The reason I don't run 4 chalice is because I flat out hate the card. I have used it many times and it really just diverts disrupts my opponent instead of stop him.
I like the deck alot, but i really would like to see more disruption such as wasteland, stifle, Echoing Truth, Rushing River or CoV. (you seem to have fixed this somewhat
)
If you like top with confidant i would really think you would want to replace standstills and 1 other for 4 Brainstorms, it works wonders with confidant.
Keep up the good work.
Don't get me wrong, brainstorm is an amazing card in general. However, in this deck top does almost the same job but in a more efficient manner. Let me list off my views of both the cards in this deck:
Brainstorm Pro's:
Pitches to FOW
Instant
Cheap to cast
Great in putting back irrelevant cards due to match ups, and using a shuffle effect to postpone that card.
Brainstorm Cons:
Not a permanant
Costs a blue, so no colorless
Can be countered
Really has to be a four of (is this really a con, lol.)
Is not card advantage, but rather card quality
Top Pros
Fetchable with Trinket mage
Can run one, so you free up MD space
Colorless
Limited hate against it (null rod/stifle)
Permanant, so once it's played, it generally stays there for the entire game instead of a one time use
Top Cons
Not pitchable to FOW
Null rod owns it, but null rod owns aether vile too ... >.>
Isn't instant, so must be on my turn.
Doesn't let me place cards in my hand on top of my deck to be shuffled away.
In this deck, top is superior IMO due to the reasons I stated above. It allows the soft lock of standstill and aether vile to stay disruptive while makeing sure your draws are up to par with what you need. And since it stays in play I never need to worry about what confidant will get me if I don't have my brainstorms. In my testing I personally love top instead of BS with confidant, but that's just me. And as to include some disruption, I have 4 strip effects, 4 CotV ,2 STP, and the entire creature base with voidmage.
Chalice of the Void might seem very strong when you're playing against it, but playing with it is another story altogether.
-BPK
That's actually my feeling for the card as well. If (and it's a BIG if) I were to take them out I would replace them with 1 crypt, 1 chain of vapor, and 2 stern protectors.
However taking out trinket mages is just a no in my opinion. I've thought about it but not a great deal because I have always loved running toolbox decks, and with this deck I feel that it allows me to play 2 things that I love in one deck. Creatures, and a great toolbox. And hopefully after this weekend of testing, I think I will have to rewrite my original primer with all of the results that I have seen.
