I'm trying to build a deck that casts enormous Epic Experiments off Plasm Capture and/or Mana Geyser. The Experiment then hits various absurd sorceries and hilarity ensues. My current list is
The game plan is to ramp and draw early until you're ready to pop off with a ramped-up payoff spell. It works reasonably well, but there's an issue with mana colors, as Mana Geyser produces only red which can be hard to work with. Ramp with no payoff and payoff with no ramp can also be rough. I have a number of cards in consideration and I'm trying to figure out the best, most consistent build.
Is burning wish allowed? Solves the no ramp/no payoff issue.
Don't forget about Spell Swindle as plasm captures 5-8 or as a replacement allowing you to drop green.
I was going to recommend manamorphose for filtering the mana geyser mana but they have gotten expensive lately.
Great suggestions! I had not even thought of Spell Swindle and I think you're spot-on that dropping green altogether is the way to go. The mana is incredibly easier when you don't have Plasm Capture and Mana Geyser trying to coexist. I'm currently testing
The splashy plays are absolutely hilarious and the ramp system works pretty well, as hardcasting the 7+ mana spells isn't even hard with the mana dorks but there are ample ways to spend big when you get supercharged by a Mana Geyser. The only issues remaining here are that the early to mid-game defenses are anemic and there's still a risk of not drawing both ramp and payoff in a given game. Burning Wish absolutely would crank the consistency way up and generally be an all-star but I think it would be frowned on.
Curious Homunculus and Steam Augury are probably the weakest links here, I wonder if something else could provide better defense and/or consistency while still contributing to the gameplan of ramp -> spell-based absurdity. Fact or Fiction has been an all-star at digging for whatever I need on turn 3 after a mana dork, but I haven't found other plays as effective at that point on the mana curve.
With a lot of cards with rather high CMC, Blast of Genius can deal quite some damage for some board control while also drawing you more cards. The 6 mana should be quite easy to come by. Depending on your opponents and the meta, this card could be more reliable than Recurring Insight.
Another idea, because you do also have quite a large number of red instants and sorceries, is Pyromancer's Goggles. Spend the red mana from that on an Experiment for double fun, or just get double the mana from a Geyser, among other possibilties. For example, you could circumvent the self-exile of Volcanic Vision by having the copy target the same card, so that the origial fizzles and goes to the graveyard. With two copies of that card, you can then even cycle one for the other each turn.
I think Peer Through Depths and/or Pieces of the Puzzle may be good fits to increase consistency of finding the right balance of ramp and payoff, as well as providing more low-mana options to ensure the deck doesn't stall out early. The rate on both starts looking excellent with a Goblin Electromancer effect in play and the increased card churn will flip Curious Homunculus faster as well.
I just need to figure out the right mix of the two (or whether one is just better) and what cuts to make. Probably Steam Augury and a couple duplicate copies of expensive or situational cards, as those will become easier to dig for when needed.
Peer is worse than Impulse, Manifold Insights makes Pieces look like a pile of trash and Fact or Fiction is orders of magnitude more powerful than Augury. All of these cards are also just broken so even if you don't have a Baral in play they're still ridiculously good to cast the fair way.
I don't really get the 5x Baral + Plasm Capture + EE build. It seems like a whole whack of nonbos. After all, you can't curve Baral into PC and EE doesn't get to cast them for free. Having 7-8 2 CMC green ramp spells seems good enough to me so I'd cut the gobos for more spells.
4 Goblin Electromancer
3 Farseek
4 Nature's Lore
1 Increasing Vengeance
4 Fact or Fiction
4 Plasm Capture
2 Mana Geyser
3 Recurring Insight
2 Blatant Thievery
1 Ezuri's Predation
1 Insurrection
1 Praetor's Counsel
1 Clone Legion
4 Epic Experiment
4 Exotic Orchard
4 Cinder Glade
4 Yavimaya Coast
3 Swiftwater Cliffs
2 Forest
2 Island
The game plan is to ramp and draw early until you're ready to pop off with a ramped-up payoff spell. It works reasonably well, but there's an issue with mana colors, as Mana Geyser produces only red which can be hard to work with. Ramp with no payoff and payoff with no ramp can also be rough. I have a number of cards in consideration and I'm trying to figure out the best, most consistent build.
Card considerations include Curious Homunculus, Nivix Guildmage, Regrowth, Howl of the Horde, Chandra, the Firebrand, Devastation Tide, Pyromancer's Goggles, Kessig Wolf Run. I'm also on the lookout for another good mana dump for the 15+ generated by Mana Geyser. Additional help with ramping, fixing, or spending big from the mana base would be great, but getting UU, GG, and RR consistently is tough enough as it is.
Notably, I'm trying to stick to a budget with minimal cards over $2-3.
Don't forget about Spell Swindle as plasm captures 5-8 or as a replacement allowing you to drop green.
I was going to recommend manamorphose for filtering the mana geyser mana but they have gotten expensive lately.
4 Curious Homunculus
4 Goblin Electromancer
2 Increasing Vengeance
4 Fact or Fiction
1 Rite of Replication
1 Steam Augury
2 Mana Geyser
4 Spell Swindle
3 Recurring Insight
3 Blatant Thievery
2 Volcanic Vision
2 Insurrection
1 Clone Legion
3 Epic Experiment
2 Izzet Boilerworks
4 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Desolate Lighthouse
7 Island
7 Mountain
The splashy plays are absolutely hilarious and the ramp system works pretty well, as hardcasting the 7+ mana spells isn't even hard with the mana dorks but there are ample ways to spend big when you get supercharged by a Mana Geyser. The only issues remaining here are that the early to mid-game defenses are anemic and there's still a risk of not drawing both ramp and payoff in a given game. Burning Wish absolutely would crank the consistency way up and generally be an all-star but I think it would be frowned on.
Curious Homunculus and Steam Augury are probably the weakest links here, I wonder if something else could provide better defense and/or consistency while still contributing to the gameplan of ramp -> spell-based absurdity. Fact or Fiction has been an all-star at digging for whatever I need on turn 3 after a mana dork, but I haven't found other plays as effective at that point on the mana curve.
Another idea, because you do also have quite a large number of red instants and sorceries, is Pyromancer's Goggles. Spend the red mana from that on an Experiment for double fun, or just get double the mana from a Geyser, among other possibilties. For example, you could circumvent the self-exile of Volcanic Vision by having the copy target the same card, so that the origial fizzles and goes to the graveyard. With two copies of that card, you can then even cycle one for the other each turn.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Or other storm cards?
My meta: 3 or 4 player free for all, anything goes but boring games or broken decks cause a vote to end that game.
I just need to figure out the right mix of the two (or whether one is just better) and what cuts to make. Probably Steam Augury and a couple duplicate copies of expensive or situational cards, as those will become easier to dig for when needed.
I don't really get the 5x Baral + Plasm Capture + EE build. It seems like a whole whack of nonbos. After all, you can't curve Baral into PC and EE doesn't get to cast them for free. Having 7-8 2 CMC green ramp spells seems good enough to me so I'd cut the gobos for more spells.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold