OWLING MINE Bringing an old Standard deck to Modern! Again...
I know, I know. This ***** has been done. It's been done and it has failed. Over and over again. But as we say in Sweden, "shame to those who give up", right?! I'm utterly convinced that this deck has potential in some kind of Modern meta. Some of the later sets gave the deck new cards which makes it a tiny wee better than before. Now we have Fevered Visions to replace the very easy-killed Kami of the Crescent Moon with, and we also got Remand 5-8 in Unsubstantiate. So let's get together and brew something funny together, something that might surprise the other players in our local stores and bring a smile (or a tear) to their faces.
CARD CHOICES:
First things first. This deck has a lot of cards that are not to be replaced. It's the essential core, the engine, and contains of several playsets which can't be messed with. These are as follows:
4 Ebony Owl Netsuke
This is one of the main win cons in the deck. If the game plan works, it is incredibly powerful, and will kill the opponent in just a few turns if not dealt with. Always play four.
4 Boomerang
This card is so, so powerful when used the right way. It could be mana denial, removal or simply a time walk. I mostly use it to bounce their shock lands turn two on the play, or as a critter removal.
4 Eye of Nowhere
Not much to say here, these are Boomerang 5-8, only exception is that it is a sorcery.
4 Howling Mine
The card that gave the deck its name. Sure, it helps your opponent a lot when played turn two, but in the end it will help you more than him.
4 Remand
Bounce and counter in one great spell. There is a reason that this is one of the most played counter spells in Modern, and it is even better in this deck.
3 Runeflare Trap
Also a great win con in the deck, since your opponent will draw a lot of cards. Is with great success played after Fevered Visions have triggered in end step or in end of draw step, after your opponent has drawn their cards from double Howling Mines.
Furthermore, there are cards that are better than others of course, and I will try to add as many as I can remember. Be sure to remind me or fill in the blanks if you want to. I have tried to rank them, that is only my opinion and it could be better than I think.
Howling Mines:
+++++ Howling Mine
As mentioned above, this is what named the deck and one of the most vital cards in the deck.
++++ Temple Bell
Costs three mana but is controlled by you and can trigger whenever you want
++++ Fevered Visions
Costs both blue and red but acts as a win con, can be played turn two with a little help from your friends (the apes) and triggers in every end step, which is relevant as your oppnent can't use the card on his or hers turn.
++++ Dictate of Kruphix
We can't fit every Howling Mine that is printed in the deck, and I feel that Temple Bell is better, because we can let the opponent draw cards after the discard phase, or in our end step right before we take a new turn, or to trigger Runeflare Trap whenever we want, if the opponent taps out.
+++ Kami of the Crescent Moon
Was for a long time really vital in the deck, before Fevered Visions was printed, but is often replaced today. It dies to almost every single removal spell in Magic.
Instants and sorceries:
+++++ Exhaustion
Against critter decks, this is a great card and acts as a Time Walk, but against control it can be played as an answer to a counter so that they lose the ability to counter your spells the turn after.
+++ Cryptic Command
I'm trying this out. It could potentially be hard to get to four mana in time, but if you do it does so bloody much. It can counter/bounce, tap/bounce, counter/tap or draw you the card you really need.
+++ Time Warp
Acts as a Treasure Cruise in this deck since your extra turn makes you draw at least three cards extra. I don't think you can fit both these and Cryptics in a deck with 19 lands tops, so the choice is yours.
+++ Gigadrowse
Often used in this deck's big brother, Taking Turns, and could be used here too. We don't have as much mana as Taking Turns, so we need to use it wiser.
+++ Twincast
Not much to say. Copies a bounce effect or doubles the damage made by Runeflare Trap.
+++ Unsubstantiate
Remand 5-8 but without drawing a card. Instead of this, it can bounce a creature if that is relevant.
+++ Reduce//Rubble
If you want more focus on control in your deck, this new card could be good, I think it is a bit expensive, which would need us to play more than 19 lands.
++ Wipe Away
A Boomerang that can't be countered for one mana more. Could be played.
Creatures: ++++Simian Spirit Guide
Makes it possible to cast Howling Mine turn one or Temple Bell/Fevered Visions turn two.
+++ Snapcaster Mage
Hard to fit this into the deck when I have tested. Hypothetically it is great, but a four mana Boomerang isn't especially good come to think about it.
