Thoughts on the Bridge from Below ban? I'd like to start playing again and have all but scalding tarns on the way to update the list. Do we go back to the toolbox with the potential return of a healthier meta? The current deck lists look super fun just not very reactive which really concerns me again the control matchup. Honestly control really kills the game for me. I understand it's necessity. I just hate it with a passion. I'm stubborn like that. Does it go back to being not as good? What you all think? Maindeck Tez fo life!
Wait what?! Archived? What does that mean?!
The Urza Sword lists that have been putting up results are quite good against UW Control as is. Thopter Foundry is pretty good against them. Engineer is really good against them as long as you don't get RiP'd, which they'll likely be playing less of. Urza is great against them, Sai is great against them. We have so many more threats now that it can be difficult for UW Control to answer them all. Overall I've been finding UW Control even before the Bridge ban to be a favourable matchup. Now if anything we can probably make it better since we can ditch the 4 Leylines in the board for a probably just a couple graveyard hate pieces, which opens a couple extra slots for other things. Teferi could be an option, thoughtseize is good against them, stuff like that.
To be honest, I think the heavily toolbox days are gone, it's generally just not needed and it's all about the combo
Also pretty rough, but I've had some pretty cool games with it. It does present a couple more threat options.
Narset + Puzzle Box is mostly a lock, they do get a chance to cast instants before they lose their hand. Teferi solidifies the lock into a hard lock, as well as hampers control. The bounce can deal with some hate cards a bit. This lock also works with Stony Silence in play
Karn + Lattice is of course a lock as well. I have had some issues with Karn and getting to 6 mana for the Lattice. So sometimes my first Karn I just get some extra hate piece out of the board like a spellskite, torpor orb, spellskite, defense grid etc. Stony Silence does sorta shut this lock off. I mean you can play Karn into a stony, but then we're both locked out, and depending on the board state it could just come down to who has fewer cards in their library.
And of course Thopter Sword being a threat and an eventual wincon if someone doesn't scoop to a lock.
Memnarch is still a fun-of in the board for Karn to get once a lock is established. Part of that was my first variant of this deck was based on Whir Prison, so I didn't have thopter foundry as an actual wincon. I still have never used Memnarch, but I haven't had many chances too, so I want to keep it longer just cause, even though it's probably a bad idea.
Blast Zone + Crucible was sometimes REALLY REALLY good when I was playing the more whir prison version. I wish I could play crucible main, but I put it in the board for maybe Karn to get. Maybe I should just remove it since it only really works with Blast Zone, and I don't think I can fit in a tec edge/field of ruin as well.
The higher curve certainly has been a bit of an issue (the 2 mana rocks are to try and mitigate that a bit), especially since Narset doesn't really impact the board, and her -2 just adds MORE cards to hand. So sometimes I find I just don't activate her, sometimes I take nothing if there wasn't anything really important shown, but sometimes her -2 is really good. And she's soaked up a surprising amount of damage as well.
So anyway, another really rough take on a variant. The new WAR walkers do open up some interesting possibilities in modern overall, and could be an alternate path for us
@Systrill: Glad to hear the list performed well for you! I'll be very interested to hear how you like your variant card selections over time. Tell me where you want the Nihil Spellbomb so much? You and The Nobodys both seem very fond of them, so I worry that I'm missing something when I keep passing them over. I think vs. humans I like Grid > Tezzeret because of Gaddok Teeg, and the fact that Tez can be a really awkward draw early, where bridge actually helps you considerably.
I definitely realized after that humans game that due to Teeg, Grid would have been better. My thinking at the time was Knight of Autumn can blow up Grid, but not Tezz. I totally forgot about Teeg.
As for the spellbomb, it was mostly a case of I didn't want the full 4 Bridges, and I felt Spellbomb might be the most useful thing to have in the place of one of the bridges. I've always been quite happy with how 3 bridges felt in the deck. Given that graveyard strategies are so popular I think spellbomb is a good option, and you can cycle it while using it's ability which is nice. Though most graveyard decks are fairly decent matchups due to bridge, so I'm not really sure I care about the spellbomb. Pyrite Spellbomb could be an option. It has the same issue where most decks it's good against are already good matchups, but it can help cleanup things like Thalias, Meddling Mages, Teegs, Maelstrom Wanderers, Noble Heirarchs, etc. These all being cards that can still cause headaches for us.
I do like Academy Ruins over the 2nd Fair. I had double legendary lands, and I don't find myself activating Fair all that often. Likewise I don't activate Ruins all that often, but it's another one of those cards that when it's good, it's GOOD. Like they blow up a Foundry and you just pick it back up and replay it. Or more often then try to blow up something and you save it with Jar, then pick the Jar back up. Really kinda forces them into spots where they have to wait to have multiple answers in a turn, which sometimes just let's you draw your own redundant backups.
