U/W/B Control/Bounce deck

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Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy (More info?)

Hello !

I've been fiddling with this deck for awhile, and I'd like to hear your
opinions and ideas to improve it. Please note it's for casual play,
mostly multiplayer. We use T1 format mostly.
First of all, the list:

Creatures:

1xNether Spirit
4xMyr Servitor
2xApprentice Necromancer
3xDarting Merfolk
1xFleeting Image
3xDevout Witness

Spells:

1xForbid
1xLand Tax
1xPlanar Collapse
1xSnap
2xUnnerve
2xSleight of Mind
2xRhystic Study
4xAccumulated Knowledge
1xMystical Tutor
1xEnlightened Tutor

Artifacts:

4xChrystal Shard
1xScrabbling Claws
3xDead-Iron Sledge
1xMask of Memory
1xLoxodon Warhammer

Lands:

11xIsland
7xPlains
7xSwamp

I havent had much opportunity to play it yet, but so far its worked
pretty well. There's several little synergies and that makes it fun to
play. Rhystic Study and Chrystal shard together makes it hard to put out
multiple creatures, especially with more than one of each in play. The
land tax works well as ammo supply for the witness or the forbid. With
Unnerve, Sleight of mind and the myrs i can kill lots of creatures
without losing any myself, and if something fails i have the apprentice
necros to get them back.
And with the dead-iron sledges and the bounce creatures and the other
equpment i can nibble away at the enemy's life...

I've been thinking about an non-black alternative to the recurring
creature removal thingy with unnerve/myr servitor , but couldnt think of
anything thats robust and mana-cheap enough.
So, any ideas and suggestions you might have are welcome !

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy (More info?)

M.G.Palmer <SatoshiUrotsukidoji@gmx.de> sent:
> Hello !

> I've been fiddling with this deck for awhile, and I'd like to hear your
> opinions and ideas to improve it. Please note it's for casual play,
> mostly multiplayer. We use T1 format mostly.
> First of all, the list:

> Creatures:

> 1xNether Spirit
> 4xMyr Servitor
> 2xApprentice Necromancer
> 3xDarting Merfolk
> 1xFleeting Image
> 3xDevout Witness

> Spells:

> 1xForbid
> 1xLand Tax
> 1xPlanar Collapse
> 1xSnap
> 2xUnnerve
> 2xSleight of Mind
> 2xRhystic Study
> 4xAccumulated Knowledge
> 1xMystical Tutor
> 1xEnlightened Tutor

> Artifacts:

> 4xChrystal Shard
> 1xScrabbling Claws
> 3xDead-Iron Sledge
> 1xMask of Memory
> 1xLoxodon Warhammer

> Lands:

> 11xIsland
> 7xPlains
> 7xSwamp

> I havent had much opportunity to play it yet, but so far its worked
> pretty well. There's several little synergies and that makes it fun to
> play. Rhystic Study and Chrystal shard together makes it hard to put out
> multiple creatures, especially with more than one of each in play.

Note that your opponent has the option of not paying the 1, and letting
you draw a card instead. So they can indeed have many creatures out,
but you'll also have more answers.

> The
> land tax works well as ammo supply for the witness or the forbid. With
> Unnerve, Sleight of mind and the myrs i can kill lots of creatures
> without losing any myself,

Unnerve {3}{B} Sorcery
/ Each opponent discards two cards from his or her hand.

Sleight of Mind {U} Instant
/ Change the text of target spell or permanent by replacing all
instances of one color word with another.

Myr Servitor {1} Artifact Creature -- Myr 1/1
/ At the beginning of your upkeep, if Myr Servitor is in play, each
player returns all cards named Myr Servitor from his or her graveyard
to play.

Really not clear as to how this kills lots of creatures. Maybe it's
a mistranslation between German cards and English cards?

> and if something fails i have the apprentice
> necros to get them back.


Apprentice Necromancer {1}{B} Creature -- Wizard 1/1
/ {B}, {T}, Sacrifice Apprentice Necromancer: Return target creature
card from your graveyard to play. That creature gains haste. At end of
turn, sacrifice it.

