U/R Phid

[Anonymous]

I have a fully built nether void deck (minus lotus) and I have decided to build something new.  I've decided on U/R phid but I don't even know if it is worth my time.  I only have 2 power cards (jet and sapphire) but I have access to all the blue staples such as a set of drains, fow, morphlings etc.  My question is should I even bother trying to make a phid deck with only those 2 moxen?  Some decklists I have seen run a full compliment off moxen while others only use on colors.  Plus I have seen some really different versions of phid ranging from mana base differences (fetches) to different card drawing (brainstorms, impulses, etc).  Anyone have a good deck list for me w/o walk and recall?

Or should I just try and build something something else?  GroAtog seems kinda interesting.  Thanks for any help or input.  

[Anonymous]

I have run urphid for the last 3 tournaments and won one tournament and top 8 in another.  I recommend 2-3 mox.  Merchant scroll is really good in the deck ( I run 2).  I think its a mistake to run full power if it comes at the expense of cutting nonland cards.  The main advantage to power is the turn 1 manaleak.  Anyway, thats my 2 cents.

[MoreFling]

It would be nice to have some big blue in there.

other than that, you'll probably be fine.

[Anonymous]

I was also interested in a build of phid lacking the recall and walk.  What cards should be used to replace those and most preferably anyone have a list?

[Anonymous]

both merchant scroll and impulse are possibilities

[Anonymous]

Ok, I don't really know what I am doing so rip to pieces if you wish.

1 Cunning Wish
1 Fact or Fiction
4 Impulse
2 Merchant Scroll

2 Misdirection
2 Counterspell (Mana leak?)
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will

4 Ophidian
3 Morphling

2 Powder Keg
4 Fire/Ice

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Volcanic Island
4 Shivan Reef (Worth the hate?)
12 Island

Please help me refine this deck.  Thanks for any help!

[Anonymous]

This is pretty close.  I would:
- 1 Wasteland
- 1 Morphling
+ 1 Powder Keg
+ 1 Masticore

I found aggro to be a tough matchup game 1.  Also a keg may take out 2-3 mana sources.  Masticore owns some decks and may be fed by the ophidians.  

However, your build seems pretty good and was obviously researched.
Good Luck

[Anonymous]

Merchant scroll is really used for fetching Ancestal Recall more than anything else in T1.  With no Ancestral, I'm not sold on the card.  

Mana Leak is good in U/Ur because you can put off color moxes to use. You have can counter off 1 blue land and have turn 1 counters other than Force of Will. Since you are not using Ruby, Pearl, or Emerald, you should stick to Counterspell instead of Mana Leak.

Stroke of Genius is restricted for a reason. If you have 4 Mana Drains, you might as well use Stroke.

Fetch lands get you red just as well as Shivan Reef, but should hurt you a lot less.  Plus they avoid the hate of Back to Basics, which you should consider using in your deck (main or SB depends on metagame)

My suggestions:

-4 Shivan Reef
+ 4 Polluted Delta / Flooded Strand
-2 Merchant Scroll
+1 Stroke of Genius
+1 Back to Basics or Brainstorm

[Anonymous]

I disagree with Lord Baltimore on two counts at least.

A weak player uses Merchant Scroll to mainly find Ancestral Recall.  While Recall is great, in the early game, I almost always want a Force of Will or Mana Drain in my hand.  Merchant Scroll will find a needed counter or Cunning Wish.

Second, Shivan Reef is superior in this deck to fetchlands.  They give you more red sources, which may be necesary after sideboarding, (against aggro, they always maindeck wastelands, if all you have is four red sources, then it is too easy to have your Fire, Red Blasts, and other red spells compromised.)  

Also, Bloodmoon, for this deck, is better than Back to Basics.  Whether itis maindeck or sideboard depends on your metagame.

Finally, Stroke is a difficult call.  I like it in the board but thats just me.

[THEDARKPRIESTCYRIC]

Quote (Guest @ Feb. 21 2003,19:34)Ok, I don't really know what I am doing so rip to pieces if you wish.

1 Cunning Wish
1 Fact or Fiction
4 Impulse
2 Merchant Scroll

2 Misdirection
2 Counterspell (Mana leak?)
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will

4 Ophidian
3 Morphling

2 Powder Keg
4 Fire/Ice

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Volcanic Island
4 Shivan Reef (Worth the hate?)
12 Island

Please help me refine this deck.  Thanks for any help!

Impulse is not soo great without moxen I would advise putting more stuff in your deck that will actually net you card advantage... Here is what I would do:

1 Cunning Wish
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Braingeyser
1 Stroke of Genius
2 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Capsize

1 T. Response
1 Misdirection
3 Counterspell
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will

4 Ophidian
3 Morphling

1 Slice and Dice
4 Fire/Ice

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Volcanic Island
4 Shivan Reef (Worth the hate?)
8 Island

SB:
1 Shattering Pulse
1 Whispers of the Muse
1 Dominate
1 Misdirection
1 Starstorm
4 Flame Tounge Kavu (may be better off as Psi Blast since you lack the moxen to accelerate them into play)
4 Red Elemental Blast
2 Annul

Without the Moxen I don't know if the Merchant Scrolls will work out for you, if they don't take them out for more removal. Also I am not very big on Cunning Wish in a two color deck, I would take it out then main deck the Shattering Pulse and change the SB personally but it's up to you.

