[Deck] Team America (BUG Delver)

[KobeBryan]

4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Daze
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Stifle
2 Spell Pierce

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Dark Confidant
4 Baleful Strix

Lands
1 Bayou
3 Polluted Delta
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Wasteland
2 Verdant Catacombs
3 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island



SB: 2 Disfigure
SB: 2 Null Rod
SB: 3 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Krosan Grip
SB: 1 Garruk Relentless
SB: 1 Engineered Plague
SB: 2 Marsh Casualties
SB: 1 Volcanic Island
SB: 1 Red Elemental Blast
SB: 1 Pyroblast

This is what I've been playing with. There are enough decks without wasteland for me to play a one of volc in the side for the blasts.

[Whitefaces]

Small 4-rounder at my LGS last night.

I haven't played Stifle, Wasteland, Pierce and Daze together for a while. What a lovely family!

List

4 Delver
4 DRS
4 Goyf
2 Dark Confidant
1 TNN

4 Ponder

4 Brainstorm
4 Decay
4 Daze
4 Stifle
4 FoW
3 Spell Pierce

4 Delta
4 Misty
4 Wasteland
3 Trop
3 Sea

2 Thoughtseize
1 Pithing Needle
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Flusterstorm
1 Null Road
1 Trygon Predator
1 Winter Orb
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Jitte
1 Illness in the Ranks
1 Submerge

R1 vs Death and Taxes. I hate this matchup.

G1 otp. Opener is fetch, waste, delver, goyf, stifle and a couple of cantrips. I know my opponent, he's usually on High tide, so I figured leaving up stifle turn one is reasonable to snag a fetch if possible as it has very little other value, and I have enough soft permission in the deck as well as bobs that the turn lost on the clock shouldn't matter. He goes T1 plains, Aether Vial, shit. T2 I draw a Pierce and drop a goyf off the fetch and waste. He misses his second land drop, next turn I cantrip to try and find a decay but don't get it. I manage to get another Delver online but die to Mirran Crusader and Brimaz. The race was close, if I'd played Delver t1 instead of leaving up stifle I'd have won the race. Punt!

SBing

+2 Thoughtseize
+1 Pithing Needle
+1 Vendilion Clique
+1 Null Rod
+1 Trygon Predator
+1 Jitte
-4 Stifle
-3 Spell Pierce

G2 otp. This one isn't as close. Mother > Thalia > things, ports and swords. I had a one turn window to top deck a land, throw a Jitte on a Trygon and kill a Mother, Thalia and RiP. But alas, don't get it and he gets a swords. Crushed!

0 - 2

R2 vs Grixis Delver.

G1 otp. Hand is drs, drs, delver, daze, fow, brainstorm, fetch. Pretty good! I lead with fetch, sea, drs. Opponent probes, fetches, and plays a drs of his own. I daze, he dazes back. T2 I land the second drs and delver and force a pyromancer. With the tempo firmly in my court, I use the deathrites very aggressively to keep his yard empty for DTT and it's over quickly.

SBing
+1 Vendilion Clique
+2 Flusterstorm
+1 Nihil Spellbomb
+1 Jitte
+1 Illness in the Ranks
-4 Stifle
-2 Daze

G2 otd. Hand is trop, sea, waste, stifle, stifle, goyf, delver. He probes, plays mire and passes. I play sea, and hold up stifle. What then ensues is him going waste > pass the next two turns, while I make land drops too. He then double wastes me, I stifle both and he manages to crack his fetch, but is now two lands down, and it's my turn. With the tempo gained, I land a drs, bob and delver the following turn. I then find Jitte which puts it away.

2 - 0

R3 vs Grixis Pyromancer (with Ascension)

I don't remember these games too well, as they involved a lot of cantrips from both sides! But eventually it came down to goyf doing what goyf does in G1 after going at his mana, and G2 DRSs put it away as there is a lot of food in the yards.

