6.8 Edits- Cut Flusterstorm for Miscalculation, Cut Kess for Kalitas, Cut, EE, Baleful Strix, and Top for Platinum Emperion, Madcap, and Tombstalker.
6.8 Notes- these changes are to address my match ups with hyper aggressive decks, and take advice from North 100 about the value of counterspells, tombstalker is to increase threat density, and may have either it or Tasigur, get cut if feeling over stretched on delve.
6.5 Notes- Flusterstorm has been very frustrating, I'm currently thinking about cutting it for spell pierce, or another 1 mana interaction spell. Hearing North 100 talk about it as specifically a combo card, has me thinking this is not the card for me, mental relapse or daze also looks attractive. I think Jace, The Mind Sculptor is a better more focused inclusion than Chandra. I'm going to be trying it out in the coming weeks. Cast down is a likely cut for ultimate price, or maybe malicious affliction. Cast down has been frustrating in terms of limited targets. Khalitas, Traitor of Ghet, looks very good, as I've been facing aristocrats lately, Scarab God is a potential cut to include, or perhaps Narset, Parter of the Veils.
6.5 Edit- Cut Chandra for JTMS.
6.2 Edit- Cut Lavaclaw Reaches for Creeping Tar Pit to better match mana demands.
5.30 Notes- The success of the commander iteration of this deck has me thinking about going heavier on the combo route looking to play Lab Man/Jace + Demonic Consultation, in addition to Painter's Servant + Grindstone, and Potentially Kiki/ Twin + Redundancy. Going for a full combo route simply using the control pieces to wear down my opponents defenses. This route would include the use of pact of negation and some of other changes. This is going to be a longer thought process with some testing before committing one way or the other.
5.30 Edit- cut chain lightning and inquisition of kozilek, for demonic consultation and jace wielder of mysteries trying to aim towards having more combo potential. Cut Island for Narset Parter of Veils, feeling over flooded. Cut Electrodominance for Island, Electrodominance feels bad, with no other cards in hand and just doesn't do enough from behind. Will be cutting lava-claw reaches for creeping tarpit to better reflect mana demands. Cut the painter's servant grind stone combo to re- insert Inquisition and add Collective Brutality
5.29 Edit- Cut Blast Zone for Wasteland- Seeking the ability to hit an opposing Karakas, or just deprive my opponent of colors.
5.27 Notes- Bedevil is a possible cut it feels like just too much mana, that is too pip intensive to be useful in the first few turns.
5.27 Edit- Cut Bedevil for Liliana, The Last Hope
5.24 Edit cut Fetid for Marsh Flats- Seeking further consistency in mana base and less tapped mana sources. Cut Ancestral Vision for Opt. Cut Heiroglyphic Illumination and Crackling Drake for Night's Whisper, and Fire//Ice trying to bring down curve. Cut canyon slough for blast zone to have another untapped source and a removal spell.
5.24 Notes- I'm thinking of cutting fetid pools and canyon slough for 2x Island to cut down on tapped mana sources. Ancestral vision is painfully and glacially slow. PSA- No one should play this card.
5.22 Edit Cut Nightveil specter for Deathrite Shaman and By Force for Bedevil. Cut opt for ancestral vision seeking more powerful forms of card advantage.
5.22 Notes- Nightveil specter had been seeing dissappointing play for quite a while, the lack of selection and the mana of any color clause compared to thief makes it too significant a downgrade to make the cut. Deathrite shaman is a cheaper card that provides me ramp and another way to end the game through decks that make creature combat difficult. After seeking advice I've been told by force is too narrow a card, Bedevil is a card i've been looking to try and I'll slot it in since it provides both artifact disruption and planeswalker hate.
5.17 Edit Cut Island for Verdant Catacombs seeking to maximize hitting colors as often as possible. Will add Arid Mesa and Marsh Flats as able to acquire.
