Hey guys, thanks for reading my page on Talrand, Sky Summoner. I just wanted to give advance notice on the focus of this guide.
This guide and the card choices in particular focus on Control/Combo, whereas a lot of Talrand based guides focus on Aggro. My personal view is that a Control variation has a natural edge, though it's defenses are lower. Don't worry though, I'll be working on an Aggro portion in the future! If you have any questions on anything in here feel free to ask away!
Why Talrand?
Talrand, Sky Summoner is a new Legendary creature in M13. For a casting cost of 2UU you get a 2/2 Merfolk Wizard. The true potential of Talrand lies in his triggered ability: "Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a 2/2 blue Drake creature token with flying onto the battlefield."
This sets us up with a lot of interesting card choices that normally would be silly.
Talrand is a different choice for a Mono-Blue general in that it gives you a win condition through itself and still thrives without Talrand around. It's a safe general overall and allows for plenty of control. A relatively low CMC makes it easy to become the threat when you're ready. Talrand's drakes also don't seem too menacing so it's easy to skate by looking innocent. Please note that Talrand is never innocent.
I personally enjoy Talrand because I scheme, and schemers like me play through my opponent. Interacting and responding to opponents' threats while holding the Goodstuff™ for when you're ready.
Will you enjoy Talrand?
Probably. Talrand can be a lot of fun, especially if you like dominating the board all of a sudden. Flipping the switch with Talrand can be exciting for you, and oppressive for opponents. On the downside, this part makes less friends than Avenger of Zendikar and Primeval Titan.
As with any general it depends on your preferred playstyle.
Talrand may be a great pick for you if you enjoy:
-Aggro or Control
-Feigning Weakness
-Safe play with or without the General
-Enough Mana to pretend you're comboing out
-Comboing out
-Explosive strategies
Talrand probably won't be for you if you don't like:
-Spell based themes
-Losing Life
-Counterspells
-Time Manipulation
-Plotting the turns (or lack thereof) of your opponents
-Blue
-Winning in the late game
-Math!
So, How does it Win?
The primary win condition is with Drakes. Nasty little drakes that are mean to your opponents. Oh yeah, and leaving nothing on your opponents side of the board helps, I suppose...
There are two primary ways to focus a Talrand, Sky Summoner based deck and both are correct in their own right. The strategy I employ focuses on Control/Combo, so the Drake win condition is targeted to more of a late-game atmosphere instead.
The road to victory can be divided into three primary phases to understand.
Phase One: Setup
As with any Commander deck setup is crucial. For this deck choice, you need to be building your mana. Cards like Sol Ring, Sapphire Medallion and Extraplanar Lenscome in handy. Not all of the early game is based upon mana, however. Rhystic Study and other card advantage spells provide a great boon all game long. Back to Basics and Isochron Scepter help slow the enemy down. Even Mystic Speculation a few times will line you up right where you want to be come mid-game.
This phase also requires some setup before getting to Phase Three. In particular, get a mana doubler (Gauntlet of Power, Caged Sun, Extraplanar Lens). Also, make sure you have a fairly strong hand before pushing for the number one spot. You can usually kick off Phase Three by a one-sided reset on the board, taking extra turns or preferrably both.
Making it this far will usually setup a hard lock for opponents to come back from. Once you have enough drakes or enough big, bulky creatures the opponents will almost have no other option than to surrender.
Things to Watch For:
-Tapping Out: You almost never want to be out of mana as opponents can and will take an edge here.
-Other Control Players: Other control players can wreck our day when we move to victory. It's a good idea to kick them first else wait for them to tap out.
-Early Aggro (vs you): Decks that produce an absurd amount of creatures early on can and will hurt us in the long run. It usually takes 3-5 turns to configure your board state, but it's tough to do when there's 15 elves and 30 goblins knockin' on your front door. If you need to, pray for Devastation Tide and let someone else deal with the madness.
-Early Aggro (you): It's insanely easy to go for a turn 2 mana doubler, turn 3 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage, turn 4 Consecrated Sphinx and Time Warp, et al. While it may win you the game before turn 6-7, *everyone* will be gunning for you. Realize, we don't run enough creatures to deal with them. It's tough enough to keep a steady stream of cards in hand to combat the pressure we can deal with, and if you let down pressure for an instant (or get Krosan Griped), you will have no place to go. No amount of politik'n will save you, and you will not have a board state come late game. Easy move, just don't do it.
[U]Grand Architect[/U] - The Talrand deck I run comes with an automatic artifact subtheme (not including Tezzeret and friends). Grand Architect deserves a slot due to it ramping up for those artifacts, plus tapping blue creatures is usually a non-issue. Be it drakes or Grand Architect itself, I'm almost always certain to have an Isochron Scepter ready or enough mana to cast Caged Sun. The architect also boosts the drakes and any other blue creatures I control, making them a more viable option when trading damage and creatures. The obvious downside is that it is a spell slot, though I don't feel as bad with the amount of bonuses I receive from running it.
[U]Tidespout Tyrant[/U] - What can you say about a card that turns all of your spells into Boomerang in addition to their normal things? This card is a great finisher with take extra turn cards and/or Mystic Speculation and enough mana. This is one card that screams to be in the deck, what with the high mana I generate and the amount of solid, back-breaking spells that are produced when the deck "explodes" all over the faces of opponents. The drawbacks are a high mana cost that will usually try to stop the amount of advantage you can take from it. Other than that, this card is a strong creature that will wreck opponent's days.
[U]Stormtide Leviathan[/U] - STL is one of the strong beaters in the deck that produces a few nice effects. First off, ground creatures can't attack without Islandwalk. It stops my weaker creatures, but I can't be mad at that given the moat I get. Furthermore, it turns all of my non-basics into Islands meaning they get a bonus off of Gauntlet of Power and Caged Sun, and enables the Islandwalk of STL itself. Lastly, an 8/8 beater is nothing to laugh about, least of all when it's unblockable (unless someone Sunder's, lol). The point is, this card is great for Offense and Defense with a bit of mana fixing on the side.
Sphinx of Magosi - This is another new addition to Talrand and one I hadn't seen previously. It serves two key principles, drawing cards and killing opponents. Go figure, it does both fairly well. This is another reason why it's critical to get as much mana as possible, as with 3 mana you get instant speed draw a card on a body that just keeps getting bigger. This is almost certainly a late game card. I usually end up playing it when I'm about to go in for the kill, taking an extra turn on the side to remove summoning sickness. With enough mana, this will kill someone, though make sure not to deck yourself in the process.
Snapcaster Mage - SCM has no business NOT being in this deck. My favorite combo with this card is Time Warp, Call to Mind > Time Warp, Snapcaster Mage > Call to Mind > Time Warp, Riptide Laboratory > Snapcaster Mage > Time Warp... Well, you get the idea. Having that second iteration of a response is important to have, especially since it is instant speed. It has a rather nice amount of synergy with the deck considering the amount of cards that play with it. The con is it being a 2/1, but let's be realistic; we're playing it for the ability, not the creature.
Sakashima the Imposter - This is one creature I keep going back and forth on. Sakashima will get you a copy of target creature and doesn't care about the legend rule. The original reason I placed it in the deck is for 2xTalrands, though Talrand is usually the least relevant creature to copy. 2xTidespout Tyrants or Ulamog's are usually better. Also considering most players in my playgroup run Primeval Titan and Sun Titan, it's just beautiful. The downside is that I run only a handful of creatures that actually care about Sakashima, so much so that more often I rely on my opponents having relevant creatures in play instead before wanting to use it. It's a situation that when it works, it works beautifully. When it doesn't, it's a wasted card draw. A special side note that I absolutely must give to this card is it's ability to do it again. For 2UU, return it to your hand at EOT. This ability is absolutely relevant and useful, mana permitting of course.
Trinket Mage - Trinket Mage is simply put an easy tutor. It finds Sol Ring, Sensei's Divining Top, Elixer of Immortality and Wayfarer's Bauble. The usual grabs with it are going to be Sol Ring and Top, though sometimes you need 5 life or your graveyard back. It'll almost never be used to grab Wayfarer's Bauble unless you've got the other things and really just want that extra land. Overall, Trinket Mage servers a few purposes. It's a card that is okay with being Proteus Staffed, it's okay running into it with Proteus Staff, and it helps your mana base via consistency. This is a recent addition to the deck, so I intend to test it out. If it runs very smoothly more one-drop artifacts may be put into the deck. The downside to Trinket Mage is that it's sole purpose is to find other cards and is only a blocker afterwards. Still, it has a neat purpose and could prove useful.
Phyrexian Metamorph - This is a card that I was looking forward to running for quite a while. For three mana it is a Legendary kill spell, another Tidespout Tyrant, Consecrated Sphinx, Sphinx of Magosi, or any number of creatures your opponents are running. It's absolutely fantastic when copying some mana advantage creature, such as Oracle of Mul Daya. Point blank, this card is absolutely outstanding and will prove useful in most games.
Archaeomancer - After much contemplation I decided this may deserve a spot. This creature is absolute spell support, and does it very well. I'd put this creature on par with Snapcaster Mage with the key differences being lack of Flash and putting the spell in hand instead of exile. With the right combination of cards, it can certainly go infinite, though that's not the purpose. The main purpose is to increase the value of cards in our graveyard. Some people joke that this is the blue Regrowth. Well, wizards certainly did right in making Regrowth anything but blue. That being said, run this. Multiple Briberies, Time Warps and Fact or Fictions are absolutely worth it.
Solemn Simulacrum - There's a reason Sad Robot is a staple in most EDH decks. ETB, fetch an Island. Die, draw a card. It's important to note that this is yet another Sakashima target, and a fairly decent one at that. Fetching a land in this deck decreases the turn count in which we need to just rock the board our way. Sad Robot is yet another card I couldn't fathom leaving out. It's draw back is that it's a 2/2 that doesn't get a boost from creature boosters, that also wants to die. No matter how you go about it, Sad Robot is fantastic.
Consecrated Sphinx - This is one of those cards that really requires little explanation, though is so fun to talk about. What can you say about a card that, if it survives a full round of 4player magic, draws you 6 extra cards? More spells = more solutions. If you're worried about running over 7, well, cross your fingers for Reliquary Tower and drop that for your land for turn. Seriously, this card is absolutely nuts. Plus, a 4/6 flyer isn't bad in the slightest. That and Arcane Denial ends up being a tough choice for opponents on whether to take the extra card draw or not. Another fun circumstance is when you and another player both have Consecrated Sphinx on the board; you both draw until you drop, so long as one player draws! Also, with Mikokoro on the field, you're guaranteed to have a good time. If you're even the slightest bit on the fence with this card, don't be. Try it out and be amazed.
Counterbalance - Counterbalance... The poor man's counterspell! This is a cheap, reusable version of counterspell-on-a-stick. Drawback symptoms include opponents hating you and everything you are, nausea, depression, and winning by a large margine. Yeah, it's pretty scary for opponents, and they tend to go in overdrive mode to kill it or you. This card certainly will not earn you friends.
Back to Basics - Speaking of making no friends... Back to basics shuts off non-basic lands. As in, they just don't untap. Someone throw out Gaea's Cradle? Awesome! They should've played a forest. This card is in here for two main reasons. For one, it doesn't hurt you. This deck runs 5 non-basic lands, and 30 basics. Odds are, you'll have enough to untap each turn. That and the fact that our mana base should usually have each island tap for more than one, you'll be in the best board position mana wise. The second reason to run this is to shut off those big, scary tri-color decks. I've seen so many players scoop to this resolving, so much so that it only confirms this serves as a very fine card choice, even if it is a tad on the sadistic side. Please note, this does NOT make for a very fun card on the other side of the table. Your opponents will not like that you run this card, reasonably so.
Propaganda - What a card; if you run into problems with taking damage, Propaganda will help you. It's one of those easily political cards that will prevent you from dying. A lot of players will think twice when they have to pay 2 to attack for each creature. The great thing about this card is that it allows a blue player to play his best. To survive until the end-game (winning), you pretend your board presence doesn't exist. The "feel-bad" complex of other players will allow you to develop your spells in hand and worry less about attacking you. Suddenly taking an extra turn isn't so bad when you're not the scary player. Propaganda helps perpetuate this. Afterall, it's only a defensive permanent, nothing scary. Right guys?
Rhystic Study - You know what wins games? Well, a lot of things. But here me out on this. You know what wins games? Big, bad spells. Nasty spells that go bump in the night, that frighten children for their delicious candy. Dirty spells that strike fear into the hearts and minds of your opponents. You know what gets you those cards?
... Opponents not paying the 1 extra. Thus, meet Rhystic Study. Veterans know this as the obnoxious card #17. New players know this as diplomatically awesome- until they lose too. Rhystic study is so fine that it's a win/win regardless of payment. Either you slow your opponents or you draw cards. And considering blue relies on stalling opponents and spells being their main force of winning, this card succeeds either way. A neat trick with this card is that if someone plays, for example, Tooth and Nail, Rhystic Study's trigger resolves first. Meaning, you could potentially draw into a counterspell before it resolves. Now, a large downside to Rhystic Study is that, much like Back to Basics and Counterbalance, you draw hate. People don't like paying 1 extra. People don't like drawing you cards. People will work to remove this card. I suggest playing it as early as possible to screw up opponents early games and slow the pace of the game to your level. That and it will get removed fairly quickly (which is a good thing, you don't want it to last all game long or players will get tired and off you swiftly). Remember, if it draws 2 cards it was worth it. Anything else, including paying 1 extra, is gravy.
Leyline of Anticipation - Leyline of Anticipation is one of my all-time favorite cards. It potentially starts the game on the board and allows you to have all of the benefits of instant speed for all of your cards (well, except Proteus Staff and planeswalkers, but that's besides the point). Imagine, turn one Island, go. At the end of your turn, Sol Ring, Isochron Scepter (Boomerang), My turn. Island, Bounce your land, Counterbalance. Now, granted, this is a great example of magical christmas land, but the point that LoA has is surprising the enemy with all of your big stuff and holding your spells. You don't have to tap out to drop your mana doublers. Wait until they move to pass their turn and BOOM; All of a sudden, you start your next turn with twice as much mana as before. Leyline of Anticipation is a card that I believe any deck that can run it, absolutely should. Unless your general already gives all of your spells flash anyway, this card is just amazing.
Future Sight - I made a few switches in the deck recently, one of which being Magus of the Future for this baby. They both do the same thing though creatures are easier to remove than enchantments. Now, let's go over exactly what it is that this enchantment does. First off, you get to play spells from the top of your deck. Not just spells though, lands as well (still once per turn, normally). So, it's card advantage, right? Maybe play a few spells here and there and call it good? Okay. So, pretend for example you play three cards from the top of your library (a modest number, I assure you). That's effectively drawing three cards a turn. Now, your opponents get to see your draws and the cards you're putting into your hands. At a certain point it won't matter as much, as their fears only become a reality at this point. Better yet, if you get a card you don't like on top just find a way to shuffle your library and be done with it! Overall, this has to be one of the best card advantage spells blue has to offer. There is no reason not to run it.
Sol Ring - Sol Ring is one of the nicest mana rocks ever. Most importantly, it puts this deck ahead a bit in terms of mana, allowing us to get those bigger, badder mana spells earlier and earlier. There is no downside to this card as far as I can tell, and absolutely deserves a spot in the deck. To not run this is to deny yourself a basic advantage.
Sapphire Medallion - Sapphire Medallion ends up being on par with Sol Ring and at times even better. If you cast more than two blue spells with colorless in their cost, it's better. Important note about this card, this DOES help with Buyback and other additional casting costs (Miracle, too). Once again, it's hard to come up with a reason not to run this card. My playgroup has recently realized that I rely on this card a lot of the time, so I end up having to cast it mid game instead of turn 1/2.
