Looking for advice, Confidant Tendrils

[Djinn]

As the title says, I'm looking for advice with my Confidant Tendrils deck.  I'm very comfortable with the deck but there are just a few spaces I'm trying to fill.  Right now my deck looks like this:

Lands: 12
1 Bloodstained Mire
3 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
2 Swamp
2 Island
2 Underground Sea (proxy)
1 Tolarian

Artifacts: 11
5 Mox (Proxy)
1 Black Lotus (Proxy)
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt (Proxy)
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Sol Ring

Enchantments: 2
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Necropotence

Instants: 18
4 FoW
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral (Proxy)
1 Hurky'ls Recall
4 Dark Ritual
2 Cabal Ritual
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Rebuild

Sorceries: 10
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal (Proxy)
2 Tendrils of Agony
1 Tinker
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister (Proxy)
1 Mind's Desire
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Ponder

Creatures: 5
4 Dark Confidant
1 Tinker Bot (DSC or Inkwell, I don't have Sphinx, but if there is space I might be able to proxy that)

The total should be 58 cards.  Because the last 2 cards are where I need to focus in on.  In the remaining three slots, I've tried any combination of Impulse (1 or 2), Sleight of Hand, Fact or Fiction, an extra basic land, Wheel of Fortune (if I splash red, I make one of the swamps a proxy Badlands, and it also opens up the sideboard for things such as Pyroclasm), and Merchant Scroll (That's all I can think of off the top of my head).  That being said, I haven't really fell in love with any of the combinations of the above cards.  What I haven't tried is putting in 2 Duress, because I don't have a lot of time to test with a human opponent, but its something I am considering.

Splashing red is a topic thats been discussed, but obviously is left up to player preference, which I don't want this thread to delve into for sanity's sake.  

What I would like is for anyone with knowledge playing TPS or if anyone has been in a similar position to chime in and let me know their recommendation.  I'm still researching on what the expected meta may be, so I will try and get back to you on that (meta would obviously be a factor on what to put here).  

I had a couple of thoughts though.  While it may seem weird to even suggest, has anyone tried playing Meditate with TPS or its variants?  I think it could be pretty good, considering that if you're trying to combo out its usually an all or nothing affair, and it has the same CMC as Wheel and Windfall, and is even cheaper than fact or fiction.  I could be thinking waaayyy too far outside the box, but I'd be interested in hearing anyone's thoughts on this (no flaming please  ).  

My last thought was putting in 2 spell pierce.  Not really sure if its necessary to have that many counters in this deck though.  Anyways, that is all, thanks for reading.


EDITED 07/19/10: Added Sol Ring to the deck to give the accurate deck list.

[honestabe]

Try preordain.  Seems good

[Gandalf_The_White_1]

I wouldn't run Cabal Therapy, especially without other discard spells to cast first so that you know what to name.  In order for it to be better than Duress/Thoughtseize (on its own) you either need to luck out on hitting a blind call, & also have Confidant in play to flash it back (or you get lucky and hit 2x of a card, but this isn't that common).

I think you definitely need to run Sol Ring to help in casting your higher mana bombs, and you should probably run Demonic Consultation because it's an insane tutor in this kind of deck (though I'd also want to add a 3rd Tendrils for extra security, but this works well with the Bob beats+mini tendrils plan anyway).

If there's going to be any presence of MUD/Lodestone decks, you probably want at least 2 more Hurkyl's Recall maindeck (this will also help boost your blue count for FOW).

So, to sum up:
-2 Cabal Therapy
+1 Sol Ring
+1 Demonic Consultation
+1 Tendrils of Agony
+2 Hurkyl's Recall (if expecting Workshop; otherwise +2 Duress/Thougthseize for Tezz/Oath/Combo).

[Djinn]

I wouldn't run Cabal Therapy, especially without other discard spells to cast first so that you know what to name.  In order for it to be better than Duress/Thoughtseize (on its own) you either need to luck out on hitting a blind call, & also have Confidant in play to flash it back (or you get lucky and hit 2x of a card, but this isn't that common).

I think you definitely need to run Sol Ring to help in casting your higher mana bombs, and you should probably run Demonic Consultation because it's an insane tutor in (though I'd also want to add a 3rd Tendrils for extra security, but this works well with the Bob beats+mini tendrils plan anyway).

If there's going to be any presence of MUD/Lodestone decks, you probably want at least 2 more Hurkyl's Recall maindeck (this will also help boost your blue count for FOW).

So, to sum up:
-2 Cabal Therapy
+1 Sol Ring
+1 Demonic Consultation
+1 Tendrils of Agony
+2 Hurkyl's Recall (if expecting Workshop; otherwise +2 Duress/Thougthseize for Tezz/Oath/Combo).

Edit. I meant to type cabal ritual instead of therapy...oops. And I have a sol ring as well so I will have to check to see where the discrepancy in my list is. Otherwise I appreciate your suggestions, but I have one question, is there any point of a third tendrils other than security? Thanks.

[Gandalf_The_White_1]

Well by security I mean you're less likely to remove all the copies of Tendrils when you cast Demonic Consultation.  You can run Demonic Consultation with only 2 copies of Tendrils, it's just riskier.

Since those 2 cards are Cabal Rituals, you might want to keep them in and just go +1 Consult, +1 Tendrils, +1 Hurkyl's (if you're still at 57 with the Sol Ring already in).

[Djinn]

Well by security I mean you're less likely to remove all the copies of Tendrils when you cast Demonic Consultation.  You can run Demonic Consultation with only 2 copies of Tendrils, it's just riskier.

Since those 2 cards are Cabal Rituals, you might want to keep them in and just go +1 Consult, +1 Tendrils, +1 Hurkyl's (if you're still at 57 with the Sol Ring already in).

My count did not reflect having the Sol Ring but it was in my deck, so now I really am at 58 cards (oops).  I am ok with adding Consultation and Hurkyl's but I just feel like 3 Tendrils is too many.  I know a lot of decks run 3 and I've seen winning ones run 3 but I don't know haha.  I think I just need to be persuaded more.  I used to run only 1, so I feel extra secure with 2, I did not used to run consultation though.

[Djinn]

Anyone try running only 3 Confidants? Or would that just be a bad idea? 

[M.Solymossy]

I really dislike FOW and Bargain in my Bob Tendrils Decks.  They're really awful.  You can just overrun your opponents with spells + Tendrils.

Play 4 confidants.

3 Tendrils are wanted for the double tendrils play.


I'm posting my newest list in the GWSx thread.

[Djinn]

I really dislike FOW and Bargain in my Bob Tendrils Decks.  They're really awful.  You can just overrun your opponents with spells + Tendrils.

Play 4 confidants.

3 Tendrils are wanted for the double tendrils play.


I'm posting my newest list in the GWSx thread.

You raise an interesting point.  I'll research a bit more and check out your deck list.  Thanks.

[Djinn]

I like Yawg Barg in the deck a lot.  It is very possible to get it online turn 2 or 3, in which case you can usually just draw 10 or so cards and win right then.  

On a side note, I still have 1 last slot left for a blue card.  I am not running scroll, and have been playing with fact or fiction.  I don't seem to like Sleight of Hand/Preordain very much, it just feels weak, and never seem to be happy about drawing it or playing it.  I'm considering Mis'D, can anyone comment on that?  If not, I think I will stick with FoF.