If you mean the Leyline/Serum Powder/Sanctum/Opalescence/Helm deck then yeah, I had it for fun once as I had all the cards, and eventually upgraded it to a 4 Sanctum Enchantress list, selling the redundant Leylines, keeping the Serra's Sancta.
The deck loses to Force of Will.
It also to its own inconsistent mana/mulliganing.
It loses to the fact that the Opalescence + 4 Leylines = 16 damage or 3 Leylines=12, which means the opponent can get a couple of turns to get an out- they do sometimes.
It also has difficulty getting to the mana for Helm/Leyline of the Void combo.
It does get a couple of free wins every now and then with the white/black Leylines, and it is fun to play.
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Thanks for your comments. I've looked into lowering the number of extraneous cards, and upping the number of leylines, running all the leylines as a 4 of except Singularity. This gives me 32 Leylines, and then 4 Serum Powder, 4 Enlightened Tutor, 4 Opalescence 3 Chancellor, and a helm. It allows me to increase the lands by 1, running 4 Sanctum, 4 City of Brass and 4 Mana Confluence.
I'm thinking Sterling Grove belongs in here somewhere, perhaps removing the Tutors? I guess it depends on how many leylines I get in my opening hand, and how hard it is to then tutor up the Opalescence.
I used to play this. The "extraneous cards" often help consistency. Otherwise it's really hard to naturally draw a hand with both Opalescence and Serra's Sanctum.
Lands:
2 City of Brass
4 Mana Confluence
4 Serra's Sanctum
1 Tree of Tales
Main:
4 Crop Rotation
4 Enlightened Tutor
1 Helm of Obedience
2 Idyllic Tutor
4 Leyline of Anticipation
4 Leyline of Lightning
3 Leyline of Punishment
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Leyline of the Meek
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Leyline of Vitality
4 Opalescence
4 Serum Powder
3 Suppression Field
I have an all-in Leylines that cuts Crop Rotation, Suppression Field and Idyllic Tutor for 4 Leyline of Lifeforce and a 4th Leyline of Punishment, as well as mainboarding 3 Chancellor of the Annex.
I like that list. I forgot about Suppression Field. I used to play that as well and it's extremely powerful. I think I ran 4 copies. Idyllic Tutor seems like a good idea too. 4 Serum + 4 Enlightened isn't quite enough consistency to draw Opalescence.
I had thought about Replenish, but the chance of generating 4 mana with no enchantments in play is very low, so I doubt we could ever use this card to properly recovery from mass removal before losing the game.
I'd like a way to deal with Force of Will on the draw (As I expect to be in game 2)
Is Mana Tithe workable? I notice you have [card[Thalia, Guardian of Thraben[/card] which can work, but I think the instant works better as it's not telegraphed, and it's quite a bit cheaper.
On the play, T1 Suppression Field is also very useful, blocking their first fetchland to deny them any mana sources. Then Chancellor of the Annex can stop FoW (either on Field or Opal). On the draw, opponent may have a land untapped when casting FoW to play around the revealed Chancellor and Suppression can't stop that from happening. So then Chancellor may not protect Opalescence on the draw. But if opponent has 1 mana up, Mana Tithe isn't any more useful.
Is Mana Tithe workable? I notice you have [card[Thalia, Guardian of Thraben[/card] which can work, but I think the instant works better as it's not telegraphed, and it's quite a bit cheaper.
"Cheaper" is relative.
How are you getting mana to cast Mana Tithe and what are you using it to protect?
Protecting Crop Rotation when you don't have Sanctum? Then you need 2 lands in play. Good luck having 2 lands in this deck.
Protecting Opalescence when you do have Sanctum? Then you need Sanctum to generate 5 white mana (to have an extra in the pool to cast Mana Tithe). That's very unlikely to happen: you need an opener of 5 Leylines + Sanctum + Opalescence and to draw Mana Tithe on the first turn. Otherwise, forget it.
The problem with Mana Tithe is you have to cast it the same turn as the spell you want to protect. That means you need X+1 mana to resolve the spell instead of X mana (where X=CMC). It's very difficult for the deck to generate that extra 1 mana.
If you are expecting a lot of blue decks, I've seen some people run both Thalia and Lodestone Golem in the SB (with Chancellors main). Then you just go beatdown with hatebears if you can't stick an Opalescence.
It has been a while. A great while. But Leylines remains a great deck with lots of fun potential.
We have a new card for Leylines, the great card Sanctum Weaver
While it can go into the main deck, it is, I am told, perhaps best used as a sideboard card for game to, after the opponent boards out all their removal.
Another big find is Scheming Symmetry, which allows us to search for any piece we need for 1 black mana. As a sorcery, it might not seem optimal, seeing as the opponent will get the first crack at drawing the card they select - but you can circumvent this by playing this card during your upkeep when you have Leyline of Anticipation in play. Now you get your card, draw it and hopefully win before they draw theirs. It's a potentially instant speed tutor, and I have 4 in the mainboard nowadays.
Leylines biggest weakness is you need 3 pieces to win. The Leylines, Serra's Sanctum and Opalescence.
Drawing the Leylines will always happen with the sheer number we run. It is the Sanctum and the Opalescence that can be tricky. The sheer number of tutors will help, now that we can run a potential 12. The deck may want more tinkering to overcome counterspells. Silence has been suggested as a single white mana instant that stops the opponent completely.
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Does anyone play it? I'm building it, and will be there in a couple weeks.
Most importantly, how does one beat it?
The deck loses to Force of Will.
It also to its own inconsistent mana/mulliganing.
It loses to the fact that the Opalescence + 4 Leylines = 16 damage or 3 Leylines=12, which means the opponent can get a couple of turns to get an out- they do sometimes.
It also has difficulty getting to the mana for Helm/Leyline of the Void combo.
It does get a couple of free wins every now and then with the white/black Leylines, and it is fun to play.
I'm thinking Sterling Grove belongs in here somewhere, perhaps removing the Tutors? I guess it depends on how many leylines I get in my opening hand, and how hard it is to then tutor up the Opalescence.
What list are you running?
I used to play this. The "extraneous cards" often help consistency. Otherwise it's really hard to naturally draw a hand with both Opalescence and Serra's Sanctum.
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Leyline of Anticipation
4 Leyline of Lifeforce
4 Leyline of Punishment
4 Leyline of Vitality
4 Leyline of the Meek
3 Leyline of Lightning
4 Crop Rotation
4 Enlightened Tutor
4 Serum Powder
//Other Permanents: 7
4 Opalescence
3 Oblivion Ring
//Lands: 10
4 Serra's Sanctum
3 Mana Confluence
3 City of Brass
4 Chancellor of the Annex
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Heliod, God of the Sun
1 Helm of Obedience
1 Oblivion Ring
1 City of Brass
1 Authority of Consuls
Lands:
2 City of Brass
4 Mana Confluence
4 Serra's Sanctum
1 Tree of Tales
Main:
4 Crop Rotation
4 Enlightened Tutor
1 Helm of Obedience
2 Idyllic Tutor
4 Leyline of Anticipation
4 Leyline of Lightning
3 Leyline of Punishment
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Leyline of the Meek
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Leyline of Vitality
4 Opalescence
4 Serum Powder
3 Suppression Field
Sideboard:
2 Banishing Light
4 Chancellor of the Annex
1 Consecrate Land
1 Curse of Exhaustion
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Replenish
1 Runed Halo
1 Stony Silence
1 Suppression Field
I have an all-in Leylines that cuts Crop Rotation, Suppression Field and Idyllic Tutor for 4 Leyline of Lifeforce and a 4th Leyline of Punishment, as well as mainboarding 3 Chancellor of the Annex.
I had thought about Replenish, but the chance of generating 4 mana with no enchantments in play is very low, so I doubt we could ever use this card to properly recovery from mass removal before losing the game.
Is Mana Tithe workable? I notice you have [card[Thalia, Guardian of Thraben[/card] which can work, but I think the instant works better as it's not telegraphed, and it's quite a bit cheaper.
Why only on the draw? You know that they can use Force of Will against you on the play too...
Chancellor of the Annex is the common answer to FoW.
On the play, T1 Suppression Field is also very useful, blocking their first fetchland to deny them any mana sources. Then Chancellor of the Annex can stop FoW (either on Field or Opal). On the draw, opponent may have a land untapped when casting FoW to play around the revealed Chancellor and Suppression can't stop that from happening. So then Chancellor may not protect Opalescence on the draw. But if opponent has 1 mana up, Mana Tithe isn't any more useful.
"Cheaper" is relative.
How are you getting mana to cast Mana Tithe and what are you using it to protect?
Protecting Crop Rotation when you don't have Sanctum? Then you need 2 lands in play. Good luck having 2 lands in this deck.
Protecting Opalescence when you do have Sanctum? Then you need Sanctum to generate 5 white mana (to have an extra in the pool to cast Mana Tithe). That's very unlikely to happen: you need an opener of 5 Leylines + Sanctum + Opalescence and to draw Mana Tithe on the first turn. Otherwise, forget it.
The problem with Mana Tithe is you have to cast it the same turn as the spell you want to protect. That means you need X+1 mana to resolve the spell instead of X mana (where X=CMC). It's very difficult for the deck to generate that extra 1 mana.
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is actually easier on the manabase than Mana Tithe because you are not casting it the same turn as you cast your main spells. It's also uncounterable thanks to Leyline of Lifeforce.
If you are expecting a lot of blue decks, I've seen some people run both Thalia and Lodestone Golem in the SB (with Chancellors main). Then you just go beatdown with hatebears if you can't stick an Opalescence.
We have a new card for Leylines, the great card Sanctum Weaver
While it can go into the main deck, it is, I am told, perhaps best used as a sideboard card for game to, after the opponent boards out all their removal.
Another big find is Scheming Symmetry, which allows us to search for any piece we need for 1 black mana. As a sorcery, it might not seem optimal, seeing as the opponent will get the first crack at drawing the card they select - but you can circumvent this by playing this card during your upkeep when you have Leyline of Anticipation in play. Now you get your card, draw it and hopefully win before they draw theirs. It's a potentially instant speed tutor, and I have 4 in the mainboard nowadays.
Leylines biggest weakness is you need 3 pieces to win. The Leylines, Serra's Sanctum and Opalescence.
Drawing the Leylines will always happen with the sheer number we run. It is the Sanctum and the Opalescence that can be tricky. The sheer number of tutors will help, now that we can run a potential 12. The deck may want more tinkering to overcome counterspells. Silence has been suggested as a single white mana instant that stops the opponent completely.