Critique my Totaliran Academy Deck please!

[b_1e1_n]

4 City of Brass
4 Gemstone Mine
1 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Volcanic Island
1 Totalrian Academy

1 Lingering Mirage
1 Fastbond

4 Impulse
4 Meditate
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Abeyance
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Crop Rotation
1 Frantic Search
1 Skeletal Scrying
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Kearvek's Torch
1 Regrowth
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Windfall
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Force of Will

4 Helm of Awakening
3 Candeblra of Tawnos
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Mox Diamond
1 Sol Ring
1 Zuran Orb
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl

(sideboard)
4 Red Elemental Blast
4 Hydroblast
2 Compost
2 Diabolic Edict
2 Seal of Cleansing
1 Disenchant

Please, no intermediates or novice players post critique about this deck, it's hard to understand, so no offense.  I, on average, win 2nd turn with this deck, 3rd or 4th latest if I have to mulligan.  The only thing I really have trouble with is heavy counter or discard decks who get first turn duress or tourach on me.  Normally I can beat Keeper as long as I take off quickly, even if they have 3 counters they can play on my 2nd or 3rd turn, I still will have enough draw to get off Kaervek's Torch + FoW.  Anything else rarely can get me to 0 health before I unleash a torch.  I'm considering SBing a morphling against discard as an alternate win condition, or more likely a masticore and impuses (in place of compost and edicts).

[snotball007]

I play academy........way too much to be exact. A few suggestions that will really help you out.

-3 duals
+1 Undiscovered Paradise (I changed these to glimmervoids myself)
+1 Mana Crypt
So now you have an extra slot, which I will use here in the next category.

-1 FoF (really unnecessary and weak in this combo)
-1 Skeletal Scrying (again, see above)
-1 Frantic Search (its okay, but I would rather use the draw 7 since this is a card draw dependant combo)
-1 Zuran Orb (you should go off before ever needing this)
+1 Time Spiral
+3 Force of Will (trust me, these are needed)
+1 Capsize (time to go infinite).

That should make you combo out way faster. And about the counter heavy decks, that is what the sb is for. Here is mine:
4x Phyrexian Negator
4x Defense Grid
4x Xantid Swarm
3x Misdirection

Hope I helped a little.

[Plainswalker]

Please, no intermediates or novice players post critique about this deck, it's hard to understand, so no offense.

I'm sorry, but starting out with this highly offended me for some reason and as such I'm going to be a bit of an ass now but be as nice as I can.

I don't know much about Academy deck, but I know enough about magic to know this is not even close to what anyone would play anymore. Not only that but your provided little to no information except that duress hurts combo...ya we know.

Xantid Swarm is a major card you could use in here to help the control match up anyways, against discard you just go off faster. You need the answer some stuff though on a lot of cards.

1.) Why would you play this over any other combo deck out there? And fun is a fine answer
2.) Skeletal Scrying seems a little mana intensive in here if you need it to start you off drawing, but it may work, theres other stuff that bugs me more then this.
3.) One FoW isn't going to do anything in here, so I can understand why it's there.
4.) Zuran Orb does nothing for this, there is no way you should need it in a combo deck.
5.) Sideboard seems a bit janky, Hydroblast is not needed, as well as the things below it. Probably even better off with Swarms then REB's
Like I said, I don't know about Academy or most combo, I play aggro and control, but this needs to be more thought out as it stands. People with more experience in this area can help you, but this covers the most glaring issues that even I noticed

Just noticed snotball007's post, I agree with most everything there if maybe a little bit differnt sideboard.

[Jacob Orlove]

A quick note: Lingering Mirage no longer removes Legendary status from opposing Academies, thanks to 8th edition rules.

[Hi-Val]

Please, no intermediates or novice players post critique about this deck, it's hard to understand, so no offense.

This coming from someone who cannot spell Tolarian...

