This is my first mono blue mill deck, may it live long and prosper. I'm still in the market for a few cards, another Jace, Memory Adept, 2 more Drowner Initiates, and then comes switching out for defensive maneuvers.
The big issue with this deck currently is defense. Fog Bank is fine and dandy, but I need to locate some Snap cards with mill properties (lol). My feeling is that the easiest creature removal is Unsummon effects, but every non-mill card I include hurts my over-all mill-bility. I want to replace Stolen Goods, Psychic Spiral, the last Trepanation Blade, and probably Curse of the Bloody Tome. That's six spots for removal/mill, which is (in my opinion) just the right number (though once I find a third Jace, I'd be fine with five removal / mill).
If I can muster a valid defense, I should be good to go. I've considered adding a fourth [Fog Bank and then 4 Guard Gomazoa for a flying wall of mootness as my defense, but again; no mill-bility.
This provides a six card mill on turn two essentially.
I prefer using Arcane Denial as a counterspell, either alone or with Counterspell, yes it does give the opponent cards, but if they draw, they are essentially screwing themselves slowly, and you get to draw too.
Instead of Curse of the Bloody Tome I would suggest Memory Erosion as this also makes them mill two cards, but with each spell they play. This can add up if they are behind in creatures and or need to remove your creatures.
A creature I tend to like using is Magus of the Future, It allows you to constantly play cards if you have the mana, so it is almost the same as card draw.
My "casual" max restrictions
1x of each Mythic
2x of each Rare
3x of each Uncommon
4x of each Common
The imposed restrictions are to keep it casual, as I don't feel like throwing out $100+ for a set of planeswalkers.
The workhorses are typically Crab and Erasure. Brainstorm plus Jace's Erasure has proven to be devastating. The deck has its weaknesses, though the creation of Jace's Phantasm has helped quite a bit since it should be seen as a cheap blocker in mill decks instead of an aggro attacker (but I'm apparently alone in this assumption.)
The workhorses are typically Crab and Erasure. Brainstorm plus Jace's Erasure has proven to be devastating. The deck has its weaknesses, though the creation of Jace's Phantasm has helped quite a bit since it should be seen as a cheap blocker in mill decks instead of an aggro attacker (but I'm apparently alone in this assumption.)
Personally the main thing for me is, if your going to run Hedron Crab, you need Evolving Wilds. I would run four of each, it just makes the Hedron Crab more worth while and you still get your island out, just tapped.
So basically with that little swap, your sort of paying one mana for a six card mill but not really.
Personally the main thing for me is, if your going to run Hedron Crab, you need Evolving Wilds. I would run four of each, it just makes the Hedron Crab more worth while and you still get your island out, just tapped.
So basically with that little swap, your sort of paying one mana for a six card mill but not really.
Just my opinion of course.
I've been debating adding in either Evolving Wilds, Terramorphic Expanse, or maybe even both, but had a hard time justifying fetch lands in a mono color deck. I'll start with a single playset and see how that goes. I've also been swapping copies of Gush in and out, since they can potentially fuel Erasure and Crab.
I've been debating adding in either Evolving Wilds, Terramorphic Expanse, or maybe even both, but had a hard time justifying fetch lands in a mono color deck. I'll start with a single playset and see how that goes. I've also been swapping copies of Gush in and out, since they can potentially fuel Erasure and Crab.
Technically Evolving/Terramorphic in a mono-colored deck will help fix mana screw and gives you a shuffle.
Not to mention in the case of mill, Crab is one of the top mill cards out there and it is a must to run fetchlands with the crab.
Shelldock Isle seems like a great idea, but I'd only run 3ish. Now I just need to locate some...
I agree about Void Stalker but find I need all the mill I can get. It's a good card, but it's too much mana to use, it's too week even for a weenie block, and it doesn't mill.
In terms of some defense, you could also add Snap which removes a creature, and also gives you your two mana back, which can then be used to slap down another creature or mill card for advantage.
Your list is looking better, but still needs a few cuts. I would recommend cutting the
lone trenpanation blade. The 5 mana used to equip and play it could be better used elsewhere. Also, I would recommend cutting the two Rogue's Passages. Four mana is a lot to spend for your deck, and you don't really need to be hitting for damage anyway. It looks like this deck is going to be pretty hungry for blue mana as well, so this will shore up your mana base. Also, I would ditch the curiosityx2 as well.
With these cuts, this will allow your deck to focus on defending rather than attacking and will free up some mana. With this more defensive philosophy in mind, you should go for 4 Mindshrieker, 0 shriekgeist. The reason for this is you can pass the turn with some mana open. Then when your opponent attacks, they'll have to worry about how big your Mindshrieker could get on defense. It might deter them, you might mill a high casting cost card and kill their creature, and even if they don't attack you can use it multiple times a turn as a mana sink. It's a baby millstone as well as a chumpblocker without needing to worry about getting in with an attack.