After a couple poor runs through leagues with my typical BUG list, I picked up @TolariaWest's maindeck spellskite list for another league. I made a couple small changes, -1 Fair -1 Bridge +1 Academy Ruins +1 Nihil Spellbomb main, and -1 Revoker +1 Battle at the Bridge side.
Ended up going 4-1.
Beat Bogles, Dredge, Storm, and Spirits. Then sadly losing the final round against Humans.
Spellskite main was obviously bonkers vs bogles, easiest match ever.
I lost Humans when they named Tezzeret with Meddling Mage, played Stony Silence and RIP, and finally a Teeg locked my out of any win conditions since I didn't bring in the Aether Grids. I didn't want to go all in on alt-wincons because humans often relies primarily on Knight of Autumn and often doesn't play the enchantments. Sadly teeg locked out my plan to eventually draw into Battle at the Bridge to kill Meddling Mage and play a tezz in the same turn.
In the end it's only one league so far, but I really liked the Faithless Lootings and spellskites. Spellskite buying some time blocking, and even providing defense against noble hierarch beatdown felt great. 4 skite + 4 Jars seemed like overkill, but in matchups like dredge where I was hiding behind bridge + cage for awhile, drawing more skites and jars just quickly meant I had more protection than they had hate.
I also really like Grid. I'd played it in the past, but haven't for a long time. I forgot just how strong of a card it is.
The lootings also felt quite good. I was convinced I'd like Serum Visions more, but there are lots of times I kinda don't like serum visions, when you're just trying to empty your hand for bridge, sometimes a cantrip can feel pretty bad. Lootings helping to also empty your hand for bridge was pretty great.
4 Pithing Needle did feel like a lot, but I also didn't hate it. It's one of those cards that when it's good it's GOOD.
I think the main thing I feel I might want is some other answer to Stony Silence, in a destroy effect. Something like Trophy, Wear/Tear, or Abrupt Decay, maybe. I could see maybe cutting like 1 Needle, 1 Jar for a couple of those effects. Maybe something like move the Battle at the Bridge to the main, cutting a pithing needle, and then cut a jar from the side for 2 Abrupt Decay. I think with 4 Opals and 4 Rainbow lands splashing green in the board is easy.
Anyway, just some of my thoughts, I think I'm going to keep playing with this list, I think I like it more than my previous BUG style list
IMO, the deck IS a thopersword combo/prison deck, and as soon as Whir of Invention was printed, the deck stopped revolving around Tezzeret and now revolves around Whir of Invention. As much as I love playing with Tezzeret, playing more than 2 just feels so bad right now. He's slow, if you don't have thoptersword or bridge out when you play him it's very easy for him to just die even if you make something into a 5/5. Sometimes a turn 3 or 4 tezz making 5/5s can steal games, but I find him cluttering up my hand and making bridge worse too often to play more than 1-2 copies. I still like him as another wincon and just a strong card, so I don't like going down to 0, but I do get why people do.
Chalice is something the deck can easily play and build around, though I'm not convinced it's worth it in the current metagame. Chalice on 1 is never really bad, but it's also too frequently not that great either, that I don't think it's worth losing out on the 1 drops we can play. Crucible and Chalice also do really want a more colourless heavy manabase, with Darksteel Citadels and Ghost Quarters. It does go into a more classic pre-Whir Tezzerator type build. Which is a viable route, but it pretty much means dropping Whir, and I think right now the value of Whir is just higher than the value of these other options. Probably even moreso now that people are adding extra basics to their decks because of Assassin's Trophy
I feel like Trophy both helps and hurts us. Good catchall answer to stony/rip/pithing needle/Leyline. Abrupt decay is really nice for being uncounterable against UW Control, but with the popularity of Leyline of the Void lately, you've especially needed at least one answer for that. Trophy could just replace all of those, cram 3-4 in the 75 and call it a day. Might well be worth squeezing 1 or 2 into the main. Answering everything from Tron lands, to Walkers, to Enchantments is huge.
That said it also is quite good against us, more maindeckable answers to bridge/foundry/tezz, etc. Though at least it being GB will limit how many decks can play it. I think it's an instant 2 of in our 75 minimum, probably more like 3-4
So I ran Nobody's list, with a few changes, through a couple Friendly leagues and did quite well. 4-1 the first, then a few more changes, then 5-0 the second.
League #1 - 4-1
I believe my changes were something like -1 Island, -1 Thoughtsieze, -1 Serum Visions, +1 Academy Ruins, +1 Tezzeret Agent of Bolas, +1 Bottled Cloister in the main, -1 Padeem +1 Tezz in the board.
