Played two games, reminded why this deck isn't competitive anymore. That said, I did beat BUG in three.
If anyone has an updated list that they've been having success with, would love to see it for a future stream.
-T
After the most recent downtime, I was working on the BOTG updates for my bots. While digging through the beta, I noticed some new promotional cards had been added. Image of the Promos
Important to note: Geist of Saint Traft, Lion's Eye Diamond
I don't know if/when these cards will be released online.
This is the list that I run. I replaced Standstill with Augury Owl for a few reasons which seem to come down to a matter of philosophy-
1. Augury Owl is another flyer in a deck that wants a lot of them on the field. Whereas normally I would have a field with Pest, CoF, and Standstill on T2 with 3 more cards on the way, I'm now able to set up Pest, CoF, and Owl which is going to be swinging consistently with a clock of 4 unblocked T3. It also makes us less susceptible to removal just by having more things to remove.
2. Because of the increased clock, opponents are quick to waste removal early in the game when it will cost them. On T3, your opponent has 3 lands. RUG can either play Bolt first then Goyf, or Goyf first then Bolt. Either way, he taps out and you get a lot of value out of your daze. And the Owl should have been able to ensure that another Pest or Jitte or Shinobi is on the way to keep the pressure on.
3. Augury Owl can be recurred. Whereas Standstill pops once, you can play Owl over and over to dig almost 6 cards deep into your deck. Getting crucial Jittes has never been easier. Plus, using him with Deep Hours creates a pseudo-top effect.
4. Having 4 more creatures all but guarantees a good opening hand. I hate drawing 2 daze, 1 FoW, 1 Standstill, 2 Island, 1 Deep Hours. I also hate getting hands like this when I'm mulliganning down to 5 with 1 Daze, 2 Island, 1 Standstill, 1 Deep Hours. In both cases, if Standstill was Augury Owl, I would be able to play. This is a deck that needs to have a plan T1. You're taking a huge gamble by relying on your Standstill to go get the kinds of cards that should have been in your opening hand to begin with.
5. Standstill is conditional whereas Augury Owl is an any-time spell. Owl doesn't care if you have board position yet. Standstill is irrelevant against Merfolk and DnT which are going to Vial in threats anyway. And against other fair decks, you need Shinobi usually to set up board position because our guys usually aren't swinging for much until T3 which is too late a lot of the time.
I cannot honestly believe you aren't trolling with this idea. Standstill is a major component of the deck, removing it just makes this deck worse in every way I can imagine.
Please read the opening post if you are looking for 2-mana 1/1s to improve this deck. I mention Thalakos Seer which:
1: Shadow is better than flying in the format
2: Same increased clock, except it draws a card if removed for any reason (including exile)
3: Can also be recurred, which draws a card while ninjutsu-ed.
4: Is a creature
5: Anytime spell
The only downside I can see is that it costs UU to cast.
edit:
-The reason I run Drake and not Faerie Impostor is just because it can be played turn 1. This deck pretty much has to play an enabler T1, and I can't stress enough how much it sucks to mulligan past 6.
Perhaps you are reading the card incorrectly? If there is no other creature to return, you have to return the drake itself. Faerie Impostor is strictly better in the context of this deck (2 power, relevant creature type).
MTG isn't a total information game, but there are decks that don't care very much what the opponent is doing which is nearly the same thing, so I don't think developing a bot that can play such a deck at a high level is unrealistic.
I wrote a program to goldfish Goblin Charbelcher. Wasn't as difficult as I had expected. Wouldn't be that hard to do the same for any non-interactive deck. Getting that sort of program to work with Magic Online would be the difficult part.
Though, as a bot programmer myself, it would be possible.
Only two match losses the entire night (in tournament practice). One was due to a bad manabase (fixed) and one was against affinity (couldn't race).
Feeling like this list is getting much tighter.
Opening decklist has been updated, will work on matchups and writeup more in the coming days.
-T
After testing the deck out for a couple of games, it feels like it has severe consistency issues and no real way of interacting with other decks. A single clique or resto with a bit of counters or removal can easily outrace the deck and there are no reliable maindeck answers to inkmoth nexus, twin, pod, or boggle. There are no real turn 1 plays and the only turn two plays are heartless summoning (which is great but you don't always draw it) and chalice of the void (which is pretty useless against a ton of decks). I really feel like the deck desperately wants either executioner's capsules or dismembers to interact with dangerous creatures before they get out of hand, as well as serum visions or sleight of hands for improved reliability and efficiency. Sorry if this comes off as abrasive, I think the deck has the potential to be pretty strong, but right now it's in desperate need of tuning.
A agree completely, hence why I want to get some further feedback on it. Executioner's Capsule is a really interesting suggestion. I have wondered if Chalice of the Void was really worth it in cutting off one drops. For a while I was running Halimar Depths to help with fixing, but the inclusion of Misvein Borderpost had me cut them. Dismember is also a really good idea, I think the first one I'm going to start testing.