5.17 Note- True-Name Nemesis seems like the weakest point in my list and I'm considering cutting it for spell seeker as a flexible tutor.
5.11 Edits cut Aetherflux Reservoir for God-Eternal Kefnet. Aetherflux is too slow in match ups where I need the life gain and I have other outs against decks that make creature combat difficult.
5.11 Notes currently considering a Lab man/Consultation package over the painter's servant grindstone package as a slightly less mana intensive combo, with in my view one card that isn't a complete dud by itself(consultation) would also add new Jace for redundancy, and swap true-name for spell seeker. Not sure if this is the right route. The grind stone combo does have the advantage of being capable of getting cast entirely off one big mana drain.
5.10 Edits cut Vial Smasher for By Force
5.10 Notes- In a deck that runs so low to the ground in terms of mana efficiency I don't think it makes sense to have Vial Smasher. She is unlikely to give me more than 1 to 4 points of damage over the course of 2 turns, and that just makes her an untenable investment for 3 mana. By Force provides a big answer in my problem match up with prison and just answers a lot of absurdly strong individual cards, it is not hard to imagine by force as a minimum 2 for 1. It will be dead some percent of the time but I think it's upside outweighs it's downside. Considering cutting painter's servant grindstone, for Demonic Consultation, Lab Man, to serve the same purpose but at higher mana effeciency. Possible downside is need for draw spell to complete it.
5.9 Edits- Cut Island For Top.
5.9 Notes- Vial Smasher feels too slow considering cutting for a more flexible card like Fire // Ice.
Aetherflux Reservoir also feels a little slow consider cutting for bedevil. Want to try Blast Zone will probably cut an Island for it. Also will add a wasteland as able to acquire.
5.6 Notes- Placing a combo in the deck feels great- worked to give me outs both in match-ups where i'm behind and in match ups I struggle with. Vial- Smasher feels like an underperformer, may cut for bedevil or other removal.
5.6 Edit- Cut Mystic Confluence, Dack Fayden, and Torrential Gearhulk For Painter's Servant, Grindstone and Aetherflux Reservoir. Seeking to give myself outs in the case that I am facing a deck that makes it difficult or impossible to get in for combat damage.
5.4 Edit- Cut Spell Pierce for Flusterstorm for larger ceiling.
5.3 Edit- Cut Island for Misty Rainforest seeking to increase consistency of colors in the mana base.
5.2 Notes- Ate it hard to a prison deck dropping winter orb on turn 2. I really struggle with non-basic land hate and things that prevent me from Untapping. Played a few games against a very consistent combo deck. Requires focus and patience with counters/removal in order to beat the combo deck.
4.30 Notes- Thief of Sanity is an all-star MVP. It can really just steal games. Won a game just attacking with thief of sanity and using my opponents spells to stop their threats and protect thief. Was busted and fun. Cousin Night-Veil Specter was also fun but decidely a step lower in power. I've been on the fence about torrential gear-hulk feeling that it sometimes did not pull it's weight. It is not off the chopping block but did have some great play yesterday. Have been dissappointed with Dack but yesterday he exceeded expectations and gave some stupid amount of card selection, added something like 10 power to my crackling drake over the course of several turns of card selection. He is not off the chopping block but is no longer the first cut for a low drop i'm interested in trying.
4.27 Edit- Cut Gurmag Angler for Saheeli, Sublime artificer
4.25 Suggested edits from discord- Cut burst lightning, searing spear, chart a course, rekindling phoenix, add Jace, the mindsculptor, venidillion clique, terminate, and sensei's divining top. Other considered adds, izzet charm, dreadbore, hero's downfall, chain lightning.
4.25 Edits- cut searing spear for terminate, rekindling phoenix for vendilion clique, and burst lightning for chain lightning, and chart a course for dreadbore. Would like Sensei's top to eventually find it's way in.
