Thorns of Amethyst Fish

[merfolkOTPT]

Recently Smennen wrote an article on SCG http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/14817.html that reviewed Llorwyn.  Now I am not here to talk to much about that article but I did want to bring up one idea, that of using Thorns of Amethyst in some kind of fish style aggro build.  Now, the build that was used talked about Gaddock Teeg and some other recent cards that have been projected to work in fish I was thinking about going another direction.

Thorns of Amethyst can help us deal with GAT's free spells as well as making its cheap spell and small mana base not work as well.  Further, if we include maindeck stifle in our build, which is really not ever dead in the metagame, we can attack the mana base as well as fighting Flash.   So, at this point we are pretty open as to what we can do in terms of colors of the build.  There will almost certainly in any build be some kind of spot artifact removal or bounce to deal with an early Thorns of Amethyst, so some way to stifle (no pun intended) this would be the addition of white, especially Aven Mindcensor.  Since we have already assumed Blue (this is Fish after all) we should probably include Meddling Mage. 

This is the part where i need help I have thought about basically every other color as a third color, and right now I think Red is the way to go.  The potential addition of Magus of the Moon, Mox Monkey and maybe even Mogg Fanatic just seems right to me.  Do you agree, what about the draw engine?  Use Trinket Mage maybe and include the Dreadnaught combo and a tool box.  What about Ninja of the Deep Hours and a couple lower casting cost guys?  Maybe the addition of Black and Dark Confidant, but then we probably will not be using Red which I think adds the most to the mana denial strategy.

If this post is not up to snuff let me know I will try to make it better.  I am really just looking to draw on the community a little bit for this idea. THanks

[Outlaw]

I believe a build much like URBana fish would be much more suffice then say a build running white.  Black gives a dedicated draw engine (confidant) with duress package.  Mox Monkey is really amazing in fish, and ninja is also quite good.  Something with a creature based draw engine could abuse Thorns much more than a deck that used a non-creature engine.  Green could even add a more significant creature than white in the form of Tarmogoyf (amazing under thorns).  I do not believe that White is the correct color in such a splash. Becker's wizard fish can also abuse thorns due to its counter base being heavily based on creatures.

[BruiZar]

I think thorn is really only suited for workshop aggro.
Workshop taps for 3 mana while thorn makes there spells cost +1 mana.
Going shop mox thorn thorn spells GG while you pound your opponent with juggernauts.

I dont think fish has enough slots in the 2CC spot to support thorn.

[ErkBek]

I tried Thorn in URBana fish about 3-4 weeks ago over Chalice. It was good, but the deck felt too much like a hate deck, since thorn made some matchups wildly favorable and others wildly unfavorable. I didn't like that, decided not to MD thorn. Thorn belongs on the sideboard of URBana in certain metagames, especially in metagames with lots of ritual combo. That said Thorn + Gorilla Shaman is an even nastier mana denial package than Chalice + Shaman.

Thorn is a gift for aggro decks. Decks like goblins can maindeck thorn as a metagame hoser that protects their creatures and heavily disrupts their opponents. The day Thorn was spoiled, I built 3 decks using it.....it's pretty damn good.

I predict Thorn will impact vintage much more than Thoughtseize will.

[merfolkOTPT]

It was good, but the deck felt too much like a hate deck

My question is a hate deck against whom?  It seems to me to be good against everyone except Fish decks.  Yes it is especially good against ritual combo, but it is also pretty darn good against flash and GAT.

Now as far as workshop aggro, yeah it is a good application of this deck, but Fish can be a deck that has very few cards that are adversely effected by Thorns and it does only cost 2 (at least the first time).  I think especially with Magus of the Moon as a follow-up and Mox Monkey. Assuming this deck can just keep pressure on it will be very good.  I am starting to think a third color isn't actually necessary at all.  Why not play straight up UR for this build.  It keeps the Mana Denial plan strong, still allows for a "decent" draw engine in Ninja, and could allow for 12/12 creature for ~2 if the stifle//naught plan is used.  Any other ideas?

[GUnit]

Honestly, I've played Urbana a lot and when the deck's working properly you're playing more non-creature spells than you opponent anyway, because you're out drawing them 2 or 3 to 1. Urban is purely based on tempo and raw card advantage. Thorn lends itself better to "lock-ier" creatures such as meddling mage and mindcensor, in my opinion.