I agree with the notion that the deck wants terminus over RIP, but has Purify the gravedeclared not good enough? Both are fairly bad against Junk Reanimator because they have pretty good versatile answers to them in the form of Sin Collector and Acidic Slime. I'm on board with Purify the Grave though, because it lets you play your draw go game and has flashback so it can essentially counter 1 entire Unburial rites for those times you don't have a Dissipate in hand or Syncopate, and is much harder to play around for the opponent. With RIP you're talking about cutting off ties to snapcaster and any kind of flashback value you might have, and if they are getting rid of your RIP's you basically filtered your deck's power for nothing.
With that said here's the list i'm working with right now.
The list is mostly self explanatory. My main is farily versatile in the removal suite, being able to answer Junk Aristcrats's Voices and value creatures, while still being able to answer any larger threats that make it through with Tamiyo Renounce the Guilds and 2 Turn // Burn or one of the 4 sweepers. Jace is at 2 because his relevance as a card advantage engine while serving double duty as a stall against lingering souls and other aggro strategies. On top of all this; a larger Permission Suite to give me full range of counters from turn 2 (i don't like turn 2 Sin Collector). I'm still debating on 3/1 or 2/2 Split on Supreme Verdict and Terminus, but it would be cool to hear some of your thoughts on that matter specifically. I think if you do 3/1 split you need another Terminus in the board (which i don't currently have). the 2/2 is good by itself and probably doesn't need another support sweeper.
I agree with the notion that the deck wants terminus over RIP, but has Purify the gravedeclared not good enough? Both are fairly bad against Junk Reanimator because they have pretty good versatile answers to them in the form of Sin Collector and Acidic Slime. I'm on board with Purify the Grave though, because it lets you play your draw go game and has flashback so it can essentially counter 1 entire Unburial rites for those times you don't have a Dissipate in hand or Syncopate, and is much harder to play around for the opponent. With RIP you're talking about cutting off ties to snapcaster and any kind of flashback value you might have, and if they are getting rid of your RIP's you basically filtered your deck's power for nothing.
With that said here's the list i'm working with right now.
The list is mostly self explanatory. My main is farily versatile in the removal suite, being able to answer Junk Aristcrats's Voices and value creatures, while still being able to answer any larger threats that make it through with Tamiyo Renounce the Guilds and 2 Turn // Burn or one of the 4 sweepers. Jace is at 2 because his relevance as a card advantage engine while serving double duty as a stall against lingering souls and other aggro strategies. On top of all this; a larger Permission Suite to give me full range of counters from turn 2 (i don't like turn 2 Sin Collector). I'm still debating on 3/1 or 2/2 Split on Supreme Verdict and Terminus, but it would be cool to hear some of your thoughts on that matter specifically. I think if you do 3/1 split you need another Terminus in the board (which i don't currently have). the 2/2 is good by itself and probably doesn't need another support sweeper.
If you play 4 pillars, there is no need for Terminus. You pillar the blood artist and Supreme Verdict all for 5 mana consistently.
Terminus you hope you miracle or hardcast for 6. If you used your pillar earlier on voice/blood artist. What's the point of having Terminus? It only makes it that much harder to consistently fend off aggro matchups cause it is either Miracle or bust in those matchups.
Secondly, Rest in Peace is a lot more consistent and easier to cast and doesn't get hit by Sin Collector. You play 3 Snapcasters and 2 Think Twice, what flashback do you honestly lose? You side out 3 snaps and 2 Think Twices for 2/3 Rest in Peace and better countermagic/removal and then you remove 2 pillars and an azorius charm for Clones. That's an effective sideboard against Reanimator. If you go against junk you keep in the pillars and just put in better early game disruption.
To simply say Rest in Peace is bad as a 2/3 of because it shuts down 3 of your snapcasters and potentially 2 of your Think Twice's is really bad logic when it shuts down 50% of Reanimator's Strategy or shuts down Junk's entire deck especially when even after you Terminus away some stuff Reanaimtor has if it was under Angel of Serenity it still goes back to hand and if it's a thragtusk it still leaves a token. I'd rather let them mulch/grisly salvage 10-15 cards then rest in peace it away and have to deal with hard casted Thragtusks and Angels. At that point it is like playing against a Jund deck with 0 removal and 0 ramp.
