[OLD] UGw Threshold

Hey guys, I want some opinions on Enlighten Tutor as an SB option.

Pros:

Very flexible, super awesome, instant, makes up card disadvantage in card quality, and efficient cc.

Cons:

Card disadvantage, Predict-able.



Why run Enlighten Tutor? It can potentially answer the entire metagame, flexible answering, works with Counterbalance/Top, flexible Sideboard, and makes sure you win Goyf wars, obviously.


From the Maindeck:

-3 Needles
-1 Predict

+2 Enlighten Tutor
+1 Worship
+1 Seal of Primordium/EE/3rd E Tutor


Sideboard:

0-2 Enlighten Tutor
4th Counterbalance
1-2 Seal of Primordium
1-2 EE
1-2 Needle
1 In the Eyes of the Chaos
1-2 Tsabo's Web (Tech vs. 43 Land)
0-1 Rule of Law/Arcane Lab
0-2 Back to Basics/Winter Orb
2-4 Chill
0-2 Ground Seal
0-2 Faith's Fetters/Oblivion Ring
0-2 SoFI/Jitte?
0-1 Dueling Bridge
0-2 Null Rod
0-2 Serenity


And a thing a friend of mine likes to do from the SB;

1 Genesis
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Mystic Enforcer
2 Survival of the Fittest

Wow ! That's what I call innovation. There seems to be (lots of) good ideas in there, I'll definitely test them. Thanks for sharing :)

For the maindeck, here's a "meta list" I made which possibly includes 2-3 Enlightened Tutors.

Cantrips, etc.
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Predict
0-3 Sensei's Divining Top
0-3 Enlightened Tutor

Creatures
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf
2-3 Mystic Enforcer

Control elements
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
0-3 Counterbalance
0-2 Counterspell

Removal, etc.
4 Swords to Plowshares
0-1 Control Magic

Utility
0-1 Seal of Primordium
0-1 Pithing Needle
0-1 EE
0-1 Worship

Land
17-18

What choices should be made ?

I particularly like having 2 E. Tutors and 1 Worship. It enables you to go with the Mongoose-Worship "combo" game one, if possible/need be.

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Hey guys, I want some opinions on Enlighten Tutor as an SB option.

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What a coincidence! I'm currently running 4 enlightened tutor in UGW Thresh. Personally, I feel that if you are going to run ET, you want the full suite of 4, so you can maximize your chances of seeing it.

Generally, I've been using it to quickly assemble the counter-top engine, but I also main deck a single oblivion ring (general removal) and a single control magic (to steal games against big beaters). ET has proven itself most valuable post board however, allowing me to board in things like 3 tormod's crypt or 3 engineered explosives and all but guarantee that I see them early and often.

ET is also pretty nice when you've got an active counterbalance for putting a card with precisely the right converted mana cost on top of your library.

Here's a rough deck list I've been tinkering with. Think of this as a starting point for discussion, rather than anything definitive. It's been treating me well so far, but I doubt that this is the best possible configuration.

Threats
4 tarmogoyf
3 ohran viper
3 mystic enforcer

Disruption
4 force of will
4 remand
3 counterspell
3 counterbalance

Utility
4 brainstorm
4 enlightened tutor
3 ponder
3 sensei's divining top
2 swords to plowshares
1 oblivion ring
1 control magic

Mana
4 flooded strand
4 windswept heath
4 tropical island
3 tundra
1 island
1 plains
1 forest

Side-Board
4 blue elemental blast
2 swords to plowshares
3 gaddock teeg
3 engineered explosives
3 tormod's crypt

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Originally Posted by aTn

Wow ! That's what I call innovation.

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I don't. Enlightened Tutor is such a fucking bad card. It decreases the deck's consistency and it's disadvantage.With a good cantrip-constellation, you can find 1ofs as good as with Enlightened Tutor. So, Enlightened tutor just makes it more comfortable to find 1ofs, but only at the cost of carddisavvantage. And except of Force of Will and MAYBE Disrupting Shoal (very special case, normally not worth mentioning it, so forget about that), you don#t want to have any cards that make carddisadvantage. That's why we don't play Isochron Scepter or whatsoever.
In my opinion, we should quickly forget about Enlightened Tutor.

Trinket Mage as introduced by Tao are way way better. You don't need these Enchantments.

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Originally Posted by Adan

I don't. Enlightened Tutor is such a fucking bad card. It decreases the deck's consistency and it's disadvantage.With a good cantrip-constellation, you can find 1ofs as well as with Enlightened Tutor. So, Enlightened tutor just makes it more comfortable to find 1ofs, but only at the cost of carddisavvantage. And except of Force of Will and MAYBE Disrupting Shoal (very special case, normally not worth mentioning it, so forget about that), you don#t want to have any cards that make carddisadvantage. That's why we don't play Isochron Scepter or whatsoever.
In my opinion, we should quickly forget about Enlightened Tutor.

Trinket Mage as introduced by Tao are way way better. You don't need these Enchantments.

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Very true. I really can't think of when I'd rather have ET over another, better, one casting cost spell that is blue. Why would I want to set my next draw when I can set my next three draws? Every cantip is better as a top deck when you'd be otherwise drawing dead as it puts a good card in your hand right away. This deck is not a toolbox, its good because of the redundancy of the cards and the ability of the cantrips to find those redundant cards.

Nothing personal to anyone, but this smacks of the worst idea since Greedo shooting first...

Quite frankly I do not at all agree with the above two posters. Finding one offs with cantrips is like shooting blind but tutoring for them is fine. Yes the card disadvantage provided is a big problem but considering that a single needle for example can shut down goblins completly or the Cardadvantage provided by CBTop that can make tutoring quite worth it. Altough from experience with decs running ET as toolbox providers I can say that 4 is definetly too many.
Not only does it allow for great flexibility during decbuilding (you don't need to play 3 CBs or multiple nedles) and you can improve the efficiency of cour CB lock by tutoring for a 3 or 4 drop and keeping that on top for the remainder of the game.
Also consider the following in a dec running 3 pithing needles how often have you drawn a single or second needle and cursed it's uselessness and essentially the loss of a card if you can't manage to draw a brainstorm soon.

All in all I'm not sold on the idea but i think it is definetly worth testing.

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Originally Posted by mackaber

Quite frankly I do not at all agree with the above two posters. Finding one offs with cantrips is like shooting blind but tutoring for them is fine.

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No. All that ET can do is find situational answers a turn (perhaps) too late. If an opponent has a threat down, the best you can do is find EE and hope he only has one or that they all share a casting cost. ET is almost a useless top deck. Consider that Ponder has the capacity to show you 4 of any card in your deck while a traditional list would only give you options to Top, Needle, and Counterbalance off of ET, maybe EE if you ran it. All of those are very situational and few of them do anything staring down the barrel of a Tarmogoyf. Sure you can EE it a turn later, but you're at least getting hit one more time from him. I wouldn't run anything right now that doesn't either give me a Tarmogoyf or a Swords to Plowshares. If I'm chaining cantrips right, that serves as a better tutor than anything available in Legacy at the moment anyways...

As far as Needle, I've very seldom drawn one and not found something to do with it. There are always fetchlands to Needle, or something good. If you don't like Needle, run something else, it's probably the weakest slot in the deck anyways.

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Originally Posted by Kyachi

Nothing personal to anyone, but this smacks of the worst idea since Greedo shooting first...

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No offense taken on my part.

I'd rather playtest it than debate it to; in particular, because I'm not that sure it's a good idea, but I won't discard it right away.

P.S.: @Adan:

The toolbox argument doesn't work for me. T. Mage is great if your toolbox is made up of possible trinket targets; in this case, the toolbox was obviously non-trinketable (except for Needle, EE and Top). Being able to play single copies of EE, Needle, Seal of Primordium, Shackles (or Control Magic), maybe even stuff like Worship, smaller number of Tops and CBs (MD) doesn't seem like a stupid idea to me. Of course the deck wouldn't play the same way...

For me, innovation doesn't mean necessarily in a good direction (for me it's "the act of introducing something new") ;)

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Enlightened Tutor is such a fucking bad card.

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I'm glad I didn't design that card...

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With a good cantrip-constellation, you can find 1ofs as good as with Enlightened Tutor.

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Yeah right... on the draw and facing 12 ETW tokens on your first turn, playing cantrips won't necessarily get you EE fast enough, but E. Tutor will. Getting Seal on the board quick against CB-Top doesn't seem that bad (in particular, forcing them to resolve a Needle targetting Seal to play CB doesn't seem that bad also). Tutoring for CB eot in the early game doesn't seem that bad also...

