Tag: spell-pierce

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Eric Jeffrey Seltzer - June 4, 2014

UWR Delver Legacy by Craig Krempels (1st at SCG Somerset on May 25th 2...

Champion’s Deck

Batterskull Grand Prix Promo artwork - UWR Delver Legacy

UWR Delver legacy by Craig Krempels

1st Place at StarCityGames Legacy Open on 5/25/2014

The Legacy format is filled with cheap and efficient cards as it has access to the best ever printed over the entire history of the game. This deck is one of those that takes full advantage of that fact to pull together a cast of the top choices creating a highly disruptive killing machine. It pulls together permission, removal and draw to quickly dispatch all enemies that stand in its way. It’s no surprise whenever a deck of this style takes down a tournament.

Quite possibly the best Blue one drop ever printed, and quite aggressively out of Blue flavor, we have Delver of Secrets supported by an almost 50/50 split on spells which will be able to blind flip it turn two so you’re able to commence with the beatdown plan. Follow that up with True-Name Nemesis which demands the opponent to find an answer to it or they will definitely die to that unchecked clock. Both of them are supported by Stoneforge Mystic who is able to either search up an Umezawa’s Jitte to equip one of your attackers or find you a Batterskull to commit further to your beatdown plan. Next we speed up the deck with an abundance of card draw starting with the perennial Brainstorm, coupled with Ponder and Phyrexian freebie Gitaxian Probe which also provides you a sneak peek at the opponents plans. The deck also packs a very robust permission package centering around another format staple and free spell Force of Will, backed up by also free Daze and cheap but disruptive Spell Pierce. Then we round out the deck with top quality removal with the main reason this deck dips into Red with Lightning Bolt and also the classic Swords to Plowshares which will convienently exile most any creatures which are presenting you with certain doom.

The Delver deck is no surprise in the Legacy format and it’s one of the quintessential packages of the most cost effective but extremely powerful cards available. If you want to give yourself a fighting chance in any Legacy tournament you enter then definitely this is a fantastic choice. A great investment into a deck that is very likely to remain competitive continuing into the future of Legacy with only minor tweaks from time to time.
Eric J Seltzer
@ejseltzer on Twitter
Email: ejseltzer@hotmail.com
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Eric Jeffrey Seltzer - May 14, 2014

UR Delver Legacy by Andrew Schneider (1st at SCG Knoxville on May 11t...

Champion’s Deck

Grim Lavamancer - UR Delver Legacy

UR Delver Legacy by Andrew Schneider

1st Place at StarCityGames Legacy Open on 5/11/2014
This is one of my favorite decks in legacy as it plays a very straightforward package of death and disruption in a counter/burn style package using my favorite guild color combo Izzet. UR Delver Legacy deck combines an extremely low mana curve using some of the most efficient and best spells with a marriage of the best elements of Blue in counter and draw power. It is destructive and decisive in obliterating its opponents and can seal the deal in a fast’n’furious fashion.

We start off with the namesake of the deck or what I like to call The Flying Lightning Bolt in Delver of Secrets which is supported by 28 ways to flip, and should always be close to 50/50 on a blind flip if deployed on turn one to really lay down the beats. That is coupled with beatdown king Goblin Guide as a second option for a great first turn play to start laying down the beats. Given the plethora of instants and sorceries in the deck we also have Snapcaster Mage to rebuy a key spell that you’ve already used and then work on laying down the beats. As you can see this deck is truly a weapon of mass destruction. Support player Grim Lavamancer can either help clear the way for your army or throw additional fire in their face and will often find the graveyard stocked with any of the many spells or fetchlands. The deck has a stockade of burn with full sets both of Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning which at one Red mana for three damage are amazing, and easily reused by a Snapcaster. There is also a one of Forked Bolt which can clear two defenders or a dude and to the dome, and a pair of Price of Progress which in Legacy will mostly net either six or eight damage quite often sealing the deal. The counter suite is modest but necessary including format staple Force of Will to keep combo decks in check and Spell Pierce. We round it out with some draw power from Brainstorm, Ponder and Gitaxian Probe to ensure a steady stream of low cost threats continue flowing to your hand.

This deck never ceases to amaze me with its shear brilliance and simplicity. An incredibly powerful package of spells is woven together to provide the pilot with a simple yet deadly implement of annihilation ready to take on all comers. While it is truly an Aggro deck in its heart there is just enough countermagic to keep the unfair decks honest. And while there are several flavors of Delver decks to choose from this one is definitely a great choice given its consistency and will be a top contender for years to come.
Eric J Seltzer
@ejseltzer on Twitter
Email: ejseltzer@hotmail.com
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Eric Jeffrey Seltzer - April 16, 2014

Champion’s Deck – UWR Delver by Eddie Solis (1st at SCG Da...

Daze
U/W/R Delver
Eddie Solis
1st Place at StarCityGames Legacy Open on 4/13/2014
Where old meets new we find this highly efficient instrument of destruction. Delver strategies have been around in Legacy for quite some time in varied combinations and designs. And now with True-Name combined with equipment there is additional facets to the deck. The crux of the deck though is about efficiency in its creatures, disruption, removal and draw creating a true force to be reckoned with.

We start with the namesake creature Delver of Secrets which is one of the best one drop creatures, when build properly into its deck. With a 28 of the cards in the deck able to Transform him from the triggered ability you’re basically a 50/50 shot to be smashing in with a ‘flying lightning bolt’ every turn. He is paired up with the very tricky True-Name Nemesis which while not unbeatable demands an answer or will make short work of your opponent. They are both supported by Legacy staple Stoneforge Mystic which has options to tutor up either a Batterskull or an Umezawa’s Jitte to speed to victory. A heavy disruption package finds full sets of Force of Will, Daze and Spell Pierce to suppress any plans the enemy may try to push forward. There is also a set of Wasteland in the manabase to try and limit their access to crucial mana. For removal we have both Swords to Plowshares to exile any creature threats and Lightning Bolt which can go either to a creature or straight to the dome to finish opponents fast. Finally there is both Brainstorm and Ponder to ensure that there is no taking the foot of the pedal once we get up to speed by streaming constant gas directly to the hand, and fetchlands in the manabase help to reset the top of the library when necessary.

To me this epitomizes the efficiency of Legacy with an ultra-low curve but still encapsulating all the basic tenets of threats, answers and draw. This is a marquee Tempo deck and if you like to hold control of the board while constantly advancing your own plan then this is a great deck for you. It is doubtful that it will be outclassed in terms of efficiency and even in elegance.
Eric J Seltzer
@ejseltzer on Twitter