Just looking for a little feedback. I've been slowly making my way towards some variation of the Glix list, but I feel like I have too many things going on.
Ideally, I surmise, opening hands will consist of acceleration, stax pieces, and either draw or a tutor engine (survival, pod, etc). Far too often my opening hands are missing one of those, or have no land hands. Causing me to throw the whole pile away and start mulliganing. My meta will often tear apart my permanents if I give them the opportunity. Without much draw in the deck, if I don't lock the board within the first 1-2 turns, I'll be in top deck mode without any way to reset the board.
Some thoughts on cards I run: Mystic Snake - Thus far, I've never been stymied by my own tax pieces to counter a spell. I could just run counterspell or arcane denial in its place. I've been testing him because he's been there. Venser, Shaper Savant - Versatile enough that I've liked him. But I could see myself replacing him if something great drops in the future. Reveillark - Played a game a few weeks back where I was podding through my deck to come up with a way to break someone else's win con. Made it to mid game, and needed a five drop to get me through. The only 5 drop I have is Willbreaker, and she was in hand. I don't love lark in this deck, as this isn't what I'm looking for at near the top of my curve. But I haven't found anything better yet. Sun Titan - Similar story to above, just with 6 drops. I've been on the fence about cutting this guy for a while now. He's a mid game piece, and I should have the game by the point I'd be able to use him. Yet I have it in my head that he's going to be the card to save me if I get stuck in a bad spot. *shrug* Thalia, Heretic Cathar - I've been running her in lieu of Root Maze. Was somewhat of a meta call, as I see Brago and Azami pretty frequently. She's either been great or worthless.
Tamiyo, Field Researcher - Haven't been able to test her extensively. I really like her on paper, and wish I drew into her more. Tezzeret, the Seeker - Loved him when I was playing Bant Goodstuff, and haven't made the cut yet. The deck doesn't break off of artifact untaps, and usually his -X will just get me pod. In that sense, another tutor or additional draw may be better in his place.
Lands - I'm a little light on green, and I need green more than anything. Working on the mana base as I go. Mystic Remora - I've tested this a few times now. It usually replaces itself, and sometimes nets one card. I haven't been in love with it, but I think it needs more testing. Rhystic Study - Another card I haven't loved. Fine on paper, but if I'm winning this seems like overkill, and if I'm not winning, this certainly isn't going to keep me in it. Nature's Revolt - Budget replacement for Living Plane. Was testing for synergy with Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobyte, but I've never had both in play at once. Revolt usually ends up being a dead draw unless I want a crapload of untap triggers. Unfortunately, casting this usually means tapping all my lands and not being able to attack with them. I think this will get the cut soon.
Remora and Study feel like they either come down early, before the tax pieces and people have the opportunity to play spells. Or they come down later, after I've broken parity, and others are having difficulty playing spells.
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Ideally, I surmise, opening hands will consist of acceleration, stax pieces, and either draw or a tutor engine (survival, pod, etc). Far too often my opening hands are missing one of those, or have no land hands. Causing me to throw the whole pile away and start mulliganing. My meta will often tear apart my permanents if I give them the opportunity. Without much draw in the deck, if I don't lock the board within the first 1-2 turns, I'll be in top deck mode without any way to reset the board.
I'm also missing a few critical pieces I'm waiting on due to budget. Linvala, Keeper of Silence, Gaea's Cradle, Mox Diamond, and Null Rod are a few examples. Here's the list, followed by a few thoughts.
