Miracle Control

[jdmdave]

So I got in about 30 matches with portent miracles on MTGO and I really like what I'm seeing. Portent into Opponent Upkeep Terminus is pretty damn strong while also helping set up counterbalance. It's obviously not as good as SDT, but I think we might have something here as the playstyle just feels a lot smoother than the soothsaying builds. I played all of the games without a sideboard, but I think a standard 2xish Blood moon/From the Ashes, 2 Clique, 3 Gravehate of choice, 3-4 REB, 2-3 flusterstorm, 2ish wear/tear approach might work out of the gate.

Maindeck

* 4 Portent
* 4 Ponder
* 4 Brainstorm
* 4 Counterbalance
* 4 Force of Will
* 4 Swords to Plowshares
* 4 Snapcaster Mage
* 4 Terminus
* 3 Jace, the Mindsculptor
* 1 Council's Judgment
* 2 Counterspell
* 1 Spell Pierce
* 1 Flusterstorm (This is the flex slot. I'm tempted to turn this into either JTMS #4, Vclique, 3rd Counterspell, E Explosive, Maindeck Pyroblast in appropriate meta, or something else).
* 4 Scalding Tarn
* 4 Flooded Strand
* 2 Arid Mesa
* 2 Plains
* 4 Island
* 2 Volcanic Island
* 2 Tundra

Sideboard (Prospective)

* 2 Flusterstorm
* 1 Kozilek's Return
* 3 Pyroblast (REB also works since we aren't using Mentor)
* 2 Surgical Extraction
* 1 Containment Priest
* 2 Wear/Tear
* 2 Blood Moon (I prefer it to From the Ashes/Ruination due to being 3 CMC, and over BTB because I'm cheap)
* 2 Vendilion Clique

[entreri_fans]

Neo Miracle List

Hello jdmdave! Thanks for sharing your Portent Miracle list!

You are still playing a full set of Terminus but no Entreat? It is because you feel it is much more difficult to setup it now (compared with Terminus)? Without EtA, do you feel 4 snapcasters and 3 JTMS suffice as your win condition?

Thanks

[icedagger]

@jdmdave: How does it do in specific matchups? Anything giving you any trouble?

[jdmdave]

I'd say pretty similar to pre-ban matchups, except Leovold based Bug decks are even more of a pain in the ass. I'll run the deck at a side event of the GP this weekend to find out more. This deck has ABSOLUTELY no problem setting up C-balance. By default more 1 cmc stuff will slip through counterbalance, but JTMS is just a ridiculous magic card.

As for the lack of entreat/win cons, the deck doesn't have the luxury of instant speed on demand entreating due to the lack of top, so it's much more reliant upon JTMS upticks to win. Maybe the Flusterstorm flexstop should become entreat? I do feel that the deck is wayyyy too low on 3 cmc (just 1 atm) and might have issues winning matches in a 50 minute timeframe.

[Poron]

Leovold based decks super suffer Pyroclasm and REBs

Snapcaster Mage give you 8 of each, potentially. Now there is also Sweltering Suns

[AppallinglyDull]

So I got in about 30 matches with portent miracles on MTGO and I really like what I'm seeing. Portent into Opponent Upkeep Terminus is pretty damn strong while also helping set up counterbalance.

I've also been testing out Portent Miracles (just against myself with two windows of TappedOut, since I don't have MTGO, so not the best testing obviously, but it is what it is...). I've gone a slightly different route and dropped Counterbalance since SDT is gone. I've added 2 Cliques (for help closing out the game, disruption/clock against combo, and to filter dead cards away), two Entreats, and more main-deck countermagic to compensate for the lack of Counterbalance. My current testing build is:

4 Snapcaster
2 V Clique

4 Brainstorm
3 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
4 Swords to Plowshares

1 Council's Judgment
2 Entreat the Angels
4 Portent
1 Pyroclasm
4 Terminus

1 Eng Explosives
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

20 land (9 fetch, 4 island, 2 plains, 3 tundra, 2 volcanic)


So far it feels... ok. Perhaps Ponder should find its way back in, though I worry about including too many cantrips and not enough action. I could see cutting a Spell Pierce and another card (maybe one Entreat) for 2 Ponder, at least.

One interaction I do like is being able to Portent, shuffle, then Jace-brainstorm to draw three and put back two, and then Portent's delayed draw should still work, which does give more looks at finding a Terminus / Entreat without needing to hope for a lucky topdeck off the Portent shuffle.

[jdmdave]

Looks pretty similar. I really do think Counterbalance is one of the main payoffs for staying UW/r as JTMS + Cbalance is absolutely backbreaking.

[Poron]

I give it my try

4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Jace, TMS.
4 Monastery Mentor (avoids Spell Pierce/Snare/Reb)

4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Supreme Verdict
2 Pyroclasm
0-2 Meekstone (drop one of these babies against Leovold/TNN or Eldrazi and everything becomes bad for him)
0-2 Curfew(SneakShow drops, Marit Lage for him. Asymmetrycal for you because you can bounce back the token self created from Mentor, Snapback your own Mage, save your Mentor from Decay).

2 Council's Judgement
2 Wear Tear/the new cycler
1+1 From the Ashes (we want our chance against 12 post decks and similar)

3 Force of Will
4 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
3 Counterspell

4 Rebs
1 more Pyroclasm
3 Flusterstorm
2 Containment Priest
2 Ethersworn Canonist
4 Leyline of Sanctity

I know I went over 60. Some cards go to the SB, that's a 75

[laywer]

That's pretty much what we have to talk about at this point.




