I know d0su is testing Disdainful Stroke and it seems like a good swap for Arcane Denial. Arcane Denial seems a little more versatile on paper but I'm very curious to see how testing turns out.
Hey guys, I haven't been able to play a lot of Magic for the last couple of months but I got some good games in last week. I am starting to get a feel for Disdainful Stroke and Crimson Wisps in the pauper version.
Crimson Wisps is great. Its primary purpose is to allow you to combo out immediately with Krosan Restorer instead of having to pass the turn, and to that end it is ideal. It turns your combo from a 6-mana, 2-turn affair into a 4-mana, 1-turn machine (play Restorer, play Wisps, tap Restorer, play Freed from the Real, untap Restorer). When you aren't ready to win, it replaces itself as easily as one of your cycling lands and can even enable hasty Child of Alara beatdown if you decide to go that route. I like it and will be keeping it.
Disdainful Stroke is just okay. Having access to another splashable hard counter is great, but about 1/3 of the things I want to counter (Timetwister, Hinder, etc.) are invalid targets. I certainly would not replace Arcane Denial with Stroke as Denial is the best counter in the deck, IMO. I want another counter, I think, but Stroke is probably not it.
The more this deck evolves, the less I like Disturbed Burial. With the way I play the deck, I rarely cast Child of Alara more than twice per game. I am going to cut Burial and I don't think I will miss it.
I am playing Spore Frog as a way to deter early beats and to give me an out to persistent general damage. I haven't drawn it enough to know how it performs but I bet it will be good.
I cut a single nonbasic for a single bounceland (Dimir Aqueduct) and am also playing Strip Mine as my 42nd land. I regret nothing. (One version of Strip Mine was printed on the commons sheet of Antiquities, while the other three artworks were on the uncommon sheet. Weird.)
Rhystic Study has been overperforming for me lately. In large (5+ person) multiplayer games, it quickly obsoletes every other CA spell in the deck.
Thanks urdjur and everyone else for your continued work on all versions of the deck. Your input is immensely helpful!
Glad to hear Wisps has been doing well. I have yet to figure out where to fit it in the deck, but that is the next card on my list of things to try. I'm surprised you didn't like Stroke, but the argument that it doesn't win counterspell fights is very true. Mind sharing an updated post of your list? I'm curious as to how you've shifted around things since your last post.
Glad to hear Wisps has been doing well. I have yet to figure out where to fit it in the deck, but that is the next card on my list of things to try. I'm surprised you didn't like Stroke, but the argument that it doesn't win counterspell fights is very true. Mind sharing an updated post of your list? I'm curious as to how you've shifted around things since your last post.
Here is my current list. Most of my choices have been focused on reducing average CMC and squeezing the most options out of each card.
Quick Facts:
Krosan Restorer: YES
Trinket Mage: YES
Dizzy Spell: NO
Ghostly Flicker: YES
Rush of Knowledge: NO
Ways to kill CoA: 7 (seems a little low to me, but it's been working fine)
Average CMC (not counting CoA): 2.50
Panoramas: 4
Cycling Lands: 8
It looks like you're missing a card. Your "Other Nonland Mana" section is listed at 7 when you only have 6. I know previously you've mentioned dropping Disturbed Burial for Soul Manipulation. Could that be the 99th card?
It looks like you're missing a card. Your "Other Nonland Mana" section is listed at 7 when you only have 6. I know previously you've mentioned dropping Disturbed Burial for Soul Manipulation. Could that be the 99th card?
Looks really solid. Thank you for sharing.
The missing card is Prophetic Prism, which I am on the fence about. Disdainful Stroke is currently in the Soul Manipulation slot. Good catch!
Isn't Commander's Sphere better than Darksteel Ingot? After you wipe the first time, you should have enough ramp to prefer CA.
Can you justify Trinket Mage without artifact lands? Is it particularly for Expedition Map (to fetch Strip Mine or Bojuka Bog)? I'd add the 5 artifact lands to fix/ramp better if you don't use this tech. Dimir Aqueduct is here to reuse Bojuka Bog? Is it worth it?
In your experience, are Panoramas better than Guildgates (or gain-1-life equivalents)? If you like this kinda speed, maybe Unknown Shores and other rainbow lands can suit you quite well.
Can't you reduce your lands to, say, 40, based on your average cmc? I'll try to reduce mine too.
No Rush of Knowledge? Don't you miss CA?
I won a couple games with a Disturbed Burial/Spore Frog 'soft lock'. I'd consider to return it replacing that Disdainful Stroke you're not that fond of.
May I ask you guys to help me later on my Tiny Leaders deck with good feedback too? It's in my sig. Thanks in advance.
Isn't Commander's Sphere better than Darksteel Ingot? After you wipe the first time, you should have enough ramp to prefer CA.
Can you justify Trinket Mage without artifact lands? Is it particularly for Expedition Map (to fetch Strip Mine or Bojuka Bog)? I'd add the 5 artifact lands to fix/ramp better if you don't use this tech. Dimir Aqueduct is here to reuse Bojuka Bog? Is it worth it?
In your experience, are Panoramas better than Guildgates (or gain-1-life equivalents)? If you like this kinda speed, maybe Unknown Shores and other rainbow lands can suit you quite well.
Can't you reduce your lands to, say, 40, based on your average cmc? I'll try to reduce mine too.
No Rush of Knowledge? Don't you miss CA?
I won a couple games with a Disturbed Burial/Spore Frog 'soft lock'. I'd consider to return it replacing that Disdainful Stroke you're not that fond of.
May I ask you guys to help me later on my Tiny Leaders deck with good feedback too? It's in my sig. Thanks in advance.
Commander's Sphere vs. Darksteel Ingot -- I have thought about this a lot. I don't think I want both, but all in all I think I prefer the ramp and mana fixing to the cantrip. I am rarely hurting for ways to spend my mana usefully.
I used to play artifact lands and replaced them with the Panoramas. The additional fixing from the Panoramas makes mana more consistent (allowing me to cut some mana fixers like Evolution Charm and Horizon Spellbomb) and they make Tilling Treefolk a lot better. The shuffle effect is also welcome for the occasional Brainstorm. I was a longtime holdout of the Panoramas, but now that I've made the switch I don't miss the artifact lands at all.
The most common target for Expedition Map is actually Dimir Aqueduct. It actually has nothing to do with Bojuka Bog, Halimar Depths, or cycling lands, although the additional synergy is welcome. If I am looking at a hand of no land, Expedition Map lets me actively further our game plan. Together with Trinket Mage, it gives us a link in the tutor chain for land destruction when we need it, thanks to Strip Mine. If I were to cut Trinket Mage, I would replace it with Dizzy Spell.
I don't think you can fit both cycling lands and guildgates into a manabase without it slowing down too much, and my fixing is good enough that I prefer the cycling lands. This is actually related to your point about reducing land count: cycling lands allow me to play more lands without flooding out. Think of Tranquil Thicket like a split card and how it affects deckbuilding. It is a land when you need it to be, or if you don't need any more mana, you can spend your excess mana for about a 65% chance to get another effect. With cycling lands alone, I can tweak my deck's land ratio in the middle of a game from anywhere between 42.4% (42/99) to 35% (32/91, as Strip Mine and Bojuka Bog function as spells). All of this happens at the cost of tempo, which is a design compromise I knowingly made. Urdjur's build is faster in the early turns, for sure.
Remember this deck? Half of that deck was mana, plus it drew a bunch of lands all the time with Treasure Hunt. However, it could make good use of it all because some of its lands could transform into Stone Rains and Serra Angels. Same principle here.
My average CMC is pretty low, but the engines take a lot of mana to start the CA train (Mystical Teachings, Capsize, Grim Harvest, Izzet Chronarch shenanigans, etc.) so there is more overhead than there appears at first glance. I imagine if you focus more on Child of Alara then you can trim a few lands since your card advantage comes in big waves already.
On Rush of Knowledge: like I said, I find myself with a hand of 6 or 7 cards all the time anyway. I have to dedicate more Transmute effects toward keeping the gas flowing, but I'm fine with that since the gas is still flowing. I also do not have Child of Alara in play very often so my window for casting Rush is diminished compared to other builds. Child is my panic button rather than my game plan.
Spore Frog is the main reason I am (re)considering Dizzy Spell instead of Trinket Mage. What do you think of Dizzy Spell?
