So far I have tested this deck against mono-black running 4 Phyrexian Obliterators, 4 Batterskull, 4 Phyrexian Crusader, and a variety of discards and sacrifice creature type of removals. Have managed to won 8 games out of 10 against him.
Reason for card choices:
1.) 3 Mass Polymorph (MP) - why only 3? I have noticed in my testing that 3 is sufficient to find the card since I am running Halimar Depths, See Beyond, etc. If you have four copies, there is a tendecy that you will draw multiple MPs wherein you are not yet set-up to play the spell.
2.) 3 Elspeth Tirel (ET) - The first time I saw ET, I said "Wow!". A planeswalker which is tailored made for MP. Not only this deck win without resolving an MP. It can also ride the back of ET, producing tokens and being a one sided "Akroma's Vengeance" when needed to.
3.) 3 Spawning Breath (SB) - An emergency button just in case you cannot find an ET on time. It's also a utility card since it can eliminate one toughness creatures and can also produce that additional mana to cast your bombs a turn earlier.
4) 1 Khalni Garden (KG) - Another emergency token maker since it can surprise may opponents thinking you don't have a token maker in your hand. Also can be used as an emergency chump blocker to buy you an extra turn to live.
5.) 2 See Beyond -Enables to shuffle away your creatures if you draw them.
6.) 4 Preordain - Smooths your manabase, finds answers, prevents drawing your creatures.
7.) 2 Pyroclasm - Have noticed in my testing that the 4 Lightning Bolts are not enough to deal with RDW type decks. Have decided to mainboard the clasms to deal with fast aggro decks.
8.) 2 Narcolepsy - Have tried to fit in Condemn at this slot but there are times that the white mana source is not available. So I decided with Narcolepsy which is a blue spell and can stop Vengevine or any big creature at its tracks.
9.) 2 Spell Pierce - I'm a fan of this card. It doesn't only stop enemy Planeswalkers from entering the battlefield, it also prevents Mind Sludges, etc. Opponents will often think that you cannot counter since you don't have Mana Leak mana.
10.) 2 Celestial Colonnade - Another win condition if you were not able to pull-off the Mass Polymorph kill.
11.) 24 Lands - Why so few lands? The reason is you have many library manipulators in the deck that can help you find the lands that you need.
U/R Mass Polymorph
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Khalni Garden
3 Halimar Depths
5 Mountain
9 Island
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Stormtide Leviathan
4 Mass Polymorph
4 Brood Birthing
4 Spawning Breath
4 Jace, the Mindsculptor
4 Preordain
2 Shared Discovery
2 Dispel
1 Spell Pierce
4 Mana Leak
4 Lightning Bolt
Reason for card choices:
1.) 2 Shared Discovery - since you are making many Eldrazi tokens, why not abuse them more by drawing 3 cards! The good thing is even though you tap these tokens you can still sacrifice them to create colorless mana.
2.) 2 Dispel and 1 Spell Pierce - these are protection from counter heavy decks and random spells that wipeouts the board.
3.) 4 Lightning Bolt - early creature killer so you can survive the early turns
4.) 2 Khalni Garden - additional morph targets and can also act as a surprise element since you are in U/R colors. No one will expect that you still have a token generator up your sleeve.
With a god hand you can Mass Polymorph into turn 4.
Turn 1: Khalni Garden
Turn 2: Land, Spawning Breath
Turn 3: Land, 2 Brood Birthing
Turn 4: Land, Mass Polymorph (tap 4 lands, sacrifice 2 Eldrazi tokens) - you can also have counter backup with Dispel or Spell Pierce
You basically steal oponnent's creature and then Polymorph to Iona. You have numerous counters to protect the Polymorph and the creature you are polymorphing.
This is the list I am talking about. Now to explain some of my card choices:
1.) 3 Mossworth Bridge
Hideaway land are very good especially if you hideaway Coat of Arms and Imperious Perfect. You can surprise opponents when attacking them then activating hideaway. Also, achieving the 10+ power are easy since you are packing fat creatures such as Talara's Batallion, Perfects, Vanquisher etc. Also the hideaway ability is a good because you can see the top 4 of your library which means putting on the bottom some unneeded cards.
2.) 2 Treetop Village
Included these in case if your board have been wiped out by mass removal then you still have a 3/3 trampler beating up.
3.) 2 Talara's Batallion
Another fat Elf which cannot be dealt with Volcanic Fallout, Pyroclasm, etc. Can be easily casted whn you have 3 lands, Commune with Nature searching for this card is a good play. I only included 2 so it would not always be stucked in your hand.
