Both Shardless and Deathblade are good but Wastelandblood moon orback to basics lock could be enough to punish their manabases since both shardless bug and deathblade run 0 basics and are very very greedy so landing those could seal things, and is probably all we need; right now I think they are just the "new kids on the block" and everyone wants to play those decks so there is a bit of a bias among the highest level play.
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Both Shardless and Deathblade are good but Wastelandblood moon orback to basics lock could be enough to punish their manabases since both shardless bug and deathblade run 0 basics and are very very greedy so landing those could seal things, and is probably all we need; right now I think they are just the "new kids on the block" and everyone wants to play those decks so there is a bit of a bias among the highest level play.
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I highly doubt that it's only because they're "Flavor of the Month" decks...
Shardless BUG and Deathblade are legitimate decks in today's metagame - they have decent to great matchups against majority of Legacy decks played not only in SCG opens, but also in Europe and Asia.
Beating Shardless BUG and Deathblade isn't as simple as sticking Blood Moon/Back to Basics and you're set. In actual practice, it's an uphill battle, especially when you're not playing against a complete idiot, because of the relevant clock these decks put on the table.
Sure, in a perfect world, we would always have a timely Terminus-into-Blood Moon with no Counterspells, Disruption or Abrupt Decays in their hand, but it happens much less often than you would think.
The major threat with the bug decks i found was their disruption backed up by bob. They can go:
t1 thoughtseize/iquisition
t2 bob or hymn
t3 ^ what ever they didnt play.
That is really backbreaking for us that i found. I also do not like the idea of boarding in leylines or anything like that. Bloodmoon VS Back to basics. Both allow their opponent to play through it and have trade offs. im not sure which would be preferred tho.
The major threat with the bug decks i found was their disruption backed up by bob. They can go:
t1 thoughtseize/iquisition
t2 bob or hymn
t3 ^ what ever they didnt play.
That is really backbreaking for us that i found. I also do not like the idea of boarding in leylines or anything like that. Bloodmoon VS Back to basics. Both allow their opponent to play through it and have trade offs. im not sure which would be preferred tho.
for me, it's no contest. Blood Moon is superior for a deck that is as mana hungry as miracles (multiple top activations, an X-spell in Entreat the Angels, etc). The capacity to tap for mana, even if it is off-color, is clearly better than the relatively lower risk of color screwing
for me, it's no contest. Blood Moon is superior for a deck that is as mana hungry as miracles (multiple top activations, an X-spell in Entreat the Angels, etc). The capacity to tap for mana, even if it is off-color, is clearly better than the relatively lower risk of color screwing
This. Blood moon is infinitely better. You can use the colorless mana, they can't cast ANYTHING in BUG, without the help from a DRS.
You guys are correct bloodmoon does seem like the obvious inclusion in this deck.
As for dealing with jaces, i will be testing out a non 0 amount of REB in the main. I may also have detention sphere/ oblivion ring in the main. Another good option was the punishing fire route. That can be used to snipe off jaces pretty quickly .
I am preparing for my first tournament using this deck and I have a couple of questions if someone would be so kind as to answer.
1) When using the counter/top combo what is the proper sequence for the stack. Meaning if my opponent plays a spell, so I put counter balance on the stack then activate top, or do I respond with top first and if I hit a compatible cost do I then activate balance?
2) As a follow up to that question, If I don’t hit with top can I use an enlightened tutor next to dig for a compatible card and then activate balance. I know balance can only be activated once per spell but can I respond with methods of setting it up.
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. This is an amazing resource for the deck and I hope to one day be a contributor to the cause. Have a great day!
1) When using the counter/top combo what is the proper sequence for the stack. Meaning if my opponent plays a spell, so I put counter balance on the stack then activate top, or do I respond with top first and if I hit a compatible cost do I then activate balance?
You don't "activate" counterbalance. It's a triggered ability. You can choose to let it happen (it's a "may" ability) or not.
