Judging from what we've seen so far, the stand out cards of Theros are large, expensive spells with little resilience to removal. This sounds perfect for the kind of player who really just wants to counter spells and kill things - the UB control player.
Goals of the deck: Right now we have only 32 actual cards spoiled from Theros, so my post is building largely off of RTR-M14. As the spoiler season progresses, these goals may change, and hopefully will be met.
1 - Have a variety of answers to any creatures. This is where I think UB excels right now. Between Far//Away, Warped Physique, and Doom Blade, it is difficult to think of a creature UB can't answer.
2 - Be firmly either Draw-go or tapout. A personal pet peeve of mine is control decks that can't decide whether they want to be passing their turns and holding up mana, or proactively answering threats. Right now, I think this is a place UB is in, but hopefully that is a fixable problem. The primary factor that would influence the deck towards draw-go is a high grade counterspell, but there are any number of conceivable instants that could do so. On the other hand, we are more likely to wind up as a tapout deck if the Black god is playable, or if strong UB enchantments are printed.
3 - Have a firm answer to Enchantments and (hopefully) Planeswalkers. As has long been a weakness for UB decks, non-creature permanents are tough to answer. Possible answers include: counterspells, discard, Ratchet Bomb, creatures (walkers only).
With those goals in mind, I'll take a look at some cards that could be good fits.
Far // Away - A very versatile answer. Often, it will just be a 3 mana edict, which, while not an excellent rate, is perfectly fine in many cases. Sometimes, can Unsummon something, which is fine and useful, just not something you would want to maindeck. Combined, the two halves work well together and at a good rate. Obviously a card we want to play, but it is fairly clunky so we may not want more than a few.
Warped Physique - This card is obviously powerful when you have a stocked hand, but it can be a poor topdeck late, and has potential to blow you out if the opponent can manipulate it to their advantage (yay for pumping our opponent's creatures, right?). Could be anywhere from a 2-3 of, to unplayed.
Doom Blade - Obviously a marquee piece of removal. It is possible, however, that we will not want to run a bunch of these. Black looks like a powerful color, and they are printing the indestructible god cycle. Still, it will often be very powerful, and I would definitely start with several of these.
Devour Flesh - A decent card, but probably not necessary with Far//Away around. Still, it could come in useful if we want to be removing primarily with edicts, or if we need a two mana edict.
Ultimate Price - In certain metas, could be powerful. I doubt it will be needed with Doom Blade around, but not unimaginable.
Thoughtseize - Obviously a very powerful card, that can deal with any threat... before they cast it, anyway. Most likely a four of.
Cancel - Not good, exactly, but it is there if you really want more counters. A lot of the need for Dissipate's exile clause is leaving with Innistrad anyway. I feel like a bad person for considering this card.
Dispel - We've seen it as a playable sideboard option this last year, and it may be again in the future.
Dimir Charm - This card feels one mode off of being playable, and I think we all know which mode that is. Its just a tad too situational most of the time, but I suspect that in the right meta it could be a decent choice.
Domestication - A good control magic effect is good, but this one doesn't quite get there, I think. In some sort of "small but impactful creatures" meta this could be good, but I don't think such a thing will exist.
Duress - Not nearly as good as Thoughtseize in almost all metas, but it is certainly a viable sideboard option, and maybe even main deckable in the right situation.
Encroaching Wastes - In case mana bases really suck, and Wasteland is still good on turn 5 if you have to tap out for it.
Essence Scatter - With Cavern of Souls gone, this card gets a lot better. Creatures are the future, and this may be a good choice if there are lots of annoying value creatures running around.
Mind Rot - Hey, ya never know. Control could be big.
Pithing Needle - Never the perfect answer, but so often you just need a Pithing Needle. Should be strong if we see planeswalkers as a major part of the metagame.
Psychic Strike - Probably better than Cancel, if only because it is easier to cast. It could be bad if there is a lot of graveyard synergy going around (ie, if Scavenging Ooze exists). We're probably not winning by mill now that Drownyard is gone.
