Playing my BUG Tezzeret Deck against three random decks, I ended up against Modern D&T, Affinity, and U/R Delver. Five rounds against each opponent, no sideboard. I won't go into great detail about each game, mostly because I don't remember how each individual game.
Death & Taxes, 4-1 Tezzeret's Favor. He possibly got a little greedy a few times over extended, however he couldn't sit back and slow roll me. Only loss came when I couldn't search for lands due to Leonin Arbiter and Aven Mindcenser
Affinity, 3-2 Tezzeret's Favor. An early Damnation in four games almost won me them. Between board wipes, spot removal and life gain, Smothering their Inkmoth Nexus, it was a pretty rough match up for him. He won one with a turn 3 kill and the last game, I sat on two lands for six turns, not very eventful. I feel like Affinity can't stand up to this particular Tezzeret build.
U/R Delver, 5-1, Tezzeret's Favor (Played six games). Weathering out the first three to five turns is pretty crucial, after that it was a cake walk. Chalice of the Void on one shuts 95% of the deck off, a second chalice on two, clears the way.
I would be more concerned about the fact that over 1/3 of the deck is not pullable from an Ancient Stirrings. When you're not digging for game enders (ie : last tron land, karn, etc) it doesnt feel as good to run something like Ancient Stirrings over Serum Visions or the like.
If not being able to grab 1/3 of the deck is a defining factor of using a card, why use Tezzeret? He only works with 1/3 of the deck in that sense. They grab the same important artifacts, stirrings just grabs land as well. I can also grab something cheap like a signet or a citadel with stirrings, play it, and -4 Tezz for a win rather than dig with him or, if I'm playing Serum Visions, hope for a top deck.
So, the past couple weeks, I've tinkered with Shouta's original deck. Playing through my meta over and over, I've tuned it somewhat and I found a little gem that I had forgotten about until now, Ancient Stirrings
The sideboard hasn't been used much, I've been wanting to make the mainboard the best it can be before moving on. Ancient Stirrings has been kind of turn one Tezzeret dig, or a second Tezz dig while he's out.
2x Liliana + 1x Smother was the one-creature removal plan, bolstered by the 4x Damnation and 1x Engineered Explosives. Relic of Progenitus really eats up the Gifts Ungiven plan (apparently you ran the wrong card in Nihil Spellbomb there), as well as the 2x Grafdigger's Cage, 2x Counterflux, 2x Glen Elendra Archmage in the side (You really can't ignore the sideboard, as it is extremely relevant in over 50% of your games). Ashiok doesn't exactly take threats, since your opponent didn't have them yet, he'll just draw something else. With the current aggro-heavy meta there's really not much that I think I'd be happy to rip off of Ashiok. Delver of Secrets? Monastery Swiftspear? Goblin Guide? Noble Hierarch? Carven Caryatid? Eidolon of the Great Revel? I think I'd rather run Liliana over him to actually get rid of threats and generate CA, and even she isn't looking super great right now. Minslaver is too slow vs. the meta I think, buying you a turn for 10 mana, whereas Wurmcoil Engine buys you two turns per hit in the game vs. Delver/Burn, while dodging counterspells and costing only 6 mana.
This week, I'm trying out:
-2 Liliana (to SB)
-2 Thoughtseize
for
+1 Electrolyze
+1 Night of Souls' Betrayal (from SB)
+2 Chalice of the Void (from SB)
+1 Electrolyze (to SB)
More mainboard hate for burn/aggro and twin/ascendency combo, this weekends main players. Will update after testing!
I don't see how Relic is better than Spellbomb. They do the same exact thing to your opponent, one actually is reusable. There's no point for Academy Ruins in a deck with relics, where as sitting behind a couple 5/5's spellbombing a graveyard turn after turn just ensures that they won't ever that resource again. It also makes your crucible that much more worthless with relics. I also don't understand the comparison of Mindslaver to Wurmcoil. Both cost six, both have to wait a turn if you cast it at six. One gains life and blocks, one you can set your opponent up for your following turn and possibly dump their hand for no reason. 95% of the time when I play Ashiok, I hit a creature or two. And so what if you hit any of those? They don't get it, I landed an Ashiok vs twin, put Kiki-Jiki and a Pestermite into play and beat him with his own combo. Liliana also can't make an opponent sacrifice a spell. Playing against U/R Delver, I hit a Lightning Bolt, Vapor Snag, and Young Pyromancer the turn I dropped him while he only had a Delver in play. Did I take his threats? Yes.