Also, I run 3x Talrand, Sky Summoner in my mill deck. The drake tokens can be excellent chump blockers and with your storm style deck, they might just win on their own, especially with a jace's phantasm if your opponent lacks fliers. Talrand also will eat up some of your opponents removal No one likes him around. With your storm spells, you should increase the number of Dream Twist up to 4, works with talrand as well as Drowners. The 2 Curses need to go in favor of faster blue spells.
Ponder is another excellent all around blue spell that will help you with mana fixing, mana flooding, and will work with storm and talrand.
I'm also not a fan of the 3 counterspell. I suppose you want to present a threat of countering, but this is the type of deck that wants to tap out for mindshreiker milling and your Rhystic Study and Drowners. I would probably drop the counterspells. Three counterspells is just kind of a weak number for a deck that isn't really a permission deck. I think holding the mana open turn after turn will just slow your deck down and prevent it from focusing on the milling.
And finally, don't give up on Void Stalker. I use a few of them in my mono blue mill and they usually pull their weight. They are important for removing either trampling creatures that are going to trample through your fog banks or removing your opponent's best flier. They're better than unsummon for this deck because they don't put you down a card and chances are you'll be milling that creature you tuck into the deck.
Hope this helps and keep us posted on the changes!
This is the deck I originally posted:
2 Drowner Initiate
4 Invisible Stalker
3 Crosstown Courier
3 Shriekgeist
3 Curiosity
3 Dream Twist
3 Thought Scour
3 Counterspell
3 Chronic Flooding
4 Brain Freeze
4 Mind Sculpt
2 Rhystic Study
2 Curse of the Blood Tome
2 Psychic Spiral
14 Island
4 Rogue's Passage
4 Lonely Sandbar
This is the deck I am currently using:
2 Mindshrieker
2 Drowner Initiate
4 Jace's Phantasm
3 Fog Bank
2 Jace, Memory Adept
2 Rhystic Study
2 Curse of the Bloody Tome
2 Curiosity
1 Stolen Goods
4 Mindsculpt
3 Counterspell
3 Thoughtscour
4 Visions of Beyond
4 Brainfreeze
2 Psychic Spiral
3 Dream Twist
16 Island
4 Lonely Sandbar
2 Rogue's Passage
This is my first mono blue mill deck, may it live long and prosper. I'm still in the market for a few cards, another Jace, Memory Adept, 2 more Drowner Initiates, and then comes switching out for defensive maneuvers.
The big issue with this deck currently is defense. Fog Bank is fine and dandy, but I need to locate some Snap cards with mill properties (lol). My feeling is that the easiest creature removal is Unsummon effects, but every non-mill card I include hurts my over-all mill-bility. I want to replace Stolen Goods, Psychic Spiral, the last Trepanation Blade, and probably Curse of the Bloody Tome. That's six spots for removal/mill, which is (in my opinion) just the right number (though once I find a third Jace, I'd be fine with five removal / mill).
If I can muster a valid defense, I should be good to go. I've considered adding a fourth [Fog Bank and then 4 Guard Gomazoa for a flying wall of mootness as my defense, but again; no mill-bility.
I need creative defense suggestions :):)
On the note of Hedron Crab, I wish I could find a play set, if I did I would drop the three Shriekgeists for them and the two Mindshreikers for 2 more Drowner Initiates. I hope this thread doesn't turn into a Hedron Crab fanclub.
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QQ :<:<
Hedron Crab + Evolving Wilds. So I would drop Lonely Sandbar for that.
This provides a six card mill on turn two essentially.
I prefer using Arcane Denial as a counterspell, either alone or with Counterspell, yes it does give the opponent cards, but if they draw, they are essentially screwing themselves slowly, and you get to draw too.
Instead of Curse of the Bloody Tome I would suggest Memory Erosion as this also makes them mill two cards, but with each spell they play. This can add up if they are behind in creatures and or need to remove your creatures.
A creature I tend to like using is Magus of the Future, It allows you to constantly play cards if you have the mana, so it is almost the same as card draw.
W White Weenie
1x Jace Beleren
1x Jace, Memory Adept
Creatures
3x Hedron Crab
3x Jace's Phantasm
2x Jace's Archivist
1x Consecrated Sphinx
3x Jace's Ingenuity
4x Mind Sculpt
4x Counterspell
3x Negate
3x Fact or Fiction
4x Brainstorm
4x Jace's Erasure
Land
18x Island
2x Reliquary Tower
4x Evolving Wilds
My "casual" max restrictions
1x of each Mythic
2x of each Rare
3x of each Uncommon
4x of each Common
The imposed restrictions are to keep it casual, as I don't feel like throwing out $100+ for a set of planeswalkers.
