A few days ago I started thinking around the idea to exploit some morph creatures to tickle my Timmy needs. Specially Titanic Bulvox and it's weaker counterpart, Treespring Lorian. The basic idea is to play them as 2/2s and then using some blink effect to turn them face up. Since blinking creatures make the "when it turns face up" effects useless (and you can't use combat shenanigans too, since blinking a creature removes it from combat), it really limits the cards that could be seen as "interesting"b but after some searching, the most interesting morph creatures available for this would be:
On the other hand, "flippers" I have found are: Cloudshift: the best blink card available. Turn to Mist: Cheap blink with hybrid mana to cast it easier. Can target opponent's creatures too. Ghostly Flicker: Blinks 2 targets but costs a lot. Momentary Blink: Good cost and an expensive (but also useful) flashback. Undying Evil: Not a blinking effect; it can turn chumpblocks into big fatties. And make them bigger.
The biggest strenghts of morph creatures is that the morph cost is colorless, so you could potentially play any color as long as you can fit flippers in it. Also the use of flippers, it also opens the possibility of abusing evoke creatures. Mulldrifter+Undying Evil is just too sweet, but it could also be Inner-Flame Acolyte, Wispmare, Ingot Chewer, [[Shriekmaw]] etc...
The biggest problem the deck has is that since the cheapest creatures are CMC3, it's basically dead the first turns. Green ramp is an option, but it faces the problem that there aren't any flippers in G. Black, on the other hand, has rituals for a T1 morph -> T2 fatty.
Another problem is that cheating the cards face up blocks the possibility of using morph effects and also the "surprise attack" factor.
A VERY EARLY DRAFT of this deck would look like this:
The proportion between creatures and flippers is still a little clunky, 16:12 is just too much, but I'm not sure how many is right.
Also, as much as I like mulldrifter, the deck could probably just drop the blue for a lower land count, Zombie Cutthroat, Shriekmaw and more killspells.
I would love to hear you opinions on this.
EDIT: added Turn to Mist to the blink effects list.
I like the idea, but I think 4 colors is too many. 2 colors is the limit to what I would consider in a Pauper deck, so the question is which two are the best.
Green has the biggest creatures but no in house way to flip them, so I would say it is out.
Blue has the ability to both flip and the second biggest creatures, so I say it is in.
White is the cheapest flipping, but nothing to flip so it is probably out.
Black has indirect flipping and something to flip, so I would say it is in.
Obviously you can disagree, but blue black seems the best way to go.
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Pauper: UB Wight Phantasm RB Burn UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
I like the idea, but I think 4 colors is too many. 2 colors is the limit to what I would consider in a Pauper deck, so the question is which two are the best.
Green has the biggest creatures but no in house way to flip them, so I would say it is out.
Blue has the ability to both flip and the second biggest creatures, so I say it is in.
White is the cheapest flipping, but nothing to flip so it is probably out.
Black has indirect flipping and something to flip, so I would say it is in.
Obviously you can disagree, but blue black seems the best way to go.
I'd honestly go with White and Black for your manabase. There's no reason to run any of the colors for your creatures since your plan is to pay the colorless cost.
Black gives you kill spells and some good draw spells and white gives you your blink options.
As far as your list, I'd drop Mulldrifter for Shriekmaw. Then use 4 other kill spells, preferably something splashable like Diabolic Edict or Doom Blade. Then grab Read the Bones or Sign in Blood for draw. I'd probably use Sign since it won't clog your 3 mana slot.
Keep in a few Islands for Momentary Blink. Turn to Mist is another blink choice. It might be better than Undying Evil since you can use it anytime you need to, but the creature won't come back until EOT, so whether you want it or not depends on playtesting and preference. Turn to Mist can also be removal against opponents creatures if you need it to be since you can target any creature.
I agree that 3 colors are just too much in pauper. However, you shouldn't take in mind the morph-creatures colors, since they will always cost 3 colorless.
I tried making a BW deck, adding Ravenous Rats instead of mulldrifter (since it turns out shriekmaw has always been uncommon), since the rats also love to be blinked (instant speed discard wooo!!). This is the deck I'm testing now:
NOTE: The sideboard isn't representative of the deck's matchups.
However, I think that a UW version could be really interesting too, as Slipstream Serpent is just too big to pass up, and blue has access to the triad of Ponder/Brainstorm/Preordain to find the pieces. Here's a quick draft I made. The Serpent went straight to the SB as the deck has no place for Spreading Seas or Architect's Will, and can't afford a dead card:
The deck is horribly slow, so it dropping the 'drifters and 2 blinkspells for 6 more control cards could work better.
NOTE: Again, the SB isn't representative of the deck's performance.
Ok, I playtested a lot today and I have to say: Morph isn't a viable deck, not even against T2 decks.
Needing 2 cards (morpher and flipper) to get just one fat, vanilla, protectionless creature is just negative card advantage.
Then there's the issue with needing to play vanilla 2/2s for 3, which is just too much. If you add rituals you can fix this, but then, you are playing 3 for 1 so you empty your hand pretty quick.
Which leads to the 3rd reason this deck isn't viable: topdecking just sucks. Neither morphers nor flippers are good on their own. If you draw one without the other, it's a dead draw.
Finally, having an engine that uses so many (otherwise useless) cards stops you from running control and utility.
A shame, though. I had a blast every time I managed to play a Titanic Bulvox. I did manage to get a couple of wins with the deck (all with the WB version), but I'll just drop the project.
Well, it's good that you realized it was bad before you invested a lot of time in the deck.
If you're looking for a blink shenanigans deck that controls while being fun to pilot, you should check out a list I posted a while ago. It's a very tweakable list so you can build it to do what you want/need it to do. Here's a link. Maybe you can find a way to fit in a couple of morph fatties for a good finisher.
