I was looking to do a couple different things:
1) Optimize this deck list to be as competitive and brutal as possible for multiplayer.
2) Come up with a set of cards that I can switch out to be less combo oriented for more casual metagames.
Right now it kinda feels like it is maybe a little too powerful for a more casual meta, but not powerful enough for a super competitive meta.
I like the idea of mono blue, but people are complaining mostly about the knowledge pool combo, especially since it is pretty easy to set up by turn 6 without much hope for interaction.
I think some of the weaker cards in the deck are:
Serum Visions
Preordain
Impulse
Time Warp
Temporal Manipulation
Gravitational Shift
Propaganda
Crawlspace
I like the early search of cantrips so I'm not really sure I want to cut them, since finding something to deal with multiple attacking creatures very early can be pretty crucial in a lot of games. The Time walks don't seem like things I can really abuse to badly and could probably be something better, but they are also decent place holders since they always cycle for free at worse.
Then some of the board control cards seem anti-synergistic with each other.
If anyone has a way of converting the deck to be less combo kill oriented I would be interested in seeing ways to do that as well. It seems like mono blues powerful cards just aren't quite good enough to close out a multiplayer game, without completely retooling the deck.
Anytime a deck has a pillow fort base, its a casual deck imo. Powerful spell decks just ignore tapping creatures sideways, so if you want to keep it "casual" keep the defense cards in. If you want to make it super competitive, replace these with counterspells and fast mana.
1) Optimize this deck list to be as competitive and brutal as possible for multiplayer.
- Essence Scatter
- Remove Soul
- Gravitational Shift
- Energy Field
- Meishin, the Mind Cage
- Propaganda
- Illusionist's Gambit
- Fog bank
- Guard Gomazoa
- Crawlspace
- Ensnaring Bridge
- Forcefield
- Silent Arbiter
- 4x Island
- Tolaria West
If you want to play the cantrips, like Brainstorm, Ponder, etc, you want more ways to shuffle your library, like Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Misty Rainforest. Plus these fuel "Delve".
With 5 cards that return creatures to hand Ætherize, Ætherspouts, Evacuation, Cyclonic Rift, Engulf the shore, you might want to look at one of the shuffle cards into library and draw 7 cards, like Time Twister, Windfall, Time Spiral. This deck could do with some more draw.
1) Optimize this deck list to be as competitive and brutal as possible for multiplayer.
2) Come up with a set of cards that I can switch out to be less combo oriented for more casual metagames.
Right now it kinda feels like it is maybe a little too powerful for a more casual meta, but not powerful enough for a super competitive meta.
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Combo/Other (11)
1 Knowledge Pool
1 Palinchron
1 Great Whale
1 Deadeye Navigator
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Dig Through Time
1 Time Warp
1 Temporal Manipulation
Search (11)
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Serum Visions
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Impulse
1 Fabricate
1 Transmute Artifact
1 Treasure Mage
1 Long-term Plans
Counterspells (8)
1 Counterspell
1 Mana Drain
1 Negate
1 Remove Soul
1 essence scatter
1 Swan Song
1 Dispel
1 Cryptic Command
1 Ætherize
1 Ætherspouts
1 Evacuation
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Time Stop
1 Engulf the shore
1 Illusionist's Gambit
1 Reins of Power
1 Rapid Hybridization
1 Pongify
1 Reality Shift
1 All is Dust
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Meishin, the Mind Cage
1 Forcefield
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Energy Field
1 Gravitational Shift
1 Propaganda
1 Crawlspace
1 Fog bank
1 Guard Gomazoa
1 Silent Arbiter
1 Maze of Ith
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Sapphire Medallion
1 Mind stone
1 Thought Vessel
1 Sky diamond
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Gauntlet of Power
1 Caged Sun
Lands (34)
1 Academy Ruins
1 Tolaria West
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
29 Island
I like the idea of mono blue, but people are complaining mostly about the knowledge pool combo, especially since it is pretty easy to set up by turn 6 without much hope for interaction.
I think some of the weaker cards in the deck are:
Serum Visions
Preordain
Impulse
Time Warp
Temporal Manipulation
Gravitational Shift
Propaganda
Crawlspace
I like the early search of cantrips so I'm not really sure I want to cut them, since finding something to deal with multiple attacking creatures very early can be pretty crucial in a lot of games. The Time walks don't seem like things I can really abuse to badly and could probably be something better, but they are also decent place holders since they always cycle for free at worse.
Then some of the board control cards seem anti-synergistic with each other.
If anyone has a way of converting the deck to be less combo kill oriented I would be interested in seeing ways to do that as well. It seems like mono blues powerful cards just aren't quite good enough to close out a multiplayer game, without completely retooling the deck.
Thanks in advance.
+ Omen Machine
+ Phantasmal Image - can combo with Palinchron
+ Glen Elendra Archmage
+ Pact of Negation
+ Arcane Denial
+ Force of Will
+ Forbid
+ Mana Vault
+ Grim Monilith
+ Extraplanar Lens
+ Mulldrifter
+ Trinket Mage
+ Wayfarer's Bauble
+ Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Misty Rainforest
+ Cavern of Souls
- Essence Scatter
- Remove Soul
- Gravitational Shift
- Energy Field
- Meishin, the Mind Cage
- Propaganda
- Illusionist's Gambit
- Fog bank
- Guard Gomazoa
- Crawlspace
- Ensnaring Bridge
- Forcefield
- Silent Arbiter
- 4x Island
- Tolaria West
If you want to play the cantrips, like Brainstorm, Ponder, etc, you want more ways to shuffle your library, like Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Misty Rainforest. Plus these fuel "Delve".
With 5 cards that return creatures to hand Ætherize, Ætherspouts, Evacuation, Cyclonic Rift, Engulf the shore, you might want to look at one of the shuffle cards into library and draw 7 cards, like Time Twister, Windfall, Time Spiral. This deck could do with some more draw.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith