@SpookyGoose
Results from GP Bilbao also interesting, and I don't know the lists of those Spirit decks, but I'm betting they ran 2-3 Stony and if they did, it didn't seem to matter much...
"Spirits went:
5-0 versus Mill (100%)
3-10 versus Hardened Scales (23.1%)
2-9 versus Affinity (18.2%)"
Deputy of Detention has been great in testing so far. Perfect colors, answers lots of things we previously could not deal with and it opens sideboard space because we have 2 copies of a creature D-Sphere. I am on Bant, so I am running 2 Path/2 Reflector/2 Deputy.
note: Tocatli Honor Guard is increasingly popular and that card does hose us and Humans pretty hard.
I thought about, and sort of like, the 12 1 drop creatures. 19 lands is a bit greedy given the sideboard (that CMC goes up quite a bit and I would prefer more counter to Melody), and I still have reservations about the mix of 21 spells, since only 2 Dive Down seems light, but i can say that looking at all of the Esper Control, Esper Midrange, and Sultai Midrange. On the other hand, if the top of your curve is 3 and you run 6 draw spells + Obsession, maybe 19 is all you need. I'd be curious to hear if he had mana issues.
Sadly, the best result in the Open proper was Kat Light 52nd Place at StarCityGames.com Open on 1/26/2019 Standard
I have to say, I really, really do not like Biomancer in the deck. No evasion is a huge problem. However, swap the Biomancers and Quenches for 4 Mist-Cloaked and you have almost the same 60. This build is even more all-in on Ptreramander with 18 creatures and 23 spells.
What I would love to hear from both of them is how they did against 1) Mono-R and Mono-W/Azorius Aggro Matches and 2) Esper/Sultai Midrange.
@magic_geek
Ok, you win. Has to be Mono-U to work. I've gotten tire of protecting Deputy of Detention and losing 1-2 damage on Djinn.
I think I am still running 3 Spell Pierce main, but only because I am only going to run 2 Sphinx and 3 Opt, with a Chart in the sideboard for the control-y matches.
The most disappointing card that still needs to be in the deck is Pteramander. Flying just isn't unblockable. On the other hand, I don't know the right mix. 3/1 Mist-Cloaked/Pteramander is what I am testing.
...The deck that went 10 -0 is an exception to this.
His deck has TWELVE unique cards in it's sideboard.
Of those 12 cards, Karn is a unique outlier, and Jace is mentioned only on page 1.
(I mentioned wanting an Island in the board, but didn't do it.)
Firstly, thanks for the Jace breakdown. It seems surprisingly strong in this deck.
Secondly, while he runs 12 unique cards in the SB, notice how many of them are simply +N of an effect already in the maindeck:
+1 Sleep
+1 Spell Pierce
+1 Warkite
+2 Exclusion Mage
+1 Island
Even the other additional counterspells are just more or less +4 Wizard's Retort.
Overall, 8 of those cards (for a total of 10 actual cards) are just additional copies of main deck cards. So 1-ofs make sense in that setting, since they are often +1/+2 of an existing effect. Very smart execution.
It's an interesting list. The deck also has 3 Opt not listed there.
I have to say, I absolutely hateNightveil Sprite, Surveil or no Surveil. 1/2 flyer for 2 feels super lackluster quite often, but high-value flying 2 drops are in short supply.
I love Exclusion Mage because getting cards out of the way is good and I love upping our Wizard count, but CMC 3 is a bit tough main deck and can be a bit of a tempo buzz-kill.
Removing any Mist-Cloaked Herald seems like a mistake, an early 1 drop is too important.
Sideboard is not amazing, but I like trying out Selective Snare for Tokens, Knights, and Angels. It is a "Finish Them!" move, not really a tempo move. You don't want to use this unless you are dead next turn or getting their blockers out of the way to finish them off, in which case at Sorcery Speed, I'm not sure it isn't a bit redundant with Sleep, just possibly a little cheaper if you only need to move 1 creature.
Here is what feels like the core of the deck, based on how everyone is reporting their results, which only leaves a few slots.
1
Results from GP Bilbao also interesting, and I don't know the lists of those Spirit decks, but I'm betting they ran 2-3 Stony and if they did, it didn't seem to matter much...
"Spirits went:
5-0 versus Mill (100%)
3-10 versus Hardened Scales (23.1%)
2-9 versus Affinity (18.2%)"
1
Mono-Blue Aggro
Alexander Hayne
1st Place Arena Traditional Ladder
4 Merfolk Trickster
3 Mist-Cloaked Herald
4 Pteramander
4 Siren Stormtamer
4 Tempest Djinn
Lands (19)
19 Island
Spells (22)
4 Curious Obsession
1 Blink of an Eye
2 Dive Down
1 Essence Capture
4 Opt
3 Spell Pierce
4 Wizard's Retort
3 Chart a Course
2 Exclusion Mage
2 Faerie Duelist
3 Surge Mare
2 Deep Freeze
3 Negate
1 Search for Azcanta
2 Entrancing Melody
1
note: Tocatli Honor Guard is increasingly popular and that card does hose us and Humans pretty hard.
