This card comes very close do digging four cards deep for one mana.  I have a feeling it will replace Opt in GAT builds that run it, although I may be mistaken, I don't play GAT.  Decks like Oath that run Impulse potentially would use this as well, possibly as a replacement to impulse (less vulnerable to Chalice on 2, which is the most frequent Chalice play against Oath).  Time will tell, but it also has potential to get into storm based combo decks as a 1 or 2 of, acting like Brainstorm 5-6...maybe.  I play fish and bomberman mostly, so this is a lot of third party musing.  Nice card, I like it.

Just wanted to drop in and say I was at Eudemonia last weekend, and while I didn't play Goblins or against it, I did see it pretty much rip through the meta-game favorites in NorCal (GAT, Flash, Bomberman, Stax mainly), and in the T8 I was paired against my teammate and the two Goblin decks there were matched up and in our bracket, so no matter what, either my teammate or I would face Goblins.  I was playing Bomberman and my teammate Stax.  Neither deck has a good matchup against Goblins.  I had just 2 cards in the Sideboard suitable for Goblins (StPx2).  We ended up deciding Stax had a better chance, so I conceded to my teammate.  He then lost to it.

Anyways, just wanted to add that I think this deck is for real in the current meta, I may even play in at the next Eudemonia.  Thanks for bringing Goblins back into people's minds.

Oh, and one more thing...what are good sideboard cards against Goblins that would work in Bomberman's side?  Does Swords do much? Pithing needle seems good (siege gang, vial, waste, & strip and its searchable) but I haven't had much time to test against Goblins.  Any ideas would be appreciated!

Hey everyone! I am a long-time reader first time poster with 'average' Vintage experience (1 top 8 and 1 top 4 out of six tourneys in the last year).  I play mainly fish in a heavily powered meta with LOTS and LOTS of combo...Grim Long, Flash, Doomsday, Belcher, ex-Gifts decks, and I am SURE it will fill with Gush/Tendrils and GAT since the changes to the B/R list.  After combo in my meta, comes Ichorid, and then as many variants on fish as exist in these forums (well maybe not quite, close though).  Last year was filled with Stax, but that has fallen off a lot.  But in a field of 25-40, I would expect 2-3 Stax decks + 1 Aggro Shop deck (its the same guy plays it every tourney...Lotushead you lurk here I know, and yes, I am talking about you! Guess who?) 

With that said.  The list I bring to the next tourney needs to be able to beat Combo 1st, Ichorid and the mirror 2nd, and hopefully have decent game against the mirror.

This is the list I have been working on (it is based on bits and pieces of various decks on several vintage forums), card choices will be explained below.


13 CREATURES
4 dark confidant
4 MM
3 Jotun Grunt
2 Kataki

27 Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Force
4 Daze
4 Stifle
3 Duress
3 Null Rod
2 E. Truth
1 Demonic Consult
1 Time Walk
1 A. Recall

21 MANA
1 Black L
3 Mox
4 Pol D.
3 Flood S.
3 Und. Sea
2 Tunra
1 Island
1 Swamp
2 Waste
1 Strip

SB
4 Chalice (combo)
4 Leyline (Ichorid, Combo)
3 Yxilid Jailer
4 Threads of D.

Creatures should be self-explanatory: dark confidant is for draw, grunt is for beats and grave-hate, Mage for general disruption, Kataki is for Stax, and to force combo to pay for its Moxen.

Spells: So I took the direction of casting Spells turn 1 instead of laying down a turn 1 beater.  Turn 1, I want to be duressing, brainstorming, stifling, daze, and forcing (all turn 1 plays) or powering out a creature/null rod via moxen/lotus. 2 Echo T. are for EtW (obviously) and also can work against ichorid (zombie tokens, narcomeba before they flash dread return, etc...) and can be used in the fish mirror...EOT E. Truth creature(s) then play MM on those creatures on your turn.  Demonic Consultation is so I can get my Null-Rod if I need it game 1, or my Jailer vs Ichorid Game 2, etc...I find it works much better than Mystical or Vampiric Tutor.  It puts the card directly into my hand, so if I draw D. Consult I can cast it that turn.  I am not utterly convinced on this though.

The other wierd choice maindeck is of course 2 wastlelands.  The more I played 3 color fish, the more I found myself want to go from 5 strip effects, to 4, and now to 3.  It helps against color screw, (I hate drawing 2 wastelands opening hand!), and in my meta, the players are good enough to minimze the effects of wasteland.  In fact people seem to play around wasteland whether I am showing one or not (not cracking fetches, grabbing basics, feigning what color they need, etc...) which makes me believe that I don't need 4 or 5 waste effects, since people often play against fish like they are packing 5 strip effects.

Onto the sideboard choices.  4 Chalice.  If I am on the play against combo or Stax, this goes in.  If I am on the draw this stays out...almost always.  If I draw a 2nd against combo I set it to 1, since this always messes them up more than me...none of my creatures are effected, and chances are I already played the 1cc spells on my first turns anyways.

Leyline and Jailer are for Ichorid...Although Leyline goes in against combo when I am on the draw (extra turn 0 disruption to go with FoW)...Leyline is also the nuts against Flash...and some other combo decks (what are the obvious ones besides Flash?)

The threads of disloyalty are for the mirror.  I am wondering if this is enough...most other fish decks pack Jitte for the mirror...am I wrong with going this way with my S/B.   It seems like by the time they cast Jitte, I should be able to steal their creatures?  Please give me thoughts on my FOUR slots dedicated to the fish Mirror.

Here are my thoughts on the correct side-board choices vs the match-ups in my meta.

Match-up Sideboards

Standard (non-grave) Combo...Me on Play:
+4 Chalice -1 Null Rod -2 Kataki -1 E. Truth

Standard (non-grave) Combo...Me on Draw:
+4 Leyline -1 Daze -3 Duress

Grave-base combo (flash) Me on Play:
+4 Chalice +4 Leyline -2 E. Truth, -3 Null Rod, -1 Demonic C, -2 Kataki

Grave-base combo (flash)...Me on Draw:
+4 Leyline -2 E. Truth, -2 Kataki

Stax... Me on Play:
+4 Leyline -4 Daze

Stax...Me on Draw:
+4 Leyline -4 Daze

Ichorid... Me on Play:
+4 Leyline +3 Jailer -3 Duress -3 Null Rod -2 Kataki

Ichorid...Me on Draw:
+4 Leyline +3 Jailer -3 Duress -3 Null Rod -2 Kataki

Fish Mirror
+4 Threads +2 Jailer -3 Null Rod -1 D. Consult -1 Stifle -1 Daze

Phew! Long first Post!  Didn't want to get a warning for lack of content. 

Anyways, I am not a great vintage player, but want critiques on this deck and my post that will help improve my chances on my next outing.  Thanks!