Round 1 - Affinity - 2-0
Usually a pretty each matchup unless they explode out the gate. Game 2 they played a turn 1 Plating and luckily I top decked a Needle for it, both games I got a quick thopter sword combo out. Game 2 he played an Aether Grid which threatened to be a major pain, but luckily I could quickly needle it off a whir. He ancient grudge'd my needle on the grid, but I Ruins'd it back on top so he didn't get much value out of it. The turn he died he went to block with his big (thanks to steel overseer and master of etherium) Vault Skirge, then grudge my needle on plating and equip it. I abrupt decay'd the skirge in response and won
Round 2 - RUG Moon - 1-2
Rough match, countermagic + large threats in goyf were rough. Thopter sword was great when I got it assembled, but ultimately I couldn't get in a good position to resolve my spells through counterspells well, usually by eot Whir gets countered, untap cast bridge or something like that. Also made me realize with only 1 opal, it's nearly impossible to get a resolved blood moon off the table.
Round 3 - Weird Soul Sisters Springjack Shepherd Coat of Arms brew - 2-0
Interesting match, maindeck leyline of sanctity hurt my ability to win with Tezz. But game one I killed some Soul Sisters and made a ton of thopters to win. Game 2 he played double RiP, Stoney Silence, Leyline, and was up to 111 life at one point. I managed to wipe the board, get Tezz down, since leyline stopped tezz ult being an option I made a bunch of my thopters 5/5s until he settle the wreckage'd them and stony silenced me and pithing needle'd tezz. I ended up stonewalling him behind bridge + cloister, eventually drawing a snapcaster to abrupt decay the stony silence (I'd delt with the rest in peaces earlier), then making 10+ thopters a turn to beat down. got there with about 5 cards left in my deck.
Round 4 - Burn - 2-1
I think I got a turn 3 combo online in both wins, and lost once to just a really aggressive draw. Burn always feels close, it seems like you tend to stabilize with thopter sword at really low life, but untapping with thopter sword in play is just unbeatable for them. Brutality was great of course
Round 5 - Red Prison - 2-0
Game 1 he cast a turn 1 Goblin Rabblemaster, I got thopter sword online turn 3 and was able to deal with his rabblemasters with removal and make tokens to take over the game. Game 2 he got a turn 2 blood moon, but I had enough basics in hand to still get thopter sword online and it won the game handily. Interesting part was when he played an Ensnaring Bridge of his own, then a turn or 2 later Abrade'd it himself so he could play a Glorybringer. Worked for me as I was able to battle at the bridge the glorybring and get thopters rolling out
League #2 - 5-0
I believe changes here were -2 Serum Visions +1 Thoughtseize +1 Mox Opal in the main, -1 Surgical -2 Extirpate +3 Leyline of the Void in the board
Round 1 - UW Control - 2-0
Got a pretty early thopter sword online game 1, it's hard for them to answer usually, especially when you get a 2nd foundry in play so they can't cryptic bounce. Game 2 I think went similarly. Got to turn 1 IoK his Stony Silence, then get thopter sword online right away, apparently he drew rest in peace the turn he died, and was pretty salty about the whole thing in chat
Round 2 - Bridgevine - 2-1
First time playing against it, but I got turn 1 Spellbomb out and that felt good especially with bridge in hand, it really slowed him down for the bridge, bridge basically won the game. Game 2 I made a stupid error. My turn 1 IoK took Destructive Revelry, leaving him with Neonate, Vengevine, Bomat Courier and a land. So he was able to attack for 5 with vengevine and courier on his turn 2. I should have taken the neonate. I didn't get a bridge online before I died. Game 3 I had turn 1 Spellbomb again, he came out slowly, eventually I cast a Leyline as well. Made a small mistake one turn where he had ballista with 1 counter and a bomat courier out. I had 2 Battle at the Bridge in hand, but only 1 black, so I started by killing the ballista. I should have killed bomat. it would have meant a couple more damage from the ballista, but the next turn he attacked again with bomat, and then sac'd it to draw 2 cards off it. I still eventually managed a bridge which won the game
Round 3 - Living End - 2-1
Game 1 I made a stupid error. After he tried to Faerie Macabre something, then Faerie Macabre my sword, I sac'd something else to get it back. Then with 1 mana left at EoT I sac'd sword again for another token, cause of course he doesn't have a 3rd faerie macabre in hand, and of course he did. Game 2 he Slaughter Games'd my foundries. A spellbomb on turn 1 helped me out a lot, as did just casting a leyline later. Eventually I got Ashiok and Tezz out to win, after hiding behind bridges. Academy ruins definitely put in work returning Spellbomb/bridges to me. Game 3 I got to finally open with a leyline, got thopter sword online, he answered it, he slaughter games'd my foundries but missed the one in the yard. I ruins'd it back on top a couple turns later and he scooped. He'd been a little stuck on mana, and I had a tezz in play anyway, so I think even without the foundry I was in good shape unless he drew beat within fairly quickly
Round 4 - Martyr Prox - 2-0