Extraplanar Lens - The Lens is one of those cards a lot of players seem to be hesitant on and I do not understand why. It doubles all snow-covered islands on the board (usually only yours) and allows you to play bigger, meaner spells than your opponents. The Converted Mana Cost is a bit misleading as a large amount of spells in this deck, you should never tap out for this card. If you do, you exile an Island of yours for absolutely nothing. Always leave mana open to protect this device as best you can. The downside, of course, is that exiling a land of your own is risky. If an opponent removes it in some fashion the turn it comes out, you'll usually be put behind severely. As long as you keep it up for a turn or two, it'll have the pull to win you the game.
Gauntlet of Power - Yes, another mana doubler, this time it's for everyone's basic lands. Not much more needs to be said about doubling mana, though this one also has the added benefit of increasing the power and toughness of blue creatures. The downside is that it helps your Blue opponents as well. This rarely hurts us severely, though it is a big deal. Keep track of players that get a bonus off of it and respond accordingly.
Caged Sun - Yet another mana doubler, this time it only helps you and impacts all of your U producing lands. It also gives you the +1 bonus to blue creatures and once again only to you. There is no reason not to play this. The drawback to this is the 6cmc, though that shouldn't be an issue by the time you can cast it.
Sensei's Divining Top - This is another artifact that begs for a slot in the deck. For 1 mana, rearrange the top 3 cards of your library. Draw into Miracle cards easier or hit your land drops smoother. With Magus of the Future on your field, it's effectively 1: Reveal the top card of your library, then draw a card. It also has strong synergy with Counterbalance, effectively using the top three cards to counter more spells opponents play. The drawback for this card is that it has no drawbacks. Seriously, if you haven't already, try it out.
Proteus Staff - Proteus Staff wants to polymorph your drakes into big creatures like Consecrated Sphinx. Think about that; a 2/2 flier turned into a 4/6 flier with an astronomical impact on the board and baiting removal spells left and right. Also, with no creatures in your deck, you end up sacrificing a drake to rearrange your entire library. How cool is that? The downside is that this ability can only be activated at sorcery speed, meaning no surprise(!) Ulamog's any time soon. Still, this is one bad artifact.
Armillary Sphere - This card is fairly straight-forward; for two mana you get an artifact that pops for two to get two lands in hand. I was noticing issues with hitting land drops before, but this card makes your land drops more consistent. I'm sad that it's not an instant or sorcery, but overall hitting land drops is absolutely critical for Talrand. Overall the mana curve on this is easy enough, the effect is necessary and it doesn't hurt us.
Doubling Cube - Oddly enough another mana doubler. This time with style and drawbacks! This artifact says for three colorless, double the mana in your pool. If you have 6 mana go to 12, 18 go to 36, well, you get the idea. Now that I've been playing with this card for awhile I like it. It's not useful at all in the beginning stages of the game so don't expect a large boon off the bat. It does however get better the further and further the game progresses. Stacking on top of your other mana doublers is something neat as well. The large downside is that it begs for you to tap all of your mana, so unless you're untapping again anyway it may not be worth going the full distance. Even still this card helps our mana tremendously and is a good fit for Talrand.
Wayfarer's Bauble - This is an easy card put into the deck to fix mana, just as Armillary Sphere. The mana curve is right on par with what we want out of a good ramp spell and the impact on Talrand's mana base is well received. Guaranteeing land drops is an important task for Talrand and cards like this only help the cause.
Elixir of Immortality - Oddly enough this card replaced Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre. Ulamog was simply too much threat being in the deck for not much results. Now our deck refiller is an activated ability on an artifact that needs to be cast to use. Fortunately my meta does not include many mill strategies. The five life is partially relevant, though realistically it's not that great an impact. This card is ran with the intent of refilling our deck with spells itching to be cast again.
I find that I run a lot of counterspells, so I'll divide the Instants section between Counterspell and Not-Counterspell.
Before we get into the counterspells, I'd just like to note that this isn't the absolute end all/be all of counter spells. There are plenty more counter spells that I'd love to outline, and will eventually in another section. For more on counter spells and how it impacts your deck read on to the "Advanced Technique's" section below if you get a chance.
Pact of Negation - One of the strongest counters simply because it's a 0 upfront cost. Be careful when running this, however, as if you're even close to the 5 mana count one Wasteland can ruin your day. I usually hold this unless someone is winning or about to win. Otherwise, paying 5 mana is a huge detriment and practically skips an entire untap phase.
Counterspell - Important to note for this is that it just says "Counter Target Spell". There is no special clauses that limit where or when it my counter, only that it may. As such it is one of the most versatile spells in blues' array of premature removal. You could certainly do worse for two blue mana.
Trickbind - This is a situational card that always has a relevant situation. This card *will* stop triggered and activated abilities dead in their tracks, with not much to stop it. This card has an ability called "Split Second" which means while it is on the stack, activated abilities and spells cannot be used. This doesn't stop Triggered abilities however, so Counterbalance, for example, could stop it. Even still, this card is a meta-decision used to stop combos. Much like Time Stop, we don't want opponents winning the game before we do.
Negate - This card is also meta-relevant. In my meta creatures are almost a dying breed except when they produce an amazing ETB/LTB trigger. This card gets any non-creature spells and is quite cheap. Two mana means you can play it a turn earlier than any bad cards (here's looking at you, Cancel) and is usually relevant throughout the game. I usually save it for protecting my permanents or stopping combo's.
Arcane Denial - This card, much like Counterspell, says "Counter Target Spell" and is even easier to cast than Counterspell, what with the colorless mana cost and all. The downside to this is that spell's controller gets to draw two cards during the next upkeep. Don't worry though, you get to draw one as well. Usually this will counter something obnoxiously good (Tooth and Nail) and the opponent I use it against will be cool with it. I mean, we did just draw them two cards. Come to think of it, it's like the Oblation of blue.
Muddle the Mixture - This is a new addition and I'm not entirely certain how well it will work. The effect itself will stop some of the things Negate covers, and if I really need to I can transmute sometime during my turn and use it as a rattlesnake. Alternatively, if I'm just worried about counters coming my way, this will stop most variations of them. Also important to note is that this is a tech choice more than anything. Look through the deck list and see which two mana cards it can grab. It's toolkit is quite wide!
Spell Crumple - This card is a general hoser. It's entire purpose is to stop generals from entering the battlefield. I would say it does a fantastic job of this. Furthermore it stops combos and graveyard recursion as well. This card and it's brother Hinder are the bane of general-centric decks. Never leave home without one!
Hinder - Honestly, there's not much more that needs to be said except that it's a second version of Spell Crumple with minor differences. Spell Crumple puts itself and the target spell on the bottom of it's owner's library, Hinder puts it on top or on bottom, and goes to the Graveyard upon resolution. Minor differences, fantastic effect.
Cryptic Command - Initially I was hesitant for what is basically a four mana counter. When you think about it, it's so much more. Cryptic Command combines Boomerang, Counterspell, Thoughtweft Gambit and any cheap cantrip. The usual modes I choose are Counter and bounce a permanent, though it's not unheard of to tap creatures or draw a card. Sometimes the four mana is a steep price to pay, sometimes it's right up our alley considering it also draws the card. Overall it's a versatile card that produces several important, blue effects.
Rewind - Rewind is another "free" counter in that it untaps your lands. With mana doublers, it overproduces mana allowing you more options than normal. People will tell you it's a bad card occasionally, but a free counter allows you so many options. Also unlike the other free counters there is no downside except that you need the mana upfront. Of course, that is certainly a downside, but not a huge pain. Overall, would run again.
Force of Will - One of the most coveted of counters, this is another free counter. Instead you pay one life and exile a blue card from hand.
High Tide - High Tide is a situational card that usually sets you up to explode on the table. I don't find it very useful in the first five or so turns, simply because our land count is low. I usually follow it up with a permanent mana doubler, Cyclonic Rift, or Time Spiral. That, or as the beginning of a Time Warped turn.
Evacuation - Creatures are scary. Well, opponent's creatures are scary. What's more frightening is that in Mono-Blue we have little control of permanents short of bouncing (and tapping, but you get the idea). That being said, being able to bounce all creatures all at once is very cool. In my group's meta creatures are becoming less and less seen with the exception of combos and other general forms of degeneracy. That being said, Evacuation being instant speed makes it all the better.
Pongify - Okay, I'll admit, I mostly put this in here for the joke. On the bright side, it's actually not bad at all. If you need to kill a creature (here's looking at you, [card]Vorinclex, VOice of Hunger[card]), here's your chance. Furthermore, one mana is a steal for destroying a creature and making it not able to regenerate. Also, a 3/3 green Ape token is not a big deal. Block it with the 2/2 flier you make with Talrand. Or, bounce it. Or, take the damage like it's nothing. Lastly, good luck finding an Ape token. ._.
Boomerang - Boomerang is quite sitational. I liken it to our version of Path to Exile, except it's versatility works for us as well. It gets around indestructable creatures quite well, though it's usually not a permanent solution to creatures. Sometimes you'll bounce Archaeomancer or Snapcaster Mage, sometimes you'll throw it on an Isochron Scepter and go to town on an opponents lands (it's totally a thing). Either way, Boomerang will be one of your top spells to lay down.
Time Stop - Can you say C-C-C-Combo Breaker? Time Stop is one of the best ways for stopping a player from going off. This is simple because there are only two ways of dealing with it; counter it or play all of your spells on the stack. It works least against Blue and Red players, but it's always critically effective. If it resolves, that player skips the rest of their turn and ALL spells and abilities under it on the stack are exiled from the game. No more Capsize/Kokusho/Sun Titan? Sounds fantastic to me.
Mystical Tutor - Tutoring at the right time is a tough skill to learn albeit important nonetheless. Mystical Tutor helps line your next draw with what you need at instant speed. That's right, hold your mana up as long as you need. Also, it's fantastic when someone makes you draw a card. Furthermore, since your opponents get to see your pick, it acts as a great rattlesnake for would-be degenerates. Usually I'll find Cyclonic Rift or Time Spiral simply for how well both of these cards bring you up to the top. Also common is the right counterspell for the moment. Just be mindful of your opponents and what they're doing, and this tutor will go a long way.
Mind Games - Originally I put this in the deck as an enabler for Talrand's ability. Largely, it's still in here for the same thing. It's not like that's the only time, though. Tap Eldrazi before combat, tap lands during upkeep/before draw/during combat, or throw it at opponents with with the flight of drakes you make. Any way you cut it, it's relevant. It's relatively weak compared to a lot of the other cards on this list, but it will do good things under most circumstances. Plus, reusability on a spell is fantastic card advantage.
Brainstorm - My vote for the best cantrip in the format. Brainstorm simple does so much. It lines your draw, protects your important things from Wheel of Fortune, sets up Miracles, produces a drake and frightens opponents. Do it before an opponent resolves Consecrated Sphinx, though. Otherwise you'll regret it. :\
Twincast - The first time I resolved Twincast targeting Turnabout I thought it was the best feeling ever, ever. Especially after doubling your mana, it's super smooth. Twincast turns every instant and sorcery into an abomination twice as good for usually not twice the mana. Two Briberies? Yes please. Two Time Spirals? Sure, why not? Even copy enemy spells like Explosive Vegetation or Boundless Realms for big mana (or Tooth and Nail like a boss). The better your opponents' decks, the better this card. The better your deck, this better this card. This card scales amazingly.
Reset - Untap your lands for two mana? Sure, it's only on opponents turns, but man is that cool. Plus, it's not like it matters with Leyline of Anticipation or Vedalken Orrerry. Also, it's amazing when opponents think you only have mana for one counterspell, then lay down reset and burn the stack. Also, this can be Twincasted for a lot of mana in the pool. Also, Isochron Scepter. Do it, don't question it.
Capsize - I feel bad Capsizing opponents board, though it's definitely one of those strong cards you can't ignore. I usually end up bouncing lands as much as possible to shut down opponent responses. Also great to bounce an opponents Reliquary Tower at the end of their turn, forcing a major discard sometimes. Also takes away obnoxious protection items like Swiftfoot Boots.
Blue Sun's Zenith - With the mana you get in the late game, BSZ wins you outright. Instant speed holds your mana until the end of your opponents turn. Mana doublers, of course, rock this card's world. Also notable is forcing someone to draw out their deck. Killing target player with enough mana just feels... Great!
Fact or Fiction - Sometimes draw 1-2 great cards, sometimes draw 3-4 pretty great cards, Fact or Fiction draws you what you need. Your opponent's get a read on what you're drawing, but since when does that bother us? This card is instant speed draw a few cards either way. Also notable is that it draws you through your deck faster, getting through 5 cards instead of just 2 or 3. There is a reason this card is considered a staple in most blue decks.
Turnabout - Every blue deck I create now runs Turnabout. Originally I skipped past the whole "Untap target players' lands" thing and was using it to tap people down during upkeep. Now I twincast this and produce 30-40 mana like a champ. The other modes are great too considering you have the option at instant speed, but usually I'll untap my lands and float a bunch of mana.
Cyclonic Rift - This card is the game finisher. For seven mana bounce all of your opponents non-land permanents. None of yours at all. Also, this is an instant. Cyclonic Rift is just nuts! Once again there is no reason not to run this. It makes a drake with Talrand, it removes threats, it allows you to set your next turn up perfectly... I'd go as far as to say it is the best blue bounce spell.
Mystic Speculation -
Merchant Scroll -
Call to Mind -
Rite of Replication -
Wash Out -
Time Warp -
Bribery -
Time Spiral -
Academy Ruins - Academy Ruins allows me to grab my artifacts from the grave. The big mana doublers are almost always the main target for this, though Solemn Simulacrum is another key choice.
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - Instant speed draw a card saves lives, pure and simple. Be it digging for something big or just blowing your mana on more cards, Mikokoro helps. The drawbacks are fairly simple; it's not an island and it requires mana to activate. Furthermore, it can only be done once a turn. That being said, it's a solid land that can be used politically.
Riptide Laboratory - I have nothing but love for this land; it's not an island, but being able to recast Snapcaster Mage is potentially game ending. It's only drawback is that Snapcaster Mage is usually the only decent target and that it's not an Island.
Reliquary Tower - The land that combos with Consecrated Sphinx, really what more needs to be said? It's not an island and won't win the game on it's own, but it's the best in keeping my hand size bountiful.
Seat of the Synod - I'm using this land only because of Tezzeret. I would normally run a Snow-Covered Island in it's place, though I'm testing out the artifact subtheme at the moment. Though I don't expect it to last, -0'ing Tezzeret for another land ain't all that bad. This card's drawbacks are simply; it's neither basic nor snow-covered, thus it doesn't receive the benefits of most of my mana doublers. It is fetchable however, so it stays as long as Tezzeret is in the deck.
Snow-Covered Island - These lands are the prime of the mana base. They benefit off of all of my mana doublers and work well with cards like Back to Basics as a player stopper. The reason for the Snow-Covered is solely as a result of Extraplanar Lens, stopping opponents from taking advantage from all of my mana doublers. I keep my basic land count high so that I produce as much mana as possible, so only the best non-basics should replace them.
0cmc
Pact of Negation (0 - Counter target spell.
At the beginning of your next upkeep, pay . If you don't, you lose the game.)
1cmc
Force Spike (U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.)
Spell Pierce (U - Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays 2)
Spell Snare (U - Counter target spell with converted mana cost 2.)
Flusterstorm (U - Counter target instant or sorcery spell unless its controller pays 1.
Storm)
Steel Sabotage (U - Choose one — Counter target artifact spell; or return target artifact to its owner's hand.)
