HammafistRoob
12-05-2012, 12:52 AM
I'd like to start this thread out by saying that this deck isn't teir 1, it's closer to teir 2. I'm posting it here to get some discussion going about a newish archetype and to see if anybody has tried/ is willing to try this approach(as I do not own any magical crackboard at the moment). And yes I realize that this looks close to UR delver burn but in actuality it plays out a lot differently.
Delver Fiend is a primarily blue deck that splashes red for Kiln Fiend along with some burn spells. This archetype clearly wants to close games out early(turn3 or 4). This serves a multitude of purposes, mainly to outrace opposing bombs namely Pernicious Deed or Jace, the Mind Sculptor. But it also has an added bonus of making Daze and Spell Pierce practically unfair because your opponent will be unable to play around them in the face of your pressure. Now onto the list to give you a better idea of what I'm rambling about.
Delver Fiend
Maindeck=60
-Manabase-16
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Flooded Strand
4 Volcanic Island
3 Island
1 Mountain
-Creatures-8
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Kiln Fiend
-Blue Spells-24
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Preordain
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
-Burn Spells-12
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Dart
4 Forked Bolt
*Sideboard*
3 Spell Pierce
2 Flusterstorm
3 Price of Progress
2 Chain Lightning
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Tormod's Crypt
As you can see, the deck has a whopping 36 instants and sorceries to ensure you that everyones favorite human will sprout antennae relatively early on a consistent basis.
The primary function of your burn spells is to clear the way for your ultimate ground attack. Most legacy decks don't run many guys faster than Kiln Fiend that live through a bolt. So it's insanely common to kill them on turn 3 or 4 after burning out a few blockers. But these red instants also serve the purpose of added reach to help speed up your clock when pointed at your opponent. This deck can do some seriously unfair things during the declare blockers step as well, mainly due to burn.
_Explanations_
Manabase- Eight fetchlands(plus ponder) supply you with ample shuffle effects for your Brainstorms. The basics are obviously to help play around Wastelands. 4 Volcanics are mandatory when running 4 Lava Darts and only 1 Mountain(awful in most opening grips)
Delver of Secrets- Does he still need explaining at this point? I Think not, but here goes. He's the best one drop ever for a deck that wants to win the game in the redzone early. He has won me more games than any other card that costs U.
Kiln Fiend- The decks namesake. He makes for an explosive, comboesque finish in everygame he goes unanswered for a single turn. He's also a reliable way to flat out race combo decks since we have the tools to slow them down easily. 32(excluding FoW)cards in the deck pump him for either one or zero mana.
Countersuit- I'm pretty sure 8 is the right number here as you want about two in each game. Daze is extremely potent in a deck that can operate off of 1-2 lands and can also end the game before the opponent has 3 lands in play. Force of Will is the best counter available in the format so its inclusion should be obvious.
Cantrip suite- 16 cantrip effects help to ensure a great deal of consistency, allowing you to filter your draws much better than any major archetype. Brainstorm is arguably the best card in the format, it definitely feels like Ancestral Recall when combined with a shuffle effect. So its inclusion is fairly justified with that reason alone... best two card combo ever. Ponder is a close runner up, and its almost always better than Brainstorm on turn one in this deck. Also, the fact that it essentially digs 4 cards deep when needed makes it awfully powerful when digging for answers. Gitaxian Probe is insane when combined with Kiln Fiend, but even without him the information the card grants can be enough to swing a few games in your favor. Preordain is sort of a flex slot, the deck still performs decently without it. I just prefer to have the maximum number of deck manipulation possible, and ordain is the best option available.
Red Reach- Burn serves a powerful roll in any UR deck, this one is no exception. Lightning Bolt clearly outclasses any other damage spell. Forked bolt is a really good way to burn out a few X/1's and deliver the Kiln blow. Lava Dart is absolutely absurd in this deck. Pumping up your beatstick to a 7/2 for a measly one red mana while taking out any pipsqueaks your opponent may have. I'm not sure if four is the right number here but testing hasn't made me regret it yet.
This deck has a fair matchup against pretty much every archetype. There are no autowin or autolose matches as far as I can tell. The sideboard is sort of throw together with the DTBs in mind. The extra burn comes in against decks packing insane amounts of removal or decks with horrid clocks that you can simply race with burn to the dome. The extra counters come in to prevent Chalice of the Void or Counterbalance hitting the table. Trinisphere isn't as bad, if your opponent doesn't land a quick clock you can simply race with Delver and reach spells.
This deck is a blast to play, but I feel like my testing is a little off simply because of how rogue the overall strategy is. Often times people will do their usual play of trying to kill my Kiln Fiend in response to an attack, which obviously just makes my counterspells into pump spells as well, and they die. I've also even Dazed my own spells just to make my attack lethal although it's a very risky play unless you know what your opponent is, or could be, holding in hand. But these situations do arise and it's very important to take full advantage of these plays against decks that lack the ability to remove your tank.
