Just pulled through with a 5-0 finish with this at a 26 man event last tuesday. Very satisfied with the maindeck. Big changes I want to make is mostly the sideboard. I also want to drop off the Slaughter Pact, with Infect being far less prominent than expected, I'd think it'd be safe to drop it. One thing I've been loving lately is the three Knights of the Reliquary in the 75 plus some number of Retreats in the sideboard for a potential combo kill against decks where Iona/Elesh don't cut it (Tron/Eldrazi).
Being able to go Gifts into Knight/Witness/Revival/Retreat or just tutoring up for whichever piece you need is huge.
Biggest problem with the deck right now is I'm always stuck building at 61 cards in the maindeck ahahah.
Slaughter pact feels a little unnecessary
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Do you want to create a new Primer instead of piggy backing off 4c gifts?
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
I think that will be more limiting to our discussions than helpful. there's currently only about 5 of us running straight esper builds on the forums. I haven't seen any of our 4c brothers complaining about our lists being off topic.
I would toss a pair of fastlands for Manlands. Either be Colonnade, Tar Pit or Shambling Vents (you should tweak something depending which one you want to run).
I personally like Tar Pit as a reach and race in my esper build.
Colonnade is better for raw late game and Vents vs aggresive decks.
Does anyone have exp with Geist of Saint Traft vs Monastery Mentor vs Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver as sb for control type decks? My meta has shifted hard towards big mana thanks to fatal push and I'm retooling my list. Currently I can expect to see - eldrazi tron, ponza, grixis control, bug (evolution) control, abzan midrange and the usual 8whack / burn.
This is what I'm at currently for my list. I'm kinda thinking geist might be best b/c it's hexproof 6 damage should help me race the control decks more than ashiok, and will be more resilient to removal than monastery.
I've found Monastery Mentor pretty good, specially against decks that can bring easy graveyard hate like Eldrazis. But if you're expecting a bit more midrange and CoCo decks, Ashiok will be better I guess. I don't really like geist at all against most decks, its pretty hard for us to protect it, even control decks can just smash a snapcaster in combat phase to chumpblock it and it is ***** against non-control decks.
I think that will be more limiting to our discussions than helpful. there's currently only about 5 of us running straight esper builds on the forums. I haven't seen any of our 4c brothers complaining about our lists being off topic.
Personally I don't see a problem keeping them all here. Discussion of Gifts as a combo enabler such as with Past in Flames, should belong elsewhere but UBx control gifts can stay here. I should probably update the OP to reflect that and include some recent placings lists.
Does anyone have exp with Geist of Saint Traft vs Monastery Mentor vs Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver as sb for control type decks? My meta has shifted hard towards big mana thanks to fatal push and I'm retooling my list. Currently I can expect to see - eldrazi tron, ponza, grixis control, bug (evolution) control, abzan midrange and the usual 8whack / burn.
This is what I'm at currently for my list. I'm kinda thinking geist might be best b/c it's hexproof 6 damage should help me race the control decks more than ashiok, and will be more resilient to removal than monastery.
Ashiok is amazing against control decks. If blue decks are your worst problem, ashioks just destroys them. Ashioks does get shutdown by leyline of sanctity and dies to abrupt decay, (if you plan to bring her in against lantern or jund). But from my experience, she is even more frighting than Liliana against blue decks.
I haven't played mentor too much, but I see him be an absolute beating during legacy.
I think Geist of Saint traft is very bad. He gets blocked easily by tasigur and snapcaster Mage. Geist is really good for uwr burn/ uwr delver though.
I personally went for Liliana, thing in the iceand eslpeth. I find Liliana is great vs combo and control, eslpeth is a fine finisher against any slow deck and thing in the ice is great against linear strageties. I normally bring in 1 of these 3 against any deck post sideboard to diversify my angle of attack. I.e, I bring in thing in the ice against zoo to block and if my graveyard is grave hated, I use my gifts to get cantrips and flip thing in the ice as an alternative win
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Consider how many discard outlets our archetype has and how a lot of people are discussing alternative win cons, has anyone here tried entreat the Angels?
