[Article] The Evolution of UbaStax

[yespuhyren]

I wrote this article about 2 weeks ago, and although the composition of the deck at the moment has changed, the ideas in the article still hold true. 

I hope everyone enjoys the article!

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11994.html

For a reference, though, if people care, the current list I'm using is: Updated June 29 2006

4x Bazaar of Baghdad
4x Mishra's Workshop
3x Mountain
4x Barbarian Ring
1x Strip Mine
1x Tolarian Academy
4x Wasteland

1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Emerald
1x Black Lotus
1x Mana Vault
1x Sol Ring

4x Goblin Welder

4x Jester's Cap
4x Tangle Wire
4x Crucible of Worlds
4x Chalice of the Void
4x Uba Mask
3x Defense Grid
3x Ensnaring Bridge
1x Trinisphere

Sideboard:

4x Tormod's Crypt (Ichorid, Dragon, Combo, etc)
4x Pyrostatic Pillar (Combo)
4x Viashino Heretic(Stax)
3x Granite Shard (PWNS X/1 Creatures like...
Ichorid
Ashen Ghoul
Welder
Spirit Tokens
Confidant
Gorilla Shaman
Goblin Vandal
Erayo

AND

THIS GUY!!!

[Imsomniac101]

First off, let me say that it's been a while since we've had a free Vintage Article. Thanks for writing it. It's an informative read, but I felt that it was a little too brief and a little too rushed. Maybe a little more meat in the "how to play certain matchups" and sideboarding sections would have made the article delicious. Something along the lines of what you did with the Slaver match.

I think SCG timed the article poorly, it should have been timed for Friday so that more people will notice the article.

Those are the three primary goals that this deck has. The main reason that Smokestack is included is because of Mana Crypt. I have lost a great deal of games to Mana Crypt damage, because without Smokestack in the list, the only way to get rid of it is to weld it out… and if you can't resolve a Welder, then you are basically dead. The other option is to cut Mana Crypt from the list, and I'm not sure I would ever want to do that as it's absolutely amazing.

The one card that I lose most games to is Mana Crypt, however the above statement still puzzles me a bit. Play Smokestack just to get rid of Crypt??

Raze – This card would probably have to be a three- or four-of, and is awesome for beating up on basic lands. It is cheap to cast, very affordable, and combos nicely with Crucibles. Again, this fails the general rule of being a dead card under Chalice for 1, and its just not good enough to merit the risk of running this over something better.

Love how my tech somehow made it in to the article. I do understand the issue with Chalice for 1 though.

EDIT: How can I join Team Blitzkreig?

[Kelme]

An exemplary article..

Detailed matchup analysis, in depth card explanation and a good comparative section.

Also, it was good to see that you went even more in depth with the Control Slaver/burning slaver matchup as this matchup for one is the toughest one. This I know from piloting especially Control Slaver.

As to the analysis of exactly that matchup.. when I play control slaver (i.e Shays)the three most important pieces are Will, tinker, and rack and ruin. These three cards allows positing myself in a new and better position.

- however as you said "capping becomes more diifficult.

Thanks for the the article.

 

[yespuhyren]

An exemplary article..

Thanks!

Detailed matchup analysis, in depth card explanation and a good comparative section.

I tried to encompass all I could.  I'm glad you liked that part.

Also, it was good to see that you went even more in depth with the Control Slaver/burning slaver matchup as this matchup for one is the toughest one. This I know from piloting especially Control Slaver.

I would also like to do some more indepth analysis against slaver with possible hands, and even some match playing and coverage.  If anyone wants to do this with me over MWS sometime, LMK.

As to the analysis of exactly that matchup.. when I play control slaver (i.e Shays)the three most important pieces are Will, tinker, and rack and ruin. These three cards allows positing myself in a new and better position.

While Will, Tinker, and R&R help put you ahead, we have to first consider what makes us lose the game.  If you have 1000 cards in hand, but no way to win, I'm happy.  If you have 1 card in hand, but its a Triskelion, I'm not happy.  This is why the first order of business is to stop myself from losing the game.  This is done before trying to catch up.

- however as you said "capping becomes more diifficult.


Thanks for the the article.

No problem.  Hopefully I can get some more out with matchup analysis, hopefully playing against some of the bigger names.  All in all, for my first article, it was fun, and I would definitley like to make some more.

