It has been suggested that I post this list somewere. This deck is designed to beat Blue and Workshop and with enough practice and skill it does just that. The exceptions are those games were the Blue or Shop has a nearly unbeatable hand. But you get those too,occasionally, most of the time involving Black Lotus. I wanted to share the list, if possible receive some feedback. But that is not mandatory.
The list has been tested against blue and shop but not in a tournament environment.
First the list then some explanations afterwards:
4 Savannah
4 Tundra
2 Seachrome Coast
1 Razorverge Thicket
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
3 Null Rod
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
4 Trygon Predator
3 Kataki, War's Wage
4 Cursecatcher
4 Leonin Arbiter
4 Glowrider
4 Phantasmal Image
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
SB: 3 Flusterstorm
SB: 3 Surgical Extraction
SB: 3 Ravenous Trap
SB: 2 Ghost Quarter
SB: 3 Nature's Claim
SB: 1 Kataki, War's Wage
The plan against BlueBlue decks tend to get really aggressive with drawing, tutoring and support that with artifact acceleration. The plan is to slow that down with mana denial like Fish decks do. But this deck is radically committed. Cursecatcher into Leonin Arbiter into Glowrider is for example a general plan. Of course this doesn't always happen in this order but these are the cards, supported by Null Rod and Kataki, to make it hard for the blue deck. They will try to play around it obviously. The cheap clones make this creature base extra dangerous while also being an answer to Tinker. So it doesn't matter if you clone Arbiter or hold Phantasmal Image in your hand. They will both work to disrupt the Tinker plan. In the tests it showed that after your first mansphere resolves, the rest resolves easier and the game becomes easier. That is why cursecatcher is important against things like mana drain and Force of Will. Getting through your Leonin or Glowrider will gain massive tempo.
You side out Kataki and bring in Flusterstorm. You could also leave Kataki in, if you see things like Grim Monolith/Key.. and side out a couple Trygon Predator. Against lists that use Trygon I would leave in the Trygons myself.
The plan against WorkshopYou just try to resolve Trygon Predator and then clone it as much as you can. It is that simple. Kataki and the 7 strip effects main deck keep them low on the mana and resources. Noble and Elvish Spirit Guide play a critical role in getting the Predator and Kataki in play. I say this list is positioned nicely to make this plan work g1. Game 2 your job gets a lot easier. You board out the white bears and get in claims, ghost quarters, the 4th Kataki and some surgicals to have some grave hate against wastelands and welders. Normally the surgicals should stay in the SB but it is better to get them in and side out Glowiders and a Leonin (could come in handy against Forgemaster builds or block Panters).
-4 Cursecatcher, -4 Glowrider, -1 Leonin Arbiter
+1 Kataki, +3 Nature's Claim, +2 Ghost Quarter, +3 Surgical Extraction
The clones are what make this list interesting and dangerous to play against. You can't win against multiple Trygons as Workshop and you can't win against multiple Glowriders as Blue. This deck follows a prison strategy but at the same time has an inbound resilience against big fat creatures because of the clones. But any time it can cast those clones to lock you out instead of holding the 'answer to tinker' in their hand.
In this deck Null Rod really shines and will have a strangling effect on the opponent. If you expect a meta full of Blue/Tinker/Combo this deck is a good choice if you are a Rod-Fish player. You will have a strong game against Shop and Dredge especially G2 and G3.
We haven't tested the mirror but let me quote one of my testing partners:
'Nobody plays fish, if fish is your weakest match up, you should be happy!'My experience tells me that this deck will do fine against aggro control with the Trygons, Clones and the mana denial plan. But, should be tested. And it is easy to strengthen the mirror if you expect a meta full of Fish. It is less easy to consistently beat Blue, Shop and Dredge.
I hope this was interesting enough,
Guli
