Esper Bomberman

Hey you all!

I am Felipe Parada, the brazilian player who in the earliar of this year, developed and played a Jeskai Bomberman on the Brazilian National's Legacy and got DQed while was 7-0.

So, after the Top's ban, I tried some different builds on the Jeskai version, like more Nahiris and Expedition Map, nothing close to my original one talking about results, what made me give up with the deck for some time.

Last month, when I was going to sleep, I had a suddenlly brainstorm and developed a new version of the deck, absolutely from nowhere.

I Kept it in secret until this weekend, when I played the Brazilian National's Legacy again, didn't won or even got into the top 8, I was 8-3 and then I lost the two remaining matches for Miracles and Jund.

I didn't practiced for this event, and don't have time to write a Primer about the deck (now I am graduating on the university), but I think that Deck deserve to be shared with the international community, so, here is the list.

Esper Bomberman:

Land (22)

1x Academy Ruins
2x Cavern of Souls
4x Flooded Strand
2x Island
1x Karakas
1x Marsh Flats
1x Plains
4x Polluted Delta
1x Scrubland
1x Swamp
2x Tundra
2x Underground Sea

Enchantment (3)

3x Search for Azcanta Flip

Artifact (5)

1x Aether Spellbomb
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Lion's Eye Diamond
1x Nihil Spellbomb
1x Pithing Needle

Creature (8)

2x Auriok Salvagers
1x Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4x Trinket Mage
1x Walking Ballista

Instant (12)

4x Brainstorm
4x Force of Will
4x Swords to Plowshares

Planeswalker (2)

2x Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Sorcery (8)

4x Ponder
4x Thoughtseize

Sideboard (15)

2x Containment Priest
2x Disenchant
1x Ethersworn Canonist
1x Fatal Push
2x Flusterstorm
1x Meddling Mage
1x Meekstone
2x Monastery Mentor
1x Surgical Extraction
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Walking Ballista

I can't explain now all card choices and number decisions, so, I just ask you to open your mind and give the deck a chance, this going to be enought to see how sweet it is.

I hope you all enjoy it!

Definitely interested in this.

Today I won a trio-constructed with this same list, the matches were against BR Reanimator (2x0), Big Eldrazi / Coloress Post (2x0) and Dragon Stompy (2x0), tomorrow I have a top8 to play and I will go again with the same list, the results are very satisfactory!

4-0 at a weekly legacy after somedays out of the game, R1 vs BR Reanimator (2-0), R2 vs Death and Taxes (2-0), R3 vs Lands (2-1) and R4 vs Grixis Delver (2-1).

Basically won the last 3 tournments that I played with the deck, the only other tournment that I played was the National Legacy Brazil.

If you did not gave the deck a chance yet, just do it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by paradaxarada

4-0 at a weekly legacy after somedays out of the game, R1 vs BR Reanimator (2-0), R2 vs Death and Taxes (2-0), R3 vs Lands (2-1) and R4 vs Grixis Delver (2-1).

Basically won the last 3 tournments that I played with the deck, the only other tournment that I played was the National Legacy Brazil.

If you did not gave the deck a chance yet, just do it.

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Hey. I am a huge Bomberman fan. How do you sideboard and how are your matches against Lands?

How are the 3 Search working out?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by paradaxarada

4-0 at a weekly legacy after somedays out of the game, R1 vs BR Reanimator (2-0), R2 vs Death and Taxes (2-0), R3 vs Lands (2-1) and R4 vs Grixis Delver (2-1).

Basically won the last 3 tournments that I played with the deck, the only other tournment that I played was the National Legacy Brazil.

If you did not gave the deck a chance yet, just do it.

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No more updates?

I played this list last week to a 3-1 finish in the local weekly event. I played - 1 Azcanta + 1 Deluge due to card availability. Lost match was vs Deadguy Ale due to heavy flooding in g1 and maybe a ponder with 3 cards put down in the wrong order in g3 (due to him playing a Liliana). I'm quite unused to cantrip + removal + FoW-decks so that didn't help. Very nice deck!

Edit: forgot this. That event, last week: 2-0 grixis delver, 0-2 deadguy (g1 flooded), burn 2-1, bu reanimator 2-1

Sorry for the absence in the forum in the last weeks.

I'm getting away from the game for a while, and that's why I do not write a primer for the deck (yet).

Anyway, I have some recent results of the deck (Same list), in the last three legacy tournments that I've played (January), I won two by 4-0, and I was in second place on the other with a 3-1, only loosing to a Jeskai Stoneblade after a very close game 1 that took 45 minutes.

