The deck is made for (1) multiplayer (2) online games. The deck features only cards which are common online. We can not play non-legendary creatures as commanders there, thus it is a common legendary creature.
Commander: Ramirez DePietro
Best pauper commander - it is common online. Why do I think it is the best: White and red does not have many good cards (white alot more than red though) and all the common legendary creatures are friendly colors, so if you want the best it should be blue/black. There are two options, Ramirez and Sivitri Scarzam. Since I am playing ninjas and Cranial plating, first strike is a very strong ability (Cranial plating because you can move it in first strike damage step, which is also the time to exchange Ramirez for Ninja of the deep hours so you get both to hit).
Short description of the deck:
The deck is a blue/black strict-pauper control deck (thus: all cards incl. commander (which is legendary) are commons and hence it is a MTGO only deck). I have cross posted it here and in the multiplayer room (where none came with any comments :/ ).
The deck got a lot of recursions, a decent amount of tutors, some card draw and some amount of ramp and a small amount of other stuff (because of recursion and tutors the fact that we have few cards dedicated to a task does not mean that we can't keep on playing it).
The deck is very well tested by me over the last few years (as in a game a day or more average over 2-3 years).
Can it win?
Yes, it can. I win around 50% or more of the 4 player games I play with it. Some of this is experience, so if you try it and lose a few games in a row remember that I have played it a l o t more than a few times.
How does it win?
Politics really. You fly under the radar because you got commons and everybody else seems to be playing stuff which is more scary on their own. Also, you actually got a curve instead of waiting around for the first turns. Both makes you look weak. But a lot of weaker stuff can easily overpower a small amount of stronger things (you got the card draw for "a lot"). Thus, by flying long enough there is only one opponent left and then it is blue black control vs. some other deck in late game... That is not a position in which you want to be playing "some other deck". Seriously, the hard part is getting down to 1v1.
While, the deck does not really have any large beaters, it got Cranial plating and enough artifacts to make that work and Temporal Fissure and enough cheap cards and recursions to make that work (it is often hard for people to get back with 0 permanents in play, especially when you can just do it again), so even if everybody else are not doing much you can often kill players alone (it is also how you end up killing people in 1v1). Also, if someone is playing combo you can dedicated yourself to stopping them (they will often whine over you doing so, but hey! They are playing a strong strategy to which you got the - sometimes only - counter) - by using counters, bounce and discard. Also, we got our own mini-combos, but read on for those.
Wait, the deck runs 30 lands? How can that be enough?
Tutors and card draw, but mainly tutors. The deck can easily drop a land every turn for the first 20 turns. Also, it is often correct to tutor for lands (e.g. Perplex ->Trinket mage->Expedition Map->Dimir Aqueduct is not too uncommon a choice. The most extreme one I have done mulitiple times is Dimir House Guard->Mystical Teachings->Perplex ->Trinket mage->Expedition Map->Bojuka Bog - each time it won me the game within 2 turns. But still 16 mana for a land is a bit extrem.). Also, the deck is running every common 2 mana mana-accel and a few 3 mana dittos and the 2 4-mana artifacts.
What are the mini-combos? Ghostly Flicker+(Archaeomancer or Mnemonic Wall or Scrivener) + some comes into play creature/land/extort card. Nightscape Familiar can make it cheaper. There are some really nasty comes into play effects here and there (Liliana's Specter and duplicated return spell card (for counters) are good examples - Liliana's Specter in everybody elses draw steps sort of hurts them). Also Cavern Harpy can work as stand in for for the 2 first parts of the combo (but makes it much more expensive manawise and is not instant speed. Futheremore, one can do some rather nasty things with Archaeomancer/Mnemonic Wall and Temporal Fissure (I have won a few games where I have removed all permanents from one to two players over 2 turns or so).
Only 30 lands?! Even with all your mana rocks that seems really low.
Rather than Man-O-War you might want to try Vedalken Dismisser. It's a little more pricey but impacts your opponent's draw step. Great with Ghostly Flicker in response to them searching.
Shred Memory is another great card versus graveyard strategies & transmutes for 2.
You might also want to consider Vedalken AEthermage as a tutor for your key Wizards.
Only 30 lands?! Even with all your mana rocks that seems really low.
Rather than Man-O-War you might want to try Vedalken Dismisser. It's a little more pricey but impacts your opponent's draw step. Great with Ghostly Flicker in response to them searching.
Shred Memory is another great card versus graveyard strategies & transmutes for 2.
You might also want to consider Vedalken AEthermage as a tutor for your key Wizards.
The idea is to use mulligans to get to 3 mana. At that point you got another 13 mana sourcers/direct tutors. Apart from that the deck have around another 10 tutors that can get mana sources if more is needed. We are now close to 2/3 of the deck. This is before considering the additional draw cards. It does get mana screwed once in awhile (5% or so for a missed land drop before turn 10).
I might try dismisser over man-o-war.
I have tried to find room for Shred memory, but I always ends up prefering something else. Maybe I will cut sea gate oracle for it.
Vedalken Æthermage is nice I guess, even though the deck only runs 4 wizards. The option of tutoring for it using teaching (directly)/2 mana transmuters is nice (teachings-> Vedalken Æthermage-> Archomancer-> return teachings ->ghostly flicker seemes ok if somewhat expensive). I will need to carefully consider what to cut for it though :/
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"Hail to the speaker, hail to the knower; joy to he who has understood, delight to they who have listened." - Odin
If you were to adapt it for Paper play (or even online, using all the rarities), what would you change? I do the interaction with Cranial Plating, Ninjas and first strike ~ tis pretty snazzy.
It also seems a little light on the spot removal D:
Other than that, every time I think of a card to suggest you've already got it, other than Shred Memory. The cool thing about B/U pauper is the plethora of tutors we've got available in Transmute, and it looks like you're running all but that one!
If you were to adapt it for Paper play (or even online, using all the rarities), what would you change? I do the interaction with Cranial Plating, Ninjas and first strike ~ tis pretty snazzy.
It also seems a little light on the spot removal D:
By adapting I assume you mean: Some deck which is similar in regards to colors/archtype. I think that the archtype is basically BU ramp/control. I would likely change the commander to Oona, queen of the fea for that kind of deck. Also, there is a lot of powerfull cards, like sol ring, cyclonic rift, mana vault and Skullclamp which would work rather well in that case. Basically you just take the top 50 lists and replace all cards in the deck with the control cards from those lists (boring, sure, but properly better :/ ).
I think if I was making few changes it would properly be the once mentioned.
In regards to spot removel: the deck is mainly used for multiplayer, where spot removel is less necesary. That said, it does run 5 spot removel cards and a lot of tutors for them (if you need them it is usually later on in the game where you the mana to fetch them). It also got some bounce/counters to take care of a bit more. It also got stinkweed imp, which often mean that you do not NEED to kill creatures (they will hit someone else).
Other than that, every time I think of a card to suggest you've already got it, other than Shred Memory. The cool thing about B/U pauper is the plethora of tutors we've got available in Transmute, and it looks like you're running all but that one!
Grim Discovery: There are only 4 cards that can get lands into my gy (the once you mentioned and stinkweed imp) and I usually do not fetch either of those cards. I generally do not end up discarding land often. Otherwise lands only go into gy if someone plays the green premodial and only if I got no better artifacts and no counters (well or someone got something scary) and no ghostly flicker. Thus, it is pretty much only return target creature from gy to hand, which is not good enough for 1b :/
In regards to Sisay's Ring and Ur-Golem Eye: there are not that many ramp for 2 in BU pauper and I like to play those I can. Futheremore, they got a efficent price of just 2 (since the can tap for 2 when they enter) similar to the 3 mana artifact ramps. It is very rare that I am unable to use all mana every turn (even after droping a land a turn for 20 turns...) - it does happen sometimes after using dreamscape artist for a lot of turns, but not that common. Thus I think the cards are sort of nice at what they do.
