Ponder

Sorcery

Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle your library.

Draw a card.

Discussion (51)

xtechnetia on UW Blink

2 days ago

Legacy miracles player here. Without Force of Will you will not be able to play this competitively in any fashion. As long as you understand that, I think this is a sweet deck for casual play.

A few suggestions:

• Soulherder is the best payoff for this kind of deck. It automatically flickers your creatures and grows with each flicker. I highly recommend getting yourself 4 of these.
• Supreme Verdict is awkward in a creature-heavy deck such as yours. Ultimately you want board control, and your deck does it via board presence of disruptive creatures. If you really need a sweeper, I suggest a look at Settle the Wreckage, which is one-sided.
• More generally, it's probably better for your deck to handle problematic opposing creatures individually. Swords to Plowshares is the best card ever for this, it's pretty cheap, and if you run Soulherder it will power up Soulherder too!
• Although Brainstorm and Ponder are powerful cards, they lose a lot of their potential without fetches (Flooded Strand and friends), which I'm guessing is out of your budget range. Furthermore, creature-heavy decks usually don't care too much about cantrips because they operate more on redundancy than an actual control deck like miracles. If you really want to run cantrips, I would suggest Evolving Wilds as a budget substitute for real fetches.
• Otherwise, in place of Brainstorm/Ponder, I would suggest Swords to Plowshares and Ephemerate. Its card efficiency is unrivaled, flickering a creature twice for a 1-time 1 mana investment.
• Elspeth, Sun's Champion is a sweet card, but 6 mana is high for a deck that wants to curve out at about 4. If you want to run walkers, I see you have access to Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - that is a strong planeswalker, even in Legacy.

Best of luck with the deck!

oeliberti on If I come back as a Zombie I'm eating you first!

3 days ago

cool and flavourful tribal :) really like it.

i'd only like to see 2 to 3 cantrips like the classic Ponder, Preordain and Brainstorm. In fact, discard draw spells like Careful Study are even better in graveyard-ish decks.

Either way, cool tribal deck!

GoblinElectromancer on Idea for a New Budget ...

6 days ago

Storm would be the only deck in the format with Dark Ritual and Cabal Ritual as commons and Tendrils of Agony as an uncommon. Then there are busted cantrips such as Brainstorm and Ponder that are commons. Good idea but you need a much bigger ban list and allow more points for each deck like 40.

multimedia on Cloud of Faeries

1 week ago

Hey, your deck is missing it's Commander. If Alela is the Commander of this deck then you can make it official by tagging her with CMDR. In the deck editor put the CMDR tag after Alela, Artful Provocateur text.

1x Alela, Artful Provocateur *F* *CMDR*

What this does is it displays the card image of Alela in the deck list making her the official Commander of your deck.

---

Bident of Thassa is a good repeatable draw source with Faeries. Faeries have flying meaning that more times than not you will do combat damage to your opponents when you attack. For each Faerie who does combat damage to an opponent you draw a card. This can draw you a lot of cards. Consider cutting Festive Funeral for Bident?

Some upgrades within the budget to consider:

• Cloud of Faeries > Moonglove Changeling
• Faerie Conclave > Safe Haven
• Faerie Swarm > Glen Elendra Pranksters
• Faerie Formation > Nightshade Schemers
• Latchkey Faerie > Fencer Clique
• Etchings of the Chosen > Always Watching
• Favorable Winds > Eel Umbra
• Counterspell > Spell Syphon
• Open the Armory > River's Grasp
• Generous Gift > Mortify
• Brainstorm > Cerulean Wisps
• Ponder > Advice from the Fae
• Mask of Memory > Winged Words
• Detention Sphere > Prison Realm
• Chromatic Lantern > Mana Geode
• Exotic Orchard > Rupture Spire
• Caves of Koilos > Vivid Meadow
• Sunken Hollow > Dimir Aqueduct
• Esper Panorama > Evolving Wilds

Good luck with your deck.

acerbi on Milly's Yuriko | Game Knights #35

1 week ago

NeonSamurai My guess is that the Doomsday pile is based around getting a library that only has Nexus of Fate so potentially something like Nexus of Fate, Dig Through Time, Discovery / Dispersal, Ponder, and Temporal Trespass?