Titanic Bulvox: Biggest fatty. Tramples too.
Treespring Lorian: Anotehr fatty but it's smaller and lacks trample.
Slipstream Serpent: Needs islands and spreading seas effects to be effective but it's the second biggest fatty.
Zombie Cutthroat: 3/4 that can flip for lives.
Whip-Spine Drake: flying 3/3 with a reasonable morph cost too.
On the other hand, "flippers" I have found are:
Cloudshift: the best blink card available.
Turn to Mist: Cheap blink with hybrid mana to cast it easier. Can target opponent's creatures too.
Ghostly Flicker: Blinks 2 targets but costs a lot.
Momentary Blink: Good cost and an expensive (but also useful) flashback.
Undying Evil: Not a blinking effect; it can turn chumpblocks into big fatties. And make them bigger.
The biggest strenghts of morph creatures is that the morph cost is colorless, so you could potentially play any color as long as you can fit flippers in it. Also the use of flippers, it also opens the possibility of abusing evoke creatures. Mulldrifter+Undying Evil is just too sweet, but it could also be Inner-Flame Acolyte, Wispmare, Ingot Chewer, [[Shriekmaw]] etc...
The biggest problem the deck has is that since the cheapest creatures are CMC3, it's basically dead the first turns. Green ramp is an option, but it faces the problem that there aren't any flippers in G. Black, on the other hand, has rituals for a T1 morph -> T2 fatty.
Another problem is that cheating the cards face up blocks the possibility of using morph effects and also the "surprise attack" factor.
A VERY EARLY DRAFT of this deck would look like this:
4x Treespring Lorian
4x Whip-Spine Drake
4x Mulldrifter
4x Undying Evil
3x Momentary Blink
4x Dark Ritual
8x Killspells
1x island
1x plains
8x swamp
3x orzhov guildgate
The proportion between creatures and flippers is still a little clunky, 16:12 is just too much, but I'm not sure how many is right.
Also, as much as I like mulldrifter, the deck could probably just drop the blue for a lower land count, Zombie Cutthroat, Shriekmaw and more killspells.
I would love to hear you opinions on this.
EDIT: added Turn to Mist to the blink effects list.
Green has the biggest creatures but no in house way to flip them, so I would say it is out.
Blue has the ability to both flip and the second biggest creatures, so I say it is in.
White is the cheapest flipping, but nothing to flip so it is probably out.
Black has indirect flipping and something to flip, so I would say it is in.
Obviously you can disagree, but blue black seems the best way to go.
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
I'd honestly go with White and Black for your manabase. There's no reason to run any of the colors for your creatures since your plan is to pay the colorless cost.
Black gives you kill spells and some good draw spells and white gives you your blink options.
As far as your list, I'd drop Mulldrifter for Shriekmaw. Then use 4 other kill spells, preferably something splashable like Diabolic Edict or Doom Blade. Then grab Read the Bones or Sign in Blood for draw. I'd probably use Sign since it won't clog your 3 mana slot.
Keep in a few Islands for Momentary Blink. Turn to Mist is another blink choice. It might be better than Undying Evil since you can use it anytime you need to, but the creature won't come back until EOT, so whether you want it or not depends on playtesting and preference. Turn to Mist can also be removal against opponents creatures if you need it to be since you can target any creature.
I tried making a BW deck, adding Ravenous Rats instead of mulldrifter (since it turns out shriekmaw has always been uncommon), since the rats also love to be blinked (instant speed discard wooo!!). This is the deck I'm testing now:
1 Island
3 Evolving Wilds
12 Swamp
4 Terramorphic expanse
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Titanic Bulvox
4 Treespring Lorian
4 Whip-Spine Drake
3 Undying Evil
4 Momentary Blink
4 Dark Ritual
4 Disfigure
4 Diabolic Edict
3 Lumithread Field
2 Apostle's Blessing
3 Duress
3 Cruel Feeding
4 Disenchant
NOTE: The sideboard isn't representative of the deck's matchups.
However, I think that a UW version could be really interesting too, as Slipstream Serpent is just too big to pass up, and blue has access to the triad of Ponder/Brainstorm/Preordain to find the pieces. Here's a quick draft I made. The Serpent went straight to the SB as the deck has no place for Spreading Seas or Architect's Will, and can't afford a dead card:
8 Island
8 Plains
4 Cloudshift
4 Momentary Blink
4 Turn to Mist
4 Treespring Lorian
4 Whip-Spine Drake
4 Mulldrifter
4 Ponder
4 Preordain
4 Journey to Nowhere
3 Lumithread Field
4 Dust to Dust
4 Hydroblast
4 Slipstream Serpent
The deck is horribly slow, so it dropping the 'drifters and 2 blinkspells for 6 more control cards could work better.
NOTE: Again, the SB isn't representative of the deck's performance.
Needing 2 cards (morpher and flipper) to get just one fat, vanilla, protectionless creature is just negative card advantage.
Then there's the issue with needing to play vanilla 2/2s for 3, which is just too much. If you add rituals you can fix this, but then, you are playing 3 for 1 so you empty your hand pretty quick.
Which leads to the 3rd reason this deck isn't viable: topdecking just sucks. Neither morphers nor flippers are good on their own. If you draw one without the other, it's a dead draw.
Finally, having an engine that uses so many (otherwise useless) cards stops you from running control and utility.
A shame, though. I had a blast every time I managed to play a Titanic Bulvox. I did manage to get a couple of wins with the deck (all with the WB version), but I'll just drop the project.
If you're looking for a blink shenanigans deck that controls while being fun to pilot, you should check out a list I posted a while ago. It's a very tweakable list so you can build it to do what you want/need it to do. Here's a link. Maybe you can find a way to fit in a couple of morph fatties for a good finisher.