It has been sometime since I've returned to this section...I once had a passion for Vintage that was equal to none other in my opinion, I loved vintage...and Snapcaster Mage has brought that inspiration back once again.
This is a current template that I've been very pleased with, any comments/criticisms are welcome as always.
Oh and I want to give a shout out to Ebecker, Dark Jedi, Seaweed and my good friend Matt for encouraging me to get back on the wagon again...I never really left guys!
The deck wins with several options such as reducing your spell count via Snapcaster Mage and resolving Tendrils, or abusing already broken cards setting up an old school beat down with Blightsteel.
Please note I haven't included the Key/Vault combo for reasons the deck just doesn't need it as the template reflects one of a "storm-combo" build.
The Repeals just serve for Cantrip bounce as in your example or to fight CoTv ects. They also allow for returning Snapcasters when needed.
The Rebuild has options and the Hurkyl's allows for 2 slots to fight against Workshop builds more or less...both have different mana costs to get around CoTv shenanigans as well.
I didn't overlook the Merchant Scroll, I just don't feel at the moment it's needed seeing I have access to reusing my key spells...maybe in time that will change, the Scroll is broken.
A sole Cabal Ritual was added for a brief moment, but 4 Rituals and Snapcaster tricks just appears to fit. As one of the forefathers (dated on this site) to Bob'Storm I'm well aware of the seer power that sole copy could/can provide though.
As a whole the deck is crazy...I'm still really in awe/shock we've Snapcaster Mage, the possibilities are almost endless with this creature.
S.M.
I am assuming you have already seen it, but it does posit that the reason "Dark Ritual" decks haven't been successful lately (no copies of Dark Ritual in Champs Top 8 for only the second time ever), is that the sudden rise of Mental Misstep has cut off Dark Ritual. Thus that's why Gush has had more success lately (it's casting cost steps around Misstep).
But the converse is true, after seeing so many Missteps, people are choosing to play fewer one drops and this is causing a decrease in Missteps. Maybe you are just ahead of the curve.
Either way, you are correct Snapcaster is crazy! None of the decks in the article really highlight him, but he has seen substantial play in Vintage since being released - so be advised that these decks are somewhat dated.
Other Note, you might consider a maindeck single Mental Misstep. Even just the sight of one can give your opponent fits when playing counter games. Most people will then assume you are playing more and try and play around them.
Single Cabal Ritual would get around Chalice at 1 and Misstep. Not sure I would do it, but the suggestion is intriguing.
Ok I've come to terms that the deck could in theory drop 1 Repeal, and I also feel that the Tinker/Blightsteel package might not be needed as well.
The overall seer power of Snapcaster and of course Tendrils just "gets there". I can't say enough positive things about the sole copy of Intuition, and I'm really considering your comment with regards to Mental Misstep...sneaky, I love playing head games.
Now this brings me to another card that could be reduced too, Duress. I think 2 is that perfect number alongside the Force's/Misstep, and again Snapcaster spells game (rhetorical)... I'm comfortable with 2 I think seeing those GY spells are there in time.... to plunder.
Slow on the uptake here, I often consider myself a Molasses poster. Here are 2 plans. The first one is just some solid adds, although the new card (Cage) may offend, the second plan gives you a whole nother alternative.
Plan #1
Ok - if you are going to go away from the Blightsteel Plan, then your cuts make sense, good timing as Grafdigger's Cage is going to cramp the Tinker Robot plan in the upcoming months. And with that being the case, why not join the Revolution.
This along with Chain, Hurkyls and Repeal, will usually mean that you can get around your own cage. It also huge vs Shops and the Snapcasters make it even better.
Stay with me on this one, but for 2 life it basically allows you to recast anything in your graveyard, if you have a dead Snapcaster and then use it again. The Piles you can get with Gifts and your Intuition targets, get redonkulous.
+1 Auriok Salvagers
This is the huge change, giving you an infinite mana engine and making your deck into a Hybrid Snap-Desires-Bomb (it would require changing 2 of your Seas to Tundra - by the way you currently have 8 Seas listed I assume you mean 4 of them are Polluted Delta). It allows you to use the Petal a bit better and works well with the final card Bomb.
