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U/?? Delver...

Hello fellow Magic Players. hoping everybody is enjoying what ever summer they may experience (i live in Denmark... summer weather is 75% rainy and rarely over 25*)

anyways... after spending a few hours looking through various delver builds, watching SCG opens, i though about playing delver for my next FNM (friday the 3rd, witch is the last friday of my vacation where i get a chance to go) but what colours to play with delver? blue is of course the obvious choice, but to go mono blue, U/W U/R U/B RUG??

my current thoughts on the matter; U/G or U/R... why?

well the standard 4-offs in most (each?) delver build is ofcourse

Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
Spells
4 ponder

after this the builds start to variate... After m13 was released it added a few new cool cards to consider; Talrand, sky summoner being the most interesting.

this still leaves the deck mono blue. Quirion dryad could be a star hitter in a U/G build, Vile Grim Lavamancer and ofcourse Bonfire of the damned gives reason for a U/R or RUG build. reprint of Duress, sign in blood and all the removal that black offers also makes me consider black...
Watching SCG open and how devestating Bonfire was, and the impact of a thundermaw hellkite, really makes U/R interesting. where as the classic build of U/W seems all-round good with the moorland haunt and restoration angels...

question for you guys; if you where to play Delver... what colour would you play and why?
Posted 23 July 2012 at 08:02

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4 replies

For the U/R build that i personally was leaning towards is focused towards the wizard tribe.

Creatures: (13)
4 Delver of secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Grim lavamancer
3 Talran, Sky summoner

Lands: (20)
3 Cavern of souls
3 Evolving wilds
3 Mountain
4 Sulfur Falls
7 Island

Artifact: (2)
2 Sword of war and peace

Spells: (25)
4 ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Vapor Snag
4 Gut Shot
3 Mana Leak
3 Thought Scour
2 bonfire of the damned
1 Dismember

Sideboard: (15)
2 mental misstep
2 Flash Freeze
1 Dissipate
3 Phantasmal Image
2 Sword of feast and Famine
2 thundermaw hellkite
3 Arc trails

ideas behind the choices;
grim lavamancer; though he might not be the best buddy of snapcaster, it still gives some extra value out of your spells and takes care of a wide range of creatures
sword of war and peace; gives a small life gain to fuel all the phyrexian mana spells and some extra damage; is nice in the mirror and also gives some protection from mark of mutiny, zealous conscripts etc..
thoughts on sideboard:
mental misstep; counters a HUGE amount of things, pillar of flame, surgical extractions, gut shots, vapor snags, unsummons, 1 drop-mana-dorks, opposing delver... and ofcourse: Rancor... was at a point considering mainboarding it...
Sword of feast...; to change the pro-colours on the sword to match dungrove/quirion dryads/zombies
Flash freeze; R/G, Naya...
Phantasmal Image; Legends, and to copy some of thoose threats i can't otherwise deal with.
Arc trails; though at sorcery speed it hits most creatures, sometimes 2-for-1 since alot of the creatures in the format is at 2 toughness.. was thinking about changing it for some artifact removal...
Thundermaw Hellkite; Flying check, haste check, 5/5 check, stops more or less all flying blockers the turn it enters the battlefield.. bit heavy on the mana curve... though im not quite sure against what match up it will see play.. maybe against some aggro in order to win a race or something...

otherwise i think the list is pretty straight forward.
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Posted 23 July 2012 at 08:30

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for the U/G list, i've been quite inspired by Todd Andersons list @ SCG

Creatures: (15)
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Quirion Dryad
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Talrand, Sky summoner

Lands: (20)
1 Forest
9 Island
3 Cavern of Souls
3 Evolving Wilds
4 Hinterland Harbor

Artifacts: (2)
2 Sword of war and peace

Spells: (23)
4 Vapor Snag
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
4 Gut Shot
2 Thought Scour
3 Mana Leak
1 Dismember
1 Mutagenic Growth

Sideboard:
3 Phantasmal Image
2 Thragtusk
1 Dissipate
1 Mana Leak
3 Mental Misstep
2 Mutagenic Growth
1 Cavern of Souls
2 Sword of feast and famine

This list is more or less identically with his list (found here: http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/standard/24532-Todd-vs-BBD-UG-Delver-vs-Naya-Aggro.html)

I've added the swords, with i'm not sure is such a good idea. i would consider myself to still be new to the game, as i more or less started with Rise of Eldrazi, and really never played legacy or extended.. (witch i why i might care slightly more about my lifetotal than a legacy player would... )

the main ideas behind deck+sideboard is pretty well explained in the video by Todd himself, since this is more or less ripoff from his list, i wont take credit for it...
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Posted 23 July 2012 at 08:43

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The list for U/W also offers a different reproach to the creature base, with both bladesplicers and Geist of st Traft. - and where Talrand, Sky Summoner is more often found in sideboard...

Creatures: (15)
4 Snapcaster mage
4 Delver of secrets
3 Restoration Angel
4 Blade Splicer / Geist of St Traft

Lands: (20)
2 moorland haunts
4 seachrome coast
4 glacial fortress
2 cavern of souls
8 Island

Artifacts: (2/3)
2/3 Runechanters Pike / Sword of war and peace

Spells: (22/23)
2 Gut Shot
4 Mana Leak
4 Thought Scour
4 Vapor Snag
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
(1 Dismember)

Sideboard: (15)
2 Celestial Purge
2 Timely Reinforcements
2 Talrand, Sky summoner (/Blade splicer - if not mainboard)
2 Dissipate
2 Phantasmal Image
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Sword of feast and Famine

Pretty straight forward i think. whether or not to go for the splicers mainboard over geist (or run a few of each) i'm not sure... think it comes down to the meta game, and personal preferences/playing style... the sideboard i think gives you plenty of tools to overcome alot of different decks
celestial purge; anything black, zombies, vamps, MBC...
Timely Reinforcements; aggro decks
Phantasmal image; threats and legends
Oblivion ring; Planeswalkers, threats, things with undying you don't want to hit the grave...
Talrand; I would really love to try him out...
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Posted 23 July 2012 at 09:07

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now... this is a few build that i've been playing around with... ofcourse theres way more... U/B list is more or less the same but with the addition of duress, some different removal spells, sign in blood and i think vampire nighthawk for the creature base and Nephalia Drownyard to the landbase...

then theres the 3 colour build witch i think gets more tricky with the lands... not impossible but larger chance to get manascrewed (not sure how much this will be a problem with 4 being the highest cost...

what are your ideas on the colouring of delver decks and why? would love to hear peoples input/suggestions/experiences :)

the only way to get better is to learn from other players
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Posted 23 July 2012 at 09:23

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