I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
There is no problem at all with Esper Gifts or another color association. At heart only UW is required. B is strongly advised, and then G & R comes down to preference and playstyle. Agree with funeral here, anything playing Gifts and Unburial definitely belongs here.
Consider how many discard outlets our archetype has and how a lot of people are discussing alternative win cons, has anyone here tried entreat the Angels?
Last night I took my latest version of gifts to FNM. Figured I'd do a quick write up while bored at work. I went 3-0-1 (we split prizes last round but still played a match for my testing purposes)
Round 1 B/W Warriors (2-0)
Game one he has a fast start gets me to about 10 life by T4. I wrath then toss out a Tasigur, he ultimate price it, I follow up with grave titan- valorous stance, and finally unburial norn. Game. Game 2 mul to 6 2 land 2 wrath 2 prison. I top a land in the first 3 turns and double prison him. He plays sorin solemn visitor- I don't have any early pressure to deal with it and he gets the emblem. I finally draw gifts and use it for snap, noxious, elspeth and souls. I get snap nox. I get elspeth out and proceed to generate tokens to feed to the emlem. I get another gifts which ends the game- unburial, blood baron, norn, grave titan. He toses norn and unburial. I proceed to kill him with 8 tokens, blood baron, norn and elpseth emblem (54 points of damage).
Round 2 G/B Elves (2-0)
Game 1 wrath then Iona lock on green, she scoops. Game 2 played wrath tribal then eventually got to a baneslayer at 3 life. She swings with 2 creatures, I net +3 life and proceed to kill her with baneslayer over the next few turns. Note- This was a proper elves build but the pilot was very much a newer player (gf of another player) and failed to attack on open board a few times.
Round 3 Abzan (2-1)
This is what I would call the first real round. We've played each other a few times and he's a grinder of competitive scene, so he's a good pilot on a tiered deck. Game 1 I lose to a mis sequence. I had gideon + ally I activated vault, then gideon to swing for 11 lifelink- he points out that's backwards so he takes 11 I gain 6 and he has lethal. Game 2 I topdeck elspeth and proceed to grind him out. Game 3 I hard cast norn on a board of tokens and use them to kill his elspeth.
Round 4 R/G Tron (1-2)
We agreed to draw but play still. Game 1 he trons me, nothing I could do. Game 2 T2 gq + surgical followed by baneslayer + tokens help me get the game in the nick of time. Game 3 such a long game but important parts are T4 tect edge + surgical before he assembles tron, countersquall paradox engine and thoughtsieze a karn. had him to 4 life before he karns my last attacker. I just have to accept that tron variants are a lost cause and be grateful for the lucky gq/tec + surgical and the occasional win.
Notes/ Impressions from testing-
Countersquall is really good in the matches I've had trouble with. It really went a long way to help with the tron match and can't wait to see how it does on tuesday where different players play and the meta has been control heavy. Baneslayer didn't seem exciting on paper but in matches the 10 point life swing she brought turned games in my favor very quickly. Vault is arguably better than shambling vent. Having 4 mana open to either gifts or vault with tokens makes combat very hard for my opponents, the loss of a tapped the b/w source was not an issue for color fixing even with 2 gq + tect.
To help revamp the front page-
Card Choices with reasoning-
Recursion-
Noxious Revival – Can be ran in any color deck, allows for gifts to get any one card when gifted with a Snapcaster Mage.
Discard-
Collective Brutality- Great as a bad duress allows you to pitch drawn fatties or souls for extra value.
Spot Removal-
Anguished Unmaking- Only seen in versions that avoid green, exile is sometimes relevant but the bolt clause limits the number that can be ran.
Utter End- Rarely seen in versions that avoid green. Exile is sometimes relevant but 4cmc cost limits modern viability.
Fatal Push- Great black removal, revolt can easily be triggered by fetch lands and chump blocking with tokens.
