When you are going to pay way more, why not Stroke of Genius? Still like the flexibility of the card, for Decks working with their graves still a toy, but who are they, Slaver, Dragon? They mabe have better options in these slots.

So here is my approach for meta adaption. I tested a lot with my mate, who made some bad timed 3-1s in the Daily that are not listed. At first I was like running Sad Sac as 3 of, or a toolbox around Petition, but as the Meta looks you are fine with Obeyline. This list is a pain in a blue players eyes, because all of that disadvantages it takes, but it topdecks very good into 1 Turn clocks. Obeyline is traditionally set, and yeah, guess with 20% Storm and Dredge you can do the boogie man role for them.

//Manabase
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Jet
1 Sol Ring
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
4 Dark Depths
1 Strip Mine
1 Thespian's Stage
8 Swamp
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Dark Ritual

//Disrupt
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Mind Twist
3 Mental Misstep
2 Thoughtseize

//Tutors
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal

//Critter
4 Death's Shadow
4 Hex Parasite
4 Vampire Hexmage

//Silverbullets
1 Helm of Obedience
1 Horobi, Death's Wail
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Necropotence

//Sideboard
4 Snuff Out
2 Illness in the Ranks
2 Pithing Needle
3 Sadistic Sacrament
1 Horobi, Death's Wail
2 Toxic Deluge
1 Diabolic Edict // To the Slaughter // Aether Snap


Boarding Plans are most times minus Obeyline which brings you decent options from the SB. Declaring those 5 Obeyline Slots Maindeck, opens the SBspace for specific cards, like Illness in the Ranks.

You are not into slow and grindy games, you want to find your time windows with this deck. Its really thrilling, and most of the games you are in a tough spot, but even blue doesn't have all the answers in a small time window.

If you are on paper and want to play budget, you can ship Mox for a Swamp and Lotus for Lake of the Dead(?).

Have fun!

Edit: a recent 3-1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLeLVMqABNo unfortunate game agaist Delver, but the Deck performed fine.

Its good against Void Winnower, compared to Edict.

Nice to see the list do well. Guess the Trap is against Storm. My thoughts were if Obeyline Md could be nice, since Shops enable fast Helm kills, and Leyline is nice vs Storm too.

Cavern of Souls could generate colorless in mono w Hatebears (and Wastelands, Quarters...).

Just that Restoration Angel is Bolt and Decay proof.

How scary the name of the card is. But its probably just fine.

For real? Just building up my pool, and got to say I am very pleased with the Software. Now with a good tournament structure, is like wow!

Are we faceing the new Dragonlord Dromoka?

I got it on board also. Gamer Tag is xTen.

greetings

I would play nearly exactly the same, just instead of Vault Key, with LED + Tendrils and with Hurkly's and Chain of Vapor over Dacks. I am not that experienced in this Archetype, but had the feeling that it has a lot of potential. Maybe TFK pushes it to the place it belongs.

For the SB, maybe Vandalblast could take the spot of Chewers.

greetings

*necro*

Since Shops are not always on Chalice@1 anymore, I guess for brewing, the best is to start with cmc 1 cards (Torpor Orb and Dreadnought combo would be a possibility too). First thing that came to me was Hex Parasite, which is good in killing Planenswalkers, and could catch some point in the mirror against Hangarback Walker.

First sketch which seemed playable so far:


4 Tangle Wire
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Smokestack
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
1 Chalice of the Void

1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Black Lotus
4 Dark Depths
4 Thespian's Stage
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Wasteland
4 Ancient Tomb
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy

4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Hex Parasite

I am not a fan of Expedition Map, but it could be an addition. Besides killing stuff with counters, Parasite synergieses with Dark Depths, and Smokestack. Thespian's Stage and Depths are just a throw in, to give more comboish options for Parasite.

Thoughts?

I guess this is most of the time worse than Dismember, even if its costs to less life under Ancient Tombs. It has some upside, but I guess there are games, where you want the removal, and don't have the Tank on your hand to reveal, cause you won't hold them back.

Only Siths deal in absolutes.

As I am trying out much by myself, I get always surprised when I get back to Factories, they seem simple, but are pretty fitting the landstillish Sphere Plan. Also blocking for 3/3 can get really handy, when you got some Crucibles. And it's always best plan against Energy Flux.

Nasty Tech I had seen some time ago, and I had some succes with, are Petrified Field. The thought is, that a Shop is for Mud, what a Bazaar is for Dredge, and that's the worst case, when your Shop becomes wasted. Also grabbing own Wastelands out of your Grave, when your Base/Sphere presence is established is fine.

