[Deck] Solidarity

[mtgaddict]

Game one they probably won't stop until they have emrakul so you should be safe. Otherwise you can always just go off on their EOT if they break the chain early so that shouldn't be a huge problem. Sure getting them with a glimpse trigger is cool but trap or extraction can deal with emrakul and letting them die on their draw step works just as well.

I've just played versus Elves and the G1 is easier. On the other hand, I don't see how to win G2 or G3. When I'm on the draw, I'm unable to stop them. Moreover, if I can drop 3 islands, they slow play in order to minimize storm count.

For FoI I always put business on top and land on bottom but unless you are stacking the majority of your deck it doesn't matter too much. Generally I put meditate on top and make the 4 below some combination of tides, untaps and cantrips. This is a good thing to do because you can stack it so that if meditate resolves you have the ability to play through the rest of the cantrips below it. Still, if its not the majority of your deck its not a huge deal but its good practice.

Thanks. I did it.

PtD or Opt?
Green splash or mono blue?
4 Tides main or 1 in the Wishboard?

I'm not an experimented player but this is my point of view :
- PtD is better when you are in combo but I'm always happy to play small Opt in the first turns in order to assemble the combo.
- Green splash is awesome but you must make a 4 wish build.
- 1 tide in SB is better for goldfishing but in real life I can't spend my third turn to wish for tide.

I was also far too reluctant to Brain Freeze myself. This is not something I normally have a problem with, but being at a major tournament made me a little more risk averse, which ironically ended up costing me games; I won every single game where I Brain Freezed myself.

+1

@Silent Requiem : Thanks a lot for your report !

Snapcaster Mage build seems really exciting (especially the SCM stack ) because we could go off :
- with only 3 lands easier
- on your own turn
- without draw dependent

But we must relativize our craze because we add 2 main weak points to Solidarity :
- playing creature : more decks will be able to deal with our engine
- using graveyard : we need to play around SE and friends on G2 and G3

Do you think that an SCM build should be more control than combo ?

[Zinch]

I've been testing the deck I posted on the last page changing the 2 turnabouts for 2 snaps more and I have to say the deck is a lot more stable. I've played about 30 games (preboard) against 4 of the most popular decks (Zoo, Blade control, NO RUG and merfolks)

I was afraid of frizzling by a sword/bolt in response to a snap, but that only happened to me in one game and only because it was my only untapper.
The interaction between snapcaster mage and snap is incredible. I comboed with 3 lands twice against zoo on the draw (in about 8 games). This was a lot harder before, but now flashbacking a high tide with the mage is one of the options we have.

One thing I was considering (in relation with mtgaddict said) is if it's posible to turn the deck in a more controlish deck after sideboarding against blade control for example (a very hard MU). Snapcaster mage is what allows this because with him we can combo with fewer cards.

[Psychovoid]

Talking about the SoneBlade matchup... you guys have any play/sideboarding tips? I find it close to impossible to combo through at least three counterspells, Clique disruption, Sword of Feast and Famine discard effects, and a clock that kills by turn 6. It's ridiculous. StoneBlade runs a 9-card kill package and almost 30 counterspells; it seems hopeless.

[GGoober]

I was afraid of frizzling by a sword/bolt in response to a snap, but that only happened to me in one game and only because it was my only untapper.

The StP player should be MORE afraid than you because you dominate stack wars :) Imagine if you had a Flusterstorm in hand, or simply yet another Snap/Snapcaster or a Impulse/brainstorm to dig deeper, then Snap/Snapcaster the Snapcaster/Snap in response, let StP resolve and fizzle, and go off again :D

The only thing that Snapcaster/Snap build will be affected is Extirpate :/ It just blows my mind how hard it is to play against Extirpate.

[Zinch]

The StP player should be MORE afraid than you because you dominate stack wars :) Imagine if you had a Flusterstorm in hand, or simply yet another Snap/Snapcaster or a Impulse/brainstorm to dig deeper, then Snap/Snapcaster the Snapcaster/Snap in response, let StP resolve and fizzle, and go off again :D

The only thing that Snapcaster/Snap build will be affected is Extirpate :/ It just blows my mind how hard it is to play against Extirpate.

