SD Tournament Deck

Niv-Mizzet Izzet

Main Deck
4 x Enigma Drake
10 x Island
11 x Mountain
1 x Rekindling Phoenix
4 x Niv-Mizzet, Parun
2 x Dive Down
3 x Lava Coil
2 x Ionize
1 x Expansion // Explosion
1 x Sulfur Falls
2 x Steam Vents
2 x Treasure Map
1 x Arcane Encyclopedia
4 x Crackling Drake
3 x Chart a Course
4 x Opt
3 x Lightning Strike
1 x Ral, Caller of Storms
1 x Ral, Izzet Viceroy

Sideboard
2 x Banefire
1 x Dive Down
1 x Nezahal, Primal Tide
2 x Gravitic Punch
1 x Lava Coil
3 x Beacon Bolt
2 x Essence Scatter
2 x Negate
1 x Cancel


In the early days of Arena I was interested in Izzet based on Magic Duels days and earlier. Who could forget the infinite combo of Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind and Curiosity. I opened a Niv early and converted a wildcard for a second. I built a grixis deck with Niv but it was only ok.

With the tournament I considered a drake deck with a storm sideboard. It was probably a bad idea anyway. In preparing for tournament I looked at the latest Pro Tour Jeskai winning deck. I liked the idea but don’t really have the cards in white and 3 colours without a decent mana base is a risk. So back to an Izzet shell with Niv. With the full 4 set of drakes and Rekindling Phoenix putting creature count up to 13 the evasion theme is key.

The pro tour idea of dive down ostensibly to protect Niv is a good one. But it can work to protect any drake. In the gauntlet my build had more counter magic but if these sit in your hand it’s not powering the drakes.

In MtG card draw is king and of course the Izzet deck wants to draw! Fielding the best red removal (and putting the rest of the full set in sideboard) the main idea is to kill threats rather than counter them. Protect the flyers that get better with the draw spells.

The treasure maps are pro tour tech too and I wish I had four but substituted a one of Encyclopedia which also helps the draw synergy. The sideboard is really more of the same with additional control tech and adding to the creature count with some artifact synergy.

I am also interested to see how well Gravitic Punch does with the drake power getting more lethal the more the match goes on. Keeping a big drake alive will be a problem for any deck and banefire out the sideboard for an uncounterable finish!

The 2 Planeswalkers work well and one was off the back of a paper purchase of the Planeswalker Ral purchase with an Arena code that unlocks the entire deck, it’s partly why I could get to the full set of drakes!

Although I still have counter spell available in ionise this will in the main be designed for tech against things like settle or board wipes.

Going up to a full set of dive down for removal heavy decks. Keeping the threats coming with the flying evasion and all the drakes have decent defence so adanto vanguard ping away buddy. I’ll take your 4 life to keep you alive.

Well for better or worse deck locked and loaded. The continuation in practice will be trying this bad boy out and trying to learn how to play it as well as possible!

SD

I literally want to only add one or two cards to my sideboard. Do I need to go through the whole submittal process again?

Devil just send us an email to [email protected] with the changes, If you got few SB cards then you might put some stuff just to scare people off and make them play around it like the famous Settle the Wreckage from the last Protour.

On other news, our man drclawx from https://www.magicarenadeckbuilder.com/ is our newest sponsor so the Original thread has been updated.
thanks for the constant support buddy

Thanks
Will do.

I have one other question about the sideboard. Is it up to 15 cards or must you have a minimum 15 card sideboard. I know a 60 card minimum deck is MTG rules but I know of no rule that covers a minimum amount of sideboard cards.
I'm assuming that the sideboard can be 15 or less, I just want to clarify.

Thanks for the donation Vert!
Updated the Sponsors list at the first page

15 max you can go without SB if you want but I think you rather put some dummy SB to mess your opponent mind, but its your call in the end

You have to have 15, but I guess you can just pad with basic lands if you come up with less.

Damn Holy is going to slap me... Devil listen to Vert you need to put 15 cards on the SB

OK
Edit: I emailed my deck with a proper sideboard.

When are the decklists going to be published?

December 3

Well, I've submitted my list.
Don't think I'll be making any changes until the deadline. I've 0 best-of-3 playtesting, so I expect to not do too well, but who knows...

I predict a turn-out of around 200 players.

If you're right, this is going to be an epic tournament.

@the organizers... Does WotC know you guys have (or are going to have) this many participants?

It’s going to put enormous pressure on the poor organisers! I know what can be involved. SD

Was still thinking of registering but then realized first round is on December 3. I'm not available that week. I pass I guess, and gl everyone who's playing.

I made a bet with Holy he says 199 I say 240.
WOTC has been contacted so we know they know... we just don't know what they think about it.

They will answer in Q1 2019. Btw is it allowed to change deck completely? Not sure if i want to, but the actual deck is underperforming dramatically.

Not decided yet and would have needed to wait for the last day to redeem wildcards anyway.

However, could you gauge for me, how many games would have to be played per week? Not overall, but for a single participant. I don't think it can be 1/week for then the tournament would last forever. On the other hand, if I were given a list of 10 guys from various timezones, well that wouldn't work either.