Manlands are threats that get through our countermagic. You need something to deal with them, and Mistbind Clique is just a temporary solution.
The cheap disruption set against BGx decks is an interesting topic. When the popular BG deck was Jund, I maxed on discard and removal and cut counterspells (though Spell Snare is quite helpful on the draw). The reason behind this is that all Jund threats could be dealt with regular removal, while the most efficient way to stop their answers (Abrupt Decay, Golgari Charm, Lightning Bolt targeting our manlands, the card they bring to destroy our Batterskull...) is discard; probably by that time Liliana of the Veil was the optimal card in Faeries. However, that's not true against the white version. You won't waste a Smother to destroy a Spirit token, now opposing Liliana can't be effectively attacked with Vendilion Clique and our manlands are hit by Tectonic Edge. We should think of something to address this match-up.
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Who is truer: you who are, or you who are to be?
Currently sleeved: WUR Copycat ft. Stoneforge Mystic
Bile blight seems like the card you want to be looking at, or even echoing decay
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Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
I've tried Bile Blight before. It's often unexciting and potentially klunky with mana-wise. If you have a heavy zoo meta, or are likely to be facing down many spirit tokens, I can see it being worthwhile since you can get a 2-for-1 (or 1-for-1 against lingering souls) more often with it, but I didn't think it had enough utility for me.
Yeah Bile Blight does look awkward at costing BB. The question is what's more important? Dealing with multiple Lingering Souls tokens, or dealing with a plethora of creatures in decks like Zoo?
Is it possible we might want some Echoing Decay as opposed to Bile Blight simply because of the easier casting cost?
Maybe we want Echoing Truth so that we can still deal with everything, even if it is only temporary.
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Modern Decks: UBG Lantern Control GBU BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
Throwing out a question for people. I was talking with a friend of mine, and it's his opinion that with the Faerie deck usually running 4x Spellstutter Sprite, 3-4 Cryptic Command, and 2-4 Spell Snare there is no need for Mana Leak. Basically his argument is having 15-20% of the deck be counterspells is enough. If you run anymore you risk having too many reactive cards in hand with nothing proactive to do. While I don't agree with completely cutting out Mana Leak, I feel trimming on the counter suite in place of more proactive cards may be something worth testing.
What proactive cards, I am not sure. However my initial thoughts lean towards the following:
Sword of Light and Shadow: Lets us get our dead creatures back, and gains us back that life we continually throw away to Bitterblossom and Thoughtseize. Pack Rat: There have been some people using this already. It lets us turn any of our dead cards into potential threats, and it allows us to get even more use out of Mutavault. Sword of Feast and Famine: Possibly the best sword to use for this deck, as it lets us tap out, swing and then still have mana up to act on our opponents turn. Also in a pinch we can attach it to an animated Creeping Tar Pit to hit for 5 and still have all of our mana up. Sword of Fire and Ice: Gives us card advantage as helps kills things (creatures, planeswalkers, opponents). Not giving protection to Black I think hurts a bit, but offering protection from Lightning Bolt is nice if we can equip while an opponent is tapped out (if we get that lucky) Aether Vial: Aether Vial seems really good for a deck that wants to be doing everything at instant speed like we do. It also gives us something else to do on our first turn if we don't draw any of our 5 discard spells. I did a quick look through and we actually have a lot of creatures we can run in this deck that are a lot better for our deck if we're running Aether Vial. Here is the list I put together. 2 Cost Creatures: Oona's Prowler, Pack Rat, Phantasmal Image, Snapcaster Mage, Spellstutter Sprite 3 Cost Creatures: Pestermite, Scion of Oona, Thassa, God of the Sea, Vampire Nighthawk, Vendilion Clique
I think Aether Vial might actually be really good. Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver: Against creature decks Ashiok can just steal their army and give it to us. Against decks like UR Snapcaster, we're exiling the spells they'd rather use and flashback. Not 100% sure how good this one would be but it might be worth testing. Liliana of the Veil: She does a lot, including looking damn sexy. However as someone pointed out earlier, she has gotten a little worse with the BGx decks running Lingering Souls. All in all she is a very good disruption engine however.
