[Deck] U/W Energy Field

This deck has been an amazing deck for me so far. Someone told me "it would go nowhere in tournament Legacy" but in my local setting (50+ players at a University) it has been awesome. It even beat out White Staxx. I'm coming here to see what you all think as well as get your opinions and modifications.

Lands: (23)
x2 Celestial Colonnade
x4 Glacial Fortress
x4 Sejiri Refuge
x7 Plains
x6 Island

Creatures: (7)
x3 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
x4 Wall of Denial

Enchantments: (13)
x1 Story Circle
x4 Wheel of Sun and Moon
x4 Energy Field
x4 Luminarch Ascension

Spells: (12)
x4 Wrath of God
x4 Enlightened Tutor
x4 Muddle the Mixture

Open Slots: (5)
Considering...
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Jace Beleren
Counterspell
Mind Spring
Ponder

Sideboard:
x2 Meddling Mage
x1 CoP: Artifacts
x1 CoP: Red
x4 Hydroblast
x3 Archive Trap
x4 OPEN

Win Conditions:
Luminarch Ascension
Sphinx of Jwar Isle

How it works:
Opening hand should be a Wheel, Energy Field, or a way to get them. With Enlightened Tutor and Muddle the Mixture, I get them both out by turn 3 most of the time. If I'm being hit by aggressive Goblins, I'll drop the Energy Field turn 2. Otherwise I wait until I get the Wheel out, then I drop the Energy Field in order to prevent something from going to my graveyard.

The 5 open slots... I've played around with different things such as Ajani Goldmane, Counterspells, Mind Spring, etc. I really lack card draw and considered something like a Treasure Trove or just simply Mind Spring. Further, I lack counter, which makes this a pretty weak control deck. I tried Spell Burst, but I usually lack the land-base to buy back the 3 cost, especially if I'm countering a 4-drop. That's 8 mana I'd have to spend just to buy it back, and I figure a straight Counterspell might be better. Ponder could help with card draw, card fixing, and even if I have to cast Wrath, I can Ponder and get the Wrath shuffled back (instead of on the bottom like Wheel puts it) by using the Ponder's shuffle ability. Maybe not even Wrath, but that was just an example.

Lastly, I've considered taking out the Wall of Denial. Most of the time, they just sit in my hand. If I don't get the combo off they are a great blocker, but 19/20 I don't even need the Walls.

I welcome suggestions, questions, comments, etc. I also need a deeper, better sideboard.

Your weaknesses:
CIPT lands slows down the deck, Krosan Grip on Wheel of Sun and Moon can 2-for-1 you in response to your spells or during your discard phase. You don't have Swords to Plowshares or any spot removal. Your sweeper will destroy your own Sphinx. You basically have no means of destroying a resolved Pithing Needle on Luminarch Ascension/Celestial Colonnade.

Have you tested Engineered Explosives, Crucible of Worlds + Wasteland in your list. These cards makes you abuse Enlightened Tutor a little more.

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Originally Posted by Fatestitcher

Your weaknesses:
CIPT lands slows down the deck, Krosan Grip on Wheel of Sun and Moon can 2-for-1 you in response to your spells or during your discard phase. You don't have Swords to Plowshares or any spot removal. Your sweeper will destroy your own Sphinx. You basically have no means of destroying a resolved Pithing Needle on Luminarch Ascension/Celestial Colonnade.

Have you tested Engineered Explosives, Crucible of Worlds + Wasteland in your list. These cards makes you abuse Enlightened Tutor a little more.

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Thanks for your input. Engineered Explosives would kill most of my board - I only have two colors, blue and white, and most of my Enchantments are 2-drops. EE would be good for 1 drops though. I suppose that's a nice response to Pithing Needle... but what other effects would it be good for?

I have not considered Crucible of Worlds, but I don't own Wasteland so I'd need to either get ahold of one. How good would CoW and Wasteland be... and what would I take out in place of them?

RE: Swords, I will consider adding them for spot removal. Thank you for that tip.

Is there any way to get around Krosan Grip? I'd really like to make this deck as competitive as possible. I know morphing doesn't use the stack, but considering most decks play heavy removal, I'd be subjecting the one creature without shroud to that. I could maybe SB some Disenchants to take care of both Artifacts/Enchantment threats.

Krosan Grip - pwning decks like this since 2006.

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Originally Posted by Elfrago

Krosan Grip - pwning decks like this since 2006.

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If you have any helpful input, I welcome your discussion. Otherwise please don't troll my thread.

Wall of denial is not good for you. I see that you're going for virtual card advantage against targeted removal, but there are lots of better choices. Meddling Mage comes to mind, but even that seems a little underpowered these days. Honestly, it seems like there should be better choices than the sphinx as well. Stuff like True Believer is probably good unless you want to autolose to tendrils combo. (Honestly, it seems like your deck is generally weak against combo.)

