Glazed Donut

[KingHeavy]

so here's a sort of pet deck built around an overlooked shards of alara card in GLAZE FIEND. a sort of flying reverse atog if you will, but pretty handy in a beatdown.

its focused on first turn glaze fiend and second turn drop 4-5 "0 cmc" artifacts to give our friend a boost and then cast hurkyl's recall to do it again hopefully for lethal damage. 
Im sure its not super strong, and if i dont draw a recall or chain of vapor I die to chalice at zero, but I think the fiend has some potential if worked out right (a heavier blue build with FOW to make you goons happy pershaps?) and its just fun to drop three bauble's, a mox, play thoughtcast, cycle street wraith and drop the fiend with three cards comiing next turn and hopefully a yawgs will to sum it up.  Other more "serious" cards i've considered are mox diamonds and ad nauseam as this is super effective with all the no cost artifacts but hurst when i draw a street wraith or thoughtcast, thus the exclusion.


4 glaze fiend
4 hurkyl's recall
4 thoughtcast
1 d. tutor
1 v. tutor
1 i. seal
1 ponder
1 brainstorm
1 a. recall
1 t. walk
1 t. twister
1 yawg's will
1 mana crypt
1 b. lotus
1 lotus p.
5 mox
3 chain of vapor
4 street wraith
4 mishra's bauble
2 urza's bauble
3 engineered explosives
2 tormod's crypt
1 tolarian academy
4 seat of the synod
4 vault of whispers
4 b/u fetch


thanks for reading, show me a better build or comment on this one!

-King

[theLastGnu]

First, you should scrap the b/u fetchlands since you don't run any swamps or islands in the deck. I would recommend darksteel citadel, but you already seem to have a hard time finding the colored mana you need.

Perhaps you could morph this into more of a shop aggro or affinity shell, adding workshops, thorns, and affinity creatures; I kinda like the idea of a GAT/affinty hybrid.

Another obvious omission in this deck would be another underplayed alara card, master of etherium. This guy is absolutely NUTS in this deck.

Yawgmoth's Will is over-rated in my opinion, and is almost dead in this deck if cutting the baubles.

Hurkyl's Recall is really bad, it'll bounce the fiend as well.

Engineered explosives probably doesn't have a place in this deck, you only run 2 colors (not counting off color moxen) and the centerpiece of your deck is a 2-drop

Here's a rough list of what I'm thinking:

// Lands
    1  Tolarian Academy
    4  Vault of Whispers
    4  Seat of the Synod
    2  Darksteel Citadel

// Creatures
    3  Master of Etherium
    3  Myr Enforcer
    4  Glaze Fiend
    4  Frogmite

// Spells
    3  Crucible of Worlds
    1  Mox Ruby
    1  Mox Sapphire
    4  Thorn of Amethyst
    1  Mox Pearl
    4  Chain of Vapor
    3  Mox Diamond
    3  Chrome Mox
    1  Ancestral Recall
    4  Thoughtcast
    1  Demonic Tutor
    1  Vampiric Tutor
    1  Ponder
    1  Brainstorm
    1  Mox Jet
    1  Time Walk
    1  Mana Crypt
    1  Black Lotus
    1  Lotus Petal
    1  Mox Emerald

The ridiculous synergy with glaze fiend, chain of vapor, and mox diamond continues to tickle my fancy every time I play it. The deck is pretty inconsistent and lacking in disruption, but it goldfishes around turn 3-5. Sorry in advance if this wasn't quite what you were talking about with the initial deck decision.

[madmanmike25]

its focused on first turn glaze fiend...

With only 4 that's quite a feat.  I suggest more win conditions.  Did you consider Arcbound Ravager at all?  Or Frogmites?  Maybe you should examine Fiend in an Affinity deck.  The huge problem I see is that if you don't see Fiend until turn 3 or later, you pretty much have lost to pretty much any competitive deck since you run light on disruption.

I'm also tryin to see how the Baubles would be better than say Ornithopter, especially if you add in either Ravagers or Cranial Plating.

I think a more aggro approach with a higher threat density will be better than trying to draw/tutor up one of your only 4 creatures that will still require an additional 2-3 turns to deal (possibly) lethal damage if unblocked/uncountered.

and second turn drop 4-5 "0 cmc" artifacts to give our friend a boost and then cast hurkyl's recall to do it again hopefully for lethal damage. 

So you lay artifacts, attack, then cast Hurks(2 mana) and then have to replay Fiend(2 more mana).  I'm not so sure u can get 4 mana consistently on turn 2 in this deck.

Oh, and if you don't need the double sided effect of Hurks try Retract since it has a cheaper cc.  I'm still not sure bouncing back artifact lands is a good thing though..

