LOL, I don't think 5 card combos are going to break standard anytime soon. Way too much spot removal being played these days. Fun tines at the kitchen table though
Have you talked to your playgroup about it? I mean, most people are flexible with these kind of things, especially EDH. If you want to use Chaos orb, I don't see why they wouldn't let you, it's not like it's a sanctioned format. Banned lists are not mandatory in casual games. Have your fun, man!
Lol, Hidden Strings was in my list like 45 pages ago, mabey more... "new tech" indeed. But really, it is a "free" spell and allows you to keep up your mana, which is exactly what this deck wants. I run 3 myself.
My first deck was a R\B goblins deck during Lorwyn. Quite janky really but my friends were building jank as well, and mine was slightly less janky than theirs, lol. Once I started understanding the game better, I moved on to a discard deck revolving around Megrim and Burning Inquiry and Blightning. Not much better, but it was much more focused, and the look on peoples faces at FNM when I hit them for 13 on turn 4 was awesome! I then moved on to WW for a long time, with varying success( Quest for the Holy Relic was fun for turn 2 concessions!). I now run Izzet with Guttersnipe, Young Pyromancer, and Spellheart Chimera, and I also have a G/W tokenish deck as well.
Me and a friend just came back from our local shop's gameday. I ran an Izzit deck and he was on Boros. With help from another Boros deck, the 3 of us took down the hydra on turn 4, starting at normal (3 heads to start). It's not difficult if you're packing some burn for sure. Another group of 3 did it on turn 3 (!). Good times were had for sure.
Anyone else have any clean (or dirty) solutions to big dumb creatures?
If I can't figure out something effective (if Curse doesn't work out well), I've thought about splashing black for Dreadbore and Doomblade and Thoughtseize. Now that's a worthy reason to splash a third color. These would have to replace some burn, but you still get all the triggers.
I've thought about this as well. I may try it out before Friday to see how I like it.
I almost always offer a friendly handshake after a match. It's just the polite thing to do, but if someone appears bitter about a bad loss due to mana screw or whatnot, it's acceptable to not offer one. Oh, and I wonder how many of these "Germophobes" think about wiping down the doorhandle upon enetring their LGS, or the table they are playing on, or any other surface they might have come into contact with, lol. It always strikes me as funny when they are like that and still come to a social event like FNM. No offence, but it seems like MTGO might be your thing if you are afflicted with Germophobia.
Chipher is encoded to a creature and becomes the creatures ability. You copy the spell but you dont cast it. The copy can be countered by regular counter target spell disruption.
On Guttersnipe and Young Pyromaster it says: When you cast a spell......
Therefore the encoded spell does not trigger Snipe or Pyro.
@Nafix
I play a heavy burn package so I tend to blow a removal or two early to keep the pressure off, waiting for a skin to protect my YP or snipe, but I am thinking of testing out the weird as 4 toughness is very attractive against aggro. Here's my list for the curious:
Aqueous form has been doing pretty well as a form of evasion for the cypher copies, but I agree with needing more 1 mana spells. I considered Mizzium Skin, but if I'm just using it to protect a guy I feel Dispel would be better as it can take care of many other problem spells as well. Also after playing with Syncopate a while I generally always use it as a Force Spike so maybe that RTR block counters for X where X is your highest creature's power might serve better? I'm also not too sold on Voyage's End and I feel I might need some card draw? WTB the U/R scry land already!
I like the fact that you can overload Mizzium Skin for a mere 2 mana, and it deals with sorcery speed spells as well (I'm looking at you Mizzium Mortars). I never cared for that counter though, most of our creatuers have a small power, so they can pay for it alot of times. I do run Dispel in the SB for Sphinx's Revelation and other control type decks.
I made a thread about a variation to this deck with Hidden Strings and Hands of Binding and it worked out pretty well tonight at my local Win-a-Box tourney which if pretty competitive. I went 2-2 though some of my losses were due to my own bad plays having only really played the deck for a few days. Here is my current list:
I'm considering trying to add black for Thoughtseize to take out early creatures or removal and possibly adding Read the Bones? Also having access to Doom Blade, Dreadbore, and Rakdos' Return might not be bad, but I guess now I'm running the risk of losing some of the focus?