Game 1 he did his thing and got 2 6/6 Serra Ascendant's out, but I got thopter sword online quickly and then a bridge. So we were in a bit of a stalemate. I just made lots of thopters, eventually got Time Sieve out. Started taking my turns, he didn't scoop, which was fine. Spent a long time making thopters and digging for my Tezz to win through the Ascendants. My plan was either to draw 2 pieces of removal for them they start attacking, or draw my 1 of Tezz. I eventually Whir'd for a Cloister to speed up the digging and eventually got the Tezz. took about 8 minutes of my clock. game 2 he had leyline of sanctity. I got thopter sword online quickly, and a tezz out, go enough thopters to kill him with tezz, then nature's claimed the leyline and ult'ed Tezz for the win
Round 5 - RW Nahiri Moon - 2-0
Turn 1 IoK his blood moon in game 1 helped a lot. I didn't really know what he was on as I didn't see much as I got thopter sword online quickly and won. game 2 I finally saw the nahiri, but thankfully I kept 1 needle in and top deck'd it the turn after he Nahiri'd, as you do. Though I also had 4 mana and a tezz in hand, so if I hadn't drawn the needle I could have tezz animated something and attacked. Instead I played needle and bridge to make sure I couldn't get through the breach Emrakul'd or something. He double helix'd my tezz, then scooped to sword of the meek
So ya, quite like the list. I think I really like the Leylines in the board, I like Tezz, I like Cloister, I like the discard. After this league I swapped one fetchland for another watery grave, I think I like the maindeck where it is. I wouldn't mind a 3rd bridge, but I don't want to cut anything. I've liked the snapcaster more than I thought, I even snap whir'd in one game. Muddle I'm not sure about, but I did transmute it twice, so I'm going to stick with it. I do like having the option to muddle for a decay or back to nature or combo piece. I like the sideboard a fair bit too. There never is enough room for everything I want. I like nature's claim, I like back to nature, I like another Tezz. I don't think I like Ashiok. I'm just not thrilled with a planeswalker who can't actually win the game with her ult, but I guess just +'ing to mill them out is valid. Not entirely sure if I am going to keep her, or swap her for something else, maybe a Jace so I have a 2nd walker option, maybe a Torpor Orb.
EDIT: As for Tron, personally I find the matchup to be just so bad that I kinda ignore it. I find putting anything in my sideboard specifically for Tron is kinda a waste as I'm probably going to lose anyway. The lack of ability to put pressure on them very well makes it a miserable matchup. I've gone turn 2 Damping Sphere into pithing needle effects on OStone, Karn, and Ugin, and still lost when they eventually just World Breaker the Karn needle, then Karn, etc. I consider the matchup almost unwinnable, so I just hope to avoid it
I'm not convinced there is a whole lot we can do, but I am experimenting with cutting my academy ruins and inventor's fair and one other land, bringing in 3 ghost quarters, then I made room for a maindeck crucible. Though so far I lost the only game I played against tron. Though I am kinda liking it, as I rarely ever activated fair or ruins. extra ways to deal with nexuses out of affinity are really nice
lots of aggro has just made me go up to 4 foundry/3 sword to maximize odds of just drawing into them, which is usually great vs anything attacking you to death
it's not really gameplay related, but I have always enjoying making my own custom Star Wars themed tokens for my decks. Ages ago I made A-Wing thopters and have been using them in paper for awhile. Though I recently had an idea to make new one that fit in the dice tray of my deckbox (Ultimate Guard Flip & Tray). So today I made these, which turned out pretty well I think. Similarly I recently made some 5/5 tokens for artifacts I animate with Tezz
https://www.reddit.com/r/ModernMagic/comments/7tmuyp/thopter_foundrysword_of_the_meek_too_slow_for/ so lots of hate for the combo on reddit, but theres a couple interesting comments that i think might be talking about the same deck (link below). apparently someone top 8'd an event in canberra with a list running chalice, thoptersword, trinisphere, crucible and witchbane orb in then main, and relic, needle, and fountain all in the board. looks spicy as hell and goes back to what i was saying a few weeks back, could we be undervaluing trinisphere in modern? I still think crucible might just be a pipe dream but i've always been impressed with quicksilver fountain.
i guess the SSG are there for turn 1 chalice, turn 2 bridge/trinisphere etc. might put a similar list together and try it out! what does everyone else think? and do we know if this person is on the thread, i'm gonna message the guy on reddit as well since i'd like to chat to him about the list
The points about the hate are true, though maybe a little overblown. Surgical Extraction and Relic are pretty easy pieces of hate to play around, and some of the most common hate. Most artifact destruction hate can be answered with redundant pieces and/or welding jar. Stony Silence is the biggest hurt, followed by Leyline of the Void, then Rest in Peace imo. That said, I've frequently beat all of those. Decks that play stony silence often have little to no way to actually destroy something like ensnaring bridge, so hiding behind a bridge to get enough artifacts for a lethal Tezz is frequently an out.
I think the biggest issue with the hate isn't that it usually kills you, it's just that it slows down your already kinda slow gameplan to play around it. This is why I always found midrange matches some of the easiest matches. They tend to give you a lot more time to play around stuff.
