[Deck] MUC y2k8.5 f/Strategic Planning

[Ufactor]

4 chalice of the void
4 deep analysis
4 force of will
4 mana drain
2 mana leak
4 strategic planning
4 thirst for knowledge
2 wipe away

1 darksteel colossus
1 razormane masticore
1 pithing needle
1 platinum angel

ancestral recall
mystical tutor
time walk
tinker

black lotus
lotus petal
mana vault
mox emerald
mox jet
mox pearl
mox ruby
mox sapphire
sol ring
library of alexandria
3 flooded strand
8 island
3 polluted delta
SB: 4 energy flux
SB: 3 pithing needle
SB: 4 seal of removal
SB: 1 tormod's crypt
SB: 3 vedalken shackles, sower of temptation, control magic




Deep Analysis, Strategic Planning, Thirst for Knowledge - This is the draw suite and outclasses Ophidian, Mystic Remora, or anything else that you could put in the deck.  Card advantage goes in, garbage comes out!

Mana Leak, Misdirection - These are just guesses at this point.  Mana Leak can be removed if at any point it competes in the mana curve with Strategic Planning.  Any of the counterspells might be taken out if Chalice of the Void becomes indispensable against combo.

Razormane Masticore - The match up against fish, IMHO, seems to be 50/50.  It comes down to early ninjas and factories on their side OR your ability to find Tinker (and/or Meloku, Tyrant, depending on is being used).  My hope is that this card can provide a sleight advantage.

Platinum Angel, Tormod's Crypt - I would put these in the sideboard if I could cut other cards for them.

Mystical Tutor - This is in here strictly to find Tinker.

Projected Sideboard - The worst matches for this deck (in order) are Oath, Ichorid, Stax*, and Fish.  The sideboard cards are all there with these matches in mind.  Seal of Removal and Wipe Away are for Oath.  Pithing Needle, Platinum Angel, and Tormod's Crypt are for Ichorid.  Energy Flux is for Stax.  Control Magic (or whatever equivalent gets used) is for Fish.

*I have been told that I should be murdering Stax, but I find that they get ahead on tempo before I can start countering stuff.  In addition, the deck is very low on permanents and gets easily quagmired by Tangle Wire/Smokestack (I also realize that these are generally considered passe, but I still see them once per tournament).  I have problems beating artifact decks, so I would not sleeve up this deck without a set of Enerdy Fluxes.

So, if you read results from Worlds, then you know about the new hotness that is Strategic Planning - Team Meandeck's gift to Vintage.  The possibilities are endless as the card is on par with Brainstorm, Ponder, Merchant Scroll, Impulse and Thirst for Knowledge.  This card could go into any deck in the format, but I would like to see how it works in Mono Blue.  Mono Blue has always been clutch for getting around non-basic hate, graveyard hate, artifact hate, and hate of every kind.  I also figured that no one else will be attempting Strategic Planning in BBS (as a disclaimer, I probably won't do anything with this) as there are waaay more powerful decks to be tested, at the moment.




EDIT: August 07, 2008 - New changes are in Bold.

- 1 mana leak, -3 misdirection, -1 crucible of worlds, -1 strip mine, -0 wasteland

+4 chalice of the void, +1 deep analysis, +1 library of alexandria

<-> swapped main deck tormod's crypt for sideboard pithing needle

The removed cards will most likely make their way back into the deck at a later point in time.  The reason for the changes is that I wanted to limit the amount of variables in the deck and get results with Strategic Planning to be consistient as possible.  Strip Mine was good, but too swingy.  I was never sure if I was winning because the deck was built well or because I got a luck mana screw on my opponent.

[Watanabe]

You don't use your Graveyard, so do you really think that Planning is good or just "a la mode" ?

[Ufactor]

...

The preferred method for expressing what this post conveys is to not post anything to begin with.  Verbal warning for violation of Rule 4, Lack of Content.  -DA

[Watanabe]

Strategic Planning is good, even in the absence of any grave yard synergies, because it lets you see three cards.

...and then there's Deep Analysis.

Just 3 deep for grave synergies... I am not convinced 

Planning is a good card, but hard to play and need grave synergies I think so.
Maybe AK could make more effects in addition of Planning ?

[Mantis]

Not convinced either. You talk about how seeing 3 cards is good but you don't even play Ponder and Brainstorm?!
I also miss Merchant Scroll, have you tested that?

Anyway, if you want to keep Strategic Planning then try Academy Ruins with all those artifacts.

[Clint_NZ]

I like your take on the deck, but I think it is missing some of the cards that really made this archtype shine.

Why no Back to Basics, Powder Keg?

