DKK
02-08-2015, 11:51 AM
As this list does not seem to fit into one of the existing threads I'll open a new one.
Introduction/Philosophy
The idea for this deck came together when deciding what to run for my first event in the post-ban era of Legacy. When Treasure Cruise was still legal my deck of choice was U/R Delver. Before Cruise I used to play various decks, all somewhere on the aggro/control spectrum: UWr Delver, Esper Stoneblade, UGr Dreadstill, etcetera. I like to have options against most of the decks, which means not many really good matchups, but not that many really bad matchups either. That type of deck fits my personal preferences and playstyle, so that would be my starting point.
My metagame tends to have a lot of combo(ish) decks: TES, Reanimator, Sneak & Show. This is why I sort of start to dislike 'vanilla' creatures in the Aggro/Control deck: either you tap out for them and leave yourself in a vulnerable position or you wait to hold up countermagic and lose tempo. In my perspective cards like Tarmogoyf, Delver of Secrets, True-Name Nemesis, Deathrite Shaman and Stoneforge Mystic fall in this category as well. Albeit some of them more than others, the first three 'just' beat down, the latter two have additional effects. I want to keep my mana open as much as possible, being able to react to threats thrown at me.
This deck kind of came together after composing a sort of stock UW Gold Digger (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?28729-Gold-Digger-UWr-Delve-Control) list, removing the Stoneforge package and go from there.
The decklist
//Creatures
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendillion Clique
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
//Manipulation
4 Brainstorm
3 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Dig Through Time
//Counter
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
3 Counterbalance
2 Counterspell
//Removal
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Council's Judgment
1 Supreme Verdict
//Other
2 Back to Basics
//Lands
4 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
2 Marsh Flats
3 Tundra
2 Underground Sea
4 Island
2 Plains
1 Swamp
Explanation of card choices
The creatures:
2 Vendilion Clique
This one can be played end of turn with flash so you can keep your mana open and postpone your decisionmaking. It gives you valuable information about your opponent's hand so you can plan your future turns and on top of that disrupts them as well. Flash being a big bonus against planeswalkers is icing on the cake.
3 Snapcaster Mage
All of the flash-arguments hold up for Snapcaster as well. It is more of an extra spell (Swords to Plowshares/Brainstorm #5 or the extra Counterspell) than just a creature.
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
While it does not have flash, most of the time it is a 4/5 creature for a single mana. By the time you can play this it usually means you can leave 2-4 mana open while upping the pressure on your opponent. This pressure thing is important, Snapcaster/Clique don't provide enough of a clock on their own. With Tasigur being printed you don't need to run Stoneforge of Goyf anymore to kill your opponent. There is no BB in his cost, so he is easily splashable (which also opens up black for the sideboard). His ability is in some way comparable to Snapcaster's: maximize the amount of utility you get out of the spells you draw. Although your opponent can choose what you get, most of the time you can direct it quite a bit: you can remove the nonland cards you don't want first with delve when you cast him, manipulate what you actually mill with Sensei's Divining Top, Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Brainstorm, and use Dig Through Time to remove cards from your graveyard when Tasigur is already in play.
The spells:
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
No-brainers for any blue control deck. There could be metas where you only want three Force maindeck, but currently mine isn't.
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
One of the few cards in the deck you have to tap out for on your own turn, but an all-star to help you get ahead in an even board state. Most games I've played so far I've mainly used his fateseal ability to keep control of the game.
2 Dig Through Time
The 'new' Cruise, which is an instant (!). Provides flexibility and card advantage and smoothens the Tasigur ability. Currently I only play 2 as I'm not sure whether the deck can support more than 4 delve spells. Further testing needs to show if running a 3rd is possible.
3 Sensei's Divining Top
Works well with Tasigur. Allows you to keep your mana open during your opponent's turn and spend any unused mana to manipulate your draws.
3 Counterbalance
With Top already in the deck Counterbalance seems a logical choice when you want to take on the control role. The current breakdown to cc is:
CMC 1: 14
CMC 2: 8
CMC 3: 5
CMC 4: 4
CMC 5: 4
CMC 6: 2
CMC 8: 2
3 Spell Pierce
2 Counterspell
Pierce is good in the early turns, Counterspell is better later on. Both are easily flashed back with Snapcaster.
