Blue Hates Tax Reform T1 Deck

[Anonymous]

Here's the list:

Creatures:
4 Flying Men
4 Serendib Efreet
3 Morphling

Counters:
4 Mana Drain
3 Force Of Will

Card Drawing:
1 Memory Jar
1 Windfall
1 Timetwister
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Fact Or Fiction

Jank:
1 Time Walk

Misc:
1 Mana Severance
4 Unstable Mutation
4 Psionic Blast

Mana:
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Black Lotus
22 Islands

Sideboard:
4 Back To Basics
4 Chill
2 Annul
1 Misdirection
3 Powder Keg
1 Hurkyl's Recall

The basic idea is that you drop efficient flyers and slap mutations on them for quick beats. Backed up with the best countering and card drawing in the game, the match should be pretty short.

The Mana Severance is in there for trials. I am still thinking about it. When I tutor or draw it out with around 7 or so islands, I can blast it off and make every draw count. I don't think I need more than one. It seems to work quite well.

I threw in the best blue fliers I could think of. The closest contender on the list that didn't make it was Rainbow Efreet, which was a tough choice. Stroke Of Genius was on and then off, being replaced by the severance. What do you think of that choice?

I had a red splash suggested, and I am thinking about it, but I think it might slow this deck down. Wheel of Fortune and L Bolt would be the only cards I would throw in, and I would need to use fetchlands to grab one mountain in there. Something to consider at least.

The sideboard is kind of hodgepodged. Back To Basics is a no-brainer for this, as it slaughters rainbow decks. The Chills stop red burn, but would hurt a red splash. Annul I am not too sure about. Hurkyl's Recall is for dealing with TnT, and the Keg is for weenie swarms.

What are the obvious holes in this deck? I get the feeling that I don't have enough creatures, but that the card drawing makes up for it. Are there enough costly spells to warrant 4 Mana Drains? What about the whole question of Mana Severance? I am thinking that the Severance could concievably be cut if I were to use less islands, but what would I fill those slots with?

Thanks!


P.s. This is also posted on the Wizards forums, but I realized that you guys probably have a lot better advice for it. I have it on apprentice if anyone wants to tangle with it too!

[Anonymous]

Interesting top down approach on the construction.  I have not played against it and wouldnt be able to comment from experience, but from looking at the list, it is watered down control.  Instead of card drawing affects, you have extra fliers.  

The reason that ophiddian is used with blue control is to draw extra cards.  You may get a kill faster with your deck if you are goldfishing, but you might not be able to control the board like a more traditional mono-blue player could.  

Often the reason the only creature used for the kill is morphling is because that is all that is needed to win once control is established.  Phid will help with card advantage, but is used in setting up the control.

I dont want to discourage creative thinking, but wanted to help by drawing reference from established decks.  Good luck with this build.

[Anonymous]

I was really going for the essence of early blue power, with quick fliers leading the punch. Although blue control is excellent, and I happen to play it quite a lot, I find that sometimes people need to learn that blue can be an explosive force right out of the gate. I played with it a little today and did quite well.

I am considering Ophidian, but something about it just seems out of flavor for the deck. Don't get me wrong, I love the Phid, but he's a little... slow. What I mean is that it doesn't directly contribute to killing the opponent. It helps in a big way, don't get me wrong, but it gets shut down by blockers and, on its own, doesn't kill quickly.

I use Morphlings in this, but they also tend to be a little mana intensive. The boys suck up mana that could be used for countering and such. Granted, they become the Prime Target when they hit the board, but I still am not sure.

It still needs work. I took out an island for a Stroke of Genius and haven't looked back on it. Excellent choice. The sideboard seems to work nicely, and B2B completely screws over just about everything. So good I feel bad for playing it!

Anyway, there it is. Any more comments guys?

[Anonymous]

One creature suggestion that I can think of is Cloud of Faries, they allow you to drop a critter and maybe more or at least keep you open for Mana Drain/Counterspells.

Gay Fish does well what I think you are trying to develope here.  Mana of the critters fly or can be made too and it is proven to be a tough matchup for many decks.  I know that I have trouble with it when I play it.

Oh, and definatley put in another FoW MD, gotta have four to keep your average up of getting them when you need them.

Z

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of a different aggro deck I remember from a long time ago.
It had Flying Men, Scyrb Sprites, Unstable Mutation, Giant Growth and Winter Orb.

I'm sure Gaeas Skyfolk, Force of will, Curiosty, Cloud fairies, Gush and a few other cards could make it decent.

[Anonymous]

Quote  This reminds me of a different aggro deck I remember from a long time ago.
It had Flying Men, Scyrb Sprites, Unstable Mutation, Giant Growth and Winter Orb.

I'm sure Gaeas Skyfolk, Force of will, Curiosty, Cloud fairies, Gush and a few other cards could make it decent.

I like this idea!
With Berserk unrestricted, this could be fun...maybe add Bounty of The hunt to make it more aggro ?
Perhaps Gay Fish is more consistent though...because of the card drawing.