So to those of you who tuned in last week, you know the gist of this column, but for those first time readers, let me give you the quick rundown. Basically, each week we will be focusing on some of the more relevant constructed results from a large tournament over the past weekend. Hopefully, we can keep this to PTQ relevant formats, for the most part. In breaking down the Top 8 of said tournament, we will be looking at things like the evolution of the format, or of a specific deck, interesting card choices, important matchups, etc.
Last week, we looked at the SCG Open results from Edison and saw a slew of Delver, but Solar Flare bested them all with a win. My goal for this week was to go over the WMCQ in Oakland, but our own Josh Silvestri has taken care of that already (on the site now if you are interested), and I am sure Luis will chime in at some point about his qualification for Worlds (sack). I had then planned on covering another SCG Open; but with five Delver decks in the Top 8, and little variance between each list, I turned to another prominent cash series hosted by TCGPlayer.
Last weekend was a MaxPoint Series Diamond event in Indianapolis, which is essentially the same style of event as an SCG Open for those who are less familiar with the concept. Luckily for us, there, only 4 of the Top 8 were Delver… sigh. But the good news is that there were some interesting variations on the archetype, as well as some unique lists elsewhere in the Top 8. Let’s start with our winner and take it from the top!
Mage-Blade
Tristan Woodsmith
2012 TCGplayer.com MaxPoint Diamond – Indianapolis,
Standard
Main Deck:
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Dismember
3 Gitaxian Probe
1 Gut Shot
4 Mana Leak
4 Ponder
2 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Thought Scour
4 Vapor Snag
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Glacial Fortress
9 Island
2 Moorland Haunt
1 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
Sideboard:
2 Blade Splicer
2 Divine Offering
2 Ghost Quarter
4 Phantasmal Image
2 Sun Titan
1 Surgical Extraction
2 Timely Reinforcements
What a difference a week makes! I know what you are thinking though. You are looking at this list and trying to figure out what is so special about it. You see the same ol’ same ol’, with the sideboard offering some off the wall stuff, but the main isn’t anything you wouldn’t expect right now. But you see, that right there is the difference.
Last week, we talked about Delver and reviewed some different lists. Restoration Angel had been adopted by most of them, in varying numbers and placement (main or side). All of a sudden, a week later, there seems to be an agreed upon 60 (or at least 56 of 60), and it feels like said list has been the go-to all along.
Because an optimal configuration was reached and then shared online, everyone who wants a well-built Delver deck now has that available. There is obviously some minor room for customization, like the split on the Swords in this list, but in general, this style of Delver deck will look like this for the foreseeable future.
We rarely get to see this phenomenon so clearly, in real time. Beyond showcasing the hive mind a bit though, this also spells good things for those looking to attack the format. Once you know your enemy, you know how best to strike. It might suck that the optimal configuration of Delver was discovered, in a vacuum, but having that knowledge most certainly does not suck. A savvy deckbuilder can put the pressure right back on the Delver player by exploiting holes in the deck, causing the deck to morph against its will, and the cycle goes on. Now is the best time to strike if you want to show up with something innovative.
The winning main deck is strongly representative of the norm for Delver. There are a few things, like the numbers on the Swords or other support cards, 22 or 23 land, and maybe the 2 phyrexian mana [card dismember]removal[/card] [card gut shot]spells[/card], but outside of those three to four card changes, this thing is pristine.
Now as for the sideboard, it’s kind of doing its own thing. I have seen elements of his sideboard in plenty of Delver lists, but not at the quantities or formations that he does. Four copies of Phantasmal Image is a bit high when compared to the average, for example. The Blade Splicers and Ghost Quarters are hardly agreed upon. And many lists run a 3rd copy of Timely Reinforcements. Still, Tristan’s list is just about the gold standard for what to expect in the coming weeks.
