This reminds me of my brothers deck when I started playing 18 years ago. Disintegrate was a favorite because he could "remove me from the game" with a lethal dose.
I really want this to be possible, mostly because i LOVE the displacer. My initial thoughts and issues I've had are"
All your creatures are 3 drops, along with most of your removal spells. Look to add some removal in the 2 slot, blessed alliance is great for the flexibility.
4 color mana bases are rough. If you can fit a Sea Gate Wreckage it can help if you go dry. I would drop 1 evolving wilds for it.
Torrential Gearhulk is a beast, and you have enough instants to make it worth it. plus, flickering a gearhulk just makes me happy.
The deck feels very reactionary and has look to fall behind in life. Having some additional lifelink might be good to have in G1. Adding 2 Kalitas in the main might help with that. It also adds to the exile theme.
Another great card that works with the exile theme is Thought-knot seer. you cant abuse the processing aspect, but you can abuse the flickering aspect of it, and keep adding cards to their exile for you to use later.
it looks like fun if it can all click, but it looks like a lot of moving parts. If you can drop a color I think it would help out a lot. That or make the black a very small splash, just for the nullifier.
Because I had to look it up, the relevant rule that applies here is: 400.7h
400.7h: If an effect causes an object to move to a public zone, other parts of that effect can find that object. If the cost of a spell or ability causes an object to move to a public zone, that spell or ability’s effects can find that object.
I bolded the important part. What allows you to put your commander into the Command Zone instead of Exile is a replacement effect, rule 400.7h applies and the closet will find the commander in the command zone.
the phrase "at the beginning of the next end step" means that the game is looking for the next time an End Step happens, that ability triggers. In this particular scenario your friend is correct. The exiled creature would return during your end step since your end step is the next end step to happen.
As a former Mardu Control Player pre-Kaladesh I like the direction of this build. Here would be my reactions:
-5 basics with 4 Evolving Wilds. This seems risky. The possibility have drawing dead wilds late to mid game sounds worrisome. Consider dropping to 3 wilds.
-Nahiri, the Harbinger Is fantastic! it can kill vehicles, it can kill enchantments (fevered visions) It also give you some nice card filtering.
-I don't really love Filigree Familiar in this shell. It turns on their early removal, and with a lot of people looking to exile effects, you lose on the best part of it. I MUCH prefer Liliana, the Last Hope. It fits the same spot, it can neutralize a small threat, it can return a large threat late game, and it can provide you some virtual life-gain. The +1 basically is the same as +2 life, and it can act as a sponge to soak up 3-4 points of damage that would otherwise go to your dome. If it goes unchecked it threatens to win by itself.
-I would suggest Live Fast in place of Succumb to Temptation. You use energy for mana and for kill spells. The extra energy will likely be used, and you arent really operating at instant speed that much.
-One card to have on your radar that is much better than people give it credit for is Skywhaler's shot. It's instant speed, kills almost all the threats you care about, and the bonus of scry is great in a control build.
-You have six 6-drops, that seems like a lot without any sort of ramp. I would recommend lowering that to 4 (move to 1 chandra and 1 sorin). By the time you play one you should be in a position to ride it, or else you probably are already too far behind. Adding 2 Nahiri's here seems like a good fit, it keeps you at 6 walkers for your oath, and nahiri can be a win con too (tutor a gearhulk anyone?).
Works really well with Sigarda's Aid--flash this in once the removal spell goes onto the stack, let the aura resolve, then change the target of the removal spell.
Sadly it won't work this way. Captured by the Consulate reads "whenever an opponent casts a spell" that means that by the time you have priority to cast Captured, the point in time that the trigger would happen already passed. The aura needs to already be in play before your opponent casts their spell.
it sounds like the confusion might be coming from the thought that allowing the tutor to resolve somehow then allows everything to resolve. (I believe I am interpreting your statement correctly). This is not how the rules work. The only way something on the stack can resolve is by both (or all) players passing priority to do anything. This then lets the top object on the stack (and only the top object) to resolve. Once that object resolves, both (all) players then have another opportunity to respond. If no one does, then the next object resolves. This is repeated until the stack has fully resolved. Hopefully that clarifies it a little more.
they do enter tapped, its hidden in the reminder text.
