It is just a light splash for removals and haymakers. The core of the deck is still GR Monsters. Not to mention Caryatid and Courser already helps with the mana fixing and shock damage. The upside of the splash is way higher than without, giving it more tools against the GR mirror (Removals) , UWx control (Rakdos' Return, Sire) and Mono B (Removal, Haymaker).
I really like Magma Jet right now. Similarly to Last Breath, it hits a ton of things against Devotion and Aggro and it is also fixes your draw and dig you much deeper into the relevant cards. The best value you can get out of Jet is killing a Jace ticked down and scrying into better cards. I really think this is the Think Twice we were looking for.
'Cause Detention Sphere does the same thing, but has even more applications. Didn't have any issues with the mana as it was so I'd rather not have to play such narrow cards in my 'board.
Personally I ran the full playset of Spheres in the main and Wear//Tear in the side.
Went 5-0 last night with this list. Felt really solid and not a dog in any match, though my match with Esper was pretty close. Beat blue devotion splashing black for hand disruption and removal out of the board, Esper, GR Devotion, Naya midrange, and mono black devotion.
I was a little wary of Burning Earth as I've seen it the last 2-3 weeks of playing in my LGS, so I hedged against it slightly by playing more basics instead of the full set of shocks.
Feedback, as always, is welcomed.
Edit: I ultimated Ral Zarek precisely once and got 4/5 flips in my favor, haha. It was pretty sweet, especially with an active Aetherling and Assemble the Legion on board.
Why not Wear // Tear if you are afraid of burning earth? It hits so much in the current meta. Spheres, whips, hammers, underworld connection and more.
Its the same concept as the RTR Jund. Ramp into good stuff while removing threats at the same time. I originally was testing out BG Midrange but when Anger of the Gods was spoiled, it really pushed me into splashing red. It plays out the same as the previous Jund, a killing machine.
I'm liking Polukranos as both an early threat and removal package. He can come down as fast as turn 3 and take out multiple aggro creatures on turn 4 whilst smashing face.
I've been playing a lot of BW Midrange lately and I thought of giving Esper a last hurrah before rotation by splashing blue into the deck. So here's Esper Midrange:
This is my current deck and I'm feeling quite comfortable with this build.
Blood Baron has been outstanding so far. It's almost irremovable against non-control decks except niche cards like Blasphemous Act and Mizzium Mortar. Walls in R/x aggro nicely and serves as a wincon against a locked down state.
I'm really liking Renounce the Guilds. Its incredibly versatile and rarely a dead card. Against Aristocrats, it hits the incredibly hard to kill Cartel Aristocrat as well as Varolz and Obzedat. In Bant Auras, it gets Geist and Unflinching Courage. One of the most underrated card in Dragon's Maze, IMO. Considering to bump it to 3 over Warped Physique.
Oblivion Ring was also a really good choice for getting rid of the incredibly annoying Voice of Resurgence since we don't have access to Pillar of Flame.
I have already cut Augur of Bolas and don't think I'll ever consider him again unless I play Restoration Angel. Its inconsistent and the whiffs hurts more than anything. Seeing your Aetherling or lands going to the bottom, really pains me.
Personally I ran the full playset of Spheres in the main and Wear//Tear in the side.
Why not Wear // Tear if you are afraid of burning earth? It hits so much in the current meta. Spheres, whips, hammers, underworld connection and more.
3 Desecration Demon
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Stormbreath Dragon
Instants - 8
2 Hero's Downfall
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Doom Blade
2 Magma Jet
Sorceries - 9
3 Thoughtseize
2 Rakdos's Return
2 Read the Bones
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Mizzium Mortars
1 Primeval Bounty
Artifact - 1
1 Rakdos Keyrune
Planeswalker - 2
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
Lands - 25
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Golgari Guildgate
4 Blood Crypt
1 Rakdos Guildgate
4 Stomping Ground
1 Mountain
2 Forest
3 Swamp
3 Temple of Abandon
2 Golgari Charm
1 Thoughtseize
2 Duress
1 Doom Blade
2 Underworld Connections
3 Lifebane Zombie
2 Pithing Needle
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Rakdos's Return
4 Desecration Demon
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Stormbreath Dragon
Instants - 9
2 Hero's Downfall
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Doom Blade
2 Magma Jet
Sorceries - 9
3 Thoughtseize
2 Rakdos's Return
2 Read the Bones
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Mizzium Mortars
2 Primeval Bounty
Lands - 25
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Golgari Guildgate
3 Blood Crypt
2 Rakdos Guildgate
4 Stomping Ground
1 Mountain
2 Forest
3 Swamp
3 Temple of Abandon
2 Golgari Charm
1 Thoughtseize
2 Duress
1 Primeval Bounty
2 Underworld Connections
3 Lifebane Zombie
2 Pithing Needle
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Rakdos's Return
Here's a rough draft I'm testing out.
