Playing extra draw to force the search so I can Trap and they lose that card. I love it. I've played Visions for d1. Don't care. It's good vs Sanctity and Meddling Mage too because I can get whatever else to get around their gameplan.
The Extirpates are the answer to Burn. With Drowns and Push for their burn/creatures it has been a better matchup. I have 2 more counterspell in sb but it switches. Couldnt sided in
Loving the deck. I never feel like I'm behind. Amulet Titan and Valakut/Scape***** just rage quit. No one's thought to RIP or Leyline. Faced Leyline of Sanctity once but Orb got around that.
3s Inquisition of Kozilek but I never side them in. Going to consider something else. I dont like Legion's End either. I think its glitching on MTGO.
Did play another mill deck who played Shelldock Isle and Ulamog. Got me once but I held Surgicals afterward and side counters to hate their mill.
Podless 2-0
Scapeshift 2-0
Amulet Titan 1-0
Haakon Zombies 2-0
Mill 2-1
Merfolk 2-1
Burn 2-1
Ur Prowess 2-1 after Orb, tried burning face but no.
Burn 2-1
Amulet Tian 2-0
EnchantAtog 2-1 loved the idea but it was basic.
Elves 2-0
Podless 2-0
Junk 2-0
Wizards 2-0
Junk 1-2 modified deck after this match. Forgot sb
It has been a while. Looks like activity on this forum died around the same time I stopped posting.
Only took me a few minutes to catch up on 18 months of advances.
Since then, there have been some rather big changes.
Mill seems to be poised to be a real threat.
What I am particularly looking at, is the possibility of Scheming Symmetry to singlehandedly replace Field of Ruin as THE way to force opponents to search, Field of Ruin has been bleh because of the tap 2 and FoR cost, meaning it cannot be done before turn 3. Also, it strained our manabase somewhat. Drawing a basic and FoR into our opening hand really made us think hard about whether we wanted to keep or mull. Lastly was the fact that opponents may be running a monocolor deck, which left us a little strapped, shall we say? Scheming Symmetry now opens up a whole new world of opportunities of a forced search.
Scheming Symmetry solves all of those problems, for a single black mana. Really nice way to hit them for a T1 Trap that probably takes away a key card they were happy you gifted them. Pay attention to that first card they mill. Might be pretty revealing as to their game plan. Hitting that card with a Surgical just might win the game more often than you think. Have to be aware, though, that Symmetry is a non-bo with Mesmeric Orb, which still stands, in my opinion, as the finest Mill card in existence.
Ruin Crab, obviously makes a huge splash. Probably the single best Mill card to hit in years. I had dropped Hedron Crab because it just turned into T1 Island Crab, go. Opp: Swamp, Fatal Push, go.
Total waste of time. But now we have 2 crabs, which means the chances of getting one into opening hand are twice as high, as are the chances of 2 onto the field quickly. Odds of T2 tap island drop Crab2, fetch, mill 6, crack fetch, mill 6 more are acceptable.
Vantress Gargoyle intrigues me. I'd stopped using Jace's Phantasm for the same reason I stopped using Hedron Crab, but with 8 of them, I might look into running them both. T1 Scheming Symmetry/Archive Trap into T2 Vantress Gargoyle seems an interesting opening that forces them to respect your 2 pronged attack. If nothing else, you can play a game of Ensnaring Bridge in game 1, and then for game 2 bring in Crabs and fliers after they board out their removal.
Good times. Lots of new options.
Another point of interest, is the emergence of the new flip lands. Clearwater Pathway/Murkwater Pathway really cleans up our mana fixing. No, it is not fetchable, but it does not, IMO, need to be. It stands alone as it's own fetched land. I feel very comfortable with 4 CP/MP, 4 Polluted Delta's, 1 Urborg and 11/12 basic Swamps/Islands. Suddenly, with the possible removal of Field of Ruin, I can explore Academy Ruins as a way to bring back Mesmeric Orb or Ensnaring Bridge, though really, I'd prefer to find a way to get Welding Jar into the deck so as not to lose continuity. I can also find room for an Oboro, Palace in the Clouds if I have a Cast of Crabs.
I do need to take some time to absorb how the format changes with my ability to force a search on T1 as opposed to T3, and how this changes the approach of the deck. I think my particular brand of Mill, which attacks their manabase to set up a very large Mind Funeral, becomes more consistent.
Does anyone else have cards from the last 18 months they really like? Is Persistent Petitioner a thing yet?
Play some Legion's End (s) and Unmoored Ego (s) with ways to screw with their land like Boomerang and Spreading Seas.
4 Snapcaster Mage or mission briefing.
Surgical Mill.
Side converts to more of a standard mill deck.
Imma get to work.
Any thoughts? On Extraction? Mission Briefing? The land idea?
I'd probably play a few more draw spells. Definitely play more extraction.