TrueLordOfWest on Ramos The Sparkle Dragon

2 weeks ago

slashdotdash Thanks so much for the suggestions! I don't take any of it personally and really appreciate the help! I've taken everything you suggested to mind and made some adjustments. Morophon, the Boundless has been removed from the maybe board, This deck was MUCH heavier on dragons when it was first suggested.

Also, I only got 1 test game in with that earlier version of the deck, and you correctly guessed to biggest problem it had was card draw so I've both swapped out Ponder and Preordain for some of the black card draw and sweepers you suggested.

For now I am inclined to leave the the Voltron package as it is, maybe cutting Embercleave and Conqueror's Flail after I'm able to get more testing in. The main reason for this is that while that while I still envision resolving 2 or 3 big spells in one turn using Ramos as the main Wincon, I like that as a secondary Win condition most of the big creatures this deck has can be suited up in place of Ramos. You are right that it probably needs to be more focused, but until I can play more with it to see exactly what needs tweaking for my meta I feel comfortable with this list.

Thanks so much for your help!

slashdotdash on Ramos The Sparkle Dragon

2 weeks ago

Hi there West,

As a player who specializes in WUBRG big mana, I'd like to add a few suggestions.

Board Wipes

First off, let's look at a robust boardwipe package. I recommend 3 to 6 Sweepers total for a big, slower deck like this.

Disclaimer - while boardwipes can be a big feel bad for some, they are often extremely helpful to prevent slower decks from getting #WREKT by faster, lighter decks. Just make sure your playgroup is okay with you leaning into a slower playstyle that uses boardwipes to keep the nonsense at bay (this will really depend on your meta). Keep in mind boardwipes also help you get in for Voltron damage, assuming you sequence your plays correctly.

• Crux of Fate
• Ixidron: Looks strange, acts stranger. This thing is in my top 5 for favorite creatures, as it deals a crippling blow to most enemy decks.
• Cataclysmic Gearhulk: Thins the board without killing your best things. Beware, the opponent will still have stuff, but you're betting that Ramos can take 'em.
• Sublime Exhalation
• Day of Judgment
• Wrath of God
• Phyrexian Rebirth: If your deck is ramping enough (I think your deck can probably do it) then this spell is bananas.
• Flood of Tears: It is easy to overlook the second sentence...
• Time Wipe: A bit meh with Ramos himself, but keep in mind you can utilize this before Ramos even comes out to save your best creature while clearing the way for big mana spells.
• Phyrexian Scriptures: DANGER!!! This one is so slow that it can straight-up get you killed. It might be okay with Ramos, but it could also aggro everybody. I only include it because it synergizes a little bit with Ramos.

Card Draw

So one reason your deck might be "sputtering", as you put it, is simply the lack of Card Draw. With about 12 Card Draw sources you should be more able to keep yourself going and avoid sputtering.

Generically good card draw happens to be mostly black. Don't worry about life loss here, especially if you do end up adding board wipes.

• Syphon Mind
• Painful Truths
• Read the Bones
• Ambition's Cost
• Ancient Craving
• Underworld Connections
• Harmonize
• Urban Evolution
• Recurring Insight
• Phyrexian Arena
• Kumena's Awakening

Removal

Your removal package is one of the strong things I see here. My only comment is that Vindicate looks good but its sorcery speed, so a Beast Within or Generous Gift is better in my opinion. Nice job on this section though :D

It's a Trap!!!

Alright, so I'd like to help you identify the "trap" cards. My playgroup calls a card a trap if it looks good in the deck in theory but is actually quite bad in practice.

I strongly recommend against Morophon, the Boundless because you will be getting at best one or two creatures from him. I don't believe your deck is (or should be) tribal enough to take advantage of him.

Ponder and Preordain are unlikely to do as much work as real card draw spells, at least from what I gather skimming over your list. Your deck is going to be naturally slower (and that's fine if you have enough Removal and Sweepers to keep yourself alive) so don't sweat cutting the 1-drops for card draw spells. I would instantly run Painful Truths and Read the Bones in place of these.

