4 Karakas
1 Plains
1 Flagstones of Trokair
2 Riptide Laboratory
3 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Scrubland
--4 Artifacts--
4 Aether Vial
--3 Enchantments--
3 Oblivion Ring
--9 Instants--
4 Brainstorm
2 Enlightened Tutor
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
--22 Creatures--
3 Vendilion Clique
4 Mangara of the Corondor
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Stonecloaker
4 Flickerwisp
4 Dark Confidant
--4 Sorceries--
4 Cataclysm
Sideboard:
1 Tormod's Crypt
4 Meddling Mage
2 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Counterbalance
1 Aura of Silence
4 Stifle
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Sensei's Divining Top
What Has Worked:
-Half the guys are Wizards. Riptide is a charm as long as the mana is there.
-Enlightened Tutor. Sometimes. It essentially acts as Aether Vial 5 and 6, and that card to this deck feels like Bazaar to Dredge. You just have to have it. I rarely keep without one, which feels janky, but it's really that Vial makes everything so much more consistent and combo-like.
-Stack tricks. If you thought DNT was a little nuts, then this thing should be committed for the way it abuses Sprite.
What Hasn't Worked:
-Meddling Mage is consistently unimpressive, but Jotun Grunt is also that way. The sideboard currently beats up on Loam strategies and Dredge a little, so I feel like shoring up the control match is better. I'm totally open here.
-Playing against Burn. They have too many things if you don't resolve a Cataclysm, which you hope to avoid drawing off of Bob. I have considered Children of Korlis for this matchup, but not extensively yet.
-It's still the same slow deck. Of the games I lose, I would say about 50-60% are games where I am behind one turn.
Other cards I've considered:
-Children of Korlis
-Sower of Temptation
-Shadowmage Infiltrator
Anyone who has some input would go well-thanked. I really like this deck and the Bobs make it solid, but I feel like it's still missing that je ne sais quoi that would really make it pop. I've considering putting in Top, but I'm not sure where I would find the room.
My design goal was to abuse not just Karakas, whose tricks have been watered down a bit by M10 rules changes, but also one of my favorite cards from Extended: Riptide Laboratory. I set out with the idea that I could merge these two bouncers, drop some of the less exciting cards like Port and Isamaru, and play better anti-control cards. So far, I have this list:
--19 Lands--
3 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Swamp
4 Karakas
1 Plains
1 Flagstones of Trokair
2 Riptide Laboratory
3 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Scrubland
--4 Artifacts--
4 Aether Vial
--3 Enchantments--
3 Oblivion Ring
--9 Instants--
4 Brainstorm
2 Enlightened Tutor
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
--22 Creatures--
3 Vendilion Clique
4 Mangara of the Corondor
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Stonecloaker
4 Flickerwisp
4 Dark Confidant
--4 Sorceries--
4 Cataclysm
Sideboard:
1 Tormod's Crypt
4 Meddling Mage
2 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Counterbalance
1 Aura of Silence
4 Stifle
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Sensei's Divining Top
What Has Worked:
-Half the guys are Wizards. Riptide is a charm as long as the mana is there.
-Enlightened Tutor. Sometimes. It essentially acts as Aether Vial 5 and 6, and that card to this deck feels like Bazaar to Dredge. You just have to have it. I rarely keep without one, which feels janky, but it's really that Vial makes everything so much more consistent and combo-like.
-Stack tricks. If you thought DNT was a little nuts, then this thing should be committed for the way it abuses Sprite.
What Hasn't Worked:
-Meddling Mage is consistently unimpressive, but Jotun Grunt is also that way. The sideboard currently beats up on Loam strategies and Dredge a little, so I feel like shoring up the control match is better. I'm totally open here.
-Playing against Burn. They have too many things if you don't resolve a Cataclysm, which you hope to avoid drawing off of Bob. I have considered Children of Korlis for this matchup, but not extensively yet.
-It's still the same slow deck. Of the games I lose, I would say about 50-60% are games where I am behind one turn.
Other cards I've considered:
-Children of Korlis
-Sower of Temptation
-Shadowmage Infiltrator
Anyone who has some input would go well-thanked. I really like this deck and the Bobs make it solid, but I feel like it's still missing that je ne sais quoi that would really make it pop. I've considering putting in Top, but I'm not sure where I would find the room.