[Kelme]

-This is why the first order of business is to stop myself from losing the game.-

This is percectly reasonable I think. However, when testing the jester, which I by the way think is an ideal example of what good metagaming encompasses, I and I do not think that I am alone on that part constantly waver between two options the first being: should I prevent the "easy win", i.e removing the solid pieces of win conditions; dsc, trisk, dup or do I have to think long-term removing those cards, that if played will change the situation.

This is however not a fair argument, as its completely situational.

We have actually played before on mws, me piloting slaver you the jester. My callsign is Darth, just join me if you see me and Ill gladly switch to Slaver.

"All in all, for my first article, it was fun, and I would definitley like to make some more."

-hopefully we get another one soon.

Kelme
 

[Vale_psionic]

Really a good article man!
Probably I would have spent a couple of words about rishadan port. I play 2 rishadan MD instead of Iths and they work extremely well in various matchups.
Thoughts?

[The Chosen One]

An amazing article! Thank you for a lot of insight into the playing of the deck. I plan to take a similar list to a tournament next month. Hope for me to win!

[yespuhyren]

We have actually played before on mws, me piloting slaver you the jester. My callsign is Darth, just join me if you see me and Ill gladly switch to Slaver.

Yeah, I remember you.  We played a bunch of times.  So you can attest to the fact that my deck doesn't roll over and die to slaver.  If I remember we were splitting the games pretty even, except for when you hit early tinkers.  Now that I"m running 2x Maze, I might be able to survive those random wins as well.

Really a good article man!
Probably I would have spent a couple of words about rishadan port. I play 2 rishadan MD instead of Iths and they work extremely well in various matchups.
Thoughts?

I tried and tested it, and although it was good, it doesn't replace Maze in my eyes.  Maze is purely for stopping big beats, especially Colossus.  It is not for mana.  I replaced 1x Open slot and 1x Mountain for the 2x Mazes.  If you want to add Ports, you probably want to remove 1x mountain and 1x B-Ring, but again, i wouldn't reccomend it.  They just aren't that good compared to the added red mana.  Although red mana doesn't seem that important, remember how strong it is with Spree and Shard.  As well, the more red mana you have available, the faster and more consistantly you can get Pyrostatic Pillar online in the SB games against combo.  That is a huge factor.

An amazing article! Thank you for a lot of insight into the playing of the deck. I plan to take a similar list to a tournament next month. Hope for me to win!

Good luck!  If you want any help on modifying the deck to suit your metagame, just pm me.  If you give me some information about your metagame, I can definitely help you tweak the list to give you an edge!

Jason

[Kelme]

"So you can attest to the fact that my deck doesn't roll over and die to slaver"

Well naturally, of course. A deck that runs seven maindeck answers to welder, is naturally never going to be a bye.. Hopefully nobody claims that.


"If I remember we were splitting the games pretty even, except for when you hit early tinkers."

And yawgmoths will.

Those two cards are as I pointed out earlier the two most broken cards in the deck and therefore what I would qualify as the greatest threats however I understand your rationale, I really do.


i really like the 2x mazes, not only are they good versus cs, gifts and of course oath.

Kristian.

[The Chosen One]

not that its really important but caltrops helps the oath matchup as well.

[yespuhyren]

Well, there is another trick against Oath involving Duplicants if you play MD shards, though it is something that few people realize, and few expected when I pulled it off.  What you do, is side in 2-4 Duplicant.  What do you side out?  All your creatures (usually just 4 welders).

Then, what you do, is let them activate Oath.  Kill their token at end of their turn.  On your turn?  Oath up the only creature you play.  Duplicant.  Then repeat.  This is a great trick that most don't reallize.  They usually won't side in their SSS against you in G2 (because they won't see it randomly coming).  You still keep them in G3, but you want to aim for a Cap or Shard ASAP

[Dante]

not that its really important but caltrops helps the oath matchup as well.

How?  They give you a token during your turn, it has summoning sickness, so can't kill itself.  On their turn they Oath.

Whenever a creature attacks, Caltrops deals 1 damage to it

Maybe if you have a wasteland AND Caltrops out before they get the Orchard so you can force them to give it to you during their turn....

