Prism is a horrid card... only reason I have considered going back to it was for Praetors Grasp. But the idea seems far to cute and not efficient enough to actually do anything relevant to be honest. Two color does not need them.
As far as the mulligan goes, only during playtesting do I keep with one land in hand, and that is if I have: Gitaxian Probe, IoK/Preordain and a Vault Skirge in hand. Only reason I have ever tried it, because I can probe before a land drop, draw into a land perhaps then go from there with 2 lands letting me either scry 2 with preordain, essentially time walk with a discard effect or drop a vault skirge with 2 open mana on T2 for whatever I find myself with.
Generally hands I look at keeping are ones with Vault Skirge along with either IoK, Preordain, a sword or Tezzeret, because I can plan on curving out. If I do not have Vault Skirge I look for Tezzeret and Spellskite. Really picking your opening hand depends on what you are playing as always, but in general those are what I look for game 1 if I have no idea what I am playing against.
Sideboard coming soon guys!
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- NeoItems
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Member for 14 years
Last active Wed, Sep, 7 2011 01:00:35
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May 20, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)I will try rebuttal's tonight perhaps, since I am running despise as well. We shall see, it will really depend on what I see being ran.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
Overall against the current meta outside of fnm, Stoic would be a good choice for sure though. -
May 19, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)I have not. My biggest issue with jace is that he does not jive with my curve the way I would like him to. Dropping him turn 4 is something I just hate doing to be honest. Utilizing the cheap draw let's me dig early to curve out on a more consistent basis which helps me keep pace with not only aggro but caw blade as well. I love jace and I try him in just about anything, but I am finding him to slowe down on the curve and I sided him out a lot in testing. As I said earlier, I want to fit him in, but I am not getting the vibe this is his home. He is always overshadowed by tezzeret when they are ran together.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
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May 18, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)I want to add jace to the build, I really do. But to be honest, I am feeling like I need him less and less. The probes and preordains make up for him believe it or not. They do not match him, but they do allow me many options because of their cost, and when I need to dig I can do so with Tezzeret.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
Instead of Gambit I am thinking about running Despise. Not 100% sure yet. -
May 17, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)Curving out is how I handle it. If I cannot curve out it is a struggle. I have yet to play the new Caw-Blade but the spot removal in Dismember and Vendetta is degenerate. Stick a Sword of War and Peace onto a dude and landing a Tezzeret is a game sealer. Your MVP's are going to be the spot removal, IoK and Mana Leak. This list plays the control point, unlike my previous Grixis list, meaning sometimes you need to hold that mana back depending on game state.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
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May 16, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)I dropped the edge, mainly because I don't see an overall need for it, I am more worried about being edged myself so I just wanted to smooth it out a little more.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
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May 14, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)Updated for those interested.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
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May 12, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)Spellskite in addition with Sword of War and Peace along with Vault Skirge offer a strong answer to aggro.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
Mana Ramp is no longer needed, we are moving from less of a tap out to something more controlling by dropping that 3rd color.
Jace was something I never felt I needed with Grixis, but I am finding I want more draw power, I might try to rework him in. -
May 8, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)Gambit lets me draw 2 cards for 3 mana and two life, not too bad to pay it also adds counters when I can but that is not really a real focus of the card.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
No testing with Batterskull has been done as of yet. I brought the list here to start giving the community something to start playing with, so feel free to test things and let me know how it goes
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May 8, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0 (NPH)The swords are there to throw on inkmoths and vault skirge. The flying life linker with a sword gives us a large threat for cheap that can offer up quite a few options.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
As for vendetta, it is a 1 cost removal spell for a bit of life, vault skirge and sowap can make up for loss of life. -
Apr 12, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0Opals have been hit and miss. They are powerful when you land one and activate it early on. Late game they just suck to have, and I notice a solid strategy that is kind of hard to deal with is them cutting down your metal craft. I often side out Opals... still not sure about the card to be honest.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
Currently I might take them out for Spell Pierce to be honest. Or Dispel.
Twitch is a card I have been interested in maybe running as a 2 or as well.
Mark is just cheaper and essentially you should be using Mark to put them down on their knees and move in for the kill next turn regardless of them getting the creature back with a +1/+1 counter on it. Instinct was my original choice against Valakut but overall Mark is just better...
