Yeah, it was 2 Path, this is just my list ported from mtgo, which I in turn ported to paper.
I never had to activate Colonnade all weekend, although I believe I remember the threat of it winning me one game. On the other hand, I'm playing Colonnade because I'm playing Sun Titan, and wanted the additional fixing for it without sacrificing manlands. Once I figure out how to squeeze Scavenging Ooze into the deck, Stirring Wildwood will likely take its place.
I don't really think Urborg is necessary, as you usually don't want to spend *all* of your mana casting Raven's Crime. The matchups where crime is very good are also the ones you never want to completely tap out against. The deck plays enough Black sources that you can usually take 2-3 cards out of their hand each turn, while still holding up Mana Leak/Snapcaster/Removal/Tec Edge/etc.
This is what I played at the GP. I haven't played much paper magic since GP: Chicago, so I didn't have any byes. I ended up 10-5, one win short of cash.
I think I'm finally ready to cut Vault of the Archangel for some other land, although I'm going to wait for M14 to be out for a few weeks before really updating the list. I never activated it all weekend, although the threat of a white source waiting in my hand to activate it did partially cause me to win one game. I'm watching replays of GP coverage right now, but will be working on a report tomorrow. If I can't get it published somewhere, I'll just post it here.
Fair point re: Spell Snares. I'll try something else in their place (I was testing them alongside some more counterspell effects).
With all respect, the theoretical problem with Mana Leak is that you cannot simply sit back on them indefinitely. It's a weak card in the late game because the opponent will draw lands to play around the "pay 3" requirement. Also, unlike a draw-go deck, there aren't a whole lot of ways to punish the opponent for not walking into a Mana Leak, as we don't have many strong EOT plays besides Gifts. Finally, there are just 2 Leaks and 1-2 Snapcasters... it's not all that likely to have a Leak when they're good (i.e. early). I'm really interested in a more draw-go style of Gifts, rather than the more rock-like build, but that's for another thread.
It's true that point discard is similarly weak later in the game, against most decks. This is especially true when we can set up Raven's Crime soft lock later in the game.
SOFAF is an interesting choice. I wonder if we have enough creatures to support it? We just have 3-4 Souls, 4 DRS, and the occasional Snapcaster/EWit. I wouldn't really count Norn/Iona/Sun Titan, as they should be closing out the game by themselves.
Has anyone considered/tried Shadow of Doubt main in this deck? It happens to be excellent vs. our bad matchup, Tron. It also synergizes with Loam + GQ/TE and Mana Leak.
More often than not, there are ways to sculpt the game so that your mana leaks are still live. The same can not be said for discard spells. As storm has started to make a resurgence, I would much rather be on the mana leak plan than the single point discard plan, as saving the counterspell for past in flames is much better than removing a single ritual form their hand.
While there certainly aren't *many* ways to punish them with our open mana, I think removal, as well as the most important card in the deck are certainly punishment enough. The main reason I have had so much success with this deck is because it is capable of being both pro- and re- active, which forces the opponent to make decisions based on their best judgment as opposed to experience. Once it is clear what sort of decisions they are going to be making, it is easy to develop a game plan of our own to counteract that. The removal of countermagic from gifts removes a factor of consideration from the opponents, which makes their correct lines of play that much easier for them to see.
I am also playing Kitchen Finks in my list at the moment, giving me a few extra bodies to throw swords on. You also want to remember creeping tar pit as a fantastic sword carrier.
@Rookie, I would probably cut the sun titan/finks package if you want to try Wishes, although Darkblast should probably be in the sideboard at this point as well.
I'm not a fan of Saffi shenanigans. Sun Titan is already pushing the limits of what I want to do, in that it's really freaking clunky, and even when it does work, it won't always pull you back into the game.
Both monoU(/w) and R/G Tron are Gifts' worst matchups. R/G is tougher because they usually play a full set of MD relic of progenitus.
When I originally constructed the deck, I was playing Spell Snare, but the rise of pod caused me to set it aside and never look back. I don't think there are enough matchups where it is insane for it to be worth the slots.
