UR Wizards

[Mr. Safety]

Blue-red has always been a fairly common color combination in modern, starting with Twin and reaching it's peak in the Treasure Cruise/Dig through Time era. Delver has been in and out of fashion, depending on metagame shifts. One deck that has recently emerged, thanks to Dominaria, is UR wizards. With Wizard's Lightning the deck can now have 8 lightning bolts. Even at 3 mana, being an instant speed 3-damage spell is relevant in almost every game. With a fairly low opportunity cost (just play wizards) it is consistently bolts 5-8, thanks to Snapcaster Mage, Grim Lavamancer, Nimble Obstructionist, and especially Mutavault. From there a few other wizards are included, some with incredible synergy, to complement this already decent tempo plan: Vendilion Clique and Spellstutter Sprite. Even Izzet Staticaster, a very good sideboard card in blue-red, is a wizard! This allows for powerful sideboarding options that don't even make the central plan suffer. Jeff Hoogland has pioneered the deck with many streams and even taking the deck to some larger events. I'm not sure if he actually invented the deck, but he certainly is the face of it on YouTube and Twitch.

The deck is also very easy to customize, provided it maintains a few characteristics to enable syngergy:

1) Play at least 20+ instants/sorceries to enable Delver of Secrets
2) Include at least 18-20 wizards to enable Wizard's Lightning

This list is not perfected by any means, but it does allow for some pretty great interaction across the format while also threatening a fast clock. My own list follows with some customized pieces that I think add a lot of power in bad matchups.

Jeff Hoogland's List:https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=19740&d=326979&f=MO
22 LANDS
1x Flooded Strand
3x Island
1x Mountain
4x Mutavault
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Spirebluff Canal
3x Steam Vents
2x Wandering Fumarole

17 CREATURES
4x Delver of Secrets
2x Grim Lavamancer
4x Nimble Obstructionist
4x Snapcaster Mage
1x Spellstutter Sprite
2x Vendilion Clique

21 INSTANTS and SORC.
2x Burst Lightning
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Mana Leak
4x Opt
3x Remand
1x Spell Snare
4x Wizard's Lightning

SIDEBOARD
2 Abrade
2 Alpine Moon
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dispel
1 Entrancing Melody
2 Izzet Staticaster
2 Magma Spray
2 Negate
1 Roast


Mr. Safety's list, tuned for local meta-game (and some card availability restrictions):

17 Creatures
4x Delver of Secrets
2x Grim Lavamancer
3x Snapcaster Mage
4x Nimble Obstructionist
1x Vendilion Clique
3x Spellstutter Sprite

22 Instants and Sorceries
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Opt
1x Serum Visions
2x Burst Lightning
1x Spell Snare
3x Remand
3x Mana Leak
4x Wizard's Lightning

21 Lands
3x Scalding Tarn
3x Flooded Strand
2x Steam Vents
4x Spirebluff Canal
3x Island
1x Mountain
4x Mutavault
2x Faerie Conclave

Sideboard
2x Alpine Moon
2x Disdainful Stroke
1x Entrancing Melody
2x Izzet Staticaster
2x Pillar of Flame
1x Dispel
1x Negate
2x Basilisk Collar
2x Smash to Smithereens


The main differences due to card availability are: 3 Snaps, 2 Steam Vents, 1 Clique. Because I am making up the difference on the wizards with Spellstutter I am playing Faerie Conclave over Fumarole. The ability to hit for 4, albeit quite late in the game, is valid for sure. Conclave is faster into combat, flies, and enables Spellstutter. If I pick up the missing wizards (Snap/Clique) I can re-evaluate whether to include the Fumaroles over the Conclaves. The differences in the sideboard reflect some of my personality, but are justifiable considering what they can offer. Smash offers reach against artifacts (but isn't flexible like Abrade.) Basilisk Collar is a combo with Grim and Staticasters (which allows me to cut the Roast.) Abrades, surprisingly, are actually hard to come by. Everyone needs them so the LGS is out and nobody wants to trade them. Pillar of Flame provides reach similar to Smash, at the cost of instant speed like Magma Spray.

Overall, this deck seems to be a fun, interactive deck that plays a great tempo game along with a fast clock. I worry about no Serum Visions to flip Delver, but I think the additional lands (in the form of Mutavault) are much more important. If not for the wizard theme this deck could easily drop to 18 lands and play a set of Serum Visions, just due to the low curve. My version opts to cut a land for a Serum Visions, which also helps to dig for sideboard cards.

