So wondrous to behold, so delicate and finely crafted – and yet, such a pleasure to smash.
Contents
0) What is Sunrise Combo?
1) Introduction
2) Card choices
3) Building the Deck
4) Technical Play
5) Matchups
6) Decklists
0) What is Sunrise Combo?
Sunrise Combo (a.k.a. Eggs, Second Breakfast) is a combo deck, as you may have guessed. Its main color is blue, with a white splash. It revolves around abusing the card Second Sunrise and others like it to draw cards and generate mana.
The deck is capable of generating infinite mana of all colors, and given the proper cards, gaining infinite life, doing infinite damage, drawing (or forcing your opponent to draw) infinite cards.
1) Introduction
How to Play
The deck is filled with “eggs”, which are cards that draw cards when they enter the battlefield or are put into a graveyard, and usually are able to sacrifice themselves.
The first few turns of the game are spent casting these eggs. When comboing off, the eggs are sacrificed, generating cards and mana, and Second Sunrise or a similar effect is casted, returning those eggs to the battlefield. The process is repeated until enough cards are drawn and sufficient mana is generated. This mana is then spent on a game-winning spell.
Infinite mana can be generated by having:
a) No cards in one’s library (accomplished by drawing all cards in there)
b) Conjurer’s Bauble on the battlefield
c) Second Sunrise in the graveyard or in hand
d) A way to generate at least 2WW prior to casting Second Sunrise. This includes, but is not limited to:
i) Having two Lotus Blooms on the battlefield
ii) Having one Lotus Bloom, one Ghost Quarter and one other land on the battlefield
iii) Having one Krark-Clan Ironworks, one Mox Opal, one extra Conjurer's Bauble on the battlefield
The loop is such:
1) Generate at least 2WW. (e.g. Sacrifice two Lotus Blooms for WWWWWW.)
2) If Second Sunrise is in the graveyard, sacrifice Conjurer’s Bauble putting it back in your empty library, then draw it with Bauble’s effect.
3) Cast Second Sunrise.
The board position will be the same as before Sunrising, except that you now have at least 1 more mana than you began with. Repeating this loop gives infinite mana.
The same holds for Faith's Reward, except that you must be able to generate 4W.
Reasons to Play Mulligans Well
Eggs mulligans well (and can win through discard) because it's blue, with 4 Serum Visions and some number of Sleight of Hand.
Being able to suspend a Lotus Bloom on turn 1 is also a powerful play that can make up for otherwise sub-optimal draws. Postboard, Leyline of Sanctity has a similar feel.
Eggs only plays 17 lands, but Lotus Bloom counts as a mana source too. A 2-Bloom, 0 land hand is keepable.
Wins Unconventionally
One of the strengths of Eggs is that conventional strategies are ineffective against it. Drawing your entire library and looping a Pyrite Spellbomb over and over is cool, but there are other advantages to being an off-the-wall deck.
Eggs can win even if your opponent has infinite life, because it can deal infinite damage (and kill the pesky creatures behind the infinite life combo).
Eggs can win even if your opponent is beating you down with 4 creatures, because it can take your opponent from 20 to 0 in one turn.
Eggs does not care about creature removal, because it doesn't play creatures.
The lack of hate gives it a high Game 1 win rate, because it's likely that your opponent either has no hate, ineffective hate, or has hate but does not mulligan into it (assuming he doesn't know what you're playing).
Postboard, Leyline of Sanctity lets you ignore your opponent even more.
Low Cost
Eggs is really cheap to build. Much of the deck is comprised of 10 cent common eggs.
The next most expensive cards are the fetchlands, at $30 each. However, you only need 4 of them, unlike most other decks which play close to 8.
The rest of the cards can be had for under $10 each.
If you really cannot afford fetches, Krark-Clan Ironworks is a budget replacement that requires just a few $1 cards - Darksteel Citadel, KCI, Ichor Wellspring.
Reasons Not to Play Practice
Eggs takes practice to play optimally.
If you do not know how this deck works, you probably won't figure it out just by looking at the decklist. Fortunately, that's what this primer is here for.
Even after reading this primer, you will make mistakes when you first start playing Eggs. Some of the mistakes are not obvious and only affect your fizzle rate slightly. Goldfish the deck often, and read the Technical Play section.
You will need to keep track of mana throughout your combo turn. Normally you just have to track white and blue mana, but if you play KCI you will need to track colorless, and if you play Wargate you will need to track green.
Boredom
For some, the lack of interaction presented by Eggs' game plan makes it boring to play.
You basically offer your life total as a punching bag while you set up the combo and kill your opponent in the span of 1 turn. Your opponent does not have a lot of ways to stop you, but you have nothing to stop them either.
Much of the combo turn is spent repetitively moving eggs from one zone to another.
Time
It can take a lot of time to finish a game with Eggs, as you have to draw your entire library. Rounds have been known to go to time at GPs because of slow Eggs players.
If you take too much time to finish a match, you have less time to rest in between rounds.
2) Card Choices
Core Combo Pieces
These cards form the backbone of the deck. a) Mana Generation
Lotus Bloom
+Generates colored mana
-Cannot be cast normally
Lotus Bloom is the easiest way to cast Second Sunrise. Sacrificing it generates WWW, which can then be used to pay for Second Sunrise. Second Sunrise will return Lotus Bloom to the battlefield.
Mid-combo, Lotus Bloom can be cracked for UUU to cast Reshape.
Lotus Bloom cannot be cast normally. It is either cheated out onto the battlefield via Reshape, or Suspended on an early turn. Ghost Quarter
+Sacrifice outlet
+Generates mana
+Tutors any basic land
+Alternative wincon
Ghost Quarter is a sacrifice outlet for your lands. Target them in order to search your library for basic lands, generating mana for you. When you cast Sunrise, the destroyed lands and Ghost Quarter return untapped. Scalding Tarn, Misty Rainforest
+Tutors Island, shocklands
-Costs life
Fetchlands are secondary mana producers. Pre-combo, they are better than Ghost Quarter because they can provide colored mana without requiring you to sacrifice another land. During the combo, though, fetchlands will take off a lot of life if you crack them too often, and they only provide 1 mana per Sunrise (Ghost Quarter provides 2, one from the sacrificed land returning, and one from the tutored land).
Theoretical Options Krark-Clan Ironworks
+Sacrifice outlet
-Does not generate colored mana
Krark-Clan Ironworks generates mana like Lotus Bloom, albeit colorless. It acts as a sacrifice outlet for eggs that cannot sacrifice themselves, such as Terrarion and Ichor Wellspring.
It is also good for untapping mana-producing artifacts. If Darksteel Citadel or Mox Opal is sacrificed to it and returned to the battlefield via Second Sunrise, they enter the battlefield untapped. Greater Gargadon
+Sacrifice outlet
+Alternative wincon
-Limited usage
-Off-color
-Does not generate any advantage
b) Card Draw
Serum Visions
+Lets you see three cards
Serum Visions is best cantrip available. You get to see three cards for one mana. It’s best utilized with other eggs during the combo, using scry to set up advantageous draws and bottom-decking useless cards like Lotus Bloom and lands. Sleight of Hand
+Lets you choose between two cards
Sleight of Hand is the next best cantrip. By itself, it lets you choose between the top two cards of your library (instead of just one, like most other cantrips). This makes it good in the early game, where you might need to find Lotus Bloom or lands. During the combo, it’s weaker than Serum Visions because it does not set up your draws; if both cards you see are desirable, you are still forced to bottom-deck one of them. Gitaxian Probe
+Gives you information on your opponent’s hand
+Can be cast for no mana
Gitaxian Probe does not let you reorder the cards on top of your library, but it provides you with information. By knowing the cards in your opponent’s hand, you can deduce how many turns you have before you are forced to combo off, or the hate that you have to play around.
Theoretical Options Peer through Depths
+Instant-speed
-Forces you to reveal the card
-Only allows you to take instants and sorceries Edge of Autumn
+Can be cycled for no mana
+Sacrifice outlet
-Not useful pre-combo Ideas Unbound
+Very high mana-for-card efficiency
-Color-intensive
-Less useful pre-combo
c) Sunrise Effects
Second Sunrise
+Deck centrepiece
This deck is meant to abuse this card. You will find yourself sacrificing eggs and having nothing on the battlefield, only to cast this card and bring everything back. Faith’s Reward
+Deck centrepiece
+Less restrictive mana cost
+Does not return opponent’s permanents
-Higher CMC than Sunrise
The fifth to eighth copy of Second Sunrise. It costs one more mana than Sunrise, but only requires one colored mana compared to Sunrise’s two. Additionally, it does not return your opponents’ permanents.
Theoretical Options Open the Vaults
+Returns permanents regardless of how or which turn they were put into the graveyard
-High mana cost
-Does not return lands
-Sorcery speed
An alternative to Second Sunrise or Faith’s Reward. Advantages it has over them include:
a) Ability to return eggs cracked turns before casting of this spell
b) Ability to return eggs discarded from hand or milled
Its downsides are that it cost 6 mana compared to Sunrise’s/Faith’s 3/4, and that it does not return lands (i.e. Ghost Quarter).
d) Tutors and Recursion
Reshape
+Puts Lotus Bloom onto the battlefield
+Sacrifice outlet
+Tutors for any artifact
The main purpose of this card is to put Lotus Bloom onto the battlefield, working around its unpayable casting cost.
Given an overload of mana and not enough card-drawing effects, this card can shift your game back into balance by tutoring for an egg.
Postboard, it tutors for hate artifacts like Pithing Needle and Grafdigger’s Cage.
Theoretical Options Spoils of the Vault
+Tutors for any card
+Low mana cost
-High life cost
-Off-color
-Possibility of exiling wincon Wargate
+Tutors for any permanent
-Off-color Drift of Phantasms
+Tutors for Second Sunrise Clutch of the Undercity
+Tutors for Faith’s Reward
+Alternative wincon
-Off-color Noxious Revival
+Returns Sunrise
+Can be cast for no mana Reclaim
+Returns Sunrise
-Off-color Tezzeret the Seeker
+Tutors for any artifact and puts it on the battlefield
+Returns under Faith's Reward
-High casting cost
Note that you can use Tezz's -X with X = 4 to put him in the graveyard, then return him with Faith's Reward. You can search for 0, 1, 2 or 3 mana artifacts even if X = 4.
Eggs
These are the permanents that draw you cards. Most of them are artifacts, since they synergize well with Reshape and Krark-Clan Ironworks. You need a critical mass of these in order to draw your entire library. a) 1-mana eggs
1-mana eggs usually draw a card when they are put into your graveyard.
Conjurer’s Bauble
+Returns cards to library
Conjurer’s Bauble is vital to the deck as it puts Sunrises back into your library, increasing your probability of drawing a Sunrise (provided you have a way to shuffle your library, like Ghost Quarter) to continue the combo, as well as making the infinite mana loop possible. Chromatic Star
+Sacrifice fodder
+Fixes mana
The second most useful egg, Chromatic Star can be sacrificed to KCI or Reshape and still draw a card. It also fixes mana, turning colorless mana from KCI into blue/white, or blue/white into the other. Chromatic Sphere
+Fixes mana
Identical to Chromatic Star, except that it doesn’t draw if sacrificed. Redundancy is needed, so it still makes the cut.
Theoretical Options Terrarion
+Sacrifice fodder
+Fixes mana
-Cannot sacrifice itself the turn it enters the battlefield Abundant Growth
+Draws a card upon ETB
-Off-color
-Not an artifact
-Requires sacrifice outlet
b) 2-mana eggs
2-mana eggs usually draw a card when they enter the battlefield.
Elsewhere Flask
+Sacrifice fodder
Elsewhere Flask is the staple 2-mana egg. It draws a card when it enters the battlefield, and sacrifices itself. Sacrifice Ghost Quarter before sacrificing Elsewhere Flask to prevent conflicts.
Theoretical Options Ichor Wellspring
+Sacrifice fodder
+Draws a card when put into graveyard
-Requires sacrifice outlet Kaleidostone
+Sacrifice fodder
-High sacrifice cost Prophetic Prism
+Sacrifice fodder
+Fixes mana
-Requires sacrifice outlet Mind Stone
+Generates mana
-Requires net input of mana to draw Spreading Seas
+Good vs nonblue/multicolored decks, Tron
-Requires sacrifice outlet
-Not an artifact Ior Ruin Expedition
+Draws 2 cards
-Does not draw when ETB
-Requires sacrifice outlet
-Not an artifact Alchemist's Apprentice
-Does not draw when ETB
-Not an artifact Hatching Plans
+Draws 3 cards
-Does not draw when ETB
-Requires (enchantment) sacrifice outlet
-Not an artifact
Lands
These are your main sources of mana. a) Basic Lands
Island, Plains
Not much needs to be explained. This deck focuses more on blue for Reshape and white is only splashed for sideboard cards and in case you have to combo off without Lotus Bloom. Most of your lands should be basic so that Ghost Quarter can fetch them.
b) Nonbasic Lands
Darksteel Citadel
+Is an artifact
+Indestructible
+Sacrifice fodder
-Only produces colorless mana
A no-frills artifact land. Sacrificing it to KCI or Reshape lets it return untapped. Hallowed Fountain
+Tutorable with fetchlands
+Produces two colors
The main advantage of playing Hallowed Fountain is to be able to produce white mana (for Silence) if you only have fetchlands and no Ghost Quarter. Mox Opal
+Can be played in conjunction with 1 land for the turn
+Sacrifice fodder
+Produces all colors
-Legendary
-Requires 2 other artifacts
Given the large number of artifacts present in this deck, Mox Opal is worth using in small quantities to speed it up.