As far as thoughtseize vs mana leak goes, I'm not sure there is a correct answer. I often prefer mana leak because this deck is so fond of dragging games to a complete stalemate. Because Gifts is favored in the non-tron long game, I'm more than comfortable sitting back with mana leak until they try to make a move or I draw some way to close things out.
Thoughtseize, however, is only reliable the one turn I cast it. While it's much better if I have a turn 3/4 Gifts hand, it's almost always going to be worthless as a topdeck, especially if I've moved into Raven's Crime phase. It really comes down to how you expect your games to play out. Because this deck stumbles so easily (between mulligans and awkward mana situations), I prefer Mana Leak.
Sword of Feast and Famine sounds sweet. Definitely post how that goes, as I might try it for the GP if you get solid results with it.
Hey all, it's been a while since I've checked the thread as I've been focusing on Standard/other aspects of my life these last few months. I just tweeted at Andy asking him about my article, so hopefully I'll hear back from him soon. If all else fails, I can probably write a fresh primer, but I'm incredibly out of practice right now. My current place of residence has a terrible internet connection, making it nearly impossible to stream, but if you are new to the deck and would like to see how it plays out, my older videos should still be up on my twitch account. EDIT: Wow, I just checked and for some reason only five or six of my videos have saved... hopefully they have some useful content on them. :/
If you're going to Grand Prix: Kansas City, be sure to say "hello" if you see me!
I did play against this deck once with aristocrats. I won by saccing things with blood artist followed by obzedat. After sideboard I slaughter games sphinx. Do you just side in witchbane orb every game 2?
Against Aristocrats? Yes, you sideboard in Witchbane Orb. You don't side it in "every game 2", though, as it's only really good against Drownyard and Slaughter Games decks.
I'd be interested to know the decks fundamental problems and how comfortable you feel playing it in the current meta.
This deck's two biggest problems are its vulnerability to Skullcrack and the length it takes to actually win the game. I've set it aside for the moment, as Reanimator has started to fade away (at least in my experience, it has) while Blitz decks seem to be packing more and more copies of Boros Charm and Skullcrack. Playing more copies of Terminus should help one of these problems, though. Also, RWU has been seeing a bit of a surge in popularity, which is another matchup I'd prefer not to play against. Matt Nass's build is probably better equipped for control decks, but worse against aggro.
Big reason why I don't play more copies is that he's not very good if you're in a pinch. If you drop him with 4 fogs already in hand, yeah, you're probably going to win. That can be said for most planeswalkers, though. Jace's lack of interaction with the board is definitely significant, which makes him only truly shine against other blue decks (where I like having at least a second one in the sideboard, although I could see playing more).
I cut the basic Forest for the second Refuge. As mentioned in the article, I could see Terminus Temporal Mastery being good, but haven't tested it out yet
Don't provide win-rate statistics if they're skewed the way you skewed them.
Please explain how they've been skewed. I provided them as a testament to the deck's power and success rate in certain matchups given the current meta. While it's certainly true that I haven't played against the bad matchups nearly as much as I have the good matchups, that is why the deck is a good choice right now- not many players are playing blue. If I expect a metagame full of Esper and RWU, there is no way I'm recommending this deck to anyone. However, these are my matches pulled directly from MTGO, so I believe they reflect the meta rather accurately.
@Bumbum: Glad I could convert you! The deck is a complete blast to play.
Regarding Todd's list, my biggest issues with it are the omission of Garruk, PH and Alchemist's Refuge. Since writing the article, I've moved up to two Alchemist Refuge because it really is that good. While its main use is flashing supreme verdict as fogs 9-12, that use is pretty spectacular against haste decks and thragtusk decks. It's also nice for holding up countermagic during your opponent's turn, then flashing in a planeswalker on their end step. While you miss out on an activation, being able to keep your mana open is huuge.
I don't like splashing Nephalia Drownyard because it isn't needed in most matchups, and the matchup where you really want it (Esper), they have more copies of the card and *will* out-drown you. You're screwing up the mana for almost no significant gain.
