Please critique my Keeper.

[Morphling]

For a random metagame.
Red:

1 Gorilla Shaman

Green:

1 Regrowth
1 Sylvan Library

White:

1 Balance
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Swords to Plowshares

Black:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Mind Twist
1 The Abyss
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Blue:

1 Ancestral Recall
1 Braingeyser
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Time Walk
2 Morphling
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain

Split:

1 Fire/Ice

Artifacts:

1 Zuran Orb

Mana Sources:

1 Black Lotus
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Undiscovered Paradise
3 Tundra
3 Wasteland
4 City of Brass
4 Underground Sea
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard:

1 Aura Fracture
1 Circle of Protection: Black
1 Misdirection
1 Moat
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Dwarven Miner
2 Powder Keg
4 Red Elemental Blast

[Master Tap]

not for nothing Yamo but it is the same as every keeper deck except for 1 small mod you took out 1 tundra for 1 volcanic island. we all know though that   owens keeper though

[Morphling]

Actually, after some thought, I made another couple slight changes:

Red:

1 Gorilla Shaman

Green:

1 Regrowth
1 Sylvan Library

White:

1 Balance
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Swords to Plowshares

Black:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Mind Twist
1 The Abyss
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Blue:

1 Ancestral Recall
1 Braingeyser
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Time Walk
2 Morphling
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain

Split:

1 Fire/Ice

Artifacts:

1 Zuran Orb

Mana Sources:

1 Black Lotus
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Undiscovered Paradise
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
4 City of Brass
4 Underground Sea
4 Wasteland

Sideboard:

1 Aura Fracture
1 Circle of Protection: Black
1 Misdirection
1 Moat
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Dwarven Miner
2 Powder Keg
3 Red Elemental Blast

[Master Tap]

I am not really sure cutting a volcanic island for a wasteland is the best thing in the world going down on U mana producers can lead to trouble

[Morphling]

I think 16 blue sources is pretty safe. If I were wont to run, say, a maindeck Counterspell instead of Vampiric Tutor or Swords like some do, I might feel a strong need for 17, but I don't.

Actually, now that I think about it more, I think I'd like more white to support Moat a little better.

Red:

1 Gorilla Shaman

Green:

1 Regrowth
1 Sylvan Library

White:

1 Balance
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Swords to Plowshares

Black:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Mind Twist
1 The Abyss
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Blue:

1 Ancestral Recall
1 Braingeyser
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Time Walk
2 Morphling
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain

Split:

1 Fire/Ice

Artifacts:

1 Zuran Orb

Mana Sources:

1 Black Lotus
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Undiscovered Paradise
3 Volcanic Island
3 Wasteland
4 City of Brass
4 Tundra
4 Underground Sea

Sideboard:

1 Aura Fracture
1 Circle of Protection: Black
1 Misdirection
1 Moat
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Dwarven Miner
2 Powder Keg
3 Red Elemental Blast

Hey, I'm a compulsive tinkerer.  

[Freddie]

Did you ever consider the Enlightened Tutor in the SB?

I think that it could replace give you 1 extra slot, if you yanked 1 COP and a keg, then have 1 slot to work with perhaps for a 4th REB, or a SB shaman?... its a thought.

I think that your deck looks really strong, and I constantly go back and forth between having a 4th wasteland or a 4th tundra, there is just something compelling about playing 4 wastelands that constantly call me back, It could be that Weissman plays it and I have always loved the Land destruction aspect of Keeper.

Well, good luck, I think that your deck looks really strong.

-Freddie

[Morphling]

I don't know. I do know that I want two Powder Kegs, but the only time I can really see myself siding in more than one enchantment is when I'll want both CoP: Reds, and then, the Tutor might as well be the other Circle, as the Tutor is just effectively a Circle with a one turn delay and card disadvantage.

[Freddie]

Thats cool, I think that upon further inspection, that my SB benifits from it more, then yours could right now:

My Keeper SB:
REB: 4
Dwarven Miner: 2
Tranquil Domain: 1
Diabolic Edict: 1
Timetwister: R

Enlightened Tutor: R
Aura Fracture: 1
Tormod's Crypt: 1
Compost: 1
COP: Red: 1
Moat: 1

The enlightened tutor is like 5 extra slots for me, any time I bring in any of these enchantment or artifacts, I bring in the enlightened tutor, except against mono blue, I dont bring it in there, cause I bring in so much other stuff, and the 4 REB help against the BtB as well as the Fracture.

