Thanks for the suggestions. The purpose in Fated Return is not to hard cast it. I've never hard casted it with the deck in playtesting, and I don't even think to do it. Kind of the same things for Dead Drop. I'm not looking to hard cast most of these large cards, and with Taigam's Scheming as well as Grave Strength, the 'yard fills up pretty fast with big instants/sorceries. Jorubai Murk Lurker is a cheaper lifelink provider, which is arguably important in a meta that runs 4-drop dragons. Lifelinking itself or even a Disciple could be game changing, especially following strengthening. But maybe some other kind of evasion is useful.
The full set of deltas is going in. I'm hesitant to run a ton of lands though. The last thing this wants is mana flood. (But then again, mana screw is bad too...)
What do you think of Silumgar Sorcerer in that 3-drop slot instead? I think the evasion that the sieges provides is really useful for the lores.
Would you mind shifting this back? I don't want the whole deck viewed in a "budget" light. I'd like to get feedback on it from all angles, and limiting it to budget will limit the feedback.
Um, thanks. But it isn't really designed as a "budget" brew. It just sort of happened. So it'd be great if you moved it back. Just because something happens to fall into a category doesn't mean it should go there. I would imagine that it will get far fewer views when viewed this way, and it will also not get the feedback that I would like to get.
Clever Impersonator - this pulls double duty as well, cloning any on-the-board opponent threats (oh, you have a Ugin, the Spirit Dragon? Interesting...so do I) or searching for our one-of Whip of Erebos. It's a tasty burger.
Duress and Despise - strip our opponent of answers. Why not Thoughtseize? Too expensive (in monetary cost). You could easily add it and free up some sideboard slots. Shares CMC with Swan Song.
Polluted Delta - I need four of these, but only have two. These fetching beauties fuel delve for hardcasting Treasure Cruise and the like, as well as thinning our deck. I'll pay the life, thanks very much!
Temple of Deceit - so tasty with our deck, it helps us with ordering and such. I only run two, as I find that four is a bit redundant with the Scheming base.
Well, that isn't strictly true, but there is certainly no traditional removal. Long story short, it runs against our game plan. We want to play as much of a PROACTIVE game as possible with this deck. We are creating a BIG four-drop threat and swinging to win. It's an aggro strategy slowed somewhat by mana constraints. Not quite mid-game, but very close.
What about match ups?
Burn is going to hurt us. Our strategy is similar to many control decks in that we want a big threat with good evasion. Our clock, however, is not 4-5 turns, but 2. Once our threat is unleashed, we are looking at TWO turns to GG.
Dragon decks will be challenging, though not an unscalable mountain. Look to side in the Disdainful Strokes, as well as the third (and maybe a fourth?) Clever impersonator. I've thought about removal just for this case, but keep coming back to the fact that we have Dragons in our deck...as soon as they play one! Also, Fated Return can bring back our Clever Impersonators. This can be DEVASTATING in any number of ways.
Clever Impersonator is the answer to most of their threats in the form of creatures. I think it is just a really underrated card.
G/W or Mono Green Devotion shouldn't be awful. We need to control the tempo and make our goal to get to that big threat. Side in the In Garruk's Wakes, Swan Songs, and Disdainful Strokes and deal PAIN to these decks.
Playing with this deck for a while and looking for what hands to mulligan is key. Look to have a discard outlet, a Clever Impersonator or a Living Lore, and three-ish mana. If you have these things, coupled with Taigam's Scheming, you likely win.
I have had a BLAST brewing this deck and thinking about the standard meta with it. Leave me some comments! Love to hear what thoughts you have.
I may have been twisting up my Disdainful Strokes. Corrected.
I may have been twisting up my Disdainful Strokes. Corrected.
The full set of deltas is going in. I'm hesitant to run a ton of lands though. The last thing this wants is mana flood. (But then again, mana screw is bad too...)
What do you think of Silumgar Sorcerer in that 3-drop slot instead? I think the evasion that the sieges provides is really useful for the lores.
6x Swamp
9x Island
2x Polluted Delta
2x Temple of Deceit
3x Dismal Backwater
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Creatures (11)
2x Jorubai Murk Lurker
2x Clever Impersonator
3x Disciple of Deceit
4x Living Lore
2x Dead Drop
2x Dig Through Time
4x Duress
2x Fated Return
2x Grave Strength
2x Swan Song
4x Taigam's Scheming
3x Treasure Cruise
Enchantments (4)
4x Monastery Siege
Artifacts (1)
1x Whip of Erebos
1x Clever Impersonator
1x Clone Legion
2x Despise
2x Disdainful Stroke
2x Hypnotic Siren
1x Icefall Regent
2x In Garruk's Wake
1x Silumgar's Command
2x Swan Song
1x Worst Fears
What time is it? It's brew-thirty.
