Mono-Blue Merfolk and an unusual Mono-Blue Tempo deck with a slight white splash for sideboard options win, while Red Affinity, Melira Pod, UB Tempo, and Black Splash Merfolk get close.
UW Polymorph Tokens and Jund win, while Bant Aggro (4 Meddling Mage maindeck--does duparcqG know the meta really well?), Exarch Twin, two Esper Teachings, two more Jund, Twin Pod (how that deck supports 5 colours, I'll never figure it out), two Martyr Proc, an unusual BW Tokens deck, and UR Storm get close.
Boros Deck Wins, an unusual Mono-White Tokens deck with a lot of Martyr Proc's or Soul Sisters's creature base, Martyr Proc, and UW Tron win, while two Melira Pod (Tree of Redemption in the sideboard is interesting), Esper Teachings, that Patriot White Weenie list, four(!) Jund, Red Affinity (one splashes blue for Thoughtcast), another UW Tron, UR Storm, BG Smallpox, and Rakdos Deck Wins get close.
UB Tempo (moving it out of Rogue--the deck is built on solid principles and it wins enough, too) wins, while Mono-White Tokens (Worship main), Twin Pod, Mono-Blue Merfolk (it's always qbturtle15--must be a very solid pilot), three UR Storm, and BG Smallpox get close.
Mono-Blue Merfolk and UB Tempo win, while Combo Elves, BG Smallpox (no Bob--packs Bloodghast instead, and that guy is increasingly disappointing me), UR Storm, Exarch Twin (note they aren't packing Firespout maindeck anymore and prefer Lightning Bolt instead--a more tempo direction?), Melira Pod, Tezz Affinity, and Red Affinity get close.
Erayo Affinity, Tezz Affinity, and UW Tron win, while UR Storm, another two UW Tron, two Martyr Proc, Exarch Twin, Death and Taxes, Death Cloud, two Jund, Tempered Steel Affinity (has Steelshaper's Gift as extra Cranial Plating copies), Melira Pod, and Boom/Bust Zoo get close.
They have many ways of drawing cards and generating mana, but only 1 way of removing teeg. That is burning wish for a Grape Shot. If you played teeg on your 2nd turn. ANT or TES can't remove it until their 4th turn unless they want to sink some rituals into it. Either way, you are getting at minimum 1 card and 1 turn.
TES can also Burning Wish for Deathmark or Silent Departure, which both axe Teeg for at least one turn. If they're on the draw and you slam down Teeg on Turn 2, TES can theoretically boot him on Turn 3 with only 1 mana down.
My friend said I am not running enough threats in my deck. He said that running 5 mana dorks will cause me some problems.
What do you guys think? Take the birds out for a goyf or something else?
What with 3 Green Sun's Zenith (search for Dryad Arbor 1st turn), you practically run 10 mana dorks (counting the Arbor). The GSZ's are also extra copies of your big threats, so 3 of your "mana dorks" are actually some combination of a mana dork and a finisher. Remember to use your GSZ's wisely.
Infernal Tutor only searches for anything you want if you have no hand when it resolves. It also requires some tricky black mana. Burning Wish is miles better in Belcher, which loves red mana and can't empty its hand reliably.
People should seriously stick Past in Flames in Belcher wishboards more often. It doesn't do the same thing as Diminishing Returns (which plays the role of Yawg Bargain), but PiF can let you go off again after a failed attempt pretty dang easily, and it's much easier on the mana base.
It's a preemptive Blood Moon killer. If you're Jund or Gifts Rock, say, it's tough to continuously leave mana open for Krosan Grip or something. Just cast a Seal of Primordium while your nonbasic lands can still produce green mana and let them run Blood Moon into it.
Zoo won't run it because it runs Qasali Pridemage, which basically does the same thing and beats for 2, possibly with Exalted, in the meantime.
For this deck, I think the 2 and 4 mana spots are going to be huge. What do people think of Wrench Mind for the 2 mana spot? Obviously, you have removal but this would go along side the removal. I just have a feeling that in my meta there will be a lot of combo and/or control.
Wrench Mind? You're running BR. Rise//Fall is the way to go. Random discard is tons better than letting them ditch the worst cards in their hand, especially if you're up against Affinity or any deck that runs Thirst for Knowledge. Admittedly, Fall sometimes bricks on lands, but it's better than your opponent having a choice.