SBing
+1 Vendilion Clique
+2 Flusterstorm
+1 Nihil Spellbomb
+1 Jitte
+1 Illness in the Ranks
-4 Stifle
-2 Daze

2 - 0

R4 vs Aggro Loam

G1 otp. Can't remember the hand, but I daze, pierce and fow everything relevant, waste and stifle his lands and a delver and goyf close it quickly.

SBing
+1 Pithing Needle
+2 Surgical Extraction
+1 Vendilion Clique
+1 Trygon Predator
+1 Nihil Spellbomb
+1 Submerge
-4 Stifle
-3 Ponder

G2 otd. Similar affair to G1, I have all the counters for his threats, pierce lines up with chalice and liliana, decay for Knight, 2x Daze for Choke and Goyfs put it away quickly.

2 - 0

3-1 overall.

I'm still unsure on the TNN, but it's nice to have a trump card in the deck for creature matchups. Bob has been incredible, winning multiple games on his own. I'd like to find room for a third, not sure what the cut could be though.

[ironclad8690]

Tried playing in a daily yesterday but got the bye round 1, beat grixis control round 2, and then went 1-2 against rug delver that won the die roll. I will keep testing this version and let you guys know what comes of it.

Edit: Version I am playing for reference:


4 Delver of Secrets
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Tarmogoyf
2 True-Name Nemesis

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Force of Will
3 Daze
3 Spell Pierce
3 Stifle
2 Dig Through Time

3 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
1 Misty Rainforest
4 Wasteland

Sideboard:
2 Flusterstorm
2 Thoughtseize
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Golgari Charm
1 Pithing Needle
1 Null Rod
1 Dismember
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Illness in the Ranks
1 Sylvan Library
1 Grafdigger's Cage

[Whitefaces]

Very interested to know how the DTTs perform, cutting a Stifle seems reasonable, not so sure on the Daze though.

Have you tried Bobs? As I mentioned in my post above, they're been overperforming. Only downside is the lovely synergy with DTT. Bob is better in the tempo version with stifles, pierces etc. And DTT better in the hymn/liliana build in my opinion.

[ironclad8690]

Very interested to know how the DTTs perform, cutting a Stifle seems reasonable, not so sure on the Daze though.

Have you tried Bobs? As I mentioned in my post above, they're been overperforming. Only downside is the lovely synergy with DTT. Bob is better in the tempo version with stifles, pierces etc. And DTT better in the hymn/liliana build in my opinion.

I want to try him, as he was one of my favorites back when I played jund. I had to sell mine to be able to get the blue dual lands, but I think I will save and buy some again. We could always yolo it like in the bob/tombstalker days and play a singleton dig through time, but that's probably just bad.

[KobeBryan]

Very interested to know how the DTTs perform, cutting a Stifle seems reasonable, not so sure on the Daze though.

Have you tried Bobs? As I mentioned in my post above, they're been overperforming. Only downside is the lovely synergy with DTT. Bob is better in the tempo version with stifles, pierces etc. And DTT better in the hymn/liliana build in my opinion.

Bob is awesome. Especially if you are tempoing them with constant card advantage

I'm running baleful instead of delver. The card is killing all those annoying gurmags out there right now and my card advantage is spectacular.

I had people use a bolt on my baleful just so they can get him out of the way since I was killing them with the DRS.

Also, it ups my goyf so I can be at 5/6

[Secretly.A.Bee]

List?

From my phone. I do my best, dammit!

[KobeBryan]

4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Daze
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Stifle
2 Spell Pierce

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Dark Confidant
4 Baleful Strix

Lands
1 Bayou
3 Polluted Delta
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Wasteland
2 Verdant Catacombs
3 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island



SB: 2 Disfigure
SB: 2 Null Rod
SB: 3 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Krosan Grip
SB: 1 Garruk Relentless
SB: 1 Engineered Plague
SB: 2 Marsh Casualties
SB: 1 Volcanic Island
SB: 1 Red Elemental Blast
SB: 1 Pyroblast

[fluuu]

4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Daze
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Stifle
2 Spell Pierce

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Dark Confidant
4 Baleful Strix

Lands
1 Bayou
3 Polluted Delta
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Wasteland
2 Verdant Catacombs
3 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island



SB: 2 Disfigure
SB: 2 Null Rod
SB: 3 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Krosan Grip
SB: 1 Garruk Relentless
SB: 1 Engineered Plague
SB: 2 Marsh Casualties
SB: 1 Volcanic Island
SB: 1 Red Elemental Blast
SB: 1 Pyroblast

I like this list but -4 baleful strix+4 delver i like to have one tourn threat. How is garruk performing for u?