Voltron: This is just an opinion, but your Voltron section looks too big. I think the best thing about Ramos as a Voltron commander is his ability to naturally acquire a threatening amount of power as a side effect of you playing a really good Rainbow deck! Lean into that. I know it feels bad to cut some of the artifacts, but you may find it better to have other threats or support for your threats, instead of relying on your commander (who is already a bit of a priority target if I'm being honest). Now granted I am not sure that you've got too much Voltron stuff, but my instincts tell me to avoid committing too much to Voltron. I have seen it end terribly many times and this deck has the luxury of Incidental Voltron, so I would take advantage of what your commander is already doing.

Also, just a general trap for big mana decks is choosing too many "Payload" cards (like Maelstrom Wanderer, Nicol Bolas, etc) while not including enough support for them. I don't think you've got an issue with that, but stay vigliant - you're the only one who can stop you from going overboard.

Other Quick Additions

Kessig Wolf Run: Supports the Voltron, lets you sink that excess mana, and only takes a land slot to boot! Simply a great card for the Voltron portion of your strategy.

Wrap Up

Overall, this is an interesting deck design though I do think it could benefit from a more focused game plan.

Don't get me wrong, this is good stuff - I think you've created a nice first version. Please don't take my criticism of your card choices personally, these are after all just my opinions and I am very passionate about making WUBRG work well. That doesn't mean I know best, though I'm trying to share what tips I can on the topic. At the end of the day choose the cards you want, but please do add more draw spells ;)

Cool deck and nice first draft.

Cheers and have fun :D

SideBae on Yuirko, the Sadist

2 weeks ago

So I have a few suggestions. Feel free to ignore any/all of them.

1. I notice Mindlock Orb is in your MB. I think this effect can be powerful in the right meta, but if you do want to run it I think you should run Ashiok, Dream Render first. Being 3 mana rather than 4 is a big deal.

2. I like that you're running Ponder -- consider running Preordain, too. I realize it's harder to stack your deck for Yuriko triggers with Preordain, but thinking of it as just a 1 mana cantrip should show how good it is. After all, there's a reason it's super-duper banned in modern. Additionally, you can make your Brainstorm a lot better by adding some cheap shuffle effects; currently, if you don't have Yuriko triggers happening, you're likely to get Brainstorm-locked (stuck with two blanks on top of your deck). Traditionally these shuffle effects come from fetchlands like Polluted Delta or Verdant Catacombs, but since these lands are expensive AF, it's worth noting there're other lands that do similar things. Bad River, Flood Plain and Rocky Tar Pit ("Slow Fetches") are good for budget builds, as is Terramorphic Expanse.

3. If you want to speed up your deck, running as few ETB-tapped lands as possible is pretty much essential. I would cut Submerged Boneyard and Dimir Guildgate for Watery Grave, Drowned Catacomb, Sunken Ruins, Underground River, or even just basics.

4. Yuriko presents an interesting dilemma as a general: you want your average CMC very high, in order to keep his triggers powerful, but you also want to be able to cast your spells. In general, people use alternate-casting-cost spells to deal with this. Consider running things like Treasure Cruise, Dig Through Time, Temporal Trespass (which makes me giggle when I see it played), The Magic Mirror, Commandeer, etc.

5. There're other creatures you should consider running, especially if you consider them as recastable after being ninjutsu-ed back to your hand: Baleful Strix, Thalakos Seer, Snapcaster Mage (if you're rich), Cavern Harpy (a personal favorite), Murderous Rider (which strictly better than Murder), Man-o'-War, Rishadan Cutpurse, Spellseeker... Burglar Rat might be funny, though probably not too powerful.

6. There're some ways to stack your deck not included in your deck. Mystical Tutor and Vampiric Tutor (though vampiric is expensive now) are really, really good. Also note that Counterbalance is another way to exploit topdeck manipulation, especially if you have your Sensei's Divining Top out. Don't forget Mystic Sanctuary.

7. Don't discount Windfall and Fact or Fiction. They're really good. Windfall also works well with Narset, Parter of Veils or Notion Thief.

8. Finally, don't forget about artifact ramp. Sol Ring is obviously the all-star here, but I think you should be running 2-mana rocks rather than 3-mana rocks. Consider running Arcane Signet, Talisman of Dominance, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Prismatic Lens, Sky Diamond, Charcoal Diamond or Coldsteel Heart instead of Commander's Sphere, Worn Powerstone and Seer's Lantern.

Right. That's all I got. Good luck!