+++ Kefnet the Mindful
The newest addition to the deck. This guy is huge and impossible to kill. Also swings in the air but needs you to have seven cards in your hand to do it.
Lands:
+++++ Island
Of course...
+++++ Scalding Tarn
Four fetch lands is needed in the deck. Doesn't really make a difference if it's Scalding Tarn or Flooded Strand.
+++++ Flooded Strand
As mentioned above.
+++++ Steam Vents
The best blue and red land that can be fetched... Of course you should play it. 2-4.
++++ Spirebluff Canal
The blue and red fast land is a great addition to the deck. Play 2-4.
+++ Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
Well, if you can fit it in your deck, then do it. It is a colorless land though, and the deck really needs double blue and a red mana to play well.
++ Gemstone Caverns
Same as above. If you are on the draw and gets it on your start hand it is a permanent ape that lets you play Howling Mine turn one and Temple Bell/Fevered Visions turn two.
+ Mountain
Isn't really needed. You run good on one red mana and should get it from fetch/shock/fast lands.
SIDEBOARD:
+++++ Blood Moon
This card seems made for this deck, and we could go a route which imitates Blue Moon.dec after sideboard. All your duals are here to find red so it doesn't really matter that they are mountains now.
++++ Sudden Shock
Answers to the infinite combos of Murderous Redcap and Kitchen Finks. A really great card against other decks too.
++++ Pyroclasm
A real life saver against affinity. Kill it! Kill it with fire!
++++ Sun Droplet
Really makes aggro an easier matchup. If two of these are in play at the same time, we get four lifes every other turn. Hard to answer for aggro, especially with backup from Exhaustion, Time Warp and other good spells.
++++ Chalice of the Void
If you an afford this, it's almost NEVER bad in a sideboard. Against Burn, Ad Nauseam, 8-Rack, Aggro and so on.
+++ Nourishing Shoal // Autochton Wurm
We draw A LOT of cards with this deck so drawing into this two card "gain 15 lifes" combo is fairly easy. Let us live a bit longer against aggro decks.
+++ Leyline of Sanctity
I mean, we don't play white mana so it is kind of a coin flip to get this on your starting hand. If you do, though, it is great against burn.
+++ Hurkyl's Recall
This only get a grade three, because Pyroclasm is a lot better. Affinity doesn't care if they are set back a turn, they play everything again. If it is dead, though...
++ Ivory Crane Netsuke
At first glance, this looks fantastic but the truth is that we don't have the time to build up enough Howling Mine effects to make this work before we are dead against burn and aggro decks.
++ Kefnet, the Mindful
Same issue here, if we manage to always have seven or more cards on hand, we generally have already won.
vs. 8-Rack
Hehe. Haha. Ho. 100% wins, no exception.
vs. Living End
Save your Remands and Unsubstantiate to Living End and you should be good to go. If you don't, you are fried. 50%
Will be continued as soon as I have time to play the deck...
This is my first primer, please tell me if there is something I miss. Also, excuse me if the language is failing now and then in the text. I'm from Sweden and my English isn't fluent.
Another win condition for the deck can be milling with Sphinx's Tutelage which works well with all the "mine" effects.
Can be SB'd in to throw off opponents siding in artifact removal.
Blood Moon should probably be pretty good in this deck to prevent opponents from casting their spells and keep their hands full.
The "mine" effects would help them get the basics but they should (hopefully) be dead by then.
Nice deck. How do you feel about your 22 lands? Do you flood often? The original deck in modern played 18 lands, but I felt the need to go to 19.
Me and a buddy of mine talked about going to three colors, the third being either white for more control or black for more win cons, but with as few lands as we played, I felt that it could be really hard to pull it of. We also talked about removing red and putting black in to let the opponent lose life when he draw cards, but I think red and Runeflare Trap is always better.
The original deck was land denial. Stone Rain and Molten Rain were all stars. You could also consider a bigger version with Wildfire to really close games out. If you don't go mana denial you;re just durdling and hoping to dodge 70% of the field. And on the draw you need so much help to win even favored match ups.
Cards to consider:
Shadow of Doubt- for fighting fetches
Wildfire-sweeper and mana denial
Sudden Impact- just does a ton of damage. It's costly but you won;t need the 7 cards in hand clause.
I have this deck built but I always play it for fun. I thought Visions was the card to put it over the top but so far it isn't.
