[deck] W/r/u Tech

[Negator131]

A metagamed aggro-control deck for my metagame, which sees a lot of Goblin Welders, Priests of Titania and GIGANTIC FATTIES, ie. Tinkered Colossuses, along with the standard WW/equip, Goblins and Survival decks. A Swiss Army Knife, as it were.

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/10376.html

Decklist:

4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Raise The Alarm
4 Whipcorder
2 Exalted Angel
2 Devout Witness/Meddling Mage/Razorfin Hunter/Willbender
1 Ramosian Sergeant
1 Darksteel Colossus

4 Land Tax
4 Skullclamp
3 Empyrial Plate

3 Swords To Plowshares
2 Disenchant
2 Fire / Ice
1 Echoing Truth
1 Shining Shoal
R Mystical Tutor
R Balance
R Tinker

5 Plains
3 Mountain
2 Island
1 Ancient Den
1 Great Furnace
1 Seat Of The Synod
R Library Of Alexandria
1 Karakas
R Lotus Petal
R Mox Diamond
R Sol Ring
R Mana Vault
R Grim Monolith

Three questions:
1. What's better than Shining Shoal here?
The Shoal, while good, has been really lacking for me recently. I'm looking for something with a more powerful global effect, but at a low cost, and with a lot of uses, should the primary fail to be useful. Something like Reverent Mantra or Bathe in Light (Ravnica Uncommon Instant, 1W Radiance - Choose a color. Target creature and all creatures that share a color with it gain protection from that color) look most promising; they force through damage and counter removal spells and local enchantments, but they could be extremely dead situationally. Your thoughts?

2. A more general question about multiplayer: Is a one-of answer, in a deck where you'll see it more than 50% of the time, worth a 61st card? Here, the Shining Shoal/Echoing Truth/Ramosian Sergeant slot is that one-of, and they've all been amazing except for Shoal, which is addressed in Question 1.

3. Is there a good utility creature in my colors at 1, 2 or 3 drop that I'm missing? I thought I pretty much went through all the possibilities when working on the deck, but any input would be appreciated here as well. Other considerations were:

Gorilla Shaman - I don't see enough cheap artifacts in casual to warrant playing him, though it was close; Equipment Weenie is strong.

Icatian Javelineers - the red splash for Lavamancer and Fire/Ice was Just Better. Also, the need for more Lavamancers has never really arisen.

True Believer - I don't see enough combo, Mindslavers or Gifts decks.

Kataki, War's Wage - I don't see enough artifacts, AND it puts significant hurt on me.

Samurai of the Pale Curtain - Interacts negatively with Skullclamp.

Kami of Ancient Law/Hearth Kami - Really narrow, but could fit in the semi-open creature slot.

Mother of Runes - Weak in general, because the deck is more focused on being able to shift between Control and Aggro strategies, where Mom is pretty generally aggressive. She locks me into one role, and the deck is more fluid than that.

Any mindless beater; Men with abilities that don't affect the game state - Just as I said, they don't affect the game state. I used to run Leonin Skyhunter, but came to the realization that they sucked, so cut them for the 2-of creature slot.

Other questions, comments and concerns are greatly appreciated as well.

[LotusHead]

1. What's better than Shining Shoal here?

Your deck has like 12 cheap instants.  Maybe a random Isochron Scepter would fit? Both Shoal and Scepter would be a kinda late game thing.

Also, with your high level of artifacts, might a random Leonin Abunus be worthwhile?

[Negator131]

I really like Scepter in this deck.. I used to play it as a two-of, but found basically the two things that make it not see play in Vintage: it's situational, and it sets you up for really big card advantage and tempo loss if someone has the quick Disenchant effect.

As for Abunas, Disenchant effects aren't prevalent enough around here to really justify running him, and his body isn't that spectacular for 4W.

[LotusHead]

As for Abunas, Disenchant effects aren't prevalent enough around here to really justify running him, and his body isn't that spectacular for 4W.

Well, Abunas costs 3W, not 4W, if that helps.
His 2/5 body would be 3/4 with a Skullclamp or really big with the Armour.

And if Disenchant effects are few in your meta, yeah, he's not neccessary.


Since this is in the Casual Forum, I will now impart my OWN SUPERSECRET WHITE WEENIE TECH: 4 maindeck Cheatyfaces
It sped up my White Weenie deck's clock by a full turn. Try it, for fun.

[Negator131]

LOL LotusHead, you're my HERO. I've been trying to play Misdirection in this deck for EONS, because it seems AMAZING, but I never had the blue cards..

Unfortunately, I don't think my group is casual enough for Cheatyface. Plus its a friggin' rules headache, AND there's a lot of people to notice me sneaking it in. But I do have some fond memories of that card.. I won my local Unhinged release with a blue/red/black deck splashing for Stop That and a few good men with two Cheatyfaces, two Carnivorous Death Parrot, three(!) Saute, three(!!) Goblin Secret Agent and two(!!!) Frazzled Editors. MAAAAN that deck was good.

Anyway, my mistaken assignation of Abunas to 4W got me thinking, and Meloku has a lot of synergy here. Hand size matters; he powers up Plate and Library. He fuels Skullclamp for super-combo draw potential. AND he makes instant speed blockers, and is a blue card to pitch to.. Misdirection?

On second thought, meh. Bathe in Light seems really good here. It's what Reverent Mantra wants to be; it saves my guys from removal one for one without costing four mana, and is still useful even if multiple players are playing my colors. Also, it's a super political tool. It allows a more powerful player a complete free shot at any mono-colored opponent; making all the green player's men unblockable by the black player's men or vice versa is Some Good(TM).

Any thoughts as to the other two questions though? Is the one of answer even worth it, and what're other good utility men that I missed? Especially blue ones. I like blue cards. The pipe dream is to fit Misdirection, the Ultimate Multiplayer Jedi Mind Trick.

Hell, while we're meandering wildly off topic, what're some other great Jedi Mind Trick cards for multiplayer? Bathe in Light seems really good for that purpose, and Misdirection just plays havoc with targetted.. well, anything. Discuss.

[bebe]

I Like your deck though. And Meloku should be considered. Proteus Staff could be interesting also.

f you want to be hated play four twincast in a  with four misd to back them up. Stack effects are fun ... I was wanting to put a deck like that together backed up by a few isochron sceptres. I could toy with four eternal witness, polymorph, colossus, proteus staff in said deck - is that annoying enough?