I do think people underestimate the thopter sword combo a bit too. I find it's rare you lose once you untap with it. Most decks rely on attacking with creatures to kill you, and thopter sword shuts that down pretty well, even when not paired with bridge. The biggest issues being the combo decks and big mana decks, as they can typically just ignore thopter sword completely.
The deck does have some serious weaknesses, though I think it's got a lot of power as well in it. Sadly not a lot of people playing it to come to a quicker consensus on if there is a "best" build, and what that looks like.
I'm gonna try this trinisphere chalice build. I've played a but with trinisphere in the past, and it's great vs something like storm. I have run into issues where it's hard to empty my hand when I have both trinisphere and bridge out, so I wonder if that'll be an issue here or not.
I'm also not sold on Liliana in the deck. I feel like it sounds like a great idea, but every time I play with it I find her kinda awkward. Especially the double black mana cost when you are trying to get triple blue asap and have a bunch of colourless sources.
I'll be playing the deck at GP Toronto, it's probably the wrong choice for a GP, but man, I love playing it too much to pass it up. Just hope I dodge tron
1
The Urza Sword lists that have been putting up results are quite good against UW Control as is. Thopter Foundry is pretty good against them. Engineer is really good against them as long as you don't get RiP'd, which they'll likely be playing less of. Urza is great against them, Sai is great against them. We have so many more threats now that it can be difficult for UW Control to answer them all. Overall I've been finding UW Control even before the Bridge ban to be a favourable matchup. Now if anything we can probably make it better since we can ditch the 4 Leylines in the board for a probably just a couple graveyard hate pieces, which opens a couple extra slots for other things. Teferi could be an option, thoughtseize is good against them, stuff like that.
To be honest, I think the heavily toolbox days are gone, it's generally just not needed and it's all about the combo
1
2x Karn, the Great Creator
4x Narset, Parter of Veils
1x Teferi, Time Raveler
Artifact (28)
1x Bottled Cloister
1x Engineered Explosives
3x Ensnaring Bridge
4x Mishra's Bauble
4x Mox Opal
1x Relic of Progenitus
2x Pithing Needle
2x Sword of the Meek
2x Talisman of Progress
1x Teferi's Puzzle Box
3x Thopter Foundry
1x Tormod's Crypt
3x Welding Jar
4x Whir of Invention
Land (21)
1x Academy Ruins
1x Blast Zone
2x Flooded Strand
2x Hallowed Fountain
1x Inventors' Fair
1x Spire of Industry
3x Island
1x Misty Rainforest
2x Polluted Delta
4x Seachrome Coast
3x Tolaria West
1 Torpor Orb
2 Padeem, Consul of Innovation
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Mycosynth Lattice
2 Spellskite
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
1 Defense Grid
1 Teferi, Time Raveler
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Witchbane Orb
1 Memnarch
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Damping Sphere
Also pretty rough, but I've had some pretty cool games with it. It does present a couple more threat options.
Narset + Puzzle Box is mostly a lock, they do get a chance to cast instants before they lose their hand. Teferi solidifies the lock into a hard lock, as well as hampers control. The bounce can deal with some hate cards a bit. This lock also works with Stony Silence in play
Karn + Lattice is of course a lock as well. I have had some issues with Karn and getting to 6 mana for the Lattice. So sometimes my first Karn I just get some extra hate piece out of the board like a spellskite, torpor orb, spellskite, defense grid etc. Stony Silence does sorta shut this lock off. I mean you can play Karn into a stony, but then we're both locked out, and depending on the board state it could just come down to who has fewer cards in their library.
And of course Thopter Sword being a threat and an eventual wincon if someone doesn't scoop to a lock.
Memnarch is still a fun-of in the board for Karn to get once a lock is established. Part of that was my first variant of this deck was based on Whir Prison, so I didn't have thopter foundry as an actual wincon. I still have never used Memnarch, but I haven't had many chances too, so I want to keep it longer just cause, even though it's probably a bad idea.
Blast Zone + Crucible was sometimes REALLY REALLY good when I was playing the more whir prison version. I wish I could play crucible main, but I put it in the board for maybe Karn to get. Maybe I should just remove it since it only really works with Blast Zone, and I don't think I can fit in a tec edge/field of ruin as well.
The higher curve certainly has been a bit of an issue (the 2 mana rocks are to try and mitigate that a bit), especially since Narset doesn't really impact the board, and her -2 just adds MORE cards to hand. So sometimes I find I just don't activate her, sometimes I take nothing if there wasn't anything really important shown, but sometimes her -2 is really good. And she's soaked up a surprising amount of damage as well.
So anyway, another really rough take on a variant. The new WAR walkers do open up some interesting possibilities in modern overall, and could be an alternate path for us
1
1
I definitely realized after that humans game that due to Teeg, Grid would have been better. My thinking at the time was Knight of Autumn can blow up Grid, but not Tezz. I totally forgot about Teeg.
