Mono U Skies

[hultsfret]

Hi,

after playing a "random" UW aggrocontrol list, I would like to switch to a more streamlined deck, as the local meta is slowly getting more competitive and the deck concept of "UW Goodstuff" just doesn't work anymore. I do enjoy playing tempo decks in general and while reading through older forum posts, I found a Mono U Skies list by sturmgott which seems pretty nice (just playing islands is always great, but I would rather not play combo).

sturmgott's original decklist can be found here: http://www.magicplayer.org/forum/index.php?topic=372.msg3549#msg3549

sturmgott said that the deck list was quite outdated. So, are there any updates to this list or is this where I should start from building my deck. I really would keep the manabase as simple as possible (read: no fetchlands, no duals at all).

Regards

[Nastaboi]

You can find two recent lists here and here. I have some experience on the deck, so feel free to ask anything.

[Tiggupiru]

And just for clarification: That deck that sturmgott mentioned is dated before the combat damage rules were revised. Meaning that it has a lot of cards that have greatly lost value  since then. That deck tried to abuse the stacking combat damage with cheap bounce and was, in my opinion at least, quite bad. So I would not develop that list any further.

[GoblinPiledriver]

Here my recent version of the MonoU-Skies Deck. The other Decks mentioned before by Nastaboi are more U-Control this here is like Sturmgott's version straight blue aggro.

Mono-U-Skies

// Lands
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Wasteland
    1 Mutavault
    1 Pendelhaven
    1 Tectonic Edge
    21 Island

// Creatures
    1 Skywatcher Adept
    1 Cloud Pirates
    1 Flying Men
    1 Cloud Sprite
    1 Zephyr Sprite
    1 Spindrift Drake
    1 Drifter il-Dal
    1 Waterfront Bouncer
    1 Looter il-Kor
    1 Spellstutter Sprite
    1 Surveilling Sprite
    1 Sea Sprite
    1 Cloud of Faeries
    1 Gilded Drake
    1 Fathom Seer
    1 Welkin Tern
    1 Augury Owl
    1 Thalakos Seer
    1 Inkfathom Infiltrator
    1 Sygg, River Cutthroat
    1 Coralhelm Commander
    1 Sea Drake
    1 Serendib Efreet
    1 Man-o'-War
    1 Pestermite
    1 Calcite Snapper
    1 Old Man of the Sea
    1 Vendilion Clique
    1 AEther Adept
    1 Ninja of the Deep Hours

// Spells
    1 Ancestral Vision
    1 Pithing Needle
    1 AEther Vial
    1 Bonesplitter
    1 Word of Undoing
    1 Force Spike
    1 Sigil of Sleep
    1 Unstable Mutation
    1 Curiosity
    1 Spell Pierce
    1 Dispel
    1 Stifle
    1 Seal of Removal
    1 Unsummon
    1 Wind Zendikon
    1 Winter Orb
    1 Mask of Memory
    1 Daze
    1 Standstill
    1 Delay
    1 Snap
    1 Mana Leak
    1 Remand
    1 Rune Snag
    1 Memory Lapse
    1 Miscalculation
    1 Echoing Truth
    1 Into the Roil
    1 Narcolepsy
    1 Ovinize
    1 Fire/Ice
    1 Boomerang
    1 Counterspell
    1 Mana Drain
    1 Redirect
    1 Timetwister
    1 Back to Basics
    1 Psionic Blast
    1 Rushing River
    1 Snakeform
    1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
    1 Cryptic Command
    1 Gush
    1 Force of Will
    1 Misdirection

// Sideboard
SB: 1 Ice Cage

[hultsfret]

Hi,

@GoblinPiledriver: This is exactly what I was looking for. A straight aggro deck but with enough tricks/disruption to have an interesting game.

I do not own and have to plans to acquire Timetwister and Jace 2.0. Are these indispensable for the deck to work properly? I'd probably play Rethink and Jace Beleren instead.

[Nastaboi]

Who plays Timetwister in monoblue /w creatures? Jace TMS is really powerful, but you can do fine even without. Rethink is really awful, there are 149037017350 better conterspells printed thus far. Old Jace is fine though. As a general rule, if you don't have certain card with an unique effect, don't look for a cheap substitute but just add any other card that runs well with rest of the deck.

And yes, I have switched less fish to more control, because I just couldn't justify myself playing one mana 1/1's with no activated abilities. Spindrift Drake is extraordinary bad as it's basicly ld yourself with only 25+ lands.

[GoblinPiledriver]

The Deck itself could be compared to a blue version of a RDW, the bounce spells are the blue version of red burnspells(whithout the option to shot the opponent). That's why Timetwister is included, Wheel of Fortune was banned because of it's overpower in a RDW-Deck. You play all your spells and then refill your hand with Timetwister, and beside clearing all graveyards and optimzed Hands.

Jace 2.0 is very powerfull but with 4 mana very expensive. With it's 4 Mana it should be out of the deck but with it's abilitys it must be in it. So it's included but could get exchanged.

So yeah both spells needn't be there in this deck. Your suggestioned Rethink and Jace Beleren are both not a good choice.
Jace 1.0 is very good but he isn't aggro.
Rethink is with 3 mana expensive and with it's softcounter-being very bad.(Even Cancel and Stoic Ritual would be better)

So here are my suggestions for the 2 empty slots:

creatures:
Briabery Cohort (After posting this list I replaced Sea Sprite for this Faery)
Plated Seastrider (Like the classic Giant Tortoise but more stabile while attaking)
Cursecatcher     (Reminds me of Mogg Fanatic)

Spells:
Ice Cage       ( Good but not reliable removal)
Whirlpool Whelm (Another bounce spell, but you don't have a good chance to win the clash against opponent if he    doesn't find a land)

Lands:
Faery Conclave ( With a low land count this land is both aggresive and mana producing)

Or leave one slot open    In this version I play 101 Cards and 100 is optimum.