Ontario Vintage deck list

[bebe]

My Friend's Sideboard

White: 2
Balance
Enlightened Tutor

Blue: 20
4 Blue Elemental Blast
4 Force of Will
4 Annul
2 Hydroblast
2 Merchant Scroll
Echoing Truth
Mystical Tutor
Ancestral Recall
Timetwister
Tinker

Red: 6
4 Red Elemental Blast
2 Rack and Ruin

Artifacts: 6
4 Distorting Lens
Sundering Titan
Darksteel Colossus

Lands: 25
4 Flooded Strands
2 Polluted Delta
3 Volcanic Island
2 Islands
3 Tundra
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
3 Moxen
Sol ring
Mana Crypt

sb: 15
4 Pyrostaic Pillar
3 Pyroblast
2 Rack and Ruin
4 StP
2 Hydroblast

Well, many of you will not remember this deck. It was designed by Nevyn and myself and played in Toronto a number of times. Back in the day it performed surprisingly well as no one really sideboards for it.
With Ontario Vintage coming up I have revamped deck to make another run at top eight with totally rogue build. I've succeded in managing top eight with gro-mask and highlander so this seems as good as any deck to take along this year. I just love beating people with silly combo/control decks.

I figure the fundamental turn is now 2-3 which is thankfully slower than the past two years when games were won on coin flips. This deck is capable of controlling the table by turn two orr three with a reasonable draw.
Null rods are my scariest scenario. To that effect I'm main decking four Annul and three tutors to find them. They are rarely wasted slots in any case as there are a sh*tload of artifacts and enchantments I do not want to see.

My other problem will be fast aggro  but I'm hoping four StPs from the side will help out. Although Dist Lens and Blasts also can be of use.

I'm npot going to bother posting this in the regular forums because after all is said and done it belongs here no matter where I play it.

We can discuss card choices and break the deck down briefly.

I added the two white spells as extra utility because i wanted the StPs from the side. These will help against both Dragon and Oath. Since I need the StPs i feel compelled to add the most broken white spell ever printed - balance.

The blue spells are somewhat odd in that i have no Brainstorms - I am preempting all those ready and eager to suggest them. I would love to fit them in but the merchants and Mystical are just better in this deck. I will have to hope i do not get stuck with both Sundering Titan and DC in my hand. I'm thinking i could add just one Brainstorm for an Echoing Truth or Superman for Titan   in case of emergencies but I'm not sure that this scenario will happen often enough to warrant it. I can always hard cast either if necessary.

The rest of the choices are pretty obvious inclusions ... a kill mechanism and some R+R for a bit more permanent removal.

Thoughts???

[ReAnimator]

First glance i would say Isochrons belong in here, It lets you mana lock your opp with a distorting lense (blow up a land every turn.) It wont help your vulnerability to null rods but they seem really good in here.

Also Cunning wish maybe?

[bebe]

Isochron Sceptre is really the same type of deck with Scepters instead of D. Lenses - It uses four Merchant Scrolls and lots of instant bounce to create the lock. The deck has established control archtypes that have already been used and discussed elsewhere and I've felt for awhile that it might just do okay in todays meta if designed carefully...I've no real problem with them other than the fact that this came first and its mine - I actually considered  the Isochron for the Vintage Tournament but opted for my sideboard deck instead. Isochron was tested in Legacy and at one time considered viable but Solidarity seems the deck of choice these days in that meta as bounce could not keep up with vial goblins. No one has made a concerted effort to break the card in Vintage.

I hate repeating myself over the current state of Vintage. i know you will agree Andrew. There is much too much of a reliance on net decking. Its not that these decks are bad. But the net has stifled a lot of originality. That is why I think that Toronto is such a healthy meta. Every senior Vintage player has  invented an archtype. Yourself, Dicemanx, Shockwave, Razor, Lam and myself have all introduced decks that have gained global recognition ( excuse me for ignoring a few others) We just don't conform. So I will not play any established or well known archtype at a tournament. I'm aware my deck as is has a few flaws. I have no idea how well or poorly I will do but you know me. Don't count me out of it too soon. As you know i've been tinkering with three or four possible builds for this tournament - glimpse, dredge and this. All have their pros and cons and none are what I would call tier one. But i'm not looking to create a new meta deck here but rather have a bit of fun.  I was close to revamping Oshawa Stompy with a few dredge mechanics but I think Ray should do that himself - I worked with him on the first build and never really found it condusive to my personal play style.

