[Deck] UWR Delver

I played this at a GPT for New Jersey on Saturday. 24 people, 5 rounds then top 8. OMG Games in Barrie, Ontario.

4 Delver of Secrets
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 True-Name Nemesis
1 Snapcaster Mage

4 Flooded Strand
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Tundra
4 Volcanic Island
4 Wasteland

1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Daze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Swords to Plowshares
3 Force of Will
2 Spell Pierce
3 Treasure Cruise

Sideboard

3 Rest in Peace
2 Flusterstorm
2 Red Elemental Blast
2 Spell Pierce
1 Force of Will
2 Wear / Tear
2 Forked Bolt

Snapcaster Mage is insane, I used to play another in the sideboard but I forgot this time. The rest is fairly standard.


I left my life-pad at home so I don't remember some names (sorry!):

Round 1: Ian with burn (2-1)

This is by far the best deck I have ever played that can deal with burn. I win game 1 and lose game 2 (killed from 12-0 in one turn), and in game 3 I am at 1 life twice, but he never can deal the last point of damage before Batterskull takes over.

Round 2: (2-0) Charles with Tezz. I draw well and Charles does not.

Round 3: (1-1-1) Jason with Miracles

Jason is 1-0-1 and I get paired down.

I squeeze game 2 after he RIP/Energy Fields me game 1. Game 3 is going to time, but he is starting to have the upper hand.

This is where things get a bit odd. With 2 minutes left (we were both playing really fast), I realize that I do not have time to win, so I play for a draw. He plays a Jace which I do not FoW because it doesn't have time to kill me. I am turn 1, and on turn 2 he does some stuff, but no Entreat. He does see a lot of cards, and on turn 4 he finally does cast Entreat. He uses every card and all the mana to force it through. He then asks for a concession.

I do not grant it because with a draw, I can still lose a round, otherwise, another loss will put me out. He is polite about it, but visibly unhappy.

I would have played differently for a win (counter the Jace), and he might have had the Entreat but no protection or some such thing. It sucks, but meh.

Round 4: KOTR - John? with Lands (0-2)

This match is hopeless.

Round 5: UG Enchantress (2-0)

I thought this was hopeless, but countering every enchantress helped me squeeze the games. He never got going.

Top 8: Jon with RUG Delver (2-0)

I resolve Treasure Cruise both games. He doesn't. I am fairly sure that Tarmogoyf is not where you want to be in Delver right now.

Top 4: John? with lands?

The top 4 splits and the other bracket is the one that cares about byes. I am happy to not have to play the damned lands, and we split 75 cash and 100 store credit. I upgrade some Revised Volcanics to Unlimited (God they look awkward), and we all move on with our lives.

In the "bye" final, MUD is laying the beats on Merfolk, but then the MUD player concedes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PhyrexianLibrarian

I'm probably going to end up cutting the Grims, as they instantly eat removal in any matchup they matter in and strain the graveyard a little bit too much, especially with 4 delve spells. Going to bring back the 3rd Meddling Mage and... maybe a Sulfur Elemental? I hate Death & Taxes so much...

I guess that's the question, whether it's worth running Wastelands at all if you won't hit them consistently, and if they won't destroy your opponent's lands anyways is it better for them to be basics/duals/Factories/something else. Wasteland gives you better early-game via mana denial, but Factory gives you better late-game by straining their removal and acting as backup equipment holders.

8 fetchlands
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
1 Island
1 Plains
3 Wasteland

With only 19 lands I think it's important to stay on 4 Ponder/3 Cruise. Someone above mentioned that Spell Pierce has been underperforming, and I think that may be a metagame call. If you have a lot of combo players they overperform, if your area is full of fair decks I can see replacing them with Forked Bolts.

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The other thing with leaving wasteland in, is it fuels cruise even more, you're maintaining that mana for cruise by having it in the yard, and still maintaining an advantage over your opponent by killing their lands.

Also, I regularly play against d&t, Shardless, Jund, maverick, and affinity, so wastes are fine in all the match ups but maverick usually. Basics would be nice against the port decks and blood moon decks though, which I've always thought was a problem with this deck at higher level tournaments.


