TITI Twister - Breaking "Thing In The Ice"

[klaus]

So folks seem hyped about this fella:



Over here: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...-Horror-Tribal Mr. guillemnicolau started a Tribal approach.
While I appreciate his effort going "let's squeeze him into that very archetype", I believe it's too early to limit us to a certain shell at this point in time - which is where this thread comes in, so how about a collective..
?

Let's discuss pros and cons of certain color combinations, mandatory spells, no-gos, etc. etc..
Feel free to also just unload lists with odd card choices, but make sure to justify them.

Here's my current approach:

4 TITI (core)
4 SCM (core)
4 Delver (draws removal like a pro, applies early pressure + is easily replayed when TITI-bounced)
3 YP (draws removal like a pro, neatly fits the shell, secondary wincon, TITI VS. tokens dyssynergy is outweighed by YP's power level)

4 FoW (core)
2 Daze (more free spells to boost TITI)
2 Pierce (not sure about this guy - could be Snare too)

4 BS (core)
3 Ponder (could be 4, but I'd actually rather squeeze in more burn)
4 Gitaxian Probe (core)


4 Bolt (core, when splashing red)
2 Lava Dart (TITI loves flashback spells)

4 Scalding Tarn
3 Flooded Strand
2 Arid Mesa
4 Volc
2 Island
1 Mountain
2 Wasteland
(-18-)

SB (under construction)
3 Flusterstorm
2 Pyroblast
3 Smash to Smithereens
3 Vapor Snag
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Bloodmoon
2 non-creature wincons --------------- (Jace / XYZ / suggestions?)
---
Edit: Phyrexian Revoker & Spellskite happen to be Horrors - haha. While Spellskite's powerlevel is kinda meh, PR could actually be a SB or even MD choice.
Edit 2: How about a UB TITI+Hexmage+Marit Lage approach ^_^
Edit 3: High5s for everyone (being old enough to) getting the deck name's reference.
---

DISCUSS

[Echelon]

Why bother with this topic if the discussion could just continue on the original topic..? It can always be renamed to something more profane once the ice is broken.

If that topic hits an iceberg, we can always create another.

[klaus]

Why bother with this topic if the discussion could just continue on the original topic..? It can always be renamed to something more profane once the ice is broken.

There was no intention to hijack that thread and I'm open to a merge, but as it stands, the Tribal topic discourages open discussion that goes beyond the title's shell.
Since TITI is applicable to various archetypes (I'm looking at you Miracles, Delver.dec, Marit Lage.dec, etc.) the discussion will be happening in those threads. But as I mentioned, that'd be too early at this point.

Edit: In my opinion TITI's impact can be so tremendous that a "Format & Article Discussion" thread might be in place actually.

[Echelon]

There was no intention to hijack that thread and I'm open to a merge, but as it stands, the Tribal topic discourages open discussion that goes beyond the title's shell.
Since TITI is applicable to various archetypes (I'm looking at you Miracles, Delver.dec, Marit Lage.dec, etc.) the discussion will be happen in those threads. But as I mentioned, that'd be too early at this point.

Edit: In my opinion TITI's impact can be so tremendous that a "Format & Article Discussion" thread might be in place actually.

So more profanity in the title it is. Time to... Let it go... and see how we can best release that Kraken! Let's build a snowman!

[klaus]

TITI Twister* 2.0

[*referencing our beloved spinning SDT].

4 BS
4 Ponder
3 Gitaxian Probe

4 FoW
2 Pierce
2 Snare

4 TITI (his 0/4 body is golden here, as it holds off critters until the CB lock is in place)
3 SCM
3 Mentor

4 Top
4 CB (neatly protecting TITI from removal)

4 STP
1 Disenchant
(-42-)
-
(-18 Land-)

---
I do see popular Chalice of the Void being an issue here that needs to be adressed by the MD - who knows, maybe 2 Disenchant effects are in order for the current meta..

[Spam]

What about going the grixis route? DRS and Cabal therapy would love to join the party.
DRS would power out the card with a free mana (for a spell pierce). Therapy is insane with YP and really cheap as a flash back cost.

Inviato dal mio LG-D605 utilizzando Tapatalk

[Poron]

Decks of next meta are blue heavy so being red id a must.

Imho the best choices are CounterTop Jeskai and BURG Control (G just for 2+1 Decay)

I'd go Jeskai Control with 4 Counterbalance and some flashy/bouncy creature like Venser (but also less powerful and mana efficient ones).