The timing is thus: When someone casts a spell, if you want the chance to counter it with counterbalance (or if you just want to see what the top card of your library is), you announce the trigger. Always do this first, especially in a competitive REL. Then, if you want to activate your Top (to look at/rearrange the top 3, to draw a card, or any combination thereof), cast Brainstorm, etc. maintain priority after putting the trigger on the stack (see below), and you can do those things in response to it.
My advice is to practice a lot casually or in Regular REL events before taking Miracles to a Competitive REL event. Just basic use of Top can lead you into the draw bracket if you're not fast enough in making decisions; and the more elaborate uses of Top can take even longer. An opponent will call you on missed triggers at Competitive level if you start topping without announcing your trigger.
2) As a follow up to that question, If I don’t hit with top can I use an enlightened tutor next to dig for a compatible card and then activate balance. I know balance can only be activated once per spell but can I respond with methods of setting it up.
You can activate Top, fetch lands, Brainstorm, Tutor, etc. all you want while the Counterbalance trigger is on the stack, as long as you don't let the trigger resolve.
The best way to do this is to say something
like "in response to the Counterbalance trigger...", which implies you're holding priority. If you don't hold priority (e.g. you say "Counterbalance trigger..?" and your opponent says "okay", then you've technically passed priority and then they passed priority, meaning you lost your chance for fast effects and the trigger resolves with whatever's on the top of your library. Again, competitive players will call you on this.
Ertai's Meddling seems bad, since you're just delaying them. Misdirection is probably the best, because its useful in other situations, such as redirecting a Hymn to Tourach (cast T2 you may not have the mana for something like divert), or catching an Ancestral Visions.
But honestly, another Counterbalance would also do the trick.
Thank you for the quick reply. And also thank you for clearing all of that up. I will be practicing alot before the tourny so hopefully I lose the habit of anouncing triggers as a question. But without your insight I would have learned the hard way.
@matunos, while reading your status you mentioned another counterbalance would do the trick fro abrupt decay, you are meaning if the counterbalance in play is destroyed?
I think he means instead of having janky answers to save your counterbalance, up your counterbalance count so you can just play another counterbalance/have 2 on the board.
this may have been touched on earlier, but I was thinking about with the new sideboarding rules has anyone thought about a transitional sideboard to a more agro approach with delvers and geist of st. trafts
I am not sure if many people are playing this deck anymore but I finally got a Helm of Obedience and wanted to make it. I know I have a few odd choices, but here is the deck I am starting with:
I am not sure if many people are playing this deck anymore but I finally got a Helm of Obedience and wanted to make it. I know I have a few odd choices, but here is the deck I am starting with:
Very close to my list. I play two volcanic over the 1 plateau, double blue for jace and C-spell helps.
Why the academy ruins? Seems bad with RIP. Also the single leyline?
No creatures in the main? Vclique and a single venser have been good to me. I have humility in the board, not in the main, and I only run a single E-Tutor.
Very close to my list. I play two volcanic over the 1 plateau, double blue for jace and C-spell helps.
Why the academy ruins? Seems bad with RIP. Also the single leyline?
No creatures in the main? Vclique and a single venser have been good to me. I have humility in the board, not in the main, and I only run a single E-Tutor.
My thought was Academy Ruins for EE because that has been so good to me in UB Tezz but you are right on with the RIP. I'll make the changes to the lands.
The single Leyline can randomly be in my opening hand and it is awesome then or it can be a way for me to avoid a Jace or Liliana Ultimate or stop burn from finishing me off until I can win. It is the card I am least excited about in my deck but I want one somewhere. I suppose I could swap Venser and Leyline. That seems reasonable.
while I agree with the above poster that Joe Lossett Is an amazing Miracles player and anyone interested in this style deck should watch his steam ( I do and have learned a lot) I disagree with the comment that posting here won’t do anyone any good.