[KobeBryan]

I like this list but -4 baleful strix+4 delver i like to have one tourn threat. How is garruk performing for u?

The purpose was to find a way to stop Gurmag.

and delver is our worst creature in the deck.

Garruk seems like a win more from my testing. I only really use it against miracles and jund.

The bob, stifle, and the red blast from the board seems ot be enough against miracles. I'm not even sure i need the clique at this point.

[fluuu]

The purpose was to find a way to stop Gurmag.

and delver is our worst creature in the deck.

Garruk seems like a win more from my testing. I only really use it against miracles and jund.

The bob, stifle, and the red blast from the board seems ot be enough against miracles. I'm not even sure i need the clique at this point.

But u are in tempo mode...balefuls seems to be more control.

[KobeBryan]

But u are in tempo mode...balefuls seems to be more control.

Yes I said that 3 pages back. Its a test because of the gurmag problem

[ironclad8690]

So in another attempt to put my money where my mouth is with Stifle BUG, I entered a local weekly tournament. With 4 rounds, I thought "Excellent, what a great chance to show the power of this deck!".

So, of course, round 1 there is a new kid at the shop and I'm a little worried because new people in legacy, particularly the young ones, play burn. When he leads on Grove of the burnwillows into exploration I start tilting really hard because lands is an unfavorable matchup for any version of delver honestly. I lose game 1 to punishing fire and a pretty quick marit lage, I win game 2 thanks to Tarmogoyf, and game 3 he goes turn 1 Taiga Exploration, which I force. He goes Mox Diamond discarding windswept heath, exploration #2, Thespian's Stage. He has 1 card left in hand and I'm like "that can't be a dark depths", but just to be safe I spend my 2nd turn cantripping for wasteland, which I am unable to find. Next turn he just slams Dark Depths and Port, and that was all she wrote. Of course this kid just happens to love playing Lands.

0-1

Next up we have Merfolk. Normally, I am pretty sure this is an unfavorable matchup, but I get lucky game 1 and he keeps a mutavault 1 land Aether vial hand, I force the Vial and wasteland his mutavault. He plays pass while I drop creatures and finish him real quick. Game 2 he does typical merfolk things and crushes me with lords. Game 3, I keep Delver, Daze, Daze, Underground Sea, Thoughtseize, Brainstorm, Ponder, since I am on the play and figure "Why not". I play Delver, he goes turn 1 Oboro, Vial, which I daze. I reveal Daze to flip delver, play U sea and thoughtseize him seeing Master of the Pearl, Lord of Atlantis x2, TNN, Island, I take TNN. He goes island Silvergill revealing Master, I daze it. I draw wasteland, waste his oboro, and proceed to beat him while he weeps. I just keep beating face. He gets a land, goes for a lord, I use Daze #3. On my turn I ponder, find Daze #4 and some other cards, and Draw the daze. He tries for a lord of atlantis again, I use Daze #4 (lol) and he just starts laughing. I attack while he does nothing.

1-1

I get paired against Infect. I get demolished game 1 by Invigorate/Vines/Spell Pierce/Stifle, but games 2 and 3 Wasteland and Golgari Charm/Dismember/Abrupt Decay get there.

2-1

Last round: Bye (there were awkward drops).

3-1

I end up coming in 3rd for no prizes because the lands kid from round 1 lost the next several matches to storm and omnitell and the storm guy has better breakers because he lost to the Food Griffin guy who got 1st (undefeated). It was a good day, just had a run of bad luck in round 1, normally I think lands isn't that bad but what can you do against turn 3 Marit Lage. I will keep testing and let you guys know what I find.