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The additional delve fuel is something I hadn't considered, good point. I think I'm going to go down to 3 Wastelands with 8 mana-producers (3 Tundra, 3 Volcanic, 1 Island, 1 Plains) and 9 fetchlands. If I do end up finding room for Dig Through Time, I'll probably go down to 8 since there's 1 less need for delve fuel, and I'll be more able to hit the lands I do need. Most of my group has already gone to 19 lands but I'm not convinced that's enough yet.

That puts my tentative list at:

4 Delver of Secrets
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 True-Name Nemesis

4 Brainstorm
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Ponder
2 Spell Pierce
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Daze
1 Fire // Ice
3 Force of Will
1 Dig Through Time
2 Treasure Cruise

1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

1 Arid Mesa
4 Flooded Strand
1 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Plains
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
3 Wasteland

Sideboard:

1 Grafdigger's Cage (Elves, Re-animator)
2 Grim Lavamancer (Death & Taxes, Elves, non-BUG Delver decks)
2 Pyroblast (Delver & blue combo decks)
1 Red Elemental Blast (Delver & blue combo decks)
1 Wear // Tear (Mirror match, Affinity, Death & Taxes)
2 Meddling Mage (Combo decks like Sneak & Show, Doomsday, Ad Nauseum, etc).
2 Rest in Peace (Re-animator, Dredge)
1 Council's Judgment (BUG/Jund against Goyf/Liliana, UWR Delver against TNN)
1 Sword of Feast and Famine (BUG, Jund)
1 Sword of Fire and Ice (UR Delver, UWR Delver, maybe D&T since they'll blow up a Jitte on sight).
1 True-Name Nemesis (any fair decks that can't handle it)

Stuff I want to make room for:

1-2 Flusterstorm (to win counter wars and shut down combo)
1-2 Containment Priest (against nearly everything; Vial decks, Sneak & Show, Re-animator, Elves, etc.)
1 Force of Will (the 4th one)

The question is what to cut? I've found that Sword of Feast and Famine doesn't get brought in very often, Sword of Fire and Ice is a worse/slower version of Jitte in every matchup except for UR Delver, and Grim Lavamancer encourages me to board out my delve spells, which makes it awkward when it immediately eats a Bolt/StP.

I don't know about Lavamancer. He's great but sometimes doesn't play well with cruise (minor reason), and people are running more removal for x/1's anyway (bigger reason).

I definitely would not go below 2 Wear/Tear.

Longtime Jund player who recently joined the "can't beat em join em" train. I'm pretty new to UWR Delver but not Legacy. As such I'm in need of a little constructive critiscism from experienced players on my tentative deck list for GPNJ. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Creatures (10):
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 True-Name Nemesis

Instants (21):
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Swords to Plowshares
3 Stifle
4 Daze
3 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm

Sorceries (7):
4 Ponder
3 Treasure Cruise

Artifacts (2):
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa’s Jitte

Lands (20):
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
4 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
4 Wasteland

Sideboard (15):
2 Rest in Peace
1 Wear//Tear
2 Meddling Mage
2 Spell Pierce
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
2 Containment Priest
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pithing Needle

I'm currently testing and awkward version, testing stifles and it looks pretty awesome:

4 tundra
3 volcanic
4 strand
4 scalding
4 waste

4 delver
4 sfm
2 tnn
1 batter
1 jitte

4 bs
4 ponder
4 fow
4 daze
4 bolt
3 stp
3 tc
3 stifle

Although many players assume UWR is a midrange deck, I think it's NOT so midrange as D&T, Jund, Maverick, for example. These decks plays the midgame SO better than UWR does (as any other delver build). Delver decks have very similar builds and "fixed" cards (bs, ponder, fow, daze, removal, etc), and I'm sure a deck that runs wasteland + daze + delver has to follow the TEMPO idea and control the board in the very early game. SFM and TNN gives some support in the mid game but I think it's just not enough in several games.
I'm certainly UR Delver is the BEST delver deck of the moment, but it lacks with spell pierce, stifle and wasteland, letting the combo player's life easier. I haven't seen many stifles around, and people usually don't play around it anymore.
I think stifle is a very powerful card for the new meta (full of wasteland, fetchlands), but it still isn't a card I want to see more than 1 copy in my starting hand, so I'm using 3 in MD. It also allows me to cut a land and play 19 lands with some protection from opposing wastelands. It increases the chance of winning Land.dec (usually a bad-match for us), Miracles, ANT and other storm decks. But the main reason to use it is to surprise your opponent and get some free wins, thanks to wasteland-daze-stifle trick.
I had to cut spell pierce, just because I had to cut some card to include stifle. I guess 3 stifles are better than 2 pierces + 9th fetch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kamus