My bets were on Kelly, very happy about his victory !

My thoughts came up, that maybe not Golem and Chalice are the problem, but Kuldotha Forgemaster is. I see Martello as the best Shop deck, but Mud can be designed easily to beat this in the mirror. That's perhaps the only reason, why other Shop lists show up.

Big up to your articles. This was a very nice read, and good interview. I like the historical highlights also a lot, good research.

The hand is blind a sure keeper, against Delver I guess, that everything without Chalice 1 or turn 2 big tank (Hellkite, Wurmcoil, Batterskull) is bad, espacially on the draw.

Could Donate be a thing? Would be a mana heavy combo, and take some slots we are used to give Jace, TMS.

EDIT: First use 3 turns all the goodies, and then Donate for the win.

Maybe you should hold back the Ritual, while Horobi sits in hand, but most of the time you will draw your second land through the Night's Whisper, and with 2 Mana you almost can drop everything.

I have seen there was a project, of the TMD Super League, but didn't notice it actually started yet. Thanks for giving the deck a try. Thoughtseize gives always useful informations. I tried out a set Thoughtseize, Missteps, and Night's Whisper, which made the Deck feel a bit speed up. You often have starts with Ritual, counter back Misstep, Thoughtseize, Night's Whisper. I feel that Mind Twist is some times overextent Mana investment, that ist just blocked by a Spell Pierce or Flusterstorm. I am unsure what the SB configuration should be, but I am giving Virulent Plague a try.

--Manabase--
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Dark Depths
4 Bloodstained Mire
5 Swamp
1 Strip Mine
1 Thespian's Stage
4 Dark Ritual
1 Mox Jet
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
--Critter--
4 Hex Parasite
4 Death's Shadow
4 Vampire Hexmage
3 Horobi, Death's Wail
--Black Goodness--
1 Imperial Seal
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth's Will
4 Night's Whsiper
--Control--
4 Mental Misstep
4 Thoughtseize


I am sketching around this SB:

4 Snuff Out
3 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Virulent Plague
3 Sadistic Sacrament
3 Toxic Deluge

The Deluge Maindeck were a try as a meta call, but I guess, you want more manipulation and speed forward, to find the gap where the clock can come through unanswered. The optimal printing would be a black Preordain, and I think Night's Whsiper comes nearest of all the unrestricted black card.

Greetings

Repeal and Decay aren't bad against Delver either.

My first thought was; couldn't this just be the white Delver for UW Mentor lists?

I dunno, maybe that list is not the metacrusher of doom, which it was announced to be, but I enjoyed the Twitch Video very much. The list has sure some upsides, Snapcaster, Missteps and Flusterstorm had proven to be a good package,  but I guess the brewing of the community won't stop and I guess there are more, and maybe better variants to come.

Urborg is somehow the land you want all the time, and often opponents are going to Waste it, and you will be happy to have another copy. Dark Depths as a 4 of since it comboes also with Parasites sometimes, so playing the many Depths make it a need to drop out Urborgs. I haven't the math laying around, but the 1st Turn Urborg, second Dark Depths into Hexmage %s are increasing pretty much when you play them as quads. The new legandary rule also helps a lot with the Urborg. Still the Manabase is not as solid like the ones players are used from Delver, but as a Ritual Deck you can have therefore explosive starts.

It can compete somehow with most decks, its still an uphill battle, but at least it is pretty budget. Marit Lage is a good win condition, and the deck is build to have a solid plan b.

Manipulation would be great, but as Pyromancer, Mentor, and creature heavy Decks like Humans are pretty common, those card drawing slots had to step aside for Toxic Deluge. I was a long time into Read the Bones which fits the Manacurve and was good in combo digging, but as a meta call I switched to Deluge, but this shift is still not set to stone. Deluge could still find ist space in the sb.

Since this has somehow its roots in Dark Times I post it here. I have done plenty of testing, and played this list as often as I was able to. My last Tournament somehow was Bazaar of Moxen last year, but we all know, that sadly Vintage Tournaments are not that common any more.

Horobi came to the List as an answer to Abrupt Decay, when Bug Fish was the Mainplayer, and it did a good Job through his ability beeign a removal with Parasite and Hexmage. I cut out Dark Confidant, because I had the feeling he doesn't fit the speed Plan of the Deck. I tried out many alternative Engines like Read the Bones, Night's Whisper, and Skeletyal Skrying, but digging through Cards wasn't as good as just topdecking threats or solutions.

Toxic Deluge is a big solution in the current Meta game, as I am expecting to get with Mentor another creature based deck to show up. Also its decent against Delver and Humans, and can be used as Tinker Solution. Best thing is that its at least a Death's Shadow enabler.