I'm guessing that stuff like Tundra is out of your budget.

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Originally Posted by Elfrago

Krosan Grip - pwning decks like this since 2006.

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More like Explosives @ 2. This is like... a Type Two control deck that might have seen some success because of a shock factor. Spell Snare kills this deck. EE kills this deck. And any deck that has Mana Denial would be drooling (potentially 10 CIPT lands and no library manipulation, yum!).

No removal besides t4 Wrath of God. Also, what is Archive Trap doing in the sideboard? For what matchups do you bring it in for?

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Originally Posted by Marble

Is there any way to get around Krosan Grip?

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Meddling mage lets you get around it until he himself gets RFG'd. Your answer for K. Grip requires you to splash green. Sterling Grove in place of 1-2 E. tutors will make your combo stick for a while. If you decide to splash green, maybe you could also consider Novablast Wurm from Worlwake which seems strong but only if you can protect it.

That's all the ideas I have for now. Keep in mind that your deck utilizes a "soft lock" only, it's still vulnerable to proven deck types.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fatestitcher

Meddling mage lets you get around it until he himself gets RFG'd. Your answer for K. Grip requires you to splash green. Sterling Grove in place of 1-2 E. tutors will make your combo stick for a while. If you decide to splash green, maybe you could also consider Novablast Wurm from Worlwake which seems strong but only if you can protect it.

That's all the ideas I have for now. Keep in mind that your deck utilizes a "soft lock" only, it's still vulnerable to proven deck types.

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How does a 7cc creature seem strong in this deck (and in general, Legacy) without mana acceleration or a way to cheat it in? Just wondering.

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Originally Posted by Fatestitcher

Your weaknesses:
CIPT lands slows down the deck, Krosan Grip on Wheel of Sun and Moon can 2-for-1 you in response to your spells or during your discard phase. You don't have Swords to Plowshares or any spot removal.

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Wheel of Sun and Moon triggers on itself and it won't hit the graveyard, so K grip on it doesn't blow up both pieces.

As soon he sets up his lock and drop 7 lands, which is not impossible, he can control the board with the fatty.

this deck has a chance with Sterling Grove and Pithng Needle on EE...

a 4 (at least 3) cards combo...

legacy already has a colorless 2 cards combo with instant win... can't see the place of this deck

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Originally Posted by Poron

legacy already has a colorless 2 cards combo with instant win... can't see the place of this deck

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Sorry for being ignorant... just trying to learn...

What combo do you speak of?

Island Sanctuary is great in game one provided you run stifle to deal with Pridgemage. Works wonders with Luminarch Ascension.

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Originally Posted by Marble

Sorry for being ignorant... just trying to learn...

What combo do you speak of?

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Painter's Servant + Grindstone most likely.

Maybe this deck would be like tier 2 if optimized, but it's really far from optimized right now.

Muddle the Mixture has transmute, but seems a lot better as just Counterspell. It can't fetch any combo pieces, and would you really pay 2UUWW for a Story Circle? And Counterspell is not played anywhere because it is much worse than other decks.

Wall of Denial would be better as Swords to Plowshares. If you have Energy Field out, you don't care about blocking, so the fact that Swords goes to the yard isn't relevant. Swords can be cast on turn 1 or 2 and has a very similar effect.

Land selection is just awful. Tundra is Legal in this format.



These are very obvious changes. Whether your deck's good or not in optimized form is very tough to tell because most of the card selection is so suboptimal.

If budget is such a concern that you can't get Tundra, Force of Will, etc., go to the Casual Forums.

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Originally Posted by Forbiddian

Muddle the Mixture has transmute, but seems a lot better as just Counterspell. It can't fetch any combo pieces, and would you really pay 2UUWW for a Story Circle?

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Actually it does tutor for the combo pieces and does not tutor for Story Circle.

Academy Rector seems good here. It'll either hold off an attack, giving you time to search for the last combo piece you need, or it'll give you something to chump block with, and let you put a combo piece into play.

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Academy Rector

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It depends on his meta, probably a sideboard card. When the format was dominated by Bant and Zoo, StPs and PtEs ruined Rector's ability.

The deck definitely has potential, but it's far away from optimized. To be save from Krosan Grip you have to play Greater Auramancy or Sterling Grove. And the best solutions for Engineered Explosives are counters or from SB: Pithing Needle.

And if we're playing Auramancy and Wall of Denial in one deck the good old Worship could be another piece for another shrouded lock.

Here is how I would construct the deck:

2 Morphling / Sphinx (doesn't make much difference)
4 Wall of Denial

4 Brainstorm
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Counterspell or Negate or Prohibit (depends on the manabase)
4 Force of Will
4 Enlightened Tutor
4 Energy Field
4 Wheel of Sun and Moon
2 Worship
4 Greater Auramancy

4 Polluted Delta
2 Mystic Gate
3 Island
3 Plains
4 Tundra
4 Flooded Strand