I'm kinda surprised no one is playing UR Delver, here in Spain we have 1 guy that played a UR Delver list to do 4-1 4-1 4-1 3-2 5-0 in his lasts 5 leagues with it, with 4 young pyromancer and 2 cryptic serpent, tempo based, abusing cards like Mana Leak and Deprive.
Here u go with the list: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/681806#paper
Interesting list, Hieroglyphic Illumination seems like a rather surprising choice over something like Remand.
I also don't really like Electrolyze in the maindeck as it is mostly good only against "Affinity" and Lingering Souls.
I like Cryptic Serpent but wonder if it is worth playing over Bedlam Reveler (especially with only 4x counters in the deck).
The newly spoiled Riddleform looks like an interesting option for the deck as pseudo 2-mana Delver that dodges sorcery speed removal.
I'll try it to see if it is better than Smuggler's Copter in the deck.
There is some footage in twitch, (look for The_ballester -> Danker Jueves, since there are 2 guys streaming on that account). Basically, Hieroglyphic is one of the best cards of the deck from his perspective, because in the worse case it cicles and the best case it is card advantage that allows you to take the control game. Electrolyze is really good as well, but probably the worse spell at the same time. He sides it out a bunch of games but feels he cannot cut it. if u play this list as I did, after seeing him you will notice how smooth the decklist feels.
edit: the channel is in spanish ofc, but they answer in english if u ask something. =)
The deck seems pretty well positioned. Anyone else have success with the deck?
I went 2-2 with a rough version at modern night last night. I not going to post a list right now because it needs a lot of changes. But the list is very burn heavy and aggressive. That plan seemed to work best for me.
Cheap countermagic should be good against Burn (unless they stick an early Eidolon which you don't have removal for) so Spell Pierce/Spell Snare should be good.
Has anyone been having good results with this deck? How does it beat shadow decks?
What are it's good and bad matchups?
I'd say that right now the deck is pretty poorly positioned. Bad matchups would be eldrazitron and grixis death shadow. Good matches are traditional tron and jund and combo. Most of which is completely absent from the metagame. Burn and control are decent matches.
So I know nothing about this deck to be honest, but Opt and Search for Azcanta got me thinking. This is a super super rough list I came up with in the moment. It's pretty greedy playing only 16 lands, but who knows, looks like fun.
I'm more of an old school modern delver player and was wondering if Chart a Course could possibly fit into this deck, possibly even as a counterpart similar to Treasure Cruise. Not having Probe anymore is pretty brutal, but here's what I came up with. Probably going to flop but I just thought I'd give my take on things.
Chart a Course is the nuts. I tried getting Bedlam Reveler to work, but it suffers from A) being bad in multiples, B) not being an instant/sorcery for delver, snap, and pyromancer and C) not playing great with counterspells
Chart a Course has none of those drawbacks. Draw 2, discard 1 is not amazing but its still even card advantage and good card selection. Two mana divination, on the other hand, is just crazy.
Between this card and Opt, I think this archetype has what it needs to become a strong contender again
I'm actually not a huge fan of running all the 1 mana cantrips.
As a tempo deck we can only run so many spells that don't affect the board state. Opt, Sleight of Hand and Serum Visions all have value in that they make sure that our draws are live draws, but that has diminishing returns. As we filter more and more, we end up drawing less and less excess lands, making the 1 mana cost of playing another card selection spell more and more significant.
Opt will probably replace Sleight of Hand, and Serum Visions will remain due to its synergy with Delver of Secrets. But we need enough cards to filter into to make these card selection spells worthwhile.
Chart a Course is the nuts. I tried getting Bedlam Reveler to work, but it suffers from A) being bad in multiples, B) not being an instant/sorcery for delver, snap, and pyromancer and C) not playing great with counterspells
Chart a Course has none of those drawbacks. Draw 2, discard 1 is not amazing but its still even card advantage and good card selection. Two mana divination, on the other hand, is just crazy.
Between this card and Opt, I think this archetype has what it needs to become a strong contender again
An unraided Chart does not provide card advantage; just selection. Can confirm that Chart is great in this kind of deck. Optprobably blows here though.
I'm actually not a huge fan of running all the 1 mana cantrips.
As a tempo deck we can only run so many spells that don't affect the board state. Opt, Sleight of Hand and Serum Visions all have value in that they make sure that our draws are live draws, but that has diminishing returns. As we filter more and more, we end up drawing less and less excess lands, making the 1 mana cost of playing another card selection spell more and more significant.
Opt will probably replace Sleight of Hand, and Serum Visions will remain due to its synergy with Delver of Secrets. But we need enough cards to filter into to make these card selection spells worthwhile.
The whole point of thresh decks like Delver is that your card selection spells do impact the board state. They grow your creatures, trigger useful abilities, increase your ability to find business as needed, and enable cards like Delver in the first place. This argument reminds me of "Path is negative tempo" (how is removing a 4-mana creature for one mana "negative tempo?"). Critically assessing the role these cards actually play in your games will help you understand them.
the card itself really isn't worth the card board its printed on...does it serve a purpose? Sure its a blue 1 drop that might not be a 1/1. I would not put it in a list and expect to win a PTQ or GP though.