My suggestion is to make room for FoW and Abeyance. Both are neccessary to protect your combo. Also, why are you running Academy still when storm-based decks are doing so much better? You might at least consider throwing in a Mind's Desire/Tendrils. Cutting cards for Capsize is vital. I have also seen Academy decks that pack Power Artifact for Monolith if they can't get Academy working. Since the Mirage no longer works, you might consider throwing in a Strip Mine, although chances of seeing a mirror match lessen by the day.

[Kowal]

A mirror match of oldschool academy?  Doesn't exist anymore.  It's all about Tendrils now, and oldstyle academy goldfishing between turns two and five is just WAY too slow and inconsistant.

My advice is to do a major overhaul, and build something more like TPS or Smmenen's post restriction Long.  Suddenly your opponent having a single Force of Will or a single Duress won't beat you anymore.

[b_1e1_n]

I play academy........way too much to be exact. A few suggestions that will really help you out.

-3 duals
+1 Undiscovered Paradise (I changed these to glimmervoids myself)
+1 Mana Crypt
So now you have an extra slot, which I will use here in the next category.

-1 FoF (really unnecessary and weak in this combo)
-1 Skeletal Scrying (again, see above)
-1 Frantic Search (its okay, but I would rather use the draw 7 since this is a card draw dependant combo)
-1 Zuran Orb (you should go off before ever needing this)
+1 Time Spiral
+3 Force of Will (trust me, these are needed)
+1 Capsize (time to go infinite).

That should make you combo out way faster. And about the counter heavy decks, that is what the sb is for. Here is mine:
4x Phyrexian Negator
4x Defense Grid
4x Xantid Swarm
3x Misdirection

Hope I helped a little.
 

I'm not that much of a chance taker, so 1 FoF for final blow combo is what I want to keep.  The SB, well I don't want creatures but FoWs and Misdirections may help.  I also don't need to go infinite, I tried boomerang but once I get tol out I usually win anyways.  Z Orb is more of a free artifact to boost the rest and help me if I need to city of pain or whatnot.  I may remove FoF for a brainstorm.


1.) Why would you play this over any other combo deck out there? And fun is a fine answer
Fun and quick wins.

2.) Skeletal Scrying seems a little mana intensive in here if you need it to start you off drawing, but it may work, theres other stuff that bugs me more then this.
I can get a 3 draw early and I often have enough mana for it when I play.
3.) One FoW isn't going to do anything in here, so I can understand why it's there.
Protect Kav torch.
4.) Zuran Orb does nothing for this, there is no way you should need it in a combo deck.
Read above.
5.) Sideboard seems a bit janky, Hydroblast is not needed, as well as the things below it. Probably even better off with Swarms then REB's
Like I said, I don't know about Academy or most combo, I play aggro and control, but this needs to be more thought out as it stands. People with more experience in this area can help you, but this covers the most glaring issues that even I noticed
Yeah I need to add 4 Teferi's response.

 





Please, no intermediates or novice players post critique about this deck, it's hard to understand, so no offense.


This coming from someone who cannot spell Tolarian...


-And this is someone who can't follow rules.  I have no desire to read your comments so don't post on this topic again.

 
 
My advice is to do a major overhaul, and build something more like TPS or Smmenen's post restriction Long. Suddenly your opponent having a single Force of Will or a single Duress won't beat you anymore.
 
-What happened to playing slightly original decks?  If I wanted a net deck I would've just searched for one :/.  If you can provide these links I wouldn't mind taking a look but I want to keep academy running for a while (or until it stops winning for me anyways).

[Puschkin]

Listen, dude, you posted in the Newbie Forum (or were moved to it ...) and now you do not want to post the vast mayority of people to comment!?

You are not in the postion to create rules. The Rules of TMD say that you have to prove yourself to get Full Member Status, until that happens, you have to post with the others. And the more snobby you appear, the less likely it will be that you get promoted, so learn some respect.

[memoryjarvis07]

i run a little acadamy but not exactly like yours......yours built better i think  since your running twister you should put in tormads crypt for that reason and for reanimators and sb some graveyard removal......i have my deck posted in newbie forums and if you can help me out a little it will be much appreciated.

the crypt and other graveyard removal also take out dragon most of the time......so thats always good....damn those dragons. well cya good luck on workin on your deck

Double post merged. Next time use the edit button, thanks

[Viceroy]

Well, the inclusion of 4 FoW seems to be obvious here.

