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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2006 10:55 pm |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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--- description ---
See the look on your opponent’s face as all his creatures keep bouncing off the board and switching sides!
--- end description ---
Since I got a lot (well, not really  ) of positive feedback in my last article, I’ll write this one the same way, so it’s going to be long, but easy to read.
1. Introduction
I’m not very fond of  , but lately, my creativity just BOILS when I think of it, so much potential! So, as I did last week, I decided to write ANOTHER mono-colored deck, to show that even in the Age of Guilds, mono-chromatic decks still stand a chance!
This is going to be a rather different deck, since the first word that comes to mind when you say is "counterspell", and this deck simply has NONE! Yes, you read correctly, no counterspells in a mono-colored deck. "And how do you expect to win?" Well, simple question, simple answer: "By making my opponent kill himself." Sounds crazy huh? Well, that’s because you don’t know the power of bouncing and stealing! 
2. Pulling it off
To pull this off (making an opponent’s deck kill him, that is), I’ll resort to a card suggested to me by BrianBoitano, Muse Vessel! It’s game text is the soul of the deck: make an opponent discard something, and use it against him! "Well, ok, but he can just discard Land." Well, that’s true, and even though it ALSO helps you A LOT (since it provides you with the approppriate mana to cast his spells), you’ll need some firepower to win, so let’s see what we can do about that. So, the first card on the deck, obviously, is Muse Vessel. But let’s say an opponent is playing a multi-colored deck, and removes only one type of Land for you, or worse, he removes none! What can you do? The answer is a fairly overlooked card: Fellwar Stone. Also, Annex helps A LOT on this subject, so let’s use it too! I considered using Spectral Searchlight, since it can ALSO ping for small damage, if you don’t use it in a turn, but Fellwar Stone is the only thing that even resembles an accelerator, so I decided to keep it as a 2-drop, should you not draw a bouncer.
3. Providing creatures
This deck simply lacks firepower, and assuming your opponent is not stupid, he won’t give you any. So, for that reason, we have Dream Leash and Confiscate, both being fairly expensive cards. However, they can give you tempo (and take it from your opponent) by stealing Lands, so they’re a fair deal. Dream Leash has some restrictions, requiring a tapped permanent, so let’s just use 3 copies. These 7 cards, alongside Muse Vessel, should be enough to provide all the firepower you may need.
After some playtests, Dream Leash is just too expensive, and not at all that helpful due to its requirement, so let’s leave this 3-card gap open for now.
4. Utility tools
We’ve gone through stealing, ok, but where is the bouncing, and why is it useful? Starting with the last question, imagine this: what happens if your opponent has no cards in hand, and a Platinum Angel in play? You bounce it at the end of his turn, use Muse Vessel on your turn, and abrakadabra, it’s yours! Also, bouncing keeps you alive by returning attackers to his hand, and discourages counterspells, since he has to tap some lands to play his creature again, so it can swing next turn. Moving on, for this matter, we will use Eye of Nowhere and Boomerang, since they are cheap and can bounce, for instance, lands and signets, slowing an opponent’s tempo early game (this deck is rather slow) and still being useful later, to stall attackers. Another nice card, that we will use, is Repeal. However, I’m sticking with only 3 of those. Ok, it gives you card advantage, but it’s range of effect is somewhat reduced, when compared to the others. Also in this departament, Temporal Adept and Heidar, Rimewind Master are just PERFECT, although this requires that you switch regular Islands for Snow-Covered Island, but I don’t think that’s going to get you in trouble.
5. Finishing Blow
What if this combo is not enough? What if your opponent can constantly keep his hand size, discarding lands for your Vessel, while beating you to death? What if you simply does not draw Muse Vessel? For this reason, I decided to add another "Finishing Blow": Eternal Dominion! It may seem to be a dangerous card, but if you can cast it quickly enough, it’s pretty much game, specially if you already have some key creatures out.
