Type 2: Cephalid's Embrace

[Daggertooth]

Theme: The Deck Preaches peace, frienlyness, and prosparity to others. It halts the Arms race with its Mind Slicers. Stops the killing with Ensnaring Bridge. And just seems like the nice guy.......... Then BAM!!! as soon as you embrace the peacefull Cephalid you feal the knife enter your back.

Yup, Cephalids with Megrim add for a nasty combo. Basicaly halt any attacks with Recoils and Spite. Take out any meat with Ensnaring bridge. Counter anything too deadly. Then start milling away. That in itself should kill. But top that off with a Haunting Echoes and it's all over.

This design seems to have many problems. The ones I see are:
1) Although the mama curve seems good, I can't help but think it's heavily flawed. You'll have to look at it.
......1cc = 0
......2cc = 6
......3cc = 18
......4cc = 15
......5cc = 2
2) It's built around the assumption that I will face a creature full environment. I'm not sure if I will or not, but If I don't then the Recoils and Spite will be sitting dead in my hand. (another good thing about the Cephalids)
3) Obviously there are too many cards. I've worked real hard and narrowed it down to these cards. But I can't get rid of 5 of them. It took all my will power to get rid of Bamboozle and Traumatize, I'm not sure I can get rid of anything else without advice. I do think that this deck could do without Haunting Echoes, but that card is a very fun aspect of this deck. (can't wait to see my opponents face after this thing is built)
4) there are a lot of cards with UU or BB in the casting cost. I'm not sure how to work around that, or if I can.


Well......Now for the deck you've all been waiting for.....The one with 2 sure ways to kill, The peacefull Backstaber, The Pasifist with the Iron fist.......IT's....---Drum roll----


**********CEPHALID'S EMBRACE**********


Creatures (17)
4x Cephalid Broker
4x Cephalid Looter
2x Cephalid Retainer
2x Grave Digger
3x Mind slicer
2x Mortivore

Instants (12)
4x Recoil
4x Undermine
4x counterspell

Sorcery (6)
2x Haunting Echoes
4x Barrins Spite

Enchantments (3)
3x Megrim

Artifacts (5)
3x Ensnaring Bridge
1x Charcoal Diamond
1x Sky Diamond

Land (22)
4x Salt Marsh
4x Underground River
14x other (assortments of Islands and Swamps)

Total: 65

Thanks for any help provided.

Daggertooth

 

[Daggertooth]

Now I've done some thinking. Ensnaring bridge is a very good card, and can make or break this deck. But how good is it really?

There are 8 counterspells and 8 anti-creature spells. Which means that unless my opponent does something, they are sitting pritty in my hand. Take in account that I wouldn't want more than one ensnaring bridge or Megrim out at the same time. (unless I had a mindslicer out) That means that there are 20 cards sitting pritty in my hand.

How effectively can I use ensnaring bridge if 1/3 of my deck will potentialy stay in my hand?


That also brings up the point that those 8 creature removal and 3 ensnaring bridge are in anticipation of a creature heavy environment. What happens if that is not the case? 11 cards completly useless. Sure the Cephalids might be able to help, but if Megrim's out I doub't I'd want to do that.

I could Use syncopate and sideboard in Barins Spite. But then, seeking out 4 expensive rares for a sideboard? I'd rather not.


Now I've also called into question the viability of Haunting Echoes. Yes it would be a game breaking card. even if I just use a cephalid twice then Haunting Echoes the result would be devastating. But is it really nessisary to keep this deck tourny viable?


Thanks for your help.

Daggertooth