There's another T3-Child option; Search for Tomorrow. It does require to be in your opening hand along with a green mana producer, but it's definitely viable. That said, I generally don't aim for T3 Child anyway, but then my local meta isn't all that fast anyway. And on a bit of a gamble, there's also Coiling Oracle, which is always a good card on it's own.
Pentad Prism can also make for a t3 Child which is a card I've made a part of my accel suite.
Thanks! Nightstalker is good just like Shriekmaw or Flametongue Kavu would be.
I think Scour is definitely a shoe-in for us since it's colorless and most of the pipeline lists have plenty of mana acceleration you can cast this reasonably early and it gives you an answer to indestrcutable permanents like gods or eldrazi.
Sweet primer urdjur! It's been awhile since I posted here or lurked, but this is a nice change from the old thread. I wanted to pop in and share my pauper version since there's been a lot of cool cards printed for this deck recently.
Hi everyone!!! I've been trying to build a solid Teachings list to get the archetype back in MTGO metagame. I'm relatively new on MTGO but I've been playing Teachings in paper last year. I'm posting my actual list to try to get some tips about the choices to make the deck more competitive.
I played UB control for a while and I think playing Mystical Teachings gives the deck a lot more flexibility and helps us to run silver bullets even maindeck.
Welcome to the club. Teachings is a dying breed for sure, so I appreciate your enthusiasm for the archetype as I feel it's the best control option hardly anyone is playing. I just happen to be one of the few left holding up the fort.
This is the list I'm testing,
Now: ideally I would run Accumulated Knowledge over Think Twice but I don't know if it's worth the tix.
This is the best deck to utilize Accumulated Knowledge. You teach for them and you draw lots of cards; it's like a slow version of intuition for AK which is pretty awesome. I was in the TT or AK boat for a long time until I figured out that I just wanted both near the end of Treasure Cruise's reign.
I'm wondering if I'm playing too many counters and I don't know how I feel about Stormbound Geist in the sideboard which I think is more a card I would run in Delver decks.
12 counters isn't "too many", but I personally like to stay in the 9-11 range. Stormbound geist isn't a bad card against delver in fact; it's very good there. My biggest issue with your list is how many expensive cards you have in it and how few lands you have(Capsize and Mulldrifters with 18 lands is a pretty far reach). I don't think Angler is a very good finisher without some sort of recursion like Grim Harvest. Mulldrifters are also very clunky and I've moved all the way down to 1 in my build. there's just better ways to create card advantage for the most part in this deck.
EDIT: other questions are: should I run 1 Grim Harvest even if it only has Mulldrifter as a good target? And are 5 fetches good enough to run 4 Brainstorm?
Yes, run Grim Harvest. I can't say for certain Brainstorm and 5 fetches is wrong, but I play 6.
It's been awhile, but I've started playing again. new group doesn't play with generals like psychatog, so I had to swap him out and change back to this deck.
1. Yes, although I'd typically not advise teaching for the first ak. So teach for teach should be the line if you don't have ak already started. Teaching for bs is a rare occasion, but useful if you have what you need mostly but need to dig for something like a creature or post board with erasure so that you can mill more.
2. There are 2 scenarios I'm talking about when I say teach for your next play.
- teach for something that makes your opponents next (potential) best play seem worse (this buys turns) example teaching for an exclude on an empty board against a creature deck.
- teach for something that makes your next play better. Example being teaching for a counter
so that you can play something with protection.
3. Grim Harvest is fairly simple. Unless you're otherwise going to die you should never let your harvest exile. It is worth mentioning that if push comes to shove and you have to lose harvest in order to stabilize then be sure to do it ,but just make sure you can still win.
obZen, I am currently playing your most recent Teachings list and I'm having trouble. For some reason I always get very close to stabilizing but then I end up losing. I'm using a white splash in my sideboard instead of a green splash (COP: red and 1 Disenchant right now). It could be down to mulligan decisions / play mistakes / sideboard decisions, but something is stopping me. Would you happen to know of a good guide to playing this deck? I'm a little out of practice since I haven't really played seriously in about 2 years, but I'm looking to use Pauper to eventually move into Modern and (maybe) other formats. I really love the idea of Mystical Teachings, and I'll probably try using it in Modern when I get the $$ for it, but I can't seem to make it work. Any advice?
