Stratagy: U/W Control w/Disrupting Scepter et al.

Killer Joe

Killer Joe

New member
I'm currently playing a U/W control deck in T2 and am using Disrupting Scepter (an artifact that costs (3) to play and has the ability, for (3) colorless mana, to make your opponent choose and discard a card from their hand - it can only be used as a sorcery) as a supplemental counterspell. Here's my thinking; for 3 colorless mana I can get rid of a card that I won't have to counter and I can do it once every turn. So it acts like a counterspell, sort of. If my opponent discards a land, I have, in some way, slowed down his/her land drop tempo, if they discarded a creature card, I have slowed down their creature rush, etc., etc...
I am thinking of adding Millstone for the same reason. These are not my original idea's and perhaps they are extremely obvious to a seasoned magic player, but it is brand new 'tech' for me.
 
M

Major Crime

Guest
I've been playing against the "Stick" quite a lot lately, in Pro & Fun decks. Watch out for it in blue decks, as they use it to get their Avatar into play.
Also nasty in bounce decks.
 
Z

Zadok001

Guest
Ever since Invasion was released, I've been waiting for 'The Deck' to make its triumphant return to Type 2. All the nessesary bits are in place, it's just a matter of pinning them together correctly. The Scepter was always one of the key cards in that deck, so I'm not suprised to hear its being played. I'll certainly be using it in my U/W control...
 
Killer Joe

Killer Joe

New member
"The Deck", was that a 5C-Blue made by Mike Donais?
I'd be interested in seeing a version of "The Deck", if you feel like sharing :).
 
S

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
The name "The Deck" was given to a deck developed by Brian Weissman back in 94 or 95. Doing a quick search at the Dojo, I couldn't find an original list but here's one that modified it:

http://www.thedojo.com/deck97/dka.971125thedeck.html

Obviously the Tutors weren't available back then and stuff but hopefully you get the idea of it. I do remember the only creatures in the original Deck were two Serras.
 
G

Gizmo

Guest
The Stick is a perfectly good card for a U/W deck to play (it rocks the mirrormatch) but the inherent problem is that you are tapping out 3 on your own turn to use it, thus robbing you of counter mana. It`s a good card, but I think it`s rather situational as to when you can make good use of it and maintain your counterspell guard as well. Probably works best in a deck that Tutors for a single Stick rather than playing multiple Sticks.

Wierding?
 
D

Duel

Guest
I disagree. Remember, Gizmo, when you asked how much control was needed to use Aladdin's Ring? Only a fraction is needed to use the stick. And it does work, unless they take to holding land, and even then, it's effective once they start to play.

Millstone is better, because it can be used as an instant, but once a card is in their hand, the stick is not half bad.
 
G

Gizmo

Guest
I disagree.

The Ring was a one-off payment of 8 in your main phase. At a time when the hard work of gaining card advantage had already been achieved.

The Stick is a permanent cost of 3 in your main phase, at a point much earlier in the game when you are still struggling to establish control.

And Millstone is simply not comparable. It is a bad card unless you are going to deck out your opponent (the famous 'Millstone Fallacy').
 
D

Duel

Guest
True, which is why I find the scepter more useful. Unless they ahve no card in their hand, it's fantastic. Besides, it almost takes the place of a counterspell for 3 every turn. Almost, I emphasize.

You should be able to establish enough control to use it.
 
D

Dark Horse

Guest
To the best of my knowledge the purpose of the deck was actually to use single cards to deprive your opponent of large numbers of cards, and somehow win with the ensuing card advantage. Disrupting scepter, while it was important, the purpose eludes me. Since its not an instant ability, you cannot use it in response to them drawing something, and if you have already established control, then they can just discard the dead cards they cannot use anyway. The Pikula card in planeshift can be good in that deck, since except in the mirror match, its 2nd turn card denial and chump blocker.

Incidently, the Serra's were not the only kill mechanism, the classic version had 1 mirror universe. ;). Im a trivia buff of old magic decks:).

The scepter is good by itself, but not as good in the deck as its hyped to be.

Im gonna submit a potential THE DECK design for type two.

The alleged purpose of the scepter is to achieve a "Weissman Lock", no cards in opponents hand and counters for what they draw, but since many THE DECKS ran 4 scepters,... it just doesnt seem err right. (I beleive the classic version ran 2 though.)
 
D

Duel

Guest
4 scepter's is overkill. I prefer only 1. That keeps their hand size constant. I maintain that it's a usefukl card, and does generate card advantage. Becsue once it's there, every card they try and cast gives them 1 less option.
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Gonna have to meet you halfway on that one, Duel. 4 is overkill, yes. But one? Odds are, by the time you hit it, you won't get any use out of it.

It's also important to remember that, since it acts as a sorcery, your opponent can draw a card and play it before you can Stick them.

I recommend two copies, three if it's important to you to get one into play.
 
D

Duel

Guest
Yeah, but isty, if they're playing on topdecking alone, then chances are you've already won, right? You SHOULD be able to, assuming (Falsely) that everything is relatively average. Especially with counterspells in your deck.
 
Killer Joe

Killer Joe

New member
experimenting with "The Stick", I find that it's very useful and quite surprising (it seems that I am the only one in my area to use it in the current type 2 format), "What!, Can I read that?", is a common response when I slap it down, the shop Guru laughs at me for using it, se la vie.
I do only run one copy since it's not a core card in the deck, but only as an extra utility card, however, I do run one additional one in my sideboard.
Bottomline: I like using Disrupting Scepter and will continue to use it in tournament Magic until it no longer can be sustained in my deck.
 
D

Duel

Guest
yeah, you go, Yellowjacket! I remember when they laughed at me for playing Island sanctuary. Then they saw me win with my island sanctuary mystic decree douse whim of folrath arcane laboratory millstone combo...... once.
 
M

Mars

Guest
It's a good card. When discard is bad in any given format, as it is now in T2 (don't you miss Hymn to Tourach?), then old but legal discard standards such as The Stick and Stupor become more powerful. A big problem currently, however, is the presence of both Nether Spirit, Pyre Zombie, and Squee, Goblin Nabob. These are cards that your opponent WANTS to see in the graveyard, of course.
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Don't forget Hammer of Bogardan.

*hopes they reprint Planar Void in 7th*
 
D

Duel

Guest
Discard? Bad? In t2? Are we talking about the same environment?

Okay, so the tier 1 decks don't include discard (Except u/w control with the stick, and machinehead with void), but a lot of the tier 2 decks do. Abyssal specters and Recoils and Chilling apparitions and addles are showing up everywhere. In a slow, power-card environment, discard is good.

Addle for:
White: Armageddon
Green: Blastoderm
Red: Urza's rage
Black: Nether spirit! (J/K) Try Void....
Blue: Countermagic
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Never forget this one truism:

Discard is the perfect foil against Counter.

Hmmmm. R/B discard deck with Scorching Lava to get Nether Spirit out of the game...Nether-Go, meet your maker!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top