-Freddie

[Morphling]

I cut a Blast mainly because it seemed gratuitous with a Misdirection also in the board serving as a reserve counter. Running one less Blast lets me feel more comfortable about running 4 Tundra and 3 Volcanic (as opposed to vice-versa), leaving me with ten white sources, which in turn lets me feel more comfortable running Moat. A good deal all around, I think.

[drkavngr]

The only thing that I see that is questionable is the Merchant Scroll.  You might want to use that slot elsewhere if you were thinking about fitting something else in main deck.  

Other then that It is a very solid deck!

[Freddie]

Drkavngr: Merchant scroll is widely accepted as a funtioning tutor in standard keepers, as It fetches ancestral, For F, a counter, Stroke, mystical, or Fire/ Ice.

I think that the inclusion of fire/ice is IMHO probably what puts merchant scroll over the top. Being able to merchant scroll for a kill card is really cool.

If I wasn't so addicted to impulse I'd go the Merchant scroll F/i route as well.

-Freddie

[Zherbus]

I feel, assuming your metagame hasnt changed, that the deck might just be able to benefit from a tolarian academy maindeck. With little disruption abound, I feel as if the added speed and potential the card give is too good to at least not give some sort of consideration to.

This of course is based on your statement of 'Teferi's Response might as well be 1u countertarget stone rain...' Ill assume that shamans and null rods arent abound there either.

[Morphling]

I'm just leery of getting it in my opening hand with no artifacts in sight. If I had some magical way to guarantee I'd never draw it before the mid-game, maybe...  

I just find it hard to reconcile with the idea of a mana source that doesn't always produce mana. That can lead to some messy and completely preventable deaths in the early game.

[Freddie]

Academy has single handedly won and lost me games.

The games that stic out to me are were I tap my academy for mana sac to zorb, then yawgwill, then tap all lands for mana, sac all, balance, then lay the academy, then morphling, then ancestral, walk, forf, and twist their hand, then go to turn my walk turn. pretty good, or similarely, just geyser them to death.

Other times it kills me for the same reason the Morphling listed, noit having any artifacts to make it usible, or worse yet becoming dependent upon it early and forcing you to overextended your artifacts just to make that card good, then a shaman slipps threw, and effectively kills the academy as well.

If you are looking at consistant keeper mana, I wouldn't use it as apart of the 28 mana sources, if you are looking to fit it in I would only add it as a 29th mana, thats pretty taboo, but I have considered the same, and just cannot fit it into my mana base, since i am primarily looking for consistancy above all else.

-Freddie

[Morphling]

I tinkered with the sideboard and mana base just a little more. Decided that I really do want four Blasts sometimes.

Red:

1 Gorilla Shaman

Green:

1 Regrowth
1 Sylvan Library

White:

1 Balance
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Swords to Plowshares

Black:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Mind Twist
1 The Abyss
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Blue:

1 Ancestral Recall
1 Braingeyser
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Time Walk
2 Morphling
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain

Split:

1 Fire/Ice

Artifacts:

1 Zuran Orb

Mana Sources:

1 Black Lotus
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Undiscovered Paradise
3 Tundra
3 Wasteland
4 City of Brass
4 Underground Sea
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard:

1 Aura Fracture
1 Circle of Protection: Black
1 Moat
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Dwarven Miner
2 Powder Keg
4 Red Elemental Blast

[brianb]

Aarrrgh, reading keeper lists hurts my head.  Why?  Because they're all the same.  If you closely scan each list, you MIGHT be able to find a couple of unique points, but often they're just mistakes in the mana base.  To fix this problem that making me myopic and giving me migraines, I propose the following.

Zherbus needs to arbitrarily pick the best keeper player in the community.

That player needs to post a decklist.

All other keeper decklists should be posted in the following format:

STANDARD KEEPER:
+ list of cards you add
- list of cards you cut

SB:
you can list your own sb, since they are more tuned to local variations and apt to change.

Then we can happily argue about your changes.

P.S.  I'm halfway kidding, and this system probably wouldn't work in practice, but critiquing raw keeper lists just takes too much work for too little discussion.  Does anyone else feel like this?

[Freddie]

I know were you arte coming from, but I love keeper so much, that when I skim the list I can immediately tell the differences, so although I can see were some players only see the same deck with 1-2 changes, I see subtle casms of playstyle and metagame customizing.

I like to see the full list that way small arguments or debates can be made for each card or card substitutes.

-Freddie

[Morphling]

Another small modification. Last update today.

