Telepathy is the sort of card that is perfect in a true prison list, with a ton of nevermores, halos, ixalan's binding, etc. Type cards. Basically instead of locking them out of winning through damage, you just lock them out of playing the game at all. I have thought about trying a telpathy list before, I think it would work best in an esper list with Zur, since he can tutor very fast.
I am not convinced that it is worth it to hurt your mana base and your life total so much just to cast a worse tutor for 1 less mana. Maybe it is worth it some games, but how many games do you lose because the mana base is worth? Maybe it is worth testing.
Why beseech the queen over Mastermind's Aquisition? Aquisition seems much better, as it also allows sideboard silver bullet shenanigans and you don't have to reveal. I definitely think a black splash is the way forward though. Discard out of the sideboard can win match ups that I think are unwinnable with just mono white.
What list do you run Red_Night? And do you run Lili last hope at all compared to Ashiok? I am trying to figure out which is better to run main right now, and it sounds like last hope isn't that good right now. Maybe if Abzan becomes big and lingering souls makes a comeback...
How is Sword of Light and Shadow vs the other swords? I have an opportunity to pick up an invention of one and thought it would be great as a 1-of in this deck.
Also, what is the plan vs control decks, like Grixis or Jeskai? Just power through them with BB, and hand hate away board wipes? I have a feeling 2-3 Collective Brutalities would be very strong in the main.
Haven't seen many new lists posted recently, but I checked the past year and all lists have now given up on river of tears. Is there a specific reason for this? I always kinda liked that card. Is it due to fatal push becoming more important?
What do people think about going down a land and going up a cryptic? Cryptic command is just so good, I don't know why we wouldn't run 3. Also, has anyone considered a torrential gearhulk? I know jeskai lists run it as a 1-of, and I think it can work as another finisher, flashing in a gearhulk and flashing back cryptic probably just wins the game on the spot.
I would rather add a Supreme Will. Supreme doesn't quite draw as many cards, but I think the versatility works better. I have had some success with it as a one-of in UW lists.
I haven't played against many decks with this list so I am not sure how it will preform, but after goldfishing quite a few hands it seems powerful if you can curve out. Thraben into Censor into Queller is quite powerful. However, I am not sure if I should change this list to be more pure spirit aggro/tempo, with a full suite of Metallic Mimics and Always Watchings, or if I should focus more on disruption and go up and Avacyn. I am kinda limited on budget, so getting Gideons and Heart of Kirans is out of the question.
Here are my thoughts on a few cards.
Nebelgast Herald. I honestly don't think this is that strong a card, and maybe I am wrong, but for the most part we are attacking in the air, so we don't have to worry about air blockers, and I think flashing him in pre combat to tap down a creature is a tempo loss, when we could be playing countermagic or just Spell Quellering. Is there a better line I am not seeing here?
Bygone Bishop. I am thinking about replacing the Always Watchings with this guy. The clue advantage you can generate would be incredible if he sticks, and more clues mean more answers in a grindy game.
Westvale Abbey. This card has saved me several games now. Thinking about going up to 2. Thoughts?
Archangel Avacyn. Thinking about going up to 3, since she is so good. I think 4 would be a little overkill.
My sideboard is wide open. Thinking about some combination of these.
Interesting list. Only 6 mine effects, but he substitutes a Jace for a Howling Mine. The big thing that I notice is the addition of storage lands, the addition of that many Walk the Aeons, and the big increase in counters in Remand in replacement for Exhaustion and only two Gigadrowse. The Thassa doesn't bother me as much, I think a one of is fine in the main, as it allows you to close out the win faster if you lay her down early as opposed to activating Part the Waterveil. The two Telling Time is interesting, but I have seen that in some other lists before so not too unusual. Would love to see some gameplay or commentary on this list, and what the thinking is in dropping the Exhaustions.
Xexen: if you are going to play all those faeries, wouldn't it be easier to just play a straight up UB faeries list? That would also allow you to get some more pure removal.
I think AV would work best in some sort of UW shell, where the deck is initially less focused on comboing and more on control until we can combo. I mean I think it is a good spell in mono U, but it might not be 100% in just a default list, maybe a list that is more built around AV.
Hey everyone, saw this deck a while ago and thought it looked fun, so now I am going to build it. I am pretty new to magic (came in at EMN) so I don't have many modern staples at all. If would start to build this deck, what could I pick up last? I am on quite a budget, one of the reasons this deck appealed to me. I assume I can drop the Snapcasters and Cryptics? This is the list I was planning on trying to pick up. If Cryptics are 'required' I might be able to go with them, the bounce would be very helpful against an 8rack and Lantern player at my store. No sideboard, would build that after the maindeck is finished unless you guys think there are some cheap, essential sideboard cards.
Been a while since I posted. I am back, decided to go to GW since Bant Humans is pointless without reflector mage, and my mana base was to poor. Let me know what you guys think about a list like this for Game Day, in a mostly unknown meta. Around 20 people show up to my store to play, mostly from other more competitive stores. I don't have a lot of experience with BG and the Saheeli lists, though I know at least one person will be on 4-color Saheeli. One person probably on a Panharmonicon gearhulk list. Any suggestions on sideboard tech for an unknown meta?