All comments welcome, just don't be a fucking dickhole please. Thanks in advance.
Delver Fiend is a primarily blue deck that splashes red for Kiln Fiend along with some burn spells. This archetype clearly wants to close games out early(turn3 or 4). This serves a multitude of purposes, mainly to outrace opposing bombs namely Pernicious Deed or Jace, the Mind Sculptor. But it also has an added bonus of making Daze and Spell Pierce practically unfair because your opponent will be unable to play around them in the face of your pressure. Now onto the list to give you a better idea of what I'm rambling about.
Delver Fiend
Maindeck=60
-Manabase-16
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Flooded Strand
4 Volcanic Island
3 Island
1 Mountain
-Creatures-8
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Kiln Fiend
-Blue Spells-24
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Preordain
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
-Burn Spells-12
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Dart
4 Forked Bolt
*Sideboard*
3 Spell Pierce
2 Flusterstorm
3 Price of Progress
2 Chain Lightning
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Tormod's Crypt
As you can see, the deck has a whopping 36 instants and sorceries to ensure you that everyones favorite human will sprout antennae relatively early on a consistent basis.
The primary function of your burn spells is to clear the way for your ultimate ground attack. Most legacy decks don't run many guys faster than Kiln Fiend that live through a bolt. So it's insanely common to kill them on turn 3 or 4 after burning out a few blockers. But these red instants also serve the purpose of added reach to help speed up your clock when pointed at your opponent. This deck can do some seriously unfair things during the declare blockers step as well, mainly due to burn.
_Explanations_
Manabase- Eight fetchlands(plus ponder) supply you with ample shuffle effects for your Brainstorms. The basics are obviously to help play around Wastelands. 4 Volcanics are mandatory when running 4 Lava Darts and only 1 Mountain(awful in most opening grips)
Delver of Secrets- Does he still need explaining at this point? I Think not, but here goes. He's the best one drop ever for a deck that wants to win the game in the redzone early. He has won me more games than any other card that costs U.
Kiln Fiend- The decks namesake. He makes for an explosive, comboesque finish in everygame he goes unanswered for a single turn. He's also a reliable way to flat out race combo decks since we have the tools to slow them down easily. 32(excluding FoW)cards in the deck pump him for either one or zero mana.
Countersuit- I'm pretty sure 8 is the right number here as you want about two in each game. Daze is extremely potent in a deck that can operate off of 1-2 lands and can also end the game before the opponent has 3 lands in play. Force of Will is the best counter available in the format so its inclusion should be obvious.
Cantrip suite- 16 cantrip effects help to ensure a great deal of consistency, allowing you to filter your draws much better than any major archetype. Brainstorm is arguably the best card in the format, it definitely feels like Ancestral Recall when combined with a shuffle effect. So its inclusion is fairly justified with that reason alone... best two card combo ever. Ponder is a close runner up, and its almost always better than Brainstorm on turn one in this deck. Also, the fact that it essentially digs 4 cards deep when needed makes it awfully powerful when digging for answers. Gitaxian Probe is insane when combined with Kiln Fiend, but even without him the information the card grants can be enough to swing a few games in your favor. Preordain is sort of a flex slot, the deck still performs decently without it. I just prefer to have the maximum number of deck manipulation possible, and ordain is the best option available.
Red Reach- Burn serves a powerful roll in any UR deck, this one is no exception. Lightning Bolt clearly outclasses any other damage spell. Forked bolt is a really good way to burn out a few X/1's and deliver the Kiln blow. Lava Dart is absolutely absurd in this deck. Pumping up your beatstick to a 7/2 for a measly one red mana while taking out any pipsqueaks your opponent may have. I'm not sure if four is the right number here but testing hasn't made me regret it yet.
This deck has a fair matchup against pretty much every archetype. There are no autowin or autolose matches as far as I can tell. The sideboard is sort of throw together with the DTBs in mind. The extra burn comes in against decks packing insane amounts of removal or decks with horrid clocks that you can simply race with burn to the dome. The extra counters come in to prevent Chalice of the Void or Counterbalance hitting the table. Trinisphere isn't as bad, if your opponent doesn't land a quick clock you can simply race with Delver and reach spells.
This deck is a blast to play, but I feel like my testing is a little off simply because of how rogue the overall strategy is. Often times people will do their usual play of trying to kill my Kiln Fiend in response to an attack, which obviously just makes my counterspells into pump spells as well, and they die. I've also even Dazed my own spells just to make my attack lethal although it's a very risky play unless you know what your opponent is, or could be, holding in hand. But these situations do arise and it's very important to take full advantage of these plays against decks that lack the ability to remove your tank.
All comments welcome, just don't be a fucking dickhole please. Thanks in advance.