UW Skies

[hultsfret]

Hi all,

starting a new thread as suggested by the system, because the old one is quite outdated. I'm new to Highlander, so this is the first deck I'm working on. I would like to play UW, but no straight control, so when I stumbled upon a relatively recent (ALA) list, I decided to give it a try. I played with it at my local scene and it performed quite well (i did loose only one game, but then the Highlander scene her is not too powerful).

I found myself to adapt the control role almost all of the time, making profit from the CIP-abilities of the creatures, I won so many games with Karakas+Venser or SoLS+Nevermaker.

However, this deck does not run many of the most powerful cards, namely Jace II and Gideon, it's also lacking Library.

So I'm curious about what changes the more experienced community here would suggest.

Thanks in advance!

Decklist:

// Lands
    10 [ROE] Island (1)
    4 [ROE] Plains (1)
    1 [HOP] Ancient Den
    1 [ZEN] Arid Mesa
    1 [DIS] Azorius Chancery
    1 [TSP] Flagstones of Trokair
    1 [ON] Flooded Strand
    1 [M10] Glacial Fortress
    1 [DIS] Hallowed Fountain
    1 [LG] Karakas
    1 [DK] Maze of Ith
    1 [ZEN] Misty Rainforest
    1 [ON] Windswept Heath
    1 [ON] Polluted Delta
    1 [ON] Riptide Laboratory
    1 [HOP] Seat of the Synod
    1 [ZEN] Scalding Tarn
    1 [R] Tundra
    1 [TSP] Vesuva
    1 [TE] Wasteland
    1 [SHM] Mystic Gate
    1 [TSP] Academy Ruins

// Creatures
    1 [FUT] Aven Mindcensor
    1 [PLC] Aven Riftwatcher
    1 [DIS] Azorius Guildmage
    1 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
    1 [UL] Cloud of Faeries
    1 [DIS] Court Hussar
    1 [EVE] Glen Elendra Archmage
    1 [ZEN] Kor Skyfisher
    1 [TSP] Looter il-Kor
    1 [DD2] Man-o'-War
    1 [UL] Mother of Runes
    1 [DD2] Mulldrifter
    1 [MOR] Nevermaker
    1 [LRW] Pestermite
    1 [MOR] Reveillark
    1 [SHM] Silkbind Faerie
    1 [MR] Solemn Simulacrum
    1 [LRW] Sower of Temptation
    1 [LRW] Spellstutter Sprite
    1 [PLC] Stonecloaker
    1 [RAV] Surveilling Sprite
    1 [TSP] Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
    1 [FD] Trinket Mage
    1 [MOR] Vendilion Clique
    1 [FUT] Venser, Shaper Savant
    1 [CS] Vexing Sphinx

// Spells
    1 [DS] AEther Vial
    1 [DD2] Ancestral Vision
    1 [MR] Annul
    1 [CST] Brainstorm
    1 [ON] Chain of Vapor
    1 [BRB] Control Magic
    1 [DD2] Counterspell
    1 [LRW] Cryptic Command
    1 [ZEN] Day of Judgment
    1 [DD2] Daze
    1 [TSB] Disenchant
    1 [DS] Echoing Truth
    1 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
    1 [FD] Engineered Explosives
    1 [DD2] Fact or Fiction
    1 [DDC] Faith's Fetters
    1 [AL] Force of Will
    1 [V09] Gifts Ungiven
    1 [CHK] Ghostly Prison
    1 [M10] Jace Beleren
    1 [9E] Mana Leak
    1 [UL] Miscalculation
    1 [TSP] Momentary Blink
    1 [HOP] Oblivion Ring
    1 [CFX] Path to Exile
    1 [CS] Perilous Research
    1 [WL] Phyrexian Furnace
    1 [M10] Pithing Needle
    1 [M10] Ponder
    1 [TE] Propaganda
    1 [GP] Repeal
    1 [V09] Sensei's Divining Top
    1 [DIS] Spell Snare
    1 [SC] Stifle
    1 [DS] Sword of Fire and Ice
    1 [DS] Sword of Light and Shadow
    1 [CST] Swords to Plowshares
    1 [FD] Vedalken Shackles
    1 [10E] Wrath of God
    1 [LG] Mana Drain

**end**

[Mythrandir]

well, IMO, i don't think this s UW skies.. more of an UW mid-range/controlish
Skies doesn't run things like wog, propangada, teferi. They run cheap/efficient flyers with some tricks (counters, bounce, etc).

So, what do you want from your UW deck? Speed? aggro? control? After that, i think it's easier to comment, although at a first glance it doesn't look bad.

[hultsfret]

Hi,

sorry if this isn't skies, I guess it was labeled as such and as already stated, I'm new to Highlander. I would like the deck to be flexible and adapt to my opponents rather then power through my own strategy, so if it qualifies as mid-range/control, it's fine for me. From what I learned playing the deck, you can of course choose the control role, but if the opponent has problems developing his game, you can apply a lot of pressure as all your guys have evasion (flyging). So maybe what I'm looking for is a UW "goodstuff" mid-range control deck. I guess I like having efficient answers more than having efficient threats.

Hope that doesn't add more confusion.

[Fish]

Hi there.
I like your deck but I think it lacks a strategy a bit. You play control cards like Wrath of God, Propaganda, Ghostly Prison and on the other hand you play cards like Mother of Runes, Azorious Guildmage or Looter il Kor. That doesn't stick together.

I have my personal suggestions what you could include and what you could exclude but not in the same ratio as you can choose what is best for you and what are your preferences.

