Outside of that, spoils as a card has been the focus of a wider debate outside this deck that stems from differences in deck philosophy. Traditionally, spoils is a card you run in turn 1 combos in a turn 1-2 format, making the coin flip that is spoils analogous to the coin flip for the match itself. Spoils, I win... or spoils, i lose. Think 2-land belcher or SI.
As this is the case, no one is going to fault you for running it, even if we have our own reasons not to. But this isn't the case that you have PRIME tech that we aren't playing because we like to be johnny with our 'cute sideshow' engines. Spoils for me is simply not an option at this point after the testing I have done. It has stolen too many sure-wins from me, even if it let me steal wins out of nowhere just as much. It's my opinion that EGGS is not the coin-flip deck. And that is all I will say on the card.
To be honest, the "sideshow" scenario was what I was assuming because I read through the entire thread and there was very little discussion of Spoils as well as an apparent writing off of the "vanilla" builds, or at least they weren't being discussed. That being said your points on Spoils are sound, and I have only had a limited opportunity to test with the deck (against a wide variety of MUs), and the FACT that aggro MUs make Spoils even more dangerous is undeniable. I will probably still run at least 2 for the time being.
It's funny that you mention it's use in other formats because my friend that recommended the list to me has actually top 8ed/16ed with Belcher at multiple money events, and while I don't think that he runs Spoils in his list I can see how his perspective of a card like Spoils, in Eggs, may be a bit skewed/biased.
I agree that Maniac is the way to go as far as evasive wincons go, and I might even just run him MD over Sunbeam Spellbomb, but I'm still undecided as it does reduce my egg count. Seriously though, both Pyrite and Sunbeam have kept my combo going on more than one occasion.
Panda: I'm excited about the PTQ season; there are even gonna be side events for Modern at the Opens!
1) There's really no such thing as a vanilla build, the only way these decks differ is "how am I going to dig for Sunrise?" Tutor it with Drift/Spoils? Increase draw/dig power with Peer/Riddlesmith? Make more mana with Lotus Cobra/Locket of Yesterdays to cast eggs? Increase both draw power and mana production with Ironworks? All are valid approaches.
I only said "vanilla" because it had been used in the past in this thread to describe builds without one of the more elaborate engines. I was definitely not using it to demean a build without one as I am currently playing a more straightforward build. My issue with the less straightforward builds is that the individual pieces, for the most part, need each other to be optimal (i.e. Wellspring as a 2-drop egg is subpar without Ironworks) OR involve creatures, which allows your opponent to more easily interact with your combo.
2) Because Peer costs 1 mana less, can grab Reshape (which tutors the other important card, Lotus Bloom) or Noxious Revival (= Second Sunrise), and gets discounted by Locket of Yesterdays. And it doesn't exile your wincons.
Yes, Peer "can" grab those cards, but they have to be in the 5 or it's a whiff. I understand that it digs deeper regardless, but sometimes, when keeping the combo going, one whiff = gg. The point about exiling wincons is marginal but valid, hince me not running a playset of Spoils. I had dropped to 2x Spoils, running 1x Reclaim, but Spoils really helps keep the combo going where Peer may not. I admit that I am not currently running fetches, which I will touch on more in a second, so the life loss from Spoils has been inconsequential in testing, never even influencing my ability to play Revival for free. I understand that it is a risk, but I have tested it enough to know that the risk is low enough to warrant it's inclusion. Blitz, I would seriously consider testing Spoils if you have not already. There are "risks" in any card we play; Peer risks not hitting the card you need, Cobra risks not having the sac lands or allowing your opponent to interfere with your gameplan. What matters is how often the risk translates to failure vs success. Don't get me wrong, you guys could be right about Spoils, but so far in testing it has worked for me.
About Seal of Primordium: I stand corrected. Not only could you sac it at their eot (if you had it in play before you plan to go off, on your turn, which isn't highly likely), but you can also just sac it at the beginning of each combo cycle, though if they have a Crypt or some other gy exiling card, the Seal itself could be exiled before dealing with the threat, which is only significant if they have more than one interrupting permanent. Still, my initial aversion to Seal had to do with me not fully working out the play scenario in my head.
3) If Spoils exiles one of your wincons, subsequent Spoils will be useless because you don't want to exile your other wincon.
If you Revival a Sunrise to the top of your deck you should have an egg ready to grab it off the top. Eggs get revived with Sunrise while Spoils don't.
Lastly, Spoils costs life. We already have stories of players dying to burn because they Revivaled/popped fetches while low on life. Will you really have enough life to Spoils continuously, even with Sunbeam Spellbomb, which I'd rather crack for cards than life?
I would not want to play Spoils "continuously", and using it to cantrip is viable as we can use the eggs to draw ANOTHER card, which is often relevant.
About fetches: I didn't say that playing them was wrong, i just said that I was unsure about them and would test them out.
4,5) To each his own. If Drift/Visions works for you then it does. Peer strikes a better balance between dig power and mana cost for me, and takes up 4 slots in the deck instead of 7.
If just comparing Drifts to Peer, to me it is obvious that Drifts is the clear winner; I don't need Revival or Reshape (keeping in mind that neither are guaranteed) if I have Sunrise. As for Peer vs Visions; to me the extra is huge, not to mention that Visions doesn't blow past eggs (though passing a Bloom seems good mid-combo). In the end, Peer's ability to whiff is the nail in the coffin for me. If it said, after the second sentence, "If you don't, put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order and draw a card.", I would definitely be on the Peer-wagon!
EDIT: Oh, and about Sunbeam Spellbomb as the 2nd winon: You may be right about it being irrelevant against some decks, as a wincon. Against those decks I would want to use it to facilitate the combo while I am digging to the Pyrite Spellbomb. The fact that it can do so, as opposed to any of the other non-egg wincons, was the deciding factor for me. Am I wrong in assuming that we only ever need to see one wincon (baring our opponent's "protection" from a particular one, as that's more of a g2/g3 issue)? I mean, I run Spoils, so I may need 2, but what are the scenarios where one won't get there?
EDIT: And you guys may already be doing this, but if not I would suggest laying out your eggs (from left to right) in order of sac priority to ensure that you make the right plays at the right time. With as many choices, triggers, and plays as there are, it's important to do anything we can to reduce the effect/possibility of play error.
I have read this entire thread and have much to say, but before doing so I will share my current build and go from there. Here is my opinion of an optimal-ish build going into the PTQ season:
Okay, so here are my thoughts on ideas that have been discussed thus far in this thread:
1) "Vanilla" builds/strategies, such as mine, have seemed to be disregarded for cute alternatives that are less consistent and therefore less effective. Riddlesmith, KCI, and Cannonist are not what this deck needs. This deck is a machine, and it needs to be well-oiled and honed. This is why I am sticking to cantrips and tutors, but I will discuss the specifics of my build a bit later.
