Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
This is one for the lovers of jank, but it's actually been winning a fair share of games.
It's a combo deck, very similar to a storm deck, but... Without the storm enchantment (don't have any yet anyway). The wincon? It has several, the first of which is mass bird spam, then you have the drakes that can get ultra beefy, you've also got the arclight birdies which are a nightmare for control decks and finally good ol' Niv which is an even bigger headache for counter control.
The obective is to play lots and lots of spells, mostly draw spells, every single turn and keep the spell value train rolling.
Don't be too eager to blow your draw spells on your first turns, all you need to do is not miss your land drops until you get to around 4/5 mana (so if your missing land play them), then drop a win-con (whichever turned up) and try to find a way to finish your opponent.
The deck is far from finished, especially the mana-base which is still lacking the proper duals. Search for azcanta is probably unnecessary. I'm testing some wizard bolts atm, can't say if they belong or not. Electromancer is the boss, because it makes most of draw spells 1cc cantrips, so bascially you can cast a spell for every land you have. The jump-start cards and chart a course are your ways of getting the arclight into the yard, but don't forget you can actually cast is too (I do sometimes). River's rebuke is the big tempo play, when you have an army of birds at your disposal, bouncing their board is devastating. The blinks are also mostly for tempo plays, because you need to survive the early game. The mystic has a really big butt, so it's a good blocker, but the 4cc is a chore sometimes. Getting multiple mystics in play is loads of fun though.
No counterspells are really needed, because you'll do most of your stuff sorcery speed anyway (to activate the arclights). If something dies, just play another, because you'll draw loads every game anyway. Don't keep 1 landers. You need 2 mana, with blue to stand a chance.
Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
Yeah, I've missed those contests. I wonder if we'll ever get to a point where we can do them again...
Anyway, try the deck out if you have the time (I think you have most of the cards, except maybe the Arclights - play some more nibs or burn) I'd love some input.
Yeah, I've missed those contests. I wonder if we'll ever get to a point where we can do them again...
Anyway, try the deck out if you have the time (I think you have most of the cards, except maybe the Arclights - play some more nibs or burn) I'd love some input.
I had 3 of those Phoenixes -Never underestimate the randomness of ICR- I took one pile to the ladder yesterday, I thought that Guttersnipes may enjoy also that crazy amount of spells, I crashed awfully then I took a more controlish approach... crashed and burned again... so I´m still trying to tweak the deck i guess the control approach is not worth it... and if you turn on the Spikes then you end up cutting Murmuring Mystic...
Here is the controlish version it went 2-3 Counters are crap in the deck and its awfull to curve out Electromancer into Gutersnipe into Mystic... its so slow I think maybe you could hold the fort with the 0/4 that pings for one... but maybe you just better go for burn and Cracking Drakes
Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
I've actually been wrecking with my version. As you can see, the deck is completely passive the first 4 turns (like a true combo-deck), then when you drop a mystic/drake or discard a Phoenix, you go off and start spamming spells like there's no tomorrow. Just wrecked a golgari explore deck, where I killed 2 vraskas, lived through a million removal spells and opportunities had a board with 10+ creatures, but I was making more birds than he had threats. What I like about the mystic is the big butt. It's mostly burn proof. Gutersnipe dies to everything, that's his big problem. The walls could be ok, but I don't really care about that extra point of damage much. I may try them out, because azcanta is scryed to the bottom 90% of the time anyway. My experience is, don't bother going for a control approach, play the deck in full combo mode. My opponents don't seem to know what to make of it.
Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
I just keep winning...
Control can't handle this deck. The Arclights not being cast makes their counters useless and non-exile removal can't stop them. And if they tap out to deal with the Phoenixes, I drop a mystic and start spamming birds... Also those rituals of soot look very silly when they all hit are a bunch of expendable birds... I love the control hate! Don't think I can stop mono red though...