6. Speeding it up
Well, if you check the number of different cards I suggested, you’ll notice that the deck will lack space for card-drawing, which is terrible (even though, the deck’s main idea is that you’ll be "drawing" from your opponent’s deck). After tweaking it around, I managed to clear space for one card (yep, one single card). I’ve put A LOT of thought into what card to use, and decided for Treasure Trove. Ok, for almost the same cost, you can draw a lot of cards. However, it’s one-use only. And, since you’ll often find yourself with PLENTY of spare mana lying around, why not drawing less cards at once, but drawing for a longer period, right?
However, after I continually playtested it, I saw a great problem with it. If I don’t have plenty of mana lying around, I’m dead, and so is the card. If I DO have, then I’m already winning. So, I decided to clear more room in the deck by removing it. Since it opened, along with the removal of Dream Leash, a 4-card gap, and early beating WAS a problem, I decided to add in 4 Drift of Phantasms. If nothing else, keeps me alive for a while longer, and if I’m SB’ing, I can transmute unneeded Drifts for Hinder.
7. Decklist
After some playtests, here’s what the deck looks like:
Rubber Field (60 cards):
22 Land
21 Snow-covered Island
1 Minamo, School at Water’s Edge
8 Artifact
4 Muse Vessel
4 Fellwar Stone
8 Enchantment
4 Annex
4 Confiscate
6 Sorceries
4 Eye of Nowhere
2 Eternal Dominion
7 Instants
4 Boomerang
3 Repeal
9 Creatures
4 Drift of Phantasms
3 Temporal Adept
2 Heidar, Rimewind Master
8. Playing the deck
This deck is ABSURDLY easier to play than it may look. Simply steal as much lands as you can, to build a mana base fast, and keep bouncing/removing as much cards as you can from your opponent, using for your benefit the ones you think are worth it. Steal creatures if you really need to (or if it’s worth it), and cast Eternal Dominion as fast as you can. If you haven’t beat your opponent with his creatures by then, it won’t take much longer.
9. Sideboards
As I did last time, I’ll suggest some sideboards, so you can see what fits your meta best. However, once again, I must say that these are just guidelines, feel free to tweak them to your liking/needs, but the following ones should be enough to take on almost anything you might face, assuming the Main Deck has some trouble doing it.
9.1 Counter-spree
If you really miss having some counterspells around, here’s your SB. It’s also great when facing a counter-filled deck, or Dovescape. This is the sideboard I use.
4 Mana leak
4 Remand
4 Spell Snare
3 Hinder
9.2 Heavy Beating
Turn a control deck into a powerhouse with this rather bizarre sideboard! Taskmage and Meloku’s ability will make sure Jokulmorder is ready to swing every turn! Just beware of other bouncing decks and creature removal, it hurts A LOT to have a Jokulmorder bounced... If you’re playing a lot of bouncing/removal decks, simply use other creature, like Rimefeather Owl. Taskmage will still be useful for stalling attacks (by tapping attackers) and Meloku will make sure you can block (you can’t have a lot of tokens out anyway, due to Leyline of Singularity).
3 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
4 Rimewind Taskmage
4 Leyline of Singularity
3 Jokulmorder
1 Heidar, Rimewind Master
10. Match-ups
10.1 Aggro
Aggro should not be that difficult, since you can stall them early game and bounce them back long enough to either use Vessel to your advantage (they tend to empty their hands pretty quickly) or to cast Eternal Dominion and finish things off. However, it IS a tough match-up if you don’t draw a good opening hand, since this deck lacks card-drawing power.
10.2 Ghost Husk/Ghost Dad
They tend to be controlable by bouncing back the main threats, but if they’re giving you a headache, simply use Heavy Beating (9.2). Leyline of Singularity will hold them off by denying them their tokens. You may want to mix those SB’s, so you can protect your Leyline from Ronom Unicorn / Kami of Ancient Law and Mortify with some counters.