A card that deserve testing is Mind´s Desire, if not a central part of this deck, after a Twister or Spiral, Desire can give you the game.

Other suggestions

-1 Mediate +1 Mind`s Desire
-1 Impulse  +1 Braingeyser
-1 Candelabra +1 Mind over matter

About the mana base, i would play the following

1 Tolarian Academy
4 City of Brass
4 Gemstone Mine
3 Gimmervoid
7 SoloMoxen
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mana Vault
1 Lotus Petal

[Hi-Val]

You are banking on the fact that someone will only try to counter your final spell and that they will only try it once. A smart player counters the first draw-7 they see, and you never have the cards to build up the combo. What if your opponent Misdirects your torch? What if they follow up with another counter? These are very real possibilities that you need to consider, especially with a weakened combo like Academy. What are the chances that you will see the lone FoW anyway?

And the Capsize is used with Candelabra to combo off in place of MoM (Where is the Mind Over Matter anyway? You know that's what breaks the combo open, right?) You bounce the candlestick, drop it down again, untap academy, and repeat. I'd cut out K-torch for a Braingeyser as it can do double duty for finding your combo cards.

If you want to ignore this help for your own petty self-gratification, you're free to do that. But remember that you will always catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

[b_1e1_n]

"You are banking on the fact that someone will only try to counter your final spell and that they will only try it once. A smart player counters the first draw-7 they see, and you never have the cards to build up the combo. What if your opponent Misdirects your torch? What if they follow up with another counter? These are very real possibilities that you need to consider, especially with a weakened combo like Academy. What are the chances that you will see the lone FoW anyway?"

-The point of this deck is sort of like burn but with drawing and mana, to have so much of it even if I get a card like wheel of fortune countered, I will still have one more draw card to deal.  And the chances of seeing FoW at the end when I torch?  Well, considering I have a 60 card deck and usually see all but about 2-5 cards, I'd say 58/60 chance I will see that card.

And the Capsize is used with Candelabra to combo off in place of MoM (Where is the Mind Over Matter anyway? You know that's what breaks the combo open, right?) You bounce the candlestick, drop it down again, untap academy, and repeat. I'd cut out K-torch for a Braingeyser as it can do double duty for finding your combo cards.

-Or I could just Capsize the Candel with 2 mana in my pool after I capsized and bought it back, then play the cand (assuming I have no helms out), and finally untap my Tolt academy, tap it, ect.  Anyways there's no need for infinite mana.

-As far as the FoW problem, read above, removing a blue card and paying 1 life is just as bad as getting a blue spell countered (or any other color in most scenarios).  I am seriously considering a Duress or possibly a look at hand for something like Urza's Bauble.  As far as countering my Kaervek's Torch, the only way they will counter it is have an artifact mana producer out (they'll need a counterspell or mana drain + the 2 mana for kearv's torch by 3rd turn in most scenarios) and be able to counter my FoW, so they'd need 2 FoWs in hand.  Actually the more I think about it the more that durress sounds nice, either in place of an impulse or in a sideboard.

Updated SB Thought:
4 Hydroblast
4 Red Elemental Blast
4 Worship
3 Duress

[Jeikki]

Updated SB Thought:
4 Hydroblast
4 Red Elemental Blast
4 Worship
3 Duress

I won't comment anything else as I'm one of those noobs that shouldn't post here per his 'rules',  but Worship? What are they doing here? You don't even have any creatures in your deck. (Not saying that you should have). Those look completely out of place to me.

[Toad]

-And this is someone who can't follow rules.  I have no desire to read your comments so don't post on this topic again.

Seeing you don't want to follow all the good advice you've been given so far, there is no point in keeping this thread open.

The lone Force of Will is my favourite. Looks like you've never played against good Control players. Why would I wait for your win condition if breaking your draw engine simply wins me the game?

Closed