I took this to modern monday at my local store and play tested a variety of decks, to include a randomize, proxy deck that had all the top four decks of combo, control, and aggro and I played the exact version of this deck, minus sideboard. I found myself wanting spot removal over some of the things, having to Damnation one creature just to kill it. It also is kind of a pain playing against U/W gifts and praying you have Cryptic Command in hand. I do feel adding in red was possibly a great decision, Keranos, God of Storms straight up just winning me games left and right, however, I also feel like we can drop things as Liliana of the Veil, possibly a colorless land (Looking at you Tectonic Edge), and maybe a mana rock. I've become a huge fan of Ashiok. Not only does he take threats, he can possibly put them on the field. Also, Mindslaver.
@Radouf I play so much self damage because 95% of the local meta is pure combo, I'm almost never swung on/blasted until it's enough damage to satisfy an oversized ego. The other 5% are homebrews which catch me off guard, and RDW, that I can't ever see myself losing against post board. The only decks I don't get full use out of the masses of removal I have is against U/W Tron or the Storm guy who plays storm once every three months or something.
@Ripptor_2 By Fizzling out, I mean I would drop my opponent low enough but never have the reach to kill them. I took out creeping tar pits because anytime I desperately needed a land, I drew one and it ruined the turn. I do like your red splash of Tezz, makes a little more sense than the Shrapnel Blast/Lightning Bolt/Galvanic Blast plan I was going to do.
@Ripptor_2 I've actually started using Glimmervoids to fill in a crucial color fixing area I was in.
I've been playing U/B Tezzeret for a while and though I do feel like I am playing a competitive deck, I often feel like I lack the punch to make it through. Tezzeret is often killed on four counters or I don't have enough artifacts to make his -4 that big of a deal. Here's what I got
There are some days the deck does overwhelmingly spectacular, some days where it just fizzles out. Regarding Reshape, it used to be Dig through Time, but I never found myself being able to cast it due to having to Relic of Progenitus the yards away, or simply not enough resources to cast it. Reshape, however, has been doing a pretty good job. I used to run Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas, Liliana of the Veil, and Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver all in the main, and having all three out mean a very hard lock for my opponent to break out of. Since then, I moved Ashiok to the board, replaced the space with a few more hate cards and the deck has become this. It's been both frustrating to play to the point of giving up on it. I've considered adding in red for things like Shrapnel Blast, Galvanic Blast, Trash for Treasure, and Scrapyard Salvo, doing so, I would start to run more Eggs and the like. Thoughts?
I've been toying with the idea of doing B/U Tron myself. I really like the Tron decks, my favorite deck in modern being U/W Tron. However, I love artifacts and Mono U Tron doesn't cut it for me (Although, if my deck falls through, I'm going to UTron or Esper Gifts D: )
Right now, I play U/B Tezzeret. A major problem is that it lacks threats outside of Tezzeret himself. UTron is a deck I appreciate for it's dedication to large artifacts, but lacks, in my opinion, proper disruption and removal. My idea is to combine the two decks into a U/B Tezzeret/Tron deck that gets the Artifacts, plays the black disruption, blue counters, and black removal, along with the artifact win cons. Is it crazy? Yes, but it's oh so much better than running a run of the mill combo deck like everyone else. I'm down to brainstorm ideas
Favorite Playstyle: Control, Midrange
How Competitive: Local Tournaments
Favorite Cards/Colors: Knight of the Reliquary, Artifact Cards, Tezzeret AoB, Esper Charm
Budget: I will not buy Tarmogoyfs
Staples Owned: All the important lands, Liliana
I really like playing artifact decks. I currently play U/B Tezzeret AoB control, while it is fun, it a consistent loser to meta decks. I hate Affinity and can't stand to play it, I've thought about UTron, but I prefer not to play that type of artifact deck
An unburial rites package would work in game one, where going all in tends to work in our favor, but I feel like games two and three you'd need to sideboard it out for a more slower paced game as to not fall prey to graveyard hate. I have a Gifts Ungiven package going on for a bit, but ultimately just was a waste of cards in already GY hate filled meta
I didn't have a sideboard as I was still trying to make the main deck work before I jumped into it. When I played this deck, I would smash most opponents game one, then utterly lose to sideboard.
Skaab Ruinator probably would've been an awesome card for this, but I was also toying with the idea of making the sideboard an entire switch to a pseudo Living End deck. Something like this
Side out loam, Salvages, the two basics and one breeding pool, and most of the two/one drops. In my mind, it felt like a good idea but I get the feeling in play, it would've been a bust. Though, it is something I would like to try, playing Dredgevine game one, then being able to swap to entire different playstyle games two and three
I currently run a BUGvine list, it's more of an all in dredge list relying on Hedron Crab, Magus of the Bazaar, and Lotleth Troll to make the graveyard happen. If one of those resolves, especially magus, I'm one or two turns from just over running my opponent
I'm for a more tempo based deck, it also allows play for more faeries, like Thieving Sprite. It's opened up more options, which is what faeries need most.