I am currently looking through other cards we might be able to use, and I will update this post later with what I find.
Results are mixed. I only added it last week and play testing has been inconsistent. When I have it, it works great, especially if I bounce a bunch of pyromancer tokens. I'm running two and I'm not seeing them a lot lately, so it's hard to tell. Part of me says it's at least as good as vapor snag, but then I have to wonder if it's all that great. In short, so far its promising but unproven.
On another note, both pack rat and curse of echoes are very good.
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Results are mixed. I only added it last week and play testing has been inconsistent. When I have it, it works great, especially if I bounce a bunch of pyromancer tokens. I'm running two and I'm not seeing them a lot lately, so it's hard to tell. Part of me says it's at least as good as vapor snag, but then I have to wonder if it's all that great. In short, so far its promising but unproven.
On another note, both pack rat and curse of echoes are very good.
Is the Curse for Storm? And as much as I dislike the card, I am very much starting to like how Pack Rat does look in this deck.
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Modern Decks: UBG Lantern Control GBU BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
I recently cut to 1 MD mana leak to hedge more on the proactive side in my personal LGS modern event environnent, So I understand that perspective, but I think cutting it completely needs be heavily thought out. I play 1 main 1 board right now with 2 negates and understand the possibility of maybe never bringing the second leak in over one of my removal spells (which I think can help play a more progressive plan than holding up leak)
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Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
I played Echoing Truth a while back and really liked it, I dont remember why I stopped (I think lingering souls and G/W hatebears went down). With Jund/k still being on top of the meta I think Echoing Truth has a much better chance at being particularly good again, its absolutely amazing against liliana when everyone is top-decking.
Here's the list that Im wanting to test out to finish what I have in paper, Im trying to tilt REALLY hard towards the tempo angles :
Im not entirely sold on its current setup, and would like to hear some suggestions or ideas.
- I know a lot of people dont like Delay, but there are times its a straight hard counter (countering a non-cryptic counter) as well if the spell has no targets (mana leak/remand/spell snare) it stays in exile [no snapcaster]. I will happily delay a Bob, Pod, Splinter Twin, Snapcaster, Restoration Angel, Goyf, Cranial Plating, Scapeshift, etc, etc instead of just a hard counter on them.
- Im wondering if I want a 26th land (likely Tec Edge #2) to try and ensure I hit land drops for Time Warp / Swords.
- Might want to trade the Sword of Fire and Ice for the second Feast and Famine, but I like another 'consistent' draw engine.
- Only 3 lands have to come into play tapped, and 2 are based on fae in hand. Watery grave count is high, but that because I prefer Shackles to Sower.
- Slightly concerned with a few ratios on some cards... Dismember (only 2), Bitterblossom (only 3), Mistbind Clique (only 3), IoK (only 3 main).
I hate having nothing but MCliques in hand and not able to cast them
Trying to mitigate lifeloss by relegating thoughtseize to the board as well as just 3 BB (since I run 4 Watery Graves anyway).
I feel like turns 4+ are far more important than 1-3 for this deck (and I havent tried to give up on those turn either tho) so I didnt want 5 discard effects with so many 2 drops. I would rather get my secluded glen (tapped) or tar pit out on 3 with remand/SSS/Delay backup and have an explosive turn 4+.
Magical Christmas Land :
Turn 1 - IoK [take creature/removal]
Turn 2 - Delay/Remand/SSS any creature
Turn 3 - V.Clique (on their draw) [take creature/removal]
Turn 4 - M.Clique (on their upkeep)
Turn 5 - Sword of Feast and Famine(on M.Clique), connect with it. Untap -> Time Warp [[6 damage dealt]]
Turn 6 (free turn) - Cast whatever? Connect with sword, Snapcaster targeting Time Warp[doesnt require a 6th land drop for this either] re-Time Warp [[12 damage dealt]]
Turn 7 (free turn again) - Swing lethal
I like rat in the deck I'm not in a position to say that all in is the right move though. having 3 has been magical for me because it pretty much guarantees a T2 play (Blossom, Rat, SSS, etc) Its nice on the play to drop a rat then follow with thoughtseize blossom T3.
