Fossil4182
01-07-2012, 11:17 PM
This deck is intended for the true budget player. The most expensive card in the deck is $3.49 with most of the cards being $1 or less. For some context, our shop hosts a monthly Legacy challenge weekend whereby our total maindeck cannot cost more than $50 and our sideboard cannot cost more than $15. Basic lands do not count toward this total. The total cost of this deck at the time of posting is $64.30.
If you're familiar with the old Canadian Threshold decks or the new RUG/UR Tempo decks, then you'll find this list very similar (use those lists as a guide if you're interested in adding more money). Its probably not going to win you an Open event, but its powerful and if you're metagame is filled with tier 2 and 3 decks and you may be able to steal the occasional game from some of the tier 1.5 or higher decks.
Maindeck
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Grim Lavamancer
3 Serendib Efreet
2 Control Magic
4 Fire / Ice
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Brainstorm
4 Preordain
4 Force Spike
3 Mana Leak
2 Counterspell
1 Boomerang
2 Snapback
2 Shivan Reef
7 Mountain
10 Island
Sideboard
4 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Red Elemental Blast
1 Meltdown
2 Rack and Ruin
1 Hurkly’s Recall
2 Divert
1 Firespout
1 Spell Pierce
If you're not familiar with the concept of the deck, read here: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=7977
The general principals of what you need to do when piloting it are:
1. Evaluate every play your opponent makes and determine the following
-Is what they're playing something I have to deal with in order to win?
For example, you're opponent casts a creature. Can you afford to let it resolve? Specifically, if that creature were to resolve, how does it impact the clock for each player?
-If it is something you have to deal with, can it be solved by burn or does it require a counterspell?
2. If you feel like you're barely winning, you're probably playing the deck right. The deck isn't designed to have blowout victories. Most of the time, you'll feel like you're working hard to maintain an advantage and that is fine, its a tempo deck. Its very common for your opponent to whine that they were one draw away from winning or that if you hadn't done X then you would of lost. That's how close these games usually are.
3. Know what you're cards are capable of. For example, using Ice on Fire // Ice to tap down an opponent's land to deny them a color. This deck rewards the intuitive and sometimes not so obvious intuitive plays.
4. Know what role to play. The deck has the capacity to play both the role of control and/or aggro. Decide what you need to be and go that route.
Some quick notes on a few card choices (not so obvious)
Serendib Efreet: It fills the roll normally held by Vendilion Clique. While you do not get the come into play effect of Clique, Efreet has more toughness which means they will have to use two burn spells or an actual removal spell to kill it. Subsequently, it can actually play defense if you need it to.
Control Magic: I actually like this better than Sower of Temptation. Most decks have a difficult time destroying an enchantment, especially game one. You don't get the 2/2 body, but you do get to steal their creature and you have a higher probably of keeping it (as opposed to Sower of Temptation). This is also one of your only maindeck solutions to Tarmogoyf unless you use a counterspell on it or burn it out (which usually requires two burn spells or a burn spell and Grim Lavamancer activation).
Adding $ to the deck (budget additions)
Shivan Reef 3 & 4: these additions will cost you $3 each. Cut two mountains if you make this addition.
Daze: Will cost you $3 each. If you add these, cut Force Spike. The benefit is you can tap out in the early game while still threatening a counterspell. The downside is without dropping $250 on a playset of Volcanic Island, you'll occasionally have situations where you will only have a mountain and Shivan Reef in playing make the alternate casting cost on Daze worthless.
Counterspell: These will cost you $1 each. If you add these, first make sure you add the additional two Shivan Reefs so you can consistently pay for the UU. Counterspell replaces Mana Leak if you make this addition.
Threads of Disloyalty: Probably replaces Control Magic, but may also be a sideboard card. It can steal things at one less mana, but is also limited by casting cost. I prefer Control Magic because Threads cannot steal Knight of the Reliquary which this deck has a difficult time answering. I think the best answer is to run both since there are enough three mana creatures that are worth stealing out there to justify running Control Magic. This upgrade will cost you $3 each.
The next step in adding money is Scalding Tarn, but that represents a relatively significant jump with each copying running you $13; to put it in perspective, a playset will cost you more than the entirety of the suggested list. After Scalding Tarn, you can look into Vendilion Clique, Snapcaster Mage, Wasteland, Force of Will, and Volcanic Island. However, the least expensive of these (Vendilion Clique) starts at $30 a piece and the most expensive, Volcanic Island, will cost you plus $60 each.
