This is a home brew I am playing with that focuses on using Prowess and Heroic go get ahead in each match. I play to use the Strike to tie down creatures, and the other cards to get through or strike back and block some threats that get in my way.
I'm liking this build, though with the version I'm going to to try (inspired by this one) uses more control and ads blue. I want to be able to counter, and in the case of creatures blue them up with verdict or my black removal. I am also running two Aetherling to help with threats. Here's my list:
Went 3 and 1 at my local FNM with it. Lost to a weird beast tribal deck. Got land screwed game 1, and then i won game two. Lost in the third to Cavern. I never saw it the other games, and i sided in a ton of control for his Beast-Tribal-Aggro Deck. So much for that. All the other decks were easy to match.
Me and the local Card Shop guy (bless his soul) were able to work out a deal and cleaned a chunk of my binder out to finish off this deck for the most part. I know this deck now will no longer fit the bill (I had my doubts before) to be in the budget forum. After the mass cleansing my collection went through budget is all I have!
So here's the new list. Played well in my test runs with a friend that followed me, but the big test is FNM this coming week. Wish me luck, and here it is:
Round 1: vs Acidic Slime/Armada Wurm Aggro
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I lost, and fast. He ramped into an accidic slime and killed my one red source, preventing my top deck burn. He flickered it to destroy another land and did the same. Game two, same thing. Only worse since I had the issue of being land screwed.
Result: 2-0
Round 2: vs Goblins
======
Game one, lost it to a swarm of small angry goblins, I held back to long and lost the race, and couldn't pull up mortars or supreme verdict. Game three, I burned and blew up most of his creatures and destroyed a few via counter spell.
Result: 2-1
Round 3: vs BW Exalted
======
Easy win, both games he was mana screwed, but made fair comebacks. I was able to keep him from amounting creatures for an offensive. I used Dragongenius to seal the deal and poke him to death game three.
Result: 2-0
Round 4: vs Grixis
======
Radkos Return made hell of my hand. However, I had less luck here and had to work from it game one. I came to win game two via a strong start and a handful of powerful counters.
Result: 2-0
The Results were good. Through the night I pulled a Rewind which I put in in the place of an angel for now, but I'm going to take out a Syncopate instead. I also was able to trade a stack of rares to get a Thundermaw, which I switched wtih a Dracogenius.
Me and one of my friends chatted about my list for a bit, taking into accound some of the ideas here that I was given. Thank you guys a bunch. We concluded my weakness was late game drops that could make a difference. We voted on either hypersonic dragon or dracogenius for the finisher. While higher cost and slower, genius lets me draw cards and such that hypersonic doesn't allow for. So here's the list we concocted using your guys input as well!
Well Traft was a left over card from my old blue white aggro I was running, so that's the only reason such a card hit my build. I don't know if powering up the guttersnipe is the way to go for sure yet or not. Most games end up with me not dropping a creature till turn 5+ because I kill off most decks steam.
Have you never heard of removal cards? Like Oblivion Ring, DoJ, Dispatch, Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, Shatter, and Naturalize? What about bouncers like Vapor Snag or Unsummon? You can follow those with counters to prevent them from playing it again.
You have to be inventive. The most expensive card there is DoJ which you can get for like 2 or 3 bucks depending where you look.
Seriously? The sets are not over-powered, they're just aged. Which means players have used them a lot and have the experience and resources to take advantage of the cards.
Honestly I like to use the Reckoning most when I have my Lord of the Unreal or Mirran Crusader down with the Angelic Overseer. She is a nice card to have out. Saves a hitter and a lord. She's also nice to clone with too for damage and effect. I'm thinking of main boarding her in exchange for the Titan and the Dragon. More bang for my buck I think.
DoJ is just nice to sweeping. There are times I don't want them to keep ANYHING! Hense the DoJ in the side. I love both cards effects. Whatever take I'm going at I have a sweeper, plus it allows me to have 4 of them in there for some of the pesky tokken decks in my meta that give me trouble with floods.
I had to look up what Netdecking was, and I'm not netdecking. I like the idea of playing a nice and competive deck, but I still like to see people playing around with the list a bit to add some fun to it. I know the goal is to win, and play the best cards, but I've seen some decks that are just meant to be fun ruin top decks. I saw a neat Kiln Fiend Deck pre-rotation take out Caw-Blade 2-0. I just like to see people try some new stuff. Sorry if my comments were out of place on this forum and offended anyone. Just putting in my two cents.
It's sad to see Illusions fall out, if that happens. Knight fell off the Radar, but I still kept playing them and taking on some of the best local decks (many of which were competitive deck lists from here and other websites).
Rogue decks make me happy they usually remind me of what a magic player should be, someone who gives zero ****s about what deck is the best and come up with something they like =]
I totally Agree with you. That is my only real problem with the game. It's all about money cards and zero originality in play. I like something fun and interesting not the same old calculated winning.
Here's the updated Illusion build I'm test running right now. Did okay against a local States Top 8 Geist Deck. He won, but damn did I give him trouble. I also did nice against a Green/White tokken deck and destroyed an RDW somehow.
Here's the list:
1 Evolving Wilds
3 Flooded Strand
3 Island
1 Mountain
3 Plains
4 Shivan Reef
3 Temple of Enlightenment
4 Battlewise Hoplite
3 Heliod's Pilgrim
3 Mantis Rider
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Seeker of the Way
4 Defiant Strike
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Dig Through Time
4 Jeskai Charm
4 Singing Bell Strike
1 Spectra Ward
4 Judge's Familiar
4 Dryad Militant
3 Civic Saber
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Essance Scatter
2 Render Silent
3 Pacifism
2 Doom Blade
4 Quicken
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Hero's Downfall
3 Supreme Verdict
2 Azorius Charm
1 Grim Return
3 Plains
3 Islands
1 Temple of Deceit
4 Watery Grave
1 Temple of Silence
4 Godless Shrine
4 Hallowed Fountain
I love how this thing works out.