For the record I don't know a good guide to play teachings tailored for pauper, but it is something I've been working on publishing for the near future. General rules of thumb are just try to not tapout, take damage before using instant speed removal if you're also holding permission ninjas are the only exception, teach for your next play in non-permission matchup, teach for teach in permission matchup, always flashback teach for teach to keep the chain going, if you need to brainstorm for lands do it mainphase after a draw step not eot unless you havve 2.
Hopefully that's a good enough jumping point since I don't know your background. If not I'll be sure to add more if you have more specific questions. I should get back to playing this weekend( I've been on vacation),and I'll be trying to get teachings back in the meta.
How could we deal to faeries? They have got counters and cheap creatures, Ninja of the Deep hours is a headache. I have played against this deck and is not easy to win.
Delver will never be an "easy" matchup. Even with all the 1 mana removal it can be tough because all that removal falls right into SSS. Best thing to do is wait as much as you can so that you can cast multiple spells to force through any permission/ tricks they may have. the matchup takes some practice, but always try to bait their ninja, and if you can help it save your spot removal for ninja, delver, and golem. SSS and CoF can be swept with Wail of the Nim or rats on 1.
I made a small tweak to the maindeck, and the sideboard.
- Faerie Trickery
- Impulse
+ Prohibit
+ Deep Analysis
big reasons are the PRE metagame is starting to look like the "real" metagame, and very heavy on MBC and Delver. Prohibit is a better counter than trickery for delver, and Deep Analysis is a better card for MBC than impulse, and just good overall. Trickery also becomes less useful as less graveyard decks are around which I had originally had it in there for.
Sideboard changes are just having Capsize in place of Augur of Skulls. after more testing I didn't really like the loop because against the matchups where you would want it they would otherwise have a dead card in their hand(removal), and capsize helps against opposing Curses, and other random permanents like journey, etc.
I didn't take the cake tonight, but I did still get top 4. I played Delver, MBC, Stompy, Delver, Infect, Delver in that order. my only losses were one delver in swiss and the same delver player in top4. I beat one delver in the swiss. Can't win em' all I guess. I don't think anything really needs changed, because my delver opponents got some pretty spectacular draws even the one I beat drew 4 counters in a row while in top deck mode with a ninja. The only change I've made to the deck is capsize in the sideboard over the augur to hit random stuff like opposing Curse, and cards that could exile our creatures like oubliette and Journey. It's also not bad at bouncing random karoos,etc. Maybe delver could use a little more attention, but I just think I had some case of the magic gods wanting to take a dump on me, because having as much 1 mana removal and sweeps as the deck does I find it hard to believe it's a design flaw.
I ran into some decks with exile cards, that's why I thought about adding a second Twisted Abomination.
Because once it gets exiled, I found it very hard to win G1. I sometimes decked myself because I had no way to finish my opponent.
I'm not quite sure about Archaeomancer. Maybe he's too gimmicky
But I'll give it a try!
Pretty much what INS said. You have to remember that Crypt Incursion into Crypt Rats is a real win condition with Grim Harvest if for some reason Twisted Abomination doesn't work out or is going to be too slow(MBC).
@obZen
I tested your list quit a bit and i really like it!
What do you think about adding a second Twisted Abomination and a single Archaeomancer?
Awesome I'm glad the deck is putting up numbers for others as well! Adding more creatures to the deck doesn't seem exciting to me personally, but I would like to hear your rationale.
Archaeomancer and Rolling Thunder seems sweet, Im testing a UBW but I have thought that UBR could be interesting because it is better against U decks (Pyroblast) and against agro I really like Firebolt. Although UBW has life gains, Momentary blink and Guardian of the guildpact
I used to think the same way you can see some of my old decklists when I was testing skred and friends in a grixis shell. Needless to say I wasn't very pleased, and almost everything you want the red in there for you can do comparably to black, so there's not much need to make the mana worse by adding a 3rd color.
Well I finally did it, gents. I won the PRE today a straight 7-0. I'm so worn out now, but so pumped I need to get to sleep. Ledger did watching me answer all of your questions?
Indeed, I'm reformatting my deck right now to try your version. Well-played tonight.
EDIT: Quick question, though. You seemed to struggle on land drops at times, do you think you're too light at 22?
Thank you! I don't think 22 lands is "too light" as much as I would say it has it's pros and cons. I mostly moved to lower land count due to brainstorms, but also because the deck operates fairly well one 1-2 mana, and can handle getting stuck on a land drop for a couple turns usually. Plus, Twisted Abomination is often a land early so in theory you have 23 lands, and with 4 brainstorm you up that to about 25.
