+2 Thoughtseize, +2 Whipflare, +1 Spellskite, +1 Chalice of the Void, +1 Dismember, +1 Sea Gate Wreckage. I don't like the Stubborn Denial, Spell Pierce is probably going to better so you don't get blown out. I have no experience with Ghirapur but I would imagine if you can land it, you'll probably win, and Delver will board out most of its counterspells post board which helps you to land it especially after a Thoughtseize. Chalice on 1 on the play turn 1 would probably win you the game. If you are boarding in Chalice, I would board out more copies of Signal Pest as opposed to Steel Overseer.
-2 Memnite, -3 Signal Pest, -3 Steel Overseer. You're not going to have an explosive start with all the extra removals Delver is board in, so Memnites are low value top decks and worse than Ornithopter because it's more susceptible to Electrolyze and Forked Bolt. Steel Overseer probably won't be able to stick post board one way or another.
If I remember layering correctly, this interaction actually does not work since switching power/toughness and changing the power/toughness are in different layers. The creature will live with its power/toughness switched and maintain its -2/-0.
I'm on the same boat with Delver of Secrets. It's the best 1 drop we have, but past the first few turns its power level drops dramatically. Delver of Secrets is also the card with the highest variance in this deck. Sometimes you play it, it doesn't die, and you flip it on the first blind flip and go to town. Other times it's a Wandering One for 4-5 turns straight and has zero impact on the game other than a chump blocker, which is its designated role in late games. For the longest time I've tried to replace Delver of Secrets with another 1 drop for consistency, but Delver is still the best 1 drop that we have available on turn 1, that is until someone else can prove the either Goblin Guide and/or Monastery Swiftspear is a better card in this deck.
I disagree with 4x Probe in this deck. Whereas UR Delver is weak to lots of things like Goyf and Siege Rhino, which they cannot deal with once it's on board, Grixis Delver can deal with MOST spells the opponent casts. That's why seeing the opponent's hand makes less of a difference to us. UR Delver always played the highest counterspell count because of weakness to certain spells, whereas Grixis Delver tries to answer some of the creature with its targeted removals.
Another thing about 4x Probe is that our landbases, as previously stated, is more painful. We have an exacerbated Burn match up, but it can be improved by sideboard option and a more flexible maindeck. The 3x Probe was something that Temur Delver played for similar reasons since Tarmogoyf was a better play than anything the opponent can make, and filling up the graveyard with an extra Probe makes very little difference for the most part.
It might be correct to just take out Remand altogether because it's not really what this deck is trying to accomplish.
It's definitely a mix of Tempo and Aggro, Goblin Grenade would lean it towards aggro while Remand towards Tempo. Control/Tempo would be harder to play without Snapcaster Mage, but who wants to buy Snapcaster at $50 right now, that's just absurd.
Frankly I have no idea how this deck plays out, so if you're the creator for the deck, then you'll have to do the most playtesting to see how different match ups go and alter your cards based on that.
I think you can win with a 5 card hand in this deck, but with a 4 card hand with no lands, I would still keep it on the draw with a Serum Visions in the hand. 17 land seems wrong, we don't play Treasure Cruise anymore. I think 18 or above is correct, and up to 20 if you're playing Izzet Charm.
It depends on how many threats you have, how many removals your opponent has, how many lands do you have, and the pace of the game. When you cast Young Pyromancer is very match up dependent.
For example: On the play against Junk with double Young Pyromancer hand with Gitaxian Probe, I would cast Young Pyromancer turn 2 provided I don't have a Spell Snare. Even if the first meets a removal, you're still ahead on tempo, know the opponent's hand, and have a 1/1 to pressure the board. The more threats you have, the earlier you can afford to deploy them PROVIDED you are able to answer their threats (e.g., Vapor Snag + Mana Leak/Spell Snare). If you die to a Pyromancer's Ascension, it's probably not a good time to cast your threat.
Another example: Playing against old UWR build with 3 lands in hand and cantrips, I would cast the cantrips and try to make every land drop that I can, and cast Young Pyromancer with 1-2 counter back up. If you are able to set the pace of the game, then you cast your threats when it's most convenient for you.
Yet another example: On the draw against Burn, I would cast Young Pyromancer on curve PROVIDED you do not need to Shockland yourself to cast him. This of course changes if you're able to Mana Leak his turn 3 play and also have Spell Snare follow up the following turn for the Searing Blaze/Searing Blood.
I believe this is why Tempo is the hardest to play archetype. The decisions are never obvious, and you need to know when to play the control role and when to switch to the aggro game to maximize your chances of winning the game.
Try to run as few inconsistent cards as you can, Goblin Grenade is dead if you don't have a Goblin, Repeal is too slow for an aggro deck, as are Hordeling Outburst, Think Twice, and Goblin Electromancer. I think Grim Lavamancer is a much better threat than Blistercoil Weird unless you want to go all in with Ground Rift.
I've been having decent success with a 19 land deck based on the SCG lists, the difference being -1 Vendilion Clique, -1 Land, -1 Young Pyromancer, +3 Gitaxian Probe. 3 Vendilion Clique feels way too clunky especially if you draw multiples, and Gitaxian Probe is just sweet. 19 land very is close to 20 lands, I think 3 cantrip almost make up the difference. The higher land count of 19-20 is very relevant because most games you want to Snapcaster Mana Leak on curve. Which begs the question why don't we sideboard.
Kira is an interesting piece of sideboard tech, I'm not sure how many grindy non-Abrupt Decay decks there are in the format, but not many since Jeskai is no longer a tier 1 control deck.