I also don't care for Think Twice. It's best use is for hitting land drops (which is very important, don't get me wrong!), but aside from a rampant growth "replacement" on turn two/three, it's a small-advantages card. It's great for grinding out opponents, but this deck can't afford to try and play like that. You are playing 8 cards that do nothing to impact the board on their own, so you need to make sure that any advantages you are gaining threaten to push the game over the edge in your favor.
I do like Blind Obedience, however. I would never cut a Farseek. It's important for more than just Verdict mana, as resolving massive Sphinx's Revelations and getting to 6 mana for Planeswalker+ Fog is incredibly important. I am in favor of adding a third Snapcaster, although my friends don't think it is necessary.
As for the control matchups- it's all about baiting your threats and hitting your land drops. The big issue with fighting Esper is that it's very difficult to find an opening if they don't stumble. If you can resolve a planeswalker early against them, go for it unless you suspect they have Jace in hand, as Jace is verry difficult to deal with outside of the legend rule. Lists running Planar Cleansing are especially difficult, as you can't really rely on hitting an ultimate. Resolving Curse or Large Jace are the quickest and most reliable routes to victory, and should be treated accordingly. Saving Dispel for Sphinx's Revelation and the counter wars that really matter (Jace, Rev of your own... that's about it) is important. I board out all of my Fog variants against Esper, but leave 2-3 Fogs in against RWU to protect myself from Aurelia. I usually leave in 3 supreme verdict against RWU as well.
I would never board in Witchbane Orb against decks playing skullcrack. I board in 2ish Dispel, but paying four mana on your turn for something with no direct impact is just too much against the aggressive decks.
Yeah, I would rather have my opponents' removal be dead in game one, as a single Jace, MA or Garruk is usually enough to end the game. Misthollow Griffin seems pretty cute with all of the Rest In Peace being played at the moment. I could see time being an issue in real life, as on magic online the clocks are usually pretty low by the time the match ends. I definitely agree about Fog being well positioned at the moment.
Fog
Ahh, yes. The cornerstone of the deck. Fog both protects your Planeswalkers and your life total. In most situations, it is best to use Clinging Mists before Fog so that you can afford to both play a Planeswalker and protect it with the investment of a single mana.
Clinging Mists
While usually worse than Fog, Clinging Mists is what makes the Reanimator matchup so ridiculously good for you. With Obzedat, Ghost Council and Deathrite Shaman as their only ways of dealing direct damage to you, it is usually safe to allow yourself to fall to five life just for the sake of Fateful Hour turning this Time Walk into Time Stretch. It should also be noted that you can be tricky with First Strike creatures from your opponent’s side. In one of my matches in the Premier Event, I allowed Thalia to knock me from 7 to 5, then cast Clinging Mists to lock down my opponent’s entire board. He had already tapped out to play a couple haste creatures, which allowed me to cast Tamiyo and -2 her to draw six cards two turns in a row. I won that game.
Farseek
Farseek is what allows the deck to play so many 5 mana spells but still maintain its functionality. I really wish it was Explore, but certainly won’t complain.
Dissipate
While it isn’t 100% necessary for most matchups, it is very important if you want to have a chance against the other blue decks in the format.
Supreme Verdict
This card is usually worse than Fog in several matchups, as it costs four mana, leaves behind Thragtusk beasts, and can leave you vulnerable to haste creatures. Alchemist’s Refuge helps with all of those issues, while Garruk can also do a fair amount of work.
Urban Evolution
Urban Evolution is yet another source of card draw. The additional land drop comes in handy if you want to leave up fog, while also helping you accelerate to larger Sphinx’s Revelations. It is fairly miserable against the aggressive decks, but its power against midrange strategies and control make it a worthwhile inclusion.
Sphinx’s Revelation
It is rare to see a blue deck that isn’t casting this, and you would be a fool to consider cutting it. The life points granted allow you to stay out of burn range, although it is somewhat clumsy with the Fateful Hour portion of Clinging Mists.