I get that this is not the idea of the century, but I won't dismiss it so easily.

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Originally Posted by aTn

@Adan:

The toolbox argument doesn't work for me. T. Mage is great if your toolbox is made up of possible trinket targets; in this case, the toolbox was obviously non-trinketable (except for Needle and EE). Being able to play single copies of EE, Needle, Seal of Primordium, Shackles (or Control Magic), maybe even stuff like Worship, smaller number of Tops and CBs (MD) doesn't seem like a stupid idea to me. Of course the deck wouldn't play the same way..

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Why SHOULD you play 1 Needle and 2 ET when you can directly play 3 Needles? Why play 1 Shackle and 1 or 2 ET? Why? It just makes it worse because your cantrips will first find the Tutor instead of the card itself. That means speed-disadvantage, card-disadvantage and that you need an additional cantrip to draw the tutored card. Trinket Mage actually searches every relevant card you often search with ET. Those cards are Engineered Explosives, Pithing Needle and Tormod's Crypt. The main advantage of Trinket Mage is that he actually cantrips himself. He generates permanent-advantage. Enlightened Tutor doesn't and I own3d your arguments, yo. All of them.

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Originally Posted by Adan

Enlightened Tutor doesn't and I own3d your arguments, yo. All of them.

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You get one inch of e-penis as a bonus :wink:, hope it's not another angry inch.

EDIT: I'm trying to play the devil's advocate here; it's very very probable I'll never play E. Tutor in Threshold, but I'm trying to find a context where it could be relevant.

The idea of putting tutors here is to have a toolbox that can answer a variety of threats. That goal may or may not be relevant, given the meta (and maybe never relevant). I totally agree that if the match-ups present in the meta suggest that you play MD Needle and SB EE, Crypt, etc., then I'd rather play three Needles and cantrip into one of them. But if the meta is filled with decks that make you want to have MD Needle, EE and Crypt, then you can't really put 2-3 multiples of each without cutting good stuff from your MD (imagining such a meta isn't that hard: Large (and roughly equal) numbers of Landstill, Ichorid, TES/Beclher, Survival, etc.). This is where E. Tutor might be not so bad. Sure, Trinket Mage does the job, but you can't cast him eot and he costs 2U, not W. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love T. Mage, but I wouldn't say E. Tutor is utter crap.

This is all I'll say on the subject since I'm not that attached to E. Tutor or T. Mage.

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on the draw and facing 12 ETW tokens on your first turn, playing cantrips won't necessarily get you EE fast enough, but E. Tutor will.

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Don't see how you owned that one with Trinket Mage. I find T. Mage a bit slow against ETW (but yes, I board in 3 EE when facing that since I don't play E. Tutor or T. Mage).

EDIT:

Anyhow (moving to other subjects), what is your current SB for UGW ? Are the Hydroblasts/BEB really needed (aside for TES and Goblins) ?

My SB looks like:
4 Tormod's Crypt
2 Hydroblast
2 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Krosan Grip
2 Control Magic
1 Counterbalance
1 Pithing Needle

Against Goblins, I usually board-in 4 Hydroblasts/BEB (- 3 CB, -1 Top, leaving 2 Tops MD) - I play at least two Needles MD. What is your SB strategy ?

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Originally Posted by aTn

Don't see how you owned that one with Trinket Mage.

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I don't know. if you are playing against TES, you should have answers against 12 Tokens on your opening hand. Otherwise you made something wrong. In addition to that, the TES player won't really go off 1st Turn because NQG SHOULD have an answer to the tokens. That's why TES then is dependant on protection spells, so the go-off turn will come later than turn1.

And even IF I get surprised by 12 Tokens. g2 SB and then 2-1. Such a dystopic scenario is not a reason to play such a suboptimal card (reasons WHY Enlightened Tutor is suboptimal were mentioned before).

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Originally Posted by aTn

Anyhow (moving to other subjects), what is your current SB for UGW ? Are the Hydroblasts/BEB really needed (aside for TES and Goblins) ?

