[Deck] UBW Chalice

[Pinder]

@Pinder
So I was right about Orb and Herald?! ;)

Yeah, yeah, you were right . Don't let your head get too big.

I disagree with you about the Moxen though. I really like the speed they add, and in my games they never really hurt that bad in terms of card advantage (especially when you get a Bob out). Sure, multiples in the opening hand do suck, and for that reason we might cut them down to 3 (or even 2, I suppose) in favor of a higher threat count, or removal. But I don't think they need to go away completely.

I think this decks main problem is that it's great against one Tier 1 deck (Solidarity), semi-decent against another (Thresh), and horrible against the best (Gobs). We really need something against dedicated aggro, as right now any sort of Zoo or Stompy just...stomps us. Hell, I've lost to black sui with this thing.

Maybe Parallax Wave? I haven't tested it at all, I'm just throwing out an idea.

[GoTreK]

Ofc the Moxen are nice and I never wanted to cut them completely. 3 is perfectly fine with me...

[Finn]

Tangle Wire may be what you are looking for. It is one of the few cards that are good against both Gobs and Solidarity, and everything in between. It's just hard to cast it when Glowrider is out (especially in my build with Hokori).

Of course, you need to come up with a more permanent solution while the Wire holds 'em down. What would that be?

EDIT: I almost forgot to mention - I am considering both Windborn Muse and Man-O-War to provide that more permanent solution.

EDIT: And isn't Chrome Mox awful with Glowrider?

[Tosh]

You shouldn't be playing the Chrom Mox when you have a glowrider out because if you have a glowrider out it means that you have enough mana (don't over-extend now, there are Armaggedons and Wrath of Gods).

Oh and BTW: /agreed for the Tangle Wire

[GoTreK]

Basically Mox is just useful in your openinghand. Maybe as well as the first draw but after that it's awful.

Windborn Muse is actually pretty nice, it really is. It's not only a Ghostly Prison (for which we don't have to pay the extra mana) which is a very nice card against aggro anyway but also a 2/3 critter with evasion and therefore a good Jitte carrier. Even if Man-o-war is also pretty good the Muse is a more permanent solution and that's exactly why I'd prefer her. Muse + Wire would be quite nice, but I'm not sure what to think of Wire + Glowrider. But probably the advantages outshine the disadvantages in this case.

edit: btw do we still want to play Confi? I don't want to miss the enormous CA he provides but with Muse, Wires, Vindicates etc the curve is too high by far... :(

[Pinder]

Basically Mox is just useful in your openinghand. Maybe as well as the first draw but after that it's awful.

For that reason, I think we should keep it at at least 3, just because we want to see this thing in our opening hand, but don't want to see too many multiples later on. I don't think we'd get them turn 1-2 consistently with only 2, and they suck late game, so any less than 3 and we should probably cut them (not saying that we should cut them, just that we shouldn't run less than 3).

Windborn Muse is actually pretty nice, it really is. It's not only a Ghostly Prison (for which we don't have to pay the extra mana) which is a very nice card against aggro anyway but also a 2/3 critter with evasion and therefore a good Jitte carrier.

The fact that she doesn't cost any more isn't really that fantastic, since she already costs as much as a Ghostly Prison under Glowrider. She's still better though, since she has a warm (flying) 2/3 body. Decent include, sure.

The only issue I see here is that our mana curve is creeping higher, and higher...

edit: btw do we still want to play Confi? I don't want to miss the enormous CA he provides but with Muse, Wires, Vindicates etc the curve is too high by far... :(

We could always run SDT I suppose. It's not really synergistic with Glowrider, but the next best thing in creature form is Information Dealer (blech). Either way they would cost the same, and an SDT will probably hit the table before Glowrider anyway.

I really like Confidant in this deck, and when he's wielding a Top he not only nets you card advantage, but excellent card quality :D.

As for tangle wire, it's super cool, but it costs more after a Glowrider hits, and it makes us tap too. Between Chalice and Jitte, this might no be much of a problem though. I haven't done any testing with it, how difficult does it usually make playing stuff?

[Tosh]

edit: btw do we still want to play Confi? I don't want to miss the enormous CA he provides but with Muse, Wires, Vindicates etc the curve is too high by far... :(

You're right, the mana curve is creeping too high, especially in the noncreature department. I did some goldfishing with tangle wires and, although I can't judge it by it's effects on only myself, it slows me down a lot -- I think too much. Don't get confused, we do not want this turning into a control with splashed aggro but rather the other way around. I'm having second thoughts on Jitte; I want to run more creatures and more creature destruction.

[Pinder]

I'm having second thoughts on Jitte; I want to run more creatures and more creature destruction.

Umm....Klaan? Jitte is creature removal. And lifegain. And pump. And carrying it into your opponent's face in the hands of your flyers and unblockable life bursts is amazing against aggro. Especially non-flying Goblin aggro .

Lay off the drugs man. I'd consider knocking it down to a 2-of, but Jitte should definitely be included.

[Durahan]

I think sphere of resistance would be interesting in this type of deck as well.

[GoTreK]

Cutting Jitte imho isn't a good choice at all. As I stated previously, I even think about running 4 as they are EVERYTHING you need in >1< card. With Azorious Herald and some flyers it's just sick.

Sphere doesn't fit
-->

Don't get confused, we do not want this turning into a control with splashed aggro but rather the other way around.

[Durahan]

What about Blinding Angel? It pretty much stops Aggro in its tracks, and it has a fat enough ass to shrug off a lightning bolt. Between Familiars and Augustin (if we start running him again), she should come out at a fairly economical cost. Give her a Jitte, and you've pretty much sealed Aggro's fate, no?

[Tosh]

Here's a list I have been toying around with a little bit and it seems decent, although I need to do a little more testing.

// Lands
4 [B] Scrubland
4 [B] Underground Sea
4 [ON] Flooded Strand
2 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
4 [TE] Ancient Tomb
1 [7E] Swamp (4)
1 [R] Plains (3)

// Creatures
4 [LE] Glowrider
4 [PS] Meddling Mage
3 [DIS] Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
4 [PS] Stormscape Familiar
4 [EX] Merfolk Looter

// Spells
3 [MR] Chalice of the Void
4 [AP] Vindicate
4 [ON] Smother
4 [MR] Chrome Mox
2 [7E] Engineered Plague
4 [DIS] Infernal Tutor

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [LE] Withered Wretch
SB: 2 [UL] Engineered Plague
SB: 4 [NE] Seal of Cleansing
SB: 4 [TE] Diabolic Edict
SB: 1 [] ???

With the addition of Infernal Tutor and 2 MD Engineered plagues I find my match up against aggro much better (esp. goblins). It is easy to get hellbent when you play all your cards quickly and with the mana cost reducers and the Looter to get rid of dead cards (extra Augustins) to be able to play the newly drawn card. So, tell me what you think!