Jace, Architect of Thought
I was initially skeptical of Jace, as his ultimate is fairly grindy while his Weakstone ability is generally not good enough in a format full of Thragtusks and Loxodon Smiters. I saw his -2 as a solid source of card advantage, but the engine he offers is certainly the best you can do for four mana. He is what puts your Farseek draws over the top. I’ll likely be playing at least two of them from now on.
Jace, Memory Adept
Big Jace is your win condition for the attrition matchups. He gets sideboarded out for the aggro games, but I like to have a second in the sideboard to ensure he arrives in time to defeat the other blue decks.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Where would a Fog deck be without Tamiyo? All of her abilities are fantastic in this deck. Her +1 forces your opponents to play into Supreme Verdict, her -2 is often double Tidings (or better!), and her ultimate allows you to fog lock your opponents out of the game! She is at her weakest against control, but she can at least keep one Nephalia Drownyard under control.
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Garruk is very weak against Esper, but is probably your best Planeswalker against the aggro decks. He forces your opponents to commit more creatures to the board, provides protection from Haste creatures post-Supreme Verdict, can contribute to the card drawing engine, and his ultimate ends the game against any deck not sporting Supreme Verdicts of its own.
Augur of Bolas
Augur has fluctuated between a 2- and 3-of in my testing. It’s very important for the aggressive matchups, but is rarely more than a cycled Renewed Faith.
Snapcaster Mage
Snapcaster has been swapping back and forth with Augur as a 2- or 3-of. He’s doing everything he’s always done, but can sometimes clog up your hand. Some opponents will board Rest In Peace in against you, so minimizing their usefulness by sideboarding Tiago out is perfectly reasonable.
Exclusions
I have tried the following cards, but haven’t cared for any of them:
*Think Twice- Think Twice is about advantages in small increments. This deck doesn’t want small when you are playing so many Fogs.
*Azorius Charm- Azorius Charm is impressive when you have an active big Jace, but this deck can’t afford to deal with individual threats- it needs blanket answers while you gain value through your Planeswalkers.
*Gideon, Champion of Justice- I’ve played with him in several events, and his usefulness ranges greatly. The fact that he doesn’t generate any actual card advantage until he can ultimate is rather frustrating. Unlike Jace, Architect of Thought, you can’t run him out on turn four against aggro for some quick value or to act as a Fog because the Blitz decks will just ignore him. You can’t safely attack with him into control decks because of Azorius Charm. His +1 ability, however, can be wildly explosive. If you can protect him, his ultimate ability will win you the game. My biggest issue with this, however, is that most Planeswalkers will win you the game if you can protect them for 3+ turns.
*Garruk Relentless- Scheel has played with Garruk and thought it was fine. I have never seen the appeal, as Garruk doesn’t actually build towards anything, and the 2/2 wolves are fairly negligible in the present format. If you can transform him, the 1/1 Deathtouch wolves will at least put up a formidable defense, but it still seems too low impact for my taste.
*Terminus- If you want to play Terminus in the sideboard, go ahead. You will lose games to Blitz when you fog for a few turns, but never draw a Supreme Verdict. Terminus helps to increase the likelihood of drawing a board wipe, but it is far too clunky at six mana, which means you need to rely on getting lucky in order for it to be good. I don’t want to need to be lucky.
*Nephalia Drownyard- Splashing for Nephalia Drownyard was suggested as a way to combat control decks, but in order to play it, you need to cut Garruk. Todd Anderson did this in his list, but I do not think it is correct. You are still going to lose the drownyard race, as most esper lists play two to three more copies than you. Garruk might be mediocre against control, but his value against the majority of the format is not to be underestimated.
*Moonmist- Huntmaster of the Fells and Mayor of Avabruck both see a reasonable amount of play at the moment. Transforming either of them while also taking damage is just asking for a bad time. None of the other Fogs protect your planeswalkers, unfortunately.
Sideboarding
I’m not a fan of sideboarding guides, as most lists fluctuate enough that you really do need to make your decisions on the fly. What is most important is to consider what your opponents are bringing to combat you- Skullcrack, Obzedat, Detention Sphere, Jace, Memory Adept, Rakdos’s Return, Slaughter Games, and Thalia are your biggest enemies.