On a side note: How are you guys liking planeswalkers? I have been using 2X lily after trying 3X which was alright. I do like the thought of maybe trying a 2/2 split with Lily and Jace in lists running Rat it seems like profit no matter who is in play and if you get both in play madness soon follows (typically from the opponent) I've landed both only in two games, but it was AMMMMMAAAAAZING.
On the mana base conversation, I think it would be perfectly logical to play the playset of creeping tar pit and dropping down to 3 mutavault to allow greater color access and attack longevity. I however am content with the following
4X Secluded Glen
4X River of Tears
4X Darkslick
3X Creeping Tarpit
4X Mutavault
2X Tectonic Edge
3X Island
1X Swamp
I run 2X Lily and she is almost never impossible to cast nor is Vendilion. I know mutavault seems like we should be using more color, but this mana is smooth as silk for the most part and sometimes the right decision is to start jamming with mutavault on an open board as soon as possible to get that life dwindling (like snapcaster in a way it isn't best to wait for a buyback or in this case a counter)
Example last friday at my LGS I had a game where I literally only swung with manlands (vault early tarpit after) G1 and blocked with tokens until I dropped sword and then I finished the game on T6 because he had no answers. G2 I opened Mutavault, T2 Thoughtseize, T3 IoK swing vault, T4 held up mistbind-tapped him out T5 dropped sword attached to mistbind and said good luck in your next match.
Has anyone tried to work out a mana base for Esper? I was making a list today and I just couldn't figure out what we'd really want as the mana fixing. Fetches hurt, but seem necessary especially if we want gifts package post board and access to hate cards. I think I'm going to focus my time in crafting Faerie Gifts because I believe it will sure up some very one sided matchups especially with Rock, Affinity, and Pod.
I think looking at the statistics is very important when building a manabase. Whenever I play 3 plus cryptic I shave on a mutavault or 2(and this is a manabase with no tec edges). I honestly miss the fourth mutavault more than the 3rd/fourth cryptic in most cases. Four mana and triple blue is still a lot in modern. I'm not saying that is right, but we are attempting to keep our minds open.
So analysing the manabase I'm using against Frank's articles.
2x Creeping Tar Pit
4x Darkslick Shores
3x Island
4x Mutavault
4x River of Tears
4x Secluded Glen
1x Sunken Ruins
1x Swamp
2x Tectonic Edge
16+ B with 13 untapped if showing a faerie (Glen) and playing on our turn (River). I think that is fine because almost all our black cards are sorcery speed. And 18+ U with 15 untapped if showing faerie (Glen) and playing on our opponent's turn (River). Again, probably fine because our blue cards are instants or have flash. This is why River works in Faeries - black in our turn and blue in theirs. Glen is also fine because we typically play 4+4+3+3=14 faeries i.e. enough to have one to show in T1. The +s above represent the filtering effect of Sunken Ruins, e.g. when we need BB1 or UU1 and have say Mutavault, Ruins, and Shores. Metillon's list gives counts that are spot on Frank Karsten's recommendations: FWIW I played a miser Tec Edge for awhile and ended up preferring two but I feel that is a meta call.
So I've been working on my list all week. I want to try and get an idea of what I want to be running before I go out and get all the cards for it. Here is what I currently have currently put together for the mainboard:
I am still working on the sideboard, but I know I want 1-2 Phantasmal Image in there.
I am wondering if I want Cavern of Souls instead of Sunken Ruins, but I feel better mana consistancy is better.
Temple of Deceit is there for me to test how good it is. It is currently a replacement for River of Tears and I am seeing if how it can smooth out the deck's draws will overcome the downside of it coming into play tapped.
Aether Vial allows for the deck to be able to tap out if needed on our turn while still holding up cards like Spellstutter Sprite. It's also nice to note, you can Vial in a Snapcaster Mage to make flashing back a Cryptic Command still only cost 4 mana instead of 6.