Explanation on a few choices:
I want to try Lone Rider, think it is very strong, and it should be easy to flip with 4 Heron's Grace Champions and Gisela, the Broken Blade. Ulvenwald Mysteries is a card I am quite fond of in control/sweeper matchups. When your creatures die, they give you ways to refill your hand, and when you refill your hand, you get human tokens, to chump block or come in and buff Thalia's Lieutenant. The 2 Sigarda, Heron's Grace are there as a finisher and a way to put a clock in the air. Turning off spot removal against your army is very strong as well. The Gisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading Light package is insane if it gets online, and while I haven't seen it done, I can imagine it basically eliminates the Saheeli decks. The only trouble would be surviving long enough to get there.
Only concerns I have is a potential lack of removal, especially instant speed to deal with Saheeli or Torrential Gearhulk. Should I remove a creatures to up the removal count? I could move the Giselas to the sideboard, and then side in the complete Brisela, Voice of Nightmares package in game 2, hope to surprise opponents.
Also, what is the plan vs control decks, like Grixis or Jeskai? Just power through them with BB, and hand hate away board wipes? I have a feeling 2-3 Collective Brutalities would be very strong in the main.
4x Mausoleum Wanderer
4x Thraben Inspector
4x Rattlechains
4x Selfless Spirit
4x Spell Queller
2x Archangel Avacyn
4x Censor
2x Commit // Memory
6 Removal
4x Declaration in Stone
2x Dusk // Dawn
2 Enchantments
2x Always Watching
6x Island
7x Plains
4x Prairie Stream
4x Port Town
2x Irrigated Farmland
1x Westvale Abbey
I haven't played against many decks with this list so I am not sure how it will preform, but after goldfishing quite a few hands it seems powerful if you can curve out. Thraben into Censor into Queller is quite powerful. However, I am not sure if I should change this list to be more pure spirit aggro/tempo, with a full suite of Metallic Mimics and Always Watchings, or if I should focus more on disruption and go up and Avacyn. I am kinda limited on budget, so getting Gideons and Heart of Kirans is out of the question.
Here are my thoughts on a few cards.
Nebelgast Herald. I honestly don't think this is that strong a card, and maybe I am wrong, but for the most part we are attacking in the air, so we don't have to worry about air blockers, and I think flashing him in pre combat to tap down a creature is a tempo loss, when we could be playing countermagic or just Spell Quellering. Is there a better line I am not seeing here?
Bygone Bishop. I am thinking about replacing the Always Watchings with this guy. The clue advantage you can generate would be incredible if he sticks, and more clues mean more answers in a grindy game.
Westvale Abbey. This card has saved me several games now. Thinking about going up to 2. Thoughts?
Archangel Avacyn. Thinking about going up to 3, since she is so good. I think 4 would be a little overkill.
My sideboard is wide open. Thinking about some combination of these.
1 Negate
1 Stasis Snare
1 Cast Out
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Fragmentize
1 Pull From Tomorrow
1 Jace, Unraveller of Secrets
1 Disallow
1 Immolating Glare
1 Essence Scatter
20x Island
1x Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1x Gemstone Caverns
1x Geier Reach Sanitarium
Time Pieces
4x Time Warp
4x Temporal Mastery
3x Part The Waterveil
4x Dictate of Kruphix
2x Howling Mines
Draw
4x Serum Visions
4x Remand
1x Jace Beleren
4x Gigadrowse
3x Exhaustion
1x Disallow
Creatures
3x Thing in the Ice
4 Canopy Vista
6 Forest
4 Fortified Village
9 Plains
1 Westvale Abbey
Enchantments
3 Always Watching
Removal
3 Stasis Snare
2 Declaration in Stone
4 Thraben Inspector
2 Lone Rider
4 Metallic Mimic
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Tireless Tracker
4 Heron's Grace Champion
2 Gisela, the Broken Blade
2 Sigarda, Heron's Grace
2 Authority of the Consuls
1 Bruna, the Fading Light
2 Fragmentize
1 Fumigate
2 Gryff's Boon
1 Linvala, the Preserver
2 Quarantine Field
2 Thalia's Lancers
2 Ulvenwald Mysteries
Been a while since I posted. I am back, decided to go to GW since Bant Humans is pointless without reflector mage, and my mana base was to poor. Let me know what you guys think about a list like this for Game Day, in a mostly unknown meta. Around 20 people show up to my store to play, mostly from other more competitive stores. I don't have a lot of experience with BG and the Saheeli lists, though I know at least one person will be on 4-color Saheeli. One person probably on a Panharmonicon gearhulk list. Any suggestions on sideboard tech for an unknown meta?
Explanation on a few choices:
I want to try Lone Rider, think it is very strong, and it should be easy to flip with 4 Heron's Grace Champions and Gisela, the Broken Blade. Ulvenwald Mysteries is a card I am quite fond of in control/sweeper matchups. When your creatures die, they give you ways to refill your hand, and when you refill your hand, you get human tokens, to chump block or come in and buff Thalia's Lieutenant. The 2 Sigarda, Heron's Grace are there as a finisher and a way to put a clock in the air. Turning off spot removal against your army is very strong as well. The Gisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading Light package is insane if it gets online, and while I haven't seen it done, I can imagine it basically eliminates the Saheeli decks. The only trouble would be surviving long enough to get there.
Only concerns I have is a potential lack of removal, especially instant speed to deal with Saheeli or Torrential Gearhulk. Should I remove a creatures to up the removal count? I could move the Giselas to the sideboard, and then side in the complete Brisela, Voice of Nightmares package in game 2, hope to surprise opponents.