I completely disagree.
The choice to move the Modern PTQ season to next summer means I won't be playing magic for basically a year. Sweet.
I never had to activate Colonnade all weekend, although I believe I remember the threat of it winning me one game. On the other hand, I'm playing Colonnade because I'm playing Sun Titan, and wanted the additional fixing for it without sacrificing manlands. Once I figure out how to squeeze Scavenging Ooze into the deck, Stirring Wildwood will likely take its place.
I don't really think Urborg is necessary, as you usually don't want to spend *all* of your mana casting Raven's Crime. The matchups where crime is very good are also the ones you never want to completely tap out against. The deck plays enough Black sources that you can usually take 2-3 cards out of their hand each turn, while still holding up Mana Leak/Snapcaster/Removal/Tec Edge/etc.
1 Engineered Explosives
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Mana Leak
1 Tectonic Edge
2 Kitchen Finks
3 Liliana of the Veil
1 Dismember
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Life from the Loam
4 Gifts Ungiven
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Raven's Crime
2 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Forest
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Path to Exile
1 Unburial Rites
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Temple Garden
1 Path to Exile
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Island
1 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Swamp
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Breeding Pool
3 Marsh Flats
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Academy Ruins
3 Lingering Souls
1 Batterskull
1 Sun Titan
1 Disfigure
1 Plains
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Godless Shrine
1 Watery Grave
1 Spellskite
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Negate
1 Timely Reinforcements
2 Stony Silence
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Pithing Needle
1 Darkblast
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Damnation
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Thoughtseize
This is what I played at the GP. I haven't played much paper magic since GP: Chicago, so I didn't have any byes. I ended up 10-5, one win short of cash.
I think I'm finally ready to cut Vault of the Archangel for some other land, although I'm going to wait for M14 to be out for a few weeks before really updating the list. I never activated it all weekend, although the threat of a white source waiting in my hand to activate it did partially cause me to win one game. I'm watching replays of GP coverage right now, but will be working on a report tomorrow. If I can't get it published somewhere, I'll just post it here.
More often than not, there are ways to sculpt the game so that your mana leaks are still live. The same can not be said for discard spells. As storm has started to make a resurgence, I would much rather be on the mana leak plan than the single point discard plan, as saving the counterspell for past in flames is much better than removing a single ritual form their hand.
While there certainly aren't *many* ways to punish them with our open mana, I think removal, as well as the most important card in the deck are certainly punishment enough. The main reason I have had so much success with this deck is because it is capable of being both pro- and re- active, which forces the opponent to make decisions based on their best judgment as opposed to experience. Once it is clear what sort of decisions they are going to be making, it is easy to develop a game plan of our own to counteract that. The removal of countermagic from gifts removes a factor of consideration from the opponents, which makes their correct lines of play that much easier for them to see.
I am also playing Kitchen Finks in my list at the moment, giving me a few extra bodies to throw swords on. You also want to remember creeping tar pit as a fantastic sword carrier.
@Rookie, I would probably cut the sun titan/finks package if you want to try Wishes, although Darkblast should probably be in the sideboard at this point as well.
Both monoU(/w) and R/G Tron are Gifts' worst matchups. R/G is tougher because they usually play a full set of MD relic of progenitus.
When I originally constructed the deck, I was playing Spell Snare, but the rise of pod caused me to set it aside and never look back. I don't think there are enough matchups where it is insane for it to be worth the slots.
As far as thoughtseize vs mana leak goes, I'm not sure there is a correct answer. I often prefer mana leak because this deck is so fond of dragging games to a complete stalemate. Because Gifts is favored in the non-tron long game, I'm more than comfortable sitting back with mana leak until they try to make a move or I draw some way to close things out.
Thoughtseize, however, is only reliable the one turn I cast it. While it's much better if I have a turn 3/4 Gifts hand, it's almost always going to be worthless as a topdeck, especially if I've moved into Raven's Crime phase. It really comes down to how you expect your games to play out. Because this deck stumbles so easily (between mulligans and awkward mana situations), I prefer Mana Leak.