Excess Moxen can be shuffled back into the library with Conjurer’s Bauble so that only 1 returns to the battlefield post-Sunrise.
Theoretical Options Horizon Canopy
+Draws a card
-Requires life payment to generate mana
-Requires net input of mana to draw
Wincons
These are the ways you can win the game. a) Reduce Opponent to 0 Life
Pyrite Spellbomb
+Draws a card
+Is an artifact
+Kills hatebears
The staple wincon in this deck. It is an artifact that has a secondary function of drawing a card, so it can contribute mid-combo. Banefire
+Uncounterable, damage cannot be prevented
+Castable mid-combo
The wincon of choice for MTGO players, due to time limits. Sacrificing all your artifacts to KCI makes enough mana to kill your opponent even if you haven’t drawn through your entire library. Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
+Uncounterable
+Annihilator
Similar to Banefire, it's a huge spell that wins when it comes down. The difference is that it takes less mana to kill your opponent with Banefire if he's at 14 or less life. Grapeshot
+Uncounterable
+Castable mid-combo
A popular sideboard option. You do not need to draw your entire library to win with it. Blind Obedience
+Hate
+Does not target
Blind Obedience is a hate card which also happens to be a wincon. It slows down Twin, Pod and opposing Eggs.
Theoretical Options Pillar of Flame
+Kills hatebears Seal of Fire
+Kills hatebears
This card is interesting because it can be used to kill the same hate bear over and over again. Even if they get returned with Sunrise, just sac Seal and they hit the bin again. Invoke the Firemind
+Draws cards
+Castable mid-combo Exsanguinate
+Life loss
+Does not target
+Castable mid-combo Disciple of the Vault
+Life loss
+Good vs mirror
b) Deck Opponent
Blue Sun’s Zenith
+Can be casted on yourself
Mid-combo, Blue Sun’s Zenith is an expensive mana sink.
As a kill condition, it forces your opponent to draw all at once, so they have no time to cast answers. Codex Shredder
+Is an artifact
+Utility mid-combo
An interesting wincon, Codex Shredder guarantees a win if you have enough mana (6WW if using Sunrise, 8W if using Reward) when it's on the battlefield. You use 5 mana to crack Shredder and recur Sunrise/Reward, then cast Sunrise/Reward to bring back Shredder. This way, you have an true infinite loop set up. You just need one more egg to draw your entire library.
This is more reliable than drawing through your library with just eggs, because there is no chance of you fizzling. Additionally, If you have enough mana, Reshape lets you win on the spot. Temple Bell
+Is an artifact
+Draws a card
+Does not target
-Opponent draws cards
Mid-combo, Temple Bell draws you cards, although it also draws your opponent cards.
When you’re using it to deck your opponent, remember that your opponent draws cards one by one, so they have a chance to cast answers. You can get around this by cracking Bauble and casting Sunrise in response, but note that split second cards (e.g. Extirpate) can interrupt your kill. Bitter Ordeal
+Uncounterable
+Good vs combo
Unlike the previous two cards, Bitter Ordeal exiles cards straight from your opponent’s library, so your opponent has to work with what’s in his hand. You still have to wait for your opponent’s draw step to win.
It is also good against combo decks that pack only 1 wincon (such as the mirror).
c) Soft Locks
Sunbeam Spellbomb
+Draws a card
+Is an artifact
+Good vs aggro
-Opponent draws cards
The reverse of Pyrite Spellbomb, Sunbeam Spellbomb will gain you infinite life instead of dealing infinite damage. You will still lose to poison, and your opponent still can assemble a game-winning position such as Mindslaver lock.
Note that you will need Noxious Revival to prevent from decking out. Bounce Spells
Bounce spells can be used to soft-lock your opponent. After destroying all their lands with Ghost Quarter, bouncing all their permanents leaves them with no counterplay. This is more of a last resort than a legitimate wincon.
You will need Noxious Revival to prevent from decking out.
d) Other Wincons
Laboratory Maniac
+Does not target
+Dodges all hate
A very special wincon, Laboratory Maniac makes you win the game, no questions asked. Chromatic Sphere’s ability is a mana ability, so it cannot be responded to and will let Maniac win immediately.
The only ways to beat it are:
1) Platinum Angel
2) Exiling it while it is on the stack (if it is merely countered, Bauble it back) Wishboard (Glittering Wish, Research (Research/Development))
Another special wincon. These two cards allow you to search your sideboard for the perfect answer, freeing up maindeck space. You can chain Glittering Wish into Research, or just play each card independently of each other.
You may also wish to play Pull from Eternity to retrieve exiled Wishes. Conjurer's Bauble returns both Wishes and Pulls into your library.
Outs
These are ways to avoid losing to problematic cards from opponents. Most of these will be in your sideboard. a) Dealing with Permanents
Echoing Truth
+Good vs tokens, aggro
This card has a slight edge if your opponent is lucky enough to have two permanents with the same name in play. Aggro decks that jam 4x multiple cards can have their development severely undone by one Truth. AEther Spellbomb
+Is an artifact
+Draws a card
Like the other two spellbombs, this is maindeckable. It is only able to target creatures, so you can still lose to Rule of Law and grave hate artifacts. Boomerang
+Can target lands
-Restrictive casting cost
The quintessential bounce spell in a blue-heavy deck. The ability to hit lands allows you to slow down your opponent’s tempo and use it as a Force Spike. Hurkyl’s Recall
+Good vs Affinity, grave hate artifacts, Ethersworn Canonist
Hurkyl’s Recall clears out Tormod’s Crypt and Relic of Progenitus simultaneously, two cards that can fit into any sideboard. It’s a house against Affinity as well. Wipe Away
+Good vs grave hate artifacts
+Can target lands
One of the best answers to Tormod’s Crypt. Normally, if you try to bounce (or even just target) Crypt, your opponent will sacrifice it in response and let it return when you Sunrise. Split Second prevents him from doing so. Repeal
+Draws a card
This card’s mana cost scales with what you’re trying to get rid of, but it replaces itself.
It’s worth noting that this is a free cantrip when you target your own Mox Opal with it.
b) Dealing with Spells
Silence
+Slows opponent’s tempo
+Good vs Storm
Silence stops your opponent from casting counterspells during your turn. Your opponent needs at least two counterspells (and enough mana to cast both) to get past one Silence.
Silence can also be used offensively, to “time walk” your opponent by preventing him from casting spells during his own turn. Twincast
+Recurs Sunrise/Reshape, good vs grave hate
Use this to copy Sunrise. By doing so, you can:
1) Double the number of cards drawn
2) Beat a counterspell (The original Sunrise is countered, but the copy resolves. Note that you can also copy your opponent’s counterspell.)
3) Beat grave hate (The copy resolves first and all your eggs return. Let the grave hate resolve, exiling Twincast. Before the original resolves, crack all your eggs once more.)
Twincast can turn lethal Banefires and the like back at your opponent. Your copy goes on the stack and resolves before theirs. Defense Grid
+Is an artifact
This basically Mana Leaks everything that your opponent tries to cast on your turn (and vice versa). Being an artifact, it is tutorable with Reshape, and extras are sacrifice fodder for KCI. Note that your opponent can still realistically cast Mindbreak Trap. Early Frost
+Slows opponent’s tempo
Early Frost attacks your opponent’s counterspells at their root: mana. Since mana pools empty between phases and turns, when you cast Early Frost, you put your opponent in a spot – if he counters it now, he may not have enough mana or counterspells on your turn, but if he doesn’t counter it, then Early Frost will tap him out. You can still lose to Mindbreak Trap. Gigadrowse
+Uncounterable
+Slows opponent’s tempo
+Good vs grave hate artifacts, aggro
-Restrictive casting cost
A more versatile land-tapper, Gigadrowse has a few unique advantages. You opponent has to counter all copies of Gigadrowse to fully stop it. It can tap enemy creatures to stop their attacks, or tap Tormod’s Crypt, forcing your opponent to either exile an empty graveyard or be unable to use it until his untap (before which you’ll have killed him).
Gigadrowse requires a lot of blue mana, so avoid playing it in KCI variants. Toils of Night and Day
+Slows opponent's tempo
+Good vs grave hate artifacts
The mana cost of Toils of Night and Day is a bit more lenient than Gigadrowse - it only asks for 1 colored mana (and 2 colorless) to tap down two permanents, instead of two colored. In a pinch, it can also fix colors by untapping your own lands. Pact of Negation
+Zero mana cost
An all-or-nothing counterspell, Pact of Negation puts no stress on your mana but will make you pay dearly if you fail to win now. If you fizzle you’ve probably already lost, so the only downside to Pact is that it doesn’t do anything pre-combo. Counterspells
If you can’t beat them, join them. Spell Pierce and Dispel are the cheapest options, and have applications outside of protecting the combo.
Theoretical Options Determined (Bound/Determined)
+Draws a card
Who would’ve thought that one answer to counterspells was to make your spells uncounterable? Mindbreak Trap (again) doesn’t counter, so it sneaks past this.
It is also one way you can beat Chalice of the Void at 1. Redirect
+Good vs Surgical Extraction
This spell causes any counterspell to fizzle. Change the target of the counterspell to Redirect. Redirect will resolve first, causing the counterspell to lose its target and fizzle.
Additionally, Redirect is just good at turning game-ending spells back at your opponent, or gaining value by redirecting burn at your opponent's creatures.
c) Others
Cryptic Command
+Versatile
-High casting cost
Cryptic Command does anything for you as long as you can cough up 1UUU. Pre-combo, you might need something cheaper than that to clear out hatebears and such. Leyline of Sanctity
+Castable for free
A powerful card against a wide variety of decks, including Jund. Leyline of Sanctity stops your opponent from using discard, Tormod's Crypt/Nihil Spellbomb, Rakdos/Jund Charm, and Slaughter Games to disrupt your combo. Additionally, it protects you from burn spells (including Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and Grapeshot), giving you more time to assemble the combo. Grafdigger's Cage
+Is an artifact
A versatile hate card against tutors (Birthing Pod, Chord of Calling) and graveyards (Snapcaster Mage, Raven's Crime).
Note that it does not do anything against Living End or other Eggs decks. Nihil Spellbomb
+Is an artifact
+Draws a card
Similar to Tormod's Crypt. For the low price of 1 extra mana in its casting cost, it gains card-drawing utility.
You can draw a card if you sacrifice it to Reshape. Pithing Needle
+Is an artifact
It stops activated abilities, ranging from Relic of Progenitus to Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker to Cranial Plating. Leave no Trace/Tempest of Light
Stony Silence and Rest in Peace are problematic cards for this deck. You cannot win unless they are removed. Leave no Trace/Tempest of Light can destroy both of them if they are on the field at the same time, something which Echoing Truth is unable to do.
These cards are also very good against the Auras deck.
Eggs is an engine combo deck. Every single card in it counts. If you play too few eggs or too few mana sources, you’ll fizzle often. Here is what a typical Eggs deck looks like:
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Scalding Tarn/Misty Rainforest
1 Hallowed Fountain
7 Island
1 Plains
Do not skimp on Sunrises or Eggs. Elsewhere Flask may be overcosted, but you will need the redundancy. Max out on Sunrises before you even think of adding Noxious Revival – you would much rather draw a Sunrise than draw a Revival, pay 2 life and spend a draw effect to get a Sunrise from your graveyard.
You only need 1 wincon because you’d draw your entire library anyway. Play 2 postboard if you’re afraid of one getting exiled.
The 5 free slots and Gitaxian Probe should be the first things you remove when sideboarding. Removing counterspell hate against decks without counterspells is a no-brainer.
Variations
You have 5 free slots to add whatever you want. Some examples: Cantrips
By far the most popular (and successful) version of Eggs. You fill out the 5 free slots with 3 cantrips and 2 anti-counterspell cards.
+3 Sleight of Hand
+2 Silence/Twincast KCI
This version plays a bunch of artifacts. It has great synergy with Reshape.
-1 Misty Rainforest
+1 Darksteel Citadel
+2 Krark-Clan Ironworks
+1 Ichor Wellspring
+1 Mox Opal
+1 Defense Grid Wargate
This version splashes green to play Wargate, to solve mana issues.
-1 Island
+1 Breeding Pool
+1 Sleight of Hand
+2 Wargate
+2 Silence
Sideboard
4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Echoing Truth
2 Silence
1 Pithing Needle
1 Alternative wincon
5 free slots
This is standard for all Eggs sideboards. Leyline is for the black-red decks that pack discard, burn and Slaughter Games. Echoing Truth clears out troublesome permanents. Silence is your defence against decks with counterspells; playing two in the maindeck frees up sideboard space. Pithing Needle beats Relic of Progenitus.