Good luck,
Mike

Edit:  Master of Etherium is a really good suggestion.

[Bill Copes]

If you're looking for synergy with Yawg-will and are in need of a 2nd big threat, perhaps Salvage Titan could find a home here.

[latrodectus55]

The biggest problem I see is trying to Retract/Hurkyls is that it returns the fiend to your hand, and thereby loses all pumps it got from previously played artifacts.
And even if you DID replay it and all your 0cc stuff, it doesn't have haste.

[Harlequin]

This deck needs 4 more Cranial Platings.  Glaze Fiend + Plating is definatly a beating.

If I wanted to build a deck that used Glaze Fiend as a win It would look something like:

1 Tolarian Acad
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Vault of Whispers
3 Mishra's Factory
5 Mox
1 Lotus
2 Vault, Crypt
4 Chrome Mox
5 Recall, Tinker, Timewalk, DT, Yawg/vamp

4 Master of Etherium
4 Glaze Fiend
4 Etherium Sculptor
2 Myr Enforcer

4 Cranial Plating
4 Mask of Memory
2 Sword of Fire and Ice
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Force / Throughtsieze

[KingHeavy]

great replys everyone! thanks for the advice, I'll post an updated list soon, but lots of good suggestions.  I forgot about glaze fiend being returned with the recall, stupid colored artifacts... but chain of vapor works really well.  My original intention was more of a combo aggro deck, but the affinity version might be alot better.  I really feel like glazefiend could be a new Tarmogoyf in vintage since there are so many cheap or free artifacts running around and lots of card draw, if its not comboed for 10-15 damage it will almost always get in for 4 or so.

Ill put an updated list up soon.  Thanks again!

-king

[dangerlinto]

I always thought the best place for Glaze Fiend would be as an Alt Win-condition in Sensei, Sensei shell with Etherium Sculptor.

Essentially, Two Sensei Divining Tops + Etherium Scupltor/Helm of Awakening = Win with Brain Freeze, Tendrils and now Glaze Fiend.

And unlike Freeze and Tendrils, Fiend isn't a totally dead card until you have your combo assembled.

[KingHeavy]

yes the top combo!  Heres an aggro/combo update...

4 glaze fiend
3 etherium sculptor
3 master of etherium
2 salvage titan
3 sensei's divining top
3 cranial plating
4 thorn of amethyst
2 crucible of worlds
4 chain of vapor
4 thoughtseize
3 mox diamond
1 b. lotus
1 mox jet
1 mox saphire
1 lotus petal
1 mana crypt
1 brainstorm
1 timewalk
1 ancestral recall
1 demonic tutor
1 vampiric tutor
1 strip mine
4 wasteland
4 vault of whispers
4 seat of the synod
2 undergound sea
I opted to disclude tinker and a few more tutors due to lack of singletons, but I ve upped the creature count considerably as well as the disruption in thorn, thoughtseize 5strip effects/crucible and full four of chain of vapor, which works wonders with crucible. The sideboard should include the alt wins like brainfreeze and more tutors and/or painter-grindstone(which could work great with the sculptor).  Im gonna shuffle this one up!

Thanks for the replies guys, it was a great help!
-King

[BruiZar]

I would replace the mox diamonds with normal moxen in this deck. There's enough cards needing colorless mana and although sculptor takes care of that, mox diamond sucks with chain of vapor.

[andrewpate]

latest list

You have a lot of odd numbers here, like 3-ofs and 2-ofs.  It may be that you are working some kind of Gabriel Nassif mojo, what Zvi calls "weird numbers tuning," but my guess is just that the deck is unfocused at this point.  Having the two win conditions of simple beatdown and comboing out with Glaze Fiend is fine, but I think that some of your card choices are trying a little too hard or spreading you a little too thin.

First off, I think that Salvage Titan is a bit greedy in this build.  Chain of Vapor also does not do enough as disruption and Thoughtseize alone will not beat combo.  With 13 blue cards, you could absolutely support Force of Will, and I think that you should do so.  Crucible of Worlds is also nice with your strip effects, but Fish gets plenty of results from those without Crucible.  I would suggest cutting both Titans and both Crucibles and going to 4xForce of Will.

I also agree with BruiZar about Mox Diamond.  You should take Harlequin's advice and play Chrome Mox instead.  Note that you can play Chrome Mox without imprint if you just need to pump Glaze Fiend.

[Harlequin]

I just remembered something about Chrome Mox:

Imprint - When Chrome Mox comes into play, you may remove a nonartifact, nonland card in your hand from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on this artifact.)
: Add one mana of any of the imprinted card's colors to your mana pool.1

That kinda makes it not worth running because while Glaze, Master, and Sculptor are all colored spells... they are still considered artifacts and therefor cannot be imprinted.  RTFC I guess...