For the Mono-Blue deck I still prefer SmmenenBlue

8 Island
3 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
4 Wastelands
1 Strip Mine
1 Library of Alexandria
5 Moxen
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus

4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
2 Counterspell
4 Mana Leak
1 Misdirection
4 Impulse
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
4 Ophidian
4 Back to Basics
3 Powder Keg
2 Morphling

SB
4 Energy Flux
4 Propaganda
3 Control Magic
3 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Counterspell

I understand that this deck could be updated (list is from 2004), switch impulse with another card draw or card selection spell, ie Strategic Planning. As you have said you "should" be murdering Stax, but without the good disruption in the above deck you are IMO weakening yourself to any resolved threat. 4 wastes and the mine plus Back to Basics completely disrupt Workshop decks ability to abuse their land base.

I also have to agree with Watanabe on the fact that Planning has better synergies with will based, or decks that use the yard.
this deck has no real way to abuse the 2 cards that have to end up in the yard.

I would prefer to use Omen x4 instead of Planning x4. $2 compared to $400 (Thanks Meandeck!)

And a reply of more than "..." would be nice as I really am interested in knowing what your thinking/planning on this deck is
as I really would like to see this deck back in the game again.

Cheers
Clint

[Ancestralx]

I would just play Matt Endresses deck it is updated. He crushed me playing back to basic this weekend at worlds and had just enough white to plow first game and control magic second game. The backwards confidant was nuts in some of his other games too. I have a similar build but I think his list is top notch.

P.S. Matt is a totally hilarious guy.


P.P.S. Dance your cares away!!

[Ancestralx]

I was refering to augury adept as the backwards confidant in case that wasnt clear.





P.S. Dance your cares away!! Clap Clap

[Ufactor]

See the first post for changes to the deck.

I also have to agree with Watanabe on the fact that Planning has better synergies with will based, or decks that use the yard.
this deck has no real way to abuse the 2 cards that have to end up in the yard.

I would prefer to use Omen x4 instead of Planning x4. $2 compared to $400 (Thanks Meandeck!)

Strategic Planning is good enough to play apart from any graveyard-based synergies*.   Deep Analysis is also great by itself, as it, at minimum, nets you one card.  The fact that they happen to work together is just an added bonus.

I'm avoiding the addition of more graveyard type spells for two reasons.  First, mono blue lacks a combo finish like a lethal Tendrils or Slaver lock.  The default mode of the deck is to, therefore, "win small", and is unable to take advantage of explosive cards like Accumulated Knowledge or Yawgmoth's Will.  Second, one of the strenghs of MUC is it's resilience to graveyard hate.  Trying to crowbar in cards that might be "some good" with Strategic Planning is not worth opening a liability to Tormod's Crypt, Extirpate, et. al.

Omen was one of the first cards that came up after June 20th.  After testing this one, it is stricly worse than Ponder, or even Impulse.  Omen, will let you set up your next two draws, but only alters your current hand by one card.  This is (at least) one place where the Meandeck Brainstorm is better.

I would just play Matt Endresses deck it is updated. He crushed me playing back to basic this weekend at worlds and had just enough white to plow first game and control magic second game. The backwards confidant was nuts in some of his other games too. I have a similar build but I think his list is top notch.

P.S. Matt is a totally hilarious guy.


P.P.S. Dance your cares away!!

I'm sure that all of us would like to see the list, please.  Do you have a link??

*MUC is the least broken place that this card will be featured.  Expect to see it, literally, EVERYWHERE, until the day it gets restricted.  Within the next few weeks, Strategic Planning will be making a cameo in Oath, Paint, Slaver, Drain Tendrils, and TPS among high-level players.

[Skadrian]

SP may be very good, but why is it better than impulse when you dont use your graveyard?

[Anusien]

Strategic Planning is good enough to play apart from any graveyard-based synergies*.

If your only interaction with the graveyard is Deep Analysis (meh) and Darksteel Colossus (double meh), then I'm pretty sure Impulse is at least twice as good.  It's instant speed and sees an extra card.  The instant speed is really good in a deck with as many instants as you have since it's far better to wait to counter something and then EOT Impulse if you don't.

But Merchant Scroll, Brainstorm and Ponder are almost certainly better.  Like, if you're just using it to select the best card from the top 3, Portent might even be better.  With no grave interaction, it lets you get one of the top 3.  Ponder does that for one mana, and Brainstorm lets you shuffle lands back.  And for one more mana, Scroll lets you get 3 for free (and the B plan of Scroll for Thirst for Knowledge isn't terrible).

Since you mentioned it, what matchups is this better than CS, TPS or Oath in?  The original Meandeck Oath looked like this except with an Oath package to murder creatures.  Winning with Razormane Masticore or Platinum Angel is pretty sub-par compared to the other plans, and without Duress I'm not sure I'd want to go all-in on a Tinker plan.  Especially with CS so abundant (nice Welder!)

[Watanabe]

Euh... Just a noob question : Why not Tefeiri ??

[Ufactor]

4.  Mat Endress

Insane innovative, over many years.  Came up with GWS Oath.   Now found a way to make mono blue work again.    Mat almost always comes up with something cool and new. 

http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=33669.msg505398#new

That's the third mention of this deck... Can someone post the friggin' list already?!?!?