If you top 8 with 3 restoration angels, I will play every single version of the deck you play (and I won't play spellskite) for a year. (I don't mean this as an insult, more of a friendly wager)
I think I want to rethink the deck from the ground up. I was stirred today by discussion in my local legacy group about what an unlimited ancestral recall means for legacy (not unlimited edition, but 4x treasure cruise). I think it might a good thing to consider x amount of maindeck REB. Seems desperate, but I think it deals with problems that this deck has (TNN, omni-tell pre-board), and it gives us access to more efficient removal post-board to deal with the elves matchup. I'm not saying it's the end-all be-all of perfect, I just think it's something we can legitimately consider. I don't want to run blood moon, but perhaps choke and REB in the side? Just thoughts. This was partially stirred by the version of the deck that ran maindecked council's judgement. Anyhow, I'm going to be working on a list tonight, and hopefully play a few games with it, in order to give you guys some thoughts on my idea.
btw, I don't mean using the same 75 and changing a few cards, I mean looking at what is strong hate against the current metagame, and using that our advantage.
For some reason every time I feel happy where we are in the metagame wizards has to print something broken beyond belief. Ugh. I also can't believe DRS decks are getting away with playing 4x treasure cruises, this is actually just inexcusable. [insert balance rant about broken blue '8' drop and broken technically-blue plainswalker that is a 1-drop]
@monovfox: I don't see the appeal of Birthing Pod. It's slow, costs us tons of life to use effectively (even with the green splash, remember that non-white activation costs are bad), it's not a creature to vial in and it clashes with Teeg.
I'm pretty sure you're quite aware of my position on that card.
Honestly, if we're looking at green, I want to throw Birthing Pod into dicussion. BACK TO ESSAY WRITING!
Also, thank you for taking the canonist point seriously. I know it's a rather weird idea, but I think it has merit beyond gaddock teeg. Perhaps a 1/1 split of canonist and eidolon of rhetoric?
also, here's my current list
two restoration angel in the side for vs miracles and Shardless BUG
It's played at around the same time in terms of tempo between formats (vintage has faster jaces, but also has faster restoration angels), and the card is an absolute blowout against control decks that are willing to tap out for jace (it's also good against supreme verdict because you don't lose as much tempo0. Not maindeckable, but you can side it in for slower matchups to give you a bit of an edge.
Slash panther is bad in legacy because it is Slash panther in a format with a lot more creatures. Restoration angel is a better creature than slash panther in nearly every single deck (except vintage shops) that plays creatures and wants to kill jace/blow out people with creature awesomeness.
Also, flying + flash is better than pure haste. I'm not saying its only use is a jace killer, but it's a damn good use.
If we really want to crap on certain decks post-board: main deck your canonists, and sideboard 1-2x restoration angel. Restoration angel has been played in response to vintage jace decks for a while (IN VINTAGE! WHERE BLACK LOTUS EXISTS), and they sure as hell aren't gonna counterbalance out of a 4 drop!
This splashing green thing seems stupid. We're completely overreacting to a pseudo ancestral recall that is cast, at the earliest, turn 3. Ethersworn Canonist neuters ancestral recall decks, and it neuters elevs pre-board. It's all we need. We should be focusing on beating the decks that don't give a crap about treasure cruise. Treasure cruise is also never going to cost 1 mana against us with Thalia. 3 cards one mana is amazing. 3 Cards for two mana and half of a tarmogoyf is not.
Stops someone from casting multiple spells after they cast ancestral recall. I don't carry that it doesn't stop cascade off of Shardless badcard, what I care is that I don't get the following:
Just bring in removal in the miror, and then bring in cataclysms against miracles (Also, the card is by no means dead against miracles if they are relying on snapcaster for tempo plays. It's also better than thalia in the mirror (if you have vial). It was an idea I had when Shardless bug was popular (and it was a total house against that deck!). the idea behind it is that what makes Ancestral Recall, Brainstorm, Ponder, Ancestral Visions isn't that your opponent sees 3 more cards, it's that he gets to see 3 more cards and cast them immediately. Most brainstorm plays are reactive against us (compared to proactive vs combo decks), and the same idea stands with Treasure Cruise. This also shuts off Monastary Swiftspear. Also, with 6 mom effects (4 mom, 2 spellskite) and equipment, our opponents are going to have trouble playing the midrange game if we don't let them. Also, it completely shuts off elves.
Also, I mean 'proactive' in the sense of how they use their brainstorms. Against combo they use their brainstorms proactively in order to find counterspells. Against us they use them in a reactive manner (finding a bolt to make sure we don't look them out, perhaps force of will)
PS. Barbed, I can't find any monthly in Tacoma for legacy, please tell me I am wrong, and that monthly legacy (not weekly, I dislike weekly, turnout too small) on a weekend exists.
@monovfox
Maindeck Ethersworn Canonist is tempting. If I thought it was better than Mangara of Corondor, I would do it. It sure would change the Sneak and Show, Elves, Miracles, and Infect matches Game 1 in combination with SotL and Thalia. I'm just not sure I want it over Mangara. Lots of decks we fight do seem to want to cast more than one spell a turn right now. Maybe Canonist is about to be a maindeck card...
Where is it bad except Affinity, MUD, and Painter Grindstone?