Hideaway (This land enters the battlefield tapped. When it does, look at the top four cards of your library, exile one face down, then put the rest on the bottom of your library.)
If you look back at the earlier pages of this thread it started as "abbot grixis". The more people played with the deck, the more it fell out of favor. I think it was somewhere around page 17ish that it was almost non existent in lists anymore.
there's nothing innately wrong with running 1-2-offs.
Also worth noting, with declaration in stone in every white deck, diversifying our threats reduces that chance for 2:1 or 3:1 against us with that card.
The extra turn part is linked to the triggered ability of returning one of the exiled cards. In other words if all the exiled cards are removed from exile (Pull from eternity 5 times or 5 processors) then the enchantment will sit there forever never giving you your extra turn. In order to have the option of sacrificing it, you have to move the last card exiled by Searh from exile to your hand.
I don't think kozilek's return fits. You dont have any eldrazi that can flash it back, and radiant flames (while not being a target for goblin dark-dwellers can hit 3 toughness creatures which is really important.
Catacomb Sifter seems a little out of place. You aren't on a token theme, and it seems that its a pretty low impact card. it might play differently, but just a first glance thought.
I haven't liked despise all that much in the current meta. there are too many ways to get creatures back from the yard. If you want more hand disruption, transgress the mind is done well for me.
Looking at the list there are only 4 delve cards, you can probably afford to up that count to 6 and still be ok. I haven't liked Complete Disregard since OGW, and it loses even more if you don't have Jace in there too. -1 Complete Disregard, +1 Murderous Cut
That and Kolaghan's command is crazy good, I'd make room for at least 3.
I'm finally getting around to playing again since about a month ago. I've been on Grixis delve since BFZ, much like you have been. My list has been very similar with only a few tweeks. I noticed that you changed the mana base very slightly, adding an extra wooded foothills and dropping a sunken hollow, you also dropped the 2 blighted fens and the shivan reef for 3 wandering fumaroles. I easily see the reef, but I was surprised that you dropped both fens. I've always liked the sac effect that they give you, it would catch a lot of opponents off guard. I was wondering your reasoning behind dropping both fens as opposed to keeping one, and your thinking about upping the fetches by 1 while reducing the fetchable lands by one. I usually find that near the end of long games that I have no fetchable lands left. Again, just curious the hear your thoughts and reasoning.
Also, have you felt that the consistency has gone down with only 3 insights and no tormenting voices? I know Jori En, Ruin Diver helps fill that gap a little, but the T1 insight was such a huge jumpstart I really cringe at going to 3.
I find myself preferring Read the bones out of the SB as opposed to painful truths. the main reason is that you can flash back read the bones with the goblin dark-dwellers where as you cannot with painful truths. Do you take out the goblins with you bring in truths? it doenst seem like the right play, but again always interested in your thoughts.
Lastly, how have you found Grasp of darkness to be? the BB cost really worries me, I always would play to get R turn 1, and then U turn 2 and then get my B T3 when its convenient. But getting BB that early seems like we are changing our game to be reactive, as opposed to playing our own game and letting our removal fall into place where it fits. I know 2 mana removal is scarce and very conditional, but I was wondering how its played.
As always thanks for all the feedback and reports that you do. If I can snag the Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet today I'll be on this list for tonight. I'll try to give some feedback over the weekend. GL at FNM.
Some good inclusions could be:
Mana Flare
Reverberate
Ball Lightning
Searing Blood
Monestary Swiftspear
The swiftspear is a few bucks each, but its new enough I figure you probably have some.
All your creatures are 3 drops, along with most of your removal spells. Look to add some removal in the 2 slot, blessed alliance is great for the flexibility.
4 color mana bases are rough. If you can fit a Sea Gate Wreckage it can help if you go dry. I would drop 1 evolving wilds for it.
Torrential Gearhulk is a beast, and you have enough instants to make it worth it. plus, flickering a gearhulk just makes me happy.
The deck feels very reactionary and has look to fall behind in life. Having some additional lifelink might be good to have in G1. Adding 2 Kalitas in the main might help with that. It also adds to the exile theme.
