BWx Chains/Anvil/Spirit Prison Lock (Brainstorming)

[Barook]

I just had a hilarious idea after reading all the talk about the new two blue Delve cards. Maybe the idea by itself is just flawed, but I think it's at least fun brewing, considering how card-draw draw intensive the format is. Besides, a playset of Chains is less than 16 Tix on MODO.

The basic idea is to establish a lock with Anvil of Bogardan + Chains of Mephistopheles or Spirit of the Labyrinth and try to lock them out of the game (aside from well-timed instant speed artifact destruction like AD). Enlightened Tutor could fetch either of the combo pieces.

Deathrite Shaman is a must since it doesn't just act as accelerant, but also as a wincon once the lock is established due to all the cards it gets fed.

Lingering Souls is another wincon, since it's good by itself and has synergy with the lock. Bloodghast might work, but is less awesome than LS.

Liliana of the Veil is just a plain good card and helps establishing the lock.

StP is a given.

Not sure about the rest, though. Some discard should definitely be in form of Thoughtseize/Hymn. An SFM package might be good, too, since Lingering Souls are good equipment carriers and SFM is just too good not to run it.

A light green splash for DRS can be considered, maybe Abrupt Decay and Life from the Loam could join the party, too. Raven's Crime + Loam sounds like a good engine to completely wreck your opponent's hand. Maybe an Entomb toolbox can be considered. Vengeful Pharaoh sounds hilarious in that regard, with both Anvil and Liliana acting as discard outlets for it.

I'm not sure if The Rack or Shrieking Affliction should be included since they don't do anything on their own. Maybe one as an E-Tutor target?

Ensnaring Bridge also sounds pretty good in this kind of deck, although the deck would need a Plan B to win if creatures can't attack anymore (aside from DRS). Decking the opponent doesn't sound too appealing as Plan B.

Any thoughts/suggestions on the direction of the deck?

[Weapon X]

I did this with a black splash in parfait. Although chains was a silver bullet there to help make all the blue decks less efficient.

[Barook]

I did this with a black splash in parfait. Although chains was a silver bullet there to help make all the blue decks less efficient.
A list would be helpful.

I also just realized that Dredge cards (Life from the Loam, maybe Dakmor Salvage) actually allow you keep one drawn card even under the lock, although it needs to go through a different sequencing:

Chains:
Draw normally, dredge the second one instead of letting the Chains replacement effect take place, discard the Dredge card

Spirit:
Dredge the first card, then Anvil card is the first card drawn this turn, discard the Dredge card

The plot thickens.

[WarpWorld]

Since we are theory crafting and throwing around ideas. Teferi's Puzzle Box would lock both players out of a hand with either Spirit or Chains. Because it goes on the stack after you have drawn a card for the turn. Chains would eventually mill their library and yours. If you are getting value through something like a PW or flashback cards this seems fine

[apple713]

I've tinkered with ideas surrounding chains, and ultimately found that there are too many cards that do nothing significant by themselves. Additionally, by having to combine cards to gain synergy, it is inefficient to do so with cards that do not outright win the game when found.

I do wish you the best of luck in crafting. I would stick to a strategy of attrition involving cards like smallpox to gain board advantage on the draw. Abyss might have a place here and similarly nether void.

[Weapon X]

Merde Parfait

4 land tax
2 scroll rack
4 enlightened tutor

2 helm of obedience
2 rest in peace
2 oblivion ring
3 porphyry nodes
3 blind obedience
4 orim's chant
3 silence
2 isochron scepter

1 ivory tower
1 ghostly prison
1 chains of Mephistopheles
1 zuran orb
1 bitterblossom
1 humility

4 mox diamond
1 mox opal
2 swamp
16 plains

Sideboard
3 vindicate
2 toxic deluge
1 batterskull
3 spirit of the labyrinth
2 thoughtseize
4 dark confidant

[rufus]

How about Gaddock Teeg instead of chains as a way to deny the dredge delve cards?

[Weapon X]

Why not just trinisphere then?

[Barook]

How about Gaddock Teeg instead of chains as a way to deny the dredge cards?
Why would you want to deny Dredge cards? The deck would already run DRS as MD hate and could board further GY hate to prevent them from dredging.

I'm probably going to start working on a list on the weekend.

[rufus]

Why would you want to deny Dredge cards? The deck would already run DRS as MD hate and could board further GY hate to prevent them from dredging.

I'm probably going to start working on a list on the weekend.

I meant Delve.


Why not just trinisphere then?
3sphere doesn't work against delve.

[Weapon X]

It sure does.

[SMRiggin]

Hello all!

I've actually been testing this deck for about a month and a half. I've gone through about 5 different iterations of it. I tried the SFM package, the Etutor package, straight WB and Junk lists. I tried lingering souls and it was just too slow.

I took my most well tuned list to a GPT for GPNJ this weekend. I went 2-4 with losses to BUG 2x, d&t and miracles (to a lucky topdeck terminus). I beat Sneak and Show as well as Food Chain.

Here is my list for reference.

2 Abrupt Decay
4 AEther Vial
2 Anvil of Bogardan
2 Bayou
2 Chains of Mephistopheles
3 Dark Confidant
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Forest
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Karakas
4 Marsh Flats
2 Pack Rat
4 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Plains
2 Savannah
3 Scrubland
2 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Spirit of the Labyrinth
1 Swamp
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Thoughtseize
1 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Volrath's Stronghold

BUG is rough, as abrupt decay hits everything. They would leave the anvil alone and kill spirit or chains, giving them a filter. I chose Vial because all the creatures except DrS are 2-drops and I can activate the vial w/ the anvil trigger on the stack.

I've started to step away from this archetype for a while, so I'm posting this up for others to work with. I found that I could assemble the 2-card combo, but it didn't win me the game. I think that Junk Vial could be a real thing - the combo aspect of it was too cute and not über competitive.

Shawn

[Rivfader]

Before Spirit of the labyrinth was printed, Jeff Blyden did well on a SCG with a anvil/Chains loamdeck. He ran burning wish, with a winds of change as target (with chains on the table: all players discard all hands). He also ran 2x word of command, to force an opponent to play brainstorm.

I liked the deck very much, here's the link to the deck tech: http://www.starcitygames.com/events/coverage/deck_tech_combo_loam_with_jeff.html

[Weapon X]

How did the spirit/chains non-bo work out for you?

[FoolofaTook]

Before Spirit of the labyrinth was printed, Jeff Blyden did well on a SCG with a anvil/Chains loamdeck. He ran burning wish, with a winds of change as target (with chains on the table: all players discard all hands). He also ran 2x word of command, to force an opponent to play brainstorm.

I liked the deck very much, here's the link to the deck tech: http://www.starcitygames.com/events/coverage/deck_tech_combo_loam_with_jeff.html

That's a great list he put together. 4x Chains is necessary. It really should have 4x Anvil also. The problem with the list is the same as all non-blue lists, no Ponder, no Brainstorm for consistency. You can't fix the opening hand so you are overly dependent on getting a great grip. The difference between mulling 40% of the time and 15% of the time is huge.