I Also have played a Invitational tournment in my local store (for beeing the champion of the local Legacy League), played two rounds of each format (standard, modern and legacy), did 2-0 on the Legacy with this list (-1 Meddling Mage; +1 Zuran Orb, situational) what guaranteed me in the Top8 (second place at the end of the tournment).

TLDR: I Played 14 Matchs on tournments those day, Won 13, Lost 1 to Jeskai Stoneblade.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by itrytostorm

Hey. I am a huge Bomberman fan. How do you sideboard and how are your matches against Lands?

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I really enjoy the match against Lands, it's a very interesting game because of the Pithing Needle, choose it right and probably you'll win.

In a general Rule, if it's a Ghost Quarter version of the deck, that's the right card to name, you guarantee all the manas that you need for the rest of the game by your basics. Sometimes, your game come with too many non-basic lands, so, in this kind of situation, you must have to name Wasteland, and keep search for non-basics with your fetchs, to keep the basics on the deck to search for with Ghost Quarter.

If it's a Rishadan Port version, the right way is to name Wasteland, and fetch for non-basics. This version usually is pretty much easier

Situationally, you will name Thespian's Stage against both versions.

The 4 Swords to Plowshares, 1 AEther Spellbomb and the Karakas will protect you from Marit Lage, at least for a long long time.

Nihil Spellbomb is also pretty good on the match for obvious reansons. Engineered Explosives destroy all enchantments of the deck, and at some point of the game it will be really important, but if you have the oportunity to Fow a t1 Exploration, do it.

Sideboard:

-4 Thoughtseize

-1 Swords to Plowshared

+2 Disenchant

+1 Surgical Extraction

+1 Tormod's Crypt

+1 Meddling Mage

Disenchant is for Spheres, Chalices and Exploration effects.

More hategrave for obvious reasons.

Meddling Mage is for >Punishing Fire<, Life From the Loam, Crop Rotation (when that's the correct choice, it's because if you name any other card, you'll probably loose because of that mistake), and maybe Krosan Grip sometimes. All those are good choices, choose really wisely (as the Pithing Needle).

I really like the match against Lands because it's the most intensive "Play right, if you do it, you can't loose" kind of match.

PS: Don't forget, he can copy Azcant with Thespian Stage (what don't make the card bad on the match, just don't be a fool, read each situation individually)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HSCK

How are the 3 Search working out?

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Perfectly well, I never think about reducing the number of copies, but I also do not think about adding haha (;

Quote:

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Originally Posted by paradaxarada

Sideboard:

-4 Thoughtseize

-1 Swords to Plowshared

+2 Disenchant

+1 Surgical Extraction

+1 Tormod's Crypt

+1 Meddling Mage

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Or:

-1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang

and keep all Swords to Plowshares on the deck, this way you play around Tireless Tracker (sideboard) and Karakas. Sounds better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by paradaxarada

Or:

-1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang

and keep all Swords to Plowshares on the deck, this way you play around Tireless Tracker (sideboard) and Karakas. Sounds better.

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One issue I see with the way your sideboard is the inconsistency of drawing 1-ofs like Mage and Canonist. Wouldn't it be better to have one type of card (artifact and enchantements) that can be gotten by a tutor (ie Enlightened Tutor).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by itrytostorm

One issue I see with the way your sideboard is the inconsistency of drawing 1-ofs like Mage and Canonist. Wouldn't it be better to have one type of card (artifact and enchantements) that can be gotten by a tutor (ie Enlightened Tutor).

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This is legacy, the decks usually play with a tons of cantrip and it's not unusual see sideboards even with 15 different cards on the format.

Different of other formats, here is more apropriated to dose your 15 slots in a pretty generic way, and have some good and different options for each match up, I don't see this 1-of thing as a problem.

But, I can discuss arguments about things like "Isnt't more apropriated to play -1 Etherswarn Canonnist; +1 Meddling mage (or vice versa), for those reasons: (and explanain why, like: it be more embracing or deal with some specific threats that the deck is having some trouble to deal)

Also, the deck already play with a lot of good tutorable options (thanks to Trinket Mage) to deal with specific strategies, play with other spells and creatures is just make use of some possibilities to fill in gaps and take more advantage of some cards (Cavern of Souls).

I do not think it's coincidence not to see so many decks with Enlightment Tutor on the sideboard doing well on big tournments, I believe this is a overcome way to build sideboards, which is still made by insistence or personal preference by some people (nothing personal, I used it a lot back in 2013/14 and really like the card).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by paradaxarada

This is legacy, the decks usually play with a tons of cantrip and it's not unusual see sideboards even with 15 different cards on the format.