4.) 2 Commune with Nature
Tutor for a fat elf or for combo pieces. Only included two and so far they really help in finding the right cards I need.
5.) 1 Hunting Triad
Only included 1 because 4 mana is still steep for me. But the Reinforce abililty helps. But in any case, I might replace this card.
6.) Gilt-leaf Ambush
I love this card! Especially if opponents big fat creature attacks then I cast this. Bam! Hit them with deathtouch 1/1 tokens. Priceless!
Appreciate your comments and suggestions. Also my sideboard is not organized yet. The meta in my area are:
1. RDW
2. Mana Ramp w/Sigil of the Empty Throne
3. Blightning deck
4. Lark
5. Cruel Control
I'm thinking of an aggro-combo perspective. Like adding more elves that are cheap but yet fat like Talara's Batallion and Drove of Elves.
Just a question, is there a standard legal sorcery or instant green spell that gives haste and trample to a creature at the same time? It would be a good finisher when combined with Drove of Elves.
How about adding 4 copies of Thorn of Amethyst to the main deck? Since this deck almost runs creature cards, it will be more beneficial to you and slow down most of the hate cards like Wrath of God, Firespout, etc.
Here is a current deck that I am running integrating the Shape Anew combo with the Splinter Twin + Deceiver Exarch combo.
U/R Splinter Anew ver.1
Lands
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Terramorphic Expanse
3 Halimar Depths
1 Mystifying Maze
2 Inkmoth Nexus
7 Island
5 Mountain
Combo 1 - Shape Anew
4 Shape Anew
3 Trinket Mage
1 Darksteel Relic
1 Blightsteel Colossus
Combo 2 - Splinter Twin
3 Splinter Twin
3 Deceiver Exarch
Removal
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Into the Roil
2 Pyroclasm
Draw
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Preordain
Counters
3 Mana Leak
2 Spell Pierce
So far I have tested this deck against mono-black running 4 Phyrexian Obliterators, 4 Batterskull, 4 Phyrexian Crusader, and a variety of discards and sacrifice creature type of removals. Have managed to won 8 games out of 10 against him.
Here is my current deck which I am testing. Have decided to go with theU/W/R build since Lightning Bolt is sooo good.
U/W/R Mass Polymorph v1
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Arid Mesa
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Khalni Garden
2 Halimar Depths
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Celestial Colonnade
4 Island
2 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Stormtide Leviathan
MASS POLYMORPH (3)
3 Mass Polymorph
TOKEN MAKER (6)
3 Elspeth Tirel
3 Spawning Breath
REMOVAL (8)
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Narcolepsy
2 Pyroclasm
4 Mana Leak
2 Spell Pierce
LIBRARY MANIPULATION (10)
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Preordain
2 See Beyond
Reason for card choices:
1.) 3 Mass Polymorph (MP) - why only 3? I have noticed in my testing that 3 is sufficient to find the card since I am running Halimar Depths, See Beyond, etc. If you have four copies, there is a tendecy that you will draw multiple MPs wherein you are not yet set-up to play the spell.
2.) 3 Elspeth Tirel (ET) - The first time I saw ET, I said "Wow!". A planeswalker which is tailored made for MP. Not only this deck win without resolving an MP. It can also ride the back of ET, producing tokens and being a one sided "Akroma's Vengeance" when needed to.
3.) 3 Spawning Breath (SB) - An emergency button just in case you cannot find an ET on time. It's also a utility card since it can eliminate one toughness creatures and can also produce that additional mana to cast your bombs a turn earlier.
4) 1 Khalni Garden (KG) - Another emergency token maker since it can surprise may opponents thinking you don't have a token maker in your hand. Also can be used as an emergency chump blocker to buy you an extra turn to live.
5.) 2 See Beyond -Enables to shuffle away your creatures if you draw them.
6.) 4 Preordain - Smooths your manabase, finds answers, prevents drawing your creatures.
7.) 2 Pyroclasm - Have noticed in my testing that the 4 Lightning Bolts are not enough to deal with RDW type decks. Have decided to mainboard the clasms to deal with fast aggro decks.
8.) 2 Narcolepsy - Have tried to fit in Condemn at this slot but there are times that the white mana source is not available. So I decided with Narcolepsy which is a blue spell and can stop Vengevine or any big creature at its tracks.
9.) 2 Spell Pierce - I'm a fan of this card. It doesn't only stop enemy Planeswalkers from entering the battlefield, it also prevents Mind Sludges, etc. Opponents will often think that you cannot counter since you don't have Mana Leak mana.
