1R
Instant
Until the end of the turn, if an opponent would have a land that isn't his first land drop in a turn enter the battlefield, exile it instead.
Draw a card.
So a cycling, cheaper, instant stone rain in any format that plays fetches?
If Shadow of Doubt is ok I can't imagine this being that much better - mana cost might be a bit flexible but RR or XR would definitely make this ok.
He can choose to tap the mana before the trigger begins resolving, which it does after you choose whether to use the ability or not. After the trigger begins resolving (after you answer) he no longer has a window to tap it for mana. This is a technical limitation on modo where you'll untap it if they tap mana while the trigger is on the stack and then you answer yes to using pestermite's ability.
I don't think you understand - Sarkhan still dies to downfall if it is downfalled in response to you activating his plus ability. The ability does not resolve until after downfall has resolved so Sarkhan will still die.
Stormbreath also dies to downfall - but does not die to Utter End/Abzan charm, cannot be targeted by dromoka's command, while Sarkhan can.
This is my list right now - primarily based on Efro's list but I'm trying out mentor and soulfire. Both seems good and I'm always happy to drop a soulfire turn 2 into ascendancy, giving my raise the alarms/fodder more value to trigger ascendancy, and it's usually pretty relevant against red decks. I'm still pretty concerned about my control match up despite 3 main counterspells - any suggestions to improve that matchup? Or am I overhedging for it? I really want to fit a gods willing or 2 in there, but it might not be worthwhile without more mentors/grandmasters. I've also really like rabblemaster (sometimes it just wins game) and outburst (value citY), but I felt that theres no card I could cut for them, any thoughts from you guys?
Not in the way you described, as that is collusion. You may offer to concede but you are not allowed to ask for something in return. In most cases, you should ask the judge to assist, but it's a really grey area. Typically you would agree to prize split, with one person getting the byes/qualification and the other getting the pack. Once this has been agreed, then you may concede. Do not link the offers together if you want to avoid disqualification.
I think spreading seas is in a great position now that delver is weak and less viable, like it was before. Spreading seas hurt every single tier 1/1.5 deck including those that run blue (esper/uwr control - wincons are lands). I think i'll be going back to the spreading sea tempo version to see how it goes.
Spreading seas isn't well positioned in a world where UR Delver is a significant part of the meta. It was great back in those days because pod, and jund, which have no use for blue, ran the top tables, and it also shuts down uwr (no more colonnade), zoo, tron and other tier 1.5-2 decks as well. It still reasonable hurt storm (it needs a lot more red than blue) and delver was rare.
Lavamancer is not well positioned because you'd rather cast dig through time than free shocks. While great against delvers, it doesn't match up well against swiftspears, or pyros (yes it kills pyro, but their plan typically go wild and it's difficult to take out all the tokens if you aren't able to kill the pyro right away)
Peek is just not a great card - in today's creature heavy world you need more removal
The rest of the deck is very similiar to what we run these days.
what do you think about Valorous Stance in a URw build?? ... i was thinking about a little W splash just fort this, village bell-ringer and wear/tear SB (so many choke around )
G1 was pretty easy as my opponent got way behind on lands. Think he was on three lands after five/six turns. Was easy to get an Exarch/Twin online. G2 was all answers from my opponent. He resolved a Sphinx's Revelation and I fell behind on cards. Got beat down slowly. G3 my opponent went for some pretty greedy fetches. All non-basics. We get to a point where I have five lands to his four. I float a blue mana from a Hallowed Fountain. I feel good about this. I cast Blood Moon, he responds with Mana Leak, and I Spell Snare it with the floating blue. I have another untapped Island, have Dispel in hand, but that's all he has. Blood Moon resolves, he has four Mountains, and I get another Exarch/Twin online. Start 1-0. Afterwards my opponent says he should've fetched for basics and I agree.
Match 2 - Mono-Red Burn
This isn't really much of a match. I get rocked G1. Talking double Taylor Swiftspear and I don't have a Lightning Bolt in sight. Bring in sweepers, Engineered Explosives, Anger of the Gods. See none of them. I didn't stand a chance. 1-1
G1 I get lucky, as he doesn't seem to draw any Tarmogoyfs. I'm able to keep him off Deceiver Exarch with Flame Slash and Snapcaster/Slash. I'm able to dig and I get ahead on cards, and I take away a Splinter Twin with my Vendilion Clique, leaving him with a Spell Snare. It's not enough to stop me from getting Twin online. G2 is a beating. I have a DepriveRemanded, which put me incredibly behind. I later Snap/Deprive, putting me even further behind, as he drops Tarmogoyf/Huntmaster of the Fells beats upon my tearful face. G3 is a disaster. Like my first opponent, he plays into Blood Moon. Get to a stage in the game where he's tapped out for a Thrun, the Last Troll, and I resolve Blood Moon. He has five Mountains. I cast three Deceiver Exarch and a Snapcaster Mage over a few turns to chump Thrun as I look for Splinter Twin. Dig Through Time into nothing. Cryptic for the tap all creatures + draw. Nothing. Play a Keranos, God of Storms, hoping for a few free draws. Nothing. I can't find Twin and lose to Thrun beats and a few top-decked Lightning Bolt. Opponent again remarks how he should've fetched for basics, but he thought I was on UWR because he saw I had a Hallowed Fountain out earlier. Frustrated, I decided to drop. End up 1-2.
