The Toolbox (a T2 U/w Deck that can handle Everything)

[Mars]

Comments, Gentlemen? Only good control players need apply.

The Toolbox
by Darren DiBattista
name by Mars

3x Seashell Cameo
1x Disrupting Scepter
1x Snake Basket
1x Jayemdae Tome

4x Enlightened Tutor
4x Parallax Wave
2x Seal of Cleansing
4x Last Breath
1x Ivory Mask
2x Jeweled Spirit

4x Stormscape Apprentice
4x Counterspell
1x Avatar of Will

1x Teferi's Moat
2x Hanna, Ship's Navigator

2x Dust Bowl
4x Coastal Tower
2x Salt Marsh
9x Plains
6x Island

Sideboard:

1x Spiritual Asylum
1x Cowardice
1x Predator, Flagship
2x Story Circle
1x Teferi's Care
2x Seal of Cleansing
2x Wrath of God
1x Empress Galina
1x Tsabo's Web
1x Atalya, Samite Master
1x Wand of Denial
1x Teferi's Moat

 

[Thrash Golem]

not enough counterspells. this is what i'd go with if i played u/w


3x Teferi's Moat
3x Ribbon Snake
3x Drake Hatchling
4x Counterspell
3x Topple
4x Absorb
3x Thwart
2x Story Circle
1x Harsh Judgement
4x Enlightened Tutor
2x Wrath of God
1x Rout
1x Trade Routes
3x Mystical Tutor
3x Seashell Cameo
3x Coastal Tower
8x Plains
9x Island


Sideboard:
1x Rune of Protection: Green
1x Rune of Protection: Blue
2x Rune of Protection: Red
1x Rune of Protection: Black
1x Rune of Protection: White
2x Wave of Reckoning
2x Wrath of God
2x Light of Day
2x Harsh Judgement
1x Topple
1x Story Circle

 

[Neil Rigby]

This deck is terrible, It has virtually no ways of gaing card advantage whilst you have plenty of ways of losing it (sign of a bad deck). You have nowhere near enough counterspells, and unless you see Hanna and keep her alive, a well timed disenchant or two will leave the deck with no defense.

Stormscape Apprentice - hmm. There was a reason why Master Decoy was a good draft card. It was because it was draft.

The best way to have an answer to everything is to play with lots of the cards that answer everything - those that read "Counter target spell".

Thrash: your deck is better, but the main problem is that you are using seven 0-1 card swaps (the Tutors) where I would rather use cards like Accumulated Knowledge or Fact Or Fiction which are 2-1/3-1 card swaps or possibly better. And 2/3 guys like Ribbon Snake and Drake Hatchling would not be my choice of kill, a fatty like an Air Elemental would be better.

And Cameos are absolutely terrible. Absolutely. Not even a teeny bit good.

 

[Mars]

Thrash: Thanks for coming up with a tune of this deck.

Neil: <expletive deleted>, but I like you anyway seeing as how you're the 3rd best player in England after Dobson and Marsh, and a master at playing blue. Congrats on your fine performance at GP Manchester, by the way.

However Neil, can YOU come up with a better design? Note what the author of this deck has to say about it, and about your marvelous reply:

Darren writes:

HAHAHA!!! That's great! I agree that it needs
more counters, most likely in the place of the
Apprentices (which are just not as bad as one
might think, I swear), but the thing that I think
is being missed is that it's NOT a blue deck--
it's a white deck that splashes blue for some
counters and some abilities. I would like to take
out the Apprentices for 2 Absorb and 2 FoF, but I
like having ways to deal with creatures like
River Boa, etc.. Even if they are only around for
a few turns, they can work wonders in many cases
in terms of setting up an early defense.
Nonetheless, they are in fact what is most likely
to get pulled. FoF is cool just because my
graveyard is happy when it has enchantments in
it.

I think card advantage is being looked at in
limited ways as well-- the deck can generate
advantage by using one card to nullify many of
the opponent's. 'Losing' one card to Enlightened
Tutor means nothing if your Story Circle shuts
down a Blastoderm and keeps a second off the
table for a few turns. It is much more about time
advantage than card advantage per se, though it
is capable of outdrawing the opponent fairly
often. The Cameos were more of an experiment, and
while I have not had them perform poorly, I am
willing to try something else for argument's
sake.

I'm not really interested in replying-- we'll see
how things go on Saturday. I have enough sites
that require my attention and effort on a regular
basis already, and don't need to get into a
debate with someone. In my experience so far, the
deck has performed well against 5cG, W/G, R/G,
and B. I haven't had any matches against control
yet, but I already concede that I need more
counters-- I knew that already. Actually, the
deck I have had the most problems against is mono
red LD. But who plays that anyway?

 

[Neil Rigby]

"but the thing that I think is being missed is that it's NOT a blue deck-- it's a white deck that splashes blue for some counters and some abilities"

Well THERE`S your problem, guv. Everybody know white spells are bad and blue spells are good, so take out white spells and put in blue spells. Remember this simple code:
Blue = good.
Anything Else = bad.

As for a new deck, I delegate all deckbuilding responsibilities to my sidekick Gizmo - as you well know, Greg. Just take out a Power Sink and a Foil for two Prohibit and you have the latest version of the deck.

 

[Mars]

For those who don't know, Neil is talking about Gizmo's CounterWrath deck.

Neil: Blue's inability to handle permanents (other than card disatvantageous bounce cards) is its only weakness (hence its strong alliance with White), but otherwise, yes, I have to agree that it's the best color in Magic.

NetherGo vs CounterWrath. Who wins? Word on the street has it that NetherGo wins that match-up, making it the best deck in T2 Magic. Do you agree?
Disagree? If so, why?

I'm also looking for a STRONG NetherGo deck to playtest against. Can anyone provide one?

 

[Baskil]

Does the CounterWrath deck pack Last Breath? If yes, then CounterWrath has the advantage I would think.

 

[Duel]

Ahh, control, back in my element.

okay, the toolbox theory is sound, but the desig is shaky. I agree with neil: card advantage MUST happen, or you will lose. THis is true of every deck that needs counterspell, and your deck does, no matter what you think. counterspell is still the best card in the game.

Salt marsh: Why? You had 2, and no black spells. If you want it back, add lobotomy as well.

The Toolbox
by Darren DiBattista
name by Mars

4x Enlightened Tutor
2x Parallax Wave
3x Seal of Cleansing
2x Last Breath
1x Ivory Mask
2x Jeweled Spirit
2x Wrath of god

4x Absorb
4x Counterspell
4x Accumulated knowledge


1x Teferi's Moat
2x Hanna, Ship's Navigator

3x Chimeric Idols
4x Seashell cameo

2x Dust Bowl
4x Coastal Tower
9x Plains
7x Island

Sideboard:

2x Teferi's Response
2x Light of day (Nether spirit? I don't see a nether spirit...)
2x Story Circle
2x Bribery
1x Spiritual Asylum
1x Tsabo's Web
2x Teferi's Moat
2x Last breath


Okay:

How to stop enchantments/artifacts:
3x Seal of cleansing (summonable, renewable)

How to stop creatures:
1x Teferi's moat
2x Parallax wave (Temp, summonable, renewable)
2x Wrath of god

How to stop removal
2x Jewled Spirit
2x Parallax wave (Temp, summonable, renewable)

How to stop burn/discard:
1x Ivory mask

Mana curve:
1cc: 4
2cc: 12
3cc: 15
4cc: 4
5cc: 3

Obviously the deck peaks at 2 and 3. Meaning that you should end up with a lot of extra mana (hanna is some good). I'd like to smooth the curve nonetheless, but can't figure how to.