UG Fish

[Bongo]

While the UGW or UBG variants are quite popular lately, I think UG Fish is worth to be explored. My version focuses more on the manadenial aspect.
First, a decklist:

3x Tropical Island
3x Polluted Delta
3x Flooded Strand
1x Forest
2x Island
1x Cephalid Coliseum
1x Strip Mine
4x Wasteland

1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Emerald

4x Noble Hierarch
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Cold Eyed Selkie

4x Force of Will
4x Daze
4x Stifle
4x Null Rod

1x Brainstorm
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Echoing Truth
1x Hurkyl's Recall
1x Misdirection
1x Time Walk
1x Merchant Scroll
1x Life from the Loam
1x Regrowth
1x Intuition


The gameplan is to disrupt the opponent with the usual tools like Null Rod, Waste and Stifle, while having a Loam engine to keep the opponent from recovering in the later stages. Tarmogoyf is the main beater, while Hierarch speeds things up and Selkie ensures that you don't run out of gas (you can also use the Selkie draw to dredge Loam back).

A few explanations about the unusual choices in the maindeck:

1. Intuition
This is mostly used to tutor for Loam and Strips, but can also be used to fetch out counters or beaters in a pinch.

2. Regrowth
Very strong in this type of deck because you have so many good targets like Ancestral, Strip Mine, Time Walk. Also allows you to "tutor" for a specific card in combination with Intuition.

3. Cephalid Coliseum
Allows Loam to function as a draw engine, which can be useful when you don't have Selkie going. Better than Bazaar in this deck because it produces mana and draws three instead of two cards and Threshold is easily achieved in the lategame.


The deck is still a rough draft, so any input would be appreciated!

[Roat17]

Loam can be great with Tarmogoyf, in addition to some other cards (waste/Strip etc...).  You have too much randomness in here.  This is a fish deck.  You can't do crazy things to win games since your win conditions are creatures.

Blue decks get away with random 1 ofs with a combo finish because they play a bunch of tutors that can tutor for both their win conditions and their answers and win right there or shortly after.  I feel you should try and make your disruption more redundant.  Get rid of the random tutors and either up the Loams and find some synergy/disruption to help fuel it or find another way to disrupt/kill because you are just too slow right now and you don't have nearly enough draw to keep up with Tez.

[the boogie man]

You seem light on threats. What about vedalken heretic? He might pick up the slack that not having black(confidant, duress) or white(canonist, teeg) with additional draw. It just seems that selkie may come down too late sometimes. I'd try -1 intuition (too random), -1 regrowth (like giving your opponent a time walk), -1 selkie (pretty mana intensive), and -1 misdierction.

Perhaps spell snare should also be looked at as a cheap answer to oath, vault, and many other problem cards. and with all the draw, you are like to still have other counters if need be.

[Guli]

I find it curious why nobody came up with this before. What is white doing anyway? Canonist isn't used, meddling mage most likely isn't what it used to be. Why play white? Just to use the mana noble provides? I think it is good that only 2 colors are used. I go with GW and implement important creatures like Aven, qasali and teeg without messing around with blue. But I am sure UG can be viable as well. Actually blue seems more controlish with counters and effective bounce while GW seems more beatdown and straightforward threats.

I think this list would work fairly well. Most likely won't win a tournament unless a good portion of luck is present and the deck is in the hands of a skilled, experienced magic pilot.

Oath/Prog might be a match up you want to be prepared too.

Also dealing with heavy aggro can be problematic if you don't draw into your own 'Goyf. Still if you can play an effective tempo game with mana denial/counter/beatdown it can work very well. I would advice Trygon predator if you can fit it.

[the boogie man]

Trygon in the side definately, but I think that spell snare would be the nuts in this deck. counters oath, goyf, confidant, chalice@1, scroll, demonic, vault, painter, and a host of other good spells. also will catch a stray balance that might devastate you. and if you run 3 selkie 4 heretic, you potentially have a ton of cards in hand.

If I was to play your list, These would be my changes:

-1 intuition
-1 misdirection
-1 selkie
-1 regrowth
-1 daze
-1 stifle
-1 scroll/mystical

+4 vedalken heretic
+3 spell snare