Bleak HorizonsXWB
Sorcery (MR)
Repeat the following process X times
For each opponent, Exile target creature they control. Return that card to the battlefield under their owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Until the beginning of your next turn, creatures your opponents control do not cause enter the battlefield abilities to trigger.
Inner Demons2BB
Enchantment (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, Target opponent gains control of it.
At the beginning of its controller's upkeep they lose 2 life and discard a card unless they sacrifice ~.
When ~ is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, return it to play transformed under its owners control.
"The whispers were a constant reminder that the darkness inside was far closer to the surface than we ever imagined.."
/////////////////////////// The Demon Inside Us
Legendary Creature - Demon
Flying, Trample
At the beginning of each opponents upkeep, they lose 3 life and discard a card at random.
"As the whispers grew louder, no one was safe from the torment...."
Jekash the Heart Thief3RB
Legendary Creature - Demon (MR)
Menace
Soultether (When ~ enters the battlefield, choose a creature an opponent controls.~ has protection from the creature it is tethered with and when that creature would leave the battlefield, exile it and put X +1/+1 counters on ~ where X equals the CMC of the creature exiled in this way.)
Remove all +1/+1 counters from ~: Soultether
"I hunger... for more...."
-Jekash the Heart Thief
4/6
Example -
I've had countless games playing a 2nd place UR control against BW $10 Zombies, and while I am drawing things like Supreme Will and Glimmer of Genius, they are pummeling away with Dread Wanderer, Festering Mummy and a whole bunch of other 2/2s like that BW one that drains..
Sure, I run the 2nd place deck EXACTLY as it was on the list and still just lose.Another Example..
I played GB snakes for months-I then took it to a Game day and lost every game.
You drew cards that didn't interact with the board state. Did you hold onto the supreme will to counter? Did you use it to dig for answers? What about the glimmer? Was this game 1? Post sideboard? Did you have sweltering suns or some other sweeper available? What about your target priority with cards like harnessed lightning, magma spray, etc?
Aggro starts are always a tough thing to deal with, especially if they get pressure in under your counters/removal. Puts you on the back foot. How you respond/luck of the draw comes into play heavily there. If you had no answers in hand, you dig for them. If you don't hit them.. well that's just the luck of the draw.
Mirroring what Ashrog says, there is a huge difference in copying a deck some professional player used to Top8 a tourney, and understanding how to play the deck.
How to muligan with the deck, what are the odds of drawing a particular card, and when to cast certain spells all come with playing the deck for more than a few rounds.
To be honest, luck plays a factor as well. If your opponent happens to have more removal than you have threats and can stick a threat you can't remove, you are facing an uphill battle as it is.
Best advice is to keep playing a deck you like, regardless of whether it is a top 8 contender and get to know it in and out. You will see much better results and once you have a deep understanding of that deck, you can make the adjustments you need for your particular meta.
I ran 5c Devoid with Karona,the False God at the helm. It was pretty fun. With the new deserts and such makes the mana base pretty solid, and though you said white is useless, Eldrazi Displacer would have words with you about that.
There are plenty of things you can do with it, lots of devoid/eldrazi support to be found, especially Altar of the Brood + scions/spawn
If you like U/R, why not look at someone like Melek, Izzet Paragon or The Locust God? Both stay in the wheelhouse you seem to like and provide some additional utility and fun things to play with, including more cost reducers for your spells in the form of Goblin Electromancer, more token producers in the form of Young Pyromancer and other fun spells that provide other benefits
This doesn't apply to any shuffling technique because
Yeah, we shouldn't attempt to randomize at all...
It doesn't apply to actual shuffling techniques because while it's possible to stack a deck it's significantly harder. If I'm piling it's trivial to make the deck end up close to how I want it. If I'm riffling/mashing it's significantly harder.
Just a question here but...
If you have a face down 60 card deck and you pile it into 6 piles of 10 and then reassemble and riffle them.. how exactly did you stack the deck?
Unless you are stating that the initial 60 cards stacked face down have been preassembled in a specific order, pre-pile? Is that what we are discussing? Because in that case, yes I can see a reason behind it being a method to cheat.
