Ok, I feel that the Meta game has allowed its self to let...

[Mattdog]

Ok, I feel that the Meta game has allowed its self to let a number of different BACK into circle of 'good' deck. At times some deck where OVER barring (see GAT) or Win to fast, and to well (see long).

With the latest Banning and restrictions, I would like some help on one of my old favorers ABM.

The list From last Gencon.

Beats: (8)
4 Meddling Mage
2 Mystic Enforce
2 Devout Witness

Combo: (9)
4 Scroll Rack
4 Land Tax
1 ZOrb

Control: (10)
4 Force of Will
2 Swords To Plow.
R Mind Twist
R Balance
2 Back 2 Basics

Draw: (8)
R Ancestral Recall
R Demonic Tutor
R Regroth
1 Merchant Scroll
R Fact or Fiction
R Yag. Will
2 Cunning Wish

Land: (23)
R Sol Ring
R Lotus
5 Mox|Green|White|Black|Blue|Diamond
5 Plains
3 Islands
3 Gemstones
2 Undiscovered Paradise
2 City of Brass
R Strip Mine

Side:
1 Misdirection
1 Stifle
1 Disenchant
1 Skeletal Scrying
1 Argivian Find
1 Coffin Purge
1 Diabolic Edict
2 Back to Basis
1 Cop: Red
1 ZOrb
1 Mox Monkey
2 Swords To Plow.

My question to you is.....

If I was holding a gun to your head and I said you need to play this deck and you need to do well with it. What changes would you do to it, with out turning it into something total different.

[Arthur King]

Refresh my memory, but wasnt this deck a fluke?
And that it never seemed to work right?

[Dr. Sylvan]

Mana Drain, Time Walk, and Mystical Tutor are considered staples of blue-based control. Fact or Fiction and Skeletal Scrying less so, but still good. The most obvious slots to cut are, imo, the Tax/Rack engine.

Add fetchlands. They roxor my soxor.

I'd stop with that (which is all somewhat within the original deck)... but only if you were pointing a gun at my head. =)

[MolotDET]

MOVED

I will tell you to pull the trigger.

[Shock Wave]

Admittedly, I know nothing about this deck other than the fact that everyone has a very poor opinion about it. I'll also say that by looking at the decklist, it looks like these people are justified with their opinion.

However, lots of good decks look like absolute trash on paper and then turn out to be rather decent. I plan on giving this deck a whirl, after which I'll get back to you with my conclusions. The only advice I can offer you until then is to stick to your guns. If the deck is working for you, there's no reason to stop developing it.\n\n

[Toast]

hmmm, lets brainstorm, cards like FoF and cunning wish and mindtwist appear to be a manadrain. Too bad there isn't a card that counters a spell and gives you that much colorless on your next turn at this time.....walk away from this initial concern it is a decree of justice if you are unable to fetch lands with that horid manabase.

 But what do I know, afterall you are the one with the gun to my head. There is nothing that would please me more than dropping a mox diamond discarding undiscovered paradise so that I can regrowth my landtax so the scroll rack I have in play doesn't suck so bad.\n\n

[Lord of the Goats]

i've so refrained from saying anything about this deck before because of the attidude that generally goes along with it. i'd like to say that the poster has done an exceptional job of not stiring that up old issues in the first post... i hope that he, and everyone else can keep a level head with this.

now, for my help. abm is heaily reliant on the tax/rack combo which should be apparent to everyone. in the ideal type 1 metagame, this is a turn 2 format and tax/rack starts working on turn 3 if you drop it aggressivly. that makes you tap out early which looses you the game against dragon and probably tps. combo can play around tax very easily, and even though you have meddling mage, combo needs to be prepared for chalice and the most popular way to deal with chalice also hits mage.

so abm in the incarnation that you posted is just too slow for the current metagame so while you said you don't want to change it into something cmpletely different you may have to. it's time for a make over, not just switching a few cards.

[Mattdog]

Quote i've so refrained from saying anything about this deck before because of the attidude that generally goes along with it. i'd like to say that the poster has done an exceptional job of not stiring that up old issues in the first post... i hope that he, and everyone else can keep a level head with this.

now, for my help. abm is heaily reliant on the tax/rack combo which should be apparent to everyone. in the ideal type 1 metagame, this is a turn 2 format and tax/rack starts working on turn 3 if you drop it aggressivly. that makes you tap out early which looses you the game against dragon and probably tps. combo can play around tax very easily, and even though you have meddling mage, combo needs to be prepared for chalice and the most popular way to deal with chalice also hits mage.

so abm in the incarnation that you posted is just too slow for the current metagame so while you said you don't want to change it into something cmpletely different you may have to. it's time for a make over, not just switching a few cards.

Thanks for you honest thoughts, cuting the bull and telling me what u think of the deck.

Im sorry i thought this could go some where. Please close this thred. Im also sorry that I dont want to play the 'net' deck that ever one zombys to, Im also sorry that I posted this thred I wish I could lock it.