To replace those slots, I don't really see any harm in adding Petal, Mana Vault, and perhapse 2 more manlands.  or maybe even that Springleaf Drum (or whatever it is).  It goes possitive mana with Sculptor and doesn't require a creature with haste.

[KingHeavy]

chrome mox is a no no, and mox diamond works great with crucible and the artifact lands.  there are only twelve cards that DONT need colored mana. I need the diamonds to secure enough colored mana, as the deck has only sevenish blue/black sources depending on how you count.  I did forget to include a tolarian academy though.  The titans might be a stretch, but diversity is good and they play great against discard effects and counters which are everywhere.  I could drop them for one more plating and top, but again, it loses some versatility, or what some call "unfocused", he he. 

we should know by now that full fours of every card is not the best strategy.  Why would painter's decks only run one painter and three grindstones or whatever if four of each was better.  Answer: to make room for other important stuff.  I only need two tops and can tutor or just top for one pretty easily.

being that my curve stops at three( not counting the titans) I dont really need four sculptors as I can top or tutor for one as well. Same goes for plating really, its just "win more" as they say

as for the vapors, they are very useful for opponent's threats, and with a plated fiend and two artifact lands I only need to bounce 3 artifacts for ten damge, but those vapors will be sided easily.  One thing about sideboards is if your deck is too tight, you cant take anything out without hurting yourself as well.  If you look at my first list, it seemed all over the place, but it was focused on simply different things, now it is more aggressive and probably combos better, but it still has to be flexable or you lose.  Some minor tweeks for sure though.

[andrewpate]

I just remembered something about Chrome Mox:

Imprint - When Chrome Mox comes into play, you may remove a nonartifact, nonland card in your hand from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on this artifact.)
: Add one mana of any of the imprinted card's colors to your mana pool.1

That kinda makes it not worth running because while Glaze, Master, and Sculptor are all colored spells... they are still considered artifacts and therefor cannot be imprinted.  RTFC I guess...

True, I also had not noticed this.  It's not like it was ever relevant before Shards, though, so I'm not surprised I ignored it.

@KingHeavy
I was not saying that all good decks need to be all 4-ofs and restricted cards; don't be absurd.  I was just saying that your numbers appear to be a bit scattered.  For beats, why 3 Master/2 Titan?  Why not 4/1?  Sensei, Sensei normally ran 3 Helm/3 Top, but why those particular numbers in this deck, which plays quite differently without Mana Drain and with the addition of the beatdown option?  Is the fact that, unlike Helm, Etherium Sculptor dies to Red Elemental Blast relevant to those numbers?  What about the fact that it's immune to Duress?  Or the fact that, with Thorn of Amethyst in play, you need two of them in order to combo out?  Did you think about any of this?  When you post a list with lots of unexplained 2- and 3-ofs, it sends up a red flag that maybe the deck is not all that tuned.  That's all I'm saying.

Chalice @ 1 is also a huge kick in the pants.  4 Thoughtseize is not enough of an insurance policy there, I don't think.  I stand by my suggestion of Force of Will.

[KingHeavy]

andrewpate

ya I agree that they seem a little odd, and surley could be improved with more testing but Ive actually had a hard time fitting in everything I would like. Its def. not tuned.  I had thought about REB on sculptor, and this deck would probably benifit from adding an academy ruins to it, but then again, its always one for another, speed or recursion, ya know? Thats why I've tried to keep away from the FOWs, cause any blue card I pitch (of the 13 im running) is gonna be something important like recall or a sculptor.  I would love to find a way to fit them in, but Im not sure about the room.  There's a bunch of stuff like that, especially if I droped the thorns, stuff like sol ring...tinker... and duress...

although, a rough sideboard could look like

1 sculptor
1 master
1 top
1 plating
4 duress
4 FOW
1 tinker
2 platz angel

Ya and chalice sucks too, on my first list it died to chalice at 0 and that wasn't happening, but having my only removal in chains at one is no good, I def. agree there, but adding FOW x4 doesnt insure a stop to chalice, though it obviously helps with a lit of things.  Thanks
 and we'll keep working on it!
-King
 

[SuckedBackIn]

I feel like this is moving away from the original idea which to me seems like a good idea. Now it seems that it has become an affinity build with sensei-sensei as an alternate win condition.
I also think that cranial plating is not a win more card. It is a win card. Something that gives a creature at least +7 can speed up the clock by at least a turn or 2 which is extremely important in vintage when you opponent can rip just the card they need in order to win that extra turn you gave them. In this deck with all artifacts it almost becomes a Time Walk for 3 colorless mana.