Turn Aside (U - Counter target spell that targets a permanent you control.)
Spell Burst (xU - Buyback 3
Counter target spell with converted mana cost X.)
Abjure (U - As an additional cost to cast Abjure, sacrifice a blue permanent.
Counter target spell.)
2cmc
Mana Drain (UU - Counter target spell. At the beginning of your next main phase, add to your mana pool, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.)
Counterspell (UU - Counter target spell.)
Daze (1U - You may return an Island you control to its owner's hand rather than pay Daze's mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.)
Muddle the Mixture (UU - Counter target instant or sorcery spell.
Transmute 1UU)
Trickbind (1U - Split Second
Counter target activated or triggered ability. If a permanent's ability is countered this way, activated abilities of that permanent can't be activated this turn. )
Mana Leak (1U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3.)
Remand (1U - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it into its owner's hand instead of into that player's graveyard.
Draw a card.)
Negate (1U - Counter target noncreature spell)
Arcane Denial (1U - Counter target spell. Its controller may draw up to two cards at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
You draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.)
Miscalculation (1U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
Cycling 2)
Confound (1U - Counter target spell that targets one or more creatures.
Draw a card.)
Familiar's Ruse (UU - As an additional cost to cast Familiar's Ruse, return a creature you control to its owner's hand.
Counter target spell.)
Delay (1U - Counter target spell. If the spell is countered this way, exile it with three time counters on it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard. If it doesn't have suspend, it gains suspend.)
Spell Syphon (1U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays for each blue permanent you control.)
Unified Will (1U - Counter target spell if you control more creatures than that spell's controller.)
Gainsay (1U - Counter target blue spell.)
3cmc
Forbid (1UU - Buyback—Discard two cards. Counter target spell.)
Dissipate (1UU - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.)
Circular Logic (2U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1 for each card in your graveyard.
Madness U)
Exclude (2U - Counter target creature spell.
Draw a card.)
Stoic Rebuttal (1UU - Metalcraft — Stoic Rebuttal costs 1 less to cast if you control three or more artifacts.
Counter target spell.)
Hinder (1UU - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put that card on the top or bottom of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard.)
Faerie Trickery (1UU - Counter target non-Faerie spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.)
Sage's Dousing (2U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3. If you control a Wizard, draw a card.)
Spell Crumple (1UU - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on the bottom of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard. Put Spell Crumple on the bottom of its owner's library.)
4cmc
Cryptic Command (1UUU - Choose two — Counter target spell; or return target permanent to its owner's hand; or tap all creatures your opponents control; or draw a card.)
Dismiss (2UU - Counter target spell.
Draw a card.)
Rewind (2UU - Counter target spell. Untap up to four lands.)
Foil (2UU - You may discard an Island card and another card rather than pay Foil's mana cost.
Counter target spell.)
Last Word (2UU - Last Word can't be countered by spells or abilities.
Counter target spell.)
Fuel for the Cause (2UU - Counter target spell, then proliferate.)
Scattering Stroke (2UU - Counter target spell. Clash with an opponent. If you win, at the beginning of your next main phase, you may add x to your mana pool, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.)
5cmc
Force of Will (3UU - You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay Force of Will's mana cost.
Counter target spell.)
Desertion (3UU - Counter target spell. If an artifact or creature spell is countered this way, put that card onto the battlefield under your control instead of into its owner's graveyard.)
6cmc
Spelljack (3UUU - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard. You may play it without paying its mana cost for as long as it remains exiled.
Counterlash (4UU - Counter target spell. You may cast a nonland card in your hand that shares a card type with that spell without paying its mana cost.)
Overwhelming Intellect (4UU - Counter target creature spell. Draw cards equal to that spell's converted mana cost.)
7cmc
Assert Authority (5UU - Affinity for artifacts
Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.)
Control vs Aggro
This is a major question a lot of people that are interested in Talrand, Sky Summoner face. There are major strengths and weaknesses of both, and as you've read in this guide my focus is on Control. I'd like to take a moment and outline the key differences, strengths and weaknesses I find of both.
As this is a Control guide, it's only fitting I start with such.
Strengths:
Larger, Explosive Ending - This means more mana, more creatures, more damage; All the good stuff to finish off a game with. Don't be surprised if you end the game with 7-9 4/4 fliers, Tidespout Tyrant (five of him), Stormtide Leviathan, and whatever else you can think of.
Less Reaction - That's right; your enemies are not likely to have as many responses. With Control, it's very easy to skate by unnoticed until the last minute. Short of a few bits of policing, you're also likely to have counter-responses to anything your enemies have in store as well.
Consistency - A longer game means more card draw, and the more cards you get through the higher the odds of you drawing the winning pieces are. Let's be honest; we're not Black, we can't just tutor for any random set of cards. Part of the honesty in Blue is drawing cards. Never mind the fact that we're drawing 20 cards...
Weaknesses:
Defense - Part of the problem with not relying on the general is that opponents' creatures will easily get through. And short of countering the creatures or Propaganda, you won't be stopping them any time soon.
Threat - Usually, your hand will be fantastic. Occasionally, it won't. We all roll the dice each new game, some better than others. While Control usually has a lot of answers, not much but Lady Luck will prevent you from dying if you're hated off the field too soon. The more and more you win with this (or any deck for that matter), the more likely your local playgroup(s) will want to kill you off first. It's sad but true that players would rather their permanents be destroyed then countered beforehand. Naturally, they don't usually take well to Blue.
Response Appropriation - I would say this is a deck that is quite challenging and gets even more so depending on the skill of your opponents. The better your opponents, the better you must react with counters, removal, control, etc. Knowledge of the game and your local meta is crucial not only to this deck but to Blue in general. A general rule of thumb I go by is counter only the things I believe will kill me. Obviously, knowing your opponents and what certain cards in the game do is useful, but it's quite difficult to put into practice on the fly. As such I recommend studying your version of this deck very carefully. Know your deck and what it can do.
And now it's time for my insight into Aggro-based Talrand decks.
Strengths:
Stream Rollin' - Aggro based decks will, once started, just keep going. It usually means keeping counter mana open at all times, but usually when the drakes stay on the field for a second go around nothing short of an uncounterable board wipe or bad draws will stop it.
Speed - An Aggro deck is easy to setup. One thing to protect Talrand, a few cards that replace themselves and a bit of mana or card advantage and you've got everything you need to rush in for large chunks of damage early on. They may be suicide bombers, but damn do they cripple.
Good to the Last Drop - There's a certain versatility to being an Aggro style deck. If you're the first in and get your board position knocked out of the park early on, there's a fair chance you can recover and pick up later on. With the relatively low converted mana cost and enough card draw/turns passed, it could be reasonable to drop the Aggro Hammer later on when everyone's alright hurt and injured.
Weaknesses:
Large Buffer - Part of the draw to EDH is the big, expensive stuff noone can get away with in regular formats. As such, getting through for 120 points of damage (assuming you aggro off the bat) is an enormous concept. This alone makes most Aggro strategies short of Goblins unfeasible. Don't get me wrong, you can pump your army via numerous outlets. The problem is killing your opponents before they play a response!
General-Centric - If you lose your general via tuck, counter, destroyed, Mind Control or anything else, you're set back infinitely. My playgroup especially runs an abhorrent amount of removal. I currently can't get Talrand to stick for more than a turn or two. Luckily, Aggro decks only require this much. If Talrand is taken out in that window of opportunity however, there will be nothing you can do. As such, cards like Spell Crumple and Spin Into Myth are your worst nightmare. Heck, even a Lightning Bolt gets rid of Talrand under most circumstances.
Bad Cards Made Decent? - The way of making Talrand Aggro is generally cheap (0-2cmc) instants and sorceries that generally replace themselves in terms of mana, cards in hand or preferably both. Most of these cards are notably bad. Though a lot of these same cards work well in other formats (Gitaxian Probe), there would be no other reason to play these spells in our format. Let's be realistic; would you ever consider running Sorcerous Sight in a normal EDH game? The answer is No, because under any other circumstance this card is unplayable. But when you get a 2/2 flying Drake! Well, then it's doable. Not fantastic, but doable.
Wizards and Merfolk and... Drakes? Oh my? - I really wish Wizards would have made Talrand summon Wizards or Merfolk instead. Even a 1/1 Wizard with no abilities would have been more exploitable in both strategies than a Drake which has no real supporting cards. I'd even take a 0/1 Merfolk Wizard over 2/2 Flying Drakes. You could build so much more around that, but not so much on Drakes. That's why I run Talrand as a late game push as opposed to a quick game shove.
Advanced Topics
Hey all, this is a new subtopic I'm working on, including amounts, extra information, and other silly nonsense. Read at your own risk!
Counterspell Count
So, as you may have previously read, Talrand works quite a bit off of policing the board. After all, it's pretty hard to win if someone kills you first. That being said, one of our best ways of handling such threats is counterspells. Fortunately we're playing the right color!
The amount of counter spells you want to play may vary. I usually try to stick between twelve and fifteen counterspells. The question to ask is why, though. Why run this many counter spells?
Let's think about the game we're trying to play. We're not trying to win in the first few turns. Hell, we're not even trying to win in the mid game. We're trying to prolong a game til after everyone is already tired of fighting and dying. Until no one else has a response. Reason being, this is when everyone else is most vulnerable. The weaker everyone else is the less response we'll have to our spells that win us the game. This is not to say that we should tap out easily, absolutely not. Instead, we should be mindful of potential threats. In the late game people are at their weakest.
So how do counter spells fit into all this? Well, if someone tries to combo out before we're ready someone's gotta stop them, and what better way than by a slap to the face with good ol' Counterspell/Dissipate/Hinder? Furthermore, blue is a common color. Having those counterspells protects us while we try to overrun the table with good blue stuff. You usually don't want your Time Warp or Bribery being countered if you can help it.
Now, counter spells and their usage usually comes with experience. You shouldn't counter every move your opponents try to make; it's unreasonable to, there are three of them and only one of you! Instead play it smart. Counter only what's going to kill you or win someone else the game. Is someone playing Tooth and Nail? That's a counter. Is someone attempting to go infinite? That's a counter. Is someone trying to resolve a Elixer of Immortality? Well, it's probably not worth your time. Again, this will usually come with experience on what should be countered and what not.
This all being said, you usually want to draw into some form of response to the crazy plays that can and will happen in EDH. This deck puts you in charge of policing the board. It's pretty hard to do this without counters. So, let's get into the math behind it all.
If you have fifteen cards that in some way or another counter a spell, 15% of your deck is counter spells, right? Well, sorta. We can't include your general usually, as you typically don't draw your general what with the command zone and all. Furthermore, you'll usually keep a 7 card hand. By turn 5 and with no card advantage spells you'll have gone through 12 out of 99 card in your deck. Now, I don't know the exact math behind it because it's a little beyond me, but that's at least 12% per card that you've drawn a card that counters a spell. Seems good, right?
Now consider that we're blue. Blue typically excels in premature responses (counter spells) and card advantage (draw ALL the card!) So, more than likely we'll have drawn multiple cards by that turn five. Be it with Rhystic Study or a cheap Blue Sun Zenith, cards will have been drawn. Furthermore, most combos don't finish a game by turn five. I usually find between turns 7 and 12 are the dangerous spots. Turn seven, we've naturally drawn 14 cards. Possible 6 additional from really nice opponents (<3 Rhystic Study), so, 300% (roughly) chance per card you've got a counter spell, I think.
This all goes back to one important tenant of magic, and especially EDH; redundancy. The more cards that do similar effects the more your deck will run a certain way. EDH tries to restrict this partially what with the highlander rule, but there are enough cards similar to each other that we can usually find a way to get what we need.
Another way of thinking about it is like this; no card advantage turn seven, you've drawn 14% of your deck. If there are 15 cards that do the same effect, you've got 14*15 % chance of getting a card like that. That's 210% chance, so, odds are you'll have better than two of those cards.
Now, if those two cards are counter spells, you're suddenly in an interesting position. You could waste those early on to deny someone mana (economy) advantage. You could deny some creature (army) advantage. Perhaps instead you waste it on enchantments/artifacts (tech) advantage. All of a sudden some ******* is comboing out because you no longer have any responses.
The point that I'm trying to make is that by redundancy and math you can make a rough generalization on how many counter spells (responses) you'll have by a certain turn in the game. Knowing the odds of drawing that counter spell can certainly impact a lot of subtle decisions and enable a lot of bluffing to your opponents if they are rather skillful. It certainly is a matter of odds, but if the odds are high enough, you'll probably draw that card you're expecting. This is why redundancy is important and furthermore why maintaining a certain amount of card types is important.
Next, let's go over what card types are prevalent in this deck.
Card Types
So this Talrand build has a few key types of cards. Let's discuss them, shall we?
[u]Card Advantange[/u] - Cards that try and get even more cards. Typically, these will be cards that either perform an effect and replace themselves or replace themselves and then some. Think of these cards as a form of currency as they most certainly are.
[u]Mana Advantage[/u] - Cards that increase your economy. Be it via increasing the amount your lands tap for, decreasing the lands your opponents can tap or increasing your overall land count, Mana Advantage is one of the most important card types in this deck. This is another form of currency that may be spent, though usually less in the cards and more to do with the mana you become enabled to produce.
[u]Response/[u] - Reactive cards that come as a response to or prohibit opponents from playing certain spells/abilities. Once again, we're usually stuck with the task of policing the board, these just happen to be our means of doing so. Once again this is a form of currency, sometimes in short supply.
[u]Win Condition[/u] - Proactive cards that will win you the game or set you up in a position to where you can't lose. Go figure, even mono blue has Win Con's. Yet again another form of currency, in this right via mass removal of opponent options or creatures that whittle life points down. It's important to note that there are fewer of these than any other card type simply because we have more turns to draw into these, and they are usually irrelevant early-mid game.
An interesting component of each of these is overlap. In some games overlap is a detriment. In EDH I find it to be an advantage. Some cards simple do multiple effects. Take Solemn Simulacrum for example. Not only is he Mana Advantage, he's also Card Advantage! How about Capsize? Well, it may be a Response or a Win Condition. Sometimes, both.
Let's do one more. Talrand, Sky Summoner himself can be a Win Condition or a Response. When combined with other cards from your hand, Talrand can produce a response to someone swinging for lethal. Alternatively, he may produce a win condition your hand may otherwise not have. Now, most of your Responses will provide a solution to the problem at hand, so your drakes may then switch over to Win Conditions if the pressure is off for the moment. Hell, even most of your Card Advantage cards can then be turned into Responses or Win Conditions.
You see, that's the beauty of it all. Cards that perform multiple functions are simply value. They only exacerbate the redundancy of your deck. This way, if you're missing mana advantage, you're that much more likely to draw into the effect you need. If you need more win conditions, you're covered by some of your other cards. If you need more Card Advantage, you can usually use of your cards to produce this effect.
Something I've been wanting to go over for quite a while is the large tenants of great multiplayer games. Next section, okay?
The Three Tenants
If you know much about me, you'll know I'm addicted to two games, Magic: The Gathering as well as Starcraft. Let's talk about what they have in common.
In Starcraft, you try to kill your opponent by producing an army that can destroy the structures they have produced. You hope to have a larger army than they by means of obtaining more resources. Sometimes that's not enough and you must produce stronger units by means of research.
In Magic: The Gathering, you try to kill your opponents by producing an army that can destroy their life total. You hope to have a larger army than they by means of obtaining more lands. Usually that's not enough and you must produce spells to boost your army or remove portions of theirs.
I like to rationalize these as the three tenants:
[u]Army[/u] - These are units or spells that will directly hurt your opponents and, if left unchecked, will win you the game.