The biggest hurdle you will have to overcome when playing the deck is getting comfortable with the hands, because your biggest fear is going to be the hand that has: fetch, BS, and 5 other spells in the 2 and 3 cmc range. on the draw I say sure you can probably keep it if the interactions are there if you make your second drop, but DO NOT keep on the play. These hands are high risk high reward, and is worth the risk usually if you're an extra card deep.
As an aside the only thing I changed from last week's list was going down to 6 fetches from 8, and adding 2 island. I'm considering making an island a Seat of the Synod just as Wrench Mind tech and could possibly make the opponent board in dead cards if they see it.
Pentad Prism can also make for a t3 Child which is a card I've made a part of my accel suite.
I think Scour is definitely a shoe-in for us since it's colorless and most of the pipeline lists have plenty of mana acceleration you can cast this reasonably early and it gives you an answer to indestrcutable permanents like gods or eldrazi.
1 Child of Alara
Creature (10)
1x Archaeomancer
1x Krosan Tusker
1x Mold Shambler
1x Mulldrifter
1x Predatory Nightstalker
1x Qasali Pridemage
1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
1x Sidisi's Faithful
1x Vulturous Aven
1x Yavimaya Elder
Instant (27)
1x Brainstorm
1x Capsize
1x Condescend
1x Contradict
1x Counterspell
1x Deprive
1x Dizzy Spell
1x Evolution Charm
1x Exclude
1x Faerie Trickery
1x Grim Harvest
1x Impulse
1x Into the Roil
1x Mana Leak
1x Memory Lapse
1x Muddle the Mixture
1x Mystical Teachings
1x Nature's Claim
1x Negate
1x Perplex
1x Reclaim
1x Rewind
1x Shred Memory
1x Skred
1x Soul Manipulation
1x Terminate
1x Whispers of the Muse
1x Armillary Sphere
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Darksteel Pendant
1x Expedition Map
1x Horizon Spellbomb
1x Wayfarer's Bauble
Sorcery (22)
1x Ashes to Ashes
1x Breath of Life
1x Chainer's Edict
1x Compulsive Research
1x Consult the Necrosages
1x Cultivate
1x Deep Analysis
1x Far Wanderings
1x Farseek
1x Foresee
1x Innocent Blood
1x Kodama's Reach
1x Merchant Scroll
1x Mind Extraction
1x Ponder
1x Preordain
1x Primal Growth
1x Rampant Growth
1x Read the Bones
1x Reap and Sow
1x Rolling Thunder
1x Treasure Cruise
Land (34)
1x Azorius Chancery
1x Bant Panorama
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Command Tower
1x Dimir Aqueduct
1x Dismal Backwater
1x Esper Panorama
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Grixis Panorama
1x Izzet Boilerworks
1x Opal Palace
1x Rupture Spire
1x Simic Growth Chamber
4x Snow-Covered Forest
8x Snow-Covered Island
1x Snow-Covered Mountain
1x Snow-Covered Plains
2x Snow-Covered Swamp
1x Swiftwater Cliffs
1x Terramorphic Expanse
1x Thornwood Falls
1x Tranquil Cove
1x Transguild Promenade
Welcome to the club. Teachings is a dying breed for sure, so I appreciate your enthusiasm for the archetype as I feel it's the best control option hardly anyone is playing. I just happen to be one of the few left holding up the fort.
This is the best deck to utilize Accumulated Knowledge. You teach for them and you draw lots of cards; it's like a slow version of intuition for AK which is pretty awesome. I was in the TT or AK boat for a long time until I figured out that I just wanted both near the end of Treasure Cruise's reign.
12 counters isn't "too many", but I personally like to stay in the 9-11 range. Stormbound geist isn't a bad card against delver in fact; it's very good there. My biggest issue with your list is how many expensive cards you have in it and how few lands you have(Capsize and Mulldrifters with 18 lands is a pretty far reach). I don't think Angler is a very good finisher without some sort of recursion like Grim Harvest. Mulldrifters are also very clunky and I've moved all the way down to 1 in my build. there's just better ways to create card advantage for the most part in this deck.
Yes, run Grim Harvest. I can't say for certain Brainstorm and 5 fetches is wrong, but I play 6.
1. Yes, although I'd typically not advise teaching for the first ak. So teach for teach should be the line if you don't have ak already started. Teaching for bs is a rare occasion, but useful if you have what you need mostly but need to dig for something like a creature or post board with erasure so that you can mill more.