Permanents-
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy - Helps dig, can discard fatties and reuse spells. A fine alternative to snapcaster if it can be transformed, otherwise is a great lightning rod for spot removal.
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar- Makes tokens and provides a fast clock via emblem or as a 5/5.
Elspeth, Sun’s Champion- Late game finisher, most creature decks can’t deal her wrath and 3 1/1’s.
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver- Good in grindy matchups like midrange and control, a surprising number of creatures in modern are cmc 4 or less. Helps with Tron and Scapeshift, by eating threats and mountains.
Runed Halo- SB card to help deal with comob decks- grapeshot for storm, Valukut for scapeshift, griselbrand for goryo's vengance.
Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry- Comprises a grindy artifact combo that can be assembled by Gifts (sword, foundry, academy ruins, noxious revival), neither piece is great by itself.
Counters-
Countersquall- same as negate but has a shock added the blue/black cost makes it harder to cast for 4c gifts.
Specific Hate Cards-
Sphinx of the Steelwind- Great hoser against Jund decks. Only viable as a SB reanimate target when the meta is heavy on red and green decks that can't answer him.
Lands-
Snow-Covered Basics- Generally if you're running more than 1 of a basic land type make the second snow-covered. It allows for basic land gift piles for deck thinning and costs no slots for this advantage.
Shambling vent - add to manland list.
Academy Ruins- viable in a heavy artifact build can be used to set up Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek or Mindslaver locks.
Any 1 card can be tutored for using the Snapcaster Mage + Noxious Revival as they either give you that card out right or you use Noxious Revival to recur it, or Snapcaster Mage on your upkeep to cast Noxious Revival for your desired card. I generally toss in a Lingering Souls as the last card in this pile for extra value.
Edits- I'm adding Cards for Page 1 Update as I find time and ones worth listing.
I'm personally excited for the errata on our namesake card. Most of my local players are casuals that question me suspiciously when I try to explain the double entomb trick.
@trixster87 - thanks for the layout. I'll add that to the primer
We both mulliganned game 1. I kept a 1 lander with hand disruption, removal, lily, little jace. I get game 1 easily. Game 2 I didn't have removal and forced him to sack a Winding Constrictor with lily. He proceeded to combo kill me with Sage of the Hours. Game 3 he has to mull to 5 due to lack of gas. I proceed to run over him.
Round 2 - Jund (1-1)
He keeps a handful of gas and top decks lands at the right times game 1. He proceeds to kill me just before I stabilize. Game 2 I sideboard like I was playing the jund mirror (so all hand disruption out). I end up riding lingering souls and a jace to victory, he killed 3 to 4 jaces in game 2. Game 3 he proceeds to stick a chandra against me and is able to ride that + ravine to victory due to not being able to get her off the board.
Round 3 - Ad Nauseam (2-1)
I dismantle his hand game 1. He top decks ad nauseam and kills me. Game 2 I pick his hand apart again either with jace or snap. I surgical his angel's grace after discarding one. He untaps and plays an unlife. I proceed to top deck another surgical and go to detention sphere his unlife. He responds with a value ad nauseam that flips AN, land, Unlife, Lightning Storm. I surgical his ad nauseam after the first one resolves. Game 3 I keep hand of duress, 3 lands, lily. I top deck a snap and get to snap duress. I pick apart his hand again and then get to gifts for iona + rites.
Round 4 - Death Shadow Jund (3-1)
Game 1 we both pick apart the other's hand with hand disruption. He kept a reactive hand that allows me to stick lingering souls and eventually lily and jace. Game 2 I made the mistake of siding out elesh norn. I answered 2 death's shadows. I slam runed halo on gofy. He for some reason sacrifices his 3rd death shadow to lily instead of a souls token. I eventually gifts for d sphere, EE, snap, and a land with sun titan in hand (on 5 lands). He bins the land and the EE. I D sphere his tokens and then snap noxious to get back EE. I set EE to 3 to destroy his liliana and my own D sphere. I then top deck a land and stick titan to ride it to victory to answer the back half of his lingering souls.
