This decks is like the Caw Blade deck we saw back in standard oh so long ago. It was one of my favorite decks, and I wanted to make it in the Pauper format. I'm gearing to make it a competitive deck, but if it isn't possible I wouldn't mind making it a "for fun" deck.
Basically, this deck focuses on one thing alone : card-advantage. This is represented in creature choices like Squadron Hawk and Trinket Mage, and both of these creatures provide an inherent synergy with Brainstorm. Also, I think deck has a good match-up against Blue and Black, which is quite present in my LSG meta. My sideboard reflects this.
Delver of Secrets: Around my LGS this card usually causes the most "raised eyebrows" out of everything in the the list. Given the 12 turn-one blue sources this card can normally be played out of the opener. Also, there are 23 cards that cause him to trigger. Granted, the grass is always greener in the mono-blue list - he still finds a happy home to mutate himself in this list.
Squadron Hawk:This card is pretty sweet. It provides card advantage and allows the deck to shuffle, which is relevant for Brainstorm. It has good synergy for either of the trinkets we fetch with Trinket Mage
Trinket Mage: Shuffles, 2-for-1, fetches our trinkets or a land, if needed. He's a nice guy that feeds his family and pays child support. His 2/2 body with either trinket does provide a reasonable threat against most decks in the format.
Sylvok Lifestaff: Normally isn't fetched for. Normally it's fetched against burn or mono-black (which is creeping up more in my meta).
Accumulated Knowledge: The playset of this card provides card advantage to any deck that seeks long play, but it also doesn't mind being countered. In fact, I find most Mono-Blue players avoid countering when it is casted for mode 1 or 2. Overall, it does well in most game 1's and makes easy sideboarding fodder.
Brainstorm: The best can-trip in the deck. With the amount of shuffling in this deck, this one card tilts the Mono-blue match-up in our favor.
Daze: This counter spell appears in both the sideboard and the main board simply because of it's effectiveness against burn, stompy, and mono-blue. Daze is either sideboard fodder or the game-defining play that makes the "W."
Counterspell: One of the most reliable counters in the format. Counterspell provides an answer early, mid, and late game! I would run more, but it becomes unreliable with the mana base.
Exclude: My favorite 2-for-1 in the main and sideboard. Although it does have a heafty mana cost, Exclude can often win the game against mono-black's Grey Merchant or mono-blue's Spell-Skutter Sprite. It also makes side-fodder when appropriate.
Gush: A 1-of that provides enough gas to win the game. It normally ends up getting sided out against quicker decks like burn, stompy, or GW slivers.
Miscalulation: Next to Delver this card causes the most eye-brow raising looks of indignation. It appears because of how the mana-base works. Getting U/W on turn turn is rather common and having a turn-two counter spell is quite nice. Sure, Mana Leak has longer countering longevity, but Miscalculation provides longer card value in general due to it's cycling ability late game. Hence, it appears in this list.
Repulse: I really like this card. Beyond that, it really has no reason to appear other than that. I'm seeking a replacement for it.
Preordain: The best filtering can-trip in the format.
Sunlance: Due to the relative absence of white in the format, it provides a cheap way to answer most of the treats in the format. It gets sided in-and-out depending on the colors of the current match-up.
I need to go to work; I'll finish the rest of the explanations later.
I'm still working on the sideboard; any comments are welcome and appreciated!
Basically, this deck focuses on one thing alone : card-advantage. This is represented in creature choices like Squadron Hawk and Trinket Mage, and both of these creatures provide an inherent synergy with Brainstorm. Also, I think deck has a good match-up against Blue and Black, which is quite present in my LSG meta. My sideboard reflects this.
Card Explanations:
Delver of Secrets: Around my LGS this card usually causes the most "raised eyebrows" out of everything in the the list. Given the 12 turn-one blue sources this card can normally be played out of the opener. Also, there are 23 cards that cause him to trigger. Granted, the grass is always greener in the mono-blue list - he still finds a happy home to mutate himself in this list.
Squadron Hawk:This card is pretty sweet. It provides card advantage and allows the deck to shuffle, which is relevant for Brainstorm. It has good synergy for either of the trinkets we fetch with Trinket Mage
Trinket Mage: Shuffles, 2-for-1, fetches our trinkets or a land, if needed. He's a nice guy that feeds his family and pays child support. His 2/2 body with either trinket does provide a reasonable threat against most decks in the format.
Guardian of the Guildpact: Finisher. Dodges most forms of removal. He ends the game. Period.
Bonesplitter: This is an aggressive trinket to fetch with Delver of Secrets,Squadron Hawk,Guardian of the Guildpact. This card provides the most synergy in the deck.
Sylvok Lifestaff: Normally isn't fetched for. Normally it's fetched against burn or mono-black (which is creeping up more in my meta).
Accumulated Knowledge: The playset of this card provides card advantage to any deck that seeks long play, but it also doesn't mind being countered. In fact, I find most Mono-Blue players avoid countering when it is casted for mode 1 or 2. Overall, it does well in most game 1's and makes easy sideboarding fodder.
Brainstorm: The best can-trip in the deck. With the amount of shuffling in this deck, this one card tilts the Mono-blue match-up in our favor.
Daze: This counter spell appears in both the sideboard and the main board simply because of it's effectiveness against burn, stompy, and mono-blue. Daze is either sideboard fodder or the game-defining play that makes the "W."
Counterspell: One of the most reliable counters in the format. Counterspell provides an answer early, mid, and late game! I would run more, but it becomes unreliable with the mana base.
Exclude: My favorite 2-for-1 in the main and sideboard. Although it does have a heafty mana cost, Exclude can often win the game against mono-black's Grey Merchant or mono-blue's Spell-Skutter Sprite. It also makes side-fodder when appropriate.
Gush: A 1-of that provides enough gas to win the game. It normally ends up getting sided out against quicker decks like burn, stompy, or GW slivers.
Miscalulation: Next to Delver this card causes the most eye-brow raising looks of indignation. It appears because of how the mana-base works. Getting U/W on turn turn is rather common and having a turn-two counter spell is quite nice. Sure, Mana Leak has longer countering longevity, but Miscalculation provides longer card value in general due to it's cycling ability late game. Hence, it appears in this list.
Repulse: I really like this card. Beyond that, it really has no reason to appear other than that. I'm seeking a replacement for it.
Preordain: The best filtering can-trip in the format.
Sunlance: Due to the relative absence of white in the format, it provides a cheap way to answer most of the treats in the format. It gets sided in-and-out depending on the colors of the current match-up.
I need to go to work; I'll finish the rest of the explanations later.
I'm still working on the sideboard; any comments are welcome and appreciated!