2) I have heard Peer Through the Depths mentioned to help dig for Sunrise, but WHY when there are cards like Drift of Phantasms and Spoils of the Vault available? A few people have championed these cards and I agree completely with their inclusion. Again, well-oiled and honed.
3) Someone mentioned Seal of Primordium, and I just wanted to make sure that that person realized that Sunrise returns EACH PLAYERS permanents, so yeah....
4) People had also mentioned Reshaping eot (*cough* Blitz *cough*), but someone pointed out a few pages back that this was not possible. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just want to make sure that people learn from each other's mistakes and misunderstandings; after all, that's what these forums are all about.
Overall, this thread has been very informative thus far, and I commend everyone here as it is clear that people have put many hours into testing with this deck; I say testing because it is the off season, and this deck seems nigh impossible to play on MODO as 30 minutes TOTAL doesn't seem like enough to win a match with this deck.
Now I will explain, in more depth, the card choices in my MD that seem to deviate from the norm of the decks in this thread.
1) Solely spellbomb win-cons MD - I don't see the need for more than two win-cons MD, and I wouldn't see the need for more than one, but there is a nonzero chance of me rfg-ing one of mine with a Spoil of the Vault, so two seems right. HOWEVER, I also WANT them to be spellbombs because you have to get to the point that you can combo off, and they can help with that end. Again, well-oiled and honed.
2) No Fetches - I have not had a problem with this so far, and I hate the idea of reducing the effectiveness of Ghost Quarter, but maybe 1 or 2 wouldn't be bad, and I will definitely give it a try. Also, I am running the x1 Swamp because I was initially running x4 Spoils. Which brings me to my next point.
3) Spoils of the Vault is the STONE-COLD NUTS - Seriously, try this card out if you don't believe me. As I mentioned, I was running 4 and one of my friends that is also preparing for the upcoming season is still running 4, but it is still risky. I don't mind seeing it early, but I would rather use it mid-combo than to initiate the combo. That being said, I have used it to initiate the combo multiple times; each of those times it nearly killed me, but ALL of those times it secured the win. Don't get me wrong, it can and probably will kill you time to time, but I PROMISE that it will win you the game way more often. I still think that 4 is a bit overzealous though. Oh, and a neat trick with Spoils mid-combo is to use a Revival on whatever (hopefully Sunrise) and then use Spoils as a cantrip!
4) If you are not running some number of Drifts of Phantasms you are doing it wrong - This card IS Second Sunrise. Nuff said. Well-oiled.... Oh, and it can grab the MD Wipe Away in a pinch.
5) Serum Visions, while not being Ponder or Preordain, IS a good card in this deck - Visions will get you there. If you haven't tried it, do so and you won't look back.
I was running 1x Reclaim MD as the 5th Revival, but I wanted to add the 3rd Spoils back into the deck after testing x2.
So yeah, this is where I am at this point. Any questions and/or comments are welcome!
EDIT: Izzetmage, were you one of those guys that ran 3x Squadron Hawk? ;-) Regardless, I know what you're trying to sat, BUT Revival and Hawk are COMPLETELY different, Sure you want gas in your opener, but drawing Hawks after casting Hawks was "Hawkward"; drawing Revival in multiples is EXACTLY something we want. x4, no qestion.
U/W Titan/Illusions = Facepalm...hard. I don't know what makes you think taking a curve from 2 to 6 is a good idea other than the idea (from Magical Christmas Land) that you'll BE ABLE TO CAST a Titan AND HAVE IT RESOLVE AND LIVE, which is also assuming that you have no need for your Moorland Haunts. DON'T DO IT. Seriously, Haunts IS our Titan folks, and it gets there! Haunts not completely doing the trick? How about a 3/4 flyer that will "return" your gy investment?! AND you get to stick the EXTREMELY honed 20/20/20 or 21/19/20 ratio that helps this deck to be so consistent.
I was talking with Todd about the deck's evolution for the coming weeks, and he agrees that some # of Steel Sabotage are good in the SB (I am currently running 2), and he also said that he is testing out ORings in the SB, and so far (x2 again) they have been crushing in many MUs. They REALLY shine against GW and Tempered Steel and they can even come in against UW, Wolfrun, and even mono-R (say bye bye to your Shrine or Phoenix!).
I think that discussing the deck's appearance at World's is anecdotal at best, as it's not like it was piloted by the best players. It IS a real force in the current meta, and can easily evolve to address the changes that it has inspired in the format. I think that focusing on these needed adaptations should be the goal of the discussion at this point.
I am currently undefeated in rl with the deck and have netted over $100 profit on MODO, and I haven't even been playing ridiculously often. I have to go for now, but I will definitely be back to discuss SBing and strengths/weaknesses in various MUs.
Oh and Delver is an AMAZING card. Period. GL crushing with the deck!!
But then again the mono-white version is basically a luck-sack deck anyways so I guess it doesn't matter to gamble a bit more on Glint Hawk.
This. I have only just recently given this deck a second thought, and that's thanks to the U splash. The mono-W is a mindless crap-shoot of a deck, and YES it did win in Japan. At least one idiot wins the lottery each time, but that doesn't mean that I'm gonna start wasting my time on that garbage. I prefer to rely on decks that reward skill, and adding the U splash (as well as running Spellbombs) not only allows you to survive the "later" games, but it allows you to play the deck much differently, and I have yet to lose a round since playing with it. That being said, I plan on giving the W/g list a Beastmaster list a try as I think it could be ridiculous and resilient, AND it appears to laugh in the face of any other version of the mirror.
To those discussing the "issue" of Ratchet Bomb...it isn't one. Period. If they're bringing that in against you, that's fine. You can diversify your threats and watch them as they frantically try to add the counters, but to no avail. And please, PLEASE, don't waste SB slots for it (i.e. Hex Parasite). Parasite may appear (to some of you) to be a good call against Planeswalkers, but I ask you, which is the PW you least want to see? I'll answer that for you; he's actually the only PW that you should care about AT ALL; Gideon. Now, I'll ask you another question, how often do you see yourself removing Gideon with a Parasite? That's a rhetorical question kids. Stick with O-rings, or even Mana Leak if you're in W/u
And I do like Leak other than Unified Will atm, as the new "Caw Blade" runs things that I would like to counter, but may, at times, have more creatures than we do.
For reference, I am currently running Shiels' MD with this SB:
Anyway, I am definitely gonna be testing with TS for a while, and I think that it's gonna continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the new Standard meta (at least for a couple months :-/).
