Aetherflux Reservoir. I know I'm not the first person to get excited about this card. It's not often that Wizards supports storm these days, but boy have they given us a new toy with the Death Star. On a combo turn, this card has the potential to gain a ton of life, life that can then be turned into a win-con. I'm certainly not the only person to see the potential of running the Reservoir alongside Sydri, Galvanic Genius, either. With Sydri, the Reservoir, and 51 or more life, we can kill the whole table by giving the Death Star lifelink. So this is the list I've started with. It's a pretty straight-forward Bubbling Muck/High Tide storm list, with Sydri and the Death Star as the primary win-con.
As a first draft, I'm starting with what I have on hand, hence the mediocre mana base. As is, the deck doesn't really care about Sydri very much aside from the Death Star combo. I'm not using a ton of artifact synergies, and I think that will be the main thing I'll figure out as I test it: if it's worth focusing more on artifact combo, or if the more instant and sorcery based combo the way to go.
I'm wondering if Children of Korlis would be a good addition as a little backup plan to Sydri, Galvanic Genius lifelink? Sydri does require UBW to turn on the combo, on top of all the storm stuff you are wanting to do in a single turn. Works nice with Ad Nauseam and Necropotence as well.
Children of Korlis is definitely worth trying out. Unfortunately, I don't really have any way to recur it, but I think it still has potential. I've seen a few people say that Sydri and the Death Star aren't worth running together because you end up paying too much life to various effects like Necro. What I've found with this more storm-focused build is you gain a ton of life on the combo turn from Reservoir's triggered ability. I was testing last night and went from 17 life to well above 60 on my combo turn.
I was testing last night and went from 17 life to well above 60 on my combo turn.
Perfect, I mean Sydri still provides a win condition worst case scenario on the following turn right, if you run out of mana to activate Sydri lifelink ability in the combo turn. What other Commanders are doing this for you? Plus just seems like a nifty strategy to use just the life gain of Aetherflux for fueling Necropotence and Ad Nauseam in some games, no Death-Ray needed.
I've noticed that you play 10 Black cards and 5 White, and whether you could make a more mono-blue version, making way for more Islands to help High Tide be more effective and just an easier mana base in general? Maybe remove White altogether, except maybe Grand Arbiter Augustin IV? Grand Abolisher and Supreme Verdict both require double White. Grand Abolisher being the only card that can't be replaced in Black or Blue, but Swords to Plowshares can be replaced with Black spot removal and Damnation can be a pseudo Supreme Verdict. This way your mana base can be a lot more effective to what you're are trying to achieve earlier. Unlike a lot of Commander decks where you want your tri-colors as soon as possible to cast your Commander, in this deck he is not central to getting out until you're far more setup, so fixing earlier shouldn't need to be a priority.
I'd add Exploration Map, as Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth seems like a key card to making the Bubbling Muck broken in your combo turn and the perfect fixer for your Black mana base. Also adding Tolaria West for the same reason. Alternative targets would probably be Inventors' Fair for tutoring your Aetherflux Reservoir if you're ready to go.
What is the Rings of Brighthearth actually used for? Is it just for the Basalt Monolith infinite colorless? I mean you could copy the Aetherflux Reservoir, but might be a bit of a dead card in most games?
My super secret tech card that I run in decks where I want to tutor for things is Kaho, Minamo Historian. Unbelievable underplayed in Commander in my opinion. I've made a combo deck around him as my Commander, with targets being High Tide, Fabricate, Counterspell, Mystical Tutor, etc. So strong if not answered, and gets you right into High Tide or the tutor for Aetherflux Reservoir in your deck.
I've definitely thought about the lack of white in the deck and, you're right, cutting it might be the more efficient plan. I have plenty of mana rocks, so getting the little bit of white that I need won't be too hard. Damnation is probably the best replacement for Verdict, and thankfully I have a copy (I think the "can't be countered" clause on SV has very rarely been relevant.)
I might just cut StP for Expedition Map, unless you have a suggestion for what to cut for the map? I also agree that Pact is probably the best replacement for Grand Abolisher. The only other remaining white card (other than Grand Arbiter) is Land Tax, which I don't think I'd cut as it's very useful, especially with Scroll Rack.
Yes, the only real use for the Rings is the infinite mana combo. It's another niche use, but it can also copy the artifact tutor on Inventors' Fair. I still think I'd like to keep it, though, because a) it's another way to close out the game and b) it's a very easily tutored combo.
As for Kaho, I do love running weird Kamigawa cards, as I'm one of the few champions (pun intended?) of that set. That being said, I've never really liked Kaho. Sure, it can tutor, but I've got Merchant's Scroll, Mystical Tutor, and the generic black tutors to do that. Also, unless you have some way to give him haste, he's a sitting duck for one whole turn cycle and if he gets removed, you're cut off whatever you tutored for the rest of the game.
Oh I missed the Land Tax. Agreed, too good to take out, but this really does make whole smoothing out your mana to more of a blue and black base, very awkward. Obviously you want to play Land Tax first turn in games that you have it, so this kind of throws everything off.
Fetch-lands can really help with this, but obviously what you can afford. They are just excellent with Sensei's Divining Top or Future Sight.
I have to ask if you can splash out on getting Grim Monolith, Mana Crypt and Transmute Artifact? If so then they will definitely make the deck more consistent.
Have you thought about Windfall? Excellent to start or keep the storm going.