Different of other formats, here is more apropriated to dose your 15 slots in a pretty generic way, and have some good and different options for each match up, I don't see this 1-of thing as a problem.

But, I can discuss arguments about things like "Isnt't more apropriated to play -1 Etherswarn Canonnist; +1 Meddling mage (or vice versa), for those reasons: (and explanain why, like: it be more embracing or deal with some specific threats that the deck is having some trouble to deal)

Also, the deck already play with a lot of good tutorable options (thanks to Trinket Mage) to deal with specific strategies, play with other spells and creatures is just make use of some possibilities to fill in gaps and take more advantage of some cards (Cavern of Souls).

I do not think it's coincidence not to see so many decks with Enlightment Tutor on the sideboard doing well on big tournments, I believe this is a overcome way to build sideboards, which is still made by insistence or personal preference by some people (nothing personal, I used it a lot back in 2013/14 and really like the card).

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The reason I love Trinket Mage is the the versatility. That's why I don't mind running =<1 CMC cards in the board, we can tutor. But without Imperial Recruiter we can't tutor the 1'of hate bears we need. If we had 4 Probes or back when Top was around I could get behind that. Now it seems we need to more consistently get that. Even when Azcanta flips it can't hit those great creatures. That's why I was leaning towards Dispeller's Capsule or Enlightened Tutor with Seal of Cleansing in the Disenchant spot. I have a heart for Tutor since it finds cards like Ensnaring Bridge, Defense Grid, Ethersworn Canonist, etc.

Tl;Dr - I feel as thought the un-tutorable singletons can't guarantee we'll see them soon enough to matter and it is a concern. So maybe having a card that could help that like E-Tutor would be valuable.

@itrytostorm:
I tend to evaluate sideboard slots like that too, and maindeck cards. This is just a rough sketch of an argument, written on the phone and not complete, so pardon the rough form. Also, sorry if my arguments are peripheral to your comment. I got lost in my reply I guess, just skip down to the last section.

Basically you want to be able to tutor for a card. That's the best case scenario, boosting the impact of your very valuable sideboard slots, such as gsz-able creature or an artifact in a list with transmute artifact, enchantments with academy rector etc. Second hand you you want to be able to play it twice due to synergy (snapcaster) so that even if it's hard to find the card you can at least use it twice for double impact. Third or second you want properties such as early interaction (fow, surgical) or permanent based to complement stack based interaction or discard.

Very few cards are tutorable [edit: or, few tutors are playable] so playing cantrips is like a watered down version of this. This approach is also good if most cards in your deck are able to interact (fow, daze, stifle, waste, pierce) since you don't depend on finding a specific card to interact, you rather want to complement your suite of interaction. When all cards are relevant there is less need to waste time and card slots to tutor for a card. Once you've figured out what your most efficient card slots are based on the tutor effects you have available then you try to find other effects that are valuable. Such as quick interaction to complement your tutorable silver bullet. Now, this deck plays a lot of interactive cards, large cantrip suit and lots of tutorable and cheap interaction through trinket mage. It's - probably-not worth it to give up card advantage to be able to tutor for a specific card. However, the OP's assessment is that it's worth it to add non-tutorable sb-slots that complement the other interaction, such as meddling mage. Enlightened tutor would do what trinket mage already does, slightly quicker but the deck already has quick interaction and does not need to give up card advantage for enlightened tutor.

Enlightened tutor is in my opinion worth it in non-blue decks that lack fast interaction in fow and card selection in cantrips, for them it's crucial to find an ethersworn canonist or rest in peace by turn two, for example, while this deck doesn't need to make such sacrifices. Well, it can still be proposed discussed and evaluated, but that is my spontaneous thought.

Tl;dr: there are already 8 cantrips so sb cards are easily accessible even without extra tutor effects to find them, there is redundancy in other answers and tutors for them so the need for more tutors is lower, the sb slots are better used optimizing functionality than adding lower quality/card disadvantage tutors.

Just went 4-1-1 (intentional draw) in swiss in our higher stakes bi-monthly-ish legacy tournament, and had two wins and finally a loss vs Elves in the top 8 ending up second. Once again, sweet deck! Thanks Paradaxarada!

Edit: the first loss was to BUG Death's Shadow. I drew zero removal in two games, if I remember correctly, so that was a bit tough.