In regards to your list of cheap artifacts: I personly think I got enough targets for the mage (6 right now), but if you want to try more in your deck, I would suggest: Sylvok Lifestaff (the card is fairly powerful in online pauper non-commander games - the 3 lives does add up). I would not go any where near Relic of Progenitus with this deck though (you want to keep your gy). Nihil Spellbomb seems somewhat similar to bojuka bog (which you can fetch using expidition map) and that land does not usually get blown up so ghostly flicker or Dimir Aquaduct can reuse it. You can also bounce the bog - I think I have used even recoil on it a few times :/ I do not think onitopter is worth a slot. You need equipment for it to attack and its 2 thoughness means it cant survive blocks even against most utillity creatures. The walker might work though. I would think that steel wall would be even better than either. bonesplitter might be worth a slot, but I do not see anything I really want to drop for it currently (I usually only ends up attacking if I got plating anyway and then the 2 more from splitter would not be that important). spidersilk net could be interresting (e.g. on crypt rats), but again: no slots for it :/. On the other hand slagwurm armor might be better since I do have a lot of fliers (comparably at least) and the extra 6 toughness lets the blocker survive almost anything. The reason I do not include such things is because deathtouch is better on a blocker (since you wont be attacked in the first place) and I have by now even transitioned away from deathtouch + viridian longbow. Also, out of the 6 targets, you can get 5 more mana (given time) and explorers scope, thus I do not see much reason to add more (even though Springleaf drum is fairly nice).
No, no. I meant with regards to playing it as a PDH deck, but not strictly according to the MTGO Rarities ~ allowing the lowest paper ones as well, so cards like Stripmine, Ashnod's Altar, Darkness, Mishra's Factory and so forth are legal.
No, no. I meant with regards to playing it as a PDH deck, but not strictly according to the MTGO Rarities ~ allowing the lowest paper ones as well, so cards like Stripmine, Ashnod's Altar, Darkness, Mishra's Factory and so forth are legal.
I changed Spreading seas for Reality acid to be able to deal with more things. I am not sure that I have been too impressed as of yet though. It feels a bit win more.
got removed for beeing too expensive for what they do. I added Fractured powerstone and Traumatic visions. My deck is not too hungry for colored mana, except for crypt rats and Pestilence, then used as a win con and I think it is fine. Traumatic visions is to ensure that even brainspoil can fetch lands. I have never used that yet though so maybe I should remove it for something more generally usefull.
I think Impaler Shrike is a bit win more since I generally ends up discarding thenever I use it - maybe I should try Library of Leng but it would proberly just get blown up - and would like to try Victim of Night since it seems to kill everything I need to kill (except for a few vampires now and then) and maybe Cemetery Reaper.
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"Hail to the speaker, hail to the knower; joy to he who has understood, delight to they who have listened." - Odin
Do you have any thoughts on Temporal Fissure? Also, if you ever went Peasant on this (10 Uncommons allowed) is there anything in particular that you would consider an auto-include or at least very attractive?
Do you have any thoughts on Temporal Fissure? Also, if you ever went Peasant on this (10 Uncommons allowed) is there anything in particular that you would consider an auto-include or at least very attractive?
I think Temporal Fissure could be an ok finisher, but I havnt tried it.
would at least be worth a try (I suspect reanimate would be really great. Fool's demise might be too expensive).
I would proberly change colors to uwb (since there are uncommon uwb legends online) in that case though (to get artifact and enchantment removel+return spells) and that would be a very large change.
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"Hail to the speaker, hail to the knower; joy to he who has understood, delight to they who have listened." - Odin
would at least be worth a try (I suspect reanimate would be really great. Fool's demise might be too expensive).
I would proberly change colors to uwb (since there are uncommon uwb legends online) in that case though (to get artifact and enchantment removel+return spells) and that would be a very large change.
Ah yes, I remember spectating a match with her in it.
I agree with a lot of that list. I'm surprised you think Fool's Demise is overcosted with all the mana rocks you run in that list already, though. Then again, it's 2 above your average 3 CMC so I see where you're coming from.
Out:
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Got changed for Last thoughts - the posibility of putting it on some flyer (or other evasive creature) made up for the increase in mana
Okiba-Gang Shinobi
This needs to get through, which can be annoying to arrange. I changed it for temporal fissure. Just play 4-5 spells and then that on a wizard (Note that you can play ghostly flicker on e.g. archeomancer and sisay's ring and get a storm count +1 for 1 blue or even less with Nightscape Familiar)
Corrupt
Got changed for Gray Merchant of Asphodel. Corrupt is a fairly good finisher - it can win 2v1, but cant be tutored and require me to go heavy swamp. Gray Merchant of Asphodel is an extremly good finisher - it can win vs. 3 players. It can be tutored, but require some number of black mana symbols on cards under my control.
