Back to Basics

Enchantment

Nonbasic lands don't untap during their controllers' untap steps.

Discussion (51)

julio0728 on Bruvac Petitioners

1 month ago

great list, I also own a Bruvac deck very similar to yours, I'm using petitioners but at this point, I do not own a Thrumming Stone.

In your list you do not run some cards like:

More ramp - Sapphire Medallion,Arcane Signet, Mind Stone, your land count is few 33, and only 3 ramp rock, no artifact tutors, I think will be hard sometimes to have 6 mana to cast Maddening Cacophony and kill all the table or recast Bruvac more times.

Protection - You ran 10 counterspells but not Lightning Greaves effects

What is your opinion about Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter combo? it needs rocks to be infinite, but cheaper than Intruder Alarm + Thrumming Stone. I do not run it now, but I was thinking on make some room in the deck for it.

I do run the Grindstone + Painter's combo and I included some artifact tutors FabricateWhir of Invention, also Sphinx's Tutelage, to have other combos to win.

Back to Basics will be a great inclusion in your deck. Since I'm not running Thrumming Stone I have only 23 Petitioners, but I'm planning to remove some cards to reach at least 25, and take advantage of cards like Herald's Horn that I also ran on the deck.

CannedCanOpener on Urza

1 month ago

I've got an Urza deck of my own, and I prefer having something like Thassa's Oracle or Jace, Wielder of Mysteries in order to win on the spot once you exile your entire library with infinite mana. Monoblue has no lack of card draw spells so this is more nitpicky than anything, but Jace or the Oracle can win with just themselves once you've emptied your library instead of having to cast Lab Man then cast a draw spell. I also enjoy Karn, the Great Creator to slow your opponents' ramp down or lock them out of the game with Mycosynth Lattice, kill their 0-drop rocks by animating them into 0/0s, or return a vital artifact combo piece from exile if needed. And since you're running Rings of Brighthearth already, you might like the Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth combo to generate infinite colorless mana, then you can use that colorless to generate infinite blue by tapping the Monolith for U instead of CCC if you need to cast stuff from your hand.

I also couldn't help but notice that you aren't running anything particularly cruel like Tsabo's Web (which doesn't care if it's tapped or untapped), Static Orb or Winter Orb which you can tap for mana on the end step before your turn to be unaffected by them, or Back to Basics. And you seem to be lacking some removal spells for on-board problems - some good ones to possibly consider are Pongify, Rapid Hybridization, Ravenform, Reality Shift, and Imprisoned in the Moon.

DreadKhan on My first own deck

2 months ago

I have the same issue in my Esper deck, the lack of easy land ramp makes the land choices so much more important, because you can't fudge things very much. My Zur land base is fairly reasonable, other than the odd card, and might have some interesting options. I also run a ton of basics because I run Back to Basics and can't afford to cut too many. Salt Miner (Rule of Law cEDH) is the deck, feel free to look at the mana base, it can get Zur out turn 3 pretty consistently, even with lots of basics and none of the pricey rocks.

Conclave Tribunal seems pretty clunky to me, not versatile enough or powerful enough to justify such a potentially high cost. If you want a small upgrade that is a bit less budget at some point, Grasp of Fate is a very good version of the exile enchantment, and I think it's a lot better than something like Prison Realm in terms of power level.

Pheardemons on Kumena, Just Tap It In

3 months ago

First and foremost. That joke about "tooting my Horn " was pure gold. Don't ever change.

I get the synergy with stuff like Maskwood Nexus so I'll look into it for my version as well. My deck is based around getting the draw engine as fast as possible so I took out pieces like this. I guess they are worth looking back into.

I'm liking Cauldron of Souls the more I think about it. Kumena can negate the -1/-1 counters using his own ability to give +1/+1 counters so that's pretty sweet. Also, it is okay if Cauldron of Souls eats up removal because that'll save your other more important enchantments and artifacts. Potentially anyways.