Deluge and Mind Twist on its side are cards that make it difficult for aggro decks to catch up, and with post Treasure Cruise restriction Twist is not just filling his Delve that bad. It took me a long time, to cut Thoughtseize, but its performance was just underwhelming. So I came to Mental Misstep, which is pushing the cmc 1 Slots through opponents Misstep, and is solid against those StoPs, (Repeals) and at least Delvers. It also helps ramping through Rituals for a Mind Twist. Misstep is way better fot the Tempo than Thoughtseize, I also see Twist over Thoughtseize. Twist for 2 is pretty common, but it is also able to win the game nearly on its own, what a Thoughtseize could never do.

The Manabase took also a long time, the first rough sketch was playing all offcolor Moxen, but they became Petal, Crypt and Sol Ring, which are better in a mono color strategy. To play around opponents Wasteland, there is a Strip and a Stage, but the alternate aggro plan beside the Depths also helps a lot.

The List:

Manabase

4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Dark Depths
1 Strip Mine
1 Thespian's Stage
3 Bloodstained Mire
2 Verdant Catacombs
5 Swamp

1 Lotus Petal
1 Mox Jet
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus

4 Dark Ritual

4 Vampire Hexmage
4 Horobi, Death's Wail
4 Hex Parasite
4 Death's Shadow

1 Demonic Consultation
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor

1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth's Will

4 Mental Misstep
3 Toxic Deluge
3 Mind Twist

SB: 4 Snuff Out
SB: 4 Sadistic Sacrament
SB: 2 Yixlid Jailer
SB: 4 Leyline of the Void
SB: 1 Helm of Obedience

As its pretty budget I guess this is where I start my Mtgo Vintage pool with. Hope this x=0 suiciding moves with Parasite are good to steer on the Software.

Greetings

I currently test Ubrg Gifts with GushBond Engine. Somehow I am not happy setting up Vault/Key Piles, and have the feeling classy Recoup, Will, LED, Lotus works better with GushBond. I had once up to 3 Regrowths, but cutted them away, since I have the feeling 1off Recoup is stronger, since it can work out of the Grave.

This is what I am currently at:

Manabase
3 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
2 Volcanic Island
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Island
3 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Vault
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal

Engine
1 Fastbond
4 Gush
3 Gifts Ungiven

Kill
1 Recoup
1 Tinker
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Tendrils of Agony

Cantrips
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm

Control
1 Hurkyl's Recall
4 Force of Will
3 Mental Misstep
3 Mana Drain
1 Rebuild

Tutors
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor

Sideboard
2 Steel Sabotage
2 Nature's Claim
2 Ancient Grudge
4 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Abrupt Decay

To get back to UWx and Repeal. That was where Sensei's Divining Top came to my Mind. It is solid by itself good with Repeal, and you could chain 2 Sensei's to generate an huge amount of Tokens.

As far as I am, I have the feeling that discard isn't the strongest currently. TS does not make CA, and targets Snapcaster, or that what is gonna flashbacked next Turn.

Around Hymn and maybe Mind Twist is currently my thought gap- if they are just bad and freeding the new Delve Spells. Maybe an all new Disruptive Shell around Obeyline and xxx is the key. I don't feel that Null Rod will be a thing near time, but Obeyline could attack some niche things from the opposing Engines.

As it is, I think pumping up Stages is the real key, for every Dark Times variant.

This list really cracks me up, and I totally get the Idea. Stony Silence could make the dedicated SB hate more flexible. Daze is a real good idea, while it doesn't work that big with Snapcasters, it is really strong by itself, as a Tempo card. Nothing is more demotivating, than running unnessesary into a Tax counter like Daze. If this Bant version would see more play, the players would have to shift their play/Sb style. Wich is always a good thing, and tells how strong this Bant list could get.

Critter
4 Hex Parasite
4 Death's Shadow
4 Vampire Hexmage
4 Dark Confidant

Bombs
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Necropotence
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Ctrl
4 Mental Misstep
4 Thoughtseize
3 Diabolic Edict

Manabase
1 Mox Jet
1 Black Lotus
4 Dark Ritual
4 Dark Depths
1 Strip Mine
9 Swamp
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Wasteland

SB:
4 Snuff Out
3 Duress
3 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Toxic Deluge
3 Yixlid Jailer

This is my old lady. It should still have a quick beatdown with Marit Lage, or Parasiting x=0 into and huge Shadows. Problem is that Decay is a common and strong answer for Shadows, but I guess it is still a quick and budget shapable list.