Thoughts on the deck after tonight: I'm not sure if how I sideboarded against jund was correct. I never found myself wishing for a batterskull, so that'll probably get cut the next time I get to play. I didn't really miss the 4th gifts. I sided the 4th liliana in most matchups. Jace was the best lightning rod ever. It ate multiple terminates. Geist doesn't feel that great against jund, but it's still pretty strong when you can drop it on a board with lingering souls. Blessed alliance was pretty amazing. My mana base wasn't quite right, but I threw the list together an hour before the event started.
What's the runed halo in your sb for and has it gotten good results ? Have you thought about splitting surgical with extirpate?
Runed halo is kind of just a catch all. The card is nuts in my UWx control decks when I play them. In particular, it's there for combo match ups though. It's a minimum 1 for 1 with the potential to be a 4 for 1 in combo creature match ups like infect and death's shadow. I haven't actually played gifts much recently, and haven't tested runed halo in the list before.
One of the surgicals definitely should have been an extirpate, but I currently don't own any.
I've been running Runed Halo as well for the same reasons stated above as a catch-all. It's also great against Valakut naming its namesake card (forces them to kill us by attacking with titans), Ad Nauseum naming Lighting Storm, and Storm naming Grapeshot. It's not terrible against Goryo decks naming Griselbrand so they can't get the extra 7 cards and we have so many dead cards to take out in that match anyways.
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Slaughter pact feels a little unnecessary
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
Do you want to create a new Primer instead of piggy backing off 4c gifts?
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
4c Gifts Deck Stats: https://bit.ly/2XMPrlY
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/120495
[b]
I would toss a pair of fastlands for Manlands. Either be Colonnade, Tar Pit or Shambling Vents (you should tweak something depending which one you want to run).
I personally like Tar Pit as a reach and race in my esper build.
Colonnade is better for raw late game and Vents vs aggresive decks.
BURGrixis ControlBUR
BURGrixis DelverBUR (RIP)
UWBEsper GiftsUWB
UWUW Jace ControlUW
GUBSultai ControlGUB
UBTezzeret Agent of BolasUB
This is what I'm at currently for my list. I'm kinda thinking geist might be best b/c it's hexproof 6 damage should help me race the control decks more than ashiok, and will be more resilient to removal than monastery.
4x Flooded Strand
2x Ghost Quarter
2x Godless Shrine
2x Hallowed Fountain
1x Island
1x Plains
4x Polluted Delta
1x Shambling Vent
1x Snow-Covered Island
1x Snow-Covered Plains
1x Snow-Covered Swamp
1x Swamp
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Vault of the Archangel
1x Watery Grave
Discard (5)
1x Collective Brutality
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
WinCon (7)
1x Baneslayer Angel
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1x Grave Titan
1x Iona, Shield of Emeria
1x Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1x Day of Judgment
1x Supreme Verdict
1x Wrath of God
Reanimate (4)
1x Noxious Revival
2x Snapcaster Mage
1x Unburial Rites
Spot (7)
2x Fatal Push
1x Go for the Throat
4x Path to Exile
COMBO (4)
4x Gifts Ungiven
Defense (6)
4x Lingering Souls
2x Timely Reinforcements
1x Anguished Unmaking
1x Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
1x Blood Baron of Vizkopa
1x Collective Brutality
1x Extirpate
2x Ghostly Prison
1x Leyline of Sanctity
2x Negate
1x Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1x Supreme Verdict
1x Surgical Extraction
2x Thoughtseize
4c Gifts Deck Stats: https://bit.ly/2XMPrlY
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/120495
BURGrixis ControlBUR
BURGrixis DelverBUR (RIP)
UWBEsper GiftsUWB
UWUW Jace ControlUW
GUBSultai ControlGUB
UBTezzeret Agent of BolasUB
Personally I don't see a problem keeping them all here. Discussion of Gifts as a combo enabler such as with Past in Flames, should belong elsewhere but UBx control gifts can stay here. I should probably update the OP to reflect that and include some recent placings lists.