[u]Economy[/u] - These are resources that will directly support your Army and Tech so that come late-game you can produce all the effects, potentially overrunning your opponents.
[u]Tech[/u] - These are usually permanents that boost your Army and Economy or turn off certain mechanics and options your opponents would otherwise have.
All throughout my Talrand guide I talk about the three phases, and I think you can directly see which tenants relate to which phase. For example, the "Setup" phase is usually dedicated to Economy and a minor bit to Tech. The "Gauntlet" phase is dedicated more towards Tech but minors in Economy and to a lesser extent Army. The "Ascension" phase finishes with a heavy lead on Army and Tech while caring less and less about the Economy, provided it hasn't been neglected all game.
Bringing these core tenants together will win you games regardless of deck. It's hard to strictly have one and not the others in EDH. Moreover, I find it difficult to have all three at the same time. Instead I try to focus on two tenants and delay the third as long as necessary.
My Talrand build in particular focuses on Economy and Tech as those will set you up with a long term game, though you could certainly go Army and Tech at critical moments. A more cantrippy style of Talrand will probably focus more on Army and Tech or Army and Economy. Striking the right balance for you is what's important.
Closure
I hope you all enjoyed reading my guide on how to run a Control version of Talrand, Sky Summoner! Naturally, any criticism you have is welcome. I don't feel this decklist is as strong as it could possibly be though this we could certainly do worse. Last but not least, remember this is a format based on having fun. You'll win some, you'll lose some, but in the end we're all just looking to have a good time. Thank you for reading, and GLHF!
How is City of Shadows working for you? I've been considering running it in my Talrand deck. Deckwise, I like it. Have you given Future Sight a try?
EDIT: I also notice you're not running any time magics? Any particular reason? because they are some of the best cards to drop with Talrand in business.
How is City of Shadows working for you? I've been considering running it in my Talrand deck. Deckwise, I like it. Have you given Future Sight a try?
EDIT: I also notice you're not running any time magics? Any particular reason? because they are some of the best cards to drop with Talrand in business.
City of Shadows is nice due to the blocking drakes, but it's difficult to get the card to be more effective than a regular snow covered island. Especially with as much ramp as I run, it may be a strong contender to be taken out honestly. Same with Lonely Sandbar, though drawing a card later on is beautiful. Ultimately though, the colorless mana helps until the point I get ramp out. Once ramp is out, it gets less and less useful.
I haven't tried future sight, though I've been looking at it. It let's my opponent see what card I have, and I really don't like that. It's effectively draw a card, but everyone can see it. And you can play around the top card of your library. I'd say it probably wouldn't be effective due to Sensei's Top or Mystic Speculation due to their strong abilities.
I forgot I needed to drop some time magic into the deck. As in, totally forgot. Time Stop works wonders, and I can't wait to take two extra turns. >:D The big question is what do I take out for extra turns? :\
City of Shadows is nice due to the blocking drakes, but it's difficult to get the card to be more effective than a regular snow covered island. Especially with as much ramp as I run, it may be a strong contender to be taken out honestly. Same with Lonely Sandbar, though drawing a card later on is beautiful. Ultimately though, the colorless mana helps until the point I get ramp out. Once ramp is out, it gets less and less useful.
I haven't tried future sight, though I've been looking at it. It let's my opponent see what card I have, and I really don't like that. It's effectively draw a card, but everyone can see it. And you can play around the top card of your library. I'd say it probably wouldn't be effective due to Sensei's Top or Mystic Speculation due to their strong abilities.
I forgot I needed to drop some time magic into the deck. As in, totally forgot. Time Stop works wonders, and I can't wait to take two extra turns. >:D The big question is what do I take out for extra turns? :\
City seems like such an alluring alternative to the spot I'd normally give something like High Market, yet I still can't bring myself to try it out. I don't want to cut an Island and I think the rest of my utility lands justify themselves better. If you do cut the City and the Sandbar, you might take a look at things like Tolaria West, Academy Ruins, and Haunted Fengraf to fill their spots.
Letting your opponent see the top card is a drawback, but one I find very slight in comparison to the amount of power your receive. Top and Speculation are only going to aid in this since they both offer repeatable deck stacking, and if you have any form of ramp online and a clear shot things can get very nuts. Also, using the disadvantage pro-actively by forcing them to play around your top card is deceptively powerful. For instance, I find a Counterspell is just as scary as it sitting under an Isochron Scepter as it is being revealed by Future Sight. Maybe even a little more scary since I don't know what else you've got lurking beneath to unleash.
I want to put Time Stop into my build, I need to decide what to cut for it. It's such an epic card. I personally would cut at least Gravitational Shift for Time Warp. How many were you thinking of running?
The problem with removing Grav Shift is that it's largely oppressive to my opponents. The ones that have flying are then OP and don't mess with the enchantment. The ones that don't target the balls out of it over, say, important-er things. It's possible to work it against me though, and that part is not cool.
Favorable Winds is cheap and good for my army, sets up a win condition. It does nothing else, and is a card slot I'd like to see improved (Akroma's Memorial?)
Gravitational Shift is potentially oppressive to opponents, or sets a win condition for an opponent. Double edged sword ftw? :\
Runechanter's Pike can get very strong very quick, though it's increasing power, not utility. Then again, there's a certain utility to threat...
Preordain is pretty weak utility. It can go.
Recurring Insight is either too strong or too weak depending on the game, thus it's entirely unreliable. I'd say it can probably go.
Spelljack is a nice spell when someone drops a fatty. Or a game changer. It's tough to let go, but it's so damn expensive when it matters. ;_;
Unified Will is pretty touchy as well, though it is Isochron Scepter-able. Great if I've got an army already, so I'm reluctant to let it go. Less so than some of the other things, however.
Pulse of the Grid usually comes back to my hand or finalizes a win condition. Also, digging through my deck is beautiful. It's nice utility, so I'd like to keep it.
These are my thoughts on the cards that could be removed.
I'd say the big ones I want to put in are Time Stretch, Time Warp, Temporal Manipulation and Temporal Mastery.
I should get rid of Preordain, Unified Will, Recurring Insight and Spelljack. And something for Akroma's Memorial. Ftw.
And great point on the counterspell being revealed thing. That's a beautiful trick. The main problem I have is that it's an extra card slot which is tough to come by.
"Some of the other guys dared me to go out, but I knew it weren't no ordinary giant giga-blasting blaze of unending flames that would scorch the whole world."
—Norin the Wary
Not gonna lie, I'm really digging Opposition. Talrand usually sits back and watches, might as well let him in on the fun. Sakashima's Student seems like a fairly good pick as well, then again who wouldn't like 2x Tidespout tyrant's/Consecrate Sphinx'? Or whatever big baddy an opponent has.
You only have 12 valid imprints for Isocron Scepter. I'd suggest either drastically increasing the number of >=2 cmc Instants you run, or cutting the Scepter.
If you want to run the Scepter, I'd suggest some of these:
I'd also consider cutting the combo cards and mana doublers. Talrand doesn't really need them. Lastly, I really, really like Ponder, Portent, Serum Visions, basically everything that filters your draws. Those cards add a huge amount of consistancy to a deck, and with Talrand you get even more value out of all your cheap cantrip spells.
The mana acceleration has been absolutely wonderful. Going from 7 mana to 24 mana due to Grand Architect into Extraplanar (which who runs Snow-Covered Islands, really?) as well as caged sun if I'm feeling lucky is nice. Plus, Caged Sun and Gauntlet increase the power of my drakes. My drakes are ultimately my win condition. That and potentially getting lucky with a random combo.
You have a solid point on the Isochron Scepter, though. It might be a good idea to remove it just from the hate it generates, lmao. That and Mind Over Matter are in the same boat.
Alright, I modified some of the cards. I added in Mind Games, Whispers of the Muse, and Akroma's Memorial. The Buyback is mostly what I'm going for (cheap-ish, repeatable instants). Mind games is the one I have the highest expectation of, and thus far has been pretty good. Whispers of the Muse a little less so with that 5 mana buyback cost. It'll probably be cut once I get some time spells. Akroma's Memorial is going to be a strong finisher, Haste, Pro Red/Black, and Vigilance are the big onces I care about on it. Trample and First Strike are nifty as well.
I removed Time Reversal, Preordain and Spelljack. I plan on putting Time Spiral in the deck, just because it untaps a lot of lands an practically gives me an extra turn and a full hand to play with. I moderately want to abuse this, and I believe it is better than Timetwister despite the mana difference and reuseabiltity.
I tested out Whispers of the Muse a few times last night. As expected, the card hasn't produced much. Mystic Speculation is 3 mana, which means with a minor amount of ramp I can Scry until I find what I need and play around a bit. Whispers of the Muse less so; it's double the mana from Mystic Speculation and the difference in effects is negligible. I usually end up getting Sensei's or Mikokoro or Temple Bell out, so the ability to draw isn't as big as I was hoping it would be. If only it were 1U with Buyback of 1U, then it would beautifully playable... Oh well. It'll be taken out as soon as I get something decent for it.
As for cards I'm currently trying to get in the deck, well. . .
Alright, I got a few new cards. Opposition, Time Warp, Time Stretch are all in. I got a few more as well, but I'm at work right now so I'll have to wait until I get my deck to update the whole thing.
Might I suggest Spellweaver Volute? The utility is amazing on it. About to cast a Sorc you don't wanna get countered? Set Spellweaver to copy a Counter from a GY and boom... counter available... for free.
I am building a deck like this right now! Looks good, have you considered Knowledge Exploitation, Mnemoinc Wall, Augur of Bolas, or Archaeomancer? With the recursion guys and Boomerang you can get steady 2/2s each turn. You get two drake activations off of Knowledge Exploitation as well.
I've been looking at Spellweaver Volute, and to be honest it should probably be in there if nothing else but to counter when I'm taking a million extra turns. Or Capsize with buyback combos where someone wants to stop capsize indefinitely. I'm not so sure on Azami's Familiar. Great for going through the deck quickly, though that's what Mystic Speculation is for. I'll consider it though.
Recursion is cool, Snapping in extra turns usually makes everyone at the table sigh, so I'm liking that. I want to stay away from more creatures though, as they aren't 2/2 flying drakes usually. Then again, neither is Tidespout Tyrant.
The list has been updated, this time with flavor. The deck is becoming very tough for my local playgroup. It has troubles with early aggro, though it's mitigated in 4's as there is usually someone that can help respond.
I like Diviner's Wand and Eldrazi Conscription in Talrand. He's such a huge target already, so if he's surviving, it's probably safe to drop the Conscription on him. Your biggest enemy then has only one turn to come up with an answer or he's gone, and you still have your counterspells.
I can't see Eldrazi Conscription being good at all. I put in on a drake, drake dies due to spot removal, bounce, or any number of things and 8 mana goes away. It's only doable in this deck due to how much mana I can pump out, but I'd almost rather scheme and plot. Diviner's Wand was one I originally thought about running, but again it's not all that relevant. I'm not looking to win with Talrand dealing damage. I win by either pumping a ton of drakes in a stupid low amount of time or by some crazy combo that locks the board in my favor. I'll consider the wand, though.
Gitaxian Probe is a nice cantrip, but cantrips are viable for aggro with Talrand. I'm not going aggro with this deck; I want each card to stand on it's own without relying on Talrand being on the field. Largely it's succeeding.
I think I'm going to take Frantic Search out of the deck for Future Sight. Not an official change, just a thought.
Post updated with new card choices. I've put in a larger artifact sub-theme to keep the deck someone casual, though it's quite clear this is meant to be for a more competitive crowd. It'll probably just last a few weeks, but we'll see how it goes.
Updating for a couple of changes made. I removed the artifact subtheme as well as Time Stretch, partially to be nice for the playgroup, partially because Twincast is too good not to run.
As always, if you have suggestions or questions for Talrand and the might therein, please post a reply!
I love the interactions Deadeye Navigator has in general, but this deck only has a few interactions due to the low amount of creatures played. It's really only useful for Snapcaster Mage, Archaeomancer and Solemn Simulacrum, and while all of them are useful, it's a single card that combos with only three cards.
I'll have to revisit it if I end up putting more creatures with ETB triggers in though, such as Draining Whelk. I've got in in another deck of mine, and Sun Titan + Deadeye = Amazing! Of course, that's only one of many different interactions.
This deck looks pretty sweet. My version is VERY all in. I don't run any creatures and I run very few non-creature permanents. I saw that you look out the Time Warps to be nicer to the group? I love casting those spells but they can easily set you up so losing is impossible.
It would be sweet if you finished the primer and cleaned the thread up a tad. I was excited to read about some of your spells only to open an empty spoiler.
Do you find Devastation Tide or Evacuation to be bad sometimes? I considered them auto includes when I first built my deck but it almost never want to cast those spells. All the drakes will go away :[.
I'll go ahead and say this... I don't think you need things to give your spells flash. The deck already runs so many instant speed spells, why would you want to tap low for stuff like Leyline or Orrery? I find that I only ever want to counter spells in my opponents turns plus there are all the instant speed cantrips.
I dont like Propaganda or Rhystic Study for similar reasons. You need to tap mana for them and they don't make drakes. Study is a good draw engine and I did read you reasoning behind it, but I would rather play almost anything that draws cards no matter what and makes a drake. Propaganda is just bad. Why would an aggro-tempo deck need any pillowforts?
I hope youre still playing this and looking out for the list on the forums. I guess if I get no replies I can just post my deck...
This deck looks pretty sweet. My version is VERY all in. I don't run any creatures and I run very few non-creature permanents. I saw that you look out the Time Warps to be nicer to the group? I love casting those spells but they can easily set you up so losing is impossible.
It would be sweet if you finished the primer and cleaned the thread up a tad. I was excited to read about some of your spells only to open an empty spoiler.
Do you find Devastation Tide or Evacuation to be bad sometimes? I considered them auto includes when I first built my deck but it almost never want to cast those spells. All the drakes will go away :[.
I'll go ahead and say this... I don't think you need things to give your spells flash. The deck already runs so many instant speed spells, why would you want to tap low for stuff like Leyline or Orrery? I find that I only ever want to counter spells in my opponents turns plus there are all the instant speed cantrips.
I dont like Propaganda or Rhystic Study for similar reasons. You need to tap mana for them and they don't make drakes. Study is a good draw engine and I did read you reasoning behind it, but I would rather play almost anything that draws cards no matter what and makes a drake. Propaganda is just bad. Why would an aggro-tempo deck need any pillowforts?
I hope youre still playing this and looking out for the list on the forums. I guess if I get no replies I can just post my deck...
Hey, thanks for the post!
Keep watch, Distant Melody and Shared Discovery are all fantastic cards for the drake focused variation of Talrand. Drawing cards and keeping that handsize full is key to pumping drake after drake! Call to Mind is great as well as it makes a drake and sets you up with another card you've already used. Turnabout because it refreshes your mana, especially useful when you have a mana doubler on the field and Twincast in hand.
I kept Time Warp in and took Time Stretch as Time Stretch just wasn't fun for the table. Basically put, if it resolved I just won... After about 3-5 turns of not being touched. It's hard to stop spells sometimes. Permanents are easy to deal with, spells not as much.
I'll have to work on the primer some more now that I know there's interest! Thank you!
It's important to note that my decklist isn't for the Aggro/Tempo variation; my decklist is all about the lategame. It keeps opponents on their toes and constantly thinking about what I could be doing, while only have a few permanents on the board at a time. The few permanents that stay on the field have to do something amazing though, as it'll be about all I have. That's why Propaganda and Rhystic Study are in the decklist. It's tough to tap out and *then* remember your opponent has Propaganda. And Rhystic Study is either fantastic card advantage or fantastic mana disadvantage with a side of removing a removal spell. All around fantastic.