Mystical Teachings can tutor up almost anything in the deck that we may need, since a lot of our spells are instants, and a lot of our creatures have flash. It's worth testing out, but I don't think I'll need more than 1.
EDIT: I just realized I completely forgot about Bitterblossom...give me a moment.....
EDIT 2: Much better lol
Example last friday at my LGS I had a game where I literally only swung with manlands (vault early tarpit after) G1 and blocked with tokens until I dropped sword and then I finished the game on T6 because he had no answers. G2 I opened Mutavault, T2 Thoughtseize, T3 IoK swing vault, T4 held up mistbind-tapped him out T5 dropped sword attached to mistbind and said good luck in your next match.
How did you cast that Mistbind on T4? I might be missing something.
Results are mixed. I only added it last week and play testing has been inconsistent. When I have it, it works great, especially if I bounce a bunch of pyromancer tokens. I'm running two and I'm not seeing them a lot lately, so it's hard to tell. Part of me says it's at least as good as vapor snag, but then I have to wonder if it's all that great. In short, so far its promising but unproven.
On another note, both pack rat and curse of echoes are very good.
Is the Curse for Storm? And as much as I dislike the card, I am very much starting to like how Pack Rat does look in this deck.
I use the Curse against control, although storming against someone with it would be pretty funny. Whenever control starts countering stuff curse counters it, when they path or burn something curse gets them right back. It's not fool proof and can certainly be played around, but it gets a reaction, probably because they don't expect it, and it makes them have to think. I dropped Curse and opponent goes "not sure if I care", then proceeded to have his angel pathed after pathing a clique. Now he cares. Next play, wear/tear on curse, which kept bitterblossom in play. People like to autopilot their decks, curse takes them off their game. It's not a "play - I win" card, but it follows along the tempo plan.
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Example last friday at my LGS I had a game where I literally only swung with manlands (vault early tarpit after) G1 and blocked with tokens until I dropped sword and then I finished the game on T6 because he had no answers. G2 I opened Mutavault, T2 Thoughtseize, T3 IoK swing vault, T4 held up mistbind-tapped him out T5 dropped sword attached to mistbind and said good luck in your next match.
How did you cast that Mistbind on T4? I might be missing something.
Sorry I should've stated my land on T2. T2 I dropped River of Tears allowing for thoughtseize, T3 I dropped a second mutavault allowing for black mana, T4 I dropped a secluded glen revealing SSS-held up and tapped them on battle step also allowing for a tempo swing before dropping and equiping sword on T5
Sorry I should've stated my land on T2. T2 I dropped River of Tears allowing for thoughtseize, T3 I dropped a second mutavault allowing for black mana, T4 I dropped a secluded glen revealing SSS-held up and tapped them on battle step also allowing for a tempo swing before dropping and equiping sword on T5
But without a faerie in play you need 5 mana to mistbind a mutavault
Sorry I should've stated my land on T2. T2 I dropped River of Tears allowing for thoughtseize, T3 I dropped a second mutavault allowing for black mana, T4 I dropped a secluded glen revealing SSS-held up and tapped them on battle step also allowing for a tempo swing before dropping and equiping sword on T5
But without a faerie in play you need 5 mana to mistbind a mutavault
Ahhh so true I apologize it must've been when I had five mana available for vault. It was a week ago sorry for the miscommunication. I got lost in translation. *Derrrr face*
Has anyone tried that UG shell that placed overseas? It seemed pretty fun with the dorks and the ability to equip and swing swords on T3. I've only used proxies against local meta with that build and it seem fairly promising.
Another thing I was going to ask those who are running Lily as multiples. Have you guys thought about main decking a couple Urborg and maybe sideboarding or maining a couple phrexian obliterator? It seems like a thing if you could stick him reliably.
