It is, but this deck runs a lot of 1 for 1 removal, mitigated by snaps. I'm fully admitting that I'm making poor decisions with moves to make and what not, so that's something I need to work on. But I just feel like some way of getting caught back up would be great. It especially hurts when you have to mulligan.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
A problem I've been having (which is one I think with most aggro decks) is running out of steam. If you are forced on the back foot early against a faster deck (let's say affinity or delver or what have you) and forced to use your removal before dropping your mentor, the deck pretty much fizzles. This could just be bad play on my part, situation depending but it's probably better to take hits and get the engine going. But even still, when your hand is empty it takes so much to come back. I was running 1-2 esper charms as a way to at least get some card draw, but I have since cut them. I'm thinking of going back though. Blue is generally lacking raw card advantage at low cmc, but has anyone had any success with spells to refill your hand? Maybe Jace Beleren or something?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
I think Dralnu is a mistake. You can flashback spells, sure but unless you have a load of tokens, having to sac 3 things to a lightning bolt is counter productive. I think snaps are a better choice.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Yea I was thinking something similar. I was back and forth about running esper charm main, which satisfies that to some degree, but I would still want some way to remove artifacts. I've also been leaning away from permission in the main, but it seems like most of the winning decks I've seen are running some number of snares and remands.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
You mind posting your list? I tried 2 MR this weekend at states. The only match where they were really relevant was against Naya Zoo. It didn't do any damage, but they were forced to chump it with their only creature, effectively keeping the board clear for me. The problem I've been having with them is what to cut for them.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
I'm thinking of adding Peer Through Depths or anticipate as a 2-of. Digs pretty deep and pulls out a relevant answer. There have been times where I want to find a threat, where anticipate would work better, but I find myself wanting spells more often and peer would get deeper, so I'm leaning that way.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
I like the idea of Monastery Siege in there. The biggest problem I've been having with this deck is hand size/card selection. What I mean is that the cards that cantrip don't do much to affect the board state. Thought Scour is great and sets you up for early tasigur/cuts, and serum visions smooths your later draws, but the removal doesn't replace itself. This has been a problem for me when there is no mentor on the board, and I start to flood out, or not hitting things you need to hit. I had a very frustrating game loss this weekend where lingering souls would have helped a lot. After the game I dug into my library and saw 3 copies all together about 2/3s of the way down. Granted that's all variance and such, but I think a loot effect every turn would really help in smoothing out everything. I have also gone with 2 esper charms main as some instant speed card draw, and that has really helped as well.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
It's done pretty well. The games I've lost, I felt that I mostly had a pretty good shot at winning. There have been some burn matches that I just get rolled over, and I have had some land issues as well, either too many or too few. I'm pretty high on quicken. It has been pretty solid for the most part. I often get too greedy with it by holding it up to get value out of casting a sorcery at instant speed, but I need to just cantrip it someimes. I've been skeptical of Thought Scour in the past, but having played the deck a bit more (and finally buying 2 snaps to get a full set online) I am much more high on the card. Turn 2 Tasigur is sweet. The flex cards I have are serum visions and slaughter pact. I like both cards, but I've played a fair bit of junk, and think shaving down to a single slaughter pact would be better, and if I cut the serum visions then the value of quicken goes down a bit. I'm looking for some advice on what to fill in those spots. I had remand in there, but I wasn't crazy, but it could make a come back. I like having permission, but have felt that I want to be far more proactive game 1.
@ Mrs. Whittlebury:
Love seeing CoP in there. How has it worked out for you? I see the 0-2 from burn, but I feel like burn boils down to "draw specific cards or die"
Edit: Another joy of Thought Scour: It feels really good to see someone scry to the top with Serum Vision, and then you scour them
I experimented with it a bit. If you have it you want to drop any 4-drops (I run Sorin) and it becomes a much more aggro style deck. It does work for sure, but you need to play a very different game with it than without.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
I'm thinking of including a singleton noxious revival. Instant speed get a card back with all the self milling seems like it could be viable, and instant speed free(ish) spells are good for triggering mentor and MR. Thoughts?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
If you want to play Mana Tithe, you are better off with Spell Pierce as a 1 mana counter. The surprise factor of leaving up a white source is nice, but I feel like plays that rely on surprises like that aren't consistent enough to work well.
On another note, I have been really liking quicken in these lists as a 2 of. Instant speed cantrips to trigger mentor is great, but the value of being able to thoughtseize/IoK in response to an exarch, or just during the opponents draw step is great. Plus end of turn Lingering Souls, triggering mentor twice is fantastic, same goes for serum visions. There are enough sorceries to make it relevant, and at the very least it's an instant cantrip. I'm also thinking about Anticipate, but 2 mana kind of hurts it. Has anyone experimented with Narset? As far as 4 mana walkers go, I have been liking Sorin, Solemn Visitor for extra damage and life gain, so the CC of Narset shouldn't kill her, but I'm not sure if it's justifiable.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWR Breach, UWB Esper control
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/30718_Todd-VS-BBD-Esper-Tokens-VS-Abzan.html
Esper vs Abzan. Haven't watched it yet, but nice to see it featured.
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
4 Monastery Mentor
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Instant/Sorcery 27
1 Disfigure
1 Murderous Cut
4 Path to Exile
2 Quicken
2 Slaughter Pact
4 Thought Scour
1 Zealous Persecution
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lingering Souls
2 Serum Visions
3 Thoughtseize
3 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Flooded Strand
3 Island
1 Marsh Flats
1 Plains
4 Polluted Delta
1 Swamp
2 Godless Shrine
1 Watery Grave
2 Stony Silence
2 Celestial Purge
2 Disenchant
1 Flashfreeze
3 Negate
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Thoughtseize
3 Timely Reinforcements
It's done pretty well. The games I've lost, I felt that I mostly had a pretty good shot at winning. There have been some burn matches that I just get rolled over, and I have had some land issues as well, either too many or too few. I'm pretty high on quicken. It has been pretty solid for the most part. I often get too greedy with it by holding it up to get value out of casting a sorcery at instant speed, but I need to just cantrip it someimes. I've been skeptical of Thought Scour in the past, but having played the deck a bit more (and finally buying 2 snaps to get a full set online) I am much more high on the card. Turn 2 Tasigur is sweet. The flex cards I have are serum visions and slaughter pact. I like both cards, but I've played a fair bit of junk, and think shaving down to a single slaughter pact would be better, and if I cut the serum visions then the value of quicken goes down a bit. I'm looking for some advice on what to fill in those spots. I had remand in there, but I wasn't crazy, but it could make a come back. I like having permission, but have felt that I want to be far more proactive game 1.
@ Mrs. Whittlebury:
Love seeing CoP in there. How has it worked out for you? I see the 0-2 from burn, but I feel like burn boils down to "draw specific cards or die"
Edit: Another joy of Thought Scour: It feels really good to see someone scry to the top with Serum Vision, and then you scour them
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
On another note, I have been really liking quicken in these lists as a 2 of. Instant speed cantrips to trigger mentor is great, but the value of being able to thoughtseize/IoK in response to an exarch, or just during the opponents draw step is great. Plus end of turn Lingering Souls, triggering mentor twice is fantastic, same goes for serum visions. There are enough sorceries to make it relevant, and at the very least it's an instant cantrip. I'm also thinking about Anticipate, but 2 mana kind of hurts it. Has anyone experimented with Narset? As far as 4 mana walkers go, I have been liking Sorin, Solemn Visitor for extra damage and life gain, so the CC of Narset shouldn't kill her, but I'm not sure if it's justifiable.
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show
http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=82042
Legacy: UW RiP/Helm, UR Sneak and Show