With all this talk of Taniwha being a crappy general I was affronted as a Johnny and decided to make him work. Right now I feel the list is leaning more towards 1v1 so it needs some changes to survive in multiplayer so I may have to drop some of the control enchantments that would probably just piss people off and make me a target. As far as single player goes, it does reasonably well but I find myself wanting more card draw as well as sharp pointy things for Taniwha to wield. Typically I lay out Taniwha as early as possible, 2nd or 3rd turn with a good hand, and just swing away after dropping some enchantments.
I've tried to group spells with similar effects together under the categories in the list, so removal, draw etc should all be in groups.
As far as deck restrictions go, I hate infinite combos so I don't want any in here. My budget is about $30 max for an individual card.
Obviously with a general like Taniwha you need to use his drawback to your advantage, hence the auto includes of sunder and worldslayer. I thought about the mycosinthe lattice route but it just feels too unfun and I'd need to cut too many cards to make it work. Some cards are chosen more for tapdown/phasing flavor than actual strength.
General idea of this deck: If I can't have my lands than why should you get yours?
Creatures
Mist Dragon, Ulamog and the Kraken all wield worldslayer like a pro, and the kraken has the benefit of being suspended for a post apocalyptic board.
I feel Riptide Shapeshifter is really good in this deck, except for the wizard/humans most of my creatures types only appear once in the deck making it an excellent creature tutor.
I'm not 100% sold on Tidespout Tyrant, he just doesn't seem to have enough of an impact when I get him into play and he costs a ton for not that big a body.
Instants
Since I can't afford Force of Will, Pact of Negation and Foil are there to protect Taniwha while my lands are phased out. Still looking for more free counterspells.
I always like to include Reins of Power in my blue decks as an alternate win condition. At worst it acts as a fog for a turn or removes a creation in combination with High Market.
Sorceries
Reality Strobe is one of my favorite cards, although sadly it's probably just not good enough. Still, I love that its recurring bounce every 3 turns.
Enchantments
Reality Acid is another one of my favorites, and blue doesn't have much in the way of permanent removal. I feel I have enough bounce sources to justify at least testing it.
Dream Tides and Embargo keep nonlands locked down for me if things get out of control though sadly they work against me too.
Back to Basics, Rising Water and Shimmer work beautifully together screwing over both mono and multicolored decks. Land equilibrium is another beautiful card; it stops everybody every other turn when my lands phase out and keeps ramp decks in check.
Mana Vortex is also great, only affecting me every other turn.
Artifact
I'm not sure if SoLaS is the right sword to include or if I should even include any swords at all. I do like that it brings back my creatures and offsets the life loss from Embargo and Mana Vault.
Fireshrieker I feel is necessary to get as much mileage out of Taniwha as possible since I only get to attack every other turn.
Lands
Teferi's Isle - crappy, but obligatory for the phasing
Hall of the Bandit Lord so I can swing with Taniwha immediately.
And of course snow lands for that small advantage.
Cards I've Considered
Stasis is probably noticeable absent, but I have no way to really abuse it as it affects me equally and I have no way to guarantee :U: each turn. Sands of Time, Temporal Distortion and Teferi's Isle all have the same problem as Stasis.
I'm considering Vanishing for the phasing and extra removal, great for getting rid of a general indefinitely. Mana has usually been tight in my playtesting and I'm afraid I won't have lands untapped to pay for it. (And by tight I don't mean I don't draw enough lands, I just usually end up tapped out alot) Proteus Staff is another removal piece I was considering, not sure if it's worth it though as I always fear I'll just flip my opponent an even stronger creature than I got rid of. Good for tucking generals I guess though, don't have enough deck stacking to use it on my own stuff though. Fatespinner looks fun to play with it's one sidedness is good, weak body though and I can't see taking out anything for it. Web of Inertia - to easy to exile a card that it usually won't work.
I don't feel Teferi's Efreet is good enough if I can't use it's phasing ability during my opponent's turn.
I want to include Linessa, Zephyr Mage, much cheaper than the Tyrant and fills the same role, might switch them.
I originally had disrupting shoal as one more free counter for when my lands phase out, it just never worked out and was always too much of a gamble.
Lastly, another favorite quicksilver fountain for mana screw. As usual it was just to slow and I always wished it was something else when I drew it.
So if I were to say "you're a complete douchebag who has his head up his ass so far he's using his own eyeballs as glasses," you'd simply shrug it off?
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.
So if I were to say "you're a complete douchebag who has his head up his ass so far he's using his own eyeballs as glasses," you'd simply shrug it off?
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.
Is my deck that perfect no one need comment on it!?
Took out SoLaS and testing grappling hook to give my general a faster clock.
Took out embargo and put in heidar, rimewind master. Better than Linessa and allows me to repeatedly abuse the drake, leviathon, brine, sakashima, venser, duplicant, reality acid etc. Embargo wasn't doing much for me anyway since it locked my stuff down without a way to untap.
So if I were to say "you're a complete douchebag who has his head up his ass so far he's using his own eyeballs as glasses," you'd simply shrug it off?
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.
I've tried to group spells with similar effects together under the categories in the list, so removal, draw etc should all be in groups.
As far as deck restrictions go, I hate infinite combos so I don't want any in here. My budget is about $30 max for an individual card.
Obviously with a general like Taniwha you need to use his drawback to your advantage, hence the auto includes of sunder and worldslayer. I thought about the mycosinthe lattice route but it just feels too unfun and I'd need to cut too many cards to make it work. Some cards are chosen more for tapdown/phasing flavor than actual strength.
General idea of this deck: If I can't have my lands than why should you get yours?
1 Taniwha
Creatures
1 Mist Dragon
1 Deep-Sea Kraken
1 Brine Elemental
1 Lorthos, the Tidemaker
1 Kederekt Leviathon
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1 Tidespout Tyrant
1 Heidar, Rimewind Master
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Gilded Drake
1 Sakashima the Imposter
1 Duplicant
1 Riptide Shapeshifter
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Teferi, Mage of Zalfir
1 Arcanis the Omnipotent
1 Mnemonic Wall
Instants
1 Pact of Negation
1 Foil
1 Spelljack
1 Hinder
1 Pongify
1 Spin Into Myth
1 Capsize
1 Evacuation
1 Sunder
1 Gigadrowse
1 Reins of Power
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 High Tide
1 Mind Spring
1 All is Dust
1 Reality Strobe
1 Inundate
Enchantments
1 Rhystic Study
1 Future Sight
1 Reality Acid
1 Dream Tides
1 Embargo
1 Frozen Aether
1 Back to Basics
1 Shimmer
1 Land Equilibrium
1 Rising Water
1 Mana Vortex
Artifacts
1 Lightning Grieves
1 Grappling Hook
1 Fireshrieker
1 Worldslayer
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Gauntlet of Power
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Journeyer's Kite
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Expedition Map
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Jace Beleren
Lands
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Teferi's Isle
1 Strip Mine
1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
1 High Market
1 Academy Ruins
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Mouth of Ronom
30 Snow-Covered Island
Some Card Choices
Mist Dragon, Ulamog and the Kraken all wield worldslayer like a pro, and the kraken has the benefit of being suspended for a post apocalyptic board.
I feel Riptide Shapeshifter is really good in this deck, except for the wizard/humans most of my creatures types only appear once in the deck making it an excellent creature tutor.
I'm not 100% sold on Tidespout Tyrant, he just doesn't seem to have enough of an impact when I get him into play and he costs a ton for not that big a body.
Instants
Since I can't afford Force of Will, Pact of Negation and Foil are there to protect Taniwha while my lands are phased out. Still looking for more free counterspells.
I always like to include Reins of Power in my blue decks as an alternate win condition. At worst it acts as a fog for a turn or removes a creation in combination with High Market.
Sorceries
Reality Strobe is one of my favorite cards, although sadly it's probably just not good enough. Still, I love that its recurring bounce every 3 turns.
Enchantments
Reality Acid is another one of my favorites, and blue doesn't have much in the way of permanent removal. I feel I have enough bounce sources to justify at least testing it.
Dream Tides and Embargo keep nonlands locked down for me if things get out of control though sadly they work against me too.
Back to Basics, Rising Water and Shimmer work beautifully together screwing over both mono and multicolored decks. Land equilibrium is another beautiful card; it stops everybody every other turn when my lands phase out and keeps ramp decks in check.
Mana Vortex is also great, only affecting me every other turn.
Artifact
I'm not sure if SoLaS is the right sword to include or if I should even include any swords at all. I do like that it brings back my creatures and offsets the life loss from Embargo and Mana Vault.
Fireshrieker I feel is necessary to get as much mileage out of Taniwha as possible since I only get to attack every other turn.
Lands
Teferi's Isle - crappy, but obligatory for the phasing
Hall of the Bandit Lord so I can swing with Taniwha immediately.
And of course snow lands for that small advantage.
Cards I've Considered
Sands of Time, Temporal Distortion and Teferi's Isle all have the same problem as Stasis.
I'm considering Vanishing for the phasing and extra removal, great for getting rid of a general indefinitely. Mana has usually been tight in my playtesting and I'm afraid I won't have lands untapped to pay for it. (And by tight I don't mean I don't draw enough lands, I just usually end up tapped out alot)
Proteus Staff is another removal piece I was considering, not sure if it's worth it though as I always fear I'll just flip my opponent an even stronger creature than I got rid of. Good for tucking generals I guess though, don't have enough deck stacking to use it on my own stuff though.
Fatespinner looks fun to play with it's one sidedness is good, weak body though and I can't see taking out anything for it.
Web of Inertia - to easy to exile a card that it usually won't work.
I don't feel Teferi's Efreet is good enough if I can't use it's phasing ability during my opponent's turn.
I want to include Linessa, Zephyr Mage, much cheaper than the Tyrant and fills the same role, might switch them.
I originally had disrupting shoal as one more free counter for when my lands phase out, it just never worked out and was always too much of a gamble.
Lastly, another favorite quicksilver fountain for mana screw. As usual it was just to slow and I always wished it was something else when I drew it.
Changes
+1 Blue Sun's Zenith
-1 SoLaS
-1 Embargo
+1 Grappling Hook
+1 Heidar, Rimewind Master
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.
Took out SoLaS and testing grappling hook to give my general a faster clock.
Took out embargo and put in heidar, rimewind master. Better than Linessa and allows me to repeatedly abuse the drake, leviathon, brine, sakashima, venser, duplicant, reality acid etc. Embargo wasn't doing much for me anyway since it locked my stuff down without a way to untap.
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.
Currently playing:
UW Modern Tron WU
UR Modern Storm RU
UW [CARD]Rasputin Dreamweaver
[/CARD] UW