Time for a side deck

[Vastros]

So sitting bored and wanting another deck. I have little under a grand in store credit and wanted to build something "smaller". I've really been hating my lack of blue decks so I was thinking merfolk without mutavaults, and then either no tnn or no forces. That or dredge/ mono black reanimater. I want this to be competitive as possible, seeing as I will be having myself or someone else playing it at my lgs tourneys. Best bang for your buck in that price range? Either fast combo or control is ideal. Elves is also off the table for reasons. Thanks all :)

[cuthbertthecat]

The U/G Enchantress deck is reasonably cheap and a pretty fun combo/control hybrid.

[JPoJohnson]

You say you already have a deck? What is that?

That might give people what staples you already have to work with.

[Vastros]

death an taxes, I'm getting tired of the mirror haha.

[JPoJohnson]

Playset of Rishadan/Karakas/Aether Vial?

[Vastros]

And wastes, yes.

[JPoJohnson]

Merfolk is extremely easy to build for less than 1 grand then even if you got the TNN (unless your shop based it's prices on SCG or something close).

Force of Will ~85 would be the most expensive
TNN ~40 would be the next
Mutavault ~30
and then everything else under 10.

Merfolk is still very strong without TNN (Weaker in the fair-deck matchup, but it's still winnable). I would run FoW over TNN myself and I can't imagine the deck without Mutavault. That card is just so powerful in that deck. Are the reasons for choosing against Mutavault budget reasons alone?

(Also, FoW is a staple that expands your deck capabilities since so many decks use it as a staple. It is definitely worth picking up a playset)

[Vastros]

That's what I was feeling as well. Getting the forces/daze/counters opens up a lot considering those are the money cards in esper blade and I Kinda want to move that direction later anyways.

Also, for storm players: how does 4eaks budget tes list stand?

[JPoJohnson]

You'd have to show me the list, it's not one I'm familiar with. You'd have to post the list

If it's the sac-land tendrils list, that is a very weak storm list and I would personally run Belcher (Hell, even Oops all Spells) over that one anyday.

[Vastros]

I'll post it when I get pc access. While its not sac land tendrils that thought dd cross my mind not gonna lie.

[JPoJohnson]

I'll post it when I get pc access. While its not sac land tendrils that thought dd cross my mind not gonna lie.

The power of storm is it's speed and the way it can completely ignore opponent's playstyle. TES can play without lands, they can play from the graveyard, they can discard hate & play Silence to block enemy strategy.

Sac-Lands is a fun deck to play here and there, but it weak to so many styles of hate (counter/discard/land destruction) and with wasteland being so prevalent it makes it difficult to be powerful anywhere beyond a casual game since the lands come into play tapped. The inability to outrace hate makes it a rather weak playstyle and if you're wanting a competitive deck it's not the direction I would recommend.

If you like combo decks such as storm or explosive playstyles (ANT,TES,Belcher,Oops,Cephalid Breakfast,Spanish Inquisition etc etc etc) then picking up a playset of Lion's Eye Diamonds is a good choice as well. I guess it just depends on what you're truly wanting - another deck to switch your strategy around or getting several staples to have access to several different decks in the future.

[Vastros]

That's where I am really torn. Merfolk gives some staples, and I truly love the deck. At the same point some other style appeals to me. I miss dredge an have fallen in love with tes and I wouldn't mind the budget version as it seems the only thing it lacks is the duals (opting for shocks).

[Vastros]

// Lands - 14
1 Watery Grave
1 Steam Vents
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Gemstone Mine
4 City of Brass

// Additional Mana - 20
4 Chrome Mox
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Rite of Flame
4 Dark Ritual

// Combo & Engine - 2
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Ad Nauseam

// Tutoring - 8
4 Burning Wish
4 Infernal Tutor

// Card Quality - 8
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

// Protection - 8
4 Duress
4 Silence

// Sideboard
SB: 1 Grapeshot
SB: 1 Ill-Gotten Gains
SB: 1 Tendrils of Agony
SB: 2 Empty the Warrens
SB: 1 Shattering Spree
SB: 1 Past in Flames
SB: 2 Chain of Vapor
SB: 1 Diminishing Returns
SB: 1 Deathmark
SB: 4 Xantid Swarm
This is a step up from Belcher.

