MTG Salvation

But what about gigadrowse? I run it as a 2-of main and it has been great. It buys you a turn against aggro and taps all their lands vs control so you can go off.

Quote from Chaam

But what about gigadrowse? I run it as a 2-of main and it has been great. It buys you a turn against aggro and taps all their lands vs control so you can go off.

I like Gigadrowse (as you can see with my list in the original post). I just think the Boomerang is worth testing. It's a rather versatile card as was explained above.

I've been extensively testing this deck with both Boomerang and Gigadrowse. Boomerang seems to be better for matchups without counterspells (as it's inherently a 1 permanent (usually mana bounce) denying card by bouncing it. However, in matchups with counterspells Gigadrowse reigns supreme because of its ability to tap the opponent out the turn before you choose to go off (usually turn 5 or 6). Gigadrowse can't be countered unless by counterflux, because their counter will only target a single copy of the replication process.

Food for thought, but maybe mainboard should have 2 boomerang and 2 gigadrowse?

Quote from Silent G

I've been extensively testing this deck with both Boomerang and Gigadrowse. Boomerang seems to be better for matchups without counterspells (as it's inherently a 1 permanent (usually mana bounce) denying card by bouncing it. However, in matchups with counterspells Gigadrowse reigns supreme because of its ability to tap the opponent out the turn before you choose to go off (usually turn 5 or 6). Gigadrowse can't be countered unless by counterflux, because their counter will only target a single copy of the replication process.

Food for thought, but maybe mainboard should have 2 boomerang and 2 gigadrowse?

A split loses the power that is inherent to the boomerang. I can see running one primarily and having the other in the side depending on what is most commonly in your meta.

@Silent G: You got 61 cards MD there. 4 Serum Visions 1 Telling Time would be 60.

So I just played against this deck with Living End. Game 1 was close with my opponent stalling me with a Remand to ensure he could time walk to win.

Going into game 2 I sided in Ingot Chewers and Ricochet Traps.

First time walk in G2 was ricochet trapped to me to allow a lethal swing.

Game 3 swan song diffused one ricochet trap but my opponent bricked into time walk two, I was able to cycle into an ingot chewer to blow up the freshly cast howling mine and hold up another ricochet trap for game.

The matchup seems really good for this deck Game 1, Game 2 and 3 seems alright depending on the number of counters you can draw into and how ready your opponents sideboard is.

So we got a new howling mine. With flash. It ensures that we hit our land drops more consistently. It's not replacing Jace because Jace is the win-condition. With more draw power, we might not need as many time walk effects even. I don't have a decklist because this is not a matter of deck-design, but mathematical fine-tuning. Any potential?

It costs an additional mana and is in the CMC drop slot of Jace, but it allows us to keep up mana to counter during their turn and flash it in EoT to gain advantage first. I'd say it's worth testing! The double blue isn't a knockback since most decks run primarily blue lands anyways.

Quote from DontYouJIMMYMe

Have any of you experienced to mill out yourself yet? Just courious.

I've actually never had the issue because I either drop Elixir of Immortality early if they have counters and they don't counter it, I hold it in hand if that have some form of hate and wait until I have enough mana to drop it, have counter protection and time walks, or I am self-milling to win with Laboratory Maniac (and I wait until I have the appropriate counters/mana etc). I suppose if a deck ran both stony silence and counters and knew our deck will, they may counter it... but they are typically more focused on countering time walks/cryptics or the draw engines.

Dictate of Kruphix? Seems tailor made for this deck. Thoughts?

Quote from TDB

Dictate of Kruphix? Seems tailor made for this deck. Thoughts?

Quote from JPoJohnson

It costs an additional mana and is in the CMC drop slot of Jace, but it allows us to keep up mana to counter during their turn and flash it in EoT to gain advantage first. I'd say it's worth testing! The double blue isn't a knockback since most decks run primarily blue lands anyways.

Yup, we were just discussing that a few posts back. I think the slightly slower speed is worth being able to do it EoT and keep up counter magic. It's definitely worth testing (:

I think it's literally the nuts and I want to play this deck again.

I'll update the original post once the full set is spoiled and we've gotten some feedback from testing (proxy at first and then whatever from that point on). Keep us updated everyone that is testing (:

I'd like to test:
A:
-4 Mine
+4 Dictate

B:
-2 Mine
-2 Jace
-1 Elixir
+4 Dictate
+1 Maniac

C:
-2 Mine
-2 flex slot
+4 Dictate

Dictate is perfect for this deck. Flash means we draw the additional card first, which is huge.

We Flash it in turn 3, cryptic command ready by turn 4, and proceed to win turn 5.

Here's my UG version, but on May 2nd I'll definitely switch back to MonoU. Dictate is a game changer.
The advantage that UG has over MonoU right now will be gone when we get our hands on Dictate (less prone to artifact hate). Sure UG can go off one turn earlier, but not against the top tier decks anyways (affinity, pod, twin).

Can't wait to get my playset...
It's absurd how easy Thassa will be turned on, and the scry 1 is very relevant.

I'd recommend putting Lab Man in the sideboard still (:

Quote from DontYouJIMMYMe

Anyone had the guts to tryout Jace, Memory Adept yet? Seems quite fast if he gets dropped. (Besides that BabyJace is quite heavy an engine)

How late in the game he gets dropped + not really being able to drop him until the end + not being useful always right off the bat... I don't know... once the engine starts going they're both exactly equal in usefulness but one costs 2 less. Sure one takes less turns, but I'm all for efficiency and consistency.

Quote from TDB

I'd like to test:
A:
-4 Mine
+4 Dictate

B:
-2 Mine
-2 Jace
-1 Elixir
+4 Dictate
+1 Maniac

C:
-2 Mine
-2 flex slot
+4 Dictate

In all your options, your mana curve gets raised. You need to add one more land and reduce one more spell, or compensate somehow.

Quote from sylvanllewelyn

Quote from TDB

I'd like to test:
A:
-4 Mine
+4 Dictate

B:
-2 Mine
-2 Jace
-1 Elixir
+4 Dictate
+1 Maniac

C:
-2 Mine
-2 flex slot
+4 Dictate

In all your options, your mana curve gets raised. You need to add one more land and reduce one more spell, or compensate somehow.

Disagree. It is not about curve for this deck. Assuming you do not miss land drops the question boils down to dropping draw engine t2 vs t3 which in both cases is prior to t5. Because the ratio of lands and spells stays the same and allows you not to miss land drops nothing changes.