A few criticisms of the list: I think you need -1 SFM because 2 + 1 equipment has always been enough, and I don't see why you need 3 if you only have 1 equipment to fetch. I would replace the 3rd with a second spell snare.

Secondly, I think you strongly need a basic mountain or a 3rd Volcanic Island if you have this many red cards in your sideboard that you're incentivized to bring in vs Delver, as I don't believe that 2 Volc alone is sustainable.

Finally, I understand you're just testing, as I have, but I think any # of Miracles cards want your manipulation suite to be at it's highest. That likely means 4 JTMS and less Predicts because Predict simply is just too difficult to sustain CA from with only 8 Cantrip effects.

Just my two cents, hope your testing goes well!

Thanks for the tips. Anyway, in tests, I missed clique and you are right about predicts and sfm.

[jdmdave]

I'm going to start tracking results for my miracles list, but I'll be somewhat slow until mid June (preparing for the CFA Level 3 exam). I've got about another 10 matches under my belt with the above listed portent build, but I'm still not sure if the flusterstorm should be counterspell #3, Noxious Revival #1, Predict #1, Spell Pierce #2, or Spell Snare #1 (testing counterspell).

Quick Match Results

BUG - 2-0 (2-1/2-0). My old strategy was sideboarding out Cbalance+FOW, so the new JTMS + Counterspell heavy build did serious work. Deck felt REALLY smooth with portent -> terminus dodging D-rite/Hymn.
Reanimator - 1-1. Force check coinflip
Eldrazi - 1-2. Lack of instant speed terminus becomes pretty noticeable in this matchup. Needs work.
Storm - 1-0. Counterlock with JTMS + Cbalance is strong. Removal of Abrupt Decay was noticeable.
Elves - 1-1. Dude must've shit bricks with portent into terminus. Second match got rolled due to not finding terminus in time.

* 2 Volcanic Island
* 2 Tundra (Mirroring IRL Cardpool)
* 4 Island
* 2 Plains
* 4 Flooded Strand
* 4 Scalding Tarn
* 2 Arid Mesa
* 4 Counterbalance
* 4 Ponder
* 4 Brainstorm
* 4 Portent
* 4 STP
* 4 Terminus
* 3 JTMS
* 1 Council's Judgment
* 4 Snapcaster Mage
* 3 Counterspell
* 1 Spell Pierce
* 4 Force of Will

Sideboard

* 2 Blood Moon (I'll test ruination/BFB)
* 4 REB (Fuck Leovold)
* 2 Surgical (Reanimator)
* 1 Containment Priest (Reanimator/S&S)
* 2 Vclique (BUG/S&S)
* 2 Flusterstorm (Storm/Control)
* 2 Wear/Tear (General purpose, but I'm not sure this is really necessary anymore. We don't care about pithing needle anymore, it sucks as a CB flip, and their isn't a mirror match anymore). Considering supreme verdict/E-explosives/something for the BUG matchup in this slot (Gideon/Elspeth)

[Kobal]

jdmdave, have you given any thought of working Predict into that Portent shell?

[jdmdave]

I actually have! Either just a straight swap for the 3rd counterspell, or put in 2 predicts in place of a counterspell+spell pierce/counterbalance.

[Tormod]

In the search for a card or card combinations to replicate what top did. It becomes clear how busted top was at 1 mana.

4 or 5 mana would be more reasonable.

[btm10]

In the search for a card or card combinations to replicate what top did. It becomes clear how busted top was at 1 mana.

4 or 5 mana would be more reasonable.

Elemental Augury does it for 3 and can target your opponent.

[Lormador]

I will say that although the deck is not now, in my view, playable at all, it has certainly come into by far the best deck name in all of Magic: Topless Miracles.

[kentheide]

Looks pretty similar. I really do think Counterbalance is one of the main payoffs for staying UW/r as JTMS + Cbalance is absolutely backbreaking.

The main and pretty much only payoff for staying UWr is blast effects. That being said I don't believe either Counterbalance, Terminus, Monastery Mentor or Entreat the Angels are good enough by themselves to be played anymore.

[jdmdave]

8-0 over various legacy irl legacy events at the GP with the above list. This deck feels REALLY strong.

* 2-1 vs DnT
* 2-0 vs BR Reanimator
* 2-0 vs Burn
* 2-1 vs BR Reanimator
* 2-1 vs 4c Pile
* 2-0 vs Food Chain
* 2-0 vs RG Lands
* 2-0 vs BUG Leovold

Updates coming.

[twndomn]

Uh..., is it just me or... does the deck attempt to win via Snapcaster beats and Jace backdoor?

Assume they will get there..., how much of the surprise factor contributing to the wins? As in, people just assume Miracles has died and not run Decay anymore.

[Nestalim]

8-0 over various legacy irl legacy events at the GP with the above list. This deck feels REALLY strong.

* 2-1 vs DnT
* 2-0 vs BR Reanimator
* 2-0 vs Burn
* 2-1 vs BR Reanimator
* 2-1 vs 4c Pile
* 2-0 vs Food Chain
* 2-0 vs RG Lands
* 2-0 vs BUG Leovold

Updates coming.

You changed nothing in the list ? Did you try Predict ? Keep us informed.

[klaus]

@jdmdave:
No wincon beyond SCM & Jace seems meh. 4 CB seems meh - even before the ban of Top, most successful lists have come to drop one. CB #4 --> EtA seems like a no-brainer to me.