I played in a 12-round Iron Man Win-A-Box tournament this past Saturday-- 3 rounds of Standard, cut top Top 4, 3 rounds of Draft, cut to Top 4, and then a final Top 4 of Standard comprised of the best combined standings at the end of the day. For the Standard portion, my deck of choice was Escawgo, slightly tuned for the store's meta. Here's the list:
TOURNEY REPORT
A quick glance about the shop and a bit of eavesdropping revealed multiple Control decks, a mill deck and a UB poison deck. My teammate (we always team up to win win-a-boxes :D) was playing UG Genesis Wave and probably the best player there was playing Furnace Celebration (Michael Rooks, who played it at the DC Open and was featured in the Deck Tech on SCG's event coverage). Most important of all, there was exactly 0 Valakut present. Armed with this knowledge, I trimmed the Flashfreezes and Memoricides in favor of Leylines, as I figured they would be helpful vs. Furnace Celebration, Mill, and B discard. Since there were no real red decks, Firewalkers seemed unnecessary, and I wanted more counters to punish the Control-style decks with Escawgo's Fish-style of play.
Round 1 - Mono White Myr
My opponent was the mother of one of the other players, and she was partially disabled. When the pairings were called, she went to use the restroom and took about 20 minutes to return. While we were given a time extension of 15 minutes, the round ended up being shaved down (since the tournament started late), and I'm fairly certain that somewhere along the line my 15 minutes turned into about 7 or 8. It didn't help that she took a very, very long time to reach decisions and make plays.
Okay, enough excuses. Game 1 Inquisition reveals what sort of deck she's playing. I discard a Myr Galvanizer and start playing the planeswalker game until I can hit a Mystic. Sadly, I never draw a Day of Judgment, and multiple Body and Mind swings put enough Galvanizers in the yard that her Myr Turbine starts making her myr tokens rather threatening. A topdecked Brittle Effigy removes a crucial blocker allowing her to swing in for lethal.
Game 2 is the nuts-- with Hawks, Mystics, and Gideons streaming in for the win. I play as fast as possible and kill her with 4 minutes left on the clock. Since it's clear she's going to take about 3 to sideboard, the match ends in a draw and we move on.
Round 2 - Knightfall
Why is this deck in Developing Competitive? I don't believe I've ever seen this deck win, and this time was no different.
Game 1 I Inquisition away an Exemplar, but he goes Turn 2 White Knight into T3 Accorder Paladin into T4 Accorder Paladin. That's all well and good... but Squadron Hawks have a tendency to make Accorder just look really dumb. I cast Jace and follow him up with a Gideon, thus successfully assembling Voltron. For the rest of the game we're pretty much just going through the motions.
Game 2 he lands a T1 Student before I can Inquisition, and I realize he kept a 1-land hand. I take the other Student and watch him flounder on one hand for multiple turns. When I land a Jace and bounce his Level 3+ Student back to his hand and he still hasn't drawn a 2nd land, he enters his scoop phase.
Round 3 - UB Control
Its match-ups like these that make me remember that traditional Control is essentially dead so long as Caw-Blade exists.
Game 1 I play the Fish game, Inquisitioning his only counterspell, landing my Jace before his, taking him up immediately, and forcing him to have to swing in at him with his Tar Pit and tap down. That allows me to cast my Gideon and basically just run him over with Sword'd Mystics and Birds while fatesealing away any and all answers. Mana Leak on his T6 or 7 Gravy Train seals the deal.
Game 2 was hilarious, as it played out like my favorite Kibler Caw-Go video. I basically just cast T2 Sqhawk, T3 Sqhawk, T4 Sqhawk, and rode them to victory. No swords, No Jace, no cute tricks-- just counters for his Black Sun Zeniths, Gravy Trains, and Wurmcoils. Its just kind of funny to kill someone via old-school Caw-Go, and it really highlighted how poorly positioned UB is in the meta atm.
TOP 4
Semifinals - UG Genesis Wave
Oh, noes, my teammate! We decide to play it out, and whichever of us has the better chance of beating Furnace Celebration (since we know he will wind up in the finals) will take the win.
Game 1 seems to almost be going in his favor, as he has an active Lotus Cobra. Thankfully, he is somewhat land screwed, and I appear to stumble on my 2nd white source. In actuality, I deliberately did so in order to goad him into Acidic Slim-ing my 2nd white. He takes the bait and Slime's; I untap, drop a plains, and Day his whole team away, leaving him with 4 lands in play (while I have Spell Pierce mana open). When he attempts to Jace, I have the Pierce waiting, then resolve my own Jace and fateseal targeting the top of his deck. He scoops in response.
Game 2 is the perfect Caw-Go hand: T1 IoK, T2 Mystic, T3 flash in sword with Spell Pierce back up, T4 equip and swing. Flashfreeze prevents Acidic Slime from giving him an out, and when I play a 2nd Mystic and tutor up the other sword, its all but over.
Final Thoughts
Despite my win, we both decide that UG Wave has the better match-up vs. Furnace Celeb. While both our decks are slightly vulnerable to prodigious amounts of burn, his is still capable of ramping smoothly due to Overgrown Battlements and the like. Interestingly enough, I wound up playing the Furnace Celebration player in the final Top 4 of the day and stomped him, 2-0. We played a few more games for fun while we waited for my teammate to finish crushing the UB Infect deck in the other semi-finals match, and it came out 4-1 in my favor, so if anyone was ever curious about our match-up vs. that deck, I'd say its pretty good despite popular belief.
I would, naturally, change quite a bit about this deck for a "regular" tourney. This list was highly tuned for my meta, at least in terms of the sideboard, but it got the job done that day, earning myself and my teammate 18 packs each. I was surprisingly happy with cutting down to 2 Day, and over the course of the day I truly came to understand the concept of diminishing returns in terms of the card. I think I'll be running 2 from now on in all my builds. Also, I will be running 3 Spell Pierce/3 Mana Leak/1 Deprive from now on in almost all my builds, as it was simply the nuts all day long.
Congrats!
I really like the list and will definitely consider some of your choices (namely Spell Pierce andCrusader) in the coming weeks.
I have one question about your report: you said that, in g2 against your "teammate", you stopped his Slime with Flashfreeze, but you stated earlier that you had cut the freezes, so did you just recall the wrong counter?
I have also been thinking about Leyline vs Valakut and disruption, but I'm not comfortable running less than 4 and it has been impossible, so far, to make room for that many.
My memory's a little hazy, but here's how I basically boarded on Sunday:
Vs. Mirror/UW decks
-3 Day of Judgment
+2 Phyrexian Crusader, +1 Tumble Magnet(OR +1 Into the Roil)
Notes: Depending on if I was on the play or the draw, I would also drop my counters (usually Deprive/Mana Leaks) for Into the Roils and Doom Blades.