Preordain
I changed it for undying evil, since Preordain is not too important an effect for the deck.
Reality Acid
Too win-more. I changed it to Ray of command. It can be used to perm steal creatures (except for commanders) with ghostly flicker (which might be win more, but it is a fairly decent use of 7 mana). It can also provide some fairly decent 2 for ones (if they attack you, you can steal something else and with abit of luck both dies)
Encrust
I generally always used it for creature removal and changed it for Diabolic Edict, since 3 mana was a bit much for that.
Traumatic Visions
Never played it. I changed it for Reaping the Graves. That is generally a better death denied - both empties your gy for creatures and puts them in hand (in multiplayer anyway), but reaping the graves is cheaper. It also got another cost which is good for transmute.
In:
Last Thoughts
Temporal Fissure
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Undying Evil
Diabolic Edict
Reaping the Graves
Ray of Command
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Commander:
Ramirez DePietro
Best pauper commander - it is common online. Why do I think it is the best: White and red does not have many good cards (white alot more than red though) and all the common legendary creatures are friendly colors, so if you want the best it should be blue/black. There are two options, Ramirez and Sivitri Scarzam. Since I am playing ninjas and Cranial plating, first strike is a very strong ability (Cranial plating because you can move it in first strike damage step, which is also the time to exchange Ramirez for Ninja of the deep hours so you get both to hit).
Short description of the deck:
The deck is a blue/black strict-pauper control deck (thus: all cards incl. commander (which is legendary) are commons and hence it is a MTGO only deck). I have cross posted it here and in the multiplayer room (where none came with any comments :/ ).
The deck got a lot of recursions, a decent amount of tutors, some card draw and some amount of ramp and a small amount of other stuff (because of recursion and tutors the fact that we have few cards dedicated to a task does not mean that we can't keep on playing it).
The deck is very well tested by me over the last few years (as in a game a day or more average over 2-3 years).
Can it win?
Yes, it can. I win around 50% or more of the 4 player games I play with it. Some of this is experience, so if you try it and lose a few games in a row remember that I have played it a l o t more than a few times.
How does it win?
Politics really. You fly under the radar because you got commons and everybody else seems to be playing stuff which is more scary on their own. Also, you actually got a curve instead of waiting around for the first turns. Both makes you look weak. But a lot of weaker stuff can easily overpower a small amount of stronger things (you got the card draw for "a lot"). Thus, by flying long enough there is only one opponent left and then it is blue black control vs. some other deck in late game... That is not a position in which you want to be playing "some other deck". Seriously, the hard part is getting down to 1v1.
While, the deck does not really have any large beaters, it got Cranial plating and enough artifacts to make that work and Temporal Fissure and enough cheap cards and recursions to make that work (it is often hard for people to get back with 0 permanents in play, especially when you can just do it again), so even if everybody else are not doing much you can often kill players alone (it is also how you end up killing people in 1v1). Also, if someone is playing combo you can dedicated yourself to stopping them (they will often whine over you doing so, but hey! They are playing a strong strategy to which you got the - sometimes only - counter) - by using counters, bounce and discard. Also, we got our own mini-combos, but read on for those.
