I tried U/R delver and I found that it just doesnt have the tempo to compete with token seed decks. Youre pretty right about how it is a RDW and U/W delver rolled into one. and i believe it isnt the sum of its parts. you would be better off making either of the other decks that directly focuses on what they want to do. not to say the deck is bad (i topped a FNM with it) but tis not what i would call tourney ready.
if you're playing delver in a deck, always play 4 he is the best one drop that blue has. where is ponder to make sure he flips and to control your draws? and invisible stalker or dungeon geists? also 3 doom blade and 3 go for the throat is a bit much on the removal side. its not all needed and some is better side boarded.
i hate to be a negative nancy but there is no way a skilled opponent will ever let you drop a 4/3 on turn one. they will always take the 4. and although this is still not bad, its not what you are wanting so much in this deck.
Strictly speaking, if it is a creature, it is because the opponent thought you having a creature was not as bad for him as taking four damage. That is not the same thing as a creature being irrelevant. It would all depend on the board state. Maybe taking the 4 puts them in burn range and not taking it gives them an extra draw for the out they need to not lose, if you happen have the cards to burn them out - better to not take the four, definitely, but in that situation the 4/3 is not necessarily irrelevant.
I'm not sure what I think of this card yet but I do think that framing it as 'If they pick this, it means this is irrelevant' is just as unjustifiable as 'it's always 4 damage!'.
this guy knows what he is talking about.
just because they don't take the 4 doesn't mean he still isn't a threat, it just means they think they can deal with him, or at least want to see what they draw next.
You're problem is you overvalue him on turn 3. On turn 3 in all formats he is more often than not irrelevant to the board state. Most often scenario is he gets chumped until the opponent can deal with him, which isn't necessarily bad. But just as likely, he is just smaller than some other creature on the table. A turn 4 Elesh Norn or Titan. A Hero of Bladehold swinging back at you for 10 damage. A 3/3 token trading profitably. All of those are easily possible outcomes on an opponents turn 4.
Right now, he probably just isn't good enough. I'll fully admit I could be wrong, but looking at the metagame, he's just not good enough IMO.
do you forget that the decks that this will mostly be played in have removal?
plus RDW should never get that late in the game... it should be winning by turn 5-6. would you rather drop a stromkirk on turn 4-6 as a 1/1 or a 4/3 beater or 4 to the face possibly finishing the game.
PLEASE keep in mind the removal this deck packs so blockers can potentially be handled by smart players who know how to actually play RDW
I don't think devil is going to be your turn 1 play. Play your real creatures on turn one, and your half-creatures on t2 or t3. Seems better? If your opponent is guarunteed to take damage in order to get a card out of you, it seems better to me to get guys on the board to attack and maximize the damage output of your deck.
THIS. you ply stromkirk or whatever else on turn one. then you drop this guy turn 2 to start the real pushing. setting up your board whist maximizing damage. its a pretty simple thought process that seems to be lost to many.
this card doesn't have a draw back. i wish people would stop acting like its terrible. at worst its a 4/3 for R, at best its the game winning 4 damage in some way. dealing 4 to your opponent is never bad for R, getting a 4/3 for R is never really bad either. doesn't matter how good RDW is. it matter how far this card can push the aggro in that deck as well as any other splashing red.
invisible stalker is much better in more pike driven versions of delver. shrine is actually quite good in this deck with so many instants and such. and volt charge gives shrine and noble their respective counters.
4 thunderous wrath
4 vexing devil
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 delver of secrets
3 Galvanic Blast
4 Noxious Revival
2 brimstone volley
3 Mana Leak
3 Vapor Snag
2 thought scour
2 desolate lighthouse
2 rootbound crag
9 mountain
5 island
__________
arc trail gives counters to the planeswalker, shrine, and anything having a +1/+1 on it already.
volt charge speeds the deck up so incredibly.
4 Goblin Chieftan
4 Goblin Arsonist
4 Goblin Wardriver
4 Goblin Grenade
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Brimstone Volley
2 Shock
3 Volt Charge
1 Koth Of The Hammer
2 Rootbound Crag
20 Mountain
Side deck:
2 ancient grudge
2 manic vandal
1 devils play
1 ratchet bomb
3 manabarbs
2 vulshock refugee
3 incinerate
side deck is lacking. help me people! lol
4 snapcaster mage
3 geist of saint traft
2 invisible stalker
3 midnight haunting
4 ponder
2 gut shot
4 mana leak
4 vapor snag
4 gitaxian probe
1 sword of war and peace
9 Island
2 Plains
4 glacial fortress
4 seachrome coast
3 moorland haunt
Side Deck:
2 ratchet bomb
2 phantasmal image
2 oblivion ring
1 celestial purge
1 dissipate
1 divine offering
2 corrosive gale
2 negate
2 timely reinforcements
4 Lord of the Unreal
3 Phantasmal Bear
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Invisible Stalker
4 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Mana Leak
2 Dissipate
2 Negate
4 Vapor Snag
this guy knows what he is talking about.
just because they don't take the 4 doesn't mean he still isn't a threat, it just means they think they can deal with him, or at least want to see what they draw next.
do you forget that the decks that this will mostly be played in have removal?
plus RDW should never get that late in the game... it should be winning by turn 5-6. would you rather drop a stromkirk on turn 4-6 as a 1/1 or a 4/3 beater or 4 to the face possibly finishing the game.
PLEASE keep in mind the removal this deck packs so blockers can potentially be handled by smart players who know how to actually play RDW
THIS. you ply stromkirk or whatever else on turn one. then you drop this guy turn 2 to start the real pushing. setting up your board whist maximizing damage. its a pretty simple thought process that seems to be lost to many.
this card doesn't have a draw back. i wish people would stop acting like its terrible. at worst its a 4/3 for R, at best its the game winning 4 damage in some way. dealing 4 to your opponent is never bad for R, getting a 4/3 for R is never really bad either. doesn't matter how good RDW is. it matter how far this card can push the aggro in that deck as well as any other splashing red.
this. all day.
invisible stalker is much better in more pike driven versions of delver. shrine is actually quite good in this deck with so many instants and such. and volt charge gives shrine and noble their respective counters.
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Stromkirk Noble
2 Runechanter's Pike
3 Shrine Of Burning Rage
3 Brimstone Volley
4 Galvanic Blast
3 Incinerate
3 Mana Leak
4 Volt Charge
2 Vapor Snag
2 Faithless Looting
4 Ponder
8 Mountain
4 Sulfur Falls
SIDE DECK
3 Ratchet Bomb
2 Phantasmal Image
2 Ancient Grudge
3 Corrosive Gale
3 Whipflare
2 Dismember