Of course this is all my opinion and how I see/How I have had matchups play against me, maybe you have had good success and I am wrong.
This is the deck I will be playing/Have been playing for the next few weeks and a couple of TCG Gold events/PTQs/GPTs etc. I brought a slightly worse version of this build to a GPT and despite some bad luck I got 9th. Missed out on top 8 , lost to a few rogue decks so kudos to those players <3
Contemplating going back 2 Jace AoT, but I went down to 1 and added a Ral Zarek but went up to a 4th Sphinx. If Ral doesn't work out I may go to a 3rd Reckonor/4th Supreme Verdict/3 Warleader's Helix or possibly back to a 2nd Jace.
Also if it becomes a problem I may Drop a Jace and an Aurelia for 2 Renounce the Guilds if Bant Hexproof becomes that bad of a Matchup. Not super relevant around my area or if I test without the Reckonors and aggro is still a better matchup I may remove the Reckonors as a whole for 2 Renounce the Guilds or some deviation of better Hexproof Mainboard.
My Matchups Sideboarding Respectively
Reanimator:
Take out:
2 Snapcaster
2 Think Twice
2 Pillar of Flame
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Azorius Charm
Put in:
2 Rest in peace
2 Clone
1 Warleader's Helix
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Aurelia, The Warleader
1 Jace, Memory Adept**** Depends on their style of Reanimator
This is very VERY similar to what I'm playing now. Basically just need to chuck a Turn//Burn & Ratchet Bombs into the sideboard and I should be good to go.
This is very VERY similar to what I'm playing now. Basically just need to chuck a Turn//Burn & Ratchet Bombs into the sideboard and I should be good to go.
flooding happens at times, he is using a 61 card main deck iterations from Matt Costa's list in GP Miami.
As for Ratchet Bombs, works great versus Naya Blitz. I like the 2x Supreme Verdict main deck but not really sure how good it is to cut a Turn//Burn in its place. Except for the cantrips, all instant/sorceries are in good numbers, 26 lands is check also, I wonder which spell should I cut...
As for Ratchet Bombs, works great versus Naya Blitz. I like the 2x Supreme Verdict main deck but not really sure how good it is to cut a Turn//Burn in its place. Except for the cantrips, all instant/sorceries are in good numbers, 26 lands is check also, I wonder which spell should I cut...
If you're going to cut a spell, probably a augur. I play 3 and I've been happy with that number. Also, do we need 26 lands? We're topping out at 4 mana, 5 if you could Burn // Turn (which is a 1 of now). You'll get the big sphinx mana usually and I've not had a problem yet running 25.
This is what I've sleeved up this evening for a couple of test games vs a friend. Pre-M14 it was running very well for me, and I've just made a couple of changes now for M14. I've dropped a Augur in favor of a Pillar and I'm playing 25 lands, with a cavern and 2 islands, rather than 1 and no wastelands. In testing now it was quite superb, but I only got to play against 1 deck. Played vs my mates BUG Zombies. It's probably not the best deck in the world, but I managed to 5-1 it and the loss was purely due to a play mistake by me.
If you're going to cut a spell, probably a augur. I play 3 and I've been happy with that number. Also, do we need 26 lands? We're topping out at 4 mana, 5 if you could Burn // Turn (which is a 1 of now). You'll get the big sphinx mana usually and I've not had a problem yet running 25.
This is what I've sleeved up this evening for a couple of test games vs a friend. Pre-M14 it was running very well for me, and I've just made a couple of changes now for M14. I've dropped a Augur in favor of a Pillar and I'm playing 25 lands, with a cavern and 2 islands, rather than 1 and no wastelands. In testing now it was quite superb, but I only got to play against 1 deck. Played vs my mates BUG Zombies. It's probably not the best deck in the world, but I managed to 5-1 it and the loss was purely due to a play mistake by me.