I will be playing Grixis Tezzeret in some form at my National Qualifier. I might also be attending Regionals in Seattle this weekend if I can find another person to ride with me there. -
Mar 28, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0Multpiile tectonics hurt early game. Ihave had it happen twice to me in all of my testing though. Most players are not willing to sacrifice 2 lands to destroy two of your lands early on when you have a sphere of the suns to keep you out of the red zone. Your manabase in your hand has to be indirect correlation with what is in your hand as usual. Hitting a T3 play is not hard if you are keeping a good hand.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
I have not tried Crystal Ball. It sounds interesting, I am not sure I would want to toss a 1 drop scry ANS draw spell for it though. Let me know how it works in testing
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Mar 27, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0@SwiftymanPosted in: NeoItems Blog
There are matches when you want to be the controller and there are matches where you want to be the aggressor. The fence on which this deck walks is situated right in middle of the two extremes. Having the ability to turn on a dime when it needs it. For matches where it needs a little more aggression, you mulligan to it. For matches where it needs a little more control, you side for it. Counters are not bad main, but I have found them to be underwhelming against the current meta. Flashfreeze is for the Valakut Match, but their Titans should not scare you as you are needing to be aggressive in the match. Hitting hard early game and switching to control late game is the key here. Mark of Mutiny is the reason why you want a Titan to land as it pushes through extra mid to late game damage. Tumble Magnets are used for the extra turns the Titan is sitting on their side ready to swing.
Shatter is for Caw-Blade, it is also for other Tezzeret Matches, Rogue Infect and Boros. Shatter might be able to come out, but in the matches where it matters it might as well be added spot removal that removes the actual threat, not what becomes the threat.
Baby Jace does not work well in here. Big Jace is mainly used for the -1. He is there to set you up for a slam or two that is about it. Not to mention your curve would rather have you dropping a ramp spell, or a tumble magnet.
@Alhan, I replied to your message -
Mar 26, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0I have never done that, but yes it is doable if you find the situation calling for it. Though I think at that point it is just a win more. Usually they are used to fish out removal before dropping an Inferno Titan.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
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Mar 25, 2011
NeoItems posted a message on Tezzerator 2.0Precursor Golem was my favorite card out of Scars. From the moment I saw it spoiled I had to get 4x foil ones on pre-order.Posted in: NeoItems Blog
The creature is house in this deck. Not only does it force them to remove it, but if they can't you have a 9/3 for 5 that can send Tezzerets ultimate over the edge. 3 Blockers if you need to, AND if you manage to kill the Precursor and leave the tokens behind, the ability which says they are all targeted is then null and void. - To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
So I have been thinking if posting this here is something I should do or not, I have been debating over it for about a week and today decided to post it here. There is a Tezzeret thread, I am fully aware, but I am bringing this list specifically here to attain more focus on not only Tezzeret but U/B in general.
For those who do not visit the Tezzeret thread, I have been toying with the list for some time now and have gone straight U/B with the release of New Phyrexia. Further testing with U/B and U/B Tezzeret has lead me to my decision today and I did not want to blindly post a essentially different Idea in this U/B thread when there was a perfectly good thread dedicated to Tezzeret already, but I am finding that I am leaning more and more towards my Tezzeret list with U/B for a slough of reasons and I am starting to think I am delving into what I consider to be the future of U/B control.
So here is the list.
4x Mana Leak
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Despise
2x Gitaxian Probe
3x Preordain
3x Dismember
4x Vault Skirge
3x Spellskite
2x Phyrexian Metamorph
2x Sword of Body and Mind
2x Sword of War and Peace
4x Darkslick Shores
4x Inkmoth Nexus
3x Tectonic Edge
4x Island
4x Swamp
Now before everyone gets into a tizzy about it, here are some things i am noticing.
Jace 2.0
I am a fan boi... no lie. But I am feeling that when ran along side Tezzeret, he pales in comparison, mainly because Tezzeret does force you to play artifacts. With New Phyrexia I am finding his ability to dig deeper for answers far more relevant then Jaces abilities when it comes to how the deck functions.
I do however, find myself working further and further away from the initial focus around Tezzeret, another reason why I am bringing the list here for input and initial feedback. Tezzeret is amazing, but when he is removed the deck loses focus and falls apart, which is why I started rounding out the shell to still function without him.
The removal of Jace is not one of budget so much as functionality. I played him in my Grixis list and I played him hard in my U/B, but I am finding the answers I generally need with this list are found with Tezzeret of my 1 CC draw spells.