Most people play 4 Echoing Truth, but you can play Wipe Away or AEther Spellbomb over the fourth.
The remaining sideboard slots are usually roadblocks for particular opponents – Grafdigger’s Cage against Pod or Tempest of Light against Auras for example.
4) Technical Play
Maximizing Card/Mana Generation a) Casting Spells
Keep in mind what resources you need to fully utilise certain spells you may draw.
1) Second Sunrise: 1WW. Lotus Bloom can generate WWW. KCI + 2 Chromatic eggs (or Terrarion) + any artifact generates 2WW.
2) Faith’s Reward: 3W. Lotus Bloom + Ghost Quarter can make UWWW, and both cards return after Faith’s Reward. KCI + 1 Chromatic egg + any artifact generates 3W.
3) Noxious Revival: G or 2 life, and a card-drawing effect. Elsewhere Flask must be in your hand, not the battlefield, because it does not draw cards when sacrificed.
4) Reshape: UU and an artifact. See the “Sacrifice Priority” section under “Reshape” for more details.
5) KCI: 4 mana. Due to this card’s high mana cost and inability to generate colored mana, it’s a good idea to float white mana or avoid sacrificing Chromatic eggs before casting it, so that you can cast Sunrise later.
6) Chromatic eggs (and Terrarion): 1 (or 2) mana. Try to use colorless mana from KCI/Darksteel Citadel. Avoid cracking Lotus Bloom unless necessary.
b) Egg Sacrifice Priority
Sacrifice Tier 1 eggs first and Tier 5 eggs last.
Tier 1:
Ghost Quarter, fetchlands – Cracking these first decreases the number of lands you have in your library. This increases both your chance of drawing eggs, and decreases the chance of drawing lands (to your hand, where they cannot be fetched).
The exceptions to this rule are when you want to Bauble and shuffle (see below), and when you have no more basic lands in your library.
Target basic lands with Ghost Quarter – Hallowed Fountain eats 2 life if it comes back untapped, and Darksteel Citadel does not get destroyed (i.e. it stays tapped post-Sunrise).
Tier 2:
Chromatic Sphere
Conjurer’s Bauble
Tier 3:
Terrarion
Chromatic Star
Tier 4:
Any Spellbomb – If you have excess mana, you can keep it until you need to cast another egg. If you have a surplus of mana but not enough cards in hand, go ahead and crack this.
Tier 5:
Elsewhere Flask – This only generates advantage when it enters the battlefield, not when it is sacrificed. Crack this only after you have cracked all your Ghost Quarters, and you have no more Reshapes to cast or KCIs to feed.
Lotus Bloom – It can generate both UU for Reshape and WW for Sunrise. Keeping it around in case you draw Reshape can net you 1 extra mana before you cast Sunrise.
Krark-Clan Ironworks – It goes without saying that you should sacrifice your mana-generating engine to itself only when you run out of artifacts to feed it.
Also, if you have no Lotus Blooms, keep as many Chromatic eggs as necessary to generate white mana for Sunrise.
c) Maximizing Sunrise Recursion
The more Sunrises you have in your library, the less digging you’ll have to do to find one.
Rules for whether you should Bauble and shuffle or not:
1) If your library only has 0 or 1 Noxious Revival in it, Bauble and shuffle. Ignore all other rules. This rule is mostly deck-dependent, not gameplay dependent.
2) If you have a Sunrise in hand, or two Sunrises in the graveyard, Bauble and shuffle immediately.
3) If you have a Revival in hand and one Sunrise in the graveyard, wait until the last possible moment to return it to your hand. You still have a chance of drawing a Sunrise normally.
Set aside one 1-mana egg and one green mana (if necessary). Start cracking eggs. When you draw a Sunrise, Bauble and shuffle. If you do not draw any Sunrises after cracking all your other eggs, cast Revival returning Sunrise to the top of your library, then crack the egg and draw it.
4) If you have no Revivals/Sunrises in hand and one Sunrise in the graveyard, do not Bauble and shuffle.
Reshape a) Sacrifice Priority
Tier 1: Always sacrifice these first because they cannot sacrifice themselves.
Darksteel Citadel
Mox Opal
Ichor Wellspring
Terrarion (tapped)
Tier 2: Sacrificing these cards to themselves requires a net input of mana, which is more trouble than sacrificing them to Reshape.
Any Spellbomb
Tier 3: These neutralize Reshape’s sacrifice drawback. You’ll get the same advantage if you were to sacrifice them to themselves rather than Reshape.
Elsewhere Flask
Chromatic Star
Terrarion (untapped)
Tier 4: Sacrifice these only if you have no other choice.
Conjurer’s Bauble
Chromatic Sphere
Krark-Clan Ironworks
You should never have to Reshape a Bloom. You can just crack the Bloom for mana, instead of Reshaping Bloom for Bloom.
This list holds for KCI as well.
b) Tutor Priority
Before Reshaping, look through your graveyard, battlefield and hand to make sure that the target is in your library. In the early stages of the combo this is not a problem, but when your library gets thinner you could whiff on Reshape, burning 2 mana and an artifact for nothing.
What you get with Reshape depends on your board state. If you have plenty of eggs on the battlefield or in hand, Reshape into a Bloom. If you have plenty of mana, Reshape into an egg.
Generally, you want to Reshape into Bloom first, because Reshaping for Bloom uses up 2 mana while Bloom cracks for 3 mana, and you can use Bloom to cast eggs that you draw. Once you have a stable mana generating engine (2 Blooms, or 1 Bloom and 1 KCI), you can start Reshaping for eggs.
If you have KCI on the battlefield, Reshaping into an egg that draws when it is put into your graveyard (Ichor Wellspring, Terarrion, Chromatic Star) is the best play. Cracking the egg with KCI refunds most of the mana you spent Reshaping for it.
If you do not have KCI on the battlefield, Conjurer’s Bauble is the best egg to tutor. Crack it immediately and shuffle Reshape or Sunrise into your library.
Reshape can tutor outs like Pithing Needle and Defense Grid.
Tutoring for KCI is very rare because tutoring for Bloom gets you enough mana most of the time. It’s still an option.
Tutoring for Mox Opal or Darksteel Citadel when you have KCI on the battlefield generates the same amount of mana as tutoring for Bloom. Most of the mana is colorless, though. Remember this in case a put into graveyard trigger (see below) makes you draw your last Lotus Bloom.
If you have two Reshapes in hand and enough mana to cast both, but insufficient sacrifice fodder, use the first Reshape to tutor Mox Opal or Darksteel Citadel (or an egg, but note that you must pay 1 extra), and the second Reshape on your first tutor target.
c) Put into Graveyard Triggers
Be careful when sacrificing artifacts that draw a card when they are put into your graveyard (Ichor Wellspring, Chromatic Star, Terrarion), if you have only one copy of Reshape’s tutor target. The artifact’s draw trigger will go on the stack first, so it will resolve before Reshape. You risk drawing your tutor target and having nothing in your library for Reshape to get.
Silence
Silence does not affect spells cast before it or after it (but before it resolves). If you have another spell on the stack, your opponent can counter that spell and you'd be unable to save it with Silence.
In short, make sure you have no other spells on the stack when you cast Silence. Note that having a Lotus Bloom come off suspend requires it to be cast. If you intend to Silence on that turn, do it before casting the Bloom from exile. Here's how you do it:
On your upkeep, announce that you are triggering the "remove time counter" ability of suspend. Hold priority.
In response to that trigger, cast Silence.
Allow Silence and the trigger to resolve.
Announce that you are triggering the "When the last time counter is removed..." ability of suspend.
Cast the suspended card.
Bauble and Shuffle
By using Conjurer’s Bauble to put a card at the bottom of your library, then shuffling it with Ghost Quarter or a fetchland, you move that card from the bottom of your library (where you’ll never see it) to a random position (where you might). This is most commonly used to shuffle Sunrises back into your library.
When you bring everything back after a Sunrise, if you have any Elsewhere Flask triggers to resolve, Bauble and shuffle before resolving them. Your shuffle effects are tied to tutoring lands, so this reduces the chances of drawing them.
Baubling & shuffling can be used to put Reshape back into your library. Whether you should or not depends on what you need from your library, and whether you have an artifact to sacrifice to Reshape. As a general rule, if your library has any Lotus Blooms in them, Bauble and shuffle Reshape back in. Once all Blooms are either in your hand or the battlefield, you should have enough eggs on the battlefield and enough mana to cast more, and thus no more need for Reshape.
Another trick with Bauble allows you to generate mana even if you have no Lotuses remaining in your library. Crack a Lotus for UUU, then Bauble it to the bottom of your library. Cast Reshape to put the Lotus back on the battlefield. Overall, you make a net gain of 1 blue mana. This trick also works with two Ghost Quarters.
Cracking Bloom last
Bloom can generate both UU and WW for Reshape and Sunrise. Crack all your other eggs first, saving the last possible moment to crack Bloom, in case you draw Reshape.
Example:
Lotus Bloom, Chromatic Star, Conjurer’s Bauble on battlefield, Second Sunrise in hand.
The correct play is to sac the Bauble first, drawing a card. If that card turns out to be Reshape, you can crack Bloom and Star to Reshape for another Bloom.
If you sacrificed the Bloom for WWW first, then drew the Reshape, you would not be able to cast it.
If you need to crack Bloom early, keep UU floating in your mana pool until the last moment.
Example:
Lotus Bloom, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere on the battlefield, Second Sunrise in hand.
Here you must crack Lotus Bloom in order to generate mana to crack your eggs. The correct play is to crack it for UUU, then crack Sphere generating WUU. If Reshape is not drawn, crack Star for WWU and cast Sunrise.
If you were to generate WWW instead, you would be unable to cast Reshape if you drew it off Sphere.
Cantrips
You should always cast a cantrip (not Gitaxian Probe) on turn 1 if you can. There is basically no downside, and the payoff for drawing a Lotus Bloom is huge.
Sleight of Hand is the best at finding a turn 1 Bloom, since it digs 2 cards deep. Serum Visions only draws the top card, although you can cast a Gitaxian Probe from life if you find a Bloom within the 2 scryed cards.
If you’re desperately digging for a particular card, cast Serum Visions first, then Sleight of Hand. This lets you choose from the top 5 cards. If you cast Visions first then Sleight, you only get to see 3 cards.
Sunrising for Value
Remember that you can cast Second Sunrise just to draw a few cards and Rampant Growth some lands, without the intention of comboing off on the same turn. If you’re facing an opponent with counterspells and they tap out for a flash creature like Vendilion Clique, you can Sunrise in response to their Clique. This builds up your position (drawing cards & searching for lands) to the point that you can simply respond to their counterspell on your Sunrise by casting another.
Playing Around Hate Counterspells
These prevent your crucial spells (Sunrises) from resolving. Playing 1-2 copies of counterspell hate (Silence, Twincast, Defense Grid) maindeck is a good idea.
a) Soft Counters (Spell Pierce, Mana Leak, Remand)
Generating enough mana will deal with soft counters. If your opponent has one mana up, 2 mana will pay for his Spell Pierce. If your opponent has 2 mana up, 3 mana will pay for his Mana Leak, or let you recast Sunrise after he Remands it. 4 mana will be needed if he has two Spell Pierces, or if he Remands your Faith’s Reward.
b) Hard Counters (Mindbreak Trap, Dispel, Spellstutter Sprite)
Against hard counters, you need two Sunrises. One of them will eat a counterspell, letting the other resolve normally. Noxious Revival or Twincast can stand in for the second.
Spell Snare hard-counters Reshape if it’s casted for 0. Paying 1 extra mana, even if searching for Lotus Bloom, gets around this.
If your opponent has Mindbreak Trap, the correct play for him is to use the Trap on your wincon, not on your Sunrises. If he knows this, you can only beat it if you have Silence, a counterspell, or two wincons.
Discard
(Thoughtseize, Duress, Inquisition of Kozilek)
These are problematic if they get your Sunrises. Cantrips and 2-mana eggs help you draw into a second Sunrise. Noxious Revival neutralizes them. Leyline of Sanctity can be dropped before your opponent can even generate 1 black mana, making it a potent defense.
Faith’s Reward dodges Inquisition of Kozilek.
Grave Hate
These prevent you from using Sunrise to return your eggs to the battlefield by moving them to another zone.
a) Relic of Progenitus
Doubling up on Sunrises is the most straightforward way to beat Relic of Progenitus.
Bounce spells beat it handily, as your opponent is forced to either have the Relic bounced or exiled, and it will not return if you cast Second Sunrise.
Remember that you get to choose what to exile with the tap ability.
b) Tormod’s Crypt, Nihil Spellbomb
Double up on Sunrises. If possible, cast Faith’s Reward second as it will give you an extra round of egg-cracking.
Stack diagram:
Second Sunrise
Tormod’s Crypt in response
Faith’s Reward in response
Reward resolves first, returning all your eggs.
Crypt resolves, exiling Reward.
At this point, crack all your eggs.
Sunrise resolves, returning all your eggs and Crypt.
If you were to cast Sunrise second, it would return Crypt when it resolved. Your opponent can crack Crypt if you tried to sacrifice all your eggs again.