Here u go with the list:
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/681806#paper
BURGrixis ControlBUR
BURGrixis DelverBUR (RIP)
UWBEsper GiftsUWB
UWUW Jace ControlUW
GUBSultai ControlGUB
UBTezzeret Agent of BolasUB
Hieroglyphic Illumination seems like a rather surprising choice over something like Remand.
I also don't really like Electrolyze in the maindeck as it is mostly good only against "Affinity" and Lingering Souls.
I like Cryptic Serpent but wonder if it is worth playing over Bedlam Reveler (especially with only 4x counters in the deck).
The newly spoiled Riddleform looks like an interesting option for the deck as pseudo 2-mana Delver that dodges sorcery speed removal.
I'll try it to see if it is better than Smuggler's Copter in the deck.
edit: the channel is in spanish ofc, but they answer in english if u ask something. =)
BURGrixis ControlBUR
BURGrixis DelverBUR (RIP)
UWBEsper GiftsUWB
UWUW Jace ControlUW
GUBSultai ControlGUB
UBTezzeret Agent of BolasUB
I went 2-2 with a rough version at modern night last night. I not going to post a list right now because it needs a lot of changes. But the list is very burn heavy and aggressive. That plan seemed to work best for me.
What is it good against ?
Without the tokens to convoke it becomes rather clunky and expensive for what is just a slightly better L.Bolt.
What makes you think that the deck is well positioned ?
Hiw about glimmer of genius genius along with aether sphere harvester in he SB against burn?
Basilisk collar could also be good in the board with the grim lavamancer and staticaster.
Glimmer doesn't do enough. 4 mana for 2 cards just isn't enough. And collar requires too much set up unless you are running 3 lavamancer in the 75
What are it's good and bad matchups?
I'd say that right now the deck is pretty poorly positioned. Bad matchups would be eldrazitron and grixis death shadow. Good matches are traditional tron and jund and combo. Most of which is completely absent from the metagame. Burn and control are decent matches.
I'm tempted to just go totally ball-to-the-wall on cantrips and play something like:
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Serum Visions
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Opt
4 Remand
4 Spell Pierce
2 Deprive
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Forked Bolt
2 Vapor Snag
2 Steam Vents
3 Island
1 Mountain
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Polluted Delta
1 Izzet Staticaster
3 Blood Moon
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Dispel
2 Roast
4 Ancestral Vision
1 By Force
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Manamorphose
4x Opt
4x Thought Scour
Sorcery (12)
4x Serum Visions
4x Sleight of Hand
4x Slip Through Space
2x Cryptic Serpent
4x Delver of Secrets
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Young Pyromancer
Artifact (4)
4x Mishra's Bauble
2x Island
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Steam Vents
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Young Pyromancer
Instants/Sorceries (28)
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Opt
4 Serum Visions
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Thought Scour
3 Mana Leak
3 Remand
2 Cryptic Command
4 Search for Azcanta
Lands (16)
3 Island
1 Mountain
3 Scalding Tarn
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
U Mono U Tron
WR Boros Burn with one Stomping Ground
UR Storm
C Eldrazi Powder
G Mono Green Tron
3x Island
1x Mountain
4x Polluted Delta
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Spirebluff Canal
2x Steam Vents
Creature (14)
4x Delver of Secrets
4x Monastery Swiftspear
2x Snapcaster Mage
4x Young Pyromancer
4x Lightning Bolt
1x Logic Knot
3x Mana Leak
4x Opt
1x Spell Snare
2x Vapor Snag
Sorcery (13)
1x Forked Bolt
4x Serum Visions
4x Sleight of Hand
4x Chart a Course
1x Bedlam Reveler
2x Blood Moon
2x Ceremonious Rejection
1x Deprive
1x Dispel
1x Harvest Pyre
1x Izzet Staticaster
1x Kozilek's Return
2x Negate
1x Roast
2x Smash to Smithereens
URB Some variant of Death's Shadow
URB Grixis Control (Chapin Version)
JFM Storm / Treasure Cruise Delver / Splinter Twin / InfectCommander/EDH
This pile of cards when I feel like it
Death's Shadow discord link
Chart a Course has none of those drawbacks. Draw 2, discard 1 is not amazing but its still even card advantage and good card selection. Two mana divination, on the other hand, is just crazy.
Between this card and Opt, I think this archetype has what it needs to become a strong contender again
As a tempo deck we can only run so many spells that don't affect the board state. Opt, Sleight of Hand and Serum Visions all have value in that they make sure that our draws are live draws, but that has diminishing returns. As we filter more and more, we end up drawing less and less excess lands, making the 1 mana cost of playing another card selection spell more and more significant.
Opt will probably replace Sleight of Hand, and Serum Visions will remain due to its synergy with Delver of Secrets. But we need enough cards to filter into to make these card selection spells worthwhile.
Counter-Cat
Colorless Eldrazi Stompy