Vs. Boros
-1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor, -3 Spell Pierce, -3 Mana Leak, -1 Deprive
+2 Doom Blade, +2 Kor Firewalker, +2 Phyrexian Crusader, +1 Tumble Magnet, +1 Into the Roil
Notes: A lot of people build Boros differently these days. Jace's are okay against the slower versions that run cards like Mirran Crusader, but against the faster ones, two more Jaces come out in exchange for Baneslayers.
Vs. Valakut
-4 Squadron Hawks, -3 Gideon Jura, -1 Day of Judgment
+2 Memoricide, +2 Flashfreeze, +2 Into the Roil, +2 Doom Blade
Notes: While its sometimes a little irritating to be without Sword targets, usually Valakut is bringing it cheap artifact destruction like Nature's Claim, so Sqhawks cease to become quite as important, not to mention some versions run cards like Magnet and Wall of Tanglecord. Gideon simply doesn't do enough in my experience, though some builds run bad cards like Raging Ravine and Thrun so a copy or two of the Macho Man Randy Savage might remain in the deck, depending. Doom Blade is used on Cobras, Walls and Prime Times, or even an Avenger in response to its ETB trigger. Into the Roil is great on Walls or Expeditions.
Vs. UB Infect
-3 Day of Judgment, -3 Spell Pierce
+2 Doom Blade, +1 Tumble Magnet, +2 Into the Roil, +1 Baneslayer Angel
Notes: This sort of deck is threat-light, thus making Day less useful, not to mention that its just a little awkward to try and force a 4cmc sorcery through against a Fish deck full of double strike creatures and Spell Pierces. Even if you resolve a Day, it does nothing vs. Inkmoth Nexus, which is probably the most dangerous creature in the entire deck. However, they're a pretty easy deck to out-tempo. Spell Pierce isn't quite as important against them depending on the build and whose on the play; Into the Roil is much more useful, and Baneslayer does an excellent job at flat-out stopping everything in their deck since they tend to throw their removal at your Tar Pits, Hawks, and Mystics.
Vs. RDW
-3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor, -3 Spell Pierce, -2 Mana Leak, -1 Deprive
+2 Doom Blade, +2 Kor Firewalker, +2 Phyrexian Crusader, +1 Tumble Magnet, +2 Baneslayer Angel
Notes: Honestly, so much of the board is good in this match-up that most of the cards are interchangeable. Depending on the style of RDW sometimes I've even taken out the Hawks entirely for just pro-Red guys, as I want to make cards like Searing Blaze, Arc Trail and Staggershock awkward for them to use. It's not always best to auto-dump your counters to the board as you don't really want to be dead to a resolved Koth, but Jace is very subpar here, save perhaps as a singleton to keep your opponent from topdecking burn as an out.
Hope that helps.
That was quite informative and well explained, thanks!
I have been playing with GT's list the past few days, and I really like the loss of DoJ, as it has under-performed for me recently, but it makes it a lot tougher to SB, specifically, I am having a hard time deciding what to drop in the mirror. (Btw, I have been testing with his exact list minus Volition Reins in the SB for a Sun Titan).
SBing for the UW, UWb, and UWr mirrors seems to be a bit different. For example, on the draw agaisnt UWr yesterday I brought in 1x Beleren, 2x Into the Roil, 1x Sun Titan, 1x Doom Blade, and 2x Duress. The cuts were harder to make, but I dropped the 3x Mana Leak (as I was on the draw and had more disruption), 1x Condemn (preferring to be able to deal with Sparkmage), 1x Plains, 1x S Hawk, and 1x Gideon (this was the drop that I was most uncomfortable with, but since I was bringing in another heavy hitter...). I realized that, agaisnt the R-splash variant, Beleren SUCKS, which would make it a bit easier to SB. Though I do like him as a 2-of in the 75-6 because he's great against UW and UWb.
I also REALLY like the idea of Phyrexian Crusader as a 2-of, as well as miss my 2x BSA and 2x Firewalker, and I plan on finding room for at least 2 of those. I think that I like Crusader over Firewalker because, against Boros, they can't even hit him with Journey! Though BSA against ANY aggro deck generally spells gg, and she's more solid agaisnt GW Quest which can own this deck. Argh, decisions! I think that I may drop the miser Memoricide, and I guess Sun Titan, though that's a hard call. Thoughts?
Also, what's everyone's game plan against RUG, besides hoping to Inquisition their Cobras (though that is actually our strongest play!)?
I have been testing out GT's 76 card list, and I have to say that Into the Roil has been an MVP for me out of the SB so far!! I went undefeated in my last tournament, but almost got smashed by Boros r2. I stole g1 fairly handily, as I won the die role, but it still took some seriously tight playing. G2 I was SLAUGHTERED. G3 she (yeah, that's right, the ladies play Magic too) had me at ONE life!! I proceeded to pull one of the best wins out of my @ss EVER!! I swung with my Mystic, wielding a Sword, and with the Sword's trigger on the stack, I Condemned my own Mystic to gain 4 life (spoiler alert, I won the game at 5 life). I proceeded to cast a Jace AND Magnet but was nowhere near being in the clear yet (enter Into the Roil, well, partly). The next turn I Brainstormed me up a Gideon and drew a fat ol' target on him, easing the tension a bit. She got him down to 2 (I think that her board was Mystic, Mystic w/ Sword, and Guide) and played a Lynx. I Brainstormed again, got in for a bit, and set back with a smug grin on my face (via the Brainstorm). She played a Tarn and swung at Gideon. After she declared attacks, I cast Into the Roil, with kicker, targeting my own Gideon...she scooped.
I won at least 3 games that night thanks to the tempo that Into the Roil gave me (I bounced both a Pyromancer's Ascension AND an opponent's Gideon ftw!)!
My biggest headache so far has been SBing against UW Caw-Blade, Angry Birds, and Darkwing Duck. I just dont' know what to take out; I don't exactly have DoJ to "snap-remove". Any suggestions?
I'm heading to the Open in ATL with some version of Squawks (as I as no good at the "Cobra gamble") next weekend, and I feel VERY confident with any of the builds, but SBing, mainly what to take out and especially against the "mirror," is giving me some trouble. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Any idea why GT was running a 61 MD? Did they get the deck wrong, or was it on purpose?
I'm guessing that ItR come in for the mirror, bouncing Walkers to stick yours and not having to attack Gideon as well as removing blockers ftw, but what else would they come in against? I guess their Oust-ish (not really) against things like Cobra and Shaman, but they seem sub-par there. I have seen a few people trying to pretend that Pyromancer's is still a deck (to be honest, a friend of mine top 4s with it VERY regularly) and it stops Luminarch out of the SB, which I feel may see more play if UB Infect picks up as it OWNS Infect. OH, and of course, it can HOSE Quest if you grip it early enough.
