And what goes out when Karn/Island/Jace comes in?
And when does that happen?
Does it happen against Red?
And when you draw and play the extra Island, and the Sleep, do you beat Red?
(Insert Diamond Mare/SurgeMare)
. . . Because both of them sure didn't know.
The second Mono-U guy agreed with me that Red Seems unbeatable, outside going first and/or getting lucky.
I am thinking that Going first and playing Essence Scatters seems more and more critical.
And that doesn't sit well with the basic, CO on turn 2.
And. . .
If Red ever gets Experimental frenzy down against us, it gets real ugly, real fast.
.
Also,
At two small tournaments I went 1/2 and 3/1
I enjoy playing it.
It can have real problems with consistency, and red.
I play on Arena and lately I've been running into a lot of Dimir controls, and this seems to have a tough game vs dimir. Has anyone thought about making this a two color deck? Perhaps go Dimir for Pirates and better removal? Any other creatures that play the tempo role well, but in other colors?
I play on Arena and lately I've been running into a lot of Dimir controls, and this seems to have a tough game vs dimir. Has anyone thought about making this a two color deck? Perhaps go Dimir for Pirates and better removal? Any other creatures that play the tempo role well, but in other colors?
There is a Dimir Pirates list floating around that is all right. It's very all in on the little guy tempo beatdown, though, so if you miss a beat you just lose. The basic issue is that there's no replacement for the Tempest Djinn. Nothing else at that casting cost is such a solid blocker or hits nearly as hard.
Also, the upgrade from Merfolk Trickster to actual removal spells isn't as dramatic as you would expect it to be.
The Dimir Control matchup is weird. In my experience if they get their 90th percentile hands (cheap removal into hand disruption into sweepers into disinformation campaign) then they just win. If they flood out then we win. If they have a decent to good but not great hand then we're a little favored. It's scary because they always could have just the right cards to blow us out over the course of the next couple of turns, but they often don't have exactly the right cards to do it.
r1 vs Boros Aggro, 2-0.
SB: +3 Surge Mare, +2, Essence Scatter, +1 Sleep. -2 Chart a Course, -2 Spell Pierce, -2 Wizard's Retort.
-going 2nd in game 2, counters are too reactive so i wanted early blockers (Mares) and Sleep as a finisher. Chart = bad Opt.
-g2, everyone forgot Aurelia gave trample. opponent would've won g2 and went to g3.
-he ran budget guildgates, which cost him crucial tempo.
r2 vs Boros Goblins, 2-1.
SB: see r1.
-g1, there was some Banefire controversy:
--1st, he could have Banefired me directly ftw.
---2nd, he tried to cast Banefire as an instant to a creature.
----3rd, he tilted... decided not to block anything and died. he could've won on board if he just chumped and counter swung.
-g3, Surge Mare defense was rock steady.
r3 vs Grixis Control, 0-2.
SB: +6 counters, +2 Jace. -4 Exclusion Mage, -2 Chart a Course, -2 Dive Down.
-since i cut 4 creatures, i also cut 2 Dive Down.
-g2, i was worried about my lack of pressure so i walked my turn 3 Jace into his turn 2 Syncopate for 1.
-read post #212 (this was Dimir w/a red splash.)
summary: i didn't feel dominant in my wins. i felt dominated in my loss. i don't recommend this deck unless you have a budget (under $200.)
summary: i didn't feel dominant in my wins. i felt dominated in my loss. i don't recommend this deck unless you have a budget (under $200.)
I think this is how tempo decks work. Hold the opponent place just long enough to win. The ideal situation is that you win with them holding 3-5 cards still in hand.
As for this being a budget, is blue then the best version of a "Delver" type deck? I've been playing it a ton and my win% has gone up, but I still almost conced when i see forests and swamps. Red I think is a good matchup as can be White weenie, but Golgari...so tough, which makes sense since midrange should eat tempo, but I'm wondering if there are no expensive upgrades
So, earlier I suggested that this deck is designed to just barely scratch out wins...I was wrong. This deck is nuts. I am 0-3 today vs Green Stompy...turn 2 5/4 made the games not even close on arena. However, against the rest of the field, I was probably 20-5 at worst. When I first started the deck my win% wasn't even close to 50%...more like 40%. Shows how many decisions that are required. I have found that many times being patient and not tapping out is the best play.