I'm currently testing and awkward version, testing stifles and it looks pretty awesome:

4 tundra
3 volcanic
4 strand
4 scalding
4 waste

4 delver
4 sfm
2 tnn
1 batter
1 jitte

4 bs
4 ponder
4 fow
4 daze
4 bolt
3 stp
3 tc
3 stifle

Although many players assume UWR is a midrange deck, I think it's NOT so midrange as D&T, Jund, Maverick, for example. These decks plays the midgame SO better than UWR does (as any other delver build). Delver decks have very similar builds and "fixed" cards (bs, ponder, fow, daze, removal, etc), and I'm sure a deck that runs wasteland + daze + delver has to follow the TEMPO idea and control the board in the very early game. SFM and TNN gives some support in the mid game but I think it's just not enough in several games.
I'm certainly UR Delver is the BEST delver deck of the moment, but it lacks with spell pierce, stifle and wasteland, letting the combo player's life easier. I haven't seen many stifles around, and people usually don't play around it anymore.
I think stifle is a very powerful card for the new meta (full of wasteland, fetchlands), but it still isn't a card I want to see more than 1 copy in my starting hand, so I'm using 3 in MD. It also allows me to cut a land and play 19 lands with some protection from opposing wastelands. It increases the chance of winning Land.dec (usually a bad-match for us), Miracles, ANT and other storm decks. But the main reason to use it is to surprise your opponent and get some free wins, thanks to wasteland-daze-stifle trick.
I had to cut spell pierce, just because I had to cut some card to include stifle. I guess 3 stifles are better than 2 pierces + 9th fetch.

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Everyone is playing Cruise and or Dig through time right now. Piercing their refuel is so much better for tempo.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by potatodavid

Everyone is playing Cruise and or Dig through time right now. Piercing their refuel is so much better for tempo.

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I have to say I agree, also piercing a relevant walker, or early game hymn is so nice to be able to do, I really like stifle but I don't think with the current build its a viable card to put in the MD

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kamus

I'm currently testing and awkward version, testing stifles and it looks pretty awesome:

4 tundra
3 volcanic
4 strand
4 scalding
4 waste

4 delver
4 sfm
2 tnn
1 batter
1 jitte

4 bs
4 ponder
4 fow
4 daze
4 bolt
3 stp
3 tc
3 stifle

Although many players assume UWR is a midrange deck, I think it's NOT so midrange as D&T, Jund, Maverick, for example. These decks plays the midgame SO better than UWR does (as any other delver build). Delver decks have very similar builds and "fixed" cards (bs, ponder, fow, daze, removal, etc), and I'm sure a deck that runs wasteland + daze + delver has to follow the TEMPO idea and control the board in the very early game. SFM and TNN gives some support in the mid game but I think it's just not enough in several games.
I'm certainly UR Delver is the BEST delver deck of the moment, but it lacks with spell pierce, stifle and wasteland, letting the combo player's life easier. I haven't seen many stifles around, and people usually don't play around it anymore.
I think stifle is a very powerful card for the new meta (full of wasteland, fetchlands), but it still isn't a card I want to see more than 1 copy in my starting hand, so I'm using 3 in MD. It also allows me to cut a land and play 19 lands with some protection from opposing wastelands. It increases the chance of winning Land.dec (usually a bad-match for us), Miracles, ANT and other storm decks. But the main reason to use it is to surprise your opponent and get some free wins, thanks to wasteland-daze-stifle trick.
I had to cut spell pierce, just because I had to cut some card to include stifle. I guess 3 stifles are better than 2 pierces + 9th fetch.