Thanks for the feedback. I'll give that Tiny Leaders deck a look!
Thank you for the in depth answers d0su. I can see Dizzy Spell edging out Trinket Mage in your list. It would allow you tutor for Wisps, Tragic Slip, Reclaim, & REB. Not to mention Spore Frog.
@alexandre Spore Frog still combos with Grim Harvest at the same cost as Disturbed Burial. In addition to the uses you & d0su noted for Dimir Aqueduct, it also allows Krosan Restorer to generate infinite black mana without threshold.
I recently cut Rush of Knowledge from my Merieke list as well after a lot of contemplation. For a long time it felt like a win-more card in the deck. I can't say that I've missed it since cutting it.
@d0su
Crimson Wisps looks meh in faster builds. Will fetch one to put in my maybeboard anyway.
About mana rocks - agreed. Each one has a strong & valid point.
Panoramas can be faster mana sources provided they ETB untapped, and that's a stronger point. But for faster builds (like my last one and urdjur's) I still think I prefer guildgates. Will test both to see if my opinion remains, but the ETB untapped tempted me, dunno... But I'll keep my deck with 38-39 lands, provided I try to abuse with Child as fast as I can.
I reckon I oversaw Dimir Aqueduct because of my Guildgates and didn't want to care about more ETBT lands. Maybe Panoramas helped you to see this. Strip Mine and it looks a perfect target for that Dark Depths or whatever, will buy one.
Dizzy Spell is awesome to fetch dat frog and REB (counter/kill child). If you choose to use a plain Fireball (I am considering it, reaching RR sometimes is hard enough for me to look Rolling Thunder as a dead card) it can be fetched too! Ninja tech!
@Zombie Shakespeare
You are right on both points. I'm afraid to lose redundancy though, if I *need* room for other things I know I might live without it.
As for Dimir Aqueduct, well, as I said, I have too many ETBT lands already. Let's test Panoramas and the Aqueduct (and Strip Mine!).
Thank you both. I tried this deck was already resolved but noooooo
Okay, on both your recommendations I will try out Dizzy Spell again. It may push me toward Fireball like you said. I will say one thing in it has over Rolling thunder: Fireball has been printed in foil!
Two things:
- OM*G, I was going to take a Beta one, but I WANT this one! Thanx man
- Zombie, please help me out too, when you can. Gimme some feedback on my Tiny Leaders deck, follow my sig, will ya?
Anybody else playing cards from Dragons of Tarkir? I've already slotted in Fate Forgotten over the old Deglamer. It's the card I've been waiting to be printed at common. I'm also interested in Ghostly Flicker's new best friend, Impact Tremors, but that's probably going to be at the center of a new PDH.
Revoke Existence is cheaper but it's a sorcery. Is it that better than the good and old Disenchant? If so, how? (Just to clarify the extra cost for me) Impact Tremors is more suited to Astral Slide decks, and Cheeri0s, and token generator decks, IMO.
I wanted the exile effect to hit the gods, which have given me a problem when dealing with child. Also deals with Darksteel Forge. If you don't have people playing any of those then it probably doesn't matter. I also just prefer to have my answers tutorable with Mystical Teachings.
Revoke Existence is cheaper but it's a sorcery. Is it that better than the good and old Disenchant? If so, how? (Just to clarify the extra cost for me) Impact Tremors is more suited to Astral Slide decks, and Cheeri0s, and token generator decks, IMO.
Personally, I prefer to rely on Capsize, Oblivion Ring, and countermagic to do this job, but if I were to run something else, I'd stick with Deglamer since it is only 2 mana, is an instant, is in a major color, and allows you to tuck an enemy Purphoros commander or whatever.
I was going to say that you had a great point on the Deglamer thing if you had people playing gods as oommanders, but then that rules update happened. I am kinda excited for this, since tucking was one of the biggest weaknesses this deck had, but I know many people are less than thrilled with the announcement.
I was going to say that you had a great point on the Deglamer thing if you had people playing gods as oommanders, but then that rules update happened. I am kinda excited for this, since tucking was one of the biggest weaknesses this deck had, but I know many people are less than thrilled with the announcement.
Yes, that was pretty awkward timing!
