UR Phid, playing bad cards to make them good...

[Pest]

Hey all, now I know what you're all thinking, "UR PHID SUCKS! why is this guy posting a thread about it?" Now, I know this deck hasen't placed well in Tournies, and not alot of people play the deck. There is probably a reason for this, but in the testing I have done and from seeing the deck in tournament, it can be a beast. Especially against Fish and 4cc, which seem to be the top dogs in T1 right now. Mods, if this belongs in the newbie forum or whatever, I apologize and move it if necessary. Now, I would like your feedback on this list, (Got 2nd at a tourney a little while ago). The list I have made is inspired by Kowal, who made it for my good friend Chris (Googleboots) some time ago. Without any more delay, here is the list:

Kill
2 Morphling
1 Gorilla Shaman

Counter
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
3 Mana Leak
2 Misdirection

Draw/Search
4 Ophidian
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Ancestral Recall

Broken cards
1 Time Walk
1 Future Sight
2 Blood Moon

Removal
3 Powder Keg
3 Fire/Ice
1 Control Magic
1 Capsize

Mana
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
4 Flooded Strand
4 Volcanic Island
6 Island
3 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Library of Alexandria

Sideboard:
3 Red Elemental Blast
2 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Stifle
2 Flametongue Kavu
1 Gorilla Shaman
1 Control Magic
3 Rack and Ruin
1 Fire/Ice

Well folks, that's the build I've been running for now. Now for some explanations on Card choices:

Morphling: Now, this guy has not been well-liked in T1 recently. Due to Angel being better in 4cc and having Psychatog readily available have made this guy not very popular. He is the win condition in this deck because Morphling can Kill Exalted Angel, and with only Red and Blue for colors, this is about as good a win condition as you can get, 2 of these guys were the right #.

Mana Leak: There is really no need to explain FoW or Drain, but Mana Leak may have some people scratching there heads. This deck takes a long time to set up quite often, and having control of the game is VERY important. Mana Leak is a WONDERFUL card in the early game, countering 1st or 2nd Turn Dryads, countering that pesky Goblin Lackey or even a Turn 1 Ancestral. In the late game it also poses a threat because not many decks play this card, and people don't try to play around it because of that, and somebody tapping out for a big threat, and then mana leaking it is so great. The reasons to play this card are endless.

Misdirection: I chose this simply because it is like Ancestral #2 and FoW's #'s 5 and 6. This is a wonderful card to help win counter wars and is lovely against those pesky Mind Twists.

Future Sight: Future sight is incredible in this deck. When this hits the table, you might as well call it game. There are so many things in the deck that you can play and Ophidians will draw you so many cards. And if you have a Blood Moon on board as well, god save your opponent.

Powder Keg: These are wonderful against Fish and are good at destroying Landstills dudes as well. I love this card to death as a removal spell and it fits perfectly in this deck considering it's only winn condition has a 5cc.

Control Magic: Oh my god, this is the best card ever. It is such Tech and has won so many games, it amazing. Nobody expects this card to be played, and taking over somebody's ANgel just feels so good. Also, against Fish, Control Magic thier Lavamancers and wipe out thier entire Board...or take over a Dryad and build it up with your own spells. The possibilities are endless.

Capsize: This is the Anti-Dryad tech of the deck. An 8/8 Dryad is not an easy thing to deal with, so this little addition can ruin a GAT players day and make them have to play thier Dryads as 1/1 dudes again.

well guys, that's the opening to this thread, I hope you like it and I hope this thread goes far, thanks for reading.

~Pest

[Matt]

This beats Fish? This is exactly the kind of heavy control deck Fish was made to destroy. Am I missing something?

[Pest]

well, Blood Moon stops most of Fish's Mana base,  it outcounters fish, Powder Keg helps from them having oo many dudes on the board, Fire/Ice does the same thing, Fish can't deal with Morphling and it outdraws Fish unless the block the Phids. So from the games I have played, UR Phid beats phish more than it loses to it, granted I haven't played against PTW or any of the other bg T1 players like that, so perhaps I am wrong.

[Ric_Flair]

No Mystical Tutor?  This deck seems like it is in need of Cunning Wish too.  Why run Red if not to use Wish to go get REBs and Rack and Ruin?  The Capsize and Control Magic could easily be Wish slots and make the deck more versatile.  Ophidian is just awful...there needs to be something better out there.  Also why no Fact or Fiction?

