I originally had two pyroclasm main instead of bolt and trinket mage #4 but they didn't do much unless I was playing against the mono green monument deck so I figured I'd play the odds game and go for consistency.
Other thoughts: Might run Crystal ball instead of Pilgrim's Eye.
would like to fit a 1 of effigy either maindeck or side but cannon+key might just be better.
A while back there was a game called Duel Masters (Can't remember if wotc made it or not) but it required players to use mana as they did in magic, the costs were only in numbers though and you only needed to pay one mana with the same color as the card you were attempting to cast in addition to however much additional mana was required to play it. All of the cards had the option to be played as mana instead of casting them. Was a fun game, it was like an easier version of magic.
I maindeck 4 cancel and 3 negates and really like the matchup as I am generally the player with the mindsculptor on my side of the board. Tapping out in the latter stages of the match is very dangerous as they have the ability to win the game as soon as you aren't able to counter their threats. I always keep 2-3 doj in after boarding as it let's you keep oracle & another one of their threats off the table. It is a tougher matchup but as long as you never tap out and keep their jace of the board you should be able to get them.
I'm not sure how I feel about Elspeth/Gideon in a counterspell build because I wouldn't want to tap out that often for them, I would only tap out for jace/coup because if I can untap with them, I probably just won the game*.
I run path as a 1-of as I am usually on the mana denial plan, Vengevine is the only card that might make me up my count if he grows in popularity. I think spreading seas should be in the sideboard if anywhere.
I'm not the biggest Wall of Omens fan, it is a good card but when I'm running 7 maindeck wrath effects I'd rather be on either a treasure hunt or see beyond plan.
*Elspeth and Gideon do this as well usually but not as often as coup. Are they really worth adding more WW costs to the deck?
I would have to say my problem matchups are jund(which is a cointoss but I haven't tested a lot with spreading seas) and something as explosive as the latest bant deck with dauntless escort. I'm considering upping my path count because of escort seeing more play
I actually did change it up a tad after some testing...I just did 2 essence scatter and 3 deprive...left the cancels alone..
@ DreamingFurther...yes, the 3 chalices became a 25th land and 2 counters...the 2 mind spring became 2 counters...and the martial coup was left alone.
My manabase looked like this : 4 colonnade, 4 glacial fortress, 2 scalding tarn, 1 arid mesa, 1 halimar depths, 1 kabira crossroads, 2 tectonic edge (Which IDK about..b/c with 4 seas and 4 path I may just want more white/blue land) 5 islands and 5 plains.
makorimi u got a decklist we can check out?
And yea, IDK what I think about a build like this..I've just heard people talking about U/W 12 counter.dec, but couldn't find a decklist anywhere that runs that many counters...Unless its just talk about a permission based deck and thats what people are calling it? (regardless of whether it has 8, 9, or 12 counters) IDK I was just curious really.
I think I'd still want to fit a mind spring in there somewhere...
I think what Moruk is referring to is the fact that jace/ajani are able to use their abilities on kotwo before it can attack them because it lacks haste.
Since you only want to see 1 ascension and you just need to draw it and land it in the matchups you board it in for, I would only run 2 on the sideboard. I agree with Purge->Kor firewalker, I don't run wall or firewalker, just 3 purges and have no trouble with RDW. 4 Flashfreeze is a must. I'm guessing you're running a build that doesn't have permission since you aren't maining Negate. If spreading seas are messing you up and you can get UU easily, Deprive is really good.
My board looks like this but I maindeck permission
4 Flashfreeze
4 Spreading Seas
3 Celestial Purge
2 Luminarch Acension
1 Negate
1 Deprive
As stated by Chapin in his U/W Control Article about running 4 Jaces
You play the first 1-2 as the best mulldrifters ever, expecting them to be 4 mana brainstorms and then you let them die, this not only keeps the pressure of of you (and maybe even making them use a bolt/pulse on him) but it also "turns on" the rest of the Jaces in your deck.
Jace IS the best card in the deck, he's our Bloodbraid Elf. Us cutting a Jace is the same as jund cutting a BBE.
Mind Spring is good but I find it perfect as a 2 of, I only really like to cast it when I can get 4+ cards and have Cancel mana up. Any time you play a mind spring for less than 4, you just played a jace that can only brainstorm and dies that turn.
I maindeck 1 path and have 0 in the side, the only time I really need instant removal, celestial purge does the job. I only play path when I have to which is usually late game (Or when I'm crop rotationing a man land) and if I'm playing path late game that usually means the spreading seas/edge plan wasn't going to work out. Path definitely isn't played early, by myself at least. Vengevine could change things if he gets used.
I originally had two pyroclasm main instead of bolt and trinket mage #4 but they didn't do much unless I was playing against the mono green monument deck so I figured I'd play the odds game and go for consistency.
Other thoughts: Might run Crystal ball instead of Pilgrim's Eye.
would like to fit a 1 of effigy either maindeck or side but cannon+key might just be better.
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Halimar Depths
4 Island
4 Tectonic Edge
7 Mountain
3 Everflowing Chalice
2 Pilgrim's Eye
4 Cunning Sparkmage
4 Trinket Mage
2 Wurmcoil Engine
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Voltaic Key
3 Lux Cannon
4 Jace, the Mindsculptor
1 Basilisk Collar
4 Stoic Rebuttal
4 Cancel
sb
3 Goblin Ruinblaster
3 Tunnel Ignus
2 Elixir of Immortality
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Volition Reins
3 pyroclasm
Side
I run path as a 1-of as I am usually on the mana denial plan, Vengevine is the only card that might make me up my count if he grows in popularity. I think spreading seas should be in the sideboard if anywhere.
I'm not the biggest Wall of Omens fan, it is a good card but when I'm running 7 maindeck wrath effects I'd rather be on either a treasure hunt or see beyond plan.
*Elspeth and Gideon do this as well usually but not as often as coup. Are they really worth adding more WW costs to the deck?
4 Celestrial Colonnade
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Halimar Depths
4 Islands
4 Plains
4 Tectonic Edge
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Arid Mesa
4 Everflowing Chalice
4 Jace, The Mindsculptor
4 Treasure Hunt
2 Mind Spring
4 Cancel
3 Deprive
2 Negate
4 Day of Judgement
3 Martial Coup
3 Oblivion Ring
1 Path to Exile
Side
4 Flashfreeze
4 Spreading Seas
3 Celestial Purge
2 Luminarch Ascension
1 Deprive
1 Negate
My board looks like this but I maindeck permission
4 Flashfreeze
4 Spreading Seas
3 Celestial Purge
2 Luminarch Acension
1 Negate
1 Deprive
You play the first 1-2 as the best mulldrifters ever, expecting them to be 4 mana brainstorms and then you let them die, this not only keeps the pressure of of you (and maybe even making them use a bolt/pulse on him) but it also "turns on" the rest of the Jaces in your deck.
Jace IS the best card in the deck, he's our Bloodbraid Elf. Us cutting a Jace is the same as jund cutting a BBE.
Mind Spring is good but I find it perfect as a 2 of, I only really like to cast it when I can get 4+ cards and have Cancel mana up. Any time you play a mind spring for less than 4, you just played a jace that can only brainstorm and dies that turn.
4 cancel
4 Deprive
3 Negate
Removal
3 O-Ring
2 Purge
2 martial coup
other boarded cards
2 luminarch
cards I boarded out
4 day
1 path
1 coup
Notes: Deprive is insane against them as it allows you to get rid of spreading seas as part of it's casting cost