[Deck] Death and Taxes

[Barook]

Hope you guys all realize that your Miracles matchup just went to like 75%-25%.

People need to start doing research on powerful x/2s at the 1/2/3 spots.

Also I think the benefits of a splash are still there, but while Red was pretty clearly the most powerful splash until now as it was the only one with this effect, it might not be the best splash color now. When you splash you gain access to thousands of new tutor targets, so the question is what colors have the strongest x/2s.

Green has access to Noble Hierarch to power it out faster. KotR and Pridemage are the most important targets. Reclamation Sage is also nice to have in the board, as is Gaddock Teeg somewhere in the 75.

Blue has V. Clique, TNN (both very blue heavy), Meddling Mage, Geist of Saint Traft.

Black has Bob, Tidehollow Sculler and Orzhov Pontiff. Edit: It also grabs Shriekmaw or those 3/1 all players sac a creature Zombies for .

[MasterBlaster]

People need to start doing research on powerful x/2s at the 1/2/3 spots.

The on color cards that came to mind to run as a singleton maindeck are Aven Mindcensor, Ethersworn Canonist, Samurai of the Pale Curtain, True Believer, and maybe a Glowrider so we can functionally have 2 little Thalias in play at once.

A green splash would certainly give some good pieces.

[colo]

The new Recruiter is obviously completely bonkers. I can see this pushing D&T over the (or at least some kind of) top.

Red still gives Magus of the Moon, which can end games on the spot. However, Blue provides a number of tutrable 3CMC critters that do much of what D&T wants additional creatures to do...

These are damn interesting times.

[Barook]

It also fetches Spirit of the Labyrinth. Can't wait for the Vial @3 Recruiter fetching Spirit with a second Vial @2 in response to an opposing Brainstorm.

[Dice_Box]

Tee Hee. This is going to be fun.

Says you... I am a little bit fearful of what this will do now you can find that new Thalia more often.

[NeckBird]

Hope you guys all realize that your Miracles matchup just went to like 75%-25%.

People need to start doing research on powerful x/2s at the 1/2/3 spots.

Also I think the benefits of a splash are still there, but while Red was pretty clearly the most powerful splash until now as it was the only one with this effect, it might not be the best splash color now. When you splash you gain access to thousands of new tutor targets, so the question is what colors have the strongest x/2s.

Potential Cards:

Celestial Crusader (tutorable -X/-X protection, while being a flyer and essentially uncounterable)

Kor Skyfisher (absolutely insane, but unfortunately can't be tutored)

Whitemane Lion (Kor Skyfisher that can be tutored and no flying)

Blade Splicer (Just good value)

Hokori, Dust Drinker (What? Is Tutorable Winter Orb good in a mana denial deck?)

Stonecloaker (Exile a card, and bounce recruiter for value)

[colo]

Stonecloaker is a real possibility; it's a Flickerwisp on steroids for this card. It's one of those critters I always wished for being 2/2 while playing Imperial.

[iatee]

I've tried most of those in RW by now. The Kor Skyfisher effect is quite good, Hokori, Dust Drinker not so much.

I think Stonecloaker is absolutely a card you want a one-of in your 75 now, that's a good catch.

[RobNC]

The new Recruiter has already sold out of preorders on SCG. Article went up at 11:00; by 11:30 there were 23 left at $15, by 12:00 there were 12 left at $18, and now at 12:05 there are none

At least it's at normal rarity and not Mythic, hopefully it comes down a bit after launch.

[Dice_Box]

http://sales.starcitygames.com/cardd...roduct=1259875

31 on offer for 18.

[Finn]

For mana curve and playability purposes, we should try to have as many 2-drops as possible for our targets. This card is already going to clog up the high end. We have an awful lot of pruning to do. What to cut?

Well, taking my list from the OP as a starting point...


4 Wasteland
4 Rishadan Port
4 Karakas
2 Horizon Canopy
9 Plains

4 Mother of Runes
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Flickerwisp
4 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
2 Mangara of Corondor

4 Swords to Plowshares

4 Aether Vial
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull


Sideboard
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Fiend Hunter
2 Containment Priest
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Council's Judgment
2 Rest In Peace
2 Enlightened Tutor


...I am going to start off trimming:

-1 Mangara (it sure seems like 1 Mangara of Corondor is now the obvious number for this deck)
-1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
-1 Flickerwisp
-1 Phyrexian Revoker
+3 Recruiter of the Guard
+1 Banisher Priest

Yes, I am starting out conservatively. I like trimming Flickerwisp actually. It is a great topdeck and not nearly as strong earlier in the game. Naturally there are lots of silver bullets that deserve consideration, even just in white. We are going to have to figure out which ones are handy to tutor for - and not just to have in your opening grip. All the talk of this card making a splash more valuable is the reverse of true. This card makes a splash less necessary.

