Also, Bident of Thassa drawing cards off our flyers is always welcomed, as I am often low on cards in hand.
In terms of splashing, I really have liked Spell Queller coming in against U/W control in defense of Supreme Verdict, though I understand it's hard to leave Mana sitting open in the aggro deck. Though in G2/3, T2 Thorn of Amethyst allows me to still wait till T4 or T5, depending - to use Spell Queller.
With only 22 lands (right number for this deck) turn 3 Architect into turn 4 Waves is not so probable.
Old Blue Devotion had 25 lands and it was fine, 22 doesn't help with Master.
In my book, RiP is not a strictly better card than Relic. For example, with only 10 sources of white mana you are guaranteed to play only one of those cards.
Plains in a mono blue deck is a huge cost. You are probably taking damage to cast RiP. Your mana base makes you infinitely more vulnerable to Burn, Scapeshift, colorscrew and other aggressive decks. Drawing two RiP and two Relic is huge difference. Relic works with this deck (namely Trinket and it's "free" to play in many scenarios). After you finish screwing with your opponent you draw a card. None of these thing makes RiP strictly better.
Other than Verdict you haven't mentioned other cards that you wish to fight. Verdict is powerful but if it costs 5-6-7 mana like against us, I find Thorn and Lodestone enough to fight it, with Copter and Blinkmoth in reserve if things go south. We don't need Queller that bad.
Thalia and Canonist can easily be replaced by Thorn and Lodestone, with added pressure from our 1-drops. Combo should fear us, I think.
You are not casting white Leyline in this deck, mana just isn't there, only hope is starting hand, just not sure why you need that card.
Disenchant destroys... what?
Personally, I have 4 Ceremonious Rejection in the side because Eldrazi Tron and Tron are not easiest matchups.
Then tutor targets like graveyard hate (Cage, Relic with Trinket), combo hate (Chalice with Trinket, Thorn), possibly Annul (deals with everything like Disenchant, just less expensive and in color), some Gut Shot/Dismember (for creature and creature/combo decks), Hangarback (tutor target against grindy decks), Unified Will (Titan, Tron, combo), maybe Echoing Truth as catch all.
Blue Steel is not the best deck (yet) but I feel white is not needed.
With only 22 lands (right number for this deck) turn 3 Architect into turn 4 Waves is not so probable.
Old Blue Devotion had 25 lands and it was fine, 22 doesn't help with Master.
In my book, RiP is not a strictly better card than Relic. For example, with only 10 sources of white mana you are guaranteed to play only one of those cards.
Plains in a mono blue deck is a huge cost. You are probably taking damage to cast RiP. Your mana base makes you infinitely more vulnerable to Burn, Scapeshift, colorscrew and other aggressive decks. Drawing two RiP and two Relic is huge difference. Relic works with this deck (namely Trinket and it's "free" to play in many scenarios). After you finish screwing with your opponent you draw a card. None of these thing makes RiP strictly better.
Other than Verdict you haven't mentioned other cards that you wish to fight. Verdict is powerful but if it costs 5-6-7 mana like against us, I find Thorn and Lodestone enough to fight it, with Copter and Blinkmoth in reserve if things go south. We don't need Queller that bad.
Thalia and Canonist can easily be replaced by Thorn and Lodestone, with added pressure from our 1-drops. Combo should fear us, I think.
You are not casting white Leyline in this deck, mana just isn't there, only hope is starting hand, just not sure why you need that card.
Disenchant destroys... what?
Personally, I have 4 Ceremonious Rejection in the side because Eldrazi Tron and Tron are not easiest matchups.
Then tutor targets like graveyard hate (Cage, Relic with Trinket), combo hate (Chalice with Trinket, Thorn), possibly Annul (deals with everything like Disenchant, just less expensive and in color), some Gut Shot/Dismember (for creature and creature/combo decks), Hangarback (tutor target against grindy decks), Unified Will (Titan, Tron, combo), maybe Echoing Truth as catch all.
Blue Steel is not the best deck (yet) but I feel white is not needed.
Really good points - thanks.
I initially went to white splash because of how many times I was being beat by U/W Control and not being able to stop Supreme Verdict.
I think your sideboard plan seems really good and is a better direction that what I had previously, though the only card I am not sold on is Unified Will, only because I can see it being situationally dependent.
Other things I have trouble with are:
T1 hand disruption (not on the play), and not having access to removal (sans Basilisk Collar.)
