Eldritch Delvolution

[Noctalor]

https://i.gyazo.com/4877d95cc2c2f4b323c6391a976bc7ac.png

1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Griselbrand
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

4 Gurmag Angler
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang

1 Meren of Clan Nel Toth
1 Eternal Witness
1 Reclamation Sage
3 Baleful Strix
4 Veteran Explorer

4 Cabal Therapy
3 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
4 Gitaxian Probe

4 Eldritch Evolution
2 Birthing Pod

1 Swamp
2 Forest
2 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
3 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island
1 Bayou



Main gameplan is to cast a delve card (Tasigur, Angler) and to evolve it (Eldritch Evolution, Birthing Pod) into something insane (Iona, Elesh Norn, Griselbrand), we can also ramp a bit thanks to veteran explorers (that can be sacrificed to the Evolution fetching us some value cards such as Witness or Reclamation Sage).

We play a good amount of cantrips to power out our delve cards as fast as possible, and being a Nic Fit deck we can easily play 4 Cabal Therapy as disruption.

The deck is still untested because the core card is not out yet, I thought it may be interesting to share the core idea tho.

[Echelon]

So you manage to come up with that, but omit Fierce Empath..?

Oh, and GSZ. Dammit.

You should spend some more time in the Nic Fit board. Sheesh! You're already like a week behind!

[Noctalor]

So you manage to come up with that, but omit Fierce Empath..?

Oh, and GSZ. Dammit.

You should spend some more time in the Nic Fit board. Sheesh!

You cant play anything, it's hard to fill the deck with 4 evolutions and a playset of zenith and enough cantrips to fuel delve :eek:

[Echelon]

Oh pish posh. After getting a Veteran Explorer killed you need like 3/4 cards in your GY to cast Tasigur/Angler. Veteran Explorer is 1, and there'll probably be a fetchland somewhere in there too. Easy enough!

[Memories of the Time]

If we want 4 Eldtrich, obv there's no room for zenith, that doesn't help delve too.

Anyway, imho this combination has two main points:
-I'ts not so strong to rely mainly on it
-It doesn't need it anyway

I mean, we can make something great because Eldtrich could be a good card very often, even without Angler. We don't have to make a different version of a S&T decks, we could add a great plan (and fluidity) to a Nic Fit base instead.
For me, we can take off 2 tasigur and Griselbrand to maybe Pernicious deed/some removal/More disruption.
6 cards with delve seem too many, i fear. Plus 3 eldtrich target, way too many.

[Echelon]

I.e. close this thread and just continue on the Nic Fit board..?

[Claymore]

Nic Fit thread is overly bloated with however many Apache Helicopter Fit decks you guys come up with on a daily basis. No reason to keep it contained.

This can be built more so combo oriented as a Reanimator or Show and Tell Evolution deck with a midrange aspect due to the Gurmags and any other delve creatures.

[rufus]

By legacy standards, this looks relatively slow and soft to counters. I do like the combination of birthing pod and evolution.

[gngpostalsrvc]

How about running Satyr Wayfinder over some number of cantrips as a way of fueling delve?

[ESG]

Nic Fit thread is overly bloated with however many Apache Helicopter Fit decks you guys come up with on a daily basis. No reason to keep it contained.

Had to laugh at this. I pop my head in the Nic Fit thread occasionally, and there are so many builds bandied about in there! I guess that's where you go when you want to talk about cards that cost 5 CMC or more and don't outright win the game. Nic Fit is the new Stax.

As for Eldritch Delvolution, I tested a similar build and was unhappy with it. I've moved on to other testing but am still optimistic about the card. I've concluded that delve creatures are good enough paths to victory on their own and that Evolution waters down the deck. When it gets countered and you get two-for-oned, the game is basically over. I also found that there was no creature game-changing enough to be worth that cost. The best ones were Grave Titan and Griselbrand, and both are more effective in other decks.

I also tested Skyshroud Cutter, which is the best card for an explosive opening, costing you 1GG and giving the opponent 5 life for a 6-mana threat. I think there's a future for this combo, but it would be a sideboard option against decks without counterspells. I also see this as an option for people who want to dust off the deck The Cure. Outside of a deck like that, Skyshroud Cutter is pretty awful if you don't have Evolution. I think Evolution decks will need to play bodies that are large enough to grab real threats and yet aren't card disadvantage or bad on their own. I think Evolution should actually replace Pod in the Pod decks, and the build should be a toolbox/value deck that exploits Evolution's more flexible fetching.

[Cartesian]

Nice idea. Turn 1 Deathrite, turn 2 Skyshroud Cutter + Evolution into Ruric Thar sounds good. The Cure deck might not be able to rely on Dark Confidant though, if we keeping adding high mana cost, it it suicidal enough as it is. Other than Ruric Thar and Grave Titan, what other 6-mana bombs do we have?

[Fatal]

other alternative costs:
Vine Dryad
Allosaurus Rider


Suspend creatures:

Duskrider Peregrine
Errant Ephemeron
Infiltrator il-Kor
Ith, High Arcanist
Ivory Giant
Riftwing Cloudskate

[Fox]

You're already sac'ing a creature, best not to be exiling cards from hand:
Cho-Arrim Legate
Deepwood Legate
Rushwood Legate
Saprazzan Legate
No reason to mention white or red cards you'd actually cast with a strategy like this deck employs, Cho-Arrim Legate gets a pass b/c Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth can ensure opponent controls a Swamp. As long as you're talking about the Delve mechanic and the creatures above, you can use Vision Charm to power out Gurmag/Tasigur or to ensure opponent meets land requirement for free casting; bonus points for phasing out post-board Grafdigger's Cage. While Evolution has powerful implications, it seems like it's just a 4x with tons of fuel to sacrifice but little ability to consistently getting it into hand (or protecting it on the stack).

[Megadeus]

The issue I still find in this is if you were able to make a Gurmag angler, why do you need to do more? It seems like win more, or sometimes you get blown out