Joe does not play RiP/Helm combo for one. So someone interested in that version isn’t learning it to the full extent. Most of that version have enlightened tutor and plan the board with that in mind. Joe's board is designed for his version. That is a big difference to me. And bouncing deck ideas off of other people who enjoy this style deck is helpful.
Just because someone doesn’t play the same list as (insert famous player here) doesn’t mean it’s a bad deck. Sure there are versions that are considered proven but that doesn’t mean a better list can’t be brewed. So to anyone looking to improve their miracle deck please don’t stop posting here. I have learned a lot from this forum and would hate to see all this talk cease because "there is a guy streaming now and that makes this obsolete"
I've been playing the RIP helm version a while. I've always had the red splash since I ported from thopterbalance, the red cards it allows us to play are too good to pass up.
2. Click on the Video button on top right. Watch at least 1 hour of any recordings.
I know this sounds like shady promotion, but the truth is, you better off spending time watching someone else who's more credible and competent demonstrating how to play this deck properly, than you waste time trying stuff out against random casual decks. Typing more stuff here won't do anyone's good, just watch and learn.
I don't travel and play in all kinds of tournaments but it is perfectly reasonable that I could have the same or better level of talent and competence at playing Magic as Joe Lossett. I play a lot of Magic, particularly Legacy, and I consider myself a decent deck-builder and an intelligent guy. If I can ace 400 level physics classes and get an MD, I think I can make reasonable tweaks to a Magic deck. The difficulty of playing Magic and building decks is highly overrated, but that's probably by people who don't face real challenges beyond how much Mayo to put on a customer's 6" turkey club. I was wrong about the EE and Academy Ruins. It was pointed out to me and I changed it. To me, that was a very productive interaction in my deck-building process. If you don't get valuable information or entertainment from posting here, then why do it?
I don't want to play Lossett's version. I want to play RIP-Helm combo and play enlightened tutor. I am interested in maximizing that version, not in changing my deck to fit the usual Miracles deck that hasn't even been putting up impressive results recently.
I'm probably going to add in Pyroclasm into the board somehow. I play three rest in peace because they're just that good. Yes, they can be dead on draws, but having an extra helps against decks like BUG that can decay it.
I only play a single enlightened tutor, because it's actually card disadvantage when you look at it.
I used to only play a single entreat, but it's just so good. Decks like jund just lose to it cast at 3-4.
Feel free to ask questions, I really like this list so far.
I'm probably going to add in Pyroclasm into the board somehow. I play three rest in peace because they're just that good. Yes, they can be dead on draws, but having an extra helps against decks like BUG that can decay it.
I only play a single enlightened tutor, because it's actually card disadvantage when you look at it.
I used to only play a single entreat, but it's just so good. Decks like jund just lose to it cast at 3-4.
Feel free to ask questions, I really like this list so far.
Wow, our lists are pretty similar. I considered 3 RIP but just didn't have room in the end.
Enlightened Tutor is always card disadvantage but card disadvantage is ok as long as the effect is powerful enough (Force of Will). I think it will be worth it here in many circumstances when I can shut down a deck or win earlier.
When I was playing the more standard Miracles, I was playing 3 Entreat when everyone else was playing 1. I kept watching games where they just needed to find Entreat to close out the game and then lost because they couldn't find it in time. I think the standard lists mostly play 2 now. With my list, I will usually want to win with Helm/RIP or Jace but I have the Entreat in case the others are not options (Helm gone, Pithing Needle on Jace). I am always a fan of powerful singletons because I like the feeling of knowing I have an out in my deck. It always stinks when you think "is there anything I could draw that will get me out of this?" and then realize "nope."
I think you should consider Wasteland. I started playing it in Stoneblade before it was cool and now it has obviously caught on and I think it is useful here too. You probably need to have 23-24 total lands, however.
Wow, our lists are pretty similar. I considered 3 RIP but just didn't have room in the end.
Enlightened Tutor is always card disadvantage but card disadvantage is ok as long as the effect is powerful enough (Force of Will). I think it will be worth it here in many circumstances when I can shut down a deck or win earlier.