[Pest]

I have tried replacing Phid with all different things, TFK/DA, Brainstorm, AK, Scepter/AK and I found that Phid is the only consistant draw engine, sure alot of stuff can block it and stop it, but you normally want to get Phid out 1st or second turn anyways. It's good enough to get you a few cards, which is all you need anyways.

I do like the WIsh Idea, but Control Magic has won me way too many games for me to just turn it down. i can't wish for anything to deal with an unmorphed ANgel, at least Control magic can take care of that. I would like to run Wish, but I just wouldn't know what to take out for it.

The Future Sight was FoF's replacement. It fits better in the deck and overall nets you way more cards. It is much more broken than FoF, and your opponent doesn't give you a hard decision on what cards you want either, you just get them all. Also, the reason I don't run Mystical Tutor is because I run Merchant Scroll, I felt I had to choose between 1 of the 2 cuz both would take up too much space in the deck. Perhaps I am wrong, but this is how I feel.

[Stupid_Newb]

Are the SoLoMoxen really necissary? Why not run Null Rods instead? You've only got five sources of Artifact hate, and those sources could be negated (Welder).

[Matt]

Doesn't Future Sight really choke on all the counters? You also can't Drain mu ch into it (unlike FoF, which is almost free off a Drain).

[Pest]

Are the SoLoMoxen really necissary? Why not run Null Rods instead? You've only got five sources of Artifact hate, and those sources could be negated (Welder).

This is true, but the SoloMoxen are very Necessary. Simply to speed up the deck alone, getting a Turn 1 Phid, or Blood Moon can be extremely bombish. The Solomoxen also help for conserving the Blue mana because of Mana Leak, they are very necessary.

Doesn't Future Sight really choke on all the counters? You also can't Drain mu ch into it (unlike FoF, which is almost free off a Drain).

You may have a point here, but with all the cards you'll be drawing with Phids and Fetchies, it really doesn't make a difference with the counters. I may be wrong, but I still think that Future sight is much more threatening than a FoF.

[Urza]

My question is why no 4th wasteland? It seems to me that against Fish they go Mishra's Factory "Shut down your draw engine". Also, what are your thought's on playing around Null Rod? Its shuts down 7 of your mana sources, and makes Keg useless. With no Cunning Wish in the deck, your going to be scrambling to pull out the first game, while even post sideboard Rack and Ruin is weak against Fish.

[Pest]

The reason for no 4th Wasteland is because of Library, I could take out Library, yes, but it is great and can draw so many cards. And draws thier wastelands away from your volcanics.

As far as Wish goes, I like the idea, and I think Keg can come out for it. This will need some testing, but I think I might go -3 Keg +3 Wish in the MD and -1 Control Magic, -1 Mox Monkey and +2 Keg in the SB.

[Thug]

Just the value of Blood Moon right now should make Ur-Phid an option again. Blood Moon is amazing versus Fish and 4C-Control.

Your list looks pretty solid, but I would really advise to find room for some Scepters (probably cut the Kegs, they aren't all that hot anymore).
Scepter might seem like suicide with all the artifact hate and null rod flying around, but it also wins many many games. Especially when combined with Fire/Ice it can take care of almost everything.

It also gives you another option agaist Creatures by icing them every turn, and answer to creatures in something red and blue miss.

I would run at least 3 Blood Moons, but you could even go up to 4, and cut most of the wastelands.

Also Cunning Wish is, even without options of more than 2 colours, still very strong. It looks a lot stronger than Capsize, even if it's just one.

And I think you would really like some sort of digging, but I know there are very little really good options (having played the deck myself). The deck lacks a good amount of shuffling to make brainstorms really worth it, and Impulse makes you even more vulnerable to Chalice.

You could try running Brainstorms and adding some Shoreline Rangers for extra shuffling. Because I also had trouble killing people after having pitched my first Morphling, and Ranger adds another win condition to the deck. On top of that it fetches basic island if yo have a Blood Moon in play.

And Future Sight seems a little weak, you might even have trouble casting it with Blood Moon in play. FoF is a solid piece of card-drawing and well, you should be running 4 if you could, so 1 seems a no-brainer.

Koen

[Gandalf_The_White_1]

I just lost a very long and detailed post, so excuse me if I am rather brief.