The original builds preyed on the Ravnica bounce lands that were popular back in standard at the time. The issue becomes decks like Death's Shadow that operate efficiently on 1 mana. There's also the issue with not being able to target a fetch with a boomerang. a savvy opponent will use it during his turn to get the mana he/she needs. I'm 100% behind the idea but haven't come up with a list that is even 50% against the field. maybe white with some tax effects?
Private Mod Note
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In case I didn't tell you, I don't care about your opinion I just want your facts. And not the facts that make you seem smart. I want the ones that are actual facts.
I don't think anyone thinks this is the most competitive thing you can be doing in modern. Still it's a pretty fun deck that can do ok at your small local event.
Are you suggesting we use stone rains instead of bounce?
-It's more mana
-It doesn't directly fill their hand
-We help them dig for lands
I think bouncing lands is more effective for what the deck is trying to do.
You are correct that the deck is soft to one mana creatures. Especially mana dorks.
There are some very different appraloaches to the "creature protection" issues:
*Bounce (mass effects like whelming wawe are best. Ideally you.dont wanna use Boomerangs on creatures)
*Kill (red gives us cards like pyroclasm and it's big brothers. They don't add to the opponent's hand, and are dead vs some decks)
*Tap (Mainly Cryptic Command but also cards like gigadrowse. Dont forget Exhaustion. These tend to be mana intensive)
*Pillow fort effects (ensnaring bridge obviously doesn't work here, but Ghostly Prison might have some potential)
*Blockers (generally not great combined with mass bounce. TiTi provides both. I have also considered Æther Membrane [1RR 0/5 wall, bounce what it blocks]. Other suggestions are welcome.
Another solution, which I have used with some success, is Chalice of the Void. I don't play any one drops anyway, so CotV is a natural fit. Perhaps even maindeckable.
Chalice is good call. But you do cut yourself off of Vapor Snag for removal. Which can be a great option against creatures and creature combo decks.
I do like 4 of Snappy and even TiTI. I think there's also some play to either Baby Jace or the newer Jace that draws or bounces. Perhaps Chandra, Torch of Defiance? She does offer card draw and mana. Just spitballing ideas.
Private Mod Note
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In case I didn't tell you, I don't care about your opinion I just want your facts. And not the facts that make you seem smart. I want the ones that are actual facts.
The issue is that when we try to fit in more disruption for aggro decks, critters and answers, we have to take out other cards that are really necessary for the deck to work. We can't take out any Boomerang effects, and the Mine effects is also really vital for the deck to work. What do you suggest we take out to fit in the cards you mention, or to get another color in there?
I tried Schnappy instead of Simian Spirit Guides, but to play a Howling Mine or an Owl turn one on the play is almost too good to replace the monkeys.
EDIT: I do understand that we are talking about sideboard too, and maybe we just need to lose game one to fast decks. I'm currently trying to play Sun Droplet from sideboard against aggressive decks. It almost always gives me at least two lifes per turn, and can be played in multiples to erase the risk of being aggroed down.
I like the white blue red version that runs Suppression Field, and supreme verdict. That tempos them out pretty well while also playing a clasm effect and uses chalice (usually set to 0 and 1). The creature bounce is Echoing Truth and Snapback. Snap back works well because of all the card draw you usually have the cards needed to resolve the free cost. And echo can occasionally bounce multiple perms or destroys lingering souls.
But yes 1st turn field can be nearly as devastating as a turn 1 bloodmoons in some match-up.
Due to the fanfare of Jeff Hoogland's recent streaming and pledge to run Owling Mine at the upcoming Milwaukee premier event, Owling Mine has become all the rage. Considering that he committed to such a niche deck, should Jeff himself be committed?
I say nay! I rally to the Owl, and a couple playtest partners of 20+ years have joined the cause. We've been brewing and testing all things Owl. This deck feels positively vintage. Let it be known that Black Vise is the new...black?
First, a tip of the hat to Commodore Guff for composing the primer years ago. Not all that much has changed, but we do have some new weapons. Recently, Jeff took the 'stock list' and quickly dismissed all (4) Ebony Owl Netsuke. Was it wrong to eliminate a cornerstone card? I don't think so. Ebony Owl alongside (4) Boomerang and (4) Eye of Nowhere and (3) Cryptic Command --- (4) Exhaustion created a Land Destruction deck which is perfectly fine, but overly narrow.
Favorable vs. Unfavorable Matchups
Against a spell heavy deck, this approach is an automatic win. Why? Their resources are in their hands. Their hands get overloaded, and the opponent chokes out. Black Vise/Storm Seeker prevail.