Bouncing them on your opponent’s turn leaves you free to combo off on your turn.
Wipe Away prevents your opponent from sacrificing them in response. You can even use it on your turn.
c) Rakdos Charm, Jund Charm, Ravenous Trap
Doubling Sunrises beats them. These are instants and not permanents like the grave hate mentioned earlier, so you need Silence/Dispel instead of bounce if you can’t double.
Leyline of Sanctity stops them.
d) Leyline of the Void, Wheel of Sun and Moon, Samurai of the Pale Curtain, Rest in Peace
The only way to beat these is to bounce them. These are pretty rare though.
Extraction
(Surgical Extraction, Extirpate, Slaughter Games)
Surgical Extraction can be beaten by moving the targeted card to another zone. Conjurer’s Bauble and Noxious Revival work. If the targeted card is an artifact, doubling up on Sunrise also works.
Getting extracted is not always the end of the game. This deck has enough redundancy to combo off. Second Sunrise and Faith’s Reward serve the same function, Lotus Bloom and Krark-Clan Ironworks both generate mana, and losing four eggs still leaves you with 12+ more.
Getting Conjurer’s Bauble extracted makes you unable to perform the infinite loop. If your win condition is Pyrite Spellbomb, for example, you can only deal damage as many times as you have Sunrises left. Changing your wincon gets around this.
If your wincon gets extracted, you can scoop if you don't have another wincon. Against Slaughter Games, one strategy is to play an alternative wincon in your sideboard, so that you can switch wincons or play two to throw off your opponent.
Rule of Law effects
(Rule of Law, Ethersworn Canonist, Root Maze, Blind Obedience)
These let you cast only one spell per turn.
Bounce them. Second Sunrise and Faith’s Reward are both instants, so you can cast one on both your and your opponent’s turn to draw into bounce.
Canonist is a bit easier to deal with because you still can cast eggs, and it can be killed by burn.
Root Maze and Blind Obedience cause your eggs to enter the battlefield tapped. Their effects are much like Rule of Law's, slightly stronger, because you cannot crack eggs on your opponent's turn.
Tax effects
(Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Thorn of Amethyst, Trinisphere)
These increase the amount of mana needed to cast your spells.
Bounce them. Spamming Sunrises is more effective than spamming eggs, as paying 1 for one more Sunrise is cheaper than paying 1 for each extra egg you want to cast. Once you get KCI out you should be rich enough to pay taxes, so to speak.
Etherium Sculptor neutralizes their effects (other than Trinisphere, but that is not commonly played).
Tutor Denial
(Aven Mindcensor, Leonin Arbiter, Shadow of Doubt)
These shut down Reshape, Ghost Quarter, and other tutor effects.
Bounce the permanents or burn them. You can also pay 2 to stop Leonin Arbiter’s effect.
If the effect affects your opponent too, you can attempt to Ghost Quarter lock them.
Ivory Mask effects
(Leyline of Sanctity, Runed Halo, True Believer)
These prevent you from targeting your opponent.
This is the weakest form of hate. They do nothing to stop you from drawing your library and generating infinite mana.
You beat them if you have a single bounce spell in your library, or if your wincon doesn’t target.
Meddling Mage effects
(Meddling Mage, Nevermore, Declaration of Naught)
These prevent you from casting specific cards.
They function much like targeted grave hate, although they do not thin your deck. If they call Second Sunrise, you have Faith's Reward to lean back on and vice versa. If they call Lotus Bloom, you can Reshape for it. If they call your wincon, you can simply draw your entire library and bounce them.
Artifact Removal
(Kataki, War’s Wage, Ancient Grudge)
Another weak form of hate, because:
a) You can crack eggs in response
b) Sunrise returns destroyed eggs
c) Ichor Wellspring loves being destroyed
An early Kataki will put you through your paces. Crack any eggs you have at the time. Cast all your eggs the turn before Lotus Bloom comes off suspend. When your upkeep comes round, crack everything including Bloom and cast Sunrise. When your eggs come back, the beginning of upkeep would have passed. Continue to your main phase and combo off as normal.
Remember to keep mana open for Star/Sphere if you suspect artifact removal.
Note that you can crack Blooms, Stars and Spheres in response to Krosan Grip, as their abilities are mana abilities. You can still draw for Star, as split second does not stop triggered abilities.
Activated Ability Denial
Suppression Field, Stony Silence, Damping Matrix
Bloom, Star and Sphere have mana abilities, so you are not completely dead. You probably won’t be able to draw your entire library, but drawing into a bounce spell is the next best thing.
Against Stony Silence, you must bounce it, or you will lose.
Other
Chalice of the Void
X = 0 stops suspended Blooms and Mox Opal. You can still Reshape for Bloom.
X = 1 stops Bauble, the Chromatic eggs and Noxious Revival. This is the hardest to get past, and even a sideboarded Repeal, normally the best card against 0 or X costing permanents, will get countered. If you do get to use Reshape, tutor for 1-mana eggs in order to reduce the number of dead draws you will have.
X = 2 stops Flask, Wellspring, and Reshape. You can still count on your 1-mana eggs for draw and wait for Blooms to come off suspend.
Your opponent will probably not be able to cast Chalice for X > 2, and the amount of stuff a 3- or 4-Chalice would stop is minimal.
Determined (Bound/Determined) is a hard counter for Chalice. Maralen of the Mornsong
Tutor up your bounce and be done with it. Dryad Militant
This card has a very minor impact on the functioning of your deck. It reduces the effectiveness of your Baubles and Revivals. You should be able to draw into an answer for it eventually – very often, you spend maybe 2-3 Sunrises getting enough eggs onto the battlefield, and at that point, you have enough eggs and Sunrises in hand to draw your entire library (which contains at least 1 bounce spell/non-looping wincon, and 1 Sunrise).
Note that if you burn it, the burn spell is exiled. Be careful with Grapeshot! Deathrite Shaman
The only things of value it can exile are Sunrises and Ghost Quarters, and it can only remove one per turn. Pay attention to Ghost Quarter, as it’s part of your mana generation engine.
5) Matchups Italicized denotes sideboarded cards.
Favorable
You are faster than all of these decks, and they do not have a lot of disruption against you.
Jund
Cards against you: Thoughtseize, Inquisition of Kozilek, Liliana of the Veil, Rakdos/Jund Charm, Ancient Grudge, Slaughter Games, Stony Silence
Cards against them: Leyline of Sanctity
Kiki Pod
Cards against you: Ethersworn Canonist, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Aven Mindcensor, Qasali Pridemage, Harmonic Sliver, Kataki, War's Wage, Rest in Peace
Cards against them: Grafdigger's Cage, Echoing Truth, Blind Obedience
RG Tron
Cards against you: Relic of Progenitus, Thorn of Amethyst, Ancient Grudge, Nature's Claim, Vandalblast
Cards against them: Ghost Quarter, Pithing Needle
Scapeshift
Cards against you: Remand, Izzet Charm, Cryptic Command, Spell Pierce, Dispel, Negate, Ancient Grudge
Cards against them: Silence
Even
These decks are races, with minimal disruption from either side.
Eggs
Cards against you: Silence, Nihil Spellbomb, Pithing Needle, Blind Obedience
Cards against them: Silence, Nihil Spellbomb, Pithing Needle, Blind Obedience
Affinity
Cards against you: Ethersworn Canonist, Spell Pierce, Unified Will, Relic of Progenitus
Cards against them: Pithing Needle
Auras
Cards against you: Rest in Peace, Stony Silence, Nature's Claim
Cards against them: Tempest of Light, Leave no Trace
Twin
Cards against you: Dispel, Spell Pierce, Ancient Grudge, Duress
Cards against them: Spellskite, Pithing Needle, Echoing Truth, Blind Obedience
Unfavorable
These decks either have a lot of disruption, or win faster than you.
UWR Midrange
Cards against you: Mana Leak, Remand, Izzet Charm, Aven Mindcensor, Vendilion Clique, Disenchant
Cards against them: Silence
UWR Control
Cards against you: Mana Leak, Spell Snare, Cryptic Command, Shadow of Doubt, Stony Silence, Vendilion Clique
Cards against them: Silence
Infect
Cards against you: Nature's Claim, Thoughtseize
Cards against them: Spellskite, Holy Day, Echoing Truth
Nice job, izzetmage! Love the new tech acknowledged in the primer!
Under "Dealing with permanents", I've started seeing a combination of Holy Day (Fog Infect/Affinity/Zoo/Bogle/etc.) and Pyroclasm (fry Infect/Affinity/Bogle/etc.) on MTGO. The Pyroclasm lists splash a single Steam Vents.
Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
I've only heard of Eggs vs LE being "very awkward" and "tricky", but not bad for Eggs. Any UW deck with counters is the worst MU for Eggs, because they attack you with both spells (counterspells) and permanents (Rest in Peace/Stony Silence), so you must board in both Silence and Echoing Truth and hope that you draw the right combination against their hate.
You can't counter Faerie Macabre's effect, but you can simply cast another Sunrise in response.
Bitter Ordeal is listed, look under "Deck Opponent" in Wincons.
As a UWR Midrange player, what key spells am I looking to counter if the Eggs player is looking to combo without protection? At what point in the combo stream do I step in and say "that doesn't resolve"?
As a UWR Midrange player, what key spells am I looking to counter if the Eggs player is looking to combo without protection? At what point in the combo stream do I step in and say "that doesn't resolve"?
If they're combing off seemingly without protection (e.g. Silence), beware of Twincast. Counter all Sunrises (even Remand bites) and the rare Krark-Clan Ironworks, but don't expect to succeed all the time.
If they're short of mana to cast Second Sunrise if Reshape doesn't resolve, counter Reshape.
Countering Suspended Lotus Blooms might be a good call, too, but it's not quite as good as countering Sunrises because they could also have the Reshape.
So, Reshape and Second Sunrise are the two biggies I should be on the look out for? I figured those were the two cards I should be watching for, but wasn't sure as I (a.) don't play Eggs myself, and (b.) never get to test against it, but there's 1 good Eggs player that shows up at FNM, so I'd like to be semi-prepared.
So, if no Bloom is out and they cast Reshape, counter Reshape. If a Bloom is already out, do not waste a counter on Reshape.
Counter Second Sunrise and Faith's Reward whenever possible, regardless of the board state.
Is this close? Sorry if this seems dumb, but Eggs is a pretty tricky deck (for both players) and if I have a chance at disrupting is combo, I want to know exactly where in the combo stream I'm supposed to counter his key spell.
I've only heard of Eggs vs LE being "very awkward" and "tricky", but not bad for Eggs. Any UW deck with counters is the worst MU for Eggs, because they attack you with both spells (counterspells) and permanents (Rest in Peace/Stony Silence), so you must board in both Silence and Echoing Truth and hope that you draw the right combination against their hate.
You can't counter Faerie Macabre's effect, but you can simply cast another Sunrise in response.
Bitter Ordeal is listed, look under "Deck Opponent" in Wincons.
It is awkward. I play LE as my daily Modern driver. Like I said:
Game 1 can go either way, unless I have one of the four Macabres that I maindeck, then I just win.
Game 2 + 3, I mulligan to a Macabre. Often I can just cycle or have another Macabre in hand due to the generous cycling in the deck. By turn 2-3 I can cycle an average of 3-7 cards plus my draw.
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My Modern decks: B/R/G Living End G/R/B G/R Tron R/G U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
Talking about the sideboard. So far I havn't found a set side board for this deck. So I'm trying to find one that works with the current meta because I would like to stand a chance for the gp in portland oregon. Any ideas? Cause I could use a proven list and what to take out. With the deck being limited to six cards that you can safely remove, plus 1 win con it makes the deck that much more diffecult to side depending on your match ups.
I run 3 laylines (white), 4 echoing truths, 2 pyroclaism, 1 bainfire, 2 graf diggers cage, 2 silence and 1 leave no trace. I would love to run 2 leave no traces but oh well, oh and pithing needle. so in short HELP............
There aren't many differences: just Rapid Hybridization for the second Needle and Blind Obedience for Grapeshot. Obedience is hate against Twin, Pod, Tron and Affinity, with the side-effect of being a wincon. Hybridization/Needle is a free slot; you can play tech cards like Leave no Trace in that spot. I'd play AEther Spellbomb over Rapid Hybridization though.
You need 4 Leylines. Getting one on turn 0 before Jund can cast discard is important.
I'm not a fan of Pyroclasm. Against aggro, the better plan is to board in bounce for their Seal of Fire/Relic of Progenitus or whatever and race them. Pyroclasm has its uses, but you only have 15 sideboard slots.
If you swap wincons, make sure they don't both lose to the same thing. Pyrite Spellbomb for Grapeshot works because you can win with Grapeshot even if they exile your Baubles. Banefire isn't as good as Grapeshot; storm triggers are as unbeatable by regular counterspells as uncounterability. The exception is if you're playing KCI and intend to keep KCI post-board.
Pyroclasm is the one card, which gives u chance to fight with GW hatebears.
I think the one card that is good enough to place sideboard is Holy Day - protection against t3 infect kill and crazy nivmagus decks.
Excellent primer. I just started playing eggs and have had a lot of fun with variations on win conditions.