This is a really interesting build, have you tried playing Crack the Earth? Or is the whole point of Boom // Bust a 2 mana Stone Rain? Cackle the Earth with Young Pyromancer seems like an amazing play, 1 mana opponent sacrifices a land if you manage to keep their board clean.
I also feel like 4 Become Immense is correct here since the deck seems amazing at filling up the graveyard. Keldon Megaliths seems like an interesting card in top deck situations. I don't really understand what the Faithless Looting is for, Serum Visions just seem better since you're only running 3-4 Delve spells. Remand in combination with land destruction would be great. You would obviously want more fetchlands in here to maximize Boom // Bust, I think if you can get a hold of some Polluted Delta and/or Flooded Strand, that would be good. Also Grim Lavamancer is probably an auto-include.
I don't think you know what evasion means. Evasion is abilities like Flying, Unblockable, Shadow, etc. that makes a creature harder to block.
Being roadblocked by an enemy Tarmogoyf/Tasigur/Rhino sucks. Even if you're playing Master of Waves, I think Vendilion Clique is where you want to be, especially since there are so few answers to Master of Waves as is.
It's not just bounce lands and creatures, it's also bounce to replay Snapcaster Mage (as Jeff did on camera), bounce to save Vedalken Shackles or Blood Moon from Abrupt Decay, there's offensive and defensivive use of the card. Simply put, the card is very flexible. Bounce and Clique is one line against an active Choke without any enchantment destruction main or sideboard.
I think the reason Jeff did well is because Tarmogoyf gives the deck a threat that 2 for 1's early and puts a clock on the opponent. In Modern, you need a proactive plan or you'll just lose to Twin/Abzen locking you out of the game with their sideboard control plans and/or Infect, Burn and Affinity eventually getting you.
-2 Memnite, -3 Signal Pest, -3 Steel Overseer. You're not going to have an explosive start with all the extra removals Delver is board in, so Memnites are low value top decks and worse than Ornithopter because it's more susceptible to Electrolyze and Forked Bolt. Steel Overseer probably won't be able to stick post board one way or another.
Another thing about 4x Probe is that our landbases, as previously stated, is more painful. We have an exacerbated Burn match up, but it can be improved by sideboard option and a more flexible maindeck. The 3x Probe was something that Temur Delver played for similar reasons since Tarmogoyf was a better play than anything the opponent can make, and filling up the graveyard with an extra Probe makes very little difference for the most part.
It's definitely a mix of Tempo and Aggro, Goblin Grenade would lean it towards aggro while Remand towards Tempo. Control/Tempo would be harder to play without Snapcaster Mage, but who wants to buy Snapcaster at $50 right now, that's just absurd.
Frankly I have no idea how this deck plays out, so if you're the creator for the deck, then you'll have to do the most playtesting to see how different match ups go and alter your cards based on that.
For example: On the play against Junk with double Young Pyromancer hand with Gitaxian Probe, I would cast Young Pyromancer turn 2 provided I don't have a Spell Snare. Even if the first meets a removal, you're still ahead on tempo, know the opponent's hand, and have a 1/1 to pressure the board. The more threats you have, the earlier you can afford to deploy them PROVIDED you are able to answer their threats (e.g., Vapor Snag + Mana Leak/Spell Snare). If you die to a Pyromancer's Ascension, it's probably not a good time to cast your threat.
Another example: Playing against old UWR build with 3 lands in hand and cantrips, I would cast the cantrips and try to make every land drop that I can, and cast Young Pyromancer with 1-2 counter back up. If you are able to set the pace of the game, then you cast your threats when it's most convenient for you.
Yet another example: On the draw against Burn, I would cast Young Pyromancer on curve PROVIDED you do not need to Shockland yourself to cast him. This of course changes if you're able to Mana Leak his turn 3 play and also have Spell Snare follow up the following turn for the Searing Blaze/Searing Blood.
I believe this is why Tempo is the hardest to play archetype. The decisions are never obvious, and you need to know when to play the control role and when to switch to the aggro game to maximize your chances of winning the game.
In: Young Pyromancer, Sleight of Hand, Remand, Perilous Research, Grim Lavamancer
Try to run as few inconsistent cards as you can, Goblin Grenade is dead if you don't have a Goblin, Repeal is too slow for an aggro deck, as are Hordeling Outburst, Think Twice, and Goblin Electromancer. I think Grim Lavamancer is a much better threat than Blistercoil Weird unless you want to go all in with Ground Rift.
Kira is an interesting piece of sideboard tech, I'm not sure how many grindy non-Abrupt Decay decks there are in the format, but not many since Jeskai is no longer a tier 1 control deck.
I also feel like 4 Become Immense is correct here since the deck seems amazing at filling up the graveyard. Keldon Megaliths seems like an interesting card in top deck situations. I don't really understand what the Faithless Looting is for, Serum Visions just seem better since you're only running 3-4 Delve spells. Remand in combination with land destruction would be great. You would obviously want more fetchlands in here to maximize Boom // Bust, I think if you can get a hold of some Polluted Delta and/or Flooded Strand, that would be good. Also Grim Lavamancer is probably an auto-include.
Being roadblocked by an enemy Tarmogoyf/Tasigur/Rhino sucks. Even if you're playing Master of Waves, I think Vendilion Clique is where you want to be, especially since there are so few answers to Master of Waves as is.
If you go heavier on the W plan, then you're hurting your own Blood Moon game.
I think the reason Jeff did well is because Tarmogoyf gives the deck a threat that 2 for 1's early and puts a clock on the opponent. In Modern, you need a proactive plan or you'll just lose to Twin/Abzen locking you out of the game with their sideboard control plans and/or Infect, Burn and Affinity eventually getting you.