WOW! Congrats for your awesome result!
Now I wanna try it out myself...
I was just thinking of Lead the Stampede for possible role similar to Gather the Pack.
I do see the upside of GtP, but do you think it would have worked in any of your game?
EDIT:
Oh, Lead the Stampede is getting a reprint! (was thinking why it doesn't show its card image)
Splashing blue for Stubborn Denial is one of the two reasons I would want blue. The second reason is Izzet Charm. In the sideboard blue could also give you access to Ceremonious Rejection for when you're against E-Tron and Affinity. But other than those 3 cards, I see no reason to run blue.
So then the question becomes, is it worth it to splash just for these 3 cards? It might be, and honestly I want to try it, but the problem is the changes I would need to make to the mana base are a lot more costly than just throwing these cards in. Adding blue would make me want to make sure I had some Steam Vents, as well as Spirebluff Canal. And then I would 100% want a playset of Scalding Tarn to replace the Bloodstained Mires in the list because you'd want to probably have a single basic Island to fetch.
Hopefully my deck can give some data on whether baby Jace can be added to your list of cards. I would admit however, that I would want one more reason to splash blue to my UBR recipe (other than sideboard options). Perhaps a good looter or aggressive creature. If only Oath of Jace was 2 mana... Or single-symboled Skaab Ruinator.
Mana base, on the other hand, using more fetches may justify the use of Death's Shadow, and consequently Claim // Fame. At worst, more fetches can improve our draws from loot-spells, make delve creatures easier to cast, and make Jace easier to flip. Who knows, maybe Jace will start casting Visions of Beyond from the graveyard (omitting delve creatures of course).
As a cheap looter creature, I thought Jace can fill the sweet spot of Hollow One and Vengevine. Crucially, it is cheaper than Champion of Wits and it is much more threatening than Magus of the Bazaar. Recasting Bolts and Brutalities were indeed useful during test games, and side-board plans to use Claim // Fame on him sounds sweet as well.
Otherwise, the deck does keep its blitzkrieg-recipe from Skitzafreak's 24,
only it replaces some reunions with Izzet Charm. It may not be the fastest of our lists, but definitely a more versatile one.
As for possible improvement, Claim // Fame does work well in this deck, if we adopt Death's Shadow and Vexing Devil in our mainboard. The Devil option seems interesting as we also plan to burn our opponent by recasting Bolts through Jace. Alternatively, if we are going to use Death's Shadow, we can cut Brutalities for Call to the Netherworld to grave extra Wraiths or looted Shadow/Angler. The options are alluring but we must cut Gravecrawler, so it would also cost us some stability with Vines. Yet I think its worth a dig.
That's what I have for now. I'm planning on taking this deck to my next weekly modern games, and I will share my result if I did make it there.
Interesting deck idea, I like it. Have you considered running Liliana of the Veils? Might be worth a shot. I'm not sure how I feel about Gravecrawlers in your list, though. You have very few zombies left in your deck and Gurmag Angler might be too hard to cast early enough. You might want to consider swapping it our for Tasigurs and finding a replacement for Gravecrawler. Maybe Hedron Crab works in your list. I'm also sceptical about the Lightning Bolts. Without Swiftspear I don't see any reason in running them. Fatal Push is just better here, I think. Temur Battle Rage also seems a little sketchy.
Thanks for reply!
I did think of Liliana of the Veils, only I'm concerned that I might ganna discard her a lot more than I cast her. I really struggled to cast Champion of Wits in current configuration, thus I fear that she would be as difficult to cast. Then again, her + ability is very attractive indeed. Will keep her in mind.
Gravecrawler and Angler really are difficult package here. The crawler does lack in punch but its advantage is unique and definitely useful in a deck that loots his hand very often. If I can substitute Gravecrawlers with another card, I can cut some Anglers to Tasigur, but I'm still struggling to find one.
As for Bolts, I was hoping to leave some burn option for a final blow to our opponent, which became a lot easier now that the deck can recast them through Jace. Fatal Push is definitely a choice, but what are the cards that is killable with push that does stop our power 4s? Perhaps more useful against Jund, but against Grixis Shadow's Anglers and Tasigur (another reason to run Angler)? Personally, I prefer Bolt for now, but will watch the meta and balance with Push. Battle Rage will probably end at sideboard at best too.
By the way, I just realised how Bedlam Reveler can fill the spot between Hollow One and Vengevine (if we can replace delve cards with it), but has anyone tried them out already?
As a cheap looter creature, I thought Jace can fill the sweet spot of Hollow One and Vengevine. Crucially, it is cheaper than Champion of Wits and it is much more threatening than Magus of the Bazaar. Recasting Bolts and Brutalities were indeed useful during test games, and side-board plans to use Claim // Fame on him sounds sweet as well.