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I've been playing this exact list for a couple weeks now and while the unexpected Stifle is nice, I think I'm going to be going -1 Stifle -1 fetch, +2 Spell Pierce. I find myself flooding out a lot or being unable to contest an opposing Cruise.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by slikwilly

I've been playing this exact list for a couple weeks now and while the unexpected Stifle is nice, I think I'm going to be going -1 Stifle -1 fetch, +2 Spell Pierce. I find myself flooding out a lot or being unable to contest an opposing Cruise.

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I don't think you want to cut a fetch. Going down to 18 lands is really sketchy. I would just cut the 3 stifles for 3 pierces or something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by goblinsplayer

I don't think you want to cut a fetch. Going down to 18 lands is really sketchy. I would just cut the 3 stifles for 3 pierces or something.

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3 pierces? would you play 19 lands without stifle/probe? It looks easier to get screw of mana

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kamus

3 pierces? would you play 19 lands without stifle/probe? It looks easier to get screw of mana

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I mean, 19 lands works fine. I have tried it and I find it reasonable. We have 8 cantrips to fix our draws so hitting land drops isn't too much of a problem. It depends on whether you want to play the third pierce or not. If there is a lot of combo in you meta, I recommend 19 lands and 3 pierces.

I think this is the new best deck of the format, along with BBD's deck and Miracles. The list I played in NJ had an 80% win percentage Day 1, and put 3/5 pilots into the money. Expect an article sometime soon on CFB

What about finding a way to add 3 Young Pyromancer? I like that you will always have a creature to equip and may not have to play as much of the bounce, get countered control that Esperblade does better.

I got 110th at NJ with UWR Delver (11-4). My tournament was really weird. I only played against 2 Treasure Cruise decks.

Here was my list:

Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 True-Name Nemesis

Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
2 Gitaxian Probe
3 Treasure Cruise
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Force of Will
3 Daze
2 Spell Pierce
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

Lands
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
4 Wasteland

Sideboard
3 Pyroblast
2 Meddling Mage
2 Rest in Peace
1 Containment Priest
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Wear // Tear
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Pithing Needle

@ziveeman

Knowing what you know now would you have main-listed any Pyroblast/REB's if you could make changes? I know you said you only faced 2 Treasure Cruise lists so obviously not having them didn't hurt you but 4 of the 5 UR lists in the top 8 had at least one Pyro/REB main list.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ziveeman

I got 110th at NJ with UWR Delver (11-4). My tournament was really weird. I only played against 2 Treasure Cruise decks.

Here was my list:

Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 True-Name Nemesis

Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
2 Gitaxian Probe
3 Treasure Cruise
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Force of Will
3 Daze
2 Spell Pierce
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

Lands
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
4 Wasteland

Sideboard
3 Pyroblast
2 Meddling Mage
2 Rest in Peace
1 Containment Priest
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Wear // Tear
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Pithing Needle

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whats the Containment Priest(s) for in these UWR lists?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JJ-JKidd

whats the Containment Priest(s) for in these UWR lists?

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Show, and tell, reanimator, dredge, some of elves shenanigans, anything that runs vials, I'm sure I'm missing something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ziveeman

I got 110th at NJ with UWR Delver (11-4). My tournament was really weird. I only played against 2 Treasure Cruise decks.

Here was my list:

Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 True-Name Nemesis

Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
2 Gitaxian Probe
3 Treasure Cruise
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Force of Will
3 Daze
2 Spell Pierce
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

Lands
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
4 Wasteland

Sideboard
3 Pyroblast
2 Meddling Mage
2 Rest in Peace
1 Containment Priest
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Wear // Tear
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Pithing Needle

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How were the probes for you? Before treasure cruise, I used to play probes and had a lot of success with them, but now with cruise, I'm struggling to find 2 free slots in the deck to fit the probes.

Probes were great, as usual. I ended up cutting a fetch and not playing the 4th Cruise to fit the two Probes in.

Quote:

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@ziveeman

Knowing what you know now would you have main-listed any Pyroblast/REB's if you could make changes? I know you said you only faced 2 Treasure Cruise lists so obviously not having them didn't hurt you but 4 of the 5 UR lists in the top 8 had at least one Pyro/REB main list.

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Yeah probably. Would likely go into the Spell Pierce slots.