I created this deck inspired by Esper Delve. Like Esper Delve, BUG Delve tries to aggressively fill the graveyard in order to cast a very early Tasigur, the Golden Fang or Gurmag Angler, and then uses a combination of hand disruption and counterspells to protect them while you swing in for the win. Unlike Esper Delve, BUG Delve isn't "all-in" on filling the graveyard, and as a result can also play like a basic BGx deck, where you use Tarmogoyf alongside hand disruption and removal to control the game and board state, and then attack with a huge threat. Additionally, Esper Delve has worse Tasigur, the Golden Fang interactions, often netting you another Mishra's Bauble or something else undesirable, whereas BUG Delve just doesn't play bad cards, and more easily lets you sculpt your graveyard to keep Tarmogoyf large and make sure Tasigur nets you some desirable action.
The side board is still a work-in-progress, but I currently have the ability to run 4 Abrupt Decays and 4 Thoughtseizes, alongside 2 Golgari Charms, 2 Feed the Clan, and 1 Engineered Explosives. I think I should run another 1-2 Damnation for the aggro decks, though I'm not sure.
The creatures in the main feel pretty good. I could see dropping 1 Snapcaster Mage and 1 Gurmag Angler, though I think if you drop an Angler you should add a Murderous Cut because shaping your graveyard is very important.
Let me know what you guys think!
EDIT:
1. Cutting a Snapcaster Mage for a Darkblast. It gives us game against aggro decks, young pyromancers and delvers and such, and lets our Tasigurs beat rhinos. It also lets us fill our yard quickly, which is particularly useful when we have multiple delve spells in our hand, and it's something we can pitch to Liliana. I want to run two, which is why...
2. Addding a Darkblast to the main. Original list was 59 cards. Oops!
Thought Scour, Tasigur, Liliana fill the yard very quickly and very efficiently on top of all the other spells you're casting. Additionally, Tarmogoyf benefits from your opponent's graveyard, not just your own, which is why you have to be on point about what spells you delve away. It's really not uncommon to go:
T1 fetch: Thought Scour (4 cards in the gy)
T2 fetch: Tasigur, Serum Visions (1 card in the gy)
T3 fetch: Tarmogoyf, then either Stubborn Denial their spell or Thought Scour, making the goyf a 3/4 not counting your opponent's gy. You can also just Thoughtseize/Inquisition them and hold up removal, casting a 3/4 goyf the next turn, or Liliana, etc.
You play redundant copies of creatures because you often mill them away. It seems like you're really underestimating the speed with which the yard can grow. You don't always get your delve spells early or in your opening hand, which makes goyf a legitimate early threat.
But after seeing Rug at the recent SCG I got inspired to brew up an attempted legacy port as well
I've had streaking success, I run hooting mandrills over angler and attempt to maximize stubborn denial
Also I've been really happy with Grisly Salvage, it helps find the delve fattys while providing sufficient resources to cast them discounted.
My biggest struggle has been that this deck, much like the Rug variant, is completely garbage when it doesn't have a fatty in play, while Grisly helps it can still whiff since half the deck is instants.
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Here's what I'm currently playing:
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4 Gurmag Angler
3 Liliana of the Veil
Sorceries
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
4 Serum Visions
4 Thought Scour
2 Darkblast
2 Stubborn Denial
1 Spell Snare
2 Mana Leak
2 Go for the Throat
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Polluted Delta
2 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Darkslick Shores
2 Overgrown Tomb
2 Watery Grave
1 Breeding Pool
1 Swamp
The side board is still a work-in-progress, but I currently have the ability to run 4 Abrupt Decays and 4 Thoughtseizes, alongside 2 Golgari Charms, 2 Feed the Clan, and 1 Engineered Explosives. I think I should run another 1-2 Damnation for the aggro decks, though I'm not sure.
The creatures in the main feel pretty good. I could see dropping 1 Snapcaster Mage and 1 Gurmag Angler, though I think if you drop an Angler you should add a Murderous Cut because shaping your graveyard is very important.
Let me know what you guys think!
EDIT:
1. Cutting a Snapcaster Mage for a Darkblast. It gives us game against aggro decks, young pyromancers and delvers and such, and lets our Tasigurs beat rhinos. It also lets us fill our yard quickly, which is particularly useful when we have multiple delve spells in our hand, and it's something we can pitch to Liliana. I want to run two, which is why...
2. Addding a Darkblast to the main. Original list was 59 cards. Oops!
T1 fetch: Thought Scour (4 cards in the gy)
T2 fetch: Tasigur, Serum Visions (1 card in the gy)
T3 fetch: Tarmogoyf, then either Stubborn Denial their spell or Thought Scour, making the goyf a 3/4 not counting your opponent's gy. You can also just Thoughtseize/Inquisition them and hold up removal, casting a 3/4 goyf the next turn, or Liliana, etc.
You play redundant copies of creatures because you often mill them away. It seems like you're really underestimating the speed with which the yard can grow. You don't always get your delve spells early or in your opening hand, which makes goyf a legitimate early threat.
But after seeing Rug at the recent SCG I got inspired to brew up an attempted legacy port as well
I've had streaking success, I run hooting mandrills over angler and attempt to maximize stubborn denial
Also I've been really happy with Grisly Salvage, it helps find the delve fattys while providing sufficient resources to cast them discounted.
My biggest struggle has been that this deck, much like the Rug variant, is completely garbage when it doesn't have a fatty in play, while Grisly helps it can still whiff since half the deck is instants.