Draft My Cube!
Ashiok is amazing against control decks. If blue decks are your worst problem, ashioks just destroys them. Ashioks does get shutdown by leyline of sanctity and dies to abrupt decay, (if you plan to bring her in against lantern or jund). But from my experience, she is even more frighting than Liliana against blue decks.
I haven't played mentor too much, but I see him be an absolute beating during legacy.
I think Geist of Saint traft is very bad. He gets blocked easily by tasigur and snapcaster Mage. Geist is really good for uwr burn/ uwr delver though.
I personally went for Liliana, thing in the iceand eslpeth. I find Liliana is great vs combo and control, eslpeth is a fine finisher against any slow deck and thing in the ice is great against linear strageties. I normally bring in 1 of these 3 against any deck post sideboard to diversify my angle of attack. I.e, I bring in thing in the ice against zoo to block and if my graveyard is grave hated, I use my gifts to get cantrips and flip thing in the ice as an alternative win
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
I was peeping this list the other day.. what??? Why 150 cards? It's just mind boggling. There's got to be something I'm not seeing here
Draft My Cube!
Ludafish from the forum certainly has:
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/miracles-ungiven/
Abzan Traverse / Traverse Shadow / UR Kiki
Round 1 B/W Warriors (2-0)
Game one he has a fast start gets me to about 10 life by T4. I wrath then toss out a Tasigur, he ultimate price it, I follow up with grave titan- valorous stance, and finally unburial norn. Game. Game 2 mul to 6 2 land 2 wrath 2 prison. I top a land in the first 3 turns and double prison him. He plays sorin solemn visitor- I don't have any early pressure to deal with it and he gets the emblem. I finally draw gifts and use it for snap, noxious, elspeth and souls. I get snap nox. I get elspeth out and proceed to generate tokens to feed to the emlem. I get another gifts which ends the game- unburial, blood baron, norn, grave titan. He toses norn and unburial. I proceed to kill him with 8 tokens, blood baron, norn and elpseth emblem (54 points of damage).
Round 2 G/B Elves (2-0)
Game 1 wrath then Iona lock on green, she scoops. Game 2 played wrath tribal then eventually got to a baneslayer at 3 life. She swings with 2 creatures, I net +3 life and proceed to kill her with baneslayer over the next few turns. Note- This was a proper elves build but the pilot was very much a newer player (gf of another player) and failed to attack on open board a few times.
Round 3 Abzan (2-1)
This is what I would call the first real round. We've played each other a few times and he's a grinder of competitive scene, so he's a good pilot on a tiered deck. Game 1 I lose to a mis sequence. I had gideon + ally I activated vault, then gideon to swing for 11 lifelink- he points out that's backwards so he takes 11 I gain 6 and he has lethal. Game 2 I topdeck elspeth and proceed to grind him out. Game 3 I hard cast norn on a board of tokens and use them to kill his elspeth.
Round 4 R/G Tron (1-2)
We agreed to draw but play still. Game 1 he trons me, nothing I could do. Game 2 T2 gq + surgical followed by baneslayer + tokens help me get the game in the nick of time. Game 3 such a long game but important parts are T4 tect edge + surgical before he assembles tron, countersquall paradox engine and thoughtsieze a karn. had him to 4 life before he karns my last attacker. I just have to accept that tron variants are a lost cause and be grateful for the lucky gq/tec + surgical and the occasional win.
Notes/ Impressions from testing-
Countersquall is really good in the matches I've had trouble with. It really went a long way to help with the tron match and can't wait to see how it does on tuesday where different players play and the meta has been control heavy. Baneslayer didn't seem exciting on paper but in matches the 10 point life swing she brought turned games in my favor very quickly. Vault is arguably better than shambling vent. Having 4 mana open to either gifts or vault with tokens makes combat very hard for my opponents, the loss of a tapped the b/w source was not an issue for color fixing even with 2 gq + tect.