And no, I don't get Manamorphose. It's also 2 cmc, and I don't like possibly wasting mana in a deck like this.
Or you can bin Unburial Rites and Grave Titan only, then flashback the Rites successfully guaranteed. However, if you're also tossing in Cruel Ultimatum, Argentum's pile is better.
If youre going to run thirst for knowledge, you should be playing 6-10 artifacts at the minimum. This shouldnt be that hard.
A lot of Thirst for Knowledge's purpose in Esper Reanimator Gifts is to ditch your fatties and filter your hand. As long as the Thirst numbers are reasonably low, I don't think you need to stick that many artifacts in your Esper Reanimator Gifts deck.
Cryptic Command is much, much better than Familiar's Ruse in Teachings. Unlike Ruse, it's never dead, as countering a spell then fogging aggro or bouncing a troublesome permanent and cantripping is always useful. After that, when your opponent is down to casting 1 spell a turn or fewer (if you've stabilized against aggro, your opponent should now be down to this unless you're against Jund), Tiago flashing back Cryptic Command and bouncing himself upon resolution is absolutely back-breaking. When your opponent topdecks lands, draw cards or find a finisher and you should be good.
In finisher-light builds (no fatty for Teferi, maybe WSZ (Esper) or Comet Storm (Grixis) at most along with manlands, Tiago, and maybe V. Clique), I often search for Cryptic Command with Mystical Teachings, as getting two shots out of it with Tiago and still keeping him in reserve is just that good.
Esper Teachings (Teachings finally gets in the 4-0 circle!) and Tezz Affinity win, while Grixis Tempo, Jund, two Red Affinity decks, and Twin Pod get close.
Twin Pod and Death and Taxes win, while two Melira Pod, two Jund, Exarch Twin, an unusual Seismic Swans deck (I'm surprised it doesn't run more manlands), another Death and Taxes, Dimir Teachings, Black Splash Merfolk, RDW (I have absolutely no clue why it uses Steam Vents--it has no blue spells in its 75), UW Control, and Tezz Affinity get close.
Two Jund, Esper Teachings, and Melira Pod win (55 players--what can I say), while two UR Storm, Martyr Proc (with Hide//Seek), RDW, Esper Teachings, three Red Affinity, UB Tempo (rather 3-drops heavy), three Jund, and an unusual Patriot White Weenie deck get close.
Jund and Esper Teachings win, while three UW Tron, Red Affinity, UB Tempo, Mono-Blue Merfolk (Vapor Snag?!? Also has unusual sideboard choices), and Martyr Proc (with Honor of the Pure) get close.
UW Tron and Jund win, while Red Affinity, Esper Reanimator Gifts, Melira Pod, another two UW Tron, two Black Splash Merfolk, Mono-Blue Merfolk, Martyr Proc, UR Storm, and an unusual White Weenie Knights deck (I'm categorizing it under Knights for now) get close.
Jund now has more 4-0's and 4 fewer total 3-1's and 4-0's combined than UR Storm. Will the metagame shift towards attempting to stifle a solid Rock-like deck?
Wild Nacatl is banned, so since you already run the full Ape and Lion numbers, try Goblin Guide (if you couldn't find fetches) or Steppe Lynx (if you got 8+ fetches).
The rest of your creature base doesn't look shabby, but I wouldn't run 19 lands. Probably ditch a Bloodbraid Elf or Ajani V. for a land.
The Mindslaver lock is "established" as soon as you put it on top of your library with Academy Ruins, you ruin their next turn with the Slaver, and Ruins is still alive at the end of it all. They can respond to the first Slaver crack with Trickbind and the Ruins ability with Extirpate/Surgical Extraction, though, and they can also smack Ruins with Tectonic Edge/Ghost Quarter to prevent you from getting a second crack at it.
I'd say Trinisphere is about as good as Thorn of Amethyst. Ethersworn Canonist and Rule of Law (can't believe I forgot about it as security) are godly, as they slow UR Storm to a crawl unless dealt with, but unless Storm has Pyromancer Ascension active, Thorn and Trini can often do the job. If Storm has an active Ascension, however, those two artifacts are hooped. Storm will gladly pay 3 mana to get 6 mana with a Pyretic Ritual, and once it draws its deck, not even Mindbreak Trap will save you.
