You're quite right about the Mana Leaks, I think I was originally planning on a larger counter suite but ended up cutting it down.
Also, Volrath's Shapeshifter is pure gold for this deck, thanks a ton for the suggestion. Same with the Top, I don't know how I missed including it in the first place.
There is considerable synergy between Mindshrieker and Vengeful Pharaoh, it's fairly clear. I've thrown together a rough decklist based around those two cards, but it's short 8 slots and I feel like it's missing something (and please don't say Eldrazi or something like that...that's not the route I want to go with this).
Some explanation: obviously the main strategy would be to attack with Mindshrieker while Vengeful Pharoah is on top of the library. Activating the ability would make Mindshrieker 6/6, and give a bit of insurance against a counter-attack. Use Volrath's Stronghold or Haunted Crossroads to put the Pharaoh on top after my draw (or if they attacked and hit, it'll already be there), and repeat the process. Dimir Doppelganger is there to copy a Vengeful Pharaoh in the graveyard if I don't want him back on top.
Suggestions/criticisms are very much welcome. Thanks!
He's colour-intensive, and I don't know if baloths count as 'animals', but Leatherback Baloth is one of the most aggressively costed vanilla creatures I know of.
Adding 2x Grozoth...when he's swapped out with Aetherplasm the search effect lets us get other good bombs. I do realize that if not many other creatures end up being CMC 9 he'll be almost dead though, so I understand completely if he gets removed.
Also Inkwell Leviathan and Stormtide Leviathan. For some reason it always makes me happy to see mono-blue get a really good beatstick, especially one that has exceptional evasion.
So, I was looking at Mistmeadow Witch this morning, and found her ability pretty interesting. I took a gander to see if there were any ways to exploit it, and Sundial of the Infinite matched my criteria. I don't have a complete decklist prepared at this point, so I've come to you fine folks for help.
Please note, the numbers aren't set in stone. For instance, I don't think 4 Training Grounds will be needed. I've just set it at 4 until I see something else more deserving of the slot.
Suggestions? Comments?
As an aside: this deck isn't really supposed to be a major powerhouse, so I'm not too concerned about putting in Path or Swords, or other top-end stuff like that. This is mostly just a small-scale combo deck, designed to give Mistmeadow Witch her share of the spotlight.
I was looking through various cards yesterday and noticed Fleshwrither, most particularly his Transfigure ability. It got me thinking, what cool black creatures are at 4 CMC that he can tutor for?
Hell's Caretaker (or Necrotic Ooze with his ability) can fetch other Oozes or Fleshwrithers back from the graveyard in case my chain gets disrupted, and Dimir House Guard is a tutor for every other creature (not to mention a sac outlet for my Persecutors once I'm finished with them, plus they give my Necrotic Oozes some regeneration).
Nekrataal is essentially a Terror that I can grab with Transfigure, and Devour in Shadow is just cheap, reliable removal (although I'm not sure if it adds too much suicide...perhaps Bone Splinters instead?).
Thanks! That's quite a good point...I've never personally played with Jester's Scepter, so I wasn't sure quite how well that would work. I'm guessing it's one of those things that looks okay on paper but never works well in practice.
I'm not sure what I'll put there instead of the Scepter though...I think I might try Leonin Arbiter to help make Path a little more vicious.
So I'm a big fan of the concept that conventional Death & Taxes lists follow, but I'm also itching to try something slightly less conventional. Thus, the list you'll see below.
There are several tricks I'd like to eventually pull with this deck, one of the foremost being the synergy between Rule of Law and Flickerwisp. If I have Rule of Law on the field and cast Flickerwisp targeting the Rule, I get to cast more cards on my turn...when the Rule comes back, my opponents have to play around it on theirs. A similar trick could be accomplished using Stonecloaker and Ethersworn Canonist.
I can also use Flickerwisp to recharge Jester's Scepter with cards once I use most of them up, or if I simply want to exile more of their library for disruption.