When I was playing the more standard Miracles, I was playing 3 Entreat when everyone else was playing 1. I kept watching games where they just needed to find Entreat to close out the game and then lost because they couldn't find it in time. I think the standard lists mostly play 2 now. With my list, I will usually want to win with Helm/RIP or Jace but I have the Entreat in case the others are not options (Helm gone, Pithing Needle on Jace). I am always a fan of powerful singletons because I like the feeling of knowing I have an out in my deck. It always stinks when you think "is there anything I could draw that will get me out of this?" and then realize "nope."
I think you should consider Wasteland. I started playing it in Stoneblade before it was cool and now it has obviously caught on and I think it is useful here too. You probably need to have 23-24 total lands, however.
Yeah, I can probably add a 23rd land, just don't know what to cut.
I'm not big on wasteland in miracles. I used to play it as a one of with Crucible of Worlds with Tolaria West as a tutor in thopters, but it was pretty slow. The meta's sped up a lot. When do you think you'd want a wasteland anyways?
Yeah, I can probably add a 23rd land, just don't know what to cut.
I'm not big on wasteland in miracles. I used to play it as a one of with Crucible of Worlds with Tolaria West as a tutor in thopters, but it was pretty slow. The meta's sped up a lot. When do you think you'd want a wasteland anyways?
Well don't play crucible or T.West. Just play a couple wasteland. Sometimes a Wasteland can be more effective at taking a game than a Counterspell. Keeping someone off mana or a key land will sometimes put them so far behind that they never catch up. Plus, the deck has plenty of colorless mana in its spells' casting costs so it isn't as dead with no targets as it is in a deck like RUG Delver.
Well don't play crucible or T.West. Just play a couple wasteland. Sometimes a Wasteland can be more effective at taking a game than a Counterspell. Keeping someone off mana or a key land will sometimes put them so far behind that they never catch up. Plus, the deck has plenty of colorless mana in its spells' casting costs so it isn't as dead with no targets as it is in a deck like RUG Delver.
I've never liked wasteland in control, unless I'm playing landstill or something like BUG control with liliana and loam. I'd rather be developing my manabase, allowing for more tops, fetches for shuffles, and a bigger entreat. Hitting 4 mana for jace is nice too.
Sparki/TRAMD, I looked over the list you guys are playing (or are close to playing). Have you played much with Divert? I tried it myself and found that it frequently didn't do anything. Our decks are different, but Divert/Misdirection probably gets used in the same ways. If I were you guys, I would drop it for an extra copy of Misdirection.
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.
"It was probably a lousy spell in the first place."
—Ertai, wizard adept
Legacy: UW Miracle, U MUC, UW StoneBlade, U Merfolk, R Burn, & UB Reanimator
EDH: U Azami, Lady of Scrolls & URG Riku of Two Reflections
Casual: UR Dragonstorm, UB Dralnu-Teachings, U NinjaFae, & UR Izzet EDH
I highly doubt that it's only because they're "Flavor of the Month" decks...
Shardless BUG and Deathblade are legitimate decks in today's metagame - they have decent to great matchups against majority of Legacy decks played not only in SCG opens, but also in Europe and Asia.
Beating Shardless BUG and Deathblade isn't as simple as sticking Blood Moon/Back to Basics and you're set. In actual practice, it's an uphill battle, especially when you're not playing against a complete idiot, because of the relevant clock these decks put on the table.
Sure, in a perfect world, we would always have a timely Terminus-into-Blood Moon with no Counterspells, Disruption or Abrupt Decays in their hand, but it happens much less often than you would think.
t1 thoughtseize/iquisition
t2 bob or hymn
t3 ^ what ever they didnt play.