Also, I have trouble against Merfolk, unless I'm T1-1 drop into T2-Convoke/Cost Redux into T-3 Architect into Lodestone.
We have a deck with many dinky creatures that mostly do the same thing. Hand disruption is not that great against it.
That Leyline that could save us from TSeiezes of the world has to replace a cog in our deck with a card that isn't amazing in noncombo deck.
We have to draw it and multiples are bad (even with 4 Copters). To draw it we have to flood a sideboard with Leylines. Not fond of that plan.
For a mono blue deck we actually have a lot in removal department. 4 Ballista + Trinkets + Collar assemble a quick shotgun for low price in mana/time.
Add Gut Shots/Dismembers as needed, but the thing is, our deck is explosive, we are spewing permanents out quicker than most decks, add blanket measure like Thorn/Lodestone/Chalice and it is up to opponents to fire some removal, if they can, not on us.
Merfolk fist pumps whenever opponent start with Island, that is just a fact.
What this deck have is hard to block flyers, Ballista deals with Master of Waves and many other stuff and Merfolk is 2% of the meta.
I would focus on other decks.
In T4 played against a Sun and Moon pilot, flooded game 1, won game two with T1 Wanderer > T2 Engineer/Sculptor/Copter > T3 Lodestone, crew/swing with team > T4 Sword Equip, which put my Lodestone out of Anger range. Game three got ran down by T2 SSG exile/Goblin Rabblemaster > T3 Rabblemaster > T4 Declaration in Stone. Had Wurmcoil on my next turn but it would've been close either way.
A few notes and takeaways:
Shop didn't have an Oboro to pick up and mine is still on its way in the mail u__u
Saw a lot of green creature decks (non-Elf tribal) and control so that's why I decided on the direction I went. Feel that Wurmcoil is better at trading with a Qasali Pridemage and hoped to dodged all the Paths. The field ended up being UW, Jeskai, Naya Zoo, GW hatebears, Sun and Moon, Wr Puresteel Equipment, Bant Eldrazi, I forget the others.
Sword was insane in the field, won me a game singlehandedly. It can gain life vs Burn while also attritioning well vs control and midrange decks (gains you life a turn later than Harvester if you block with Harvester ASAP, but nonetheless...) Synergy with our 1CMC guys and Ballistas was putting in a lot of work for me.
Still torn on whether to roll with Wurmcoils or Battlespheres, there's really a give and take between those two choices that I think is a lot closer than meets the eye. Guess Wurmcoil is better in the blind.
Spellbomb overperformed as per usual. Double Time Walks an opponent that's trying to block with Colonnade, isn't just another dinky 2/2 when both players are trading on board, and was able to save my more important creatures from removal when I needed to just sap the opponent of their resources. Had also kept a copy in vs. Sun and Moon as it's an out to their Nahiri play while still giving action when they don't pull it off.
Wish I could play another Copter. I got flooded a lot more than usual, but variance is most likely to blame. Can't emphasize enough that it needs to be a 4-of.
I'm trying to see if Curiosity will work for me where other cards have failed in the midrange/control matchups. It just seems like you can run away with the lead and then comfortably drop back into the race and clean up the opponent after a board wipe.
Hey guys, new to the deck and this thread, just wanted to get some thoughts on my list, it looks to be a little more all-in on the artifacts than most the lists I saw while scrolling through a couple pages. I also saw a couple people debating what high drop to run and batterskull came to mind, as we can cast, equip, and bounce it with grand architect's ability, just a thought though. Anyways, here's the list:
some explanation on numbers: the second throne and battlesphere are just put in instead of two etched champion because that card was completely underperforming for me. 21 lands I feel is optimal despite what others think, I've seen too many people get flooded out and me myself gotten flooded out too many times compared to not to think more than 21 is necessary, but adding in battlesphere might change that so we'll see. This is a pretty early on version hence the large amount of 4-ofs in the list. No academy ruins is due to (A) cost and (B) avaliblity, no shops near me have one and I got rid of my only one a couple months ago. I would also appreciate any SB help or overall tips experienced pilots could give as I am just learning the deck. Thanks!
Sword was insane in the field, won me a game singlehandedly. It can gain life vs Burn while also attritioning well vs control and midrange decks (gains you life a turn later than Harvester if you block with Harvester ASAP, but nonetheless...) Synergy with our 1CMC guys and Ballistas was putting in a lot of work for me.
