You can't really cut the lands since the entire purpose is to fit 11-ish nonstandard lands into a 2 (and possibly 3-color) deck. You can rely more on 3-drops though.
I would feel a lot better about color splashes if cards like Seachrome Coast were not seen as necessary. In terms of "good decks run good cards", it just pains me to see Ports pulled for that kind of thing.
All of the splashes would be better if you could retain Ports. I understand that this is the "duh" of all issues, but I think it needs to be said clearly. If none of your creatures are double blue (or double white, really), you are in a much more commanding position to dictate who gets which lands with the sorts of builds we have been seeing discussed here and on The Source. I would love to see some real innovation with seeing the land issue from a different angle.
Back in the stone ages, I messed with Hierarchs to address this issue. It essentially worked (and had the side effect of making the 3-drops much better), albeit at a different time. But the deal is the same now. How can you squeeze it all in?
1. I can exist with no nourishment, waiting if I need to.
2. I enter a living host.
3. I eat the host from the inside, out, destroying it as I go.
4. I reproduce.
5. Until it dies, I alter the host's behavior, turning it into a vehicle for me to find new hosts
Do I exist? If so, what am I?
(Not hard, but there may be more than one answer)
No basics. 19 lands total. No acceleration. No defense for your disruption. That list has no appreciation for the amount of frustration you could cause it's pilot. You should be able to manhandle it just by aggressively taking out the mana supply with no alterations at all. For a good time board in some Ghost Quarters.
True Names are far less threatening when uselessly sitting in their hand. It would be even better if they side in extras.
I go after their mana very aggressively. This got me into trouble in the Treasure Cruise era. I think the lists were running more lands for awhile. I had to completely change my approach. Do you know what kind of lists your opponents are using?
Delver doesn't belong on these lists, as the power behind those decks is whichever one they run of Young Pyromancer and/or Monastery Mentor.
The deck is only named Delver because in older (pre-Pyromancer's printing) versions of the deck that ran some combination of Goyf, Delver, Mongoose, Geist and Edric as combat creatures, Delver was then the best of them. It wasn't a particularly great deck then. Pyromancer's printing took the deck from tier 2 to tier 1.
Thank you for not knowing what you are talking about in public.
@Finn
Isn't the value of Chrome Mox that it is a permanent white source and works well with maindeck Armageddon? Or are you just generically considering ways to burst into a faster start or an extra action on a turn?
It is just for the fast start. The game against Elves so often comes down to needing just one more mana.
Armageddon is a card that has been available since forever. Seeing one person top8 with it does not all of the sudden make it a good choice. Armageddon is a card that outs the game away once you are ahead. But lemme ask you something. When was the last time you were truly ahead and did not win?
@SwordstoTimeshares: At one point I found myself considering Elvish Spirit Guide coming in from the board against combo, especially Elves. In your groovy green splash, I have to wonder if it makes particular sense to give it a whirl if you dig the Chrome Mox.
All of the splashes would be better if you could retain Ports. I understand that this is the "duh" of all issues, but I think it needs to be said clearly. If none of your creatures are double blue (or double white, really), you are in a much more commanding position to dictate who gets which lands with the sorts of builds we have been seeing discussed here and on The Source. I would love to see some real innovation with seeing the land issue from a different angle.
Back in the stone ages, I messed with Hierarchs to address this issue. It essentially worked (and had the side effect of making the 3-drops much better), albeit at a different time. But the deal is the same now. How can you squeeze it all in?
2. I enter a living host.
3. I eat the host from the inside, out, destroying it as I go.
4. I reproduce.
5. Until it dies, I alter the host's behavior, turning it into a vehicle for me to find new hosts
Do I exist? If so, what am I?
(Not hard, but there may be more than one answer)
True Names are far less threatening when uselessly sitting in their hand. It would be even better if they side in extras.
Thank you for not knowing what you are talking about in public.
Troll/flame warning -Rax
Armageddon is a card that has been available since forever. Seeing one person top8 with it does not all of the sudden make it a good choice. Armageddon is a card that outs the game away once you are ahead. But lemme ask you something. When was the last time you were truly ahead and did not win?
Also, I think I am done with Spirit of the Lab for awhile.