I'd probably remove the Magus - no sense in giving your opponent mana for nothing..you are circumventing your plan to lock/slow them down by giving them 2 free mana a turn.
This was just made from cards from memory that I think would fit his goal or whatever.
End game is to get a sliter head or mangler or something equipped with a lure and let his tokens swing in unscathed. Or give them all shadow and swing at multiple people at once unscathed.
Contemplated Parallel Lives and Sylvan Primordial as well..trying to keep it somewhat budget, but he said he's a little flexible (hence shock lands and such).
Very good point, I already have a playset of the ol' Fleshbag, what do you think about throwing in some Mutilate as well? Maybe that's more a card for a mono-black deck.
I think it definitely needs Wrath effects, and Day of Judgement is the only one I can justify buying at the moment. Also, Entomb is almost 20 bucks, so that's maybe a future upgrade to the deck. My original thought was to flood the board with cheap zombies that had ETB effects and some kind of recursion, so that my opponents have a "Sophie's Choice." Either let me get them back to hand, or pay the 3 life to keep them in graveyard after a few sacs. At which point hopefully I can reanimate/unearth them.
At this point I'm not sure which direction to take the deck. I had another idea that leaned more heavily on Sin Collector and Tidehollow Sculler to disrupt opponent's hands, but not sure how well that will work in this format.
You're right that Brain Freeze isn't the ideal mill card without combo, but more often than not, it does better than mind sculpt or breaking for the same mana. The 2-spell requirement isn't too absurd, since your opponent has to play spells anyway. With a control shell, it is also very common to counter their spell or play something in response to get the storm count up.
One thing you are missing from the calculation there is that the stormed copies of Brain Freeze are not countered. When you remand the original brain freeze, the original card returns to your hand while the copies still resolve.
Ah - noted..didn't catch that, thanks.
However, I still stand by my opinion that Brain Freeze requires more things to 'line up' for it to outperform other hardcasted mill spells, especially when it requires 3+ spells being played a turn to do so.
A control shell will do it, sure - but at that point you are morphing the deck to be more control than mill - and using brain freeze as support.
You can also consider Brain Freeze. It is usually used in combo decks but it works well in other decks as well. The storm gets around counterspells (at least the copies do), and if at least 2 other spells are played during a turn, it's better than breaking and mind sculpt.
There was this memorable match where someone dropped 3 creatures during his turn. EOT I played brain freeze, played remand in response, targeting brain freeze, and played brain freeze again to mill 24 cards and draw a card to win that match.
The only time I've ever seen a Brain Freeze have any impact is when used in a High Tide.dec.
The card requires multiple spells to have remotely any impact for milling. You'd be holding one in your hand 'hoping' that they will cast multiple things or requires you to have excess mana to cast mutliple spells as well as the BF itself.
Having that many requirements to simply out perform a single Glimpse the Unthinkable, Breaking, or Mind Sculpt is absurd.
Hardcasting a Glimpse and Mind Sculpt or Breaking//Entering would be the better route.
In your example, it took 5 cards total to mill 24 cards from your opponent. Three of them were not yours. I'd rather use 2 cards and guarantee at minimum 14, max 20 cards that are only reliant on me, and me alone. Also, I'm curious how you got 24 cards with your example.
Anyways, Brain Freeze has it's place, sure..in decks that can abuse storm count. Relying on X number of spells to be cast before it trumps another card I can hardcast for a guarnateed 7, 8, or 10 cards is shaky at best.
Now, if we were comparing BF to Tome Scour, I would think Brain Freeze may be better, but that's still iffy for me.
The only time I would run Traumatize is if I ran his twin brother Haunting Echoes - but that is a 2 card, 10 cmc combo that still won't guarantee they get milled out.
What it does do in most cases is rip damn near everything out from underneath them..but it's slow, so it has drawbacks, sure.
This is the mill deck I am currently running. It runs pretty smoothly, but if anyone has any suggestions just let me know. Some of the quantities might be a bit off if anyone has any opinions on that too. Thanks!!
I'd also make use of the Crab by using fetches - Zendikar type fetches are okay, but are pretty pricey. Terramorphic Expanse, Evolving Wilds work well enough.
To keep your hand full, I'd look at running: Rhystic Study (arguably more powerful in a MP setting, but works here too) Phyrexian Arena - you will either mill them or die...one way or another.
Chances are you are going to be tapping out every turn to mill, or cast creatures that support your goal. You are basically racing them to 60 life, before they can knock off your 20. Milling lands and threats away should 'stall' them just long enough to put up a fair fight - but's its not an easy task.
If your circle is known for digging through their library, you could probably get away with an Archive Trap or two - but sometimes they will just sit in your hand possibly a sideboard card I suppose.
As an example, this is my mill deck that I run in our kitchen table/multiplayer games, and it does quite well..unless I just get swarmed by all the other players
The 'wincon' is dropping a Phenax with 1 RS, and 1 of each creature still on the board. By that time if they aren't milled out, using Phenax's ability on a Cons. Ab. should finish the game.
I'd just make some changes were appropriate..but that should give you some ideas, I hope
Another idea is just to run 12 Post / Tron and ramp up a giant Mind Grind - which also works quite well.
Here's what version 2 looks like, incorporating some of the ideas above:
4 Overgrown Tomb
2 Tainted Wood
4 Woodland Cemetery
2 Twilight Mire
2 Rogue's Passage
5 Swamp
5 Forest
4 Slitherhead
3 Eternal Witness
4 Shriekmaw
3 Reaper of the Wilds
3 Sylvan Primordial
Draw 3
3 Phyrexian Arena
2 Dauthi Embrace
2 Recurring Nightmare
1 Sol Ring
4 Worn Powerstone
3 Doubling Season
Planeswalkers 4
4 Vraska the Unseen
Meta is pretty standard - mostly creature hate with the occasional enchantment/artifact disruption.