Also, I can't beat mono-green...any other bad matchups you have found? Red used to be bad, but I beat it 3x today quite easily. Best part is I think tempo decks beat up on control decks, which feels amazing.
Lastly, some are playing the Warkite...2/1 that makes defending creature an 0/1, while some are playing the 1/2 that surveils when it attacks. Same slot...which do you prefer?
Most folks are out on Nightveil Sprite...against mono-green shouldn't you go more control? Also shouldn't Surge Mare help with that matchup?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"To keep things 100, anything I state is an opinion and not intended to be a fact. Any and all suggestions I give are a 100% opinion. If you need further clarification take the conversation to a PM. I am not in the business of assuming things. I'm only interested in 1 business and that business serves 2 things, Cold L's and Hot Dub's."
Currently I prefer warkite because he neutralize OP flyers and you face a dragon,a phenix, a demon or an angel in almost every matches
Against mono green you don't have to worry about counter spell or any decent spot removal and they can't refill their hands as quickly as you.
Merfolk Trickster is pretty good to delay them by tapping their dorks before they can't use them or to prevent a big creature for attacking.
Land a quick Djinn they gonna have trouble to block and side in your essence scatter
Surge mare is indeed pretty good here.
Depending of which mono green brew they're on but sleep could also steal some win.
It's like he said, mono-green doesn't have strong card advantage and only really tries to beat you through midrange threats. Most of the time those threats are singular and you should be able to work around that. If they drop CarnyT then that is a GG. Also it depends on the brew of mono-green.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"To keep things 100, anything I state is an opinion and not intended to be a fact. Any and all suggestions I give are a 100% opinion. If you need further clarification take the conversation to a PM. I am not in the business of assuming things. I'm only interested in 1 business and that business serves 2 things, Cold L's and Hot Dub's."
Usually you should be able to outrace green based decks. They can hardly block our team at all so you can dictate the pace of play. Tempest Djinn is super important in the matchup. The important thing for you in terms of play skill is to do the math and deploy Trickster and chump blocking so as to tilt the race in your favor.
The green based matchup that is toughest in my opinion is actually the old school stompy decks that are stuffed full of Steel-Leaf Champion. We have a hard time out racing that guy. Otherwise, green really shouldn't be that bad. Even a turn five or six Carnage Tyrant can be raced, and the degenerate turn three or four Carnage Tyrant starts don't happen that often.
The green based matchup that is toughest in my opinion is actually the old school stompy decks that are stuffed full of Steel-Leaf Champion. We have a hard time out racing that guy. Otherwise, green really shouldn't be that bad. Even a turn five or six Carnage Tyrant can be raced, and the degenerate turn three or four Carnage Tyrant starts don't happen that often.
THe green decks with turn 2 5/4 are the ones Im like 0-3 against. This deck feels so much like RUG delver in modern and legacy. Don't remove much, just play fatty and counter everything. Today in two constructed events I went 2-3 and 4-3, so not as good as yesterday. Lost to burn several times today, which was an easy matchup yesterday. A weakness of warkite...it dies to chainwhirler while nightveil sprite does not.
Thanks for all the insights, this is really great and lot of works!
I have this deck and love it. I have one issue, on paper I only have 1x Warkite Marauder. What would you put in instead of the 1,2 or 3 missing from most of the list I've seen there? something to deal with a flyer or NivMizzet like deep freez? Another bounce mage?
Woooot !
Won a Standard Magic Tournament tonite
Local Games Store GamesLab 3/0
I like the deck, ya just gotta have some faith in it.
I played the standard list, but, obviously with 2 cards different.
-2 x Chart a Course, +2x Mystic Archaeologist
It is a really good change.
Don't believe me, I do not mind.
I went 3/1 Yesterday, and the Mystic A's really shone.
After his Antiquities war went off, Mystic won the game single handed from nowhere.
Tonite, he might have won me a game I lost, if I played it better. I had 6 mana, and quickly cast a warkite, then a MysticA, and he pirate countered the Mystic A. D'oh. Just needed to cast him first, then I would have been able to pay the 4 mana.
Ritual of Soot had cleared the board.
A successful Ritual of Soot is backbreaking against us.
Mystic A being a wizard really does matter. If everything is going swimmingly he never gets cast as the 3rd Curious obsession floods my hand with way better options. It is the opposite hands where he rocks.
When everything goes to hell, and suddenly I am in a late game I never wanted, Mystic A does give me a chance. Also, quite rarely, on turn 3 he attacks with a Curious Obsession and allows the 2 cost wizard counterspell to happen when they try to kill him.
Warkite can't do that. And sure, flashing in the Trickster is a better option, obviously.
On a surprisingly regular basis, I am drawing 2 cards for 5 mana. When playing counterspells, that is an effective way to squeek out a win.
My sideboard is also a little different, but not much.
4 Negate
4 Essence Scatter
3 Exclusion mage
2 Surge Mare
1 Spell Pierce
1 Entrancing Melody
I am still yet to win a game when I have cast a Surge Mare.
I cast one once, and it sucked.
Entrancing Melody is really good against Us. I lost a game where he took my 2nd Tempest Djinn.
Not tapping out until i can cast the Djinn, and protect it, is hard for me. But it does work.
Emmara is really effective against us on turn 2. Especially if they are on the play.
Hostage Taker can also be extremely problematic, if it resolves.
I am finding I regularly sideboard out all of the dive downs, spell pierces and a couple of the Mistcloak Heralds. If they have no creatures, being unblockable is irrelevant, and if they have very few creatures, or all ground based ones, flying does just as well.
I have had games where the dive downs have worked game 1, and then I sideboard them all out.
Against Niv Mizzet, exclusion mage has worked great. Especially when nothing else has been an option. In some matchups the Emages are Awesome, but only some.
Negates were great Yesterday, but not needed today.
The spell pierce comes in regularly, and the 2 base deck leave regularly too.
I saw the Melody only once, and that was after the game was won. I would have been GREAT!, except the game was already over.
Essence scatter has consistently been good. Once it was the only target on turn 1, but, eh. It does suck when they cast the uncounterable Niv Mizzet.
I had 1 mulligan across the seven rounds. I really should have mulliganned a second hand that only had 1 land on the draw, but it had 1 drops. No Opt or Obsession though.
I have a trick for how to beat pure red. Do not play against it.
I have no idea how anyone beats it regularly with this list. Trying to draw cards with Karn while they play Experimental Frenzy is just a losing concept. Chainwhirler is a beating, almost to the point of just not bothering, counter or die.
Nightviel Sprite is lovely if you expect to play against red, but I still think you are going to lose. And then there are the rounds where they cast a Kraul Harpooner every time you cast a Sprite. Tee hee.
Sprite just sucks, War Kite is a battle god.
Red Twister, My basedeck is
-2x Chart a Course
+2x Mystic Archeologist
Sigh.
And then I go 1/3
Stomped by Red
Lost in the mirror
Loss to W/G/r Emmara & Aurelia
beat Black/Green
Sleep lost him one game in the mirror.
Red is just crushing.
I am weary of people intentionally being an ******** when casting come-into-play effects.
Casting a merfolk trickster by casting it right next to the obvious target is legal, after attackers are declared, and pointing at it.
Switching who the trickster blocks after a dive down is cast on the obvious creature, is noxious.
This is obviously intentional, and sure, it is how the game is technically played.
. . .But not by me.
Same with Conclave, and Ix binding.
I could play tomorrow, in another big tournament. Stuff like this makes me do something else.
I have the deck on paper (with 3 Wrkite now) and a PPTQ this weekend. I played fews games at my local game shop and won almost all games against Green elves and Golgari midrange. I played also on web and I win like 70% of the game but I loose really poorly against mono red Chainwheeler deck. What would you do against Mono red? Side in more essence scatter? Bring in some surge mare?
My local meta will be not all tier deck all around I think (mostly beginners with deck that they construct by themselves) so more creatures based and less Jeskai and Niv-Mizzet decks. Will you automatically bring more Essence scatter main in that case?
Cheers!
And thank again for all the work around this deck.
"To keep things 100, anything I state is an opinion and not intended to be a fact. Any and all suggestions I give are a 100% opinion. If you need further clarification take the conversation to a PM. I am not in the business of assuming things. I'm only interested in 1 business and that business serves 2 things, Cold L's and Hot Dub's."
Just wanted to say, I've never played Magic before, neither offline or online, but I've always wanted to and MTG Arena finally pushed me over the edge.