As for the runner-up, he piloted the following list:
Naya Pod
Tony Payton
2012 TCGplayer.com MaxPoint Diamond – Indianapolis,
Standard
Main Deck:
1 Acidic Slime
3 Avacyn’s Pilgrim
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Blade Splicer
1 Borderland Ranger
1 Fiend Hunter
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Inferno Titan
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Restoration Angel
3 Strangleroot Geist
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Zealous Conscripts
3 Birthing Pod
2 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Copperline Gorge
5 Forest
2 Gavony Township
1 Mountain
1 Plains
4 Razorverge Thicket
2 Rootbound Crag
3 Sunpetal Grove
Sideboard:
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Celestial Purge
1 Daybreak Ranger
2 Dismember
1 Garruk Relentless
2 Hero of Bladehold
2 Incinerate
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Zealous Conscripts
Alright, so I can respect a man who sleeves up Birthing Pod. The deck has always been sweet, and a heck of a lot of fun to play, but that style of deck always tends to fall apart when you don’t draw Birthing Pod. This might make it even more impressive considering Tony decided to only go with three of the namesake card. That actually just goes to show you the versatility of a deck like this. Tony essentially was playing Naya aggro with Birthing Pods as a sort of combo enabler, or draw smoother, but Birthing Pod is not the end-all be-all, at least in this particular list.
There are a lot of interesting numbers in this list though. Huntmaster of the Fells seems like a card that should probably be a 4-of as well. So maybe the numbers on this, and Pod, are just off. That explanation seems even more likely once you see only three copies of Strangleroot Geist. Granted, that makes more sense as a 3-of than anything else, but it still makes me question the numbers in the deck a bit.
Clearly, with a second place finish under its belt, this Pod list has some potential, but I would just like to clean it up around the edges a bit. Maybe add a Kessig Wolf Run or two to the list, and test out some of the cards that are slightly more questionable in Standard. Fiend Hunter, for example, is a card that has a unique effect at 3 mana, making for a good Birthing Pod target—but he isn’t a good one to use as fodder, and his mana is a bit tough, so does he actually work out well in the list? This is one of those things that only testing can truly answer.
And, for something slightly more unique, back to the wild ways of Delver…
Mage-Blade
Jeremy Stowe
2012 TCGplayer.com MaxPoint Diamond – Indianapolis,
Standard
Main Deck:
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
1 Batterskull
1 Dismember
1 Faith’s Shield
4 Gitaxian Probe
2 Gut Shot
4 Mana Leak
4 Ponder
2 Sword of War and Peace
4 Vapor Snag
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Glacial Fortress
9 Island
2 Moorland Haunt
1 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
Sideboard:
1 Amass the Components
2 Celestial Purge
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Dissipate
1 Divine Offering
1 Moorland Haunt
1 Oblivion Ring
3 Phantasmal Image
1 Ratchet Bomb
3 Timely Reinforcements
So whereas our first place finisher had pretty much the standard form of a new Delver deck, this one decided to pull out a few of the stops. Notable cards in the main deck include the single copy of Batterskull and a single copy of Faith’s Shield. Generally, there would be additional wackiness found in the sideboard, but Jeremy played that one pretty close to the chest.
As for those other two cards, let’s brainstorm why Jeremy decided to include them. Batterskull is clearly a card aimed at aggressive decks, but the Restoration Angel that he cut for it is also pretty good there, so what gives? Well, it probably has something to do with the life that Batterskull gives back, against decks like Mono-Red for example. My problem with that thinking is that is a role Sword of War and Peace also plays, and artifacts are never good against red after board anyway.
Faith’s Shield on the other hand, made it into the deck over what appears to be the second Dismember, or the utility slot that goes there. This slot can sometimes be Divine Offering, or another Sword, but Jeremy went with Faith’s Shield. I do like that this lets you equip Swords with so much more confidence, and that your Geist of Saint Traft can barrel in there, only to be saved for another day. Once again though, that is another job that Angel can also do, which makes me once again question its absence.
With Batterskull only providing tools the deck already has access to, but in a slower and clunkier way, I am inclined to believe that this type of list—while different from the norm of the first list—would probably be a bit more consistent if it simply adopted the last few main deck slots we have discussed.
