Post by Travis Lannoye on Feb 10, 2010 18:03:44 GMT -5
I think I'm going to try to play a Teachings deck at the PTQ. It's not very expensive, and it's a draw-go/toolbox deck, which is exactly my style.
There's a pretty good Teachings thread that I've been contributing to recently, here: forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=218303
The list that I am currently set on is as follows:
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Watery Grave
2 Marsh Flats
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Mystic Gate
4 Island
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Urza's Factory
1 Academy Ruins
(25)
1 Crovax, Ascendant Hero
1 Dralnu, Lich Lord
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
3 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
(5)
3 Cryptic Command
2 Engineered Explosives
4 Esper Charm
1 Extirpate
4 Mana Leak
3 Mystical Teachings
3 Path to Exile
1 Pulse of the Fields
2 Remand
2 Repeal
4 Spell Snare
(30)
Side:
2 Aven Mindcensor
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Crovax, Ascendant Hero
3 Deathmark
1 Fracturing Gust
1 Pulse of the Fields
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Shadow of Doubt
2 Smother
1 Spell Pierce
Changes:
2/12:
-1 Mystic Gate, +1 Academy Ruins
-1 Cryptic Command, +1 Glen Elendra Archmage
-2 Ancestral Vision, +2 Engineered Explosives
-1 Doom Blade, -1 Smother, +2 Remand
-1 Logic Knot, +1 Path to Exile
-1 Kitchen Finks, +1 Aven Mindcensor
-1 Doom Blade, +1 Smother
Basically, the deck is designed to be a tool-box of sorts, with silver bullet answers to just about everything there is. There are several parts to the deck:
1. Drawing and Tutoring. Esper Charm and Mystical Teachings are the core of the deck. They provide incredible instant-speed card advantage. Ancestral Vision, Cryptic Command, Repeal, and other cantrips also add to the advantage.
2. Counters. At minimum, you have 4 each of Mana Leak, Spell Snare, and Cryptic Command. Some decks will add in single copies of things like Negate, Spell Pierce, Spell Burst, Logic Knot, Flashfreeze, or Pact of Negation. Since you are essentially playing draw-go, your goal is to counter as much as possible.
3. Removal. You have plenty of it, starting with cheap creature removal in the form of Path, Doom Blade, and Smother. Repeal and Cryptic Command can also get rid of certain problems. Some people run Engineered Explosives, but I am going to try it without EE because it's not tutorable with Teachings and it's played at sorcery speed.
4. Win-conditions. Your main man is Teferi, because he allows you to search for other creatures with Teachings. He also happens to shut down Cascade triggers, and he wins counter-wars. Other win-cons include Crovax (who also happens to kill Faeries and Thopters), Baneslayer Angel, and others.
5. Dralnu. This guy becomes really nice late-game, because he allows you to recast all of your silver bullets. I am still not entirely sure if his huge drawback is worth it, or if I'm better off with a Baneslayer here.
The sideboard contains a whole bunch of extra silver bullets. Pulse of the Fields will shut down burn, Ravenous Trap is for Dredge, etc. There are probably a hundred different ways to make this deck, and they are all about the same.
I'll post a list of things that I need later tonight.
There's a pretty good Teachings thread that I've been contributing to recently, here: forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=218303
The list that I am currently set on is as follows:
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Watery Grave
2 Marsh Flats
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Mystic Gate
4 Island
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Urza's Factory
1 Academy Ruins
(25)
1 Crovax, Ascendant Hero
1 Dralnu, Lich Lord
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
3 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
(5)
3 Cryptic Command
2 Engineered Explosives
4 Esper Charm
1 Extirpate
4 Mana Leak
3 Mystical Teachings
3 Path to Exile
1 Pulse of the Fields
2 Remand
2 Repeal
4 Spell Snare
(30)
Side:
2 Aven Mindcensor
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Crovax, Ascendant Hero
3 Deathmark
1 Fracturing Gust
1 Pulse of the Fields
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Shadow of Doubt
2 Smother
1 Spell Pierce
Changes:
2/12:
-1 Mystic Gate, +1 Academy Ruins
-1 Cryptic Command, +1 Glen Elendra Archmage
-2 Ancestral Vision, +2 Engineered Explosives
-1 Doom Blade, -1 Smother, +2 Remand
-1 Logic Knot, +1 Path to Exile
-1 Kitchen Finks, +1 Aven Mindcensor
-1 Doom Blade, +1 Smother
Basically, the deck is designed to be a tool-box of sorts, with silver bullet answers to just about everything there is. There are several parts to the deck:
1. Drawing and Tutoring. Esper Charm and Mystical Teachings are the core of the deck. They provide incredible instant-speed card advantage. Ancestral Vision, Cryptic Command, Repeal, and other cantrips also add to the advantage.
2. Counters. At minimum, you have 4 each of Mana Leak, Spell Snare, and Cryptic Command. Some decks will add in single copies of things like Negate, Spell Pierce, Spell Burst, Logic Knot, Flashfreeze, or Pact of Negation. Since you are essentially playing draw-go, your goal is to counter as much as possible.
3. Removal. You have plenty of it, starting with cheap creature removal in the form of Path, Doom Blade, and Smother. Repeal and Cryptic Command can also get rid of certain problems. Some people run Engineered Explosives, but I am going to try it without EE because it's not tutorable with Teachings and it's played at sorcery speed.
4. Win-conditions. Your main man is Teferi, because he allows you to search for other creatures with Teachings. He also happens to shut down Cascade triggers, and he wins counter-wars. Other win-cons include Crovax (who also happens to kill Faeries and Thopters), Baneslayer Angel, and others.
5. Dralnu. This guy becomes really nice late-game, because he allows you to recast all of your silver bullets. I am still not entirely sure if his huge drawback is worth it, or if I'm better off with a Baneslayer here.
The sideboard contains a whole bunch of extra silver bullets. Pulse of the Fields will shut down burn, Ravenous Trap is for Dredge, etc. There are probably a hundred different ways to make this deck, and they are all about the same.
I'll post a list of things that I need later tonight.