Wanted to make comments on two cards listed in the primer:
Abundant Growth - It would seem that this would have good synergy with Ghost Quarters/Fetchlands allowing you to recur during combo for free draws (and allowing fetchlands to produce mana if you don't have more lands/have drawn them/don't want to spend more life).
Ior Ruin Expedition - Does landfall work when the lands come into play at the same time as this? I would guess not. Either way, like with the abundant growth, if you've got ghost quarters or fetchlands, this will contribute free cards during the combo without mana input required.
Abundant Growth gets edged out by cantrips (Serum Visions/Sleight of Hand). Also, it isn't worth splashing a third color. Drawing a hand with no green sources and Abundant Growth or trying to cast Reshape off two Forests and another land is just awkward.
Landfall works the same way as Valakut's trigger. You will get counters on the Expedition.
Abundant Growth gets edged out by cantrips (Serum Visions/Sleight of Hand). Also, it isn't worth splashing a third color. Drawing a hand with no green sources and Abundant Growth or trying to cast Reshape off two Forests and another land is just awkward.
Landfall works the same way as Valakut's trigger. You will get counters on the Expedition.
Right, totally agreed on Abundant Growth. In this case it would be an egg though not a cantrip. I see that it's less useful than them or other eggs, but I thought it was worth noting that in-combo it's a free card and synergizes with GQ/fetch.
Ah, I wasn't sure on the landfall. Thanks for the clarification, that makes Ior Ruin Expedition quite a bit better in here.
One more technical question that seems like it makes sense to me, but I want verification: Can I tap/sac Conjurer's Bauble, then respond to the ability with Second Sunrise, bring it back into play, THEN put SS on bottom of library and draw?
One more technical question that seems like it makes sense to me, but I want verification: Can I tap/sac Conjurer's Bauble, then respond to the ability with Second Sunrise, bring it back into play, THEN put SS on bottom of library and draw?
Unfortunately not. You must choose the target as the ability is put on the stack. The Second Sunrise only goes to your graveyard after it resolves.
You also can't cast Sunrise and sac Bauble in response, targeting Sunrise, because at the time of Bauble's activation, Sunrise is on the stack.
So wondrous to behold, so delicate and finely crafted – and yet, such a pleasure to smash.
Contents
0) What is Sunrise Combo?
1) Introduction
2) Card choices
3) Building the Deck
4) Technical Play
5) Matchups
6) Decklists
0) What is Sunrise Combo?
Sunrise Combo (a.k.a. Eggs, Second Breakfast) is a combo deck, as you may have guessed. Its main color is blue, with a white splash. It revolves around abusing the card Second Sunrise and others like it to draw cards and generate mana.
The deck is capable of generating infinite mana of all colors, and given the proper cards, gaining infinite life, doing infinite damage, drawing (or forcing your opponent to draw) infinite cards.
1) Introduction
How to Play
The first few turns of the game are spent casting these eggs. When comboing off, the eggs are sacrificed, generating cards and mana, and Second Sunrise or a similar effect is casted, returning those eggs to the battlefield. The process is repeated until enough cards are drawn and sufficient mana is generated. This mana is then spent on a game-winning spell.
Infinite mana can be generated by having:
a) No cards in one’s library (accomplished by drawing all cards in there)
b) Conjurer’s Bauble on the battlefield
c) Second Sunrise in the graveyard or in hand
d) A way to generate at least 2WW prior to casting Second Sunrise. This includes, but is not limited to:
i) Having two Lotus Blooms on the battlefield
ii) Having one Lotus Bloom, one Ghost Quarter and one other land on the battlefield
iii) Having one Krark-Clan Ironworks, one Mox Opal, one extra Conjurer's Bauble on the battlefield
The loop is such:
1) Generate at least 2WW. (e.g. Sacrifice two Lotus Blooms for WWWWWW.)
2) If Second Sunrise is in the graveyard, sacrifice Conjurer’s Bauble putting it back in your empty library, then draw it with Bauble’s effect.
3) Cast Second Sunrise.
The board position will be the same as before Sunrising, except that you now have at least 1 more mana than you began with. Repeating this loop gives infinite mana.
The same holds for Faith's Reward, except that you must be able to generate 4W.
Mulligans Well
Being able to suspend a Lotus Bloom on turn 1 is also a powerful play that can make up for otherwise sub-optimal draws. Postboard, Leyline of Sanctity has a similar feel.
Eggs only plays 17 lands, but Lotus Bloom counts as a mana source too. A 2-Bloom, 0 land hand is keepable.
Eggs can win even if your opponent has infinite life, because it can deal infinite damage (and kill the pesky creatures behind the infinite life combo).
Eggs can win even if your opponent is beating you down with 4 creatures, because it can take your opponent from 20 to 0 in one turn.
Eggs does not care about creature removal, because it doesn't play creatures.
The lack of hate gives it a high Game 1 win rate, because it's likely that your opponent either has no hate, ineffective hate, or has hate but does not mulligan into it (assuming he doesn't know what you're playing).
Postboard, Leyline of Sanctity lets you ignore your opponent even more.
The next most expensive cards are the fetchlands, at $30 each. However, you only need 4 of them, unlike most other decks which play close to 8.
The rest of the cards can be had for under $10 each.
If you really cannot afford fetches, Krark-Clan Ironworks is a budget replacement that requires just a few $1 cards - Darksteel Citadel, KCI, Ichor Wellspring.
Practice
If you do not know how this deck works, you probably won't figure it out just by looking at the decklist. Fortunately, that's what this primer is here for.
Even after reading this primer, you will make mistakes when you first start playing Eggs. Some of the mistakes are not obvious and only affect your fizzle rate slightly. Goldfish the deck often, and read the Technical Play section.
You will need to keep track of mana throughout your combo turn. Normally you just have to track white and blue mana, but if you play KCI you will need to track colorless, and if you play Wargate you will need to track green.
You basically offer your life total as a punching bag while you set up the combo and kill your opponent in the span of 1 turn. Your opponent does not have a lot of ways to stop you, but you have nothing to stop them either.
Much of the combo turn is spent repetitively moving eggs from one zone to another.
If you take too much time to finish a match, you have less time to rest in between rounds.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Core Combo Pieces
These cards form the backbone of the deck.
a) Mana Generation
+Generates colored mana
-Cannot be cast normally
Lotus Bloom is the easiest way to cast Second Sunrise. Sacrificing it generates WWW, which can then be used to pay for Second Sunrise. Second Sunrise will return Lotus Bloom to the battlefield.
Mid-combo, Lotus Bloom can be cracked for UUU to cast Reshape.
Lotus Bloom cannot be cast normally. It is either cheated out onto the battlefield via Reshape, or Suspended on an early turn.
Ghost Quarter
+Sacrifice outlet
+Generates mana
+Tutors any basic land
+Alternative wincon
Ghost Quarter is a sacrifice outlet for your lands. Target them in order to search your library for basic lands, generating mana for you. When you cast Sunrise, the destroyed lands and Ghost Quarter return untapped.
Scalding Tarn, Misty Rainforest
+Tutors Island, shocklands
-Costs life
Fetchlands are secondary mana producers. Pre-combo, they are better than Ghost Quarter because they can provide colored mana without requiring you to sacrifice another land. During the combo, though, fetchlands will take off a lot of life if you crack them too often, and they only provide 1 mana per Sunrise (Ghost Quarter provides 2, one from the sacrificed land returning, and one from the tutored land).
Theoretical Options
Krark-Clan Ironworks
+Sacrifice outlet
-Does not generate colored mana
Krark-Clan Ironworks generates mana like Lotus Bloom, albeit colorless. It acts as a sacrifice outlet for eggs that cannot sacrifice themselves, such as Terrarion and Ichor Wellspring.
It is also good for untapping mana-producing artifacts. If Darksteel Citadel or Mox Opal is sacrificed to it and returned to the battlefield via Second Sunrise, they enter the battlefield untapped.
Greater Gargadon
+Sacrifice outlet
+Alternative wincon
-Limited usage
-Off-color
-Does not generate any advantage
+Lets you see three cards
Serum Visions is best cantrip available. You get to see three cards for one mana. It’s best utilized with other eggs during the combo, using scry to set up advantageous draws and bottom-decking useless cards like Lotus Bloom and lands.
Sleight of Hand
+Lets you choose between two cards
Sleight of Hand is the next best cantrip. By itself, it lets you choose between the top two cards of your library (instead of just one, like most other cantrips). This makes it good in the early game, where you might need to find Lotus Bloom or lands. During the combo, it’s weaker than Serum Visions because it does not set up your draws; if both cards you see are desirable, you are still forced to bottom-deck one of them.
Gitaxian Probe
+Gives you information on your opponent’s hand
+Can be cast for no mana
Gitaxian Probe does not let you reorder the cards on top of your library, but it provides you with information. By knowing the cards in your opponent’s hand, you can deduce how many turns you have before you are forced to combo off, or the hate that you have to play around.
Theoretical Options
Peer through Depths
+Instant-speed
-Forces you to reveal the card
-Only allows you to take instants and sorceries
Edge of Autumn
+Can be cycled for no mana
+Sacrifice outlet
-Not useful pre-combo
Ideas Unbound
+Very high mana-for-card efficiency
-Color-intensive
-Less useful pre-combo
+Deck centrepiece
This deck is meant to abuse this card. You will find yourself sacrificing eggs and having nothing on the battlefield, only to cast this card and bring everything back.
Faith’s Reward
+Deck centrepiece
+Less restrictive mana cost
+Does not return opponent’s permanents
-Higher CMC than Sunrise
The fifth to eighth copy of Second Sunrise. It costs one more mana than Sunrise, but only requires one colored mana compared to Sunrise’s two. Additionally, it does not return your opponents’ permanents.
Theoretical Options
Open the Vaults
+Returns permanents regardless of how or which turn they were put into the graveyard
-High mana cost
-Does not return lands
-Sorcery speed
An alternative to Second Sunrise or Faith’s Reward. Advantages it has over them include:
a) Ability to return eggs cracked turns before casting of this spell
b) Ability to return eggs discarded from hand or milled
Its downsides are that it cost 6 mana compared to Sunrise’s/Faith’s 3/4, and that it does not return lands (i.e. Ghost Quarter).
+Puts Lotus Bloom onto the battlefield
+Sacrifice outlet
+Tutors for any artifact
The main purpose of this card is to put Lotus Bloom onto the battlefield, working around its unpayable casting cost.
Given an overload of mana and not enough card-drawing effects, this card can shift your game back into balance by tutoring for an egg.
Postboard, it tutors for hate artifacts like Pithing Needle and Grafdigger’s Cage.
Theoretical Options
Spoils of the Vault
+Tutors for any card
+Low mana cost
-High life cost
-Off-color
-Possibility of exiling wincon
Wargate
+Tutors for any permanent
-Off-color
Drift of Phantasms
+Tutors for Second Sunrise
Clutch of the Undercity
+Tutors for Faith’s Reward
+Alternative wincon
-Off-color
Noxious Revival
+Returns Sunrise
+Can be cast for no mana
Reclaim
+Returns Sunrise
-Off-color
Tezzeret the Seeker
+Tutors for any artifact and puts it on the battlefield
+Returns under Faith's Reward
-High casting cost
Note that you can use Tezz's -X with X = 4 to put him in the graveyard, then return him with Faith's Reward. You can search for 0, 1, 2 or 3 mana artifacts even if X = 4.
These are the permanents that draw you cards. Most of them are artifacts, since they synergize well with Reshape and Krark-Clan Ironworks. You need a critical mass of these in order to draw your entire library.
a) 1-mana eggs
1-mana eggs usually draw a card when they are put into your graveyard.
+Returns cards to library
Conjurer’s Bauble is vital to the deck as it puts Sunrises back into your library, increasing your probability of drawing a Sunrise (provided you have a way to shuffle your library, like Ghost Quarter) to continue the combo, as well as making the infinite mana loop possible.
Chromatic Star
+Sacrifice fodder
+Fixes mana
The second most useful egg, Chromatic Star can be sacrificed to KCI or Reshape and still draw a card. It also fixes mana, turning colorless mana from KCI into blue/white, or blue/white into the other.
Chromatic Sphere
+Fixes mana
Identical to Chromatic Star, except that it doesn’t draw if sacrificed. Redundancy is needed, so it still makes the cut.
Theoretical Options
Terrarion
+Sacrifice fodder
+Fixes mana
-Cannot sacrifice itself the turn it enters the battlefield
Abundant Growth
+Draws a card upon ETB
-Off-color
-Not an artifact
-Requires sacrifice outlet
2-mana eggs usually draw a card when they enter the battlefield.
+Sacrifice fodder
Elsewhere Flask is the staple 2-mana egg. It draws a card when it enters the battlefield, and sacrifices itself. Sacrifice Ghost Quarter before sacrificing Elsewhere Flask to prevent conflicts.