Yeah, fetch lands would be nice, but I currently own a whopping total of one, haha. It is Bloodstained Mire, so I'll probably throw it in here, as it can grab Godless Shrine for the early white. I think cutting back on white is still a good idea, just maybe without a revamp of the mana base, so I'm going to try out the cuts I mentioned above.
Obviously, Grim Monolith, Transmute Artifact, and Mana Crypt would be really helpful. Unfortunately, I don't currently own any of them. I might spring for one or more of them eventually, and it would probably be Crypt first, as it has the most applications in other decks beyond this one.
I actually had Windfall in a very early draft of the deck. I'm not sure why I cut it, but I think you're right that it may be worth adding back in, as sometimes I've felt the deck could use an extra kick of draw power during storm turns.
Any suggestions on cuts?
EDIT: One other white card we missed: Render Silent. But it's just one white symbol and worth keeping, in my opinion.
Yeah cuts wise very tough to make a call. My gut feeling is that you want to keep at least 15 artifacts to make the Inventors' Fair reliable tutor.
Maybe Laboratory Maniac? Although an alternative win-con, maybe not needed. If you're drawing your deck, then you really should be able to close it out via Aetherflux Reservoir.
My concern with cutting Lab Man is he just feels like a necessary fall-back in decks like this. For example, what happens if Aetherflux Reservoir gets exiled somehow? I guess I do have other win-cons, like Tendrils and infinite mana + Exsanguinate, but I'm still hesitant to cut Lab Man. Maybe Tidespout Tyrant? I really like the Tyrant + Turnabout + Archaeomancer combo for infinite mana/storm, but Tyrant is my last card with CMC >6 and would really hurt to see on Ad Nauseam.
I have a bit of a soft spot for Tidespout Tyrant. I use him as a finisher in my Animar deck, so just have great experiences with him. But for sure, something has to go, and obviously he is going to be one of the harder cards to get going. But something tells me that I'd still prefer to have access to him over the manic.
Another win-con is infinite mana+Blue Sun's Zenith. Sort of the pseudo version of winning with no library, as the Blue Sun's Zenith always becomes the top card. So you have to kill opponents sequentially over turns if you don't have access to further draw. The scroll rack if not already used, gives you the 2 opponents kill with Blue Sun's Zenith. Commander's Sphere and Mind Stone allow for another 2 opponents. But thats all in vacuum, opponents drawing their whole deck is pretty hard to for them to not find ways to disrupt your stuff. Grand Abolisher looking better and better, lol.
I don't think the BSZ win necessarily means we need Grand Arbiter. If I have my whole deck, I've probably got a good back-up of counterspells to prevent my opponents from trying to mess me up.
I'm the same way with Tidespout Tyrant, in that I'm a huge fan. I'd be sad to see him go, but I've got to cut something and alongside Ad Nauseam a CMC of 8 is a little daunting...
Nice write up on Kaho! Again, I'm really happy to see a lesser-known Kamigawa legend see some love. My only issue is still what I said above (which you address a bit in the post): that she's weak to removal. And the problem is, not only does she get nullified by removal, when she gets removed, you lose access to the cards you tutored. That's my biggest hesitation in running her.
I brought this deck to the weekly league at my LGS for the first time and it performed very well. I wish I had taken notes so I could do a more detailed game report, but here's a general overview:
Game 1 was a four-person pod with Numot, the Devastator, Anafenza the Foremost, and Ghave, Guru of Spores. I was a little worried about land desctruction from Numot, but that player never cast his general, so it ended up not being a concern. Overall, this game was pretty easy. The game started very slowly and no one really developed much of a board (I learned after the game that Ghave had Ashnod's Altar in hand and was going to start really moving the turn after I won.) I ended up winning with the Aetherflux Reservoir combo. I hadn't lost much life, so it didn't take many spells to get me over 50 and it was Time Spiral that allowed me to untap my lands and give me the mana to cast and activate Sydri (with High Tide in effect.)
Game 2 was a three-person pod against Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder and Zurgo Helmsmasher. I was most worried about Zurgo, since I know he has a tendency to come out fast and hit hard, and I was worried I wouldn't have things to deal with him. Thankfully, I was able to keep up bounce and counters and only got hit by Zurgo once. I've played against the Endrek deck, and I know it has some combos, but he wasn't able to put anything together before I did. I also had a ton of cards in hand thanks to a big Blue Sun's Zenith and Necropotence. The only issue was, despite my hand size, I was getting bad draws and it took me a while to find any gas. I eventually took the game with infinite storm off Archaeomancer and Tidespout Tyrant into a lethal Tendrils of Agony.
I think the biggest take away from these games is I've rethought taking out Tidespout Tyrant, since it won me the game in round two. Also in game two, Scroll Rack put in some serious work sculpting my hand (but I guess that's nothing new.) Also, a side note: between rounds, I played a 1v1 game with the above Endrek Sahr deck. I had dropped myself to pretty low life with Ad Nauseam and he was a turn away from going off. What ended up winning me the game was High Tide + Bubbling Muck into the Reservoir, plus Mind's Desire to push my life total high enough. I think I went from less than 10 to over 50, which was pretty cool.
This deck is looking like it's very competitive. Honestly I think a lot of that strength comes off it being such a creature light deck. It's hard to straight out lose to being out resourced if you're not committing critters that are blown up with a board wipe.
Another big strength is that you don't have to commit too many resources for win conditions. Your deck can concentrated on drawing cards and producing mana, which is always a winning strategy.
Even though I suggested you to removing white as much as possible, I'm wondering about an Enlightened Tutor? An early Land Tax or Sol Ring is really strong, and obviously later game can be used to get Aetherflux Reservoir or any other piece you might need for your infinite packages, like Future Sight, Sensei Diving Top, Helm of Awakening, Rings of Brighthearth, Basalth Monilth.