I like this list a lot only problem I have is running Counterflux, the card is just not as good as dissipate I don't know why people run this now when Souls and things are such a big deal. Also Think twice I would cut down to 3 or even 2 as the card is bad but it's only type we have, since voiceis huge atm i feel it got even worse.
Here is a version I am playing around with. I am not convinced I need the Augurs with my current spell count, and it's entirely possible that I just want to replace these with additional spells instead. I am uncertain if I want to keep the Moorland Haunts as Moorland Haunts or replace them with Mutavault - which is likely the correct decision, especially if I replace the Augurs with more spells. I do not know if I need to find space in the sideboard for the Staticaster or if the Ratchet Bombs, Supreme Verdicts and Rest in Peaces will be enough alongside Jace's +1 ability.
Flying Plate Mail is mostly why I have Moorland Haunt in that version instead of Mutavault. I consider the card to be a more relevant Runechanter's Pike since it can actually do something on an empty board
Side Note: Does Ral Zarek's +1 ability become much better now that we can untap a Ratchet Bomb with it? This allows us to increment it rapidly or increment and detonate it in the same turn.
I like this list a lot only problem I have is running Counterflux, the card is just not as good as dissipate I don't know why people run this now when Souls and things are such a big deal. Also Think twice I would cut down to 3 or even 2 as the card is bad but it's only type we have, since voiceis huge atm i feel it got even worse.
Counterflux is because of the fact that the deck was doing quite well and you want to be prepared for the mirror, but you're probably right, dissipate might be better now, I'll switch it up
You can't have everything. I think I'd rather have that Counterflux for opponent's Revelations/Aetherling to have the right to just say NO to a spell. ATM Reanimator should be dead (lol) so there are not many spells you really want to exile, proabably Souls are only relevant one. Against Souls decks (which seems to be Junk Aristocrats and WB Humans right now) I will side in Rachets (or keep 1 main and 1-2 side).
I think Counterflux is better call. I think I'd play 3/2 Syncopates/Counterfluxes in main as my counterspell suite.
edit: TBH, Counterflux is one of main reasons why I'd play UWR instead of Esper.
Also I don't like Augurs at all. I'd keep their count at minimum. I know there will be games where I will have to keep 2-lander 6-hand and I will reveal 3 lands from Augur and then will see no more lands. I'd rather have Think Twice and honestly you have enough cards to play around Voice between T2 Syncopates on play, Pillars and T4 Verdicts. Voice is a huge threat but I think you will lose more games due to bad Augur reveals than having Think Twice vs Voice.
I think what the deck wants is to play Terminus over RIP
With that said here's the list i'm working with right now.
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Aetherling
Removal:
4 Pillar of Flame
2 Turn // Burn
1 Renounce the Guilds
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
3 Supreme Verdict
1 Terminus
Permission:
3 Dissipate
1 Essence Scatter
2 Syncopate
Draw:
2 Think Twice
2 Jace, Architect of Thought
4 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Azorius Charm
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Steam Vents
2 Sacred Foundry
4 Clifftop Retrear
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Sulfur Falls
2 Island
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Cavern of Souls
2 Izzet Staticaster
2 Purify the Grave
2 Warleader's Helix
2 Negate
1 Dissipate
1 Jace, Memory Adept
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
1 Wear // Tear
1 Renounce the Guilds
1 Aetherling
The list is mostly self explanatory. My main is farily versatile in the removal suite, being able to answer Junk Aristcrats's Voices and value creatures, while still being able to answer any larger threats that make it through with Tamiyo Renounce the Guilds and 2 Turn // Burn or one of the 4 sweepers. Jace is at 2 because his relevance as a card advantage engine while serving double duty as a stall against lingering souls and other aggro strategies. On top of all this; a larger Permission Suite to give me full range of counters from turn 2 (i don't like turn 2 Sin Collector). I'm still debating on 3/1 or 2/2 Split on Supreme Verdict and Terminus, but it would be cool to hear some of your thoughts on that matter specifically. I think if you do 3/1 split you need another Terminus in the board (which i don't currently have). the 2/2 is good by itself and probably doesn't need another support sweeper.
If you play 4 pillars, there is no need for Terminus. You pillar the blood artist and Supreme Verdict all for 5 mana consistently.