He isn't sure where to go with the deck, only that he wants to use Vraska to great effect.
Haven't looked over the NYX set yet, so not sure what may be around the corner, but here is what I came up with as a first draft:
4 Overgrown Tomb
2 Tainted Wood
4 Woodland Cemetery
2 Twilight Mire
3 Rogue's Passage
5 Swamp
5 Forest
4 Slitherhead
4 Llanowar Dead
4 Dreg Mangler
3 Reaper of the Wilds
3 Vulturous Zombie
2 Harvester of Souls
3 Gaze of Granite
Draw 3
3 Phyrexian Arena
Support 6
3 Dauthi Embrace
3 Lure
Planeswalkers 3
3 Vraska the Unseen
This was just made from cards from memory that I think would fit his goal or whatever.
End game is to get a sliter head or mangler or something equipped with a lure and let his tokens swing in unscathed. Or give them all shadow and swing at multiple people at once unscathed.
Contemplated Parallel Lives and Sylvan Primordial as well..trying to keep it somewhat budget, but he said he's a little flexible (hence shock lands and such).
Any help would be appreciated.
Adding in a couple Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth will open up mutilate and exsanguinate.
Fleshbag Marauder.
Ah - noted..didn't catch that, thanks.
However, I still stand by my opinion that Brain Freeze requires more things to 'line up' for it to outperform other hardcasted mill spells, especially when it requires 3+ spells being played a turn to do so.
A control shell will do it, sure - but at that point you are morphing the deck to be more control than mill - and using brain freeze as support.
The only time I've ever seen a Brain Freeze have any impact is when used in a High Tide.dec.
The card requires multiple spells to have remotely any impact for milling. You'd be holding one in your hand 'hoping' that they will cast multiple things or requires you to have excess mana to cast mutliple spells as well as the BF itself.
Having that many requirements to simply out perform a single Glimpse the Unthinkable, Breaking, or Mind Sculpt is absurd.
Hardcasting a Glimpse and Mind Sculpt or Breaking//Entering would be the better route.
In your example, it took 5 cards total to mill 24 cards from your opponent. Three of them were not yours. I'd rather use 2 cards and guarantee at minimum 14, max 20 cards that are only reliant on me, and me alone. Also, I'm curious how you got 24 cards with your example.
Creature 1: storm 1
Creature 2: storm 2
Creautre 3: storm 3
Brain Freeze: storm 4
Remand: storm 5
Brain Freeze: storm 6
6 * 3 = 18.
Unless I'm missing something?
Anyways, Brain Freeze has it's place, sure..in decks that can abuse storm count. Relying on X number of spells to be cast before it trumps another card I can hardcast for a guarnateed 7, 8, or 10 cards is shaky at best.
Now, if we were comparing BF to Tome Scour, I would think Brain Freeze may be better, but that's still iffy for me.
What it does do in most cases is rip damn near everything out from underneath them..but it's slow, so it has drawbacks, sure.
I would run the mill 'staples':
Glimpse the Unthinkable
Breaking // Entering (Breaking)
Mind Sculpt
Mind Grind or Mind Funeral
And round out the deck with other good stuffs.
I would probably run Tainted Isle over the Underground River.
Here are some of the better mill spells (cost/card ratio)
Glimpse the Unthinkable
Breaking // Entering (Breaking)
Mind Sculpt
Tome Scour
Mind Funeral
For creatures, I would look into:
Hedron Crab
Siren of the Silent Song
Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker
Consuming Aberration
I'd also make use of the Crab by using fetches - Zendikar type fetches are okay, but are pretty pricey. Terramorphic Expanse, Evolving Wilds work well enough.
Lands I use in mine:
Drowned Catacomb
Sunken Ruins
Watery Grave
To keep your hand full, I'd look at running:
Rhystic Study (arguably more powerful in a MP setting, but works here too)
Phyrexian Arena - you will either mill them or die...one way or another.
Chances are you are going to be tapping out every turn to mill, or cast creatures that support your goal. You are basically racing them to 60 life, before they can knock off your 20. Milling lands and threats away should 'stall' them just long enough to put up a fair fight - but's its not an easy task.
If your circle is known for digging through their library, you could probably get away with an Archive Trap or two - but sometimes they will just sit in your hand possibly a sideboard card I suppose.
As an example, this is my mill deck that I run in our kitchen table/multiplayer games, and it does quite well..unless I just get swarmed by all the other players
6 Swamp
9 Island
4 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Sunken Ruins
4 Glimpse the Unthinkable
4 Breaking // Entering (Breaking)
4 Mind Sculpt
4 Mind Grind
3 Pilfered Plans
3 Rhystic Study
Creatures
4 Siren of the Silent Song
3 Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker
3 Consuming Aberration
Planeswalkers
2 Phenax, God of Deception
The 'wincon' is dropping a Phenax with 1 RS, and 1 of each creature still on the board. By that time if they aren't milled out, using Phenax's ability on a Cons. Ab. should finish the game.
I'd just make some changes were appropriate..but that should give you some ideas, I hope
Another idea is just to run 12 Post / Tron and ramp up a giant Mind Grind - which also works quite well.
monob:
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
18 Swamp
4 Phyrexian Arena
1 No Mercy
Would be a good start..