U/B/G AlurenStormTide

[Lurker101]

Hi, I'm a new member and don't actually play vintage (I have no money and live in the middle of nowhere) but I follow it closely and have been a lurker for quite awhile. Anyway, here's my idea for an aggro/combo deck. I'm not sure how viable it would actually be but here's my list so far.

Combo Elements: 11
2 Aluren
4 High Tide
2 Equilibrium
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Brainfreeze
1 Living Death

Creatures: 16
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Cavern Harpy
4 Trinket Mage
4 Eternal Witness

Card Draw/Tutors: 7
4 Skullclamp
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Timetwister
1 Time Spiral


Disruption: 8
4 FoW
4 Cabal Therapy

Mana: 19
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
5 Moxen
4 Underground Sea
4 Watery Grave
4 Tropical Island

Total number of cards: 61
I realize that I may need to cut 1 card but I don't know what to cut. I'm also aware that I may need more disruption. Now for a break down of card choices.

Aluren: This is the basis of the deck it enables massive tutoring and huge storm counts with Cavern Harpy and Trinket Mage. It also enables free recursion via Eternal Witness and massive infinite mana with Cavern Harpy + Cloud of Faeries + High Tide or Cloud of Faeries + Equilibrium (with or without High Tide).

Equilibrium: As stated before this interacts with Aluren as a mana engine (Cloud of Faeries), provides recursive tutoring (Trinket Mage), provides infinite recursion (Eternal Witness), and additionally helps build storm count by enabling you to bounce your own creatures and keep replaying them. It also pitches to Force of Will and can be used defensively against other aggro decks.

High Tide: Pitches to FoW, helps build storm count by providing mana boost and as mentioned creates infinite mana with Cloud of Faeries + Aluren. Also provides extra mana to power Equilibrium.

Yawgmoth's Will: This should be a no brainer. Builds storm count massively and brings creatures back post Skullclamp or Living Death.

Living Death: Combined with Skullclamp this acts as a draw engine as well as pretty much being a second Yawgmoth's Will by bringing back your dead utility creatures which then tutor (Trinket Mage), recur other spells (Eternal Witness), and untap lands (Cloud of Faeries). It can also set up another mass Skullclamp session to draw more cards. Still this would probably be the one card to cut.

Brainfreeze: Kill Condition

Trinket Mage: Free tutor for Lotus, Lotus Petal, Moxen, and Skullclamp. It pitches to FoW and dies when equipped with Skullclamp (as do the rest of the creatures) to provide card draw.

Eternal Witness: Mass recursion with Aluren + Eternal Witness + Equilibrium. Builds storm count (like everything else). Free recursion for Ancestral Recall/YawgWill/Timetwister.

Cavern Harpy: Infinite bounce (by itself), utility bounce (Trinket Mage to tutor/Cloud of Faeries for Mana), can go back to your hand and pitch to FoW or bounce another blue creature to pitch to FoW, provides infinite storm count, and powers equilibrium.

Cloud of Faeries: I think I have explained this enough.

Skullclamp: Draws massive amounts of cards, improves deck consistency, is tutored for by Trinket Mage, sets up living death, and basically says pay 1 draw two cards as long as Aluren is out with available creatures.

Ancestral Recall/Timetwister: Obvious choices and easily recured via Eternal Witness.

Time Spiral: Draw Seven, up storm count, interacts very favorably with High Tide.

FoW: Obvious include.

Cabal Therapy: Lots of Creatures to sac and provides disruption.

Black Lotus/Lotus Petal/Moxen: Obvious includes.

Dual Lands: Work with High Tide/Time Spiral/Cloud of Faeries and provides smooth manabase.

I look forward to your reactions. I will also provide additional input on cards that didn't make the cut and include sideboard options. I don't have enough time to that right now but here's a list of additional cards that were cut and I'll elaborate later:
Tendrils of Agony
Culling the Weak
Diabolic Intent
Merchant Scroll
Wild Pair
Wild Cantor
Dark Ritual
Mana Crypt
Serum Powder
Seedtime
Time walk
Altar of Dementia
Flash
Priest of Gix
Mishra
Cathodian
Soul Warden
Most of them are pretty self-explanatory (why they were cut or why they might be useful).