[Barook]

Stonecloaker is a real possibility; it's a Flickerwisp on steroids for this card. It's one of those critters I always wished for being 2/2 while playing Imperial.

Excellent catch - another flyer, doesn't die to -1/-1 effects, recycle-bounce AND GY hate in one nice package. Back to the roots!

The real problem with the new Recruiter is fitting in all the cool cards into a single deck, though.

@Finn: No tutorable Crusader?

[Dice_Box]

Are you sure that 4 Karakas is the right number? Sorry if it feels like I am barging in and asking a noob question since this is not my deck, but 4 lands than kill themselves seems like a conflict.

[RobNC]

Are you sure that 4 Karakas is the right number? Sorry if it feels like I am barging in and asking a noob question since this is not my deck, but 4 lands than kill themselves seems like a conflict.

He grabbed the list from the original post which has 4.

[iatee]

For mana curve and playability purposes, we should try to have as many 2-drops as possible for our targets. This card is already going to clog up the high end. We have an awful lot of pruning to do. What to cut?

Yes, I am starting out conservatively. I like trimming Flickerwisp actually. It is a great topdeck and not nearly as strong earlier in the game. Naturally there are lots of silver bullets that deserve consideration, even just in white. We are going to have to figure out which ones are handy to tutor for - and not just to have in your opening grip. All the talk of this card making a splash more valuable is the reverse of true. This card makes a splash less necessary.

Having played with 3/4 Recruiters for more than a year now, I can say I disagree on the 2 drop targets. The powerful situation is Vial at 3, Vial in the Recruiter, Vial in the target. If your silver bullet is a 2 drop that you have to cast, it risks getting countered, which is a huge tempo blowout. Caverns help mitigate this risk, so human targets are also better.

At least one Flickerwisp should be replaced with Stonecloaker I think. THC does not need to be a 4-of or Mangara a 2-of.

Here are things I think should be one-ofs in the main for potential lists:

Banisher Priest
Stonecloaker
Mangara
Wingmare
Mirran Crusader

That's roughly what my RW main-tutorboard looks like now, with a Skyfisher instead of a Stonecloaker and a Fiend Hunter instead of a Banisher Priest. Worth noting that the deck is going to get a little softer to Punishing Fire since you don't really want to play x/3s.

[Hencules]

I'll try:
4 mom

4 thalia gt
4 sfm
2 revoker
1 leonin relic-warder

3 flickerwisp
3 new guy
1 mirran crusader
1 banisher priest
1 mangara
2 thalia hc

4 plow
7 artifacts

2 cavern
10 plains
4 waste
4 port
3 karakas


As I'm looking at it right now, the curve sucks :(

[iatee]

That curve sucks for non-Vial games but is actually much stronger for Vial games. It roughly evens out.

[iatee]

Here's my first attempt at a mono-w list:

3 mom
4 thalia gt
4 sfm
2 revoker
1 spirit of the lab
1 stonecloaker
2 flickerwisp
4 recruiter
1 mirran crusader
1 banisher priest
1 mangara
1 thalia hc
1 wingmare

Could see squeezing 1 Magus of the Moon in this list off 3 Caverns and 0 Plateau. 4 Vial + 3 Cavern is 7 'red sources' (rarely use my Plateau anyway) and Magus solves a lot of problematic matchups (12-Post, Lands). It's a little greedy but the payoff is huge.

[Bahra]

welp there goes Imperial Taxes. Anyways, nice card! That is busted.

[Barook]

Here's my first attempt at a mono-w list:

3 mom
4 thalia gt
4 sfm
2 revoker
1 spirit of the lab
1 stonecloaker
2 flickerwisp
4 recruiter
1 mirran crusader
1 banisher priest
1 mangara
1 thalia hc
1 wingmare

Could see squeezing 1 Magus of the Moon in this list off 3 Caverns and 0 Plateau. 4 Vial + 3 Cavern is 7 'red sources' (rarely use my Plateau anyway) and Magus solves a lot of problematic matchups (12-Post, Lands). It's a little greedy but the payoff is huge.

List looks pretty good, although I'm not sure if you want to drop to only 2 Flickerwisp, even when they're tutorable. Maybe -1 SFM +1 Flickerwisp?

Edit: But then you're still missing out on THC.