Against a fair - board presence heavy deck, it's a challenge. They can diffuse the overloaded hand onto the board. For those fans of Br'er Rabbit, you are effectively throwing them into the Briar Patch. This is particularly true against Affinity and Burn. Extra cards equates to extra power against you.
The hard truth: we have unwinnable matchups. Similarly, we have matchups in which we obliterate. So, let's adjust and meet in the middle. How so? Let us skip ahead for a moment and choose a SB champion. The most obvious card which can adapt to most opponents is: Thing in the ice // Awoken Horror. Automatic 4-of.
Transitional Sideboard
(4) Titi. Done. Now what? Is it (4) Young Pyromancer / (4) Delver of Secrets orrrrrr Is it (x) Counterspell/Control? Fellow MTGsalvation contributor, Makattack, maintains that full transitional sideboard into attack-aggression is the answer, whereas I elect a more reactive stance. Obviously, the answer is much more nuanced, and dependent upon the base (60).
IF you'd like to punish in the tradition of Land Destruction, then (4) Eye of Nowhere is the answer. But, I believe that such an approach corresponds with an indulgent (4) Owl build. Dedicated land Bounce is win-more. I firmly believe in a more reactive/controlling base of (60) cards, so that means I'm swapping Eye for Unsubstantiate & Izzet Charm.
New Card Unsubstantiate: Unless you're targeting an opponent's land, 85% (my estimation) of the time, you're targeting a creature with bounce. Notable exceptions are Liliana of the Veil, Aether Vial or Oblivion Stone. Even so, our deck is rife with redundancies (boomerang/CC) which can handle this trio of threats and other outliers. [2] reasons why Unsubstantiate is superior to Eye of Nowhere: it's an instant and a counterspell.
//// Pair Unsubs with Izzet Charm: so boss. All (3) modes of Charm are usable.
Owling Mine: Control Variant
Unlike the Jeff Hoogland construction, I am proposing a new base (60) to provide adaptable long-game development. AllDictate of Kruphix and Temple Bell are eliminated. These cards are vestiges of a build which relied upon Ebony Owl Netsuke. If you lose the Owl win-con, then you drop (9+) howling mines -- [INSTEAD: rely solely upon howling mine/fevered visions/vision skeins]. This is a new discipline. (13) Counterspells in the main deck. THIRTEEN. That's not counting the slew of extra draw and recursion. Sideboard? Woooooah, even more measures of lockdown - Let me know what you all think!
OWL TIME - Hoot! Hoot!
As the videos continue to roll out and the 12-hour stream is only a day away, J. Hoogland has created a stir in the Twitch world of Magic with his version of Owling Mine - a deck first developed in 2006. My variant has a few fundamental differences from Jeff's design. Principally, I do not agree with continuing to use Eye of Nowhere in a deck with no Ebony Owl Netsuke. The fundamental underpinnings of the original design was bouncing lands to execute a black vise win. Absent that win condition, a land bounce strategy durdles. It leaves too many wins on the table.
React & Control. Testing and discussions with other players have yielded a majority consensus that Unsubstantiate offers far more opportunities to stop an opponent's development and win conditions. I've watched J.H. videos where he's pursued land bounce. Again, against spell-heavy decks, that's win-more, and against decks which flood permanents onto the board, it's a dead-end strategy. For the mid-range, I argue that he can earn more wins by dropping the land disruption angle and concentrating on control. People don't defeat you with lands - they defeat you with spells.
Any Creature with an 'enter the battlefield' effect
Any Sorcery or Instant.........
LOCKDOWN
On this topic, few cards devastate more than Blood Moon. Properly built, this deck is completely immune to its effects. So, I play it main deck. Rather than attack lands individually, why not put them all under the cherry moon? Storage Matrix is highly variable, but we're also totally immune to its effects. Against spell-heavy decks, it's a dud. But, we're advantaged against them anyway. Against decks that run all (3) targets: Lands/Artifacts/Creatures, it's a dynamo: 2/3 of a recurring Exhaustion.
