U/W Highlander Deck

[Marco]

I'm seeking help with the following deck for an upcoming Highlander Tournament that is using the Type 1.5 (Legacy) Banned List. The format of the tournament also does not allow sideboards (therefore, Cunning Wish is not viable).

1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Null Rod
1 Platinum Angel

1 Annul
1 Back to Basics
1 Brainstorm
1 Bribery
1 Counterspell
1 Deep Analysis
1 Energy Flux
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Force of Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Impulse
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Prohibit
1 Serum Visions
1 Shoreline Ranger
1 Stifle
1 Time Stop

1 Absorb
1 Iridescent Angel

1 Decree of Justice
1 Disenchant
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Exalted Angel
1 Mageta the Lion
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Tithe

1 Flooded Strand
10 Island
10 Plains
1 Polluted Delta
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Tundra
1 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Wasteland
1 Windswept Heath

Some of the more questionable card choices include Energy Flux, Time Stop, Iridescent Angel, and Mageta the Lion.

Other cards I'm considering include Chalice of the Void, Phyrexian Furnace, Reito Lantern, Sensei's Divining Top, Tormod's Crypt, Arcanis the Omnipotent, Propaganda/Ghostly Prison, Rootwater Thief, Teferi's Moat, Aura of Silence, Benalish Heralds, and Dismantling Blow.

Before you roll your eyes, remember, in Highlander "Bad Cards Can Be Good!"

I'm also somewhat limited by my card pool. I no longer own any dual lands, so I am not able to make a 5-colour control deck. I no longer own any Morphlings, and I am reluctant to buy any cards over $15 for a deck I may never play again.

Because it will probably come up, some cards I don't really want to play with/don't own include Engineered Explosives, Isochron Scepter, Powder Keg, Abeyance, and Orim's Chant.

The basic idea is to play with some cripling hosers (Null Rod, Back to Basics, Energy Flux) and limit the effect of the hosers on my own deck (artifacts without activation costs, mostly basic lands, etc.). If this strategy is not viable, I could play something like this:

1 Chalice of the Void
1 Chrome Mox
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Mox Diamond
1 Phyrexian Furnace
1 Platinum Angel
1 Sensei’s Divining Top

1 Annul
1 Brainstorm
1 Counterspell
1 Deep Analysis
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Force of Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Impulse
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Prohibit
1 Rootwater Thief
1 Serum Visions
1 Shoreline Ranger
1 Stifle

1 Teferi’s Moat

1 Decree of Justice
1 Disenchant
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Exalted Angel
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Tithe

1 Flooded Strand
10 Island
10 Plains
1 Mishra’s Factory
1 Polluted Delta
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Tundra
1 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Wasteland
1 Windswept Heath

[Matt]

Anything that isn't strictly 1.5 is casual. Moved.[/color]

[Marco]

Anyone?

[Jacob Orlove]

I would advise you to include the rest of the cantrip suite: opt and sleight of hand (you already have brainstorm, visions, and impulse). Those will help you get to your best cards as quickly as possible.

Definitely run the d-blow, and cut a lot of the more expensive cards (time stop, bribery, iridescent angel, mageta, etc). Aggro decks can be very strong in highlander (goblins + burn, for example), so you really need more defense against those, and it better be cheap.

Also, you probably have enough blue cards for Disrupting Shoal.

I don't think the random hoser strategy is going to be terribly effective. It's probably worth running B2B just because it will win some games, but Energy Flux is much more dubious, as is Rod.

[Marco]

That's exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. Thank you. I'll work on an updated deck list and post it in a few days.

[exit music]

It seems like you have 1 Piece of Creature removal here... I don't think that is going to cut it. What do you plan on doing against someone who plays a creature in the first 2 turns?

I too am going to this event -- it seems fun, but I definitely think you have the wrong idea for your deck. Aggro is definitely going to run over this tourney and you can't really do anything against it other than hope they play 1 colour and hope you draw Teferi's Moat.

I think that adding black will give you a ton of very useful tools for the deck: Great card-draw (Scrying, Night's Whisper), Great Removal (Edicts/Smother), Tainted Pact, Graveyard Hate (Coffin Purge is so good in this format b/c Reanimator = God). If you increase your amount of Cantrips, Psychatog also becomes a viable Kill condition. Oh, Engineered Plague is great in this format also.

Good luck.

Dan

[Marco]

I have been goldfishing the following deck and I'm liking it:

1 Chalice of the Void
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Mox Diamond
1 Phyrexian Furnace
1 Platinum Angel
1 Powder Keg
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Tormod’s Crypt

1 Annul
1 Back to Basics
1 Brainstorm
1 Counterspell
1 Deep Analysis
1 Disrupting Shoal
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Force of Will
1 Impulse
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Opt
1 Prohibit
1 Rootwater Thief
1 Serum Visions
1 Shoreline Ranger
1 Stifle

1 Absorb

1 Aura of Silence
1 Disenchant
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Exalted Angel
1 Moat
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Tithe

1 Flooded Strand
10 Island
10 Plains
1 Tundra
1 Wasteland

[dad]

I have played quite a bit of Type 1 highlander.  I usually play u/w and splash black.  That said, these are cards I find useful that are worth a look:

Wrath of God
Nevy Disk
Dominating Licid
Icy Manipulator
Ring of Gix
Blinding Angel
Both Kamagawa Shrines
Maze of Ith
Gilded Drake
Control Magic
Theiving Magpie
Reprisal
Duplicant
Morphling

In Highlander, I find most opponents look to overwhelm with fatties.  They make an oversized draft deck.  When I built my deck I found that you want to be able to contain the earlty rush, draw more answers, then find a suitable finisher.  Also, my decklists were for 100 card Highlander.
Your decklist isn't bad, but the first cards I would consider cutting are:

Tormods Crypt
Annul
Back 2 Basics (how many lands will this affect?)
Prohibit (try Dismiss)

Anyway, just some ideas.  Hope I wasn't too late and good luck because Highlander Rhox!

[Marco]

Thank you. I think you've made some very good suggestions (I am seriously considering Blinding Angel) and some not-so-good suggestions. I'll let everyone know how I did. I acknowledge that Aggro is a threat. I'm hoping the Moat will be a bomb here.

[Valdner]

I've never play 1.5 Highlander, but it seems the following things would be awesome:

Extract
Rootwater Thief

You'll get to see what your opponent is playing, and remove their best cards.