Tinker+ds colossus > morphling.  It seems goofy, but lets the deck kill faster and doesn't suck up mana resources like morphling.
Pure control isn't vaible any more, so this deck needs to be able to go for the kill quickly, like hulk and 4cc.

Run the brainstorms, cut the leaks and a merchant scroll because they arn't good.  (no deck needs more than 8-10 counters anyways).  Brainstorms are god x4 is a must for every blue-based control deck in type 1.

I recomment 2-3 wish minimum.  You can have wishable thirst for knowledge which would let you put colossus back as well as the 4 md brainstorms.  Md fact or fiction unless you want to simply make it wishable.  It is just too good not to have access to.

4 bloodmoon seems excessive.  It's a house, but I wouln't run more than 3 because it is useless in multiples.

Scepter can be powerful, but just makes the deck more vulnerable to null rods and is rather slow and fragile.

Bloodmoon is nto a replacement for wastelands.  I realize that they lack synergy, but when playing a workshop or bazaar deck you need to shutdown the evil land NOW, not just when you are able to resolve a bloodmoon.

The 1md shamen is good and I wouldn't recommend cutting it.

So, something like this:

10 counters:
4 mana drain
4 force of will
2 misdirection

6 draw:
4 brainstorm
1 ancestral recall
1 fact or fiction

6 creatures:
4 ophidian
1 darksteel colossus
1 gorilla shamen

2 primary win conditions:
1 tinker
1 mystical tutor

10 utilty:
3 cunning wish
3 bloodmoon
3 fire/ice
1 timwalk

27 mana sources:
7 SoLoMoxen
4 wasteland
1 strip mine
1 library of alexandria
4 volcanic island
4 polluted delta/flooded strand
6 island

Note that you also have monkey and ophidans as alterante win conditions if necessary

[Thug]

Tinker+ds colossus > morphling. It seems goofy, but lets the deck kill faster and doesn't suck up mana resources like morphling.

The deck runs no search, so you can't count on the single Tinker to show up and the Colossus just costs too much on itself and isnt pitchable. I wonder where you got this assumption? explain yourself.

Run the brainstorms, cut the leaks and a merchant scroll because they arn't good. (no deck needs more than 8-10 counters anyways). Brainsotrms are god x4 is a must for every blue-based control deck in type 1.

Leak are part of the the deck, since you lack good answers you often need to stop threats before they enter play, and leak often enables you to counter one first turn.

4 bloodmoon seems excessive. It's a house, but I wouln't run more than 3 because it is useless in multiples.

If running 4 they idea is that if you resolve one, it doesn't matter much if you draw another one since you already got amazing card advantage just by resolving the Blood Moon. Having 4 of them also means you can almost count on seeing one every game, which makes the game plan much easier often.

Koen

[Alfred]

Null Rod + Blood moon would be very powerful in a metagame dominated by fish, 4CC and Workshop decks. If your metagame looks like this, I would suggest removing power and adding null rod. Wishes are a good idea, 2-3 would be ideal, because blue and red have great SB options, including annul, REB, F/I and R&R. I have even found it useful to SB a single AK, so that you can utilize tog's draw engine.

[Gandalf_The_White_1]

Brainstorms, mystical, and FoF are search.  How are 1 tinker and 1 mystical harder to find than 2 morphling?  They are pitchable.  the only disadvtange is that colossus costs alot on his own and ins't useful in your hand.  Brainstorm and fetch as well as the wichable T4K offset this, as well as the fact that he simply kills far faster then morphing and doesn't tie up mana resources.

Cunning wish is a good answer.  I havn't included a sideboard but it isn't hard to develope a 6-7 wishable section of singletons to deal with stuff.

Good point on the bloodmoon, but I still think that 3 is the optimal number.

[Pest]

What if I were to cut the Kegs for 3 Wishes as stated before, and cut the Library and Capsize for 2 Scepters? I do like the idea of Scepter, and is great with Fire/Ice because it can be used every turn. With Wish and Rack and Ruin in the SB, I wouldn't have to worry about Null Rod as much.

I'm still not sure on the Future Sight/FoF thing. I won't lie, FoF is an amazing card, but this deck gets more than enough mana to support FS during every game.

Also, what do you think of me taking out 1 Mana Leak and putting in the 3rd Blood Moon, I need something to come out for it, and the only other thing I could think of is Control Magic, but I love the card too much to get rid of it. Another option could be a Wasteland, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable going down to 2 Wastes.