That is really backbreaking for us that i found. I also do not like the idea of boarding in leylines or anything like that. Bloodmoon VS Back to basics. Both allow their opponent to play through it and have trade offs. im not sure which would be preferred tho.
for me, it's no contest. Blood Moon is superior for a deck that is as mana hungry as miracles (multiple top activations, an X-spell in Entreat the Angels, etc). The capacity to tap for mana, even if it is off-color, is clearly better than the relatively lower risk of color screwing
This. Blood moon is infinitely better. You can use the colorless mana, they can't cast ANYTHING in BUG, without the help from a DRS.
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
As for dealing with jaces, i will be testing out a non 0 amount of REB in the main. I may also have detention sphere/ oblivion ring in the main. Another good option was the punishing fire route. That can be used to snipe off jaces pretty quickly .
1) When using the counter/top combo what is the proper sequence for the stack. Meaning if my opponent plays a spell, so I put counter balance on the stack then activate top, or do I respond with top first and if I hit a compatible cost do I then activate balance?
2) As a follow up to that question, If I don’t hit with top can I use an enlightened tutor next to dig for a compatible card and then activate balance. I know balance can only be activated once per spell but can I respond with methods of setting it up.
3) What is the best defense against abrupt decay ? The things I’m contemplating are misdirection, divert and Ertai's Meddling
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. This is an amazing resource for the deck and I hope to one day be a contributor to the cause. Have a great day!
You don't "activate" counterbalance. It's a triggered ability. You can choose to let it happen (it's a "may" ability) or not.
The timing is thus: When someone casts a spell, if you want the chance to counter it with counterbalance (or if you just want to see what the top card of your library is), you announce the trigger. Always do this first, especially in a competitive REL. Then, if you want to activate your Top (to look at/rearrange the top 3, to draw a card, or any combination thereof), cast Brainstorm, etc. maintain priority after putting the trigger on the stack (see below), and you can do those things in response to it.
My advice is to practice a lot casually or in Regular REL events before taking Miracles to a Competitive REL event. Just basic use of Top can lead you into the draw bracket if you're not fast enough in making decisions; and the more elaborate uses of Top can take even longer. An opponent will call you on missed triggers at Competitive level if you start topping without announcing your trigger.
You can activate Top, fetch lands, Brainstorm, Tutor, etc. all you want while the Counterbalance trigger is on the stack, as long as you don't let the trigger resolve.
The best way to do this is to say something
like "in response to the Counterbalance trigger...", which implies you're holding priority. If you don't hold priority (e.g. you say "Counterbalance trigger..?" and your opponent says "okay", then you've technically passed priority and then they passed priority, meaning you lost your chance for fast effects and the trigger resolves with whatever's on the top of your library. Again, competitive players will call you on this.
Ertai's Meddling seems bad, since you're just delaying them. Misdirection is probably the best, because its useful in other situations, such as redirecting a Hymn to Tourach (cast T2 you may not have the mana for something like divert), or catching an Ancestral Visions.
But honestly, another Counterbalance would also do the trick.
sig thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios
sales thread
sig thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios
sales thread
4 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Counterbalance
Enlightened Tutor Package (8)
2 Enlightened Tutor
1 Energy Field
1 Blood Moon
1 Humility
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Oblivion Ring
Win Cons (8)
3 Rest in Peace
1 Helm of Obedience
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Entreat the Angels
Blue Instants (9)
4 Brainstorm
3 Force of Will
1 Counterspell
1 Spell Pierce
3 Swords to Plowshares
3 Terminus
Land (23)
2 Tundra
2 Volcanic Island
4 Flooded Strand
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Arid Mesa
3 Island
3 Plains
1 Mountain
2 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Force of Will
2 Flusterstorm
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Wear/Tear
1 Pyroclasm
2 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Warmth
1 Rest in Peace
1 Chalice of the Void
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Leyline of Sanctity
Standard: UWR
Modern: RDW, Twin
Legacy: I am 3 Candelabra of Tawnos from being able to build almost any tier 1 or 1.5 deck. Here are the ones I care about right now:
-Aggro: UWR/RUB/WUB/RUG/UR Delver; Affinity; Burn
-Control: Stoneblade; UWr Miracles; UB Tezzeret
-Combo: Hive Mind; Combo Elves; Omni Tell; T.E.S.