I'm trying to see if Curiosity will work for me where other cards have failed in the midrange/control matchups. It just seems like you can run away with the lead and then comfortably drop back into the race and clean up the opponent after a board wipe.
Sword can give you life turn faster than Harvester: Bird into Sculptor into Architect means you can attack with equipped flying creature on turn 3 or with equipped Sculptor with Bird protection up.
Bident of Thassa is better choice than Curiosity, if you want to draw cards. Enchanted creature dies to anything because removal is too efficient, Bident stays out and gives ability to all.
I'm thinking of adding a copy or two of Echoing Truth to deal with problematic permanents like Stony Silence. It doesn't permanently deal with it but it's a catch all (bar manlands) and can be effective enough to let us get through next turn.
I'm thinking of adding a copy or two of Echoing Truth to deal with problematic permanents like Stony Silence. It doesn't permanently deal with it but it's a catch all (bar manlands) and can be effective enough to let us get through next turn.
I've tried to accommodate all the issues the deck has with midrange/control/hate cards lately, and so I went to remedy things my own way. Here is the updated sideboard from the list in post #1008:
The 2-1 split of Venser/Unsubstantiate has been exceptionally good against mid and control. It deals damage, unlike any regular counterspell, and you can proactively play it if your opponent is burdened by tax effects, just to bounce a ETB-tapped land and timewalk them.
Not only that, but it deals with Supreme Verdict in an elegant way, because it helps your clock after you keep your board alive a turn. Other great applications are bouncing an Ancestral Vision when the opponent is taxed (so that they can't counter your Venser in response,) countering a Cryptic Command meant to tap your team and then using Venser to crew a Copter, bouncing Emrakul once Nahiri ultimates (lol) and just plain dealing with pesky interaction and hate cards (Stony Silence, Ensnaring Bridge, Leyline of Sanctity, etc.)
I'm just glad I am finally able to see my board plan and navigate it without using any dead cards. Venser being able to tempo an opponent who might be playing a beefier creature deck (Merfolk) makes it equal parts versatile and high-impact, something the deck sorely needed as it played mainly redundant guys with a few payoff spells, but weak disruption for the late game.
If I had to hedge only against combo/mid/control I would use Specter's Shroud. It's low to the ground and very efficient, so we can start to get in and disrupt a slower deck on turn 3 with counterspell backup.
If opponent is taxed then so is Venser. 2 4-drops in 22 lands deck, costing at least 4 mana, is not ideal, when they cost 5-6 mana even less so.
We have Copters, manlands and tax effects so Verdict is less annoying than it could be.
Eldrazi Tron and Affinity are still popular decks and we need Rejections in the side (without those ETron is unbeatable), and being good against Tron and Lantern is a bonus.
Speaking of manlands, our mana base might be stretched with few more, like 2 Mutavaults or something. There are only 4 cards with UU in it, with plenty U sources. That could help against Explosives, Anger, Verdict, walkers and being creatures for Copter is nice.
If opponent is taxed then so is Venser. 2 4-drops in 22 lands deck, costing at least 4 mana, is not ideal, when they cost 5-6 mana even less so.
We have Copters, manlands and tax effects so Verdict is less annoying than it could be.
Eldrazi Tron and Affinity are still popular decks and we need Rejections in the side (without those ETron is unbeatable), and being good against Tron and Lantern is a bonus.
Speaking of manlands, our mana base might be stretched with few more, like 2 Mutavaults or something. There are only 4 cards with UU in it, with plenty U sources. That could help against Explosives, Anger, Verdict, walkers and being creatures for Copter is nice.
If the opponent is taxed, that means we have at least an extra turn to procure enough lands to respond to their plays lol. Also, Venser doesnt care about Thorn.
Youre right about 22 lands being iffy, so I will test moving Collar to the main and playing Sea Gate Wreckage in its stead out of the board. I feel 15 Island/1 Cavern/1 A Ruins/1 Oboro main should be the configuration to help support Wreckage without hurting our tempo early game. Wreckage and a 23rd land help solve both the flooding problems, and the curving out problem doubly.
All this talk about extra nonblue lands is 100% wrong. We arent trying to whiff on getting turn 3 Architect mana. There are other more effective ways to keep parity with board wipes.