Next up, we have a pair of under-the-radar decks, both nearly identical, that put up some good results this past weekend. We will focus on Bernie’s list, as he advanced a round further, but here are both lists for comparison:
UW Midrange
Bernie Wen
2012 TCGplayer.com MaxPoint Diamond – Indianapolis,
Standard
Main Deck:
4 Blade Splicer
1 Consecrated Sphinx
2 Gideon Jura
1 Phantasmal Image
4 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
1 Sun Titan
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Day of Judgment
1 Dismember
3 Gitaxian Probe
4 Mana Leak
4 Ponder
2 Thought Scour
3 Vapor Snag
2 Ghost Quarter
4 Glacial Fortress
8 Island
1 Moorland Haunt
4 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
Sideboard:
1 Celestial Purge
1 Consecrated Sphinx
3 Day of Judgment
1 Dismember
1 Dissipate
1 Jace, Memory Adept
1 Negate
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Phantasmal Image
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Timely Reinforcements
UW Midrange
Marc Castillo
2012 TCGplayer.com MaxPoint Diamond – Indianapolis,
Standard
Main Deck:
4 Blade Splicer
1 Consecrated Sphinx
2 Gideon Jura
1 Phantasmal Image
4 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Day of Judgment
1 Dismember
4 Gitaxian Probe
1 Gut Shot
4 Mana Leak
4 Ponder
1 Thought Scour
3 Vapor Snag
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Glacial Fortress
8 Island
5 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
Sideboard:
1 Consecrated Sphinx
3 Day of Judgment
2 Divine Offering
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Negate
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Phantasmal Image
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Timely Reinforcements
Say what?
So, if these lists look a little odd to you, never fear—I am in the same boat. If you look closely, the source of that strange sense of familiarity is revealed. This list is essentially a pre-boarded deck that wants to look like a Delver deck does post-board. They keep much of the same support spells, from Ponder, to Vapor Snag, to Gut Shot, along with flash all-stars Snapcaster Mage and Restoration Angel. Then it tries to slow the game down a bit, with Day of Judgment and Consecrated Sphinx.
I am not surprised to a see a list like this do well, as it essentially goes over the top of Delver. It goes a little bit slower and a little bit bigger, and presents a lot of things that might confuse the opponent. Since they see the makings of a Delver deck, maybe the opponent brings in Geist of Saint Traft hate, like [card phantasmal image]Images[/card], or artifact hate for Swords, only to come up empty looking for the prime targets for such hate. A card like Corrosive Gale, which has been used in the past, is nearly useless against this list.
Meanwhile, the sideboard allows Bernie to go even bigger. There reside the remaining Day of Judgments, ready to transform the deck from midrange to full-on control. Timely Reinforcements, [card jace, memory adept]Jace[/card], and an additional Consecrated Sphinx all continue along that same path of slowing the game down and winning like a control deck.
I really like the interaction between the two planeswalkers in the deck. Many people talked about that synergy when Tamiyo was first spoiled, but this is the first deck I have seen play multiples of each ‘walker, making the dream a reality. In addition, Blade Splicer seems like a good card against all of the aggressive decks, like Zombies, while being able to hold its own in a Delver mirror. Yes, it isn’t great against Vapor Snag, but its synergy with Angel of Restoration probably makes up for that. Overall, this is a very cool deck and one that was well chosen for the tournament.
Mage-Blade
Donnie Wise
2012 TCGplayer.com MaxPoint Diamond – Indianapolis,
Standard
Main Deck:
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Dismember
1 Divine Offering
3 Gitaxian Probe
1 Gut Shot
4 Mana Leak
4 Ponder
2 Sword of War and Peace
2 Thought Scour
4 Vapor Snag
4 Glacial Fortress
9 Island
3 Moorland Haunt
2 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
Sideboard:
1 Amass the Components
2 Celestial Purge
2 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Divine Offering
2 Ghost Quarter
3 Phantasmal Image
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Timely Reinforcements
And back to another Delver list. There is not much to see here, as the list is fairly typical, but I did want to point out the utility slot being used here as it demonstrates an earlier point.
In this case, Restoration Angel is the big cut for the utility slot of Divine Offering, which I am not a fan of doing, but the card does see main deck play in these lists. I would rather lose a Dismember or the second Thought Scour personally—Angel is such a strong draw for the deck, but Divine Offering is quite solid right now. This sideboard is once again the typical control morph, so we will move on to a deck that won last week’s tournament, and put up another good result this week.
