Here's a Ponza build I'm trying to refine and perfect. The strategy is to destroy opponent's lands first, which can be done as early as turn 2, thanks to Sandstone Needle, and consistently on turn 3 with the help of Izzet Signet. Then, when the opponent is strapped for mana, a timely Fade Away clears creatures off the battlefield and Fire//Ice and Jilt pick off whatever remains. Capsize is there for the other permanents, and can act as a soft lock when bouncing that solitary land. With almost half of the deck being Sorceries and Instants, Pieces of the Puzzle acts as both card draw and filtering. For creatures, we'll take advantage of Goblin Electromancer's mana reduction ability (especially good with buyback and kicker) and Archaeomancer for recycling whatever's needed. Flurry of Horns acts as the finisher (finishers?) of choice a la Izzet Puzzle Pieces.
Looping Jilt with Archaeomancer is one of the deck's value play: With Archaeomancer on the battlefield, cast Jilt, targeting the 'mancer, then deal 2 to a creature that slipped through the cracks. Recast Archaeomancer, getting Jilt from the graveyard, then repeat.
Very nice suggestion Upkeep! Although I'll still have to try which among Compulsive Research and Pieces is the most optimal (the put the rest into your graveyard part is what I'm worried about). Yep, Slow Motion is da bomb, especially when opponent has no more lands/mana to pay you (upkeep - see what I did there? lol). The best part is (like Rancor and its ilk from the Urza block) it returns to hand, ready to tax again.
Also came across this little gem that might supplant Firebolt in the main. The inevitable loop with Archaeomancer is very real: With Archaeomancer on the battlefield, cast Jilt, targeting the 'mancer, then deal 2 to a creature that slipped through the cracks. Recast Archaeomancer, targeting Jilt, then repeat. Or you can just target two creatures from the opponent's side. Either way, fun times!
I really like this deck, but isn't UB better for this type of strategy than UR? We stil have 3 3CMC LD spells (Choking Sands, Icequake and Rancid Earth) and a more flexible 4 CMC LD without flashback (Befoul), but we have a very good finisher Gurmag Angler.
The only thing I think I'll miss giving red up is Eletromancer, but Snuff Out seems to be a good card in this deck because you can kill stuff and a land at the same turn early on. You can still do dirty stuff with bounce + archeomancer with Withdraw instead of Jilt and we can pack some AOE to deal with small creatures with Crypt Rats. Chittering Rats also seems to be a good option and Innocent Blood is very good early on or if they can't flood the board.
Another option that I was thinking in a UG list. The LD cards are more expensive, but we have a ton of ramp with Fertile Ground and Utopia Sprawl, so we can break them turn 2/3. We also get Coiling Oracle and he is awesome. Maybe with this extra mana we can make Rhystic Deluge a disgusting card, but I like the idea of the UR or UB versions a little bit more.
You have valid points of contention there, souck! Only reason I chose red instead of black is because I have all the land destruction spells from that color in my collection, while I have none from black (plus I still don't have the black "sweeper" effects; Crypt Rats, Evincar's Justice). I like where this is going!
Basically, what this type of deck is trying to do, or at least what I think its supposed to be doing, is you just destroy the opponent's lands in the first few turns. If there is a choice of killing off a creature or destroying a land, destroy the land first. Then, when opponent is strapped for mana, we start to pick off the creatures on the battlefield, either through 1-on-1 removal (Slow Motion, Firebolt, Snuff Out) or sweepers (Fade Away, Crypt Rats). Final stage will be to drop the finishers, Flurry of Horns from R or Gurmag Angler from B.