If you went all out and did a full upgrade, you're looking at close to $600 - $700 investment.
If you're familiar with the old Canadian Threshold decks or the new RUG/UR Tempo decks, then you'll find this list very similar (use those lists as a guide if you're interested in adding more money). Its probably not going to win you an Open event, but its powerful and if you're metagame is filled with tier 2 and 3 decks and you may be able to steal the occasional game from some of the tier 1.5 or higher decks.
Maindeck
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Grim Lavamancer
3 Serendib Efreet
2 Control Magic
4 Fire / Ice
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Brainstorm
4 Preordain
4 Force Spike
3 Mana Leak
2 Counterspell
1 Boomerang
2 Snapback
2 Shivan Reef
7 Mountain
10 Island
Sideboard
4 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Red Elemental Blast
1 Meltdown
2 Rack and Ruin
1 Hurkly’s Recall
2 Divert
1 Firespout
1 Spell Pierce
If you're not familiar with the concept of the deck, read here: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=7977
The general principals of what you need to do when piloting it are:
1. Evaluate every play your opponent makes and determine the following
-Is what they're playing something I have to deal with in order to win?
For example, you're opponent casts a creature. Can you afford to let it resolve? Specifically, if that creature were to resolve, how does it impact the clock for each player?
-If it is something you have to deal with, can it be solved by burn or does it require a counterspell?
2. If you feel like you're barely winning, you're probably playing the deck right. The deck isn't designed to have blowout victories. Most of the time, you'll feel like you're working hard to maintain an advantage and that is fine, its a tempo deck. Its very common for your opponent to whine that they were one draw away from winning or that if you hadn't done X then you would of lost. That's how close these games usually are.
3. Know what you're cards are capable of. For example, using Ice on Fire // Ice to tap down an opponent's land to deny them a color. This deck rewards the intuitive and sometimes not so obvious intuitive plays.
4. Know what role to play. The deck has the capacity to play both the role of control and/or aggro. Decide what you need to be and go that route.
Some quick notes on a few card choices (not so obvious)
Serendib Efreet: It fills the roll normally held by Vendilion Clique. While you do not get the come into play effect of Clique, Efreet has more toughness which means they will have to use two burn spells or an actual removal spell to kill it. Subsequently, it can actually play defense if you need it to.
Control Magic: I actually like this better than Sower of Temptation. Most decks have a difficult time destroying an enchantment, especially game one. You don't get the 2/2 body, but you do get to steal their creature and you have a higher probably of keeping it (as opposed to Sower of Temptation). This is also one of your only maindeck solutions to Tarmogoyf unless you use a counterspell on it or burn it out (which usually requires two burn spells or a burn spell and Grim Lavamancer activation).
Adding $ to the deck (budget additions)
Shivan Reef 3 & 4: these additions will cost you $3 each. Cut two mountains if you make this addition.
Daze: Will cost you $3 each. If you add these, cut Force Spike. The benefit is you can tap out in the early game while still threatening a counterspell. The downside is without dropping $250 on a playset of Volcanic Island, you'll occasionally have situations where you will only have a mountain and Shivan Reef in playing make the alternate casting cost on Daze worthless.
Counterspell: These will cost you $1 each. If you add these, first make sure you add the additional two Shivan Reefs so you can consistently pay for the UU. Counterspell replaces Mana Leak if you make this addition.
Threads of Disloyalty: Probably replaces Control Magic, but may also be a sideboard card. It can steal things at one less mana, but is also limited by casting cost. I prefer Control Magic because Threads cannot steal Knight of the Reliquary which this deck has a difficult time answering. I think the best answer is to run both since there are enough three mana creatures that are worth stealing out there to justify running Control Magic. This upgrade will cost you $3 each.
The next step in adding money is Scalding Tarn, but that represents a relatively significant jump with each copying running you $13; to put it in perspective, a playset will cost you more than the entirety of the suggested list. After Scalding Tarn, you can look into Vendilion Clique, Snapcaster Mage, Wasteland, Force of Will, and Volcanic Island. However, the least expensive of these (Vendilion Clique) starts at $30 a piece and the most expensive, Volcanic Island, will cost you plus $60 each.
If you went all out and did a full upgrade, you're looking at close to $600 - $700 investment.