Consequently, this is also why I run Evacuation and Devastation Tide. In my playgroups wipes and removal are common-place. A permanent on the board for more than two turns is far too long. Usually the games end (when I'm playing Talrand) between turns 7 and 12. Somewhere between there the game is over. That being said, Evacuation gets all creatures away which is super relevant when trying not to die. Devastation Tide I think I should remove for Cyclonic Rift, as clearly the Rift is just stupid good.
You've got a point on the fact that most of my spells are instant speed anyway. As such, Leyline and Orrery don't cater much to those. It's more for the situations like "At the end of your turn, Reset > Time Warp > Archaeomancer > Time Warp > Mystical Tutor. I take my next turn now."
To further display my point, blue has a problem when it runs a lot of counterspells; they're fantastic pre-removal, but they require mana to be untapped. And sometimes, you don't know if you should hold counterspell mana (hint: You almost always should) or play that big scary slow spell. Sometimes you need the option of doing both open. That being said, that's why Leyline of Anticipation is in the deck; it gives you options. This sets your opponents up for really bad choices as they can't know what you have. Now, I have an easy time swinging Leyline as Talrand is mono blue and could be free, I have a tougher time reasoning Vedalken Orrery as it's hard mana all the time. It's still great for the reasons I mentioned, but I'm not entirely certain I require two of them. I'll have to look into that a bit more.
Thanks for the reply, I'm glad to see you still play the deck. I was at school when I posted that before so now that I have my deck in front of me. I guess you could say that I run Coastal Piracy over Rhystic Study.
You might like Opposition. Now I know you're not super Drake#yolo oriented, but its a great late game control card that keeps you from dying. Mind Games is a sort of spell version of Postilion. Spin Into Myth is a pretty sick removal spell.
Is High Tide good because of Reset? I'm curious about running High Tide but I don't know how good it would be in a more tempo/aggro list.
(Credits to http://southfloridamagic.com/archives/tsunami)
Forward Statement
Hey guys, thanks for reading my page on Talrand, Sky Summoner. I just wanted to give advance notice on the focus of this guide.
This guide and the card choices in particular focus on Control/Combo, whereas a lot of Talrand based guides focus on Aggro. My personal view is that a Control variation has a natural edge, though it's defenses are lower. Don't worry though, I'll be working on an Aggro portion in the future! If you have any questions on anything in here feel free to ask away!
Talrand, Sky Summoner is a new Legendary creature in M13. For a casting cost of 2UU you get a 2/2 Merfolk Wizard. The true potential of Talrand lies in his triggered ability: "Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, put a 2/2 blue Drake creature token with flying onto the battlefield."
This sets us up with a lot of interesting card choices that normally would be silly.
Talrand is a different choice for a Mono-Blue general in that it gives you a win condition through itself and still thrives without Talrand around. It's a safe general overall and allows for plenty of control. A relatively low CMC makes it easy to become the threat when you're ready. Talrand's drakes also don't seem too menacing so it's easy to skate by looking innocent. Please note that Talrand is never innocent.
I personally enjoy Talrand because I scheme, and schemers like me play through my opponent. Interacting and responding to opponents' threats while holding the Goodstuff™ for when you're ready.
Probably. Talrand can be a lot of fun, especially if you like dominating the board all of a sudden. Flipping the switch with Talrand can be exciting for you, and oppressive for opponents. On the downside, this part makes less friends than Avenger of Zendikar and Primeval Titan.
As with any general it depends on your preferred playstyle.
-Aggro or Control
-Feigning Weakness
-Safe play with or without the General
-Enough Mana to pretend you're comboing out
-Comboing out
-Explosive strategies
Talrand probably won't be for you if you don't like:
-Spell based themes
-Losing Life
-Counterspells
-Time Manipulation
-Plotting the turns (or lack thereof) of your opponents
-Blue
-Winning in the late game
-Math!
The primary win condition is with Drakes. Nasty little drakes that are mean to your opponents. Oh yeah, and leaving nothing on your opponents side of the board helps, I suppose...
There are two primary ways to focus a Talrand, Sky Summoner based deck and both are correct in their own right. The strategy I employ focuses on Control/Combo, so the Drake win condition is targeted to more of a late-game atmosphere instead.
The road to victory can be divided into three primary phases to understand.
Phase One: Setup
As with any Commander deck setup is crucial. For this deck choice, you need to be building your mana. Cards like Sol Ring, Sapphire Medallion and Extraplanar Lenscome in handy. Not all of the early game is based upon mana, however. Rhystic Study and other card advantage spells provide a great boon all game long. Back to Basics and Isochron Scepter help slow the enemy down. Even Mystic Speculation a few times will line you up right where you want to be come mid-game.
Phase Two: Gauntlet
Phase Two is bit more crucial. You'll have players left and right step up to the challenge of being number one. This is perfect for us, let someone else draw the hate. This is where we hold the counterspells for. Someone plays Thrumming Stone? Negate. Are they dropping Kaalia of the Vast or Bruna, light of Alabaster? Spell Crumple and Hinder. Board resets like Sunder and Devastation Tide come into play here.
This phase also requires some setup before getting to Phase Three. In particular, get a mana doubler (Gauntlet of Power, Caged Sun, Extraplanar Lens). Also, make sure you have a fairly strong hand before pushing for the number one spot. You can usually kick off Phase Three by a one-sided reset on the board, taking extra turns or preferrably both.
Phase Three: Ascension
This is what all that preparation was for. This is where you take 5 extra turns. Call to Mind and Snapcaster Mage will make sure of that. Being the mana hungry mages we are, Capsize and Tidespout Tyrant will kick the opponents while they're down. Line your draws with Mystic Speculation and shut out opponents with Time Stop and Turnabout.
Making it this far will usually setup a hard lock for opponents to come back from. Once you have enough drakes or enough big, bulky creatures the opponents will almost have no other option than to surrender.
Things to Watch For:
-Tapping Out: You almost never want to be out of mana as opponents can and will take an edge here.
-Other Control Players: Other control players can wreck our day when we move to victory. It's a good idea to kick them first else wait for them to tap out.
-Early Aggro (vs you): Decks that produce an absurd amount of creatures early on can and will hurt us in the long run. It usually takes 3-5 turns to configure your board state, but it's tough to do when there's 15 elves and 30 goblins knockin' on your front door. If you need to, pray for Devastation Tide and let someone else deal with the madness.
-Early Aggro (you): It's insanely easy to go for a turn 2 mana doubler, turn 3 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage, turn 4 Consecrated Sphinx and Time Warp, et al. While it may win you the game before turn 6-7, *everyone* will be gunning for you. Realize, we don't run enough creatures to deal with them. It's tough enough to keep a steady stream of cards in hand to combat the pressure we can deal with, and if you let down pressure for an instant (or get Krosan Griped), you will have no place to go. No amount of politik'n will save you, and you will not have a board state come late game. Easy move, just don't do it.
Sorted by Type, most up to date
1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
Planeswalkers
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Enchantments
1 Counterbalance
1 Back to Basics
1 Propaganda
1 Rhystic Study
1 Leyline of Anticipation
1 Future Sight
Artifacts
1 Elixer of Immortality
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Doubling Cube
1 Sapphire Medallion
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Proteus Staff
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Gauntlet of Power
1 Caged Sun
Sorceries
1 Mystic Speculation
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Call to Mind
1 Wash Out
1 Rite of Replication
1 Bribery
1 Time Warp
1 Time Spiral
1 Pact of Negation
1 High Tide
1 Brainstorm
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Pongify
1 Mind Games
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Boomerang
1 Arcane Denial
1 Twincast
1 Reset
1 Negate
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Trickbind
1 Counterspell
1 Capsize
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Hinder
1 Spell Crumple
1 Cryptic Command
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Rewind
1 Turnabout
1 Evacuation
1 Force of Will
1 Time Stop
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Grand Architect
1 Trinket Mage
1 Archaeomancer
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sakashima the Imposter
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Sphinx of Magosi
1 Stormtide Leviathan
1 Tidespout Tyrant
Lands
1 Academy Ruins
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Reliquary Tower
32 Snow-Covered Island
[U]Grand Architect[/U] - The Talrand deck I run comes with an automatic artifact subtheme (not including Tezzeret and friends). Grand Architect deserves a slot due to it ramping up for those artifacts, plus tapping blue creatures is usually a non-issue. Be it drakes or Grand Architect itself, I'm almost always certain to have an Isochron Scepter ready or enough mana to cast Caged Sun. The architect also boosts the drakes and any other blue creatures I control, making them a more viable option when trading damage and creatures. The obvious downside is that it is a spell slot, though I don't feel as bad with the amount of bonuses I receive from running it.
[U]Tidespout Tyrant[/U] - What can you say about a card that turns all of your spells into Boomerang in addition to their normal things? This card is a great finisher with take extra turn cards and/or Mystic Speculation and enough mana. This is one card that screams to be in the deck, what with the high mana I generate and the amount of solid, back-breaking spells that are produced when the deck "explodes" all over the faces of opponents. The drawbacks are a high mana cost that will usually try to stop the amount of advantage you can take from it. Other than that, this card is a strong creature that will wreck opponent's days.
[U]Stormtide Leviathan[/U] - STL is one of the strong beaters in the deck that produces a few nice effects. First off, ground creatures can't attack without Islandwalk. It stops my weaker creatures, but I can't be mad at that given the moat I get. Furthermore, it turns all of my non-basics into Islands meaning they get a bonus off of Gauntlet of Power and Caged Sun, and enables the Islandwalk of STL itself. Lastly, an 8/8 beater is nothing to laugh about, least of all when it's unblockable (unless someone Sunder's, lol). The point is, this card is great for Offense and Defense with a bit of mana fixing on the side.
Sphinx of Magosi - This is another new addition to Talrand and one I hadn't seen previously. It serves two key principles, drawing cards and killing opponents. Go figure, it does both fairly well. This is another reason why it's critical to get as much mana as possible, as with 3 mana you get instant speed draw a card on a body that just keeps getting bigger. This is almost certainly a late game card. I usually end up playing it when I'm about to go in for the kill, taking an extra turn on the side to remove summoning sickness. With enough mana, this will kill someone, though make sure not to deck yourself in the process.
Snapcaster Mage - SCM has no business NOT being in this deck. My favorite combo with this card is Time Warp, Call to Mind > Time Warp, Snapcaster Mage > Call to Mind > Time Warp, Riptide Laboratory > Snapcaster Mage > Time Warp... Well, you get the idea. Having that second iteration of a response is important to have, especially since it is instant speed. It has a rather nice amount of synergy with the deck considering the amount of cards that play with it. The con is it being a 2/1, but let's be realistic; we're playing it for the ability, not the creature.
Sakashima the Imposter - This is one creature I keep going back and forth on. Sakashima will get you a copy of target creature and doesn't care about the legend rule. The original reason I placed it in the deck is for 2xTalrands, though Talrand is usually the least relevant creature to copy. 2xTidespout Tyrants or Ulamog's are usually better. Also considering most players in my playgroup run Primeval Titan and Sun Titan, it's just beautiful. The downside is that I run only a handful of creatures that actually care about Sakashima, so much so that more often I rely on my opponents having relevant creatures in play instead before wanting to use it. It's a situation that when it works, it works beautifully. When it doesn't, it's a wasted card draw. A special side note that I absolutely must give to this card is it's ability to do it again. For 2UU, return it to your hand at EOT. This ability is absolutely relevant and useful, mana permitting of course.
Trinket Mage - Trinket Mage is simply put an easy tutor. It finds Sol Ring, Sensei's Divining Top, Elixer of Immortality and Wayfarer's Bauble. The usual grabs with it are going to be Sol Ring and Top, though sometimes you need 5 life or your graveyard back. It'll almost never be used to grab Wayfarer's Bauble unless you've got the other things and really just want that extra land. Overall, Trinket Mage servers a few purposes. It's a card that is okay with being Proteus Staffed, it's okay running into it with Proteus Staff, and it helps your mana base via consistency. This is a recent addition to the deck, so I intend to test it out. If it runs very smoothly more one-drop artifacts may be put into the deck. The downside to Trinket Mage is that it's sole purpose is to find other cards and is only a blocker afterwards. Still, it has a neat purpose and could prove useful.
Phyrexian Metamorph - This is a card that I was looking forward to running for quite a while. For three mana it is a Legendary kill spell, another Tidespout Tyrant, Consecrated Sphinx, Sphinx of Magosi, or any number of creatures your opponents are running. It's absolutely fantastic when copying some mana advantage creature, such as Oracle of Mul Daya. Point blank, this card is absolutely outstanding and will prove useful in most games.
Archaeomancer - After much contemplation I decided this may deserve a spot. This creature is absolute spell support, and does it very well. I'd put this creature on par with Snapcaster Mage with the key differences being lack of Flash and putting the spell in hand instead of exile. With the right combination of cards, it can certainly go infinite, though that's not the purpose. The main purpose is to increase the value of cards in our graveyard. Some people joke that this is the blue Regrowth. Well, wizards certainly did right in making Regrowth anything but blue. That being said, run this. Multiple Briberies, Time Warps and Fact or Fictions are absolutely worth it.
Solemn Simulacrum - There's a reason Sad Robot is a staple in most EDH decks. ETB, fetch an Island. Die, draw a card. It's important to note that this is yet another Sakashima target, and a fairly decent one at that. Fetching a land in this deck decreases the turn count in which we need to just rock the board our way. Sad Robot is yet another card I couldn't fathom leaving out. It's draw back is that it's a 2/2 that doesn't get a boost from creature boosters, that also wants to die. No matter how you go about it, Sad Robot is fantastic.
Consecrated Sphinx - This is one of those cards that really requires little explanation, though is so fun to talk about. What can you say about a card that, if it survives a full round of 4player magic, draws you 6 extra cards? More spells = more solutions. If you're worried about running over 7, well, cross your fingers for Reliquary Tower and drop that for your land for turn. Seriously, this card is absolutely nuts. Plus, a 4/6 flyer isn't bad in the slightest. That and Arcane Denial ends up being a tough choice for opponents on whether to take the extra card draw or not. Another fun circumstance is when you and another player both have Consecrated Sphinx on the board; you both draw until you drop, so long as one player draws! Also, with Mikokoro on the field, you're guaranteed to have a good time. If you're even the slightest bit on the fence with this card, don't be. Try it out and be amazed.
Counterbalance - Counterbalance... The poor man's counterspell! This is a cheap, reusable version of counterspell-on-a-stick. Drawback symptoms include opponents hating you and everything you are, nausea, depression, and winning by a large margine. Yeah, it's pretty scary for opponents, and they tend to go in overdrive mode to kill it or you. This card certainly will not earn you friends.
Back to Basics - Speaking of making no friends... Back to basics shuts off non-basic lands. As in, they just don't untap. Someone throw out Gaea's Cradle? Awesome! They should've played a forest. This card is in here for two main reasons. For one, it doesn't hurt you. This deck runs 5 non-basic lands, and 30 basics. Odds are, you'll have enough to untap each turn. That and the fact that our mana base should usually have each island tap for more than one, you'll be in the best board position mana wise. The second reason to run this is to shut off those big, scary tri-color decks. I've seen so many players scoop to this resolving, so much so that it only confirms this serves as a very fine card choice, even if it is a tad on the sadistic side. Please note, this does NOT make for a very fun card on the other side of the table. Your opponents will not like that you run this card, reasonably so.