2. There are 2 scenarios I'm talking about when I say teach for your next play.
- teach for something that makes your opponents next (potential) best play seem worse (this buys turns) example teaching for an exclude on an empty board against a creature deck.
- teach for something that makes your next play better. Example being teaching for a counter
so that you can play something with protection.
3. Grim Harvest is fairly simple. Unless you're otherwise going to die you should never let your harvest exile. It is worth mentioning that if push comes to shove and you have to lose harvest in order to stabilize then be sure to do it ,but just make sure you can still win.
For the record I don't know a good guide to play teachings tailored for pauper, but it is something I've been working on publishing for the near future. General rules of thumb are just try to not tapout, take damage before using instant speed removal if you're also holding permission ninjas are the only exception, teach for your next play in non-permission matchup, teach for teach in permission matchup, always flashback teach for teach to keep the chain going, if you need to brainstorm for lands do it mainphase after a draw step not eot unless you havve 2.
Hopefully that's a good enough jumping point since I don't know your background. If not I'll be sure to add more if you have more specific questions. I should get back to playing this weekend( I've been on vacation),and I'll be trying to get teachings back in the meta.
Goodluck!
Delver will never be an "easy" matchup. Even with all the 1 mana removal it can be tough because all that removal falls right into SSS. Best thing to do is wait as much as you can so that you can cast multiple spells to force through any permission/ tricks they may have. the matchup takes some practice, but always try to bait their ninja, and if you can help it save your spot removal for ninja, delver, and golem. SSS and CoF can be swept with Wail of the Nim or rats on 1.
I made a small tweak to the maindeck, and the sideboard.
- Faerie Trickery
- Impulse
+ Prohibit
+ Deep Analysis
big reasons are the PRE metagame is starting to look like the "real" metagame, and very heavy on MBC and Delver. Prohibit is a better counter than trickery for delver, and Deep Analysis is a better card for MBC than impulse, and just good overall. Trickery also becomes less useful as less graveyard decks are around which I had originally had it in there for.
Sideboard changes are just having Capsize in place of Augur of Skulls. after more testing I didn't really like the loop because against the matchups where you would want it they would otherwise have a dead card in their hand(removal), and capsize helps against opposing Curses, and other random permanents like journey, etc.
2 Crypt Rats
1 Mulldrifter
1 Twisted Abomination
// Spells
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Brainstorm
4 Counterspell
4 Exclude
4 Innocent Blood
3 Mystical Teachings
2 Disfigure
2 Ghastly Demise
2 Prohibit
1 Crypt Incursion
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Grim Harvest
1 Deep Analysis
1 Prohibit
1 Wail of the Nim
8 Island
4 Dimir Guildgate
4 Swamp
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Evolving Wilds
3 Brindle Boar
2 Hydroblast
2 Diabolic Edict
2 Curse of the Bloody Tome
1 Capsize
1 Negate
1 Forest
1 Dispel
1 Coffin Purge
1 Agony Warp
Pretty much what INS said. You have to remember that Crypt Incursion into Crypt Rats is a real win condition with Grim Harvest if for some reason Twisted Abomination doesn't work out or is going to be too slow(MBC).
Awesome I'm glad the deck is putting up numbers for others as well! Adding more creatures to the deck doesn't seem exciting to me personally, but I would like to hear your rationale.
I used to think the same way you can see some of my old decklists when I was testing skred and friends in a grixis shell. Needless to say I wasn't very pleased, and almost everything you want the red in there for you can do comparably to black, so there's not much need to make the mana worse by adding a 3rd color.
Thank you! I don't think 22 lands is "too light" as much as I would say it has it's pros and cons. I mostly moved to lower land count due to brainstorms, but also because the deck operates fairly well one 1-2 mana, and can handle getting stuck on a land drop for a couple turns usually. Plus, Twisted Abomination is often a land early so in theory you have 23 lands, and with 4 brainstorm you up that to about 25.
The biggest hurdle you will have to overcome when playing the deck is getting comfortable with the hands, because your biggest fear is going to be the hand that has: fetch, BS, and 5 other spells in the 2 and 3 cmc range. on the draw I say sure you can probably keep it if the interactions are there if you make your second drop, but DO NOT keep on the play. These hands are high risk high reward, and is worth the risk usually if you're an extra card deep.
As an aside the only thing I changed from last week's list was going down to 6 fetches from 8, and adding 2 island. I'm considering making an island a Seat of the Synod just as Wrench Mind tech and could possibly make the opponent board in dead cards if they see it.