I've been testing this variation with Echo but without Gamble, kind of a hybrid version


//Lands: 14
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Volcanic Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Badlands
1 Tundra
1 Plateau
1 Tropical Island

//Artifacts: 15
4 Lotus Petal
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Mox Opal
3 Defense Grid

//Enchantments: 4
4 Underworld Breach

//Spells: 27
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Enlightened Tutor
3 Entomb
3 Silence
3 Burning Wish
3 Brain Freeze
3 Echo of Eons

//Wishboard: 5
1 Grapeshot
1 Reverent Silence
1 Massacre
1 Echo of Eons
1 Tome Scour

//Other sideboard: 10
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Silent Gravestone
2 Hope of Ghirapur
1 Serenity
1 Pithing Needle

//Maybeboard:
1 Pulverize
1 Echoing Truth
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Defense Grid
1 Wishclaw Talisman


Entomb into Echo is a good enough line that I wanted to abuse it more, so the protection suite shifted to cards that work with Echo (TS + Pact get worse).

I have Brainstorm, Ponder and tutors instead of Gamble and fast mana.

Mox Opal is sometimes awful and sometimes great, undecided.

The sideboard is still a work in progress but it should have flexible answers to most board states. Most importantly, the maindeck has a lot of power to dig into cards.

First 20 goldfishes:
  • T3 unprotected (Breach, LED, Brain Freeze off cantrip + double Entomb)
  • T2 behind Silence (Brainstorm into gas. Petal -> Silence -> LEDx2 -> Echo -> LEDx2, Mox -> mini Brain Freeze opponent -> Wish -> Echo -> 2nd Freeze)
  • T3 with Silence & Defense Grid backup (T1-T2 cantrips & fetches, EOT Entomb for LED. T3 Ponder, Silence. If Silence countered, can play Grid and pass to T4. Otherwise Petal -> Breach -> escape LED -> escape Entomb for Echo -> escape LED -> Echo floating mana -> Ponder -> Brainstorm -> LED pitching Brain Freeze & 6 cards into deterministic win)
  • Mull to 6: T4 win with Grid, after needing 2x Ponder + Brainstorm to find a 2nd land (Breach + LED + Brain Freeze)
  • T4 with Grid + Silence (could have gambled T3 with Entomb-> Echo, but ETutor for Breach was more consistent)
  • T1 unprotected (fast mana, Breach, LED, Entomb for Brain Freeze)
  • Mull to 6: T3 with Grid. (T1 cantrip, T2 Grid, T3 upkeep ETutor-> Breach, LED, Freeze)
  • T3 unprotected (T1 cantrip, T2 Entomb + ETutor for LED+Breach. Could have also tutored Defense Grid to try to grind)
  • T3 with Silence & backup Silence (T1 cantrip, T2 cantrip, EOT Entomb -> LED. T3 Silence, Breach, escape LED, escape Freeze)
  • Mull to 5: T5 win behind Silence & Grid after fizzling T3 behind Silence & Grid (T2 Grid. T3 LED, Opal, Silence, Opal, Freeze self for 15 hitting 0 Echos! T4 topdeck Burning Wish -> Echo -> hand that wins next turn behind another Silence).
  • T2 unprotected (T1 ETutor. T2 Breach + LED + Freeze with Echo backup if Breach countered)
  • T2 unprotected (T1 Entomb -> LED. T2 cantrip, petal, Breach -> escape LED -> escape Freeze)
  • T2 unprotected (T1 Entomb -> Freeze. T2 Breach + LED. Also had a T1 Echo line, but that's probably worse without Silence/Grid protection)
  • T3 win behind Grid & Silence after fizzling T2 behind Silence (T1 Brainstorm into 2x Silence but no 2nd mana. T2 Silence, 2x LED -> Echo -> LED, Mox, Petal -> Brainstorm -> fetch -> Ponder (whiff) -> Entomb -> Echo -> whiff and just play Defense Grid.
    T3 Brainstorm into gas -> fetch -> Silence -> Petal -> Breach -> ETutor for LED -> Ponder to draw LED -> LED -> Entomb for Brain Freeze -> escape Brain Freeze)
  • T3 win behind Grid (T1 ETutor, T2 Grid, T3 Breach, LED, Freeze. Also had Burning Wish options)
  • T3 unprotected (T1 cantrip whiff. T2 Wish -> Tome Scour. T3 Tome Scour self -> Breach -> escape LED -> escape Tome Scour x3 -> escape LED -> escape Freeze. Also had Brainstorm & Entomb if 1st Tome Scour whiffed)
  • T2 unprotected (T1 cantrip, T2 Breach -> LED, Opal -> escape LED -> Echo -> Petal, Opal -> Entomb LED -> escape LED -> Brain Freeze from hand)
  • T4 with Silence (could have gone T2 LED+Echo or T3 Breach without protection)
  • T2 with Silence (T1 OTP land, petal, LED -> Entomb for Echo -> Echo -> Pass with new hand & randomizing opponent's hand. EOT ETutor for Breach. T2 Petal -> Silence -> Breach -> LED -> escape Ponder -> LED -> escape Ponder -> Ponder into junk -> escape Brainstorm -> Petal + Entomb for Freeze -> escape Brain Freeze storm 12 @ self -> win)
  • T1 unprotected (Land, Petal, Opal, LED, Breach, Brain Freeze)


Aside from the obvious deterministic kills with Breach + LED + Brain Freeze, there were lines where cantripping, milling or Echoing dug me into a win.

It's possible cantripping is even higher variance than Gamble for a known card (random odds to see something good vs random odds to discard something good). Needs more testing.

Wishclaw Talisman is slow but opens up easier deterministic wins.

The protection suite is in flux. Needs testing against real opponents to see where the weaknesses are in interactions.