[John Jones]

Well I used to play Aluren in 5-color so lets see what I can do...

First, there is a severe lack of Imerial Recruiter. You resolve on of those you win the game right there.

Why don't you win the more traditional way with Harpy, Soul warden, and maggot carrier.
It looks like that deck is just trying to do a convluted thing that Aluren combo decks already do.

Cut
4 high tide
2 equilibrium
1 will
1 brainfreeze
1 living death
1 twister
1 timespiral
4 skull clamp
4 cloud of faeries
4 Therapy.

Add
2 aluren
4 imperial recruiter
4 duress
2 thoughtseizse
4 pact of negation
4 Polluted Delta
1 maggot carrier
1 essence warden

Also your mana base needs work. First thought is the lack of fetch lands (should run 4-6)

[Toad]

The lack of Imperial Recruiter is probably the only good thing in this list.

Regardless, Aluren is not viable in Vintage. I'd suggest you to look at Legacy instead, there is a thread about this deck in the Legacy forum.

[arctic79]

I agree that your list takes away from an easier more defined deck list.
It's a weird cross of high tide and aluren, I would suggest one or the other.  They both have clearcut path's to victory while being versatile.  Your list just seems to be hoping on a wing and prayer and will easily be outclassed.  I mean no disrespect, I'm just stating there are easier means to an end.

Legacy may be your best option for Aluren but with new metagame shaking up in vintage it has a slim chance of being viable.

Recruiters are not worth the monetary investment, there are better options.

I'll have my list up soon in the Legacy forum for my Aluren deck which is strong and versatile enough to handle changes for a shot at Vintage.

[John Jones]

Recruiters are not worth the monetary investment, there are better options.

There are no better options for targets. You realize if you go Recruiter off an aluren you win right? Even through removal (notincluding stifle/trickbind/voidslime) you get multiple recruiters then combo out. The card is the only thing that even makes it almost viable in type 1

[BruiZar]

if you can afford a recall you should be able to afford recruiters. Also, just because you may not have the monetary means to acquire the cards, that shouldn't hold you from including the card as it furthers the discussion and viability of the deck. Saying you ain't got the money ain't an argument when it needs to compete against the strongest decks of all magic.

[arctic79]

It's my opinion, and my experience that recruiter does not win games on his own (I admit that I haven't played aluren in a serious Vintage tournament only in Legacy).
 He finds the pieces, but there are easier ways to get all 3 pieces, although you only need 2 pieces to buy time.
Maybe in vintage he'll be good, but in the legacy build he doesn't cut it.

[Toad]

You realize if you go Recruiter off an aluren you win right?

And I hope you realize that if your deck is built properly, anything wins off an Aluren. This is why you focus on running cards which help you to find and resolve Aluren, and Recruiter fails at doing so. Recruiter is a dead card without Aluren out, which makes it a big no-no in the deck. Aluren cannot be built as a Combo deck because it relies on a 4CC Green enchantment. Aluren has to be built as a Control-Combo deck (some kind of Gifts deck), and thus has to minimize the amount of dead cards.

Maggot Carrier is also crap because it is a dedicated win condition, something Aluren does not need.

[arctic79]

I agree with Toad.  Aluren is a great deck, I just don't see it competing in the current environment.  It folds to workshop the second they get a sphere online, Ichorid is just to fast, Tydespout Oath is to quick and controlling for it. 

But of course we can be proven wrong.  I'ld run in it in small tournies just for giggles but my list would be more controlling with duress/thoughtsieze, tutors, FoF, Gifts, more artifact mana, Drains. Focus more on using a Cavern Harpy to abuse aluren and boost storm count.

[KnowmaD]

I like the Storm Entity with the harpy, aluren combo. Also i'd use 4 elvish spirit guides

[arctic79]

Storm Entity is enticing but it's just to slow and unreliable.  You are better off with a card that wins now.  A lone chump block deals with it or by a bounce.  And until you have a clear path for it, it's a dead card.