Propaganda - What a card; if you run into problems with taking damage, Propaganda will help you. It's one of those easily political cards that will prevent you from dying. A lot of players will think twice when they have to pay 2 to attack for each creature. The great thing about this card is that it allows a blue player to play his best. To survive until the end-game (winning), you pretend your board presence doesn't exist. The "feel-bad" complex of other players will allow you to develop your spells in hand and worry less about attacking you. Suddenly taking an extra turn isn't so bad when you're not the scary player. Propaganda helps perpetuate this. Afterall, it's only a defensive permanent, nothing scary. Right guys?
Rhystic Study - You know what wins games? Well, a lot of things. But here me out on this. You know what wins games? Big, bad spells. Nasty spells that go bump in the night, that frighten children for their delicious candy. Dirty spells that strike fear into the hearts and minds of your opponents. You know what gets you those cards?
... Opponents not paying the 1 extra. Thus, meet Rhystic Study. Veterans know this as the obnoxious card #17. New players know this as diplomatically awesome- until they lose too. Rhystic study is so fine that it's a win/win regardless of payment. Either you slow your opponents or you draw cards. And considering blue relies on stalling opponents and spells being their main force of winning, this card succeeds either way. A neat trick with this card is that if someone plays, for example, Tooth and Nail, Rhystic Study's trigger resolves first. Meaning, you could potentially draw into a counterspell before it resolves. Now, a large downside to Rhystic Study is that, much like Back to Basics and Counterbalance, you draw hate. People don't like paying 1 extra. People don't like drawing you cards. People will work to remove this card. I suggest playing it as early as possible to screw up opponents early games and slow the pace of the game to your level. That and it will get removed fairly quickly (which is a good thing, you don't want it to last all game long or players will get tired and off you swiftly). Remember, if it draws 2 cards it was worth it. Anything else, including paying 1 extra, is gravy.
Leyline of Anticipation - Leyline of Anticipation is one of my all-time favorite cards. It potentially starts the game on the board and allows you to have all of the benefits of instant speed for all of your cards (well, except Proteus Staff and planeswalkers, but that's besides the point). Imagine, turn one Island, go. At the end of your turn, Sol Ring, Isochron Scepter (Boomerang), My turn. Island, Bounce your land, Counterbalance. Now, granted, this is a great example of magical christmas land, but the point that LoA has is surprising the enemy with all of your big stuff and holding your spells. You don't have to tap out to drop your mana doublers. Wait until they move to pass their turn and BOOM; All of a sudden, you start your next turn with twice as much mana as before. Leyline of Anticipation is a card that I believe any deck that can run it, absolutely should. Unless your general already gives all of your spells flash anyway, this card is just amazing.
Future Sight - I made a few switches in the deck recently, one of which being Magus of the Future for this baby. They both do the same thing though creatures are easier to remove than enchantments. Now, let's go over exactly what it is that this enchantment does. First off, you get to play spells from the top of your deck. Not just spells though, lands as well (still once per turn, normally). So, it's card advantage, right? Maybe play a few spells here and there and call it good? Okay. So, pretend for example you play three cards from the top of your library (a modest number, I assure you). That's effectively drawing three cards a turn. Now, your opponents get to see your draws and the cards you're putting into your hands. At a certain point it won't matter as much, as their fears only become a reality at this point. Better yet, if you get a card you don't like on top just find a way to shuffle your library and be done with it! Overall, this has to be one of the best card advantage spells blue has to offer. There is no reason not to run it.
Sol Ring - Sol Ring is one of the nicest mana rocks ever. Most importantly, it puts this deck ahead a bit in terms of mana, allowing us to get those bigger, badder mana spells earlier and earlier. There is no downside to this card as far as I can tell, and absolutely deserves a spot in the deck. To not run this is to deny yourself a basic advantage.
Sapphire Medallion - Sapphire Medallion ends up being on par with Sol Ring and at times even better. If you cast more than two blue spells with colorless in their cost, it's better. Important note about this card, this DOES help with Buyback and other additional casting costs (Miracle, too). Once again, it's hard to come up with a reason not to run this card. My playgroup has recently realized that I rely on this card a lot of the time, so I end up having to cast it mid game instead of turn 1/2.
Extraplanar Lens - The Lens is one of those cards a lot of players seem to be hesitant on and I do not understand why. It doubles all snow-covered islands on the board (usually only yours) and allows you to play bigger, meaner spells than your opponents. The Converted Mana Cost is a bit misleading as a large amount of spells in this deck, you should never tap out for this card. If you do, you exile an Island of yours for absolutely nothing. Always leave mana open to protect this device as best you can. The downside, of course, is that exiling a land of your own is risky. If an opponent removes it in some fashion the turn it comes out, you'll usually be put behind severely. As long as you keep it up for a turn or two, it'll have the pull to win you the game.
Gauntlet of Power - Yes, another mana doubler, this time it's for everyone's basic lands. Not much more needs to be said about doubling mana, though this one also has the added benefit of increasing the power and toughness of blue creatures. The downside is that it helps your Blue opponents as well. This rarely hurts us severely, though it is a big deal. Keep track of players that get a bonus off of it and respond accordingly.
Caged Sun - Yet another mana doubler, this time it only helps you and impacts all of your U producing lands. It also gives you the +1 bonus to blue creatures and once again only to you. There is no reason not to play this. The drawback to this is the 6cmc, though that shouldn't be an issue by the time you can cast it.
Sensei's Divining Top - This is another artifact that begs for a slot in the deck. For 1 mana, rearrange the top 3 cards of your library. Draw into Miracle cards easier or hit your land drops smoother. With Magus of the Future on your field, it's effectively 1: Reveal the top card of your library, then draw a card. It also has strong synergy with Counterbalance, effectively using the top three cards to counter more spells opponents play. The drawback for this card is that it has no drawbacks. Seriously, if you haven't already, try it out.
Proteus Staff - Proteus Staff wants to polymorph your drakes into big creatures like Consecrated Sphinx. Think about that; a 2/2 flier turned into a 4/6 flier with an astronomical impact on the board and baiting removal spells left and right. Also, with no creatures in your deck, you end up sacrificing a drake to rearrange your entire library. How cool is that? The downside is that this ability can only be activated at sorcery speed, meaning no surprise(!) Ulamog's any time soon. Still, this is one bad artifact.
Armillary Sphere - This card is fairly straight-forward; for two mana you get an artifact that pops for two to get two lands in hand. I was noticing issues with hitting land drops before, but this card makes your land drops more consistent. I'm sad that it's not an instant or sorcery, but overall hitting land drops is absolutely critical for Talrand. Overall the mana curve on this is easy enough, the effect is necessary and it doesn't hurt us.
Doubling Cube - Oddly enough another mana doubler. This time with style and drawbacks! This artifact says for three colorless, double the mana in your pool. If you have 6 mana go to 12, 18 go to 36, well, you get the idea. Now that I've been playing with this card for awhile I like it. It's not useful at all in the beginning stages of the game so don't expect a large boon off the bat. It does however get better the further and further the game progresses. Stacking on top of your other mana doublers is something neat as well. The large downside is that it begs for you to tap all of your mana, so unless you're untapping again anyway it may not be worth going the full distance. Even still this card helps our mana tremendously and is a good fit for Talrand.
Wayfarer's Bauble - This is an easy card put into the deck to fix mana, just as Armillary Sphere. The mana curve is right on par with what we want out of a good ramp spell and the impact on Talrand's mana base is well received. Guaranteeing land drops is an important task for Talrand and cards like this only help the cause.
Elixir of Immortality - Oddly enough this card replaced Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre. Ulamog was simply too much threat being in the deck for not much results. Now our deck refiller is an activated ability on an artifact that needs to be cast to use. Fortunately my meta does not include many mill strategies. The five life is partially relevant, though realistically it's not that great an impact. This card is ran with the intent of refilling our deck with spells itching to be cast again.
I find that I run a lot of counterspells, so I'll divide the Instants section between Counterspell and Not-Counterspell.
Before we get into the counterspells, I'd just like to note that this isn't the absolute end all/be all of counter spells. There are plenty more counter spells that I'd love to outline, and will eventually in another section. For more on counter spells and how it impacts your deck read on to the "Advanced Technique's" section below if you get a chance.
Pact of Negation - One of the strongest counters simply because it's a 0 upfront cost. Be careful when running this, however, as if you're even close to the 5 mana count one Wasteland can ruin your day. I usually hold this unless someone is winning or about to win. Otherwise, paying 5 mana is a huge detriment and practically skips an entire untap phase.
Counterspell - Important to note for this is that it just says "Counter Target Spell". There is no special clauses that limit where or when it my counter, only that it may. As such it is one of the most versatile spells in blues' array of premature removal. You could certainly do worse for two blue mana.
Trickbind - This is a situational card that always has a relevant situation. This card *will* stop triggered and activated abilities dead in their tracks, with not much to stop it. This card has an ability called "Split Second" which means while it is on the stack, activated abilities and spells cannot be used. This doesn't stop Triggered abilities however, so Counterbalance, for example, could stop it. Even still, this card is a meta-decision used to stop combos. Much like Time Stop, we don't want opponents winning the game before we do.
Negate - This card is also meta-relevant. In my meta creatures are almost a dying breed except when they produce an amazing ETB/LTB trigger. This card gets any non-creature spells and is quite cheap. Two mana means you can play it a turn earlier than any bad cards (here's looking at you, Cancel) and is usually relevant throughout the game. I usually save it for protecting my permanents or stopping combo's.
Arcane Denial - This card, much like Counterspell, says "Counter Target Spell" and is even easier to cast than Counterspell, what with the colorless mana cost and all. The downside to this is that spell's controller gets to draw two cards during the next upkeep. Don't worry though, you get to draw one as well. Usually this will counter something obnoxiously good (Tooth and Nail) and the opponent I use it against will be cool with it. I mean, we did just draw them two cards. Come to think of it, it's like the Oblation of blue.
Muddle the Mixture - This is a new addition and I'm not entirely certain how well it will work. The effect itself will stop some of the things Negate covers, and if I really need to I can transmute sometime during my turn and use it as a rattlesnake. Alternatively, if I'm just worried about counters coming my way, this will stop most variations of them. Also important to note is that this is a tech choice more than anything. Look through the deck list and see which two mana cards it can grab. It's toolkit is quite wide!
Spell Crumple - This card is a general hoser. It's entire purpose is to stop generals from entering the battlefield. I would say it does a fantastic job of this. Furthermore it stops combos and graveyard recursion as well. This card and it's brother Hinder are the bane of general-centric decks. Never leave home without one!
Hinder - Honestly, there's not much more that needs to be said except that it's a second version of Spell Crumple with minor differences. Spell Crumple puts itself and the target spell on the bottom of it's owner's library, Hinder puts it on top or on bottom, and goes to the Graveyard upon resolution. Minor differences, fantastic effect.
Cryptic Command - Initially I was hesitant for what is basically a four mana counter. When you think about it, it's so much more. Cryptic Command combines Boomerang, Counterspell, Thoughtweft Gambit and any cheap cantrip. The usual modes I choose are Counter and bounce a permanent, though it's not unheard of to tap creatures or draw a card. Sometimes the four mana is a steep price to pay, sometimes it's right up our alley considering it also draws the card. Overall it's a versatile card that produces several important, blue effects.
Rewind - Rewind is another "free" counter in that it untaps your lands. With mana doublers, it overproduces mana allowing you more options than normal. People will tell you it's a bad card occasionally, but a free counter allows you so many options. Also unlike the other free counters there is no downside except that you need the mana upfront. Of course, that is certainly a downside, but not a huge pain. Overall, would run again.
Force of Will - One of the most coveted of counters, this is another free counter. Instead you pay one life and exile a blue card from hand.
High Tide - High Tide is a situational card that usually sets you up to explode on the table. I don't find it very useful in the first five or so turns, simply because our land count is low. I usually follow it up with a permanent mana doubler, Cyclonic Rift, or Time Spiral. That, or as the beginning of a Time Warped turn.
Evacuation - Creatures are scary. Well, opponent's creatures are scary. What's more frightening is that in Mono-Blue we have little control of permanents short of bouncing (and tapping, but you get the idea). That being said, being able to bounce all creatures all at once is very cool. In my group's meta creatures are becoming less and less seen with the exception of combos and other general forms of degeneracy. That being said, Evacuation being instant speed makes it all the better.
Pongify - Okay, I'll admit, I mostly put this in here for the joke. On the bright side, it's actually not bad at all. If you need to kill a creature (here's looking at you, [card]Vorinclex, VOice of Hunger[card]), here's your chance. Furthermore, one mana is a steal for destroying a creature and making it not able to regenerate. Also, a 3/3 green Ape token is not a big deal. Block it with the 2/2 flier you make with Talrand. Or, bounce it. Or, take the damage like it's nothing. Lastly, good luck finding an Ape token. ._.
Boomerang - Boomerang is quite sitational. I liken it to our version of Path to Exile, except it's versatility works for us as well. It gets around indestructable creatures quite well, though it's usually not a permanent solution to creatures. Sometimes you'll bounce Archaeomancer or Snapcaster Mage, sometimes you'll throw it on an Isochron Scepter and go to town on an opponents lands (it's totally a thing). Either way, Boomerang will be one of your top spells to lay down.
Time Stop - Can you say C-C-C-Combo Breaker? Time Stop is one of the best ways for stopping a player from going off. This is simple because there are only two ways of dealing with it; counter it or play all of your spells on the stack. It works least against Blue and Red players, but it's always critically effective. If it resolves, that player skips the rest of their turn and ALL spells and abilities under it on the stack are exiled from the game. No more Capsize/Kokusho/Sun Titan? Sounds fantastic to me.
Mystical Tutor - Tutoring at the right time is a tough skill to learn albeit important nonetheless. Mystical Tutor helps line your next draw with what you need at instant speed. That's right, hold your mana up as long as you need. Also, it's fantastic when someone makes you draw a card. Furthermore, since your opponents get to see your pick, it acts as a great rattlesnake for would-be degenerates. Usually I'll find Cyclonic Rift or Time Spiral simply for how well both of these cards bring you up to the top. Also common is the right counterspell for the moment. Just be mindful of your opponents and what they're doing, and this tutor will go a long way.
Mind Games - Originally I put this in the deck as an enabler for Talrand's ability. Largely, it's still in here for the same thing. It's not like that's the only time, though. Tap Eldrazi before combat, tap lands during upkeep/before draw/during combat, or throw it at opponents with with the flight of drakes you make. Any way you cut it, it's relevant. It's relatively weak compared to a lot of the other cards on this list, but it will do good things under most circumstances. Plus, reusability on a spell is fantastic card advantage.
Brainstorm - My vote for the best cantrip in the format. Brainstorm simple does so much. It lines your draw, protects your important things from Wheel of Fortune, sets up Miracles, produces a drake and frightens opponents. Do it before an opponent resolves Consecrated Sphinx, though. Otherwise you'll regret it. :\
Twincast - The first time I resolved Twincast targeting Turnabout I thought it was the best feeling ever, ever. Especially after doubling your mana, it's super smooth. Twincast turns every instant and sorcery into an abomination twice as good for usually not twice the mana. Two Briberies? Yes please. Two Time Spirals? Sure, why not? Even copy enemy spells like Explosive Vegetation or Boundless Realms for big mana (or Tooth and Nail like a boss). The better your opponents' decks, the better this card. The better your deck, this better this card. This card scales amazingly.
Reset - Untap your lands for two mana? Sure, it's only on opponents turns, but man is that cool. Plus, it's not like it matters with Leyline of Anticipation or Vedalken Orrerry. Also, it's amazing when opponents think you only have mana for one counterspell, then lay down reset and burn the stack. Also, this can be Twincasted for a lot of mana in the pool. Also, Isochron Scepter. Do it, don't question it.