1 Ramirez DePietro
Basic lands 20:
3 Island
7 Swamp
4 Snow-Covered Island
6 Snow-Covered Swamp
Non-basic lands 10:
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Command Tower
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Dimir Guildgate
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Halimar Depths
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Soaring Seacliff
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vault of Whispers
Artifacts 14:
1 Expedition Map
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Executioner's Capsule
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Dimir Signet
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Fractured Powerstone
1 Mind Stone
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Mistvein Borderpost
1 Sisay's Ring
1 Ur-Golem's Eye
1 Explorer's Scope
1 Cranial Plating
Artifact creature 1:
1 Pilgrim's Eye
Creatures 21:
1 Basilica Screecher
1 Nightscape Familiar
1 Dreamscape Artist
1 Vedalken Æthermage
1 Cavern Harpy
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Crypt Rats
1 Stinkweed Imp
1 Drift of Phantasms
1 Trinket Mage
1 Cadaver Imp
1 Liliana's Specter
1 Dimir House Guard
1 Gravedigger
1 Archaeomancer
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Mulldrifter
1 Scrivener
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Twisted Abomination
1 Jhessian Zombies
Enchantments 4:
1 Soul Stair Expedition
1 Tortured Existence
1 Rhystic Study
1 Pestilence
1 Spreading Seas
Instants 19:
1 Undying Evil
1 Brainstorm
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Shred Memory
1 Arcane Denial
1 Echoing Truth
1 Victim of Night
1 Counterspell
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Reaping the Graves
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Perplex
1 Soul Manipulation
1 Capsize
1 Snuff Out
1 Tendrils of Corruption
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Ray of Command
1 Death Denied
Sorceries 7:
1 Disturbed Burial
1 Syphon Mind
1 Deep Analysis
1 Last Thoughts
1 Rush of Knowledge
1 Temporal Fissure
1 Brainspoil
v2:
Out:
Recoil
Man-o'-War
Sea gate oracle
In:
Vedalken Dismisser
Shred Memory
Vedalken Æthermage
v3:
Out:
Spreading Seas
Vedalken Dismisser
Syndicate Enforcer
Impaler Shrike
In:
Fractured Powerstone
Reality Acid
Victim of Night
Traumatic Visions
v4:
Out:
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Okiba-Gang Shinobi
Preordain
Corrupt
Reality Acid
Encrust
Traumatic Visions
In:
Last Thoughts
Temporal Fissure
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Undying Evil
Diabolic Edict
Reaping the Graves
Ray of Command
Wait, the deck runs 30 lands? How can that be enough?
Tutors and card draw, but mainly tutors. The deck can easily drop a land every turn for the first 20 turns. Also, it is often correct to tutor for lands (e.g. Perplex ->Trinket mage->Expedition Map->Dimir Aqueduct is not too uncommon a choice. The most extreme one I have done mulitiple times is Dimir House Guard->Mystical Teachings->Perplex ->Trinket mage->Expedition Map->Bojuka Bog - each time it won me the game within 2 turns. But still 16 mana for a land is a bit extrem.). Also, the deck is running every common 2 mana mana-accel and a few 3 mana dittos and the 2 4-mana artifacts.
What are the mini-combos?
Ghostly Flicker+(Archaeomancer or Mnemonic Wall or Scrivener) + some comes into play creature/land/extort card. Nightscape Familiar can make it cheaper. There are some really nasty comes into play effects here and there (Liliana's Specter and duplicated return spell card (for counters) are good examples - Liliana's Specter in everybody elses draw steps sort of hurts them). Also Cavern Harpy can work as stand in for for the 2 first parts of the combo (but makes it much more expensive manawise and is not instant speed. Futheremore, one can do some rather nasty things with Archaeomancer/Mnemonic Wall and Temporal Fissure (I have won a few games where I have removed all permanents from one to two players over 2 turns or so).
Ramirez DePietro and Rush of Knowledge is a nice draw 6
Other MVPs
Wraths (crypt rats and Pestilence) and Rhystic Study and Cranial Plating and Ghostly flicker are all very good in this deck. Also, the tutors provides you with whatever you want. E.g. problem: all your creatures died
Cards I am testing currently:
Undying Evil
I am reasonably happy about Undying Evil but might go back to Preordain
Suggestions and ideas are welcome.
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StaffRather than Man-O-War you might want to try Vedalken Dismisser. It's a little more pricey but impacts your opponent's draw step. Great with Ghostly Flicker in response to them searching.
Shred Memory is another great card versus graveyard strategies & transmutes for 2.
You might also want to consider Vedalken AEthermage as a tutor for your key Wizards.
The idea is to use mulligans to get to 3 mana. At that point you got another 13 mana sourcers/direct tutors. Apart from that the deck have around another 10 tutors that can get mana sources if more is needed. We are now close to 2/3 of the deck. This is before considering the additional draw cards. It does get mana screwed once in awhile (5% or so for a missed land drop before turn 10).
I might try dismisser over man-o-war.
I have tried to find room for Shred memory, but I always ends up prefering something else. Maybe I will cut sea gate oracle for it.