Vintage: Grixis Painter
EDH: Rith, the Awakener
Very close to my list. I play two volcanic over the 1 plateau, double blue for jace and C-spell helps.
Why the academy ruins? Seems bad with RIP. Also the single leyline?
No creatures in the main? Vclique and a single venser have been good to me. I have humility in the board, not in the main, and I only run a single E-Tutor.
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
My thought was Academy Ruins for EE because that has been so good to me in UB Tezz but you are right on with the RIP. I'll make the changes to the lands.
The single Leyline can randomly be in my opening hand and it is awesome then or it can be a way for me to avoid a Jace or Liliana Ultimate or stop burn from finishing me off until I can win. It is the card I am least excited about in my deck but I want one somewhere. I suppose I could swap Venser and Leyline. That seems reasonable.
(list changes reflected above)
Standard: UWR
Modern: RDW, Twin
Legacy: I am 3 Candelabra of Tawnos from being able to build almost any tier 1 or 1.5 deck. Here are the ones I care about right now:
-Aggro: UWR/RUB/WUB/RUG/UR Delver; Affinity; Burn
-Control: Stoneblade; UWr Miracles; UB Tezzeret
-Combo: Hive Mind; Combo Elves; Omni Tell; T.E.S.
Vintage: Grixis Painter
EDH: Rith, the Awakener
Joe does not play RiP/Helm combo for one. So someone interested in that version isn’t learning it to the full extent. Most of that version have enlightened tutor and plan the board with that in mind. Joe's board is designed for his version. That is a big difference to me. And bouncing deck ideas off of other people who enjoy this style deck is helpful.
Just because someone doesn’t play the same list as (insert famous player here) doesn’t mean it’s a bad deck. Sure there are versions that are considered proven but that doesn’t mean a better list can’t be brewed. So to anyone looking to improve their miracle deck please don’t stop posting here. I have learned a lot from this forum and would hate to see all this talk cease because "there is a guy streaming now and that makes this obsolete"
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
I don't travel and play in all kinds of tournaments but it is perfectly reasonable that I could have the same or better level of talent and competence at playing Magic as Joe Lossett. I play a lot of Magic, particularly Legacy, and I consider myself a decent deck-builder and an intelligent guy. If I can ace 400 level physics classes and get an MD, I think I can make reasonable tweaks to a Magic deck. The difficulty of playing Magic and building decks is highly overrated, but that's probably by people who don't face real challenges beyond how much Mayo to put on a customer's 6" turkey club. I was wrong about the EE and Academy Ruins. It was pointed out to me and I changed it. To me, that was a very productive interaction in my deck-building process. If you don't get valuable information or entertainment from posting here, then why do it?
I don't want to play Lossett's version. I want to play RIP-Helm combo and play enlightened tutor. I am interested in maximizing that version, not in changing my deck to fit the usual Miracles deck that hasn't even been putting up impressive results recently.
Standard: UWR
Modern: RDW, Twin
Legacy: I am 3 Candelabra of Tawnos from being able to build almost any tier 1 or 1.5 deck. Here are the ones I care about right now:
-Aggro: UWR/RUB/WUB/RUG/UR Delver; Affinity; Burn
-Control: Stoneblade; UWr Miracles; UB Tezzeret
-Combo: Hive Mind; Combo Elves; Omni Tell; T.E.S.