[Whitefaces]

normally I think lands isn't that bad but what can you do against turn 3 Marit Lage.

Sometimes they just have draws you can't beat, happens. It's certainly an unfavourable matchup.

I'm convinced the Stifle version is in a solid spot too, will be running it tonight at my LGS although I've trimmed on one Stifle to add in a second TNN, there are a lot of fair decks where I play.

Unsure on the SB choices, but we'll see how it goes.


4 Delver
4 DRS
4 Goyf
2 Dark Confidant
2 TNN

4 Ponder

4 Brainstorm
4 Decay
4 Daze
3 Stifle
4 FoW
3 Spell Pierce

4 Delta
4 Misty
4 Wasteland
3 Trop
3 Sea

2 Dread of Night
1 Pithing Needle
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Flusterstorm
1 Null Road
1 Winter Orb
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Jitte
1 Illness in the Ranks
1 Submerge
1 Notion Thief
1 Sylvan Library

[H]

I don't think you'll really ever be able to cast Notion Thief in time for it to really matter.

I would definitely drop it for something. Probably a Golgari Charm, or a Life From the Loam (which would allow you to go harder on the mana denial plan).

[Whitefaces]

I don't think you'll really ever be able to cast Notion Thief in time for it to really matter.

I would definitely drop it for something. Probably a Golgari Charm, or a Life From the Loam (which would allow you to go harder on the mana denial plan).

You're probably right, but it's just a 'fun-of'. I wouldn't take this to a GP, but for a semi-casual Tuesday night I'm going to give him a spin.

Golgari Charm is pretty awkward with 2 TNN and 2 Bob, Loam is a good idea though. Lots of Aggro Loam where I play...didn't bring one with me unfortunately.

[wwoning]

I'm convinced the Stifle version is in a solid spot too

I still dont understand why we play BUG over RUG if Stifle is so well positioned. Are DRS and Decay worth more than the increased efficiency & access to Red Blasts RUG has to offer? I keep thinking about it, but cant figure it out... I know I should just be testing both, but I have a terrible lack of time to play nowadays.

[Whitefaces]

I still dont understand why we play BUG over RUG if Stifle is so well positioned. Are DRS and Decay worth more than the increased efficiency & access to Red Blasts RUG has to offer? I keep thinking about it, but cant figure it out... I know I should just be testing both, but I have a terrible lack of time to play nowadays.

CB and CotV are everywhere, so having access to Decay as your main removal spell is the biggest reason for me. RUG is a better tempo deck, but can get locked out by these two pesky permanents.

When I said Stifle, I'm meaning this particular build, not the actual card. Hymn and Liliana are just bad vs DTT and YP.

[ironclad8690]

Played in another DE today, this time I beat Miracles Round 1 2-0, lost to lands Round 2 1-2, then was awarded a bye. The lands game 3 was close, but I punted and Dazed something forgetting that I wouldn't be able to pay for Tabernacle on my Deathrite Shaman (lands were all exiled from yards at that point), but I almost got there. There were also 3 turns where I needed a delver to flip, and if it had the first two turns, I would have been able to attack for lethal, but it did not. Putting a Life from the Loam in my board because I have seen enough lands in RL and on modo that it looks like it will be necessary.

If it gets real bad I might just try out Tsabo's Web

[btm10]

When I said Stifle, I'm meaning this particular build, not the actual card. Hymn and Liliana are just bad vs DTT and YP.

I disagree with you on Hymn - Liliana isn't great against Pyromancer, but Hymn is fantastic at both recouping the card advantage lost to Dig and in minimizing the number of tokens that a Pyromancer or Mentor can make. It's also just an incredibly disruptive card in general. If I wanted to play Stifles, I'd play RUG because it's way better at exploiting the tempo gain. If I want to play BUG, it's for DRS and Hymn.