The only issue was, despite my hand size, I was getting bad draws and it took me a while to find any gas.
I've already mentioned it, but I think the way that you can improve this deck over time, without having to change the shell at all is to purchase the fetch lands. These can help you sculpt your hands so that getting bad draws can be reduced. In conjunction with Sensei Diving Top, Scroll Rock and even Future Sight, you can really get value from using shuffle effects. Also a slight advantage by thinning the deck, as storm only needs to hit its early land drops, then once the card draw machine is going, excess lands are just unnecessary/bad. I think they are about $15 now days? So if every so often you can purchase/trade for one it'll go a long way.
Even though I suggested you to removing white as much as possible, I'm wondering about an Enlightened Tutor? An early Land Tax or Sol Ring is really strong, and obviously later game can be used to get Aetherflux Reservoir or any other piece you might need for your infinite packages, like Future Sight, Sensei Diving Top, Helm of Awakening, Rings of Brighthearth, Basalth Monilth.
I think I've found the right balance of white. Virtually none, but a few key pieces. I agree that Enlightened Tutor could be very helpful and it's on my list.
I've already mentioned it, but I think the way that you can improve this deck over time, without having to change the shell at all is to purchase the fetch lands. These can help you sculpt your hands so that getting bad draws can be reduced. In conjunction with Sensei Diving Top, Scroll Rock and even Future Sight, you can really get value from using shuffle effects. Also a slight advantage by thinning the deck, as storm only needs to hit its early land drops, then once the card draw machine is going, excess lands are just unnecessary/bad. I think they are about $15 now days? So if every so often you can purchase/trade for one it'll go a long way.
Fetch lands are definitely on my list, for all of the reasons you listed here. In fact, I'm planning on grabbing these before the bigger targets like Mana Crypt. Another thing on my list to obtain and test (though not nearly as expensive) is Chromatic Lantern. Lantern would also help in getting the little bit of white I need for the few white cards.
I too have been working on a Sydri Aetherflux storm deck, I originally was gonna play Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge as my commander for gamble and the few extra wheel cards but then i wanted to go for the liflinking Aetherflux Reservoir plus I wantedEnlightened Tutor as a better tutor then gamble, but my point was, that if you end up running all the good mana rocks you can play cards like Dramatic Reversal to instant speed untap all non-land cards, which can generate soo much mana off of rocks. plus you could go for a nearly all instant build with stuff like reset and such aling with High Tide. Just a few thoughts, when I get m,y list finished and typed up I'll post it to compare.
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I think Jeleva and Grixis colors in general are probably the best colors in EDH for a pure storm list. However, I built this deck for it looks like the same reason you're building it: I didn't want the best storm deck, I wanted the best Aetherflux Reservoir storm deck. And there's just something so satisfying about blasting people with the Death Star, haha.
Enlightened Tutor is definitely on my list of cards to acquire for the deck. As darrenhabib pointed out above, obviously it grabs Aetherflux Reservoir, but it can also grab a few other key combo pieces. Dramatic Reversal is interesting. I'm not convinced that I currently run enough mana rocks to make the card worth it, but I am planning on adding more down the road. When/if I do, Reversal might be worth testing. Reset is an option, too. Before this deck, I played a mono-U storm list that leaned very heavily on the power of High Tide. I still run High Tide (and Bubbling Muck!) in this list because I really like that style of play, but I'm not sure it's important enough of a strategy to warrant finding a $20 card, haha. I'd much rather spend my money on the more important money cards.
Please do post your list once you have it together! I'd love to see how you built it
Thanks to getting some store credit from the EDH league at my LGS, I got some fetches to work on the mana base. I've also made a few other changes to the non-land cards in the deck:
I'm not totally sure about the Sidisi -> Enlightened Tutor swap, but I think it's going to be worth it. Sure, Sidisi can tutor anything but there are a lot of good artifact and enchantment tutor targets. Also, 1 mana vs 5 and instant vs sorcery-speed are both big upsides. I felt I had plenty of counters and Hinder was the weakest, so it got cut for Windfall. Crush of Tentacles was a bit much at 6 mana, so Toxic Deluge felt better there. And Stroke of Genius is basically identical to Blue Sun's Zenith (the shuffle clause was rarely important) except that it is less color-intensive. I think the next pricier card on my list to grab is Mox Opal, probably to replace a land.
EDIT: I got a Mox Opal soon after posting this update so, rather than waiting until I updated more cards, or posting a separate update for a single card, I just changed this list.
Nice work on the list, I was thinking about playing something like this. It does seem like the Polluted Delta and Flooded Strand are missing from the main post after the update, I noticed while copying it over to tappedout. I really wish MTGS had a spoiler mode like they do over there, so much easier (for me at least} to look at a deck that way.
Nice work on the list, I was thinking about playing something like this. It does seem like the Polluted Delta and Flooded Strand are missing from the main post after the update, I noticed while copying it over to tappedout. I really wish MTGS had a spoiler mode like they do over there, so much easier (for me at least} to look at a deck that way.
Ah, you're right! Thanks for catching that. It seems I took out the cards I removed, but didn't add those in. I've also updated the list a little more, because I ended up getting a Mox Opal. I was at the SCG Classic this weekend and found one for a good price (cheap prices at SCG? I know, I'm shocked, too...) I cut Rupture Spire because it was by far my weakest land and I knew I wanted to cut a land for the Opal. I was at 34 lands before, which ended up feeling like too much.