[Evenpence]

Well, there is another trick against Oath involving Duplicants if you play MD shards, though it is something that few people realize, and few expected when I pulled it off.  What you do, is side in 2-4 Duplicant.  What do you side out?  All your creatures (usually just 4 welders).

Then, what you do, is let them activate Oath.  Kill their token at end of their turn.  On your turn?  Oath up the only creature you play.  Duplicant.  Then repeat.  This is a great trick that most don't reallize.  They usually won't side in their SSS against you in G2 (because they won't see it randomly coming).  You still keep them in G3, but you want to aim for a Cap or Shard ASAP

When my meta down in Georgia was 50% Oath, I tried doing this all the time, but unfortunately, it only worked once in every six times.  Using Welder/Duplicant is just tons more reliable.

[yespuhyren]

That was before MD granite shards though, wasn't it?

[Evenpence]

That was before MD granite shards though, wasn't it?

Yeah.  Granite Shards are definitely the tech.  For anyone reading this laughing, we're serious.  They kill Welders, Confidants, Spirit Tokens, Opponents, Tournaments, the TMD Community, etc.

If I knew Vroman way back when and talked to him about Granite Shard (apparently he played it WAY back when), I would have definitely stuck with it as a sideboard option.

[BreathWeapon]

I don't want to undermine the effort put in to this article, but I think the "evolution" you claim is in fact just the opposite.

Disruption

Relying on Jester's Cap and Chalice of the Void against Combo is as good as conceeding the match up. First, Jester's Cap takes one turn to play and one turn to activate. Your opponent has one turn to combo out on you with out any obstacles, and if you lossed the coin flip two turns. You are going to lose the war of percentages against Combo if you are relying on Jester's Cap to win the match. Modern Combo decks like Grim and IT are being designed to play around Chalice@0 or Chalice@1, if you lossed the coin flip you have to set Chalice@1 which eliminates Goblin Welder from your arsenal. Sure, Tormod's Crypt is a considerable deterrent to either Control or Combo, but it falls prey to Needle or Bounce very easily, so the card is more of a virtual Time Walk than it is an actual disruption or lock piece.

Manabase

I'm going to look the other way and pretend that 2 Wasteland is a typo, but the Maze of Ith MD need to be addressed immediately. Why would you use a card that costs a land drop, can be Wasted and isn't a possible win condition when you could use Duplicant? Maze of Ith effectively requires a Crucible to stay on the board against Oath, can be Pithing Needled (if Needle is MD) and doesn't stop a second attacker, when you could either hardcast or weld in a Duplicant and win? Where is Mana Crypt? Put it back in.

Granite Shard

What is this doing in the MD? If Crucible->Barbarian Ring isn't doing its job you have much bigger issues to address. Pithing Needle is already insane against you, do you really need to give the opponent more targets for it? Do you really need another card that is blanketed by Null Rod? Where is this 3 colorless mana comming from?

Trinisphere

Where is it?

UbaStax is not 5c Stax, it is not a deck that is designed with the metagame in mind, it is a deck that exists on the basis of synergy and redundancy. I really feel you've taken this deck out to the back of the wood shed and shot it.

I'm going to go start an article for SCG now on the subject.

[Evenpence]

I don't want to undermine the effort put in to this article, but I think the "evolution" you claim is in fact just the opposite.

Disruption

Relying on Jester's Cap and Chalice of the Void against Combo is as good as conceeding the match up. First, Jester's Cap takes one turn to play and one turn to activate. Your opponent has one turn to combo out on you with out any obstacles, and if you lossed the coin flip two turns. You are going to lose the war of percentages against Combo if you are relying on Jester's Cap to win the match. Modern Combo decks like Grim and IT are being designed to play around Chalice@0 or Chalice@1, if you lossed the coin flip you have to set Chalice@1 which eliminates Goblin Welder from your arsenal. Sure, Tormod's Crypt is a considerable deterrent to either Control or Combo, but it falls prey to Needle or Bounce very easily, so the card is more of a virtual Time Walk than it is an actual disruption or lock piece.

I've never lost a game to Combo in a tournament before.  Ubastax has been running these cards, save Jester's Cap, forever.  Tangle Wire is extremely detrimental to IT.

I'd particularly like to single out one of your sentences:

Your opponent has one turn to combo out on you with out any obstacles, and if you lossed the coin flip two turns.

