After playing this deck for a while, I decided on some pretty major changes.
For one, I have concluded that the Thopter/sword combo, while very satisfying when it works, is just a little bit under the power-threshold necessary for this deck; thus, I have removed that combo from the deck. Also, while I thought Golgari Charm in the mainboard would play a pivotal role in competing with True-Name Nemesis and 1/1 token generators, I feel like it isn't worth it. I must still keep the one-of tropical island for the two copies of Ancient Grudge in the sideboard, but that may also be removed at a later date. I am also removing Misdirection because of its lack of shine during playtesting.
After removing those four cards, it was time to find the right four cards to complete this deck. One of the choices was Notion Thief. Not only is he very strong on his own being able to steal your opponent's draws, but he is incredibly strong alongside Dack Fayden when you use his [+1] ability targeting the opponent. The opponent discards two cards and you draw two cards.
Along with including notion thief, I'm also including Wheel of Fortune. It funnels cards into my graveyard to set up a strong Yawgmoth's Will, and it also puts targets into my opponent's graveyard for Surgical Extraction. If Notion Thief happens to be in play, then you get to steal your opponent's seven draws and draw 14 cards, leaving them with nothing. Also, Boseiju, Who Shelters All makes it uncounterable.
To replace Misdirection, I'm going to give Split Decision a try. It can be abused with the almighty Boseiju, Who Shelters All, and is actually the only counterspell with that property in this deck. Along with the ability to counter a spell, it can also copy spells, which can be some fun stuff. I'm actually considering dropping the Mana Drain for another copy of Split Decision just because it synergizes with Boseiju, whose importance literally cannot be stressed enough.
Finally, I'm also including one savage copy of Slaughter Games. Turn one land > Black Lotus > Slaughter Games (Uncounterable) naming Monastery Mentor > extend the hand. In a matchup that you know very little about, it's pretty strong to just name Force of Will or Mental Misstep too. Between Slaughter Games, Surgical Extraction, and Snapcaster Mage / Yawgmoth's Will recasting them, you can essentially destroy your opponent's deck from the inside out.
Let me just also take a moment to say how absolutely game-breaking Boseiju, Who Shelters All has been during my playtesting. That card is an absolute beast, and I almost considered adding a second one to the deck, only deciding not to because I still see it almost every game anyway, and obviously it is legendary. When your opponent starts gathering counter-magic to protect him/herself, and you start casting spells that can't be countered, they start getting nervous. You don't know salty until you resolve some bullshit through the face of several opposing counterspells. Especially Wheel of Fortune.
Other cards that were considered.
- Sirocco - This one is certainly going deep into the card pool, and most people have never seen this card before. On the surface, this card looks like it could be a good contender. Considering that there's a good chance your opponent has 25%-30% of their deck consisting of blue instant spells, this card certainly isn't lacking targets. When it comes down to it, in this deck specifically, I do not ping my opponent down enough to make this card relevant. Maybe against Oath when they pay life down to less than 8 with Griselbrand, this card might shine quite brightly as it forces my opponent to discard several counterspells out of nowhere, but otherwise they will be able to keep most of them, if not all of them. It's a card you want to use after your opponent suddenly draws a lot of cards, but if it doesn't kill them right there, then you probably lose from their card advantage anyway. In a burn deck, I strongly recommend trying this card, but in this deck that doesn't tamper with the opponent's life total at all otherwise, I don't feel like it's good enough.