1
4 Merfolk Trickster
4 Mist-Cloaked Herald
4 Pteramander
4 Siren Stormtamer
4 Tempest Djinn
Lands (19)
19 Island
4 Curious Obsession
2 Dive Down
3 Essence Capture
4 Opt
2 Spell Pierce
4 Wizard's Retort
2 Chart a Course
1 Diamond Mare
2 Exclusion Mage
2 Blink of an Eye
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dive Down
2 Negate
1 Spell Pierce
1 Jace, Cunning Castaway
2 Entrancing Melody
2 Sleep
I thought about, and sort of like, the 12 1 drop creatures. 19 lands is a bit greedy given the sideboard (that CMC goes up quite a bit and I would prefer more counter to Melody), and I still have reservations about the mix of 21 spells, since only 2 Dive Down seems light, but i can say that looking at all of the Esper Control, Esper Midrange, and Sultai Midrange. On the other hand, if the top of your curve is 3 and you run 6 draw spells + Obsession, maybe 19 is all you need. I'd be curious to hear if he had mana issues.
Sadly, the best result in the Open proper was Kat Light 52nd Place at StarCityGames.com Open on 1/26/2019 Standard
2 Benthic Biomancer
4 Merfolk Trickster
4 Pteramander
4 Siren Stormtamer
4 Tempest Djinn
Lands (19)
19 Island
Spells (23)
4 Curious Obsession
3 Dive Down
2 Essence Capture
4 Opt
2 Quench
2 Spell Pierce
4 Wizard's Retort
2 Chart a Course
4 Diamond Mare
2 Exclusion Mage
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dive Down
2 Negate
2 Entrancing Melody
2 Sleep
I have to say, I really, really do not like Biomancer in the deck. No evasion is a huge problem. However, swap the Biomancers and Quenches for 4 Mist-Cloaked and you have almost the same 60. This build is even more all-in on Ptreramander with 18 creatures and 23 spells.
What I would love to hear from both of them is how they did against 1) Mono-R and Mono-W/Azorius Aggro Matches and 2) Esper/Sultai Midrange.
1
Ok, you win. Has to be Mono-U to work. I've gotten tire of protecting Deputy of Detention and losing 1-2 damage on Djinn.
I think I am still running 3 Spell Pierce main, but only because I am only going to run 2 Sphinx and 3 Opt, with a Chart in the sideboard for the control-y matches.
The most disappointing card that still needs to be in the deck is Pteramander. Flying just isn't unblockable. On the other hand, I don't know the right mix. 3/1 Mist-Cloaked/Pteramander is what I am testing.
1
Firstly, thanks for the Jace breakdown. It seems surprisingly strong in this deck.
Secondly, while he runs 12 unique cards in the SB, notice how many of them are simply +N of an effect already in the maindeck:
+1 Sleep
+1 Spell Pierce
+1 Warkite
+2 Exclusion Mage
+1 Island
Even the other additional counterspells are just more or less +4 Wizard's Retort.
Overall, 8 of those cards (for a total of 10 actual cards) are just additional copies of main deck cards. So 1-ofs make sense in that setting, since they are often +1/+2 of an existing effect. Very smart execution.
I would also like to see a sideboard plan.
1
4 Drogskol Captain
1 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Phantasmal Image
1 Rattlechains
3 Reflector Mage
2 Selfless Spirit
4 Spell Queller
4 Supreme Phantom
Instant (6)
4 Collected Company
2 Path to Exile
Artifact (3)
3 Aether Vial
3 Botanical Sanctum
1 Breeding Pool
1 Cavern of Souls
3 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
1 Hallowed Fountain
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Moorland Haunt
1 Plains
1 Temple Garden
2 Windswept Heath
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dromoka's Command
2 Knight of Autumn
3 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Unified Will
1 Worship
2
20 lands, 29 creatures, very aggressive manabase to shove in a few more creatures.
1
I have to say, I absolutely hate Nightveil Sprite, Surveil or no Surveil. 1/2 flyer for 2 feels super lackluster quite often, but high-value flying 2 drops are in short supply.
I love Exclusion Mage because getting cards out of the way is good and I love upping our Wizard count, but CMC 3 is a bit tough main deck and can be a bit of a tempo buzz-kill.
Removing any Mist-Cloaked Herald seems like a mistake, an early 1 drop is too important.
I would be tempted to drop the Chart a Course and 1 Mage for 1 Herald, 1 Opt, and 1 Nightveil Sprite.
Sideboard is not amazing, but I like trying out Selective Snare for Tokens, Knights, and Angels. It is a "Finish Them!" move, not really a tempo move. You don't want to use this unless you are dead next turn or getting their blockers out of the way to finish them off, in which case at Sorcery Speed, I'm not sure it isn't a bit redundant with Sleep, just possibly a little cheaper if you only need to move 1 creature.
Here is what feels like the core of the deck, based on how everyone is reporting their results, which only leaves a few slots.
20 Island
Creatures 16
4 Merfolk Trickster
4 Mist-cloaked Herald
4 Siren Stormtamer
4 Tempest Djinn
4 Curious Obsession
4 Opt
4 Dive Down
4 Spell Pierce
4 Wizard's Retort
1
Major Note: 0 Rattlechains. Completely disruption + acceleration. It is pretty darn pared down and hard not to hit counter or a lord...
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Supreme Phantom
4 Spell Queller
4 Drogskol Captain
2 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Phantasmal Image
2 Selfless Spirit
Instant (8)
4 Collected Company
4 Path to Exile
Artifact (3)
3 Aether Vial
Land (22)
2 Botanical Sanctum
1 Moorland Haunt
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Breeding Pool
1 Temple Garden
2 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
2 Windswept Heath
1 Island
1 Plains
2 Cavern of Souls
1 Seachrome Coast
1 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Dromoka's Command
1 Gaddock Teeg
3 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Unified Will