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The cheap disruption set against BGx decks is an interesting topic. When the popular BG deck was Jund, I maxed on discard and removal and cut counterspells (though Spell Snare is quite helpful on the draw). The reason behind this is that all Jund threats could be dealt with regular removal, while the most efficient way to stop their answers (Abrupt Decay, Golgari Charm, Lightning Bolt targeting our manlands, the card they bring to destroy our Batterskull...) is discard; probably by that time Liliana of the Veil was the optimal card in Faeries. However, that's not true against the white version. You won't waste a Smother to destroy a Spirit token, now opposing Liliana can't be effectively attacked with Vendilion Clique and our manlands are hit by Tectonic Edge. We should think of something to address this match-up.
Currently sleeved:
WUR Copycat ft. Stoneforge Mystic
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control
Is it possible we might want some Echoing Decay as opposed to Bile Blight simply because of the easier casting cost?
Maybe we want Echoing Truth so that we can still deal with everything, even if it is only temporary.
Modern Decks:
UBG Lantern Control GBU
BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks
UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU
BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
UB Tezzerator
UBW Gifts
B 8Rack
Legacy
RB Goblins
Modern Decks:
UBG Lantern Control GBU
BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks
UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU
BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
What proactive cards, I am not sure. However my initial thoughts lean towards the following:
Sword of Light and Shadow: Lets us get our dead creatures back, and gains us back that life we continually throw away to Bitterblossom and Thoughtseize.
Pack Rat: There have been some people using this already. It lets us turn any of our dead cards into potential threats, and it allows us to get even more use out of Mutavault.
Sword of Feast and Famine: Possibly the best sword to use for this deck, as it lets us tap out, swing and then still have mana up to act on our opponents turn. Also in a pinch we can attach it to an animated Creeping Tar Pit to hit for 5 and still have all of our mana up.
Sword of Fire and Ice: Gives us card advantage as helps kills things (creatures, planeswalkers, opponents). Not giving protection to Black I think hurts a bit, but offering protection from Lightning Bolt is nice if we can equip while an opponent is tapped out (if we get that lucky)
Aether Vial: Aether Vial seems really good for a deck that wants to be doing everything at instant speed like we do. It also gives us something else to do on our first turn if we don't draw any of our 5 discard spells. I did a quick look through and we actually have a lot of creatures we can run in this deck that are a lot better for our deck if we're running Aether Vial. Here is the list I put together.
2 Cost Creatures: Oona's Prowler, Pack Rat, Phantasmal Image, Snapcaster Mage, Spellstutter Sprite
3 Cost Creatures: Pestermite, Scion of Oona, Thassa, God of the Sea, Vampire Nighthawk, Vendilion Clique
I think Aether Vial might actually be really good.
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver: Against creature decks Ashiok can just steal their army and give it to us. Against decks like UR Snapcaster, we're exiling the spells they'd rather use and flashback. Not 100% sure how good this one would be but it might be worth testing.
Liliana of the Veil: She does a lot, including looking damn sexy. However as someone pointed out earlier, she has gotten a little worse with the BGx decks running Lingering Souls. All in all she is a very good disruption engine however.
I am currently looking through other cards we might be able to use, and I will update this post later with what I find.
Modern Decks:
UBG Lantern Control GBU
BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks
UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU
BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
Results are mixed. I only added it last week and play testing has been inconsistent. When I have it, it works great, especially if I bounce a bunch of pyromancer tokens. I'm running two and I'm not seeing them a lot lately, so it's hard to tell. Part of me says it's at least as good as vapor snag, but then I have to wonder if it's all that great. In short, so far its promising but unproven.
On another note, both pack rat and curse of echoes are very good.
UB Tezzerator
UBW Gifts
B 8Rack
Legacy
RB Goblins
Is the Curse for Storm? And as much as I dislike the card, I am very much starting to like how Pack Rat does look in this deck.
Modern Decks:
UBG Lantern Control GBU
BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks
UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU
BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control
Here's the list that Im wanting to test out to finish what I have in paper, Im trying to tilt REALLY hard towards the tempo angles :
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Bitterblossom
3 Mistbind Clique
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Vendilion Clique
Disruption
4 Remand
4 Delay
3 Cryptic Command
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Dismember
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
2 Time Warp
Lands
4 Watery Grave
3 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Secluded Glen
3 River of Tears
1 Swamp
7 Island
4 Mutavault
1 Tectonic Edge
2 Hurkyl's Recall - Affinity
2 Vedalken Shackles - BG/Pod
3 Spreading Seas - Tron
3 Thoughtseize - Control
2 Spellskite - BG/Twin
2 Echoing Truth - BG/Pod/Affinity
1 Time Warp - BG/Pod
Im not entirely sold on its current setup, and would like to hear some suggestions or ideas.