Theoretical Options
Ichor Wellspring
+Sacrifice fodder
+Draws a card when put into graveyard
-Requires sacrifice outlet
Kaleidostone
+Sacrifice fodder
-High sacrifice cost
Prophetic Prism
+Sacrifice fodder
+Fixes mana
-Requires sacrifice outlet
Mind Stone
+Generates mana
-Requires net input of mana to draw
Spreading Seas
+Good vs nonblue/multicolored decks, Tron
-Requires sacrifice outlet
-Not an artifact
Ior Ruin Expedition
+Draws 2 cards
-Does not draw when ETB
-Requires sacrifice outlet
-Not an artifact
Alchemist's Apprentice
-Does not draw when ETB
-Not an artifact
Hatching Plans
+Draws 3 cards
-Does not draw when ETB
-Requires (enchantment) sacrifice outlet
-Not an artifact
These are your main sources of mana.
a) Basic Lands
Not much needs to be explained. This deck focuses more on blue for Reshape and white is only splashed for sideboard cards and in case you have to combo off without Lotus Bloom. Most of your lands should be basic so that Ghost Quarter can fetch them.
+Is an artifact
+Indestructible
+Sacrifice fodder
-Only produces colorless mana
A no-frills artifact land. Sacrificing it to KCI or Reshape lets it return untapped.
Hallowed Fountain
+Tutorable with fetchlands
+Produces two colors
The main advantage of playing Hallowed Fountain is to be able to produce white mana (for Silence) if you only have fetchlands and no Ghost Quarter.
Mox Opal
+Can be played in conjunction with 1 land for the turn
+Sacrifice fodder
+Produces all colors
-Legendary
-Requires 2 other artifacts
Given the large number of artifacts present in this deck, Mox Opal is worth using in small quantities to speed it up.
Excess Moxen can be shuffled back into the library with Conjurer’s Bauble so that only 1 returns to the battlefield post-Sunrise.
Theoretical Options
Horizon Canopy
+Draws a card
-Requires life payment to generate mana
-Requires net input of mana to draw
These are the ways you can win the game.
a) Reduce Opponent to 0 Life
+Draws a card
+Is an artifact
+Kills hatebears
The staple wincon in this deck. It is an artifact that has a secondary function of drawing a card, so it can contribute mid-combo.
Banefire
+Uncounterable, damage cannot be prevented
+Castable mid-combo
The wincon of choice for MTGO players, due to time limits. Sacrificing all your artifacts to KCI makes enough mana to kill your opponent even if you haven’t drawn through your entire library.
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
+Uncounterable
+Annihilator
Similar to Banefire, it's a huge spell that wins when it comes down. The difference is that it takes less mana to kill your opponent with Banefire if he's at 14 or less life.
Grapeshot
+Uncounterable
+Castable mid-combo
A popular sideboard option. You do not need to draw your entire library to win with it.
Blind Obedience
+Hate
+Does not target
Blind Obedience is a hate card which also happens to be a wincon. It slows down Twin, Pod and opposing Eggs.
Theoretical Options
Pillar of Flame
+Kills hatebears
Seal of Fire
+Kills hatebears
This card is interesting because it can be used to kill the same hate bear over and over again. Even if they get returned with Sunrise, just sac Seal and they hit the bin again.
Invoke the Firemind
+Draws cards
+Castable mid-combo
Exsanguinate
+Life loss
+Does not target
+Castable mid-combo
Disciple of the Vault
+Life loss
+Good vs mirror
+Can be casted on yourself
Mid-combo, Blue Sun’s Zenith is an expensive mana sink.
As a kill condition, it forces your opponent to draw all at once, so they have no time to cast answers.
Codex Shredder
+Is an artifact
+Utility mid-combo
An interesting wincon, Codex Shredder guarantees a win if you have enough mana (6WW if using Sunrise, 8W if using Reward) when it's on the battlefield. You use 5 mana to crack Shredder and recur Sunrise/Reward, then cast Sunrise/Reward to bring back Shredder. This way, you have an true infinite loop set up. You just need one more egg to draw your entire library.
This is more reliable than drawing through your library with just eggs, because there is no chance of you fizzling. Additionally, If you have enough mana, Reshape lets you win on the spot.
Temple Bell
+Is an artifact
+Draws a card
+Does not target
-Opponent draws cards
Mid-combo, Temple Bell draws you cards, although it also draws your opponent cards.
When you’re using it to deck your opponent, remember that your opponent draws cards one by one, so they have a chance to cast answers. You can get around this by cracking Bauble and casting Sunrise in response, but note that split second cards (e.g. Extirpate) can interrupt your kill.
Bitter Ordeal
+Uncounterable
+Good vs combo
Unlike the previous two cards, Bitter Ordeal exiles cards straight from your opponent’s library, so your opponent has to work with what’s in his hand. You still have to wait for your opponent’s draw step to win.
It is also good against combo decks that pack only 1 wincon (such as the mirror).
+Draws a card
+Is an artifact
+Good vs aggro
-Opponent draws cards
The reverse of Pyrite Spellbomb, Sunbeam Spellbomb will gain you infinite life instead of dealing infinite damage. You will still lose to poison, and your opponent still can assemble a game-winning position such as Mindslaver lock.
Note that you will need Noxious Revival to prevent from decking out.
Bounce Spells
Bounce spells can be used to soft-lock your opponent. After destroying all their lands with Ghost Quarter, bouncing all their permanents leaves them with no counterplay. This is more of a last resort than a legitimate wincon.
You will need Noxious Revival to prevent from decking out.
+Does not target
+Dodges all hate
A very special wincon, Laboratory Maniac makes you win the game, no questions asked. Chromatic Sphere’s ability is a mana ability, so it cannot be responded to and will let Maniac win immediately.
The only ways to beat it are:
1) Platinum Angel
2) Exiling it while it is on the stack (if it is merely countered, Bauble it back)
Wishboard (Glittering Wish, Research (Research/Development))
Another special wincon. These two cards allow you to search your sideboard for the perfect answer, freeing up maindeck space. You can chain Glittering Wish into Research, or just play each card independently of each other.
You may also wish to play Pull from Eternity to retrieve exiled Wishes. Conjurer's Bauble returns both Wishes and Pulls into your library.
These are ways to avoid losing to problematic cards from opponents. Most of these will be in your sideboard.
a) Dealing with Permanents
+Good vs tokens, aggro
This card has a slight edge if your opponent is lucky enough to have two permanents with the same name in play. Aggro decks that jam 4x multiple cards can have their development severely undone by one Truth.
AEther Spellbomb
+Is an artifact
+Draws a card
Like the other two spellbombs, this is maindeckable. It is only able to target creatures, so you can still lose to Rule of Law and grave hate artifacts.
Boomerang
+Can target lands
-Restrictive casting cost
The quintessential bounce spell in a blue-heavy deck. The ability to hit lands allows you to slow down your opponent’s tempo and use it as a Force Spike.
Hurkyl’s Recall
+Good vs Affinity, grave hate artifacts, Ethersworn Canonist
Hurkyl’s Recall clears out Tormod’s Crypt and Relic of Progenitus simultaneously, two cards that can fit into any sideboard. It’s a house against Affinity as well.
Wipe Away
+Good vs grave hate artifacts
+Can target lands
One of the best answers to Tormod’s Crypt. Normally, if you try to bounce (or even just target) Crypt, your opponent will sacrifice it in response and let it return when you Sunrise. Split Second prevents him from doing so.
Repeal
+Draws a card
This card’s mana cost scales with what you’re trying to get rid of, but it replaces itself.
It’s worth noting that this is a free cantrip when you target your own Mox Opal with it.
+Slows opponent’s tempo
+Good vs Storm
Silence stops your opponent from casting counterspells during your turn. Your opponent needs at least two counterspells (and enough mana to cast both) to get past one Silence.
Silence can also be used offensively, to “time walk” your opponent by preventing him from casting spells during his own turn.
Twincast
+Recurs Sunrise/Reshape, good vs grave hate
Use this to copy Sunrise. By doing so, you can:
1) Double the number of cards drawn
2) Beat a counterspell (The original Sunrise is countered, but the copy resolves. Note that you can also copy your opponent’s counterspell.)
3) Beat grave hate (The copy resolves first and all your eggs return. Let the grave hate resolve, exiling Twincast. Before the original resolves, crack all your eggs once more.)
Twincast can turn lethal Banefires and the like back at your opponent. Your copy goes on the stack and resolves before theirs.
Defense Grid
+Is an artifact
This basically Mana Leaks everything that your opponent tries to cast on your turn (and vice versa). Being an artifact, it is tutorable with Reshape, and extras are sacrifice fodder for KCI. Note that your opponent can still realistically cast Mindbreak Trap.
Early Frost
+Slows opponent’s tempo
Early Frost attacks your opponent’s counterspells at their root: mana. Since mana pools empty between phases and turns, when you cast Early Frost, you put your opponent in a spot – if he counters it now, he may not have enough mana or counterspells on your turn, but if he doesn’t counter it, then Early Frost will tap him out. You can still lose to Mindbreak Trap.
Gigadrowse
+Uncounterable
+Slows opponent’s tempo
+Good vs grave hate artifacts, aggro
-Restrictive casting cost
A more versatile land-tapper, Gigadrowse has a few unique advantages. You opponent has to counter all copies of Gigadrowse to fully stop it. It can tap enemy creatures to stop their attacks, or tap Tormod’s Crypt, forcing your opponent to either exile an empty graveyard or be unable to use it until his untap (before which you’ll have killed him).
Gigadrowse requires a lot of blue mana, so avoid playing it in KCI variants.
Toils of Night and Day
+Slows opponent's tempo
+Good vs grave hate artifacts
The mana cost of Toils of Night and Day is a bit more lenient than Gigadrowse - it only asks for 1 colored mana (and 2 colorless) to tap down two permanents, instead of two colored. In a pinch, it can also fix colors by untapping your own lands.
Pact of Negation
+Zero mana cost
An all-or-nothing counterspell, Pact of Negation puts no stress on your mana but will make you pay dearly if you fail to win now. If you fizzle you’ve probably already lost, so the only downside to Pact is that it doesn’t do anything pre-combo.
Counterspells
If you can’t beat them, join them. Spell Pierce and Dispel are the cheapest options, and have applications outside of protecting the combo.
Theoretical Options
Determined (Bound/Determined)
+Draws a card
Who would’ve thought that one answer to counterspells was to make your spells uncounterable? Mindbreak Trap (again) doesn’t counter, so it sneaks past this.
It is also one way you can beat Chalice of the Void at 1.
Redirect
+Good vs Surgical Extraction
This spell causes any counterspell to fizzle. Change the target of the counterspell to Redirect. Redirect will resolve first, causing the counterspell to lose its target and fizzle.
Additionally, Redirect is just good at turning game-ending spells back at your opponent, or gaining value by redirecting burn at your opponent's creatures.
+Versatile
-High casting cost
Cryptic Command does anything for you as long as you can cough up 1UUU. Pre-combo, you might need something cheaper than that to clear out hatebears and such.
Leyline of Sanctity
+Castable for free
A powerful card against a wide variety of decks, including Jund. Leyline of Sanctity stops your opponent from using discard, Tormod's Crypt/Nihil Spellbomb, Rakdos/Jund Charm, and Slaughter Games to disrupt your combo. Additionally, it protects you from burn spells (including Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and Grapeshot), giving you more time to assemble the combo.
Grafdigger's Cage
+Is an artifact
A versatile hate card against tutors (Birthing Pod, Chord of Calling) and graveyards (Snapcaster Mage, Raven's Crime).
Note that it does not do anything against Living End or other Eggs decks.
Nihil Spellbomb
+Is an artifact
+Draws a card
Similar to Tormod's Crypt. For the low price of 1 extra mana in its casting cost, it gains card-drawing utility.
You can draw a card if you sacrifice it to Reshape.
Pithing Needle
+Is an artifact
It stops activated abilities, ranging from Relic of Progenitus to Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker to Cranial Plating.
Leave no Trace/Tempest of Light
Stony Silence and Rest in Peace are problematic cards for this deck. You cannot win unless they are removed. Leave no Trace/Tempest of Light can destroy both of them if they are on the field at the same time, something which Echoing Truth is unable to do.
These cards are also very good against the Auras deck.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Core
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Scalding Tarn/Misty Rainforest
1 Hallowed Fountain
7 Island
1 Plains
4 Lotus Bloom
4 Reshape
4 Second Sunrise
4 Faith’s Reward
4 Conjurer’s Bauble
4 Chromatic Star
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Elsewhere Flask
4 Serum Visions
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 wincon
5 free slots (usually 2 anti-counterspells)
Do not skimp on Sunrises or Eggs. Elsewhere Flask may be overcosted, but you will need the redundancy. Max out on Sunrises before you even think of adding Noxious Revival – you would much rather draw a Sunrise than draw a Revival, pay 2 life and spend a draw effect to get a Sunrise from your graveyard.
You only need 1 wincon because you’d draw your entire library anyway. Play 2 postboard if you’re afraid of one getting exiled.
The 5 free slots and Gitaxian Probe should be the first things you remove when sideboarding. Removing counterspell hate against decks without counterspells is a no-brainer.
Cantrips
By far the most popular (and successful) version of Eggs. You fill out the 5 free slots with 3 cantrips and 2 anti-counterspell cards.