10.3 Acceleration
Although this may seem as a tough match-up, it’s actually easy, since acceleration decks will empty their hands pretty quickly, letting you use the bounce-Muse combo to it’s full extent! Justmake sure you’ll live to get the combo out. Drift of Phantasms help GREATLY against this build, it was actually the reason I boarded him in.
10.4 Heartbeat
Simply keep Heartbeat off the board, and you should be fine. If you’re not, then use Counter-spree (9.1) along with bouncing power, and it should go smoothly.
10.5 Dovescape
If you’re playing Dovescape, don’t even think! Use Counter-spree as your SB, as this deck kills you HORRIBLY! DON’T let Dovescape see play, unless you’ve already played Eternal Dominion, or you’re toast!
10.6 Vore
I suggest using Counter-spree (9.1) against this one, or you’ll have a tough match-up! Just laugh at your opponent’s face when you bounce back his Magnivore, and then steal it!
10.7 TronFire
You’ll need some counterspells to put up a fight with his. Simply keep stealing Urza lands so he can’t assemble the Tron (try to assemble one yourself, if you can), and it’s an easy match-up.
10.8 Counter-filled decks
Another tough match-up. Board in your counters, and steal/bounce their lands so they can’t play more than one counter a turn, so things will be easier. You may even be able to remove some counters to your advantage with Muse Vessel, if it hits the board early enough.
Well, I hope you guys liked this "crazy" deck, and before you start flaming me for not having counterspells maindecked, try it out, you’ll be surprised with how well it plays! Now, assemble the deck, go to your local store, and show the champs there the true meaning or "Rogue Deck"! |
| Last edited by Felipe Musco on Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:27 pm; edited 3 times in totalI don't like YOU. |
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| BrianBoitano |
![]() Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:22 am |
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Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 124
Location: Houston, TX
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Quick reply before I go off to work, I’ll type more then!
Dovescape + Eternal Dominion ≠ 10 tokens a turn. Spells that aren’t played (like the epic copies and twincast copies) don’t trigger the Dovescape, so you get the Eternal Dominion effect instead. Not a bad deal, eh?
I don’t like the lack of things to do turn 1. Howabout Sea’s Claim, to deny them more land turn 1?
Treasure Trove? You should be using Muse Vessel late-game to gain card advantage, and you’ll need all the mana you can get for that. I say cantripping one more Repeal would serve you better.
Also, remember this deck type is based upon an article somebody else wrote on the Wizards site, so be sure to give credit there, not to me.
Until later! |
"Not again" -Hans
Hello kind Sir or Madam, I am a polite sig virus. Please put me into your fine and dandy signature so that I might continue to replicate. Thank you for your time. |
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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:58 am |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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Actually, the deck itself was already assembled, I just squeezed in Muse Vessel and took out Evacuation, but what the hey, then, credits to whoever wrote the article BB read! 
About the Dovescape thing: yep, you’re right, I checked it this morning, and I had already altered the article when I read your post, but thanks anyway!
I tried with 4 Repeals, and I sincerely liked it better with Treasure Trove. I know how this sounds, since Treasure Trove is, like, HORRIBLE, but keep in mint that it’s only supposed to help me get Muse Vessel/Eternal Dominion faster, and then I can simply let it be... Also, I may not have card advantage, for instance, if my opponent’s deck is really fast, or if it is a hellbent one, so all in all, it’s a fairly useful card to have around, since it’s only a 1-card gap anyway...
I liked Sea’s Claim, but I see two major issues with it: it ONLY serves the purpose of denying land, it doesn’t have any other use, nor does it give ME the land; and it is completely useless if an opponent is using too. Because of this, I decided that it’s best to not use it, although it COULD be a SB option, depending on the meta...  I’m thinking on trying it out with Sensei’s Divining Top, though. If it works, I’ll post here.
One last thing, did the article you read used Eternal Dominion too? 
I hope not, or my thunder will be gone, I thought it was a great catch!  |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:59 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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WEll I’m on a break from 9 to 9 band camp this week and next (yeah, I won’t be on much  ) but I like the looks of this deck. I’d say vision skeins looks like a good addition.
