[Deck] ANT (Ad Nauseam Tendrils)

[Hanni]

This is my current decklist, as of 10/2/08:

B/u/w ANT

// Lands
4 [ON] Polluted Delta
2 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
2 [ON] Flooded Strand
2 [A] Underground Sea
1 [R] Scrubland
1 [R] Tundra
1 [ON] Swamp (4)
1 [P3] Island (3)

// Spells
4 [TE] Lotus Petal
4 [MR] Chrome Mox
4 [MI] Lion's Eye Diamond
4 [R] Dark Ritual
4 [TO] Cabal Ritual
4 [FNM] Brainstorm
4 [6E] Mystical Tutor
4 [DIS] Infernal Tutor
3 [4E] Ad Nauseam
1 [US] Ill-Gotten Gains
1 [SC] Tendrils of Agony
4 [7E] Duress
4 [PS] Orim's Chant
1 [PS] Rushing River

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [A] Plains (1)
SB: 4 [GP] Repeal
SB: 4 [6E] Serenity
SB: 1 [4E] Swords to Plowshares
SB: 1 [FUT] Slaughter Pact
SB: 4 [TSB] Tormod's Crypt

The information below is the original post from 9/19/08:

Since there is alot of dicussion about the card Ad Nauseam, since most of the decks being presented in the brainstorming thread do not fit directly into the FT, TES, or SI threads, and since there are so many different ideas going on in that thread, I've decided to create a thread specifically for variations resembling mine.

First, just to start this off, is a list:

B/u ANT

Lands (14)
4 Polluted Delta
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Underground Sea
2 Swamp

Spells (46)
4 Chrome Mox
4 Lotus Petal
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Dark Ritual
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Brainstorm
4 Mystical Tutor
4 Infernal Tutor
4 Ad Nauseam
2 Tendrils of Agony
4 Duress
4 Pact of Negation

The deck can easily splash a 3rd color if it needs to... like green for Krosan Grip or red for Red Elemental Blast. The B/u list above is a nice starting shell to work with. Once I (we) figure out exactly what the deck wants/needs, we can work on splashing colors and/or making adjustments. I also don't have a sideboard built yet for the same reasons.

This thread is for archtypes of storm combo specifically building around Ad Nauseam (without molding prexisting combo decks around the card). This thread is also for builds more closely resembling the list(s) in the opening post... builds with 8 0cc creatures and Culling/Diabolic, for example, should probably go in a different thread.

The general construction of the decklist above includes: 14 lands, 20 accelerants, 4 Brainstorm, 8 tutors, 4 engine cards, 2 win conditions, and 8 protection spells.

I'll go through some card breakdowns:

14 lands may be too much but I feel comfortable with 14 lands and 8 shuffle effects. I can see the deck dropping to 12 lands if it really needed to.

Chrome Mox and Lotus Petal should be unquestionable given that 0cc artifact mana is very strong with AdN.

Dark Ritual and Cabal Ritual produce alot of black mana, which is exactly what AdN + Tendrils wants. It is arguable that Rite of Flame could replace Cabal Ritual in a red splash, though I'd still favor Cabal Ritual because I think black mana is more valuable.

LED/Infernal Tutor is very strong. They accelerate very well into AdN, as well as after AdN resolves. Sometimes they may be dead if you have AdN already in hand... even if you do, you still have other cards to win the game for you, and LED/IT is still a strong backup plan if it gets countered or after AdN resolves.

Mystical Tutor is the strongest tutor the deck has access to, IMO. "U: search for protection, AdN, Dark Ritual, whatever you need" is exactly what the deck wants. It is basically a 1cc setup spell that enables the next turn win.

We're already in blue, Brainstorm with fetchlands is far too strong to not be included. Taking a page out of FT, Brainstorm + 8 fetchlands is really strong.

4 Ad Nauseams shouldn't be questioned. The deck wins when it resolves AdN and always wants to see AdN. Multiple AdN's is only bad if the first AdN resolves, which is irrelevant anyway.

An interesting thing that you'll notice is Pact of Negation replacing Orim's Chant. With AdN replacing IGG, the deck doesn't need to rely on the protection from Chant (to make the engine good). AdN wins once resolved and Pact makes sure AdN resolves.

Pact of Negation is very strong. The deck plays setup cards like Mystical Tutor, which usually don't get countered, and then plays AdN on the following turn. Since AdN wins when resolved, the deck only worries about resolving AdN. Pact does this perfectly for 0 mana. This can quicken the win by a full turn with little consequence.

Duress sets up the protection wall; Duress lets you know whether or not you can win [through Pact] in games where you slowplay (Landstill or Threshold).

Mystical Tutor enables consistent Duress + Pact.

Duress + Pact has been extremely strong in testing.

----

The deck can easily cut the lands down to 12 and Tendrils down to 1 to fit more cards... I'm just not sure what cards it needs right now. I think 1 IGG, 1 EtW, 1 bounce spell, and several other cards are worth tying out.

The deck can also splash for a 3rd color, whichever color would benefit the deck most (mainly via sideboard options). A 3rd (or more) color splashes are welcome. I figured B/u was a very solid starting point for working with the archtype.

I'll add more content to the OP as more content comes in.

For now, my current deviation from the starting list I posted is:

B/U/r ANT

// Lands
4 [ON] Polluted Delta
4 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
4 [R] Underground Sea
1 [R] Badlands
1 [CST] Swamp (1)

// Spells
4 [TE] Lotus Petal
4 [MR] Chrome Mox
4 [MI] Lion's Eye Diamond
4 [R] Dark Ritual
4 [TO] Cabal Ritual
4 [FNM] Brainstorm
4 [6E] Mystical Tutor
4 [DIS] Infernal Tutor
4 [4E] Ad Nauseam
1 [SC] Tendrils of Agony
1 [TSP] Empty the Warrens
4 [7E] Duress
4 [FUT] Pact of Negation

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [US] Ill-Gotten Gains
SB: 4 [GP] Leyline of the Void
SB: 4 [RAV] Dark Confidant
SB: 1 [ON] Chain of Vapor
SB: 1 [TSP] Wipe Away
SB: 4 [4E] Red Elemental Blast

This will most likely change... I'm simply showing what new development I'm working on right now.