4x Flooded Strand
2x Ghost Quarter
2x Godless Shrine
2x Hallowed Fountain
1x Island
1x Plains
4x Polluted Delta
1x Shambling Vent
1x Snow-Covered Island
1x Snow-Covered Plains
1x Snow-Covered Swamp
1x Swamp
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Vault of the Archangel
1x Watery Grave
COMBO (4)
4x Gifts Ungiven
WinCon (7)
1x Baneslayer Angel
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1x Grave Titan
1x Iona, Shield of Emeria
1x Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1x Day of Judgment
1x Supreme Verdict
1x Wrath of God
Reanimate (4)
1x Noxious Revival
2x Snapcaster Mage
1x Unburial Rites
Defense (6)
4x Lingering Souls
2x Timely Reinforcements
Spot (7)
1x Anguished Unmaking
2x Fatal Push
4x Path to Exile
Discard (5)
1x Collective Brutality
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
1x Blood Baron of Vizkopa
1x Collective Brutality
2x Countersquall
1x Extirpate
2x Ghostly Prison
1x Leyline of Sanctity
1x Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1x Supreme Verdict
1x Surgical Extraction
2x Thoughtseize
4c Gifts Deck Stats: https://bit.ly/2XMPrlY
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/120495
Card Choices with reasoning-
Recursion-
Noxious Revival – Can be ran in any color deck, allows for gifts to get any one card when gifted with a Snapcaster Mage.
Discard-
Collective Brutality- Great as a bad duress allows you to pitch drawn fatties or souls for extra value.
Spot Removal-
Anguished Unmaking- Only seen in versions that avoid green, exile is sometimes relevant but the bolt clause limits the number that can be ran.
Utter End- Rarely seen in versions that avoid green. Exile is sometimes relevant but 4cmc cost limits modern viability.
Fatal Push- Great black removal, revolt can easily be triggered by fetch lands and chump blocking with tokens.
Permanents-
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy - Helps dig, can discard fatties and reuse spells. A fine alternative to snapcaster if it can be transformed, otherwise is a great lightning rod for spot removal.
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar- Makes tokens and provides a fast clock via emblem or as a 5/5.
Elspeth, Sun’s Champion- Late game finisher, most creature decks can’t deal her wrath and 3 1/1’s.
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver- Good in grindy matchups like midrange and control, a surprising number of creatures in modern are cmc 4 or less. Helps with Tron and Scapeshift, by eating threats and mountains.
Runed Halo- SB card to help deal with comob decks- grapeshot for storm, Valukut for scapeshift, griselbrand for goryo's vengance.
Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry- Comprises a grindy artifact combo that can be assembled by Gifts (sword, foundry, academy ruins, noxious revival), neither piece is great by itself.
Counters-
Countersquall- same as negate but has a shock added the blue/black cost makes it harder to cast for 4c gifts.
Specific Hate Cards-
Sphinx of the Steelwind- Great hoser against Jund decks. Only viable as a SB reanimate target when the meta is heavy on red and green decks that can't answer him.
Lands-
Snow-Covered Basics- Generally if you're running more than 1 of a basic land type make the second snow-covered. It allows for basic land gift piles for deck thinning and costs no slots for this advantage.
Shambling vent - add to manland list.
Academy Ruins- viable in a heavy artifact build can be used to set up Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek or Mindslaver locks.
Gifts Combos-
Snapcaster Mage + Noxious Revival + Desired Card + Value Card
Any 1 card can be tutored for using the Snapcaster Mage + Noxious Revival as they either give you that card out right or you use Noxious Revival to recur it, or Snapcaster Mage on your upkeep to cast Noxious Revival for your desired card. I generally toss in a Lingering Souls as the last card in this pile for extra value.
Edits- I'm adding Cards for Page 1 Update as I find time and ones worth listing.