Also, since a decent proportion of my creatures have flash, I can play around my own Rule of Law/Ethersworn Canonist by playing stuff on their turn as well as my own.
The sideboard is mostly for fun, as my friends and I rarely use them. Sunscour could take otherwise dead cards (drawing a second Rule of Law or multiple Ethersworn Canonist could hamper tricks like those I described above) and turn into a decent sweep. Winnow is there mostly for token decks, specifically Myr or Timely Reinforcements (my friends play both prolifically), but could be used as a simple draw in a pinch. Revoke Existence would take the place of Ethersworn Canonist against artifact decks, and Mana Tithe is there to provide a nasty surprise to MUC decks tapping out for a counter against me.
Hope I described the point of my deck in enough detail...the win-con is essentially beating repeatedly with Seht's Tiger and/or Stonecloaker, backed up by a bit of removal and Honor of the Pure.
What do you think? Suggestions? Comments? Criticism?
Sangromancer is noticeably absent, and I think it would go well with the Bond.
Also, if you don't like using Eldrazi to protect from mill, Dread is an (albeit far poorer) option. Even cheaper but less effective is Elixir of Immortality, which also sort of fits your life-gain shenanigans.
Also, Volrath's Shapeshifter is pure gold for this deck, thanks a ton for the suggestion. Same with the Top, I don't know how I missed including it in the first place.
Updated List:
4x Vengeful Pharoah
4x Dimir Doppelganger
4x Volrath's Shapeshifter
4x Mindshrieker
Enchantments: 6
2x Haunted Crossroads
2x Zombie Infestation
2x Training Grounds
2x Sensei's Divining Top
Instants: 14
4x Lim-Dûl's Vault
2x Forbidden Alchemy
4x Negate
4x Go for the Throat
1x Volrath's Stronghold
12x Swamp
9x Island
4x Vengeful Pharoah
4x Dimir Doppelganger
4x Mindshrieker
Enchantments: 4
2x Haunted Crossroads
2x Training Grounds
4x Lim-Dûl's Vault
4x Forbidden Alchemy
4x Negate
2x Mana Leak
4x Go for the Throat
1x Volrath's Stronghold
12x Swamp
9x Island
Some explanation: obviously the main strategy would be to attack with Mindshrieker while Vengeful Pharoah is on top of the library. Activating the ability would make Mindshrieker 6/6, and give a bit of insurance against a counter-attack. Use Volrath's Stronghold or Haunted Crossroads to put the Pharaoh on top after my draw (or if they attacked and hit, it'll already be there), and repeat the process. Dimir Doppelganger is there to copy a Vengeful Pharaoh in the graveyard if I don't want him back on top.
Suggestions/criticisms are very much welcome. Thanks!
Also, Myr Propagator can get you tokens of Skill Borrower to multiply your advantages.
4x Aetherplasm
4x Spire Golem
2x Grozoth
1x Blightsteel Colossus
4x Brainstorm
Sorceries:
Enchantments:
Artifacts:
Planeswalkers:
Lands: 24
24x Placeholders
Also Inkwell Leviathan and Stormtide Leviathan. For some reason it always makes me happy to see mono-blue get a really good beatstick, especially one that has exceptional evasion.
Also, some sort of reusable sac outlet might be good, if only to get +1/+1 counters back on the undying just to keep the Storm going.
4x Galepowder Mage
4x Flickerwisp
4x Mistmeadow Witch
4x Training Grounds
Instants: 4
4x Turn to Mist
4x Sundial of the Infinite
4x Voyager Staff
Please note, the numbers aren't set in stone. For instance, I don't think 4 Training Grounds will be needed. I've just set it at 4 until I see something else more deserving of the slot.
Suggestions? Comments?
As an aside: this deck isn't really supposed to be a major powerhouse, so I'm not too concerned about putting in Path or Swords, or other top-end stuff like that. This is mostly just a small-scale combo deck, designed to give Mistmeadow Witch her share of the spotlight.
Thanks in advance!
Then I made a deck.
