4c Gifts-Lark Zurvival

[Dreamer]

The topic pretty much says it all. This is my current Highlander deck, a 4-color Survival build with the usual suspects of Gifts, Lark, Zur, Recurring Nightmare, Genesis etc.

It's pretty basic stuff: A controlling combo deck with lots of creatures with interesting abilities and many tutors. Apart from the archetype-defining stuff above, standout cards include the Squirrelcraft combo (meaning Zur has a three-turn clock) and an alternate win condition of tinkering for Progenitus.

Protection is primarily in the form of targeted discard and a small assortment of counterspells.
As it stands, the deck is 111 cards, which might be a bit too big. Any suggestions on what to cut? Other recommendations heartily welcomed, as well.

Meat: 33 pieces

Arbor Elf
Birds of Paradise
Carrion Feeder

Wall of Roots
Wall of Blossoms
Mesmeric Fiend
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Tidehollow Sculler
Qasali Pridemage

Kitchen Finks
Aven Riftwatcher
Nantuko Husk
Aven Mindcensor
Knight of the Reliquary
Eternal Witness
Vampire Nighthawk

Loxodon Hierarch
Mystic Snake
Venser, Shaper Savant
Wickerbough Elder
Solemn Simulacrum
Zur the Enchanter
Glen Elendra Archmage
Academy Rector

Mulldrifter
Shriekmaw
Reveillark
Genesis
Karmic Guide
Baneslayer Angel
Body Double

Empyrial Archangel
Progenitus


Enchantments, Artifacts: 11
Sensei's Divining Top

Oversold Cemetery
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library
Earthcraft

Pernicious Deed
Oblivion Ring
Phyrexian Arena
Squirrel Nest
Recurring Nightmare

Nevinyrral's Disk


Spells: 25

Path to Exile
Swords to Plowshares
Worldly Tutor
Duress

Castigate
Demonic Tutor
Negate
Merchant Scroll
Remand
Muddle the Mixture
Life from the Loam
Regrowth

Maelstrom Pulse
Putrefy
Intuition
Compulsive Research

Careful Consideration
Damnation
Natural Order
Fact or Fiction
Gifts Ungiven
Wrath of God

Primal Command
Force of Will
Worm Harvest


Land: 39

4x Island
4x Swamp
5x Forest
1x Plains

Reflecting Pool
Seaside Citadel

Verdant Catacombs
Marsh Flats
Arid Mesa
Misty Rainforest
Scalding Tarn
Polluted Delta
Windswept Heath
Flooded Strand

Lonely Sandbar
Secluded Steppe
Tranquil Thicket
Barren Moor

Temple Garden
Hallowed Fountain
Breeding Pool
Watery Grave
Overgrown Tomb
Godless Shrine

Tropical Island

Stirring Wildwood
Treetop Village

Wasteland
Tectonic Edge

[GoblinPiledriver]

-Mutavault (this card is more for aggro, or tribal synergy)
-Swamp
-Fetid Heath
-Vivid Marsh + Arcane Sanctum
-Karmic Guide(wherefor?)
-Carrion Feeder(do you really want a sacr. sub-theme for instant kill earthcraft+squirel)
-Nantuko Husk   (""")
-Mesmeric Fiend
-Progenitus     (Archangel should be enough)
-Sylvan Library
-Aven Riftwatcher (more a rebel card)
-Careful Consideration

[pyyhttu]

-Karmic Guide(wherefor?)
-Carrion Feeder(do you really want a sacr. sub-theme for instant kill earthcraft+squirel)
-Nantuko Husk   (""")

Carrion Feeder and Nantuko Husk serve as an sacrifice outlet for Reveillark Engine, Karmic Guide is part of that engine when Body Double is not available.

Dreamer: If you haven't already, I'd recommend taking a look at Kim Valori's design at http://vaihdetaan.kapsi.fi/forums/index.php/topic,39938.0.html (ctrl-f: Reveillark-kombo) and work it from there. I'd start by cutting some of the beaters that are not part of the combo engine and have an awkward mana cost (Great Sable Stag, Doran, the Siege Tower, Vampire Nighthawk, Spiritmonger) or are otherwise suboptimal (Temporal Isolation).