4c Gifts Deck Stats: https://bit.ly/2XMPrlY
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/120495
@trixster87 - thanks for the layout. I'll add that to the primer
Draft My Cube!
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
2 Concealed Courtyard
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Celestial Colonnade
2 Shambling Vent
1 Godless Shrine
1 Watery Grave
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Swamp
Removal
4 Path to Exile
2 Fatal Push
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Detention Sphere
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
1 Collective Brutality
Gifts engine
3 Gifts Ungiven
1 Unburial Rites
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Wrath of God
Recursion
1 Noxious Revival
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Jace, Vyrn's Prodigy
Midrange Threats
3 Liliana of the Veil
3 Lingering Souls
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Batterskull
1 Sun Titan
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Pithing Needle
1 Duress
1 Thoughtseize
1 Runed Halo
1 Blessed Alliance
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
1 Pack Rat
1 Disenchant
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
Round 1 - Hardened Scales Combo (1-0)
We both mulliganned game 1. I kept a 1 lander with hand disruption, removal, lily, little jace. I get game 1 easily. Game 2 I didn't have removal and forced him to sack a Winding Constrictor with lily. He proceeded to combo kill me with Sage of the Hours. Game 3 he has to mull to 5 due to lack of gas. I proceed to run over him.
Round 2 - Jund (1-1)
He keeps a handful of gas and top decks lands at the right times game 1. He proceeds to kill me just before I stabilize. Game 2 I sideboard like I was playing the jund mirror (so all hand disruption out). I end up riding lingering souls and a jace to victory, he killed 3 to 4 jaces in game 2. Game 3 he proceeds to stick a chandra against me and is able to ride that + ravine to victory due to not being able to get her off the board.
Round 3 - Ad Nauseam (2-1)
I dismantle his hand game 1. He top decks ad nauseam and kills me. Game 2 I pick his hand apart again either with jace or snap. I surgical his angel's grace after discarding one. He untaps and plays an unlife. I proceed to top deck another surgical and go to detention sphere his unlife. He responds with a value ad nauseam that flips AN, land, Unlife, Lightning Storm. I surgical his ad nauseam after the first one resolves. Game 3 I keep hand of duress, 3 lands, lily. I top deck a snap and get to snap duress. I pick apart his hand again and then get to gifts for iona + rites.
Round 4 - Death Shadow Jund (3-1)
Game 1 we both pick apart the other's hand with hand disruption. He kept a reactive hand that allows me to stick lingering souls and eventually lily and jace. Game 2 I made the mistake of siding out elesh norn. I answered 2 death's shadows. I slam runed halo on gofy. He for some reason sacrifices his 3rd death shadow to lily instead of a souls token. I eventually gifts for d sphere, EE, snap, and a land with sun titan in hand (on 5 lands). He bins the land and the EE. I D sphere his tokens and then snap noxious to get back EE. I set EE to 3 to destroy his liliana and my own D sphere. I then top deck a land and stick titan to ride it to victory to answer the back half of his lingering souls.
Thoughts on the deck after tonight: I'm not sure if how I sideboarded against jund was correct. I never found myself wishing for a batterskull, so that'll probably get cut the next time I get to play. I didn't really miss the 4th gifts. I sided the 4th liliana in most matchups. Jace was the best lightning rod ever. It ate multiple terminates. Geist doesn't feel that great against jund, but it's still pretty strong when you can drop it on a board with lingering souls. Blessed alliance was pretty amazing. My mana base wasn't quite right, but I threw the list together an hour before the event started.
4c Gifts Deck Stats: https://bit.ly/2XMPrlY
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/120495
Runed halo is kind of just a catch all. The card is nuts in my UWx control decks when I play them. In particular, it's there for combo match ups though. It's a minimum 1 for 1 with the potential to be a 4 for 1 in combo creature match ups like infect and death's shadow. I haven't actually played gifts much recently, and haven't tested runed halo in the list before.
One of the surgicals definitely should have been an extirpate, but I currently don't own any.