I'd highly recommend giving this deck a try. It's some of the most fun I've had playing storm in EDH.
Aether Revolt has been fully spoiled and I figured it was time to revisit this list, as it looks like the set will be giving this deck a few new toys. I've got plenty of games in with this deck since the last update, but the list hasn't really changed from the main post. I am currently testing Paradoxical Outcome and I think it has some potential, I'm just not quite ready to add it to the main list yet. So, without further ado, Aether Revolt:
Paradox Engine: I am far from the first person to see how busted this card is going to be. While a CMC 5 is a little high for my taste, I still think this card will be an auto-include. With all the mana rocks we run, landing this card will enable some pretty busted combo turns.
Whir of Invention: It's a blue Chord of Calling! This is the other big card from the set for this deck. Being an instant, it allows us to tutor up Aetherflux Reservoir to the battlefield at the end of our opponents turn, allowing us to (hopefully) enter our combo turn.
Baral, Chief of Compliance: Probably not worth making the final cut, but it might warrant some testing. The cost reduction is nice and, though we don't run a ton of counters, we have some, so the loot-on-counter ability will be of at least marginal benefit.
And...that's it. Not much but, to be honest, I am surprised we are getting this many cards. Given that Wizards doesn't really support storm-style combo decks with their modern design philosophy (#MakeBlueGreatAgain), I expect having even three cards worth some testing will be unusual for future sets.
This list seems fun. I thought I'd weigh in with some suggestions to make the deck more powerful. Feel free to disregard suggestions based on budget and personal taste.
Render Silent - I think this card is basically just a harder to cast Cancel, which is medium at best in Commander. Are there situations where the Silence rider matters? If you're looking to win counter wars or stop combo decks, there's Flusterstorm. For a catchall, I'd suggest Mana Drain or one of the 'free' counterspells like Thwart, Foil, or Force of Will.
Great suggestions, thanks! Some of these are budget issues. I don't see me getting a Force of Will or Mana Drain any time soon.
You're right that Render Silent and Void Shatter are weaker counters. For now, I'll probably keep Void Shatter (without the big money replacements) but it just occurred to me that I'm not running Arcane Denial. That will probably go in Render Silent's place.
The thing about Commander's Sphere is there's been more than one occasion that the draw ability has really helped out. Mind Stone too, but less so. Sure there are objectively better mana rocks but, again, budget
Finally, good call on GAAIV. I had been wanting to test Baral, and I think you're right that he's just a better GAAIV here.
Glad I could be of at least a little help. The last batch of suggestions/cuts were based on what I consider strict upgrades of the cards you were running that would perform a similar role but cost less mana or synergize better with the rest of your deck. Also, I forgot about Tezzeret the Seeker when I was making recommendations for replacements to Fabricate. He's going to be better than Reshape in your deck since he costs 1 less mana to tutor out Aetherflux Reservoir and doesn't require you to sacrifice an artifact as part of his casting cost.
I've got a couple more suggestions because I noticed that a couple of storm all-stars were missing from your deck. I'll list the expensive ones first. Snapcaster Mage - High Tide/Bubbling Muck turns are awesome. Double High Tide turns are even better.
Reality Spasm - This is usually not as good as Turnabout, but when you've got a lot of mana rocks that tap for at least 2, it can generate a similar amount of mana on your High Tide turns.
Ponder - Cheap card selection is good for combo decks. You've got Brainstorm, Preordain, and even Serum Visions. Thanks to being banned in modern, it's also cheaper to buy in real life than Serum Visions.
Ideas Unbound - This is specifically for getting more gas during combo turns. Obviously risky to cast if you're not in the middle of going off.
That's 7 cards to add. Here's what I'd cut: Rewind - I suppose you can counter your own spells to try and generate mana on High Tide turns, but this is an expensive counterspell, which makes leaving mana up for it a pain, and it's worse at generating mana than both Cabal Ritual and Reality Spasm in most cases.
Exsanguinate - Probably sounds like heresy, but this usually only wins with infinite mana, which your deck can generate, but those are all at least 3 card combos that don't involve your commander. I suppose a small one could put you over the necessary life threshold to kill the table with Aetherflux Reservoir and Sydri.
Capsize - Also only really good with infinite mana.
Thirst for Knowledge - This one's close with Ideas Unbound. I wouldn't fault you for not cutting this, but you're actually pretty low on artifacts, so you're not going to net cards off of this a good amount of the time.
Rhystic Study - Dead draw on combo turns. Annoying removal magnet.
Another great batch of suggestions! It turns out a couple of your suggestions are already in my list, I just haven't updated the main post yet. Mind's Desire has been in the deck since the very beginning, so I don't know why it isn't on the main post... I already added Ponder but again, forgot to update. I don't have the physical deck in front of me now, but I'll try to remember to update the full list later today.
Yawgmoth's Will definitely belongs in this list. It's currently at the top of my "slightly pricier cards to buy list," so it'll be here eventually.
I had actually been thinking about Snapcaster Mage recently. That's an expensive card I thankfully already own. I think I'll cut Archaeomancer for this. Archaeomancer was really just there for infinite mana with Turnabout and Tidespout Tyrant and though Snap doesn't allow that, I still think it's just objectively better.
Exsanguinate has already been cut. That's another change that needs to be made.
I agree with you on Rhystic Study. I had been considering cutting it for a while now, so I think it's time it got cut. I'm gonna try Cabal Ritual in its place.
