Thanks for crushing my dreams, Lucas.
The Modern "WUR Delver"* deck is an Aggro/Control deck that started to appear near the tail end of the Winter 2011-2012 PTQ season. It's roots come from the U/W/R Isochron Scepter deck, and the BoREMANDos deck (Boros + Remand), both of which were very aggressive decks that shared the same core. The Scepter deck was reasonably popular, but it was the addition of Steppe Lynx that vaulted the archetype into tournament success. The archetype firmly established itself in July 2012 at GP Columbus, when 3 copies of the build reached Top 8.
*(A quick aside about the deck's name: It's been called everything from U/W/R and W/U/R Aggro, Tempo, Delver, Scepter, Next Level Blue Zoo and even the inevitable "American/Patriot Aggro", despite the heavy involvement of the Russians in its discovery and development. However you want to classify the deck, the common thread is always going to be Delver, and "WUR" is easier to say than "UWR". In today's newspeak/acronym-for-everything internet age, simple is best.)
WUR Delver is an aggressive Tempo deck that is capable of ending games very quickly. While it lacks the typical Tempo components found in, say, Legacy Delver decks (Daze, Wasteland, Stifle, etc.), it still is capable of playing a tempo game with its removal spells and efficient threats. Backed by Snapcaster, Removal, and Counterspells, WUR Delver can keep an opponent off their enablers just long enough to close the game out.
WUR is similar to the RUG Delver lists, but has access to more burn and efficient removal, most notably Path to Exile. Path solves a lot of problems that RUG struggles with, allowing WUR to remove nearly any type of blocker regardless of their size. In place of the ground-clogging efficiency of Tarmogoyf is Geist of Saint Traft (notably absent in this build), worse on defense but far better on offense. In the fast-paced, proactive format that Modern has formed into, the more aggressive WUR Delver list has proved itself a viable contender, and even overshadowed it's slower RUG-flavored cousins.
The core of the deck is built off of the dynamic Delver of Secrets and Snapcaster Mage duo, and backed by the most efficient burn and removal spells in the format. Lightning Bolt, Lightning Helix, and Path to Exile are the staple removal spells in Modern, and when coupled with the power and disruption of Blue, they provide a healthy suite of spells to support our Instant- and Sorcery-loving Wizards.
Serum Visions is the best legal cantrip available to us in Modern, and it actually does a decent job of setting up Delver regardless of its weaknesses. Mana Leak is the go-to spell for most multicolored Blue decks, but recently Remand has largely replaced Leak as the preferred option. (This is a cycle that will most likely flipflop frequently as the format evolves.) Remand allows you to play more tempo, while drawing into more business, and it's still a live spell into the late game. Whether you replace Remand with Mana Leak is a matter of preference.