Sword of Feast and Famine sounds sweet. Definitely post how that goes, as I might try it for the GP if you get solid results with it.
If you're going to Grand Prix: Kansas City, be sure to say "hello" if you see me!
Against Aristocrats? Yes, you sideboard in Witchbane Orb. You don't side it in "every game 2", though, as it's only really good against Drownyard and Slaughter Games decks.
This deck's two biggest problems are its vulnerability to Skullcrack and the length it takes to actually win the game. I've set it aside for the moment, as Reanimator has started to fade away (at least in my experience, it has) while Blitz decks seem to be packing more and more copies of Boros Charm and Skullcrack. Playing more copies of Terminus should help one of these problems, though. Also, RWU has been seeing a bit of a surge in popularity, which is another matchup I'd prefer not to play against. Matt Nass's build is probably better equipped for control decks, but worse against aggro.
That is one of the primary win conditions, yes.
TerminusTemporal Mastery being good, but haven't tested it out yetPlease explain how they've been skewed. I provided them as a testament to the deck's power and success rate in certain matchups given the current meta. While it's certainly true that I haven't played against the bad matchups nearly as much as I have the good matchups, that is why the deck is a good choice right now- not many players are playing blue. If I expect a metagame full of Esper and RWU, there is no way I'm recommending this deck to anyone. However, these are my matches pulled directly from MTGO, so I believe they reflect the meta rather accurately.
@Bumbum: Glad I could convert you! The deck is a complete blast to play.
Regarding Todd's list, my biggest issues with it are the omission of Garruk, PH and Alchemist's Refuge. Since writing the article, I've moved up to two Alchemist Refuge because it really is that good. While its main use is flashing supreme verdict as fogs 9-12, that use is pretty spectacular against haste decks and thragtusk decks. It's also nice for holding up countermagic during your opponent's turn, then flashing in a planeswalker on their end step. While you miss out on an activation, being able to keep your mana open is huuge.
I don't like splashing Nephalia Drownyard because it isn't needed in most matchups, and the matchup where you really want it (Esper), they have more copies of the card and *will* out-drown you. You're screwing up the mana for almost no significant gain.
I also don't care for Think Twice. It's best use is for hitting land drops (which is very important, don't get me wrong!), but aside from a rampant growth "replacement" on turn two/three, it's a small-advantages card. It's great for grinding out opponents, but this deck can't afford to try and play like that. You are playing 8 cards that do nothing to impact the board on their own, so you need to make sure that any advantages you are gaining threaten to push the game over the edge in your favor.
I do like Blind Obedience, however. I would never cut a Farseek. It's important for more than just Verdict mana, as resolving massive Sphinx's Revelations and getting to 6 mana for Planeswalker+ Fog is incredibly important. I am in favor of adding a third Snapcaster, although my friends don't think it is necessary.
As for the control matchups- it's all about baiting your threats and hitting your land drops. The big issue with fighting Esper is that it's very difficult to find an opening if they don't stumble. If you can resolve a planeswalker early against them, go for it unless you suspect they have Jace in hand, as Jace is verry difficult to deal with outside of the legend rule. Lists running Planar Cleansing are especially difficult, as you can't really rely on hitting an ultimate. Resolving Curse or Large Jace are the quickest and most reliable routes to victory, and should be treated accordingly. Saving Dispel for Sphinx's Revelation and the counter wars that really matter (Jace, Rev of your own... that's about it) is important. I board out all of my Fog variants against Esper, but leave 2-3 Fogs in against RWU to protect myself from Aurelia. I usually leave in 3 supreme verdict against RWU as well.
I would never board in Witchbane Orb against decks playing skullcrack. I board in 2ish Dispel, but paying four mana on your turn for something with no direct impact is just too much against the aggressive decks.