4x Fleshwrither
4x Necrotic Ooze
4x Dimir House Guard
4x Hell's Caretaker
4x Abyssal Persecutor
3x Mortivore
2x Nekrataal
1x Mirri the Cursed
4x Phyrexian Arena
2x Grave Pact
2x Heartless Summoning
Instants/Sorceries: 4
4x Devour in Shadow
2x Crypt of Agadeem
20x Swamp
The general point is to Transfigure Fleshwrither as many times into other copies of himself, then switch over to Necrotic Ooze, and finish the chain with either Mortivore or Abyssal Persecutor, with Mirri the Cursed as backup in case I need more flying or get Memoricideed.
Hell's Caretaker (or Necrotic Ooze with his ability) can fetch other Oozes or Fleshwrithers back from the graveyard in case my chain gets disrupted, and Dimir House Guard is a tutor for every other creature (not to mention a sac outlet for my Persecutors once I'm finished with them, plus they give my Necrotic Oozes some regeneration).
Nekrataal is essentially a Terror that I can grab with Transfigure, and Devour in Shadow is just cheap, reliable removal (although I'm not sure if it adds too much suicide...perhaps Bone Splinters instead?).
Grave Pact to tax my opponents, Phyrexian Arena to draw, and Heartless Summoning for if I happen to miss all my Fleshwrithers and need some speed.
Thoughts? Criticism? Suggestions? Thanks in advance!
I'm not sure what I'll put there instead of the Scepter though...I think I might try Leonin Arbiter to help make Path a little more vicious.
4x Seht's Tiger
4x Flickerwisp
4x Stonecloaker
4x Ethersworn Canonist
2x Leonin Arbiter
2x Grand Abolisher
2x Whitemane Lion
Instants/Sorceries: 4
4x Path to Exile
4x Oblivion Ring
2x Rule of Law
2x Honor of the Pure
2x Mark of Asylum
Artifacts: 2
2x Crystal Ball
Land: 22
1x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
2x New Benalia
2x Forbidding Watchtower
17x Plains
4x Mana Tithe
4x Revoke Existence
3x Winnow
2x Phyrexian Revoker
2x Sunscour
Edit: Replaced 2 MD Jester's Scepter with Leonin Arbiter.
There are several tricks I'd like to eventually pull with this deck, one of the foremost being the synergy between Rule of Law and Flickerwisp. If I have Rule of Law on the field and cast Flickerwisp targeting the Rule, I get to cast more cards on my turn...when the Rule comes back, my opponents have to play around it on theirs. A similar trick could be accomplished using Stonecloaker and Ethersworn Canonist.
I can also use Flickerwisp to recharge Jester's Scepter with cards once I use most of them up, or if I simply want to exile more of their library for disruption.
Mark of Asylum and Grand Abolisher are mostly to help protect from burn and counters, respectively.
Also, since a decent proportion of my creatures have flash, I can play around my own Rule of Law/Ethersworn Canonist by playing stuff on their turn as well as my own.
The sideboard is mostly for fun, as my friends and I rarely use them. Sunscour could take otherwise dead cards (drawing a second Rule of Law or multiple Ethersworn Canonist could hamper tricks like those I described above) and turn into a decent sweep. Winnow is there mostly for token decks, specifically Myr or Timely Reinforcements (my friends play both prolifically), but could be used as a simple draw in a pinch. Revoke Existence would take the place of Ethersworn Canonist against artifact decks, and Mana Tithe is there to provide a nasty surprise to MUC decks tapping out for a counter against me.
Hope I described the point of my deck in enough detail...the win-con is essentially beating repeatedly with Seht's Tiger and/or Stonecloaker, backed up by a bit of removal and Honor of the Pure.
What do you think? Suggestions? Comments? Criticism?
Also, if you don't like using Eldrazi to protect from mill, Dread is an (albeit far poorer) option. Even cheaper but less effective is Elixir of Immortality, which also sort of fits your life-gain shenanigans.