+3 Sleight of Hand
+2 Silence/Twincast
KCI
This version plays a bunch of artifacts. It has great synergy with Reshape.
-1 Misty Rainforest
+1 Darksteel Citadel
+2 Krark-Clan Ironworks
+1 Ichor Wellspring
+1 Mox Opal
+1 Defense Grid
Wargate
This version splashes green to play Wargate, to solve mana issues.
-1 Island
+1 Breeding Pool
+1 Sleight of Hand
+2 Wargate
+2 Silence
3 Echoing Truth
2 Silence
1 Pithing Needle
1 Alternative wincon
5 free slots
This is standard for all Eggs sideboards. Leyline is for the black-red decks that pack discard, burn and Slaughter Games. Echoing Truth clears out troublesome permanents. Silence is your defence against decks with counterspells; playing two in the maindeck frees up sideboard space. Pithing Needle beats Relic of Progenitus.
Most people play 4 Echoing Truth, but you can play Wipe Away or AEther Spellbomb over the fourth.
The remaining sideboard slots are usually roadblocks for particular opponents – Grafdigger’s Cage against Pod or Tempest of Light against Auras for example.
Maximizing Card/Mana Generation
a) Casting Spells
1) Second Sunrise: 1WW. Lotus Bloom can generate WWW. KCI + 2 Chromatic eggs (or Terrarion) + any artifact generates 2WW.
2) Faith’s Reward: 3W. Lotus Bloom + Ghost Quarter can make UWWW, and both cards return after Faith’s Reward. KCI + 1 Chromatic egg + any artifact generates 3W.
3) Noxious Revival: G or 2 life, and a card-drawing effect. Elsewhere Flask must be in your hand, not the battlefield, because it does not draw cards when sacrificed.
4) Reshape: UU and an artifact. See the “Sacrifice Priority” section under “Reshape” for more details.
5) KCI: 4 mana. Due to this card’s high mana cost and inability to generate colored mana, it’s a good idea to float white mana or avoid sacrificing Chromatic eggs before casting it, so that you can cast Sunrise later.
6) Chromatic eggs (and Terrarion): 1 (or 2) mana. Try to use colorless mana from KCI/Darksteel Citadel. Avoid cracking Lotus Bloom unless necessary.
Tier 1:
Ghost Quarter, fetchlands – Cracking these first decreases the number of lands you have in your library. This increases both your chance of drawing eggs, and decreases the chance of drawing lands (to your hand, where they cannot be fetched).
The exceptions to this rule are when you want to Bauble and shuffle (see below), and when you have no more basic lands in your library.
Target basic lands with Ghost Quarter – Hallowed Fountain eats 2 life if it comes back untapped, and Darksteel Citadel does not get destroyed (i.e. it stays tapped post-Sunrise).
Tier 2:
Chromatic Sphere
Conjurer’s Bauble
Tier 3:
Terrarion
Chromatic Star
Tier 4:
Any Spellbomb – If you have excess mana, you can keep it until you need to cast another egg. If you have a surplus of mana but not enough cards in hand, go ahead and crack this.
Tier 5:
Elsewhere Flask – This only generates advantage when it enters the battlefield, not when it is sacrificed. Crack this only after you have cracked all your Ghost Quarters, and you have no more Reshapes to cast or KCIs to feed.
Lotus Bloom – It can generate both UU for Reshape and WW for Sunrise. Keeping it around in case you draw Reshape can net you 1 extra mana before you cast Sunrise.
Krark-Clan Ironworks – It goes without saying that you should sacrifice your mana-generating engine to itself only when you run out of artifacts to feed it.
Also, if you have no Lotus Blooms, keep as many Chromatic eggs as necessary to generate white mana for Sunrise.
Rules for whether you should Bauble and shuffle or not:
1) If your library only has 0 or 1 Noxious Revival in it, Bauble and shuffle. Ignore all other rules. This rule is mostly deck-dependent, not gameplay dependent.
2) If you have a Sunrise in hand, or two Sunrises in the graveyard, Bauble and shuffle immediately.
3) If you have a Revival in hand and one Sunrise in the graveyard, wait until the last possible moment to return it to your hand. You still have a chance of drawing a Sunrise normally.
Set aside one 1-mana egg and one green mana (if necessary). Start cracking eggs. When you draw a Sunrise, Bauble and shuffle. If you do not draw any Sunrises after cracking all your other eggs, cast Revival returning Sunrise to the top of your library, then crack the egg and draw it.
4) If you have no Revivals/Sunrises in hand and one Sunrise in the graveyard, do not Bauble and shuffle.
a) Sacrifice Priority
Darksteel Citadel
Mox Opal
Ichor Wellspring
Terrarion (tapped)
Tier 2: Sacrificing these cards to themselves requires a net input of mana, which is more trouble than sacrificing them to Reshape.
Any Spellbomb
Tier 3: These neutralize Reshape’s sacrifice drawback. You’ll get the same advantage if you were to sacrifice them to themselves rather than Reshape.
Elsewhere Flask
Chromatic Star
Terrarion (untapped)
Tier 4: Sacrifice these only if you have no other choice.
Conjurer’s Bauble
Chromatic Sphere
Krark-Clan Ironworks
You should never have to Reshape a Bloom. You can just crack the Bloom for mana, instead of Reshaping Bloom for Bloom.
This list holds for KCI as well.
What you get with Reshape depends on your board state. If you have plenty of eggs on the battlefield or in hand, Reshape into a Bloom. If you have plenty of mana, Reshape into an egg.
Generally, you want to Reshape into Bloom first, because Reshaping for Bloom uses up 2 mana while Bloom cracks for 3 mana, and you can use Bloom to cast eggs that you draw. Once you have a stable mana generating engine (2 Blooms, or 1 Bloom and 1 KCI), you can start Reshaping for eggs.
If you have KCI on the battlefield, Reshaping into an egg that draws when it is put into your graveyard (Ichor Wellspring, Terarrion, Chromatic Star) is the best play. Cracking the egg with KCI refunds most of the mana you spent Reshaping for it.
If you do not have KCI on the battlefield, Conjurer’s Bauble is the best egg to tutor. Crack it immediately and shuffle Reshape or Sunrise into your library.
Reshape can tutor outs like Pithing Needle and Defense Grid.
Tutoring for KCI is very rare because tutoring for Bloom gets you enough mana most of the time. It’s still an option.
Tutoring for Mox Opal or Darksteel Citadel when you have KCI on the battlefield generates the same amount of mana as tutoring for Bloom. Most of the mana is colorless, though. Remember this in case a put into graveyard trigger (see below) makes you draw your last Lotus Bloom.
If you have two Reshapes in hand and enough mana to cast both, but insufficient sacrifice fodder, use the first Reshape to tutor Mox Opal or Darksteel Citadel (or an egg, but note that you must pay 1 extra), and the second Reshape on your first tutor target.
In short, make sure you have no other spells on the stack when you cast Silence. Note that having a Lotus Bloom come off suspend requires it to be cast. If you intend to Silence on that turn, do it before casting the Bloom from exile. Here's how you do it:
On your upkeep, announce that you are triggering the "remove time counter" ability of suspend. Hold priority.
In response to that trigger, cast Silence.
Allow Silence and the trigger to resolve.
Announce that you are triggering the "When the last time counter is removed..." ability of suspend.
Cast the suspended card.
When you bring everything back after a Sunrise, if you have any Elsewhere Flask triggers to resolve, Bauble and shuffle before resolving them. Your shuffle effects are tied to tutoring lands, so this reduces the chances of drawing them.
Baubling & shuffling can be used to put Reshape back into your library. Whether you should or not depends on what you need from your library, and whether you have an artifact to sacrifice to Reshape. As a general rule, if your library has any Lotus Blooms in them, Bauble and shuffle Reshape back in. Once all Blooms are either in your hand or the battlefield, you should have enough eggs on the battlefield and enough mana to cast more, and thus no more need for Reshape.
Another trick with Bauble allows you to generate mana even if you have no Lotuses remaining in your library. Crack a Lotus for UUU, then Bauble it to the bottom of your library. Cast Reshape to put the Lotus back on the battlefield. Overall, you make a net gain of 1 blue mana. This trick also works with two Ghost Quarters.
Example:
Lotus Bloom, Chromatic Star, Conjurer’s Bauble on battlefield, Second Sunrise in hand.
The correct play is to sac the Bauble first, drawing a card. If that card turns out to be Reshape, you can crack Bloom and Star to Reshape for another Bloom.
If you sacrificed the Bloom for WWW first, then drew the Reshape, you would not be able to cast it.
If you need to crack Bloom early, keep UU floating in your mana pool until the last moment.
Example:
Lotus Bloom, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere on the battlefield, Second Sunrise in hand.
Here you must crack Lotus Bloom in order to generate mana to crack your eggs. The correct play is to crack it for UUU, then crack Sphere generating WUU. If Reshape is not drawn, crack Star for WWU and cast Sunrise.
If you were to generate WWW instead, you would be unable to cast Reshape if you drew it off Sphere.
Sleight of Hand is the best at finding a turn 1 Bloom, since it digs 2 cards deep. Serum Visions only draws the top card, although you can cast a Gitaxian Probe from life if you find a Bloom within the 2 scryed cards.
If you’re desperately digging for a particular card, cast Serum Visions first, then Sleight of Hand. This lets you choose from the top 5 cards. If you cast Visions first then Sleight, you only get to see 3 cards.
Counterspells
a) Soft Counters (Spell Pierce, Mana Leak, Remand)
Generating enough mana will deal with soft counters. If your opponent has one mana up, 2 mana will pay for his Spell Pierce. If your opponent has 2 mana up, 3 mana will pay for his Mana Leak, or let you recast Sunrise after he Remands it. 4 mana will be needed if he has two Spell Pierces, or if he Remands your Faith’s Reward.
b) Hard Counters (Mindbreak Trap, Dispel, Spellstutter Sprite)
Against hard counters, you need two Sunrises. One of them will eat a counterspell, letting the other resolve normally. Noxious Revival or Twincast can stand in for the second.
Spell Snare hard-counters Reshape if it’s casted for 0. Paying 1 extra mana, even if searching for Lotus Bloom, gets around this.
If your opponent has Mindbreak Trap, the correct play for him is to use the Trap on your wincon, not on your Sunrises. If he knows this, you can only beat it if you have Silence, a counterspell, or two wincons.
These are problematic if they get your Sunrises. Cantrips and 2-mana eggs help you draw into a second Sunrise. Noxious Revival neutralizes them. Leyline of Sanctity can be dropped before your opponent can even generate 1 black mana, making it a potent defense.
Faith’s Reward dodges Inquisition of Kozilek.
a) Relic of Progenitus
Doubling up on Sunrises is the most straightforward way to beat Relic of Progenitus.
Bounce spells beat it handily, as your opponent is forced to either have the Relic bounced or exiled, and it will not return if you cast Second Sunrise.
Remember that you get to choose what to exile with the tap ability.
b) Tormod’s Crypt, Nihil Spellbomb
Double up on Sunrises. If possible, cast Faith’s Reward second as it will give you an extra round of egg-cracking.
Stack diagram:
Second Sunrise
Tormod’s Crypt in response
Faith’s Reward in response
Reward resolves first, returning all your eggs.
Crypt resolves, exiling Reward.
At this point, crack all your eggs.
Sunrise resolves, returning all your eggs and Crypt.
If you were to cast Sunrise second, it would return Crypt when it resolved. Your opponent can crack Crypt if you tried to sacrifice all your eggs again.
Bouncing them on your opponent’s turn leaves you free to combo off on your turn.
Wipe Away prevents your opponent from sacrificing them in response. You can even use it on your turn.
c) Rakdos Charm, Jund Charm, Ravenous Trap
Doubling Sunrises beats them. These are instants and not permanents like the grave hate mentioned earlier, so you need Silence/Dispel instead of bounce if you can’t double.
Leyline of Sanctity stops them.
d) Leyline of the Void, Wheel of Sun and Moon, Samurai of the Pale Curtain, Rest in Peace
The only way to beat these is to bounce them. These are pretty rare though.
Surgical Extraction can be beaten by moving the targeted card to another zone. Conjurer’s Bauble and Noxious Revival work. If the targeted card is an artifact, doubling up on Sunrise also works.
Getting extracted is not always the end of the game. This deck has enough redundancy to combo off. Second Sunrise and Faith’s Reward serve the same function, Lotus Bloom and Krark-Clan Ironworks both generate mana, and losing four eggs still leaves you with 12+ more.
Getting Conjurer’s Bauble extracted makes you unable to perform the infinite loop. If your win condition is Pyrite Spellbomb, for example, you can only deal damage as many times as you have Sunrises left. Changing your wincon gets around this.
If your wincon gets extracted, you can scoop if you don't have another wincon. Against Slaughter Games, one strategy is to play an alternative wincon in your sideboard, so that you can switch wincons or play two to throw off your opponent.
These let you cast only one spell per turn.
Bounce them. Second Sunrise and Faith’s Reward are both instants, so you can cast one on both your and your opponent’s turn to draw into bounce.
Canonist is a bit easier to deal with because you still can cast eggs, and it can be killed by burn.