As an aside, I'm simply metagaming for my LGS crowd in a 25mi radius as PPTQ season is underway. About 1/3 opponents are on either UW or Rw Prison, and 0% on Eldrazi Tron. Affinity isn't where you want counterspells anyway, because they're usually dead after turn 3.
If we use all our mana each turn, then why would we want more manlands in the first place?
Conclave can make blue mana, has evasion, can be pumped by architect. Mutavault has only one upside in coming into play untapped, which is not actually that relevant because you need a lot of blue mana if you don't have engineer.
You can keep 2-lander with conclave and nexus. 2-lander with nexus and mutavalut is a snap mulligan.
Since I've been seeing the Standard deck I'm super tempted to try a cheeky God Pharoah's Gift in this list. Rebuying creatures like that could be surprisingly fun.
Dunno if it's necessarily good, but I wanna give it a go.
Also 4/4 Mausoleam Wanderers.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Well, I can saw a woman in two, but you won't wanna look in the box when I'm through.
Since I've been seeing the Standard deck I'm super tempted to try a cheeky God Pharoah's Gift in this list. Rebuying creatures like that could be surprisingly fun.
Dunno if it's necessarily good, but I wanna give it a go.
Round 1 vs GW Value Land Bears (Lawson Zandi)
Mull to 5 game one and get buried underneath triple Knight of the Reliquary/double Courser draw
Game two he ended up having to GQ his own basics just to get on board, and sputtered on low tempo
Game three he had mana issues again, and I assembled Architect + 4 other blue guys + Ballista + Collar
(1-0-0)
Round 2 vs UB Control (Bruce Brown)
Game one he just has low impact/non-action cards and I get off turn three Architect into Lodestone + Copter
Game two I get Lodestone + Thorn out by turn 4 and his plays become too awkward to keep up on board
(2-0-0)
Round 3 vs Grixis Shadow (Ivan Contreras)
Game one I get stuffed on lands or else I'd have an opening to run out turn 3 Architect into Lodestone and Copter.
He discards relevant threat and stonewalls me with double Shadow at 6 life.
Game two I get ahead on board and land Lodestone + double Wanderer, he concedes
Game three I end up racing a Gurmag Angler with 7 power, he floods a bit and topdecks discard spells.
(3-0-0)
Round 4 vs Eldrazi Tron (Tyler Lindsey)
Game one I start on the play and just flood the board turn 3. Took him down with 4 life chunks thanks to quad fliers and a Throne
Game two he mulls to five but runs out TKS on 3 & 4 to keep parity, then races me but pulls ahead with Reshaper and Smasher
Game three came down to 1 life. I'm racing with double Wanderer, manland, and Kira while Master/Engineer muck up the ground. He's getting in with double TKS and I chump a few times with low impact creatures, before I land a copter and swing to pass. He attacks with Smasher, TKS, TKS, Reshaper. I'm at 10 and go to make a copter, go to blocks, put copter in front of Reshaper and an Engineer in front of TKS. After damage with only 2 mana up he extends the hand
(4-0-0)
Round 5 vs Mono-W Taxes (Aydin Kageler)
I get paired down so opponent refuses ID
Game one we get deckchecked and he incurs a loss from incorrect registration
Game two I lead with Wanderer, turn two Engineer > Scultpor > Copter, turn three Master into Lodestone, swing with Copter. He goes to attack with a Splicer token and forgets Master pumps Lodestone, after coughing up his only advantage on board and seeing me run out another two masters turn 5 he concedes
(5-0-0)
Round 6 ID
(5-0-1)
T8 vs Counter Company (Carl Hendrix)
Game one my 7 is 5 lands, a Throne and a Wurmcoil. 6 is no lands. 5 is Island/Nexus/Wanderer/Throne/Chief. I keep. Opened the game with a turn 3 Ballista to kill two birds and slow him a bit. Eventually clock him down to 4 life after he has cast two K Finks and a CoCo for a third and an E-Wit to grab CoCo. His turn before taking lethal, he Chords for Viscera Seer but doesn't even need to break his Finks open as he draws another Chord for Anafenza
Game two my 7 is mono islands and double engineer, 6 is copter/familiar/nexus/trip Islands so I keep and push an Island to the bottom. End up drawing two Islands to start the game and eventually wheeled into low impact creatures. Opponent had the stones so by then his board is developed with the infinite mana so even my topdeck cage can't stop his combo + double Abrupt Decay in hand.