Vedalken Æthermage is nice I guess, even though the deck only runs 4 wizards. The option of tutoring for it using teaching (directly)/2 mana transmuters is nice (teachings-> Vedalken Æthermage-> Archomancer-> return teachings ->ghostly flicker seemes ok if somewhat expensive). I will need to carefully consider what to cut for it though :/
If you were to adapt it for Paper play (or even online, using all the rarities), what would you change? I do the interaction with Cranial Plating, Ninjas and first strike ~ tis pretty snazzy.
It also seems a little light on the spot removal D:
As much as I like Sisay's Ring and Ur-Golem Eye, I think that possibly having a few more 1cc artifacts a flickered Trinket Mage could go for might be a solid choice. Darksteel Citadel, Spidersilk Net, Phyrexian Walker, Springleaf Drum, Ornithopter, Nihil Spellbomb/Relic of Progenitus, Copper Carapace, Bonesplitter... all of which strengthen the hit from Cranial Plating! (a good add, btw - I'm gonna put that in my own Cavern Harpy deck now...)
Other than that, every time I think of a card to suggest you've already got it, other than Shred Memory. The cool thing about B/U pauper is the plethora of tutors we've got available in Transmute, and it looks like you're running all but that one!
By adapting I assume you mean: Some deck which is similar in regards to colors/archtype. I think that the archtype is basically BU ramp/control. I would likely change the commander to Oona, queen of the fea for that kind of deck. Also, there is a lot of powerfull cards, like sol ring, cyclonic rift, mana vault and Skullclamp which would work rather well in that case. Basically you just take the top 50 lists and replace all cards in the deck with the control cards from those lists (boring, sure, but properly better :/ ).
I think if I was making few changes it would properly be the once mentioned.
In regards to spot removel: the deck is mainly used for multiplayer, where spot removel is less necesary. That said, it does run 5 spot removel cards and a lot of tutors for them (if you need them it is usually later on in the game where you the mana to fetch them). It also got some bounce/counters to take care of a bit more. It also got stinkweed imp, which often mean that you do not NEED to kill creatures (they will hit someone else).
Grim Discovery: There are only 4 cards that can get lands into my gy (the once you mentioned and stinkweed imp) and I usually do not fetch either of those cards. I generally do not end up discarding land often. Otherwise lands only go into gy if someone plays the green premodial and only if I got no better artifacts and no counters (well or someone got something scary) and no ghostly flicker. Thus, it is pretty much only return target creature from gy to hand, which is not good enough for 1b :/
In regards to Sisay's Ring and Ur-Golem Eye: there are not that many ramp for 2 in BU pauper and I like to play those I can. Futheremore, they got a efficent price of just 2 (since the can tap for 2 when they enter) similar to the 3 mana artifact ramps. It is very rare that I am unable to use all mana every turn (even after droping a land a turn for 20 turns...) - it does happen sometimes after using dreamscape artist for a lot of turns, but not that common. Thus I think the cards are sort of nice at what they do.
In regards to your list of cheap artifacts: I personly think I got enough targets for the mage (6 right now), but if you want to try more in your deck, I would suggest: Sylvok Lifestaff (the card is fairly powerful in online pauper non-commander games - the 3 lives does add up). I would not go any where near Relic of Progenitus with this deck though (you want to keep your gy). Nihil Spellbomb seems somewhat similar to bojuka bog (which you can fetch using expidition map) and that land does not usually get blown up so ghostly flicker or Dimir Aquaduct can reuse it. You can also bounce the bog - I think I have used even recoil on it a few times :/ I do not think onitopter is worth a slot. You need equipment for it to attack and its 2 thoughness means it cant survive blocks even against most utillity creatures. The walker might work though. I would think that steel wall would be even better than either. bonesplitter might be worth a slot, but I do not see anything I really want to drop for it currently (I usually only ends up attacking if I got plating anyway and then the 2 more from splitter would not be that important). spidersilk net could be interresting (e.g. on crypt rats), but again: no slots for it :/. On the other hand slagwurm armor might be better since I do have a lot of fliers (comparably at least) and the extra 6 toughness lets the blocker survive almost anything. The reason I do not include such things is because deathtouch is better on a blocker (since you wont be attacked in the first place) and I have by now even transitioned away from deathtouch + viridian longbow. Also, out of the 6 targets, you can get 5 more mana (given time) and explorers scope, thus I do not see much reason to add more (even though Springleaf drum is fairly nice).
I will post an updated deck-list later.