[DEA]

@gandalf
fact/fiction, brainstorms are DRAW
mystical tutor is the only viable search you have
when people talk about search they're thinking of tutors, not things that let you dig a certain number of cards into your deck (LDV notwithstanding)
personally, tinker with only 1 viable target = waste of time

[Mendence]

The reason for no 4th Wasteland is because of Library, I could take out Library, yes, but it is great and can draw so many cards. And draws thier wastelands away from your volcanics.

I honestly would cut Library for 1 Island because you'll need it when under Blood Moon with 4 Mountains in play and 2 Islands, and it cuts you down to play 1 spell per 2 turns(yours and theirs). It happened to me 2 or three times in that one tournament, and I know that drawing another Mountain(Library) wouldn't have helped at all.

You could try running Brainstorms and adding some Shoreline Rangers for extra shuffling. Because I also had trouble killing people after having pitched my first Morphling, and Ranger adds another win condition to the deck. On top of that it fetches basic island if yo have a Blood Moon in play.

The reason for a lack of Brainstorm is because with Phids as your only draw you always draw a fresh card, not put in hand what you just put on top(assumably at their EoT). After the tournament, I was considering Shoreline Ranger, however a 3/4 flyer falls miserably to a 4/5 flier with a better ability. At least with Morphling you can beat it out. I know you could just as well play both, however there's really no room for them right now.

What if I were to cut the Kegs for 3 Wishes as stated before, and cut the Library and Capsize for 2 Scepters? I do like the idea of Scepter, and is great with Fire/Ice because it can be used every turn. With Wish and Rack and Ruin in the SB, I wouldn't have to worry about Null Rod as much.

Cutting 3 removal spells for three Wishes is a horrible idea, IMO. Regardless of how slow Keg may be it still gets the job done. By cutting one mana source and an emergency removal spell for 2 Scepters is...pretty much the worst idea ever because you're losing a source that you would need if under a Null Rod, replacing it and something that can get rid of Null Rod with 2 cards that lose to it.

Also, what do you think of me taking out 1 Mana Leak and putting in the 3rd Blood Moon, I need something to come out for it, and the only other thing I could think of is Control Magic, but I love the card too much to get rid of it. Another option could be a Wasteland, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable going down to 2 Wastes.

2 Blood Moon is all you will ever need. When I ran this in Worcester I had that in play/in hand more than my win condition.

[BreathWeapon]

Using Phid as your Draw Engine is not viable in a 4cc and Fish metagame, or just about any metagame for that matter. If you are going to play U/r Control, play Scepters. Scepters give the deck a 2nd Dimension, more so than Phid ever could. They effectively allow you to play Control/Prison, instead of straight Control. ATM, I think Sticks and Leaks are both underrated. Decks right now simply aren't designed to deal with 12 effective Counter Spells and Scepters. Null Rod isn't as scary as it sounds, atleast not with 12 Counters and 2 Wish.

Another reason Scepter is stronger vs Keeper right now, is that it completely circumvents Creature Removal, unlike Phid. If you play a Scepter as your first action, they have to FoW it. IMO, Scepter is lurking in the metagame on the same level as Landstill.

[Ric_Flair]

Um...this is from the "I am crazy person" file:

I honestly would cut Library for 1 Island because you'll need it when under Blood Moon with 4 Mountains in play and 2 Islands, and it cuts you down to play 1 spell per 2 turns(yours and theirs). It happened to me 2 or three times in that one tournament, and I know that drawing another Mountain(Library) wouldn't have helped at all.

So let's put this comment under the microscope.  You suggest cutting perhaps the greatest card drawing permanent of all time in a Blue based control deck lacking a solid draw engine already because of one tournament in which having a Library messed you up two or three times.  This is crazy.  Comments like this are why playtesting is so valuable.  How many times did Library help you?  How many times did it save you?  Library is nearly uncuttable in this deck.  Even with Blood Moon.

[Mendence]

My opinion came from me running a Library-less build of UR Phid at Worcester and I don't think it would have drawn me an insane amount of cards when I was trying to set up a turn 1 Phid or turn 1 counter. There are alot of wastelands running around and in the build I ran there was no room for Library. If he had just used my list without changing it, I don't think Library's absence would have come as that much a problem.