That is what happened in almost every situation

On the B & R discusion thread people is assuming MM is getting the axe. If that is the case and with the release of snapcaster mage I think solidarity could make a comeback as an important factor in the metagame...

[Dark Ritual]

Yeah I'll just be replacing the missteps in my build with either more cantrips and stuff or flusterstorm's or good ole force of will.

Against stuff like stoneblade right now with misstep in the format the way to do it is to go off at the last possible second as per usual and make a giant stack ending in cunning wish for mindbreak trap, exiling all their spells and winning shortly thereafter. Although this can be hard to do if you don't have tons of mana via at least one high tide resolving. But this is perfectly doable with the right hand you just need some remands or lots of must counter spells for the opponent that if they resolve you win.

Solidarity can definitely make a comeback though post snapcaster mage. That card is sweet. Unsure of how to utilize it best though; you can either go for an explosive build that can win on turn 3 potentially or with a more traditional approach. Not sure what's right ATM since the meta will have to adjust to MM getting the axe, which I'm 99 percent sure that it will.

[Vacrix]

Snapcaster Mage looks amazing.

I haven't quite finalized a list yet but Solidarity that forgoes Turnabouts for Snap/Snapcaster engine makes it even easier to win without Reset. Honestly Turnabout is overcosted and I think we can get around the spot removal problem with either Mental Missteps.. or this perhaps:

Mask of the Mimic U
Instant
As an additional cost to cast Mask of the Mimic, sacrifice a creature.
Search your library for a card with the same name as target nontoken creature and put that card onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

I'm thinking that Cloud of Faeries might also want to join this crew, if there is space. Either way, I think that some combination of Cloud of Faeries and Snap should replace Turnabout.


Further.. a card that I really don't think gets enough attention is Reins of Power. Its randomly gotten me kills before but now coupled with Snapcaster Mage, Rein's of Power for turns in a row could get pretty ridiculous. We might even be able to race the opponent with his own creatures provided we can do some tricks with Snap, Snapcaster Mage and possibly Mask of the Mimic.

[PunkRocker1134]

Having just goldfished 15 or so hands with the snapcaster/snap engine, it gives us a great deal more explosion. Turn three kills are definitely doable, much more so than before. I think this engine also gives us a reason to run Flusterstorm main.

For reference, the list I'm goldfishing (its very rough):

6 blue fetches
13 Island

4 High Tide
4 Reset
3 Snap
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Intuition
2 Brainfreeze

4 Brainstorm
4 Impluse
4 Remand
4 Mediate
2 Flash of insight
1 Blue Sun's Zenight
3 Flusterstorm

[Spigore]

Talking about the SoneBlade matchup... you guys have any play/sideboarding tips? I find it close to impossible to combo through at least three counterspells, Clique disruption, Sword of Feast and Famine discard effects, and a clock that kills by turn 6. It's ridiculous. StoneBlade runs a 9-card kill package and almost 30 counterspells; it seems hopeless.

Repeal the Germ token, Dismember the Germ token, Rebuild is pro here, Remanding Jace/Clique.

Side in your counterspells, Flusterstorm and Mindbreak Trap shine here. MM is your weakest link here, it only hits enemy MM's!

I don't have a big struggle with this matchup. They start up slow and when it comes to counterwar, make sure they open up the Trap. Flusterstorm copies can hit other spells. Move your Reset/Tide from the stack with Remand.
Even after, counterwars build the storm count.

Ofcourse you have the occasional opponent who is drawing the nuts, Clique's ability can be a real pain.

[Vacrix]

Having just goldfished 15 or so hands with the snapcaster/snap engine, it gives us a great deal more explosion. Turn three kills are definitely doable, much more so than before. I think this engine also gives us a reason to run Flusterstorm main.