If I was going to go all the way and convert to a full Hybrid I would do some other things like dropping Necro (because the triple black would be too prohibitive at times) cutting a Ritual to add back Tinker and TFK.
So plan #1 is basically some alternative cards - for the 5 cuts you made, while plan #2 is something off base that will mess with your mana but give the deck some additional umph (which it may not need).
To me this looks like TPS with some great cards cut and some worse cards in their place. I can't see taking TPS and cutting Lotus Petal, Memory Jar, Merchant Scroll, Cabal Rituals, Imperial Seal and replacing them with Snapcaster Mages and extra bounce and expecting better results (because I don't see any match-ups that it improves, or match-ups where TPS wanted blue regrowths or a more expensive tutor in place of acceleration and bombs).
idk if I'd want to play Rituals with all of the shops and Mental Misstep + Flusterstorm everywhere, but if I did I'd probably play the Gush engine and Doomsday + Lab Maniac.
Dooms, I concur for the most part on the cuts, the proposal to me (and others) was to cut the cards in specific and suggest replacements. I am not sure those cards necessarily needed cutting as the deck was solid as it was. So I suggested some changes that would occasion debate, and then suggested a radical alternative which essentially would transform the deck.
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This is a current template that I've been very pleased with, any comments/criticisms are welcome as always.
Oh and I want to give a shout out to Ebecker, Dark Jedi, Seaweed and my good friend Matt for encouraging me to get back on the wagon again...I never really left guys!
The deck wins with several options such as reducing your spell count via Snapcaster Mage and resolving Tendrils, or abusing already broken cards setting up an old school beat down with Blightsteel.
Please note I haven't included the Key/Vault combo for reasons the deck just doesn't need it as the template reflects one of a "storm-combo" build.
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Emerald
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mana Crypt
1x Mana Vault
1x Sol Ring
1x Blightsteel Colossus
3x SNAPCASTER MAGE
4x Duress
4x Dark Ritual
1x Tendrils of Agony
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Vampiric Tutor
1x Yawgmoth's Will
1x Necropotence
1x Yawgmoth's Bargin
1x Brainstorm
1x Mystical Tutor
4x Force of Will
1x Gifts Ungiven
1x Chain of Vapor
1x Rebuild
1x Hurkyl's Recall
2x Repeal
1x Intuition
1x Ponder
1x Tinker
1x Time Walk
1x Mind's Desire
1x Tolarian Academy
4x Underground Sea
1x Flooded Strand
3x Island
2x Swamp
4x Underground Sea
4x Flusterstorm
2x Yixlid Jailer
3x Surgical Extraction
1x Hurkyl's Recall
1x Rebuild
4x Leyline of Sanctity
I'm back,
S.M.
The Rebuild has options and the Hurkyl's allows for 2 slots to fight against Workshop builds more or less...both have different mana costs to get around CoTv shenanigans as well.
I didn't overlook the Merchant Scroll, I just don't feel at the moment it's needed seeing I have access to reusing my key spells...maybe in time that will change, the Scroll is broken.
A sole Cabal Ritual was added for a brief moment, but 4 Rituals and Snapcaster tricks just appears to fit. As one of the forefathers (dated on this site) to Bob'Storm I'm well aware of the seer power that sole copy could/can provide though.
As a whole the deck is crazy...I'm still really in awe/shock we've Snapcaster Mage, the possibilities are almost endless with this creature.
S.M.
The only omission I see is the possibility of Lotus Petal, but I am not sure what I would cut.
Here is a link to an article on SCG on Vintage, notably "Dark Ritual" decks, that you might find useful.
http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/vintage/23361_The_Guide_To_Vintages_Landscape_Playing_With_Dark_Magic.html
I am assuming you have already seen it, but it does posit that the reason "Dark Ritual" decks haven't been successful lately (no copies of Dark Ritual in Champs Top 8 for only the second time ever), is that the sudden rise of Mental Misstep has cut off Dark Ritual. Thus that's why Gush has had more success lately (it's casting cost steps around Misstep).
But the converse is true, after seeing so many Missteps, people are choosing to play fewer one drops and this is causing a decrease in Missteps. Maybe you are just ahead of the curve.
Either way, you are correct Snapcaster is crazy! None of the decks in the article really highlight him, but he has seen substantial play in Vintage since being released - so be advised that these decks are somewhat dated.