Control runs a bunch of spot removal and a few sweepers, along with counterspells. Their draw spells either get online very late or only draw 2 cards. Bloodbraid Elf is 2 cards by itself, and Bob is a draw engine on legs, so both give control headaches. Targeted discard, Rise//Fall, and Blightning also put a wrench in control's plans by either taking out their best cards or forcing them to ditch two. Kitchen Finks is also surprisingly good against control--it's efficient enough at the aggro role, and the only common removal that won't let it return from the dead is Path to Exile. Some Jund lists run Thrun, and the only way control can really deal with him is by playing Wrath of God/Damnation or getting him chump-blocked endlessly (White Sun's Zenith/Worm Harvest/Grave Titan/Meloku the Clouded Mirror). Liliana of the Veil keeps control's hand size down and forces their later fatties (or just their V. Cliques) to perform hara-kiri. I'd say Jund does quite well against control--heck, I've tested Teachings against it, and its inevitability doesn't quite apply against Jund.
Mono-Blue Merfolk and an unusual Mono-Blue Tempo deck with a slight white splash for sideboard options win, while Red Affinity, Melira Pod, UB Tempo, and Black Splash Merfolk get close.
4th Modern Daily on 1/2/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193443
UW Polymorph Tokens and Jund win, while Bant Aggro (4 Meddling Mage maindeck--does duparcqG know the meta really well?), Exarch Twin, two Esper Teachings, two more Jund, Twin Pod (how that deck supports 5 colours, I'll never figure it out), two Martyr Proc, an unusual BW Tokens deck, and UR Storm get close.
5th Modern Daily on 1/2/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193457
Boros Deck Wins, an unusual Mono-White Tokens deck with a lot of Martyr Proc's or Soul Sisters's creature base, Martyr Proc, and UW Tron win, while two Melira Pod (Tree of Redemption in the sideboard is interesting), Esper Teachings, that Patriot White Weenie list, four(!) Jund, Red Affinity (one splashes blue for Thoughtcast), another UW Tron, UR Storm, BG Smallpox, and Rakdos Deck Wins get close.
1st Modern Daily on 1/3/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193479
UB Tempo (moving it out of Rogue--the deck is built on solid principles and it wins enough, too) wins, while Mono-White Tokens (Worship main), Twin Pod, Mono-Blue Merfolk (it's always qbturtle15--must be a very solid pilot), three UR Storm, and BG Smallpox get close.
2nd Modern Daily on 1/3/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193472
Mono-Blue Merfolk and UB Tempo win, while Combo Elves, BG Smallpox (no Bob--packs Bloodghast instead, and that guy is increasingly disappointing me), UR Storm, Exarch Twin (note they aren't packing Firespout maindeck anymore and prefer Lightning Bolt instead--a more tempo direction?), Melira Pod, Tezz Affinity, and Red Affinity get close.
3rd Modern Daily on 1/3/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193466
Erayo Affinity, Tezz Affinity, and UW Tron win, while UR Storm, another two UW Tron, two Martyr Proc, Exarch Twin, Death and Taxes, Death Cloud, two Jund, Tempered Steel Affinity (has Steelshaper's Gift as extra Cranial Plating copies), Melira Pod, and Boom/Bust Zoo get close.
Coyping a Storm spell just puts an extra copy on the stack. Since it was never actually cast, it won't create its own Storm copies.
TES can also Burning Wish for Deathmark or Silent Departure, which both axe Teeg for at least one turn. If they're on the draw and you slam down Teeg on Turn 2, TES can theoretically boot him on Turn 3 with only 1 mana down.
What with 3 Green Sun's Zenith (search for Dryad Arbor 1st turn), you practically run 10 mana dorks (counting the Arbor). The GSZ's are also extra copies of your big threats, so 3 of your "mana dorks" are actually some combination of a mana dork and a finisher. Remember to use your GSZ's wisely.
Infernal Tutor only searches for anything you want if you have no hand when it resolves. It also requires some tricky black mana. Burning Wish is miles better in Belcher, which loves red mana and can't empty its hand reliably.