Felt like I had a decent run but still struggling to see if I should have mulled another time in that second game. Defnitely have to go to the drawing board and see how I can gear up for the next run. Until then I guess :B
After testing and tournament, do you feel 4 Master is the right number?
I wouldn't cut more than one from the main. You want to be able to accelerate into a win and having extra lords is always the best way. I was silly to shoot it down. What opened my eyes was how it protected Golem against Bolt in the RG Titanshift matchup in testing. Having your tax effects stick on the board is crucial to your game one wins, and Master is the best at getting your Copters and Golems into a range where they can be very effective in combat, irrespective of whether he's a 2/2 or a 5/5+. My only gripe is that I have zero data with Master + Myr Battlesphere, which I think would be better in the main in some cases.
The most attention I would direct would go to the sideboard. Not 100% on my numbers and each card is heavily relied upon, especially when needing to consolidate tasks in the matchups they are relevant in (Ex: Kira and Sword against control/mid is a non-bo as sometimes you can't equip to your guys)
@Banner
Architect gives orders to his artifact minions on the battlefield (Superion and Copter), that part looks great, but then Master looks disjointed because he is looking to the left. Could you swap him with Lodestone, because his art is perfect as a first line of offense against puny human?
Maybe even Wanderer in the top right corner, looking over the field?
@Epityr.dec
Whether I believe Sage and fetches has a place in the deck, is not important, but 2 Oboro and 3 Throne is surely one too many.
Your build wants to have more control over topdeck but why do you trim Copter, second best card in the deck?
I have particularly liked the Master of Waves as a 2 off. At worst, even if you only have a Turn 3 Grand Arhitect into Turn 4 Master of Waves, it allows you to drop a 5/5 Walking Ballista.
Also, Bident of Thassa drawing cards off our flyers is always welcomed, as I am often low on cards in hand.
In terms of splashing, I really have liked Spell Queller coming in against U/W control in defense of Supreme Verdict, though I understand it's hard to leave Mana sitting open in the aggro deck. Though in G2/3, T2 Thorn of Amethyst allows me to still wait till T4 or T5, depending - to use Spell Queller.
Aside from that, aside from being an artifact, Rest in Peace is strictly better than Relic of Progenitus.
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Disenchant are good, but maybe not over powerful. Having access to white might allow me to consider other cards such as Leyline of Sanctity, Ethersworn Canonist, and other white sideboard tech.
Old Blue Devotion had 25 lands and it was fine, 22 doesn't help with Master.
In my book, RiP is not a strictly better card than Relic. For example, with only 10 sources of white mana you are guaranteed to play only one of those cards.
Plains in a mono blue deck is a huge cost. You are probably taking damage to cast RiP. Your mana base makes you infinitely more vulnerable to Burn, Scapeshift, colorscrew and other aggressive decks. Drawing two RiP and two Relic is huge difference. Relic works with this deck (namely Trinket and it's "free" to play in many scenarios). After you finish screwing with your opponent you draw a card. None of these thing makes RiP strictly better.
Other than Verdict you haven't mentioned other cards that you wish to fight. Verdict is powerful but if it costs 5-6-7 mana like against us, I find Thorn and Lodestone enough to fight it, with Copter and Blinkmoth in reserve if things go south. We don't need Queller that bad.
Thalia and Canonist can easily be replaced by Thorn and Lodestone, with added pressure from our 1-drops. Combo should fear us, I think.
You are not casting white Leyline in this deck, mana just isn't there, only hope is starting hand, just not sure why you need that card.
Disenchant destroys... what?
Personally, I have 4 Ceremonious Rejection in the side because Eldrazi Tron and Tron are not easiest matchups.
Then tutor targets like graveyard hate (Cage, Relic with Trinket), combo hate (Chalice with Trinket, Thorn), possibly Annul (deals with everything like Disenchant, just less expensive and in color), some Gut Shot/Dismember (for creature and creature/combo decks), Hangarback (tutor target against grindy decks), Unified Will (Titan, Tron, combo), maybe Echoing Truth as catch all.
Blue Steel is not the best deck (yet) but I feel white is not needed.
Really good points - thanks.
I initially went to white splash because of how many times I was being beat by U/W Control and not being able to stop Supreme Verdict.
I think your sideboard plan seems really good and is a better direction that what I had previously, though the only card I am not sold on is Unified Will, only because I can see it being situationally dependent.
Other things I have trouble with are:
T1 hand disruption (not on the play), and not having access to removal (sans Basilisk Collar.)
