Thanks Rezzahan
I've been using Narset's incorrectly. I wasn't aware that returning a spell to one's hand meant removing it from the stack.
To clarify, the narset-timetwister copy resolves, it tries to put timetwister in the graveyard but it can't because it's no longer there, and the timetwister and narset's reversal get shuffled into the library and you draw 7 cards. Which means you can keep casting those two spells if you draw them again. Correct?
Can you cast narset's reversal on timetwister, returning the twister to your hand before it gets shuffled in, allowing you to draw these cards again and repeat the process?
I'm thinking it works like this:
the copied timetwister goes off first, putting twister in your hand, then shuffling that hand and graveyard into the library.
Then it attempts to put twister into the graveyard, but it's not there anymore so it won't, even if you drew it again.
Then the original timetwister goes off, and again it fails to put timetwister in the graveyard, even if you drew it again.
Which means that with infinite blue mana and only a total of 7 cards getting shuffled in, Narset's + Twister enables a twister loop without the need for another card such as codex shredder.
Is that correct?
wow I was just checking out mtgtop8 and there was only one major commander tournament in recent weeks, with 233 players, and Urza placed 6 times in the top 8! And only 2 of those decks had paradox engine in it.
Ambassador laquaitis is easier with infinite mana.
Are we really running mill now?
Well for me the kill card is Urza, once I get infinite mana. And I'll keep capsize in there after all. Can I pay the buyback cost on capsize if I play it using Urza's ability? If not I'll use narset's reversal to put it in my hand. But the painter/grindstone option is just too sexy not to include it. Plus I ordered inventions versions of them today, which required me checking out 30+ online stores to find those 2 cards. And they cost about triple what they did yesterday.
Losing paradox doesn't effect my Urza deck much at all. Sure it worked great with isochron, and capsize sometimes, but that's about it. You could pretty much slot in painter's servant and grindstone in their place and call it a day.
On a sidenote, I searched 30+ online mtg stores before I finally found an inventions grindstone and servant. Can't wait for those to get here. They both look pretty slick.
Well I'm disappointed to have to take out the sweet inventions foil Paradox engine from my Urza deck.
But I'm excited about painter's servant. I'd like to know what cards work well with it.
-For the Spot Removal section, every Overlord player should at least try Crib Swap. Due to the hability Changeling, it is tutoreable via Overlord. So, with only Overlord in play, you can stay six mana-open to exile that huge annoying attacker from the opponent from nowhere. Its auto-tutoreable removal! No so sweet as Shields of Velis Vel cause with one more mana you can steal that creature, but it's always great have another removal, pointing to your threads from the deeps of your deck.
This is really cool! I'm super glad you posted this. I was using constricting sliver to take care of creature problems but hate the 6cmc casting cost. Plus I love how for one mana, you can turn all your opponents' creatures into slivers that the Overlord can add to the 'hive' (add to the 'collective'? Not sure which word is better here lol). And at instant speed no less.
I was surprised to find graveshifter has changeling. I might playtest that.
Personally I find blasting station too janky and mystic forge not good enough.
There are some oddball cards that have proven their worth to me though:
Arcum's astrolabe - seriously every Urza deck should run this. For one mana it thins your deck, draws a card, fixes mana, and ramps for urza. mycosynth wellspring and ichor wellspring - the deck really gets going after Urza hits the board but getting enough mana to cast him can be a problem. These help with that, they add ramp once you cast him, and they add more value when you transmute artifact or reshape them for something later on. Howling mine - You obviously won't cast this until you already have Urza in play. I love how you can turn off stax pieces but you have to leave them untapped to work. Howling mine is the opposite - it's the first thing you tap for mana on your turn and nobody benefits from it but you.
I have a bunch of mana rocks, isochron scepter (imprinted with counterspell), and paradox engine in play.
I cast a spell (for argument's sake let's say it's a sol ring). Can I repeatedly use the isochron scepter to counter the sol ring and make infinite mana?
i may try seton since he has psuedo haste and good call on the abolisher as dosan #2.
probably gonna rewrite that sentence in the opening there as it isnt so much its slow but compared to decks that have blue and black, they are much more resilient where as sisay is just glass cannon.