Taigam's Scheming + Living Lore Combo/Aggro Deck
What's in it?
Spells:
Taigam's Scheming - this is the main discard outlet. It's as good as Scry 5 for our purposes, with the added advantage of filling the yard.
Living Lore - Our beatstick. We want it with lifelink, hence...
Whip of Erebos - Lifelinks our Living Lore and other creatures
Jorubai Murk Lurker - Another lifelink outlet, and also a search outlet for Disciple of Deceit to net us Monastery Siege.
Disciple of Deceit - this provides a secondary discard outlet AND a card search. Shares CMC with Grave Strength.
Clever Impersonator - this pulls double duty as well, cloning any on-the-board opponent threats (oh, you have a Ugin, the Spirit Dragon? Interesting...so do I) or searching for our one-of Whip of Erebos. It's a tasty burger.
Monastery Siege - provides a tertiary discard outlet or a permanent spell evasion, as well as sharing CMC with Jorubai Murk Lurker.
Grave Strength - not only another discard outlet, but also a pump for whatever creature is available. Really good with a lonesome Disciple of Deceit or Jorubai Murk Lurker. The ultimate with Living Lore + Dead Drop after a Fated Return. Live the dream!
Duress and Despise - strip our opponent of answers. Why not Thoughtseize? Too expensive (in monetary cost). You could easily add it and free up some sideboard slots. Shares CMC with Swan Song.
Swan Song - the least expensive counterspell in the format. I don't care about giving you a bird if I'm getting rid of your Mastery of the Unseen, Whip of Erebos, or ferocious Stubborn Denial, much less your Collected Company or whatever Command you are running. I'm not limited like I am with Stubborn Denial (though I do love me some Stubborn D).
Dead Drop, Treasure Cruise, Dig Through Time, and other big spells including Fated Return - these BIG our Living Lore, and make him mega gross. I've included different variations in the sideboard for other possible fun times. One notable omission is Temporal Trespass. In this case, I feel that Worst Fears is strictly better for use with Living Lore.
Mana Base:
Polluted Delta - I need four of these, but only have two. These fetching beauties fuel delve for hardcasting Treasure Cruise and the like, as well as thinning our deck. I'll pay the life, thanks very much!
Temple of Deceit - so tasty with our deck, it helps us with ordering and such. I only run two, as I find that four is a bit redundant with the Scheming base.
Dismal Backwater - There's nothing quite like having open a dual land for Duress and/or Swan Song. Double trouble!
Why no removal?
Well, that isn't strictly true, but there is certainly no traditional removal. Long story short, it runs against our game plan. We want to play as much of a PROACTIVE game as possible with this deck. We are creating a BIG four-drop threat and swinging to win. It's an aggro strategy slowed somewhat by mana constraints. Not quite mid-game, but very close.
What about match ups?
Burn is going to hurt us. Our strategy is similar to many control decks in that we want a big threat with good evasion. Our clock, however, is not 4-5 turns, but 2. Once our threat is unleashed, we are looking at TWO turns to GG.
Dragon decks will be challenging, though not an unscalable mountain. Look to side in the Disdainful Strokes, as well as the third (and maybe a fourth?) Clever impersonator. I've thought about removal just for this case, but keep coming back to the fact that we have Dragons in our deck...as soon as they play one! Also, Fated Return can bring back our Clever Impersonators. This can be DEVASTATING in any number of ways.
Clever Impersonator is the answer to most of their threats in the form of creatures. I think it is just a really underrated card.
G/W or Mono Green Devotion shouldn't be awful. We need to control the tempo and make our goal to get to that big threat. Side in the In Garruk's Wakes, Swan Songs, and Disdainful Strokes and deal PAIN to these decks.
Playing with this deck for a while and looking for what hands to mulligan is key. Look to have a discard outlet, a Clever Impersonator or a Living Lore, and three-ish mana. If you have these things, coupled with Taigam's Scheming, you likely win.
I have had a BLAST brewing this deck and thinking about the standard meta with it. Leave me some comments! Love to hear what thoughts you have.