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Golgari Guildgate
9 Swamp
5 Forest
3 Mutavault
Instant Sorceries
3 Thoughtseize
1 Golgari Charm
2 Hero's Downfall
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Gaze of Granite
3 Doom Blade
2 Read the Bones
4 Desecration Demon
4 Scavenging Ooze
1 Hythonia the Cruel
4 Sylvan Caryatid
2 Deathrite Shaman
2 Polukranos, World Eater
2 Reaper of the Wild
Planeswalker
1 Vraska the Unseen
1 Savage Summoning
2 Golgari Charm
1 Thoughtseize
2 Duress
2 Deathrite Shaman
2 Primeval Bounty
2 Underworld Connections
3 Lifebane Zombie
4 Desecration Demon
3 Lifebane Zombie
4 Restoration Angel
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
3 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2 Archangel of Thune
Instant and Sorcery - 14
2 Azorius Charm
2 Doom Blade
2 Tragic Slip
2 Essence Scatter
2 Far // Away
2 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Detention Sphere
Land - 25
4 Godless Shrine
4 Isolated Chapel
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Watery Grave
3 Hallowed Fountain
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Moorland Haunt
3 Duress
3 Negate
1 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Terminus
2 Detention Sphere
2 Erase
2 Appetite for Brains
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Watery Grave
4 Drowned Catacomb
3 Godless Shrine
3 Isolated Chapel
3 Nephalia Drownyard
1 Ghost Quarter
Sorceries and Instants (25)
3 Sphinx's Revelation
3 Supreme Verdict
2 Think Twice
1 Warped Physique
2 Far // Away
2 Terminus
3 Azorius Charm
2 Dissipate
2 Syncopate
1 Doom Blade
2 Cremate
2 Renounce the Guilds
2 Lifebane Zombie
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Augur of Bolas
2 Restoration Angel
2 Negate
2 Appetite for Brains
2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2 Rest in Peace
2 Feeling of Dread
1 Ætherling
1 Dispel
1 Curse of Death's Hold
2 Sin Collector
Please use card tags in future posts. The Forum Guidelines explain how to do that. -Carsten
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Watery Grave
4 Drowned Catacomb
3 Godless Shrine
2 Isolated Chapel
3 Nephalia Drownyard
1 Island
1 Plains
Sorceries and Instants (25)
3 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Supreme Verdict
3 Think Twice
2 Warped Physique
2 Far // Away
2 Terminus
3 Azorius Charm
2 Dissipate
2 Syncopate
2 Renounce the Guilds
2 Oblivion Ring
Creatures (5)
2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 AEtherling
Planeswalkers (2)
2 Jace, Architect of Thought
2 Negate
2 Appetite for Brains
1 Dispel
1 Crypt Incursion
2 Duress
1 Jace, Memory Adept
2 Rest in Peace
2 Curse of Death's Hold
2 Feeling of Dread
This is my current deck and I'm feeling quite comfortable with this build.
Blood Baron has been outstanding so far. It's almost irremovable against non-control decks except niche cards like Blasphemous Act and Mizzium Mortar. Walls in R/x aggro nicely and serves as a wincon against a locked down state.
I'm really liking Renounce the Guilds. Its incredibly versatile and rarely a dead card. Against Aristocrats, it hits the incredibly hard to kill Cartel Aristocrat as well as Varolz and Obzedat. In Bant Auras, it gets Geist and Unflinching Courage. One of the most underrated card in Dragon's Maze, IMO. Considering to bump it to 3 over Warped Physique.
Oblivion Ring was also a really good choice for getting rid of the incredibly annoying Voice of Resurgence since we don't have access to Pillar of Flame.
I have already cut Augur of Bolas and don't think I'll ever consider him again unless I play Restoration Angel. Its inconsistent and the whiffs hurts more than anything. Seeing your Aetherling or lands going to the bottom, really pains me.
Thoughts?