When I went with the Isochron Scepter and Dramatic Reversal combo I took out Intruder Alarm but I did really like it in the previous build. Darting Merfolk definitely makes sense with that kind of combo.

Speaking of Intruder Alarm there is an infinite combo that you can use to draw out your deck, or just draw into something you need. Forbidden Orchard , Intruder Alarm and Kiora's Follower give infinite untaps, three other merfolk is infinite draw, and mana rocks and/or dorks ( Earthcraft / Cryptolith Rite ) is infinite mana as well. This can allow you to win with Thassa's Oracle or Laboratory Maniac . Lastly, Grimoire Thief can also allow you to exile each opponents' library. Food for thought if you want to go that route.

I see you are running Counterspell and Pact of Negation . Personally, I wouldn't run counterspells unless it is a bigger package. It is unlikely that you'll have them when you need them with only running two. I'd recommend taking them out to add more utility and value. Unless you feel like you need more counterspells in which you can add more. It is one of those types of cards (for me) that you are either running a lot or none.

I was asking about the lands because in my build the couple of colorless lands I have can sometimes be a hinderance since merfolk are so blue heavy. I originally ran Back to Basics but have since taken it out since my playgroup just played around it. I've been wanting to add it back in but that is why I still have so many basics in the deck. I never really went back and changed the lands. Thanks for the thought on some utility lands.

Phule451 on Thassa / Totsugeki!!!

3 months ago

Sea-Dasher Octopus , Mystic Remora , and Thassa's Emissary would give you on flavor card draw which you could really use. Quicksilver Amulet and Back to Basics can really hinder opponents here. Also, Strata Scythe can get be fantastic with a combination of unblockable and basic land base. I love my sea monster deck, have fun!

JimmyInferno on How to Be a Kwain-ker

4 months ago

I just saw this post cPute so sorry for the late reply!

At the moment I am unsure on how else other than Slash the Ranks we would self-sacrifice the Academy Rector but if you have any ideas I am certainly open to them.

I love the suggestions and I am looking for space to add them now, the only issue with Back to Basics is it really affects my deck as I run minimum basic lands. If you are running a deck that can suit it more by all means make your opponents cry (then tell me all about it mwahaha).

What I am considering is adding in High Market , Diamond Valley and Smokestack as these cards still synergise with our plan to pace, pretend to make political friends (for those who play politics - who would hurt a bunny) and also stax stax stax!

Honourable mentions to Claws of Gix and Martyr's Cause as it would protect Kwain.

Cde0 on Urza (The Infinite Arsehole)

6 months ago

Needs more Winter Orb , Static Orb , and Back to Basics !

multimedia on Animar Crossing

7 months ago

Hey, nice Cloudstone Curio :)

Dual lands that can ETB untapped are pretty important for color fixing with three color Animar to be able to cast him consistently turn three. Consider more dual lands in place of basic lands especially Mountains? Dual lands that can make green mana for a turn one green mana dork should be priority.

Some options within your budget to consider, ordered from less expensive to more:

• Yavimaya Coast
• Cragcrown Pathway  ^Flip
• Karplusan Forest
• Barkchannel Pathway  ^Flip
• Fire-Lit Thicket
• Rootbound Crag
• Riverglide Pathway  ^Flip
• Sulfur Falls
• Flooded Grove
• Cascade Bluffs
• Training Center
• Rejuvenating Springs
• Steam Vents

20 basic lands is too much for three colors and you're not trying to take advantage of Blood Moon / Back to Basics . You want to be able to consistently cast a green one drop mana dork, but that's going to be a problem with almost the same number of Forests than Mountains and Islands. My advice is cut Mountains and Islands for dual lands that can make these colors.

Cut more Mountains than Islands because overall red is less important than blue. You really only need red for Animar thus let dual lands and other nonland sources provide red mana and not basic lands. The more Mountains you can cut for dual lands the more consistent getting green and blue will be while not sacrificing red.

Good luck with your deck.