As for the spellbomb, it was mostly a case of I didn't want the full 4 Bridges, and I felt Spellbomb might be the most useful thing to have in the place of one of the bridges. I've always been quite happy with how 3 bridges felt in the deck. Given that graveyard strategies are so popular I think spellbomb is a good option, and you can cycle it while using it's ability which is nice. Though most graveyard decks are fairly decent matchups due to bridge, so I'm not really sure I care about the spellbomb. Pyrite Spellbomb could be an option. It has the same issue where most decks it's good against are already good matchups, but it can help cleanup things like Thalias, Meddling Mages, Teegs, Maelstrom Wanderers, Noble Heirarchs, etc. These all being cards that can still cause headaches for us.
I do like Academy Ruins over the 2nd Fair. I had double legendary lands, and I don't find myself activating Fair all that often. Likewise I don't activate Ruins all that often, but it's another one of those cards that when it's good, it's GOOD. Like they blow up a Foundry and you just pick it back up and replay it. Or more often then try to blow up something and you save it with Jar, then pick the Jar back up. Really kinda forces them into spots where they have to wait to have multiple answers in a turn, which sometimes just let's you draw your own redundant backups.
3
Ended up going 4-1.
Beat Bogles, Dredge, Storm, and Spirits. Then sadly losing the final round against Humans.
Spellskite main was obviously bonkers vs bogles, easiest match ever.
I lost Humans when they named Tezzeret with Meddling Mage, played Stony Silence and RIP, and finally a Teeg locked my out of any win conditions since I didn't bring in the Aether Grids. I didn't want to go all in on alt-wincons because humans often relies primarily on Knight of Autumn and often doesn't play the enchantments. Sadly teeg locked out my plan to eventually draw into Battle at the Bridge to kill Meddling Mage and play a tezz in the same turn.
In the end it's only one league so far, but I really liked the Faithless Lootings and spellskites. Spellskite buying some time blocking, and even providing defense against noble hierarch beatdown felt great. 4 skite + 4 Jars seemed like overkill, but in matchups like dredge where I was hiding behind bridge + cage for awhile, drawing more skites and jars just quickly meant I had more protection than they had hate.
I also really like Grid. I'd played it in the past, but haven't for a long time. I forgot just how strong of a card it is.
The lootings also felt quite good. I was convinced I'd like Serum Visions more, but there are lots of times I kinda don't like serum visions, when you're just trying to empty your hand for bridge, sometimes a cantrip can feel pretty bad. Lootings helping to also empty your hand for bridge was pretty great.
4 Pithing Needle did feel like a lot, but I also didn't hate it. It's one of those cards that when it's good it's GOOD.
I think the main thing I feel I might want is some other answer to Stony Silence, in a destroy effect. Something like Trophy, Wear/Tear, or Abrupt Decay, maybe. I could see maybe cutting like 1 Needle, 1 Jar for a couple of those effects. Maybe something like move the Battle at the Bridge to the main, cutting a pithing needle, and then cut a jar from the side for 2 Abrupt Decay. I think with 4 Opals and 4 Rainbow lands splashing green in the board is easy.
Anyway, just some of my thoughts, I think I'm going to keep playing with this list, I think I like it more than my previous BUG style list
2
Chalice is something the deck can easily play and build around, though I'm not convinced it's worth it in the current metagame. Chalice on 1 is never really bad, but it's also too frequently not that great either, that I don't think it's worth losing out on the 1 drops we can play. Crucible and Chalice also do really want a more colourless heavy manabase, with Darksteel Citadels and Ghost Quarters. It does go into a more classic pre-Whir Tezzerator type build. Which is a viable route, but it pretty much means dropping Whir, and I think right now the value of Whir is just higher than the value of these other options. Probably even moreso now that people are adding extra basics to their decks because of Assassin's Trophy
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That said it also is quite good against us, more maindeckable answers to bridge/foundry/tezz, etc. Though at least it being GB will limit how many decks can play it. I think it's an instant 2 of in our 75 minimum, probably more like 3-4
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League #1 - 4-1
I believe my changes were something like -1 Island, -1 Thoughtsieze, -1 Serum Visions, +1 Academy Ruins, +1 Tezzeret Agent of Bolas, +1 Bottled Cloister in the main, -1 Padeem +1 Tezz in the board.
Round 1 - Affinity - 2-0
Usually a pretty each matchup unless they explode out the gate. Game 2 they played a turn 1 Plating and luckily I top decked a Needle for it, both games I got a quick thopter sword combo out. Game 2 he played an Aether Grid which threatened to be a major pain, but luckily I could quickly needle it off a whir. He ancient grudge'd my needle on the grid, but I Ruins'd it back on top so he didn't get much value out of it. The turn he died he went to block with his big (thanks to steel overseer and master of etherium) Vault Skirge, then grudge my needle on plating and equip it. I abrupt decay'd the skirge in response and won
Round 2 - RUG Moon - 1-2
Rough match, countermagic + large threats in goyf were rough. Thopter sword was great when I got it assembled, but ultimately I couldn't get in a good position to resolve my spells through counterspells well, usually by eot Whir gets countered, untap cast bridge or something like that. Also made me realize with only 1 opal, it's nearly impossible to get a resolved blood moon off the table.