[Ric_Flair]

Have you tried the deck with a Library?  It makes a difference.  Not playing a Library because people play Wastelands is silly.  The same argument could be made for dual lands or any spell and Force of Will.  By in large, Library should be in every control deck.  If Tog can use it and it usually goes off on turn 3 or 4 then Library can go in this deck.

As a side note, just prior to when I stopped playing to study for the bar, I was looking at this deck, though it is probably a little too susceptible to Null Rod.  The draw and removal are basically the same and a little less inconsistent than Phid.  Here is the deck:

Mana Sources: 26
7 SoloMoxen
4 Volcanic Island
4 Flooded Strand
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Library of Alexandria
4 Islands

Counterspells: 12
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
2 Stifle
2 Misdirection

Creatures: 3
2 Morphling
1 Gorilla Shaman

Draw: 8
4 Brainstorm
4 Impulse

Utility/Removal: 8
4 Fire/Ice
2 Isochron Scepter
2 Cunning Wish

Restricted: 4
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Fact or Fiction

SB:
4 REB
2 BEB
1 Capsize
2 Control Magic
3 Rack and Ruin
2 Blood Moon
1 Rushing River


I haven't shuffled these cards together since April, so it is probably out of date, note the BEB's as Fire/Ice back up to kill Welders.  Impulse is an underused card, but I am not sure if it still makes the cut.

[Mendence]

Impulse on Scepter is insanity on a stick from what I hear. Right up there with Ancestralling(that being the better of the two) in stick form. I like the list you posted, regardless that it doesn't run Blood Moon. It may be outdated, hell it probably is, but maybe that's just my style... Actually I think I like it better than the Phid route.

Paul I think you should just make BillTheDuck's 4xScepter.dec, that was the greatest thing ever. period.

[Thug]

So let's put this comment under the microscope. You suggest cutting perhaps the greatest card drawing permanent of all time in a Blue based control deck lacking a solid draw engine already because of one tournament in which having a Library messed you up two or three times. This is crazy. Comments like this are why playtesting is so valuable. How many times did Library help you? How many times did it save you? Library is nearly uncuttable in this deck. Even with Blood Moon.

How often did you test it? at least he speaks from experience, and I back this up with experience with the deck too. I'm not saying this means we are right, but I found your response a little bit offending and not really thought out.

I have to agree that LoA isn't as good is this deck as it looks. It slows you down in the early game, where you really don't want too. When I played the deck I played without a LoA because I didn't have one. But even with acces to a LoA I'm not sure if it would make it right now.

The only deck(s) against which you might be able to use the LoA without getting hit much from the lost tempo run 5 strips.

---

And I really don't see what job keg does? It's an awful slow answer that needs to be dropped early on to have good effect. It was good when people used to run 12 1cc critters, but times have changed.

---

The reason for a lack of Brainstorm is because with Phids as your only draw you always draw a fresh card, not put in hand what you just put on top(assumably at their EoT). After the tournament, I was considering Shoreline Ranger, however a 3/4 flyer falls miserably to a 4/5 flier with a better ability. At least with Morphling you can beat it out. I know you could just as well play both, however there's really no room for them right now.

The main reason for running brainstorm is that you get to dig 3 cards deeper without having to wait three turns. The deck is too tight to include 4, and 3 would probably be a better number anyway. But I ran 2 and liked them.

Ranger isn't there to beat Exalted Angels, its mainly there too smoothen your mana base. But it also is pitchable, and can be a killer when needed.
They could replace lands, so spots shouldn't really be the problem, just make sure you don't play too much of them.

Cutting 3 removal spells for three Wishes is a horrible idea, IMO. Regardless of how slow Keg may be it still gets the job done. By cutting one mana source and an emergency removal spell for 2 Scepters is...pretty much the worst idea ever because you're losing a source that you would need if under a Null Rod, replacing it and something that can get rid of Null Rod with 2 cards that lose to it.

Life isn't all about Null Rods. And when you got a scepter with a Fire/Ice versus Fish, all you care about are null rods, you can easily take care of anything else. So with all the counters it shouldn't be a problem keeping that rod off the table. And by adding Wishes you actually get more options of removing an already resolved Null Rod.

2 Blood Moon is all you will ever need. When I ran this in Worcester I had that in play/in hand more than my win condition.