Solar Flare
Aaron Little
2012 TCGplayer.com MaxPoint Diamond – Indianapolis,
Standard
Main Deck:
2 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Phantasmal Image
3 Sun Titan
1 Batterskull
1 Curse of Death’s Hold
4 Day of Judgment
1 Dead Weight
4 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Go for the Throat
4 Lingering Souls
2 Mana Leak
1 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Oblivion Ring
1 Pristine Talisman
3 Ratchet Bomb
2 Think Twice
1 Unburial Rites
2 Cavern of Souls
3 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Evolving Wilds
2 Ghost Quarter
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Island
1 Isolated Chapel
2 Plains
3 Seachrome Coast
1 Swamp
Sideboard:
3 Celestial Purge
2 Divine Offering
1 Jace, Memory Adept
1 Karn Liberated
2 Negate
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Sever the Bloodline
2 Timely Reinforcements
1 Wurmcoil Engine
So this list is a little bit different than last week, although it maintains much of the same general focus and goals. Solar Flare remains a creature-control deck, meaning it has a heavy emphasis on creatures. It is both primarily creature-based, and more of its control elements are focused on dealing with creatures.
This list captures the same, open-ended type of deckbuilding that the Solar Flare list from last week did as well. This means a lot of 1-ofs and outs to a variety of problems, but probably a slightly less consistent deck overall. Cards like Nihil Spellbomb or Curse of Death’s Hold provide huge swingy effects in the matchups where they shine, but still manage to pull some weight elsewhere, making them fine main deck inclusions.
One element of Solar Flare that I would like to focus on for a second is the mana base. Many people see a main deck like this, and it looks flashy, and cool, but in reality, just because you get more utility from your spells does not mean you automatically get more utility from the deck period. Solar Flare pays a big cost to be able to run three colors, and many of the best cards among those colors, and that is a lack of exciting options in the mana base. Sure, the spells are sweet, but no Moorland Haunt, Vault of the Archangel, or Nephalia Drownyard is a bit of a bummer. No Inkmoth Nexus or Ghost Quarter is equally so. This list does get to use Cavern of Souls, which is nice, but in general, the deck has worse mana, and a less exciting mana base than most Standard decks that get to take advantage of the Innistrad spell-lands.
Mage-Blade
Joe Bernal
2012 TCGplayer.com MaxPoint Diamond – Indianapolis,
Standard
Main Deck:
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Phantasmal Image
2 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Dissipate
4 Gitaxian Probe
2 Gut Shot
4 Mana Leak
4 Ponder
2 Sword of War and Peace
2 Thought Scour
4 Vapor Snag
4 Glacial Fortress
8 Island
3 Moorland Haunt
1 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
Sideboard:
2 Act of Aggression
1 Batterskull
2 Celestial Purge
1 Corrosive Gale
1 Dismember
2 Dissipate
1 Divine Offering
1 Gideon Jura
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Timely Reinforcements
And once again, we end with Delver. I don’t really need to focus on the whole list here, as we have ample amounts of Delver data to talk about week in and week out, but what I will do is isolate those interesting choices. In this list, those cards are pretty much:
Everything else can be found in one Delver deck or another, and even in the case of Image, you have a widely played card that I would normally not even blink an eye at—once again the issue is one of omission: Restoration Angel. I have given my thoughts on that subject already, so long story short, play four. It’s very good.
Dissipate is an interesting choice especially in a world where so many people are playing Cavern of Souls as a “free” effect in their deck. A slower, more awkward counterspell with Snapcaster Mage is not where many people would go. When you consider that Joe cut Dismember for the card, and managed a full 10 cantrip effects, you have to wonder what the thought process was. Dismember is vitally important right now to deal with opposing Angels, so by giving that away, Joe has said he is either comfortable just trying to counter them, or that they are not that big of a problem in the first place. I would tend to side with the cheaper removal spell in this case, but Joe has his reasons I’m sure.
Act of Aggression is far from a strange sideboard card, but most Delver lists do not run the card as the closing power of it is often lost in a Delver deck. In R/G aggro, they cast Act of Aggression and swing for 12 or so, killing you. Delver cannot really expect to put up that much offense, especially with only two Restoration Angels. Again, not my favorite choice, but I didn’t just Top 8 an event with the list.
Wrap Up
So where are we at from last week? Well, much of the same to be honest. Delver is still killing it. Solar Flare, Pod, and various types of black aggressive decks are doing their best to compete, but do not even come close to meeting the numbers of Delver.
The metagame did evolve, however—now we have an accepted “best” version of Delver, with the winner of this Diamond event, and even LSV winning Oakland with a similar type of Delver list. We will see if the deck builders of the world are able to take advantage of this new information this weekend, but regardless, it is definitely going to be tough to dethrone the king. Thanks for reading!
Conley Woods