Also, I have trouble against Merfolk, unless I'm T1-1 drop into T2-Convoke/Cost Redux into T-3 Architect into Lodestone.
Welp, after getting opponent down to 1, Phexian Unlife with Solemnity could use Disenchant.
That Leyline that could save us from TSeiezes of the world has to replace a cog in our deck with a card that isn't amazing in noncombo deck.
We have to draw it and multiples are bad (even with 4 Copters). To draw it we have to flood a sideboard with Leylines. Not fond of that plan.
For a mono blue deck we actually have a lot in removal department. 4 Ballista + Trinkets + Collar assemble a quick shotgun for low price in mana/time.
Add Gut Shots/Dismembers as needed, but the thing is, our deck is explosive, we are spewing permanents out quicker than most decks, add blanket measure like Thorn/Lodestone/Chalice and it is up to opponents to fire some removal, if they can, not on us.
Merfolk fist pumps whenever opponent start with Island, that is just a fact.
What this deck have is hard to block flyers, Ballista deals with Master of Waves and many other stuff and Merfolk is 2% of the meta.
I would focus on other decks.
3 Judge's Familiar
4 Chief Engineer
4 Etherium Sculptor
4 Grand Architect
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Walking Ballista
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Trinket Mage
4 Smuggler's Copter
2 Throne of the God-Pharaoh
3 Aether Spellbomb
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Academy Ruins
17 Island
2 Dismember
2 Thorn of Amethyst
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Unsubstantiate
1 Unified Will
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Pithing Needle
1 Kira, Great Glass Spinner
In T4 played against a Sun and Moon pilot, flooded game 1, won game two with T1 Wanderer > T2 Engineer/Sculptor/Copter > T3 Lodestone, crew/swing with team > T4 Sword Equip, which put my Lodestone out of Anger range. Game three got ran down by T2 SSG exile/Goblin Rabblemaster > T3 Rabblemaster > T4 Declaration in Stone. Had Wurmcoil on my next turn but it would've been close either way.
A few notes and takeaways:
4 signal pest
4 etherium sculptor
4 grand architect
4 lodestone golem
4 smuggler's copter
4 master of etherium
4 chief engineer
4 walking ballista
2 throne of the god-pharaoh
1 myr battlesphere
4 blinkmoth nexus
17 island
some explanation on numbers: the second throne and battlesphere are just put in instead of two etched champion because that card was completely underperforming for me. 21 lands I feel is optimal despite what others think, I've seen too many people get flooded out and me myself gotten flooded out too many times compared to not to think more than 21 is necessary, but adding in battlesphere might change that so we'll see. This is a pretty early on version hence the large amount of 4-ofs in the list. No academy ruins is due to (A) cost and (B) avaliblity, no shops near me have one and I got rid of my only one a couple months ago. I would also appreciate any SB help or overall tips experienced pilots could give as I am just learning the deck. Thanks!
Modern: UW, Jeskai, Grixis, Blue moon, Esper, Sultai, UB, UWish
Legacy: Miracles
Bident of Thassa is better choice than Curiosity, if you want to draw cards. Enchanted creature dies to anything because removal is too efficient, Bident stays out and gives ability to all.
Drew Swords just twice, Feast against Elves and Ice against Soul Sisters with Stony Silence so hardly any testing there.
Myr Battlesphere felt great. Gives us chump blockers and bodies to potentially turn blue with Architect which can translate into a huge Ballista.
4x Mausoleum Wanderer
4x Chief Engineer
4x Etherium Sculptor
4x Grand Architect
4x Lodestone Golem
4x Walking Ballista
3x Judge's Familiar
1x Myr Battlesphere
1x Wurmcoil Engine
4x Smuggler's Copter
2x Throne of the God-Pharaoh
1x Sword of Feast and Famine
1x Sword of Fire and Ice
1x Bident of Thassa
Lands (22):
16x Island
4x Blinkmoth Nexus
1x Academy Ruins
1x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
2x Dismember
2x Thorn of Amethyst
2x Trinket Mage
2x Grafdigger's Cage
2x Ceremonious Rejection
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Torpor Orb
1x Hangarback Walker
1x Pithing Needle
1x Basilisk Collar
I'm thinking of adding a copy or two of Echoing Truth to deal with problematic permanents like Stony Silence. It doesn't permanently deal with it but it's a catch all (bar manlands) and can be effective enough to let us get through next turn.