Seton is just a big ball of awesomeness in the deck. Once you have paradox in play, my chain is typically -> mox -> mox -> seton (or dosan) -> rishkar -> (now i have 4 things making mana, plus mana rocks) -> and then some smaller legends so I generate more mana, followed by kamahl (who taps for mana thanks to seton) and elesh norn which soon ends the game with big overruns or I pick off everyone's lands. I don't feel that sisay is a glass cannon at all. I also have a living plane in my deck which is pricey but fun, and nasty in conjuction with linvala or elesh norn, plus it makes gaea's cradle ridiculous. My deck is basically like yours, except with a few less stax cards and a few more wincons.
I'm surprised you refer to it as a 'slower and inconsistent' paradox deck. Your decklist is awesome, it utilizes a tutor general which makes it consistent, and I'm guessing it typically goes infinite on what...turn 4 usually? Maybe turn 5 on a bad day? And that's with stax pieces to slow your opponents. I've been playtesting my new Urza deck that's tuned up to be as efficient as possible, and sisay beats it most of the time.
I'm surprised you don't have seton, krosan protector in there. He taps for green with haste, and makes rishkar do the same.
I find everyone saves their hate for sisay so one card that's been invaluable to me is grand abolisher.
The things that bother me about this deck are the dead draws and the combo required to win is long and tedious. I've decided I'll get rid of the dead-draw combo pieces (bow, bontu, mikaeus, and maybe selvala) and replace with stuff to make the deck more efficient. It's fun having kamahl, fist of krosa (who plays well with seton btw) and elesh norn on the board.
I've been using Narset's incorrectly. I wasn't aware that returning a spell to one's hand meant removing it from the stack.
To clarify, the narset-timetwister copy resolves, it tries to put timetwister in the graveyard but it can't because it's no longer there, and the timetwister and narset's reversal get shuffled into the library and you draw 7 cards. Which means you can keep casting those two spells if you draw them again. Correct?
I'm thinking it works like this:
the copied timetwister goes off first, putting twister in your hand, then shuffling that hand and graveyard into the library.
Then it attempts to put twister into the graveyard, but it's not there anymore so it won't, even if you drew it again.
Then the original timetwister goes off, and again it fails to put timetwister in the graveyard, even if you drew it again.
Which means that with infinite blue mana and only a total of 7 cards getting shuffled in, Narset's + Twister enables a twister loop without the need for another card such as codex shredder.
Is that correct?
Admittedly, its a different format with a different banlist and life total, but the decklists are still worth checking out.
On a sidenote, I searched 30+ online mtg stores before I finally found an inventions grindstone and servant. Can't wait for those to get here. They both look pretty slick.
But I'm excited about painter's servant. I'd like to know what cards work well with it.
Grindstone, obviously.
Ugin, the spirit dragon. (Hey I'll remove no counters and blow up everyone's lands, lol)
All is dust.... is a bit nasty.
Dream halls (Hmm, I'll discard a land and cast omniscience)
ravnica at war is interesting. If all your permanents are white then you can choose white as the color and most of everyone else's nonland permanents will be destroyed. Thanks Hermes.
Llawan, cephalid empress. Thanks, Macabre.
omen of fire, tibor and lumia, douse. Thanks, Schweinefett.
What else?
I was surprised to find graveshifter has changeling. I might playtest that.
There are some oddball cards that have proven their worth to me though:
Arcum's astrolabe - seriously every Urza deck should run this. For one mana it thins your deck, draws a card, fixes mana, and ramps for urza.
mycosynth wellspring and ichor wellspring - the deck really gets going after Urza hits the board but getting enough mana to cast him can be a problem. These help with that, they add ramp once you cast him, and they add more value when you transmute artifact or reshape them for something later on.
Howling mine - You obviously won't cast this until you already have Urza in play. I love how you can turn off stax pieces but you have to leave them untapped to work. Howling mine is the opposite - it's the first thing you tap for mana on your turn and nobody benefits from it but you.
I cast a spell (for argument's sake let's say it's a sol ring). Can I repeatedly use the isochron scepter to counter the sol ring and make infinite mana?
I'm surprised you don't have seton, krosan protector in there. He taps for green with haste, and makes rishkar do the same.
I find everyone saves their hate for sisay so one card that's been invaluable to me is grand abolisher.
The things that bother me about this deck are the dead draws and the combo required to win is long and tedious. I've decided I'll get rid of the dead-draw combo pieces (bow, bontu, mikaeus, and maybe selvala) and replace with stuff to make the deck more efficient. It's fun having kamahl, fist of krosa (who plays well with seton btw) and elesh norn on the board.