I haven't been a big fan of Volition Reigns, in Standard, and I gave it quite the benefit of the doubt for a while, but I could easily see Memoricide #2, a S Titan, or a Baneslayer in that slot. I am not pleased to see the loss of Sun Titan, especially when everyone and their brother that's playing G is running Slimes MD now.
Oh, and Fabiano's the man, but don't let him fool you into thinking that Geth is playable!
Also, instead of dedicating individual threads to the different MUs, why don't we start a discussion here for the SB strategies and pros/cons against various decks, since this thread is specifically for the Esper variant? I don't have time to start the discussion at the moment, but something like:
One of the main reasons that I stepped away from this deck weeks ago was it's weakness to Spell Pierce. I think that Inquisition and/or Spell Pierces of our own may be vital, though this may not work in the Koth version...(sad panda).
Neo, congrats on the GPT win! I am thinking of running a Grixis list at the Open in ATL in a couple weeks; either that, Caw-Blade, or a smoking Naya build that the team and I have been brewing! I really like Precursor right now, and wasn't on board with Pheonix at first, but the more I test, the more I love it!! GL, and I'll post testing results in the following weeks.
Btw, Chapin's Jund list is pretty horrible in action. Don't get me wrong, he is THE greatest Magic theorist in the history of the game, and a top-notch deck builder, but once this one comes off the paper/screen, and is sleeved up, it just turns to poop. I like CA as much as the next mage, but sleeve it up if you don't believe me, and you'll see. My team's Naya build was actually a bit inspired by his Jund list, so something good still came out of his article for us (something always does). His Pi article blew my mind, btw. When I first started reading it, I thought that my brain have broken, but then I realized what was going on (i.e. what "Pilish" was), and I gained even more respect for the man, if that's possible. Anyone with a premium account needs to read that article!
Back on topic, Valakut is still a real threat and shouldn't be taken lightly. I haven't been testing this deck in a while, but I plan on giving it another go, and that MU will be one of the ones that I focus on most. It seems like the Grixis/Koth version can put on serious, fast pressure, running over Battlements with 4/4 Mountains and 5/5 artifacts as well as soaring over the battlefield with firebirds, but if we stall out on land or they get an early Titan, it can/does get ugly quick.
Went undefeated for both Game Days(Sat and Sun at 2 different stores)!!!! Too bad I was playing Caw-Blade :rolleyes:. But seriously, I want to test out Tezz a bit more before committing. My friend did get 2nd today, borrowing "my" (i.e. my cards) Tezz-Infect deck!!
I agree that Doomblade is probably the call, and will make the change; thanks guys!! I also agree that Duress may be the better call (over Memoricide), as I like to control/disrupt early, and be able to use my mana when I want to switch gears into uber-aggressive on like t4 or 5. Duress allows me to do both, as I can cast it a bit later and still maintain my tempo. Thanks again Cescobar! Oh, and my friend added the 4th Necropede today, and it was DEFINITELY the right call!
Okay, is everyone ready for the SUPER-AMZING-BACKBREAKING-TEC for Caw-Blade....AND the mirror??!!!!
....
I played it as a 2 of in my Caw-Blade SB, as it OWNS Caw-Blade AND Tezz builds....
Didn't think so, but she has been SUCH an MVP!! Seriously!! "Oh, do you run Swords? Well I'm just gonna take that since you're not using it, kay?"
She's arguably more "effective" in the mirror, as there are more targets, and there's probably less removal fore her, but be careful, as the UBr variants go light on the Islands.
Anyway, she DOES crush Caw-Blade! Enjoy!
@Ertai87: When would you ever want Mitotic Manipulation over ANY other card...ever? It seems like it would whiff WAY too often, and there is NO reason to run an over-costed U Rampant Growth, even if the Island does comes into play untapped.
Anyone else thinking about removing one or two tech edges for Mystifying Maze. I have been play testing with 2 of them and it would appear that this will help us out alot vs Caw Go.
I have been thinking about running Maze as a 2 of myself recently. Seems really solid, but I will have to order them (which I think I will finally do after I post this...eBay ho!). Thanks for the push!
I won EVERY game without a struggle in the 3 rounds that I won. Seriously guys, this deck is nuts. It's UB Control minus Grave Titan and then some, adding Tezz and Infect. I like playing other Tezz builds, but what I found in testing is that they are mainly Tap-Out decks, which are not optimal in a meta swarming with sword-wielding birds + counter backup. I genuinely wish that this were not the case, but until rotation, I don't think that's changing.
This build, with Inquisition and Leak MD and other goodness in the SB, allows for an actual control strategy, but you also get to abuse Tezz and a bunch of double-strikers. I was hesitant at first because it didn't look like there were enough infect creatures, but once I realized that Tezz-Infect didn't have to be aggro, and that it could in fact just be a solid UB control deck, everything changed! Tezz + ANY artifact creature = 2 turn clock. And just like with A. Goldmane, the -1 ability is all that you care about, though I did search a few times.
Crusader was the most underwhelming card in the MD, but I also didn't play against Boros, didn't see them against Caw-Blade, and I think that I was getting spoiled by my 5/5's (i.e. 10/10's), so I think that they should stay where they are. I think that Sword of BAM!! is key here because it protects from Jace bounces, and is particularly good with Crusader.
I am very happy with the removal and counter split in the 75, and to be honest, I don't know how the deck could get much better.
Inkmoth Nexus was the MVP (other than, and in conjunction with, Tezz, of course). BUT, don't forget that, at eot, Nexus remains a 5/5 without flying or infect, and if you reactivate it, it becomes a 1/1 again, and needs Tezz's boost again.
I REALLY wanted to play the Valakut MU, so that I could steal a Primeval with Corrupted Conscience, but never got the pairing. :/
My loss for the night was to Caw-Blade, but it went to game 3, and he was against the ropes for more of the round than I was. A side note: I ended up running Caw-Blade for Game Day, and didn't lose a round, crushing to 1st!! Not sure about which one I'll run tomorrow, at Game Day part 2 (there are two stores in my town, and they had their Game Day on separate days; yeah, 2x textless Treasure Mage and BSZ!!).
I do think that this Tezz variant has a solid MU against Caw-Blade, and I highly recommend AT LEAST sleeving it up and goldfishing a bit; I PROMISE if you do, you'll get...infected...by its awesomeness.... Sorry.
Oh, and thanks again to Cescobar for the heads up on this build!! I've been wanting to make Tezz-Infect work ever since he was spoiled, and so far I think this is the best attempt.