Death & Taxes, 4-1 Tezzeret's Favor. He possibly got a little greedy a few times over extended, however he couldn't sit back and slow roll me. Only loss came when I couldn't search for lands due to Leonin Arbiter and Aven Mindcenser
Affinity, 3-2 Tezzeret's Favor. An early Damnation in four games almost won me them. Between board wipes, spot removal and life gain, Smothering their Inkmoth Nexus, it was a pretty rough match up for him. He won one with a turn 3 kill and the last game, I sat on two lands for six turns, not very eventful. I feel like Affinity can't stand up to this particular Tezzeret build.
U/R Delver, 5-1, Tezzeret's Favor (Played six games). Weathering out the first three to five turns is pretty crucial, after that it was a cake walk. Chalice of the Void on one shuts 95% of the deck off, a second chalice on two, clears the way.
All in all, I really like adding in green, I really like Ancient Stirrings, and nothing needs to be said for what Abrupt Decay and Maelstrom Pulse do, they're just good cards.
If not being able to grab 1/3 of the deck is a defining factor of using a card, why use Tezzeret? He only works with 1/3 of the deck in that sense. They grab the same important artifacts, stirrings just grabs land as well. I can also grab something cheap like a signet or a citadel with stirrings, play it, and -4 Tezz for a win rather than dig with him or, if I'm playing Serum Visions, hope for a top deck.
2x Creeping Tar Pit
4x Darksteel Citadel
1x Forest
4x Glimmervoid
1x Island
1x Misty Rainforest
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Polluted Delta
2x Swamp
1x Verdant Catacombs
2x Watery Grave
1x Batterskull
2x Chalice of the Void
3x Dimir Signet
1x Engineered Explosives
2x Golgari Signet
1x Mox Opal
2x Nihil Spellbomb
2x Talisman of Dominance
3x Smother
4x Thirst for Knowledge
2x Spellskite
1x Wurmcoil Engine
4x Ancient Stirrings
2x Damnation
2x Maelstrom Pulse
4x Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
2x Chalice of the Void
1x Damnation
1x Engineered Explosives
3x Grafdigger's Cage
3x Nature's Claim
1x Nihil Spellbomb
2x Slaughter Games
The sideboard hasn't been used much, I've been wanting to make the mainboard the best it can be before moving on. Ancient Stirrings has been kind of turn one Tezzeret dig, or a second Tezz dig while he's out.
I don't see how Relic is better than Spellbomb. They do the same exact thing to your opponent, one actually is reusable. There's no point for Academy Ruins in a deck with relics, where as sitting behind a couple 5/5's spellbombing a graveyard turn after turn just ensures that they won't ever that resource again. It also makes your crucible that much more worthless with relics. I also don't understand the comparison of Mindslaver to Wurmcoil. Both cost six, both have to wait a turn if you cast it at six. One gains life and blocks, one you can set your opponent up for your following turn and possibly dump their hand for no reason. 95% of the time when I play Ashiok, I hit a creature or two. And so what if you hit any of those? They don't get it, I landed an Ashiok vs twin, put Kiki-Jiki and a Pestermite into play and beat him with his own combo. Liliana also can't make an opponent sacrifice a spell. Playing against U/R Delver, I hit a Lightning Bolt, Vapor Snag, and Young Pyromancer the turn I dropped him while he only had a Delver in play. Did I take his threats? Yes.
I took this to modern monday at my local store and play tested a variety of decks, to include a randomize, proxy deck that had all the top four decks of combo, control, and aggro and I played the exact version of this deck, minus sideboard. I found myself wanting spot removal over some of the things, having to Damnation one creature just to kill it. It also is kind of a pain playing against U/W gifts and praying you have Cryptic Command in hand. I do feel adding in red was possibly a great decision, Keranos, God of Storms straight up just winning me games left and right, however, I also feel like we can drop things as Liliana of the Veil, possibly a colorless land (Looking at you Tectonic Edge), and maybe a mana rock. I've become a huge fan of Ashiok. Not only does he take threats, he can possibly put them on the field. Also, Mindslaver.
EDIT :: I also used Nihil Spellbombs in place of Relics
@Ripptor_2 By Fizzling out, I mean I would drop my opponent low enough but never have the reach to kill them. I took out creeping tar pits because anytime I desperately needed a land, I drew one and it ruined the turn. I do like your red splash of Tezz, makes a little more sense than the Shrapnel Blast/Lightning Bolt/Galvanic Blast plan I was going to do.