Tezzeret the Seeker is a good idea. Thankfully, I have a copy. If I'm cutting Archaeomancer, I feel like I might as well cut Tidespout Tyrant (no longer have to worry about taking 8 from Ad Nauseam) so Tezz will probably go in its place.
As was pointed out in the above comments, it's been a while since this deck has been updated, and the main post did not actually reflect the cards I am currently using. These changes are in part cards that have been in the list for a while, but also some changes that arose from Oracletext's suggestions:
As you can see, the deck is becoming much more stream-lined towards just the Aetherflux Reservoir combo. At this point, the only alternative combo in the deck is Future Sight + Sensei's Divining Top + Helm of Awakening. Many of these changes were explained in the discussion with Oracletext. I cut Arcane Sanctum because I think the deck can run just fine on 32 lands and the card I added in (Gitaxian Probe) is free. I'm still not totally sold on Paradoxical Outcome, but I think it has enough potential to warrant a spot. I also haven't had a chance to play either Paradox Engine or Whir of Invention, but I think both are pretty much auto-includes.
Decklist by Type
1 Ad Nauseam
1 Brainstorm
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Counterspell
1 Cryptic Command
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Dark Ritual
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Frantic Search
1 High Tide
1 Lim-Dul's Vault
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Negate
1 Paradoxical Outcome
1 Pact of Negation
1 Peer Through Depths
1 Reality Spasm
1 Remand
1 Snap
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Swan Song
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Turnabout
1 Unsubstantiate
1 Void Shatter
1 Whir of Invention
Sorceries
1 Bubbling Muck
1 Damnation
1 Dark Petition
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Fabricate
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mind's Desire
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Serum Visions
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Time Spiral
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Windfall
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Copy Artifact
1 Future Sight
1 Land Tax
1 Necropotence
Artifacts
1 Aetherflux Reservoir
1 Azorius Signet
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Expedition Map
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Helm of Awakening
1 Mana Vault
1 Mind Stone
1 Mox Opal
1 Paradox Engine
1 Sapphire Medallion
1 Scroll Rack
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Thought Vessel
Creatures
1 Laboratory Maniac
1 Snapcaster Mage
Planeswalkers
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
Lands
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Command Tower
1 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Godless Shrine
1 Halimar Depths
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Inventors' Fair
11 Island
1 Polluted Delta
1 Prairie Stream
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Sunken Hollow
5 Swamp
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Temple of the False God
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Watery Grave
Decklist by CMC
1 Mox Opal
1 Pact of Negation
1-Mana
1 Brainstorm
1 Bubbling Muck
1 Dark Ritual
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Expedition Map
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 High Tide
1 Land Tax
1 Mana Vault
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Serum Visions
1 Sol Ring
1 Swan Song
2-Mana
1 Azorius Signet
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Copy Artifact
1 Counterspell
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Helm of Awakening
1 Lim-Dul's Vault
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mind Stone
1 Negate
1 Peer Through Depths
1 Reality Spasm
1 Remand
1 Sapphire Medallion
1 Scroll Rack
1 Snap
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Thought Vessel
1 Unsubstantiate
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Fabricate
1 Frantic Search
1 Laboratory Maniac
1 Necropotence
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Whir of Invention
1 Void Shatter
1 Windfall
1 Yawgmoth's Will
4-Mana
1 Aetherflux Reservoir
1 Cryptic Command
1 Damnation
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Paradoxical Outcome
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Turnabout
5-Mana
1 Ad Nauseam
1 Dark Petition
1 Future Sight
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Paradox Engine
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
6-Mana
1 Mind's Desire
1 Time Spiral
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Command Tower
1 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Godless Shrine
1 Halimar Depths
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Inventors' Fair
11 Island
1 Polluted Delta
1 Prairie Stream
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Sunken Hollow
5 Swamp
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Temple of the False God
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Watery Grave
As a first draft, I'm starting with what I have on hand, hence the mediocre mana base. As is, the deck doesn't really care about Sydri very much aside from the Death Star combo. I'm not using a ton of artifact synergies, and I think that will be the main thing I'll figure out as I test it: if it's worth focusing more on artifact combo, or if the more instant and sorcery based combo the way to go.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
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-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
I've noticed that you play 10 Black cards and 5 White, and whether you could make a more mono-blue version, making way for more Islands to help High Tide be more effective and just an easier mana base in general? Maybe remove White altogether, except maybe Grand Arbiter Augustin IV? Grand Abolisher and Supreme Verdict both require double White. Grand Abolisher being the only card that can't be replaced in Black or Blue, but Swords to Plowshares can be replaced with Black spot removal and Damnation can be a pseudo Supreme Verdict. This way your mana base can be a lot more effective to what you're are trying to achieve earlier. Unlike a lot of Commander decks where you want your tri-colors as soon as possible to cast your Commander, in this deck he is not central to getting out until you're far more setup, so fixing earlier shouldn't need to be a priority.
I'd add Exploration Map, as Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth seems like a key card to making the Bubbling Muck broken in your combo turn and the perfect fixer for your Black mana base. Also adding Tolaria West for the same reason. Alternative targets would probably be Inventors' Fair for tutoring your Aetherflux Reservoir if you're ready to go.
To replace the Grand Abolisher you remove, put in a Pact of Negation to ensure a better combo turn, and nice with Tolaria West if you add that card.
What is the Rings of Brighthearth actually used for? Is it just for the Basalt Monolith infinite colorless? I mean you could copy the Aetherflux Reservoir, but might be a bit of a dead card in most games?