[Dreamer]

Isolation is in the deck primarily so that Zur can handle Shroud stuff like Sphinx of Jwar Isle etc. I agree that it is suboptimal otherwise, though. I stumbled on Valori's deck loooong ago, but it does still have some good stuff that could be incorporated into my build (Oversold Cemetery, for example)

[Dreamer]

Spiritmonger, Doran, Stag cut from the deck. Temporal Isolation will get the boot when I get my hands on a copy of Oversold Cemetery.

[Dreamer]

More modifications. Etched Oracle got the boot, and has been replaced with Loxodon Hierarch. I've seen the card in many builds, and it's clearly there for a reason.

EDIT: Some deckstats.net analysis on the contents of my meat pile: http://deckstats.net/deck-30854-3ebc4743b537bcf0700fa37d12afe922-en.html

[Dreamer]

Got my hands on Oversold Cemetery, thus:
- Temporal Isolation
+ Oversold Cemetery

Been wondering if Yosei would be rad in the deck, but can't seem to find the space for him. Pity he isn't green, otherwise he'd easily replace Empyrial Archangel...

[Dreamer]

Lately, I've been noticing that Mishra's Factory usually does nothing, and that I sometimes have trouble with control decks in the lategame. To that end, I've been thinking something on the lines of a Loam package:

- Lotus Cobra (good, but somewhat unreliable)
- Farseek (good, but properly-supported Loam is just better)
- Mishra's Factory (does nothing)
- Nantuko Monastery (somewhat unreliable as well)
- Flooded Grove, Mystic Gate, Twilight Mire (unreliable)

+ Knight of the Reliquary (larkable finisher, occasional accelerant/fixer. Provides food for Loam)
+ Life from the Loam (draw engine, Wasteland recursion <3)
+ Wasteland
+ Tectonic Edge (these give Loam a nice offensive edge)
+ Lonely Sandbar, Tranquil Thicket, Secluded Steppe (draw)

Also, I've been thinking about:
- Dimir House Guard (Natural Order, Gifts, Zur, WoG, pitches to Survival)
+ Muddle the Mixture (Survival, Demonic, Loam, Castigate, Regrowth, pitches to Force, counterspell)
I'm a bit hesitant on the tutor change due to the insane amount of game-winning bombs that House Guard hits, but Muddle is useful by itself and hits Loam and Survival which win games just as well as most House Guard targets.

Combined with the recent addition of Walletslayer Angel, these changes steer the deck a bit towards control, and lessen the reliance on comboing out. I'm concerned about the increased reliance on the graveyard, though. Your thoughts? Wise or not?

[Mythrandir]

well, LFTL is a no brainer, and so are most of the lands you decided to add, even without LFTL, for example: wasteland is a must!

Nantuko i'm also going to change for the stirring wildwood, which is i think is better.

As for mishras factory, well, i like it, but it can easily be cut off.

[Dreamer]

Ironically, adding Loam to the deck makes Monastery better

What are your thoughts on the Transmute issue? House Guard or Muddle? Or perhaps Dimir Infiltrator?

[Dreamer]

C-c-changes! Not overtly substantial ones, but changes nonetheless:

- 4x Vivid Lands
- Bojuka Bog
+ 3x Onslaught fetchlands
+ Tropical Island
+ Barren Moor

EDIT: Also, aggro has been on the rise in our local meta of late. Killing the vivids speeds up the manabase, certainly, but causes extra pain from cracking more fetches. So, I've been thinking about cutting Phyrexian Arena for Jace.
1. Jace doesn't cause pain, but rather absorbs it.
2. I now have quick, reliable and painless access to blue with Trop. Island (all of 2 fetches that can't find it)
3. Jace pitches to Force

I'm of the opinion that Arena is better in a vacuum, but given the increased prevalence of aggro, might this be a good idea anyway?

[Dreamer]

Got my hands on an Arbor Elf, which is almost always better than a Llanowar Elves. So that's in.
Pattern of Rebirth was feeling a bit clunky as well, so I replaced it with Worm Harvest, which has proven itself to be borderline broken. It often gives me 4+ tokens, and Worm Harvest for 6+ just ends games. Really good with Gifts and Loam, obviously, but works surprisingly well standalone too, given the high amount of fetchlands/cyclelands and presence of Wasteland.