I've been playing U/B Tezzeret for a while and though I do feel like I am playing a competitive deck, I often feel like I lack the punch to make it through. Tezzeret is often killed on four counters or I don't have enough artifacts to make his -4 that big of a deal. Here's what I got
4x Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
3x Liliana of the Veil
Creatures
1x Spellskite
2x Trinket Mage
Instant
2x Slaughter Pact
2x Smother
3x Thirst for Knowledge
1x Consume the Meek
Sorcery
2x Damnation
3x Thoughseize
2x Reshape
Artifacts
2x Batterskull
2x Mox Opal
3x Talisman of Dominance
1x Chalice of the Void
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Pithing Needle
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Grafdigger's Cage
4x Glimmervoid
4x Watery Grave
4x Polluted Delta
4x Darksteel Citadel
4x Blinkmoth Nexus
2x Swamp
1x Academy Ruins
2x Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
1x Spellskite
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Chalice of the Void
1x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Wurmcoil Engine
2x Duress
2x Flashfreeze
2x Negate
There are some days the deck does overwhelmingly spectacular, some days where it just fizzles out. Regarding Reshape, it used to be Dig through Time, but I never found myself being able to cast it due to having to Relic of Progenitus the yards away, or simply not enough resources to cast it. Reshape, however, has been doing a pretty good job. I used to run Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas, Liliana of the Veil, and Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver all in the main, and having all three out mean a very hard lock for my opponent to break out of. Since then, I moved Ashiok to the board, replaced the space with a few more hate cards and the deck has become this. It's been both frustrating to play to the point of giving up on it. I've considered adding in red for things like Shrapnel Blast, Galvanic Blast, Trash for Treasure, and Scrapyard Salvo, doing so, I would start to run more Eggs and the like. Thoughts?
Here's a decklist for a mono black Tron deck.
I've been toying with the idea of doing B/U Tron myself. I really like the Tron decks, my favorite deck in modern being U/W Tron. However, I love artifacts and Mono U Tron doesn't cut it for me (Although, if my deck falls through, I'm going to UTron or Esper Gifts D: )
Right now, I play U/B Tezzeret. A major problem is that it lacks threats outside of Tezzeret himself. UTron is a deck I appreciate for it's dedication to large artifacts, but lacks, in my opinion, proper disruption and removal. My idea is to combine the two decks into a U/B Tezzeret/Tron deck that gets the Artifacts, plays the black disruption, blue counters, and black removal, along with the artifact win cons. Is it crazy? Yes, but it's oh so much better than running a run of the mill combo deck like everyone else. I'm down to brainstorm ideas
How Competitive: Local Tournaments
Favorite Cards/Colors: Knight of the Reliquary, Artifact Cards, Tezzeret AoB, Esper Charm
Budget: I will not buy Tarmogoyfs
Staples Owned: All the important lands, Liliana
I really like playing artifact decks. I currently play U/B Tezzeret AoB control, while it is fun, it a consistent loser to meta decks. I hate Affinity and can't stand to play it, I've thought about UTron, but I prefer not to play that type of artifact deck
4 Vengevine
4 Magus of the Bazaar
4 Hedron Crab
4 Lotleth Troll
4 Grave Crawler
3 Bloodghast
4 Golgari Thug
3 Stinkweed Imp
2 Fatestitcher
4 Grisly Salvage
2 Gnaw to the Bone
1 Life from the Loam
Lands
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Marsh Flat
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Watery Grave
2 Breeding Pool
2 Overgrown Tomb
2 Mutavault
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Swamp
1 Forest
I didn't have a sideboard as I was still trying to make the main deck work before I jumped into it. When I played this deck, I would smash most opponents game one, then utterly lose to sideboard.
Skaab Ruinator probably would've been an awesome card for this, but I was also toying with the idea of making the sideboard an entire switch to a pseudo Living End deck. Something like this
3 Mountain shocks
3 Living End
3 Violent Outburst
3 Demonic Dread
3 Large Creatures
Side out loam, Salvages, the two basics and one breeding pool, and most of the two/one drops. In my mind, it felt like a good idea but I get the feeling in play, it would've been a bust. Though, it is something I would like to try, playing Dredgevine game one, then being able to swap to entire different playstyle games two and three
Maybe dropping the hand disruption for more spot removal?
My Damia, Sage of Stone, turned into Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, which just turned into Azami.
The deck only has Two tutors techinically. Trinket Mage and Tezzeret
I have three other decks that don't have blue at all.