Otherwise, the deck does keep its blitzkrieg-recipe from Skitzafreak's 24,
only it replaces some reunions with Izzet Charm. It may not be the fastest of our lists, but definitely a more versatile one.
As for possible improvement, Claim // Fame does work well in this deck, if we adopt Death's Shadow and Vexing Devil in our mainboard. The Devil option seems interesting as we also plan to burn our opponent by recasting Bolts through Jace. Alternatively, if we are going to use Death's Shadow, we can cut Brutalities for Call to the Netherworld to grave extra Wraiths or looted Shadow/Angler. The options are alluring but we must cut Gravecrawler, so it would also cost us some stability with Vines. Yet I think its worth a dig.
That's what I have for now. I'm planning on taking this deck to my next weekly modern games, and I will share my result if I did make it there.
WOW! Congrats for your awesome result!
Now I wanna try it out myself...
I was just thinking of Lead the Stampede for possible role similar to Gather the Pack.
I do see the upside of GtP, but do you think it would have worked in any of your game?
EDIT:
Oh, Lead the Stampede is getting a reprint! (was thinking why it doesn't show its card image)
Hopefully my deck can give some data on whether baby Jace can be added to your list of cards. I would admit however, that I would want one more reason to splash blue to my UBR recipe (other than sideboard options). Perhaps a good looter or aggressive creature. If only Oath of Jace was 2 mana... Or single-symboled Skaab Ruinator.
Mana base, on the other hand, using more fetches may justify the use of Death's Shadow, and consequently Claim // Fame. At worst, more fetches can improve our draws from loot-spells, make delve creatures easier to cast, and make Jace easier to flip. Who knows, maybe Jace will start casting Visions of Beyond from the graveyard (omitting delve creatures of course).
Thanks for reply!
I did think of Liliana of the Veils, only I'm concerned that I might ganna discard her a lot more than I cast her. I really struggled to cast Champion of Wits in current configuration, thus I fear that she would be as difficult to cast. Then again, her + ability is very attractive indeed. Will keep her in mind.
Gravecrawler and Angler really are difficult package here. The crawler does lack in punch but its advantage is unique and definitely useful in a deck that loots his hand very often. If I can substitute Gravecrawlers with another card, I can cut some Anglers to Tasigur, but I'm still struggling to find one.
As for Bolts, I was hoping to leave some burn option for a final blow to our opponent, which became a lot easier now that the deck can recast them through Jace. Fatal Push is definitely a choice, but what are the cards that is killable with push that does stop our power 4s? Perhaps more useful against Jund, but against Grixis Shadow's Anglers and Tasigur (another reason to run Angler)? Personally, I prefer Bolt for now, but will watch the meta and balance with Push. Battle Rage will probably end at sideboard at best too.
By the way, I just realised how Bedlam Reveler can fill the spot between Hollow One and Vengevine (if we can replace delve cards with it), but has anyone tried them out already?
Been brewing UBR deck list for a while, and I thought it might be timely to drop it here for scrutiny.
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Polluted Delta
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Spirebluff Canal
2 Blood Crypt
1 Steam Vents
1 Watery Grave
1 Mountain
4 Hollow One
4 Vengevine
4 Street Wraith
4 Insolent Neonate
4 Gravecrawler
4 Gurmag Angler
4 Jace, Vryn's Progidy
4 Faithless Looting
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Collective Brutality
3 Izzet Charm
1 Cathartic Reunion
1 Temur Battle Rage
As a cheap looter creature, I thought Jace can fill the sweet spot of Hollow One and Vengevine. Crucially, it is cheaper than Champion of Wits and it is much more threatening than Magus of the Bazaar. Recasting Bolts and Brutalities were indeed useful during test games, and side-board plans to use Claim // Fame on him sounds sweet as well.
Otherwise, the deck does keep its blitzkrieg-recipe from Skitzafreak's 24, only it replaces some reunions with Izzet Charm. It may not be the fastest of our lists, but definitely a more versatile one.
As for possible improvement, Claim // Fame does work well in this deck, if we adopt Death's Shadow and Vexing Devil in our mainboard. The Devil option seems interesting as we also plan to burn our opponent by recasting Bolts through Jace. Alternatively, if we are going to use Death's Shadow, we can cut Brutalities for Call to the Netherworld to grave extra Wraiths or looted Shadow/Angler. The options are alluring but we must cut Gravecrawler, so it would also cost us some stability with Vines. Yet I think its worth a dig.
That's what I have for now. I'm planning on taking this deck to my next weekly modern games, and I will share my result if I did make it there.