This deck came about as a means of using Ice-Fang Coatl, the new modern legal Baleful Strix. I went with an all in UG theme, trying to prioritize on the wide range of spells the colors can offer, leaning heavily into the theme of tempo generation.
With some testing done (still open to alterations) here's a general overview of the decklist:
Ice-Fang Coatl / Coiling Oracle / Rogue Refiner: This set serves as the centerpiece for the deck. In my testing, I've found the most preferable way to spend early turns is be making plays that float advantage while establishing an early board. Much like baleful strix in Legacy, Coatl seeks to keep your card advantage floating while providing a deterant to attacks from your opponent, or, simply trading off with some of the larger threats. RR might have an obscure mechanic attached to it, but it still serves the same purpose as the other 2 creatures, floating your card advantage while also providing a body, and a respectable one at that. And you better believe when I play this deck I will have an energy token at the ready to keep track of how much energy is in my pool, who know's what devious things I might use it for.... right?
Scavenging Ooze: Call this boi The Janitor. While this card is pretty commonplace in both modern and legacy, it serves a crucial roll in this shell, especially against more aggressive decks. After trading (or chumping) a few value creatures, Ooze cleans up the mess, turning those advantage creatures into muscle and sustain, healing back early hits and maximizing the trade value behind Coatl and Refiner, which should be taking an enemy creature down with them. Cheating in Ooze off of Vial and keeping open mana to eat with further maximizes the value and justifies the lack of blue to trigger Mimic. Speaking of-
Shorecrasher Mimic: one of the most aggressive cards in the deck and one of the best methods of closing games out. This card 1, gets maximum value by being surrounded by tempo creatures such as the 12 mentioned above, and 2, funtions best with flexible utility cards that can proc the ability while providing relevant bonuses. Incubation is a fantastic way of triggering Mimic for only 1 mana while also keeping your tempo moving forward and searching for more bodies, and Simic Charm can explode your 2 drop into an 8 power trampler capable of ending games seemingly out of nowhere.
Bounding Krasis: No. I'm not running Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. Krasis serves a very different purpose than combo, and slots right into a late game flex amd tech midrange creature. Opponent things its safe to swing after you attacked? Flash in Krasis and untap Coatl or Mimic (which gets triggered). Threats too threatening? Flash in Krasis and tap the haymaker so you can swing through it. Krasis' job is to keep the opponent paranoid and guessing, don't underestimate the value of an unexpected trade your opponent wasn't prepared to make.
In my most recent update, copies of Nulltread Gargantuan have been traded out for Collected Company. While Gargantuan does serve as a difficult to deal with body in many matchups and can be very aggressive, I never wanted to drop it on turn 3 which is when it would be most valuable, and in many matchups like control it just counteracted the advantage I wanted to be maintaining. Company should be much stronger, boosting my playability on the opponent's turn, either cheating in threats to rush for lethal or just simply putting out more advantage creatures, most likely both.