Feel like I got robbed on that last game. Makes me consider bumping Splinter Twin to the full four, but I think that with Dig Through Time, three should suffice. But maybe I'm thoroughly wrong.
Deprive was something I wanted to try out. It ended up going pretty poorly. Could see this being a second Pestermite or Izzet Charm. A single Mana Leak might be decent as well, as I'd like to have another decent counter.
Regarding the list itself, I'd appreciate any criticism. Always looking to tweak/tighten things up. Also wondering if I should drop a Negate for a Flashfreeze in the sideboard. I keep on running into so many Tarmogoyf.
Should play 4 twin and 4 dig on straight UR twin in my opinion, while it's not always plan A, your plan B is a lot weaker than RUG twin so you need the redundancy. It's not as if you are short on good cards to side in if you need to take out the combo. Cut the deprive for a 4th remand. Flame Slash/Forked bolt you can probably cut one of, depending on which is more useful in your meta. Flashfreeze is not a good card for us, we are not really a control deck, UR twin is a deck about tempo and value, if you are able to remand a goyf, and they dare leave only one mana up then you threaten to combo off. Goyf is always going to be a big problem for UR twin but there's a reason why it's a $200 card. You might consider throwing in a path in the side for problematic creatures like goyfs and linvala where damage based removal is not very good.
If Shadow of Doubt is ok I can't imagine this being that much better - mana cost might be a bit flexible but RR or XR would definitely make this ok.
Stormbreath also dies to downfall - but does not die to Utter End/Abzan charm, cannot be targeted by dromoka's command, while Sarkhan can.
3 Temple of Triumph
3 Temple of Epiphany
4 Mystic Monastery
4 Flooded Strand
3 Shivan Reef
3 Battlefield Forge
2 Island
2 Plains
Creatures (5)
3 Seeker of the Way
1 Soulfire Grand Master
1 Monestary Mentor
2 Dragon Fodder
4 Treasure Cruise
4 Raise the Alarm
2 Secure the Wastes
4 Wild Slash
2 Anticipate
4 Stoke the Flames
2 Valorous Stance
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Negate
4 Jeskai Ascendancy
2 Disdainful Stroke
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Narset Transcendent
1 Glare of Heresy
3 Dragonlord Ojutai
1 Temple of Enlightenment
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 End Hostilities
1 Negate
This is my list right now - primarily based on Efro's list but I'm trying out mentor and soulfire. Both seems good and I'm always happy to drop a soulfire turn 2 into ascendancy, giving my raise the alarms/fodder more value to trigger ascendancy, and it's usually pretty relevant against red decks. I'm still pretty concerned about my control match up despite 3 main counterspells - any suggestions to improve that matchup? Or am I overhedging for it? I really want to fit a gods willing or 2 in there, but it might not be worthwhile without more mentors/grandmasters. I've also really like rabblemaster (sometimes it just wins game) and outburst (value citY), but I felt that theres no card I could cut for them, any thoughts from you guys?
And yes, it's too late to attack with the creature you take with harness by force at that point.
Lavamancer is not well positioned because you'd rather cast dig through time than free shocks. While great against delvers, it doesn't match up well against swiftspears, or pyros (yes it kills pyro, but their plan typically go wild and it's difficult to take out all the tokens if you aren't able to kill the pyro right away)
Peek is just not a great card - in today's creature heavy world you need more removal
The rest of the deck is very similiar to what we run these days.
Pretty sure this guy is looking to buy this collection, not claim that it is his collection.
Still very good run, hope he comes and discuss with us his deck
Should play 4 twin and 4 dig on straight UR twin in my opinion, while it's not always plan A, your plan B is a lot weaker than RUG twin so you need the redundancy. It's not as if you are short on good cards to side in if you need to take out the combo. Cut the deprive for a 4th remand. Flame Slash/Forked bolt you can probably cut one of, depending on which is more useful in your meta. Flashfreeze is not a good card for us, we are not really a control deck, UR twin is a deck about tempo and value, if you are able to remand a goyf, and they dare leave only one mana up then you threaten to combo off. Goyf is always going to be a big problem for UR twin but there's a reason why it's a $200 card. You might consider throwing in a path in the side for problematic creatures like goyfs and linvala where damage based removal is not very good.