Opponents very, very rarely have no obstacles aside Jester's Cap to deal with.  Aside that, not only can I activate Jester's Cap first turn (I did it twice at Richmond), but the percentages of first turn kills in combo, undisrupted, are not strikingly absurd.

Basically, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Manabase

I'm going to look the other way and pretend that 2 Wasteland is a typo, but the Maze of Ith MD need to be addressed immediately. Why would you use a card that costs a land drop, can be Wasted and isn't a possible win condition when you could use Duplicant? Maze of Ith effectively requires a Crucible to stay on the board against Oath, can be Pithing Needled (if Needle is MD) and doesn't stop a second attacker, when you could either hardcast or weld in a Duplicant and win? Where is Mana Crypt? Put it back in.

Wasteland is bad right now.  Yespuhyren has taken a cue from me and gone down in his Wasteland count because everything is running fetches/basics.  This is a fundamental strategy of Magic - it's called playing good cards.  Frankly, I find it a little audacious that YOU are going to be talking down to YESPUHYREN, who has crafted a monster of a deck and T8ed numerous times (and constantly) at local venues.

Mana Crypt is in the maindeck.  Read harder.  Yespuhyren said that Maze of Ith is an outdated strategy.  Read harder.  Maze of Ith is good against Colossus (you know, the decks not packing wasteland?).  Read harder.

Granite Shard

What is this doing in the MD? If Crucible->Barbarian Ring isn't doing its job you have much bigger issues to address. Pithing Needle is already insane against you, do you really need to give the opponent more targets for it? Do you really need another card that is blanketed by Null Rod? Where is this 3 colorless mana comming from?

Wow.  Okay.  This card kills Welder, Confidants, Spirit Tokens, etc.  Barbarian Ring / Crucible is hard to accomplish, especially in the early turns, especially with opposing Welder/Confidant, or Spirit Tokens / Oath.

Pithing Needle is crap.  They need to needle so much with us in order to do well.  They usually hit Bazaar/Welder anyway.  Granite Shard being needled is laughable.  Null Rod has went AWOL from the metagame.

3 Colorless mana?  It also has the same ability for R, which is it's primary activation cost.

Trinisphere

Where is it?

It's in his article.

UbaStax is not 5c Stax, it is not a deck that is designed with the metagame in mind, it is a deck that exists on the basis of synergy and redundancy. I really feel you've taken this deck out to the back of the wood shed and shot it.

Thanks for letting us know what Ubastax is and isn't, Mr. Expert.  Also, thanks for letting us know that we shouldn't keep the metagame in mind.  I mean, if we did that, we would probably never Top 8, certainly not at a big tournament like RICHMOND or ROCHESTER.  And a double Top 8 is just unheard of with keeping the metagame in mind.

I'm going to go start an article for SCG now on the subject.

You might want to catch up on what cards do first.

[Gandalf_The_White_1]

UbaStax is not 5c Stax, it is not a deck that is designed with the metagame in mind, it is a deck that exists on the basis of synergy and redundancy.

Every deck should be designed with the metagame in mind; otherwise it is poorly designed.  Some decks allow for more varience in metagame slots than others, but when the metagame changes decks must often either adapt to the change or simply die off.

Personally, I would agree with Dicemanx in his statement that there truely are no sacred cows to the stax archetype.  I think that change combined with surprise factor canl steal a player a great many games, perhaps even though their deck isn't 'optimal.'  This isn't to say the cards in it don't matter, but that one should keep an open mind to new ideas about changes to the deck, test them and see how it works out.

As past builds have shown us, there exists a great deal of possibilties for the deck in many different directions.

[yespuhyren]

NOTE:  Usually I am calm and collected.  But after BreathWeapons post, I got a bit pissed off.  As well I should have been.  He made some ridiculous remarks, obviously knowing nothing about the deck or its theory, but on to my post.

EVERYTHING YOU SAID

The entire post just made me angry at your arrogance and the fact that you seem like you think you are better than me.  I don't claim to be the best, but I don't want you talking down to me.  Specifically your first line of the post:

..but I think the "evolution" you claim is in fact just the opposite.

In my opinion, your entire post was clearly based on incorrect theory, and no testing.  Had you tested, you would realize a few things:

Disruption:
Lets see.  You say Cap is my only disruption against combo.  Lets look.