The mirror it's kinda bad (I fix this by bringing in lots of removal). I am not saying we pull mangara, not one bit. I just wanted to have 2 maindecked canonist because shuts a ton of stuff. It's a toss-up between Crusader and Mangara, and I think crusader might win in this current meta (faster clock against miracles, and blocks everything) EDIT:
WTF DOUBLE POST
Just bring in removal in the miror, and then bring in cataclysms against miracles (Also, the card is by no means dead against miracles if they are relying on snapcaster for tempo plays. It's also better than thalia in the mirror (if you have vial). It was an idea I had when Shardless bug was popular (and it was a total house against that deck!). the idea behind it is that what makes Ancestral Recall, Brainstorm, Ponder, Ancestral Visions isn't that your opponent sees 3 more cards, it's that he gets to see 3 more cards and cast them immediately. Most brainstorm plays are reactive against us (compared to proactive vs combo decks), and the same idea stands with Treasure Cruise. This also shuts off Monastary Swiftspear. Also, with 6 mom effects (4 mom, 2 spellskite) and equipment, our opponents are going to have trouble playing the midrange game if we don't let them. Also, it completely shuts off elves.
btw, I don't mean using the same 75 and changing a few cards, I mean looking at what is strong hate against the current metagame, and using that our advantage.
I'm pretty sure you're quite aware of my position on that card.
Also, thank you for taking the canonist point seriously. I know it's a rather weird idea, but I think it has merit beyond gaddock teeg. Perhaps a 1/1 split of canonist and eidolon of rhetoric?
also, here's my current list
two restoration angel in the side for vs miracles and Shardless BUG
4 AEther Vial
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Karakas
1 Flagstones of Trokair
9 Plains
4 Wasteland
4 Rishadan Port
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Flickerwisp
1 Spellskite
1 Mangara of Corondor
2 Serra Avenger
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Cataclysm
1 Spirit of the Labyrinth
1 Manriki-Gusari
1 Disenchant
2 Rest in Peace
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Pithing Needle
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Council's Judgement
1 Dismember
2 Restoration Angel
Slash panther is bad in legacy because it is Slash panther in a format with a lot more creatures. Restoration angel is a better creature than slash panther in nearly every single deck (except vintage shops) that plays creatures and wants to kill jace/blow out people with creature awesomeness.
Also, flying + flash is better than pure haste. I'm not saying its only use is a jace killer, but it's a damn good use.
@mykatdied, it's more the combination of canonist + mom + some bears. Makes it very hard for our opponents to break through.
Shardless agent -> Ancestral visions -> Abrupt decay, Lili, goyf, pass.
or
Treasure cruise -> bolt bolt bolt bolt, dead. (or my creatures are all gone and they have a 6/7 monastary swiftspear).
or
Snapcaster -> Brainstorm -> Force of will
or
Brainstorm -> Supreme Verdict.
it's a form of mana denial.
4 AEther Vial
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Karakas
1 Flagstones of Trokair
9 Plains
4 Wasteland
4 Rishadan Port
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Flickerwisp
1 Spellskite
1 Mangara of Corondor
2 Serra Avenger
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Mirran Crusader
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Cataclysm
1 Spirit of the Labyrinth
1 Manriki-Gusari
1 Disenchant
2 Rest in Peace
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Pithing Needle
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Council's Judgement
1 Spellskite
1 Dismember
Just bring in removal in the miror, and then bring in cataclysms against miracles (Also, the card is by no means dead against miracles if they are relying on snapcaster for tempo plays. It's also better than thalia in the mirror (if you have vial). It was an idea I had when Shardless bug was popular (and it was a total house against that deck!). the idea behind it is that what makes Ancestral Recall, Brainstorm, Ponder, Ancestral Visions isn't that your opponent sees 3 more cards, it's that he gets to see 3 more cards and cast them immediately. Most brainstorm plays are reactive against us (compared to proactive vs combo decks), and the same idea stands with Treasure Cruise. This also shuts off Monastary Swiftspear. Also, with 6 mom effects (4 mom, 2 spellskite) and equipment, our opponents are going to have trouble playing the midrange game if we don't let them. Also, it completely shuts off elves.
Also, I mean 'proactive' in the sense of how they use their brainstorms. Against combo they use their brainstorms proactively in order to find counterspells. Against us they use them in a reactive manner (finding a bolt to make sure we don't look them out, perhaps force of will)
PS. Barbed, I can't find any monthly in Tacoma for legacy, please tell me I am wrong, and that monthly legacy (not weekly, I dislike weekly, turnout too small) on a weekend exists.
The mirror it's kinda bad (I fix this by bringing in lots of removal). I am not saying we pull mangara, not one bit. I just wanted to have 2 maindecked canonist because shuts a ton of stuff. It's a toss-up between Crusader and Mangara, and I think crusader might win in this current meta (faster clock against miracles, and blocks everything)
EDIT:
WTF DOUBLE POST
4 AEther Vial
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Karakas
1 Flagstones of Trokair
9 Plains
4 Wasteland
4 Rishadan Port
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Flickerwisp
1 Spellskite
1 Mangara of Corondor
2 Serra Avenger
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Mirran Crusader
2 Ethersworn Canonist
Just bring in removal in the miror, and then bring in cataclysms against miracles (Also, the card is by no means dead against miracles if they are relying on snapcaster for tempo plays. It's also better than thalia in the mirror (if you have vial). It was an idea I had when Shardless bug was popular (and it was a total house against that deck!). the idea behind it is that what makes Ancestral Recall, Brainstorm, Ponder, Ancestral Visions isn't that your opponent sees 3 more cards, it's that he gets to see 3 more cards and cast them immediately. Most brainstorm plays are reactive against us (compared to proactive vs combo decks), and the same idea stands with Treasure Cruise. This also shuts off Monastary Swiftspear. Also, with 6 mom effects (4 mom, 2 spellskite) and equipment, our opponents are going to have trouble playing the midrange game if we don't let them. Also, it completely shuts off elves.