WBG Elves WBG
Cheeri0s
EDH:
RG Omnath, Locus of Rage RG || GWUB Atraxa, Praetors' Voice GWUB
R Zo-Zu the Punisher R || WU Brago, King Eternal WU
UB Gisa and Geralf UB || BGW Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW
I've tried to accommodate all the issues the deck has with midrange/control/hate cards lately, and so I went to remedy things my own way. Here is the updated sideboard from the list in post #1008:
The 2-1 split of Venser/Unsubstantiate has been exceptionally good against mid and control. It deals damage, unlike any regular counterspell, and you can proactively play it if your opponent is burdened by tax effects, just to bounce a ETB-tapped land and timewalk them.
Not only that, but it deals with Supreme Verdict in an elegant way, because it helps your clock after you keep your board alive a turn. Other great applications are bouncing an Ancestral Vision when the opponent is taxed (so that they can't counter your Venser in response,) countering a Cryptic Command meant to tap your team and then using Venser to crew a Copter, bouncing Emrakul once Nahiri ultimates (lol) and just plain dealing with pesky interaction and hate cards (Stony Silence, Ensnaring Bridge, Leyline of Sanctity, etc.)
I'm just glad I am finally able to see my board plan and navigate it without using any dead cards. Venser being able to tempo an opponent who might be playing a beefier creature deck (Merfolk) makes it equal parts versatile and high-impact, something the deck sorely needed as it played mainly redundant guys with a few payoff spells, but weak disruption for the late game.
If I had to hedge only against combo/mid/control I would use Specter's Shroud. It's low to the ground and very efficient, so we can start to get in and disrupt a slower deck on turn 3 with counterspell backup.
We have Copters, manlands and tax effects so Verdict is less annoying than it could be.
Eldrazi Tron and Affinity are still popular decks and we need Rejections in the side (without those ETron is unbeatable), and being good against Tron and Lantern is a bonus.
Speaking of manlands, our mana base might be stretched with few more, like 2 Mutavaults or something. There are only 4 cards with UU in it, with plenty U sources. That could help against Explosives, Anger, Verdict, walkers and being creatures for Copter is nice.
If the opponent is taxed, that means we have at least an extra turn to procure enough lands to respond to their plays lol. Also, Venser doesnt care about Thorn.
Youre right about 22 lands being iffy, so I will test moving Collar to the main and playing Sea Gate Wreckage in its stead out of the board. I feel 15 Island/1 Cavern/1 A Ruins/1 Oboro main should be the configuration to help support Wreckage without hurting our tempo early game. Wreckage and a 23rd land help solve both the flooding problems, and the curving out problem doubly.
All this talk about extra nonblue lands is 100% wrong. We arent trying to whiff on getting turn 3 Architect mana. There are other more effective ways to keep parity with board wipes.
As an aside, I'm simply metagaming for my LGS crowd in a 25mi radius as PPTQ season is underway. About 1/3 opponents are on either UW or Rw Prison, and 0% on Eldrazi Tron. Affinity isn't where you want counterspells anyway, because they're usually dead after turn 3.
Conclave can make blue mana, has evasion, can be pumped by architect. Mutavault has only one upside in coming into play untapped, which is not actually that relevant because you need a lot of blue mana if you don't have engineer.
You can keep 2-lander with conclave and nexus. 2-lander with nexus and mutavalut is a snap mulligan.
Dunno if it's necessarily good, but I wanna give it a go.
Also 4/4 Mausoleam Wanderers.
I've been thinking the same thing
3x Judge's Familiar
4x Chief Engineer
4x Etherium Sculptor
4x Grand Architect
4x Master of Etherium
4x Walking Ballista
4x Lodestone Golem
1x Wurmcoil Engine
2x Throne of the God-Pharaoh
4x Blinkmoth Nexus
1x Academy Ruins
1x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
16x Island
2x Thorn of Amethyst
2x Dismember
2x Unified Will
2x Relic of Progenitus
2x Trinket Mage
1x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Wurmcoil Engine
1x Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1x Basilisk Collar
1x Pithing Needle
Round 1 vs GW Value Land Bears (Lawson Zandi)
Mull to 5 game one and get buried underneath triple Knight of the Reliquary/double Courser draw
Game two he ended up having to GQ his own basics just to get on board, and sputtered on low tempo
Game three he had mana issues again, and I assembled Architect + 4 other blue guys + Ballista + Collar
(1-0-0)
Round 2 vs UB Control (Bruce Brown)
Game one he just has low impact/non-action cards and I get off turn three Architect into Lodestone + Copter
Game two I get Lodestone + Thorn out by turn 4 and his plays become too awkward to keep up on board
(2-0-0)
Round 3 vs Grixis Shadow (Ivan Contreras)
Game one I get stuffed on lands or else I'd have an opening to run out turn 3 Architect into Lodestone and Copter.