4.24 Notes- Deck feels about right on mana, deck feels very week to a density based combo strategy.
4.24 Edits- Cut thought scour for gitaxian probe.
4.23 Notes- Haven't loved thought scour, thinking of replacing it with gitaxian probe. games got much less mana flooded, still interested in finding room for the new saheeli, top considerations for cuts to make room for saheeli are Island, Dack Fayden, and Gurmag Angler. Likely cut is gurmag angler, due to feeling over stretched on delve cards.
4.22 Notes- Games last night left me frequently flooded considering cutting two islands for Lightning Strike and Saheeli, Sublime artificer.
4.21 Edits- Finished making suggested edits from the discord. Cut lightning strike for Kolaghan's Command for increased flexibility.
4.19 Edits- Have begun making the suggested edits from the discord. Still to be cut- electrostatic field, arcane denial, thermoalchemist, sweltering suns, diabolic edict, day's undoing, glint-sleeve siphoner, mizzium mortars, chemister's insight. Still to be added, Blackcleave Cliffs, Wandering Fumarole, toxic deluge, countersquall, nightveil specter, baleful strix, mana leak, flameslash and searing spear.
4.17 Notes- After testing with Shimmer of Possibility i've decided the cases where I cast anticipate at instant speed are important enough that I want that flexibility. I've also been thinking about
Hypersonic Dragon
and come to the conclusion that in order for it be good enough I probably want to play too many sorcery cards. I think it's home is in tap out control which is not this deck. In that vein I'm going to look at my options for what to put in place of
Mizzium Mortars
to focus this deck more on instant speed interaction,
Searing Spear
seams good at the moment.
Wheel of Fortune
also looks tempting. I may replace one of my sorcery speed card selection spells with this.
Collective Defiance
is interesting not sure why it's not played in grixis lists more, will consult other grixis pilots on this. I'm interested in trying the new Saheeli, and will potentially cut thief of sanity for grim lavamancer soon to help bring down the curve a bit.
Suggested Cuts from a discord thread on highlander- Guttersnipe, Firebrand Archer, Thermoalchemist, glint-sleeve siphoner, day's undoing, arcane denial, faithless looting, wheel of fate, diabolic edict.
Suggested adds, nightveil specter, vendillion clique, countersquall, counterflux, baleful strix, torrential gear-hulk, flameslash, mana leak, duress, flip jace, jace ,architect of thought, curious homonculus, mission briefing, flood of recollection, blink of an eye, disallow.
4.16 Edits- Ashiok cut for Dack Fayden
4.16 Notes- Considering cutting Lava-claw reaches for Wandering Fumarole to better reflect the demands on red/blue over the demands on red/black.
4.15 Notes- I have a wish list of cost prohibitive cards that i'd like to try but am not prioritizing right now over other tech. Creature wish list-
Snapcaster Mage
,
Dark Confidant
, Planeswalker
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
and
Liliana, the Last Hope
, Lands: Underground Sea, Badlands, Volcanic Island,
Misty Rainforest
, and
Verdant Catacombs
,
4.14 Notes- Mana Base feels pretty consistent, off color black fetches look pretty appealing after looking at what is fetchable. Off color black fetches will more often get me the color I need than the off-color red ones, and have the advantage of being cheaper than Misty Rainforest, the one off color blue fetch I am not already running. Mind twist is absurd, it feels so powerful to strip away my opponents hand for about 4 Mana, or to just make them discard at random after they tutored. Volcanic Island is my first priority if I go for an Original Dual as it is the only other fetchable red/blue source. Ratchet bomb is under consideration as a potential wrath against token based decks. Games played last night felt great. While I didn't win every game it never felt like my deck lacked answers to a problem or that I was out of the game. Toxic deluge seems like a great swap for sweltering suns and perhaps adding death's shadow as well given how often I seem to be putting myself at lower life totals. I may try the Explosion Zone from the new set but it might be too slow and I have not liked having an off color utility land in the past.