I assume you use this to get a Myr Servitor into play, Shard it back
to your hand, and play it again? Otherwise, it won't be in play at
the next beginning of your upkeep ready to get any other Myr Servitors
back. Maybe that works better than e.g. Undertaker?

Undertaker {1}{B} Creature -- Spellshaper 1/1
/ {B}, {T}, Discard a card from your hand: Return target creature card
from your graveyard to your hand.

> And with the dead-iron sledges and the bounce creatures and the other
> equpment i can nibble away at the enemy's life...

All in favour of that. I might put Dead-Iron Sledges in with my
Blinking Spirits some time soon.

> I've been thinking about an non-black alternative to the recurring
> creature removal thingy with unnerve/myr servitor , but couldnt think of
> anything thats robust and mana-cheap enough.
> So, any ideas and suggestions you might have are welcome !

I've no idea about other recurring non-black control. My last
recurring control deck was based on Enduring Renewal and Opalescence,
and turned out rather sick and twisted...

--
-- zoe

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy (More info?)

<cut>

Actually I meant this card:

Attrition
Enchantment 1BB
B, Sacrifice a creature: Destroy target nonblack creature.

Yeah, it's a translation error. I've noticed before that several cards
are translated into german differently with each reprint, and also there
are different cards with the same german name. Considering that some of
the translations are really ridiculous or plainly dumb, I wonder what
those translators smoke and where I could get some of it...

> Unnerve {3}{B} Sorcery
> / Each opponent discards two cards from his or her hand.
>
> Sleight of Mind {U} Instant
> / Change the text of target spell or permanent by replacing all
> instances of one color word with another.
>
> Myr Servitor {1} Artifact Creature -- Myr 1/1
> / At the beginning of your upkeep, if Myr Servitor is in play, each
> player returns all cards named Myr Servitor from his or her graveyard
> to play.
>
> Really not clear as to how this kills lots of creatures. Maybe it's
> a mistranslation between German cards and English cards?
>
>
>>and if something fails i have the apprentice
>>necros to get them back.
>
>
>
> Apprentice Necromancer {1}{B} Creature -- Wizard 1/1
> / {B}, {T}, Sacrifice Apprentice Necromancer: Return target creature
> card from your graveyard to play. That creature gains haste. At end of
> turn, sacrifice it.
>
> I assume you use this to get a Myr Servitor into play, Shard it back
> to your hand, and play it again? Otherwise, it won't be in play at
> the next beginning of your upkeep ready to get any other Myr Servitors
> back. Maybe that works better than e.g. Undertaker?

I just use the Apprentice after the untap step to get one Servitor back
into play, then let the others come back, and then use the hasted one
how the situation needs to...maybe for Attrition, maybe for a suicide
attack, and else bounce and recast it.


> Undertaker {1}{B} Creature -- Spellshaper 1/1
> / {B}, {T}, Discard a card from your hand: Return target creature card
> from your graveyard to your hand.
>
>
>>And with the dead-iron sledges and the bounce creatures and the other
>>equpment i can nibble away at the enemy's life...
>
>
> All in favour of that. I might put Dead-Iron Sledges in with my
> Blinking Spirits some time soon.
>
>
>>I've been thinking about an non-black alternative to the recurring
>>creature removal thingy with unnerve/myr servitor , but couldnt think of
>>anything thats robust and mana-cheap enough.
>>So, any ideas and suggestions you might have are welcome !
>
>
> I've no idea about other recurring non-black control. My last
> recurring control deck was based on Enduring Renewal and Opalescence,
> and turned out rather sick and twisted...
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy (More info?)