Root Maze and Blind Obedience cause your eggs to enter the battlefield tapped. Their effects are much like Rule of Law's, slightly stronger, because you cannot crack eggs on your opponent's turn.
These increase the amount of mana needed to cast your spells.
Bounce them. Spamming Sunrises is more effective than spamming eggs, as paying 1 for one more Sunrise is cheaper than paying 1 for each extra egg you want to cast. Once you get KCI out you should be rich enough to pay taxes, so to speak.
Etherium Sculptor neutralizes their effects (other than Trinisphere, but that is not commonly played).
These shut down Reshape, Ghost Quarter, and other tutor effects.
Bounce the permanents or burn them. You can also pay 2 to stop Leonin Arbiter’s effect.
If the effect affects your opponent too, you can attempt to Ghost Quarter lock them.
These prevent you from targeting your opponent.
This is the weakest form of hate. They do nothing to stop you from drawing your library and generating infinite mana.
You beat them if you have a single bounce spell in your library, or if your wincon doesn’t target.
These prevent you from casting specific cards.
They function much like targeted grave hate, although they do not thin your deck. If they call Second Sunrise, you have Faith's Reward to lean back on and vice versa. If they call Lotus Bloom, you can Reshape for it. If they call your wincon, you can simply draw your entire library and bounce them.
Another weak form of hate, because:
a) You can crack eggs in response
b) Sunrise returns destroyed eggs
c) Ichor Wellspring loves being destroyed
An early Kataki will put you through your paces. Crack any eggs you have at the time. Cast all your eggs the turn before Lotus Bloom comes off suspend. When your upkeep comes round, crack everything including Bloom and cast Sunrise. When your eggs come back, the beginning of upkeep would have passed. Continue to your main phase and combo off as normal.
Remember to keep mana open for Star/Sphere if you suspect artifact removal.
Note that you can crack Blooms, Stars and Spheres in response to Krosan Grip, as their abilities are mana abilities. You can still draw for Star, as split second does not stop triggered abilities.
Bloom, Star and Sphere have mana abilities, so you are not completely dead. You probably won’t be able to draw your entire library, but drawing into a bounce spell is the next best thing.
Against Stony Silence, you must bounce it, or you will lose.
X = 0 stops suspended Blooms and Mox Opal. You can still Reshape for Bloom.
X = 1 stops Bauble, the Chromatic eggs and Noxious Revival. This is the hardest to get past, and even a sideboarded Repeal, normally the best card against 0 or X costing permanents, will get countered. If you do get to use Reshape, tutor for 1-mana eggs in order to reduce the number of dead draws you will have.
X = 2 stops Flask, Wellspring, and Reshape. You can still count on your 1-mana eggs for draw and wait for Blooms to come off suspend.
Your opponent will probably not be able to cast Chalice for X > 2, and the amount of stuff a 3- or 4-Chalice would stop is minimal.
Determined (Bound/Determined) is a hard counter for Chalice.
Maralen of the Mornsong
Tutor up your bounce and be done with it.
Dryad Militant
This card has a very minor impact on the functioning of your deck. It reduces the effectiveness of your Baubles and Revivals. You should be able to draw into an answer for it eventually – very often, you spend maybe 2-3 Sunrises getting enough eggs onto the battlefield, and at that point, you have enough eggs and Sunrises in hand to draw your entire library (which contains at least 1 bounce spell/non-looping wincon, and 1 Sunrise).
Note that if you burn it, the burn spell is exiled. Be careful with Grapeshot!
Deathrite Shaman
The only things of value it can exile are Sunrises and Ghost Quarters, and it can only remove one per turn. Pay attention to Ghost Quarter, as it’s part of your mana generation engine.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Italicized denotes sideboarded cards.
Favorable
You are faster than all of these decks, and they do not have a lot of disruption against you.
Cards against you: Thoughtseize, Inquisition of Kozilek, Liliana of the Veil, Rakdos/Jund Charm, Ancient Grudge, Slaughter Games, Stony Silence
Cards against them: Leyline of Sanctity
Kiki Pod
Cards against you: Ethersworn Canonist, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Aven Mindcensor, Qasali Pridemage, Harmonic Sliver, Kataki, War's Wage, Rest in Peace
Cards against them: Grafdigger's Cage, Echoing Truth, Blind Obedience
RG Tron
Cards against you: Relic of Progenitus, Thorn of Amethyst, Ancient Grudge, Nature's Claim, Vandalblast
Cards against them: Ghost Quarter, Pithing Needle
Scapeshift
Cards against you: Remand, Izzet Charm, Cryptic Command, Spell Pierce, Dispel, Negate, Ancient Grudge
Cards against them: Silence
These decks are races, with minimal disruption from either side.
Cards against you: Silence, Nihil Spellbomb, Pithing Needle, Blind Obedience
Cards against them: Silence, Nihil Spellbomb, Pithing Needle, Blind Obedience
Affinity
Cards against you: Ethersworn Canonist, Spell Pierce, Unified Will, Relic of Progenitus
Cards against them: Pithing Needle
Auras
Cards against you: Rest in Peace, Stony Silence, Nature's Claim
Cards against them: Tempest of Light, Leave no Trace
Twin
Cards against you: Dispel, Spell Pierce, Ancient Grudge, Duress
Cards against them: Spellskite, Pithing Needle, Echoing Truth, Blind Obedience
These decks either have a lot of disruption, or win faster than you.
Cards against you: Mana Leak, Remand, Izzet Charm, Aven Mindcensor, Vendilion Clique, Disenchant
Cards against them: Silence
UWR Control
Cards against you: Mana Leak, Spell Snare, Cryptic Command, Shadow of Doubt, Stony Silence, Vendilion Clique
Cards against them: Silence
Infect
Cards against you: Nature's Claim, Thoughtseize
Cards against them: Spellskite, Holy Day, Echoing Truth
Record: 9-1-0
Tournament Report
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Hallowed Fountain
7 Island
1 Plains
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Conjurer's Bauble
4 Elsewhere Flask
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
4 Lotus Bloom
4 Reshape
4 Second Sunrise
4 Faith's Reward
4 Serum Visions
3 Sleight of Hand
1 Gitaxian Probe
2 Silence
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Echoing Truth
2 Silence
2 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Grapeshot
1 Nihil Spellbomb
Nathan Holiday - GP San Diego Winner
Record: 12-1-2 with 3 byes
Tournament Report
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Hallowed Fountain
7 Island
1 Plains
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Conjurer's Bauble
4 Elsewhere Flask
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
4 Lotus Bloom
4 Reshape
4 Second Sunrise
4 Faith's Reward
4 Serum Visions
2 Sleight of Hand
2 Gitaxian Probe
2 Twincast
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Echoing Truth
2 Silence
1 Pithing Needle
1 Blind Obedience
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Rapid Hybridization
Sebastian Denno, Noah Long - PT:RTR
Record: 8-2-0, 8-1-1
4 Ghost Quarter
2 Scalding Tarn
5 Island
2 Plains
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Conjurer's Bauble
4 Elsewhere Flask
1 Banefire
4 Lotus Bloom
4 Reshape
4 Second Sunrise
4 Faith's Reward
4 Gitaxian Probe
2 Noxious Revival
2 Krark-Clan Ironworks
1 Ichor Wellspring
1 Mox Opal
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Echoing Truth
4 Silence
1 Pithing Needle
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Laboratory Maniac
Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa - GP Bilbao
Record: 10-4-1 with 3 byes
Tournament Report
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Breeding Pool
6 Island
1 Plains
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Conjurer's Bauble
4 Elsewhere Flask
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
4 Lotus Bloom
4 Reshape
4 Second Sunrise
4 Faith's Reward
4 Serum Visions
1 Sleight of Hand
1 Gitaxian Probe
2 Wargate
2 Silence
4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Echoing Truth
2 Silence
1 Seal of Primordium
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Pithing Needle
1 Tempest of Light
1 Spellskite
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Under "Dealing with permanents", I've started seeing a combination of Holy Day (Fog Infect/Affinity/Zoo/Bogle/etc.) and Pyroclasm (fry Infect/Affinity/Bogle/etc.) on MTGO. The Pyroclasm lists splash a single Steam Vents.
Stuck
Commander: Child of Alara BURGW, Adeliz, the Cinder Wind UR
Tiny Leaders: Gwafa, Hazid Profiteer UW
Regular Pauper: Stompy G, Mono-G Tron G, Infect G
UWRasputin DreamweaverUW
UWBSen TripletsUWB
It's in the "Dealing with Spells" section.
I think it deserves some mention, even if it may not perform as well.
OP Should note that Living End is probably the worst matchup for Eggs.
They maindeck Faerie Macabre which can beat out your Sunrises in a couple of ways by removing the cards you need to recur the combo.
Fortunately, Living End is pretty rogue.
Game 1 is rough for either deck depending on what each has in hand. Game 2 and 3 heavily favor Living End.
Also, why is Bitter Ordeal not listed as a wincon? It is off colour, but even if you mess up your combo, it will Gravestorm for a win.
My Modern decks:
B/R/G Living End G/R/B
G/R Tron R/G
U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U
R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
You can't counter Faerie Macabre's effect, but you can simply cast another Sunrise in response.
Bitter Ordeal is listed, look under "Deck Opponent" in Wincons.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
If they're combing off seemingly without protection (e.g. Silence), beware of Twincast. Counter all Sunrises (even Remand bites) and the rare Krark-Clan Ironworks, but don't expect to succeed all the time.
If they're short of mana to cast Second Sunrise if Reshape doesn't resolve, counter Reshape.
Countering Suspended Lotus Blooms might be a good call, too, but it's not quite as good as countering Sunrises because they could also have the Reshape.
If they've got the other Bloom out, countering Reshape is pointless.
Counter Second Sunrise and Faith's Reward whenever possible, regardless of the board state.
Is this close? Sorry if this seems dumb, but Eggs is a pretty tricky deck (for both players) and if I have a chance at disrupting is combo, I want to know exactly where in the combo stream I'm supposed to counter his key spell.
It is awkward. I play LE as my daily Modern driver. Like I said:
Game 1 can go either way, unless I have one of the four Macabres that I maindeck, then I just win.
Game 2 + 3, I mulligan to a Macabre. Often I can just cycle or have another Macabre in hand due to the generous cycling in the deck. By turn 2-3 I can cycle an average of 3-7 cards plus my draw.
My Modern decks:
B/R/G Living End G/R/B
G/R Tron R/G
U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U
R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
I run 3 laylines (white), 4 echoing truths, 2 pyroclaism, 1 bainfire, 2 graf diggers cage, 2 silence and 1 leave no trace. I would love to run 2 leave no traces but oh well, oh and pithing needle. so in short HELP............
Holiday (GP winner)
(Note: they played 2 Silence/2 Twincast maindeck)
There aren't many differences: just Rapid Hybridization for the second Needle and Blind Obedience for Grapeshot. Obedience is hate against Twin, Pod, Tron and Affinity, with the side-effect of being a wincon. Hybridization/Needle is a free slot; you can play tech cards like Leave no Trace in that spot. I'd play AEther Spellbomb over Rapid Hybridization though.
You need 4 Leylines. Getting one on turn 0 before Jund can cast discard is important.
I'm not a fan of Pyroclasm. Against aggro, the better plan is to board in bounce for their Seal of Fire/Relic of Progenitus or whatever and race them. Pyroclasm has its uses, but you only have 15 sideboard slots.
If you swap wincons, make sure they don't both lose to the same thing. Pyrite Spellbomb for Grapeshot works because you can win with Grapeshot even if they exile your Baubles. Banefire isn't as good as Grapeshot; storm triggers are as unbeatable by regular counterspells as uncounterability. The exception is if you're playing KCI and intend to keep KCI post-board.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
I think the one card that is good enough to place sideboard is Holy Day - protection against t3 infect kill and crazy nivmagus decks.
Wanted to make comments on two cards listed in the primer:
Abundant Growth - It would seem that this would have good synergy with Ghost Quarters/Fetchlands allowing you to recur during combo for free draws (and allowing fetchlands to produce mana if you don't have more lands/have drawn them/don't want to spend more life).
Ior Ruin Expedition - Does landfall work when the lands come into play at the same time as this? I would guess not. Either way, like with the abundant growth, if you've got ghost quarters or fetchlands, this will contribute free cards during the combo without mana input required.
Landfall works the same way as Valakut's trigger. You will get counters on the Expedition.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Right, totally agreed on Abundant Growth. In this case it would be an egg though not a cantrip. I see that it's less useful than them or other eggs, but I thought it was worth noting that in-combo it's a free card and synergizes with GQ/fetch.
Ah, I wasn't sure on the landfall. Thanks for the clarification, that makes Ior Ruin Expedition quite a bit better in here.
One more technical question that seems like it makes sense to me, but I want verification: Can I tap/sac Conjurer's Bauble, then respond to the ability with Second Sunrise, bring it back into play, THEN put SS on bottom of library and draw?
Unfortunately not. You must choose the target as the ability is put on the stack. The Second Sunrise only goes to your graveyard after it resolves.
You also can't cast Sunrise and sac Bauble in response, targeting Sunrise, because at the time of Bauble's activation, Sunrise is on the stack.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.