Unnatural Reflections

[rkoelsch]

Griffeth-se had brought up an interesting combo and we are trying to make a deck of it. Some help would be appreciated.

4-Darting Merfolk
4-Glacial Wall
4-Silver Drake
2-Hanna, Ships Navigator
1-Empress Galina

3-Unnatural Selection
3-Pure Relection
3-Parallax Wave
1-Alexi's Cloak

3-Fact or Fiction
2-Dismantling Blow
4-Counterspell
2-Absorb

2-Tsabo Web
4-Adarkar Wastes
4-Coatal Towers
7-Islands
7-Plains

 

[EricBess]

Now that is funny. I'm assuming the idea is to turn all of their creatures into Reflections in response to a creature being played.

What's the point of the Empress? If it is just to keep Hanna from getting stolen, put it in the sideboard at best. I'm not sure you even need Hanna, but you are obviously going for the Parallax Wave lock as a secondary lock. That may be a bit overkill and you could use those spots to help you early game or against creatureless decks.

 

[Griffith_se]

You can name an Opponents Creature type "Legend" and steal it.
Yeah, this was my hair brained idea, don't blame rkoelsch.

 

[rkoelsch]

I tried to put too much stuff in instead of maintaining a focus.

Lets Try this
4-Darting Merfolk
4-Glacial Wall
3-Silver Drake
2-Hanna, Ships Navigator
2-Sawtooth Loon

4-Unnatural Selection
4-Pure Relection
2-Alexi's Cloak

2-Fact or Fiction
3-Dismantling Blow
4-Counterspell
2-Absorb

2-Tsabo Web
4-Adarkar Wastes
4-Coatal Towers
7-Islands
7-Plains

 

[Zadok001]

Looks like a deck in desparate need of search cards, doesn't it? I like your "tech" of Darting Merfolk. The Sawtooth Loons are a step forward, but they're expensive - Perhaps Opt or Sleight of Hand would give you the needed edge? Alexi's Cloak seems largely irrelevant to the deck's style, basically playing Confound for you. I'd recommend trying to find room for some early search cards so you could get to the needed Reflection and/or Selection when you need it.

 

[Landkiller]

Does the combo work? Can you respond to a triggered ability? "When a creature spell is played..."

 

[Ephrils]

I'm still working on a deck for Unnatural Selection. It's going to be U/W/B. Black is being used for Plague Spitters, some mana boost, and another fun card White is to have a right creature in play so I can name "Flagbearer" for Unatural Selection.

 

[rkoelsch]

Landkiller
A.4.3 - Triggered abilities are not played. They wait until the next time
a player receives priority, then they are put on the stack (see Rule T.2).
It is placed on as a pseudospell, with a copy of its source's text, color,
and controller at the time it triggered. [CompRules 99/04/23]

pure reflection Triggers and goes to stack
in response we activate unnatural selection as many times as we want changing their creatures to reflections and our reflections to merfolk.

Zadok001

Only the loon and fof cost 4 everything else cost less. But I should probably try to get some early search. I was thinking the merfolk and walls would hold thing off till I get control. The alexi's cloak is a vain attempt to dilute the deck, put in to protect Hanna. As Hanna isn't important to the lock they could be dispensed with.

 

[rkoelsch]

Trying to make it more consistant

Lets Try this
4-Darting Merfolk
4-Glacial Wall
3-Silver Drake
1-Hanna, Ships Navigator
2-Sawtooth Loon

4-Unnatural Selection
4-Pure Relection

4-Opt
2-Fact or Fiction
3-Dismantling Blow
4-Counterspell
1-Absorb

2-Tsabo Web
4-Adarkar Wastes
4-Coatal Towers
7-Islands
7-Plains

 

[Thallid Ice Cream Man]

The card Spirit Mirror from Tempest has the ability "0: Destroy target Reflection." If you are really desperate for creature kil you could try that (although I doubt it would help much).

 

[Mikeymike]

There is/was an Unnatural Selection discussion going on in the single card strategies, check that out for some more ideas.

A good one from there (which is type 2 legal) is running it with Lord of Atlantis to turn him and all your other creatures into boosted, islandwalking merfolk. But that's really a different deck...

Very cool idea. Opposition could potentially work in here. You will/should always have more creatures than your opponent so you could lock down their blockers and attack each turn. It could also help take care of Spiritmongers and flyers, which could represent a problem for you.

 

[rkoelsch]

played on apprentice against a U/W millstone deck of the typical type. It was very close and convinced me that my build is sound. I need more card drawing. I am thinking of getting rid of Hanna or move her into the sideboard. I am not sold on Opt and I had replaced my Fact or Fictions with Reviving Vapors which might be a mistake
my current decklist is this. I would appreciate any suggestions.

4-Darting Merfolk
4-Glacial Wall
3-Silver Drake
1-Hanna, Ships Navigator
2-Sawtooth Loon

4-Unnatural Selection
4-Pure Relection

4-Opt
2-Reviving Vapors
3-Dismantling Blow
4-Counterspell
1-Absorb

2-Tsabo Web
4-Adarkar Wastes
4-Coatal Towers
7-Islands
7-Plains

 

[Griffith_se]

Don't know if it helps much but I like Sleight of hand better than Opt.

Card drawing: Rhystic Study Maybe?
Merfolk Looter?
Maybe Spiritual focus, sideboard?

 

[rkoelsch]

4-Darting Merfolk
4-Glacial Wall
3-Silver Drake
3-Sawtooth Loon

4-Unnatural Selection
4-Pure Relection

3-Opt
2-Fact or Fiction
3-Dismantling Blow
4-Counterspell
2-Foil
1-Absorb


4-Adarkar Wastes
4-Coatal Towers
10-Islands
4-Plains

Sideboard
3-Teferi's response
3-Gainsay
3-Hanna, Ship Navigator
3-Last Breath
3-Wrath of God

 

[John`O]

4 Opt
4 Darting Merfolk
2 Seal of Cleansing
4 Unnatural Selection
4 Counterspell
4 Glacial Wall
4 Fleeting Image
4 Pure Relection
4 Voice of All
2 Fact or Fiction
4 Adarkar Wastes
4 Coastal Tower
9 Island
5 Plains

That's just off the top of my head might be worse.
Not completely sure about the Voice, maybe WW is a problem.
I wanted a non-blue creature though.
Image Sounds like it should be better than Silver Drake.
Merfolk Looter might be ok?
I think Seal should be better than Dismantle in this deck
as it gives you another turn 2 play and you don't
care if it gets disenchanted.


John

 

[rkoelsch]

The Fleeting Image is better I think. I like the loons as they cycle through the deck and help find the combo. The merfolk and walls provide a defense until the combo is found. I am not as concerned about a non blue creature as the Reflections are white. When i played against U/W millstone player he named story circle white and the only thing that would damage him was the merfolk. This is another reason Fleeting image is better. Thanks for the input.

 

[rkoelsch]

4-Darting Merfolk
4-Glacial Wall
4-Fleeting Image
3-Sawtooth Loon

4-Unnatural Selection
4-Pure Relection

4-Opt
2-Fact or Fiction
3-Seal of Cleansing
4-Counterspell

2-Tsabo Web
4-Adarkar Wastes
4-Coatal Towers
9-Islands
5-Plains