3 Fatal Push
3 Drown in the Loch
Drown is so good. Played Podless twice and drew 2 a game and the counter was huge.
4 Visions of Beyond
3 Opt
4 Scheming Symmetry
Playing extra draw to force the search so I can Trap and they lose that card. I love it. I've played Visions for d1. Don't care. It's good vs Sanctity and Meddling Mage too because I can get whatever else to get around their gameplan.
3 Surgical Extraction
3s Extirpate
The Extirpates are the answer to Burn. With Drowns and Push for their burn/creatures it has been a better matchup. I have 2 more counterspell in sb but it switches. Couldnt sided in
3 Mission Briefing
Loving the deck. I never feel like I'm behind. Amulet Titan and Valakut/Scape***** just rage quit. No one's thought to RIP or Leyline. Faced Leyline of Sanctity once but Orb got around that.
3s Inquisition of Kozilek but I never side them in. Going to consider something else. I dont like Legion's End either. I think its glitching on MTGO.
Did play another mill deck who played Shelldock Isle and Ulamog. Got me once but I held Surgicals afterward and side counters to hate their mill.
Podless 2-0
Scapeshift 2-0
Amulet Titan 1-0
Haakon Zombies 2-0
Mill 2-1
Merfolk 2-1
Burn 2-1
Ur Prowess 2-1 after Orb, tried burning face but no.
Burn 2-1
Amulet Tian 2-0
EnchantAtog 2-1 loved the idea but it was basic.
Elves 2-0
Podless 2-0
Junk 2-0
Wizards 2-0
Junk 1-2 modified deck after this match. Forgot sb
Going to try an event this weekend.
E Tron is kind of a nightmare too.
I actually won a 8-pod last nite with it, the deck is a lot more consistent now
Post the list
Only took me a few minutes to catch up on 18 months of advances.
Since then, there have been some rather big changes.
Mill seems to be poised to be a real threat.
What I am particularly looking at, is the possibility of Scheming Symmetry to singlehandedly replace Field of Ruin as THE way to force opponents to search, Field of Ruin has been bleh because of the tap 2 and FoR cost, meaning it cannot be done before turn 3. Also, it strained our manabase somewhat. Drawing a basic and FoR into our opening hand really made us think hard about whether we wanted to keep or mull. Lastly was the fact that opponents may be running a monocolor deck, which left us a little strapped, shall we say? Scheming Symmetry now opens up a whole new world of opportunities of a forced search.
Scheming Symmetry solves all of those problems, for a single black mana. Really nice way to hit them for a T1 Trap that probably takes away a key card they were happy you gifted them. Pay attention to that first card they mill. Might be pretty revealing as to their game plan. Hitting that card with a Surgical just might win the game more often than you think. Have to be aware, though, that Symmetry is a non-bo with Mesmeric Orb, which still stands, in my opinion, as the finest Mill card in existence.
Ruin Crab, obviously makes a huge splash. Probably the single best Mill card to hit in years. I had dropped Hedron Crab because it just turned into T1 Island Crab, go. Opp: Swamp, Fatal Push, go.
Total waste of time. But now we have 2 crabs, which means the chances of getting one into opening hand are twice as high, as are the chances of 2 onto the field quickly. Odds of T2 tap island drop Crab2, fetch, mill 6, crack fetch, mill 6 more are acceptable.
Vantress Gargoyle intrigues me. I'd stopped using Jace's Phantasm for the same reason I stopped using Hedron Crab, but with 8 of them, I might look into running them both. T1 Scheming Symmetry/Archive Trap into T2 Vantress Gargoyle seems an interesting opening that forces them to respect your 2 pronged attack. If nothing else, you can play a game of Ensnaring Bridge in game 1, and then for game 2 bring in Crabs and fliers after they board out their removal.
Good times. Lots of new options.
Another point of interest, is the emergence of the new flip lands. Clearwater Pathway/Murkwater Pathway really cleans up our mana fixing. No, it is not fetchable, but it does not, IMO, need to be. It stands alone as it's own fetched land. I feel very comfortable with 4 CP/MP, 4 Polluted Delta's, 1 Urborg and 11/12 basic Swamps/Islands. Suddenly, with the possible removal of Field of Ruin, I can explore Academy Ruins as a way to bring back Mesmeric Orb or Ensnaring Bridge, though really, I'd prefer to find a way to get Welding Jar into the deck so as not to lose continuity. I can also find room for an Oboro, Palace in the Clouds if I have a Cast of Crabs.
I do need to take some time to absorb how the format changes with my ability to force a search on T1 as opposed to T3, and how this changes the approach of the deck. I think my particular brand of Mill, which attacks their manabase to set up a very large Mind Funeral, becomes more consistent.
Does anyone else have cards from the last 18 months they really like? Is Persistent Petitioner a thing yet?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWpRV_TcYBk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTbrl76nr4A