As to cunning wish - my sideboard is already main decked. My main deck is a sideboard. I could as easily add a merchant scroll and an extra bounce spell maindeck. It would serve the same function as a wish ninety percent of the time.

[ReAnimator]

As to cunning wish - my sideboard is already main decked. My main deck is a sideboard. I could as easily add a merchant scroll and an extra bounce spell maindeck. It would serve the same function as a wish ninety percent of the time.

Yeah i see what you mean with the Cwish

As for the isochrons I dont think you would go so far as to compleatly play a different deck, but just use them as a two of to suppliment your deck (possibly instead of the  5-6 hydroblasts) I think it could be strong in here, If you get a Iso and a lens in play you get to vindicate any permanent every turn for only 2 mana, not to many decks could stand up to that after a few turns esp since you have the full set of wastelands.

i know if you go a full mana denial version it may change the deck a bit too much, but if you try it out maybe some stifles would be good too.

Chalice also looks like it could be a beating game one against you too.

-A

[bebe]

Actually four mana - two to activate the Lens and two for the Iso as opposed to three mana now. But yes it is a possibility. Still not convinced though even with my respect for your deck building abilities.

Stifles in the side are indeed not terrible. I weill consider them. The deck does play mana denial now - it is one of its main weapons.

Chalice will suck big time so I have up to four annuls and four rack and ruin for them apart from my FoWs. I'm hoping twelve counters are enough.

[ReAnimator]

Actually four mana - two to activate the Lens and two for the Iso as opposed to three mana now. 

You say its 2 to activate the lens ? last time i checked it was just a tap , unless you mean casting it in the same turn.

yeah its 4 the first time, but if it is never dealt with it is 2 every turn after that, and you never need to draw a blast after that.

Lense is really dead if you dont have a blast, and the iso lets you have a blast every turn.
you can also spread out the cost, you dont have to activate it the turn you play it.

It is possible im all wrong, its not like i've tested it, i'm just working off theory.

[bebe]

Andrew, you are probably right but I'm not going to add Isos. I have up to 15 balsts i can use along with eight counters and two R+R and a full set of strips. i think I should be okay there.

[P_f]

The point is being able to lock up your opponent.

Are you willing to devote 3-4 slots so that you have the ability to lock up the opponent?

[lordmayhem]

You're already running 3 Tundras. Maybe 1 Seal of Cleansing and 1 Disenchant? (Can be tutored with E.Tutor and M.Tutor this way. You could also cut something for a Cunning Wish or two and dedicate a slot in the side for a Shattering Pulse?

[bebe]

The point is being able to lock up your opponent.

Are you willing to devote 3-4 slots so that you have the ability to lock up the opponent?

The short answer is no. I have enough removal and counters to wait for my blasts or tutor for them. Three or four slots are alot. Ther deck is actually fairly tight and tuned. My opponenet will target my D. Lenses first in either case. A blast on a Iso without a Lens is wasted and I do not want to draw a wasted card.

You're already running 3 Tundras. Maybe 1 Seal of Cleansing and 1 Disenchant? (Can be tutored with E.Tutor and M.Tutor this way. You could also cut something for a Cunning Wish or two and dedicate a slot in the side for a Shattering Pulse?

I've already discussed my feelings on cunning wish. Even an extra merchant scroll might be preferable. However I really like your idea of adding a single seal. Once I have a lens the e. tutor becomes a bit redundant so this is an enchantment that is almost always useful. I will add to the main deck. My mystical tutor has enough solid targets as is.

Keep those comments coming - I am particullarly interested in comments on the sidebaord as it is hardly set in stone.

[lordmayhem]

My mystical tutor has enough solid targets as is.

So? In a time of need it works anyway. Glad you liked the Seal idea.