My SB looks like:
4 Tormod's Crypt
2 Hydroblast
2 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Krosan Grip
2 Control Magic
1 Counterbalance
1 Pithing Needle

Against Goblins, I usually board-in 4 Hydroblasts/BEB (- 3 CB, -1 Top, leaving 2 Tops MD) - I play at least two Needles MD. What is your SB strategy ?

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Is this line of questioning directed at anyone in particular? Are you asking about standard UGW lists or UGW w/ ET?

Side-boards are pretty mutable and change depending on the metagame, so it also helps to know what kind of decks I'd be boarding against.

Basically, can you be more specific?

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Is this line of questioning directed at anyone in particular? Are you asking about standard UGW lists or UGW w/ ET?

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The question was directed at anyone.

I'll test ET mostly out of curiosity, but I'm not talking about ET here.

My list is:

4 Tarmogoyf
4 Nimble Mongoose
2 Mystic Enforcer

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Predict
3 Sensei's Divining Top

4 Force of Will
4 Daze
3 Counterbalance

4 Swords to Plowshares

3 Pithing Needle (basically open slots, but I like having at least two Needles MD)

17 Lands

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Side-boards are pretty mutable and change depending on the metagame, so it also helps to know what kind of decks I'd be boarding against.

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I don't want to sound arrogant, but this is pretty obvious... Sorry if my questions weren't clear to you. I already have answers to these questions but it's always nice to have other people's perspective.

I meant what SB do you play in your meta currently (implicitly: what is your meta) ?

What are your SB strategies vs. TES, UGW, UGR, UGb-Threshold, Goblins, Goyf Sligh, BaseRuption (I guess Adan and the other German players are more suited to answer that one), Cephalid Breakfast, Ichorid, Survival ?

Are the Hydroblasts/BEB really needed (aside for the TES, Goblins and maybe Belcher match-ups) ?

Is Tivadar's Crusade necessary vs. Goblins ? I don't think so: WW is a bit hard to get against Wasteland and Port and T. Crusade is not a very polyvalent SB card (and I don't think TC is necessary to beat Goblins now, especially with Goyf; 4 Hydro/Blue E. Blasts and 2 Needles post-board seems fine for that match-up).

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I meant what SB do you play in your meta currently (implicitly: what is your meta) ?

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My meta has TES (and other similar storm combo decks), Goblins, Survival (primarily GBW), Fish-like aggro control decks, Burn, and UGR Threshold. It also has several random decks which cannot be accounted for.

If I were playing the UGW Thresh list you posted, I'd probably have a side-board similar to the one you are running, though I'd likely run one fewer Tormod's Crypt and no Counterbalance or Pithing Needle, so I could also run 3 Engineered Explosives in the board.

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What are your SB strategies vs. TES, UGW, UGR, UGb-Threshold, Goblins, Goyf Sligh, BaseRuption (I guess Adan and the other German players are more suited to answer that one), Cephalid Breakfast, Ichorid, Survival ?

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Against TES, I'd board in 4 BEB/Hydroblast and 3 Engineered Explosives. I'd board out 4 Counterbalance and 3 Pithing Needle.

Against Thresh (regardless of which I am facing), I'd board in 3 Control Magic, in place of 3 Pithing Needle. If they run counterbalance and top, I'd also board out 2 Nimble Mongoose for 2 Krosan Grip.

Against Goblins and Goyf Sligh (even though I haven't seen much Goyf Sligh), I'd bring in 4 BEB/Hydroblast. I'd board 1 predict, 1 ponder, and 2 daze out.

Against Breakfast, I'd bring in 3 Tormod's Crypt, and take out 1 Ponder, 1 Predict, and 1 Daze.

Against Survival, I'd bring in 3 Tormod's Crypt and 3 Krosan Grip, and board out 4 Ponder, 1 Daze, 1 Predict.

I haven't played against Ichorid, but I guess (without any testing to support this choice) I'd board basically the same way I do against Breakfast.

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Are the Hydroblasts/BEB really needed (aside for the TES, Goblins and maybe Belcher match-ups) ?

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They are absolutely needed if you expect to play against goblins, sligh, and burn decks. They aren't terrible against TES or Belcher either, though stifle would be better in these match-ups.

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Is Tivadar's Crusade necessary vs. Goblins ? I don't think so: WW is a bit hard to get against Wasteland and Port and T. Crusade is not a very polyvalent SB card (and I don't think TC is necessary to beat Goblins now, especially with Goyf; 4 Hydro/Blue E. Blasts and 2 Needles post-board seems fine for that match-up).