- I know a lot of people dont like Delay, but there are times its a straight hard counter (countering a non-cryptic counter) as well if the spell has no targets (mana leak/remand/spell snare) it stays in exile [no snapcaster]. I will happily delay a Bob, Pod, Splinter Twin, Snapcaster, Restoration Angel, Goyf, Cranial Plating, Scapeshift, etc, etc instead of just a hard counter on them.
- Im wondering if I want a 26th land (likely Tec Edge #2) to try and ensure I hit land drops for Time Warp / Swords.
- Might want to trade the Sword of Fire and Ice for the second Feast and Famine, but I like another 'consistent' draw engine.
- Only 3 lands have to come into play tapped, and 2 are based on fae in hand. Watery grave count is high, but that because I prefer Shackles to Sower.
- Slightly concerned with a few ratios on some cards... Dismember (only 2), Bitterblossom (only 3), Mistbind Clique (only 3), IoK (only 3 main).
I hate having nothing but MCliques in hand and not able to cast them
Trying to mitigate lifeloss by relegating thoughtseize to the board as well as just 3 BB (since I run 4 Watery Graves anyway).
I feel like turns 4+ are far more important than 1-3 for this deck (and I havent tried to give up on those turn either tho) so I didnt want 5 discard effects with so many 2 drops. I would rather get my secluded glen (tapped) or tar pit out on 3 with remand/SSS/Delay backup and have an explosive turn 4+.
Magical Christmas Land :
Turn 1 - IoK [take creature/removal]
Turn 2 - Delay/Remand/SSS any creature
Turn 3 - V.Clique (on their draw) [take creature/removal]
Turn 4 - M.Clique (on their upkeep)
Turn 5 - Sword of Feast and Famine(on M.Clique), connect with it. Untap -> Time Warp [[6 damage dealt]]
Turn 6 (free turn) - Cast whatever? Connect with sword, Snapcaster targeting Time Warp[doesnt require a 6th land drop for this either] re-Time Warp [[12 damage dealt]]
Turn 7 (free turn again) - Swing lethal
Thirst for Knowledge % to hit artifact
On a side note: How are you guys liking planeswalkers? I have been using 2X lily after trying 3X which was alright. I do like the thought of maybe trying a 2/2 split with Lily and Jace in lists running Rat it seems like profit no matter who is in play and if you get both in play madness soon follows (typically from the opponent) I've landed both only in two games, but it was AMMMMMAAAAAZING.
On the mana base conversation, I think it would be perfectly logical to play the playset of creeping tar pit and dropping down to 3 mutavault to allow greater color access and attack longevity. I however am content with the following
4X Secluded Glen
4X River of Tears
4X Darkslick
3X Creeping Tarpit
4X Mutavault
2X Tectonic Edge
3X Island
1X Swamp
I run 2X Lily and she is almost never impossible to cast nor is Vendilion. I know mutavault seems like we should be using more color, but this mana is smooth as silk for the most part and sometimes the right decision is to start jamming with mutavault on an open board as soon as possible to get that life dwindling (like snapcaster in a way it isn't best to wait for a buyback or in this case a counter)
Example last friday at my LGS I had a game where I literally only swung with manlands (vault early tarpit after) G1 and blocked with tokens until I dropped sword and then I finished the game on T6 because he had no answers. G2 I opened Mutavault, T2 Thoughtseize, T3 IoK swing vault, T4 held up mistbind-tapped him out T5 dropped sword attached to mistbind and said good luck in your next match.
Has anyone tried to work out a mana base for Esper? I was making a list today and I just couldn't figure out what we'd really want as the mana fixing. Fetches hurt, but seem necessary especially if we want gifts package post board and access to hate cards. I think I'm going to focus my time in crafting Faerie Gifts because I believe it will sure up some very one sided matchups especially with Rock, Affinity, and Pod.