[Anonymous]

For the initial question, Altron- Sure.  Try it out, especially if you are in a semi-powered environment. Tell us what you find out.

Thanks for the perspective e2theipi.  I probably don't have as much experience with Blue/Red as you do.

I had also considered that only having 4 red sources would be a problem with the 4 Volcanic Island + 4 Polluted Delta set-up.  It doesn't have to be an "either- or" situation, though. 2 or 3 Shivan Reefs and couple Polluted Deltas is worth considering.

I wouldn't want Blood Moon in the maindeck in a metagame with a moderate amount of mono colored decks, since it can't be pitched to Force of Will or Misdirection like Back to Basics.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Lord Baltimore.

Back to Basics as pitch bait is definitely a worthy consideration, and in fact I used to run it.  However, I found that overall, Bloodmoon is friendlier to my urphidian and more deleterious to my opponents.

[Anonymous]

3 ftk
2 blood moon
2 starstorm
4 reb
1 keg
1 stroke
1 shattering pulse
1 masticore
That is the sideboard I am presently using.  I personally like the merchant scrolls as of right now.  Anything major I am missing?  

I haven't really been a fan of fetchlands since this deck seems to use any mana it can get.  Same reasoning of why I choose Blood Moon over Back to Basics.

[Anonymous]

capsize

[Anonymous]

Why is capsize good?  6 mana including buyback seems like it would be kind of hard to swing.  Otherwise it is just overcosted bounce.  What am I missing?

[Anonymous]

Forget the buyback (although in rare circumstances you may use it), but what else do you have to deal with an enchantment that hits the board?

[Black Explosion]

That's why you use counterspells, silly.

Ancestral is good on turn 20, also. A statement like that about merchant scroll makes me wonder if you've played this deck IRL. It's all situational, but most of the time (90%), recall is the way to go.

20 to 0 in 30 turns! (8)
4 Ophids
2 Morphling
2 Gorilla shaman

Kill it! (5)
3 Powder keg
2 Fire \ Ice

Draw cards! (8)
4 Impulse
1 Ancestral recall
1 Time walk
1 Cunning wish
1 Fact or fiction
1 Merchant scroll

Stop the craziness! (13)
3 Mana drain
4 Counterspell
4 Force of will
2 Misdirection

Mana is good, too... (25)
9 Island
4 Volcanic island
4 Shivan reef
1 Lotus
1 LoA
1 Strip mine
2 Wasteland
1 Mox jet
1 Mox pearl
1 Sol ring

Sideboard (15)
-Wishable
1 Capsize
1 Stroke of genius
3 REB
1 BEB
-Non wishable
3 FTK
2 Phyrexian furnace
3 Blood moon
1 Masticore

This is for my control-heavy metas. Against an aggro one, I lose a shaman in the main for a masticore, and the masticore in the board becomes a zuran orb. This deck has gone undefeated against good lackey sligh builds (15+). Mono-black builds (6+) have only cost me one match, and the mono-black was butterknives, not sui or void. The mana sources that cost above 20 bucks can be replaced with islands, and the blue power \ mana drains can be replaced with mana leaks and more fire \ ice. It's odd, but I never thought that ancestral was THAT good until I played this deck. It really breaks games in your favor, frequently. Mana drains also can speed up that spell you need by several turns. Unfortuantely, I have only 3...

These card decisions have been made over the last 6 months of playing this in 2-3 20+ tourneys \ week, and playing well. However, my meta and your meta are not the same. So... if you have any other card questions, feel free to e-mail me at Ethnic_Tortue@hotmail.com.

[Anonymous]

Your ignorance and condescending attitude show and thats not a good thing.  

FYI
1. I won a mox sapphire with urphid last month.

2. A first turn city of solitude when you don't have a Force of Will hurts IF you can't find/wish an answer.

3. You won't be able counter everything, all the time.  Otherwise urphid would always win.

4.  In urphid, Merchant Scroll acts more like a tutor.  You get recall if you want it, not because you need it (thinking you will blindly draw into an answer).  I consider how much control I have and then decide.  Also, Mana Drain can be a fine scroll target if you plan on swinging the mana in to a Stroke, Masticore, or Morphling.  Getting a Fire/Ice for something your Ancestral Recall did'nt counter may also be necesary.  Of course its situational, but please don't affix some arbitrary number like 90% unless you have something to back it up.

5. Note Altron, Black Explosion does have Capsize in his deck.  Why though, I'm not sure.  I know why I do.  Also, I like pyroclasm in the sideboard a lot also.

[Rando]

Since everyone else is posting thier URphidian decks, I may as well fall in line.