Here are my lists as they've move through development:
1 Terminus
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Jace, Memory Adept
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Urban Evolution
2 Jace, Architect of Thought
4 Supreme Verdict
1 Dissipate
4 Clinging Mists
4 Farseek
2 Augur of Bolas
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Fog
2 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
3 Sunpetal Grove
4 Temple Garden
3 Breeding Pool
4 Hinterland Harbor
1 Alchemist’s Refuge
2 Island
2 Forest
3 Witchbane Orb
1 Centaur Healer
2 Detention Sphere
2 Thragtusk
1 Dispel
2 Negate
2 Dissipate
1 Curse of Echoes
1 Psychic Spiral
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
2 Jace, Memory Adept
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
4 Supreme Verdict
2 Dissipate
4 Clinging Mists
3 Think Twice
4 Farseek
2 Augur of Bolas
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Fog
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
3 Sunpetal Grove
4 Temple Garden
3 Breeding Pool
4 Hinterland Harbor
1 Alchemist’s Refuge
1 Island
1 Forest
3 Witchbane Orb
2 Azorius Charm
2 Detention Sphere
2 Thragtusk
3 Dispel
2 Negate
1 Curse of Echoes
4 Temple Garden
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Glacial Fortress
3 Breeding Pool
1 Forest
1 Island
3 Sunpetal Grove
1 Alchemist's Refuge
3 Augur of Bolas
4 Farseek
4 Supreme Verdict
4 Clinging Mists
2 Urban Evolution
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
3 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
4 Fog
2 Dissipate
2 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Jace, Memory Adept
2 Negate
2 Detention Sphere
2 Centaur Healer
1 Curse of Echoes
2 Thragtusk
2 Witchbane Orb
3 Dispel
1 Jace, Memory Adept
Card Choices
Fog
Ahh, yes. The cornerstone of the deck. Fog both protects your Planeswalkers and your life total. In most situations, it is best to use Clinging Mists before Fog so that you can afford to both play a Planeswalker and protect it with the investment of a single mana.
Clinging Mists
While usually worse than Fog, Clinging Mists is what makes the Reanimator matchup so ridiculously good for you. With Obzedat, Ghost Council and Deathrite Shaman as their only ways of dealing direct damage to you, it is usually safe to allow yourself to fall to five life just for the sake of Fateful Hour turning this Time Walk into Time Stretch. It should also be noted that you can be tricky with First Strike creatures from your opponent’s side. In one of my matches in the Premier Event, I allowed Thalia to knock me from 7 to 5, then cast Clinging Mists to lock down my opponent’s entire board. He had already tapped out to play a couple haste creatures, which allowed me to cast Tamiyo and -2 her to draw six cards two turns in a row. I won that game.
Farseek
Farseek is what allows the deck to play so many 5 mana spells but still maintain its functionality. I really wish it was Explore, but certainly won’t complain.
Dissipate
While it isn’t 100% necessary for most matchups, it is very important if you want to have a chance against the other blue decks in the format.
Supreme Verdict
This card is usually worse than Fog in several matchups, as it costs four mana, leaves behind Thragtusk beasts, and can leave you vulnerable to haste creatures. Alchemist’s Refuge helps with all of those issues, while Garruk can also do a fair amount of work.
Urban Evolution
Urban Evolution is yet another source of card draw. The additional land drop comes in handy if you want to leave up fog, while also helping you accelerate to larger Sphinx’s Revelations. It is fairly miserable against the aggressive decks, but its power against midrange strategies and control make it a worthwhile inclusion.
Sphinx’s Revelation
It is rare to see a blue deck that isn’t casting this, and you would be a fool to consider cutting it. The life points granted allow you to stay out of burn range, although it is somewhat clumsy with the Fateful Hour portion of Clinging Mists.
Jace, Architect of Thought
I was initially skeptical of Jace, as his ultimate is fairly grindy while his Weakstone ability is generally not good enough in a format full of Thragtusks and Loxodon Smiters. I saw his -2 as a solid source of card advantage, but the engine he offers is certainly the best you can do for four mana. He is what puts your Farseek draws over the top. I’ll likely be playing at least two of them from now on.