LANDS
Final thought on this post: Choosing the land design. Honestly, I'm baffled by what J.H. is running. All due respect. Under the microscope: both of our decks are exactly the same in our (75) on the following topics
No 1-drop spells
U/R Deck
3 Cryptic Commands
3 Blood Moon
IF
You want to minimize damage [keep your fetchland count low]
Avoid lands coming 'into play tapped' after Turn 3 [keep your speedland count low]
Maximize your blue mana sources for Cryptic Command usage & Blood Moon not messing up your board [keep your island count high]
So, speed lands (spirebluff canal) offers no advantage on Turn 1, and collapses after Turn 3. Doesn't Sulfur Falls seem like a logical alternative, and why so many fetches in a 2 color deck with no scry?
Which One?
Final thought -- all due respect and appreciation to Jeff and his stream and deck development. He possesses a marvelous mind for Magic. I hope this critique is received as constructive - just a different way of building Owling Mine. Each day of testing brings more enlightenment, so I'm sure there is more to the madness.
Bringing an old Standard deck to Modern!
Again...
I know, I know. This ***** has been done. It's been done and it has failed. Over and over again. But as we say in Sweden, "shame to those who give up", right?! I'm utterly convinced that this deck has potential in some kind of Modern meta. Some of the later sets gave the deck new cards which makes it a tiny wee better than before. Now we have Fevered Visions to replace the very easy-killed Kami of the Crescent Moon with, and we also got Remand 5-8 in Unsubstantiate. So let's get together and brew something funny together, something that might surprise the other players in our local stores and bring a smile (or a tear) to their faces.
CARD CHOICES:
4 Ebony Owl Netsuke
This is one of the main win cons in the deck. If the game plan works, it is incredibly powerful, and will kill the opponent in just a few turns if not dealt with. Always play four.
4 Boomerang
This card is so, so powerful when used the right way. It could be mana denial, removal or simply a time walk. I mostly use it to bounce their shock lands turn two on the play, or as a critter removal.
4 Eye of Nowhere
Not much to say here, these are Boomerang 5-8, only exception is that it is a sorcery.
4 Howling Mine
The card that gave the deck its name. Sure, it helps your opponent a lot when played turn two, but in the end it will help you more than him.
4 Remand
Bounce and counter in one great spell. There is a reason that this is one of the most played counter spells in Modern, and it is even better in this deck.
3 Runeflare Trap
Also a great win con in the deck, since your opponent will draw a lot of cards. Is with great success played after Fevered Visions have triggered in end step or in end of draw step, after your opponent has drawn their cards from double Howling Mines.
Furthermore, there are cards that are better than others of course, and I will try to add as many as I can remember. Be sure to remind me or fill in the blanks if you want to. I have tried to rank them, that is only my opinion and it could be better than I think.
Howling Mines:
+++++ Howling Mine
As mentioned above, this is what named the deck and one of the most vital cards in the deck.
++++ Temple Bell
Costs three mana but is controlled by you and can trigger whenever you want
++++ Fevered Visions
Costs both blue and red but acts as a win con, can be played turn two with a little help from your friends (the apes) and triggers in every end step, which is relevant as your oppnent can't use the card on his or hers turn.
++++ Dictate of Kruphix
We can't fit every Howling Mine that is printed in the deck, and I feel that Temple Bell is better, because we can let the opponent draw cards after the discard phase, or in our end step right before we take a new turn, or to trigger Runeflare Trap whenever we want, if the opponent taps out.
+++ Kami of the Crescent Moon
Was for a long time really vital in the deck, before Fevered Visions was printed, but is often replaced today. It dies to almost every single removal spell in Magic.
Instants and sorceries:
+++++ Exhaustion
Against critter decks, this is a great card and acts as a Time Walk, but against control it can be played as an answer to a counter so that they lose the ability to counter your spells the turn after.
+++ Cryptic Command
I'm trying this out. It could potentially be hard to get to four mana in time, but if you do it does so bloody much. It can counter/bounce, tap/bounce, counter/tap or draw you the card you really need.
+++ Time Warp
Acts as a Treasure Cruise in this deck since your extra turn makes you draw at least three cards extra. I don't think you can fit both these and Cryptics in a deck with 19 lands tops, so the choice is yours.
+++ Gigadrowse
Often used in this deck's big brother, Taking Turns, and could be used here too. We don't have as much mana as Taking Turns, so we need to use it wiser.
+++ Twincast
Not much to say. Copies a bounce effect or doubles the damage made by Runeflare Trap.
+++ Unsubstantiate
Remand 5-8 but without drawing a card. Instead of this, it can bounce a creature if that is relevant.
