Hmm, I never thought about siding in a second if you won the first game. Although the chances of drawing it are pretty low if you are only running one.
I think my main gripe with Gemstone Caverns is that you basically always need to sacrifice going first just encase you do get that 1 in 5 chance. I have tried Gemstone Caverns before and I still don't think UTron is consistent enough to be really worth it.
I think a really powerful -1 turn play would involve a spell pierce but I can't think of many non-creature 1 drops that would be mandatory nip in the bud right away. but the chances just get smaller and smaller the more cards you want in your opening hand.
Additionally, Gemstone is a legendary land meaning the second gemstone will 99.99% be a dead draw.
I'm testing out a few things and I'll throw the two copies back in now for online testing. I took SwissRoll's advice simply because I've been using remand and repeal more for draw power than useful countering, I think I undervalued the scry 2. I'm also experimenting not having platinum angel since it seems to die to path to exile quite often.
Hey guys, I've been lurking this thread for quite some time. I've always been interested in starting to play at FNM now that I've gotten the hang of the game. I've been deck testing a lot and had a pretty good streak playing this deck a few weeks back on Xmage. Unfortunately, it seems that my luck streak wore off and I'm here to post some of my concerns and what I noticed.
For starters, I feel that I don't draw the correct counters at the right time. Sometimes I'll end up with my repeals when I need remands, this is especially annoying with creatures that have hexproof. I don't think there's much of a solution to this but I decided to subtract a Thirst for Knowledge, as I found that card more often than not just sitting in my hand in the very important early game. Late game I seem to get a lot of the stuff I need but the problem is surviving that long. Since a lot of my cards thin out the deck (Mages, Solemn Simulacrum, Field of Ruin, Maps, Thirst, Remand and Repeal) I get some pretty good draws.
I really enjoy Trinket Mage and Treasure Mage, they find the specific win condition I need at the time and have saved me since they are additionally a chump blocker when I need them. Trinket Mage may be subbed out for something since I do own 2 Ballistas and 2 Chalices (although, even with trinket I find that I get my chalices often way too late). Sometimes I just feel like I don't even know how to use Chalice.
I've noticed that some games strongly rely on Ballista. Ballista can also be a pretty clunky but sometimes very useful win-con when paired with Academy Ruins where you can just burn your opponent if you are swimming in tron mana.
My Sideboard is a WIP, since I haven't gone to an FNM yet I have stuff from my online experience. I like Tormod's Crypt in case I need to chalice for 1, and since black is usually the deck with graveyard manipulation, cards like Thoughtsieze, Inquisition, and Duress are cards that can result in an instant loss. Blink of an Eye is there basically just to get rid of Stony Silence and Blood Moon. Currently using it as a substitute since Commit // Memory is a little costly during the early game.
I don't understand some choices I've been seeing in peoples decks, especially when it comes to modifying manabases just to run Engineered Explosives. The worst offender I think is Gemstone Caverns. You should NEVER EVER want to go second in any card game, and you have such a slim chance of actually using it instead of it being a dead card when you draw it. River of Tears gimps your options whenever you play a land, and relying on one talisman to produce white mana gives you such a slim chance of actually using it. and other non-basic lands end up screwing you over since Blood Moon is already a huge threat to this deck. I'd rather just use an oblivion stone since it doesn't require you to gimp yourself just to use it even if it's technically slower and not searchable.
I'm considering taking out talismans because the ramp is nice but sometimes talisman is completely dead in the early game. It's very gimmicky but I feel a little better when I'm using talismans to pay for dismember. Talisman also bothers me since it's not at all searchable by my Mages.
I also dont get talismans. My turn two is remand, condescend, or pop map most of the time. Even if I dont have the counter presenting two open mana to the opponent makes them think. You could pierce/snare/dismember off a talisman I guess but ive never found going ahead one mana on turn two to be meaningful. Im either tronning up turn four and slamming a threat or patiently waiting for the late game. One mana faster doesnt seem like it moves the needle from loss to victory very often.
I think a really powerful -1 turn play would involve a spell pierce but I can't think of many non-creature 1 drops that would be mandatory nip in the bud right away. but the chances just get smaller and smaller the more cards you want in your opening hand.
Additionally, Gemstone is a legendary land meaning the second gemstone will 99.99% be a dead draw.
I'm testing out a few things and I'll throw the two copies back in now for online testing. I took SwissRoll's advice simply because I've been using remand and repeal more for draw power than useful countering, I think I undervalued the scry 2. I'm also experimenting not having platinum angel since it seems to die to path to exile quite often.
For starters, I feel that I don't draw the correct counters at the right time. Sometimes I'll end up with my repeals when I need remands, this is especially annoying with creatures that have hexproof. I don't think there's much of a solution to this but I decided to subtract a Thirst for Knowledge, as I found that card more often than not just sitting in my hand in the very important early game. Late game I seem to get a lot of the stuff I need but the problem is surviving that long. Since a lot of my cards thin out the deck (Mages, Solemn Simulacrum, Field of Ruin, Maps, Thirst, Remand and Repeal) I get some pretty good draws.
I really enjoy Trinket Mage and Treasure Mage, they find the specific win condition I need at the time and have saved me since they are additionally a chump blocker when I need them. Trinket Mage may be subbed out for something since I do own 2 Ballistas and 2 Chalices (although, even with trinket I find that I get my chalices often way too late). Sometimes I just feel like I don't even know how to use Chalice.
I've noticed that some games strongly rely on Ballista. Ballista can also be a pretty clunky but sometimes very useful win-con when paired with Academy Ruins where you can just burn your opponent if you are swimming in tron mana.
My Sideboard is a WIP, since I haven't gone to an FNM yet I have stuff from my online experience. I like Tormod's Crypt in case I need to chalice for 1, and since black is usually the deck with graveyard manipulation, cards like Thoughtsieze, Inquisition, and Duress are cards that can result in an instant loss. Blink of an Eye is there basically just to get rid of Stony Silence and Blood Moon. Currently using it as a substitute since Commit // Memory is a little costly during the early game.
I don't understand some choices I've been seeing in peoples decks, especially when it comes to modifying manabases just to run Engineered Explosives. The worst offender I think is Gemstone Caverns. You should NEVER EVER want to go second in any card game, and you have such a slim chance of actually using it instead of it being a dead card when you draw it. River of Tears gimps your options whenever you play a land, and relying on one talisman to produce white mana gives you such a slim chance of actually using it. and other non-basic lands end up screwing you over since Blood Moon is already a huge threat to this deck. I'd rather just use an oblivion stone since it doesn't require you to gimp yourself just to use it even if it's technically slower and not searchable.
2 Treasure Mage
1 Snapcaster Mage
Land
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
2 Gemstone Caverns
1 Academy Ruins
1 Field of Ruin
8 Island
Artifact
2 Oblivion Stone
2 Mindslaver
2 Chalice of the Void
3 Expedition Map
2 Walking Ballista
1 Torrential Gearhulk
2 Wurmcoil Engine
4 Condescend
2 Spell Snare
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Remand
3 Repeal
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Dismember
Planeswalker
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
3 Spreading Seas
1 Mindslaver
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Platinum Angel
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Sundering Titan
2 Spell Pierce
1 Supreme Will
3 Dismember
I'm considering taking out talismans because the ramp is nice but sometimes talisman is completely dead in the early game. It's very gimmicky but I feel a little better when I'm using talismans to pay for dismember. Talisman also bothers me since it's not at all searchable by my Mages.