Terminus you hope you miracle or hardcast for 6. If you used your pillar earlier on voice/blood artist. What's the point of having Terminus? It only makes it that much harder to consistently fend off aggro matchups cause it is either Miracle or bust in those matchups.
Secondly, Rest in Peace is a lot more consistent and easier to cast and doesn't get hit by Sin Collector. You play 3 Snapcasters and 2 Think Twice, what flashback do you honestly lose? You side out 3 snaps and 2 Think Twices for 2/3 Rest in Peace and better countermagic/removal and then you remove 2 pillars and an azorius charm for Clones. That's an effective sideboard against Reanimator. If you go against junk you keep in the pillars and just put in better early game disruption.
To simply say Rest in Peace is bad as a 2/3 of because it shuts down 3 of your snapcasters and potentially 2 of your Think Twice's is really bad logic when it shuts down 50% of Reanimator's Strategy or shuts down Junk's entire deck especially when even after you Terminus away some stuff Reanaimtor has if it was under Angel of Serenity it still goes back to hand and if it's a thragtusk it still leaves a token. I'd rather let them mulch/grisly salvage 10-15 cards then rest in peace it away and have to deal with hard casted Thragtusks and Angels. At that point it is like playing against a Jund deck with 0 removal and 0 ramp.
Of course this is all my opinion and how I see/How I have had matchups play against me, maybe you have had good success and I am wrong.
This is the deck I will be playing/Have been playing for the next few weeks and a couple of TCG Gold events/PTQs/GPTs etc. I brought a slightly worse version of this build to a GPT and despite some bad luck I got 9th. Missed out on top 8 , lost to a few rogue decks so kudos to those players <3
UWR Control
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Sulfur Falls
4 Steam Vents
3 Clifftop Retreat
3 Sacred Foundry
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Desolate Lighthouse
Creature:
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Boros Reckoner
2 Aetherling
3 Azorius Charm
2 Syncopate
2 Turn // Burn
2 Warleader's Helix
4 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Dissipate
1 Searing Spear
3 Think Twice
Sorcery:
3 Pillar of Flame
3 Supreme Verdict
Enchantment:
1 Detention Sphere
Planeswalkers:
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
2 Negate
2 Rest in Peace
1 Pillar of Flame
3 Izzet Staticaster
1 Jace, The Memory Adept
2 Clone
1 Warleader's Helix
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Aurelia, The Warleader
Contemplating going back 2 Jace AoT, but I went down to 1 and added a Ral Zarek but went up to a 4th Sphinx. If Ral doesn't work out I may go to a 3rd Reckonor/4th Supreme Verdict/3 Warleader's Helix or possibly back to a 2nd Jace.
Also if it becomes a problem I may Drop a Jace and an Aurelia for 2 Renounce the Guilds if Bant Hexproof becomes that bad of a Matchup. Not super relevant around my area or if I test without the Reckonors and aggro is still a better matchup I may remove the Reckonors as a whole for 2 Renounce the Guilds or some deviation of better Hexproof Mainboard.
My Matchups Sideboarding Respectively
Reanimator:
Take out:
2 Snapcaster
2 Think Twice
2 Pillar of Flame
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Azorius Charm
Put in:
2 Rest in peace
2 Clone
1 Warleader's Helix
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Aurelia, The Warleader
1 Jace, Memory Adept**** Depends on their style of Reanimator
Esper/UWR/Grixis Control
Take out:
3 Pillar of Flame
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Ral Zarek*** Depends on What I see
Put in:
1 Aetherling
2 Negate
1 Jace, Memory Adept
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Aurelia, The Warleader/Warleader's Helix*** Depends on if Ral Zarek came out
Bant Control:
Take out:
3 Pillar of Flame
1 Ral Zarek
1 Azorius Charm
2 Searing Spear
Put in:
2 Negate
1 Jace, The Memory Adept
2 Clone
1 Aetherling
1 Warleader's Helix/Thundermaw Hellkite/Aurelia**** Depends on What I see
Junk Aristocrats:
Take out:
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Searing Spear
1 Ral Zarek
Put in:
2 Rest in Peace
1 Pillar of Flame
2 Izzet Staticcaster
Aggro:
Take out:
1 Tamiyo, The Moonsage
1 Sphinx's Revelation
Put in:
1 Pillar of Flame
1 Warleader's Helix
2 Clone*** Depends if it's a midrangey Naya Aggro deck
Bant Hexproof: ** Probably my weakest matchup
Take out:
1 Tamiyo, The Moonsage
1 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Searing Spear
Put in:
2 Clones
1 Warleader's Helix
1 Pillar of Flame
1/2 Rest in Peace **** Depends on if it's a Voice heavy Hexproof.