Capsize - I feel bad Capsizing opponents board, though it's definitely one of those strong cards you can't ignore. I usually end up bouncing lands as much as possible to shut down opponent responses. Also great to bounce an opponents Reliquary Tower at the end of their turn, forcing a major discard sometimes. Also takes away obnoxious protection items like Swiftfoot Boots.
Blue Sun's Zenith - With the mana you get in the late game, BSZ wins you outright. Instant speed holds your mana until the end of your opponents turn. Mana doublers, of course, rock this card's world. Also notable is forcing someone to draw out their deck. Killing target player with enough mana just feels... Great!
Fact or Fiction - Sometimes draw 1-2 great cards, sometimes draw 3-4 pretty great cards, Fact or Fiction draws you what you need. Your opponent's get a read on what you're drawing, but since when does that bother us? This card is instant speed draw a few cards either way. Also notable is that it draws you through your deck faster, getting through 5 cards instead of just 2 or 3. There is a reason this card is considered a staple in most blue decks.
Turnabout - Every blue deck I create now runs Turnabout. Originally I skipped past the whole "Untap target players' lands" thing and was using it to tap people down during upkeep. Now I twincast this and produce 30-40 mana like a champ. The other modes are great too considering you have the option at instant speed, but usually I'll untap my lands and float a bunch of mana.
Cyclonic Rift - This card is the game finisher. For seven mana bounce all of your opponents non-land permanents. None of yours at all. Also, this is an instant. Cyclonic Rift is just nuts! Once again there is no reason not to run this. It makes a drake with Talrand, it removes threats, it allows you to set your next turn up perfectly... I'd go as far as to say it is the best blue bounce spell.
Mystic Speculation -
Merchant Scroll -
Call to Mind -
Rite of Replication -
Wash Out -
Time Warp -
Bribery -
Time Spiral -
Academy Ruins - Academy Ruins allows me to grab my artifacts from the grave. The big mana doublers are almost always the main target for this, though Solemn Simulacrum is another key choice.
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - Instant speed draw a card saves lives, pure and simple. Be it digging for something big or just blowing your mana on more cards, Mikokoro helps. The drawbacks are fairly simple; it's not an island and it requires mana to activate. Furthermore, it can only be done once a turn. That being said, it's a solid land that can be used politically.
Riptide Laboratory - I have nothing but love for this land; it's not an island, but being able to recast Snapcaster Mage is potentially game ending. It's only drawback is that Snapcaster Mage is usually the only decent target and that it's not an Island.
Reliquary Tower - The land that combos with Consecrated Sphinx, really what more needs to be said? It's not an island and won't win the game on it's own, but it's the best in keeping my hand size bountiful.
Seat of the Synod - I'm using this land only because of Tezzeret. I would normally run a Snow-Covered Island in it's place, though I'm testing out the artifact subtheme at the moment. Though I don't expect it to last, -0'ing Tezzeret for another land ain't all that bad. This card's drawbacks are simply; it's neither basic nor snow-covered, thus it doesn't receive the benefits of most of my mana doublers. It is fetchable however, so it stays as long as Tezzeret is in the deck.
Snow-Covered Island - These lands are the prime of the mana base. They benefit off of all of my mana doublers and work well with cards like Back to Basics as a player stopper. The reason for the Snow-Covered is solely as a result of Extraplanar Lens, stopping opponents from taking advantage from all of my mana doublers. I keep my basic land count high so that I produce as much mana as possible, so only the best non-basics should replace them.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage -
Soon!
Counterspells via mana cost
0cmc
Pact of Negation (0 - Counter target spell.
At the beginning of your next upkeep, pay . If you don't, you lose the game.)
1cmc
Force Spike (U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.)
Spell Pierce (U - Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays 2)
Spell Snare (U - Counter target spell with converted mana cost 2.)
Flusterstorm (U - Counter target instant or sorcery spell unless its controller pays 1.
Storm)
Steel Sabotage (U - Choose one — Counter target artifact spell; or return target artifact to its owner's hand.)
Turn Aside (U - Counter target spell that targets a permanent you control.)
Spell Burst (xU - Buyback 3
Counter target spell with converted mana cost X.)
Abjure (U - As an additional cost to cast Abjure, sacrifice a blue permanent.
Counter target spell.)
2cmc
Mana Drain (UU - Counter target spell. At the beginning of your next main phase, add to your mana pool, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.)
Counterspell (UU - Counter target spell.)
Daze (1U - You may return an Island you control to its owner's hand rather than pay Daze's mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.)
Muddle the Mixture (UU - Counter target instant or sorcery spell.
Transmute 1UU)
Trickbind (1U - Split Second
Counter target activated or triggered ability. If a permanent's ability is countered this way, activated abilities of that permanent can't be activated this turn. )
Mana Leak (1U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3.)
Remand (1U - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it into its owner's hand instead of into that player's graveyard.
Draw a card.)
Negate (1U - Counter target noncreature spell)
Arcane Denial (1U - Counter target spell. Its controller may draw up to two cards at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
You draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.)
Miscalculation (1U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
Cycling 2)
Confound (1U - Counter target spell that targets one or more creatures.
Draw a card.)
Familiar's Ruse (UU - As an additional cost to cast Familiar's Ruse, return a creature you control to its owner's hand.
Counter target spell.)
Delay (1U - Counter target spell. If the spell is countered this way, exile it with three time counters on it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard. If it doesn't have suspend, it gains suspend.)
Spell Syphon (1U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays for each blue permanent you control.)
Unified Will (1U - Counter target spell if you control more creatures than that spell's controller.)
Gainsay (1U - Counter target blue spell.)
3cmc
Forbid (1UU - Buyback—Discard two cards. Counter target spell.)
Dissipate (1UU - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.)
Circular Logic (2U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1 for each card in your graveyard.
Madness U)
Exclude (2U - Counter target creature spell.
Draw a card.)
Stoic Rebuttal (1UU - Metalcraft — Stoic Rebuttal costs 1 less to cast if you control three or more artifacts.
Counter target spell.)
Hinder (1UU - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put that card on the top or bottom of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard.)
Faerie Trickery (1UU - Counter target non-Faerie spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.)
Sage's Dousing (2U - Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3. If you control a Wizard, draw a card.)
Spell Crumple (1UU - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on the bottom of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard. Put Spell Crumple on the bottom of its owner's library.)
4cmc
Cryptic Command (1UUU - Choose two — Counter target spell; or return target permanent to its owner's hand; or tap all creatures your opponents control; or draw a card.)
Dismiss (2UU - Counter target spell.
Draw a card.)
Rewind (2UU - Counter target spell. Untap up to four lands.)
Foil (2UU - You may discard an Island card and another card rather than pay Foil's mana cost.
Counter target spell.)
Last Word (2UU - Last Word can't be countered by spells or abilities.
Counter target spell.)
Fuel for the Cause (2UU - Counter target spell, then proliferate.)
Scattering Stroke (2UU - Counter target spell. Clash with an opponent. If you win, at the beginning of your next main phase, you may add x to your mana pool, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.)
Controvert (2UU - Counter target spell.
Recover 2UU)
5cmc
Force of Will (3UU - You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay Force of Will's mana cost.
Counter target spell.)
Desertion (3UU - Counter target spell. If an artifact or creature spell is countered this way, put that card onto the battlefield under your control instead of into its owner's graveyard.)
6cmc
Spelljack (3UUU - Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard. You may play it without paying its mana cost for as long as it remains exiled.
Counterlash (4UU - Counter target spell. You may cast a nonland card in your hand that shares a card type with that spell without paying its mana cost.)
Overwhelming Intellect (4UU - Counter target creature spell. Draw cards equal to that spell's converted mana cost.)
7cmc
Assert Authority (5UU - Affinity for artifacts
Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.)
This is a major question a lot of people that are interested in Talrand, Sky Summoner face. There are major strengths and weaknesses of both, and as you've read in this guide my focus is on Control. I'd like to take a moment and outline the key differences, strengths and weaknesses I find of both.
As this is a Control guide, it's only fitting I start with such.
Strengths:
Larger, Explosive Ending - This means more mana, more creatures, more damage; All the good stuff to finish off a game with. Don't be surprised if you end the game with 7-9 4/4 fliers, Tidespout Tyrant (five of him), Stormtide Leviathan, and whatever else you can think of.
Less Reaction - That's right; your enemies are not likely to have as many responses. With Control, it's very easy to skate by unnoticed until the last minute. Short of a few bits of policing, you're also likely to have counter-responses to anything your enemies have in store as well.
Consistency - A longer game means more card draw, and the more cards you get through the higher the odds of you drawing the winning pieces are. Let's be honest; we're not Black, we can't just tutor for any random set of cards. Part of the honesty in Blue is drawing cards. Never mind the fact that we're drawing 20 cards...
Weaknesses:
Defense - Part of the problem with not relying on the general is that opponents' creatures will easily get through. And short of countering the creatures or Propaganda, you won't be stopping them any time soon.
Threat - Usually, your hand will be fantastic. Occasionally, it won't. We all roll the dice each new game, some better than others. While Control usually has a lot of answers, not much but Lady Luck will prevent you from dying if you're hated off the field too soon. The more and more you win with this (or any deck for that matter), the more likely your local playgroup(s) will want to kill you off first. It's sad but true that players would rather their permanents be destroyed then countered beforehand. Naturally, they don't usually take well to Blue.
Response Appropriation - I would say this is a deck that is quite challenging and gets even more so depending on the skill of your opponents. The better your opponents, the better you must react with counters, removal, control, etc. Knowledge of the game and your local meta is crucial not only to this deck but to Blue in general. A general rule of thumb I go by is counter only the things I believe will kill me. Obviously, knowing your opponents and what certain cards in the game do is useful, but it's quite difficult to put into practice on the fly. As such I recommend studying your version of this deck very carefully. Know your deck and what it can do.
And now it's time for my insight into Aggro-based Talrand decks.
Strengths:
Stream Rollin' - Aggro based decks will, once started, just keep going. It usually means keeping counter mana open at all times, but usually when the drakes stay on the field for a second go around nothing short of an uncounterable board wipe or bad draws will stop it.
Speed - An Aggro deck is easy to setup. One thing to protect Talrand, a few cards that replace themselves and a bit of mana or card advantage and you've got everything you need to rush in for large chunks of damage early on. They may be suicide bombers, but damn do they cripple.
Good to the Last Drop - There's a certain versatility to being an Aggro style deck. If you're the first in and get your board position knocked out of the park early on, there's a fair chance you can recover and pick up later on. With the relatively low converted mana cost and enough card draw/turns passed, it could be reasonable to drop the Aggro Hammer later on when everyone's alright hurt and injured.
Weaknesses:
Large Buffer - Part of the draw to EDH is the big, expensive stuff noone can get away with in regular formats. As such, getting through for 120 points of damage (assuming you aggro off the bat) is an enormous concept. This alone makes most Aggro strategies short of Goblins unfeasible. Don't get me wrong, you can pump your army via numerous outlets. The problem is killing your opponents before they play a response!
General-Centric - If you lose your general via tuck, counter, destroyed, Mind Control or anything else, you're set back infinitely. My playgroup especially runs an abhorrent amount of removal. I currently can't get Talrand to stick for more than a turn or two. Luckily, Aggro decks only require this much. If Talrand is taken out in that window of opportunity however, there will be nothing you can do. As such, cards like Spell Crumple and Spin Into Myth are your worst nightmare. Heck, even a Lightning Bolt gets rid of Talrand under most circumstances.
Bad Cards Made Decent? - The way of making Talrand Aggro is generally cheap (0-2cmc) instants and sorceries that generally replace themselves in terms of mana, cards in hand or preferably both. Most of these cards are notably bad. Though a lot of these same cards work well in other formats (Gitaxian Probe), there would be no other reason to play these spells in our format. Let's be realistic; would you ever consider running Sorcerous Sight in a normal EDH game? The answer is No, because under any other circumstance this card is unplayable. But when you get a 2/2 flying Drake! Well, then it's doable. Not fantastic, but doable.
Wizards and Merfolk and... Drakes? Oh my? - I really wish Wizards would have made Talrand summon Wizards or Merfolk instead. Even a 1/1 Wizard with no abilities would have been more exploitable in both strategies than a Drake which has no real supporting cards. I'd even take a 0/1 Merfolk Wizard over 2/2 Flying Drakes. You could build so much more around that, but not so much on Drakes. That's why I run Talrand as a late game push as opposed to a quick game shove.
Hey all, this is a new subtopic I'm working on, including amounts, extra information, and other silly nonsense. Read at your own risk!
Counterspell Count
So, as you may have previously read, Talrand works quite a bit off of policing the board. After all, it's pretty hard to win if someone kills you first. That being said, one of our best ways of handling such threats is counterspells. Fortunately we're playing the right color!
The amount of counter spells you want to play may vary. I usually try to stick between twelve and fifteen counterspells. The question to ask is why, though. Why run this many counter spells?
Let's think about the game we're trying to play. We're not trying to win in the first few turns. Hell, we're not even trying to win in the mid game. We're trying to prolong a game til after everyone is already tired of fighting and dying. Until no one else has a response. Reason being, this is when everyone else is most vulnerable. The weaker everyone else is the less response we'll have to our spells that win us the game. This is not to say that we should tap out easily, absolutely not. Instead, we should be mindful of potential threats. In the late game people are at their weakest.
So how do counter spells fit into all this? Well, if someone tries to combo out before we're ready someone's gotta stop them, and what better way than by a slap to the face with good ol' Counterspell/Dissipate/Hinder? Furthermore, blue is a common color. Having those counterspells protects us while we try to overrun the table with good blue stuff. You usually don't want your Time Warp or Bribery being countered if you can help it.
Now, counter spells and their usage usually comes with experience. You shouldn't counter every move your opponents try to make; it's unreasonable to, there are three of them and only one of you! Instead play it smart. Counter only what's going to kill you or win someone else the game. Is someone playing Tooth and Nail? That's a counter. Is someone attempting to go infinite? That's a counter. Is someone trying to resolve a Elixer of Immortality? Well, it's probably not worth your time. Again, this will usually come with experience on what should be countered and what not.
This all being said, you usually want to draw into some form of response to the crazy plays that can and will happen in EDH. This deck puts you in charge of policing the board. It's pretty hard to do this without counters. So, let's get into the math behind it all.
If you have fifteen cards that in some way or another counter a spell, 15% of your deck is counter spells, right? Well, sorta. We can't include your general usually, as you typically don't draw your general what with the command zone and all. Furthermore, you'll usually keep a 7 card hand. By turn 5 and with no card advantage spells you'll have gone through 12 out of 99 card in your deck. Now, I don't know the exact math behind it because it's a little beyond me, but that's at least 12% per card that you've drawn a card that counters a spell. Seems good, right?
Now consider that we're blue. Blue typically excels in premature responses (counter spells) and card advantage (draw ALL the card!) So, more than likely we'll have drawn multiple cards by that turn five. Be it with Rhystic Study or a cheap Blue Sun Zenith, cards will have been drawn. Furthermore, most combos don't finish a game by turn five. I usually find between turns 7 and 12 are the dangerous spots. Turn seven, we've naturally drawn 14 cards. Possible 6 additional from really nice opponents (<3 Rhystic Study), so, 300% (roughly) chance per card you've got a counter spell, I think.
This all goes back to one important tenant of magic, and especially EDH; redundancy. The more cards that do similar effects the more your deck will run a certain way. EDH tries to restrict this partially what with the highlander rule, but there are enough cards similar to each other that we can usually find a way to get what we need.