4 Swords to Plowshares
Not much explanation needed. Best 1cc removal spell in the format and the main reason to play white. Good with Snapcaster as well. Swords is preferred over Path to Exile as we don't want to give the opponent basic lands to circumvent Back to Basics.
1 Council's Judgment
A catch-all removal spell, for things like a resolved True-Name, Chalice of the Void set at 1 or a Show&Telled Emrakul.
1 Supreme Verdict
A uncounterable Wrath effect, good against aggro decks and quick starts of various Delver type decks. A 2nd copy is currently in the board.
Note: because of the manipulation package with Top/BS/Jace/Dig you can get away with running some 1-ofs in the maindeck. If needed you can duplicate the effect with Snapcaster.
2 Back to Basics
The current list does not have high color requirements. Most of the spells are blue, there are just 2 black cards (requiring a single B) and just 2 cards requiring WW in the maindeck. Back to Basics can win games on its own against some decks and in the worst case it can be pitched to force or you can keep yourself from drawing it with all the manipulation.
The mana:
4 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
2 Marsh Flats
3 Tundra
2 Underground Sea
4 Island
2 Plains
1 Swamp
21 is sort of the standard amount for controllish decks nowadays. There are 7 basics to support Back to Basics and 9 fetches to find them. The fetches also fuel your delve spells, shuffle for Top and find your basics.
First test run
As mentioned I threw this deck together for my first post-ban Legacy event, which was yesterday. The list played smoothly, leading to a 2nd place finish in a 32 player event. The sideboard I ran was this:
//Sideboard
3 Meddling Mage -> Combo / Sneak & Show, but also more versatile
2 Flusterstorm -> Combo / Sneak & Show
2 Surgical Extraction -> Dredge / Reanimator / Dragon, but also more versatile, all-star with Snapcaster
1 Supreme Verdict -> aggro decks
2 Kor Firewalker -> Burn / Ur Delver
1 Spell Pierce -> Combo / Sneak & Show, but also more versatile
1 Perish -> Elves / BUG
2 Dread of Night -> Death & Taxes / Monastery Mentor / Lingering Souls
1 Extirpate -> Dredge / Reanimator / Dragon
I did not take detailed notes, but a quick recap (with what I think I boarded):
R1 - Storm combo - 2-0
Board: -4 Swords, -1 Verdict, -2 B2B, -1 Judgment, +3 Mage, +2 Flusterstorm, +1 Pierce, +2 Extraction
Both games I can keep control.
R2 - Reanimator - 2-1
Board: -4 Swords, -1 Verdict, -2 B2B, -1 Judgment, -1 Swamp, +3 Mage, +2 Flusterstorm, +1 Pierce, +2 Extraction, +1 Extirpate
I lose one game after I mulligan to 2 lands+double FoW, he had a better hand.
R3 - UWr Stoneblade - 2-0
Board: -2 B2B, -1 Verdict, +2 Extraction, +1 Pierce
Both games we go back and forth trading counters and removal. Crucial is that I'm able to stop his DTT while he can't stop mine, after which I can resolve Tasigur and grind him out.
R4 - Sneak & Show - 0-2
Board: -4 Swords, -1 Verdict, -2 B2B, -1 Judgment, +3 Mage, +2 Flusterstorm, +1 Pierce, +2 Extraction
I think the board may need adjustment for this matchup. One game came down to me tapping out for Jace when he had 2 cards in hand, one of which I know is a creature as I've just won a counterwar over Show and Tell. He had 2U open afterwards so he does not have another S&T. With him having just a single red source the only window he has is having a red source/Sneak Attack in his hand, and drawing the other of the top. He did. In retrospect perhaps I should not have tapped out for Jace but leave my mana open for the Counterspell Vendilion Clique I had in my hand. On the other hand: his window was small and I probably would've won if I untapped with Jace and that hand.
R5 - Aggro MUD - 2-0
Board: -1 Jace, -1 B2B, -3 CB, +3 Mage, +1 Pierce, +1 Verdict
He does not draw that well and I manage to outcontrol him both games, having an removal and/or counters for his threats.
Things to think about:
I think I need to include 1/2 [CARD]Containation Priest, probably over the Extirpate and another card.
3 Jace might be one too many.
That's it for this time. I'll update this post with further testing results and improvements when I get the time.
I'd be happy to hear your opinions and ideas. I really liked how the deck ran, it looks promising, which is why I decided to write this whole post.