But does that mean piling is always going to be a deck stacking technique or only in the hands of someone that is intending to cheat from the get go? A lot of vagaries there I think.
If anything, I'm in favor of a "search in the top X cards" Aven Mindcensor effect if someone tutors (both land and any card tutors).
Personally, I don't have an issue with combo tutor decks. Most of the combos can be interrupted or dealt with. For example, in my meta, a player dominated one night with an artifact combo heavy deck. In response, I got home and subbed out about 4-5 cards in my more competitive decks to include cards like Naturalize. It's all about constantly changing your decks to combat what's getting played against you. That's what makes EDH fun for me, always thinking what cards I can add to 'battle' more with my opponents decks.
I see people complain about combo and refuse to adjust to that play style. A Tooth and Nail Mike/Trike combo can be stopped by a simple creature kill Terminate on Mikaeus, the unhallowed as triskelion is in the grave with undying on the stack.
A simple creature kill spell.. that has to be in hand at time of cast. That has to able to be played... ( Hello Dosan of the Falling Leaf, City Of Solitude, Contamination, Hall of Gemstones, etc)
You are absolutely right, you CAN interrupt most combos. If you have the card in hand, not if you pack them in your 99+1. That is where tutors break the mold. Because you no longer need to hope to draw xx cards when you can simple search for them. Everything is checks and balances, but it still hinges on having the appropriate answers in hand or at least have ways to get them.
Also, adapting to the meta only works if you have a stable meta when you know Player A only plays this general and Player B only plays that one. On and on, etc. Everyone should have, in my opinion, a good suite of answer cards in their decks, sure, but again... singleton format, need to draw into them.
I think that this is a really bad idea. You're going to push away any and all combo players. If they banned tutors at my LGS I probably would never go back to be honest. Just why?
That may very well be the point. Lots of people strongly dislike combo decks or super linear strats. I would honestly love this sort of environment. Make it about synergy and redundancy with actual deck building skill. Not how many tutors can I cram in to search out my combo.
Just because you use a lot of tutors does not mean that a combo takes any less skill. You still have to work out how and when to pull it off and how to protect it. The other factor is how competitive a meta you are talking about. If it is a super casual meta than maybe yes ban tutors, but if you want competitive players to play the game don't ban tutors simple as that. Just because a lot of people strongly dislike combo doesn't mean it shouldn't exist in the format. Linear strategies can often be the toughest to pull off every game as well if your opponents know what you are up to.
As far as knowing if and when to "combo off"? Apparently you have never been on the receiving end of Tooth and Nail entwined into Black Mikaeus and Trike... Black and Green... huh.. you can do that... 3rd-4th turn?
Duralech, the Voicegiver 10
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi Zealot (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, put one 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature token onto the battlefield for each color mana used to cast ~. They have "Sacrifice this creature: Add 1 to your mana pool."
Eldrazi creatures gain Annihilator 1.
Non-Eldrazi creatures get -1/-1.
When ~ attacks the first time each turn, other attacking Eldrazi creatures you control gain Annihilator 1.
5/6
IIW: A counter counter! (as in counts the number of counters in play for it's own abilities)
Illusion of Control 2UR
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant target creature an opponent controls.
4: Gain control of enchanted creature until the beginning of your next end step. Any player may play this ability once each turn.
Bleak Horizons XWB
Sorcery (MR)
Repeat the following process X times
For each opponent, Exile target creature they control. Return that card to the battlefield under their owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Until the beginning of your next turn, creatures your opponents control do not cause enter the battlefield abilities to trigger.
"For a time... it was silent..."
Inner Demons2BB
Enchantment (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, Target opponent gains control of it.
At the beginning of its controller's upkeep they lose 2 life and discard a card unless they sacrifice ~.
When ~ is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, return it to play transformed under its owners control.
"The whispers were a constant reminder that the darkness inside was far closer to the surface than we ever imagined.."
///////////////////////////
The Demon Inside Us
Legendary Creature - Demon
Flying, Trample
At the beginning of each opponents upkeep, they lose 3 life and discard a card at random.