Ok you all convinced me to play this at the team event this weekend in Philly. Will be running a Universal Solvent main as there are to many lands and we can't beat glacial chasm. Sideboard tweeked also to have more mages and more needles. Been crushing a lot of our gauntlet so I'll just give it a shot.

I thought I'd provide a brief list of my matchups and results to give you more nuanced input, itrytostorm. Ended up writing a few comments about each match.
Took few notes and didn't spend too much time recalling what happened in each game so take it for what it is.

R1: Miracles, 2-0. Very tough game, but he made a few mistakes. I let a few things go, like swordsing without paying W (mistake was corrected), but made a judge call due to opponent trying to change sequencing in retrospect. Cost him a monk token, not sure it mattered but tough game indeed. He tilted though, which may have mattered more.

R2: Death's Shadow 0-2. I draw I think zero removal over two games. Not good. Delvers flip every time. Think I drew a lot of lands, which helped getting online through stifle+waste, but I drew few cantrips, had the first one dazed, and ended up with lands and a few three and four drops which were too slow.

R3: Dreadnought-Drazi, 2-1. I gave my input on the deck and played against it earlier in the week which helped, though the list was updated. G1 I have removal for the Eldrazi and Dreadnought. Cantrip 4 times early looking for interaction. Worried about Chalice until he cantrips too. G2 I die to Dreadnought. G3 he opens with City of Traitors into Mimic, then ballista on 1,then city no 2 into Thought-Knot. Nothing too fancy, win this one rather easily.

R4: Punishing Loam, 2-1. Rather tough game, opponent shuffles my deck at every opportunity so it seems apparent we'll run out of time. I kindly ask halfway through to shuffle less but no success (very nice opponent, but not time conscious). Sure enough, we end up going to time. During T5 of time I topdeck Trinket Mage, get LED and win with Ballista. He Chaliced the previous turn but not interacting with the combo.

R5: DnT, 2-0 I think. With Trinket Mage to get Ballista and Needle, and lots of removal, it seems like a good matchup. Especially Ballista just destroys everything while ticking up, just keep Mother+Revoker from happening. Then there is Needle for Mother in those situations. Playing lots of lands, fetches, basics and cantrips helps too. And he didn't draw his outs.

R6: ID

Top8, quarter finals: Deadguy Ale, 2-1. This can be a tough matchup, Liliana taking over and Souls, discard, Confidant. Plenty of disruption and cards that can run away with the game if left unanswered. I think I lose g1 to disruption into Liliana. I win g2 by having answers, I think he had a slow start with low pressure and I was waiting for targets before putting Ballista on the board. [edit: I get to slam Jace on an empty board]. I think I shoot down lingering souls tokens with Ballista. G3 I thoughtseize his confidant on t1 and let him put stoneforge into play. Batterskull starts hitting but I have trinket mage, salvager and ballista in my hand and. Just wait for an opportunity to combo out with mana to play around surgical. When he taps out to equip swords of fire and ice to a creature to hit with it and batterskull, threatening to win next turn, I swords the creature and untap and combo out safely. He reflected that a Jitte might have been better.

Semifinals, DnT 2-0 again. This seems like a good matchup. I am pressured by two flickerwisps in one game though, he goes recruiter into multiple flickerwisps and I have to swords the recruiter in response to the second wisp's etb effect. Am lucky to have him block my containment priest rather than pressure my life total. Containment priests also could have backfired with his wisps, but didn't. Maybe wrong to bring in, but I thought flash was good vs ports and the effect good vs vials which he really needed. The needle stopped equipments mostly, which was pretty valuable. Oh well, lucky it seemed but 4-0 is good.

Finals: Elves, 1-2
G1: He combos out, I can't interact.
G2: Containment Priest stops a crucial GSZ for 8, I win somehow.
G3: I get neither Thoughtseize nor FoW but double Containment Priest so I hope for the best. T3 Choke ends tthe game.

I had a lot of fun with the deck and being pretty unused to this type of deck it seems pretty powerful. Trinket Mage getting what you need in most situations, from sweeper to ballista to needle for wasteland or stage or even led to combo out feels like a broken strix (why draw a random card when you can tutor). I was happy to avoid the Moonwalker deck that was floating around, I'm sure yhere are other worse matchups to so maybe the result was due to good matchups and a fair amount of luck.

I was playing the list above - 1 azcanta, - 1 academy ruins, +1 toxic deluge, +1 marsh flats - due to card availability. Deluge is usually very vsluable so didn't regret that. Also I was missing removal in a few games. The Marsh Flats could probably be anything. I had quite few mulligans though, only twice (both were during the finals), so probably fine to leave it.

No updates?