So analysing the manabase I'm using against Frank's articles.
2x Creeping Tar Pit
4x Darkslick Shores
3x Island
4x Mutavault
4x River of Tears
4x Secluded Glen
1x Sunken Ruins
1x Swamp
2x Tectonic Edge
16+ B with 13 untapped if showing a faerie (Glen) and playing on our turn (River). I think that is fine because almost all our black cards are sorcery speed. And 18+ U with 15 untapped if showing faerie (Glen) and playing on our opponent's turn (River). Again, probably fine because our blue cards are instants or have flash. This is why River works in Faeries - black in our turn and blue in theirs. Glen is also fine because we typically play 4+4+3+3=14 faeries i.e. enough to have one to show in T1. The +s above represent the filtering effect of Sunken Ruins, e.g. when we need BB1 or UU1 and have say Mutavault, Ruins, and Shores. Metillon's list gives counts that are spot on Frank Karsten's recommendations: FWIW I played a miser Tec Edge for awhile and ended up preferring two but I feel that is a meta call.
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Secluded Glen
4 Mutavault
3 Creeping Tar Pit
3 Temple of Deceit
1 Sunken Ruins
5 Island
1 Swamp
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Pack Rat
3 Mistbind Clique
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Snapcaster Mage
Spells (21)
4 Bitterblossom
3 Cryptic Command
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Æther Vial
2 Dismember
2 Mana Leak
2 Thoughtseize
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
I am still working on the sideboard, but I know I want 1-2 Phantasmal Image in there.
I am wondering if I want Cavern of Souls instead of Sunken Ruins, but I feel better mana consistancy is better.
Temple of Deceit is there for me to test how good it is. It is currently a replacement for River of Tears and I am seeing if how it can smooth out the deck's draws will overcome the downside of it coming into play tapped.
Aether Vial allows for the deck to be able to tap out if needed on our turn while still holding up cards like Spellstutter Sprite. It's also nice to note, you can Vial in a Snapcaster Mage to make flashing back a Cryptic Command still only cost 4 mana instead of 6.
Mystical Teachings can tutor up almost anything in the deck that we may need, since a lot of our spells are instants, and a lot of our creatures have flash. It's worth testing out, but I don't think I'll need more than 1.
EDIT: I just realized I completely forgot about Bitterblossom...give me a moment.....
EDIT 2: Much better lol
Modern Decks:
UBG Lantern Control GBU
BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks
UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU
BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
How did you cast that Mistbind on T4? I might be missing something.
I use the Curse against control, although storming against someone with it would be pretty funny. Whenever control starts countering stuff curse counters it, when they path or burn something curse gets them right back. It's not fool proof and can certainly be played around, but it gets a reaction, probably because they don't expect it, and it makes them have to think. I dropped Curse and opponent goes "not sure if I care", then proceeded to have his angel pathed after pathing a clique. Now he cares. Next play, wear/tear on curse, which kept bitterblossom in play. People like to autopilot their decks, curse takes them off their game. It's not a "play - I win" card, but it follows along the tempo plan.
UB Tezzerator
UBW Gifts
B 8Rack
Legacy
RB Goblins
Sorry I should've stated my land on T2. T2 I dropped River of Tears allowing for thoughtseize, T3 I dropped a second mutavault allowing for black mana, T4 I dropped a secluded glen revealing SSS-held up and tapped them on battle step also allowing for a tempo swing before dropping and equiping sword on T5
But without a faerie in play you need 5 mana to mistbind a mutavault
Thirst for Knowledge % to hit artifact
Ahhh so true I apologize it must've been when I had five mana available for vault. It was a week ago sorry for the miscommunication. I got lost in translation. *Derrrr face*
Another thing I was going to ask those who are running Lily as multiples. Have you guys thought about main decking a couple Urborg and maybe sideboarding or maining a couple phrexian obliterator? It seems like a thing if you could stick him reliably.