+++ Reduce//Rubble
If you want more focus on control in your deck, this new card could be good, I think it is a bit expensive, which would need us to play more than 19 lands.
++ Wipe Away
A Boomerang that can't be countered for one mana more. Could be played.
Creatures:
++++ Simian Spirit Guide
Makes it possible to cast Howling Mine turn one or Temple Bell/Fevered Visions turn two.
+++ Snapcaster Mage
Hard to fit this into the deck when I have tested. Hypothetically it is great, but a four mana Boomerang isn't especially good come to think about it.
+++ Kefnet the Mindful
The newest addition to the deck. This guy is huge and impossible to kill. Also swings in the air but needs you to have seven cards in your hand to do it.
Lands:
+++++ Island
Of course...
+++++ Scalding Tarn
Four fetch lands is needed in the deck. Doesn't really make a difference if it's Scalding Tarn or Flooded Strand.
+++++ Flooded Strand
As mentioned above.
+++++ Steam Vents
The best blue and red land that can be fetched... Of course you should play it. 2-4.
++++ Spirebluff Canal
The blue and red fast land is a great addition to the deck. Play 2-4.
+++ Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
Well, if you can fit it in your deck, then do it. It is a colorless land though, and the deck really needs double blue and a red mana to play well.
++ Gemstone Caverns
Same as above. If you are on the draw and gets it on your start hand it is a permanent ape that lets you play Howling Mine turn one and Temple Bell/Fevered Visions turn two.
+ Mountain
Isn't really needed. You run good on one red mana and should get it from fetch/shock/fast lands.
SIDEBOARD:
+++++ Blood Moon
This card seems made for this deck, and we could go a route which imitates Blue Moon.dec after sideboard. All your duals are here to find red so it doesn't really matter that they are mountains now.
++++ Sudden Shock
Answers to the infinite combos of Murderous Redcap and Kitchen Finks. A really great card against other decks too.
++++ Pyroclasm
A real life saver against affinity. Kill it! Kill it with fire!
++++ Sun Droplet
Really makes aggro an easier matchup. If two of these are in play at the same time, we get four lifes every other turn. Hard to answer for aggro, especially with backup from Exhaustion, Time Warp and other good spells.
++++ Chalice of the Void
If you an afford this, it's almost NEVER bad in a sideboard. Against Burn, Ad Nauseam, 8-Rack, Aggro and so on.
+++ Nourishing Shoal // Autochton Wurm
We draw A LOT of cards with this deck so drawing into this two card "gain 15 lifes" combo is fairly easy. Let us live a bit longer against aggro decks.
+++ Leyline of Sanctity
I mean, we don't play white mana so it is kind of a coin flip to get this on your starting hand. If you do, though, it is great against burn.
+++ Hurkyl's Recall
This only get a grade three, because Pyroclasm is a lot better. Affinity doesn't care if they are set back a turn, they play everything again. If it is dead, though...
++ Ivory Crane Netsuke
At first glance, this looks fantastic but the truth is that we don't have the time to build up enough Howling Mine effects to make this work before we are dead against burn and aggro decks.
++ Kefnet, the Mindful
Same issue here, if we manage to always have seven or more cards on hand, we generally have already won.
DECK LIST(S):
The version I test right now.
4 Ebony Owl Netsuke
3 Runeflare Trap
Howling Mines:
4 Howling Mine
4 Temple Bell
4 Fevered Visions
Creatures:
4 Simian Spirit Guide
Spells:
4 Boomerang
4 Remand
2 Cryptic Command
4 Eye of Nowhere
4 Exhaustion
10 Island
4 Flooded Strand
2 Steam Vents
3 Spirebluff Canal
4 Ivory Crane Netsuke
3 Blood Moon
2 Gigadrowse
3 Evacuation
3 Pyroclasm
CHANCE VS. DECKS
Hehe. Haha. Ho. 100% wins, no exception.
vs. Living End
Save your Remands and Unsubstantiate to Living End and you should be good to go. If you don't, you are fried. 50%
Will be continued as soon as I have time to play the deck...
This is my first primer, please tell me if there is something I miss. Also, excuse me if the language is failing now and then in the text. I'm from Sweden and my English isn't fluent.
Interesting new tools.
Reduce // Rubble Seems like a good fit.
Day's Undoing is another option to keep both players' hands full.
Against aggro decks bounce spells like Engulf the Shore and Ætherize (or Whelming Wave) can be useful.