Grave Titan
I cannot tell you how many ways I have tried fitting this Monstrosity in here. I am just not finding room for him and his usefulness does not fit the toolbox I have meshed into the list. I am still seeking ways to get him into the list as a 2 of at least but to no avail thus far.
Vault Skirge
The biggest argument against him is that without Tezzeret he is a 1/1. The second is that he does not get past a bird with Sword of Feast and Famine.
Vault Skirge is easily my biggest win condition, he is generally what seals the game even as a 1/1 if you manage to stick a sword on him the game is usually over for the simple fact that on top of the swords abilities, you are able to gain 3 life along side it making him a power house. I had a T3 Vengevine hit followed by a T4 Sword on him and i managed to stick a sword of war and peace on the vault skirge making him a 3/3 and my opponent could not keep up simply because of the lifegain skirge had along side the swords abilities.
Not to mention a hawk with a blade (whatever blade it is) fails to keep pace.
He wins games. With Tezzeret or without him. Simple as that.
that being said, I wanted to bring the list here for more focused input mainly from the U/B players as the Tezzeret thread is a mess and is mainly just variations of lists being tossed around and I am still actively working on taking the list away from focusing on Tezzeret as a whole
Not having red leaves me feeling king of helpless against kuldotha. Game 2 even. I just miss the speed of pyroclasm or slagstorm.
That aside I was happy with the main, side I felt I had some useless cards against mono black control, having to worry abou Obliterator and Shade sucks, I might remove memoricide from my sb in favor of extraction and make room for more dismember and maybe some hard counter like mental misstep. I will post my match breakdown later. My real legit loss was to kuldotha red.
Might as well start looking at Myr Superion then...
Personally I think the Architect is cute... but that is about it. Despite what most people think, I personally believe that Grand Architect and Tezzeret do not really Jive with each other very well.
So? Phyrexian Revoker does the same thing, is just as easy to kill and is a cheaper answer overall to the same issues... Paying excessive amounts of mana is forcing you to Pay more into removing something then you need to. A general rule of thumb is that your removal should not cost more then what you are removing. Hex parasite is bad removal for all intents and purposes
Hex Parasite?... why? Other then the fact that it is a 1 drop artifact I see nothing really going for it. To be honest, I think Hex Parasite is a sad excuse for Planeswalker Removal.
61 cards is not that outrageous... If you notice, two draw spells in me deck are free to cast so essentially I am running a 59 card deck. As far as my land count goes, not only is my curve small, but I also utilize Phyrexian mana which let's me flex with my curve when I need to.
Yeah... exactly. Sorry but those two cards kill your tap out plan. And they see play where it counts.
Haha.. yeah I am sorry, I thought it was Paper Magic that really counted.
All sarcasm aside, the decks I listed are from a 5k which, is actually very relevant even if it was just a day after the set's initial release. From this 5k, lists will form consistency. Caw-Blade is packing Spell Pierce and IoK in some the most popular variant. Deciever Twin is the expected deck, they pack not only IoK but Duress... 7 1 casting cost discard spells to trap you when you want to start taping out for a stupid curve like that of what you are suggesting.
Bottom line is, is that every deck you should be expecting right not, is going to have a very viable way to puncture your seal within your tap out plan. Sorry but we are in developing competitive, the nonsense you are suggesting is not really valid in that it is a strategy which lacks consistency but also a general game plan for others to use, it really contributes nothing to the thread.
I don't mean to dog on you but in reality, the approach you are suggesting, is atrocious and even counter productive to be honest.
Yeah... I suppose you are right. I am sorry, I was thinking people were playing Spell Pierce and Inquisition as a 4 of now days. Besides, Blue and Black are the weakest colors in standard right now anyways...
Yes, you are in christmas land. Such a play will roll over to Deciever Twin, Valakut is NEVER going to let Tezzeret actually sit through an upkeep on your end, Caw Blade is not going to let you tap out 5 turns in a row, RUG is going to kill Tezzeret before you get through an upkeep with him as well.
Your game plan is one to be used in magical christmas land or against HORRID players at an FNM. Simple as that.
You are missing either how the game actually works, viable strategy or something...
Tezzeret's Ultimate is something I have always only eve found useful in situations where it is easier to just drop artifact after artifact. Now days, the deck has become so much more reactive then it has been in the past. Playing like that is going to cause you to lose many games. Reactiveness is what Tezzeret has needed since Paris, and it is now getting it.