1x Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
Creature (42)
1x Arbor Elf
1x Avacyn's Pilgrim
1x Aven Mindcensor
1x Birds of Paradise
1x Bloom Tender
1x Captain Sisay
1x Caustic Caterpillar
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Copperhorn Scout
1x Daring Thief
1x Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1x Elvish Mystic
1x Eternal Witness
1x Fauna Shaman
1x Fyndhorn Elves
1x Gaddock Teeg
1x Glen Elendra Archmage
1x Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
1x Hokori, Dust Drinker
1x Hushwing Gryff
1x Jace's Archivist
1x Kataki, War's Wage
1x Llanowar Elves
1x Lodestone Golem
1x Mentor of the Meek
1x Mystic Snake
1x Noble Hierarch
1x Reclamation Sage
1x Reveillark
1x Sakashima the Impostor
1x Scavenging Ooze
1x Scryb Ranger
1x Sun Titan
1x Thada Adel, Acquisitor
1x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1x Venser, Shaper Savant
1x Vryn Wingmare
1x Weathered Wayfarer
1x Willbreaker
1x Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
1x Tamiyo, Field Researcher
1x Tezzeret the Seeker
Land (32)
1x Adarkar Wastes
1x Breeding Pool
1x Brushland
1x Command Tower
1x Exotic Orchard
1x Flooded Strand
4x Forest
1x Gemstone Caverns
1x Glacial Fortress
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Hinterland Harbor
3x Island
1x Mana Confluence
1x Mystic Gate
1x Nimbus Maze
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
2x Plains
1x Polluted Delta
1x Prairie Stream
1x Strip Mine
1x Sungrass Prairie
1x Sunpetal Grove
1x Temple Garden
1x Windswept Heath
1x Wooded Foothills
1x Yavimaya Coast
Enchantment
1x Aura of Silence
1x Druids' Repository
1x Mystic Remora
1x Nature's Revolt
1x Rhystic Study
1x Stasis
1x Stony Silence
1x Survival of the Fittest
1x Sylvan Library
1x Birthing Pod
1x Chrome Mox
1x Mana Crypt
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Tangle Wire
1x Thorn of Amethyst
1x Trinisphere
1x Winter Orb
Instant
1x Chord of Calling
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Eladamri's Call
1x Enlightened Tutor
Sorcery
1x Green Sun's Zenith
Some thoughts on cards I run:
Mystic Snake - Thus far, I've never been stymied by my own tax pieces to counter a spell. I could just run counterspell or arcane denial in its place. I've been testing him because he's been there.
Venser, Shaper Savant - Versatile enough that I've liked him. But I could see myself replacing him if something great drops in the future.
Reveillark - Played a game a few weeks back where I was podding through my deck to come up with a way to break someone else's win con. Made it to mid game, and needed a five drop to get me through. The only 5 drop I have is Willbreaker, and she was in hand. I don't love lark in this deck, as this isn't what I'm looking for at near the top of my curve. But I haven't found anything better yet.
Sun Titan - Similar story to above, just with 6 drops. I've been on the fence about cutting this guy for a while now. He's a mid game piece, and I should have the game by the point I'd be able to use him. Yet I have it in my head that he's going to be the card to save me if I get stuck in a bad spot. *shrug*
Thalia, Heretic Cathar - I've been running her in lieu of Root Maze. Was somewhat of a meta call, as I see Brago and Azami pretty frequently. She's either been great or worthless.
Tamiyo, Field Researcher - Haven't been able to test her extensively. I really like her on paper, and wish I drew into her more.
Tezzeret, the Seeker - Loved him when I was playing Bant Goodstuff, and haven't made the cut yet. The deck doesn't break off of artifact untaps, and usually his -X will just get me pod. In that sense, another tutor or additional draw may be better in his place.
Lands - I'm a little light on green, and I need green more than anything. Working on the mana base as I go.
Mystic Remora - I've tested this a few times now. It usually replaces itself, and sometimes nets one card. I haven't been in love with it, but I think it needs more testing.
Rhystic Study - Another card I haven't loved. Fine on paper, but if I'm winning this seems like overkill, and if I'm not winning, this certainly isn't going to keep me in it.
Nature's Revolt - Budget replacement for Living Plane. Was testing for synergy with Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobyte, but I've never had both in play at once. Revolt usually ends up being a dead draw unless I want a crapload of untap triggers. Unfortunately, casting this usually means tapping all my lands and not being able to attack with them. I think this will get the cut soon.
Some things I need to acquire or test:
Mana Vault - A decent replacement for the Mox I'm missing.
Loyal Retainers + Jin Gitaxis, Core Augur is something I've wanted to try to make Survival of the Fittest feel more worthwhile.
I've been considering Seedborn Muse as a means to break Captain Sisay or Yisan, the Wanderer Bard, but it's hard to abuse otherwise.
Glowrider, Static Orb, and Sphere of Resistance as other taxers.
Eidolon of Rhetoric style cards.
Carpet of Flowers
How can you say Rhystic Study and Mystic Remora are not worth it when you play tax? o.0
Remora and Study feel like they either come down early, before the tax pieces and people have the opportunity to play spells. Or they come down later, after I've broken parity, and others are having difficulty playing spells.