Round 3 - Weird Soul Sisters Springjack Shepherd Coat of Arms brew - 2-0
Interesting match, maindeck leyline of sanctity hurt my ability to win with Tezz. But game one I killed some Soul Sisters and made a ton of thopters to win. Game 2 he played double RiP, Stoney Silence, Leyline, and was up to 111 life at one point. I managed to wipe the board, get Tezz down, since leyline stopped tezz ult being an option I made a bunch of my thopters 5/5s until he settle the wreckage'd them and stony silenced me and pithing needle'd tezz. I ended up stonewalling him behind bridge + cloister, eventually drawing a snapcaster to abrupt decay the stony silence (I'd delt with the rest in peaces earlier), then making 10+ thopters a turn to beat down. got there with about 5 cards left in my deck.
Round 4 - Burn - 2-1
I think I got a turn 3 combo online in both wins, and lost once to just a really aggressive draw. Burn always feels close, it seems like you tend to stabilize with thopter sword at really low life, but untapping with thopter sword in play is just unbeatable for them. Brutality was great of course
Round 5 - Red Prison - 2-0
Game 1 he cast a turn 1 Goblin Rabblemaster, I got thopter sword online turn 3 and was able to deal with his rabblemasters with removal and make tokens to take over the game. Game 2 he got a turn 2 blood moon, but I had enough basics in hand to still get thopter sword online and it won the game handily. Interesting part was when he played an Ensnaring Bridge of his own, then a turn or 2 later Abrade'd it himself so he could play a Glorybringer. Worked for me as I was able to battle at the bridge the glorybring and get thopters rolling out
League #2 - 5-0
I believe changes here were -2 Serum Visions +1 Thoughtseize +1 Mox Opal in the main, -1 Surgical -2 Extirpate +3 Leyline of the Void in the board
Round 1 - UW Control - 2-0
Got a pretty early thopter sword online game 1, it's hard for them to answer usually, especially when you get a 2nd foundry in play so they can't cryptic bounce. Game 2 I think went similarly. Got to turn 1 IoK his Stony Silence, then get thopter sword online right away, apparently he drew rest in peace the turn he died, and was pretty salty about the whole thing in chat
Round 2 - Bridgevine - 2-1
First time playing against it, but I got turn 1 Spellbomb out and that felt good especially with bridge in hand, it really slowed him down for the bridge, bridge basically won the game. Game 2 I made a stupid error. My turn 1 IoK took Destructive Revelry, leaving him with Neonate, Vengevine, Bomat Courier and a land. So he was able to attack for 5 with vengevine and courier on his turn 2. I should have taken the neonate. I didn't get a bridge online before I died. Game 3 I had turn 1 Spellbomb again, he came out slowly, eventually I cast a Leyline as well. Made a small mistake one turn where he had ballista with 1 counter and a bomat courier out. I had 2 Battle at the Bridge in hand, but only 1 black, so I started by killing the ballista. I should have killed bomat. it would have meant a couple more damage from the ballista, but the next turn he attacked again with bomat, and then sac'd it to draw 2 cards off it. I still eventually managed a bridge which won the game
Round 3 - Living End - 2-1
Game 1 I made a stupid error. After he tried to Faerie Macabre something, then Faerie Macabre my sword, I sac'd something else to get it back. Then with 1 mana left at EoT I sac'd sword again for another token, cause of course he doesn't have a 3rd faerie macabre in hand, and of course he did. Game 2 he Slaughter Games'd my foundries. A spellbomb on turn 1 helped me out a lot, as did just casting a leyline later. Eventually I got Ashiok and Tezz out to win, after hiding behind bridges. Academy ruins definitely put in work returning Spellbomb/bridges to me. Game 3 I got to finally open with a leyline, got thopter sword online, he answered it, he slaughter games'd my foundries but missed the one in the yard. I ruins'd it back on top a couple turns later and he scooped. He'd been a little stuck on mana, and I had a tezz in play anyway, so I think even without the foundry I was in good shape unless he drew beat within fairly quickly
Round 4 - Martyr Prox - 2-0
Game 1 he did his thing and got 2 6/6 Serra Ascendant's out, but I got thopter sword online quickly and then a bridge. So we were in a bit of a stalemate. I just made lots of thopters, eventually got Time Sieve out. Started taking my turns, he didn't scoop, which was fine. Spent a long time making thopters and digging for my Tezz to win through the Ascendants. My plan was either to draw 2 pieces of removal for them they start attacking, or draw my 1 of Tezz. I eventually Whir'd for a Cloister to speed up the digging and eventually got the Tezz. took about 8 minutes of my clock. game 2 he had leyline of sanctity. I got thopter sword online quickly, and a tezz out, go enough thopters to kill him with tezz, then nature's claimed the leyline and ult'ed Tezz for the win
Round 5 - RW Nahiri Moon - 2-0