-Duncan
Introduction/Philosophy
The idea for this deck came together when deciding what to run for my first event in the post-ban era of Legacy. When Treasure Cruise was still legal my deck of choice was U/R Delver. Before Cruise I used to play various decks, all somewhere on the aggro/control spectrum: UWr Delver, Esper Stoneblade, UGr Dreadstill, etcetera. I like to have options against most of the decks, which means not many really good matchups, but not that many really bad matchups either. That type of deck fits my personal preferences and playstyle, so that would be my starting point.
My metagame tends to have a lot of combo(ish) decks: TES, Reanimator, Sneak & Show. This is why I sort of start to dislike 'vanilla' creatures in the Aggro/Control deck: either you tap out for them and leave yourself in a vulnerable position or you wait to hold up countermagic and lose tempo. In my perspective cards like Tarmogoyf, Delver of Secrets, True-Name Nemesis, Deathrite Shaman and Stoneforge Mystic fall in this category as well. Albeit some of them more than others, the first three 'just' beat down, the latter two have additional effects. I want to keep my mana open as much as possible, being able to react to threats thrown at me.
This deck kind of came together after composing a sort of stock UW Gold Digger (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?28729-Gold-Digger-UWr-Delve-Control) list, removing the Stoneforge package and go from there.
The decklist
//Creatures
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendillion Clique
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
//Manipulation
4 Brainstorm
3 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Dig Through Time
//Counter
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
3 Counterbalance
2 Counterspell
//Removal
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Council's Judgment
1 Supreme Verdict
//Other
2 Back to Basics
//Lands
4 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
2 Marsh Flats
3 Tundra
2 Underground Sea
4 Island
2 Plains
1 Swamp
Explanation of card choices
The creatures:
2 Vendilion Clique
This one can be played end of turn with flash so you can keep your mana open and postpone your decisionmaking. It gives you valuable information about your opponent's hand so you can plan your future turns and on top of that disrupts them as well. Flash being a big bonus against planeswalkers is icing on the cake.
3 Snapcaster Mage
All of the flash-arguments hold up for Snapcaster as well. It is more of an extra spell (Swords to Plowshares/Brainstorm #5 or the extra Counterspell) than just a creature.
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
While it does not have flash, most of the time it is a 4/5 creature for a single mana. By the time you can play this it usually means you can leave 2-4 mana open while upping the pressure on your opponent. This pressure thing is important, Snapcaster/Clique don't provide enough of a clock on their own. With Tasigur being printed you don't need to run Stoneforge of Goyf anymore to kill your opponent. There is no BB in his cost, so he is easily splashable (which also opens up black for the sideboard). His ability is in some way comparable to Snapcaster's: maximize the amount of utility you get out of the spells you draw. Although your opponent can choose what you get, most of the time you can direct it quite a bit: you can remove the nonland cards you don't want first with delve when you cast him, manipulate what you actually mill with Sensei's Divining Top, Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Brainstorm, and use Dig Through Time to remove cards from your graveyard when Tasigur is already in play.
The spells:
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
No-brainers for any blue control deck. There could be metas where you only want three Force maindeck, but currently mine isn't.
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
One of the few cards in the deck you have to tap out for on your own turn, but an all-star to help you get ahead in an even board state. Most games I've played so far I've mainly used his fateseal ability to keep control of the game.
2 Dig Through Time
The 'new' Cruise, which is an instant (!). Provides flexibility and card advantage and smoothens the Tasigur ability. Currently I only play 2 as I'm not sure whether the deck can support more than 4 delve spells. Further testing needs to show if running a 3rd is possible.
3 Sensei's Divining Top
Works well with Tasigur. Allows you to keep your mana open during your opponent's turn and spend any unused mana to manipulate your draws.
3 Counterbalance
With Top already in the deck Counterbalance seems a logical choice when you want to take on the control role. The current breakdown to cc is:
CMC 1: 14
CMC 2: 8
CMC 3: 5
CMC 4: 4
CMC 5: 4
CMC 6: 2
CMC 8: 2
3 Spell Pierce
2 Counterspell
Pierce is good in the early turns, Counterspell is better later on. Both are easily flashed back with Snapcaster.