Another win condition for the deck can be milling with Sphinx's Tutelage which works well with all the "mine" effects.
Can be SB'd in to throw off opponents siding in artifact removal.
Blood Moon should probably be pretty good in this deck to prevent opponents from casting their spells and keep their hands full.
The "mine" effects would help them get the basics but they should (hopefully) be dead by then.
Btw, here is an older build of the deck - https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/much-abrew-about-nothing-owling-mine-modern
And a somewhat similar "Fevered Visions Boomerang" deck - http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=13879
Me and a buddy of mine talked about going to three colors, the third being either white for more control or black for more win cons, but with as few lands as we played, I felt that it could be really hard to pull it of. We also talked about removing red and putting black in to let the opponent lose life when he draw cards, but I think red and Runeflare Trap is always better.
Cards to consider:
Shadow of Doubt- for fighting fetches
Wildfire-sweeper and mana denial
Sudden Impact- just does a ton of damage. It's costly but you won;t need the 7 cards in hand clause.
I have this deck built but I always play it for fun. I thought Visions was the card to put it over the top but so far it isn't.
The original builds preyed on the Ravnica bounce lands that were popular back in standard at the time. The issue becomes decks like Death's Shadow that operate efficiently on 1 mana. There's also the issue with not being able to target a fetch with a boomerang. a savvy opponent will use it during his turn to get the mana he/she needs. I'm 100% behind the idea but haven't come up with a list that is even 50% against the field. maybe white with some tax effects?
Cockatrice username: Blackcat77
Chalice is good call. But you do cut yourself off of Vapor Snag for removal. Which can be a great option against creatures and creature combo decks.
I do like 4 of Snappy and even TiTI. I think there's also some play to either Baby Jace or the newer Jace that draws or bounces. Perhaps Chandra, Torch of Defiance? She does offer card draw and mana. Just spitballing ideas.
Cockatrice username: Blackcat77
I tried Schnappy instead of Simian Spirit Guides, but to play a Howling Mine or an Owl turn one on the play is almost too good to replace the monkeys.
EDIT: I do understand that we are talking about sideboard too, and maybe we just need to lose game one to fast decks. I'm currently trying to play Sun Droplet from sideboard against aggressive decks. It almost always gives me at least two lifes per turn, and can be played in multiples to erase the risk of being aggroed down.
But yes 1st turn field can be nearly as devastating as a turn 1 bloodmoons in some match-up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfRXpzd0is8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B5-PjePzsk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEQQlvhjneU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wku-Kq2JZr0
Due to the fanfare of Jeff Hoogland's recent streaming and pledge to run Owling Mine at the upcoming Milwaukee premier event, Owling Mine has become all the rage. Considering that he committed to such a niche deck, should Jeff himself be committed?
I say nay! I rally to the Owl, and a couple playtest partners of 20+ years have joined the cause. We've been brewing and testing all things Owl. This deck feels positively vintage. Let it be known that Black Vise is the new...black?
First, a tip of the hat to Commodore Guff for composing the primer years ago. Not all that much has changed, but we do have some new weapons. Recently, Jeff took the 'stock list' and quickly dismissed all (4) Ebony Owl Netsuke. Was it wrong to eliminate a cornerstone card? I don't think so. Ebony Owl alongside (4) Boomerang and (4) Eye of Nowhere and (3) Cryptic Command --- (4) Exhaustion created a Land Destruction deck which is perfectly fine, but overly narrow.
Favorable vs. Unfavorable Matchups
Against a spell heavy deck, this approach is an automatic win. Why? Their resources are in their hands. Their hands get overloaded, and the opponent chokes out. Black Vise/Storm Seeker prevail.
Against a fair - board presence heavy deck, it's a challenge. They can diffuse the overloaded hand onto the board. For those fans of Br'er Rabbit, you are effectively throwing them into the Briar Patch. This is particularly true against Affinity and Burn. Extra cards equates to extra power against you.
The hard truth: we have unwinnable matchups. Similarly, we have matchups in which we obliterate. So, let's adjust and meet in the middle. How so? Let us skip ahead for a moment and choose a SB champion. The most obvious card which can adapt to most opponents is: Thing in the ice // Awoken Horror. Automatic 4-of.