He discards relevant threat and stonewalls me with double Shadow at 6 life.
Game two I get ahead on board and land Lodestone + double Wanderer, he concedes
Game three I end up racing a Gurmag Angler with 7 power, he floods a bit and topdecks discard spells.
(3-0-0)
Round 4 vs Eldrazi Tron (Tyler Lindsey)
Game one I start on the play and just flood the board turn 3. Took him down with 4 life chunks thanks to quad fliers and a Throne
Game two he mulls to five but runs out TKS on 3 & 4 to keep parity, then races me but pulls ahead with Reshaper and Smasher
Game three came down to 1 life. I'm racing with double Wanderer, manland, and Kira while Master/Engineer muck up the ground. He's getting in with double TKS and I chump a few times with low impact creatures, before I land a copter and swing to pass. He attacks with Smasher, TKS, TKS, Reshaper. I'm at 10 and go to make a copter, go to blocks, put copter in front of Reshaper and an Engineer in front of TKS. After damage with only 2 mana up he extends the hand
(4-0-0)
Round 5 vs Mono-W Taxes (Aydin Kageler)
I get paired down so opponent refuses ID
Game one we get deckchecked and he incurs a loss from incorrect registration
Game two I lead with Wanderer, turn two Engineer > Scultpor > Copter, turn three Master into Lodestone, swing with Copter. He goes to attack with a Splicer token and forgets Master pumps Lodestone, after coughing up his only advantage on board and seeing me run out another two masters turn 5 he concedes
(5-0-0)
Round 6 ID
(5-0-1)
T8 vs Counter Company (Carl Hendrix)
Game one my 7 is 5 lands, a Throne and a Wurmcoil. 6 is no lands. 5 is Island/Nexus/Wanderer/Throne/Chief. I keep. Opened the game with a turn 3 Ballista to kill two birds and slow him a bit. Eventually clock him down to 4 life after he has cast two K Finks and a CoCo for a third and an E-Wit to grab CoCo. His turn before taking lethal, he Chords for Viscera Seer but doesn't even need to break his Finks open as he draws another Chord for Anafenza
Game two my 7 is mono islands and double engineer, 6 is copter/familiar/nexus/trip Islands so I keep and push an Island to the bottom. End up drawing two Islands to start the game and eventually wheeled into low impact creatures. Opponent had the stones so by then his board is developed with the infinite mana so even my topdeck cage can't stop his combo + double Abrupt Decay in hand.
Felt like I had a decent run but still struggling to see if I should have mulled another time in that second game. Defnitely have to go to the drawing board and see how I can gear up for the next run. Until then I guess :B
I wouldn't cut more than one from the main. You want to be able to accelerate into a win and having extra lords is always the best way. I was silly to shoot it down. What opened my eyes was how it protected Golem against Bolt in the RG Titanshift matchup in testing. Having your tax effects stick on the board is crucial to your game one wins, and Master is the best at getting your Copters and Golems into a range where they can be very effective in combat, irrespective of whether he's a 2/2 or a 5/5+. My only gripe is that I have zero data with Master + Myr Battlesphere, which I think would be better in the main in some cases.
The most attention I would direct would go to the sideboard. Not 100% on my numbers and each card is heavily relied upon, especially when needing to consolidate tasks in the matchups they are relevant in (Ex: Kira and Sword against control/mid is a non-bo as sometimes you can't equip to your guys)
Architect gives orders to his artifact minions on the battlefield (Superion and Copter), that part looks great, but then Master looks disjointed because he is looking to the left. Could you swap him with Lodestone, because his art is perfect as a first line of offense against puny human?
Maybe even Wanderer in the top right corner, looking over the field?
@Epityr.dec
Whether I believe Sage and fetches has a place in the deck, is not important, but 2 Oboro and 3 Throne is surely one too many.
Your build wants to have more control over topdeck but why do you trim Copter, second best card in the deck?