4.13 Edit- Cut Deep Analysis for Remand looking to lower curve and put in more interaction.
4.13 Notes- Ashiok continues to be underwhelming will sub in a dack fayden as I'm able to acquire it.
4.11 Edit- Island cut for flooded strand, looking to make mana base more competitive. Still seeking other 4 fetches.
4.11 Notes considering cutting something to add back in a land. In gold-fishing I seem to spend too often on the first couple of turns scrambling to get lands in order to cast interaction.Consideration of cutting Chemister's Insight or Deep Analysis as they both feel awkward in an opening hand.
4.9 Notes Gold fishing on tapped out seems to indicate I should end up mana screwed more often than i seem to in actual games. Has me thinking about adding back a land to see if it increases consistency color screw appears to be more of an issue when i gold fish as well. Going deeper into nonbasics may be warranted.
4.8 Notes- I've been doing some comparing to other grixis Canlander decks. Perhaps this is more of a midrange deck, it seems to run too many 3+ CMC cards to be properly tempo or aggro and too few in a Control Shell. Swapping out Ashiok for an Engineered explosives to deal with back to basics or blood moon seems good. I also seem to run significantly more CanTrips and Card Draw than many other lists, I also sit with either a few more lands than the tempo lists and a few less lands than the control lists. Dack Fayden is also a possibility to replace Ashiok.
4.8 Edits- After further consideration. I cut spell snare instead of Ashiok since i'm trying to keep up threat density. That her +2 exiles cards from my opponents deck is not entirely irrelevant. I'm using engineered explosives in it's place. Not sure if it will help that much against blood moon or back to basics but I do want some way to deal with a problem enchantment. I do also have the ability to get all 5 colors and hit some pretty high end stuff if I get lucky and have mana confluence/city of brass and reflecting pool. I'm having explosives appear as a 3 cost in my charts since those are the enchantments I'm most worried about.
4.7 Notes- I finally got some creatures off of Ashiok, and played thief of sanity. They are both very fun when they work. I'm still not very high on Ashiok but hesitant to cut her for grave titan since I'm trying to play pretty low to the curve. I think cutting Ashiok for Baleful Strix may prove to be correct, a 1/1 deathtouch flyer that can-trips may just out-value this underperforming planeswalker. I'll likely try out the little bird in the next couple of weeks. Shimmer of Possibility worked nicely and I didn't miss the instant nature of anticipate. Lilianna's Triumph and Angrath's Rampage look like cards I'll try out and find satisfying. Likely will cut diabolic edict for Lilianna's triumph and Mizzium Mortars for Angrath's Rampage.
4.6 Notes- Deck seems to get mana starved too often. I may have to accept some variance on feeling flooded in order to more consistently keep pace. Deck wants at least 3 more fetches. Not sure about the 2 off color black fetches. Faithless Looting and Thing in the ice exceeded expectations.
4.6 Edits- Added Island and Smoldering Marsh cut Thought Erasure and Soul scar mage. The dual pip requirements have often proved difficult to make thought erasure land as early as I'd like and soul scar mage is simply a card I'm never really happy to draw off the top of my deck. Given the frequency with which I cast anticipate at sorcery speed I'm trying out shimmer of possibility.
4.4 Edits- Cut Island and Smoldering Marsh for Faithless Looting and thing in the ice. The deck has flooded on lands at multiple points. I'm not sure about cutting further from lands but I think it is correct, and I believe I have enough cheap card selection to compensate. Smoldering Marsh was cut specifically due to it being unlikely to come in untapped and lacking the advantage of cycling.
4.2 Notes- Faithless Looting seems to be a great card for this deck very unsure what to cut for it. Anticipate seems a possibility. Spell snare has seemed awkward at times may consider cutting for a different removal or counter spell.