You just have to acknowledge that you simply need Blood Moons in some matchups. Sometimes they will be dead draws, but that doesn't compare to the games it wins. Off course some of this is metagame depended. But if you play in an environment without 4c-control, fish, dragon, tog, GAT etc etc, you could even play parfait and win (no offense, rudy  )

Koen

[Whatever Works]

I used to play Urphid, and i am just curious why everyone is playing with a full set of moxes? If i was going to play urphid today I would run a mana base like this.
26 mana sources
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt (1st turn Phid... 1st turn bloodmoon... might be obsessive but looks good on paper.)
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
4 Polluted Delta/Flooded Strand
1 Library of Alexandria (you cannot cut this card... people play this in every deck even combo, so you cant convince me it doesnt fit in a controlling deck that loves to hold a big hand.)
4 Wasteland (5 strip effects is a must because it goes along with the theme of denial that urphid can use to just win games.)
1 Strip Mine
4 Volcanic Island
7 Island

This is not a tested mana base so i cant show results, but its similar to what i used to run including the addition of mana crypt that wasnt popularized till its inception into hulk. Perhaps full set of moxes is the way to go, but playing Phid you really dont need the extra card slots (especially if your not running a list including Mana Leak that is best when you can often use on first turn off a mox.)

The deck can be critisized as bad etc. but I find it hard not to consider the deck a possible option in the current metagame. The deck had trouble vs. Hulk which was non-existent at pitsfield's tournement today, and is rather decent vs. Fish. The main reason the deck should be considered is the same reason it used to be considered, its SIDEBOARD!

I believe Urphid has the best sideboard in the game considering the current situation of the metagame. To throw a list out there that i would find effective would be... If the deck runs 2-3 Cunning Wish.
SB: 15
2 Blood Moon (or so you have 3 overall in deck)
3 Rack and Ruin
2 Flametongue Kavu (Good vs. Agro arty decks... affinity or random.dec... and madness/fish)
3 REB
2 BEB
2 Crucible of Worlds (So good in this deck)
1 Metagame Slot (though this board already pretty tuned to my NE metagame so its biased already)

Future Sight is almost an I WIN card, because it has the potential to be almost a combo engine in the deck (especially if you run alot of moxes which i dont in my case.) Phid is considered inferior, but the deck from experiences tends to be a very stable deck that is consistent. This feature gives it an advantage over half the field of decks that tend to really on the draw more then play skill (this of course doesnt apply to fish/4cc/etc.)

[Ric_Flair]

So let's put this comment under the microscope. You suggest cutting perhaps the greatest card drawing permanent of all time in a Blue based control deck lacking a solid draw engine already because of one tournament in which having a Library messed you up two or three times. This is crazy. Comments like this are why playtesting is so valuable. How many times did Library help you? How many times did it save you? Library is nearly uncuttable in this deck. Even with Blood Moon.

How often did you test it? at least he speaks from experience, and I back this up with experience with the deck too. I'm not saying this means we are right, but I found your response a little bit offending and not really thought out.

I did test Library quite extensively in this deck, in GAT, and in Tog.  All three decks have pretty conclusively pointed to Library being one of those cards an opponent MUST deal with.  In a good number of cases Library is more important than Tog itself.   Any deck with good draw (so as to restock one's hand) should seriously consider Library.  

Also, if you read carefully he is NOT speaking from experience.  He says:

My opinion came from me running a Library-less build of UR Phid at Worcester and I don't think it would have drawn me an insane amount of cards

He is speaking about what he thought might have happened when he was playing in a tournament.  That is better than pure conjecture, but only by a hair.  

Either way, I was a bit harsh.  Sorry. Gimme a break...the bar is Wednesday and TMD is my only social contact for the last 3 days.  Ugh...how sad is that?

[Mendence]

Don't worry about being harsh unless it's directly at someone that isn't UCB. We can take due rudeness as well as the next man and often it is such treatment that makes us all sit back and think about what's really going on. I'm sure Paul will appreciate the discussion that's going on in his absence when he comes back (His parents are INSANE and like ban him from everything if he sneezes) I'm gonna try and compile a list to give him on what's been going on...unless someone beats me to it.

Yeah, and I'm horrible at putting into text what I'm trying to say...

[Thug]

I did test Library quite extensively in this deck, in GAT, and in Tog. All three decks have pretty conclusively pointed to Library being one of those cards an opponent MUST deal with. In a good number of cases Library is more important than Tog itself. Any deck with good draw (so as to restock one's hand) should seriously consider Library.