Nivmagus Elemental also warrants mention as that has single handedly won me games time and time again...It's interaction with Cypher copies is sick and it quickly gets out of hand, plus as an added bonus the copies are still "cast" before being exiled to the Elemental so you still trigger Pyro and Gutter.
Yeah I ran Nivmagus Elemental as well early on in the decks lifespan, but I found no evasion means he gets chumped alot, but he was ok I guess. The cipher interaction is nice though. I really feel you need some amount of Mizzium Skin in your 75 to keep Guttersnipe or Young Pyromancer around though. I like to have as many one mana spells as possible in here to maximize your potential when going off. It should be noted I don't play Goblin Electromancer though. Weapon Surge is another card I haven't seen mentioned here either, it plays well on offence and defense with the first strike. Overloading it for another blocker and giving all your dudes first strike and +1 power can make for some suprising blowouts when they swing into your YP and a few tokens.
some good discussion on the archetype in here... has anyone thought about Hidden Strings in this deck? Tapping down a blocker or two, or untapping land to play another spell can be really good with a Young Pyromancer or Guttersnipe on the field.
I am a bit of a budget player as you can see, but I'm trying to make the best of what I have. I'd like to run Burning Earth without taking too much damage from my own lands, should I drop the guildgate count a bit?
I only count 58 cards in your main... and 20 land is a bit light without Goblin Electromancer I would think. I run 22 myself without it. Also, I think Mizzium Skin ought to be in your main somewhere as opposed to the SB, these kind of decks are weak enough to spot removal without a MB way to stop Doom Blade and friends.
i build this type of deck with ciphers.. noob question > if i have a guttersnipe in battlefield and my hidden strings is attached to my nivix cyclops and did attack.. will the guttersnipe trigger the 2 damage to each opponent when my cyclops dealt damage this turn?
Yep, as long as the cyclops deals damage to a player, you get another Guttersnipe trigger, and you may tap/untap 2 perms (I usually untap lands )
I've thought about this as well. I may try it out before Friday to see how I like it.
nope, you may cast the copy.
I play a heavy burn package so I tend to blow a removal or two early to keep the pressure off, waiting for a skin to protect my YP or snipe, but I am thinking of testing out the weird as 4 toughness is very attractive against aggro. Here's my list for the curious:
4x Guttersnipe
2x Spellheart Chimera
4x Shock
2x Lightning Strike
3x Mizzium Mortars
4x Mizzium Skin
3x Weapon Surge
3x Hidden Strings
2x Turn//Burn
3x Inspiration
1x Divination
4x Steam Vents
4x Izzet Guildgate
8x Mountain
6x Island
I like the fact that you can overload Mizzium Skin for a mere 2 mana, and it deals with sorcery speed spells as well (I'm looking at you Mizzium Mortars). I never cared for that counter though, most of our creatuers have a small power, so they can pay for it alot of times. I do run Dispel in the SB for Sphinx's Revelation and other control type decks.
Yeah I ran Nivmagus Elemental as well early on in the decks lifespan, but I found no evasion means he gets chumped alot, but he was ok I guess. The cipher interaction is nice though. I really feel you need some amount of Mizzium Skin in your 75 to keep Guttersnipe or Young Pyromancer around though. I like to have as many one mana spells as possible in here to maximize your potential when going off. It should be noted I don't play Goblin Electromancer though. Weapon Surge is another card I haven't seen mentioned here either, it plays well on offence and defense with the first strike. Overloading it for another blocker and giving all your dudes first strike and +1 power can make for some suprising blowouts when they swing into your YP and a few tokens.
I only count 58 cards in your main... and 20 land is a bit light without Goblin Electromancer I would think. I run 22 myself without it. Also, I think Mizzium Skin ought to be in your main somewhere as opposed to the SB, these kind of decks are weak enough to spot removal without a MB way to stop Doom Blade and friends.
ECM
Yep, as long as the cyclops deals damage to a player, you get another Guttersnipe trigger, and you may tap/untap 2 perms (I usually untap lands )
ECM