Jace, Memory Adept
Big Jace is your win condition for the attrition matchups. He gets sideboarded out for the aggro games, but I like to have a second in the sideboard to ensure he arrives in time to defeat the other blue decks.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Where would a Fog deck be without Tamiyo? All of her abilities are fantastic in this deck. Her +1 forces your opponents to play into Supreme Verdict, her -2 is often double Tidings (or better!), and her ultimate allows you to fog lock your opponents out of the game! She is at her weakest against control, but she can at least keep one Nephalia Drownyard under control.
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Garruk is very weak against Esper, but is probably your best Planeswalker against the aggro decks. He forces your opponents to commit more creatures to the board, provides protection from Haste creatures post-Supreme Verdict, can contribute to the card drawing engine, and his ultimate ends the game against any deck not sporting Supreme Verdicts of its own.
Augur of Bolas
Augur has fluctuated between a 2- and 3-of in my testing. It’s very important for the aggressive matchups, but is rarely more than a cycled Renewed Faith.
Snapcaster Mage
Snapcaster has been swapping back and forth with Augur as a 2- or 3-of. He’s doing everything he’s always done, but can sometimes clog up your hand. Some opponents will board Rest In Peace in against you, so minimizing their usefulness by sideboarding Tiago out is perfectly reasonable.
Exclusions
I have tried the following cards, but haven’t cared for any of them:
*Think Twice- Think Twice is about advantages in small increments. This deck doesn’t want small when you are playing so many Fogs.
*Azorius Charm- Azorius Charm is impressive when you have an active big Jace, but this deck can’t afford to deal with individual threats- it needs blanket answers while you gain value through your Planeswalkers.
*Gideon, Champion of Justice- I’ve played with him in several events, and his usefulness ranges greatly. The fact that he doesn’t generate any actual card advantage until he can ultimate is rather frustrating. Unlike Jace, Architect of Thought, you can’t run him out on turn four against aggro for some quick value or to act as a Fog because the Blitz decks will just ignore him. You can’t safely attack with him into control decks because of Azorius Charm. His +1 ability, however, can be wildly explosive. If you can protect him, his ultimate ability will win you the game. My biggest issue with this, however, is that most Planeswalkers will win you the game if you can protect them for 3+ turns.
*Garruk Relentless- Scheel has played with Garruk and thought it was fine. I have never seen the appeal, as Garruk doesn’t actually build towards anything, and the 2/2 wolves are fairly negligible in the present format. If you can transform him, the 1/1 Deathtouch wolves will at least put up a formidable defense, but it still seems too low impact for my taste.
*Terminus- If you want to play Terminus in the sideboard, go ahead. You will lose games to Blitz when you fog for a few turns, but never draw a Supreme Verdict. Terminus helps to increase the likelihood of drawing a board wipe, but it is far too clunky at six mana, which means you need to rely on getting lucky in order for it to be good. I don’t want to need to be lucky.
*Nephalia Drownyard- Splashing for Nephalia Drownyard was suggested as a way to combat control decks, but in order to play it, you need to cut Garruk. Todd Anderson did this in his list, but I do not think it is correct. You are still going to lose the drownyard race, as most esper lists play two to three more copies than you. Garruk might be mediocre against control, but his value against the majority of the format is not to be underestimated.
*Moonmist- Huntmaster of the Fells and Mayor of Avabruck both see a reasonable amount of play at the moment. Transforming either of them while also taking damage is just asking for a bad time. None of the other Fogs protect your planeswalkers, unfortunately.
Experiments
I have yet to try these cards, but could see them being good:
*Temporal Mastery
*Feeling of Dread
*Amass the Components
*Cyclonic Rift
Sideboarding
I’m not a fan of sideboarding guides, as most lists fluctuate enough that you really do need to make your decisions on the fly. What is most important is to consider what your opponents are bringing to combat you- Skullcrack, Obzedat, Detention Sphere, Jace, Memory Adept, Rakdos’s Return, Slaughter Games, and Thalia are your biggest enemies.
Link to original article:
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/25972_Craterwho-Turbo-Fog-In-Standard.html