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I agree. Tivadar's Crusade is almost impossible to cast in the only match-up where it matters. You have a good side-board plan for this match-up.

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Originally Posted by aTn

What are your SB strategies vs. TES, UGW, UGR, UGb-Threshold, Goblins, Goyf Sligh, BaseRuption (I guess Adan and the other German players are more suited to answer that one), Cephalid Breakfast, Ichorid, Survival ?

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With UGw Thresh? Ok, let's see:

vs. TES: Against TES I'd definitley board out Pithing Needles and Meddling Mages in to set him on Burning Wish or Infernal Tutor (Gaddock Teeg would also work fine I think...). Depends on personal taste. And I'd board the Enforcers out for Engineered Explosives. I think that's all. BEB is not a bomb...but anyways, counterbalance and Meddling Mages will win. Against Belcher it's similar, except that I would NOT board Needles out. I often side Predict out for useful cards.

vs. UGW Mirror: I played against that one on out tourney, I boardet as following:
- 3 Balance, -1 Top, -3 Needles, +3 Meddling Mages, +2 Jotun Grunt, +2 Krosan Grip. See my pressure argument in a 100 posts I've typed. But some ppl play it even more control-oriented and even side in a 4th Counterbalance...dunno, I still think pressure is the best way to win the mirror.

vs. UGR Mirror: Similar I think. At least I have no other idea yet. After the board UGr (German-build) has just too many CC3 spells.

vs. UGb Mirror: Didn't test so far, depends on the build. But I would keep the plan like it is. But the manacurve is different, so maybe I'll keep Balance in. But Meddling Mage can prohibit pesky cards like Extirpate, Smother (watch then out for the random Ghastly Demise).

vs. Baseruption: I think I did -3 Needles, +3 Vedalken Shackles (gamewinner).
I think I also boarded in Krosan Grip, but I can't remember what I sided out. I think it was 1 Balance and 1 Top. Pressure will win you the game, otherwise he'll do Meddling Mage on StoP and then Confidant. And his CA will then own you.

Goblins...phew...Though question, but Balances out and Blasts in. Vedalken Shackles are also very good. So -3 Top, -3 Counterbalance, +3 Blasts, +3 Shackles. Shackles were my substitute for Tivadar's Crusade, but I found that Shackles are way better. And you actually don#t have the time to use SDT.
Timing is a important factor.

Breakfast should be an easy one. Meddling Mages, Needles, Counterbalances... I would do: -2 Enforcers, -1 Predict, +3 Meddling Mage.
Just seize control with Meddling Mage and Counterbalance. Watch out for Abeyance and Crippling Fatigue and you'll be safe.

Survival is very difficult. Counterbalance SOMETIMES can be good, but I can't guarantee it, timing is also a huge factor against Survival. If he got a active Survival which you can't answer or turn off with Needle, you are on the best way to lose. If you can prevent that and resolve Balance-Engine, you will be safer. But on long terms you will lose to Witness and Pernicious Deed.
But Survival is a deck that's dependant on it's manasources, so Armageddon is techy against this one, even though it's very dependant on board-position.
SO make sure you have as much critters as he has and a Enforcer, then Geddon ftw. But actually not such a good matchup. Some people can also screw you surprisingly with Magus of the Moon-Silverbullet-Imba-Tech.

Against Ichorid you can just side in Mages, Grunts and EEs. If you play Tormod's Crypt, side them in. Balance engine and Needles can be sided out.
But Ichorid is a very very bad matchup, except you can manage to get 2 Goyf onto the board that will become dangerous with the first dredge.
Race him and you will win. Otherwise you will lose. But Ichorid is a very negative matchup.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I haven't played UGW for about a year now so I'm a bit rusty (especially because the metagame has changed a lot since then and UGW is considerably different from UGR, which I'm used to playing).

The point of running ET isnt something I would consider maindeck, but for the SB, it might be one of the most flexible cards to run. I dont see Trinket Mage stopping 43 Land from dominating you. I dont see Trinket Mage getting Counterbalance. The reason why I mainly love ET because it can grab stuff against Ichorid... Mage can too, just slower. ET can grab stuff against Breakfast. I mean, who wouldnt want 7 counterbalances?