Ratchet Bomb - This card looks to be UBs primary way of answering enchantments (and artifacts and walkers). It's not pretty, it's not efficient, but it gets the job done.
Reap Intellect - I mean, I suppose it is conceivable that there is a matchup where a card with this level of... brute force is useful.
Soul Ransom - Like Domestication, but with a different crippling drawback. If we wind up with lots of ways to bounce it (4 Disperse) it could be good... seems janky as all hell (and terrible, if I wasn't being explicit enough).
Syncopate - A solid counter, especially on the play.
What's better than Sphinx's Revelation? Nothing, but we have to try.
Divination Sweet and simple +1. Not very efficient, though.
Inspiration - Is 1 mana worth instant speed over Divination? Who cares, they're both pretty bad.
Jace, Architect of Thought - This card is likely to be a cornerstone of control in the new Standard. Very powerful CA tool that also can protect you, or win the game.
Opportunity - The closest to Revelation we're going to get, I would suggest playing a few of these in any non-white control deck.
Pilfered Plans - Another terrible Divination variant, but perhaps slightly less terrible than Divination? Or perhaps slightly more terrible.
Read the Bones - Does Scry 2 make Divination playable? Probably! Does lose 2 life make Divination + Scry 2 unplayable? Maybe, but I sort of don't think so. Good job, Read the Bones! I think.
Trading Post - Durdley as hell, and probably unplayable. Will convince a non-zero number of people to play cards like Thassa's Bident and Haunted Platemail in their decks.
Underworld Connections - Long a sideboard card, UWC has recently come to the forefront in the mutilate.dec that has taken MTGO by storm. Seems like a solid choice if you don't love Jace.
Blightcaster - I only mention this because Theros has an enchantment theme. It is very likely to be bad, but if we wind up playing huge numbers of Enchantments... well, it's a strong ability.
Crypt Ghast - Unlikely again, but in a heavy black deck (perhaps just a splash of Blue) this could be good.
Deathrite Shaman - Maybe if the new Theros land somehow winds up in the graveyard (probably it will be a land with a casting cost or some other bull****, Wizards has gone too long without making something that breaks the game).
Desecration Demon - This card is at its best in a removal heavy deck, which is what UB probably will be. Most likely not what we want, but its a possibility.
Lifebane Zombie - A very powerful card against the decks it is good against, but not so much against others. I worry that we won't have much to do with the 3/1 body, reducing its value in our deck as compared to others. Still, an obviously good card.
Liliana's Reaver - Could be an interesting card to bring in post board, after decks take out removal. Very strong, should it hit.
Nightveil Specter - An interesting card with a unique effect. Probably not a good card, but noteworthy. It does help devotion a lot, if that is something we end up caring about.
Notion Thief - Living the dream, one Sphinx's Revelation at a time.
Shadowborn Demon - This card seems so good, but it never quite works out. I doubt there is a version of UB with enough creatures to make this good.
Tidebinder Mage - Very similar to Lifebane Zombie, but slightly worse overall, although there will be times when this is better than the Zombie.
Woodlot Crawler - A possible sideboard option if something like mono green is real, though I doubt it will be wanted or needed. Lifebane and Tidebinder give us enough green hate.
This section is for cards that don't really do anything to stabilize/generate card advantage, just kill people.
Abhorrent Overlord - I thought it was good, then I noticed the sacrifice a creature part. Still... um. Yeah.
Aetherling - The one, the only, the completely unkillable, ends the game quick, has absolutely no board impact in the slightest and requires infinite mana to use, it's Aetherling! If you're not playing any other win-cons, Aetherling is probably where you want to be, since it is almost impossible to get rid of if you don't suck/die immediately after playing it.
Haunted Plate Mail - Like Aetherling, except more killable, less stabilizey, and slower! People seem to like it, though, so I'm listing it anyway.