At first glance, we profit a lot from this change. Hey, even my Squee deck would fall victim to the occasional Time Spiral or the like. I am not crazy about the changes, though. How do we stop Maelstrom Wanderer? Is the only solution to them casting their commander over and over for us to cast ours over and over? We generally lose that resource war.
Sidisi's Faithful. Am I reading this correctly? A one mana reusable sorcery speed sac outlet at common rarity - it kills CoA and can bounce itself before CoA triggers. Correct?
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Sidisi's Faithful. Am I reading this correctly? A one mana reusable sorcery speed sac outlet at common rarity - it kills CoA and can bounce itself before CoA triggers. Correct?
You know, I think it might. Now pauper has a reusable sac outlet that rivals Worthy Cause of the peasant build. With a sufficient density of multi-purpose instant speed sac outlets, this should allow the pauper build to simply ditch the Ghostly Flicker engine. Indeed, with tuck effects also gone there's little value to be had from going peasant. Sure, your engine gets slightly more mana efficient, but the "old" peasant standard was 8-9 mana to complete a CoA cycle and now Sidsi's Faithful + Grim Harvest completes a cycle in 11 mana.
I suddenly feel interested in going back to a pauper build now! With tuck gone and Ghostly Flicker unnecessary for the long game, I think we can safely ditch Brainspoil and any 5 cmc cards except Mulldrifter and Rush of Knowledge. Archaeomancer and Reclaim will probably suffice for non-creature recursion, especially with Vedalken Aethermage being so interesting since it finds Sidsi. I shall commence ironing out a new pauper list in the style of my old peasant build!
By the by, I love myself some reanimation auras (False Demise etc.) and with tuck gone, the fact that these can steal opposing commanders might be just what the doctor ordered against stuff like Maelstrom Wanderer!
EDIT: Btw, I've come to slightly modify my t4 CoA plan - as opponents adapt I find that dropping CoA turn 5 with mana open (ideally for a REB/Pyro if there's blue at the table) is much safer. The games I've lost are usually due to early games that get out of hand as CoA doesn't stick or eats exiling/tuck before I can blow up in response. Your kaboom potential is the same in this scenario (being able to blast on t5 at the earliest), but you change a turn of a potential CoA attack for a turn of more early disruption (t3 or 4, depending on when it's best to ramp/disrupt). This changes the presuppositions for the mana base a lot, but I'm still not very happy about the laundry lands (Opal Palace etc.) since they aren't good with neither the t4 CoA nor the t5 CoA + response plan.
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Sidisi's Faithful. Am I reading this correctly? A one mana reusable sorcery speed sac outlet at common rarity - it kills CoA and can bounce itself before CoA triggers. Correct?
I think it won't work. If CoA doesn't touch the graveyard the sweep won't happen, I guess. Judge?
Sidisi's Faithful. Am I reading this correctly? A one mana reusable sorcery speed sac outlet at common rarity - it kills CoA and can bounce itself before CoA triggers. Correct?
I think it won't work. If CoA doesn't touch the graveyard the sweep won't happen, I guess. Judge?
Oh it touches the GY alright. Sidisi's Faithful enters the battlefield and you may sac a creature, so you do - namely Child of Alara. CoA goes to the grave and its ability goes on the stack, however, you now get Sidsi's bounce ability since you exploited. With it, you target Sidisi itself. The stack resolves, bouncing Sidisi back to your hand first and then blowing up the world.
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How dumb I was. I thought you thought to return CoA to your hand... Sorry man, I guess I didn't wake up yet lol.
Yeah, this is awesome indeed. Tutorable via Vedalken Aethermage, as stated, and Dizzy Spell.
Thank you, great addition.
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Crimson Wisps is great. Its primary purpose is to allow you to combo out immediately with Krosan Restorer instead of having to pass the turn, and to that end it is ideal. It turns your combo from a 6-mana, 2-turn affair into a 4-mana, 1-turn machine (play Restorer, play Wisps, tap Restorer, play Freed from the Real, untap Restorer). When you aren't ready to win, it replaces itself as easily as one of your cycling lands and can even enable hasty Child of Alara beatdown if you decide to go that route. I like it and will be keeping it.
Disdainful Stroke is just okay. Having access to another splashable hard counter is great, but about 1/3 of the things I want to counter (Timetwister, Hinder, etc.) are invalid targets. I certainly would not replace Arcane Denial with Stroke as Denial is the best counter in the deck, IMO. I want another counter, I think, but Stroke is probably not it.
The more this deck evolves, the less I like Disturbed Burial. With the way I play the deck, I rarely cast Child of Alara more than twice per game. I am going to cut Burial and I don't think I will miss it.
I am playing Spore Frog as a way to deter early beats and to give me an out to persistent general damage. I haven't drawn it enough to know how it performs but I bet it will be good.
I cut a single nonbasic for a single bounceland (Dimir Aqueduct) and am also playing Strip Mine as my 42nd land. I regret nothing. (One version of Strip Mine was printed on the commons sheet of Antiquities, while the other three artworks were on the uncommon sheet. Weird.)
Rhystic Study has been overperforming for me lately. In large (5+ person) multiplayer games, it quickly obsoletes every other CA spell in the deck.
Thanks urdjur and everyone else for your continued work on all versions of the deck. Your input is immensely helpful!
Draft my Mono-Blue Cube!
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CURRENT DECKS
WUBRG Child of Alara, Pauper Dreamcrusher GRBUW | BGU Muldrotha, Dreamcrusher REDUX UGB | WUB Dreamcrusher Pt. III: Nevinyrral's Disco BUW
1 Child of Alara
Creatures (17)
1 Spore Frog
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Cadaver Imp
1 Drift of Phantasms
1 Tilling Treefolk
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Krosan Restorer
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Trinket Mage
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Mulldrifter
1 Archaeomancer
1 Izzet Chronarch
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Scrivener
Countermagic (9)
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Arcane Denial
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Counterspell
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Dream Fracture
1 Faerie Trickery
1 Perplex
1 Overrule
Other Answers (9)
1 Aether Spellbomb
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Shred Memory
1 Tragic Slip
1 Devour Flesh
1 Terminate
1 Rend Flesh
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Capsize
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Mind Extraction
1 Grim Harvest
1 Reaping the Graves
1 Crimson Wisps
1 Freed from the Real
1 Rolling Thunder
Other Library Manipulation (8)
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Reclaim
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Rhystic Study
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Mystical Teachings
Other Nonland Mana (7)
1 Expedition Map
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Prophetic Prism
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Cultivate
1 Far Wanderings
Lands (42)
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Halimar Depths
1 Strip Mine
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Command Tower
1 Opal Palace
1 Transguild Promenade
1 Rupture Spire
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Bant Panorama
1 Esper Panorama
1 Grixis Panorama
1 Jund Panorama
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Barren Moor
1 Tranquil Thicket
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Remote Isle
1 Polluted Mire
1 Slippery Karst
7 Island
4 Swamp
6 Forest
2 Mountain
1 Plains
Quick Facts:
Krosan Restorer: YES
Trinket Mage: YES
Dizzy Spell: NO
Ghostly Flicker: YES
Rush of Knowledge: NO
Ways to kill CoA: 7 (seems a little low to me, but it's been working fine)
Average CMC (not counting CoA): 2.50
Panoramas: 4
Cycling Lands: 8
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Looks really solid. Thank you for sharing.
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Isn't Commander's Sphere better than Darksteel Ingot? After you wipe the first time, you should have enough ramp to prefer CA.
Can you justify Trinket Mage without artifact lands? Is it particularly for Expedition Map (to fetch Strip Mine or Bojuka Bog)? I'd add the 5 artifact lands to fix/ramp better if you don't use this tech.
Dimir Aqueduct is here to reuse Bojuka Bog? Is it worth it?
In your experience, are Panoramas better than Guildgates (or gain-1-life equivalents)? If you like this kinda speed, maybe Unknown Shores and other rainbow lands can suit you quite well.
Can't you reduce your lands to, say, 40, based on your average cmc? I'll try to reduce mine too.
No Rush of Knowledge? Don't you miss CA?
I won a couple games with a Disturbed Burial/Spore Frog 'soft lock'. I'd consider to return it replacing that Disdainful Stroke you're not that fond of.
May I ask you guys to help me later on my Tiny Leaders deck with good feedback too? It's in my sig. Thanks in advance.
Commander: Child of Alara BURGW, Adeliz, the Cinder Wind UR
Tiny Leaders: Gwafa, Hazid Profiteer UW
Regular Pauper: Stompy G, Mono-G Tron G, Infect G
Commander's Sphere vs. Darksteel Ingot -- I have thought about this a lot. I don't think I want both, but all in all I think I prefer the ramp and mana fixing to the cantrip. I am rarely hurting for ways to spend my mana usefully.
I used to play artifact lands and replaced them with the Panoramas. The additional fixing from the Panoramas makes mana more consistent (allowing me to cut some mana fixers like Evolution Charm and Horizon Spellbomb) and they make Tilling Treefolk a lot better. The shuffle effect is also welcome for the occasional Brainstorm. I was a longtime holdout of the Panoramas, but now that I've made the switch I don't miss the artifact lands at all.
The most common target for Expedition Map is actually Dimir Aqueduct. It actually has nothing to do with Bojuka Bog, Halimar Depths, or cycling lands, although the additional synergy is welcome. If I am looking at a hand of no land, Expedition Map lets me actively further our game plan. Together with Trinket Mage, it gives us a link in the tutor chain for land destruction when we need it, thanks to Strip Mine. If I were to cut Trinket Mage, I would replace it with Dizzy Spell.
I don't think you can fit both cycling lands and guildgates into a manabase without it slowing down too much, and my fixing is good enough that I prefer the cycling lands. This is actually related to your point about reducing land count: cycling lands allow me to play more lands without flooding out. Think of Tranquil Thicket like a split card and how it affects deckbuilding. It is a land when you need it to be, or if you don't need any more mana, you can spend your excess mana for about a 65% chance to get another effect. With cycling lands alone, I can tweak my deck's land ratio in the middle of a game from anywhere between 42.4% (42/99) to 35% (32/91, as Strip Mine and Bojuka Bog function as spells). All of this happens at the cost of tempo, which is a design compromise I knowingly made. Urdjur's build is faster in the early turns, for sure.
Remember this deck? Half of that deck was mana, plus it drew a bunch of lands all the time with Treasure Hunt. However, it could make good use of it all because some of its lands could transform into Stone Rains and Serra Angels. Same principle here.
My average CMC is pretty low, but the engines take a lot of mana to start the CA train (Mystical Teachings, Capsize, Grim Harvest, Izzet Chronarch shenanigans, etc.) so there is more overhead than there appears at first glance. I imagine if you focus more on Child of Alara then you can trim a few lands since your card advantage comes in big waves already.
On Rush of Knowledge: like I said, I find myself with a hand of 6 or 7 cards all the time anyway. I have to dedicate more Transmute effects toward keeping the gas flowing, but I'm fine with that since the gas is still flowing. I also do not have Child of Alara in play very often so my window for casting Rush is diminished compared to other builds. Child is my panic button rather than my game plan.
Spore Frog is the main reason I am (re)considering Dizzy Spell instead of Trinket Mage. What do you think of Dizzy Spell?
Thanks for the feedback. I'll give that Tiny Leaders deck a look!
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@alexandre Spore Frog still combos with Grim Harvest at the same cost as Disturbed Burial. In addition to the uses you & d0su noted for Dimir Aqueduct, it also allows Krosan Restorer to generate infinite black mana without threshold.
I recently cut Rush of Knowledge from my Merieke list as well after a lot of contemplation. For a long time it felt like a win-more card in the deck. I can't say that I've missed it since cutting it.
Crimson Wisps looks meh in faster builds. Will fetch one to put in my maybeboard anyway.
About mana rocks - agreed. Each one has a strong & valid point.
Panoramas can be faster mana sources provided they ETB untapped, and that's a stronger point. But for faster builds (like my last one and urdjur's) I still think I prefer guildgates. Will test both to see if my opinion remains, but the ETB untapped tempted me, dunno... But I'll keep my deck with 38-39 lands, provided I try to abuse with Child as fast as I can.
I reckon I oversaw Dimir Aqueduct because of my Guildgates and didn't want to care about more ETBT lands. Maybe Panoramas helped you to see this. Strip Mine and it looks a perfect target for that Dark Depths or whatever, will buy one.
Dizzy Spell is awesome to fetch dat frog and REB (counter/kill child). If you choose to use a plain Fireball (I am considering it, reaching RR sometimes is hard enough for me to look Rolling Thunder as a dead card) it can be fetched too! Ninja tech!
@Zombie Shakespeare
You are right on both points. I'm afraid to lose redundancy though, if I *need* room for other things I know I might live without it.
As for Dimir Aqueduct, well, as I said, I have too many ETBT lands already. Let's test Panoramas and the Aqueduct (and Strip Mine!).
Thank you both. I tried this deck was already resolved but noooooo
Commander: Child of Alara BURGW, Adeliz, the Cinder Wind UR
Tiny Leaders: Gwafa, Hazid Profiteer UW
Regular Pauper: Stompy G, Mono-G Tron G, Infect G
Thanks for your help.
Draft my Mono-Blue Cube!
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Two things:
- OM*G, I was going to take a Beta one, but I WANT this one! Thanx man
- Zombie, please help me out too, when you can. Gimme some feedback on my Tiny Leaders deck, follow my sig, will ya?
Commander: Child of Alara BURGW, Adeliz, the Cinder Wind UR
Tiny Leaders: Gwafa, Hazid Profiteer UW
Regular Pauper: Stompy G, Mono-G Tron G, Infect G
CURRENT DECKS
WUBRG Child of Alara, Pauper Dreamcrusher GRBUW | BGU Muldrotha, Dreamcrusher REDUX UGB | WUB Dreamcrusher Pt. III: Nevinyrral's Disco BUW
Impact Tremors is more suited to Astral Slide decks, and Cheeri0s, and token generator decks, IMO.
Commander: Child of Alara BURGW, Adeliz, the Cinder Wind UR
Tiny Leaders: Gwafa, Hazid Profiteer UW
Regular Pauper: Stompy G, Mono-G Tron G, Infect G
CURRENT DECKS
WUBRG Child of Alara, Pauper Dreamcrusher GRBUW | BGU Muldrotha, Dreamcrusher REDUX UGB | WUB Dreamcrusher Pt. III: Nevinyrral's Disco BUW
Personally, I prefer to rely on Capsize, Oblivion Ring, and countermagic to do this job, but if I were to run something else, I'd stick with Deglamer since it is only 2 mana, is an instant, is in a major color, and allows you to tuck an enemy Purphoros commander or whatever.
Draft my Mono-Blue Cube!
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CURRENT DECKS
WUBRG Child of Alara, Pauper Dreamcrusher GRBUW | BGU Muldrotha, Dreamcrusher REDUX UGB | WUB Dreamcrusher Pt. III: Nevinyrral's Disco BUW
At first glance, we profit a lot from this change. Hey, even my Squee deck would fall victim to the occasional Time Spiral or the like. I am not crazy about the changes, though. How do we stop Maelstrom Wanderer? Is the only solution to them casting their commander over and over for us to cast ours over and over? We generally lose that resource war.
Draft my Mono-Blue Cube!
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Draft my Mono-Blue Cube!
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You know, I think it might. Now pauper has a reusable sac outlet that rivals Worthy Cause of the peasant build. With a sufficient density of multi-purpose instant speed sac outlets, this should allow the pauper build to simply ditch the Ghostly Flicker engine. Indeed, with tuck effects also gone there's little value to be had from going peasant. Sure, your engine gets slightly more mana efficient, but the "old" peasant standard was 8-9 mana to complete a CoA cycle and now Sidsi's Faithful + Grim Harvest completes a cycle in 11 mana.
I suddenly feel interested in going back to a pauper build now! With tuck gone and Ghostly Flicker unnecessary for the long game, I think we can safely ditch Brainspoil and any 5 cmc cards except Mulldrifter and Rush of Knowledge. Archaeomancer and Reclaim will probably suffice for non-creature recursion, especially with Vedalken Aethermage being so interesting since it finds Sidsi. I shall commence ironing out a new pauper list in the style of my old peasant build!
By the by, I love myself some reanimation auras (False Demise etc.) and with tuck gone, the fact that these can steal opposing commanders might be just what the doctor ordered against stuff like Maelstrom Wanderer!
EDIT: Btw, I've come to slightly modify my t4 CoA plan - as opponents adapt I find that dropping CoA turn 5 with mana open (ideally for a REB/Pyro if there's blue at the table) is much safer. The games I've lost are usually due to early games that get out of hand as CoA doesn't stick or eats exiling/tuck before I can blow up in response. Your kaboom potential is the same in this scenario (being able to blast on t5 at the earliest), but you change a turn of a potential CoA attack for a turn of more early disruption (t3 or 4, depending on when it's best to ramp/disrupt). This changes the presuppositions for the mana base a lot, but I'm still not very happy about the laundry lands (Opal Palace etc.) since they aren't good with neither the t4 CoA nor the t5 CoA + response plan.
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I think it won't work. If CoA doesn't touch the graveyard the sweep won't happen, I guess. Judge?
Commander: Child of Alara BURGW, Adeliz, the Cinder Wind UR
Tiny Leaders: Gwafa, Hazid Profiteer UW
Regular Pauper: Stompy G, Mono-G Tron G, Infect G
Oh it touches the GY alright. Sidisi's Faithful enters the battlefield and you may sac a creature, so you do - namely Child of Alara. CoA goes to the grave and its ability goes on the stack, however, you now get Sidsi's bounce ability since you exploited. With it, you target Sidisi itself. The stack resolves, bouncing Sidisi back to your hand first and then blowing up the world.
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Yeah, this is awesome indeed. Tutorable via Vedalken Aethermage, as stated, and Dizzy Spell.
Thank you, great addition.
Commander: Child of Alara BURGW, Adeliz, the Cinder Wind UR
Tiny Leaders: Gwafa, Hazid Profiteer UW
Regular Pauper: Stompy G, Mono-G Tron G, Infect G
4 Archaeomancer
4 Dimir House Guard
2 Dimir Infiltrator
3 Drift of Phantasms
3 Heliod's Pilgrim
3 Krosan Restorer
5 Mulldrifter
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Sakura-tribe Elder
1 Sidisi's Faithful
1 Spore Frog
3 Trinket Mage
2 Vedalken Aethermage
ARTIFACTS (5)
3 Commander's Sphere
3 Darksteel Ingot
2 Mycosynth Wellspring
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
ENCHANTMENTS (6)
1 Bequeathal
3 False Demise
3 Freed from the Real
3 Reality Acid
3 Shade's Form
3 Unhallowed Pact
SORCERIES (14)
3 Compulsive Research
3 Cultivate
4 Deep Analysis
3 Far Wanderings
4 Foresee
3 Kodama's Reach
2 Merchant Scroll
3 Mind Extraction
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
3 Primal Growth
4 Reap and Sow
2 Rolling Thunder
8 Treasure Cruise
1 Brainstorm
3 Capsize
2 Counterspell
1 Crimson Wisps
2 Devour Flesh
1 Dizzy Spell
3 Faerie Trickery
2 Grim Harvest
3 Harrow
2 Muddle the Mixture
4 Mystical Teachings
2 Perilous Research
3 Perplex
1 Pyroblast
1 Reclaim
1 Red Elemental Blast
4 Rewind
2 Shred Memory
3 Soul Manipulation
2 Terminate
1 Undying Evil
LANDS (40)
1 Command Tower
1 Rupture Spire
1 Transguid Promenade
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Bant Panorama
1 Jund Panorama
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Azorius Guildgate
1 Golgari Guildgate
1 Izzet Guildgate
1 Rakdos Guildgate
1 Simic Guildgate
1 Bloodfell Caves
1 Jungle Hollow
1 Scoured Barrens
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Thornwood Falls
1 Tranquil Cove
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Halimar Depths
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Tree of Tales
2 Forest
5 Island
2 Mountain
2 Plains
5 Swamp
I'm not sure if the combo package is still necessary (4 cards counting Rolling Thunder and Wisps), or if CoA beats and stealing fatties with auras will suffice. I suppose it could be dropped in favor of slightly worse draw spells (Read the Bones, Rush of Knowledge, Forbidden Alchemy and Bitter Revelation - Mystic Remora and Rhystic Study are also options).
A series of seven articles using Magic to explore the very stuff of the Universe!
"At least for those who can play cards, their present incarnation is not quite wasted."
[Click here for the articles!]