4 Goblin Electromancer
2 Archaeomancer
Sorcery (25)
4 Stone Rain
4 Molten Rain
4 Pillage
3 Firebolt
3 Compulsive Research
3 Fade Away
3 Flurry of Horns
1 Earth Rift
1 Capsize
Enchantment (3)
3 Slow Motion
Artifact (3)
3 Izzet Signet
Land (22)
8 Mountain
5 Island
4 Sandstone Needle
3 Izzet Boilerworks
2 Swiftwater Cliffs
4 Mana Leak
4 Rishadan Cutpurse
3 Capsize
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Fade Away
1 Slow Motion
4 Goblin Electromancer
1 Archeomancer
Sorcery (22)
4 Stone Rain
4 Molten Rain
4 Pillage
3 Pieces of the Puzzle
3 Fade Away
3 Flurry of Horns
1 Deep Analysis
3 Fire//Ice
2 Jilt
2 Prohibit
1 Capsize
Artifact (3)
3 Izzet Signet
Land (22)
9 Mountain
6 Island
4 Sandstone Needle
2 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Izzet Boilerworks
4 Pyroblast
2 Prohibit
2 Calculated Dismissal
2 Aura Flux
2 Shattering Pulse
1 Capsize
1 Swirling Sandstorm
1 Firebolt
Here's a Ponza build I'm trying to refine and perfect. The strategy is to destroy opponent's lands first, which can be done as early as turn 2, thanks to Sandstone Needle, and consistently on turn 3 with the help of Izzet Signet. Then, when the opponent is strapped for mana, a timely Fade Away clears creatures off the battlefield and Fire//Ice and Jilt pick off whatever remains. Capsize is there for the other permanents, and can act as a soft lock when bouncing that solitary land. With almost half of the deck being Sorceries and Instants, Pieces of the Puzzle acts as both card draw and filtering. For creatures, we'll take advantage of Goblin Electromancer's mana reduction ability (especially good with buyback and kicker) and Archaeomancer for recycling whatever's needed. Flurry of Horns acts as the finisher (finishers?) of choice a la Izzet Puzzle Pieces.
Looping Jilt with Archaeomancer is one of the deck's value play: With Archaeomancer on the battlefield, cast Jilt, targeting the 'mancer, then deal 2 to a creature that slipped through the cracks. Recast Archaeomancer, getting Jilt from the graveyard, then repeat.
Thinking of testing the following cards too: Flailing Soldier, Rhystic Deluge and Rhystic Study (definitely! if and when I can afford it).
I'm also torn on including Mana Leak (or any of the "soft" counters, like Prohibit, in the main. If we do include it, what will be taken out?
Great idea! I really like Slow Motion as repeatable removal that either taxes or prevents them from ever playing a creature. It's brilliant!
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
Also came across this little gem that might supplant Firebolt in the main. The inevitable loop with Archaeomancer is very real: With Archaeomancer on the battlefield, cast Jilt, targeting the 'mancer, then deal 2 to a creature that slipped through the cracks. Recast Archaeomancer, targeting Jilt, then repeat. Or you can just target two creatures from the opponent's side. Either way, fun times!
The only thing I think I'll miss giving red up is Eletromancer, but Snuff Out seems to be a good card in this deck because you can kill stuff and a land at the same turn early on. You can still do dirty stuff with bounce + archeomancer with Withdraw instead of Jilt and we can pack some AOE to deal with small creatures with Crypt Rats. Chittering Rats also seems to be a good option and Innocent Blood is very good early on or if they can't flood the board.
Another option that I was thinking in a UG list. The LD cards are more expensive, but we have a ton of ramp with Fertile Ground and Utopia Sprawl, so we can break them turn 2/3. We also get Coiling Oracle and he is awesome. Maybe with this extra mana we can make Rhystic Deluge a disgusting card, but I like the idea of the UR or UB versions a little bit more.
Basically, what this type of deck is trying to do, or at least what I think its supposed to be doing, is you just destroy the opponent's lands in the first few turns. If there is a choice of killing off a creature or destroying a land, destroy the land first. Then, when opponent is strapped for mana, we start to pick off the creatures on the battlefield, either through 1-on-1 removal (Slow Motion, Firebolt, Snuff Out) or sweepers (Fade Away, Crypt Rats). Final stage will be to drop the finishers, Flurry of Horns from R or Gurmag Angler from B.
I'll try to post a Dimir version soon.