Jace, Memory Adept - Another possibility. It can be a little slow, but it also generates card advantage, and ignores lifegain. More killable than Aetherling, but still pretty unkillable.
Rise of the Dark Realms - In case you are somehow a Timmy/Johnny type of guy who likes UB control, and losing.
Dimir Charm is probably the weakest card in the MB, but it's very good against RDW, RG aggro, and other weenie strats + ramp decks. (Also works as a counter to things like RR, Dreadbore, etc.).
This is absolutely my favorite deck to play, I successfully played it after the Stoneforge/Jace bannings, and right after M14's return of Doom Blade, and I think with the loss of Snapcaster Mage and the reprinting of Thoughtseize, we can form a very similar shell to what was good right after the stoneforge ban, that had Inquisition of Kozilek and Jace's Ingenuity, as well as CREEPING TAR PIT.
For an unknown meta and with 197 cards unknown at the time of posting, this is the deck skeleton I will begin working with and tweaking as we discover the rest of the set.
Dimir Charm is probably the weakest card in the MB, but it's very good against RDW, RG aggro, and other weenie strats + ramp decks. (Also works as a counter to things like RR, Dreadbore, etc.).
Now, I'll admit my lists weren't ideal, but I don't exactly think yours are, either. Thassa is basically useless in your deck - it just is "at the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1". It can only achieve the Devotion level if you have it, Aetherling, and Jace out at the same time, which seems very win more. And then we have the obvious problem of those Revelations you put in being completely uncastable with 4 white sources, but I'll just assume you meant Opportunity.
Now, I'll admit my lists weren't ideal, but I don't exactly think yours are, either. Thassa is basically useless in your deck - it just is "at the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1". It can only achieve the Devotion level if you have it, Aetherling, and Jace out at the same time, which seems very win more. And then we have the obvious problem of those Revelations you put in being completely uncastable with 4 white sources, but I'll just assume you meant Opportunity.
I agree that the way he built that list is subpar for Thassa, but having "Scry 1 on your upkeep" every turn in a control deck is pretty big.
I do think that a good blue control deck will run her post rotation. Let's see what else gets spoiled.
Now, I'll admit my lists weren't ideal, but I don't exactly think yours are, either. Thassa is basically useless in your deck - it just is "at the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1". It can only achieve the Devotion level if you have it, Aetherling, and Jace out at the same time, which seems very win more. And then we have the obvious problem of those Revelations you put in being completely uncastable with 4 white sources, but I'll just assume you meant Opportunity.
Useless, and *just* scry 1 every upkeep...I don't think you understand how extremely powerful that effect is tacked onto an indestructible enchantment. Monster of a card.
As far as the Revelations go, I don't plan on casting them until later, when I can put them to the most use. With Thassa, I'll be able to churn through my deck quicker and find the cards I need. If SR shows to be a bit too unreliable, I'll swap them for Opportunity. I think 4 is fine, but needs some testing, to be able to cast it reliably turn 8+.
What might be more reasonable though, is to have some Prophetic Prism to get you the white mana, but at that point, you're probably just better with UB.
What might be more reasonable though, is to have some Prophetic Prism to get you the white mana, but at that point, you're probably just better with UB.
I'm hoping Theros gives us a cheap cantrip with scry. That will allow us to dig through our deck much faster, meaning the 4 of W shocks to run SR will be more consistent and making cards like Prism unneeded. At worst, if SR is too cumbersome, Opportunity is a decent replacement. Hopefully then black gets something that can gain a 'lil life. (Corrupt is too expensive and a Sorcery...if it was an Instant, I'd be much more tempted to play it).
PS: I guess Dimir Charm can dig for us in a pinch if we need it to.
What might be more reasonable though, is to have some Prophetic Prism to get you the white mana, but at that point, you're probably just better with UB.
I feel like Read the Bones is powerful enough to play in UB. Not the best card for draw go, but any deck that taps out will absolutely love this.