I've been playing Hearthstone since open beta (so like 4 years now) mainly because I was a WoW fanatic and MTG Arena is the first alternative that has me hooked. I've tried several others (Gwent, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, Shadowverse, Eternal ... etc.) and they just didn't grab me for whatever reason.
Anyways, I was looking for budget decks for a new player/free to play player and found this thread. I'm so excited because not only have I been able to build this deck relatively easily/cheaply, but, it's also fun, powerful and not a no-brainer to play effectively.
Thanks so much to all that have contributed to this thread, I've learned a lot in the last month that I've started playing it on MTG Arena and I'm having a blast!
This past week, I've gone 7-2 twice in the constructed event with this deck and I'm completing quests while earning event rewards and slowly building my collection.
I still love playing Hearthstone when I have free time and I only have my phone, but now, when I have free time and access to a computer, it's MTG Arena!
Just wanted to say, I've never played Magic before, neither offline or online, but I've always wanted to and MTG Arena finally pushed me over the edge.
I've been playing Hearthstone since open beta (so like 4 years now) mainly because I was a WoW fanatic and MTG Arena is the first alternative that has me hooked. I've tried several others (Gwent, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, Shadowverse, Eternal ... etc.) and they just didn't grab me for whatever reason.
Anyways, I was looking for budget decks for a new player/free to play player and found this thread. I'm so excited because not only have I been able to build this deck relatively easily/cheaply, but, it's also fun, powerful and not a no-brainer to play effectively.
Thanks so much to all that have contributed to this thread, I've learned a lot in the last month that I've started playing it on MTG Arena and I'm having a blast!
This past week, I've gone 7-2 twice in the constructed event with this deck and I'm completing quests while earning event rewards and slowly building my collection.
I still love playing Hearthstone when I have free time and I only have my phone, but now, when I have free time and access to a computer, it's MTG Arena!
well enjoy it all before everything rotates out, because you get to to do it all over again when rotation hits.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"To keep things 100, anything I state is an opinion and not intended to be a fact. Any and all suggestions I give are a 100% opinion. If you need further clarification take the conversation to a PM. I am not in the business of assuming things. I'm only interested in 1 business and that business serves 2 things, Cold L's and Hot Dub's."
Now, I'm just a Bo1 MtG Arena scrub newly returned to MtG after a very long break (and I was casual back in the day). I've always been a blue player at heart, so a budget mono-blue tempo deck was a great gateway back into the game. It didn't take long at all to get the cards to build the deck on Arena, and I've been having a blast with it.
I've tried out several different ways to build the deck, but it's clicked much better with this list. I resisted replacing my beloved Nightveil Sprite with Warkite Marauder, but even I can't deny that they're powering me to wins in ways that the sprites simply weren't. Now that I have 8 pirates, I'm testing 2 Lookout's Dispersal in place of what had been 2 Spell Pierce. G1s or Bo1 games can be quite fast, so Spell Pierce is good when it's good, but I find too often that it's a dead card in my hand (which may be the result of my low rank and the Arena matchmaker). Further, a lot of games that I lose, I lose when the board gets out of control; 2 more hard-ish counters help, though 1U (with a pirate in play) is a lot more that U in a tempo deck, especially when you're on the draw.
In any case, this thread has been really informative in thinking about the deck! I'm also considering not being a scrub and playing Bo3, so I'll have to start thinking about how to sideboard.
test 1 vs Umill, 3-1.
SB: none allowed.
notes: opponent still has a ways to go, play skill wise. he commented about Curious Obsession killing me faster.
test 2 vs BorosAggro. 1-0.
r1 vs BorosAggro, 2-1.
SB: +4 exclusion mage, +2 essence scatter, +1 jace, cunning castaway. -4 warkite marauder, -3 lookout’s dispersal.
notes: opponent was new and made misplays. i would not have won if he played technical.
r2 vs IzzetPhoenix, 0-2.
SB: +3 jace, cunning castaway, +2 essence scatter, +2 negate. -4 warkite marauder, -3 lookout’s dispersal.
notes: i mulled to 5 both games. his deck had more brute force than mine.
r3 - drop.
summary: removing Chart a Course made sideboarding easier but the main deck felt clunky. i was mana-screwed/flooded sometimes and Chart A Course may have smoothed out my draws/mulligans.
i’m not sure what to think of Jace, Cunning Castaway. he always got value but idk if his impact on the game is worth the ‘board space. i never got to ultimate him.
test 1 vs Umill, 3-1.