My super secret tech card that I run in decks where I want to tutor for things is Kaho, Minamo Historian. Unbelievable underplayed in Commander in my opinion. I've made a combo deck around him as my Commander, with targets being High Tide, Fabricate, Counterspell, Mystical Tutor, etc. So strong if not answered, and gets you right into High Tide or the tutor for Aetherflux Reservoir in your deck.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
I might just cut StP for Expedition Map, unless you have a suggestion for what to cut for the map? I also agree that Pact is probably the best replacement for Grand Abolisher. The only other remaining white card (other than Grand Arbiter) is Land Tax, which I don't think I'd cut as it's very useful, especially with Scroll Rack.
Yes, the only real use for the Rings is the infinite mana combo. It's another niche use, but it can also copy the artifact tutor on Inventors' Fair. I still think I'd like to keep it, though, because a) it's another way to close out the game and b) it's a very easily tutored combo.
As for Kaho, I do love running weird Kamigawa cards, as I'm one of the few champions (pun intended?) of that set. That being said, I've never really liked Kaho. Sure, it can tutor, but I've got Merchant's Scroll, Mystical Tutor, and the generic black tutors to do that. Also, unless you have some way to give him haste, he's a sitting duck for one whole turn cycle and if he gets removed, you're cut off whatever you tutored for the rest of the game.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Fetch-lands can really help with this, but obviously what you can afford. They are just excellent with Sensei's Divining Top or Future Sight.
I have to ask if you can splash out on getting Grim Monolith, Mana Crypt and Transmute Artifact? If so then they will definitely make the deck more consistent.
Have you thought about Windfall? Excellent to start or keep the storm going.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
Obviously, Grim Monolith, Transmute Artifact, and Mana Crypt would be really helpful. Unfortunately, I don't currently own any of them. I might spring for one or more of them eventually, and it would probably be Crypt first, as it has the most applications in other decks beyond this one.
I actually had Windfall in a very early draft of the deck. I'm not sure why I cut it, but I think you're right that it may be worth adding back in, as sometimes I've felt the deck could use an extra kick of draw power during storm turns.
Any suggestions on cuts?
EDIT: One other white card we missed: Render Silent. But it's just one white symbol and worth keeping, in my opinion.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Maybe Laboratory Maniac? Although an alternative win-con, maybe not needed. If you're drawing your deck, then you really should be able to close it out via Aetherflux Reservoir.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Another win-con is infinite mana+Blue Sun's Zenith. Sort of the pseudo version of winning with no library, as the Blue Sun's Zenith always becomes the top card. So you have to kill opponents sequentially over turns if you don't have access to further draw. The scroll rack if not already used, gives you the 2 opponents kill with Blue Sun's Zenith. Commander's Sphere and Mind Stone allow for another 2 opponents. But thats all in vacuum, opponents drawing their whole deck is pretty hard to for them to not find ways to disrupt your stuff. Grand Abolisher looking better and better, lol.
btw I got inspired to do a write up of Kaho after mentioning her here, its pretty long, but if you're keen for a read? http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/760752-kaho-minamo-historian-the-best-all-round-tutor-not
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
I'm the same way with Tidespout Tyrant, in that I'm a huge fan. I'd be sad to see him go, but I've got to cut something and alongside Ad Nauseam a CMC of 8 is a little daunting...
Nice write up on Kaho! Again, I'm really happy to see a lesser-known Kamigawa legend see some love. My only issue is still what I said above (which you address a bit in the post): that she's weak to removal. And the problem is, not only does she get nullified by removal, when she gets removed, you lose access to the cards you tutored. That's my biggest hesitation in running her.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Game 1 was a four-person pod with Numot, the Devastator, Anafenza the Foremost, and Ghave, Guru of Spores. I was a little worried about land desctruction from Numot, but that player never cast his general, so it ended up not being a concern. Overall, this game was pretty easy. The game started very slowly and no one really developed much of a board (I learned after the game that Ghave had Ashnod's Altar in hand and was going to start really moving the turn after I won.) I ended up winning with the Aetherflux Reservoir combo. I hadn't lost much life, so it didn't take many spells to get me over 50 and it was Time Spiral that allowed me to untap my lands and give me the mana to cast and activate Sydri (with High Tide in effect.)
Game 2 was a three-person pod against Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder and Zurgo Helmsmasher. I was most worried about Zurgo, since I know he has a tendency to come out fast and hit hard, and I was worried I wouldn't have things to deal with him. Thankfully, I was able to keep up bounce and counters and only got hit by Zurgo once. I've played against the Endrek deck, and I know it has some combos, but he wasn't able to put anything together before I did. I also had a ton of cards in hand thanks to a big Blue Sun's Zenith and Necropotence. The only issue was, despite my hand size, I was getting bad draws and it took me a while to find any gas. I eventually took the game with infinite storm off Archaeomancer and Tidespout Tyrant into a lethal Tendrils of Agony.
I think the biggest take away from these games is I've rethought taking out Tidespout Tyrant, since it won me the game in round two. Also in game two, Scroll Rack put in some serious work sculpting my hand (but I guess that's nothing new.) Also, a side note: between rounds, I played a 1v1 game with the above Endrek Sahr deck. I had dropped myself to pretty low life with Ad Nauseam and he was a turn away from going off. What ended up winning me the game was High Tide + Bubbling Muck into the Reservoir, plus Mind's Desire to push my life total high enough. I think I went from less than 10 to over 50, which was pretty cool.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Another big strength is that you don't have to commit too many resources for win conditions. Your deck can concentrated on drawing cards and producing mana, which is always a winning strategy.