To be honest, the "sideshow" scenario was what I was assuming because I read through the entire thread and there was very little discussion of Spoils as well as an apparent writing off of the "vanilla" builds, or at least they weren't being discussed. That being said your points on Spoils are sound, and I have only had a limited opportunity to test with the deck (against a wide variety of MUs), and the FACT that aggro MUs make Spoils even more dangerous is undeniable. I will probably still run at least 2 for the time being.
It's funny that you mention it's use in other formats because my friend that recommended the list to me has actually top 8ed/16ed with Belcher at multiple money events, and while I don't think that he runs Spoils in his list I can see how his perspective of a card like Spoils, in Eggs, may be a bit skewed/biased.
I agree that Maniac is the way to go as far as evasive wincons go, and I might even just run him MD over Sunbeam Spellbomb, but I'm still undecided as it does reduce my egg count. Seriously though, both Pyrite and Sunbeam have kept my combo going on more than one occasion.
Panda: I'm excited about the PTQ season; there are even gonna be side events for Modern at the Opens!
Yes, Peer "can" grab those cards, but they have to be in the 5 or it's a whiff. I understand that it digs deeper regardless, but sometimes, when keeping the combo going, one whiff = gg. The point about exiling wincons is marginal but valid, hince me not running a playset of Spoils. I had dropped to 2x Spoils, running 1x Reclaim, but Spoils really helps keep the combo going where Peer may not. I admit that I am not currently running fetches, which I will touch on more in a second, so the life loss from Spoils has been inconsequential in testing, never even influencing my ability to play Revival for free. I understand that it is a risk, but I have tested it enough to know that the risk is low enough to warrant it's inclusion. Blitz, I would seriously consider testing Spoils if you have not already. There are "risks" in any card we play; Peer risks not hitting the card you need, Cobra risks not having the sac lands or allowing your opponent to interfere with your gameplan. What matters is how often the risk translates to failure vs success. Don't get me wrong, you guys could be right about Spoils, but so far in testing it has worked for me.
About Seal of Primordium: I stand corrected. Not only could you sac it at their eot (if you had it in play before you plan to go off, on your turn, which isn't highly likely), but you can also just sac it at the beginning of each combo cycle, though if they have a Crypt or some other gy exiling card, the Seal itself could be exiled before dealing with the threat, which is only significant if they have more than one interrupting permanent. Still, my initial aversion to Seal had to do with me not fully working out the play scenario in my head.
I would not want to play Spoils "continuously", and using it to cantrip is viable as we can use the eggs to draw ANOTHER card, which is often relevant.
About fetches: I didn't say that playing them was wrong, i just said that I was unsure about them and would test them out.
If just comparing Drifts to Peer, to me it is obvious that Drifts is the clear winner; I don't need Revival or Reshape (keeping in mind that neither are guaranteed) if I have Sunrise. As for Peer vs Visions; to me the extra
EDIT: Oh, and about Sunbeam Spellbomb as the 2nd winon: You may be right about it being irrelevant against some decks, as a wincon. Against those decks I would want to use it to facilitate the combo while I am digging to the Pyrite Spellbomb. The fact that it can do so, as opposed to any of the other non-egg wincons, was the deciding factor for me. Am I wrong in assuming that we only ever need to see one wincon (baring our opponent's "protection" from a particular one, as that's more of a g2/g3 issue)? I mean, I run Spoils, so I may need 2, but what are the scenarios where one won't get there?
EDIT: And you guys may already be doing this, but if not I would suggest laying out your eggs (from left to right) in order of sac priority to ensure that you make the right plays at the right time. With as many choices, triggers, and plays as there are, it's important to do anything we can to reduce the effect/possibility of play error.
4x Ghost Quarter
10x Island
1x Swamp
Artifacts: 18
4x Lotus Bloom
4x Conjurer's Bauble
4x Chromatic Sphere
4x Chromatic Star
1x Pyrite Spellbomb
1x Sunbeam Spellbomb
3x Drift of Phantasms (this is a sorcery)
4x Edge of Autumn
4x Serum Visions
4x Reshape
Instants: 12
4x Second Sunrise
4x Noxious Revival
3x Spoils of the Vault
1x Wipe Away
3x Silence
3x Wipe Away
3x Pithing Needle
3x Mindbreak Trap
2x Blasphemous Act
1x Laboratory Maniac
Okay, so here are my thoughts on ideas that have been discussed thus far in this thread:
1) "Vanilla" builds/strategies, such as mine, have seemed to be disregarded for cute alternatives that are less consistent and therefore less effective. Riddlesmith, KCI, and Cannonist are not what this deck needs. This deck is a machine, and it needs to be well-oiled and honed. This is why I am sticking to cantrips and tutors, but I will discuss the specifics of my build a bit later.
2) I have heard Peer Through the Depths mentioned to help dig for Sunrise, but WHY when there are cards like Drift of Phantasms and Spoils of the Vault available? A few people have championed these cards and I agree completely with their inclusion. Again, well-oiled and honed.
3) Someone mentioned Seal of Primordium, and I just wanted to make sure that that person realized that Sunrise returns EACH PLAYERS permanents, so yeah....
4) People had also mentioned Reshaping eot (*cough* Blitz *cough*), but someone pointed out a few pages back that this was not possible. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just want to make sure that people learn from each other's mistakes and misunderstandings; after all, that's what these forums are all about.
Overall, this thread has been very informative thus far, and I commend everyone here as it is clear that people have put many hours into testing with this deck; I say testing because it is the off season, and this deck seems nigh impossible to play on MODO as 30 minutes TOTAL doesn't seem like enough to win a match with this deck.
Now I will explain, in more depth, the card choices in my MD that seem to deviate from the norm of the decks in this thread.
1) Solely spellbomb win-cons MD - I don't see the need for more than two win-cons MD, and I wouldn't see the need for more than one, but there is a nonzero chance of me rfg-ing one of mine with a Spoil of the Vault, so two seems right. HOWEVER, I also WANT them to be spellbombs because you have to get to the point that you can combo off, and they can help with that end. Again, well-oiled and honed.
2) No Fetches - I have not had a problem with this so far, and I hate the idea of reducing the effectiveness of Ghost Quarter, but maybe 1 or 2 wouldn't be bad, and I will definitely give it a try. Also, I am running the x1 Swamp because I was initially running x4 Spoils. Which brings me to my next point.
3) Spoils of the Vault is the STONE-COLD NUTS - Seriously, try this card out if you don't believe me. As I mentioned, I was running 4 and one of my friends that is also preparing for the upcoming season is still running 4, but it is still risky. I don't mind seeing it early, but I would rather use it mid-combo than to initiate the combo. That being said, I have used it to initiate the combo multiple times; each of those times it nearly killed me, but ALL of those times it secured the win. Don't get me wrong, it can and probably will kill you time to time, but I PROMISE that it will win you the game way more often. I still think that 4 is a bit overzealous though. Oh, and a neat trick with Spoils mid-combo is to use a Revival on whatever (hopefully Sunrise) and then use Spoils as a cantrip!
