Self-Mill - Legacy Edition!

by Sven_Untgaarde on 19 April 2012

Main Deck (70 cards)

Sideboard (0 cards)

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Deck Description

I figured that Standard self-mill is entirely reliant on Mirror-Mad Phantasm. Although Playing Mirror-Mad Phantasm's ability is fun and very interesting, It can only be done after turn 5 (unless you had some ramp).

Therefore, after reading a comment on The Gatherer, I figured a cheap and easy way to win with Lab Maniac by turn 3.

That is entirely dependent if I have the right cards in my hand, though. Chances, I'll win by turn 5 most of the time.

The idea is this:

Turn 1 - Play Shuko
Turn 2 - Play Cephalid Illusionist
Turn 3 - Play Laboratory Maniac, and then continuously equip Shuko to Laboratory Maniac and then Cephalid Illusionist. Every time Shuko gets equipped to Cephalid Illusionist, you mill 3 cards. Do this until you have no more cards in your deck. Play Gitaxian Probe if you have one, or if not, wait until your next draw phase.

You may want to wait until turn 4 to do this instead of turn 3, just in case your opponent plays something to counter Laboratory Maniac (Disrupt is a good card to have in your hand as well).

EDIT - May 5th - I've been playing this deck, and it's been moderately successful. I do not win frequently against my friend who plays a Modern Token deck, a Legacy Affinity deck, and a Modern Storm deck, but when it comes to my other friends with Ramp, Stasis, and Spirit decks, I win almost 90% of the time.
The reason is that whenever I've won against my better friend, it's because the deck has gone off on turn 3-4 and he doesn't have any removal in his hand. My other friends have little removal, so therefore, I can still win by turn 6 without anything dying or whatnot.

On that note, I've added 4 Lightning Greaves, for it adds protection for my creatures. I've taken out 4 Thought Scour's, because every time I played it, I milled either Shuko, Chephalid Illusionist, or Laboratory Maniac.

EDIT - May 23rd - After a very helpful person (slave) gave me some suggestions, I took most of them to heed and reconstructed this deck.

Drift of Phantasms and Muddle the Mixture were added primarily for Transmute (muddle is also a better spell counter than counterspell in this case, since Laboratory Maniac usually dies to instant's/sorcery's); Brainstorm and Opt, replaced Ponder and Preordain because of instant speed; Street Wraith, Halimar Depths, and Daze were added because they are (nearly) free spells.

Deck Tags

  • Mill

Deck at a Glance

Social Stats

7
Likes

This deck has been viewed 5,656 times.

Mana Curve

Mana Symbol Occurrence

040600

Card Legality

  • Not Legal in Standard
  • Not Legal in Modern
  • Not Legal in Vintage
  • Not Legal in Legacy

Deck discussion for Self-Mill - Legacy Edition!

Except for one thing. Equiping isn't an ability of the artifact, at least from what I understand.

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Posted 19 April 2012 at 05:44

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Ofcourse it's an ability, as is everything that reads on a card. There are at least three types of abilities; Triggered, Static and Activated. Equip is an activated ability, as you get to choose when to activate it.

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Posted 19 April 2012 at 06:55

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I was suspicious of that, but Hungrymaster is right: it is an activated ability.
It is also why Shuko doesn't combo with Livewire Lash: it only works if it was the target of a spell. Cephalid Illusionist is altered by both spells and abilties.

I also can say that Lightning Greaves could work as well. It also costs 0 to equip (it just doesn't fit the 3-turn win condition).

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Posted 19 April 2012 at 19:49

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ok, because I have been told otherwise about that,

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Posted 21 April 2012 at 19:43

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isochron scepter

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Posted 20 April 2012 at 23:31

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Good idea.

Maybe I should add a few Force of Wills while I'm at it.

Without sarcasm, I'd like to keep this deck cheap.

BTW, I've edited it, since staying in Modern is impossible:

Taken out:
4x Reach Through Mists
4x Disrupt
4x Peek
4x Twisted Image

Added:
4x Thought Scour
4x Counterspell
4x Gush
4x Spell Pierce

Instead of relying on Gitaxian Probe for that turn 3 win, I can play Gush for free (essentially). Counterspell was suggested from a friend since I'm not playing any particular format, and I'm playing mono-blue. Spell Pierce was also suggested instead of Disrupt because of the more costly repercussion payment (2 instead of 1 and draw). Thought Scour was a last-minute decision, which I may change at some point.

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Posted 22 April 2012 at 00:32

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This looks too combo-based.

I see that it is exceptionally cheap for a legacy deck that CAN win on turn 3, but then again, you CAN win on turn 1 with a resurrection deck that uses Dark Ritual.

It's pretty good. Too bad there isn't a second creature with the same ability as Cephalid Illusionist.

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Posted 23 May 2012 at 15:24

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I like it.
I thought I'd try to make a Laboratory Maniac deck in legacy aswell.
Here's my version;
http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=326866

One thing that I think you'll have trouble with;
You're relying (essentially) on three different cards to get your win-con.
This is exactly what I always try to avoid with combo decks, any more than two and I find most combo decks fizzle with only the slightest amount of pressure.
Discard, removal and permission are REALLY gonna screw you.

To be honest, my take on Maniac probably isn't any better against those matchups.
It's unlikely I'd win a game against a tournament winning legacy deck, but my deck only needs two cards to get the combo to work, and has lots of instant speed or free draw to get my win.
I have transmute cards to find my pieces if my draw is bad.
I have heaps of ways to draw through my deck to win once the Maniac is out, all at instant speed.

I feel like you need some transmute/tutor in there to find your pieces faster.
Muddle the Mixture is a counter, and can find you the Greaves & Cephalid.
I'd replace your sorcery speed draw/scry with instant speed instead - apart from Gitaxian Probe, cos a free spell is awesome. Ponder/Preordain should be instants so you can use them at the end of your opponents turn, leaving mana open for counter before that.
I'd think about Halimar Depths too, great card for combo decks.

Anyways, good luck!

Any chance you could take a peek at my casual deck here, based on abusing skullclamp;
http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=340978

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Posted 23 May 2012 at 21:47

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Add to that;
There is an option to boost you chances of decking yourself.
Thought Lash
It's not a quick card, but it's another way of doing it.....

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Posted 23 May 2012 at 22:05

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Man, thanks a lot for the extensive comment. Everything you've said makes sense.

I've looked at your deck, and it is very good without breaking the $1/card mark (EG, a 60-card deck being worth $60 at its least)

Daze was not a card that I considered, and it looks like a better counter than Spell Pierce (since it could be free).

I also think Paradigm Shift (a card I actually have somewhere) is a great self-mill card, and in that case, maybe Thought Scour would be more helpful than before (because you'll probably have a deck with anywhere from 0-5 cards by turn 2)

Again, thanks a lot! I think I'll consider having both strategies in this deck (add 4x Paradigm Shift).

Also, I'm going to go look for some Muddle the Mixture's.

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Posted 24 May 2012 at 02:42

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I don't want to completely copy your idea, but I've taken many of the cards from you deck and included in this one.

I'm keeping the Cephalid Illusionist combo not because it will work better (it won't), but because I don't want to completely rip your deck entirely off.

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Posted 24 May 2012 at 02:59

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No worries.
Glad I could help.

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Posted 24 May 2012 at 16:53

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