I decided to step up to the plate and add the other two Snapcasters. Having them as an access point to more counterspells, bounce spells, or filtering spells seems pretty nice. In addition, they leave room for complete blowouts if I catch the opponent napping since I can drop him at the end of his turn, flashback Vapor Snag to bounce the blocker the opponent left behind, play and equip Runechanter's Pike on my turn, and swing for the win. I really like the deck against the mirror. I have only lost 2 games out of about 8 to the mirror and both of those losses were due in part to misplays, so if there is any matchup I would be willing to sacrifice a few games to, it would have to be that one. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is a huge beating and I have tried pretty much everything to improve my chances against him, including Phantasmal Dragons. Most Delver decks run Phantasmal Image, but I am not ready to spend close to $10 each on a card that will not be around too much longer. My most recent attempt at a solution is Mind Control. Stealing the creature is better by far, anyway. It forces them to throw another one up to deal with him, which will be harder than getting the first one up since their mana dorks are dead draws once you steal him. This is a solution I could not recommend to other Delver decks, as their filter package does not dig as deep as mine, and they do not run as many lands. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to deploy this solution despite the fact that I have one maindeck. I am hesitant about going to 2 maindeck since it is almost worthless against Delver and I really have no maindeck means of protecting it other than counterspells, but.... my Delver matchup is really good as it stands, and I have an uphill battle against ramp decks that pack a lot of fatties so that may be my only legitimate choice. Here's what I'm planning on running now:
3 Invisible Stalker
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
1 Dungeon Geists
4 Runechanter's Pike
4 Ponder
2 Dissipate
3 Forbidden Alchemy
3 Mana Leak
3 Thought Scour
4 Vapor Snag
2 Mind Control
2 Buried Ruin
21 Island
The numbers seem all wrong to me on paper, but that might actually be a good sign given how wrong I usually am about what is actually good.
Sideboard:
1 Bonehoard
4 Disperse
2 Dissipate
1 Dungeon Geists
1 Invisible Stalker
1 Mana Leak
1 Mind Control
Seems horrible, but I guess we will find out... Comments and suggestions are welcome. As far as the logic is concerned, I have found Dungeon Geists to be less useful than many of the other cards in the deck against Delver, so I dropped one out in favor of another Mind Control. That way, the slot has a minimal impact on my Delver matchup. I am down to 12 creatures maindeck. I'm not entirely sure what to expect. Hopefully, dropping out a few creatures will have a minimal impact on the early pressure the deck is known for.
2 mind controls? They just seem kind high on the curve. Do you have problems with matches going past round 7?
ReplyDeleteWhy do you roll with only 3 Mana Leaks and 2 Dissipates? Seems like 4 Leaks and 1 Dissipate would serve you better.
Instead of 2 Mind Controls to deal with 7 drops, you could just add 2 more Dissipates.
ReplyDeleteThe Mind Controls haven't worked out too well.. I'm thinking that might be the way to go.. Still need a way to deal with Elesh Norn once he hits the table, though. Decks that run him tend to run Lingering Souls also... perfect stall card, so games against that type of deck tend to go longer than I'd like.
ReplyDeleteHaving him as an Unburial Rites target is backbreaking for me which is what often happens. Every creature in the deck becomes basically worthless.. Snapcasters don't even work because they die as a state-based effect before their enters the battlefield trigger triggers.
I decided on 3 Mana Leak because the decks Leak is relevant against haven't been giving me that much trouble. Just trying to strengthen my weak matchups any way I can.
Perhaps going all-out aggressive is the correct route to victory. I basically can't win with an Elesh Norn on the battlefield; maybe just forcing the issue so that I can bounce him at the end of their turn, cast Snapcaster, and swing for the win the following turn is the way to go.
ReplyDelete