4 Swords to Plowshares
Not much explanation needed. Best 1cc removal spell in the format and the main reason to play white. Good with Snapcaster as well. Swords is preferred over Path to Exile as we don't want to give the opponent basic lands to circumvent Back to Basics.
1 Council's Judgment
A catch-all removal spell, for things like a resolved True-Name, Chalice of the Void set at 1 or a Show&Telled Emrakul.
1 Supreme Verdict
A uncounterable Wrath effect, good against aggro decks and quick starts of various Delver type decks. A 2nd copy is currently in the board.
Note: because of the manipulation package with Top/BS/Jace/Dig you can get away with running some 1-ofs in the maindeck. If needed you can duplicate the effect with Snapcaster.
2 Back to Basics
The current list does not have high color requirements. Most of the spells are blue, there are just 2 black cards (requiring a single B) and just 2 cards requiring WW in the maindeck. Back to Basics can win games on its own against some decks and in the worst case it can be pitched to force or you can keep yourself from drawing it with all the manipulation.
The mana:
4 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
2 Marsh Flats
3 Tundra
2 Underground Sea
4 Island
2 Plains
1 Swamp
21 is sort of the standard amount for controllish decks nowadays. There are 7 basics to support Back to Basics and 9 fetches to find them. The fetches also fuel your delve spells, shuffle for Top and find your basics.
First test run
As mentioned I threw this deck together for my first post-ban Legacy event, which was yesterday. The list played smoothly, leading to a 2nd place finish in a 32 player event. The sideboard I ran was this:
//Sideboard
3 Meddling Mage -> Combo / Sneak & Show, but also more versatile
2 Flusterstorm -> Combo / Sneak & Show
2 Surgical Extraction -> Dredge / Reanimator / Dragon, but also more versatile, all-star with Snapcaster
1 Supreme Verdict -> aggro decks
2 Kor Firewalker -> Burn / Ur Delver
1 Spell Pierce -> Combo / Sneak & Show, but also more versatile
1 Perish -> Elves / BUG
2 Dread of Night -> Death & Taxes / Monastery Mentor / Lingering Souls
1 Extirpate -> Dredge / Reanimator / Dragon
I did not take detailed notes, but a quick recap (with what I think I boarded):
R1 - Storm combo - 2-0
Board: -4 Swords, -1 Verdict, -2 B2B, -1 Judgment, +3 Mage, +2 Flusterstorm, +1 Pierce, +2 Extraction
Both games I can keep control.
R2 - Reanimator - 2-1
Board: -4 Swords, -1 Verdict, -2 B2B, -1 Judgment, -1 Swamp, +3 Mage, +2 Flusterstorm, +1 Pierce, +2 Extraction, +1 Extirpate
I lose one game after I mulligan to 2 lands+double FoW, he had a better hand.
R3 - UWr Stoneblade - 2-0
Board: -2 B2B, -1 Verdict, +2 Extraction, +1 Pierce
Both games we go back and forth trading counters and removal. Crucial is that I'm able to stop his DTT while he can't stop mine, after which I can resolve Tasigur and grind him out.
R4 - Sneak & Show - 0-2
Board: -4 Swords, -1 Verdict, -2 B2B, -1 Judgment, +3 Mage, +2 Flusterstorm, +1 Pierce, +2 Extraction
I think the board may need adjustment for this matchup. One game came down to me tapping out for Jace when he had 2 cards in hand, one of which I know is a creature as I've just won a counterwar over Show and Tell. He had 2U open afterwards so he does not have another S&T. With him having just a single red source the only window he has is having a red source/Sneak Attack in his hand, and drawing the other of the top. He did. In retrospect perhaps I should not have tapped out for Jace but leave my mana open for the Counterspell Vendilion Clique I had in my hand. On the other hand: his window was small and I probably would've won if I untapped with Jace and that hand.
R5 - Aggro MUD - 2-0
Board: -1 Jace, -1 B2B, -3 CB, +3 Mage, +1 Pierce, +1 Verdict
He does not draw that well and I manage to outcontrol him both games, having an removal and/or counters for his threats.
Things to think about:
I think I need to include 1/2 [CARD]Containation Priest, probably over the Extirpate and another card.
3 Jace might be one too many.
That's it for this time. I'll update this post with further testing results and improvements when I get the time.
I'd be happy to hear your opinions and ideas. I really liked how the deck ran, it looks promising, which is why I decided to write this whole post.
-Duncan