I really like the Spirits version. I suggest probably playing 4 Remorseful Clerics, because at the end of the day, a 2/1 flyer is good and fills up that 2 drop spot. and 4 Unsummons. I wouldn't bother with Icon of Ancestry and just add more threats. Especially when your version has other creature types like Angels. Rally of Wings would work as well.
You can also have 2 Sephara's for fun and it does stop a lot of sweepers.
Fair points. I've been testing some on Cockatrice and it might be coincidence, but I've run into a lot of Shifting Ceratops, which is another point in favor of additional white bodies. I also found myself missing land drops on occasion, and missing white mana in particular a startling percentage of the time. Made the following changes, looking good so far:
How are people finding U Tempo now? I felt that Teferi would kill the deck, but he just means you need to have counters up on turn 3 for those frequent Esper matchups. Less people are running counterspells and to a lesser extent instants due to Teferi so we have more game here than before.
We also picked up the Ghost Pirate. A 1/1 flash flier with late game draw is a big deal IMO. I've run him into red decks which would mountain+shock a traditional 1 drop, but instead we wait for them to play their T2 and then flash him in.
Post rotation theres posibility that Ghost Pirate and the +1 counter on other peoples turns merfolk could form a similar deck to what we have here, but with the loss of curious obsession in particular I'm not sure what, if any, blue based tempo is going to pick up the reigns when this deck is gone.
Edit: Wow, just got Ceratops'd. Uncounterable, pro blue, reach? Love that this type of colour hate is back in the game. I thought their new philosophy was to reduce the number of non-games?
I ran this again tonight for FNM, went 3-1 (lost to Feather + Reckless Rage, combo is just silly). I swapped in 4x Spectral Sailor for 4x Mist-cloaked Herald, and replaced the Replicate // Repudiates with Tale's End, which is just a straight upgrade (now counters Threeferi AND Blast Zone eruption).
It was fun, but I think I'm done with this deck. There are some other weird combinations I want to play with for the short window that we have before rotation, but for anyone still interested in running mono blue, I think it's still a solid choice.
It's bad, and Blast Zone isn't even seeing much play right now. Teferi is still everywhere though.
So I found myself uninspired to build a new standard deck, and ended up running this for the last few weeks at the local FNM and standard nights. Went 3-1 or 4-0 every time, so I can't say I regret it.
Of note, I did put three copies of Repudiate // Replicate in, and it has been amazing. Maybe it's just my local meta, but I HAVE been seeing Blast Zone played a decent bit (sometimes out of the board). Countering a random PW activation has also been pretty back-breaking. Sadly, doesn't work on Threeferi's bounce, but as long as there's more than one creature on the board, he still dies the same turn he comes down.
With Empyrean Eagle being kind enough to carry the Spirit subtype (that was a pleasant surprise), 20 out of 28 creatures share a tribe, and they all fly, so the anthem effects are pretty generous. I might be too heavily skewed towards blue in the mana base, as I had a few test games where I was missing white for several turns, or missing a second white to make multiple plays in a turn. On the other hand, the breakdown of devotion IS heavily biased towards blue, so it may have just been bad luck. I haven't played enough games for a statistically significant conclusion to be drawn.
Might need one or two more pieces of protection, i.e. Gods Willing or Dive Down. I'll keep testing, the deck IS fun.
Teferi is painful because it's one extra card that we cannot let Esper resolve. I think it makes our match up vs. Esper worse but all in all we can still beat that deck.
I'm WAY more worried about Blast Zone. Blast Zone for 1 does not have any answer and hits us very hard by taking out the numerous 1 drops and obsession. We are also not fast enough to race what essentially is a CMC 4 card. And that is a card that will show up post-board in 100% of the match ups - if mono-u ever becomes a force again.
War is really, really bad news for this deck :/
Does Repudiate // Replicate help, perhaps? Might be tough to keep the two mana open once they hit three lands, but it IS a valid counter to BZ and a huge tempo boost if we pull it off.
Yeah, there's nothing about overload that rely reflects any color's claims on the color pie. I think Izzet made sense for debuting this mechanic since it's instant/sorcery only, but by no means is it iconically blue or red.
I'm trying to make this work, too. With regard to the mana, I'm definitely going to try Unclaimed Territory. It's no Shambling Vent, but we're going to have to make due until we get enemy checklands.