Red:

1 Gorilla Shaman

Green:

1 Regrowth
1 Sylvan Library

White:

1 Balance
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Swords to Plowshares

Black:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Mind Twist
1 The Abyss
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Blue:

1 Ancestral Recall
1 Braingeyser
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Time Walk
2 Morphling
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain

Split:

1 Fire/Ice

Artifacts:

1 Zuran Orb

Mana Sources:

1 Black Lotus
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Undiscovered Paradise
3 Tundra
3 Wasteland
4 City of Brass
4 Underground Sea
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard:

1 Aura Fracture
1 Circle of Protection: Black
1 Moat
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Swords to Plowshares
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Dwarven Miner
2 Powder Keg
4 Red Elemental Blast

[cooberp]

What Freddie means is that if he wanted to win, he'd cut that Extended crap for a card that gets Ancestral, FoF, Stroke, and Fire at no card disadvantage.

[Freddie]

cooberp: Why you gotta bust my chopps?

You are so intuitive, but you must be tunned into someone elses brain. What I am saying is that I love impulse, and although I have tested Rakso's/ Matt D's/ type of keeper, I still think that impulse is strong and I have become to dependant on it right now to cut it out.

BTW, Impulse does not give card disadvantage, it gives card equality.

It finds land and the color you need to cast off color cards as well, something that my keeper will be able to do better then any of the the other regular or standard keepers.

-Freddie

[Freddie]

Well, dandan now that you mention it, keeper is just a version of rOSE, or OSE...

 

Dude:

I personally will debate witch picture of gorilla shaman to use in my keeper.

I personally think that the calmer one is by far more appropriate then the raging shaman.

The reasoning is that the calmer one is more control like, looks like he is just taking everthing in stride, "Oh you have 3 cursed scrolls on the board? ok, that will be short lived" ect...

I think that if you play a SB shaman, it should be the angry pic, that way you know when you draw him as opposed to the MD calm one. You should also write "When animals attack" on him, cause he looks like he has lost his damn mind!

 

I find that when I have a SB shaman he always shows up before the colmer one, since he is so much more angry, he streaks right to the battle front.

If they reprint Dwarven Miner with a new picture, I will debate what art to use on that too.

I love debating 1-2 card slots in keeper, it really does make a difference in how the deck plays out... just those 1-2 card slots!

It may seem petty, but it really does make a difference.

-Freddie

[Fishhead]

Quote The reasoning is that the calmer one is more control like, looks like he is just taking everthing in stride, "Oh you have 3 cursed scrolls on the board? ok, that will be short lived" ect...

I dont know about that.  I mean, the Morphling - he (she?) is the cool customer.  Morphling just shrugs everything off.  "Oh, is that a Lightning Bolt?  Go target someone else with that crap."

The Monkey, now, when he hits the table, he's there to do some damage.  He just starts screaming and throwing stuff around his little hut.  "Hey! Put that Zuran Orb down, its fragile!" "SCREECH!!" [crash!].  "Hey!  Get away from my Mox Saphirre!" [smash!]  "Hey!  He bit me!  The little f*

[Morphling]

1. Angry monkey 4L.
2. Miner art sux azz.
3. Latest version of deck:

Red:

1 Gorilla Shaman

Green:

1 Regrowth
1 Sylvan Library

White:

1 Balance
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Swords to Plowshares

Black:

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Mind Twist
1 The Abyss
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Blue:

1 Ancestral Recall
1 Braingeyser
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Time Walk
2 Morphling
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain

Split:

1 Fire/Ice

Artifacts:

1 Zuran Orb

Mana Sources:

1 Black Lotus
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Undiscovered Paradise
3 Tundra
3 Wasteland
4 City of Brass
4 Underground Sea
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard:

1 Aura Fracture
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Seal of Cleansing
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Dwarven Miner
2 Powder Keg
2 Swords to Plowshares
4 Red Elemental Blast

[Hanzalot]

angry monkey --> lol Freddie

This is kindda far out, but why hasn't anyone tried out diabolic vision (bc of the two-colored cc, but still...)


--Hanzalot

[Freddie]

Diabolic Visions is a sorcery, and the 2 color is annoying.

Players shun the thought of impulse in keeper, and it it IMO a better card since it is only 1 color specific, and digs for 4, at eot, or on the stack of a spell.

Some keeper players were using lim duals vault, but I think even though it has some advantages, It is still sub par to vamp tutor, and it would be hard to find room for it in another slot in addition.

-Freddie