*Critters*
2 Morphling
4 Ophidian

*Counters*
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
3 Counterspell
1 Misdirection

*Search/Draw*
3 Impulse
2 Cunning Wish
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll

*Removal*
4 Fire/Ice
3 Powder Keg
1 Nevnyral's Disk

*Mana Sources*
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Stripmine
4 Wasteland
4 Volcanic Island
2 Shivan Reef
11 Island

*sideboard*
1 Misdirection
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Capsize
1 Urza's Rage
2 Shatering Pulse
2 BEB
2 REB
2 Tormod's Crypt
3 Flametounge KAvu

Yes, that is Urza's Rage you see there.
As long a game as URphidian plays, 12 mana is not a real problem.
I have on several ocasions burned my opponant out by Mana Draining something on thier turn, playing Wish EOT, then kicking the rage on my turn.  It also kills Juggernaught and any enemy Ophidians (where the non-counterability comes in handiest.)

It's basicly my fun "This game has gone on long enough" card.

...but it comes in quite handy as well.

jp

[Anonymous]

Thanks JP
I like the Rage suggestion.

[Black Explosion]

Quote (Guest @ Feb. 27 2003,10:53)Your ignorance and condescending attitude show and thats not a good thing

...

3. You won't be able counter everything, all the time.  Otherwise urphid would always win.

4.  In urphid, Merchant Scroll acts more like a tutor.  You get recall if you want it, not because you need it (thinking you will blindly draw into an answer).  I consider how much control I have and then decide.  Also, Mana Drain can be a fine scroll target if you plan on swinging the mana in to a Stroke, Masticore, or Morphling.  Getting a Fire/Ice for something your Ancestral Recall did'nt counter may also be necesary.  Of course its situational, but please don't affix some arbitrary number like 90% unless you have something to back it up.

5. Note Altron, Black Explosion does have Capsize in his deck.  Why though, I'm not sure.  I know why I do.  Also, I like pyroclasm in the sideboard a lot also.

I'm assuming that you're talking to me. Well, allow me to retort...

I realize you can't counter everything, sily. I was making a joke.

Merchant scroll is a tutor to me... I guess I can think of really cool examples to back up my percentages next time...

I play capsize because survival of the fittest can be played turn 1 \ 2 and I can, in theory, be unable to counter it. It's good against parfait, too. It's better than running disks or something to deal with those kind of permanent, in this deck.

I'm glad Jess (Rando) decided to reply. I almost added to my post at the end that I've seen him play this and he might have some good insight also.

[Rando]

Yeah, I've been playing it for a few weeks now, and will probably play it at the Lotus tournament on Sunday.

I see that I run considerably more permanant removal then you (Black_Explosion) do.  Do you think I'm over doing it?

I've got to say that Disk has been a life saver far to many time for me not to have at least one somewhere between main and side...especcially against enchantment based decks like Parfeit and Enchantress/AoS.

jp

[Anonymous]

I can't speak for your meta, but ours is heavy aggro, which is why I run 4 Fire/Ice and 3 Kegs main.

This may seem like a weird thought but most urphids run 2-3 morphling for kill.  I run one morphling, one masticore (for all the aggro), and one rainbow efreet.

Rainbow Efreet has been awesome for me.
1. It evades Wrath, The Nevy Disk, Balance and Edicts.
2 It is easier to cast and blocks morphing all day long
3 Counteracts Oath of Druids.

But it is a little harder to protect and The Abyss is a problem

I like it and its worked wonders for me.  Just an idea though.

By the way, our main decks are almost identical, except I don't run the Disk, and have the extra creature.

[Black Explosion]

Jess, against the aggro environments, I run a Masticore over shaman, and a fire\ice over the other shaman. Then the game becomes, "kill me quick, cause I'm gonna teabag you with this here Masticore".

And the game becomes even better aganst aggro 2nd game, cause the zorb comes in (in an aggro environment), and the FTKs get called into active duty. I have had little problem with the aggro decks, losing only when they have a superbroken start, or where my deck shows me ass. I bet you can say that even more than I with all of those permenant removal cards.

I experimented with a disk, but I tossed it. I now must rely more on that capsize to deal with any # of enchantment threats that were not countered. Usually IMO, the game will get out of hand long before that disk is useful against aggro, and the combo decks will either win before I play a disk, or I send out my Ophids so they can never resolve anything useful. So, to sum up, I rely more on having a Phid rocking them or having a counterspell in hand that you. But this sacrifice might help me in other situations. I bet this means we play the deck a bit differently too.

Good luck to all my fellow URphiddian players. And Jess, good luck at the lotus tourney. I'm undecided if I'm playing URphid, FEB, or Pierce's RG survival deck.

[Anonymous]

This is my final list.  Any final thoughts/criticism would be appreciated.  I am expecting to run into a lot of aggro (thankfully not TnT though).  There will be some combo/control though.  So if my deck needs to be tuned in a certain direction please tell me.  Thanks!

1 Cunning Wish
1 Fact or Fiction
4 Impulse
1 Merchant Scroll

2 Misdirection
3 Counterspell
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will

4 Ophidian
3 Morphling

2 Powder Keg
4 Fire/Ice

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Volcanic Island
4 Shivan Reef
12 Island

Sideboard
2 ftk
2 blood moon
2 starstorm
3 reb
1 capsize
1 keg
1 stroke
1 shattering pulse
1 masticore
1 urza's rage