So, since we have a final cardpool, I think it's fair to suggest some fundamental things about the environment, and their implications for Simic ramp:
1. Removal is very efficient, and the presence of totally OP agressive 2 drops in the format puts an immense pressure on people to play a large amount of this early game removal.
Hence, a gameplan centered around 2 mana ramp dorks is flawed. the Ramp strategy cannot do the classic 2 > 4 > 6 curve.
2. As stated before, the agressive drops in duels are very good, you can't afford to be too fancy, especially in a color pair like U/G, which traditionally likes to go over the top massively. There just isn't enough consistency to get there in the face of the average agressive deck. Believe me I've tried... playing with fogs, multiple titans, zombie waterfalls, endless bounce cycles etc etc. It's just not good enough.
Hence, early interaction is a must.3. Conrol is very strong as well, one has to play threats that are good vs control if you hope to 'own' the lategame.
Hence, threat selection is paramount, foregoing too splashy effects, but rather concentrating on things that are hard to 1 for 1 and/or have massive ETB impact.
Here is a simic list that was constructed by these tenets:
STFD BBB2 x
Walking Ballista2 x
Sylvan Advocate3 x
Censor1 x
Essence Scatter3 x
Unsubstantiate1 x
Reclamation Sage2 x
Tireless Tracker2 x
Rogue Refiner4 x
Nissa's Pilgrimage2 x
Bounty of the Luxa2 x
Glimmer of Genius2 x
Commit // Memory1 x
Nissa, Vital Force2 x
Baral's Expertise1 x
Skysovereign, Consul Flagship1 x
Woodland Bellower1 x
Greenwarden of Murasa1 x
Part the Waterveil2 x
Gaea's Revenge1 x
Ulamog, the Ceaseless hunger3 x
Skyline Cascade5 x
Island9 x
Forest2 x
Lumbering Falls2 x
Hinterland Harbor3 x
Evolving WildsIf your meta sees very little blue control, Replace the Gaea's Revenges with Sandwurm Convergence. Skyship could be big jace, but I like the etb 3 damage and the fast clock it represents in steam's environment.
Glimmer of Genius is chosen over Pull from tomorrow because pull needs to be a 6 drop for it to get better than glimmer, and glimmer can be cast of baral's, if your meta is hyper agressive, consider going down another step and playing Hieroglyphic illumination instead.
The 1 of essence scatter could be anything really... but i'd advocate a defensive card or baby nissa.
In a world where we'd have sideboards,
Confiscation Coup should be perfect in them. But if you just want to have fun, the t3 pilgrimage into t4 coup your whatever should be very good in many matchups
This is a fun deck. You can stall out quickly if no ramp and not enough threats. I made just a few changes:
Walking Ballista is great late game as a win con and removal, but you have to survive the early game against aggro. Jaddi fills that role nicely. Lifegain and can block the early 1/x and 2/x's.
is an awesome finisher. Most of the time you will have played
first and it will eat the enchant hate.
I like playing the early counters, but having Scatter is helpful as a late game hard counter and can make a pretty big
.
Big Jace over Skysovereign is just a choice. I like card advantage.