Dread 56

[FoolofaTook]

This is a melding of old concepts into something that I think is more powerful in the new meta. I expect the list to be inoperative after Monday's B&R list but I thought I would post it anyway just for fun.

Dread 56 - Ur Tempo for the Blue Meta

4 Delver of Secrets
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
2 Snapcaster Mage

4 Stifle
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Spell Snare

4 Lightning Bolt
2 Fire // Ice

4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Brainstorm
4 Treasure Cruise

4 Wasteland
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
1 Misty Rainforest
3 Volcanic Island
3 Island

SB

2 Spell Pierce
1 Flusterstorm
2 Pyroblast
2 Rough // Tumble
1 Pyroclasm
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Echoing Truth
1 Pithing Needle
1 Surgical Extraction
2 Grafdigger's Cage

The basic concept is to deny along the RUG Canadian plan but from a more stable mana base and with the win-cons more suited to the reset game state that Treasure Cruise often creates in this meta. The tradeoff is that one of the primary win-cons is conditional as Phyrexian Dreadnought cannot be relied on early on. The 4 Gitaxian Probes are to reduce the effective size of the list for consistency and to provide information about when a Dreadnought play is advisable and when you should just stay in attrition mode and keep parrying until the right inflection point.

The list can go from tempo to heavy permission depending on the matchup and it should find it's answers fairly quickly in either case with 8 cantrips and only a 56 card list to search. Ponder is not in the list because you really don't want to spend turn 1 tapping out to look for something. Later on mana will be precious as you're trying to use Snapcaster Mage to Treasure Cruise for the second time or to bolt something or Brainstorm in response to a spell or even to Stifle a nought once you reach 4 mana in the mid-game. Mulligan decisions are going to have to replace turn 1 Ponder.

[Darkenslight]

I'd consider playing some of the Manifest cards from Fate Reforged, such as Write into Being or Cloudform. As an aside, I'd also consider playing cards such as [card]Eater of Days[/cards], whth their totally generic casting costs and near-ignorance of 187-abilities. That would mean losing the Snapcasters (they're an utter nonbo with Manifest) and focusing on library manipulation and mana denial.

[FoolofaTook]

Thread can thankfully be locked with no Treasure Cruise available.

[Darkenslight]

Thread can thankfully be locked with no Treasure Cruise available.

I'd actually consider playing more top-of-deck manipulation, like SDT or Telling Time or even Ancestral Knowledge.

[CaptainTwiddle]

I'd consider playing some of the Manifest cards from Fate Reforged, such as Write into Being or Cloudform. As an aside, I'd also consider playing cards such as Eater of Days, whth their totally generic casting costs and near-ignorance of 187-abilities. That would mean losing the Snapcasters (they're an utter nonbo with Manifest) and focusing on library manipulation and mana denial.

I would not consider any of the above. The manifest cards are too expensive at 3 mana and don't provide a powerful enough effect, plus they require more topdeck manipulation to be as good as they can be. As for Eater of Days; again, too expensive/situational.

Delver + Dreadnought decks are a real thing. There have been a few to top 8 SCG Opens (one recently, I believe). I think the deck is still as effective (relatively) without Treasure Cruise. I do think you need more than 4 Stifle for your Dreadnoughts though. Typically, I've been seeing Vision Charm. It's nice having the extra Dreadnought enablers, as it lets you use your Stifles on opposing fetchlands and whatnot early to disrupt so your 'Nought can actually get the job done.

[FoolofaTook]

I don't think it's doable without Treasure Cruise. I'm glad TC is gone but it took this list's chances with it. Too much card disadvantage in Stiflenought and nought dead too often because you had to use Stifle for the tempo effect early on.

Back to Standstill I think as the primary enabler and that changes the list to Ur Dreadstill almost by default.