SB: none allowed.
notes: opponent still has a ways to go, play skill wise. he commented about Curious Obsession killing me faster.
test 2 vs BorosAggro. 1-0.
r1 vs BorosAggro, 2-1.
SB: +4 exclusion mage, +2 essence scatter, +1 jace, cunning castaway. -4 warkite marauder, -3 lookout’s dispersal.
notes: opponent was new and made misplays. i would not have won if he played technical.
r2 vs IzzetPhoenix, 0-2.
SB: +3 jace, cunning castaway, +2 essence scatter, +2 negate. -4 warkite marauder, -3 lookout’s dispersal.
notes: i mulled to 5 both games. his deck had more brute force than mine.
r3 - drop.
summary: removing Chart a Course made sideboarding easier but the main deck felt clunky. i was mana-screwed/flooded sometimes and Chart A Course may have smoothed out my draws/mulligans.
i’m not sure what to think of Jace, Cunning Castaway. he always got value but idk if his impact on the game is worth the ‘board space. i never got to ultimate him.
You don't need that many jace in the SB only need 1. I would go back to 20/20/20 plan. Also should only need 1 Lookout's dispersal or 1 Admiral's Order
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"To keep things 100, anything I state is an opinion and not intended to be a fact. Any and all suggestions I give are a 100% opinion. If you need further clarification take the conversation to a PM. I am not in the business of assuming things. I'm only interested in 1 business and that business serves 2 things, Cold L's and Hot Dub's."
-Stay Frosty
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Of course it does.
And what goes out when Karn/Island/Jace comes in?
And when does that happen?
Does it happen against Red?
And when you draw and play the extra Island, and the Sleep, do you beat Red?
(Insert Diamond Mare/SurgeMare)
. . . Because both of them sure didn't know.
The second Mono-U guy agreed with me that Red Seems unbeatable, outside going first and/or getting lucky.
I am thinking that Going first and playing Essence Scatters seems more and more critical.
And that doesn't sit well with the basic, CO on turn 2.
And. . .
If Red ever gets Experimental frenzy down against us, it gets real ugly, real fast.
.
Also,
At two small tournaments I went 1/2 and 3/1
I enjoy playing it.
It can have real problems with consistency, and red.
There is a Dimir Pirates list floating around that is all right. It's very all in on the little guy tempo beatdown, though, so if you miss a beat you just lose. The basic issue is that there's no replacement for the Tempest Djinn. Nothing else at that casting cost is such a solid blocker or hits nearly as hard.
Also, the upgrade from Merfolk Trickster to actual removal spells isn't as dramatic as you would expect it to be.
The Dimir Control matchup is weird. In my experience if they get their 90th percentile hands (cheap removal into hand disruption into sweepers into disinformation campaign) then they just win. If they flood out then we win. If they have a decent to good but not great hand then we're a little favored. It's scary because they always could have just the right cards to blow us out over the course of the next couple of turns, but they often don't have exactly the right cards to do it.
20 creatures:
4 exclusion mage (aggro, “wizard.")
4 merfolk trickster
4 mist-cloaked herald
4 siren stormtamer
4 tempest djinn
4 dive down
4 opt
4 wizard’s retort
2 chart a course
2 spell pierce
4 aura:
4 curious obsession
3 surge mare
3 warkite marauder
2 disdainful stroke
2 essence scatter
2 jace, cunning castaway
2 negate
1 sleep
all 3 of my matches in the link below:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/340405141
r1 vs Boros Aggro, 2-0.
SB: +3 Surge Mare, +2, Essence Scatter, +1 Sleep. -2 Chart a Course, -2 Spell Pierce, -2 Wizard's Retort.
-going 2nd in game 2, counters are too reactive so i wanted early blockers (Mares) and Sleep as a finisher. Chart = bad Opt.
-g2, everyone forgot Aurelia gave trample. opponent would've won g2 and went to g3.
-he ran budget guildgates, which cost him crucial tempo.
r2 vs Boros Goblins, 2-1.
SB: see r1.
-g1, there was some Banefire controversy:
--1st, he could have Banefired me directly ftw.
---2nd, he tried to cast Banefire as an instant to a creature.