The workhorses are typically Crab and Erasure. Brainstorm plus Jace's Erasure has proven to be devastating. The deck has its weaknesses, though the creation of Jace's Phantasm has helped quite a bit since it should be seen as a cheap blocker in mill decks instead of an aggro attacker (but I'm apparently alone in this assumption.)
Personally the main thing for me is, if your going to run Hedron Crab, you need Evolving Wilds. I would run four of each, it just makes the Hedron Crab more worth while and you still get your island out, just tapped.
So basically with that little swap, your sort of paying one mana for a six card mill but not really.
Just my opinion of course.
W White Weenie
Am I the only one who likes to use Void Stalker as removal when playing a mill deck?
And Shelldock Isle is also quite good.
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I've been debating adding in either Evolving Wilds, Terramorphic Expanse, or maybe even both, but had a hard time justifying fetch lands in a mono color deck. I'll start with a single playset and see how that goes. I've also been swapping copies of Gush in and out, since they can potentially fuel Erasure and Crab.
Void Stalker does seem a very interesting idea with the milling strategy.
Technically Evolving/Terramorphic in a mono-colored deck will help fix mana screw and gives you a shuffle.
Not to mention in the case of mill, Crab is one of the top mill cards out there and it is a must to run fetchlands with the crab.
Sasky for the Sig.
I am in your [PACK]. Watching you... do... something.
Shelldock Isle seems like a great idea, but I'd only run 3ish. Now I just need to locate some...
I agree about Void Stalker but find I need all the mill I can get. It's a good card, but it's too much mana to use, it's too week even for a weenie block, and it doesn't mill.
Sands of Delerium is good
I picked some cards last night and switched out my non-flying and unblockable creatures.
Here's what I came up with (still no hedron crab :<:<)
2 Mindshrieker
2 Drowner Initiate
4 Jace's Phantasm
3 Fog Bank
2 Jace, Memory Adept
2 Rhystic Study
2 Curse of the Bloody Tome
2 Curiosity
1 Stolen Goods
4 Mindsculpt
3 Counterspell
3 Thoughtscour
4 Visions of Beyond
4 Brainfreeze
2 Psychic Spiral
3 Dream Twist
16 Island
4 Lonely Sandbar
2 Rogue's Passage
That's what I have, I'm looking for one more jace and some more drowner initiates.
THOUGHTS ON THE NEW DECK?
W White Weenie
lone trenpanation blade. The 5 mana used to equip and play it could be better used elsewhere. Also, I would recommend cutting the two Rogue's Passages. Four mana is a lot to spend for your deck, and you don't really need to be hitting for damage anyway. It looks like this deck is going to be pretty hungry for blue mana as well, so this will shore up your mana base. Also, I would ditch the curiosityx2 as well.
With these cuts, this will allow your deck to focus on defending rather than attacking and will free up some mana. With this more defensive philosophy in mind, you should go for 4 Mindshrieker, 0 shriekgeist. The reason for this is you can pass the turn with some mana open. Then when your opponent attacks, they'll have to worry about how big your Mindshrieker could get on defense. It might deter them, you might mill a high casting cost card and kill their creature, and even if they don't attack you can use it multiple times a turn as a mana sink. It's a baby millstone as well as a chumpblocker without needing to worry about getting in with an attack.
Also, I run 3x Talrand, Sky Summoner in my mill deck. The drake tokens can be excellent chump blockers and with your storm style deck, they might just win on their own, especially with a jace's phantasm if your opponent lacks fliers. Talrand also will eat up some of your opponents removal No one likes him around. With your storm spells, you should increase the number of Dream Twist up to 4, works with talrand as well as Drowners. The 2 Curses need to go in favor of faster blue spells.
Ponder is another excellent all around blue spell that will help you with mana fixing, mana flooding, and will work with storm and talrand.
I'm also not a fan of the 3 counterspell. I suppose you want to present a threat of countering, but this is the type of deck that wants to tap out for mindshreiker milling and your Rhystic Study and Drowners. I would probably drop the counterspells. Three counterspells is just kind of a weak number for a deck that isn't really a permission deck. I think holding the mana open turn after turn will just slow your deck down and prevent it from focusing on the milling.
And finally, don't give up on Void Stalker. I use a few of them in my mono blue mill and they usually pull their weight. They are important for removing either trampling creatures that are going to trample through your fog banks or removing your opponent's best flier. They're better than unsummon for this deck because they don't put you down a card and chances are you'll be milling that creature you tuck into the deck.
Hope this helps and keep us posted on the changes!
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