No, no. I meant with regards to playing it as a PDH deck, but not strictly according to the MTGO Rarities ~ allowing the lowest paper ones as well, so cards like Stripmine, Ashnod's Altar, Darkness, Mishra's Factory and so forth are legal.
Ohh, I see
If we keep the commander, I would change Swamp, Vedalken dismisser and either (Explorer's scope or Corrupt) for Mystic remora, Merchant scroll and Strip mine. Explorer's scope fizzles quite often (because I play relatively few lands and fetches alot of them). On the other hand, I can not fetch Corrupt so some games go by where I do not see it. Vedalken dismisser seems to be 1 mana too expensive in the games I have played since I updated the list. Swamp is less necesesary than island now as compared to before qhostly flicker (and it clearly should be one of those).
There might also be space for Mishras factor (over a snow-covered swamp say if corrupt gets removed).
I changed Spreading seas for Reality acid to be able to deal with more things. I am not sure that I have been too impressed as of yet though. It feels a bit win more.
Vedalken Dismisser
Syndicate Enforcer
got removed for beeing too expensive for what they do. I added Fractured powerstone and Traumatic visions. My deck is not too hungry for colored mana, except for crypt rats and Pestilence, then used as a win con and I think it is fine. Traumatic visions is to ensure that even brainspoil can fetch lands. I have never used that yet though so maybe I should remove it for something more generally usefull.
I think Impaler Shrike is a bit win more since I generally ends up discarding thenever I use it - maybe I should try Library of Leng but it would proberly just get blown up - and would like to try Victim of Night since it seems to kill everything I need to kill (except for a few vampires now and then) and maybe Cemetery Reaper.
Do you have any thoughts on Temporal Fissure? Also, if you ever went Peasant on this (10 Uncommons allowed) is there anything in particular that you would consider an auto-include or at least very attractive?
Hidetsugu - Combo Damage
Ezuri - Elfball
Theorycrafting:
Selvala - "A hunter must hunt."
Selvala - Budget
I think Temporal Fissure could be an ok finisher, but I havnt tried it.
Regarding peasant:
would at least be worth a try (I suspect reanimate would be really great. Fool's demise might be too expensive).
I would proberly change colors to uwb (since there are uncommon uwb legends online) in that case though (to get artifact and enchantment removel+return spells) and that would be a very large change.
Ah yes, I remember spectating a match with her in it.
I agree with a lot of that list. I'm surprised you think Fool's Demise is overcosted with all the mana rocks you run in that list already, though. Then again, it's 2 above your average 3 CMC so I see where you're coming from.
Hidetsugu - Combo Damage
Ezuri - Elfball
Theorycrafting:
Selvala - "A hunter must hunt."
Selvala - Budget
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Got changed for Last thoughts - the posibility of putting it on some flyer (or other evasive creature) made up for the increase in mana
Okiba-Gang Shinobi
This needs to get through, which can be annoying to arrange. I changed it for temporal fissure. Just play 4-5 spells and then that on a wizard (Note that you can play ghostly flicker on e.g. archeomancer and sisay's ring and get a storm count +1 for 1 blue or even less with Nightscape Familiar)
Corrupt
Got changed for Gray Merchant of Asphodel. Corrupt is a fairly good finisher - it can win 2v1, but cant be tutored and require me to go heavy swamp.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel is an extremly good finisher - it can win vs. 3 players. It can be tutored, but require some number of black mana symbols on cards under my control.
Preordain
I changed it for undying evil, since Preordain is not too important an effect for the deck.
Reality Acid
Too win-more. I changed it to Ray of command. It can be used to perm steal creatures (except for commanders) with ghostly flicker (which might be win more, but it is a fairly decent use of 7 mana). It can also provide some fairly decent 2 for ones (if they attack you, you can steal something else and with abit of luck both dies)
Encrust
I generally always used it for creature removal and changed it for Diabolic Edict, since 3 mana was a bit much for that.
Traumatic Visions
Never played it. I changed it for Reaping the Graves. That is generally a better death denied - both empties your gy for creatures and puts them in hand (in multiplayer anyway), but reaping the graves is cheaper. It also got another cost which is good for transmute.
In:
Last Thoughts
Temporal Fissure
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Undying Evil
Diabolic Edict
Reaping the Graves
Ray of Command