I love heidar, but I don’t know if taskmage will make enough difference..
Perhaps a splash of green for birds of paradise, or spectral searchlight in addition to fellwar stone. Most spells worth playing cost two colored mana, anyway.
Toodles. |
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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:18 pm |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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Yes, they do. But you forget that you’ll ALSO be STEALING their lands, so double-color will almost always not be a problem. I admit that Spectral Searchlight is a nice card (didn’t know it), but Fellwar Stone is cheaper (and this deck is rather slow to kick in), and it serves the same purpose pretty ok...
Grail, why the hell do you splash green in everything, man?!? 
Just kidding. As I said in the beggining of the article (and in my last one, too, but you probably didn’t have a lot of time to read it, due to your tight schedule), this deck is INTENDED to be mono-colored, just to show that mono-colored decks can still fare pretty nicely, even in the dual-loaded era I call The Age of Guilds...
Also, if you didn’t check out my last article, "Monoblue beats!", I think you’ll like it too, rather unnusual deck. |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:26 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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I know it’s intended to be mono.. I just don’t see a need for mono unless you have things depending on say number of islands, or number of mountains or something.
Mono-decks can fare okay. But a splash of the right additions will make them fare better (unless it relies on something like blanchwood armor or flow of ideas) |
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| physcosick |
![]() Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:32 am |
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Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 229
Location:
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I really don’t see the point of mono colored decks at this point. Sure mono colored is ok in some areas but in t2 right now, MU has nothing that UR, UG, Ux doesn’t have and than better. Playing 2-3 colors is beneficial to you. Your goal right now is Steal.dec. A guy in my meta ran a UGB steal deck but I didn’t like the black splash for putrefy and cranial extraction, but it didn’t hurt your mana base so whatever. But I made a UG steal deck that had some promise but I never got it off the ground.... I’d post a list... but I might use it for the future... so do not steal my steal deck, lol... just in case, I’m not posting it’s rawness.
My point, there is no point in doing mono colored decks unless they are Mono Red Control or Mono Green Aggro (you benefit by playing multiple colors). You can steal my MRC if you want (I’d like to see a new take on it), but the MGA has been done on this site enough times already so don’t do that, I’ve read enough about it. |
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| BrianBoitano |
![]() Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:18 am |
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Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 124
Location: Houston, TX
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| The problem with splashing in this case is that his turn 2 and 3 plays should be boomerang and eye of nowhere, which require , and then Temporal Adept, which requires 1 to cast and to activate.... Splashing anything would only be for late game, and for late game you’ll be splashing their colors! Don’t you see? You’re supposed to steal their stuff, so you won’t have to worry about being limited to blue power. I feel that the deck should stay monocolored, as really BoP is the only thing green has to offer. |
"Not again" -Hans
Hello kind Sir or Madam, I am a polite sig virus. Please put me into your fine and dandy signature so that I might continue to replicate. Thank you for your time. |
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| physcosick |
![]() Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:59 pm |
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Joined: 18 Oct 2005
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BrianBoitano wrote: as really BoP is the only thing green has to offer.
BrianBoitano wrote: The problem with splashing in this case is that his turn 2 and 3 plays should be boomerang and eye of nowhere, which require , and then Temporal Adept, which requires 1 to cast and to activate.... Splashing anything would only be for late game, and for late game you’ll be splashing their colors!
BrianBoitano wrote: Don’t you see? You’re supposed to steal their stuff, so you won’t have to worry about being limited to blue power. |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:18 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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Um... for my money, a breeding pool and birds of paradise followed by a turn two island can make UUU. There’s no way mono blue will do that turn two.
Even if, for some odd reason, you thought the only thing green has to offer is birds of paradise, I would splash four pains, four shocks, and Bop. Of course, you could add good cards like voidslime, too, and whether or not you add green, spectral searchlight is great. If you don’t need the mana, you can at least ping them for one
Glad to have you back, psycho! Always happy to get more people on the forums! |
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