People should seriously stick Past in Flames in Belcher wishboards more often. It doesn't do the same thing as Diminishing Returns (which plays the role of Yawg Bargain), but PiF can let you go off again after a failed attempt pretty dang easily, and it's much easier on the mana base.
Zoo won't run it because it runs Qasali Pridemage, which basically does the same thing and beats for 2, possibly with Exalted, in the meantime.
Wrench Mind? You're running BR. Rise//Fall is the way to go. Random discard is tons better than letting them ditch the worst cards in their hand, especially if you're up against Affinity or any deck that runs Thirst for Knowledge. Admittedly, Fall sometimes bricks on lands, but it's better than your opponent having a choice.
And no, I don't get Manamorphose. It's also 2 cmc, and I don't like possibly wasting mana in a deck like this.
On the other hand, that guy eats removal all the time, while you can pop Kami in response and fog for a turn.
Sentry doesn't prevent swings. Kami does. Sentry possibly kills guys. Kami never does. Take your pick.
A lot of Thirst for Knowledge's purpose in Esper Reanimator Gifts is to ditch your fatties and filter your hand. As long as the Thirst numbers are reasonably low, I don't think you need to stick that many artifacts in your Esper Reanimator Gifts deck.
In finisher-light builds (no fatty for Teferi, maybe WSZ (Esper) or Comet Storm (Grixis) at most along with manlands, Tiago, and maybe V. Clique), I often search for Cryptic Command with Mystical Teachings, as getting two shots out of it with Tiago and still keeping him in reserve is just that good.
Esper Teachings (Teachings finally gets in the 4-0 circle!) and Tezz Affinity win, while Grixis Tempo, Jund, two Red Affinity decks, and Twin Pod get close.
4th Modern Daily on 1/1/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193402
Twin Pod and Death and Taxes win, while two Melira Pod, two Jund, Exarch Twin, an unusual Seismic Swans deck (I'm surprised it doesn't run more manlands), another Death and Taxes, Dimir Teachings, Black Splash Merfolk, RDW (I have absolutely no clue why it uses Steam Vents--it has no blue spells in its 75), UW Control, and Tezz Affinity get close.
5th Modern Daily of 1/1/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193407
Two Jund, Esper Teachings, and Melira Pod win (55 players--what can I say), while two UR Storm, Martyr Proc (with Hide//Seek), RDW, Esper Teachings, three Red Affinity, UB Tempo (rather 3-drops heavy), three Jund, and an unusual Patriot White Weenie deck get close.
1st Modern Daily of 1/2/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193427
Jund and Esper Teachings win, while three UW Tron, Red Affinity, UB Tempo, Mono-Blue Merfolk (Vapor Snag?!? Also has unusual sideboard choices), and Martyr Proc (with Honor of the Pure) get close.
2nd Modern Daily of 1/2/2012: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/3193419
UW Tron and Jund win, while Red Affinity, Esper Reanimator Gifts, Melira Pod, another two UW Tron, two Black Splash Merfolk, Mono-Blue Merfolk, Martyr Proc, UR Storm, and an unusual White Weenie Knights deck (I'm categorizing it under Knights for now) get close.
Jund now has more 4-0's and 4 fewer total 3-1's and 4-0's combined than UR Storm. Will the metagame shift towards attempting to stifle a solid Rock-like deck?
Try Path to Exile instead of Journey to Nowhere and Lightning Helix instead of Incinerate. Also try replacing Violent Outburst with Knight of the Reliquary (if you got 6+ fetches) or Goyf (if you can afford to).
Wild Nacatl is banned, so since you already run the full Ape and Lion numbers, try Goblin Guide (if you couldn't find fetches) or Steppe Lynx (if you got 8+ fetches).
The rest of your creature base doesn't look shabby, but I wouldn't run 19 lands. Probably ditch a Bloodbraid Elf or Ajani V. for a land.
The Slaver lock pile is probably Mindslaver-Academy Ruins-Crucible of Worlds/Life from the Loam (if you run green)-Buried Ruin/Noxious Revival/Tolaria West (if you run more than 1 Ruins)/Expedition Map (see Tolaria West)/Fourth Card (if you run LftL).