----3rd, he tilted... decided not to block anything and died. he could've won on board if he just chumped and counter swung.
-g3, Surge Mare defense was rock steady.
r3 vs Grixis Control, 0-2.
SB: +6 counters, +2 Jace. -4 Exclusion Mage, -2 Chart a Course, -2 Dive Down.
-since i cut 4 creatures, i also cut 2 Dive Down.
-g2, i was worried about my lack of pressure so i walked my turn 3 Jace into his turn 2 Syncopate for 1.
-read post #212 (this was Dimir w/a red splash.)
summary: i didn't feel dominant in my wins. i felt dominated in my loss. i don't recommend this deck unless you have a budget (under $200.)
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkfx2kA8gok&feature=emb_logo
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3RYiZJFCK0
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j18HlKybrm8&feature=emb_logo
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiAEzfAgpbI
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vNr_4ubfMg
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJcwpxraL-g
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8MyVNLVYNw
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-M5ffoArnY
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_yQEBOPi_w&feature=emb_logo
extended - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLpUB9zpyr4&feature=emb_logo
I think this is how tempo decks work. Hold the opponent place just long enough to win. The ideal situation is that you win with them holding 3-5 cards still in hand.
As for this being a budget, is blue then the best version of a "Delver" type deck? I've been playing it a ton and my win% has gone up, but I still almost conced when i see forests and swamps. Red I think is a good matchup as can be White weenie, but Golgari...so tough, which makes sense since midrange should eat tempo, but I'm wondering if there are no expensive upgrades
So, earlier I suggested that this deck is designed to just barely scratch out wins...I was wrong. This deck is nuts. I am 0-3 today vs Green Stompy...turn 2 5/4 made the games not even close on arena. However, against the rest of the field, I was probably 20-5 at worst. When I first started the deck my win% wasn't even close to 50%...more like 40%. Shows how many decisions that are required. I have found that many times being patient and not tapping out is the best play.
Also, I can't beat mono-green...any other bad matchups you have found? Red used to be bad, but I beat it 3x today quite easily. Best part is I think tempo decks beat up on control decks, which feels amazing.
Lastly, some are playing the Warkite...2/1 that makes defending creature an 0/1, while some are playing the 1/2 that surveils when it attacks. Same slot...which do you prefer?
-Stay Frosty
So basically it is a post sideboard matchup then.
It's like he said, mono-green doesn't have strong card advantage and only really tries to beat you through midrange threats. Most of the time those threats are singular and you should be able to work around that. If they drop CarnyT then that is a GG. Also it depends on the brew of mono-green.
-Stay Frosty
The green based matchup that is toughest in my opinion is actually the old school stompy decks that are stuffed full of Steel-Leaf Champion. We have a hard time out racing that guy. Otherwise, green really shouldn't be that bad. Even a turn five or six Carnage Tyrant can be raced, and the degenerate turn three or four Carnage Tyrant starts don't happen that often.
THe green decks with turn 2 5/4 are the ones Im like 0-3 against. This deck feels so much like RUG delver in modern and legacy. Don't remove much, just play fatty and counter everything. Today in two constructed events I went 2-3 and 4-3, so not as good as yesterday. Lost to burn several times today, which was an easy matchup yesterday. A weakness of warkite...it dies to chainwhirler while nightveil sprite does not.
Thanks for all the insights, this is really great and lot of works!
I have this deck and love it. I have one issue, on paper I only have 1x Warkite Marauder. What would you put in instead of the 1,2 or 3 missing from most of the list I've seen there? something to deal with a flyer or NivMizzet like deep freez? Another bounce mage?
Won a Standard Magic Tournament tonite
Local Games Store GamesLab 3/0
I like the deck, ya just gotta have some faith in it.
I played the standard list, but, obviously with 2 cards different.
-2 x Chart a Course, +2x Mystic Archaeologist
It is a really good change.
Don't believe me, I do not mind.
I went 3/1 Yesterday, and the Mystic A's really shone.
After his Antiquities war went off, Mystic won the game single handed from nowhere.
Tonite, he might have won me a game I lost, if I played it better. I had 6 mana, and quickly cast a warkite, then a MysticA, and he pirate countered the Mystic A. D'oh. Just needed to cast him first, then I would have been able to pay the 4 mana.
Ritual of Soot had cleared the board.