4.1 Notes- I've edited how Wheel of fate and my delve cards appear on my chart. My base assumption is that I do not delve for less than 2. X spells will now appear with the assumption that X=2 in my charts. My aim in making these edits is to show myself more accurately how much land I should anticipate actually needing. Sweltering suns may get swapped for toxic deluge to increase flexibility and decrease demands on colored mana pending acquiring Toxic Deluge. Yuriko is awkward in a deck with very few one drop evasive creatures. I'm experimenting with cutting Yuriko for Thief of Sanity as an alternate. Still struggling with what might get cut to try grave titan.
4.1 Edits- I've cut a Mountain for Demonic Tutor, I've cut Baral for Mind Twist, and night's whisper for Sleight of Hand. Points are now Demonic Tutor-3 Mind Twist-1 Truename- 1 Treasure Cruise -1 Mystical Tutor- 2 Mana Drain- 1 Dig Through Time -1. Anticipated DT Targets- Fiery Confluence, True Name, Vial Smasher, Kess, or Sweepers.
3.31- Notes Ashiok has proven to be disappointing each time I have got her on the battle field failing to hit even one creature off her plus over the last 4 games. I may ditch her for a grave titan or perhaps a thief of sanity. War of the spark spoilers have me thinking of including Hero's Downfall, Bedevil, Vraska's Contempt, and Dreadbore- Not sure what I'd cut. Deck seems to flood on lands. Mind Twist and Demonic Tutor increasingly look like the best additions I could make from the points list. Cryptic Command was valuable every time I had it last night and is not on the chopping block anymore. Baral has been useful but I'm never glad to see him as a lone creature in my hand or on the battle-field.
3.30 Edits- Added Mana Confluence, Reflecting Pool, and Cascade Bluffs, removed River of tears due to it's inconsistency in producing the color of mana I'm seeking. Cut Karakas, and Islands to make room for these and 1 basic swamp. I added specifically cascade bluffs and not graven cairns or sunken ruins because blue and red are the colors where I need to hit double pips to cast all of my spells. I may consider cutting a mountain for a graven cairns and an Island for sunken ruins in the future but am likely to prioritize adding fetches first. Cut Shu Yun for Scarab God after Shu Yun saw some esp. disappointing play.
3.29 Notes after examining other Grixis deck lists. I've considered trying to find room for Grave Titan, Kolaghans Command and Baleful Strix all of which were in every Grixis Deck i looked at. They all also seem to include dread bore and bedevil for planeswalker removal. I'm not sure I agree but may try this out. Cryptic command and Deep Analysis are on the chopping block as they feel very awkward in a meta where games move very quickly. Karakas has also proved very awkward at times when i've needed a colored mana source is a likely cut for a wandering fumerole.
3.27 Edits pulled out Scarab God for Rekindling Phoenix seeking to avoid getting hit too hard by Karakas. Also cut Cut/Ribbons for Mizzium Mortars to give myself access to one additional sweeper while keeping up my single target removal options.
3.25 Notes- Threat density continues to be an issue against more controlling decks often able to keep parity but struggle to pull ahead. More wheel effects and a few more hay makers seem warranted. Electrodominance is an all star and has won me many games at this point. X is 4 is a sweet spot dropping fiery confluence off the free cast is often enough to close out a game, other notables have included Kess, and Crackling Drake. Considering adding demonic tutor, to act as a search for win cons without killing my mana curve. Thought Scour seems an appealing can-trip to consider after having drawn some of my delve spells in my opening hand or before I really have had reason to play my interaction. Blue mana sources seem to over flood at various points I'm considering cutting an Island or two for more mountains or swamps. I've considered readjusting my mana base to reflect really only the cards I'm playing at 1,2 or 3 mana in order to ensure that I hit the neccessary sources of color on the first couple of turns as often as possible. Lava-claw reaches has over-performed expectations and has made me consider including wandering fumarole, or creeping tarpit in addition. I don't think I want all three as I strongly prefer untapped mana sources.
Acquiring Flooded Strand, Arid Mesa, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, and Verdant Catacombs, could make the deck alot more consistent.