Thanks! I'll let you guys know how it works out for me. It's been playing great, now to see how it actually performs.
So here's the new list. Played well in my test runs with a friend that followed me, but the big test is FNM this coming week. Wish me luck, and here it is:
4 Clifftop Retreat
3 Evolving Wilds
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Island
2 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Slayers' Stronghold
3 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
Creatures
4 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Auger of Bolas
4 Restoration Angel
3 Thundermaw hellkite
2 Azorius Charm
1 Rewind
2 Detention Sphere
1 counterflux
2 Essence Scatter
2 Mizzium Mortars
3 Pillar of Flame
2 Searing Spear
1 Syncopate
4 Think Twice
1 Supreme Verdict
2 Feeling of Dread
1 Pithing Needle
2 Rest in Peace
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Detention Sphere
1 Pilar of Flame
2 Redirect
1 Syncopate
1 Essence Scatter
2 Cyclonic Rift
1 Searing Spear
1 Mizzium Mortars
Let me know what you think, and thank you all for the help. I really appreciate it!
Round 1: vs Acidic Slime/Armada Wurm Aggro
======
I lost, and fast. He ramped into an accidic slime and killed my one red source, preventing my top deck burn. He flickered it to destroy another land and did the same. Game two, same thing. Only worse since I had the issue of being land screwed.
Result: 2-0
Round 2: vs Goblins
======
Game one, lost it to a swarm of small angry goblins, I held back to long and lost the race, and couldn't pull up mortars or supreme verdict. Game three, I burned and blew up most of his creatures and destroyed a few via counter spell.
Result: 2-1
Round 3: vs BW Exalted
======
Easy win, both games he was mana screwed, but made fair comebacks. I was able to keep him from amounting creatures for an offensive. I used Dragongenius to seal the deal and poke him to death game three.
Result: 2-0
Round 4: vs Grixis
======
Radkos Return made hell of my hand. However, I had less luck here and had to work from it game one. I came to win game two via a strong start and a handful of powerful counters.
Result: 2-0
The Results were good. Through the night I pulled a Rewind which I put in in the place of an angel for now, but I'm going to take out a Syncopate instead. I also was able to trade a stack of rares to get a Thundermaw, which I switched wtih a Dracogenius.
4 Clifftop Retreat
1 Desolate Lighthouse
2 Evolving Wilds
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Island
2 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Slayers' Stronghold
3 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
Creatures
4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Auger of Bolas
4 Restoration Angel
2 Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
3 Azorius Charm
2 Detention Sphere
1 Entreat the Angels
2 Essence Scatter
2 Mizzium Mortars
3 Pillar of Flame
2 Searing Spear
2 Syncopate
4 Think Twice
3 supreme verdict
2 rest in peace
2 ash zealout
1 mizzium mortars
1 pillar of flame
1 searing spear
2 cyclonic rift
2 unsummon
1 essence scatter
Hoping to run this tomorrow night!
Sadly, my control match ups don't end well.
4 Clifftop Retreat
1 Desolate Lighthouse
2 Evolving Wilds
3 Glacial Fortress
2 Island
2 Mountain
3 Plains
1 Slayers' Stronghold
3 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
4 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Guttersnipe
4 Restoration Angel
Spells
3 Azorius Charm
2 Detention Sphere
1 Entreat the Angels
2 Essence Scatter
3 Mizzium Mortars
4 Pillar of Flame
3 Searing Spear
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Syncopate
4 Think Twice
I'm back and fourth about using Entreat the Angels, and Guttersnipe in my build.
You have to be inventive. The most expensive card there is DoJ which you can get for like 2 or 3 bucks depending where you look.
Seriously? The sets are not over-powered, they're just aged. Which means players have used them a lot and have the experience and resources to take advantage of the cards.
DoJ is just nice to sweeping. There are times I don't want them to keep ANYHING! Hense the DoJ in the side. I love both cards effects. Whatever take I'm going at I have a sweeper, plus it allows me to have 4 of them in there for some of the pesky tokken decks in my meta that give me trouble with floods.
It's sad to see Illusions fall out, if that happens. Knight fell off the Radar, but I still kept playing them and taking on some of the best local decks (many of which were competitive deck lists from here and other websites).
I totally Agree with you. That is my only real problem with the game. It's all about money cards and zero originality in play. I like something fun and interesting not the same old calculated winning.
Here's the updated Illusion build I'm test running right now. Did okay against a local States Top 8 Geist Deck. He won, but damn did I give him trouble. I also did nice against a Green/White tokken deck and destroyed an RDW somehow.
So Here it is:
1 Sun Titan
4 Phantasmal Dragon
4 Mirran Crusader
4 Phantasmal Image
4 Lord of the Unreal
4 Phantasmal Bear
Other Spells:
2 Gideon Jura
2 Devine Reckoning
4 Oblivion Ring
4 Mana Leak
4 Ponder
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Seachrome Coast
2 Moorland Haunt
8 Island
5 Plains
2 Angelic Overseer
2 Day of Judgement
3 Timely Reinforcements
3 Mental Mistep
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Aegis Angel
1 Paraselene
I don't like just calling it W/U Illusions. So I'm pondering names right now. I like to be creative with them.