[Deck] The Servant's Stone

IMO the strength of this combo is its versatility. You can run it in any deck that supports Trinket Mage. I think the idea of a transformational sideboard has been underused in Legacy. You could do some pretty wacky things with this combo. Let's say your playing Threshold (white splash). You could have in your sideboard:

x4 Enlightened Tutor
x4 Grindstone
x4 Painter's Servant
x3 Trinket Mage

Surprise! I'm a combo deck now!

Another thing I like about this combo is that it is faster than the Time Vault combo.

how about this... a BW deck.

turn 1.

Scrub..
play lions eye diamond
tap scrub for black
play dark ritual...
play stone
play other dude
pop lions eye ... win.

^_^

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Originally Posted by rodgon666

how about this... a BW deck.

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If you want the combo to be your main win condition, you need :u: maindeck or else you are vulnerable to disruption.

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Originally Posted by rodgon666

^_^

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Ô_Ô

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Originally Posted by revenge_inc

If you want the combo to be your main win condition, you need :u: maindeck or else you are vulnerable to disruption.
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Or black to disrupt first; I can see the combo fitting into a pox style deck quite nicely.

Of course, if it ever becomes too popular, Pithing Needle foils it pretty easily and it's not like Krosan Grip isn't played.

Still, it makes an interesting transformational sideboard possibility and has the potential to be ridiculous in multiplayer games.

What about a green splash for tarmogoyf (oh yeah) and Living Wish? If not Tarmgoyf, then Living Wish should at the least be considered. It's also a beast against extirpate :)

Anyway, sweet combo, I like to see that be performed in action. Too bad Painter's Servant can't be grabbed with Trinket Mage.

Transmute Artifact could also be a solution. You would then have to play some 2cc artifacts (obv.), like Umezawa's Jitte? Hey, I got it! An affinity backup plan, or is this too janky?

EDIT: Oh, I am blind! I see that Happy Gilmore already got the idea. Never mind what I said about affinity.

There's also Painter's Servant + Deathgrip/Lifeforce

This combo is one of the best ones in legacy. But you have to run it like a control combo deck, that can win fairly easily on turn 4.

Mana 20
7 Island
1 Plains
1 Tundra
2 Academy Ruins
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
1 Seat of Synod

Cantrip/Draw/Search: 17
4 Enlightened Tutor
4 Brainstorm
3 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Trinket Mage
3 SDT

Permission: 11
4 FoW
3 Counterbalance
4 Counterspell

Combo : 7
3 Grindstone
4 Painter's Servant

Misc: 3
3 EE

2 Meta slots among
1 Needle
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Powder Keg

Painter's servant also enables Reap pretty well. I kind of like this new card now.

Yes, Painter's Servant probably has a lot of uses to be discovered. I don't think I like Enlightened Tutor in a deck that already features so much search. Is the splash really worth it for just this card?

The biggest problem for this deck is called Swords to Plowshares. Thank the FSM you don't have to tap the Servant itself, but they can still remove it whenever you decide to Grind them.

Which is not really a problem, because you'll find another one or you'll counterspell/balance, or you'll bring it back with academy ruins. The biggest problems are more grips and extirpates.

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Originally Posted by Illissius

The biggest problem for this deck is called Swords to Plowshares. Thank the FSM you don't have to tap the Servant itself, but they can still remove it whenever you decide to Grind them.

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You could splash green for Goyf, or put in Stiflenaught, that way they have to use their plows on the big guys or die. Also gives you another way to win.

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Originally Posted by Maveric78f

Which is not really a problem, because you'll find another one or you'll counterspell/balance, or you'll bring it back with academy ruins.

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Painter isnt coming back via Ruins if he gets Plowed. Just sayin.

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Originally Posted by xsockmonkeyx

Painter isnt coming back via Ruins if he gets Plowed. Just sayin.

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You could always try to mill yourself with Grindstone, trying to get one into the graveyard and then bring it back with Academy Ruins :rolleyes:

I have not tested this deck yet although I may start it seems rather interesting. As a side idea could we try running abeyance and chant as proactive protection similar to the style of Fetchland Tendrils (my current weapon of choice) It seems really good in theory although I'm not really sure it could be run in the current UW list that is on here from Maveric. Though for the record Maveric I highly disagree that this is one of the best combos in legacy... It is way to new to be saying something like that. It hasnt even put up a T8 since it has been out for less then a month (spoiler wise).

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Originally Posted by nodahero

It is way to new to be saying something like that. It hasnt even put up a T8 since it has been out for less then a month (spoiler wise).

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WTF; you can't even play with the card yet! This combo is compact and available to every color, at first glance it seems very strong

Rings/Vault is the baseline. Relatively, Servant/Stone is a bit faster -- one fewer mana total, and doesn't require waiting a turn to activate -- but is vulnerable to creature removal. The former didn't rip up the format, and I doubt the latter will either. It's comparable to Swan/Chain which costs the same total mana and has many of the same vulnerabilities (and was introduced with the same set), and to Cephalid Breakfast, which costs half the mana but is vulnerable to even more things. So it could be pretty decent, but I doubt anything more than that.

Completely tangential note: I sometimes wish Illusionary Mask were legal, so you could run Counter-Top and Mask(/Stifle)-Nought in the same deck and use Enlightened Tutor to find either.

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Originally Posted by Gambit

WTF; you can't even play with the card yet!

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That's no excuse!

The mirror match with would be stupid - whoever plays Painter's Servant first loses.

Wouldn't Misdirection be a great protection spell with Painter's Servant already out?
If you set the servant to blue you can pitch everything to protect it from spot removal.

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Originally Posted by Silthyn

You could always try to mill yourself with Grindstone, trying to get one into the graveyard and then bring it back with Academy Ruins :rolleyes:

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I dont follow. The fact that Plow RFG's Painter is mutually exclusive to the Grindstone/Academy interaction.

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Originally Posted by Spectör

Wouldn't Misdirection be a great protection spell with Painter's Servant already out?
If you set the servant to blue you can pitch everything to protect it from spot removal.

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I love how we are already discussing the mirror match of a combo deck that doesn't even have an agreed upon decklist. The first step is deciding what colours the deck should be. My thoughts:
-not red, wtf does this colour do to speed up, find or protect your combo? Nothing.
-not green, this combo is too cheap for mana accel to be really relevant. I don't see what this colour offers either.

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Originally Posted by xsockmonkeyx

You could splash green for Goyf

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Not every deck in the format needs a goyf. :wink: