Varolz’ Vials is a combo/tempo-deck that takes advantage of the Aether Vial to cheat your low cost creatures out on your opponents turn, keeps your mana up for counter magic, and utilizes Varolz’ scavenge ability to buff your creatures.
Why play Varolz’ Vials?
Varolz’ Vial employs a “bend don’t break” philosophy making this deck a completely unforgiving deck that rewards smart play. This is due in part to the simple fact that the deck performs optimally when you have 8-9 life. That said it is highly rewarding playing a deck that wins on narrow margins and challenges the player to consistently make the correct play. The deck is highly flexible and plays quite well against numerous other popular modern decks.
Creatures
Death’s Shadow
This is the “bomb” card. It can be thrown into the graveyard and scavenged onto a creature for 13 or can be dropped into play to turn the tides of a game. Game play note Shocklands/Fetches act as buff and damage happens concurrently so he can perform quite a lot of combat tricks.
Varolz, the Scar-Striped
Powers the death shadow through scavenge and can act as a sacrifice tool to get any of your creatures into the graveyard on an alpha striking lotleth.
Lotleth Troll
Trample, discard a card for +1/+1 and regeneration. This is self-explanatory.
Dark Confidant
Pumps Death’s Shadow, draws you cards, acts as a lightning rod against creature based deck running burn. This discards nicely.
Fauna Shaman
Helps to fetch the correct creature for correct board state – whether Varolz, Deathshadow or even a Snapcaster to pop something from your graveyard. This discards nicely too.
Snapcaster Mage
Keeps your opponents locked down early in the match.
Ideally, we would like to have an Aether Vial or Serum Visions in the opening hand. However, if we do not we are going to play our fetches without cracking them (unless we know what type of deck we are matching up against). Dependent on our opponents opening moves will drive how you choose to crack the fetches (i.e. they show red you are most likely not going to want to crack the fetches). Next, you are going to start gathering the pieces together to build your combo beginning with getting a Lotleth to stick and ending with getting a Varolz and Death Shadow in hand.The methods you go about putting together a combo will vary dependent on the type of matchup.
Against aggressive deck lists, you are going to want to try to lock the board down with Death Shadows and Lotleth until you can alpha strike.
If they show combo you will want to crack your fetches and try to disrupt their combos with permission.
Against the control match up you need to find your Lotleths and Aether Vials and methods to protect against path to exile.
One problem with decks that "[perform] optimally when you have 8-9 life" is that burn-heavy decks can burn you out at that range. I've won some times as UWR Control by aiming 3-4 burn spells at the head in a single turn (that's often 8-10 damage). Those burn-heavy turns have helped me race against Tron and even win against Turn 2 Bitterblossom (from Jund).
Try more anti-aggro measures. Engineered Explosives (vs. Zoo/Merfolk) is a good start, but burn lures like Spellskite should also be in your sideboard.
I actually took out 1 negate and the infest and added 2 spell kites -- I think this was an old list I posted for the sideboard. I actually wanted to run more Hurkyl's recall but I felt they were way overpriced online presently. I'm also running one death mark. I'm also not a hundred percent sold on the spells to creatures ratio. I also might swap the cavern of souls for a cathedral of war or even splash red for kessig wolf run.
I haven't had much luck with discard -- As I can't pack enough in the deck to have a good chance of getting it into the opening hand. If its not there its more of a dead card. I was considering trying out Perplex though. Goyf might help with the race and is worth considering.
Since the deck both runs Vial + somewhat of a GY theme: Skaab Ruinator seems like it could be a fit. Though the deck might need some tweaking to actually cast it consistently without a Vial in play.
(I've always wanted to play Vial and Ruinator in the same deck)
Wow I was looking for <3 flyers at one point and I can't believed I missed that one. It would definitely shift the way the deck was played but I think it could definitely work. I'm going to test out skaab and see how it goes later.
I like one or two Skaab Ruinators here, and I also agree that Tarmogoyf would be fantastic.
I'd suggest Drown in Filth as a removal spell that multi-tasks as a way to fill your graveyard. And perhaps Thought Scour in place of Serum Visions, since it essentially draws multiple cards in this deck.
Other cards to consider testing as 1—2-ofs:
Stitched Drake (I wouldn't go too heavy on these, but having evasion and 4 toughness is powerful)
I tried Vexing Sphinx in an earlier version its kinda meh. Drown in filth is at sorcery speed could be a problem. Oona's prowler is definitely worth taking a look. Definitely, a lot of cool ideas to try. I hope some other people give this deck a try as its tons of fun to play.