M.G.Palmer <SatoshiUrotsukidoji@gmx.de> sent:
> <cut>

>> Unnerve {3}{B} Sorcery
>> / Each opponent discards two cards from his or her hand.
>>
>> Sleight of Mind {U} Instant
>> / Change the text of target spell or permanent by replacing all
>> instances of one color word with another.
>>
>> Myr Servitor {1} Artifact Creature -- Myr 1/1
>> / At the beginning of your upkeep, if Myr Servitor is in play, each
>> player returns all cards named Myr Servitor from his or her graveyard
>> to play.
>>
>> Really not clear as to how this kills lots of creatures. Maybe it's
>> a mistranslation between German cards and English cards?
>>
> Actually I meant this card:

> Attrition
> Enchantment 1BB
> B, Sacrifice a creature: Destroy target nonblack creature.

Ah, that makes much more sense.

> Yeah, it's a translation error. I've noticed before that several cards
> are translated into german differently with each reprint, and also there
> are different cards with the same german name. Considering that some of
> the translations are really ridiculous or plainly dumb, I wonder what
> those translators smoke and where I could get some of it...

Is there a page listing the actual translations anywhere? That might
be a useful thing to have.

>>>and if something fails i have the apprentice
>>>necros to get them back.
>>
>> Apprentice Necromancer {1}{B} Creature -- Wizard 1/1
>> / {B}, {T}, Sacrifice Apprentice Necromancer: Return target creature
>> card from your graveyard to play. That creature gains haste. At end of
>> turn, sacrifice it.
>>
>> I assume you use this to get a Myr Servitor into play, Shard it back
>> to your hand, and play it again? Otherwise, it won't be in play at
>> the next beginning of your upkeep ready to get any other Myr Servitors
>> back. Maybe that works better than e.g. Undertaker?

> I just use the Apprentice after the untap step to get one Servitor back
> into play, then let the others come back,

Whoa, stop right there - I see the confusion now. The first time in
the turn that you could possibly activate the Apprentice Necromancer is
once you have priority in the upkeep step. By this time, anything that
triggers at the beginning of upkeep (like the Myr Servitor) must have
already triggered and gone on the stack. So by the time the Myr
Servitor gets into play (i.e. when the Apprentice Necromancer ability
resolves), it's far too late for that particular Servitor's ability to
trigger.

So, what you have to do is wait until the opponent's end of turn step,
and use the ability of the Apprentice Necromancer then. The Myr
Servitor comes into play with a note on it saying to sacrifice it at
end of turn, and the next time that happens will be your own end of
turn step. When your upkeep starts, that Myr Servitor is in play, and
its ability can trigger. Once the ability has resolved, you are then
free to use that Myr for other purposes (if the Myr Servitor leaves
play before the ability resolves, then the ability will do nothing).

> and then use the hasted one
> how the situation needs to...maybe for Attrition, maybe for a suicide
> attack, and else bounce and recast it.

Those are all good ways of avoiding the remove-from-game clause.

--
-- zoe

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy (More info?)

>
>>I just use the Apprentice after the untap step to get one Servitor back
>>into play, then let the others come back,
>
>
> Whoa, stop right there - I see the confusion now. The first time in
> the turn that you could possibly activate the Apprentice Necromancer is
> once you have priority in the upkeep step. By this time, anything that
> triggers at the beginning of upkeep (like the Myr Servitor) must have
> already triggered and gone on the stack. So by the time the Myr
> Servitor gets into play (i.e. when the Apprentice Necromancer ability
> resolves), it's far too late for that particular Servitor's ability to
> trigger.
>
> So, what you have to do is wait until the opponent's end of turn step,
> and use the ability of the Apprentice Necromancer then. The Myr
> Servitor comes into play with a note on it saying to sacrifice it at
> end of turn, and the next time that happens will be your own end of
> turn step. When your upkeep starts, that Myr Servitor is in play, and
> its ability can trigger. Once the ability has resolved, you are then
> free to use that Myr for other purposes (if the Myr Servitor leaves
> play before the ability resolves, then the ability will do nothing).

Ah damn I wasn't aware of that...I thought after untap a player would
have the opportunity to do stuff. Thanks for the heads-up.




>
>>and then use the hasted one
>>how the situation needs to...maybe for Attrition, maybe for a suicide
>>attack, and else bounce and recast it.
>
>
> Those are all good ways of avoiding the remove-from-game clause.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy (More info?)