Mistvein Borderpost is free, in the sense that it replaces your land drop. When we often want to do a T2 Heartless -> T3 Master, we need to have another artifact in play on T1/T2. Borderpost acts as another artifact land in this situation.
This isn't a problem for a deck that has no turn one plays and only eight turn two plays (Chalice + Heartless).
Dimir Signet (or Talisman of Dominance) take up your turn two entirely. I have tested them, and found the Borderpost better, but it wasn't entirely conclusive.
I put a sample game in the opening post where I have to deal with Mana Leak.
I am trying to avoid including cards that are only good with Heartless Summoning (Mulldrifter) as you don't always get it, and it doesn't always stay in play.
This deck includes quite a bit of interaction (Chalice + Lodestone) with the opponent, but does tend towards goldfishing.
Incorrect, you can respond to the sacrifice trigger by tapping it.
Wurmcoil Engine is definitely a beast. I'm thinking of going up to 4 between main and side. Springleaf Drum is a 1-drop (interferes with Chalice) and we have nothing to power it out with. Mistvein Borderpost is surprisingly good. It helps fix our mana and acts as a two-color artifact land.
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas is a card I want to test. The downside is that none of our acceleration can help get him out faster, his -1 doesn't really make anything bigger (I guess he can animate a Borderpost / Citadel?), and his ultimate isn't nearly as good as Affinities. I would try him in Lodestone's slot.
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Barely missed day 2.
This was confirmed by MLBot's owner on their blog.
I would recommend TheCardNexus + MTGOTraders
I was finally able to get all the cards together for this deck. I
'll bewas streaming it for a while.http://www.twitch.tv/dissolution_of_eternity
Played two games, reminded why this deck isn't competitive anymore. That said, I did beat BUG in three.
If anyone has an updated list that they've been having success with, would love to see it for a future stream.
-T
Image of the Promos
Important to note: Geist of Saint Traft, Lion's Eye Diamond
I don't know if/when these cards will be released online.
I cannot honestly believe you aren't trolling with this idea. Standstill is a major component of the deck, removing it just makes this deck worse in every way I can imagine.
Please read the opening post if you are looking for 2-mana 1/1s to improve this deck. I mention Thalakos Seer which:
1: Shadow is better than flying in the format
2: Same increased clock, except it draws a card if removed for any reason (including exile)
3: Can also be recurred, which draws a card while ninjutsu-ed.
4: Is a creature
5: Anytime spell
The only downside I can see is that it costs UU to cast.
Perhaps you are reading the card incorrectly? If there is no other creature to return, you have to return the drake itself. Faerie Impostor is strictly better in the context of this deck (2 power, relevant creature type).
I wrote a program to goldfish Goblin Charbelcher. Wasn't as difficult as I had expected. Wouldn't be that hard to do the same for any non-interactive deck. Getting that sort of program to work with Magic Online would be the difficult part.
Though, as a bot programmer myself, it would be possible.
for an hour!the second time.http://www.twitch.tv/dissolution_of_eternity
Only two match losses the entire night (in tournament practice). One was due to a bad manabase (fixed) and one was against affinity (couldn't race).
Feeling like this list is getting much tighter.
Opening decklist has been updated, will work on matchups and writeup more in the coming days.
-T
He was at about 75% match wins in Tournament Practice when he stopped.
iswas streaming this deck again!http://www.twitch.tv/epicgametimestream
He posts the current (and older) decklists on his Facebook, linked from the stream.
Come and suggest changes!
Thanks everyone who came to watch. He's been evolving the deck for a while now.
just startedwas streaming this deck!http://www.twitch.tv/epicgametimestream
Thanks everyone that came to watch!
A agree completely, hence why I want to get some further feedback on it.
Executioner's Capsule is a really interesting suggestion. I have wondered if Chalice of the Void was really worth it in cutting off one drops. For a while I was running Halimar Depths to help with fixing, but the inclusion of Misvein Borderpost had me cut them.
Dismember is also a really good idea, I think the first one I'm going to start testing.
This isn't a problem for a deck that has no turn one plays and only eight turn two plays (Chalice + Heartless).
Dimir Signet (or Talisman of Dominance) take up your turn two entirely. I have tested them, and found the Borderpost better, but it wasn't entirely conclusive.
I am trying to avoid including cards that are only good with Heartless Summoning (Mulldrifter) as you don't always get it, and it doesn't always stay in play.
This deck includes quite a bit of interaction (Chalice + Lodestone) with the opponent, but does tend towards goldfishing.
Incorrect, you can respond to the sacrifice trigger by tapping it.
Wurmcoil Engine is definitely a beast. I'm thinking of going up to 4 between main and side.
Springleaf Drum is a 1-drop (interferes with Chalice) and we have nothing to power it out with.
Mistvein Borderpost is surprisingly good. It helps fix our mana and acts as a two-color artifact land.
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas is a card I want to test. The downside is that none of our acceleration can help get him out faster, his -1 doesn't really make anything bigger (I guess he can animate a Borderpost / Citadel?), and his ultimate isn't nearly as good as Affinities. I would try him in Lodestone's slot.