Bitter Ordeal? It's good with the sort of creatures you're using (in a pinch you can have festering goblins die in chain). Double Flagstone bombing gets you two more cards out of their deck and you can do that. Bitter ordeal also builds on Hide/Seek, or rather it builds on Seek. Also, you loose 3 life as opposed to 4 when Dark Confident hits a Bitter Ordeal.
19 land is too few, and Talisman of Dominance is terrible in mono blue. I'd up the land count (my illusion deck runs 26), but I'm shooting from the hip. You might want to get Magic Workstation if you don't have it, they have tools to help you get your land count. I don't know how new you are to deck building, so let me say you might want read up on the mana curve.
You can play its ability in response to the Wild Pair trigger, making it a 0/4.
That might lead to mana burn. I don't think Wall of Roots has a home here. There is a lot to say about 2/3's, 3/2's, and 4/1's in RG, and Kird Ape and Wall of Roots are stars in that deck, but that's an other discussion entirely. I don't want to start a THIRD thread about Wild Pair, so I won't elaborate any further.
How about Zoetic Cavern? If there were any 1/1 blue or green morphs worth noting that would be tech, as you can find whichever class of creature you want with it, but I'm thinking that there isn't one around, did I forget one?
This is a fun deck in theory, but in practice it just looses. Without adding Mistform Ultimus, how could I improve this deck? By the way, Spirit of the Night is not a nightstalker for some reason, and it'd be pretty cool if it was (I'd pack 4 breath stealers for certain). Anyway, I'd like to hear people's thoughts.
I've only been messing around with this build for the last however many minutes, but I like it so far. I like blocking with Ashcoats or Scrybs and playing an other to return them to hand. I simply LOVE Coiling Oracle with the curio. It's counter potential isn't immediate, but can get to a lock. My problem is that it's bounce potential is questionable. I just don't love Mark of Eviction. Mystic Speculation isn't growing on me either, Sage of Epityr maybe?
If Wild pair is out, and you play either Sage of Epityr or Coiling Oracle finding the other, how does the timing work out with respect to coming into play abilities?
If it is a wild pair deck and the main card is a 2/2 run more 2/2. p.s. avalanche rider is good, and cloudstone curiois insane with wildpair if you can get out the combo, also run 2/2 with flash like ashcoat bear and maybe even mystic snake.
I forgot about Ashcoat bear, nice to find the forementioned Mystic Snake. This lends itself to a different discussion, to add blue. Benefits include Mystic Snake, and now that I look at it, Scryb Ranger fetches Draining Whelk. Balancing the colors might be tricky. Silhana Starfletcher maybe? I'd have to cut Magus of the Moon and adjust the lands, but that might just work.
Cloudstone Curio and Mystic Snake is rude, I'm surprised I missed it all this time. What you speak of can be a great deck unto itself, but I see Grinning Ignus being a 5th wheel there.
Edit- I created a new thread for the Cloudstone Curio and Mystic Snake having version of this deck. I can't believe I've been overlooking the curio for so long. To think, Coiling Oracle. But for this deck I want to stay 2 colors because otherwise it's hard to use the Ignus once you get going.
Good find. I love the deck. My only suggestion is Radha, Heir to Keld, it's a 2/2 that can be fetched with Ignus and also accelerates into an early Wild Pair.
Good point. I'll make the adjustment. I'm also thinking of ditching all of the 1/1's, Allosaurus Rider and all. Dryad Arbor could be the RG storage land, Llanowar Elves can become Search for Tomorrow, Utopia Sprawl? Radha replacing Magus of the Moon. Any suggestions for a better red 1 drop than Karplusan Wolverine?
What follows is an Undying Flames deck. The lowest CVM is 6, the highest 10. Undying Flames is the only card in the deck that cannot be played before turn 6, every other card save one can be played before turn 6. Obviously conventional discussion of Mana curve break down here.
This deck doesn't need to be competitive, I didn't even bother with a sideboard. I'm most unsure about Oxidda Golem, I keep wondering if switching from all basics to some storage lands would speed it up. My only sticking point is that no spell with CVM less than 5 can be included, nor any uncastable spell like Autochthon Wurm.
What about Ixidron? It's not only a combo with your Graft dudes but Hail Storm to boot. The only downside I see is that it might blow the purpose for Cytoshape, but it's a trade off.
I know I'd be more than a little annoyed if I went all-out attacked and the guy setting across from me played Chord of Calling for Ixidron then Hail Stormed.
Edit- It's also kind of funny to Repeal a face-down creature for one mana.
What follows is an early attempt at a deck to based on Wild Pair and Grinning Ignus. I feel it has potential but I can't quite get the deck to something I'm happy with.
This is the deck's desired 4 turn goal, optimally.
Turn 1: Forest, Llanowar Elves.
Turn 2: Mountain, Grinning Ignus.
Turn 3: Land, (Use Ignus's ability), Wild Pair.
Turn 4: Replay Ignus as many times as humanly possible.
About the deck. I only use Dryad Arbor because it fetching Allosaurus Rider is pretty cool. Karplusan Wolverine is only in there because of how Wild Pair hates Kird Ape. When things go well a swarm of Avalanche Riders hurt, but I suspect they can go. Magus of the Moon is just because I'm personally sick of Tron right now.