10.) 2 Celestial Colonnade - Another win condition if you were not able to pull-off the Mass Polymorph kill.
11.) 24 Lands - Why so few lands? The reason is you have many library manipulators in the deck that can help you find the lands that you need.
Appreciate your kind comments on my deck. Thanks!
U/R Mass Polymorph
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Khalni Garden
3 Halimar Depths
5 Mountain
9 Island
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Stormtide Leviathan
4 Mass Polymorph
4 Brood Birthing
4 Spawning Breath
4 Jace, the Mindsculptor
4 Preordain
2 Shared Discovery
2 Dispel
1 Spell Pierce
4 Mana Leak
4 Lightning Bolt
Reason for card choices:
1.) 2 Shared Discovery - since you are making many Eldrazi tokens, why not abuse them more by drawing 3 cards! The good thing is even though you tap these tokens you can still sacrifice them to create colorless mana.
2.) 2 Dispel and 1 Spell Pierce - these are protection from counter heavy decks and random spells that wipeouts the board.
3.) 4 Lightning Bolt - early creature killer so you can survive the early turns
4.) 2 Khalni Garden - additional morph targets and can also act as a surprise element since you are in U/R colors. No one will expect that you still have a token generator up your sleeve.
With a god hand you can Mass Polymorph into turn 4.
Turn 1: Khalni Garden
Turn 2: Land, Spawning Breath
Turn 3: Land, 2 Brood Birthing
Turn 4: Land, Mass Polymorph (tap 4 lands, sacrifice 2 Eldrazi tokens) - you can also have counter backup with Dispel or Spell Pierce
21 Island
3 Gargoyle Castle
4 Rite of Replication
2 Telemin Performance
2 Mind Control
4 Courier's Capsule
4 Polymorph
2 Iona, Shield of Emeria
3 Summoner's Bane
3 Negate
3 Spell Pierce
2 Essence Filter
3 Cancel
2 Unsummon
2 Into the Roil
You basically steal oponnent's creature and then Polymorph to Iona. You have numerous counters to protect the Polymorph and the creature you are polymorphing.
Lands (19)
3 Mossworth Bridge
2 Treetop Village
14 Forests
Creatures (32)
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Heritage Druid
4 Imperious Perfect
4 Wren's Run Vanquisher
2 Twinblade Slasher
2 Talara's Batallion
4 Bramblewood Paragon
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Llanowar Elves
Sorcery (3)
2 Commune with Nature
1 Hunting Triad
Artifact (2)
2 Coat of Arms
Instant (4)
4 Gilt-Leaf Ambush
This is the list I am talking about. Now to explain some of my card choices:
1.) 3 Mossworth Bridge
Hideaway land are very good especially if you hideaway Coat of Arms and Imperious Perfect. You can surprise opponents when attacking them then activating hideaway. Also, achieving the 10+ power are easy since you are packing fat creatures such as Talara's Batallion, Perfects, Vanquisher etc. Also the hideaway ability is a good because you can see the top 4 of your library which means putting on the bottom some unneeded cards.
2.) 2 Treetop Village
Included these in case if your board have been wiped out by mass removal then you still have a 3/3 trampler beating up.
3.) 2 Talara's Batallion
Another fat Elf which cannot be dealt with Volcanic Fallout, Pyroclasm, etc. Can be easily casted whn you have 3 lands, Commune with Nature searching for this card is a good play. I only included 2 so it would not always be stucked in your hand.
4.) 2 Commune with Nature
Tutor for a fat elf or for combo pieces. Only included two and so far they really help in finding the right cards I need.
5.) 1 Hunting Triad
Only included 1 because 4 mana is still steep for me. But the Reinforce abililty helps. But in any case, I might replace this card.
6.) Gilt-leaf Ambush
I love this card! Especially if opponents big fat creature attacks then I cast this. Bam! Hit them with deathtouch 1/1 tokens. Priceless!
Appreciate your comments and suggestions. Also my sideboard is not organized yet. The meta in my area are:
1. RDW
2. Mana Ramp w/Sigil of the Empty Throne
3. Blightning deck
4. Lark
5. Cruel Control
The problem I see with the Batallion in an Elfball build is it normally gets stuck up on your hand or is very slow (it usually comes down in turn 3).
Just a question, is there a standard legal sorcery or instant green spell that gives haste and trample to a creature at the same time? It would be a good finisher when combined with Drove of Elves.