Run ended 4-3 The deck feels a bit slower than the meta but the games it can provide are way much fun, I did enjoy the pile Suggestions: Why not Lighting strike over Wizards lightning? Niv feels a bit over the top maybe those 0/4 could accumulate some damage while you search for your spells most games I lost I was just a couple of points of damage from lethal. I like the Mystics a lot and I think that if the deck wants to keep them you could swap the Crackling drakes for Enigma Drakes that are a bit Cheaper and easier to cast, sure they don't provide the extra card but the deck really does not have problems in that area. Tormenting voice could have a spot here too ditching those Phoenixes into the GY and reanimate them later on the same turn sounds fun Maybe a second Rebuke for the 4th Blink could be good too, the time's Rebuke came in one turn earlier where huge and I was hoping to top deck them more than once. Discovery Dispersal... where meh most times but I can see the GY value they provide, I dunno if Tormenting Voice is better in the spot.
Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
You took the deck to an event? You've got bigger balls than me, lol. Yeah, second rebuke is on my radar, but lands are priority for my WCs. Enigma drake you say... Hmm... Could work. Niv is the bomb against control, things just go out of control if it sticks. Just lost to my own Niv that I stupidly discarded to a T3 eldest reborn... I thought about tormenting voice, but I should just increase the chart a courses to 4 anyway before tormenting voice is even an option. Discovery is just an upgraded opt when electromancer sticks. Digging is useful. Dispersal is a non-bo as you may have noticed. The lightning s I was just testing and they don't show up much, but I guess the effect is much the same as lightning strike... Although the mystic is a wizard too. Part of me just wants to throw in shocks too, but then I'd just run out of cards too quickly. Lot's of fun when it works right? Guess I'm gonna make the last Arclight when I get a mythic WC.
If a deck isn't good enough to even be brought to a quick constructed event, what would be the point in playing it?
Fun? Anyway, it's still in the testing stage. So, risking gold on a prototype deck isn't exactly a good idea. Especially when your trying to brew up a whole new archetype and not just recreating a tried and tested one with some new cards.
And besides, I'm missing too many dual lands still.
Even my weird brews, it needs to run through like 20-30 games of quick constructed before I have any idea of how good it is. I mean, I could beat on people playing Selesnya Enchantments or whatever, but what does that tell me?
_________________
KLD Season King of the Hill Winner. EMN Season King of the Hill Winner.
The one true King of NGA Magic Duels on Xbox One.
You want some? Come get some. You don't like me? Bite me.
Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
I saw some funky izzet spells lists on mtggoldfish and I tried out some drake spells versions and... They're unstoppable when you draw Arclights and falter when all 4 are in the bottom 30 cards (as well as your drakes). I actually like the mystic version better, because a resolved mystic is just as powerful (and annoying) as an Arclight in a deck like this and most decks are more prepared to take care of drakes than the mystic.
Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
After updating my list with some WCs I went and did a constructed event and... went 0-3. Back to the drawing board....
So, I realized that what the deck needed was siren storm tamers! Vraska's contempt and settle the wreckage are the arclights main counters and stormtamer can stop both. Then I took another quantum leap and decided to go with a wizards shell and hence the result:
Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
So I went and took the deck on some constructed events, going 4-3, 5-3, 5-3. So the deck has broken even although it isn't exactly slaughtering the competition. The best match-ups are against control and any slower deck. Vs golgari, it's probably winning slightly more than it loses. Vs boros aggro, I'd say 50/50. Games are usually pretty close and it usually comes down to who gets the strongest draw. Vs mono-red, when they get those nut draws, there's no stopping them, but anything slower, mystic can pretty much brickwall them. Worst match-ups was mono-blue aggro-control, mainly because I couldn't seem to draw removal any of the games to kill the unlockables wearing pants and so I'd get out-drawn and the djinns got too big for me to race. Any answers I did draw just got countered anyway.
Finally, I decided to make some changes. Although I do like the fact that drake draws you a card, it consistent my just ate removal. So I've replaced 2 with Phoenixes, which at least are harder to kill.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum
Login
Register
Card Search
NGAWiki
Search