Vintage: Grixis Painter
EDH: Rith, the Awakener
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
Planeswalkers:3
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Instants and Sorceries:22
4 Brainstorm
1 Counterspell
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Entreat the Angels
4 Force of Will
2 Spell Pierce
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Terminus
Enchantments:7
1 Blood Moon
2 Counterbalance
1 Detention Sphere
3 Rest in Peace
1 Helm of Obedience
4 Sensei's Divining Top
Lands:22
4 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Karakas
5 Island
2 Plains
3 Tundra
2 Volcanic Island
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
1 Sulfur Elemental
1 Pithing Needle
1 Counterbalance
1 Cursed Totem
1 Spell Pierce
1 Flusterstorm
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Divert
1 Humility
1 Misdirection
1 Wear/Tear
1 Supreme Verdict
I'm probably going to add in Pyroclasm into the board somehow. I play three rest in peace because they're just that good. Yes, they can be dead on draws, but having an extra helps against decks like BUG that can decay it.
I only play a single enlightened tutor, because it's actually card disadvantage when you look at it.
I used to only play a single entreat, but it's just so good. Decks like jund just lose to it cast at 3-4.
Feel free to ask questions, I really like this list so far.
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
Wow, our lists are pretty similar. I considered 3 RIP but just didn't have room in the end.
Enlightened Tutor is always card disadvantage but card disadvantage is ok as long as the effect is powerful enough (Force of Will). I think it will be worth it here in many circumstances when I can shut down a deck or win earlier.
When I was playing the more standard Miracles, I was playing 3 Entreat when everyone else was playing 1. I kept watching games where they just needed to find Entreat to close out the game and then lost because they couldn't find it in time. I think the standard lists mostly play 2 now. With my list, I will usually want to win with Helm/RIP or Jace but I have the Entreat in case the others are not options (Helm gone, Pithing Needle on Jace). I am always a fan of powerful singletons because I like the feeling of knowing I have an out in my deck. It always stinks when you think "is there anything I could draw that will get me out of this?" and then realize "nope."
I think you should consider Wasteland. I started playing it in Stoneblade before it was cool and now it has obviously caught on and I think it is useful here too. You probably need to have 23-24 total lands, however.
Standard: UWR
Modern: RDW, Twin
Legacy: I am 3 Candelabra of Tawnos from being able to build almost any tier 1 or 1.5 deck. Here are the ones I care about right now:
-Aggro: UWR/RUB/WUB/RUG/UR Delver; Affinity; Burn
-Control: Stoneblade; UWr Miracles; UB Tezzeret
-Combo: Hive Mind; Combo Elves; Omni Tell; T.E.S.
Vintage: Grixis Painter
EDH: Rith, the Awakener
Yeah, I can probably add a 23rd land, just don't know what to cut.
I'm not big on wasteland in miracles. I used to play it as a one of with Crucible of Worlds with Tolaria West as a tutor in thopters, but it was pretty slow. The meta's sped up a lot. When do you think you'd want a wasteland anyways?
WGURBLands!WGURB
WGUInfectWGU
Legacy Lands Primer
Top 8 SCG Oakland 2014
Helpdesk
My Cube on CubeTutor
Well don't play crucible or T.West. Just play a couple wasteland. Sometimes a Wasteland can be more effective at taking a game than a Counterspell. Keeping someone off mana or a key land will sometimes put them so far behind that they never catch up. Plus, the deck has plenty of colorless mana in its spells' casting costs so it isn't as dead with no targets as it is in a deck like RUG Delver.
Standard: UWR
Modern: RDW, Twin
Legacy: I am 3 Candelabra of Tawnos from being able to build almost any tier 1 or 1.5 deck. Here are the ones I care about right now:
-Aggro: UWR/RUB/WUB/RUG/UR Delver; Affinity; Burn
-Control: Stoneblade; UWr Miracles; UB Tezzeret
-Combo: Hive Mind; Combo Elves; Omni Tell; T.E.S.
Vintage: Grixis Painter
EDH: Rith, the Awakener
I've never liked wasteland in control, unless I'm playing landstill or something like BUG control with liliana and loam. I'd rather be developing my manabase, allowing for more tops, fetches for shuffles, and a bigger entreat. Hitting 4 mana for jace is nice too.
WGURBLands!WGURB
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