4x Tangle Wire
4x Chalice of the Void
3x Tormod's Crypt
4x Jester's Cap

SB:

4x Pyrostatic Pillar

Good point.  15 MD answers, and 4 SB aren't so good against combo.  My mistake in thinking that every 1 in 4 cards is good against them was a good thing.

Pithing Needle?  Yeah....when Grimlong or IT start playing pithing needle, you gimme a call.

Mana Base

@ Wastelands: Right now, I'm not playing ANY wastelands.  For some reason you are under the impression that this is a Stax deck...I have clearly stated on many occasions that this new version isn't a Stax deck.

@ Maze vs. Duplicant:  Yeah....great argument here.  If you read the post which details why I am currently maindecking Mazes (which you clearly didn't because for some reason you think it has anything to do with oath) then you would understand this.  It is purely against Colossus if I can't resolve a welder.  This is why Duplicant is not as good as Maze.  Maze can be discarded and replayed with Crucible.

I don't give a crap about beating with an 11/11.  If I have an active welder, I'm just as happy welding back their colossus....I don't need to wait for a Duplicant.

@ Mana Crypt:  Why should I put it back in? 
Does this deck have a fast clock?  Obviously not. 
Does it have Smokestacks?  No...this is not a Stax deck.
Can I get rid of it somehow?  Other than 4 welders...no.

So wait a minute.  If I can't resolve a Welder once mana crypt is in play....I lose.  Yeah....Good call.  I should definitely put it back in the deck.  Brilliant

Granite Shard

Pithing Needle?  Please.  If I have Welder, Bazaar, and Granite Shard, do you REALLY think I'm worried about them needling the shard? 

If Crucible->Barbarian Ring isn't doing its job you have much bigger issues to address

What, exactly is this problem.  You know, without a Bazaar, you usually don't get Threshhold that quick.  And its not recurrable without Crucible.  So thats a 2/3 card combo.  And wait...doesn't Granite Shard deal with just about any creatures that I am worried about?  Why yes...yes it does.  Hence it would be a good card to MD to kill Oath tokens, Ichorid/Ashen Ghoul, Goblin Welder, Shaman, and Dark Confidant.

Trinisphere

Where is it?  Lets see.  I have no wastelands.  No Smokestacks.  No Gorilla Shamans.  This is not a Stax deck.  I will never lock an opponent under trinisphere, unless I draw the single strip mine.  You are again making the mistake thinking this is a Stax deck.

UbaStax is not 5c Stax, it is not a deck that is designed with the metagame in mind, it is a deck that exists on the basis of synergy and redundancy.

That is the single DUMBEST idea in your entire post. 

A)  THIS IS NOT UBASTAX.  This is not any sort of Stax
B)  It isn't designed with the metagame in mind?  Are you kidding me?  Yeah.

3x Tormod's Crypt (because of Combo and ICHORID, HENCE METAGAMING),
3x Granite Shard (CS, Confidants, ICHORID, HENCE METAGAMING),
2x Maze of Ith (Colossus/Oath)

Good point.  I should add some metagame slots.  This deck clearly doesn't have more metagame slots than any other Tier 1 Deck at the moment.  Oh....Wait..CS/BS has 4/5...Oath has 4/5, and Combo has little to none. 2/3 if you can't Hurkyl's, Rebuild, etc. 

Yet a deck with 8 constantly changing metagame slots clearly isn't metagaming enough.  Sorry.  I should start doing that.

A quote from my SCG post, cause you know...not everything happens here

The only reason I'm using Maze right now is because almost every deck is winning the cheapest and least skill intensive win condition in magic right now, Tinker-> Colossus.  Anything tinkered up but colossus is not an issue, because there are ways to destroy it.  Colossus means game over for this deck UNLESS we have a welder in play.

I basically have been trying to adapt the deck to adapt to all of its weaknesses.  Instead of proactive hate with smokestacks, it is reactive hate with:

MD TCrypts against Ichorid/combo
MD Shards against Welder/Oath/Confidant/Ichorid
MD Mazes against our BIGGEST weakness, Tinker

EDIT:  The maze has been the newest inclusion, and I haven't made up my mind yet 100%.  It is by no means as proven as Tcrypts and Shards, and is still under heavy scrutiny.  It is my best answer right now, and until it proves itself to be great/bad, it will remain on the watch list.  I will keep you updated on the 2 slots.  The other 58 I'm very happy with right now though.