Another great card that works with the exile theme is Thought-knot seer. you cant abuse the processing aspect, but you can abuse the flickering aspect of it, and keep adding cards to their exile for you to use later.
it looks like fun if it can all click, but it looks like a lot of moving parts. If you can drop a color I think it would help out a lot. That or make the black a very small splash, just for the nullifier.
400.7h: If an effect causes an object to move to a public zone, other parts of that effect can find that object. If the cost of a spell or ability causes an object to move to a public zone, that spell or ability’s effects can find that object.
I bolded the important part. What allows you to put your commander into the Command Zone instead of Exile is a replacement effect, rule 400.7h applies and the closet will find the commander in the command zone.
-5 basics with 4 Evolving Wilds. This seems risky. The possibility have drawing dead wilds late to mid game sounds worrisome. Consider dropping to 3 wilds.
-Nahiri, the Harbinger Is fantastic! it can kill vehicles, it can kill enchantments (fevered visions) It also give you some nice card filtering.
-I don't really love Filigree Familiar in this shell. It turns on their early removal, and with a lot of people looking to exile effects, you lose on the best part of it. I MUCH prefer Liliana, the Last Hope. It fits the same spot, it can neutralize a small threat, it can return a large threat late game, and it can provide you some virtual life-gain. The +1 basically is the same as +2 life, and it can act as a sponge to soak up 3-4 points of damage that would otherwise go to your dome. If it goes unchecked it threatens to win by itself.
-I would suggest Live Fast in place of Succumb to Temptation. You use energy for mana and for kill spells. The extra energy will likely be used, and you arent really operating at instant speed that much.
-One card to have on your radar that is much better than people give it credit for is Skywhaler's shot. It's instant speed, kills almost all the threats you care about, and the bonus of scry is great in a control build.
-You have six 6-drops, that seems like a lot without any sort of ramp. I would recommend lowering that to 4 (move to 1 chandra and 1 sorin). By the time you play one you should be in a position to ride it, or else you probably are already too far behind. Adding 2 Nahiri's here seems like a good fit, it keeps you at 6 walkers for your oath, and nahiri can be a win con too (tutor a gearhulk anyone?).
Sadly it won't work this way. Captured by the Consulate reads "whenever an opponent casts a spell" that means that by the time you have priority to cast Captured, the point in time that the trigger would happen already passed. The aura needs to already be in play before your opponent casts their spell.
Hideaway (This land enters the battlefield tapped. When it does, look at the top four cards of your library, exile one face down, then put the rest on the bottom of your library.)
Will NOT be Printed
Also worth noting, with declaration in stone in every white deck, diversifying our threats reduces that chance for 2:1 or 3:1 against us with that card.
Catacomb Sifter seems a little out of place. You aren't on a token theme, and it seems that its a pretty low impact card. it might play differently, but just a first glance thought.
I haven't liked despise all that much in the current meta. there are too many ways to get creatures back from the yard. If you want more hand disruption, transgress the mind is done well for me.
Looking at the list there are only 4 delve cards, you can probably afford to up that count to 6 and still be ok. I haven't liked Complete Disregard since OGW, and it loses even more if you don't have Jace in there too. -1 Complete Disregard, +1 Murderous Cut
That and Kolaghan's command is crazy good, I'd make room for at least 3.
Also, have you felt that the consistency has gone down with only 3 insights and no tormenting voices? I know Jori En, Ruin Diver helps fill that gap a little, but the T1 insight was such a huge jumpstart I really cringe at going to 3.
I find myself preferring Read the bones out of the SB as opposed to painful truths. the main reason is that you can flash back read the bones with the goblin dark-dwellers where as you cannot with painful truths. Do you take out the goblins with you bring in truths? it doenst seem like the right play, but again always interested in your thoughts.
Lastly, how have you found Grasp of darkness to be? the BB cost really worries me, I always would play to get R turn 1, and then U turn 2 and then get my B T3 when its convenient. But getting BB that early seems like we are changing our game to be reactive, as opposed to playing our own game and letting our removal fall into place where it fits. I know 2 mana removal is scarce and very conditional, but I was wondering how its played.
As always thanks for all the feedback and reports that you do. If I can snag the Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet today I'll be on this list for tonight. I'll try to give some feedback over the weekend. GL at FNM.