Not exactly sure where to put this. Basically, my group has a player that pays no heed to any banned lists anywhere because "we play casual". We normally play multiplayer but there are times he just stops by my house itching for some magic. Then he reaches for the broken decks and I reach for my combo decks that I refuse to play in multiplayer. I tried making other prison style decks to play in multiplayer as well but they usually aren't ideal for 1v1. Anyway, I'm wanting to build something for those times that he stops by and wants to 4x Balance me or 4x Tinker. I just want to show this player it's not fun when you're not playing real magic. He has plenty of fair decks, but always plays these so he has the best odds to win.
I'm not a Stasis player. I hate it. But I'm trying to get a point across to a dense player. We like the guy, and he's fun to be around so we don't want to pull the "dude, stop playing broken crap or else you don't play here anymore" but at the same time, just suggesting he change it isn't working at all. I know Black Vise and Ebony Owl Netsuke are more efficient, but I had a friend alter my Iron Maidens so I feel like this is an opportunity to show it off. It probably needs help, so someone enlighten me if you have experience.
Well, if we're playing with broken cards, Gush should be all you need. I used to play something very similar to this circa 2003ish. Everyone in my play group refused to let me continue playing this, and insisted I use something with creatures in it (they told me Mishra's Factory didn't count so Standstill decks were out). From memory:
I think it is a losing battle to try to prove to someone that decks are broken. Its the type of problem that usually has to be deal with outside of game.
If you really want to make him accept bannings...use Shahrazad and copy effects. Basically, you turn every game into a 3 hour ordeal. He picks up a balance deck, then you proxy those in and make it take forever. You can put a few win cons in or shuffle effects.
If you truly want to make stasis work, I think you need green. Root Maze, Garruk 1.0, Noxious Revival, all play really nice. I've been fiddling with a deck with those cards, time warp, savour the moment, wild growth like cards, and Panoptic Mirror. The idea is to keep taking turns until you get the mirror, and then basically your opponent gets to watch you play solitaire magic for the victory.
One a budget though and an extreme one, I'd look at Fatigue lock. Something like
A cards are played early in the game, then use B cards to reoccur them, and finally C cards to blink your reoccurring effects. In a bind you can blink your creatures with other enter the battle effects. Basically you take your friends ability to play magic. Eventually Venser can ult and that should let you take care of any threat almost while the Sphinx's are your win con. In the case of say a balance deck, you can silence him, when you put down your B cards in the same turn, (just nail him during his upkeep), and then on the next turn drop Venser/Closet to finish him off.
If you are willing to combo (which will lead to fast games), you basically should start at the banned list and build a deck that would rely on that. Probably black or blue.
I run a Stasis deck and what usually tends to help me is a Sapphire Medallion with spells like SnapRewindCloud of Faeries which will net you some untapped lands and keeps the Stasis alive longer. Also, the Isochron Scepter on a Rescue or Boomerang can really lock him out.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Legacy WWWhite KnightsWW WWDeath and TaxesWW BW B/W Deathblade BW
4 Frozen Æther
4 Gush
4 Chronatog
4 Standstill
4 Propaganda
4 Daze
4 Frantic Search
4 Ensnare
1 Iron Maiden
3 Halimar Depths
20 Island
I'm not a Stasis player. I hate it. But I'm trying to get a point across to a dense player. We like the guy, and he's fun to be around so we don't want to pull the "dude, stop playing broken crap or else you don't play here anymore" but at the same time, just suggesting he change it isn't working at all. I know Black Vise and Ebony Owl Netsuke are more efficient, but I had a friend alter my Iron Maidens so I feel like this is an opportunity to show it off. It probably needs help, so someone enlighten me if you have experience.
4 Gush
4 Thwart
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Portent
4 Tidal Bore
1 Iron Maiden
1 Megrim
2 Propaganda
2 Rescue
1 Boomerang
1 Feldon's Cane
1 Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
21 Islands
Modern: WUBValue Titan UMerfolk WGDeath and Taxes
If you really want to make him accept bannings...use Shahrazad and copy effects. Basically, you turn every game into a 3 hour ordeal. He picks up a balance deck, then you proxy those in and make it take forever. You can put a few win cons in or shuffle effects.
If you truly want to make stasis work, I think you need green. Root Maze, Garruk 1.0, Noxious Revival, all play really nice. I've been fiddling with a deck with those cards, time warp, savour the moment, wild growth like cards, and Panoptic Mirror. The idea is to keep taking turns until you get the mirror, and then basically your opponent gets to watch you play solitaire magic for the victory.
One a budget though and an extreme one, I'd look at Fatigue lock. Something like
4 Stonehorn Dignitary
2 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
4 Silence
4 Fatigue
4 Counterspell
4 Archaeomancer
4 Mnemonic Wall
C
3 Conjurer's Closet
2 Venser, the Sojourner
A cards are played early in the game, then use B cards to reoccur them, and finally C cards to blink your reoccurring effects. In a bind you can blink your creatures with other enter the battle effects. Basically you take your friends ability to play magic. Eventually Venser can ult and that should let you take care of any threat almost while the Sphinx's are your win con. In the case of say a balance deck, you can silence him, when you put down your B cards in the same turn, (just nail him during his upkeep), and then on the next turn drop Venser/Closet to finish him off.
If you are willing to combo (which will lead to fast games), you basically should start at the banned list and build a deck that would rely on that. Probably black or blue.
WWWhite KnightsWW
WWDeath and TaxesWW
BW B/W Deathblade BW
Multiplayer
BBPestilenceBB
I'd start with 4x sol ring 4x Acadamy