I'm not saying we build a toolbox around it, but actually build a SB around it. I'm tired of having amazing matches and lose to other games where I never had a chance in the first place.


Against TES, never side it out. Even when it shoots blind it fucks up the Combo turn.

I was thinking the other day how much I hate Brainstorm in my casual deck (made on the cheap, ergo only Terramorphic Expanse an the only shuffle effect) how it always re-drew me the same crap I hoped to get rid of, had little to no synergy with Sensei's Divining Top and whatnot, and then I realized that A) Brainstorm had to come out and B) Portent was the answer. In a deck with Sensei's Divining Top, Portent is better than Ponder on account of the fact that it grants a lapse between the shuffle and the draw, allowing you to activate top before your draw so for the cost of :1: :u: you dig into 6 cards entirely able to see them before you draw (albeit not all of them at the same time). Since white is the more control oriented threshold build, I figured that you might want to know about this epiphany I've had. I know that Brainstorm has been generally agreed upon as the "best" cantrip, but with Sensei's Divining Top, Brainstorm is simply bad. Ponder, Serum Visions, and especially Portent have synergy with Sensei's Divining Top, but Brainstorm is useless in far too many situations. Perhaps that is due to my hesitation to waste a Ponder to shuffle, but I have found that with 4 fetchlands Brainstorm consistently drew me into trash. It is situationally convienent, slipping cards out of Thoughtseize's reach and whatnot, but I do believe that Portent is vastly superior when speaking in regards to Sensei's Divining Top (which I have found to be almost as useful as Brainstorm with shuffle effects).

Did you say you were running 4 fetchlands? I'd go up to 7 or so if I were you. Brainstorm is great and especially effective with fetches, ponder, and predict; and it can even help a counterbalance or assist you in evading discard. So what if it isn't the best with top? Cutting brainstorm is a huge mistake. Also, you said portent>ponder. However, your logic is flawed. I'd much rather be able to play a threat (or whatever it is) that I drew off of portent/ponder the same turn. Why should I have to wait a turn? The small interaction with top is definitely not worth it.

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Originally Posted by raharu

I was thinking the other day how much I hate Brainstorm in my casual deck (made on the cheap, ergo only Terramorphic Expanse an the only shuffle effect) how it always re-drew me the same crap I hoped to get rid of, had little to no synergy with Sensei's Divining Top and whatnot, and then I realized that A) Brainstorm had to come out and B) Portent was the answer. In a deck with Sensei's Divining Top, Portent is better than Ponder on account of the fact that it grants a lapse between the shuffle and the draw, allowing you to activate top before your draw so for the cost of :1: :u: you dig into 6 cards entirely able to see them before you draw (albeit not all of them at the same time). Since white is the more control oriented threshold build, I figured that you might want to know about this epiphany I've had. I know that Brainstorm has been generally agreed upon as the "best" cantrip, but with Sensei's Divining Top, Brainstorm is simply bad. Ponder, Serum Visions, and especially Portent have synergy with Sensei's Divining Top, but Brainstorm is useless in far too many situations. Perhaps that is due to my hesitation to waste a Ponder to shuffle, but I have found that with 4 fetchlands Brainstorm consistently drew me into trash. It is situationally convienent, slipping cards out of Thoughtseize's reach and whatnot, but I do believe that Portent is vastly superior when speaking in regards to Sensei's Divining Top (which I have found to be almost as useful as Brainstorm with shuffle effects).

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This is going to sound kind of funny coming from somebody who advocates cutting Brainstorm in MUC, but cutting Brainstorm is probably the second worst thing you could do to Threshold (behind cutting Fetchlands). Brainstorm has built in synergy with Counterbalance, the myriad of shuffle effects this deck runs, and the low land and threat count Threshold likes to work with. Cutting Brainstorm because of a somewhat sub-par interaction with SDT is, frankly, ludicrous.

Brainstorm digs at instant speed for what you need RIGHT NOW, which Portent cannot do, and works wonders with the 20+ potential shuffle effects this deck runs (Fetches, and any other cantrips you might be running). While I do not advocate running Brainstorm in highly redundant decks with very limited shuffle effects, in a deck with limited answers and threats, in conjunction with a ton of shuffle effects, Brainstorm is absolutely amazing, and there is no reason whatsoever to cut it.