It would be an auto-include in these lists if not for the shock effect. Having not only 4 Thoughtseizes, up to 8 shocks, and then some of these? That's a lot of lost life in a color-scheme that doesn't get much lifegain. Not sure the benefit of the card outweigh the shock.
Splashing white is very unnecessary. Opportunity isn't as good, but it is a perfectly viable replacement and we definitely don't want to be weak to Burning Earth like that.
Also, regarding Thassa.
Scry 1 is not enough reason to play a 3 mana enchantment. It is a simple -1 in exchange for card selection, or an incredibly win more creature that can only activate in most lists when you already have several creatures down.
I really like Read the Bones, but that is a lot of shocking oneself for a deck that doesn't have any life gain (not even Tribute to Hunger post-rotation :() Gonna have to playtest with it.
Is it just me or is Curse of the Swine ridikilus? Especially if you have a way to deal with the 2/2s, like Illness in the Ranks (although including that solely to make Curse of the Swine better is pretty janky)
i wanted to ask if UB has any card that can deal with resolved Planeswalkers?
Greetz
Pithing needle is my favorite general answer to a lot ofpermanents like planeswalkers and lands. Its like a colorless O-ring for things that UB cant answer. It is to weak to abrupt decay and putrefy, but after G2 they are gonna side those cards out when you side in the needles
Ashiok is a much easier to remove Drownyard that can't be used at instant speed. You only want to cast him when you already have control of the board, at which point you probably have enough mana to cast a real win con. I'd stay away.
Erebos is a good card, but unfortunately doesn't fit in the deck I was envisioning. In a more proactive, heavy black heavy permanents deck he is a decent card draw engine that can eventually become a finisher.
I'm not sure if Ashiok isn't good without just being a win-con, though.
I mean, it goes to 5 loyalty on turn 3, which makes it very unlikely that it will die... and then you get a guy out of it?
Not sure its good enough to be played, but there are enough weird cards going around in Theros that I'm more inclined to test a bunch of stuff than try to make judgement calls right away.
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Goals of the deck: Right now we have only 32 actual cards spoiled from Theros, so my post is building largely off of RTR-M14. As the spoiler season progresses, these goals may change, and hopefully will be met.
1 - Have a variety of answers to any creatures. This is where I think UB excels right now. Between Far//Away, Warped Physique, and Doom Blade, it is difficult to think of a creature UB can't answer.
2 - Be firmly either Draw-go or tapout. A personal pet peeve of mine is control decks that can't decide whether they want to be passing their turns and holding up mana, or proactively answering threats. Right now, I think this is a place UB is in, but hopefully that is a fixable problem. The primary factor that would influence the deck towards draw-go is a high grade counterspell, but there are any number of conceivable instants that could do so. On the other hand, we are more likely to wind up as a tapout deck if the Black god is playable, or if strong UB enchantments are printed.
3 - Have a firm answer to Enchantments and (hopefully) Planeswalkers. As has long been a weakness for UB decks, non-creature permanents are tough to answer. Possible answers include: counterspells, discard, Ratchet Bomb, creatures (walkers only).
With those goals in mind, I'll take a look at some cards that could be good fits.
Far // Away - A very versatile answer. Often, it will just be a 3 mana edict, which, while not an excellent rate, is perfectly fine in many cases. Sometimes, can Unsummon something, which is fine and useful, just not something you would want to maindeck. Combined, the two halves work well together and at a good rate. Obviously a card we want to play, but it is fairly clunky so we may not want more than a few.
Warped Physique - This card is obviously powerful when you have a stocked hand, but it can be a poor topdeck late, and has potential to blow you out if the opponent can manipulate it to their advantage (yay for pumping our opponent's creatures, right?). Could be anywhere from a 2-3 of, to unplayed.
