I tested my decklist yesterday "playing casual" in MWS because the guys of Serious games just quit when a deck is not "Tier 1", let explain what I found
The deck needs more card draw Howling Mine alone is not enough, I will try to add Ancestral Vision for it
The only one creature worth in a open meta is Hedron Crab, Drowner Initiate is Slow and Thief is better suited to be in the SB against slower or control decks
There is not a reason to not use the blue hideway land (I forget it's name) it could make the deck more faster
There are more ways to make this deck faster???
Orb maybe is the solution, like other people said you will deck them and you dont really care about your own library
The only problem that I saw are decks likes Zoo or Burn, and decks like Scapeshift are a cakewalk :P, but more testing is needed
the blue hideaway land you are thinking of is Shelldock Isle
Although it is 5 mana I would suggest Haunting Echoes as a two of main deck.
I also do like the idea of Extirpate main in some form, seeing as how milling a critical engine piece against combo, via crab on turn two, glimpse, archive trap whatever earlier, combined with a pre-turn 3ish Extirpate can mean scoop for them.
I was testing this to try and make it viable as well, routinely against combo I went turn 1crab into turn 2 fetch, mill 6, extirpate a relavent card (against combo it's a no brainer, but cryptic command, jitte, goyf, kotr, all are good targets early)
Best play so far was on the draw, zoo went turn 1 fetch, and I had 3 archive traps, mill 39, I then turn 1 Extirpate Punishing Fire, he does something turn 2, I drop land and pass, he fetches again, I play trapmaker's snare, archive trap, win
That is insanely uncommon, but possible. Thanks zoo for being so predictable.
I good sideboard against anything with graveyard recursion is Leyline of the Void (read the oracle on it...if a card would be put into opponent's GY from anywhere). It would mess Dredge up seriously.
the blue hideaway land you are thinking of is Shelldock Isle
Although it is 5 mana I would suggest Haunting Echoes as a two of main deck.
I also do like the idea of Extirpate main in some form, seeing as how milling a critical engine piece against combo, via crab on turn two, glimpse, archive trap whatever earlier, combined with a pre-turn 3ish Extirpate can mean scoop for them.
I was testing this to try and make it viable as well, routinely against combo I went turn 1crab into turn 2 fetch, mill 6, extirpate a relavent card (against combo it's a no brainer, but cryptic command, jitte, goyf, kotr, all are good targets early)
Shell sounds Okay... but it comes into play tapped... which isn't too great for a deck that wants to play a ton of spells in a turn =/
My best play so far was easily getting 3 Crabs on turn 2
The deck needs more card draw Howling Mine alone is not enough, I will try to add Ancestral Vision for it
The only one creature worth in a open meta is Hedron Crab, Drowner Initiate is Slow and Thief is better suited to be in the SB against slower or control decks
There is not a reason to not use the blue hideway land (I forget it's name) it could make the deck more faster
There are more ways to make this deck faster???
Orb maybe is the solution, like other people said you will deck them and you dont really care about your own library
I probably will side Thief and drop the other dude, not testing too well... and main Exasperate... and I was thinking Ancestral Visions...
I good sideboard against anything with graveyard recursion is Leyline of the Void (read the oracle on it...if a card would be put into opponent's GY from anywhere). It would mess Dredge up seriously.
I know that creatures aren't really big in a deck like this, but I was thinking that Maralen of the Mornsong would help out in this deck. Not only does it guarantee you'll draw into all of your Archive Traps, it forces your opponent to search their deck, giving you the opportunity to play the Archive Trap for free in case they stop searching on their own. To get rid of Maralen and thus let your opponent deck out, you could just run multiple copies, or some bounce or kill spells. Your opponent will probably want to kill it off anyway just so that they don't keep falling into your Archive Traps.
Jester's Scepter is definitely something worth including. I had made a deck when it was Standard Legal that played the Scepter and Hurkyl's Recall to great effect. I might also play Muddle the Mixture to transmute for Glimpse the Unthinkable, to get those last few cards you need, and it's a good counter, in a pinch.
Jester's Scepter is definitely something worth including. I had made a deck when it was Standard Legal that played the Scepter and Hurkyl's Recall to great effect. I might also play Muddle the Mixture to transmute for Glimpse the Unthinkable, to get those last few cards you need, and it's a good counter, in a pinch.
Memory Sluice stands out as a possible weaker card. You don't run enough creatures to conspire it on a regular basis, so it's probably just worse than Tome Scour.
I would also consider adding some Jace Belerens. People who play against Sanity Grinding will often attack into him rather than into you out of fear, which is incredibly helpful because you don't need his ultimate ability to win, and saving yourself that extra damage can be very helpful.
If you find yourself needing to play more defense, Plumeveil is still pretty good at that.
Memory Sluice stands out as a possible weaker card. You don't run enough creatures to conspire it on a regular basis, so it's probably just worse than Tome Scour.