[JPoJohnson]

// Lands - 14
1 Watery Grave
1 Steam Vents
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Gemstone Mine
4 City of Brass

// Additional Mana - 20
4 Chrome Mox
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Rite of Flame
4 Dark Ritual

// Combo & Engine - 2
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Ad Nauseam

// Tutoring - 8
4 Burning Wish
4 Infernal Tutor

// Card Quality - 8
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

// Protection - 8
4 Duress
4 Silence

// Sideboard
SB: 1 Grapeshot
SB: 1 Ill-Gotten Gains
SB: 1 Tendrils of Agony
SB: 2 Empty the Warrens
SB: 1 Shattering Spree
SB: 1 Past in Flames
SB: 2 Chain of Vapor
SB: 1 Diminishing Returns
SB: 1 Deathmark
SB: 4 Xantid Swarm
This is a step up from Belcher.

Before I was able to accquire the duals to finish my TES (last year) I tested the deck with shocks. I can understand why people do this, but it's very counter productive with running Ad Nauseam in the deck. It can work, yes, but definitely not ideal. It leave you either more susceptible to Wasteland since you have to fetch EoT to avoid bolting yourself as well as weakening the shuffle effect of fetches with Brainstorm/Ponder.

Having said that, it still works and is very fun. TES is by far my favourite deck (:

Duals is definitely a big step into investing into Legacy. It's a hard step to finally take, but it opens up quite a few possibilities.

Punchline: It's weaker but definitely works. I would play the land-base more like Modern and the deck like legacy and it can work. Now is a good time to accquire LEDs since they just jumped on SCG and TCG and are still selling in the 60s in several places.

[GoblinSettler]

I would not recommend Dredge for a local meta under twenty or thirty people. Especially if someone is running it every week. I've always seen it hated out with extreme prejudice.

[Vastros]

So then the biggest question remains for folk or tes

[JPoJohnson]

So then the biggest question remains for folk or tes

Both are great options. Merfolk can't really be hated out very easily and has parts to the deck that go into many many other decks throughout all of legacy. TES has some combo parts that go into other decks but will be more expensive to build. I actually have both of those decks built and love them both. I couldn't recommend one over the other (although TES takes a lot more time and invested effort to get good at and still you'll make misplays that lose the game, but the deck will always be interesting and fun to play imo).

Based on how you sound describing what you want, I think Merfolk would be a better option. You won't be happy with TES with shocklands in a tournament (local or big), I promise you that.

[cuthbertthecat]

Looking at that TES list, assuming you're building it from scratch, I would get Bloodstained Mires instead of Scalding Tarns because they are functionally the same in the deck, using the saved money to get an Underground Sea.

[JPoJohnson]

Looking at that TES list, assuming you're building it from scratch, I would get Bloodstained Mires instead of Scalding Tarns because they are functionally the same in the deck, using the saved money to get an Underground Sea.

I'd also recommend two U.Sea or two V.Island and only 3 fetch lands. You'll find more often than not that you would rather have another source to fetch than another fetch itself.

[Vastros]

talking with my tournament partner he also is leaning to our fishy friends.
Also, doing the math, its gonna run about $800. Not bad =)

[FTW]

This is my side deck:


3 Underground Sea
3 Volcanic Island
3 Tropical Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Island

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Force of Will
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Intuition

4 Research // Development
4 Burning Wish
4 Cunning Wish
4 Death Wish
4 Living Wish
2 Spawnsire of Ulamog

[JPoJohnson]

This is my side deck:


3 Underground Sea
3 Volcanic Island
3 Tropical Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Island

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Force of Will
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Intuition

4 Research // Development
4 Burning Wish
4 Cunning Wish
4 Death Wish
4 Living Wish
2 Spawnsire of Ulamog


I guess I would have to see the sideboard because I am so confused haha