You want to stay away from brainstorm unless you can afford 6-8 blue fetch lands, which have gone waaay up in recent months. There is a list I have written about, and many have told me they have done well with, that may work for you. You can find it in the link below under Rogue decks, listed as Mono Blue Tempo.
If you want to change up the list a bit or put more money into it I would be more than happy to help out. Just take a look and let me know what you think.
First thing is first, you do not play brainstorm if you do not have fetchlands and/or force of wills. The card falls beneath the power level of ponder tne preordain without those supporting cards.
I played mono blue delver for the past 3 or 4 years. This is my non-budget list: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1195432 that I have placed decently at SCGOs with. The metagame has not been kind to this list to the point that I felt I had gone far enough with it and have sold it to move on to different formats.
I will warn you that even if you push the deck past budget it hits a wall and cannot become much stronger. On top of that, it takes a large amount of pilot skill and metagame knowledge to know how you should approach each matchup. -spooky- has a good, basic list to start from and it will help you understand how the deck plays out. However, I would change some things about it. Jaces phantasm is overly-cute in my opinion and I don't like the 6 cards that come with him as part of his package (4 scours 2 traps).
I could post a huge analysis and reasoning of each card I would cut and add but I figure I will only explain what is asked of me and just post what I would do with mono blue with about $200 (to stay in line with spookies budget)
This is what I would do with $200 for this style. Cloud of Faeries seems like a weird choice but it has some strong interactions. It allows your spellstutters to stay on pace with their curve and can create the strong turn 2 CloF into Jitte play that can take over a creature matchup with ease. As for the sideboard I would go with something like
With the newer fetchlands being much cheaper, I'm getting into Mono Blue Delver on the side. Porcelain Legionnaire is my hero as a budget True Name. I also run Repeal instead of Vapor Snag, because it draws a card and gets you ahead on tempo. Gut Shot has been decent as a way to fight Delvers, Bobs, and some elves (pretty interesting with Snapcaster also).
I like Stifle, do you think that it's worth cutting some cards for?
Stifle seems strong, but much stronger if you can also afford Wasteland. Playing half-assed mana denial can end up just splitting your resources without adequately foiling the opponent.
Fetches should be cheap now, so you can support Brainstorm!
I recommend Nivmagus+Flusterstorm as your alternate win condition to Delver:
If those cards are still out of budget, another option is to play an equipment-centric build. Maindeck Jitte, Swords, maybe Runechanter's Pike. Then you play 4 Delver, 4 Invisible Stalker, 3 TNN... and a bunch of cantrips and counters and tempo cards. Your goal is to cause the opponent to stumble just a bit while you smash in with Delver or dork+equipment.
Yea stifle is definitely something that can be cut from this deck. It plays nice with Spellstutter but we have more than enough stuff to do on turn 1 between cantrips and delver. I actually have had good results switching it to force spike. That card is suprisingly strong in legacy right now. Also, with the introduction of treasure cruise to the format we can definitely find some spots for it. Though, it does rule Jaces Phantasm out of the deck.
also @FTW1987 I wouldn't play Nivmagus without flusterstorm, personally.
I have a budget of around $300. My favorite decks to watch are delver based decks, so that's where I'd like to be.
I was thinking of starting off with a mono blue delver deck, and slowly working toward a multi color dual land filled deck.
I was thinking about something like this:
4x Delver of Secrets
4x Daze
4x Ponder
4x brainstorm
4x Stifle
But I can't really think of much else, I don't have any deckbuilding skills for Legacy.
Help?
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/legacy-type-1-5/178367-getting-started-in-legacy-and-legacy-budget-primer
If you want to change up the list a bit or put more money into it I would be more than happy to help out. Just take a look and let me know what you think.
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I played mono blue delver for the past 3 or 4 years. This is my non-budget list: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1195432 that I have placed decently at SCGOs with. The metagame has not been kind to this list to the point that I felt I had gone far enough with it and have sold it to move on to different formats.
I will warn you that even if you push the deck past budget it hits a wall and cannot become much stronger. On top of that, it takes a large amount of pilot skill and metagame knowledge to know how you should approach each matchup. -spooky- has a good, basic list to start from and it will help you understand how the deck plays out. However, I would change some things about it. Jaces phantasm is overly-cute in my opinion and I don't like the 6 cards that come with him as part of his package (4 scours 2 traps).
I could post a huge analysis and reasoning of each card I would cut and add but I figure I will only explain what is asked of me and just post what I would do with mono blue with about $200 (to stay in line with spookies budget)
Link to list: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1213491
4 True-Name Nemesis
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Ponder
3 Preordain
4 Spell Pierce
4 Daze
3 Vapor Snag
2 Spell Snare
4 Stifle
2 Umezawa's Jitte
This is what I would do with $200 for this style. Cloud of Faeries seems like a weird choice but it has some strong interactions. It allows your spellstutters to stay on pace with their curve and can create the strong turn 2 CloF into Jitte play that can take over a creature matchup with ease. As for the sideboard I would go with something like
ask any questions you have. I will reply later today.
I like Stifle, do you think that it's worth cutting some cards for?
I run G-Probe. Is that unnecessary?
How well have you done at SCG Opens?
Legacy:
GRISELBRAND
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Fetches should be cheap now, so you can support Brainstorm!
I recommend Nivmagus+Flusterstorm as your alternate win condition to Delver:
Here's a rough sketch
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Nivmagus Elemental
3 Snapcaster Mage
3 True-Name Nemesis
//Spells: 28
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Flusterstorm
4 Daze
2 Spell Snare
2 Disrupting Shoal
2 Counterspell
3 Vapor Snag
1 Dismember
2 Repeal
12 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Misdirection
2 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Ratchet Bomb
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Back to Basics
2 Submerge
If those cards are still out of budget, another option is to play an equipment-centric build. Maindeck Jitte, Swords, maybe Runechanter's Pike. Then you play 4 Delver, 4 Invisible Stalker, 3 TNN... and a bunch of cantrips and counters and tempo cards. Your goal is to cause the opponent to stumble just a bit while you smash in with Delver or dork+equipment.
also @FTW1987 I wouldn't play Nivmagus without flusterstorm, personally.
I updated my list a bit:
http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1213491
My list has 4 Flusterstorm...
The alternate suggestion does not run Nivmagus