Why bother? With Cloudstone Curio, Ashcoat Bear does the same thing. That's the beauty of the Curio here.
I'm partial to Gossamer Phantasm, Chronozoa, and Adarkar Windform. Since you're using the warchief cards like Draining Whelk become playable. Veiled Sentry and Veiled Apparition are good low costers, senty being in effect the only 1 cost illusion.
19 land is too few, and Talisman of Dominance is terrible in mono blue. I'd up the land count (my illusion deck runs 26), but I'm shooting from the hip. You might want to get Magic Workstation if you don't have it, they have tools to help you get your land count. I don't know how new you are to deck building, so let me say you might want read up on the mana curve.
http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Mana_curve
That might lead to mana burn. I don't think Wall of Roots has a home here. There is a lot to say about 2/3's, 3/2's, and 4/1's in RG, and Kird Ape and Wall of Roots are stars in that deck, but that's an other discussion entirely. I don't want to start a THIRD thread about Wild Pair, so I won't elaborate any further.
How about Zoetic Cavern? If there were any 1/1 blue or green morphs worth noting that would be tech, as you can find whichever class of creature you want with it, but I'm thinking that there isn't one around, did I forget one?
4 Barren Moor
4 Lantern-lit Graveyard
1 Phyrexian Tower
4 Sulfur Vent
1 Urborg
4 Waterveil Cavern
4 Feral Shadow
4 Lurking Nightstalker
4 Predatory Nightstalker
4 Raiding Nightstalker
4 Shimian Night Stalker
4 Urborg Panther
4 Browbeat
4 Breakthrough
2 Cover of Darkness
4 Dark Ritual
2 Nevinyrral's Disk
2 Return of the Nightstalkers
I strongly recommend reading the oracle text of all of the Portal cards, especialy Predatory Nightstalker and Return of the Nightstalkers.
This is a fun deck in theory, but in practice it just looses. Without adding Mistform Ultimus, how could I improve this deck? By the way, Spirit of the Night is not a nightstalker for some reason, and it'd be pretty cool if it was (I'd pack 4 breath stealers for certain). Anyway, I'd like to hear people's thoughts.
If Wild pair is out, and you play either Sage of Epityr or Coiling Oracle finding the other, how does the timing work out with respect to coming into play abilities?
This got me thinking, UG controll with Wild Pair? Take a look. It's rough, but I think it might go places. Suggestions?
4 Ashcoat Bear
4 Coiling Oracle
2 Draining Whelk
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Mystic Snake
2 Scryb Ranger
4 Cloudstone Curio
2 Mark of Eviction
2 Gaea's Blessing
4 Mystic Speculation
4 Wild Pair
4 Breeding Pool
10 Forest
10 Island
I forgot about Ashcoat bear, nice to find the forementioned Mystic Snake. This lends itself to a different discussion, to add blue. Benefits include Mystic Snake, and now that I look at it, Scryb Ranger fetches Draining Whelk. Balancing the colors might be tricky. Silhana Starfletcher maybe? I'd have to cut Magus of the Moon and adjust the lands, but that might just work.
Cloudstone Curio and Mystic Snake is rude, I'm surprised I missed it all this time. What you speak of can be a great deck unto itself, but I see Grinning Ignus being a 5th wheel there.
Edit- I created a new thread for the Cloudstone Curio and Mystic Snake having version of this deck. I can't believe I've been overlooking the curio for so long. To think, Coiling Oracle. But for this deck I want to stay 2 colors because otherwise it's hard to use the Ignus once you get going.
Good point. I'll make the adjustment. I'm also thinking of ditching all of the 1/1's, Allosaurus Rider and all. Dryad Arbor could be the RG storage land, Llanowar Elves can become Search for Tomorrow, Utopia Sprawl? Radha replacing Magus of the Moon. Any suggestions for a better red 1 drop than Karplusan Wolverine?
2 Akroma, Angel of Fury
4 Chartooth Cougar
4 Greater Gargadon
2 Furnace Dragon
4 Oxidda Golem
4 Rockshard Elemental
4 Undying Flames
2 Rough/Tumble
4 Slice and Dice
2 Decree of Annihilation
28 Mountain
I know I'd be more than a little annoyed if I went all-out attacked and the guy setting across from me played Chord of Calling for Ixidron then Hail Stormed.
Edit- It's also kind of funny to Repeal a face-down creature for one mana.
This is the deck's desired 4 turn goal, optimally.
Turn 1: Forest, Llanowar Elves.
Turn 2: Mountain, Grinning Ignus.
Turn 3: Land, (Use Ignus's ability), Wild Pair.
Turn 4: Replay Ignus as many times as humanly possible.
Here's what I have right now.
10 Mountain
4 Dryad Arbor
4 Allosaurus Rider
4 Avalanche Riders
4 Karplusan Wolverine
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Grinning Ignus
4 Llanowar Empath
2 Magus of the Moon
2 Gaea's Blessing
2 Loxodon Warhammer
4 Wild Pair
About the deck. I only use Dryad Arbor because it fetching Allosaurus Rider is pretty cool. Karplusan Wolverine is only in there because of how Wild Pair hates Kird Ape. When things go well a swarm of Avalanche Riders hurt, but I suspect they can go. Magus of the Moon is just because I'm personally sick of Tron right now.