I would also consider adding some Jace Belerens. People who play against Sanity Grinding will often attack into him rather than into you out of fear, which is incredibly helpful because you don't need his ultimate ability to win, and saving yourself that extra damage can be very helpful.
If you find yourself needing to play more defense, Plumeveil is still pretty good at that.
Yeah, I'll add in Catacombs. I don't run Watery Grave because:
A) I need speed so I don't want it to be tapped
B) I need all the life I can get
Memory is good. It can be played either early, or to just get the most of my mana for the turn.
Jace Beleren slowed me down. Whenever I cast him he would be stuck in my hand because he would be played after cards like Mind Funeral and Glimpse the Unthinkable. He got replaced by Ponder, because:
A) It can be played much earlier
B) It's a GREAT turn 1 play
C) It's like Sluice, it is great to make the most of extra bits of mana
D) It can still allow a few larger cards to be played
And I only really need defense in the Red match, so I was considering him sided.
I tested my decklist yesterday "playing casual" in MWS because the guys of Serious games just quit when a deck is not "Tier 1", let explain what I found
The deck needs more card draw Howling Mine alone is not enough, I will try to add Ancestral Vision for it
The only one creature worth in a open meta is Hedron Crab, Drowner Initiate is Slow and Thief is better suited to be in the SB against slower or control decks
There is not a reason to not use the blue hideway land (I forget it's name) it could make the deck more faster
There are more ways to make this deck faster???
Orb maybe is the solution, like other people said you will deck them and you dont really care about your own library
The only problem that I saw are decks likes Zoo or Burn, and decks like Scapeshift are a cakewalk :P, but more testing is needed
Any suggestions?
Although it is 5 mana I would suggest Haunting Echoes as a two of main deck.
I also do like the idea of Extirpate main in some form, seeing as how milling a critical engine piece against combo, via crab on turn two, glimpse, archive trap whatever earlier, combined with a pre-turn 3ish Extirpate can mean scoop for them.
I was testing this to try and make it viable as well, routinely against combo I went turn 1crab into turn 2 fetch, mill 6, extirpate a relavent card (against combo it's a no brainer, but cryptic command, jitte, goyf, kotr, all are good targets early)
Best play so far was on the draw, zoo went turn 1 fetch, and I had 3 archive traps, mill 39, I then turn 1 Extirpate Punishing Fire, he does something turn 2, I drop land and pass, he fetches again, I play trapmaker's snare, archive trap, win
That is insanely uncommon, but possible. Thanks zoo for being so predictable.
Haunting Echoes is also a good card, especially after a huge Mind Funeral or Traumatize.
Sanity Grinding is not good in a dual color deck...mono blue only.
Shell sounds Okay... but it comes into play tapped... which isn't too great for a deck that wants to play a ton of spells in a turn =/
My best play so far was easily getting 3 Crabs on turn 2
I probably will side Thief and drop the other dude, not testing too well... and main Exasperate... and I was thinking Ancestral Visions...
Leyline is in the SB already...
I have been done some testing with Orb and Extirpate, and this is what I find
Orb is absolutly amazing :), period, I don't give a **** if it mills me, it will mill your opponent faster
Extirpate is pretty meh and doesnt helps too much on decking, I would like some defensive card in the deck
Ancestral Vision is very good in the deck, and you could deck someone with it
Shelldock Isle is good I tried 2 in the deck they work, but maybe 4 is the answer
Regarding Jester's Scepter is more like a utilitary Tome Scour, I will try to test it
I like the idea of using broken ambitions to counter something and mill to, I will try to test it too
What are the best "defensive cards" against agro?
Regards
Muddle sounds... good
What could I drop for it?
So... what can I drop for Orb and Visions? Sorry... not getting much testing in... as I'm testing my brother's G/R Elves for him
Maybe drop mained Snare for x2 Extirpate? I may even replace it with Ponder lol
Ensnaring Bridge in the SB?
Memory Sluice stands out as a possible weaker card. You don't run enough creatures to conspire it on a regular basis, so it's probably just worse than Tome Scour.
I would also consider adding some Jace Belerens. People who play against Sanity Grinding will often attack into him rather than into you out of fear, which is incredibly helpful because you don't need his ultimate ability to win, and saving yourself that extra damage can be very helpful.
If you find yourself needing to play more defense, Plumeveil is still pretty good at that.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
Yeah, I'll add in Catacombs. I don't run Watery Grave because:
A) I need speed so I don't want it to be tapped
B) I need all the life I can get
Memory is good. It can be played either early, or to just get the most of my mana for the turn.
Jace Beleren slowed me down. Whenever I cast him he would be stuck in my hand because he would be played after cards like Mind Funeral and Glimpse the Unthinkable. He got replaced by Ponder, because:
A) It can be played much earlier
B) It's a GREAT turn 1 play
C) It's like Sluice, it is great to make the most of extra bits of mana
D) It can still allow a few larger cards to be played
And I only really need defense in the Red match, so I was considering him sided.