Even though I suggested you to removing white as much as possible, I'm wondering about an Enlightened Tutor? An early Land Tax or Sol Ring is really strong, and obviously later game can be used to get Aetherflux Reservoir or any other piece you might need for your infinite packages, like Future Sight, Sensei Diving Top, Helm of Awakening, Rings of Brighthearth, Basalth Monilth.
I've already mentioned it, but I think the way that you can improve this deck over time, without having to change the shell at all is to purchase the fetch lands. These can help you sculpt your hands so that getting bad draws can be reduced. In conjunction with Sensei Diving Top, Scroll Rock and even Future Sight, you can really get value from using shuffle effects. Also a slight advantage by thinning the deck, as storm only needs to hit its early land drops, then once the card draw machine is going, excess lands are just unnecessary/bad. I think they are about $15 now days? So if every so often you can purchase/trade for one it'll go a long way.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
I think I've found the right balance of white. Virtually none, but a few key pieces. I agree that Enlightened Tutor could be very helpful and it's on my list.
Fetch lands are definitely on my list, for all of the reasons you listed here. In fact, I'm planning on grabbing these before the bigger targets like Mana Crypt. Another thing on my list to obtain and test (though not nearly as expensive) is Chromatic Lantern. Lantern would also help in getting the little bit of white I need for the few white cards.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Enlightened Tutor is definitely on my list of cards to acquire for the deck. As darrenhabib pointed out above, obviously it grabs Aetherflux Reservoir, but it can also grab a few other key combo pieces. Dramatic Reversal is interesting. I'm not convinced that I currently run enough mana rocks to make the card worth it, but I am planning on adding more down the road. When/if I do, Reversal might be worth testing. Reset is an option, too. Before this deck, I played a mono-U storm list that leaned very heavily on the power of High Tide. I still run High Tide (and Bubbling Muck!) in this list because I really like that style of play, but I'm not sure it's important enough of a strategy to warrant finding a $20 card, haha. I'd much rather spend my money on the more important money cards.
Please do post your list once you have it together! I'd love to see how you built it
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
OUT
- 2 Islands
- 1 Swamp
- 1 Plains
- Sidisi, Undead Vizier
- Blue Sun's Zenith
- Hinder
- Crush of Tentacles
- Rupture Spire
IN
+ Polluted Delta
+ Bloodstained Mire
+ Flooded Strand
+ Hallowed Fountain
+ Toxic Deluge
+ Stroke of Genius
+ Windfall
+ Enlightened Tutor
+ Mox Opal
I'm not totally sure about the Sidisi -> Enlightened Tutor swap, but I think it's going to be worth it. Sure, Sidisi can tutor anything but there are a lot of good artifact and enchantment tutor targets. Also, 1 mana vs 5 and instant vs sorcery-speed are both big upsides. I felt I had plenty of counters and Hinder was the weakest, so it got cut for Windfall. Crush of Tentacles was a bit much at 6 mana, so Toxic Deluge felt better there. And Stroke of Genius is basically identical to Blue Sun's Zenith (the shuffle clause was rarely important) except that it is less color-intensive. I think the next pricier card on my list to grab is Mox Opal, probably to replace a land.
EDIT: I got a Mox Opal soon after posting this update so, rather than waiting until I updated more cards, or posting a separate update for a single card, I just changed this list.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Ah, you're right! Thanks for catching that. It seems I took out the cards I removed, but didn't add those in. I've also updated the list a little more, because I ended up getting a Mox Opal. I was at the SCG Classic this weekend and found one for a good price (cheap prices at SCG? I know, I'm shocked, too...) I cut Rupture Spire because it was by far my weakest land and I knew I wanted to cut a land for the Opal. I was at 34 lands before, which ended up feeling like too much.
I'd highly recommend giving this deck a try. It's some of the most fun I've had playing storm in EDH.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
And...that's it. Not much but, to be honest, I am surprised we are getting this many cards. Given that Wizards doesn't really support storm-style combo decks with their modern design philosophy (#MakeBlueGreatAgain), I expect having even three cards worth some testing will be unusual for future sets.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
Render Silent - I think this card is basically just a harder to cast Cancel, which is medium at best in Commander. Are there situations where the Silence rider matters? If you're looking to win counter wars or stop combo decks, there's Flusterstorm. For a catchall, I'd suggest Mana Drain or one of the 'free' counterspells like Thwart, Foil, or Force of Will.
Void Shatter - Pretty much the same as above.
Fabricate - This card is slow and I'd run Transmute Artifact, Reshape, or Whir of Invention first. Also, I'd run Vampiric Tutor over this.
Commander's Sphere - 3 CMC rocks should tap for 2 or more mana. Worn Powerstone and Coalition Relic are both better.
Darksteel Ingot - Same as above. Also, if you're planning on adding Paradoxical Outcome, you should look into getting rocks that generate mana the turn they hit play, like Mox Diamond, Mana Crypt and Grim Monolith. These also get bonus points for being additional rocks that go infinite with Tidespout Tyrant.
Mind Stone & Thought Vessel - Demand more from your rocks.
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV - I'm pretty sure this is a pretty easy straight swap for Baral, Chief of Compliance if you run this for cost reduction. Otherwise, get a Defense Grid or something to prevent others from disrupting your combo turns.
You're right that Render Silent and Void Shatter are weaker counters. For now, I'll probably keep Void Shatter (without the big money replacements) but it just occurred to me that I'm not running Arcane Denial. That will probably go in Render Silent's place.