M.G.Palmer <SatoshiUrotsukidoji@gmx.de> sent:

>>>I just use the Apprentice after the untap step to get one Servitor back
>>>into play, then let the others come back,
>>
>> Whoa, stop right there - I see the confusion now. The first time in
>> the turn that you could possibly activate the Apprentice Necromancer is
>> once you have priority in the upkeep step. By this time, anything that
>> triggers at the beginning of upkeep (like the Myr Servitor) must have
>> already triggered and gone on the stack. So by the time the Myr
>> Servitor gets into play (i.e. when the Apprentice Necromancer ability
>> resolves), it's far too late for that particular Servitor's ability to
>> trigger.
>>
>> So, what you have to do is wait until the opponent's end of turn step,
>> and use the ability of the Apprentice Necromancer then. The Myr
>> Servitor comes into play with a note on it saying to sacrifice it at
>> end of turn, and the next time that happens will be your own end of
>> turn step. When your upkeep starts, that Myr Servitor is in play, and
>> its ability can trigger. Once the ability has resolved, you are then
>> free to use that Myr for other purposes (if the Myr Servitor leaves
>> play before the ability resolves, then the ability will do nothing).

> Ah damn I wasn't aware of that...I thought after untap a player would
> have the opportunity to do stuff. Thanks for the heads-up.

Just to clarify, you do get priority to play spells and abilities in
the upkeep step, you just have to work out all the 'at the beginning
of upkeep' triggers and put them on the stack first.

Another point of timing that occurred to me that might not be obvious.
Imagine a Nether Spirit and a Myr Servitor in the graveyard and a Myr
Servitor in play, all before the beginning of your turn. Here are
the relevant cards again:

Nether Spirit {1}{B}{B} Creature -- Spirit 2/2
/ At the beginning of your upkeep, if Nether Spirit is the only creature
card in your graveyard, you may return Nether Spirit to play.

Myr Servitor {1} Artifact Creature -- Myr 1/1
/ At the beginning of your upkeep, if Myr Servitor is in play, each
player returns all cards named Myr Servitor from his or her graveyard
to play.

and recall that a trigger with an intervening 'if' will only trigger if
the condition is true, and will only take effect on resolution if the
condition is also true.

So, at the beginning of upkeep, there are two triggers that might
trigger. The Myr Servitor in play triggers successfully - it has to
be in play to trigger anyway (its ability isn't one that can only
function when the card is in a different zone), and its intervening
'if' also says that it has to be in play. The Nether Spirit can't
trigger, however. At the time you check for triggered abilities,
the other Myr Servitor is still in the graveyard, and hasn't yet
been brought into play. So the intervening 'if' is false, and the
triggered ability doesn't trigger.

So, in this situation, the Myr Servitor in the graveyard will end up
in play, but the Nether Spirit will stay in the graveyard.


Back on the strategy topic for a moment, maybe you could have some
Servitor fun with the following cards:

Intuition {2}{U} Instant
/ Search your library for any three cards and reveal them. An opponent
chooses one. Put that card into your hand and the rest into your
graveyard. Then shuffle your library.

Buried Alive {2}{B} Sorcery
/ Search your library for up to three creature cards and put them into
your graveyard. Then shuffle your library.

Instead of the Sleight of Mind for the Attrition, you may find
something like Thran Lens, Spectral Shift, Shifting Sky or Distorting
Lens is more effective. It depends on what other uses you find for it
apart from Attrition. Note that this might change the balance of cards
that you can tutor for with the tutors in the deck.

Thran Lens {2} Artifact
/ All permanents are colorless.

Spectral Shift {1}{U} Instant
/ Choose one -- Change the text of target spell or permanent by
replacing all instances of one basic land type with another; or change
the text of target spell or permanent by replacing all instances of
one color word with another.
/ Entwine {2}

Shifting Sky {2}{U} Enchantment
/ As Shifting Sky comes into play, choose a color.
/ All nonland permanents are the chosen color.

Distorting Lens {2} Artifact
/ {T}: Target permanent becomes the color of your choice until end of
turn.

--
-- zoe