A successful Ritual of Soot is backbreaking against us.
Mystic A being a wizard really does matter. If everything is going swimmingly he never gets cast as the 3rd Curious obsession floods my hand with way better options. It is the opposite hands where he rocks.
When everything goes to hell, and suddenly I am in a late game I never wanted, Mystic A does give me a chance. Also, quite rarely, on turn 3 he attacks with a Curious Obsession and allows the 2 cost wizard counterspell to happen when they try to kill him.
Warkite can't do that. And sure, flashing in the Trickster is a better option, obviously.
On a surprisingly regular basis, I am drawing 2 cards for 5 mana. When playing counterspells, that is an effective way to squeek out a win.
My sideboard is also a little different, but not much.
4 Negate
4 Essence Scatter
3 Exclusion mage
2 Surge Mare
1 Spell Pierce
1 Entrancing Melody
I am still yet to win a game when I have cast a Surge Mare.
I cast one once, and it sucked.
Entrancing Melody is really good against Us. I lost a game where he took my 2nd Tempest Djinn.
Not tapping out until i can cast the Djinn, and protect it, is hard for me. But it does work.
Emmara is really effective against us on turn 2. Especially if they are on the play.
Hostage Taker can also be extremely problematic, if it resolves.
I am finding I regularly sideboard out all of the dive downs, spell pierces and a couple of the Mistcloak Heralds. If they have no creatures, being unblockable is irrelevant, and if they have very few creatures, or all ground based ones, flying does just as well.
I have had games where the dive downs have worked game 1, and then I sideboard them all out.
Against Niv Mizzet, exclusion mage has worked great. Especially when nothing else has been an option. In some matchups the Emages are Awesome, but only some.
Negates were great Yesterday, but not needed today.
The spell pierce comes in regularly, and the 2 base deck leave regularly too.
I saw the Melody only once, and that was after the game was won. I would have been GREAT!, except the game was already over.
Essence scatter has consistently been good. Once it was the only target on turn 1, but, eh. It does suck when they cast the uncounterable Niv Mizzet.
I had 1 mulligan across the seven rounds. I really should have mulliganned a second hand that only had 1 land on the draw, but it had 1 drops. No Opt or Obsession though.
I have a trick for how to beat pure red. Do not play against it.
I have no idea how anyone beats it regularly with this list. Trying to draw cards with Karn while they play Experimental Frenzy is just a losing concept. Chainwhirler is a beating, almost to the point of just not bothering, counter or die.
Nightviel Sprite is lovely if you expect to play against red, but I still think you are going to lose. And then there are the rounds where they cast a Kraul Harpooner every time you cast a Sprite. Tee hee.
Sprite just sucks, War Kite is a battle god.
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
4 Siren Stormtamer
4 Merfolk Trickster
4 Warkite Marauder
4 Tempest Djinn
4 Opt
2 Spell Pierce
4 Wizard's Retort
4 Curious Obsession
20 Island
Red Twister, My basedeck is
-2x Chart a Course
+2x Mystic Archeologist
Sigh.
And then I go 1/3
Stomped by Red
Lost in the mirror
Loss to W/G/r Emmara & Aurelia
beat Black/Green
Sleep lost him one game in the mirror.
Red is just crushing.
I am weary of people intentionally being an ******** when casting come-into-play effects.
Casting a merfolk trickster by casting it right next to the obvious target is legal, after attackers are declared, and pointing at it.
Switching who the trickster blocks after a dive down is cast on the obvious creature, is noxious.
This is obviously intentional, and sure, it is how the game is technically played.
. . .But not by me.
Same with Conclave, and Ix binding.
I could play tomorrow, in another big tournament. Stuff like this makes me do something else.
My local meta will be not all tier deck all around I think (mostly beginners with deck that they construct by themselves) so more creatures based and less Jeskai and Niv-Mizzet decks. Will you automatically bring more Essence scatter main in that case?
Cheers!
And thank again for all the work around this deck.
I copied some serious dinos with it.
If you copy a creature that have an obession on it, did the copy get the bonus of the obsession too? (It worked that way on xmage)
-Stay Frosty
I've been playing Hearthstone since open beta (so like 4 years now) mainly because I was a WoW fanatic and MTG Arena is the first alternative that has me hooked. I've tried several others (Gwent, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, Shadowverse, Eternal ... etc.) and they just didn't grab me for whatever reason.