Played a mirror match today... guy was shocked -- he was running a jund variant with vexing devils. Pretty cool tech.
Varolz’ Vials is a combo/tempo-deck that takes advantage of the Aether Vial to cheat your low cost creatures out on your opponents turn, keeps your mana up for counter magic, and utilizes Varolz’ scavenge ability to buff your creatures.
This is the “bomb” card. It can be thrown into the graveyard and scavenged onto a creature for 13 or can be dropped into play to turn the tides of a game. Game play note Shocklands/Fetches act as buff and damage happens concurrently so he can perform quite a lot of combat tricks.
Varolz, the Scar-Striped
Powers the death shadow through scavenge and can act as a sacrifice tool to get any of your creatures into the graveyard on an alpha striking lotleth.
Lotleth Troll
Trample, discard a card for +1/+1 and regeneration. This is self-explanatory.
Dark Confidant
Pumps Death’s Shadow, draws you cards, acts as a lightning rod against creature based deck running burn. This discards nicely.
Fauna Shaman
Helps to fetch the correct creature for correct board state – whether Varolz, Deathshadow or even a Snapcaster to pop something from your graveyard. This discards nicely too.
Snapcaster Mage
Keeps your opponents locked down early in the match.
Vendillion Clique
Evasion and breaks combo decks.
This cheats your creatures out and helps them dodge sorcery speed removal.
Serum Visions
This acts as an alternative turn 1 if you do not have an Aether Vial.
Mana Leak
Solid Counter.
Remand
This locks down opponents with high casting cost spells. In addition, it assists with searching for your combo.
Abrupt Decay
This versatile card hits enchantment removal, is removal itself, and cannot be countered.
Dispel
Hard counter hits instant speed removal which for the most part is the type we have to worry about.
Hard Counter used against control decks.
Rain of Tears
A little extra LD for the Tron match up.
Spell Snare
Dependent on how many two drops they are playing.
Engineered Explosives
Zoo. Boggles. Eggs.
Hurkyl’s Recall
Artifact based decks.
Maelstrom Pulse
Variety of situations.
Infest
Geist of St Traft.
Dispel
More protection for your creatures.
Against aggressive deck lists, you are going to want to try to lock the board down with Death Shadows and Lotleth until you can alpha strike.
If they show combo you will want to crack your fetches and try to disrupt their combos with permission.
Against the control match up you need to find your Lotleths and Aether Vials and methods to protect against path to exile.
3 Varolz, the Scar-Striped
4 Fauna Shaman
4 Dark Confidant
4 Death's Shadow
4 Lotleth Troll
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
Spells
4 Æther Vial
2 Serum Visions
4 Mana Leak
1 Abrupt Decay
2 Remand
1 Dispel
Land
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Snow-Covered Island
1 Island
2 Watery Grave
1 Breeding Pool
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
2 Verdant Catacombs
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Twilight Mire
1 Flooded Grove
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Cavern of Souls
3 Negate
1 Rain of Tears
2 Spell Snare
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Dispel
1 Infest
Try more anti-aggro measures. Engineered Explosives (vs. Zoo/Merfolk) is a good start, but burn lures like Spellskite should also be in your sideboard.
(I've always wanted to play Vial and Ruinator in the same deck)
I'd suggest Drown in Filth as a removal spell that multi-tasks as a way to fill your graveyard. And perhaps Thought Scour in place of Serum Visions, since it essentially draws multiple cards in this deck.
Other cards to consider testing as 1—2-ofs:
Stitched Drake (I wouldn't go too heavy on these, but having evasion and 4 toughness is powerful)
Nighthowler (bonus: double pumps goyf)
Vexing Sphinx (discard outlet, giant flier)
Oona's Prowler (discard outlet, good scavenge target)
Academy Ruins (for getting back EEs and Spellskites)
Birds of Paradise (accelerate early, use them to feed your trolls or scavenge onto later)
Played a mirror match today... guy was shocked -- he was running a jund variant with vexing devils. Pretty cool tech.
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Death's Shadow
2 Fauna Shaman
4 Lotleth Troll
4 Vexing Devil
3 Varolz, the Scar-Striped
4 Dark Confidant
Spells
1 Abrupt Decay
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Æther Vial
3 Lightning Bolt
Land
1 Forest
2 Swamp
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Twilight Mire
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Raging Ravine
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Mountain
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Stomping Ground
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Blood Crypt
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Kessig Wolf Run
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Destructive Revelry
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Rain of Tears
2 Spellskite
1 Lightning Bolt
4 Thoughtseize
1 Deathmark