For reference, the list I'm goldfishing (its very rough):

6 blue fetches
13 Island

4 High Tide
4 Reset
3 Snap
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Intuition
2 Brainfreeze

4 Brainstorm
4 Impulse
4 Remand
4 Meditate
2 Flash of insight
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
3 Flusterstorm

My thoughts

-2 Flash of Insight
+2 Twincast

UU for a 2nd spell of anything is a pretty good deal if you really think about it. Twincast can be Snapcasted unlike Flash of Insight. I can't tell you how many times a Twincasted Meditate has allowed me to pull myself out of a counterwar. Then again, Twincasted Snap seems like a good way of beating the random removal spell while it also copies Reset in the absense of Turnabout, and obviously it copies High Tide.

I question the only running four 1cc cantrips and 19 land. How is hitting land drops working out for you?

[wolfstorm]

Snapcaster Mage looks amazing.

I haven't quite finalized a list yet but Solidarity that forgoes Turnabouts for Snap/Snapcaster engine makes it even easier to win without Reset. Honestly Turnabout is overcosted and I think we can get around the spot removal problem with either Mental Missteps.. or this perhaps:

Mask of the Mimic U
Instant
As an additional cost to cast Mask of the Mimic, sacrifice a creature.
Search your library for a card with the same name as target nontoken creature and put that card onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

I'm thinking that Cloud of Faeries might also want to join this crew, if there is space. Either way, I think that some combination of Cloud of Faeries and Snap should replace Turnabout.


Further.. a card that I really don't think gets enough attention is Reins of Power. Its randomly gotten me kills before but now coupled with Snapcaster Mage, Rein's of Power for turns in a row could get pretty ridiculous. We might even be able to race the opponent with his own creatures provided we can do some tricks with Snap, Snapcaster Mage and possibly Mask of the Mimic.

Cloud of Faeries doesn't have flash :/

[Seraphus]

Cloud of Faeries doesn't have flash :/

where's the "Like" button??

[PunkRocker1134]

I've been having a little bit of an issue hitting land drops. I'm not sure what to cut for more lands though.

[Seraphus]

I've been having a little bit of an issue hitting land drops. I'm not sure what to cut for more lands though.

so now you get why opt is necessary in this deck?

[PunkRocker1134]

After some more goldfishing, I've found Flash of Insight to be kinda useless in the snapcaster lists. To make room for opt, I'm thinking something like:

-2 Flash
-1 Flusterstorm
+3 Opt

I should be doing some actual testing next week, so I'll report back then.

[Seraphus]

After some more goldfishing, I've found Flash of Insight to be kinda useless in the snapcaster lists. To make room for opt, I'm thinking something like:

-2 Flash
-1 Flusterstorm
+3 Opt

I should be doing some actual testing next week, so I'll report back then.

Believe me, i am almost sure, the deck doesn't need the intuitions...

[GradStudentGuy]

With intuition being added into some of the proposed builds along with snap mage the deck seems more graveyard centric. This begs to ask why not include Visions of Beyond as a cantrip. Before combo its not as good as peek. However, once you have snap mage and the intuition engine going mid combo you have a good chance of getting an
Ancestral Recall flash back.

[Kich867]

With intuition being added into some of the proposed builds along with snap mage the deck seems more graveyard centric. This begs to ask why not include Visions of Beyond as a cantrip. Before combo its not as good as peek. However, once you have snap mage and the intuition engine going mid combo you have a good chance of getting an
Ancestral Recall flash back.

I believe its been tested and found to not be that great / a win-more (a card thats only really good if you're already winning)

[Seraphus]

I once again a mention this (but now due to the fact that we'll have the mage): is it Cunning Wish relevant?

[lebarion]

I once again a mention this (but now due to the fact that we'll have the mage): is it Cunning Wish relevant?

I intend to test a list with Snap maindeck and no Cunning Wish. I believe with counters and creature bounce preboard we are able to deal with most hate G1, and have a focused sideboard for our bad matches.