Turn 1 IoK his blood moon in game 1 helped a lot. I didn't really know what he was on as I didn't see much as I got thopter sword online quickly and won. game 2 I finally saw the nahiri, but thankfully I kept 1 needle in and top deck'd it the turn after he Nahiri'd, as you do. Though I also had 4 mana and a tezz in hand, so if I hadn't drawn the needle I could have tezz animated something and attacked. Instead I played needle and bridge to make sure I couldn't get through the breach Emrakul'd or something. He double helix'd my tezz, then scooped to sword of the meek
So ya, quite like the list. I think I really like the Leylines in the board, I like Tezz, I like Cloister, I like the discard. After this league I swapped one fetchland for another watery grave, I think I like the maindeck where it is. I wouldn't mind a 3rd bridge, but I don't want to cut anything. I've liked the snapcaster more than I thought, I even snap whir'd in one game. Muddle I'm not sure about, but I did transmute it twice, so I'm going to stick with it. I do like having the option to muddle for a decay or back to nature or combo piece. I like the sideboard a fair bit too. There never is enough room for everything I want. I like nature's claim, I like back to nature, I like another Tezz. I don't think I like Ashiok. I'm just not thrilled with a planeswalker who can't actually win the game with her ult, but I guess just +'ing to mill them out is valid. Not entirely sure if I am going to keep her, or swap her for something else, maybe a Jace so I have a 2nd walker option, maybe a Torpor Orb.
EDIT: As for Tron, personally I find the matchup to be just so bad that I kinda ignore it. I find putting anything in my sideboard specifically for Tron is kinda a waste as I'm probably going to lose anyway. The lack of ability to put pressure on them very well makes it a miserable matchup. I've gone turn 2 Damping Sphere into pithing needle effects on OStone, Karn, and Ugin, and still lost when they eventually just World Breaker the Karn needle, then Karn, etc. I consider the matchup almost unwinnable, so I just hope to avoid it
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I'm not convinced there is a whole lot we can do, but I am experimenting with cutting my academy ruins and inventor's fair and one other land, bringing in 3 ghost quarters, then I made room for a maindeck crucible. Though so far I lost the only game I played against tron. Though I am kinda liking it, as I rarely ever activated fair or ruins. extra ways to deal with nexuses out of affinity are really nice
lots of aggro has just made me go up to 4 foundry/3 sword to maximize odds of just drawing into them, which is usually great vs anything attacking you to death
it's not really gameplay related, but I have always enjoying making my own custom Star Wars themed tokens for my decks. Ages ago I made A-Wing thopters and have been using them in paper for awhile. Though I recently had an idea to make new one that fit in the dice tray of my deckbox (Ultimate Guard Flip & Tray). So today I made these, which turned out pretty well I think. Similarly I recently made some 5/5 tokens for artifacts I animate with Tezz
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The points about the hate are true, though maybe a little overblown. Surgical Extraction and Relic are pretty easy pieces of hate to play around, and some of the most common hate. Most artifact destruction hate can be answered with redundant pieces and/or welding jar. Stony Silence is the biggest hurt, followed by Leyline of the Void, then Rest in Peace imo. That said, I've frequently beat all of those. Decks that play stony silence often have little to no way to actually destroy something like ensnaring bridge, so hiding behind a bridge to get enough artifacts for a lethal Tezz is frequently an out.
I think the biggest issue with the hate isn't that it usually kills you, it's just that it slows down your already kinda slow gameplan to play around it. This is why I always found midrange matches some of the easiest matches. They tend to give you a lot more time to play around stuff.
I do think people underestimate the thopter sword combo a bit too. I find it's rare you lose once you untap with it. Most decks rely on attacking with creatures to kill you, and thopter sword shuts that down pretty well, even when not paired with bridge. The biggest issues being the combo decks and big mana decks, as they can typically just ignore thopter sword completely.
The deck does have some serious weaknesses, though I think it's got a lot of power as well in it. Sadly not a lot of people playing it to come to a quicker consensus on if there is a "best" build, and what that looks like.
I'm gonna try this trinisphere chalice build. I've played a but with trinisphere in the past, and it's great vs something like storm. I have run into issues where it's hard to empty my hand when I have both trinisphere and bridge out, so I wonder if that'll be an issue here or not.
I'm also not sold on Liliana in the deck. I feel like it sounds like a great idea, but every time I play with it I find her kinda awkward. Especially the double black mana cost when you are trying to get triple blue asap and have a bunch of colourless sources.
I'll be playing the deck at GP Toronto, it's probably the wrong choice for a GP, but man, I love playing it too much to pass it up. Just hope I dodge tron