Hand Disruption

[grizzledmage]

Using an approach I've actually been considering for years; severe hand disruption and trying to take advantage of it.

After including all the cards that I thought were worthwhile, there were yet some open slots so I filled them with off-theme cards that nevertheless are playable. Anyway, I have NO doubt that I have overlooked some worthwhile cards and/or synergies; any suggestions are most welcome!

Lands (36)
    1 Wasteland
    1 Dust Bowl
    1 Tectonic Edge
    1 Spawning Pool
    1 Leechridden Swamp
    1 Cabal Coffers
    24 Swamp
    1 Maze of Ith
    1 Barren Moor
    1 Mutavault
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
    1 Polluted Mire

Discard
    1 Augur of Skulls
    1 Oona's Prowler
    1 Mindslicer
    1 Hag Hedge-Mage
    1 Bloodhusk Ritualist
    1 Hypnotic Specter
    1 Abyssal Nocturnus
    1 Ravenous Rats
    1 Silent Specter
    1 Hollow Specter
    1 Guul Draz Specter
    1 Abyssal Specter
    1 Shimian Specter
    1 Order of Yawgmoth
    1 Scepter of Fugue
    1 Blackmail
    1 Wrench Mind
    1 Hymn to Tourach
    1 Stupor
    1 Thoughtseize
    1 Duress
    1 Inquisition of Kozilek
    1 Distress
    1 Liliana Vess
    1 Unburden
    1 Mind Shatter

Synergy with Discard
    1 Megrim
    1 Quest for the Nihil Stone
    1 Rise from the Grave
    1 Animate Dead
    1 Beacon of Unrest
    1 Sign in Blood

Other
    1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
    1 Magus of the Coffers
    1 Faerie Macabre
    1 Creakwood Liege
    1 Helldozer
    1 Stillmoon Cavalier
    1 Visara the Dreadful
    1 Shriekmaw
    1 Graveborn Muse
    1 Withered Wretch
    1 Nekrataal
    1 Relic of Progenitus
    1 Tormod's Crypt
    1 Scrabbling Claws
    1 Decree of Pain
    1 Hideous End
    1 Hideous Laughter
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Phyrexian Furnace
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Diabolic Tutor
    1 Damnation
    1 Shred Memory
    1 Phyrexian Arena
    1 Chainer's Edict
    1 Night's Whisper
    1 Rend Flesh
    1 Bitterblossom
    1 Consuming Vapors
    1 Crucible of Worlds
    1 Chill to the Bone
    1 Dark Ritual

Yes, there is a LOT of graveyard hate; I believe this is necessary considering how the deck works (although I may have gone overboard here).

I would love to hear any ideas you have!

[grizzledmage]

Tweaks. Deletions in strikeouts; additions in bold.

Getting better(?) Playtesting so far suggests potential... any thoughts?

Lands (36)
   1 Wasteland
   1 Dust Bowl
   1 Tectonic Edge
   1 Spawning Pool
   1 Leechridden Swamp
   1 Cabal Coffers
   25 Swamp (+1)
   1 Maze of Ith
   1 Barren Moor
   1 Mutavault
   1 Mishra's Factory
   1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
   1 Polluted Mire
   1 Dread Statuary

Discard
   1 Augur of Skulls
   1 Oona's Prowler
   1 Mindslicer
   1 Hag Hedge-Mage
   1 Bloodhusk Ritualist
   1 Hypnotic Specter
   1 Abyssal Nocturnus
   1 Ravenous Rats
   1 Silent Specter
   1 Hollow Specter
   1 Guul Draz Specter
   1 Abyssal Specter
   1 Shimian Specter
   1 Order of Yawgmoth
   1 Scepter of Fugue
   1 Blackmail
   1 Wrench Mind
   1 Hymn to Tourach
   1 Stupor
   1 Thoughtseize
   1 Duress
   1 Inquisition of Kozilek
   1 Distress
   1 Liliana Vess
   1 Unburden
   1 Mind Shatter
   1 Liliana's Specter
   1 Funeral Charm
   1 Raven's Crime

Synergy with Discard
   1 Megrim
   1 Quest for the Nihil Stone
   1 Rise from the Grave
   1 Animate Dead
   1 Beacon of Unrest
   1 Sign in Blood
   1 Liliana's Caress
   1 The Rack
   1 Rackling

Other
   1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
   1 Magus of the Coffers
   1 Faerie Macabre
   1 Creakwood Liege
   1 Helldozer
   1 Stillmoon Cavalier
   1 Visara the Dreadful
   1 Shriekmaw
   1 Graveborn Muse
   1 Withered Wretch
   1 Nekrataal
   1 Relic of Progenitus
   1 Tormod's Crypt
   1 Scrabbling Claws
   1 Decree of Pain
   1 Hideous End
   1 Hideous Laughter
   1 Sensei's Divining Top
   1 Phyrexian Furnace
   1 Demonic Tutor
   1 Diabolic Tutor
   1 Damnation
   1 Shred Memory
   1 Phyrexian Arena
   1 Chainer's Edict
   1 Night's Whisper
   1 Rend Flesh
   1 Bitterblossom
   1 Consuming Vapors
   1 Crucible of Worlds
   1 Chill to the Bone
   1 Dark Ritual
    1 Unmake

[Tiggupiru]

Getting better(?)

1 Liliana's Caress

You just answered your own question with a no.



Also, lose the megrim.

And all the cards that do nothing, unless you are already winning (The Rack, Rackling... etc.)

You should also consider a possiblity of an splash. White seems the best one here, giving access to Vindicate, Gerrard's Verdict, Mortify, Swords to Plowshares, Shrieking Grotesque..

Blue can give you Ninjas to bounce your ravenous ratesque creatures with, and bounce to make lategame discard better.

Green offers some good game enders, but not much of a synergy, Tarmogoyf being the cream of the crop. I would still consider it.

[Genesis]

Cabal coffers
Night's Whisper
Dark ritual

Why you have cutted those? You can win games quite easily with unanswered 1st turn dark ritual -> hypnotic specter. Yeah, that have happened too many times for me.. Have you thinked to change your decks function toward mono-b aggro? I'm quite sure that when game tends to go longer, you have several, death, hand disruption cards in your hand, when you could have some dudes to smash.

[grizzledmage]

Thanks to Tiggupiru and Genesis for your input.

Good suggestions; but not sure I want to add another color as it then makes the early disruption much less certain. And although I also love the Hyppie/Ritual combo, the chances of having them  both in your opening hand in Highlander are pretty low.

Will definitely consider your remarks further... thanks again!

[Tiggupiru]

Good suggestions; but not sure I want to add another color as it then makes the early disruption much less certain.

You don't need to, or even should, go very deep with the splash. I mean, with the current lands available in this format, you can play lands that all produce black. Just add Black/color X duals, and non-black cards that you don't need to cast until turn three, like Vindicate, Mortify, Gerrard's Verdict... etc.

And although I also love the Hyppie/Ritual combo, the chances of having them  both in your opening hand in Highlander are pretty low.

Yeah, Dark Ritual is quite bad outside of combo decks.