Doom Blade - Obviously a marquee piece of removal. It is possible, however, that we will not want to run a bunch of these. Black looks like a powerful color, and they are printing the indestructible god cycle. Still, it will often be very powerful, and I would definitely start with several of these.
Devour Flesh - A decent card, but probably not necessary with Far//Away around. Still, it could come in useful if we want to be removing primarily with edicts, or if we need a two mana edict.
Ultimate Price - In certain metas, could be powerful. I doubt it will be needed with Doom Blade around, but not unimaginable.
Thoughtseize - Obviously a very powerful card, that can deal with any threat... before they cast it, anyway. Most likely a four of.
Cancel - Not good, exactly, but it is there if you really want more counters. A lot of the need for Dissipate's exile clause is leaving with Innistrad anyway. I feel like a bad person for considering this card.
Dispel - We've seen it as a playable sideboard option this last year, and it may be again in the future.
Dimir Charm - This card feels one mode off of being playable, and I think we all know which mode that is. Its just a tad too situational most of the time, but I suspect that in the right meta it could be a decent choice.
Domestication - A good control magic effect is good, but this one doesn't quite get there, I think. In some sort of "small but impactful creatures" meta this could be good, but I don't think such a thing will exist.
Duress - Not nearly as good as Thoughtseize in almost all metas, but it is certainly a viable sideboard option, and maybe even main deckable in the right situation.
Encroaching Wastes - In case mana bases really suck, and Wasteland is still good on turn 5 if you have to tap out for it.
Essence Scatter - With Cavern of Souls gone, this card gets a lot better. Creatures are the future, and this may be a good choice if there are lots of annoying value creatures running around.
Mind Rot - Hey, ya never know. Control could be big.
Negate - Very viable sideboard option.
Pithing Needle - Never the perfect answer, but so often you just need a Pithing Needle. Should be strong if we see planeswalkers as a major part of the metagame.
Psychic Strike - Probably better than Cancel, if only because it is easier to cast. It could be bad if there is a lot of graveyard synergy going around (ie, if Scavenging Ooze exists). We're probably not winning by mill now that Drownyard is gone.
Ratchet Bomb - This card looks to be UBs primary way of answering enchantments (and artifacts and walkers). It's not pretty, it's not efficient, but it gets the job done.
Reap Intellect - I mean, I suppose it is conceivable that there is a matchup where a card with this level of... brute force is useful.
Soul Ransom - Like Domestication, but with a different crippling drawback. If we wind up with lots of ways to bounce it (4 Disperse) it could be good... seems janky as all hell (and terrible, if I wasn't being explicit enough).
Syncopate - A solid counter, especially on the play.
What's better than Sphinx's Revelation? Nothing, but we have to try.
Divination Sweet and simple +1. Not very efficient, though.
Inspiration - Is 1 mana worth instant speed over Divination? Who cares, they're both pretty bad.
Jace, Architect of Thought - This card is likely to be a cornerstone of control in the new Standard. Very powerful CA tool that also can protect you, or win the game.
Opportunity - The closest to Revelation we're going to get, I would suggest playing a few of these in any non-white control deck.
Pilfered Plans - Another terrible Divination variant, but perhaps slightly less terrible than Divination? Or perhaps slightly more terrible.
Read the Bones - Does Scry 2 make Divination playable? Probably! Does lose 2 life make Divination + Scry 2 unplayable? Maybe, but I sort of don't think so. Good job, Read the Bones! I think.
Trading Post - Durdley as hell, and probably unplayable. Will convince a non-zero number of people to play cards like Thassa's Bident and Haunted Platemail in their decks.
Underworld Connections - Long a sideboard card, UWC has recently come to the forefront in the mutilate.dec that has taken MTGO by storm. Seems like a solid choice if you don't love Jace.
Blightcaster - I only mention this because Theros has an enchantment theme. It is very likely to be bad, but if we wind up playing huge numbers of Enchantments... well, it's a strong ability.
Crypt Ghast - Unlikely again, but in a heavy black deck (perhaps just a splash of Blue) this could be good.