Comments welcome!

[Mr. Safety]

Seriously debating some number of Vapor Snag for the deck. It can save a creature, bounce back a Spellstutter/Snapcaster/Nimble to be used again, and clears blockers with some chip-shot damage thrown in. Overall I think it's worth a slot, possibly the Serum Visions slot.

[Kanti]

Seems legit. You thought about adding Stormchaser Mage and that 1UR Wizard Lord who triggers prowess for everyone? I could imagine a heavy cantrip build with 16-20 lands with those guys in the mix. A different direction for sure.

[Mr. Safety]

Seems legit. You thought about adding Stormchaser Mage and that 1UR Wizard Lord who triggers prowess for everyone? I could imagine a heavy cantrip build with 16-20 lands with those guys in the mix. A different direction for sure.

Yeah, I've waffled on having more early threats. Soul-Scar Mage is another prowess threat that would be ideal as a wizard. The biggest reason for avoiding the low-land, cantrip-heavy prowess direction is the ability to play Mutavaults. They do so much work in this deck, mostly in terms of combat but also by allowing a Wizards Lightning for 1R and adding a faerie to the mix for Spellstutter (an already good card that can be effortlessly made better.)

EDIT: You mean Adeliz, the Cinder Wind? It's definitely a consideration at the top end. I fear that it would have to take up Nimble slots, which is one of the best ways to attack the format from the Stifle angle.

[Mr. Safety]

If Delver ends up being too unreliable I might go with the full 4 Spellstutter Sprite and work in 2x Ninja of the Deep Hours. Delver ends up being one of the flexible slots for sideboarding, so I may not cut them, but Delver doesn't flip too often honestly. I really feel that, while sub-optimal in terms of playing 'draw-go' and leaving mana open for counterspells, Serum Visions might be a necessary evil in anything trying to use delver in modern.

[Mr. Safety]

Tournament coming up on 10/27, planning on taking UR Wizards. Having seen a ton of footage from Hoogland and others, Delver doesn't flip very often. When it flips early it's amazing, but more often than not it doesn't flip. I have adjusted my maindeck to get 2x Serum Visions into it, but I wonder if it's worth playing Delver at all. If I drop delver I need something to make my anemic threats better, like an equipment. Here are my thoughts:

-4 Delver of Secrets

+4Soul-Scar Mage

or

-4 Delver of Secrets
+1 Bonesplitter
+1 Spellstutter Sprite
+2 Ninja of the Deep Hours


The sprites are good in the metagame, but anemic as threats. Ninja would just be for card advantage + Spellstutter/Snapcaster/Nimble synergies. Bonesplitter seems underpowered, but it's super cheap at 1 to play, 1 to equip. There are better equipments for sure, but I need efficiency as my top priority. I'm not sure it's workable, but with Delver's lack of cooperation it seems to be at least serviceable. I could see Sorcerer's Wand potential as well, but the equip cost is prohibitive at 3.

[CaptainTwiddle]

Soul-scar Mage seems good to me, but when I tested it, it pushed me more towards a prowess build, which became more and more aggro to the point of me questioning why I wasn't just playing Burn. That said, if you keep with the Wizards theme, SSM seems great in creature heavy metas. It also adds power to things like Staticaster and Electrickery out of the board.

[Mr. Safety]

Thanks for the response! I tend to agree on Soul Scar Mage...it's a different approach, one where you definitely need a t1 threat and play fast. I have had decent success with this strategy in Jeskai Delver before (with Swiftspears) but the initial blast of aggression can sometimes be squashed, and then you're counting on burn to finish off.

I really want to jam 4x Spellstutter Sprite, it seems very good in the format right now. It's terrible against Tron, but that's what the sideboard is for. It's anemic compared to a flipped Delver, but Ninja bouncing it back (and with 8Bolts in the deck) it should be pretty decent. Again, I would need some sort of way to turn the anemic threats into better ones (like Bonesplitter.)

Sai of the Shinobi would be great, but isn't modern legal. Swords of X and Y are also great, but a little too expensive mana-wise. Maybe it's just correct to jam one anyways.