4 Restoration Angel
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Azorius Charm
2 Counterflux
1 Rewind
3 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Syncopate
4 Think Twice
1 Turn // Burn
2 Warleader's Helix
3 Pillar of Flame
2 Supreme Verdict
3 Clifftop Retreat
2 Encroaching Wastes
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
1 Moorland Haunt
3 Sacred Foundry
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Izzet Staticaster
3 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Dispel
2 Renounce the Guilds
1 Turn // Burn
This is very VERY similar to what I'm playing now. Basically just need to chuck a Turn//Burn & Ratchet Bombs into the sideboard and I should be good to go.
flooding happens at times, he is using a 61 card main deck iterations from Matt Costa's list in GP Miami.
Currently sleeving up those Encroaching Wastes..
As for Ratchet Bombs, works great versus Naya Blitz. I like the 2x Supreme Verdict main deck but not really sure how good it is to cut a Turn//Burn in its place. Except for the cantrips, all instant/sorceries are in good numbers, 26 lands is check also, I wonder which spell should I cut...
If you're going to cut a spell, probably a augur. I play 3 and I've been happy with that number. Also, do we need 26 lands? We're topping out at 4 mana, 5 if you could Burn // Turn (which is a 1 of now). You'll get the big sphinx mana usually and I've not had a problem yet running 25.
This is what I've sleeved up this evening for a couple of test games vs a friend. Pre-M14 it was running very well for me, and I've just made a couple of changes now for M14. I've dropped a Augur in favor of a Pillar and I'm playing 25 lands, with a cavern and 2 islands, rather than 1 and no wastelands. In testing now it was quite superb, but I only got to play against 1 deck. Played vs my mates BUG Zombies. It's probably not the best deck in the world, but I managed to 5-1 it and the loss was purely due to a play mistake by me.
4 Restoration Angel
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Counterflux
1 Rewind
2 Syncopate
3 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Think Twice
4 Azorius Charm
1 Turn // Burn
2 Warleader's Helix
4 Pillar of Flame
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Clifftop Retreat
1 Cavern of Souls
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
1 Moorland Haunt
3 Sacred Foundry
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Izzet Staticaster
3 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Dispel
1 Negate
2 Celestial Flare
1 Turn // Burn
I like this list a lot only problem I have is running Counterflux, the card is just not as good as dissipate I don't know why people run this now when Souls and things are such a big deal. Also Think twice I would cut down to 3 or even 2 as the card is bad but it's only type we have, since voiceis huge atm i feel it got even worse.
3 Azorius Charm
3 Think Twice
3 Sphinx's Revelation
PLANESWALKERS
2 Jace, Architect of Thought
CREATURES
3 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Augur of Bolas
REMOVAL
2 Essence Scatter
3 Pillar of Flame
2 Warleader's Helix
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Rewind
2 Syncopate
ARTIFACTS
2 Haunted Plate Mail
LAND
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
3 Sacred Foundry
4 Clifftop Retreat
2 Moorland Haunt
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Sphinx's Revelation
3 Negate
3 Rest in Peace
1 Pillar of Flame
2 Jace, Memory Adept
1 Detention Sphere
PM me if you want to play.
Counterflux is because of the fact that the deck was doing quite well and you want to be prepared for the mirror, but you're probably right, dissipate might be better now, I'll switch it up
I've found that 90% of the time i'd much rather be holding a dissipate than a syncopate. I like a 2/2/1 split of dissipate, counterflux, and syncopate. I really only have syncopate for early game