Solidarity is awesome in this. Im thinking UG Hydra to use Kiora's Follower to ramp nykthos big- maybe even Use 2 Kruphix, God of Horizons to really blow up a broodmother or polukranos. Also blue lets us use battlefield thaumaturge to make solidarity that much better, and lets us consider other strive cards. Artisan of forms? I am just starting to delve into this
Unfortunately, I think the Thaumaturge is just a win-more. We don't need to cast lots of strive spells or hit lots of targets. Solidarity really ought to be a "finisher" with one fat hydra on the field, two max.
I see where you're going with this, but is it really worth giving up Tenth District Legionnaire, Dreadhorde Archanist, etc.?
I see where you're going with this, but is it really worth giving up Tenth District Legionnaire, Dreadhorde Archanist, etc.?
Fair points. I've been testing some on Cockatrice and it might be coincidence, but I've run into a lot of Shifting Ceratops, which is another point in favor of additional white bodies. I also found myself missing land drops on occasion, and missing white mana in particular a startling percentage of the time. Made the following changes, looking good so far:
4x Hallowed Fountain
4x Glacial Fortress
9x Island
6x Plains
Creatures (28):
2x Dungeon Geists
4x Empyrean Eagle
4x Hanged Executioner
2x Remorseful Cleric
2x Sephara, Sky's Blade
2x Shalai, Voice of Plenty
4x Siren Stormtamer
4x Spectral Sailor
4x Supreme Phantom
4x Favorable Winds
Spells (5):
1x Unbreakable Formation
4x Winged Words
4x Cerulean Drake
2x Remorseful Cleric
4x Sky Tether
2x Lazotep Plating
3x Negate
I ran this again tonight for FNM, went 3-1 (lost to Feather + Reckless Rage, combo is just silly). I swapped in 4x Spectral Sailor for 4x Mist-cloaked Herald, and replaced the Replicate // Repudiates with Tale's End, which is just a straight upgrade (now counters Threeferi AND Blast Zone eruption).
It was fun, but I think I'm done with this deck. There are some other weird combinations I want to play with for the short window that we have before rotation, but for anyone still interested in running mono blue, I think it's still a solid choice.
So I found myself uninspired to build a new standard deck, and ended up running this for the last few weeks at the local FNM and standard nights. Went 3-1 or 4-0 every time, so I can't say I regret it.
Of note, I did put three copies of Repudiate // Replicate in, and it has been amazing. Maybe it's just my local meta, but I HAVE been seeing Blast Zone played a decent bit (sometimes out of the board). Countering a random PW activation has also been pretty back-breaking. Sadly, doesn't work on Threeferi's bounce, but as long as there's more than one creature on the board, he still dies the same turn he comes down.
4x Hallowed Fountain
4x Glacial Fortress
9x Island
5x Plains
Creatures (28):
3x Dungeon Geists
4x Empyrean Eagle
4x Hanged Executioner
1x Remorseful Cleric
2x Sephara, Sky's Blade
2x Shalai, Voice of Plenty
4x Siren Stormtamer
4x Spectral Sailor
4x Supreme Phantom
2x Icon of Ancestry
3x Favorable Winds
Spells (5):
1x Unbreakable Formation
4x Winged Words
4x Cerulean Drake
2x Remorseful Cleric
4x Sky Tether
2x Lazotep Plating
3x Negate
With Empyrean Eagle being kind enough to carry the Spirit subtype (that was a pleasant surprise), 20 out of 28 creatures share a tribe, and they all fly, so the anthem effects are pretty generous. I might be too heavily skewed towards blue in the mana base, as I had a few test games where I was missing white for several turns, or missing a second white to make multiple plays in a turn. On the other hand, the breakdown of devotion IS heavily biased towards blue, so it may have just been bad luck. I haven't played enough games for a statistically significant conclusion to be drawn.
Might need one or two more pieces of protection, i.e. Gods Willing or Dive Down. I'll keep testing, the deck IS fun.
Does Repudiate // Replicate help, perhaps? Might be tough to keep the two mana open once they hit three lands, but it IS a valid counter to BZ and a huge tempo boost if we pull it off.
It can target anything, it just doesn't give the buff unless it's 2 power. It's a strictly better Prey Upon, it's fine.
Unfortunately, I think the Thaumaturge is just a win-more. We don't need to cast lots of strive spells or hit lots of targets. Solidarity really ought to be a "finisher" with one fat hydra on the field, two max.
Ooh, I really like Solidarity for a hydra deck.