With the Ixalan rotation the thread started by Schreckstoff will be the active URx thread and this one will be archived. It makes sense for discussion to occur there, so I am locking this thread. Thanks! - hoser2
This is a deck I've been testing to counter-act all of the Vehicle-Aggro and/or Smuggler's Copters decks at my LGS' FNM.
Through somewhat thorough testing, this deck has exceeded my expectations. Initially, it was made just to hate RW-Vehicles. I found that it performs superbly well against most aggro decks. It also is a great matchup against GB Delirium (I've had good success anyway). I haven't been able to test against the Aetherworks Reservoir decks, but I like my matchups after sideboarding.
Planeswalkers:
The idea is to just scry away, looking for the cards you need. Saheeli is really only needed for her +1 and -2 abilities. Though, if you can -7, there are cards to hit. Chandra is absolutely insane in this deck. Being able to shock or ramp every turn is not to be trifled with. And, for big fatties, you can minus Chandra as well as mix in a burn spell to take them down. If in G1 they don't take either walker seriously, you bet they will game 2.
Creatures:
Thriving Turtle might be the best 1 drop creature in the format - definitely for blue. It mucks up the ground with its 0/3 body, gives you 2 energy that can be used for a +1/+1 counter, scrying or Harnessed Lightning. It slows games down to a crawl (pun somewhat intended). Aether Theorist I like because it has the 1/3 body, 3 energy that works with Harnessed Lightning and most importanly, SCRYING. Being able to smooth out our draws is insanely important. The Gearhulks are pretty self explanatory. The curve on this deck is kinda weird, so I only have 1-of in the MD. Searchable off of Saheeli's ult, and their ETBs can be very powerful. And finally, Goblin Dark-Dwellers. It can hit all of the utility spells in the deck, as well as the burn. Remember that -2 on Saheeli on your Dark-Dwellers causes its ETB to trigger again.
Sorceries:
Draw Cards. Wipe the board. Don't be scared of discarding with Cathartic Reunion. Dark-Dwellers allows most spells to still be cast. And, Perpetual Timepiece is going to allow you to shuffle your yard back into your library. Cathartic Reunion is amazing.
Instants:
Burn baby, burn! Fiery Temper is best when madness'd off of Cathartic Reunion. I've used Cathartic Reunion to put a Galvanic Bombardment in the yard to save for bigger creatures for later. A couple Anticipates allows you to find some cards, too
Artifacts:
The, "get me out of jail free" card of the deck. It allows you to shuffle your graveyard into your deck. Also copyable off of Saheeli, so don't pitch it if you can copy it!
Sideboard:
Basically, this board is made for control style matchups, as well as Aetherworks Reservoir. Its a WIP, and I'm open to any ideas.
I've played this dozens of times, and while I think it's very good, its also very fun!
I had played for about 12 years when I quit back in 2009 (started in 1997).
I was at the Zendikar pre-release at my LGS. I was 3-1-1 or something. Win and in to Top8. I can't remember the board states, but I knew it was game 3 in the match. The entire match, the guy I was playing was just obnoxious. Telling me how good of a player he was, how many tournaments he'd been too (I found out later that he always performed poorly at the bigger tournaments) and worst of all he smelled HORRIFIC. By the time game 3 rolled around, I was starving, and was totally losing focus because of this guy I was playing.
He went to cast a spell, that if resolved, meant I would lose the game in a few turns. I looked at my hand and my untapped lands and said "sure", he passed the turn to me. BEFORE drawing, I realized I had a Cancel in my hand. I set Cancel aside face-down, drew my card and extended my hand. He immediately started talking crap about how good he and his deck was. I said "Sure. You didn't win, though. I lost" and flipped the Cancel over. I left after that, and heard from a friend that he didn't talk the rest of the night, and went 0-2 in his first match of Top8. I have since returned to the LGS and I don't think I've seen the guy since. I just came back this spring, so it has been almost 7 years.
As a player who started in 1997, quit in 2009 with the release of Zendikar and recently came back for Shadows Over Innistrad, this format idea really intrigues me. Unfortunately, I don't think it will go anywhere. But I'll definitely keep an eye on it, especially at my LGS. There aren't many modern players because of the cost barrier, and I won't build a modern deck for the same reason. So we'll see how it goes.
I've made a R/B madness deck, and I use x3 Mad Prophets in it. Some of my buddies really questioned that, but when we played them, they saw it was amazing for madness.
I know a similar deck has been popular around the pro scene over the last few weeks, but this is essentially what I've been running since the first week of SOI standard.
So, basically I can't afford Collected Company, but the idea of this deck is similar to the one the pros are playing with. Get your creatures out with Duskwatch Recruiter and Oath of Nissa. I did testing with Eldrazi Displacer, and I was reliably able to use it as kind of a combat trick with Thalia's Lieutenant or to get more value out of Reflector Mage.
This is a deck I've been testing to counter-act all of the Vehicle-Aggro and/or Smuggler's Copters decks at my LGS' FNM.
Through somewhat thorough testing, this deck has exceeded my expectations. Initially, it was made just to hate RW-Vehicles. I found that it performs superbly well against most aggro decks. It also is a great matchup against GB Delirium (I've had good success anyway). I haven't been able to test against the Aetherworks Reservoir decks, but I like my matchups after sideboarding.