Poison may go against the grain when it comes to a plan which uses damage to win, but you have to keep in mind if you get to the point where you are able to equip Inkmoth's and protect them, the game is essentially sealed and they are on a small clock. a bladed inkmoth is as good as a 6/6 flyer that goes un-answered. meshing in an alternate win condition like that allows players to play around things like memoricide, which is something past Tezzeret Decks have had to worry about, which is the reason Koth was even ran in the list back before New Phyrexia.
Tezzeret's Ultimate is an opportunistic ability, beyond that it is virtually useless when you are running cards to push a MUCH more stable game plan through.
As far as needing Pieces for the deck to be good (as someone mentioned), You are playing a control game, you have time, if you do not have time, make time. Everything you need is in 2 piece combinations which vary. VS and Tez, Tez and inkmoth, Sword and inkmoth, sword and Vault skirge, sword and spellskite, spellskite and tezzeret. You should not have a problem setting yourself up for the win.
As far as probe goes, it is working well as a 2 of along side 3 preordains for me... perfectly in fact. Only think I might change is Tezzeret's Gambit, which I might drop in favor of counter or discard.
Sounds way to far fetched. Sure it can happen. But if you are not staring at caw blade, you are staring at something else. Plays like that are disrupted often and consistently. That white steed you are on is actually a unicorn, and that plane you are in is not Mirrodin, it is magical christmas land.
I playtested Precursor to no end, I have been playing him hard since Paris. He is strong, but his application is becoming increasingly limited as New Phyrexia sets in. There are just better cards to run for not only consistency but as well as overall strength. Sure, Vault Skirge does die to burn, but he also drops late game for one, making him SO easy to put a sword on in the same turn, even 2 swords. I get 5/5 flying life linking pro 4 color dude for 5 mana, who is a lot harder to remove then a Precursor Golem. Skirge is weak without swords or Tezzeret, but he combats aggro well, specially when complimented with spot removal and Spellskite. He works with the rest of the deck like a well oiled machine. Golem is out of my list, and he is out for good because my extensive testing has proven him to be less effective then he had previously been, even when sitting next to a Spellskite. Tezzeret's ultimate has also lost face with me because it is by far his weakest ability when it comes to general play. As a finisher it is amazing, against aggro it is amazing, but when it comes to the decks over all function and game plan, it is his weakest without a doubt.
Baneslayer was also only the price she was because she was shafted when it came to her print run... It is easy to expect a price drop when a card is in such high demand and low supply and gets a reprint.
Such a poor argument for the inclusion of precurser golem. Tezzeret's ultimate is a game ended for sure, but his weakest ability by far in tue long run of things. Battlesphere is a way stronger booster to Tezzeret's ultimate in that it leaves dudes behind when he leaves play. Both I feel are very weak options for tezzeret because their utility is rather sub par and both are shaky win conditions for their cost to effectiveness
Precursor Golem, while being a house, is losing face to be honest. It hardly compares to Phyrexian Metamorph which is far better in that 2 of slot. Sure he does not put out extra guys but he gives you so many toolbox options that blue has never really had before (in creatures) that it is just sickening.
My 2 cents is that Precursor Golem no longer has a home with Tezzeret unless you are maind decking something like Turn Aside, which is a horrid card.
I also have animated swords as well, just so I could smash into a Jace that came down on their T3 on the play. Why wouldn't I animate a sword and smash it into a totally unprotected Jace on my T4? Tezzeret is safe meaning I can dig for another sword next turn if need be, or even a magnet to beat in for 5 if I can.
Sure it does. I have not had to put a sword on it.
I am curious why you would be really needing a bladed spellskite anyways. If you need the damage to go through, you are then not really needing to have anything redirected at spellskite anyways. If it is bladed and they are trying to kill it with something it does not have protection from then they are moving their focus to spellskite anyways.
So you are then making a choice between what you want to protect, or a bladed spellskite. Pick one. The situation in which you have a bladed spellskite and need to protect something seems like you are going to either be protecting Tezzeret, or another bladed creature in which case a chunk of the time the removal being used on the other dude is illegal anyways, and if Tezzeret is out you should have a 7/7 pro 2 color beefy spellskite... let tezz die, you should be fine without him at such a point.
Sure, it does ruin the point of spellskite, but in the scheme of things, if you are actually blading a spellskite then you are about to win anyways, or should be. Just by voiding the purpose of spellskite does not mean you are voiding it's use in general. You either get a magnet in spellskite or a beater, take your pick.