4) If you are not running some number of Drifts of Phantasms you are doing it wrong - This card IS Second Sunrise. Nuff said. Well-oiled.... Oh, and it can grab the MD Wipe Away in a pinch.
5) Serum Visions, while not being Ponder or Preordain, IS a good card in this deck - Visions will get you there. If you haven't tried it, do so and you won't look back.
I was running 1x Reclaim MD as the 5th Revival, but I wanted to add the 3rd Spoils back into the deck after testing x2.
So yeah, this is where I am at this point. Any questions and/or comments are welcome!
EDIT: Izzetmage, were you one of those guys that ran 3x Squadron Hawk? ;-) Regardless, I know what you're trying to sat, BUT Revival and Hawk are COMPLETELY different, Sure you want gas in your opener, but drawing Hawks after casting Hawks was "Hawkward"; drawing Revival in multiples is EXACTLY something we want. x4, no qestion.
I was talking with Todd about the deck's evolution for the coming weeks, and he agrees that some # of Steel Sabotage are good in the SB (I am currently running 2), and he also said that he is testing out ORings in the SB, and so far (x2 again) they have been crushing in many MUs. They REALLY shine against GW and Tempered Steel and they can even come in against UW, Wolfrun, and even mono-R (say bye bye to your Shrine or Phoenix!).
I think that discussing the deck's appearance at World's is anecdotal at best, as it's not like it was piloted by the best players. It IS a real force in the current meta, and can easily evolve to address the changes that it has inspired in the format. I think that focusing on these needed adaptations should be the goal of the discussion at this point.
I am currently undefeated in rl with the deck and have netted over $100 profit on MODO, and I haven't even been playing ridiculously often. I have to go for now, but I will definitely be back to discuss SBing and strengths/weaknesses in various MUs.
Oh and Delver is an AMAZING card. Period. GL crushing with the deck!!
This. I have only just recently given this deck a second thought, and that's thanks to the U splash. The mono-W is a mindless crap-shoot of a deck, and YES it did win in Japan. At least one idiot wins the lottery each time, but that doesn't mean that I'm gonna start wasting my time on that garbage. I prefer to rely on decks that reward skill, and adding the U splash (as well as running Spellbombs) not only allows you to survive the "later" games, but it allows you to play the deck much differently, and I have yet to lose a round since playing with it. That being said, I plan on giving the W/g list a Beastmaster list a try as I think it could be ridiculous and resilient, AND it appears to laugh in the face of any other version of the mirror.
To those discussing the "issue" of Ratchet Bomb...it isn't one. Period. If they're bringing that in against you, that's fine. You can diversify your threats and watch them as they frantically try to add the counters, but to no avail. And please, PLEASE, don't waste SB slots for it (i.e. Hex Parasite). Parasite may appear (to some of you) to be a good call against Planeswalkers, but I ask you, which is the PW you least want to see? I'll answer that for you; he's actually the only PW that you should care about AT ALL; Gideon. Now, I'll ask you another question, how often do you see yourself removing Gideon with a Parasite? That's a rhetorical question kids. Stick with O-rings, or even Mana Leak if you're in W/u
And I do like Leak other than Unified Will atm, as the new "Caw Blade" runs things that I would like to counter, but may, at times, have more creatures than we do.
For reference, I am currently running Shiels' MD with this SB:
2x Kor Firewalker (may become Shrines, but I like the mix, atm)
3x Mana Leak
2x Celestial Purge
2x Oblivion ring
2x Timely Reinforcements
2x Contested War Zone
Anyway, I am definitely gonna be testing with TS for a while, and I think that it's gonna continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the new Standard meta (at least for a couple months :-/).
Edit: Preordain >>>>>>> Ponder
Congrats!
I really like the list and will definitely consider some of your choices (namely Spell Pierce andCrusader) in the coming weeks.
I have one question about your report: you said that, in g2 against your "teammate", you stopped his Slime with Flashfreeze, but you stated earlier that you had cut the freezes, so did you just recall the wrong counter?
I have also been thinking about Leyline vs Valakut and disruption, but I'm not comfortable running less than 4 and it has been impossible, so far, to make room for that many.
Also, are you hitting up ATL?
That was quite informative and well explained, thanks!
I have been playing with GT's list the past few days, and I really like the loss of DoJ, as it has under-performed for me recently, but it makes it a lot tougher to SB, specifically, I am having a hard time deciding what to drop in the mirror. (Btw, I have been testing with his exact list minus Volition Reins in the SB for a Sun Titan).
SBing for the UW, UWb, and UWr mirrors seems to be a bit different. For example, on the draw agaisnt UWr yesterday I brought in 1x Beleren, 2x Into the Roil, 1x Sun Titan, 1x Doom Blade, and 2x Duress. The cuts were harder to make, but I dropped the 3x Mana Leak (as I was on the draw and had more disruption), 1x Condemn (preferring to be able to deal with Sparkmage), 1x Plains, 1x S Hawk, and 1x Gideon (this was the drop that I was most uncomfortable with, but since I was bringing in another heavy hitter...). I realized that, agaisnt the R-splash variant, Beleren SUCKS, which would make it a bit easier to SB. Though I do like him as a 2-of in the 75-6 because he's great against UW and UWb.
I also REALLY like the idea of Phyrexian Crusader as a 2-of, as well as miss my 2x BSA and 2x Firewalker, and I plan on finding room for at least 2 of those. I think that I like Crusader over Firewalker because, against Boros, they can't even hit him with Journey! Though BSA against ANY aggro deck generally spells gg, and she's more solid agaisnt GW Quest which can own this deck. Argh, decisions! I think that I may drop the miser Memoricide, and I guess Sun Titan, though that's a hard call. Thoughts?
Also, what's everyone's game plan against RUG, besides hoping to Inquisition their Cobras (though that is actually our strongest play!)?
I won at least 3 games that night thanks to the tempo that Into the Roil gave me (I bounced both a Pyromancer's Ascension AND an opponent's Gideon ftw!)!
My biggest headache so far has been SBing against UW Caw-Blade, Angry Birds, and Darkwing Duck. I just dont' know what to take out; I don't exactly have DoJ to "snap-remove".
I'm heading to the Open in ATL with some version of Squawks (as I as no good at the "Cobra gamble") next weekend, and I feel VERY confident with any of the builds, but SBing, mainly what to take out and especially against the "mirror," is giving me some trouble. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I'm guessing that ItR come in for the mirror, bouncing Walkers to stick yours and not having to attack Gideon as well as removing blockers ftw, but what else would they come in against? I guess their Oust-ish (not really) against things like Cobra and Shaman, but they seem sub-par there. I have seen a few people trying to pretend that Pyromancer's is still a deck (to be honest, a friend of mine top 4s with it VERY regularly) and it stops Luminarch out of the SB, which I feel may see more play if UB Infect picks up as it OWNS Infect. OH, and of course, it can HOSE Quest if you grip it early enough.