Deathrite Shaman - Maybe if the new Theros land somehow winds up in the graveyard (probably it will be a land with a casting cost or some other bull****, Wizards has gone too long without making something that breaks the game).
Desecration Demon - This card is at its best in a removal heavy deck, which is what UB probably will be. Most likely not what we want, but its a possibility.
Lifebane Zombie - A very powerful card against the decks it is good against, but not so much against others. I worry that we won't have much to do with the 3/1 body, reducing its value in our deck as compared to others. Still, an obviously good card.
Liliana's Reaver - Could be an interesting card to bring in post board, after decks take out removal. Very strong, should it hit.
Nightveil Specter - An interesting card with a unique effect. Probably not a good card, but noteworthy. It does help devotion a lot, if that is something we end up caring about.
Notion Thief - Living the dream, one Sphinx's Revelation at a time.
Shadowborn Demon - This card seems so good, but it never quite works out. I doubt there is a version of UB with enough creatures to make this good.
Tidebinder Mage - Very similar to Lifebane Zombie, but slightly worse overall, although there will be times when this is better than the Zombie.
Woodlot Crawler - A possible sideboard option if something like mono green is real, though I doubt it will be wanted or needed. Lifebane and Tidebinder give us enough green hate.
Abhorrent Overlord - I thought it was good, then I noticed the sacrifice a creature part. Still... um. Yeah.
Aetherling - The one, the only, the completely unkillable, ends the game quick, has absolutely no board impact in the slightest and requires infinite mana to use, it's Aetherling! If you're not playing any other win-cons, Aetherling is probably where you want to be, since it is almost impossible to get rid of if you don't suck/die immediately after playing it.
Haunted Plate Mail - Like Aetherling, except more killable, less stabilizey, and slower! People seem to like it, though, so I'm listing it anyway.
Jace, Memory Adept - Another possibility. It can be a little slow, but it also generates card advantage, and ignores lifegain. More killable than Aetherling, but still pretty unkillable.
Rise of the Dark Realms - In case you are somehow a Timmy/Johnny type of guy who likes UB control, and losing.
Sepulchral Primordial - I'm no good at pressure, opponent, pick a win-con for me!
Decklists
3 Nightveil Specter
4 Lifebane Zombie
2 Jace, Architect of Thought
2 Jace, Memory Adept
4 Far//Away
3 Doom Blade
2 Devour Flesh
2 Syncopate
4 Thoughtseize
3 Ratchet Bomb
4 Watery Grave
4 Whatever UB Dual Theros has
10 Swamp
7 Island
2 Underworld Connections
3 Negate
1 Duress
3 Devour Flesh
2 Pithing Needle
1 Jace, Memory Adept
4 Thoughtseize
4 Read the Bones
3 Essence Scatter
4 Syncopate
1 Cancel
3 Doom Blade
3 Far//Away
3 Opportunity
2 Devour Flesh
2 Warped Physique
1 Ultimate Price
4 Watery Grave
4 NewUBDual
9 Island
8 Swamp
I'm pretty sure these lists suck, especially the first one, but hopefully they get the general idea across
Here's my sample list hoping for some good cheap cantrips/scry effects in the unspoiled cards.
4 Watery Grave
2 Godless Shrine
2 Hallowed Fountain
4 Temple of Deceit
2 Mutavault
6 Swamp
6 Island
Creatures: 6
4 Returned Phalanx
2 Aetherling
4 Jace, Architect of Thought
2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
3 Thoughtseize
2 Warped Physique
3 Doom Blade
1 Ultimate Price
3 Hero's Downfall
3 Far//Away
2 Syncopate
2 Dissolve
3 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Devour Flesh
1 Far//Away
1 Hero's Downfall
3 Negate
2 Dispel
1 Dissolve
1 Thoughtseize
2 Duress
3 Lifebane Zombie
Dimir Charm is probably the weakest card in the MB, but it's very good against RDW, RG aggro, and other weenie strats + ramp decks. (Also works as a counter to things like RR, Dreadbore, etc.).