I wouldn't play cards like:
Wrath of God, Day of Judgment - at least not both of them, if you want some kind of hand break
Propaganda, Ghostly Prison - I would rather play creatures than this ones,
Stifle, Spell Snare - a LOT of people would disagree with me here, I know those cards are great but they are too situational for me; if this is not right for Stifle, it is definitely right for Spell Snare from my point of view, I know you might want it for Tarmogoyf and tons of other cards but you just dont need it
Engineered Explosives, Vedalken Shackles - either you want to be control or you want to add some more creatures, I would add more creatures
Control Magic - again, either you wait for your opponent to play threats and then you steal it or you want to play threat yourself
Daze - I just dont like this card, it slows me down and I would rather play Remand or Memory Lapse, I know this might be stupid, but this card doesn't work for me
Perilous Research - this is really not good card drawing card

I would try to consider the following ones:
Lone Missionary - hell for aggro and burn decks, an excellent two-drop
Wall of Omens - this is a little bit tricky, you might rather play it in control deck but since your creatures aren't as good as "zoo creatures", this wall gives you the time you need to set up
Sea Gate Oracle - buys you some time and gives you an extra card
Kitchen Finks - I think this one doesn't need any comments
Calcite Snapper - I like this card, you can do whatever tricks you want with it, it can block, it can attack and your opponent has hard time killing it
Exalted Angel - great finisher
Azorious Herald - gives you some time and although he is the best with one of your swords, it can do enough damage himself
Whitemane Lion - creature that I have never seen playing in HL but still I would try it - if it doesn't work  in this kind of deck then it probably doesn't work anyhere else
And now there are some tricks instead of the ones I mentioned above that are for excluding:
Journey to Nowhere - cheap removal
Into the Roil - early it gives you one turn, later it might give you one turn and a card
Remand - Time Walk again
Memory Lapse - also the possibility but may by too much of counters right about now, still I like it
Fire/Ice - might help you as well, but you might want to skip it, I just wanted to let you know, it exists
Compulsive Research - this one might work in your deck
Orim's Chant - might give you a great advantage, when your opponent says: "all in" (if you are not playing poker of course)
Jace, the Mind Sculptor - expensive as hell but also as good as devils inside it
Isochron Scepter - you play so many one and two mana instants that it really might work in your deck

The last possibility is to take even more aggro approach and excluding more counters and tricks, you might add small critters and their friend: Flying Man, Lantern Kami, Suntail Hawk, Savannah Lions, Elite Vanguard, Isamaru and Ranger of Eos with good number of equipments. That way it would be another deck I guess.

I hope it helped a little bit.

[Lightstorm]

Here`s my version of UW aggro control. This list is pretty different compared to my old one (http://www.magicplayer.org/forum/index.php?topic=315.0).


Lands: 35
Polluted Delta
Scalding Tarn
Windswept Heath
Arid Mesa
Flooded Strand
Misty Rainforest
10 Island
9 Plains
Tundra
Hallowed Fountain
Adarkar Wastes
Glacial Fortress
Mystic Gate
Flagstones of Trokair
Faerie Conclave
Mutavault
Mishra`s Factory
Wasteland

Creatures: 32
Figure of Destiny
Student of Warfare
Mother of Runes
Isamaru, Hound of Konda

Soltari Monk
Soltari Priest
Soltari Trooper
Stoneforge Mystic
Azorious Guildmage
Sejiri Merfolk
Serra Avenger
Kor Firewalker
Looter il-Kor
Kor Skyfisher
Jötun Grunt

Mirror Entity
Aven Mindcencor
Serendib Efreet
Kor Sanctifiers
Cold-Eyed Selkie (Islands are pretty played in Finland, should possibly cut this)
Trinket Mage
Kitchen Finks
Vendilion Clique
Wake Trasher
Stilmoon Cavalier (Because of protections, should possibly cut this)
Pestermite

Ranger of Eos
Venser, Shaper Savant
Glen Elendra Archmage
Sower of Temptation

Exalted Angel


Counterspells: 12
Force of Will
Daze
Mana Tithe
Mana Drain
Counterspell
Hindering Light
Negate
Miscalculation
Remand
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Cryptic Command

Artifacts: 7
Sensei`s Diving Top
Aether Vial
Black Vise
Winter Orb
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of Fire and Ice
Vedalken Shackles

Others: 15
Tithe
Land Tax
Ancestral Vision
Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile
Oust
Jace Beleren
Oblivion Ring
Back to Basics
Armageddon
Elspeth, Kinght-Errant
Control Magic
Treachery
Bribery

____________________________________________________

I don`t own Baneslayer, Ravages of War or Jace, the Mind Sculptor.

[Kristian]

What about Ravages of War?

[GoblinPiledriver]

Looks very good, but this is again not an UW-Skies Deck.
It's really a UW-aggrocontroll.

Werefore is Mirror Entity? Do you really want to attack with 3 creatures and 4-6 Lands. Well this is problematic with 32 creatures.
The best use for Mirror Entity is in a elves Deck or a rebel Deck. In Both decks you had really much mana and you could use the changeling stats. I think Azorius-Herald would fit better in here.

Soltari Monk is heavy costet with double white Mana. I think Azorius First-Wing is much lighter to play.

Kor Firewalker -- How many RDW and RG-Beats deck appear in your Meta? I would personally prefer Knight of the Meadowgrain, Knight of the Holy Nimbus or Knight of the White Orchid before I would play the Firewalker.

How effiecient is Ranger of Eos,Black Vise, Land Tax or Oust?

What do you think of cards like Spell Pierce or Dispel?