I'm actually testing Whir of Invention now, though I cut Rings of Brighthearth instead. I like Reshape, though. I might try that in place of Fabricate.
The thing about Commander's Sphere is there's been more than one occasion that the draw ability has really helped out. Mind Stone too, but less so. Sure there are objectively better mana rocks but, again, budget
Finally, good call on GAAIV. I had been wanting to test Baral, and I think you're right that he's just a better GAAIV here.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
I've got a couple more suggestions because I noticed that a couple of storm all-stars were missing from your deck. I'll list the expensive ones first.
Snapcaster Mage - High Tide/Bubbling Muck turns are awesome. Double High Tide turns are even better.
Yawgmoth's Will - This card is nuts. Another way to have a double High Tide turn and re-cast all of your rituals. Also gives you outs to someone blowing up Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.
These next recommendations are around bulk prices.
Cabal Ritual - You're rocking both Dark Ritual and Mana Vault. Adding this will increase the odds that you can storm off early. Also it makes Yawgmoth's Will better.
Reality Spasm - This is usually not as good as Turnabout, but when you've got a lot of mana rocks that tap for at least 2, it can generate a similar amount of mana on your High Tide turns.
Ponder - Cheap card selection is good for combo decks. You've got Brainstorm, Preordain, and even Serum Visions. Thanks to being banned in modern, it's also cheaper to buy in real life than Serum Visions.
Ideas Unbound - This is specifically for getting more gas during combo turns. Obviously risky to cast if you're not in the middle of going off.
Mind's Desire - Spells that you cast for free via Mind's Desire count toward Aetherflux Reservoir, Tendrils of Agony, and subsequent casts of Mind's Desire should you find some way to recur it (like Yawgmoth's Will or Snapcaster Mage). It's pretty painful to hit with Ad Nauseam, though.
That's 7 cards to add. Here's what I'd cut:
Rewind - I suppose you can counter your own spells to try and generate mana on High Tide turns, but this is an expensive counterspell, which makes leaving mana up for it a pain, and it's worse at generating mana than both Cabal Ritual and Reality Spasm in most cases.
Peer Through Depths - Looks at 1-2 more cards than Ponder but costs twice as much mana and has the potential to hit nothing. Notably, it can't find Aetherflux Reservoir.
Exsanguinate - Probably sounds like heresy, but this usually only wins with infinite mana, which your deck can generate, but those are all at least 3 card combos that don't involve your commander. I suppose a small one could put you over the necessary life threshold to kill the table with Aetherflux Reservoir and Sydri.
Capsize - Also only really good with infinite mana.
Thirst for Knowledge - This one's close with Ideas Unbound. I wouldn't fault you for not cutting this, but you're actually pretty low on artifacts, so you're not going to net cards off of this a good amount of the time.
Rhystic Study - Dead draw on combo turns. Annoying removal magnet.
Archaeomancer - Pretty slow, and you're not doing Ghostly Flicker/Cloud of Faeries shenanigans, so I'd cut this.
Yawgmoth's Will definitely belongs in this list. It's currently at the top of my "slightly pricier cards to buy list," so it'll be here eventually.
I had actually been thinking about Snapcaster Mage recently. That's an expensive card I thankfully already own. I think I'll cut Archaeomancer for this. Archaeomancer was really just there for infinite mana with Turnabout and Tidespout Tyrant and though Snap doesn't allow that, I still think it's just objectively better.
Exsanguinate has already been cut. That's another change that needs to be made.
I agree with you on Rhystic Study. I had been considering cutting it for a while now, so I think it's time it got cut. I'm gonna try Cabal Ritual in its place.
Tezzeret the Seeker is a good idea. Thankfully, I have a copy. If I'm cutting Archaeomancer, I feel like I might as well cut Tidespout Tyrant (no longer have to worry about taking 8 from Ad Nauseam) so Tezz will probably go in its place.
Finally, I think I'll try cutting Capsize for Reality Spasm.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG
As was pointed out in the above comments, it's been a while since this deck has been updated, and the main post did not actually reflect the cards I am currently using. These changes are in part cards that have been in the list for a while, but also some changes that arose from Oracletext's suggestions:
Out
- Capsize
- Rewind
- Rhystic Study
- Rings of Brighthearth
- Exsanguinate
- Archaeomancer
- Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
- Tidespout Tyrant
- Arcane Sanctum
IN
+ Reality Spasm
+ Paradoxical Outcome
+ Cabal Ritual
+ Paradox Engine
+ Whir of Invention
+ Snapcaster Mage
+ Ponder
+ Tezzeret the Seeker
+ Gitaxian Probe
As you can see, the deck is becoming much more stream-lined towards just the Aetherflux Reservoir combo. At this point, the only alternative combo in the deck is Future Sight + Sensei's Divining Top + Helm of Awakening. Many of these changes were explained in the discussion with Oracletext. I cut Arcane Sanctum because I think the deck can run just fine on 32 lands and the card I added in (Gitaxian Probe) is free. I'm still not totally sold on Paradoxical Outcome, but I think it has enough potential to warrant a spot. I also haven't had a chance to play either Paradox Engine or Whir of Invention, but I think both are pretty much auto-includes.
[Primer] Dralnu Control/Reanimator BU
[Primer] Jolrael, Empress of Beasts GG
Nath Stax BG | Borborygmos Enraged RG | Ladies of Magic UGW | Aminatou Control UWB | Enduring Ideal Zedruu UWR | Momir Vig Combo UG
Modern
Restore Balance RWUG
Kiki Chord RWG