[Mr. Safety]

Seriously debating Mistbind Clique, it's on theme and with 4x Spellstutter/Mutavault it should have plenty of targets (assuming only 2 copies of Mistbind.) I like what it can do against the big mana decks.

[Mr. Safety]

So here is my list for Saturday, barring getting 2x last minute Mistbind Cliques.

4x Spellstutter Sprite
3x Snapcaster Mage
4x Nimble Obstructionist
2x Grim Lavamancer
2x Ninja of the Deep Hours
1x Vendilion Clique

4x Opt
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Wizard's Lightning
2x Burst Lightning
2x Spell Snare
3x Mana Leak
3x Remand
1x Bonesplitter

3x Scalding Tarn
2x Polluted Delta
2x Steam Vents
4x Spirebluff Canal
3x Island
1x Mountain
2x Faerie Conclave
4x Mutavault

Sideboard
2x Alpine Moon
2x Smash to Smithereens
2x Dispel
1x Entrancing Melody
2x Izzet Staticaster
2x Basilisk Collar
1x Negate
1x Disdainful Stroke
2x Pillar of Flame


The biggest issue with Delver is that it doesn't flip often enough. The land count and creature count would have to be dropped to consistently flip delver (and Serum Visions is pretty much necessary, even though it's not as good as Opt in most cases.) So if Delver doesn't flip, I'm stuck with a 1/1 dork. So I figured I would play more 1/1 dorks (Sprites) instead, that at least have evasion to enable Ninja. The issue of anemic attacks brings the need for some sort of combat booster, which to me the best one is Bonesplitter. It does exactly what I want at the most efficient rate.

If I can pick up Mistbind Clique x2 then the changes are simple: -2 Ninja of the Deep Hours/-1 Bonesplitter, +2 Mistbind Clique/+1 land. Clique is better at closing games, Ninja is better at card advantage.

If anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them. I'm a little worried about the Dredge matchup; Pillar of Flame is really for that matchup, but I'm not sure if Surgical Extraction/Relic/GrafCage should be in my sideboard.

[Phoenix Ignition]

It looks like you might have enough spells to run Thing in the Ice, if you had a couple maindeck it'd always be a decent card against the swarm strategies. Dredge would have to reset after it flips so it might buy enough time to finish off with burn.

[Mr. Safety]

Good call! If I can get some Thing's that would be very good. I could keep the land count to 21, keep the Serum Visions and even cut a Spellstutter or two to give more room for cantrips that can help flip him.

Nice suggestion. I was thinking about Young Pyromancer, but I don't think the spell count is high enough (same problem as delver.) Thing also requires spells, but is fine as a wall for the majority of the game until I need to turn the corner.

[Mr. Safety]

I ended up going 3-2, 13th out of 32.

Wins: Valakut, Jeskai Saheeli, BYE
Losses: UWR Control, UR Thing in the Ice (ironic...)

I ended up going with Delvers, and I'm glad I did. I had one game where it stubbornly didn't flip, but most games it was fine. I'm glad I didn't go too deep into faeries (although Spellstutter was very good in most cases I cast it.) I think I'm going to try and cram in 1x Thunderous Wrath. With 4x Opt and 2x Serum Visions I have decent chances of getting the miracle trigger. The deck is very aggressive, looking for opportunities to jam burn spells at opportune times. I also think that Thing in the Ice is a very good option, possibly out of the sideboard. I also think jamming a Jace in the sideboard for the control matchups would have been VERY good.

I had a hard time in the control matchups (UWR and Thing) and I think using Obstructionist to keep them off mana is actually the correct play (stifling fetches.) Once they gain a mana advantage it really gets hard to out grind them. I was playing Obstructionist as a threat in most games, but I think in those particular games the mana-denial is more important.

I had a ton of fun, I was in every game, and I'll stick with this for a little while. Definitely dropping 1x Faerie Conclave (and I am very glad I wasn't using Fumarole, I just wouldn't have ever activated, seriously.) Mutavaults and 1x Conclave are likely enough. I'll jam a 6th fetch or something else, maybe a Field of Ruin. It's awkward when it costs 2 to activate and then attack, using up 3 lands. Mutavault only commits 2, it's just a better land period.

[Mr. Safety]

UR Wizards took top 16 at a recent online PPTQ, pretty cool to see that.

http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=20496&d=334614

[Mr. Safety]

More love for UR Wizards recently:

http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=20849&d=338019&f=MO