Anyways, I was looking for budget decks for a new player/free to play player and found this thread. I'm so excited because not only have I been able to build this deck relatively easily/cheaply, but, it's also fun, powerful and not a no-brainer to play effectively.
Thanks so much to all that have contributed to this thread, I've learned a lot in the last month that I've started playing it on MTG Arena and I'm having a blast!
This past week, I've gone 7-2 twice in the constructed event with this deck and I'm completing quests while earning event rewards and slowly building my collection.
I still love playing Hearthstone when I have free time and I only have my phone, but now, when I have free time and access to a computer, it's MTG Arena!
well enjoy it all before everything rotates out, because you get to to do it all over again when rotation hits.
-Stay Frosty
same decklist as #213.
r1 vs IzzetDrakes, 0-2.
SB: +3 warkite marauder, +2 essence scatter, +1 jace, cunning castaway. -4 exclusion mage, -2 chart a course.
match 1 below:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/349738831
r2 vs IzzetDrakes, 2-0.
SB: +3 warkite marauder, +2 essence scatter, +1 jace, cunning castaway. -4 exclusion mage, -2 chart a course.
r2 opponent wasn't as skilled as r1 opponent.
r3 drop.
i left to go home and watch DB Super on Adult Swim
summary: deck lacks brute force (same goes for all tempo decks, i guess.) i relearned why i shied away from standard these past few weeks.
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkfx2kA8gok&feature=emb_logo
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3RYiZJFCK0
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j18HlKybrm8&feature=emb_logo
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiAEzfAgpbI
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vNr_4ubfMg
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJcwpxraL-g
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8MyVNLVYNw
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-M5ffoArnY
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_yQEBOPi_w&feature=emb_logo
extended - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLpUB9zpyr4&feature=emb_logo
4 Mist-Cloaked Herald
4 Siren Stormtamer
4 Merfolk Trickster
4 Warkite Marauder
4 Tempest Djinn
2 Spell Pierce
2 Lookout's Dispersal
4 Dive Down
4 Opt
4 Wizard's Retort
4 Curious Obsession
Lands
20 Island
In any case, this thread has been really informative in thinking about the deck! I'm also considering not being a scrub and playing Bo3, so I'll have to start thinking about how to sideboard.
4 merfolk trickster
4 mist-cloaked herald
4 siren stormchaser
4 tempest djinn
4 warkite marauder
4 dive down
4 opt
4 wizard’s retort
3 lookout’s dispersal
(4) auras:
4 curious obsession
4 surge mare
4 exclusion mage
3 jace, cunning castaway
2 essence scatter
2 negate
test 1 vs Umill, 3-1.
SB: none allowed.
notes: opponent still has a ways to go, play skill wise. he commented about Curious Obsession killing me faster.
test 2 vs BorosAggro. 1-0.
r1 vs BorosAggro, 2-1.
SB: +4 exclusion mage, +2 essence scatter, +1 jace, cunning castaway. -4 warkite marauder, -3 lookout’s dispersal.
notes: opponent was new and made misplays. i would not have won if he played technical.
r2 vs IzzetPhoenix, 0-2.
SB: +3 jace, cunning castaway, +2 essence scatter, +2 negate. -4 warkite marauder, -3 lookout’s dispersal.
notes: i mulled to 5 both games. his deck had more brute force than mine.
r3 - drop.
summary: removing Chart a Course made sideboarding easier but the main deck felt clunky. i was mana-screwed/flooded sometimes and Chart A Course may have smoothed out my draws/mulligans.
i’m not sure what to think of Jace, Cunning Castaway. he always got value but idk if his impact on the game is worth the ‘board space. i never got to ultimate him.
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkfx2kA8gok&feature=emb_logo
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3RYiZJFCK0
limited - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j18HlKybrm8&feature=emb_logo
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiAEzfAgpbI
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vNr_4ubfMg
standard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJcwpxraL-g
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8MyVNLVYNw
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-M5ffoArnY
modern - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_yQEBOPi_w&feature=emb_logo
extended - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLpUB9zpyr4&feature=emb_logo
You don't need that many jace in the SB only need 1. I would go back to 20/20/20 plan. Also should only need 1 Lookout's dispersal or 1 Admiral's Order
-Stay Frosty