I really feel you've taken this deck out to the back of the wood shed and shot it.

I don't even know what to say to this.  It just makes me extremely frustrated.  But you can probably already tell by the tone of voice in my post that I am extremely disturbed at what you said, and definitely think very low of you right now.

I'm sure Vroman must agree with you.  He created the original stax version.  I'm sure him taking a version with Jester's Caps soon after my idea being unveiled was just an accident.  He probably didn't realize it was bad.  Thats probably why he only ended up splitting a lotus.

[Dante]

Ok, let's keep it civil and keep the discussion about decks and cards and less about people's opinions of each other.

- Dante

[Evenpence]

Jason, for as much as I agree with you on nearly everything, I think not running Trinisphere is an error.

Most everything our deck costs at least 3, with the exceptions of 0-mana artifacts, Welders, and other random stuff (like Pillars in the SB, etc).

Trinisphere can seriously hamper combo and control decks.  I don't think a deck with Workshops and no Trinisphere is hardly ever correct.  I also don't like the cutting of Mana Crypt - even though your argument about Stax is valid.  I still haven't decided what to do with the Mana Crypt issue yet either.

I don't have bad luck with it though - I don't think I've ever died to it in tournament play.

However, I think I agree with you on everything else, especially maindecking Tormod's Crypt.  I think I would only go with 2 max, but it's still a good idea in the current metagame.

[BreathWeapon]

Wow, it was just hyperbole, step back and calm down.

Your assuming I consider myself better than you, your assuming I'm insulting you, your assuming I have no experience with UbaStax and your assuming I think this is a bad deck. All of these are false, I was just trying to prompt conversation on this deck list and discern why it is better than 5c Stax or UbaStax.

Note: For the record, I consider myself better than everybody 

If the deck isn't a Stax deck, then why did you bother to call the article "The Evolution of UbaStax?" It's a complete misnomer to use this title and then say that this deck is in no way, shape or form a Stax deck. Even the content of your article uses two lists from UbaStax to imply that the third and final list is a progression of the first two. If this deck isn't a Stax deck, then I'm going to have to sit back and recollect my thoughts on it, because that is how I have been playing the deck.

I didn't meen to imply that UbaStax shouldn't take the metagame into consideration, rather that in comparison to 5cStax, UbaStax relies on its consistancy and synergy to win and not predicting the metagame perfectly.

I didn't state that Jester's Cap was the only disruption element in the deck, that is clear if you re-read my post. I stated that if you are relying on playing Jester's Cap turn one, activating it on turn 2 your giving Combo a sufficient window of opportunity to steal the game from you. From what I've seen from people playing the deck, they think they can just play Jester's Cap and win, and I think that's a bad mentality. If you manage to draw Jester's Cap and a Chalice of the Void or Tormod's Crypt and play both on the draw, than you've hit the nuts. Tangle Wire doesn't do anything against the combo decks that are played in my metagame, and the players are skilled enough to play around it, so I can't count on it as a disruption piece.

Null Rod is everpresent in my metagame, if Fish isn't using it MD or SB and Ichorid isn't bringing it in to stop Tormod's Crypt than by all meens play Granite Shard MD, I still think it is too narrow of a solution vs a field of decks that are going to be packing Rod and Needle.

Edit: For some reason I forgot Granite Shard's secondary activation cost.

In all honesty, I can see I've made a mistake in comparing this deck to Stax, but I think that mistake was a direct result of your article. This is clearly 100% a metagame deck, because you aren't relying on the strength of your cards to win, you are relying on their interaction with the opponent to win.

I wont bother replying to all the other stuff, a lot of it was taken out of context by you and Evenpence while you were upset.

Edit: A card I think you should seriously consider for the MD or SB right now is Leyline of the Void, it will improve your match up against Combo past a coin flip (Combo did the same thing by including Force of Will to have a better percentage against Stax, so it is only fair you return the favor) and  it neuters Slaver and Ichorid. Every deck that relies on its grave yard is prepared to face Tormod's Crypt, but no one is prepared to face Leyline of the Void. You can discard dead copies of Leyline of the Void to Bazaar of Baghdad, which is what makes it so amazing in this deck.