Think at an EOT Brainstorm into Evacuation, flip, Ethersworn Canonist with Counterspell and FoW in hand.

how do you lose from there?

Also the Grixis variant with Discards after Evacuation id he has no cards in hand Hymn to Tourach works like a Wrath of God (trigger, Evacuation and discard all in one card for BB)

the application of TITI are embarassing many.

I buy my playset before it goes to 100$

[klaus]

Also the Grixis variant with Discards after Evacuation id he has no cards in hand Hymn to Tourach works like a Wrath of God (trigger, Evacuation and discard all in one card for BB)

Damn why haven't I considered this aspect before?
Also Cabal Therapy (which already has a sweet synergie due to its two-in-one-spell bonus) works like a charm, when you know what creatures to name..

The biggest flaw of discard always was its bad mid-/late-game impact. Now "Evacuate on a stick" kills that downside!

[ozimek]

Not necessarily convinced TITI is worth the effort, but you might wan't to consider Myth Realized. Thrives on velocity like TITI, and is Immune to TITI bounce. Also fits better in the curve than Young Pyromancer.

[Ricardio]

I think going with balanced TITI is not where you wanna because you have to set your cmcs in such a way.

I think first we need a training bra to hold our TITIs in place and then build off that foundation. DRS seems like an auto include to get those TITIs defrosted.

[Poron]

in modern meta 3cc on top is not so inportant anymore.

all the decks you want to have Balance, you want to have 0/1/2 on top (Storm, Grixis, RUG, BUG, Izzet).

Show and Tell is not so common unless against Cloudpost and Reanimator (for whose matchups you don't prepare or you prepare differently)

[klaus]

Not necessarily convinced TITI is worth the effort, but you might wan't to consider Myth Realized. Thrives on velocity like TITI, and is Immune to TITI bounce. Also fits better in the curve than Young Pyromancer.

tbh. I have never tested MR, but I do like the synergy you point out. What is more: once TITI clears the way, MR can go for the one-punch KO without having to clear pesky chumpers - clearly MR's common bane.

[Poron]

Myth Realized is a bad card you go there with

Price of Progress against Eldrazi.
Sulfur Elemental against Miracle
PoP, Blasts, Bolts against the rest of the format.

you close with TITI.

I will play a UR with little splash for G or W for enchantment removals or B for more hand control. At that point you just can't let a CB resolve so.. if I go Grixis I play 4 Stifle and 4 Wasteland with 4 DRS

[Ricardio]

Myth Realized is a bad card you go there with

Price of Progress against Eldrazi.
Sulfur Elemental against Miracle
PoP, Blasts, Bolts against the rest of the format.

you close with TITI.

I will play a UR with little splash for G or W for enchantment removals or B for more hand control. At that point you just can't let a CB resolve so.. if I go Grixis I play 4 Stifle and 4 Wasteland with 4 DRS

So basically shove it in delver? WOAH, #innovative

[Poron]

So basically shove it in delver? WOAH, #innovative

no Delver

Sultai or Grixis Control.

I would play Delver only as a bait for hate in Izzet version

[Cire]

List for fun (from the other thread):

Building off Quiet Speculation: We could include the following combo with Spellweaver Helix + QS into 2 Cabal therapy/Lava dart + Army of the Damned. YP also works well with Cabal Therapy - and YP into turn 3 - QS for 3 cabal therapy seems brutal

4 TITI
4 YP

4 BS
4 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 FoW
4 Spellweaver Helix
4 Quiet Speculation
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Lava Dart
2 Army of the Damned

18 Lands.

-----

List with actual thought behind it.

I like the idea of this card in a Blade Control deck - as a replacement for removal spells since it functions as creature control.

Here is a rough list of TITI JITI

2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 TITI

4 Ponder
4 Thoughtseize
4 Brainstorm
2 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Gitaxian Probe

1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

1 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Flooded Strand
2 Island
1 Karakas
3 Marsh Flats
2 Plains
3 Polluted Delta
1 Scrubland
1 Swamp
1 Tundra
2 Underground Sea

[Captain Hammer]

Let's discuss pros and cons of certain color combinations, mandatory spells, no-gos, etc. etc..
DISCUSS

I would update your OP to include more possible splash options. You pretty much only talk about red in the OP. However, red isn't neccesarily the strongest option for a splash, and you could splash virtually any color you want and it wouldn't be incorrect imo. Every color has something to offer. Mandatory spells for each color you could opt to splash are imo...