Another way of thinking about it is like this; no card advantage turn seven, you've drawn 14% of your deck. If there are 15 cards that do the same effect, you've got 14*15 % chance of getting a card like that. That's 210% chance, so, odds are you'll have better than two of those cards.
Now, if those two cards are counter spells, you're suddenly in an interesting position. You could waste those early on to deny someone mana (economy) advantage. You could deny some creature (army) advantage. Perhaps instead you waste it on enchantments/artifacts (tech) advantage. All of a sudden some ******* is comboing out because you no longer have any responses.
The point that I'm trying to make is that by redundancy and math you can make a rough generalization on how many counter spells (responses) you'll have by a certain turn in the game. Knowing the odds of drawing that counter spell can certainly impact a lot of subtle decisions and enable a lot of bluffing to your opponents if they are rather skillful. It certainly is a matter of odds, but if the odds are high enough, you'll probably draw that card you're expecting. This is why redundancy is important and furthermore why maintaining a certain amount of card types is important.
Next, let's go over what card types are prevalent in this deck.
Card Types
So this Talrand build has a few key types of cards. Let's discuss them, shall we?
[u]Card Advantange[/u] - Cards that try and get even more cards. Typically, these will be cards that either perform an effect and replace themselves or replace themselves and then some. Think of these cards as a form of currency as they most certainly are.
[u]Mana Advantage[/u] - Cards that increase your economy. Be it via increasing the amount your lands tap for, decreasing the lands your opponents can tap or increasing your overall land count, Mana Advantage is one of the most important card types in this deck. This is another form of currency that may be spent, though usually less in the cards and more to do with the mana you become enabled to produce.
[u]Response/[u] - Reactive cards that come as a response to or prohibit opponents from playing certain spells/abilities. Once again, we're usually stuck with the task of policing the board, these just happen to be our means of doing so. Once again this is a form of currency, sometimes in short supply.
[u]Win Condition[/u] - Proactive cards that will win you the game or set you up in a position to where you can't lose. Go figure, even mono blue has Win Con's. Yet again another form of currency, in this right via mass removal of opponent options or creatures that whittle life points down. It's important to note that there are fewer of these than any other card type simply because we have more turns to draw into these, and they are usually irrelevant early-mid game.
An interesting component of each of these is overlap. In some games overlap is a detriment. In EDH I find it to be an advantage. Some cards simple do multiple effects. Take Solemn Simulacrum for example. Not only is he Mana Advantage, he's also Card Advantage! How about Capsize? Well, it may be a Response or a Win Condition. Sometimes, both.
Let's do one more. Talrand, Sky Summoner himself can be a Win Condition or a Response. When combined with other cards from your hand, Talrand can produce a response to someone swinging for lethal. Alternatively, he may produce a win condition your hand may otherwise not have. Now, most of your Responses will provide a solution to the problem at hand, so your drakes may then switch over to Win Conditions if the pressure is off for the moment. Hell, even most of your Card Advantage cards can then be turned into Responses or Win Conditions.
You see, that's the beauty of it all. Cards that perform multiple functions are simply value. They only exacerbate the redundancy of your deck. This way, if you're missing mana advantage, you're that much more likely to draw into the effect you need. If you need more win conditions, you're covered by some of your other cards. If you need more Card Advantage, you can usually use of your cards to produce this effect.
Something I've been wanting to go over for quite a while is the large tenants of great multiplayer games. Next section, okay?
The Three Tenants
If you know much about me, you'll know I'm addicted to two games, Magic: The Gathering as well as Starcraft. Let's talk about what they have in common.
In Starcraft, you try to kill your opponent by producing an army that can destroy the structures they have produced. You hope to have a larger army than they by means of obtaining more resources. Sometimes that's not enough and you must produce stronger units by means of research.
In Magic: The Gathering, you try to kill your opponents by producing an army that can destroy their life total. You hope to have a larger army than they by means of obtaining more lands. Usually that's not enough and you must produce spells to boost your army or remove portions of theirs.
I like to rationalize these as the three tenants:
[u]Army[/u] - These are units or spells that will directly hurt your opponents and, if left unchecked, will win you the game.
[u]Economy[/u] - These are resources that will directly support your Army and Tech so that come late-game you can produce all the effects, potentially overrunning your opponents.
[u]Tech[/u] - These are usually permanents that boost your Army and Economy or turn off certain mechanics and options your opponents would otherwise have.
All throughout my Talrand guide I talk about the three phases, and I think you can directly see which tenants relate to which phase. For example, the "Setup" phase is usually dedicated to Economy and a minor bit to Tech. The "Gauntlet" phase is dedicated more towards Tech but minors in Economy and to a lesser extent Army. The "Ascension" phase finishes with a heavy lead on Army and Tech while caring less and less about the Economy, provided it hasn't been neglected all game.
Bringing these core tenants together will win you games regardless of deck. It's hard to strictly have one and not the others in EDH. Moreover, I find it difficult to have all three at the same time. Instead I try to focus on two tenants and delay the third as long as necessary.
My Talrand build in particular focuses on Economy and Tech as those will set you up with a long term game, though you could certainly go Army and Tech at critical moments. A more cantrippy style of Talrand will probably focus more on Army and Tech or Army and Economy. Striking the right balance for you is what's important.
I hope you all enjoyed reading my guide on how to run a Control version of Talrand, Sky Summoner! Naturally, any criticism you have is welcome. I don't feel this decklist is as strong as it could possibly be though this we could certainly do worse. Last but not least, remember this is a format based on having fun. You'll win some, you'll lose some, but in the end we're all just looking to have a good time. Thank you for reading, and GLHF!
EDIT: I also notice you're not running any time magics? Any particular reason? because they are some of the best cards to drop with Talrand in business.
City of Shadows is nice due to the blocking drakes, but it's difficult to get the card to be more effective than a regular snow covered island. Especially with as much ramp as I run, it may be a strong contender to be taken out honestly. Same with Lonely Sandbar, though drawing a card later on is beautiful. Ultimately though, the colorless mana helps until the point I get ramp out. Once ramp is out, it gets less and less useful.
I haven't tried future sight, though I've been looking at it. It let's my opponent see what card I have, and I really don't like that. It's effectively draw a card, but everyone can see it. And you can play around the top card of your library. I'd say it probably wouldn't be effective due to Sensei's Top or Mystic Speculation due to their strong abilities.
I forgot I needed to drop some time magic into the deck. As in, totally forgot. Time Stop works wonders, and I can't wait to take two extra turns. >:D The big question is what do I take out for extra turns? :\
City seems like such an alluring alternative to the spot I'd normally give something like High Market, yet I still can't bring myself to try it out. I don't want to cut an Island and I think the rest of my utility lands justify themselves better. If you do cut the City and the Sandbar, you might take a look at things like Tolaria West, Academy Ruins, and Haunted Fengraf to fill their spots.
Letting your opponent see the top card is a drawback, but one I find very slight in comparison to the amount of power your receive. Top and Speculation are only going to aid in this since they both offer repeatable deck stacking, and if you have any form of ramp online and a clear shot things can get very nuts. Also, using the disadvantage pro-actively by forcing them to play around your top card is deceptively powerful. For instance, I find a Counterspell is just as scary as it sitting under an Isochron Scepter as it is being revealed by Future Sight. Maybe even a little more scary since I don't know what else you've got lurking beneath to unleash.
I want to put Time Stop into my build, I need to decide what to cut for it. It's such an epic card. I personally would cut at least Gravitational Shift for Time Warp. How many were you thinking of running?
I'd say the biggest cards I can get rid of are
Favorable Winds is cheap and good for my army, sets up a win condition. It does nothing else, and is a card slot I'd like to see improved (Akroma's Memorial?)
Gravitational Shift is potentially oppressive to opponents, or sets a win condition for an opponent. Double edged sword ftw? :\
Runechanter's Pike can get very strong very quick, though it's increasing power, not utility. Then again, there's a certain utility to threat...
Preordain is pretty weak utility. It can go.
Recurring Insight is either too strong or too weak depending on the game, thus it's entirely unreliable. I'd say it can probably go.
Spelljack is a nice spell when someone drops a fatty. Or a game changer. It's tough to let go, but it's so damn expensive when it matters. ;_;
Unified Will is pretty touchy as well, though it is Isochron Scepter-able. Great if I've got an army already, so I'm reluctant to let it go. Less so than some of the other things, however.
Pulse of the Grid usually comes back to my hand or finalizes a win condition. Also, digging through my deck is beautiful. It's nice utility, so I'd like to keep it.
These are my thoughts on the cards that could be removed.
I'd say the big ones I want to put in are Time Stretch, Time Warp, Temporal Manipulation and Temporal Mastery.
I should get rid of Preordain, Unified Will, Recurring Insight and Spelljack. And something for Akroma's Memorial. Ftw.
And great point on the counterspell being revealed thing. That's a beautiful trick. The main problem I have is that it's an extra card slot which is tough to come by.
Sakashima's Student
You should have an unblocked drake 90% of the time.
Opposition
This is absolutely amazing. Can be used to clear the way, defense, or just keep your opponents locked out.
Try em, I really like them a lot here.
Cockatrice Username: seriph0
If you want to run the Scepter, I'd suggest some of these:
I'd also consider cutting the combo cards and mana doublers. Talrand doesn't really need them. Lastly, I really, really like Ponder, Portent, Serum Visions, basically everything that filters your draws. Those cards add a huge amount of consistancy to a deck, and with Talrand you get even more value out of all your cheap cantrip spells.
You have a solid point on the Isochron Scepter, though. It might be a good idea to remove it just from the hate it generates, lmao. That and Mind Over Matter are in the same boat.
I removed Time Reversal, Preordain and Spelljack. I plan on putting Time Spiral in the deck, just because it untaps a lot of lands an practically gives me an extra turn and a full hand to play with. I moderately want to abuse this, and I believe it is better than Timetwister despite the mana difference and reuseabiltity.
As for cards I'm currently trying to get in the deck, well. . .
As for cards I want to playtest. . .
These were some pretty interesting ideas, and I'd to see how well each of them work. I'll test them out in my playgroups and see how they go.
Tomorrow, Azami's Familiar is pretty nice, too.
I built my Talrand deck to be a poor-man's Azami with better protection. I also put in a lot of theft and clone stuffs, too.
While it's woefully under-tuned... it's a lot of fun just messing around with it.
Recursion is cool, Snapping in extra turns usually makes everyone at the table sigh, so I'm liking that. I want to stay away from more creatures though, as they aren't 2/2 flying drakes usually. Then again, neither is Tidespout Tyrant.
I like Diviner's Wand and Eldrazi Conscription in Talrand. He's such a huge target already, so if he's surviving, it's probably safe to drop the Conscription on him. Your biggest enemy then has only one turn to come up with an answer or he's gone, and you still have your counterspells.
Mono Red's Strengths and Mono White's Strengths
Gitaxian Probe is a nice cantrip, but cantrips are viable for aggro with Talrand. I'm not going aggro with this deck; I want each card to stand on it's own without relying on Talrand being on the field. Largely it's succeeding.
I think I'm going to take Frantic Search out of the deck for Future Sight. Not an official change, just a thought.
*edit* Took out Frantic Search for Fabricate.
As always, if you have suggestions or questions for Talrand and the might therein, please post a reply!
I'll have to revisit it if I end up putting more creatures with ETB triggers in though, such as Draining Whelk. I've got in in another deck of mine, and Sun Titan + Deadeye = Amazing! Of course, that's only one of many different interactions.
This deck looks pretty sweet. My version is VERY all in. I don't run any creatures and I run very few non-creature permanents. I saw that you look out the Time Warps to be nicer to the group? I love casting those spells but they can easily set you up so losing is impossible.
It would be sweet if you finished the primer and cleaned the thread up a tad. I was excited to read about some of your spells only to open an empty spoiler.
Do you find Devastation Tide or Evacuation to be bad sometimes? I considered them auto includes when I first built my deck but it almost never want to cast those spells. All the drakes will go away :[.
I'll go ahead and say this... I don't think you need things to give your spells flash. The deck already runs so many instant speed spells, why would you want to tap low for stuff like Leyline or Orrery? I find that I only ever want to counter spells in my opponents turns plus there are all the instant speed cantrips.
I dont like Propaganda or Rhystic Study for similar reasons. You need to tap mana for them and they don't make drakes. Study is a good draw engine and I did read you reasoning behind it, but I would rather play almost anything that draws cards no matter what and makes a drake. Propaganda is just bad. Why would an aggro-tempo deck need any pillowforts?
I hope youre still playing this and looking out for the list on the forums. I guess if I get no replies I can just post my deck...
GWUBAtraxa, Praetor's Voice PrimerGWUB
GWURoon Bant Blink WhateverGWU
BRGLord Windgrace LandsBRG
Hey, thanks for the post!
Keep watch, Distant Melody and Shared Discovery are all fantastic cards for the drake focused variation of Talrand. Drawing cards and keeping that handsize full is key to pumping drake after drake! Call to Mind is great as well as it makes a drake and sets you up with another card you've already used. Turnabout because it refreshes your mana, especially useful when you have a mana doubler on the field and Twincast in hand.
I kept Time Warp in and took Time Stretch as Time Stretch just wasn't fun for the table. Basically put, if it resolved I just won... After about 3-5 turns of not being touched. It's hard to stop spells sometimes. Permanents are easy to deal with, spells not as much.
I'll have to work on the primer some more now that I know there's interest! Thank you!
It's important to note that my decklist isn't for the Aggro/Tempo variation; my decklist is all about the lategame. It keeps opponents on their toes and constantly thinking about what I could be doing, while only have a few permanents on the board at a time. The few permanents that stay on the field have to do something amazing though, as it'll be about all I have. That's why Propaganda and Rhystic Study are in the decklist. It's tough to tap out and *then* remember your opponent has Propaganda. And Rhystic Study is either fantastic card advantage or fantastic mana disadvantage with a side of removing a removal spell. All around fantastic.
Consequently, this is also why I run Evacuation and Devastation Tide. In my playgroups wipes and removal are common-place. A permanent on the board for more than two turns is far too long. Usually the games end (when I'm playing Talrand) between turns 7 and 12. Somewhere between there the game is over. That being said, Evacuation gets all creatures away which is super relevant when trying not to die. Devastation Tide I think I should remove for Cyclonic Rift, as clearly the Rift is just stupid good.
You've got a point on the fact that most of my spells are instant speed anyway. As such, Leyline and Orrery don't cater much to those. It's more for the situations like "At the end of your turn, Reset > Time Warp > Archaeomancer > Time Warp > Mystical Tutor. I take my next turn now."
To further display my point, blue has a problem when it runs a lot of counterspells; they're fantastic pre-removal, but they require mana to be untapped. And sometimes, you don't know if you should hold counterspell mana (hint: You almost always should) or play that big scary slow spell. Sometimes you need the option of doing both open. That being said, that's why Leyline of Anticipation is in the deck; it gives you options. This sets your opponents up for really bad choices as they can't know what you have. Now, I have an easy time swinging Leyline as Talrand is mono blue and could be free, I have a tougher time reasoning Vedalken Orrery as it's hard mana all the time. It's still great for the reasons I mentioned, but I'm not entirely certain I require two of them. I'll have to look into that a bit more.
You might like Opposition. Now I know you're not super Drake#yolo oriented, but its a great late game control card that keeps you from dying. Mind Games is a sort of spell version of Postilion. Spin Into Myth is a pretty sick removal spell.
Is High Tide good because of Reset? I'm curious about running High Tide but I don't know how good it would be in a more tempo/aggro list.
GWUBAtraxa, Praetor's Voice PrimerGWUB
GWURoon Bant Blink WhateverGWU
BRGLord Windgrace LandsBRG