[exit music]

Being a fellow ontarian, I'm going to toss in a few ideas:

I am not really a fan of Timetwister in a control deck because it often leads to card disadvantage and letting a crippled opponent get back into the game. I recognize that it is good if you are behind in the game... but if that is the case, I know of another 3cc sorcery that does a better job: Yawgmoth's Will. Yes yes - it is black... but I am going to put up a decklist at the end of the post, so you can check out the results of my meddlings.

I don't like Annul - the card is too narrow and doesn't do anything if your opponent is able to slip its artifact threat past your counterwall (and yes, I know your deck is based on narrow answers, but bear with me again). Instead of Annul, I am going to suggest going up to 4 Merchant Scrolls. The card has extreme utility; it single-handidly functions as a broken draw engine, and it lets you tutor up Echoing Truth for pesky Null Rod or Chalice (or any other permanent that your opponent resolves). And finally, it lets you say "I don't feel like playing control, so instead I'm going to tutor up tinker and play aggro" (obv. it doesn't fetch Tinker, but Mystical is just as good).

I'm not sure why you aren't using 4 Brainstorms.... Playing a rogue deck doesn't mean that you shouldn't abuse one of the most efficient card drawers ever printed. It has an additional advantage in your deck because it can shuffle away your Blasts if you don't have a Distorting Lense yet.

When you say "fast aggro," I'm not sure what you mean. I'm pretty sure that the fastest aggro deck in T1 kills around turn 4 if they are undisrupted, so I really wouldn't worry about adding white for Balance/StP. Also, I don't think Swords is good against Oath because realistically, you need 2 of them or else you are just slowing the clock down by 2 turns; why not play something on colour that does the same thing (bounce) or better (rushing river bounces both their threats, ideally). Yes, StP is efficient at only 1 mana, but it isn't worth adding an otherwise useless colour. And yes, Balance is a powerful spell, but again, not worth the Splash. There are better cards to SB for aggro in your colours.

(oops, you forgot Time Walk on your list)

Alright... hopefully my critique will be more clear following a proposed decklist:

Drawing/Tutoring: 14
4 Brainstorm
4 Merchant Scroll
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Tinker

Winning: 3
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Sundering Titan

Narrow Answer Cards: 15
4 Force of Will
4 Hydroblast
4 Red Elemental Blast
1 Echoing Truth
1 Rack and Ruin
1 Gorilla Shaman

Never before seen in Vintage: 3
3 Distorting Lens

Mana: 25
2 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
3 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
3 Island

1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen

SB:
2 Wasteland
Pyroclasm
Annul
Rack and Ruin
Tormod's Crypt
ect ect ect

The reason for cutting down on MD Wastes is because lots of decks in T1 have learned to have incredibly stable mana bases. By using 3 wastes MD, you are likely to see 1 in the first few turns, so you can slow your opponent down enough to gain tempo while still keeping a stable mana base - this is just nit-picking, though, and really doesn't matter. One of the Rack and Ruins turns into a Mox Monkey - I'm surprised you didn't have one in the MD because it pwns mana bases.

Black gives you awesome Tutoring power, so you are able to run 1-ofs and be able to find them consistantly.

Anyways, that's it for now

[P_f]

That build is running a too many mana. I would probably play 24 since only tinker and yawgwill cost 3. I wouldn't worry too much about needing mana to chain merchant scrolls, 24 is enough. You might even be able to get away with 23 if you decide to play 2 colors instead of 3.

I would suggest not playing titans. You don't need colosus #2 although yes, its an alt win. I personally wouldn't play it, and after, this is just a fun deck at heart.

My casual build of 16blast distorting lens.dec featured 4 thirst for knowledge as well. It also featured AKs instead of black. I realize the strength of the black spells, but honestly, only yawgwill is worth it and while yawg will will probably win you the game when resolved, its main purpose is to recover from a losing battle i assume. Can't 4 merchant/4 AKs work as a replacement? It would narrow your deck back to 2 colors, which is good against wasteland hungry opponents.

Hydroblast should be less effective as pyroblast. Having both are nice but I would prefer 6 rebs and 2 bebs. Bebs are really there for welders hopefully where as rebs feels like playing efficient drains against a blue deck.