[yespuhyren]

If the deck isn't a Stax deck, then why did you bother to call the article "The Evolution of UbaStax?" It's a complete misnomer to use this title and then say that this deck is in no way, shape or form a Stax deck

Cause it started as stax
And it ended as not stax

Leyline of the Void wouldn't work.  Even if we can discard them to Bazaar, if you don't get one in hand that's automatically 4 dead cards in your deck that are useless.  There are only 4 cards in the deck that REALLY die to bazaar, and thats Welders.  Everything else is an artifact which can be welded in, or a land which can be replayed via crucible.

@Colby

We might be able to do

-2 Maze
-1 Mountain (5 total then)
+1 Trinisphere
+2 Wasteland

That is something I would definitely consider trying.  The 3 Tcrypts have been amazing. 

[BreathWeapon]

If the deck isn't a Stax deck, then why did you bother to call the article "The Evolution of UbaStax?" It's a complete misnomer to use this title and then say that this deck is in no way, shape or form a Stax deck

Cause it started as stax
And it ended as not stax

Leyline of the Void wouldn't work.  Even if we can discard them to Bazaar, if you don't get one in hand that's automatically 4 dead cards in your deck that are useless.  There are only 4 cards in the deck that REALLY die to bazaar, and thats Welders.  Everything else is an artifact which can be welded in, or a land which can be replayed via crucible.

@Colby

We might be able to do

-2 Maze
-1 Mountain (5 total then)
+1 Trinisphere
+2 Wasteland

That is something I would definitely consider trying.  The 3 Tcrypts have been amazing. 

That isn't evolution, that is metamorphosis.

I wouldn't dismiss Leyline of the Void based on theory, you need to test this card. Leyline of the Void makes the difference against your toughest match ups because your opponent can't counter it, your opponent can't discard it, your opponent can't Rod or Needle it, it comes down turn zero, it can't be played around and it isn't one time only (sans Welder). The pros out weigh the cons, and Workshops tend to mulligan quite a bit any way, so not getting it in hand is at your discretion.

[nataz]

That isn't evolution, that is metamorphosis.

that’s not intelligence, that’s semantics!

I would however like to vouch for Leyline as another possible answer to combo in artifact heavy decks. It can't be rebuilt or recalled, is uncounterable, and really does slow them down. Still, leyline and tormods may be over kill, but its something to at least test if you combo match up is weak.

[Evenpence]

The pros out weigh the cons, and Workshops tend to mulligan quite a bit any way, so not getting it in hand is at your discretion.

This deck mulligans less than any deck in the format.  Ubastax mulliganed just as little.

Leyline is okay.  It's really bad if you don't get it in your opening seven, and really good if you do.

The thing is, you only have a 40% chance of getting it in your opening hand.  If you do, you then have 3 dead cards left in your deck.

Is Leyline THAT good?  I'd rather just play T-Crypt.

[Wolven]

Just a note: I dunno if an Oath player would side these in, but SSS (Simic fatty) doesn't get slowed by Duplicant or Maze. Given this, is there a relevant game plan besides blow up the world with Smokestack?

[AngryPheldagrif]

Just a note: I dunno if an Oath player would side these in, but SSS (Simic fatty) doesn't get slowed by Duplicant or Maze. Given this, is there a relevant game plan besides blow up the world with Smokestack?

The deck doesn't run Smokestack.

[Evenpence]

Just a note: I dunno if an Oath player would side these in, but SSS (Simic fatty) doesn't get slowed by Duplicant or Maze. Given this, is there a relevant game plan besides blow up the world with Smokestack?

Lose?  Oath is pretty good after they get a guy out.

We have proactive solutions instead of reactive.

Cap takes SSS out, but that's about it.  I really haven't found a solution to SSS.

Ensnaring Bridge is pretty good, I hear.

We could have 4 Caltrops and 2 Sculpting Steel's out, I guess.  (This is a joke, people).

[BreathWeapon]

@Nataz

One's thoughts are only as good as one's language.

Now I know where this deck should be categorized, right along with Workshop Slaver and Cerebral Assassin.

@Evenpence

I'd go so far to say I wouldn't consider any deck with out FoW unless it had access to Leyline of the Void MD or SB for serious tournament play, it really is that good.

@Wolven

You want Ensnaring Bridge in the SB, it's amazing.