Black
Dark Confidant or Tasigur/Gurmag Angler/Tombstalker
Baleful Strix
Inquisition of Kozilek
Thoughtseize
Cabal Therapy
Hymn to Tourach
Reanimate
Liliana
Possibly Dismember
Possibly Dark Depths + Thespians Stage\Vesuva + Vampire Hexmage

Green
Tarmogoyf
Scavenging Ooze or Courser of Kruphix
Living Wish + Crop Rotation + Standstill + Dark Depths + Thespians Stage\Vesuva + Intuition + Crucible of Worlds + Mishras Factory + Wasteland + either Chalice of the Void or Expedition Map

Black+Green
Deathrite Shaman
Abrupt Decay
Maelstrom Pulse

White
StP
Stoneforge Mystic

White+Black
Lingering Souls

Red
Lightning Bolt etc
Young Pyromancer
Possibly Grim Lavamancer
Possibly REB/Pyroblast
SB: Blood Moon

Monoblue (Yes I think going monoblue tempo might actually be feasible now thanks to this card).
Delver of Secrets
Snapcaster Mage
Standstill + Dark Depths + Thespians Stage\Vesuva + Intuition + Crucible of Worlds + Mishras Factory + Wasteland
Stifle + Daze + Wasteland + either Chalice of the Void or Expedition Map
Spell Pierce
Gitaxian Probe
Counterspell
Jace
Possibly Intuition/Thirst/FoF/Deep Analysis
Possibly Spell Snare
Possibly Phyrexian Revoker
Possibly Phyrexian Dreadnought + Trickbind + Standstill
Brainstorm
Ponder
FoW
Misdirection
SB: Back to Basics

Feel free to edit the above list into the OP.

Flipping this thing on their EOT with an Intuition, then grabbing 1 Lingering Souls & 2 Cabal Therapy, then going to your turn and getting the two cards that were bounced out of their hand (at least) seems pretty awesome.

That sounds like a beautiful play :)

[Mystical_Jackass]

I'm a little bit unsure if this card really belongs in tempo... for comparison, juxtapose it with Mongoose or Delver which have evasion and are gonna' be "flipped" several turns before it, I think this is a very crucial thing.

A closer comparison to me would be something more like a Psychatog deck, buth work in a similar fashion where you're feeding it with instants/sorceries early on then you just off on them, the benefit of TITI of being less screwed by gy removal. However, I really think maybe exploring a more midrange approach with like Intuition and Deep Analysis and Counterspell isn't a bad idea. Also, I liked the idea someone said about Hymn to Tourach and Cabal Therapy, after you unheaval the board when you flip, that seems like possibly the strongest aspect of making a deck like this. But again, I see TITI more like a Tombstalker or Psychatog, heck maybe even add Tombstalker since it can feed off the instants/sorceries as well for free.

[Poron]

it doesn't rely on graveyard, has better S/T and better evasion then Tarmogoyf and Tombastalker.

it's just slower. You have to rely on something else for the first turns.

Delver/DRS/Burns/Goblin Guide/whatever

that's a win condition that only requires you to play Magic in order to reward you.

[maharis]

I'm a little bit unsure if this card really belongs in tempo... for comparison, juxtapose it with Mongoose or Delver which have evasion and are gonna' be "flipped" several turns before it, I think this is a very crucial thing.

A closer comparison to me would be something more like a Psychatog deck, buth work in a similar fashion where you're feeding it with instants/sorceries early on then you just off on them, the benefit of TITI of being less screwed by gy removal. However, I really think maybe exploring a more midrange approach with like Intuition and Deep Analysis and Counterspell isn't a bad idea. Also, I liked the idea someone said about Hymn to Tourach and Cabal Therapy, after you unheaval the board when you flip, that seems like possibly the strongest aspect of making a deck like this. But again, I see TITI more like a Tombstalker or Psychatog, heck maybe even add Tombstalker since it can feed off the instants/sorceries as well for free.

Flipping this thing on their EOT with an Intuition, then grabbing 1 Lingering Souls & 2 Cabal Therapy, then going to your turn and getting the two cards that were bounced out of their hand (at least) seems pretty awesome.