Either way, I was a bit harsh. Sorry. Gimme a break...the bar is Wednesday and TMD is my only social contact for the last 3 days. Ugh...how sad is that?

No problem  

It's just that I don't think it's all that hot in Urphid. What if you have too choose between LoA or Leak Mana, LoA or first turn Scepter, LoA or Moon/Phid etc.

I might actually throw the deck together again so that I can post some more solid results here. The list I'm with tinkering right now:

4 Volcanic Island
5 Flooded Strand/Polluted Delta
6 Island
2 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 LoA (I'll try it again)

7 Solomox
4 Isochron Scepter (you want these early)

1 Gorilla Shaman
3 Blood Moon
4 Fire/Ice

2 Brainstorm
2 Ophidian
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Fact Or Fiction

4 Mana Leak
4 Mana Drain
4 Force Of Will

2 Shoreline Ranger
1 Morphling

1 Time Walk
2 Cunning Wish

Sideboard:

1 Lightning Bolt
x Rack and Ruin
1 Shattering Pulse
x REB

1 Boomerang
x BEB
1 Hurkyl's Recall

1 Blood Moon
x Tormod's Crypt
x Flametongue Kavu
x Ophidian

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I would like another Ophidian maindeck, but I can't find any space.
Four Fire/Ice are not only amazing versus Fish, but they are often the best card to imprint on a scepter.

Boomerang, Pulse and H. Recall are in the sideboard because they can be wished for and imprinted.

And on a note, Hulk is an even matchup if not better IMO. You just shouldn't give them the time to start Ak'ing and DA'ing.

Koen

[Mendence]

Perhaps going -1 Scepter +1 Phid would be the answer? Again, maybe I'm missing the whole point of scepter but it seems it'd be better to not draw a Scepter when you want X. Then again, I wouldn't want a Phid when I want X, either. If you want the 3rd Phid I think that would be your best bet.

[Ric_Flair]

So the Scepter v. Phid debate is one that points to heart of the problem with this deck.  Both are weak draw engines in comparison to AK/Intuition.  But if you put that draw engine into this deck then you may as well go all the way and just play Tog.  So the question really is this: Is there enough of a reason to play this deck over Tog and if so which card, Scepter or Phid best exploits this decks advantages?

I would answer an unconvincing I dunno to the first question and a qualified Scepter to the second.  One of the strengths this deck has over Tog is the relative endurance of its threats.  Morphling, while clearly an inferior creature overall, is harder to remove than Tog.  That is an advantage for this deck.  Since Morphling is already hard to remove, any removal a player will have in his hand will likely nuke a Phid on sight, thus Scepter, which is invulernable to creature removal, is a more solid threat and is more in line with this deck's strengths (if any) over Tog.  

Second, another strength of this deck over Tog (potentially) is maindeck removal.  Welders are such a bitch for Tog because Tog has so little MD removal that if it can't combo out, it will likely lose a war of attrition versus Welder and his panoply of artifacts.  Thus adding Fire/Ice, BEB, Disk, and/or Powder Keg gives this deck more removal options than Tog has.  Disk and Keg seem really awful because they wipe out your Moxen, crucial cards in an otherwise slow control deck.  If you go the Disk/Keg route Landstill is just a better version of this deck for its increased draw, hardier threats, and less collateral Disk/Keg damage.  So Fire/Ice is an ideal form of removal.  Adding Scepter to the mix then gives you both increased removal (Fire and Ice on the Stick), it also gives you increased draw (Ice on the Stick).  As such I chose Fire/Ice-Scepter as this deck's draw engine, removal, and road to victory (albeit a slow one).

NOTE:  I presented this as some sort of logic game, weaving this deck's strengths between Tog and Landstill, but the fact is lots and lots of testing showed me that as of last April or so my statements were true.  A few other TMDer's, Jacob and Jeff can attest to our discussions involving the problem of "deck convergence" (why place deck X over Tog if they are so similar?) in the presence of juggernaut decks like Tog.   Unfortunately that included the statement that I am still not sure why to play this deck over Tog.

I would second the comment about Fire/Ice and Scepter.  I would go so far as to say that Fire/Ice on Scepter is BETTER than Ancestral on Scepter.  MAYBE.  Everyone is GUNNING LIKE MAD MEN to kill a Specter with Ancestral, while they are a bit more laid back in the fact of Fire/Ice on Scepter.