I haven't been a big fan of Volition Reigns, in Standard, and I gave it quite the benefit of the doubt for a while, but I could easily see Memoricide #2, a S Titan, or a Baneslayer in that slot. I am not pleased to see the loss of Sun Titan, especially when everyone and their brother that's playing G is running Slimes MD now.
Oh, and Fabiano's the man, but don't let him fool you into thinking that Geth is playable!
Also, instead of dedicating individual threads to the different MUs, why don't we start a discussion here for the SB strategies and pros/cons against various decks, since this thread is specifically for the Esper variant? I don't have time to start the discussion at the moment, but something like:
1)GW Quest (i.e. PROBLEM): answers = BSA, JtN, Condemn, Divine Offering, IoK, Linvala (blech), etc....
Btw, Chapin's Jund list is pretty horrible in action. Don't get me wrong, he is THE greatest Magic theorist in the history of the game, and a top-notch deck builder, but once this one comes off the paper/screen, and is sleeved up, it just turns to poop. I like CA as much as the next mage, but sleeve it up if you don't believe me, and you'll see. My team's Naya build was actually a bit inspired by his Jund list, so something good still came out of his article for us (something always does). His Pi article blew my mind, btw. When I first started reading it, I thought that my brain have broken, but then I realized what was going on (i.e. what "Pilish" was), and I gained even more respect for the man, if that's possible. Anyone with a premium account needs to read that article!
Back on topic, Valakut is still a real threat and shouldn't be taken lightly. I haven't been testing this deck in a while, but I plan on giving it another go, and that MU will be one of the ones that I focus on most. It seems like the Grixis/Koth version can put on serious, fast pressure, running over Battlements with 4/4 Mountains and 5/5 artifacts as well as soaring over the battlefield with firebirds, but if we stall out on land or they get an early Titan, it can/does get ugly quick.
DO IT. It is a 4x in this build, no question.
I agree that Doomblade is probably the call, and will make the change; thanks guys!! I also agree that Duress may be the better call (over Memoricide), as I like to control/disrupt early, and be able to use my mana when I want to switch gears into uber-aggressive on like t4 or 5. Duress allows me to do both, as I can cast it a bit later and still maintain my tempo. Thanks again Cescobar! Oh, and my friend added the 4th Necropede today, and it was DEFINITELY the right call!
Okay, is everyone ready for the SUPER-AMZING-BACKBREAKING-TEC for Caw-Blade....AND the mirror??!!!!
....
I played it as a 2 of in my Caw-Blade SB, as it OWNS Caw-Blade AND Tezz builds....
...wait for it....
...ever heard of a little fishy gal named Thada Adel, Acquisitor??!
Didn't think so, but she has been SUCH an MVP!! Seriously!! "Oh, do you run Swords? Well I'm just gonna take that since you're not using it, kay?"
She's arguably more "effective" in the mirror, as there are more targets, and there's probably less removal fore her, but be careful, as the UBr variants go light on the Islands.
Anyway, she DOES crush Caw-Blade! Enjoy!
@Ertai87: When would you ever want Mitotic Manipulation over ANY other card...ever? It seems like it would whiff WAY too often, and there is NO reason to run an over-costed U Rampant Growth, even if the Island does comes into play untapped.
I have been thinking about running Maze as a 2 of myself recently. Seems really solid, but I will have to order them (which I think I will finally do after I post this...eBay ho!). Thanks for the push!
3x Necropede
4x Plague Myr
3x Phyrexian Crusader
2x Disfigure
2x Go for the Throat
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4x Mana Leak
4x Preordain
2x Sword of Body and Mind
4x Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
4x Darkslick Shores
4x Drowned Catacombs
4x Inkmoth Nexus
3x Island
1x Misty Rainforest
4x Swamp
1x Verdant Catacombs
2x Corrupted Conscience
1x Disfigure
1x Go for the Throat
3x Memoricide
3x Spell Pierce
2x Negate
1x Phyrexian Crusader
2x Steel Sabotage
I won EVERY game without a struggle in the 3 rounds that I won. Seriously guys, this deck is nuts. It's UB Control minus Grave Titan and then some, adding Tezz and Infect. I like playing other Tezz builds, but what I found in testing is that they are mainly Tap-Out decks, which are not optimal in a meta swarming with sword-wielding birds + counter backup. I genuinely wish that this were not the case, but until rotation, I don't think that's changing.
This build, with Inquisition and Leak MD and other goodness in the SB, allows for an actual control strategy, but you also get to abuse Tezz and a bunch of double-strikers. I was hesitant at first because it didn't look like there were enough infect creatures, but once I realized that Tezz-Infect didn't have to be aggro, and that it could in fact just be a solid UB control deck, everything changed! Tezz + ANY artifact creature = 2 turn clock. And just like with A. Goldmane, the -1 ability is all that you care about, though I did search a few times.
Crusader was the most underwhelming card in the MD, but I also didn't play against Boros, didn't see them against Caw-Blade, and I think that I was getting spoiled by my 5/5's (i.e. 10/10's), so I think that they should stay where they are. I think that Sword of BAM!! is key here because it protects from Jace bounces, and is particularly good with Crusader.
I am very happy with the removal and counter split in the 75, and to be honest, I don't know how the deck could get much better.
Inkmoth Nexus was the MVP (other than, and in conjunction with, Tezz, of course). BUT, don't forget that, at eot, Nexus remains a 5/5 without flying or infect, and if you reactivate it, it becomes a 1/1 again, and needs Tezz's boost again.
I REALLY wanted to play the Valakut MU, so that I could steal a Primeval with Corrupted Conscience, but never got the pairing. :/
My loss for the night was to Caw-Blade, but it went to game 3, and he was against the ropes for more of the round than I was. A side note: I ended up running Caw-Blade for Game Day, and didn't lose a round, crushing to 1st!! Not sure about which one I'll run tomorrow, at Game Day part 2 (there are two stores in my town, and they had their Game Day on separate days; yeah, 2x textless Treasure Mage and BSZ!!).
I do think that this Tezz variant has a solid MU against Caw-Blade, and I highly recommend AT LEAST sleeving it up and goldfishing a bit; I PROMISE if you do, you'll get...infected...by its awesomeness....
Oh, and thanks again to Cescobar for the heads up on this build!! I've been wanting to make Tezz-Infect work ever since he was spoiled, and so far I think this is the best attempt.