2 Saheeli Rai
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Creatures
4 Goblin Dark-Dwellers
2 Aether Theorist
4 Thriving Turtle
1 Combustible Gearhulk
1 Torrential Gearhulk
Sorceries
2 Crush of Tentacles
4 Cathartic Reunion
2 Anticipate
4 Galvanic Bombardment
4 Harnessed Lightning
4 Fiery Temper
Artifacts
1 Perpetual Timepiece
Lands
4 Wandering Fumarole
4 Spirebluff Canal
7 Island
8 Mountain
2 Jori En, Ruin Diver
4 Ceremonious Rejection
3 Negate
1 Combustible Gearhulk
1 Torrential Gearhulk
2 Revolutionary Rebuff
2 Elder Deep-Fiend
Planeswalkers:
The idea is to just scry away, looking for the cards you need. Saheeli is really only needed for her +1 and -2 abilities. Though, if you can -7, there are cards to hit. Chandra is absolutely insane in this deck. Being able to shock or ramp every turn is not to be trifled with. And, for big fatties, you can minus Chandra as well as mix in a burn spell to take them down. If in G1 they don't take either walker seriously, you bet they will game 2.
Creatures:
Thriving Turtle might be the best 1 drop creature in the format - definitely for blue. It mucks up the ground with its 0/3 body, gives you 2 energy that can be used for a +1/+1 counter, scrying or Harnessed Lightning. It slows games down to a crawl (pun somewhat intended). Aether Theorist I like because it has the 1/3 body, 3 energy that works with Harnessed Lightning and most importanly, SCRYING. Being able to smooth out our draws is insanely important. The Gearhulks are pretty self explanatory. The curve on this deck is kinda weird, so I only have 1-of in the MD. Searchable off of Saheeli's ult, and their ETBs can be very powerful. And finally, Goblin Dark-Dwellers. It can hit all of the utility spells in the deck, as well as the burn. Remember that -2 on Saheeli on your Dark-Dwellers causes its ETB to trigger again.
Sorceries:
Draw Cards. Wipe the board. Don't be scared of discarding with Cathartic Reunion. Dark-Dwellers allows most spells to still be cast. And, Perpetual Timepiece is going to allow you to shuffle your yard back into your library. Cathartic Reunion is amazing.
Instants:
Burn baby, burn! Fiery Temper is best when madness'd off of Cathartic Reunion. I've used Cathartic Reunion to put a Galvanic Bombardment in the yard to save for bigger creatures for later. A couple Anticipates allows you to find some cards, too
Artifacts:
The, "get me out of jail free" card of the deck. It allows you to shuffle your graveyard into your deck. Also copyable off of Saheeli, so don't pitch it if you can copy it!
Sideboard:
Basically, this board is made for control style matchups, as well as Aetherworks Reservoir. Its a WIP, and I'm open to any ideas.
I've played this dozens of times, and while I think it's very good, its also very fun!
I was at the Zendikar pre-release at my LGS. I was 3-1-1 or something. Win and in to Top8. I can't remember the board states, but I knew it was game 3 in the match. The entire match, the guy I was playing was just obnoxious. Telling me how good of a player he was, how many tournaments he'd been too (I found out later that he always performed poorly at the bigger tournaments) and worst of all he smelled HORRIFIC. By the time game 3 rolled around, I was starving, and was totally losing focus because of this guy I was playing.
He went to cast a spell, that if resolved, meant I would lose the game in a few turns. I looked at my hand and my untapped lands and said "sure", he passed the turn to me. BEFORE drawing, I realized I had a Cancel in my hand. I set Cancel aside face-down, drew my card and extended my hand. He immediately started talking crap about how good he and his deck was. I said "Sure. You didn't win, though. I lost" and flipped the Cancel over. I left after that, and heard from a friend that he didn't talk the rest of the night, and went 0-2 in his first match of Top8. I have since returned to the LGS and I don't think I've seen the guy since. I just came back this spring, so it has been almost 7 years.
3 Westvale Abbey
4 Plains
3 Port Town
1 Island
4 Forest
4 Evolving Wilds
4 Fortified Village
Creatures (23)
4 Duskwatch Recruiter
2 Hanweir Militia Captain
4 Reflector Mage
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
3 Thraben Inspector
4 Tireless Tracker
2 Eldrazi Displacer
4 Oath of Nissa
2 Always Watching
Planeswalkers (2)
2 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
Instant (3)
1 Dromoka's Command
2 Negate
Sorcery (3)
3 Declaration in Stone
1 Dragonlord Dromoka
2 Negate
4 Spell Shrivel
3 Ojutai's Command
2 Clip Wings
3 Tragic Arrogance
So, basically I can't afford Collected Company, but the idea of this deck is similar to the one the pros are playing with. Get your creatures out with Duskwatch Recruiter and Oath of Nissa. I did testing with Eldrazi Displacer, and I was reliably able to use it as kind of a combat trick with Thalia's Lieutenant or to get more value out of Reflector Mage.
I've thought about dropping Always Watching in favor of maindecking another Negate and Dragonlord Dromoka. And, obviously somehow picking up a playset of Dromoka's Command would put me into some pretty shape.
Anyway, what do people think? I've had good luck with this, but it does need some tuning.