3.22 Edits- as I look at attending a competitive event where proxies will not be allowed I have looked at shifting my mana base to reflect what I have in my collection or what I'll be willing to acquire over the next few months. In addition I have cut the Mox in preparation for this. Only card on my acquire list is scalding tarn. Cut- Fact or Fiction for Heiroglyphic Illumination for the cycling. Took advice from North 100. Cut Glimmer of Genius for chart a course to help with aggressive match ups.
3.20 Edits- Changed name to Grixis Control Delve from Grixis Spells Matter. Cut Enigma Drake for Shu Yun (Delve theme is too heavy for me to save my grave for Enigma Drake's power, cut Island for Dark-slick shores. Cut Jace, Unraveler of secrets for Yuriko (Seeking lower CMC form of card advantage) Consideration of Lilianna Last Hope or Lilliana of the Veil (Cost prohibitive)
3.19 Edits- After playing a few games where i struggled to find threats and lacked neccessary I've decided to increase threat density and quality and up my black/red sources, Cuts- Baral Chief of Compliance, Guerrilla Tactics, Shock, Wild Slash, Additions Ashiok Nightmare Weaver, Gurmag Angler, Tombstalker, and Tezzeret Artifice Master. Swapping an Island for Mox Sapphire to capitalize on unused points.
Considering adding Canyon Slough, River of Tears, Urborg, Off-color fetches and Mana Confluence to mana base. ombstalker edit is planned but card is not yet aquired, Baral still in place, Urborg is planned but not yet acquired planning to cut Island, Mox Sapphire.
3.18 Edits- Cut Kitesail Freebooter for Enigma Drake, looking to focus the deck more on it's theme and wincons. Cut exterminate for diabolic edict looking for versatility in answering different kinds of threats and cutting down on gold cards and pip requirements.
3.16 Edits- Cut Shattering Spree for Days Undoing, and Commit/Memory for Wheel of Fate- Looking for the ability to cheaply get myself a fresh hand.
This deck looks to get a pinger like firebrand archer or vial smasher in to play, and then win off of burn spells and playing instants and sorceries. Young pyromancer is also a possibility to win off of the elemental tokens, Crackling Drake and Pteramander offer bigger flying bodies in the later game. Black offers specifically Vial Smasher, i'm not sure the deck wants black without her. Black's other purpose is hand-attack and dealing with x/4+ creatures. This deck eats it hard to a back to basics or aggressive dust bowl use. Can brutalize midrange decks that play only 1 threat a turn, and often does well against aggro. It can struggle against a control strategy but can still win by playing more aggressively. It can do well against a combo deck that is using only a few combos but struggle against density based combo.
Cards on the chopping block-, Lava-claw reaches(for an untapped black/red source), Island (the deck seems to get manaflooded a bit lately) Enigma Drake (For thing in the ice or Kiln fiend, both can be oversized without worrying about preserving my graveyard.)
Card's i'd like to find room for without cutting from my instants and sorceries- Champion of Wits, Snapcaster Mage, Goblin Electromancer, Spell Seeker, Madcap Expirement, Platinum Emperion, delver of secrets, Thing in the ice, Kiln Fiend, Gelectrode (hesitate to add to pingers due to high mana cost and low toughness), Hypersonic Dragon.
Creatures that are not part of the decks key game plan- True Name Nemesis, Tasigur, Soul Scar Mage, Glint-sleeve siphoner.
Further Considerations- Cutting black- and simplifying the mana base to play blood moon and back to basics.
Artistic Considerations- Swapping Ixalan Opt for Invasion Opt, Swapping 5th Edition counterspell for Mercadian Masks Counterspell, Swap Guttersnipe ravnica art for m19 art.
Points are True-Name -1 Mystical Tutor -2 Treasure Cruise -1 Dig Through Time -1 Mana Drain- 1 Mox Sapphire-3 (Would use wasteland if playing at a place that doesn't allow proxies).
HP
HP