4 Watery Grave
4 Nimbus Maze - UB member of speculated cycle
4 Dimir Guildgate
4 Mutavault
6 Island
4 Swamp
2 Aetherling
Draw: 7
4 Inspiration
3 Opportunity
Counters: 8
4 Syncopate
4 Psychic Strike
4 Doom Blade
4 Far / Away
3 Devour Flesh
Misc: 6
4 Thoughtseize
2 Cyclonic Rift
For an unknown meta and with 197 cards unknown at the time of posting, this is the deck skeleton I will begin working with and tweaking as we discover the rest of the set.
Now, I'll admit my lists weren't ideal, but I don't exactly think yours are, either. Thassa is basically useless in your deck - it just is "at the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1". It can only achieve the Devotion level if you have it, Aetherling, and Jace out at the same time, which seems very win more. And then we have the obvious problem of those Revelations you put in being completely uncastable with 4 white sources, but I'll just assume you meant Opportunity.
(246-174-26)
Recent control decks have been heavily reliant on them, but it is very possible for a control deck to succeed without sweepers.
I agree that the way he built that list is subpar for Thassa, but having "Scry 1 on your upkeep" every turn in a control deck is pretty big.
I do think that a good blue control deck will run her post rotation. Let's see what else gets spoiled.
TBD...
Useless, and *just* scry 1 every upkeep...I don't think you understand how extremely powerful that effect is tacked onto an indestructible enchantment. Monster of a card.
As far as the Revelations go, I don't plan on casting them until later, when I can put them to the most use. With Thassa, I'll be able to churn through my deck quicker and find the cards I need. If SR shows to be a bit too unreliable, I'll swap them for Opportunity. I think 4 is fine, but needs some testing, to be able to cast it reliably turn 8+.
1) 16 Shock sources is WAY to many
2) Burning Earth kill you dead very quickly
^
That outweighs whatever benefit you would get from having a W source + SR early in the game.
I'm hoping Theros gives us a cheap cantrip with scry. That will allow us to dig through our deck much faster, meaning the 4 of W shocks to run SR will be more consistent and making cards like Prism unneeded. At worst, if SR is too cumbersome, Opportunity is a decent replacement. Hopefully then black gets something that can gain a 'lil life. (Corrupt is too expensive and a Sorcery...if it was an Instant, I'd be much more tempted to play it).
PS: I guess Dimir Charm can dig for us in a pinch if we need it to.
EDH:
UBGThe MimeoplasmUBG
Or you could go ham with Chromatic Lantern to enable Nightveil Specter.
It would be an auto-include in these lists if not for the shock effect. Having not only 4 Thoughtseizes, up to 8 shocks, and then some of these? That's a lot of lost life in a color-scheme that doesn't get much lifegain. Not sure the benefit of the card outweigh the shock.
Also, regarding Thassa.
Scry 1 is not enough reason to play a 3 mana enchantment. It is a simple -1 in exchange for card selection, or an incredibly win more creature that can only activate in most lists when you already have several creatures down.
cyclonic rift and disperse
Pithing needle is my favorite general answer to a lot ofpermanents like planeswalkers and lands. Its like a colorless O-ring for things that UB cant answer. It is to weak to abrupt decay and putrefy, but after G2 they are gonna side those cards out when you side in the needles
They're both quite difficult to evaluate
Erebos is a good card, but unfortunately doesn't fit in the deck I was envisioning. In a more proactive, heavy black heavy permanents deck he is a decent card draw engine that can eventually become a finisher.
I mean, it goes to 5 loyalty on turn 3, which makes it very unlikely that it will die... and then you get a guy out of it?
Not sure its good enough to be played, but there are enough weird cards going around in Theros that I'm more inclined to test a bunch of stuff than try to make judgement calls right away.