Wish Scepters

[turkinaa]

Here is a deck I made several years ago. Since then the format has changed a bit as well as the cards used.

Originally the deck ran with Mana Leak to be replaced by Mana Drain, but since the format change I had modified the deck to be Legacy legal. Now the deck is to serve as a lock-down (bounce and counter) while waiting to wish for cards or creatures.

The deck since the update is still under construction as to a few cards that are uncertain, which will be listed below. Suggestions as to more powerful cards or combos, replacing cards, or overall feedback would be nice since no one really likes to play against the deck. The sideboard has the cards to wish for, but also needs to be updated. Ideally it is used to (a) kill creatures, (b) kill opponents, and/or (c) get myself out of binds and let the deck do the work.

Deck
Creatures:
2x Morphling

Instants:
4x Boomerang
4x Brainstorm
4x Counterspell
1x Cryptic Command
4x Cunning Wish
4x Force of Will
4x Memory Lapse

Artifacts:
1x Sensei's Divining Top
4x Isochron Scepter
1x Vedalken Shackles

Sorcery:
1x Time Spiral

Enchantments:
4x Propaganda

Planeswalkers:
1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Lands:
1x Flooded Strand
18x Island
1x Polluted Delta
1x Scalding Tarn

Sideboard (AKA The Stuff to Wish For)
1x Angel's Grace
1x Brain Freeze
1x Disenchant
1x Echoing Truth
1x Evacuation
1x Fire // Ice
1x Gigadrowse
1x Hide // Seek
1x Lightning Helix
1x Research // Development
1x Snap
1x Stifle
1x Sudden Shock
1x Terminate
1x Trickbind


There are other cards I had thought about putting in or have been taken out. Ancestral Vision was removed as was Future Sight. I have more sac lands and some other cards which could be put in, but I am hesitant to remove some cards such as Propaganda for more Vedalken Shackles (I have 3 more) and a 2nd Jace, the Mind Sculptor or even more land. I worry that without cards that can protect me from an overload of creatures, removal, and counters, the use of the scepters and wishes is useless.

Another thing is that the sideboard has not been updated in over 2 years and I wanted to see if any of these cards are worthless or if there is something better that can be placed on the Scepters.

[cherub_daemon]

At the risk of sounding too negative, I think that Abrupt Decay is going to absolutely ruin your Scepter plan. If you're dead-set on using it, consider Orim's Chant or Silence in your wish board.

[thefreakaccident]

What you're looking for is something called scepter chant.

[turkinaa]

That's an excellent idea and could easily put that in as a card to wish for.

Now will those cards like Silence or Chant actually stop Abrupt Decay after its been played (since the spell is on the stack) or would it have to be a preemptive use of the spell to prior to a main phase before they have the chance to cast it? I wouldn't think that once Decay is on the stack you can stop it, so it would have to be preemptive? Would I need to use cards like Time Stop?

[jamis]

There's no way to really play around Abrupt Decay. You'd have to use cards like Faith's Shield or Time Stop.

[kingtk3]

Mindbreak trap could be used too since it exiles spells.

[turkinaa]

There's no way to really play around Abrupt Decay. You'd have to use cards like Faith's Shield or Time Stop.

I actually just added Time Stop to the wish board. Mindbreak Trap might also be a good card to put on the board.

[Wilkin]

I actually just added Time Stop to the wish board. Mindbreak Trap might also be a good card to put on the board.

To deal with Abrupt Decay? I would suggest Spellskite. 4 mana is a lot to counter an Abrupt Decay. But Spellskite is half the mana and does the job.

Another suggestion would be Misdirection or Divert. But Mindbreak Trap and Time Stop IMHO aren't good ideas to sideboard in against Abrupt Decay.

[apple713]

misdirection is probably what you are looking for since your deck is mono blue. You will draw misdirections as often as they draw abrupt decay if you play 4. you can even put 1 in the wish board and be fine. It's tutor able with merchant scroll too.

although if you are keeping the board clear then you won't have another target to misdirect it to. spellskite is another good option as previously mentioned.

[Secretly.A.Bee]

Meddling mage will be your friend along with snapcaster and 4 each of silence and chant.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[Bed Decks Palyer]

That's an excellent idea and could easily put that in as a card to wish for.

Now will those cards like Silence or Chant actually stop Abrupt Decay after its been played (since the spell is on the stack) or would it have to be a preemptive use of the spell to prior to a main phase before they have the chance to cast it? I wouldn't think that once Decay is on the stack you can stop it, so it would have to be preemptive? Would I need to use cards like Time Stop?

Silence and Chant say that target player/all opponents can't play spells. Both do nothing about spells already played, so you're right: it's not a one-mana white counterspell.
Btw, I remember similar questions ever since Abeyance, note that with the 5ED rules it was even more messy because of mana sources.