Swallowing the Skies (Warning: Small GP spoiler)

[Arix]

Sky Swallower 3UU
Creature - Leviathan
Flying
When Sky Swallower comes into play, target opponent gains control of all other permanents you control.
8/8

I knew almost as soon as I saw this card on the Guildpact spoiler that I had to make a deck out of it.

Now, anyone can pair Sky Swallower with Brand. Turn 6, Sky swallower, Mountain, Brand. Bor-ing. I'm going to take a more original approach.

First and foremost, Sky Swallower gives your opponent all your lands as well. So I want mana accel, not only to give me my 8/8 flier before turn 5, but also to let me set up again after I've given my opponent all my stuff. But I want to cut down on the stuff I give them, so I don't particularly want to use things like Llanowar Elves or Birds of Paradise. Stuff more like Sakura-Tribe Elder, Harrow, Rampant Growth, stuff that won't be given to my opponent is more like what I need. But after I have my 8/8 flier out there, to get me stable again, the permanent mana givers can't hurt.

Now, onto more blue stuff. I can't resist the pull of giving my opponents Thought Lash. But we don't want them to go destroying the Lash somehow, and we want to keep our 8/8 flier once we have it. Like any blue combo deck, I need some counterspells in there. Of course, Stifle is just far too cheap a trick to leave it out. Hey, if there's an easy way out, take it. I would also have stuff that lets me take back control of my stuff, but they're generally too expensive. Some cheap Unsummons, Boomerangs etc. will be best for that.

In the end, I come out with something like...

Swallowing the Skies (60)
Creatures (12)
3 Sky Swallower
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
3 Birds of Paradise
2 Llanowar Elves

Other spells (26)
2 Leyline of Lifeforce
4 Rampant Growth
4 Harrow
2 Stifle
4 Mana Leak
4 Boomerang
4 Unsummon
2 Thought Lash

Lands (22)
4 G/U shockland when it's released
4 Yavimaya Coast
8 Island
6 Forest

 

[Limited]

All I can say is: Brand

 

[Mikeymike]

Consider cards which are very difficult to use properly, and if not used properly provide a terrible, terrible drawback. Ideas include:

Symbiotic Deployment (which will kill their draw step)
Carnival of Souls
Forbidden Crypt
Blood Funnel

Of course, you could also use Illusions of Grandeur, but well...

Also, a Balance/Cataclysm approach can work as well.

EDIT

Oh crap - Oath of Druids could be very interesting!

 

[DarthFerret]

I am horrible with the newer cards, since i mostly use cards made when the years were still in the 1900's. However, to get the mana accelleration, could you consider artifacts you sacrifice or instants that provide a burst of mana , rather than a permanant source. THis way you would not be providing your opponent with a lot of power that you would have to make up for, just to get an 8/8 on the board....

I agree with the counterspells, and i like the illusions idea (Loved donating an Illusions of Grandeur to someone ) however, overall you need to think of one thing, and the only thing that really matters in a game....will this help me defeat my opponent?

An old school approace might combine a Karma - like effect with a hack, you have no lands, therefor take no damage, and you just gave your opponent a real headache.

 

[Arix]

All I can say is: Brand

All I can say is:

Now, anyone can pair Sky Swallower with Brand. Turn 6, Sky swallower, Mountain, Brand. Bor-ing. I'm going to take a more original approach.

Consider cards which are very difficult to use properly, and if not used properly provide a terrible, terrible drawback.

That's why I included Thought Lash. Thing is, I don't want to include too many of them. One is good - more is a pain.

However, to get the mana accelleration, could you consider artifacts you sacrifice or instants that provide a burst of mana , rather than a permanant source. THis way you would not be providing your opponent with a lot of power that you would have to make up for, just to get an 8/8 on the board....

If you'll read through, you'll notice I already considered that.

however, overall you need to think of one thing, and the only thing that really matters in a game....will this help me defeat my opponent?

NO! NO NO NO! THAT IS NOT THE ONLY THING I THINK OF! The first thing I think of in a game is "Is this any fun?". Victory very much comes second.

 

[jorael]

1 observation: you think using Brand with this card is "bor-ing" but Stifle isn't?

Of course, Stifle is just far too cheap a trick to leave it out. Hey, if there's an easy way out, take it.

Seems to me this is true for Brand also.

Of course, Brand is just far too cheap a trick to leave it out. Hey, if there's an easy way out, take it.

I guess it's personal preference Good luck with the deck idea!

 

[Arix]

Thing is, Stifle's just such a natural fit. Whereas Brand adds something else entirely, a road I don't want to take.

 

[Limited]

I must apologize; it seems by skimming over the info to get to the decklist you provided, I missed you mentioning Brand.

I have to say though, that I think Brand is a fun card and not at all boring. You could add a Hunted Dragon and Hunted Phantasm and make the deck more about Brand.

By the way, how is Stifle different from Brand, when using it to negate the Sky Swallowers drawback?

Now, for some real comments:
I would consider dropping the Birds of Paradise. It is a great one drop, but I wouldn't want to risk having to give it to an opponent where it can chumpblock your 8/8.

A fun card to use could be Mana Seism, which would allow a turn four Sky Swallower and giving your opponent only one land.

 

[Arix]

I have to say though, that I think Brand is a fun card and not at all boring. You could add a Hunted Dragon and Hunted Phantasm and make the deck more about Brand.

The point wasn't to make a Brand deck, though. It was to make a Sky Swallower deck.

By the way, how is Stifle different from Brand, when using it to negate the Sky Swallowers drawback?

As said above, Stifle just falls into place, whereas Brand pushes it in another direction, as your idea of turning it into a Brand deck suggests.

I would consider dropping the Birds of Paradise. It is a great one drop, but I wouldn't want to risk having to give it to an opponent where it can chumpblock your 8/8.

I also covered that - the Elders/Harrows etc. are there to get Sky Swallower early, the Birds/Elves etc. are there to help me re-build once it's already out.

A fun card to use could be Mana Seism, which would allow a turn four Sky Swallower and giving your opponent only one land.

That idea I like, but again it adds another colour. But between Harrow, Birds and Growth, perhaps a third colour isn't too unrealistic.

 

[Oversoul]

Kaervek's Spite would be fun with this, but totally different from the direction you're taking now.

 

[Arix]

No, I see what you're saying with that. It doesn't really change the direction all that much...I can see playing Sky Swallower, then responding with the Spite, sacking all permanents and making them lose 5 life, then the Swalloewr resolves and comes into play, giving them nothing.

But then, that kinda defeats the purpose of the Swallower. It turns it from a 3UU 8/8 flier into a 3UUBBB 8/8 flier, making them lose 5 life when it comes into play, pretty much. I dunno, I'll have to think on that.

 

[Oversoul]

No, I see what you're saying with that. It doesn't really change the direction all that much...I can see playing Sky Swallower, then responding with the Spite, sacking all permanents and making them lose 5 life, then the Swalloewr resolves and comes into play, giving them nothing.

But then, that kinda defeats the purpose of the Swallower. It turns it from a 3UU 8/8 flier into a 3UUBBB 8/8 flier, making them lose 5 life when it comes into play, pretty much. I dunno, I'll have to think on that.

Well, you'd want to play other cards that worked well with either the Swallower or Kaervek's Spite (Balance is really the best card to use with Kaervek's Spite). But I think the heavy blue/black mana requirement of using both cards together really limits the concept. Something like Brand or Stifle would be more effective.

 

[sageridder]

I think chain of vapor, and mask of the mimic would play nice with sky swallower.

 

[Arix]

Chain of Vapor, I never thought of that. That would indeed be a very nice addition.

 

[sageridder]

Can't belive I didn't think of this with the chain, since you're in u/g add life from the loam to pop those lands back to hand.

 

[sageridder]

Have you considered a u/b build? Then you could have Dimir Doppelganger already in play become a copy of it with no drawback.Maybe use transmute cards to search for her, then shock your opponet using one with nothing to drop the sky swallower into the graveyard.

 

[Arix]

Eh. Thing is, the Doppelganger can be used to get around any comes-into-play drawback. I wanted this to be built specifically around the Swallower and not just be able to replace it with any big creature with a comes-into-play drawback.

 

[Zigathon]

You could add a few copies of Clutch of the Undercity to get permanents back into your hand... with an added 3 life loss to your opponent!

 

[Arix]

It'll add another colour, while I already have Boomerangs and whatnot...but between the Elders, Birds, Harrows etc, I think it's safe to splash a third.