Transitional Sideboard
(4) Titi. Done. Now what? Is it (4) Young Pyromancer / (4) Delver of Secrets orrrrrr Is it (x) Counterspell/Control? Fellow MTGsalvation contributor, Makattack, maintains that full transitional sideboard into attack-aggression is the answer, whereas I elect a more reactive stance. Obviously, the answer is much more nuanced, and dependent upon the base (60).
IF you'd like to punish in the tradition of Land Destruction, then (4) Eye of Nowhere is the answer. But, I believe that such an approach corresponds with an indulgent (4) Owl build. Dedicated land Bounce is win-more. I firmly believe in a more reactive/controlling base of (60) cards, so that means I'm swapping Eye for Unsubstantiate & Izzet Charm.
New Card
Unsubstantiate: Unless you're targeting an opponent's land, 85% (my estimation) of the time, you're targeting a creature with bounce. Notable exceptions are Liliana of the Veil, Aether Vial or Oblivion Stone. Even so, our deck is rife with redundancies (boomerang/CC) which can handle this trio of threats and other outliers. [2] reasons why Unsubstantiate is superior to Eye of Nowhere: it's an instant and a counterspell.
//// Pair Unsubs with Izzet Charm: so boss. All (3) modes of Charm are usable.
Owling Mine: Control Variant
Unlike the Jeff Hoogland construction, I am proposing a new base (60) to provide adaptable long-game development. All Dictate of Kruphix and Temple Bell are eliminated. These cards are vestiges of a build which relied upon Ebony Owl Netsuke. If you lose the Owl win-con, then you drop (9+) howling mines -- [INSTEAD: rely solely upon howling mine/fevered visions/vision skeins]. This is a new discipline. (13) Counterspells in the main deck. THIRTEEN. That's not counting the slew of extra draw and recursion. Sideboard? Woooooah, even more measures of lockdown - Let me know what you all think!
4 Fevered Visions
3 Runeflare Trap
1 Ebony Owl Netsuke
DRAW (7)
4 Howling Mine
3 Vision Skeins
LOCKDOWN (7)
4 Exhaustion
2 Blood Moon
1 Storage Matrix
COUNTERSPELLS/BOUNCE (13)
4 Remand
3 Unsubstantiate
3 Cryptic Command
2 Boomerang
1 Izzet Charm
4 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Noxious Revival
1 Savor the Moment
LANDS (19)
10 Island
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
4 Thing in the Ice
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Bribery
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Pyroclasm
3 Chalice of the Void
1 Blood Moon
As the videos continue to roll out and the 12-hour stream is only a day away, J. Hoogland has created a stir in the Twitch world of Magic with his version of Owling Mine - a deck first developed in 2006. My variant has a few fundamental differences from Jeff's design. Principally, I do not agree with continuing to use Eye of Nowhere in a deck with no Ebony Owl Netsuke. The fundamental underpinnings of the original design was bouncing lands to execute a black vise win. Absent that win condition, a land bounce strategy durdles. It leaves too many wins on the table.
React & Control. Testing and discussions with other players have yielded a majority consensus that Unsubstantiate offers far more opportunities to stop an opponent's development and win conditions. I've watched J.H. videos where he's pursued land bounce. Again, against spell-heavy decks, that's win-more, and against decks which flood permanents onto the board, it's a dead-end strategy. For the mid-range, I argue that he can earn more wins by dropping the land disruption angle and concentrating on control. People don't defeat you with lands - they defeat you with spells.
Eye of Nowhere versus Unsubstantiate:
LOCKDOWN
On this topic, few cards devastate more than Blood Moon. Properly built, this deck is completely immune to its effects. So, I play it main deck. Rather than attack lands individually, why not put them all under the cherry moon? Storage Matrix is highly variable, but we're also totally immune to its effects. Against spell-heavy decks, it's a dud. But, we're advantaged against them anyway. Against decks that run all (3) targets: Lands/Artifacts/Creatures, it's a dynamo: 2/3 of a recurring Exhaustion.
LANDS
Final thought on this post: Choosing the land design. Honestly, I'm baffled by what J.H. is running. All due respect. Under the microscope: both of our decks are exactly the same in our (75) on the following topics
Which One?
10 Island
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
8 Island
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Spirebluff Canal
3 Steam Vents
1 Mikokoro, center of the Sea
Final thought -- all due respect and appreciation to Jeff and his stream and deck development. He possesses a marvelous mind for Magic. I hope this critique is received as constructive - just a different way of building Owling Mine. Each day of testing brings more enlightenment, so I'm sure there is more to the madness.