"As the whispers grew louder, no one was safe from the torment...."
6/6
Mistweaver 1UW
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
~Can't be Blocked
Sacrifice Mistweaver: Creatures target player controls can't be blocked this turn.
1/3
Jekash the Heart Thief 3RB
Legendary Creature - Demon (MR)
Menace
Soultether (When ~ enters the battlefield, choose a creature an opponent controls.~ has protection from the creature it is tethered with and when that creature would leave the battlefield, exile it and put X +1/+1 counters on ~ where X equals the CMC of the creature exiled in this way.)
Remove all +1/+1 counters from ~: Soultether
"I hunger... for more...."
-Jekash the Heart Thief
4/6
Temporal Shelter
Land - Locus (Rare)
Stability ( Spells or abilities that would cause this permanent to leave play by means other than damage are countered.)
T: Add C to your mana pool.
3,T: Target nonland permanent you control gains Stability until your next turn.
You drew cards that didn't interact with the board state. Did you hold onto the supreme will to counter? Did you use it to dig for answers? What about the glimmer? Was this game 1? Post sideboard? Did you have sweltering suns or some other sweeper available? What about your target priority with cards like harnessed lightning, magma spray, etc?
Aggro starts are always a tough thing to deal with, especially if they get pressure in under your counters/removal. Puts you on the back foot. How you respond/luck of the draw comes into play heavily there. If you had no answers in hand, you dig for them. If you don't hit them.. well that's just the luck of the draw.
How to muligan with the deck, what are the odds of drawing a particular card, and when to cast certain spells all come with playing the deck for more than a few rounds.
To be honest, luck plays a factor as well. If your opponent happens to have more removal than you have threats and can stick a threat you can't remove, you are facing an uphill battle as it is.
Best advice is to keep playing a deck you like, regardless of whether it is a top 8 contender and get to know it in and out. You will see much better results and once you have a deep understanding of that deck, you can make the adjustments you need for your particular meta.
There are plenty of things you can do with it, lots of devoid/eldrazi support to be found, especially Altar of the Brood + scions/spawn
Keranos, God of Storms and Rowen in play and reveal Forest for your first draw on your turn.
Do you draw from both triggers or have to chose one of the two?
Just a question here but...
If you have a face down 60 card deck and you pile it into 6 piles of 10 and then reassemble and riffle them.. how exactly did you stack the deck?
Unless you are stating that the initial 60 cards stacked face down have been preassembled in a specific order, pre-pile? Is that what we are discussing? Because in that case, yes I can see a reason behind it being a method to cheat.
But does that mean piling is always going to be a deck stacking technique or only in the hands of someone that is intending to cheat from the get go? A lot of vagaries there I think.
A simple creature kill spell.. that has to be in hand at time of cast. That has to able to be played... ( Hello Dosan of the Falling Leaf, City Of Solitude, Contamination, Hall of Gemstones, etc)
You are absolutely right, you CAN interrupt most combos. If you have the card in hand, not if you pack them in your 99+1. That is where tutors break the mold. Because you no longer need to hope to draw xx cards when you can simple search for them. Everything is checks and balances, but it still hinges on having the appropriate answers in hand or at least have ways to get them.
Also, adapting to the meta only works if you have a stable meta when you know Player A only plays this general and Player B only plays that one. On and on, etc. Everyone should have, in my opinion, a good suite of answer cards in their decks, sure, but again... singleton format, need to draw into them.
As far as knowing if and when to "combo off"? Apparently you have never been on the receiving end of Tooth and Nail entwined into Black Mikaeus and Trike... Black and Green... huh.. you can do that... 3rd-4th turn?
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi Zealot (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, put one 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature token onto the battlefield for each color mana used to cast ~. They have "Sacrifice this creature: Add 1 to your mana pool."
Eldrazi creatures gain Annihilator 1.
Non-Eldrazi creatures get -1/-1.
When ~ attacks the first time each turn, other attacking Eldrazi creatures you control gain Annihilator 1.
5/6
IIW: A counter counter! (as in counts the number of counters in play for it's own abilities)