Other Note, you might consider a maindeck single Mental Misstep. Even just the sight of one can give your opponent fits when playing counter games. Most people will then assume you are playing more and try and play around them.
Single Cabal Ritual would get around Chalice at 1 and Misstep. Not sure I would do it, but the suggestion is intriguing.
The overall seer power of Snapcaster and of course Tendrils just "gets there". I can't say enough positive things about the sole copy of Intuition, and I'm really considering your comment with regards to Mental Misstep...sneaky, I love playing head games.
Now this brings me to another card that could be reduced too, Duress. I think 2 is that perfect number alongside the Force's/Misstep, and again Snapcaster spells game (rhetorical)... I'm comfortable with 2 I think seeing those GY spells are there in time.... to plunder.
So now back to the "theory":
-2 Duress
-1 Tinker
-1 Blightsteel Colossus
-1 Repeal
I feel I'm pretty proven in vintage at this stage in my life...so Beralt let me see what you would do!
Take my template and share what 5 cards you would add assuming I yank the 5 listed.
I'm looking forward to testing your ideals,
S.M.
Plan #1
Ok - if you are going to go away from the Blightsteel Plan, then your cuts make sense, good timing as Grafdigger's Cage is going to cramp the Tinker Robot plan in the upcoming months. And with that being the case, why not join the Revolution.
+1 Grafdigger's Cage
Certainly it interferes with your Yawg Win and Snapcaster's, but that can be played around. Especially with another card that I am considering.
+1 Steel Sabotage
This along with Chain, Hurkyls and Repeal, will usually mean that you can get around your own cage. It also huge vs Shops and the Snapcasters make it even better.
+1 Mental Misstep
when you drop those Duresses, you are going to need more control. And you get to play Sneaky Head games and then flashback Sneaky Head games.
+1 Memory Jar
I hear more cards are good, and then dumping your cards into the graveyard allowing you to use Snapcaster to reusue them is like double tutoring.
+1 Tinker
To help you find your Jar, Cage, Sacrifice a troublesome Crypt/Mana Vault etc.
So plan #1 is
Plan #2, if you don't want to hinder your use of the Snapcaster's/Will then stay away from the Cage - and you feel like doing something crazy.
+1 Lotus Petal
More mana is worth it and this card fits well into my crazy idea.
+1 Mental Misstep
I just think it's worth it.
+1 Reanimate
Stay with me on this one, but for 2 life it basically allows you to recast anything in your graveyard, if you have a dead Snapcaster and then use it again. The Piles you can get with Gifts and your Intuition targets, get redonkulous.
+1 Auriok Salvagers
This is the huge change, giving you an infinite mana engine and making your deck into a Hybrid Snap-Desires-Bomb (it would require changing 2 of your Seas to Tundra - by the way you currently have 8 Seas listed I assume you mean 4 of them are Polluted Delta). It allows you to use the Petal a bit better and works well with the final card Bomb.
+1 Aether Spellbomb
Allows you to reuse your Snapcaster's and draw a new card, draw whatever you need in your deck, bounce all blockers and it's a bomb.
So plan #2
And some mana changes.
If I was going to go all the way and convert to a full Hybrid I would do some other things like dropping Necro (because the triple black would be too prohibitive at times) cutting a Ritual to add back Tinker and TFK.
Other cards to consider are Mystical Teachings and Mindbreak Trap to help protect Desires/Tendrils.
So plan #1 is basically some alternative cards - for the 5 cuts you made, while plan #2 is something off base that will mess with your mana but give the deck some additional umph (which it may not need).
idk if I'd want to play Rituals with all of the shops and Mental Misstep + Flusterstorm everywhere, but if I did I'd probably play the Gush engine and Doomsday + Lab Maniac.
Trade Thread
Modern
RWGBurnGWR
GUInfectUG
GRTronRG
UWGifts TronWU
URBGrixis DelverBRU
RGWZooWGR
Legacy
BUWTinFinsWUB
UROmniTellRU
BURTESRUB
GElves!G
GBPSIBG
RGBelcherGR
UBRGWDredgeWGRBU
UBAffinityBU
RBurnR
Vintage
UBGDoomsdayGBU
0Martello Shops0
GElves!G
UBTPSBU
UBelcherU
0Dredge0